#plus i think i could get some good recommendation letters from my teachers on that

[l0rd-0f-c0ws]

Thinking I might major in anthropology or smth, I wanna pick a history based major but idk what, I just wanna work at a museum while I do art stuff on the side since I think that'd make me the most happy. Gotta min max my future guys

[marvel-ous-m]

Been thinking about modern AU Elementary School Librarian!Eddie and Substitute Teacher!Steve.

Eddie, who doesn’t really know how he ended up working at the school. A series of events that made him luck out, he supposed. He had always loved books, and practically lived at the public library in between working at the shop and sleeping. He had gotten to know the librarians there over time, had familiarized himself with the Dewey Decimal System from browsing the aisles, and had begun to explore different genres of books after finishing his sci-fi/fantasy bucket list. One evening, while he was curled up on one of the couches in the corner, re-reading The Hobbit for the hundredth time, a little girl with fire-red hair and her front two teeth missing ran up to him and begged him to read to her. He had glanced around the room for a moment, searching for the girl’s parent, but came up with nothing. At a loss, he decided he might as well read to her.

They got through three books that the girl- Max, she had said her name was- had picked out. By the end of his time reading to her, a small group of kids had crowded around him, and a couple of parents were on the outskirts of the makeshift circle smiling at him, clearly pleased that their kids were enjoying “story time”. One of the librarians noticed too, apparently. As Eddie was leaving to walk back to his apartment that night, he was slid a printed-out job posting for the librarian at the elementary school. Eddie never really saw himself as a ‘kids’ guy, but reading to them had been the highlight of his day, and they had all said he’d done the voices well… maybe this would be a good thing. Certainly better than the muscle strain he had almost daily from fixing cars.

So he submitted a resume. He got a letter of recommendation from the librarian who slid him the job posting, and somehow, even without having any certification past his High School Diploma, he landed an interview. They had been desperate, apparently. It was a tiny school in their tiny town and they needed someone to fill in. After only fifteen minutes, he got offered the job- pending results of a four week job shadow with the retiring librarian they were trying to replace and background checks. Two months later and he had become a well-established faculty member at the school, ‘Mr. M’, who did the best monster voices (according to the kids), decorated the library to make it look like it was out of a fairytale (with the help of the art teacher and his now-best-friend Robin Buckley), and even filled in for the music teacher on occasion. It was the best thing to ever happen to him.

Roughly three years after he was hired, he finds one of his lunch breaks being interrupted by Mrs. Harrington’s 3rd grade class. She had always been a bit of a bitch, but she never operated off-schedule. Eddie put his lunch away and observed as the kids flooded into the library and ran around, all finding a book to read or an activity to quietly play with. Will Byers (one of his favorite kids- not that he had favorites, but he totally did) ran up to him, holding watercolor markers and giving him puppy dog eyes. Eddie sighed and rolled up his sleeve, then helped Will sit on his desk so he could reach Eddie’s arm better. Will had asked about Eddie’s tattoos at the beginning of the year, wondering why there wasn’t any color on some of them, and then had been determined to color them in. And Eddie? Well, he couldn’t say no to the kid. Plus it was pretty adorable to have his ‘metal’ tattoos covered in washable marker.

“Will! Did he say you could do that?” Eddie looked up at the exclamation, surprised to come face-to-face with somebody who was definitely not Mrs. Harrington.

“Wait- who are you? Do I need to get the security guard?”

“What? No- no, I’m Mrs. Harrington’s substitute. They sent an email out about me I think? I’m- her son, actually. But you can just call me Steve. Or- probably Mr. Steve in front of the kids? I’m still kind of new at this- my mom called me last week and said she needed to stop teaching for a while because she needed to go on my dad’s business trips with him, she’s always been a bit suspicious of what he really does on the trip, and since I just got my teaching certification she figured it would be best for me too be her substitute- and shi-oot, shoot, I’m totally over sharing right now- it’s just the kids begged me to come here and they weren’t doing our math activity so I kinda panicked-“

“Whoa, alright, slow down big boy.” Eddie chuckled under his breath, then grabbed a sticky note and a pen with his free hand and scrawled out his number. Once he was done he handed it to Steve with a smirk. “I’m absolutely terrible at checking my email. So there ya go- the first number is for my cell- teaching these rascals can be a handful, especially with Henderson and Mayfield in your class, so feel free to text me anytime. We can talk about school or… other things.” Eddie let his eyes take in the man in front of him- and damn, this guy was hot.

Steve blushed, stuttering as he spoke. “A-and the second?” Oh shit, he wasn’t just hot, he was cute too. Eddie suddenly wanted to make Steve this flustered all the time.

“Second number is my extension for the phones here, if the kids get to be too much I can come down the hall for a visit and get them focused while you take a break. They have library time on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1pm to 2:30pm.” Eddie smiled at him, softer this time. “I’m sure you’re doing a great job. They’re just antsy because of the change- but I think they’d like anybody more than your mom- um, no offense.”

“None taken, she’s a bitc- um, a not super nice lady.” Steve coughed, smiling nervously. “Still getting used to kid-friendly language.”

Eddie shook his head fondly. This was certainly the start of something very interesting.

[survey--s]

444.

When was the last time you sang out loud? In the shower about four and a half hours ago. How many people do you know with the name ‘Joshua’? None anymore, but I knew quite a few Joshuas when I was younger. Where were the last three places you went: Copper’s house, Ollie’s house and Charlie’s house. What time was it 4 hours ago? 2.37pm. What were you doing at that time? Eating lunch and watching Hoarders.

Have you ever picked up a penny because you thought it was good luck? Sure, as a little kid I did that all the time. Are you over 16? I’m over twice that age now, lol. Are you taller than 5'6"? Yeah, by two and a half inches lol. Were you born after 1991? Nope. Does your last name start with a 'C’? It does not. Why did you last go to the doctor? To get a sick note from work. Are you currently single? No. How do you feel about that? Happy. Do you have a twin? No. What was the last song you listened to? I can’t remember. My Spotify has been weird lately and keeps crashing. Who was your 5th grade teacher? Mrs Amtower, I think? What is the longest you’ve lived in one place? Like, in one house? 11 years. In terms of one town, 18 years without a break. Do you live in Chicago? I don’t even live in America. Have you ever climbed a water tower? No - and this really reminds of That 70′s Show. Have you ever soaped someone’s car? Like, washed it? Sure. Have you ever introduced yourself with a name other than your own? Yes. Do you have hazel eyes? No, but this question just makes me think of Kelly Clarkson. Can you play the piano? Yeah, I got my Grade 3 many year ago, though I’ve not played since. Would you shave your head for $100? No. What color are the sheets on your bed? Purple. Who was your last missed phone call? The company I order my dog treats with for work. They ring every few months with some offer - I never answer and yet they never stop, lol. Your last received phone call? Mike. Your last dialed phone call? My mum. What’s a good movie you recently saw that you would recommend? I haven’t seen a good, new movie for ages lol. How many times does the letter ’t’ occur in your full name? Once. Would you consider yourself more artistic or mathematical? Neither, really, but I guess overall I’m more artistic. How old is the oldest person that lives in the same house as you? 38. How about the youngest? That’s me, and I just turned 34. Or, if we include animals, Toby is nearly three. What year is the vehicle you drive? It’s a 2016 Hyundai i10. Are you older than the last person you kissed? No. What day will it be in 2 days? Friday. How does that make you feel? Pleased as it’ll nearly be the weekend. Which is closer right now: your birthday or Christmas? My birthday, but only by a couple of weeks. Do you have any item your consider your good luck charm? No. What jewelry are you currently wearing? 7 x earrings, nose stud and my wedding and engagement rings. What is your hair naturally like? Frizzy. Do you have freckles? No. When did you go to bed last night? I went to bed around 10-ish but I didn’t get to sleep until gone midnight. How many gallons of milk would you say are currently in your fridge? Uh, we have a 4 pint bottle of milk and about a pint left over in another bottle. Do you like coffee? I love coffee. Favorite flavor of poptart? I’m really not a fan of pop-tarts. They always sound much nicer than they are. Who were the last non-relatives you hung out with? Mark and Susie. Do you share your last name with anyone famous? Yeah, a few people. Is there anything bothering you at the moment? I’m tired and it’s meant to snow tonight which means my whole day could get throw off tomorrow, lol. Who is someone you can tell almost anything? Mike. What was your name supposed to be if you were born the opposite sex? Alexander. Have you eaten any fresh fruit today? No fresh fruit, but I’ve had carrots, red peppers, cucumber and sweetcorn, plus an orange juice.  What song best describes your mood at the moment? I’m So Tired by The Beatles. Are your fingernails currently painted? No. When was the last time you went to the beach? This morning. I live two minutes from the beach. Have you ever donated plasma because you were short on cash? No. Do you live with anyone who smokes? No. Mike used to smoke but he quit not long after we got together. Do you know anyone who works at Walmart? At the UK equivalent, sure. I used to work there too. How about McDonald’s? No. Who did you see the last time you went to a concert? I think it was The Courteeners. If you died, would you rather be buried or cremated? Cremated and turned into a diamond. The idea of being buried really creeps me out for some reason, lol. How many pockets do you have in the clothes you are wearing? Zero. Do you tend to carry around alot of spare change? No. I only ever have cash when Jill pays me and I haven’t had time to go to the Post Office. Do you know anyone who lives in Pennsylvania? Yeah, a couple of people from my Xanga days. Which holiday do you most look forward to? Christmas, I guess. How many contacts do you have in your phone under the letter ’D’? Just one, the dentist lol. If you had to relive the entire last month over again, how would you feel? It’s been a good month but I still wouldn’t want to re-live it. What do you generally wear to bed? An oversized t-shirt and underwear. Think back to 6 months ago, were you single or taken? Married, the same as now. Do you still talk to your best friend from kindergarten? Nope. What color are the walls in your kitchen? Cream. When was the last time you had a haircut? About three months ago. Do you watch Family Guy? No. Who was the last person you went to the movies with? My mum. Do you own a Bible? No. What is your favorite day of the week? It depends on the week, the weather and which dogs I have booked in. What was the last sit-down restaurant you went to? Uhh, a tapas bar in Windermere with my mum. I forget the name exactly but the food was amazing, haha. Have you ever had a pet snake? No. Have you ever dated someone who had kids? Yeah, Chris did, and let me tell you, I would NEVER do it again. Is your best friend single or taken? We’re married. Why did your last relationship end? He was a compulsive liar who denied three of his own children. Is there anyone you wish you could see right now? Nah, not right now. I’m tired and it’s due to snow and I just CBA lol. Have you ever dreamt of a crush? Sure. What color was the shirt you wore yesterday? Grey. How many times have you been to Six Flags? Never, we don’t have them over here. Have you ever been to the Statue of Liberty? No. Do you have any vacation plans at the moment? Nah, not yet. I’d like to go away at some point though even if it’s just a long weekend, but we have nothing booked. Would you rather live 1 day of your future or relive your favorite memory? The latter, for sure. Do you own a pair of colored contacts? No. Where was your profile photo taken? On the beach - Lisa took it. Who was the last person to hug you? Mike. Have you ever broken a finger? No, I’m pretty sure I’ve broken my little toe a few times though. Do you know anyone with a pierced eyebrow? Not now, but I remember when they were ALL the rage. Are you dating the last person you kissed? We’re married. Do you regret your last kiss? No. Are you related to anyone with the name Andrew? Nope. When did you learn to tie your shoes on your own? I was about four or five, I think. Where did you go to grade school? I’m not putting that on here. Do you live within 30 miles of where you were born? Nope, I’m pretty much exactly 300 miles from where I was born (299.6 to be precise) lol. Are you an only child? Yeah. Did you vote in the 2008 presidential election? I’m not American. Are you older than your best friend? Nope. Do you talk to your neighbors much? We say hi if we see each other in the street, but that’s the extent of it. When was the last time your wore a skirt (girls) or a tie (boys)? Years ago.  What’s something you are good at cooking? Roast potatoes. Do you know anyone in the Navy? No. List one of your favorite quotes: “Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” - Neil Gaiman.

[pillow-anime-talk]

dating them.

synopsis: Some sweet, funny and also crazy moments in your relationship.

# tags: headcanons; current relationships; romance; mild comedy; fluff; PDA; sfw

includes: gender neutral reader ft. reki kyan, langa hasegawa, miya chinen, kaoru sakurayashiki & kojirou nanjou {sk8}

author’s note: so... i’m just in love with this anime...

— REKI

↘ He’s such a precious boy who cheers you up in the blink of an eye; I think he has an extra sense, so he knows when you feel worse than usual or when you are in even the slightest pain (for example, you bumped your elbow or you haven’t eaten breakfast before ‘cause you missed your alarm clock and therefore you have a stomachache).

↘ Reki is a supportive lover; whether you are passionate about singing, learning languages, reading manga, sewing mascots or painting, a seventeen-year-old will always be right next to you to praise what you do or the way you look. He will notice every, even stupid detail about you and mention it immediately when you’re going to hang out. He’s definitely your fan and doesn’t hide it. Additionally, if you introduce him to what you love, he will also get interested in it in a way and then he will come to you to show off what he has done like a sketch of the two of you or an opinion about the anime you recommended him three days ago.

↘ The boy is really devoted to you and loves physical contact; grabbing a hand, kissing on the cheek or forehead, cute texts in the morning it’s something totally normal for the two of you. I also think that Reki could melt if you run your fingers through his soft hair or make small braids for him, decorating his head with a few colored hairpins or hairbands.

↘ If you know how to skateboarding, he will be delighted and your dates will mostly be about riding together or learning new tricks. Plus, it’s another thing Reki loves about you and wow. He’s even bigger fanboy than before!

↘ However, if you have never ridden or even tried to do it, it doesn’t matter. A teen will be happy to be able to offer you some private lessons if you wish. Again, red-haired adores physical contact, so holding your hands/waist while you stand on his beloved skateboard will be a dream come true for him.

↘ He always has ticket for you, so you make a new banner for each race to support him. Hit me, but I’m 120% sure that after race (whether he won or lost it) he takes your pretty banners and hides them in this special box that has its place on his bedroom closet.

↘ Overall, Reki is a boy who fits to the definition of high school, first love.

— LANGA

↘ Your relationship is a bit more peaceful, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bit of humor or abstraction.

↘ Langa loves your company so, so, so badly; Reki is quite hot-tempered and is literally everywhere, so when the two of you hang out together after school or at the weekend, blue-haired feels that he can breathe and relax every muscle in his body. You’re his comfort person, and your room is a safe place without fear and noise.

↘ He also enjoys physical contact, but much more prefers to show affection in private, for example in your home or in his own bedroom.

↘ His favorite type of PDA is cuddling; he prefers to be a big spoon and hug you from behind, but he has no problem hugging against your chest or warm stomach, especially when he feels down because of school or racing.

↘ I have a strange feeling that Langa is the type of romantic who would make an amazing Spotify playlist for the two of you so you could listen to the songs, cuddling each other in the bed.

↘ If you can skateboard that’s great! For sure you, Langa and Reki will be a good trio that will meet often in the skate park or in ‘S’. I’m also pretty sure he’ll cheer for you, but at the same time he’ll be very cute with it and definitely more calm than his bestie. For example, if you do a trick... you’ll get a quick kiss on the nose or Langa will buy you your favorite drink. He definitely likes to pamper you.

↘ If you don’t know how to skateboard but you really want to start skateboarding to share your lover’s passion... Well, he will definitely give you a short (long) monologue about how dangerous it is, and you need to be careful – because he knows best of all how a fall on butt or face hurts.

↘ He always keeps a tiny set of colored plasters in his jacket or pants pocket to take care of you in the case of an unexpected accident, as Reki used to care for him.

↘ He’s a good teacher, but he will definitely need to calm his emotions, because sometimes instead of showing you how to slide down the railing, he will suggest something more down-to-earth, like going to the cinema to watch the movie you mentioned three days ago.

— MIYA

↘ Ahh, my precious smol baby.

↘ You are Miya’s first partner, so he still thinks that he’s not good enough for you, although you always reassure him with a light peck on the nose that he’s the best thing that has happened to you and that you’re very glad that you can be with him in every good and bad moment.

↘ The teenager is terribly shy about any physical contact outside, so if you aren’t at home, don’t expect a ton of hugs or kisses from him. He much prefers when you two are alone – then he doesn’t feel overwhelmed by the gazes of other people, especially other skaters who like to make fun of him. 

↘ I swear I’ll bite and beat them all...

↘ Miya is a delicate soul and he really likes to feel that someone look after him, so in a relationship he definitely prefers when you cares for him. For example; just touch his soft hair, ask about his well-being or when he will have a race and a huge smile will appear on his face.

↘ I think if he feels that you are the only one for him... Maybe he will lend you his favorite hoodie with cat ears and tail? He’ll be overjoyed to see that you feel good in it. You look extremely cute, but he’ll never admit it. 

↘ It smells like him, like wet earth and a hint of sweet perfume, and although it’s a strange combination, it feels really beautiful, downright safe and homey.

↘ For the next holiday (your birthday, your anniversary, Valentine’s Day or Christmas), he will give you a sweatshirt that matches to his own. It will be in your favorite color and will also have an animal accessory, not necessarily catish, because if you prefer dogs, rabbits or cows... You know, there are many options.

↘ If you know how to skateboard, he will be really calm and will feel that finally someone will want to spend time with him, training and riding together; not like in childhood when everyone turned away from him. He will definitely be moved when you grab his smooth hand and offer a long ride in the park. He definitely loves praise, so give him praise every now and then when he does a nice trick. He will also compliment you more than once and even give you a kiss on the cheek (of course if nobody is watching!). He’s not good at words, but he tries!

↘ If you don’t know how to skateboard... He may be a bit skeptical, but naturally he’ll agree to a few lessons in front of your or his house. Of course you originally just wanted to be close to him and hold his hand more often than usual, but it turned out to be pretty fun! Now, training is your typical dates.

↘ Miya is a sweet boy and although he may not look like that, he’s really protective, often jealous and always puts you at first place.

— KAORU

↘ This beautiful man, this angel-looking ideal, this ahhhh... Being in a relationship with him is pure pleasure and daily healing for the soul.

↘ He’s a calm, understanding and loving partner. I think he’s a bit old fashioned but that only adds much more charm to his person.

↘ He often calls you his ‘dearest’, ‘darling’ or ‘sweetheart’, isn’t that cute?

↘ You two don’t go out on dates too often, but I think Kaoru loves to spend time at home, having tea or on the couch while one of you is reading a book and the other is listening to music or just sleeping. He definitely doesn’t look like that, but he loves PDA/cuddling and is the best at it!

↘ He also likes it when you suggest learning calligraphy together. He never forced you to do this, but when he first heard that you would like to meet one of his passions, he was really happy and immediately showed you how to write with ink on the special paper he had in his flat. Obviously, more than once you ask him to write a simple letter or word, because you just love his handwriting and how focused he seems. He’s really hot then, I swear to god!

↘ You love his long hair and are always eager to give him a new, nice hairstyle; normal braid or fishtail braid. Maybe a bun or a ponytail with a few hairpins? He loves everything you do on him. In addition, the gentle head massage you give him each time is the most soothing thing in the world for him.

↘ If you know how to skating... He’s really surprised, but that doesn’t mean he’s unhappy or angry. He wants to see what you can do right away and you will surely feel a sweet kiss on your forehead more than once when the trick will be good or even better than you both thought. He’s a supportive boy, but doesn’t show it as vehemently as Reki, for example; he prefers to smile at you or clap softly.

↘ If you don’t know how to skate yet, but you asked him to teach you how to even stand on it... I imagine Kaoru going pale and trying to distract you from this idea because, as an experienced skater, he’s afraid that you will hurt yourself like any beginner. But your big eyes and ruddy cheeks are his weaknesses, so he’ll trust both you and Carla and help you keep your balance on his beloved, black-violet board. Reward him later with quick kisses or give him his favorites, okay?

↘ To sum up, Kaoru is a good and honest lover. He definitely loves your company and won’t mind spending his free time seriously and frivolously with you.

— KOJIROU

↘ This guy is the definition of the sentence ‘Through the stomach to the heart’. Any objections? No. So let’s gooooo!

↘ Kojirou is a PERFECT second half. Both in character and appearance. If he fall in love with someone seriously, and it will be you, then know that he’ll care for you like about a member of the royal family; breakfasts in bed, an Italian supper, the perfect choice of wine for a chicken or steak are things that have become a sweet daily thing for you at some point.

↘ He loves to show you affection and absolutely has no problem doing it in public, even when he’s working or when you two are in a tight crowd on the train or in the ‘S’ before his race. He will kiss you hard on the lips, grab your skin on your butt or hug your waist. It’s just that everyone needs to know that you belong to him. He’s just as clingy as Reki, and sometimes even worse and bolder.

↘ Of course he has cute side; he likes to lie on the bed or the sofa with you on his chest. He loves being between your thighs and sleep there. He definitely has a weak point in that when you you run your finger on his tattoo or cook dinner with him, throwing ingredients at him and laughing out loud.

↘ Another romantic who uses thousands of pet names (like babey, cutie, doll, pumpkin, kitten). Plus, he loves to dance with you in the kitchen and steal a few kisses here and there. Also, if you aren’t looking, he likes to surprise you with a big, bear hug.

↘ I think he’s a bit impatient, so he doesn’t like to sit at home and prefers dates in crazy places (such as an amusement park, swimming pool, karaoke bar) – it’s his favorite way of spending your time together. As a gentleman, he always pays for you, unless you go faster and bring your ATM card to the card reader as first. But don’t be surprised when Kojirou will just buy you cotton candy or popcorn shortly afterwards.

↘ If you know how to skateboard, he’s as excited as a kid and will definitely offer you a date at the skate park. Naturally, he wants to show off to others what a super cool partner he has, but he also wants others to know that you’re here together to kick everyone’s asses with your abilities. You’re definitely a powerful couple and you have the matching necklaces!

↘ But if you don’t know how to skating then... well, well, well. Just be prepared that one day (without even asking for it) you’ll stand on his beloved board and he will grab your hips, smiling silly. He enjoy skin ship so this guy feels utopian when he can be near you. He definitely won’t spare you compliments, long pecks, and smack your butt when you do something great, so you have to get used to it... and it’s going to be a long training session, so good luck, my friend.

↘ He’s a funny guy, but he’ll never cross your limits, so don’t worry about that. However, he will always find a topic for conversation or a joke to relax the atmosphere or cheer you up. You will never be bored with him.

[mrpenguinpants]

Albedo HCs: Coming Home [Christmas Celebration 🎉]

For the Christmas Celebration Requests, please read this [we have 2 more days but I’ll possibly extend the deadline to Jan 10. I’m tackling all the Mondstadt rq first before moving onto Liyue]

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Ohhh, I love idea a lot (might have gone overboard anon haha). No worries about being specific, I love getting specific requests. I just finished a super depressing fic and I’m back at it again. Though I will do my best to make this one happy because that Mona fic hurt me. But I’m glad to hear you love my writing haha 💕💕

I also know nothing about Albedo and have never written this man in my life but I’m going to ignore everything because these are happy hours. I love his man so much so this is some self-indulgent stuff (if you couldn’t tell from the word count) istg hcs have turned into fics just without the dialogue. I took many liberties lol what the hell is formatting?  

Also, shoutout to @asheseiler​​​ A beautiful human being that started chatting with me because we both love Childe haha. But seriously, I appreciate you 💕💕💕

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[taglist]  <- if you want to be added, please read this first.

@hanniejji​​​​​  @mikeysbike​​​​​ @unionwitch​​​​ @musekala​​​​ @twistedsunnshiii​​​ @stanzastic​​​ @akaasea​​​ @xoneaboveallx​​​ @adoring-ghost​​​ @asheseiler​​​ @childelover​​

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Albedo HCs: Coming Home

As you finally reached the hill top by the Stone Gate, you could just make out the stone walls of the City of Freedom in Mondstadt. You were almost there and the butterfly’s racing through your stomach only seemed to fly faster. You had been on a long trip away by travelling between Liyue and Inazuma. From practicing your alchemy to finding new secrets, it had been awhile since you last saw Mondstadt. While it had been fun going from place to place and seeing all the new arts and techniques, you couldn’t stop the feeling of loneliness of not having an occasionally smug but talented ash blond companion at your side.

You hadn’t seen Albedo since Master Rhinedottir had left and sent Albedo to Mondstadt with a letter of recommendation. You travelled with him to the City of Freedom but you only stayed for a few nights before you departed to Liyue. Your master had different plans for you and you didn’t know how long your own journey would take but you both promised to stay in touch through letters. 

He was now acting as the Chief Alchemist and Captain of the Investigation Team of the Knights of Favonius. He managed to get a lab from Alice and he even had an assistant named Sucrose. He sent over some sketches for you and even if the bottom half of “Sucrose” was just a stick figure, you were happy that he wasn’t alone and cooped up in his lab all the time. You were, however, worried about these “Klee disasters” but happy that he still had the energy to write to you. At first it was hard, you found yourself talking to the air as if Albedo was still there but even after all these years, you couldn’t help but miss him. The occasional letter you received did help to lighten the mood however and you always made sure to store them carefully.

It seemed that your dapping mood was noticeable because even the ever stoic Zhongli asked if you were okay. He was nice and easy to talk to, even if he had a problem with Mora that you sometimes had to bail him out off, but you trusted him so you explained to him your growing loneliness. Which he simply replied that if you missed someone, you should go see them.

So here you are right outside the gates. The knights at the front were nice enough and let you through with ease once they checked that you didn’t have anything destructive. Now the hard part was actually finding Albedo. The knights had mentioned that despite being a highly respectable alchemist and one of the Captains, no one really knew where he was most of the time. Originally, you were thinking of planning some sort of surprise, even had made an entire game plan, but now that you were here. You just wanted to tackle the man, pride be damned.

You began to wander around the city, in comparison to Liyue it was quite small but so much more lively and warm. Christmas was right around the corner so everyone was rushing around hanging up lights and finding presents but it was nice. Everyone seemed to know each other and unlike Liyue, you didn’t need to be afraid if the walls were listening. You looked around for a man with bright teal eyes and ashy light blond hair, even asking around, but no luck. No one seemed to know where he was and if he was even in Mondstadt right now. You were beginning to loose hope and that your trip might have been in vain when you felt a small tap on your shoulder and-

Sweet jesus, what the fuck?

You were almost jealous at how good he looked now. He was always handsome when you were both younger but now it felt like cupid decided to descend from the heavens, laugh at you, then riddled you full of arrows. Was your pulse working? Brain still computing? You knew you had a small crush on Albedo when you were younger- who were you kidding, you were in love with this man since he helped you create cecilia flowers from a dead denro slime - but this was just unfair!

“Albedo! I was looking around everywhere for you. This place is actually a lot bigger than it se-”

“You’re back.”

Albedo was surprised to see that it was really you. He only caught a small glimpse of your profile but he knew it was you. He almost suspected that his vision was tricking him or that he might have accidently set one of his sketches of you to life but you were here. Albedo has always treated friendships with a constant degree of distance, always working or traveling to gathering materials to avoid social interactions even if it wasn’t intentional. He also had no memory of any family, only adventuring deep within the domains with his master and you. But when his Master left with one assignment left for him he couldn’t help but feel a bit hollow, but you were always there to lift his spirits up even if on the outside he didn’t appear upset.

But then you had left and gone on your own journey.

“Hm? Oh, sorry I didn’t mention it in my last letter. It was a bit of an impulse trip. But I’m not intruding in on anything right? You’re happy to see me...right?”

“You’re here.”

At first he was alright with it, even encouraged you to set off to Liyue since it was the closest. Promising that you would both keep in touch even if he found relationships a taxing cycle. But when a few months had passed and it began to settle in that you weren’t anywhere near him. That he couldn’t talk to you about new discoveries, that he couldn’t hear you voice anymore, that he had even forgotten how to sketch you. It felt...weird. He knew what he was feeling was loneliness, he wasn’t deluded or naïve, but even when he had Sucrose or Timaeus it wasn’t the same. But now you were here. He could see you and how the lines in his sketchbook were wrong whenever he attempted to re-create you. He could feel your warmth that sketches he brought to life couldn’t do. He could feel your presence and how it slowly but surely filled the void in him until it was bursting at the seams.

“Albedo? Are you alright?”

“You’re here.”

You were almost afraid that the holidays had broke Albedo. You knew he would sometimes get too deep in thought and wouldn’t register his surrounding but it was just you two. With the sun slowly going down, the snowflakes dancing around you both, and the Christmas light reflecting off his unique blue eyes. You took a slow blinked at him. Once. Twice. The same way you would when you were studying something, trying to unveil its secrets. Before sighing amusingly and opening up your arms to him. He was still the same. 

“I’m here.”

The final assignment Albedo received was too hard, too complicated, far beyond his own limits and he was worried that if he never completed it, would he ever see his teacher again? When you took your first step outside the walls of the city, waving back to him as you set off on your journey, he couldn’t help but feel that like his teacher, you were leaving him too. But when you looked at him with those warm but understanding eyes, opened your arms to him, he let go and stepped into your embrace. He was sure he was borderline crushing your frame but you hugged him back just as tightly. 

“My apologies. I got overwhelmed. Come with me, let’s get out of the cold first.”

You tried to hold it in but you laughed at his statement. He didn’t seem to mind as you felt him smile into your neck. Even with those words he hadn’t let go or slackened his grip in the slightest. So you both stayed there outside in the cold, the christmas lights reflected off snow, the sounds of laughter and singing playing in the background as you both embraced each other. 

I’m home

You’re home

---

Although Albedo was happy to see you again, he was wondering why out of all the years you had been away, all the other holidays you had missed, you decided to come to Mondstadt today. You were at his lab and marveling at all his new devices when he popped the question. You flushed a bit but quickly brushed it off, saying that after all the letters he sent you were finally curious as to what Mondstadt was like and the people he met. Plus, Liyue and Inazuma didn’t celebrate Christmas as much as Mondstadt so it would be nice to finally celebrate the holiday again.

He simply smiled smugly and nodded along before you eventually caved, because that look could steal your heart away, and revealed that honestly, you just really missed him and wanted to spend Christmas together. There wasn’t anything wrong with that was there? So what if you missed him? It was natural. It wasn’t like you were wondering what he was doing on slow days in Liyue. It wasn’t like you we- 

“You can stop laughing at me. I know you’re doing it even if I can’t hear it Albedo.” 

“I’m sorry you must be mistaken. Perhaps your observational skills have rusted?”

You huffed at him before turning your attention to a small but worn sketching book. It was different from the ones he had showed you and much smaller compared to the ripped out sketches he sent you. Albedo noticed your curiosity and almost flushed before striding over and showing you what was inside. It was either he do it now or you would constantly eye ball it until he finally let you see what was inside. 

He took out the old sketchbook and flipped all the way to the first page. They had been sketches of you. When it had just been you, Albedo, and your teacher he would often ask to draw you but he never showed you the finished product. What was surprising was they were all full sketches. No simple lines or unfinished colours. His interest in things, especially when he draws, were fleeting leading him to always create unfinished or basic lines. 

“Wow, was this your first sketchbook? Did you draw anything else? Oh, like your assistant perhaps?”

“No. I only drew one thing here. It’s been sitting here ever since but I tend to make sure it’s in good condition. Should I ever need to draw in it again.” 

Albedo almost reached for his pencil to sketch your smug but bright smile. But set his hand down. While he wants to capture moments so they remain forever with him, he felt that perhaps, it would be nice to live in them. Just for a moment. 

---

I never write at the bottom of my fics but I wrote too much at the start haha (plus tagging my screaming doesn’t work anymore). Not gonna lie, this was going to be different and you and Albedo would have role reversed AND I WAS GOING TO WRITE MONA IN but that didn’t happen. I made it so disgustingly sappy at the end that I want to throw up but when do I not? 

But I kind of like this version more. He’s super out of character but I don’t care and you’re gonna have to take this hcs out of my COLD DEAD HANDS. But I hope you enjoyed this and I’m using this as my Albedo catalyst so come home elevator boy. (cough celebration hcs are still open if you wanna feed me 👀 this )

[gummygowon]

the law of attraction - teaser | choi san

word count: 861 atm but projected to be more than 1k

genre: fluff, angst, suggestive, bad boy!san x fem.tutor!y/n, high school au!

enemies to lovers au!

warnings: mentions of sex (in this teaser), underage drinking, and implied smut 

a/n: I HAVE HAD THIS IDEA FOR SO LONG BUT I’VE NEVER WRITTEN IT OUT SO HOPEFULLY THIS CAN GET OUT SOON

“choi san? you get to tutor choi san?” your best friend, giselle practically screams at you.

you shove your hand into her face in an attempt to shut her up. “shush, people are staring.”

“i’m sorry but you get to tutor the choi san.” she defends herself as her voice gets quieter. 

“ok and? i’m tutoring the local fuck boy, what’s so special about him.” you ask, as you roll your eyes. 

“it’s choi san, come on.” she argues, using her hands to emphasize her point.

you look at your friend as if she’s crazy. you knew of the latter but you didn’t bother googling his ass during your free time. you also knew some of the gossip that circled around him. dumb, high school rumors like how his friends throw the most wildest parties almost every weekend and that he’s supposed to be really good in bed. like really good. 

and then it hit you, maybe that’s why your friend was excited for you to tutor him. “if you think that i’m going to get dicked down during a physics lesson with him then you’re wrong.”

“i mean-” the brunette shoots you a look. 

“oh my god.” you say as you bury your hands into your face. 

“what?” she exclaims. “it’ll be a step up from that one loser. actually a few.”

giselle was referring to your sad excuse of an ex. terrible boyfriend and an even worse person in bed. you guys stopped dating almost a year ago and it’s been awhile since you’ve been laid. it’s not like you were on the hunt for sex or something but damn, does it get lonely sometimes. 

“giselle, i’m not gonna fuck him for the last time.” you sigh.

“that’s if you don’t catch feelings first.” she smirks before continuing to eat her lunch.

you scoff, almost offended that your best friend assumed that you would fall for the residential bad boy. “as if.”

“ok, y/n.” giselle shrugs her shoulders at you as the bell rings. “if you come to me, telling me about your future raging crush on him then you owe me ramen.”

you shake your head, before waving her off and making it to the library for your first tutoring lesson. silently, praying to whatever’s out there for luck that everything goes smoothly. however, you couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. it was your first time teaching someone your age about anything plus you’re tutoring the ‘local sex god’ as some girls called him. usually, you never cared about your appearance but now you felt yourself trying to fix your hair and cleaning up the smudged mascara around your eyes. 

once deeming yourself approachable, you head into the school library occupying a table towards the back near the rows of bookcases. checking the time, five minutes to go, you pull your physics textbook along with your notebook to get ready. you look over the notes your teacher handed you that covered topics where san was lacking and decided to form some sort of last-minute lesson plan.

actually, everything about this was last minute. from your teacher practically begging you to tutor san since he really needed to pass this class in order to graduate to scheduling this godamn meet-up the day of. 

“y/n?, can you stay for a minute after class?”

you nod your head slowly, lowkey freaking out because you thought your teacher was somehow mad at you and that’s not what you need right now. she was the one teacher that you desperately needed to be on her good side so you could get a great letter of recommendation for college applications. 

attentively, you approach her desk waiting for her to chew you out even though you haven’t done anything bad in class.

“y/n, what’s your schedule like after school.” mrs. lee asks as she motions for another student to come in her classroom.

you peek at the student, only to see the one and only choi san. you bit your lip to stop yourself from frowning, “uh, it’s usually free apart from doing homework.”

she claps her hand in excitement, “ah perfect!”

“makes sense.” san mutters under his breath earning a glare from the both of you, his body language screaming ‘get me the fuck out of here’.

“anyways,” mrs. lee’s glare towards san softens as she turns to you, “i was hoping you could tutor mr. choi over here since he’s...struggling a bit in this class and i know you’re one of my top students so, i think this would be the perfect opportunity for the both of you.”

“both of us?” you accidentally ask out loud. what the hell does she mean by that? you silently think to yourself. extra credit maybe?

“well, if you agree to tutor mr. choi, i can write you a letter of rec for your college apps.” the teacher answers as she looks at you, her eyes begging you to say yes. 

fuck whatever.

“sure, mrs. lee! i’m free this afternoon.” you smile at her. this better not be a disaster, you thought while glancing back to san who looked upset that you agreed.

[alwaysmarveling]

Sticks and Stones

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x fem!Reader

Warnings: death (it gets pretty depressing)

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: I do recommend reading Chapter 1 before this one, which you can find here.

Fair warning, I normally don’t read angst, let alone write it, so this could all be a failed attempt at a depressing storyline. But hey, I tried :) And thank you so much @vancityfire13 for helping me out with this chapter!

“Mama, I don’t want to go to school. I think I’m sick,” Igor trudged into the kitchen, his steps heavy and his brows knit together.

“You don’t feel warm, Igoryok. Why don’t you sit down and have some breakfast and then we’ll see how things go, yeah?” Igor nodded reluctantly as Natasha carded her fingers through his hair, trying to tame the bee’s nest that had formed on his head while he was asleep. When you entered the kitchen, you quickly adopted a look to match the frown on Igor’s face.

“What’s wrong, Iggy?”

“I don’t feel good.” You copied Natasha, feeling his forehead but finding it perfectly normal.

“What doesn’t feel good, Igoryok?” Your frowns only deepened when he shrugged.

“If you don’t tell us, we can’t help you.”

“I just don’t feel good, okay?” Both of you flinched slightly at his anger. Although he could get rambunctious and excited at times, Igor was generally sweet, always offering to share his toys with other kids and giving you and Nat random hugs “just because I love you.” Plus, he was four, and you weren’t expecting the attitude for another couple of years at least. After sharing a concerned glance with your wife, you knelt down and held Igor’s hand in yours, noticing his bottom lip wobbling and his eyes beginning to shine.

“Igor, sweetheart, what’s the matter? Why don’t you want to go to school?”

“It’s okay, Igoryok, you can tell us anything,” Nat reassured him when he started to cry, gently rubbing his back in an effort to soothe him.

“I don’t want to see Jackson.” You squeezed his hand, urging him to continue. You knew Jackson and his family; Jackson had even come over to play a couple of weeks ago. While you tried to keep the conversation going, you saw Natasha tense up the second Igor finished the sentence.

“Why don’t you want to see Jackson, honey? Did something happen?”

“Jackson said I’m stupid because my letters don’t look right, and he said I was a baby for having light-up sneakers. And he pulled me down when we were playing tag.”

“And your teachers didn’t say anything?” Natasha gritted out. It was obvious she was trying to stay calm for Igor’s sake, but any second now and Mount Vesuvius was about to explode, bringing all of Pompeii with it. Igor shook his head, his whole body trembling as he cried.

“They didn’t see it. He waited until recess and we were in the back of the playground behind the slides.”

“Igor, sweetie, why didn’t you tell them?” You tried wiping the tears off of his face as they fell, but they were quickly replaced by new ones.

“He said if I did he’d tell the whole class I was a weirdo because I wet the bed.” You butted in before Nat could start yelling, placing a hand on top of hers to try to remind her of the situation.

“I see. Igor, do you think any of the things he said were true?”

“No.” The muttered answer was hard to hear, but it was there.

“That’s right, they’re not. So don’t let that boy get in your head for one second, okay? For every bad thing that he says to you, I want you to remind yourself of at least one good thing about yourself, okay?”

“Okay, Mom.”

“Why don’t you start right now? Tell me three things you like about yourself.”

“Um, I draw good dinos.”

“That’s right,” you smiled. “Mama and I love when you give us dino pictures.”

“Maybe I can draw you one today in school.”

“We’d love that, Igoryok. Two more, buddy.” The redhead had relaxed slightly, her fingers beginning to comb through his hair once again.

“I’m good at soccer. And I have cool cleats.” You nodded at him, rubbing small circles over the back of his hand to encourage him to continue. By this point, his crying stopped, and he only paused every so often to let out a hiccup.

“I can read some of the big kid books in the library. Mr. Goldman says that it’s very impressive for a four-year-old.” Natasha chuckled as Igor puffed out his chest, Jackson’s insults long forgotten.

“It is very impressive. So-”

“Wait, Mama, I have one more!”

“And what would that be?” the redhead smiled.

“I have the two best mamas in the entire world. And they love me so much, and I love them so much too.” It took everything in you not to cry at that moment, and one look at Natasha’s face told you she was struggling as well.

“That’s right, Ig. Mama and I love you more than anything or anyone in the entire world, more than you could ever imagine. You never forget that, promise?”

“I promise, Mom, but don’t cry! It’s happy!”

“I’m very happy,” you whispered, giving him the tightest hug you could without crushing him.

“Igoryok, I need you to listen to me.” The four-year-old nodded as he turned to give your wife his full attention. “When Jackson says mean things to you, you tell him to stop, okay? Don’t be mean, but tell him firmly.”

“Firmly,” he repeated.

“And if he doesn’t stop, you tell your teacher. Okay?”

“Okay, Mama.”

“Miss Olivia is going to pick you up from school today, but Mom and I are going to talk to your teachers about Jackson as soon as we can, we promise.”

“Okay, Mama. Does that mean you and Mom are going to fight the bad guys again?”

“Yes, but just for a little bit. We’ll be back in time for dinner. Which means you have to be good for Miss Olivia or you can’t have any dessert,” Nat winked.

“Now, group hug and then it’s time to go to school,” you ordered, wrapping your arms around the two of them.

-

Igor remained mostly quiet on the car ride to school, which wasn’t unusual for him, but you and Nat found yourselves checking on him regardless.

“Mom, in school, Miss Taylor told us ‘sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.’ Is that what she means, with Jackson?”

“Well, yes. Basically, it means that when people say mean things about us, like the things that Jackson said to you, we shouldn’t let it hurt us.”

“How do you do that?”

“You do what we did at breakfast. You know in your heart that what he says isn’t true, so you ignore it. And then you remind yourself of all the good things about yourself.”

“Okay, Mom.”

“We love you, buddy,” Natasha reminded him as she brought the car to a stop. “If anything else happens, you tell us and we’ll help you, okay?”

“Yes, Mama. I love you too.”

“Alright. Then you have the best, most amazing day at school, okay, lovebug?”

“I will, Mom. Bye bye!” With a kiss on each of your cheeks, Igor put on the Avengers backpack that was half his size and jumped out of the car to meet his teacher and friends at the front of the school. With Igor out of the car, Natasha’s anger returned ten-fold.

“‘Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me,’ huh? That’s the best they can teach?”

“Nat-”

“You know it’s outdated, and it’s totally not true at all! Of course words can hurt, you know that, Y/N!”

“I know,” you murmured, thinking back to all the pain and chaos a bunch of reporters had caused over some rumors about the Avengers.

“And who does that kid think he is talking about Igor like that?”

“Natty, he’s four.”

“Being four doesn’t give you an excuse to be a bully!”

“You’re right, it doesn’t,” you sighed, “but being four means he has time to change. You know that at this age they usually get it from seeing other people do it.” Two minutes of driving in silence passed before Natasha spoke up again.

“You’re right,” she sighed, her shoulders slowly dropping. “It just makes me so angry that he’d do that to him. And Igor didn’t do anything about it. What if something else happens in the future and he doesn’t protect himself? Igor doesn’t even wet the bed anymore. He knows that and he still let that kid scare him. Or what if Igor doesn’t want to tell us when bad things happen?” The longer she spoke, the softer her voice became as anger dissolved into sadness and concern.

“Well,” you placed your hand over hers that rested on your thigh, “the good thing is Igor is also four. It’s good that something like this happened now rather than later because we have time to talk to him and teach him that we’ll always be there for him. Today was one step towards that. It’ll be okay, Nat. We’ll make sure it is. Especially if we’re going to have another little one on the way.” Your wife smiled at that.

“Igor’s going to be an amazing brother.”

“He really is,” you laughed as you picked up her hand and linked her fingers in yours.

“I will admit, though,” your eyes returned to your wife’s face in time to notice her quirk an eyebrow, “I thought we’d have some more time before we had to deal with the ‘sick to get out of school’ trick.”

“You and me both,” you giggled. “That kid is too smart for his own good.”

“How much do you want to bet he learned it from Tony?”

“Well, he definitely didn’t learn it from Steve.” All the remaining tension in the car dissolved as you two chuckled at the thought. 

When the car became quiet once more, you brought her hand up to your lips. “I. Love. You,” you murmured, each word punctuated with a kiss to her knuckles.

“I love you more. And everything’s going to be okay,” she repeated, more so reassuring herself than you.

“It is. Now, let’s go over that mission plan one last time. We have some butts to kick.”

---

“Okay, Steve’ll meet you guys at the rendezvous point. Get in, and get out. And don’t let yourselves get caught. It’s just an info grab, but it’s an important one.”

“Got it, Hill. See you later.” After ending the call with Maria, you turned to Natasha. “You ready, hon?”

“Yeah, I just can’t help but shake this feeling. I know the mission’s short, but…” You tilted your head slightly to meet her eyes, which was a bit difficult since she’d lowered her gaze to the floor.

“No, I get it. I think it’s just the events of this morning, yeah? And it definitely doesn’t help that we can’t have outside communication.” After a recent mission gone wrong, Fury had temporarily prohibited all outside communication on missions unless absolutely necessary, meaning you and Nat would only be able to communicate with each other until Steve picked you guys up. “Let’s just finish this mission and get back to Igor. Things’ll be better after that.”

“You’re right,” the redhead agreed, giving you an uneasy smile. You rolled your neck once before giving your wife a quick peck on the cheek.

“Alright, let’s do this.”

---

“Where have you guys been? I’ve been waiting for two hours!” His check and money was lying on the table, his meal eaten long ago.

“Sorry, Rogers, a minor complication meant we had to be a bit more careful. But we got all the info, and there’s no trouble.” Natasha slid a small flash drive across the booth. He simply nodded, pocketing the device and standing up.

“Let’s go.”

“Everything okay, Steve?”

“Um, yeah. Fury asked that you guys stop by the tower first though.” You frowned, prompting Nat to slip her hand into yours.

“Is it important? We wanted to get back and see Igor. We told him we’d be back for dinner, and we’re already late.” Before Steve could respond, a waitress walked up to the table.

“Oh, hey! I see your friends are here. Do you guys want to place an order?”

“Um, actually, I’m so sorry. Something came up and we have to go. Thank you so much, though.”

“Of course, have a nice night, guys.” You flashed the waiter a smile and handed her two twenty dollar bills as an apology before following Steve out of the restaurant.

“Steve, what’s going on?”

“Nothing,” he responded, his voice void of emotion.

“C’mon, you know neither of us is buying that. Is everyone okay?”

“Just hurry up,” he muttered. He was walking so quickly that you and Nat were practically jogging to keep up. You shared a worried glance with Natasha, but neither of you spoke up again.

-

After a thirty-minute drive, you’d reached the tower, and Steve sent the two of you up to Fury’s office without another word.

“Do you think we did something wrong, Natty?”

“I don’t see what we could’ve done wrong. We’ll find out soon enough, though,” she sighed. She sent you a small smile in an effort to calm you, as she could tell you were becoming quite anxious, but she was rather nervous herself.

Fury was waiting for you guys when the elevator doors opened, which only served to make the two of you even more on edge than you were before.

“Romanoff, L/N, follow me please.” He led you to his office, his demeanor stoic and unreadable as per usual, but something was off. As you placed a hand on Nat’s lower back, you found her spine to be stiff. She must’ve sensed it too. “Sit.” The three of you sat in silence for about thirty seconds, during which you realized what was wrong. The twinkle he always had in his eyes, whether from playfulness, determination, or something in between, was missing. That realization was enough to make you crack.

“Fury. Why’d you call us in here? I hate to rush you but we’ve got a kid to go home to.” You and your wife noticed when he flinched at your last sentence.

“Right.” Both of you stared at him expectantly but quickly became agitated when he didn’t seem to make any move to continue.

“Fury. What is it.” You placed a hand on Nat’s arm before she could jump out of the chair, but if he didn’t speak in about two seconds you’d be right there with her.

“We received a call about three hours ago about a car crash. A massive pileup caused by a drunk driver during the school rush hour. Two people were seriously injured.” 

“I- I don’t understand. You want us to help with a car crash?” you asked, your voice shaky but light. “Fury, with all due respect, this is ridiculous. This isn’t our area of-” 

“Why are you telling us about this?” Natasha cut into your rambling.

“Romanoff… this was three hours ago. Just outside of the elementary school.”

Three hours ago. What was three hours ago? Three hours ago would’ve been when Olivia was bringing Igor back home from school. But that couldn’t be what Fury was talking about. It was a different kid, a different family, maybe even a different school; Fury hadn’t been specific. No, you and Nat would go back home and they’d both be there. They had to be there. 

“By the time the ambulance got there, paramedics suspected that they were both gone. They called time of death at the hospital. I’m so sorry.” You couldn’t tell when exactly your heart stopped beating, when all the blood left your face. He couldn’t be talking about what you thought he was. He wasn’t even looking you in the eye, dammit.

“Gone? What do you mean by gone? Who’s ‘they’?” You spoke in a whisper, not able to speak any louder. With each second that passed, you could feel Nat’s forearm getting tighter as she clenched her fists harder and harder.

“Fury,” Natasha finally spoke, her voice gravelly, “If you’re telling me what I think you’re telling me, you’re going to have to be very clear with me. So what. Are. You. Saying.”

“Igor is dead. Your son is dead. I’m so-”

“Stop saying you’re sorry!” This time it was Nat’s turn to hold you back, grabbing onto your waist when you slammed your hands on Fury’s desk. “You have no reason to be sorry, he’s not- No, you’re wrong. That doesn’t make any sense. How in the hell would there be a drunk driver at 3 in the afternoon? No, you’re wrong! Nat, he’s wrong, right?” You looked at your wife, eyes shining, but her expression was unreadable. Her arms were crossed against her chest as she stood in the center of the room, and you couldn’t help but remember the last time she looked that alone—at the SHIELD party all those years ago.

---

She was standing in the corner with her back to everyone in the room. You didn’t believe it was her at first—sure, redheads weren’t that common, but how could it be her? You hadn’t seen her in months, although it wasn’t from lack of trying. Besides, this woman looked so unbelievably… small. And sad. And alone. This was a party, for heavens’ sake, and she looked like she was stuck in solitary confinement. None of those sounded anything like the woman you’d met.

But with a shake of your head, you turned back to the bar, taking a sip from your drink with the intent of clearing her from your mind. You got over her months ago, Y/N. It was literally just one date. Stop thinking about her. Besides, what are the chances she works for SHIELD anyway?

Yet, ten minutes later, the woman remained in her place and looked just as pitiful as she did when you first saw her. Your mind couldn’t stop your legs from swinging off of the chair and walking over to her.

“Um, excuse me?” Your heart stopped when you saw her face. It was her. She was glammed up for the party, but it was Nat, and she looked just as beautiful as the first time you’d seen her. 

“Y/N?” Your heart caught in your throat for a second as if you hadn’t thought that it could be her, not allowing you to respond until after you’d taken another sip from your drink.

“Nat.” You didn’t know what else to say. You hadn’t really planned it out, to be honest. Your body just kind of… brought you here. The two of you just stared at each other, neither of you too sure of what to say. Suddenly, all the anger you’d had towards her over the past few months pushed its way to the surface. “Did you lose my number or something? Get a new phone?”

“Y/N, I- what are you doing here?”

“Really? We had an amazing first date, you told me you can’t wait for the next one, and then you didn’t talk to me for months? And then, when I do find you, that’s all you have to say? I mean, obviously I was the fool for believing yo-”

“Are you stalking me?” Her eyes narrowed.

“Are you serious right now? No, I’m not stalking you! I work for SHIELD now, which you would know if you didn’t freaking ghost me!”

“You- you work for SHIELD?”

“Yes, I’ve been working for SHIELD for six months.”

“Y/N, I’m sorry, I… I have to go.” You watched her, your eyes blazing and nostrils flaring, as she walked out of the room. She never came back that night.

---

“I have to go,” Nat interrupted the silence.

“Natasha, wait. You really shouldn’t be going anywhere like this.” Fury stood from his chair but remained behind his desk.

“I’m going home.”

“Natasha, please, just hold on a seco-” Unlike that night, you followed Nat out of the room. The two of you were out the door before Fury could stop you.

-

When you got home, the house was dark and Olivia’s car wasn’t there. That didn’t deter either of you, though.

“Igor! Igor! Mom’s home!”

“Igoryok, it’s Mama!” When neither of you heard a response, the two of you frantically began running through the house. You searched room after room, checking each one and the hallway closet at least three times. When your legs turned to lead and you couldn’t breathe any longer, you dropped to your knees, completely unaware of what part of the house you were in.

That’s how Natasha found you—in Igor’s room, sobbing, your knees digging deep into the hardwood floors and your head resting on his pillow right next to his stuffed pig and the green baby blanket he refused to sleep without.

“Y/N,” she murmured, her voice broken and tears trailing down her flushed cheeks. Your wife stumbled her way over to you and collapsed by your side. Wrapping an arm around your shoulder, she pulled you as close as she could, and you let her.

-

The two of you cried for what felt like a million lifetimes, not stopping until you physically ran out of tears, your eyes so dry that it hurt to open them. Your head leaned against Nat’s shoulder. Both of you stared at the wall ahead of you with an empty gaze, the only sound heard in the room being your shallow breaths.

“You were right,” you whispered, your throat dry.

“About what?” Nat’s voice was as quiet and hollow as yours.

“Sticks and stones can break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Miss Taylor had told your son that words could never hurt him, but she was wrong. Hearing the words that Igor was dead; that your son was gone; that you would never get to see him earn his high school diploma, or get a job that he was passionate about, or grow up to be a happy adult, or even hug him one last time; that you would never get to see him become an amazing warrior like you’d predicted just five years ago—those words caused you the most pain you’d ever felt in your entire life.

-----

Tagging: @xxxtwilightaxelxxx

[maybedefinitely404]

Day 17: Royality

@tsshipmonth2020 (does this still count so late?)

What’s that? Ly creating content? Unbelievable. (I have writer’s block, leave me alooone /j)

Thanks to @marshymoop for suggestions and encouragment when making this bad boy! Love ya <3

Day 17 - Everyone has heterochromia, one eye is your natural color the other is your soulmate’s natural color. Once you meet all eyes return to natural color. 

Content warnings: food/drink mention, alcohol, mentions of hangover, vampires, referring to drinking blood as “eating”, non-explicit blood drinking, being chased. 

Word count: 6.9k

THE CITY OF DEWMORE WELCOMES YOU

Patton tapped his fingers on the steering wheel excitedly, nearly vibrating as he passed the weathered sign. Beyond it, beckoning him forward, stood a forest more densely packed and darker than he’d ever had the pleasure of exploring, the achingly tall pine trees swaying minutely in the breeze, their tips barely visible through the blanket of fog. Just imagining what could be held within those depths made his leg bounce; forgotten, moss-drenched stone paths, broken stumps of fallen trees that hadn’t made a sound upon impact, patches of mushrooms scattered in the shadows, and whispering creeks. It was the perfect way to spend his spring break, and one his photography teacher had wholeheartedly encouraged him to take. If he hadn’t had so many midterms to mark, Patton was almost sure the man would have tried to join him. 

Almost an anxious tic at this point, he ran his free hand over the photography bag in his passenger seat, as if to make sure it hadn’t disappeared in the three minutes since he’d last checked. The thing was his prized possession, given to him by the very same photography professor at his university. It had been the elder’s own, before he got his newest camera, and gifted the whole set to his favorite (but don’t tell the others) students. It was full of perfectly kept lenses and two miniature tripods, extra batteries and memory cards, speedlights, and most importantly, the camera tucked safely into the biggest pouch. It was more expensive than Patton would ever have dreamt to buy, so it was truly a gift he’d never forget. Now it was up to him to finally take some shots worthy of the thing. 

The forests continued to grow denser and thicker until, in almost a shocking snap, they disappeared to reveal a quaint city that he hadn’t quite expected. The first few buildings he passed looked like they may have stood there for hundreds of years, weather worn and faded. Their signs were either scratched to nothingness or blaringly new, shining metal names standing out against an ancient backdrop. He was looking for a motel, figuring there had to be one, even in a town of less than two thousand people. His backup plan was to just sleep in his car. He’d brought his sleeping back and extra blankets, so it wasn’t a huge concern, but he’d still prefer a bed. But whenever he’d tried finding anything online, he’d come up blank. 

A fog still covered the town, and though it created an air of calm and mystery that Patton was itching to capture, he also knew the area was surrounded by towering mountains that he also desired so badly. To his right, the buildings stopped abruptly, revealing a grey beach, all rocks and no sand, criss crossed with logs, opening to a dark lake. The other side wasn’t visible through the mist. 

The further he drove, he realized the buildings weren’t improving in their modernity, just giving way to more and more old infrastructure. One stood out, a grocery store, it’s lights piercing through the evening dim. Patton didn’t get a look inside before he passed, once again surrounded antique houses and shops, a post office to his left, and a tavern just across from that. A sign above the door read “Vacancy” in peeling white letters, and that was all the enticing Patton needed to pull his car into the gravel parking lot in front of the building. There was only one other vehicle there, a matte red pickup truck that he parked next to, and what appeared to only be three more parking spots. From the high placed windows, a soft orange light bled, and a round of raucous laughter filtered through the cracked open door. Patton smiled. The photographer inside him was going to have a field day here. 

He stepped up the concrete steps and ruffled his hair with one hand so it covered his eye, heaving a sigh in hopes to calm his nervous butterflies, and pulled the door open. 

All at once, the chatter inside died, and Patton internally shrank as every face in the tavern turned to look at the newcomer. There was a moment of tense silence as he tried his best for a smile and met the gaze of the men scrutinizing him, drinks forgotten on high wooden tables, jubilance halted. Patton waited with baited breath, for someone to do something, why were they all just staring, when a voice spoke from behind the bar.

“Don’t worry about them, sweetheart. We don’t get a lot of new people around here.”

And the lull was broken as suddenly as it started, the men now ignoring him in favor of joking over mugs of fizzing ale. Patton swallowed thickly and turned to the voice, shoving his quivering hands into his pockets and shaking his head again to assure the curls were safely covering his eye. As usual. 

The man standing before him, leaning on the bar with an easy smile, was almost enough to take Patton’s breath away. If he were a religious man, he’d go so far as to call him heavenly. Eyes as dark as the depths of the surrounding forests, auburn hair pushed back from his face in what he could only think to describe as an intentional bedhead. His skin was too flawless, teeth just a couple shades too white, everything perfect in a way that was almost…

Patton couldn’t put his finger on it. 

“What can I get you, newbie?”

“Uhm-” Patton took a cleansing breath and sat at one of the barstools, all of them empty seeing as the crowd seemed more drawn to the tables in the center of the room, “I don’t come to bars that often. I don’t know.”

The bartender hummed, pushing up his already rolled up white sleeves and giving Patton a once over, almost investigating him. “You drink?”

“I… I guess.”

“Been on the road for a while, tired?”

“Do I look that exhausted?” Patton breathed a laugh, suddenly aching to pop his spine. He’d been driving since before dawn for the past three days, barely hunkering down for a decent sleep before he was off again. He’d been really excited to get here, plus he didn’t want to waste more of his meager break driving. 

“I got just what you need, darling.” With a wink, the bartender straightened up and pulled down a series of bottles, cracking his knuckles with flourish before measuring them into a silver canister. “So what brings you to Dewmore?”

“I’m a photographer,” Patton said, “Or, a photography student. Down in Florida.”

The man whistled as he shoveled ice cubes into the mix, “Long drive for some pictures.”

“I’m… dedicated,” Patton laughed, scratching at his neck nervously. “My prof recommended it, said it might be a nice place to spend my break.”

“I assume you’re looking for a place to stay then, as well?” He plopped a cap on the canister and began to shake it above his shoulder, grinning widely, “These guys are always just like, ‘Gimme a beer’ this, ‘Gimme a beer’ that. It’s great to actually make fun drinks again.” With hands flying too fast for Patton to process, he grabbed a glass, popped the lid of the shaker, and poured the deep orange drink, tossing on a green sprig and sliding the drink over. “Enjoy.”

Patton took a cautious sip of the drink and had to fight not to sigh, the refreshing taste a welcome relief after three days of gas station Gatorade and hotel sink water. He could barely taste any alcohol, more focused on the ice cold sweet tartness at the back of his tongue. The bartender looked pleased, huffing a satisfied laugh and beginning to put away his bottles. He was taking another sip, satisfied with the backdrop of joyous chatter and clinking glasses, when he remembered why he’d come in. 

“Yes, I am. Uhm, looking for a place to stay, that is.”

The bartender looked at him over his shoulder, “We haven’t had visitors in… a while, at least. You’ve pretty much got your pick of the rooms.”

“Do you have anything facing the water?” He took another sip, the photo possibilities already flowing through his mind. One through the window, just far back enough to catch the flow of the curtains and the chipped wood of the window ledge, a monochromatic lakeshore in the bottom third, a barely visible mountain looming ahead… 

“Sure thing, sweetheart. Let me just finish this up, and I’ll get you on the ledger.”

“Patton.” He downed the rest of the drink and rested his elbow on the counter, chin in his palm, an easy smile playing on his lips. 

“Hm?”

“My name’s Patton.” 

“I’m Roman.” Tossing the towel over his shoulder, Roman gave him another wink before disappearing into the back room, coming back moments later with a thick black book. He was already thumbing through the pages, finally landing on the one he wanted, and spun a pen between his fingers.

“What’s your last name, sweetheart?” 

Patton spelled it out for him, and was surprised when the man clapped the book shut after the final letter. “That’s all you need?”

“Yup.”

“No… ID, or anything?” It was at that moment when it occurred to Patton that, although he was legal, his baby face often prompted bouncers and servers back home to ask for identification. Roman hadn’t even blinked before serving him.

“Got anything to hide?” 

“Uhm… no, I-”

“Good enough for me. It’s not like we’re a high traffic tourist spot. I don’t think we’ve had anyone take a room in, like, two years, and who knows how many before that. Frankly, I wouldn’t care if you were on the run for murder. Don’t kill me, and we’re solid.”

Patton blanched, unable to tell if the man was being sarcastic. Finally his expression cracked into a smirk and he brandished a key towards Patton, dangling it by the ring. “I’m messing with you. I mean, don’t kill me, that’s legit. Here you go, cutie. Let me know if you need anything.”

With that, he sashayed away with a tray of beers (when on Earth had he filled those?), and the men whooped loudly, startling Patton. 

“Easy, boys,” Roman purred, beginning to round the tables, and Patton hopped off the bar stool to get his things from his car. He couldn’t wait to pass out in bed with the knowledge that he could sleep in however late he wanted. 

-0-0-0-

But apparently sleep didn’t have the same ideas as him, because even after he was in comfortable clothes and tucked into the covers, he continued to toss and turn. Maybe it was the concept of being alone in a strange town, or the full moon shining through the thin curtains, or just plain excitement, but he suddenly felt wider awake then he had since he started this trip. 

There was a soft rattling somewhere across the room and, with begrudging acceptance that he wasn’t going to sleep any time soon, fumbled his glasses on to search for the offending sound. With a grumble, he threw off the blankets and padded across the room to the window and tossed back the curtains, giving the moon a scalding glare for shining so darn brightly. It was the window, fitted loosely in its frame, being shook by the gentle wind that was causing the noise. Patton gave it an experimental tug, followed by a more forceful yank, and found it didn’t budge down at all. Instead, it continued to rattle mockingly, in what sounded almost like whispered giggles as he crossed his arms across his chest. 

Fine. He turned his attention to the scenic view before him, letting out a minute shudder as a small gust of wind blew through his thin pajama shirt. Moonlit waves crashed against the rocky shore, tossing up silver spray against the dark backdrop of the forest. Patton took a breath, feeling an overwhelming sense of peace just staring at the silent town, the stone spires rising above the forest-

Wait, what?

Patton blinked sharply a couple times, leaning forward until his nose bumped the window and squinting through the glass. Those… things... definitely looked like manmade objects- the shape made it impossible for them to be natural- but you’d think he’d remember something that looked like a castle directly outside his window. In fact, he’d spent a significant amount of time upon first entering the room just admiring the view, and a castle one hundred percent would have been on his radar. Oh, if the thing was abandoned, imagine the photo opportunities, and even if it wasn’t he could totally just get some of the outside-

Yeah, there was no way he was sleeping now.

Before he’d even processed what he was doing, he’d slipped out of his pajamas and hurriedly pulled on the outfit he’d laid out on the desk chair, because there was no way he was digging through his suitcase to scrounge out more clothes. He threw a beige sweater over his white shirt, however, remembering the chill the night had brought and, after he’d adequate tucked them into his slacks, he threw his camera bag over his shoulder and trotted down the stairs.

Unsurprisingly, the first floor tavern was empty of all customers, overhead lights traded for softer electric lamps on the walls and the illuminated sign above the bar, where Roman was wiping down the counter, seemingly unbothered by the late hour. 

“Can’t sleep, sweetheart?” The bartender called out without turning around, tossing his rag across the counter and into a full soapy bucket behind the bar. 

“Uh, yeah, something like that,” Patton responded, shaking his bangs so they covered his eye. “I think I’m just too excited to start getting shots.”

“Mmm, you and me both.” He waggled his eyebrows and pulled a bottle of what looked like whiskey off the shelf. “What’s your poison?”

Patton snorted but shook his head, patting his camera bag, “I want to go out, and it’s probably not smart to drink before going out in a strange town at night.”

Roman shrugged before pouring himself a shot and downing it in one smooth motion.

“You’re allowed to drink on the job?”

The bartender hummed, replacing the bottle and locking the cabinet presumably for the night, “Once my tavern is empty, I consider myself off the clock. And I’m my own boss, so I hereby give myself the night off. I have a coffee machine in the back room, one of those Keurigs, if you want something fancy. Hasn’t been used in ages, but I’m sure if you wanted something, I-”

“No, it’s okay. Really.” Patton ducked his head and messed with his shirt, making sure the white collar stood above the neck of his sweater. He made his way over to the bar and took the same stool as before, leaning on the counter as Roman dumped out the dirty cleaning water into the sink. The clock above the bar, barely illuminated enough to see, revealed it was just after midnight. “Are there any old structures, like churches or anything, in the forest?”

Roman tilted his head, giving Patton a look over his shoulder he couldn’t quite understand. 

“There’s nothing there besides wolves and ticks, sweetheart,” he said slowly with an almost condescending smile, “Why? Hoping the little town in the middle of nowhere has a mystery?” He rinsed out the bucket and placed it in the cabinet under the sink.

Patton shrugged, scratching at his temple, “I saw something outside of my window.”

“Like a tree?” The rag was rinsed as well and draped over the faucet.

“No, definitely not.” He tried not to feel too offended that Roman was clearly teasing him, but he was certain what he’d seen hadn’t been a tree. They were too tall, too angular, and too symmetrically placed for that.

“Pattycake, I grew up hunting with my dad and partying in those woods, and I would know if something were there.” 

“Are you sure?” Patton implored, “There’s definitely something man made, could it be, like, an old castle, or something?”

There was a moment of silence between the two as Roman continued to look at Patton like he was crazy, the barest hints of an impish grin tugging at his lips, before he sucked in a sharp breath; as if he realized something. 

On a dime, Roman’s expression contorted into one of anger, eyes alight with fury as he leaned into Patton’s space. As he spoke, his voice almost reverberated, like a choir speaking in unison.

“There is nothing in those woods, Patton. Understand? Don’t go wandering into places you don’t belong, or you won’t like what you find.”

Patton reared back from the forceful words, hand coming up subconsciously to readjust the hair on his face. Roman leaned just a tad closer, growling out a warning, “Got it, sweetheart?” The electric lamps on the walls, once creating such a homey, soft environment, suddenly flickered and Patton flinched, whipping around to face the large room as it seemed to strobe under the malfunctioning lights. Goosebumps spread across his arms as the flashing grew faster and his hand clamped over the back of his neck when a shiver raced up his spine.

“What’s going on? Why are-”

And then the lights went out completely, an eerie quiet settling over the tavern. Roman was silent. Was he even still in the room? Could he have left so quickly? The only sound in the empty room were Patton’s shaky breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth, as he fought down a scream. He wasn’t a fan of the dark.

A single street light barely shone through the window, too dim to even light up the tables near the glass, and Patton turned to focus on it. In through the nose, out through the mouth. In… out… in… out-

A silhouette appeared in the window. 

The lights were back to their original gleam before he could even open his mouth to scream, filling the room with a dull hum as if nothing had even happened. Blinking rapidly, Patton took a calming breath (it’s just old lights, it’s just old lights, relax) and swiveled back in his chair to find that Roman was smiling at him innocently, cleaning out a glass with a rag.

“Everything alright, sweetheart?”

“Didn’t you see that?” Patton asked incredulously.

“See what?”  The bartender placed the glass into the last space in a row of them, giving Patton that same condescending grin as before. 

Patton sighed and lifted his glasses to rub his eyes tiredly, shaking his head. “I think travelling for so long has me seeing things.” Careful as ever, in the same fashion he’d so masterfully perfected in elementary school, he shook his head to cover his eye- his stupid, left, ‘soulmate’ eye- before removing his hands and letting his glasses fall back into place. 

Other kids won’t like it, sweetie. I don’t think the teachers will either.

I know you can’t help it, my love. If I could take this burden from you, I would. But this is yours to handle until… well, you know.

I don’t know why, Patton. You’ll find them someday. And then you’ll understand. 

“Why do you do your hair like that?”

“Hmm?” Patton blinked.

Roman smirked, leaning casually on the counter in front of Patton, “Covering half of your face like that. You shouldn’t, you know. You’re a stunner.” With that, he reached forward, intent on moving that hair out of his face.

No.

“NO!” Patton yelled, stumbling off the barstool just as Roman’s hand made contact with his face. He ducked his head, roughly scraping his hair back in place with shaking hands, but the damage was done. A single cute guy compliments him and he forgets the habit he’s built up for years? How could he be so stupid-

“Everything alright? I’m sorry for scaring you, sweetheart.”

Was it possible he hadn’t seen it? Maybe Patton had moved fast enough, maybe the bartender had been too surprised to get a good look, maybe everything was fine. Roman didn’t seem horrified, or at all perturbed. Instead, he just looked… worried. 

Either way, after that reaction, Patton was aching to be left alone to stew in his embarrassment. His rented room held nothing for him that he wanted, and sleep felt farther than ever, so his only choice was outside. The promises of a maybe-crumbling ancient building, illuminated by a full moon, were far more tempting than anything inside had to offer. 

“Actually,” Patton said nervously, “A coffee would be great.”

Roman squinted at him, biting on the inside of his cheek before huffing a breathy laugh through his nose. “Alright, darling. Give me just a second to dust off the Keurig.”

The moment he disappeared behind the door to the backroom, Patton tightened his hold on the camera bag and sprinted from the tavern, into the grips of the cool night.

-0-0-0-

What would he say when he got back to the tavern? Would Roman make him leave the inn? Had he crossed a line he hadn’t known existed; would he have to cut his trip early because he couldn’t help his curiosity? Was bothering the only innkeeper in town really the smartest decision to make?

All wonderful questions that Patton wished he’d considered before running.

But if he did have to leave, and if this was his last night in this delightful and equally terrifying little town, he was going to make the most of it. At least, that’s what he’d thought he would do as he’d left the few city lights behind and treading deeper into the forest. He had a flashlight with him, thank goodness, so he wasn’t completely screwed, and he’d already gotten a few great shots. He stayed in the areas that the full moon could still shine through the trees, and some of the clouds had rolled away, so he was having the time of his life working with silhouettes against the star filled sky (thanks to the little to no light pollution Dewmore offered). 

The more prominent thought in his mind, however, were the spires steadily growing closer above the treeline. He couldn’t understand what Roman had been talking about. How could anyone living in this town not see whatever he was walking towards? 

(Admittedly, curiosity was also a huge reason he was chasing something he’d been warned to avoid. He’d never been that great at impulse control.)

It had to be nearly two in the morning when he came to an incline; a steep path constructed entirely of rocks fist-sized and larger. At the top, Patton could just barely see what looked to be the back of the castle, and he bounced slightly on his toes in excitement. He couldn’t tell from this distance the state it was in, or if it was possible anyone still lived there, but dang it if he wasn’t going to give it a go before he left. He’d walked all this way, after all.

The first few steps up the hill were the loudest thing he’d heard since he’d started his midnight adventure, and he cringed as they dropped away under his feet, knocking against each other as they fell to the ground.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Patton spun around, his flashlight slipping out of his hands. It rolled down between the rocks, casting split second light beams in every direction as it bounced towards the source of the voice, and stopped dead in the middle between the two of them. It settled on an indent created by Patton’s steps, aimed at the newcomer. Patton breathed a sigh of relief.

“Roman, goodness gracious! You scared the bejesus out of me,” Patton laid a hand on his chest and let out a huge gust of air. Roman didn’t move, and for the first time he noticed the absolute glare the bartender was giving him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uhm… sorry about the… leaving. Thing. Are you mad?”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

Well, apparently they weren’t going to talk about it. “Oh- I’m sorry, is this private property? I didn’t see any signs, I’m- Wait, but look, Roman! See, that’s what I was talking-”

“You. Shouldn’t. Be. Here.”

Patton blinked at the harshness in his words, taken aback. How was this the same easy going bartender that he’d met earlier tonight? Whatever was beyond this hill, though, Roman obviously wasn’t going to allow Patton to see. Maybe it was dangerous, or something? Either way, he couldn’t deny his disappointment.  “Yeah. I’m sorry, I’ll leave-”          

“How did you get here?”

“I… um, walked?”

“No!” Roman hissed, finally stepping forward and plucking up the flashlight from the ground, “You shouldn’t be able to see the castle, or go near it, how the hell did you get here?!”

Before he could answer, the other man froze, whipping around as if he’d heard a noise from his left. And then Patton blinked, and Roman was in front of him, pulling him back down to solid ground. He dragged him by the arm to a fallen tree that was propped up against its own splintered stump, leaving it angled just a few feet off the ground.

“How did you- You were just over there, how-”

“Get down!”

“What?”

“Get. Down!” Roman shoved his shoulders and Patton had no choice but to collapse, blending into a pile of ferns beneath the bend of the tree. “Take off the backpack, put it in front of you. It blends in better than you do.” He yanked off the dark green camera bag as he spoke, situating it in front of Patton. “Don’t move, don’t make a sound, don’t fucking breathe, Patton, I swear.” The flashlight flicked off and thumped to the ground as Roman walked away, leaving him standing in the pale moonlight. Patton debated reaching for the flashlight, but that would mean exposing himself from the foliage he was tucked in and under, and Roman had seemed really scared. 

There was a rustle in the underbrush in front of Roman, and the photographer shoved his fist into his mouth before he could gasp. 

“Roman, it’s so nice to see you back home. It’s been far too long.”

“It’s been hardly a month, mother.”

The woman that emerged from the tree’s shadows wore a black cloak, nearly blending into the forest around her as the fabric swirled hypnotically by her ankles with each step. Silver embroidery made up the tight bodice and strung together the corset front, meeting at the bottom in an intricate knot and trailing almost down to the earth in two strands. How her intricate updo had stayed intact through a walk in the forest, Patton couldn’t understand. 

However, if this was Roman’s mother, he did understand where he got his looks. The only word that came to his mind was ethereal; all smooth pale skin, those same impossibly dark eyes, red lips curved in a constant, easy smile. She was beautiful, but she was terrifying, and Patton backed up more into his fern hiding spot. 

She lifted her flared sleeves towards Roman as she stepped into the moonlit opening and he pulled her hands towards himself, kissing both of her cheeks before releasing her. 

“A month is too long, darling,” She purred, letting the back of her hand trail down his cheek. “I don’t understand why you find it necessary to stay amongst those humans when you could be with your family.”

“Because I want more than just… lounging, and talking with my brothers. Do you have to bring this up every time I visit?” Despite his slightly aggravated tone, he leaned into her touch. 

“When you’re older, you’ll look back at these choices with embarrassment and resentment.”

“Maybe.” 

“I just don’t want you to blame me when you do.”

“I could never, I promise.”

She sighed heavily, “They miss you, Roman. We all do.”

“Which is why I’m here, mom. You act as if I’ve been gone a millenia.” 

“Worrying is what a mother does best,” She smiled fondly, tapping his cheek with her finger, “You’re home, darling. Drop the glamor? It must be tiring keeping it up constantly.”

There was a moment of hesitation, where Patton couldn’t help but tense up along with the man in front of him. Then the air shifted, like it had been holding a breath it could finally let out, and though there was nothing different that Patton could see from Roman’s back, a certain jolt of fear hit him out of nowhere. 

“There’s my boy.” The woman drew him in for a proper hug, one hand reaching around his back to rest on his head. She pressed a kiss to his hair when he wrapped his arms around her in turn. Suddenly her nose wrinkled and she pulled away, holding his shoulders at arm’s length. “Dearest, you smell like humans again.”

Roman chuckled, but there was a new quiver in his voice. “The only flaw in being surrounded by them so often. Let me change, and I’ll come meet you for dinner.”

She didn’t move, eyes narrowing as she watched his face. “No… it’s not you.”

“What? What else could it possibly-”

“There’s a human here.” Her voice was utterly calm, but she pushed Roman behind her resolutely. “There must be.”

“What?!” 

A low growl filled the air, and it took Patton a few moments to realize the sound was originating from her. She stepped past Roman, her dress flowing soundlessly along with her as she glared into the woods around them. 

Her eyes flashed red.

Once again, Patton shoved his fist into his mouth to hide a scream. That same alien jolt of fear returned as she moved closer to him, seemingly zeroing in on his location. 

“Mother, come now. You’re being silly. Humans can't even come near here, remember? You made sure of that yourself!”

Patton tore his eyes away from the advancing woman and his breath caught in his throat. Roman had followed his mother, trying to placate her gently with a hand on her arm, and in doing so, had turned towards Patton’s hiding spot.

When Patton opened his eyes shortly after being born, he was taken away from his mother, despite his parent’s strong objections and his wails. He was returned hours later, much to their relief. On his birth certificate, his right eye was labeled blue. His left eye, the side usually taken by the natural color of his soulmate’s, was labeled ‘Defective’.

When he was set to start school at six years old, his mother sat him down on his bed and taught him how to properly cover his left eye with his hair. They’d grown it out enough to do so. Patton had asked why it was necessary, and subsequently learned the truth that not all people were as accepting and loving as his parents. 

When he was ten, he returned home from school crying. He dropped into his mother’s arms and she held him until his sobs turned to sniffles, until he could explain between sharp breaths that a bully at school had revealed Patton’s eye while trying to force him into a fight, and… well, his classmates hadn’t taken it well. Those who weren’t downright afraid of him, refused to eat or sit with him anymore. But it wasn’t fair. He couldn’t help it!

His eye was labeled ‘Defective’, because never before had the doctor’s seen a child born with a red eye. Not the pale color that came with pinkeye, or an allergic reaction, but the iris itself was such a bold, blood red color that it had left the team scrambling for any record of such an incident. They were left with more questions than answers. But the world had yet to understand how soulmates worked in the first place, so they chalked it up to another universal mystery.

Every day for as long as he could remember, Patton had stared into a mirror first thing in the morning, greeted with calm, airy blue on one side, and fiery, almost electric red on the other. 

So it was jarring to see such a sight, yet reversed, on another person. But as Roman tugged again on his mother’s arm, there was no denying it; the man’s own color was a gleaming ruby, and the other was Patton’s very own blue. 

“Mother, look,” Roman blurted out, scooping up the discarded flashlight from the forest floor, “This is a human tool. I’m sure this is what you’re smelling.”

She ripped the device from his hand, shaking it in his face, “That is still far too close to home, Roman! Humans have been here, and I guarantee they are still nearby.”

“And you don’t know how many there are, Mom!” Roman insisted, taking her hands. “It doesn’t matter how they got here, or why they did,” A slow grin spread across his face, highlighting a pair of glinting fangs, “Why don’t you gather the family, and we can find them together? I can’t even remember the last time I really ate.”

The woman was satiated by this answer, though she still cast the forest cautious looks. “Stay put, Roman. We’ll be back shortly.” Her nose wrinkled again. “Along with a change of clothes for you.”

And then she was gone, the only remaining trace being the tiny cloud of dust she’d left behind. Roman was calm for a moment, making sure she was really gone, before his demeanor dropped. The cocky smirk was gone, and he no longer held the confidence he’d had, either as a bartender or in the presence of his mother. 

“We don’t have a lot of time, c’mon! Let’s go!” He crouched before the log, extending his hand to Patton.

“What the hell are you?!” Patton shrieked. Interesting, that those were the first words from his jumble of thoughts that came out.

“Oh, come on, do you really need to ask? I’m pretty sure you already know!” 

And yeah, Patton was pretty sure he knew. He wasn’t an idiot. He’d had a teen Twilight phase, so of course the obvious answer was there. It just… it wasn’t possible. His brain was scrambling for any kind of other solution, anything that made sense, but it all kept circling to the same answer. 

The cute bartender at the inn was a vampire. 

… 

Okay then.

Next problem.

“I… yeah. I think I got it.”

“Good! Now let’s go!” Roman grabbed Patton’s hand and yanked, effectively pulling him from his hiding place and nearly tearing the arm from it’s socket. Patton stumbled from the sudden movement and tripped on his camera bag, yelping as he crashed into Roman’s chest. 

The vampire’s hands instantly wrapped around his waist, steadying him as he found his footing. 

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m all good, I just-”

Roman was much taller than he’d thought; that was the initial thought that came to mind as he looked up at the man holding him. The second was, well, the fact that his jaw had dropped open upon seeing Patton’s eyes, and for the first time since they’d met, the guy was completely speechless. 

Patton felt his left eye began to tingle as they shifted into its own natural color. He ignored it.

“You really didn’t see it? At the bar?” Patton whispered.

“No, you moved too fast,” Roman murmured, bringing a hand up to Patton’s cheek. “You… you’re my-”

He must have sensed something, or heard something that was too quiet for Patton’s ears, because his head whipped towards the castle. 

“We need to go. Now.” Roman intertwined their fingers and pulled him into a run towards the town.

“Wait, no! My bag!” He tugged hard to try and get his hand free, but he was truly no match for Roman.

“Not important right now, sweetheart!”

 Without the aid of his flashlight, and enveloped by the darkness of the forest, Patton was totally blind, relying only on Roman’s grip to keep him from falling. Branches hit his face and roots reached up to trip him, but every time he stumbled, the hand tightened and pulled him back upright. 

A howl cut through the air. 

“What now, werewolves?!” Patton shrieked.

“Don’t be ridiculous, werewolves aren’t real!” Roman scoffed, “They’re normal wolves! What, you think just because we’re vampires, we’re unable to have pets?”

“Is this really a conversation we should be having at this exact moment?!” Patton shot back.

“You’re right, you’re right, okay.”

The howls were growing closer, and it was clear by Roman’s increased pace that this wasn’t about to be a friendly reunion.

“Can we outrun them?!”

“I take it you’ve never met a wolf!” 

Patton looked up at him desperately, already struggling to keep up the conversation and keep up with Roman. 

“I thought vampires had… like, super speed!”

“I wouldn’t be able to go for long, especially carrying you. Jump!”

Patton leapt blindly, feeling the side of a fallen log scrape the toes of his shoes. The landing was rough, sparks of pain shooting up his legs, but he was quickly pulled back upright. 

“I don’t have the energy! I haven’t eaten in months!”

There were more yowls, definitely closer this time, followed by the sound of multiple animals fighting, barely louder than a voice shouting (presumably) at the racket. Whether it was the wolves having a spat, or a prey animal that had gotten in the way of the hunt, Patton didn’t know. It drew out a small whimper from him either way.

He didn’t want to be next. 

“Do you trust me?” Roman suddenly gasped, holding his hand firmer. 

“What?!”

“Do. You. Trust. Me?!”

Patton didn’t exactly think he had a choice right now. His feet were aching, his lungs were burning, and he wasn’t sure he could run another minute without his legs giving out. “I- Yeah! Sure!”

“Good enough,” Roman grunted bitterly, screeching to a halt, and using his grip on the other’s arm to stop him too. Before Patton could even bring himself to complain, or scream at him, or just incoherently yell, the vampire was drawing him to his chest, puppeting his arms so they were around his shoulders.

“Hold on.”

Obediently, Patton tightened the grip. “Why-”

And then there was a sharp pain in his neck, and his eyes widened. The sting almost immediately morphed into a pleasant warmth, the distant howling being replaced by a faint humming, the buzzing of his own mind calming, becoming numb until the only thought in his head was Roman, Roman, Roman- 

He could feel Roman’s hand on his head, not restricting it, but cupping the back of it so he could lean against him as he stared up at the night sky, the full moon, and the slow blurring of the tops of the pine trees. His other arm was wrapped around his waist tightly, holding him up, and Patton was beyond grateful for the support as his legs began to turn to jelly. The last thing Patton felt was the vampire scooping up his legs and his head being cradled against the soft material of Roman’s shirt. 

Then everything went dark. 

-0-0-0-

Patton woke up slowly, squinting against the harsh sunlight streaming through his window. He dropped an arm across his eyes lazily, letting out a low groan at his pounding headache. There were voices downstairs in the tavern, and what sounded like dishes clanging, and he wondered if somehow this place was also a restaurant. How on earth could anybody run an establishment like that? It’s like the place never slept-

A wave of nausea pooled in his gut due to the speed of which he sat up but that wasn’t important, not right now. He flung his blankets back and… oh. He was dressed in his pajamas. Last he could remember, in the woods, running with Roman, he’d been in day clothes, in the sweater and shirt that was now draped on a chair across the room. His camera bag was... on the desk. His shoes were by the door, dirt free.

He raised his finger tips to his neck, expecting to feel a raised scab, or scar, any sign that he’d been bitten. There was nothing. 

He swung his legs over the sides of the beds and immediately shut his eyes, fighting off an explosion of dizziness induced sparks that shot across his vision. It sure felt as if he’d lost some blood. As much as he didn’t want to believe he had a hangover from one drink, that could also be an explanation. He’d always been a bit of a lightweight.

A dream. Was it all just… a dream?

A feeling of disappointment washed over him and he sighed, running his hands up through his hair. Something soft snagged on his fingers and he carefully detangled it from the curls, pulling it out curiously. He blinked at the fern leaf between his finger tips. That definitely hadn’t happened between his car, the tavern, or the room... So- 

He sucked in a breath sharply as his eyes locked with the mirror’s reflection in front of him, every thought coming to a halt.

Because staring back, for the first time ever, were two perfectly blue eyes.

I have a bunch of world building ideas that weren’t included in this fic, shoot me an ask if you have any lore questions!

General taglist:

@max-is-tired

@private-snippers

@joylessnightsky

[yyuangss-main]

❝chapter two❞

All his classes were done for the day and he sighed with relief. Sugawara swung his book bag over his shoulder, making sure to grab his water bottle. He twisted the cap off, taking a drink while walking out of the classroom behind several students. This hallway seemed more full to him and he wondered why. Most of the time the hallway was empty enough.

Suga pushed the door that led outside with his hand, holding it open for the ones coming out too. He continued walking on the concrete, fixated on the several clustered people. They were all getting on a bus with black letters showing off their high school name. Sugawara hummed to himself.

‘I didn’t know they were giving a tour today.’ Suga thought.

“Shit shit shit.” Whispered a girl walking by him. Her movements were rigid, feet scuffling across the cement. “I’m so dumb.” He got a glimpse of her face. A worrisome look coveted her face, obviously something wrong with her. The girl checked her phone and then around the courtyard. Suga back tracked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“You okay?” He said, her body immediately turning to him. “Can I help you?”

“Uh.” She seemed uncertain to respond. “I’m uh. I’m lost.”

“Oh, that’s okay. Everyone gets lost. What class are you looking for?” Sugawara reached back to put his water bottle in the holder of his book bag. She shook her head giving a disagreeing noise.

“I don’t go here.” Was her response to him.

“I’m sorry.” He smiled sheepishly, “Are you looking for someone? I’ve kinda memorized the campus so I think I’d know where this person is.” He cocked his head to the side.

“No, I’m visiting the campus. I was with a tour group but I got separated from them and now I can't find them.” Sugawara hissed, bringing his thumb under his chin. “I don’t want to be a bother to you so I’ll just wait at the bus I came from.” Sugawara overlapped her last few words with some of his own.

“Then you wouldn’t see the rest of the school!” Suga dropped his hand from his chin. “Like I said, I know the campus somewhat well and I kinda remember the tour from when I came. I’ll be more than glad to show you.” The girl seemed unsure again.

“Will you be able to help me find my group too? That’s mostly what I need. I’m not trying to get in trouble.” She flipped the pamphlet in her hand. Sugawara nodded.

“Of course. By now I think you’ve been in the main building. You probably walked out the wrong door which got you here.” He pointed to the ground. “Your group is likely to be on the other side and heading towards the dorms. We can go there.” He nodded on for her to follow beside him.

“Thank you. You didn’t have to do this but you’re taking the time.” Sugawara let out a warm laugh.

“No problem. I’m Koushi Sugawara. What’s your name?”

“My name is (Y/N) (L/N).” She held the pamphlet to her chest.

“Are you planning on coming here or it’s just an option?” Sugawara said, wanting to know more about her. “What school do you go to currently?”

“For now, it’s an option. I have a couple other schools in mind.” She said, “I go to Hakone Academy actually.” Sugawara gave out an, ‘Oh’ when she revealed her school.

“Well, I have a friend who used to go there. He says that the university and the academy are quite similar.” Suga said, “So if you’re used to the academy, I recommend coming here. And who knows, we might even have classes together.”

“And yet, still no classes.” Suga said once the menus were taken. You scoffed, letting a smile slip across your face. “Did you decide on your major already or are you still indecisive?” He joked.

“Um, no. Indecisiveness is last year me.” You joked back, making him snicker. “I’ve started fresh, chosen my major, and I will stick to it. Indecisiveness? Don’t know her.”

“Yeah fresh start indeed.” Sugawara winked. You rolled your eyes playfully. “What’s your major then?” He said, moving his book bag under the table. You shrugged.

“It’s a secret.” You said, bringing up your finger to your lips. “You don’t get to know.”

“I’m hurt. You said that once you found out you’d tell me.” He pointed at you. “Don’t go back on your promise. Maybe you’re only saying that because you still don’t know.”

“One day I will let you know.” You held your head up, “But it’s not today.”

Suga liked that when he met you, he easily got along with you. It made him feel like he was talking to a friend. And even now, he’s happy there was never an awkward moment or silence looming over.

“Well,” Sugawara leaned back in his chair, “I still have time to find out what it is.” His eyes flickered up to you, watching you blush a little. Your gaze went to the hanging paintings and designs on the wall.

“How have you been?” You asked. “Maybe you’ve become indecisive?” He shook his head.

“Nope. I’m still going in with the teacher major.” Suga said. “Actually, I might become an elementary teacher.” You have a surprised look which he couldn’t get a good read on.

“Really? The real question is if you’re gonna be able to handle the kids you get.” You replied, putting your hands on the table.

“Of course. Otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen it.” He said. “Hey, if things go well today, do you think we’ll be able to do this again?” The question made you get quiet and bounce your leg.

“Yeah. I mean, I don’t see any way you could mess up.” You answered. “Plus, I like that we can talk to each other easily.” Suga grinned at your comment.

“Maybe you writing those letters wasn’t such a bad idea.”

❝Koushi Sugawara is one out of fifteen to receive your love letter. Unlike the rest, he decides to talk to you and try to build a relationship. Will you allow him or will the embarrassment of the love letter get in the way?❞

TAGLIST IS NOW CLOSED!

Taglist: @heykoutarou @the-writing-otaku @avbreyissad @elianetsantana @restricted-illusion @bokuakadaily @kweenregent @justatempo @aksteldesu @kellesvt @luckypartyranchmug @london-quynh @humanitysbiggestsimp @daniella-uwu @kitababie @omigogames @sleep3deprived @melialeic @vicassa @chibishae34 @timeturnerss @mariachiii @dearestsuna @spaceboitrash @haikyuusugasuga @tsukisemi @atsumubabe @cadenceh2o @hawkssnugget @dabilove27 @hikari-writes @shibayamasbae @isleofnajera @thathoneybee3 @uncleirohsbobbatea @shinhiromi @greyevangeline @graykageyama @mattsuns-prettybaby @fluffymilkbread @rogueofbullshit @turntechsquishy

— Change your mode?

yes. no.

[thewolfisawake]

The letter was float in the middle of the room. Tables and seats arced around it, in the relative dark within the room. One of the voices remarked what most were thinking, “Well that’s unexpected. I didn’t think the clans would extend the invitation to a bunch of terrorists.” 

“They may not know.”

One voice, firm and wizened, replied, “They know and do not care.”

“Guess what ever helps a power play, isn’t it? Oh the Bastion would throw a fit,” the first voice quipped.

Unlike the rest of the speakers, this one was one of the few that were illuminated by the back lights. Donovan reported, “The Bastion and RSB have also received invitations. The invitation list is quite vast to include dragons from all regions, not limited to but including the Red Eyes; the head to every lycan pack; the heads to various magic families; both the Unseelie and Seelie Court; the families of the Slavic vampires; the Atlantians and of course any number of powerful families.”

The listing brought quite amongst the group. It was quite a roster. One of the voice, low and gravelly, “It sounds like it could be a cesspool or the hinge to broker some sort of peace.”

“I doubt it’ll be the latter.”

“Hey, wouldn’t this be a good place to y’know? Do what we do?” another voice, chipper and breezy, piped in, “A lot of magic beings plus some spells or curses? Or something more explody?” 

The first voice cooed, “I like that idea.”

“You may pursue if you wish however I will not back such a notion,” the firm and wise voice informed, “unless you have a method to evade all these forces? Anonymity is our only advantage, garnering any’s interest would not be helpful to your situation.”

“Yes, teacher.” 

A kind voice asked, “So will none attend?” 

One voice, mature yet idle, sighed, “I will be attending on behalf of a different entity.”

“Hoo, magic boy’s got an invite, I’m surprised.”

“I am too,” he admitted.

The chipper voice piped, “I’ll go!”

“Absolutely not,” the figure from behind them illuminated by the back light, Jasper, called, “You’re entirely too known to go. If RSB bastards really are there, you’ll be arrested on the spot.”

“Why don’t you go?” she complained.

“I have no interest in the gathering of a bunch of rich folks showing off their wealth or power,” Jasper responded, “besides I’m still wanted by the Bastion. I can’t go.”

The kind voice responded, “I did not think of that situation. I was fascinated in getting to meet them all. Especially the Atlantians but I would certainly be detained by the Bastion as well if I were to go.”

The first voice grumbled, “I’m busy during then anyway so I can’t attend. Eli could go instead.”

Elias huffed, “I’d rather not.”

“If I may,” the wise voice started, “I would like to put forward for our financier to attend. Even if we cannot act deliberately, it is still quite a lot of connections to be made. In the non-human world no less. It would also be an exercise of sorts for him.”

“Ah...while I am honored by your recommendation, this is for Aletheia. I’m sure there is someone better to represent our interests than me.”

“True but sounds like with some attendees, we don’t have much choice. Unless you’d like to go, old man?”

The gravelly voice replied, “I will abstain. I have matters elsewhere.” 

“See?”

The financier was glad for the shade to hide his grimace, “I’ll accept then.”

“However I would like if he doesn’t go alone. Arsene?”

Arsene, who had been writing on the tablet as they talked, looked up, “With all due respect, my lady, I heard magic families are going. That presents a conflict of interest for me.”

“I will attend on behalf of my students being unable,” Donovan volunteered, giving a small bow, “he will be in good hands.”

“If that is settled, shall we continue on?”

--

As the meeting concluded, the lights flickered on. With their arrival, it illuminated that most of the members had never been physically present to begin with. Projections or the like use to communicate their thoughts. Of those actually present were those sitting in the back as they were still in lessons from Donovan. Donovan; the financier, Alec; and the wise voice, Aleksandra.

“My lady, if I may,” Alec called as the others started to exit. She looked over to him, “Yes, Alec?”

“Are you certain of me going? You would know better than I about other beings that are there.” 

“It may be true but I will not be present forever so it is best someone else may learn. That is all,” she replied, “Now if you excuse me...”

He nodded and he filed away. And the room was empty of all but two. Aleksandra remarked, “You remain.” 

“I have my own inquiries,” Donovan responded, “You didn’t decide to go. Why? I know what you said but your actual reasons, my lady.”

Aleksandra chuckled, “For one that has lost it all once more, you pick up far too quickly Donovan.”

“Consider it a trick of the trade.”

“I will for now,” Aleksandra said, “As for why, it similar to why I stopped Iris before. While it is most certainly possible for me to attend. Certainly possible for me to murder every Betrayer and even heads of the nightwalkers...what good would that do? They are but one possibility of those that could inherit. It would not ingratiate me to any other beings there. It would cause panic or mayhem. It would be good for my duties within the moment, in the long run, it will soil that work. After all there are those you named besides them.”

“Humans.”

“Yes. They are present and they would be the ones affected if things do not go smoothly at this meeting. Which is why I am glad you are going. Alec is learning but he is still rough around the edges,” she quipped, “but damn would it have been a good time if I were able to get the forebearers to the nightwalkers. Hundreds maybe thousands of them drop dead in an instant. Shame really.”

“I could...always attempt if you’d like.”

“And risk having to teach the lot you have? Unlikely.”

It was Donovan’s turn to chuckle, “Damn, it would have been nice.”

[burgers-and-french-fries]

The Christmas Miracle: Chapter One.

Art teacher Faith Matthews sat at her desk going over some ideas for her next class. She wanted to find something fun and easy for her ten special needs students to do for their Christmas art projects. She knew that most of them loved to finger paint while the other part of her students loved to draw. She tried to find what she could using Pinterest but even then it was proving to be a tedious job. Faith huffed and leaned back in her chair just as Joy entered her empty classroom.

Joy and Faith had been friends for many years after having met when Joy relocated to the elementary school in Anchorage, Alaska. Joy had been the one to introduce herself to Faith as Faith was the more quiet and shy type and thankfully over time, Joy brought out the goofy side in Faith. Since then the two were inseparable and did everything together, including applying for jobs at the same school they had met years prior.

"Thought you could use this." Joy said as she held up a large takeaway cup and sauntered over to her friend.

"You are a lifesaver." Faith said as she took the cup and took a long sip of the peppermint hot chocolate. It was her favorite thing to drink around this time of year as it reminded her of the Christmas she believed to be her last. Her mother had found the recipe online and really wanted to try it out. Faith's father, James, cringed at the idea of hot chocolate being ruined but Faith fell in love with the beverage and vowed that if she made it to her next Christmas, that would be her drink of choice for the holiday season.

"Speaking of which, did you send that letter?" Joy asked. Faith nodded and sat forward.

"I did." Faith replied simply.

"And? Did you hear back?" Joy asked.

"I did get a letter back but I haven't opened it yet. Kind of thought we could do it together since you helped me with the first one." Faith said. Joy grinned.

"Well go on then, let's see what they said." Joy exclaimed. Faith giggled at her friend's elation. She certainly lived up to her name, that was for sure.

Faith pulled the white envelope out of her bag and stared at it for a moment. She wasn't sure what to expect but she hoped that whatever answer she held in her hands it would be a good one. Taking a deep breath, Faith opened it.

'Dear Miss Matthews,

Thank you for your letter but we regret to inform you that the donor has passed away. It has been recommended by the family that you no longer try to contact them.

Kind Regards,

Kylie Jordan.'

Faith's heart plummeted at those words. All she wanted to do was thank the donor and now she couldn't.

"Well that sucks." Faith said with defeat. Joy simply pat Faith's shoulder.

"My dear, they said that it was recommended that you no longer contact the family." Joy said somewhat slyly. Faith looked at her friend and tilted her head to the side.

"You don't say." Faith remarked sarcastically.

"Faith, they didn't say that you couldn't go and visit them." Joy said.

"Are you nuts? That's the same thing." Faith said incredulously. "Plus, I don't know where they live. How could I possibly go and do that?" She concluded.

"Is there a return address on the envelope?" Joy questioned. Faith examined the envelope and nodded her head.

"Yeah but it's from the donor agency in Talkeetna." Faith replied. Joy beamed at the name as though she was the Cheshire cat from Alice in wonderland.

"What?" Faith asked, already knowing the answer. Her friend had something up her sleeve.

"That's where Nick is from." Joy told her friend.

Nick was Joy's fiance and owned the local cafe in town, which he claimed was his baby. Joy had to scoff at that but found it enduring that he was so passionate about the little shop. The couple had been together for about four years after meeting each other at the Christmas fair Anchorage held every year.

"Make your point Joy." Faith said, now growing tired of Joy's games.

"My point is that Nick might know this donor's family and could help us track them down." She said, practically bouncing in her spot.

"Oh yeah and what do I say to him 'I got this letter that told me to not contact the family of my donor but can you help me track them down so I can visit them'? No thanks." Faith said. Joy rolled her eyes.

"Well the choice is yours. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for my next class." Joy said as the bell rang for the children to come in from recess.

Faith knew that Joy had a point but with the news she had just gotten, the last thing she wanted to do was fan the flames and add more heartache and disappointment to the situation. For now, Faith decided to leave it alone and really weigh her options.

=

By the end of the school day, Faith was still undecided on what to do and she knew the only person she could turn to with sound advice was her father. So she packed up her things, locked her classroom door and headed out to her car to make her way to where her father worked as a carpenter, making furniture and other wooden goods.

"Hi dad." Faith greeted as she walked into his workshop. James looked up and smiled.

"Hi honey, how was work?" He asked with a cheerful expression.

James loved his family dearly, especially his only daughter. From the moment Faith was born she had always brought him so much joy and happiness. She was his little buddy after all. Growing up, wherever Faith was, you knew James wasn't too far behind.

"I've had better days." Faith admitted truthfully. James removed his safety goggles and placed them on his work bench.

"I know that look. What's on your mind?" James asked.

"Bad news or good news first?" Faith questioned in reply.

"Let's hear the good news." James replied. Faith smiled. Of course he would choose the good news.

"Well I wrote a letter to my donor to thank them for giving me my life back." She responded.

"That takes guts. Good for you." James said. Faith rolled her eyes.

"Not the time for jokes dad." She countered.

"You're right. Go on." He encouraged.

"Bad news is that in the response, I was told that the donor has passed away and the family wants nothing to do with me." Faith explained.

"Well honey, I'm sorry to hear that but you know that they have every right to want that. Losing someone you love is tough. Now thankfully we never had to go through that but we almost did and it was utterly painful to watch." James told his daughter.

"Joy was with me when I opened it." Faith said.

"Oh dear god. What feather brained idea has she come up with now?" James asked, knowing Joy all too well. Faith chuckled at her father's expression.

"The letter came from Talkeetna and she got excited because that's where Nick is from. She said that maybe he knows this family and could help us track them down so I can go and visit." Faith explained. James pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I don't think you should do that. As I said before, this family has the right to privacy. Tracking them down without their knowing would be an invasion of that." He replied.

"I just want to thank them though." Faith replied.

"I know you do but I don't agree that you should and I don't think your mother would want you to do that either." James said.

"Thanks for being honest dad." Faith said eventually. James smiled and winked at her. Faith walked over to him and gave him one last hug before walking over to the door.

"I know what you're thinking Faith, don't do it." James warned. Faith turned and gave him a cheeky smile. In truth, she still didn't know what to do but she wanted to tease her father.

"Love you dad." She called.

"Love you too." He replied, watching her walk out. He could only hope and pray that she did not take heed to what Joy had to say in this scenario.

===

Tag List: @sarahegerton96 @hauntedflamingo

[itsbeautifulhologram]

FatherHood [ch.2]

" This is happening so fast." 

[M/N] had wanted to go into the special child care courses they had at a college in Boulder or in Aspen and the possible idea of going all the way to Colorado Springs. They were costly, even with his two jobs, [M/N] knew a scholarship that he would get in the summer would pay everything from room and board to his parking lot badge. Though, only when he completed his hours working with kids and get a special letter from PC principal who would give it, after [M/N] helps a student in need for the whole summer: Babysitting, tutoring, cleaning, ect. Whatever the student in need was in need .

" It is happening fast." PC Principal said, he stood behind his desk as he talked to [M/N]. One of the good children at his school. " You're very fortunate that the student in need submitted a helper application this morning, and that it's barely the start of the brand new school year. So you have a long school year to work with them, they needed childcare so this should be easy as apple pie."

" Do I know them?"

PC Principal looked over the papers and nods his head, " Believe it or not, they are in your classes, same age and someone you have been with as a platonic friend." He said, reading over the chicken scratch and smiled a bit. " I have email their details and the meeting time, which is after school, and let me know through email if you accept the job. But remember, you're with them for the entire school year. If you chose to refuse then I have to wait for another application, and if only you can wait for that long. But then, you get your nice and juicy letter of recommendation."

" I got it, but I can assure you. I am more than willing to do this childcare, it's gonna be hard with my jobs but I'll do it." [M/N] said, smiling as PC Principal grins a bit, " Then you can go, have a nice day [L/N]." The teen stood up, he walked out his office and shut the door behind him and almost skips down the hallway, a bit bounce in his step. He didn't care who it was, but he literally got his ticket to the letter. Thank god for the stupid program.

He walked back in the door of his Chemistry class, the teacher practically sleeping at her desk as [M/N] took his seat in the middle table once more. " Did something happened with PC?" Stan asked, barely lifting his head up from the seat beside [M/N] they were table mates, the ravenette always cheated off him but [M/N] didn't care really. The poor thing always had a hangover headache during their second period. Plus, they were friends, why wouldn't he help him?

" I just got my first application." [M/N] said, as he looked at Stan who stared up at him. " Today after school, I'll be meeting with some adult or teen mom or something. I'll be working with them to take care of their kid." [M/N] felt giddy that he could have an opportunity like this. " Then I'll be far away from this fucking town."

" That's great, dude." Stan said, as he watched [M/N] practically sparkle as he spoke about his opportunity, the pure happiness made the ravenette feel some sort of envy. Not because he was able to work his way towards college and study whatever he wanted, no, it was just the pure emotion that Stan wished he could feel without the need for beer or weed. " Why do you want be a teacher again?" Stan asked, propping his head up with his hand. [M/N] glanced to Stan and opens his mouth only to jump a bit when he heard a loud bang ahead. They turn their gaze ahead and saw their teacher had fallen to the floor, dead asleep. She didn't even get up when she landed on the floor, instead she began to drool. 

" That." [M/N] gestures to the woman on the floor with a frown. " Is why I want to be a teacher, I can always fall back into daycare work if I need to. People are always plopping out kids." The bell rings and everyone stood up, hurrying out the door with their friends. [M/N] standing up and walked out the door with Stan, the other wobbling a bit and rubbing his temple. " what the hell did you drink this time around?"

" I can't remember, I think it was either bud light or cherry flavored vodka." Stan said as he looked at [M/N]. " You're not gonna tell Kyle, are you?"

" I'm not." [M/N] said as he glanced at the other, " He'll find out the second he smells your breath and your red puffy eyes." Stan groans, slouching a bit as he walked to their next class. Of course Kyle could smell the scent of alcohol a mile a way, and on Stan. He usually didn't drink this heavily but lately there had been reasons to drink. His dad for one, his mom ignoring everything around them, Shelly gone, Sparky getting old, his grades, pressure on the football team, everything seemed to be fucked up or going on to be fucked up.  The last thing he needed was to screw up his relationship with his friends. Wendy was gone and dating Token again, so that's a thing. Though, he wasn't really drinking because of that.

" I know, still, I hate it when he lectures me." Stan grumbled as they kept walking to their next class, kids bumping shoulders into his. He was even too tired to snap at them. " He acts more like my mom than my friend."

" He cares for you Lee," [M/N] said as he nudged the other with a smile, " Somebody has to care for your dumbass, I love you and all but I won't be around long." Stan gives the other a small smile. " See, you should smile more."

" And you should get laid more." Stan retorts and they both share a laugh as they entered their history class only to see their teacher eating a pot brownie, another movie day it seems. [M/N] rolled his eyes as he sits down, Stan going to his assigned seat behind him. [M/N] pulled his phone out like others as the teacher kept plugging the tv in and out of the power port. He was to high and hopefully it won't be something stupid. He was focused on the phone that he didn't hear the chair scrap next to him. 

" Hey, [M/N]." 

[M/N] mentally groans as he heard the voice beside him, he should've sit in the back with Stan. Since the junior year summer break, Craig had been a thorn in his side. He was annoying him, clinging to his side like a needy animal wanting to be pet and be given kisses. Everything he did, annoyed him. Craig first began asking about his day or try to converse with him in the summer, Craig then offers him extra things he accidently bought from stores, usually food. Free food, then it began asking to hang out but [M/N] actually couldn't do it because of work and college visits. Craig didn't know why he was suddenly too friendly but it kind of disturbed him. 

" Hey Craig." [M/N] said as he glanced at the ravenette. He looked still the same since he did when they were younger. Short black hair that hid underneath the dark blue chullo hat with a yellow puff ball on top of the dark blue hat. He wore his dark blue jacket with a bit of his black shirt peeking up and dark jeans as well. He also had black boots on too that replaced the dark blue converse he had as a kid. Craig still had his emotionless face but his dark eyes had edges of light grey in the corners. " How are you?" [M/N] asked politely. 

" Good." Craig replied as [M/N] nods, his eyes glanced away to the teacher who played with his pen, the movie read to be started as kids came inside the classroom. 

" I heard you got your first application." Craig said after a few minutes of awkward silence. [M/N] stared at him, wondering how he knew. " I was outside the office, I was late and I needed a pass. The door is super thin so I heard everything." Craig's eyes glanced to [M/N] who caught his gaze. " Congratulations." He said. 

" Uh, oh, thanks." [M/N] thanked the other, and looked back at the tv. " Though, it Is a bit rude for eavesdropping on conversations." He joked and Craig shakes his head a bit, a low chuckle made [M/N] smile a bit. 

" Well, maybe I like being rude to you." Craig said with a smirk as the bell rings, [M/N]'s cheeks turn a bit pink. " It's fun being rude to you too, you and your color changing cheeks." [M/N] scoffed, eyes rolling at the statement as the lights turn off and the history movie started. [M/N] kept watching the movie, leaning against his metal chair a bit but he could feel Craig watching him, he caught him a bit from the corner of his [E/C] eyes. Why is he watching me? Werido..

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

The school day was boring, nothing really to learn from the teachers who were either crying, high or sleeping. That was High school for you in South Park. Another reason he wanted to be a teacher.

[M/N] walked down the sidewalk towards the meeting place at Tweek's coffeehouse. The person had said he would be late because their kid was having a fit. It must be a baby or toddler, [M/N]'s specialty. He kept walking down the street with a hum, seeing the coffee shop and hurried over. The smell of warm coffee and the sound of chatter was the first thing he had heard and smelled when [M/N] walked in. He can see Tweek twitching and taking orders, talking about the new specials and such. [M/N] sits his bookbag down as he sits down into a booth, he pulled out some math homework to do. 

He hated math but might as well get it over and done. He kept scribbling in the answers after figuring it out. His focus on the papers in front of him, his [E/C] eyes glancing up once in a while to see the possible parent and child but no one came towards him. He was getting a bit nervous and especially getting antsy. Maybe it was some rich socialite? Someone with too many kids and needed a lot of help? He didn't know and he wanted them to be there fas-

" [M/N]?" 

[M/N]'s head snapped up and smiled only for it to fall when he noticed who called him. His pencil falls and rolls off the table, Kenny noticed and a weak smile pulled on his pale lips. Yeah, I'm just as shock, Kenny thought as he  looked at his ex-boyfriend and opens his mouth but the baby who was sleeping in his make-shift sling began wailing when the door of the shop slammed closed with the jingle of a bell. People began sending Kenny dirty looks and teens gave them annoyed ones too.  [M/N] stood up once Kenny gently took the baby out, trying to calm him down and [M/N] grimaced. The baby was in clothes that was a couple months too big for him, he had Karen's smallest socks on his hands, probably to prevent himself from scratching at his face. 

" Hand the baby over, Ken." [M/N] ordered as he moved from the table and made grabby hands towards the blond who slowly hands his son over. [M/N] carefully took the baby, support his head and body. He cradles the baby against his chest and cooed over him, the baby kept crying as he stared up at the new person. His chubby arms moving around, the sock-gloves lightly graving [M/N]'s chin. " Hey, baby McCormick, don't hit me." [M/N] cooed as he looked at the baby, gently rocking him. " When was the last time you fed him?" [M/N] asked as he kept his gaze down on the baby. 

" Two hours ago." Kenny answered, as he watched [M/N] gently handle his son with wide eyes, he wasn't shock really, a bit that [M/N] went right to mother hen mode. Though, [M/N] was just natural with kids of all ages. " I need to get more formula." Kenny added, he had ran to the gas station this morning after dropping Karen off at her school. They had one can, but his son drank it all. 

" Go to Tweek, tell him you need baby formula." [M/N] said, " The one without meth too." Kenny checked his pockets and [M/N] sighs, using one arm to gently cradle the baby and Kenny watched anxiously as [M/N] used his now free hand, and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. " Here. Get me an ice vanilla coffee too." [M/N] throws the wallet and Kenny almost didn't catch it. [M/N] held the baby with both hands and arms just as Kenny hurried in line just as the last person left with their coffee. 

The baby kept crying, not as loud but it was still annoying people next to him. [M/N] smiled down at the baby and cooed, " Okay, Okay, get it out of your system." He smiled and the baby hand raised up, and grazed [M/N]'s chin with his gloved hands again. " You keep trying that, but you can't hit me little McCormick." [M/N] chuckled as he resumed his rocking, humming a bit.

"I'd heard there was a secret chord

That David played and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? Well, it goes like this The fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

[M/N] began singing sweetly, almost in a childish tone to the baby. He still moved his arms around but his crying is slowly reduced to whimpers. His bright teal eyes staring up into [M/N]'s soft [E/C] eyes. Small tears ran down his pale cheeks from his small crying fit, but seemed to slowly calm down to [M/N]'s singing.

"Well, your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya She tied you to the kitchen chair She broke your throne and she cut your hair And from your lips, she drew the Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

Soon the whimpers stop and the baby's arms stopped moving around, but his full attention was solely on the new person who smelled nice unlike the blond who held him. The stranger smelled way better than the woman too. His teal eyes watching him, and [M/N] smiled down at the baby. The smile made the baby smile back.

"Well baby, I've been here before

I've seen this room and I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew ya And I've seen your flag on the marble arch And love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah"

" Your voice has never lost it's pitch." Kenny said as he walked back from the counter, bottle in one hand and ice coffee in the other. He had heard the final verse of [M/N]'s singing and sat the coffee down. [M/N] sat down, using one arm again to hold the baby and used the other to grasp the bottle from Kenny's hand. He tested it against his arm before slowly feeding the tiny McCormick. [M/N] watched the baby drink the formula, holding him carefully. He was hungry, and probably startled when the door closed. " I didn't think they would send you for help, if you're the one I'm looking for." Kenny said, standing and watching his son eat. 

" Me either, nor did I think you'll have a son so soon." [M/N] said, not looking up as he fed the baby. " What's his name?"

" Uh, I..haven't give him one." Kenny said, watching his son eat. Smile on his lips, as his son ate instead of crying. He had been crying all day, used his diaper and ate. It was nice to see him eat and calm down. 

" Sit down Ken," [M/N] said as he placed the bottle down on the table once the baby finished eating half of his milk. [M/N] fixed the baby in the burping position and gently pats the baby's back and a large burp came out the baby boy.  " Good boy." [M/N] praised as he fixed the baby in his arms, he laid in his arms and kept watching [M/N] with bright teal eyes. [M/N] lifts his head up and looked at Kenny who pulled a chair from a random table. " I'm free in the mornings before school and I am willing to stay until 12 am at nights. Though, I can take him to my job at the daycare on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Friday." [M/N] explained, as he raised an eyebrow. " If you need me to watch him over the weekend then call or text me before hand. Because I may be hanging out with friends or-"

" We have the same friends." Kenny pointed out, and [M/N] narrowed his eyes at him which make the blond cringe. " Uh, you don't have to be formal with me either, I mean, I know you take child care seriously but jesus."

" Kenny, I have to." [M/N] said as he looked down at the baby, who immidealty gives him a toothless smile. [M/N] smiles back at the baby, " I want to keep us professional. Plus everything is paid for by the program at school which you would know, if you came." Kenny dropped out junior year after their broke up. He was surprise but then he heard rumors he dropped out for some hooker, [M/N] could be holding the hooker's son. 

" Low-blow, huh?" Kenny mutters to himself as he looked at [M/N]. He looked the same, Kenny had avoided the other for a bit after their break-up. He had his own things too, work, watching Karen, smoking, sex, and girls. [M/N] looked the same, minus the fact that he was bitter towards Kenny which made sense. " Uh, what's a good name for him?" Kenny asked, drawing circles with his fingers on the table top. Hoping [M/N] wouldn't be so cold when it went in the baby direction.

" I have no idea." [M/N] said, as he looked down, a smile still on his lips and the baby gurgled once the attention was on him again by the stranger. " He looks just like you."

" That's what Karen said. I think so too." Kenny said as he smiled, hearing his son gurgled happily. " I was thinking of Kenny Junior." [M/N] gave Kenny a bitch face and Kenny chuckled nervously. " Or not, if you think you can come up with a better name, then say it." So much for Kenny's idea of names. 

" I like Georgie." [M/N] said, as he waved his finger in front of the baby's face. The baby tried to take the finger but his gloved hands prevented him. " Georgie McCormick. I mean-" [M/N] glanced at Kenny and stared. "Like whatever, name him.." [M/N] didn't mean to say that out loud, the baby could have a name that the mom gave it but he didn't want to know the mother at all. She must've left Kenny after the birth since Kenny got him for help.

" No way," Kenny grins seeing [M/N] trying to keep his professional  tone and atmosphere. Kenny actually liked the name, it had a nice ring to it like [M/N] said with his surname. Georgie McCormick. " That's his name, it's cute." [M/N] nods his head as he sips his ice coffee, Georgie gently batting it with his gloved hand and [M/N] placed it down. He tried to ignore the buzzing and warm feeling of Kenny's approval, it has almost been a year and the feeling in him felt the same as it did when he was together with the blond.

" Anyway, do you agree with my terms?" [M/N] asked, as Kenny stared at the other than the look on Georgie's face. Peaceful, calm, safe. " Kenny?"

" Yeah," Kenny nods, a smile coming to his face. Safe, his son will be safe with [M/N]. " I agree. You're a life saver." 

" I know I am." [M/N] replied as he looked at the baby, another happy noise escaped from his mouth. Georgie moved, against [M/N]'s chest, a yawn escaping his lips and [M/N] smiled down at him. Even if he came from a hooker, [M/N] was kind of glad the baby looked more like Kenny than the mystery woman.

[throughyanderewindow]

Nothing Else Matters (1/?)

Pairing: Yandere Bucky Barnes x Yandere Fem!Reader

Warnings: Obsessive Behaviour

A/N: Dipping my toe back into fanfic for the first time in years, we’ll see how it goes. I haven’t seen CA:TFA in a while but the wiki tells me my dates are right

You were 14 years old when you first saw Bucky Barnes, well a picture of him anyway. It was about halfway through the first semester of your first year of high school, the third history class since the teacher started on World War Two.

"I've got something I think you'll all find very interesting." Ms. Dorne addressed the class with even more flair than usual. She was clearly passionate about history in general but now her eyes were practically gleaming with excitement. "We're going to talk about Captain America and the Howling Commandos!"

This was still a few years before the Captain himself dramatically reappeared from the 'dead' so only about a third of the class had any idea what she was talking about. "What kind of name is the Howling Commandos? Sounds like someone made a bet to come up with the stupidest name possible." A boy in the back of the class laughed.

"Well Michael, why don't we turn to page 238 in your textbooks and we can find out?" Ms. Dorne replied, her enthusiasm seeming completely undampened by the boy's teasing.

236...237...238. The minute you flipped to the right page the classroom noise faded from your hearing. Irrelevant, all of it, nothing mattered but him. Directly to the right of what had to be Captain America judging by his outfit was the most beautiful man you'd ever seen. Scanning the page you found the label The Howling Commandos (from left to right) Whats-his-name, The-other-one, Wow-mustache, Walking-flag and there: Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes. You quickly copied the name into your notepad before underlining it three times even though you were pretty sure you'd never forget it. You flipped through the textbook engrossing yourself in the precious little it had about the Sergeant.

⦁ Born March 10th 1917

⦁ Went by Bucky

⦁ Grew up alongside and was best friends with Captain America himself

⦁ Joined the 107th Infantry Regiment and later the Howling Commandos

⦁ Died in 1944

Basically nothing and tuning back into the lesson didn't end up giving any new info. You could look it up on the net, you considered, but your parents had been dragging their feet on getting broadband and waiting forever for a Wikipedia article that might not even give you anything was far from appealing. No, your best bet was the good old library, it was definitely faster and would probably have more pictures. Pictures would really be a plus; you could stare at this man all day.

Margot Greene had been a librarian for over 40 years and she had seen some strange things. Of particular note was the day she found a substantial amount of marijuana in a hollowed out copy of 1984. It was a somewhat poetic choice she supposed although she was quite distracted by the fact that someone thought it was acceptable to treat a book that way. All this to say that a young lady, visibly out of breath, almost shouting that she needed "every book you have on James Buchanan Barnes" wasn't worth much more than a raised eyebrow. She had taken similar requests from flustered college students who'd procrastinated on their history papers but from a girl this young? That was a bit new. Margot motioned for the girl to follow as she headed to the relevant shelves.

"Was the Sergeant a relation of yours? Great-Uncle maybe?" Margot tried.

"No, nothing like that," you said "and we're not related...not yet anyway."

Curiouser and curiouser. She considered inquiring further but they had reached their destination, probably for the best. "Everything on this shelf is specifically about The Howling Commandos, all of them should go into James Barnes at least a bit. There's also a considerable amount of books about America's role in the war that will likely talk at least briefly about his unit as a whole. If you'd like to narrow your topic a bit I can point you in the right direction-"

"No need." You interrupted "How many can I take out at a time?"

The next few months saw you throwing yourself completely into research. After a short while you probably knew more than Ms. Dorne did about World War 2 and definitely more about The Howling Commandos. Your end of semester project on them was certainly well received, Ms. Dorne calling it the most passionate and well researched presentation she'd seen in her entire teaching career. After class she asked you to consider looking into jobs in history. Now that was an idea, it would be much more reasonable for someone to immerse themselves in a man from a long lost time if that was their job.

High school passed quickly after that, your grades were never bad but it was clear to anyone who spent any amount of time with you that history was your passion. You were kind to anyone who tried to socialize with you and had many people who would consider themselves your friends but you would be lying if you said you cared about any of them. It would be troublesome if your parents started to worry about you so you had perfected the image of a carefree, popular girl, but the only thing that really moved you was your research.

Be the end of high school you'd built up an impressive collection of vintage 40s style dresses and glowing letters of recommendation to try for colleges with. It was common for people to joke that you belonged in a different time but you were intelligent enough that your fixation on the past was called 'eccentric' instead of 'unhinged'.

  You were progressing well towards a bachelor's in history when New York was attacked by a wayward god. The real point of interest though was the man dressed as Captain America, there was almost no chance he was actually Steve Rogers but you allowed yourself a quick moment of hope. After all there was apparently a literal god leading aliens to attack Manhattan; was a man reappearing, unaged, about 70 years after he disappeared that much stranger? You refused to discount the possibility entirely because those many books you'd read on the youth of the Captain agreed:

Where there was Steve Rogers there was Bucky Barnes.

@yanderepeterparker​ asked for a tag when I pitched this idea on anon earlier

if you want to be tagged for the next part let me know

divider by writeyourmindaway

[just-patchy]

Lonely Puppet | Stefano Fuoco

Post-overblot (aka grey flashback episode), no fluff here, just angst

1st person POV from Stefano’s view

Written like a translation of an actual episode for experiment purposes, so it might be kinda awkward to read

TW: bullying (again), self-deprecation

Additional mild warning for swearing

‘For as long as I could remember, I was lonely.’

‘The only “friends” I had were the children of the servants.’

‘Yet even then, there was always a line that I could never cross. An invisible barrier keeping me out.’

———

[Fuoco Mansion]

Child A: Mom told me to make friends with Stefano, but all he does is play with dolls and talk about them...

Child B: Why does he even insist on doing something so girly and boring? He’s so lame~

Child A: Plus, what if we do something he doesn’t like and his parents chase us out?

Young Stefano (eavesdropping): So that’s what they’ve been thinking the whole time...(crying)

———

‘When I went to school, I was pretty happy’

‘I had lots of friends who didn’t mind my doll collection’

‘They didn’t ask for much in return either.’

‘How naive I was...’

———

[Middle School]

Classmate A: Hey! You’re Stefano, right? I’m ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇!

Middle school Stefano: D-do you want something from me?

Classmate A: Chill! I just want to be friends! You seem like an interesting person!

Middle school Stefano: R-really?

Classmate A: Of course!

———

‘Looking back on it, he might have been my first love.’

‘He was the only person I ever hung out with.’

‘We’d talk about anything and everything, play games until 2 a.m., study together.’

‘Yet I can’t remember what he looked like nor his name, nor any little detail about him.’

‘We spent so much time together...’

‘I thought we were best friends, what went wrong?’

‘What did I do wrong?’

———

Middle school Stefano: He hasn’t been talking to me lately...I wonder if he’s okay?

Classmate A: (laughing) You guys can’t believe how easy it was to fool that creep! Thanks to that, I have a recommendation letter to one of the top performing arts academies in all of Twisted Wonderland, signed by the Fuocos themselves!

Classmate B: You’re so mean (lol)

Classmate C: Who cares? That’s all the freak’s good for anyway, like he’ll have actual friends with that pathetic personality of his!

———

‘At that moment, I could feel something in me break.’

‘He hurt me deeply.’

‘The only thing on my mind was revenge.’

‘I didn’t care about whatever would happen.’

‘I just wanted him to feel my pain, even if it’s only one ounce of it.’

———

Classmate A: Oh, Stef? What are you doing here-

Middle school Stefano: No Strings Attached.

(sound of paper ripping as Classmate A is forced to tear up the recommendation letter and burn the torn up letter)

Classmate A: (regain consciousness) What the fuck did you do, you freak!?

Middle school Stefano: I trusted you...I believed in you, but you ruined the most important thing to me. It’s only fair that I do the same!

Classmate A: How is it my problem? If you want to blame someone, blame yourself instead of some innocent bystander! I’m not the disgusting, creepy dumbass that’s so ignorant and naive to believe that he’ll ever make any friends!

Middle school Stefano: (sobbing) You...you!

Classmate B: What the hell is with this magic!? The air feels heavy-!

Classmate C: Wh-what’s that black ooze on Stefano!?

Classmate D: Someone call for a teacher!

———

‘By the time I realised it, I was in the nurse’s office.’

‘“You nearly overblotted,” they said.’

‘I ended up getting pulled out of school.’

‘He never thought anything of me,’

‘But I still find myself thinking about him from time to time.’

‘I keep wondering what did I do wrong.’

‘There has to be something wrong with me.’

‘Humans are so complicated.’

‘Or is it that I’m too simple?’

‘If I were born into a different family,’

‘Or born with a different personality,’

‘Maybe born with different interests? Hobbies? Talents?’

‘Would people like me for me?’

‘Compared to people, I’d rather trust money. I’d rather trust my dolls.’

‘At the very least, they won’t ever betray me.’

[love-kazin]

History Walls

Genre: just a friendly scenario with a very slightly friends-to-lovers.

Pairing: Kim Wonsik/Ravi x Reader (female).

Warnings: none.

Word count: 1.371. 

REQUESTED.

There’s this literature project counting as the major grade and your friends couldn’t think about any person that wasn’t you to work with. 

-x-

"What I'm saying is that doesn't matter what you're reading, because any kind of literature is a literature! Anything that makes you read is interesting because it can develop your creativity and vocabulary." Hanging out in a bookstore wasn't how you planned to spend your saturday. Not with the guys, actually, because you love a good bookstore, but being the one who got invited was a little different. Since you were a good student, with the higher grades in class and the most well developed assignments, you were the first thought of the guys. Not that they only wanted to work with you because of that. It's just easier to work with friends, and if they're smart, it's a plus. "Do you really think that?" Taekwoon was looking at you but his face was hard to describe. He could be genuinely curious about your opinion or preparing himself to end all your arguments. "Yes, I do. What do you think?" "I think a good literature is the better option to extend your intelectual atributes." "But what's a good literature?" "Oh, here we go again..." You could only chuckle at Hongbin's statement. Any topic could get kinda phylosifical in seconds when you were talking, which was a little boring but an amusement to them at the same time. Hearing you talk all your points of view was nice, not only because you helped them to get another vision about certain topics, but also because your excitement was interesting to watch. "A good literature is that one that makes me travel around the theme, like I'm floating in the author's ideas." "That's a good point, really. I think it's important to feel conected with the material you're reading, to take that to yourself. But as you said, a good literature is the one that makes you feel it. And this can be anything. It can be a thick book about a country's history, a cute and tragic romance, a fashion magazine or even the shampoo bottle. It can work differently for every person." "Even a shampoo bottle? How's that could work?" "Imagine that you're a chemical student, learning how to compose something. Don't you think the specified rotule would make you wonder how to work with that? Which combination is the better one? To whom that product can work well?" "Oh, that makes a lot of sense. So, that's how bedtime stories works for kids at night? I mean, it can stimulate their thoughts and affect their dreams?" You nodded. It was good they were catching your point. Hakyeon started to look at you proudly, his words dancing at his expression. He didn't needed to talk it out loud, but you knew that he was thinking you would be amazing as a teacher - which was the main point of your academical career. "Do you think it's problematic for an adult to like stories made for kids?" Jaehwan looked really curious, subtly. Which was kinda normal. You were used to his comportment that can change in seconds from playful to serious. "Of course not! I understand that some people may joke around and tell to this person to grow up, but they're doing it! Just like everybody. It's something to read, and as long as the person enjoy the topic, it's valid. Nobody should say otherwise." Humming in agreement, they started to work on the summary of the literature assignment. Actually, it was something to present, with slides, point of views and lots of topics related to the main point. That's the reason requiring a whole 7 members group. The teacher has given almost two months to prepare it, since it was a final project for the semester, so there was a lot of time to do it, and it wasn't that hard. But being an applied student, you always liked to do your assignments as soon as possible, and your friends knew it, even not being the same way. It would be kinda hard to everyone thinks exactly the same way, and that's why some discussions happened along the day. "I don't think it's healthy for a kid, for example, to read adult things." "That's why there's age recommendation, Taek." "But there are things that doesn't have it. Like those shampoo bottles you said earlier." "I don't think a kid would read that these days, but it's not forbidden. Maybe they can be a chemical engineer in the future, right? Is that bad?" Taekwoon just looked at you and returned to the book while thinking about it. Wonsik was the one who was strangely quiet that day. No one seemed to notice when he left the table to disappear between those big book walls. But that did bother you. If he wasn't feeling ok, you'd like to help. His face looked puzzled, almost lost in thoughts, and the way his eyebrows furrowed a little trying to read the book title on his hand was very cute. "Do you need some help, Wonsik?" He then looked at you, nodding. "I'm starting to think that this book isn't even in english." The thick and brown cover, with golden letters, and a thin dust layer, was actually in german. "It's not. But I can find a english version of it, if you want it. Or a korean." Wonsik smiled at you, showing off his perfect teeth, resembling a little like a cute bunny, but also big. While you showed him the way to the library part where would had be the book in his elected language, you grow up some curiosity. "May I ask you why do you wanna read this book? It's quite sad. Are you alright?" "I'm okay, yeah. I'm just curious, and trying to expand my known list of books. I wanna be smart." "You already are. But it's great to know more, also because you're getting to know another type of writing. If you feel too sad to finish, you can just call me and I'll resume to you." "Did you read it?" Nodding, you grabbed the book and gave it to Wonsik. "Can I call you if I have some doubt?" "Sure. I'll be glad to help." Then, the silence came. Being around Wonsik was nice, but along with the others. Alone, it was weird because he seemed uncomfortable in your presence. You didn't knew why; there wasn't any memorable thing that happened that may have hurted him or anything. So it was just weird. And turned your cheekies into a red color because of your shyness. But also his, which you didn't knew the reason. "Maybe... Can I just call you...?" "What do you mean? We're friends, right? You can call me." That was unexpected. But you weren't denying an approximation. Maybe things could get better. "No, I mean, like, not a friendly relationship." "Oh, so like... strangers?" "What? No, not like that too." You weren't following his idea. The question mark was almost tattooed in your forehead. "In a getting-to-know kind of relationship." He seemed nervous about the topic. "I thought we were already doing... Oh." Then something clicked in your head. And your cheekies burned even more. Specially because Sanghyuk appeared in the hallway looking for both of you. "Are you done with this weird dating thing? We're needing some help." Before you could explain the situation, he disappeared. Wonsik nodded and smiled weirdly at you and returned to the table. Was he developing some kind of crush on you? He was like the main crush of the entire class. It wouldn't be bad, but it didn't make sense at all, specially because he had never said anything. Maybe you'd have to figure it out. Returning to the table, you saw a thoughtful Wonsik and other five hardworking men. Sitting on your spot, you quickly wrote a simple "yes :)" on a post-it and passed to the man on your side, almost like a secret mission. You could sense him trying not to break into a wide grin, and you felt related. It's a little weird how things work, but it can be good. Turning your attention to the paperwork, the boys seemed a little lost, just how Sanghyuk has said. "What do you need me for?"

[guccifloralsuits]

hi we were talking about books yesterday and i was wondering if you have any good fiction recommendations? 😇😇😇

Yes, I have so many! I broke them down into relative categories, so there’s a little mix of everything. Please read the actual synopsis before diving in though, as some have major trigger warnings.

Books considered “classics”

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston: a book which I come back to in hard times of my life. There’s something so…necessary about this story. Prose style was great. I would rec this book to every person I know.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virgina Woolf: I read this when my life seemed to be changing faster than I could keep up. Beautifully written. Came at a time when I needed it.

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys: written as a prequel to Jane Eyre and a modernist masterpiece honestly. THE original meditation on the ideal of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl

The Color Purple by Alice Walker: you’ve probably heard this name from the adaptation. Let me tell you. This book deserves all of its acclaim. I think I’m gonna re-read soon.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austin: this is super mainstream for The Literary Circles but it’s for good reason, this book is just? Fun? An honestly enjoyable read? plus when I was taking my SATs way back when they had an essay section, I could use this book for literally any prompt they gave

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë: this book is wild. Everyone is a messy bitch who lives for drama & I love it. I just finished it and omg

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: my emo teen- girl rebelling ass ate this shit up back in high school. Is this book overrated? I don’t care. I love it for nostalgic value anyways

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood: startling beautiful lines. I have almost half this book underlined. A popular read in recent times, with good reason.

A picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde: I fundamentally disagree with everything written in this book. That is exactly the point. About being gay & sinning. I would not recommend this as a ‘light’ read though. Easy to get swept up in Wilde’s sharp wit & not catch the intentional malice behind what he says, underneath.

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: I just. Love this. That’s all I have to say. Yeah.gif

All The King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren: The nihilism of Oscar Wilde but set to a political backdrop in the 30’s with stylistic prose akin what you’d read from Hemingway. Probably not for everyone’s taste. But right up my alley in terms of political intrigue. If ur a stuffy English Major with who likes books about corruption, you’ll like this.

Popularized books that are worth the hype they had:

The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls: there’s something so…engaging about the way this is written. It’s pretty much about kids who have to act like adults for their shitty parents. I couldn’t put this down though.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn: as with all her novels, this gets dark. This gets ugly. An absolute thriller, & I can’t recommend her books enough. (You might know her from Gone Girl & Sharp Objects. This story follows similar tone). Honestly I rec anything by Flynn.

The Princess Bride by William Goldman: you’ve probably heard of or seen this movie. Well guess what? the book is even better.

YOU by Caroline Kepnes: aka the adapted Netflix series where dan from gossip girl plays plays joe, who is basically Dan but Unhinged. But like, the books are great. “Hidden Bodies” which is the sequel to this is even better, in my opinion. Just plz don’t romance Joe cus you saw penn badgley in a Netflix poster & were thirsty 4 him

Lesser Known/underrated books which could use your love:

A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley: A reimagining of King Lear, set on an Iowa farm in the late 1970s. Powerful and disturbing

The Gold Bug Variations by Richard Powers: specifically for classical music lovers. Basically a long meditation on supernal mysteries of music, specifically Bach’s intricate Goldberg Variations (you’ll wanna have the Glenn Gould recording to hand), & those of the DNA molecule (especially as a code to be broken) It gradually dawns on you that the two couples listening to the music and studying the molecule are themselves engaged in something strangely molecular and musical. You won’t always understand this book, but it keeps taking your breath away.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn: did I buy this book solely because of this tumblr post? Yeah. But it was easily one of the best decisions I’ve made. The way he manipulates letter-language is wild. Woah. Highly recommended.

The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window & Disappeared by Jonas Johnson: a 100 year old dude escapes his nursery home a steals a suitcase full of drug money then goes on a giant crime spree. HIGHLY entertaining. We stan a King

The Sellout by Paul Beatty: probably the greatest satirical comedy written within the last 50 years. I said what I said.

Children’s/teen/YA books you should absolutely read

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster: wonderfully creative, beautifully told. Takes abstract constructs and turns them into concrete beings and landscapes in amazing, engaging ways. Please read this. One of my all-time favorite books. Takes the protagonist, Milo, on a fantastical adventure borne through boredom on what he though would be another average day. Seriously. I love this book. So much.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman: another beautifully creative foray into a parallel universe where something Not Quite Right lurks beneath a pretty surface. If you’ve seen the movie adaption - great. Still read the book. It’s absolutely worth it.

Love that Dog by Sharon Creech: technically free verse poetry from the perspective of a young boy dealing with the loss of his pet dog who has to write poetry for a class assignment from his teacher. This is…so good. Oh my god. Oh my god? Poetry for non-poetry people.

The Giver by Louis Lowery: Listen. I know you were forced 2 read this in primary English. I know you probably hated it on principle. But this shit was all that kept me going, when I was younger. It made me feel so understood, before I could define trauma or the meaning of depression. This book made me feel seen.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: ya know what? Fuck 2013 tumblr for dumbing this book down into a basic ass Grunge Anthem. I have never seen a book so adequately grapple with how awful romanticizing trauma can be. This book goes into the horrible side of adolescence in a way that’s genuine, and in a way which doesn’t put trauma/mental illness on a pedestal. I needed that shit, when I read it. I still love this book today. The lines will stay with you forever, after you read some of them.

All the Bright Places, by Jennifer Niven: this was another one of those books that I read in an essential time, which lodged into me afterwards. About two teenagers who meet while standing on the bell tower of their school, both contemplating suicide. Highly recommend. Prepare to cry.

You didn’t ask for Poetry but I’m including some because I am poetry TRASH:

Rice by Nikky Finney

A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver

One Big Self by C.D. Wright

LOOK by Solmaz Sharif

Poetry for people who think poetry is inaccessible to them:

New American Best Friend by Olivia Gatwood

Our Numbered Days by Neil Hillborn

Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim

There are literally SO SO SO many books I could also add, but these are the ones that came to mind. Bolded ones are those I especially love. Happy reading!