#my parents were going away so she was gonna take care of ne and before she arrived i saw these 3 guys be the dumbest horror movie characters

[duck-era-lexi]

bro i just had a dream that illuminahd 1337 started swearing cuz it was “Funny” and “for a joke” but then he got the hang of it and it just stuck. then i went on his subreddit and turns out he got married to his girlfriend of 14 years dating since they were 14, and her name was josie.oHo and also girly won mccR so everyone was like: questions for .oHo and (other winner) who i guess was also a s/o of a competitor

actually this all started with this youtube video in which someone was speedrunning with a magma ravine but they weren’t allowed to mine gravel because my aunt was there and she said it was bad for the environment. then this transitions into an illumina video where i learn all the above information, also there’s like a weird life progression clip in which there are 3d models of him at different life stages, narrated in 3rd person. at the end of the line (all the models are sitting in a line btw) it’s something like, he fell in love with a girl named lily, but he would never truly love her… his true passion was debate

HUH??

(then there’s this section in which he attacks- i say attacks because what happened was a bit… yk. and says he doesn’t have time for debating)

anyways the final part of my dream was that i was trying desperately to post on this account but i was using the worlds most shit keyboard, okay actually it was my fault cuz i was using it on my lap and it wasn’t even connected to a monitor, it was connected to my PHONE. also it was orange like light orange like an orange sorbet

moral of the story don’t go to sleep at 2:30

[bloodycassian]

A FEAST - Azriel x readder. Prompt - Reader is injured and knocked out for days. Cassian gets him to finally leave your side for one meal and Nyx brings a guest with him...

"The Dragons Song is the best one, hands down." Nesta argued, hacking through the brush.  "That one is full of the same scenes every time." You judged, pushing a branch out of the way. The jungle was a mess of twists and turns to work through, but thankfully one of the fishermen on the dock had sold you a compass at a descent price. "A little more right for a few more miles and we'll be there." You steered her on course.  "At least it dosent say 'honeydew' every scene." She made a fake gagging noise and you laughed. The sound was muffled in the crowded forest. She hacked her way through the brush, one vine at a time. Until you finally reached the clearing. It was hot in the direct sun, a few degrees different than what the shade of the forest had been. You paced the perimiter, meeting her at the other side. "You mean Cassian dosen't like honeydew?" You wiggled your eyebrows at her.  "Az does?" She challenged, earning a laugh from you. "The ones that you like are predictable beyond measure." You countered, earning a quick smile before your attention snapped across the meadow. To a giant hog serpent with venomous tusks that gleamed with their clear liquid. You swore and you and Nesta both drew swords at the same time.  + Nesta ended the hog, but not before it had the chance for those razor sharp tusks to marr your legs with deep wounds. The venom stung, flowing into your bloodstream and paralyzing you slowly. You gasped at the sheer blinding pain it brought. "Nes-" You choked out between sobs. "Tell Az... Tell Az I love him." You smiled to her, putting a hand on her cheek. "No, no way. You're gonna tell him yourself. Stay awake. We're on the way." She reached deep to that bond to Cassian, and a flare of alertness greeted her. Then, a thrill of fire. "On the way. Rhys will be there in a few. Are you okay?" "Fine, she's delirious. She needs a healer and a detox for the venom." She thought back, sighing when she felt Rhys' presence. "Wheres Az?" You managed out of your chattering teeth. You were losing the fight against the venom quickly. It would have you under in a few minutes if Rhys didn't hurry to a healer. He placed a hand on you and darkness surrounded.  "Cassian will-" He started to Nesta, "I know, get her safe." She rushed, urging him to winnow you already. When Cassian saw the amount of blood spilled, he cursed.  "Most of it was the beast." Nesta cleaned her sword on an overgrown leaf that jutted down into the meadow.  Her hands shook when she sheathed it. "Nes." He stopped her when she turned. "Nes..." He repeated, giving her a long look. She tried to hide her face, the terror there. "Lets go." He pulled her to his side and took off, holding her close to him. He said nothing about the tears that flowed to his shoulder. He just gripped her tighter.   + Azriel had nearly broken the door when he stormed in. And he hadn't left your side since. Nesta stayed when she could, letting Azriel relax enough to sleep now and again. He trusted her to wake him if anything changed in your status.  When he woke, he heard his brother's voice first. Quiet an hurried in tone, him and Nesta argued by the door. "He wont leave. You've already tried, just leave him alone." Nesta was scolding. Cassian gripped her hands, then whipped his head over to his brother when he saw him stretching on the bench.  "Hey Az-" Cassian smiled, bounding over to his brother like a puppy. "You remmeber Madja saying it may take up to a week, right? How about you come to dinner up at the house with us."  "I dont want to miss if she-" "Come on, Nyx will be there. Mor's coming back from the continent tonight too." Cassian tempted, poking at the old flame Azriel carried for the female. She was still incredible, and one of Azriels best friends, but he no longer felt that flame towards her. You had come along and crushed it with a bat of your eyelashes and a few quick witted insults at Cas. Nesta started pulling him away, giving you an apologetic smile. "It would be nice for you to be there is all he means." She began pushing him out the door, despite his protests.  "Think about it! She wouldn't want you to be mourning while she's alive!" Cassian shouted, earning a smack from Nesta. Azriel smiled despite the dark nature of the situation. He pulled a chair up beside your resting body. It had been three days. How would he know if you were awake or not? He tugged on that dark link you shared together, and came up with the same unresponsiveness as before. He sighed, but took your hand anyway, falling asleep again to the sound of your soft breathing. + He decided to stay for just an hour. He would spare his family that much. He kissed you goodbye and tried his best to ignore the guilt he felt for leaving you behind. But Cassian was right. He knew that when you woke up you'd be upset about him not going. So he put on his brave face and flew up to the house of wind, to the joy of everyone. They clapped upon his arrival, making his cheeks burn. Mor gave him a hug and promised to catch up. But she hovered around a fae you hadn't met yet. A female that she watched with wide sparkling eyes. Azriel's chest bloomed with pride at the sight of them being so close, so full of life for each other.  He looked away from the two, and sent his shadows out to Rhys. And found what he was seeking. He darted over to the end of the table where the high lord and lady sat across from each other. The head table was empty, and filthy. "That's a small monster if I've ever seen one." He bent and scooped Nyx up from under the table. He wriggled and laughed.  "No monster Azzy." Nyx babbled, pulling on his uncle's hair.  "No pulling hair!" Rhys scolded, making Nyx laugh even more. Feyre sighed. "You're just having fun. How about we go for a fly down to-" "Don't say it, Az." Rhy's tone went from scolding to pleading. Even though the baby couldn't fly yet, it was one of his favorite things to do. He could see how Rhys' son would be skilled at flying with just the way he angled his head when accompanying. Az poked at Nyx's belly and they fought like that for a few moments, Nyx eventually winnowing away with the joy only a child could have.  Azriel froze, looking to the high lord and lady for comfort. Having a baby disappear in your arms was strange, even for Fae babies. "When'd he start doing that?" "Four days ago." Feyre sighed. She looked utterly exhausted. "We've been having to take turns staying up with him." Rhys held her hand across the table, they shared a sweet look together then they both whipped their heads to Nyx in unison. "Dont-" Feyre warned, giving her son a stern look as he pulled at the tablecloth. Amren gave the boy a look of discouragement as well when he looked around for someone to be laughing with him. He stopped after those silver eyes met his.  Nesta gave Az a smile from across the room where she and Cassian welcomed the toddoling boy. "Let's start training, Nyxie. Come on, show me what you got." Cassian got on his knees to the floor and the two began wrestling together. Azriel took a seat beside Rhys, picking at the crackers and cheese platter before him.  "When were we planning on going back to the Island?" Rhys asked, voice low. Cassian rolled with Nyx on the ground, making Nesta laugh when the boy pulled at Cas' hair. "I'm not going until my mate is healed. Maybe you should send them, see how much trouble they can get in."  Az asked, trying to keep the hinting out of his voice. He wanted to go take care of it on his own. The mission on the Island was not complete and he didn't want to risk anyone again. He'd rather do it and make sure it was a finished job. He couldn't bare to see you be hurt over a fellow Valkyrie getting hurt either. "You know they would kill each other.... or themselves trying to protect the other." Feyre smiled despite herself. She knew it was the truth. Her sister being happy for once was a joy like no other.  "Mom and Dad need to eat, Az you too." Cassian ordered. He bounced the boy on his legs, making him pretend fly. Azriel picked at the plate that appeared before him. The warm meat and stew looked incredible, but he couldn't bring himself to eat. The guilt was the only thing that weighed in his stomach. "I should go check on-" He began to say, folding his napkin back on the table. "How is she?" Cassian interrupted from the floor. Nesta was playing with Nyx now, rattling a toy around for him. Azriel kept his calm mask on, trying to fight the urge to check on you. The black haired boy looked to her with upset eyes. "Auntie?" He said, voice a bit whiny.  "Auntie is napping, she'll be back in a little while." Nes assured. Azriel's heart squeezed at the love Nyx showed. Then, the boy was gone.  The parents were digging into their plates. It was likely the only meal they'd shared together in the four days of taking turns watching Nyx. "Rhys-" Az began, terror sweeping his gut. Nyx was no where in sight. Nesta and Cassian both shot to their feet when they didn't spot him.  Then, the plates in front of Azriel clattered and shot food everywhere. Mor and her date yelped and fled their chairs, mor pushing the other female behind her. Azriel's shadows coiled, siphons glared ready to fight.  And Rhys didnt move as he observed the waking fae before him. The tug on Azriel's bond went taut. "Auntie here!" Nyx celebrated, patting your chest. You groaned and cracked open your eyes to see Azriel's shadows swirling about you. "Are you okay?!" Azriel gripped your shoulders,  his warm hands seeping into your thin shirt. The sweats you wore were now stained with whatever food had been on the table. Rhys put down his fork slowly. "I wasn't expecting to be this kind of snack Az..." You said softly. Rhy's cheeks went red. Mor laughed first, her date looked to her with bewilderment and worry. Cassian rushed over and picked Nyx up from your stomach. "I think there's a fork in my back." You said, voice gruff.  A hysterical laugh bubbled from Azriel, then the rest of them were cracking up. "Nyx... Thanks." Azriel breathed, and the boy began clapping.  + Once you were back on your feet and Madja had given you the go ahead to take it easy, you asked Azriel to go on a walk with you. The stretch of your legs was sore, but the good kind of sore that left you feeling better and better with each step. The cool wind from the Sidra whipped around you. He wrapped a wing around both of you as you reached the apex of a bridge.  "I owe that baby everything." He laughed, squeezing your hand tighter. The city was quiet, only soft music coming from the Rainbow and the calm trickle of the Sidra sounding out. "Nyx the Valkyrie deliverer."  You laughed together, leaning against the railing on the bridge. The streetlights above cast a wonderful color over you, illuminating you both in a silvery shade that matched the moonlight. "I love you." You said, resting your head against his shoulder. It had been a long night, and who knew how long of sleeping... but you were tired.  "Love you." He nudged you away so he could hook his finger under your chin and angle you up to kiss him. You wrapped your arms around him and compiled, letting the bond hum through you like a song.

[snelbz]

Life As We Know It {Chapter Three}

Summary: After the sudden deaths of Nesta’s sister and Cassian’s best friend, they gain guardianship of their nephew, Nyx.

Based on Life As We Know It (2010) and a prompt sent in by anonymous for our Nessian fanfic contest. This is a modern au.

Instead of doing a tag list for this story, we have decided to have a set posting schedule. Chapters will be posted weekly on Mondays and Thursdays. Chapters will be posted on both my and Tara’s blogs! >> @tacmc.

Life As We Know It Masterlist

Shelby’s Masterlist

Tara’s Masterlist

Nesta sat across the kitchen table in Azriel and Elain’s kitchen, looking at her sister.

“I mean, I just don’t get it,” Nesta continued, shaking her head. “Me and Cassian… Why didn’t they choose you and Azriel? You’ve been together forever and want a big family.”

“You’re second guessing taking care of Nyx?” Elain asked, with no judgement, just curiosity.

“No, of course not,” Nesta began, sighing. “It’s just… Me and Cassian?”

“They did try to set you two up all those years ago,” Elain said, propping an elbow on the table and dropping her chin in her hand.

Nesta raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “And how well did that work out?”

Elain rolled her eyes, but sighed. “Feyre was right though,” she said, looking at the letter from Rhys and Feyre, laying face down on the table. Nesta had brought it over for Elain to read, which had just made them both start crying over again. “You have the fiercest heart. Nyx needs you in his life.”

She blinked away the tears lining her eyes again. Silently, she wondered when she’d be able to think about her sister, about Rhys again, without dissolving into tears. She knew it would be a long while.

Finally, she said, “I know he does. I just don’t understand why Cassian has to be involved. That’s not going to be a healthy environment for him to grow up in.”

She could already see it, she and Cassian at each other’s throats. He knew how to get under her skin, loved to do it, did it as often as he could. It would be all Nyx saw as he grew up, his guardians screaming at each other.

“He needs to be somewhere happy and loving and peaceful. Like here, Lainy. He’d flourish here, with you and Az and Seph.”

Elain gave her sister a long, wistful look. Her eyes were soft and misty when she said, “We’re just learning to take care of one, Nes. I can’t… We can’t take on another infant. And, besides, it wasn’t what Feyre and Rhys wanted.”

“They probably wrote that the second they got engaged,” Nesta said, knowing that wasn’t true. “They didn’t know what they wanted.” Elain glanced at the open letter that sat on the table between them. “I read it. They knew exactly what they wanted for Nyx in case something happened to them, and I think that they were right. Just because you and Cassian can’t see it doesn’t mean that it’s not a good idea.”

“The lawyer will disagree with that,” Nesta muttered, remembering Tarquin’s words from their meeting. I tried to advise them against this. She shivered. “The thought of living with Cassian and playing house has me nauseous. And pissed off. So pissed off that I’m nauseous.”

Elain sighed again. “He really is a-.”

“A good guy,” Nesta interrupted, letting her head fall into her hands. Her fingers tugged in the roots slightly. “I know. You keep telling me that. Feyre always told me that. Everyone keeps telling me that. But the two of us?” She looked up at Elain, letting her see into those eyes that matched Feyre’s perfectly, letting her see the slight panic in them, letting her see everything. “We aren’t compatible. Everything about him, it throws me off.”

A cry from down the hall had both of the women standing, but when Nesta realized it was Nyx, she hurried out of the kitchen. In a flash, she was in the spare room, crossing to the small crib Elain and Az had set up for Feyre and Rhys when they found out they were pregnant.

Nyx’s blue eyes were wide and he let out another tortured wail and Nesta tried to soothe him before he was even in her arms. “It’s okay, bubba,” she cooed, holding him against her chest. He kept crying, though the volume of his screams lessened. Instead they were more akin to what Nesta would have almost called sobs.

“It’s been a long day,” she breathed. “I think we should go home, yeah?”

She gathered his diaper bag from where it laid on the bed and when she entered the living room, Elain was sitting on the couch, reading over the letter again. Quiet tears slid down her cheeks.

“I’m gonna get him home,” Nesta said, softly. She repeated, “It’s… It’s been a long day.”

Nodding, Elain folded the letter back up and wiped at the tears on her face with the back of her hand. “Right.” She held the letter out to Nesta, who took it, careful not to jostle Nyx who had finally quieted down, though Nesta could tell he was still awake.

His little hand was pressed to the side of her neck, and she could feel it moving gently.

“Call me if you need anything,” Elain said, carefully hugging her and pressing a kiss to the top of Nyx’s head. “Az and I will help you move what you need to into the house, so don’t hesitate to ask.”

Nesta could only nod, still unsure of how she was going to do this, how she was going to live her life, while also taking care of the far more precious one in her arms. She silently left, driving home and getting Nyx inside and settled, letting him sit in the Bumbo seat she’d found in the kitchen atop the counter while she cooked dinner.

After putting him down for bed, Nesta found herself sitting on the balcony off of Rhys and Feyre’s old bedroom. She looked out into the small wood that made up their backyard, over the pool and chairs that had been set up for the approaching summer, but her eyes were drawn up to the stars that Velaris was famous for.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she whispered, not sure if she was admitting it to herself or to Rhys and Feyre, listening to her wherever they were. “I’m so scared I’ll do something wrong.”

The sounds of crickets and other manner of nighttime creatures were the only reply she received.

“I know you believed in me, in us, but I don’t. I want to make you both proud but I don’t know if I can do that. I just need something to tell me that I’m not making a huge mistake and-.

She softly gasped as a shooting star went blazing across the sky, a second one following it right after.

Her lip trembled as she nodded up at the night sky, understanding, knowing who had sent those stars. She almost felt like she could feel them there, as if they were telling her that it would be hard, but she could do it.

And she… she didn’t have to do it alone.

*

Cassian wasn’t at Az and Elain’s for thirty seconds before he crossed to the mini-fridge Azriel kept stocked in the garage.

“There’s no way they thought this was a good idea,” he said, pacing around, Azriel silently watching him. “It’s a sick joke, just like all of this is. There’s another letter somewhere that says just kidding, wouldn’t that be funny though?”

He cracked open the beer and drank it all in one go.

“I mean, Rhys and I always messed around and shit, but…this is too far,” he went on, tossing the can in the garbage and reaching for another one.

Azriel crossed his arms as he said, “Too many of those and you may think it’s funny, too.”

Cassian shot him a look as he drank from his can. “This isn’t funny. None of this is funny.”

Azriel took a deep breath before saying, “Did you stop to think that maybe they knew exactly what they were doing?”

Cassian said nothing as he propped himself on a stool and shook his head. Azriel didn’t push him. Eventually, Cassian said, quietly, “I want to help Rhys. I want to be the man that he thought I was. I mean, shit, he left me in charge of his child. And I would die for that child. But, Nesta was right, you know? I have no idea how to take care of a kid, especially one as young as Nyx.”

“You think I did, when Seph came along?” He asked, leaning back against the workbench. Cassian was as comfortable in this garage as he was his own, had created just as many beautiful things here as he had in his own cramped space. But he focused on Azriel’s words, sighed as he listened to his brother.

“I was scared shitless, but that didn’t mean a thing to her, or to Elain,” he went on. “Because they both needed me. They needed me to get my shit together and figure it out, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Cassian didn’t say anything, he just looked down at his feet, at his dirty work boots and silently drank from the can in his hands.

Azriel crossed the garage and pulled out a beer of his own, cracking it open and taking a drink. “So read the books, do the research, go online, do whatever you have to do, but Cassian, listen to me.”

His brother rarely used his full name, so he looked up at him, nor expecting to find the tenderness on his face or the silver lining his eyes.

“If you think for one second that Rhys and Feyre didn’t know what they were doing, you’re wrong. No one loves that little boy as much as you do. Yeah, you’re probably going to fuck up once or twice, but it’s okay.” Azriel placed a hand on his shoulder. “It happens and as long as you learn from it, that’s all that matters.”

Cassian wiped at his eye with the back of his hands. “I’m fucking scared, man.”

“I know you are,” Az replied, his voice dropping, almost gentle. “Not to mention we’re all still hurting. But you and Nesta are going to be fine, Nyx is going to be fine.”

Cassian clamped his eyes shut. He groaned. “It wouldn’t be so bad, I know I can learn to take care of Nyx, but Nesta? They expect me to live with Nesta?”

Azriel actually hesitated. “Yeah, that sucks.”

Cassian, despite himself, laughed quietly. “Yeah.”

“But, believe it or not, I think she’d be good for you,” Azriel said, keeping that quiet tone.

“Now you’re trying to set us up?” Cassian asked, wiping at his eyes and the tears that had nearly fallen.

Azriel shook his head. “No. But, Nesta Archeron gets shit done. And she loves Nyx, too. The two of you together….different parenting styles? Yeah. But, you’d be surprised at how well two opposites balance each other out when it comes to parenting.”

Cassian thought of Azriel and Elain. They were both gentle and kind, but they were pretty opposite, too.

“And if it’s a complete failure?” Cassian asked.

Azriel sighed as he watched Cassian. At last, he said, “It won’t be.”

Cassian wanted to believe him, wanting to feel confident in the words Azriel said, but even his third beer hadn’t lifted his confidence.

He let his head fall back, staring up at the ceiling, at the garage door that was raised to allow the cool, night breeze in. “I have to live with Nesta Archeron. The Mother thinks she’s funny. The Cauldron is laughing at me. Fate is rubbing its hands together and laughing maniacally.”

“No,” Az chuckled. “I think that might be Rhys.”

Cassian snorted, but the door to the house opened and Elain stuck her head out. She smiled softly at Cassian, who raised his drink in greeting. “I thought I heard you out here. You gonna stay for dinner?”

His alternative was grabbing something from a drive through or searching through his fridge for something that wasn’t completely freezer burned, so he smiled and said, “Sure, Lainy. Thanks.”

She beamed at them both and the door clicked shut behind her as she turned to go back to the kitchen. Cassian looked over at Azriel to find him still smiling like a fool at the door.

He sighed quietly as he realized he would probably never have that, would never have someone he could stare after and gaze at as fondly as Azriel did Elain. Not if he was to spend his life shackled to someone who wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

As soon as he thought the words, he chastised himself, stepping out into the driveway. She was just as miserable about the whole ordeal as he was. But for Nyx, they could try and make it work. They would make it work. They would do what they had to.

He sighed, gazing up into the night sky.

Shaking his head, he wondered if there was some sort of afterlife. If there was, he wondered if Rhysand and Feyre were somewhere in the sky, looking down at him, trying to encourage him, trying to get a message to him during this horrible, hectic, anxiety-ridden unknown time.

He hoped they were.

He could use it.

That encouragement.

That love.

Cassian began raising his can to his lips, but then he froze.

A shooting star shot across the night sky.

Then another.

Cassian’s hand fell back to his side as he stared at the bright Velaris starlight, completely in awe.

They were watching, they were there with him. They were there with all of them.

Of course they were.

Cassian swore under his breath as he fully gave into the ridiculous notion of moving in with Nesta, of co-parenting with the most frustrating, stubborn woman in Prythian.

But for Nyx, he would.

For Rhysand, for Feyre, he would.

[zuffer-weird-girl]

Red hair as roses, and turquoise eyes as orchids

"Dada look!" The bored and depressed blue eyes stood up from his lap to his 6 years old daughter, extending her tiny hands up high in the air.

"Be careful with what you're gonna do pretty doll." He manage to smirk a bit as she pouted, strands of red brushing against her forehead until a huge wave of flames of the colour blue danced around her hands until she jumped and a small prinkle of flames were throw in the air.

She laughed at the sign and clapped her hands in glee at her own little show as Dabi let out a chuckle at seeing the happines of his daughter... instead of him, Emika had the blessing of having a body that could tolerate the heat enough of his quirk that she inherited it from him. Your quirk itself being a huge help for the little girl to not have scars as her father's.

"Did you see Dada?! It was soooo huge and beautiful!!!" She ran towards him only to trip and thankfully landed on the brunette male's lap, giggling with a smile so bright that could've hury his eyes.

"Hmm. Almost like mine princess, im impressed." His hands carresed her chubby cheeks until he heard murmuring behind them.

Of course. Even with his disguise, that were people whose were going to mutter, say bad things... he lost count on how many times Emika had been bullied because her quirk was similiar with the most cruel and wanted villain....

And much to his dismay, Emika didn't take that... very well.

"WHAT ARE YOU WHISPERING ABOUT?! LEAVE US ALONE!" the little girl shouted and the adults only scoffed, picking up their kids and getting out of the park.

"You're going to scare off anyone with that attitude of yours princess." He muttered while carresing her red hair and picking her up as she scoffed.

"They cant say bad things about MY dada!" He smiled at the little girl and sighed.

"Yeah yeah, just lets get out of here before you burn things down."

"Thats something you would do!" She poked his scarred cheek. "Ne ne dada? We gonna visit mama right? I want to bring flowers to her this time!"

His eyes dropped at the ground as his feet carried them to the cemetery...

"We can arrange that."

.

.

.

"Mama was so pretty!!!" Emika squealed as Spinner and Toga showed her some photos as Dabi stared holes into their skulls.

Is not that he didn't wanted his daughter to forget or to not know about her mother... but it was painfull enough to have a father as a villain, now being a mother orphan was just more harder.

Emika couldn't go to school without being recognized as Dabi's daughter. So he brought himself the task to teach her things , being thankfull to his past self that he had studied enough.

"Yeah and she was strong as fuck too according to your dad there." Spinner grinned, showing a picture of you pinning down a hero on the middle of the street.

"Emika-chan, despite not meeting (Y/n) you look so much like her!" Toga beamed with a smile, fangs showing and the little girl giggling when Dabi just yanked her away from the two.

"Naaaaaa dada no bed time!" She squirmed as he carried her to now the comfortable room the league gotten ever since the incident with Shigaraki and Redestro.

"Dont complain or else Im going to take away your toy." He grumbled as the girl gasped and pouted at him much like you would do.

"You wouldn't!" She defies him with a cheeky smile although while settling down on the bed she shared with him.

"Try me." He smirked with a atched eyebrow making her laugh.

Some time passed and Dabi watched as the eyelids of Emika slowly dropped until she called him softly.

"This place we are now... we gonna stay or are the bad man breaking it and we have to move again?" His heart clenched.. she still had the memories when the league had captured that blonde kid and the heroes busted the bar...

With her own view, she saw the villains as the good and normal people despite Toga being a crazy assasin that loved drinking blood, Shigaraki a men that only wanted to destriy the world, Twice a bipolar man and the list goes on...

Emika saw the villains as good people, and the heroes as bad ones... after all, after she found out on her own that her mother died not because of childbirth, but because of a hero that accidentally killed her with a much too strong attack... and only because she wanted to protect the baby on her arms at that time.

So much blood dropped from his eyes... some even dropping on your lifeless body and on the crying baby he soon noticed that thankfully was alive.

He would never forget whem he craddled the baby on his arms and sobbed deyly as his child wailed at not having the warmth of her mother anymore.

Things were tough until they found the league of villains and had at peast a place to crash.

Emika was now soudly asleep as he sighed and brushed his hair.

"When the heroes come to us... I will make sure yoi stay outta of the mess Emika. But you will not like to know the truth about our origins..." he muttered as a scarred hand brushed her bangs and smirked when she nuzzled on his hand... reminding him of how you would nuzzle on him on cold nights...

"Time to sleep off huh? The more we sleep, the pess we have to face the reality." He muttered before laying down and bringing her close to his chest.

.

.

.

"Dada..." she whimpered as fat tears fell feom her turquoise eyes as she tremblingly holded the box of paper towels, helping him clean off the blood from his stapples as he took a final look on the mirror, his white hair finally at show for the first time in so many years.

"Hey," he crouched down and made his best to not wince "I'm fine. Daddy is used to this by now and-"

"bUT I'M NOT!" she yelled and punched his chest with her tiny fist as he frowned and holded her as she sobbed on his chest.

"...Is it true..?" He looked down at the tuff of red hair on his chest "That uncle Twice is not coming back..? That.. T-That grandpa did this to you..m that we are from the family of E-Endeavour?"

He frowned and wiped her tears away as she holded his wrist while sobbing at the loss of Twice, whose always played and made silly faces with her on spare times.

"Yeah... Im sorry for not telling you... but I thought that... Me and your mother actually decided that Emika (L/n) was better than puttingnon a fake and... well, not right name on yours."

"... which hero... killed... mama..?" His heart stopped... should he reaally tell her? She was only a baby of five years.. five fucking years... he was already damaged by society, but her was just a little flower growing...

"Princess.. I-"

"Who?!" She sobbed as his eyes dropped, a heavy sigh as he dinally sit down on the edge of the sofa as he put his hand on his face as the other helped her sit on his lap.

"... your grandpa."

.

.

.

Emika cried heraelf to sleep that night. Wailing that she hated the heroes, that she hated Endeavour, that she hated him for not telling her the truth for so long, that she hated having fo be a Todoroki.

Each word was a spike to his chest as he tried and eventually succeed on calming her down enough, from harsh sobs and eails to soft sniffles and the rest of the tears she had to sheed.

He hugged her just a bit tighter that night as one drop of blood fell from his eyes.

"I thought I could do it (Y/n)... I fucking promised you... but... fuck." He bited his bottom scarred lips to contain a whimper "Everything is just the worst now... why did you have to be so goddamn stubborn and risk your life dammit..."

.

.

.

"Is your fourth bowl of ice cream ya know?" Dabi muttered from his place on the miserable yet comfy apartment you two shared as you stared back at him with a spoonfull of your favorite ice cream on hand close to your mouth.

"I have the right. I'm pregnant. Leave me be." You made a show of putting the spoon on your mouth and moaning out loud as Dabi shooked his head in dismay before taking a place on your side ofbthe couxh before you two cringed at the sounds of the old mobile almost creaking.

"We need to got money to find a new couch." You muttered horrified, just apmost ending all of your money on baby supplies and clothes.

"Or I can just steal one." He smirked at the slight slap you gave to him.

"And have shitty heroes coming our way later? Nu uh mister... maybe just rob a bank though." You muttered before both of you chuckled as you laid your head on his shoulder as he subconsciously placed his hand on the sweel of your stomach and felt a kick already.

"She is going to be a daddy's girl. Im so sure of it." You giggled as he arched an eyebrow.

"How cam you say this already? We dont even know if it is a girl of a boy doll."

"I know is a girl. I just know it. And she has already a favorite parent." You carresed your belly just besides where Dabi's hand was layed on.

"You're exaggerating." He chuckled as he felt another kick "They are going to be a nasty oen though, they kick alot."

"She kicks a lot when your nearby or talking to her. Just like I said, a daddy's girl." You smiled sweetly at him and he never felt so happy...

He looked at your lips for a second as you narrowed your eyes playfully at him before your lips almost touched-

.

.

.

He woke up with a hand tapping on his cheek and soon saw his daughter looking down at him with a pout.

"Can we go walk?" She almost whimpered as he could only stare and slowly nod as he caught his disguise and a very own for her.

.

.

.

She clunged to the black bunny plushie as she walked with pinks connected to him as he stated down at her in worry until she gasped at a convenience store.

"Dada! Snickers!" She pointed as he smiled at seeing a bit of bright on her eyes once again.

"How about we get some, eh?" She nodded with a small smile and soon followed her dad inside.

While she waited for Dabi to get the snacks and pay for them, for once, she gasped when a purple haired boy at the same age as her bumped accidentaly to her making her plushie drop.

"Hey!" She called out with tears on her eyes, being emotionally damaged enough for those past days.

"I'm sorry." The boy said immediatly, kneeling and grabbing the plushie to hand it to her "Its yours?" He tilted his head as Emika grabbed immediatly.

"Of course it was! It was with me until you bunped on me!" Emika slowly dropped her tone of voice at seeing how the purple haired boy seemed genuily sorry as he aproached and bowed once again.

"Sorry, I just am here to grab some medice and a chocolate for my mom and dad. They're both sick and they dont know i went out so I needed to hurry." He smiled as Emika soon dropped slowly her guard down as she muttered.

"Is okay... is just that bunny is speacial to me."

"I can see why. Your mama gave it to you right." Her turquoise eyes widened as she frowned her eyebrows at the boy.

"Kinda of..?" She clinged to the toy "Why do you that?"

He closed his eyes with a tiny giggle.

"Well, she told me as soon as you started to tear up. She is always by your side aparently." Emika eyes darkned and she let go of one hand of the plushie to heat up her hand.

"Say that one more time. I dare you. My mama is not here." She almost cried until the purple boy touched her forehead with two fingers and soon she was not more in the grocery store, but in a blank space.

"HEY YOU!" she shouted "THIS IS NOT FUNNY LET OUT YOU FUCK-"

"Geez, daddy did not spare you of curse words then?" She froze and looked behind her and saw the sane woman Dabi showed photos of and was compared whenever she was laughing or making a trick on others.

She froze for a bit before silently tears started to fall and she hiccupped for a bit before dropping her bunny and running to you as you hugged her tightly.

"Mama! I cant believe-! Is you-! I-I-" she hicupped as you wiped her tears with your thumb and let some of your own fall.

"You're take so much of your dada im so happy... My little girl is just so beautiful..." you whispered as she sobbed while wiping her tears with her sleeve.

"D-Dada!" She gasped before smiling widely and grabbing your sleeve "Dada needs to see this! Mama he misses you a lot he need to see yo-"

"Im sorry princess..." you grabbed her cheek softly "I wanted to see your daddy just as much, but I cant...." her face fell a bit but soon nodded while playing with your fingers and hair.

"Mama? Why did you do it?" You hummed as she looked up hesitantly "Why did youbleave dad? Why... you took.. Endeavour attack..?" She asked sadly as you furrowed your eyebrows but soon closed your eyes and smiled.

"Emika... the day you were born was the day I was gone as well... but when I saw your grandpa recognizing me as a villain and blasted an attack close to where you were... I just had to. I had to protect the feuit of love that me and your father made..." you smiled sadly as she sniffed.

"But you arent with us..." she almost sobbed until you made her look up.

"Emika... Im so sorry for the loneliness you had to endure... the pain... that was the only dowside of the decision I made. My swest little girl..." you cuppex her cheek and wiped a tear "Thank you for letting me be your mother, and Touya for being your father..."

You touched your forehead with her as she noticed your body was slowly turning to tiny hints of lights and fireflies.

"Mama..?" She looked at you crying softly as you kissed her forehead.

"Emika, evertime you see a star in the dark sky it will be me watching over you and your dada... and please understand one thing," you got away from her as your hair floated majestically "Dying for you, was a noble sacrifice I did for love..."

She widened her eyes as she grabbed your hands as you giggled at her expression.

"Say to dada Im watching him too, and that loving him were the happier moments I spend... I love him and always will...after all, he is my canolli, dead or not, okay?"

The littpe girl gasped and looked at the place she was, the grocery store and the boy from earlier retracting his hand with a unsure littpe smile.

"It was your quirk... you... you made me talk with my mama." She says outstruck as the boy giggled but soon gasped at looking the time.

"I have to go! But I hope we meet again." He ran to the door with the bags before looking one more time behind to her "Call me Akira! See you soon Emika-chan!"

She stood there in complete shook before brushing her fingers on the tingling spot you had kissed on her forehead before smiling widely and giggling before knocking her daddy's leg as he grunted.

"Emika what the-"

"Mama is watching us!" She bounced up and down as he atood with a 'what the fuck' expression.

"What the hell Emika?" He grabbed the packs and carried her as he walked on the street.

"Mama said your name is Touya dada! Which I found strange at first but anyway! She kissed my forehead! Hugged me and said how much she loves me and you and is watching us! She is a star dada! A star!!"

His eyes widened. Emika didn't hear his speech to Endeavour. Emika didn't know his real name was Touya instead of Dabi as the league called him... so she was not imagining neither making things up.

"..so you saw mama?" She giggled and nodded while boucing on his arms. "... did she say something else?" He asked hopefully and she smiled widely as much as you would do.

"She said loving you was the most happier she got! And that your are her canolli forever!"

His steps faltered and almost that he dropped his daughter as his eyes widened... only you knew that god for saken nickname you gaved to him...

"Dada?" His daughter words and hands on his cheeks made him ho back to reality as he saw the blood on his little girl's fingers and worried expression "Are you crying..? Dada?"

"Heh..." he wiped with one thumb the blood before smilling at her and continuing walking "Nah. Must be one of my staples..." he stared up as his daughter rested her face on his neck. "Mama is a star then?"

"Ya.." she yawned "Watching us... I bet she is that one." The little girl pointed at the shiniest star on the sku as Dabi smiled...

"Yeah... I also bet on that one."

[1plus1kiyoomi]

Chapter 10: Wine?

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[masterlist] [kia’s slambook]

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“Hey... Wine?” Sakusa awkwardly offers, lifting the bottle of wine in his hand. You nod and he pours a good amount in a glass. “So what did you want to talk about?”

You sit at one of the counter chairs while he stands behind the counter. You take a sip from the glass and give him a serious look.

“What are we?”

He stares at you emotionless. He repeats your question in his mind. He doesn’t know the answer to that, too.

He used to think that being in a relationship is like completing a puzzle board. One piece should fit the other to complete the puzzle. It’s a puzzle board that only needs two pieces. And you two were pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly with each other.

He believes a relationship only needs two people. It only needed you and him. But there’s a new piece now.

Kia.

Kia is a piece that is meant to be stuck to you. He can’t detach or take her away from you. The board for two is too full. One piece has to leave.

It’s a whole new puzzle now.

Sakusa glances at his phone, taking a look at the picture of Kia that is attached to its back. Seeing Kia’s smile on the photo strikes an answer to your question.

“We’re Kia’s parents.”

His answer surprises you. Kenma and Akaashi had told you about how Sakusa is only trying hard to take care of Kia so he can be on your good side. That’s why no matter how sweet or caring he is to Kia, you can’t seem to accept him back to your life.

You want a father for Kia, not a partner for yourself.

The moment you decided you wanted to keep Kia was the same moment you promised that you’ll put her first before you. The main reason you left Sakusa.

It’s a selfish move. You’re aware. But you’re also aware that Sakusa has never understood the concept of having children.

“Do you think we’ll get married?” You asked him, sitting on the couch while he vacuumed the living room floor of his apartment. The machine was silencing your voice, but Sakusa still heard your question.

“Why do you think I’m dating you?” He answered. His focus was on the dusty floor, not even sparing a glance at you.

“Then, do you want children with me?” You finally asked. His answer would decide what you were gonna do.

A day before you came over to his apartment, you found out you were pregnant. The whole night before that, you thought about what you would do. You were only in your second year of college and didn’t know anything about motherhood. You were afraid.

The only light left you had was Sakusa.

He would stay, right? He said he loves you.

“I don’t even want a child, how much more children?” He stated, turning the vacuum off. “I’ve never really liked them. They’re dirty and annoying. I don’t understand why others procreate them and call them their bundle of joy. They’re more of a bundle of expense and responsibilities.”

“Even with me?” You pushed the question and you see annoyance in his face. He kept quiet and turned the vacuum on again, continuing what he was doing before.

And his silence meant yes.

And that same silence put you in the darkest place you’ve ever been to.

He places his glass down in front you, snapping you out of your flashback. He takes a deep breath in before explaining his answer.

“I know you know what I said to Kozume and Akaashi. And I meant it. I want you back, I really do,” he sounds like he’s pleading. The desperation in his voice is making your heart clench. But you shouldn’t give in so easily.

“It’s easier said than done,” you chuckle, downing the whole glass of wine. You take the bottle and pour some more. Sakusa is silent. He doesn’t know how to explain it further.

‘Kia is not a piece of the puzzle.’

“The only reason I allowed this arrangement to happen was because I want us to be together again. But now, I have the intention of being Kia’s dad.” He stops you from drinking any further, afraid that you’d get drunk. He wants you to hear him while you are sober. He needs you to see his sincerity.

‘We don’t need Kia to be complete.’

He continues to speak, eyes locked on yours. “She’s not only your child or my child. She’s our child.”

‘Kia doesn’t complete us.’

“What are you trying to say?” You tilt your head, your heart beating faster from his words. You aren’t even that intoxicated from the alcohol but you’re getting dizzy. You’re getting intoxicated from his words.

“Let’s continue raising her like this. Together.”

‘Kia can’t be completed without us.’

“Okay...” you agree. He tells you stay at your seat as he goes to his room. The whole time you are alone, your mind is filled with nothing but Sakusa’s words.

‘Give him the chance you never gave,’ a voice in your mind says. You take a deep breath in, blurring the words out of your head.

Sakusa comes back, hiding something behind his back. You squint your eyes at him, not in the mood for surprises. He puts his phone down first, and you see the back of his phone.

You smile. ‘So that’s where it went.’

He puts whatever he was hiding below the counter top, earning an eyebrow raise at you. He inhales heavily before speaking once again.

“Don’t be too surprised, okay?” He tells you, his hand landing on top of yours.

“At this point, nothing surprises me anymore,” you joke. You the glass of wine with your empty hand and drink from it, waiting for whatever surprise Sakusa is going to pull.

In your four years of dating, you can tell that Sakusa sucks in surprises. He’s too honest for them. And you thought it was cute. Anniversary dinner? He’ll tell you a week before. He has a gift for you? You already know what it is. He’s just never one to surprise. So shocking could his surprise be.

He puts his other hand on the counter top, his large hands clutching on whatever he’s hiding. “Try opening it.” You roll your eyes, but do it anyways. You attempt to open his hand with yours, but he’s too strong for you. You use your other hand as well, trying hard to open it.

He finally lets go, his palm open wide. And it’s empty.

“You’re such a jerk...” You pout and he laughs nervously. He takes his other hand out, and there it is.

A ring.

“Are you serious?” You look at him, not able to look at the ring he’s holding. He nods.

“This isn’t a proposal,” he explains nonchalantly, taking your left hand with his empty hand.

“Then what is it supposed to be?!” Your cheeks flush a crimson color, looking at his actions. “Kiyoomi, we’re not even back together. What makes you think I’ll say yes?”

“I told you. This isn’t a proposal,” he clarifies. “It’s a gift.”

“This gift is too expensive and misleading,” you exclaim, letting him slip the ring in your ring finger anyways.

“Well, you did bear my child. You deserve more than this ring.” He places your hand down on the counter top, taking one last glance at your hand before looking at you. “Thank you for keeping Kia.”

His words made tears run down your cheeks without you even knowing. He worriedly goes to your side, afraid he might have said something wrong. You chuckle, “I just can’t believe you’re thanking for bringing Kia into this world. You don’t even like children.”

“You’re right about that, but she isn’t as bad,” he replies, and you hit his arm jokingly.

‘She’s not just a child. She’s our completed puzzle.’

“Thank you,” you say, mustering all your courage. You place a hand on his shoulder, leaning to kiss his cheek but he turns, about to ask you what you are thanking him for.

As a result, your lips land on him as if this is some sort of drama or series. You two are too shocked to even move, hell you can’t even process what’s happening. The wine that is intoxicating your brains isn’t of any help. It’s just making you even dizzier, and needier.

‘Let’s blame it on alcohol.’

You close your eyes, your hand that was on his shoulder now cupping his cheek. You start to move your lips and you feel him do the same thing. His hands find home on your waist, his body moving closer to yours.

“Kyo?” A shaky voice calls out and both of your worlds stop once again. You push Sakusa away from you, praying hoping that the little girl that just called you didn’t see anything. Kia is standing in the hallway, rubbing her sleepy eyes with her small hands.

“Kia, why are you still awake? I thought you were asleep?” You act sternly, eyeing Kiyoomi who is also acting giddy. He’s trying hard not to make eye contact with Kia. She yawns as she drags her tiny feet closer to the two of you.

“Kyo, why are you kissing mama?”

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Facts:

Akaashi has once told Kia that she should only kiss someone on the lips if she truly loves them.

Kenma told Kia that if she reaches your age and she kisses a boy, she’ll have a baby.

Kia has concluded something.

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Taglist:  @elianetsantana aoi-turtle ptv-hades  aquzairus a-applepi  justoneofthefangirls arianna-r13 morenabambinii chaelysian loser-keiji mxngy ne-kuroo n1fangirlsblog d-efend missalicebaskerville marvelousbakugou @agaashesmilktea​ bonkyandloki kimi09  ntimacy @mkazuyuh  ushi-please minty-mangos-world @dearest-kiyoomi

[artzychic27]

To Save a Friend

TRIGGER warning: This story contains a physical, verbal, and emotionally abusive relationship. (Thank you @unmaskedagain for reminding me to put trigger warnings)

It was a fine morning at Dupont. Students waited in the courtyard for classes to start, teachers were setting up their lesson plans, and Marinette was actually early.

There haven’t been many Akuma attacks lately, and she got small commissions, so she was able to get some rest, something she desperately needed.

Ever since Lie-la came back, she became exhausted. Her friends became wary around her, and often shunned her when she tried to call out the Italian’s lies. She still had some allies who caught onto her lies, but the rest were lost causes. And out of all of them, Alya was Lila’s most loyal follower. If anyone pointed out a hole in Lila’s lies, Alya would be quick to attack. And if she was following Lila, Nino had to follow her too.

The two childhood friends haven’t really been talking much. ‘Probably Alya’s fault.’ Marinette thought, but then she realized Nino hasn’t really talked to anyone, not even Adrien. She recalled a rumor about Alya nearly attacking Aurore when she saw the blonde girl talking to Nino, but that was just a rumor... Right? They may not be best friends, but she knew Alya was not the jealous type.

But some other things confused Marinette. For example, she knows that Nino never goes without his signature red cap, she’s never seen him wear long-sleeved shirts, and he’s be fidgeting a lot lately- Something he hasn’t done since they were five years old.

She’s also noticed a change in his personality. Nino was always so chill and laid back, but now he’s just so nervous, and jumpy, and wouldn’t really talk to anyone... Except for Alya

“Nino!”

Marinette noticed the way he flinched when Alya yelled his name. He seemed so content, just talking to Adrien until her voice rang out. He cut his conversation short and ran over to his girlfriend, who was listening to Lila ramble on and on about her “grand adventures”. Something was clearly wrong, Nino never flinched... Was he slouching? He only does that when he’s nervous

“Có chuyện gì vậy?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Marinette turned to around to find her other childhood friend, Kim, leaning against a wall. Because of their play dates when they were younger, she understood some Vietnamese and responded, “I’m just a little worried about Nino.”

Kim nods “Same. He just seems... Out of it.”

“I know!” She exclaims “And have you noticed that he’s been fidgeting? He hasn’t done that since we were kids.”

Kim recalls how he’s only seen Nino fidget whenever he was around Alya, if anyone talked about her, or if anyone just mentioned her name “Do you think they got into a fight?”

Marinette was taken aback at such a question “Nino and Alya? No way. They always seem so happy together.”

“I guess,” He looks back over to Alya and Nino. He notices the latter has a strained smile as he listens to Lila’s tales “but I still think something’s going on between them.”

Marinette had to talk to Nino and get the full story on this, ‘Something Alya needs to do when she posts content on her blog’ she thought.

But Alya would never let her talk to her boyfriend, so they couldn’t talk during school hours, and her parents needed help at the bakery, so they couldn’t really talk after school. Looking back over to Kim, she gets an idea

“Could you try talking to him after school? I would, but I gotta help my parents at the bakery.”

Kim nods “I can do that! Gotta make sure my best friend is okay.” Marinette mock scoffs and flips her hair in a Chloé-like fashion “He was my best friend first.”

Kim chuckles and plays along “Sorry, Mari. First is the worst, second’s the best. And second, would be me.” He states smugly

Marinette pouts and pulls out the big guns “Alright. No macarons for a week. Bye!” She walks away, nonchalantly. Kim realizes what he’s just done and runs after her “Wait! You are his best friend! You’re the best best friend! Don’t do this to me, Mari!”

Classes were finally over, and students were heading home. Kim walks into the locker room, and find Nino putting books into his backpack. He remembers the plan, takes a deep breath, and approaches him with a comforting smile. Kim speaks “Hey, Nino.” He looks up from his bag and smiles when he sees his friend “Hey, dude. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to talk.” He takes a look at Nino’s demeanor. The bags under his eyes, how he’s refusing to make eye contact, and his hand is wrapped tightly around his wrist “Are you okay?” ‘Smooth.’ He thought

“Yeah. I’m fine.” He says quickly then shuts his locker “I-I gotta go. Alya’s been upset for a while, so I’m gonna head down to the bakery and get those macarons she likes for our date later.”

Kim seems confused “Don’t you usually go out on the weekend?”

“She just wants to hang out more. I-I mean we’ve both been pretty busy, with the Ladyblog and my gigs, they’re just cutting into our time together. Heh, she actually suggested I stop deejaying so I’ll have more time for her.” He tries to walk away, but Kim continues asking questions

“She suggested it?” He asks, now getting suspicious

“Yeah...” He sees that Kim isn’t buying it “Well, it was more like she told me to.” Kim notices him tightening his grip around his wrist “She’s not wrong, though.”

Kim places a hand on his shoulder “Well if you need help with anything, Mari and I have your back. Alright?” Without responding, Nino walks out of the room

“... That could’ve gone better.”

Kim nearly jumps out of his skin when he heard the familiar voice of a certain redhead cut through the silence. He turns around and finds Nathaniel walking out of the bathroom.

“Don't...” He pants “... do that!” He should’ve been used to that by now. Not many know this, but Kim and Nathaniel used to hang out when they were six. The redhead artist would always sneak up behind Kim and scare him

He just shrugs “Sorry.” He tilts his head slightly “Is Nino okay?”

“I don’t know, Nate.”

“... Before you walked in, I heard him on the phone with Alya. She was screaming a lot.”

“Did you hear what she said?”

“I did hear ‘Or else’ a few times, but there was mostly just angry shouting.” He grimaces at the memory “I really think something is wrong.”

“Well, he’s on his way to the bakery.” Kim reminds himself “Maybe Mari can talk to him, she’s good at this stuff.”

—

“I’m really worried, Tikki.” Marinette said while pulling a tray of croissants out of the oven “I’ve never seen him like this. He was shy as a kid, but he grew out of that.”

“Well, maybe you could ask Alya if something’s wrong.” The tiny goddess suggested, making Marinette frown

“Alya and I aren’t really speaking right now. So, I doubt she’ll talk to me about her and Nino.” She places the try on the counter and starts placing the pastries in the display case “Y’know, ever since Lila came back, their relationship has been a little... Not great.”

“I know what you mean. They don’t seem compatible anymore.” She places a croissant in the display case “I just hope Alya isn’t hurting him.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well... Nino normally wears short sleeves, right?”

Marinette freezes, and thinks about what Tikki is insinuating “Tikki, y-you can’t be serious. Alya would never hurt him!”

“It is possible, Marinette.” She continues “Alya hasn’t been the same ever since Lila returned to school. She’s risking her life going after Akumas, demanding interviews with Ladybug and Chat Noir, and she’s been expecting you to do stuff for her but you don’t get anything in return.”

“Yeah, but that’s just Lila feeding her lies. I know Lila is terrible and is just a flat out liar, but even she’d be against any form of abuse!” She exclaimed “... Right?”

The two hear the bell ring, and Tikki quickly hides behind Marinette. Marinette looks up to see Nino “Hey, Nino. What can I get you?”

“Hey, Mari. Do you guys still have those caramel macarons?”

She thinks and remembers they’re not in stock “Nope. Sorry.” She notices Nino squeezing his wrist “Is everything okay?”

“A-are you sure? Could you check?” He asks nervously “I-I don’t care how many, just-“

“Maman ordered ingredients yesterday, they’ll be here next week. What’s the rush?” She steps from behind the counter “You don’t even like caramel.”

“They’re for Alya.” He explains “She’s just been really upset lately, I-I figured they might ease her up a bit.”

“Well, is she okay?”

“Yeah, totally. I’m usually the one who puts her in a mood. Honestly, it’s my fault.” He notices the look of concern on Marinette’s face and looks away “I just figured-“

“Nino, you’d tell me if Alya was hurting you, right?” She places a hand on his shoulder

Nino frowns “Dude! She’s not hurting me!” He exclaims “What gave you that idea? She’s my girlfriend.”

“I’m not saying that she is hurting you!” She says in defense “But, you haven’t been acting like yourself lately, and Alya’s been kinda... Irritable.”

“She's fine. Alya’s just been a little upset that Ladybug stopped giving her interviews, I-I haven’t exactly been that supportive.” He mutters the last part, but Marinette heard it clearly

“Excuse me?”

“Uh... Ne-nevermind!” He stammers “I’ll go see if that other bakery is open. Thanks again, Mari!” He runs out before Marinette can say anything else.

Tikki flies out of her hiding place with a concerned look on her face

“I really think Alya is hurting him.” Marinette still doesn’t wanna believe what the tiny goddess is saying, but it’s starting to seem like that now.

“I’ll try to talk to him tomorrow.”

—

Being unnoticed by people has its advantages. Nathaniel can see what others don’t, and learn new things about them. For instance, Lila seems to be giving Alya a lot of “advice” on her relationship. ‘You need to be the one in control’, ‘If he doesn’t listen, make him regret it’, ‘So what if he says no? He’s your boyfriend.’ ‘This is how a healthy relationship works’ Bullshit. That is not a healthy relationship. It also works well in the locker room when you see your friend’s girlfriend yelling at him and gripping his arm tightly

“I don’t want you talking to that... That BITCH! Got it?!” He nods quickly “Good.” She lets go of his arm, and storms out the room. Nino sits on the bench and cries to himself. Nathaniel quickly texted Marinette and Kim to let them know what he had seen.

—

Chloe was a lot of things. A sneak, tyrant, and a bully. But at least she had the guts to admit her flaws, unlike that Italian bitch, and that trashy tabloid girl. And Chloe understood abusive relationships. Sabrina told her stories she heard from her dad, and right now, Césaire and Lahiffe’s relationship is looking worse than those.

She was blonde, but she wasn’t dumb. There were signs of abuse, and it all was traced back to Lie-la. She didn’t mind the Italian at first. She let her have her fifteen minutes of fame, then go back to being nobody, but that didn’t happen. That girl had climbed her way up the social ladder, and she lied to do it.

She saw how the liar constantly bragged, made herself look better than others, fed people’s egos, and threatened others to get what she wanted, mainly Marinette. She even somehow managed to get the Eurasian expelled, something Chloe had never done.

But now she was encouraging an abusive relationship. This was something the blonde would not tolerate. She disliked everyone in that class, but even she isn’t that cruel.

When she saw Nino walking out the locker room with a visible bruise on his arm, she took a quick picture before he could pull his sleeve down, then went to find Sabrina. They had to get the word out.

—

Marinette considers herself a pacifist (When in her civilian form). But she has never wanted to hurt someone so much right now. When she saw the text Nathaniel had sent her an Kim on the group chat ‘Nino Protection Squad’, she was livid

“How could Alya do this?!” She screeched “This isn’t right! She doesn’t even care what she’s doing to him!” Tikki tries to calm her down so no Akumas are attracted

“It’ll be okay, Marinette. You can help him!”

“How can I do that when barely anyone in class will talk to me? They all believe that liar!” Her phone buzzes again. She checks and sees that Chloe has created a group chat. Everyone in the class, but Nino, Alya, and Lila was on. Marc, Nathaniel’s boyfriend, was included as well

QueenB

Meet me at the hotel at 4:00

Sk8r Gal

What’s going on??

VogueBoy

Is everything okay, Chloe?

RoseBud

Why aren’t Alya, Nino, and Lila on here?

QueenB

Don’t add them on

Sabrina and I will tell you everything. Just hurry!!!

Not thinking too much about the strange text, Marinette headed over to the hotel and met with her class, plus Marc, in Chloe’s suite

“Okay, we’re here.” Ivan says “What’s going on? And why aren’t Alya, Nino, and Lila here?”

“This is about them.” She notices the worried looks on Kim, Marinette, and Nathaniel’s faces “I’m sure some of you have noticed that Alya and Nino’s relationship seems a little off.”

While everyone looks confused, Marinette, Kim, and Nathaniel nod. Chloe notices Alix looking down solemnly

“And I’m sure you guys have noticed that Nino hasn’t been acting like himself lately.” This grabs their attention “... I think Alya might be abusing Nino, and Lila is causing it.” That statement causes outrage. Everyone on Lila’s side tries to defender her and Alya

“No way!”

“Alya would never do that!”

“You’re just jealous!”

“SHUT UP!” They’re all silenced by Marinette’s outburst “I believe her!” Before they can retort, Kim speaks up

“So do I.”

“... Same.” They turn to Nathaniel. Marc holds his hand “I... I saw Alya yelling at him. She was holding his arm tight, a-and he was crying after she left.” The class is stunned. No one says anything, but after a few more seconds of silence, Alix speaks up.

“I was skating by the park, and I saw them.” She frowns at the memory “Alya was yelling at him, saying he brought the wrong macaroons or something, and I just... I saw her slap him across the face.” She removes her cap and sits on the white couch “I didn’t know what to do or say, I just froze.” Juleka sits down next to her and hugs her

“I believe you guys.” She sighs “I know Chloe isn’t exactly the nicest person, but even she wouldn’t lie about something this serious. The more I think about it, the more I see Alya is hurting Nino.”

“But, why would Lila be the one who started this?” Max brings up

“Because she’s a psychotic liar!” Chloe screeches “For God’s sake, do you honestly believe someone could fall down the stairs and not get hurt, or that a napkin could gouge your eye out when you’re wearing glasses?!” Max cringes at the memory

Mylène speaks up “I believe that Nino is being hurt, but I don’t think it was caused by Lila.”

“You don’t notice how she keeps giving Alya ‘relationship advice’?” Marinette asks, putting air quotes around relationship advice. “Or how she’s been feeding Alya’s ego just a little too much? This is why she keeps putting herself in danger during Akuma attacks! And Ladybug won’t even talk to her anymore!”

“Yeah, but-“

Adrien finally speaks up “Guys, Marinette’s right. Lila’s a liar.” He feels Plagg nudging him in his pocket and comes clean “One day, Lila tried to lie and say that she was the descendant of a fox superhero. But Ladybug called her out, and well... That’s how I knew.”

“So, you knew Lila was lying and didn’t tell us?!” Alix shouts

“Could you blame him?” Chloe replies “You all turned on Dupain-Cheng when she tried to warn you!”

Everyone realizes she’s right. They’re starting to see that Lila isn’t the amazing person that thought she was. She was a manipulative liar, and they fell for every single story she told. They felt like idiots. They remembered Marinette, how she warned them, tried to point out Lila’s lies, but they didn’t listen. A few were about to apologize, but Marinette stopped them.

“You can apologize later.” She says “Now we need to help Nino, expose Lila for the liar she is, and keep Alya away from Nino for good.”

—

Marinette and Chloé used their connections to contact all the famous people Lila lies about. From Jagged Stone to Clara Nightingale, Audrey Bourgeois, XY, Prince Ali, everyone.

Adrien had informed his father of how uncomfortable Lila made him during photo shoots. Constantly touching him, being so unprofessional, and trying to kiss him every chance she could get.

Gabriel Agreste reconsidered his decision on making Lila his new model and decided to give his lawyers a call.

Sabrina told her dad about how Nino was being abused by Alya, and how Lila was causing it. She showed him the picture Chloé took of the bruise on Nino’s arm, and he was on board with the plan.

Kim, Marc, Nathaniel, and Alix gathered more evidence, such as Nino’s bruises, audio recordings of his and Alya’s conversations. They even recorded a few of Lila’s lies, and the advice she was giving Alya on how a “healthy relationship” works. This would be what they showed principal Damocles.

Mylène, Ivan, Rose, Juleka, and Max worked to find Mme. Rossi’s contact info. They eventually found the Embassy homepage where they found her phone number and email address. This information would also be brought to the principal.

—

Alya was pissed. First, her lousy boyfriend didn’t get the right macarons for their date, then she caught him talking to that jealous bitch, and now everyone was avoiding her and Lila for no damn reason! She bet Marinette got to them. That girl was taking her jealousy way too far! She was just so mad... And her boyfriend talking to Rose wasn’t helping one damn bit.

“Nino, please let us help you.“

“Rose, I told you. Alya and I are fine. I-I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation.” Before Rose could say more, Nino felt the recurring pain in his arm again. He turned around and saw Alya, a furious look on her face

“Leave him alone, Rose.” Alya sneered as she dragged Nino away.

Nino was hoping she would see this wasn’t his fault, and let him off easy this time. It was Rose who approached him, not the other way around. Alya didn’t believe him for a second. She dragged him into a broom closet, making sure no one saw them and shut the door behind her.

“Babe, please, I-I didn’t say any-“

Alya grabbed Nino by his head and slammed his faces into the wall, and three more times for good measure

“You idiot! You think you can just go behind my back and talk to some bitch?!” She smacked him across the face “This isn’t even half the pain I feel when you betray me!”

“I’m sorry!” This earned Nino a punch to the face, and a hard punch to the ribs, making him cough up some blood. “Stop! Please!” He was crying now

“Shut up!” She slapped him across the face one more time, then she reached into her pocket, pulled out some concealer, and threw it at Nino “Put that on!” Once she leaves, Nino slides down into the floor and continues crying

—

Alya could feel all eyes on her as she walked into the classroom. They weren’t friendly, though. She took her seat by Lila and waited for Mme. Bustier to start her lesson, but to her confusion, she wasn’t there. She turns to Lila “Where’s Mme. Bustier?” The Italian just shrugged

“So, Alya.” She turned around to see Adrien giving her a hate-filled look. Why? She didn’t know “You see Nino around?”

Alya just rolled her eyes “He said he’s gonna be a little late.” ‘He better get here soon.’ Adrien just slumped into his seat, his arms folded

“Sure.”

—

Irene Rossi was beyond livid. She was just filing a few papers and sending some emails to some fellow diplomats when she suddenly received a very disturbing email from her daughter’s principal. When she got to the end, she ran right outside, got in her car, and drove to the school. She was going to have a few words with her daughter

—

Mme. Bustier stepped into the classroom with Damocles and officer Raincomprix. The teacher looked horrified and so pale. But that all changed when she saw Alya and Lila. She glared at the two girls. She had never felt like this towards any of her students. She didn’t want to feel this way, but after hearing what had been going on behind her back, she felt those girls deserved the most severe punishment

“Alya Césaire and Lila Rossi?” Roger asked. The two girls nodded, and at that, he pulled out two sets of handcuffs “You two are coming with me.” He proceeded to place the cuffs on their wrists

“What?!” The two girls screamed

“But we didn’t do anything!” Alya yelled

Chloé rolled her eyes “Oh, so hitting your boyfriend is nothing?”

Alya was speechless at the accusation “You... Shut up, you bitch!

Lila started crying crocodile tears “Marinette, how could you?!”

“Cram it, Rossi!” Kim yelled, “We know you’ve been lying about everything!”

Lila was taken aback “I-I didn’t lie! I swear! Did Marinette-“

“Shut the fuck up Lila!” The students' mouths hung open when they heard Adrien curse “I have dealt with your shit before, but this is way too far! You are an enabler of abusive relationships!”

Lila continued to cry, trying to gain some sympathy, but no one except Alya came to her defense “How could you say that?!”

Marinette stood from her chair “Because it’s the truth, Alya! I saw the bruises on Nino’s arms! Nathaniel saw you yelling at him and squeezing his arm, Alix saw you at the park! You hit him!” Alya was about to retort, until-

“Hey, Mme. Bustier, sorry I’m late. I-“ Nino notices the handcuffs on Lila and Alya’s wrists and the angry looks on his classmates' face. He is about to ask what’s wrong until he sees that look on Alya’s face that says ‘Get the fuck out.’ “I... I’m gonna go.” He’s about to walk out the room until he feels his teacher’s hand on his shoulder

“Nino. I want you to be honest with me.” She says in a caring voice “Is Alya hurting you?” The room goes silent as they await his answer. When he says nothing, she places a hand on his cheek but notices something off about the texture of his skin

“...”

Bustier rubs her thumb over his cheek, revealing a purple mark. She’s close to tears “Nino...” She pulls a handkerchief out of her pocket and wipes the concealer off, revealing multiple bruises and cuts all over his face.

The students gasp at the sight. Marinette, Rose, and Adrien start crying. Ivan, Juleka, Alix, and Kim look ready to murder Alya.

Bustier turns to Roger. “Please, take them away.” The two girls are horrified when she allows Roger to take them out of the classroom, but then...

“Not so fast.”

They were about to thank God for sending them this woman dressed in a red power suit, until “Alya Césaire and Lila Rossi. You’ve been served.” She opens up her briefcase, revealing a stack of papers “Jagged Stone, Clare Nightingale, XY, Prince Ali, and Audrey Bourgeois are suing both of you for defamation.”

“WHAT?!” Alya screeched “But Lila knows them, they’ll vouch for her! They wouldn’t sue her!”

“I beg to differ. According to a few of your classmates, Miss Rossi has been lying about the following...” She pulls a sheet of paper out of the briefcase

“Claiming she saved Jagged Stone’s cat, that he wrote a song about her, Clara stole her dance moves, she visits the Prince multiple times, XY cheated on her, and Audrey begged her to model. And Miss Césaire, they’re demanding that your tabloid blog be taken down.”

Alya looked dumbstruck “B-but it’s all true!”

“No. It. Isn’t.”

Another woman stepped in. Lila immediately paled

“Lila Diabla Rossi, I can’t believe you!” She began to yell in Italian, Lila retorted, also in Italian. It was very confusing for the Parisian citizens, but the two women went back to speaking French

“You lied to me about school being shut down, about Ladybug and Chat Noir! About everything!”

“But, mama-“

“DON’T!” She yelled “You need to learn your lesson. That is why I’m wavering your diplomatic immunity.”

“What?!” Lila was livid. There was no way out of it. Where the hell was an Akuma when you needed one?!

“There’s also the matter of her partnership with the Agreste brand.” Nathalie stepped in, and a small stack of papers in her hand “Lila Rossi, you are fired. Mr. Agreste has also placed a restraining order on you. You are not to get within twenty feet of Adrien.”

Irene looked confused “Fired?”

“Oh, you didn’t know?” Nathalie asked “Your daughter is Gabriel’s newest model, and muse apparently. Her words, not his.”

Once again, the Italian woman shouted profanities in a language no one in the room, except for Lila understood. Many were wondering where the Akuma was, but Nathalie knew. It would be here in 3... 2...

“AKUMA!”

Now. She hid a smirk when she saw Lila pull out of Roger’s hold, and run for the Akuma. It went into her handcuffs, and she laughed like a maniac as the butterfly symbol appeared over her face

“YOU IDIOTS SHOULD’VE KEPT YOUR MOUTHS SHUT!”

Everyone waited for the black smoke to surround her, and for an Akuma to be in her place. Marinette and Adrien were about to get out of their seats and run somewhere private to transform... But nothing.

“What?!” She yelled “You need me! I was so damn close to getting that stupid jewelry! I almost killed Ladybug! You’d be nothing without me!”

The students were horrified. She was working with a terrorist! She admitted to almost killing Ladybug, their hero! The butterfly flew out of her handcuffs and became white again, much to their shock. Hawkmoth just revoked an Akuma.

“NO! YOU’RE USELESS HAWKMOTH! USELE-“ A black book was thrown at her head, and she passed out onto the floor, much to everyone’s shock and relief. They turn around and see Marc standing at the doorway with his arm outstretched

“Rainbow, did you throw that?” Nathaniel asks as he walks over to his boyfriend

“She was so annoying!” He exasperated. Nathaniel kisses him on the cheek, calming him down

“She... She was lying?” Alya asked herself “She was working with Hawkmoth...”

Marinette sighed, got up from her seat, and walked down the stairs, then walked over to Alya. The bespectacled girl looked to her former friend, hoping she’ll say it wasn’t her fault, and that she didn’t know, but instead, all the bluenette said was

“I FUCKING TOLD YOU THAT FROM THE START!” She yelled, making Alya flinch and look down in shame “But, nooo! I’m a jealous bitch! Well how are you any better?! You abused Nino, attacked Aurore, and spread lies about people I know!”

“But-“

“Save it. You hurt my friend. I don’t ever want to see your face again!” She feels Adrien take her hand in his. She sends him a smile, then heads back to her desk

Alya looks to Nino, hoping he’ll forgive her and see that she was wrong for listening to Lila “Babe, please help me! I didn’t know! I’m sorry!”

Nino just looks her dead in the eye and frowns “Why would I help you?”

—

Alya and Lila’s trials took place a few weeks later. Along with defamation, Lila had also been sued for bullying, sexual harassment, aiding a terrorist, destruction of property, and forging signatures. Nino, Marinette, and Adrien testified against them and showed no mercy. Lila tried to lie her way out once again, but the judge, a no-nonsense woman, was having none of it. They were found guilty of their actions. Alya received twenty years in prison with no bail. Lila received thirty-five, also with no bail.

As for Nino, he was getting better. His bruises healed after a few months, and his friends were there for him. A year passed and Nino found a new girlfriend, Alisha. An American girl who enjoyed painting, and musicals. When she heard about Nino’s previous relationship, she smothered him with hugs and words of comfort.

Marinette got her apologies from the class, and she accepted them. However, it would be a while before she could truly forgive them. They didn’t blame her.

Taglist:

@heaven428 @aestheticnpoetic @marinetteagrestelove @fleur-de-jasmin-fdj @wannajointhecrabcult @starpony999 @its-salty-bug @saltymiraculer

[sumire-bride]

sumire and shuu's route (demo) heaven 2

scene is in living room

Ayato- why the hell did you even bring up this idea to her..? i hate kids

Laito- oh come now, it's important for a child to spend "quality" time with family, and it wasn't me who brought it up Shuu come to me and asked

Ayato- hah..? Shuu..? Shuu would never ask us for help, why all of a sudden..? does he want something from us..?! I won't let him take anything from me..!!

Laito- apparently little bitch-chan has worked herself to the bone, And he wants her to take a break, actually, even he seemed tired looked like he needed a break

but it wasn't easy

*FLASHBACK*

Flashback is set in hallway

Laito- hmm..? How strange of you to ask me of all people to take care your child, tell me big brother, why now..?

Shuu- haah.. the damn girl needs a break, honestly.. she looks like a drained raisin, and.. I need to sleep off all this parenting thing

And it's not like i wanted to come to you i tried going to someone else but apparently he just disappeared and the other two is a no go obviously, just take the damn kid for now, hurry up before she tries to find us, she already was so reluctant on me "taking him away" from her--

*BANG*

Sumire- ..Shuu...! i will not allow you to... haah... give my darling to anyone...! please return him to me at once... I do not trust laito-sama with him...

Shuu- tst.. I swear that women has a mother bears instinct.. alright lets go,

Sumire- ..but... Shiro... my darling needs me... I can take care of him till i need to sleep... I am not tried right now... see... wide awake... Shuu... please...

Shuu- nope.. I need the damn rest as well,

Sumire- ..I refuse...! Eh... Laito-sama... please return him to my arms... please....!!

Laito- eh.. she really does look like a dried raisin.. Ne bitch-chan, I'll make sure Shiro is in the best shape when your all rested! he'll be happy to spend some time with his amazing uncle

And on a plus note, you can do some naughty things with Shuu now that you have this little break.. Don't worry your little head about a thing okay~

Shuu- see..? he'll be fine.. i hope..

Sumire- ..Laito-sama does not know what kinda juices he likes, or his favourite foods... or... his favourite song or book...! he doesn't know a thing...! Shuu... I swear I can keep going... please don't hand him to Laito-sama...!

..shuuuuu... nooo...

Shuu- I'm too tired to be dealing with this.. I said lets go,

*Shuu picks up sumire, taking her out of the room*

Sumire- ..no no... no... My darling needs... needs... pwah... Nn... suddenly I feel... sleepy... Zzzz...

Shuu- ...

pwah.. a nap.. a nice lonng nap.. damn kid is draining me alive..

Laito- aha.. haha.. ah..

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

*Little Shiro noises are heard in the background*

Laito- then the both of them floated away in the halls, i'm not even sure where they went,

Ayato- sheesh.. she's that protective over this little guy..?

oi, Hiro..! you ready to have the time of your life with your uncles..?!

Subaru- his name is Shiro idiot

Laito- eh..? Subaru-kun where did you pop out from hmm..? I thought you were gone

Subaru- i just came back is all.. And the hell does that matter?! what are you two doing with this one..?!

Ayato- the hell do you care?! We were trusted to watch him

Subaru- hah..?! the both of you..?! to watch him!? I don't think that girl would even allow that, did you steal him or somethin..?

Laito- oh..? is little subaru upset that Shuu gave Shiro to us instead of him..? to bad you weren't here, he was actually gonna give him to you instead of us

Subaru- of- of course not..! I don't even like kids..! I'm not jealous or anythin.. And quit holdin him like that..! you'll hurt his neck

Ayato- who are you to tell me how to hold him..!? Look see, I’m holding him just fine! Right hito..?

Shiro- …

Ayato- don’t ignore me..!

Subaru- well maybe if you said his name right he would respond..! Tch god

Oi give ‘em here

*subaru takes Shiro*

Subaru- like this see, you need to watch his neck stupid

Laito- that does look more comfortable, say little brother how do you know so much? Could it be you actually did researched how to take care of a baby for this purpose..?!

Subaru- AH..?! No way..! The fuck would I do something as stupid as that..?! Don’t be an idiot

Me research on children, as if..!

Laito- oh come on don’t lie, if anything that’s kinda cute, trying to be a doting uncle fufu

Subaru- shut up..! Hmnp,

Shiro- …

Laito- ne ne little shiro, you like spending time with your uncles don’t you..? It’s fun right..?

Shiro- …

*YANK*

Laito- uwah..! He- he yanked my hat off..! Shiro that isn’t very nice

*PULL*

Laito- ahh…! Ow ow ow.. Shiro..!

Ayato- pfft.. hahaha..! He definitely doesn’t like you at all laito..! Hahaha..!

Oh we’re gonna have fun with this

Shiro- …

Ayato- hey shito..-

Shiro- Hmnp..

Ayato- ah.. hey hey hey..! Don’t look away from me..! Ore-sama is trying to bond with you..! As a good uncle should..!

*SMACK*

Ayato- gah..!

Subaru- pfft..

Shiro- …

Ah..

*PULL*

Ayato- ow ow ow ow..! Tell it to stop tell it to stop..!

Subaru- heh.. haha..

*HIT*

Laito- subaru-kuuunn.. you’re the one holding him back away a bit..!

Subaru- haha..

Ayato- don’t laugh you bastard..! Tch..!

*the both of them back away*

Ayato- never.. EVER going near it again..!

Laito- my beautiful hair.. is all messy..

Ayato- now you listen here you little shit ore-sama refuses to be made into a fool by some.. some month old baby..!

Subaru- 6 months.. dumbass

Ayato- shad up, of course you would know.. tch.. that kids got a good grip

Shiro- …

*shiro puts his face into Subaru’s shirt*

Shiro- ..mm…

Subaru- uh..

Laito- ehh..? no fair, the little one favourites you subaru,

Ayato- no kidding, he just clings to ya,

Subaru- …

Tch.. Whatever.. not like I care or anythin

Laito- oh but I think you do, in fact I think you are just over joyed by this,

Who would have thought subaru of all people would be happy about that, how cute~

Subaru- shut up..! No one asked you to talk..! Oi shiro

*subaru taps Shiro’s head*

Shiro- Hm..

Subaru- …

*Subaru holds shiro in front of laito*

Laito- hmm..? What’s this now..? Have you finally had enough so your handing him over to me..?

Well I suppose I can take him since he was given to me first—

*KICK*

Laito- gah..-!! Hey hey..! Don’t use him for that type of thing..! How cruel..!

Subaru- hehe.. do it again, do it harder this time

Laito- what do you mean—

*SMACK*

Laito- ahh..! Ouch.. subaru this isn’t very nice..!

Ayato- ha..—

*KICK*

Ayato- gah..-!

The hell.?! Don’t go at me now I didn’t do nothin..!

Subaru- shiro, do it again

Ayato- what do you..- nuh, I’m leaving..!

Laito- subaru can take care of this..! That child is far to deadly for me..!

Subaru- HA.. scared of a baby..? You guys should be scared of me if anything,

Shiro, you wanna kick their asses..?

Shiro- …

Subaru- I’ll take it as a yes, haha.. children aren’t all that bad

*TIMESKIP*

Shuu- haah.. where did that guy go..

Sumire- ...

Shuu- what's with that look..?

Sumire- ...

..nothing... nothing at all... please do not worry...

Shuu- heeeh..? What's with the sudden stand off you're giving me right now, I'm meant to listen to you aren't I..?

Sumire- ..yes... but.. not..

Shuu- not what..?

Sumire- ...

Shuu- oh yeah.. you're all embarrassed after our little break, What's there to be embarrassed of? it's not like we haven't done stuff like that in the past

Oi..

*He gets closer to her ear*

Shuu- you know I don't like having you ignore me.. Is it that you like it when i punish you? or maybe you like the thrill of me chasing after you..--

Sumire- ..silence...!

Shuu- hehe..

seriously though, where did that guy run off to..-

Laito- uwahh...!!

Shuu- uh..

Ayato- oi subaru..! cut it out..!

Laito- Ne ne..! bitch-chan take your kid away from him pleasee..!!

*The two of them run out of sight*

Shuu- ...

Subaru- haha..! look at them run away like a bunch of cowards, that was fun wasn't it shiro..?

Shiro- haha..

Subaru- I'm glad it put a smile on your--

AH..!

Shuu- Never took you to be the type to like kids,

Sumire- ..oh my sweet boy...!

*Sumire grabs Shiro*

Sumire- ..mama's little angle... mwah.. mwah... oh i hope there isn't a single scratch on your body... mwah.. i missed you so... mwah... much... mwah..

Shiro- bleh..

Subaru- eh.. don't you dare say a word about this, it wasn't like i enjoyed that or anything..!

Shuu- hmm..? really, so it wasn't you who said "I'm glad that put a smile on your face"..?

Subaru- shut up..! like i said we never speak of this again..!

Shiro- ...

hm..

Subaru- tch..

Sumire- ..ohh... Shiro likes you subaru-sama... isn't that nice...

Subaru- I said shut up..!

I'm outta here

*Subaru begins to walk off*

Sumire- ..my little baby... mwah... look shuu look... he doesn't have a single scratch...! he looks more... energetic... that makes me happy...

Shuu- he was probably doing stuff with those guys,

Shiro- ..pwah...

Sumire- ..ah...

Shuu- chill out, a baby not taking one nap today isn't gonna kill him,

At least.. i think so

Sumire- ..!!!...

Shuu- pfft.. joking

Sumire- ..do not joke like that...!

Shuu- oh but it's funny to see your face go in such shock like that, it's what lightens up my day

now come on, all this walking around makes me tired

Sumire- ...

..kay...

--to be continued--

heaven 1--heaven 3

[remakethestars]

CABIN 4 — DEMETER

Headcanons.

❝Hell yeah, I’m a botanist! Fear my botany powers!❞

— Mark Watney, The Martian

Headcanon masterlist.

A lot of their dads/parents are farmers & gardeners.

Bonsai trees.

People expect them to be all save the bees!, but actually, honey bees in America are an invasive species brought over by the colonists & are slowly taking over the other polinators, so f*ck bees.

C4 works together with C10 (Aphrodite) kids, who can intuitively understand the language of flowers, to provide flowers for funterals & the like.

They maintain all the plants around camp & keep the grass growing short so they don’t need to mow it.

They're constantly stealing sediment, sand, & pebbles from the canoe lake for their jarrariums.

C4's also host to a number of ecosystem jars.

Legend has it the one by the stained glass window is from before the American Civil War & has never been opened or watered.

Some of them carry those leaf bags — you know, like the mini rucksacks with the leaf flap over the opening — that C20 kids spell with undetectable extension charms that make them bigger on the inside or able to hold whatever's placed inside & maintain a light weight.

If they go on a quest, they look like something out of a tabletop R.P.G.

Plants are more fun to be around than people. At least they don't judge you.

Some of the C4 kids are into pottery; they like making their own pots for their plants.

C4 has a moss roof & pristine flowerbeds.

Ivy climbs up the sides.

The cabin's on the ground, but it's like one big tree house.

There's a tree growing unperturbed directly in the center. The hardwood floor is cut around it to accommodate, & so is the roof. Limbs sprout through the walls.

I imagine it as a maple tree. I also think it's huge because it thrives off the C4 kids.

Two stories.

The second story has a giant, stained glass window that shows a wheat field & farm with a line of trees in the distance.

Both stories have a door on the back wall that leads to the green house (also two stories). On the bottom floor, the hardwood turns to brick, & on the top floor, the hardwood turns to rougher wood like what is used in the loft of a barn.

On either side of the door, there are shelves upon shelves of books on farming, plants, & critters.

While most of the cabins used footlockers & trunks, C4 is partial to chests. Usually from redwood.

Absolutely hate tree topping — you know, when the people that maintain the power lines come along & cut off the tops of the tree. Without bark on the top, water runs down inside the tree, causing it to rot &, well, die.

They came to my grandma's door once, like, Hey, is it cool if we top your tree? And she was like, No, but you can cut around your lines if you have to. And they were like, Why not? And they didn't believe her when she told them the tree would die, but it did anyway.

Now every time we drive past a topped tree, I can feel the silent judgement. Like, whelp, that’s not gonna be there much longer.

C4 used to grow all of C.H.B.'s vegetables & the like by way of aquaponics system.

You may be thinking — Demeter? Fish? But hear me out. Now, the reason I don’t believe in hydroponic systems is because they don't use fish, which just makes the vegetables taste like water. Aquaponic systems, to contrast, use fish waste to fertilize the soil, which makes the vegetables taste like vegetables (& presumably provide more nutrients).

You know my great grandma abhorred the idea of using cow manure to fertilize her garden because she didn’t want to eat poop-food? Well, I think poop-food tastes better.

Anyway, when you grow one crop over & over again in the same spot, it depletes the soil of the nutrients those crops need to grow — it’s called monocropping — & it forces the farmer to rely on putting things into the soil themselves — no one cares about that. To summarize, farmers rotate the crops to keep the soil rich (though I can never remember what goes in which field for how long).

After Percy came to camp (& had a conniption), C4 switched from aquaponics to crop rotation.

They also irrigate the soil with ollas.

Ollas are unglazed clay pots buried with the plants that can be filled with water. They're porous, so the water seeps into the soil over time & keeps your plants hydrated.

Farmers today use drip systems & such because they (& their "experts" — my grandma hates that word) think they know better than ancient peoples, but those systems clog & the water's more prone to evaporation.

Sorry for the agriculture brain-barf. I'm from a family of farmers; I like to think I know my sh¡t when it comes to plants. My grandma says I used to know the name of every plant & flower on our property when I was little. Maybe I should be from C4 instead of C7…

I fancast Alex Kingston as Demeter. She has that certain je ne sais quoi.

Visit my Demeter cabin Pinterest board or my headcanon masterlist.

DISCLAIMER ━━━ These headcanons are what I consider to be canon in my fanfictions. They may be others’s headcanons I’ve subconsciously filed away in my noggin. If one’s yours and you want it removed or credited, please send me your post and let me know.

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Sweet Pea//my greatest adventure is you

Request: Can you do a dad (newborn-ish) sweet pea imagine

hey! title is kind of stolen from a quote i saw on pinterest and part from my own brain so its okay! how are you all? i hope you’re good! i also hope you like this! its cute and sweet and just very nice! byeeee 

Two weeks ago your life changed completely. 

And for two weeks you and Sweet Pea have been living in a post baby, sleep deprived, bliss. 

Days of the week have long been forgotten, neither of you know the time. It’s either light or dark and that’s good enough for you. Both of you have only been outside a handful of times and they’re only for two hours at the most. 

You’ve worn nothing but pyjama’s, washed your hair enough times to count on just one hand and smell like baby puke and milk. 

But it’s perfect. 

Everything and everyone revolves around the perfect bundle of joy that you’ve brought into the world, and that is how it was supposed to be. You’ve had visitors from just about everybody you know. 

Family, friends, neighbours, as well as their family and friend. You’ve had everyone wanting to come and see your daughter, all of which bring toys, clothes, keepsakes, balloons, flowers and everything in-between. 

Which is of course lovely and very helpful. Especially when you’re dealing with the fullest nappy and think you’ve run out of wipes but Sweet Pea finds three packs of them under a pile of clothes that are yet to be worn. 

Plus, they also bring you presents to which you definitely aren’t complaining about. You’ve got so many pairs of pajama’s you’re not gonna need any for years. 

But it also brings problems. 

Because you and Sweet Pea may have read every baby/parenting book, blog and magazine known to man. But what they don’t prepare you for is how you’re supposed to fit everything into a tiny two bedroom house. 

“How does a tiny baby need all of this equipment?” You ask, staring at the black hole of boxes that is your living room. Even sat on the couch there’s boxes and bags stacked around you and the two of you honestly have no idea where to start. “I mean, what the hell even is this?” You add, picking up some sort of weird looking piece of plastic. 

Sweet Pea looks at it, a frown on his face before it lights up and he searches through some papers on the small table beside him. He holds a booklet up, a triumphant smile stretching across his lips before he starts reading. 

The smile slowly starts to fade the more he reads to himself and you sit in silence, an eyebrow raised while you wait for him to tell you. 

“Oo, erm. Apparently it tells you why the baby is crying.” He says, looking between you and the what you now realize is the instructions. 

The only way you can describe his expression is puzzled, as he takes the baby crying machine from you, placing it beside the instructions and just staring at the two. 

“Who the hell bought this?” He asks, resting his chin in his hands. You run your fingers through his hair, trying to calm the curls down a little and he lets out a content sigh, giving you a tired smile as he does so. 

You mirror it and nudge his leg with your own. You lean your head on his shoulder, and he places his head on top. The two of you look over the paper and plastic again, reading and re-reading the instructions as it takes a while to actually understand what they are trying to say. Its seems both you and Sweet Pea have ended up developing baby-brain.

“I think it was your Auntie Agnes.” 

“Of course it was.” He chuckles and kisses the top of your head.

“What are the options?” You ask. 

“Hungry, tired, changing, attention, stressed.” He says and you send him a look. 

“Stressed? What an earth could a baby be stressed about? They don’t pay taxes, they don’t have to work.” You reply grumpily making him laugh and kiss you again.

“Technically we don’t have to pay taxes.” 

“Technically we do if we don’t want to go to jail.” You reply. 

“Who says I’d get caught.” He replies proudly. 

“Me.” You reply bluntly and he stares at you offended. 

“Rude.” 

“True though.” You tease and grab the strange device from him, looking it over a few times before looking back at him. “So, where’s this going?” 

“Back of the cupboard normally. Proudly on display when Auntie Agnes actually comes to visit?” 

“Deal.” You agree. “I’ll find a place for it and you start on that box there.” 

“Which one?” 

“The huge red one right in front of your face.” You huff and he flips you off. 

You send him a sarcastic smile in return before disappearing into the kitchen to find a space for the stupid bit of plastic. 

“Why this one specifically?” He calls after you. 

“Its from Toni and Cheryl and I’m excited to see what ridiculous things Cheryl has spent a fuck-ton of money on.” You reply, your voice giddy but muffled by the cupboard you’ve currently got your head in. 

Sweet Pea shakes his head, a small giggle escaping his lips as he listens to you excitedly ramble about what it could be. 

He pulls on the end of the bow and it falls off the wooden box and onto the carpeted floor. A bemused smile takes over his appearance as he carefully picks the lid up and places it beside him.

“Holy shit.” His eyes widen. “Y/n? Y/n get in here!” 

“Wha-ow! Shit.” 

“Did you hit your head?” He asks, sending you a sympathetic smile when he notices you standing in the doorway, rubbing your head.

 “Yeah.” You nod and flop down beside him again. “So, what is it?” You ask excitedly. 

“You’re not going to believe it.” He replies and moves further towards the box. You follow him until your sat on the edge of the sofa and your eyes widen when you look at what it is. 

“Is that?” You ask, looking at him and then back at the present. 

“Yep.” 

Staring back at the two of you is a giant rocking horse. Like it’s massive, like Toni could definitely fit on it and it would look normal, massive even. Hanging around its neck is what looks like a diamond encrusted dummy and you and Sweet Pea just stare at each other in disbelief. 

A red, handwritten card sits on top of it and you grab it, turning it around and reading aloud. 

‘Y/n and Sweet Pea, 

Congratulations on your new arrival! We can’t wait to meet her properly. You’re going to be amazing parents, and we’re always here if you need us. Hopefully we’ll be able to organize a play date between her and JJ soon, but until then enjoy new parenthood. 

Love Cheryl, Toni and JJ.

ps: I told Cheryl you didn’t need a giant horse or diamond encrusted dummy or the other 5, very expensive gifts that are currently being shipped from Italy, but she didn’t listen, so sorry in advance. And again, congratulations!! We’re so proud of both of you!!’

“Another 5 gifts from Italy?” Sweet Pea repeats.

“Another 5, expensive gifts from Italy.” You correct. 

“They have far too much money for their own good.” 

“God knows where this is going to go.” You shake your head, a smile tugging at your lips as you tuck the card back into the box and place the lid back on top. “Which one should we do ne-” Your interrupted by a small cry and the two of you stop what you’re doing to listen, waiting to see if she’ll settle back down. The crying only grows louder and you and Pea share a look. 

“I’ll get her.” He says and you expression softens. 

“You sure?” You ask.

“Yeah.” He replies, fighting his way through the boxes and bags trapping the two of you. “I just googled how much that rocking horse is so I’m gonna go cry with her.” He says making you laugh. “You keep going down here.” 

“Wait, how did that happen? You get to cuddle a cute baby and I have to figure out where to put bottles and diapers and...horses?” 

“Unlucky.” He shrugs and gives you a sarcastic smile before running up the stairs. 

Two minutes later and she’s stopped crying. A relieved smile takes over your face as you fold what seems like the millionth baby grow. But twenty minutes after that, Sweet Pea hasn’t come back down yet, and that makes you suspicious. 

Because he’s either fallen asleep, or he’s just pretending to still be busy so he doesn’t have to help with this. If he’s asleep, you’re joining him, whether he’s on the bed or under it, you don’t care. But if not, you bet his ass you are dragging him back down the stairs.

You slowly make your way up the stairs, balancing a few pieces of clothing in your hands to put away. The door to your bedroom is cracked open slightly and instead of going straight into the nursery, you hold back and watch as Sweet Pea rocks her gently. 

His back is to you so he hasn’t noticed your presence, and he’s pulling the funniest faces at her, the sight making your heart melt. Your entire universe in one room, within two people, one tall and the other tiny. 

It makes all the chaos worth it. 

“There once was a shoe, who’s best friend was a lace.” Sweet Pea starts, balancing a baby book in his hands as he keeps tight hold of your daughter. “They went everywhere together. But one day, the shoe stepped in a puddle and the lace got dirty so-what kind of story is this?” He complains, shaking his head as he puts it down. 

“Okay, Daisy. I’ve got a much better story to tell you anyway.” He whispers into the dark room and carefully sits down in the rocking chair. “So, me and your mom have known each other for so long. Longer than you can even comprehend, not that you can comprehend much at the minute. But one day when your bigger you’ll understand. We’ve known each other since we were younger than you, thats right, we were best friends before we were born. And there hasn’t been a day that she hasn’t been around. And they’ll never be a day where she isn’t here for you either. Both of us are always going to be here.” He says, his voice gentle. 

His tone is full of so much love that it makes you tear up...stupid hormones. You can’t wait to spend the rest of your life loving your little family, and you’re so happy that its Sweet Pea that you’re doing it with. You can’t imagine a life without him, you never want to. 

“You have your entire life ahead of you and we’re going to make sure you live the best one you can. Because you can do anything. There’s a whole world of possibilities out there. Sometimes it feels like there isn’t, but you’ve only been here two weeks and you’ve brought so much wonder and magic to mine and your mom’s world, so who knows what you’re going to do to the rest of it.” He continues and you hug the clothes your holding tighter to your chest, despite the fact that you’re crying all over them. 

“We’re going to love you no matter what. No matter who you are or who you love or what you do. As long as you’re safe and happy, thats good enough for us.” He says, a sweet smile on his lips as he stares down at her in awe. “Now, go to sleep and have the sweetest dreams you can think of and when you wake up, your mom and me will both be here for you. Thats a promise.” He whispers, pressing a soft kiss to her head before placing her gently back in her crib. 

You take that as you cue to walk in, avoiding the creaky floorboard that you and Sweet Pea have already memorized the position of. He hears the door open and his smile grows when he notices you. You return it, your eyes tired and your hair messy and your clothes the same as they were two days ago. But to him you look the most beautiful you ever have. 

He has never loved anyone more, well, apart from Daisy. But you’re the reason she’s here and he’s never ever going to be able to thank you enough for that. 

You quietly place the pile of clothes on top of the drawers, vowing to put them away tomorrow. Them, the presents downstairs and the the rest of the world can wait, you want to enjoy this for as long as you can. 

Sweet Pea grabs your hand and pulls you gently towards him. The two of you lean over the crib, watching Daisy sleep peacefully. His hands rest gently on your shoulders and you give them a squeeze, your fingers intertwining.

“Do you think babies can dream?” You wonder, looking up at Pea.

“I really do hope so.” 

[casualmaraudering]

i’ve been very soft for dad sirius lately so have a very fluffy drabble! (edit: French provided by @yesanotherpotterhead, thank you so much! <3)

translations from French to English under the cut! 

*

Le vent qui hurle en moi ne pense plus à demain

Il est bien trop fort

J'ai lutté en vain

Cache tes pouvoirs, n'en parle pas

Sirius hastily writes down another rune sequence on the parchment, then scribbles a few numbers on a spare sheet.

Fais attention, le secret survivra

Pas d'états d'âme, pas de tourments

De sentiments

Calculating the proper harmony and proportion of wand movement-to-incantation-to-rune placement and sequence has always been his least favourite part of spell modification. Altering the balance has to be done with extreme caution, unless he wants to burn his own eyebrows off (again).

And yet, at the same time, it’s the part of his work he looks the most forward to. Every failed attempt, every careful calculation, every slight tweak leads him closer and closer to success - the thrill of having done something and done it well, that’s what Sirius strives for. There’s nothing better than knowing he had an idea and executed it to its fullest.

Though, for the particular spell he’s working on, that still might take a bit of time. Especially with the fitting soundtrack playing through his living room.

Libérée, délivrée

Je ne mentirai plus jamais

Libérée, délivrée

C'est décidé, je m'en vais

Every couple seconds or so, he’ll glance away from his papers and down onto the floor of the lounge, towards the makeshift fort of blankets and pillows that’s been there ever since Remus started work a couple weeks ago. Sirius found it easier to just leave it there as it is instead of cleaning it up and then inevitably putting it back together every afternoon.

Any time he looks towards there - towards his little baby boy, propped up by a few pillows to sit comfortably - he smiles without even noticing that he does. It’s been a natural reaction ever since Leo came to Sirius’s life. His heart fills with warmth every single time without a fail.

It’s just what that kind of unconditional love does to you.

Being a dad himself makes him more and more spiteful towards his own parents every day. He doesn’t ever remember his mother or father being even nice towards him, yet alone attentive or loving. He never got lullabies, or hugs, he was never held. He could never imagine looking at his baby and not wanting to hold him, kiss him, sing and play and spend all of the time he has with him.

He can’t change his own childhood, but at least he can make sure his baby’s childhood is done right. Even if he’ll end up the clingy parent.

J'ai laissé mon enfance en été

Perdue dans l'hiver

Le froid est pour moi le prix de la liberté

Sirius finishes the last of his equation and puts his quill down, flicking his hand ever so slightly, making all of his notes and books carefully sort and place itself into a secured box (one that responds to only his magical handprint - he’s learned the hard way that he can no longer leave his work on the table and expect it to still be there when he turns around next - not with a fussy baby with uncontrolled magic). When he’s sure everything is sealed and secure, he gets up from the chair, and makes his way towards the blanket fort.

Once picked up, Leo starts fussing right away, making Sirius laugh.

“ C’est bon je m’assieds,” he says, French rolling easily from his tongue “je te laisse regarder Elsa tranquille.”

He sits down with his back to the couch, and lets Leo get comfortable on his lap, resting against his stomach and chest. There’s no more fussing after that - only the sounds of the movie.

Sirius talks to Leo while it plays - he’s not sure when that habit started (perhaps when he’s realised he can recite most of the dialogue in the movie without even realising he knows the words), and yet it’s a simple joy to just talk to his baby. He points out characters, repeats lines - usually with very silly voice impressions - says whatever comes to his mind.

So many of his old classmates would likely laugh seeing him right now - a full time stay at home dad, watching the same cartoon movie several times a day, and refusing to put down his own baby at times. It’s not how he imagined himself to be. He planned a Quidditch career, travelling the world, all that. Now, though, he wouldn’t swap this for anything else in the world.

They have a snack break, a nappy change, and a slight incident with peanut butter involved (after which Sirius might have changed into Padfoot and licked it off the floor - and the baby. Not that Remus needs to know), they sit down in front of the TV once again. Sirius doesn’t even have to ask - and it’s not like Leo can answer him just yet - before turning on La Reine des Neiges once again.

They get to the two sisters fighting when there’s a crack of Apparition from the hallway.

“Papa est rentré, tu veux aller lui dire bonjour?” Sirius says to Leo, ticking his stomach - even if focused on the cartoon, he lets out a happy squeal. “ Ou alors tu continues simplement à regarder le film pendant que papa te dis bonjour, hmm?”

“I swear, he’ll speak French before English and I’ll be clueless to anything that’s going on in this house.” Before Sirius can continue the ‘debate’ with Leo, Remus walks into the lounge. He’s shed his coat already, and Sirius can see his bag on the floor of the hallway.

“I’ll translate,” Sirius says with a grin.

“And what if you’re not home?”

“See, that’s my strategy. You can’t divorce me if you can’t understand our baby without me.”

Remus snorts, and walks up towards the heap of blankets - he has to step around quite a few stuffies and pillows, careful not to accidentally squish anything. He sits down next to Sirius and pecks him on the cheek.

Sirius flicks his hand to pause the movie. Usually, that’d earn him a bunch of protests - sometimes a temper tantrum if he didn’t pick Leo up quick enough (the boy is quite clingy - there’s not a minute in the day when he doesn’t want to be held. Sirius doesn’t mind, though - there’s nothing he loves more than simply getting to hold his baby) - but now there’s just a happy squeal and a bunch of baby noises as Leo bounces around with a laugh, waiting to be picked up by Remus.

The display of affection between them never fails to make Sirius so emotional he can’t quite speak. Sirius’s husband and their son. Such a simple, everyday thing, Remus coming home from school - and yet it always manages to be so incredibly special.

After many kisses, and hugs and squeals and baby talk from Remus, they settle down once again - this time with Remus, his head resting on Sirius’s shoulder. And so Sirius lets the movie play again.

“The ice princess again?”

“She has a name, and that’s Elsa. You’d know that if you were me, because it’s all that has been playing ever since September.”

Remus chuckles. “It was your idea to stay home with him.”

“I know. And I don’t regret it. I am, however, slowly questioning my sanity. You can only hear that one song so many times without going insane.”

“‘s not too bad if it’s in French.”

“Yeah, cause you don’t understand the words.”

Remus just shakes his head with a laugh, and then lets his hand go through the small bush of Leo’s tangled black hair.

“Your accent got heavier again,” he mumbles, letting himself inhale the smell of Sirius’s sweater. It’s October now, which means Sirius is slowly going back to the habit of baking far too many gingerbread cookies. His sweater smells like a coffee shop.

“No, it didn’t. It only does that after I’m at Reg’s.”

“You just rolled that r. It got heavier.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“You just don’t want to admit that you’re getting that from Elsa.”

Sirius rolls his eyes, but he can’t help the smile creeping on his face.

“This looks like you and Reg when you two fight,” Remus says. “Or sounds like it, I guess. Bunch of French gibberish thrown around angrily.”

Sirius laughs. “You’re not wrong. Which one am I, though?”

Remus watches the scene for a few moments.

“The blonde. She looks very distressed and dramatic. The ginger one is quite calm.”

“I’ll politely ignore the implication.”

Remus chuckles, but then he turns Sirius’s face with his free hand and kisses him sweetly.

“You’re still my favourite, though. Even if a little dramatic. And even if you’re turning our baby against me.”

Sirius smiles, and lets their lips meet again for a short moment.

“I can teach you some words.”

“Nah. It’ll ruin it. You’re hot sounding as long as I’ve no clue what you’re saying.”

Sirius grins. “Je suis sexy quand je parle français, hein?”

“Whatever you just said, leave that for when the baby’s asleep. And tell me what the hell’s going on.”

Sirius lets his head fall down to rest against Remus’s head, and he settles into the pillows a little deeper.

“So the sister just said-”

“C’est bon je m’assieds, je te laisse regarder Elsa tranquille.”  -  “I’m just gonna sit down, I’ll let you watch your Elsa all you’d like.”

“Papa est rentré, tu veux aller lui dire bonjour? Ou alors tu continues simplement à regarder le film pendant que papa te dis bonjour, hmm?” -  “Your dad’s home, Wanna go say hello? Or you’re just gonna have daddy go say hi while you keep watching, hmm?”

Je suis sexy quand je parle français, hein? -  “I sound hot, huh?”

[silverandarsenic-hcs]

Ghost Slander

I know I’ve done this before sorta but this is the Finial List of all the shit that’s really just bad about them. the first half of each is serious bad stuff and the second half is just silly annoying shit they do. I am not apologizing for this so that’s that on that. I also still love them anyways.

Papa I:  too old to do anything. he may be strong and smart, but he’s old, and tired, and gets grumpy when he’s tired. and when he’s grumpy hes a fucking asshole. he really doesn’t want to do anything, like go out for a fun day in the city, or try new things. can’t teach an old dog ne w tricks, and he doesn’t even try tricks he’s known about for forty years. He can be boring, and he can be punchy and shitty when he’s annoying (I don’t mean like punchy as in hitting, just you know when you were grumpy as a kid and you get really irritated and annoyed and kind of just wanna have a hissy fit and cant control it???? that.)

Papa II:  Super emotionally unavailable and it just becomes taxing to try and get him to open up unless he’s ready and willing - which, spoiler alert, will never happen. He really does have a shitty temper and when he gets angry he sees red. Refuses to delegate tasks to other people around him because he thinks no one else can do it right. When he does, no matter what they do it’s never good enough and he makes all his interns cry and/or quit. for fun: he gets the “man flu” in which he will not take medication or go to the doctor until he literally has muscle dystrophy. thinks Advil or Tylenol is some hippy bullshit brainwashing pill invented by liberals that are trying to trick him into being happy. conspiracy theories. thinks aliens built the pyramids. watches ancient aliens in his spare time and never shuts up about it. Unable to use technology, and falls asleep in “special chair” at home. 

Papa III: cant take no for an answer. he doesn't understand when someone refuses his advances because all of the girls in the clergy falling all over him his whole life has made his head a little too big. if you want major fucking ego, he’s the brother for you. if you don’t want flowers, and you don’t want random extravagant things, he’s not the brother for you, because if you tell him you don’t like the things he’ll assume you hate him and decide that you shouldn’t be together anymore. sure, it comes from a place of caring and wanting to spoil his s/o, but fuck, bro, tone it down. He’ll also talk at you for hours even if you’re not listening just because he loves the sound of his own voice. It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to do something else, or are tired, or you just don’t care, he’ll stop talking when he’s ready and only then. For fun:  at a kids soccer game he would be That Dad that screams at the other kids like hes the assistant coach and probably be drunk and fist fight the other drunk dads in their lawn chairs. makes his s/o wax his back before they go to the beach or anywhere he has to be shirtless. its gross and hairy and he wouldn't care if his s/o didn’t bully his persian-rug body into it so hard one time he canceled a vacation. 

Copia: He has no back bone. He’ll work until people give him what wants but he’ll never come right out and say it, in any kind of relationship or work. You’ll constantly be guessing whether or not what he said has a second meaning and if it’s really want he wants or he’s been waiting for you to figure it out the whole time. It’s fucking annoying. He’ll never be the one to put his foot down, or silence a room, or command attention like the other papa’s have, he just doesn’t have it in him. For fun: Calls his stomach his “spare tire” like what the fuck who says that?? Talks to everyone, you literally have to drag him away from talking to strangers. The person next to him at the cafe has their headphones in and he’s just chatting away. Small talk but just gets worse, and he subjects everyone to it.  rides one of those bikes where you're basically lying down and doesn't shut the fuck up about how low impact it is on your back and knees. thinks the government is out to get him and everyone else but doesn't put two and two together and still has a google home thing or an alexa, buys that facebook skype camera thing for your tv that literally follows you when he walks. he just thinks their neat.

Dewdrop: Has a hot temper and genuinely gets mean when he lashes out. He doesn’t care that everyone has to chase after him all the time and has no remorse for what they have to do for him or what he ruins for them. He’s gonna do whatever he want’s whenever he wants and no one can tell him otherwise - everyone thinks this is so fun and quirky and great until it’s been a few months and they’re wondering why Dew hasn’t calmed down even a little. He’s too self obsessed to even care what other people want for him. A total mess wherever he goes, eats all the soap and candles and doesn’t replace them. 

Swiss:  saying someone is too good at everything doesn't sound like an insult, but it does when they brag about it. Swiss has always been the multi ghoul, meaning hes always been pretty good at everything, but never specialized in something. so rather than do more to hide the fact he’s a jack of all trades but master of none, he just brags about every tiny little thing he does. hes like 6′ but his ego is like 8′4″. Insanely jealous in relationships which can cause problems. he’s a liar. there. i said it. unless he’s your s/o, if his mouth is moving, it’s probably a lie. whether hes bigging up his own adventures, or trying to cover his tracks about where he was and who he was with, its probably all bullshit. the only reason he doesn’t lie to his partners is because he HATES being lied to in return and if he has feelings for you its a little harder to just shut you out once you realize he’s full of it. He mostly lies for fun, and partly just to see what people will really believe, so it get’s wilder and wilder every time. Refuses to do anything that’s boring to him like clean or do laundry, but he hates disgusting messes so he’ll just pay someone else to do it. 

Mountain: Disgustingly messy. When I walk into a room i leave a hurricane of my shit everywhere, but if you took an actual hurricane and put it in his bedroom, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. No one in the whole church will go near his room, partly for the smell, partly for the fact of that there is no where to stand that isn’t a foot high with garbage and dirty clothes. If he cleaned his room i think a new disease would be unlocked. Super stubborn, and inpatient. He’s pretty chill, but refuses to wait for anything without getting super annoyed, and it’s impossible to change his mind about literally anything once it’s made up. Trying to debate him about anything is a fucking nightmare. 

Aether:  when you’ve been together for a while, and you’re comfortable with each other, things can get boring. he’ll stop taking you on dates every week, and stop thanking you profusely for everything you do, and stop treating you like a queen. things will get stale quickly, so unless you’re into routine, steer fucking clear or you're doomed.  when he’s in a shitty mood, he will say literally anything to you to get you away from him. he just wants to be left alone and if you wont let that happen he’ll break up with you, tell you to fuck off, tell you to get away from him, tell you to go fuck yourself, whatever it takes. he doesn’t mean it, and even if he knows that deep down, you’re still causing the problem by existing, in his mind. refuses to accept that there may be a different way to do things. it’s Aether’s way or the highway and that's it. he thinks that if somethings easier, or faster than the way he does it, then it’s not being done right, and it’s fucking annoying how he wastes so much time doing stupid simple tasks because its the way he was taught and its the way he’ll do them until he dies

Rain: A baby. An actual baby. Needy and clingy and even a little bit pathetic sometimes. Here and there it can be cute and you might feel the need to nurture him, but honestly most people can’t handle it all the time but for Aether. He constantly needs attention in the exact way he wants and if he doesn’t get it he’ll whine and cry and try and make you feel like shit. Maybe it’s manipulation, maybe it’s not. Who knows. But you have to make sure he eats properly, make sure he gets dressed properly, make sure he sleeps, pretty much be a parent to him half the time. The amount of emotional labor is borderline slavery. His attitude is insane, and he’s sassy and bossy all the time as if he’s actually in control, and if you tell him otherwise he’ll scream (at the top of his lungs). Uses baby talk at an inappropriate timing and makes people uncomfortable  sometimes.

Cumulus: Collects tiny little themed knick knacks that are literally everywhere and take up all the space in her and Cirrus’ little sapphic cottage. Nosey and wants to know everyone’s business all the time. The only person she tells is Cirrus but she won’t rest unless she knows every detail about a persons life and drama.

Cirrus: Leaves all the lights on wherever she goes. Leaves all the cupboards open. All the lights are on so much that it lights up the whole house all night, and people call them to tell them to either close their blinds or turn the fucking lights off.

[starbornvalkyrie]

soccer moms | a next-gen nessian one-shot

A/N: i was going to keep this a headcannon but felt the energy to push this into a one-shot. it's written in the POV of Cassian's 16 1/2 year old daughter...and i'll leave it at that (;

my original headcannon: Cassian is the "you're doing great, sweetie!" kind of dad, while Nesta is the "you didn't get hit that hard, get back up!" kind of mom

Joana Soldato loves her father. The kind of all-consuming, unconditional love a girl reserves for that special person in her life. It had been the two of them since she was born - her mother died during childbirth - and she’s never had a better friend than her dad. She doesn’t know a time he hasn’t been there for her. He has always been her number one supporter, and she absolutely loves it.

Most of the time.

“Gooo, Jo! You’re doing so great, sweetie! That’s my daughter! Right there on the bench with the water bottle! You do that hydrating, Number 7!! Go, Jo! Go, Jo! Go, Jo!” Her dad’s booming voice somehow has the ability to reach the team’s bench from the bleachers on the other side of the soccer field.

Mentioning her dad is the Cassian Soldato, Commander of the Prythian Air Force, usually elicits looks of awe and reverence. “Oh, how special it must be to be his daughter,” they say. Oh, it’s special alright. Those people have obviously never been to a Prythian High soccer game.

Joana did her best to ignore him, fixing her attention on the girl running off the field to sit next to her on the bench. Joana handed her a water bottle and waited until she drank two large gulps before snatching it back. Francesca Archeron - Cheska to everyone she dubs worthy enough - is the biggest pain in her ass. Her skills on the field are the only ones that rival Joana’s, and this year their rivalry meant something: becoming Captain of the Prythian High girls varsity soccer team.

As a soccer player, Joana hated Cheska with everything she had.

As an only child, she was also her best friend. After her dad, of course.

“Damn, Jo. Your dad’s really going at it today.” Joana risked a glance in her dad’s direction. Even though she couldn’t actually see them, she knew the exact moment her hazel eyes locked with his. He immediately started screaming for Joana, jumping up and down, jostling parents around him. It was so like him to make a scene even when she wasn’t even playing.

Joana looked back at her friend and said, “Yeah, well, at least my dad supports me. When you bumped heads with that Hybern mid last week, she yelled at you for having a mild concussion.” Cheska winced but her eyes shone with delight.

“But at least my mom has some air of dignity. Your dad looks like he’s a kid in a bounce house,” she retorted.

They laughed and turned back to the parents on the bleachers. Their laughs faded, and they watched in horror as Cassian Soldato - the most feared, strict, and rigid commander on Prythian Air Force Base - tripped over his own feet, spilling the container of nachos he was holding all over the woman in front of him.

The two girls stood up, horror morphing into amusement, as Nesta Archeron started cursing and yelling at Joana’s dad so loudly that the opposing team’s goalie got distracted. One of the team’s star forwards, Vanessa, took the opportunity and shot the ball into the upper left corner of the net, winning the game for Prythian High.

Joana did her due diligence and cheered with her team but didn’t linger after shaking hands with the other team. She immediately made a beeline for her dad, Cheska trailing behind her. But as they got to the bleachers, they realized their parents were nowhere to be seen.

“Maybe Aunt Nes went to clean up in the bathroom?” Joana asked her best friend.

Cheska just nodded and they made their way in that direction, random people shouting, “Great game, ladies!” as they went. They were almost at the public restrooms when a girl with bright red hair called after them, “Hey Joana! Francesca! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you guys!”

Confused, Joana replied, “Uh… thanks? What for? We’re only halfway through the season still.”

The red-head, Malia Vanserra - Lucien Vanserra’s daughter - furrowed her brows. “What are you talking about? I was congratulating your guys’ parents! How long have they been together?”

Cheska and Joana stared at Malia, mouths hanging open, completely dumbfounded. Cassian Soldato and Nesta Archeron were not together. Her whole life, Aunt Nesta and her dad were at each other’s throats. They’ve had Friday night dinners with Aunt Nesta’s sisters and their families every single week since before Joana was born, and almost every single dinner has had at least one argument between her dad and Aunt Nes.

Joana looked at her best friend and found a matching look of disbelief and wariness on her face. Malia is not a credible source of information. Her dad is okay, but she’s extremely close to Lucien’s best friend, Tamlin I-Don’t-Even-Know-His-Last-Name-Nor-Do-I-Care-To. Their parents have always warned them to stay away from Tamlin, and for good reason. It seems his manipulative nature has rubbed off on his “niece”.

“That’s really funny, Malia. Everyone knows our parents hate each other. Did you not see my dad spill nachos all over Aunt Nesta?”

Malia only smirked, crossed her arms, and began walking away. Joana thought that was the end of that, but at the last second, Malia called over her shoulder, “Might wanna hurry to the women’s restroom, then.”

Joana met Cheska’s eyes and asked, What the fuck? In that special telepathic way they’ve perfected since they learned to talk. They continued their way to the restrooms, walking a little faster than before. When they finally made it, no one was near the sinks, but there was the unmistakable sound of people making out coming from the largest stall.

Cheska gagged, and Joana barked out a laugh. The kissing noises ceased.

Cheska, always the one to fill a silence, called, “Mom? Are you okay? Do you need help getting cheese out of your hair?”

Joana stifled her laugh, waiting to see how they were going to respond. There was inaudible whispering coming from the stall, no doubt an argument about what to do next. In the end, Joana had to guess that Aunt Nesta won because the stall unlocked and opened. Her dad walked out first, rubbing the back of his neck, staring at the floor.

Cassian stopped just outside of the stall, which pissed off Aunt Nesta. She shoved him out the rest of the way, and said, “Hey, girls.”

“Mom? Uncle Cassian? What? How? Since when? Why didn’t you tell us? Uncle Cass?” Cheska blurted.

Undeterred by her daughter’s rapid fire questioning and the congealed cheese still stuck on the top of her head, Aunt Nesta replied, “I know how this looks, but we were waiting for the right time to tell you.” She elbowed Joana’s dad, prompting him to elaborate. He finally looked at Joana. The hazel eyes that were twin to her own, but Joana was surprised to find her father’s were filled with wary sadness.

“Jo…” He crossed the floor and took her by the hands. “Sweetheart, it’s been you and me against the world for so, so long. You obviously know I’ve dated here and there since, since your mom, but nothing serious. But this? What I’ve just begun with your Aunt Nesta--” He glanced over his shoulder at the woman in question. The corner of her mouth turned up ever so slightly, encouraging him. “What we’ve just begun to scratch the surface of, this is serious.”

He paused to take a steadying breath. Voice thick with emotion, he continued, “I know how much you’ve always wanted to have a mom, and with how close you are to Cheska, I didn’t want to get your hopes up.” Joana didn’t even realize she was crying until her dad reached up to cup her face in his big hands to wipe away a tear. “I don’t want to take that away from you again.”

“Dad.” He closed his eyes, and this time it was Joana’s turn to wipe his tears. “Daddy, I love you so, so much. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. I’ll admit that, yeah, I sometimes wish I had mom to teach me about my period, instead of my tough, macho dad.” He released a small laugh. “But like you said, it’s been you and me against the world for almost seventeen years. You’re all I’ve ever needed.” He finally looked back at her.

“You will always be it for me, dad. But I’ll be leaving for college in two years. You deserve someone to be it for you, too. And dad, come on. Aunt Nes?” Joana leaned in, and with a conspiratorial whisper, she said, “She’s way hotter than anyone else you’ve dated.”

This time, Cassian laughed that deep belly laugh she loved so much and wrapped her in a tight hug. After she caught her breath she said, “Seriously, dad. If Aunt Nesta makes you happy, I’m all for it.”

Over her dad’s shoulder, she saw Cheska walk towards her mother. “And you, mom? Does Uncle Cassian make you happy?”

Her dad put his arm around her shoulders, and turned around so he could look at Aunt Nesta. When she responded, their eye contact didn’t break. “Yeah. Yeah, he makes me very happy.”

Joana looked up at her father, her rock, her everything, and saw the goofiest grin she’s ever seen. Joana turned back to Cheska.

With her eyes, she asked, Well, what do you think?

Cheska’s face was thoughtful for a moment before she began to smile.

Her best friend nodded at her, and in perfect synchrony, they exclaimed, “WE’RE GONNA BE SISTERS!!”

---

here’s part two!

Written by: @starborn-faerie-queen​

I don’t have a taglist for my one shots yet, but one day!

Let me know if you want more Joana and Cheska shenanigans!

[shintorikhazumi]

A Mom, A Grandchild, and A Wife For the New Year

A Mom, A Grandchild, and A Wife For the New Year 

A/N: So, have you seen HiBiKi StYle #448 with AiAi and Maho-nee doing the cooking relay? It’s one of the most chaotic things I’ve ever enjoyed xD. There’s a subbed version on YouTube haha. This gave me an idea for a fic, but I’ll probs be mostly basing it off the first half. Maho-nee is better at cooking than Aiai it seems, but character-wise, I feel like Claudine cooks better than Maya so…

I was supposed to release this on time for New Year’s, but ended up frustrated and reading other fics instead, so my sincerest apologies.

Fudge… this was not supposed to be this long. I told myself it would only be 1k-3k words, but hoho, no. 7-frikkin-thousand words. Stupid Khaz. Haaa…

Enjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

 “Umm…”

“So…”

“What exactly-“

“-Do we do with… that.”

“Junna-chan! Don’t call her “that”! She’s a child! A person!” Nana scolded her partner, also very perplexed with the situation right before their eyes.

“Well, she wasn’t a child five minutes ago?!” Junna replied with the same amount of exasperation in her voice.

“Then she’s a person! A human. Don’t call her… “that”.” Nana replied, gesturing towards the little girl seated on the living room carpet, looking to seven pairs of eyes staring back that held various emotions ranging from stressed, perplexed and confused, curious, excited, and just plain weirded out.

“Well, she’s certainly been a handful these past few minutes.” Junna sighed, looking around the living room area for some kind of toy to hand to the child to distract her, and keep her in place, behaved, while the rest of them searched for a way to fix this situation.

“Come on, Jun-Jun! She’s pretty cute, if you think about it.” Karen exclaimed, taking a step closer and reaching her hand out for the child to take. “See?”

“She’s quite pretty too. Though she always has been.” Mahiru murmured, taking her spot beside Karen and inwardly squealing as the little girl beamed at her after she petted her hair. “So adorable.”

“She seems kinda smart too.” Futaba pitched in after seeing how the person had acted- despite the various mishaps they indirectly caused- in this situation, trying to walk about and nearly smashing her face into the table, or trying to hand Nana a book she was reaching for when she held the girl in her lap, but almost dropping it on the larger girl’s foot.

“Well, sure. She’s all of those things.” Kaoruko rolled her eyes. “After all, she’s Also Tendou Maya.”

No one could refute the statement, seven heads bobbing in agreement.

“So?” Futaba looked to everyone in curiosity.

“So, what?” Junna replied.

“HAHHAHAHA, Mahiru-chan, she said so what, she just said ‘so what?’” Karen hollered, Junna’s statement making it seem like she didn’t care.

“Karen-chan… I don’t think you’re supposed to laugh at that in this situation…”

Ignoring the tiny deviance, Futaba continued. “How are we supposed to tell Kuroko about this?”

“…”

“Ah.”

Was the girls’ collective reaction. They hadn’t thought about that until now. Claudine was currently out of the dorm to do some shopping as she had volunteered to prepare dinner for tonight to celebrate the coming new year as no one from their little group had decided to go home for the holidays, now that they were in their third and final year. She claimed she had always cooked for her parents each time she went home so it was a habit she wanted to continue, even away from home.

Of course, everyone was more than willing to allow her to do so, curious as to the French’s cooking. Nana and Mahiru, along with Junna had offered helping hands to which Claudine accepted should she need them eventually. But for the shopping process, she’d rather do it on her own as she had yet to decide on what she’d like to make and did not want to inconvenience them with hopping from shop-to-shop undecided for hours on end.

They didn’t mind at all, but after some reassurance from the former child actress, they let her be, awaiting her patiently in the dorm with nothing better to do as school had been closed for the holidays.

Maya had begged- yes, begged- Claudine to allow her to come, but she was only met with a flick to the forehead and a firm, ‘No’. And even Maya knew never to push it when Claudine was that determined. Begrudgingly, she watched the love of her life walk away, taking the top star’s heart and soul with he-

“Don’t be so dramatic while I’m away, do you hear me?” Claudine had warned, familiar with how Maya’s thought process worked. She gave Maya a kiss on the forehead to temporarily satiate her clinginess. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

With that, Saijou Claudine had left for her little shopping trip. And now, three uneventful hours had gone by.

Or well, the girls hoped it had just been that.

As they were lounging in the dorm’s common room, Maya suddenly started feeling sick. She had crouched down, curling into a ball on the sofa. Worried, Nana approached her and put a hand on her forehead to check her temperature, wincing at the terrible heat that radiated off the poor girl as she pulled back immediately, feeling like she’d get burned.

Turning to the other inhabitants of the room, she gave separate instructions such as telling Hikari and Karen where to get the cooling pads and icepacks, respectively; she told Futaba and Kaoruko to grab Maya’s blanket and pillows, as well as some spare clothes should the girl feel cold later on due to the extreme and sudden fever. Junna had grabbed Mahiru to accompany her to the school clinic to find the nurse, and maybe get some medicine. If she wasn’t there- understandable as they had been told that the school would be closed for the holidays- then they would have to find the nearest pharmacy for some over-the-counter fever medicine.

“Tendou-san!” Karen was the first to accomplish her task, the icepack retrieved from the fridge just a few steps away. Her squeak made everyone returning to the room even more cautious now.

“What’s wrong?” Junna queried, now donning her coat and boots, coming from her room.

“She’s … shrinking…”

“You mean shaking, BaKaren?” Hikari muttered, brows furrowed in confusion.

“No…” Nana’s voice wavered, unsure at what she and Karen were seeing, and how to tell the rest just what it was that they were seeing. “She’s literally… shrinking.”

“…”

“Well damn, if I’ll be. So it’s possible for her to be cute, after all.”

“Kaoruko!”

 //-//-//-//-//

 “So ya think keeping her in our room is goin’ ta work? That’s some sloppy judgment coming from you, Junna-han.”

“You have the larger room between us, so if she doesn’t turn back soon, you have enough space for her to sleep.” The bespectacled girl pointed out. “Saijou-san possibly has the largest room, but that defeats the purpose of keeping this issue a secret from her, right?”

“Remind me why we’re keeping this a secret from her, though? Wouldn’t it be better to just tell her?” Futaba sighed.

“Who wants to do the honors and tell someone as fiery and protective as Saijou-san that her girlfriend is a small child, and possibly cause even more panic and distress?”

“…”

“But Karen and them have more space, don’t they?” Futaba brought their attention back to the first topic, backing Kaoruko up, really not wanting to babysit two children.

“The enormous amounts of trust I have in Mahiru is negated by equal amounts of doubt I have in her roommates when it comes to childcare and many other matters.” Junna stated, pushing her glasses up.

“Hey!”

“You got a point.” Futaba sighed, acquiescing.

“Futaba-han!”

“I can at least trust Hayanagi-san to behave when she wants to.”

“That’s bein’ a little mean, don’t ya think?”

“Now, now~” Nana, ever the peacemaker, calmed everyone down.

“Fine. But we’re takin’ turns watchin’ the little brat. I can’t have her ruining my routine.”

“Your routine is mostly just you fucking around, though.”

“Futaba-han!”

“Futaba-chan!!!” Mahiru cried, not having enough hands to cover both Hikari’s and Karen’s ears.

“Nana… were you trying to cover my ears too?”

“…”

“Na!”

The tiny voice stole everyone’s attention.

“What…”

“Na! Na!” The little brown bundle giggled, looking up at the blonde, opening up her arms, asking to be carried. The tallest of the bunch squealed in delight, scooping up the small child, spinning her about.

“I’m so happy, Maya-chan!”

“AWwwww, that’s so cute!! And dang it Banana, why are you her first word!! I wanted to be it!”

“I think ‘Karen’ is a little hard for a toddler to say as a first word, Karen-chan.” Mahiru responded, patting the dejected girl’s head.

However, Aijo Karen was not one to be discouraged. “I’ll be her second word then!”

“Karen-chan…”

“Come on, Tendou-san. Say it with me. Ka-ren. Ka-ren.”

“Kawuko!”

“Nooooon!!!” Karen cried in despair.

“Oho~” Futaba clapped, impressed. “You can’t tell me that that don’t make you happy, Kaoruko.” She teased the bluenette who simply turned away blushing.

“I thought my name was difficult… isn’t Kaoruko-chan’s name harder?”

“Just move on, Karen.” Hikari sighed, rubbing the said girl’s back in comfort. “After all, I’m gonna have her say my name before yours.”

“Hikari-chan!” Mahiru cried.

“How old is this kid anyway?” Futaba asked, shifting the conversation to a new topic.

“Beats me.” Junna shrugged. “Nana, can you ask her?”

“Sure~” Nana replied, still playing with Maya, tossing her up in the air slightly from time to time, the child very pleased, apparent with how she laughed unabashed. “Ne, Maya-chan.”

“Na?”

“Mhm, Nana-oneechan wants to ask you something. If you can understand me, I hope…” She chuckled nervously, wide eyes giving her their full attention. “How old are you?”

It seems the little brunette did, in fact, understand as she held up two fingers.

“Wow, that’s younger than I expected.” Junna muttered, stroking her chin in thought. “Maybe I should have Mahiru watch over her, after all. It’s a little too worrying if someone without enough experience handles a child as small as her.”

“Nn?! …b-but we already decided on the arrangements, didn’t we?” Kaoruko suddenly interjected, surprising everyone.

“Oh~? What do we have here~?, Kaoruko, did you actually get attached to the idea of taking care of the kid, just now?” Futaba’s teasing returned, poking at her roommate’s side.

“N-not at all? I just thought that for convenience sake, we shouldn’t complicate our original plans.”

“Whatever you say.”

While everyone else switched between watching the pair bicker, and Nana playing with a tiny Tendou Maya, they failed to remember just why they were planning on hiding the child- or better yet, from whom they were hiding her… until the person in question’s voice through them into another state of hushed panic.

“I’m back!” This voice belonged to none other than the 99th class’ second seat, Saijou Claudine. Tendou Maya’s better half, as she would put it. “Ara? Where is everyone? Nana? Junna?” She called.

“Ah crap. Saijou-san is back.” Junna face-palmed, feeling her stress build up.

“Eeehhh, wha-what do we do?!”

“HIDE THE KID.”

“Calm down, Karen-chan, Hikari-chan. You too Mahiru-chan. Your grip is gonna kill Hikari- chan’s hand.” Nana worried at that last bit, seeing the poor London girl’s hand color a deathly pale. “Really, Mahiru-chan, you should let go right now.”

Junna groaned. She had wanted to go over this plan better. Guess they had no choice.

“Here’s what’s going to happen.” She called for everyone’s attention. “Nana, Mahiru and I will distract Saijou-san by helping her with dinner preparations as we originally planned, earlier. We will try our best to not get her to look for Maya, or go to her room, and we’ll come up with an excuse.”

Heads nodded in understanding.

“The rest of you, watch the kid.” Junna gave the four a hard stare as the “mom friends” of the group filed out of the room one-by-one. “If you somehow meet with Saijou if you go out of this room, and she asks anything regarding Tendou-san, just say you don’t know or something.” And with that, the door was shut, the quartet to their own devices… oh and the baby, too.

…

“So… what now?”

 //-//-//-//-//

 True to her word, Junna and her companions were able to keep Claudine at bay, the girls in FutaKao’s room remaining undisturbed for the most part as they played with Maya for over an hour.

All had been going well, so far, but it seemed as though they had run out of games to play and the child and Karen alike were beginning to get bored.

This was dangerous.

Futaba preferred that no one venture out for the sake of ‘fun’.

“HUH?!” Her partner’s distressed cry grabbed her attention.

“Kaoruko?”

“These damn parents, at this particular time?” She muttered. “Futaba-han, I need you to come with me to the gate to pick up some stuff. My parents said I must retrieve it by myself since I chose to not go home, therefore no servant is going to be allowed to help me during my… independence, they claim.” Despite the clear reasons, Futaba remained seated.

“Why can’t you go by yourself? Someone needs to watch these kids.”

Kaoruko rolled her eyes. “Even I know how bad it could get to leave these two with a very small child, but if I could do this by myself, I wouldn’t even ask.” Futaba didn’t seem convinced. “It’ll take us five minutes. We grab the items, then we come back to find these three conked out and asleep, yeah? Now come on.”

There was clearly no room for the redhead to argue as she was dragged out the door by a rushing Kaoruko.

Hikari and Karen shared a look, shrugged, then returned to playing with Maya.

Or tried.

The child didn’t seem to like their current toys right now, throwing them about the room with a frown, and getting increasingly louder in her complaining cries.

“What do we do, Hikari-chan?” Karen turned to her best friend for help, but to no avail. “Ah!” She snapped. “I know! I think I have a toy in our room that would get her to quiet down! Let’s go get it!” Karen tugged at Hikari’s sleeve, pulling her onto her feet.

“Do we take her?” Hikari asked monotonously, pointing at the child- and… did she get… a little bigger? And had she been wearing that outfit earlier? Maybe Karen was just imagining things.

“No, we might get spotted walking with her.” She shook her head. “We’ll just run for our room then come back!”

Hikari didn’t question it, only suggesting that they lock the door as they left, Karen agreeing it was for the best.

With that, they left the child alone in the locked room with a wave as she just blinked back at them, staring at the closing door. The two bounded down the hallway, attempting to speedily retrieve the needed items before little Maya could get into any unsupervised trouble.

It barely took them three minutes to retrieve as many child-entertaining games and toys as they could find. As they walked up carefully to the door of Futaba and Kaoruko’s shared room, they met up with the said girls carrying semi-large boxes.

But that wasn’t important.

If she could do so without drawing attention to their little group, the young heiress would have screeched an ear-splitting scolding towards the two. Instead, she had to settle for a harsh series of whispers. “I thought we told you to watch her, not leave her alone!”

“B-but…” Karen whimpered. “She was starting to get really loud, and-and, we locked the door when we left, anyway.”

“you WHAT?! We don’t have keys on us!!!”

“…oh, dang.”

Futaba, equally frustrated, tried the doorknob anyway, brows raising high as it opened with little resistance. “Huh? I thought you said you locked it?”

“Eh?? But we did! Right, Hikari-chan?”

Hikari wordlessly nodded, brows now furrowed.

“No… no… please, don’t tell me…” Everyone burst into the room, eyes darting about so fast. Futaba and Karen had begun to look everywhere, beneath the bed, inside the locker. Kaoruko and Hikari decided to traverse the halls, hoping they’d catch sight of a little head of brown hair, to no luck.

What they did catch, however, was the confused gazes of Nana, Junna, and Mahiru as they were making their way back to the room, Claudine telling them that they had helped her enough and she could take it from there. They had reluctantly agreed to leave, but they supposed Claudine would now be too occupied to even think to look for Maya.

So what was going on, right now?

“Guys?”

“Oh no. It’s Junna.” Hikari drawled, panicking inside, but not letting it show.

“Hikari-chan? Weren’t you supposed to be watching…” Mahiru trailed off as a sniffling, teary Karen exited the room, running into her arms. “Karen-chan?!”

“…gonee!”

“Huh?”

“She’s gone! Tendou-san!”

“WHHAAATTTT-“

Before Junna could give everyone an earful, Nana dispatched all the girls around the dorm that wasn’t close to where Claudine was to avoid drawing her suspicion, seeing the girls move about in search of something. Rooms, other halls, bathrooms, spare practice rooms, the storage. They were to comb through every nook and cranny for Tendou Maya. There was no need to check the Kitchen as the trio who had assisted Claudine had just come from there and could confirm that the French was the only person present there and they had encountered no tiny top star on their way back to the room.

And so began the great ‘Tendou Maya’ hunt.

 //-//-//-//-//

 Claudine hummed a tune from their latest play, setting down the last of her prepared ingredients on the counter next to the stove. Mahiru, Junna and Nana had been of great help and they had finished preparing the desserts for later first to be able to set it aside in the fridge. All Claudine had left to do was to actually cook the meal.

“Where’s that large pan that I need…” Searching through the cupboards, she found exactly what she needed, placing the heavy pan on the stove and turning it on to start heating. Continuing her previous humming, Claudine suddenly jumped at the feel of something pulling on her pant leg.

What in the…

She was greeted by wide, curious violet eyes, blinking up at her innocently.

“Um…” There was something oddly familiar about this child currently standing beside Claudine. She just couldn’t put a finger to it. She didn’t look any older than the age of three or four, but she didn’t seem to have any guardian accompanying her either.

“Hi!” The lass greeted, beaming brightly at Claudine. The latter couldn’t help but smile back. She loved children, after all. And she secretly admitted to herself that this one, in particular, was absolutely adorable.

“Why, hello there.” Bending down to the little girl’s level, said girl staring up at her with large lilac eyes, while clinging to the hem of her apron, Claudine greeted back. “Bonjour~”.

The different language seemed to throw the child off, and Claudine could almost see the little cogs spinning in her head. “B-Bon… Bonzoo? Bonzhoo? Bonju?”

Claudine laughed airily, patting the brunette’s head tenderly. “Close enough. Bonjour.”

The child simply nodded this time, relenting on learning this strange word for now.

Claudine temporarily turned the stove off before turning back to her little companion, hands on her hips as she scrutinized the young girl’s features. “You really do look so terribly familiar.” With gorgeous violet eyes, lustrous chocolate hair pulled back in a ribbon-

Something clicked. “Ah! Are you, by chance, a relative of that insufferable Tendou Maya? You’re much cuter than she is, though.” Turning to the other girl, Claudine was surprised to see her pout despite the compliment.

“But I’m Maya! This. Is. Tendou Maya! I’m the cutest!”

Now, this confused Claudine. Was she a big fan of that infuriating woman? “Not only are you the spitting image of her, you even talk like her. I swear she is a bad influence.” Claudine sighed. “So, do I call you Maya?”

She was met with enthusiastic nodding, and she could only giggle at the sheer adorableness of it all.

“Alright, then. Maya.” Straightening up and looking about the room, hoping for some guardian to walk in, or perhaps her Maya, claiming the child as her secret relative, Claudine found no one, eyes trailing to the clock on the wall warning her that her time to prepare dinner was growing ever short.

She sighed again. Guessing that she should get a move on, she tried to point to the couch with a smile, nonverbally telling the kid to take a seat and wait there. About to return to her previous task of cooking, Claudine almost missed the way those large purple eyes stared at her in wait, as if asking a question. It made the blonde realize very quickly.

“Oh! Where are my manners.” She crouched down, eye-to-eye with the child, offering her hand out for a shake. “My name is Claudine”

She saw cute little brows furrow, wrinkles forming in the “Maya’s” forehead. Easing them away by massaging the area gently with her thumb, Claudine laughed as the child began to test her name out. “Ku-, Ko- Kro… hrnnghh” The child tried in vain.

Claudine laughed lightly.

“Kuu-chan!”

“Eh-“

“Kuu-chan!!!” It seemed as though the child had given up on trying to pronounce her name right, and the little moniker she had come up with made Claudine feel the tiniest bit shy.

“Now, now. Not that I don’t like that nickname you’ve come up with somehow… The real Tendou Maya would never give up, now would she?” She teased, feeling somewhat satisfied at the blush that flooded the little girl’s face. “But I guess, you could continue to call me that, if you so wish. Still, I do hope you will someday be able to pronounce my name properly.” Claudine hadn’t the slightest idea why she wanted such a thing, even if it was still later in the future, but she felt compelled to do so.

The child nodded, beaming at her brightly once more as she hugged Claudine’s leg.

“Okay, I really need to be getting back to my work. So, if you’d just allow me to…” Gently hoisting the girl up, causing a fit of the cutest giggles Claudine had ever heard in her life, she placed her on a stool in the kitchen where she could easily turn to check on the girl every once-in-a-while. “There we go.”

“Kuu-chan?”

“Please behave yourself now while waiting for your mommy, or daddy, or… someone. Onee-chan needs to get back to cooking so that everyone can have a nice, yummy dinner. Maybe you could even join us. So, would it be fine for you to sit and wait for me? If you want to play, we can do so once I’ve finished this.” Satisfied with the nod she was given as a reply, Claudine patted the girl’s head once more for good measure. She then turned on the stove and continued her work, pouring in her oil and mixing in her ingredients.

A moment later, she realized that she needed a spice from the cupboard. Quickly going to fetch it, she was surprised as little Maya clung to her waist, arms wrapped around her, nuzzling into her stomach.

“Kuu-chan! Play with me!”

“Maya, now didn’t we agree that you would behave while I finished my task?”

The girl pouted, but released Claudine nonetheless.

“Thank you.”

And she was back to cooking. Cooking with a heavy pan reminded the French woman of how proud she was of her strength, tossing the mixture of ingredients inside with ease. For just a moment, she looked back to check on Maya, screaming horrified in just a second as she spotted the girl reaching for a knife, tiptoeing by the edge of counter, head not even reaching the height of the countertop. If she left this to go on, the knife could fall wrongly and hit her if she reached it. Claudine rushed forward, moving the sharp knife away, far out of the child’s reach.

Panting as she settled the girl back in her stool, fixing her with a very stern look that commanded, ‘stay’, Claudine got back to her food, hoping it wasn’t burning or anything. “Is this what it feels like to be a mother? To have kids?” She groaned.

Hearing shuffling come from behind her, she whipped her head about, catching the guilty look flash across the child’s face as she attempted to climb off the stool again.

“Please stay, okay? I’ll play with you all you want after.” She sighed, once more, placing the girl on the stool. “I know you’re bored, but I really cannot leave you to wander about on your own without supervision. You might get lost or hurt, and being the one to have been with you last, I really will be responsible. I’d like to actually ‘be responsible’. Please?”

The little girl pouted but nodded her understanding. Claudine felt relieved. Until-

“Kiss?”

“Wha-“

“If Kuu-chan gives a kiss, Maya will stay!” Blushing, but considering her options, Claudine relented.

“Fine.”

“Wai~!”

Finally feeling as though her struggle with childcare was over, Claudine finally got back to work, not hearing any noises that indicated trouble, breathing in her relief.

“Thank God.”

Finally finishing her first dish, she set it aside, turning to grab the ingredients for the second… dish…

Where was the child?

And who was this elderly woman now seated in her place?!

“My, my, ma Claudine, you look wonderful, cooking for me, shining in all your youth.”

She would have asked who the hell this lady was, but by the way she was addressed, she could only assume that it was, “M-Maya?”.

“Ah~ Has time frozen your beauty in place? Even the universe can’t help but admire such a flower, unwilling to let you go.” The lady lamented. “And yet here, I shrivel away, though not without all my passion blooming still in my heart.”

“You’re… Maya… right?”

“Who else would I be?”

And yes, who else would she be, Claudine agreed. Those stunning purple eyes, the particular shade of brown in the colored streaks of hair still present amongst the white, Yes. This was Tendou Maya, indeed

Honestly, Claudine surprised herself with how well she was taking all this. She would have spent more time wracking her brains over this crazy phenomenon, but then the clock caught her attention and made her realize that she had been in crazier situations than this. This should not be all that unbelievable. She had been through worse with Maya. So long as the girl still existed…

Claudine could prioritize finishing her dinner preparations.

Maya would surely turn back to normal soon.

Right?

Therefore…

“Maya. I implore you.”

“Ask anything, my love, and I shall-“

“Please behave yourself so I can finish what I have to and find everyone so we can figure out how to turn you back.”

“Of course, deary~.”

“I mean it.”

“…o-of course… dear.”

“Maya?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Claudine got started on her next dish, somehow thankful that Maya actually seemed to be cooperating. Was it her current age that made her less energetic? Maya was quiet, behaved. At least from what Claudine was hearing, which was nothing but silence, she hoped the silence meant Maya was just sitting, resting and not… dead or anything like that. Right? …right?!

Whipping her head about, Claudine caught the elderly woman walking about in some random direction, looking a bit older than she did earlier and… a whole lot blinder it seemed, as she hit her face against the wall.

What did I just say about behaving…

“Oi, grandma. I told you to stay put.” Claudine groaned in exasperation, moving to retrieve Maya. “Now I feel like those children or grandchildren made to take care of their elderly family.”

“Who… are you?”

“HA?”

“I’m starting to feel starved…”

“Don’t just go jumping from one topic to another, Tendou Maya…”

“What did you say?” So this granny was deaf too.

“Snacks, snacks… something soft enough for her teeth… I don’t want them to break…” Considerate as ever, Claudine started searching about for something to hand to this annoying woman. Spotting something on the counter, she picked it up, examining it for a second. “I guess tofu will have to do.”

With a spoon, she scooped up a portion and brought it to the old woman’s mouth. Upon feeling the familiar metal, her mouth opened, taking in the food. “Ara, Tofu~”

“Wow… that was fast. You knew right away.”

“It’s delicious.”

“Well, I’m glad.”

“But it would be better with Soy Sauce.”

“You are insatiable…”

“Add soy sauce!”

“Grandma, you’re so noisy.”

And Claudine’s woes continued.

 //-//-//-//-//

 “So? Did you have any plans of revealing this to me? At any point in time?”

“Sorry… Kuro-chan. We thought you’d get angry…”

Seven people now sat in seiza in their living room, one of them being an adult Tendou Maya, it seemed, possibly in her late twenties. She had shifted through ages at least thrice since meeting up with Claudine. The rest of the girls had given up on searching after two hours or so, and upon hearing Maya’s familiar voice conversing with Claudine from the kitchen, they all bolted, panting as they stood before the pair, their demeanors giving everything away- that they had been aware of this from the start.

“I am angry.”

“Urgh…”

“And if I would’ve been angry anyway, then why didn’t you all just tell me from the start?” Claudine frowned even deeper, if that was possible. “I thought we were all comrades here, fighting together. Shouldn’t this be one of the things we try to figure out as a team?”

“We’re… sorry…” Guiltily, the rest of the stage girls hung their head in apology. It still wasn’t enough for Claudine, however. She wanted an explanation.

“Did no one think of telling me?” With everyone else avoiding her gaze, except Maya who looked strangely happy to be scolded, she turned to the only one standing, busy taking way too many photos of the girls. Why did Claudine feel stress build up y just looking at her? “Nana?”

“It seemed fun.”

“Nana/Nana-chan?!”

Of course, it was. Claudine sighed- before her stomach growled, leading her to blush a lovely shade of red. Eight heads turned to her, some amused, some sheepishly concerned.

“Ah, it’s already this late.” Junna exclaimed, the clock reading seven-pm-sharp.

“No wonder Kuro-chan got hungry~”

“W-W-Well, whatever. Let’s have dinner then sort this… thing out.” The French tried to cover up her embarrassment, walking over to the food she had prepared, getting ready to take it to the dorm’s veranda where tables had been set up earlier by Junna, Nana and Mahiru. They were planning to eat outside and see if they could enjoy some fireworks displays that were sure to come soon from neighboring areas, and could be seen from where they were. “We can’t solve Tendou Maya’s problem on empty stomachs.”

Laughing in relief, the girls soon got up one by one, helping out with the set-up, ready to at least enjoy the end of the year, regardless of how wacky it turned out to be.

 //-//-//-//-//

 After all the food had been consumed, and Maya had shifted through her age one more time, now taking the appearance of an eight-year-old child, with no leads, and darkness shrouding them, they decided to put off their investigation until tomorrow. It would be safer then too.

For now, they’d enjoy the end to their year as a group of comrades, friends, and family.

To everyone’s excitement, Kaoruko and Futaba had brought out two fairly large boxes, the ones they had fetched earlier from Kaoruko’s family. It seemed as though they were actually quite pleased to hear that their daughter had such wonderful friends who she actually wanted to spend a time as special as New Year’s with. In their happiness, they had bought her so many fireworks. Sparklers, little crackers, fountains, even the really beautiful ones that burst in the sky.

Nana, Junna, and Futaba took charge of setting those up safely in the yard, while Mahiru’s team fetched buckets of water for safety reasons.

As they played under the stars with their multi-colored lights flashing about, Claudine took the entire scene in before her. In spite of all the troubles, mishaps, fights, and trials they had gone through this past year, and even the years before in Seishou, Claudine would never trade the bonds of companionship she had built with her friends for anything in the world.

Running through their supply of fireworks, as well as energy, everyone proceeded to lay down on the blanketed lounge chairs that Nana had had the foresight of setting up, predicting that everyone would want to stay outside in each other’s presence for a little while longer while waiting for one grand fireworks show that had been advertised the past few days in the news.

They knew they’d be able to spot it from where they were in the yard, so they eagerly anticipated it, the television that had been turned on in the living room had some host of some show leading off a countdown.

“Kuu-chan?”

The little girl called for her attention, tugging at the hem of her sweater, those Violet eyes searching Claudine’s very soul. She hummed in response, petting the girl’s head lovingly.

“Still not going to give up on that nickname?”

“Will you stay with me forever?”

The sudden question and disregard of her playful comment had her surprised, but the contents of the question had her heart stop for just a second.

“W-will you leave me then?”

Her lack of response must have worried the girl. Had she been frozen for long?

“W-well, that is…” If she were talking to… her Maya- oh who was she kidding?! No matter the age or appearance or… whatever, this was for a fact her. Maya. Still. If this were the normal Maya, she would have responded differently. How should she tell this child the heartfelt truth while remaining in reality without crushing her hopes and dreams?

“Kuu-“

No, it was because it was her Maya regardless of the factors, that she could and would answer the way she believed was most fitting.

“Yes.”

“E-eh?” Maya looked like she would just cry right then and there. Claudine pinched her cheek lovingly before explaining.

“I cannot guarantee that I will always be by your side physically. There will be moments in life where we will have to be apart. And physical separation may be one way, but we aren’t perfect people, did you know that? Sometimes, our hearts may drift due to various circumstances.”

“I… I don’t like that…” Eight-year-old Maya sulked. Claudine laughed, before opening her hand palm up, asking the child to place hers in the larger hand.

“I know, I don’t either.” Claudine placed a chaste kiss on the back of Maya’s hand, successfully pulling a blush out of her. “And that’s exactly why I shall strive my hardest to stay. I will try my best to remain by your side for as long as I can.” She smiled that disarming, charming smile of hers. “After all, isn’t giving my all in everything I do my strongest point? And if there come times when I cannot be near you physically, then…”

“Claudine?” She’d be lying if hearing her name from Maya plain as that didn’t make her feel immense amounts of joy and satisfaction.

“I’ll just have to entrust you to keep my heart for me until I come to retrieve it. Oui?”

She watched the girl nod, no words coming out of her mouth. Could Claudine count this as a win against the insufferable woman? Maybe it wasn’t fair to battle it out against a child, though.

“How about we join the rest in the countdown?” Claudine asked, as she guided the girl to the many lawn chairs on the veranda, taking a seat on one and patting the space in front of her so that Maya could sit between her legs.

The little girl obliged, and they heard the TV slowly reaching the tens in the countdown.

[“Twelve, eleven… Ten…”]

“Nine.” Hikari murmured so soft with a smile, taking Mahiru and Karen’s hands as she stood between them.

“Eight~” Nana smiled, chancing a glance at a Junna sporting a rare child-like excitement.

“Seven.” Kaoruko whispered in a moment of seriousness, staring with great admiration at Futaba’s back that seemed so large, despite the girl in question being quite small.

“Six.” As if she felt that gaze, Futaba turned with back with a charming smile, something different, but so so warm in her eyes directed at Kaoruko.

“Five.” Mahiru murmured, looking to the two people she loved most in the world, surprised that they were already staring her way, telling her that they would always watch over her.

“Four!” Karen jumps excitedly, pulling Mahiru and Hikari into a tight hug, before kissing them both on the cheeks.

“Three…” Junna whispered, eyes sparkling, nothing else but the warmth of Nana’s hand keeping her rooted to the reality of the world as she felt herself hypnotized by the suddenly very silent and vast night sky, not a single firework present… yet.

“Two!” A small Maya in Claudine’s lap cheered, leaning back against the blonde woman’s front.

Claudine had hoped she could share this special moment with the one she cherished above all things. Well, she was, but… she didn’t think it would be… like this. Still. Maya was Maya, and Claudine would love her and stay with her for all time.

“One.”

The lights were splendid, brighter and more passionate than many of their stages. It ignited hope and starlight in the girls, and they watched on in awe, greetings of Happy New Year along with hugs and kisses being thrown around.

“Happy New Year, Ma Maya.” Claudine whispered, hugging the small bundle in front of her, wrapping her arms around the small Maya, heart just a little heavy. “I love you.”

In her silent pain, she had failed to take notice of the being in her arms taking on a glow, and slowly growing, transforming unnoticed by everyone entranced by the lights in the heavens.

“My, what a heartfelt confession. It certainly made my own heart flutter… Saijou-san.”

She could not lift her head up any faster, heart beating miles upon miles per hour, eyes wide as she drank in the familiar, but very missed sight of Maya. Tendou Maya. Her Maya… oh beautiful, lovely, sweet, incredibly infuriating Maya.

Standing up, turning around, and then getting down on one knee by Claudine’s side, Maya returned the gesture of placing her lips softly against Claudine’s fair hand, a confession slipping out so smoothly, so naturally from her lips.

“I love you with everything that I am, as well, Ma Claudine.”

…

Suddenly, Maya was looking very panicked, and Claudine would have asked why if the girl hadn’t reached forward, wiping every tear that slipped from her eyes.

“Did it move you that deeply, my darling Claudine?” She joked, though her anxiety was very clear in her voice. “I’m sorry, I did not mean to upset you. Please… please, if you feel hurt, tell me where and I’ll-“

Maya was very quickly squeezed into a breath-taking hug, Claudine staining Maya’s sweater in her relieved tears.

“You utter idiot! Do you know how worried I actually was if you wouldn’t turn back to normal?!”

“Well, you know how Cinderella’s little spell goes; as the clock strikes midnight, the magic wears off and-“

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, I understand.” Claudine rolled her eyes.

“Oh, but you don’t. Let me finish, my dear Claudine.” Maya grinned. “Once the magic wears off, all she is left with is a normal girl, in normal dress, with nothing but her bare and honest heart as the proof that she is the one the Prince fell in love with.”

Maya turned Claudine’s hand over, kissing her palm, then up to her wrist.

“Isn’t it the same for you, ma Claudine?”

“Y-you… I…”

“As Cinderella left her Prince for but a moment, they both strived to be together again, and to stay together forever. They made such a beautiful promise, as well. In the form of lifetime vows.” There was that familiar cheeky glint in Maya’s eyes, but Claudine couldn’t find it in her to be annoyed. “And you’ve given me your vow, so how about I give you mine?”

“What…”

“Saijou Claudine. I will forever devote my soul and my love to you. And I may not always be with you in body, and sometimes in mind… but my heart will always be yours.” She laughed, adding an afterthought. “And I might prefer it if you never returned it at all. I believe you are the safest person to keep it.”

“M-mechante va!”

“EEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!!” Karen’s screams cut through the air, and through their little moment. “It’s Tendou-san!!! She’s… She’s NORMAL!” She screamed, waving her hand, pointing a finger at Maya, directing everyone’s attention to the girl at the end of it.

“Tendo-san!!!”

“Heya, Maya-chan~! We were actually beginning to worry.”

“T-Tendou-san is… she’s okay now, right? She’s normal again, right?” Karen shifted her gaze around the circle of friends, seeking confirmation that her eyes were not playing tricks on her.

“I’m afraid I never have been, Aijo-san.”

“EH? O-oh no, is something still wrong?”

“On the contrary, everything is perfect! I am simply back to my usual amazing self.”

“…”

“And annoying self, it seems.” Claudine quipped with a faux disheartened sigh, shaking her head. “You really are the most infuriating woman in the world.”

“You love it.” Maya quickly replied.

“I do.” Claudine responded just as quick, so calmly, so naturally that it threw everyone, especially Maya off.

“I… I see.”

“What happened though? Why did that happen?” Junna, ever the curious mind, asked the important question.

Maya hummed, thinking for a moment, before smiling a mysterious smile.

“Let’s just say that’s the magic of a new year.”

With everyone sure that Maya was now okay and back to her usual self, they all began the clean up before splitting off into their respective rooms, saying their good nights and welcoming the much-needed respite.

Claudine had dragged Maya to her room, very deprived of Maya’s usual annoyingness and affection that she would never admit she wanted.

As they lay on her large bed, in their night gowns, warm under the covers and entangled in each other’s arms, Maya planting kisses on the crown of Claudine’s head, she heard the smallest whisper, almost missing it.

“…I missed you.”

The brunette smiled, pulling away for a moment, and reaching into the pocket of her nightgown, pulling out a small box.

“Claudine.”

“M-Maya?”

“We are but young souls who’ve had the pleasure of crossing one another’s paths, and a lifetime vow involving marriage, though I’d certainly want it now, is jumping the gun, even for someone like me, I suppose… but for now…” Opening the case, she revealed a heart, one side black, and the other white. Separating the pieces, she had both of them sit up on the bed, before she moved to sit behind Claudine, both of them conveniently facing the direction of the room’s large mirror.

Claudine watched as Maya’s hands moved to take the ivory piece, gently guiding the thin, golden chain of the necklace around Claudine’s neck and clicking it in place, before moving her hair to one side and kissing the bare part of the blonde’s shoulder.

She remained there for a moment, before trailing upwards, leaving small nips and kisses along Claudine’s shoulder and neck, nuzzling from time to time, taking in her lovely, flowery scent, thoroughly embarrassing the girl.

“Okay, okay! That’s enough!” Claudine screeched, moving away, grabbing at the case Maya had left on the bed and retrieving the ebony-colored half of the heart, transferring her seat behind Maya. “Your turn.”

“Of course.” Maya chuckled, behaving herself for once. She stared at Claudine through the reflection on the mirror, smiling as she saw the blonde’s hands fumble momentarily with the jewelry, before shakily bringing it about her neck. “Nervous?”

“Shut up.”

“I love you.” Maya grinned at the sight of Claudine’s blush deepening as she snapped the ends of the chain together, before leaving a secret kiss in the top star’s hair. “I will gladly take that as an ‘I love you too’.

“Do you not know what it means to be quiet?”

“But of course, I do.”

“Then-“

“I just choose to annoy you instead.”

“You-you!!”

“I will marry you.”

Claudine choked.

Maya turned around to face the girl, taking two warm hands in hers, caressing them gently, each knuckle, both palms, each finger, lingering slightly on Claudine’s left ring finger.

“One day, I will. I swear.”

“…”

“So when that day comes, I won’t let you complain that you’re dealing with a difficult child, or a troublesome old lady.” Claudine rolled her eyes at that, smiling fondly. “But I welcome any and all complaints about me being an infuriating wife.”

“Oh my gosh…” Claudine laughed, but tears were already escaping those gorgeous rose-red eyes Maya fell in love with so deeply. “You are just… ugh… Mechante va!”

And despite her words, Claudine couldn’t help but draw Maya in, pressing her lips against that ridiculous grin; tenderness and intensity, a embracing warmth and scorching passion altogether found in one kiss. Love and irritation, relief and hope... a promise and a confirmation.

“Happy new year, ma Claudine. I love you.”

“I love you too. And a very happy one, indeed… ma Maya.”

[“And more happy years with you to come.”]

 A/N: I’M DONE. I’M JUST. DONE. YES. THIS TOOK ME FOUR DAYS INSTEAD OF ONE BUT IDK IT SEEMS WORTH IT, MAYBE? PLEASE TELL ME. I’M DYING TO KNOW. COMMENT, KUDOS, REBLOG AO3 OR TUMBLR JUST- haha. Okay. I’m calm. Ahhh~ MayaKuro. I just read that doujin by Takano Saku yesterday. As well as reread the mangas of starira.

Anyway… Thank you again, and a happy new year to you all!

~Shintori Khazumi

[cake-writes]

Forever Yours

Pairing: 1940s!Bucky x Reader

Warnings: SAPPY AS HELL, Fluff, Angst, War References

Summary: Two lovebirds exchange letters during the War.

Written to this song on repeat. Enjoy!

June 16, 1943

Hey sweetheart,

It’s been 19 hours since I kissed you goodbye, but I’ll never forget the dress you wore to the docks. You took my breath away! Nearly tempted me to do something I shouldn’t have... at least not without permission, and we can’t have that, can we? 

I’ve just gotta see you in a white dress again, sugar. Mark my words, as soon as I come home, I’m gonna have a long talk with your parents. Gotta ask ‘em properly. I just wish I could have done it before I left. You would have said no, though, wouldn’t you? Until I’m yours for good, not government issue. My girl’s just too smart to get tied down without thinking it through! That’s one reason out of a thousand why I love you.

I know how upset you were that you couldn’t send me off with a smile, but I’m a little happy that those tears were for me. I’m the luckiest man in the world to be able to say that you’re mine.

Miss you already.

Bucky

June 17, 1943

To my best girl,

There’s not much to do on this godforsaken ship other than write to you, so that’s what I’m gonna do. 41 hours since I saw you last and I’ve been sick as a dog. Isn’t the Army supposed to make me stronger? But here I am, barely able to keep anything down. Guess I haven’t gotten my sea legs yet.

The tablets they give us for seasickness don’t help much either, not to mention they taste awful. No one can keep ‘em down, not even Mann and he’s got a stomach of steel. Sorry doll, that’s Archie Mann. One of my bunk mates. He’s a private with B Company, says he’s originally from Mississippi but his folks moved to Brooklyn a couple years back. Small world.

The fellas all say I’m wallowing in my own misery, and you know, maybe they’re right. Wish you were here taking care of me. Then I’d be right as rain.

Forever yours, Bucky

June 18, 1943

Hey gorgeous,

67 hours now. That’s almost three days away from you.

It’s been impossible to sleep. I feel like a canned sardine – got 5000 other men on this ship with me and limited real estate. Our bunks are stacked 4 high, but at least I’ve got a bottom one thanks to my sergeant chevrons. Makes it easier to sneak up on deck at night and write to you, which is what I’m doing right now.

I might be breaking regulations, but I won’t tell if you don’t! You can keep a secret, right, doll?

It’s a full moon tonight. Nothing but ocean around for miles and miles. I think you’d love it out here. It’s peaceful – actually makes me forget for a minute that there’s a war going on. Then I remember where I am and where I’m heading.

Starting to get a little drowsy, now. Maybe it’s the sea breeze. I’m gonna try real hard to dream of you. 

See you in a few minutes, I hope.

Bucky

June 20, 1943

To the girl of my dreams,

It’s been nearly five days, and I can still smell your perfume on the handkerchief you gave me. Hope it lasts. I’m not ready to give you up yet.

You said you stitched that pretty pink flower on there just for me, so I’ve kept it hidden in my pocket for safekeeping. Embroidery is hard work, isn’t it? Becca’s always been terrible at it, but Ma’s stitching is the fastest you’ll ever see. 

When you get these letters, would you mind checking in on them for me? Becca and the girls are gonna be fine, but I’m worried about Ma. Hope she’s doing okay. Her only son going off to war… I know it’s gotta be hard for her, but she’s too proud to let it show. Maybe she’ll open up to you.

Don’t know what I’d do without you.

Love you always, Bucky

June 20, 1943

Sweetheart, 

Well, your handkerchief didn’t stay secret for long. Only for another two hours after I wrote that last letter! Can you believe it? 

The boys have seen your picture, now, too – you can thank Henderson for that. I’ve given him orders to do fifty push-ups every hour for a whole day as a punishment for going through my rucksack, but I can’t say I blame him. There’s nothing better to do. “Hurry up and wait” should be the Army’s motto.

Oh yeah. Henderson is one of my corporals. Johnny Henderson from Manhattan. He’s a rifleman. Rich family, but he wasn’t drafted.

Just seeing your face is like a breath of fresh air, though, and not just to me. Everyone’s compliments were respectful, and I’m gonna make sure they stay that way. Boy, were they all jealous! None of them have girls waiting at home like me. Called me a lucky bastard more than once, and I’ve gotta agree.

Marino said that the pink flower you stitched is a gladyolis gladiolus? That word still doesn’t look right… Correct me if I’m wrong, yeah? No dictionary. Marino’s a florist’s son. Private Joey Marino, my squad’s medic. Italian. Good guy.

Anyway, he said it means ‘faithfulness’ and ‘remembrance’. I don’t think that’s a coincidence, is it, doll? 

Yeah, I’m a lucky bastard, alright.

Unabashedly yours, Bucky

June 21, 1943

Hey beautiful,

It’s only been six days since I got a kiss from you, but it feels like it’s been six years. We’re not supposed to hit shore for another week, and after that, who knows how long I’ll be there? Or if I’ll even make it back?

No, we’ve gotta stay positive, right? That’s what you’d say. I don’t know how I’m gonna make it home to you otherwise. Some of the men here have already been over once, and the stories… well, that’s not something you need to hear. I’m sure you’re already doing enough worrying as it is for the both of us. Don’t wanna add fuel to the fire.

Sorry for the smudges by the way. Someone thought it would be a great idea to smoke while writing a letter to his favorite girl, and then he dropped ashes everywhere. Guess who? Hint: it’s me. I know, I know. It’s a nasty habit, but hear me out. It’s really helped settle my stomach, and Lucky Strikes are a dime a dozen. 

Wonder how long that’ll last where we’re headed. Or how long I’ll last.

I’m sorry. It’s hard to be positive, but I’m trying. I just miss you so damn much, and I love you more than anything. You know that, don’t you?

Bucky

June 22, 1943

To my gorgeous girl,

Dreamt about you again last night. I woke up before we got to the good part! Normally I’d be a little heartbroken, but waking up to a bunch of men laughing at me wasn’t too pleasant. I said your name in my sleep, and, well, I didn’t just say it if you know what I mean.

Why am I even writing this? I don’t know. Hope you have a good laugh at my expense anyway. You deserve to laugh. You deserve to be happy.

At least my poker skills aren’t too shabby. I won a couple packs of smokes last night. Don’t worry, I’ll brush my teeth extra good before I kiss you again... and before we do other things. Don’t you worry your pretty little head, darlin’. I’ll take good care of you when I get back.

Still thinking about you in that dress.

Bucky

P.S. Just a week away from your good graces, and look what’s happened! You’re gonna have to make a good Christian out of me when I get back.

June 24, 1943

Dear sweetheart,

It’s been nine days, I think. I’m not really sure anymore. We’ve hit some rough seas lately, which has made it pretty hard to write anything without my pen making a mess of the page. Lots of storms! I guess we’re getting closer to England. It rains a lot there, or so I’ve heard.

Rumor has it we’ll dock in just a couple more days. Then I’ll finally get to send these letters off. I hope they get to you quickly, but that’s more self-serving than anything because I can’t wait to hear from you, doll. Wonder how long it takes for mail to travel overseas?

Looks like my seasickness is finally cured! Not sure if it’s the cigarettes or because I’ve just gotten used to it. Been keeping a bucket by my bedside since I got on board, but I haven’t needed it at all the last couple days even with the stormy weather. Haven’t needed it since I started smoking, actually. Correlation or causation? What do you think?

Love you always, Bucky

June 25, 1943

To my one and only,

Never mind, I spoke too soon. Seasick again. More rain.

Do you remember when we got caught in the rain last summer? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. You can hear the rain even from inside the ship, and it sounds pretty similar to where we hid to wait it out. That little cabin in the woods with the tin rooftop – I really loved it there, you know? But what I loved more was spending that little bit of extra time with you. Even if we were soaking wet.

We’ll be in England in just a couple of hours, according to my master sergeant. I don’t know when I’ll have the chance to write you again, but I’ll do it whenever I can. I just hope my letters make it there in one piece.

I love you so, so much. Don’t forget that. No matter what happens. Okay?

I know it’s not fair for me to ask, but if I don’t make it through, could you please look after Ma? At least for a little while? I’ve asked her to look after you, too.

Gotta go now. I love you. 

Forever yours, Bucky

Part Two

[sumire-bride]

Sumire and shuus route (demo) maniac 9

Scene is living room

Sumire- ..haah… (..Shuu-sama told me I was suspended… I was not sure what that meant until.. reiji-sama woke us up…)

(..and well… he was not happy… at all…)

*FLASHBACK*

Flashback is in living room

Reiji- …

Sumire- …

(..there is such a dark aura coming from reiji-sama…. Ahh…)

Reiji- I have no words.. I.. I honestly can’t believe you did such a thing.. I already deal with laito and subarus suspensions and make sure they don’t get expelled which already puts me in a situation and now this!

Good grief do you have any idea how you could have messed up the sakamaki name if I didn’t make your suspension a little shorter, you should be happy that your suspended for a month and not longer,what do you have to say for yourself?!

Sumire- …. Forgive me… I did not realize what I was doing.. until after I had did it…. I am very sorry… I did not mean to cause such.. trouble for you…

Reiji- how do you expect to make this up for yourself ah!? I can’t even think of a proper punishment at this very moment

Laito- ufu, give our bitch-chan a break, we should be happy if I’m being honest. It’s the first time she has ever gotten angry! Shuu was there

Ne ne tell us Shuu, what did she look like? I can’t help but imagine what she must of looked like, her eyes full of rage, did she yell? Ahh… Just the thought of it turns me on~. An angry bitch-chan.. ne bitch-chan show me that face you had yesterday

Subaru- tch.. fuckin perv..

Ayato- little watermelon got suspended, still can’t believe it,

Kanato- if you need a punishment for her then.. I can help with that. Ne teddy what should we do to torture her hm..? Should we rip her pretty eyes out and use them..? Or should we cut off her long legs and use them for one of our.. other projects, or or should we-!

Reiji- silence!

Haah.. this women is such a headache.. well no matter I’ll come up with one when we come back

Everyone get in the car we’ll be late

Sumire- …uh… I did not put my uniform on…

Reiji- what are you talking about? Your suspended..- don’t tell me you don’t know what that is, I shouldn’t be surprised.. suspension means someone stopping someone from doing or going a place or thing

So your not going to school, for a month,

Sumire- …so.. I can not go to school…? I see…

Reiji- seems like you understand, well your not going so when we’re gone.. don’t burn the house down, I’m being serious don’t.burn.the.house.down. Unless you require a bigger punishment then your already getting

Laito- bye bitch-chan! Don’t cause to much trouble while we’re gone Kay~!

*FLASHBACK ENDS*

Sumire- … (..and that is how i got here… I’m not sure what to do… mm… I guess I can go to the music room… piano seems to calm me down…) well I should get going then….

*scene is in the mansions music room*

Sumire- … (…this piano is really pretty… haha… what am I saying… I think all pianos look the same from what I’ve seen…. I am starting to think that the word “idiot” is not a compliment… does this mean I am a idiot…?)

(..the things I do are stupid aren’t they…? I.. I do not understand anything….)

Shuu- oi..

Sumire- ..!!!…

Shuu- you don’t need to jump.. it’s only me geez..

Sumire- ..Shuu-sama….! You are not in school… did you get this thing suspended as well…?

Shuu- why does it matter if I did or not, it’s not like you should care

Besides that.. what are you doing..?

Sumire- ..I am on the piano… is that not obvious….? Ah..! Is Shuu-sama going blind…!

Shuu- okay I get it.. geez.. what I meant was why are you up here, you don’t seem like the type who would be going to random places without a reason to

Sumire- ..Did I need a reason to come here…? I merely came here because I like the sound of piano… I was not sure if I was even going to play anything… I have.. just been in some stress… and piano is soothing to me…

..I knew how to play ever since I was.. a child… my older brother taught me how… he used to play when he came to visit me and father…. I remember the first song he taught me…. He told me when we first sang together that.. I had the voice of a angel… or something else that was better.. he said the same thing about my looks… He said that was only befitting of the only daughter of the kanashi family to be… beautiful…. And have everything that came with it….

..I love the piano and music…. There such amazing things… and the memories of him and my other brothers.. is something I will cherish till the day I die… they’d want me to.. right…?

Shuu- you know how to play this old thing..? Wow Rapunzel actually has something she can do besides reading and acting like a idiot.. what a surprise..

Well, play me something then.. I wanna nap

Sumire- ..huh… you want to hear me.. play…? That is quite funny… haha…

Shuu- why is that funny..?

Sumire- Shuu-sama has never seemed interested in.. any of the things I do… so I find it funny when you do… but I also find it quite nice… I like when Shuu-sama shows interest in my talents….

Shuu- tch.. whatever, I guess I’ll nap listening with my headphones then..

Sumire- ..eh.. if that is what Shuu-sama wants to listen to then I am perfectly fine with it….. (..Shuu-sama also makes me feel happy… I like that he is here… fufu..)

..I am going to read okay…?

Shuu- do what you want.. I doesn’t bother me as long as your quite..

Sumire- ….

*TIMESKIP*

Sumire- …ah.. (..this is sad… poor boy… his love is dying… how sad… but I can not cry about.. such things…. Mother and father will get mad at me….) hmm…. (Maybe I should.. stop reading for now…. So I don’t cry)

..(..Shuu-sama is still napping on my shoulder…. Maybe I should take a nap as well… but I’ve slept quite a bit… I wonder if that is a good thing…. Normally I would myself up by reading before…)

*sumire puts her head on his shoulder*

Sumire- … (..when I look at Shuu-sama… there is a lot I like about him… including his looks… his pale and bright hair colour reminds me of those.. really pretty guys in books…it’s.. it’s nice… a lot of the time when I look at him… he makes me feel dizzy… but in a good way…?)

(..oh goodness this is confusing me… haha… I’m quite confused at my feelings towards you Shuu-sama… I love him but… what type of love is this…? It is a lot different then how I felt about my big brothers and parents… and the servants…. I’m quite confused… ne Shuu-sama please tell me…)

Shuu- oi.. your getting tears on my shoulder

Sumire- ..what are tears…? Uh..

*drip drip*

Sumire- …?.. what is this… I don’t not quite understand….

Shuu- is that not obvious..? Your crying, and you got your tears on my shoulder

Sumire- ..I am crying…! Oh no… I can cry….! Mother will be upset at me… I can’t have that… go away tears…!

Shuu- why tell them to go away.. I honestly don’t dislike you crying.. this is actually the first time I have seen you shed tears.. though I’d wish you’d actually have a frightened look as well, but I guess I can make that happen on my own

Hey.. shed more tears for me

*rustle rustle*

Sumire- …uh… if you are going to suck my blood then.. please wait an till I have stopped these awful tears coming… from my face…

Shuu- don’t wanna.. I prefer it better to suck you blood when your full of them, so go on cry more for me.. not like anyone’s gonna hear right..? I mean it’s just the two of us in this one room,

Or were you expecting something a little more dirty..? Lewd girl

Sumire- ..Why would I want the two of us to get dirty…. It would be troublesome to clean ourselves up… and I don’t quite like dirt in my hands to much…

Shuu- you really are I naïve girl, again I don’t dislike toying with girls like that either

*shuu bites sumire*

Sumire- …ah…! Shuu-sama… I.. (..and there goes my voice…. I.. I don’t want to move…. I can’t move… does.. does this make him.. happy…?)

Shuu- nn… haah.. haha.. look at that I finally got a look out of you.. after multiple tries it happened.. go on make that face more, cry more.. I want to see it..

Sumire- … (..It… it does make him happy… if this is what he wants then I am… willing to…) uh… ah…!

Shuu- I’ve wondered for a while if these we’re either tights or stockings… hmm.. so they are stockings.. they look nice on your legs..

*shuu rips the left sock*

Sumire- …Shuu-sama…! Don’t rip those…! Oh goodness I will need to see those back together….-

*shuu bites sumires thigh*

Sumire- ..argh….!! (…that hurts… a lot…!! But.. but I can not cry about it…)

Shuu- Nn.. hnn… a lot of blood comes from here.. hey you should be happy I gave you a compliment..

You know.. you should wear something else other then his baggy dress, I’ve just found out that you have nice legs.. surprisingly you actually have nice features besides that face of yours.. speaking of which.. there’s another thing I’ve wondered..

Sumire- …?..

Shuu- as of recently I’ve wondered what you’d look like if you didn’t have this annoying dress on. So let me take it off

Sumire- …huh.. what… you want.. no.. no in all ways….! I will let shuu-sama bite me but I will not take my dress of for his… own amusement… my body is for my eyes…

Shuu- heeh.. look at that.. you made another face.. your blushing

Sumire- …I am not doing such a thing…. Oh goodness…

Shuu- so would you rather my brothers see you like that..? See you in all your own little forms..? Or would you rather me see it instead..?

Sumire- ..uh… (..shuu-sama says weird things… I am not quite sure how to answer that… but..) …if I am being completely honest… I don’t want anyone to see me in this state… if my family say me like this now… I’d get in trouble…. But.. (..I am fully aware of what he is implying… I am not that dense)

..I would rather shuu-sama look at me in this state then anyone else… because he is the only one I feel safe around to show him these… scary feelings and expressions with…. so.. if it makes Shuu-sama happy than I am willing to sacrifice what I have stuck to in my life…

Shuu- I’m getting a lot of the things I want today.. strange isn’t it.. whatever.. scream.. shout.. use this opportunity to actually be loud around me.. okay..? Don’t waste it..

Sumire- ..mhm… (..I understand what I am doing is considered wrong in the eyes of father.. but… he is not here right now… so… I am fine… and I am making Shuu-sama happy… so everything is fine because he’s here….)

Monologue

This man and mines body fell close together.. it was almost like we were melting together like candle wax..

I gave up everything I once knew in this moment.. but I feel like everything will be the same by tomorrow.. I’m terrified that it will be the same.. I want things to stay like this for just a moment longer…

This is so different then what I’m used to feeling.. and I don’t understand it.. even after I still didn’t.. I wonder.. what is this..

It’s different from what me and you had.. this “prince” is different from you.. but how..?

It’s the first time I’ve done anything that wasn’t to make you all happy but to make someone else happy.. the first time I asked someone else a question

So tell me.. is this what you’d call “love”..? Is this the same type of love we had..?

Father..

—to be continued—

Maniac 8 — maniac 10

[lu-undy]

Chapter 78 - SBT

Here it is!

"I assume you had your reasons for doing it this way but it has to change, and fast." Lucien sat on the oval table and crossed his arms. The smoke from his cigarette floated in the air like a cloud above his head.

"I did. But now that there is no danger anymore, I might actually do it." 

Lucien frowned and pondered.  The king of the beggars went on.

"I will set a rendez-vous point. All you have to do is have him be there." 

"Non." Lucien answered, raising cold eyes to his ex-colleague. 

"What?"

"Non." He repeated firmly. "You are not taking any risks in this business, I am. So we will do things my way."

"What risks are you taking?" Maurice asked and Lucien's anger flashed on his fair irises.

"You know very well." He answered drily.

"Very well, what do you suggest?" 

Lucien sighed. 

"I do not know yet. I need to think about it. The stakes are too high. Every second that I spend with you discussing it is a second that I betray him and his trust. I cannot afford that, nor do I want it, not anymore, not ever." 

"Fine." Maurice said, from his old wooden throne. "You do as you please." 

"Tell me where they are. I shall bear the responsibility of the rest." 

Maurice wrote something on a piece of paper and slid it to the ex-spy. 

"That is where I have kept them. Good luck. They are expecting him."

The Frenchman's rage boiled up a notch higher. 

"Pardon?" He asked in his native tongue. "Do not think for one second that this puts you out of any responsibility!"

"What are you going to do? Stab me in the back, like in the old days…?" 

Lucien's jaw relaxed and he smirked, not like the free man he was now, but like the spy he had been: cold, arrogant and overly self-confident.

"Me? Nothing. Him? I am not so sure, Maurice." 

He took the piece of paper that he stored in his pocket and exited the hideout. When he made it back to the surface, he adjusted his scarf and headed back home. 

-- Next day -- 

"Mundy, I forgot to tell you something."

"What is it?"

Lucien was sitting next to his lover at the table while they shared breakfast. 

"Richard and his wife agreed to take Diamond." 

"Oh, that's great news!" 

"I also sent the word to Maurice, and he is happy to take Star."

"Oh, alright."

"Oui, he shall train her to take on Perle's job and hunt mice and chase away any undesired rodents." 

"That's nice, hear that, Starry baby?" Mundy was cuddling the lady kitten. She meowed happily. "You'll get a nice home and a job. Kids'll cover you in pets too!"

"And guess where our beloved ball of hunger will end up?" Lucien asked, petting Glovy on his lap. 

"I don't know, where?" 

"There is one young man who will make him more than happy." 

"Who?"

Lucien smiled before answering. 

"Bastien." 

"Bastian?" 

"Who better than an apprentice chef cook for our beloved Glovy?" Lucien asked. 

"Hear that, fat boy? Your new dad's gonna make you delicious food!"

"Mrow!" He answered excitedly. 

"Yeah…" Mundy extended his hand and scratched Glovy under his chin. "You're one happy, chunky boy, aren't ya?" 

The large yet short cat purred happily under the attention. 

"So that settles it apart from Junior…" Mundy said. The kitten had grown up like his brother and his sisters but still looked smaller. 

"Viens, mon petit." 

[Come, my little one.]

Lucien bent down, released Glovy and scooped his namesake off the floor to put him on his knees. 

"He will have a good forever home. We shall offer him as a gift and a surprise." Lucien answered, cuddling the kitten. 

"Yeah, but to who?" Mundy asked. 

"To whom?" Lucien corrected. "Well, who will need a Lucien and has been missing me while I was away?" 

"Me?" Mundy answered. 

"Apart from you?" Lucien asked. 

"Don't know, who?" 

"Victoria." He answered. 

"Oh…" 

"I think she will take the best care of him." Lucien added. 

"I'm sure you're right, darl'." Mundy laced a lazy arm around Lucien's shoulders and the Frenchman leaned on him. 

"Any plans for today?" Mundy asked.

"I was thinking of taking the kittens to their new homes." Lucien answered, pushing a lock of silver hair behind his ear. 

"Oh, ok, sure."

"I suggest we start with Bastien and Richard, they are not too far apart from each other. Then, Maurice and in the end, Victoria."

"You wanna take Junior to the diner?" 

"Non, I planned on knocking directly at her door, after her shift." 

"You know where she lives?" 

Lucien raised his eyes and his smirk to his lover. 

"Right, right, ok, ex-spy, I get it." Mundy chuckled.

"I see you are learning." Lucien teased. "But what do you think of this plan? That ought to keep us busy for most of the day."

"Seems like it, yeah. I'm alright with the plan. But first, we need to tell Pearl and Soot." 

"But of course." 

Lucien and Mundy finished their breakfast and found themselves sitting on the carpet in the living room, facing the cats. 

"Right, ladies and gents…" Mundy started. "Today, you're gonna leave Mum and Dad, even your gramps."

The kittens listened with wide open eyes. 

"Meow?" Perle, who had been laying on the carpet, moved to sit up.

"Do not worry, mon bébé," Lucien scratched her head gently. "They will all go to good homes. Star will go to Maurice and hunt the mice there, oh and Junior will go to Victoria."

"Meow?" Soot rose to his feet too. 

"Hey, Sooty boy, you trust the old gramps, eh?"

The black cat went straight to Mundy and purred when he scratched his jaw. 

"There we go. Now, we're gonna give you a few minutes to say goodbye, ok? You be good boys and girls." 

Mundy rose to his feet. 

"Mrow…" Perle bit her Papa's sleeve. 

"Oh? Qu'est-ce que tu veux, ma chérie?"

[Oh? What do you want, my darling?]

She kept on pulling his sleeve and meowing sadly. 

"I will stay with her, go and get ready, Mundy."

"You sure?"

"Oui, she needs me." 

"Fair. See ya in a bit, I'll go get my shoes and stuff." Mundy left a kiss on Lucien's brow and left him with the cats. 

Perle stood on her back legs. Lucien smiled and lifted her into his arms, rocking her gently.

"Qu'est-ce qui se passe? Tu n'aimes pas les 'au revoir' ?"

[What is happening? You don't like goodbyes?]

"Mrow…" She answered sadly. 

"Personne n'aime les au revoir. Ni les hommes, ni les chattes apparemment. Ne t'inquiète pas, tes bébés sont grands maintenant, ils n'ont plus besoin, ni de toi, ni de leur père, ni de nous."

[No one likes goodbyes. Neither people, nor lady cats apparently. Don't worry, your babies have grown up now, they don't need you or Soot, or us anymore.]

"What's wrong, baby?" Mundy joined them and put Lucien's shoes down next to him. "Don't want the kids to go, eh?" 

"Non, she does not." Lucien answered. They both spoiled her with affection, scratches and sweet words. 

"When…" Lucien started. His eyes were riveted on Perle. "When Jérémy was growing up…" 

Mundy's eyebrows jumped. He hadn't expected Lucien to talk about his late son. 

"There came an age where he liked me… less." 

"Oh?" Mundy scooted closer to his lover. 

"Like any other child of his age, he started seeing me not as a model, but as someone who continuously failed to understand him."

"It's fine, luv', we all had that phase for a bit…"

"I guess so but," Lucien sighed and looked away. "It still felt strange to hear the baby that I had carried in my arms a few years before tell me that he hated me, that I was never there for him, that… that…" 

"Sshhh." Mundy wrapped his arms around Lucien and pulled his head under his chin. 

"I was a poor father… I was absent, I was busy, I was away, I was…"

"Hey, it's alright. All dads are like that, ok? They're all busy with work and stuff when we're kids. Then we get to teenage boys and we start gettin' weird, and wonderin' about sheilas… And boys, I guess… About ourselves. We got all these questions and parents are shit at answerin' them. So we feel alone, and not really understood. But it's fine, it's how it goes and how it should go." 

Lucien buried his head deeper in Mundy's chest. 

"Doesn't mean you were a bad dad. And I'm sure of it now, I've seen you with Victoria and with Pearl. You're a bloody good Papa." 

"Maybe." Lucien's voice was muffled. His eyes were closed against Mundy's heart that he heard beating gently in front of him. He could smell the cheap cologne too, it brought him immense comfort. 

"Hey, not to me, eh? I saw you. I even told you. Wish my dad was like you."

"Oui but…"

"But what, love? Tell me." 

"I…"

"Get it out, darl'... Better out than in."

Lucien's shoulders sank. 

"I wish I could now know what Jérémy really thought of me. At the end, he kept on reproaching me all those things and, well, they were all true. Each time he did, I looked in his eyes, God, his eyes… He had his mother's eyes… Blue, of a darker shade than mine, dirty blond hair, buck teeth… He was an adorable little boy but he grew up to hit puberty, too soon. And each time he would address me, it would not be with admiration anymore, but with anger and hatred." 

"Hey… Darl'..." Mundy gently rocked his lover and slid his fingers through his long hair. "Close your eyes and remember when you were his age, eh? Didn't you think that you had it all figured out, that you'd be better off without your parents, that they didn't understand what you felt…?"

"Mundy, you are not understanding."

"Oh?"

Lucien pulled himself out of the embrace and rubbed his eyes. 

"Non, I understood him too well! I knew this rage, this powerlessness, this frustration. I knew it so well that when I was faced with it, I decided to leave home and live in the streets." 

Mundy frowned. 

"When I turned 18, I fled. My mother and step-father pressured me and forced me to choose between Medicine and Law. I didn't want either, and so I ran away. And whenever I saw Jérémy look at me with hatred, I would see myself, right before I fled. It terrified me, that sight."

"You were scared that he'd run away too?" Mundy asked. 

Lucien raised his eyes to him and nodded sadly. 

"Oh, I get it now… But Lu'..."

"Who knows? Maybe he wanted to flee too. Maybe God claimed him back before he had the chance."

"Ssh." Mundy pulled Lucien in a hug again. "You can't know. No one can."

"What terrified me most is how his mother would have reacted, had he decided to run away."

"Lu', stop thinkin' about it. You can't do anything about it, and in any case, you don't have to."

"Oui, but what if-?"

"No, luv', listen." Mundy cut him off and cupped his face such that he rested his forehead against his. "What ifs are useless, darl'. Stop thinking about it. Let your baby boy rest, and let yourself rest too."

"I cannot. There are things that I have been holding within myself for far too long. I want someone to know. I want someone to share all these personal secrets with, I want to share the weight of that burden, all those mistakes, those sins." 

"Hey now, don't be dramatic. Everyone does stuff they regret. There isn't one man or sheila alive who doesn't regret somethin'! It's just not possible!"

"Oui, but I don't care about other people!"

"Neither do I! But you can't continue carrying stuff like that on your back!"

"You want me to forget?" Lucien asked, his eyes wider than planets. 

"No! I want you to learn to live with it in your heart, not on your shoulders like you're carrying the world's misery on yourself!"

Lucien lowered his head and softly headbutted Mundy's chest. 

"I know it's hard, love. I really do. Sometimes I think about my parents and how I… I-I…" 

Lucien raised his head and Mundy looked away. 

"How you what?" He gently asked. 

"I'm a monster… I-I left them to die."

Lucien's eyes snapped wide. 

"Non!" He frowned. "You outdid yourself to avenge them! I saw you, the delicate, shy, compassionate you torture a man. You burnt a man, you burnt every square inch of his chest while he was wide awake and alive!"

Mundy rubbed his eyes and winced. 

"Yeah, you don't need to remind me of that, thanks…."

"Mundy…" Lucien put a hand on his cheek. "You have surpassed yourself, you have done what you never thought you could and yet what did you do? You put yourself aside and did more than what trained soldiers did during the war! Mundy, you avenged them and made them proud."

"Hm. Don't think they're proud." Mundy answered. 

"That is not what I said. I said you made them proud. You avenged them and that is what you had set yourself to do, didn't you?"

"Yeah."

"Don't you feel at rest now with respect to your parents?" 

Mundy raised his eyes to Lucien and his gaze hung there for a few seconds. 

"I… I'm not sure." 

"Do you regret having dealt with Duchemin?" 

"N-not really but…"

Lucien nodded as he started to understand it. 

"Ah, I see… It is the discussion you had with your parents when you took me to meet them?"

Mundy nodded and sighed. 

"I feel like they'd be even more furious at me." 

"Why?"

"Mum's a good woman. She never would have wanted to hurt anyone. And Dad just hated violence for the sake of it."

"So you feel like you have avenged them but betrayed the education they gave you, their values?" 

"Yeah. I think you put the words on it, again." 

"Again?" Lucien asked. 

"That's why I was so fascinated by Lulu at first. It's cause he managed to put words on things I felt inside me."

"Mundy, you did what you did because it was the right thing to do when you had to do it." Lucien said. "Had things been different, of course you would have reacted differently. Had you not been dragged into the alligators business, you surely wouldn't have followed the track of the worthless man who killed your parents. Besides, this isn't a case of violence for the sake of it. You didn't wake up with the crave to torture someone, no one does. Non. You used violence because what else was left?"

"Nothing." Mundy answered.

"Exactly, you were alone and you didn't have any other way to set things straight. No law on Earth would have condemned that man for the atrocities he caused. So don't look at it the way you are. Had you not followed that lead to find the alligators, Duchemin might still be walking this Earth."

"And I wouldn't have met you." 

Lucien smiled. 

"Non, you would not have, but such is the game of life. You cannot win everything. Either you missed all this, you didn't deal with Duchemin and you didn't meet me, or you indeed go through all of this but with me at your side." 

"Is that the choice I have?" 

"Not exactly. You have made the choice of pursuing the alligators' road and we know where that has led you up until today. Who knows what the other path could have offered?"

"I wouldn't have known you."

"Indeed, but you would not feel this almost regret that you do right now." Lucien explained. 

"Hm."

"It is similar to me. I thought I had put away the suit and tie for good after Marie and Jérémy passed. Yet when the Minister of Defense told me of Duchemin, I could not resist the urge to deal with him." 

"D'you think they'd uh… They'd be… proud of you?"

"Non." Lucien chuckled. "Marie hated my job with a passion. She was very wary of Jérémy discovering it and becoming attracted to the idea of becoming like me. I pretended I had an office job - after all, the suit and tie worked wonders to fool anyone - and invented all kinds of stories and lies to him. He was too young to understand. But I think that as he grew up, he might have had suspicions. There aren't many jobs where you travel left and right, attend luxurious parties but don't take even your partner with you. I think he had his doubts about my job, maybe that added to his hatred towards me." 

"So we're both in the same state, eh?" 

"Oui."

"Again?"

"Oui." 

"Thank God." 

Lucien looked at Mundy. He smiled softly. 

"I'm tired of feeling alone and have weird feelin's inside me, and I'm startin' to get used to you understanding me and feeling the same way too." 

Lucien returned the gentle, lopsided grin. 

"I am grateful to have found you for that same reason, mon loup."

[My wolf]

Lucien tapped the tip of Mundy's nose and the Aussie's eyelids fluttered as he chuckled. 

"Hey…!" Mundy pulled Lucien from his waist and kissed his nose. "There, now we're even."

"Merci!"

[Thanks!]

"You're welcome. So, shall we take the kittens to their new homes?" 

"Before we do, do you feel any better?" Lucien asked.

"Yeah… Thanks love, you're the best."

"My pleasure.  In that case, let us proceed." Lucien turned to Perle. "May we…?" 

The lady cat rubbed her head against Lucien's hand before going to his mouth. He kissed her and she went to lie against Soot. 

"I think that's a yes, Lu'." Mundy said. "I found this cardboard box. Let's put the kitties in and I'll carry it. You lead the way." 

"Perfect." 

The couple scooped the kittens and placed them gently in the box. They went to the door and exited the place. 

"Mister L, Sir?" 

"Oh?" Lucien saw a group of kids running to him in the street. "Oui, what is it, gentlemen?" He squatted to be at their eye level. 

"Maurice said Francis left this for you." One of the blond boys recited his text and inflated his chest proudly. 

"What did he leave?" Lucien asked.

"This!" The child pointed further in the street. 

"Oh!" Lucien's eyebrows jumped and he failed to hide his surprise. "Is that really true?" 

"Yes, Sir! Francis said he was delighted to know you were doing well. He sends his regards." 

"Thank you. Here…" Lucien took his wallet out and gave the children a note. "Don't spend it all on sweets, and do share it." 

"Thank you so much!" The kids ran away, leaving the couple and the kittens alone on the pavement. 

"Hahaha!" Lucien went to the black motorcycle and tapped it gently. "A marvel of elegance and technology. I am delighted that Francis decided to leave it to me…" 

Mundy caught up with him, the box still in his arms. 

"I remember that bike. You came to see me at the lake with it. It's the one that turns invisible, right?" 

"Indeed, that is the one." Lucien let his fingers run on the leather seat. "A delight to drive too." He raised his eyes to Mundy and took the box off of his arms to secure it at the back. 

"What are you doin'...?"

"You don't think we will walk to deliver those kittens, do you?"

"N-no, we could take me van?"

"Non. Here." Lucien handed him the second helmet and made sure the kittens were safe. He wrapped his scarf around the box to dampen the noise of the engine.

"W-what? You want me to-?"

"Come on, Mundy!" Lucien straddled the motorcycle and held a hand out for his lover.

"You sure?"

"You don't trust my riding abilities?"

"N-no, nah, it's just that…"

"What then? Am I too old for riding a motorcycle?" Lucien chuckled.

"Nah, course not, hold on…" Mundy put on the helmet and took his lover's hand. He straddled the motorcycle, behind Lucien.

"Be careful on the road, love." 

"I will. Now hold on." Lucien started the engine and the motorcycle woke up in a roar. 

Mundy put his hands on Lucien's sides and took advantage of the situation to hold him dearly. The Frenchman smiled in his helmet and off they went to deliver the kittens. 

The first stop was made to Bastien. He was delighted to meet his new companion. Then came Maurice and a well earned lunch break. Lucien and Mundy were left with Junior. While waiting for Victoria to finish her shift, they spent the afternoon in a park with the young cat. 

"Mundy?" 

"Yeah?"

"I had a thought about something you said."

"What is it?"

"Remember when you told me that there were things you wanted to do with me and that you hadn't had the chance before I went away?" 

"Yeah."

"I think we should do one of them this evening." Lucien answered.

"What d'you have in mind?" Mundy asked. 

"Surprise…!" Lucien teased. "But first, let us deliver this young man to his new mother." He scratched his namesake's jaw and the kitten purred. 

"Alright, you lead the way."