#she (and everyone in earshot including me) started giggling immediately after she yelled that

[ihavetoomuchhomeworkforthis]

So we have Brittney Spears's "[Hit Me] Baby One More Time" in our show music this year, and during the pre-competition rehearsal today:

Someone: "Wait, where are we?"

Saxophone, angrily: "MY LONELINESS IS KILLING ME"

[sadclearance]

the hand

pairing: setsuna tokage x female! 1-a student! reader

summary: y/n comes to class with a hand. with no body.

category: fluff, crack(?) idrk, incredibly unfunny

warning(s): none

word count: 1367

"y/n... what is that... object you have brought to class?" tenya iida asks nervously.

"what're you talking about?" y/n answers with a question of her own.

"oh my god! what the--!" toru hagakure shrieks, and now everyone's attention is gathered.

"is that real?" denki kaminari grimaces at the sight.

"what're you all looking at?" y/n frowns. "why're you looking at me like that?"

"did you kill someone?" mina ashido whispers totally inconspicuously.

"what? no!" y/n shakes her head. "are you crazy? i could never do that."

"then... why do you have a severed human hand?" mashirao ojiro's face bunches up at his own words.

"and why did you bring it to class?" kyoka jiro shakes her head, unimpressed with her class this early into the day.

"it looks like a girl's hand..." minoru mineta says, his mouth watering at the pretty slender fingers.

y/n narrows her eyes at the short boy and points the severed end of the hand toward him.

"ah! stop! that's scary!" mineta shrieks, no longer drooling.

"remember that the next time you wanna make eyes at my girlfriend, perv!" y/n laughs, satisfied with the punishment.

"girlfriend?!"

the rest of the day went by normally, or as normally as it could when a classmate was holding a severed hand and calling it her girlfriend.

"so, uh..." eijiro kirishima starts his sentence, unsure of whether or not he should continue it.

"how long have you... girls been dating?" kaminari asks for him. they had been talking--not gossiping, because gossiping isn't manly--about it all of class.

"few months now," y/n smiles, happy to answer any and all questions about her love.

"how long have you guys known each other?" hagakure joins in the conversation, her interest in love overpowering her fear of the hand.

"since the beginning of the year," y/n smiles and looks at the hand lovingly.

"i can't tell if i'm supposed to be touched, jealous, or creeped out," ashido sighs out a laugh.

"i hate when class cuts into lunch," kaminari frowns as he stretches his arms behind his back.

"when we're professional heroes, this will be a common occurrence," iida gesticulates.

"that's true, but kaminari's complaints are valid," y/n sighs as she rubs circles into the hand's knuckles. "at least i have her with me."

when she brings it up to her lips to press a gentle kiss, her classmates squeal, some out of joy, some out of horror.

"is that... sanitary?" momo yaoyorozu asks.

"the dead carry many diseases," fumikage tokoyami nods in agreement.

"the dead? c'mon, guys. i wouldn't be dating a corpse," y/n laughs as though their concerns were ridiculous. "my girlfriend is very much alive."

when foundational hero studies rolled around, the students of 1-a had the chance to find out more about the hand.

"young y/n..." all might says with a disturbed but worried look on his face, "you're going to have to leave your..."

"girlfriend," y/n finishes the sentence for him.

"yes! your girlfriend out here when it's your turn to participate. it'll be safer for her."

"okay," y/n says with a sullen expression. "i trust you guys to look after her."

"we'll guard her with our lives," all might promises confidently. "don't you worry."

"see you when i'm done," y/n presses another soft kiss to the hand before leaving it on a counter.

"is that..." all might starts to say when y/n's in the arena, out of earshot.

"that's what we said earlier..." kaminari laughs awkwardly.

with all might's attention on the course, evaluating y/n's score, the class is free to stare at the hand.

"do you... do you think we should touch it?" ochako uraraka asks. while she wasn't normally the type to meddle in other people's business, this situation was just straight up abnormal.

"i'm kinda curious..." tsuyu asui agrees.

"but that's y/n's girlfriend," hagakure says warily.

"she won't ever know," hanta sero shrugs.

"would it be like... violating it if we touched it?" kaminari asks.

"i don't... think so?" ashido's response comes out more like a question than an answer.

"it's a normal hand, right?" izuku midoriya asks, delving into overanalyzing the object.

"maybe," asui looks over it. "it looks like it."

"if it's a normal hand, then without the rest of its body, it has no brain, which means that it has no sense of identity or consciousness in general, but also, should this hand be considered a person if that's true? it was probably part of a person at one point, but now that it's on its own, is it more of an object? let's say it doesn't have a brain, but it's still biologically alive--how would a hand be alive on its own? where is the owner of--"

"i'm gonna blast your fucking mouth shut if you don't shut the fuck up," katsuki bakugo glares, but his voice doesn't hold its normal volume, as he too is even the slightest bit curious about the hand.

"midoriya," ashido puts a hand on said boy's shoulder. "there's too many questions to try to figure out a moral answer to this. you're gonna fry your brain if you keep going. stop while you're ahead."

"it is alive," tokoyami says calmly, bringing the attention back to the hand, where he had just poked the top of.

"you're just... touching it?" kaminari makes a face.

"weren't you the one that said dead things have diseases?" sero looks concerned.

"yes, but it's alive. it's warm."

midoriya hesitates. does he want to touch a random hand that he has no idea where it came from, who it belongs--or belonged--to, or--

bakugo pushes him aside and grabs the index finger.

almost immediately, the other fingers grab a hold of his hand and digs their nails into it.

"what the fuck?" bakugo growls and pulls his hand back.

"it... it moves?" mineta shivers.

"were you guys bugging my girlfriend?" y/n shakes her head when she returns.

"nope!" they stand tall, jumping away from the hand.

"i'm sorry, baby," y/n says lovingly as she strokes the hand. she glares at the others as she says, "my classmates really have no manners."

they left it alone for the rest of the day.

"was today weird to anyone else?" jiro asks as she grabs her backpack from her desk, getting ready to leave.

"even for u.a. today was a bit..." uraraka agrees.

"see you guys tomorrow!" y/n waves the hand goodbye as she leaves first.

"did she just--"

"yeah."

"wait! guys! look!" hagakure whisper yells at the window.

they watch as y/n runs to someone in the hallway, the hand in her hand, severed end pointed at the other.

she grabs the back of the head of green locks as she pushes their faces together, lips locking.

the hand goes to a wrist, coming together as though they were magnets.

"how was your day?" setsuna smiles when they pull apart. her hand is still held by y/n, except it's now connected to her body.

"you should've seen their reactions," y/n giggles.

"oh, i heard them. i think the whole school did."

"how was yours?"

"nowhere near as dramatic as yours. two hands that weren't yours touched me, though," setsuna pouts.

"i know, i'm sorry. they're nosy," y/n pouts back.

"but for the most part, i liked it. i like holding hands with you all the time."

the students of 1-a were relieved to see that y/n was neither a psychopathic killer or necrophile.

1-b's reaction that i wanted to include but didn't know how to fit in:

"setsuna... why are you missing a hand?" ibara shiozaki asks with a concerned look on her face.

"did you lose it somewhere?" juzo honenuki stares at the wrist with no hand.

"gave it to my girlfriend" was setsuna's simple answer, eyes staying on her phone but a big grin making its way to her face.

"nice! congrats! who's the lucky lady?" tetsutetsu asks, as supportive as ever.

"girlfriend?!" could be heard from 1-a throughout practically the whole building.

"you're dating a 1-a loser?" neito monoma--who hadn't shown the slightest interest in this conversation until now--scoffs with a roll of his eyes.

"my girlfriend is not a loser. say that again, and i'll kick your ass," setsuna throws her textbook at the blonde, successfully hitting his face.

❥๑━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━๑❥

a/n;

idk what this is

but the lack of content for this beauty named setsuna tokage should be a genuine crime.

i say even though i haven't watched past the sports festival arc or read any of the manga because i can no longer pay attention to anything that's longer than a minute... so probably ooc

[gaykimjisoo]

money is power

rating: m

pairings: sanayeon (twice)

word count: 2153

triggers: gore, violence, mentions of sex

summary: twice is a tight knit mafia, famous all over korea for being able to get away with most everything. they have the government under their thumb, and their skills are unmatched. to be frank, no one fucks with them. 

loona, a smaller, unknown mafia doesn't want fame. they just want money and revenge, so blaming their crimes on the most well-known mafia is a no brainer.

when twice notice they're getting credit for things they didn't do, though, it starts to become a problem.

first chapter (ur here!) | previous | next (to be updated)

read on ao3

nayeon doesn’t spend idly. if she’s going to use her hard-earned money on something, it better be the most important damn thing in the world. she won’t waste it on some toy she’s using for the week.

but she’s been using sana for months, she reasons, so it’s okay. and besides, it’s her birthday, so asking couldn’t hurt, even if it will be embarrassing.

and sana has been stressed the last few weeks due to her work; nayeon should know, being her boss. unfortunately the position doesn’t come with the benefit of controlling the workload, so she has to watch sana work herself into exhaustion daily. maybe it’s a bit painful, even if their relationship has no strings attached.

“what do you think of a birthday dinner?” nayeon asks the day before, words muffled in sana’s neck.

sana giggles. “i didn’t know we were that serious,” she teases.

“you don’t seem to be opposed.”

“not necessarily,” sana replies. “as long as it’s expensive.” she then mouths at nayeon’s neck to stop her already weak-willed protests, and damn if it isn’t an effective end to the conversation.

the next night, when nayeon sees sana gape at the restaurant as she slides out of the car, she knows she’s met her standards.

“do you like it?” nayeon asks anyway.

sana answers by crashing their lips together, borderline making out with her in front of the richest people in seoul. nayeon would be all for this, but the reservations cost too much to go to waste, and it’s raining, so she breaks away and ushers sana inside. they grin smugly at the appalled rich crowd, and nayeon thinks, for a fleeting second, they’d make a damn good couple.

they’re sat down at a table in the back and given a selection of drinks. nayeon orders water and sana orders champagne; when nayeon raises an eyebrow at her across the table, sana just smirks back, and nayeon decides not to question it. when the waiter leaves, sana stretches her hand towards nayeon’s, and she reluctantly takes it.

“so, darling,” sana drawls, “what are you getting?”

“probably the salad,” nayeon responds, and she knows sana’s going to notice it’s the cheapest thing on the menu. it’s a subtle sign, one she doubts sana will answer, but she can hope. “what about you?”

“the myungwolgwan looks good,” sana says. nayeon glances down, and indeed, she winces at the price. nayeon gives sana the stink eye, which sana ignores and searches to make eye contact with a waiter.

(when the waiter takes the order, he gives nayeon a pitiful look. she must appreciate these little things.)

“you’re evil,” nayeon wants to say. “i hope it’s good,” she says instead, a bit more passive, but still effective in letting sana know she’d kill her if it wasn’t her birthday.

sana shrugs. “i said it looks good. i’ve never actually had it before.”

nayeon tightens her grip on the arm of her chair.

sana’s face becomes worried for a few moments. “you... you’re not having any work problems, are you?”

nayeon rolls her eyes. “i thought we’ve been over this. no talking about that while we’re alone.”

“that rule only applies when we’re having sex,” sana says, and nayeon thinks she hears someone choke on their food nearby. “now is a perfect time to talk about this.”

truthfully, nayeon has been a bit stressed lately. the most well-paying clients are often the most migraine-inducing, and her paycheck is higher than ever before. not that she’d ever tell sana that; she knows the girl has her own set of problems she needs to deal with before she cares for others.

“no, it’s not,” nayeon says, gesturing about the restaurant. “just don’t order the myungwolgwan again and i’ll be perfectly fine.”

sana’s gaze flicks up a few degrees above nayeon’s head. “hm. you’d rather i eat it on a paper plate, don’t you?”

shit.

nayeon couldn’t turn around to look at whoever had a gun on her; it was probably in the warehouse building behind her. she had scoped this place out, and knew the risks, but she didn’t expect people to follow her here. she hadn’t told anyone else of her plans with sana, so why the fuck was someone trying to assassinate her?

“how rude,” nayeon huffs instead.

“we should play a game,” sana says, and her eyes are still calm when they go back to nayeon’s.

“that’s a terrible idea,” nayeon tells her, because it is. not that sana would ever take that advice to heart.

“too bad.” sana leans towards nayeon, almost spilling her water. “whoever kills more people tonight gets to top next time,” she whispers, a glint in her eye.

nayeon sighs. “we really shouldn’t make bets on this stuff.”

“that’s not a no,” sana counters, sitting back in her seat.

“you’re fucking disgusting,” nayeon says. “tell me when to duck.”

sana squinted back up. “now’s a great time, actually,” she tells her, and nayeon dips her head. a few seconds later, a shot rings out, and the glass vase in the center of the table is ruined.

it takes a few moments for the screams to start up, and a few more after that for the doors to bang open. the sound of a machine gun starts going off as sana flips the table over and they dive behind it.

“i never got my champagne,” sana pouts.

nayeon is about to apologize before she continues. “but this is a hell of a lot more exciting.”

“you’re insufferable,” nayeon groans as she pulls out her glock. “you have yours?”

“i’m offended you think i wouldn’t,” sana answered playfully, tapping it against her temple. “you ready, babe?”

“always,” nayeon growled, and they jumped out in sync.

sana fires off a few shots in the direction of the entrance as nayeon races over to the fire alarm and pulls it. the sirens make everyone wince for a second, giving nayeon ample time to put a bullet in the heart of some gangster a few feet over. god, she missed this; being so high up in rankings meant she was rarely put on risky missions. she’s a bit out of practice, but the sight of blood splattering against the floor is enough to wake her up.

“one!” nayeon yells out, and sana laughs in response.

she hears two gunshots in quick succession. “same!” sana yells back.

nayeon feels a bullet zip by her head, and she whips around to a man in a mask reloading his gun. she knees him in the gut and grabs a shard of glass off a table, stabbing him in the neck. she flings him off herself as another man tackles her from behind, throwing her to the ground. the hit is enough to make her head spin, but she doesn’t miss a beat as she dodges his punches.

he grabs her arm, and she spits at him. he blinks for a moment, and it’s ample time to shoot him in the leg with her forgotten gun. his scream is cut off by a second bullet to his temple.

she takes a breath as his body falls on her, then snarls and pushes him off. three.

a woman takes a few shots at her from just a table away, but they all miss, and nayeon can’t find it in herself to be disappointed. she’s always appreciated how incompetent the people they send after her are. she takes a knife from her boot and rushes at her, dodging the next shots as well, though one does catch her in the arm. she winces and drives the knife into the woman’s gut, relishing the feeling of the kill.

“whore,” nayeon breathes into her ear, and lets her drop.

“nayeon,” a voice says from behind her. “i didn’t expect to see you here.”

she turns, and smirks. “jennie. you were hired and didn’t bother to ask who the target was?”

“guilty as charged.” jennie raises her gun to nayeon’s forehead. “what to do, though?”

“oh, you wouldn’t kill me,” nayeon says with conviction. “you like the game too much.”

“i’d say it’s gotten annoying, though,” jennie broods. “with you being better than me and all.”

“at least you can admit it,” nayeon chuckles, and sana presses a gun to the back of jennie’s head.

jennie’s breath catches, and sana laughs maniacally. “put the fucking gun down, bitch,” nayeons says for her.

“i got six,” sana converses. “including the sniper. you, darling?”

“four. guess i lost, huh?”

“you like it too much. i changed my mind. i got two.” jennie’s hand is sneaking up to her waist, something sana’s definitely seeing, but isn’t bothering with.

“this is why i don’t like making bets with you.” nayeon knocks the gun out of jennie’s grip and has a knife to her throat in two quick movements. her bad arm screams at her, which she ignores, for now. “so unfair.”

“i like bottoming. don’t judge my preferences.” jennie’s face scrunches up at sana’s words, and nayeon has to keep in her laughter.

“‘kay, girls, let her go,” someone says.

“and who are you to give us orders, jisoo?” sana asks, not putting her gun down. “i think her brains on the wall would be beautiful. don’t you think so, nayeon?”

“agreed. especially,” she pushes her knife a little closer, “knowing all the trouble she’s caused us.”

“do it,” jihyo snaps, and they immediately retreat.

jennie rubs at her neck, glaring at jisoo. “i thought i told you i don’t need your help.”

“you clearly did, though,” jisoo says, and turns to jihyo. “sorry for her. she’s an idiot.”

“just keep her in line from now on,” jihyo responds with a tight-lipped smile. “i don’t need allies trying to kill my people. come on, nayeon, sana,” she adds, beckoning them.

“i expect to know who ordered this,” nayeon grumbled, glaring at jennie, but obliged along with sana.

jihyo’s smile twitched, but she didn’t say anything. “we’re leaving, before we can start another war.”

once they were out of earshot of jennie and jisoo, nayeon tapped jihyo on the shoulder. “uh, ma’am…”

“shut the fuck up, or i might slit your throat myself,” jihyo snapped under her breath. “i interrupted a very important meeting for this, just to see my people fighting with the people i was trying to make amends with. and no, i don’t care who started it, you two know i’m trying to get jisoo on my side.”

nayeon quieted down. sana grabbed a bottle of champagne off a forgotten service trolley and flipped jennie off when jihyo wasn’t looking.

“i wasn’t supposed to be stepping over bodies tonight,” jihyo continued, muttering angrily. “i was going to drink expensive alcohol and have one less worry on my hands. who knows what jisoo will do now, that crazy bitch. if i could, i’d fire the both of you.”

“you won’t, though,” sana singsonged, slinging her arms around jihyo’s chest. “because you love us! you’re, like, our mom.”

jihyo sighed. “especially you. i would definitely fire you,” she claims, but her voice was a bit softer, fondness seeping through. nayeon disregarded the pang of jealousy she felt.

“i’m going home alone,” jihyo tells them once they’re outside. “i can’t take another second of this shit. go and fuck each other, or something. from what i heard, nayeon’s doing that, actually, but- nevermind. fuck this.” she puts a finger on nayeon’s chest. “i will have you killed if anything like this happens again.”

nayeon knows she won’t, but she nods in agreement anyway.

jihyo storms off, and sana leans towards nayeon as they watch her together. “you know, i’m kind of worried about her, sometimes.”

“worry about your damn self,” nayeon retorts, turning towards her. “you’re so stressed all the time. we don’t need you to care for us; just do your job.”

“i worry about you, too,” sana continues like she hadn’t heard nayeon. “you put so much weight on your shoulders. i’m always here for you, alright? not just to let off steam, but to talk, too.”

nayeon rolls her eyes and shoves sana’s shoulder so she’s facing her. “you have blood on your lip,” she comments.

sana grins cheekily. “wanna get it off for me?”

nayeon answers with a kiss, and her mouth tastes metallic, but she doesn’t quite mind. “i’ll get the rest off later,” she says, observing the red on her chest and arms.

sana snorts. “fine. just take me home.”

sana starts walking, but nayeon’s mind pulls a blank. she hasn’t had a lot of time to think about it, but she’s getting too involved with this. their gang is tight knit, sure, but someone might die at any moment; making friends was unadvisable, but inevitable. falling in love with one of them was the worst possible situation she could think of.

“coming?” sana calls without looking back.

“... yeah.”

[cressasdbfanfics]

And Then There Were Five? Chapter 3

Paring: Goku and Chichi

Words: 3,852

Summary: An announcement is made, followed by the first of two major expansions and then the first the first doctor’s appointment.

A/N: Thanks to the fabulous @jadefyre for the beta read!!!!

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12543438/3/And-Then-There-Were-Five

Archive of Our Own: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11284710/chapters/29572035

Chapter 3: No Needles Here

We materialized in front of Bulma and found ourselves in her lovely courtyard. The moment our feet touched grass, Goten dashed off to find Trunks and Gohan went straight to Videl – leaving Goku and me to visit with the others in peace.

She smiled. "Hi, you guys!"

I returned her smile. "Hi, Bulma!"

"Your skin looks especially great, Chichi! It's so clear and radiant! Trying a new face cream? I have to know what you're using!"

I giggled and waved my hand dismissively. "Well, thanks, but it's just the makeup I donned to freshen up with this morning after not feeling real well."

"Hey, Goku!" greeted Krillin as he and his family walked up to us.

Goku greeted his best friend in return and they fell into easy small talk while Eighteen, Bulma and I did the same.

Before I knew it, the catering staff announced supper was served.

In that moment, the wind shifted just so. My stomach growled as the delicious scents hit me. Everyone in earshot thought it was Goku – who thankfully went along with it – and laughed it off while I put my hands to my face to hide my blush. As if on cue, Goku's stomach really did growl and it was the perfect additional cover. Everyone only laughed harder.

Goku just smiled knowingly at me the moment the others' attention was on the massive buffet style smorgasbord.

I made myself a very full plate and sat down. Holding back was not possible. I was famished. I clearly worked up an appetite rushing through the morning chores before heading to Bulma's. I knew seconds wouldn't fill me up. However, I was surprised at the little rumble my stomach gave as I finished off my third plate but getting fourths risked acquiring unwanted attention.

I frowned at my empty plate, weighing my options.

Goku chuckled and left his seat across from mine. When he returned, he placed a heaping plate filled with all the foods he knew I liked in front of me and winked at me. Winked!

My heart missed a beat, heat blossoming on my cheeks.

I giggled girlishly as he took his seat. "Thank you, sweetheart."

Unfortunately, his sweet gesture didn't go entirely unnoticed.

"Sheesh, Chichi! Hungry or something?" called Bulma from a table next to ours, laughing.

I glanced at her, heat flooding my face. "Heh-heh… You could say that…"

Her amused smile dropped into a thoughtful frown. "Say… I can't quite put my finger on it but there's something different about you."

I bit my lip.

After a few moments of silence, her mouth fell open as she stared at me. "No, way…"

Bulma was a genius. I should have known she'd put it together.

I nodded but touched a finger to my lips.

She grinned the widest smile I had about ever seen on her. "I thought you looked like you were glowing! And that appetite! You're giving him–" she nodded at Goku "–a run for his money!"

I glared at her as Goku chortled into his cup of iced tea.

She giggled, too and said in a low tone, "Don't worry, Chichi. I gave Vegeta a run for his money while I was pregnant with Trunks. So, are you two ready to announce?"

Goku and I exchanged a smile and nodded.

That was all Bulma needed and walked to the center of the yard.

"EVERYONE! LISTEN UP!"

Gradually, the low buzz of chatter fell silent as everyone's attention went to her.

She motioned for us to join her. "Goku and Chichi have something to share."

She nodded encouragingly as curious gazes fell upon us.

I glanced up at Goku. He took my hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

I smiled at our group of close friends and touched my stomach. "Yes, we do have some exciting news: I'm expecting!" During a short stretch of shocked silence, I took a deep breath and shared the rest of our news: "I'm having twins!"

Jaws hit the ground – Bulma's included.

She was the first to recover and grinned as she clapped her hands together. "Congratulations!"

I smiled back. "Thanks, Bulma."

That seemed to snap everyone out of it.

All but Piccolo and Vegeta raised their glasses and yelled, "CONGRATULATIONS!"

Goku and I laughed and I called out, "Thank you, everyone!"

Master Roshi got up from his chair – sending it toppling backwards – and staggered up to us, cheeks flushed, and hiccupping as he walked.

Once he reached us, he slapped Goku's back good-naturedly and slurred much too loudly, "Niiice shootin', son!"

Goku blushed to his ears and chuckled embarrassedly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I shot a half-hearted glare at Master Roshi while the rest of the group snickered. I was overjoyed enough I couldn't bring myself to get angry – and Goku looked so cute like that.

I hoped my boys hadn't heard that but a quick glance at their faces proved I was not in luck. Poor Gohan looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there – cheeks tinted slightly green – and Goten looked confused. Videl blushed next to Gohan.

Eventually, the group's attention turned away from us as their chatter resumed.

I blew out a breath as I took my seat at our table. Goku wondered off to chat with Krillin while Bulma and Eighteen descended on me, immediately pelting me with questions – everything from my due date to my symptoms thus far to whether I had seen a doctor to how my boys took the news. Bulma demanded every detail.

She leaned forward in her seat. "But how did you find out you're having twins?"

I smiled, thinking about that not so quiet dinner. "Well, Goten was the first to point out there's two. He picked up on them before even his father. He told us right there at the dinner table that he sensed my ki and two others. Not just one. Goku and Gohan both confirmed."

Eighteen smirked, her eyebrow raised. "Did you faint?"

I answered Eighteen's smug smile with a glare as I sat up straight and lifted my chin. "As a matter of fact, I most certainly did not." I allowed myself my own smug smile. "But Goku did."

Eighteen raised an eyebrow in disbelief as Bulma said, "No way!"

I caught Goku's eye while he laughed with Krillin across the yard, quite possibly telling the same story – if Krillin's boisterous laughter with his hands on his knees and Goku's light blush were any indication.

I nodded and leaned forward. "Oh, yes, he did. He even crushed his chair into splinters when he went down."

Bulma burst out laughing. Even Eighteen giggled. I did, too.

In the course of our conversation, Bulma gave me the contact information of the only doctor on the face of our little blue planet that had any experience delivering a half-Saiyan baby. A doctor Bulma richly bribed into silence regarding the existence of a certain fury brown appendage as she so nonchalantly mentioned.

Half-Saiyan twins – and the risks associated – seemed a might bit more than the midwife who delivered Gohan and Goten could handle.

I had my first appointment with the doctor planned two weeks hence.

Those two weeks flew by in the rush of the fall harvest. After a long day's work on the farm, I looked over the crates filled with our delicious fall vegetables and sighed.

Ordinarily, I would have been quite satisfied with our yield but not that evening.

A large, warm hand settled gently on my back. "You tired, Chichi? I can take you home. I know how much of this to keep and how much to sell."

"I'm not tired."

Goku stepped in front of me, his head cocked to one side. "Then what's the matter?"

I felt myself tearing up – darned hormones – and Goku's eyes went wide. "There's not enough here!"

He swung his head first one way and then the other – looking at all of the full crates – and then scratched his head. "B-but there's plenty here."

I angrily brushed a tear off my cheek. "Not for six people – five of which are Saiyan! And not enough to sell the excess, either!"

Goku silently mouthed, 'Oh' but said aloud, "Well, I can just clear out more fields! That's no big deal, babe! There's lots of room out here!" He chuckled his warm, rich chuckle. "Don't worry, Chichi. We won't starve."

He kept his grin as he moved in so close we were nose-to-nose. When he looked at me like that, he always managed to pull a smile out of me. That time was no different.

He pecked me on my forehead and winked. "That's more like it! I'll get this done in no time, honey! But first…" He stepped to my side and bent, preparing to pick me up. "Can I take you home?"

I raised an obstinate eyebrow and crossed my arms as I stepped out of his reach. "You most certainly cannot. I am perfectly capable of helping you measure out new fields, Goku."

He aimed a slight frown at me – the ridiculously overprotective man that he was – but he finally gave in with a sigh and a childish pout. "Well, alright."

He walked a wide circle around a freshly harvested field and I followed. He stopped, looking out over a rather rocky patch of uncultivated dirt adjacent to the field and gestured over it. "I can clear this out no problem, Chichi. This would give plenty of room."

I nodded. "That looks promising."

He got to work, using his bare hands to pulverize some boulders and toss others well away with impressive efficiency. What would have taken a human several hours to accomplish was finished in only a few minutes thanks to Goku's immense strength.

"That's a good start, Goku, but I think we'll need a lot more than that."

He merely grinned and cleared out more space.

By the time the sun set on that chilly November evening, we had a lot more space ready to plow and seed the following spring and the yield would be higher than ever. However, our farmland wasn't the only thing that required an expansion.

After breakfast the next morning – and a quick exchange of texts between Bulma and myself – Goku, Gohan, Goten, and myself gathered in our living room. It was time for my first doctor's appointment.

I pulled on a light sweater. "Goten, I want you to be good to your brother while your father and I are gone, okay?"

He nodded. "Yes, Mommy."

"That's my good boy." I looked at Gohan. "We won't be gone long."

Gohan smiled. "We'll be fine, Mom."

"Of course you will. Make sure you both get your homework done!"

They nodded as Goku touched two fingers to his forehead and extended his hand toward me. "Ready, Chichi?"

I grabbed my purse and put my other hand in Goku's. "Yes."

I blinked and Bulma stood before us in an uninhabited alley just outside the Capsule Corp compound.

She smiled. "Hey, you two!"

I smiled back. "Hi, Bulma. Thank you!"

She waved dismissively as she said, "No sweat!"

Goku scratched his head. "So… which way do we go?"

The three of us emerged out onto a busy sidewalk and Bulma pointed up the street. "Where you're going is just about two blocks that way. Good luck!" With that, she waved and left Goku and me to our own devices.

Tall and identical to almost everything else in West City, the building consisted of nothing but medical offices – as did nearly every other building on that block.

However, I knew right where I was going since running an errand there earlier that week with the help of Nimbus to drop off my registration paperwork. Goku knew nothing about my short jaunt. I was gone and back before he had any idea I left.

Just to be sure, I checked the address on the small piece of paper in my hand and glanced up at Goku. "This is the place."

Goku was a little bit pale. "Do I have to go in there?"

"Oh, good grief."

I grabbed his arm and pulled him inside – which he wisely did not resist – and then told him to sit down while I checked in.

After only a few minutes, a nurse in purple scrubs called me back and once again, I pulled Goku along with me – ignoring his imploring look.

We walked a short while down a hallway of numbered exam rooms and then the nurse opened a door and motioned for us to enter. "Right in here, please. The doctor will be with you shortly."

Goku swallowed audibly the moment the door snapped closed behind us and I shook my head.

The room was lovely and smelled of roses – the scent permeating from a vase of red roses on a small side table with a chair next to it. Rich, dark brown hardwood flooring was complimented by a soothing tone of pale green on the walls. A flat-screen tv was mounted to the wall directly across from the padded exam table – a structure of cabinets and drawers directly beneath that.

I sat down on the exam table while Goku lingered by the door and eyed the room warily.

I blew out a long-suffering sigh. "Goku, if anyone is going to get poked by needles today, it'll be me. Not you."

That my remark was perhaps the wrong thing to say was evidenced by the look of sheer horror that flashed across his face and how fast he was at my side. He frowned around the room, ready to do battle.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head but I had to admit, it was sweet of him to guard me against something he was terrified of – albeit irrational. I couldn't quite wrap my head around why a warrior like Goku would be so terrified of a mostly harmless inanimate object.

"Oh, honestly!" I pointed at the only chair in the room. "Go. Sit. Down!"

After dawdling and aiming a pleading look at me, he finally acquiesced – but remained tense where he sat.

It was a very good thing I opted to not ask Goku to take me when I had to drop off that paperwork with the doctor's office earlier in the week. In addition to my medical history, they also wanted a simple blood test, which – of course – involved a needle. No big deal.

I hoped to high heaven there would be no needles involved during my first appointment – for all our sakes. I didn't want to think about what his reaction would have been if there were one involved.

There was a soft knock on the door and I sang, "Come in!"

A female doctor walked in, clipboard in hand and a pleasant smile on her face – and no needles in sight. "Good morning! I'm Doctor Hazel Ishi," she greeted, extending her free hand toward me.

I grasped it briefly. "I'm Chichi."

She turned her pleasant smile on Goku. "You must be Mr. Son?"

He nodded as they shook hands, too. "Yep! Goku's fine."

"Great to meet you both!" She returned her attention to me. "How are you feeling? Are you experiencing morning sickness?"

I twitched my shoulders. "A little bit. It hasn't been real bad, yet." I smiled. "I'm feeling quite well otherwise."

"Good." Doctor Ishi glanced at the clipboard in her hand. "Now, says on your chart you have two boys."

I nodded proudly. "Yes, we do. Our oldest is Gohan and our youngest is Goten."

She asked me a few more questions verifying the information on the medical chart and then asked me to lie back and expose my stomach. I did as she requested while she withdrew a device with a coiled cord attached to it.

"What's that?" asked Goku as he nodded stiffly at the device in the doctor's hand.

She held it up with an air of presenting a strange new object to a skittish animal. "This, Goku, is for us to hear the baby's heart beat. It's called a fetal Doppler."

Goku worked the word around in his mouth a couple of times and then something clicked and his eyes his lit up. "We're really going to hear their heartbeats? Cool!"

Doctor Ishi smiled at first. "That's right!" And then her expression fell into a skeptical frown at Goku. "But you just said 'their'. Do you think there's more than one?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I sensed–"

I cut Goku off with, "It's… sort of a gut feeling we have."

She raised an eyebrow, her gaze darting between the two of us. "I see." She shrugged. "Well, we are about to find out."

She turned around and pulled a tube of gel out of a drawer. "So… where are you from again? Your chart mentioned an area pretty far from here."

I bit my lip.

Before I could decide what and how much to tell her, Goku blurted, "Mt. Paozu. East District."

The doctor nodded absently and then she nearly dropped the tube in her hand. "W-what!? But… that's… that's hours away! By flight!"

Goku shook his head and opened his mouth to say something but I shot him a look that – in no uncertain terms – told him to zip it and his mouth snapped shut. Knowing my husband, whatever he was about to blab was not about the kind of flight Doctor Ishi was thinking of.

Doctor Ishi frowned in thought before eventually giving another little twitch of her shoulders. "Well, onto business, shall we?"

With that, she squirted some jelly onto my stomach – causing me to jump at just how cold it was.

Doctor Ishi lightly pressed the probe down low on my abdomen. First, there was only white noise coming out of the device – kind of like the sounds one heard when under water. The doctor moved the probe around.

The rhythmic but somewhat faint ba-dump-ba-dump-ba-dump of a heartbeat was unmistakable and Goku jumped out of his chair.

Anticipating Goku's question, Doctor Ishi shook her head. "What you're hearing here is Chichi's heartbeat. Give me just a moment and the baby's should come through…"

She changed the angle of the probe just a little bit and then…

Taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap

"And there we go!"

Goku scrambled to my side, wide-eyed. "But that's so fast!"

Doctor Ishi and I giggled. "That's perfectly normal, Goku. The baby sounds great. Now, let's see if we can find a second heartbeat like you suspect," she said as she slid the probe about two inches from where she started.

A second heartbeat equally as fast as the first came through loud and clear.

She smiled. "Well, I'll be. And here's heartbeat number two!" She moved the probe back to the other one to listen a few more seconds and then withdrew it.

Goku grinned at me, his eyes sparkling with wonder. "There's no way that's the same one. They were in two different spots."

Doctor Ishi glanced at him and nodded. "You are quite correct. Let's take a look, then, shall we?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, his head slightly tilted. "Wait… a look? But how will we…?"

I giggled and pointed at the machine with a screen next to my bed. "It's an ultrasound, Goku."

Doctor Ishi clicked off the lights and placed the probe on my stomach. "Now, if you would direct your attention to that tv mounted on the wall there, they will be visible in a few moments."

And then there they were, wriggling away. Our babies!

Goku glanced down at me with wide, shining eyes and I smiled up at him.

I looked at the tv again as an arrow drew a circle around a black mass with the little wriggling shapes within. "Here's Chichi's uterus. And here are two very active little babies. See the flickering in them?"

Goku and I nodded, not taking our eyes off the screen.

"That's their heartbeats."

The view on the screen changed as one of the embryos was magnified, and then all movement stopped – as if a movie was paused.

Goku looked anxiously at Doctor Ishi. "Everything okay?"

She smiled and nodded, her attention on the small computer screen in front of her. "Just fine! I need to take some measurements of them both in order to calculate Chichi's due date and that's a bit difficult to do with them being so active." The cursor drew circles as she labeled different parts. "Here's the head. The little buds here are the beginnings of arms and legs."

I reached for Goku's hand. He wrapped his fingers around mine as Doctor Ishi pressed a series of buttons.

"This one is right at eight weeks and looking real good! Onto the next one."

Goku smiled at me and gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

The image on the tv zoomed out to show both again and then she magnified the other.

After several long moments of silence as she took measurements with a series of button presses, she finally said, "This one looks great, too. And right at eight weeks as well!"

Goku and I exchanged smiles. "That's great!" His head tilted to the side in a look of cute curiosity as he looked at Doctor Ishi. "But how are there two?"

"Twins, Goku," she began, "can happen one of two ways: in some rare cases, two separate eggs are fertilized and then implant together and are called fraternal twins. In other rarer still cases, one fertilized egg splits into two babies and are called identical twins. Your twins, Chichi–" she nodded at me "–are identical."

Goku listened with a slight frown on his handsome face. "So… one became two? I didn't know that was possible."

"It is." Doctor Ishi pressed a button and the picture zoomed out. "Now, because there are two babies here sharing nutrients, we'll need to keep an extra close eye on their growth throughout your pregnancy, Chichi."

Biting my lip, I looked up at the tv screen just in time for the screen to go black.

Goku rubbed my shoulder.

Doctor Ishi chuckled. "Now, don't worry too much. They both look just fine. Also, expect more severe pregnancy symptoms due to increased hormone levels. That's perfectly normal when expecting twins. Any questions?"

Goku and I glanced at each other and shook our heads. We both had a lot to absorb.

She handed a few small photos to me. "Okay. Please make an appointment with the receptionist set for a month from now. We'll do an ultrasound every month to check on them."

Goku gestured toward the tv, an excited smile on his handsome face. "You mean… we can see them like this again?"

Doctor Ishi nodded and smiled. "Yes! You'll be seeing them just like this every appointment!" She got up from her seat. "I'll see you both in a month."

With that, the doctor left the room.

I mirrored Goku's excited smile as I extended the pictures to him. "Oh, I can't wait to show the boys!"

[getyouraoion]

Another drabble for @riseofthephoenixfallofdestiny who needs all the smiles and deserves every one of them. <3 And requested I write this one- though neither of us had any idea how long it’d be XD It was so much fun, tho! owo

~Aster and Aoi have been dating for well over a year now, even moving in together shortly after her graduation. He’s even starting to open up some, which thrills the charmer duelist... But it also opens up the possibility for all kinds of nasty surprises, including one with ties to Aster’s past.

Warnings for kidnapping and death mentions.

Part 1 of 2.

“It's a party in Domino to celebrate the new season.”

“...Pros have seasons?”

“Even we need breaks, Aoi. Come with me?”

In hindsight, she probably should've said no.

For the billionth time, Aoi fluffed her bangs, much to her boyfriend's amusement beside her. “You hush. I've never been in t' a party like this before,” she argued upon catching a glimpse of his grin from the corner of her eye. Honestly, she'd have yanked on his tie and dragged him home an hour ago... If not for the fact he enjoyed it when she took control and they'd likely end up vanishing to a side room for reasons other than leaving. “I don't want t' embarrass you, you know that.”

Aster simply shrugged, though his grin grew wider with the movement. “Aoi, dear, you could never embarrass me. You could stop fluffing your hair like a preening bird-”

“And you could remember I know how y' love your tie pulled.”

His cheeks flushed a pale shade of red, drawing a grin to her lips. If there was one way to counter Aster's horrible teasing, it was to remind him she knew his weaknesses, and how willing she was to use them against him. Maybe not in public, but it was enough, the pro lifting a fist to his lips to cover a cough. “All right, I'll concede this round to you. I wouldn't get used to it, you know-”

Grin fading into a soft smile, she leaned over and rocked onto her toes, a delicate hand laying itself on his chest seconds before their lips connected for but a second. Like always, the tender kiss sent a shiver down her spine, only amplified with knowing that for the first time, he'd been dropping his guard in public and letting the world – or at least those at the party – know the great Aster Phoenix was a man off the dating 'market'. And to have his hands automatically migrate to her waist, hold gentle and full of affection, added a second shudder and a smile to his own lips.

“I won't get used to winning,” she whispered, sliding her hand up to cup his cheek, “but I'll always love the 'war'. After all, I love you- how could I not love the battles we share?”

He chuckled, the sound full of fondness and amusement, and pecked in another kiss to the tip of her nose. “I'll remind you of that the next time you complain about my smirk.”

“You smirked 'cause I almost lost Hiita.”

“Again. I should tape your deck to your hands.”

Aoi huffed, pulling back from his hold, though her smile never faded. Was it her fault the wind loved to snatch her fire charmer from her hands whenever it got? Granted, it had been how they'd met and- “You know, I just thought of th' irony? We have a pretty heated relationship, yeah?”

“Your temper is part of it-”

“And so is how y' act in bed.”

The tease forced his parted lips back together, blue eyes flashing with a mixture of a promise to get her back for it, and a reminder that he held enough of her secrets to thoroughly embarrass her if she continued on that particular topic. “But think about it. Which charmer did y' catch three years ago?”

“Hii-” Aster paused, then laughed, remembering the wind carrying the card to him outside of Duel Academy's front doors. Back then, he'd been posing as a new student, there under Sartorious's orders – though he'd never expected it to bring him the raven before him. “I'll give you that, too. A glimpse of destiny perhaps?”

She laughed, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Mhm- Maybe Hiita knows us better than we do... Though that I won't push. Jay can see spirits, an' if one of us starts I'm blaming him.”

“Agreed.” Both pro and raven let a brief frown pull at their lips; neither could stand the distance that kept them from their friend, least of all Aoi. Along with Aster and their mutual friends Chazz and Whisper, Jaden had been her closest friend since she'd arrived at the academy four and a half years prior. Though she talked to him on a nearly daily basis, be it by letters, phone calls, or emails, she still missed her 'pup'  immensely.

Taking note of her switch in mood, Aster brushed his fingers over her cheek, the gentle touch bringing back her smile. “Would you like a drink, dear? The refreshments table is clear- I may not get swamped by fans this time.”

She couldn't help but giggle; the moment they'd arrived, they'd nearly been tackled into the mud caused by the day's earlier rains, nearly everyone who didn't see him on a regular basis and fans new to the pro circuit determined to get an autograph... Or a touch, despite him announcing he was there with a date. “If you d' get swamped again, just yell 'hey look over there' and take off. Always work f' me.”

“And that is why you're here,” he joked, taking her hand long enough to kiss her knuckles. “I'll return shortly. Don't stray far.”

“I couldn't stray at all. You'd be lost without me.” But the tease fell on deaf ears, the silver-haired pro out of earshot before the words even left her lips. The moment he was out of sight, she fluffed her bangs again; why had she agreed to this? Being beside Aster always made her feel safe – she knew nothing could hurt her so long as he was there, something he'd proven rather often in the years since they'd met. Like Jaden, he'd protected her from Sartorious, Yubel, and all manner of nasty opponents, as well as teachers determined to see her either fail or end up in detention for years past her graduation date. Having her boyfriend nearby was a definite source of comfort.

But being alone in a party for the pro circuit, especially one as packed with people as this, was nerve-wracking. Ignoring the fact she was working at a ranking in the rookie leagues and spent just as much time making clothing for Chazz and Aster, and thus would never be on the same level as those in attendance, she was incredibly aware that her relationship left a target on her back. Aster still had enemies, even without The D and Sartorious in the picture, and even she knew they'd do anything it took to get at him – she didn't need to be a genius to figure it out. So long as he was a world-famous pro with the incredible skills to match, anyone close to him would be something to be used. Still, she wasn't too worried; he wasn't that far away, and she doubted anyone would try anything, squirming out of the people crowding around for a distant glimpse of her lover in favor or checking out a large, leafy houseplant. Unlike the rest of the crowd, she knew exactly how his backside looked in those pants; she'd made them for him, and spent more than enough time staring at it herself – especially when he seemed to realize she loved how good he looked in them and took to wandering about shirtless for much of the morning. Those were the time she both loved and hated moving in with him a month earlier, fingertips trailing over an oversized leaf. Maybe he'd know what kind of plant this was? A corcus? Ficus? No, those were trees, weren't they? Maybe a bush... Bluebe- Nah, that made no sense-

She'd barely had time to think of the word 'avocado' before someone had their arm around her waist, pressing a rag against her nose and mouth. Behind her, various chatter and 'Ooh' and 'ahh's rose from the crowd, likely a product of Aster sharing the results of his last duel.. Or was it the last time he'd gone snowboarding? Whatever it was, it was enough to drown out her muffled screams, trying to ignore the sweet smell from the rag and attempts to elbow the form dragging her to the corner. Why wasn't anyone looking?

Slowly, the world around her started to spin, her attempts to fight missing more than they connected. The wind hit her skin before she could even realize they were on the back patio... And within minutes, she could barely keep her eyes open, fighting the urge to sleep until it claimed her.

“You just don't know how to wake up, do you?”

A soft groan worked its way free, Aoi wriggling a bit to try and get comfortable. A comfortable that ended with a shove of her head to the side, drawing her attention to the dull headache throbbing in her skull; when had that happened? And why wasn't Aster waking her like he normally did, with a gentle nudge and a combination of a kiss and a tease, lest she be late for breakfast?

Because the one waking her wasn't Aster, she realized, slowly blinking green-blue eyes open to meet vibrant emerald green rather than the wonderful blue of her boyfriend. Whoever this was, just being close to him left her stomach in a knot and her shell rising nearly immediately, the raven trying to squirm backwards into the wall she'd been propped against. “Where's Aster?”

“Clueless.” The man before her chuckled, rocking back onto his heels and standing to his full height. Even having him out of her face didn't help the knot in her stomach; what did he mean by clueless? “And you're my ticket to getting back at him. Consider yourself lucky – As long as you're useful to me, I can't just kill you.”

Kill? That was one word that made the knot sink into her gut; she'd effectively 'died' once, back when they'd been battling Yubel, and had no intention of finding out what a real, permanent death felt like! “I'm not u-useful to you-” Aoi paused, swallowing hard to rid herself of the waver in her voice. If she wasn't useful, though, did that mean she'd be forfeiting her life? And if she did, would it keep Aster safe? “I'm not useful, and I won't let you at him. I'd sooner let you kill me.”

“Brave words.” He canted his head to the side, slipping his hands into his pockets as he stared down at her. “But I don't need you to grab him. I need you to completely shatter him. After all, he destroyed my mentor... And in D's name I'll destroy him, starting with the one he holds closest to him!”

“The D was a jerk,” she answered automatically, patting down her dress for any signs of tears and damage. When she found none and her deck still in the case strapped to her thigh under the skirt, she heaved a sigh of relief; he'd taken her, but done nothing else. That was enough to turn her attention to the threat at hand: A man who had ties to one she'd only heard about in brief stories, Aster's former legal guardian not someone she wanted to press him on.

Slowly, she eased herself up and off the floor, knees shaking with the effort and head throbbing in protest. Whatever he'd drugged her with had left her feeling oddly heavy and still tired, though the need to protect both herself and a man who'd claimed her heart was something that won out over it all, even if she was nauseous in the midst of adrenaline-fueled bravery. “He was a sick jerk who hurt Aster and tried t' cover it up by taking him in- That' n' mentor, that's a sick, twisted monster! An' y' think I'm gonna hand y' Aster s' you can 'honor' th' guy's memory? Sorry, buddy, you picked the wrong girl to mess with.”

The man shrugged nonchalantly, alerting her to the fact he blocked her escape – she'd literally been dumped into a corner, and the only way out of it was past him. “I don't care what you think, kid. And I don't need you to 'hand' me anything. But I'll give you this much, if you're so eager to play the hero-”

“I'm not. I'm protecting someone who means everything t' me. But since your mentor was a criminal and you're clearly followin' in his footsteps, I shouldn't expect y' to understand.”

“Sassy. I can see why he likes you. Too bad I don't care.”

That one actually stung, her gaze moving past him at the pair of duel disks on a table across the spacious room. “...A duel?”

“Mm. You must duel, if he likes you. I'll give you this, then: We duel. If you win, I'll let you go free. Simple as that.”

“...Doesn't sound simple. And if I lose?”

“You stay.”

“Still doesn't sound simple. What's th' catch?”

He stepped aside then, unblocking the rest of the table from her line of sight. The collars sitting beside the disks made her shudder; it was hard not to recognize the shock equipment Zane had gotten addicted to and even demonstrated for them in a match against Syrus. “You wear that. Win or lose, you're not leaving here.”

A part of her wanted to chirp she'd just not take damage then, but even she knew that was impossible. She was no pro; taking no damage for the entirety of a duel was something any of her friends could do, but not her charmers – No matter what she did, an attack on her would be inevitable. But at least she had the advantage of being a healthy teen... Her body could take a little shock, right? “...Fine. But if I win you turn yourself in f' this and never bother Aster again.”

“Deal, kid. Now pick your disk and duel.”

Aster Phoenix was livid.

Or at least, livid was the word whispered around the party, the wide berth around him ensuring nobody else got caught up in his search for his missing girlfriend. He'd not seen hide nor hair of her in over an hour, not since he'd left to get them drinks from a refreshment table.. That had oddly been out of of refreshments.

At the time, he'd thought nothing of it and entertained the growing crowd around him with stories of his latest conquests, ignoring any questions he got about his private life, per the norm. What he did at home was his own business, though he had rather happily talked about his suit for several minutes when requested to – he wasn't about to squash Aoi's chances at getting clients for her clothing line by keeping her talents to himself. There being no punch was odd, but otherwise, things had progressed the way they always had.

Until he'd returned to the plant he'd left her at, that was, finding nothing but... Well, plant. A bit of questioning told him she wasn't in the bathroom, nor had she gone outside... And it was then the glasses had dropped from his hands, shattering on the polished marble floor. If there was one thing he knew about Aoi, it was that she wouldn't just up and leave him alone without a word.

His hands balled up into fists at his sides, short cut nails digging into his palms until he was sure they were cutting through layers of skin. She wouldn't willingly leave him, so how had she vanished? He'd explored nearly every inch of the parts of the mansion guests were allowed to roam, forced back by security when he'd hit those limits. If they wouldn't let him thorough, there was no way they'd have let a stubborn five-foot-three woman through, either; he didn't have to worry about her being elsewhere in the massive building.

He couldn't stand to lose her.

The sudden thought cut through his rage for a brief moment of clarity; had he gotten so dependent on having someone beside him that he'd let himself get so attached? The thought of going back to living alone made him nauseous- at one time, he'd even preferred it over the loud bustle of having anyone aside from his assistant in his home. These days, he'd found himself rather enjoying having someone to share his days with, one hand uncurling from its fist so he could run the pads of his fingers along a seam in his suit's jacket. Someone who owned his heart, made him want to come home and actually relax even on the slowest days.

A sharp, repeating beep cut through the air, drawing his gaze to the screen against a nearby wall. The party's host hastily pressed a few buttons – he'd recognize the small man anywhere – and within seconds, the image had changed from a seasonable pumpkin display... To a smirking man. Well, he could safely say he'd not expected it to be a viewscreen.

“Aster Phoenix is still in attendance, yes?”

Normally, he'd have replied with a snarky comment, nudging through the crowd to put himself up front, within clear view, but this was an occasion he simply couldn't get out much more than a glare. Thankfully, that seemed to be more than enough, the man on the screen chuckling at the sight of him. “There you are. And you look so very happy – Did you find her missing?”

The question set his blood boiling; had he been where she'd gone? “Where is she?”

“Safe, for the moment.”

He hated those words.

And Aoi hated pinching collars.

Her captor turned the screen, her own glared pinned first on it, then the man while she tugged at the shock collar fitted to her neck. It was her own fault for agreeing to it, she supposed, giving the metal another sharp yank, watching the man put on his own. “You didn't actually call Aster, did y'?”

“Aoi!”

He had, Aster's voice coming from the relatively small screen easing her fears some and ceasing her tugging. Without a thought to what her captor could do, she darted closer to the screen, leaning against her hands on the table and willing a soft smile to her lips. “Aster... I'm okay. I promise y' I'm okay. Don't worry so much.”

His lips quirked into a grin, though she couldn't find any trace of the usual light in his eyes that came with it. She was so used to the vibrant blues sparkling in delight every time he smiled, so much so that she was less afraid of his temper, and more so that he'd finally lost that sparkle after everything he'd lived through. “I'm coming for you.”

“As much as I love hearin' that, no. You're not.”

“Don't fight me on this, Aoi. I'm coming.”

“And if you come this guy's gonna have what he wants. Stay. There.”

“I won't let him have you!”

“He already has me! An' I'm not gonna let him have y' too!”

“Aoi-”

“Stop. There's a chance I can get my freedom and keep you safe by dueling him. Stay at the party and I'll be home soon.”

“This isn't home.” He crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a pointed stare. “And I'm not about to listen to the argument of a stubborn fool wearing- … Take it off this instant.”

Aoi tugged at the collar, willing a smile to her lips. “This? Can't.”

“And why not?”

“...It's a little locked in place an' the key's on the ceiling.”

“Why is it on the ceiling?”

“Because you're dating a fool t' focused on making sure you're safe an' doesn't care about herself.”

“Sounds accurate,” he muttered, shrugging slightly, though she couldn't find a trace of insult in his voice, just a familiar tease. “You never did think about yourself.”

“Exactly. So stay there?”

“No.”

Her shoulders slumped, head hanging. Why was he so stubborn? Maybe that was what'd brought them together, but for the moment it was also a trait they shared that she couldn't quite deal with. “Please, Aster. I promise I'll be fine. Stay there an' I'll see you at home, okay? Don't risk yourself by comin' here. I refuse t' lose you.” That said, she pulled away from the screen, hiking up her skirt just enough to take her deck from the hidden case on her thigh and slip it into the duel disk on her arm. “I won't lose you. Get yourself ready, 'cause I'm doin' this one for him!”

The man smirked, the disk on his arm shifting into place along with hers. He seemed more at home in the collar than she felt in her dress, wishing she'd been able to wear jeans for the catered affair. It'd certainly be easier to duel in, too, waiting for his nod of approval for her to go first to draw her opening hand. At least her deck hadn't let her down; she'd already drawn her wind charmer and the familiar-possessed form of the earth, along with one each of her fire and light monsters. At the rate she was going, she'd be able to keep this duel going in her favor without issue!

Yet playing Alexandrite Dragon wouldn't do her any favors just yet, despite having a high attack. Without any clue to what he had in his hand, her best bet was to play it safe and place down her fire monster, instead, smiling at the sight of the small of appearing on the field before her. “Then I'm gonna start with m' Fox Fire- Don't underestimate th' little guy, now. He's coming with two face downs-” a pause to add them to the field, “but he's pretty fierce all his own.” Even if his small attack wouldn't get her far, at least she could use him for a shield, mumbling her apologies to the fox under her breath.

“How cute. A pile of ash.” Her captor chuckled, the sound sending a chill through her, much unlike the warmth of Aster's. She didn't doubt he had something planned... Something that turned out to be an ice barrier monster, their strategist, if she remembered right, quickly summoned and staring down her fox. “Look at it cower and tremble in fear. Why don't you join it?!”

Her Fox Fire had barely been destroyed before the collar activated, the sparks of electricity coursing through her body far stronger than she'd initially considered and drawing a sharp cry from her lips. If that was what taking over a thousand points of damage did, she was ready to clock out, go home, and hide in bed until the world came to an end, stray jolts still making her fingers twitch long after the shock had finished. It was all she could do to slip her card into the graveyard, then remove it again, placing it right back where it was. “A-And you don't know 'bout my fox, clearly. I can bring him back at the end of a t-turn he's been destroyed on. I've got myself a really loyal fluffball, h-huh?”

And she'd need it, she realized, suddenly feeling far smaller than even a mouse. How.. Was she supposed to protect Aster if she was already losing?

Footprints in the mud.

Tire tracks leading away from the mansion.

A dropped handbag he'd recognize anywhere.

By the time she'd lost more than half of her life points, Aster had seen enough. Coupled with the viewscreen suddenly dying and no way to get the feed back, the pro had fled from the mansion, adjusting his tie and putting in a phone call for a helicopter with the clues he'd found. The surrounding area was still muddy enough that he could follow the tracks, and above all else, he was ready to knock someone's head off their shoulders. The moment he found them... The kidnapper wasn't the only one who had it coming to them.

How dare she tell him not to follow? Didn't she realize how dangerous this was? He knew all too well how much she loved to have fun and slack off, even if she had grown up quite a bit in recent years. Her life was no game-

Aster stopped, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms. He knew better; the girl he'd fallen for wasn't that clueless, and thinking of her such, even out of anger, wasn't going to get him far, nor was it right. She was just as protective as he was, if not more so, going as far as to tailor her deck to reflect a self-imposed role as Jaden's guardian after seeing his heartache and pain after their return from the alternate dimension. That had been over a friend... And now she was trying to sacrifice herself to keep him safe.

She knew exactly what she was doing, and it was making him sick to his stomach to know that by the end of the night, he could be going home without her.

He'd been used and left behind so much, he'd kept his heart off limits to anyone and everyone. Everyone, that was, except for the sweetly smiling girl the wind had brought to him on a crisp, clear autumn day. Even when he'd been against her, she'd forgiven him. Introduced him to a world of peace he'd never before known. Took every loss he'd handed her, both in duels and in their typical playful 'fights', with a smile so vibrant he wasn't sure how to make heads or tails of it. She'd taken his entire world and turned it on its head faster than he could blink.

It'd taken until almost graduation for him to admit aloud exactly what she meant to him. For months, she'd been contently and happily telling him how much she loved him, splitting her time between staying with Jaden and with him on his yacht whenever he was at the academy. Having her nearby had always been a blessing; with her the nightmares weren't as bad, and he'd never quite gotten enough of her sleeping with her head on his chest. Having her on the yacht was... Honestly, it was like being home, something he'd not had since before he'd lost his father. And no more than two months before graduation, he'd managed to get out the words 'I love you'... And not stopped saying them since.

He couldn't go home without her. To lose her would be to lose the last chance he'd had at being happy – she'd shown him an entirely new world. How was he supposed to find it again without her? How could he find his way back out of that darkness without her to guide him again? No, he was going after her, whether she wanted him to or not. His mind was made up.

He'd not be alone again.

And neither would she.

[sakuari]

White Chrysanthemums - Delphiniums

SURPRISE MOFOS! I MADE ANOTHER UPDATE! It’s another mini tho. I realized I won’t be able to do another full chapter/update for Ban Ryu and Yeol Woo, so this will have to suffice. Delley/Shavey will/should stay on its intended schedule. Once again, sorreh if this seems rushed (cuz it was considering how the rest of week’s gonna go for me.) This one is a continuation with Hansung and So Young and their serendipitous meeting.

__________________

“Five petals dancing. Seven more fluttering, yes. Spring has now come forth.” So Young started off. The theme tonight was seasons, which was a common topic to touch on this club besides making haikus on hot noblemen or food or the luxury of beauty. Personally, So Young liked to make haikus about warring provinces and justified battles, but she digressed. And the girls would complain if she doesn’t live up to the club expectations and rules - even though she herself couldn’t recall there n ever being any.

All the girls (and Hansung) applauded softly, but only he noticed So Young’s eye rolls. He could tell she didn’t like the haiku. Yes, he was impressed with how she can make one up on the spot eleven times in a row. But he sensed unhappiness in her. He may have only known her for less than two hours, but he studied her carefully and intensely, making sure he could tell her emotions before she even knew what they were. After all, if he wanted to be with her, he needs to learn her dislikes and likes.

By now, it was quite obvious that she and a few others were the only one pulling their weight in this club. And the fact that she seemed super uncomfortable, her eyes darting around for a girl to take her place, made him slightly miffed. Half the girls were asleep; most of the others were too busy chatting rude side conversations about the latest trending gossip to actually care. ‘She was right,’ Hansung thought. ‘They just use this as an excuse to hang out like lazy bums. And their obnoxious tones of voice are making them out to be VERY improper ladies.’ He then noticed some of the awake ones were waking up the sleeping beauties, shutting up the talkative ones, and that there were girls ready to go to take So Young’s place for her. Looks like there were some girls serious about this club after all. Maybe they’re her friends.

One of the more serious girls gingerly stood up, pleating out the wrinkles and dust off her hanbok before going up. Much of the rude audience gave her expressions of contempt and glares; hell, some even jeered before she even breathed in! One sharp gaze from So Young and they were immediately silenced. Intriguing. That would be good information for him to know if his future girlfriend was ever to scold him and he was about to utter one syllable. He momentarily daydreamed about all their dates in the fields in springtime, her guard and tough act down and her heart unarmored for him to love. Many said that love at first sight was full of hullabaloo - whatever that meant - but he knew there was something different about her. She wasn’t like your typical pretty princess complex; she had this sort of masculine aura about her. Then he snapped back to reality when the girl started.

“There’s sunlight glitters. Leaves are ripe with happiness. Heat breezes fly in.” She finished and bowed gracefully, her bun fluttering back when she straightened up.

This was the slightly mundane routine for a while in the night, with the boredom occasionally broken by a mess-up, a stutter, or a debate about plagerism - that usually ended in laughter however. Hansung listened intently on everyone’s haiku and silly arguments, memorizing each one by heart and keeping up with the pace with a smile. Then it was finally his turn.

He could hear them whispering to each other as he headed for the center of the room.

“Let’s see how he fares. Will he fail, I don’t know yet. Get on with it boy.” One mutters. And soon a whole onslaught of comments rushed over Hansung as he continued his way through the ocean of girls.

“Pretty means nothing.” “Why’s he here with us again?” “He’s still kind of cute.”

“Boring times await.” “Ah, So Young-Unnie is mad.” “Be nice please, unnie.”

Indeed she was angry. Looks like he wasn’t the only one fed up with the rudeness at times. Her hawk eyes scanned the audience for any rebels looking question her command. Luckily there were none because everyone was sure that it wasn’t going to end pretty. She made sure all was silent and nodded, giving Hansung the signal to start. He didn’t notice at first, but she winked him good luck. When he slowly did realize it when he was speaking, his blush grew more and more shades of red and pink. It didn’t help that all eyes were on him.

“S-sp-pring h-har-rbors g-gr-reat l-love.” He started and stuttered, trying to hide his embarrassment and nerves. He could feel butterflies in his head and a gnawing pit in his stomach. He pressed on to continue, trying to avoid eye contact with So Young. He took a deep breath and exhaled, continuing on. “Two seem as one together. Flowers bloom and grow.” He winced at his terrible attempt to try to make up a haiku. He wanted to die in a hole right now and bury himself in his own funeral. He was pretty sure he messed up the syllables and made a fool of himself.

‘No, you tried Hansung. You did your best. Just punch through it LIKE A BOSS!’ He mentally screamed inside.

Slowly, but gradually, everyone clapped. And the beginning of it started with her: So Young. She smiled, but it didn’t seem plastered; it seemed genuine. He could see her true flavors and colors; she was all shades of blue, and she (probably) tasted like strawberries: a little sour at first but sweet all the way through. Hansung gathered up his courage and smiled back. But this one was a radiant beam that spread from ear to ear, and he made sure he didn’t leave anything beautiful from his heart behind. She gave a reaction that he wasn’t expecting: a blush and a kiss on the cheeks back.

Everyone was stunned priceless, including Hansung himself. Her next words deflated the moment though.

“What? It’s called showing appreciation, you dirty-minded fools.” She unknowingly broke the ‘unspoken rule’ but everyone was in a state of shock to actually care or follow it.

“OOOOHHH! Unnie and Hansu sitting in a tree~ K-I-S-” All the girls started chanting, many of them giggling and rolling over the floor squealing gleefully before any could finish that sentence.

“ENOUGH. THE NIGHT IS OVER. LEAVE. ALL OF YOU!” She teasingly snapped and chased the other girls around. They all left, and Hansung was about to too, until So Young stopped him by the arm.

“Sorry about that. You must be surprised, but you are kind of the first boy to step in the ring. Takes guts to go against these vipers.” It was only a moment, but he felt the world stop. Her body language was relaxed and gentle, much different from the composed heroic aura she had a few minutes ago. Her eyes smiled in a loving way and her lips parted in the most beautiful way if that was even possible. Then her deep honey voice came back into earshot. “Don’t take that the wrong way, I suppose. So, I have a question. Are you willing to come back every Tuesday? I’ll make sure you don’t get torn up in the lions’ den.”

“Of course So Young-ssi!” He fell in love with the club’s shitty ways and he was interested in studying more about the work of art that was her. And his curiosity got the best of him as well.

“Can I bring my hyungs?”

“As long as they’re slightly more respectful than our lady friends here and that they are well-behaved gentlemen.”

“Can I bring my other lady friends? They aren’t as mean as yours.”

She hesitated for a moment, but replied, “Sure. They can’t be worse than what I dragged in through the mud, pompous bitches they can be. You can call me Noona or simply So Young. Formalities aren’t necessary here. You are younger than me, correct?”

“ Mhm! You sure I can call you that?”

“Of course. Welcome to the club, even if you didn’t exactly enter in welcoming arms.”

“Thanks Noona! Need some help? Cleaning up of course.”

“I got it from here. Why don’t you go home?” She briefly smiled and continued. “After all, I don’t think Hwarangs are supposed to be out this late.” She sifted through a closet nearby to grab a broom to clean up.

“Ehh?!? IS IT REALLY THAT LATE NOONA?! I GOT TO GO! BYE NOONA!” He yelled as he scrammed out the doorway, avoiding the donkey this time. He knew he was going to be dead meat in Hwi Hwa’s if he doesn’t make a run for it. But he did make sure to do one thing: do a little victory hop that he’s one step closer to the girl of his dream. Well, before he crashed into a merchant’s jewelry cart.

————–

So Young looked out the doorway, leaning on its sides and her toes tapping on the threshold. She quietly smirked to herself and shook her head in disbelief. She wondered how she found him out of all this mess.

“Hmm. A younger boy…Interesting.” She snickered after seeing the clumsy crash and reminisced for a moment. “Ah, the youth of spring. Do you have something for me this time around again?” She soliloquized and hummed a lovely tune with her rich, gritty voice, capturing the hearts and ears of her neighbors. She danced around before closing the doors and went home for the night. Her neighbors sighed, disappointed that their midnight concert had come to their end.

“Over already?” One neighbor asked.

“Shame. Beautiful voice.” Another chimed in.

A regular female merchant added, “Did the spring fever bug bite her or something? She has an extra hop in her step.”

The three converse within each other for a little while.

“Maybe. She’s fawning over that boy earlier is what I’m guessing. A little young for a Hwarang, don’t you think? Even younger for her.”

“She’s not that old. And didn’t she have a lover? Could’ve sworn I-”

“Left her for the countryside gals. Eloped or so I heard.”

“What a shame.”

“I’ve heard rumors that she’s not a pure.”

“She’s not of True or Sacred Bone* rank. She knows that, we know that.”

“That’s not what I meant you geezers!”

“Hey you’re a geezer too you know! And I heard those rumors too. Either way, she deserves a shot at real love. That asshole didn’t deserve her anyways.”

“Does it matter? We’re all human. We all deserve the same chances for anything.” The merchant turned around, eying the iridescent full moon. “She’ll get him. One way or another. Call it a woman’s intuition.”

They said their goodbyes and parted, ready to tuck in with the lulling winds of Silla. ——————

Hi Beautifuls! Sorreh for the long mini. I tried to make it up for this week’s change. I understand if the quality of work is a little lackluster, but I’ll make it up to you! I promise! And you’ll see what I mean by ‘pure’ (I lacked a term and couldn’t figure out a way to not give anything away. And it does not mean virgin!) I hope you enjoyed this update! (And my editor will be right to fixing!)

*True or Sacred Bone - pertaining to royalty depending on how much of the bloodline you contain to be nobles or directly related to royalty.

To The Beautiful You,

Zelo