#new things are still scary. like the kitchen floor or car rides. but we’re working on it

[daforged]

[butwhyduh]

Hair Bows

Roy Harper x batsis!reader

Summary: a date turned into a play date turned into work. Basically Lian taking over Titans tower. And canon has no home here.

“I’m just about to head out the door,” you said over the phone, still doing your hair. Roy wasn’t the most punctual guy and this was your way of coping. If you were also always late, it didn’t bother you as much.

“Wait,” Roy said and you heard a muffled sound like him running his hand down his face. “I can’t go.”

“Why not?”

“My babysitter punked out at the last minute so I can’t leave Lian. I’m sorry,” he said.

“Oh, uhhh, bring her,” you suggested, hopefully sounding casual. You’d met her a few times but nothing big and your date was just a walk in the park. Nothing a kid couldn’t do. And you were hoping to be a little more seriously dating.

“Seriously?... on a date?” He asked.

“Not if you don’t want to. But I just thought we were going to the park and we can let her run around. You know what? Never mind, if you need to stay home it’s cool. I don’t know anything about kids-“

“Hey, it’s a good idea,” he said stopping your ramble. “I just wasn’t expecting it. Most people don’t want someone else’s kid on their date.”

“Most people shouldn’t date people with kids if they can’t be around them,” you answered, finishing up. “Now am I meeting you both at the park or..”

“Now I know why I’m dating you,” Roy said and you could hear the smile through the phone. “I’ll pick you up. Lian’s not a fan of riding in other people’s car so Uber is out.”

“Can’t blame her. See you soon,” you answered.

——————————

You had changed into a slightly less sexy and more family friendly top and sensible shoes by the time Roy picked you up. Can’t chase a kid in heels.

Roy looked nice in a button down and jeans with no holes in them. Not a trucker hat in sight. And of course, Lian was a doll in a spring themed dress and leather bottomed sandals. The first thing she showed you was an impressively high kick.

“And it’s okay because dad makes me wear shorts under it. For taking out punks,” she said knowingly. You nodded.

“For punks. Good idea.”

“In case they get fresh,” Roy said to you as she ran to a slide.

“Fresh? She’s 5. Maybe Lian should teach me that move. I know this guy that’s always trying to get fresh,” you said as he wrapped an arm around your waist from behind and rested his head on your shoulder.

“Hmmm, should I kick his ass,” Roy said playfully.

“I’d pay to see you kick your own ass,” you said with a laugh.

“Ouch, and I thought you liked me,” he said, sounding dramatically wounded. You laughed again.

“The entertainment value tho. Hard to beat.”

“So many ‘hard to beat’ jokes I would make right now,” he whispered in your ear and you pulled out of his arms. You were rolling your eyes but the grin ruined the disapproving air you were trying to have.

“Not that kinda date,” you reminded him and as if on cue, Lian ran over to Roy and grabbed his hand. She started dragging him to a food truck.

“Can we get a funnel cake? Or ice cream? Or a hotdog?” She asked excitedly.

“Hotdog and then ice cream on top of a funnel cake,” he said in a mock serious tone as he bent down beside her. She grinned widely. “We aren’t animals!” She squealed and dragged him to food truck.

You grinned as you watched them. Roy had fucked up a ton but this was not one of those times. Nope, he was a great dad. He looked back at you confused as why you hadn’t joined them and you jogged over to them.

“Sorry, just lost in thought,” you said as they made your food. Roy had a hand casually around your waist as Lian tried to swing on his other arm.

“Bout what?” He asked.

“How good a dad you are,” you admitted. He gave you a shy crooked smile before kissing your forehead.

“You bats are always in your head too damn much. But thanks,” Roy ended softly. He handed Lian a giant hotdog that she promptly started eating before giving you your food and he his. “Let’s find a spot to sit before you drop that giant hotdog.”

As Lian licked sticky sweet ice cream coated funnel cake pieces off of her arm, Roy’s phone went off. He smiled apologetically before getting up to answer it. A few minutes later he came back to the table looking even more apologetic.

“Titans business. I have to go but...” he started, running a hand through his red hair. “I don’t have a babysitter.”

“I could watch her,” you suggested and Lian looked up at him kinda sad. “I could watch her at the tower. You’d be right there but we’d stay out of the way.”

“You sure? That isn’t too much?” He said unsure, looking between you both.

“Yeah, I’ve watched kids before. And I know the tower really well. We’ll watch movies and fall asleep. Do you want a sleep over?”

“Yeah! Go on dad, I’m fine,” she said waving a hand at him. You both laughed. “Dads,” Lian said rolling her eyes playfully. Yep, she’s Roy’s alright. “Do you have popcorn?”

“Yep!”

“Candy?”

“Yep! And I know where my brother Tim keeps the good imported stuff,” you said and she grinned.

“Not too much. Or staying up too late. Or anything scary or too grown up,” Roy said on the way to the tower. “And if anything happens. Anything. Get to the panic room.”

“I know the procedures,” you said putting a hand on his shoulder. “And I can keep her safe. Don’t worry. We’ll have fun.”

“And I can kick punks!” Lian said proudly.

“And she’ll kick punks! I’m hoping she hits Gar first. Did you know he can turn into any animal? He just chooses to be a punk,” You said and she giggled.

“Wow!”

“Alright. No kicking punks unless it’s really important because-“

“My body is a weapon. I know, dad,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Roy repeated the same sort of things up in the living quarters of the tower before giving you both a kiss. “Stay safe,” he said before going downstairs.

Some of the younger Titan recruits didn’t leave on the mission and were hanging out or training. You walked Lian over to the couch and went to find a movie she might like. You dusted off the dvds they had. Probably hadn’t added any new ones in many years with the extensive funding of Batman giving them every streaming service ever.

“How about this movie,” you asked, holding up a sun bleached dvd case. “Space jam?”

Lian looked at it carefully before nodding. You put it in the player and came back. “What about popcorn? Dad says movies are crap without it.”

“Oh,” you said. “Right. I’ll make some.”

“Popcorn?” Came a voice around the corner before the next you saw was a wind of red. “Hey kiddo,” Bart aka impulse said to Lian before shaking her hand. “Let’s pick a movie. There are some pretty good ones I haven’t seen. I’ve seen 12 movies.”

“Only 12,” she frowned skeptically and you took the opportunity to go in the kitchen and make popcorn.

“Hey, did you let Lian have speedster piggy back rides,” Tim aka Robin said ducking his head in the kitchen.

“No,” you said quickly running in the living area quickly. “Okay, enough of that. I don’t think her dad would be cool with this,” you said pulling her off of him. She pouted a little.

“Why does it smell like fire,” Cassie asked from the hall and you hurried back in the kitchen to see a flaming bag turning in the microwave. Before you could do it say anything, Bart opened the microwave and tossed the bag into the sink where the sponge lit on fire. Lian shrieked and you jumped up turn on the water to put them both out.

“That popcorn smells ewwie,” Lian noted. You sighed and pinched your brow. This is fine.

“I’ll make more and you go pick out a movie. And nothing else,” you emphasized.

“Yes, ma’am,” Bart said with a salute. Tim winced.

“Sorry, he’s a lot.”

“One minor kitchen fire is not too bad. Have you heard from the mission?” You asked as you cooked the popcorn.

“Not yet. But no news is usually good news,” he reminded you and you nodded. That’s what Roy always said. You grabbed the bag and went in the living room to see an entire hot pink tackle box filled with every kind of hair tie and bows and baubles. Bart was sitting on the floor and Lian was currently tying a bright yellow bow in his huge mass of red hair.

“She wanted to do his hair so I got my stuff,” Cassie said.

“She’s a natural. She doesn’t rip out half as much hair as Cassie,” Bart said with a grin. You sat on the couch near them and started the movie as the popcorn passed around.

Halfway through the movie, Tim’s phone goes off. He looks at it and frowns. “Alright guys, we got to suit up.” They grumble but get up. Bart does a quick shake that reminds you of a dog and all the bows vibrated out of his hair. Lian laughed and tried to catch them as they fell out.

“Lian, give me just a minute to talk to Tim,” you told her and she nodded before putting a red barrette in Cassie’s hair. You walked in the kitchen with Tim.

“Is everything okay? Dick? Roy?” You asked quietly.

“I’m not sure. We’re just being called in. I’ll try and let you know more,” he said. You nodded and hugged your baby brother.

“Be safe out there.”

“Always.”

Lian was sitting on the couch as the cartoon played and she had moved on to putting bows on the fuzzy blanket on the couch. She yawned as she put bows in your hair and you looked at the time. It was probably close to bed time for her.

“Lian, do you want to lay down while watching your movie?”

She yawned again and nodded. “Yeah, dad will be home late again, hu? Work?” She was pretty used to his hero duty.

“Yeah, but I’m here.”

“Yeah, you’re here,” she said before laying on you. You froze for a second before feeling your heart warmed. She rubbed her popcorn greasy face into your shirt before getting comfortable. After a short while she was asleep and you pulled out your phone to take her photo.

You wanted to send Roy the photo but didn’t dare disturb him. You kept worrying about him and Dick and now even Tim as they fought. Why had they needed the back up? Were they hurt? In too deep? You had a hard time doing anything but worry.

Lian turned in her sleep and all but pinned you to the couch with her little fists gripping your shirt. You pulled the blanket over her. You tried to stay awake but once it hit 2 am and you were trapped on a couch with no lights on, you fell asleep.

Around 4 am, the team wandered in the tower slowly. They hushed one another as they saw you and Lian on the couch. Roy came in and stopped to look. He took out his phone and took a bunch of pictures of you both with a smile before he hobbled to the medical bay to be cleaned and patched up.

“Hey,” he whispered while gently tapping your shoulder a little while later. You woke up blinking in the light. “I’m going to carry her to the car. Are you coming?”

“Oh, yeah,” you whispered back. Roy carefully pulled the little girl off of you and she clung to his shirt in sleep. He grabbed his bag of gear as you got up with a stretch. You waved bye to everyone before leaving.

Halfway down the road, Roy turned to you. “She really seemed comfortable on you.”

“Yeah, she climbed up herself. I was a little surprised. I guess I didn’t mess up tonight,” you said with a little self deprecating laugh.

“Nah, you did great. I had to hear all about it from the kid heroes on the way back. The hair bows was genius,” he said. The car quietly pulled in his driveway.

“That was Cassie. And when Lian saw all of Bart’s hair her eyes went wide like a cat at a ball of yarn,” you laughed.

“Yeah, she’s a fan of long red hair. Ask me how I know,” he said shaking his hair and you laughed. Lian moved in her sleep.

“So she ripped out your hair so Bart’s could survive,” you said quietly.

“Something like that. Can you get the door,” he said before scooping Lian out of her car seat. You held the door as he carried her to her room and laid her in her toddler bed that currently had a Superboy blanket. She had just about any hero you could image in some product or another.

Roy met you in the kitchen. “Thanks, you know. For watching her today. I appreciate that,” he said. You tossed him a water bottle.

“Yeah, she’s awesome. We had fun,” you said, leaning on the counter with your elbows. Roy came up behind you and rubbed your shoulders.

“Not everyone is cool with dating a dad so thanks,” he said. You turned your head to look at him.

“Well, they are missing out. Got my own DILF,” you teased.

“Oh god, I’m a DILF,” Roy said with a hint of horror in his voice. “Speaking of ILF... I know someone I’d like to ILF,” he said kissing your neck and pressing himself against your back. His hands moved under your shirt and up to your chest. “Wanna take it to my room?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Riding the Lightning: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Word Count: ~2.1k

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill, fluff and angst

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there is any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated.

Feedback is gold, and it’s the only currency I take

The couple’s house hasn’t been treated well. It has so much graffiti and damage that the city had to put a chain-link fence around the place to keep trespassers away. However, if more came, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. The place is so badly damaged, you’re shocked it’s still standing. This place holds a lot of memories, and none of them are good.

This used to be a good house--you can see it. Years of ignored care left it in the state it’s in. The outside walls used to be bright white but now are a dirty color. The wood is falling apart at the base of the house. The windows are smashed and shattered, so to keep people out of the house, they board it up haphazardly.

“Jacob's workshop is out the back,” Derek says.

“I don’t know about this place, Derek. I have a really bad feeling,” you say with an uneasy feeling.

Derek leads you onto the property and towards the back. The closer you get to the place where his workshop used to be, the more the uneasy feeling comes back. All that’s left back there is just dirt, but you can clearly see the workshop as if it were standing right now. Everything is perfectly clear as to what used to be here.

“He claimed that Sarah Jean would lure the victims from mall parking lots. She'd invite them to smoke pot in her truck. They'd find Jacob but no pot. They’d bring them here.”

“This is where the workshop stood,” you state, looking around as if it were actually here.

“What do you see?”

“It’s a lot smaller than I thought it was going to be. It’s big enough to not warrant concerns from anyone else but small enough to hide away from the street’s view. It looks homey like a guest house, but not too scary to throw off any of the people who passed by the house on a daily basis. There are high cabinets with a ton of tools inside like a mechanic would have. There are some tools hanging on the far wall, a few desks around, and a big bench saw,” you whisper fearfully when you see what’s on it.

Right on the blade is red liquid, and you know it’s blood.

“The blade has a ton of blood on it. He used it to cut up his victims,” you say.

As you get out the last word, you see a mystified version of Jacob standing by the saw with one of his faceless victims on the table. She is squirming, but he cuts her up anyway. Sarah Jean is nowhere to be found, but you have a feeling that she didn’t know he did this to these poor girls. Killing, maybe, but killing them this way, absolutely not. Sarah Jean was a victim herself--and she still is.

“I can’t look at this anymore,” you whisper and look away from the crime scene that’s no longer there.

“We know that Jacob was abused as a child. What about Sarah Jean?” Derek asks.

“Her mother refused to give any testimony in her defense. She never talked to anybody,” you state.

When you look back at Derek, the workshop had disappeared. Your mind is focused on something else, so it doesn’t have the energy to conjure up what was, but instead, focuses on what is.

“Maybe she's willing to talk now. Let's go pay Sarah Jean's mother a visit.”

“Despite what happened, she doesn’t live far. It’s within walking distance.”

“I wonder why she didn’t move halfway around the world.”

“She’s a mother, Derek. A Mother doesn’t abandon her children,” you say with sadness.

“You say that like you know that. Do you have children?”

“No.”

You don’t say anything more on the matter, not like you would if you could. Your past promised to stay in the past, so there is no use in digging up things that have been locked away for almost a decade now. You two quickly head over to Sarah Jean’s mother’s house to see if she’ll talk to you now.

Her house is still standing, but it looks like there is a lot of work still left to be done. Its as if she wants to repaint and redo the house to give it a new start so she can somehow move on from all this. No matter how much work is done on the house, you can still sense the sadness within the foundations. Right by the door is ‘Rot in Hell Sarah Jean’ spray-painted loud for anyone who walks by. You ignore it and knock on the door, looking at Derek when she doesn’t answer.

“She’s sad, Derek--in more pain than anyone I’ve seen in a while,” you sigh.

“Hello? Anybody? Hello! Mrs. Mason?” Derek yells, knowing she is home.

The door opens and Sarah’s mother, Deborah Mason, stands there with a small teacup in her hands.

“Yeah?”

“Are you Sarah Jean Dawes’ mother?” you ask.

“Who the hell are you?”

“FBI. We are from the behavior analysis unit,” you state and flash her your badge.

“My daughter and her son of a bitch husband buried a thirteen-year-old girl under my floor. What more do you need to know?”

“Ma'am, Sarah Jean has agreed to meet with our colleges to talk about why they killed those girls. We'd like some background information if you don't mind,” Derek says gently.

She has nothing to lose by letting you two in and talking, so she just shrugs and lets the door open as she heads back inside. The inside looks the same as the outside, but with more work. Plastic covers virtually everything as she gets ready to repaint the house. There are some parts torn up from the floor, so you’re careful as you walk inside to where Deborah is in the kitchen. This is an open floor plan, and you can see into the dining room on the other end of the kitchen right through an arched entryway. Almost every doorway is an arch.

“Extensive remodeling. Jacob built the original extension?” you ask and point to the arch separating the kitchen and the dining room. “I see he liked arches.”

“Teenage girls, agent, that's what he liked.”

“How was Sarah Jean growing up?”

“Fine, until she met Jacob. She was shy, quiet, and also smart.”

She picks up a bottle of vodka and adds more to her small teacup, and you exchange silent glances with Derek.

“What about her relationship with her father?” you wonder. “Was Sarah ever abused?”

“He was strict. He was a military man. They didn't always see eye to eye. That's all history. He's dead. She's about to die,” she sighs and drinks from the cup.

“Mrs. Mason, if we better understand the dynamics of her relationships, we can get a better idea of why and what actually happened,” Derek says.

“Dynamics?” she scoffs and moves away from the kitchen to the living room where her purse is.

“Well, it might answer why Jacob never killed Sarah Jean. They shared something.”

“They shared pain.”

“How strict was your husband? How did he discipline Sarah Jean? Was he physical with her?” you pry.

“He was a mean bastard, but he only hurt me… never her.”

“Why didn’t you leave with her?”

“Because we had no place to go,” her voice falters as she takes another sip.

“An anonymous caller tipped the police off about Jacob, was it you?” you ask.

“No, but I know who it was,” she says and pulls out a letter from her purse. She hands it to you, and you take it gently from her hands. “This came this morning.”

You open the letter, and your mouth hangs open just a bit when you read exactly what it is.

“What does it say?” Derek asks.

“It’s a statement of innocence,” you reveal. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to call Gideon about this.��

You quickly head outside and dial Penelope so she can patch you through to the older agent.

“Garcia,” she says once she answers.

“Hey, it’s Y/N. I need Gideon please.”

“Yeah, I'll pass you through,” she puts you on a brief hold until she can get the older agent on the line for you.

“What?” Gideon mutters quietly.

“We're at the mother's house, and she gave me a letter. A statement of innocence. I want to read to you.”

“Read the letter, Y/N.”

“Mom, I know how difficult this must be. Things between us were never what they should be between a mother and a daughter. I want you to know that the best part of me, the most important part of me, is now in a better place than you and I will ever be. I'm responsible for the death of those girls. I neglected my duties as a woman and as a mother.”

There is more to it, but you can hear Sarah Jean get upset over the line. You don’t know what is happening, but you feel like you need to get over there right now. Screw prisons and your fear of them. You need to help this woman, and it sounds like you can, based on what you hear over the phone.

“I’m coming over there. I’ll be there soon,” you say to whoever is listening before hanging up. Derek exits the house, and you put your phone away and hand him the letter. “I’m going back to prison. You’ll be okay here? I can send Elle to help you.”

“Yeah, that’d be great. I’ll see if I can’t get anything else out of Deborah.”

“Okay, stay safe.”

“And stay sane,” he quips back as you head to the car.

When you get to the prison, Gideon and Spencer are done talking to Sarah Jean. She didn’t know you would be reading her private letter, so she needed to clear her head before you go and talk to her. If she is truly innocent, then why is she fighting so hard to stay here? Why not fight to get out and separate herself fro Jacob? She is scared of something… or she’s trying to protect someone. You sent Elle to go to Derek when you arrived, and the team gathers where Penelope is to watch the tapes of the interviews to see if they can’t spot anything that they might have missed.

“They died as a result of my neglect,” Sarah Jean whispers regretfully.

“This letter suggests to me that an innocent woman is about to be executed for a crime she did not commit.”

“I could tell you right now, it's not enough to get a stay,” Sam Shapiro sighs.

“Well, facts. Reid,” Gideon says.

“Human sexuality is a complex dynamic of three components: biological, physiological, and emotional. Jacob's needs were informed by the emotional, sexual abuse that he received at the hand of his mother. Long term appetitive abuse informed the template of his love map. Something we refer to as a signature. Jacob was an only child, so he was alone when the abuse occurred. So, in order for him to fulfill his fantasy he has got to be alone with his victims.”

You look from the tape of Sarah Jean to the one with Jacob, and you just narrow our eyes in anger for him. He’s not a good person at all, and you refuse to even be in within sight of him. There is no way you’ll survive talking to him about anything.

“If I told you that what would I have left for myself?” Jacob says over the tape.

“He said ‘myself’. If Sarah Jean was present, it would have destroyed his fantasy,” you note.

“She confessed to killing her son,” the warden, Charles Diehl, states.

“Yes, true, but we are also convinced that she is the anonymous caller that made the phone call that nailed Jacob. In fact, I know she is.”

“Guilt-ridden and filled with remorse, she called the police. It's not the profile of a woman who would then kill a child,” Gideon sighs.

“What else do you need?” you ask the attorney.

“Evidence.”

“So, if we prove Jacob killed Riley, would that get a stay?”

“Absolutely.”

“She protects the painting, she protects the boy,” Gideon mutters.

“What?” you ask.

“Paintings are her statement. We need to figure out what they say.”

“Get me into her room, and I’ll find that out. I have to be alone though. I can’t have her influence on this.”

“You’ll get it,” Gideon confirms with a single nod.

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[panic-at-the-fiction]

Hello Darling pt7

Summary: (y/n) is the salvatores younger sister and she is low key in love with one of the originals. You know which one. The only problem is he is a low key psychopath and neither of them remember that this isn’t their first meeting.

Warnings: cliff hanger

A/N: The fact this is part 7 hurts. It’s like watching your baby grow up. It makes you feel old. Even though I only started posting it like 8 weeks ago it still makes me feel old. I don’t know exactly how many chapters this story will be. I hadn’t planned on the last one being so long I had originally planned for this to be a part of chapter 6 too. I guess we'll just have to see.

Your cab pulled up to the front of the address Damon and Elena had sent you. Damon and Elena were waiting for you at the stairs off to the side of the building. You and Jeremy stepped out of the cab and you compelled him to not charge you for the ride.

“For the record she was the one who wanted to stop at a motel.” Elena sent Damon a dirty look before walking up the stairs. You all followed her to the top floor of the motel.

“So where are we?” You asked.

“The corner of somewhere and nowhere, where Kol can’t find us.”

“I still can’t believe Kol was a vampire.” Jeremy piped up. You looked over at him, he seemed upset at Kols betrayal he thought he had a made a real friend. You understood what he was feeling.

“Well didn’t you find it weird you made a friend so fast. I mean have you met you?” Damon said, earning another dirty look from Elena.

You opened the door to the motel room they had rented. “This should do. Right Jer?” Elena said, turning around to ask her brother.

“Yeah I mean it doesn’t really matter.”

“What do you need? Candles? incense? Pottery wheel?” You pray for the day that Damon didn’t have to make snappy comments every ten minutes.

“That’s not how it works.”

“I know I know. I push from the other side and you pull from this one.”

Jeremy set down at the small table set up in the kitchen. “Do you have a picture of her?”

“A picture of her from what? our trip to Disneyland? Come on rose you're not actually gonna make us wait are you? I know you're obsessed with me.” Damon said looking around the room. As if he would see Rose when she appeared. Elena huffed and moved to go sit beside Jeremy.

“Alright tell me something about her?”

Damon’s face turned solemn. As if remembering something sad. “She spent her last day in paradise. Soaking in the sun and reminiscing about what it means to be human and when death came she didn’t fear it.”

Elena looked confused. “I was with her on her last days and she definitely wasn’t in paradise.”

“It was in the dream he gave her. She’s here.”

Elena began to ask her questions about the other side and how she was. You always wondered what death was like especially for a vampire. Rose seemed to be doing okay but then again you couldn’t see her.

“She says she was sired by a vampire named Mary potter. She says to stay here and rest. ZShe’ll go see what she can find out about where this Mary is.”

You finally spoke up “She wants us to stay here for the night?”

Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. “I guess so”

Your first instinct was to go get a drink. You didn’t want to stay in a small hotel room for a whole night with Elena and Damon. But Kol would sure be looking for you and you can’t be drunk when he eventually finds you. Besides drinking is the reason he’s even after you guys in the first place.

It was getting late so you prepared shifts on who gets to stay up and keep watch. Damon and Elena were going to stay up first and then wake you and Jeremy in a few hours.

You don’t know what happened between them when you were asleep. It seemed to have created some tension between the group. But you didn’t care to know what happened.

You didn’t get a chance for your shift on look out because Rose finally came back with information on Mary. Apparently Mary owned some property upstate. You all quickly packed your bags and drove to Mary’s house.

When you pulled up to the old house you all got out of the car. “Damon you come with me Jeremy you and (y/n) wait here.”

Jeremy rolled his eyes at his sister. “Why so you two can make out again?” Guess that’s what happened when you were asleep.

“Don’t be a dick. Listen to your sister.” Jeremy huffed but reluctantly got back into the car.

“Well she isn’t my sister so I’m going in.” You said walking in front of the group and into the house.

The house was completely dark, and from what you could see, absolute trash. There was a loud bang up stairs and you and Damon went to search for the cause of it with Elena following safely behind you.

You walked into the first bedroom you came across on the second floor. Elena shone her flashlight around the room landing on the gruesome sight of a mangled woman's body. She was stabbed through the heart and pinned to the wall by a wooden stake. “Something tells me this is our Scary Mary.” You said staring at the site in front of you.

“Quite contrary.” A voice said flicking on a light behind you. You didn’t even need to turn around to know who was behind you. Who else would be here other than Kol. “It’s a shame about Mary. She used to be a blast. I don’t know what happened.” He walked past you and stood in front of Mary’s corpses. It took everything in you to not tear his heart out right now. “I fear all the time she spent with my family might have ruined her. She was a bit of an original groupie.” He winked at you as he said the last bit. It made your blood boil with rage. You jumped ready to rip his heart out and show it to him but Damon caught you and held you back. He tried to calm you down by blocking you from seeing Kol.

“And were you her favorite?” Elena questioned. You pushed Damon off of you and moved to the side regaining your composure. There was one thing about being a vampire that you hated. You felt everything at the max. All your anger and rage multiplied by 10 and in your family you already had enough anger and rage while you were all alive.

“You mean did I turn her. I think I did actually or maybe it was a Rebekah. It also could have been klaus. Then again who could forget the Elijah affair. I’ve spoken with my brother and I know you are trying to figure out who you descended from and now you never will. So where did we leave off?”

You had just noticed the bat in kols hand as he swung it again at Damon’s feet knocking him down to his feet. With Kol distracted you grabbed a wooden chair and broke it over Kols back knocking him down right beside your brother. You grabbed one of the broken legs from the chair, you straddled Kol on the floor pointing the stake at his chest. He was older and stronger than you were so he held you and the stake at a short distance from his heart.

He laughed as you tried to push the stake into his heart. “Reminds of that night we spent together. Except more deadly.” You were so wound up with anger he used it as a distraction to flip you over and turn your stake against you. This time you were doing your best to fight him off.

Kol is an original, he should have been able to push the stake right through you but you were somehow still holding him off. But before he could kill you, Damon hit Kol with the baseball bat he had dropped. Kol quickly got up and kicked Damon down. You stumbled to get up and back in a fighting position. Kol held his hand out to you telling you to stop. “Relax darling I just want us to be even.” Damon started to stand up and Kol kicked him again to keep him down. “I mean you slept with my sister so I slept with your sister. Then you snapped my neck, you killed my brother, and humiliated me. So I’m just evening up the score.” He hit Damon a few more times with the bat before he backed off. “There now we’re even.” Kol ran off before any of you could stop him. There really wasn't a point to chase after him. He was an original vampire. Even if you managed to get a stake in his heart it wouldn’t kill him.

You and Elena helped Damon off the ground and back to the car. Jeremy was full of questions but none of you felt like answering them. You were going home with no real answers on which original had sired you all. You had never cared about that in the first place but now you were going home with a new hatred. A hatred for the guy who had used you to get back at you brother. The guy who just tried to kill you ten minutes ago. You hated him for lying to you. You hated him for trying to kill Damon. But mostly you hated him because despite everything he did you didn’t really hate him. You don’t know why but it was almost like a part of you couldn’t hate Kol Mikaelson no matter what he’s done and you hated yourself for it to.

Kols perspective.

I was boiling with rage as I pulled into my family’s new mansion back in mystic falls. I quickly ran to Klaus' drawing room where I knew I could find him. “Why didn’t you tell me (y/n) was with the eldest Salvatore and the Gilbert girl!”

Klaus didn’t even look up from his drawing. “I didn’t think her being in Denver would cause such a problem for you Kol. I told you they were on their way to get Jeremy.”

“Don’t play naive Klaus. We both know you never liked me being around her from the beginning. You only didn’t do anything about it because it suited your plan. You didn’t tell me she was coming because you knew she would despise me for telling you where the young gilbert was.”

“I didn't tell you she was coming because whenever you get close to this girl she changes you. When you are around her you don’t care about what the family needs.”

“Screw what the family needs you mean what you need. For your hybrid family plan. Besides I only spent three days with her how could she have changed me”

“He’s not talking about the time you spent with her now. I believe Klaus is referring to the time you spent with her in 1914.” I turned around to see Elijah. I had no idea what he was talking about. I didn't even know (y/n) in 1914.

“What are you two even going on about?” For once Klaus was silent. I turned back to Elijah hoping he would answer my questions.

“What do you remember from before you were last daggered?”

“I remember you two had tracked me down. I had killed someone important in New Orleans and pissed a bunch of people off. So you daggered me as punishment and kept me in that box for a hundred years.”

“That’s just what we made you think had happened. It’s time we told you Kol about what you did in 1914. You better sit down.”

To be honest my guys I don’t even know what’s gonna happen in 1914. This next chapter might take me a minute. 



[lia-jones]

Growing Together - Chapter Fourteen - Learning to Fly

6:00 AM

When I wake up in the morning, love

And the sunlight hurts my eyes

And something without warning, love

Bears heavy on my mind

Then I look at you

And the world's alright with me

Just one look at you

And I know it's gonna be

A lovely day-

My hand flew blindly to my phone, shutting up Bill Withers for good. Victor stirred beside me.

“Why do you have your alarm set for so early?” He asked sleepily as he pulled me closer.

“It’s time to get up.” I kissed his closed eyelids. “Chop-chop, Mr. Lee!”

Victor turned to grab his phone.

“It’s six AM.” He squinted at his screen.

“Exactly. Time for your morning run.” I beamed at him, uncharacteristically full of energy. “I’ll get things ready, you don’t need to worry.”

“I’m not running today.” He grabbed my waist, trapping me in bed. “Sleep a little longer, we’ll get ready together.”

“No, I woke up early so you could run, and you are going to run.” I squirmed in his arms. “It’s something you like and it’s good for you, you shouldn’t give up on that just because you are a father now. Besides…” I pinched his stomach. “I don’t want a chubby hubby.”

“Ouch, quit it!” He grabbed both my wrists, trying to keep me still. “I’m not chubby!”

“You will be if you don’t run!” I started pushing him out of bed with my body. “Come on, Victor, it’s sunny outside, we’re both up, there is no excuse for you not to go-”

I heard my husband suddenly leave the bed with a thump. I looked over the edge of the bed, finding him lying on the floor, an annoyed expression on his face.

“Happy now?”

7:30 AM

“We’re ready for breakfast!” I announced as I entered the kitchen with a fully dressed Owen, who was giggling with my shenanigans. “What’s for the menu, chef?”

“French toast for the beautiful lady and the short gentleman.” Victor played along, ceremoniously presenting a large plate with golden steamy french toast. “Let me get the syrup and the sliced fruit.”

“What are you having?” I grabbed the plate from his hands.

“Egg whites and fruit.” He got his plate of egg whites and sat on the table to eat. “My wife says I’m gaining weight.”

“I was joking! Have some french toast with us.” I motioned to serve him some.

“Absolutely not!” He frowned, covering his plate. “My wife is unsatisfied, I need to please her.”

“Fine, have it your way then.” I started eating, feeling somewhat guilty about my joke.

“How is your breakfast, Owen?” Victor asked. “Do you want more strawberries? Or syrup?”

“No, Sir.” Owen blushed. “It’s good. Thank you, Sir.”

“You don’t have to call me Sir, Owen.” Victor spoke gently. “Just Victor. Or Vic, like Andy does.”

“I’m sorry, Sir.” Owen looked down, uncomfortable. “I mean, I’m sorry, Victor.”

Victor pursed his lips, letting out a heavy sigh. I held his hand under the table. It was clearly still hard for Owen to be comfortable with him.

8:30 AM

“Do you have everything you need?” I asked Owen as we stood by the school door. “Your lunch? Your sculpture?”

“Yes, I do.” Owen beamed at me, his red curls bouncing as he looked up. “I put my playdoh ant in the plastic box you gave me, so it won’t break.”

“Well done.” I brushed his curls slightly. “Have a good day at school. Don’t forget to eat your snack.”

“I will!” He wrapped his arms around my waist. “Have a good day at work, Andy!” He turned to leave.

I noticed Victor fidget slightly by my side.

“Hey, what about Victor?” I teased. “Doesn’t he deserve a good day at work too?”

“Yes.” Owen slowly came back, extending his small hand for Victor to shake. “Have a good day.” He looked down. The look on Victor’s face at that moment broke my heart.

“You too, Owen.” Victor hesitated for a moment, wondering if he could hug his son. He touched his shoulder instead. “I’m sure your teacher will love your ant sculpture.”

“Thank you, Sir.”

The car ride to work was a silent one, as I watched my husband lost in thought, his jaw clenching occasionally.

“Vic-”

“I don’t know how to get through to him.” Victor blurted out. “It’s been a month, and he still doesn't like me. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“Hey, you know what Miss Dillon said.” I caressed his shoulder. “It’s normal for adopted kids to be suspicious, especially if they had a negative experience before. Give him time, he will see the wonderful man you are, I’m sure.”

“Maybe you’re right.” He sighed. “I just need to be patient.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?”

“No, I will do this.” He shook his head. “I am his father, it’s my job to build a connection. I will find a way.”

10:40 AM

“Ok, guys, what else do we have today?” I asked my management team.

“I got the new report from Parker Company today.” Diane handed me a file. “I still have to check those numbers, but the profit is way below expected.”

I opened the file, reading it carefully. I couldn’t believe my eyes.

“No, this is significantly below the stipulated in the contract. They are going to lose the investment.” I flipped through the pages of the report. “They invested in new machinery last month, they have clients, they should have made a lot more than what’s in here!”

“I’ll call them today, inquiring about these values.” Diane offered.

“No.” I got up from my chair, closing my laptop. “I’ll call Mr. Stone right away. They need to file a correct report in two days, LFG will reevaluate the contract by then. Last month was already terrible for them. I need to set this straight.” I walked to the door, addressing my team again. “You guys take a break. We’ll talk later. Kenny, bring me some coffee to my office. I need all the caffeine I can have.”

The call to Parker Company took longer than expected. Mr Stone was away on business and would only return the following day, so he left his wife taking care of the company affairs. She knew very little about the investment, let alone the software we were using to report the results. His assistant was even worse, taking forever to get me simple pieces of information. Twenty minutes later, and after a lot of time on hold, my patience was wearing thin. Something wasn’t right. I hoped it wasn’t what I thought it was.

I heard a knock. It was Kenny, my assistant.

“Mr. Lee just called to see if you were ready for the Cooper meeting.” He announced, nervously.

“Crap!” I jumped in my chair. “Tell him I need five minutes more, just finishing a call.”

With this new ordeal, I had totally forgotten about the meeting with Cooper and Sons at LFG. Yet again, despite whatever progress Goldman had made before, the negotiations were at an impasse. Jason Cooper was a very traditional man, and saw these new fancy robotic companies, as he called them, as the enemy. So naturally, when Victor told him what he had to do to secure the investment, Cooper backed away. The CEO then asked me if I could present the investment project myself, to see if I could get through the old man.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Lee, I can’t find the file you asked for…” Stone’s assistant came on the phone again.

“It’s alright, I’ll call later.” I hung up, checking the notification on my phone. A text from my dear husband saying You’re 10 minutes late .

I bolted to the elevator. Ten minutes was enough to have one of those grumpy men fuming and leaving the room. If I wanted to even have a chance of discussing the investment, I’d have to be quick.

The elevator opened with a ding. Goldman was already waiting for me.

“You are-”

“Late!” I interrupted as I ran to the conference room door, Goldman following me. “I know, I know. Plug this into the screen, will you?” I handed him my laptop as I knocked briefly, opening the door. My husband threw me a deadly stare.

“Mr. Cooper!” I extended my hand for him to shake. “I’m sorry for the delay, I was caught up in a meeting. I’m Andrea Lee, pleased to meet you.”

“Likewise. Jason Cooper, ma’am.” He shook my hand with a smile. “Let’s hear what you have to say, your husband says you’ll explain things better. Although I have to say I’m not senile, I understood it correctly the first time.” He gave Victor a sour look.

I turned on my laptop and began a more interactive presentation, allowing Mr. Cooper to pose questions as I spoke, keeping an open and amicable attitude. It seemed to work, as the old man lost the frown on his face, and started speaking more openly as well, even daring to ask how someone like Victor had nailed a sweet girl like me. Victor kept his poker face the entire time, only a wife’s trained eye like mine could see he was outraged.

“You know, my sons are the ones insisting on this, telling me this is an opportunity for growth. But I built this company with my own two hands, and the final say is mine. This is a family company, some people have been working with us for decades. I will say yes if you come and visit us, feel the spirit, see if your indications are really appropriate for us.”

“Andrea is a very busy woman, she-” Victor chimed in.

“I would love to.” I interrupted Victor. “I will check my schedule and make room to visit you this week.”

Pleased, Mr. Cooper shook my hand.

“Then it looks like we may have a deal. Bring the contract with you. I will sign it on the day of your visit.”

12:30 PM

“Mr. Lee asked for you to go to his office.” Kenny announced, panicked.

I was up to my neck in files. Not only did I have to study strategies for the incoming companies, I also had the Parker ordeal to figure out.

“Did he tell you what he wanted?” I asked, my eyes still glued to the file in front of me.

“No, I didn’t dare ask him.” He confessed. “Could you just call him? If you don't, he’ll call again and get angry at me.”

“Why are you so scared of him? He’s not that bad.” I took my phone, noticing I had several missed calls from Victor. “Damn it, I forgot to unmute it.”

“I know he is your husband, but he is scary.” Kenny gasped, suddenly realizing how honest he had been. “I’m sorry, this was out of line, please don’t tell him I said that.”

“It’s ok, Kenny, relax.” I chuckled as I pressed call on my phone. “Go have lunch.”

Victor answered on the first ring.

“I have lunch for you. Come up.”

“It’s ok, I’ll have something later, I’m really busy.” I took another file, opening it. “Thanks anyway.”

“You’ll forget to eat, I know. Fifteen minutes, that’s all I ask. Then you’ll resume work with fresher eyes.”

1:00 PM

“You need to go easy on Kenny. I think you scare him.” I mentioned, poking a piece of steak with my fork.

“I merely told him to do his job. What’s so scary about that?” Victor didn’t even look up from his salad.

“Maybe try not to sound so… Imperative.” I pointed the piece of steak towards my husband’s mouth. “Do you want to try it?”

“I can’t.” He moved away from my fork. “I’m on a diet.”

“Still with that?” I gave him an annoyed look. “I was only joking! You look fine!”

“If it was me telling you to lose some weight, even jokingly, how would you react?” He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands on his lap.

Damn. He got me there.

“I would have your head.” I admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“Since your head is still very much intact, can we agree that I am nicer than you?” He smiled mischievously.

“No, we can’t.” I closed the box containing my food and put it aside. “Because, despite my poor choice of words, all I wanted was for my husband to resume an old habit he enjoys. My intentions were good.”

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” He teased, setting his salad box aside as well.

“I said I’m sorry already. I didn’t mean it, you are still very attractive to me.” I got up from my chair, sitting on his lap. His arms immediately circled around me.

“Is that so?” His tone lowered, reading my expression.

“You know, sometimes it’s difficult for me to focus on meetings, looking at you in this impeccable suit, knowing exactly what’s underneath it.” My hands roamed his chest and abs through his shirt. He took a sharp breath, his grey eyes darkening. “Makes me want to do things.”

“And what things would you like to do?” He pulled me closer, his nose touching my neck as he breathed in my perfume.

“Right now?” I used my bedroom voice.

“Mhm.” His lips were already on my skin, making me shiver in delight.

“Nothing. I only have 15 minutes for lunch and I already spared thirty.” I suddenly got up from his lap, leaving him disoriented for a moment. “Thanks for lunch, handsome.” I pecked a very confused Victor on the lips.

“You are evil.” He smiled, even more enticed. “I’ll make you pay for that later.”

“Stop being petty with the diet thing and I’ll pay you double.” I winked as I left.

6:40 PM

“So there’s no explanation for the low profit?” I skimmed through the files again.

“Not one that I can find.” Diane sat across from me, looking tired. “And Stone is only returning tomorrow, his assistant-”

“Is useless, I know.” I threw the files on the table. “That’s it, I’m going over tomorrow to check it out myself. Kenny, book a flight to Creekwood for first thing in the morning.”

“What do you think is happening?” Diane questioned. “Embezzlement?”

“Or some debt they didn’t report and are trying to pay off with LFG money.” I sighed. “I don’t know. I’ll find out tomorrow.”

Someone knocked on the conference room door.

“Sorry to interrupt, Andrea. Mr. Lee is outside, waiting for you.”

“Go home, I’ll stay behind and try to make sense of this for a little longer.” I got up from my chair. “I just need to tell my husband I’ll be home late. See you tomorrow.”

8:20 PM

No matter how many times I looked at those files, I couldn’t find the mistake. In the meantime, Mr. Stone had returned my many calls, and I informed him I would be at his company first thing in the morning. Despite his confusion, he agreed. Giving up on the problem momentarily, I took an Uber home.

I found Victor in the kitchen cooking  as Owen set the table.

“Andy!” Owen came to hug me, looking relieved to see me.

“Hello, my little bug, how was your day?” I hugged him back. “Did your teacher like your sculpture?”

“She loved it! She said it was the best presentation she’s ever seen! I even got a smiley face!” Owen answered enthusiastically. “I’ll show you, it’s in my room! I’ll go get it!”

I chuckled, seeing him so excited. Victor left the pots and plates and came to me, hugging me from behind.

“Don’t I get a kiss?” He whispered in my ear.

“I’m sorry.” I turned to him. “Yes, you get a kiss.” Our lips touched for a moment. “How was it with Owen?”

“He spent the rest of the afternoon in his room, playing.” Victor frowned. “I got him to come out to set the table.”

“Give it time, you’ll grow on him.” I caressed his chest over the black apron he was wearing. “You grew on me.”

“It took me months to grow on you.” Victor returned to plating the food. “So, did you find what’s happening with the Parker Company?”

“Yes, about that.” I grimaced, knowing Victor wouldn’t like what I had to say one bit. “I need to fly to Creekwood tomorrow, first thing in the morning. I need to figure out what’s happening exactly. And I’ll take the chance and drive to Ferriston the very next day, to visit the Cooper’s.”

“You’re travelling to Creekwood?” He tensed. “We need you here, send someone else.”

“The only person I trust to do the job is Diane, and I can’t ask that of her. She has a newborn.” I filled the glasses on the table with water. “I have to go myself.”

“You just adopted a child.” Victor retorted. “They need you at the company. Besides, I don’t like you travelling by yourself, there has to be a better way.”

“It’s only for two days, I’ll be back the day after tomorrow in time for dinner.” I looked my husband in the eyes, only to find concern in them.

“At least get that teenager assistant of yours to go with you. You shouldn’t travel alone.”

“He’s twenty-five.” I shot him a flat face.

“Yet he gets all flustered whenever I call him.” He shook his head. “No, Andrea, find another way. I don't want you to go.”

“I don’t remember asking you.” Victor’s disapproval was starting to annoy me. He flew on business every time. Why couldn’t I do the same? “It’s my job, it’s what needs to be done.”

“You’ll still go, knowing that I don’t want you to?” Victor’s disbelief couldn’t conceal the hurt in his eyes.

“I wish you were on board with this, but yes.” I said in a firm voice. “When you hired me as your CEO, it wasn’t for me to act like it only when it’s convenient to you. This is my job, my responsibility, and I think it’s the right thing to do. I’m going.”

10 PM

“You’re leaving tomorrow?” Owen shyly asked as I put his clothes for the next day on the dresser.

“Yes, and coming back the day after tomorrow before dinner.” I explained, refolding a sweater, and placing it in the drawer. “Victor will be with you.”

“For two whole days?” He seemed to panic, clearly displeased with this new turn of events.

“Come on, Bug.” I sat on his bed, ruffling his curls as he sat beside me. “Victor is not that bad. He’s a good guy.”

“I don’t know.” Owen looked down. “He looks angry all the time. He was angry at you at dinner, I could tell.”

“That’s grownup stuff you don’t need to worry about. Trust me, he will get over it soon. He’s very nice, really. Now, time to go to sleep.”

Owen climbed into bed, careful not to untuck his comforter.

“Do you want a bedtime story?” I asked.

“I can read one myself.” He made a face at me, his cute dimples showing.

“This story is not in any books we own.” I spoke theatrically. “Two years ago, I met this girl, she was roughly your age, her name was Molly. She was the one that told me this very special story about an ogre.”

“An ogre?” Owen was suddenly interested. “How big was he?”

“He was huge!” I played along, happy that I caught his interest. “He was so big he couldn’t walk straight, he always had to mind the houses and the trees beneath him, or else he would crush them all with a single step. And he had this deep voice that sounded through the entire valley and scared the animals, making birds fly off in a frenzy and bunnies return to their holes. The villagers were also terrified of him, and they would scurry into their homes as they felt the earth shake with the ogre’s footsteps. Sometimes the ogre would go to the village’s school and scare the children.”

“He liked to eat children?” The little boy’s eyes went wide.

“He never ate any of them, but they were really afraid of him!” I opened my eyes wide for dramatic effect. “Until one day, when the ogre showed up at the school’s playground. His deep voice scared every child there, except for one. A four-year-old red-haired boy, named Owen.”

“What did he do?” Owen gasped.

“Well, all the children went back inside crying, but Owen stood strong. He said, ‘An ogre will not bully me! I will show him I am not afraid, and then he will see that it’s useless to scare us with his heavy footsteps and deep voice!’ The boy stood in the playground, facing the ogre with incredible bravery. Then something amazing happened.”

“What happened?” Owen jumped in his bed, completely engrossed in my story. “Did he fight the ogre with his sword?”

“No, he didn't need to.” I shrugged. “The ogre kneeled before the boy, and puddles of water appeared by the boy’s feet. The ogre was crying.”

“He was sad?” Owen’s face fell, sadness taking over.

“Well, although the ogre was scary, he wasn’t mean at all.” I spoke in a sad voice as well. “Every time he would leave his gigantic cave, it was hoping to make a new friend. But he could never do it, because everyone would run away from him. The boy understood the gigantic creature and offered to be his friend. They played together, and the ogre taught him the secrets of the world, how to tame dragons and how the world looked beautiful and small from above. They remained friends, and when the boy grew up to be a man, the ogre followed him in many adventures, defeating evil creatures, and finding hidden treasures.”

Owen stared at me with wide eyes, the story sinking into him.

“Victor is like that ogre, isn’t he?” He looked down. “I’m that little boy, all I need to do is give him a chance to show that he’s nice.”

“Such a smart young man we have here!” I tickled his tummy, making him laugh. “Ok, make yourself comfortable, I’m going to tell Victor you are ready for bed.”

10:45 PM

The silence filled our bedroom as I packed the bag for my impromptu two-day trip. My husband was in bed, reading his book, obviously still upset with me, not dignifying my presence with a single word.

“Are you going to give me the silent treatment until I leave?” I leaned on the doorframe leading to the closet. “I don’t want to leave you in the middle of a fight.”

Victor placed his book on the nightstand with a sigh.

“I’m not giving you the silent treatment.”

“I don’t understand, you travel on business all the time.” I sat beside him, pushing the glasses up on his nose. “Why is it so bad that I do the same?”

“I don’t like to have you this far from me.” He sighed. “I’ll reschedule my appointments and go with you.” He grabbed his phone, ready to call Goldman.

“ You can’t go, who will take care of Owen?” I held his hand lovingly. “Besides, when I send you the signed contract, you need to make sure everything is in order and put it in motion before Cooper decides otherwise. Not to mention it’s investment revaluation week. Goldman can’t do it all on his own. I know it and you know it.”

“What if something happens? What if you have some kind of setback and I’m not there to help?” He squeezed my hands tight, pulling me closer. “I’ll worry.”

“There’s nothing to worry about!” I looked into his eyes, pleading. “It’s just for two days. What could possibly go wrong?”

Victor pulled me into a tight hug.

“Two days, not a second more.” He spoke firmly into my year. “In two days, I have you back in my arms.”

“You have my word.” I kissed his chest. “Two days.”

[saundraswriting]

Interior Design Chapter 2: Arrival

SUMMARY:You get to the Compound. You get a run down of what you are begin offered. You get the promised tour and meet-N-greet, and make a fool of yourself. But this is your dream job.

WARNINGS: NONE

NOTES:This is an everyone lives/no one dies, Living in the compound, Non Civil War compliant, No Sokovian Accords AU.

Previous / Next

At exactly 2pm a broad man with some facial hair opened the door to the car that had just pulled in front of you. "Ms. L/N. I am your driver, call me Happy. I am to drive you upstate to the Compound." He helped you in and tucked your bags into the trunk.

"Hello then, Happy. Call me Y/N. Thank you for the ride." You were trying to hide your nerves behind your manners.

"There are drinks back there if you want. Beyond that sit back and relax." Happy said pulling into the never-ending rush of traffic. You sat quiet, prepared for the slow-moving endeavor that was driving through NYC but Happy moved through alleys and side streets to move through and around the traffic, having seemed to memorizer the traffic light timing. It was impressive.

"Are you sure that you don't have some sort of driving enhancements?" You asked your companion.

"No. I just have spent too many years running errands for Mr. Stark." Happy said. He looked up at you through the rear-view mirror. "Not that you are an errand or anything."

"Happy, that is exactly what I am. Thank you though. I am not exactly on Mr. Stark's priority list to have him come and see me." You tried to ease his concern. You turn to look out the window and gape, Happy had some how driven you out of the city and on your way truly to the Avenger's Compound. You wanted to push on the Driving enhancement but kept it to yourself.

"Oh my. I am really going. I'm doing this." You muttered to yourself.

"Y/N, they are just people. Yes, super enhanced or gifted but still people. People who want a place where they can be themselves. You see superheroes? I see tired people with super burdens." Happy said. "Now, relax."

Happy's  advice helped significantly to calm you down. It was something to remember, you were helping them make their house a home. Someplace for them to turn off. You pulled out your tablet and pulled up your designing program to open a new project. You had a kitchen, living room, media room and about a dozen bedrooms in the project. The rooms were customizable to an extent but you chose to work with what was provided. It was simple but effective to help plan layouts of things. You added comments on each room of things you would need to look at or plan for. The kitchen and pantry needed to support the massive appetites that the team would have and each bedroom needed to be assigned for better focus. You did layout some basic things like beds and end tables such. You knew everyone would like it different, but you figured the rooms would be almost exactly the same build. After about 90 minutes of basic fiddling you saved it.

"Y/N, we are just about there. I believe in you. The idea of what you need to do seems scary and overwhelming but you'll figure everything out in time." Happy said. The car pulled onto a hidden road and you watched as it followed the curves and bends as a gate rose up to meet them. Happy pulled into what seemed the front of the building and helped you out of the car and grabbed your bags.

The two of you entered the empty foyer. "Hey, F.R.I.D.A.Y, can you tell Pep and Tony we're here? And do you know where Ms. L/N will be staying?" Happy spoke to the open room.

"I already did. They are on the way. Ms. L/N is located in room 12." A disembodied Irish voice rang out.

"Well, you heard the robot lady. I'll leave you here for Tony and Pepper. I will drop your bags off. F.R.I.D.A.Y, introduce yourself. Y/N, it was a pleasure meeting you." Happy took your bags and headed off down the hall leaving you alone and nervous.

"Ms. L/N, I am F.R.I.D.A.Y. I am a artificial intelligence system designed and maintained by Tony Stark. I run the Living Areas for the Avengers and the Iron Man Suits." The voice spoke once more. You looked around for a camera or speaker to speak to but couldn't find one so you looked to the ceiling.

"Oh, nice to meet you Ms. F.R.I.D.A.Y. Please call me Y/N." You told the ceiling.

"Very well, Ms. Y/N. Welcome to the Avenger's Compound." She responded.

Oh, good you two already met. You turned at the voice of Tony Stark.

"Come on, we can continue this in my office." A willowy red-head was with him, who you correctly assumed to be Pepper Potts.

The three of you walked to her office while making small talk. Tony asked about your education and where you came from. You told them about your suspicions of Happy's driving enhancements. The two others laughed and Tony agreed with you. When you finally arrived at Pepper's office, you sat in front of it, her behind it and Tony leaned against it.

"This is going to be a quick as I can make it but there is a lot to cover. First, the contract is a long-term non-exclusive for your benefit. This is just to start, if you chose to extend it then we would make you a permanent employee. You will have to sign Non-Disclosure agreements since you will be dealing directly with the Avengers. You will have the time and means to work with you current and future clientele like I said before. Your current place of living is also your center of operations but we could move all that here for you if you would rather. The contract itself is for the initial decorating for the personal and common living areas for the Avengers. Then also the major holidays and change in seasons or trends or any requests of the Avengers. We would also have you on for light  maintenance and housekeeping mostly for when the Avengers aren't around, like vacuuming and changing a lightbulb. if you see something in disrepair either fix it, put in a work order or order new. We do have a team for more particular fixes, and the team takes care of a lot on their own as it." Pepper explained. You nodded along and made some jotted down some notes.

"What about supplies? Payment? Limitations? Labor?" You asked. Pepper smiled slightly, secretly pleased at your questions, you were thinking, that was good.

"We pay for everything. You have full rein, there are no limitations. Pardon the rooms, that is where you would work with each resident. WE are at your beck and call for anything you would need help with." Tony took over the explanation. "I will be completely honest. I want you to accept this contract, move in entirely and then extend your contract to be a permanent employee. I want that because I like you and I know that everyone else will but we can revisit that later." Tony said. Pepper handed over a copy of the contract. you placed it in your bag and jotted down Tony's comments

"Alright, then I will review this tonight and think about it. I don't like to make decisions in haste but I will tell you that I have no doubts about this. I am attracted to every single part of this including moving in fully. I only am worried about how I would get to and from the city, I make a lot of trips." You told them.

"So do we. Most days we make a trip to the city. But you can always borrow a car and head in. The Tower is SI's still you can park there and do your thing. A minor detail." Tony said. You nodded and shrugged, it was a minor detail. "Now we are going to go. I want to show you around and have you meet one or two people. I will be your personal tour guide while Ms. Potts runs my company." Tony pushed off of the desk and you took it as your cue to go. You held a hand out to Ms. Potts.

"Thank you Ms. Potts. I am grateful for the opportunity." You followed Tony out the door waving to the already busy woman as you left.

You followed Tony to the elevator and down several hallways. He talked a mile a minute about everything, you weren't even trying to keep up. You were sure he just liked to hear himself talk. You tried to learn the layout but you weren't sure. It seemed that the common areas he was leading you to were in the center of the right side of the 'A'. The personal areas seemed to stack on top of that point fanning out.

"So the first level is mostly common areas. Gym and pool and such, the living room, kitchen, pantry the size of a small country, all are down here. Then the next level is the second level is rooms, they kind of fan away from the common areas in groups of 5. The all lead to the small inclines that meet around the living room...like a funnel?" Tony tried to explain.

"Oh, so everything is connected but also has its definition? Good idea to help go from mission to home mentality." You commented. Tony snapped his fingers.

"I knew I like you. Sorry it is a little bit of a walk, Pepper's office is on the SI side, near SHIELD. We are almost there." Tony said. You nodded. "I also had F.R.I.D.A.Y put better more accurate blueprints on your tablet and laptop. So you can better plan. I figured then you can use your app to better prepare the rooms." Tony seemed hesitant. You wanted to be mad but it actually was a help more than a hinderance.

"I don't mind. That helps a lot, but maybe next time ask?" You said. Tony seemed to relax. You knew that he had your entire history but you knew that Tony wanted to help his team and protect them so you weren't upset that much about the privacy invasion.

"Very well. Now, your domain ma'am is everything you see before you. Welcome to the Avenger's Living Quarters Ms. Quartermaster L/N!" Tony waved his arm in a large sweeping motion. You were facing the living room from a behind diagonal, near the kitchen. The floor was an open floor plan. You could see beyond the kitchen was a long hallway. There was a door next to the kitchen, you assumed it was the country-sized pantry. The Living room was a large entertainment area. The kitchen and living room were divided by several couches-or one massive sectional-and on each side of the living room was a slight incline into what you assumed were the bedrooms.

Oh, it is nice." You said. You pointed to each point and Tony confirmed your thoughts, You nodded and beamed. There was nothing done to the space other than the bare minimum. A fresh clean slate with free rein. "I think I have some ideas." You clapped excitedly gathering the attention of the few people in the room. You froze seeing them see you.

"Hello! I am Y/N L/N. I am interviewing to be your Quartermaster. I am in charge of decorating your living spaces." you grinned and waved childishly.

"Oh! We talked about this this the other day. When we asked about who to contact, F.R.I.D.A.Y brought you up as did Pepper." A large blonde blue-eyed man came up to you. You knew the Avengers had gotten new members but you lost track around 2016 or so. Even so, you knew Captain Rogers. You knew that he and Tony had been fighting over his best friend the brain-washed assassin who had killed Tony's parents. but most of the others had fallen through the cracks. "Let me introduce these couch potatoes." Steve led you to the couch, Tony trailing behind. "This is Sam Wilson, Air Force paratrooper, AKA the Falcon. This is Clint Barton, Archery expert and 80% deaf, AKA Hawkeye. This is Natasha Romanov, Super-spy aka Black Widow."

"Hey there, girlie. Welcome to the team." Sam said.

"Well, I haven't accepted yet. There is a lot to consider." You shrugged.

"If you are here, meeting us. You've accepted." A deep voice rasped from the entryway to your right closest to the kitchen. You turned to face them and your breath caught in your throat. His hair was long, greasy and clumpy, his skin pale and dry, the bags under his eyes were deep, and his scruff was unruly. The man made his way into the kitchen barely looking at you.

"Sh. Don't say that too loud. I haven't told Tony yet." You stepped over to the kitchen, you head tilted in curiosity. Steve reached out to grab you but you ducked out of the way. You knew who this man was, you knew everyone considered him dangerous, but he looked so sad and tired. You wanted to try to help. "Sargent Barnes? Thank you, for serving your country all those years ago in the 107th. I am sorry you had to suffer so very much to get here. and well..."You trailed off and lurched into his space before your courage gave out. "Welcome home, solider." you mumbled into his chest squeezing as tight as you could. You felt him freeze under you and you let go instantly. You had pushed a massive line and didn't want to make it worse. You knew a hug wouldn't fix him but it might help in that very moment. You stepped away and saw Sargent Barnes was indeed frozen, looking at you with a mix of awe and relief on his face. His eyes were overly wet and his arms were raised like he didn't know if he should wrap them around you or push you away. You didn't wait for him to thaw before hurrying to Tony's side.

"Mr. Stark, Sargent Barnes was right. I will take the job. Also Captain Rogers, you should get him a plant or two. Coming from someone extremely depressed and still struggles with it, plants help. Something that depends on you to live without major consequences can do wonders for mental health. Sargent Barnes needs to care for something, now that he no longer has to protect you Mr. Super-solider." You tugged on Tony's sleeve realizing that you stepped over the line immensely, the embarrassment and anxiety causing you to shrink on yourself. Tony took the hint and pulled you down the opposite hallway Sargent Barnes came out of. You looked behind you one time to see Steve and Bucky locked in a hug both of them crying silently. The wall then blocked your line of sight.

Previous / Next

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Hello! I am an idiot who thought the key to happiness was another WIP. Let me know what you think!

[swanqueeneverafter]

Sins of the Past Pt.1

Storybrooke. Present. Night. (Working as a cab driver, a weary Henry Swan-Mills glances at his rear-view mirror at the kissing couple in his back seat. With the realms of story united, Henry's clientele is large and varied. From drunken Musketeers to sight-seeing visitors from the Land Without Colour, the former Author has driven them all in his cab.)

Swan-Mills House. Morning. (Descending the stairs, Regina is distressed by the various boxes that are strewn across the floor. Just as she is about to raise her voice however, Zelena walks into the hall, carrying baby Maria.) Zelena: "And here's your other Mama looking ready for business." Regina: (Smiling:) "How is she doing?" Zelena: "Just fine, now that her Aunty Zelena's here, isn't that right, Poppet?" Regina: (As her sister continues cooing at the baby:) "Thanks for coming, Zelena. My meeting this morning shouldn't take long." Zelena: "Oh don't worry about that, Maria and I are going to have a wonderful time, isn't that right?" (Shaking her head at her sister's infatuation, Regina turns to see Emma walking into the room looking slightly frazzled.) Emma: (Followed by Ella:) "Just give me five minutes to put on a new shirt and find my keys and we'll be outta here." (Stopping only to give her wife a quick kiss, Emma runs upstairs to go change.) Ella: (Calling after her:) "Thank you! (To Regina:) I’m sorry to put you guys out like this, I'd take the bus but-" Regina: (Cutting in:) "You can't risk being late for work again. (Smiles:) We know and it's absolutely fine. I'd drop you off myself but I'm headed in completely the other direction. (Glancing at her watch:) Speaking of which, I'd better go. (To Zelena:) You're sure you'll be all right?" Zelena: "Yes, now go! Maria and I have the whole day planned."

The Woods, Just Outside Storybrooke. (Will Scarlett travels quickly through the woods, clutching a stitch at his side but continuing to run at top speed.) Dun Broch. (Regina stands over the slain body of a unicorn, Queen Merida by her side.) Regina: "What were you thinking? Even in my darkest days, I could never kill a unicorn." Merida: "Me? This is not my doing. Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures. There is a legend that says bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one. Neither I or any of the men I command would be stupid enough to kill such a sacred animal." Regina: (Scoffs:) "You have too much faith in a man's intelligence. So, what do you expect me to do about it?" Merida: (Nods:) "I thought you could speak to him." (Confused, Regina turns to see a cloaked figure standing a short distance away.) Anhora: "Are you looking for me? I am Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns." Merida: "Is it you who’s responsible for turning our water into sand?" Regina: “What?” Anhora: "You alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Dun Broch." Merida: "Me?! You think I’d bring drought upon my own people?" Anhora: "When the unicorn was killed on your lands, a curse was unleashed. For this, Dun Broch will suffer greatly." Regina: (Stepping forward:) "Now wait a minute, I'm an expert on curses and I know they rarely, if ever, solve anything. Why don't you just lift the curse and we can all talk about this rationally for a moment." Anhora: "The curse was not my doing." Merida: (Drawing her sword:) "Undo the curse or you will pay with your life." Regina: (Chiding:) "Merida!" Anhora: "Only you can do that. You will be tested." Merida: "Me?" Regina: "You're the Queen, blame comes with the job." Anhora: "Until you have proven yourself, and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, Dun Broch will be damned for all eternity."

Storybrooke. Outside The Sheriff's Station. (Sitting in a squad car, Lily turns to her father who is joining her for a ride-along.) Lily: "Okay, are you ready for this?" Hook: "I was born ready." Lily: "Dad, I'm serious, this isn't going to be like your pirate adventures. Most days this job is about keeping the peace." Hook: (Smirks:) "Trust me, love, things might have been a bit quieter around here recently, but when magic’s around, there's always going to be trouble sooner or later." Main Street. (Ella sprints down main street, trying to get to work on time as Emma looks on from outside the Dark Star Pharmacy. Hoping her future daughter-in-law makes it, Emma turns and is knocked down by a still speeding Will Scarlett.) Emma: "Ahh! (Landing hard on the ground, she looks up to see Will barely give her a backwards glance before disappearing around the corner:) Yeah, you better run!"

(Wiping her hands, Emma hardly notices when her parents arrive beside her, rushing her her aid.) Snow White: "Emma, are you okay?" Emma: (Wincing:) "Yeah, I'm fine." David: "Here, let me help you. (Helping his daughter to her feet, concerned:) Are you sure you're all right." Emma: "Yeah, just a bruised ego is all. (Starts to walk:) Ow. And a bruised butt, I think." Snow White: "That really was quite the fall you took. We saw you as we were coming out of Granny's." Emma: "Well, that's what I'm here for. To protect, serve and amuse." David: "Emma-" Emma: (Sighs:) "I'm sorry, I don't mean to unload on you guys. It's... it's just been a stressful morning." David: "You know we're here to help anytime." Emma: (Nods:) "I know, thank you. (She hugs them both in turn. Pulling a piece of paper from her pocket:) Now, if you'll excuse me, I've gotta get everything on this list and get home before Zelena paints Maria's bedroom green." Storybrooke Library. (Will stands expectantly as Belle looks over the book he's just returned.) Alice: (Pulling ten dollars from her pocket:) "You still don't get this until I'm satisfied." Will: (Grins:) "I know." Alice: (To Belle:) "So?" Belle: (Turning over a few pages:) "Well it hasn't exactly been returned in mint condition." Will: (Laughs:) "No offense ladies, but I'd challenge you to find one book in this entire building that'd fit that description." Belle: "Hm. And did you enjoy the book?" Will: "Oh, yes. Very much." Alice: (Sceptically:) "What was your favourite part?" Will: "Well, there was the beginning, the middle and the end." Alice: "What about the octopus, didn't you find that part scary?" Will: (Scoffs:) "Octopuses aren't scary - Kraken's are scary." Belle: (Smiles:) "There isn't an octopus in this book, Will." Alice: (Taking the ten dollars off the table:) "Ha!" Will: "Oh, come on! I still got the book back in time, so what if I didn't read it?" Alice: "Reading books is the whole point! I want you to broaden your horizons, lose yourself in an adventure." Will: "But we've both lived real adventures! Look, reading books is fine if you're locked up in a tower with no chance of escape, but there's no replacement for living life. In fact if you ask me, it's you two who should be broadening your horizons. (Backing out of the library:) Put the books down, girls. Let your hair down once in awhile, you'll thank me for it." (Belle and Alice smile at each other as Will leaves the Library.) Mr. Cluck's Chicken Shack. (Sneaking in through the back door, Ella grabs her apron and ties it around her waist, attempting to start work without her boss realising how late she is. Taking a fresh pair of gloves from the box, Ella turns to find her boss standing in front of her.) Louis: "You're late. Again." Ella: "I ran here as fast as I could, but my-" Louis: "I don't give a crap! I'm paying you for 39 hours. (Another employee - Carl, drops a tray load of chicken on the floor:) Really, Carl? That's coming out of your paycheck." Ella: "Hey, Louis, lay off. It's just chicken. You don't need to be a jerk about it." Louis: (Puts down the cooking tongs:) "Apologize. Now! Or get out." Ella: "I can't, because it's true. You're a jerk." Louis: "You think you know me so well, huh? I know you. Former princess living with her prince boyfriend in his mother’s mansion. No real skills other than that temper. You need this job. This is the best you can do, and you know it. So, yeah, you're gonna apologize. Right?” Ella: “Never.” (Ella takes off her apron and storms out.)

Elsewhere In Storybrooke. (Placing a tray of dirty dishes down, Henry takes a moment to catch his breath.) Tiana: (Walking over to him:) "Henry, are you feeling okay? You look exhausted." Henry: (Forces a smile:) "I'm fine, just needed a second." Tiana: "I don't know, between your working two jobs and Ella working at the shack most nights-" Henry: "It'll be worth it when we've got our own place." (Henry picks up the tray and walks to the kitchen.) Tiana: (Following:) "Is there a rush on that? Emma and Regina can't be hurting for space. I've been to the Mayor's mansion and there's like thirty-seven rooms." Henry: "Ha-ha. There's not quite that many, but that's not even the point. My moms don't want me to leave but they've got Maria to look after now and... well there are other reasons." Tiana: "Such as?" Henry: (Begins placing dishes in the dishwasher:) "Such as wanting to carry Ella over the threshold of our own home? Such as being able to afford the wedding and honeymoon of her dreams?" Tiana: "Henry, you know Ella's not interested in those extravagant things." Henry: "But that doesn't mean she shouldn't be able to have them if she did." Tiana: "I'm impressed." Henry: "Thank you." Tiana: "I meant how you stacked the dishwasher. (She smiles and walks away, over her shoulder:) Very impressive." Dark Star Pharmacy. (Having gathered everything on her list, Emma is attempting to casually ask for Mr. Clark's professional opinion.) Emma: "What's your best cream for cuts and bruises?" Mr. Clark: (Scanning the items from Emma's basket:) "Depends on the type of injury and how bad it is." Emma: "Well I won't know how bad it is until I get home." Mr. Clark: "Then I can't help you." Emma: "Look, I'm not going to sue you for bad advice if that's what you're worried about. All I'm looking for is a good, effective cream." Mr. Clark: (Takes a sharp intake of breath:) "Again, I'd have to see the injury in question, just to be sure." Emma: "Trust me, that's not happening." Regina: (Entering the store:) "What injury? Is it Maria? Did Zelena call, is she hurt?" Emma: "No! No, it's nothing like that it's just... (Looks to Mr. Clark then back to Regina:) Delicate."

Mr. Clark: "If the injury is in a delicate area, I give you my word as a professional I would be happy to-" Emma: (Grabbing Sneezy by the shirt:) "I'm not pulling my ass out here in this store for you or anyone else, you got that? (Emma releases the man only to notice that he hasn't moved. Looking to Regina she sees that the brunette is using her magic to turn the store sign to 'closed' and drawing the steel blinds down:) Er, what are you doing?" Regina: "You're hurt. Show me." Emma: "Regina, it's nothing, I'm fine." Regina: "Show. Me." Emma: (Looking at a now frozen Mr. Clark:) "What about him?" Regina: (Considers:) "Let him be 'Sleepy' for awhile." (With a wave of her hand, Sneezy collapses behind the counter, fast asleep.) Emma: (Shaking her head, begins lifting her skirt and turns towards the counter:) "You'll take any excuse, won't you?" Regina: (Innocently:) "To care for my wife? Of course I will. (Hisses as the injured area is exposed:) Oh, Emma." Emma: "That bad, huh?" Regina: "It's definitely going to bruise." Emma: (Shrugs:) "I've had worse. (Stiffens when she feels Regina's hands on her hips:) So what now?" Regina: "Well I'll need to clean the affected area before treatment." Emma: (As her breath quickens:) "J-just make sure you do a thorough job." Regina: (Sliding to her knees, bringing Emma's skirt and underwear with her:) "Don't I always?" (Unable to answer, Emma merely closes her eyes and gasps as Regina gives her the due care and attention only she can provide.) Will & Tiana's Apartment. Storybrooke. (While cooking in the kitchen, Tiana smiles as she hears the door open.) Tiana: "Hey, sexy. Dinner's at- (Sees Ella standing there:) Whoa, whoa! What're you doing out of work so early?" Ella: (Simply:) "I quit." Tiana: "What?" Ella: (Jumps up to sit on the counter:) "You know, Louis, he's-" Tiana: "Yeah, I know what Louis is. He's what you grin and bear so that the singles in your savings jar don't get lonely." Ella: "I'll figure something out." Tiana: "What's Henry gonna say? You know, he's already out there working two jobs. So now-" Ella: "I know, I know, but hey, who's side are you on? You think I should work for that bully all my life?" Tiana: "Of course not. I just see how hard Henry's working and-" Ella: "Oh, way to make me feel so much better." Tiana: "You're right, I'm sorry. Wanna stay for dinner?" Ella: "No, that's okay." Tiana: "Drinks?" Ella: "Oh god, yes." Tiana: (Laughs:) "Then get your butt off my counter and pour the wine." Ella: (Salutes:) "Yes, Ma'am." Swan-Mills House. Night Time. (Emma lays on her stomach on the bed, Maria gurgling contentedly beside her. Regina enters from the bathroom, a tub of cream in her hand.) Regina: "There they are, my two favourite girls." Emma: "This is so embarrassing." Regina: (Smiling:) "Oh hush, you don't hear Maria complaining." (Emma turns her attention to her daughter while Regina applies the cream to her exposed backside.) Emma: "Isn't there a spell that can heal this sort of thing?" Regina: "Do you know of one?" Emma: "No. Do you? (Silence:) Regina?" Regina: (A long pause:) "Now where would be the fun in that?" Emma: "I knew it!"  

[zanesgirlfriend]

Excuses | Vlog Squad

Description: The readers boyfriend abuses her and she finally runs out of excuses.

Requested?: yes by anonymous : can u do a imagine where ur dating an abusive boyfriend and the vlog squad finds out

Warnings: Physical and mental abuse!!!

A/N: i tried to make this as realistic and angsty as possible, but ive never been abused thankfully and i only vaguely remember what happened between my parents so sorry if its not as realistic as you’d hoped!!

_____

“I tripped over the curb of the sidewalk.”

“I was trying to slide down the stairs in a cardboard box and it did not go so well.”

“I slipped in the shower.”

She always had an excuse for what he did to her. Her love for him was stronger than the pain and hate deep inside. Love always wins, right? At least that’s what she told herself. It’s not like she had a new injury every day, but every few weeks she would cry in the shower as she thought of some clumsy thing that could realistically cause the bruises. Her friends always called her the clumsy one. She would pretend to trip in the background while they were filming just to make her story more believable. Little did they know that she couldn’t cover up what was about to happen.

“You fucking bitch.” He screamed at her as soon as he walked in the door. She felt the tears already starting to form as she ran through all the things she could’ve done wrong. She hated disappointing him and making him mad. He walked into the kitchen of their apartment and opened up the fridge for a beer. “I told you to stop hanging out with them.” He slammed the fridge door and twisted off the top to his Corona.

“They’re my friends.” She defended herself, immediately regretting the words as they left her mouth. He walked towards her, causing her to wince.

“First I see you at a party without me in one of their videos, and now you’re talking back to me?” He hollered. She backed up as far as she could into the corner of the couch. Her ears were ringing as he continued to raise his voice. He went on and on before a tear slipped her eye. “Oh, now you’re crying. The little pussy is fucking crying. Yeah, I picked a real good one, didn’t I?” He watched her stand up and walk towards the bathroom before digging his fingers into her arm.

“Where are you going?” He pulled her towards him.

“To the bathroom.” Her voice was mousy and she was shaking as she answered him.

“I’m not done fucking talking to you!” He threw her to the ground with a thud. She let out a small whimper as he climbed on top of her. “You deserve this.” He punched her cheek with a hard fist. “You’re probably cheating on me with one of your ‘friends’ right?” His fist popped her jaw. “You fucking that David guy?” His left hand hit her other cheek. “Or is it Jeff?” His knuckles hit her right eye. “This is for those wimpy fucking tears.” He punched her eye again, immediately causing it to swell.

She was knocked out by the second punch, and didn’t wake up until he was already gone the next morning. Her body struggled to leave the floor, but she eventually made it into the bathroom. Her face was throbbing, and her eye was swollen shut. Her one working eye slowly opened and looked into the mirror. She was horrified. Her face was purple and blue. The left side of her face had a swollen cheek and jawline, and her right eye was almost the size of an orange.

She cried for hours.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” She muttered to herself over and over as she attempted to cover her face with makeup. It didn’t work. The water in the shower stung her face as she cleaned her body. She sat on the edge of her bed for a while as she thought over her relationship. It was all her fault. She should’ve told him about the party. She should’ve never talked back. She was wrong, and he was right. That’s always how it is.

The ringtone of her long abandoned phone scared her. She found it in between the couch cushions, and noticed all the texts and calls from her friends. They loved her, but he loved her more, right? Her phone rang again. It was Zane.

“Hello?” She squeaked out.

“Hey baby, how are you?” She could practically hear his smile through the phone. She cleared her throat.

“Hey Zane, I’m not the best. I walked into a pole, so my face is pretty messed up.” She chuckled, the excuse leaving her lips almost automatically.

“Y/n, how are you so clumsy? Send me a picture! Also come hang out with us, David needs more people for a bit anyways.” Zane proposed. Her heart raced. She couldn’t let him see her like this.

“I don’t know, I messed myself up pretty bad, so I don’t really want anyone to see me, it’s kinda embarrassing.” She giggled at the end and realized she was still only wrapped in a towel. She dug through her closet for clothes to wear.

“It can’t be that bad, pleaseeeeeee come over? We miss you!” He begged. She convinced herself that her excuse would work and agreed to go hang out.

A hat and sunglasses adorned her face as she speed-walked through the garage of her building. She repeated her excuse over and over during the car ride to David’s as if she was afraid she would forget it and mention what really happened to her.

“Hey.” She muttered and closed the door behind her.

“Hey, y/n!” Natalie smiled at her.

“Where have you been?” Erin asked.

“What’s with the hat?” Todd asked. Everyone’s attention was on her and she hated it.

“I, uh, I walked into a pole. I’m surprised Zane didn’t tell you about it, it was pretty funny.” She attempted to spin the attention onto Zane, but everyone was still staring at her.

“Let us see.” David said softly, putting his camera down.

They wouldn’t leave her alone. She felt her anxiety course through her body. After minutes of begging, she realized she couldn’t just not show them her face, and slowly lifted her head.

Her hat was removed and she slowly took off her sunglasses, looking at her beloved friends through one eye.

“Oooh.”

“What the fuck?”

“A pole did that?”

She stuttered and stammered and repeated the whole ‘I ran into a pole’ thing.

“How did you run into a pole with both sides of your face?” Jeff questioned, and everyone else started to wonder too. Y/n felt any tears she had left queue up behind her eyes. She was ready to explode.

The group started to register what was really going on and chased after her as she ran back outside.

“David, close the gate!” Natalie screamed at him. He grabbed the clicker and hit the button, hoping he did it fast enough.

Y/n attempted to back out of his driveway, but couldn’t slip through the gate quick enough. She broke down. Put the car in park and just cried. They banged on her windows, begging her to let at least one of them in. They whispered to themselves about the situation as they waited for her to come around.

“Y/n, we love you, and we just want to know what’s going on!” Mariah spoke loud enough for her to hear it through the window. She opened her one eye and looked at the group surrounding her. Her heart was torn in two, conflicted about weather or not to choose her friends or her boyfriend.

She looked at her phone.

Where’s your car?

Why aren’t you home?

Where the fuck are you????

Get your ass back here right now.

His texts made her cry even more. Her friends were right and she couldn’t take it anymore. Her window rolled down slowly.

“Can I just talk to the girls for a while?” She sheepishly asked the group. Everyone nodded and she finally got out of the car. The girls huddled around her and brought her back inside into Natalie’s room.

She looked down at her lap as she explained everything. The yelling, the mistakes, the abuse. All of it. When she looked back up all the girls had tears rolling down their faces. She looked around at all the girls that had her back. Mariah, Natalie, Carly, and Erin. Plus all of the boys and other friends that weren’t there. A huge wave of relief left her shoulders as she hugged the group.

“We’re gonna make sure he gets what he deserves.” Carly told her.

“Yeah, and you can stay here if your apartment is too scary.” Natalie added. “We can treat every night like a cute little sleepover!” She attempted to brighten the mood. Y/n smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time.

Erin explained what happened to the boys and they all ran into Natalie’s room. Y/n winced out of instinct, but relaxed into the tight hug of all the boys.

“Thank you guys for caring about me.” She smiled to all of her friends.

“Thank you fo-” David started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Where’s y/n?” Her boyfriend peered past David, searching for her in the house.

“How’d you get in here, the gate’s closed?” He asked, somewhat intimidated by the man.

“I know she’s here. I saw her location.” He ignored David’s question.

“She’s not, you need to leave.” David asserted, but the man wasn’t in the mood to take orders.

“Y/n!” He screamed, pushing past David and into the house. All of her old thoughts came rushing back as soon has she heard his voice. She started for the door, but Zane pulled her back.

“No, he’s not good for you.” He whispered to her as Jeff, Todd, and Scott went out into the hallway. Natalie shut and locked the door, not wanting the man to get near y/n.

Should I call the police?

Nat texted David, wondering if the boys could handle him.

Yes. Now.

He replied and she immediately dialed 911.

“I have the right to see my girlfriend!” He screamed as the boys kept pushing him back into the living room. David turned on his camera and placed it on the table, knowing it would be good for evidence.

“You don’t have the right to beat her up! Now, get the fuck out of here!” Todd screamed back. The man threw the first punch, hitting Todd in the nose. Jeff punched the man in return, but he was stronger than Jeff and landed one to his jaw. All three of the guys put their weight on the man, pinning him to the ground.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Jeff asked him, mad that he even had the audacity to come get y/n.

“Our relationship has nothing to do with you, now let me the fuck go, you meathead!” He spit at the boys and struggled under their weight. Y/n cried into Zane’s chest as all of the girls listened to the yelling and thuds of bodies hitting the floor.

“It’s not a fucking relationship, it’s abuse.” David added in from across the room.

“Oh, yeah, why don’t you get over here, pretty boy? I can take you!” He screamed from the floor.

David texted Natalie again, asking the status of the police.

Almost here, make sure the gate is open

He opened the gate and walked outside. The police showed up and he led them inside to the pile of men on the floor.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as they watched him get in the squad car. Police received statements from everyone and took a USB of the footage from David’s camera. Y/n spent an hour telling them everything he did to her, before everyone took a group trip to the hospital. Todd’s nose was broken, but everyone else was fine. Y/n got treated for her wounds from the previous night. She spent the next month at David’s house, too scared to sleep alone in her apartment. David posted a ten minute video about the signs of abuse in a friend, and used his platform to raise awareness on domestic abuse. Y/n was astounded by the overwhelming support of her friends, and was happier than she’d ever been before.

The crooked man spent a very long time in jail.

[mymoodwriting]

Perfect Love

Bang Chan/Jisung, Bang Chan/Felix, Felix/Jisung

Genre: Yandere AU

Warning: Drugs, Alcohol, Lies, Creep, Kidnapping, Break Up

Words: 2.2K

Chapters:

One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Epilogue

Prompt: When Jisung started dating Chan it was a lot of fun, but that’s all it was and he wanted more. It was a mutual break up, or at least he thought it was. He had no idea what Chan was capable of, that is until he finally went to his house, carried into it actually. A second chance at love is entirely out of his control, and he might not have been the first of Chan’s lovers to be in this position.

   Jisung sat on the stairs to the second floor, empty cup in hand. He looked around, people talking, dancing, making out, it was similar to how it all started. He was always invited to parties, he enjoyed the atmosphere, a place to let loose with friends and strangers, meet people too. That’s how he met Chan.

   The music was loud and Jisung was dancing alone, just enjoying the rhythm. Chan approached him, hypnotized by his moves. They danced together for a while before going for a drink. They started talking and hit it off, going from there. It was fun, but that’s all it ever was. The two would go to parties together, dance, kiss, fuck, but there was nothing more. Jisung wanted more, he tried a few times to take the next step but Chan never followed.

   This was the night he was gonna break things off. He wasn’t heartbroken or anything, he just wanted to make it clear that whatever was going on between him and Chan was over. He waited around for when the party died down, going out to the backyard campfire to talk with Chan. The other was somewhat tipsy but he’d understand.

“I could barely find you tonight.”

   Chan had started roasting some marshmallows, offering Jisung some but he refused.

“Look… I don’t know how to… like not sound like a dick, but I’m just gonna say it.”

“What?”

“I think we’re done.”

“Done?”

“Yeah, like, we should break up.”

“Break up? What? What did I do?”

“Nothing, nothing… and that’s kinda the point.”

“Jisung.” Chan grabbed the other boys hands, letting the marshmallows burn. “Whatever this is, I can do better. Talk to me okay, we can work this out.”

“It’s not like that okay. Don’t get me wrong this has been fun but… we’ve been dating for like four months and we haven’t taken the next step. I’ve tried to but you don’t seem to want that.”

“What do you mean?”

“We go to these parties together but… I don’t know much about you. You’ve been to my place, but I don’t know where you live or what you do.”

“I was studying medicine but that’s behind me.” Chan blurted out. “And you can come over to my place right now if you want.”

“Chan, you’re not hearing me.” Jisung pulled his hands away. “I just don’t think things are going to work out between us. You’re great, you’re a lot of fun to be with, but I want more from someone.”

“I can do better, give me a chance, Jisung. I’ll do-”

“No!”

  Jisung had raised his voice, startling both of them. He stood up, pacing around for a moment, taking a breath. Chan watched him, his leg shaking, nervous over Jisung’s next words. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling more sober now. He didn’t want to lose the other.

“Jisung… please…”

“Don’t make this harder than it has to be okay. We had fun, but we’re better off as friends. Can you understand that?”

  It was quiet between them, the only things around were the low music from the house and the crackling fire, and the smell of burnt marshmallows. Chan was clearly upset with it all, but he nodded. It seemed like he had come to terms with what he was told.

“Yeah. Sorry I couldn’t be… better.”

“You’re great the way you are and you’ll find someone who appreciates you.”

“You too. Can I drive you home at least?”

“You shouldn’t be driving tonight, I’m calling a cab and so should you.”

“Oh, right. I will then.”

“Have a good night, Chan”

“You too.”

  Jisung was relieved as he left the party. He had been worried that Chan wouldn’t take it well, the boy was kind and sweet but he had his very energetic moments. Sometimes it seemed like he was capable of a lot more, the way his eyes shone, it was a bit scary, and hot.

    Thankfully the break up seemed to be mutual, no hard feelings. At least that’s what it looked like on the outside, Jisung didn’t really know if Chan was okay or just pretended to be. He wasn’t going to completely cut him off, they could go out partying some time in the future, but for now he’d at least want some space between them.

   He called a cab, getting home a while later, safe and sound. He lived alone in a small apartment, worked during the day, took online classes to one day do more with his life. After a shower he settled into bed. He checked his phone, seeing a message from Chan. He was worried it might be a drunk text, begging for another chance, but he smiled to see it was merely asking if he was home safe.

   It was rather sweet so he replied, not wanting to worry the other one. They both wished each other good night, Jisung staying up a while longer browsing social media before closing his eyes, letting sleep take him.

♥♥♥♥♥

  Jisung was a bit concerned that Chan might message him a lot, might wanna try to rekindle their relationship, but luckily it was quiet, so he didn’t have anything to worry about. It was actually weeks before he heard from Chan again, bumping into him at another party. He didn’t feel awkward, that phase had passed, but they didn’t hang out much, not until later.

“So… um… how have you been?”

   Chan had made his way over to the bar where Jisung was sat alone. The other boy gave him a soft smile, drink in hand, a bit tipsy.

“I’ve been good, and you?”

“The same… have you… found that special someone yet?”

“No, then again, I haven’t really been looking.”

“Still not over me then?”

Jisung scoffed. “Yeah maybe.”

“We could always… you know… try again?”

“No, I think we’ve had our run.”

“Yeah, maybe it’s just the alcohol talking.”

“It’s late, I should go home.”

“Do you need a ride?”

“No thanks, don’t wanna bother you.”

“It’s no bother really. I’m sober, promise.”

  Jisung stared at Chan for a long while, he ultimately agreed, thinking there was no harm. Chan was happy, helping Jisung to the car, not wanting him to hurt himself. The boy was a bit tipsy, stumbling, but he trusted he was safe in Chan’s hand. He got into the passenger seat, Chan putting his seatbelt on.

“Do you still live in the same place?”

“Yeah…”

“Okay, I’ll get you home. Do you have all your things?”

“Um…”

  Jisung looked in his bag, phone, keys, wallet. He happily nodded at Chan, the car starting and them driving off. Jisung rested his head on the window, mostly drowsy, somewhat falling asleep. After a while he came to realize he didn’t recognize the streets around him. He sat up, more awake than before, looking around.

“Chan… where are we? This isn’t-”

“It’s a short cut.”

“Short…”

  He didn’t recognize anything, he looked at the time, short cut or not he should have been home by now. He glanced over at Chan, feeling nervous, maybe a ride wasn’t a good idea.

“Chan, let me out.”

“Huh? We’re almost there.”

“Stop the car.”

“Sungie.”

“I’m gonna throw up stop the car!”

  The car came to a stop, Jisung fumbled with his seatbelt and stumbled out of the car. He hadn’t been lying about throwing up, the second he was on the pavement he puked. He heard the other car door open, and scrambled over to the sidewalk. At least he tried, Chan was quick to grab him, strangle him, choking him out.

“Sh, sh, sh, it’s okay, you’re going to be okay.”

“Chan… what are…”

“I thought a lot about it you know. What you said to me, I should have given you more attention right? So, I’m gonna do it right this time. We’re gonna start over, a new beginning.”

   Jisung panicked the more he heard, he wanted to get away, but he had no strength. He could barely breathe, the edges of his vision going dark. Although he didn’t completely pass out, Chan let him go, let him fall to the ground panting. It wasn’t long before hands were clasped around him, dragging him back to the car.

“No… Chan…”

“I’m gonna take care of you Sungie, the right way.”

  Jisung was helpless as he was put back in the passenger seat. Chan had a smile on his face, reaching into the glove compartment and pulling out a syringe. Before Jisung could protest his head was tilted to the side and the needle dug into his neck.

“Just a sedative, don’t want you stressed out.”

“Chan…” Jisung grabbed his arm. “This is… wrong.”

“No it’s not, I’m going to make you so happy!”

  Chan closed the door, getting back in the driver’s seat and driving. Jisung could only stare out the window, silent tears slipping down his cheeks. He was rather surprised when the car pulled up into the driveway of a two story house.

“This is your first time at my place, exciting. I’m sorry I never brought you before, I didn’t think I’d ever need to, but honestly, I should have brought you here a long time ago.”

  The sound of the engine turning off made Jisung whimper. He had no idea what would come next, he closed his eyes when Chan got out of the car. If he had more room to move he might have tried to get away, but everything was fuzzy, so it was easy for him to be carried out of the car and towards the front door. When he tried to move he nearly fell over, but Chan caught him.

“Easy there, come on, let’s go inside.”

“Chan…”

“You’ll love it.”

  He was brought inside, the sound of the door closing behind him making him whimper again. He looked around, trying to assess the situation. The dining room to the left, the living room to the right, stairs leading to the second floor in front of him, and he could see the kitchen down the hall. It was actually a nice house, he started to wonder what Chan did for a living to afford such a place.

“Chan?”

    Jisung’s attention was drawn to another voice. He heard footsteps above, then saw a boy running down the stairs. It took a moment, but Jisung had to focus to realize the boy was only wearing briefs or very short shorts, and wore an oversized shirt, clearly Chan’s. He had a big smile on his face and ran over to hug Chan, nuzzling his neck.

“Hey, did you miss me?” Chan ruffled the boys hair.

“Of course I did! I always miss you.”

  Jisung was starting to think maybe this was all a bad dream. No way this guy just ran down to hug Chan and not acknowledge his presence. He tried to get away again, but he was just held tighter.

“Oh, right. Felix, this is your new friend, Jisung.”

“Hello, I’m Felix!”

“Help…”

“For now he’ll be staying in your old room.”

“In the basement?”

“Yup, can you help me?”

“Of course!”

  Felix ran over, the door to the basement apparently under the stairs. Jisung was properly picked up and carried, he weakly hit Chan, but it only made the older boy chuckle. The basement was rather nice, creepy might be a better word, the walls painted white, the floor tiles matching. He didn’t get to see much else before he was carried into a room and laid on a mattress. He hated himself for finding it comfy and snuggling against the blanket.

“Should I run a bath for him?” Felix asked. “He smells like alcohol.”

“No.” Chan kissed Felix’s head. “He’ll just rest for tonight.”

“He’s crying though? Did I cry?”

“At first, but you got better, right?”

“Thanks to you.”

“Yeah. Now go on, I’ll see you in bed.”

“You’re not gonna eat?”

“I’m not hungry, but thanks. Go.”

  Felix smiled then headed out, his footsteps going upstairs being heard. Chan waited till it was quiet then kneeled over Jisung, petting his head. Another whimper escaped his lips, he grabbed Chan’s hand, using whatever strength he had to squeeze it.

“What… are you… doing? Please…”

“I told you, we’re gonna start over and I’m going to do this right.”

  Chan left the room, Jisung’s eyes focusing on the door. He tried to crawl over, he was halfway out of bed when Chan came back. This time he was sat up against the wall, stripped out of his clothes, left only in briefs. His eyes landed on another syringe, this time his arm being grabbed.

“You studied… medicine… right?”

“You remembered.” Chan caressed his cheek. “So sweet. Only for a while though, it was interesting, but I wanted to write music more. I still remember a lot though, so don’t worry, you’re in good hands.”

   That did nothing to ease his mind, just made things worse. He started feeling drowsy again, probably another sedative. Chan took his shirt off and dressed Jisung in it, laying him down and tucked in.

“Sleep well, Sungie. I’ll see you in the morning.”

[gloriousstudentfury-love]

The Death of Mrs. Resnick ✰

y/n’s POV

I sat squished between Alex and his baseball gear, on the way to one of his games. I wasn't my plan to go, but Penelope and Alex didn't really give me much of a choice.

"Mom, I'm gonna miss the first pitch. Go faster!" Alex groaned

"Alex, you know Mrs. Resnick doesn't go faster. Unless we're going downhill, then she might not stop." Penelope sighed, grilling tighter on the steering wheel

"We are so late. Just try." He complained, slouching further down into his seat

She slammed the petal to go faster and the car started rattling. I held on to my seat with slight fear of stopping in the middle of LA traffic.

"Mom, I smell gas." Elena said

"All right." Penelope nodded, whipping out a bottle of air freshener to get rid of the smell

"Wow, That smells nice. What is that?" I asked, slightly sniffing the air

"It's Hawaii." She smiled

"Maybe the car's mad because papi stuck it with a name like Mrs. Resnick." Elena joked

"You know your papi named her after a hot teacher he had a crush on." Penelope informed her kids

"Our math teacher is pretty hot." I said16

Alex flicked me and I flicked him back. We got into a flicking war until he decided to speak up about the car, again.

"Yeah, but by now I bet Mr. Resnick's traded her in for a younger model." Alex said, making me smack off his hat

"That's not funny papito." Penelope snapped

"It's not funny. Society treats middle aged women shamefully. I read a study online-" Elena started, prepared to go on a full on rant

"Okay, who wants to hear some tunes?" Penelope interrupted

We all groaned, as she began to play a sappy live song. Penelope smiled at the song choice and began to sing along. Elena grew annoyed with the obnoxious music and paused it.

"Aw, right before the good part." Penelope complained

"There is no good part." I commented

"That CD has been stuck in this car my whole life." Elena said

"Uh, excuse me? It's a cassingle." Penelope said, offended by Elena's words

All of a sudden the car began to make sounds started slowing down. I looked out the window to notice the other cars attempting to pass the one we were in.

"Why are we slowing down? Who turned on the AC? You know Mrs. Resnick can't handle that!" Penelope freaked

"I'm sorry, but it's 90 degrees and you won't let us roll the windows down." Elena apologized with a small sigh

"Because then they don't go back up. And it's only a crime to leave children in a hot car if it's parked. I looked it up!" Penelope continued to rant

The car stopped and we all sighed as we sat in the middle of the street.

"Great. Okay, guys. You know the drill." Penelope spoke

We all held hands in prayer, while Penelope tried to fix the car the broken down car. She turned the key in the ignition and the engine started. We all cheered in happiness as the car began to more forward again.

"See? Mrs. Resnick's still got it." Penelope said

The engine sputtered one last time before it finally died out, with no chance of starting it up again.

"It's probably 20 minutes until the tow truck gets here. So, what should we do to pass them time?" Penelope asked after she'd called a company and let them know about where we were

She smirked before she started to play her music again. I sighed but ultimately let a smile take over my face when I realized that me and Alex were still holding hands from our prayer.. Maybe I do like my best friend, as much as I'd rather not admit.

____________

Later, we walked into the Alvarez apartment to find Lydia on the couch with a face mask on. I've used plenty of face masks before, so I wasn't to bothered to find the woman's face covered.

"Oh, hello." Lydia greeted

"What are you doing, Mami?" Penelope asked with a small laugh

"This is supposed to make your skin glow. It's called a shit mask." Lydia said

We all laughed at the way she pronounced it, while I took a seat in the arm chair besides the couch.

"Mami, 'sheet'. It's called a sheet mask." Penelope said, putting emphasis on the proper way to pronounce it

"That's what I said, shit." She repeated, finding no difference in the way we pronounced it vs the way she did

"So, would you say you are sheet-faced right now?" Elena joked

"Stop! Or the sheet will hit the fan." Penelope joined in

"You are back so late, I decided to have a little me time." Lydia commented

"Can you feel it working? Hey, guys." Schneider greeted, coming out from the kitchen wearing a similar mask.

His phone alarm went off, making me jump a bit. He took it out of his pocket, and smiled at the older woman on the couch.

"And we are 29 again." Schneider smiled as they took off their masks, "Where you guys been? And why didn't you text me?"

I knew his last question was pointed at me, so I gave him a small smile, "My phone died."

"Mrs. Resnick broke down again and had to be towed to the mechanic." Elena said, referring to the first question he had asked

"Hector's lookin at it now." Penelope said

"Oh, how is Hector? I feel like I haven't seen him in days." Lydia said

"Oh, papito. What happened to your pants?" Elena asked, smirking at the tear in Alex's pants

"I ripped them getting out of the trunk." Alex said, glaring at me as I laughed

"You keep him in the trunk now?" Lydia asked

"No, the doors got stuck again so we all had to climb out through the back." Penelope said

"It's terrible. Now the whole team calls me "Butt-Trunk Boy." Alex groaned

"They could've call you 'junk in the trunk.' It was right there." I added, still laughing at his accident

The cell phone rang and Penelope picked it up, letting us know it was Hector. Not wanting to bother myself with information about the car, I made my to the kitchen to get some food.

When I came back in, Penelope was in the middle of telling the story of her first date with their father.

"He even wrote our initials in a little heart in the bill. I still have it somewhere." She said, making me smile even though I hadn't heard the rest of the story

"Aw, you never take us to Malibu." Alex said

"That's what you got from that story?" I asked, popping some of the grapes I stole into my mouth

"Yeah, but the good news is you're getting a new car." Schneider said

"Oh, sure, I'll just have the butler pick it up." She sarcastically replied

"Oh, butlers work at the estate." Schneider said laughing, "Chauffeurs pick up the car."

"Lupe, if you need money for a car, I am here to help. I will teach dance again! It is a gift that I have withheld from the world far too long." Lydia declared with a large smile

"She taught me how to salsa. She was amazing." Schneider agreed

"I do it for the joy. You owe me $30." Lydia said, pointing at the tall man

"Okay, well, why don't we take public transportation and reduce our carbon footprint? It's the best way to save money, and besides, I don't want you to have to go into my college fund." Elena said

"College fund? You see that dish of change by the door? That's your college fund. Well, not the quarters, cause I need that for laundry." Penelope laughed

"Elena, mi niña, a family needs a car. In Cuba, my best memories are the long rides with my papi in a Chevy the size of this apartment. It was glorious. His beloved daughter on one side and on the other, his beloved bottle of rum." Lydia said

"That sounds dangerous." Alex commented

"No, no, no, no, we didn't have seatbelts back then. We would just roll out quick." Lydia insisted

"Well, I'm going to start taking public transportation, you know, to help atone for the environmental devastation that my ancestors and their gas guzzlers so cruelly left to this earth." Elena said

"Why does everything have to be a crusade that is also annoying?" Lydia asked

"Abuelita is right. We need a car, but we can't afford a car. Unless we get a crazy good deal, which means we're screwed, because... car salesman are scary." Penelope said

"But not to you. You were in the Army!" Alex said

"Yeah, you're always saying you're a badass." Elena agreed

"I am a badass! But I'm also kind of a scaredy cat, you know, because .... I never bought a car before, you know? That salesman is gonna see me coming a mile away. Then he's gonna do that thing where he talks to the guy. And then they're gonna day something about floor mats, and then blah blah blah, I wake up in an ice tub, because someone took my kidneys." Penelope said

I shut my eyes and zoned out the rest of their conversation.

____________

The next day, Schneider, Alex, and I all came back from Alex's baseball game. Again, I was dragged from ballet practice to the game, because Schneider insisted he needed moral support. Not for Alex, but himself.

"Mom, today was the best!" Alex grinned, slamming open the door

"Ooh!" Penelope cheered, noticing all of our happy expressions

"Everyone saw me in Schneider's Range Rover and thought I was a total pimp!" Alex laughed

I rolled my eyes at the boy's excitement. You'd think he'd be happy that they won the game, but he cared more for his bragging rights.

"Don't say pimp or you'll get grounded!" Penelope snapped

"Seriously, Mom. His car is amazing. The seats warm up. You wouldn't think you'd want a warm butt... but you totally do." Alex said

"It's all the best parts of peeing your pants without any wetness." Schneider said

"You should've seen Schneider. The other parents were obsessed." I said, finally joining in on their conversation

"Connie Merkelson told me she's never seen someone slice apples with such grace." Schneider said as me and Alex headed to his room.

______________

Schneider has fallen asleep after we finished watching a bunch of romantic comedies, so I decided to go see my friend. Knowing everyone else was probably asleep, I took Schneider's main key and quietly opened the door

"Alex!!" I whispered knocking on his door

"What?" He asked gently opening it, so I could come in

"Schneider fell asleep and.. I don't think that needs a further explanation." I said, taking a spot on the end of his bed

"That's not as bad as the signs that my Abuelita put around town." He said, shuddering at the memory

"Also, here's your sweatshirt back. I borrowed it that day you spilt food all over me, so here." I said handing him the grey hoodie

"Nah. Keep it. Looks better on you anyway." He smiled going back to the homework that sat on his desk

I blushed lightly at his comment, but brushed it off before composing myself once again

"Did your mom get a new car?" I asked, changing the subject

"Uh huh, it's no Range Rover but it's nice." He smiled

"Mhm." I said, flopping onto his bed, "Wake me up if I fall asleep."

______________

Yeet! Update! Also, what are some other shows you guys would like to see? I need ideas. 

[atamascolily]

lily liveblogs “terminator 2: judgement day” for the first time

Nothing says "Christmas season" like watching bloody action movies! Well, there is "Die Hard," but I'm watching Terminator 2: Judgement Day, aka "James Cameron Was Mad He Didn't Put Those Ten Minutes of Subplot He Filmed Into the Theatrical Cut of the First Terminator, So He Made An Entire Movie About It Instead Because He Could”.

Ok, so I have the "Extreme Edition", whatever that means. The menu options for the DVD include "Sensory Control" (for subtitle options) and "Jump Into Timeline". Every now and then a super-creepy T-2 metallic head drops into frame to remind you to press play. I'm loving this.  

Cars in L.A. traffic. Children laughing on a playground in the '90s. Cut to the Apocalyptic Nightmare Future with the busted cars and skeletons for drivers. Everything's STILL IN PLACE the way it was when Judgement Day happened. Oooh, yeah, just cut to the wrecked playground with a pile of human skulls, in case we didn't get the memo.

(for the record, I'm pretty sure nuclear winter would actually NOT WORK LIKE THIS, but it looks cool, and James Cameron seems to be really good at this kind of parallels between present and future, so I'm rolling with it.)

Sarah Connor narrates the introductory spiel, and we're treated to basically the same opening as T1, except much higher budget everything. Lots of laser beams and explosions and fireballs, plus scary metal Terminators roaming around that the last movie did NOT have the budget for. (plus the audiences have already seen that in T1, so it's okay to show them in the intro, since I assume an EVEN SCARIER TERMINATOR FINAL FORM is coming).

We're only 3 minutes into the movie and the filmmakers have already spent like a tenth of their total budget on SFX and twice the total costs of the first movie. 

It occurs to me as Sarah is narrating, who is she narrating to? Just us, or some other characters? I strongly suspect we'll see some other characters when this film finally cuts to her.

How does Sarah know about a second strike? Didn't we establish in the last movie that there was only one Terminator that went through the portal before the humans got to it?? Are they retconning that now?

Instead of '80s synth and logo during the credits, we get a more symphonic treatment of the main theme, plus THE PLAYGROUND ON FIRE because SYMBOLISM for the destruction of CHILDHOOD INNOCENCE, amirite?? And then we cut to the SCARY METALLIC RED-EYED TERMINATOR SKELETON IN FLAMES because THAT is the defining image of this francise, the one that James Cameron had NIGHTMARES about that he decided to give to EVERYBODY ELSE by making these films.

I just realized how much the Terminator head in that shot looks like a human skull, THAT'S SO INTENTIONAL AAAAAH.

Cut to a truck driving off without its cargo, trash on the ground. Sparks fly, a wind picks up, it's night, we've been here before... This time the budget is higher, so we actually get to SEE the sphere instead of people just kind of appearing... and it carves a hole in one of the trucks. This ALSO didn't happen in T1. Nudity is still mandatory, though. It's still Arnold. You can tell it's an upgraded model Terminator based on his computer system menus. He still beats up tattooed punks to steal their clothes, only instead of stoned punks, these are long-haired motorcycle dudes in some sort of pool bar.

Oh, wow, there are a lot of people in this bar. A woman with a cigarette and a nose ring is checking the Terminator out. This is going to go well. Country music blares on the soundtrack.

He's looking for the dude with the best motorcycle. Tells him to give him his stuff. This is just like the first movie, but different. The dude is unimpressed, though why I'm not sure, because the Terminator is super-intense, and super-buff.

But the motorcycle dude blows smoke in his face--the T2 model scan says "carcinogen vapors", which is a) hilarious, and b) SO DIFFERENT FROM THE "EVERYBODY IS ALWAYS SMOKING EVERYWHERE" vibe of 1984--a sign of the evolving social norms. Then the motorcycle dude grinds his cigar into the Terminator's bare skin... and of course there's no reaction.

One dude goes through a window onto the front window of what may well be his car(?). The original dude goes flying into the kitchen and lands on a stove, which is horrific, but also karmic payback. Another gets stabbed with his own knife. I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, CAMERON. Burned guy tries to pull a gun on the Terminator, but surrenders his keys and his clothes without a fight. Terminator goes outside in record time, because the dude he tossed on the car window is still there.

The bartender comes out with a gun, fires a shot into the air, and tells the Terminator to get off the bike. This is going to end poorly for him, especially since "Bad to the Bone" is playing in the background. Terminator takes both the gun and the guy's shades while the dude just watches, incredulously. YOU GOT LUCKY YOU'RE NOT HIS TARGET/MISSION, pal.

(also: this movie is such an obvious social commentary about how being armed really doesn't help you against a real threat, American fantasies to the contrary)

Cut to more blowing trash, more buildings, more trucks, a police car, electricity. The future is calling! (Oh good, this person's either going to be chased by the police OR Take their stuff.)

Dramatic hole in the fence from the future sphere thing. Yeah, this definitely wasn't a thing in the first movie, but it does look cool in this shot! Yep, there goes the policeman!

New dude's first order of business is to look up John Connor's name in the computer in the police car. Apparently, John Connor has a criminal record - trespassing, shoplifting, disturbing the peace, vandalism. He doesn't live with Sarah... he's got a guardian, and the address is in the computer.

Cut to the suburbs. It's wholesome, white-bread America. His foster mother yells at him. John is a teenage motorcycle punk, but in a clean, wholesome way. His friend has very '90s hair, though.

John's friend thinks that his foster mom is a "dick," but frankly, I see no evidence why we should hate her thus far. Her husband comes out to tell John to clean his room, but he and his little friend are already zipping away on their motorcycle, and the little friend is holding a miniature boombox, and it's so '90s, I have to pause so I can laugh for a while. Also, this rebelliousness is what's going to save his life when the Terminator comes for him. I guess the foster parents are framed as nagging assholes so we don't care so much when they die??

(also, what do you want to bet Sarah taught John to ride a motorcycle??)

John Connor is a little dick who thinks he's so clever, and he doesn't have to do anything because these aren't his real parents. His foster dad smokes, and doesn't say anything, probably because he's already made it clear to his wife that room cleaning is not high on his priority list. Fuck him.

Sarah's doing pull-ups in her cell. THOSE ARM MUSCLES, OH MY GOD. She's 29 years old. SUCH A CHANGE from the waitress with the '80s hair from the first film. Everything's so white, it's a state psychiatric ward for women. Men in suits discussing Sarah's case.

THIS IS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO KYLE IF THE TERMINATOR HADN'T BUSTED THE POLICE STATION. *sob*

Is Silbermann - the psychiatrist who examined Kyle in T1 still around? He left the police station right before the Terminator's attack, so I assume he lived... what does he make of Sarah's case? Does he ever follow up? I wonder what's going through his head.

I like how we don't see Sarah's face until she turns to face the doctors. I like how wild and unhinged she looks, how feral. She's changed so much in what, ten years? Thirteen? I think it's 1997, just before Judgement Day, but idk if that's been confirmed yet. Thirteen looks about right for John Connor, so I'm going with that.

Oh, god IT IS DR. SILBERMANN, THAT ASSHOLE!!! How does he explain how both Sarah AND Kyle have schizophrenia, when Sarah was perfectly normal before? And he *know* someone was murdering other Sarah Connors and seemed to be gunning for her, so why...? Was he really that much of an asshole not to suspect that *something* was going on, and Sarah wasn't crazy??

Also, I love "How's the knee?" because she totally hurt him, and I love her. I love how calm she sounds, like she's the one in control not them, because she can hurt them more than they can hurt her.

Sarah stares at the female doctors, and I realize now that Silbermann is doing a tour of the facility LIKE IT'S A ZOO, and... yeah, wow, he really is an asshole. He's the one with delusions, who can't see outside his own sheltered bubble...

I wonder what would happen if Sarah could talk to one of the female doctors? If they could make a connection? Maybe they would believe her. God knows Silbermann isn't going to listen to anyone who doesn't already agree with him.

God, the orderlies are sadist assholes. I fucking hate them. That shot of Sarah lying crumpled on the floor is so beautiful because everything is angelic pristine white and sunny, and so horrifying.

The police dude shows up at John's foster parents' house. We're supposed to think he's good because he's not Arnold, but this person has no facial expressions and he's too calm - compare with Kyle's frantic fumblings. This is not somebody from the human resistance of T1, at least not without some serious retconning. He's too poised and professional, too adept at the 1990s, whereas Kyle Reese had the social skills of a feral racoon and wore pants he stole from a homeless man. Totally different vibe going here.

The knock on the door sequence is so parallel to the original Terminator going to the first Sarah Connor's house in T1... same suburban paradise... and you can get anything when you're a clean-shaven, short-haired white cop, can't you??

Cut to: '90s tech. John and his little friend hacking an ATM. God. Their clothes, their hair, the ATM... everything is peak early '90s, and I can't handle it. We learn that Sarah Connor taught her son how to hack, because of course she does.

John keeps the photo of Sarah in his backpack, awwww. John is so not impressed by his mother, calls her crazy because she took the war to Cyberdyne and WENT BACK AND TRIED TO BLOW UP THE COMPUTER FACTORY AGAIN AFTER KYLE DIED!! (and her son was born)

Q: what did she do with John while she did that? Was he outside waiting for her somewhere? How did the police find him??

It doesn't matter who your parents are, EVERY teenager thinks their parents are "total losers". John has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. His little punk friend thinks Sarah is so cool, and he doesn't know any of this, so I guess they're not THAT good friends??? Since it's John's motorcycle, John's driving, and John's stolen money, I guess the little unnamed punk friend is only hanging out with John because John is so much cooler than him, and needs someone to exposit to??

That shot of a drugged Sarah slumped over her knees on her bed in the shaft of sunlight, with her hair combed is SO BEAUTIFUL, too bad she's a drugged shadow of her usual self...

OH MY GOD, MICHAEL BIEHN IS IN THIS MOVIE, AND HE COMES TO HER, AND HE'S WEARING HIS TRENCH COAT AND TELLING HER SHE HAS TO WAKE UP OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG MY SHIPPER HEART asfhgfkgkfdgjkfdlgf *incoherent screaming* I need a thousand GIF sets of this scene PRONTO.

Kyle: "Where's our son???"

god, Sarah's EYES when she says they took him from her

Kyle is so earnest, so desperate, so much less bedraggled than he ever was in T1... god, he's even wearing that stupid gown under his trench coat that he got in the police station in T1, that detail wrecks me, oh my god, oh my god, this scene is so beautiful, I just want an entire movie of THIS, oh my god...

Sarah is begging Kyle for help, and he grabs her shoulders and tells her she's strong, stronger than she ever thought she could be, LIKE HE'S ALWAYS DONE, OH MY GOD, beautiful cinnamon roll, too good for this world, I love him.

AHHHHHHHHHHH, and then he says "On your feet, soldier!" which is what she said to HIM right before he DIED, and he forces her UP and they EMBRACE and she's sobbing into his shoulder and he hells her he loves her and he always will, and HKGKSFJALFNDBJNJN

I am a melting pile of shipper goo right now, this shot of them in the sunlight is so fucking beautiful, James Cameron HOW DARE YOU THIS IS EVERYTHING I WANTED IN A MOVIE EXCEPT THAT KYLE IS STILL DEAD, DAMN IT, YOU DIDN'T RETCON THAT.

He says he'll always be with her... and he is, because he's a voice in her head, a memory.... ahhhhhhhh my heart...

And he tells her "The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves," which is what SHE SAID TO HIM, oh my GODDDDDDDD.

And they hug and kiss and I could watch a whole movie about this, and then she slumps back and she's alone in her cell in a shaft of sunlight and I just want to cry. whhhhhyyyyy do you have to hurt me this way, why, why why why why whyyyyyy?

Oh wait, he's at the door to the cell, and it's open, telling her there's not much time... and walking away, and she goes out to follow him as he's walking down the hall and everything's so eerily perfect white and shiny and beautiful and SURREAL, fuck, I am so HERE FOR THIS!

God, this is all beautifully shot as she chases after him - and we get a good view of her amazing forearm muscles without objectifying her. The nightgown she's wearing is NOT standard institutional outfit - it looks more like lingerie than State Mental Hospital Standard Issue - but it's not especially revealing, either.

She opens the doors and she's outside and there's that playground again with all the children playing... SYMBOLISM AGAIN.... Sarah is locked out, away from the children, yelling to save them... and then fire.

And she wakes up in her cell and her hair is a mess again, so this time we know it's real -- and her outfit's changed, too, back to the tank top she was originally wearing, so I guess her outfit was part of the dream, too.

(ngl, I wasn't expecting even THIS MUCH of Michael Biehn in this movie, so I will happily take it, but stilllllllll... I WANT MORE, GODDAMN IT!!!)

(this got long, so I’m breaking it up into parts)

[chanzicoup]

Jin

He was sitting front row to your showcase, just as you did for him when he first debuted. He was dancing along to your music when he suddenly heard it all stop. Thinking it was a technical difficulty, Jin made his way closer to the stage to see if he could help, that was when he saw the raw eggs cracked on the ground and seemingly targeted at you since you were covered with it. Jin jumped on stage and went to take you backstage where he began talking you down.

“Are you alright, sweetie? No cuts, right? Don’t worry, we’ll figure out who did this and make sure they get what they deserve.”

Yoongi

He was your producer, first. Then you guys became friends. You and he were against dating within the workplace since you both were strict professionals, but you guys were in love and your members, as well as his, saw that. They got together to make you guys see that you were made for each other, and here you were three years later, happily engaged. No one thought the Min Yoongi would ever settle down with someone, most were overjoyed that their idol found true love, others were not. More specifically, the fans who brought a gun to your fan signing and managed to graze your arm with its bullet. Yoongi wasn’t there, he had his own concert to attend. The minute the last song ended, Yoongi went on his phone to call you and telly ou he was on his way home, only to have your manager pick up and tell him everything that happened.

“Y/N’s been shot. She’s fine right now, but she’s in the hospital.”

“Which one? I’m coming.” Yoongi doesn’t even bother changing his clothes, he just strips himself of his microphones and grabs his jacket and car keys, not caring that he carpooled with the other members and they’re left without a ride home. As far as he knew, the other boys don’t know what happened. But he didn’t care, they’d get over it and understand how he was feeling. All he wanted was to be by your side, even if you were alright physically, getting attacked and even shot would have shaken up even the strongest soldier.

J-Hope

He was doing a collaboration dance with you so you both were on stage at the same time. He saw the security guard grab you and bring you off stage. He thought it was strange since he didn’t recognize the guard, he assumed it was a new hire but he kept an eye on him just in case. He was still onstage after all, the song had just ended. He couldn’t make a scene over what is most likely nothing in front of a full stadium. Then he saw your struggling and trying to yell before the guard put his hand over your mouth and full panic set it. You weren’t being escorted, you were being taken.

“Back off of her!” J-hope said as he ran over and punched the guy in the nose. He let go of you but was angry and ready to throw hands. J-hope was significantly smaller than the so-called guard, but he was faster and no furious that he tried to hurt you. It took three actual security guards to separate the two, but it was clear that J-hope won that fight since he only had a bloody nose while the attacker was basically knocked out. The stadium was silent, cameras recording every single moment. J-hope didn’t care if this was going to get him into trouble, it was self-defense and to protect you.

“Let’s get you home, you shouldn’t be here any longer.” He said as he wrapped his arm around your shoulder and used his free hand to hold yours.

RM

You had gone on tour with him since your group was taking a month-long break, you and he had just gotten back from the concert in Europe and were at the airport now. He saw the shooter, it was a fan he saw getting too close to you way too often. He’d filed reports against her and told security to keep her as far as they could away from you, but apparently, she got through and was now armed. He didn’t even think about it, but when she took aim he jumped right in front of her and pushed the gun down. You got shot in the thigh, but if he hadn’t done that, you know you would have gotten shot in the chest or head and most likely wouldn’t have made it. People began screaming and running away, even the ARMY who were waiting patiently. Security bombarded the scene, pilling the girl and removing her weapon. Medical staff was quick to help you, putting fabric on the bandages to stop the bleeding while an ambulance was on its way. RM sat next to you and held your hands. “Stay awake, baby. You’re going to be okay.” He said as you closed your eyes slightly.

“It hurts.” You cried.

“I know it does, help is on the way.”

(You’re Taehyung in this GIF)

Jimin

He was backstage getting ready to go after your group, you were the opening number for this showcase with your group’s debut while BTS was having their comeback stage after you. Jimin was getting his hair and makeup done while the other members were watching your performance on the monitor. Jimin could see it in the mirror he was sitting at, but he couldn’t move since the stylist was working on the little details. When the members gasped and started yelling for Jimin tot urn around, he stood up quickly and ran over to see what the commotion was about. Someone was throwing trash and rotten food on stage. Then the monitor turned off, “Technical Difficulties” in bold letters covered the screen. Then your group ran backstage in tears, and Jimin came to you first, not caring if he messed up his clothes by hugging you.

“I’m so sorry, baby. We’re gonna find them. Don’t worry about a thing, it’ll be fine.” He whispered in your ear while rubbing your back. He knew how long you had been training, he knew what this meant to you. A debut is the first milestone one has as an idol, and yours was just ruined on live television.

V

Out of all of the members, I could see him being the most protective of his s/o. So he’d always be by their side in public, even if his company told him to keep his relationship a secret until at least the next comeback he would still goe everywhere with you. Even if your relationship wasn’t confirmed, fans were either supporting or ignoring the very idea. Most of them were supportive, luckily. Some were not, as you and V were expecting. Never in a million years would you have thought you were going to be attacked. While V was walking you to your doorstep after dropping you off at home, you and him noticed that your door was left ajar. You swore that you locked it as your left, but V didn’t like how things were looking.

He slowly opened the door and walked in, you trailing behind him. He walked into every room to see if anyone was in the house, you turned around and noticed something on your window. It was splashes of what you hoped was red paint. You looked closer and saw that there was more of it, it led to the kitchen and you ran towards it, screaming when you walked in. “Back off, bitch!” Was written on your wall, ripped or crumbled photos of you and V sitting in the car or hugging in the house taken from a distance scattered the floor. V and after you when he heard you scream, then he saw everything as well.

“We need to call the police. Pack a bag, you and I are gonna stay somewhere else for a while.” V said while pushing you away from it all. He took you to your room and helped you pack some clothes and essentials as he called the police. They arrived and you waited in the car for them to get through their investigation when they came to interview you V had to stand away and it killed him on the inside.

Jungkook

He didn’t know what to think, it all happened so fast. He had a tight grip on your hand and them all of a sudden he didn’t. He tried to stop and look for you but his guards were trying to keep him moving. He told them that he couldn’t find you and that he wasn’t gonna leave you behind. Then he saw you getting caught up in the crowd of girls, getting pushed around and knocked over. You fell down and the girls began walking all over you, literally. Jungkook pushed trough, not even bothering to try to be polite and ask people to move, he shoved them out of the way without a care of how many cameras broke in the process.

He ran over to you and helped you up, hiding your head in his chest since he could tell you were crying. Security then rushed them all into the car and you and Jungkook sat in the back. The other members kept asking if you were alright and you nodded. “I’ll be fine, that was just really scary.”

“As much as I hate to say this, it gets easier. But that doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen. I’ll make sure of that one. Whenever you and I need to go somewhere, I’ll arrange for a separate car to get us somewhere else, or something.” Jungkook tried to sound helpful to reassure you that it won’t even happen again, but most likely he wouldn’t be so sure of himself.

~brianna 

[askthetimetravelboyfriends]

When Marty wakes up he’s still tangled in Doc’s arms, face still nestled against Doc’s chest, and he can feel the soft thumping of his loves heart. His own heart feels like it might explode with love as he gently squeezes the older man. He’d missed this so much; waking up together, wrapped in Doc’s arms.

In that moment, he feels like nothing can hurt him. Nothing matters except the two of them.

Smiling to himself he cuddles closer to Doc and allows his eyes to slip shut again, but he doesn’t go to sleep; he simply lies there and listens to Doc’s gentle breathing. He doesn’t know how long he lies there before he feels Doc stir, and the older man grumbles softly and pulls Marty closer. The teenager snorts a laugh, and he feels his boyfriend smirk against the top of his head.

“What’s so funny?” He teases, and Marty pushes his grin against Doc’s chest.

“Nothing.”

“I’m surprised you’re up before me. Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah.” He sits back and lifts his hand so he can gently cup Doc’s cheek, smoothing his thumb gently over his skin.

The scientist hums softly and leans into it, and for a moment they stay that way. Then Marty’s stomach decides it’s time to mimic a whale call. Doc snorts as he pulls away, and arches a brow.

“Time for breakfast?”

“Maybe.”

~~~~~~~~~

They walk to a small cafe a few blocks down the road, where a lovely middle-aged woman with red hair named Flo takes their order. Marty orders bacon and eggs, Doc springs for the pancakes.

“Is there anything else on the agenda for the day?” Marty asks once Flo has brought them each a steaming mug of coffee.

“We could see a movie, if you’d like.” Doc offers, and Marty’s eyes light up.

“Do you want to see the new Nightmare on Elm Street?” He asks, and Doc scrunches his nose.

“Isn’t that the one that we were told is terrible?”

“By who?”

“The young woman working at the coffee shop in 2016.” He responds, and realization clicks in Marty’s eyes.

“Oh yeah!”

“I believe her exact words were ‘never watch Freddy’s Revenge, it’s the worst one of the seven’”

“Aw come on Doc, we shouldn’t know that, it’s 1985 remember.” He teases, and Doc rolls his eyes playfully.

“Oh, alright.”

~~~~~~~~

“She was right.” Doc comments as they leave the theatre, arms linked together.

“Yeah that uh.. That was bad. That was really bad.” Marty agrees, muffling a soft laugh by turning his face into Doc’s arm. “Look at the bright side though; the third one is apparently really good.”

“Apparently.”

They fall silent, comfortable in each other’s company as head back to the hotel to retrieve their belongings and check out. They head straight up to their room, making quick work of their small amount of luggage.

“Here, love. I’ll meet you in the car.”

“Okay.”

They share a quick kiss before leaving the room, and the elevator ride to the main floor is silent. Once they arrive Doc heads to the counter, and Marty heads straight out the door and to the car, which is only parked about fifty feet from the entrance to the hotel.

He tucks the bag in the backseat and then claims his spot in the passenger side seat, hand reaching for his pocket so he can play on his phone. He hesitates, head jerking upward when he hears faint shouting. Curious and confused, he turns his head toward the door, brows furrowing when he spots a black car with no license plates parked a few feet from said doors.

“That wasn’t there before..” He mutters.

He shifts in his seat, anxiety twisting his stomach, and the shouting gets louder. Concerned for his boyfriend, Marty reaches for the door handle so he can run in and check that everything is okay, but he freezes when a man comes running out of the front door, a black mask over his face.

He shrinks down instinctively so he isn’t seen, fear paralyzing him, and the man shouts something indescernible into the hotel. Without waiting for an answer he leaps into the car, and the passenger side door opens from the inside a moment later.

Seconds feel like hours as they tick by, and then everything comes to a screeching stop.

BANG!

Marty’s blood runs cold, and before he’s even fully processed what’s happening the second man is running out. Where fear had paralyzed him before it now drives him to fling open his door, using so much force that the hinge screeches in protest. The black car screeches away, and Marty isn’t aware he’s screaming until his throat starts to ache.

“Emmett!” He shrieks, racing frantically to the door.

All he can picture is the lybians, and Doc’s bullet riddled body falling to the ground.

He slams through the doors and his gaze immediately lands upon his boyfriend, whom is crouching with someone else over a middle aged man on the floor. Doc looks over at the noise, and his eyes go wide at the sight of Marty in the doorway, shaking and pale and looking like he’s going to collapse on the spot.

“Marty.” He whispers, standing immediately, holding his arms out for the teen. Marty ignores his boyfriends blood soaked hands as he rushes forward, letting out a sob that he didn’t even realize he’d been fighting.

He crashes into Doc’s arms and his hands fist into his jacket, shaking so hard he can hardly speak.

“Oh my god- Jesus Christ Emmett.”

“Shh, I’m okay, I’m here.” He murmurs softly, squeezing the boy tightly. “I’m okay.”

Marty can’t bring himself to respond, simply clinging to his lover with all of his strength, face pressed into his throat. Doc’s heartbeat comforts him, and it takes a few minutes but eventually he stops shaking.

“What happened?” He finally mumbles, and Doc squeezes him once more.

“Those two were trying to rob the place. This gentleman here,” He gestures to the blonde man knelt over the gentleman on the floor. “Is another guest. The man on the floor is the owner. His name is Jacob.”

“Is he..?”

“No. Brian has pressure on the wound, and I called 911.”

“Hurts like a bitch, though.” Jacob tries to joke, and Brian snorts.

“I bet.”

“Is he okay?” Jacob asks then, pointing weakly over to Marty, and Doc nods.

“Just a little shaken up; I’ve been shot before.”

“Stop talking, focus on not bleeding to death.” Brian hisses, and the conversation dies there.

~~~~~~~

“Are you ready to go home?” Doc asks softly, and Marty nods his head, grip on Doc’s hand a firm -but not painful- vice.

“Yeah.”

“Are you going to be okay?” He frets, and Marty nods.

“Yeah, uh.. Yeah, Doc. I’m fine.”

“Marty...”

“I’ll be okay. I just want to go home and cuddle.” He says truthfully, and Doc nods.

“Okay. Come on, sweetheart.”

~~~~~~

When they get home, the first thing Marty does is ask Doc to take his shirt off.

“I know it’s silly, but I-“

“Hey,” He interrupts gently. “It’s okay.”

Doc is quick to strip his shirt, and Marty visibly sags in relief when there’s no new marks upon his lovers chest. He wraps his arms tightly around the older man and huffs a sigh.

“That freaked me out.” He mumbles, and Doc nods in understanding.

“I know, sweetheart.” He presses a gentle kiss to the top of Marty’s head. “Shall we make some dinner? I’m sure you’d rather cuddle, but we haven’t eaten anything since the popcorn at the movie.”

“Yeah.. okay.” He agrees reluctantly.

Doc smiles and puts a new shirt on and heads to the kitchen, and Marty follows close behind. As soon as Doc starts cooking, Marty’s arms around him and his face is pressed gently between his shoulder blades. He doesn’t say anything, simply taking comfort in the steady beat of Doc’s heart and hearing his gentle breaths as he cooks.

~~~~~~~~

When they’re lying in bed that night, tangled in each other’s arms, Marty replays the afternoon in his mind, but facts are replaced with what-if’s. In his minds eye he sees, time and time again, Doc dying. Sometimes at the hands of the lybians, mostly at the hands of the robbers.

Some situations he runs in and finds Doc dead on the ground, some he dies in his arms, and each time riles Marty up further and further until he’s shaking again. He doesn’t realize it until Doc wakes up.

“Marty? Hey,” His voice is gently, but the teenager still flinches. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Marty wordlessly shakes his head, but Doc knows. He frowns sympathetically and reaches his hand out, gently touching Marty’s shoulder, and the teens head whips around to look at him.

“Breathe for me, honey. Just relax, it’s okay.” Doc whispers softly, leaning in and gently pressing their foreheads and noses together. “In and out, nice and slow. Do it with me.”

He guides Marty to breathe with him slowly, and bit by bit the teenager calms down. Once he’s breathing properly and the shaking has mostly stopped, he sags into Doc’s chest. The scientist immediately wraps his arms around him, carding his fingers gently through his boys hair.

“Sorry, Doc.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Marty.” He promises, and Marty relaxes a little.

“I guess today freaked me out more than I thought it did..” He admits slowly. “I can’t stop thinking about how... I almost lost you again.”

“Marty, sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere. I know today was scary, but we’re both here, and we’re both okay. We made it through together.”

“Together.” Marty repeats softly, and Doc presses a gentle kiss to his temple.

“Always. Would you like to move to the couch, and we can watch a movie? Maybe it’ll keep your mind off of things.”

“Yes please.”

“Alright, come on, love.”

Doc stands and Marty is quick to follow, wrapping their blanket around his shoulders as they wander through the room to the couch.

Marty throws on a random movie while his boyfriend cleans off the couch, and one it’s clean Doc lies on it, head resting on the armrest. Marty climbs on, laying between his legs with his head on Doc’s chest. Doc shifts the blanket so it covers them both, and within ten minutes of the movie they’re both asleep.

[kpop-sprite]

Want To Be Your Star

Part 4 is here! ;D

My eyes blinked slowly as I emerged from my drunken slumber. The musky scent of cinnamon and myrrh returning to my sinuses, my mind trying to process the room I was in. The room was relatively large, gray satin sheets on the bed, the comforter sloppily covering my body. I looked around the off-white painted room and started to notice random things on the floor; socks, black pants – no, leggings, some shirts…

Oh, God.

I quickly looked under the comforter at my body, panties and bra still on. Thank you…

“Don’t worry, nothing happened.” Jinjin emerged from the cracked bedroom door, sipping a cup of coffee.

“O-oh. I would’ve been so embarrassed if we had done something, in Cha Eunwoo’s place, anyhow.” I mumbled holding the comforter tight against my body.

“You passed out as soon as you hit the pillows,” Jinjin smirked over his mug, the steam gathering up in front of his face, “you’re a blanket hog, by the way.”

“Well, I’m an only child so I’m not used—HEY! WAIT A MINUTE, what were you doing sleeping in the bed with me!” I shouted out before realizing anyone could hear me.

Jinjin half-spit out his drink laughing hard at the success at trying to frazzle my nerves, “Relax, I slept on the couch. You sure are fun to mess with, Y/N,” he continued to chuckle before turning to leave the room. “You better hurry up and come eat breakfast before Moonbin wakes up, you don’t want a repeat from last night.” The door closed quietly behind him, my body flopping back onto the pillows with a ‘Plop!’

That could’ve been bad, I hummed to myself.

 Their voices echoed out into the hallway, even in the morning they were loud. I peeked around the corner of the door frame watching them gathered around a table laughing tossing breakfast food to one another. Moonbin carried a plate of pancakes to the table while Rocky leaned over pouring drinks for everyone.

“It’s about time you got up!” Sanha quickly moved over to me, taking me by the hand and pulling me to the empty seat at the table. Jinjin smiling lightly towards me, sipping his never-ending cup of coffee.

Sanha planted himself into my lap shoving a mouthful of food beyond his lips. I laid my head against his back and took a glass of juice from Rocky, his cheeky smile igniting a feeling of relief through me.

“So, Y/N, how’d you sleep last night?” Eunwoo asked, jinjin smirking at me from across the table turning to look at Eunwoo.

My cheeks blushed red a bit as I tried to keep my voice relaxed to even answer, “Oh, just fine.” Jinjin raising an eyebrow to me.

“Jin Hyung, stop looking at Y/N like that, you’re making even my breakfast taste weird.”

I laughed into Sanha’s back, enjoying the rest of the morning.

  I leaned against the cold metal bars that edged my balcony, gazing out in the early afternoon world that was buzzing by. Living in the city meant there were always an array of sounds, people out running errands, cars zooming by on the highway, and of course lots of horns. There was also something so calming about the city, especially Seoul, it always felt like it held more than that.

Bzzt-Bzzt

The vibrations from my phone caught my attention, I walked back into the apartment sliding the door shut, separating the cold air from my warm apartment once more, taking my blanket-covered form to the tiny lounge chair and swiping my phone open.

I leaned my chin against my bent up knees, staring at the text;

Jinwoo-ssi   13:29                  Doing anything tonight?

 Me                 13:32                   Not particularly…

I glanced over at the cold pizza box sitting on my kitchen counter, I mean, he doesn’t need to know how long that has been sitting there and the fact that you’ll be eating it for dinner, again.

Jinwoo-ssi          13:36            Want to go to a movie and ice cream?

I mulled over the idea of going out to a movie with the entire Astro gang, “we’ll definitely get kicked out…” I laughed to myself before texting Jinjin back.

Me                         13:41            Sounds fun, what movie do the guys want to see?

 Jinwoo-ssi          13:47            Actually, they’re not coming, it’ll just be us.

                               13:48           Are you okay with that?

 Me                         13:52           Sure, now maybe we can actually hear the movie.

 I touched the screen lightly until it turned dark, my own reflection looking back at me. A movie, alone, with Jinjin. My screen lit up with his new message.

Jinwoo-ssi          14:01             Pick you up at 1900.

  The array of clothes staring back at me from my closet had my mind spinning. Did I need to dress up for this? I mean it’s just a movie and dinner…nothing crazy. It might not even be a real date, just friends having a night out. I grabbed my high-waist black slacks with the 4 button adornment, choosing the red off shoulder halter top to go with it, slipping on my black slip on Pumas to finish it off. I decided leaving my hair down to grace my shoulders was better than a pony-tail and light makeup to complete the look.

“Not bad, classy but still not saying ‘we’re dating!’” I eyed my outfit making sure it was going to work for this ‘date’ when a knock pittered against the front door.

Knock, knock!

“Come in!” I shouted from my room, slipping my phone off the charger.

Jinjin strolled from the hall, meeting my gaze at the door to my bedroom, “wow.”

“What?” I ran to the mirror, “did something smear?”

“Ah, no…you just look...wow.” He stared at me as if I would catch fire in any minute.

I took in what he was wearing, tight jeans, brand new Jordan’s, button up black shirt with little white dots on it lightly tucked into the front of his pants. His blonde hair hiking over his ear exposing an undercut. “You clean up well, Jinwoo.”

“Aish, do you have to call me that?” He cocked his head to the side, his brown eyes brightening under his furrowed brow.

“I’ll call you whatever you want if you feed me,” I winked walking towards him, placing a soft pat on his shoulder before we both walked towards the front door.

“Shame we’re going to the movie first,” he held the door for me, a grimace showing on my face, “don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you with soda and popcorn,” a laugh spilling from his lips.

  Jinjin wouldn’t tell me the movie we were seeing, stating it was a surprise, my anxiety building the entire taxi ride to the theatre.

“Jinjin, seriously, what movie?” I groaned once more, the idea of not knowing what he had planned causing my stomach to swirl.

“Why are you so worried? You don’t trust my judgement?” He laughed while looking astonished at his own words.

I rolled my eyes and slid into the seat, “I trust you least of all after this,” I mumbled, Jinjin’s hand coming to land on my thigh, squeezing it tight while he chuckled.

The taxi stopped abruptly in front of the theatre, crowds of people walking along the sidewalk. Jinjin got out of the taxi first, my bottom sliding across the seat to get out next, Jinjin’s hand reaching down to take mine and help me out of the vehicle. He continued to hold my hand while we walked into the building, the smell of popcorn slapping me in the face.

“Did you want anything to drink?” He turned to look at me, his brows doing that scrunched up movement they do so delicately.

I tried not to stare at him, but the fluorescent lighting in this room had his details so…

“Y/N?”

“Hm? Oh, Coke please…popcorn with extra butter.” I smiled, my cheeks blushed red.

 His hand never let go of mine, the walk through the theatre, drinks being carried by his strong left hand, popcorn bucket being held by his teeth…

“You sure you don’t want me to carry anything?” I tugged on his arm, “I do have a free hand.”

He mumbled while pulling me down the aisle and finding out seats in the dimmed out auditorium.

“You know, I could almost understand the mumbling that time,” I rolled my eyes, Jinjin putting the bottles of Coke into the cup holders before handing me the popcorn, his body plopping beside me finally letting go of my hand to reach in for some popcorn.

“Ah, the movie’s starting,” he spoke as the lights blacked out, the movie rolling on the screen the words “THE NUN,” presenting themselves against the screen.

I punched him in the arm without hesitation causing popcorn to fly, “Jinwoo, you ass! A horror movie!?”

He laughed at me, his voice trying to stay quiet, “what? Don’t you like getting scared?” I grumbled slipping deeper into the leather seats, my hand palming my forehead. “I…don’t do well…with these kinds of movies…” Jinjin taking hold of my hand, “Y/N, I’ll be right here, okay?” Nod.

The movie proceeded, scary parts popping up at every corner. The “nun” proving herself to be from the pit of my nightmares, I gripped onto Jinjin’s hand, burying my face behind his shoulder trying not to see the blood spewing across the screen. I lifted my head in time to see a person fly across a room and hit a wall, my right hand flying across Jinjin’s chest, grabbing his leather jacket tightly, my knuckles turning white.

“Y/N,” I could hear him, but feared to move.

Jinjin’s fingers slipped through my hair, brushing locks behind my ear, I looked up at him with large eyes, his own locking on mine. Time slowed down dramatically as Jinjin’s head tilted down to my face, his hand cupping my face before pulling me close, his lips pressing so delicately into my pink lips, kissing me. He pulled back to study my reaction, my body responding by pressing our lips together tightly once more, the movie continuing in the background.

[seouledbysisi]

New World

Chapter 4

Gianna & Mia

A couple weeks had passed and the girls still had lacked to find an outfit for the concert. Gianna threw everything out of her closet trying to put something together but nothing seemed worthy enough to wear to the concert. “Mia!” She yelled.

Mia ran into her room. She was shocked at the hurricane that had blew through Gianna's bedroom. “What the hell happened here?”

Gianna sat on the floor in the middle of all the clothes. “I need a new wardrobe, that's what happened.”

Mia leaned against the panel of the door. “I'm having the same problem. The concert is tomorrow and I was really trying to save money but the clothes I have don't scream 'I'm about to hang out with NCT'”

Gianna sighed. “Let's go! I got you. I owe you anyway for putting up with Adam on that date.”

Mia stopped her. “I'm not allowing you to buy me anything!”

“You don't have a choice! Now C'mon, the concert is tomorrow.” Gianna grabbed her hand and they headed for the door.

They were in Gianna's car waiting for the light to turn green when they noticed a big tour bus with NCT's faces on it.

Mia screamed. “They're here! Oh my gosh! My heart!”

“Calm down, you're going to give yourself a freaking heart attack!” Gianna laughed.

Mia tried to control her breathing. “They're literally right there, how are you not losing your shit right now?”

“Oddly I honestly have no idea how I'm holding it together!”

“If I haven't even seen their faces yet imagine how I'm going to be tomorrow! I'm not trying to scare them but I might just faint.” Mia said as she stared at the tour bus.

“Well if you do, make sure you're near Johnny so he can catch you!” Gianna laughed.

Mia smiled. “Wouldn't that be the most wonderful thing ever? It'd be like I fell for him.”

The light finally turned green. It seemed as if they has been sitting there forever.

“Bye Johnny!” Mia waved at the tour bus as it slowly but surely disappeared.

They finally arrived at the mall. They visited a variety of stores and were having so much trouble finding something to wear. “Why is luck not on our side?” Gianna asked as she put back another outfit.

Mia had an eye for fashion. She picked up a shirt that she knew would look good on Gianna. “I know this isn't ordinarily your style but I think you have the bed figure for it.”

Gianna put it against her and took a look in the mirror. “I don't know, Mia. . .”

“Can you please just trust me?” Mia winked.

Gianna took a deep breath. “What would I wear with it?”

Mia looked around for awhile until she found the perfect match. “You just sit back, relax, and let me work my magic. Taeyong isn't gonna know what to do when he sees you.”

Gianna rolled her eyes. “I doubt it but whatever you say.”

Mia found herself something to wear and they decided to grab a bite to eat since they were already out.

“So did they finally email you with the details for tomorrow?” Gianna asked as she popped a grape into her mouth.

Mia grabbed her phone and signed into her email. “Oh my gosh they sent this email hours ago and I'm just now seeing it.” She rolled her eyes.

“What does it say?”

“So we have to meet them at Adventurdome tomorrow at 1pm. GiGi this just so real!”

Gianna took a deep breath. “They're really trying to give me a heart attack I swear! I hate roller coasters!”

“Well I love them, and if I get to act scared and hold Johnny's hands, then I'm all for it!”

“I'm so sick of your mess.” Gianna laughed. “I'm not riding anything. I refuse!”

Mia squinted her eyes at Gianna. “So you're telling me that if Taeyong asked you to ride something with him you wouldn't?”

“That's exactly what I'm telling you!” Gianna sipped her sparkling water.

Mia shook her head. “I'll believe it when I see it.”

Gianna shrugged. “So, how long will we be with them?”

“The concert starts at 7pm and it says that their schedule with us should be over by 5.”

Gianna simply nodded.

NCT 127

After the guys checked into their hotel, the manager sent out a bulk message for them to all meet in Taeyong and Jaehyun's shared hotel room for a quick meeting.

“I wanted to go over some ground rules for tomorrow.” The manager started.

The guys all nodded.

“We want you to have all the fun in the world but we also need you to be very respectful. We don't know much about the winner so she could possibly be bringing a parent with her. You never know. Be on your best behaviors. You don't want anything to go wrong. She deserves the best day that you all can possibly give her. Am I clear?”

“What are the plans for tomorrow?” Taeyong inquired.

“You have a interview at 8am and then afterwards y'all will be able to change into something more comfortable. You'll meet with the winner at an amusement park called Adventuredome at 1.”

All the guys collectively yelled from excitement.

“Hell yeah!” Mark blurted out.

“After that we we will go grab a bite to eat with the winner and then you'll have to get ready for the concert. You'll have a very busy day.” The manager informed.

“Where are we eating?” Johnny asked. All he was worried about was getting some nice food in his system.

The manager laughed. “That will be up to the winner. We're going to allow her to treat us to wherever she thinks we should go. You will have a bit more of freedom at the amusement park because it's rented out solely for you guys so no one will be there but you and the staff.”

“Woah! That's big!” Haechan added.

“Are y'all ready?”

“I think we are!” Taeyong said as he looked at the other guys.

Gianna & Mia

Gianna's alarm went off a few times yet she kept snoozing not realizing what time it was. She dozed back off to lala land.

Mia burst through the door and snatched her covers back. “Girl if you don't get your ass up right now I'm leaving you!”

Gianna rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”

“It's 11:30! Get up!”

Gianna rolled over and looked at the time on her phone. Her eyes bulged when saw that Mia wasn't kidding. She jumped out of bed quickly and ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

“I'm going to finish getting ready, I'll meet you in the living room.” Mia told her as she closed her door behind her.

Gianna was glad that she had just gotten her hair fixed the other day so all she needed to do was refresh her curls a bit which wouldn't take long at all. Makeup was a different story. It always took her forever to perfect her makeup and on a day like this there was no time for mistakes.

About forty five minutes later she emerged from her bedroom.

Mia jumped up off the couch. “I knew that outfit was going to be so cute on you.”

Gianna did a cute little pose. “It does doesn't it?” She flipped her long waves off of her shoulder.

Mia's hair was half up in a high bun and the rest down flowing into waves.

“You look to die for, though but I mean I didn't expect anything less.” Gianna complimented. “You ready to go?”

“For sure!”

They pulled up into the parking lot of the amusement park.

“Why is there hardly any vehicles?” Gianna asked as she parked.

Mia pulled her shades up and took a look around. “Maybe their just not that busy today.”

“The tour bus isn't even here. How they gonna be late for their own thing? That's hella rude!” Gianna laughed.

Mia shrugged and got out of the car pulling her shades back down.

As Gianna stepped out, they saw the entrance door open and the guys emerged. Thank Goodness they both had on shades or else the guys would've saw their eyes almost pop out of their sockets.

They ran over to the girls.

“Hey, ladies how are y'all?” Johnny asked as he grabbed Mia's hand and kissed it softly.

Mia simply stared at her hand.

“We're good. How are y'all?” Gianna asked. She was keeping her emotions in check pretty well.

“Really good. It's nice to meet you.” Taeyong smiled.

The manager stepped in front of the guys. “So which of you is Mia?”

Johnny wrapped his arm around Mia's shoulder. “This is definitely her!” He had a huge smile on his face.He remembered what she looked like from the pictures that he and Taeyong had saw.

Mia stuttered for a moment. “Yeah, I'm her. This is my best friend Gianna. We're really happy that y'all gave us this opportunity.”

“We're happy that you wrote so many great things about us! The pleasure is all ours.” Taeyong nodded.

“So are we gonna ride some rides or not?” Mark asked.

The managers beckoned for them to head inside.

Gianna took a seat on one of the benches. She was terrified of heights, and roller coasters in general.

Jungwoo noticed her sitting and headed in her direction. “Miss? You're not having fun?” He asked.

Gianna giggled. “No, I am. I just don't really like coasters.”

Jungwoo smiled and called Taeyong over. “She doesn't like roller coasters.”

Taeyong looked around the building. “Have you ever been on one?”

Gianna shook her head.

Taeyong reached for her hand. “That one isn't scary at all. Come with me?”

She looked up at the coaster and felt like he obviously wasn’t seeing what she was seeing. “I-I don't think so.”

Taeyong placed his hand over his heart as if she had hurt him. “You're breaking my heart. Please? If you hate it, you can blame it all on me.”

Mia ran over to her. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing, they want me to ride that big roller coaster.” Gianna sighed.

“That one is a piece of cake. A baby could ride it.” Mia wasn’t making things any better.

Taeyong reached for her hand again and pulled her off of the bench. “If you get scared I have a hand that doesn't mind being held.”

Gianna rolled her eyes. “Whatever, let's go.”

After all of the exhilarating rides they all met up with the manager who was keeping them on a time schedule. “Are you ladies hungry?”

“Starving actually. I woke up late so we headed straight here after we got ready.” Gianna admitted. She was thanking the heavens above that her stomach wasn't growling loudly. That would've been the most embarrassing thing ever.

“Have any ideas of where we should eat?” Johnny asked.

Mia thought for a moment. “I know this place that has the coolest rooftop deck. It's called Carson Kitchen, is that okay?”

The manager nodded. “Lead the way. We'll follow you there.”

Carson Kitchen

They all arrived there shortly and were seated on the rooftop deck.

“So, tell us about you.” Taeyong said as he looked from Mia to Gianna.

Gianna smiled. “How about y'all ask the questions and we'll answer.”

Taeyong smirked. “Yes ma'am! I seen on Mia's page that she's in college. What major?”

“I'm a design student. We both will be graduating next month.” Mia answered.

“Congratulations!” Haechan nodded in their direction.

“So, Gianna what's your major?” Johnny asked.

“I'm majoring in journalism but I have a minor in digital broadcasting.”

Doyoung clapped. “You must be smart.”

“Not as smart as you’d think. I've just always had a passion for writing so it comes naturally.”

Mia smiled at her. “I wish I could take the credit for that essay but she put it all together. It was both of our feelings and thoughts but she arranged it to sound better than I ever could’ve.

“Good work. I wouldn't mind seeing more.” Taeyong told her with a smile.

“Comedy or horror?” Taeil asked.

“Comedy.” Gianna laughed.

“Horror. The scarier the better!” Mia answered.

Taeyong nodded. “I’m with you!”

“Ideal type?” Johnny asked.

Gianna's eyes got big.

“Johnny! No!” The manager shook his head.

“No, it's fine. I want y'all to be as authentic as possible. My ideal type would be someone who treats me like a princess and knows what my worth is and makes sure I'm happy. Someone who keeps me laughing and does everything in his power to keep from losing me.” Mia answered with a smile.

They all stared at Gianna waiting on her to answer.

“Gianna? What's yours?” Mark asked.

Gianna snapped out of her trance. “It's pretty simple. I like a caring and charismatic guy. Someone whose spontaneous and likes to have fun. I like him to have a bit of edge because if I'm being honest I like a tad bit of drama every once in a while. Basically I just want someone who makes me believe in love.”

“Single or taken?” Johnny asked.

Taeyong hit his leg under the table.

“What?” Johnny mouthed.

“I'm embarrassed to even say but single.” Gianna covered her face shyly.

“There's nothing wrong with being single. Someone will come along and make you happy.” Jungwoo assured her.

“Plus you're pretty and you seem to have big dreams and aspirations. Some guy will be lucky to have you.” Haechan added with his angelic smile.

“Do you have a lucky guy, Mia?” Johnny asked as he stared deeply at her.

Her palms began to sweat a little. She took a sip of her drink. “Nope. Single as a pringle.”

“Me too. I guess we're single together.” Johnny flashed her his signature smile.

Taeil and Taeyong both hit him under the table.

“Y'all have got to stop hitting me!” He yelled.

The girls both burst out laughing.

They finished up their food and headed downstairs to leave. The ladies exited first and noticed a huge pack of girls waiting outside the restaurant with their phones out.

When the fans noticed NCT they bombarded them with screams. All you could see was flashing lights. Mia and Gianna were so disoriented. They didn't know which way to turn because it was so many screaming fans trying to get their hands on the guys. Somehow the ladies got separated in the midst of the chaos so Gianna was looking around for her best friend but to no avail. “Mia!” She yelled, attempting to be heard over the screaming crowd.

After awhile she felt someone grab her hand and jerk her back inside the restaurant. When she came to her senses she realized that Taeyong was still holding her hand.

Taeyong rubbed her hair out of her face. “Are you okay?”

Gianna looked back out towards the door. She could see NCT's security trying to disperse the crowd so that they could leave.

Taeyong grabbed her cheek softly. Gianna became a bit startled at how close he was to her. “Gianna, it's okay. They're just excited. You're not hurt are you?”

She shook her head as she took a deep breath. “I'm fine. Where's Mia?” She was starting to panic.

He gave her a small smile and pointed towards the back of the restaurant where the other guys were. “She's with them. Are you sure you're okay?” He noticed her arm was bleeding a little.

When she saw what he was staring at she covered her arm with her hand. “Someone must have scratched me on accident. It's fine, really.”

He grabbed a napkin and moved her hand away so he could wipe the blood off. “I don't know how they found us. I'm so sorry.”

[lavendermenaceart]

A Night In

Summary: You met Dr. Spencer Reid two weeks ago after literally running into him. You decide for Halloween, that you’ll go out on a date to celebrate. It ends badly, but the night is salvaged by a night in.

A/N: This was a request for Trans Man on the autism spectrumxSpencer Reid! I didn’t touch on the trans part a whole lot, mainly because I’m nonbinary and while I have chest dysphoria and consider myself trans, I don't experience life as a trans man and probably can’t speak very well to what it’s like. I am autistic though lol

Warnings: Briefly touches on dysphoria and transphobia, Anxiety, Overstimulation, but otherwise Fluffy!

“Happy Halloween!” You smiled into the phone, turning the steel ring on your finger as your heart hammered as it always did when you called most people. This was a little different than normal, as you were talking with your boyfriend, Dr. Spencer Reid.

You had run into him at a nearby coffee shop 2 weeks ago, literally. Coffee went everywhere and you remember nearly crying but he was so respectful and kind, correcting himself when he called you “Ma’am” and you told him “Sir.”

“Aw, you didn’t have to call! A text would have been fine.” You could hear him smiling through his words, telling you the call was worth the hammering of your heart and the building energy in your hands.

You waved your free hand around you, trying to expel some of the nervous, excited energy. “Are we still going out for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, of course. I’m lucky we didn’t get a case today. Are you still alright with the idea of going out?” Spencer and yourself had talked about your experiences with being on the spectrum when he had first noticed you stimming. He always asked before dates if you were still in the mood to go out or be around other people.

“Yes! I’m really excited!” You couldn’t help but flap your free hand. The relationship was fairly new, but you couldn’t think of anyone else you’d rather be with. Especially on your new endeavor to get out more.

“Good. I’ll swing by in half an hour.” There was shuffling and the jingling of keys on the other end of the phone and took that as your cue to let him go.

You nodded before hanging up the phone, hurrying to your room to get ready.

You pulled your skin-toned binder on, the pressure relaxing your nerves as well as soothing any previous dysphoria. You took to your phone, putting on some tunes to dance to while you put on a shirt before buttoning up a white shirt over it. It was probably going to be a little chilly so you put on a dark gray jacket after zipping up and buttoning your skinny jeans.

You took one last look in the mirror before sitting down on the couch in your living room, spinning the ring on your finger and rocking back and forth as anxiety bubbled in your stomach.

You had been so lucky to have bumped into Spencer, he was so smart and understanding. He never judged you for or tried to stop you from stimming. So far in your eyes, he was the closest to perfect anyone could get.

When you heard the soft knocking on your door, you jumped up and were out the door before Spencer could say his greetings.

You weren’t excited for being out and around a lot of people, but you were excited to be spending time with your boyfriend. From the amused smirk on his face and the way he reached for your hand, he was too.

The car ride to the movies was silent, just how you liked it. When driving, you wanted it to be quiet so you could focus on the passing scenery. Spencer learned that on your first date and didn’t seem bothered by it at all. You knew some people might have seen it as awkward, but to you, it was more intimate than a conversation.

You hadn’t really gone to the movies since you were a child, but you were hoping that now as an adult you could handle the loudspeakers and the possibility of a crowded room.

Of course, you were going to see a scary movie, as it had turned out to be a shared interest between the two of you. As you entered the warm lobby you found yourself clinging to the fabric of Spencer’s cardigan. You picked up on this and made sure not to walk too fast and stay in front of you while you waited in line for tickets.

Suddenly all the noises and smells overwhelmed you, making anxious energy buzz in your head and hands. You lifted a hand to your hair, tugging slightly before bringing it back down, back up, tugging, putting it down. You tried to spin the ring on your finger to keep your hands busy and away from your head but it was starting to become too much, frustrated tears welling in your eyes.

Spencer was quick to notice. “Hey, we don’t have to do this. I haven’t even bought the tickets yet.”  

You couldn’t speak, so you just nodded, squeezing and wringing your hands. As Spencer excused the both of you from the line and all the way out. He didn’t speak, even as you both sat in the car. You rocked back and forth, taking deep breaths until the buzzing energy went away.

“Are you alright? I’m so sorry.” Spencer’s eyes were clouded with worry as he reached for your hand.

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault.” You wiped your eyes with your free hand, sniffling a little.

“I’m proud of you, though. We just have to build up to something like this.” You saw his face crinkle in a reassuring smile as you stared at his temple. You felt your heart flutter at his words, thinking of future dates with him.

Suddenly you could see him fidgeting with his hands, his eyes darting around the car.

You had picked up that this was how he usually acted when he wanted to ask a question, but was too afraid to ask.

“Are you okay?” You asked after hesitating for a second. You were worried you might be misreading his body language.

“Would you like to come to my apartment? Just for a movie and dinner. Like we were gonna do tonight.” He blurted out, his hazel eyes wide.

You took a couple of seconds, mulling over the pros and cons. You were a little tired and would prefer going back to your place, but you realized you can learn a lot more about Spencer by seeing his apartment. You could see all the books he likes, his taste in decoration, and possibly see him at his most comfortable.

You nodded, smiling as excitement bubbled in your chest, making you flap your hands.

When you arrive in his apartment, you could say it looked almost exactly as you imagined it would. It was small and comfortable, with dark, muted green wallpaper. There was a desk with papers and trinkets scattered across it, a dark wooden chair stationed there. To your left, there was a vintage looking orange leather chair beside a built-in bookshelf and standing lamp. Against the wall in front of the orange chair was an end table, covered and stuffed with more books.

You took your shoes off at the door, hovering over the dark red and brown patterned rug that led into the living area, where dark brown leather couch sat facing the windows. There were even more built-in bookshelves, and more books scattered in piles on the floor and on the coffee table in front of the couch. It was beautiful and comfortable. It smelled like him, but stronger. You already wanted to live here forever.

Spencer’s voice brought you back from your wonder.

“What would you like for dinner? I don’t have a TV but I have a decent laptop we could watch some movies on.” He smiled as he stood in the middle of his kitchen, which was just a couple of counters, an island, and the necessary appliances. It wasn’t in a separate room like most people’s kitchen’s were.

“Whatever you want! I just don’t like potatoes and most condiments!” You stuck your tongue out and twisted your face at the thought of the texture of potatoes, making Spencer chuckle as he got out a few pots and pans.

“I’m not the best cook, I’m warning you now.” He warned as he filled a pot with water.

“Whatever you make, I will probably love….unless it’s burnt or gets me sick.” You shrugged, sneaking a kiss on his cheek before sitting down at the couch, grabbing the nearest book and flipping through it. Its title read “A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy” by Karl Marx. The name rang a bell but the title automatically made you feel lost.  You flipped through the rest of the piles as he was cooking, the sound of bubbling water and simmering sauce was relaxing as read select paragraphs from a few of the books that looked more digestible.

“Alright, I'm gonna grab the laptop. You can make your own plate.” He wiped his hands on a kitchen towel before rounding the island and going into his bedroom.

You made yourself a helping before taking your seat back on the couch, not waiting for Spencer as you dug in.

As you heard saw him coming back, you slurped up a noodle and chuckled. “This is good! I thought you were…” You had to pause for a second to collect your thoughts again as he set up the laptop and sat down some movies. “Weren’t the best cook?”

“Well, I’m not.” He shrugged, taking a few bites from his plate. “I just have a really good teacher. At least when it comes to pasta.”

“Oh? Who?”  You tilted your head before grabbing the stacks of CD’s and looking through them.

“David Rossi. He’s a co-worker but...we’re more like family.” He nodded, agreeing with himself as he finished his plate and set it down on the table, to the side.

“Well, with a job like yours I could only imagine the kinds of bonds you make with the people you work with.” You wondered if one day you would meet his work family, but the thought made you more nervous than excited. How would they react to you being transgender? How would they react to Spencer dating a trans man? You shook your head, spinning the ring on your finger. “This one.”

You handed him the case for The Quiet Place.

“Oh, I haven’t watched this one yet, but I’ve heard a lot of great things about it.”  He nodded, popping it into the laptop and turning the volume up and turning on captions.

You fell into a comfortable silence,  the movie interesting you but you felt more occupied by your boyfriend’s presence next to you. You reached over, taking hold of his hand. He looked over for a moment while you kept your face towards the screen before he also went back to watching the movie. As the movie went on and you felt the creepiness and horror settle up your spine, giving you an excuse to scoot closer to him. He lifted his arm so you could snuggle into his chest, red creeping into both of your cheeks as you wrapped your arms around his midsection.

You weren’t paying attention to the movie anymore, you were solely focused on Spencer’s smell, the small movements he made, the little smiles that crept across his face whenever the movie truly scared him.

You were no longer worried about meeting his work family, no longer worried about having ruined the night, you were only concerned with him and how happy he seemed in this moment. As a small hum of contentment escaped your lips and you closed your eyes, you knew you felt the same way too.