#she drove her van into my heart (age 10)

[sparrowsoupp]

they are the working dead! and they lurch for minimum wage!

[floosies]

Radio

early 2000s au

eddie munson x oc!fem

warnings: mentions of drugs, cursing, eventual smut, mentions of abuse, friends to lovers 18+

(a/n: this chapter will focus on the troubled teen industry, which I did research on during one of my law classes back in college. its a sensitive topic so you can totally skip this chapter its sort of filler of what happened during their time apart from each other '10- early 2011.)

"I'd rather go to hell than be in purgatory. Cut my hair, gag and bore me. Pull this pin, let this world explode"

Purgatory ( the months of failures and success 2010-2011)

It all happened so quickly, which she had prepared for mentally. She didn't fight whatever was happening, she was just told that they were taking her to where she would get help. Placing her in a van with blacked out windows, she stared at her parents wondering why they ever even chose to become parents. The van drove for a whole day, no one spoke to her after the first couple of miles, they only spoke to explain what would happen when she got to the 'boot camp'.

Her belongings were taken from her and she was told that her parents placed her in the program because of her behavior. Instantly, she knew this was going to be like a prison. Every day was some sort of manual labor and any sort of attitude or supposed disobedience was met with all sorts of punishments from cleaning to being made to sleep out in the woods for as many nights as they deemed necessary. Sometimes they wouldn't get dinner, and the food wasn't even a meal just small things.

She never bothered to write to her parents or use her calls on them. Just to her best friend to ask how people were, still even that was heavily monitored. It was though, how she found out about Eddie leaving Hawkins and about the band blowing up. In her heart she was happy for him, but a part of her broke knowing she wasn't with him. Still her friend always reassured her that Eddie had loved her and even told Julie about what he did at her parent's house. It was the only small bit of hope she clung to when it came to him.

During those months in her incarceration she had made friends with a girl who was similar in age to her. Her name was Charlotte which she hated because of the book and how growing up people always asked if she was named after it. They both bonded over their style and music taste, which got them into more trouble at times. One night it even led to both of them having to sleep in the woods, which was something they tried to avoid from happening again.

Due to their closeness in age, they were both brought into some sort office in the facility, where they were told they would be getting released out of the program soon. In the state they were currently in, they could not be held after eighteen which technically meant they were free to leave. When they did get released Julie had made a decision to do like Eddie and leave Hawkins behind. There wasn't any real reason to go back to that place. Graduation and prom had already happened by the time she was out.

Charlotte had mentioned how she had planned to go to New York, in her possessions was a credit card her grandma had given her. She had mentioned to Julie that her family was wealthy and only really did this to her to get rid of her for some time. It was fucked, and Charlotte agreed but didn't really care because she was just going to start over. Julie asked if she could join her, promising that she would work for her end of whatever payments or bills that had to be paid. Her new friend shrugged saying it wasn't that big of a deal.

-

Inheritance had been a hell of a savior, as soon as they bought their plane tickets and landed in New York, they had a place to stay. Julie hadn't gone into the facility with much. She had brought her phone but it hadn't been paid, so no service, and her wallet only had twenty bucks and her ID's. Apart from that was a small duffel of clothes her parents had packed for her. So once they arrived and cleaned up, Charlotte let her use the card she had to buy new clothes and what not.

Within the month they had started to make do with their situation. Where Charlotte didn't really care for finding a job, Julie did and when she found one she started saving to have enough to replace her belongings and pay for rent. Eventually though Charlotte did get a job working for a friend of her family, who was close to her grandmother.

In-between all the working and saving though, they started going out to the clubs around the Manhattan area. Documenting everything through pictures and being asked back by promoters who had found both girls 'pretty' enough to help bring people in. It was how Julie ended up befriending Alexa Chung one night. She had no clue who this girl was, but everyone around them at the club did, and at the same time, Julie and Charlotte were just as popular in that spot. It led to them talking about it the whole night and soon enough Alexa's agency wanted to talk to both of the girls.

By the late summer the girls had signed onto a modeling agency and gotten approved for work visas to enter the UK. Julie wasn't as picky as her friend had been about everything, she started doing ads for shops and magazines, being a guest interviewer for music channels and online radio shows. People loved her sweet demeanor and cheeky manner. Lottie never held it against her, she knew Julie didn't grow up in the limelight like she had so she let her friend make her way on her own.

With this new freedom, it didn't take long for her to make drastic changes. She didn't want to be found and she didn't want her past to exist anymore, so with her agent and publicist she got on a flight to Indianapolis and signed all the paperwork that would change her name, she'd chosen something slightly foreign and bubbly sounding, Francesca Thompson, the name added with a nickname, Frenchie, was a hit, her team agreed the decision to make the change helped her career immensely.

-

Frenchie had been reborn and her popularity in the indie scene had begun to bloom. Everyone spoke about her as Alexa Chung's sister from another mister. However, where Alexa was dating someone in her scene, Frenchie had a thing for guys who reminded her of the guy who had stole her heart. Though she never wanted to forget Eddie, she knew by looking at his social media and magazine articles that he had moved on. She was happy for him though, she always look out for him and the band, but now as a fan. By the end of 2010, she had found herself with this new guy who was coming up with his band.

He was something of a mix between Julian Casablanca and Oli Sykes but he wasn't either and his band was well into the metal scene. Nothing about him was similar to Eddie though, they didn't click as quickly but his piercings and tattoos made her feel like she could make believe. Both of them were on the come up and their fans ate up their relationship.

They entered the new year with his band and her modeling gigs blowing up. Their names synonymous with each other's careers. It was beginning to get easy to forget what once had been. She was a whole new person in love with someone who was close enough to home without the pain it once carried.

-

Eddie was touring, the band growing in success and notoriety through the approval of all the older groups who insisted that Corroded Coffin carried the spirit of metal into the present day. Ever the front man he didn't mind being on the front page if meant people were tuning into what the band was playing. Of course it wasn't what he wanted the focus to be on, but he'd grown up on Fred Durst doing outlandish shit all the time so what did it really matter?

He'd tried to look for her every once in a while, but there was nothing to be found. Julie's best friend had only mentioned once that Julie was safe, but what did that mean and why wouldn't she speak to him? He never got answers, but in his heart she was always going to be his first true love. Where ever she was he only hoped she thought of him the way he thought of her, but he moved onto someone new.

-

In September of 2011, there was a business party for her boyfriend's record label, of course he took her as his plus one. The night was going well til she saw them walk in, there he was with the boys. They looked so different now, well put together and groomed, something she'd never seen Eddie as before. They didn't speak, she stood beside her boyfriend the whole night.

Only for a brief moment did they pass each other as she went to grab some more drinks from the open bar. He just barely glanced at her apologizing for reaching over her to get some beers from the ice bucket beside her. Though their eyes met, its as if they were complete strangers. Her hair was platinum blonde now, his was cut short and there was a stud in his ear where there hadn't been a couple years back.

That night when she got back to her place, she lied about a migraine from the drinks to get her boyfriend to let her be for the night with the promise of brunch in the afternoon. In reality she spent the remainder of the night crying in her bed to an old picture she had of her and Eddie from their last hang out at the band's gig.

Meanwhile Eddie got drunk that night, his mind thinking back to how familiar that blonde at the bar looked. His mind couldn't piece it together, how something about her eyes reminded him of someone or something. However with the liquor in his system and a flight in the morning he started to forget about her as quickly as he thought about her in the first place.

taglist: @writinginthetwilight

[maatryoshkaa]

young god | epilogue

chapters: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | epilogue

word count: 4.4k

description: it’s been five years since the Miroh Heights murder cases came to a close — and five long, bittersweet years since you’d caught a glimpse of Han Jisung. Things in Miroh Heights have changed drastically since then — but when Felix sets you up on another blind date in an attempt to help you move on from the past, you realise that, once again, you’ve signed up for much more than you bargained for.

masterlist

recommended listening: stray kids - “sunshine”

epilogue.

“See ya, Miss l/n!”

You turned to wave back at the little girl who had called your name, her round eyes visibly bright from the waiting room of your clinic. Seven years old, front teeth just beginning to come in. One of her hands clutched a half-unwrapped lollipop as her mother held onto the other. 

The first time you had seen them, the child had been unwilling to speak — bullied relentlessly at school, her mother had informed you through a veil of desperate tears — but now, her laughter filled the warm air, traumas that had once been etched into a too-young face already beginning to heal and fade.

Evening sunshine warmed your cheeks the moment you stepped out of the building’s doors, a light breeze rustling the papers in your hand as you quickly tucked them into your bag. “Five years of graduate school hasn’t made you more organised,” Felix often teased you, and you would smack his shoulder in retaliation.

Five years hadn’t changed your friendship in the slightest, either—and you had to admit you were beyond grateful for that.

As always, the city around you was humming with life: evening rush hour, with people darting here and there, frantically flagging down taxis and catching their buses. Usually, on days like these, you should have been hopping into the first cab home and collapsing like a corpse as soon as you reached your apartment. But today, you remembered with a sigh, was not going to be one of those days. 

“Hey, Doctor l/n!”

You whipped your head towards the voice, a smile spreading across your tired features as you saw who it belonged to. In a slightly jaded Mini Cooper—second hand, of course, but worked just like new — Yang Jeongin waved at you from the driver’s seat.  

“I’m not a doctor, ‘innie,” you reminded him playfully as he unlocked the passenger door and let you climb in.

“Not a doctor yet,” he corrected you, grinning. “Besides, ‘child therapist’ doesn’t have as much of a ring to it.”

You rolled your eyes, laughing, and waved at another one of your patients as Jeongin started the engine. “You really didn’t have to offer to drive me, you know — the streets are a nightmare during this hour.”

“It’s not that far,” Jeongin protested, “Plus, I barely get to see you now, you’re so busy.” You didn’t have the heart to argue. The kid loved being behind the wheel so much, he made it seem like you were doing him a favour.

You watched Jeongin turn onto the main road, squeezing the car in between a van and a motorcyclist. He really had grown up over the last few years — his hair was darker now, remarkably sharp cheekbones overtaking his once-rounded cherub cheeks — but in some ways, nothing had changed at all. He still had that natural knack of brightening whatever room he stepped in — the Yang Jeongin effect, Hyunjin called it. And his heart was still too big for his own good: you remembered how he had adamantly refused to take the money Jisung kept offering him after the case had finally closed, and when Hyunjin had asked him why, Jeongin had simply replied, “After everything that’s happened, it doesn’t feel like he’s the one who owes me.”

On the other hand, Jeongin had been more than happy to take Prosecutor Kang’s compensation money instead, and had finally visited a car dealership with you and Hyunjin. 

The moment he had seen the Mini-Cooper — a beat-up thing from the 90s that you were amazed was still running — the younger boy’s eyes had lit up. “It’s just...it looks like the one our family used to have, before...the incident,” he had explained sheepishly, making you and Hyunjin exchange a look. And so, after a fiery back-and-forth between you and the salesman—not to mention a few sleepless nights at the mechanic’s — the rest was history.

The light turned green, and you spotted a photograph wobbling on the dashboard — a laughing child you recognised immediately as Jeongin. Behind him, a woman with a familiar wide smile had her arms around a man with eyes resembling a fox’s, with none of the slyness. “How’s your dad these days?”

“Mostly stays at home taking care of my mum, but he swears he wouldn’t have it any other way.” Jeongin turned his head to you excitedly, as if a thought just hit him. “She got out of bed a couple days ago, you know? The first time ever since my dad left.”

Your mouth fell open in a surprised smile, and Jeongin continued, “He’s real excited he got to teach me how to drive, too. I think he feels like he missed out on a lot of things, like...walking me home from school. Teaching me how to ride a bike. Graduation.” He shrugged. His words might have sounded sad at first, but you could see the way the lines of Jeongin’s face were more relaxed now, at peace. 

“Mind if I make a quick stop?” Jeongin asked abruptly, and you checked your watch before shaking your head lightly.

“I’m still about twenty minutes early. We’ve got plenty of time.”

He turned onto a familiar street, and you rolled down the window as Glow Cafe slowly came into view. It was just as busy as it had ever been — even the cars were stalling by the curb — but Hwang Hyunjin spotted you almost immediately, waving through the glass window. Quickly hopping out, Jeongin popped the trunk open, and you watched him haul two crates of coffee beans into the bustling cafe. The once-famed “delivery boy” of Miroh Heights only really did deliveries for Glow Cafe now, after Hyunjin had offered Jeongin a position as a barista until he graduated—and although he wasn’t the best with his hands (or his memory, for that matter), Hyunjin didn’t mind in the slightest.

“Him being here is more than enough for business. You should see the students flock in here every morning just to catch a glimpse of him.” The former barista snorted. “What’d I tell you? They’re eating him right up.”

They waved at Jeongin now as he jogged obliviously out of the cafe, Hyunjin’s laughs muted by the glass as he threw you a knowing wink. He had graduated himself, two years ago, officially inheriting the business after his grandmother had passed away. Glow Cafe had since come a long way, with Hyunjin always at the forefront of new design ideas and enthusiastically telling you about his plans to expand even more in the future.           

“Get this: ‘CEO Hwang, the most eligible bachelor of Miroh Heights,’” Felix held up his hands as if picturing a giant headline, giving his signature wolf whistle as you burst into laughter and Hyunjin kicked the blond man in the shin. “Ow!”

“How did you even get into the press with those cheesy titles?” Hyunjin  groaned.

“Not just ‘get into the press’, ‘jinnie,” you reminded him, giggling, “he’s the head journalist now!”

It was true—with his impeccable wit and seamless way with words, it came to nobody’s surprise when Felix maneuvered his way to the top of the local press in a matter of years. The head of the press still loathed him with a biting passion— “I can feel her glares all the way from her office,” Felix retorted — and rumour had it that the two seemed to fire shots at each other all day long. The image of a powder-faced, middle-aged woman bickering with your notoriously insufferable best friend made you laugh, but you also knew deep down that Felix always took his job more seriously than he let on. His eloquent articles had gotten his name out across the city in no time,  and so you took comfort in knowing that — no matter how hard the head of the press bared her teeth—nobody could touch Lee Felix now. 

Five years, you thought to yourself wistfully, eyes catching a familiar detective’s office as Jeongin drove past. What a trip down memory lane. You’d seldom come by this part of town since then, and seeing the familiar buildings sent a flood of memories and mixed feelings stirring in your chest. 

The well-loved Detective Bang, much to the disappointment of adoring students and professors alike, had moved abroad to a bigger city—whether he had been taken by a new precinct, or a new big case, you couldn’t be sure. “Rumour has it he’s doing undercover work now,” Seungmin had mentioned to you once in passing, “We haven’t heard from him in a while, but he’s making a big name for himself out there, that’s for sure.”

The District Nine police station whizzed by you in a blur, and more of the prosecutor’s words rang through your head.

“Meanwhile, the chief of police keeps insisting he’s glad to be rid of him, but we all know he secretly misses Chan.” Seungmin had shaken his head, and you had smiled at the image of the stoic police captain—chief, now—grudgingly sulking over the loss of his best friend.   

Jeongin made one last turn, and the narrow buildings opened up into the heart of Miroh Heights—the oldest part of town, where the roller rink, record shop, and the diner were. The sight of Mia’s Diner made you sink down instinctively in the passenger seat, and you couldn’t keep the raw dread out of your voice as you let out a long sigh. 

Jeongin gave you sympathetic look. “For someone who’s going on a blind date, you don’t sound too happy.”

“That’s because I’m not, Jeongin. I don’t even know why Felix keeps insisting on these. The last time I agreed to one was—” you broke off before you could finish what you were saying, the unspoken words echoing in your mind. The last time I agreed to one was when I met Jisung.

That’s right—the last official blind date you had been on, you had met Han Jisung — and he had turned your entire world upside down. For years afterwards, you had told yourself that you wouldn’t take that day back for the entire world, but now...now, you weren’t so sure.

After all, how could you be sure of someone you hadn’t heard from in over five years?

The rehabilitation centre didn’t allow letters in or out— you had learned that the hard way after your first letters had been sent directly back to your doorstep. Usually, they had told you, if things went well, patients could start correspondence again after a year or so—but you had gotten absolutely nothing. Not a single word. 

Five years—he should have been out by now. He could have been anywhere, doing anything—but he certainly hadn’t remembered to write or even call you. 

Had he really forgotten about you?

“Five years is a long time, y/n,” Felix told you gently, after you had adamantly refused the blind date he kept insisting on. “People...change, and maybe he’s—moved on.”

Moved on. 

You didn’t know how to tell Felix how much the thought of that hurt more than you were willing to admit, how this was the sole reason why you hadn’t been able to go on a single date for the past five years. You didn’t know how to tell him that Jisung hadn’t left your mind since the moment he had disappeared from your sight, five years ago, in the corridor of that courthouse. 

“I’ll be waiting,” Jisung had said.  And yet he was nowhere to be found. Meanwhile, Felix wasn’t taking no for an answer.

“You’re in your mid-twenties now, y/n. Loosen up a little, yeah? You’re allowed to go on dates, for goodness’ sake.”

“I’m hopeless, ‘lix. I’m pretty sure the stray dog on the street has a more interesting love life than me.”

“Maybe,” Felix mused, “I think I saw it running around with a litter of puppies the other da—ow!”

“You okay? You look kind of sick,” Jeongin remarked, pulling you out of your thoughts. “Got everything you need?”

You resisted the urge to laugh. If only Jeongin knew how you had prepared for this date—by mapping out all the ways you were going to end it as quickly as possible. Faking food poisoning? Check. Arrange a time for a friend to call you and pretend an emergency came up? Check— although Hyunjin had had a strange glint in his eyes when he had agreed to it. Worst comes to worst? Pepper spray, check. You let out a slow exhale. “Sure. All set.”

You thanked Jeongin with a hug and hopped out of the car. Just as you began walking towards the diner, you heard him call out behind you.

“Oh, yeah, Felix told me pass on a message — from him to you.” You turned back, and Jeongin gave a boyish grin that was half apologetic, half laughing. “‘Go get ‘em, tiger!’”

You gave an exasperated cry and yanked open the diner door.

━━━━━━━━

You were beginning to wonder if you’d been stood up.

Mia’s Diner was usually busy, bustling with students and townspeople alike, and tonight it truly was: booths packed with couples both old and new, laughter and the smell of food wafting through the warm air as friends and families celebrated the start of summer. The jukebox was on and playing an old disco song you liked but didn’t know the name of, the checkered floor tiles clicking with the sounds of brisk waitresses’ heels and dancing feet.

You didn’t know why Felix had insisted on coming here, of all places, what with the mixed emotions and memories you had tied to it, but you had to admit that the jovial atmosphere of Mia’s Diner on a Friday night never really disappointed. You found yourself relaxing slightly—just slightly, bobbing your head lightly to the music.

“Mia’s Diner?” You repeated incredulously. “Seriously, Felix, do you only know one date location? For the so-called ‘Matchmaker of Miroh Heights’, you’re sure lacking in the variety department.”

“Easy, tiger. Just trust me on this one, okay? You’re gonna owe me one.”

“I’m not—” you began indignantly, but Felix continued.

“Plus, the poor guy in question hasn’t been on a date in years, either. You both need this.”

“Years? Are you setting me up with a hermit?” 

“Oh, yeah. A big-time loser, seriously— but don’t tell him I said that. Just — indulge him a bit, okay, y/n? I promise you won’t regret it.”

And so, for the second time, Felix’s schemes and pleading puppy eyes had gotten you here—sitting at an empty booth, waiting for a blind date. He hadn’t even bothered to show you a picture of the man in question. You couldn’t help the smile from slowly slipping from your face as each minute passed, and you nibbled your lip anxiously.

Your date was thirty minutes late.

You peered out the window, at the lights of the town glowing a faint neon  against the clear evening skies. Each time a car filled in a parking space, you sat up, craning your neck to see if it was him—before slumping back down in disappointment. Five years, you thought to yourself glumly. Five years, and you still had no luck with dates. Maybe you just had no luck with love, you thought dryly. You imagined Felix laughing later when you told him about it and sighed, a twinge of worry replacing the dread in your gut.

Had something gone wrong?

After turning the waitress away for the eighth time, you fished out your phone from your pocket, tapping on the foreign number Felix had given you. Zero new messages, zero missed calls. At least I can tell Felix I tried, you thought glumly. Maybe I should just call Jeongin again, and ask him to pick me up. And then you could drop by Glow Cafe for a bit, before trudging back to your apartment like a fallen soldier.

Just as you were punching in Jeongin’s name, feeling a sense of guilty relief wash over you, you vaguely registered the diner door swinging open beneath the lively music, and a pair of footsteps trying to shuffle past the dancing couples.

For a split second, you thought you saw a pair of tattered black Converse—laces untied, soles worn—but the mirage disappeared, and was replaced by a pair of dress shoes that eventually came to a stop at your booth. You sighed, fighting back the tears that had suddenly threatened to well in your eyes. Shit. This is not the time to be thinking about him. Why were you still thinking about him? And why on earth had you agreed to this? 

You lifted your gaze, trying to muster up a smile, hoping your disappointment didn’t show on your face— 

And immediately froze.

“Hello.”

Standing before you, looking almost like an apparition — a golden silhouette against the backdrop of the dim diner — was Han Jisung.

You had to blink several times to realise you weren’t hallucinating again. He looked...different, and yet in some ways, he looked entirely the same: his hair was shorter, but tousled as it had always been, cheeks flushed and breathless as if—as if he’d been running through a storm.

You felt your body moving before any intelligible thoughts could form in your head, pulling you forwards like a magnet until you were standing face-to-face, your shaky eyes darting across his features, not daring to believe what you were seeing.

All of a sudden, the glint in Hyunjin and Jeongin’s eyes made sense, Felix’s words replaying in your head as overwhelmed tears began welling in your eyes without warning.

“The poor guy in question hasn’t been on a date in years, either.”

“A big-time loser, seriously — but don’t tell him I said that. Just — indulge him a bit, okay, y/n? I promise you won’t regret it.”  

“Y-you—are such a dork,” you stammered out, one hand weakly hitting Jisung’s chest as you felt the tears finally spill down your face. “Han Jisung, you are such a d—” 

Your words were cut off when Jisung pulled you into his arms, his head falling to rest in the crook of your neck. Your shoulders shook with muffled sobs as you buried your face in his chest, memorising everything about this feeling, not wanting to take a single second for granted, memorising everything about him. Jisung no longer carried with him that scent of gasoline and fire — instead, he smelled faintly of lemongrass, and a hint of warm, fresh laundry.

“I missed you,” you finally whispered hoarsely, “I just—missed you, so much.”

He chuckled in your ear, the low, familiar hum stirring faint, faraway memories in your head, and you gripped onto his shirt harder, as if he would disappear completely if you didn’t hold on tight enough.

Jisung had found you in the crowded diner before you had seen him — just like the first time he had met you. And just like the first time, he had felt his breath hitch in his throat, hands hesitating on the door, wondering if he should turn back instead. He had watched you bob your head gently to the music, a small, tentative smile on your face.

You looked good — no, amazing. Different, and yet entirely the same. Kind, worried eyes catching him completely off guard, like the flash of a camera.

Just as bright.

Just as brilliant.

The truth was, there hadn’t been a single day where he hadn’t thought of you — of your voice, your touch, your laugh. Jisung had asked Felix for help the moment he had gotten released, but what he hadn’t forseen was your reaction.

“She won’t go on a blind date, mate,” Felix had informed him exasperatedly, “Took weeks of convincing. Good news, though — she finally caved. You sneaky, hopeless romantic bastard.”

She might have forgotten me, Jisung had thought. And even if you hadn’t, you might not even welcome the sight of him—after all, he hadn’t been in touch since he had left, all those years ago. But in the end, the inexplicable pull in his chest had grown unbearable, and he found himself walking towards you, wading through the crowd, feeling the ache in his heart softening with each step he took. All the way back to you.

You pulled away slowly, vision blurry as Jisung lifted a hand to cup your face, never taking eyes off yours. He had grown in the time you had been apart—he was taller, his once-lean frame stronger—and, most of all, there was a light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

“Hey, pretty girl,” he murmured softly, and you laughed in disbelief, “I think you’re my blind date.” 

“How—w-why—”

“I told you I wanted to do this all over again, didn’t I? And I promised that I would try to do it right this time.” Jisung smiled apologetically, wiping your tear stained cheeks with his thumb. “I’m sorry it took so long.”

You shook your head, eyes widening when you saw what he had been carefully clutching in his other hand: a small bouquet of sunflowers, their golden yellow petals as tousled as Jisung’s own blond locks. 

“Apparently they symbolise new beginnings,” Jisung said, pulling a stray petal from your hair and chuckling, “Keeping promises. Eternal happiness. That kind of thing.”

“Why didn’t you write?” You whispered, as Jisung tucked the bouquet into your hands. 

“I wanted to...to heal. In every sense of the word. I didn’t want to show you, until I...knew I was really better. Believe me, I wanted to.” Jisung’s voice dropped to a whisper, as if he were fighting back tears. “I wanted to, so, so badly.”

You shook your head, mumbling something about how much of a stubborn idiot he was, and Jisung’s laugh made a hesitant smile tug at your lips. As if sensing the lightening atmosphere, the waitress had promptly appeared behind Jisung and meekly cleared her throat, setting down the menu. Jisung turned back to look at you, his grin growing playful.

“I hope you’re hungry?”

The diner seemed to come back to you all at once in a flood of senses, the music and murmur of restaurant goers sending a pleasant hum through your veins as you and Jisung sat down. The night went by in a warm blur, Jisung telling you about his life at the institute, the unlikely friends he had made, the dreams he hadn’t realised he had. 

“I’m going to go back to school,” he admitted, one hand rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “I’ll be a bit behind, but...I want to study something I actually like this time.”

You had told him about how you had been working in a child therapy ward ever since you had graduated, about all the children you had met and loved and cared for. As you talked about them, you saw a wistful look in Jisung’s eyes, and a thought crossed your mind. “Have you heard anything from—from Minho?” 

He gave a small smile, but shook his head. “Rarely. It hasn’t been long since he was released, but he said he was planning on going abroad. Doing some travelling. I think...he’ll reach out when he’s ready.” He then added, as an afterthought, “And if he doesn’t, I wouldn’t blame him.”

The sad simplicity of Jisung’s words stirred a strange feeling you couldn’t quite place in your chest, and your mind flashed back to the cold-eyed coroner and his stiff smiles; then, to the raw pain that had cracked through his strained features the last time you had caught a glimpse of him. Maybe you would meet again one day, or maybe that truly would be the last you ever heard of him.

Healing of the mind, you knew, was a strange process—one that always took much longer than you would expect. There were always scars that reopened along the way, old hidden wounds that surfaced right when you least expected them. There would always be answers you might never find, you mused sadly, closure you might never get.

But sometimes, you thought as you listened to Jisung talk, memorizing the feeling of his fingers interlaced with yours, sometimes we can only hope to hold onto what we already have. 

The end of the night drew closer, and when Jisung and you had stepped outside the diner, the city was swimming in the dark ochre of the setting sun. Eventually, the two of you ended up back in the wide garden behind the hospital, your laughs and giddy conversation slowly hushing into softer murmurs. In the distance, the rush of cars on the main road grew sparser, the windows of the buildings around you flickering to life one by one like young stars. Here, though, as you rested your head on Jisung’s shoulder beneath a willow tree, the world seemed to stand still, and all was quiet.

You heard Jisung yelp suddenly and looked down to see a familiar dog pattering around your feet—a stray, with scraggly fur like an overgrown teddy bear that had been through the wash one too many times. It immediately pounced onto Jisung, beginning to lick your boyfriend’s face like no tomorrow.

“Oof! Hey there, old buddy.”

You laughed, scooping the dog off—only after it had gotten a few slobbery licks in—and shivered slightly as a cool night wind swept past you. Noticing, Jisung shrugged off his jacket, draping it over your shoulders as you raised a teasing eyebrow at the cliche move.

“It looks good on you,” Jisung insisted, and you laughed incredulously.

“Your jacket?” You asked, ruffling the dog’s ears as it curled up at your feet.

At that, Jisung looked back up at you—seeing the faint outline of your smile in the dark, your eyes sparkling as you looked back at him expectantly, obliviously—and in that moment, Jisung wondered what he had ever done to deserve someone as perfect as you. 

After a beat, he replied, “Happiness. Happy looks good on you, love.”

Your mouth parted in surprise—both at his words, and at the unexpected name—and Jisung took the chance to lean in and kiss you, pressing his soft lips to yours. Gently, at first — carefully, but as you began to kiss him back, you felt Jisung slowly relax. You kissed him the way you had wanted to for so long, feeling the years of distance, of heartache, of endless waiting finally unravel beneath your lips. His hands reached up to gingerly cup your face, pulling you closer into him as if he never intended to let go. 

Happy looks good on you, too, Han Jisung, you wanted to say once you pulled away, forehead still lightly pressed to his. And you deserve it, more than anything. You watched Jisung’s features come back into focus beneath the dim moonlight. His gaze was fixed on yours, filled with nothing but pure adoration, and you felt a sudden surge of warmth coursing through your chest. 

I love you, you wanted to tell him, more than you could ever know — but something in the warm yet playful look in Jisung’s eyes told you that he was already thinking the exact same thing.

So you just smiled, and leaned in to kiss him again.

                                                YOUNG GOD | END

ryu says: to you — yes, you, who has reached the end of this series! this epilogue is my way of saying a big thank you to those who stayed along for the entire wild ride that was young god. thank you for loving the characters, the world of miroh heights, and of course, the story! there are easter eggs and full-circle moments all throughout this epilogue, so i hope you enjoy and have fun finding them all ^^

disclaimer: in my opinion, all epilogues are open to interpretation: i’ve left some characters’ stories untold, some loose ends untied for this exact reason. miroh heights’ story has finally come to a close here, but what happens to the characters from this moment on continues in the reader’s mind now. 

all that cheesy, pretentious stuff aside, i hope to see you in the next story!

[p0gue420]

!Too Young To Feel Numb! (Kie x Reader)

ATTENTION!! There are a lot of trigger warnings in this one! Including: drinking, drugs, talks of feeling alone, depression.

Summary: Y/n started smoking weed at the age of 8, It’s all she’d known; She grew up around it so it was normal for her to start super young, she told herself that’s the farthest she’d go...only smoking weed..never any hard drugs. She thought she could learn from her parent's mistakes, guess not. 

pairing: Kie x female!reader, Rafe x Platonic! reader, JJ x Sister figure! reader

Warnings: Substance abuse, depression, suicidal thoughts, marijuana Underage drinking,(reader is 15),

A/N: Alot of grammar errors because i dont feel like checking it so sorry....not really,hehe

---------

I use to think people were crazy for even thinking about doing anything harder than weed. Yeah...I was like 7 so it doesn’t count.”Yo you gonna babysit that shit or pass it, I mean...I have all day but  would love to do something besides wait for you to pass the blunt.” I rolled my eyes waiting for JJ to hand it to me.”Chill, what’s up your ass today?”

He finally passes it, after what felt like hours. I take a long hit before seeing he’s actually wanting me to answer his question.”Nothin. man, I’ve just got places to be.” I mumbled out hoping he wouldn’t start asking any further questions. He stares blankly awaiting me to pass it back, knowing I don’t share my feelings so he simply lays off. “Hey. You trynna go surfing today….whenever you’re done with your….things..?”

“Uhh, yeah text me and-” I’m cut off by the sound of my phone vibrating...Barry.

Barry:

Meet in twenty? I got extra today

I look up from my phone stuttering my words, and fumbling.“Uhm, I gotta go do something, but I’ll text you later to surf, yeah?” I say nodding towards JJ as I began walking out.”Uhm yea sure, hey-” I was already out the door.”-be safe.” he muttered to himself left wondering why I left so fast. On the way to my bike, I ran into Kie and Pope laughing about something before Kie began to make her way over towards me.

“Hey, Y/n! Heading out so fast, are we?”Kie pouted her lip out mimicking a whimpering sound.” heh, yeah sorry bub. I gotta go handle some things and I’ll be back later.” I peck her lips in a swift movement as well as pull up the front of her crop top, covering her exposed cleavage.”Those are my love,keep them covered” I wink at her. She laughs and heads inside after blowing me a kiss,that I catch and pretend to place in my heart..Wow im so whipped.

My thoughts cut off by a loud vibrating noise.

Barry:

You coming?

Read: 46 sec.ago

Me:

Omw now!

Read: just now

I hop on my bike heading over to Barry’s place knowing a shortcut I found a few days ago.

It only takes 10 minutes before i’m in front of his house walking up the steps of the porch.My clean oxygen is immediately replaced by the smell of cigarettes,weed,and...Is that burnt hair?I scrunch my face in disgust at the awful smells.”Aye look who it is!” Barry calls out after seeing my face, He’s standing beside..Rafe cameron.

Now...I’m not friends with Rafe but i also don’t exactly despise him.I babysat wheezie all summer last year,most the time he’d join..keep me company;I don’t think he knew i was with Kie but he’s not all bad.He’s helped me more times than I can count,only because i've done the same for him though.

“Yo waddup.I didn’t expect to see you here.” I share a short handshake with Barry and side hug Rafe,he seems unprepared for it so he stumbles a bit but eventually hugs back quickly.”uh yeah.just doing some..business” Rafe says avoiding eye contact,looking everywhere except my face.”anyway i'm gonna head out, i'll catch you guys later.” Rafe walks towards,im guessing his bike;I head inside following barry so i didn’t really catch what he drove in.

“So like I said I've got your usual ,and then I got a little extra something I thought you may like.”He continues on but I'm so wrapped up in the fact that I want to consume something soon,anything;I don’t know exactly what he's saying.”Sound good?” He asked “Uh what?sorry I zoned out a bit.”I shook my head pushing my long hair out of my eyes.”Look,Usually altogether this would be alot of money but considering I stole the pills,I'll spare you the oxy,wadda yuh say?”, “Yeah sure,80$?”

He nods his head holding his hand out as i hand him the money.He hands you a bag full of coke in a plastic baggy, along with the pills in its original container it was prescribed. “Ight,thanks man.Ill see you later next week!” I wave goodbye as I show myself out, shoving the ‘things’ I had bought into my bag and swinging it back on my back.

~Incoming call from:Bubbs<3

I instantly pick up not wanting to worry her.

I instantly hear the boys laughing and playing in the background,but wait for her to say something.”Hey baby, you heading back yet?” Kie questioned sounding bored of the childish boys we spend our time with.”Not yet,i promise im almost done,ask the boys if there's drinks at the chateau please.”She turns her head away from the boys asking what there is to drink besides sink water.

I hear a chorus of “We just stocked up”,”All good momma bird.” and other sayings coming from the overly hyper boys.”Did you hear that,or need me to repeat?” She hesitantly says, making sure I’m still listening ”Gotcha,I'm headed your way now,see you there” I say quickly hanging up without giving her time to respond.

I hop on my bike and drive towards…...the opposite of the chateau,instead deciding to go to the Camerons.I drive,stuck in thought of what ill do when i get there,not quite sure why i decided to come.I had been so lost in thought I didn’t realise I was suddenly at the Cameron residence. I park my bike and began walking up to the door,but before I can knock,Rafe walks up behind me.

“Y/n?” I swiftly turn around being scared for a minute before realizing who it was.”Oh!uhm. yeah...hey” I ‘smoothly’ say”what are you doing here?” he asks..The whole conversation was a blur and before I knew it I was walking up to his room to hang out.I sit on the bed laying back asking about what he wants to do.”I don't know,you came here,what'd you have in mind?” He asked curiously.”I'm not sure.” I snorted at my inability to maintain a conversation.

I dig into my bag as he starts up about how he broke his bed frame the other day, because he put too many boxes on the bed while getting rid of some old things. I finally found what I was looking for,the baggy of white powder.I lifted it up smiling widely.”Can I do this here or no?”I question,feeling my body begin to sweat at the thought of getting to snort the white powder.

“Uh,I mean.. yea sure,didn't know you did that kind of thing.. but I mean go ahead.” He rambles. He stares into space as I do a few lines, my eyes opening wide at the sensation of sudden adrenaline;I look over to see him trying not to stare.”Oh my bad,You want some?” I ask holding up the dollar folded into a cylinder shape , gesturing to the lines of coke spread on the dresser.

---

Hours go by,giggling,cracking jokes with rafe as well as doing oxy and maybe overdoing it with the coke seeing as the bag was almost gone.Rafe hasn't done much.I on the other hand was feeling VERY shaky and everything was just so hilarious..until it wasnt.My high started to get bad and overall scary.I must've did too much in such a limited amount of time.I look at my phone .

17 missed calls from Bubbs<3

8 missed calls from John B:)

9 missed calls from Popey boi

11 missed calls from JJ

Incoming call from Bubbs<3

“He-h-hello ,hi,hey.”

“DON'T ‘HI’ ME!” Kie instantly began screaming into the phone making me move my face away from it as Rafe looked at me with a worried expression on his face.

“Y/n,Where have you been! I’ve been so worried! I’ve-” I Blanked out again not in the mood to be yelled at.”Yeah,hey I nee-need,will-can youcomeandpickme up” I say jumbling all my words together. “Are you okay?Why are you talking like that?''She ask worried about my state of mind.

“Yeah am- I fine,Yes” I say yet again struggling to sound normal. I guess I was on speaker because JJ immediately began yelling into the phone asking about where I was.”Rafes house” Rafe sat silently waiting for them to break out into hysterics about me being with him.The phone went silent for a moment before the call ended.”So does that mean they not-....Vodka” was all i said before heading downstairs Rafe was sober enough to be able to notice what i was doing.I quickly went downstair searching through the freezer.

“Yessss.”I exclaimed before chugging the vodka.”Rafe continuously asking me to give him the bottle.I chugg at least half the pint bottle before having to give it up because Sarah comes down the stairs.”Y/n what're you doing here?” She asks excitedly until she saw me tripping over my own feet walking towards her,”Woah!” she caught me just before I hit the floor.

She turned to the door hearing someone pull up.Kie.”Rafe what did you do to her?” Sarah asked, holding me up scared of how out of it I was.”SHE BROUGHT COKE HERE,i did a bit with her, but she did A LOT. I legit did nothing this time I swear on everything!”He trailed back up the stairs not caring about the situation now that Sarah was there to take care of you. 

I began to sweat, tears running down my face. scared of what's happening to me.John b and Kie rush through the front doors asking where I am.”IN HERE GUYS!” Sarah screamed for them to hear her.My eyes rolling to the back of my head as I went in and out of consciousness.

“BABYYYY!!!” i exclaimed making grabby hands at Kie as i started crying harder

Sarah helped me stand up shakingly as I tried to walk to my girlfriend,She came running towards me with a concerned look on her face. She grabs my face pecking my lips,”Bub. I need you to listen to me, okay?” I nodd in awe of the gorgeous girl in front of me.”John B is gonna take you to the van,we need you to tell us everything you took to get in this state, okay?” I drowsily  nodded,growing tired.

Just as she said,the tall boy picked me up bridal style carrying me out to the twinkie.

I take notice to seating arrangement so i can close my eyes and know whos talking ,JJ being in the passenger seat,Pope watching From the bench behind the driver's seat.Kie stepped up into the van sitting on the floor of the vehicle waiting for John B to place me down beside her.As he did I sat up enough to lean my back against her chest.

JJ was surprisingly silent.Too silent.Pope looked so worried at my sweating body and dripping wet hair from  sweat,tears,and vodka mixture.”Okay,Y/n,What did you take?” my girlfriend sits grabbing my face turning me to face her, my legs straddling her thighs on the floor as I nuzzle my head into the crook of her neck,but she pushes my head up making me pout but not being able to maintain due to the dizziness. “I took a few oxy,uhm when I -then i did a few lines of coke,and…..i chugged half a pint of vodka..” i said tears filling my eyes trying to not look into anyone's eyes,

Silent JJ was no more .”Are you fucking kidding me.Y/n Y/m/n Y/l/n.You’re not supposed to take oxy and drink alcohol together.much less do oxy or coke at all.ARE YOU DUMB!” JJ began turning around. A Quiet ‘im sorry’ came from my mouth.John B finally pulled into the chateau.

Kie carried me while my face stayed nuzzled in her neck still crying due to my,still,VERY high state.she sat me down on the couch out on the porch as everyone except her,went to get a few things.Pope came back with water and a wet rag to place on my head.JJ brought a blanket,John B came back empty handed because he only went inside to pee.

“Kie?” I whispered scared she was mad.”Yes baby?” 

“Are you mad at me?” I questioned hiding my face in her shoulder due to the amount of dizziness being insured. She leaned her head on mine with an unknown amount of emotions,not quite sure of how to fully answer. “No I- I just don’t know what you were thinking I just- Well I figured you wouldn’t ever do anything like this considering what we talked about-and -and what you went through with your parents..” 

“I know-I wanted to feel better tho..I just feel like i have no one-”

Shortly realising the guys were still in on the conversation as Pope cut in.

“Y/n, you have,and always will have us..” I lift my head from the girls shoulder  before slowly looking at Pope in his sad worried eyes.

“I guess, I like-I dont know guys what you want me to say..Im trying to be better for myself for everybody,but nothing was working and i ran into barry one day and we talked and he offered a way to help,of course i was hesitant but its really not that bad...Im actually fine!” I said standing up as John b followed me.

“y/n, you were just saying you need help,so what the fuck are we supposed to do ,one minute you need help and having to be ushered here so you dont die! And-and-the next thing you’re yelling at us about how your fine,you’re not fine and you know it!” I stopped as I watched the long haired boy fight back tears trying to explain how all of them feel.

“Fuck you guys honestly,Im not a child i know how i feel,this is all just bullshit!” I yelled at them all, I ran to the spare bedroom covered in sweat,tears,and vodka; I slowly sink into the bed as tears fall down my face crying myself to sleep,what i didn’t know was that my bestfriend’s and girlfriend were all huddled up outside the door awaiting me to fall asleep so that they could come in and cuddle me to make me feel better.Sometimes things get better, but i dont think this is one of those times atleast for now anyway..

[tirednerd2012]

ooooooh, maybe a work where there's a terrible monster or a crazy criminal on the loose? ian is out, and everybody's panicing because no one can get hold of him and no one knows where he is. maybe i've watched too many horror/suspense/thriller movies...

Okay, guys, so this is how I'm going to introduce Drew into the EIGTBO series. If you guys don't like it, let me know and I can mess around with some other ideas. It's okay if he doesn't fit, I just wanted to give it a shot. Something you should know though, in this timeline, Barley was dating Drew when he was 16 and Drew was 21. He lied to Barley about his age and the relationship was more physically abusive to the point where Drew was actually arrested for hurting Barley because Barley's dad is the one to break the fight up since Ian would have been 2 years old. In this story, Drew is going to escape prison. I tried to make it where this could be either a one time thing in case it didn't work out, or multiple if it did. I'd appreciate any feedback!

Barley laughed as Jenny turned the music up and pulled herself close to him. It had been two days since their first kiss and while neither of them really talked about it, he was on Cloud 9 with her. They danced in the kitchen. Barley looked out through the front window and saw Ian playing with his toys. He'd go out there in a few minutes, but he noticed how Ian's social battery ran low these days and decided to give his brother some space. They lived in a safe neighborhood and the yard was fenced in, it should have been okay.

Barley would go on to install a deadbolt lock on the fence after this day's events.

As he and Jenny continued to dance and joke around with each other, the music changed to an emergency broadcast. An inmate with a history of violence had escaped and police were on the lookout. Drew Kings.

Barley almost had a panic attack hearing that name for the first time in almost 6 years.

He had been dating Drew Kings for a few weeks now. Drew knew everything to say to make Barley fall in love with him. He was a sweet, caring and protective boyfriend at first. But as time went on, he started to become more violent towards Barley. Once, he and his friend had talked after school and Barley was about 5 minutes late to meeting with Drew and in return, the older boy busted Barley's lip. He had to lie to his dad and tell him that he fell, but his dad didn't believe it. He was thankful his dad never fell for any of his bullshit.

One day, he and Drew had been at Drew's house. His curfew was coming up, but Drew didn't want Barley to leave. He kept kissing him and at first, being gentle and loving towards him. When Barley insisted he had to go home, Drew flipped like a switch. He became a different person and hit Barley in the face, then slammed him against the wall. Drew told him he was sick of waiting for Barley to be ready to take their relationship further. Barley tried to fight back, but Drew was stronger than he looked and easily able to overpower him. He kissed Barley, but the teenager headbutted him as hard as he could and then next thing he knew, Drew's hands were around his neck.

That's when his dad came. Barely doesn't remember much about what happened after that. He woke up in a hospital bed the next day. Drew, who was 21, not 18 like he told Barley, had beaten him bloody and was arrested for assault and attempted murder and sentenced to 30 years. But now, he escaped and he was running around somewhere.

Barley immediately went into a state of shock followed by panic and terror. He still lived in the same house Drew knew.

"Barley? Barley, what's wrong? Look at me," Jen said and he did, but he wasn't sure how to tell her. His mind had thousands of thoughts swirling around to the point where he couldn't grasp a single one. Until he thought of Ian. Outside. Alone.

He darted outside, but Ian wasn't anywhere in sight. He knew better than to run off in the neighborhood without Barley. Jenny followed him and she gasped when she couldn't see Ian.

"Barley, what's going on?" she asked.

"That guy, Drew, he's my ex," Barley confessed as he looked around both sides of the street. Still no sign of Ian. Barley felt like he could break down and cry. He'd never felt so damn helpless.

"He's your ex-boyfriend?"

"Yeah. Long story, but he was put in jail for beating the hell out of me. He almost killed me when I was 16 and fuck, we still live in the same house and what if he came and-," Barley stopped talking because now the tears were flowing freely.

Drew knew about Ian. His little brother was 2 when he was dating the guy. Though he only met Ian once and that's because Barley waited a while before introducing him to his family, and when things turned sour, Barley was too scared and didn't want to leave the relationship, but he didn't trust Drew around them after that. If he ever hurt Ian, Barley would never forgive himself.

"Call the police. I'm going searching. Tell them to get here immediately."

"I can go with you," Jenny offered. She put her hand in his and for a moment he was pulled back into reality.

"No, no, stay here and lock the door until the police get here. He doesn't know about you and that's for the best. Call Frank and tell him to keep Leo away," Barley responded. He quickly kissed her than jumped in his van and started looking.

Drew had to be on foot. There wasn't many places he could go in the 10 minutes Ian had been unsupervised.

10 minutes. That's how long Barley let his guard down and that's all it took for his worst nightmare to happen.

He drove down either sides of the street until he saw Ian with a man in a jacket. No one lived in this neighborhood and Ian was trying to pull away, but the man wouldn't let go of his wrist.

All Barley's fear turned to anger.

"Drew! Get your hands off him!" he demanded. His ex turned and faced him with the same cold eyes he had when he almost killed Barley. Ian looked over at him and cried harder.

"Barley!" he yelled and tried to get over, but Drew didn't let him go. Barley felt his heart pound and his veins burned. For a split second he wondered what his dad felt when he walked in and saw Drew strangling Barley.

"Well hey, babe. Kid sure has grown up, huh?" Drew asked. He yanked Ian closer and Barley went to charge. Drew put his hand close to Ian's neck. "Watch it, love. One wrong move and I could kill him. We both know I'm more than capable."

"Barley," Ian said. He looked at Barley as if to ask how scared he should be.

"What do you want?"

"I made it clear what I wanted years ago. Now I'm just pissed off with nothing to lose. Went by your house after I escaped, pretty easy by the way the security is full of idiots, and I saw this little elf," Drew said and played with Ian's hair. "He looks like your father. Hardly recognized him until I remembered, you had a little brother. And Dad's not here to save you this time, huh?"

"Leave him alone. He has nothing to do with this."

"But he does. You love him, therefore he has his own place."

"Drew, I swear, if you hurt him I'll kill you, leave him alone," Barley warned.

"I'm not scared of you, Barley, but we both know you have reasons to be scared of me. Had your dad not shown up that day, you would be dead. And now your parents are gone, all you have left is this little freak, who's here to help you?" Drew snapped, glaring daggers at Barley. Ian looked over at him and then did something even Barley didn't see coming. He bit Drew. Hard.

Drew, clearly surprised, yelped in pain and threw Ian away from him and on the ground. His brother landed with a hard thud, but he was away from Drew. Barley charged without missing a beat. He slammed his ex against the fence nearby. Drew hit him in the face, but Barley was full of resentment and adrenaline. No one hurt his little brother.

He remembered how he felt that day, the air draining from his lungs and screaming out. Thinking he would never see his family again. He held on to the panic he felt when Ian was gone and the anger he felt when Drew threw Ian on the ground.

He wouldn't deal with this anymore. He had a new life. His brother needed him. He was with a girl who was actually good for him. His family was expanding. And he needed to protect it from his past.

He busted Drew's head against the concrete and beat the absolute shit out of him.

He held Drew down until he heard police sirens. The police dragged Drew away and promised Barley that this was the end of it, but Barley had a knot in his stomach that disagreed.

He lifted Ian in his arms and cried. He tried not to lose it like that in front of his little brother, but he couldn't help it.

"Ian, thank God, I-I thought I lost you, bud. I'm so sorry," he apologized over and over.

He remembered how people questioned whether or not he was a suitable guardian for Ian, and now he was wondering that, too. He let this happen. He wasn't watching Ian closely enough and something horrible almost happened. Something from his past came back to hurt him.

Then Ian let go of his hug and wiped one of Barley's tears away. He had his own, but he seemed to hate the idea of Barley crying. He told himself he didn't deserve to have such an amazing kid for a brother.

"I'm okay, Barley. You got him. I knew you were coming, I even told him he was going to be sorry once you got here," Ian said.

"Did you now?" Barley asked.

"Yeah, because I knew you'd find me," he said. Barley got him strapped up in the van and then drove home.

"From now on, you can only play outback and Jen or I will be out there with you, okay?" Barley said and Ian nodded. When they got home, Jenny cried as she held on to Ian. His brother fell asleep in his arms, refusing to let go and it was then that Barley confessed everything that happened when he was a teenager.

As he recounted the story, he rocked Ian back and forth and held on like his little brother was his life line, the only thing keeping him in this world. In return, Ian curled in his arms, hugging Barley.

"Barley, I'm so sorry, I had no idea," Jenny said after he finished.

"I was too scared to tell you. I mean, I let all that happen and I thought you wouldn't want to be with me anymore."

"No, you were a victim in a horrible situation. And that's not going to make me change my mind about loving you," she said and then they both blushed. Neither of them had ever said that, but she shook her head. "Look, I understand that this relationship is going to take a lot of work. We both have a lot of responsibility and a lot of trauma to work through, but I'm willing to try if you are."

"I'm with you every step of the way," Barley responded. She didn't stay the night that night, but she stayed until the anxiety eased a bit. No one would sleep well.

Ian ended up in his brother's bed when bedtime came around. He was still scared and Barley couldn't blame him, so he wrapped an arm around Ian and rubbed his back until he fell asleep. Barley didn't get any sleep that night. No, instead he listened to every sound the house made.

[jilyyall]

Animal Magnetism - Ch 12. Humans and Vampires.

Edward Cullen was not a normal teenager; of that I was certain. But knowing that did nothing to stop the pull I felt towards him. And if what he was saying was any indication, he felt some strange pull towards me, too. It was like we were magnets struggling against hope to stay apart. I only wondered what would happen when we inevitably collided.

Chapter 12. Humans and Vampires. FANFICTION.NET / AO3 Intro/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/

I was surprised when my parents didn't immediately jump to demand information from me when I finally managed to drag myself inside after my date with Edward. Charlie just asked if I had a nice time and Renee only grinned like I'd never done anything to make her so happy as when I said that yes, I did have a nice time with Edward. I knew they had seen us kissing in his car, and again on the porch just a second before, but they didn't say anything, and they didn't protest when I excused myself to take a shower.

Renee was sitting on my bed when I walked into my room wearing my bathrobe, my hair wrapped up in a towel piled high on my head. I stopped in the door and stared at her. It was clear from the wide, excited smile on her face just what she wanted.

"Mom," I groaned and shook my head. "Please, no."

"Oh, come on! Talk to me! I'm dying here! You've never dated before, so we've never really talked boys!" She was practically whining, and she slapped her palms down gently on her bent knees. Then, she smiled again and waggled her eyebrows. "He's really cute."

I sighed and stepped further inside, closing the door behind me as I headed for the closet. "Yeah, I've noticed."

"So? Tell me about him!" she demanded. I heard my bedsprings creak as she shifted.

And this was why I didn't want to talk about it. What was I supposed to tell her? "Well, what do you want to know?"

"Everything!" she exclaimed.

"Mom, I hardly know everything about him," I told her. I bit my lip, my back to her while I pretended to take a while deciding which pajamas to wear. I decided to offer her some half-truths. "He's seventeen. His uncle, Dr. Cullen, adopted him after his parents died when he was younger. He plays piano, and he's really close with his family."

"Yeah, your dad was telling me about that arrangement. What's the deal with all the kids?" she asked.

"Um, Emmett and Alice are siblings, and they're Edward's cousins. Dr. Cullen's brother and sister and their spouses all died in a car accident when he was just finishing up medical school and he and his wife ended up taking them in and adopting them. Alice and Edward are the same age; Emmett's a year older. Rosalie and Jasper are twins – they're the same age as Emmett – and their parents were friends with Mrs. Cullen when they died a couple years ago. Dr. and Mrs. Cullen decided to foster them because they were friends with Emmett, Alice and Edward."

That was the story Edward told me they were going with this time around, anyway. I was sure that, if pressed for more details, all of them would have them at the ready.

"Dr. Cullen is the one who checked you over when you were involved in that accident, right?" When I nodded, her eyes went wide. "He does not look old enough to have five teenagers."

"Maybe he has a really good skincare routine," I suggested. When she raised her brow at me, I shrugged. "I think he and Mrs. Cullen are in their early thirties. It seems like they're doing a good job."

"Yeah, well… Edward does seem very nice," Renee said. "So, tell me how this all started!"

Well, he kind of got obsessed with the idea of getting to know me when he realized I was the one person whose mind he couldn't read, and then he used his inhuman strength and speed to save my life from that van a few months ago, remember? And then I became obsessed with trying to figure out his secret. Turns out, he's a vampire and he likes me and I like him and now we're just kind of obsessed with each other!

"We sit together in Biology," I said. "He's really smart."

"Was it love at first sight?" Renee sighed romantically.

"Not hardly." I bit my lip and snorted, remembered the murder in his eyes at lunch that first day. At her inquisitive look, I sighed and came up with a quick lie. "Um. He used to work alone until I came along, and he liked it that way. So he didn't really like me at first."

"But then he realized you were really smart and he started to like you?" she said, sounding almost giddy at the idea.

"Yeah, something like that," I said, and held up my pajamas. "Um, do you mind? I want to get dressed."

Instead of leaving like I wanted her to – it was stressful having to heavily edit all of my answers – she closed her eyes, squeezing them dramatically tight. I sighed and quickly slid my robe off my shoulders and slipped into my t-shirt and shorts.

"Was that night in Port Angeles a date?" she asked shrewdly when I'd given her the go-ahead to open her eyes.

"No, not really," I said as I leaned against my desk and crossed my arms awkwardly over my chest. "Um. I kind of invited him along, but he was out with his family that weekend so he didn't think he could make it, but they got back early and he got there right in time for the movie."

"And he let you wear his jacket and he drove you home even though I'm sure Mike Newton wanted to drive you home," Renee added.

"Mike Newton is dating Jessica." I said his name as if it was a dirty word; after his latest attempt to ask me out I was still a little sensitive to people suggesting there was anything there. "And he's just a friend."

"I know that's how you feel," Renee said with a little laugh. "But I'm sure he wasn't too pleased when Edward drove you home."

I scowled, and then shook my head. "No… he wasn't. Mike really doesn't like Edward."

"I can't imagine why," she said sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, doesn't really matter why," I said with a small, uncomfortable shrug. I could just imagine what she would say if she found out about Tyler telling everyone he was taking me to prom.

"You like him, right?" Renee asked, but I figured it was purely for form. Wasn't it obvious how much I liked him? Hadn't she and Charlie seen us kissing when he brought me home? "Are you going out with him again?"

"Yeah, Mom. I like him a lot," I told her. "And yeah… actually, his sister convinced him to bring me over to their house tomorrow. He's going to introduce me to his family."

"Wow," she said, and she looked surprised. "That's a big deal."

I shrugged uncomfortably. "I mean… yeah, I guess. I think Alice is just really convincing."

"Alice is his sister?" When I nodded, she did as well. "It doesn't matter how convincing his sister is; he's the one who decided to go ahead and introduce you to his whole family. He must really like you, too."

I bit my lip and turned my back to her to hide my blush as I slowly unwound the towel from my hair. "Yeah, he does."

I grabbed my brush and my blow dryer and held them up. "Mom, I know you want to talk, but I'm really tired right now, and I just want to go to bed."

Truthfully, I was tired, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go sleep even if I tried. My day with Edward would be on repeat in my mind, and the anxiety I felt about going to his house tomorrow would likely keep me up most of the night anyway. But still, I wanted to be alone to really be able to think.

"Okay," Renee said with a small, hurt frown I wished I couldn't see.

"Love you," I said when she stood up.

"Love you, too," she said, and left the room.

The next day, I went downstairs about fifteen minutes before eleven to find that Renee had left to head down to her studio for a little while. I knew I had hurt her feelings by sending her away last night, but I didn't know how to fix it, not when I couldn't have the kind of heart to heart that she wanted.

"Edward Cullen, huh?" Charlie said as I quickly ate a sandwich; I didn't want to be hungry over at Edward's house even though it was likely that they already had food for me, if what he and Alice had packed for me the day before was any indication.

"Um, yeah," I said once I'd swallowed. I eyed him cautiously from my perch on the countertop near the sink. Charlie didn't do these kinds of conversations. Not like Renee did.

"Nice family," he said. He was sitting at the kitchen table, casual in a pair of worn jeans and a loose thermal, reading the newspaper.

"Yeah, well… I only really know him. I spoke to one of his sisters for like thirty seconds the other day at school," I told him. "Dr. Cullen cleared me of any head injuries, but I don't really think that counts."

"Should be alright," he said, and then repeated, "Nice family. Never had any trouble from them."

"Right. I'm sure it'll be fine," I said. He didn't truly understand; this wasn't like meeting a normal boy's family. I was meeting my vampire boyfriend's family, and they had every reason not to like me, not to trust me.

"Edward's nice, right?" he said after a moment, and I realized he had been staring blankly at the newspaper in front of him since I entered the kitchen.

"Yes, Dad." I smiled softly. "Edward's nice."

"Good," he said just as there was a knock at the door. He rolled his eyes, but there was a small smile on his lips when I jumped away from the counter. "Hey."

I stopped in the middle of the kitchen and wheeled to face him. "Yeah?"

"Have a good time," he said. "And call me if you need anything."

"Yeah, Dad," I said, and walked over to give him a kiss on the top of his head. "Thanks."

He looked surprised, but pleased, as I ran out of the kitchen and into the hall, grabbing my jacket as I swung the door open.

"Hi," I breathed, and just looked at him for a moment.

"Hello," he said, and I knew Charlie had no plans to come see us out when he stepped to me, wrapped his arms around me on the threshold, and breathed me in for a long moment before he kissed me. When he pulled back, he smiled at me. "Are you ready?"

"Um." I struggled to clear my mind. "Yeah."

"Let's go, then."

"Bye, Dad," I called over my shoulder as I pulled the door shut behind me and followed him to his car on the street.

"How did you sleep?" Edward asked as I buckled my seatbelt.

"Oh, you know. Okay, I guess," I lied. I'd barely slept at all, and I was sure he could see it in the shadows under my eyes. "I realized I don't even know where you live. My dad seems to have some idea, but… where are we going?"

"Our home is outside of Forks, north of the Calawah River," he told me. "Deep in the forest."

We drove for about fifteen minutes until all of the houses were behind us and the forest grew deeper and denser and greener on either side of the road. Then, he slowed the car to turn onto a barely visible unmarked dirt path. It was a long, winding, narrow path, just wide enough for one car to drive down. We were on it for another few minutes before the trees began to thin, and we drove up on what seemed to be a meadow, or a lawn given the house that sat there.

There were six primordial cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protective shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story.

It was beautiful, and graceful, and probably at least as old as Edward. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration.

"Is it everything you expected?" Edward asked, smiling as he helped me, gaping, from the car.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, still struggling to take it all in. There was a garden, colorful and lovingly tended, that followed the curve of the porch.

"Esme has a passion for restoring old buildings," he told me as he led me up the steps and onto the sturdy wooden porch. "Also for interior design."

"Well, she really knows what she's doing," I said, making him laugh.

Edward's parents were standing in front of a winding staircase facing the door when we walked in. They looked as though they had been standing in wait for a very long time, but knowing what I knew, they could have flashed down there the second Edward's hand touched the door and I would never have been able to tell the difference.

Dr. Cullen was as handsome and as youthful as I remembered. His blond hair was as sleek as the day he'd confirmed I didn't have any head trauma, and his eyes were the same light honey as Edward's. It struck me how odd it was that the people of this town actually bought the Cullens' fabricated story; how was it that a man who didn't look even close to thirty could have adopted five teenagers? And how could that man, brilliant surgeon though was, young as he was supposed to be, afford a house like this with a wife and five grown children to support?

Esme Cullen was small – not quite as small as Alice, but roughly my height – and slender with softer features than any of her family. Her hair was the color of salted caramel just a couple of shades darker than her eyes, and tumbled over her shoulders in thick, graceful waves. She stood at her husband's side with a welcoming smile on her face, her hands clasped in front of her.

There was a slight flush in their nearly translucent skin and I wondered if the entire family had gone hunting so recently because of me. They both were smiling, but neither of them moved a muscle. I was certain they were wary of frightening me.

"Carlisle, Esme," Edward said, rubbing his thumb along the back of my hand soothingly. "This is Bella."

"Bella," Dr. Cullen said, inclining his head and moving forward slowly with his hand extended towards me, like he was approaching a flighty animal. "You're so welcome here."

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen," I said, stepping towards him and shaking his cold hand.

"Carlisle, please," he said with a pleased and almost surprised look on his face. Behind me, Edward laughed quietly in response to his thoughts.

"Carlisle," I repeated with an easy smile.

"Bella, I am so happy to finally know you," Esme said, giving me a handshake I would have described as nothing but warm, though her hands were as cold as Edward's and Carlisle's when she wrapped them both around my extended hand with a kind, reassuring smile. "You are such a blessing to us."

I wondered if Edward – or more likely Alice – had spoken of me often, or if she referred to the fact that he had been without a partner for the whole of his existence.

"Thank you." I felt my face flush at the high praise. "I'm very glad to meet you, too."

"Bella! I'm so happy you're here!" I turned to the staircase in time to see Alice race down it, quick as lightning, barely a streak to my eyes. She came to a sudden stop inches from me and pulled me into a firm hug. "I can't wait for us to have our girls' nights."

"Hi, Alice," I said, and returned the hug hesitantly. When a vegetarian vampire who insisted she would soon be your best friend hugged you, you hugged her back. "Girls' nights?"

"Yes, they're going to be so much fun." She was beaming at me when she pulled away. "Just the two of us hanging out when Edward goes to hunt!"

"Alice," Carlisle chastised quietly.

"Hush, it doesn't bother her!" Alice said without looking away from Edward and me.

"Because we're going to be best friends," I said helpfully. Carlisle and Esme looked dumbfounded while Alice grinned at me. "Edward mentioned it."

He was smirking when I glanced at him over my shoulder. I wondered whose thoughts were amusing to him, and why.

"Bella, this is Jasper," Edward said quietly.

I turned back to the staircase to find the tall blond at the top of the staircase. His eyes were the same well-fed shade of his family, but his strong jaw was tense and he was looking at me with uncertainty, like something about me just didn't make sense. Probably that I had willingly and knowingly walked into a house full of vampires.

Alice took several steps away from me and held her hand out to him. He walked slowly down the stairs and stood next to her, but made no move to touch me as the others had. He stood stiffly at Alice's side, and she threaded her arm through his.

"Hello, Bella," he said, and his voice was quite unlike any of the others'. It was still soft and melodic, but he spoke slowly in a long, drawn-out southern drawl. I remembered Edward saying he had been changed in Texas when he was a soldier in the Civil War. I wondered if he ever modulated his tone to fit in with the accents around him, of if he chose to keep this one small vestige of his human life with him forever. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, Jasper," I said, smiling shyly. The last time I had seen him, I'd bared my teeth at him, Emmett, and Rosalie because I was mad at Edward. "It's nice to meet you, too."

I felt Edward tense next to me and turned to see him facing Carlisle with a scowl, but I got the impression that he was upset with something Carlisle had silently told him rather than the man himself.

"Emmett and Rosalie are in the living room," Carlisle said quietly, and it was a shock to realize that he spoke it aloud only for my benefit.

"It'll be okay, Bella," Alice assured me; I must have looked nervous at the prospect of meeting Edward's even more intimidating siblings. She smiled jokingly, like we had some sort of inside joke. "They don't bite."

"Alice," Esme hissed, but I laughed and everyone but Edward and Alice looked surprised again.

"Thanks, Alice," I said. It was charming, and somehow comforting, that she didn't feel the need to walk on eggshells around me like I was some weak, frightened little human. I could easily see now how we would be best friends before long.

Edward took my hand again and led me down the hallway, past the staircase, past a doorway that led to what looked like an elegant sitting room, and over to a wide, open doorway. There was a huge TV on one wall, almost as large as a movie theatre screen, and the largest, plushest, butteriest-looking leather couch I had ever seen.

"This will be quick," Edward breathed in my ear, looking annoyed already just as I noticed Rosalie standing impatiently next to a large glass door leading out into the woods. Emmett was grinning at me from beside her.

"Hello," I said uncertainly.

"Hey, little mountain lion." Emmett waved cheerfully, and snickered at his own joke. "Get it, because you growled at us the other day, and mountain lion is Edward's favorite."

"Right," I said, heart hammering in my chest as my face flooded with heat. "Um. Sorry about that, by the way. I was, um, mad… at Edward."

I glanced sideways at him to find him watching me impassively. I shouldn't have been surprised to find him unsurprised. There was no way that none of his siblings had thought about it after it happened. At least he didn't look upset with me.

"Don't worry, Bella. It was great!" Emmett laughed. He didn't seem to mind one bit that Rosalie didn't look happy with him. "You are going to be one fierce little newborn."

"Emmett," Edward hissed, a low warning.

"You think so?" I said with another small, uncertain smile.

"Yes, let's all just joke around like this isn't incredibly irresponsible," Rosalie hissed.

"Rosalie," Edward growled, less of a warning and more of a threat.

"I've met her. Am I done?" Rosalie demanded, looking past us now like Edward and I weren't there. Shocked at her unbridled hostility, I looked over my shoulder to see that Esme had followed us and was frowning at her daughter, a look of pure maternal disapproval on her angelic face.

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and threw the door open so violently that I expected the glass to shatter, but it must have been made of something stronger because it remained intact. She stalked out and, in seconds, disappeared into the trees behind the house.

"Don't take it personally, Bella. She's working through some personal hang-ups," Emmett said with a small, concerned frown as he looked after Rosalie. He looked at me and smiled reassuringly. "I'd better go after her. I'll see you later."

"I'm sorry, Bella," Esme said once the door had shut softly behind Emmett; it was funny to see someone as large as him be so gentle after Rosalie had almost demolished it. "Maybe it would have been better if I hadn't convinced her to stay."

"It's okay," I said, though Rosalie's hatred of me left me almost as shaken as Edward's initial reaction to me had. "Emmett seems nice."

"Emmett finds you interesting," Edward told me and I barely noticed as Esme slipped away again. "Rosalie is… well, Emmett's right. Don't take it personally. She'll come around eventually, according to Alice."

I wondered if eventually was in the next year or after a few decades. It could have been either, considering Alice had seen me as one of them.

"So," I said, changing the subject before I could think too much about it. "Mountain lion."

Edward smiled ruefully. "We all have our personal preferences. Emmett's is bear."

"I can see that, actually." I nodded, and then frowned. "Didn't you say Emmett was being mauled to death by a bear when Rosalie found him?"

"Why do you think he likes them so much?" he responded. "Come on, I'll give you a tour."

He led me through the living room and into a kitchen that made my heart sing. I could just imagine cooking here, with the top of the line stainless steel appliances. I eyed Edward. "This is a nice kitchen for a family of vampires who don't eat."

"We like to keep up appearances," Edward said.

"Right." I nodded sarcastically. "For all of your human guests."

"You never know," he said, and walked to the refrigerator. "Would you like something to eat or drink?"

I looked over his shoulder, astounded by the sheer amount of food and variety of drink I saw. The fridge itself was nearly twice the size of the one in my parents' small kitchen, and it was almost overflowing. "Why on earth do you guys have all of this?"

"Appearances," Edward said again. "Esme goes to the grocery store once a week so the humans don't get suspicious. We donate it all… she only went yesterday."

When he still held the door open, looking at me expectantly, I shook my head. "Oh. No, I'm fine. Thank you."

He shut the door and led me back out of the kitchen, gesturing to doors as we passed. "The laundry room. The garage; you won't find that interesting. This is a bathroom. This is Carlisle and Esme's bedroom. This is the room where we monitor our finances… Alice and Jasper do most of the work there; they enjoy it more than the rest of us, though we each have our own private investments and accounts."

I stopped by the front door, pointing to an inconspicuous metal pad I hadn't noticed before. "What's this?"

"Oh, that's a safety precaution," he told me. "We can activate heavy metal shudders to cover all of the windows and doors. If any humans come along unannounced when the sun is high. Or when we move along."

He led me up the stairs to the second floor. "Jasper's study. Alice's bedroom. Rosalie and Emmett's room. Another bathroom."

And up to the third floor.

"This is the library. Carlisle mainly uses it as a study," Edward said as we passed a solid oak door. He paused, and lifted his hand to knock. "You'll enjoy this, actually."

"Come in." Carlisle's soft, soothing voice called; Edward was already pulling me inside before the first word was out. He was sitting at a large oak desk with a thick medical tome open in front of him. "To what do I owe the honor?"

"I'm sorry, we didn't mean to interrupt." I stood, feeling incredibly shy, at Edward's side as Carlisle rose to greet us.

"Not at all," he said, rounding the desk and leaning against the front of it, hands behind him bracing his body against the wood as he faced us openly. "What can I do for you?"

"Bella has an interest in our family history. I told her some," Edward said, "but I hoped you might feel like sharing your history with her."

Carlisle looked at me and smiled indulgently. "I would be happy to."

Reacting to something in Carlisle's thoughts, I was sure, or just because he knew the story so well himself, Edward spun me around to face the door we had come through – this was the one wall not shelved out and full of books; instead there were paintings lining every inch of the wall – and walked me over to a sepia-toned oil painting in a small, square frame. A cityscape depicting slanted roofs and high-spired towers with a long, winding river in the foreground, a bridge across it holding what looked to be a row of cathedrals, this painting stood out only for it plainness among the large, grand pieces surrounding it.

"London in the 1650s," Edward told me.

"The London of my youth," Carlisle said from behind me. Edward squeezed my hand as if he expected me to be unsettled by either Carlisle's sudden proximity or his age, but I already knew how old he was and I felt like I was pretty desensitized to vampires suddenly appearing near me. "Where to begin?"

ffn / AO3

[mythgirltaryn]

Post KH3 AU where Sora’s heart squad are Siblings Part 2

Appearance headcanons

Ven and Van are aged up, so now they like 28.

Their appearances gradually started changing after KH3

Sora, Roxas, and Xion now have the same skin tone, light tan. They also have the same eye color, dark blue.

Roxas’ hair is more like dark dirty blonde now.

Ven kept his regular skin tone, but his hair is lighter blonde and his eyes are light blue

Vanitas is the darkest skin tone out of all of them, a bronze color, and his eyes are green now. Originally, they weren’t, they were still yellow. Then he got blue color contracts, so people would stop being afraid of him (and to look like his sibs), but they ended looking green instead of blue. At first, he was pissed off about this, but then he grew to like it because Sora’s mom has green eyes. Then one day, when he took of his contracts, he noticed that his eyes had actually turned green. He blames it on heart magic and he actually pretty happy with it.

Sora’s Mom Headcanons (God this poor woman, I gave her a horrible life TT.TT)

Name is Skye

Orphaned as a baby and was never adopted. So, she has no other family than them.

Lived on the streets for a couple of years when she got too old for the orphanage.

Was a petty criminal for a couple of years she was on the street.

Sora’s dad was the first person to look past her tough persona and see the good in her

Sora’s dad helped turned her life around and made her into a better person

Sora’s birth was the happiest day of her life because she finally got a family of her own

Sora’s dad died when he was 10, everybody thought that that would break her but instead, it drove her to stay strong for Sora.

What really almost drove her over the edge was Sora’s year-long sleep. Because during that time, she knew that she had a son, (She still had all his baby photos, his room, birth certificate and such) but she could remember anything about him. And nobody could help her confirm that he was real.

Was put into a mental hospital for a couple of days, only for Sora to wake up a week later and everyone apologize for not believing her

Been very protective over Sora and later the other four ever since

Vanitas reminds her of her younger self and that’s one of the driving forces to them becoming close

Siblings dynamic

Sora, Roxas, and Xion are a triple threat of thrill seekers. Any reckless or possibly dangerous thing Sora suggests, Roxas and Xion approve. (“Hey! Want to have a flowmotion diving contest off the clocktower?” “HELL YEAH!”)

Ven is the responsible one of the group (“No, do not do that.”) and Van is the one egging them on the annoy Ven. (“Do it”)

But Vanitas is protective over them too, in his own way. (In this example, if one of them get too close to the ground for his liking he summons a dark corridor for them to fall through then reappear right next to him)

Sibs in Disney Worlds

Shortly after, they became an official family. Sora took them around the worlds showing his sibs to everybody he knows.

Ven learned how to do the transforming/world order magic and also learned how to change their clothes to adapt to the weather. (Take notes, Donald)

Wherever they go, Vanitas always end up looking like the goth kid of the family.

World-specific headcanons

In Monstopolis, they all look like Sora’s monster form but with slight variations. Like, different color fur, stripes, tails, and horns on some.

Mike and Sulley don’t recognize Vanitas cause he not wearing the mask, but Van is a bit wary of them.

In the Caribbean, Jack calls the other four by nicknames based on their comparisons to Sora. Roxas-> Blonde Sora, Xion-> girl Sora, Ven-> Big Blonde Sora, and Van-> Big Sora.

He eventually does call them by their names, expect for Vanitas. He still calls him big Sora cause, according to him, his name too long, in reality, he just do it to mess with him

I can see Jack looking like a proud dad when he sees Sora showing the others the ropes of pirating.

On the way to port, Jack takes Xion aside, warns her about the possibility of meeting some “unsavory characters”, gives her a pocket knife and show her how to stab someone with it.

In Arendelle, Ven gave them weather clothes because Sora told him about his last visit and how he was freezing. (Donald!) Only for it to be summer. Luckily, Elsa transforms their clothing for them, now they have traditional Arendelle clothes as souvenirs.

In Pridelands, they got in contact with a researcher’s spy camera. Cause one of my headcanon is even though we don’t see humans in pridelands they still there, but they kept their distance.

Sora, Roxas, and Xion found one of those robot control hidden camera while chilling by a tree. Their lion side got the better of them and when it started moving they chased after and mess with it like real lions.

Meanwhile, Vanitas catch some drones flying by and decided to mess with them. So, some poor researchers had to deal with consist almost heart attacks cause this jerk of a lion is trying to swipe their drone out of the air.

 All the while, Ven is just taking a nap.

Now on the human side of that world, there a trending YouTube video about five funny looking lions. And people in the comment section are making jokes about how it looks like they’re all wearing wigs.

[catfishandthebottlefan]

#10 - Raised On Love

T/W- mentions of domestic abuse and alcoholism, but no graphic descriptions.

A/N ~ this is kinda drabbley, I didn’t really know where it was going but the ending is super sweet and fluffy. If you want to feel good, I would say read this because it definitely has the “warm and fuzzy effect”. ~ A x

You were used to it. The plate-smashing, the harsh words, the hate-filled glances. The bad atmospheres at family outings, leaving restaurants early, everybody sitting in separate rooms when you got home. 

Your parents’ broken relationship was a part of your childhood, a monumental yet seemingly everyday aspect when you were growing up. In fact, you almost preferred when your parents were fighting, as it felt so fake when they were being pleasant to one another. 

Van, on the other hand, was brought up very differently. He was raised on nothing but love. Although you had the material possessions envied by many other children at the time, Van had the loving atmosphere and gentle upbringing that some kids took for granted, but others, like you, longed for. You loved going to his house on Friday evenings for dinner as a young teenager - Mary and Bernie’s welcoming arms and hearty meals left you with a sense of warmth and belonging that you didn’t get at home. Your father would drink his evenings away, and your mother would be filled with so much resent that any meal she cooked could never taste good. The choking sensation in your throat would take over the minute yet another door slammed or a fork was banged against the table. 

You remember almost moving in with Van at the age of 16, as you were at his house more often that your own. Rather than heading left out of the school gates, you began to head right, and would spend the evenings with Mary, Bernie, Van, and sometimes even the B&B guests. Then, rather than heading home to sleep in your own bed, you began to stay on the sofa-bed Mary would lovingly make for you in the corner of Van’s tiny room. Eventually, rather than sleeping on the sofa-bed, you found your way into Van’s, and he would stroke your back softly until you fell asleep, warm, safe, and happy.

It continued like that long into your late teens, and you would usually only head home on weekends, or whenever you felt guilty for leaving your mother alone with Him. What you didn’t realise was how violent He would become when you were gone. One night, at 17, Van walked you home, and you arrived to the sounds of glass smashing, your parents shouting, and, worst of all, the silence that followed. You remember unlocking your front door to see your mother cowering in the corner of the hallway, Him stood over her, a beer bottle in his hand and a black look in his eyes. A distressing, yet not unusual sight for you, but, for Van, this was unbearable. He took your mother into his arms and promised her he’d help make it stop.

Soon enough, the abuse did stop, yet not in the best of circumstances. Your father was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and he passed away just the next month. You were obviously upset by your father’s death, but the sense of relief that followed when you realised he couldn’t hurt your mother anymore was overwhelming. Your mother moved into the B&B with you for a short while, doing chores such as cleaning to pay Mary back, while she could find a job and get back on her feet. Eventually, she did, and managed to rent a 2 bedroom flat just a few streets away from the B&B. She didn’t really need the second bedroom, as you would stay with Van near enough every night, following him and the band around as they “toured” in their battered, 04 plate, white Transit van. You became close friends with Larry, Benji, Billy and Bob, and became even closer to the new guitarist, Bondy, after Billy left.

You couldn’t work it out at the time, but, now, you know you gravitated towards Van’s family due to their love, which seemed infinite. All Van ever saw through childhood was love, and all you saw was hate. No wonder you’d rather be at the B&B than your own home.

You and Van made your relationship official at 18, when he made you a promise ring from a fragment of an old guitar string. It was then that you began to hero-worship the boy more and more. You believed in Catfish almost more than Mary and Bernie did, accompanying the band and Larry in their van for years as they drove around the country playing gigs for a 20 quid between them and a pint of Guinness each. Although you’d inherited money from your dad when he passed away, you gave the money to your mother to put down the deposit on a home of her own, and you lived off £5 a day like the others. It was enough for a packet of fags between you all, and a Gregg’s pasty each. If you were lucky, you’d get enough tips from your intermittent bar work for a couple of joints worth of weed, and you would get high sitting in the back of the van.  

After seven years of driving around in the constantly-breaking-down Transit van, Catfish began getting more popular, and you remember feeling absolutely euphoric when Van told you they’d been signed. You and the lads all got stoned on top of the van that night - you couldn’t remember how you got up there, but you did remember the rush of happiness. And, most importantly, love.

The more time you spent with Van, the more the love began to take over your heart, until the black hate which had previously consumed you became nothing but a shadow in the background.

-

“Penny for your thoughts?” Van asks, bounding into your hotel room’s ensuite as you sit under the bubbles in your steamy bath.

“I just love you.” you reply, still deep in thought.

“No, you’re thinking of something,” Van persists, “What is it?”

“Well, I was just thinking of how you were just, I don’t know,” you hesitate, “I guess you were just raised on love.”

Van sits on the ground next to the bath. “What’s brought all this on?”

“I was just thinking about when we were kids, you know, I’d stay at the B&B with you and your parents when my dad was being a dick, and they were always just so full of love.” Van smiles, and your chest feels as if it’s going to burst. Seeing Van smile made everything in your little world fit together like a jigsaw. 

“I know, Mary and Bernie are and always were class,” he grins, “Can I come in?”

Before you can even give a response, Van has stripped off and climbed into the bath with you.

“I bet you never thought we’d be in a bath this size.” you chuckle, “In Australia as well!”

“Living the dream, babe.” Van lies back against the side of the bath.

“I’m so proud of you, you know?” you say dreamily, lost in his bright blue eyes.

“I really want to fuck you right now, but I’ve got to be on stage in an hour and I don’t think I could handle that.” he replies, looking back into your eyes.

You laugh, shrugging the bubbles off your shoulders. “Truthful as always, Van McCann.”

Van moves closer to you, and places his right hand behind your head. He leans in and kisses your lips softly. He reaches out with his left hand, placing it on your left boob.

“Oy, I did not give you permission to-” you begin to shout, and then feel yourself slip under the water.

Van lets go of you as you push your head back above the surface. You watch as he laughs hysterically, his slightly crooked smile illuminating the whole room.

“You fucking pig.” you laugh, wiping bubbles from your eyes.

“Are you coming to this show, then?” Van asks, stepping out of the bath and reaching for a towel from the adjacent rack.

“When have I ever missed a show?” you reply, smiling.

You stand up, the water slipping off you like a silk robe. There is a slight delay in Van handing you the towel as he stares at your exposed body. You shiver slightly, and he hastily wraps the fluffy white towel around your body as you step out of the bath.

“I’m so lucky to have you, Van McCann.” 

“I’m luckier to have you, Y/N McCann.”

[marimarxagui]

Been down so long it looks like up to me

May 31, 1973 Mari drove to The Forum, backstage pass in her bag, only to be turned away at the doors by a white flyered sign: gig postponed. She could’ve cried right then, having kept a mental countdown in her head, each day passing in breathless anticipation of today. She steeled herself instead and picked up Elliott, taking him to rendez-vous at April’s. The three of them smoked reefer, spun the Stones, and talked about what a disappointment those Led Zep guys were. 

June 3, 1973 After the agony of waiting; attempt number two. Marimar wears a silk shirt tied at the midriff and velvet bell bottoms, her favorite chrome blue t-bar heels too. There’s glitter in her hair and even some under her eyes, and she’s buoyed by her best friend Jack Daniels. By the end of the night, the glitter’s gone, sweated off in a whirlwind of a show. It was a gut punch of starry neon daze, her eyes following guitar to microphone to drum kit, the reverbs passing right through her chest. The crowd is deafening, chaos of the best kind, and Mari feels the earth move under her feet. This is it. The very epicenter of life, and she’s in it.

Once the show’s over she squeezes into a limo between Plant and Page (Jimmy and Percy as Peter calls them), ducking the the screaming hundreds outside. Two other girls sit beside them, each prettier than the other. She doesn’t know their names — yet.

At the Riot house, she watches Bonzo ride a motorbike up and down the corridors of the ninth floor, her laughter ringing off the high walls. Jimmy pulls her into his room in private. There’s laughter and sweet talk, but she’s distracted. Mari itches to return to the group festivities, but his wandering hands land in places and she’s melting. Her undivided attention is finally caught with a kiss. It tastes of whiskey and explodes like a cherry bomb on the tip of her tongue. 

Later on in bed as dawn is breaking, he makes her a proposition: would she like to come along for a few of their tour dates? He’d just love to have her along. 

Would she ever.

July 7, 1973 Boarding the Starship en route to Minnesota, Mari has found a new playground. It’s not a plane but a collection of cozily crafted rooms; there’s even a fireplace. This is as good as life will probably ever get, but she’ll think about that later, after she’s had her cherry cosmo thirty thousand feet up in the air.

July 9, 1973 “Robert was looking for you.” Her heart leaps out her chest. Down the corridor she takes off. She finds him crouched over a low coffee table, back turned to her and concealing the object. It’s a sparrow that flitted in from the window. “Look at you, mister Snow White,” Mari chuckles. Even birds creatures flock to him, probably wanting to nest in those golden blonde curls.

Oh, what she would give to nest in those curls herself. But it isn’t to be. The girl from the concert, Trixie, has come along with them and the two seem attached at the hip. Some days Mari wishes she’d go up in flames.

But she gets to watch him from side stage every night, electrifying the crowd, and sometimes, distant proximity is enough.

July 10, 1973 Milwaukee. Mari drops in to say hi to her parents, hugs her mother. Mrs. Aguilar looks disappointed at the news she’s working as secretary back in L.A. (a lie), but hounds her to call more often.

July 11, 1973 She’s curled up on the plane next to Jimmy and they’re whispering childish things, laughing. She can’t remember what they talked about now. It’s not important. Not really. She’s watching him sleep. Memorizing every etch and crease of his face. They are the same age, but he seems infinitely wiser, older, just more. 

Was she being ungrateful? The question drifts in and out of her mind. Jimmy’s funny, intelligent, charming, great company— more than enough excitement for her between the sheets. But when her heart’s not truly in it, it’s a cracked glass, half empty. Sometimes she wonders if she even has a heart, to be this way. But she only has to catch sight of the screaming girls at every new venue as a reminder, all the dolled up, cute little teenage girls who faint when Jimmy so much as waves hello. No, she’s not ungrateful.  She couldn’t possibly be. She is very, very grateful.  (But her heart continues to wail like a petulant, newborn babe).

July 12, 1973 Mari slips out of the hotel to a nearby laundromat when she realizes she’s out of clean clothes. On her way out, she bumps into Bonzo. The two share smokes and coffee at a diner and talk about James Brown.

July 15, 1973 Buffalo. The end inches forward but Mari ignores it. Every moment spent in his presence is something she is committing to a forever memory. She cackles when boyfriends are mentioned — did she have one back home? Did she, squat. “I buy my own chocolates and flowers, thank you very much,” she jokes, twisting the phrase to sound Elvis-esque to the amusement of the group. It’s so very corny of her, but it gets a smile out of him. 

July 16, 1973 Robert asks how her name goes in her native tongue. She sounds it out for him and he repeats. Mar-i-mar. It’s as close to a kiss they’ve ever come, her heart a silver slinky crashing down a staircase, his face, framed by those godly golden curls, as deep a poem she’ll ever read.

July 18, 1973 She hates goodbyes. They weren’t made for people like her. Mari knows full well that after today this is the last she’ll see of them, at least for the year. They’re outside the hotel and time is being a cruel bitch, sand running out of the hourglass. In a few hours, she’ll be in Los Angeles, and they’ll be on their way to Canada, as far as two places as she can imagine. In a last and wild attempt not to be forgotten — because anything is better than being forgotten— Mari runs up to their car. Moves past Peter, Jimmy, everyone; right up to him. 

“It’s a good luck charm where I’m from,” she says, affixing the red string to his wrist. 

“Thanks, babe.” 

He waves goodbye. Day is breaking behind them on the boulevard, the sun lights up his hair, and for one shining second of a moment, she feels like a Van Gogh sunflower, lit up from the inside.

She’ll alternate laughing and crying on the flight home, but she swears when she gazes down at the Californian crests and valleys, that they spell out his name.  

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

A mother dropped her children off at Jacob House, N.Y., and went to fundraise – as directed by Moon. She was killed…

Michiko Koide and Eric Mahnken both died while fundraising for the Unification Church of Sun Myung Moon.

The Unification Church was also known as the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification. Many CARP members also fundraised.

_______________________________

“… There has been considerable attention [on] the fact that Moon required early members to leave their children with relatives and even orphanages while serving as missionaries. This is documented in some of the testimonials of early members which can be found easily in the archives of TParents.org.  The issue was also raised by Chung-hwa Pak in his legendary “The Tragedy of the Six Marys” book. This same requirement was made of western blessed couples in the U.S., resulting in some tragic circumstances which was also related in a previous post. The Michael Warder video posted here recently contains his admission that he left the church over his and his wife’s concerns about the safety of their infant children at the unregistered nursery at the Jacob House. …

On a personal note I can tell you that the nursery at Jacob House was never officially shut down. When I was in N.Y. in the mid 1980s, I was tasked with repair and maintenance at both White House and Jacob House where I discovered a group of forlorn Japanese children residing in the care of a couple older sisters. This included the the two children of [Michiko Koide].

The children [a boy, Michikuni, and a girl, Sachiyo] were dropped off when she was sent out to fundraise at Moon’s direction. After she was killed in [an] accident, her devastated husband abandoned both the kids and the church returning to Japan. I have no idea what happened to the children afterward but considering the church’s track history on this sort of thing, it’s probably another tragedy. …”

Frank Frivilous

____________________________________

Oscala Star-Banner, October 12, 1984

Three Killed, Four Injured in Crash near Pensacola, Florida

PENSACOLA (AP) – Three people were killed and four others injured when a van carrying Unification Church missionaries on their way to Jackson, Miss., was struck from behind by another van, officials said.

The dead were identified as Michael Jeffrey Atkins, 27, of Pensacola, and missionary Michiko Koide Lux, 36, of Jackson, authorities said. The identity of the third fatality, [Eric Mahnken] a missionary, was being withheld until his relatives where notified. The other missionaries were hospitalized.

The accident happened at about 2a.m. Thursday, said dispatchers with the Pensacola police and the Escambia County Sheriff’s departments.

The van carrying the missionaries had stopped on Interstate 110 because of a flat tire. The second van, driven by Michael Atkins, struck it from behind, dispatchers said. Five missionaries, including Ms. Lux, were inside the parked van when the accident happened. The driver of the parked van, Robert Hole, 34, had just gotten out to help with the tire. He escaped injury.

“The moment I stepped out, I saw the white van hit our van,” Hole said. “If I had been in longer, I might have gotten hit.”

He said that “quite a few” motorists drove by without stopping before someone finally called police.

The four injured passengers, all from Jackson, were taken to Pensacola hospitals by ambulance and Lifeflight helicopter.

____________________________________

In Memoriam Michiko Koide and Eric Mahnken

Church members Michiko Koide and Eric Mahnken were killed on October 11, 1984, in a car accident in Pensacola, Florida. They and five other brothers and sisters, all on the Mississippi church fundraising team, had just completed a 40-day campaign and were returning home when their vehicle had a flat tire. While Eric was fixing the tire, a speeding van swerved off the highway into our vehicle, killing him instantly. … Michiko died several hours later; one other member suffered a broken back, and another a broken leg. The driver of the out-of-control van [Michael Atkins] was also killed.

Michiko Koide was born December 16, 1948 in Chibu-Ken, Japan. She joined the Unification Church there in 1972, and was blessed in 1975 with the 1800 couples. She is survived by her husband, Masaaki Koide, and two children… She is remembered for her exemplary dedication, prayerfulness, sacrifice, and service. Ministers and their families in Jackson, Mississippi, remember her for her unflagging community service. To the state center, where she was the eldest member, she brought the deep-hearted, self-giving tradition of our Japanese church “mothers.”

Eric Alexander Mahnken was born January 4, 1960. He joined the church in 1974 at the age of 14. He was blessed to Mary Hutchison in the Madison Square Garden blessing of 2,000 couples in 1982. He is survived by his parents, and his sisters Carla and Paula, who also joined the church. He worked in Performing Arts before he joined IOWC in March 1983. He is, fondly remembered for his warm-heartedness and friendliness. Always outgoing and vibrant, Eric did not hesitate to volunteer for difficult tasks, and he performed them with constancy and enthusiasm.

A Seunghwa Ceremony for Michiko and Eric was held October 13 in Bayou La Batre, Alabama. Michiko’s body was buried there, while Eric’s body was flown to New York for burial in Westchester County, where his father lives, following memorial services in New York City.  LINK  

________________________________________

Michael Warder’s reasons for leaving. As a top UC leader in the US in the 1970s he reported directly to Moon.

“Children … taken from the parents and placed in nurseries for three years,” Margie Laflin.

Infants abandoned by UC parents in the US. Two die.

UC children sent to orphanages in Korea or left behind in the US

The baby was very small and undernourished

Another mother, Shin-hee Eu, gives her testimony

Transcript and Video: Eu Shin-hee spoke on Japanese TV, and her son, Gap Yoon-gil, was also interviewed about being sent to an orphanage.

UC babies dying and UC members starving

More hungry UC members

Dr. Seuk “I neither saw nor heard from my mother for 10 years”

[ohmyteez]

Ten

This is part one, find part two here, three here, four here, five here, epilogue here

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Summary: Out of nowhere, Spencer’s girlfriend disappears from her apartment and the only lead is what the surveillance footage shows. The team is given 10 days to find her, only that the first five were already used up by another case. Will they be able to find her in time? Or is it gonna be too late?

Warnings for all chapters: IF YOU’RE UNCOMFORTABLE READING STUFF LIKE THAT I SUGGEST YOU SKIP THIS FIC!!! Angst, mention/description of kidnapping, mention/description of sexual assault, mention/description of starvation, mention/description of beating, loads of sadness, fluff

Word Count: 1.5K

Requested: No

Note: I AM BACK ALREADY with something new. something sad bc Spence having happy and good things happen to him apparently isn’t a thing. 

You would’ve appreciated waking up on your own on a Saturday morning, but Spencer’s phone apparently had a different idea. The constant beeping of it ripped you out of your deep sleep and Spencer groaned as well, sleepily reaching over to grab his phone from the nightstand. 

“Please don’t tell me it’s what I think it is.” You mumbled groggily and buried your head deeper into his chest. Spencer let out a sigh and closed his eyes shortly, hand reaching up behind your back to stroke your hair.

“Unfortunately it is.”

“But it’s supposed to be your weekend off. What time is it, anyway?” You asked and rubbed your eyes, turning Spencer’s phone around in his hand and making it light up, showing you the time. 7:13am. 

“I’m sorry, love.” Spencer said and started to slowly get out of bed, but not before he bent down and placed a kiss on your lips, waking you up a little more, “You can obviously sleep some more. I’ll check in with you whenever I can, and you just text me when you’re awake. Okay?”

You just hummed in response and pulled him down for another kiss, savoring the moment before he had to go get ready for work. That kiss turned into a tired make-out session, making him groan before he pulled away and stroked the side of your face with a tight smile.

“If we keep doing that I might not leave at all. I would love to continue this, but they really need me.” He said with a chuckle and you nodded, finally stretching your body while laying in bed. 

“Mm, I know. Go overwhelm everybody with your brain, I’ll talk to you later then.” You responded, earning a laugh from him. He placed one final kiss onto your head before he fully slipped out of the bed and into the bathroom to get ready. 

Not even ten minutes later, he emerged and called out an “I love you” to which you responded the obvious “I love you, too” before he left your apartment. You turned around and got back into a comfortable sleeping position, deciding to just nap a few more hours before starting your day. You were in no way a morning person, at least not on the weekends, and you valued your sleep a lot. But you also knew that something like that, being woken up early on a weekend because Spencer was called into work, was possible and happened often. You just wished your boyfriend would get a break. 

In the six months you’ve been dating, you’ve maybe had three full weekends together because the BAU needed their genius. You never complained because you understood, of course, but it made you a little sad knowing you’d never really be able to go on vacation or take a trip longer than a day without him being called to work. You thought about joining him on cases plenty of times before, but then again, you wouldn’t be able to see him much then either, although it would allow you to travel so much more. You’d talked to Hotch about it, too. He’d told you it wouldn’t be a problem for anybody if you tagged along, as long as you wouldn’t distract Spencer and/or the case. You might do it someday, but today wasn’t that day as you were way too tired from staying up late last night with Spencer, having done movie night with some wine and sex in the middle of the night. You were always surprised how he wasn’t tired after nights like these, but Spencer was a morning person so you didn’t question it. 

Sleep came over you fast and you were asleep in no time, getting some more well-deserved rest. What you didn’t know was that Spencer had opened the window in your living room prior to leaving, wanting to vent out the room so you could have a cool and non-smelly apartment when you wake up. That was the perfect opportunity for a hooded figure to slip in from the fire escape and tiptoe through the room, quiet and steady so they wouldn’t wake you. They slipped through the slightly open door and saw you on the bed, calm as the night and sat down on the armchair in the corner of the room, just watching. Your vulnerability and calmness drove them wild and the fact that you were wearing nothing but your underwear and Spencer’s shirt had them know that choosing you was the right decision. 

After some time of looking around and taking in your room, they spotted the security camera in one corner of the bedroom and took this as the perfect opportunity to give whoever would see the video a chance of saving you. They walked out the room and went through drawers in your desk out in the living room, looking for a blank piece of paper and sharpie to write with. When successful, they scribbled onto the paper and stuffed the sharpie into their pocket, not wanting to leave anything they’d used behind, even though they were wearing gloves - but better be safe than sorry. With the paper in hand, they walked back into your bedroom and pushed the armchair across the room and under the camera, the commotion making you stir. They stepped onto the chair and held the piece of paper up in front of the camera until they heard you whimper softly and shift in your bed.

“Spence?” You called out softly, making the person whip their head around and stare at you. You opened your eyes slowly, eyes searching the room for any sign of Spencer before they landed on the hooded person. You were suddenly wide awake and scrambled out of bed with a gasp. The person wasn’t too worried, making sure to send a slow and creepy wave into the camera before they jumped off and caught you from behind just as you were about to run out of the bedroom. They reached into their pocket and pulled out a cloth soaked in chloroform, forcing it onto your mouth and waiting patiently for you to inhale it and fall unconscious. They then picked you up and carried you out of the room, removing the hood to seem less obvious when carrying you through the apartment building. 

After they successfully maneuvered you and them out of the building and into their van, they drove off, tires screeching in the process. 

It was now almost 12:30 and Spencer was starting to get worried. He knew you liked to sleep, but you never slept past 10:00 and he hadn’t heard from you since he left. He’d called and texted but nothing came back. 

The BAU was in Colorado, their case being one of what seemed to be ritualistic murders in Superior. There were two victims so far, all of them with their hearts missing and eyes gouged out. The Unsub seemed to go up in the age of his victims, the youngest so far being 12 and the second one being 18. 

Spencer couldn’t keep his mind straight though, making it difficult for him to work the geographical profile as Hotch had ordered on the jet. That also caught the attention of his fellow teammates Derek and Emily. 

“You okay, kid?” Derek asked as he noticed no progress on the board. Spencer turned and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

“No... I don’t know. Y/N hasn’t responded to any of my calls or texts and that’s unlike her. I don’t know if I’m overreacting, but I’m really worried.” Spencer explained while his friends pursed their lips in thought. 

“Do you want Garcia to check in on her?” Emily asked and Spencer nodded slowly. That was until his phone made a “ding”, meaning that he got a message and he whipped it out of his pocket and sighed in relief when he saw it was you who finally responded.

Y/N: Hey! Sorry for only replying now, I slept longer than I thought I would. I must’ve forgotten to set an alarm! I’m doing good, heading out to grab lunch soon. How’s the case going? Do you know when you’ll be back? Love you.

“She just responded.” Spencer announced with a smile, texting you back quickly. 

Spencer: Hi! I’m surprised you slept that long, last night must’ve really tired you out ;) Happy to hear from you though. Working on the geo profile, it’s a tough one and we’re in Colorado! If all goes well we should be back by Tuesday, I’ll keep you posted! Love you too.

The person, who identified themselves as a male, smirked as he locked your phone and put it into the pocket of his pants. He stepped closer to your sitting form on the tiny mattress placed on the floor and then squatted down. He reached his hand out and brushed the hair out of your face, your head immediately flinching away from the unfamiliar touch. 

“Why are you doing this?” You whispered as he rose. 

“Everything happens for a reason, my love. Everything happens for a reason.” Was all he said before he turned around and left the room, the heavy metal door shutting behind him with a bang. You whimpered and hugged your knees, tears spilling freely from your eyes as you thought about Spencer, and if you’d ever see him again. 

[dr-m-r-ma]

Electric Shock

Part 13/30

Genre: drama, romance, fluff Rating: PG-13 Group: Monsta X Summary of previous chapter: Hyo-jin heads into a van with Wonho, Minhyuk and I.M., and waits for the manager to head to the dinner location.

Disclaimer: This is 100% fictional and my own story. It is unrelated to the actual events and real persons of Monsta X and Starship. Hyo-jin Lee is a completely made-up character that I created for this fanfic. Parts will be written in Korean with English translations. I did not major in English/Korean, nor was I ever strong in English/Korean grammar, so there will be grammatical mistakes. This is also the first fanfic I have ever written, so please overlook small mistakes. This fanfic is written in third person and past-tense for ease of writing.

As she sent the message to her mother, Minhyuk tapped Hyo-jin on the shoulder. She turned around and he quietly asked her,

“ 셔누형 주헌이 중 누가 더 좋았어요? ” (Translation: “Between Shownu and Jooheon, who did you like more?”) She tilted her head in confusion with the question coming so directly and out of the blue. Wonho punched Minhyuk in the arm and whispered,

“ 야. 바보야. 그렇게 물어보면 어떡해?! ” (Translation: “Hey stupid. How can you ask like that?!”) Turning to Hyo-jin, Wonho tried to rephrase and ask,

“ 민혁이 말은, 이런 채험하면서 심쿵할수있는데 누구랑 할때 설렜어요? ” (Translation: “What Minhyuk means is, people can feel heartthrob during these experiences so which one did your heart flutter to?”) With squiggly brows, Hyo-jin stared at the two, who were looking back quite eagerly. She cautiously replied,

“ 어… 둘다 좋았어요. ” (Translation: “uh… both were good.”) Minhyuk shook his head and pressed,

“ 아니 진짜로. 누가 더 좋았어요? 비밀 지킬게요. ” (Translation: “No really. Who did you like more? I’ll keep it a secret.”) Something about the situation was too fishy and his tone was more than just curiosity. Hyo-jin whispered,

“ 음… 솔직히… ” (Translation: “Um… honestly…”) Wonho and Minhyuk both leaned in, and Hyo-jin continued,

“ … 둘이 다른 느낌이었지만… ” (Translation: “… they had different atmospheres but…”) Frustrated by how she was playing around with her words, Minhyuk huffed,

“ 빨리 말해줘요, 매니저 형 오기 전!!” (Translation: “Hurry up and tell us, before our manager comes!!”) Hyo-jin leaned towards them and whispered,

“ 꼭 골라야하면… 못 골라요. 둘다 괜찮았어요. ” (Translation: “If I really have to choose… I can’t. They both were fine.”) Minhyuk frowned and Wonho sighed. Before Minhyuk could say anything, the manager hopped into the driver’s seat and Hyungwon climbed into the seat next to him. The manager turned around and asked Hyo-jin,

“ 기절했다고 들었는데 괜찮아요? 회식 가기전에 뭐 필요하세요? ” (Translation: “I heard you fainted, are you okay? Do you need anything before we go to dinner?”) Hyo-jin smiled and replied,

“ 아니요, 전 괜찮아요. 고맙습니다! ” (Translation: “No, I’m okay. Thank you!”) With that, he drove off, following a staff car to the dinner location. Hyo-jin sank into her seat once again, checking her phone for messages. She heard whispers again from the back, but brushed it off. She thought, ‘if I seem interested, they might press for better answers from their previous question…’ and opened a new  message from Ellen. It read:

“ Hey! How’s it going? " 

Hyo-jin glanced at the time she sent it, which was just 10 minutes ago. She replied,

” Tired and cold, I’ll tell you details later since I’m going out for dinner but I did another gig with the Monsta X guys. “ 

Hyo-jin waited for a response for a couple minutes before locking her phone and she closed her eyes for a moment.

30 minutes later 

” Hey, wake up. “ Hyo-jin slowly opened her eyes, as they seemed like they were a pound heavier than before. I.M. hovered over her and motioned towards the door. She looked over and they were parked in front of the restaurant. She yelped,

” Oops, sorry! “ She rolled off the seat and hopped off the van. As she and I.M. walked towards the entrance, Minhyuk stopped her.

” 핸드폰 놓고 갔어요. “ (Translation: "You left your phone.”) Still groggy, she took her phone, bowed and said,

“ 아, 고맙습니다! ” (Translation: “oh, thanks!”) Before she could keep walking, Minhyuk pulled her back and stopped her once more, quietly telling her,

“ 우리 주헌이가 어리고 연애 경험이 별로 없어요. 상처를 잘 받는 아이라서 주헌이든 셔누형이든 좀 조심했으면 좋겠어요. ” (Translation: “Our Jooheon is young and doesn’t have a lot of experience in relationships. He’s a kid who gets hurt easily so either to Jooheon or Shownu, I hope you can be a bit careful.”) With a business smile, he nodded his head and walked off.

'What??’ 

Hyo-jin tried to rack her brains, trying to figure out what he meant. She stood in front of the entrance of the restaurant, staring at the band-aids on her hand and thinking back to what Jooheon had said earlier – how he didn’t think he should get close to her. She closed her eyes and thought back to how Shownu held her hands preciously… then that weird conversation between Wonho and Minhyuk. She opened her eyes and blinked hard. ’uhhh… nahh.. it’s not… can’t be…’ Hyo-jin stared at the ground while walking in small circles in front of the entrance and remembering the awkward cold air she encountered in the beginning of the day. She hadn’t noticed the several eyes from some of the crew who were already seated in the restaurant or the eyes of the Monsta X members who had been in the car with her. She continued to make circles, trying to deny the dots that were connecting inside, until she ran into someone.

“ 죄송합니다.. ” (Translation: “I’m sorry..”) Hyo-jin listlessly bowed to the person before stepping aside, still looking at the ground.

“ 안 들어가고 뭐 하세요? ” (Translation: “what are you doing?”) Her head snapped up and Shownu gave her a big smile.

’ agh, I should have gone home. ’ She laughed awkwardly and said,

“ 생각할게 있어서요… 지금 들어가요! ” (Translation: “I just had to think about something… I’m going in right now!”) With that, she pushed the door open and quickly walked to the table. There were plenty of seats open next to Wonho and Minhyuk, while there were only a few open next to the female VJ.

'Well, if I want a comfortable meal, gotta choose the VJ side!’ 

She scurried towards the VJ without looking back and asked,

“ 여기 안자도 되요? ” (Translation: “Can I sit here?”) The VJ smiled and nodded, while introducing herself,

“ 내 소개 아직 안 했죠? 이난희이에요. 나이 32. 결혼했고 아이는 하나.” (Translation: “I haven’t introduced myself yet, right? I’m Nanhee Lee. Age 32. Married with one kid.”) Hyo-jin smiled warmly and shook her hand while bowing,

“ 저는 아시겠지만, 이효진입니다. 제 나이는 23이에요. 아, 그리고 오늘 정말 감사했어요! ” (Translation: “You probably know but, I’m Hyo-jin Lee. I’m 23 years old. Oh, also thank you so much today!”) VJ Lee waved at her politeness and said,

“ 뭘요~ 셔누도 고생했어! ” (Translation: “Nahh~ Shownu did well too!”) The praise was directed elsewhere, so Hyo-jin glanced around until she saw Shownu sit down next to her. 'Of all… seats…?’ She glanced at the Monsta X side, and sure enough, the other members were staring at them pointedly. Surprisingly, however, Kihyun sat across from her. She shook her head and thought, 'maybe I’m thinking about this in a stranger direction than it actually is.’ As Shownu and VJ Lee exchanged hellos and introductions, the staff started to order food and drinks. With no chance to look at the menu, Hyo-jin zoned out, staring at the grill in front of her.

A hand flashed in front of her sight and she tilted her head up, snapping out of her zoned state. Kihyun frowned and asked,

“ 어디 안 좋아요? ” (Translation: “Are you not feeling well?”) VJ Lee and Shownu both leaned in worriedly at that, and Hyo-jin waved her hands while explaining,

“ 아니요! 완전 괜찮아요! 아무 생각 안 하고 있어서 그래요. ” (Translation: “No! I’m totally fine! I was just zoning out.”) Although she had kept repeating that she was fine, the trio looked worried as drinks were being handed down the table. VJ Lee hesitantly gave Hyo-jin a glass. Concerned, Shownu reached for her cup while saying,

“ 안마시는게 좋을것 같은데요… ” (Translation: “I don’t think you should drink…”) Before he could take it away, Hyo-jin swung it away from his hands.

“ 아니에요. 한잔은 할수 있어요. ” (Translation: “It’s okay. I can have a glass.”)

PD Yoo stood up and announced,

“ 오늘 다 고생 많았고, 크게 다친 사람도 없으니 다행이야. 모두들 수고했어. 우리 몬스타엑스와 이효진씨도 잘 해내서 고마워! 몬엑 대박나자! ” (Translation: “Everyone worked hard today, and it’s a relief nobody was badly hurt. Good work everyone. Thanks to Monsta X and Miss Hyo-jin for doing well! Let’s make MX a great success!”) Everyone clinked their glasses with each other and cheered for Monsta X. Hyo-jin turned away slightly to drink a sip of her glass of beer. She turned back and set it down as the food also started coming.

*** TBC ***

[hobisolostan]

85 question tag thing 🏹

tagged by: @sleepbugs (ilu !!! 😙)

rules: answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 (lmao funnyyyy) people

tagging: uhmmmmmmmmmmm @libraop @justinsgf @lilchims @namugf @brightjoon @moon9oddess @joonsgoth

last:

1. drink: h2o 

2. phone call: my mom

3. text message: my yearbook group chat .. its just spams from my friend cause she’s touring Europe ALONE , lucky bitch

4. song you listened to: always you - astro (stan talent !!!) 

5. time you cried: two days ago ish

ever:

6. dated someone twice: no

7. kissed someone and regretted it: what is this kiss?

8. been cheated on: no

9. lost someone special: yea

10. been depressed: is this a question?

11. gotten drunk and thrown up: no

12. favorite colours: blues/neutrals 

in the last year have you:

15. made new friends: yup!!

16. fallen out of love: no

17. laughed until you cried: yea ig ?? not like crying with tears streaming down my face but definitely a few tears slipped out 

18. found out someone was talking about you: o yea

19. met someone who changed you: yup

20. found out who your friends are: lets not go there :)

21. kissed someone on your facebook friends list: nope

general:

22. how many of your facebook friends do you know irl: all of them ??? stranger danger kids dont friend people u dont know irl

23. do you have any pets: skjfl i wish :(( 

24. do you want to change your name: no actually, as much as i hate when it gets mispronounced and not like even a tiny mispronunciation, it literally gets butchered :) , it has a lot of ties and significance to my culture which is important to me

25. what did you do for your last birthday: my friend whom i would die for (the one in Europe rn) invited me over to her place and her and two other friends planned surprised gifts and hot pot ! her mom literally paid for all the ingredients akfdskjl i love her sm :(( 

26. what time did you wake up today: 7 am, my body she just did it ? idk lol

27. what were you doing at midnight last night: watching a horror movie

28. what is something you can’t wait for: MONSTA X CONCERT TOMORROW AKFSJD;LF IM SO MFCKING EXCITEDDD GONNA SEE ALL MY BABIES 🤩🤩🤩🤩

29. what are you listening to right now: aint nobody takin my baby - russ

30. when was the last time you saw your mom: this morning

31. have you ever talked to a person named tom: no

32. something that gets on your nerves: narrow-mindedness, arrogance, ignorance, when ppl chew with their mouth open skfsjldfjs

33. most visited website: definitely between tumblr and youtube 

34. hair colour: black

35. long or short hair: short, it’s just below chin level rn sklfjsld

36. do you have a crush on someone: u ask me when hoseok is right ... there ?

37. what do you like about yourself: uh my lips and dimples and the fact that I’m pretty self-driven 

38. want any piercings: more like need ????? ive been wanting double helix piercings for the longesstttt time. might get some this year .. hopefully

39. blood type: i literally dont even know sklfjskd but its definitely a or b or ab since my parents are a combination of those 

40. nicknames: utshee ? just my normal name but instead of the ending ah sound its an “e” as in the letter e lol and then ironically its usa, long back story id rather not get into lol. shira if ur reading this u know 😔

41. relationship status: married to hoseok obviously

42. zodiac: this is virgo solidarity !!! 

43. pronouns: she/her

44. fave tv shows: dont really watch tv shows anymore tbh but the last good one i can remember was supernatural but its .. been awhile lmao

45. tattoos: nooooooo , i want a few small ones tho one day when im of age

46. right handed or left handed: normal regular righty 

47. ever had surgery: nope, i did fracture my arm once tho when i was like uh 2-3 

48. piercings: 2! just regular earlobe piercings, one on each

49. sport: volleyball, lacrosse, and gymnastics i did for a while competitively. i also love ultimate frisbee and long distance running on my free time

50. vacation: i havent been out of country since i came here to the states ksdjsdf my family just isn’t one of those that take family trips, at least out of country 😔ig my last family vacation was 2016 winter break where we drove down to las vegas and arizona to see the grand canyon. it was so damn cold omg

51. trainers: um i have superstars and two pairs of nikes that i wear on the daily. i really want some new van slip ons tho ugh 

more general:

52. eating: i eat literally everything lmao, im one of the least picky eaters tbh but i prefer seafood over meat. i still like and eat meat but sometimes id just .. rather not lol

53. drinking: water !!!!!!!!!! ( i down a good 10 cups at least everyday) i also love boba so much omggg u dont understand but i really do try to limit myself 😔

54. i’m about to watch: perfect man jimin focus skdjfklsdf jimin stans raise up for ur national anthem !!!!!

55. waiting for: college apps to be over even tho they technically havent opened yet akfjds;lfs

56. want: to go into my career field with zero in debt so basically impossible but a girl can dream :( 

57. get married: yea if it happens sure

58. career: medical !!! looking into anesthesiologist but im not set on anything, just wanna do Doctors Without Borders as my end career goal 😔

which is better:

59. hugs or kisses: kisses pls 

60. lips or eyes: eyes bc they just convey sooo much about a person but also pls ... if ur lips are as cracked as the sidewalk outside of my house we’re never smooching 

61. shorter or taller: definitely taller, also wanna be the little spoon during cuddles so yea

62. older or younger: older for sure because i look at the underclassmen and shudder in disgust bc they’re ur typical overgrown yet immature high school students. honestly dont know wtf happened to selecting genuine students to enroll into our school but skfjsdfjs im out of there in less than a year so whatever

63. nice arms or stomach: arms bc i like tummies but if u have abs i dont mind either

64. hookup or relationship: can’t really see myself doing hookups so relationship

65. troublemaker or hesitant: depends? i definitely want a playful relationship but they should know when their behavior is verging on immature so ig slightly  leaning on the more hesitant side

have you ever:

66. kissed a stranger: no

67. drank hard liquor: o yeaaa, new years eve and home alone with my in-college cousin lmaoo

68. lost glasses: I LOST MY FIRST PAIR IN 5 MONTHS AND I STILL DONT KNOW WHERE THEY ARE ???? i had to buy another pair after begging my parents for a good 2 months bc the first pair were so mfcking expensive ksfjsld tbh the ones i wear right now are a lot cuter tho so 

69. turned someone down: yes

70. sex on first date: no

71. broken someone’s heart: maybe ? dont know to the extent the other person liked me so

72. had your heart broken: no

73. been arrested: no

74. cried when someone died: yea

75. fallen for a friend: yea 

do you believe in:

76. yourself: love urself right hahha :)) lmao im trying ig

77. miracles: hmm sure 

78. love at first sight: idk depends, im neutral. definitely think theres more to it tho

79. santa claus: no, wish i was still at that age where i did 

80. kiss on first date: hmm depends

81. angels: yea

other:

82. best friend’s name: i have two: one’s andreana and the other is sybil (the one who left me here to die while she went to europe yea, love that betrayer)

83. eye colour: dark brown

84. fave movie: was gonna say black panther but thats too much of a popular opinion so the ritual ?? its a horror movie which i love so much omg fljsd and it was surprisingly good ??? definitely have not said that about a horror movie in the longest time bc the newer ones are always so cringy and predictable 

85. fave actor: mistre kim seokjin of course 🤩🤩

[lil-mutie]

I wrote?

It bout Caboose?

It’s absolutely absurd 

Uh

Warnings include:

Vague creepiness, blood mention, bad writing, alcohol mention, insults, dramaticness 

It had only been a few weeks since “the sweet, little, helpful, innocent, wouldn’t-hurt-a-fly, red caboose had returned to the surprisingly unwelcoming crowd of the Apollo Victoria Trainyard. It was as if as soon as he had entered, a giant monster had appeared. A giant monster who wore the flesh of his victims, a gigantic monster who was absolutely crazy...psychotic even. Someone who had betrayed everyone’s trust by doing something soooo dastardly....Caboose sighed, who was he kidding. That’s what everyone was thinking at that moment... with the exception of the “giant” thing...

There were faces of anger, terror or discomfort surrounding him as he had quietly trudged in going no where but the direction of the freight yard then veering off into the small silent corridors that surrounded a lot of the yard, like secret passageways but also a free for all dumping site of nuts and bolts and bottles and other useless junk. Somewhere he always silently joked Rusty would feel right at home.

Eyes were always watching every move the caboose would make, conversations would stop as he passed and whispers would arise. Even so he still heard everything, all the troubles that people were having or the engines or coaches were battling with no matter how stupid they were to him. One day it could be Gook gruffly muttering rubbish about how he swore some chic had winked at him and how they hit it off right away blah blah blah. The next day it could be Pearl being indecisive about WHICH PINK LIPSTICK TO WEAR OUT OF HER COLLECTION OF TWENTY DIFFERENT SHADES OF THE SAME BLOODY COLOUR. She truely drove him around the bend that girl. With her snide remarks about himself and the way she just had darling ickle Rusty wrapped around her cute little pinky. Man how he would just love to break that little pinky off or even better her whole arm off.

It had taken up to a week to finally get Poppa to give in and give him a shed which was the farthest from anyone else’s for the good reason that it was still full of bits and pieces from whatever stinking cattle car that had lived in there and what smelt like died in there. After a good few days of moving, ventilating, sleeping outside and wearing a peg over his nose in the process, he was in his new little abode for one and one only.

-

‘A party’ it said ‘for the new world champion who has surprised all!’ Caboose grimaced, ‘Apollo Victoria invites all it’s members to attend. Non-formal. 6pm sharp in the Freight hall. Can’t wait to see you there!’

“Can’t wait to see you there!” He read out in a purposefully obnoxious way again. “Yeah like they’d like me to show my sweet lil face.” He rolled his eyes, ripping the invitation up slow enough to let the sound soak in and to then watch as it floated down to the ground before his wheels and stare at it and sigh. “My innocent lil face.” CB cooed as he posed with his hands cupping his deadpanned face as he stared off into the distance.

Caboose rubbed his face hoping it would wake him up just that little bit more that morning. He was only half dressed with his multiple layers on but still lacking his gloves, belt and hat. Things essential to his uniform. “Stupid lil Caboose.” He pouted as he stretched his arms high into the air and groaned. “Like anyone would want you there” he chuckled as he tilted his head back to see an unexpected, smug looking electric just casually leaning against his shed. His smile snapped to a look of irritation as he flew around to look at the engine who could’ve been standing their for ages for all he knew. “Well what is it you big, blue, brainless buffoon?”

Electra hummed softly as he looked the brake van up and down with a small smirk resting on his lips.

“Hello? CB to Electra, I repeat, CB to Electra, do you copy?” Caboose said waving a hand in front of Electra’s face. The electric merely glanced up with an ever growing grin before turning around and taking off leaving the caboose hanging onto his words and confusion for a bit longer before he muttered “Creep.” under his breath and returned to insides of his shed.

-

The days seemed to flow much differently after that. He would go out for chores and others would silently help him with a smile. And by Thursday someone had actually manned up to talk to him. Well Dustin was a sort of pushed forwards as a sacrificial lamb to greet CB with a simple “Hello!”

“......”

“C-Caboose?”

He found himself frozen to the spot, eyes wide just staring at the hopper whilst clutching onto his box of bolts for Poppa.

“Um Caboose?” He repeated

“...Hi?” He raised an eyebrow and gave some sort of awkward half smile.

The big hopper giggled and smiled back gently “I’m-I’m glad you’re back in... in one piece.”

“Oh heh, yeah well I was planning on coming back as a mangled carcass but they uh wouldn’t let me for some reason. Apparently healthcare is a thing.” He replied with an odd feeling washing over him as the other freight hummed in amused chuckled and snorts. “You feelin’ any better?” Flat-Top asked in a somewhat more concerned tone that what you could expect from the brick truck. “I’m alive ain’t I?” CB tilted his head and smiled more genuinely. Flat-Top tried to smile before his face fell “Yeah but like... you gave us all quite a scare when y’came out looking all.. y’know. And uh Poppa still doesn’t trust you.”

“Like at all.” Rocky 1 piped in.

“He thinks you’re crazy.” Rocky 2 added as 3 and 4 barged in to have their say too.

“He warned us about you!”

“Says you’ll smash us, just like you smashed Rusty!” Rocky 4 was instantly hushed after.

Caboose looked at him, then his brothers, then the rest of the freight. All faces he thought he knew. “And do you believe him?” He asked after the strange silence had lasted between them all for over a minute.

“Caboose.”

The brake van zipped around at the call of his name to face the old steamer just watching him from a distance. CB swallowed thickly and opened his mouth hoping he would make a joke or break the tension but nothing.

“Back to work now.”

He nodded sharply and stared down at the bolts in his arms and scooted off. As he was leaving he heard old McCoy ask the freight if they were okay, “Did he hurt any of you?” He heard and looked over his shoulder in disbelief as Poppa lifted up Rocky 3’s arm to inspect it. The freight shook their heads with quiet mumbling. Poppa looked at CB hard enough to get him back on his way down the freightyard to find ‘Storage.’

“The sheer audacity.” The blue eyed Caboose growled with his eyes glowing brighter and becoming paler as he thought over the scene again. He reached ‘Storage’, opened the door with a face of disgust as he angrily threw the box in, not even bothering to shut the door as he stormed off to the sound of bolts clanging and clashing against the floor and spilling out everywhere.

-

The party was the following night and the physically defeated CB was tucked up in a cosy corner with a book. A book Ashley had slipped under his door to him. He knew it was Ashley as the book about some cheesy vampiric love story set in the 1800s. So you could tell, it was from Ashley. The book was accompanied by some freshly baked cookies, from Dinah, which were decorated in orange icing flowers, most likely from Buffy and finally a collection of pink flowers from someone so annoying Hello Kitty said goodbye to them, someone shallower than a dry seabed, someone who wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. Pearl. At least that’s what he thought of her anyway.

The flowers had come with a note reading ‘I found these flowers and they reminded me of you and your bright red cheeks and beautiful smile!’ With a smiley face at the end and a love heart. CB had briefly spoke his own response to the note “Aw Pearly, your face reminds me of a flower too!” He threw the flowers in the bin “A cauliflower.”

When would she learn?

-

After a good hour of tunes blasting at top volume in the distance a knock came from his door. He didn’t move. Because why would he? The knocking came again and yet again he stayed still shoving the fourth cookie into his mouth. When suddenly the door burst open and in fell a drunk Electra throwing himself to the floor making Caboose jump in such a fright he started to choke on his tasty turned backstabbing choc chip cookie.

“Booooooooooseyyyyy” came a long, desperate, drawn out whine as the electric brushed himself off. He looked over with a stupid grin and noticed the red caboose hacking up like a cat, fist pounding against his stomach as he spluttered and coughed, caving over onto the carpet to spit into his hand and to then look sadly down at the piece of cookie.

Electra tilted his head and loudly inhaled again “Booooooooooooos-“

“WHAT?” he yelled looking up at the unwanted figure.

Electra swayed a little and pouted his lips making a kissy sound. “Bo-“

“Sit down you drunk dipstick. Do you think you can barge in just like that? To somewhere where you’re not welcome” he pulled himself up and started to clean the mess.

“I thought I was welcome here?” He flopped down across the couch dramatically.

Caboose looked at him as if he had six eyes

“Electra you’re as welcome as a hedgehog in a condom factory.”

It took Electra approximately 10 seconds to process what was just said to him. “Well that’s not a very nice thing to say to a guest.”

“This is my shed not a restaurant.” The red caboose replied “You are stupid Electra.” He muttered

“I’m not stupid!”

“Hm?

“You just said I was stupid!” He sat up and snarled

“I didn’t say you were stupid. I said you ARE stupid. There’s nothing past tense about it Leccy.” CB retorted with a laugh

“I’m not as stupid as you!” Electra dragged himself up from the chair and swung an arm at the short little rebel.

“If you’re going to be a smartarse about it then you have to be smart. Otherwise you’re just an arse, dear.” Caboose cackled as he ducked the drunken attempt of an attack. Electra crackled with anger as he tried to move forward but slipped and falling again, taking CB with him and winding the small freight vehicle. The muscular engine lifted his head up a little as it rocked up and down before clambering up with the support of the chair closest. The electric groaned and slowly moved to the mirror to check his hair and makeup were still perfect. “Ugh. I need some fresh air, my head is spinning.” He whined

The dazed CB sat up and followed the drunkard out into the alleyway outside where the cool night breeze flowed and the moon shown brightly in the clear sky. When he looked back at the e-lok yet again he was up against a fall just... staring. “What?” He sighed. Electra just pushed out his chest. “Why do you keep doing that? Is it a glitch? You just keep staring at me. Like a... a weirdo.”

Electra grinned and shrugged “It's ‘cause your... pretty.”

“You’re just squiffy Electra.” Caboose rolled his eyes having hoped for an answer that sounded more truthful that that. He came closer to wipe the crumbs and dust of Electra.

“You’re reaaaally pretty.”

“Uh-huh. How nice.”

“Like almost as pretty as... me.” He smiled happily and nodded at the thought of supposedly himself. “Why didn’t you come to the party?”

CB didn’t even look up as he responded, “I would rather stick needles in my eyes... Or your eyes.”

“Not even a little dance Boosey?”

“I really want to, but the voices tell me i shouldn’t. Also stop calling me that.

“Aw come on.”

“The short answer is no. The long answer is noooooooooooooooooo.”

“You’re such a bore. An absolute B. O. R. E.” Electra said looking him in the eyes. The brake van didn’t respond and just stared back emptily.

“If I’m a bore it seems you’re Dinah.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m not going because I can’t. Simple as that.”

“What have you got to be up early tomorrow to check the alphabet is still in order?” The electric smirked and rested his hands on the freight truck.

“Hands off.”

“No.”

He continued to bring a hand up to stroke Caboose’s cheek and twirl a small ringlet of ginger around his finger.

“Please stop.”

“What you scared of me?”

“No. Just... disturbed.”

The engine just laughed being to drunk to care how toughly he was gripping the smaller train.

“Sure.” Were his last words before he closed his eyes and began travelling his lips closer to CB’s. The brake truck became quickly startled and threw a punch at Electra’s cheek in a blind panic and a quick screech and a half.

Electra let go and fell to the rough ground below in outrage, shock, and pain. Instead of tasting delicious sin he was tasting... “Blood? Is this-... Uh-... UH-... OW.. OH MY..” the naturally intimidating electric now sat on the ground fanning his face as he gasped and whined. He turned to Caboose “WHAT WAS THAT F-FAH?”

“YOU TRIED TO KISS ME!”

“SAH?”

“SO? I SAID NO AND YOU APPARENTLY DONT KNOW WHAT NO MEANS!” He giggled nervously looking at the pathetic engine beside him. After a few moments he started genuinely cracking up and backing away from Electra to just watch the electric colossal of fame start to tear up like a baby.

“GAH WRAHN!” He yelled

“I can’t sorry. I need to get up early to check the alphabet is still in order.” He snickered

“HOW AM I GAHNA GET HAR?”

“Crawl baby, crawl. GO ON!” CB doubled over in laughter as the engine started to get up and stagger away in fright and confusion at the blood leaking from his mouth. He watched until he turned the corner and wiped the tears from his eyes. Caboose returned to his lowly shed soon after to rest from a good days work.

-

It wasn’t until early next morning when he was violently shaken awake by a high energy dining car. “What?! What?” He rubbed his eyes and trying to focus his eyes as he was dropped onto the bed again.

“I BOUGHT YOU SOME DRINKS!” yelled Dinah. Was she... He checked the clock. 2:53AM. Yep Dinah was absolutely hammered.

“Stop shouting.” Caboose whispered softly and took the six pack from her hands to put them on the table to look up to see Rusty sniggering at the half awake and bed head looking caboose he had ever seen. “Why’s Rusty here?” How on earth was Rusty drunk too? And he looked so normal? Well normal compared to Dinah who would be absolutely pink in the face with her nostrils flared as she would take on any engine for an arm wrestle or two.

“Rusty’s my FRIEND!” She giggled and beckoned him over to which he responded by also making himself perfectly comfortable on the brake truck’s bed with a silly little smile.

“He IS? WOW DINAH YOU HAVE FRIENDS?” Caboose shouted back sarcastically giving her a sour look.

“YESH!” She said proudly and hugged the steamer tightly.

“Why are you here Dinah?” He sighed

“We thought you were lonely so we decided we would sleep with you!” Rusty giggled and smiled back

Caboose rubbed his eyes quickly “I BEG YOUR PARDON?” Not expecting to EVER in a million LIGHTYEARS to hear such words come out of the pure little steam engine.

Dinah elbowed him “You haven’t a choice I’m ‘fraid.” She said as she wiggled her beside him in the single bed. She then reached for Rusty and pulled him closer and then somehow the caboose found himself with a dining car hugging him from the side and a precious little steamer lying on top of him. As soon as they were settled they almost instantly fell asleep. Caboose had barely spoken a word from being in a state of shock for the past twenty minutes or so.

Poppa was gonna kill him.

Oh well.

[btsjfans]

Pay Up (Pt 1)

Summary: Your parents only wanted what was best for you, so when they set you up with billionaire playboy Park Jimin, they thought you were set for life. Little did they know how he got his fortune, and how he keeps it..

Jimin x Reader, some fluff, smut, action, gang-stuff, illegal business-y stuff, the whole nine yards

for part one, expect smut, and fluff

masterlist

“Are you sure he’ll even like me?” You stare at your reflection and bite your lip. Your maid, Anita, chuckled and continued to brush  your hair. You came from one of the richest families in the country, and you were reaching the age where you should probably get married. You were 22 now, and although arranged marriages technically didn't exist anymore, in the upper class where you belonged, business strategized marriages did. 

Yeah, you’d dated some rich guys, but none ever stuck. They didn’t get you. They were too egotistical for your liking, and even your parents weren’t fond of them. You felt like you’d dated every rich guy in your league, but apparently you had not. There was still Park Jimin, although you’d have to argue he was out of your league. He was the most attractive man you’ve ever seen, and also the richest for his age. His money was his own, and not his parents. He was a self made businessman, and a charming one at that. He’d recently met your father at a meeting, and they agreed to set up a date for you two. Your dad loved him, and it was apparent they wanted this to work. Admittedly, you did too. You’d done your research on this guy, and he seemed like the best guy ever. He donated to charity, he was well dressed, charming, attractive, treated his associates well, and very smart. He seemed like somebody you could see yourself being with, and you hoped he would see it the same way. 

“Y/n, of course he’ll like you. Just look at you!” Anita smiled, and stepped away from her work proudly. You stood up and looked at yourself. 

Your hair was curled intricately, and looked loose but put together. Your makeup brought out your features, and made you look elegant, but it was still a simple look. Your dress was a dark blue, and was fit and flare. It was off the shoulder with a sweetheart neckline, and stopped just above the knees, to make you look casual but elegant. You had a delicate silver and diamond encrusted necklace decorating your neck and collarbone, and black heels. Even you had to admit, you looked beautiful. 

“I’m nervous.” You admitted, and Anita shook her head and smiled. She was a few years older than you, just turned 30. She’d been your maid since you were 10, and she was 18. She’d help you grow up, and she honestly was your best friend. 

She walked you out to the black car that waited outside for you, and helped you in. “I better hear stories when you get home!” She laughed as you rolled your eyes sliding in. As the car pulled away, you watched your mansion disappear over the horizon. If tonight went well, that wouldn’t be your home for much longer. 

You were the youngest in your family, your brother was the oldest, and the heir. He was married and worked with your father to run the business that he’d be taking over someday. Your sister had been married for 4 years, and had been teasing you about being single forever now. You hoped you’d end up like her, happily married, living lavish, and staying on the good side of the media. 

You hated silent car rides. It was 30 minutes of silence as you drove to the uptown restaurant to meet Jimin. You guys were going to be dining on the rooftop, and as you neared you felt your heart rate increase. As you stepped out of the car, paparazzi crowded you, cameras flashing, voices calling your name. You just looked down and hurried into the restaurant, where an escort waited to take you up to the roof. 

As the elevator opened, you saw him. He sat at a candlelit table, wearing a navy suit with a white shirt under, and a dark red tie. His black hair was messy but styled nonetheless. As you left tonight you thought you looked beautiful, but in all honesty this is what true beauty looks like. 

He stands up as he sees you, and holds out a hand to you as he pulls a chair out for you to sit in. As you approach he catches your hand in his and kisses your hand. 

“Y/n, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Park Jimin.” He smiles, and you can tell it’s genuine. You suddenly feel more relaxed in his presence. 

The dinner was only supposed to last from 9-10:30, but you two stay on that rooftop talking until 12. You haven't had this much fun with anybody in a while. You felt like you could be real with him, and like he really understood you. You talked about everything and anything, from family, to work, to hobbies, it all. Your favorite thing from the night was his laugh. It just made you happy to hear it, and it continually brought a smile to your face. 

You two would’ve stayed out longer, but the restaurant was closing. 

“Y/n, I want you to know, tonight was the best night I’ve had in a while. I really like you, and I want to do this again. Can I have your number?” He smiled sheepishly, and you blushed and put your number in. Just as you turned to leave, he caught your hand in his and pulled you back, pressing your cheek to his before brushing his lips across your jaw, sending chills down your spine. “Until next time, goodnight.” He smiles and walks out, leaving you breathless on the roof with your escort. 

You pull out your phone and type a text to Anita. 

To: Anita

I’ve got some stories for you..

You wake up the next morning to a text from Jimin, much to your delight.

Jimin

I had an amazing time with you, and honestly I can’t get you out of my mind. Can I see you again today?

“NITA!” you call, excitedly rolling out of bed and pulling your hair back. Anita runs in, and squeals jumping with you as you both read the text. 

“I’ll go ask your mom if you’re open for today!” Nita practically flew out of the room. You sit on the edge of your bed smiling and staring at the text. You had butterflies in your stomach. You don’t remember the last time you had butterflies at all. You laid back on your bed and bit your lip as you smiled, thinking back on your date. The way he held your hand across the table the whole time, his hand tightening around yours as he laughed, how as he got lost in his words or yours his fingers would trace designs absently across your hand. How his dark eyes shined in the candlelight. How he hardly touched his food because he was too busy talking, or laughing. How he calmed your nerves with just his touch, and the sound of his voice. How he cast a spell on you within minutes. How you wanted nothing more than to see him again. 

“Miss Y/n?” Anita was back, and you sat up. “You’re free to go.” She grinned and you excitedly texted back.

“Y/n?” Jimin knocked on your door softly, giving you a rush of excitement at the sound of his voice. You grinned at yourself in the mirror and stood up. You’d finished putting the final touches on yourself. Your hair still had waves left in it from the night before, so you brushed it out leaving loose waves. You wore a simple black v neck that fit your form beautifully, and black jeans with rips in the knees, paired with red vans and a simple gold necklace. You grabbed your bag and opened the door, smiling as you met him face to face. He wore a dark red button-down and black jeans with rips and black tennis shoes. You smiled at the way your outfits looked good together. 

“Hi,” You said, wanting to sound happy and cute, but instead sounding shy. 

“Hi,” He said, imitating your voice, making you both laugh a little. “You look beautiful,” He says, his eyes shining.

“Thank you,” You laugh and take his hand in yours and lead him out. You’re surprised at your boldness since you usually wouldn’t just do that, but being around him fills you with this energy. Like you want to go out and live, and never stop. “What did you have in mind for today?” You ask as you both get into the black town car. He keeps your hand tight in his own as the car pulls down the driveway. 

“Well, I figured I could show you what I do, and then take you to my favorite places in the city. Sound good?” He smiles and tilts his head, his black hair catching in the light. 

“Sounds wonderful. Tell me more about what you do,” you smile and relax against the carseat and turn to face him, pulling one leg up on the seat, keeping your hand in his own. 

“Ah I love what I do. I’m kind of an art geek. I didn’t think I’d ever become what I am today, but I used to work in an art museum. I got an art history degree, and started spending all my hours at this museum before I became a curator. I started to hold tons of charity events and stuff to get income for the museum, and it kinda became a big deal, and soon I was being offered tons of money to showcase more art, and work at new art exhibitions, which leads me to present day. I’m an art curator and collector pretty much, which sounds boring really but I love it. I just..art is just so beautiful. I’ve seen so many masterpieces..but I’d have to say that the most beautiful work of art is right in front of me.” He smiles sheepishly at the cheesy line, but you’re delighted, and can’t hold back your smile. 

“Jimin,” You smile and laugh a little and shake your head. To be honest, you didn’t know what made you happier: hearing him gush about art, or hear him compliment you like that. 

“Look Y/n, I know this may seem fast, but I really like you. I think you’re beautiful, and smart, and you’re so fun to talk to, and I just feel like you get me in a way nobody else has. And if it’s not too bold of me..I’d like to be with you.” He looks up at you from his sunny seat, his dark eyes shining, and a smile gracing the curve of his lips. 

“I..” You’re left at a loss for words, and you giggle, despite yourself, and nod. “I’d like that a lot Jimin, I feel the same way.” You grin as he does, and he pulls you against him as the car continues down the road. He holds you to his side, and you two talk the rest of the ride, although your mind is kind of fuzzy as you take in everything about him. The way he smells, the firmness of his arm, and way your body lays against his, how his head is tilted to rest against yours. 

“This is it,” He says with a smile as he guides you into the large, beautiful museum. He keeps his hands on your shoulders as he walks you in, and you can’t help but let your jaw drop as you take it all in. It’s triple level, with statues and paintings alike, with natural light streaming in from high windows, and endless hallways leading to different wings. “This is where it all started, but of course it didn’t look like this when I began. I’m proud to say I’m the reason it looks the way it does.” The two of you spend almost 2 hours walking around the museum, him keeping at least one hand on you at all times. He gushes about his favorite pieces, but never takes his eyes off of you. 

By the time your little tour with him finishes, you notice that the museum is completely absent of people. “Jimin, where are all the patrons?” You tilt your head.

“Ah, I wanted your tour to be extra special so I closed it for today. Is that too weird?” He smiles sheepishly and you grin, feeling your heart swell at yet another one of his kind gestures. 

“No, it’s sweet.” 

The two of you walk around the city, hitting all of yours, and his favorite places. You hold hands and reminisce on memories like an old couple, your cheeks almost tired from smiling so much. You two stop at a cafe to get a bite to eat, when he gets a phone call. A shadow of a frown flickers across his face as he reads the caller ID. You’re confused because you've never seen even a shadow of annoyance on him like this, but then again its been 2 days. 

“Excuse me a minute.” He drops your hand and walks out of the cafe, and you watch him through the window. His brows draw together in an annoyed frown, and he runs a hand through his hair. He moves his mouth slowly, speaking slow but calculated. You wonder what’s so troubling on the phone right now, but you don’t want to pry this early into your relationship. His call lasts 10 minutes, and you hold off eating until he gets back. He walks back in, looking annoyed but he smiles at you anyway. “So sorry, business was pressing. Now where were we?” 

It’s 8:30, and you two have spent the last 8 hours together, you’ve been all over the city, and now you’re all over each other. You two went back to his mansion, and what started out as an innocent house tour turned into something else. 

You're not usually one to move so fast, but things with Jimin seem different. Since the first meeting, you’d felt like you’d known him forever, and even today felt like you’d done this kind of thing all the time. And to be honest, you didn’t care how fast you were moving with him. For you, a young heiress, the city was just a playground, and Jimin knew his way around both a playground, and your body. 

You two had wandered into his room as he showed you around. You’d come in hand in hand, and ended up pinned to a wall, his lips rough against your own. You’d never had a guy take charge like this, and honestly, you liked it. Usually you took charge, but having him hold you there and kiss you got your heart pounding and turned you on honestly. His hands tugged at the hem of your shirt needily, and his breath was hot against your lips. You felt your cheeks heat up, but you separated for a moment so you could pull off your shirt. 

He licked his lips, and his eyes widened as they traveled up and down your frame. “God Y/n, you  just get more and more beautiful don’t you,” He breaths before his hands slide onto your waist and he pulls you onto the bed with him, sitting you on his lap and laying back so you’re straddling him as you two kiss passionately, his hands hot against your skin, wandering up and down and all over, sending chills on your arms and legs. Your hands slip to the hem of his shirt and you trace over his stomach lightly and he chuckles against your lips before tossing off his own shirt, and raises an eyebrow as your eyes widen and you giggle at his cocky reaction. 

“Stop it,” you giggle and he grins and laughs tickling you and you squeal and roll off him hitting him with a pillow, and you two start to play fight for a bit before you end up pinned under him, both of you breathing heavily, faces only inches apart. 

“Do you want to do this?” His voice is heavy and raspy, and his eyes are alight with a fiery passion you hadn't seen before. Before you can even think you find yourself nodding, and his lips are already on your neck, sucking and nibbling as he works his way down down, his lips trailing down the cloth of your bra, through the valley of your breasts. He looks up at you through hooded eyes as his fingers trace around your torso, fingers fiddling with the clasp of your bra. He works it off within seconds and his eyes darken as he takes in the view of your breasts. “Oh, y/n,” he breaths, before he attacks your nipple with his lips, sucking and nibbling. You let out a moan and curl your toes as your fingers work their way into his dark, thick hair. He smirks with satisfaction and fiddles with the top button of your jeans when your phone rings and he chuckles but you can tell he’s kind of annoyed as he climbs off of you and grabs your phone holding it out to you. You’re breathless, and your face is hot. You don’t want to talk to anybody right now, and you inwardly cringe as you see it’s your mom calling. 

“Hi mom,” you sigh and Jimin laughs at the ironical timing. “No, I won’t be home till late, don’t wait up.” you quickly hang up and toss the phone aside, groaning. The mood is totally gone, especially now that your mom just interrupted you. 

“Hey, we can wait to work up the mood again, we have all the time in the world, don’t we?” He smiles and slides back in next to you and you nod smiling a little.  

He pulls you against him and presses his lips softly to your neck, letting his hands travel up and down your torso, tracing your spine and every curve. 

“You’re just so beautiful,” He sighs contentedly against your collarbone,  giving you goosebumps. 

“I could say the same you to,” You say breathlessly and your breath catches as he nips at your skin. Your hands trail down his back before tugging at the waistband of his jeans. He looks up at you with a mischievous glint in his eyes, before his lips roughly attach to yours again, and his hands go south, wasting no time. 

The next morning you wake up under silky sheets, the smell of designer cologne in the air, but something else too. Something more familiar, safer even. There are warm arms around you, and you blink awake. You lay on your back, with Jimin’s head on your shoulder and his arms around your waist. You smile and lay your head back, biting your lip.  “I wish it could be like this every day,” You sigh.

“It can be,” His voice responds to yours softly.

Sooooo I was watching this crime show and this idea came to mind, and I know I didn't really get into anything gang-esque or whatever in part 1, but I felt like I needed to set it up ya know? Anyway, I hope you liked it, I really like this idea and I want to write a part 2 soon, so let me know what you think. Thanks!!

[ficdirectory]

The Crossing (Disuphere series #3) Chapter 22

Scene XVI:  Would They Like What They Saw or Would They Hate It, Too?

After an entire weekend avoiding Jesus, Dominique has to get back to work.  She has enough vacation days that she could afford calling in a couple times, but no more than that.  She needs her job.  But she hopes she won’t run into Jesus there.

She spends downtime during her shifts writing poetry to Taylor in her head.  She has a little notebook, like she had in sixth grade.  She keeps it under her mattress now, and it’s empty except for poems.  

The thing with losing Taylor the way she’d lost her is that there was nowhere to go to mourn.  Nothing to bury in a cemetery.  No pictures.  She hadn’t even had an ultrasound.  So there’s just the notebook.  It’s about her and not about her.  It’s about that, too.  About stuff she can’t breathe a word about in everyday life.

Today - now - she thinks about the money.  Writes in her head about it:

Hollow

Scooped out for a

Dollar amount

But I paid

I gave

My skin

My lips

My nonexistent hips

My child

And

Destitute

Friable

Craterous

Me

The phone rings:

“UC San Diego Health.  This is Dominique,” she answers, like nothing’s wrong at all.

--

She’s outside on a lunch break, when she sees Jesus walking up, determined, with Dudley at his side.  The last thing she needs is nosy Lisa seeing this and making the rest of Dominique’s shift a living hell with her questions.

“Hey,” he says quietly.  “Can we talk?”

She glances around, figures the table she chose is as unobtrusive as she can get.  Still doesn’t feel okay about going anywhere remotely private with him.

“What’s going on?” Jesus asks softly.

“Oh, suddenly you care now?” Dominique whispers.

“What do you mean?  Of course I care.”  He looks so bewildered, and she’s shaking in a way she hopes he can’t see.

“Really?” she asks crossing her arms.  “‘Cause it seems like you only care when you got someone in front of you that you can pity.”

“What?” he asks.

“I got in touch with you.  Months ago, Jesus.  Before we really started talking.  Before you saw me in the elevator and felt sad for me, wanted to talk?  I tweeted you.  And I never heard back.”

“That’s because I never tweet anybody back, Dominique.  If I tweet one person back, everyone expects it.”

“I didn’t reach out to you ‘cause I felt entitled, Jesus!  I reached out because I thought you cared!” she hisses.  “But I guess I was wrong!”

“I do care!” he objects, whispering too.

“You got a funny  way of showing it…”

She’s on her feet, walking away, heart pounding.  Hoping to God he doesn’t follow her.

--

At night, she dreams of Taylor.  Mostly of being pregnant, because that’s the only part she’d ever known, but still, she wakes up screaming.  Feeling traitorous because who grieves a baby you got the way she got Taylor?

Still, just like Dominique can’t stop the tears, she can’t stop the onslaught of thoughts that come with them:  that this baby didn’t have a choice in who her parents were.  That just like she was half a person who made a terrible choice and did terrible things, she was also half of Dominique.  With parts of her own parents, too.  

The baby didn’t have a choice.

The words echo in Dominique’s mind.  She sees Francesca in her mind’s eye - a living, breathing Taylor - but then Francesca changes and Dominique can see a younger version of herself.  (She remembers thinking back then that eleven was so old - but she was very much still a child.

A child who didn’t have a choice.

And just like that, she’s back to sobbing in bed, except now it’s late and Mom’s at home sleeping.  And she’s here.

--

There are no cookies from Jesus this time.  She’s succeeded in hurting him.  In driving him away.  He can’t know the real truth, so she’d settled on the betrayal she felt months before they actually met.  He needed to know that part too.  And she couldn’t bear to tell him the truth.  (Both what happened to her, and that her own reaction has to do with his baby sister.)

Ironically, she can’t go to Avoidance to avoid Jesus and Mariana, (and what if they bring Francesca?) so Dominique’s stuck inside.  She opts out of group shopping.  She opts out of everything she can.  She kinda wishes she could stop time.  Or back it up to before she knew about Francesca.  Back when she was oblivious, and only dealt with her known traumas not the stealth ones that snuck up on her out of nowhere.

Dad tries to be there, from a distance.  He texts.  Sends funny pictures and videos.  But it’s like she’s stuck.  Like nothing is helping.  Like nothing ever will and her only choice is to just get through this crappy part of life without imploding.

Lena stops in, and even being around her is like salt in a giant wound for Dominique.  Lena knows Jesus.  Lena’s a fan of his cookies.  Thinks he’s sweet.  And he is.  That’s the thing.  Jesus and Mariana have done absolutely nothing to obviously hurt her, except have a sister the same age as the baby Dominique lost when she was still a baby.

--

Saturday mornings meant cheerleading at the community center.  10 AM to noon.  It was Dominique’s favorite part of the week.  She got her homework all done Friday night, so she’d be allowed to go.  Mom and Dad were serious about putting school first.

It was a week since her birthday and so far?  Being eleven is everything she dreamed.  She felt older and more mature.  One of the oldest in fifth grade which meant that lots of kids asked her questions and she felt really important.  Dominique liked feeling needed.  Liked helping.

“Hey ‘Nique!” Brittany called.  She was an older girl Dominique met back when fifth grade was just starting.  Brittany was nineteen.  Tall.  Blonde.  Probably really popular back when she was in fifth grade, too.

Dominique waved.  (Brittany was the only one to ever call her ‘Nique and Dominique let her ‘cause it sounded so much better than Dominique.)  She jogged over to Brittany’s car, where she waited sometimes.  It was as Dominique approached that she could see Brittany’s face.  The tears on it.  How upset she looked.

“What’s wrong?” Dominique asked.

“Can I use your phone?  Mine died, and the babysitter just cancelled on me…”

“Yeah, of course.  Here.”  Dominique handed her hand-me-down phone that she got from Mom and Dad (but with a brand new pink case) through Brittany’s car window.  

She talked on it for a few minutes, sounding more and more upset.  Finally she just swore: “Damn it!” and threw the phone down at the passenger seat.  It bounced down onto the floor of the car.

Dominique opened her mouth to ask about it, but Brittany asked a question first:  “I know you have cheerleading today, but I’m really desperate here, and I trust you.  Will you watch Milo for me?”

“Milo?” Dominique asked.

“He’s my son.  He’s two.  He’s really good, and we just live around the corner.  I’d have you back here in plenty of time for your parents to pick you up.  Promise.”

Dominique glances at the doors of the community center.  She’d seen all the other girls go in already.  She’d definitely be late.

“Okay.” Dominique agreed.  She got in back, next to a carseat with smashed crackers and toys in it.

“Looks like he’s hungry a lot, huh?” she joked, buckling up.

But Brittany stopped talking back to her.  Maybe she was just in a hurry to get to her job.  But they turned one corner, and then another, and just kept going.

When they drove out of the neighborhood, Dominique’s heart started to race.  So did her brain.  She looked around, desperate, but realized there was no way to reach her phone.  

Dominique couldn’t speak.  The reality that she’d been tricked was too big for her head to hold.

When Brittany parked, and had Dominique get out of her car and into a van with a guy, Dominique tried to run.  She yelled and kicked.  But the man just picked her up and smiled and nodded to people around them like she was his kid just having a fit, and he was right to handle her without even asking first.

“Stranger!” she screamed, because no other words would come out.

“Come on, Amber.  Stop playing.” The man said, “That’s nothing to joke around about, just ‘cause you can’t get what you want.”

The people all around them smiled.  And he put her in the van.

Just like that.

Just like that, Dominique was gone.