#only for said link to take me out onto my phone browser

[trashbatistrash]

,

[melodygatesauthor]

Worth the Risk - Part 1: The Dishwasher

bfd!Santiago "Pope" Garcia X f!Reader

Series Masterlist - AO3 LINK

Summary

You're visiting your home town on college break and you are staying overnight at your best friend's house. You never realized how attractive her dad was until that night. You wonder if he feels the same.

Tags/Warnings

NSFW, forbidden relationship, reader is in her 20s, best friend's dad!Santi, Santiago is a dirty man y'all, not much else to say, smut, depraved, corruption kink

Word Count: 3.7k

Also, this tied in with a request from @romanarose <3 thank you bb for requesting!

“It’s been so long.” You said, wrapping your arms around your friend tightly.

You took in her smell, so happy to see her again after so much time had gone by. It had only been a few months, but it felt like years sometimes.

“I know!” She yelled in your ear before pulling back to look you up and down. “How have you been?”

You sighed, “I’ve been pretty good, wanted to make sure I came to see you for the night before going back to school.”

“I’m sorry about Cody.” She gave you a sympathetic look.

“It’s fine I-” you started, but then you caught her father out of the corner of your eye.

“Hey…!” Mr. Garcia said, coming up behind Maria with a smile 

“Hey Mr. Garcia.” You said, wrapping your arms around him.

“How long is it going to take for you to start calling me Santi? Or at least Santiago?” He smirked. “You make me feel old.”

“You are old, dad.” Maria said, chuckling. “Come on, let’s go to my room.” Your friend grabbed your hand and tugged you along.

Goodness you’ve grown, Santi thought, watching you run off with Maria. Over the last couple years, since you’d started going to college, your schedule didn’t line up with the times Maria had been at his house, and he hadn’t seen you in a long time. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

Maria’s room hadn’t changed since you last saw it. It was still pink and bubbly, matching her personality perfectly. You always thought she had the coolest window, fit with a reading nook and big sheer curtains. You sat down on her bed, dropped your duffle bag on the floor, and she went to her desk, opening her laptop. She put on some pop music in the background and then turned to you.

“So, spill it, what happened with Cody?” She asked, giving you a devilish smirk. “Tell me all the dirty details. I wanna know how you fucked him over.”

You rolled your eyes. “I already told you over the phone. He cheated on me.” You sighed, “can we please just not do this right now? I…I don’t really wanna talk about him. He’s a loser.”

“With his ex? What’s her name?” You watched her open a browser and get onto her social media account.

“I really don’t want to do this Maria, can we just forget about it? Please?” You begged.

She looked at you, her eyes said she was ignoring your request to stop and wanted you to tell her anyway, but eventually she gave up, closing the browser.

“You’re so boring. Fine.” She groaned. “So other than that, what have you been up to?”

You told her everything you’d done over the last few months. You talked about your parents, any cute professors you had, and new friends you’d met. The conversation moved on to her talking about a new guy she met at her school. She’d stayed more local than you had, but you were only a few hours away. She then told you about how she was madly in love with him before she got on talking about how annoying her father could be.

“You know how he is. When the guy came over for dinner the other night dad got all, you’d better take good care of her.” She scoffed. “He’s such an old man.”

“He just worries about you.” You reminded her. “And he’s not that old. My dad is old.” You chuckled. “Your dad is like forty.”

“Yeah.” She said looking at you incredulously, “old.”

“Girls! Come on down, it’s time for dinner!” He called up.

You followed Maria down the stairs and to the kitchen. Santi always made the best meals when you would come over during your high school days, and now was no different. You sat down to his right and thanked him for dinner, a soft smirk spread across his lips. You took a sip of your water.

Santiago tried to keep his eyes on your face, but your tank top left little to the imagination. Weren’t you too young to be dressing like that? No, of course not, you were an adult now. His throat bobbed when he gulped, blinking and trying to peel his gaze away from the beautiful way your breasts pushed together. Were you even wearing a bra? Did he forget to turn the heat up?

“Dad?”

You saw Santi visibly jump when he looked over at Maria. Had he been staring at you? You didn’t realize until you looked up and thought you’d seen his eyes on you. Heat rose to your cheeks.

“Yeah baby?” He asked, raising his eyebrows toward Maria.

“Can you pass the butter?” He sucked in a deep breath, “yeah, here you go.” He handed it to her. “So…” he said your name, “Maria tells me that you’re going through a breakup?” He raised his dark brows when he looked at you.

“Um…” You felt awkward talking about it in front of him. You didn’t know why she always had to make your business everyone’s business. “Yeah. I’d rather not talk about it though.”

“Those boys your age are the worst. Trust me.” He bit into his food, and you did the same.

You smirked, “yeah, I think the next guy I date should be someone older. I’m sick of boys.”

Santi almost choked on his food, having to remind himself to chew before he swallowed his piece of steak whole. He passed a glance at you, your eyes met. You could see what was happening. It had never occurred to you, having an interest in your best friend’s dad, but he was very handsome. You licked your lips before breaking eye contact and looking back down at your plate.

Maria took the conversation away, going on about her new business class, which she hadn’t had a chance to tell you about earlier. Neither you or Santiago were listening. You were thinking about this weird feeling you had. You’d never thought about him like that before, but now you were remembering all the times you’d seen him at the pool, or coming out of the shower with nothing but a towel around his waist.

Mr. Garcia…

At some point during the meal, you looked over and noticed Santi looking at you, and you quickly looked away, not sure what he was looking at you for. There was no way that he felt the same, right? This was just a silly crush forming, nothing serious. This was one of those things that young adults did right? It was just foolish.

You gulped down some more water, trying to clear your thoughts, but then clumsily dropped it on the table, and the water trailed off into Santi’s lap.

“Shit.” You muttered, grabbing your napkin and quickly rushing over.

You had been so worried about the fact that you spilled the liquid on him, that you didn’t think about how inappropriate it probably was to be patting your friend’s dad’s thigh. Santi was in shock, sitting there immobile at your quick hands patting over his lap in repetition. His thoughts were dirty, filthy even. You were so sweet, not realizing the effect you had on him at that moment.

All at once you felt the heat rise to your cheeks and you dropped the towel in his lap.

“I’m-uh-I’m really sorry.” You stepped back, finally realizing the awkwardness you’d caused.

“No it’s…” He caught your gaze with an intense stare. “It’s fine.” His eyes lingered on yours for a second too long before he looked back down at his lap. “I’m gonna go change.” He dropped the towel on the table.

“Mr. Gar-I mean, Santi, I’m really-”

“It’s fine, it’s just water. Maria, clean up please.” He stood up and rushed away quickly.

He ran to his room and slammed the door behind him, pressing his back to the wall. His breathing was staggered and heavy. He locked the door and unbuttoned his wet pants. When you’d spilled the water and then rushed over, pressing your hands and towel to his thigh, you’d brushed up along his cock. He always thought you were a pretty girl, but he also always stopped it at that. Any further thought would have been downright inappropriate.

He couldn’t help himself now though. He pulled down his boxer-briefs and jeans and stepped out of them. His cock was aching, standing erect, already leaking from the head. His hand fisted around it. You’d hardly touched him, but then again, it had been so long since he’d felt anyone’s grip besides his own. He spit into his hand, lubricating his palm so it would glide over the length of his member. For a second he thought about you, and how much he’d love to feel you-

“Fuck.” He said to himself alone.

He removed his hand from himself, and stood there for a while letting his cock soften. He couldn’t go on thinking like that. He couldn’t possibly imagine himself jerking to completion at the thought of his daughter’s best friend. Yes, you were an adult, but you were so much younger than him, it wasn’t right. He couldn’t bear what his daughter would think\ if she found out. She would hate him. Not to mention, a girl like you, who looked the way you did, probably wouldn’t even be interested in someone like him, nevermind the fact that he was your friend’s dad.

“I’m gonna go check on him.” Maria said to you when Santi had been gone for quite some time. “Do you mind putting the dishes in the dishwasher? You can come up to my room when you’re done.”

“Yeah sure.” You said, starting to clear the table.

He was changed and in the hall by the time Maria came up. He asked where you were, and she told him you were loading the dishwasher. All too eagerly, he trekked down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. He was prepared to tell you that you didn’t have to finish and you could go right up to hang out with Maria, but when he saw you, or rather, your prominent rear, he couldn’t speak.

You were bent down, the bottoms of your cheeks were peeking out through the hem of your shorts. He ran a hand over his mouth while he stared shamelessly at you. The work he’d done to focus his cock into softening was all for nothing now. You were really testing his self control.

When you spun around, you saw Santi standing there. He jumped nearly five feet when you saw him, and you did the same. You grabbed the kitchen counter and breathed heavily.

“Jesus, Santi, I didn’t see you there.” You chuckled nervously. “You scared the shit out of me.”

He chuckled too, “likewise. You don’t have to do that, the dishes, I can finish up. Maria always finds a way to get out of doing the shit I ask her to.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem.” You said turning back around, slowly bending over and then standing to lift the dishwasher door closed. You were playing with fire. “Just tell me what button to-”

You felt his chest nearly touching you. He was close enough that the fabric of his shirt could be felt on the back of your bare arms. He reached over from behind you and pushed the buttons on the dishwasher to start it. You turned around, Santi was standing close to you. Your heart was thumping in your ears, deafening you.

Santiago looked down at your perfect chest, tits perky, nipples nearly grazing his shirt. You leaned in, he started leaning too. His fingers brushed over your cheek and he reached his hand behind the back of your head.

You heard your name called over the top of the stairs, “...are you coming?”

Santiago let out a sigh of defeat, and so did you. He dropped his arm to his side.

“I-I’d better go.” You breathed heavily, staring up at Santi’s eyes for a second before skirting around him and heading to the stairs.

What the fuck are you doing Santi? He asked himself.

Just ten minutes ago he had given himself a pep-talk about letting those thoughts go. When he saw your delicious ass on display when he came down those stairs though, he’d lost all semblance of reason. This wasn’t like him, but…you were looking at him like that, you were bending over like that.

Your brain was a mess while Maria rambled to you. You thought you were out of your mind when you scrambled to clean the water off of Santi’s lap at dinner and he looked into your eyes. You’d thought for sure that you made up the connection he had with you, but now you were certain. He was into you. There was no other reason for him to have been staring at you like that right? If he had just come down the stairs, he wouldn’t have jumped when you turned around, he’d been looking at you. Further, he had no reason to come up behind you like that to start the dishwasher, chest brushing against your spine. He’d leaned in, almost kissing you, right?

There was only one real way to confirm. It was eleven on the dot, and Maria was snoring to your left. You silently got out of her bed and left the room. You couldn’t be so bold as to go knocking on his bedroom door, you had to be more careful than that. Your throat felt a little dry, so you thought about getting a glass of water.

You couldn’t believe you were actually doing this in the hopes that Santiago Garcia, your best friend’s dad, would come down there and fuck you senseless. Surely you were mistaken. The more you thought about it, the more foolish it started to sound. That is, until you had a half full glass of water and a daring hand snaking around your hip.

He’d heard you sneak from Maria’s bedroom, and hoped that by making his move you wouldn’t scream or push him away. It was possible that you were into it, that you were just as desperate as he was. If that were the case, it wouldn’t be hard to just keep this little thing a secret, if that’s what he had to do to have you, even if only for one night.

“Having a hard time sleeping?” He asked, lips against your neck.

You gulped, letting out a short breath. “Y-yes.” You said softly.

His cock was pressing against your rear in a gentle churning motion, just enough to feel some friction. You didn’t move, you didn’t dare. Part of you was still trying to comprehend that this was real, and that your friend’s dad really wanted you. When you thought about him, his eyes, his lips, he was so good looking, you realized that you really did want him. That’s why you went down there in the first place, right? You put the glass down on the counter and gripped the granite surface for support.

“You can push me away. I know this is wrong.” He whispered.

“Mr. Garcia…” You said breathlessly.

All the times he told you to call him Santi, he had done it for Maria’s sake. He always loved hearing you call him Mr. Garcia. Maybe it was some weird kink in his head, but it made his cock pulsate with a fierce need whenever you said it.

His hand, large against your abdomen, trekked down into your shorts, you were soaked. He circled over your clitoris. You’d never been with someone his age, but you’d heard that older men knew what they were doing. His left hand reached up and cupped your breast.

“Did you forget your bra sweetheart?” He continued his circling motion around your sensitive bundle of nerves.

“N-no, I…oh…I didn’t wear one on purpose.” You said in a playful tone.

He snickered, “of course you didn’t, such a tease.”

He rutted his hips against you. There was still part of him telling him how wrong this was, but it felt so good he couldn’t stop himself. His middle finger slipped into the folds of your cunt, immediately drowning in the juices that had been leaking there since putting the dishes away. The way he kissed your neck, and the way his finger worked into you made you wish you’d slept with more men his age.

“You really know what you’re doing…” You said in between your needy panting.

“Yes, hermosa, I’ll take care of you.”

You threw your head back against his shoulder and gripped the edge of the counter so hard your knuckles ached. His lips latched on to your throat, sucking the skin there tenderly. You felt another one of his thick fingers slip into your hole, pumping in and out of you. You were trying to keep yourself from making too much noise, but it felt too good. 

“Sh, you want us to get caught?” He said through clenched teeth.

“No Mr. Garcia.” You managed to choke out.

“Then you’d better learn to keep that pretty little mouth quiet cariño.”

He was fingering you fast now, so fast that you were struggling to hold on to the countertop anymore and so you let go, allowing his strong arms to keep you in place. You felt full, but not full enough. You wanted more. You needed more.

“I want you to fuck me Mr. Garcia, please.” You begged. “Fuck me.”

Though he was thoroughly enjoying fingering you, he was glad you said something, because he was seconds from losing it in his sweats, and he would rather lose himself in your sweet cunt. He turned you around to the island counter and bent you over the granite. You quickly pulled your shorts down around your thighs, and you felt his thick cock as he wasted no time readying it at your hole.

“Are you sure about this sweetheart?” He asked, holding the head there at your entrance.

“Yes, please, I need it.” You said desperately.

“It might hurt a little, just say something if it does, ok?” He pressed a hand over your back and then pushed himself through until his hips were flush against your rear.

You reached and grabbed the other side of the island counter for stability.

“That’s a good girl, just hold on tight like that.” He brought both of his hands down to land a bruising grip on your hips.

“S-Santi.” You moaned, “You’re so big, holy-” 

It wasn’t painful, and it felt good to have him gliding over your walls. He looked down, reveling in the way your hole split over his cock. He grunted, thrusting into you, his skin slapped against your rear. Nothing had ever felt like you did, so warm, so tight, it didn’t even matter to him that you were his kid’s friend anymore. He just wanted to hear you screaming his name until you could hardly breathe.

“Fuck, cariño, you have such a nice little pussy. So wet and ready for me. Have you been thinking about me all night?” He said in a whisper between his deep moans.

“Y-yes.” You admitted. “I wanted to feel your cock Mr. Garcia.”

“Of course you did sweetheart.” His thrusts were getting faster. “Is that why you bent over doing those dishes like that? Huh? Were you hoping your best friend’s dad would come down the stairs and catch you shaking your ass like a little tease?”

“Fuck, yes.” You felt your core heating as your climax closed in.

“You’re such a naughty little girl, gonna fill you with my cum sweetheart.” His thrusting became jagged and stuttering, and his breathing turned into hushed grunts as he started to shoot his hot ropes into you.

“Yes…” You said, feeling your own orgasm peak.

You gushed over him, cunt squeezing the life from his hard length. It was hard to keep quiet, despite knowing you should. Maria was right upstairs and as long as she was still sleeping, she wouldn’t have heard your whimpering cries while your pussy contracted over her dad’s thick cock. She wouldn’t have heard your cracked voice say his name like a prayer while your knuckles strained over the countertop.

He stepped back, letting his cock and cum spill out of you. You heard some shuffling and then felt him using a towel to clean your cunt and your thighs.

“Squeeze it out for me sweetheart.” He demanded.

You did, feeling gobs of hot white ejaculate falling out into the paper towel Santi held between your thighs. Your legs were still shaking while you held on to the granite tightly. You couldn’t believe you had actually done that with him. It’s not like you hadn’t had the opportunity to do it many times during visits before, this time was different though, this time he had been so bold and desperate. He was irresistible.

“There’s a good girl.” He said as he finished cleaning you up.

You pulled your shorts up and turned to him. His face was flush with color, curls disheveled. He placed a soft kiss on your lips. His eyes looked at you with a near drunken hooded gaze. You wished that you could be held now, even for a few moments before having to leave, but you knew your time together was over, for now.

“Run to bed now.” He said.

When you turned, you were met with a quick smack on your rear before you bounded over the stairs to join your friend in her bed once again. You could only hope, with breath-stilling anticipation, that you would get to spend more time with him again some day.

Part 2

Triple Frontier Masterlist

bfd!Santi Masterlist

AO3 LINK:

TAGLIST (please let me know if you would like to be added or removed): @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction, @my-secret-shame, @thatmomwitchfriend, @alexxavicry, @welcometostayingawake, @jake-g-lockley, @campingwiththecharmings, @steven-grants-world, @lia275, @minigirl87, @ahookedheroespureheart, @in-between-the-cafes

[thedummysdummy]

In Which She Goes Missing

The first part of a new request series. This one gets a little darker than my previous works, so you've been warned!

~~

These days a dark phone screen was a rare and unwelcome occurrence. As such, Victor checked it again uneasily only to see his last message still unread. "Where did she go this time?" he murmured to the quiet air of his empty office. Though his heart threatened to race, he scowled and calmed it with memories of the last time she had "gone missing."

The stack of paperwork on the desk seemed only to grow the harder Victor worked to clear it. He focused intently on each word; though he would never admit to even himself, the CEO tried to use the complex language and problem solving to keep his mind off the girl. This only resulted in very little getting done and each pile of papers Goldman brought in making the task look more daunting.

Around three in the afternoon, Goldman appeared again with another stack of papers and a cup of hot coffee. "Here, boss," he said, handing the steaming mug to Victor. The CEO accepted the mug but placed it on the desk. "The Vento account is up for review again. I took the liberty of doing the market research for you and adding it to the back of last year's financial report."

Victor murmured his thanks as the packet was placed on the pile, though his eyes kept flitting to his phone. Goldman frowned at the accumulation of work on the desk and sat down in the chair in the corner. "You seem distracted today, boss. Is everything alright? Are you feeling unwell?"

"I am fine. I will be leaving early today, however. I want you to sort these remaining reports by importance and due date for me to handle tomorrow. I also want you to make contact with my girlfriend's company and find out if she is in today." Victor pushed the stack of paperwork at Goldman, who nodded and picked it up to take it back to his own desk. "First priority is calling the company. I don't want to drive over there for no reason." His eyes dropped back to the report and Goldman took that as his cue to leave.

On his way out the door, the assistant turned back. "Be careful out there, boss. I heard on the news that a couple of bodies turned up last night here in Loveland. They don’t seem to be evol-related deaths, thankfully. But doesn’t hurt to keep your eyes open. And enjoy your date!” Goldman chuckled and closed the door behind him, leaving Victor staring at the back of it. His stomach dropped and Victor grabbed for his phone, opening the web browser to do some quick research.

The bodies of two females were found outside the campus of Loveland University early this morning. They have been identified as 28 year old Mindy San and 27 year old Isla Morris, who both have been listed as missing persons since early last week. Evidence suggests the murders may be linked to three recent murders in surrounding counties. Citizens are encouraged to take precautions such as keeping doors locked and remaining indoors after dark as much as possible until the culprit can be caught.

Victor let out a sigh of relief. Both victims had been identified, so there was no reason to worry. And any moment, Goldman would come in and tell him-

“Boss, Willow said their boss didn’t come in this morning. I knew you’d want me to ask if they knew where she was so I asked, and she said no.” Goldman hovered in the doorway, expecting a flash of anger from Victor. He was correct in his guess; Victor’s eyes hardened and his lips compressed into a sharp line. But the anger was punctuated with concern which softened the corners of the CEO’s eyes.

“Very well. I’m leaving now. Cancel any appointments I may have had and hold my calls.” Victor slid his coat onto his back and left with little more than his keys and his phone. Goldman watched his boss retreating down the hallway, an uncomfortable feeling settling into the pit of his stomach. Yet he sighed, closed the office door, and returned to his own office to begin sorting the reports for Victor.

Though this had happened before, Victor couldn’t help but feel more concerned than the last time the girl hadn’t answered his calls. He pulled the phone from his pocket and dialed her number again, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder as he turned the key and the engine of the car roared to life.

You’ve reached the voicemail of-

Victor didn’t even wait for the message to finish before ending the call and tossing the darkened phone onto the seat next to him. “Why are you constantly making me search for you, dummy?” he growled to the empty space in the car. “Do you enjoy driving me crazy with worry?!” His stomach roiled and he took a deep breath to settle it. The skies outside were clear and bright, but the light could not penetrate the dark clouds that swirled around Victor’s vision and dimmed his world.

Obviously the first place to check would be her home. Perhaps the stubborn dummy had caught a cold or flu and didn’t have the mental wherewithal to let anyone know? That would certainly be within character for someone such as his girl. The drive from LFG to the girl’s apartment seemed to take an age; Victor felt that he was more likely to die from old age before he reached it than he was during his entire time at the Space Time Bureau. His foot seemed to weigh down the gas pedal further and further of its own accord until Victor was pulled from his stormy contemplations by the flashing of red and blue lights before him.

A primal growl ripped from Victor’s throat but he slowed the vehicle and pulled to the curb. His hands gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white, but his face remained as stony and impassive as ever. Once the car was parked and the engine silenced, Victor fished around for his paperwork and prepared to hand it over to the officer.

There was a soft tap on the car window and Victor rolled it down to look into the smiling face of a young policeman, probably around his own age. “You’ve a bit of a lead foot today, sir,” the officer explained. Seeing the paperwork in Victor’s hands, he extended his hand. Victor passed him the paperwork and ID cards silently, the chill around the CEO seeming to cool the air between the two men. “Thank you, sir. I’ll be right back with these.”

Every minute that passed felt like an eternity as Victor waited for the officer to return with his documents. Soft curses slipped from his lips, as if such things could relieve any of the stress threatening to crack his thick porcelain exterior. By the time the officer again approached the vehicle, Victor’s eyes blazed with ferocity. The officer’s smiling face faded away to a concerned grimace, but he handed the paperwork back to Victor with an attempt to remain nonchalant. “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Victor. I’m going to let you off with a warning this time, but let’s watch that speed, eh?”

He handed Victor a pink slip of paper, which the CEO briefly glanced at before dropping it on the seat beside him. “Yes, sir. Now if you will excuse me, I’m on the way to check on my girlfriend. She has not shown up to work today nor has she answered any calls or texts.”

A look of concern flashed through the officer’s eyes. “In which sector does your girlfriend live? She doesn’t happen to be near-”

The officer didn’t even have to finish his sentence before Victor knew exactly where his mind had gone. “No, she does not live near Loveland University. And neither of the women listed in the report are her.” The level of concern in the young officer’s eyes visibly lowered, but he still seemed to be on alert.

“Good to hear. I won’t keep you any longer, but don’t let your worry transfer to the accelerator, huh? And if you need any assistance, don’t be afraid to give us a call.” He gave Victor’s car door a tap, tipped his hat, and returned to his vehicle. Victor waited for the police car to pull away and speed off in the other direction before starting his own car and carrying on up the road. The look of concern in the officer’s eyes had sunk deeper into Victor’s psyche than he would admit to even himself and a shiver rushed down his spine. She was going to be lounging in her bed with a fever, he knew it.

The car had barely come to a stop when the door flung open and Victor burst into the sunshine. His phone again rang in his ear as he made quick strides toward the front door of the apartment building. You’ve reached the voicemail of… This time, he allowed the message to play out while the corner of his mouth twitched in irritation. “Dummy, answer your phone. Why didn’t you show up to work today? If you are sick, you should always make sure to tell me. I will be at your door in just a moment.”

Victor’s heart darkened with the phone screen and his foot tapped in the elevator as it carried him closer to the girl’s door. People in the hallways cleared the way, the look on Victor’s face setting them on edge. He soon came to the door, which his fist pounded firmly three times.

No sound came from inside.

He knocked again, listened, and his scowl intensified at the lack of response. “Alright, fine. I’m using the ‘emergency key.’” Victor sorted through his keys and held the unassuming piece of metal firmly in his hand. He’d never had occasion to use the thing and truly had never planned to, but there was no way he would just leave without checking inside. His stomach would not allow it. The key turned easily in the lock and Victor knocked again as he swung the door inward.

The inside of the apartment was dark, the only light coming from around the edges of the curtains and the illuminated clock displays on the kitchen appliances. Little could be seen until his eyes adjusted to the lower light level; once he felt that he could walk through without stepping on anything unseen, Victor slipped off his shoes and stalked into the apartment without even bothering to put on his house slippers.

She was not asleep on the couch or chair. That only left the bedroom…he couldn’t help but roll his eyes at himself as his stomach sunk at the thought of entering her room. She had never actually allowed him in there, and he suddenly understood her hesitance to enter his. I will just peek inside, that’s all. I need to make sure she’s just sleeping. With this compromise in his heart, Victor cracked open the door and peered inside.

The dim light that managed to penetrate the drawn curtains revealed nothing more than the chaotic space of a busy business woman…and an empty and unmade bed. Victor’s heart dropped even further and his eyebrows narrowed. Where could she have gone? There was no reason for her to sneak over to his house this time…but he might as well check.

On the road home, Victor again pulled his phone out. This time he dialed Kiki and she picked up on the second ring, her cheerful voice filling his ear canal with an uncomfortable volume. “Mr. Victor! What is up? You hardly ever call me!”

“Yes, you’re right. But I need to know where your boss was planning to go after work last night. She isn’t answering her phone and I thought that you, of all her friends, would be the most likely to know such things.”

Victor’s dry tone made Kiki laugh, the sound causing Victor to pull the phone away from his ear slightly until she settled herself. “She said she needed to go talk to Professor Lucien at his office at the university about a show he is helping with next week. Maybe he knows where she went after that?”

Rather than relief, a bitter taste of concern and dislike filled his mouth. Of course she would have been at the university last night…Victor slammed his fist on the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. “Alright, thank you. If any of you hear from her, let me know immediately.” His booming voice pulled stutters of affirmation from Kiki and he hung up the phone, changing direction immediately. As much as he’d rather not…Victor set off for Professor Lucien’s office.

[truglori]

Sneaky Link 🔗

Synopsis: Black Reader and Eric find each other online!

Pairing: Erik Stevens x Black Reader

Warning: Language, Smutt, Raw sex

Flopping on the bed Y/N found herself bored for the fourth Friday night in a row. This was supposed to be the season of hook ups and living her best carefree lifestyle that she had planned out but yet is was the exact opposite. Being on summer break from college Y/N had to come back home with the schools being closed. It was something she dreaded.

Home for her wasn’t the best place to be. Between her judgmental and nagging parents and older brother, Chris, Y/N was ecstatic when she discovered that she would be going to a school that was over three hundred miles away. Being four hours away gave her enough freedom knowing that she didn’t have any one breathing down her neck or snitching to her parents about whatever she did. With it only being her sophomore year Y/N loved the college lifestyle.

Getting up she went to her window to open it and put in her square fan. Her air conditioner that she always kept in her room was now being used by her brother so she had to settle for this. Turning the knob she felt the warm cool breeze coming through and taking up the room. Walking back to her bed she logged into her laptop going onto the web browser. Clicking the history she found the website she was searching for and tapped it.

Quick Link popped up on her screen. It was a site that allowed people to meet and chat with other people. Even though Y/N has been going on it for weeks now back and forth, she never met one person that she has chatted with yet. She was okay with talking to them online and even over the phone but the thought of seeing them in person scared her. With all of the Lifetime movies and ID channel she would watch, doing something as small as meeting up with them could be dangerous.

Y/N scrolled through her recent messages. She had over ninety-nine notifications. She knew that she wasn’t going to reply to them all, only the once she found cute. It was like a broken record being played. They all inbox her with the same messages, hey sexy! Y/N rolled eyes at the un-originality. To her it seem like the guys didn’t even try to put in any effort.

Tapping on the keyboard she began to text back the handful that she found attractive when she got two notifications. Hurrying up her sentence she exited out of the chat and clicking on her new direct messages.

HandsomeAssNigga👅- Y/N, what in the hell is yo ass doing on this shit...10:35pm

HandsomeAssNigga👅- And I know you still online. I can see the green bubble by ya picture...10:36pm

Y/N squinted at the name. Who the hell was this texting her like they knew her? The question alone made her stomach flutter at the idea of getting caught on a dating site by someone she knew or knew her. Clearly this person recognized her enough to boldly message her. Clicking on their username she went to their page. Her heart stopped and thighs clenched at the same time.

It was Erik fucking Stevens aka her brother’s childhood best friend. Chris and Erik were the same age and only three years older than Y/N. Growing up Y/N stayed crushing on Erik. It was his braids that he rocked back in the day that had her drooling over him but also how nice he was to her. Y/N remembered the time when she was a freshman in high school and Chris and Erik were both Juniors she would always get a ride with them every morning in his 2005 Honda Accord. He would steal glances at her through his rear view mirror that only she would catch but to afraid to ask him about it.

There would be times that she would find underwear from a girl tucked under the backseat. Y/N heard about the rumored that went around the school that Erik was a player. An experienced one at that. He was grown before his time and with the way the lucky girls who had a chance to sleep with him describe it, he gave dick like he was a grown man as well.

Hearing that did nothing but spark the flame that she felt about him. She wanted to experience it herself. But being the quiet and timid person she was then, she never did. It wasn’t until Y/N went to college where she lost her virginity her freshman and started having sex on the regular with her ex who was also her first. From the first few times they did it, she could never cum from penetration. Y/N thought it was normal and that every girl dealt with it until she shared a few stories with her friends and they would tell her about the way their guys would make them squirt.

Squirting was something Y/N always wanted to do but could never achieve with her guy. She loved feeling him inside of her stretching her open but he was a quick pumper. He came too fast for her and couldn’t last long enough to get her to nut. So after every session she would take her bullet and tortured her clit until she felt her cream escaping her hole. Not having sex since the last time she was at school had Y/N body extremely horny and hot and ready like a little ceasars pizza.

Clicking through his pictures had her clenching her thighs. After he graduated high school, the graduation was the last place she seen Erik. She wasn’t even sure if Chris and him were still close friends. But what she could say is that he grew up very nice. He now had dreads that hung over his eyes with a clean shape up to top it off. His teeth pearly and white accompanied by gold canines he was wearing in every other picture and last but not least his body was everything. Standing at 6’3 and looking like a solid 215 from her view Erik was fine as fuck.

Giggling and embarrassed with herself she replied back.

BlackBeauty- Erik omg...this is so embarrassing. How did you find me?...10:40pm

Biting the nail on her thumb she waited for him to answer her. To her surprise he wrote back fairly faster than what she expected.

HandsomeAssNigga👅- Noticed yo little ass on the explore page. I know you not on here meeting with these wack ass niggas...10:42pm

She laughed re-reading his message. To her it sound like it was possessive but she didn’t want to over think it.

BlackBeauty- Never!! I am not stupid. I haven’t met one person yet...10:44pm

Hitting the send button she rolled her eyes noticing herself getting desperate from his attention.

HandsomeAssNigga👅-Okay bet! I don’t wanna have to fuck you up youngin 😈...10:47pm

Biting her lip, she stared down the emoji. She wondered what that meant. She wondered in what way did he meant when he said he would fuck her up. At this point Y/N was dripping between her thick thighs.

BlackBeauty- What about you? I know you out here fucking these bitches you meet on here. Don’t lie lol...10:49pm

Y/N didn’t want to seem nosy, she was just trying to make conversation.

HandsomeAssNigga👅- Damn you cuss now? And second of all don’t be worried about what I do with my dick. I’m grown and that’s different...10:51pm

Bringing a hand down to her covered pussy Y/N caressed it. The warmth coming through her panties and cotton shorts. She didn’t know what it was but the way he was responding had her feeling a type of way. She wasn’t the shy young girl anymore he used to know and she wanted to make that clear.

BlackBeauty- I’m grown too Erik 💦...10:53pm

Her heart beat sped up when she sent the text not knowing how he was going to respond.

HandsomeAssNigga👅- To who? I know ya young ass ain’t out here fuckin yet. You was too shy for that last time I saw you. Even if you was, I know you ain’t getting know real dick...10:55pm

HandsomeAssNigga👅- What’s that emoji supposed to represent? Ya pussy or sum shit? Let me find out Y/N 👿...10:56pm

There goes that little devil that had her questioning herself again.

BlackBeauty- I get dick on the regular. Good dick! And yes Erik that emoji reps my pussy. Same young pussy that’ll be too wet for you to handle! I’ll have you drownin in my shit...10:59pm

Y/N could always talk a good game online. It was where she could be get as nasty as she wanted without actually putting in work. The guys who would hit her up loved her foreplay that she had spit over the internet and she was fortunate enough where they never pressed her to meet in person.

HandsomeAssNigga👅- Bring that pussy here and I’ma show you if I’ll drown in it. Stop fucking playing with me Y/N if you not gonna pull up. I don’t do this back and forth teasing shit. You tryna do a Sneaky Link or what?...11:02pm

Checking the hall Y/N seen that the lights were off. Her parents were most likely sleeping and Chris always worked Friday nights. This was the perfect time and opportunity to leave. She would have to sneak the keys from the key holder and use her dad’s car to get to his place. Y/N didn’t do this on the regular but because it was Erik she was curious. She wanted to see for herself if all of the rumors were true. Y/N was going to fuck him tonight.

BlackBeauty- Send me the addy..I’m on my way...11:04pm

________

After showering and preparing for her dick appointment Y/N successfully snuck out of the house. She put his address in her GPS. It was a twenty minute drive to get to his apartment. Putting the car in park and turning it off, Y/N felt the butterflies in her stomach grow while walking into the building. Taking her phone out she went to his message and looking up the apartment number he gave her. Apartment 3B.

Knocking on the door. She held her hands together tightly. She was beyond nervous and rethinking her decision as her heart kept thumping. She couldn’t believe that she was really going to go through this. After so many years of fantasizing about him in her room she was finally going to see the real thing. Y/N only wondered if it was as good as she hoped.

The door swung open showing Erik sipping on a glass of dark liquor. In nothing but a tight wife beater that clung to his chest and his sweats that hung low Y/N could see the print poking through so visibly. It looked like he was free balling it.

“Damn ma. You wasn’t lying about getting grown. You look good as shit.” Erik sipped from his glass. He stepped aside inviting her in.

Y/N smiled softly going inside. She only took a few steps in and stood to the side waiting for him. She heard the door lock behind her as it caused her to gulp hard on her spit.

Erik eyed her with his low eyes. He chuckled seeing that she was clearly nervous.

“So that’s ya thing?” His voice was low and deeper than what she remembered.

“What’s my thing?” Her soft voice speaking up.

“Talking shit online but quiet it person.” He stated putting her on the spot.

Y/N smacked her lips and rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” She turned facing his livingroom.

“Nah ain’t no whatever. What’s good ma? Where that big girl energy go?” He walked up behind her pressing his body into hers. The hand that wasn’t holding his cup wrapped around her waist gripping the small pudge on her stomach.

Y/N shivered when she felt his dick on her ass. Her assumption was right. He wasn’t wearing any underwear beneath his sweats. She could feel the coldness of his chains on her shoulder when he leaned on her due to her only wearing a tank top. She grabbed his hand, not pushing him away but holding on to him.

“I’m here aren’t I?” She gazed at him over her shoulder.

He smirked at her smart remark. “You need anything before we start? A drink, blunt, something to help you calm ya scary ass down.” He teased.

She pushed his hand from around her waist and folded her arms. “I’m not scary Erik. If I was I wouldn’t be here.”

“Then why you barely saying shit?” He licked his lips.

Y/N shrugged. “It’s just been a while since I saw you. You look...different.” Playing with her diamond earning, she occupied her fingers.

“I may look different but I’m still the same Erik that used to jack ya brother up every time he fucked with you when no one was looking. Ain’t shit changed about me ma so you can relax. I’m tryna take care of you tonight.” He spoke stepping closer.

They were now face to face. Y/N’s frame staring up into his 6’3 one. When she would inhale she could smell his expensive cologne mix with the Hennessy he’s been sipping on since she got here.

“Okay.” She answered with a bite of her bottom lip.

Erik groaned at the action. Both of his hands behind his back now, he bent down to her level to meet her halfway. “C’mere.” He demanded a kiss with messy dreads hanging over his eyes.

Meeting him where he was, Y/N listened giving him one. The taste of the dark liquor transferring over to her taste buds from his tongue invading her mouth. The warmth of it made her melt under him and causing her head to lean back. She was already growing weak just from the kiss.

Erik reached behind her slapping her ass and gripping it with his free hand. “Fuck you doing all that for and I ain’t even do shit yet.” He spoke against her lips peaking through his eyelids.

“Hurry up then daddyy.” Y/N whined.

“That’s my name for the night? I like that shit.” He walked them backwards until they reached his room which wasn’t far away from the front.

Placing his glass down on his dresser he lifted her up by her thighs, picking her up. Y/N squealed from the unexpected action. She held onto his neck hoping he wouldn’t drop her. Erik chuckled playing with her ass cheeks before laying her down on the bed gently.

“You sucked dick before...miss grown?” Bringing his hand down, he massaged his print through his sweats.

Leaning up on the palm of her hands, Y/N nodded answering yes. She did it plenty of times with her ex, who she could make cum quickly off of head alone but the way Erik was grabbing his tool made her think differently.

“So what’s up then? Come show me what that mouth do?”

Kicking off her sandals Y/N got off the bed. His eyes stayed glued to her. Getting on her knees in front of him she tugged the sides of the grey sweats and pulled them down to his mid thigh. His dick sprung out almost hitting her in the face had she been centimeters closer.

Long and thick was what it was. A beautiful smooth brown texture covered his heavy package. Y/N felt her mouth watered thinking about how her cream and juices would look being all over it. This man was truly blessed and so far proving the rumors to be true.

Erik twisted his hips side to side wagging it in front of her. He lifted the wife beater up and tucked it under his chin so that he can get a good view.

Grabbing the base of his length Y/N eyed it. She was trying to figure out ways to be able to swallow this monster without choking. Sticking her tongue out she tapped his tip against it. A string from her saliva on her tongue being attached to his head every time they separated. With her prior experience and watching porn she grew to have her own technique.

Y/N allowed the spit to build up in her mouth when she sucked on his tip. No nigga likes dry head and she wasn’t going to start giving it today. She wanted it to be extra sloppy for Erik. Tightening her jaws she went up and down on his dick. Taking only about four inches of him and using her spit to stroke the rest of him. With just the little bit of his length she was able to take she could already feel him reaching her back.

“Fuck that throat feel good. Shitt!” Erik groaned gripping her tight kinky curls and putting them into a ponytail. He tilted his head watching her go stupid on his dick. He sucked in his lower lip when she began to swivel her head around.

Long drips of spit went falling down on her black tank top. Erik’s eyebrows scrunched up the moment he felt her take his balls in her mouth and suck on them lightly while stroking his tip. His stomach started to tighten and his toes dug into his carpet. This girl was trying to take his soul the way she sucking him up.

“Man whatchu doing Y/N?” Erik asked amazed, closing his eyes for a second. He couldn’t remember the last time he had head this good.

“I’m showing you that I’m grown daddy.” She answered coming up.

Now both of her hands were focused on playing with his balls while she sucked his tip and some of the few inches she was able to reach. Her eyes stared into his not stopping at all. She had him right where she wanted him. She could tell from the way his breathing sped up that he was getting weak and ready to bust a nut. Y/N tightened her suction to make it happen when she felt him pull her off by her hair.

Erik took one hand gripping her spit covered chin and tilted her head up to look at him. “Fuck is you doing sucking my dick like that ma? You tryna make me hold you hostage for the whole night?” He asked seriously.

Y/N giggled. “I just wanna make you cum Daddy.” She reached for his tip and gripped it making him jerk forward.

Erik smacked his lips annoyed that she had him feeling like sensitive. “Chill with that. Let me fuck you first before you suck this nut out.”

Helping her up and placing her back on the bed Erik slide off her biker shorts tossing them somewhere. Underneath them she had on some cotton hipster panties with little rainbows spreaded everywhere. Erik laughed when he seen it.

“Why you wearing shit like this ma?” He teased stepping out of his pants and getting on the bed.

“Because it’s cute. Why you worried about what I’m wearing instead of taking them off?” Y/N mocked his question.

Erik smirked bringing his hand up to the piece of cloth and ripping them straight down the middle and threw them on the ground. A gasp left Y/N lips as she was shocked from him doing that. Slapping his forearm, her lips went into a pout becoming upset.

“Erik, I just brought those two weeks ago.” She smacked the hand that was rubbing her thigh.

“You said to take them off. My bad. That’s the way I usually do it.” He lifted her legs by the back of her thighs while he consoled her as a distraction.

Y/N was frustrated at the fact that he ripped her new panties but also that she wasn’t going to have any to wear back home after this link.

“I don’t care how you do it, you shouldn’t have- ohh shiitt!” Her rant was cut off with the sound of moans leaving her mouth.

Holding her legs by the back of her knees Y/N glanced down to see Erik flicking her clit. The tip of his tongue felt wet and firm, in a good way. She really started to feel it when he took one hand and spread her phat pussy lips. Now her clit was out in the open and more accessible. Erik’s eyes met hers through his dreads when his lips wrapped around her bud and began to suck.

“Mm fuck...daddyy!” The sensation had Y/N’s hips thrusting to meet his vacuum like suction. So powerful and wet.

“I want you to cum on this fuckin tongue!” His words were muffled by the lips of her pussy surrounding his but it was enough to reach her ears. Taking a hand he smacked her outer thigh making his demand clear.

Her warm and slick juices ran out of her opening. It was something about the way he commanded her to nut that made her wetter and willing. Y/N liked to be dominated. Lifting up the tank top and pulling it up to her chest she tweaked and flipped her nipples adding to the stimulation. For her the feeling of having her nipples played with while getting her pussy ate made her orgasm a hundred times better.

“Eat this fucking pussy b-babyy-“ She whimpered feeling a tear slide down the corner of her eye.

Even though he noticed it, Erik didn’t stop. The juices that he caught in his mouth made it hard. He loved a good tasting ass pussy. Y/N definitely had one. Moving his assault from her clit he put his tongue in her tight opening. He began to fuck her with it. Erik put his hands under her ass cheeks and got a good cuff before bringing her back and forth on his stiff tongue. With the way her legs were still in the air he could see Y/N toes curl the second he started the action. She began leaking so quickly. Erik chuckled inwardly when he felt her walls squeezing on him.

“Mhm.” He moaned teasing her.

Y/N was cumming from the second time just off of his mouth alone. She reached down to rub her clit while he stuck his tongue deep inside her. She ain’t never got head this good before back at college. Her thighs began to shake as she felt another mini orgasm hit. Her pussy growing sensitive and overstimulated.

Grabbing his dreads she lifted his head up. “Daddy you was eating my pussy so good. Fuckk!” She moaned with a quiver in her voice.

“Now I’m bout to beat this pussy up real good too. Turn around. I want that ass from the back.” Erik barked getting on his knees.

Swiftly taking off her tank top, Y/N turned around like he said and got on all fours. She felt a firm smack to her right ass cheek. Moaning she rocked back and forth and twerked each cheek individually. Y/N looked over her shoulder behind her seeing Erik watching her move it so effortlessly. His hands went up to her waist and pulled her closer to him. Now she could feel her mound rubbing against his bare hard rock hard stick.

“Doing all this ass shaking, you better not try to run from the dick. I don’t want none of that.” He gripped a cheek spreading it watching her pussy lips follow.

“I’m not gon run daddy..I promise.” She reassured him softly.

Erik gripped the base of his length. Smacking it against her her clit he played with it for a while to warm her up. When he heard her moaning and seen her backing up against him he knew she was ready. Erik sent a drip of spit on the tip of his dick and rubbed it over it with a free hand. He teasingly dipped in and out of her tight hole. Y/N pussy was tight as fuck and he knew he had to work his way in. Getting deeper and deeper with each inch her warm wet walls clung on to him.

“Ooh fuck!” Y/N eyes closed not expecting him to feel like this. Erik was stretching her pussy out. Her arms sprawled out in front of her gripping his sheets.

“Tight ass pussy you got. What happened to getting dick on the regular? Hmm?” Holding her down by the small of her back Erik made her arch deeper as he stroked her slick walls.

Y/N’s mouth couldn’t close or make a sound. From the position he had her in she couldn’t move or run if she wanted to. Pinned down and made to take it. Erik was dicking her down. His heavy fat dick busting her pussy open and touching her stomach. Fuck that. He was putting it in her chest. Y/N reached behind her to hold on to his wrist while he pounded her pussy with precision. Her face smashed into the bed. His dick was too good for her.

“Ooh baby... Daddy don’t fuck me like this!” She shouted not knowing what she was saying. Y/N didn’t want him to stop but she couldn’t handle the pressure he was putting on her bladder.

Erik didn’t have just a big dick that could stretch a pussy out. He knew how to fuck with it. When he stroked he didn’t use his whole body he worked his hips and that’s what drove bitches crazy about him. Erik would fuck like he was trying to make a baby.

“I thought you came here to get fucked?” He asked lifting off her. He bended one knee and balanced his weight on his foot pressing it into the bed. His hand wrapped around her throat as he caught a rhythm making her throw it back on him.

The sound of skin clapping filled the room. Y/N’s arch was now the deepest it’s ever been with Erik choking her from behind and making her head tilt up towards the ceiling. Cramping in her stomach let her know that she was about to break. She was finally about to cum from penetration alone. His curved tip would press on a spot she didn’t know she had there causing her legs to convulse. Her whimpers and moans only encouraged him to keep doing what he was doing. Which was tearing her pussy up.

“Shiitt!!” She cursed grabbing onto her titty to have something to hold on.

Erik bit his lip seeing her ass tremble from her orgasm and feeling her squeezing his dick with a vice grip. He slapped her left cheek before pulling out to flip her over on her back. Looking down at his meat it was covered in her creamy juices. His dick jumped at the sight.

“Good ass pussy.” He mumbled in a trance.

Using the weight of his hips he thrusted finding his way back inside of her. The warm wet tunnel closing in on him. Erik lifted up the wife beater that was still on in the mist, and brought it up under his chin tucking it to move it out of his way. His hands found the back of her thighs and pinned them against her chest. He began stroking and getting deeper from the angle.

Being trapped from his hold that he had on her, the only thing Y/N could do was bring her hands to his hips trying to interrupt his movements. Y/N didn’t like this feeling. He was going too deep. Deeper than what she was used to. Shaking her head from side to side she pushed at his hips that only kept going due to her weak and trembling arms not being able to produce enough strength.

“Move ya fuckin hands.” He demanded while keeping his steady stroke. Erik cussed under his breath hearing the smacking sounds coming from her hole that could be mistaken for a pot of mac and cheese being stirred. That’s how good Y/N pussy was.

Her tight walls gripped his dick. Erik looked between their bodies watch the beautiful art being made. Her pussy following him whenever he pulled out to the tip just to be sucked back in. Pussy as good and wet as hers always got him to bust hard. He was close. Leaning down to her neck he kissed and sucked her skin while having her pinned down taking his length. Erik felt her walls slick up and knew she was about to nut again.

“Let that shit go mama.” He whispered in her neck.

Y/N’s nails scratched against his back. Her eyes wailed up with tears feeling the pressure in her stomach building up. She lost count of how many times he had made her cum tonight but she knew she was grateful and only prayed that this wasn’t the last time she got dick this bomb.

“Unhh.” She couldn’t produce any words. Her toes curled as she gazed at the ceiling feeling her body shake.

“There you go.” He pecked her neck.

Erik talked her through her nut while he continued to chase his. It wasn’t long before he felt his dick throb and grow inside of her. Pulling out he climbed on top of her holding his body up with one hand pressed into the bed as he stroked his dick with the other. Y/N opened her mouth and sucked his tip. She could feel his seed spilling on her tongue and traveling down her throat. She wasn’t usually a swallower but the way he had just fucked her he deserved to have his dick milked.

“Ahh shit!” Erik cursed caressing her jaw as he watched her suck him dry. She was cleaning both her juices and his nut off of his dick.

A popping sound escaped her mouth when she released him. Y/N’s body couldn’t move as she laid back staring at him with disbelief. Erik caught her face expression.

“What?” He asked standing on the side of the bed.

“Nothing. It’s just the rumors that I heard about you were all true. You do give some good dick.” Turning to lay on her side Y/N smiled.

Erik laughed. “Yeah well I could say the same about you.”

Her brows knitted in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Little birdy that goes to your college told me about how good ya pussy was. Had to find out for myself.” He smirked at her.

“Erik what are you talking about?” Y/N sat up.

“I’m talking about your ex that you fuck from time to time is my second cousin. Nigga couldn’t stop running his mouth about you. Small world ain’t it?”

He paused watching the confusion clouding over her face. “Besides why else you think I had hit you up tonight? It damn sure wasn’t to reminisce over the past.”

Taking off the wife beater, Erik leaned down to kiss her lips before walking away.

______________________________________

Please excuse any mistakes!

Tag-List

@supersizemeplz @nahimjustfeelingit-writes @hearteyes-for-killmonger @curls-and-crosses @killmonger-dolan @killmongerkink @migosis @raysunshine78 @alookintohersoul @popcorn803 @just-juicee @mllover260 @kimmyblckswan2 @koriiii @tchallasbabymama @toniilaney @marvelmaree @mia-faith @adreamsublime @queen-b1 @mcdesij @vintage-pvssy @viewsfromrose @ceeverse @smuttywriter @harleycativy @callmemckenzieee @theblulife @bvssmob @everything-is-awesomesauce @xoxomyaah @19jammmy @tchallas-ikumkani-wam @suburbanblackhoe @allhailqueennel @admirehermind @themeirajay @asaanime @bellanay @skylahb @toni9 @iambabyharry @kiabialia @youlovetkay @lahuttor @kehlaniswifee @childishgambinaax @readingaddict1290 @sociallyawkward18 @iamching07 @sourbabynaee @unholyxcumbucket @ladymac82 @efonteno @xsweetdellzx @shalynn-m @joanna-doe @beautifullmelodyxx @browngirldominion @rbhp @richonne4life

[simplybakugou]

Shut Up and Kiss Me

↝ Working side-by-side, Bakugou felt himself become encaptivated by you the more he spent time with you. After a failure of a first date, he can’t help but be drawn to you even more under the unruly night sky.

PROMPT: “Can I kiss you?”

⋆ PAIRING: prohero!bakugou x female!reader ⋆ WARNINGS/TAGS: swearing ⋆ WORD COUNT: 5019

A/N: Here’s my submission for the @bnhabookclub​ event! I changed the prompt a little to “I wanna kiss you” to fit Bakugou’s character a little more. Here’s the link to the event!

✐posted 05.16.2020✐

Bakugou, one of the most self-assured pro heroes in the world had never felt so emotionally flustered until he met you. He always found himself observing you whenever you were at the agency, even if it was rare that the two of you were in the building at the same time. You were a rookie hero who was excited as well as determined to make your way to the top. You had a strong quirk and if there’s anything Bakugou recognized, it was a suitable rival. Through numerous training sessions and working your ass off, you slowly climbed up the rankings and eventually became the number two hero, working at the same agency, one that Bakugou owned himself. 

On that particular day, Bakugou had finished a mission earlier than expected, luckily dodging any reporters who always invaded his personal space and pissed him off. He had gone back to his agency, wanting to change out of his hunk of metal of a costume and return home to get some rest. He couldn’t ignore the disappointment he felt when he scanned the room and didn’t see you around.

Nonetheless, he continued walking down the street, thankful that his agency wasn’t located in a socially attractive area like other top notch agencies. As he turned down the street, something caught his eye and he couldn’t help but stare at the sight. 

There you were on the corner of the intersection, looking practically unrecognizable. Bakugou had never seen you without your hero costume on, usually ending up as a sweaty mess with your hair tousled and your costume ripped and torn at times. But there you were in a dress and heels, makeup perfectly painted onto your skin, and your hair pinned neatly. You were practically radiating an aura that commanded everyone to have their attention drawn to you. Bakugou never really cared about looks but seeing you now looking more beautiful than any person he had ever seen, he couldn’t help but stare. 

With looking so stunning, that aura of yours attracted the attention of others other than Bakugou. He felt his fists tighten when from across the street as he was waiting for the light to change, a grubby man approached you, smirking as he looked down at you. 

“I’ve never seen such a pretty little lady in these parts of town.” He grinned even wider at you. Even passerbys couldn’t recognize you without your costume.

You rolled your eyes, ignoring him. “Get lost, dickwad.”

The man narrowed his eyes at you, reaching down to feel you up. Right as Bakugou felt his body move towards you instinctively to help you, you turned around, twisting the man’s wrist in your own. The impact sent him falling down, hitting his head on the stop sign behind him. Bakugou couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a sense of relief knowing you were strong on your own, not having to rely on anyone to protect yourself. 

As you began crossing the street, Bakugou absentmindedly crossed the other way, not wanting to run into you. He didn’t understand why at first but he didn’t want you to know that he was watching you. He saw that you were heading towards the agency and he began going through the shortcut that he often would go through if the press would hover outside of the building at times. Bakugou was able to get to the building before you did and he let out a sigh of relief, beginning to unlatch the gauntlets around his wrists. 

“Hey, Ground Zero, great work out there today,” Haru, one of the secretaries from the front desk stated.

Bakugou nodded in response, moving to the back to quickly change out of his hero costume. He wanted to leave immediately and not have to run into you on the way here. He began to recall the way you were dressed and how you looked, closing the door behind him to not only change out of his costume but also hide the blush that was evident on his cheeks.

A few moments later, you pushed open the doors to the building, going towards the front desk. Haru looked up, surprised that you were here so abruptly as well as your change in attire. “(H/N), what’re you doing here? It’s your day off.”

You sighed. “I know. But I’m bored out of my mind so please give me work to do.”

The other receptionist, Aiko, looked you up and down with a grin. “Ooh, I see someone’s all dressed up! Did you go on a date? Was that why you wanted a day off?”

You rolled your eyes at her. “No, my mom made me go to some shitty brunch with her boyfriend’s family. They’re all pestering me so I got out of there and now I have nothing to do.”

“I can go through some reports and see what you can do,” Aiko said with a wink and you thanked her.

“Man, can’t believe our two biggest heroes are in the building. You guys are usually never here at the same time,” Haru commented, looking at you in awe.

You raised your brows, perking up immediately. “Ground Zero’s here?”

Haru nodded, pointing down the hall. “He’s in the back.”

You smirked, pulling out your phone and typing something in your web browser as you made your way to the back. You pushed open the door without any warning and Bakugou, who was in the midst of changing his pants, was taken aback, his face burning up as you stared at his half naked body. Only his briefs were covering him and he held his pants up to shield his legs from your eyes. “What the fuck?!”

“Just wanted to pop in and say ‘hello.’ And to show you this.” You held your phone up to an article covering your new ranking. “I’m in second place now. So just you wait; I’ll be number one soon enough!”

You slammed the door behind you as you made your own dramatic exit, leaving Bakugou utterly speechless and stunned. Just when he believed he couldn’t be more intrigued, you proved him wrong once again. You reignited his burning desire to be the best, wanting to show you exactly why he was the number one hero in the first place.

Since that day, you worked twice as hard as you did before and with your handwork, Bakugou wasn’t going to let you beat him so easily. He had to make sure to work twice as hard as you did, ultimately leading to him staying on top. As time progressed, you were often asked to accompany Bakugou on various missions and with the time the two of you spent together, you became close. 

“I can’t believe I’m still ranked number two,” you grunted in annoyance as you walked with Bakugou side by side back to the agency.

Bakugou smirked. “Hah, like I was just gonna let you surpass me without a fight. Dream on.”

You sighed, crossing your arms over your chest and pushed open the large glass doors. Bakugou made his way all the way to the back like he usually did while you stood in front of Aiko’s desk, pouting profusely.

Aiko snickered, recognizing that look of defeat on your face. “Let me guess: the rankings came out and you’re still number two?”

You clenched your fists, slamming them on the counter in frustration. “He’s just too damn good! I don’t know how to beat him!”

“Come on, you can’t tell me you thought it would be easy, right?” Aiko sneered playfully. “He does work with you, too.” You stuck your tongue out at her as she got up to go to the filing cabinet. 

“(H/N)? Could you fill out a report from today’s patrol?” Haru asked in a tone lower than normal.

“Sure!” You said, grabbing the clipboard from him and filling it out on the counter in front of his desk. Being drawn to your work, you didn’t notice Haru fidgeting in his seat as he took shy glances at you. Although you weren’t aware of it, Bakugou sure was as he came out of the back room, glaring at Haru from a distance as he looked at you nervously.

“(H/N), I was wondering if you were busy this weekend?” Haru asked, rubbing the nape of his neck as he began to sweat apprehensively. 

You looked up as you were writing, tapping the ballpoint pen against your chin as you began to think. “Hm, I’m pretty sure I have Saturday off and I’ve got nothing to do. Why’d you ask?”

Haru let out an anxious laugh. “Oh, you know, I was wondering if you wanted to go out--”

“She’s going out with me,” Bakugou butted in, leaning down on the counter in front of Haru’s desk, a frown printed on his lips. 

“I am?” You asked in confusion in unison with Haru’s, “She is?”

“You’re gonna have to try another day ‘cause she’s all mine Saturday,” Bakugou grumbled, loud enough for you and Haru to hear. He pushed open the glass doors in aggravation, mumbling incoherently under his breath as he left. 

You stood stunned as you watched his figure become smaller and smaller. Haru snapped you away from your thoughts, whispering, “So are you really going out with Ground Zero?”

“Hm?” You turned your head to face him, smiling widely. Seeing as his social skills were pretty low to begin with, you were intrigued with the thought of spending time with Bakugou outside of the work setting. “Yeah, it sounds fun! It’s not everyday I get to go out with Bakugou instead of Ground Zero!”

***

Bakugou never knew the day would actually come where he would be able to take you out. Despite being the proud man he was for everything hero related, he was hesitant to approach you with the intention of taking you out. And now the time had arrived where Bakugou, in his own unique way, managed to ask you out. 

However, Bakugou had no idea where to start planning a first date. His friends, specifically Kaminari, Kirishima, and Sero gave him different ideas, ultimately not being helpful at all for Bakugou. In the end, he decided to make his own plan, no matter how shitty it may end up being. The most difficult part about all this was that Bakugou didn’t really know much about you, having to rely on the help of Mina as she was a woman herself and had the most insight out of his friends. With her help, Bakugou based his planning on Mina’s interests.

Bakugou started off the date with dinner at a restaurant, a recommendation made by Mina herself. However, to Bakugou’s disappointment, the food was probably one of the worst things you’ve ever consumed in your life. Despite this, you didn’t want to be rude or make Bakugou upset by addressing the awful food. Bakugou knew you were just trying to be nice and nevertheless, he didn’t want this to ruin your evening. He strived to redeem himself with the rest of the night.

“What movie are we watching again?” You asked as Bakugou handed you your ticket.

“Some rom-com. I wasn’t sure about which movie you would wanna watch so I guessed and chose one.” Bakugou shrugged. In actuality, Mina had been talking nonstop about this movie and had begged Bakugou to show you it, guaranteeing that you would love it. He didn’t want to admit that he had Mina help him out to plan this date since he had no idea what to do.

You and Bakugou gave in your tickets and went into the theater you were instructed to enter. As you chose and sat in your seats, the screen began changing to the title sequence of the movie.

As the movie continued into the last quarter, Bakugou couldn’t help but feel bored out of his mind. Everything about the movie was awful: the cinematography, the directing, the acting… it was simply a shitshow. Finally, the movie had come to an end and so was Bakugou’s misery as he forced himself to sit and watch the movie in its entirety instead of running out and hiding in the bathroom. The two of you got up, making your way out of the theater.

“How was it?” Bakugou asked, throwing out the empty bucket of popcorn.

If possible, you actually hated the movie more than Bakugou did. But similarly to the dinner, you didn’t want to hurt his feelings, especially since he planned out this whole evening. “It was… good.”

Bakugou sighed. He knew that you were just trying to spare his feelings but he didn’t want to call you out either. The one time he actually plans something like this out and it completely blew up in his face. You smiled sympathetically at him, throwing your empty buckets of popcorn out as you exited the theater. It was evident that Bakugou, who was quite obviously talented in other areas, was lacking experience in planning an amazing night out for a date.

As if the night couldn’t get any worse, the minute the two of you stepped outside, you heard numerous screams from a few blocks down. Low and behold, a giant rock-type villain was attempting to rob a bank and even had hostages in both of his hands.

“We can never just get a fucking day off,” Bakugou muttered. 

You chuckled and the two of you began making your way towards the site, running in the direction of the chaos without a second thought. You threw your shoes off to the side, cursing at yourself mentally for deciding on wearing a skirt and heels. But you couldn’t help yourself; you wanted Bakugou to see you on a day that you weren’t a sweaty mess. To your misfortune, it seemed that your perfectly pinned hair and makeup would be ruined within a few minutes.

Bakugou didn’t hesitate to maneuver himself towards the villain using his quirk for mobility and sending a blast to his face. The villain screamed, letting go of the hostages as he began wailing and covering his eyes. You jumped up and caught both hostages, safely setting them down to the ground.

They looked up at you in awe, two teenage girls who had met their first pro hero. “Thank you, (H/N)!”

“Don’t mention it! Now get back before you get hurt!” You called out as you maneuvered your body upwards using your quirk.

“Get behind him!” Bakugou yelled towards you. You nodded and moved to the villain’s blindspot, Bakugou following suit. The two of you sent blasts at his neck, causing him to fall onto his face with a thud. You held down one of his arms and Bakugou held the other, waiting for the police to arrive. The small crowd that was watching in awe began to cheer and clap, all of them getting excited to have gotten the chance to see the top two heroes in action. Truth be told, after spending numerous missions with him, you began to understand Bakugou’s fighting style and incorporated your own moves to suit his as well and he did the same, too. Alone, you were both strong in your own ways and can manage yourselves efficiently. But together, you were a force to be reckoned with.

Finally the cops showed up, piling out of the cars and taking the villain into custody. They thanked you and Bakugou repeatedly and you returned their thanks while Bakugou watched as they took care of the villain. You waved at the crowd as Bakugou started walking in the opposite direction of the crowd, patiently waiting for you to follow. You caught up with him, letting out a sigh once you were away from the commotion.

“It’s too bad tonight didn’t go like we wanted,” you said, frowning at the state of your now tattered clothes. You could already feel your makeup being smudged and your hair tousled, not bothering to fix it now. The pain in the soles of your feet only increasing with every step you took with your bare feet. You could even feel bits of gravel stabbing at your heels.

Bakugou paid no attention to his own attire, taking off his button down due to the various rips and tears and sticking to his black tank top underneath his clothes. “Even if that villain didn’t show up, tonight was still a fucking shitshow.”

He glanced down at your bare feet and bent over to remove his own sneakers. You shook your head. “No it wasn’t! I mean the food could’ve been better and the movie wasn’t as good as we expected but I still had a great time!” 

Finally taking notice of his removing his shoes, you rose a curious brow at him. “What’re you doing?”

Bakugou scoffed, shoving his sneakers into your hands and started making his way towards your apartment where he had picked you up from when the night started. “You think you can walk home fucking barefoot?”

You let out a small smile, thanking him as you bent over to slip his shoes on. Although they were obviously large and difficult to walk in, it was better than walking without any material protecting your feet. You caught up to him as Bakugou shoved his hands into his pockets. “Plus you don’t have to spare my feelings. There’s no point in lying, I know that tonight was a fucking mess.”

You looked towards him as he had his signature frown etched onto his face. “It doesn’t matter what we do. I always have a great time when I’m with you, Bakugou.”

Bakugou felt a tug in his chest as he glanced over at you, looking away immediately once making contact with your (E/C) eyes. You laughed at his reaction, taking notice to the slight pink tinting of his cheeks. “It’s still weird for me to not call you ‘Ground Zero.’ I mean, you’re still my boss technically.”

“We’re co-workers, I’m not your boss,” Bakugou insisted. “It’d be weird for a boss to be going out with his employee.”

“Either way, it’s odd, but just because we’re heroes doesn’t mean we can’t be friendly.” You glanced over in his direction, watching as he continued to trudge down the path towards your apartment. He could feel your eyes on him, not wanting to acknowledge them as he felt himself grow nervous under your intense gaze. “Speaking of, why did you become a hero?”

“Simple,” Bakugou started, “I wanted to become the best, the indisputable best.” He glanced over to you, smirking. “And I’m gonna keep it that way.”

You rolled your eyes at him. “We’ll see about that.”

“And you?”

“Why I wanted to become a hero?” You reiterated, Bakugou nodding as the two of you turned the corner. “I’ve never really told anyone this but to make it straightforward, my sister was hurt in an altercation with a villain when we were kids. She wasn’t hurt too bad but she was hospitalized for a few weeks. Ever since then, I’ve vowed to save as many people as I can, sort of like I’m trying to compensate for not being able to save her all those years ago.”

Bakugou glimpsed at you, his attraction towards you only increasing with this new found information. Although his desire for becoming a hero seemed subpar compared to yours, he admired you even more than he already did for taking a situation that wasn’t even your fault and turning it into your driving force for your profession.

“And now you’ve saved more people than any other hero,” Bakugou said.

You shrugged. “I’m trying to at least.” 

The conversation took a turn as you continued to talk about your personal lives, getting to know Bakugou in a different light. It was odd to see him talk about himself in a manner that wasn’t related to heroism. You had grown accustomed to hearing the various news stories about the brash number one hero that wasn’t as kind-hearted or catered for the crowds like All Might or other previous pro heroes but you never really cared for that. Being a pro hero wasn’t about one’s ability to present themselves in an attempt for the general public or media to like them but to use their quirks to help and protect as many people as they can. And Bakugou has done just that, protecting and saving people left and right without looking for any critical acclaim from anyone. 

He really was the indisputable best. 

The walk to your apartment finally came to a close as you stood in front of your complex, turning to face Bakugou. “I know you think that today was shitty but I don’t think it was at all. And I mean that.”

Bakugou scoffed. “Whatever. You can say that shit all you want, but I know how today went.”

You chuckled, shaking your head at his stubbornness. “I just liked getting to know more about Bakugou. Ground Zero’s cool and all but Bakugou’s pretty interesting if you ask me.”

You slipped his sneakers off, raising them up in front of them. “Thank you for these. I know most people say that you’re an asshole or they say all this crap about you being inconsiderate but I think tonight showed me that you’re actually a sweet guy. I think I’m liking Bakugou Katsuki more and more.”

Bakugou felt his face heat up, looking off to the side in an attempt to not let you acknowledge his blushing as he took his shoes from you. “Shut up, don’t say dumb shit like that.” He turned around, feeling like he would explode if he saw you for more moments than he already had. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You laughed again, waving as he knelt down and slipped his shoes back on and began to walk away from the building. You couldn’t help but watch on as his figure grew smaller and smaller, finally deciding to go inside once he turned the corner. A sigh you didn’t know you were holding in escaped your lips, your feet aching from the momentary period of time spent running after the villain barefoot. Ignoring the pain, you made your way to the bathroom, frowning at the sight of your physical appearance. Just as you predicted, your hair and makeup were a mess, streaks of black blotting around your eyes and locks of hair knotted together as your neatly pinned hair had fallen apart. Your clothes that you had spent so much time figuring out were a tattered mess and you felt slightly embarrassed for a moment for looking like this in front of Bakugou. But that embarrassment dissipated as quickly as it came as you knew Bakugou has probably seen you looking like a sweaty mess more than he has seen your appearance on your best day.

You removed your makeup with a wipe and let your hair loose, the locks cascading down your shoulders. Just as you changed out of your clothes into something more comfortable, the sound on rain droplets pelting your windows echoed from the outside. Within a few minutes a downpour hit the city and you sighed, thankful that you had gotten inside before getting caught in the mess outside.

That was when you realized that Bakugou was still outside, on his way to his own house. He was also most likely getting drenched. Without thinking twice, you grabbed two umbrellas and ran out in an attempt to spare Bakugou from the harsh weather.

***

Bakugou’s phone began to buzz in his pocket, groaning incoherently as he saw Mina’s name on the screen requesting for a video call. He answered it begrudgingly, Mina, Sero, Kirishima, and Kaminari’s faces popping up on the screen.

“Well if it isn’t the romance master himself,” Kaminari teased.

Bakugou rolled his eyes at him. “If you idiots are here to just fucking make fun of me, I’m gonna hang up.”

“No!” Mina called out. “I just wanted to know how it went. Did my suggestions help?”

“No they fucking backfired on me,” Bakugou huffed. “The food tasted like fucking cardboard, the movie was the shittiest thing I’ve ever seen, and to top it all off, a villain popped up outta nowhere and fucked everything up even more. I just walked her home and now I’m going home.”

Mina frowned. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out well, I really tried hard to help you out!”

Kirishima patted her shoulder. “I’m sure it’s not your fault, and Bakugou and (H/N) just don’t have the same tastes as you do. But cheer up, man, I’m sure she had a good time.”

“Yeah, (H/N) seems like a chill girl,” Sero added.

“Whatever,” Bakugou let out a sigh, “I’m just glad it’s over. I didn’t wanna embarrass myself more than I already did.”

His friends said goodbye, trying their best to cheer him up before he hung up and shoved his phone back into his pockets. Bakugou felt defeated, not knowing how to rightfully come across with his feelings without being too direct. You were the only person he’d ever met that caught his attention immediately after the first encounter. Since the beginning, he found himself wanting to spend more time with you but after spending time with you outside of work, he was afraid that you wouldn’t want to be around him after the failure of a first date. Despite hearing you say how much you enjoy being around him and how you didn’t care what it was you were doing with him, Bakugou couldn’t help but feel as if you were only saying those things to make him feel better. He felt like he failed you.

Before Bakugou could even think about other ways the night could get worse, a drop of water pelted his nose. He looked up at the gray sky, the clouds rumbling as the water droplets increased in size, speed, and amount as it started pouring. This is just fucking great…

Bakugou didn’t bother running or seeking shelter as he was drenched in a matter of minutes. He was only a few blocks from his house and just as he was about to turn the corner again, Bakugou stopped at the sound of his name being called. He spun around, bewildered at the sight of you running towards him with an umbrella over your head and another opened in your other hand. 

Once you caught up to him, you raised one of the umbrellas over his head, breathing heavily to attempt to catch your breath.

“(H/N)…” Bakugou muttered, still in shock to see you again so soon. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“I saw that it started pouring and I just thought about how you didn’t have an umbrella so…” Your voice drifted off, gesturing to the umbrella.

“You didn’t have to…” Bakugou mumbled and you laughed.

“I came because I wanted to. And because I wanted to tell you again that I really did enjoy tonight.” You smiled. “Knowing you, you’re probably beating yourself up over dinner, the movie, and not to mention that villain showing up, but I don’t care what we do. I like being with you, no matter where we are.”

Bakugou felt his heart beating out of his chest as he stared at you. He brought his hand up to grab the umbrella from your hand, his own fingers curling around yours and around the stem of the umbrella. You gasped inwardly at the sudden contact, your own heart palpitating vigorously. 

In the darkness of the night sky and the droplets pouring down from the gray clouds, Bakugou’s crimson eyes shined against the dullness of your surroundings as they pierced right through you. “Listen up ‘cause I’m only gonna say this once.”

Bakugou’s fingers gripped yours as he took a deep breath. “I like you, (F/N).”

Your eyes widened as Bakugou muttered your name through his lips. It was the first time he had addressed you by anything other than your hero name, let alone your first name. You smiled gently. “I like you too, Katsuki.”

Your lips parted as you began to speak, talking about how much you admired him and his ambitious ways. But Bakugou couldn’t hear a word, just watching your lips moving. Despite the bleakness of the weather, your skin was practically glowing, the same aura radiating off of you like it always had. Your locks were slightly wet from the rain as they hung against your shoulders. But your lips, red and plump, were the only thing Bakugou could focus on.

“Shut up, would ya?” Bakugou murmured. You were taken aback, staring up at Bakugou as he sighed once more and abruptly said, “I wanna kiss you.” 

You were puzzled, wanting to ask why until you sucked in a breath as his warm lips planted themselves on yours. The umbrella hovering over your head fell to the floor with a thud along with the umbrella in Bakugou’s hand. The rain pelted both of you, drenching you within seconds but neither of you paid any mind to it. Bakugou’s warm lips compensated for the coldness in the air and he snaked an arm around your waist, pulling you closer to him. Your hands held fistfuls of his tank, being completely drawn into his touch. 

Bakugou pulled away, a blush tinting his cheeks as he looked down at you, your own face heating up from the aftermath of the kiss. You giggled, brushing away some blonde hairs that were stuck to his forehead. “You know I brought two umbrellas for a reason, right?”

Bakugou smirked, picking one up and holding it over your head. You smiled, grabbing the other umbrella and closing it, wanting to be close to Bakugou huddled under one umbrella rather than two. Although the night hadn’t gone to plan and wasn’t what Bakugou or what you were expecting, it was safe to say that both of you left that night feeling more satisfied than you could’ve ever been.

[kurowrites]

The Live-In Boyfriend - Chapter 1

Looking for live-in boyfriend, the title read.

It had only been put up the day before.

Well, well, Wei Ying thought to himself. Isn’t that exactly what I was looking for?

He clicked on the link and quickly read through the text of the advert.

Since you all enabled me yesterday - have a chapter of Wei Ying being supremely stupid. Link to AO3.

(Note that this fic is going to get mature later on. Also don’t try this at home pls.)

---

Wei Ying usually wasn’t the kind of person that eavesdropped on the conversations of people he didn’t know. Most of the time, it wasn’t worth the effort of spying, anyway.

(Too many boring people in this world.)

But something about the day he’d had so far, and the way the two girls seated next to him kept giggling and exclaiming in (pretended?) shock, made him listen in. It wasn’t like he had anything better to do. He was just sitting there, sipping on his depression coffee, trying to decide what he was supposed to do next.

“A website?” the girl with a truly impressive set of pink lacquered nails exclaimed. “Isn’t that super sketchy?”

She emphasised ‘sketchy’ by tapping her long, sharp nails onto the tabletop.

“Noo, not at aaaall,” the other girl, dressed in a figure-hugging dress the colour of a ripe banana, replied. “You have to provide identification and they do a background check on you, to make sure you’re not a criminal or something. The sugar daddies too, of course.”

“Oh really?” Pink Nails asked, and immediately looked a lot more interested in the topic.

Well, Wei Ying had to agree with Pink Nail’s interest – he could use one of those sugar daddies himself. Someone willing to pay for his expenses, that would be nice. A lot better than being homeless, at any rate.

“Yeah, and you can even chat with them before meeting them,” Banana said, twirling her hair around her finger coquettishly. “It’s not like I’m going to go out with just any guy.”

“And that’s where you met him?”

“Yeah,” Banana said, leaning back a little, clearly satisfied to have the undivided attention of her companion. “You have lots of choices, and you can put in your preferences, too.”

She leaned forward again, and lowered her voice to a fake whisper that did nothing to make her voice less audible over the soft café music.

“I was really lucky with my current sugar daddy. He’s really generous because he has an established career and a lot of money. He likes kinky sex, but that’s fine, because he also kinda gets off on me sleeping with other guys, so it’s not like I can’t still go out and do whatever I want. I’m just providing him with company and a pretty thing to hang off his arm whenever he goes to a party or something.”

The two women laughed, and returned to the discussion of the advantages of this website.

Wei Ying’s attention was caught. He looked down at the sad little weekend bag next to his chair that contained nearly all of Wei Ying’s worldly possessions, discounting the boxes of books he had managed to stow away in Jiang Yanli’s attic. He’d had to sell all his furniture because he had no space where he could put it anymore. The landlord had kicked him out despite Wei Ying’s best attempts at negotiation (curse his entire bloodline), and now Wei Ying was, essentially, homeless. He had no idea how to weather the next few weeks. He had no stable address, and he needed to look for a new job. Things weren’t looking good for him.

So, he sipped on his possibly last coffee for a long time and pretended not to listen in to the conversation of the two women next to him. And when Banana finally mentioned the name of website she had been using, he felt compelled to casually unpack his own laptop, make use of the café’s free Wi-Fi, and enter the name of the website into his browser.

He was just curious, that was all.

His search returned with the result that this website was in fact the equivalent of a dating website, only for sugar babies and other forms of… special companionship. The company claimed to be classy and strict with their background checks, made assertions of quality and high customer satisfaction. And the registration as a potential sugar baby, companion, or whatever else they wanted to call it, was free.

Wei Ying paused for a moment, wondering if he really should do such a thing. All assertions from the provider aside, it was still a risky thing.

He took another look at the bag at his feet. It couldn’t get much worse than it already was, could it?

He clicked the ‘new account’ button and filled out the application without a second thought.

---

Looking for the right sugar-person wasn’t exactly a simple thing to do, Wei Ying realised about three pages in. He had decided early on that the gender of this potential sugar person didn’t actually matter, but that had the simultaneous advantage and disadvantage of increasing his possible matches considerably. He wasn’t sure how to make a choice in this wild new world that had suddenly opened himself up to him.

He was a bit nervous about the having sex part, too. He tried to imagine having sex with someone he didn’t really know and maybe didn’t find very attractive, but he drew a complete blank. It might be better to stay on the safe side and choose someone who didn’t have sex as a prerequisite. That might work out better for everyone involved.

God, with all these options and decisions, it was as complicated as looking for a job.

Well, technically, if he did it right, it might be a job. Well, not really, but he might get enough money to keep him afloat for a little bit. And with enough money, he might be able to both afford a decent apartment and find a well-paying new job.

He absent-mindedly scrolled past adverts looking for highly specific… qualifications that Wei Ying definitely didn’t have, and was considering giving up when he saw an advert for the same city he was living in.

Looking for live-in boyfriend, the title read.

It had only been put up the day before.

Well, well, Wei Ying thought to himself. Isn’t that exactly what I was looking for?

He clicked on the link and quickly read through the text of the advert.

Looking for live-in boyfriend

The ideal candidate must be clean, quiet, obedient, and sophisticated. Must be able to play his part convincingly around relatives, business associates, and friends. Good table manners and skilful socialising are required.

Physical relations are not required, but negotiable if so desired. Strictly no romantic entanglements. Affairs during the duration of the contract will lead to immediate termination.

I offer a large apartment with own private room. All ensuing costs (rent, food, clothing, allowance etc.) are covered.

The advert didn’t reveal much about the writer and his personality, so it was difficult to say anything about how well they’d fit together. But the man offered a room! Without the prerequisite of sex!

He clicked on the profile of this potential sugar daddy to find out more about him. The man, who went by L. Z., was the same age as Wei Ying, and had been working in his family’s company ever since he graduated university. Someone who had been born into wealth, probably.

He lived alone and was openly gay, so his family would expect him to bring a man to public events and family dinners. His hobbies included music, reading and tea ceremony. All in all, Wei Ying started to wonder if he was being catfished, because the age and occupation said successful young man, but the rest of it said boring middle-aged uncle with a receding hairline.

But what did Wei Ying care about boring when such a perfect opportunity presented itself to him? He didn’t want some kind of old, kinky dude. He simply wanted a place to stay, and if that stay came with an allowance and some social contact, it would be perfect for him. He had good table manners. And he did well at socialising. Most of the time.

He decided that ‘quiet’ and ‘obedient’ were relative things. He could be quiet! Sometimes! If he was reading interesting things!

He was going to contact this person, worries and fears be damned. What use was it to wait around? If this man was actually for real, he might get snatched up by someone else quickly.

He clicked on the 💌 button on the sidebar of the profile, and typed out a quick message.

Hi L. Z.!

My name is Wei Ying. I live in the same city as you and as coincidence would have it, I’m currently looking to be a live-in boyfriend! We’re the same age, too, so I think we would work very well as a couple!

I also like reading (if you have a library, I’d be all over that) and I think I can safely promise not to have any affairs while we’re dating. As for the rest, I think it would be best to judge for yourself. I’m free the next few days, so I have time for a personal meeting!

I’m a little curious though – why are you looking for a live-in boyfriend? Not to judge you, since I’m obviously responding to your advert, but you seem like a man that’s very put together. You probably could choose anyone you wanted, so why an advert?

Best, Wei Ying

He didn’t really think that he would get an answer soon, and half expected his message to go ignored, but it took barely an hour until a notification pinged on his phone, indicating that he’d received a reply.

He eagerly clicked the ‘view message’ button.

Dear Wei Ying

Thank you for your message.

I agree with you. Someone from the same city and of the same age would be a good potential partner. If you do not mind, I would like to invite you to my apartment for a personal meeting. We can meet in a café if you are more comfortable meeting on neutral ground, but you should know where you would live before you make any decisions.

To answer your question: I am not interested in a romantic relationship, but my family has been concerned about my happiness ever since I came out as gay. They want to see me in a fulfilling relationship. I want to make them stop worrying. A contractual arrangement will take care of these issues. Once we terminate the relationship, it would also provide me with a good reason not to date for some time.

Best regards,

Lan Zhan

Wei Ying gaped a little. That was a… very decisive statement. This Lan Zhan certainly didn’t beat around the bush.

Oh god, was he really catfished? Human trafficking, perhaps? But then…

He had no time to lose, and getting a home and money as a package deal was very tempting. If Jiang Yanli ever got wind of this, she might strangle him with her own bare hands. But well. She never would get wind of it. Wei Ying would make sure of that.

He pulled out his laptop again, and typed out a second answer.

Hi Lan Zhan!

Nice to meet you again. 😊

Meeting you at the apartment is fine, just know that I’m going to inform a friend of my whereabouts and check in with them to make sure everything is fine.

Tell me your address and a time that works for you!

Best,

Wei Ying

He sent the message and within a few minutes, he had an address and a time – the next day, at 5.30 pm. Lan Zhan also assured him that he was perfectly fine with Wei Ying telling a friend where he was. So maybe not a catfish, after all?

Wei Ying immediately looked for the address online, and it was a nice, modern building in the centre of town. Not some kind of seedy warehouse or an abandoned house. If he ended up disappearing in that part of town, there would probably be witnesses.  

He sent a short confirmation to Lan Zhan, telling him that he would be there at the desired time. And then, he spent the rest of the evening panicking about what he had done.

He just barely remembered that he needed to contact Nie Huaisang and use him as security. Nie Huaisang was the only one he could think of right now that wouldn’t try to talk him out of this. Jiang Cheng would just straight up murder him.

He had committed now. There was no way back.

---

His internet search had already informed him that the apartment was in the better part of town, so Wei Ying had expected a rather classy apartment building. What he hadn’t expected was that said apartment building came with an actual concierge. He’d never had to go through a concierge to meet any of his friends so far. The entrance hall almost looked like a hotel.  

Good gracious, this might all be an elaborate prank.

On the other hand, if he disappeared, now he had another witness.

He walked up to the concierge’s desk and smiled at the man behind the desk winningly.

“Hi, my name is Wei Ying. I’m here to meet Lan Zhan.”

The man gave him a critical look, from his ponytail down to the thick black leather boots he always wore, and picked up the phone in front of him.

He entered a number and let it ring a few times.

“Good evening, Mr. Lan,” the concierge said when someone picked up on the other end of the line. “A Mr. Wei is here to see you. Yes, understood. I will send him up immediately.”

The concierge came out from behind his desk and directed Wei Ying to the elevator. He held the door open for Wei Ying and pushed the button for the right floor, then bid him goodbye.

“Thank you!” Wei Ying called through the closing elevator doors, but the concierge was already out of sight.

Oh well.

He was going to meet Lan Zhan. Right now.

He quickly pulled out his mobile phone and tapped out a message to Nie Huaisang.

[Wei Ying, 05:29 pm] I’m going up to the apartment now. IT COMES WITH A CONCIERGE. 😱

The door pinged and opened onto an empty hallway with elegantly tiled floor and a tasteful but abstract mural on the wall. Wei Ying stepped out of the elevator and looked around curiously. Which way was he supposed to go?

“Wei Ying?”

There, at the end of the hallway, a man stood in the frame of an opened door.

This must definitely be a catfish, Wei Ying decided then and there.

There was no way that a man this beautiful needed his help.

[starryknight09]

No longer in service

Febuwhump Day 10: “I’m sorry. I didn’t know”

Read on AO3.

________________________________________________________

“We’re sorry.  You have reached a number that is no longer in service.”

Peter hung up and redialed.  He must’ve pushed a number wrong.

“We’re sorry.  You have reached a number that is no longer in service.”

He frowned and stared down at the phone screen as if it held the answer to why the number wasn’t working. He knew it was the correct number.  Although it’d been five years for everyone else, it’d only been a blink for him.  There was no way he’d forgotten May’s number.

He tried dialing one more time even though he knew it was pointless.

“We’re sorry.  You have reached a number that is no longer in service.”

He blew out a heavy breath and tried not to panic.  Just because May’s number was out of service didn’t mean anything bad had happened.  Maybe she’d been snapped too.  That seemed like the most likely explanation.  But even if she hadn’t, five years had passed.  There could be any number of reasons for why she’d changed her number.  Maybe it’d been a reminder of him that’d been too painful.  Although didn’t most people keep their numbers when that happened to preserve old voicemails and relisten to them?

In fact, that nudged something in the back of his mind.  A memory hit him along with a shot of adrenaline.  May had a voicemail from Ben that she’d kept, and she’d listened to it over and over when he’d first died.  As far as he knew, she still listened to it sometimes, just not everyday.  His stomach clenched.  She wouldn’t get rid of her number by choice.  Not if it meant losing that last piece of Ben.

Maybe something had happened financially and she couldn’t afford her phone anymore?  But he knew he was grasping at straws.  If anything, losing Peter would’ve relieved some financial strain.  Or maybe…  His brain wouldn’t even go there.  Wouldn’t acknowledge the other possibility.  He shook his head.  She had to have been snapped.  She had to have been.

But then what could he do?  He took another deep breath and looked out at the beautiful blue sky and lush rolling hills, the magnificence of the scenery in direct juxtaposition to his mood.  Any other time he’d be over the moon to be in Wakanda, but even before the phone call mishap, he’d barely been keeping it together.  He’d arrived there in terror along with everyone else, hoping for a miracle for Mr. Stark.  The man’s heart had stopped on the battlefield but that hadn’t phased Dr. Strange.  He’d portaled him to Wakanda along with some other girl that looked to be about Peter’s age, who he’d later found out was Princess Shuri.  

When Dr. Strange had returned to the battlefield half an hour later it was with the news that they’d managed to restart Mr. Stark’s heart but they couldn’t make any further promises yet.  Dr. Strange had transported whoever else wanted to go to Wakanda, which had been quite a few of them, but not all.  

Now, it’d been almost 24 hours since Peter had arrived.  Initially he’d gone straight to Mr. Stark’s room to see him, and eventually he’d fallen asleep for almost sixteen hours.  He’d been exhausted.  The fight in the city, on the spaceship, on the alien planet, and at the compound had all occurred in the span of less than twelve hours for him.  And he hadn’t escaped the final fight unscathed.  His concussion, broken nose and broken ribs had mostly healed, but he was still sore.  Things with Mr. Stark had improved as well, but not quite enough that the medical personnel were ready to guarantee he was going to survive.  

“Peter?”

He turned and it took him a couple seconds to acknowledge the other man.  “Hey Mr. Rogers.”  Maybe he needed some more sleep.

“It’s Steve, son.”

“Right.” He nodded.  But really, no way was he calling Captain America by his first name the day after he’d officially met him.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but have you had a chance to shower?”

He blushed but the other man probably couldn’t tell behind all the dirt and grime on his face.  He’d accidentally seen his reflection a couple hours after he’d arrived and he’d looked a mess then, and since he hadn’t had a chance to clean up yet, he definitely didn’t look any better.

“Oh.  Uh, no.  I don’t, um, know where it is.”

“The shower?”  Captain American frowned.  Great, the man probably thought he was an idiot.  “There isn’t one in your room?”

“My room?  I don’t…I don’t have a room.” He frowned.  He’d passed out in a comfy lounge chair in Mr. Stark’s room, and even after he’d awoken, he hadn’t left the man’s room until about fifteen minutes ago when he’d suddenly remembered May and realized he should try calling her.

“I’m sorry.” Steve apologized, looking slightly chagrined.  “We must’ve missed you.  You have a room.  We all do.  T’Challa was nice enough to accommodate us.  Come on, I’ll show you.”  Mr. Rogers beckoned him forward, and Peter automatically followed.

After a short walk, Mr. Rogers stopped in front of a door.  “Here we are.  This is your room.”

At least his room wasn’t too far from the medical wing.  Not that it mattered.  He didn’t have any intention of staying in it.  As soon as he cleaned himself off, he planned to head back to Mr. Stark’s room.

When he made no move to open the door after a few long seconds, Mr. Rogers reached out and opened it for him.  

“Go shower son.” Mr. Rogers said and the suggestion came out like a gentle command.  “And then maybe take a nap.  You look a little rough.”

“I’m fine.” He denied automatically.

Captain America cocked his head to the side and studied him intently for a few seconds with a slight smirk.

“What?”

“Nothing.” The man shook his head.  “You just remind me of someone.”

Peter frowned but didn’t care enough to ask.  Now that he was faced with the idea of a hot shower, he found it was all he could think about.  “Ok, well um, thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” Mr. Rogers gave him a slight nod and then turned and walked away, heading toward the medical wing.

Peter sighed and walked into his room.  It looked like something out of sci-fi movie.  Windows composed the entire back wall and light streamed in, illuminating the interior with all its sleek lines, metals combined with woods to make the space feel a mix of modern and natural.  Calming earth tones in the space set a calming mood, but Peter couldn’t take the time to appreciate it.  He headed straight toward the only other door in the room, which he assumed was the bathroom.

The bathroom décor matched the rest of the room.  He almost felt like he’d stepped into a spa.  Wow.  This place was nice.  It reminded him of Mr. Stark’s living spaces except with more of a nature twist.  Mr. Stark.  He really needed to shower so he could go back and check on the man.  Pepper had been with him when he’d left, so he hadn’t been alone, but Peter didn’t trust that something wouldn’t happen while he was gone.

He quickly undressed and stepped into the shower, scrubbing all the dried blood, dirt, and grime off his body, the water turning a dirty grey as it swirled down the drain.  Any other time he would’ve slowed down and savored the luxury, but right now he couldn’t, not with his thoughts filled with Mr. Stark and May.  As soon as he was clean, he turned the water off and stepped out, eyeing his dirty clothes warily.  He’d changed out of his suit and into a pair of scrubs when he’d initially arrived in the medical wing, but after 24 hours, he really didn’t want to get back in them.  He stepped out and searched the wardrobe in the room, not surprised to find it stocked with clothes in different sizes.  Mr. Stark did the same thing in his guest rooms.  Peter picked out a pair of black sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt in his size.  He threw them on, and was about to leave, when the desk computer in the corner of the room caught his eye.  If May was dusted or…not, there should be some record of it online.

His feet made their way over to it, and as soon as he sat down, the screen lit up.  It only took him a few seconds to find the browser icon and click on it, Google coming up as the default home page.  He settled his fingers over the keys but paused, breath quickening.  He knew what he needed to search, but he was afraid to find the answer.  The only way he managed to force his fingers to move was because he still held onto hope that everything was actually ok, and he wanted that reassurance.

‘May Parker Queens New York City obituary,’ he typed in, fingers stuttering over the last word.  He took a deep breath and clicked ‘enter’.

The results came up and his heart stopped.  The first link had a match for all his keywords.  He clicked on it, still hopeful.  It was probably just her obituary from being snapped.  

But no.  The short paragraph popped up on the screen and his eyes skimmed over it, taking in all the important information in a matter of seconds.

‘May Parker…’

‘…lost her brave battle against breast cancer on June 23, 2021 at the age of 51.’

‘Preceded in death by her husband Ben Parker and her nephew Peter Parker.’

‘A funeral service is scheduled for June 26th at…’

The words blurred in front of him.  He tore his watery eyes away from the screen and let out an anguished sob, head falling into his hands.  She was gone.  She’d been gone for two years.  He’d missed her funeral.  Thought after thought struck him like bullets, tearing his heart open.  He was alone.  He’d been resurrected from the snap just to find himself the sole survivor of his family.  He had no one left.

And he had no home.  He had nowhere to go.  That last thought hit him so hard he buckled forward, falling from the desk chair to collapse onto the soft carpeted floor.  He dug his hands into its plushness, not caring if he ripped it out, not caring about anything, as he cried and cried.  His entire being was pain.  How could one person have such bad luck?  Why did he have to live though loss like this over and over?  First his parents.  Then Ben.  And now May?  And now he might even lose Mr. Stark.  What had he done that the world saw fit to punish him this way?  Anyone that ever got close to him died.

“Why?” He whispered, between sobs, face pressed into the floor.  He didn’t know exactly what he was asking.  Why did they all have to die?  Why had he been brought back?  Why couldn’t he have stayed dead?  “Why?” He repeated, louder, and more desperate even though he knew it was pointless to ask.  It wasn’t like he would get an answer.

He had no idea how long he laid there, sobbing uncontrollably, but eventually he exhausted himself and his tears tapered off until all that was left were intermittent weak hiccupping cries.  He stared at the wall as the agony ebbed away and numbness crept in to take its place.

Eventually, he pushed off the floor with a sniffle, wiping the evidence of his anguish off his face.  He had to pull himself together.  For Mr. Stark.  There’d be plenty of time to fall apart later, especially if the worst happened with his mentor, although he hoped the world wouldn’t be so cruel as to take him too.

‘Please.  Please.’ He closed his eyes and begged, mouthing the words, afraid voicing the plea might jinx it, like telling someone your birthday wish.

He took a deep bolstering breath before stepping out of his room and making his way back to the medical wing.

When he entered Mr. Stark’s room, Ms. Potts graced him with a smile from where she sat in a chair next to the bed.  Or wait, he supposed her name was Mrs. Stark now.  At some point she’d told him they’d gotten married in the intervening five years.  And they had a little girl together, but she was staying back at home with Happy.

“You look better.” She commented on his clean appearance.  “Are you hungry?  The staff brought some dinner by.”

He shook his head.  No matter how hungry he was, there was no way he could stomach anything right now.

Mrs. Stark seemed to sense his mood.  She frowned, concern lining her face.  “What’s wrong honey?”

He shook his head and his gaze fell to his feet.  May used to call him that.  Honey.  Hearing the endearment come from Mrs. Stark’s mouth made his throat tighten.  He didn’t know how to form the words to explain what he’d found out.

Mrs. Stark stood and crossed the distance between them, her hands landing to rest comfortingly on his shoulders.  “What happened?”  He looked up at her as she searched his face for answers.  “Something happened.” She stated.

He nodded.

“You can tell me.” She encouraged softly.

He swallowed hard and croaked out, “May.”

“May?” Her brow furrowed.  “What about May?”

After a few quick inhales through his nose, he managed to say it.  “She…she died.”

“Oh sweetheart.” Mrs. Stark lamented, pulling him into a hug.  “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Faced with the comfort of her embrace, he started crying again.  She just held him tighter, one hand coming up to cradle the back of his head.

“I’m sorry.” He mumbled into her blouse once he’d calmed down.

“Don’t apologize.  You’ve had a terrible couple of days.”

He snorted messily.  That was the understatement of the century.  He pulled away, wiping at his face again.

“I don’t want you to worry about anything, ok?” Mrs. Stark told him, making a point to look seriously into his eyes.

He chewed at his lip.  “I-I don’t know what to do.  I don’t…I don’t have anywhere to go.”  Admitting it almost made him break down into hysterics again.

“Of course you do.  You’ll come with us.”

Peter’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

“I know he wasn’t good at showing it back then, but Tony loves you.” She explained having seen his disbelief.  “You’re not alone.  You have a home with us.”

“But what if…what if Mr. Stark…” He couldn’t finish the sentence, the possibility too terrible.

Mrs. Stark winced.  “The doctors say he’s doing a lot better, but if that happens, you’ll still have a home with me and Morgan.  As long as that’s ok with you.”

He nodded, eyes welling up again.  “That’s…thank you.”

“You don’t need to thank me.” Mrs. Stark leaned forward to hug him again.  “I know it feels like the world’s ending right now, but it’s going to be ok.  We’ll figure it out together.”

“Ok.” He whispered.  He just hoped it was true, but even if it wasn’t, at least he had somewhere to go.  He had a home.

And he wasn’t completely alone.  

[miguel-manbemel]

Aspects & Fanfics Ep. 50: Flowers for Christmas

As promised, here’s the special Christmas episode of the main storyline of this blog. And as I also promised, it features Nico Flores’ debut in the main narrative. As it happened earlier with Remus and as it will happen with any canon character introduced in this narrative, his introduction will not mimic the canon introduction at all, but it will be a totally independent story to fit what has already been told in earlier episodes. One thing I wanted to say is that this story takes place in a near future where the virus has just been defeated and the pandemic is over, that’s why there’s no longer social distancing or masks in the story. Let’s hope this future of fiction soon becomes a reality, but until then, remember to wear your mask if you need to get out and take all precautions, for your own health and the others’.

It also happens to be the 50th entry in the series since it made its debut on February 2019. I hope you’ve been liking it so far and that whatever comes in the future is also of your liking too. Fair warning that after this episode, I’m going to take a little break of a few weeks, to take a rest, at least from the main narrative, although I’ll still be hanging around somehow as usual, publishing little things here and there. So, I hope that you all have the merriest Christmas and that you have a good start of 2021. Merry Christmas and a happy new year, and until next time.

P.S. If you enter Tumblr.com through a web browser (on PC or on the phone), NOT through the app, and enter the episode through this link, you’ll find a especial interactive musical surprise alongside the narration. Sadly, it doesn’t work on standard dashboard view or on Tumblr’s phone app, but you should be able to read the text anyway.

SYNOPSIS: Thomas has a little job as an actor in a mall, for a one-off Christmas show. Just as he’s about to enter the mall in a rush, he bumps on a stranger that crossed his way just at the same time. Thomas is immediately mesmerized by the stranger’s face and immediately starts feeling something for him.

WARNINGS: Romantic prinxiety

EPISODE INDEX

[Thomas is running out of the house, rushing to the car]

THOMAS: I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!

[Thomas gets to the car. Logan rises up in front of him]

LOGAN: Okay, Mr. Figurative White Rabbit Sanders. Have you got everything?

THOMAS: Of course I do, I’ve got my credentials, I placed my costume in the car trunk last night, I programmed the address on the GPS, I’ve got everything, except that I programmed the phone 20 minutes later than I should by accident, so I’m late! Don’t make me waste more time, Logan, I gotta go!

LOGAN: Are you sure you’re not forgetting something?

THOMAS: Yes, I am.

LOGAN: Are you really, really sure?

THOMAS: [trying to open the car unsuccessfully] Yes, I am! Why doesn’t this gosh dagnabbit car open? Don’t detain me, Logan!

LOGAN: [smirking] Okay, if you’re so sure, go ahead, I’m not holding you back. What are you waiting for?

THOMAS: It’s this door, it just won’t open! I gotta go and this door won’t open, dang it!

LOGAN: Well, what do you need to open the door, Thomas?

[Thomas suddenly stops, then frowns and looks at Logan]

THOMAS: Couldn’t you just have told me I had forgotten to get the car keys instead of making me look like a doofus, Logan?

[Logan looks at Thomas with the same condescending smirk while Thomas just groans and goes back to the house to get the keys]

[intro sequence]

[Thomas parks the car next to the mall. Then he gets out, grabs his costume in a bag and closes it, then starts running to the door. Before he gets to the door, a stranger who hasn’t seen him crosses his way and Thomas can’t help bumping onto him. They both fall on the ground]

THOMAS: Aw!

STRANGER: Oh, goodness!

THOMAS: [trying to pick up his things scattered around him] I… I’m so sorry, I was in a hurry, I didn’t see you and…

[the stranger, who has stood up already offers his hand to help Thomas stand up]

STRANGER: It’s okay, I didn’t see you either, and I was also in a hurry. Let me help you.

THOMAS: Thanks, I…

[but Thomas can’t finish the sentence because when he looks at the stranger he gets stunned over the cutest face he’s ever seen in his life. It’s a Latin American guy roughly the same age as him, with dark hair, light brown skin and a goatee, a little skinnier than Thomas, wearing a blue shirt and a backpack on his back, and with big black eyes which make Thomas feel as if inevitably attracted to two black holes. He smiles at Thomas while offering his hand. Thomas just can’t react over that vision as he feels his heart pumping harder]

STRANGER: [suddenly concerned when Thomas doesn’t grab his hand] Are you okay? Did you get hurt or something?

[Thomas returns to reality and grabs the stranger’s hand, who helps him stand up]

THOMAS: I’m fine, thank you. But are you okay?

STRANGER: Oh, don’t worry, I’m fine. Let me help you with that. [pointing at Thomas’ things scattered on the ground]

THOMAS: Oh, I wouldn’t want you to get late to your appointment, Mr…

STRANGER: Mr. Flores, but you can call me Nico if you’d like.

THOMAS: [giggles] And I’m Mr. Sanders, but you can call me Thomas.

NICO: Nice to meet you, Thomas. And it’s okay. If we pick this stuff up together, we both could be on our way in no time.

THOMAS: Thank you so much.

[Thomas and Nico start picking up the things. As they’re doing so, Thomas takes a quick look at the backpack. Various pins are there, but one pin in particular grabs his attention, a pride pin. He also sees a key chain hanging from his pocket, with an image of Jack Skellington from Nightmare before Christmas. He quickly looks away when Nico stands up]

NICO: Well, I think this is all. Here you are.

[Nico gives Thomas the things he’s picked up]

THOMAS: Thank you so much, Nico.

NICO: Of course. Well, I’d love to stay here and chat with you, but I gotta go now. I hope to see you again someday. It’s was nice to meet you, Thomas, have a nice day!

THOMAS: Have a nice day, Nico, nice to meet you as well!

[Nico smiles one last time at Thomas, then he rushes inside the mall. Roman rises up next to Thomas]

ROMAN: Wasn’t that the cutest vision ever, Thomas!? And to top it all, he’s gay, so you’ve got a chance with him!

[Virgil also rises up]

VIRGIL: He was cute, indeed, but Thomas, weren’t you in a hurry?

THOMAS: [suddenly scared] Oh, dang it, I’m late!

[Thomas rushes into the mall. He tries not to run so as not to attract people’s attention, but he walks as fast as he can. Roman and Virgil follow him]

ROMAN: And judging from his key chain, he loves Nightmare before Christmas! He must be exactly the kind of guy you could get along with. You should have asked for his number, Thomas. He said he hoped to see you again, but we don’t have any means to contact him. What if you never see him again?

THOMAS: Well, that’s over and done with… I admit that guy looked really cute, and he also looks cool and kind.

ROMAN: That’s an understatement. [Roman’s theme music starts playing] When he offered you his hand, he looked like a prince sent from heaven, ready to save you from the perils upon you, and then he would let you ride with him on his horse and take you to his castle and…

VIRGIL: [snapping his fingers, music stops] Houston calling Roman, get back to planet Earth, please!

ROMAN: Sorry, I got carried away.

THOMAS: Yes, you did. But you’re right, I should have asked him for his number or something. [sighs] I probably will never see him again.

ROMAN: Well, maybe we’ll see him again around the mall today and have a second chance to talk to him. It’s Christmas time, the season of miracles, isn’t it?

VIRGIL: We’ll see. For now, you must focus, Thomas. You had a job to do, remember?

THOMAS: Yeah… When they asked for actors in that announcement, I never thought it was for this, playing one of Santa’s elves in a little Christmas musical play in the middle of the mall, with barely no time to rehearse and with the costumes sent to us by mail. I just hope that the tights don’t make me look too weird, I didn’t have time to try the costume on. Gosh, this work dynamic feels too rushed, but at least the pay was good, so I can’t really complain…

REMUS: [rising up] Wouldn’t it be nice if Nico saw you with your elf costume, Thomas? You couldn’t be sexier. A total piece of cake, if you know what I mean! [wiggles his eyebrows]

THOMAS: Remus, don’t! Besides, I would die of embarrassment if he saw me like that. Maybe it’s for the best that he left in such a hurry. Okay, there’s the scenery, and right there, there’s the office where the guy at the phone told me I had to change. And speaking about the phone… [looks at his phone] Looks that I’m not that late after all. I have just enough time to change. If I’m quick, I’ll be ready just in time. I shouldn’t have worried so much.

VIRGIL: My bad.

[Thomas goes to the office followed by Roman and Virgil, while Remus sinks down]

THOMAS: That’s odd, there’s no one here. I hoped to talk with the boss and finally meet him. We’ve never talked in person, only with his secretary on the phone after I answered the call. They sent me the outfit by UPS the day after I got the part.

ROMAN: I wonder how that boss will look like? How will we recognize them, Thomas?

THOMAS: I suppose we’ll meet them on stage, Roman. Well, I have to change now, and there’s a door that reads locker room, so it must be there. Let’s do it.

[When Thomas enters the room, he goes livid, after finding Nico just buttoning a Santa Claus costume]

THOMAS: Nico?

NICO: [equally surprised] Thomas? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me that…

THOMAS: [nervous giggle] Yeah, it seems we’re gonna be work mates, at least for today. I’m playing one of the elves. I can’t find the boss anywhere, so I figured I’d have to change in this room.

NICO: [happy smile] What a coincidence, right? Well, don’t stay there, come in. I’m almost done. Um… the boss told me the other elves are already in costume, waiting for us. So you better hurry. There’s a folding screen over there if you need some privacy.

[Thomas showed some relief over seeing the folding screen]

VIRGIL: Thank goodness, I don’t know if I could have coped with it if you had had to change in front of him.

THOMAS: Yeah, that would be neat.

[Thomas goes behind the folding screen and starts changing]

THOMAS: So, how did you get this job? Are you an actor too?

NICO: Oh, so you’re an actor? That’s neat. No, I’m not an actor, not professionally at least, although I’ve done a couple things in community theater. I… just needed the job to get some extra income, you know? I’m a writer, and sometimes, the amount of work is not high enough.

THOMAS: Oh, that’s cool! What kind of writer, if it’s not too nosy to ask?

NICO: Of course it’s not. I write anything, but my thing is poetry and songwriting. And I’m also a playwright. It’s my dream to make it big on Broadway someday with a musical of my own.

THOMAS: Oh, you’re a playwright and songwriter? Well, other than an actor, I’m also a singer. And I also dream on being on Broadway one day. Maybe you could show me some of your work someday?

NICO: You’re a singer too? My, you seem to be a man of many talents. I’d be glad to show you some of my songs. Maybe you could try one of them if you like them and are suitable for your voice? Maybe later, after the show, if you’re free?

THOMAS: Yes, I’m free. I can’t wait for it, Nico.

ROMAN: [pumped up] Thomas, have you realized… that you just got a date with him? [bopping] Oh, my goodness!

VIRGIL: Relax, Roman… Can’t believe it’s me who said that… It’s only a professional meeting, where they will discuss their opinions about each other’s art, that’s all. Wow, I sounded like Logan there… The point is Thomas shouldn’t have his hopes too high for the time being.

ROMAN: Well, you start with a professional meeting, and the next day he PROPOSES to you! Imagine… Nico Sanders… or Thomas Flores… or even better, Nico and Thomas Flores-Sanders or Sanders-Flores. [squeeing] Gosh, you’ll look so handsome in your white suit with a red necktie when Joan takes you to the altar!

THOMAS: [whispering with the lowest voice he can so Nico can’t hear him] Guys… please… would you mind? I need to get dressed and I can barely move in this small place behind the folding screen with you two around… Please, could you sink down for a moment?

ROMAN: Oh, sorry… Okay, Thomas. [sinking down] See ya later on stage.

VIRGIL: [also sinking down] I’ll try to calm him down in the Mind Palace, Thomas, but no promises. See ya.

NICO: Are you ready, Thomas?

THOMAS: I’m almost ready. My, this suit is so tight, I can barely put it on. I hope it doesn’t rip apart right on stage, that would be embarrassing.

NICO: Don’t worry, it will be fine. When they make these elf costumes they usually make them tight, I don’t know why. As if elves building toys shouldn’t prefer wearing a more comfortable and professional outfit.

THOMAS: [giggles] Yeah, you’re right… If you’re ready, Nico, you don’t need to wait for me. You can get to the stage whenever you want. It’s no use that both of us get scolded over being late, I can take it, don’t worry about me.

NICO: Nah, I’m fine. The show can’t start without us anyway… and I like being here and talking to you.

[Thomas’ face goes red and he feels his breathe stopping for a second]

THOMAS: You… you do?

NICO: Yeah, of course. You bring up good conversation and that is increasingly difficult to find these days. I enjoy your company.

THOMAS: Well… thanks, Nico. I… I enjoy your company too…

[Thomas was trying to fit his shoes in, but out of nervousness, he loses balance]

THOMAS: Oh, shoot!

[Thomas falls on the folding screen which falls down making a lot of noise]

NICO: Oh, goodness, Thomas! Are you all right!?

THOMAS: Dag nabbit, this outfit is impossible to wear! It’s too small for me!

[again, Nico offers Thomas his hand]

NICO: This is the second time I have to grab you from the floor, Thomas. Did you get hurt?

THOMAS: [standing up with Nico’s help] No, I’m fine… and I promise I’m usually not this clumsy. It’s just…

[Janus rises up]

JANUS: Don’t tell him the truth or you’ll blew it up!

THOMAS: … it’s just that I’m nervous over the performance, and scared that I’m not gonna wear this outfit as I should.

JANUS: Nice recovery, Thomas. It’s too soon to tell Nico that the reason you’re clumsy is because you’re totally nervous over making a good impression to him because you think he’s the cutest guy you’ve ever seen in your life. You don’t want to tell him that yet, right, Thomas?

THOMAS: No…

NICO: Did you say something?

[Janus quickly sinks down]

THOMAS: [nervous] I was saying… no, I’m not gonna make this outfit work. Look at me. The elf shoes are all tiny, I can’t close the zipper on my shirt, and the beanie is too small for my head! This is all a disaster!

NICO: They obviously have sent you the wrong size for your outfit, Thomas. You can’t get out like that.

THOMAS: But I have to make it work! There are no other outfits available, are there? If I don’t get out, I’ll lose the job! Oh, why didn’t I try this outfit at home earlier? I’m such an idiot!

NICO: It’s okay, calm down, we’ll find a way to fix this… [looks at Thomas’ clothes, then at himself and suddenly shows a lively smile] And you know what? I’ve got an idea. Help me put the folding screen back up.

[Nico and Thomas place the folding screen as it was]

NICO: That’s right. Now, get back behind the folding screen and take the costume off, everything.

THOMAS: What? But…

NICO: [grabbing Thomas’ hand] Trust me, Thomas.

THOMAS: [nervous] Okay…

[Thomas gets behind the folding screen and starts taking the costume off. Nico also starts taking his Santa costume off]

NICO: When you take it off, hang it on top of the folding screen, okay?

THOMAS: Okay… Will you explain to me what are we doing?

NICO: Sure. We’re gonna switch places.

THOMAS: [nervous] What? But…

NICO: Don’t worry. Do you think with the big white beard that Santa Claus wears, they’re gonna notice the difference?

THOMAS: But the boss will notice you dressed as an elf. You don’t have any beard or garment to conceal you, and both of us will be in trouble.

NICO: Don’t worry about me, Thomas. I… know how to deal with the boss, and the most important is to make the show work, so I’m sure he would agree with this. The show must go on, isn’t that what you, actors, say on stage when difficulties arise?

THOMAS: Yep, that’s our motto.

NICO: Well, that’s my motto now. We’re gonna make it work, no matter how.

[Thomas and Nico pass each other the different garments of their costumes over the folding screen and get dressed, then Thomas gets out of the folding screen and stands in front of Nico]

THOMAS: This is much better. This is my size.

NICO: I thought so. It was a little big for me, and I intended to fill it with some stuffing to simulate Santa’s belly. You’re more muscular than me, so I knew that the costume would be just perfect for you. And I also knew that the elf costume would be just the right size for me. It’s perfect. Maybe they got the sizes mixed up with our costumes? True, we can’t put the stuffing in your costume, but who said that Santa has to be chubby? He can be perfectly portrayed by a handsome fit man like you.

[Thomas blushes]

ROMAN: [rising up, squeeing] Did he just call you a handsome fit man!? Oh, goodness, Thomas, I think he has a crush on you too!

[Thomas makes a subtly angry gesture to Roman to make him shut up. Roman sinks down, but Nico notices Thomas’ gesture and shows a face of concern]

NICO: Oh, I’m sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable. People tell me that I shouldn’t be so outgoing about my opinions, but I’m truly saying it as I think it, Thomas. I apologize again if I made you feel awkward. We’re at work after all and I shouldn’t be so unprofessional.

THOMAS: No, it’s fine, don’t worry… And… I thank you for your compliment. You’re very kind, Nico.

NICO: You’re welcome. Okay, you look great, but here’s the final touch. Your beard.

[Nico helps Thomas put the beard on]

THOMAS: Um… ho, ho, ho, am I right?

[Nico chortles]

NICO: Yep, as I thought, you look great. Okay, do you need a few minutes to take a quick look to your new lines, or…?

THOMAS: No, it’s okay. It’s a good thing that I learned all the lines they sent me by the mail, to know my cues when I was playing the elf. I know Santa’s lines by heart, and the songs are Christmas classics everybody knows. The only thing that worries me is that I didn’t have time to rehearse his part, and Santa has a big song at the end of the show, so I hope I can do it right.

NICO: None of us had any time to rehearse, unfortunately. It seems the boss wasn’t called with anticipation enough to use the stage and there was no budget to rent any office to rehearse in private or with anticipation. Corona is still very recent, you know, and there’s still some reluctance to rent spaces for activities like this. But don’t worry, you can do this, Thomas, and if we can’t make it perfect, at least we’ll do our best, won’t we? Well, you’re ready and I’m ready too. Let’s go. They’ll probably wonder where we are at this point.

THOMAS: I just hope that we don’t get in any trouble with the boss over being late and over the swapping of roles.

NICO: There won’t be any trouble, Thomas, you’ll see.

THOMAS: How can you be so sure, Nico?

NICO: You’ll see…

[Thomas and Nico get out of the office and head to the scenery. A group of people dressed as elves and other characters, who were having a drink in a nearby cafeteria, finish their drinks when they see them and get to the scenery too. One of the elves approaches Nico]

ELF: Um… Mr. Flores, what does this mean? Weren’t you playing Santa Claus? And who’s playing him in your place?

NICO: It’s okay, Cynthia, there was a problem of costumes and we swapped places. It will be fine, he learned all the lines too, right, Thomas?

THOMAS: Right, I’ll do my best.

ELF: Okay, Mr. Flores. You’re the boss, after all…

[The elf goes to the scenery with the other elves, while Thomas looks at Nico with a face of surprise]

THOMAS: Wait, what? What did they mean by that?

NICO: [nervously] Sorry I lied to you, Thomas… The truth is… that I am the boss of this show, I wrote and produced it.

THOMAS: And you were gonna star in it too, like Orson Wells, right? Why didn’t you just tell me? Have you just been… playing with me? Making fun of me? I feel like a fool…

NICO: [really concerned] Goodness, I’m terribly sorry, Thomas, I didn’t mean to make you feel like that! It’s just that… [noticing the other elves are staring at them, waiting for them to start rehearsing] Well, there’s no time to tell you right now, so I’ll talk to you after the show. Now we must focus, but please, promise me you’ll give your best and that you’ll give me a chance to explain myself after the show. Promise?

THOMAS: I always do my best onstage… Mr. Flores, you didn’t even need to ask me for that. I’m a professional.

NICO: [begging face] But will you stay for a while after the show? ¿Por favor?

THOMAS: [sighs] Okay, I will… Let’s get the show on now.

NICO: Thank you, Thomas.

[everyone gets on stage and do some rehearsals. Although clumsy at times, the rehearsal goes fine. Then, the mall starts getting filled with an audience waiting to see the show]

THOMAS: Wow, I didn’t expect there would be so many people to watch our show…

NICO: Just do it like you did it in the rehearsals, and you’ll wow everyone. Break a leg, Thomas!

THOMAS: Thank you, Nico… I mean, Mr. Flores.

NICO: Please, you can still call me Nico. It truly would mean the world if you did.

THOMAS: Okay… as you wish… Nico. Okay, the show is about to start.

NICO: Everybody on your marks!

[the cue music starts. The elves dance around Santa Claus and sing different classic Christmas songs and do some dialogue about how busy they are making the toys for Santa. Then, at the end, Thomas as Santa, sings]

Merry Christmas by Thomas Sanders

THOMAS: O holy night! The stars are brightly shining, It is the night of our dear Saviour's birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining, Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine, O night when Christ was born; O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

[after finishing the song, the audience cheers and applauds. Everyone on stage takes a bow, then the audience leaves the place. Most of the cast leave the stage but Thomas and Nico stand there]

NICO: Thomas, you were great! You told me you were a singer, but I didn’t expect you to be that good!

THOMAS: [taking off his beard] Well, thank you so much, Nico. I’m surprised myself, I didn’t expect that, with so little time of rehearsal, I could do it like that.

NICO: You have a natural talent, I’m telling you.

THOMAS: Well, thanks again… Now, you wanted me to stay after the show. What did you want to tell me?

NICO: Yes… well… First of all, I apologize again for hiding that I was your boss all the time. I swear I didn’t mean to play with you or to make fun of you. It’s just that… I didn’t feel strong enough to tell you.

THOMAS: But why? I don’t understand.

NICO: Well, we were having such a good conversation, like two casual pals enjoying each other’s company… I didn’t want any sort of hierarchy to ruin the mood, or that you couldn’t be casual with me because of that.

THOMAS: You still could have told me. There was no reason to hide it at all. I wouldn’t have changed my behavior for that. You can be respectful while maintaining a casual attitude.

NICO: Yes, but… I didn’t want you to treat me “respectfully” as you put it. I didn’t want any kind of hinders in our talk, because I felt that that kind of hindrance… eventually wouldn’t have let me do what I increasingly wanted to do the more I talked to you.

[Roman and Virgil rise up behind Thomas, listening to Nico]

THOMAS: What do you mean?

[Nico starts blushing]

NICO: Well… if I had to behave like a boss or a cold manager all of the time… there are certain limits one must not surpass. Because when a dynamic of power like this is established, some interactions could be seen as an abuse of power, and I didn’t want you to feel like that at all. I wanted us both to be completely free to interact so that, eventually, if I had the guts… I could tell you… [hesitates, really nervous, before speaking] … that I think you’re really cute.

[Nico looks away, ashamed. Thomas blushes, while Roman is ajar and speechless, and Virgil’s eyeshadow suddenly turns bright and glittery purple]

NICO: I’m sorry if I’m making you feel awkward, and I know this is really unprofessional, but I had to say it because our work is done, so I’m not your boss anymore, and I don’t know if I’ll ever have another chance to say it or even if I’ll ever see you again. And I really needed to let it out.

[Thomas holds Nico’s hand]

THOMAS: Wanna know something? The truth is… I really like you too.

NICO: You do?

THOMAS: Yeah. From the moment you offered me your hand when we crashed on the front door of the mall… when I saw your face, that cute face of yours, it was as if I had been struck by a thunderbolt. You should have noticed, how nervous and clumsy I was while we were talking. You may have thought it was because of all of the costume failure. In part it was, of course, but mostly it was because… we both were there, all alone, talking so casually, and I liked you more and more by the minute, and I was so afraid to mess everything up and that you thought I was a fool or something. That’s something that happens to me a lot, that I don’t take my chances when I see them, and I really wanted to take this chance and get to know you, and hope that you liked me.

[Thomas and Nico look at each other, almost like mesmerized by each other’s glance. Then Nico notices there’s a mistletoe hanging above them, as part of the decoration set, and chortles]

NICO: Do you believe in destiny, Thomas?

THOMAS: Why?

NICO: Well, first, we crash at the door, then I order the wrong size for our outfits and they happen to be perfect for each other, then you being an actor and singer and me being a playwright and songwriter… and now look above you.

THOMAS: [looking up, he smiles] A mistletoe.

NICO: I know it’s a fake mistletoe made of plastic and paper, a simple prop, and that it really doesn’t count, but still, it’s very funny that I noticed we were standing right under it, just when I wanted so badly to do this…

[Nico kisses Thomas, taking him by surprise as he was still looking at the mistletoe. After a couple of seconds of surprise, Thomas starts kissing him back and hugging him. At that time, Roman and Virgil start squealing, jumping and dancing with each other. Virgil’s eyeshadow shines so much that it leaves a trace of sparkling glitter in the air as he’s bopping and dancing and spinning with Roman. Then Roman, out of pure happiness, holds Virgil and kisses him. After a moment, Nico releases Thomas, who can’t help showing a silly smile]

THOMAS: Wow… I… you… don’t you think we’re going too fast? We barely have just met and…

NICO: [a little scared] Oh, sorry, perhaps I shouldn’t have done that. You’re right, we have just met and perhaps I shouldn’t have…

[Thomas puts a finger on Nico’s mouth to silence him]

THOMAS: Don’t you dare apologizing for this, Nico. Do you have any idea of how happy you have made me feel right now? I… I thought I’d never experience this feeling again, and thinking honestly, I don’t care if it feels rushed or not. When you know, you know, right? And, rushed or not, I can recognize this feeling without any doubt: I love you, Nico. And even if it doesn’t work in the end, I’ll never regret giving this a chance from minute one, like we’re doing. Don’t you agree?

NICO: [smiling] Yes… yes I do, Thomas. And I love you too.

[Thomas and Nico share another kiss while on the mall the song “All I Want for Christmas is You” is heard through all the speakers]

[ending card]

[Thomas returns back home, he couldn’t be happier. Roman rises up right after he gets to the living room]

ROMAN: Congratulations, Thomas! That was a score in every way!

THOMAS: I can’t believe it! I thought this day would never come, and now…!

ROMAN: And he’s so cute, Thomas! SO cute!

VIRGIL: [rising up, his eyeshadow is still bright purple] Honey, do I need to get jealous, or something?

ROMAN: Oh, sorry, I…

VIRGIL: [excited] I was kidding. We’re all parts of Thomas, it’s only natural that we all like Nico. Congratulations, Thomas!

THOMAS: Wow, you must really be in a good mood if you’re making jokes, Virgil.

VIRGIL: Of course I am! I’m really excited about what comes next! It’s been so long since we… since you’ve been in a relationship like this.

THOMAS: Yeah… I just hope it doesn’t end like the last one…

[Virgil looks at Thomas with a serious face and his eyeshadow suddenly turns pitch black]

VIRGIL: Thomas, don’t say that… Why should it end like the last time? Nico doesn’t look at all like your ex.

ROMAN: Yeah, he’s so cute, and handsome, and cool, and kind and talented and…

VIRGIL: Okay, okay, calm down, Roman. I can’t believe I’m the one asking people to relax… You’re right in everything, but let’s hear Thomas.

ROMAN: Sorry.

THOMAS: Well, it’s too soon to tell, of course, but even so, I’ve already got so invested in this… that I’m scared that something goes wrong and everything goes to waste… again.

VIRGIL: Thomas, it’s only natural that you have that fear after the last experience. And I’m sorry, I’m the one who’s putting that fear into you because I’m the one always worrying about you losing the people you love… because when you said you loved Nico, you really meant it right?

THOMAS: Yes. I mean… it probably is too soon to use that word… but I think it was love at first sight. I didn’t get to have this feeling with my ex until we were way into the relation, but with Nico, it’s just like his soul and mine just blended together as one, as if we were two pieces of the same soul destined from our very beginning to be together, you know? And I was convinced that only happened in romcoms and fairy tales.

ROMAN: Well, now you know better, Thomas. As an expert in romance, my advise about your worries is… just take it easy. Take each day of this relationship as it comes and let love build up slowly but surely, as if you were laying bricks to form a strong house. It is hard work, but the result is worth it, trust me. [looking at Virgil] I know it’s worth it. And don’t think too much in the future. Live the present and enjoy each minute you spend with Nico as if it was the last. Just do your best to make it work, and everything will be fine, you’ll see.

THOMAS: Thank you, Roman. Wow… What a Christmas gift that Santa has decided to give me, right? Merry Christmas, guys.

ROMAN: Merry Christmas, Thomas.

VIRGIL: And may the new year be better for all of us.

THOMAS: [to the viewers] Yep. For all of us. Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all of you, and until next time, take it easy, guys, gals and non binary pals. Peace out!

[transcendence-au]

The Demonology Teacher from the Black Lagoon

“Urgh,” groaned Kitty, dropping her head onto her arms. “I don’t want to take demonology.”

Dani rolled her eyes and patted Kitty’s head condescendingly. “It was this or Euro,” she said, not for the first time. “You’re lucky I talked your mom into letting you take it with me, or you’d be stuck with Fraser for the year.”

“Urgh,” Kitty reiterated.

“Oh, come on,” said Dani, injecting some brightness into her voice. “It’s demons and magic and the history of the Transcendence! It’s probably the most interesting history you could take here.”

“I bet it’s all gonna be like, one demon will ruin your life, don’t summon or you’ll get hooked, and all that crap,” Kitty retorted. “It’s not like anyone’s stupid enough to summon a demon. They’ve been giving us the presentation every year since, like, preschool.”

“Just last week, Ben Lopez tried to summon the Dreamweaver to get Abby Mason to date him,” said Dani. “There’s always idiots.”

Kitty raised her head to look at Ben, who was sitting at a table across the classroom. “Did it work?”

“I mean, I don’t know if the actual summoning worked, but Abby’s definitely not dating him, so, like, not very well.”

Kitty snorted. “Where’s Walsh, anyway?” she asked, glancing at the door like she expected their demonology teacher to come in any minute.

Looking at the clock that hung above the doorway, Dani shrugged. “If she’s not here in three more minutes, can we go home?”

And as if on cue, the door opened and a teacher walked in.

Dani, like Kitty beside her, dropped her head onto her arms.

“Hello!” the teacher exclaimed brightly. “Welcome to demonology!”

“Oh my god kill me,” Dani muttered to Kitty. “I’m not gonna last a year with this guy chirping at us.”

“At least he’s not Walsh,” Kitty whispered back. “She’s, like, eighty or something. And, you know, a woman. This guy’s kinda hot.”

Dani coughed out a laugh. “Ew,” she said, but looked up.

He was kinda hot, was her first thought. Tall, skinny, light skin, floppy brown hair, actually pretty young-looking, a smile that actually looked genuine and not dead inside like most of the teachers. Forget first day of school— this guy seemed like it was his first day as a teacher, period.

“Some of you might have noticed that I’m not Mrs. Walsh,” he was saying to the class. “Don’t worry if you didn’t realize, though! It’s been a long first day of school.”

Kitty groaned. “Oh my god, he sounds like my dad.”

Clara Chang’s hand flew up, and the teacher pointed to her. “Yes?”

“Uh, where is Mrs. Walsh?”

“Unfortunately,” the teacher said— was he smiling?—  “Mrs. Walsh fell down the stairs yesterday evening and broke her tailbone. She’s in the hospital right now. She should be back in a month, assuming the best-case scenario.” He was definitely smiling. “Fortunately, that means you guys have me for the foreseeable future!”

He turned around to face the whiteboard behind him, and Kitty tapped Dani’s arm. “Does he have a tattoo?” she hissed. “On his arm, look.”

He was wearing a sweater vest, but his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and Dani spotted some ink peeking out from under his left sleeve. “Looks like a circle or something,” she whispered back.

Kitty’s eyes went wide and she seemed to be about to say something else, but at that moment the teacher turned back around and gestured grandly to the whiteboard. “Mr. A,” he announced, and the words were indeed written there, in lovely cursive (and, for some reason, bright orange marker). “That’s me, and I’m your demonology teacher! Now, it’s time to figure out who you are.”

Dani contemplated the pros and cons of putting her head back in her arms and going to sleep as Mr. A pulled out an attendance sheet and started reading down the list.

-

“No, but, like, there was something really weird about that, right?” said Kitty practically as soon as she and Dani exited the classroom.

“What, the history of the Transcendence?” Dani asked. “I mean, yeah, it’s when magic and all that crap appeared for the first time, of course it’s weird. God, I hate first-day pretests.”

Kitty shook her head emphatically. “No, no, I mean Mr. A!”

“Yeah, he was really young…”

“You— Dani, listen to me!” Kitty exclaimed, stopping in place. “Look, just— listen. Demonology teacher, really young, weird circle tattoo, won’t say his name but it starts with A… what does that sound like?”

“Wait,” Dani said slowly, “so you’re saying you think—”

“That he’s the Dreamweaver?”

Dani jumped when a voice that was decidedly not Kitty’s finished her thought. She spun around to face Ben Lopez, in all his short, mousy glory. He cleared his throat and pushed his glasses up his nose.

“We weren’t talking to you, Ben,” Kitty snapped, a flush spreading across her face.

Ben cleared his throat again. “Sorry, uh, I just— I wasn’t listening on purpose, I just heard you, and I— sorry, it’s just, uh, I-I think you might be onto something,” he stammered out. “D-did you see his face when he talked about Mrs. Walsh falling?”

“I knew he was smiling!” Dani exclaimed triumphantly. The other two looked at her, as did some curious students passing by, and she felt her face go hot. “Uh, never mind.”

“But then the, uh, the question is, why would the Dreamweaver want to teach a bunch of high schoolers?” Ben continued. “He’s an amazingly powerful demon— what could he gain from us?”

They fell silent for a moment, before Kitty seemed to realize something. “In the stories,” she began hesitantly, “he liked kids, didn’t he?”

Dani raised a finger. “Uh, when you say ‘liked kids,’ do you mean ‘liked being around them,’ or, like, ‘liked eating them’?”

“He took them,” said Ben slowly. “Nobody ever knew what happened to them. Sometimes he’d just… show up for a summons, and when he left, he took the summoner’s kids with him.”

“Oh my god,” Kitty breathed. “He’s going for all of us.”

-

That night, Dani had a hard time sleeping. She woke up the next morning the second her alarm went off— a feat which she’d ordinarily be proud of, given her usual tendency to sleep through it— and shuffled downstairs to toast a bagel.

“Is everything alright?” her mom asked when Dani sat down at the kitchen table.

“Just tired,” she responded, because she couldn’t very well say I think my teacher is a demon who’s out to kidnap the whole class.

“It’s only the second day,” said her mother, laughing. “How are you tired already?”

Dani only yawned in response.

Finishing her bagel, she tossed her computer into her backpack, said a groggy goodbye to her mom, and headed down to the bus stop, where she waited for the five minutes it took for the bus to arrive. She flung herself into the first empty seat she found and leaned against the window, ignoring the bump bump bump her head made against the glass as the bus started to move.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. Opening the browser, she slowly typed, dreamweaver. The entire first page was taken up by some software program of some kind, so she added demon to her search criteria. There we go, she thought as she saw his Demonopedia page. She tapped it and started to read the article.

Dani was somewhat more surprised than she probably should have been when the first section of the page was taken up by a picture of the Dreamweaver’s summoning circle, the incantation to summon him, what to use and what not to use when summoning him (no scented candles? If she was a demon, Dani thought, she would ask for all of her summoners to use her favorite sugar-cookie scented candles), the sorts of acceptable and unacceptable sacrifices, and a link to the page for common deals and how demons might twist them. After a lifetime of being told that summoning demons was always a mistake and would be deadly, it was a little bit startling to see such clear instructions for how to do so.

Her eyes glazed over as she skimmed the page. Most commonly appears as a man in a suit… seems to act friendly… unknown, but she seems to be either his sister or his wife… also linked to the Woodsman… their children being taken… wait, there it was! Dani returned to the start of the paragraph and read it more carefully.

The Dreamweaver has, on several notable occasions, destroyed entire cults, apparently simply for using children as human sacrifices. For this reason, some summoners have attempted to offer him live children as sacrifices instead; in all such cases, the children were either found back at their homes with little to no memory of the event, or were taken by the Dreamweaver, never to be heard from again. The cults that opt to try this alternative method of human sacrifice still tend to be destroyed, but in a less gruesome manner than those that sacrifice the children themselves. On other occasions, summoners with children of their own have found their children being taken upon the Dreamweaver’s completion of their deal. The children seem to have no connection to the deals themselves, not being used as sacrifices or as the subject of the deals, so it is speculated that the Dreamweaver simply takes children for reasons of his own. Although his reasons are not known, the most common theory is that he is taking them for consumption at a later date.

Dani stopped reading and closed the tab as a cold pit formed in her stomach. If this was true, then all of the students at her school were in danger, and she was the only one who could stop them!

“Hey, Dani, can I, uh— can I sit with you?”

Well, she thought ass she looked up to see the round face and messy dark brown hair of Ben Lopez, maybe not the only one.

-

Kitty wasn’t on her bus, but Dani met up with her outside of their English classroom. Ben had split off to go to P. E., so Dani made it her mission to fill Kitty in on the newest Dreamweaver information as they walked into the room and sat down in their desks.

“But, like, we’re not kids,” said Kitty after Dani had finished telling her everything she’d read. “Why’s he going after us?”

Dani shrugged. “He’s, like, a million years old, isn’t he? We’re probably all kids to him.”

“Okay. Okay.” Kitty visibly gathered herself together. “So there’s an all-powerful demon who likes stealing kids in the school, and he’s teaching us demonology. This is crazy. Dani, this is really, really crazy.”

“Shouldn’t we, like, tell someone?” Dani asked.

Kitty snorted. “Who, the teacher?” She rested her head in her palm. “Nobody’s gonna believe us. We’re gonna have to figure this out on our own.”

“Not just us,” Dani said hastily. “Ben’s helping too.”

“Oh, yay. Ben.”

“C’mon, don’t be a jerk, he’s helping out.”

“Urgh.”

Dani sighed. “Look, what lunch do you have today? Me and Ben both have lunch 3, we’re gonna go over plans then.”

“Fine,” said Kitty. “I’ll be there.”

-

“You summoned him, right?” Dani asked, taking a bite of her cheeseburger. “Did it actually, like, work?”

“Of course it worked,” scoffed Ben, although the effect was somewhat ruined by his persistent jumpiness. “He just double-crossed me.”

Kitty laughed. “Sure, yeah, that’s totally why Abby rejected you.”

Ben went bright red. “I’m serious!” he exclaimed. “It worked! He showed up right in my room!”

“You summoned a demon in your room?” Kitty snorted. “What, did you sacrifice your lucky underwear?”

“No, I was wearing— wait, no—”

It was too late for him. Kitty let out a high-pitched cackle, and Dani had started giggling into her cheeseburger. Ben’s face somehow managed to get redder. “See if I help when the Dreamweaver tries to kidnap you two,” he grumbled.

Dani waved a helpless hand in the air as her giggling fit continued. “Okay, okay, oh my god, okay, back on topic.”

“Please!” Ben added, which didn’t help. “Guys, demon in our school, going to take our young innocent souls?”

“Okay, okay,” said Dani again, giggling finally subsiding. “What do we do?”

“What can we do?” Kitty added. “He’s, like, all-knowing and all-powerful, right?”

Ben pushed his glasses up. “Well, uh, here’s what I’m thinking. We need proof, right?” Neither Dani nor Kitty responded, and Ben cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. Proof. We can’t just accuse him of being a demon without actual evidence. So what I’m thinking is, one of us distracts him— asks for help with the material, or something like that. While that’s happening, the other two go to his desk and look around for anything suspicious.”

“We can’t just, like, go through a teacher’s things,” Dani pointed out, fairly reasonably. “If we get caught—”

“We won’t get caught,” said Ben. “Not if whoever’s doing the distracting does a good enough job.”

They all paused.

“Wait,” Kitty said. “Can’t we just, like, wait for him to have a class?”

Ben coughed. “Uh, yeah, that might be, uh, better, yeah.”

“Like, I get that you want to make this a cool heist thing, but—”

“No, yeah, I get it, this is probably better—”

Dani sighed. Who knew demon-finding was so convoluted?

-

As it turned out, not only was demon-finding convoluted, it was also really, really hard.

Dani had almost had a heart attack when the three of them got to the social studies department after school and were greeted by a woman at the front desk. Fortunately, Kitty was either not bothered at all, or much better at hiding her panic. She smiled at the woman and walked right past without an issue, leaving Dani and Ben to scurry after her.

“Just look confident,” Kitty told them quietly once they were out of the woman’s earshot. “They never think anything’s off if you act like you’re supposed to be here.”

Dani tried to straighten up, though without much success.

Mr. A’s cubicle wasn’t very hard to find, but to Dani’s dismay, it looked… just like a normal teacher’s workspace. There were papers strewn across the surface of his desk, a short bookshelf in the back of the cubicle which held several demonology textbooks, a poster on the wall entitled “Periodic Table of the Demons,” and one of those glass blocks with shapes inside that Dani had always found really cool. This one had what looked like a miniature copy of a summoning circle.

“Well, he sure does like demons,” Dani said aloud, then mentally kicked herself. Fortunately, neither Ben nor Kitty seemed to notice her stating the obvious.

Ben was looking at the periodic table. “The Dreamweaver is number 13 on here,” he said. “I wonder…” He tapped the Al square, and seemed to deflate when nothing happened.

“Did you think, like, a secret door was gonna open up when you pressed the button?” asked Kitty.

Flushing, Ben looked away from the poster and went to pick up a textbook. “Uh… maybe?”

“Oh my god, no wonder you had to summon a demon to get a girl to like you. You’re a total dork.”

Dani laughed as she picked up the glass block. Pulling out her phone, she opened up the Demonopedia page for the Dreamweaver and compared the two circles. Definitely the same one. “Hey, Kitty,” she said, and Kitty looked up from where she was examining the papers on the desk. “Is this the tattoo you saw on his arm?”

Kitty glanced over the circle. “I mean, I only had, like, a two-second view, and it was partway covered by his sleeve, but, like, it looks pretty close.”

“Okay,” said Dani. “Okay. I think that’s probably enough to… to make a case.” She took a deep breath. “Uh. What’s the next step?”

There was a thunk as Ben set the textbook down on top of the bookshelf. “Next step,” he said, voice hushed, “is we summon a demon.”

-

“This is a terrible idea.”

“Shhh! My sister is gonna hear you!”

“Why couldn’t we, like, do this another time, when your house was actually empty?”

“We have to do this soon, before we get our souls eaten! We’re just lucky my parents are out tonight…”

“How about, like, we just don’t do it?”

Dani tuned out Ben and Kitty’s bickering and focused on the candles. Fortunately, Ben hadn’t erased the summoning circle he’d used to summon the Dreamweaver before, but he’d gotten rid of the candles— it had been fun trying to sneak more of them upstairs past Ben’s sister— and Dani was currently fumbling with a lighter. “Stupid thing won’t stay lit,” she grumbled to herself, and proceeded to knock over a candle. “Oh my god, this is a disaster. If the Dreamweaver shows up, he’s gonna laugh at us. And then probably kill us.”

“Yeah, Ben,” said Kitty. “You might have lucked out and survived last time, but, like, you’re literally inviting him back in to try and kill you again. Except this time we’re here too, so now we’re all gonna die.”

Dani thought she sounded fairly calm for someone who was convinced that she was about to be demon-murdered, but hey, that was Kitty. Meanwhile, Dani’s hands shook so much that she almost dropped the lighter. She swore.

“Alright, so, uh, we know what we’re going to do once he— once he gets here, right?” said Ben quietly. “I’ve got notecards. I’ve double- and triple-checked them so there aren’t any loopholes for him to exploit. We’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. We just have to get answers, and make sure he knows that we know about his plan.”

Dani laughed, feeling lightheaded. “Sure. Okay. Yeah. No way it could possibly go wrong, right?”

Shakily, she lit the final candle.

Ben picked up the chocolate bars they’d nabbed and placed them delicately in the center of the circle.

“Ben,” said Kitty calmly. “If we die, I’m gonna come back to haunt you. And if he says, like, he’ll only take one of our souls, it’s gonna be yours.”

Ben gulped.

“Everyone ready?” Dani whispered, ignoring the voice in her head screaming no, absolutely not.

Dani and Kitty stepped back as Ben approached the circle, hands held high, and began to chant. “Stella splendida, v-vos invoco. Vos invoco ut faciatis voluntatem meam. Dico nomen vestrum: Alcor!”

Nothing happened.

“D-did we—” Dani started to ask, before Ben turned around and made hurried shushing motions.

And— there. As Dani watched, a cloud of black smoke formed within the circle, seeming to flow upward from the lines on the ground. A high-pitched ringing sound echoed through her head, and the temperature in the room seemed to abruptly drop. The candles that Dani had spent the past ten minutes painstakingly arranging and lighting blew out in an instant, and Dani stood frozen in place as the smoke coalesced into a humanoid form with a fwoosh.

“W̡͇̤̠̪͒̔̒͑̂̽́h̜̠͉͔̬̻̣̅̀͛̇͛͐̏̈́͘͜͡ō̶͎̙͚̭̝̯̌̋͆̄ d̳͚̜̞̜̿̀̅̑̕͘͘͢͝ͅa̷̢̞͍̬̤͖̤̯̦̎̋̋̏̎̓̔̂̕r̬̙̳̠̪̞͈̗̟̮͌̒͆̂͊̚͠e̢̤̺̺͚͊̔̋̽́̾̕ͅs̡̡̘̻̱̎́͗̀̾̂͗ s̷̨̢͕̣̞͉̞̯̖͆̇̉̋̀̄̅̚̕͡ͅu͂̓̓̾̀̄��̧̯̝͍͉͍̪͍͂m̸̨͙̘̬̜̩̙̝͚͍̂͌͛̚̕ṃ̨̧̧̗̪̥̹̺͆̆͂͋̎̽͢o̴̫̠̮̩͔͈͎͖͛͋̏̉́͜n̨̡̛̩̣̬̻̉̽́̓̽̑͘͞ A̶͎̟̼̗͔̯̼̯̮̬͛̑̆̋̀ļ̖͔̳̹̤͎͂̉̓̂̊̐͗̓͐͝c̡̩͇̟̺̗͙̖̤͋̿̂̃́͡ō̢͖͕̲̬̖̗̳͋̆̅̐͑͠ŕ̵̼͔̱̤͙̦̩̇̀̃̽̋̃̎̆͝ ẗ̝̼͔̮̥́̀́̕̚h̶̺͖̬͖̓̒̒̑̉̄͆̀͜͝ę̴͚̦̠̤̲͇͇͒̅̋̾͂̌ D̜͈̝̯̗̋̈̐̇̂͂̆̒̋̕͜͜r̸͙̟̻͙͚̮̖̠̋̂͛́̕͢͜e̜͈͈͖͈͈̺̠̜͇̾̌͒̅̒̋̊̊͝a̶͎͓̰͉͕̓̔̑͘͞ḿ̶̡̰̤̯̙̺̘͕̒͋̀̕͟͡w̶̨̫̭̖̮̞̙̫͑͊͑̐̔̿ẽ̴̡̘̦̙͙̰̣̰̥̊͊͌̔̽͜á̷̲̠̹̫̞̝̗͇̪̈́̓͊̎̑̂̿͟͠͞v̷̧͕̹̠̘̖̠͍̎̒͗̇̄͛̑͞͞͡ę̵̗͈͇̪̳͔̒͂̇̈́̅̆͢ṛ̡̛̻̙̗͖̘̓̃̏̿̽̓͗̓?̵̢̙̣̰͚͈͍̻̿̽̓͋̈̒͌̽̚̕͟ͅ”

Kitty meeped.

The demon glanced over at Kitty, then at Dani, who felt suddenly like she was just a single atom, one tiny, insignificant piece of a vast cosmic puzzle, like she would die alone and unnoticed, barely even alive in the grand scheme of the universe— and then at Ben. Dani took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to will her heart to stop racing.

“I̵̧̪̘͠ ̶̨͑̾͛͘t̵̡̟̑̉̒ǫ̴́̀͂l̵̩̓d̷͚̈́ ̷̖̰̉͐y̵̜̠̔͐o̷͕̪̥͐̃͋̿u̶̥̲͈̝͌̌̈́͠,̸̹̈́̉ ̷̛̰̟̉k̵̨͇̘̋͛̏͜i̷̥͐̋̓͐d̸̻̘̽͋,̶̷̧̛̝͕͐̇́̅” the Dreamweaver said. “Ǐ̶̼̘̻ḟ̷̲̜́ ̴̢̘̹̟́̈́̆ý̶̺̝o̵̪͚̫̊̍̅ǚ̵̟ ̸̞̓w̵̗̯̦̺̉̈́͊͠ǎ̷͎̬̓̚n̸̢͈̙̱͒̏̇ṱ̶̉͆̚ͅ ̶̦̃̀͒ǎ̴̳͇̦ ̶̛͔̰͐g̸̜̜̣̟̋i̴̻̚r̷̳̯̟̠̀̋́͠l̷̤̠̒͂͆̓ ̷͈͕̀̀̓͆͜ͅţ̷͔̰̮̔͒͆̚o̴̫̹͙̲̊̇̂ ̷̝̼̟̔́l̷͍̗͔̒̅̒̆ǐ̵̮̪̏͠͠k̸̦̖͎͍̐͛e̷͍̫̾̓͐ ̷̢͖͈̝̆͗͒y̴̦̙͎͛̀ò̸̪̮ư̴̜͉,̷̢̧̳͑ ̶̡̥̩̓̃̒̊y̷̢̫͍̏͂́̇o̷͍͂͊̏͠ù̶̝̼͙̠ ̷̤̈́̕ȟ̶̺̞̟͂̉̏a̸̰̎͘v̷͙̒̂e̴̳̎̊ͅ ̵͉̼̬̓ṫ̷͇̲̠̪̌̆ŏ̶̼̓ ̴̨̰̼̂́g̵̡̧̛̊ẽ̷̱̼͕̘̀̋͘t̶̝̮̥̿͜ ̷̧͇̏͐́̚t̴̖̭̤̒ẖ̴̢̣̺̏̐͑e̸̬͔͔͑͌́ͅr̴̹̗̙̒͜͠e̷̝͍͍͇̿͊̔̀ ̵̘̮͚̤͗̔͋o̸͖̰̲̽̋͜n̸͉̖͒̓ ̶̭͉͛́͆̊y̸̰̤͕̪̎͘o̵͓̯̐͌̊͜u̸̫̣̞̰̿͋̈́̆ṛ̶́͒̈́ ̷͖̩̀͜ơ̴͖̦̄̾w̷̨͓̑̃n̵̰͋̾̈.̴̢̪̭͖̓͋”

“Oh my god,” Dani heard Kitty breathe.

“Th-this is different!” Ben stammered. “This is—”

He seemed to have all but forgotten his carefully planned words, so Dani forced her legs to move, walked forward, snatched the notecards out of his hands. “D-dreamweaver,” she read, trying to stop her voice from shaking, “we have summoned you to-to ask you to…”

The Dreamweaver picked up a chocolate bar and unwrapped it. He bit into it, and Dani’s mind was torn between terror that it would be her next in place of the chocolate, and laughter at the fact that a terrifying demon was standing in Ben Lopez’s bedroom eating a chocolate bar. He made an encouraging motion with his free hand, and a hysterical giggle slipped out of her.

“W-we have summoned you to ask you to please call off your plan to devour all of our souls,” she read.

The demon laughed— not the horrible grating laugh she’d expected, but a surprisingly normal one. “You ̢s͢um̨m̀o̵ned̶ m͞e͏.̛..͢ ̀t͞o̵ ás͘k҉ m̸e҉ n͠ot̸ ̧t͏o ̕ta͟ke y͘ou͞r͞ so͜u͡ls?͜”

Out of the corner of her eye, Dani saw Kitty’s exasperation with Ben briefly overcome her terror as she brought a hand to her face. Inwardly, she concurred.

Ben recovered from his fear and took the notecards back from Dani. “W-we, uh, we know about your plan,” he said. Dani could hear his voice tremble. “We know you’re pretending to be our demonology teacher so you can snatch all of the students.”

The Dreamweaver actually looked… confused. She wasn’t an expert in demon expressions or anything, but the expression on his face definitely didn’t seem like that of someone who’d been caught out in evil plans. “Y̴̢̡ou̴r̷̛͢.́̕͡.̡͝.̴̴̸ ҉͞t̀͝ea̸͘c̶̷̸h̷̨e̛r?̛”

Well.

If Kitty didn’t get to him first, Dani was going to kill Ben.

Speaking of Kitty, she’d apparently regained control over her body, and was stalking up to Ben. “Oh my god,” she said. “Were you wrong?”

“I-it was your theory first!” he defended, which would have been a fair point except for the fact that they were all standing in front of a very powerful demon and Dani wasn’t very inclined to take excuses when her soul was on the line. She glared at Ben as well, and he flinched.

“W͢a͟i̕t,” said the Dreamweaver. “Th̛e ͝t̕h͏r͢ee̡ ̕o̵f͝ yo̵u ͘th͡o̡ugh̛t ͘th̵a̛t͢ ̕I͡ ́w͟as ͝your̴ ͞su͏bs̛tit̴ut͞e ̕t̷each̡er?” He started to laugh, and even though it didn’t sound like nails on a chalkboard, it still sounded horrible to Dani. She felt her face grow hot.

“W-we know you take kids!” Ben tried to continue. “And— and Mrs. Walsh got injured, and it all seemed too convenient—”

“J҉or̡dan͟ A̧ysc̵ơu͡gh͡, twe̛n̶t̶y-f̢iv͘e ̶y͘e̴ars͞ o̸ld,” the demon interrupted. “Gr͜adu͝a͠te̢d ͝fro̴m ̕t̵he҉ ͝U̢niv͟e̢rsit͏y o͝f ̡Il̡l͏i͏no̷i̷ś w̵it̕h̴ ҉a̕ ̀major͜ i̕n ́d͡e͜mon͝o͢l͘og͝y. T̡ook ͝o͝n h̀ìs ̸f҉ir͠st ̀t̡e͝ac͠h͜i҉ng jo͜b͘ at M͏idd͏l҉eb͘r̴ǫo͏k̨ ̛H̕ig҉h S͞c͢ho͘ol͜, bef̸o̵r̴e͘ ͝findiņg͝ ̀a͜ bęt̛ter j̕o͝b̶ a̶t̴ We̛st̸ ̧O͞a̴k H͢igh̕ ͏S̛chool̴ ́w͝hen t҉hei̷r ͠demo͝nol͜o̧gy tȩacher ̷fell ̕an̸d͞ ͏b̷ro͟k͏e h͝er ̨tai̛lb̛one. D̷e͡ci̧d͝e͜d ͘a͠fte͜r͜ ̢th̀e Mi̛ddlębr̶o͟ok̴ ̛t͝e̶a͝c̵h̷ing ̡j̨o҉b ͞t҉h̷at he ̡w͟o̵uld go ̢by ̷Mr. ̸Á, due ̸t͘o̕ h̵įs̶ ͜s͘tu͟dent̸s͠’ p͡r͟opensįt̷y̨ ͏t́o ca̸ll ͏him̕… Mr. Ass-cough.” The demonic reverberation that had been present in his words until that point seemed to vanish, and Dani thought he seemed to be holding in a snicker.

Kitty slapped Ben’s arm. “Oh my god,” she hissed.

Dani swallowed hard and said, “We’re v-very sorry to disturb you, then, Mr. Dreamweaver. Uh, w-we don’t actually, uh, have any deals to make, or anything…”

“Ho͞w͢ ̷ab͝o͜u̴t ̧th͜i͡s, ͢th͟èn,” he said, giving a too-wide smile. “A͏n̛ ̧unof̨fici͡aĺ ͠dea̶l.҉ You̡ s̸to͞p ̷sum͟m̷o̷n̷íng̨ ͏d́emo҉ņs͏, a̸n҉d͟ ͢I͜ ̧w̨ill ̴m̴ak͢e ͞súr̶e ̧that͡ Mr͢.̢ A̷ dơesn't̡ ̡re͟a͝liz҉e ͞t́ha̢t͟ t̸h҉e ͢t̡hr̨ȩe ̷o͝f̛ ͘you̷ wenţ ̕th̨rough hi͠s͏ ̨thinģs.”

Dani wanted to sink into the floor.

“F-fine,” said Kitty, who somehow kept her tone level. “We accept.”

The Dreamweaver grinned even wider. “In ͠t͜hat c͘às̶e,” he said, “I͏'l̡l be ̀o̡f͝f!͞ Se͏e y҉o̴u͟ ̛n͘ev̢e̷r!”

And with that, he vanished, leaving only smoke and the wrapper of a chocolate bar.

Dani sat down heavily on the floor, and put her head in her hands. “Oh my god,” she said, and wasn’t sure if it was from embarrassment at being so horribly wrong, relief at not having her soul devoured, or, on some level, the thrill she was feeling at having successfully summoned a demon. “Oh my god.”

“Oh my god,” Kitty agreed.

Ben laughed shakily and dragged a hand across the circle, smudging the chalk. “L-let’s, uh, let’s not use this anymore.”

Dani exhaled a breathless laugh.

“Hey, uh, Kitty,” Ben continued. “W-would you want to, uh, go out with me? Sometime? Uh.”

Kitty blinked at him. “Weren’t you into Abby Mason, like, last week?”

“Uh, yeah, but I— I mean, I don’t really know her.”

“You don’t really know me.”

“No, yeah, that’s, uh, you’re right—”

“Like, you seem like a cool guy and all, but, like—”

“No, no, I get it, totally get it—”

“It’s not, like, personal or anything—”

Dani just sighed.

-

“This is so boring,” Dani whined, making sure Mr. A couldn’t hear her as he changed the PowerPoint slide currently being projected onto the whiteboard. “I can’t believe we thought this guy was the Dreamweaver.”

Kitty snorted. “I can’t believe we thought the best way to test it was to summon him and ask.”

“And I can’t believe it’s not butter!” chimed in the third person at their table.

“Oh my god,” grumbled Kitty. “Why do we let him sit near us again?”

Dani turned to look at Kitty and Ben. “We summoned a demon together,” she pointed out. “I think that makes us, like, friends for life.”

Ben actually beamed. Kitty rolled her eyes, but she was smiling too.

A warm feeling growing inside her, Dani smiled back.

[jadekitty777]

Baker’s Dozen, Part 1

Oh my god we are at the home stretch and I am still amazed I managed to do all eight days. This is a two-parter, so the second chapter will be up tomorrow.

Day 7: First Morning @taiqrowweek

Rating: K

Words: 6,000

Summary: When a desperate escape from fans leaves Qrow seeking shelter in a nearby restaurant, he expects little of the rundown, failing business that offers him a table. One bite is all it takes to change his mind. [Actor and Chef AU]

Ao3 Link: Baker’s Dozen

~

Early Saturday afternoon found downtown L.A. bustling with traffic on the sidewalks and the road. Qrow found himself in the heart of Pershing Square, lying on the grass and enjoying the midday sun beaming down on him, wondering why he didn’t do this more often.

“Oh my god! Qrow Branwen?!”

His eyes shot open, seeing a small gaggle of women hurrying his way as every head within earshot turned to look right at him.

Oh right.

That was why.

He shot to his feet, yelling over his shoulder as he sprinted away, “Sorry! No autographs today!”

He thanked whatever gods might be out there that his last role forced him to stay in excellent shape, because he was easily able to outdistance his pursuers. Unfortunately, as he skirted around the foot traffic, their yells only seemed to be attracting more attention his way. He ever spotted one desperate teenager pulling a phone from her purse.

He was about to be all over Instagram, wasn’t he?

Knowing this called for every actor’s Superman disguise, Qrow pulled his sunglasses from his pocket, shoving them onto his face as he took the first alleyway he could find. Coming out on the other side, he slowed his pace to a fast walk, lowering his head to avoid further detection and slipped into the doorway of one of the businesses a few doors down before the other crowd could catch up.

He sighed, grateful for the dark atmosphere inside the building as he pulled out his phone. Alright, time to call his driver and get out of dodge.

“Table for one?” The question had him jerking around, seeing a young woman in a cowboy getup smiling his way from a little podium. Her golden hair was particularly eye catching, long and untamed in a way that reminded him of his twin sister’s. Her name tag, which was in the shape of a star, read ‘Yang’.

He took in the environment around her, noticing the array of booths and tables that made up the majority of the room, and realized he’d ducked right into a restaurant. “Uh, no sorry I uh-” He started to say, only to trail off as he actually considered it. Why the hell not? It wasn’t like he’d eaten, and it would take his driver about the same time to get there when having to slog through the weekend traffic. “I mean, yeah, just me. Can I get a booth as isolated as possible?”

“You got it!” Yang agreed, picking up one of the menus and leading him to a booth in the back. He couldn’t help but notice she even had spurs on her boots that clanked when she walked. The walls were decorated with a similar Texan flair, bull horns and deer antlers interspaced with paintings of farm homes and woodland creatures and metal lone stars. How quaint.

Despite the aesthetics though, it was obvious from the minute he sat down and the bench creaked loudly, that upkeep wasn’t a priority. Or, he reassessed as he took note of the lack of patrons despite it being the lunch hour, it probably just wasn’t in the budget. That probably wasn’t a promising sign on the quality for his upcoming meal.

“Ruby will be with you soon.” Yang said, setting the menu before him. The cover had the name ‘The Dragon’s Den’ proudly printed across it. Wait, that wasn’t southern. Did he somehow run all the way to Chinatown instead?

“Uh, thanks.” He flipped the menu, but with the lighting so low, he couldn’t read the finer script. He pulled off his sunglasses, setting them on the table before looking through his options. Despite the slightly confused name, everything within seemed pretty par for the course; roast beef, fried chicken, catfish, and a large array of barbequed meats that any Tramp off the street would gladly steal for his Lady.

“Howdy there, can I get you started w- Oh my god!”

Ah, shit.

He looked up, seeing yet another starstruck gaze aimed at him by a petite girl in a similar get up to the hostess but was a few years younger – was she even old enough to work here?

He held up his hand in a desperate attempt to ward off any screaming. “Kid, I swear to give you the best tip of your life if you keep quiet.”

His waitress pressed her notepad against her mouth, a muffled squeak escaping around it. After a moment, she took a breath, then lowered the notepad slightly to reveal a sly smile. “I’ll make sure Yang seats any customers far away from you if you promise me an autograph and a picture too.”

He snorted. What a devious little brat! He could appreciate that. “Deal.”

“Hehe, yes!” She gave a little hop before quickly composing herself, placing her pen to the page. “Alright stranger that I’ve never met and do not know the name of, what would you like to drink?”

“Don’t oversell it kid. And water’s fine.”

“Coming right up!” She scurried away. He watched her detour towards the front, dragging the blond woman to the back where they disappeared behind a set of swinging double doors.

He counted down from five in his head.

“EEEEEEEEEEEE!” Came two screams from the kitchen.

Right on cue.

“OUT! BOTH OF YOU, OUT!!” Was the next shout he heard, the tone definitely masculine.

Yang came back out first, her gaze lingering his way before she hurried away, giggling all the while. Ruby was next, setting a glass of water on his table along with a straw.

“Your drink, mon-sir.”

He laughed. “Did you mean monsieur?”

“Yeah, that one!” She giggled good-naturedly. Despite the fact she was an obvious fangirl, he found himself taking a liking to her.

“Heard a bit of yelling back there.” He gestured towards the doorway.

“Yeah, dad just thinks we’re being dumb. He doesn’t believe you’re out here.”

Dad? Well, that might explain why it seemed this rustic establishment was getting away with breaking child labor laws. “Eh, it’s probably better that way anyways.” Kids were cute; but adults fawning over him was always a little weird, especially if they were around his age.

“He wouldn’t know how to appreciate the moment anyways.”  Ruby clacked her heels together, spurs chiming when she did. “So were you ready to order or did you want a few minutes?”

He glanced down towards the menu. He wasn’t really used to food like this. Growing up, his dad would favor getting the rice cooker going rather than tend to the BBQ gathering dust outside. As for now, his career tended to call for strict dietery needs depending on what shape he needed to be in for each role – none of which ever called for anything steeped so heavily in grease and fat. “Any suggestions?”

“Ooo,” She tapped her chin with her pen thoughtfully. “Well dad just took out the kolaches a half hour ago, so those are extra good right now.”

The question was out of his mouth before he could think to fake it, “What’s a kolach?”

“Oh, it’s a Texas thing. Basically, it’s a pasty with filling. Today’s strawberry, which is my favorite.”

“Trying to sell me dessert before the main course?”

“Well yeah! That’s like the highlight of being an adult, right? When I move out, that’s how I’m gonna do it.” Ruby said proudly. “But if you want to be all traditional about it, then by far dad’s best dish is the country-fried steak.”

He knew what that dish was at least. Steak fried in batter and slathered in gravy. It sounded like a heart attack on a plate. He closed the menu decisively, handing it to her. “I’ll take your word for it.”

“Great!” She quickly wrote it down.

As the girl hurried over to go place his order, Qrow took the opportunity to look up the address and text it to An. ‘Pick me up in forty-five?’

‘Certainly sir.’ She replied.

He had just switched back to his browser, when Ruby came back, setting a small plate in front of him. The Kolach was about the size of a cookie, with a breading cooked to a nice golden brown and the bright red strawberry filling dusted over with powdered sugar.

“Here you go! The best dessert you’ll ever have.” She proclaimed.

It certainly looked good, but it wouldn’t have anything on his mother’s Ichigo Daifuku. “Maybe second greatest kiddo.”

Ruby looked about ready to defend her dessert’s honor when a call of ‘waiter’ had her drawing back. “Um, gotta go. Enjoy!”

Picking up the pastry, Qrow turned his attention back to his phone. He eyed the 2.9 rating the restaurant had on Yelp, his stomach turning with trepidation as he took his first bite. The outer crust had a nice crunch but the inner dough was fluffy and light, with a hint of butter. The sweetness also hit with less punch than he was expecting, the strawberry standing mostly on its own with only the sugar on top adding to it. Just the way he liked it.

He was right, it didn’t out beat the Daifuku… but it was pretty close.

As he polished it off, he pulled up the reviews, scanning through them.

‘Great food but the decor is just awful. Pretty sure the place hasn’t had an upgrade since the 70s.’

‘Nice staff but everyone looks like they should be operating out of a western drama.’

‘Terrible! The kid waiting on me didn’t even look fifteen. She was super clumsy too. Dropped a whole cup of BBQ right on my sweater. When I demanded to speak to the owner about it, the hostess gave me attitude about how he was too busy and called ME a blowhard! What a circus show! Never coming back!’

‘The food’s amazing, but the wait times are ridiculous. Forty-five minutes for a rack of ribs? Is there only one cook back there?’

And on they went. Complaints about the location, the confusing name, more on wait time and the staff. But, beyond a few issues on the food arriving too cold, there was nothing but stellar compliments for the taste. He lent back in his seat, hearing it give another dying groan. He watched Yang sit another table of five while Ruby bustled about to get their drinks. Eyed his crumb-dusted plate, realizing the treat was probably offered to him because someone hungry was more likely to notice the wait for the main course. What a sad state. Apparently great food but poor management and lack of funds to fix anything. The place probably wasn’t going to last another year.

Ruby was all smiles when she came back to him, clearing his dish. “So, did you like it?”

“It was excellent, just like you promised.” Qrow told her honestly. For a split second, he almost let that be the end of it all. To just have his meal and leave, forgetting all about the reviews that foreshadowed the Dragon Den’s closure and the innocent kid whose family would be facing thousands of dollars in debt.

Instead he found himself strangely invested. Perhaps it was just human curiosity or pure boredom, but whatever it was, something made him lean forward, cross his arms over the table and ask, “So Ruby, you said your dad’s the one cooking, but who runs the place?”

“He does.”

He arched a brow. “He’s the owner and the chef? And he makes his kids work here?”

She shifted on her feet. “Uh well, I only help out on weekends and maybe a weekday here or there when dad really needs me. Yang’s got it real bad tho. She has to rush from her classes at Cal State to here five times a week.”

As the suspicion niggled at the back of his mind, he almost asked, but figured the deliberate omission about the whereabouts of their mother was all the answer he needed.

“There’s no other waiters?” He asked instead.

“No, we’ve got a few part timers, just not enough for a full day. Dad keeps saying when business picks back up he’ll hire a few more and a new chef too but,” Ruby averted her gaze. “That was a year ago.”

“What happened?” He pressed.

She shook her head. “We kept losing staff and now I just think he’s too busy. He sometimes doesn’t even come home. He’ll just sleep at one of the tables and then be up for the next day.”

“He’s here every day? From open to close?”

“Yeah.”

He whistled low between his teeth, placing his palm under his chin. He’d had some rough shoots over the years, but at least he had the solace of taking breaks. “Wow. That’s awful. And I bet a teenager like you hates having to work when you’d rather be at home playing video games.”

“Oh, no. I don’t mind.” Ruby refuted, before amending shortly after, “Uh well, most times, at least. Jerky customers kind of ruin my day. But otherwise, it’s okay.”

He had a feeling it was anything but. “You sure ‘bout that?”

“Yeah. I mean, when we first moved here, this place was dad’s dream.” She waved vaguely in the air as if to encompass the little establishment. “He always loved making people happy by cooking for them. Even when I was a kid he’d tell me that the gift of a good meal is the smile on someone’s face when they eat it.” She faced him, resolute and steady. “I know it’s important to him, so if I can help him keep this place by working here every now and again, then that’s just what I’ll do.”

He studied her carefully, but nothing he could see seemed imply she was lying in any way. It was a value he could certainly respect, as he and his sister had grown up being told the importance of caring for and respecting their elders. But living in America taught him that not all families operated this way. It was surprising, but uplifting, to see it here. “That’s rather admirable of you.”

Before they could say more, a hiss of ‘Ruby!’ drew her up short, and then Yang was sidling over, an impressive stack of plates balanced precariously along her left arm. “Table 3 needs their check before they bounce on us.”

“Oh right.” She paused, just long enough to place the pastry dish on top of her sister’s already full load with an overly sweet smile.

Once his waitress had left, Qrow said, “Guess I’m distracting her.”

“I shouldn’t be surprised. You can distract half the nation.” Yang replied. “Must be awful, never having enough privacy.”

He shrugged it off, as if he hadn’t sprinted several blocks twenty minutes ago. “Comes with the business.”

“Well, I’d hate it. I get enough attention as it is.” She shifted some of the weight on her arm.

“Ah, what? You’re the total heartthrob in school or something?” He could see that. She had other assets that matched Raven’s – and he remembered how often that had the boys trailing after her like stray dogs desperate for affection.

“Or something.” She echoed vaguely. “I’m going to go check on your meal.”

It was only as she turned away, he noticed her right hand as it caught the faint light from above. The shine to the skin too bright to be natural and its immobility too revealing that the limb was anything but real.  

Or something indeed.

God, maybe he should pitch a show because this was starting to feel like a classic TV sitcom. A single dad, running a failing restaurant and just struggling to get by to provide for his two kids, one of whom was disabled and the other was sacrificing the last of her childhood. Ruby, with her boundless optimism, would be the star of course. Yang would be the sassy, fiery-tempered co-host. Their dad would be a bumbling fool with a heart of gold. It would either top the charts or fail after the first season.

Not having much else to do as he waited, he texted the inane thought off to his agent.

Your writing leaves a lot to be desired. Stick to acting Qrow. Willow ordered.

He chuckled silently, replying: Is this why you gave your daughters such icy names? Because they were born from someone so cold?

Watch your tongue Branwen or I’ll tell Tommy Wiseau you want to co-star with him.

Ouch, I’ve got freezerburn.

I’m again questioning why I work with you.

You love me. He sent an obnoxious amount of kiss emojis along with it just to really annoy her.

She sent back swords. Ah, she was the best.  

He decided to leave her alone, switching over to one of his racing game apps and immersing himself in the competition. Every now and again, he’d catch sight of the girls in the corner of his eye. Ruby taking orders and checking on customers. Yang fetching refills or cleaning up. His red Alpine racer was just passing the finish line of the second race when Ruby was coming back.

“Here you go, the best meal in the house.” She set down the dish before him. It was an excellent presentation, like it came right out of a cooking magazine. The fry-battered steak was a light, golden brown, slathered with a brownish-white, peppered gravy. A generous helping of fluffy, buttery mashed potatoes and bright yellow corn, both flecked with more pepper, completed the meal. All of it was framed by the plate with its dark blue flower trim that made the colors pop and really sold the southern charm.

“Thanks kiddo.” He said, feeling his stomach grumble.

“Enjoy!” She hesitated, adding in a small rush, “Just um, call me if you need me!”

He unrolled his utensils as she hurried away, shaking his head. She was probably hoping he’d call her every five minutes, just so she’d have more of an excuse to talk to him. Poor kid probably thought she was missing the opportunity of a lifetime. He didn’t let it bother him. After all, everyone who’s ever sat down with an interview with him knew he was a terrible conversationalist.

He cut down into the steak, finding it came apart easily and was perfectly cooked through. He dripped the bottom in the gravy, twisted it around on his fork, said a silent prayer to his arteries, and took the first bite.

Oh.

Oh.

Holy Mother of Mary.

The fried breading crunched nicely but the steak practically melted into his mouth, combining with the gravy and a series of spices he couldn’t even begin to name but knew it was doing something wonderful to his taste buds.

He hummed happily. It was good. It was beyond good. As he cut another piece and took another bite, finding it as delectable as the last, he still couldn’t believe it. There was just no way anything could be this delicious.

He was over three-quarters of the way through the steak by the time Ruby came to check on him.

“Sooo,” She glanced at his plate then to him, smirking, “You like it, don’t you?”

“Don’t look so smug.” Qrow replied halfheartedly, stuffing another forkful in his mouth and hearing her fading giggle.

He didn’t get it though; with food like this, the place should be packed. If people could wait in line to get his autograph for six hours, then why couldn’t they wait a measly half hour for an incredible meal?

“Hey kid.” He said when Ruby came back around again, this time to collect his empty plate.

“Yeah?”

“We still got to take your picture. Any chance I can give my compliments to the chef while we’re at it?”

“If Yang can be in it too, you got yourself a deal.”

He chuckled. Should have expected that. “You got it.”

“Eeeee!” She squealed, hopping in excitement. “Okay, okay, let’s go now!”

He obliged, finding it hard to move at first. Wow, he was stuffed. He managed to follow Ruby to the back, seeing her wave her sister over before he was led through the double doors.

Walking into the kitchen was like walking backstage on a set – wherein the stage was just a collection of pieces meant to play their positions and what was behind the curtain was where the magic truly happened to bring it all together. But instead of sound design and lights, it was sizzling grills and knives chopping down. And instead of half a dozen people rushing about, there was only one. He was mincing up an onion with a swift finesse only the best of chefs had while singing along with a cassette player that was peddling out country tunes.

“It’s a quarter after one, I’m all alone and I need you nooow.”

Singing badly, Qrow thought, cringing inwardly.

“Dad, no!” Ruby cried. Not even looking their way, the man just continued on, more loudly and off-key then before.

“Oh god, please smite me.” Yang groaned as she walked in, hiding her face in her hand.

Her sister raced across the room, pulling at his sleeve, hissing insistently. “Dad, we have company.”

“Meaning I have an audience that actually appreciates my performance?” His laughter was hearty as he peered over her head. The cutting stopped immediately. “U-Uhh…” Was all he managed to splutter before looking down at his daughter. “Uh?!”

“Told you he was here.” She said in a know-it-all sort of tone.

Used to this, Qrow just cleared his throat, introducing himself even if it felt a bit arbitrary. “Qrow Branwen. A pleasure to meet you.”

The man didn’t reply straight away, still taken aback by his very presence – or perhaps, from the faint lines of panic crinkling his brow, weighing over the fact he’d just served a celebrity without actually knowing it. Whatever it was, he seemed to catch his bearings, setting down his knife and crossing the kitchen. As he introduced himself in turn, he held out his hand, “Believe me, pleasure’s all mine. Name’s Taiyang Xiao Long.”

Xiao Long? Strange, he didn’t appear to have any Chinese in him, which likely meant he was married into the surname. At least now he really understood the restaurant’s title. Qrow shook his hand, surprised by the strong grip. He could feel the calluses built onto his hands from years of using cooking utensils.

“I apologize,” Taiyang said as he pulled back. “Had I taken my daughter’s word for it, I would have offered you a meal more extravagant. Or at the very least, some good wine.”

He had to keep himself from chuckling at the way Ruby stuck out her tongue at her dad’s back. “That’s alright. If I’m being honest, that was one of the finest meals I’ve had in quite some time.”

The chef’s cheeks turned a little rosy but his smile was just like his daughter’s, toothy and bright. “That’s mighty kind of you to say.” Heh, cute. He even talked like the aesthetic.

Before they could converse more, the ringing of a timer drew Taiyang’s attention. “Ah, pardon me.” He hurried to the stove, pausing only long enough to wash his hands.

“Sooooo,” Ruby stretched out the word as she slid back over, pulling out her phone. “Picture?”

“Wait, hold on!” Yang ripped off her hat, finger-combing through her golden locks. “Does my hair look okay?”

Her sister gave her a thumb’s up. “Like a rat’s nest. So yes- Ack!” She got smacked in the face with the hat.

“Girls, don’t be bothering him like that.” Their father chastised, stirring something in a large pot.

“We’re not!” Yang claimed.

He shook his head, but it was hard to tell if it was at her or at the soup he was tasting. “Really Mr. Branwen, you don’t have to.”

Ruby looked scandalized. “What?!”

“He owes us. I kept all the other customers away from him.” His eldest explained.

His head whipped around. “That’s worse! A man shouldn’t have to pay for his privacy!” As he pulled down some spices, he continued, “What you two ought to be doing is just appreciating the moment.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea dad. Now if only I had something to capture it with and keep it forever. Oh wait!” Ruby waved around her phone violently. “I DO!”

Unable to hold it in anymore, Qrow started to laugh. He was right; they would make a good sitcom. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met such interesting people.” He addressed the chef, “It’s alright, really. I did promise them.”

Taiyang opened his mouth to protest further, but another timer went off – how many did he have? – so he just said, “To each his own I suppose.” Before he turned to go check something in the oven.

Taking the opportunity for what it was, he held up his arms. “Alright, bring it in ladies.”

Ruby tossed her own hat next to Yang’s, giggling as his arm came around her shoulders. Yang was a little more uncomfortable, so he let his hand rest on her shoulder, above where he assumed her arm ended, and felt her relax almost instantly.

“Okay, 3, 2, 1!” They all smiled widely as the camera shutter clicked. They pulled away and Ruby looked it over to make sure it was good, before squealing happily. “Oh gosh it’s perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“You’re – oof! – welcome.” He huffed out when she nearly tackled him with a hug. He pat her back. “Now, I believe I promised an autograph too?”

She grinned hugely. “Right, yes!” She grabbed Yang, “Come on we got to find something for him to sign!” The two hurried to a small office, and he caught Ruby saying, “He could even sign your arm!”

“You think?” Yang’s voice faded to the background, overtaken by a loud sizzling.

As Qrow came as close as he dared, Taiyang said, “Thank you for this. You really made their year.” He was stirring the onion he had minced earlier around a nice heap of melting butter in a hot pan.

“Like I said, it’s fine.” He echoed.

“Still, it’s appreciated.” The burner was flipped off and the pan taken from the heat, but the onions continued to sauté.  “‘Fraid I can’t offer you much in compensation though, beyond giving you your meal free.”

He tilted his head. “Can you afford that?”

“Really, I insist. As they say, happiness is priceless.” Was the curt reply.

Only the rich say that. He scoffed at the obvious farce – not that Taiyang noticed as he turned away to attend to something else. Subtlety by words had never been his strong suit, and it wouldn’t be in the next five minutes either. So, he cut to the chase, “Listen bud, I’m not going to sit here and pretend I know everything, but it’s pretty obvious from the state of this place to the lack of non-relative employees, that you’re not exactly in good standing.”

“An astute observation, but I don’t believe you needed to bring up all that just to make a case to pay for your meal.” He was back to chopping – this time, potatoes. Stubborn as a mule was a term invented for this guy, wasn’t it?

“It wasn’t.” Qrow assured. “It was a case to buy your restaurant.”

The knife chopped down so hard, it went right into the wood. Taiyang turned around to stare at him. A clatter to their left caught Qrow’s attention. The girls were both standing just outside of the office, the things they’d brought for him to sign now strewn across the ground.

No one spoke.

A beeping filled the air, and still no one spoke.

“Uh. Timer?” He said, awkwardly.

Taiyang seemed to blink out of whatever daze he was in. He came forward, almost aggressively enough that Qrow tried not to shrink back, but the other man only reached over his shoulder to turn off the timer, side-eyeing him as he walked away.

“Really?” Ruby’s small but hopeful voice shook the tense air.

Yang’s was more suspicious. “You do know you’re buying a failing business, right?”

He offered the duo a smile. “Won’t be failing when I’m done with it. This place just needs a bit of sprucing up. More staff. Maybe a new location-”

Slam! Went a cooking sheet on the countertop.

“No.” Taiyang said rigidly.

Unperturbed, Qrow carried on. “Alright, no new location. Kind of a bad move but I can work with that. But the name has got to-”

“Stop.” He commanded. “Do not treat me like a fool. I may not have grown up here, but I learned rather quickly that folks around here will do a lot for 15 minutes of fame. I will not allow you to do the same to my family.”

“What, dad-!” Yang started

“Can’t you just-!” Ruby spoke over her.

“Quiet, both of you!” He bellowed, before turning his back to them, grabbing some tongs to turn the racks of ribs around a bit more aggressively then needed. “The answer is no, and that’s final. Now, I will thank you kindly to take your empty offer and walk it out the door.”

When the girls started to raise protest again, Qrow was the one to silence them this time, raising a finger to his lips, before he took a few steps closer to the chef. “Believe me when I say the offer is not empty. Your daughter over there tells me how much this place meant to you when you first got it, but now you’re letting it rot under your feet. Is that really how you want it to go out?” The other man’s jaw clenched and he refused to look at him. He took that as a good sign, reaching out to place a tentative hand on his shoulder. “Let me help you and your family.”

For his efforts, a set of tongs were shoved so close to his face, they almost touched his nose.

Behind the makeshift weapon, Taiyang’s eyes bored into his own. He spoke steady and sharp, “Mr. Branwen, I will say this once and only once. I have put everything I got, my entire heart and soul, into this restaurant. It is the only thing I have for my girls and I am NOT about to gamble it away on some publicity stunt to stroke a rich man’s ego. So, you ask me to believe you? Then come back with a lawyer and a contract full of terms we both agree on, as I will settle for nothing less. Am I understood?”

The storm brewing in those blue eyes didn’t intimidate him, because this close, he could see the dark circles etching a deep exhaustion around them. The mark of a person desperate and at the end of their rope. Despite only knowing him for a few minutes, Qrow could tell that he was a good man, as well as aggravatingly hardheaded.

“Got it.” He told him, reaching into his pocket to fetch his shades. “I’ll see you in a few days then.”

As he pulled them on and turned away, he thought perhaps he heard Tai give some biting remark about how tomorrow, perhaps he’d be offered the moon. But he didn’t let it faze him. Instead, he crossed over to where the girls still stood, frozen – but unlike their father, they did nothing to hide the tentative hope on their faces.

Qrow lent down, fetching the sharpie and two sheets of paper, using a nearby counter to pen out the autographs. He even took the time to add his signature calligraphy, making the tail of the Q look like a feather. He offered each one in turn, “Ruby, Yang. Thank you for the pleasant experience.”

Yang was slow to take hers, as if she might say something. In the end she only thanked him.

Contrastingly, Ruby’s vibrancy was back, an almost nervous energy pitching her tone as she quickly offered to walk him to the door. It didn’t take him long to figure out why, as she hid her face in her treasured autograph and groaned. “I’m sorry about my dad. He’s just so, so, embarrassing!”

“He’s not so bad.” He refuted, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Against his fingertips, he felt the buzz from his phone signaling an incoming message – no doubt An letting him know she’d arrived. “He’s playing it smart. Even I don’t do a job without a contract.”

“Still, he could have been more polite.”

Her tone allowed no argument, so he didn’t bother to tell her that for him, it was actually a refreshing change of pace. He had all sorts of people tripping over themselves to fawn at his feet and, while some celebrities ate up all that attention, Qrow had certainly never been one of them. It was nice being talked to like an equal – a privilege often reserved only to his closest coworkers and manager.

There was also just something so honestly genuine about Tai. Call it simple intuition, but he knew what it took to play all sorts of characters and he could say without a doubt that the blond wouldn’t be able to fool a preschooler if he tried. He was the kind of man who hid nothing and wore his emotions right on his sleeve.

Qrow, who shuttered his behind fake smiles and sunglasses all day, could really appreciate a quality like that.

“It was really amazing to meet you.” Ruby said as she pulled open the front door for him. “Like, as in the-best-thing-to-ever-happen-to-me amazing.”

“You’re setting the standard pretty high there, considering it won’t be the last time you see me.” Qrow said, stepping outside.

Her expression lifted, her youth seeing to shine through in her eyes. “You mean, you’re really coming back? Ever after dad was, well, a total jerkwad?”

“Well, you know what they say. You feed a crow once, and it’ll come back to roost.” He pulled down his sunglasses, enough to wink at her. “See you ‘round kiddo.”

“Y-Yeah! See you! Thank you so much, Mr. Branwen!”

He was pretty sure she waved after his car long after it left the street.

~

Three days would pass before Qrow would return to the Dragon’s Den. Like a knight readying for battle, he stood in front of the door over an hour before opening time.

When Tai finally arrived, he almost dropped his keys in the gutter at the mere sight of him.

“Why hello thar pardner.” Qrow drawled, tipping an imaginary hat. “Fancy meeting you here.”

For a moment, he just stared blankly. But finally, a snort escaped him. “You need to do more westerns if that’s the best you got, pardner.” He stepped forward, adding more softly, “You, came back.”

He nodded. “’Fraid I don’t have the moon to offer you, but I got the next best thing.”

Taking his cue, the gentlemen standing nearby fixed up his tie and strode forward. “Mr. Xiao Long? I’m Hei Xiong. I work in property management. It’s my understanding Mr. Branwen here would like to strike a deal with you.”

“Does he now?” That same bite Qrow’d heard in the kitchen was back, the blonde’s hackles already raised. Not missing a beat, Hei ruffled through a few papers in his folder, pulling out the top one to show him. Tai read it aloud. “Claim of co-ownership?”

“Yes. Mr. Branwen is interested in becoming your business partner.” The manager supplied.

“…Does he now?” He echoed as he looked towards Qrow, but the fiery attitude he’d expelled like a shield had doused some.

“We would be happy to discuss it in more detail this morning, if you’ve available?” Hei asked.

Anticipation held Qrow’s breath and anxiety jumped his heart as he waited for the other man’s response.

For the second time, he was rewarded with another of Tai’s bright and toothy grins. “I certainly am.” He stepped past them both and opened the door to the Den. “Please come in.”

[here4theheartbreak]

Birthday Surprise (YoonMin)

AO3 Link Here!

Relationships: Yoongi x Jimin

Genre(s): Smut

Rating: Explicit

Tags: smut, PWP, canon compliant, dirty talk, bottom!Jimin, top!Yoongi, rough sex, bareback, under-negotiated kink, vibrators, cock warming, spanking, Jimin’s a brat

Summary: Jimin decides to surprise Yoongi for his birthday, but gives Yoongi more than they bargained for.

Word Count: ~2.7k

A/N: Written for Yoongi’s birthday 2020. Hope everyone enjoys!

Yoongi shuffled over to his door and opened it a crack at the sound of someone knocking. Jimin stood in the doorway, a small wrapped box in his hands. “Happy birthday, hyung.” He held out the box. “I know you’re working, I don’t want to be a bother.”

“You never bother me, Jimin. Come in for a few minutes?”

Jimin grinned, nodding. Yoongi opened the door wider, allowing him entrance before shutting it once more. As soon as the lock clicked, Jimin pressed himself against Yoongi, kissing him. Yoongi sighed contentedly. Jimin was truly his constant. No matter how busy he got working or how up in his head he got worrying, Jimin was there to drag him back to earth with a simple smile, a kiss, or some gentle affection. He wrapped his arms around Jimin’s shoulders, slowly deepening the kiss. His hands slid over Jimin’s muscular back and down, sliding into the back of his sweatpants to give his ass a firm squeeze.

Jimin pulled back, and Yoongi whined softly, opening his eyes. “Tease,” he complained.

“I am not. You just need to open your present.” Jimin held out the box again.

Yoongi chuckled. He sat back down in his chair, tearing open the shining paper. Inside was a simple white box. He opened the lid and smiled softly. The bracelet was simple and inobtrusive, just a gold and silver band, twisted together in alternating colors. It was perfect for his style.

“It’s beautiful, Jimin. Thank you.” Yoongi took it out, examining the metalwork a moment before putting it on his wrist. He reached out for Jimin, pulling him into his lap and pressing a kiss to his mouth. “You always buy the perfect gifts for people.”

“It’s a gift,” Jimin joked. “But that wasn’t your only gift.”

“Hm, you spoil me,” Yoongi said, chuckling. “What else is there?”

Jimin stripped out of his hoodie and dropped it on the floor, nudging it under Yoongi’s desk.

“A strip tease?”

“Nooo,” Jimin sing-songed. He grabbed Yoongi’s phone and unlocked it (the only member Yoongi had ever given permission to do so) and pulled up a nondescript app. Yoongi’s heart began to race as soon as he saw it.

“You’re not…”

“I am,” Jimin whispered. The app was the remote control to a small vibrator that the two had bought on a whim a few months back. Though they were often too busy to really spend the time they wanted being intimate, the use of this worked wonders for teasing and promises of more later on. Yoongi couldn’t count the number of interviews, both at home and abroad, that Jimin had been wearing the toy, squirming and doing all he could to remain straight faced while Yoongi teased the intensity of the vibration up or down with his phone.

“Well now, that seems more of a gift for you,” Yoongi teased, but still thumbed the vibration on and upped it just to watch Jimin squirm on his lap.

“Hm, that part, maybe. But I know you’re so busy right now… I wanted to help you out… Relieve some stress…” He sank onto his hoodie on the floor and slid his palms over Yoongi’s thighs. “Keep you… Warm,” he breathed, grabbing Yoongi’s jeans and beginning to undo them. Yoongi’s eyes fluttered shut and his nostrils flared. Jimin knew every single button he had, and just how to push them. And cock warming… That was a giant green button that they rarely got a chance to push. Usually he was working with the other rappers or producers, or if he was alone, Jimin was too busy to join him.

“Please—” The word slipped from his lips before he could stop himself.

“You don’t need to beg, baby. You’re always so busy. I’m happy to help. And I cleared my schedule for the night.” Jimin tugged at Yoongi’s jeans as he spoke, making Yoongi shift his hips up to get them down. He moved forward and pulled his cock from the hole in his boxers.

“Which means you can keep me… All night long,” Jimin whispered. He pressed a gentle kiss to Yoongi’s tip, rolling his eyes up to look at him.

“Fuck,” Yoongi stroked his fingers through Jimin’s hair. “You’re perfect.”

Jimin grinned broadly at that, and gave his cock a little stroke.

“Shh.. Don’t—” Yoongi grabbed his wrist. “If I get too hard I’m going to need to come. You be my little cockwarmer for a few hours while I work, okay? Don’t make me hard… Just keep it warm. I’ll tell you when to do more.”

Jimin nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Yoongi shuddered at that. He let Jimin settle under the desk and rolled his chair in, getting comfortable in his spot before patting his lap. Jimin’s mouth was teasingly warm and wet. His cock twitched against Jimin’s tongue, and he chuckled when Jimin huffed a breath of warm air onto his groin. Yoongi placed is phone on the desk beside his keyboard, and dialed up the vibration just a hair. He felt Jimin shift.

“You can’t come until I do, Minie,” he said casually as he woke up his computer and put his headphones on to work once more.

Jimin was wildly distracting. Yoongi knew he didn’t mean to be, he really was trying his hardest to behave. But the soft puffs of air across Yoongi’s groin, the way his tongue shifted when he swallowed, even the slightly warmer, damp pooling of spit behind his closed lips – it was killing Yoongi. Every fifteen or twenty minutes, he shifted the vibrations, giving himself a jolt of arousal when Jimin suddenly shifted. He remained soft – mostly – but he’d managed only a few seconds of the track he was working on in over half an hour. After an hour (and only forty-five seconds of the track complete), Yoongi gave up. He closed out of his program and took his headphones off. He was just about to tell Jimin to get him hard when the dastardliest plan occurred. He reached down, stroking his fingers through Jimin’s hair comfortingly.

As he did, he pulled up an internet browser and flipped to V Live. He loaded up a livestream, watching the numbers slowly increase before waving at the camera and offering a lazy smile.

“Hey everyone.”

Under the desk, Jimin tried to pull off his cock, but Yoongi gripped his hair, holding him still. He patted his head softly. “Figured I’d come on, say hi. Since it’s my birthday.” He sat quietly for a moment, reading over the comments. As he did, he touched his phone, twisting the dial for Jimin’s vibrator up a little. Jimin swallowed against his cock and Yoongi’s eyes fluttered before he could help himself.

“Uh, yeah—Yeah it’s… It’s been a good day. Just been working on some new music.” He huffed a soft laugh, still stroking his fingers through Jimin’s hair absently. “What songs? Good ones. I can’t say. How does everyone like the new album?”

He leaned forward, squinting at the screen. Jimin shifted and Yoongi’s fingers tightened in his hair for a moment. When Jimin hesitated, he swallowed.

“Yeah, I’m glad. You guys really went all out. The support’s been great. Honestly, I—” The words died in Yoongi’s throat when Jimin shifted again and sucked firmly at his cock. He began to thicken almost immediately against Jimin’s tongue, and his eyes fluttered. “I—” He cleared his throat and tried to smile and refocus his attention. “It’s been a long day, clearly. I know the members are all wanting to have a small celebration for me but I t—” He wet his lips, struggling to keep his face neutral when Jimin bobbed his head. “Told them not to.” He turned the vibration up further, and Jimin made a small huffing noise that had Yoongi’s heart clenching. He scanned the comments, terrified someone had heard it. When all seemed safe, he tapped Jimin’s cheek warningly before clearing his throat and leaning forward, trying to read the rapidly scrolling comments. He repeated a few questions and statements, giving vague answers as needed. It wasn’t that he wanted to be vague. But Jimin had begun to bob his head in earnest now, making Yoongi’s cock thicken fully and a tight knot of need twist in his stomach. Cutting the chat too short would look even more suspicious, and as it was, some fans were worrying about how tired or ‘out of it’ he sounded.

“I think Namjoonie is going to go on V Live after promotions, do his album breakdown like he always does. He’s so much better at discussing it than I am, you should all look forward to that,” he stuttered, trying to sound at least semi-coherent.

Yoongi tugged Jimin’s hair as well as he could without drawing attention, a subtle warning that Jimin – as per his usual bratty self – decided not to heed. Instead he whined again, a little more audibly, and sucked Yoongi’s cock harder.

Yoongi swallowed down the panic that rose in his throat when a few fans in the chat asked if he had Yeontan or Holly with him. He cleared his throat and stretched both arms back, taking the movement to turn Jimin’s vibrator off completely as he did.

“Well, I would love to chat longer, I know it’s only been a bit, but I should get working. Lots to do,” he offered a bright smile. “I’ll try to get back on soon though. I know the members will probably post stuff for my birthday on Twitter, that is always an adventure – seeing what they deem good to upload.” Yoongi shook his head and chuckled before waving and offering what he hoped was a sincere smile. He clicked the chat off and slid back.

Jimin let him go and grinned up at him from under the desk. “You didn’t tell me you were going to talk to fans.”

“You didn’t tell me you were going to be a disobedient little punk.” Yoongi grabbed Jimin’s hair, yanking to drag him out from under the desk, Jimin hissed and moaned softly, obeying. Yoongi rose, going nose to nose with him. He kissed him hard and turned him, shoving so he had to place his hands on the desk to keep himself upright. “Stay.”

He grabbed a small bottle of lube from his desk and yanked Jimin’s pants down, palming his ass before slapping it.

Jimin’s cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of red when he looked at the computer and noticed that V Live – though not livestreaming, was still pulled up. He met Yoongi’s gaze in the video’s reflection. Yoongi smirked.

“You want to be disobedient, you can be. All it would take is one wrong movement. A single button press… And thousands of fans would see this. See you bent over the desk about to take my cock up your ass. Imagine all the screen shots. The scandal it would cause.” Yoongi slapped his ass again and Jimin whined.

“Please—”

“What?”

“Fuck me.”

Yoongi smirked. He leaned over Jimin, pressing his cock between his pert cheeks. “Louder.”

“Fuck me,” Jimin growled.

“I said louder, Minie. Not sassier.” Yoongi slapped his ass again. Jimin hissed.

“Fuck me!” He snarled, looking back at Yoongi.

Yoongi smirked. He smacked his ass harder this time, watching the way it jiggled and reddened. “You’d like that. You were being such a disobedient little shit while I was talking to our fans. And on my birthday. So rude.” He spread Jimin’s ass as he spoke, thumbing over the vibrator edge. Without warning, he grabbed and yanked. Jimin went forward, swearing. He bucked his hips back toward Yoongi.

“You’d like it, wouldn’t you?” Yoongi asked. He set the toy aside and opened the lube, drizzling the cold gel so it ran down Jimin’s ass.

“What?” Jimin panted, shuddering. Goosebumps rose on his skin, and Yoongi couldn’t help but squeeze his ass once more, dragging a whine from him.

“If the site glitched. If we went live, just like this. I heard you talking to Taehyung. How nice it would be if you could come out, be open. That would certainly make a splash. And you’re such a kinky little brat… You’d love thousands to see your pretty face moaning for me, wouldn’t you?”

Jimin didn’t answer right away. Yoongi, pushed some of the lube over his hole, sliding a finger in easily and tugging at his rim. “Wouldn’t you?” He repeated.

“Yes,” Jimin huffed. “Thought so.” Yoongi slicked his own cock before driving his cock deep. He wrapped an arm around Jimin’s middle and pressed against his back, savoring not only the slick, tight heat of his ass, but also the way his entire body tensed and relaxed, and the low vibration of a groan that could be felt through his spine as he moaned happily.

Yoongi began to move right away, not wanting to draw out either of their agony any more than necessary. His thrusts were deep and powerful, jarring the computer and trinkets on his table. Jimin moaned and whined freely, and Yoongi was glad for the soundproofing in his studio. He pressed kisses to the back of Jimin’s sweat slicked neck, his hair tickling his nose as he did so. His free hand slid up, covering Jimin’s. Almost by instinct, their fingers tangled against the desk and Jimin pleaded his name.

Yoongi slid the hand arm around Jimin’s waist down, wrapping his hand around his stiff cock. He thumbed the precome slick tip, gasping when Jimin clenched around him. He began to stroke Jimin in time with his thrusts, his teeth finding Jimin’s pulse point and clamping down.

After being together this long, they could get one another to orgasm in mere minutes, or have it take an hour or two. Right now, the knot of desperation and the burning ache in Yoongi’s stomach was leading him to the minute mark. He needed to come, to make Jimin come, to hear him cry out and that delicious clench of his body.

Jimin began to snap his hips back, his desperate moans rising in intensity. He reached his free hand back, his short nails biting into Yoongi’s shoulder.

“Please,” he begged, nuzzling his head as well as he could against Yoongi’s cheek. “Please come in me, hyung.”

Yoongi’s teeth dug deeper into Jimin’s shoulder, a desperate growl slipping from his own throat. He braced himself a little better, beginning to thrust harder and faster into Jimin’s pliant body. He was so close. Just a bit more and he’d be there. He began to stroke Jimin faster, his wrist twisting at the tip each time.

Jimin’s body went rigid under him. He clenched impossibly tight, dropping his head onto the desk as he shouted Yoongi’s name. His cock throbbed in Yoongi’s grip, spilling ropes of come onto the floor.

The fluttering, clenching of Jimin’s ass and the almost painful grip of his rim dragged Yoongi over the edge. He drove deep and came with a grunt and a whisper of Jimin’s name, letting Jimin’s body milk him of every drop he could offer.

When he felt he could move again, Yoongi dragged the chair closer with his foot, slumping into it. He dragged Jimin with him, nosing and kissing at his neck. Jimin giggled tiredly, nuzzling against him.

“Happy birthday, Yoongi-hyung.”

Yoongi huffed a laugh. “You are insufferable, Jimin.”

“You love me.”

“Hm. Yeah, I do.” He kissed Jimin’s mouth. “I can’t believe you sucked my cock in front of that many people.”

“That was not the plan. I was really just going to be a warmer but… You went live and I couldn’t resist.”

“Well, it was fun.” He kissed Jimin again. “I do really have to get some work done though.”

“Can I nap on your couch?”

Yoongi nodded.

“After we can go to dinner? Just us?”

“I’d like that.” Jimin grinned and rose. He fixed his pants and grabbed tissues, cleaning the mess on the floor before grabbing his hoodie and hurrying over to the couch. He curled up on it, using his hoodie as a pillow. Yoongi fixed his own pants and looked over at his boyfriend, smiling softly. He rose and padded over to the couch curling up behind Jimin and wrapping an arm around his middle. Work could wait a few hours. This was a far better way to spend his birthday.

[brokenjardaantech]

captain allen appreciation week 2020 day 1 + 7: vacation + acceptance

notes:

i combined day 1 & 7 as they happen to be the theme of the same story. it's also a prequel to a fic that i haven't written a word yet.

a little bit background since i think things can be confusing:

allen's full name is Louis White Allen. his dad's french and his mom american, though he's raised in alaska. his sister, anna allen, is a commissioned officer in the air force. the siblings speaks both english and french fluently.

sara ryder replaces elijah kamski as the inventor of androids.

this fic is set in september 2038, about a month after connor was first deployed at the phillips' hostage situation.

tags: griefing, family issues, brief mentions of childhood neglect and parentification

ao3 link if that’s what you prefer

-----

To this day, Lou's heart hammers when he sees a call from the military. Last time he received one was ten years ago, and he ended up with more questions than answers, answers that he knows he and his father very likely will not get in their lifetime. Staring at his phone vibrating on the coffee table, Lou debates whether to induce his cats' wrath - one sleeping on his lap and the other he hasn't stopped petting since they finished dinner - by standing up and interrupting their naps. It's not like he's at his full mobility anyways; his cybernetics still needs about half an hour to sync with his nervous system properly and to download the newest software. Whoever the fuck is in charge of calling the family of a soldier who went AWOL in Göttingen can wait.

It seems that the universe has other plans, as the air suddenly becomes charged with static and the phone launches itself towards Lou's chest. The tip of his fingers are numb, a common occurrence after his and his sister's unexplainable outbursts, but he manages to catch the phone before it hits his chest or, heaven forbids, his cat, who is startled awake and promptly returns to sleep after her favourite bed has no intention to move.

He accepts the call. 'Allen speaking. I don't think I have family members in the military anymore.'

'I don't know how many of yours are with us,' the voice from the other end lacks the robotic quality of an android's, so it seems the military is still using humans to contact family members, 'but this concerns your mother, Commander Deborah White. You're the only next of kin we can reach, Mister Allen.'

Lou does sigh. Just as he thinks he can leave her behind after all these years... 'What about her?' Not that he feels strongly that she was gone, as she wasn't quite there for her family to begin with, but something about a Commander going missing on the flagship of a fleet always sits wrong with him; as poor of a mother Deborah White was, a woman with her service record didn't deserve to simply vanish. 'I thought she went MIA more than twenty years ago.'

'She was until a few hours ago. I wish I can break it to you more gently but... we found her. Her remains, at least.'

The beat of his heart suddenly becomes too overwhelming. The air swells with the familiar buzz of static, and it takes all of Lou's self-control to not break everything in the living room with a shattering hazard. There is also the urge to hang up, to pretend that this is just one of those weird dreams he never can remember the details of, because he doesn't need to be burdened with a closure; he wasn't close enough to her to want that, he tells himself. Knowing that she's gone is enough. However, 'How?' is what he says in the end. He closes his eyes, free hand buried in his cat's fur, trying to convince himself that he is doing this for his father.

'Your mother's bones were found in a sealed compartment in the USS Blue Ridge when we were scrapping her. She must've been sitting there for years. Her skull indicates that -'

'Thanks, but I don't think I need to know that,' Lou swallows, willing himself to not think of the implication of an intact skull. It would've been a horrible way to die, sitting in cold seawater for days, feeling her skin rot away before dying of starvation; he'd rather her snap her neck upon impact and go painlessly. 'Anything more?'

'Yes. How would you like to deal with the body?'

Something tickles Lou's chin. When he opens his eyes, he finds the third cat trying to squeeze himself onto his already-occupied lap and purring as if having sensed the human's distress and wanting to soothe him. He recalls how his mother joked that she would probably die at sea and his father's reluctant acceptance of the entire affair; Papa's resignation after he received the news, saying, 'At least she got what she wanted.'

'She spent most of her life at sea,' he replies. No need to rub salt on his father's wounds. 'Let her rest there as well.'

'Very well. If you wish to, a memorial will be held in two months' time. Families of other deceased will attend. You may find support there.'

Support my ass, Lou thinks. It's been twenty-something fucking years. Yet, for some reason, he still promises that he'll consider going before hanging up. His finger hovers over his father's contact afterwards, but remembering that it's midnight in France and that he has a month worth of leave accumulated, he opens his browser instead and starts searching for plane tickets.

----

A month later, Lou finds himself in the commune of Gâvres with a large backpack on his shoulder and missing his cats very dearly. They aren't even his cats, technically; his neighbours keep them as outdoor cats, and Lou, unable to stand the thought of them suffering out in the winter cold of Detroit, took them in, and now they spend more time at his than at their original owners'. Having dropped them off at Hank's - that man takes better care of his pet (now pets) than himself - Lou isn't worried - he doubts his neighbours will even notice that their cats are gone. Emotions are terrible things, however, and the purpose of this trip alone makes it different from all the time he has visited his father before. At least he hasn't just recovered from nearly dying from implant rejection this time.

'Louis?'

Lou turns when he hears his father's voice and the awkward weight reminds him that he hasn't taken off his backpack yet and has been standing in the living room of his father's house staring at nothing for the past few minutes. Not waiting for his son to take it off, Papa Allen crosses the room and embraces Lou, sweat and all. 'How are you?' he asks in French, and when Lou answers truthfully in the same language, 'I missed you,' somehow everything in the world goes right again. Fuck the deviant crisis, fuck the android-infested America that makes his nerves buzz every single waking moment, fuck absent mothers still managing to make a comeback years after she died. He's just Louis Allen, absolutely not a SWAT captain, not the only survivor of the Blast, not the pioneer/guinea pig of CyberLife's groundbreaking cybernetics technology.

He has to let go of his father. 'I hope it's okay. What I did with Mom.'

Papa sighs. 'How about you take off that thing first,' indicating the backpack, 'and settle down for now.'

So Lou walks up the stairs and deposits his backpack in the room designated as his, and, catching sight of the other bed in the room, his legs suddenly feel weak, and he lowers himself, trembling, onto his mattress. Smart, fearless Anna, whose brain always runs - ran - a lot faster than the rest of the world.

Who graduated top of her class and as the Valedictorian of the academy, and subsequently disappeared without a trace.

His left leg twitches. The feeling of something foreign using his body returns, and when he leans forward - with a difficulty that wasn't there before - to take off his sock, it reveals white and grey chassis. A stark reminder that he owes her his life two times over despite her being the younger sibling.

‘How come I’m still alive?’ was the first question he asked after he regained his voice. ‘Ryder threw a fucking building on me.’

‘I dug you out, Lulu,’ replied Anna. ‘Freaky glowy telekinesis finally has its use. I was hungry for hours afterwards.’

At that moment, Lou made the mistake of looking down and seeing his pure white leg. ‘What the hell happened to my leg?’

‘CyberLife’s newest tech.’ As if to demonstrate how he should use his new leg, she gave his feet a poke, and Lou nearly screamed from the sensation. He did not expect to feel anything at all, but apart from the looks, the leg felt...real. ‘Fucking building crushed half your pelvis, your entire left leg and a rib. It’s already minced when I uncovered you, so they need to rebuild everything from scratch. I asked them to add something that can help you control the telekinesis better as well, so we’ll need to test it out later. No more randomly exploding shit. And before you ask, yes, your junk’s unharmed.’

Lou’s coma-addled brain struggled to process the influx of information, and all he got was, ‘I should’ve died.’

Anna hit the break to what seemed to be the beginning of a technical jargon-filled rant. ‘Well yes,’ she gestured just like the meme, ‘but you lived.’

‘No one survives after being crushed by a building, Anna,’ he said, voice rising. Then he asked in French since English felt too raw, ‘Exactly how much tech is in me right now? And how long was I out for? Why did CyberLife choose me?’

She looked away.

‘Anna?’

‘I don’t fucking know, okay?’ she replied in the same language. ‘You were on the brink of death when I dug you out, and there Ryder was, offering to save your life for no cost. You were in a medically-induced coma for one month and was out for reconstruction for another. It took your body two weeks to get used to the cybernetics and...here you are.’

‘Ryder offered,’ Lou said slowly, ‘to save me? As in Sara Ryder?’

‘Yes.’

‘Anna, she was the one who threw the building on me!’

‘I know. One more reason to let her save you.’

‘But you did it anyway.’

‘I did.’

‘Even though you know it’ll probably come back to bite our asses.’

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘You know the answer, Lulu.’

And Lou has stopped denying that he does a few years ago. Anna joined the Air Force to fly, to be closer to the sky, but he knows that it wasn’t enough; from the way she turned her eyes towards the aurora when they were young, the attention she paid towards all news related to space observation and exploration, to the talks about leaving the wasteland that is known as earth behind and finding a new home in the cosmos - Anna belongs to the abyss of space. The military was simply a stepping stone towards something greater, a greatness that she must be working towards somewhere on this god-forsaken piece of rock.

The place where Lou’s flesh meets his implants aches in anticipation of the storm that will no doubt force them to remain indoors for days. Grinding his teeth in the numbing pain, he uses his hands to put his non-functional left leg onto the bed and lies down sideways with his back towards his sister’s bed, his phone buzzing in his pocket to notify him of an unexpected software error that may take hours to fix. Switching on do-not-disturb, he shoves the offending piece of technology underneath his pillow and loses his fight against jet lag and pain.

----

Lou wakes up cold and hungry. He is covered by a blanket that wasn't there when he fell asleep, so his father must have checked on him when he realized that his son was doing more than putting down his luggage, and the dark sky outside the window almost brings him back again before it flashes.

Then the booming thunder reminds him that it isn't dusk at all.

He successfully rolls over on his other side, which means that his cybernetics are functional once more. Kicking the blanket away, he sits up and grimaces at the taste of his mouth.

He feels better after his regular morning rituals, though the lack of three furry friends harassing him and brushing against his feet is something that he'll need to get used to, and his father is cooking lunch when he reaches the kitchen.

'Morning, Louis,' Papa says as he hands the pan over to his son. 'What did they drag you through to have you sleep for so long?'

Lou is glad that he can use concentrating on not burning his food as an excuse to buy himself a minute. Should he tell his father the truth, or should he avoid talking about work just like many people do during their vacation? 'Things are getting bad in Detroit,' he decides in the end as going on a vacation at one's father's house isn't exactly normal either. 'Androids are breaking their programming and starts having their own thoughts. CyberLife's trying to cover it up, but I've dealt with enough violent deviants - that's what they're calling those androids - to know it's gonna be a problem real soon if they don't solve it now.' A pause to think of how to continue. 'I'm glad you're not in America anymore.'

'It must be exhausting,' is his father's reply, and that's all Lou needs to realize that his father has no idea what he's talking about. Then again, the man moved back to France before androids were a thing, and although they kept in frequent contact, Lou never talked much about his work; the police getting reformed means that SWAT is deployed only when peace is not the option - that means seeing people get hurt or die constantly. Androids aren't really a thing in Europe, so his father never experienced the 'androids taking over everything and making everyone lose their jobs' shit. He won't understand.

'That's why I'm here.'

They lapse into silence as Lou finishes cooking and empties the content of the pan onto two plates. Never one for formality, Papa brings them to the living room, sitting at the corner of a couch while Lou retrieves his plate and fork and curls onto the window sill. At this proximity, he can feel the raindrops hitting the glass as if he is standing in the rain.

Papa clears his throat. 'About your mother, Louis.'

Lou tears his eyes away from the raindrop he's betting on to win. He hastily shoved some eggs into his mouth to buy himself some time to mentally prepare for the conversation. 'What now?'

What he actually says isn't what Lou expected. 'I'm glad about what you did with your mother's body.'

'Her skeleton, you mean,' he replies. 'What's left of it anyways. I don't think they found the whole set.'

'Still,' Papa isn't looking at him. 'That's what she would've wanted. And by I'm glad - I'm not opposed to it.'

'That's it?' Lou turns back towards the rain. 'That wasn't your reaction when they told you that she was MIA.'

'I was young - younger - back then,' a sigh. 'It wasn't fair to you. Or to Anna. Especially to Anna. I'm sorry.'

No it wasn't, Lou wants to say, but - 'I've made peace with it a long time ago. Mom, me and Anna, Alaska; that was all you knew. I... I don't blame you for it.'

He has to close his eyes and press his forehead against the glass. He considers switching to German to further detach his emotions, but then he realizes that nearly everything has fled his mind from disuse. Why does he think spending his vacation with his father right after they discovered that his mother might have died painfully a good idea?

'That's what I thought I'd react when you called me, you know?' Papa says. 'I thought I'd break down. Then I realized that I've moved on and... that's it. Hard not to after more than twenty years.' Even with his vision gone, Lou can still feel his father's gaze on him. 'You've done that for your mother. Have you, for Anna? It's been ten years.'

'Have you, Papa?' Lou asks instead of answering even though he knows his answer. 'Can you stand the thought of your daughter gone as well?'

'After your mother?' the father feeds himself a mouthful of food and swallows. 'Kind of have to.'

'Of course you did. I raised her, not you.'

That is the last thing he says to his father before the storm goes away.

----

Emotionally exhausted, Lou goes to sleep early despite waking up not ten hours ago.

He knows he’s dreaming as soon as he opens the door and discovers his childhood living room behind it. The room is dark, so the lights must have been switched off, and even though it feels like he has smacked his hand all over the wall it’s on, he still can’t find the switch. It does bring him closer to the window, outside where a storm is going on at full force and paints everything white, and although he knows that what he is seeing isn’t real, he dreads the upcoming and necessary shovelling.

The world is suddenly lit up from behind him, followed by the voice of Neil deGrasse Tyson and the clicks of a keyboard. When Lou turns, Anna is there sitting in front of the couch, her brother's homework scattered in a semi-circle around her, and an old, bulky laptop snug between her crossed legs. It should have been a normal day in their house in Anchorage had Anna been a child but not an adult, which is the form Dream Anna is appearing in - she is younger than him by nearly eight years.

‘Where’s the light switch?’ Lou asks, looking around for good measure. ‘As much as you enjoy Cosmos, a documentary about space isn’t sufficient lighting.’

‘Relax,’ says Anna. ‘Eye problems aren’t in our genes.’ Then, waving at the papers around her, ‘Everything’s done. Your teachers didn’t suspect a thing,’ she gets younger and younger following each syllable until her age makes sense, ‘but you asked me to do it on a separate piece of paper, so I did. Feel free to copy directly if you wish.’

That is when Lou realizes that she’s playing games on the notebook, something that looks like a simplified version of Temple Run but set in space. ‘No thanks,’ he says. ‘I’d like to keep the creases on my brain.’ Then he notices that his sister didn’t really answer his question, so he asks again, ‘How am I supposed to switch on the lights?’

‘With your phone,’ is the matter-of-fact reply. ‘Don’t tell me you uninstalled the fucking app for cat pictures.’

‘For one last time, Anna, I don’t download cat pictures.’ And it hits him. ‘Wait, phone? The house isn’t automated when you’re at this age.’

‘Is it?’

Anna stands up and stalks closer to her brother, and she grows and grows and grows until they’re off the same height and she looks... older, how she should look like if she’s alive she’s still here. She is now Major Anna White Allen of the United States Air Force, dressed smartly in her dress uniform except for her cap, which she holds in her right hand. Their surroundings have also changed to that of the Phillips' penthouse terrace, harsh wind whipping around them.

'You aren't real,' Lou breathes, feeling light-headed. ‘You - you’re gone. Just like Mom.’

‘Open your eyes, then. End this early if you want to. Forget that this ever happened. I don’t mind.’

It is followed by a terrifying moment of wakefulness, the images blurring and then regaining clarity as he stays asleep. ‘And Papa wants me to let you go,’ he says with a sad chuckle.

‘Why?’

‘We found what’s left Mom. How long do we need to wait to find what’s left of you?’

‘Why are you talking like I’m dead?’

‘Cause you probably are, like Mom?’

‘I know you think we’re alike,’ an eye roll, ‘but we’re different.’

‘Say you’re not dead. Where the hell are you?’

‘Does it matter?’

A blink. They’re floating in space, Anna dressed in some form of armor, and Lou in normal clothes. He attempts to draw a breath and wakes up choking and crying, the dream completely forgotten save for the faint image of Anna falling towards earth and getting burnt to crisps.

----

A few days later, Lou finds himself walking on the beach with his father. The sky is cloudy and the wind is strong, so it is cool even though it’s September and Lou grew up in Alaska. They started throwing questions back and forth ten minutes into their walk, some of them silly and simple and give them a good laugh, but the others -

‘Answer me honestly, Louis. Do you think Anna’s dead?’

It is easy. ‘No.’

‘Where do you think she is, then?’

Lou’s face suddenly becomes too hot to bear. ‘Does it matter?’

‘If it affects you, yes.’

‘I don’t want to talk about it. She wouldn’t want us to speculate.’

‘But she’s not here, is she? Maybe you’ll feel better after you say it out loud.’

Lou sighs, oh how the turntables… ‘In space, probably.’

‘You’d think we’ll hear about that.’

‘Secret space programs exist, Papa.’

‘Not in America.’

‘I never said it’s an American program,’ Lou says as he kicks a rock away. ‘Do you know what they said when I received the first call from the Air Force? They asked me if Anna has ties with other space agencies even though she’s never been in NASA; she just talked about other countries’ space programs so much that they suspected her having ties with them.’

‘Hmm.’

‘What does that even mean?’

‘You know you won’t see her again, right?’

Lou halts his steps. Anna? Gone forever? ‘Does it matter?’

Papa sighs. ‘You’re in denial, Louis. You didn’t do this with your mother.’

How dare he - ‘Of course I didn’t, she was barely there!’ he has to put a few steps between them. ‘I raised Anna! How do you think that’s even comparable?’

‘I simply don’t want you to live in uncertainty for the rest of your life.’

‘You just don’t know your daughter,’ he counters. ‘She told me she’ll come back.’

‘You know -’

‘You don’t know shit!’

He runs. His lungs and legs are strained when he gets home, his father’s home, but he doesn't stop at that. He packs his stuff (not that there’s much to put back into his backpack), jumps into his rental car, and is back in Brest before he knows what he’s doing. His return flight is next week, so he has a lot of time to kill.

In the end, he takes a trip around the country alone, going to places he both never had time for and, if he’s been there before, misses dearly. He may have forgotten what they’ve talked about, but he remembers Anna visiting him often. The images flee his mind whenever he tries to recall them, but he doesn’t think they’re talking on earth, and he always wishes that he at least remembers some of it.

A few months later, he’ll learn that his speculations are closer to the truth than he thinks. A few months later, Louis Allen will prove his father wrong.

But he doesn’t know that yet. Therefore, after collecting the cats from Hank and unpacking his luggage, he takes all of Anna’s things and puts them into a box, telling himself that it is the first step towards admitting that maybe, it’s a big fucking maybe, he will never see his sister again.

[balancingdiet]

Civilian

Characters: Kaito/Shinichi, Aoko Words: 11.2k LMAO!!! (recommended to open new browser tab before clicking “Keep Reading”) Note: 9 months ago I made this prompt, and I finally did it. Sort of, or at least closely related enough hahhaha Other reading link: AO3

Investigating a supposedly abandoned building shouldn’t be too much of an effort for Kaito, that is if he didn’t have to try hiding his identity from a certain detective as well.

//"It looks so difficult and complex," Kaito lied and heaved a sad sigh. "But I think I can try to unlock it, even though I'm obviously just a normal civilian."

"Aren't you a magician?" Shinichi drawled. "Don't you know how to unlock things?"

"Oh— Yes. A civilian who happens to be a magician." Kaito gave a thumbs up. "That's why I THINK I can do it."//

---

Kaito's life had been flipped upside down more than a hundred times, but if he had to choose the one that remained constant, it would be Aoko's inquisitive senses.

She was easily fascinated in nature. Feisty too, much to Kaito's chagrin. But to be fair, he did leverage on her curiosity plenty of times for his heists' sake, and because of that, he hadn't figured how he would explain all his wrongdoings to her after his life as Kid ended.

So taking one step at a time towards that possible path of forgiveness, he tried by agreeing to most of the things she asked him to do, like trespassing into their high school in the middle of the night, joining that stupid Kid Capture Brigade club she created…

And now this: accompanying her to investigate an abandoned building for their university's student newspaper.

If Kaito had to complain, it would be how far the building decided to abandon itself away from town; the travelling already took them a bulk of their afternoon. But comparing this to the other requests Aoko made in the past, this was no biggie for Kaito. He could already imagine how the day would play out; probably a couple of self-paranoia scares, some trips and bumps over the old floorings, and maybe having someone joining in their investigation—

Wait.

What?

Kaito's life had been flipped upside down more than a hundred times, and one of the reasons was his uncanny luck to meet the people he didn't wish to see right now.

Aoko gasped, just two seconds slower than Kaito's realisation to their new visitor.

Standing by the broken door in his iconic unbuttoned blazer and pants was Kudo freaking Shinichi.

If newspaper articles and television didn't count, it would be three years since Kaito last saw the detective (in his other smaller form). And frankly, Japan wasn't that big, so Kaito should consider that quite a miracle. But compared to those 2D prints, seeing Shinichi in real life struck a heavier chord in Kaito's memories, and there was an equal balance between the fond and not so desirable ones…

Bullets. Blood. Debt

"This isn't an illusion, right?"

Kaito snapped out of his thoughts and glanced at Aoko over his shoulder. He hadn't wished for something so bad since he checked the gem for Pandora last week, but there was no point in trying to delude himself, or Aoko, when standing right there in the flesh was definitely that detective.

But before Kaito could confirm it, Aoko was already standing in front, her lips pursed to bite back her giggly excitement (and maybe to stop herself from exposing her scrapbook filled with Shinichi's articles and whatnots).

"You're Kudo Shinichi!" Aoko clicked onto her pen rapidly. "Like the Kudo Shinichi? Right? Detective of the East!"

"Just Kudo Shinichi." The said man afforded a small smile. "I'm quite over with that alias."

Alias… hah, Kaito thought wryly. And what about the others? Like the reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes, Silver Bullet, once-upon-a-time Edogawa Conan and also the Kid Killer—

"Nice to meet you!" Aoko placed a hand over her chest. "I'm Nakamori Aoko."

Kaito inwardly groaned.

"Nakamori?" Shinichi clarified.

"Yes."

"…Is your father a Police Inspector?"

"You're right!" Aoko's face brightened as she nodded. "He's the Inspector of Kaitou Kid Task Force."

"What a coincidence."

"How did you figure it out? Nobody ever says I look like my dad." Aoko tilted her head. "Is it by my name?"

"That's half of the reason." Shinichi pointing to her belongings. "I noticed you have an interesting Anti-Kid charm, and also the pen you're using was a gift to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Metropolitan Police Department. Only people affiliated to the police will have that."

"As expected of the detective," Aoko said in awe. "I really can't help but admit I'm a big fan of your work!"

Kaito couldn't roll his eyes any further behind his head. "Oi, Ahouko…"

"Sorry." Aoko hastily gestured over at Kaito, as if remembering his existence. "Anyway this is Kuroba Ka—"

"Kuroba is fine."

Aoko snapped a disapproving look and nudged Kaito in the ribs. "Can you sound any less rude?"

"Maybe it's a symptom whenever I'm close to any detective."

Obviously hearing their conversation, Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Symptom?"

Kaito shrugged. "Like allergies."

"I guess it's better to say he's allergic than repulsive," Aoko muttered.

Shinichi shook his head. "That's fine; it's normal for some people to be repulsive against this line of job."

"Yeah, and maybe because Kaito is also a magician—"

"OKAYYYY that's too much information given. And you also just revealed my name, Ahouko." Kaito tugged Aoko's sleeve, pulling her a step away from the door Shinichi was still standing by. "We're here to do your work, not to chit-chat. Much less with strangers."

"What work?" Shinichi asked, and at the moment Kaito felt like he had fallen into the hole he dug.

"I'm currently helping to write a column for our university paper and I asked Kaito to accompany me," Aoko replied. "There seems to be some rumours going around about this abandoned building so I thought it'd be an interesting topic."

"And those rumours might be?"

Aoko parted her lips, ready to say everything because she was so easily pulled into any conversation like that, but Kaito cleared his throat, stopping her.

"What about you?" Kaito gestured a hand to Shinichi. "What are you doing here?"

Aoko looked excited to know Shinichi's answer too.

The detective, however, shook his head, but at least he had some kind of heart to explain after witnessing Aoko's shoulders fell. "It's police matters and not something I can share with the civilians."

Kaito cheered at the thought of Shinichi regarding him as a civilian, but the first part of his sentence sent a feeling of uncertainty to his gut. Police matters?

"If it's police matters, I'm not sure if the rumours we heard are going to be helpful." Aoko laughed sheepishly. "People said they heard some kind of activities happening at night here, and they think there's… ghosts."

Shinichi finally entered the room, one arm crossed while the other hand touched his chin. "Ghost, huh..."

Aoko tilted her head. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

Mulling for a while, Shinichi spoke, "There are many things one would wish to have a choice to not believe."

Kaito blinked.

Right. Having been shrunk by ten years from ingesting a pill, even Pandora's myth would have a hard time competing for the first place of bullshits that Kaito wished he had a choice to not believe in…

The room had grown too quiet for Kaito's taste. He glanced at Aoko knowingly; she looked lost in her own thoughts too.

He wondered what she was thinking, yet at the same time, he was a little afraid to know.

Kaito cleared his throat, snapping the other two attention back to earth. "Since we have nothing to do with each other and we're about done, shall we go home?" he said to Shinichi and then to Aoko.

Aoko glanced at her pink notebook and clicked her pen absently. "But we haven't been to the remaining floors. And there's also the roof too."

"We've seen nothing new for the past three levels." Kaito waved a hand around. "I bet it's gonna be the same — old and dusty."

"I would also advise you to leave as soon as possible," Shinichi said, stopping Aoko's attempt at a retort. "And if you don't mind, I have a couple pictures of those floors and the roof for you reference. I can send them to you via email."

"Really?" Aoko beamed. "That'll be nice!"

"Why do you need Aoko's email? Can't you just send via Bluetooth now?" Kaito drawled, though Ask was already scribbling down the details on a paper from her notepad.

"My battery is dead." Shinichi fished out his phone, because it was in every detectives' blood to show the evidence no matter what.

Whatever. But at least Shinichi did something right by advising Aoko to leave as soon as possible, and Kaito couldn't help but be thankful for it.

While the two were fussing about the email exchange, Kaito slipped half of his body out of the room and stared at the growingly dark corridor that led to the stairs up the next floor.

Kaito didn't feel it earlier, but after all the things Shinichi said, he wondered if he had been missing some signs.

"Thank you!" Aoko snapped her notebook shut and kept her materials back into her bag, her handmade Anti-Kid charm dangling loudly. "Are you also leaving too, Kudo-kun?"

"Not yet. I still want to explore this room."

"Alright! Take care." After Shinichi acknowledged her words with a nod, Aoko skipped towards Kaito.

"Thought you'd never leave," Kaito said with an eye-roll.

Aoko stuck out her tongue. "Let's go. And don't call me heartless because I remember the promised ice-cream treat after this."

It was never for the ice cream, but he grinned anyway. "Good."

As Aoko walked out of the room, Kaito gave Shinichi a last glance.

To his well-kept surprise, Kaito found Shinichi to be watching his conversation with Aoko, but when their eyes met, he turned away, showing only his broad (and albeit a little lonely) back for Kaito to see.

What a reunion, Kaito thought, before he finally turned on his heels, leaving the man tied to his many forgotten memories behind.

.

.

In the next three days after that chanced meeting, Kaito poured more time researching about Kudo Shinichi than he ever did for his project assignments in his entire university life.

The detective did appear on the media sometimes when he solved murder cases that shook the nation, but other than those, he was often in the back shots or nowhere to be found in the pictures; and easily counting these numbers, he had appeared much less periodically compared to the time before the Organization he dealt with fell apart.

But there was nothing Kaito could find — not from the recent news or about Shinichi — that would make the detective turn up at that abandoned building.

Was he there for his private investigation? What if it was related to the not-so-fallen Organization? A supposedly undetected rat that then grew an army under the sewers?

An email pinged on Kaito's computer, showing a notification about the student newspaper Aoko was a part of being published. It could serve as a small distraction for now (but he knew those thoughts would always be on the back of his mind).

Kaito clicked on the link and kept scrolling till he reached Aoko's column.

"Building lies abandoned, or not?"

As expected, Aoko had mostly written about the things she shared on their train ride back home. The building was abandoned, yes. And it looked too run down to be inhibited by anyone, yes. But what Kaito didn't expect was the way she concluded the mystery with a quote:

"There are many things one would wish to have a choice to not believe."

- A renowned detective who preferred to not be named.

Kaito rolled his eyes.

He guessed the pictures wasn't the only thing Aoko asked from Shinichi, and he wondered if they talked about anything else. Like the weather? How Hakuba sucks? Or…Kaitou Kid?

Kaito sighed and resumed browsing through his 'research', scrolling through pictures of different angled Shinichi looking back at him…

"What am I even doing?" Kaito said aloud to himself and shook his head. "Why should I even care about this, him, and that stupid building? I have my own problems to worry about."

Willing himself, Kaito shut his computer and headed to bed (not while spending the next intervening hours thinking about everything more than once every ten minutes).

.

.

As a reward for completing three assignments and his heist (though it wasn't Pandora) in a night, Kaito decided to give himself a break and take a solo trip to the abandoned building.

(There was no denying he needed to find better ways to spend his free time.)

Kaito parked his bike under a tree, a short distance away from the building's front yard. He usually planned six steps ahead, but given this unfamiliarised environment, he might have to improvise his decisions and timings along the way, which meant trusting the periodical public transport wouldn't be a wise choice.

Twirling his bike keys, Kaito kept them inside his pocket. He skipped past the cracks and rocks and arrived at the front of the building. It looked exactly like how it was, but without Aoko's blabbering and presence, there was nothing to distract him from the sudden unsettling feeling in his gut, like Kid's instinct; a phantom's sense…

Or maybe it was just Kudo Shinichi's fault.

Slipping past the cracks of the door, Kaito entered.

The building had five stories, but due to its extremely high ceiling and long stairs, its true height was way taller than such. Maybe ten? Perhaps. Even at his pace, Kaito was heaving a little when he reached the fourth floor, where Aoko and him didn't explore. He decided to start from there.

Kaito didn't ask Aoko to send him what Shinichi gave her, not that he didn't want to see what it was. He was afraid of her follow-up questions to his curiosity, and if she happened to figure out his intention of revisiting, it would do no good for him or her; he couldn't afford to risk her safety for anything.

But anyway, everything seemed perfectly normal for now. Normal in a sense that Kaito hadn't whipped out his card gun and smoke bombs and started running down the corridors for his life. This was also the fifth room he had explored so far on the fourth floor. Nothing much different from the others he had investigated... except for its size.

Kaito frowned at the new discovery, wondering if he was imagining it before he checked the windowpanes. Yes, definitely smaller. The other rooms had nine windows, but this only had seven. His attention grew high on alert as he looked at every inch of the room more carefully—

Kaito squinted his eyes at the top of the wall. "Is that a switch?" he wondered aloud. The old, cracked paints and cobwebs had covered it well.

Even with the biggest jump, it was still an impossible height for Kaito to reach the switch. He glanced around the room, trying to improvise, but there were only a couple of broken chairs, glasses and debris, which Kaito couldn't make out what they were.

Nothing useful.

If Aoko was here, he could imagine her pulling out her selfie-stick and calling it her secret weapon. But Kaito came just as prepared too; he just wasn't sure if his secret weapon liked to be called in the middle of its napping time.

Adjusted his arm to a right angle, a dove popped its head out of Kaito's sleeve.

"Hello Mochi." Kaito grinned.

It cooed, and if Kaito didn't know better, he would have missed the dangerous intent in its voice. He quickly took out the secret weapon for his secret weapon — some sunflower seeds. Thankful, it worked as Mochi finally came out of its den and flew to his wrist to get its little treats.

"So easy to please..."

After it was done, Kaito pointed at the wall. "Ok, go and flip that switch for me."

It would be a joke if it only switched on the lights or something lame like that, but everything was worth a try.

Mochi fluttered its wings... before flying past Kaito's head and towards the door behind him.

"Oi!" Kaito yelled and ran after it.

Secret weapon or not, his doves could be erratic at times, especially Mochi, which was why he decided out of all his doves, he would bring it with him so they could have a better bonding time—

Kaito froze by the door.

Standing in the middle of the corridor was Kudo Shinichi, his body tensed as Mochi settled on his shoulder. He glanced up, his stunned face turned into a scowl when he noticed Kaito.

"You—" Shinichi snapped, "Is this your dove?"

What on earth... "Fancy seeing you again," Kaito managed to say without giving away the feeling of wanting to jump off the building.

"Get it off me."

Biting back a smile, Kaito pulled out another fistful of sunflower seeds. "Come back Mochi, I'm the real owner with treats here."

Knowing its bargain, Mochi flew away from Shinichi and onto Kaito's wrist, pecking its beads on the seeds.

"You greedy little pig," Kaito muttered.

Shinichi closed their distance, his face still plastered with the disapproving scowl. "What are you doing here," he asked.

"And what are you doing here too?" Kaito shot back.

At least Shinichi was mature enough to not play the I-asked-you-first game. "I'm reinvestigating the scene."

"You've been coming down since?"

"No, I was busy. I'm only free to come down today."

Oh right, Kaito suddenly remembered the news (coincidentally, and not because he was searching up Kudo Shinichi again) about a series of murders that happened all around Tokyo, though those cases were solved within a day or two. At that rate, it got to be Shinichi doing the work.

Definitely very busy for Shinichi.

And definitely very unfortunate, for Kaito, that of all the days to come, he just had to choose the one when Kudo Shinichi was free.

"Your turn."

Kaito blinked. "My turn to?"

"Answer the question."

"Oh." Kaito scratched the side of his nose. "I lost something and came back to find it."

Shinichi eyed Kaito, in a way that brought him back memories of the earlier days when there was nothing but doubt and uncertainty during the beginning of their temporary truce and partnership.

(Kaito wondered how those memories came to him when he thought he had forgotten them all.)

"And you realised it only after two weeks?" Shinichi deadpanned.

"Yes," Kaito said, totally free of the irony.

"What did you lose?"

"Something." Kaito stroked Mochi's feathers when it showed signs of agitations after finishing the seeds. "But please don't mind me. I'm sure your investigation is more important than my lost item."

Shinichi obviously didn't seem satisfied with his answer, but he said nothing else as he walked past Kaito and into the room (while glancing warily at Mochi). Or maybe the detective wasn't even feeling anything in the first place, and those furrowed brows were becoming a default expression of his.

Kaito stood by the door, hesitating. Should he just leave? Then what about his so-called lost item? And more importantly... Kaito stared at the wall where the almost-hidden switch was. He still hadn't figured what its purpose was.

Heck it.

"Anyway, what is there to investigate here?" Kaito entered the room and inconspicuously followed Shinichi around. "I thought you've been to the upper floors already."

"I haven't."

"You haven't?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. "Wait, does that mean you lied to Aoko and I that day?"

Kicking over a debris, Shinichi didn't hesitate to admit. "It was late and dangerous for two civilians to continue loitering around."

Still regarded as a civilian, huh? Kaito grinned to himself at his appointed identity. "Then those pictures you sent—"

"Were duplicates from the lower floors."

"What a liar," Kaito said, though he couldn't help but inwardly wince a little at his own hypocrisy. "I'm gonna tell Aoko and smash your reputation."

"But you didn't hesitate to ride on the lie either." Shinichi raised an eyebrow back in a form of challenge. "You wanted to leave too, no? I helped you."

I wanted to leave because you were there, Kaito thought drily.

But Mochi cooed, as if agreeing out loud for Kaito.

"Oi." He scowled at his dove. "Are you—"

Kaito's little chiding had stopped him from noticing Shinichi halting in his tracks, causing him to knock into the detective's back. Kaito jumped away quickly, hoping their accidental contact didn't change Shinichi's mind in any way about his identity... (He might be getting a little paranoid.)

But Kaito's worry was unnecessary as Shinichi looked too preoccupied with his new finding to care about the bump — he, too, had noticed the switch.

"Oh! What an interesting switch you found, detective!"

With narrowed eyes, Shinichi glanced at Kaito before staring at Mochi on his wrist. "Were you going to ask your dove to help you with the switch earlier?"

"What? Of course not. How would I, a civilian, even notice the switch in the first place? Mochi is here only as my companion."

The side-eye continued. "Then I suppose you wouldn’t know if your dove is capable of flipping the switch on command?"

"Are you asking me, a civilian and his very normal dove, to help you with your investigation?”

"My question only requires a yes or a no."

"I'll take a maybe. Because we'll never know unless we try." Kaito chuckled, turning away from Shinichi and whispered to his dove, "Please don't embarrass me."

That said, Kaito raised his hand and Mochi flew up on cue and towards the wall. It hovered over the switch for a second, head tilting curiously before giving a peck.

A hiss, like a rush of escaped air, came from behind a large cracked mirror hanging on the wall. It turned unhinged on the side and swung open, revealing a secret compartment behind.

"Damn," Kaito breathed out, and this time his surprise was real.

Done with its task, Mochi landed and settled on a debris on the floor, watching.

Shinichi took out his phone and turned on his flashlight. There were stairs leading all the way further up, but it was too dark to see where it led to. Shinichi took a step in.

Kaito followed.

The detective turned, shining his light onto Kaito's face and nearly blinding him. "Aren't you busy with finding whatever you've lost?" Shinichi asked, with a hint of contempt that Kaito couldn't blame him for, given his previous dismissal to Shinichi's concern for his missing item.

"I figured this might be a little bit more interesting." Kaito grinned in reply. "And who knows, maybe you'll need my help again?"

"If I remember correctly, it's your dove that did most of the job."

"I raised it with my blood, sweat and tears so that has to be something."

Shinichi gave a mild roll of his eyes and finally shone his phone away and towards Mochi's direction. "Is your dove not following?"

"Mochi hates confine spaces."

"Hm." Shinichi made a noise that sounded neither happy or upset and continued his way up the dark stairs.

At the last second, Kaito ducked out from the compartment and scattered more sunflower seeds on the ground. "Stay here okay, Mochi. Don't go around finding any poisonous worms."

Mochi was already busy eating to even acknowledge whatever Kaito said.

He just prayed it understood and hurried to follow the light; to where Shinichi was.

.

.

The long stairs eventually led to a room, which was pitch black at one second but lit up the moment Shinichi first stepped inside; the ceiling lights switching on one by one.

Kaito squinted his eyes, trying to get use to the sudden brightness. "Judging by the sensors, does it mean we're the only one here?" 

Shinichi didn't answer, but he stood there, as if waiting for something to happen.

Kaito was almost tempted to hum just for the sake of it.

"I can't guarantee that," the detective finally admitted when nothing seemed to be able to confirm his speculations. "But keep close to me, in case anything happens."

Kaito considered feigning scared, but he didn't want Shinichi to legitimately think he was and send him out of the secret hideout. "Ok, detective."

"And don't touch anything."

"Yes yes."

Shinichi kept his phone and surveyed the room while Kaito quietly did his own.

The room looked way more decent than any of the ones outside; there were signs of people staying here, or been here, keeping the dust and cobwebs away. In the middle were three chairs surrounding a large table, and on it were two ashtrays full of burnt out cigarettes, a couple of files and some empty water bottles.

Shinichi pulled out a pair of gloves from his pocket and put them on before picking up a file. His frown deepened every time he flipped to the next page.

Kaito strained his neck, trying to peek at the file's content. "What's that?"

"Records on some trades they made, though it's in codes so I have no idea what the trade is about, for now," Shinichi muttered. "The most recent trade happened last week. It also states another one is happening in three days."

"Maybe it's drugs?"

Shinichi stiffened.

"Or weapons." Kaito quickly added.

"Either is likely." Shinichi shut the file and placed it back where he found it. He left the table and began scrutinizing the shelves against the walls, though there was nothing but rubbish on them, as far as Kaito could tell.

Kaito looked back at the file, contemplating. Giving his civilian status, he couldn't possibly ask whether everything here was related to the Black Organization...

"Is this the police matter that you've talked about?"

Shinichi hummed. "Not what I expected."

Huh? "What do you mean?"

"...Besides the ghost rumour that Nakamori mentioned, there were others that were circulating and keeping people away."

Is he changing the topic? "Like what?"

"Witchcrafts, curses, or... experiments." Shinichi paused. "Witnesses claimed they saw the lakes that goes downstream from this building turned black or green a couple of times."

Kaito was almost tempted to believe in those rumours if he didn't know Akako was currently in England with Hakuba right now... Unless she knew some spells that could teleport herself back and do her weird things here. But given the evidences of these illegal trades and whatnots, Kaito trusted Akako enough to know she wouldn't be a part of it, despite how creepy she could be sometimes (he was still dumbfounded to this day to why Hakuba was willing to accept her like that).

"So... What were you expecting in the first place?"

Shinichi stared at Kaito over his shoulder.

Seconds passed so long it felt like minutes. Kaito cleared his throat. "Uh... Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Nothing." Shinichi glanced away.

"You didn't answer my question."

"I don't see why I have to tell you either.

Kaito inwardly sighed. "Fine. Whatever it is, maybe there's something more we can find in there." Kaito pointed at the rounded corner of the room that led to another door.

Shinichi abandoned the crushed soda can on the shelves and followed the direction to where Kaito pointed. There was a door like Kaito mentioned, but it was passcode lock; not as easily accessible as it was to the room they were in.

"It's locked," Shinichi grumbled out the obvious and leaned an ear towards the door. "I can't hear anything from here either."

"Let me try." Kaito bent down to the glowing keypad. Ha. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. He recognised this system like the few museums he had broken into before. He just needed to disable it and it should do the trick.

The only problem was Shinichi's intense gaze on him.

"It looks so difficult and complex," Kaito lied and heaved a sad sigh. "But I think I can try to unlock it, even though I'm obviously just a normal civilian."

"Aren't you a magician?" Shinichi drawled. "Don't you know how to unlock things?"

"Oh— Yes. A civilian who happens to be a magician." Kaito gave a thumbs up. "That's why I THINK I can do it."

"Ok," was all Shinichi said (and Kaito thanked heaven for that). He pulled out another pair of gloves from his pocket. "Use this."

"Thanks." Kaito accepted it, though he had his Kid's gloves on him as well.

He made a show of trying to put the rubbery and sticky gloves on that Shinichi grew bored and went back to the shelves to inspect those soda cans again. Taking the opportunity, Kaito whipped out his tools from his sleeves and began his habitual tinkering.

Ten seconds. Three dying beeps. The glow disappeared.

"Done."

"That's fast," Shinichi commented when he returned to Kaito's side.

"Beeeeeecause luck is on our side." Kaito laughed. And not waiting for Shinichi to say anything more that could risk his identity, Kaito pushed open the door.

The sensors acted again, lighting up the next pitch-black room and revealing rows and rows of guns, grenades and boxes of bullets. And on the other side of the large room were piles and piles of blank paper, which were going to be used for creating counterfeit money with the big printing machine behind. Next to the machine were big bottles of black and green ink.

"I think this should explain everything," Kaito said.

They headed to different direction; Shinichi checking the weapons and Kaito looking at the papers. Kaito had to admit these were of good quality and the criminals would definitely reap what they harvested from their investments. But too bad their dreams were gone and they would be spending at least twice of their lifetime in jail for all these smuggling and counterfeiting crimes—

Make that thrice if Kaito count in the fake paintings and jewels too.

At the blind spot of the room, Kaito found a high stack of famous paintings, and next to them on the floor were at least three dozen of Big Jewels encased in a large transparent glass box. Being more familiar in this line, he could tell with one look they were all fakes.

"Jewels?"

Kaito jolted from his squatting position, his heart nearly leaping out of his mouth. He half turned, scowling. "You scared the hell out of me."

"Why? Are you planning to steal something?"

Kaito tried to look offended. "Of course not."

"Are they real?" Shinichi gestured his head at the gems.

"The answer is obvious, isn't it?" Kaito muttered (whilst trying not to choke on his nervousness). "If they are into the business of printing counterfeits, these stuffs got to be too."

Shinichi looked amused. "A nice deduction."

Kaito scowled at Shinichi's head after he turned away. Is he being sarcastic or what?

Whatever. Kaito whipped out his phone and took a couple of pictures. Regardless if Shinichi were to bring down these bad guys or not, he should at least keep a note on these forgeries; if a similar jewel came up on the news, he would double check its authenticity rather than holding a heist for nothing—

A sudden slam from the door.

A series of gasps.

Kaito turned.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Remaining in his squatting position, Kaito crawled across the room and peeked his head from behind the money printer.

Aw crap.

Two men. Two guns. Both pointing at Shinichi.

"I SAID WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!" and "RAISE YOUR HANDS!" were both screamed at the same time.

Shinichi obeyed the second command while keeping his lips sealed.

No Soccer ball this time to save your life. Kaito thought mockingly as he ditched his rubbery gloves.

One of the men turned to his partner. "You know what, let's just shoot him before the others find out that someone came—"

A flick of his wrist and with his card gun in hand, Kaito shot at the ceiling lights.

The room turned to an abyss.

"What the?!" A cocking sound from a gun.

"Oi! Don't shoot! Unless you want to accidentally set the grenades off, idiot!"

Memorising every position, Kaito rushed out from his hiding spot and grabbed what he knew was Shinichi's wrist, pulling him along as he made a dash towards the door.

Before the lights in the first room flickered back on, Kaito shot them out again; they weren't needed anyway. He continued running past the table and out of the room, the only comfort he could find amidst this havoc was the warmth of Shinichi's wrist and his mint-scented breath—

"Shit." Kaito clicked his tongue, staring at the darkness on the other end of the stairs. "The mirror door is closed."

"Look." Shinichi flashed his phone's light to their right. "There's another stairs here."

"I guess it's a risk we have to—"

Multiple gun shots rung in the air, and Kaito thought he felt a bullet flew past the top of his head.

No words were needed as they rushed up to wherever the stairs led them too. But like the other stairs in the abandoned building, it was long and seemingly endless. Kaito was two seconds away of giving up when he felt a faint wind brushing his cheeks before the pale light from the dark sky touched their skin.

They reached the roof.

Slipping his card gun up his sleeves before Shinichi noticed, Kaito panted, "Now what?"

Another gunshot rung in the quiet night and the echoes of the thunderous footsteps continued, only that they were getting louder.

It was Shinichi's turn as he pulled Kaito's wrist, dragging them to the roof's ledge; five level of floors but with the height of ten. Kaito gulped, his surprise turned wary as the tip of their feet inches away from nothing. There was no way they would go without at least a broken spine if they jump down.

Unless...

Shinichi grabbed the front of Kaito's shirt.

"Use your damn glider."

"Uh— Huh?" Kaito blinked rapidly. "My what?"

"Kaitou Kid's glider! I'm sure you have it on you now!"

Shinichi was right on the mark, but what Kaito didn't understand was how he figured about his identity? Did he notice the card gun?

But there was no more time to think or waste.

Two sounds of gunshots.

It was do or die.

Kaito knocked his left shoulder, sending his hidden cape flying out from the back of his shirt before solidifying into wings. Aoko's weight worked before, but Kaito wasn't sure if Shinichi's would. He kept the hesitation to himself and showed a smirk.

"Bridal style?"

Shinichi scowled. "Are there other options?"

"Nope."

Scooping Shinichi up, Kaito jumped off the roof and glided his way towards the forest that stretched infinitely beyond the dark horizon.

But Kaito's worry wasn't unwarranted — the glider indeed couldn't manage both of their weights. And Mother Nature hadn't been kind too. The wind's direction was going against their favour, and before they knew it, they flew down instead of straight after a distance and went crashing into the forest below.

.

.

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"My only request is don't meddle with my future heists anymore, little detective."

"...Ok." .

.

Kaito had no idea how long he passed out, or maybe he didn't and felt like he did, but no matter the case, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Shinichi, his face dark and earnestly serious as he stared at whatever that was in front of the bushes they were currently hiding in.

It was one of the men earlier.

"So did you find anything?" the man said into the walkie talkie.

A static. "I found a bike. Maybe it belongs to Kid and his accomplice."

"Get rid of it."

"Of course. And what about you? Found anything?"

"No. The ground's all messed up and I can't tell what any of the marks are."

"...Why do you think Kid is here anyway?"

The man shrugged, as if his partner could see it. "Maybe he wants to find a new hideout? But we got it first."

A static laugh. "Anyway, should we tell this to the others?"

"No. What if they pretend to make a big fuss and use this opportunity to cut our shares in the profit?" The man lowered his voice. "It's not like that thief can report us when he's a criminal himself."

"You're right."

"Let's forget about it." The man gave his surrounding one last look. "I'm going back to the hideout right now."

"Ok. I'm coming back too."

Until the sound of the man's footsteps was completely gone, Kaito heaved out a sigh of relief.

Shinichi did too, but more discreetly. "The coast is clear." He glanced at Kaito. "And you're awake."

"So I did pass out."

Shinichi nodded. "You landed headfirst."

Kaito groaned, the thumping headaches coming as if cued. "No wonder."

Shinichi brushed the leaves away from his face and stepped out of the bush, not without checking the direction where the man left once more. He put out a hand for Kaito.

"Thanks for the offer but I can't move," Kaito admitted much to his reluctance. His entire body was aching so much that he had trouble lifting his arm.

Surprisingly, Shinichi didn't complain. He bent forward and pulled Kaito up by the arm, but now all of Kaito's aches turned to jolts of pain.

"Ow, ow." Kaito made a dying whale noise as he struggled to keep his balance. The last thing he wanted was to fall on Shinichi.

"Your leg is bleeding." Shinichi widened his eyes. "I didn't notice it when I drag you behind the bushes."

"Bleeding? It must be just a scratch— Oh damn I am bleeding." Kaito sighed. He couldn't tell from the darkness, but he could feel the dampness of his blood soaking the bottom of his pants. "This sucks.”

"Clearly."

"For your information, my landing is always perfect. This is the only exception."

"I didn't ask."

"Just thought you should know."

Ignoring him, Shinichi helped Kaito out of the bushes and set him down on the forest floor. Kaito didn't notice before, but when the sky cleared and some light miraculously managed to cast through the forest overhead, he spotted a bruise on Shinichi's right cheek.

He didn't go unscathed either.

"Are you okay though?"

"Nothing as bad as yours." Shinichi unclipped Kaito's cape.

"What are you doing? That's our only mode of transport."

"Based on the current circumstances, there is no point for the glider now." Shinichi put out a hand. "Give me a pen knife. Or whatever tool you have to cut your cape."

"Why?"

"A bandage for your injury."

Jii would be so mad, but was there really a choice? Kaito sighed and flicked his wrist, producing a penknife like what Shinichi wanted.

There was no warning or whatsoever when Shinichi began wrapping the cape around the opening of Kaito's wound. He dug his fingers into the ground and suppressed a groan. He needed a distraction from the pain, but Shinichi wasn't giving him any either so Kaito had to find it himself.

"He— Hey, how did you know that I'm Kid?"

"Why don't you guess?"

"Don't you love to show off their deductions?" Kaito mumbled. "Just enlighten me."

"I don't mind seeing your confused face."

"What you're seeing now is my super-in-pain face, not confused."

"Sorry," Shinichi suddenly said, which ironically made Kaito confused.

"For what?" Kaito asked warily.

"For this."

Shinichi finished the bandage with a tight knot and it almost sent Kaito's soul out of his body. He grabbed the remaining cloth of his cape and pressed it into his face, muffling his groan.

"Okay, I'm done."

"You— You're going to kill me first before I even bleed to death," Kaito snapped. When Shinichi ignored him and returned the penknife, Kaito continued, "Was it my card gun that gave it away?"

Wiping whatever off his forehead, Shinichi slumped onto the floor next to Kaito and heaved a sigh. "It's before that."

"So that jewel question was a taunt?"

"Yes."

Kaito gave Shinichi a withering look. "Then was it the lock? When I managed to disable it so fast that even the Detective of The East couldn't believe it."

Shinichi rolled his eyes. "Before that too."

"What?" Kaito sighed irritably. "Just tell me already."

"I can consider, if you tell me why you came back to the building in the first place."

Kaito blinked. That was an unexpected trade. "Didn't I say I lost—"

"You and I clearly know that I don't believe in the lie at all."

Kaito scoffed. "Why do you want to know anyway? I'm there for my own business."

"Did that man hit the jackpot?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow. "Are you really looking for a new hideout?"

"No."

A tug played at the corner of Shinichi's lips. "But that's the only reason I can think of for you to be there."

The question suddenly got Kaito remembering about the unspoken reason to why Shinichi was there, too. He said it was police matters, but it all didn't turn out to be what he expected...? Since Shinichi already knew his identity, Kaito supposed it was alright to be frank:

"Are those people related to the Black Organization?"

Shinichi's face turned into a blank. "What?"

"The Black Organization, or whatever that you used to call them."

Shinichi lowered his gaze. "No. But maybe they are inspired by them. Who knows?"

That didn't sound comforting. Kaito frowned. "So were you investigating if these jackasses are part of the Black Organization?"

Shinichi nodded, much to Kaito surprise — Not by his answer, but his willingness to admit it so quickly.

"I've never stopped finding any possible traces of them even after their downfall," Shinichi explained. "So when I heard the rumours, I thought it might be plausible... with the experiments and all. But seeing their operations — the sloppy hideout and the way they handle their trades — I figured it wasn't them, though that doesn't mean they aren't my concern too."

Hah. That was why. Kaito nodded. Shinichi's reason totally made sense, and now Kaito only feared for his embarrassment if he explained his. So why was he here? Because his gut senses told him there was more to the abandoned building. But why did he care? Because Kudo Shinichi was also investigating this. And how did that matter?

Kaito honestly didn't know.

But it was more important to make sure Shinichi didn't know.

"Speaking of which..." Kaito jabbed a thumb towards the direction of the building. "What are we going to do about them? Do you have your police mates to call for backup?"

"I lost my phone."

"It's okay, I have—" Kaito's grin faded as he stared at his cracked and black screen after fishing his phone out of his pocket.

Shinichi didn't bother waiting for Kaito to finish his sentence. "We might have to stay over the night and figure it out tomorrow."

"Isn't it too late?"

"Their next trade is three days later; there's still some time before anything goes out of their hideout."

"So are we gonna stare at each other until the sun rises?"

"You should sleep," Shinichi suggested after glancing at Kaito's bandaged leg, his face, and then his leg again.

"I don't need sleep," Kaito said, and shook his head. "Or more like I can't sleep with you around me."

"I'm not interested in you."

"Touché. But what I meant was because you know I'm Kid."

"I'm not going to do anything about your other identity." Shinichi crossed his arms. "I promised you, didn't I?"

"Thanks. I owe you one."

"My only request is don't meddle with my future heists anymore, little Detective."

"...Ok."

Ah. The realisation came a little late, but now Kaito remembered it and not as a dream. The blurriness of the memory and the throbbing pain in his head definitely didn't help, and maybe sleep was really what Kaito needed.

"Are you not going to tell me how you figured my identity out?" Kaito tried for the last time.

"No."

"Fine. The conversation is now boring and I'm really going to sleep." Kaito scooted his butt and laid on his back, not before gathering his cape and crumbling them into a ball to use it as a make-shift pillow.

After getting comfortable in his position, Kaito glanced at Shinichi, who was still sitting cross-legged by his side. "Anyway, it might be tempting, but don't watch me sleep."

"That's the last thing I'll ever do."

"Before you die. So it means you'll rather watch me sleep than die."

Kaito turned on his side, back facing Shinichi as he began pretentiously snoring.

It was nice to have the last word in.

.

.

"Kid."

Kaito — Kaitou Kid — glanced away from the night view, his cape flapping wildly as he made a suave turn to his new companion on the roof.

"Hello, little detective."

"It's all done," Edogawa Conan said.

With all that scuffle earlier, it was amazing to see Conan only with a bandage on his cheek. Even Kaito suffered worse when he wasn't the main star of the show; he managed to temporarily fix the large gash on his right arm after stealing some supplies from a nearby hospital, though Kid's costume covered his imperfections perfectly.

"Is that Shuichi guy alright?" Kaito asked, while keeping his tone nonchalant for the better part. "He received quite a nasty shot in the stomach."

"He's fine."

"That's good."

That Shuichi guy was one of many people Kaito disguised as per Conan's request during the final showdown with the Black Organization. But even though Kaito didn't interact or personally know him, it would still disturb him if something bad had happened to the person he copied his face from.

"So... it's really done, that Organization of yours."

Conan nodded, his face remained solemn. Even after three hours had passed since everything, he still seemed stuck in that war.

"Are you going back to your original self soon?" Kaito smirked, trying to dispel their current mood to a better one. "I'll miss staring down at you like this. And also, a pity that I can't disguise you so freely anymore."

"Funny," Conan sneered.

"Shouldn't you be thanking me instead?"

That put things back into perspective for Conan. He gave a resigned smile. "Thanks. I owe you one."

"My only request is don't meddle with my future heists anymore, little detective."

"...Ok."

"I guess this is the last time we will ever talk like this." Kaito tipped his hat up. "Don't miss me."

"On a serious note," Conan said, looking very seriously so. "If you ever need my help, I'm willing to give it to you, just as much as you did when I asked."

"Thanks, but as a Kaitou, I prefer to do things alone."

"My offer still stands."

Kaito raised two fingers to his eyebrow as a salute. "Take care, little detective."

He leaned back, falling off the roof with grace before his cape turned to wings.

It was an amazing exit.

But most important of all, his landing was perfectly done.

.

.

"...roba. Oi Kuroba. Wake up."

"Ugh, give me five more minute…"

A sigh. "The two men seem to be on the move."

Kaito flung open his eyes.

Everywhere was still dark—

Like on that roof.

"De— Detective?" Kaito blinked, staring at Shinichi's face above his. "You've grown... bigger."

Shinichi frowned, moving his face away from Kaito and stood up from his squatting position. "What are you talking about?"

"Uh, nothing." Kaito sniffed and sat up. "What happened?"

"I said the two men seem to be on the move." Shinichi gestured his head over to the building's direction. "I thought to ask you to come and... see." He suddenly looked hesitant as he glanced at Kaito's bandaged leg. "I hope your sleep rejuvenated you a little."

"Yeah, I'm feeling better now," Kaito said, which was the truth. "But I need a hand."

Shinichi stuck his arm out for Kaito to lift himself off the ground. He dusted his legs and attempted a stretch. The bleeding had stopped for now, but it still ached when he tried to move, though it was nothing that Kaito or Kaitou Kid couldn't endure.

Shinichi took the lead as they manoeuvred their way down the forest path and towards the building. The sun hadn't risen, but there were signs of activities from the birds and bugs in the forest. It made Kaito wonder how long he had slept.

"Have you been keeping a lookout the entire time?" Kaito asked.

"Yes."

"You didn't sleep?"

"No." Shinichi gave Kaito a glance. "Your snoring was too loud for me."

A second ago Kaito was feeling bad, but he wasn't anymore. "I can sue you for defamation."

"By all means—" Shinichi stopped and raised his hand (and this time Kaito was quick to realize before he knocked into Shinichi again).

They were a few steps away from the end of the forest.

Exchanging a silent signal, they crouched together before making a dash out of the forest, past a small field, and towards the row of thick bushes that surrounded the side of the building. Ignoring the pain from his leg, Kaito kneeled on one knee to elevate himself better and observed from behind their hiding spot.

True to what Shinichi said, the two men were standing in the front yard outside the building, one looking at his watch while the other was on his phone.

"Are they waiting for something?" Kaito whispered. "Do you think they changed their trading time?"

Shinichi shook his head next to Kaito. "They don't have any goods with them, but I can't say for sure."

The sun was slowly rising, taking shadows and darkness away with its light. Kaito used the opportunity and peeped at Shinichi. He looked tired but focused, but what Kaito couldn't believe was how his hair remained the same throughout the entire day and night.

Life's fair like that.

"There's a van."

"Huh— Oh, yeah. A van." Kaito regained his composure, acting as if he totally wasn't distracted and thinking about Shinichi's hair three seconds ago. He looked over just in time to watch the said van driving into the front yard of the building. After parking, three men got off; the driver twirling with the key like how Kaito did for his bike.

Aw, Kaito missed his bike.

"I think they are changing shifts," Shinichi said.

"If only there is a way we can get onto that van." Kaito pulled out his card gun from his sleeve and checked his cartridge. "Hm, I only have two shots left. Should I try?"

"No," Shinichi snapped. "You're injured. They are armed. Or at least two of them are. It's a risk we can't take."

"Is that concern I hear, detective?"

"It's dread." Shinichi sent Kaito a disdainful look. "I don't want to carry your dead body back."

Kaito kept his card gun grudgingly. "Then now what?"

Shinichi touched his chin, thinking. "We can—"

"What the hell!"

In sync, they looked at each other before raising their heads like two rabbits looking out of their burrow, trying to detect the cause for the yell.

Kaito gasped.

Mochi?!

Failing for who-knows-how-many-times, the driver's comrades tried to swat Mochi away as it flew up, out of their reach, before swooping down to peck the driver's face again and again until he finally dropped his key onto the ground. Before they could react, Mochi snatched the keys with its beak and angled its flight towards Kaito and Shinichi's direction.

It dropped the key onto Kaito's hand and flew away again.

"Wh—Who is there!" one of the men exclaimed, noticing Kaito and Shinichi's heads above the bushes.

"Shit, is it Kid?"

"Kid? Like Kaitou Kid?!"

But their conversation didn't continue, and neither did they manage to pull out their guns to start a war, because at the very next second, they were all swarmed by a flock of birds; their hands too busy trying to protect their face and eyes from being pecked on.

"Mochi!" Kaito exclaimed to the sky. "Our life saviour—"

Shinichi grabbed Kaito's wrist, pulling him up. "Let's run already!" he yelled.

Registering the chance, they jumped over the bushes, sprinting across the front yard and towards the van.

One of the men was a little smarter than the rest — he suddenly laid flat on the ground, his face briefly away from the attacking birds as he whipped out a gun from the back of his pants.

But Kaito noticed it too. Before he pulled his card gun out, he tossed the key to Shinichi and then shot, hitting the man's gun away and out of reach.

As if realizing what they missed, more birds swooped down and attacked that man.

"Get on!" Shinichi already started the van.

Kaito did.

As Shinichi reversed the vehicle to get back on the road, Kaito unrolled the window and whistled a special tune only his trained doves would recognise. A flutter of white, and in a second Mochi flew into the van and settled its wings on Kaito's headrest.

Shinichi sped off.

Kaito let the silence fully sink in before ruining it with a heartfelt sigh.

"What a fantastic morning exercise." Kaito waved his card gun in the air. Maybe he should save his last card shot as a memento.

"…How many doves do you own?" Shinichi asked.

Kaito watched the wing mirror. The birds were still attacking, but after Mochi left the group, some started to disperse, as if the fun was over for them.

"12."

"That looks nowhere close to 12," Shinichi retorted. "The number's got to be at least three times of that."

"None of them were my remaining 11 doves." Kaito laughed and patted Mochi's head. "Mochi probably made some friends in the forest and gathered them for help."

Shinichi looked like he wanted to comment on something but didn't in the end.

"Oh." Kaito snapped his fingers. "I know the answer now."

Shinichi's eyes remained on the road. "Know what?"

"It's Mochi, isn't it?" Kaito grinned. "Because clearly, only the amazing Kaitou Kid can raise a dove so smart and well. That’s how you figured my identity out."

"I won't deny that your dove is smart, but no. It has nothing to do with it."

"Can't you just tell me already?" Kaito grumbled.

Shinichi shook his head, but a small smile danced across his lips until they disappear. "Why don't you be useful and find me a phone. I need to call for backup before they take everything and escape."

"Oh, right." Kaito straightened, deciding to focus what was more crucial on hand. He leaned forward and patted around the bottom of his seat, trying to feel for a secret phone. But remembering Shinichi's opinion about these men in comparison to the BO, he opened the glove compartment, revealing a dozen of phones, probably stolen.

"Nice," Shinichi said, which was a little funny because it sounded like what Kaito would say instead.

"Lady Luck is really shining on us." Kaito picked one out and switched it on. "The day can't get any better."

Shinichi gave Kaito a side-long glance. "Your leg is bleeding on the seat."

"...Damn. I almost forgot about that."

.

.

"Abandoned building discovered to be a criminal hideout." (Click More to Read)

It had been two days since that crazy night and three hours since an official statement was released to public. And given that time gap in announcement, there were more rumours than legitimate news online, but Kaito read them all, even though the details were either repetitive and the same.

And that was good, of course. Because what he feared more was finding something new, like the possibility that one of the criminals mentioned Kid was at the scene or something.

But so far there was none; either these men had completely forgotten about his existence and blamed the birds for their downfall or Shinichi had kept everything perfectly under wraps—

"Kaito!"

"Aoko?" Kaito scooted himself to the side of the campus bench so his childhood friend could sit beside him. "What are you doing here? Don't you have lessons now?"

"It's cancelled and I'm on my way back to the dorm." Aoko tilted her head. "And what are you doing here?"

"I finished my assignments so I'm just chilling outside." (He had been in bed all day yesterday because of his leg and he needed a breather.)

"Oh— Did you change your phone?"

"Yeah." Kaito twirled his new phone around for show. "I accidentally broke my old one." Though luckily, he had everything on cloud, including the photos he took yesterday.

"I see that you're also reading the recent news too; I was actually going to text you about it." Aoko stared at Kaito's phone screen, snorting. "Finally something that isn't about Kaitou Kid."

Kaito grimaced and tilted his screen away. "I have the freedom to read whatever I want."

Aoko stuck out her tongue, but her cheeky expression didn't last when she returned her attention to the news again. "Anyway, who knew the abandoned building we explored just two weeks ago would house such dangerous people! Gosh."

"Well—"

"Luckily we heeded Kudo-kun's advice and left." Aoko rubbed the side of her arms nervously. "Although it would be a great scoop, the risk is too much."

"In case you forgot, it was I who suggested to leave first."

"Fine, fine, Bakaito. Don't be jealous." She gestured her head to his phone. "I'll leave you to your reading and we can text later. I'm going back to finish up my projects first."

Kaito still had a lot of things to say, and one of the things was that he was not jealous. But he arranged the priorities in his head and pulled Aoko's bag, stumbling her back again.

"Wait, I have a question."

"What?"

"You and that Kudo detective exchanged emails, right? Did you tell him any weird info about me?"

Aoko raised an eyebrow. "What is there for me to say?"

"I don't know. Just— Anything. Did you tell him anything?"

"I didn't. In fact, we didn't talk much. He only sent me the photos and I asked for his permission to use his quote."

"Really?" Kaito frowned. "That's it?"

The glint in Aoko's eyes made Kaito a little uncomfortable. "Is there something you want me to tell him for you?"

"No."

"Or you can tell him yourself if you want. I have his email address—"

"Bye Aoko." Kaito waved her off and pretentiously stared his phone, as if it contained the answer to the existence of the universe.

Aoko chuckled. "Bye Kaito." She waved and skipped her way towards the direction of her dorm.

Kaito glanced up, watching Aoko's back disappear behind the school building.

Besides worrying if Kid's presence at the abandoned building would be exposed, Shinichi's early discovery about his identity was also bugging him as well. He had been betting all on the chance that Aoko had mentioned something crucial to Shinichi, but if she didn't, then how on earth did he figure it out?

A chime came from Kaito's phone and he almost didn't recognise it as his ringtone since he just changed it. He looked at the caller ID.

Unknown number? Kaito frowned, alert on the rise.

He picked up the call. "Hello?"

"Is this Kuroba Kaito?"

Kaito blinked, his heart lurched. "...Detective?"

"We found your bike."

"Holy shit." Kaito flung up from his seat, earning curious stares from other students. That was two surprises in a row, the first being receiving a call from Kudo freaking Shinichi. "You serious?"

"Do I sound like I'm kidding?"

"I thought it's a goner," Kaito said. "Or even if it's not, it'll be kept as an evidence to prosecute Kid."

"I've settled the Kid problem. Don't worry."

"Oh." Kaito managed to hide his third surprise well. "Thanks for that."

"When are you free?"

The question got Kaito a little more flustered than he should be. "Why?"

"You need to come to the headquarters to fill in some forms before you can take your bike back."

"Right, of course." Kaito was tempted to slap a hand over his forehead. "I can come over now." He paused. "But are you free? Is your murder magnet not activated today?"

Kaito could perfectly imagine Shinichi's eye roll. "I'm free now."

"Okay. See you later."

Cutting the call, Kaito made his way towards the metro station (and till this day he wasn't sure if he was actually excited to reunite with his bike or at the thought of meeting Kudo Shinichi in a while.)

.

.

Even if all the other officers around them were busy shouting around and finding clues to solve their cases, there was no telling who would be watching, listening or both. So during the entire documentation process, Kaito burrowed his face deep into the papers while Shinichi silently watched across the table.

And it didn't help when their faces looked alike—

That thought gave Kaito a new guess.

So the moment when they were alone and standing at the parking lot outside the headquarters (and also after Kaito had spent three minutes cradling his bike and looking for scratches), Kaito spoke:

"I know the answer now, and this must be it."

Shinichi stuck a hand into his work pants, eyebrows raised. "You're still guessing?"

"Duh."

"Didn't you mention there are some things that are best to remain a mystery?"

It was such a long time ago since they had that conversation during one of his heists, and Kaito briefly wondered how Shinichi remembered his words so well. Kaito cleared his throat. "That doesn't count when the mystery involves my identity and my ability of hiding it."

"Fair point," Shinichi said. "So what's your guess?"

Kaito pointed at Shinichi before tapping a finger on his own cheek. "It's because we have the same face."

Shinichi blinked.

Did I get it right?

Shinichi took a step back and scrutinised Kaito from head to toe. "To be honest, I don't see how we are that similar..."

Kaito wrinkled his nose. "What are you talking about? I don't need to put on a mask to disguise you and fool everyone."

"Yes, but no. This so-called similarity of our faces wasn't what that made me figure out your identity," Shinichi said, before he muttered almost incoherently under his breath, "besides, it's not only you that have the same face as me. That Okita..."

"What?"

Shinichi sighed and run a hand through his hair. "It's not the answer," was his final verdict.

"I officially give up." Kaito stuck his hands into his pockets. "Please. Just tell me already." (He barely refrained himself from admitting how he had been thinking about this the entire time.)

Shinichi bit his lip.

A pause.

An intake of breath.

"It was the way you stood when I saw you and Nakamori that day," Shinichi said. "It screamed to me that you're Kaitou Kid."

Kaito was too dumbfounded to even speak.

"Even the way you stand now." Shinichi gestured a hand over at Kaito, continuing, "You look just like the first time I met you as Conan and the last time I met you as Conan, too. You've been Kaitou Kid for years, Kuroba. You're not just Kaitou Kid; you've become Kaitou Kid — his essence and everything."

Kaito straightened, feeling extremely conscious with all the movements he was making now. "Just.. from this?"

Shinichi nodded. "It was the first thing that ignited my suspicions. The following things that happened only continued to confirm my theory... Especially the lock. Your acting is ridiculous."

Kaito scowled, whatever tension in the air he felt vanished. "Wow, thanks."

"Are you satisfied with my answer?"

"Of course not," Kaito muttered. Raising a hand, he copied one of Kid's signature wave movements. "But I always made sure there's a difference in whatever I do as Kid." An ace of heart between his fingers and gone the next. "Kid is still him. And I'm still... me."

"So Kaito is Kaito after all!"

He recalled Aoko said that to him after that stupid Sun Halo incident a long time ago. Kaito clenched his fist and stuck it back into his pocket.

Could it be that she also...?

"You may not notice, but those differences you created have turned into a part of you now." Suddenly, Shinichi looked tired as his eyes drooped at whatever memories that flashed across his mind. "It took me a long time before I got rid of Conan's manners and routines; I understand what it feels like."

Kaito crossed his arms. "But what if I don't mind it?"

"Given that you're good friends with Nakamori, I don't see why you'll be. Unless you're planning to admit your identity to her anytime soon." Shinichi lowered his voice. "She's honestly smarter than you think."

There was nothing Kaito could say to argue back.

"To stop the change, you have to stop being Kid." Shinichi face turned solemn, almost a replica of the Edogawa Conan that Kaito met on their last encounter:

"If you ever need my help, I'm willing to give it to you, just as much as you did when I asked."

"My offer still stands, you know." Shinichi finally said.

The arms around Kaito's chest tightened, and his thoughts stretched as long as the growing silence. Even after so many years, Kaito never failed to wake up every day and wonder if he could ever bring Snake down, avenge his father or even find Pandora; he still had some trouble putting trust in himself that he didn't see a point to put it in others.

But there was something about the way Shinichi stood before him, looking so determined as if he was born to be, and it made Kaito think, crazily, that if he really had to choose one person to put his trust in, that person would be...

"Regardless, I've said what I wanted to say." The determination in Shinichi's eyes faltered and he looked... deflated? Kaito couldn't tell, or understand, why the detective would be feeling that too—

"How is your injury?" Shinichi said instead, already changing the subject.

In return, Kaito observed the fading bruise on Shinichi's cheek; he supposed he didn’t have to ask back the question.

"This is definitely concern I’m hearing, right detective?" Kaito smirked, though Shinichi remained unamused. He wiggled his leg for show. "As you can see, I'm better now."

"Good."

Kaito leaned against his bike, hoping for both physical and mental support. Every second that passed was making it harder for Kaito to return back to that moment...

He bit his lip.

A pause.

An intake of breath.

"Thanks, detective."

"...For what?"

"For that offer of yours again." Kaito nodded. "I'll think about it."

Shinichi blinked, surprised.

But just when Kaito thought it was the end, Shinichi smiled, and it was completely unexpected that Kaito almost thought he imagined it.

"You know where to find me."

Kaito needed a while to regain his composure. "…But how will I know if you're free for me to find, murder-magnet?"

"Given your lovely intel, you should know better."

This time, Kaito allowed Shinichi to have the last word in, and he only grinned back in return.

.

.

Even though Aoko knew Kaito since childhood, it was still hard for her to understand him completely at times, especially given his erratic behaviours and attitude. But at least out of everything, Aoko did know one thing consistent about him, and it would be his love for his dad, magic, and doves...

And a specific bench on their campus too?

As usual after Aoko was released from her afternoon class, she spotted Kaito sitting alone on that same campus bench again, helmet by his side and phone in his hand. It wasn't as if he didn't have a dorm to rest in or friends to find, but then again, this was just another behaviour of his that Aoko didn't understand.

(But maybe it was partially her fault, because she never found the need or courage to ask Kaito for answers too.)

Aoko slowed her pace, trying to tiptoe her way towards the bench and give Kaito a scare. But when a white figure swooped down from the sky and landed on his lap, she was the one that got a shock instead.

A dove!

"Kaito!"

Kaito glanced up, his eyes widened and mouth parting about to speak.

"Wait!" Aoko raised a hand, stopping him before pointing at his dove. "Let me guess. Is it Pocky?"

Kaito grinned. "Nope."

"Mochi?"

Mochi cooed.

"Impressive. Not bad for your second try."

Aoko showed a peace sign and sat next to Kaito after he shifted in his position. "What is Mochi doing here?"

Kaito indirectly answered her as he pulled a string and unrolled the note that was tied to Mochi's foot.

Aoko leaned over, trying to see what was written on the note. But besides catching a glimpse of the neat handwriting, she couldn't derive anything else as Kaito turned half of his back towards her and covered the note in his hand.

"Please respect my privacy, Ahouko."

"But I want to know what that is!"

"No."

"Why?"

"Not going to tell you."

Aoko snickered. "Is it a love letter?" 

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Whatever you want to think." He stood up, taking his helmet and releasing Mochi back into the sky. "Anyway I have to go. Say hi to your dad for me when you visit him over the weekends."

Given the recent announcement of Kid's upcoming heist, Aoko wasn't sure about the plan anymore when she knew her dad wouldn't be at home much, but she didn't bother telling Kaito either. "Where are you going?" she asked instead, watching him from her seat.

"Finding the sender of the love letter."

Aoko crossed her arms with a huff. "Really?"

"Really."

"Fine, if that's the case. Please help me to tell that person I said hi too."

Kaito grinned. "Sure."

With that, he sped off. /end

[jpegjade]

(I'm not the smutty annon from earlier) Reader is friends with Spencer and is hanging at his place. She borrows his laptop/phone for a minute and comes across his porn history/BDSM subspace research accidently. Cue Reader finding a way to volunteer as tribute lol

oh my god. OH MY GOD. ((incoming possible smut???? for anyone who doesn’t want to read it))

“hey spence, can i use your laptop? i need to do some equations for my math class.” you yelled through the apartment. 

you were at spencer’s place, just hanging out while he was off and you had classes that needed homework attention and you forgot your computer at your place. You couldn’t believe you forgot it since you were basically attached to the hip with your technology, a stark contrast to your boyfriend, but you thought you had already packed it when you know it’s sitting right on the table where you had it last. 

“Sure, doll.” Spencer yelled from his closet. He was hanging up his laundry, color coordinating by item, so he was pre-occupied. 

Opening the macbook air, which you didn’t know why he had since he sucked at using computers, you looked for the internet browser icon on the bottom of the screen. Clicking the browser, it pulled open the minimized screen.

You were stunned into silence. What came up on the screen was the last thing you were expecting from spencer. In a single window, there were about 5 different tabs open all about BDSM subspace, bdsm porn, searches about how to tell your girlfriend you want to bottom, and more related to the topic. You were completely surprised at this, coming from Spencer. You didn’t know how many he had read but the whole first google page was purple links so you knew he knew a lot with that eidetic memory. 

You wanted to bring it up to him, you really did, but the problem was how to make it seem like your idea and not seem like you were only doing it because he was into it. And how would you let him know you were into it without being too obvious? You thought for a second, minimizing the browser and opening a new one for your homework. 

Right on cue, Spencer walked out of his bedroom to find you at the table, writing something down. He thought about coming over to give you a kiss but he decided it was best to let you study. He just smiled in your direction when you looked up at him and smiled. 

A couple hours later, once he finished his laundry, he found you laying on the couch, pen partially resting in your mouth, looking enthralled in something serious. 

“Taking a test?” He asked, said, moving your feet onto his lap as he sat down. 

“In a way.” You said. You were really taking a BDSM test to find out what your kinks were but you didn’t want him to know just yet. 

“Okay, I’ll be quiet and read.” He grabbed Dante’s Inferno and started breezing through the book. 

“Hey baby?” You said, looking over at him. 

“Hmm?” He didn’t look up from his book. 

“I was thinking... Next time we decide to make love, would you let me tie you up?” You went back to looking at your quiz, picking answers, as Spencer choked on his spit. 

“What?” He almost whispered. 

“See, I’ve been having this dream where I tie your wrists to my headboard, ride you, having you writhing under me, and basically make you beg until you can’t hold it anymore and essentially finish inside of me for once.” You looked up to see him blushing. 

Spencer was speechless. 

“I mean,” you continued, awaiting the results for your quiz, “if you prefer me to take the lead, edging you until you’re blissed out in a sort of subspace where you’re begging to please me, that works too.” You smiled innocently at him. 

You had never seen Spencer so red before. His jaw was slack, leaving his mouth open a little in surprise and astonishment. 

“Think about it. I’m going to work on my next homework equations while you do that.” You said, getting up to return to the table. 

[alloveroliver]

Author Interview

I was tagged by @peacheat and @dear-mrs-otome THANK YOU GUYS!!! (I also added more Qs if you want to answer those as well *sweats*)

Name: Ash Knight

Fandoms: Now: MLQC, Ikemen Revolution, Ikemen Vampire, Ikemen Sengoku, Mystic Messenger, annnnnd one or two other otomes I like lol.  Want to do in the future: Obey Me (Currently playing) Ikemen Genjiden (translating got to be too much but its GOOD!) Tokyo Debunkers (when it comes out in April!!!)

Where You Post: Mostly Tumblr but also Ao3!

Most Popular One-Shot:  By far Victor x MC “In This Moment.” I’m glad cuz I spent a lot of time on this one and I love the concept of Victor stopping time because he know’s he’s going to miss MC <3

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: Mmm, I don’t have any muli fics yet BUT I do have 10 chapters of my blood thirsty fics!  they are all oneshots though. 

Favorite Story You Wrote: Its actually my first Oliver fic I posted around Aug of 2018 (Omg have I been doing this for that long???) It needs to be rewritten BUT heres the link. Oliver x MC “Giving Up Control” I still think about this fic often lmfao. Femdoming Oliver is 🤤👌

Story You Were Nervous to Post: Ooof, a recent Oliver fic. Only because it had alcohol themes and smoliver asking her on a date. Just due to his curse and things I didn't want to change too much but it was all consensual with adult Oliver. I was just nervous some people would read into it and take it the wrong way :( Oliver x MC “In A Perfect World You’re Happy With Me” (Looking back at it, it actually got a good response! I am surprised cuz I posted it then tried to put it out of my mind lol. #thanksanxiety

How You Choose Your Titles: First thing that comes to mind. Song lyrics, one word that sticks out in the fic. Or if its a common word or a word/title I’ve used before I put it into One Look Reverse Dictionary and find a similar word that means the sameish thing. I don’t dwell on titles too much tbh. 

Completed: Last I counted, I had over 500 short stories under my belt. You can read them all on my blog but not everything was put into my masterlist. This was just due to the tumblr purge we had and I had to make a new masterlist since a lot of my fics got shadowbanned due to the tagging system back then. I didnt wanna repost them all lol

Incomplete: I have an entire spreadsheet that I plop all my ideas on... and it is FULL. I organize it by fandom, suitor, and fluff vs. smut. Ummmmmm.... See below: Coming soon lol. 

Do You Outline? I usually start writing when I have an idea and if I need to step away from my computer I will do a quick outline. AKA just some quick bullet points of what I was thinking would happen next lol. If I ever take the time to properly do a full outline, I 100% go off the rails and do my own thing away from the outline. I am what is called a ‘discovery writer’ lol. I discoverer my own story as i write it then go back and edit it and act like I knew what I was doing all along lmfao.

Coming Soon/Not Yet Started: I have 3 substantial WIPS (like 2-3k words) I bounce between that I’m working on. Victor x Mc, Vincent x MC and Faust x MC. 

A plan to do part 2 of Gavin x MC’ s ”Distortion” . 

I also have an long running AU fic with Gavin x MC (8k currently) but that is far away from being done lol. 

There is also an 11 chapter fic I am planning. I have 2 chapters written but I cant seem to figure out one major plot detail and its keeping me from getting it done anytime soon :( 

There is a chapter fic im writing for a cradle born MC, however its a mesh of our MC and my OC and its kinda complicated. Also its fluff and I’m less interested in writing that BUT I really want to share this story <3

Valentines day is actually prob going to be the next thing yall see from me tbh and that is TBD

Do You Accept Prompts? I used to every once in a while but I have so many WIPS and no personal computer at home rn. (SOON THOUGH!) So I don’t have the chance to write as much in my free time as I used to. I’ll take prompts but I let them sit in my ask box until I am able to write them <3. I am not the person to ask people to stop sending them, cuz I like to see what yall want me to write and take that into consideration for sure. I like taking asks for Thirsty Thursday (even if its not thurs, I will hold onto them until then) and answer them 😍 I love those because more people are involved other than me and I like being a part of something bigger than myself 🤗

Upcoming Story You Are Most Excited to Write: My Victor x MC story. Its UMMMMM........ ITS SLOW BURN YALL. LIKE WHO AM I?! lmfao. 

*(I am going to personally add a few questions to this tag that I am interested in knowing about others as well lol)*

What do you use to edit?: I pay for Grammarly (its AMAZING even the free version is super worth it) 

For word meanings, synonyms, and better wording I use OneLook Reverse Dictionary ALL THE TIME for every single fic. (and like I said before, to help with titles)

When I feel like something is off and grammarly doesn’t quite know and I don’t know, I put the fic through Hemmingway Editor. It tells you HOW readable a sentence is. If its hard to read I rewrite it and make things a bit simpler for the eyes. Its free in the browser. 

Writing setup: Ideally, the sun is coming in through the window, It’s cool inside, I’m wearing a fuzzy sweater, I have hot coffee or tea, and my head phones are in. 

I listen to lofi music station on youtube but If its distracting I put on lofi without lyrics. I love THIS playlist. (this is live so it’ll prob break but here’s an alt link to their offline playlist) If I am in an upbeat mood I like “Electropose” music. Or I listen to the ‘setting’ a fic is in. Like if its raining in the story, I put on rain ambiance and things like that. 

Do you use a beta reader? No 😬, not really. Anytime I have someone beta read and they comment on the content and not the editing I get way too nervous to post the fic and suddenly it get sick to my stomach laskjdlsdj. I trust a couple gals to beta read in an editing mind set but I don’t bother them all the time. I like to go balls to the walls and trust grammarly, post the damn thing, and bite my nails hoping for the best. 

Where do you get your writing inspo?: Bruh, #1 READING! Reading books, reading fics, reading summaries for things. Also, reading the routes in otomes, watching anime, and letting my mind wonder lol. I also like to chat with people on discord and let the stories unfold. Inspo has also come from a lot of my dreams tbh. My dreams are hella vivid and I try to write them down when I wake up if they are interesting lol. 

Can we get a quote from an upcoming WIP?: 

[     Without cars and crowds, the evening wind picked up nothing but serene sounds. Crickets gently chirped and leafs quietly brushed one another. The branches rustled together, making an organic symphony that the wind carried up to the balcony you leaned on. 

*****’s warm hands ran up and down your forearms, warming your chilled skin. From behind, he bent forward and nipped at the shell of your ear. 

“Is that better?” His silky hands moved faster, creating heated friction. 

“Mmm,” You relished in the sensation. “Much better.”

His gentle chuckle against your pulse made you wiggle into him. ***** pressed his solid chest against your back and sighed. “Maybe if you were wearing more than just my shirt, you wouldn’t be so chilly.” 

“I just want to be out here for a moment. The fresh air is nice.” You pressed your lips together into a small smile and angled your face up to him. “Don’t you agree?”  ]

tagging: @somethinglacking @pseudofaux @tarralin @steph-writing @kiarigirl @otonymous @jennacat84 @xathia-89 @toloveawarlord @moonlit--river @thequeenshuntress @thirstyforbishiesimagines <3 Honestly I want to tag more people but I don’t wanna be annoying SO if you do this feel free to tag me cuz I am soooooo curious about other writers! Lets be friendsssss <3 

[ilguna]

hi- I’m not sure if you’re the right person to ask, but I wanted to know how to start a fanfic writing tumblr- I mean, I’m just not sure how to start since I’ve never posted anything on my account- I’m sorry if this is an inconvenience-

Don’t worry about it. I’m a little offended that you would think you’re coming to the wrong place 😂.

Imma break it down for you.

BTW this post is long bc I wanted to cover all bases

—

First of all, if you’re on tumblr mobile, then that’s fantastic and we’ll start with that first. If you’re on desktop, I would like to suggest getting it on your phone because it’s more accessible and easier to manage than doing it on the computer. The only time I go to the computer is when I’m going to post fics, but we’ll get there.

I know you said you’re wondering how to start posting fics but I gotta give you some advice before that. Because there are just some things I cannot stand when it comes to some fanfic blogs, alright?

Be easy on your color scheme. I wouldn’t put any bright colors because it could hurt someone’s eyes, and sometimes it looks really bad. Going along with that, you should be careful what your second color is on your blog (let’s say that your base color was a maroon, and then you’d choose a color similar to that/darker than that. It’ll be hard to read the things in your bio, and it’s frustrating)

This is obvious, but make sure you have a profile and header picture, it’s more appealing rather than tumblrs default.

Turn ON asks and then proceed to do it for anonymous questions, because that’s the only way you get requests. Some people do it off anon but that’s not as common.

You can do this on desktop and a safari browser. It’s not possible to do on mobile just yet. Open up safari > log in > little person icon in the top right > edit appearance. Scroll until you see “let people as questions” turn that on. Turn on anon, and edit the box to whatever you want. Keep it short

Turn off “share posts you like” and the following one below it. It’s a risky game to play when it comes to what you’re looking at and liking.

No submission posts, normally people don’t submit things anyway. Turn OFF “on blog advertising” and then that’s it. It automatically saves so you can just leave to the next screen imma bout to tell you about

IF you go to my blog on desktop, you’ll see that there’s a theme. My font is different, I have a different set up than most blogs, etc.

If you wanna mess around with that, scroll to the top of page (you should still be on the same page from the anon instructions) and tap “edit theme”

It might take a second to load, but you’ll get there.

THIS SCREEN IS VERY IMPORTANT.

Besides the fact that it lets you edit your theme, this is how you put in a Masterlist, and all other links you might want in your bio.

You said you haven’t written anything yet, so there isn’t a need for a Masterlist just yet. But when you DO start posting, please come back to me and I’ll let you know how to put one in your bio, okay? Nice and shiny for your future followers.

If you wanna change your theme go to browse themes, change it from “all themes” to “free themes”. If you like mine, it’s called “Accesible”. If you just want the font, get out of the theme screen and scroll the screen on the left. Turn ON “open dyslexic

Remember, you can do all of this on desktop too, it doesn’t have to be on safari

—

Now onto posting, I have some opinions that might offend my mutuals (oopsie)

I can’t tell the difference, but PERSONALLY, I think posting fics on tumblr from my phone is gross. But that’s also because I’m writing 1000+ words normally and it gets difficult to post

If you want to post fics with more than 100 paragraphs, then you have to go to desktop or maybe safari tumblr (I don’t post from safari tumblr so idk if it works) because tumblr says NO paragraphs after 100 on mobile. There is no restriction on computer

I write in Google Docs, because it’s neater and I’ve discovered some hate for Word after deleting some of the shit I wrote over and over. Plus it’s an app, and you can open it up on computer. Easy to use.

If you use Notes on your phone, or type directly onto a tumblr post, then that’s fine but you don’t know your word count and it’s a little difficult to navigate.

When it comes to formatting, I used to have it be really long. But I’ve narrowed it down to 3, sometimes 4 things.

Summary: this is where I put the request so the anon/person knows that it’s their request. (I copy n paste the entire request in the summary part, I don’t answer asks (requests) anymore because it’s easier to answer them after I posted).

Warnings: my permanent is swearing, and then I add on (what type) violence, murder, suic*de, gore, etc DEPENDING ON THE REQUEST

Word count: and I do this because I write long imagines sometimes and some people don’t want to sit through 5k words of boring shit

And the optional—Note: I put this if I thank someone for their patience on the request, if I say happy holidays or some shit like that. I don’t have notes on every post anymore because they just turn out being the same every time

Apart from that, give it a title (make it unique but not too long!) who it’s for and then copy and paste the fic in

I’m using my own posts as an example right here, okay. But I have the summary and all of that bolder because it’s easier to see, and I want it to be different from the actual post. Most fanfic writers do this.

I also put 2 —‘s between the authors note at the top and the fic to also make a difference there

Don’t have the entire fic italicized, it takes away the special part of italicizing a word

Finally, it’s tagging.

I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT tag things that have nothing to do with the post. It’s my biggest pet peeve and it’s because I can’t comprehend why people tag (for example) Katrina Stuart when it’s a fic OR A RANDOM POST about someone else

Instead, let’s keep it simple.

🌸 STOP 🌸

I forgot to mention this. But choose your username wisely. You can change it later on, but it’s a goddamn pain in the ass when you have 50+ fanfics you wrote and your Masterlist is nice and clean only to realize that you have to RELINK every post individually

Listen, I changed my username on my old blog, and it took me 8 hours ROUGHLY to relink and fix every individual Masterlist. I had to create new masterlists, with so many tabs open to fix it

Instead, change it before you start fics

If you wanna be a colby brock blog, I have a canon url (which means that it’s so fucking GOOD and I’m angry that i realized it was open only a month ago rather than when I created this account) and it’s colbysbrocks (it’s a plural canon url). And I have colbysecrets too. If you don’t like either of those, I have a couple of other ideas that I wrote down if you want them

🌸 okay continue 🌸

This is how you should tag:

(I’ll give an example after this)

Your username first, the person it’s about, the fandom (if it’s not Colby brock, then something like marvel, etc). Then the persons name, imagine, fanfic, x reader, and oneshot. Then if it was requested

EXAMPLE ONE:

Azurebrock, Colby brock, Colby brock imagine, Colby brock fanfic, Colby brock x reader, Colby brock oneshot, requested

Simple, right? You can even use this method for Wattpad too.

EXAMPLE TWO:

(This is Star Wars, im using my own username again)

Kylorenlovesyou, Kylo ren, Ben solo, kylo ren imagine, kylo ren fanfic, kylo ren x reader, kylo ren oneshot, Ben solo imagine, Ben solo fanfic, Ben solo x reader, Ben solo oneshot, Star Wars

Notice that I tagged both of his names. I do this because it draws more people in, and more people will be attracted to it (however, in the Star Wars fandom there’s a difference between Ben Solo and Kylo-Ren, so you would have to specify in the title Ex. Resistance (Ben Solo) or Struggle (Kylo-Ren). It would depend on which persona you’re using

This works for a couple of fandoms, like twilight and shit like that

EXAMPLE THREE:

(Final one, I just wanted to cover this base just in case)

If it’s a request for more than one person. Let’s say Colby Brock and Sam Golbach (like a Polyamorous relationship, if it’s just about a bunch of people, tag the people in it and don’t put the imagine, fanfic, x reader, oneshot after any of them, it doesn’t apply)

If it’s a poly relationship (or maybe more) then do everything you normally do for one person, and then just add on the second;

Azurebrock, Colby brock, Sam Golbach, Colby brock imagine, Sam Golbach imagine, etc

If you’re on desktop, I would suggest putting in a Read More (this goes BEFORE your fic but after the authors note, below the 2 —‘s). The way you do that is press enter, and hover over the new break in the fic.

Off to the right you’ll see a . . . Click that and then you have the read more. I would only suggest using this if there’s more than 500 words, so that if the fic is super long, it doesn’t take up the entire dash for the follower (it takes forever to scroll and it’s annoying

If you’re on mobile, it isn’t possible. Just post and you can go back and edit later if you have a computer