#she took me so many places and up so many sketchy roads

[lucithornz]

Oh yeah I think I forgot to post here, but I had some shit come up. I was in a pretty bad car accident Monday. I am fine BUT idk how this is gonna impact my time and mental space for the next few weeks/months.

It could be since I currently don't have a car I might go stir crazy at home and do nothing but write fic. It could be I also go stir crazy and decide I need to run 10 miles to feel something. I just don't know yet.

But you best believe the next chapter I update will have a fun author's note <3

[clumsiestgiantess]

Chapter nine of the Other-world Universe; drunken shenanigans! Amongst other things. (This chapter’s one of my favorites)

all chapters linked here

[Hangover? I hardly know her]

On one boring Saturday, several weeks from my first attempt at redemption, I left for the other-world after dinner.  It seemed so much more inviting now that Erica had forgiven me.  Well, not forgiven me, actually.  It was more along the lines of facing the reality that I occasionally wandered through her world whether she wanted me there or not.  I had a better feeling about things, regardless.  I still wanted to make a better impression than I had when we first officially met.  Erica had willingly spent time with me, and she'd actually enjoyed it.  She said so herself.  The thought of that rainy day made my heart skip a beat.  Befriending the people of the other-world was a lot more gratifying than sitting around invisibly controlling them.  Albeit, it was a lot harder.

It wasn't raining that evening, but large clouds hung heavily in the air.  Erica's house was empty when I meandered past the cliffside, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sorrow at the sight.  What was I going to tell her, anyways? I asked myself internally.  'I came back because my world's boring and you aren't?'  No, it was for the best that she wasn't home.  I could wait for tomorrow — maybe get there a bit earlier.  I’d come later into the night, but then again, I always come around dark.  It stresses me out less and makes me feel a bit more hidden.

Wandering further through the outskirts of the city, I debated controlling someone to get closer to its center.  However, since everything that happened, I was really trying to be less lenient with my own rules.  'Absolutely necessary' was already vague enough.  Deep in thought, I stumbled over a car in the street, not even realizing it had turned down the road I was walking on.  I glanced backwards to find the vehicle flipped upside down in the road behind me.  Too many bystanders had seen it happen, though.  This was a residential area, and people were already flocking out of their homes to witness the damage.  Like so many other accidents I'd caused, I could do nothing to help without making a scene.

I guiltily slunk off to a different, less inhabited place.  The streets were filled with pawn shops and sketchy offices that were most likely fronts for a plethora of illegal things.  I quickly moved on from that section and continued around the outside of the city.  After finding nothing of particular interest, I was ready to call it a night and head back to my own world.  A split second from vanishing away, I felt a magnetic-esque tug.  Erica.  Should I look for her?  Will she think I’m stalking her if I do?  In the end, I decided to just check in on her, then head back home.  Strange streets slowly became more recognizable as I traversed the roadways trying to follow my and Erica's sixth sense.

Once the old club came into view, I picked up the pace, suddenly realizing where she must be.  Erica was nowhere in sight when I arrived, and I had to wait later into the dark morning for her to emerge from the building.  This time, she actually recognized her car, so I assumed she wasn't too buzzed.  However, the second her car was running, she proceeded to put it into drive rather than reverse.  She came horribly close to smashing directly into the car parked in front of her.  Thankfully, my reflexes reacted before my brain did.  I quickly stopped the vehicle in its tracks with a free hand.  Eyeing the empty streets for any passerby, I brought her car to the empty lot I'd sat in to watch the city over a year ago — only a block or two down the street.  It took a few moments after I'd placed it down, but Erica eventually stepped out of her car and looked around the lot, confused.  "This isn't my house," she stated confusedly after examining the darkening streets.

Oh boy.  "Erica, what are you doing trying to drive this drunk?" I asked quietly, slightly exasperated, "Weren't you already arrested for doing this?"   She whirled around towards the sound of my voice, glancing around the dark with a bewildered expression.  "H- hello?  God, is that you?"  Shortly afterwards, she dissolved into a mess of giggles and slumped back down into the driver's seat.  "Don't take me yet!" Erica exclaimed drunkenly, "Wait until the hangover starts, then I'll want to leave."  Sighing, I kneeled on the concrete and considered my options.  I couldn’t leave Erica in the lot; she was far too drunk to stay by herself in the city, especially at night.  My first thought was to take her home myself, but that meant I’d have to pick her up either in her car or just in my hand.  I knew for a fact that sober Erica would passionately refuse both options.

Taking her car was basically out of the question, though.  It would be way too risky trying to hide it from the view of all the people in the other-world who might look up and spot it, even if it was the dead of night.  The only way to get Erica home is to carry her there.  I debated my decision for a moment.  “Erica, can you come out of the car for a second?  I- I need to take you home, but I’m honestly not sure how.”  Erica shrugged and stepped off her seat, stumbling on the cracked cement.  Hesitating a few times, I reached for her.  Unfortunately, I had to keep myself invisible in the outskirts of the city.  Erica would have a fit if I were to try this while she was sober, but I had no other choice.  

My fingers slowly curled around Erica’s torso, lifting her a few inches into the air.  The second her feet left the ground, she shrieked like she was being murdered.  I quickly set her back down, regretfully watching as she scrambled behind her car for safety.  Her bubbly mood was replaced with a newly terrified one.  It was heartbreaking; all her newfound trust in me was instantly revoked.

Erica’s frightened voice echoed from her hiding spot.  “I can’t be controlled again.  Please, it has to stop.  I don’t want to be a puppet.”  She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.  Was she really this scared of me, or is that the alcohol talking?  Sitting up as much as I could without fully standing, I surveyed the area for people.  Streetlights and neon signs hummed with life, but otherwise the surrounding streets were completely dead.  Tentatively, I came out of invisibility.  “Erica,” I called softly, “It’s just me.  I won’t control you, I promise.”  Her head popped up from her hiding place behind her car.  “You’re not?” she asked, looking me over warily.  I shook my head and she slid out of hiding.

Erica meandered around the lot for about 20 minutes afterwards, blabbering drunken nonsense and pacing around aimlessly.  She tried twice to drive home, but I refused to let her get in her car.  I’d quickly slide my hand over the door every time I saw Erica make a move towards it.  The second time I blocked her, she pressed herself into my fingers, trying to force them apart so she could get past them.  It was strangely adorable, but I still refused to let her in.  Driving in her disoriented state was basically a death sentence.  

“Come on,” she whined, “I wanna go home already!”  “I can’t let you drive this drunk,” I replied.  She sighed, giving one last attempt to pry my fingers free.  Finally, she sat down tiredly on the back of her car.  A few minutes later, Erica nearly slid off her seat in drowsiness.  I quickly reached over and caught her before she got a face full of cement.

Immediately, Erica slid out of my grip and hurried to the newly opened doorway.  At that point, I was worried I might have to hold her car aloft to stop her from using it.  However, Erica paused at the door, hand hovering over its handle.  Slowly, she turned to look up at my exhausted expression.  "You're..." she paused, considering my large form sitting cross-legged in the lot, taking up more than half the empty space.  "You're my friend, right?  I can trust you?"  

I was baffled by her questions, but immediately had the answer.  "Of course you can trust me."  Erica gave me an oblivious, innocent smile, "That's good.  I like you.  I'd invite you over to my house, but you won't let me go."  She wandered over to my hand, laying back on it like a bed.  "Guess I'll just sleep here tonight.  But I’m going to make it your problem."  I sat stunned while Erica rambled on in a half asleep voice.  In her slightly delirious state, she'd asked me where my house was and questioned whether I even had one or just slept in the mountains somewhere.  Before I could try to explain my situation to her, she'd fallen asleep.

After a few minutes, I bent over to see her closer, fingers cupping around her ever so slightly.  I didn't dare get too close though, just in case she woke up and my closeness scared her.  Butterflies flitted around my chest as I gazed down at Erica tucked sleepily in my palm.  I gushed over how sweet a moment it was before realizing something like that would probably never happen again.  Once she sobered up, I doubted Erica would ever be that trusting of me.  I can enjoy this moment now, though.  Before it ends, and I go back to being seen as an 'untrustworthy monster' not a 'safe friend'.

My pulse quickened slightly as I felt Erica shift unconsciously on my palm.  Her arm slid over my thumb, pulling it closer to herself as she nestled her head on the pad of another finger.  The feeling was so overwhelming, I felt my eyes tearing up.  Seeing her sleeping soundly was making me doubly tired.  It was definitely well past midnight, and I still hadn’t slept, myself.  Even when I closed my eyes to get some rest, there would always be some suspicious sounds out on the street or a slight movement from Erica, and I'd suddenly be woken again.

Eventually, I must've fallen asleep, because when I woke up the sun had drifted above the horizon.  My heart dropped in panic as I quickly became invisible once more.  Hopefully no one had spotted me while I was sleeping.  Erica was still out cold, so I slid my hoodie out from its previous use as a pillow for myself, and placed it on the ground with Erica on top of it.  My hand prickled awfully from the loss of blood over the course of the night.  I had to hold it still for hours so Erica wouldn't wake up.  As I shook out my hand and bent my fingers to get them back to normal, I pulled away from the building behind me to check how much damage I'd undoubtedly caused by leaning against it.  There was a large dent in its side where my back rested.  Thankfully, the building looked long abandoned.

Early city sounds started up for the day, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes.  Horns blared in the direction of the highway, and a flock of tiny pigeons scattered into the sky.  Suddenly, a small yelp startled me mid-yawn.  I glanced over at my hoodie where Erica was now sitting upright in confusion.  "What-  Where am I?  What happened?  Alexis, are you-"  "I'm here," I replied softly, not wanting to draw too much attention to myself.  Erica flinched slightly at my voice before calming down once she recognized it.  A few seconds passed as she stared into the distance, possibly remembering vague details from the night before.  

"You.. wouldn't let me drive home last night..."  "Because you were ridiculously drunk and almost crashed within five seconds of trying to drive," I finished.  Erica sucked in a pained breath of air as she clutched her head and slowly laid back down.  "Fucking hangover," she cursed under her breath.  "I think the drinks might’ve been spiked.  I.. I really shouldn’t keep going back there.”  She rolled over and clutched fistfuls of my hoodie closer to herself. “Thank you though, for keeping me off the road.  I could've died; I wasn't really thinking." I smiled, breathing in the early morning air.  "You're welcome."

"I have some water in my car," Erica realized aloud.  "If I could just get it..."  I would offer to get it for her, but I doubted I could get to the bottle without accidentally tearing the door off.  We sat in the lot for some time, Erica trying to power through her headache long enough to make it to her car.  She got two thirds of the way there before doubling over in pain.  I had to reach out and catch her before she fell to the ground.  Erica froze when she felt my fingers hoist her back up, but she quickly got over it and made her way into the driver's seat with my help.  Finally, she got out the bottle and swallowed a few sips, slumping over in pain and exhaustion afterwards.

I noticed her cast a longing stare directed at my hoodie.  Erica wanted to lie back down, but didn't want to keep me here longer than she already had.  She sat sideways, legs still dangling out of the car, and looked up in my direction.  "Did I-” she stopped for a second then started her sentence again.  "I don't remember much of last night, but.. did I fall asleep in your hand?" she asked hesitantly.  "Yes," I confessed, "You wanted somewhere to sleep, and since I didn't let you into the car…"  "I'm sorry," Erica interjected, "That's.. embarrassing, I'm so sorry.  I kept you here all night."  I let out a breathy laugh, "No, it's fine Erica.  I really didn't mind!  It's not like anyone's missing me back home."  She seemed slightly concerned for a moment, sitting up to get off her seat before letting out a small yelp of pain and reaching for her temples, again staring longingly at the comfortable pile of fabric a few feet away.

"Hold out your hand," I instructed.  Shockingly, Erica made no argument.  Her tiny digits brushed over the pads of my own, leaning her weight onto me.  Gently, I hauled her up out of her seat.  With small careful movements, I managed to guide her back to my hoodie so she could lay down again.  With a wan smile, she burrowed herself in its folds.  "Did you know I'd be out drinking last night?" Erica asked after laying there for a while, her eyes closed in a half-sleep.  "No, I was just sightseeing in the city again," I answered honestly, "I was about to leave when I felt you were nearby and went to investigate."  

"By 'investigate', do you mean 'spy on me'?"  When I answered with a dull silence, she opened her eyes and sat up slightly to look at me.  Well, to look at the empty space that I sat in.  "That was supposed to be a joke, sorry.  I wasn't trying to chastise you."  This was new.  I don't think Erica had ever apologized to me before.  Not that she had anything to apologize for.  "I'm just glad I came when I did," I replied, "before anything happened."  She must've sensed my tone shift a bit, because she frowned at me and stood slightly before realizing that wasn't helping her headache.  "You were worried about me?"  Erica asked, looking slightly flattered.  "That's.. really sweet of you."

I nodded vigorously, though Erica couldn't see me.  "Of course I was worried about you!" I exclaimed before realizing I should probably keep my voice a bit quieter.  It hurt my throat, but it probably kept me a bit more secretive.  Even if it didn’t, whispering would also be better for Erica’s headache regardless.  "Imagine how awful I'd feel if I came back to the mansion to visit and you weren't there.  I guess I would think you blew me off, but I'd really start to worry once you were gone for weeks afterward."  

Erica sat silently for a bit, deep in thought.  "I..." she started, "I guess I didn't realize you cared about me that much."  A long silence followed, her last words resonating in the empty air.  Erica's expression became clouded with emotions I couldn't quite read.  "Are you alright?" I asked uncertainly.  The silence broken, Erica shook herself off and straightened up.  "Yeah, I'm just thinking.  I really should head home, though."  "Alright, I guess I'll do that too.  Do you need help?"  She shook her head and stood slowly, "I should be alright until I get home."  I watched her return to the driver's seat, readily waiting to catch her if she fell.

Before closing the car door, Erica slowly turned to look at me.  "Thank you, again, for dealing with me last night.  I swear I'll try not to get that drunk from now on.  It’s not that I want to, it just kinda.. happens, I guess."  I laughed slightly, "You work on that."  Erica started up the car, smiling lightheartedly.  With a little wave, she drove off back to the mansion, leaving me behind on the cracked concrete lot.  Just in case, I trailed her car from a distance.  She said she was alright to drive, but I wanted to make sure she made it home safely before I left.

I could barely sleep that evening, far too awake thanks to the events of the day, along with the fact that I’d just woken up.  Erica had trusted me so wholly that she’d slept in my hand.  I felt giddy just thinking about it, but at the same time, I had to come to terms with the fact that the incident had everything to do with the alcohol and whatever else she’d consumed and nothing to do with her actual trust in me.  However, even when she’d slept it all off, Erica had still trusted me enough to touch her that morning.  

I hadn’t touched her or even got very close to her since I’d grabbed her during our first true meeting.  She made it crystal clear that she didn’t want my massive appendages anywhere near her since then.  That was until just this morning, when she’d willingly taken my hand.  It might’ve just been Erica being in too much pain to be stingy, but she was stubborn; if she didn’t want to do something, it was near impossible to get her to change her mind.  The only reason I say near is because of my abilities, but using those was obviously out of the question.

Exited that Erica finally seemed to be warming up to me, I eagerly returned on the following Saturday.  I’d chosen Saturdays simply because they were the day I had the most free time.  I raced downstairs right after lunch and zapped off to the other-world, almost jogging to the cliffside before realizing the tremors I would undoubtedly cause.  Stepping up to the mansion, I found Erica on the phone with someone inside.  Resting on the cliffside a bit further down, I waited for Erica to finish the call and come to the door.  It was taking a suspiciously long time for her to get there, so I began wandering off to the areas nearby.  

Eventually, I noticed the glass door, which had now been fixed, sliding open.  Erica stepped hesitantly onto the patio outside.  "Alexis?  Are you out here?"  I made my way over to the mansion again.  "Yeah," I answered, "It's Saturday.  I'm here."  My sudden voice caused Erica to jump a few feet in the air.  Her face scrunched up in thought, “You came today?  It’s.. not the best time for me.  I have errands to run today."  I stared blankly at her, suddenly feeling very awkward.  "I.. oh."  I felt so stupid — it was all I could say.  “N- Nevermind.  Sorry to bother you.”

Erica snickered, shaking her head slightly in embarrassment for me.  She thought for a moment, then made a small 'aha' gesture.  "Hey, you know what?  While you're here, do you think you could help out with stuff?  I was just on the phone with a decor store.  See, I have this new couch coming, but the store's being big jerks about it and they won't deliver it for me.  They said they'd have someone help load it into my car, but.."  She stepped out a ways, gesturing to her two-seater sports car parked in the driveway.  Its trunk was only a few feet long, and that was in other-world measurements.  "It won't exactly fit.  I told them that, but I don't think the lady on the phone particularly gave a shit, so.. I'm thinking maybe, while you're here and everything, you can get the couch for me?"  

I mulled her idea over.  I don't really have anything else to do, and I was planning to spend the rest of the day here anyway.  "Well, I can't just go there and get it by myself, you have to go and claim it."  Erica waved a hand to shush me, "Yeah, yeah, I know.  I'm coming too.  I just need someone to take the couch."  "Alright," I agreed, "I'll help out.  I was planning to be here today, anyway."  My agreeance was instantly rewarded with a rare genuine smile from Erica, which was compensation enough for me.

It took Erica a few minutes to get herself ready, but soon we hit the road.  Well, she hit the road and I followed from a distance.  I was still amazed by how easily I could keep up with vehicles like her car.  Technically they were only toy-sized so I guessed it made sense.  We had to diverge paths for a bit when the highway turned through a forested area I couldn’t walk in, but using our sixth sense, I was still able to follow her despite not being able to see her.  When she got to the parking lot, she took a space at the very far end.  

“Alexis?” Erica called, stepping out of the car.  “I���m here,” I replied quietly, kneeling down.  There was an empty dog walk beside the lot on this side that gave me just enough room to stay.  Erica had probably parked all the way over here because of it.  “I’m going to have them leave the couch out on the corner over there.  Do you think you could take it without anyone noticing?”  “In front of the entire parking lot?” I asked skeptically, looking out over the stretch of asphalt and cars, "I'll try."  Soon, the new couch was brought out to the corner.  Erica told the employees who took it out there that a truck would be coming by any second to take it, but they insisted on waiting for it to arrive so they could load it inside.  It was their policy or whatnot.

Erica began to get annoyed, realizing that they would get suspicious when no one actually showed up.  Spying a van nearby, I got an idea.  I made sure Erica was preoccupied with the moving guys before stepping over and latching onto the driver.  I had them pull up to where the couch was waiting, then call out to the movers and Erica.  ("I'm here!  Is this the couch?")  Erica's eyes went wide in shock, her face paling as she rapidly figured out what I’d done.  I instantly regretted my decision, but the two movers got right to work placing things inside.  

The moment they left, Erica glared at me through the person she realized I must be controlling.  "My car.  Now."  I hesitated, but begrudgingly had the person drive out and park beside her fancy red sports car.  Erica marched up to the driver, "What the hell is wrong with you?  I thought you weren't doing any of this shit anymore!"  It was weird watching her yell at the innocent person I was controlling instead of my actual self, who was watching invisibly from above.  ("They weren't going to leave, so I thought this might help,") I explained.  She stared at the driver a moment, "Can.. Can whoever you're controlling see what's happening right now?  I remember it was like spacing out and watching things happen around me…”  Her expression shifted from anxious to enraged in a matter of seconds.  “Alexis, you can't do this to people!"  ("I know, I know.  I just need to do one thing, then they'll go off and forget this ever happened.")

Erica stood irritated the entire time as I, myself, got the couch out of the van.  Quickly, I had the driver pull away and forget the last few minutes.  "See, they're gone.  It's like they were never here," I said quietly.  I knew what I did was not going to be cast aside that easily.  "Can we just… go back to the mansion and I can explain-"  "Explain what?  You controlled someone right in front of me!"  "Erica, I controlled them for five minutes.  They were completely fine and I did nothing to hurt them.  I- I understand that what I did to you was very wrong, but it wasn't like that.  I had someone do us a favor, and that's all."  "Just bring the damn couch home."  Erica slammed her car door and sped away before I could reply.  I took up the piece of furniture and held it beneath my shirt to keep it hidden.  

I stood in numb shock as I watched Erica’s car disappear down the freeway.  What was I thinking, controlling someone in front of her, even if it was only for a moment?  On my way back, I realized that without my sixth sense to guide me, I was a bit lost.  I followed the trail of places I recognized, unsure whether I recognized them from the trip today or from another time.  The sudden sound of something ripping apart startled me from my pensive mood.  I nearly tripped over a stoplight when I looked up.  

A pitch-black tear broke through the sky to my right.  It was as if the atmosphere itself had been cut open, filled with a gaping black void of whatever was inside.  There were only two or three other cars on this backroad, but everyone who saw it stopped and watched in frightened awe.  The tear looked exactly like the strange instance of black lightning I’d noticed from a distance a long time ago.  I’d completely forgotten about it until then.  Now that it had opened a yard or so away from me, I realized that the strange phenomenon was definitely not natural.

A few seconds of stunned silence later, the tear slowly closed back in on itself, sealing up the sky once more.  What in the world was that!?  Clearly, no one else seemed to know either.  A crowd of bystanders formed in the street by their abandoned vehicles, debating over what exactly they’d witnessed.  Talk of aliens and dark magic drifted to my ears from the road below me.  Whatever strange things were going on, this time, they were not my fault.  Not wanting to stick around in case any government agencies came looking, I backed off and continued the long walk to the mansion.

When I got back, Erica was there waiting for me.  Silently, she opened the back doors and pointed inside to where the old couch used to be.  I delicately placed it inside like you would a piece of dollhouse furniture.  It wasn't completely dark yet, but it was getting there.  It had taken me a while to find my way back without Erica to guide me.  Her back was turned and it looked as if she might shut the back doors on me, so I quickly shifted to visibility.

"Erica, I'm sorry.  I'm so, so sorry," I pleaded, "It's not fair what I did.  It should never have been that long, I- I just got into the habit and didn't stop…"  She turned around to face me.  My eyes were brimming with tears, and I was gripping the cliffside so hard that chunks of rock came away in my hands.  "You're not talking about today, are you?" Erica asked, leaning tiredly against the doorframe.  I shook my head, bending down to look her in the eyes.  "You.. didn't deserve that.  I stole eight months of your life, and I convinced myself that you were better off because of it…"  I took a shuddering breath and continued.  "I don't want to scare you or hurt you, I promise."  

There was a long moment of dull silence where I could've sworn Erica would tell me to leave her alone, but all she did was sigh and step inside.  My stomach plummeted.  I stepped away, trying desperately to keep myself from full-on crying.  I had come so close.  "Hey, I'm-  I'm still here," a whisper echoed from the second floor of the mansion.  "I just came up here to talk to you easier."  I wiped the tears from my face as best as I could in the pitch dark of the coming night before stepping into the light of the house.

"You genuinely care about me, right?" Erica asked once I came back over.  I nodded furiously.  "You're lucky that I care about you, too.  We’re friends, which means we’re supposed to look out for each other.  So just.. Please don't control people anymore.  It’s not right and it freaks me out."  She crossed her arms defiantly, "And if I ever see you do anything like that again, even if it's for a few minutes, even if a person isn't affected by it in the slightest, that's it.  You and I are done."  I blinked, slightly astounded despite my awful predicament.  "There's.. there's a you and me?  We’re friends?"  Erica rolled her eyes, "That's what you got out of all this?  You know what, maybe there isn't a you and me after all."  "No, no!" I backtracked, "I agree with what you said before, I won't control anyone again!”  "You better not," she chided, pointing a finger at me, "Or else."

I stood feeling chastised while Erica glanced awkwardly back into her house.  “I should really go make dinner," she mused, more to herself than to me.  "I haven’t had anything to eat since eleven o’clock this morning.  I’d order in because I really don’t feel like cooking, but I did that yesterday.”  I stood up so fast, Erica flinched.  “I can get us something to eat!”  Instantly, I vanished into my world and grabbed the backpack I’d been planning to bring.  A few sandwiches were packed inside.  

Moments later, I was back at the mansion.  Erica still stood hesitantly on the balcony.  “It.. might be a bit too much, but I have these,” I said, offering her one of the sandwiches.  It occurred to me then that I probably seemed a bit desperate to make amends by doing this.  I watched Erica’s expression.  She mostly seemed shook by the fact that I had a sandwich the length of the room behind her.  “Are you trying to win me back with food?” she questioned, glancing at me smugly.  I looked away, embarrassed, “I just.. don’t want you to be mad.”  “Then maybe you should listen to me the next time I tell you not to do something.”

“Ok..” I answered guiltily, letting the sandwich fall to my side in my hand.  She did have the right to refuse my peace offering.  “Woah, wait,” Erica stopped me, “I take bribes, hand that back.”  At her sudden remark, I let out a surprised laugh and took the sandwich out of the bag it was in, breaking off a piece that would be semi-manageable for her.  “Here you go, then,” I offered it to her.  We spent the rest of the evening eating and talking until we both started getting tired.  Before I could say my goodbyes, Erica stopped me.

“I.. You..."  Erica paused, mouth opening and closing silently as she searched for a way to tell me what was on her mind.  "You’re not controlling me anymore, are you?  And then making me forget?”  “What?” I asked, genuinely confused.  “L- Like that guy in the parking lot?  You made him forget about what he did.”  I leaned over to rest my head on my hands, propped up on the side lawn.  “Why would I want to control you?” I asked her earnestly, “What would I possibly hope to gain from doing that to you now?”  

Erica hesitated, thinking.  “I only did that to make you live an easier life.  Now that I know I was only making things harder for you, why would I keep doing it?”  She sighed, resting her head face down on the railing in front of her, staring silently at the floor for a while.  “I guess that makes sense.  And I don’t have any strange gaps in my memory like I used to.  That.. was you making me forget stuff, I think.  Some people just don’t care about others’ opinions, you know?” she explained, “I just wanted to know if you listened to me about that at the very least.”

I nodded, understanding.  Slowly, I shifted back upright.  It had to be scary — realizing that someone could take a part of your life away without you even knowing about it, or knowing what that piece of your life was for that matter.  “I swear on my life that I haven’t controlled you since the night you called me out on it,” I promised.  Erica’s head lifted, and she scrutinized my expression, searching for the truth.  “I believe you,” she said after a brief silence.  “And if I need anything in the future, like.. I don’t know.. Iike how you forced John to leave me alone, or when you stopped me from getting in a drunken accident a week ago, you’ll still be here, right?”  

“I’ll be around,” I answered.  “Every day I’ll come over here for a minute or two, probably right before I go to bed.  I’ll come check on you, and if you need anything, you can let me know, and I’ll see what I can do.  How does that sound?”  Erica let out a relieved breath, “It sounds like the right way to help me fix my life.  Thank you.  I- I guess it was wrong of me to tell you I wanted you to stop controlling people, end of story, because I agree that it is a useful ability.  So maybe you should only do it if I ask you to?  I don’t know, it just.. it scares me.”  I so badly wanted to hug her.  My hands twitched at the thought, inching closer before realizing she probably wouldn’t enjoy my giant form encroaching in her small space.

Hesitantly, I brought a hand over to the balcony and reached out a single finger instead.  “You shouldn’t have to be scared when I do that.  I want you to know for certain that I will never ever even try to control you.”  Erica stepped backwards in concern, unsure what I intended to do as I got closer.  When I paused right in front of her, her eyes widened slightly, and she stared at the outstretched digit in awe.  Slowly, Erica’s gaze lifted to meet mine.  “It’s alright,” I told her softly.  With a shaking hand, Erica reached out and delicately put her hand over the pad of my upturned finger, mouth dropping open slightly in wonder.  She dazedly traced the swirling marks of my fingerprint, shook by something so much larger in scale.

A brief moment later, I took back my arm, leaving Erica standing there speechless.  “I’ll be back tomorrow,” I promised, “to check on you like you asked.”  I backed off the cliffside and smiled at her hopeful gaze.  After a small goodbye, I left for my own world with Erica still standing wide-eyed on her balcony.

The following few months were filled with similar affairs.  Erica and I got together for a few meals, and she’d started letting me in on a few things that had been happening in her life that she’d previously kept hidden.  She admitted she’d been afraid that I’d mess with things again if she told me about them — a subtle hint to the fact that she was no longer afraid of my ability to do so, and realized that I really did never intend to use it on her again.  

Once we even had an accidental meeting when her car died in the back roads by her house.  It was deathly hot out now that summer was coming, and without any air conditioning, it was stifling.  Thankfully, I came by a little while after the car died.  I’d already been to her house and decided to walk back through the mountains where there was a bit more of a breeze, only to find Erica’s very noticeable car on the side of the road there.  Erica had been halfway passed out from the heat by the time I found her.  Her phone had died as she tried to call a towing company because she spent all her time trying to find a well-reviewed one.  

Hesitantly, I'd asked if she wanted me to get someone to help, but she strongly refused, knowing that meant I'd have to control someone again.  Even when her life might depend on it, Erica refused to break her own rules — something I seemed to be in the habit of doing, though I was getting better at it.  All she’d done was tell me: "I'd be too nervous sitting in someone else's car while you're controlling them," and I immediately halted mid-argument.  If Erica wasn’t comfortable with it, then neither was I.

I ended up taking the car back to the house with her inside it — a quick transport to the air-conditioned mansion.  Erica was thankful for the lift, even though she didn’t approve of my methods whatsoever.  I had to argue with her for fifteen minutes straight just to convince her that I wouldn’t accidentally drop her.  Erica claimed she nearly had a heart attack when I picked up the vehicle without warning.  Still, she thanked me with a gift: a bottle of champagne.

“My last bottle of alcohol in the house,” Erica admitted, “It’s yours.”  She handed me the tiny bottle, which couldn’t have been more than an inch long.  “I’m finally going sober.”  Erica beamed up at me; her eyes shone with an excitement I'd never seen before, even when I showed up to meals with oversized food from my own world.  Ever since I’d brought her that sandwich, it was like she’d finally realized that I had a whole world full of comparatively gigantic things.  Many of my recent trips, I’d brought along either food or an item for Erica to mess with.  She’d practically fainted when I came with a full-sized tube of lipstick a few days ago.  It was nearly as tall as she was, and she’d made a huge mess of it when she tried to use it herself, staining her outfit red, permanently.

Now, I stared down at the tiny champagne bottle in my hands, feeling the same strange wonder of seeing something normal at an entirely different scale.  "How about you start that tomorrow?" I asked, referring to Erica’s remark about being sober, "Go inside and get yourself a glass, will you?"  Erica nodded happily and disappeared into the mansion, returning with one of her champagne glasses.  She took the bottle from me and poured herself a cup, carefully handing it back so it wouldn't spill.  Taking the bottle between two fingers, I held it up to Erica's glass.  "Cheers," I announced, "to you finally getting your life back."  "Oh, I'll definitely drink to that," Erica remarked, clinking her glass with mine before taking a sip.  I took the wine bottle and poured the entire thing into my mouth.  It was barely more than a sip, but it tasted good.  It occurred to me then that I wasn’t supposed to be drinking alcohol; I was only a few months into being eighteen.  It wasn’t much, and I didn’t really care, but still.

It also occurred to me that I had no idea how old Erica was.  She didn’t look that much older than me, but I’d never asked.  “Erica,” I began, resting myself on the edge of the cliff so my head was even with the patio.  “How old are you?”  She froze mid-sip and glanced over at me.  “Why do you ask?”  “I just realized that I technically shouldn’t even be drinking alcohol at my age.  Not that I mind the tiny amount I got from this bottle,” I added with a shrug. “Are you.. I mean…  You’re out drinking all the time, so I assume you’re at least twenty-one, right?”  The look of guilt that sprung to her face immediately made me think otherwise.  “W- Well how old are you?”  I shook my head, “You first.”  “I’m.. I’m only twenty,” she confessed, “but legal drinking age is.. like.. eighteen so…  Yeah.  Now answer my question.”  

It took a moment for me to respond after that.  Not only was I unsure whether she was lying about the age a person could drink in her world, I realized that when I first saw her a year before, absolutely wasted in the parking lot, trying to break into a car she’d mistaken for her own — she was only nineteen.  In my book, that was too young an age for her to be in that situation, and way too young an age to be in the situation with John in the alleyway.

“Alexis?” Erica asked questioningly.  Her voice held the tiniest tinge of fear in it.  “I’m eighteen,” I told her.  My junior year of high school’s almost over.”  She nodded, “Unpopular opinion, but I actually liked high school.”  As I voiced my opinion against her own, claiming she probably just wasn’t remembering it clearly as a joke, I noticed her look darken for a moment, but chose not to press her about it.  I changed the topic entirely and made some small talk for a bit before we parted ways for the night.  I kept the empty champagne bottle as a souvenir, rubbing it thoughtfully between my fingers in bed that night.  "Cheers," I whispered to myself, "to finally getting things right.

[griffiths-begginers-guide]

“A Beginner’s Guide to Hiding a Body. Written by Griffith A. Johnson.”

“EPILOGUE.

Someday in your life, you will find yourself in a situation that may not be preferable to others.

Many have met the same situation, and many meet the same fate as the last because they don’t understand the art of hiding something.

I’ll be your mentor for this, and, if you are to find that you have killed someone, whether it be on accident or on purpose, you may be able to find this guide helpful in the near future.”

11/20/23 UPDATE (The long awaited second update!)

suppppp. back at it with another intriguing update for you indie game folk.

(little fact- i accidentally posted this BEFORE it was finished. thank GOD this page isn't too popular.)

we have here... that's right! we have here 3 new characters!! comin' straight outta the fiery puts of hell!

as you all know, we have 3 of the 6 main characters (that i can show that won't spoil much) down, and i've recently started typing up the plot... so you all know that means i have the last 3 done, right?going in order now, we have...

Griffith Johnson. we all gotta know this fella by now.

he's stoic, sketchy, tired, and probably a minimum wage worker. really important character here, being the main one and stuff. (fun fact #1- griffith's design is based off of the elsens from OFF, having the work attire and such.)

another character you probably know...

Archur Willow, who i personally enjoy.

he's a nervous wreck and a paranoid denialist, who denies everything bad, even up to his own emotions. he rejects the idea that he's not doing fine, although he DEFINITELY ain't ok. he's also just generally scatterbrained, and not organized. (fun fact #2- archur is a british man, which means he has a british accent.)

THIS IS IT, BOISENGIRLS! a NEW CHARACTER, AFTER ALL THIS TIME!!

ok people... drumroll please?!

*drrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

AHHHHAHAHAHAAA, TIS RIGHT! the FIRST GIRL CHARACTER in a previously ALL BOYS GAME!!

*ahem, ahem...* ... excusez-moi.

Sage Perdita, she has been dubbed. she is a veeeery angy person. and i mean it. i mean, like, she definitely WOULD bash your head in over the last oreo in a box of oreos. she is overprotective and territorial (of mainly just objects or places). she, on top of all that, is fairly reserved and only trusts, like... one person. and, for THAT SPECIFIC PERSON (who will be mentioned soon), she has a huge soft spot (y'know, figuratively and stuff).

alright, alright, done rambling now. she might be one of my favorite characters i've made for this game, too. then again, i love all of them.

oop, almost forgot. (fun fact #3- this character took by far the LONGEST to think up a design for our of all of them.)

okey, next character. you know this guy (probably), and so do i...

Mickey (or M.K.) Green. yes, i have decided to give him the nickname M.K. cuz why the heck not?

he is an items merchant and a beggar (like, he'll get on his knees and beg for you to buy his stuff sometimes). he gets into fights often, and is overall sort of narcissistic. he has his good moments, don't get me wrong, but it's hard to overlook the bad.

(fun fact #4- M.K.'s design was based on guy fieri. no reason why, just felt like it.

he isn't as complex of a character, so there isn't much to talk about here.

alright, next one. (might this one perhaps have a spot in the heart of someone who is rather cold?)

mhm, that's right. the embodiment of depression, AKA Rehema Cora (please call her by her actual name, not the embodiment of depression).

as stated, she's a sad one. veeery sad one. very sleepy, slightly nihilistic and very paranoid, too. she only REALLY feels safe around one person, which just so happens to be... that's right, you guessed it, sage! it seems like a very unlikely friendship, because... well, sage is very angry, and rehema's very sad... those don't really work well... but it seems like something just clicked with the two down the road! (fun fact #5- uhhhh... i can't think of much. sorry, my brain is tuckered out.)

ok, nothing much to say there, tbh... maybe im just tired.

anyways, last guy.

Charles Jeffroi be the name!

charles is a full-blown nihilist, and also a full-blown narcissist. he's also quite a popular dude. he thinks that life is meaningless, so you might as well have all the fun with it you can. he occasionally switches from speaking english, to speaking french for, like, a sentence, then back to english for a while. y'know, just for the fun of it. he's all dressed up and fancy-shmancy, too. (fun fact #6- very fancy and rich dude here. he has the power and authority to tell an entire audience to do something, and they WILL do it.)

ok... no more characters. cool.

...

other updates? right, uhm... i have finished the epilogue section of the game's plot.

also, here's the unfinished beta version of the title screen music:

pretty cool, huh?

...

that's it.

...

goodbye?

[ubeerosophy]

Paths Might Have Made

The most frequent question I get asked as an Uber/Lyft driver is, “What’s the craziest drive you’ve ever done?” There are a few that stand out, but my mind generally goes all the way back to an incident that happened the first weekend I started driving.

Some quick context first…

When I initially heard about Uber and Lyft, or ridesharing as they are collectively called, I thought it sounded incredibly sketchy. The notion of getting in a complete stranger’s car and letting them take you somewhere just didn’t really jive with my skeptical and oft times paranoid way of thinking. Eventually I found out that my uncle was driving for Lyft down in San Antonio and it softened my perception a little. A few weeks or months later, I decided to go ahead and check it out as a passenger while going to a Brewer’s game in Milwaukee. The car was nice, and the driver was professional, so I shed the rest of my skepticism.

That summer I was planning a nearly two-week road trip with my then 13-year-old son, and while considering ways to finance it, my uncle threw out the option of a sign on bonus. If I drove for Lyft and accomplished so many drives within a certain amount of time, using my uncle’s referral code, we would both make several extra hundred dollars. I decided to give it a try, and the rest is history. I’ve done nearly 7,500 drives in going on 6 years. But I almost didn’t make it past the second day.

As a passenger you can set your ride for multiple stops. Perhaps you want to take your kid to school and then go back home after you drop them off, or maybe you want to stop by the gas station for coffee on your way to work. When the ride comes through on the driver’s end, we can see that before we even accept or deny the request. The first time I encountered multiple stops was on this particular drive.

The initial pick up was at the public library downtown, and the passenger was not happy. She had a toddler on her side and was waving her phone in my direction. As she got in the back seat, she informed me that she had been attempting to call me. I can’t remember what the issue was as far as why she was allegedly trying to get a hold of me, but I politely informed her that no calls had come through on my end. Agitated, she looked out the window and I notified the app that she was in my car. I was to take her to Walmart, and then somewhere else. Home I’m assuming.

When we got to Walmart, she told me that it would only take a minute, so I said I would wait just past the entrance with my hazard lights on. It didn’t take just a minute. I sat awkwardly near the front of an extremely busy Walmart for I’m guessing at least 20 to 30 minutes. When she finally came out, she still had her child on her hip and approached the back seat. I always offer to help people load and unload groceries, but this was my first experience with the whole concept, so I just waited. If I remember right, it was only a small box and single sack.

At some point, as the woman was standing outside the back seat on the passenger side, a young lady from a group of people that had been standing nearby recognized her and walked over. I couldn’t see their faces or hear what they were saying, but I assumed that they were just friends or acquaintances. After a couple of moments, a skirmish broke out and they very rapidly moved around to the other side of the car. A Walmart employee that was in close proximity began moving toward the scene in an attempt to break it up and I grabbed my door handle to exit the car. The assailant took off and I have no recollection of where she went or even what direction she took off in. The passenger’s lip was split open and bleeding, and her wig was barely connected, hanging down well past her shoulders. As I continued to take in the scene, I noticed that a birthday cake she had apparently been in the process of placing in my car had fallen out of its box and gotten icing all over the blacktop, back seat and floorboard. The most shocking aspect of the entire incident, however, was that through it all her child had been on her hip.

The woman was clearly and understandably shaken up and the police were called. I don’t remember or know that I ever knew who called them. Presumably the victim or the Walmart employee. I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but it didn’t take long for several officers to show up. After speaking to the woman, one of them came up to me and said I might as well take off because it was going to be a while. I placed the woman’s items in a cart, wheeled them into her and then drove away.

When I try to glean some kind of meaning out of the whole thing, the closest I get is to think about how different my life would’ve been for the past six years had I let that experience scare me away from doing Uber and Lyft. It would’ve changed everything. My occupation. My schedule. My acquaintances. It would’ve changed my life. It was a side gig for several years, but these days I do it full time. The flexibility is hard to beat, and I love how it’s always something different. New places and new faces. Still, it really is amazing to me that I continued to do it after having had that happen right out of the gate. I’m glad I did, because overall its been a positive experience. I’m sure as far as that particular incident goes we could discuss what might’ve led up to that moment outside of Walmart, or maybe even find a way to apply human nature and ethics in general, but this particular post was more just for entertainment value. People love to ask me about crazy things that have happened to me as a driver.

I’ve had many sketchy or perplexing experiences over the past several years as a driver, and hopefully we’ll get to most of them in this blog, but I figured that was a good one to start with. The original. The mother of all my enthralling Uber and Lyft tales.

The UBeerOsopher

And now…a haiku:

it is one moment when without warmth or warning the winds of change blow

“But how could you live and have no story to tell?” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

[justashadetalkative]

theovergrowth​:

“Pleasure meetin’ ya, only wish it were better, uh, better circumstances. For you, I mean, I, I can only assume just how bad ya must feel to come to, uh, y’know, this place for help.”

The sight of his van was not a welcoming one by design, meant to dissuade people from coming near with it’s sketchy appearance. It was dark, old, and scary on the outside while being a small, simple, and comfortable (if not a bit rustic, messy, and disorganized) home on the inside.

“Luckily, you happened upon a survival-recovery expert. I was sick in the wilderness all the time when I was a kid younger than you. It’s scary, but uh, a little less scary when ya got someone to help out.”

He watched with unsure worry as Linast gagged, knowing the feeling yet not really able to do anything besides grabbing a box of tissues from a cardboard box labeled “Emergency” and placing them within Linast’s reach.

“They make garlic pills too you can buy, for future reference. No taste, I just don’t got ‘em. But hey, the hard parts over, huh?”

“The soup tastes like… not garlic. I didn’t use garlic. But it’s chicken, carrots, some pepper, uh, onions… um, chicken broth? That’s about it. Gotta make sure it’s as plain as possible so it’s easier to eat.”

Once the bowl was gently placed next to the tissues, Titus crouched down to continue rummaging through the cabinet before his hands landed on another cardboard box. Pulling it out, the box labeled books contained exactly what you would assume (save for a few tourism pamphlets Titus had mindlessly grabbed at various gas stations on the road).

“What brings you all the way out here anyways,” he inquired, heaving the box up onto the counter. “Campin’? Or uh, hitchhikin’ maybe?”

Someone so young had no reason to be alone and so far out from the nearest town. Was this a runaway situation? Should he report that? No, he had been a teenage runaway too and he wasn’t a fucking snitch. At the very least though, he had to consider giving Linast a ride somewhere once he recovered.

Linast frowned in vague confusion. What had a human kid been doing in the wilderness like that? And why would he know what it was like without help? He knew that wasn’t how human children were supposed to work.

But Titus had obviously survived the experience, so. It was… probably fine? At least Titus knew what he was doing, if he was telling the truth.

Linast took the offered tissues with a soft thanks and blew his nose, grimacing at the sensation and trying desperately not to gag again. His hands were still shaky from the last time. (He longed for the days when he hadn’t even really understood what disgust was. It seemed deeply unfair to him that this body that had made him capable of experiencing it was, itself, also gross.)

“Okay. Carrots are good,” he rasped, gingerly folding the tissue to set aside and eyeing the soup. Lingering nausea warred with his deep desire to get rid of the taste of garlic. Eventually he compromised, cautiously sipping at the broth and ignoring anything more substantial.

And then Titus asked what he was doing. Linast hadn’t been stuck this way for long, but he was already learning to dread that seemingly inevitable question.

“…um.” How in the world was he supposed to answer, anyway? ‘My creator told me to go to his follower’s house to heal, but she’s an asshole, so as soon as they stopped paying attention I left?’ For one thing, that might get him dragged back. For another, it had too many ‘S’ sounds and he hadn’t rehearsed. It’d take forever to say. His throat hurt; it wasn’t worth it.

But his head was too fuzzy to come up with a better explanation. Linast shrugged uneasily, gaze fixed firmly on the soup. 

“I’m not… nnothing, really. I’m not here for anything. Was just — ff-following the road.” 

Which had been stupid, now that he was actually thinking about it — because what, exactly, had been his plan for dawn? He hadn’t had one. He didn’t have one now. Linast hunched his shoulders against a miserable shiver and tried not to think about it.

[labomi]

selfish | one (18+)

Summary: You're a former coworker of Kento Nanami back when he was just an office worker. You accidentally run into him at a bakery many years later which gives you a second chance at getting to know the man who had always caught your eye.

Pairing: Kento Nanami x f!Reader

Words: 11.1k+

Warnings: Explicit sexual content, vaginal sex, vaginal fingering, oral sex, creampie, explicit language, attempted sexual assault, kidnapping, canon-typical violence, alcohol

Note: Read on ao3 here! I’ve been on tumblr on and off for about 10 years at this point (yikes), but I recently decided to start a new one as sort of a writing blog with a lot of anime gif reblogging on the side as well haha. Kind of nervous to post my first fic on tumblr for some reason, so I hope you enjoy! Thank you for reading!

Index: [Part One] [Part Two]

“Nanami? Kento Nanami? Is that you?”

You couldn’t believe your eyes. It had been years! Was that really him?

---

The night you accidentally ran into Kento Nanami started off like any other night in your life. After an exhausting day of work, you decided to treat yourself to some sweets at a nearby bakery. The small chime on the door signaled your entrance with the lone employee warmly greeting you.

“Welcome!”

There was only one other customer in the small shop. A tall man stood at the cash register. 

Hmm.

There was something strangely familiar about the man’s demeanor. Curious, you drifted over to the display case next to the register to try and sneak a peek at his face. While admiring the delicious-looking pastries on the counter, you listened in on the conversation between him and the cashier.

“That will be 2000 yen,” the lady said.

“I’ll pay with card.”

You stiffened slightly, eyes widening in surprise. 

That voice!  

You recognized that voice!

The man shifted his face towards you as he reached to grab his wallet from his pocket. You were finally able to get a glimpse of his face. 

You gasped.

“It is you!” you exclaimed in surprise. “Nanami!”

He looked as prim and proper as ever. The man still wore a suit and tie with his hair neatly parted. The only major difference in his appearance was the sunglasses that now completely shielded his eyes.

“It’s good to see you again! How have you been?” you asked eagerly.

Nanami looked at you silently, trying to recall where he had seen your familiar face before.

Then he remembered.

A flood of memories from a different life overcame him. The man hesitantly said your name, like he couldn’t quite believe your unexpected appearance before him. You nodded enthusiastically while he absentmindedly handed his credit card to the cashier.

“Oh wow,” you breathed, feeling a little giddy. “I haven’t seen you since you quit all those years ago. What are you doing now?”

Nanami seemed to pause for a second, adjusting his sunglasses. “I work at a school.”

“Oh! As a teacher?” 

“No, just as staff.”

“That sounds nice. What school?”

“It’s a private religious school in the mountains. It’s not particularly well-known,” the man replied vaguely. 

“Oh, I see.”

A loud beep of a cell phone interrupted the conversation. Nanami reached into his other pocket and took out his phone. He frowned, looking at the device. “I apologize, but I have to go immediately.”

“Oh, uh, ok,” you said, feeling slightly disappointed. You barely had any time to catch up with your former coworker. Nanami grabbed the bag from the counter and swiftly exited the store. You watched him walk away with a sigh. What were the chances that you would bump into him again? You pouted, upset that the circumstances hadn’t exactly worked out in your favor.

“Oh no!” the cashier suddenly cried out. “He forgot his card!” She pointed at the blue credit card on the counter.

“Lemme see if I can catch him!” you responded, already running out of the bakery. You pushed open the door and ran in the direction you saw the man leave. “Nanami!” you shouted. Other pedestrians looked at you curiously, but you couldn’t see the tall man anywhere. You walked around a bit further out, continuing to call his name but to no avail. Sighing, you headed back to the bakery.

“No luck,” you said to the cashier. “He’s gone already. I have no idea how he disappeared so quickly.” Crossing your arms against your chest, you looked at the forgotten card in frustration. “What should we do now?” If only you had his number! 

“I guess I can keep it here in case he comes back,” the lady reasoned.

Hmm.  

An idea popped in your head. 

A selfish one.

“Wait! How about I take it and return it to him?” you asked. Then you realized that your request might come off as suspicious. “We used to work together, I promise I’m not trying to steal it or anything.”

The cashier smiled at you softly. “I trust you. You come in here quite a lot and that man did say your name, so I know you’re not lying.”

You sighed in relief.

Thank goodness.

After buying some pastries for yourself, you walked out of the bakery holding Nanami’s credit card in your hand. You carefully stored it in your bag before beginning the walk back to your apartment.

A private religious school in the mountains, huh?

It shouldn’t be too hard to find.

---

You groaned, fighting the urge to pull your hair in frustration. 

How hard was it to find this damn school?!

You were sitting at your desk in the dark. The only light in the bedroom came from your laptop screen which was full of search engine results for “tokyo private religious school”. You were on page 15. Not a promising sign.

Recalling your conversation with Nanami, you remembered the man said he worked at a religious school in the mountains. However, none of the private schools you had found so far were located in the mountains. You frowned. Had Nanami been lying?

You shook your head to yourself.

No. 

He’s not the type to lie. He did say it wasn’t well-known.

You scrolled further down and clicked on the next page. Quickly skimming the results, you finally found something that caught your eye. 

Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College.

Huh. What a strange name for a school.  

You clicked on the link. It brought you to a strange forum that looked somewhat sketchy and unreliable, but someone had at least posted an address for the school. You grabbed your phone and immediately plugged the address into the map app.

You punched the air in triumph.

“Yes!” The dot was located in the mountains by some Tokyo suburbs. 

This has to be the place!

Luckily, tomorrow was Friday which meant you had no classes, and you weren’t scheduled for a shift at work. You were free to find the school and return the card to Nanami in person. 

“Ok!” you said to yourself, rubbing your hands together. “Now to find out how to get there.”

---

You looked at the dot of your current location on your phone and then back at the vast empty woods in front of you.

This can’t be it!

You groaned out loud in frustration, stamping your feet in a little tantrum. 

Why is it still so hard to find this damn school?!  

Looking at your phone again, you double-checked the map to see that you were in fact at the exact location of the address you inputted, but nothing was here. It was just trees!

You sighed in disappointment but refused to give up right away. Maybe your phone’s GPS was off because you were so high up in the mountains and the signal was bad. You decided to follow the road that led up the mountain with the hope that you might accidentally stumble across the school. If there was a road, it had to lead somewhere! But strangely enough, you hadn’t seen any cars, buildings, or pedestrians since entering the area. 

After walking around for almost an hour, you decided to take a break. Sitting in the shade of some trees by the side of the road, you took your water bottle out of your bag for a quick sip. You admired the beautiful, quiet scenery in front of you.

Maybe this was a bad idea.

You were currently lost in the mountains of Tokyo looking for a school you weren’t quite sure actually existed. And it was all because you were selfish and wanted to see Nanami again. Your old coworker.

You hadn’t been particularly close to him at work, though he didn’t seem overly friendly with anyone in the office. Nanami was the stoic and serious type. He didn’t talk much with the team, but you could tell he worked hard. He was always one of the last people to leave the office for the night, if he did leave. On many occasions, you found him dozing at his desk in the morning when you arrived early to work before everyone else with the sneaking suspicion that he had spent the entire night in the office.

Unlike most of the other employees and especially your boss, Nanami seemed to still care about the clients instead of just the company’s profits, judging from the small snippets of conversations you overheard from him. You had always wanted to get to know him better, but he didn’t particularly have an approachable demeanor. At the time, you were just a young, newly graduated woman who was afraid of everything and everyone. So you often just kept to yourself.

You sighed, looking down at the ground. Taking Nanami’s credit card hostage was a pathetic way of trying to rekindle a relationship that never existed in the first place. You made up your mind. It was time to head back home and drop off the card at the bakery so he could pick it up himself. Today’s excursion was just a giant waste of time much to your disappointment.

“Excuse me, miss. What are you doing here?”

“Huh?” A man was hovering over you. You swore he hadn’t been there a second ago.

You screamed. “P-please don’t hurt me!” You put your arms out in front of you, shielding yourself from any potential harm. “I don’t have much money, but you can have it all!”

The man burst out laughing. You slowly lowered your arms, hoping that his laughter meant he wasn’t going to attack you.

“I’m not going to hurt you, and I especially don’t want your money.”

You let out a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness.” No longer afraid, you took a closer look at the stranger. He was tall. Very tall. Wearing a black outfit and a matching blindfold that spiked up his white hair.

What a strange appearance.

“Well, I won’t hurt you as long as you tell me what you’re doing here.” You gulped, hearing the silent threat in his words.

“Umm, umm, well, you see I-I got a bit lost and w-was just taking a rest,” you stuttered nervously, fiddling with your hands. “I heard there’s a private school around here and I’m trying to find it, because I know someone who works there. His name is Kento Nanami and we used to work together many many years ago and I just happened to run into him last night at a bakery but he left his credit card there and I wanted to give it back to him in person, so I thought it was a good idea to deliver it at his workplace but this school is so hard to find I have no idea where I’m going and-and I think I’m just going to leave now actually.” You realized you were rambling, so you forcibly shut your mouth to stop yourself from looking like a complete fool in front of the stranger.

The man hummed in thought for several seconds before suddenly grinning and chuckling to himself. His demeanor no longer felt threatening.

“Kento Nanami, huh,” the man said, still smiling happily.

“Oh, you know him?” You perked up, suddenly hopeful.

Maybe they work together!

“Leave it to me!” the stranger cheered, giving you a thumbs up. “I’ll escort you to the school and make sure you hand-deliver that credit card to Nanami!”

You felt relieved, tears almost prickling your eyes. “Oh thank you so much!”

---

“Satoru.”

“Mm.”

“Can’t you tell there’s a human who has been wandering near the barrier for quite a while now? It looks like they’re trying to find a way in,” Yaga commented.

“Well, they can’t. Isn’t that the whole point of the barrier?”

“I know that!” the principal grunted angrily. “But since you’re just lounging here around doing nothing, go check it out.”

“Fine.” Gojo got off the couch and headed outside, wondering how a human accidentally wandered this close to the school so far up the mountains.

---

It only took several minutes before you and the strange man found a path leading to the school. You blinked in surprise. You felt like you had walked by this part of the road earlier but had seen nothing.

Walking alongside the man quietly, you suddenly realized you had completely forgotten your manners. Quickly bowing to your escort, you introduced yourself and thanked him for taking the time to safely bring you to the school.

“It’s no problem. Any friend of Nanami is a friend of mine. Oh, and I’m Satoru Gojo by the way. I’m the first-year teacher here.”

He was a teacher? This man wearing a blindfold in broad daylight? You swallowed nervously. You wondered what kind of school Nanami was working for exactly.

Once you finally reached the main school grounds, all of your reservations immediately melted away. “Wow!” you breathed. The campus was absolutely gorgeous with beautiful statues, shrines, and gates. You couldn’t help but stop and admire your surroundings. “This school is beautiful.”

Gojo brought you to the teacher’s lounge and gestured for you to sit down. “So, tell me again how you know our dear Nanami?”

---

Nanami had just finished a mission when his phone chimed, signaling a text. He finished wiping his blade clean before grabbing the device. The message was from Gojo.

Gojo: Come back to Jujutsu Tech. Your girlfriend is here ;)

The sorcerer stared at the message. 

Nanami: I have no idea what you mean.

Gojo: ( ˘ ³˘)♥

He angrily shoved his phone back in his pocket and walked over to the car where Ijichi was waiting. He entered the back seat before closing the door behind him. “Hurry up. I need to find a certain white-haired idiot and destroy him.”

---

Nanami was walking towards the teacher’s lounge when he heard your bright laughter. He froze for a couple of seconds.

What were you doing here?

He picked up the pace, quickly entering the lounge to see you giggling on the couch next to Gojo. For some reason, it bothered him to see how close the idiot was to you and how happy you looked in his presence.

“Nanami! You’re here!” Gojo exclaimed, immediately noticing the other sorcerer’s presence. 

You turned your head quickly towards the doorway with a bright grin. “Oh, Nanami! Hi again!”

Nanami observed the scene, trying to figure out what was going on, but he was drawing a blank. 

First of all, you weren’t a sorcerer. How did you enter the school grounds? 

Second, did you know Gojo? The two of you seemed quite friendly on the couch together. 

Third, was Gojo implying that you were his girlfriend? That was absolutely ridiculous.

“What are you doing here?” Nanami asked you cautiously, adjusting his sunglasses. 

“Oh!” You dug around in your bag, pulling out your wallet. You removed a blue credit card. “You left this behind at the bakery yesterday. I tried to chase after you, but you disappeared so quickly. I had the day off today, so I thought I would try to find your workplace and give your card back to you.” You got off the couch, approaching Nanami and handing him the card.

Nanami took the card from you before placing it back in his own wallet. “You didn’t have to do this. How did you even find your way here?”

“I found her wandering nearby!” Gojo jumped in, grinning at the other sorcerer. “Imagine my surprise when she said the two of you used to work together back when you were just a salaryman. I just had to invite her back here. You never mentioned you used to work with such a lovely lady.”

You visibly blushed at Gojo’s words which just bothered Nanami even more. “Thank you for returning my card, but I think it’s about time y—”

“Nanami. Nanami. Namami,” Gojo said in a singsong voice. “You’re all work and no fun. It’s been years since the two of you have seen each other, and you’re already trying to get rid of her? Don’t you want to catch up a little bit?”

You played with your hair, a little nervous. “I mean if you’re busy Nanami, I can go. But I was hoping we could talk a little bit.” You looked up at him with bright eyes. “I want to hear how you’ve been doing.”

Nanami took one look at your hopeful face and immediately gave in. “Alright.” He gestured for you to sit back down as he walked over to one of the armchairs. The sorcerer pretended like he didn’t see your little jump of excitement as you hurried back to the couch with Gojo.

Once the three of you were all seated comfortably, you brought up what you had been previously discussing with Gojo. “I didn’t know you’re teaching at the same high school you went to as a student. That’s pretty cool!”

“He was one of the few students who graduated and decided to leave the community,” Gojo pointed out. “Most of us stay here and continue working for the school.” Nanami subtly glared at the white-haired sorcerer, wondering how much he had told you about the jujutsu world.

“Why did you decide to come back then?” you asked curiously.

“I changed my mind,” Nanami simply stated. “I realized I would find my career slightly more rewarding if I worked for the school than that company.”

You nodded in agreement. “That makes sense. I’m glad we eventually both left that job.” You slightly grimaced, just thinking about your past. It didn’t go unnoticed by Nanami.

“When did you leave?” he asked.

You hummed, recalling the past. “It was probably a couple of months after you left. I, uh, messed up something really badly and I got fired.”

Nanami raised his eyebrows in surprise. You didn’t seem like the type to make big mistakes. He remembered you as quite the careful and diligent worker. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wondering if you were being deceitful.

“It’s ok though,” you continued. “I worked a couple of odd jobs afterward to keep up with the bills until I decided I wanted to become a nurse! So I’m actually back in school now and working part-time to help pay tuition.”

“A nurse, huh,” Gojo remarked. “What a noble career choice.”

“Ahh, I wouldn’t say I’m noble or anything. I just think I would find my life more fulfilling if I was actively helping people,” you explained. “Probably similar to how you felt when you switched careers, Nanami.”

He nodded at your words.

uThe three of you chatted amicably the rest of the day. Gojo and you mostly carried the conversation, but Nanami would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy listening to your voice. After he ran into you at the bakery last night, he couldn’t stop thinking about you. It was the first time he was confronted with his old life after deciding to become a sorcerer again. Part of Nanami wanted to never look back on that phase of his life again, but perhaps it wasn’t all bad. Sure, he hadn't particularly liked anyone from that office, but he didn’t mind you. You had always been quiet, polite, and hardworking. 

Nanami still remembered his last day at the office. You had organized a surprise farewell party just for him with a cake, balloons, and everything. After everyone had their fill of free food and left the conference room, you had shyly wished him luck in the future and said you would miss seeing him in the office. All those memories came rushing back after encountering you in that bakery.

The sun started to set when you finally noticed the time.

“Ah! I should probably go,” you announced, checking your phone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstay my welcome.”

“No, no,” Gojo assured. “You are very much welcome here. Like I said earlier, any friend of Nanami is a friend of mine and all my friends are welcome here!”

“How do you plan on getting home?” Nanami asked, mildly concerned.

“Don’t worry!” Gojo said. “I got it handled. Ijichi will drive her back.”

“Huh? No, it’s fine,” you tried to argue. “I can get back by myself. It’s not a problem.”

“What kind of gentlemen would we be if we didn’t ensure you got home safely? Ijichi is our finest chauffeur,” the blindfolded man insisted. “He will take care of you.”

You looked at Nanami who simply nodded at you, encouraging you to accept Gojo’s offer. Sighing, you crossed your arms over your chest with a pout. “Alright. Thank you.”

The two men waved goodbye as you left in Ijichi’s car to head back home.

“Was it really wise to have her on the school grounds?” Nanami asked.

Gojo hummed. “It’s fine.”

“No, it’s not. Normal humans aren’t allowed here for a reason.”

The blindfolded sorcerer didn’t reply. Instead, he took out his phone and started tapping on the screen. Nanami’s phone chimed. It was a text from Gojo. Opening it, he saw it was a string of numbers.

A phone number.

“You should call her sometime,” Gojo said. “She likes you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do. What kind of woman travels to the mountains on her day off to try and find a publically non-existent school to return a credit card to someone she doesn’t like?”

Nanami remained silent.

“Just because we’re adults and jujutsu sorcerers doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to have some normal fun. It’s alright to be selfish every once in a while.”

How badly Nanami wanted to believe Gojo’s words.

---

You heard the door open and close.

“Hello! How many I help y—Gojo?”

You blinked in surprise, not expecting to see the teacher at your workplace. While taking classes to become a nurse, you worked part-time at a small boba tea shop. You had just finished serving the flurry of college students who needed a midday pick-me-up when Gojo appeared. Several of the seated patrons whispered and pointed at him, wondering why he was wearing a blindfold and how he could see.

“Thought I would drop by and say hi,” he said with an easy grin.

You returned his smile. “Is Nanami with you too?” you asked, trying to sound casual.

“No, not today, unfortunately,” he replied. You tried to ignore the flash of disappointment you felt. “I’ll bring him next time.”

You perked up at Gojo’s promise, nodding eagerly. “Sounds good. So, would you like something to drink?” 

The man ordered a large brown sugar milk tea with extra sugar. You looked at him, mildly concerned. “You sure you want 120% sugar? It’s pretty sweet to begin with. Trust me.”

Gojo nodded. “Yup!”

“Alright,” you said with a shrug. You did try to warn him. 

You finished preparing Gojo’s drink and handed it to him along with a straw.

“Hey, do you mind if I borrow your phone for a second?” the teacher asked.

“Oh, sure,” you said, grabbing your phone from your back pocket.

Gojo took the device and opened the camera app. “Smile!” That was the only warning you got. He had taken a selfie of the two of you together. You weren’t even smiling in the photo, completely caught off guard. But Gojo was at least prepared, grinning happily and showing off his milk tea in one hand. You watched as the man repeatedly tapped on your phone screen.

“What are you doing?” you asked hesitantly.

“Here!” Gojo handed the phone back to you. Looking at the screen, you saw that he had sent the selfie of the two of you to a random number with a text that said “Having fun without you!”

“Um. Who did you send this to Gojo?”

“Nanami, of course!”

“Oh,” you said quietly, feeling butterflies in your stomach.

Nanami’s number!

You finally had it! 

Gojo chuckled to himself as he saw the way your eyes lit up.

“Oh, by the way,” you said, looking up from the phone. “It’s my birthday next weekend. I’m going out with a couple of friends on Saturday at 8pm at the bar around the corner, and I was wondering if you and Nanami would like to join? You should bring Ijichi too and anyone else from the school! Only if you want though. It’s ok if you don’t want to come or you’re worried about being awkward with my other friends even though they’re super cool and encouraged me to invite you guys and I promise I won’t be upset if you can’t make it because this is kind of last minute and I—”

“Sounds great!” Gojo interrupted your rambling. “I’ll be sure to pass along the information. We'll be there.”

“Really?” You grinned at the teacher. “Awesome! I guess I’ll see you then!”

Gojo waved at you goodbye as you tried to compose yourself before the next wave of customers arrived.

---

“Ahh!! You guys actually came!” you squealed as a group of individuals approached your table in the bar. You stumbled out of the large booth where your other friends were seated, already several shots in for the night. You clumsily hugged Gojo without thinking. Releasing him, you took in his new appearance.

“You look so different!” you commented. “But not in a bad way!” The man had traded in his signature blindfold for a pair of sunglasses that still hid his eye. His hair was lying down flat instead of its usual spiked-up look.

Behind Gojo, you saw Ijichi with a woman you didn’t recognize. 

“That’s Shoko Ieiri,” Gojo said, following your gaze. “She’s the doctor at our school.”

You happily greeted both of them, thanking them for coming. 

And finally, you saw the person you were looking forward to seeing the most. Nanami looked good as always. He was dressed a little more casually for the night without his signature jacket, tie, and sunglasses. Instead, he wore a crisp, blue button-up shirt with the top few buttons undone. You tried not to stare too much at his revealed skin.

As you approached Nanami, you reached out to hug him but you managed to stop yourself in time. You were worried about coming on too strong and opted for a small wave instead.

“Thanks for coming, Nanami! I’m so glad you came!”

Sitting at the table altogether, your other friends immediately fawned over Gojo. One of them grabbed you and whispered in your ear.

“What the hell? You didn’t tell me one of your friends was incredibly hot?”

You shrugged and ordered another round of shots for the whole table. Gojo ended up passing because he didn’t drink, so you took it upon yourself to finish it for him.

Nanami quietly nursed a beer as he observed the scene. He didn’t typically like crowded, loud bars like this, but he would make an exception for you. Gojo had also been extremely intent on making sure everyone from the school attended your little celebration. He managed to get Ijichi to come along only after getting Shoko to agree by bribing her with free alcohol.

Nanami was currently sitting across the booth from you, watching as you chatted with your friends. You were wearing a dark red dress that perfectly showed off your curves. The left strap of your dress was a little loose and it kept falling down the entire night despite you constantly readjusting it, not that Nanami had noticed. 

You looked so carefree and lively in this atmosphere. Every once in a while, you caught Nanami’s gaze and beamed at him happily.

At some point during the night, you left the table to go to the bathroom. It was only once you tried walking back to everyone that you realized how drunk you were. Stumbling a bit in your high heels, you leaned against the wall by the bathrooms for stability.

“Excuse me miss, are you alright?”

A man approached you, but you instantly waved him off. “Mmm, I’m good,” you replied. “Thanks though.” You were determined to make it back to your friends on your own, but as soon as you took a step away from the wall, you tripped. The man caught you before you could hit the ground. He had a tight grip on your waist.

 “You don’t seem good,” he chuckled softly. “How about I help you?” You could feel his hands starting to go lower, and you quickly latched onto them and tried to pry them off you.

“I said no,” you said firmly, but the man ignored you and pressed you against the wall. “Get off!” You struggled against him but to no avail.

Suddenly, the weight of the man was lifted and you felt like you could breathe again.

“Are you alright?” a smooth voice asked. 

You looked up to see Nanami in front of you. You nodded silently and admired his strong jawline and sharp eyes in the bar’s dark lighting. 

“Can you walk?”

You nodded again. Taking a step away from the wall, you immediately staggered again much to your embarrassment. Nanami grabbed your arm and lifted you up until you were half leaning on him for support. Inhibitions suddenly gone from all the alcohol in your system, you wrapped your arms around his broad shoulders and gave him a hug. The man tried to ignore the shiver that went up his spine when he felt your warm, soft body pressed up against him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was quite jealous that you had hugged Gojo when they first arrived. What was so special about that idiot anyway? Nanami slowly wrapped his arms around you, indulging himself for once and returning the hug.

“I’m so glad you came,” you mumbled against his chest. “I was so happy that I ran into you at the bakery that one night. But I was afraid I would never see you again.” You paused. “I really wanted to see you again.”

Nanami didn’t know how to respond to your words, so he gently rubbed your back instead. You leaned into his touch happily.

“Let’s get back to the others,” he said gently. You sighed and reluctantly removed yourself from the embrace. Nanami half-carried you back to the table and carefully deposited you next to your friends. To your disappointment, he didn’t sit down next to you and instead headed towards the front doors.

“Nanami? Where are you going?” Gojo asked, eyebrows raised.

“I’ll be back.”

When Nanami exited the bar, he was greeted by several couples who were taking a smoke break. He walked a bit further away, so he could be alone. The sorcerer leaned against a random building, taking a deep breath and trying to calm himself down. 

Nanami felt quite ashamed of himself. Acting like a hormonal teenage boy just because he briefly held you while you were wearing that damn dress. He tried to ignore the way his cock was straining in his pants. Gritting his teeth, he willed his body to relax. Nanami refused to let you see him so worked like this. He especially couldn’t let Gojo see. He could only imagine the endless teasing he would endure from the blindfolded idiot.

Inside the bar, you watched sadly as Nanami left. You wondered if it was something you did to scare him away.

Gojo sat next to you and handed you a glass of water. “Drink,” he commanded.

You did as you were told, keeping an eye on the doors to see if Nanami had come back in yet. “Does Nanami not like me?” you asked Gojo quietly with a pout.

The man chuckled. “I assure you that’s not the case.”

You turned to look at him. “How do you know?”

Gojo lowered his sunglasses slightly, and you were able to get a glimpse of his gorgeous blue eyes for the first time. “Trust me. I have good eyes.”

---

Nanami ended the call with Ijichi. He leaned against the wall of the bathroom with a grimace. He was still applying pressure to the wound he had received from Mahito. The sorcerer scrolled through the contacts list on his phone. He found himself hovering over your name.

Yes, he did save your number from Gojo’s text. Why wouldn’t he? It would be frivolous to ignore that kind of contact information.

Nanami grabbed another wad of paper towel to replace the one that was already drenched in blood. He grunted in pain.

A nurse, huh.

He wondered what you would do if you saw him right now. If you fuss over him and take care of his injuries yourself. Nanami sighed. He wouldn’t mind that. Would you carefully unbutton his shirt to get a better look at the wound? He could almost imagine the way your fingers would ghost over his stomach.

With a groan, Nanami banged his head against the wall. He couldn’t believe he was fantasizing about you while profusely bleeding in a public restroom.

The sorcerer cleaned up his blood all over the sink and threw out the dirty wads of paper towels. He went outside to wait for Ijichi to bring him back to school for proper treatment.

---

“I’m going to take my break!” you announced to your coworkers as you exited the bubble tea shop. You decided to go outside for a quick breather because it was such a nice, sunny day. Avoiding the crowds, you headed over to the alleyways near the shop to scroll through Twitter in peace.

You were so engrossed by your phone that you didn’t notice the presence of someone next to you. It was only when you heard them clear their throat that you looked next to you to see a man wearing sunglasses and a hat.

“Oh, sorry. Am I in your way? I can move.”

In the blink of an eye, he held a knife to your neck. You felt the cool blade lightly press into your skin. You held your breath, afraid to react in any way.

“Don’t scream. Don’t move,” he hissed.

Your eyes widened in shock.

That voice.

You recognized that voice.

The man grabbed you by the back of the neck and pulled you in the opposite direction of the busy street where unaware pedestrians were still walking by. He pressed the knife against your side now, digging it into the thin t-shirt you had to wear for work.

“Walk.”

He led you to an abandoned building several minutes away. Once you were inside and the door closed shut, he roughly shoved you to the ground.

You landed in a heap, groaning in pain. Turning around, you finally faced your captor.

“It’s you, isn’t you,” you said evenly. “Boss.”

The man chuckled, removing the hat and sunglasses. It was your former boss from the company where you and Nanami had once worked together. You dug your nails in the palms of your hands. If he was here, you knew you were in trouble.

“You called the cops, didn’t you!” he yelled at you, pointing the knife at you menacingly.

Cops? What was he talking about?

“No, I didn’t,” you replied honestly.

“You BITCH! Don’t lie to me.” He waved the knife closer at you.

“I promise! I didn’t tell anyone!”

With a shout, the man grabbed your hair and held the knife to your neck again. You squeezed your eyes shut and couldn’t help but let a small whimper leave your lips.

The truth was you weren't just fired from your job. You were threatened. When numbers weren’t adding up, you realized that your boss was embezzling money and had been doing so for a long time. He found out that you knew the truth and protected himself by forcibly ousting you from the company. As a young professional, you knew better than to fight against a big shot financial executive. When he warned you to stay quiet or face his wrath, you were wise enough to shut your mouth, clean your desk, and leave the building immediately. True to your word, you had never mentioned your boss’s crimes to anyone. You thought you were safe to move on with the rest of your life but apparently, that was not the case.

The man spat at you before roughly kicking you away. He started pacing as you wiped his spit off your cheek with a disgusted groan.

“This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. I’m about to lose everything. EVERYTHING!”

As he muttered to himself, you tried to survey your surroundings and determine if there was a way you could safely escape. Before you could figure anything out, your old boss approached you again, knife still in hand. He seemed to have made up his mind about what he was going to do.

“You’re going to fix this. Yea. This is your fault. I’ll pin it all on you. You’ll go down for this, not me!”

As the man ranted and raved at you, something appeared in the shadows behind him. There was some movement. You blinked your eyes, wondering if it was just a trick of your imagination. But to your horror, a green creature grew larger and larger in the background. It had three heads, each with multiple eyes and giant drooling mouths with huge teeth. The monster raised its multiple arms, hovering over your boss with all eyes fixed on him like he was a piece of prey.

“Scared, aren’t you?” the man commented with a chuckle. He was misinterpreting the horrified look on your face. “This is what you get for messing with the wrong man.”

You shook your head slowly and lifted a shaky finger to point behind him.

He turned around, dropping the knife in shock.

The weapon clattered to the ground.

Your boss screamed. He immediately tried to run away, but one of the monster’s arms snatched him in a tight grip. The three heads fought with each other as if deciding which one of them would get to swallow the prize. You took that as a cue to start running.

The monster was blocking the way you entered, so you ran towards the only other door you saw, which led to a stairwell. You ran up a couple of floors before hiding in a small closet you found. It was cramped and dusty but you hoped it was enough to hide you from that creature.

Sitting on the ground, you took out your phone shakily and called the police.

“Hello, what is your emergency?”

“I’m trapped in an abandoned building, and there’s a monster here.” You realized it sounded ridiculous, but you didn’t know what else to say in the moment.

The dispatcher groaned. “This is the last time! You kids have to stop with the prank calls. This line is for emergencies only!”

They hung up on you.

You stared at your cell phone in disbelief.

Shit.

Instinctively, you scrolled through your contacts list until you found who you were looking for. You pressed the call button.

Please pick up. Please pick up.

It went to voicemail.

You cursed to yourself again.

“Nanami,” you whispered quietly, voice quivering. “I don’t know when you’ll listen to this, but you have to believe me. I’m in an abandoned building near my job, and I swear there’s a monster here. I-I think it might have killed our old boss. I don’t know what to do, I tri—”

There was a loud bang. You quickly hung up and pressed the phone into your chest while you covered your mouth and nose with your other hand to quiet your harsh breathing. The sounds got closer and closer until it sounded like it was right outside the closet door. Your heart was beating so loudly you were worried the monster would hear it. But luckily, the noises started to become fainter. Eventually, you heard nothing even after a long time of terrified waiting.

Once you were reasonably convinced the coast was clear, you quietly opened the closet door and peeked out. The hallway was empty. Maybe this was your chance to finally escape the building.

You carefully climbed to your feet and tiptoed your way back to the stairwell. 

Your phone loudly chimed. The noise echoed throughout the empty building. It was a text message from your coworker asking where you went. You had forgotten to turn your phone on silent.

Almost instantaneously, the monster started roaring from the floor beneath you. You barely caught a glimpse of it before running up the stairs again until you reached the top floor. Exiting the stairway, you ran through the hallways until you reached a dead end.

Back pressed up against the wall, you watched in horror as the monster let out a sharp laugh as it approached you. There was blood dripping out of the mouths of all three heads. You didn’t want to think about where it came from. With no other options left, you weakly held your arms up in front of your face and squeezed your eyes shut with a whimper.

Suddenly, there was an angry shout and a loud splat.

You felt some sort of liquid splash all over you. Lowering your arms, an unexpected sight greeted you. It was the body of the monster all chopped up into pieces. You realized you were covered in its blood.

Behind the monster’s corpse stood Nanami. He had a covered blade in his hand that was also stained with the creature’s purple blood.

“N-Nanami?” you whispered hoarsely.

You couldn’t believe your eyes. Did he take down that monster? With a sword?

Nanami wiped the blood off his weapon, putting it away in its holster. He approached you as you shuddered violently, still in shock.

“Are you hurt?” he asked gently.

You shook your head no, wrapping your arms around yourself.

He kneeled down in front of you, taking out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping the droplets of blood from your face.

“What was that thing?” you whispered.

Nanami sighed, twisting the handkerchief in his hands once your face was relatively clean.

“A curse.”

You gave him a confused look.

“It’s a long explanation.”

“Yo!”

You flinched as Gojo suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the hallway. You instinctively grabbed onto Nanami’s arm in fear. He glared at the blindfolded sorcerer in anger for startling you.

“Oh, you’re already done here? I thought I’d check up on you two to make sure everything’s okay.”

First, your boss had threatened you with a knife. Then, a giant monster, no, curse appeared and attacked both of you. Nanami killed said curse. And now Gojo had appeared out of thin air. Your brain was officially broken. You just wanted to go to sleep. Surely this had to be a dream. You would wake up and everything would be normal again.

“We should probably bring her to Shoko just to make sure she’s fine and clean her up,” Gojo said, observing how your eyes were starting to glaze over.

Nanami nodded in agreement. He lightly touched your shoulder, but you hardly reacted. He said your name quietly. Blinking slowly, you finally turned to acknowledge him. “I’m tired,” you mumbled.

“I know,” Nanami said gently. He picked you up in his arms. “You can go to sleep. I’ll keep you safe.” With a sigh of relief, you closed your eyes and surrendered to the darkness.

You woke up in a small room, tucked under the covers in a warm bed. Nanami was silently sitting in a chair next to you. You let out a deep breath and turned towards the man. The rustling of the covers alerted him that you were finally awake.

“Why was the boss with you?” Nanami asked suddenly.

So it wasn't a dream.

“Oh. He was trying to threaten me,” you explained. “I didn’t lose my job because I made a mistake. I found out he was embezzling money. He said the cops were starting to question him, so he accused me of reporting him.”

Nanami clenched his fists in anger. That bastard.

“Is he alive?” you asked.

“No.”

“I figured.”

You quietly observed Nanami. He had taken off his sunglasses and blazer. You admired his wide shoulders and the way his tie was slightly loosened. 

“Nanami. What do you actually do?”

He shook his head. “I don’t want to tell you.”

You gripped the covers. “Why not?”

“Because,” Nanami sighed. “It’s a dangerous profession. You don’t need to be dragged into this world for no good reason.”

“What do you mean?” You didn’t understand what he was saying. “I do have a reason. It’s you.”

The man didn’t respond.

You sat up in bed suddenly. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask Gojo.” You started to climb out of bed, but Nanami stopped you.

“Fine. Fine. I’ll tell you. Sit back down.” He let out of a deep breath, rubbing his face.

You silently listened as Nanami discussed the existence of curses, the theories behind cursed energy, and the role of jujutsu sorcerers. He explained how the school’s true purpose was to train the next generation of sorcerers and act as the main headquarters for all jujutsu-related activities. 

You only asked one question. “Why was I able to see that curse?”

“Regular humans can see them in life or death situations.”

“I see.”

Nanami was surprised at your reaction to learning about cursed spirits thus far. He expected you to ask more questions, to be more doubtful, to laugh and call him an idiot, or to scream and accuse him of being crazy. But you did none of those things. You just listened quietly and accepted everything he said as true. 

In your heart, you knew there was no reason to doubt Nanami. You were trying to wrap your brain around the existence of curses you couldn’t see, but you didn’t consider that the sorcerer was lying to you for a single second. He wasn’t that kind of person.

Nanami abruptly stood up. “Ijichi will drive you back home.” He started to walk away from you, but you quickly grabbed his wrist.

“Wait, don’t go,” you pleaded, eyes wide. “I haven’t thanked you for saving me yet. Thank you, Nanami.” You didn't want him to leave you. Not yet. You didn't want to be alone.

The sorcerer refused to look at you. “I think it’s best if you kept your distance from Gojo, me, and this school.”

“What?” you breathed. “What are you saying? I-I won’t tell anyone about curses or that you’re a sorcerer if that’s what you’re worried about. I promise.”

“That’s not it. I already told you. This world is dangerous. You should stay away.” He paused. “Stay away from me.”

You flinched, releasing Nanami’s wrist. The sorcerer walked out of the room without another word. You didn’t call out after him.

As Nanami walked away, he knew he made the right decision. There was no reason for you to get involved with the jujutsu world. He wanted you to live a normal life, not one plagued by constant death and despair. He was doing this for you. For your future and your safety.

“It’s alright to be selfish every once in a while.”

Gojo’s words echoed in his mind.

No. This wasn’t about him. It was about you. It wasn’t right for him to drag you into his world. He should be happy. Happy that you would eventually move on and live a long, successful life.

But why did he feel so sad instead?

---

Numerous opened textbooks and notebooks were scattered around you on your bed. You had an upcoming exam at the end of next week and were in the midst of cramming a semester’s worth of information in your head.

There was a knock on the door.

You frowned, carefully getting off the bed and walking over to the door. You weren’t expecting any visitors or a delivery today. Looking through the peephole, you gasped. You clutched your hands against your chest, trying to calm your frantically beating heart.

What was he doing here?

You hadn’t talked to or seen Nanami since your last conversation with him at Jujutsu Tech. And that hadn't ended well. You respected his request to stay away from him and Gojo, making no attempts to contact either of the two sorcerers. Instead, you had thrown yourself into your schoolwork and picked up some extra shifts at the boba shop. The less free time you had to think about your emotions, the better.

But now the man who still weighed heavily on your heart was at your doorstep. You wondered whether or not to pretend you weren’t home, but you couldn’t bring yourself to turn him away. He had clearly come here for a good reason and you wanted to know why, especially because he was the one that told you to keep your distance from him.

You unlocked the door and opened it slightly.

“Nanami.”

He said your name quietly.

The two of you looked at each other in complete silence. You waited for him to say something, but the man just continued to stand there without a word.

“Umm, well, I have an exam I need to study for, so if you have nothing to say I’m just going to g—”

Nanami suddenly pushed the door open wider, shoving you into your apartment. You stood there in shock as the door slammed shut behind the sorcerer. His unusually aggressive behavior had you baffled.

“What’s wrong with you?” you asked sharply. The man told you to leave him alone but then showed up at your apartment and invited himself inside without a word. You couldn’t help but feel a little irritated. “What are you do— mmph!”

Nanami had pushed you against the wall and kissed you.

You froze in surprise for a second before immediately kissing him back fervently.

One of his hands had settled on your waist while the other was pressed against the wall by your head. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pressed him closer to you, unable to get enough of this man. Nanami eventually left your lips, causing you to groan in frustration before he attacked your neck with wet kisses. You panted heavily, brain suddenly fuzzy as you tried to process that this was actually happening.

“W-what happened to staying away?” you breathed as Nanami sucked on a particularly sensitive spot that left you weak.

“I changed my mind,” he muttered against your skin before continuing to attack your neck.

After Itadori had saved him from Mahito’s domain, Nanami realized he had been given a second chance. He didn’t want to live a life without regret, especially as a sorcerer. So he decided to heed Gojo’s advice for once. 

He wanted to be a little selfish. 

He wanted you.

Nanami pressed his forehead against yours as he rubbed his hands up and down your soft curves. You breathed heavily, trying to catch your breath as you got lost in his dark gaze. 

“Bedroom,” you whispered. Nanami nodded and quickly released you, so you could guide him to your room. 

As soon as you entered the bedroom, you inwardly cursed. In the heat of the moment, you had completely forgotten what you had been doing before Nanami arrived. “Uh, sorry, let me clean up real quick.”

What a way to kill the mood!

Nanami didn’t seem to mind. He looked fairly amused as you swiftly closed all the books on your bed and haphazardly tossed them on the ground. Once the bed was finally cleared, you turned around to face Nanami, but he was already one step ahead of you. He gently pushed you on the bed, so you landed on your back as he hovered over you. Your breath caught in your throat as you admired the man in front of you. He was absolutely perfect. 

Nanami played with the hem of your shirt. Taking the hint, you sat up a little and swiftly removed your shirt and bra, throwing them in the corner of your room. Nanami let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding as you took in your body. You fought the urge to cover yourself, feeling slightly embarrassed at how intensely the man was looking at you.

“You’re beautiful,” he breathed as you flushed in response. He reached out with both his hands to start kneading your breasts. You moaned as he began playing with your nipples that were already hard from excitement. Nanami removed his hand from your left breast and replaced it with his mouth. You squirmed underneath him in pleasure as he lapped and sucked on your nipple. Once he was satisfied with his work, the sorcerer switched to your other breast to give it the same treatment. With every flick of his tongue, you could feel electricity run through your body. You only craved his touch more and more.

Nanami started kissing down the valley of your breasts to your stomach. He eventually reached the hem of your shorts. “May I?” he asked.

You nodded, unable to trust your voice at the moment.

As he started tugging down your shorts, you lifted your hips to assist him. The garment was carelessly tossed to the ground. Immediately, Nanami could see how soaked your underwear was with your own arousal. His dick twitched in his pants. The sight of you so wet and eager from his touch alone only heightened his lust for you.

You practically sighed in relief when Nanami removed your underwear, fully exposing yourself to him. The heat from your core was overwhelming. You needed him to touch you and relieve some of that pressure before you lost your mind. A single finger stroked your folds, already slick with arousal. You gasped while Nanami groaned, enjoying how wet you already were for him.

“I’ve barely touched you and you’re like this already,” Nanami teased. You panted, trying to grind yourself on his hand for more friction, more pressure, more anything. He chuckled seeing how desperate you were for his touch. The sorcerer finally reached your swollen nub and rubbed it leisurely. You immediately cried out, arching your hips into man’s touch.

“Fuck,” you cursed as pleasure surged throughout your veins. Your eyes were squeezed tight as Nanami continued to play with your clit. You were so distracted by his fingers that you barely registered the hot breath near your entrance. It was only when a wet tongue began to prod into you that you realized what was happening.

With a gasp, your eyes flew upon to see Nanami’s head comfortably settled between your legs as he licked at your cunt without restraint. The sight of him eating you out only stoked the raging fire inside you. You buried one of your hands in Nanami’s hair as he worked diligently to get you off. The way he lapped at your fluids and sucked at your entrance had you moaning and quivering uncontrollably. 

“You taste so good,” he groaned against your folds as you barely registered his words.

A familiar pressure was building in your body. As it got stronger and stronger, you couldn’t stop your legs from thrashing about. With a growl, Nanami locked his arms around your legs to keep them as still. It only took a gentle suck to your swollen clit for the tension in your body to finally snap. Mouth opened wide in a silent scream, you writhed around on the bed as you finally reached your peak. 

Your mind was completely emptied while white-hot pleasure overtook your entire body. You swore you could see stars behind your eyes. As you rode out the last waves of your orgasm, Nanami eagerly slurped up your release, refusing to let a single drop go to waste.

Once you came down from your high, you released Nanami’s hair and laid back on the bed with a sigh. He removed himself from between your legs. Your fluids still covered his face, and his normally styled hair was a complete mess from your grip. Just the sight of him was enough to cause another spark of desire to flare between your legs. This man was going to be the death of you.

“Holy fuck, Nanami,” you breathed.

“Kento,” he replied, wiping his mouth clean on his sleeve. “Call me Kento.”

You flushed. Saying his first name felt incredibly intimate. 

“Kento.” 

He grunted with approval and then began to unbutton his shirt. You licked your lips as his broad shoulders and wide chest were finally revealed to you. He was incredibly well-built with defined muscles and abs, but a number of scars littered his body. Some looked quite fresh while others were old and almost completely faded.

This was the body of a jujutsu sorcerer.

You now understood why Nanami warned you that the jujutsu world was unsafe. You couldn’t imagine the suffering behind all those wounds. Perhaps one day he would be willing to share his pain with you, so you could understand his world.

You wanted to rub your hands up and down Nanami’s bare chest, but he moved out of your reach to start fiddling with his belt. Eyes lowering, you swallowed nervously as you stared at the large bulge that greeted you. Nanami slid down his pants and underwear in one go, erect cock finally released from its confines and bobbing in the air slightly.

The sight of him was both mouthwatering and intimidating. You admired the bulging veins and the bits of pre-cum that were already leaking out from the tip. He wasn’t excessively long, but he was incredibly thick. You nervously wondered if you would be able to handle his impressive girth.

You wanted to touch and taste him, but Nanami wasn’t interested. He gently pushed away your eager hands and instead spread open your legs once again. At the moment, he was more concerned about prepping you than chasing after his own pleasure.

He pressed one finger into your entrance, groaning as your walls greedily sucked him inside. You gasped, clenching around him. With how easily you were able to take one finger, Nanami slipped a second into you. It didn’t hurt, but you could feel your cunt stretching around them as they thrust in and out of you. Nanami’s fingers were so thick and long that you already felt so full.

“You’re so tight,” Nanami hissed as you got lost in pleasure once again. He pushed those two fingers in and out of you, occasionally scissoring them to loosen you up. You could hear how wet you were as he continued prepping you to take his cock. Nanami moved his fingers at just the right angle to hit a spot that had you instantly moaning and clenching around him. But he suddenly removed himself from you which had you whining at the sudden loss of contact, feeling empty. However, you stopped complaining as you watched Nanami stroke his dick, spreading your fluids and his pre-cum all over himself.

“Are you on birth control or do I need a con—”

“I’m on birth control,” you cut him off impatiently. “Hurry up. I want you inside me.”

Nanami didn’t keep you waiting much longer. He lined himself at your entrance and slowly began to push in. It wasn’t painful, but you still gasped as your walls stretched to accommodate his girth. The sorcerer immediately cursed when his tip entered you. You were so hot and tight around his cock that it took all his self-restraint not to immediately ram his full length into you. With slow, shallow strokes, you were able to accommodate more and more until his entire cock was buried inside you.

You felt so incredibly full. Your hand gripped the blanket on your bed to anchor yourself as you tried to get used to the sensation of being stuffed with Nanami’s dick. He tried to remain still above you, waiting for your signal. Eventually, you met his gaze and gave a little nod. He sweetly kissed you on the lips before he started to move.

Nanami started at a slow pace afraid to hurt you at first, but he eventually settled into a rhythm that had you moaning his name over and over again. You were so wet that he slid in and out of you effortlessly, rubbing against your walls in a way that had you seeing stars again. You had wrapped your legs against his waist, allowing him to enter you even deeper. 

You were almost babbling nonsense at this point, unaware of exactly what you were saying as your mind was just consumed by pleasure. “Fuck. Kento. You’re so big,” you whined. “Faster. Harder. D-don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

Nanami adjusted the angle of his thrusts until he finally found the spot that had you gasping and clenching down on him again. He groaned, making sure to continue hitting the same exact spot with strong, fast thrusts at just the right tempo. “You’re so perfect. Looking at you, taking my cock so well,” he growled.

The pressure was building again. Everything was so overwhelming. The lewd, wet noises of your bodies moving together. The way Nanami growled praises of you in your ear. The muscles on his back rippling with exertion underneath your wandering hands. You just needed that one final push.

One of your hands sneaked down to rub your clit, but Nanami pushed it away and pressed his thumb against your swollen nub instead. Just a couple of strokes had you reaching your peak again. You clenched down so hard around Nanami that his hips stuttered, groaning loudly in your ear. You were completely consumed by wave after wave of pleasure. You couldn’t think. You couldn’t hear. You couldn’t see. All you could register was the pure bliss that racked your entire body, leaving you gasping and shuddering.

Nanami continued to fuck you through your orgasm, ramming his cock into you over and over again. His thrusts had become more frantic and uneven, chasing his own climax after you started to come down from yours.

“Where should I cum?” he groaned with gritted teeth.

You wrapped his arms around his neck and pulled him down closer to you.

“Cum inside me,” you panted against his ear.

He groaned. You were perfect. Absolutely perfect.

With a couple of more thrusts, Nanami completely buried himself inside you when he flooded your cunt with his cum. He remained inside for several more moments to catch his breath before finally removing himself from you. You slightly winced as his cock brushed past your sensitive walls. Nanami couldn’t help but admire the way his cum slowly dribbled out of you.

He laid down next to you as you both began to calm down. No words were needed between the two of you. The silence was comfortable as you cuddled against his chest. Nanami rubbed your back absentmindedly as you hummed in delight.

Eventually, the two of you got out of bed and cleaned up. The textbooks and notebooks haphazardly thrown on your floor were ignored for the rest of the day. You thought you deserved a break anyways. The two of you ate dinner together, cuddled on the couch while watching a movie, and went at it again for another round before settling down to go to sleep.

You were passed out next to Nanami, completely worn out from the day’s activities and normal sleep deprivation you had as a student. Your heavy breathing was the only sound in the tiny apartment. It strangely calmed Nanami just listening to you. He turned towards you and stroked your hair affectionately. 

A part of Nanami still worried if he had made the right choice with you. He was still concerned about your safety and well-being. Would he only bring you more grief if you constantly agonized over his dangerous missions as a jujutsu sorcerer? 

He let out a quiet sigh. He knew he would have regretted it if he continued to push you away. And if he was going to be a sorcerer, he wanted to be a sorcerer with no regrets. 

Nanami only hoped that he would never cause you any pain and anguish because of his profession. It was rare for sorcerers and non-sorcerers to find happiness as a couple. But perhaps the two of you would be an exception.

He prayed the two of you would be an exception.

---

“Welcome! How may I help y—oh!” You blinked in surprise as three individuals walked into the small boba shop.

Gojo waved at you with an easy grin. Nanami stood next to him as handsome and stoic as ever, but there was a new face behind them. He looked like a high schooler.

The blindfolded teacher wrapped his arms around the boy’s shoulder and pointed at him. “Meet Yuji Itadori! One of our first-year students!”

“Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” you said introducing yourself.

The boy tilted his head, looking at you curiously. “How do you know Gojo-sensei and Nanamin?”

Nanamin?

You chuckled at the cute nickname. 

“I told you to stop calling me that, Itadori,” Nanami replied, clearly bothered.

“Well, I’m…” you hesitated. You didn’t know what to say. A friend? An ex-coworker? A normal person who couldn't see curses but knew about their existence?

“She’s Nanami’s girlfriend!” Gojo exclaimed to your horror. You immediately flushed and looked to Nanami for him to clarify, but he didn’t react. He glared at the blindfolded sorcerer as per usual but didn’t refute the statement. Your eyes widened in realization. 

“Uh, y-yeah,” you stammered. “I guess I am.”

“Nanamin has a girlfriend!?” Itadori gasped. He had even more respect for his mentor now.

“Don’t sound so surprised,” Nanami growled much to your amusement.

You took their orders and began to prepare the drinks. Nanami and Idatori were talking in the corner while Gojo hung out at the counter near you. You had just finished sealing the drinks when the teacher explained something to you.

“Oh, by the way, Yuji is supposed to be dead so be sure to not mention his existence to anyone else.”

You almost dropped the drink you were holding. “Um, okay.” You thought it was better not to ask questions.

Gojo thanked you as he took his drink from your hand and grabbed a straw for himself. “Yo! Nanami! Yuji! Grab your drinks and let’s head out!”

Itadori followed Gojo out the door once he had his milk tea, but Nanami stayed behind.

“I meant it.”

“Huh?” you asked, cleaning the counter with a rag.

“I want you to be my girlfriend.”

You blinked, processing his words. A bright smile grew on your face. “Well, according to Gojo, I’m already your girlfriend.”

Nanami let out a rare chuckle and flashed you a small smile. “I’ll see you tonight.”

“Goodbye!” You waved as he left the shop.

Your coworker came out of the back room, looking at you suspiciously. “Why are you so smiley?” She looked around the empty shop. “There’s no one here.”

“Oh, no reason," you replied with a hum.

[astronartists-writes]

Helloooo:)

May i request a Twice reaction to their Fem! s.o being protective of them?(like in a healthy way, not possessive)

Have a good day:3

a/n: i was so excited when you sent me this because it was super early that i got this from when i posted everything else.

hope this turned out okay!

Masterlist

TWICE with a protective s/o

TW: mentions of sasaengs, mentioned worries about toxicity

CW: none! :)

fem!reader, race unspecified :)

Park Jihyo

when you first showed her your protectiveness, she was a little worried that you might end up being overbearing

but as time went by, and you were super chill about her living her own life, she realized that you weren’t someone she should be concerned about.

you were perceptive to her feelings, so the second she seemed uncomfortable, you would shoot a nasty glare at whatever was making her feel so

usually it was sasaengs

sometimes it was her stage outfits

the glare was always the first warning

if the glare didn’t work on people, you’d wrap an arm around her as a second warning.

if those warnings didn’t work, you’d start responding in place of Jihyo, your tone flat and dismissive

she thought it was hilarious

it eased any anxiety she might feel

because The Glare can’t really work on an outfit,

you would usually offer her your jacket, or would carry a small blanket around to cover her legs with while she sits

you always made sure to ask if she wanted your jacket or the blanket, giving her a choice of rejection

she’s an independent adult, and you treated her as such

you’ve got her back, and she feels safe when you’re around.

Im Nayeon

i feel like nayeon would be protective of her s/o as well,

so you being protective wouldn’t faze her.

it’s just natural

you always asked her if she was feeling uncomfortable with something, and did everything you could to help her fix it if she was

you could honestly be her personal security guard, you were that effective.

you once practically threw a bitch that was getting a little too close, and she was scared at the time, but laughed a lot when the video surfaced

all of twice’s stage outfits are kind of ridiculous sometimes, and you often complained about the discomfort of not only nayeon, but the other members as well

you knew how uncomfortable clothing that showed a lot of skin could be — especially short skirts,

so you empathized, even going to managers to ask if it was really necessary for the members to wear certain things

she felt very loved when you showed her your protectiveness, and always made sure to make you feel loved, too

Yoo Jeongyeon

personally feeling very protective of jeongyeon right now, hope she’s feeling lots better

so you make sure to give her plenty of space, asking questions once, and not pressuring her for an answer if she couldn’t give you one.

you treated her the way you treated everyone else,

only really being protective of the way people spoke to and/or about her

if you felt something was uncalled for, you immediately told the person who said it off,

sometimes you ordered them to apologize,

sometimes you told them calmly that what they said wasn’t very nice, and gave them a disapproving stare

tbh, not many instances happened where you had to tell them off,

so you tried to express your care for her in other ways

like making her food, getting her tea, sharing your clothes

jeongyeon would tell you clearly if you were to cross a boundary, and you would immediately make sure to never cross it again in order to avoid being possessive

she felt comfortable with you

you never once made her feel bad for not liking something, or not wanting something to be done,

so she was able to openly communicate with you with little to no fears

Hirai Momo

momo liked the two of you doing your own thing for the most part

being independent together was nice

she liked being able to depend on each other for things as well, though

like emotional support, and someone to always have her back

one of her favorite things was seeing you get protective

it usually happened at the smaller things, not the bigger things because you couldn’t be around for many of the big things

like if a bee or a wasp got too close to her, you were right there to move her out of the way

if you saw her shoelace untied, you’d get down and tie it for her so she wouldn’t trip

if you saw someone look at her in a way you didn’t like, you would put an arm around her out of the need to make sure they didn’t try anything harmful

she wasn’t helpless, but it felt nice to show her she could rely on you if she needed to.

Minatozaki Sana

because of her cuteness, you often felt very protective of her

however, we all know that sana is not innocent

she’s an adult, y’know

anyway

at first, she was a little irritated at how protective you could be

you were far more obvious about it than subtle

after a while, she got used to it, and thought about how you didn’t question her choices

you didn’t even try to control her

she liked it a lot

you liked to latch onto her arm in public when there were a lot of people, and she enjoyed holding your waist, poking you in the side every once in a while to get a cute little giggle out of you

the display of protection she liked the most was you tugging down a skirt if you thought it was riding up too much

she liked that you didn’t want anyone to even see the safety shorts, especially when you explained that you just didn’t want her to feel embarrassed if someone posted pictures online

usually when you did something protective, you tried to make it playful.

every once in a while, you’d poke her butt when you pulled her dress down

Myoui Mina

you weren’t protective of her too often because she’s not a very social person,

but you took every opportunity you could

mostly on days she was on stage or doing other activities and you were with her

she stayed home the rest of the time, and while she used to be mostly alone, having you around was something much appreciated

because you were mostly in the safety of your own home, you usually were protective about comments on the internet

she would look through them for things she could improve on — some people left some pretty good constructive criticism

but there would always be hate comments

it’s something to expect from being in the industry

not everyone is going to like you, and the people who don’t can be very cruel

she had learned to mostly not take comments about her personally,

but if you happened to glance at what she was doing out of curiosity and found a comment you didn’t like,

you’d get a little peeved

you’d tell her that she should mute those comments so she wouldn’t see them anymore

this resulted in a very brief argument, where you quickly apologized for the misunderstanding

and explained that you just didn’t want her to feel bad

she thought about it a little and nodded, thanking you for the concern, but explaining that the comments didn’t really get to her

so you’d shyly request to read them with her, dragging the people that left mean comments through the dirt

it made her laugh

if someone dared to say something about her in front of you, though... all hell would break loose.

your protectiveness in public only occurred when the members were being mobbed

you’d hold her hand to make sure she didn’t get pulled away, shooting glares every which way.

your protectiveness made her laugh in private, and made her feel safe in public

Kim Dahyun

you only really protected dahyun when she was frightened or startled at first

which was quite frequent

but after a while, you found yourself saying you’d go before her in things she was nervous about

and then even in things she wasn’t nervous about

the urge to keep her safe was just really strong at that point

she was never actually bugged about it

she liked having a doting girlfriend to hide behind

she even stepped in a few times when you looked nervous, too, eager to keep you feeling safe

she would not be able to do much for you while at high places, though

so even if you were also scared, you’d just clutch her hand and shakily walk with her across area that seemed sketchy.

she gave you a kiss every time you stopped,

and that motivated you enough to keep going

after the hell of high places, she wouldn’t let go of you, trying to show you just how grateful she was by praising you and comforting you

you didn’t feel so scared at the end of it, though

she was grateful for your protectiveness, and was just as protective of you

Son Chaeyoung

she is tiny, so it would be easier to lose her in a crowd than others

she’s responsible enough to not get lost, but you liked to hold her hand just in case

our chaengie is playful,

and so sometimes she’s a little bit too focused on messing around with you to notice potential danger

like a car coming down the narrow road

so you’d tug her out of the way, continuing your conversation without another thought

she usually payed a lot of attention to her surroundings, so the fact that she didn’t realize there was a car was surprising.

you didn’t mention it because you were just keeping her safe, but she was very flustered

if the weather suddenly got colder than expected, you always had a hoodie and a jacket on you

as soon as you saw her shivering,

you’d shed your jacket and hoodie, handing the hoodie to her wordlessly before putting your jacket back on.

you didn’t want her to get sick

she never gave that hoodie back, but she always brought it with her after that.

when people had you on edge, you wouldn’t leave her side

if they were decidedly too much, you’d hold her hand,

and if you really didn’t like a person, you’d straight up just tug her away from them with you (if they followed, you’d totally bark at them)

Chaeyoung found your protectiveness romantic, and wouldn’t trade it for anything

Chou Tzuyu

Tzuyu can hold her own pretty well

she can be quiet, and intimidating, so you weren’t actually protective in a way that people other than her could see

you stayed next to her when you were together, keeping it normal looking if she seemed endangered by anyone

if she needed to get out of a situation, she’d tap your wrist two times and you would get her out of there by any means.

she wasn’t allowed to be mean because of her job, but you could be as mean as you felt needed

another way you were protective was reporting harmful comments and/or posts to JYP directly

always under an anonymous alias

sometimes the two of you would end up looking through rumors and laughing at the ridiculous ones

like a secret boyfriend

that one you screenshot and sent to Tzuyu, who sent it to the group chat for the TWICE members so you could all scoff at it

when you asked if she felt overwhelmed by anything you did, she denied it

she felt comfortable when she was around you. she found your protectiveness sweet.

[yandere-ac]

Can I request parental Yandere! Tom with a young Y / N? Y/N has been on the island for a long time, and Tom is like their father figure. I'd like to see a scenario where Y / N meets Redd and due to their innocent and naive nature, wants to befriend him, meeting at night time just because Redd says it's better this way, probably not to alert Tom that he is there.I love how you write! Sorry for my bad English.

Yandere Parental Tom Nook X Child Reader

Little one

Tom had always considered himself good with children. It might have been because of all the late nights he spent up with Sable, taking care of Mable back when she was still very small. Even as a child, Tom swore to protect and help the ones who could not defend them self’s. It was a trait that, even though as he grew up became less and less prominent, was still a core instinct that he had. Sure, he’s the first to admit that he wasn’t exactly the most charming guy back in the day. Many seeing him as intimidating and mean. And yeah, Tom could see how people could have gotten that impression. Back then, he’d been so angry and lost. He was angry at the world. Angry at himself. Angry at...him...those where the days when he was hellbent on not letting anyone ever take advantage of him ever again. He’d locked up his heart and pushed everyone he loved away. But then...something quite peculiar happened.

It had been late at night. Tom was walking alone on the sidewalk, only the dim light of the tall streetlights illuminating his path. With hands in his pockets he picked up his pace. He wanted to get out of the city as quickly as possible. He had been spending some time with family and was currently going home. But to get to his flight he had to walk through the big city. Tom didn’t like the city, it brought back bad memories. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he heard the sounds of a loud crash coming from one of the alleyways nearby. What was that? Was someone hurt? Tom knew he shouldn’t...it would be dangerous and stupid. But he had to check to make sure nothing sketchy was going on. Looking back at it now. Tom was so happy, overjoyed that he decided to investigate. Approaching the alleyway he could see the silhouettes of two small creatures. And as he got closer he realised what the silhouettes were. They were two children, tanukis, looking no older than five cowering together, clutching onto each other like there was no tomorrow. They looked up at him, shaking from either the cold weather or because they were scared. Probably a mixture of the two. Tom made sure to stay completely still as he tried not to scare the two boys.

"Hello? Are you okay? Why on earth are you two out here alone?" He asked as he slowly crouched down so that he would be on the same level as the kids, still keeping his distance. Tom however did not get a response. Letting out a small sigh he tried to continue. "Can I at least get your names?" He said, making sure to keep his voice gentle. "We’re not supposed to talk to strangers mister..." one of the two said, clinging onto the other tighter. "Okay then. Hello there. My name is Tom Nook. Who are you?" Tom tried again. At this point the other one has stopped shaking and looked at Tom with more curiosity than fear. "We don’t have names mister." Tom felt his eyebrows furrow. These poor kids. "Why don’t you two come with me? It’s about to start raining and I don’t want you catching a cold." As he said this he extended his hand to the two. And carefully, the first one reached out his tiny paw to grab it. The other one was much more hesitant about the whole thing but after a quick glance at the first, he soon grabbed Toms hand. Tom led the two away to a hotel nearby where he bought a room.

That was the first significant change that led Tom to the road to redemption and recovery. After calling the police and telling them about the situation they had come to investigate with a social worker. After they had intervened and the social worker talked to the two and did confirm that the two children had no home or guardians. And even though it had only been maybe two days with the boys, Tom had grown very attached to them. And so, he offered to adopt the two. And after settling the whole thing in court, Tom was able to happily bring two small tanukis home. Of course the final decision was left up to the kids. But lucky for Tom, they too had grown attached to him and agreed to the adoption. Tom gave them the names Timothy and Thomas, Timmy and Tommy for short. And rest assured, the boys were gonna have a good life, Tom swore of it. But that, like stated before, was only the beginning.

A year later, was the second significant change that Tom went through. That year, a new villager moved in to his town. A boy with Brown hair and a red shirt. And what a mess he was. After having bought a house from Tom, he didn’t have close to the amount of bells that he needed to pay off the house loan. In fact, he only had 1000 bells in his pockets. Seeing this was almost humorous to Tom. How can you move into a new home WITHOUT bringing more than at least 30 000 bells. And yet. Something about the boy. It almost reminded him of how he used to be back when he first moved to the city. Now, he had enough common sense to bring with him more than just a few bells. But he’d still make PLENTY of screw ups and stupid decisions. And in a way, he’d wished that he had a person to help him during that time. Someone to be kind enough to extend their hand and give him assistance. Maybe if someone had, things would have turned out differently. Who know what could happen to this villager, if he’s stupid enough to not bring enough currency, then he’d sure be stupid enough to be tricked or manipulated. Tom couldn’t knowingly let that happen, especially if he could prevent it.

And so. Tom offered him a job at Nooks cranny. Just to teach him some responsibility and give him a chance to pay off his loans. But even after he paid them off, he still took some time to visit Tom every once and again. He brought a sort of warmth and life to the town. He interacted with all the other villagers and made sure to fix it up a little as well. Although very silent and kind of strange, Tom grew a certain fondness of the boy. But ultimately, it didn’t matter what he though of him. Because one day, he never showed up. Tom just assumed that he had been sick or just tired. But after a week and not a sound from him, people started to get worried. They searched his house but he wasn’t there. And that weeks turned into months, which turned into years. Tom still worried what had happened to him. But he tried not to think about it. The thought unnerved him. He couldn’t have moved out because his house still remained in the village. But, ultimately. It really didn’t matter. He was gone, and Tom had to move on.

That was years ago. During that time, human after human moved into the town. And they were all just as incompetent. Tom had started to wonder if it was a human thing. But Isabelle had been quick to insist that he help them. And he did. He always tried to teach them how to survive and make money. All while giving them a roof over their heads. He couldn’t just let them wander around without a home, they had to live somewhere. He didn’t set any dates as to when their debts had to be paid either. They could pay him off whenever they wanted. He didn’t want to cause them any stress. And just like always, he got attached to the humans, and just like always, they all eventually left him with no explanation. He didn’t understand why or how. But it was simply just how it went. But no matter how many times it happened, he never got used to it. It was always so hard to accept the fact that the human that was usually eagerly running around had left them. Had left HIM. He felt oddly protective over them all, they were like his children, his small, gullible, human children. So when he met you, that was when his instincts really went into overdrive.

He remembered it clear as day. Timmy and Tommy had ran up to him with the three residents behind him. Immediately he noticed something was odd about one of them. One of them was a human, more than that, the human looked much shorter than any other human he’d ever met. And he’s met a lot of humans in his life, a privilege which very few get. At first he thought the human, you, was just short. But as soon as he heard you speak it became clear to him. You weren’t just short, you were much younger than any of the humans he’d ever seen before. You were a child. Tom started to wonder why someone as young as you was all the way out here. Were your parents gonna come on a later plane? No, no that couldn’t be it. There where no other planes booked to the island. Maybe you were a child to one of the other residents? Interspecies adoption has recently been legalised so that could be it. Yes. That’s probably it. But that theory popped once he gave out the tents and you asked for your very own. Wouldn’t you be sleeping with your guardian? For a moment Tom panicked. What if you were just a very small human and he has misunderstood your age. So he asked you. And to his relief and confusion you answered with "ten". Didn’t you have parents? Why were you out here alone, he needed to know if he should contact somebody. So while everyone else went about looking for a place to put their tents, Tom took you aside to ask you a couple of questions.

As it turns out, you had come here completely alone. Without parents or anything. You had handed him a letter from your mother, she was the one that sent you here with the little bells she had left, because she couldn’t take care of you and hoped that an adult on the island could handle you. When Tom read the letter he felt conflicted, he felt bad for you and your mother but he also thought the action of sending away your child to a deserted island was pretty irresponsible. But whatever he thought of the situation didn’t matter, because you were here and he couldn’t exactly kick you off or anything. He was sure that you would manage life here on the island, there was lots of things to do and food was also easy to come by. So, he’d have to make sure you were comfortable here on the island. He had given you your own tent and even payed the loans that came with it.

And you were the tipping point, you were the thing that turned his redemption into something much, much more twisted.

It had started small, with him feeling a kind of protectiveness over you. He figured it was since you were both a human and a kid. This feeling, it was much stronger than any of the instincts he felt about his previous humans, it was about as strong as how he felt for Timmy and Tommy. He just wanted to scoop you up and carry you away from all your troubles. He helped you fix up your tent and when you asked if you could upgrade it, he’d offer to pay for those house depts as well. But you had refused, saying that you wanted to pay for it yourself. It seems your mother had taught you plenty about responsibility and how to take care of yourself, which came a bit as a shock for Tom. Most of not all of his previous humans had been pretty clueless about things like this, so to see a child being more mature than them was almost a bit funny. But he knew deep down that your maturity probably stemmed from having to take care of yourself without any help. And there was nothing funny about that. Surprisingly, you handled your situation very well, you picked up weeds, planted trees, fished and caught bugs which you sold to Timmy and Tommy. All to pay for said loans. And when Tom told you about his plan to get K.K. Slider to perform at the island, you put your incredible work ethic to the max. Everyday, he could see you running around the island, planting flowers and placing furniture. It came out very good considering your age and soon enough the island got a three star rating. It baffled Tom beyond belief that you were able to do all of this. Especially at your young age. He made sure to give you credit for all the good you contributed and even made sure you got the front seat when the concert began.

And that brings us to today. You had been running around the island, collecting sea shells and fruit. Anytime you ran past one of your fellow villagers you made sure to greet them and talk with them for a while. And when you did so, one of them told you about seeing a shady boat by the hidden beach. The hidden beach. You liked going there, it was a nice place where you could just relax, far away from everyone else. So hearing that there was some boat there, it’s sparked your curiosity to say the least. Where did it come from? Who was at the boat? Why were they here? You just had to go see!

So that’s what you did. As you made your way to the beach you were stopped by none other than Tom Nook himself. He was outside of the plaza with Timmy and Tommy when the boys had their break. He gave you a smile as you stopped and turned to him. "Ah if it isn’t Y/N! Why don’t you come and join me, Timmy and Tommy to our picnic. We were just about to head there." He asked, Timmy and Tommy looking at you with hopeful eyes. "Yeah Y/N! Will you? Will you?" You had to stop to think before making your decision. "Sorry but I can’t. I’ve gotta go do something!" You said. "Alright then, but if you change your mind you know where to find us." Tom said as he walked away with the two boys. You ran all the way to the secret beach and sure enough, there was a boat stationed right there on the beach. As you made your way to it, you started to feel a little hesitant about going in. What if this person was dangerous? But you’ve already come this far, so you might as well try. And so, you took a deep breath, and opened the curtains to go inside.

Dark, that was the main word that popped into your mind as you walked down the metal stairs that descended into the boats cabin. As you reached the bottom and looked around the room a strange sort of dread filled your stomach. The room was darkly lit, only a select few lights illuminating what seemed to be paintings and statues that stood on small wooden podiums. Your curiosity started bubbling as you approached the paintings. You silently admired the art, but your moment of calm was soon ended when you heard a loud creak come from the far right side of the boat. Turning around swiftly you saw the source of sound. It was a big metal door, there was an orange fox exiting the door when he suddenly froze up. His eyes met yours, and for a moment the two of you just stared at each other. As he eyes you up and down you could only look at him with big wondering eyes. You’ve never met a fox in real life before, so this was certainly an experience. The silence finally broke when he spoke up.

"Umm...Hello and welcome aboard Jolly Redds treasure trawler!" There was a bit of uncertainty in his voice, like he wasn’t sure if what he was seeing was real. "Hello mister! I’m Y/N, what’s your name?" You asked him, a smile making its way onto your face. "The names Jolly Redd, as the name of my boat would imply." As he introduced himself to you he gave you a mischievous smirk. He seemed to drop any uncertainty and suspicion as he looked at you. "Say, were you checking out my paintings just now?" He asked you while walking closer. "Oh yes! I think they look really beautiful!" You answered enthusiastically, bouncing up and down slightly as you clasped your small hands together. "Ohoho, why thank you. I made them myself you see." Once Redd told you this, you let out a gasp of both surprise and delight. "Wow! For real? I have to tell Mr. Nook and aunt Isabelle about this!" All of the previous pride and confidence that Redd felt disappeared the moment you mentioned "Mr. Nook". He couldn’t let Tom find out he was here. Especially when he’s talking to a human child. Redd knows about Toms protective nature when it comes to humans and children, so the thought of what he might do if he found him near a HUMAN CHILD, it’s scared him. "A-ah! Let’s NOT tell Mr. Nook or Aunt Isabelle. I’m actually a uhh..." think Redd, think! "...secret artist! Yeah! A secret artist! We don’t like to be seen or talked about. So could you do me a favour and not tell anyone about me kid?" Redd said. You however, not knowing he was bluffing, let out yet another gasp and nodded your head vigorously. "Of course mister! I’ll never tell anyone I promise!" Redd let out a laugh as he saw your enthusiasm. He liked you, he wasn’t usually fond of children. But you, something about you was different. You were cute but not to the point of being annoying. Maybe he’d stay here for a little while.

"I like you kid, you’ve got good taste. Us art lovers gotta stick together ya’know. So how about this, can you meet me here again tomorrow at night? It’s a lot easier for me that time." The question made you unsure. You’ve been told not to trust strangers, but he seemed so nice. He seemed trustworthy enough. You didn’t see any reason why you wouldn’t be able to trust him. "Okay, I’ll do it."

And that was that. Every night you would sneak out of your house and visit Redd. He would show you his paintings and such, he’d even let you paint on a separate paper while he was doing his work on his forgeries. The only drawback of this was just how tired you got later during the day. It was starting to get more and more apparent to everyone else on the island, especially to Tom. He had asked you time and time again if you had trouble sleeping, but every time he’d bring it up you would get really quiet and assure him it was nothing. One time when he was out for a stroll he found you, sleeping on a bed of flowers. He picked you up and carried you to your house to put you to bed. As he tucked you into bed he let out a worried sigh, what was going on with you? But right as he walked out he caught a glimpse of something that made him stop dead in his tracks. He quickly rushed to the little desk you had in your room and looked at what laid upon it, it was a drawing. A drawing of you and an orange fox. The drawing was labelled "Me and Redd!" with green crayon. He knew something was up. But he hadn’t expected it to be this bad.

It was late at night and you were on your way to Redds boat. Unbeknownst to you, you had someone following you. As you skipped down to the secret beach you called out for Redd. And a few seconds later, Redd came out of the boat and greeted you with a hug. "Hello there my little artist. Are you ready to have some fun?" He asked as he grabbed your hand and pulled you inside. "Yes! I’m ready!" You two sat down and started to paint. You told him about everything that was happening on the island, letting out a tired yawn every once in a while. As you blabbered away Redd was in deep thought, he knew he couldn’t stay here for much longer. Every day that he was here was another day that Tom could find him, and he sure as hell didn’t want that to happen. But he didn’t want to leave you, your kindness and excitement brought him some kind of joy when he would usually be completely alone. He needed a distraction other than painting and sculpturing, something that would drown out all of the persistent thoughts of hate that he felt each day. But he couldn’t just take you...could he?

"Hey, cousin? Do you like your life here?" He said out of nowhere, interrupting your ramblings. "Huh? Yeah of course. I’ve got friends and family that cares for me. I love it here." Damn it. How would he convince you if you had that attitude. "Aha...but doesn’t it get boring? You know, doing the same thing every day? When was the last time you had some excitement in your life!" Redd put down his brush and turned to you, facing you completely. "I...well..." you truly didn’t have an answer to that, sure island living wasn’t exactly the most heart pounding life but it wasn’t really supposed to be. It was supposed to be a relaxing life, without any stress or worries. "Wouldn’t you rather just get out there on the sea? With me! We could be a team! A crew! I could be the captain and you could be my second mate. Think about it Y/N!" Redd got more and more intense as he tried to convince you, but your face was far from happy or excited. It was filled with uncertainty and discomfort. "N-No I think I’ll pass. I would much rather just stay here." The fox’s expression turned from a smile into an annoyed frown. "If you don’t come with me you’ll never see me again! Do you want that Y/N?! Do you want to learn how to paint on your own? Do you want to loose out on the best teacher and friend you could’ve ever gotten?!" You didn’t give him a response, slowly backing away from him, trying to get to the stairs. But Redd saw what you were doing. "Oh no you don’t!" He rushed towards you and picked you up rather violently, you started to thrash and scream in his grasp, trying everything to get out. But suddenly you were dropped onto the floor. As you looked up in horror you saw Tom Nook hunching over you. He had his claws out and were growling at Redd. As he looked down at you his eyes softened and he motioned for you to run out, you got the message clear and ran. You ran out, sprinting for dear life in order to get to a hiding spot. Your house!

It had been about 10 minutes since you ran from the boat. You were hiding under your bed, trying to calm yourself down as the tears dropped down your face. You could feel your heart stop as you heard the door to your house opening. But you felt a huge wave of relief wash over you when you heard Toms voice call out for you. "Y/N? Where are you? It’s okay. He’s gone." You rushed out from your bed and ran downstairs to the living room. As you saw Tom stand by the end of the stairs you practically threw yourself onto him. "TOM!" Wrapping your arms around him, you started sobbing. You thought something had happened to him. You could barely form any words as tears got caught in your throat, this has been a stressful night to say the least.

"Shh shh...it’s okay...I’ve got you. I’ve got you. He can’t hurt you now, I promise." You cried onto his shoulder while he comforted you. "Do you feel comfortable sleeping alone or would you like to sleep with me, Timmy and Tommy?" You nodded your head as you climbed onto him. He only let out a small sigh as he carried you away to his house. What a mess. He wished he’d have known sooner, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. But no matter, what was done was done. He could only focus on the future.

And he swore to protect you, no matter what he had to do.

[thewildomega]

Broken but not Shattered Ch.13

Looking all around the unfamiliar place you held your bag to you as you walked through the station. Just where the hell were they? Growling when you got to the entrance and found no one there you sighed. So much for meeting you here. 

"Can I help you there miss, you've walked through here several times now." 

Glancing to the station workers when he spoke to you, you stiffened. You couldn't exactly tell the no-maj that you were supposed to meet your parents here instead of taking a portkey or Floo back to your home in America . Nor how you had no way of contacting them or vise versa because witches and wizards didn't use phones. When he walked closer to you with his brows raised you swallowed hard. 

"Are you lost? I can call the police and they can help you get sorted out." 

No not the police. Then you really would be in a mess. Quick think of something. "Spinner's End. I need to get to Spinner's End." 

Coming to a stop in front of the young woman he rose his brows. "You want to go to Spinner's End?"

He sounded skeptical. "Yes. M..my friend lives there."

"Ugh-huh." Looking over the girl he let out a sigh. "Spinner's End is in Cokeworth, there is a bus that will take you there and from the stop you will want to go the whole way down, last street before the river." 

Grinning you nodded. "Thank you sir. And ugh... when does the next bus leave." 

Sighing and adjusting his footing he looked to his pocket watch. "The next one will go out in a little over an hour." 

"Alright then. Thank you again." Quickly walking away from the man you moved out front to sit on the bench. Looking over the city you sighed. It was a nice looking city, maybe one day you and Severus could walk around and he could show you some of the places. Feeling eyes on you you cast a sideways glance to the right and saw a few sketchy men looking your way. Clearing your throat you crossed your legs and reached into your bag to pull out your book. Might as well read until the bus gets here. 

You weren't expecting the bus ride to take so long and when you stepped off along with only one other person you had to stretch your back from where you had been sitting so long. It was nearly dark now and you bit your lip as you looked around the strange place lined with brick homes that were pretty much all alike. Lily lived somewhere here, you recalled her saying she lived in Cokeworth. You would think about finding her home but well she hadn't really went out of her way to talk to you all school year. The one time she had been paired with you in divinations she had quickly shut you down when you tried to talk to her about Severus. No it was best to find your alpha, you only hoped he was home. 

Walking down the streets you watched as the lights came on as the sun started going down. Reading over all the street signs you kept your eye out for Spinner's End. Making your way down to the river which you saw was extremely polluted, you looked down the road and saw the streets lamps there flickering, only a few working at all. Turning to the sign you walked over and sure enough that was it. Making your way down the road that had many potholes and dying grass growing up in between cracks you licked your lips. You didn't exactly know how you would find Severus's home, you didn't know the number but you did have one trick up your sleeve. Focusing on that pulling feeling in your heart you walked along the run down houses. Glancing from one to the other you startled when a hackling cough sounded from your left. Ignoring the woman who eyed you like you were trespassing you took a deep breath. About midway down you felt that pull leading you a different way and blinked. Turning to the left you saw the same house as the others, this one having a trash can out front with the lid partially on. Titling your head a little you swallowed hard before making your way to the front door. Making sure your hair and clothes were in order you took a deep breath as you raised your hand and lightly knocked three times on the door. 

There was no answer or sound from the other side, the whole street deathly quiet. Looking down you felt your hopes dwindle and let out a sigh as you moved to step off the platform but before you could take that step the door was opening. Turning around you straightened up when you saw a woman standing there. She was a medium height woman with a thin build and long face. Her hair was inky black and instantly you knew where Severus got it from. Her brown eyes looked very solemn down at you but still you smiled nonetheless. 

"Can I help you?"

"Hello ma'am my name is Y/n L/n. I.. well I was wondering if I could see Severus."

"You go to school with Severus." 

"Yes ma'am." Watching the woman nod her head before she turned to look back inside the home you felt your nerves eating at you. Feeling the start of rain you glanced up to the dark sky. 

Looking back to the female she sighed when she saw it was raining. "Come inside." 

Seeing the woman open the door for you to step in you thanked her and saw her nod again but not say a word. As she called out for Severus you looked around the home. It was small, like really small. The floors were wooden and the walls mostly bare except for the bookcase that held so many books it looked like the old shelves would crumble. As far as furniture went there was an old couch that looked higher on one side than the other, an armchair that had seen better days and a small end table with a full ashtray on it and a lamp. The doorway that was open led to what you guessed was the kitchen by the small amount you could see through the crack. The home was very dreary looking and smelled old, damp. When the creaking of old floorboards caught your ears you looked to the small staircase to see familiar long legs making their way down. he obviously wasn't expecting to see you as his eyes went a bit wide and his lips parted. "Hi." you greeted with a smile and wave. "Long time no see." 

"Yo... you are here." quickly making his way down the stairs he came to stand in front of his omega. "Why are you here?" he questioned, still trying to process her being in his home. 

"Long story, not too sure myself actually." you shrugged. "I did get to take my first bus ride though... not something I care to do again." 

Blinking he glanced to his mother who was standing in the doorway to the kitchen looking to them. Clearing his throat he took Y/n's hand in his and turned to his mother, pulling his female into his side and placing his hand on her lower back. Looking down to his love and then up to his mother he took a deep breath. "Mother this is Y/n... my mate." 

You saw the woman's eyes go wide for a second before the returned to their normal look, he had not mentioned you before. While it did make you feel a little hurt you quickly shrugged it off, knowing Severus was a private person. When she turned her eyes from her son to you, you smiled again. 

"Y/n, this is my mother Elieen." Watching her walk closer to them he kept he stood tall and watched silently as his mother looked his female over before the smallest of grins came to her face, something he had not seen in many years. 

"It is a pleasure to meet you Y/n. You are American?"

"Yes ma'am." 

"You look familiar" 

"Well my mom said that you and her went to school together, Leatha l/n or well Macmillan back then." 

Humming she nodded. "Yes that is what it is. Your father is American then?"

"Yes ma'am, she moved to Montana with him when they were married." 

"I have not seen her since we graduated." 

"Yea she doesn't really come back here that often. She did say that she would like to have dinner together one day." 

Nodding she looked to the female "Perhaps." Glancing to the clock and then to her son she blinked, "Your father will be home soon. Today is Saturday." 

Watching the woman walk back into the kitchen after that you furrowed your brows some before looking up to Severus, noticing his lips were set in a straight line. "Sev?"

Taking a deep breath he dropped his eyes to her blue ones and blinked. Seeing confusion in her eyes he lifted the corner of his lip to give her a small grin before pulling her to the couch. Moving her to sit on the side that was in the best shape he took her bag from her and sent it to his room. 

"Show off." you said wanting to make him smile just a bit. 

Chuckling lightly he looked around the room before rubbing the back of his head, "Um would you like some tea?" he asked. He had never had anyone over to his home, in fact he wasn't sure this place had ever welcomed a guest. When she smiled softly at him he nodded. "I will be right back just stay here alright?" when she gave him a small nod he made his way into the kitchen, shutting the door back behind him. Seeing his mother at the table, reading with a cup of coffee in front of her he sighed and moved around to make his darling a cup of tea with the help of his magic. 

"She seems nice." 

Snapping his eyes to his mother as the tea steeped he licked his lips. "She is." There was silence for a few more moments as he grabbed the only other clean cup, wiping it out just in case, and moved to pour her tea. 

"A Macmillan... do they know what you are?"

A half blood. "Her parents do yes." he answered and heard her hum. That was all of the conversation. Walking out of the kitchen he carried her cup and pulled the door back closed as he moved over beside her on the couch, seeing her eyes looking over the dusty books. 

Taking the cup when he held it out for you, you smiled at him. "Thank you." 

Looking her over he noticed her hair was a bit wet but then again it was raining out, other than that she looked fine. "So are you going to tell me what happened? Why you are in England and not America."

Swallowing the tea in your mouth you hummed and looked to him. "I don't know. I had said goodbye to you and was on the way to the Hog's head Inn to use Mr. Dumbledore's floo when this owl dropped a letter in my hands. It was from my parents, something about them having errands to do here in London and how they were staying at some place called the Leaky Cauldron and that they were going to pick me up at the station. I ran back to the train and just did make it on in time but when I tried to find you one of the prefects pretty much shoved me into one of the compartments which just so happened to have Alice and Frank in it." 

Raising a brow he saw her nod. 

"Yea. I guess it could have been worse."

"And then?"

"And then when I got off the train I still couldn't find you or my parents and I got lost, this no-maj train worker kept watching me and asking questions, saying he was going to call the police so I quickly told him I was trying to get to Spinner's End... because I remembered that's where you said you lived. He told me to take the bus which was horrible by the way and so now I'm here." 

Humming he thought over everything she had just said. "You are sure your parents said they were going to pick you up there?"

"Yes but they weren't there, I walked around that place like four times and then waited around for a long time they never showed up." 

"So what are you going to do now?" 

"I don't know probably just go to this Leaky Cauldron place and see if I can find them there." 

"Well the Leaky Cauldron is back in London."

"Of course it is." Humming you gave a large smile when a idea popped in your head. 

"What?"

"You could always just Apperate me there." 

Smirking he looked down at he with a raised brow. "Using me are you darling?"

"No but if you don't want to that's fine, I will have to just catch the next bus and deal with the No-maj men trying to talk me into going home with them for a fun time."

His smirk instantly fell, a deep frown with tightly knit brows overtaking his features. "What?" he growled and watched her drink more of her tea but not say a word. "You are joking." 

Humming you grimaced, "I wish I was." 

"You are never riding the...." before he could finish his sentence the front door was opening and he stiffened. 

Looking over to the door you saw a man hurrying in out of the rain that looked to be stopping. You only saw his back for a moment as he shut the door and noticed he was wearing a pair of dirty navy blue pants with a white button up shirt and suspenders. He had short dark brown maybe black hair and as he turned to you, you saw his face was shaved and he had a cigarette in his mouth. As two familiar black eyes looked to you, you saw one of his brows raise. 

"Who is this? Why is she here so late?"

Swallowing hard he stood from the couch and looked to his father. "This is Y/n, my girlfriend." Seeing the man look to him through his always lidded eyes before he looked back down to his female he felt anxious. 

Puffing on the cigarette before he removed it from his mouth he stared over the girl, looking her over from head to toe as she stood beside his son. "Girlfriend huh, didn't think you would be able to get one of those."

Feeling your brow twitch you masked it, taking Severus's hand and looking to his dad before smiling. "Well he did, that's me." you spoke trying to lighten the mood. Taking a deep breath when the man's face remained the same you gave another smile although this one was harder to hold, "Like Sev said my name is Y/n, Y/n L/n, it's nice to meet you sir." 

"You're American." he spoke and heard her hum softly, continuing to study the girl he put his cigarette back between his lips. She was cute, he would give his son that but it still didn't account for her being in his house. "You a witch too?" he huffed

"Yes." you answered, stroking the back of Severus's hand when you sensed him becoming irritated.

Looking back to his son he blinked and breathed in his lung full of smoke. "When did you get back?"

"Well considering this is the first time you have seen me in seven months I thought it would be obvious." Seeing Tobias's eyes narrow at him he stood tall. 

Biting down on the tobacco he caught sigh of something on the table and noticed it was his cup, filled halfway with his tea. Snapping his eyes back to his son he let out a puff of smoke before turning and walking into the kitchen. 

As soon as his father was out of the room he turned to her, he had seen the look in his father's eyes, a look he knew all too well. "Come on." Pulling her towards the stairs he stopped when he heard his father call for him in his deep voice. Licking his lips he took another breath. Leaning down to speak into her ear he closed his eyes. "You go up to my bedroom and you close the door. You stay there, do not come out no matter what you hear."

Furrowing your brows you looked up to him "Sev?"

"Do as I say." Hearing her barely audible gasp at the tone he had spoke in he knew she understood that he had given her an order. He hated doing it but he knew he had no choice. 

"SEVERUS!"

Tensing he ran his nose up her jaw, breathing in her scent for a moment to help give him strength. "Up the stairs and to the left. Go now and stay quiet." When she nodded slowly he let go of her hand and watched her make her way up the rickety stairs. As soon as she made it to the top he hurried over and grabbed her tea cup, swallowing the rest of it down and walking to the front door. Opening and closing it loud enough they could hear he took his wand from his pocket and cast a concealment charm towards his room. Taking a deep breath he walked into the kitchen and was instantly struck so hard he stumbled slightly into the oven. 

"You come the first time I call you boy!"

Standing back straight he looked up to see his father's angry face starring at him, his mother still sitting at the kitchen table ignoring all around her like she always did. Sitting the cup on the oven he heard as Tobias lit up another cigarette. 

"You think you can bring your little whore into my house and give her the tea I pay for?"

Snapping his eyes up to the man he glared at him. "Do. Not. Call. Her. That." he growled but the air was quickly knocked from him when his father's fist collided with his stomach so hard he felt sick. 

"Who the fuck are you talking to?!" he roared. "Every year it's the same with you, you get back from that damn freak school and you think you're mister high and mighty. Well let me tell you something you fucking chav..."

Sitting on Severus's trunk that was tucked into the corner of the small dingy room with your knees pulled up to your chest, you had to cover your mouth to hold back your cries as you listened to what was going on bellow you. With every slam, thump and yell you felt more tears roll down you cheeks and across your fingers. There was an awful pain in your heart, the pulling more intense than you had ever felt but you could not move. You had to stay in his room, your alpha had given you an order and had to follow it, you had no choice. When a pain filled groan that you could not mistake for anyone else but your beloved floated up through the old floorboards you felt your heart shatter. 

"Where did she go?! She needs to see what a pathetic skiver you are! If the bitch is smart she will find a real man!""

Stiffening when you heard the No-maj man yell you felt your eyes go wide as he started stomping his way up the old stairs. 

"S.ssshe l...left!" 

Severus's voice, it sounded so pained. Hearing the boots coming up the stairs you held your breath as the door slammed open, your hand gripping your wand. Seeing the horrible man walk into the room some and look around and then to you, you shook with fear but when his eyes only narrowed and did another sweep of the room you furrowed your brows. Did he not see you? Then it clicked, Severus. Hearing Tobias huff as he turned around and left you listened again as he walked down the stairs. 

"Elieen!"

Hearing a scuff on the floor and then footsteps, one heavy and one light you breathed slowly. 

"Clean up this mess boy." 

The slamming of another door downstairs was heard and then the house fell silent. Sitting on the trunk, your whole body shaking, you waited and listened but heard nothing for a while. You wanted to call out for him, for your alpha but the fear that his parents were still here stopped you. A small thump and then another forced your body to tense up again and you waited to hear more yelling but none came. Spaced out footsteps slowly sounded on the stairs and the closer they got you could also hear what sounded like labored breathing. As the door pushed open slowly again from where it had swung shut some you jumped up from the trunk when you saw it was your Severus. "Sev." 

His whole body hurt but he still relished when she hurried over to him, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. Standing in the middle of his room he slowly moved his arms around her, resting his sore cheek on the top of her head and closing his eyes. He would have been happy to stay like this for a while but all too soon she was pulling away and he heard her gasp. 

Feeling more tears fill your eyes as you looked at the man you loved you shook your head lightly. How could a parent do this to their own child? You didn't know if his mother had been a part of it but even if she hadn't she had still allowed it. "Sev.."

"It's alright." he spoke, trying to assure her. Opening his eyes some he saw her crying and shaking her head. "Darling..."

"No. This is not alright, this is not okay." you told him, your voice thick with emotion. "We have to tell someone, we have to..."

"No Y/n." Swallowing hard he looked down at her and tried to stand more straight. "Three months. I only have to put up with it for three more months and then we go back to Hogwarts for our last year and then I am free." Seeing the way she was frowning at him he sighed. "Love I have been putting up with this my entire life, I can take three months more."

Still frowning you looked away from him, closing your eyes you took a deep breath. Without a word you walked out of his room and across to where you had seen a bathroom. Glancing to the cabinets you started going through them until you found a washrag. Turning on the tap you waited until the water turned hot which took a bit before wetting it and wringing it out. Walking back into his room you shut and locked his door. Spinning around you saw him standing where you had left him, his eyes quickly lifting to yours. Seeing him look down to the rag in your hand and then go to speak you quickly cut him off. "Hush."

Snapping his mouth shut at the tone of her voice he allowed her to pull him over to his bed, sitting on it when she gave a small push. Feeling her lift his chin and tilt his face to the side before she went about cleaning the no doubt bruise there he gave a small wince but said nothing.

Dabbing gently at the small cut along his cheek bone, neither of you said a word. Once that one and the one along his jaw was clean you glanced down to his body and licked your lips as you dropped your fingers to the buttons of his shirt. He seemed to stiffen a bit when you started undoing his shirt but with one look from you he dropped his eyes back down and allowed you to do as you wished. Helping to ease his shirt off his shoulders you hard to swallow hard at the lump returning in the back of your throat when you saw the deep colored bruises already forming on his ribs and stomach.

Reaching up to cup her cheek he brushed away her tears with his thumb. "Shhh... please do not cry my girl. You know it hurts my heart to see you cry." 

"Yea well it hurts my heart to see you hurt so." you whimpered and saw his head tilt some and his brows furrow. 

Sighing he pulled her to him by her shirt hem, spreading his knees so she could stand directly between them. Hugging her middle he laid his head on her chest, "It is not that bad darling.." Hearing her scoff he grinned sadly, "Truly it is not." And it wasn't. He had endured worst, so much worst, like the time he had woken up hours later on the floor, barely able to move for the next week. "Having you here with me makes up for any pain." 

Taking a deep breath you sighed softly and wrapped your arms around him, threading your fingers through his hair after a bit. When he decided he wanted to lay down you quickly followed him as his hand pulled you down onto the old bed with him once the both of you had kicked off your shoes. Laying beside him you scanned your eyes over his handsome but beaten face, your fingers tenderly stroking his jaw and neck as he just seemed to stare at you. 

There wasn't much light in his room, just a small ray where the distant street light was and then the occasional strike of lightning from where it was now storming outside. Still he was able to see her enough, watch her lashes flutter when she blinked slowly, watch her beautiful feral blue eyes roam over his own face. Dropping his eyes to her lips he felt that craving ignite. Oh how he loved those luscious lips, the way they looked, the way the felt, the way they tasted. Not being able to help himself any longer he dipped his head to kiss her. 

Spreading your hand so it laid flat against his bare chest, you kiss him back with just as much passion. When you feel his tongue ask for entrance you are quick to grant it, opening your mouth for his warm muscle to explore. Rolling your tongue in time with his you felt his hand move to your hip, pushing under your shirt to rub your skin with his hand. You loved the taste of him, loved how it made you feel slightly dazed. The first time the two of you had made out like this you had wanted nothing more than to keep your mouth connected to his forever. However this time you were feeling a bit more held back and you knew why. That damn amulet around your neck. It's pressure grew in times like these and you knew it was the magic trying to hold back all the true desires and feelings you were supposed to be experiencing with your alpha. Feeling Severus's hand move to your lower back to pull your body flush to his you breathed in sharply through your nose when you felt his obvious arousal push into your thigh. As the amulet became almost like a weight you broke from his mouth. 

Snapping his eyes open he knit his brows. "Y/n?" Going to question what was wrong, if he had done something wrong the question was quickly answered when he saw her pulling the leather cord over her head. Blinking he swallowed hard, "Luv I don't think..." 

Freeing your hair from it you dropped the accursed thing to the floor and instantly pushed your lips back to his, cutting him off. Hearing him breath in before he let out a small growl, his hands moving to pull you back to him you smirked around his mouth. Rubbing your own hand up his chest you couldn't hold back the small mewl at being able to taste him fully again. 

Kissing down her chin and along her jaw he felt that need for more taking over. As his mouth moved down her neck he started placing open mouth kisses accompanied by small sucks and light nips along her skin. When her shirt collar suddenly blocked his way he growled and tugged on the thing. Lapping at his claiming mark he gave a slightly harder bite making her gasp softly. All too soon though her shirt was in the way again and the alpha in him had had enough. Grabbing the hem he began pulling it up. 

Getting the hint you helped him remove the article of clothing from your body, watching out of the corner of your eye as he tossed it somewhere behind you. You thought he would go back to kissing and sucking your neck but his eyes were stuck on your chest, you were happy you had decided to wear your black bra today.  

Admiring her chest he licked his lips as he leaned forward to kiss along her collarbone, flicking his tongue out to trace her throat. He could feel her hands on him, rubbing his side and gripping his shoulder. Kissing his way down her sternum to the middle of her breasts and then over each as much as he could with her bra on he rubbed his hand up her hip and around to her back. Nipping at her soft mound he heard her gasp softly again and chuckled softly. Trailing his hand up her spine to the clasp of her bra he unhooked it, taking a few tries to do it successfully. He waited for her to ask him to stop but she didn't so he slowly rubbed his hand up her arm to pull the strap from her shoulder. Rolling her to her back so that her bra could be taken off easier he felt his mouth water when he was finally able to see her breasts with his own eyes. 

He stared at your chest for some time but he must have learned his lesson from last time because he was soon dipping his head down to kiss, lick, do anything he could do with his mouth to give your breasts attention. 

Peppering her fleshy mounds with kisses he closed his eyes and felt his cock harden even more, if it were possible. "Oh my beautiful, stunning girl..." Getting to one of her nipples he first licked at the nub with the flat of his tongue and grinned a little when he felt her flinch. Opening his mouth he took the whole of her pert nipple into his mouth and gave a suck. Bringing up his arm that wasn't holding himself up he cupped her other tit, gently massaging it in his palm. 

Gasping softly your eyes slipped close and your head fell back to the thin pillow in bliss. When his hot mouth sucked at your nipple and bit down gently you couldn't stop the soft moan from leaving your lips but as soon as you realized what you had done your eyes went wide and your hand moved up to cover you mouth. 

Hearing her moan had to be one of the sweetest sounds he had ever heard and it in turn caused a low growl, purr like sound to rumble in his throat. Kissing across her chest to give her other nipple the same treatment he was confused by the muffle sound to this moan and looked up. Seeing her hand covering her mouth with her eyes closed tight and a blush about her cheeks he knit his brows. Reaching up to grab her wrist he pulled her hand away from her mouth and pinched her nipple between his teeth. Hearing her let out a noise that was a moan and whimper together he pinned her wrist down beside her, looking her in the eyes when she tried to pull it away from him. "I want to hear you." he told her, licking over where he had just bit. 

Still embarrassed by the noises he was bringing out of you, you tried to hold them back still but he seemed to take this as a challenge and soon he had you gasping and moaning from the work of his mouth. Crying out at one particular hard suck you looked down at him as he pulled away, watching him lap over the area to sooth the pain away. 

While he loved her breast the alpha in him was persistent to have more of his omega and in all honesty he wasn't much trying to hold the urges back. Peppering her chest and neck with kisses he moved his one hand down to the button of her pants. Easily unbuttoning the jeans and slowly pulling down her zipper he lapped at his claiming mark. Tracing the top of her knickers with his fingertips he grit his teeth and took a deep breath, giving her the chance to tell him to stop. When she said nothing he kissed over her neck and back up her jaw to find her lips. Slipping his hand into her pants he let out a low growl at the wetness he found there. 

Moaning into his mouth when he began touching your most intimate place you gripped his bicep harder. When his finger slowly entered you, you had to break from his mouth to gasp out. Tilting your head a bit as Severus kissed along your neck and throat you heard him growl low and deep. 

Slowly working his finger in and out of her he sucked at her neck and grinned when her fingers clung to him. "Does it feel good darling?" he asked and felt her nod. Smiling he continued for a few moments more until he removed his hand from her pants and pushed himself up to kneel on the bed. Grinning at her when he saw her worried look he pushed his fingers in the waist of her jeans and peeled them off. Dropping them to the floor he looked over her bare legs and licked his lips as he reached out to rub them. She was so soft, her skin was smooth and he couldn't get enough of it. Stroking his hands up her legs he saw her watching him and grinned softly. Dropping his eyes to her last item of clothing he felt the alpha rattling the bars. Hooking his fingers into the black cotton he eased them down her legs, her knees staying bent as he removed them from around her ankles and dropped them to the bed behind him. 

Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest and you were sure your face was as red as a tomato. He hadn't said anything, his hands going back to rubbing up and down your thighs. When one of his hands rounded your knee to caress the inside of your thigh and gently urge you to part your legs you swallowed hard. You looked anywhere but his face as your legs were placed on either side of him, giving him full view of your body. Feeling his hand return to stroking your legs, inching their way further south you closed your eyes as that warmth spread throughout your body. 

"You are so bewitching my love." he praised as he took her all it. His cock was now throbbing but he wanted to take this slow, savor their first time.

"Not really fair that I am the only one naked." you spoke softly.

Seeing her avoiding his eyes he chuckled softly at her bashfulness. "Then I shall even the odds sweetheart." Rubbing up to her knees he pulled his hands away from her for a moment so that he could unbutton his own pants. Pushing both down to his knees he saw her eyes glance to him before she quickly looked away when she realized she had been caught making him smirk. Leaning over her he saw her eyes look up to meet his as he kicked off his clothes. Stroking her cheek with his knuckles he stared into her mesmerizing eyes, what they were about to do hitting him. Licking his lips he pressed his forehead to hers, "Are you sure you want to do this? We do not have to Y/n, I do not want you to feel pressured into anything." While yes he wanted nothing more at the moment he would stop, he would force himself to stop if she wasn't ready. 

Taking a deep inhale of his scent you let it out in a shaky breath as you looked up at your alpha. His eyes were closed and his black hair was falling down around the both of your faces like curtains. Brushing his jaw with your fingertips you smiled and let them move down his neck and over his collarbone so you could wrap your arm under his to hold his shoulder blade. "I want this. I want you, to be one with you." Kissing lightly over the bruise along his jaw you grinned. "So long as you promise it won't bother you that I'll no longer be a virgin when we are married." 

Chuckling he lowered his body to hers and peppered her cheek with kisses. "I think I will be able to forgive you if you can forgive me." Hearing her light giggle he looked down at her one last time and took a deep breath, her untampered scent making his brain cloud with haze. "I love you." 

Smiling softly you looked into his lustful black eyes, "I love you too." 

Feeling his heart swell he dipped his head to catch her lips in a kiss. Deeping the kiss to distract her moved the arm that wasn't holding him up down between their bodies so that he could line the head of his member up with her sex. He could not stop the low growl in his throat as her warm wetness coated his sensitive head. Ever slowly he entered her and felt her tense slightly under him. When the two of them broke from each other's mouth he grit his teeth at how tight she was around him. 

At first it was an odd feeling, a pressure invading your body but then suddenly something stuck you and you gasped. 

He felt her tense but he thought it was only her adjusting so he continued in, his own pleasure clouding his mind for a moment. Then however he heard her let out a cry of pain and he stilled. Looking down he saw her lip trembling and a tear roll from her eye causing his heart to constrict. He was such an idiot, a selfish idiot, he had been so caught up in his own pleasure that he had forgotten about her. He knew women had hymens and he had just tore hers, no wonder she was in pain. "I am sorry, I'm so sorry my love." he said, placing kisses over her cheeks and lips. Keeping completely still he let her adjust to his girth. "It is alright darling. It will pass. Shhh." he told her gently and felt her nuzzle her face into his neck and hold onto his back. Purring for her to help sooth her he rubbed her hair and continued kissing her face. He waited until she softly whispered that she was ready before he pulled back almost completely out of her and agonizingly slow rolled his hips forward. Feeling her tense a little he quickly purred and kissed her neck. 

When Severus took one of your hands with his free one to hold it down by your head, lacing his fingers with yours, you felt the pain easing away. All too soon you felt pleasure overtaking the pain. Holding onto his back you felt your mouth fall open when he thrusted in a little deeper this time. Each time he pulled out and rolled his hips back into yours he let his cock go deeper inside of you until soon you felt his lower half meet yours. Moaning when it rubbed against a sensitive area inside of you you let your eyes flutter close. 

He groaned and grunted with every thrust of his hips. She was so perfect, she fit him like she was made for him. Kissing her neck and over his claiming mark, he caged her in with his body and felt the alpha in him now bending the bars. Sucking on her soft skin he growled when her walls tightened around his cock. He wasn't going to last long, not with the way she was squeezing him. 

Whimpering when an intense pressure built in your pelvis you dug your fingers into his back. Kissing him back as his mouth found yours again you wined for something although you didn't exactly know what only that your mate could give it to you. Severus thrusted into you only a few more times before that pressure became too much and it felt like something in you snapped. All you felt after that was a pleasure like you had never felt before. 

Hearing his omega make the most seductive noises sent him spiraling over the edge without warning. With a loud grunt he pushed in as deep as he could and filled her with his seed. A sharp pain on his neck made him tense but it didn't stop the immense bliss he was feeling, if anything the alpha in him seemed to relish it. Holding her tightly he growled into her shoulder and lazily rolled his hips, riding out the last of his climax. Soon she went limp under him and released his flesh, feeling her lightly lick over the claiming bite he now realized she had placed on him. He hissed as he pulled out of her.  Rolling beside her before his body could fall on her, he pulled the covers over them and helped her to cuddle up in his side with her head on his chest. His bed wasn't big, it barely fit the both of them but it just meant they would have to be closer. Breathing heavily he looked down at her and smiled softly, she was sleeping. Lifting his heavy arm to brush the hair out of her face he noticed the slight red stain to her lips when the flash of lightning filled the room and grinned. Now they truly were bonded mates. The bite was painful now that his high was dwindling down but he didn't mind. Settling down he drew patterns on her back with his fingers "I love you, my omega."

....................................

Waking up early the next morning he opened his eyes and blinked away sleep. Seeing only a small amount of light coming in through the window he knew it had to be around six or so. He had woken once last night when he heard the front door close downstairs and the sound of his mother and father making their way up the stairs. From the stumbling sound he knew his father had been drinking and held his breath when he got on the landing of the stairs. To his luck though they had simply went to their own room, the sound of the door closing making him relax.

Feeling a pressure on his chest and side he glanced down to his omega and smiled when he remembered what had happened last night. She was still nude now, her arm thrown over his body with her legs wrapped around one of his and her cheek on his chest. How he wished they could stay like this forever but he knew they couldn't. He also knew that he needed to get her out of his house before his parents woke up, more importantly his father. Taking a deep breath he gently rubbed her back and bent his head to kiss her forehead. "We have to get up my girl." he told her in a low voice but saw her only nuzzle his chest more, contempt on sleeping in. Sighing he brushed back her hair and hugged her to him. "I know you want to sleep my love but we can not. Come on darling I have to get you to the Leaky Cauldron remember?" 

Whimpering you tightened your hold on him and heard him sigh out your name. Forcing your heavy eyes open you looked across his room before raising your eyes to his. "We make love and now you want to kick me out." 

Frowning he kissed her pouting lips. "I do not want to but I have to get you out of this house before my parents wake up. It will be the only time, I promise you dearest the next time we make love I will shower you with all the care and attention you deserve." Kissing her once more he rubbed her shoulder. "Come on now darling." 

Sitting up you winced and so did he but you knew it was from two different reasons. Sitting on his bed with the thin blanket wrapped around you for a moment to get your barings you watched him get dressed, enjoying the view but furrowing your brows when you saw the bruises that spotted his body from where his father had beat him. When he came to you with your clothes in his hands you grinned sleepily at him. 

Helping her dress he swallowed hard at the sight of the love marks on her body and the few on her neck. Her father was going to skin him alive. When she moved to pull on her pants he grabbed his wand and pointed it to the hickies on her neck. Healing them the best he could he used a concealment charm on the rest of them. Crouching down to help her put on her shoes he froze when he felt her brush his hair to the side to and lean down to lick over the bite she had placed there last night. Breathing out slowly he closed his eyes for a moment.

Kissing your claiming mark tenderly you smiled at him when he lifted his eyes to yours. Wrapping your arms around his neck when he finished tying your shoes you both took a second to take in each other and all that had happened. Kissing him slowly you felt your heart throb with the love you felt for your alpha. But all too soon the both of you had to get on with the day and he stood back up, holding out his hand for you to take. 

Grabbing her bag and putting it over his shoulder for now he looked around the room to make sure she had everything. Quickly catching sight of the amulet just under the bed he moved over to grab it for her. "Do not forget this." 

Fixing yoru hair as he slipped the leather cord back over your head you looked down at the amulet and furrowed your brows. 

Seeing her look he knit his brows, "What is it?"

Opening and closing your mouth you tried to think on what to say. "I..." Something was different, it was like that weight was no longer there. Come to think of it the stone wasn't even shining anymore. Taking a deep breath you shook your head and looked up to him. "Nothing." Seeing him still looking at you you took his hand. "Ready?"

Nodding he wrapped his arms around her and focused on the Leaky Cauldron before aperating there. Releasing her as they arrived he looked around to see not many people there yet this early in the morning. 

"Can I help you two?"

Looking over to the woman you grinned. "Good morning. I am supposed to be meeting my parents here, L/n." 

"Ah yes, room four my dear." 

Nodding and thanking the woman you turned to look back to Severus with a sad grin. "As much as I would love for you to stay I don't think my dad is going to be very happy when he finds out I spent the night with you last night."

"Nor the fact he can smell me on you." he added making her blush. 

Standing there for a moment you looked up to him and the bruises on his face. Bringing your hand up to cup his cheek you furrowed your brows. "Sev I can talk to my parents, I know they will let you come stay with us this summer if they knew."

Shaking his head he placed his hand over hers. "No Y/n. I will not burden your parents."

"You're not a burden..."

"No." Taking a deep breath he took her hand in his. "My father is going to get me a job with him at the mill, as much as I despise the thought of working in the muggle world I am going to take it." Seeing her confusion he grinned. "If I work this summer then I will be able to save up some money for when we finish school. If I can keep my grades up all year then I  will graduate with honors and then I will be able to get a good job and rent an apartment or somewhere. Then we will get married and start our life together, the life we have talked about." 

Smiling with a mixture of happiness and sadness you looked up to him. "Then I will save up my money from the bar this summer too." Seeing him grin you squeezed his hand. "Promise me you'll write, I know you won't be able to come see me as much with both of us working but you have to write."

Pushing his hand into her hair to cup the back of her skull he pulled her to him and kissed the top of her head. "Everyday my love." he promised her. Closing his eyes he breathed in her scent, it wasn't blocked like it normally was but he just figured was the leftover scent from where they had sex. Hugging her close he dipped his head to kiss her lips. "I love you my girl, so very much." 

"I love you too Sev. Always."

Smiling he kissed her one last time. "Always." 

Standing on your toes to kiss him again you pulled away and saw him stand there for a moment watching you as you made your way to the stairs. Blowing him a kiss you saw him smile before he was gone. 

.......................................

That had been the last time you had saw him, or at least your Severus.  That wonderful night of passion had been one of your last moments of happiness before everything went to hell. He himself had changed so much in those three years, no longer was he the man you remembered. But you wouldn't think about those events now. No, you wanted your last thoughts to be of him, of the man you loved so deeply. How you wished the plans the two of you had would have become reality. What you wouldn't give to go back to that last moment and change things for the better. But alas you couldn't and this would be how your story would end. Swallowing more of the blood coming up you used your last remaining strength to glance down to your frozen hand. Snow had fallen to cover most of you in a thin sheet but still you could just barely make out the small vial in your hand. Always. If only it were true. Feeling a few last tears roll down your cheeks you struggled to keep your eyes open, "I..llove..yyou..sssevv."

Then there was nothing.

.....................................

Bursting through the door to the run down home he looked around as he panted for air. It was pitch dark inside, the only light coming from the full moon. The agonizing pain in his chest had stopped now, leaving him with only a cold emptiness where his heart was. Swallowing hard his chest heaved as he looked around, running from one room to the next. "Y/N!?" Hearing no response he ran up the stairs three at a time. Checking all the bedrooms and even the bathroom he found them empty as well. Growling he gripped his hair and pulled. Just where the hell was she?! She hadn't been at the bar, he had checked all the bodies and none of them were her but there was so much blood and her wand had been there. Checking her old nest just to be sure he found it empty, only dust laying there. "Y/n?!" Bending over he tried to slow his hammering heart and then it hit him. Running from the room he practically jumped down the stairs and ran out of the house, not bothering to close the door.

The snow was knee deep in some places but he refused to let it slow him down. Running faster than he ever had in his life he hurried down the path towards the river. Seeing the reflection of the moon on the frozen surface he felt his blood run cold when the sight of a small figure beneath the willow tree grew closer. Even before he got to her, dropping to his knees in the snow he knew it was her. "No." She was hurt, she was hurt bad and she wasn't moving. Her clothes were torn at and ripped in some places, the black material sticking to her side. Snow had fallen on her telling him she had been out here for sometime. There was bruises and cuts along her beautiful face along with blood staining her lip and chin. Reaching out for her he hissed when he felt how cold she was. "Y/n?" 

There was no answer, she didn't make a sound and he felt his heart drop. Cradling her in his arm he cupped her cheek "Y/n look at me. Open your eyes." Swallowing hard he moved his head to her chest and let out a sob when he heard nothing. "NOOO! Y/n wake up! Y/n you look at me right now, that's an order!" She made no signs of life and he couldn't stop the agonizing sob to fall from his mouth nor the tears that were now running down his cheeks. Hugging her to him he kissed her frozen cheeks and cried. Opening his eyes he caught sight of something in clutched tightly in her hand. The vile he had given her, his promises to her. Crying out he closed his eyes tight and nuzzled her. "Please! Please my love, don't leave me again!" 

When the smallest of whines met his ears he stiffened, that emptiness in his chest dulling just a bit. Pulling back he stared down at her and saw she was still not moving. Licking his lips he looked down to her, watching her carefully. "Omega?" It took a few seconds but he heard it, that weak whimper that told him his mate was alive. Knowing he had to act quickly or else he might loose her entirely he stood with her in his arms and took a shaky breath. "That is it my darling, you hold on, you keep fighting." Apperating to just outside of the gates he ran with her in his arms towards the school. It should have came as no surprise to him when he got to the front entrance to see Dumbledore and McGonagall there. 

"Good heavens what happened?"

"Hurry inside get her to the hospital wing." 

He had planned on doing that anyway but he said nothing as he hurried down the hall with the other two professors right behind him. When the doors opened he assumed it was Dumbledore's doing and quickly moved to lay her on one of the beds. Slowly pulling away from her he shook and breathed heavily, his lungs feeling like they were on fire. Before he knew it Poppy was there and he was being pulled away by two sets of hands. Still his eyes stayed on her, on the woman he loved. With the lanterns quickly being lit he was able to see her clearly and his heart clenched painfully at the sight. 

"Come on Severus dear, you have to let Poppy work." 

"Severus..."

"Severus..."

He couldn't think straight, couldn't process what they all were saying, all his attention on his dying omega. This was all his fault, everything was his fault. 

"Severus."

Closing his eyes he felt more tears fall from his eyes, "What have I done?" 

A/n: YASSS! We are finally here, we are finally in the present! So what do we think? I know there is still a lot left unanswered but all will be revealed in due time.

Tag List: @once-upon-an-imagine​ @dope-shit-bro

[jjfics]

On The Run | 01

ship: Five Hargreeves x Female!Reader 

summary: The Hargreeves have to leave the Academy behind and run away to Dallas, Texas. The Reader is a lot more anxious than Five and thats understandable, but they need to focus.

series: read part 2 here

author: jane jack aka your girl jjfics 

words: 1950

warnings: mentions of blood, death and murder, (feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, flashbacks) and lots of angssst (why do i love writing angst thoughh??)

a/n: there will definitely be a part 2 so keep those notifications in checkk

It felt as if you could read everyone else’s thoughts through the silence. The car kept moving at a fast speed as you passed cities and villages. From time to time you would worry Five was going to lose control of the car, but he never even flinched. 

He just looked at the road before you; stress and worry were clear in his eyes. There was so much he needed to figure out. Who were you going to be from now on? And him? And his siblings? Were you going to hide forever? 

“Five” you whispered. He didn’t hear you. Or maybe he did and he chose to ignore you. “Five” you said again, this time catching his attention. 

He turned to look at you for a moment and then he focused on the road again.“What?” 

“Can we stop for 5 minutes at the next gas station, please? I have to wash my hands.” you said quietly looking down. 

He pursed his lips before he spoke again. “No.” Five was just being direct. The more time it took you to get to Dallas, the more vulnerable you became. 

Dallas…

You fell through the vortex a couple of months before Five arrived. With no idea where the others went or how to find them, it was really just you, all alone. You were the last one Elliot took a picture of before the chaos of the second apocalypse began. The alley was strange, and so were the people. Everything was different here. You were disoriented and scared. According to the confused strangers when you asked them the date, you were somewhere way before your birth.

First thing you realise when you don’t even have a home anymore is that you need money. It can be so crucial. But how will you, a nobody in the 60s, survive if all you knew how to do, was sing? Music was how you met your best friend Vanya for the first time: at an audition. And after that followed the concerts. The public loved the two of you.

So you did what you did best. 

One day, while walking aimlessly on the busy streets, searching for a place selling cheap food, you started singing your favourite song. A song no one around had ever heard, a song you danced to with Five once. People started to gather around you and listen as you went on. This was it, this is where you were in your element. Your father forced you to take singing lessons when you were four. You didn’t enjoy it at first, but you grew up to love it. People clapped and left you money before going on about their day. So you ended up spending the entire day there. By nightfall you had been given enough money for the whole week. 

You were leaning on a cold brick wall and eating a sandwich when you saw someone drop a newspaper. Curiously, you grabbed it and were shocked by the headline. 

“Young woman sings in front of a bakery stealing every Texan’s heart. Who is the mysterious singer to whom many would empty their pockets for a show? 

You had been living in an apartment above The Rosemary Club, the place you worked at now. You sang almost every night and earned a lot of money and visitors for your boss, so he let you stay there. 

One night, you had a special visitor. He wasn’t there to see you specifically; he was working, just like you. Luther went everywhere his boss went, he was his bodyguard. You made eye contact a couple of times but never spoke on that evening. You couldn’t even look at him without cringing away. Not after what he did to Vanya. Five might say that she’s the bomb, but in your mind, that bomb was pretty much activated by Luther.He tried to talk to you but you avoided him as much as possible. 

“y/n! Wait, stop running away, God!” 

“What do you want, Luther?” you gave him a cold look.

“To talk to you? Isn’t that what normal people do after they haven’t seen each other for a long time?” he asks. 

“I don’t want to talk to you.” you said and ordered a drink. 

“Jesus, y/n, what's wrong with you?”

“Do I have to remind you that we’re here because of you?”

“Because of me? What do you mean, didn’t you see how Vanya literally destroyed the M-”

“Shut up. I don’t care.” you cut him off. “Have you met anyone else besides me, you stalker?”

“No.” he admitted. ”I tried searching for Allison but they haven’t found her yet.” 

“Right. Amazing. Five? No news about him either?” His expression softens. He knew about your relationship with Five, and how much you two meant for each other. 

“No, I’m really sorry. I don’t know where he is…” his voice only getting smaller when he saw the disappointment in your eyes.

You looked up from your drink and to the big man next you. “Then you can leave. I have to go get dressed.” You put your glass on the counter and left.

Your days in Dallas were easy. Life was always the same and you knew what to expect. Sometimes Luther and his boss would show up at the club and you would ignore each other. You sang, you were introduced to some people and you would make small talk with the bartender. Day after day, always missing your friends. Missing 2019. Missing Five. Your life was easy, but you were alone for the most part. You missed cuddling with Five before you went to sleep together and then waking up in his arms. You missed how he would come and pick you up after practise. How he would kiss you after every concert and tell you how proud he was of you. You missed him truly. 

The bow to the public mixed with a charismatic smile and a wave was how you always ended a good show. Walking off stage you rolled your eyes when you saw who came towards you. 

“There’s someone who would like to talk to you.” he said with a stupid smile planted on his face.

“I’m on break.” you tried to walk away. Luther grabbed your arm and spun you around so you would be facing him again. “Hey! What are you doing? Back off!”

“Believe me, y/n, you really should go talk to him” 

You eyed him suspiciously. “Well alright then.” you said sarcastically. “But keep your hands to yourself.” 

“Yeah, right, sorry.” he said and stepped to the side . “Come with me, he’s waiting outside.” he babbled before leading you to the main entrance of the club, one which neither of you used. This all seemed sketchy. If he was trying to kidnap you, I’d be no surprise. 

The air outside was cooler than usual. You crossed your arms and huffed. 

And then you saw him. Right there, alive and in front of you. He was well. He survived. 

He was still wearing his uniform, which was clean. He must've just arrived. 

You ran to him as fast your red heels allowed you to and he met you with a warm embrace. He still smelled exactly like himself. A day to him, months for you. Is this what it felt like for him when he was stuck in the future? You hugged him tight and inhaled his scent deeply trying to forget all these nights you cried, hoping he would come through the door and hug you. Hoping he would materialize in front of you like he did for his father’s funeral.

The man still looked young, but you knew damn well who he was. He wasn’t someone you’d forget that easily. Finally, he was here, with you. 

He pulled away and it almost pained you. It was crazy, of course, to think that after all this time you’d lose him again, but even as much as moving an inch scared you now that he was right here. 

“y/n.”

“Five”

Your lips melted together in the most awaited kiss of the century. Of all time maybe. His hands glued themselves to your waist again and you saw him perfectly in the dim light of the alley.

Your eyes were empty. You wanted to wipe your hands but the blood on them had dried already. 

“Five, please I need to wash my hands. I need to- I- I have to wash it all away- Please” 

He hated that he had to hear you beg and yet he couldn't stop. It’s for her own safety, it’s for our safety, he would think. 

“y/n we can’t stop now. Even 5 minutes could mean our deaths right now. Please understand” 

And you wanted to understand. You wanted to stay calm just like the rest, but they were trained. They’ve done such things before. You however, didn’t. Everytime you looked at your lap you saw her again. Laying there, lifeless. You saw the knife as it fell from your hands, making an awful sound when it hit the floor. Maybe if you’d wash them, the flashbacks would stop. 

“Please, I can’t. I can’t do it. I can’t be like this. This is not- It’s not-” 

Your breath was uncontrolled. Everytime you closed your eyes, you saw her again. Everytime you would inhale, she would exhale for the last time, again, and again, and again. You were fully sobbing now. 

Vanya’s hand softly touched your shoulder from the back seat and you flinched. “Shh, it’s just me” she cooed “It’s just me” 

You tried to relax a bit and then spoke again, hoping to get it right this time.

“I’m a bad person, Five. I just killed an innocent woman and… and I have her blood all over my hands.” you looked at him to find he was already looking at you. Guilt and regret were visible on his face. “I’m a killer, Five.” you wept. 

He reached your cheek with one hand and wiped your tears away. “She wasn’t innocent” he stated. “She’s killed many people.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m any less of a killer” 

“Well, then. I’m a killer too. More or less than my siblings here. So we are all on the same team.” he spoke calmly, as if the Hargreeves discussed murder at the dinner table every evening. Thinking about it twice there’s a big chance they did, when the old man was still alive at least.

“But you killed to survive, Five. You had to. I didn’t but she’s dead now.”

He huffed in annoyance. She’s not used to this. Take it slowly, he thought.

“You had to, too, y/n. It was self defence. If it wasn’t her then… well then let’s not think about it” he finished. Then I would be the one dead, you added, but only in your head because you knew how much he hated thinking about anything bad happening to you. He wanted you safe. You wanted him safe.

“Okay then. But as soon as we’re in Dallas we’ll stop and get new clothes.” you started to come back to your senses again. Right. You need to get to the city and find a way to trick the Commision. Or maybe you needed to hide. Or just freshen up and get on the road again. You didn’t know exactly what you were going to do, but if anyone found the map Diego was holding in his lap right now, they’d know exactly what your first stop was going to be. The Rosemary Club.

[moonlitceleste]

New Year’s Day

Timari January Day 1 - New Years Day

@timari-month-event

Note: Happy New Year everyone!! This fic is loosely based off of New Year’s Day by Taylor Swift.

There's glitter on the floor after the party Girls carrying their shoes down in the lobby Candle wax and Polaroids on the hardwood floor You and me from the night before but

Don't read the last page But I stay when you're lost and I'm scared and you're turning away I want your midnights But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

“Mmph.” Marinette tried and failed to muffle her tired groan through the thick fabric of Tim’s coat.

It was 2:00 a.m. on New Year’s, and the designer was just about ready to go into hibernation.

Steph had prompted (read: bugged) Bruce into throwing a party, and he eventually complied. It was relatively small and nowhere near as extravagant as the annual Wayne Gala, but one could argue that was a good thing. There was no need to uphold a reputation or make conversation with stuffy rich people, after all. Judging by the rambunctious behavior that had occurred all night, the restricted guest list definitely seemed like a good thing.

Naturally, Marinette was invited—she was Tim’s girlfriend, although it was arguable she was part of the family regardless of her relationship with him.

Her closeness to the rest of the Waynes was evident in the way she was immediately pulled away for some “girl time” upon entering the manor. Similarly, Dick and the rest of the boys stole Tim away for brotherly bonding.

They chatted, played games, ate cake, and eventually joined the rest of the family for the countdown. Joyous shouts and yells filled the manor, and Marinette stole a kiss from Tim when the clock hit midnight.

The party didn’t stop there, though; from then on, it was drinking games and group activities. Well, drinking games for everyone but Damian. He received a glass of sparkling grape juice instead. He wasn’t very happy about being “treated like a baby,” according to his words, but Marinette took her own glass of the substitute and joined him. She had some important designs to work on tomorrow, and she really didn’t want to wake up with a hangover.

After a while, people started going their separate ways again. Some couples had taken to a room in order to ring in the new year together; others decided to split up into groups and do other activities. Dick dragged Marinette to the gym to show her a cool gymnastics trick he had devised, and the rest of the night was spent hopping rooms to find people and make conversation.

The excitement couldn’t last forever, though, and soon enough the adrenaline started to wear. After an obvious change in the atmosphere, Marinette decided to wander the manor in search of Tim.

She scoured far and wide but failed to find him in the unnecessarily large residence. Rather than continue to wander aimlessly, she decided to wait in one spot until he found her. Sending a text would have been more logical, but her brain didn’t seem to be functioning correctly through its tired haze.

Now, Marinette was standing in the middle of the Wayne Manor living room. The din of celebration had long faded, leaving way for a relatively undisturbed silence. The area bustling with movement just hours earlier was now empty, aside from her and Jason, who was passed out on the couch. She couldn’t tell whether it was from drowsiness or alcohol consumption.

“You tired?”

Marinette yelped softly at the person who had sneaked up behind her. She whirled around, startled, and met Tim’s face. He was mid-laugh, no doubt finding amusement in her reaction. She crossed her arms and pouted, but she really was glad to see him.

Marinette had only spent a few fleeting moments with him that night; she hadn’t really had the chance due to his siblings whisking her away at every opportunity. She didn’t mind—the rest of the Waynes were fun to be around. Maybe a little too fun, because now she was absolutely exhausted.

She fell into Tim’s arms with ease and buried her face in his neck, nodding in response to his initial question.

“Let’s go, then.”

Marinette smiled, pulling back to grab his hand. She nearly started walking, but paused and frowned at the living room.

There were streamers strewn across the floor, alongside metallic confetti, glitter, and glass bottles. Board game pieces were thrown in a haphazard pile, and there was a half-eaten cake on the table. It was one of many. The two Marinette baked had disappeared remarkably fast, but Stephanie had bought a large one from the supermarket as well.

“We should help clean up.”

Tim’s brow furrowed as he considered her statement.

“It’s fine. You didn’t make this mess anyway.”

“Just because I didn’t make it doesn’t mean I can’t help! Besides, you’re not going to let Alfred clean all this up, are you?”

“Actually, Bruce would make the rest of the family help. But you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

Tim rolled his eyes at her antics before giving her a peck on the lips. Marinette smiled and gave him an even longer kiss in return, arms snaking around to rest on his waist.

He reciprocated, but to her dismay, gently pushed her away after a minute.

“I thought you said you wanted to clean?”

Now it was Marinette’s turn to roll her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah.”

The two moved forward to gather the various things littered around, trying their best to be quiet so as not to disturb the body draped over the couch.

Cleaning up bottles together after a New Year’s party probably wasn’t what one would consider romantic or fun, but Marinette wouldn’t trade this for the world.

You squeeze my hand three times in the back of the taxi I can tell that it's going to be a long road I'll be there if you're the toast of the town babe Or if you strike out and you're crawling home

Marinette yawned for the millionth time that night, hands flying up to rub at her eyes tiredly.

She could feel Tim’s chest rumble as he chuckled, and she relished in the heat his body provided. 

Although the back of a sketchy Gotham taxi was a far cry from her ideal cuddling place, she couldn’t complain—the chilly weather gave her an excuse to stay close to him. Marinette leaned back, snuggling deeper into her boyfriend’s chest.

She startled at the brief warmth atop her head as he pressed a kiss on her crown. The designer melted at the sweet gesture and turned around, twisting her body to meet Tim’s ice-blue eyes. He smiled at her tenderly, a genuine one she loved seeing on his face, and she sent back a nose wrinkle in return.

He let out a silent laugh at her antics and lifted their intertwined hands, giving them a kiss. This boy was going to break her if he kept being so charming.

He leaned forward and rubbed their noses together in an eskimo kiss before giving her a peck on the lips.

Marinette nearly whined at his show of affection. The things he did to her.

She turned back around, but only halfway, so her side was laying against Tim rather than her back like before. She would have kissed him again, but she doubted either of them wanted to be caught making out by the taxi driver.

Closing her eyes, she let herself relax, knowing she was safe in Tim’s arms. And when he squeezed her hand one, two, three times, she squeezed right back.

I love you.

Don't read the last page But I stay when it's hard or it's wrong or you're making mistakes I want your midnights But I'll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year's Day

“Wait here.”

Marinette tilted her head in confusion as Tim quickly walked away, leaving her standing in the middle of their living room.

The two had just gotten home to their shared apartment and set their thing down. After an exhausting night, what more could he have planned?

Her questions were answered when Tim rushed back into the room, Bluetooth speaker in hand. It was pink, the one Marinette used to play music whenever she was baking. Sometimes Tim would join in, and they’d twirl around in the kitchen and laugh, spatula in hand.

She watched as he pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times; seconds later, a delicate melody filtered through the speaker. It was a slow tune—not one she recognized, but the piano notes made for a romantic and dreamy sound.

“May I have this dance?”

Marinette turned to see Tim bent forward at the waist, one arm outstretched like a Disney prince ready to sweep her away. She giggled at his cheesiness and placed her hand in his.

He pulled her forward smoothly, his other arm finding its way around her waist in a classic waltz position.

They stepped off and moved in sync with the music, slowly but surely. Although she wasn’t the best dancer, Tim made it effortless. They glided over the living room floor so smoothly that Marinette felt like a princess at a ball.

It was their own little bubble of bliss, and she could stay there forever, lost in the moment, lost in Tim’s eyes.

And oh, his eyes. She loved all of him, but there was something she adored so much about them. Maybe it was the determined twinkle present whenever he had figured something out, or the happy glint they assumed when he laughed, or the way they softened ever so slightly whenever he looked at her.

Marinette smiled and joined both hands behind his neck. Tim caught on quickly and circled both arms around her waist, pulling her flush against his body. She closed her eyes and tucked her head under his chin, swaying side to side with the music.

They both had a lot of things to do tomorrow, but right now the rest of the world didn’t matter. It was just Marinette and Tim—her best friend, her partner, her world—and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

PERMANENT TAGLIST @avengerthewarrior @bluesimani @enternalempires @flower-girll @freesportspalacesalad @glastwime859 @h1sss @heart-charming @jalaluvsu @nathleigh @too0bsessedformyowngood

[shoulda-been-a-redhead]

Chapter 2!!! Ava+Mason

When The seller came back in with a crate about the size of a college dorm refrigerator’s in both its width and height, Ava almost lost it. However, she took a deep breath and decided to play it villainous. Especially in case the shop keeper told on her. 

“Help me here, then.” She ordered the skinny man. 

Once Mason was in the box, scrunched up and looking more uncomfortable by the second, Ava closed the lid on the shipping container. She rolled the box out the back door and into the van. Supervillain had already left in his sports car, leaving Ava to take care of everything. 

“Shit, Mase.” She sort of spoke to the hero unconscious in the box. 

She shifted into drive and eased her way out of the sketchy alley. The van bumped and bumbled along the road, its suspension needed some work, Ava noted without really thinking about it. After a few hours of driving down a dusty road in a single rut, Ava heard a new noise in the back of the van. 

She crawled over the console and into the back after pulling to a bumpy stop. When she flipped the heavy lid open on the box she found Mason inverted from how he had been placed in the crate. When the lid swung up he moved his head to look. His clear eyes met hers before she could decide what she should do. 

Neither person moved. Then Ava’s phone started ringing. 

“Hello?” She answered it, still staring into Mason’s eyes, not moving an inch except to bring the phone up to her ear. 

“Are you on your way to base, sweet?” 

“Yes. I just stopped the van for a moment. There’s been a little trouble in the back. How did you know?” 

“I didn’t. I was simply checking in. Making sure my very expensive purchase was not going to be lost or damaged. Very well, then. Take your time, but I will be expecting you by dawn.” 

“Yeah.” Ava hung up the phone, making sure it was off, still watching Mason, trying to understand what must be going through his head. 

He couldn’t move and she couldn’t change that. She didn’t have the keys to the chains. But she could help with the discomfort of the situation. 

“Hey,” she said. “I’m gonna tip the box over.” 

“Who—“ Mason started to ask something, but his voice rasped and cut off. He tried again, this time getting almost a full thought out, “Ava, what the hell…” 

Ava flipped the box on its side and Mason grunted. “Ow.” 

She pulled him out by the feet and helped him roll to sit. He had on nothing but a pair of jeans and his shackles.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, narrowing his eyes. 

“I don’t know, Mason. Its been a long day of surprises. Namely, Supervillain bought you. At a slave sale. What the hell you were doing there, I honestly couldn’t say.”

Mason looked down guiltily. “Yeah. Me neither.” He seemed to register her main point a moment later. “Wait— Supervillain? Bought me?” 

Ava crawled back over into the front seat and started driving again, reaching her conversation-with-a-hero limit for the day. She didn’t comment as she heard the thump in the back when she ran over a particularly large bump. 

“Ava! Seriously?” 

A small part of her still thought it was funny to make Mason aggravated. Maybe not so small a part... 

She and Mason had been mutual nemesis’ for ever. They had stolen from each other, broken each other’s bones, captured each other back and forth, and almost killed each other on many occasions. They would get so, so close to really really hurting the other, or killing them, and then pretend to fail. They did have an odd relationship: They didn’t always feel remorse for hurting the other, but still there was a small sense of sorta caring for the other’s well being. 

Still, they were very obviously a hero versus villain duo, even if there was some grey area. 

Ava was conflicted about giving Mason up to Supervillain. She didn’t know exactly what would happen with him, but she could make some guesses. 

[sopxhiea]

Dare

Alfie Solomons X Reader

| Prompt

“Could you come get me?”

“I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m a damsel doing damage.” 

Warning: Blood. A lot of it.

This wasn’t bound to happen.

The grounds were quiet, the only breathing soul besides you had been shot a while ago. The wind blew against the fragile leaves, caressing them in a manner that certainly did not go with the scene before you.

You breathed in forcefully, feeling the cold stone base of the stair against your skin through your sheer dress. Inhaling once more, you shifted without realising. Your upper body was covered in blood, most of it someone else’s but the taste of it was the same when you’d shot the men.

A sigh escaped your lips, the want to scream resided somewhere deep in your now hollow chest while you stared at the situation before you. 

Blood, three dead men laying on the ground next to the water fountain, an abandoned car, wind in your face as you wiped the dried blood off of your hands even though it didn’t help much.

Your hands were shaking as you sat on the cold stone again, getting up every now and then because you didn’t quite know what to do. It wasn’t fear that made you shake, it was adrenaline.

A man named John had called you in for a meeting, saying that he had some valuable information. It had been a bait and you knew it, that was why you had blades and small guns decorating your upper thighs if he tried to do something funny. And he had, he was now making his way down to hell, you assumed.

You looked into the building that was right behind you, it was a big mansion that had been abandoned a while ago. The want to escape urged you to stand up and walk inside, praying to the gods you heard people pray to so that you wouldn’t be dead soon.

A phone came into your vision, it was located outside of the back side. You lifted it up, it worked. There was a chuckle from you at the relief but it disappeared not too long after. You couldn’t call your assistant, he was out of town and you had already given him hell enough times.

You couldn’t call Thomas, he was busy with some bookies and the Italians. You knew he would hold it over your head for some time and being in debt of someone was not something you looked forward to. You sighed, shaking your head while going for the number of the bakery.

You didn’t want to call him.

You were covered in blood and dirt and had just killed two men. The other man was on your side but he’d been the sacrifice for you to stay alive. There was a wait on the other end before he picked up. You at cursed yourself  internally for doing this but he was the only one you could rely on.

You had done business with him a couple times when you were around Camden. Tommy trusted him which made you trust him, he had proven to be reliable and a little too direct and stubborn but nothing you couldn’t deal with.

“‘ello?” he asked on the other end of the line for the third time. You pinched yourself to see if you were actually dead, you calling Alfie for help was something of a decoration of your nightmares. You’d wanted things to go differently.

“It’s me..” you whispered into the line, the cold getting under your skin while you held onto your now bloody coat. It was heavier due to the soaking of the fluid.

He recognised your voice instantly.

Feeding into his playful nature when it came to you, he was about to make a joke but your voice trembled under the clouded spring weather so he stopped. There was no response as you swallowed, hoping that this call wasn’t a mistake you were making due to the adrenaline in your system. You took a breath and spoke up after the long pause.

“Alf-” 

“What the fuck happened?” he asked, you chuckled from the other end of the line.

Despite being a business associate he sometimes saw around, he knew you very well. You were of similar nature, there was a fire within you that had been moulded by sorrow and loneliness. Much like him, you also had to grow up fast and he knew of the ways of this cruel world and what it could do to an innocent youngling.

He knew you well.

“I....um..” you licked your lips as he waited for an answer. 

You didn’t quite know how to proceed. You were not the one asking for help, you were usually the one offering to help. You had built a business of your own in between dirty faced gangsters and independence was all you craved. You didn’t ask for help, not from a friend or a jewish gangster.

“Could you come get me?” your airy voice filled his ear as he stared at the mountain of paperwork in front of him. 

It didn’t matter, nothing did when it came to you.

He had spent many nights trying to bury your sweet face into the depths of his mind. You were everything he envisioned his dreams to be. He had done deals with people around just for the possibility of running into you. You’d spent many nights in his office, trying to finalise a deal you were trying to make with the man but he’d thought of it to be more than that.

You were poised, way too beautiful to be in this line of business and fragile underneath the tough exterior of sarcasm and wit you had. He was old enough to know that women like you didn’t stay until midnight in another man’s work place just because they needed to get a job done.

He nodded his head while speaking, jotting down the address you told him with a shaky voice, the adrenaline was getting to you. He knew of the abandoned house, it was a place marked with death and sketchy business deals but he ignored the skipping of his heart at the thought that something bad might’ve happened to you. He just put on his coat and shouted at Ollie to get the car ready.

-

The trees swayed calmly at the touch of the gentle wind, the breeze was much more calmer than what it seemed due to the cloudy weather. You were still sitting on the entrance step of the house, the cold stone had become warmer with your body heat as you stared at the road, the source of the voice becoming more obvious with the passing minutes.

You recognised his car but stayed where you are. You were sitting on the steps like a child with fabric on your hands but you didn’t look like one. There was blood all over your body, your dress and coat were soaked in it as you eyed Alfie’s approaching figure.

His eyes were wide, the breeze didn’t affect him in the slightest while he walked towards your much smaller form. You didn’t smile at the familiar man like you used to but waited for him to process the image before him instead.

He looked over at you first, worry evident in his eyes as his eyes adjusted to the layers of blood around your body. He opened his mouth to speak but his eyes landed on the three corpses scattered around the house instead. He could make out the things that had taken place but he didn’t want to ask you when you looked like you had been cast in a horror movie just a second ago.

“Pet, Are you alri-” he spoke but you stood up instead and cut him off. You needed to get home as soon as you could and you didn’t want the man to dote on you like he always did.

“I’m fine. Can we go?” you asked, not waiting for an answer and walking towards the car instead.

The driver was horrified which made you smile for the first time that day. Alfie caught you by your arm and made you face him in one swift motion before you could actually walk away. You scoffed at the action but he had the right to be curious. You were looking like a dead bride after all.

“What the fuck happened!” he asked, voice high as he looked at you with way too much focus. You chuckled, why was he so worried?

He knew what you were capable of, he’d seen you working on field before and that was enough reason for him to oblige to your words instead of questioning you but seeing as he was the rescuer in this situation, you decided to play along.

You gave him a shrug, like you hadn’t just killed the men laying out on the field and that you weren’t covered in their blood and yours. He could tell you were wounded so he supported you with his arms around.

“I just...” you spoke, not wanting to admit the little fun you had to yourself.

“A man was messing with me and I decided to show him the cost of doing that..” you spoke against his face, he was staring at your blooded face as you spoke. You let his arms around you, your figure almost engulfed by his as he stared at you.

“It’s okay now. I will have the men collected in an hour. I’ve already made calls.” you whispered, trying to answer any questions that he may have. He didn’t speak, just stared at you in shock and in admiration.

You were covered in blood but your eyes had the same childish tint to them. He hated how weak you made him feel, the only person he went out of his way to help had been a family member and now that he was cradling you in his arms, he found himself caring a little too much about you.

“Luv, Are you su-” he spoke again, you cut him off. You two bickered like a married couple.

“I’m okay. Just take me home so I can clean the wounds.” you spoke, retrieving from his arms and walking to his car again.

He mumbled a low ‘fucking hell’ while watching you lay the fabric on the car so that the blood didn’t get on the surface of the seats. You were on your usual behaviour as he watched you make yourself comfortable on the seat, still covered in blood which made his heart ache but he just told the driver to drive to your house.

His driver knew the address.

-

When you arrived at the house, your house maids were already freaking out. They knew something horrid had happened when you came in with a loud thud, blood covering your face. After the first few steps, you couldn’t carry your body  anymore so Alfie picked you up and carried you to the bathroom.

You murmured a small ‘thank you’ at your low state and he found it hard to leave you until one of the maids came in the bathroom and chased him off with familiar words as she shouted at him in Yiddish.

An hour passed. Alfie had come to your house a couple times for tea and some company so he knew the boys around. They kept him occupied as you cleaned up, the wounds were attended to and you were soon put in a silk gown and comfortable shoes. Walking downstairs with the help of your maid, you saw his car parked out in the front. 

He was still here.

You chuckled, finding it a little painful but his smile made it worth it when he stood up from the sofa he was sitting on. There were biscuits and tea on the small table next to the sofa and you could tell he hadn’t touched them.

You let the maid go as he helped you sit down. You usually hated being babied, needing help from others to do normal things had been something you dreaded for as long as you could remember but you didn’t find it all so painful when his rough skin met yours.

Settling next to him on the large sofa, you looked into his eyes. There was still a hint of fear in his eyes and it made you smile out of the tenderness he was capable of making you feel. You hugged yourself as he watched your small form become even smaller.

“You were scared.” you spoke, as a matter of fact. He wasn’t hiding it and that made you like him even more than you already did.

He chuckled at your words, hands meting over his torso as he watched you put your head on the back of the sofa. “I fuckin’ was, yeah, ‘thought you were a goner, luv.” he spoke, making you smile but you didn’t chuckle as heartily as you would’ve.

You nodded, speaking with a breathy voice as he looked at your eyes like a small kid looked at candy.

“Mariam chased you off?” you said, erupting a sound of approval from his mouth while he watched you reach for a cookie but he helped you the last minute, reaching for the food himself before you could and handed it to you.

“She spits fuckin’ fire, ya know that?” he said, still surprised at the screaming the maid had just done in Yiddish. He knew you were fond of the jews around and a part of him grew softer at the thought of you making sure they had a roof over their head.

“Well, she’s a bit protective when it comes to me.” you said, putting your head back on the sofa as he nodded.

“Can’t fuckin’ blame her, right.” he said, reaching for his beard as you watched him touch the wiry part. “fuckin’ rare, a jewel like you.”

The parts of your face that had been covered in blood an hour ago were now covered in a natural blush color as he looked at you lovingly. He didn’t hide the fact that he was attracted to you, he had made advances from day one but you were hesitant because he seemed too dreamy, a little to unreal for this cruel world you were living in.

“I don’t know about a jewel but I heard they’ve been calling me a damsel in distress.” you said, chuckling at the last words as you spoke. His eyes shot up with anger at your words but you remained as calm as a bird.

“Who the fuc-” he spoke, voice a little too loud as he tried to find out more information about the said people but you knew better than to give the names to him. They would disappear a day after you would tell him and you’d have to watch him act all daft again.

You put your hand on his knee with a soft smile on your lips. There was always word going around about you. You were a woman many lusted after and knowing you hadn’t settled yet, jealous mouths had to make something out of it. You didn’t mind, you were unmarried and a little stressed so it was nothing of a lie, really.

You enjoyed the fire residing in his eyes while he watched your lips move. “I am a damsel..” you nodded and before he could cut you off with a reassuring tone that you were far from that, you continued.

“But I’m not a damsel in distress. I’m a damsel doing damage.”

You spoke while his eyes casted an all too familiar look. His face was closer to yours now, you could feel his warmth radiating towards your body. You inched closer, moving your body a little towards him so that your eyelashes were almost touching. You stared at him, a hint of smile on his lips as he reacted to your previous words.

Oh, how he adored you.

He had done way too many awful things, killed far too many souls and had done considerable damage to the good in this world so he wondered. He wondered why you’d treat him the way you did. You were a source of sunlight in this mess of a place you both worked in and the kindness made him inherently curious as to why you did it.

He knew there was a price for having you, that had been why he was so hesitant even though he wouldn’t shy away from how he felt. There was a price to pay if he wanted you around like he did but he was ready to pay it, whatever it was.

You chuckled as he looked into your eyes, more than a few emotions swimming in his blue orbs when your hand found his chest, he was incredibly close now. You didn’t hesitate, it was you thanking him in the best way possible and he welcomed it when he felt your velvet lips against his.

You leaned closer, his hands found your leg as he caressed it. It wasn’t a heated kiss, it felt tender and loving while you moved your lips against his. The kiss was slow, it made you feel safe and secure until you broke it.

Panting slowly as you moved a little far from his face, he cursed at himself for being so weak at the sight before him. He stared at your now plump lips, licking his to savour the sweet taste of you while you let him go, your hand now hugging your body.

A sweet smile formed along the lines of your lips, your voice breathy as you spoke to the man sitting next to you.

“Thank you, Alfie.”

--

Tagging: @clairecrive​  @parkbearum​ @sourirez​ @bicevans​ @mollybegger-blog​

a/n: My finals are on their way and I will be a little less active on here just so you guys know! I still have a couple works on queue but school is kicking my ass so i may not return as soon as i please. also lemme know if you’d like to be tagged.

[the-fiction-witch]

Save point p2

REAL LIFE

COUPLE TBS X READER

RATING SMUTTY

I pulled back gasping for breath intesely, holding the fabric of his shirt, he gasped too resting his head on my my own "fuck… I wish we could do more then kiss princess" 

"Well why not?"

"Ummmm I would believe me my princess, I would. But it's not secure enough here and… not enough privacy. Don't want one of your classmates finding out, they might get jealous" he smirked "Tonight, once you've finished your classes I'll take us out okay?"

"Okay" I smiled jumping off the desk 

"That's my girl" he smirked going to his desk getting something and making some notes "here" he says handing me the post it note with a bunch of writing finishing packing his bag, 

"What's this?" I asked 

"My address, my landline, and mobile number, so you can get hold of me" he says throwing his bag over his shoulder "text me later so I have yours too" he smiled kissing my cheek "see you later princess" 

"See you Mr Sangster"

"Just Thomas princess." He laughs unlocking the door "name me something non suspicious in your phone" he says as he wondered off to whenever he next needed to be.

I smiled and headed down to the green area of campus where I found Matt on a bench "how did it go?"

"Well I snogged my teacher and now I have a date"

"Your kidding me? He was into you? After how many saves?"

"None first try. I have his address and phone number now"

"A million people could try that will a million teachers do you understand how lucky you got?"

"Kinda" I laughed "but I should probably go prep for my date" I giggled. 

I saved before I began my make up, in all honesty that's the most useful thing for this, fuck up lipstick just go back no worries, fuck up eye liner just go back, poke yourself in the eye with mascara go back and it never happened. As soon as I was done my prep with make up done and cute dress on I texted him, before I had even slipped on my shoes he texted back

'I'm outside and around the corner from the droms princess x'

Hu that was fast, I slipped my shoes on and my little jacket locking up and heading out following the path from the door to the street going past the student car park. The road was empty so I walked down a little and saw a nice vintage blue ish green car sat under a street light, well this doesn't feel sketchy at all. I headed over to the car and the window rolled down "hey princess" he smiled

"Hey Thomas" I smiled climbing in the car 

"You look so beautiful princess" he smirked clearly checking me out biting on his bottom lip not even trying to hide it. He had a rather nice silky black shirt with some pattern on I wasn't sure, a few buttons undone, a rather tight pair of blue almost suit pants, his hair clearly clean and fluffy as I'd he dried it a second ago, a silver watch in his left wrist that he now leant in the steering wheel "So… what does my princess wanna do tonight?" 

"I don't know… what do you wanna do?"

"Well we could go watch a movie? Or go out to dinner? Or… go back to my place?" 

"I would like some dinner, I haven't eaten yet"

"Yeah me neither, any idea where you wanna go?"

"I don't mind" I shrug 

"How about… we go get some take out and head down to the river and chill out in the back of the car?"

"Sure" I nodded 

He started up the car and headed off, you could cut the tension with a knife, the radio on low gently playing some old romantic tunes, the dark drive broken up only by Street lamps, his eyes often wondering from the road to me, I kept my eyes away not wanting to fuel the fire further even if I did want to, that and trying to act all innocent about my little shifts and putting my leg over the other to let my dress ride up, we got to a bunch of places and decided on fried chicken but the drive thru was a massive line so we parked up instead 

"Fuck it I can't wait any longer" he groans turning the engine off and grabbing my neck pulling me aggressively to kiss him, I was in shock surprised by his sudden movement, I kissed back running my hands along the soft silky shirt feeling his boney chest below, one hand of his sat on my neck and shoulder the other slipped down and was running along my tights tenderly across my thigh unbelievably egar, our kisses went in for what felt like hours slowly and rather intesely become making out I could feel people's eyes burning into is but I didn't care his lips where so soft, he tasted like coffee, dust and I could slightly taste a twang on his lips likely some sort of soap or perhaps aftershave that I couldn't name, I could smell his hair the sweet scent of coconut emminating, his clothes smelt like lavender laundry softener and skin smelt so strongly of that like tropical palm tree, pinanble esc body way. I pulled back and smirked at him barely an inch from his desperate face 

"I'm hungry" I smirked 

"Are you princess? He smirked back I couldn't help but giggle as my lipstick was all over his mouth "what?"

"You uhhh" I giggled he looked confused before looking at himself in the mirror 

"Oh." He laughs

"I'm sorry" 

"Don't worry princess, I'm sure I'll end up with your lipstick all over me sooner or later" he smirked cleaning it off as best he could "right, dinner?"

"Yeah" I nodded he got out first so I opened my door but before I could climb out he offered a hand so I happily took it and he shut the door for me and we headed inside going to the little screen 

"You get yourself whatever you want princess, I'll be back in a sec" he says kissing my cheek before he went off I assume to the bathroom to wash the rest of the lipstick off his face so I logical got some stuff but not too much and soon enough he returned and for some things for himself "we all done?" He asks and I nodded "good girl, so we going do to the river sit in the back and… have a snuggle or do you wanna get back to my place" he asks as he paid 

"Well that depends"

"On?" 

"On lots of things" I smiled "I mean it's already getting late and dark out, don't wanna be too late." I cooed resting my hands on his chest 

"Umm well, you can always… stay over at my place princess? Your more then welcome." He smirked wrapping his arms around me pulling me tighly to his chest 

"I could?"

"Of course you can" he smiled kissing my nose then our food came I took it and we headed back to the car "so… river or my place princess?" he smirked resting a hand on my leg 

"River" I smirked 

"River it is then princess" he smirked he seemed more wound up with my answer like he very much wanted to take me back to his place obviously where she was suggesting it so much he clearly wanted me at his, in his bed but I was going to make him work for it. 

Once we got to the dark quiet river bank we went to the back of the car and got cosy with our jackets and such eating our food 

"So? How long has you been into me before I kissed you?" I asked as I ate 

"First day princess, I thought you where adorable" he winked 

"Scandalous, crush on one of your students" I smirked 

"Oh come on I'm not doing anything wrong your over eighteen" he shrugs "okay yeah if my boss found out I'd probably get shit for it and maybe I'd get fired but… your worth it princess" he smirked "how long had you liked me before you kissed me?" 

I simply blushed not wanting to admit it 

"No come on I told you" he laughs

"First lesson," I admit and he smiled at me "what! you walk around in those tight jeans with your sleaves rolled up you look hot" 

"Do I now?" He smirked "hang on did you not know I was into you?"

"No" I answered "did you know?"

"Eh… sort of I thought you might have liked me. But I get that vibe from most girls" 

*Yeah because if the tight jeans, rolled sleaves and dreamy voice" 

"Awww am I dreamy princess?"

"You know what I mean"

"I know, I thought you might have but I didn't Wanna do anything incase I was wrong. I have been hinting for like the last year y/n"

"Have you?"

"You haven't noticed?"

"Not really no"

"Where you not questioning why, when you never do work in class, barely do the homework and haven't done any coursework on time… you didn't at all question how the fuck you where still getting A's?"

"I'm getting A's?"

"Y/n your top of the class. Third in the whole department" he laughs

"How when you just admitted I don't do anything?"

"Because…"

"Because what?"

"Because… I grade you on a curve" he shrugs 

"What curve?"

"The I let you get away with more because I like you curve" he laughs 

"I must be very nice then, fixing my grades and I didn't even offer to suck your dick" I giggled

"Yeah that was really weird. Like infront of everyone as well"

"What did happen with that anyway?"

"Nothing, she dropped out not long after because I refused to change her grades, and I didn't want my dick sucked" 

"Should have taken it"

"Why would I want slutty little mandy sucking my dick? She fucked half the football team even the teachers know that"  he laughs "besides I had my eyes on a different pretty girl at the back of my class" he smiled giving me a kiss as we finished up 

"Do you actually like me?"

"I actually like you, I think your adorable, and your smart even if you rarely use it, I really like you y/n, and… I'm happy to take you on some nice dates until your happy then maybe we can, be a little secret couple, but secret so I don't get in trouble" he explained "if that's what you want?"

"I'd like that Thomas" I smiled hugging him tightly nuzzling into his chest 

"I'd like that too princess" he smiled kissing my head "and… about sex? We'll take it as slow or as fast as you want." He explained 

"You don't mind… waiting?"

"Not at all princess, I'll happily wait till your comfortable with me. Princess I've liked you for over a year I can wait a couple of weeks now to get to Have fun with you"

"Thomas?" I asked 

"Yes princess?"

"Have you ever… dreamt about me?" I asked playing with his shirt 

"I have, why? you ever dreamt about me princess?"

"Lots of times" I giggled "have you ever… thought about me when your. You know?"

"When I'm what princess?" He smirked his hand slipping down to my butt taking a soft grip of me 

"You know what I mean" I smirk gently running my hand teasingly across his crotch

"Oohh? Do you mean to say? Do I think about you when I jerk off?" He smirked and I nodded still gently moving my hand palming his pants "umm, of course I do princess. All the time" 

"When was the last one?" I asked kissing up his neck he groaned leaning against the car his head on the window already I could feel a stiffness making itself known in his blue pants 

"Uhh the last one?" He asks 

"The last time you thought about me?"

"Well… that will have to have been this morning"

"This morning?" I giggled

"Umm Humm.." he groaned "I woke up with a hard on, I knew I would see you today in class so… I couldn't stop thinking about you, but that only got me harder. Knowing I would see you so I rubbed one out before I got out of bed, thinking of my pretty princess" 

"What did you think about?" I asked starting to suck leaving hikis on his neck not purposely rubbing on his erection 

"Umm my princess, in her little blue dress, stood over my bed stripping for me, and then taking over from my and a while and then… sucking me off"

"Umm then what happened?"

"I had cum by then princess" he smirked grinding against my hand "what about my little princess? Have you… thought about me like that?"

"I have" I giggled blushing hard 

"Oh? Well I told you mine how about you tell me yours" he smirked groping my butt 

"Well I was all alone in my room, and it was all dark and cold, I couldn't sleep so I thought I would just have a play and I imagined you had come to see me about a test and-"

"And princess?" He asks clearly already into this 

"And then you bent me over my bed and spanked me, before raw fucking me still bent over, " I whispered

"Ohh fuck! Umm that sounds sexy princess. Do you want me to spank you princess?" He smirked slapping my butt hard 

"Maybe" I giggled

"How about we head to my place and… we can live out some nice fantasies?" He suggested

"Maybe, but I wanna help you out" I smirked slipping my hand under his pants to gently touch him though only his underwear

"Help me- ohhh princess. You don't have to? We can save that for when we get to mine"

"Well I want to now" I smirked undoing his pants 

"Well of you really want to princess" he smirked I giggled tugging down his boxers revealing his hard, throbbing, vains running up his seven inch shaft 

"Impressive Mr Sangster" I giggled innocently 

"Just uhh I haven't uhh had any attention from… not my own hand for a while now. So I uhh I might not last long"

"When was the last time someone else took care of you?" I asked 

"A year and a half ago" 

"Ohh"

"Yeah"

"It's okay, so long as he'll get excited again when we get back?"

"I'll always get excited for you princess" he smirked "come on princess… please. Master needs you" ...

[theunvanquishedzims]

The Michigan Fleet authors posted their AUs so here are mine

theunvanquishedzims: I have SO MANY Boat Boy ideas but I'm sitting on them because I came up with a bunch halfway through the book and they got jossed by the end rollerskatinglizard: Hah! Uhhh, sorry? I think?? theunvanquishedzims: (i.e. Basil gets sad and weepy over Rich and Liam flirting at a party, Trimmer plays fairy godmother a la ripping half his shirt off, giving him a pep talk, and sending him back out there to Win Back His Man) rollerskatinglizard: *whooping* theunvanquishedzims: Jossed so hard rollerskatinglizard:Okay, that's DELIGHTFUL rollerskatinglizard: Trimmer is the most terrifying fairy godmother rollerskatinglizard: Anything else? :Dc theunvanquishedzims: Lemme get my notes rollerskatinglizard: *gleeful wiggling*

theunvanquishedzims: Okay so I stopped reading when the Sympatico grabbed Rich during the storm and it took me a month or so to get back and finish, so I was under the impression that the ship was still being fixed in drydock and not, y'know, actually being crewed and sailed. (Trimmer yelling "just let her sink" hits reeeeeaaaallly different when you know that) rollerskatinglizard: Ahaha oh dang theunvanquishedzims: So the big idea was the gangsters needing something from the Sympatico. Not the general thugs and delinquents crewing the Sympatico but the actual organized crime of the Fleet, who were getting pretty used to using ships like the Sympatico to run their dirty deeds through. Except it's basically impossible to get what they need out of it, even when they drag out one of the old IST guys. He finally tells them Rich was the one who did the heavy lifting for the past few years rollerskatinglizard: Ooooh! rollerskatinglizard: What an interesting idea! theunvanquishedzims: Hang on I need to restart rollerskatinglizard: Ah yes, computers theunvanquishedzims: Sorry, that turned into a dinner break and running errands During which I came up with a couple new AUs theunvanquishedzims: Okay, back to mafia: they track Rich down, probably snag him after he's been out boarding. Off work, not expected back on the ship, tired from all the exercise, etc. They're not overtly threatening, just pick up his skimmer and politely suggest that he comes help them, and he probably goes quietly because there's like, six of them. I'm thinking only one of whom was actually posted on the Sympatico theunvanquishedzims: So they get back to the Sympatico. She's been temporarily decommissioned until the Fleet can fix her broken processes, but that's also a cover story by the mob. They want to clear out all the smuggled goods and information, but she's basically a ghost ship, silent and empty, and even the other IST guy couldn't get more than a few blinking lights. She's sulking basically, she knows they're not there to fix her so she's digging in her heels and playing dead. Like a toddler going ragdoll when they don't want to go to bed. theunvanquishedzims: They explain to Rich that they can't get a response and want him to take a crack at it. "Has she said anything?" "Who?" "The Sympatico." "...we didn't talk to it." "Well that's half your problem right there." theunvanquishedzims: At this point you should watch Show Yourself from Frozen 2, and the crystal scene from Atlantis the Lost Empire. Stepping into the place you've been called, making your presence known, and having a greater power reach out for you. Shiny lights, chasing the spark of life to its source, and having the power consume and embody you. Rich is used to it but it's probably pretty freaky from the outside, and way less magical-looking than a Disney movie. Probably more like when Magneto activated the machine in the first X-Men movie. Step up, turn it on, and suddenly it's sucking the life out of you, making you a living battery theunvanquishedzims: In my head I am picturing the glowing blue eyes, lights cracking along the skin like lightning or circuit patterns, the implants glowing in his temples, standing at a terminal like a star trek deck, maybe a faint breeze-like movement of the hair and clothes to indicate the sheer power radiating off of him. In reality it's probably more like he falls down, gets up, stumbles along to a good spot out of the weather, and curls up in a secluded defensible spot to stare emptily at the wall for a few hours while lights randomly go on and off around the ship theunvanquishedzims: Just being trailed by six very wary mafia dudes who have probably never seen someone mind-meld a ship, and definitely not solo. He's like a zombie, and when he does talk it's very clear he's talking for the both of them theunvanquishedzims: If any of them are in sync with the ship they definitely feel the !!!Rich you're back!!! vibe theunvanquishedzims: No idea how that resolves, I guess it depends on how powerful the mafia is. If they're the kind of entrenched criminals who are ongoing characters, then they have Rich scrub out what they need then dump him back on his skimmer to face the fallout alone. He might report it to the spooks? Or at least try to tell Basil and Mitch theunvanquishedzims: If they're not recurring characters then they were definitely being tracked by the spooks, who move in once the Sympatico comes back online. Rich has to answer some very tough questions but he cooperates fully and winds up digging up a LOT of dirt out of the Sympatico, now that the mafia showed him where to look. It's another one of the super traumatizing moments that makes him look cool and heroic. Oh yeah, totally got kidnapped, single-handedly piloted a ship, and helped bust the mafia, please stop talking about it, I need a nap, and also someone to go with me next time I go boarding. theunvanquishedzims: (And then I finished reading the book and found out that the Sympatico had a new crew and was out on the water with her AI still fried and broken, how did no one notice that)

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theunvanquishedzims: Okay I don't have Trimmer's voice well enough to write this fic so I'm feeding it to you raw: Trucker AU theunvanquishedzims: Rich is a long-haul trucker, much to the disappointment of his elder sister Angela, who is in law enforcement and thought he had a decent future in it too. Athena is a pro wrestler and totally down to support her brother traveling the country (and hopefully being in the same city as him sometime, she wants him to see her kick ass!) Rich wants to pursue a degree in [tech or engineering] but college is expensive, and trucking is a good way to make money, on top of which you don't have to pay rent when you're on the road. So he's saving up for school, probably listening to a lot of audiobooks, podcasts, and training guides while chugging along. theunvanquishedzims: Not nearly as bad or sketchy as the Sympatico, but life on the road can get pretty sketch sometimes, especially when you're alone. Enter Trimmer. Or rather, enter Rich into the middle-of-nowhere trucker stopover bar where Trimmer is getting his ass kicked. theunvanquishedzims: (Gonna go ahead and say the bar is called the Sympatico, and this is a very bad night to be there, which is saying something because any night at the Sympatico is a bad night to be there.) theunvanquishedzims: Fortunately, Rich is not trapped there by the cold uncaring waters of Lake Michigan, he can just turn around and leave when he sees the nightly fight brewing. Unfortunately, he has a weakness for cute twinks, and no matter how much the guy is insulting their mothers four on one is really not fair, so he winds up wading in, scooping Trimmer up, and murder-stalking to the exit theunvanquishedzims: [At this point I pause to stare out the window and wonder wistfully what their canon meeting was like, who approached who, if Trimmer just straight-up used his lunch to hire a bodyguard or if Rich did the "are you gonna finish that" puppy-eyes and Trimmer realized how easily he could be bribed, etc etc] theunvanquishedzims: In the Trucker AU Trimmer waits until they're outside to go feral goblin on the arm that's holding him, Rich drops him, and negotiation commences theunvanquishedzims: I don't have Trimmer's backstory nailed down, the "teenage runaway" archetype doesn't really suit someone with a large loving family, but safe to say that whatever lead him to hitchhiking across the Midwest he is determined to see through out of sheer bullheaded stubbornness. The only thing worse than calling your parents to bail you out with bus money home is calling your grandma. It might have involved stabbing a college advisor when the guy got rapey, he's technically not on the run from the law, he DEFINITELY is not on track to getting his degree. Halfway between college dropout and missing person. If he was wealthy he'd be backpacking Europe for a semester, but he's not, so he's hitchhiking America. And getting molested by truckers, because Trimmer can't have nice things. theunvanquishedzims: He is really not interested in getting molested by Rich! But, as Rich points out, he did just save him from getting stabbed, Trimmer doesn't seem to have any exit options for this backwater town, and holy #&$^ the bar's on fire. (The Sympatico burns to the ground that night, to the betterment of the world at large.) rollerskatinglizard: You have no idea how much I'm enjoying this But you should totally post it Splick and Roach would both scream in glee theunvanquishedzims: Rich and Trimmer get out while the getting is good, and it's nearly dawn before they finally hash out details. Rich offers to drop him off at the next town, but they're still pretty close to the epicenter of the mass exodus so the next few hundred miles are probably not going to be safe for Trimmer. By this point Trimmer has found a bunch of the old textbooks Rich bought secondhand to study in his free time and come to the conclusion that [this nerd is a nerd] his story checks out. Just a college kid trying to scrape together the cash to get an education and make a decent living. Reminds Trimmer of Trimmer. (Reminds Trimmer of Joey.) rollerskatinglizard: ;u; <3 Beautiful theunvanquishedzims: So now Rich has a little traveling buddy! Helps him stay awake on the long hauls, lets him use the carpool lanes, even reads to him out of the textbooks sometimes, with commentary. Trimmer is really smart and surprisingly easy to get along with. They nap in the cab, eat in diners, and share motel rooms. Trimmer unclenches a little. Rich is good about not asking personal questions. They definitely watch Athena's fights on tv more than once, much to Rich's chagrin and Trimmer's loud encouragement. He started fanboying over it to annoy and embarrass Rich, but it is surprisingly cathartic to watch someone get trash-talked and respond by just BODYSLAMMING their opponent. ("Why are you rooting for her, you're the biggest trash-talker I know," Rich mutters into his beer, face bright red as Trimmer whoops and high-fives the waitress he got to change the channel in the sports bar.) theunvanquishedzims: ("She would wipe the floor with me," Trimmer responds with a smirk, watching smugly as Rich tries to figure out if Trimmer is having impure thoughts about his baby sister) theunvanquishedzims: (They have already established that Trimmer does not have impure thoughts about Rich, that Rich DOES have impure thoughts about Trimmer, but as long as he stays in his own motel bed that's fine.) (Trimmer still sleeps with a knife under his pillow but doesn't bother in the cab, where their co-naps occasionally verge on snuggling.) rollerskatinglizard: <3 <3 <3 *perfect* theunvanquishedzims: They finally reach their destination. It has been [days to drive a rig between NJ and CA] and they make it there slightly ahead of schedule. Rich drops off the delivery, Trimmer comes face-to-face with the reality of the trip ending. He'd been hitchhiking for months and felt like he was going nowhere, and now a few days and suddenly he's crossed the entire country, and almost kinda maybe had fun doing it! And California's as good a place as any to stay, at least he won't freeze to death if he doesn't find a place to crash for the night. theunvanquishedzims: Then Rich comes back and hands him a wad of cash, pocketing a stack of his own. "Got a cash bonus for finishing early! And since you're the reason I made it here this fast, I just figured part of it is your share..." he peters out, trying to explain his reasoning. They sit in silence for a while, both thinking about Trimmer in California, far away from anyone who would want to hurt him, with a few hundred dollars in his pocket. theunvanquishedzims: "...Let's get lunch," Trimmer finally decrees, and Rich can't keep the relieved smile off his face. They renegotiate some things over lunch, and then go to pick up the next load to haul cross-country. Together. rollerskatinglizard: AWWWWWW!!!! *YES,* I love it!!! theunvanquishedzims: And then eventually they go to college together, and get their degrees, and good jobs, and meet the families, and Trimmer absolutely drags Rich to as many of Athena's fights as they can manage on the road. It's just to save money, things are cheaper when you split the rent, Trimmer hollers on the phone. You put a ring on that boy's finger, y'hear?! Hellbender hollers back. I am so glad the word moirail exists rollerskatinglizard: YES God yes Also this AU pleases me greatly rollerskatinglizard: Blessings upon you for it theunvanquishedzims: ...technically the Michigan Fleet takes place in a post-Homestuck world, so theoretically it could have time to enter mainstream lexicon. It's better than "bromance" theunvanquishedzims: JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE >.> rollerskatinglizard: Yeah, totally different feel than bromance!

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theunvanquishedzims: Speaking of Homestuck! Wanna hear the Helmsman AU? :3 rollerskatinglizard: YES PLEASE theunvanquishedzims: Okay gimme a minute to get my notes, it's not based on One of Our Submarines but I can't remember the fic title. Have you read the one where the kids redesign the helmsrig and use that to garner support for Feferi as Empress? Lots of political drama, Sollux-centric, [spoiler], and in the end they win *but at what cost* (((If someone knows what fic I'm talking about please link me, I can't find it.))) rollerskatinglizard: No, I haven't theunvanquishedzims: It's good, if you like the nitty-gritty of rebellions. The piece I'm cherry picking is the new Empress introducing a new way of helming that allows more freedom. Instead of a single enslaved lowblood being hung up in tentacle wires until they drop dead, it's something you can unplug from, allowing psionics to swap out, take shifts, etc. So Empress Clearwater (yay seadweller name) is dead, long live Empress Clearwater, and she shakes things up by introducing her new helmsrig and orders it implemented Fleet-wide theunvanquishedzims: I don't think this universe is as bad as canon but it's still pretty rough on the bad ships, and the Sympatico is a very bad ship theunvanquishedzims: Angie is still a security officer, probably fairly high-ranking as a greenblood. Athena is a pro wrestler. Sports are probably a bigger part of life in a Fleet that doesn't center around conquest. The three probably grew up in the same neighborhood, maybe dabbled in quadrants before settling on hatefriends. Oooh, or ash, Athena setting them up to talk out their issues over lunch and then heckle each other over their other quadrants could fit in that quadrant. theunvanquishedzims: Rich is, of course, a helmsman. It's rare for someone that close to jade to be so powerful, he was actually planning on a career in tech, but when he got called in for psionic testing he basically crushed it. Possibly literally. And olive is still technically a lowblood, so off to the helm with you. theunvanquishedzims: His first posting is the Sympatico, and it's a nightmare. The one bright spot (dark spot? How do trolls even. *insert rant about Kanaya being pastel goth not goth-goth*) theunvanquishedzims: The one bright spot is Trimmer, a technician whose survival method is to lock himself in the helm dock and stab anybody who tries to mess with Rich when he's piloting. It's basically how things work in the superstorms, but 75-90% of the time instead of a few times a year theunvanquishedzims: Rich can barely talk most days, they communicate via chat client, and even that requires a lot of brainpower so they can't do it when the Sympatico has to fight something or do difficult maneuvers in space, which is pretty frequently. But Rich keeps an eye out for Trimmer, directing him through the ship to help him avoid people and fights, and tweaking things like hall lights when things get hairy. I think at least once he turned off the gravity, it cost him but it got Trimmer out of a really bad situation and gave him an excuse to hole up in the helmsdeck for a few days until things cooled off theunvanquishedzims: But all that is in the past! There's a new Empress, a new crew, and a new way of helming! theunvanquishedzims: The Sympatico is one of the flagships to roll out the new helmsrig. The original crew was disbanded, culled, reassigned. Trimmer was allowed to stay (at Rich's request) to ease the transition. It's a big day, lots of media attention documenting the new helmsmen, and Rich is doing his best to keep calm. He had to do some physical therapy to stand upright and be able to walk from the big speech to his shiny new helmsrig, but as a fairly young recruit he's not nearly as bad off as some older helmsmen whose bodies have atrophied. He's still pretty skinny though, especially when compared to Angie and Athena, who he reunited with (for the cameras) #helmsmenaretrollstoo, #greenc3<green, #omgishipit, see things are much better now, people can reclaim their lives and quadrants, helming is something to be excited for not scared of, etc. Lots of propaganda, lots of attention, lots of pressure to get this right theunvanquishedzims: And then he walks into the helm and Trimmer is there. Rich would probably have had a meltdown if he hadn't been, but no one can tell because they're so calm and professional. They're both cleaned up and impeccably uniformed, the plugging in goes smoothly, and the Sympatico comes to life and lifts off into the sky into a sunset that would make a Hollywood director weep. The cameras turn off, great job everybody, and things return to normal. Except Rich and Trimmer have no idea how to handle normal. For the first 8 hours it's fine, it's good, it's a little weird that Trimmer looks so tidy and that Rich is sitting in a padded chair instead of being flesh-jacked by tentacles, but it's fine. They chat over text, a little stilted but plenty to catch up on theunvanquishedzims: Rich spies on the new crew and gossips about how boring they are and how weird the ship looks with everything cleared out and well-lit, and wow where did that section of storage come from? Oh right that used to be a hidden smuggling nook. Haha nook. See they're fine, they're laughing at the same old jokes. DEFINITELY weird that Rich is physically laughing. And then their relief shift comes on, with the new 2nd shift helmsman, and it's time for Rich to get unplugged for the day and go. Go to his room, which he has now, or to eat, which he can do now, or any one of a million things that normal trolls do, because he's a normal troll now. (This is turning out a little different from in my head but I like it.) He makes it about two hallways, walking silently side-by-side with Trimmer, before he breaks down. Or rather Trimmer breaks down. Or maybe they both simultaneously break, there is a lot of breaking happening, and it's not great that it's happening in the hall where anybody could walk by and where the new helmsman is almost certainly seeing them and possibly reporting them, and Trimmer's flight instincts are to run back to the helm where it's safe but Rich isn't there, RICH was the reason it was safe and he's not at the helm, he's right there in the hall. Rich, I know not how, picks up Trimmer and gets them to him room. It' close by, thank goodness, and it has a lock on the door, how weird, and Trimmer is there. He missed Trimmer so so much. rollerskatinglizard: ;u; <3<3<3<3 theunvanquishedzims: [The following scene contains content too graphic for wigglers under the age of seven sweeps] rollerskatinglizard: *laughing* Hardcore conciliation!!! theunvanquishedzims: From Trimmer's POV: Merrill requested him to remain a tech on the Sympatico. Makes sense, he was the only one who treated the guy like an actual troll and not a drooling mass of computational power. They got caught up, it's weird how clean and quiet the ship is, no fights to report beyond a spat in the cafeteria that turned out to be pitch flirtation. His shirtcuffs itch and he wants to roll them up but it's day one of the new empire and he doesn't want to get culled for being untidy on the Empress's pet project ship. There's so many other things to get culled for, anyway. And then shift is over. (Weird, he's used to working 16-hour days and sleeping in the helmdeck half the time.) And he has to unplug Merrill (double weird, he's not used to touching Merrill unless it's for a physical repair. Very aware of Rich as a physical person, especially when he's standing up and not obscured in a mass of tentacles.) And then they leave, together, which is WEIRD, because for sweeps Trimmer has been sneaking out of the helmdeck to go on a food run with Merrill texting him directions, and there's no Merrill on screen providing guidance to avoid fights, but there's not gonna BE any fights, and everything is the same but different and looks weird and shiny and there's a giant troll right next to him, stalking him, why didn't Merrill warn him?! rollerskatinglizard: Oh NO, ahaha, oh these poor doofuses theunvanquishedzims: From Rich's POV: he's been seeing these hallways for sweeps, but not from this angle, the ship is so familiar but so foreign to him, and he can't hear her, can't feel her, and he keeps reaching out for her even after all that training he did to get used to the new tech, there's still an absence and some part of his brain that says not being linked to the ship means something has gone catastrophically wrong and everyone onboard is going to die, TRIMMER is going to die, Trimmer is freaking out and hyperventilating next to him, Trimmer's running out of oxygen and the ship isn't responding to him to tell him what's wrong with the oxygen, and then Trimmer goes to bolt back to the helm but that's full of strange trolls and a new helmsman, and that knowledge is enough to shake him back to the situation at hand. He doesn't know where he finds the strength or the presence of mind, but he manages to grab up Trimmer and get them back to safety. It's just that safety is now his berth, not the helm. They're alone in his berth. And Trimmer is still freaking out. Sh-shoosh? Shoosh. Shooooooosh. theunvanquishedzims: Everything is diamonds and snow and beautiful shining crystals (in the movies that will someday be made about this day.) In the moment there's a lot more hyperventilating and snot. Basically, culmination behind the entire fic: do they actually have feelings for each other, or was it just about mutual survival the whole time? rollerskatinglizard: INCREDIBLY ADORABLE AND INTIMATE COMFORT, *YESSSS* Thank you yes, I'll have a dozen God that's splendid theunvanquishedzims: And they're both freaking out, Rich is hungry and physically tired and needs to do a lot of stretches, Trimmer is not used to Rich being huge and mobile and right next to him, and they both have crazy big trust issues, but...yeah, they're pale. They're so pale for each other, and it was so hard during the transition not seeing each other and not knowing how the other felt, not knowing how THEY felt, if they really had feelings or if it was all a bad situation. And now they know. They have feelings. And because they're trolls and not humans, they can flop on a pile and talk about those feelings in a non-platonic way, and Rich can pet Trimmer's hair and tell him how pretty he is and how Rich is glad that Trimmer got it properly cut instead of just hacking it too short for someone to grab, and how much he worried in the hall about not being able to see farther than his own field of vision to keep Trimmer out of harm's way, and how this whole thing is so weird and Rich is so scared but he's just really, really happy that Trimmer took the posting on the Sympatico, because he pities Trimmer and he wants him around and he was so glad that Trimmer wanted to still be around him too theunvanquishedzims: The media always depicts piling as either the traditional fairytale highblood freakout, or an extremely mellow ASMR-ish chillout with lots of hairpetting and horn polishing. Not two midbloods looting a mostly-empty room for enough junk to make a large enough pile to sit on, shrieking at each other about their feelings and how weird this is and why didn't you SAY something, me?! why didn't YOU say something?! Three SWEEPS we've been dancing around this! Well I didn't know if you felt the same way or if you just needed me to survive! Etc etc etc. Lots of getting up and stomping around , pacing the floor while ranting, trying to scavenge more stuff to throw on the pile. Rich owns basically nothing and it's the first time he's not judging Trimmer for keeping his room a garbage heap, even empty pizza boxes would be better than trying to make a pile out of two sweaters and a toothbrush. rollerskatinglizard: XDDD TuT aaaaah, YES theunvanquishedzims: Rich definitely rips off a wall panel and pulls out some wires, Trimmer doesn't even question it, they've lived and breathed this ship long enough to know what every wire does and which are nonessential to ship functioning. And with the wall panel crunched up they can pile stuff around it to make it seem less sparse, and wow it doesn't even matter that he pulled a panel down, this is HIS wall in HIS room now, he can "redecorate" as he sees fit, cue more yelling about how he doesn't know what to do with himself or his newfound freedom. The whole thing is just yelling and cussing and grabbing and shaking. It probably looks black from the outside, but they are swimming in palest cream. theunvanquishedzims: Eventually they give up on the pile. They go through Rich's entire perigee of snack rations to avoid having to go to the cafeteria, halfheartedly make fun of Rich's chewing, then crawl into the recuperacoon together. Thank goodness there was such a big push to show off how great helmsmen's lives will be, Rich scored a blueblood-huge 'coon and he's still skinny enough that they can both fit in it together. They sleep together, in sopor like proper trolls with proper lives as opposed to surrounded by pink tentacles and misery. Tomorrow they'll have to venture out for food, and do Rich's stretches and physical therapy, and head to their shift like the galaxy hasn't flipped upside-down, but they're handle that together. rollerskatinglizard: Oh help, my heart!! TuT It's SO CUTE, AAAAAAAH theunvanquishedzims: Okay my computer has been trying to shut down for the last three paragraphs so I think it's time to log off for the night, but I hope you enjoy the AUs, I will tell you more tomorrow rollerskatinglizard: Thank you so much!! Have a good night! theunvanquishedzims: (In the original version Rich and Trimmer came face-to-face for the first time since the Sympatico was busted up and Rich pulled out for rehab, and basically had a giant pale meltdown right there against the wall. There was purring, and crying, and confessions, all caught on film. Athena and Angie definitely saw. It had to be censored out of the broadcast. Someone uploaded it to Troll Pornhub and it won a Troll Pornhub Emmy for Truth in Journalism, which was not a category the Troll Pornhub Emmys had before, so congrats Merrill and Trimmer) rollerskatinglizard: *dying* oh my GOD Rich would blush so hard he'd keel over

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theunvanquishedzims: I woke up to the idea of Rich as Fezzik and Trimmer as Inigo Montoya (book version.) rollerskatinglizard: Hah! Oh man, delightful theunvanquishedzims: Soft-hearted giant and stabby little friend rollerskatinglizard: Yesss theunvanquishedzims: Only problem is Trimmer's grudge seems to be against the entire world, not any particular murderer theunvanquishedzims: But they could definitely take on the Zoo of Death together rollerskatinglizard: It could be both, in the AU! Specific grudge and also he hates everyone theunvanquishedzims: Instead of not being left-handed he pulls his feet out of his boots and surprise! More hands to stab you with Makes the acrobatics on top of the cliff more exciting rollerskatinglizard: *dying* YES Perfect! theunvanquishedzims: I don't know who the Man in Black of most beautiful woman in the world would be, but Rich catching them jumping out a window to whisk them away on horseback is lovely rollerskatinglizard: *strokes chin thoughtfully* If Rich is Fezzik, I think Basil might as well be the beautiful love interest, and Mitch is his farm boy turned dashing rogue theunvanquishedzims: Mitch and Trimmer sword fighting rollerskatinglizard: YES theunvanquishedzims: Mitch going through hell and back to save his lady love, then Rich shows up with the horses and says "hello pretty lady" and Basil is just swooning over him rollerskatinglizard: Mitch is pretty chill with Rich by then, he can handle sharing Rich didn't try *hard* to kill him, after all theunvanquishedzims: He even made it a fair fight instead of ambushing him He put down the rock and Mitch put down the sword and they tried to kill each other like civilized people rollerskatinglizard: *laughing* Yes, exactly theunvanquishedzims: Rich even helped bring him back from being mostly dead rollerskatinglizard: They're practically best buddies now! theunvanquishedzims: Which I imagine is 1000x funnier because Trimmer hates this guy and doesn't want to help him but he has info Trimmer needs rollerskatinglizard: Rich just being reprovingly like Come on, buddy, he's cool really I KNOW you bonded over your sword fight with him Don't lie Trimmer: HE'S STILL A DIPSHIT theunvanquishedzims: Trimmer: It was a little fun to take the boots off I guess, I don't get to do that often rollerskatinglizard: Hahaha yes theunvanquishedzims: Downside of being the best swordsman in the world, nobody can touch you. UNTIL NOW. Trimmer: I killed the guy but now I have nothing to live for. Mitch: Have you considered piracy? Stabbing people all day and all the rope ladders you can climb rollerskatinglizard: *dying* theunvanquishedzims: Now Trimmer's life goal is to reclaim his title of Best Swordsman, which means fighting Mitch a lot rollerskatinglizard: Which they both enjoy Sometimes Trimmer wins, sometimes Mitch does rollerskatinglizard: Roach points out that Liam would be Miracle Max theunvanquishedzims: I was just about to type that! rollerskatinglizard: Heee! Good brain wave theunvanquishedzims: You need a cure for death? Nope, sorry. You need to it humiliate my mortal enemy? Coming right up! rollerskatinglizard: YUP theunvanquishedzims: Slipping Rich the holocaust cloak "because it fits so nice" rollerskatinglizard: Pfff yes theunvanquishedzims: Which is said with a million more winky faces than the movie rollerskatinglizard: XDDD Naturally Liam is a much higher-libido mad scientist-substitute theunvanquishedzims: He doesn't have a wife he has like six boyfriend minions hanging around in various states of undress. He got fired for banging the king when he was the royal miracle man, he did a good job but the prince found it icky. rollerskatinglizard: *dying* YES theunvanquishedzims: Basil as Buttercup tho. Basil: Mitch is a good friend. :) Just a great buddy. :)) Kind of smelly but a nice boy. :))) Someone: *might possibly find Mitch attractive* Basil: What? Why. No. Why would she. I mean yeah he's smart and muscular and tan and broad-shouldered and has perfect teeth and his sweat glistens in the sun as he does his chores shirtless, but c'mon, he's not THAT much hotter than her middle-aged husband. No way. rollerskatinglizard: *snickering* rollerskatinglizard: My cowriters very enjoy this AU concept, btw, thank you theunvanquishedzims: Excellent theunvanquishedzims: Trimmer: I told him I was there to kill him and he just...ran away? Mitch: Who does that? rollerskatinglizard: *snickering* theunvanquishedzims: Basil being a slobby peasant until two minutes after Mitch leaves, then realizing he has to take care of himself if he wants to keep Mitch's attention, and only then starting to regularly bathe and brush his hair and work on his figure. rollerskatinglizard: Snirk! Sounds about right, doofus nerd that he is theunvanquishedzims: Then he becomes a princess and has two servants per limb to keep him clean and shining, so when Mitch sneaks into the wedding announcement crowd his first view of Basil is 1. clean 2. shiny hair 3. dressed like a queen

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General book chit-chat, no specific AU

theunvanquishedzims: I saw the post about the Sympatico crew having a very different view of Rich than his friends and now I am consumed with the idea of Rich being seen as scary by anyone who knows him for more than a single minute. Like, he flinches at the sight of a uniform, he can't stand to be in a room with more than one other person in it, and he's so busy working he doesn't really have time to go around carving out a territory rollerskatinglizard: Right? You'd think it'd be tricky, but apparently no theunvanquishedzims: And now there's video of him covered in kittens, and doing cool board tricks, and pretending a little barbel is too heavy to lift, and also he might be in the news for taking down a murderous conspiracy at the Mall. rollerskatinglizard: *laughing* Indeed theunvanquishedzims: Where did big scary monster Merrill go, who is this marshmallow rollerskatinglizard: What scam is he trying to run?!? theunvanquishedzims: Oooh, I pity the fool who is assigned to a boat with Officer Merrill. Double flinch response rollerskatinglizard: RIGHT? *OH SHIT, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE* And she's ARMED theunvanquishedzims: Try to blow off some steam by watching some wrestling, A THIRD ONE rollerskatinglizard: Some poor dumbass who sneered at Trimmer once ends up hiding out on a penny boat bc there's MERRILLS EVERYWHERE, IT'S NOT SAFE OUT THERE theunvanquishedzims: *dying laughing* I imagine a non-terrible Sympatico crew member meeting reformed Rich is like those Very Special Episodes where the hero's high school bully or childhood bad influence friend comes to town, and they're so nice and friendly and apologetic about what happened back in the day rollerskatinglizard: We actually have an encounter something like that planned! theunvanquishedzims: The hero's friends are all charmed and the hero can't convince anyone that it's all an act, he's secretly still terrible, look I'll prove it *does something that makes the hero look bad and the reformed guy look like a victim* Yaaaaaaaaay!!! Outside perspective is the BEST rollerskatinglizard: Rich and this random dude, both acting like the other one is a total menace Meanwhile, anyone who's known either of them since is like ....No?? He's a fine guy, perfectly reasonable Merrill, stop growling theunvanquishedzims: Two Spider-Men pointing at each other rollerskatinglizard: Hah! Yes theunvanquishedzims: Also the fact that Rich has gotten BIGGER since leaving the Sympatico is probably a shock rollerskatinglizard: OH yeah theunvanquishedzims: Richard "Cranky Because He's Slowly Starving To Death" Merrill rollerskatinglizard: I mean, it's a shock to Rich When he hits another growth spurt So it's definitely a shock to anyone else theunvanquishedzims: Oh yeah, he was like 17 when he was first assigned there, nowhere near done growing yet Richard "My Shirts Rip When I Flex Wrong" Merrill rollerskatinglizard: *snickering* He'd look so sheepish and disgruntled if someone gave him that "I flexed and the sleeves fell off" shirt theunvanquishedzims: I am so glad Trimmer got to him before, like, a gang could figure out he's easily bribed with food. Things could have gone so much worse, corruption-wise rollerskatinglizard: YUP theunvanquishedzims: I just finished Athena and the Midnight Chicken and WOW Rich was actually kind of close to giving in to peer pressure there, if Athena hadn't thrown herself towards the proverbial sword he might have let himself be talked into something he really didn't want to do. rollerskatinglizard: It's possible! Baby Rich is very weak to peer pressure theunvanquishedzims: If they had been smart and manipulative and laid the groundwork first it would have been even easier, not just "here's a knife let your ingrained killing instincts do the work" rollerskatinglizard: Yeah! It could've gone much worse theunvanquishedzims: In the wrong hands Rich would make a very good, very sad soldier But like, deep down inside sad where no one could see it. rollerskatinglizard: That was actually close to his original story when I came up with him

[I’ll check with Skates to see if it’s okay to post that bit]

theunvanquishedzims: I'm already nervous about those two Horrible Old Men rollerskatinglizard: Which two? theunvanquishedzims: My face went D: at the idea that there's more than two rollerskatinglizard: *pats u gently* theunvanquishedzims: The werewolf guy with the boys on leashes is the one that makes my instincts scream KILL IT WITH FIRE, but there's also the one with the scar on his face? I wanna say Arthur Carroway rollerskatinglizard: >u> Gosh, Zims, idk WHY you'd be worried about him Just bc my tablet keyboard knows how to spell Carraway That's no reason to be concerned! rollerskatinglizard: Maybe Splick made him the [tarot] Devil bc he's devilishly handsome! Did you think of that?? theunvanquishedzims: I am terrified of him showing up, I know I'll be cringing too hard to keep reading right away. Men who abuse positions of power are so squicky, I couldn't even stand to watch the Office and Michael Scott is like, the most benign example of the trope But yeah a guy like that getting to Rich as a younger more mallable person, fresh-faced and eager to please. Ugh. Such a bad ending. rollerskatinglizard: YUP theunvanquishedzims: William Sandgren is the other one, I think rollerskatinglizard: Fortunately Rich did get rescued originally! I don't do sad endings theunvanquishedzims: He looks cool, I don't immediately want him dead for my own safety rollerskatinglizard: <u< theunvanquishedzims: ...I will ignore that face and continue to think of him as the lesser of two evils for now rollerskatinglizard: Absolutely feel free! ^u^ theunvanquishedzims: When I thought about this earlier I imagined Liam actually being the one to start a pissing contest with Arthur. Rich guy vs criminal guy, my grandmother bedazzled the skulls of her enemies, your teeth would make a lovely necklace, etc etc "Well I'd love to get them around your throat" ;) rollerskatinglizard: You know Liam QUITE well theunvanquishedzims: I'm a visual learner, so all the illustrations are helping me flesh out characteristics. Liam smiling like a psycho while his face drips blood is very telling. rollerskatinglizard: Hah!!! Right? God, he's SUCH a little firebrand theunvanquishedzims: (Also, AU where Liam is the babydoll heir and Rich is the soldier mod bodyguard he climbs like a tree) rollerskatinglizard: We have definitely discussed that AU thoughtfully >u> It's good, v tasty theunvanquishedzims: Rich is all THIS GOES AGAINST THE RULES and Liam is all oh you like being told what to do hmm? >:3~ rollerskatinglizard: Rich: God this is SUCH a bad idea, I'm gonna get so fired Liam: Not if you're good enough at it! theunvanquishedzims: I imagine without a pregnancy they'd be able to keep it under wraps slightly longer than grandma Beaker rollerskatinglizard: True! theunvanquishedzims: "Under wraps" like everyone in the house can't hear them rollerskatinglizard: Pffff YUP theunvanquishedzims: Ugh now I'm remembering Trimmer being scared of Rich getting drunk and pushy and I'm sad again rollerskatinglizard: No one likes Rich's drinking except Rich rollerskatinglizard: It's okay tho, Trimmer trusts Rich more after that theunvanquishedzims:I think he'll figure it out given enough time. Rich: Well everyone drinks because work sucks. Basil and Mitch: Nope! Rich: Well I'm a soldier mod so it just LOOKS like I'm drinking a lot. Angie and Thena: Nope! Rich: Well I have trauma from the Sympatico so I need alcohol to deal with that. Trimmer: Nope! Rich: ...well I guess I have a problem then. :< Everyone: Yep! rollerskatinglizard: Indeed theunvanquishedzims: I am so curious about their origins, how the relationship developed, how apparently they had half a handjob between them and went NOPE NEVER AGAIN, how they wound up co-sleeping, if they ever cried on one another, etc etc rollerskatinglizard: I'm 100% certain that Rich cried on Trimmer at least once, while Trimmer awkwardly patted his hair and gently called him a wuss or something If Trimmer ever cried it would've been in the middle of the night, and none of them would ever mention it in the light of day theunvanquishedzims: Was that Trimmer's first posting? I know it was Rich's, so he kiiiind of didn't know any better, but Trimmer is older by a bit rollerskatinglizard: It definitely wasn't Trimmer's first, no, the latest in a long string of postings that went from okay to bad to worse theunvanquishedzims: Oh nooooooo No wonder he finally said screw it and got a solo boat rollerskatinglizard: Yep

[echoghost1]

Dark Familiarity

Word Count: 2608

For: @gottacatchghosts

Summary: Danny has been hunting ghosts for a while now. He has been ever since they ruined his life and a mysterious package arrived with everything he needed to exact his revenge.

TW: Character Death!

You can read on AO3 or down below the cut.

Danny slowly slid the window open. He knew if he went too fast it would squeak. Just as he nearly had it wide enough for him to fit through, the door behind him opened.

“Danny?” his mom called out with a hint of warning in her voice.

He sighed and slid his backpack off of his shoulder. “Yeah?” he said with as much disinterest as he could muster. Which was a lot, surprisingly.

“What are you doing?”

“Opening the window? Am I not allowed fresh air now?” he said with a scoff. Could she just hurry up with the lecture already? He was missing out on his patrols and if he waited too long that ghost girl would get all the good ones.

She crossed her arms and scowled right back at him, “Why do you need your backpack to open a window? And where’s the screen?”

“It fell out.” That was true enough. She didn’t need to know that it was because he had kicked it out about a month ago.

“And the backpack?”

“I just hadn’t taken it off yet. Anything else you want to interrogate me over?”

She sighed and all the previous agitation drained out of her, “Why are you so angry? You never used to be this angry.”

“Well, maybe it’s because my life sucks?! Did you ever think of that? Maybe moving to this terrible apartment complex at the beginning of the school year wasn’t such a great idea?”

“You know we couldn’t afford to stay in our old house after what happened.”

“Yeah, but you could have tried a little harder to find a place with a few less rats, don’t you think?”

“Daniel!”

“Or maybe this is just who I am now?” He snatched his bag off the ground and pushed the window the rest of the way up. He didn’t care if she saw anymore. He just had to get out and shoot something.

“What are you-? Get back in here this instant!” His mom yelled as he slipped out the window and stood on the fire escape.

“You don’t want me to be angry here, so I’m going out.”

“Danny please, just come back in. It’s not safe out here at night.”

He didn’t bother replying. The only words in his mind were cruel and he didn’t want to make this worse.

He took the fire escape stairs two at a time and jumped from the ladder to the dirty sidewalk below. He quickly walked a few blocks until he got to the corner store, then he slipped into the alley and put his hunter suit on.

The technology used to make the gear was so beyond what he even thought was possible. He still had yet to meet the person who had sent it to him, but it worked so well he hardly cared if he ever would.

There was a ping on his visor HUD and he couldn’t help the smirk that stretched across his features. That looked like a big one. Perfect.

===============================================

Due to him staying out much longer than necessary for ghost hunting patrols he accidentally slept through a test and got in trouble for fighting when he decided to stand up for himself for once.

Why he got in trouble for not wanting to be shoved inside his own locker for the hundredth time was beyond him.

“I can’t believe you kicked Dash in the balls.”

Oh yeah, that’s why he was in trouble.

He laughed, “Well if he hadn’t made it so easy I wouldn’t have been able to.”

“Okay, but when did you become such a badass?” Tucker asked as the two sat in the empty classroom and waited for their detention to start.

Danny just shrugged.

He hadn’t told his friends about the ghost hunting yet. He almost did, but when he heard Sam going off about ‘Ghost Rights’ he figured it would just be easier to keep it a secret.

“Well maybe tone it down next time? I thought the plan was to be geeks in school and then take over the world when we graduate college and all the dumb jocks have to work for us?”

“That may be your plan, but I don’t think I’m patient enough for that.”

Tucker rolled his eyes before quickly pocketing his phone as Mr. Lancer entered the room.

He takes his sweet time making it to his desk before looking over the files in front of him, “Tucker Foley. Repeated loitering by the girl’s locker rooms and having your phone in the classroom.” he sighed and looked at Tucker with a disapproving frown before looking at Danny’s report. “Daniel Fenton. Sleeping in class. Talking back to faculty. Fighting with other students? Mr. Fenton, I know you’re going through a rough patch right now.”

Whatever he was about to say Danny didn’t want to hear it. “Save it. If I wanted a pity party, I would have thrown one myself.”

Mr. Lancer slapped the papers back onto his desk. “I was hoping some positive reinforcement would do you some good but clearly that’s not what you want.”

“How is getting detention for standing up to bullying ‘positive reinforcement’?”

“Danny,” Tucker whispered through clenched teeth, “stop! You’re gonna make it worse.”

“What could possibly be worse?”

“Suspension! You’re suspended for the next two weeks! Hopefully, that will get your attitude back in check.”

“You can’t do that!”

“Actually, as Vice Principal, I very much can. Now, wait here while I call your parents.”

Danny clenched his fists and glared at the floor. This wasn’t fair. Nothing was fair and everything was stupid.

If he couldn’t go to school what the heck was he supposed to do all day? He certainly wasn’t going to sit around in the apartment.

===============================================

Oddly enough, news of his suspension gave his dad the idea to visit his old college friend. “Sure I haven’t seen the man in years, but I’m sure he’d love to have us. It is our 20-year reunion this year, maybe he’d like to catch up?”

“Are you going to call him first? Before you just show up?” Jazz asked looking up from her book. It was a valid question giving their dad’s tendency to just do things.

“No need! He sent this invitation just the other day. It got lost in the mail for a bit due to the move, but here it is!” he said pulling the invite out with a flourish. “Nothing like a good old road trip to put the mind at ease!”

“Wisconson? That’s at least a four-hour drive from here.”

“Yeah! It’s going to be great! Especially if we see any cool attractions on the way!” his dad continued oblivious to his daughter’s distress.

“You know, this might be a good thing for us.” his mom said as she looked over the flyer. “I’ll give him a call and see if he minds if we all come.”

“I can’t believe that you get in trouble and now I have to waste my weekend on some dumb family road trip.” Jazz grumbled mostly to herself before sticking her nose back in her book.

Danny just rolled his eyes and went to his room. Apparently, he had some packing to do.

===============================================

They ended up leaving much later than they had intended because his mom wasn’t able to get off of work any sooner than 6 ‘o clock. Because of their late departure, they had to sleep crammed into a sketchy motel. If they still had the RV they could have slept there, but that got sold with the house and all their inventions.

The sleepover did reveal some very interesting bit of news that their parents had decided to wait until the very last second to mention. Apparently, this mysterious old college friend was none other than Vlad Masters.

The name meant nothing to Danny until Jazz started going on about how he was some super successful billionaire or whatever.

That was not something he would have expected to hear.

It was made even weirder when they said he had a lab accident when they were in college that sounded an awful like it might have been his dad’s fault.

No wonder they got shut down.

Danny can’t help but wonder what his life would have been like if they had built the portal in the basement as they had wanted, instead of renting the lab space at Axion. He’d probably would have gotten hurt somehow. He’s honest with himself enough to admit that he’s clumsy and accident-prone.

Or at least he used to be.

Now he’s always ready.

===============================================

Meeting Vlad was, interesting, to say the least.

The man was both obsessed with the Green Bay Packers and also Danny’s mom.

Jazz said it was fine as long as mom said no, and she was usually right about things when it came to other people so he let it slide.

He was watching the reunion party get set up when Vlad came up beside him, “Can I have a word with you?” he asked in his smooth rich guy voice.

“Uh, sure?” Danny agreed and followed Vlad out of the room and down the hall.

They walked for a while in complete silence and just when Danny was about to say something they entered a laboratory.

“So, how is the equipment fairing? Everything working properly?” Vlad asked casually.

“Equipment?” Danny asked when the only equipment he owned was his secret ghost hunting gear.

Vlad turns to face him with a smirk Danny can’t quite place. “Yes, you’re ghost hunting equipment.”

“You know about that?”

“Who do you think gave it to you?”

Danny hesitated and realized maybe he should have looked into what Dlav Co. was after all.

“How many well-off individuals with a background in ghost studies do you think there are?” he chuckles, “Or did it not occur to you to know your benefactor?”

Danny frowned not at all liking how this guy was talking. “If you wanted me to know who you were, why didn’t you just say so when you sent it to me?”

“And risk anyone finding out I’ve given dangerous and experimental weapons to a fourteen-year-old? No thank you.”

“Then why give them to me at all?”

“Because you're the most capable ghost hunter I've ever seen!” he praised as he put a hand on Danny’s shoulder as he steered him further into the lab. “You’re a natural in the field. Quick battle reflexes and amazing adaptability. It’s like you were born for this.”

“You really think so?”

An adult saying nice things about Danny was so rare, but this was something else. Was this guy actually proud of him? What he’d give for his own parents to be even half this proud of him.

“Of course, dear boy.” He let go of Danny as they approached a large workbench, “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of gathering your equipment.”

Danny looked to where Vlad was gesturing and saw that that was his suit and all of his guns. Even the hoverboard was there too.

He hadn’t brought his ghost hunting gear with him. He distinctly remembers leaving that at home. In his room. Under his bed.

Should he be worried about that?

“I thought, after you’ve been working so hard lately, it could use some upgrades. Don’t you think?”

“Oh, okay. Cool.” Hard to say no when it was already here.

“Excellent.” He clapped his hands together once and spun on his heel, “Well I should be done with all of this in just a few days so I’ll just send them back once they are ready.”

Danny wasn’t super excited to be without his gear for so long, but this guy was being so generous. Danny just accepted the terms.

“Perfect. Now run along. I have a few things I need to attend to before all the other guests get here.”

===============================================

The reunion party was in full swing and Danny was starting to regret not just staying with Jazz in the movie room. Watching a bunch of grown-ups jump around to weird music because there was absolutely no one his age around to talk to was getting old.

He spotted Vlad from across the room as he walked with one of the waiters back into the kitchen.

Danny sighed and wondered if he would get in trouble if he just followed him in there too.

Just as he was setting his empty punch glass back on the table a scream broke out. He turned to the sound and instinctively reached for his gear.

Which he didn’t have.

He sighed and hoped that maybe it wasn’t ghost-related, they were so far from Amity that it couldn’t possibly be that, right?

He was wrong. Because of course, he was.

The ballroom was emptying out surprisingly fast and it didn’t take a lot to see why. Floating several feet in the air was his dad.

He was shouting nonsense about how he needed to pay for his sins as he flew about the room.

Danny bit his lip and looked around to see if there was anything in the room he could use to help.

He was about to grab one of the serving trays to use as a shield, Captain America style, but his mom gripped his arm and started to drag him out of the room with the rest of the crowd.

“Sweetie, we have to go! Where is your sister?”

“She’s in the theater,” he said pointing towards it as he tried to slip out of her grip.

“Good, let’s go!” before he could protest further she simply picked him up, slung him over her shoulder, and started running.

“Mom?! Put me down! We can’t just leave him!”

“I’m sorry sweetie, but it’s not safe. We need to leave.”

“But mom, it’s a ghost! We have to get it out of him!”

His mom slowed down in her retreat and held him in front of her, “And how do you suppose we do that? I don’t have any ghost hunting gear, do you?”

Danny bit back his retort. Of course, he couldn’t say that he did. He couldn’t say that it was in fact, here.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t take a guess at where some could be.

“Maybe Vlad has some? He went to school for the same thing you did, right?” Danny said in a rush as he was finally able to wiggle out of her grip.

“Danny wait!”

It was too late, he was already off back to the lab to get the weapons his mom didn’t know he knew how to use.

He slid into the room and to his utter horror, all of his gear was completely dismantled. Exposed wires and opened components everywhere. When the heck did Vlad even have time to do all this while he was hosting a party?

Danny scrambled to find something, anything that was even remotely usable but the more he looked, the more everything just blurred together into a haze of black and red electronics.

There was another scream.

His mother.

He ditched the room and ran towards the sound hoping he wasn’t too late to help her.

It wasn’t his mom that needed help.

Outside of the ballroom was a large balcony that overlooked the front lawn. From there you could see the most stars Danny had ever seen outside of astral photography.

The stars weren’t what was holding his attention tonight.

Down below the balcony, on the hard unforgiving asphalt of the driveway was his dad.

He was too late.

His dad was dead.

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