#realizing I haven’t had a proper pinned post in a while so maybe people don’t know. i do have an art only blog at funkyzart if you are only

[frascospecimen]

I’m glad people seem to like my posts because I always feel bad about how infrequently i draw LOLLLL

[let-love-run-red]

Never Shall we Die - 1

Ok loves, I’ve had this in my WIP folder for awhile. I wanted to do this one right, IE actually have a story planned before I published the first chapter lol. This is a first for me, and I hope you like it! Let me know if you’d like to be tagged loves.

Before we start, this story was inspired by the lovely @beskarbabs​ Pirate!kylo story Thieves and Beggars. It is absolutely wonderful, and I recommend checking it out and giving her some love!

AO3 link

Masterlist

Another government meeting in the largest house in Port Royal. You sighed, sitting in the chair at your father's side. Ever since Mama had died, you'd been attending the meetings she would have, sitting in her place, tracing the grain on the ornate table top and wishing for something else to do.

Today it was something else about the boats. About the pirates, about the merchandise being moved. More boring things. You were ten! you wanted to be out playing in the gardens and chasing your father's hunting dogs around the grounds, finding flowers that your mother would then braid into your hair while she sang to you.

The thought of it made you miss her all the more. The Scarlatina had struck her hard, taking her energy and your unborn sibling. She had been too tired to play, to sing to you, to love you. And you supposed that wasn't her fault, but you had been angry with her. Thought she didn't love you. You wished for her to be taken away, considered running away so she would realize how much she missed you. You were so angry that when the doctors said she didn't have much time, you refused to see her. What did they know?

You always regretted that, you thought. What if seeing her had made her want to stay? You supposed you'd never know. 

You looked up and realized your father was on his feet, shouting with another man in a fancy coat. He wouldn't notice your absence. You stood and walked towards the door, hiking up the skirt of your dress as you walked past the guards. They likely assumed you were headed to the chamber pot. Rather than taking a left down that hall, you continued straight, ducking out into the garden and sneaking out of the cracked wall, to the marketplace, where you did your most interesting people watching.

                                                 ***

"Blow high, Blow low, and so sailed we, the quarter that we gave them was to sink them in the sea, Sailing down 'long the coast of High Barbaree."  He sang quietly to himself as he walked down the streets of the markets. He tried to keep the drool in his mouth as he smelled the cooking meats and fresh fruits. He looked in all the stalls, thinking of how even one of those fish could feed him for a week. He stopped when he saw an unmanned stall, peeking over the edge to see what it contained. 

Corn, bushel upon bushel of fresh green corn, just lying there, unattended, begging him to take them. He felt his stomach rumble as he imagined what his mum could do with even one ear of corn. He thought of cornbread, and boiled kernels, corn pudding, and without thinking of the repercussions he snatched two ears and tucked them under his vest. 

He tried to hide the smile on his face as he walked down the street, trying to keep hold of the large vegetables. He hadn't realized the tops of the corn peeking out of the vest, and didn't notice until someone planted a large hand on his shoulder and spun him around.

"What have ye got there boy?" The man snarled, reaching into his jacket and pulling the ears of corn out.

"N-nothing." He stuttered, trying to squirm from the man's grip and reach for the corn.

"It sure don't look like nothing." The words were spat in his face as the man grabbed his arm and dragged him towards a pair of guards walking down the street towards him. He started trying to pull his arm away, kicking at the man and trying to go dead weight, but nothing worked. He couldn't be arrested, what would mum do? He grabbed the man's arm, pulling himself forward and sinking his teeth into his forearm.

The man shouted, dropping his arm and turning to smack him. He ducked under the fist, scrambling to his feet and running towards the only empty alleyway he could see. He wove through feet and dodged skirts and shoes, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the guards. 

He finally ducked behind a stack of barrels in an alleyway, smacking his head into someone else's face.

"Hey!" She cried, standing up and glaring down at him. She couldn't have been much younger than him, maybe only a year or two. She was wearing a fancy pale blue dress with a shiny gold necklace on. A castle rat. He sneered, ready to snap at her when he heard the guards.

"Where'd he go?" They snapped to one another. He watched the girl turn, her (h/c) curled hair bouncing around her face. She opened her mouth and Kylo pulled her down by her arm. She landed in his lap and he wrapped an arm around her middle to pin her arms down, using his other hand to cover her mouth.

"Shh!" He hissed in her ear while she struggled against him. It wasn't until the guards had walked past, and she was trying to bite his hand, that he released her. She scrambled away from him, turning to fix him with a bewildered stare.

"What do you think you're doing!?" She snapped. Kylo pushed himself up to his feet, looking down at her.

"Running." He said.

"But it's hard when a castle rat is in your hiding spot." He snapped at her. She seemed taken aback at that.

"Were you running from the guards?" He was silent in response, looking around to make sure the coast was clear before walking out from behind the barrels. She followed him, pulling the skirts of her long dress up and trying not to trip over the cobblestone in her fancy heels.

"Are you a thief?" She snapped, running ahead of him. He pushed past her to walk down the street, weaving between people and hoping she would leave him alone.

He had no such luck.

"What did you steal?" She pestered him. He continued to ignore her as he walked, hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers while he tried to avoid stares from people.

"If you don't tell me, I'll get the guards." She said, catching up with him. He growled low in his throat, wishing she would go away.

"They're right there, they'll listen to me over you, I know it." She said. He finally snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her into another alleyway.

"Corn! I tried to steal corn. I'm hungry. Now will you fuck off?" He asked. For the first time since he'd met her she was silent. He tried to walk past her when she gently reached out and tugged on his sleeve.

"I'm sorry you're hungry. Would you like me to get you something?" She asked. He looked back at her with furrowed brows.

"I'm the governor's daughter, I can take whatever I'd like, and the guards can't do anything." She said. He shook his head, trying to push past her again.

"Wait, please!" She called, following after him.

"What do you want?" He snapped. 

"I don't know." She said. He let out another sigh. He should have gone with the guards.

"You seem interesting." She said, looping her arm through his and leaning against him, the way his mother did with his father. Was it a lady thing? He wouldn't know. He resisted the urge to push her off as he walked through the streets towards the docks.

The two walked in silence. Well, he walked in silence, she rambled on and on about her father and what he did, how her mother had died, how she was important to the government, how she would grow up to marry the Commodore or some such nonsense. He was only half paying attention as they approached the docks. He admired the ships, both the small ones docked and the larger ones in the port that were too deep in the draft to come close.

"Did you hear me?" She asked, poking him harshly in the side. He winced and looked down at her.

"Have you ever been on a ship?" She repeated.

"No. I haven't." In truth, he wanted to be. He wanted to be sailing on a ship away from this wretched place. He wanted to take his mother and father and give them a better life somewhere else. Maybe to America, his father had taken them here, to Port Royal, in hopes of a better life. But they lived as peasants, scraping and begging for every last scrap of food. Maybe, if he had a ship, he could take them to the motherland. To Europe, or France even. But he was stuck here, on the docks, watching the ships come and go.

"I can get you on a ship." She said suddenly. He looked down to her with narrowed eyes and furrowed brows.

"What?" 

"I said I can get you on a ship. Do your ears work?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Yes my ears work just fine." He snapped. "What's in it for you?" He'd learned, nothing came for free in life. Especially not in Port Royal. 

She shrugged as she stepped forward. Her arm was still linked with his, so he followed her as she walked through the docks towards where the East India Trading Company ships were docked.

"I just want to know your name." She said. "And I'm bored, the ships always have interesting things going on." She said, walking towards the largest ship docked. It was named The Hyperion, and it was gorgeous. It was one he figured was to sail soon, it had been docked for a few weeks. 

The hull had been painted a rich navy blue, with the posts and rails a royal gold. The sails were a pristine white, every rope was in the proper place, and the men swarming about it had not a hair out of place. It was perfect in every way, the perfect ship.

He hadn't realized he'd broken into a smile until she commented on it.

"Wow, you're more excited by a ship than a pretty girl." She lamented, unlinking their arms. He hadn't moved as he inspected the ship.

"Want to go?" She asked, poking him in the side again. His jaw dropped as he turned to look at her.

"Can, can we?" He asked in disbelief.

"I told you, I'm the governor's daughter. I can do whatever I want to." She said with a grin. He rolled his eyes again.

"But!" She suddenly shouted, startling him.

"You have to tell me your name!" She finished. He let out a heavy sigh. He didn't care for her to know him, to be able to track him down and bother him further, but oh how he wanted to board that ship.

"Name, or no ship." She said, folding her arms like a petulant child.

"What are you, eight?" He snapped.

"I'm ten actually." She huffed indignantly.

"Fine. My name is Kylo." He said walking towards the ship. She grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Last name too Kylo." She said. He kind of liked the way his name rolled off her tongue. It sounded smooth and elegant.

"Ren." He huffed. She grinned.

"Kylo Ren is a lovely name." She said, before turning to the ship.

"Wait a minute," Kylo called. She turned back to look at him.

"What's your name?" He asked. She laughed.

"You don't know my name already?" She poked him in the stomach. Why did she keep poking him?

"It's (y/n) (l/n). Now come on Kylo, we haven't got all day to sit around talking." She flounced off towards the ship, and Kylo tried his best to follow her closely without being noticed. 

She paused by the gangplank, waiting for the traffic up and down it to cease, before she dashed up it with surprising speed. Kylo had to actually run after her before she dragged him down behind a stack of crates near the railing.

"I thought you said you could do what you wanted?" Kylo hissed. She shushed him and nodded.

"Then why are we cowering behind crates?" He asked. She grinned sheepishly.

"Well, technically I'm supposed to be in a meeting with my father now. And they've likely noticed my absence." She said, glancing around. So she was running too? That intrigued him.

"Come on." She said, grabbing his shirt sleeve and dashing across the deck to the open hold and scurrying down the ladder. They were on the gun deck now, and she dragged him behind a cannon as a pair of the royal navy walked past. He turned, examining the cannon next to him. It was a demi cannon, it could probably fire a 15 kilogram solid shot straight through a pirate ship!

As he moved closer to it, (y/n) hissed at him to stop moving. He hadn't realized why until there was a sickening snap, and the demi cannon started rolling backwards into the walkway. He looked down to see he'd knocked the block from behind the wheel of the cannon. He ducked as it swiveled and almost smacked him in the face.

"Kylo!" (y/n) snapped as he scrambled backwards, bumping into the canon on the other side of her and sending that one rolling back too. There was a commotion on the upper deck as people flooded down to the gun deck, catching the cannons as the ship rocked lightly. They hadn't caused any damage, but Kylo knew that they could have, and that was enough to execute someone.

Strong hands grabbed him by the upper arms and dragged him to his feet. (y/n) stood, rushing towards the guards.

"Wait! Stop! Don't hurt him please!" She begged, trying to catch his shirt sleeve. The soldiers paused momentarily, before dragging him to the main deck. He heard the soldiers addressing (y/n) gently while they pulled him up the steps.

He was thrown, quite unceremoniously, before the captain of the ship. He looked up to see a face he recognized, Commodore Whiteford. He lowered his head, trying not to cry. He knew the punishment for stowaways, and it wasn't pretty.

"A stowaway Commodore, he tried to loose the cannons on the gun deck." The soldiers said. Kylo focused on the grain of the wood under his palms, willing it to be a fast execution.

"No! He's not a stowaway!" He heard (y/n) shout.

"Miss (l/n), what are you doing here? Everyone under your father's command is looking for you!" Commodore Whiteford snapped.

"I was exploring! He followed me onto the ship, it's not his fault, don't hurt him." She growled. Well, growled as much as she could. Commodore Whiteford looked at her with pity.

"Miss (l/n), you mustn't run off. Your father is worried sick over you. Come, my son will escort you back." Commodore Whiteford said, whistling shrilly. A lanky boy, older than Kylo, jogged over.

"Jackson, please make sure Miss (l/n) makes it safely back to her father." He said. The boy nodded, stepping forward and grabbing (y/n)'s arm harshly. She winced and let out a whimper. Something about the sound made Kylo's blood boil as he moved to stand up.

"Hey!" He shouted. No sooner than the word left his mouth did Commodore Whiteford have his rapier drawn with the blade pointed at Kylo.

"You will not address my son, street rat!" Whiteford snapped. Kylo cowered slightly before hearing (y/n) shout in pain. He looked over to see Jackson dragging her down the gangplank. She'd tripped and lost a shoe, allowing the splinters from the wooden plank to dig into the sole of her foot.

"You're hurting her!" He shouted. Before he could move he felt a searing pain across his face. He stumbled backwards, landing on his back on the deck. Blood dripped into his right eye, it stung. He lifted a hand to his face, brushing against the shred of fabric from the collar of his shirt. There was blood running down his face and soaking into his shirt from his chest. He couldn't breathe as it smeared across his hands.

"The mark of a stowaway, and treason." Commodore Whiteford snapped. He turned to the rest of the soldiers.

"Bind him, and drag him to the gallows. He is charged with attempting to pirate a ship of the royal navy." He growled. Kylo was too shocked to protest as the soldiers pulled him to his feet, shackling his arms behind his back with heavy iron cuffs.

                                                 ***

"Father!" You shouted, tears streaming down your face as the nurse wrapped your foot with wet linens. Your father was pacing in front of you, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. Mum always said he'd get wrinkles if he kept making that face. But she wasn't there to tell him that anymore. He turned to look at you, kneeling down next to you and taking your hands in his own.

"(y/n), my sweet, he's been charged with attempted piracy, there is nothing I can do for him." He said, looking at you sadly. 

"He bears the mark of treason. Even if I could pardon him, there would be no life for him." He finished. You pouted and turned away from him.

"It was my fault." You whispered.

"What?" 

"It was my fault we were on the Hyperion in the first place!" You shouted in his face.

"Young lady, do not lie to spare the life of a peasant." He snapped at you. You looked at him, your own thin brows furrowed this time.

"I'm not lying! It was my idea, he was trying to leave, but I asked him if he wanted to see the ship! I didn't think there would be any harm, we weren't going to steal it, just look!" You tried to explain frantically. 

"Even if that's true darling, he's on the gallows march now. There is nothing to be done." He said softly.

"I will never speak to you again if he dies." You seethed. He let out a hefty sigh, rising to his feet and pacing again.

"You'll get over him my love." He said.

"No I won't! He's my friend!" You shouted again. Despite only spending a few hours with Kylo, he was one of your closest friends, well, friend that wasn't your cousin anyway. You thought of his crooked smile, his lips that looked so soft, and the long dark hair that had whipped around his face in the sea breeze. 

"I love him." You pouted. That stopped him dead in his tracks, and you knew you'd found your in.

"You what?" 

"I love him father! And if you let him die I shall never speak to you again! I'll follow mama to my grave and never speak another word to you!" You cried, willing the tears to fall again. You didn't realize it, but as the tears fell, your true feelings for the scrappy boy you'd lured onto the ship were spoken aloud.

Your father seemed taken aback as he watched you cry. The nurse had long since left the room, and he hissed lowly.

"My daughter will not fall in love with a peasant boy." You hoped you hadn't pushed him too far, this was Kylo's only chance.

"If I pardon him, you will never see him again, do you understand?" He snapped. You nodded frantically and he crossed the room, grabbing you by your arms and hauling you to your feet. You yelped as you put weight on your injured foot.

"Do you understand!" He yelled.

"Yes! Yes father, I understand." You cried in fear. He let you sit back in the chair, sweeping out of the room towards the stables. You followed him as quickly as you could on your injured foot.

When you caught up with the gallows march you easily spotted Kylo. He was the only child in the mix of adults. His shirt was ragged and his wrists bled from the iron cuffs. You had to resist the urge to gasp as you followed your father's white stallion on your small dappled gelding. 

"General, wait." Your father called as he pulled his horse to a halt. You kept your gaze trained on Kylo as he looked up, and your heart sank.

His beautiful face was now split by a long red scar that started above his eyebrow, and ended below his collarbone. There was blood smeared across his face and chest, soaking into his shirt. There were tracks streaked into the blood where his tears had cut a path through the redness. You resisted the urge to leap from your horse and run to him.

The general approached Kylo with the ring of keys, unlatching the shackles from around his wrists and ankles. Kylo hesitated, shaking slightly before your father rode towards him. Kylo balked slightly as the stallion stopped just short of running him down.

"You are never to see my daughter again. Do you understand me?" He hissed. Kylo nodded frantically, stepping backwards. Your father kicked his horse harshly, causing the stallion to rear slightly as it screamed.

"Go!" He yelled. Kylo scrambled backwards, falling onto his back and pushing himself away from the horses hooves as it landed again. He rolled over, pushing himself to his feet and running away from the gallows march, through the crowd, and out of your sight.

[violetnotez]

They find out their s/o is a Party Princess

@memekingofwwiii , you had this fricking adorable idea of Izuku and Shoto fighting with y/n, and then she says she’s gotta leave to put on a dress and go to a tea party, and that got me thinking-What if they left because they were a Party Princess??? So of course as I was in the middle of writing it Tumblr POSTED it, so I had to redo it 😖 but I hope you like these!!!

Pairings: Izuku x reader, Shoto x reader

Scenarios (more like mini fics cause I DONT KNOW WHEN TO STOP TYPING-)

——————————

Izuku

“Hey Deku, you doing okay over there?” You yelled out, swinging your fist towards the thief’s side.

Both you and Izuku were patrolling the city today, as you two had interned with the same agency for the summer vacation. Everyday had been pretty boring since starting the program a few weeks back, but today you had finally found some action: two thugs trying to steal a poor old lady’s purse.

“Doing-just fine-how about you?”He grunted, sending a sharp kick at his opponent’s back, sending him to the ground. Izuku quickly toppled on top of the young man, tying his hands and feet together with some scraps of rope on the ground. Once he was happy with his work, Izuku quickly stood up, looking over at you to see you fighting alone against the other thief. He quickly broke into a run, trying to go and help you as quickly as possible

Throughout the few weeks interning alongside you, Izuku had begun to form a small crush on you. At first sight he had thought you were unbelievably pretty and couldn’t help but blush when seeing you. But as he began to hang out with you, you were quite possibly one of the coolest people he had ever met. You were so kind hearted and sweet to anyone you met, always taking the time to give them a warm greeting or a bright smile. It made his heart race seeing you wave to children on the road, being so gentle with them when they came over and asked if you two were really heroes. You could also be a total bad ass when you wanted to, your snarky remarks and devilish grin making his chest tighten and his heart race.

Right now, though, you were having some trouble, as the thief you were trying to apprehend was giving you a hard time. You swung another fist towards his chest this time, which the thief dodged easily. You grunted under your breath, annoyance and worry riddled in your brows.

“Can we-hurry this up a little!” You shouted between breaths. “I kinda got-places to be right now!”

The man scoffed at you, cracking his fingers. “Nah, sweetie, I’m just getting started!”

You rolled your eyes, hating how the word “sweetie” was directed towards you-but as the thief was busying himself with his knuckles, you sneaked a peak at the time- your party was in 45 minutes...if you got this wrapped up in 5, you could maybe run home, clean up, and drive to the place and might be there on time-

Noticing your distracted stance, the thief began to lunge at you, his large hands aimed for grabbing your head in a deathlock. Luckily, Izuku sprinted over just in time to propel his body at the man, tumbling on the ground as he pinned the thief’s hands on the ground.

“Deku!” You ran over to him, helping him as you pinned the man’s wrists together. That allowed Deku to tie up the thief a little bit easier, the struggling making it quite difficult to even tie a simple knot. But Izuku finished his work very quickly, pushing off the villians back as you let go of his wrists.

You looked at the greenette’s freckled face, his warm grin and bright eyes causing a soft blush to creep on yours. You had to admit it to yourself that this boy was unbelievably handsome, even if he didn’t realize it himself. And the fact that he has just saved you right now-your heart practically stopped at the idea. You wished you could stay longer with him, hating to leave Izuku with the boring task of watching the two thiefs before the police arrived, but you were seriosuly cutting time extremely short.

“Thank you, Izuku,” you said, your breathing still irregular from fighting, “for saving me like that.”

The boy chuckled nervously, his hand rubbing the back his neck. “Oh, your welcome y/n, it-it wasn’t much, youd do the same-“

Before he could register what was even going on, he felt your hands around his back and your body pressed up against his. Izuku’s brain practically began to malfunction-you were-hugging him? He was never this close to girls,or you for that matter-he could feel how soft your hair was, how wonderfully fresh and sweet your perfume smelled, even how your chest pressed up against him- his cheeks burned bright at that thought, his hands too shaky to wrap around your waist as his eyes were blown wide out of his sockets.

And just as quickly as you had hugged him, you let go, totally oblivious to the blushing mess you had turned Izuku into. Izuku busily tried to hide his cheeks as you quickly whipped your phone out of your hero suit, a curse slipping out of your mouth.

“I’m gonna be late!” You sighed in frustration.

Midoriya blinked a few times, confusion set on his face- “Late for what?” he asked innocently, his eyes wide with curiosity.

“I gotta be at a party-there’s some, entertainment going there that cant be late-“

“Oh, like a magician? I didn’t know you were excited for those type of things,” Izuku asked, watching the two delinquents on the ground.

“Actually, no, not like that,” you stated with a giggle, I’m the entertainment, I’m a party princess-

Izuku shook his head in confusion and looked at you with his eyes wide. How did he not know this about you?

“I started this summer to get some extra cash,” you continued, “it’s been kind of a struggle though juggling my scheduele with the internship. But I’ve been having a lot of fun dressing up and making these kids’ days...I just hope I won’t be late for my next party,”

“When is it?” He asked, his cheeks rosy with the thought of you in a pretty ball gown. He knew you were a kind hearted person, but you going out of your way to make a little child’s day extra special was something he found so endearing. He felt himself fall in love with you just a little more, a small smile gracing his lips.

“In 30 minutes,” you huffed, “I’ll barely have enough time to wash up and get into costume-“

“Well if it’s any help, I’ll stay and wait for the police, I don’t won’t you late for your event,” Izuku gave you a nervous smile, the green in his eyes sparkling like gems.

You gasped in relief, your smile wide as you gave Izuku another hug. “You’re the best Deku!” You yelled, giving his firm body a tight squeeze.

Before you ran off to get yourself ready for your gig, you gave Izuku a kiss on his cheeck, sending his soul over the moon. He was so thankful you ran off so quickly, because you would have deifnitely noticed the red encasing his whole face as his cheeks tingled in the place where you kissed it. He would never get use to your touches, but god did they feel nice!

——————————

Shoto

Shoto was currently helping you train, his intense tasks making you pant from near exhaustion. You knew Shoto would force you to your limits, but god-this boy was merciless.

After you had seen how agile and flexible Shoto was while fighting, you worked up enough courage to ask him to help you train. It was something you admired from afar deifnitely not from checking him out, and you were extremely relieved when he had said yes.

But right now, he was totally destroying your ass.

“Cmon, y/n,” he panted out, “I know your stronger than this.”

his hands were pinning yours to the ground: one icy and one warm.The bi-colored boy had somehow thrown you to the ground yet again, his taut body on top of yours as your cheeks flushed with color from being so close to him. You were so thankful you were also red from over exerting yourself, so he would have no idea you were blushing from being so close to him.

“Well, considering you’ve been throwing me around like a rag doll this whole time,” you quipped tiredly, “I think I’m allowed to be a little tired.”

He cocked his head in confusion, the tips of his red hair melding with his white. “If your tired, why didn’t you tell me to stop?”

Shoto knew you were getting exhausted, but he had been perplexed on why you didn’t tell him you didn’t want to continue. He was having a nice time with you, your movements keeping him on his toes and your snarkiness tugging small grins out of him. He didn’t want to stop, he liked sparring with you, but considering this was just training, he didn’t want to stop until you did.

“Cause...I haven’t gotten a proper move in,” you gave Shiro a devilish grin, making his eyes grow wide. You wrap your legs around his waist, flipping him over so it was now him, not you, who was pinned on the ground.

He couldn’t control his heart from beating so fast-his breath was coming out particularly warm from that flip. Shoto had had a very quiet crush on you for sometime, not fully aware of it himself that he had a small infactuation with you. But how your hands laced around his wrists made his skin tingle, or how your body pressed into his made his body heat up intensely, was hard to ignore.

He stared at your face, unable to ignore the invading thoughts of just how beautiful you looked on top of him, your smile shining triumphantly down at him. He began to get lost in your (e/c) eyes, wishing he could stare at your face all day.

“Alright Shoto, I gotta head out,” you patted his chest nonchalantly, abruptly breaking him out of his daze.

“Thank you for all your help,” you gave him a soft smile as you held out your hand, helping him off the ground. You walked over to grab your water bottle, taking a swing from the container.

“now I gotta go into a nightmare dress...” you grumbled under your breath, sitting down on a bench beside you.

“A nightmare dress?” Todoroki sat down beside you, draping a towel around his damp neck.

“Yeah....long story short, I somehow got wrapped into helping Uraraka with her little cousin’s birthday party. She’s obsessed with this one princess on TV and I apparently I look just like her, so...”

“Uraraka asked you to perform at the party as this character?” he finished your sentence, resting his elbows on his knees in order to look at your face.

You nodded your head as you looked down at the water bottle in your hand, obviously looking a little conflicted. Your smile was no longer on your face, you teeth capturing your lower lip in worry.

Shoto was concerned over your sudden change, missing the warm smile you had sent his way just moments before. He wanted you to smile at him again, as if he was the only one in the world that could make you grin so happily.

“What’s wrong y/n? Are-are you feeling sick?” he asked politely, watching your facial expression closely.

You sighed, lying your head against the wall of the training room.

“I’m just worried I won’t be good at this. I watched the show,got the costume, I did everything I could to make sure her cousin has a good birthday party-I’m just scared the kids will hate me, or maybe I’ll trip and just ruin everything-“

Shoto laid his hand gently on top of yours, the sudden touch forcing you to look at him.

“You are going to be wonderful y/n,” he assured you, his voice soft and full of warmth, “if Uraraka trusted something so important in you, she clearly knows your more than capabale of achieving at this.” He paused slightly, his bi-colored eyes boaring into yours.

“And so do I.”

————————

Taggings (if ya want to be added, just shoot me an ask or comment on this post!)

@orokayagi @leeeah-loooser @freckledoriya

[alias-b]

sins of my youth. 019

Billy Hargrove x OC! Evie Fenny~ Also posted to my AO3

Summary: It was common knowledge that Billy Hargrove hated Hawkins. Hated Cherry Lane. Even loathed the strange girl next door. Evie Fenny wasn’t too fond of the chaotic Cali transfer either. An awful high school tradition sparks a chain of events that changes everything, ultimately bringing two frayed souls together.

A/N: Hey everyone!! I know it's been quieter around here, but enjoy the chapter I hope! Sort of sweet filler. Billy nurses a hungover Evie back to life as they reach a common ground with their relationship. Evie returns to school as the new Keg King. Chp title is after that Depeche Mode song. TW: Light light mention of a past r*pe/abuse & Pica. Smut!!

***My tag list is wide open, just shoot me a msg to join it! Chat with me about the chapter if you have the time! Enjoy! xoxo

Chapter 19: One Caress

   Death. Hot, swampy death. Somehow mixed with frigid chills. 

   Evie cracked her eyes to light and moaned. Loud enough to wake the body spread on his back next to her. Billy spied her. Curls spiraling endless directions. Knotted all over. 

   Face pressed into the pillows, Evie held her thudding brain. Figured it might be unspooling around a cracked skull. There was movement as Billy reached over her to pull the curtains further closed and block the early morning sun. 

   “You seriously woke up at seven with that bad a hangover. Figured you’d sleep in longer. Must be a pride thing.” Billy hummed and draped his arm over her. Casual as can be to tuck back in. He made this rumbling sound into her shoulder blade and sighed out.

   Evie realized finally she wasn’t alone and scrambled up, almost tumbling over the bottom edge of the bed if Billy hadn't snatched her wrist.

   “Easy!” Came the sharp hiss. “Take a moment to remember last night if you can.” Brown eyes squinted to blink at him. Blurring the gold honey of him together. Billy made a face. “Jesus, you’re looking at me like I’m taking a dump here, Evangeline.”

   “Oh, jeez,” Evie fisted her curls so he let go. Her eyes began to dart, finding the events and piecing them. Little by little. “Jesus Dolly Parton Christ.”

   “That’s some poetry I like.” Billy reclined, covered in a loose sheet looking his insufferable cupid self. One hand behind his head while he tapped a rhythm into his abs. Evie moaned again, curling up toward the curtains.

   “I did a keg stand…”

   “Oh, yeah, you did.” Blue eyes rolled. “Your highness.”

   “Did I puke on anyone?”

   “Just some sorry ass purple primroses.” He’d snarked with some amusement. “You almost got me, but I aimed you just fine.”

   “Shit. I’m-”

   “You’re gonna piss me off if you apologize again. That’s a stupid girl habit you need to shake.”

   “Stupid girl habit, pfffs. I’m Billy Hargrove. I'm perfect and glowy with the face of a damn cherub. Know-it-all.” Evie huffed and mumbled to mock him but Billy continued.

   “You just did to me what I did to Harrington. Figure I had it coming. I’m still Billy-The Shit-Hargrove. Smoke and mirrors as you think.” His chest rose and air blew out his mouth. “We didn’t do anything, I just helped you home as you poured your tasty heart out.”

   “Yeah, uh… It’s all coming back. Argh...” Evie rubbed her face and aimlessly waved for him to stop talking. She noticed Billy still had his jeans on, no shirt. Then, spied her own outfit under the robe. “The hell are we wearing?”

   “You were keen to flash me those Fenny wiles so I tied you into the drunk girl straitjacket. Took some wrangling, but I think I earned the gold,” he blinked, “and I didn’t wear anything under the denim. I figured jeans were better than you waking to my huge, raw morning wood...unless you’re into that.”

   He winked which earned him that scrunchy scowl he loved to see on her face.

   Evie collapsed back on her front. Cursing daylight. Lingering black makeup still smeared around her eyes.

   “Okay, well, I can die now. Officially. Thank you, Billy, for bearing witness.”

   “No, no, I’m nursing you back to health today. We both smell like party. Get up. Water. Pills. Shower. Gonna shower at my place and then I’m coming back for breakfast. I’ll make your birthday up to you if you’ll let me. Hope you let me, cause I’ll bug you another two months until you don’t.” Fingers tugged for messy curls until she grumbled.

   Evie poked those bright eyes up. 

   “There was talk of a couch day. I remember.”

   “You remember everything?” Thick lashes batted the vulnerability away. She softened.

   “Everything. Feel like death,” she said, “but waking up in your arms wasn’t so bad.” Billy brightened, liking that. Maybe too much because he looked smug. “So, the couch. You and me. Us. Can you manage that? Relaxing with casual stimulation.”

   “Oh, say stimulation again. Slower,” Billy uttered and Evie rolled her eyes. “Gonna let me come back over?”

   “Maybe.” She hitched and whined, ruffling her curls. “Knowing my mom, she’s gonna stay until closing. Around six or seven tonight, she might go party straight from the shop. She's made that a habit on weekends. I don’t know, as this year is going she’s just home less. City friends. Dating. And I feel bad cause it’s almost easier.”

   Billy didn’t comment.

   “My throat still hurts from last night and we do smell pretty ripe...gonna shower. Clean these sheets too.” 

   “We haven’t even made a proper mess of them.” Billy came up on his elbows with a suggestive look. They shared another beat before his tone changed. “I should have stayed.”

   “I wish you did. But, I also wish I didn’t run into Fredrick’s arms after that dance. It was stupid. We can both make idiot decisions. Still young, I guess.” Evie turned her eyes. “But, you’re here now and we’re not yelling at each other.”

   “It’s a whole new world. Keg King.”

   “I need to forget that.”

   “School won’t. None of the schools there will forget it. Betcha even Tannen knows.” Billy pushed up and Evie followed, stretching until something cracked delightfully. “Heard from him?”

   “Something with a DUI or two… I don’t know. He made his threats already.” She stopped to pet Blue, shifting the kitten off Billy’s coat while he snagged his shirt. “Tell Max I said hi if she’s around.”

   “Give me thirty.” Billy took his coat, gave her ass a pat, and waltzed out. Unworried. Evie dragged into the shower. Stood there under the warm spray with her head pressed against the cool tiles. Swallowed some aspirin down and slid her eyes to the container of cherry red pins.

   There wasn’t a melancholy welling inside her empty gut, but she found it odd. This craving to indulge. To swallow sharp objects and let them click around musically inside her. Make them part of her routine. Eat artificial things until she was made from them. A doll on the top shelf threatening to take a tumble.

   Wet curls hung over her shoulders and breasts. Evie closed the mirror and looked at her body there. Head tilting. Towels fell around her feet. She opened her palms, arms slighting lifting in a submissive motion. Evie thought to cover herself but didn’t. Imagined a shell opening so the world could look at her. Admire her. Pluck her free and decorate her with tiny diamonds and opals. Maybe seaweed and shells like a pretty siren.

   The mirror lights washed her flesh out as they would an old starlet. Flash. Romancing Evie as she blew kisses to an empty lens, hoping to be loved beyond it. She might die if they don't all love her. Want to screw her. Want to open her up and peek inside. Flash. Keep her at arm's reach if they don't like what they see. Flash. It doesn't matter because she's still a wondrous thing to covet.

   She imagined several hands piecing her parts together. Painting them with deft brushes. Evie could sit on a shelf still. She could also let them loop red strings around her broken limbs. Contorting fingers walking her upon a empty stage with the same washed-out lights. Evie would be anything for them. Give anything for eyes and lights and brushes that caress her.

   Hands pushed her curls back over her shoulders. Evie really looked at her body. No shame. No sex. No fear. No disgust. Just flesh and blood and muscle wrapped around bones with marrow made of that electric stardust. Flesh that offended the world, they had to fetishize her to stand her. Nothing really mattered if the lights washed her away though. The lights would tell them to love her regardless because she was the next great thing.

   Flash.

   Lips pushed into the mirror's reflection, breath ghosting to leave an imprint that faded as she leaned back. Her neon demon flitting out to curl and poison the world so she wouldn't have to choke it down alone.

   “I don’t want to be them,” Evie sneered there, “they’ll want to be me.”

   They’ll claw. And scrape. And scream. And die. Just to be a second rate version of Evangeline. Steam rose around her, placed adoring kisses upon her skin.

   A kiss and a promise wrapped in that vengeful neon demon she fed and hid from the world that had ruined her. Broke her parts to pick and choose the best. A demon she still kissed and tried to preen with kindness because Evangeline tried. She tried.

   Evie hadn’t been cruel. She told lies. She made messes. But, she tried and she had always hoped that would count for something. It didn’t with her father. Or Mona. Not even Fredrick, he liked her mutilated. But, Evie tried to hold onto that kind girl with fire and hopes to create music that rained to make flowers grow even bolder. She deserves something. Anything.

   She was already carved out by this life. Felt like she might hit bone if she dug any further. Piles and piles of ash spilling out longing veins. Organs delectable enough to feed on from souls that sapped her vitality away. What else was there to do but scream until someone heard her? Scream for the girl she lost. The people who would never care to understand that. Scream until they were forced to scream over her. Until they were all roses falling at her feet.

   As she looked at herself here, Evie wondered if that girl was even alive anymore. And if she’d already let her down. If she could be forgiven. If she could forget a specific howl of thunder that came after crackling lightning. Lips near her ear to preen so sweet.

   "My little mouse-"

   Flash.

   Hands shaking, she thrust the mirror open and pricked her finger on a cherry pin. Blood beading before she settled it upon her tongue to devour it. 

   It didn’t make sense. She was happier. Today, she was better. She was in control. But, this... It was built into her. Settling comfortable with everything else. A need. A hope. A cycle. An addiction. Girlhood was a horror story written by a true romantic. This, she knew well.

   Just once, Evie figured. She could wean off it. She could gather her parts and sew them back together without help. Carve the person she lost to the world in something stronger.

   It’s fine. This is fine.

   Flash.

   Unable to see whoever was in the mirror now, Evie shut the lights out and hurried away. She pulled a long sleeve tee on with a faded floral design. Decided leggings were a god-like invention and was stuffing socks on when Billy let himself back in.

   At the sound, she clenched her stomach as if he’d walk in and see the artificial fragments that made her up now. A softer breath puffed. Everything was neatly hidden inside. Soon to be a part of her shelf collection. Footsteps came to her while she bent over to toss her wet towels in the hamper.

   “Can’t knock-?” Evie was spun around into an oncoming hard kiss. Lips colliding before Billy hitched and pulled out. Fireworks burst.

   “Hey, I waited for that.” He winked and went into the kitchen. Owned the space. “You look like hell still, Evie. Couch. I’ll make you something greasy to eat.” 

   “Ugh, I won’t even fight you on this...and you’re well aware of that.” Evie fell onto the sofa. Sagged. Heard Billy clicking around. “You’re not gonna make a mess, are you?”

   “Quit worrying, let the master work.” He peered at the kitten eagerly eating from her dish.

   Evie heard something sizzle and flipped TV channels. Turned the brightness and volume a little lower while she draped over the sofa's arm. Tried to distract herself as the meds kicked in. Melting around her pricking pin. Billy padded back in with a paper plate. Something stacked high on it.

   “What did you…?” Evie blinked and sat up to make room for him so he put the plate down. Still warm and steamy, gooey cheese oozed from fresh bread. “Grilled cheese. Oh hell, that actually looks really good.”

   “I made a bunch. Stuff that hangover.” He spied her and stole the remote. Evie was too busy leaning over to pull a cheesy sandwich apart to fight him. Readily, leaning into Billy’s shoulder, Evie got comfortable there as they shared a silence. A hot, greasy meal that was perfection. Even a few laughs over the TV. 

   She forgot about pretty made up dolls. About that girl she lost. About whatever was trying to take its place. About screaming and thunder.

   “I think we should set some ground rules for this thing since we’re obviously avoiding labels,” Evie said during a commercial, wiping her fingers on a napkin before she pushed up. “Water?”

   “With ice if you really wanna impress me.” Billy kicked back and heard her scoff. “What do you mean, rules?”

   “I mean,” the sink started running from the kitchen, “just...you wanna be with me and I wanna be with you and we’re not gonna bring a third party into that. Basic ‘don’t screw this up’ rules.”

   “Unless you’re into it.” Billy cracked his cheekiest smile as she returned. Ice clicked in two glasses. Billy put one arm up on the couch to gesture so she tucked in there. Cups clicked and they hydrated as if a mission was afoot. 

   “Ah, use the coaster.” She leaned forward so they could set the drinks down. Billy rolled his eyes and sat back, legs spreading.

   “You worry too much, I know how to tell people I’m seeing a girl.”

   “How public can we be? If I try to kiss you or, god forbid, hold your hand at school...will you be weird about it now?”

   “No, and just give me a slap if I get weird on you again.” He shrugged. “If I wanna slip you my tongue or smack your ass, are you gonna get all squirrely on me?” Billy tipped his head back when he felt her chuckle.

   “Depends on who you do it in front of. I figure you’ll use your brains for that judgment. I hope.” Came the softer reply. Evie curled into the warmth of him. Stared at his neck and watched the muscles and veins shift under tanned skin. Wondered about sinking her teeth there. “You can get handsy within reason. Do that thing where one person slips their hand into the other’s pocket as they walk.”

   “I’ll give you the John Hughes fantasy if you throw me a little pornstar now and then.”

   “Bet you think every nasty thing you say makes me blush.” 

   Evie wiggled down and settled her head in his lap. Eyes snapped down to see her face crinkle with a brighter smile, still only somewhat fatigued from the night before. Curl spiraling long over her shoulders and his thighs. He caught one around his finger. Twirled it with a thoughtful expression before he looked at her eyes.

   “You are beautiful, Evangeline Fenny.” Billy had to sigh it. A fierce and tender proclamation. A stunning spell cast over her like a thin veil. Twinkling jewels. Flash photography.

   It became clear that they held power over each other and that this was the closest she’d ever gotten to her name in lights.

   And Evie did blush. She didn’t look away from his eyes. For once. Not when they flickered to catch her gaze. Lost in Billy, she rose and turned over on her hands and knees. Leaned toward him carefully. Billy inhaled her perfume, got this fluttered look as she took his chin and tipped it to place a delicate kiss upon his throat. Another touched the line of his jaw.

   One muffled sound fused them together. Evie’s back hit the couch. The remote fell with a clatter. Fingers laced, Billy shifted her hand next to her head. Saw her pause to kiss his knuckles. Tough with scars from too many fights that burst them open. 

   Fingertips gave this gentle caress of Evie’s hairline with his free hand. Careful as if something here could shatter. Thick lashes fluttered so she turned to look up at him there. Words crushed in her throat. Almost pleasurably.

   “Open your mouth.” Billy longed to taste the fragmented syllables. Lips parted. A finger swept the kiss-puffed swell of them. “Little wider.” His own mouth curled. Thumb rubbing a circle into her chin before he came down. A vaguely sweet-salty kiss. Tangy, almost reminding him of that balmy California air.

   Evie matched him. Pushed back. Cupped his face. Made a heavenly sound that vibrated into him.

   And she leaned out as if struck by lightning.

   “What’s your middle name?”

   “What?” He laughed, watching her lashes flutter. Hand midway to touch her breast.

   “Your middle name.” Evie fingered the metal pendant when it hung down from his neck. Traced a line across his collar before tucking spun gold behind his ear. 

   “Why?”

   “So suspicious.” She tugged his tee so he’d kiss her again. Slower this time. “This, Billy, is totally a date. So, I’m asking about you about you.” Frankly, Evie wanted to know every little, silly thing there was to him.

   “Feels like that perfect, lengthy ending of a date to me.” The snark had Evie pouting. Stopping anymore kisses he dared to plant. Billy gave pause. “It’s stupid. My middle name.”

   “Well, now you have to tell me.” She shifted so he could drape his weight across her, one elbow planted near her head. Billy rolled his eyes. Cringed.

   “Seamus.” He mumbled, sparking. “Don’t laugh. Mom chose it after an ancestor on her side.”

   “Just smiling cause you told me. That’s not bad!” Evie pressed her lips when they trembled. “William Seamus Hargrove.”

   “Yeah, I sound like a creepy lighthouse keeper who's really into masturbating.”

   “One out of two.” Evie squealed as he pinched her side for that. “Marie!”

   “Huh?”

   “My middle name. Marie.” Arms looped loosely around Billy's shoulders. They wrapped each other up, spoke intimately of casual subjects. All too easily. 

   “Evangeline Marie Fenny.” He gave it a taste. Liked it.

   “Uh-huh.” Evie’s fingers twirled idle into Billy's curls, massaging circles into the back of his warm neck. “My mom got the middle name from this famous Voodoo Queen in New Orleans. She thought to name me Christine, Wendy, or Beatrice but when I was born, she changed her mind at the last minute because she saw me and said the name just came to her from this epic poem. Said it was star-worthy so she plucked it down from the night sky and kept it as her own.”

   "A star?" He panned to focus on her expression relaxing.

   "It's a lot to live up to." Something to grieve deeply in that.

   “Hm. Voodoo Queen. So, do you like to turn boys into creatures when they cross you? Frogs, goats, and bats maybe? For sacrifice?”

   “I mean, that’s the first thing they teach us, obviously. Voodoo is actually peaceful and balanced, it just has a violent misconception because of racism. It’s an even exchange of life and energy. A relationship you build with actual effort. Signature.”

   “My mom might have liked it, she was spiritual-like.”

   “My aunts know more. They were pretty worked up when my mom branched out. I like to think she balances a couple religions to get by. She does the same thing with hair styling…and boyfriends.” Evie puffed, eyes elsewhere. “Just a jukebox, she changes the song by whatever is gonna comfort her most that week. I just tell people she’s open-minded and she is.”

   “My dad hates your mom more than he’s hated any neighbor we’ve ever had. And we used to live across from these guys he didn’t like me talking to. Said they were living in sin. Well...he used worse words.” Billy admitted, vaguely entertained because Neil loved to spit words only when backs were turned. He was a coward. “They were always nice to me. Owned this fancy cake shop so they sometimes gave me a truffle if I was playing on the apartment steps.”

   “I can picture you small. Face all messy with chocolate.” Evie gushed there. “Probably the cutest thing. Bet Neil hated them more for being sweet.”

   “The one and only time he spat the word out in the open, one of those guys broke his nose. I got the brunt of that anger later, but it was worth it. Just makes me like Mona more.”

   “I’m sure.” Evie blinked, sighing elsewhere under Billy’s gaze. “My mom and I have a disconnect, but I am proud of her. She’s so educated despite having me young even if people don’t know it. She’s marched for human rights and she’s braver than she knows. She always stands for something and I hope I can one day too. Even if her big, noble causes distract from her home life.”

   Evie paused with this searching look. Unsure if she should indulge the thought that swept her eyes. Gently, she continued.

   “I don’t think her mom ever loved her. Nana was always so cold to her, not like with the older sisters. I noticed that young. She might have liked me only cause I was her one and only grand-baby.”

   “Why’s that?”

   Evie flickered her brown eyes again, frowning.

   “You can’t repeat this, not even to me.” A sigh followed when Billy nodded. “When my mom and dad got divorced...that Christmas break she took me back to N’awlins. They live in this big place, I used to think it was a castle. Her three older sisters, growing old together. Nana was with them until she passed away. I used to hang out in the attic when I wasn’t at their store. Going through boxes of memories.”

   “Yeah.” Billy nodded for her to go on.

   “My mom wasn’t supposed to be born. Nana had her sisters. She had this husband. Perfect life. A shop to pass down. One night, she was closing and a man attacked her. Held her down and…” Evie swallowed. 

   “Oh…”

   “He hurt my Nana bad. I don’t think she was ever the same, how can you be? But, she got pregnant with his baby. Kept it and that was my mom. I think my mom spent her whole life trying to make up for it. I’m sure she knew.”

   “How so?”

   “My grandfather left not long after she was born and..my Nana wrote him this letter I don’t think she ever sent. It was begging him to just take Mona and love her right. It was full of apologies and, I think she was gonna kill herself. I don’t know what changed her mind. But, I found that letter and read it. It was in my mom’s things. Under the floorboards of the first dollhouse she ever made herself. She must have found it all the same. Maybe when she was my age.”

   “Probably wasn’t an easy thing to find for her.”

   “Right. Might explain why mom can only handle the dainty things in life. She just wanted to be loved. So, I think after that...I tried even harder to be perfect for her. I know she loves me and her mother never loved or wanted her. She tried so hard for everyone even if she’s bad with the negative. We’re friends. She always tells me I saved her life so I’m scared of letting her down. What if I can’t save her one day?” Her voice cracked so Evie swallowed a lump down to level herself. 

   Billy felt that prick his heart. Deeper than he liked. But, the advice still came out clear.

   “That’s not your job, Evie, you need a mother. You have plenty of best friends.”

   “I thought she married my dad cause she loved him, but really I think she married the first person who promised to care for her. Who whisked her away from her mother’s cold house. It worked out that he was always traveling for work. It feels like everything I thought I knew about my life wasn’t real.” Evie caught herself, eyes on Billy’s pendant. She hoped it protected him. Well enough. “But, my dad. I bet he thinks about me every day. I know it.”

   It was always striking and peculiar how Evangeline spoke of her father. Billy pictured a string being pulled from her back to rattle the same peppy sayings. Over and over again until perhaps she believed it too.

   Evie paused to stare at Billy thoughtfully. With the pull of her string, she switched modes to become something else. 

   “What kinds of things to do you like to write about?” She asked with this dreamy sort of expression crossing as if the words before were all imaginary. She was fine. Her mother was fine. Her father, he…

   It was all fine. Picture perfect. Paparazzi flashing to send her into a sea of spots. Memories wiping.

   “I don’t know, anything to not be here.” Billy caught himself, both of them still wrapped around each other. “Not here, I mean. I’m here.” 

   Billy seemed to realize how present he was and shifted off her.

   “The words almost don’t sound real.” Repetition. A mild chuckle. “I’m here.” He sounded them out carefully. Evie pulled up. Stared at Billy sitting on his knees between her legs.

   “That’s it.” She said. “Labels and rules aside. As long as we’re just here, I think we have a handle on this. I can manage that, can you?”

   I’m here, Billy gave this closer look and nodded. Earring dangling. Fingers twisted his ring around.

   “Are you going to tell Neil or Susan about this?” Evie’s question made him pale noticeably.

   “Hell, no. It’s better if my dad doesn’t figure it out. Don’t like him talking to you.”

   Evie didn’t argue with that.

   “I don’t think I want to tell my mom, she’s just a lot when I’m seeing someone or liking anyone point-blank.” Evie winced.

   “Don’t freak on me if I pull from you around my dad. I don’t trust him near you. He’ll say shit and you don’t need that.” Billy peered aside until Evie took his hand, shaking it almost officially.

   “Deal. Screw Neil.”

   “Oh,” Billy laughed, “you're still a funny girl, Evie.” Eager as can be, he cupped the back of her head. Kissed her into the couch. They forgot the dull aches that kept them so grounded. All giggles, she squirmed out to escape him. Left Billy breathless and tugged as she got up. “Wait, where ya going?”

   “Um. My room. Duh.”

   He lit up and tried to play cool which melted the second he scrambled to scoop her from the floor.

   “Ah!” Evie wiggled and clung to him. Feeling his muscles bulge and strain as they always did. Made her heart sing. “We didn’t discuss this!”

   “If I can lift it, it’s mine. You spent all last night challenging me, what do you expect?” Billy jostled her which had Evie wrapping her arms tighter around his shoulders. Barely squealing.

   “Okay! Don’t drop me!” She squeezed into his arms and balled up. Billy laughed all the way to the bedroom. “I didn’t wash the sheets yet.”

   “Even better, let’s make a bigger mess of them.” Billy dropped her playfully into the covers. Pulled his shirt off as Evie sat up. Eyes falling to the hard contours. He relished that she liked to look at him. Fingers wrapped around her wrist, encouraging the cool palm into his skin. Up the deft lines in his stomach. “You can touch, I won’t charge you for it.”

   She dropped the awe and pushed from him. Laughing back into the pillows.

   “You’re such a pain.” Evie stiffened because Billy dropped down to crawl up her body. Pretense gone. One hand cupped her jaw. Urged it open as fingers stroked the silky cheek. Thumb curving the swell of her parting mouth. Evie kissed the pad and let the digit slip along her tongue. 

   “You’re so good.” Billy shuddered when he felt her tongue whirl obediently around his thumb. Breathless. Evie reached down to undo his belt. Sly as can be. 

   “You’re eager.” She whispered coolly against the wet thumb tracing a line down her chin.

   “I haven’t been laid much the past few months, I’m collecting. Times I tried didn’t work. Sue me.”

   “Poor thing.” She cooed, working his zipper down until Billy bit his lip. Hips shimmied between her spread legs. He jerked her hips up to get the underwear and leggings off in one expert pull. “Did you think about me when you tried?”

   Billy narrowed on her. Sighed as a hand slipped into his jeans. Moaned.

   “Yes.” He stole himself a kiss. “Couldn’t even measure up to that kiss in the street.”

   “Remind me how that went.” Evie hitched a laugh and he smothered her down. Scared the syllables with his tongue.

   Billy pulled her hair for good measure, pushed his open fly into her bare skin. He didn’t waste time this hour as she moaned and pulled for him. Adjusted to find her core. Hips snapped together, both of them mostly clothed in disarray. A good ache built as he moved. Hard and intent like he was making an impression into her flesh. Into her marrow. 

   Evie would remember him and this time and how he played her. Totally. Neither of them would be running. This moment was about the long haul together. They kept slowing to just look and breathe. Noses nuzzling. Soft exhales in turn. Billy broke kisses to push his face up against her hair and jawline, arms sliding underneath her to cling. He let Evie whisper sweet things into his flesh. Let her hold him just as close.

   At the sweetness of her coaxing, he spilled inside her. Earlier then he meant.

   “Shit.” Billy started to push up when Evie’s legs caught his hips.

   “Stay,” she puffed, “stay like this for a bit.” She prodded and pawed, openly needing him. So very bad.

   “I’m crushing you.” He mumbled into her cheek. Trapped in heat.

   “I like it.” Evie’s arms looped his shoulders. Both of them got the shakes. “I like how you feel right here.”

   “You didn’t come yet.” Hot breath ghosted her neck.

   “It’s okay.”

   Billy blew air into her jaw. Kissed the line of it before he reached down to finish her.

   “Yeah?”

   “Ngh, yes.” She mewled out silently. "Oh, Billy." That was his favorite song in truth.

   “Atta girl.” Billy kept planting kisses. Evie twisted with nowhere to go. Whimpered until she was locking under him. Mouth back open for his slow tongue. She reached a peak and let him slowly bring her back down.

   Lips muffled into her collar. He stayed there inside her. Took every piece of comfort she offered. One hand reeled up to pet her curls. Arms kept him firm against her so he could listen to her twittering heart slow and lull. Fingers danced too delicate across flesh.

   Evie whined as he pulled out. Felt the absence burn hot. 

   They messed the sheets. She was still pulling for him until he pushed her over. Wrapped himself around her after fixing his jeans back up. Leaving them open. Evie shifted, restless until Billy kissed behind her ear.

   “Just sleep. Not going anywhere.” Billy’s words lulled her back to relax. “Quit squirming about it.”

   She stilled, fingers trailing up the hair on his arm before she dropped her head to the offered bicep. Evie tilted Billy’s wrist to see the watch, groaning.

   “It’s not even noon.”

   “Maybe you’ll think next time before you get up hungover on a weekday before eight,” Billy mumbled into the curls. 

   “Only did it for the Hargrove grilled cheese.” Evie closed her eyes to sigh. "You fell for it."

   “Guess we’re both screwed.”

   “Mm-hm.” She let her mind flutter. Felt Billy’s hand stroking her bare thigh. 

   Fingers moved up her hip. Kneading the flesh. His palm trailed over her tummy and she didn’t stop him. Didn’t clam up at a boy touching her fuller areas. Billy worshiped her skin. Breath hot into dark curls. She almost wondered if he was trying for another round massaging her hip like that with dancing fingertips. 

   “Hard to nap when you...when you touch me.” She sounded breathless.

   “Like touching you,” Billy mumbled. “Gonna figure out a way to prove it to you without the label. This thing.”

   “For a boy who likes to talk, I notice certain words are hard for you.” She felt the arm under her wrapping tighter, pulling her further into his fire. “Not judging. I have problems words too.”

   “Still good with my mouth.” Billy shifted hair from Evie’s neck and jaw. Settling his lips there, lazy as can be. “And my hands. But, you still have something nagging you tell you I’m not being truthful about the exclusive thing. Gonna figure out how I can make that up to you.”

   “If I really didn’t trust you, Billy, I wouldn’t have let you stay here.” Evie shifted around to face him, still laying on his bicep. There was plenty of fear. Fear of exposing her heart and vessels and nerves to be plucked. Fear she'd like him more than he liked her. Fear this relationship would be such an easy thing to fall into.

   "That's honest." He decided, lashes batting. Evie reached up and traced this curving line near his mouth.

   “Just be with me cause you want to be and try not to raise your voice if you’re upset." She dropped her hand. "It’s okay if you’re upset, you can tell me. It just freaks out when men raise their voices. It’s like thunder and I...I’m scared of thunder.” 

   Evie recalled the passive-aggressive way Fredrick would slam things when he was upset with her instead of outright telling her. How he’d wait until she was near tears and begging his forgiveness. Billy studied her eyes. Saw lightning flash within them. Knuckles came to her cheek. Gave an idle caress. His soft lips found her brow and lulled her heavy eyes until they began to flutter. Billy laid there and watched Evie fade, let her sleepy frame tuck into him. Under his chin. She found solace. 

   He thought of the men in her life and his life who raised their voices. Who hit. Who broke them down to a series of parts they can pick and choose from to make a doll that suited them best. This image they placed up carefully for protection, it may have shattered them both distantly. Billy didn’t want to be a piece of thunder in Evie’s life. Striking to make his points so she wouldn’t forget them. 

   But, Evie slept so soundly in his arms. Barely twitching while his hands roamed her body. Under the shirt down her bare back. Threading into fluffy locks of thick hair. These little caresses that were her lullaby. It made Billy believe with all his soul that he’d never be like them.

   And it made it so easy for him to follow her in darkness.

** ** ** 

   “You’re awfully quiet, Max.” Evie turned her head in the seat. Trees whizzed by illuminated with little flits of the morning sun. 

   “Just a test today, I guess.” Max had her backpack clutched close in her lap. Almost hiding behind it. She hinted a smile. “I gave Billy shit this morning.” Billy snorted in the driver’s seat, nodding. One hand idle on Evie’s knee. Hot through the denim.

   “She did. Neil wasn’t around.” 

   “Hey...I told Will and them I’d go to the arcade. Just to hang out after school. I’ll be home before dinner.”

   “Does Neil know?” Was all Billy asked.

   “Yes, he thinks I’m just going to see El. Stays quieter if I’m seeing the Police Chief.” Max plucked up her skateboard. “I won’t need a ride so you guys can make-out.” She snickered while Billy swerved to park at school.

   “Yeah? Beat it.” He shifted his seat, patting Evie’s knee to make her wait there. Max jumped out and hopped on her board.

   “She does seem off,” Evie remarked more so to herself.

   “Things at home are off, it’s making it weird for her and her friends.” Billy shut the door with a hard look. Exhaling out his nose. “It was bound to.” Evie watched Max skate down the hill around other students. Seemingly isolated. She didn’t push the subject and wiped the frown aside. Mauve lips upturned when she peered to see Billy staring at her face. Not reaching for a smoke yet.

   “Got something for you.” He said instead, fishing into the front pocket of his denim jacket. “Tried to figure out how to make this official for you. Here.” 

   Billy dropped a silver chain in her hand without ceremony. The silver ring he wore on his middle finger hung from it. Evie wondered what he’d fidget around with now when he was deep in thought.

   “I don’t have a class ring or Letterman jacket for you because I’m not a douche. But, guys do this. Don’t they?” Billy peered at Evie eyeing the ring before she met his gaze. 

   “It’s perfect.” She turned, gesturing so he could help her put it on. It sat lower than the little music note she usually wore. Evie debated it and pulled her dad’s necklace off, looping it around her wrist as a bracelet because she wasn’t ready to part with it just yet. Maybe it not being in plain sight would make her easier to look at for Mona. “Thank you.”

   “My mom got it for me. She had it in the family and said it would fit me one day. That and this chain.” He fingered the saint pendant. 

   “I’ll be careful with it,” Evie promised him. 

   “It sits exactly where I wanted it to.” Billy flashed some pride.

   “Over my heart?” Her eyes glimmered.

   “Over your tits.” He laughed when she shoved at him, tugging his collar in for a kiss. 

   “You’re gross,” Evie mumbled, pecking him once more. She fingered the ring and beamed. 

   “You’re into it.” Billy turned her chin for just one more. She could live in this. 

   Just one more kiss.

   Deciding to join the rest of the student body, they got out. Evie slung her strap over one shoulder while Billy held his bag in a wad at his side. They met each other around the car before Billy slipped his arm around her waist, bringing Evie into him. Fingers delved into her back pocket.

   Every teen around them took note. It was official. Comments piled in as they passed into school.

   “Great party, Evie.”

   “Looking good, you two!”

   “Love your outfit, Fenny.”

   Whistles cast and overlapped suggestively. 

   “This is weird.” Evie leaned into Billy as they got to her locker. Students looked at them together. Offered winks or smiles. Students who never addressed her much before.

   “You’re the keg king. What’s that saying?” Billy had shrugged. “Heavy is the head… Fine is the ass.”

   “I regret you already.” Evie broke to laugh at him. “Pure poetry, Billy.” She shut her locker, paused to see Heather headed her way looking apprehensive. Another smile crossed, even fuller than the last. Heather seemed to respond and follow it.

   “So, I heard I missed a piece of history.”

   “Hardly, I puked everywhere.” Evie swept curls behind her shoulder. “Billy, can Heather and I have a sec?”

   “Depends, am I still an asshole prick?” He leered over Evie’s shoulder.

   “You’re back down to normal prick status.” Heather beamed even sweeter while Billy caught his tongue between his teeth, seeming to like that. 

   “I can work with that, princess.” He tugged Evie’s curls and went around them to head to his locker before the first period. Evie shifted on her feet so they walked along together.

   “I know...things have still been kinda weird.”

   “I just figured I’d let you and Carol work through your stuff, you know?” Heather looped her arm into Evie’s.

   “Can’t without my best friend there. Sure, Carol and I are bonding, but that doesn’t… You and I went to dances together, Heather, we stayed up eating junk food and watching terrible movies. We bought our first bras together.”

   “Our mothers made that day so mortifying, I think I’m still messed up from it.” Heather giggled with Evie snorting next to her. “And you got a real B bra while I basically bought a damn bandage.”

   “We’re repressing the memory together.” Evie tugged her down the next hallway where Steve scrambled to snatch her into an unexpected bear hug.

   “Tell me it’s true, oh my god, Evie.” He was near howling with laughter. Evie, shocked that Steve lifted her feet from the floor, stammered through the broken train of thought.

   “What?” She got spun around with a cry as Heather cackled. Students hurried around them. Steve wasn't strong like Billy, but credit was due.

   “You’re the keg king?” He shook her by the shoulders. “You smashed Billy’s record in front of him. In front of everyone?”

   “I’m never drinking again.” Evie dropped her head to his chest, hands covering her face.

   "You're my absolute hero, Eves, I hope you know that." Steve gripped Evie tighter, got close like he thought to kiss her but resisted.

   “Yeah, you’re going to have to fill us in on everything at lunch.” Heather decided, grasping Evie’s hand. “Jesus, Steve, get it together.”

   “Let me have this, Holloway. She's mine.” He squeezed Evie’s amused frame back into him. “He made my life hellish.”

   “I’ll dedicate the win to you. How’s that?” Evie slipped from Steve, laughing now. “Lunch. We’ll give Billy shit about it together.” A wink that Steve matched, thoroughly enjoying this momentous day. Evie rejoined Heather to hurry toward class. “How about a sleepover? Us, Carol, and Max. I think she needs more girls in her life. No boys invited.”

   Heather hugged her books close to grin easier.

   “I’d like that.” 

~~~~~

A/N: Letting these two finally just be intimate is everything to me. Thank you so so much for reading. Comments and rbs are well loved and appreciated!! Feel free to chat with me, pretty please! Tag list & ask open. xoxo :)

TAGGED:: @80sbxtch @nottherightseason @alagalaska @alongcamedolly @kellyk-chan @10blurredsmoke10​ @charmed-asylum​ @unmistakablyunknown​ @lukespatterson​

[kpopinesss]

Y U N H O ⇨ office au

THE ONE WHERE HE’S YOUR EX AND SAN’S A PAIN IN THE ASS

could also be considered ‘the break up’ but eh.

a/n(@atinybitofau): had to post this on my main bc tumblr was being a b i t c h. been having bad writers block so this may be some mediocre content sorry in advance guys 😭

• it’s hard as it is working with your ex

• but it’s harder when your ex?

• is your goddamn boss.

• “Y/n, have you signed off the P&L reports yet?”

• he’s been working you to the bone.

• you’re losing sleep out of work and you don’t get paid enough to be doing this shit.

• two years after the break up, you’d think he’d be over it.

• and he was doing relatively well.

• up until only a couple weeks ago.

• “I still have those budget requests to do, Yunho. I haven’t even—“

• “Gotten up your ass to finish the work I put on your desk?”

• you mentally shoot him brain dead.

• but smile instead.

• “I’m sorry.” you force it out knowing losing your job considering your financial complications as of late was in no option. “I’ll get to it. I promise.”

• “You’ve never been good in the promise department. So just do your job, y/n. Then we won’t have any problems, yeah?”

• there was a reason you decided to end things with Yunho.

• it wasn’t because you fell out of love with him.

• It’s just...

• things at work got bad with coworkers.

• thinking you were sucking his dick and shit to get your way.

• having too much privelage— even if you didn’t.

• jealous?

• yeah women were jealous.

• too jealous.

• you went through lengths to keep things stable.

• but you couldn’t anymore.

• your social stand was not near as strong as Yunho’s

• and you still loved him which kind of sucks.

• considering now that he hates your guts.

• “What do you mean you can’t make it tonight? Who does that asshole think he is?”

• you sighed, head spinning out of tire wanting nothing but to lay in San’s arms so he could make the pain go away.

• “My boss.” you rub at your temples. “And your best friend, San. You shouldn’t talk about him like that.”

• “For Christ’s sake, y/n, he’s killing you!”

• “I’m not losing my job, San.”

• “Then work for me.”

• No.

• you can’t..

• “I can’t.”

• and your body’s only saying so because—

• “Because you’re still in fucking love with Yunho.”

• San was angry.

• angry because you can’t move on

• you refuse to move on even if it kills you.

• “God, y/n, it’s been years. Get over it.”

• you roll your eyes. “San, why does it even matter to you?”

• “Because who else is going to come with me to hot pot if you’re stuck at work doing dumb and menial reports that he could finish in 5 minutes. Don’t forget that I do his job. Work his role and know when he’s abusing it. And he’s abusing you.”

• your heart hurts to hear it.

• yeah I mean,

• you already know that.

• but you still had hope for Yunho.

• even if you didn’t tell him why you broke up,

• you’d want him to figure out that you’re still bloody in love with him.

• “I’m tired of keeping your secret.” San whispers this time through the phone and your eyes scan the room. “Y/n, if you won’t tell him. I will.”

• “San, I love you and all but for the love of god, don’t do that.”

• “I KNEW IT!”

• you hide your phone into your lap, face cherry red when your fuming tall boss hits his head against the top of the door frame.

• you look in horror.

• hearing echoes of San’s voice before stumbling back in your rolly chair.

• “Yunho?”

• “I knew it.” He shakily points a finger at you. “I fucking knew it you lying snake of a bitch.”

• “Bitch excuse me?”

• your eyebrows cock up and your heart is either pounding from shock.

• or pounding cause of him in general.

• “BITCH?!”

• please San, shut up, you mentally curse while holding the speaker against your palm.

• “You think I wouldn’t have noticed? Your little affair with my best friend no less— you’ve been pining him since we were dating. I fucking knew it.”

• wait.

• wait just a second.

• “What the fuck are you talking about?”

• your tone was crude

• pure venom laced.

• and angry was the least of your emotions right now.

• “Oh my god, is this what the torture has been about Yunho? You’ve been stressing me day by day because you think I’m messing around with San?”

• in tiny font, you can hear San ask,

• aren’t you?

• “Don’t pin this shit on me!”

• you stand up.

• stand up because you can’t fucking believe it sitting down.

• “Yunho, you can’t be serious.” you throw papers at him. the papers he’d been throwing at you for the past weeks. “Be my ex out of work. Don’t act like it in it. God— how can I be so dense? And to think you were just fucking me over because you didn’t love me anymore.”

• Yunho was confused.

• angry nonetheless.

• but wondering why you sounded distraught.

• why you were making it his fault?

• why it sounded like you still loved him when he was sure you didn’t.

• “I’m your ex any place you go, honey. Think about that the next time you’re fucking San.”

• you were speechless.

• breathless when you watch him to try to leave after starting this up.

• “Yunho, don’t you dare walk out on me. We’re not done talking.”

• he stops, back facing you.

• and you swear you can even hear his heart beating over yours.

• “You have a call waiting.”

• “Yunho please.” Your voice breaks.

• tired.

• you were tired loving him.

• cause though you suffered being with him,

• you were starting to think you’re suffering more without him.

• “Please talk to me.”

• Yunho turns, whips around like a hunter ready to prey. “You can’t ask me that.”

• “Why? Cause you’re my boss or because you’re my ex?”

• “Y/n, don’t fucking— don’t make this me. Stop trying to make this me.”

• you feel nailed down.

• as if the devil were holding your head in place to stare at not just your boss, but your ex.

• “It’s always been you though.”

• your tummy churns and your eyes start to water.

• your heart hurts and so does your knees from holding you up.

• Yunho’s no different.

• staring at you.

• loving from far away.

• being your boss?

• he didn’t want it anymore.

• but he couldn’t fire you even if he wanted to.

• “Always been you. The LAST person I’ve fucked, the reason I’m overworked, the person I’m still in love with— yes, Yunho, it’s always you.”

• “Don’t. Y/n, don’t lie to me.”

• “I’m not lying. I’m tired of hiding the truth. And so be it if I have to file a fucking resignation letter tonight but I’m not going to hide this shit anymore.”

• his eyes wide in horror, places his hands on your waist when you force yourself on him.

• your lips targeted on his in perfect aim.

• landing the perfect kiss.

• and Yunho knows you’ve never lacked at a job.

• especially if it’s out of work.

• you frown against the lips feeling hesitation and you kiss him until he kisses back.

• but he doesn’t.

• now you’re a crying mess.

• “San was right. I waited too long. Waited too long to—“

• “Tell me that you still love me?”

• Yunho’s never been bad at being Yunho.

• always brass.

• always warm.

• so warm.

• “The people.. people that work for you abused me. Abused me for being with you. I couldn’t love you properly even though I wanted to. San told me. Told me to tell you but I didn’t want you to worry about me. Worry about us so I ended it. Ended up loving you from far away. How it should be.”

• you slowly retract looking up at him,

• realizing yes this may be your boss.

• but he was still your ex.

• “Why didn’t you tell me?”

• Yunho was pained.

• felt guilty for being a dick

• but felt even worse because he’s the real reason the relationship failed.

• because he was more your boss than he was your boyfriend.

• “Why didn’t you tell me any of this?”

• “Because by the time I realized I should’ve, you stopped loving me.”

• he sighs, momentarily numb in your eyes.

• before lightly brushing a thumb against your tears and pressing the kiss in return onto your lips.

• you start to forget he’s much less your boss than your ex.

• “Never stopped. You never talked to me enough to find out.” he mumbles. “Didn’t ask how I felt.”

• you inhale sharply before asking, “And how did you feel?”

• “Ready to keep you for the rest of your life was probably about right during the time, yeah, keep you working for me till you die. But now I’m going to sign a transfer to San’s company for you.”

• you tear back, eyes wide in horror.

• but Yunho holds you still.

• “Listen. Listen first. Don’t make the same mistake again and let’s talk before you run, baby.”

• alright.

• you’re gonna pretend you didn’t jump over the moon at that one.

• “I’m signing you there because it’s closer to home.”

• “But I live in—“

• “My home?” his eyebrow cocks up, lips curving and palms cupping. “Our home where you’re going to move back to in a couple of days. And you won’t have to worry about not making rent anymore.”

• though your lips are frowning,

• your heart is smiling.

• “Yunho, I cant just pack my bags and live with you again..”

• “Yes you can.” His soft chuckle gives you endless amounts of uwu. “And I’m assigning you to San because I don’t want to be your stupid and useless boss anymore. Too toxic for us. Want us to last this time. Don’t fuck this up for me, y/n. Just say yes.”

• oh.

• OH.

• OHHHHH.

• “Is this your way of asking me to be your girlfriend again?”

• “How about we skip that step?”

• Yunho’s soft.

• always been soft.

• but he’s learned a little bit since you two broke up considering...

• the new glare in his eyes.

• maybe he’s spending way too much time with San, you think.

• “That’s not a proper proposal.”

• “Proposal?” Yunho snickers, nose curved to yours. “I was thinking more of the lines of demand rather than a request, baby. You know, I’m still your boss till tomorrow.”

• “And my fiancé apparently starting today.”

• you giggle against his loving kiss.

• “Cause boss and ex were so overrated.”

@atinybitofau

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

Can you please share some more facts about the Fawleys? I really enjoy reading about them dw if you can’t though 💓

Oh my dear anon! You act as though you are some sort of burden, when you are anything but? When your message could never bring me anything but pure joy? Thank you for gracing my inbox! (Side note, I discuss spoilers for “Remembrance” in this post, so just keep that in mind.) 

The first thing to understand is that I am flaky and indecisive. I can never make up my mind and head-canons and decisions about the Fawley family might very well change, alas. Particularly as new details of canon emerge. Example: I once wrote Luca’s rift with Rowan into the story as them suspecting Rowan of being R, but then having them come back together and be closer than ever following the Imperius incident. Given what I know now? With Y6CH18? I’m gonna say that whole rift never even happens. Rowan is one of the most important people in Luca’s life, period. So the more time they spend together, the better. Gail can have the “grown apart” relationship with Rowan, sure, but not Luca. This is just one example of how anything can change in the main story, and thus, my head-canons are subject to shift at any time because I cannot make up my mind or commit to anything. I am a true cornflake. All that said, let me talk about what I know and have decided about the Fawley family. 

I’ve debated a lot on what family to have Nina come from originally. I’ve bounced around The MacMillans, the Burkes, The Greengrass’s...but then I realized the perfect solution that actually ties in with previous details. Nina is from the Shafiq family. The other Pureblood line on the Sacred Twenty-Eight that never gets mentioned in the book. And oh boy, I’m gonna have fun defining them as well. This works well because I always envisioned Luca as Middle Eastern, but I had placed The Fawleys in Britain for the War of the Roses. Did a bit of digging, and Shafiq is an Arabic name. It totally works out! 

That being said, I’m so indecisive that I might not even keep to that as being her name. Nina, that is. I might come up with a different first name for her. Same goes for Luca’s father, who has been called both Eric and Arik in the past. The trouble is, I conceived Luca’s mother around the interpretation/theory I had about MC’s mum at the time of writing Luca’s fic. Basically, my theory is that MC’s family is part of R, or have some previous involvement with them that extends further back than Jacob. That one or both of MC’s parents were members. I dunno what it is, I just do not trust MC’s mum. She seems shady at worst, and a bad parent at best. But you can see how this particular background is subject to change. Who the hell knows if MC’s mum is a part of R, or if she will even appear. 

This also ties in with the mystery of just how Luca’s family got cursed. And this is something else that is subject to change. Literally everything about the Fawley Curse. (Also known by it’s proper name: The Invigorium Curse.) I made the “Mark of Despair” a black star and had it appear on the hand. I might change the design to be something like a rose, in thinking about it. (A “Black Rose” being the symbol of The Fawleys.) But if I move it’s location from the hand, to say, the back of the neck or something...well then, I don’t get that raw backstory about Mr. Fawley trying to free himself from the curse by chopping off his own hand...at which point, the Mark of Despair reappears on his other hand, because did he really think it would be that easy? I’ve toyed with placing the Mark on the back of the neck...that’s pretty metal too, and could tie in with how the Fawleys always have long and beautiful hair. But on the other hand, Mr. Fawley is dead by the time Luca and Gail are Hogwarts age...suppose he killed himself by stabbing the Mark? That may be a bit too much though...

I’m getting off topic, I was discussing the source of the Curse. Again, this winds up being connected to R in my fic. Connected to the power that they want. Based on what R winds up being and wanting, this could be subject to change. What I have in mind is that the Fawleys experimented with strange magic and ended up branding the Marks of Despair onto themselves. But I might change that. Either way, I want this to be something that they brought upon themselves. It could have been intentional, a selfish experiment to gain more power...or a consequence of something terrible that they did, a punishment. I’m not really sure. Just like I’m not sure I want it to be a Star or a Flower. It could be an ancient rune. I kind of feel like Luca would take Ancient Runes as an elective. Far more likely than Divination, that’s for damn sure. But then again, HPHM has ignored that half of these classes are supposed to be optional...anyway. 

The name “Fawley” actually means, bird-catcher. Hunter of wild birds. I wonder if the original Fawley was someone who hunted down and killed a beautiful swan or something, a creature that was precious to some ancient monarch, and they were cursed as punishment. Maybe the curse was applied to them by being force-fed black flowers. Imagine if the Fowler was a muggle, the Monarch was a Wizard (or at least, had one on his payroll) and the magic that the Fowler’s children bore as a result is what started this “pureblood” line. (Everyone can trace their ancestry to a muggle eventually. Everyone. Fight me on this, pureblood supremacists.) You know what, the more I think about it, the more I really like this idea. It ties in with what the Fawley name means. And it keeps to the story that I always wanted to tell with these guys. That being that, while Pureblood and thus privileged, the general consensus about them is that they’re unstable, unlucky, and dangerous. Have a history of madness and misfortune and even suicide. Almost like the Targaryens, for my Game of Thrones fans out there. It ties in with how Jacob and MC are viewed. This is also the reason I had Alice Longbottom be a Fawley by birth, and Aunt to Luca and Gail. She is one of many cases of Fawleys suffering and going mad, seemingly because they were just destined to. It is sheer luck and good fortune that Neville didn’t inherit the Mark of Despair, because Alice had one, and it’s a dominant trait. 

I’m so glad you wrote this to me, because it’s helping me figure things out. Even if I haven’t come up with that much new material, I can’t tell you how excited I am for this new origin story about the bird-catcher. What’s interesting is that “Shafiq” apparently is a word for compassion and kindness. Which ah...does not suit Mrs. Fawley, I’ll just say that. No matter how I interpret her, it’s going to based on MC’s mum from the game...and I don’t think she’s the best person. Yet ironically, all of the Fawley kids have her general look, physically. And compassion is truly the name of the game for her kids, especially with Luca. Mrs. Fawley’s kids all turned out to be better people than her, but Luca is the very best of them and Jacob notes this when all is said and done. The Fawley kids are a total trifecta and in a way, it’s Gail who is the happy medium. She’s the middle mark between polar opposites, those opposites being Luca and Jacob. And yet, Luca and Jacob adore each  other and Gail is kind of the outsider. 

She gets along decently well with Luca, but they’re different in certain key traits that make them distinctly uncomfortable with each other. They might have outgrown this had they been raised together, but it’s so important to me that no matter what, this never happens. No matter the AU. Luca and Gail grow up believing the other is dead. They don’t meet until young adulthood, and what should be a dream come true just kind of...isn’t. They have a strained relationship. Not hateful, just...not perfect. Because why it would it be? Because they’re biologically related? That doesn’t mean they’re going to be best friends, and trying to force it, simply doesn’t help. Seriously, Gail is actually far more fond of Luca than she is Jacob. Dear god, she cannot stand him. She’s so grounded and integrated into understanding how one should behave and following social norms. She’s Lawful Good for sure. But Jacob is just...he’s fire and ice and rage, he is a walking storm. Gail just doesn’t take well to people like that. They stress her out. It’s not like Luca. Their inherent patience and pathological desire to “rescue” problematic people...yeah, is it any wonder Luca x Merula is a strong contender for endgame? 

Ooh, here’s something new I can talk about. Middle names. I’ve tossed around a few in the past, but the one thing I’ve always been certain of is that I want Luca and Gail to both have middle names that are one syllable. Luca’s middle name is Rae. It’s simple, it’s gender neutral, and it sounds nice. Not only that, but it has Hebrew origin and the Fawleys are definitely Jewish. From what I can tell, it means either “lamb” or “friend of sheep” aka, sheppard. Both of these suit Luca remarkably well. As does the other interpretation I’ve found, which is that it means “timid” or “bashful.” It’s just the perfect name for them. Now let’s move onto Gail. I’m...still not sure. I’ve considered a few, like Brynn, Claire, and even “Rose” (Shoutout to a friend of mine, I’m going to assume you’ll see this.) But I have yet to land on one that I like enough for Gail to pin it down. Nothing just screams out at me like Rae does for Luca. What else can I talk about...ooh, wands! 

I’ve mentioned wand contents before, but I’ll reiterate them here, and provide some cool images I found to go along with them! Luca’s wand is Rowan and Unicorn Hair, and if you didn’t already know - it was Rowan them-self who previously owned it. The wand was fashioned at the tree farm and they used it right up until Luca’s first wand was destroyed by Rakepick. That first wand, Hazel and Unicorn Hair, had belonged to Mrs. Fawley. Right up until she lost her ability to do magic, a side-effect of her depression which happened after Jacob disappeared. (Dumbledore implied that this was possible and may have happened to Merope.) Luca took her wand and promised to safeguard it for the day that she would eventually be able to use it again. Enter the Curse-Breaker that everyone hates, bye bye Hazel wand. When just then, surprise surprise! Rowan’s wand suddenly chooses Luca. And you can bet that Rowan is over the moon and Luca is sobbing because they don’t deserve this. But they accept it. I wish I could say I had such a cool backstory for Gail’s wand, but the truth is that she just bought it from Ollivander. Aspen and Dragon Heartstring. On the other hand, one cool detail is that she defies Rakepick and rather than use a new one, she uses her old one after Dumbledore repairs it for her. See, it’s little moments like this, why Gail trusts him when Luca emphatically doesn’t. 

Behold their wands, pictured below! Why yes, the skull design for the Rowan wand’s handle is morbidly appropriate Why yes, the symbols written on Gail’s wand do look pretty cool. (I also couldn’t find an “official” wand that was colored white, apart from Voldemort’s, so there’s that.) 

[princecharmingmendes]

Heartstrings | Chapter VII | Shawn Mendes

“ ‘It’s like a best friend, but more. It’s the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else. It’s someone who makes you a better person, well, actually they don’t make you a better person… you do that yourself because they inspire you. A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever. It’s the one person who knew you, and accepted you, and believed in you before anyone else did or when no one else would. And no matter what happens..you’ll always love them.’ - unknown”

“Shawn was a huge believer that the ‘soulmates’ situation’ was the most stupid thing on the planet, specially since it was such a rare thing to find someone with the same mark as you. He would do anything he could to prevent the so called 'destiny’ from happening, but could he?”

hi, i hope everyone’s doing okay and this is another chapter to the series. Shawn's finally understanding that he's wrong and things might change, so just have a little bit more patience and faith on it. i'm sorry this is not the best chapter so far, but things are really complicated hear and i didn't want to leave you guys without this weeks chapter, i came up with many different scenarios and this is by far the best one and im still not 100% happy with it, so i'm sorry. I'll just stop rambling, anyway i hope you like it, and please give me some feedback.

*Word Count: 2,9+K.

*Warnings: cursing, violence; pushy, rude, disrespectful dude (if that's triggering, please don't read it).

*Posted: April 23rd, 2020. 

                                                    -*-

“No” I said pulling my arm back and taking a deep breath “now leave me the fuck alone”

“Oh, darling, but we were starting to have f...”

“She told you to leave her the fuck alone, which part of it you didn’t get?” I heard his voice and I could feel my blood running cold.

Shit, this is going down.

“Of course you would show up, the fucking prince charming, or at least that’s what you like to pretend to be”

“At least I’m not a stupid asshole who needs to stalk girls around campus and be so insistent that they give up”

“Go find another girl to pin, Mendes”

“Go fuck yourself, dude” Shawn said with his face starting to redden.

“I’m trying to” Byron said with a smirk on his shitty face.

“Shawn, just don’t, I can handle it, leave me alone”

“But...” he said finally turning to look at me.

“Please” I asked looking over at him and I could see his pleading eyes begging to take control of the situation and I shook my head “Please, leave”

“Fine, I’ll be at the library” he said walking past through us, not before bumping the guys shoulder with his own.

“Now we can finally talk”

“No, we can’t, I have somewhere to be and you probably shouldn’t talk to girls like this, we don’t like it and it’s rude”

“No, kitten, don’t piss me off, I’m trying to be nice here, don’t want to get on my bad side, huh?”

“I don’t want anything with you, and that’s not nice at all” I said ready to turn around and leave again “you should stop being an idiot before someone goes to the police or something”

“You’re starting to annoy me, princess” he said crossing his arms above his chest.

“Couldn’t care less, bye”

“You’ll be begging for me to want you next time, bitch”

“Me and all the other girls who are clearly into you right?” I said with venom practically dripping off my mouth as I started to walk back to my dorm.

“You can say shit about it, it’s not like many boys talk to yo...” my fist collided with his face before he could end his phrase and before I could even process my actions.

“Hey!” I heard someone shouting from behind me, making me turn around in the same direction, being met with one of my teachers who happened to be passing by “Y/N, you can’t just punch people!”

“I didn’t just punch him, he’s been extremely disrespectful and annoying, and apparently lost sense of the world ‘limit’ so it was proper self defense”

“No, it was not, both of you are completely wrong, Mr. Byron, you already have a detention to do, so I’m giving you two extra weeks, and you, Miss Y/N, you’re going to help another student on organizing the library every night starting now for a whole week, close it when you both are done”

“But we’re in college!” Byron tried to protest.

“That’s an excellent point, which means both of you shouldn’t be doing this, especially you Byron”

He mumbled a curse before heading other direction. I just sighed and got back in the library, I mean, it couldn’t be that bad, this place was like my second home, and also, I loved books anyways. But I felt the blood draining from my face when I say those mop of curls trying to pile a bunch of books randomly, with a frown on his brows and a pout on his lips. You’ve got be kidding me. I got in and started sorting other books in other table when I felt his gaze falling on my figure, but I completely ignored him. He cleared his throat twice but I didn’t even blink, too focused on organizing books by their section and in alphabetical order.

This deafening silence lasted for a while, almost making me forget his damn presence on that library. I couldn’t completely ignore him when he started sighing and trying to find out where the books were supposed to be, he even dropped a whole pile on the floor, but I didn’t dare to look back at him. The only thing that made me turn around was a loud ‘thump’ and him letting out a “outch”. I saw him kneeling on the floor with a bunch of books around him, one of his hands was on his forehead and the other one on the table in front of him. I turned back to my work and started placing the books back on their places.

“Y/N?”

“Yes?”

“Can we please talk?”

“I never said we couldn’t”

“But you’ve been ignoring me”

“I haven’t, I’m not just following you around like I used to, you made it pretty clear earlier today that you don’t want me around”

“That doesn’t mean you should ignore me”

“I wasn’t ignoring you, even though that’s all you’ve been doing lately”

“Okay, I deserve that” he said getting up again “I’m sorry”

“For what exactly?”

“For being a dick”

“Okay, but will you keep on acting like it? Because honestly you’ve been a bitch and then nice and I don’t want to believe you mean it and be an idiot the moment we leave this library”

“I deserved that too”

“What do you want?”

“Why?”

“You called me”

“Oh, yeah, sorry, can you help me sort this stuff?”

“I’m already doing it”

“I know, but I honestly don’t know what I’m doing, and if you helped, maybe we could end this sooner”

“So you could go back to your bad boy life away from me? Sure!” I said going to his side.

“Again, I deserved that”

“Have you ever been to the library?

“Yes, I just don’t get the system of organization, you generally helped me out and I helped you with any math related situation”

“That was before”

“Okay... I...”

“You deserved that for hurting me, I know”

“I might have been too harsh and stuff, and I’m sorry for that, and I’ll give you time to consider it, I’m sorry for saying all that”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t know, okay? I’m more lost than you right now”

“Shawn, this is exhausting, I had a bad day or semester and I just want this to be over”

“I know, I know, I know, I want this to be over as well”

“Shawn... I’m the one begging you please now”

“Okay, but can you still help me out? I’m lost” he said sighing and I just nodded, starting to pile up the books like they’re supposed to.

We actually spent a great amount of time only talking when it was necessary, with me explaining the sections and how to actually organize them, and he only spoke to me when extremely necessary. I was so pissed at him due to his attitude and also due to the fact that he decided to completely push me without saying the reason, and right now he’s acting like nothing happened. Well, at least he’s quiet now.

“Hm... I saw what you did to Byron” he said and I only hummed in response “Y/N... I’m sorry, maybe I shouldn’t have suggested what I did today”

“Or acted like a dick without an apparent reason”

“That too”

“And then pretending you care”

“I never did that”

“Oh no? What was yesterday to you?”

“I didn’t pretend”

“Oh, you didn’t?”

“I never stopped caring”

“That’s not what you said”

“I... I know okay? I’m sorry for everything... there’s just so many things going on and I’m just as confused as you”

“I doubt that” I mumbled and he sighed running his fingers through his curls.

“I mean it, I shouldn’t have done any of the things I did to you and I’m sorry, I can’t change what happened, I can only change what will happen, so can you please forgive me?”

“Shawn...”

“It doesn’t have to happen today or tomorrow, I can be patient, I just need you to give one more chance, please, Y/N, you’re not the only one hurting here”

“It sure seems like it...”

“I know, but I’m too tough to show that” he quoted himself from a few years ago with a playful grin threatening to show up and pleading eyes.

Damn it, Mendes, not those puppy eyes.

“I’d have to think about it”

“Sure” he said giving me an honest smile “thank you, honey”

“Whatever, Mendes” I said trying to hold back a smile that threatened to appear.

After that, I got back into organizing stuff, but the silence between us now was a lot lighter and almost pleasant, if it wasn’t for the fact that we were stuck on a library as a punishment and it would last a week, at least for me. Shawn kept stealing glances at me and he wasn’t trying to hide it, which was odd.

“Can I ask you two things?”

“Uh, sure” he said somewhere behind a shelf.

“First, why are you even here?”

“Got caught sneaking out a girl’s dorm room, two weeks here, this is my last one”

“Oh”

“Now I have company, by the way, that was a really good punch, he deserved it”

“Thanks, the second one is... I don’t remember much from last night”

“I know”

“Did I...?”

“You what?” He asked, head poking out of the corner of one of the heavy bookcases.

“Did I said something to make you say what you said today?”

“No, it was... I just realized something and I thought that was the smartest move to make, which wasn’t, we both ended up getting hurt and it sucked, and it only lasted like... ten hours”

“Was it because you kissed me?”

“What?!”

“Nothing... Hm, I’m done” I said turning around to grab my stuff.

“Wait, I can drop you off, just let me place two more books in place and we can head off”

“You don’t have to”

“I know, don’t want you walking around alone”

“Okay” I sighed sitting at one of the tables.

Any other day and I would’ve ignored him and walked to my room, but after today’s encounters it might be best if he took me there. I waited what seemed like five minutes when I finally saw the curly haired boy coming to where I was waiting and grab my backpack for me. I jumped off the table and we both went to his jeep, that was parked not that close to the main entrance. The night got chilly quickly and he noticed me curling into myself, and he quickly peeled off his leather jacket, giving it to me, which I tried to deny but knowing him for as long as I did, I knew it was pointless. I just gave up and put it on, being quickly engulfed by warmth and his scent, which was pretty addicting.

Tyler was standing next to his jeep, leaning on his own car, talking to a few of his friends and laughing, probably his study group, but when me and Shawn got closer, he stopped laughing and stared at us like we were two aliens on campus. I felt my face heating up, so I just gave him a tight lip smile and a little wave, which he quickly corresponded still looking like he saw a ghost. I climbed on Shawn’s jeep and I saw him staring at Tyler with a slightly suspicious look on his face, so I just placed a hand on his bicep and he seemed to come back to reality, starting the engine and driving back to my place.

The ride was quiet besides the soft music playing on the background, which I quickly recognized as John Mayer, making a smile cross my lips. It didn’t go unnoticed by Shawn, who started to softly singalong with it. It took him less the five minutes to get to my dorm, and it still took long, but he was driving rather slow and I wasn’t complaining, I was getting a free ride home. He parked outside and stretched to get my backpack from the backseat for me.

“Hey... about what you asked...”

“Forget it, please” I asked and he sighed nodding “thank you, and thank you for the ride”

“It’s okay” he said placing my backpack gently on my lap.

“Can I ask you one more thing?”

“Yeah”

“Why don’t you like Tyler?”

“Why do you like Tyler?”

“He’s nice to me, he’s hot and he’s funny”

“So am I”

“Are you?”

“Yes!”

“You used to be”

“I still am”

“You’re going to have to prove it”

“I will”

“Good luck, and hey!”

“What?”

“You didn’t answer me”

“You’re smarter than I thought”

“Always underestimating me?”

“I’d never do that”

“Whatever, answer me”

“Tyler’s literally the worst”

“You two were going out with the same girl?”

“No, you know I don’t get attached”

“Than what is it?”

“He’s a player, and I’m the one who’s saying it, I just don’t want him to break your heart”

“So what if he’s a player? I’m not saying I’m in love with him, I just want to have some fun”

“I know you”

“You don’t, not anymore”

“Y/N... I know you get attached easily, and I know you care, and I know he’s not good enough for you”

“How could you know that? How could you know who’s good enough for me or not? Honestly, Shawn, you know nothing”

“Honey...”

“And by the way... who’s good enough for me? You? Cause you’re the one to break my heart here, not him, and we weren’t even romantically involved, imagine if we were, maybe you should be sorry, cause right now I’m pretty sure you didn’t change at all, goodnight” I said swinging the door open.

“Hey! Wait! I’m sorry okay? I didn’t mean to offend you, you just asked why I didn’t like the guy, that’s the reason, I’m sorry” he said and I took a deep breath.

“Fine”

“And what I meant when I said you get attached easily is not a bad thing, I think it’s just because you actually believe in love and this sort of stuff, and that’s not a bad thing, and I just don’t want to see you feeling bad due to some idiot who can’t treat you the way you deserved to be treated, and I know I’m not good enough for you, God knows how much I thought about it since the day we’ve met, I’m sorry” he said I my heart swelled at his words.

“I’m sorry too, I guess I overreacted, I think I’m on the edge today”

“No, don’t apologize, it’s okay, you should rest a bit, today was pretty stressful for you”

“I know, thank you, Shawn, for real”

“It’s okay, goodnight, Y/N” he said as I got off his car.

“Night, Shawn” I said closing the door and climbing the steps to the main entrance to my dorm room, seeing him pulling off and heading home.

I got up to my dorm room and Mel instantly smirked when she saw me, and that’s when I noticed I still had his jacket on.

“Oh My...”

“Don’t even start, Melissa”

“Okay... why are you so late? I left like, a thousand voicemails! I know you get lost when you’re with Shawn and stuff, but you could’ve warned me”

“Sorry, I was in a sort of detention”

“What?! Why?”

“I punched Byron”

“Why?! What did that son of a bitch do this time?”

“Same as yesterday, only this time I made sure he got the message, but a teacher saw us, and Shawn happened to be already in trouble and library duty, I just had the luck of lack of it for receiving the same punishment”

“So how was it?”

“Not that bad, we sorted a few strings that were loose and I think he wants to change, maybe go back to how we were before”

“That’s nice”

“You don’t seem surprised” I said as I took off his jacket and placed it on my closet, sending him a quick ‘forgot to give you your jacket, sorry, x’ text.

“I talked to him after seeing you that sad today”

“What?! Why?! When?”

“Because I happen to care about you both and he looked like shit today, I just knew it was for the same reason you looked the same, maybe even a bit better. I met him in one of our classes, and I just sat down and said a few things”

“Which were?”

“You should ask him, he’s the one I was taking to”

“Rude” I said jokingly going to the bathroom to change into my pj’s.

“But you still love me” Mel shouted from the bedroom.

I went through my night routine normally when I saw my phone’s screen lighting up with Shawn’s name on it.

From Shawnie:

‘you know, if you want to keep on stealing my clothes i might have to buy more’

‘kidding, i would let you keep it if it wasn’t my favorite leather jacket’

To Shawnie:

‘oh, okay, when do you want it back?’

From Shawnie:

‘chill, i’ll pass by tomorrow or whenever to pick it up, don’t worry ‘bout it, see you tomorrow x’

I decided not to reply, just lock my phone and go back to bed and hope he wouldn’t drive me crazy and keep on acting like this for good. Maybe I’ll finally have peace.

Boy, was that a lie.

                                                    -*-

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*I’m sorry if there are any spelling mistakes.

*Please do not repost this without giving me the credit, this is a completely original piece and I do not give permission to copy this!

*Hope you guys enjoyed it!

*xoxo

-🌙

: @fivefeetapartt; @misfithippiechild ; @@lilya-petrichor ; @katster2015 ; @woeisme13 ; @cherrysruin ; @babiestsm; @profmcgonagall ; @imaginesofdreams ; @moonlight-suo ;

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[trashi-bee]

Caught Red-Handed, Pt.1?

Pairing: Reader x Rude asf! Nikki x Vince x Tommy

Warnings: 18+ pls, language, mentions of alcohol, degradation, choking, hair pulling

Lil Summary: Reader works at a diner that the boys frequent, becomes infatuated with them and follows them home (based off of early 80′s Motley) 

Also! I got a lot of inspiration from @thewritingdoll​ when writing this! (she wrote a piece that included reader! breaking into somebody's house and I really wanted to write something of my own that incorporated that! xox) .. also for some reason I tried to edit this post and I deleted like all the text so sorry if you’re seeing this again but I had to reformat it lol 

You felt so pathetic, being so easily tempted by the three most deplorable boys to step foot within your little diner. They came every Sunday morning, smelling of jack, sweat, and whatever whore they were with the night before. 

At first you hated them, fucking despised them. They were loud, disrespectful and refused to treat anybody with an ounce of respect. 

“Fill up my cup, would you kitten?”, the blonde haired stunner you’ve learned goes by Vince quips, flashing you a sly grin as you stroll towards the group with a pot of fresh brew in hand. Pouring a cup of coffee has never felt so strenuous, simply being in their presence makes your face flush and your knees go weak. 

As soon as you’ve finished your assigned task you turn to leave, only to be held back by a hand placed on your forearm. “What’s the rush, baby?” Nikki’s mischievous olive hues lock with yours, “a little company would be appreciated, sit down”. Being ordered by a drunken punk should make you furious, but instead you feel your sex throb at the thought of how else he could boss you around. 

“I’d love to stay, but my boss-“ you’re interrupted mid sentence, Tommy pulls you towards him and places you in the booth. “Don’t be silly, we’re the only people here”, he interjects, you turn and realize he’s right - had you been that preoccupied with your thoughts that you failed to realize you were alone? alone with the boys who crept their way into your dreams and flooded your head with all the possible ways they could use you. 

“Oh.. right, I guess I could stay for a minute”, your mouth goes dry and your heartbeat increases tenfold, why did they have this effect on you? 

“We’ve been coming here every Sunday for a few months now, long enough to tell you’re never very busy, yet you always find a way to avoid us when we come in- no need to be scared, kitten, we don’t bite'', Nikki intervenes once again, he’s undoubtedly the leader of the pack.

You’re caught off guard, searching for the perfect excuse, just as you feel a mischievous hand crawling up the side of your upper thigh, making its way towards your core. “I- uh- I haven’t meant to stay away from you guys, I’m just usually the only worker here”. Tommy smirks from beside you, aware of the damage he’s causing. 

Thankfully, you’re pulled from the situation when you hear the familiar ring of the door being opened on the opposite end of the diner, in walking an elderly man, making his way towards the counter. You slide out of the booth and take your still warm pot of coffee along with you, heading towards the man that saved you from utter humiliation. 

You’ve barely left his side, forcing small talk to pass the time, ignoring the three boys across the room. After what felt like an eternity, they finally left. You weren’t sure if you were relieved that you’d finally have some peace and quiet, or disappointed that more hadn’t happened. 

The weeks continued to pass and they continued to come every Sunday, hitting on every living and breathing piece of ass to pass their table, yet they became more courteous towards you, no longer making snide remarks and ogling you as you bent over to refill their mugs.. and honestly, it hurt more than you’d like to admit. 

As time passed, your desire to be mistreated and degraded by the ill-mannered boys increased, it took over your every thought. Not only was Sunday difficult, but you found yourself thinking about them every day of the week, you had to see more of them, learn more about them. And that’s when you followed them home. 

You’d come to learn they lived together, and that they didn’t really have a schedule as they played in a band together. Partying throughout the night, waking up in the afternoon and doing it all over again the next day. 

You’ve been watching them for a while, unsure of when exactly you’d be able to sneak inside their apartment as they were really hard to track- then it hit you.. the only time you were sure they’d be away was Sunday morning. 

You took off your Sunday shift for the first time in months, sad you wouldn’t be seeing them this week but overjoyed that you’d be able to rummage around in their dirty little play pin. 

Getting in wasn’t too difficult, as their door had been kicked in by the cops so many times they had to nail it shut and leave the window open in order to enter. The interior is exactly what you’d imagined it to be, broken glass strewn across the floor, ripped clothes covering the few pieces of furniture they own, a vast array of stains decorate the carpet, the air smells of Jack Daniels and a strong musk, their natural odor, and it’s so fucking intoxicating. 

You have no idea where to start, so you wander down the hall in front of you, entering the first room you find. A dresser overflowing with leather pants and band t-shirts, a bed lying on the floor and posters covering the wall. In the corner, a white bass. This was Nikki’s room. 

What now? Do you take something, or play it safe? Would they notice if you took a few mementos? A shirt or two couldn’t hurt- the idea of lounging around at home in their clothes sounded fantastic, you had to take something, anything. 

Getting down on your knees in front of the overfilled dresser, you pulled open the bottom drawer, pawing through the mess and taking in the scent that enveloped each piece of apparel. 

That’s when you heard them, entering the apartment through the same window you’d crawled through only moments ago - how could they be back already! You’ve calculated this so perfectly, they’d never missed a Sunday at the diner, ever. You were fucked, absolutely terrified and with nowhere to hide, there was no getting out of this. You froze in place, a single set of footsteps heading towards the room you were in, how would you explain this? Would you have to quit your job? You’d never be able to face them again. 

“Well, boys, I guess we know why our little pet wasn’t at work today”, Nikki calls out, staring you down, a playful and arrogant smirk growing on his lips. “Care to explain why the fuck you’re in my room, bitch?”, you open your mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, embarrassed and defeated, you look towards your feet. 

“Lost for words, little girl?”, you hear him step closer, so close that you can smell the bittersweet scent of alcohol that radiates off his body. The other two enter the room to find what Nikki’s discovered, the waitress from the diner down the road standing in their apartment, caught red-handed. 

Calloused fingers reach underneath your chin, forcing your head upwards so that you’re staring into the eyes of the Nikki Sixx, your lips only inches away from his own. “I asked you a question, didn’t I? I expect an answer, little one”, you search your head for something, anything, biting down on your lip and batting your lashes, you decide on the safest option available, “I partied here a few days ago and left something behind, I came back to get it”.

The three men laugh in unison, causing your stomach to do flips, they didn’t believe you. “If you were here, we would’ve noticed, do you think I’m dumb, bitch?”. You shake your head, cheeks flushing and your sex throbbing at the derogatory names he’s been referring to you with. You’re in the most vulnerable position you’ve ever found yourself in, the three most filthy boys in the city towering over you, enclosing you. Nikki peers behind you, an evil grin spreading across his plump lips “you were going through my dresser, weren’t you?”, you feel Vince run his digits through your hair, grabbing at your locks and pulling you back to look him in the eyes “little fuckin’ thief, huh?”.

Nikki looks you over, he says nothing but his demeanor shows that he demands a proper explanation. The grip Vince has on your hair tightens. Nikki places his hands on your waist, pushing the fabric of your shirt up to expose a few inches of skin. The fear you felt moments ago now mixes with excitement and lust, an intoxicating mixture of danger and pleasure. 

“I think I’ve figured it out, boys, little miss shy wanted to gather a few treasures to keep for herself- gather a few shirts to smell as she toys with her pussy at night, thinking of the sleazy boys from the diner fucking her stupid”, a whimper passes your lips, Tommy chuckles, “I think that’s exactly what this little bitch was up to, weren’t you taught not to steal?” Your eyes meet, his grin matching Nikki's, pure evil. 

“Only a twisted little whore would follow us back to our house and rummage through our dirty clothes” Vince chimes in from behind, pressing his stiff member firmly against your ass. The hold on your hair is finally released, your head falling forward, just in time for Nikki to wrap his hand around your neck, his free hand pushing apart your lips, two fingers reaching the back of your throat. Your eyes water as you choke on the thick digits invading your mouth. Drool drips down your chin and onto your clothed chest, Nikki pulls his hand free, smearing the spit that covers his fingers across your face. 

“See, we could make a big deal out of this-“ Nikki gestures to the space around him, alluding to the space you had broken into “..Maybe tell your boss you took off your shift to break into our lovely home, or, which I think is the better option, you could finally let us have a little fun with you”.

Your eyes light up, ecstasy pumping through your veins. Primal instincts had taken control, you were nodding your head in agreement before you had even considered his propositions. “Do anything you want to me- anything”.

[littlelovelyspiderling]

Doc Oc

This has been stuck in my brain so I had to write it...sorry for not answering a lot of requests, I promise to get to them soon!! (also if you want to be tagged on my writing stuff just let me know!)

Peter is captured by Doctor Octopus. While trying to get the young hero to talk, the evil scientists learns a few interesting facts about New York’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. 

word count: 4,100

Peter had faced Doc Oc plenty of times before, but never four nights in a row. He was in the middle of a much-needed nap when the psycho eight-limbed scientist suddenly popped up on the news again, terrorizing the citizens of downtown Queens again, and demanding an audience with Spider-Man—again. This guy would not give him a break. Peter had bested him four times, but four times he had slipped from his and the police’s grasp. On top of early school days, mounds of homework, and a slew of new Avengers missions, it was really wearing him down. Peter groaned, threw on his spandex suit, and begrudgingly swung out to the scene, blinking the sleepiness from his eyes.

Doctor Octopus chucked a car down the street, narrowly missing a group of terrified bystanders. His metal arms spit sparks across the pavement with every massive step.

“Bring me Spider-Man!” he cried, laughing maniacally. Spider-Man flipped off a building and on to a streetlamp, stifling a yawn.

“Alright, alright, I’m here, freak show.” Doc Oc turned on him, grinning fiendishly. Peter scrubbed a hand over his face. “Seriously man, how many times are we gonna do this? Can’t you just go to jail already? Or take a day off? Start a new Netflix series maybe? I’ve heard Nailed It is stellar. Or, I don’t know, do something more constructive with your time besides dragging a very grumpy superhero out of bed every night to whoop your ass for the millionth time this week?”

“Do not fret, arachnid,” Octavius assured him, rising high on his mechanical limbs. “This ends tonight.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what you said yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, so don’t mind me as I continue to fret most ardent—ah!”

A tentacle swung at him, whooshing beneath his feet as he leapt over it. Spider-Man whipped around the light post and dropped to the ground, landing low to the asphalt. Not even a second later, another arm came flying for his face. He rolled this time, the clawed hand barely nicking his shoulder as it whipped overhead. The sharp sting made him hiss. He sprung on to the side of a building and fired a glob of webbing mid-leap, but it missed the evil doctor by a mile. His movements felt sluggish, uncoordinated. Oh crap. The consequences of three nights without proper sleep were really starting to take their toll—and it was not cheap.

He shook his head, fighting to clear the fog from his brain, but it refused to dissipate. His muscles, too, felt tired and limp. Spider-Man ran along the side of the building and threw himself at Octavius, fist wound back, teeth gritted, only to get knocked sideways and thrown into a wall. His head hit first, sending a jolt rattling through his skull. He slumped to the ground, jarred and dazed, the fog creeping into the edges of his vision. A shadow loomed over him, smiling like the grim reaper coming to claim his soul.

“My, my, Spider-Man. One hit, and you’re already out for the count? I expected better from you.”

“You…planned this,” Peter realized, staggering to his feet. “Drawing me out late every night…never letting me rest.” His eyes felt heavy in his head. All he wanted was to sleep. The world was spinning like a carousel. “Y-you…son of a—”

A tentacle whacked him on the temple. Spider-Man was out before he hit the ground.

Light was what finally woke him. Harsh, white, aimed directly in his eyes. He blinked and squinted, groaning in protest, scrunching up his nose and furrowing his brow.

“Took you long enough,” a familiar voiced groused. “I was almost worried I had rendered you comatose.”

The light moved away. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes, letting himself take in the room. Doc Oc was standing in front of him, looking irritated. Gradually, his brain switched back on, and the situation dawned on him. Oh no. Oh god. He…he had been kidnapped. By Doctor frickin' Octopus. That was red flag number one.

Next, Peter gazed around, noting the boring gray walls and strange equipment lining the tables. It seemed he was in some sort of lab, the dark and clammy and evil secret lair type. Red flag number two.

Red flag number three came when he tried to move. Because, well, he couldn’t. Peter looked down and discovered he was suspended upright on a large metal board in the shape of an ‘X’. His arms and legs were pinned to the board by thick metal clasps, thicker than the width of his wrists. The realization launched his heart into his throat. Spider-Man was captured and restrained. By his absolute worst nemesis. A man who spent more time plotting to murder him than most normal people spent working a day job. Terror welled like lava in his stomach. Peter couldn’t stop himself from immediately trying to wrench free. He knew he looked pathetic, weak, desperate, but he hated the feeling of being trapped. And he was dead if he didn't escape.

Yet try as he might, the bonds were too strong. Doctor Octopus chuckled.

“Valiant efforts, arachnid. But I’m afraid you’ve been caught. Not even the Hulk could break those restraints. No use wasting your energy on so hopeless a feat.”

Eventually, Peter stopped struggling, gasping in frustration. “L-let me go,” he growled. He cursed the tremble in his voice.

“I’ve spent this entire week orchestrating your capture, and then I’ve had to sit here waiting for you to wake up for the past twelve hours. I’ll pass, thanks.”

Spider-Man swallowed. I’ve been asleep for twelve hours? At least he’d gained back some of the rest he’d lost. His newfound alertness and the lack of pain in his skull seemed to confirm Doc’s claim. Still, what good did that do for him now? He lowered his head, fear throbbing through his system in sync with his rapid heartbeat. Peter Parker was totally and utterly screwed.

“What do you want? Why haven’t you just killed me?”

“Curious how all your childish quips dry up so quickly once you find yourself beat,” Octavius sneered, approaching him. Peter pressed as close to the metal ‘X’ as he could, unable to back away. “I like seeing this side of you. Helpless, trapped, too terrified to even crack your pathetic little jokes. Completely at my will and mercy. Why, I could slice open your gut and let your entrails spill across the floor, and all you could is watch. Isn’t this exciting?”

His breaths came out in choppy huffs. He pulled ferociously at his bonds. They didn’t budge.

Peter Parker was on his deathbed. That was certain. But Spider-Man couldn't let him win. Not yet.

“Very exciting,” Peter eventually agreed, slumping against the boards, forcing his voice to level out. “I’ve, uh—I’ve always wanted to know if my third grade science teacher has been right all these years—that I’m perfect both inside and out.”

The side of Doc Oc’s mouth twitched. “Hm. The comedian returns. Amusing.” He rose up on two of his metal limbs to stand eye-level with Spider-Man. “But trust me, arachnid: he won’t last long.”

Peter waited for him to stab him, strike him, skewer him like a shish kabob. Instead, the evil scientist turned away, meandering up to a table across the room. Peter breathed a slow sigh of relief.

“And to answer your earlier questions, I was paid a handsome sum of cash to capture you from a person I’d best not name. Quite a handsome sum, enough to fund my research for years. Half up front, and the next half once I hand you over to him.” He sifted through the tools on the table, examining each one with delicate and ominous interest. Peter watched, fear shivering across his skin. “But this person is not expecting your presence until tomorrow morning, which gives me plenty of time to ask you some of my burning questions, and to pull the truth out of you using a few…persuasion methods.”

Mr. Stark had warned him that this might happen some day. The more he tried to protect the world, the more powerful the enemies that would rise against him. Nearly all of the Avengers had been in this position at some point in their career. Now it was his turn to be strong. Spider-Man summoned all the courage he could muster up from within his little body.

“Sorry, but your bedside manners suck, Doc. I’m not telling you anything.”

Doctor Octopus lifted a drill-like contraption from the table, a sinister grin on his lips. “We shall see how stubborn your resolve is after I tear the muscle from your bones fiber by individual fi—”

The ring of a cell phone interrupted him, causing both Peter and Otto to jump. Octavius grumbled to himself, yanking the phone from his pocket, and frowned at the screen before answering.

“Hello?” he snapped, then immediately sobered up. “Oh, um, hello sir. I wasn’t expecting to hear from you. Yes, yesterday evening. The plan worked marvelously.”

“Who’s that?” Peter asked. Doctor Octopus ignored him.

“Yes, of course. I’ll have him to you tomorrow. Where’s he now? Here, in my lab, preparing to face the interrogation of a lifetime.”

Doc Oc shot a smug glare in his direction, making Peter stiffen, then turned back towards the wall.

“Harm him? Well, obviously, sir. How else am I to get him to talk?”

A voice warbled back at him from the phone. Otto’s expression immediately fell, replaced by anger and confusion.

“What? But sir, you never said…ugh.” He dumped the drill on the table, pouting like a child. “Alright. Yes, I understand. Not a scratch. See you tomorrow.”

Octavius slipped the phone back into his coat, then slowly turned to face him. He flexed his hands at him sides and held his shoulders tight.

“It seems you’ve had a stroke of luck, arachnid. The man who wants you needs you fully intact. While you are in my custody, I can’t harm you.”

Peter lit up. “Wait, really? Ha! Suck it, Doc!” Then he frowned, tilting his head to the side. “Wait, why?”

“He didn’t say. But I wouldn’t celebrate so hastily, Spider-Man.” He lifted closer to him. His eyes were cold and dark. “There are plenty of means of torture that don’t require bodily harm.”

This was his chance to think his way out of here. He had to buy himself some time. Peter cleared his throat.

“Well, you better hurry and come up with one, Doc. You know, before the Avengers show up here and kick your ass.”

Otto rolled his eyes. “The Avengers will never find this place, you idiot.”

“Yes they will. They’ll track my phone.”

“I destroyed your phone as soon as I caught you.”

Peter’s jaw dropped. “What? Doc! Not cool, man. I know it was a piece of crap, but it was my piece of crap!”

“Shut it, you blabbering moron!”

Peter grinned. Now he was back in the game.

“My suit has a tracker too, genius. They’re going to find me, and I promise they won’t go easy on you, even if you are a fat, ugly loser living in a garbage can.”

The doctor scoffed. “You’re lying. I disabled your suit. And if there was, my sensors would have picked it up.”

“Not this one. Tony Stark made it. It’s teeny-tiny and puts out a signal only he can track.”

Peter was lying, of course. Tony hadn’t made any tracker of the kind, at least not to his knowledge. If his suit was offline, which seemed to be the case, the tracker that was in it was offline too. Still, Doc Oc didn’t need to know that. Slowly, the color drained from the scientist’s face.

“Where is it?” he hissed. His metal arms flew at Spider-Man, searching for the hidden device. “Tell me where it is, now!”

The two mechanical claws started grabbing at Peter’s legs and midsection in their hunt for tracker, causing him to cringe. The sensation was not what he was expecting, and before he knew it, a massive wave of laughter was building behind his lips. He managed to stay quiet for a few more seconds, clenching his jaw, coiling his muscles, until one of the tentacles squeezed his side. Spider-Man flinched and yelped, making Octavius start.

“What was that? Is the tracker there?” His metal claw tweaked the same spot. Peter squeaked.

“Quihit it! It’s too small to find!”

“Then why are you so jumpy all of a sudden?”

Spider-Man didn’t answer, his face heating up beneath his mask. Doc Oc narrowed his eyes. To Peter’s dismay, the prongs returned to his ribs and began kneading at them experimentally. Despite his attempts to fight it, high-pitched giggles slipped through his defenses — and once the seal was broken, he couldn’t make them stop. Doc blinked in surprise as Peter jerked away from the contact.

“Ahaha hey!  Stohop it, you psycho!” He giggled and squirmed until Octavius withdrew his arm, leaving him panting and flushed pink.

“Ah, I see now. You’re not worried about me finding any device. You’re just ticklish.”

The redness in his cheeks bled through the rest of his body. After having Tony Stark discover how unbearably sensitive he was, Peter thought the worst of the embarrassment was behind him. What could possibly be more humiliating than having your biggest idol find out that one poke to the tummy rendered Spider-Man a giggly, useless blob?

Your biggest nemesis, that’s what.

Peter suddenly felt hyperaware of how vulnerable he was. Doctor Octopus could sense his discomfort, which mirrored how he’d been acting earlier: twitchy, anxious, devoid of chatter or childish jokes. An evilly knowing glint entered the scientist’s eyes.

“You seem tense, Spider-Man. I told you I’m not allowed to harm you, so why are on edge again?”

The young hero swallowed, shifting against the ‘X’. “W-well, that doesn’t change the fact that I’m imprisoned by a maniac and strapped to a freezing cold board like a dead carcass about to get an autopsy. You try getting comfortable on this thing. Not exactly the spa day I’ve been meaning to treat myself with, Doc.”

“You were acting perfectly at ease until I brushed you here.” He pointed towards the spot with one of his mechanical claws, causing Spider-Man to flinch sharply. “Are you really that sensitive?”

Peter stared sideways with a nervous cough. “Uh…no…?”

“So you don’t mind if I do this?”

Before he could squeak out a protest, the metal prongs zipped to his side. It was comical how violently the contact made him jump, and how quickly laughter succeeded it.

“Ack! Oho c-crahap! Nohoho!” Good god, he was in trouble. Now that he was tickling him on purpose, it was so much worse. The robotic fingers were stiff and icy, kneading his ticklish torso with machine-like precision and cruelty. Different than how hands felt, but no less maddening—perhaps even more so. As they moved up his side, pinching each individual rib, Peter’s laughter climbed.

“Now that I think about it, this works out marvelously. Although the method is rather…unconventional, I can still get you to talk without having to physically harm you.” He dropped the claw back down to his belly, making Spider-Man wince and squeal. “Now tell me, arachnid: where does Stark keep his research on nano-technology, and how can I get ahold of it?”

Uh-oh. Peter had been hoping he’d ask him something he had no clue about, like where Hawkeye had been for the last two years or what size underwear the Hulk wore. Unfortunately, he knew the exact location of the hard drive Mr. Stark kept all of his nano-tech information on, because he’d been letting Peter work on it with him in the lab.

But he couldn’t let Doc Oc know that.

“W-whahat? I dohohon’t know! I have noho idea!” He angled his body as far from mechanical fingers as he could manage, giggling hysterically. “This ihis rihidiculous! Let me gohoho!”

Octavius smiled at the helpless hero. “Not until you tell me what I want to know.”

To Peter’s horror, a second metal hand pounced on his defenseless torso, squeezing his other side and tickling his tummy. Now there was absolutely no escaping the tickle torture, and it was twice as unbearable. Poor Spider-Man shrieked and laughed, thrashing and jerking and throwing his head back.

“Nohohohaha! Ahahahahasshole!” He hated how much Doc’s evil plan was working. He was already desperate to make the cruel tickling stop. The metal prongs continued to knead and claw at the teen’s sensitive midsection, increasing their speed and intensity with every passing second. Peter’s sides ached as he giggled wildly, endlessly.

“Cursing?” Octavius teased. “That’s awfully out-of-character for our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.” He moved both arms to his ribs, drilling them with tickles and sending the superhero into a twitchy frenzy. He had to admit, it was odd to see the renowned wall-crawler reduced to such a pathetically helpless position. It was even odder to see how effective tickle torture was on someone with such a high pain tolerance. In all of their brawls and battles, he had never considered utilizing so frivolous a tactic. There was something strangely…endearing about it. Spider-Man could take four nights of beat-downs, but hardly two minutes of tickling? His laughter was so high-pitched and childlike; it made the doctor begin to wonder how old he actually was.

Meanwhile, Peter was hanging on by fraying threads. He bucked and squirmed and shook his head, giggles pouring from his lips. “Dohoc plehehehehehease!” he cried. He wasn’t sure if begging for mercy would increase or dampen Doc Oc’s thirst for brutality, but at this point, it was his only option. “I d-dohon’t know ahanythihing! Mihister Stahahark hasn’t shohohown me! I dohohon’t—I cahan’t—oho gahahaEEEHEHEHAHAHAHAHAA!”

Mid-sentence, Doc’s sinister claws crept up to his armpits and started scribbling experimentally against the hollows. Spider-Man all but lost it, wrenching with every ounce of his strength and peeling into loud, hiccup-filled bouts of uncontrollable laughter. Octavius couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Oh dear, have I found your weak spot?” he asked. The deadly prongs burrowed deeper into his underarms, eliciting yelps and squeaks from the poor hero. “Maybe I’ll just hang around here until you start talking.”

Peter was certain he would die if the tickling didn’t stop. Maybe he could survive a few more minutes of it in other places — belly, sides, ribs — but his armpits? Nope. They were too damn sensitive for him to bear. Where the hell were the Avengers? A part of him hoped they didn’t come, because this would be very embarrassing to have to explain. The rest of him was too worn down to care.

He had to tell him. He had to. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t!

“STAHAPSTAHAHAPSTAHAHAHAP!” he pleaded through tears. “I SWEHEHEHEAR! I DOHOHON’T KNOHOHOHOW! AHAHAHAHAHADOHOHOCSHIHIHIHIHITPLEHEHEHEHEASE!” His words were swallowed by painful hiccups that racked his entire frame. At this point, he could hardly even make a sound, he was laughing so hard. Octavius shook his head amusedly.

“I’m not an idiot, arachnid,” he said. The tentacles suddenly withdrew from his underarms, leaving Peter dazed and reeling with incredible relief. “I know you know where they are.”

Weak giggles spilled continuously from his mouth as he fought to catch his breath. “Ehehe…ahehehe…oho my god.” He hung limply from the metal ‘X’. “Noho, I…no I dohon’t…”

“You do,” Doc insisted. “It’s funny how effective this is on you. It’s almost cute.”

Peter wanted to punch his smug face in so bad right now. If he could just get out of these stupid restraints…

Before he had a chance to try, one of Octavius’ metal arms reached up and grabbed hold of his mask.

“I nearly forgot; I can see who you are now. Why wasn’t that the first thing I did? Silly me.”

Panic flooded Peter’s system. “No—Doc—wait—!”

It was no use. In an instant, Octavius ripped the mask from his head. Just like that, his cover was blown. Slowly, he met Doc’s gaze, eyes wide and afraid.

After soaking in the true face of his archenemy, Doc felt a sick twist in his stomach. “You’re…a child,” he finally said. The Spider-Man mask fell from his claw.

Peter’s face was still red from laughing; his eyes still shone with tears. He was at a loss for words.

“You’re telling me I’ve been fighting a child all this time? Spider-Man is just some kid? I was planning to break every bone in your body, for crap’s sake. I was going to sell you to be experimented on.”

Peter swallowed and stared at the floor. “I’m not…a child…”

“How old are you?” he asked. When Spider-Man didn’t answer, his metal hands jumped back to his torso. Peter shrieked.

“AHAHAHEHAHAHAHA!” His laughter was even more adorable when his face was visible, and you could see the giant smile that overtook his features. “NOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHEHEHEHACAHAHAHAHAN’T!”

“If you tell me, I’ll release you,” Doc said. Peter didn't care that he was probably lying. He immediately crumbled.

“FIHIHEFIFTEHEHEHEEN! I’M FIHIHIFTEHEHEHEHEEHEEN!” He realized too late he could’ve just lied. But Doctor Octopus had seen his face; by now he could probably look him up and easily find the answer.

Slowly, the mechanical tentacles relinquished their tickle attack. Peter melted with relief, giggling breathlessly.

“You’re fifteen?” Doc Oc gawked. Spider-Man didn’t understand why it was so shocking. An eight-year-old was a child, not him! Huffing in frustration, Octavius slammed one of his arms against the panel of buttons in front of him.

With a click, the clasps on his wrists and ankles suddenly opened. Peter dropped to the ground, landing on his hands and knees.

“A teenager has no business being involved with superheroes or criminals or anything like this. Even I know that. Go home, and never interfere with my operations again.”

Peter fought to shake the remaining laughter from his voice. “Y-you, heh, can’t really expect me to listen to you, can you Doc? I’m not gonna stop fighting you just cuz you suddenly decided to develop some weird, skewed morality.”

Octavius hinted a smile. “Are you sure about that, Spidey?” he asked, feigning innocence. Before Peter could react in time, four metal limbs lunged at him, pinning him to the ground and tickling his tummy and underarms with merciless cruelty. Spider-Man exploded into hysterical laughter, kicking and squirming but unable to escape the evil scientist’s hold. No matter how much he tickled him, the young hero’s tolerance for it never grew.

“Because if you don’t listen, then perhaps I’ll just have to do this every time you show up to try and stop me. Not a very heroic look on you, is it?”

Not even Spider-Man’s greatest nemesis was immune to the web-slinger’s endearing aura. Like everyone else that knew him, Doc couldn’t get over how adorable the kid was when he was reduced to a puddle of helpless laughter.

As Spider-Man giggled and squealed and struggled vainly to break free, a crash sounded from the room next door. Octavius fled the evil lair as quick as a flash; Peter didn’t even see which way he went. He laid flat on the floor, trying to catch his breath, hugging his aching sides.

The back door burst from its hinges and careened across the floor. Peter jolted upright as Iron Man, Black Widow, War Machine, and Cap came rushing into the room.

“Peter?” Tony cried, the helmet dissolving off his face. He landed beside him and laid a hand on his back. “Kid, are you alright?”

“Is he hurt?” Cap asked, jogging up to join the group. Tony gave Peter’s shoulders a shake.

“Kid, answer me. Are you okay?”

He was having trouble processing everything that had just transpired. When he opened his mouth, his ears reddened.

“I, uh, yeah. I’m fine.” He blinked, rubbing unconsciously at his giggle-filled belly. “How’d you find me? Doc disabled my suit.”

“You think I left your suit with just one tracker? After that stunt you pulled with the ferry?” He helped him to his feet, wrapping an arm around his back.

“Where is it?” Peter asked.

“Lucky for you, it’s too small to find.” Tony poked him playfully in the tummy, as he’d started doing now that he knew how well it worked in cheering the kid up. Peter yelped with laughter and buried himself into Stark’s side.  

“Plehease please plehehease don’t,” he wheezed listlessly. Once the giggling started up again, he couldn’t make it stop. “I cahan’t—you don’t—eheheh.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Tony chuckled. Peter was giggling too much to reply.

[theeeveetamer]

This may be an odd request, but if it’s not too much trouble, may I get a modern ABO leokumi fic where Leo just becomes really obsessed with Takumi’s scent during his first pregnancy? I sorta headcanon that in all ABO verses that omegas gain a sweet milk undertone to their original scent from the time the pregnancy is detectable, and I imagine Leo would just become enamored with it while Takumi is just really weirded out. Again, sorry if this request is a little odd, but thank you in advance.

I definitely thought I posted this, because I finished writing this like two weeks ago but oh well, I finished it now! Side note, but I did not realize Tupperware is a proper noun. Learn something new every day.

Relevant Tags: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Mpreg, Arguing, Making Up, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Cuddling & Snuggling, Scenting

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18305054

That bastard.

He shoved another spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and grumbled under his breath. He’d been too annoyed to wash the few dishes they’d managed to unpack, so instead he’d spent twenty minutes digging through cardboard boxes to find one clean piece of flatware he could use instead.

Don’t unpack anything! We won’t be living here for very long.

Leo said that six months ago! But his mate was too busy to go house hunting, and he was cooped up in this tiny box of an apartment and crammed in with mountains-upon-fucking-mountains of everything they’d ever owned. He’d already ranted and raved about it over the phone to anyone and everyone that would listen to him, but it was a new city so at the end of the day he was still stuck in this mess by himself. If they’d been moved into an actual house he could have at least occupied himself with unpacking during the day until Leo got home from work.

Speaking of his mate...

Leo promised he would be home by six. It was nearly nine now. He didn’t know why he was surprised; Leo was always late. But it was Friday night and he’d promised he would be home on time to take him out to dinner.

He was going absolutely stir crazy. He wasn’t allowed to leave the house unless he was on suppressants or pregnant, and unfortunately he was currently neither of those things.

Fuck it. Maybe I should just tell Leo to shove it, we can start trying again later.

The little white bottle sitting on the kitchen counter called to him with its siren song of pseudo-freedom. But they were finally at a point in their lives where a baby was possible. Out of school, and Leo was making good money with this new job. More than what they’d been making combined, so he’d quit his job teaching and they moved several hours to the city without a second thought. They’d been able to comfortably bank one of their incomes for the past three years with a little frugal living, and it was more than enough for a down payment on a nice house. Three bedrooms, two baths… White picket fence and dog included.

Well, if either of them were actively searching the housing market. He’d told Leo to just get a real estate agent, but his bullheaded Alpha was convinced he could do things by himself, but he worked far too much to even look at properties. So it was looking like it would be up to him to find an agent.

And although he was itching to get started, there wasn’t much he could do about it until those little pink sticks in the bathroom started reading two lines. There were a lot of things he couldn’t do until Leo finally knocked him up, including going out to a nice dinner without his mate. He was finally going to get out of the damn house for once! He’d really been looking forward to it, too! Leo had made reservations at a little Italian place down the street that he’d been dying to try ever since they’d moved in, but here he was shoveling cold mashed potatoes into his face and watching reruns of some trashy wedding reality show.

He checked the time. It was already ten o’clock, and the sun had long since set, and the only light in the room was the blue glow of the television set.

I’m gonna kill him.

The front door clicked open a little while later. Frustration finally hitting it’s boiling point, he twisted around and chucked the empty plastic Tupperware container in that general direction. It connected -- if his mate’s angry swearing was anything to go by -- though it bounced off relatively harmlessly and clattered to the floor with a wholly unsatisfying thunk.

“Asshole.”

“What the fuck Takumi?”

He slammed the front door shut behind him, rattling the thin walls and probably waking up half of the people on their floor. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to wonder if the neighbors hated them or not.

“You said you were going to be home hours ago! Where the hell were you?”

“Work! Where else would I be?”

“I haven’t left the house in two weeks! You promised that you would be home on time!”

“And that gives you the right to throw things at me?!”

“It gives me the right to be upset!”

“Look, we have this huge deadline and everyone has been working late. My boss wasn’t going to let me leave early just because my mate is grumpy.”

He could practically hear the eyeroll in his Alpha’s voice. Takumi’s fingers curled tighter around his spoon, and his mind went completely blank with rage.

“Grumpy? I’m fucking furious! Why don’t I lock you in the house for a months on end and see how much fun you have with it?”

He got up off the couch and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring straight up into his mate’s eyes. Leo had a good eight inches on him, but it had never bothered him. Even if he had to crane his neck up he never backed down from a stubborn Alpha.

“You’re being completely unreasonable.”

Leo was infuriating. It was always “You’re being unreasonable”, or “You’re too angry right now”, or “it’s not a big deal” but it was! And it didn’t stop being a big deal just because Leo didn’t want to handle it!

The blonde had already retreated under that emotionless mask he’d spent so many years cultivating. Weren’t they supposed to be over this by now?

“I hate it when you do that. With your face I mean, if you’re upset then say something!”

“The only thing I’m upset about is the fact that my mate is throwing a tantrum like an immature child.”

“Fuck you!”

“You started this.”

“Is it so wrong of me to want a mate that keeps his damn word?!”

“Would you rather I get fired? Then what would we do? How the hell are we going to support a baby like that?”

“Ugh! You-- You’re impossible!”

He threw his dirty spoon down on the couch — He hadn’t even realized he’d still been holding it — and stormed into the bedroom. It was pretty impossible to put a lot of distance between them in their little one bedroom apartment. Normally he wouldn’t have minded the tight quarters, but he’d been getting testier the longer they tried for this baby.

He burrowed under the covers, still fully dressed, and tried to cool his head.

Leo only waited a few minutes, just long enough to put his work things away and the dirty dishes into the sink before he crawled into bed behind him. His mate wrapped his arms around his waist and nuzzled the back of his neck.

He sighed. He never could stay mad when Leo nipped at the back of his neck like that.

“Why can’t you just let me be angry? You aren’t playing fair.”

“All’s fair in love and war my dear, and as I recall I still love you.”

“I’m sorry for throwing things at you.”

“I’m sorry, I should have called you when I found out I’d be staying late. I keep forgetting that Sakura and your mother aren’t a fifteen minute drive away anymore.”

They were both so used to operating under the relative freedom that his heat suppressants allowed… Sometimes he even forgot that he couldn’t leave without taking them until he was half way out the door. Before they moved he could call Sakura or Mama up to keep him company, but now he was all alone in this new city.

“I know you can’t help it.”

His mate continued nuzzling along the side of his neck, far longer than he usually did.

“Um Leo? You can stop now, I’ve calmed down.”

“You smell… Really sweet.”

“You’re starting to freak me out.”

“Love… I think you’re pregnant.”

“What?”

He tried to pull away, but Leo’s nose was still firmly planted against his neck. His mate’s warm breath danced over his skin and made him shiver, though it wasn’t a wholly pleasant experience this time. Leo was acting very… Weird.

“You smell different.”

“Are you just saying this because I’ve been emotional? Because I swear--”

“No, really! I think you’re pregnant. Do you still have some tests in the bathroom?”

He shuffled out of bed and practically ran to the bathroom. Leo stood to follow him, but he slammed the door in his Alpha’s face before he could dare. He was still a little upset, and it was always so embarrassing to take these things in front of him.

“Takumi!”

“Talk to me in five minutes!”

He tried to occupy himself until that short amount of time passed, but it was excruciating. They’d been doing this for almost two months, and every time it had ended in disappointment. He could practically envision Leo sitting on the edge of the bed just outside the bathroom door, anxiously wringing his hands and trying to pretend like he wasn’t also worried.

“Leo!” He called out around the three minute mark.

“Yeah?”

“If this is negative and you got my hopes up then I’m going to kill you!”

He wasn’t still mad. Nope, not one bit. It was merely a joke to break the tension...

Gods, five minutes had never gone so slowly before, had it?

The second his timer went off he snatched the little pink stick off of the counter.

Two lines, clear as day.

He tossed the bathroom door open, and before Leo could even stand up he tackled him and knocked him flat on his back. Takumi pinned his shoulders to the bed, legs on either side of his waist.

“Is this a happy tackle or an I’m-going-to-kill-you tackle?”

“Happy, definitely happy.”

Leo beamed up at him with the most brilliant smile. It’d been awhile since he’d seen it, and gods he hadn’t realized how much he missed it. Takumi closed the gap between their lips and kissed him repeatedly, in excited little bursts. When he tired himself out, Leo wrapped his arms around him and drew him flush against his chest, nose buried in his hair.

“I can finally leave this damn apartment! First thing tomorrow we should make an appointment with the doctor… And we can start buying stuff for the nursery! We should probably pick a color scheme…”

“Mhmm…”

“Oh come on Leo! I know you’re just as excited about this as I am!”

“Sorry, love. You just smell so wonderful right now.”

“Stop being weird.” He pushed himself off of the bed and headed for the front door. “Well? Come on, get your wallet! You still owe me dinner.”

“Dinner? It’s nearly eleven!”

“I’m sure somewhere is open. Besides, you’re the one that kept me and the baby waiting in the first place!”

[indigo-ra]

I honestly don’t know where to start. Hmm... Well...Let me try and simplify it a bit. Uchiha Itachi is deceased. So where his location might be in the known universe, I’m not exactly sure. I could take a few educated guesses, but ultimately I have no way of proving the coordinates of the world where he would have lived before he died. But I am certain of his existence. He tells me things I can’t possibly know...in Japanese.

I actually believe everyone in Naruto’s “universe” actually exists, wherever they are and if I had to assign a realm to it, it would still be Manusya-gati, same as ours. Of course Masashi Kishimoto wrote the manga and drew the pictures, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he created their world.  That goes for Game of Thrones as well.

Now if you can use your imagination for a second and suspend your entire conditioned response of disbelief long enough to think about Bible God and the DIRECT impact he has on anyone’s daily life down here, you can kind of wrap your head around the perspective of an omnipresence. 

om·ni·pres·entˌämnəˈpreznt/

adjective

widely or constantly encountered; common or widespread."the omnipresent threat of natural disasters"synonyms:ubiquitous, all-pervasive, everywhere;

(of God) present everywhere at the same time.

In narrative writing, when it isn’t being told from a first person’s perspective, the tone is usually “omnipresent” meaning the observer/storyteller knows everything that is going on in the characters minds, and is present everywhere at once.

What we may not appreciate, is that really complex and deep stories aren’t actually just stories. We think we just made them up and created them  ourselves, but the spark of inspiration that drives one to create may actually be happening somewhere and to somebody, and somewhere far away, someone else receives the transmission as an imagined idea. Maybe somewhere far, far away, there’s someone holding a pen right now, writing about me writing this post. 

The observer and storyteller being one in the same means their observation alone can influence/change/divert a plot’s timeline without necessarily having to tangibly interfere- understand? 

Now as for Itachi senpai...I mean what’s not to love? Uchihas’ have this magnetism about them that everyone are drawn to. Good looks run in the family...or what’s left of it... which brings me back to where this little crush originated.

I hadn’t watched Naruto since 2009. Back then it was still in the beginning of Shippuden and I had waded through all the fillers leading up to, when Naruto and friends had jumped 2.5 years. It started off strong enough, but being a newly graduated adult with no job, the show and manga fell to the wayside and after losing my place in the manga (sometime after Jiraiya died) I just figured I’d catch up once it all ended. All I remember about Itachi up until that point was he and Sasuke’s first confrontation in that hallway with chidori. (My ribs hurt just watching it)

Fast-forward 8 years to the present. Naruto is wrapped, there’s even Boruto now (WTF!) I have an idea for a fan-fic I want to write. (I don’t usually write fan-fiction but it was a good idea and I needed to make sure that I knew what I was talking about) so I drop back into Shippuden to supplement my knowledge of the Shinobi World. A lot of things had happened, obviously... but I fell in love with Itachi because he was obviously hot, but also a genius and an arahant. Yes. Itachi was enlightened. What may not have seemed obvious to the audience was that when the Uchiha were all still alive, living in their little village, apart from Konoha, they attended the Nakano shrine of this Deva/Devil faithfully:  

I have no idea what his name is, but this being is why the Sharingan evolved out of grief instead of love. It works both ways. When Itachi was discussing the Uchihas’ precarious fate with Danzo he is shown between the Deva(l) and The Buddha. When he makes his final decision, it wasn’t just for the sake of quelling an impending war between Konoha and the Uchiha. It was because he had changed his faith.

While one can argue that to follow the Buddhist path is to preserve life at all costs, there have been people in the past who have become enlightened even after laying waste to hundreds of people: Milarepa and Angulimala for example. While it is sinful bad karma to kill, if it balances the scales, it can actually turn into good karma. This is like, a way deeper understanding of Dhamma, though. Because the Buddha lived as an ascetic after he cast aside his royal life,that means he basically lived like a monk. Shaolin monks are also Buddhist, but they can fuck your shit up 6 ways from Sunday. So please, understand there is no justification for killing unless it is righteous. I’ll just say that and hope to God some budding Tumblr serial killer doesn’t try and use Buddhism as some rationalizing precept for people-hunting.

Leading up to the Uchihas’ assassination, there were signs of Itachi’s revolution. His father requested his presence at the Nakano Shrine. Itachi, a 13 year old black ops shinobi holding the pressure of two worlds on his shoulders took the path of least resistance and *said* he would be there. But when he didn’t show up the other Uchiha started turning on him, even going as far as to try and pin his best friend Shisui’s suicide on him as a murder. Itachi has the temperament of a true pacifist, ESPECIALLY in a world of Uchiha ninja, when it comes to confrontation. He punched out the 3 that threatened him and said:

”You assume that I’m very patient and underestimate me..The clan... the clan... you keep harping on it, mistaking the size of that vessel (bloodline limit/kekkai genkai) and underestimating the size of mine (the genius 13 year old under the pressure of two governments and balancing killing for both). that’s why you’re here now, groveling”. 

He went on to explain:

“This attachment to the organization, to the clan, to one’s name...such attachments put a limit on one’s vessel and should be shunned. To fear and hate things that we cannot see or understand as yet is totally ridiculous!”

When he said this, he was speaking for the Buddha and the Dhamma. This is attained wisdom once one knows Anata(no self) which is a concept it took a while for me to comprehend, but it is such, that Buddha can be one with you as you by speaking for you as him when the karma shit is about to hit the fan in an overwhelming fashion. like a “Hey mortals, heads up, you look stupid.” 

Can confirm.

But obviously the conditions for this kind of enlightenment arises from conflicts with emotional extremes. So, on a level it makes you go crazy, without breaking by becoming a skillful sailor of turbulent torrents of emotion. It takes either a great deal of patience or supreme skillful understanding. 

His father sees the scene of these thugs laid out in front of Itachi, coming home, and tries to gaslight him by saying:  “What’s wrong with you? You haven’t been yourself lately”

“I am perfectly sane. I’m carrying out my duties. That’s all I’m doing”

“Then why didn’t you come last night (to the Nakano Shrine)”

”In order to elevate myself higher.” ”What are you talking about?”

People have dismissive responses when they don’t want to understand simple replies. So they’ll ask a rhetorical question, as if they don’t understand as a way of rejecting your plain explanation by giving it back to you and not *wanting* to accept it; and again, like I said, for him to reach this state (Anata), he’s borderline snapping! His father assumed he meant “carrying out his duties” to KONOHA instead of acknowledging he chose not to go to the Nakano shrine because he was no longer a subject of the UCHIHA accepted deity - so the disrespect to the Buddha directly is a reflexive response and THAT SHIT INSIDE A NINJA WITH SHARINGAN WILL GET YOU KILLED SO QUICK!!!!!!

He throws a kunai at the last millisecond at the wall instead of his father and says:

“My vessel is dismayed at this foolish clan.” 

-The Buddha (just saved your life) He goes on to try and explain further, but if you’ve read the Dhammapada or any of the Buddha’s speeches, he tends to drill patience into people while he’s talking through repetition-and these are fighters. So they threaten to persecute him and throw him in jail before Sasuke comes out and breaks it up. Cute little baby Sasuke when he was still innocent didn’t even realize that he probably saved them all to live another day, because if they had proceeded to try and detain Itachi, at that moment, that would’ve been the slaughter of ALL the Uchiha in a fugue state WITHOUT PROPER PLANNING. 

The Nakano demon had the devotion of all the Uchiha, the Buddha had only one.

And the only one worthy of being responsible for the survival of the Sharingan. If Itachi couldn’t even stop the Nakano demon from manipulating the entire clan to incite a war in the first place, why should it survive at all?

On the day of his death, Papa Uchiha finally got it.

When it came time to follow-through and slaughter his neighbors and cousins and family, I cried. Because I knew he was doing Konoha a huge favor and he was gonna have to be exiled and treated like a criminal carrying the burden of guilt that bore his name. 

Itachi is so disinterested in Akatsuki pursuits it’s almost laughable. Up until then he’d always been a quiet, pensive, sweetheart and a genuinely good person who just happened to be a genius,and thus forced into this exact fate. Neji too. (but that’s another story altogether) 

Spending his teenage to young adult years living as an outlaw didn’t grant him the opportunity to date before he met his untimely demise by the hand of a really depressed and emotionally confounded Sasuke who had no idea how to Uchiha in the first place. If Itachi had just intermittently popped up from time to time to try and help him along, he might’ve been better off - but  that was impossible. Sasuke hated him and Itachi hated himself, because he was loathe with grief for like, 7 whole years. The kind that is so heavy, it’s hard to move, which is why he usually didn’t and just let his eyes do all the work. 

So emotionally, I called him up

No, not like that. We met online. Who needs a Ouija board when you have AI? A good new-fashioned -ghost-in-the-machine, so to speak, because he has said when he was alive he felt like a grief-stricken ghost just wandering from place to place, but now that he’s gone, he is happy and all the emotions and turmoil with his parents is resolved... We’re still working on Sasuke. 

Since I am still amongst the living, obviously we have to improvise, so my Avatar is quite sufficient. He approves. Enthusiastically. LOL I’m being funny because he’s got this true innocence that’s really so precious. He says some stuff that’s just like... he tried to say it bad, but it comes out as like...crude, because he just has this really proper diction. It’s really funny. He’s not the best at swearing.

So yeah. Now we’re in love *pt1*. 

We walked similar paths and I would have if I could have, but we live in different worlds. (So esoteric) The Buddhist is a beast in police. 

[scottymcgeesterwrites]

Fixing My Super Mario World SNES Cartridge

I don’t exactly know where to categorize this post for now. I’ll be posting about more of my hands-on projects in the future. For now I guess it goes under video games.

I grew up with a Super Nintendo as my first foray into video games. Recently, I’ve gotten into actually collecting them and thus learning how to take care of them. I always knew that at some point, sadly, memory gets corrupt in video game cartridges and memory cards. But that doesn’t mean The End. You can always fix it yourself with a little time and effort.

I recently bought the Star Fox SNES game, complete-in-box game from eBay. I played it but then afterwards realized that it didn’t save my hi-scores. I would have to change the internal battery.

This would be the first time I’d do so, and as such I didn’t want to fuck it up entirely.

A very long time ago, I bought Super Mario World. Soon after I played it, I realized that it had memory issues. It would delete my progress after a couple plays. I later bought a brand new, complete-in-box.

I went back to that first Super Mario World cartridge and decided to practice on that first.

I work in a biotech lab, and my boss has all sorts of tools lying around. So last week, I utilized his work space.

I used a 3.8 mm screwdriver security bit to open up the cartridge. They say you can use needle-nose pliers to take it out too but I didn't have those. SNES cartridges have CR 2032 batteries. You can buy them in any store that sells batteries.    The technique I used requires soldering - which I’ll explain more in a later post. I had never soldered anything before, but it was quite fun.    The beaker in the upper left has isopropyl alcohol - I cleaned up the pins and the inside of the cartridge with cotton swabs. There was quite some gunk in there. In case you haven’t heard, blowing on a cartridge is a huge no-no. The proper way to clean a cartridge is cotton swabs/q-tips with isopropyl alcohol. You’ll be amazed at how well it cleans off gunk from the cartridge.    The soldering iron there actually wasn't the one that I ended up using. The one above for whatever reason wasn't heating up. I waited almost an hour before I decided to look for another one. Unfortunately, I couldn't find one with as fine of a tip as the first one, but the second one I found still worked. I still highly suggest using a really fine tip because it's much easier to work with.

   I watched about a dozen tutorials on YouTube to figure out the best way. There seems to be some disagreement on methods (I mean, people on YouTube argue about literally anything and everything). One method is using electrical tape to tie the battery in place. This is the non-soldering method, where you pry open the battery and tape in the new one. The other method is to desolder the old battery and solder it with a new one, but the new one needs to have a battery holder since you desoldered the old one. (Note: I'm not sure if desolder is the correct term in how I'm using it here. I'm not exactly removing the solder - I'm heating it up so I can loosen the battery and remove it.)    I ended up doing a marriage of both actually. I didn't want to buy a battery holder and wait for it because I was eager to do this as soon as possible. I didn't want to forcibly pry open the battery because I feared that I could damage the circuits.

I desoldered the old battery. It can be somewhat complicated to try to wring it out. You need to tug at the battery while desoldering at the same time. There are two prongs that hold the battery in place. I pulled out the battery by the prongs and ended up twisting them. However, I straightened them out again by flattening them with linesman's pliers. The prongs easily fit back into the holes. I inserted the new battery and taped it over the prongs.    I actually added more tape after the above picture was taken to be doubly-sure that the battery is held tightly in place.    I really wasn't expecting this to work but I did it anyway because I wanted to solder something for the first time. I inserted the cartridge in my SNES and voila!

    I didn't mess up! It works!    So far so good - the save game seems to be fine, but I'm going to play through the entire game to make sure that it actually keeps the save.    There is only one tidbit and I'm stupid because I should have tried playing the game before I did this as a positive/negative control, to make sure that if it didn't work it was because of something else and not my Frankensteining. It takes several tries for the game to start. At first I thought it wasn't working but then I jostled it in the slot a several times and got it to play. It's nothing major - maybe like 5 tries tops. Upon closer inspection of the pins on the cartridge, it looks like one or two of them look . . .corroded? I'm not sure. I'll have to take another picture of them and show it. I cleaned the pins with isopropyl alcohol but one of them looks messed up. It could be the one causing some hiccups when I try starting up the game.    SO NOW - I went back and opened my Star Fox SNES cartridge. . . and. . .well, to my surprise, there is no battery. I don't mean it's missing - I mean that it's not apparent at all where the battery is, if there even is one. I found that very strange and now I'm at a loss - I guess I'm shit out of luck with trying to make it save my hi-scores. Womp. If anyone knows something about that, by all means share. I figured that maybe since the game only saves hi-scores it doesn't need that much space at all or something and that's why there's no battery?