#she was like 'lift your shirt' and then 'yep' in like 5 seconds flat

[one-winged-dreams]

Got confirmation today that the back pain IS scoliosis 😔

[imnotwolverine]

The Accidental Family - Chapter 4

Henry Cavill x OFC - multi-chapter

< Chap 3 | Chap 4 The First Date night | Chap 5 >

Disclaimer: fluff, mild smuttiness, some strong language

Word count: 2.303

Author’s note: I had so much food the past couple of days 😂So yea, despite the Christmas days having been weird at best, me and my bf had quite a bit of fun - and a whole lot of romantic dinners to kill the time. And ..now we’re talking romantic dinners..

(Link to my Masterlist)

--

‘Black or purple, what do you think?’ Henry held up the two ties before Kal, the dog tilting his head left and right, as if deciding which one was better. The answer was apparently quite simple according to Henry’s dog; with an excited huff the Akita jumped right up in Henry’s face, licking him all over.

‘Yea, yea, hahahah - that’s the goal. Hahahah. You got me there. So..no tie, then?’ He pushed the dog back down and ruffled him through his thick fur. Kal borked softly and Henry agreed. ‘Very well, a little less formal is probably better, you’re right. We’re having a date at home, anyways.’

Henry breathed in deeply and looked in the direction of the kitchen, his stew simmering on a low fire as he heard Phoebe rummage upstairs, some closet cabinets opening and closing in a mildly hasty manner.

With Henry still in full recovery, it was decided that it would be best to just stick to a cute home dinner for their first dinner date since his memory loss - just to avoid any overzealous fans that would disturb him in a restaurant after the news had been released that he had suffered a serious head injury in a motorcycle accident.

The accident had left many scars. Both physical and mental. It was weird to be here at home now more people lived here, the kids on a prolonged stay with the grandparents while Henry and his wife recuperated from the shake-up his - their - life had had.

In the past days Henry had seen about every specialist and doctor in the book. He went from lengthy couch sessions with a psychologist - the story of the introduction of his kids having been received with mild horror - to the keeping of sleep and medication schedules with his doctor to make sure he got enough recovery and rest in between re-learning the basics of his new life.

The fact that a good many people surviving such head trauma would never be the same, troubled Henry greatly, and so whenever he was allowed to search the internet, which was sparingly, he scoured it like a starved man, the printer in the living room doing over-time to print all the articles and research he had found.

But, all that research would have to wait for the moment. First he’d have to get reacquainted with another part of his life: his wife. And even now as he heard her rummage around the master bedroom, he couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter with nerves.

What if she didn’t like the new Henry? What if he couldn’t fall in love with her. Or the sex would be awful, or..

NO! Stop those thoughts.

Looking back in the hallway mirror, he unbuttoned his blouse a little further, a little peek of chest hair popping out over the sleek white fabric.

‘Button up or down?’ Henry looked over at Kal, but the dog thought his human dad was being ridiculous, his body turning around to trod back to the kitchen to slobber up some water.

‘..Very well then.’

--

It was near surprising how easy dinner went by. Which of course, shouldn’t be too much of a surprise; Henry and Phoebe had several dinners at home before this one, though they never had been quite so romantic. Henry had turned the lights down low and lit some candles, the kitchen radio playing some soft jazzy music playing in the background.

With dinner over and the dirty plates returned to the dishwasher - the dance of moving around the kitchen together now quite well practised, they ended up on the couch, the both of them sipping on some tea, since it was strongly advised not to consume alcohol after Henry’s brain injury.

‘So...’ Henry finished the last sip of his tea and placed it on the side table next to his right elbow, his blue eyes searching for his wife’s slightly dazed expression - she did have a wine or two with his stew.

‘Hmm?’

‘Are you falling asleep on me, wife?’

‘Hahaha you wish.’

‘I do wish.’

‘Oh stop it!’ Her cheeks burned a bright pink, making Henry chuckle - at least he still got some of his charms.

‘I WAS actually wondering about what you mentioned earlier. When I asked you on this date..remember?’

‘Yea…’ She lifted her legs and crossed them, snuggling herself more comfortable in her nook on the couch, lips blowing over her slowly cooling tea.

‘What did you mean by “we never really dated”?’ Henry quoted the last words with his fingers.

‘Oh!’ She quickly looked away, her hands deciding it was best to put her tea away on the side table on her side of the couch. ‘Yea….’ She looked back at Henry. ‘That’s a funny story..’

‘Mmm?’

‘Okay, okay. So, I’m just curious. How do you think we met?’ Her eyebrows rose in expectation, her body fully turning towards him, legs still crossed before her chest. Henry also turned slightly, his arm stretching out over the back of the couch, his fingertips just about able to reach her knees.

‘Hmm. I’ve actually thought about that. Though of course I don’t know. But ehh..’ He squinted his eyes a little, as if playfully wanting to guess. ‘I think I met you on set.’

‘How’s that?’

‘I don’t know. Just a feeling.’

‘Well. It’s not. Try again.’

‘Okay..Ehm, then I totally met you at the grocery store and hit on you so hard that you thought I was some weird creep?’

She laughed. ‘That has happened. Not with you though.’

‘Shame.’

Phoebe laughed and shook her head. ‘Dork.’

‘OH! A comic book store?! A Comic Con? A..’

‘No, and.. no.’

‘Alright, I don’t know. Spill the beans, wife-dear.’

She shot him an exasperated look, before clicking her tongue. ‘We shagged at an after party.’

Henry’s face blanked. ‘I’m sorry, say that again: AT an after party?’

‘Yea..we definitely did it AT the after party.’

‘Was I drunk?’

Phoebe laughed. ‘Shit Henry. Of course we were. We both were. I wouldn’t for the life of me shag anyone on any party, but there we were, fumbling hands and tearing expensive dress shirts in a toilet stall.’ 

Henry’s eyes widened at her words.

‘Yea..classy, right? And you left me a little present too.’

‘We’re not talking about just a phone number here, huh?’

‘Nope. You knocked me up with our ray of sunshine, Sam. Funny thing was that I lost my phone that night, and with it your number. I then contacted your assistant, Aunt Lea, whom TOTALLY didn’t believe you’d do anything of the sort, so it took me a good three months to get in contact with you.’

‘Holy crap.’

Phoebe sighed deeply and turned away again, as if wishing to shut out Henry from her thoughts. ‘Yea, it’s been a wild ride.’

‘Wait.’ Henry pushed himself a little closer so he could brush a hand over her shoulder, his eyes searching the curve of her nose and the pull of her lips. ‘Do you regret it? It’s okay if you do. I mean, we’re all out, bums out - besides I can’t remember a thing of the things you just said.’

Phoebe shook her head. ‘No.’ She finally looked back up at Henry, her eyes a lot more warm and welcoming than he had expected. ‘I was already smitten with you before I rang this doorbell to give you the happy news you were about to become a dad...and I’d have kept sweetheart Sam either way the wind would have blown.’

‘Sam..Fixing his dad and all.’ Henry smiled.

‘Gods.’ Phoebe chuckled. ‘That was bad.’

‘Kinda. I’ll need some help with managing that rowdy bunch.’ Henry sighed, feeling Phoebe’s hand reaching out to brush through his curls again - he liked it.

‘I had a good night.’ She said.

Henry looked at her and instantly felt his heart flutter, his stomach dropping and palms going sweaty. It was quite obvious that IF he wanted to make a move, he’d have to do it now. And so, with perhaps a bit too awkward a hastiness, he scooted closer to Phoebe, his black burning eyes staring down into her expecting dark blues.

‘I liked it too. I like YOU..too.’ He breathed, making her eyes also grow darker by the second.

‘Good,’ She whispered, switching her focus between his left and right eye, noses slowly crawling closer to one another until their lips were but a breath away from touching.

‘Can I kiss y..-?’

His words lingered somewhere in between the crashing of their two bodies, Phoebe’s arms eagerly pulling him towards her, her lips savouring the taste of mint tea and musk on his tongue. And as eagerly as they started, so eagerly it to-tal-ly escalated. In moments Henry had flipped her flat onto the couch, his hands scorching the skin on her neck and chest, fingertips teasing and touching whatever piece of flesh her simple black dress revealed.

‘FUCK.’ She whined, turning her head to offer him more neck for him to bite down into.  

Henry growled and lowered his hip, making her feel the eagerness he felt in the tightness of his dress pants, the fabric strained around his crotch.

‘Oh gods,’ Her breath hiccuped and were it not for Henry’s attentiveness, he wouldn’t have picked up on the tears that had started to spill from her eyes, his body immediately pushing back up before he wiped the stray hairs in her face away, worried eyes studying her trembling lips and blurry gaze.

‘I-I’m so sorry.’ She mumbled, turning her head into the couch pillow, wishing to hide from his penetrative gaze.

‘No, no. It’s okay. Sshhh.’ He sat up on his haunches and pulled her with ease onto his lap, his chin pressing down onto her head as she cried into the open V of his shirt, his chest hair wetting with her agony - yep he kept it buttoned down. ‘Sshhh.’ He hushed, pressing more and more kisses into her golden hair. ‘I’ve got you.’

‘I’ve missed you so much.’ She whimpered, and it was in that moment Henry hated himself for the way his erection twitched beneath the plush of her thighs, his mind having to focus on anything but her scent and warmth - and failed. Henry failed miserably, Bee’s head starting to shake “no” as she pushed herself off his lap.

‘Fwooo…’ She breathed, focusing on slowing her breath before she looked back at Henry with watery eyes, their bodies separated by the magic of opposing magnetic energy; if Henry tried to come closer, she leaned back and vice versa.

‘Maybe we should give THAT a little more time.’ She chuckled through her tears, the back of her hand wiping away the smudge of mascara that was running down her cheek.

‘I’m sorry about that.’ Henry muttered, feeling like he had failed completely, though thankfully Phoebe could only see the hilarity of it:

‘Guess nothing much has changed in that department.’ She sighed and turned her body back towards him. ‘Is it okay if we sleep apart for a little bit? Just to..-’

‘Calm down?’

‘Yea.’ Her lips curled in a smile.

‘I’m not really used to sleeping with women on the first date anyways.’

Phoebe laughed, poking him in the bicep. ‘OH PLEASE, don’t tell me I was the only one you ever..’

Henry laughed along and shrugged with boyish innocence: ‘Can’t remember, but from what I know, I ...never..’

‘Will you go on another date with me though?’

Henry let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He was pleased with her gentle plea, his hand catching hers to press a sweet and tender promise of a kiss onto the back of her hand. ‘Absolutely.’

--

That night Henry found himself bunking up with a bed full of stuffies, the bed of his 4-year old the only one he could somewhat fit into.

Turning towards the stuffies, he remembered the notes his wife had given him in the past days: Sam had a stuffy named Mr. Stinky, which he had left behind to watch over his other friends while he was away. 

Henry studied the line up of rabbits, elephants, bears and foxes. Which one was Stinky anyways? His wife had said it in between a avalanche of other information, so Henry hadn’t quite managed to catch on like he so wished.

‘Oh..There’s a LOT to learn huh..Mr Stinky? Or ..were you Mr Stinky?’ He looked from stuffy to stuffy, the large beady eyes looking back at him in silence. With a slight smirk on his face Henry pushed his nose into their fluffy bellies, inhaling deeply to find out which one would be Mr. Stinky. But, apparently it was just a name; they all smelled fine.

Rolling onto his back, he switched off the Mario mushroom shaped night light, the ceiling above glowing up with a hundred small stars that had been put up to keep the nightmares at bay.

‘Woa..’ He breathed, feeling his heart flip at the idea that everything about this was real. He had kids. He had..a wife. A family life. And now all he needed to learn was how to fit into his new role. This new ..Henry. And, for the fuck of sakes: if he wasn’t going to jerk off soon, he’d jump his wife before the night was through. It was quite clear how they had never made it to a first date; she simply made his heart and loin ache in a way he had never quite felt before.

Sighing deeply he looked back at the dark row of judgmental beady eyes next to him. He chuckled.

‘Yea...let’s not do that here.’

--

Chap 5 >

--

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@ceilingfann @do-youseeme

[niall-is-my-dream]

The Dirty Book - One Shot

2k one shot

Not entirely happy with it but I'm posting anyway. Let me know what you think.

Em xxx

This was the life you thought, it was like scene from a movie as you sat curled up at the end of the sofa opposite a roaring log fire. It was made even better by the view in front of you, and you didn't mean the beautiful snow covered mountains outside the window.

You were talking about a certain gorgeous Irishman who was topping up the fire with a few more logs. He was wearing shorts, despite the plummeting temperatures outside, the muscles in his back visible under his t-shirt as he moved. Averting your eyes before he turned around, you carried on reading your book.

Squeezing your thighs together to ease the aching throb that had started, you desperately tried to focus on the words on the page.

"Jessica was panting as she rode Garrett, sex was always fast and hard with him, just the way she liked it."

Same Jessica, same.

Niall took his seat at the other end of the sofa, putting some golf highlights on the tv. He stretched his leg out in front of him, a large ice pack rested across his right knee. His sock covered toes tucked themselves under your blanket, his feet tickling you against your thigh.

"Why did you choose to come skiing for your sisters birthday if you don't like it?" Niall asked smiling and taking a sip of his beer. The day time drinking had commenced, Niall's reasoning was that it was 5 o'clock somewhere.

"I came for the log fire, the hot tub and the wine!" You replied smiling back and raising your wine glass to him. "Why did you come when you have old man knees?!"

 "Shut it cheeky! I came to keep Willie company, he was a bit nervous as he doesn't know many of Vicky's friends boyfriends that well."

You had met Niall numerous times in the six months your sister Vicky had been dating Niall's cousin Willie. Pub trips, gigs and game nights at their shared apartment had occurred loads of times. He was easy going and you enjoyed his company. When he had decided to head up to the chalet after an hour or two on the slopes you had jumped at the chance to come back too,  skiing just wasn't your thing.

"How's the knee feeling?" You asked, leaning over and lifting up the ice pack to see if it was swollen.

"It's feeling ok. I think I'll put the ice pack back in the freezer actually."

He rose from the sofa and made his way into the kitchen, the heat you'd felt from the contact of his body was gone. A few seconds later he appeared with the bottle of wine and topped up your glass.

"Thanks lovely."

"So how's your dirty book?" He asked you as he sat back down, his body closer to you this time.

"My dirty book?!" You said raising your eyebrows.

"Yeah, your dirty book! Looked pretty racy when I peeked at it earlier."

"It's not dirty or racy, it's just a bit of erotica!" You replied smiling.

"Soft porn more like."

"Is Niall Horan admitting to knowing about soft porn?!"

"I'm a man, of course I know about it!"

"Women can enjoy it to you know." You said.

"Never said they couldn't! Are you ok with me sitting here or are you planning on having some private time while you read?!" He asked wiggling his eyebrows at you.

"Private time? God Niall!"

"Hey, it's natural, we all do it!"

 "Never said it wasn't." You said giving him a wink.

"So what's your book about then?" He asked, changing the subject slightly.

"Niall..... "

"What?! I'm interested."

"You really want to know?!"

"Yep, tell me about it." He smirked.

He is going to regret asking you, you couldn't wait to get him all worked up. 

"Well, it's about this 20something woman who's pretty unlucky in love until she meets this guy who seems to good to be true. He funny and charming and they end up going on a few dates. There's a bit of drama in it to."

 "Like Bridget Jones' diary?"

"I suppose so, but there's loads of amazing sex in it." You blurted out.

"Really?" He managed to choke out before clearing his throat.

You could hear Niall muttering under his breath, something along the lines of jesus and fucking hell. Knowing you'd got him all flustered and tongue tied was a good feeling.

"Yep, she has some amazing sexual encounters."

"Like what?" He mumbled, and you could see him blushing. 

"Well there's one scene I read yesterday where she's watching a movie with the guy and they're all snuggled up under a blanket, quite like this one actually."  You said as you looked down at the cover, running your hands across the fabric.

You looked over and saw Niall gulp. 

"And then the guy leans over," You whispered getting closer to him and licking your lips. "And cups her face and.......... kisses her deep and slow." 

"And...." He replied, your faces just inches away from each other.

"And then she climbs up into his lap........and grinds her core against him, rubbing back and forth against his erection. Lots of moaning and panting until they both cum in their underwear."

"Um....fuck." He replied clearing his throat again.

You bit down on your lower lip trying to hide the smile that you knew was creeping up on your face.

"You ok over there love?" You asked him, and you could see the blush creeping up his neck to his cheeks.

"Um yeah......I'm good. Hard, but good."

You raised your eyebrows at that information, wondering where to go next with the conversation. But the haze that had covered you both was broken when you heard your sister's voice as she entered the hallway.

"Here, you might need this." You said as you placed a cushion on his lap.

"You're going pay for that later." He whispered as everyone started coming into the living room.

"I hope so." You whispered back.

********

There was an instant connection. His hand creeping up under the hem of your top had ignited something in you both.

What has started out as a few glances and smiles across the table had ended with you pushed up against the wall of the bathroom of the pub.

Not exactly the most glamourous of places, but you needed to get your hands on him. The ache you felt for him had intensified now that you had him in your grasp.

His mouth explored your neck as his fingers found the lace of your bra. Fingers pinching gently across your nipples, working you into even more of a frenzy. It had been so long since you'd been with anyone and you felt like you were going to combust.

Bringing his face level with yours, he nudged your nose with his.  The blue of his eyes was bright and he was searching yours for something. Reassurance that you wanted this? You didn't know what he was looking for, but you moved closer and captured his lips with yours.

Your skirt was bunch up around your waist, his slick fingers rubbing you across the front of your knickers, which were already damp with your arousal. When he slid two of them beneath the lace and ran then across your clit, you moaned against his mouth.

"So fucking ready for me darlin." He mumbled against your lips not wanting to halt the kiss completely.

Fumbling with his belt and button, you pulled him hard from his jeans. Your thumb running over the tip as he groaned and pulled your bottom lip between his teeth.

His fingers slid from your warmth as he searched his pockets for a foil wrapper. Taking it from him, he looked up at you once again searching your eyes. Carefully tearing open the packet, you took the condom and held him in your hands. He leaned his forehead against yours as you moved back his foreskin and rolled the condom down his thick hard length.

With your knickers pushed to the side he lined himself up. His cock was sitting right at your entrance as he lifted you up and sank deep inside you. Both of you let out a low guttural moan as the ache you'd felt there was finally being relieved.

Your hands instantly grabbed his shoulders and you ran your fingers up and across the nape of his neck. His mouth found yours in a greedy kiss, the type where teeth knocked each other with urgency.

Bending his knees he fucked you slowly, gentle but precise thrusts and your body came alive. He was overwhelming your senses, you couldn't focus on the things he began whispering in your ear.

Your pants and moans were the only things that could be heard in the confines of the bathroom. The grip he had on your hips was tightening as he got closer to his release, his thrusts becoming sloppy and his voice husky and dripping with lust and heat.

The top of his pubic bone was rubbing against your clit and his cock was tapping against your g spot. Both of you were sweating as you came together, the release much needed.

You were silent for a a minute after, your breathing coming back down, unspoken words between you about the line you'd crossed. Your 'dirty book' as Niall called it had made you look at each other differently. Since your conversation earlier you hadn't thought of anything other than getting him inside you. 

It had been a long afternoon in the chalet with all the others, no opportunity to be alone. And you'd both tried. Niall had followed you into the kitchen a few times, offering to help you with dinner but Willie had come to help to. And when you'd all gone to get ready to go out for the evening, you opened your bedroom door to sneak to his, to find your sister there. 

But you'd finally got him alone now after sneaking away from the table in the busy pub.

Feeling him turn soft inside you, he dropped your legs down and slipped out. His fingers fumbled with with condom, tying it and disposing of it in the bin. When he passed you some tissue to clean yourself up you finally met his eyes. You could see him trying to hold back the enormous grin he had on his face.

"Happy with yourself?!" You asked him, your face matching his.

"Babe, I've had a semi for about 8 hours after our little conversation. I'm very happy with myself for finally getting my hands on you."

"Well it was kinda your own fault you got yourself so worked up."

Both of you were still smiling like idiots at each other as you adjusted your clothes.

"How was it my own fault?!" He said as he pressed his palm flat on the wall above your head. His face was mere inches from yours and you desperately wanted to kiss him again.

"You were the one sneaking a look at it and asking me about what happened in the story."

"Well, I was just taking an interest in what you were reading. You've had your head tucked away in that book a lot while we've been here."

"Trying to get my attention were you?!" You joked.

"I was actually." He admitted as his eyes moved from yours to hide his nerves.

Leaning forward you kissed him gently, nothing like the hard rough kisses from before. Moving your hand up to stroke across his neck and into his hair, he kissed you back his tongue finding yours.

"You've got my attention now." You whispered against his lips.

[katlyn1948]

When We’re Sober  (AryaxGendry Week Day 5: Don’t Lie to Me)

When We're Sober

Katlyn1948

Summary:

Arya and Gendry finish what they started.

Notes:

So because many of you asked for a second part...here it is. It is for Arya/Gendry week "Don't Lie To Me" and is a companion piece for "Drunken Night." You don't have to read that one, but you may want to to understand the contents. I hope you enjoy!

Work Text:

Arya grumbled. Her head was pounding, and her stomach twisted in ways that meant a trip to the porcelain throne. the night before was a blur and the only thing she could remember was that her home team had won the championship.

Slowly she opened her eyes, grimacing at the sunlight illuminating the already bright white walls. With an audible groan she lifted her sore body perching herself up against the headboard. It took a few minutes for her to realize that she was in her room. As she rubbed away the sleep from her eyes, bits and pieces of the night before began to reemerge.

She remembered the tournament, the round of shots she bought the entire bar, and the way that her best friend's lips felt on hers. She shouldn't have remembered the feeling, but the memory was like a searing hot knife being burned into her skin. She remembered how soft they were and how sweet they tasted and how much she wanted more. She brought her fingers to her lips, her mind lingering on the memory of the night prior.

A soft mumbling brought her back to reality. She looked down at the sleeping form of Gendry drooling on her brand-new pillow and smiled at how ridiculous he looked. He was sleeping on his stomach with his arms at his side. His soft snores seemed louder than usual and there was a string of saliva pooling on the fabric of the pillow.

They both had passed out after their failed attempt at promiscuity, falling into a deep slumber that Gendry had yet to wake from. As quietly as she could, she tried to inch herself off the bed, minding the fact that Gendry was still asleep. She knew better than to wake a sleeping bull, especially one that had a rough night.

As she stood from her bed a sudden wave of nausea engulfed her body causing her to sprint to the adjoining bathroom. Flipping the lid to the toilet she bent down and began retching the contents of her stomach.

“Someone had a rough night.” She heard Gendry say from behind her.

She lifted her head from the bowl only to give him a scowl. She flashed her middle finger and returned to emptying her stomach. Gendry chuckled and knelt beside her, brushing her hair from her face so that she didn’t get it dirty.

“Gods, how are you still standing?” She said after she had finished her less than enjoyable escapade.

She walked over to her sink and pulled her toothbrush from the holder. She couldn’t wait to get the taste of stale tequila and bile out of her mouth. Arya studied Gendry in through the mirror. He was grinning from ear to ear, obviously proud of her ability to handle alcohol.

“I have a liver of steel, Arya. Runs in the family.” He patted his stomach and immediately regretted the decision. Something must have shifted when he did that because Arya saw his cocky expression turn to one of sickness.

He nearly tripped running to the toilet as he then began to empty his own stomach.

“Liver of steel, my ass.” She mumbled under her breath.

She finished brushing her teeth, wiping away any excess of toothpaste from her mouth. She rummaged through the draw of her sink pulling out a new toothbrush for Gendry to use.

“Come to the kitchen when you’re done puking.” She called out over her shoulder as she turned to leave the bathroom.

As she entered her room, she noticed just how much of a disarray it was. Her and Gendry were literally flying blind the night before and must have knocked a few pieces of furniture out of their respective places. It also didn’t help that Arya’s room was always a mess. She had clothes piled every where and shoes just thrown about her room. She never took the time to clean it and her excuse what that it was organized chaos and she knew exactly where everything was.

She glanced around the room, looking for a shirt that did not smell like puke, and found Gendry’s discarded shirt on the side of her bed. It was a simple t-shirt that had the word ‘Mott’s’ written on the front. Gendry had snagged it the last day he worked at the auto shop wanting a souvenir for the memories. She shrugged off her own shirt and slipped the large one over her head. Arya was as tiny thing, so the shirt looked about three sizes too big on her body. She did not mind, she like that the shirt covered her bum, stopping mid-thigh. It allowed her to roam around her apartment without pants and another advantage was that it smelled exactly like Gendry.  

She shuffled out of her room and made her way into the small kitchen.

Her apartment was not large, just a single bedroom with a small living room and an even smaller kitchen. It was comfy compared to the giant manor she had grown up in. Arya had always been the type to lone about herself, so when the time came for her finally move out of her parents’ house and get a flat on her own, it was no brainer that it would be a small one.

The upside to having a tiny kitchen, Arya knew exactly where everything was. Unlike her room, Arya kept her kitchen immaculate. Although she never really cared of what people thought of her appearance, she had a sense of pride to keep her home tidy (at least the parts that the outside public sees). She stepped into the kitchen and pulled two clean glasses from side cabinet next to the refrigerator, filling them up with water.

Her stomach may be at ease and her breath may smell pristine, but her head was still pounding. She grabbed the bottle of Tylenol that she kept on the bar and down three of those suckers with her tall glass of lukewarm water. She dispensed four more painkillers, leaving them on the side for Gendry.

“Hey, have you seen my shirt?” He asked when he finally emerged from her bedroom.

“Yep. I’m wearing it.”

“Well, I need it- oh thank the gods.” His attention quickly shifted to the glass of water and pills patiently waiting for him on the counter.

Arya watched as he chugged the glass, sighing in relief as he finished.

“So, about my shirt…” Gendry rubbed the back of his neck as a slight blush reached his cheeks. He had noticed that Arya was wearing nothing but his shirt, her bare legs visible for him to see.

Arya shrugged, “What about it?”

“I kind of need it back. So I can go home.” He said sheepishly.

“Why do you want to go home?” She questioned as she popped a grape into her mouth. She had grabbed the bag from fridge when Gendry was busy drowning in his glass.

“I…uhh…have to feed my fish.” He stuttered.

Arya scoffed, “Fish? You do not have any fish. Come on Gendry, don’t lie to me. You want to leave because this whole situation is awkward for you. Do you even remember last night? Because I do.”

Gendry’s face was now a full on tomato, “Of course I remember last night. I…I was just hoping that you didn’t.”

Arya’s face twisted in confusion, “Why?”

Gendry let out a sigh he did not realize he was holding. There were tons of reasons as to why he did not want her to remember, but the number one reason was that he did not want their friendship to be ruined. They were best friends; had been for years and the prospect of ruining that friendship was terrifying. He had always seen Arya as nothing more than a friend, a sister maybe, that was until a few years ago. He had noticed how much she had changed from a girl to a woman. There were times where his mind would wonder to the idea of being with intimately and he nearly had his chance, until they both completely blew it. It took him a long time to realize that Arya was the one for him, even when he was with his crazy ex-girlfriend, but their friendship meant more to him than any relationship he could hope to have with her.

“Look, Arya I-” He began to say, but his words were quickly cut off when Arya began removing his shirt from her body.

“You said you needed your shirt, so here you go.” She threw the shirt his way, but his mind was preoccupied with the half-naked woman standing in front of him.

Arya knew exactly what she was doing. She knew that Gendry was scared to take the next step, so to help ease it along, she discarded his shirt from her body, knowing full and well her breasts would be on full display. The only thing keeping her from being completely naked was the black lacy underwear she had worn the night before.  

“Is something wrong?” She asked innocently.

“I...well…um…I mean you…oh fuck it.” He threw his shirt to the floor and quickly engulfed Arya into his arms. He crashed his lips to hers, savoring the feeling. This time they were completely sober and knew that they did want each other in more ways than one.

Arya wrapped her legs around his waist and he moved them to the couch, laying her gently on the cushions. He parted from the kiss only to release himself from his tightening pants.

“So, your zipper works this time?” She teased.

“Well, we did agree to do this when we are sober so…” He mocked in return.

Arya laughed, “Shut up you stupid bull and take me already.”

“As you wish.”

[lokidiabolus]

Offline Age - Chapter 1

Fandom: Dragon Age Origins

Pairing: Alistair Theirin x Elissa Cousland

Summary:   Alistair was never really a lone wolf or anything, but having a place only for himself had its appeal. He didn't plan on taking responsibility for anybody in upcoming years, until one fateful night his doorbell decided to wake him up at 2 AM and show him he was so, so wrong.

OR

How Alistair subconsciously harbored mother hen tendencies towards completely unknown person in five minutes and then fell in love so hard it almost broke all bones in his body.

Warnings: Slow Burn, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Tons of overused tropes, Prequel to Online Age

Can be found on Ao3.

Notes: No beta, we die like men!

I blame it all on the so called trailer for Dragon Age 4 that made me: 1) Feel the need to write for Dragon Age again; 2) Realize I left Online Age in disarray; 3) Re-read it and get horrified of the sheer absurdity of the middle part and so many absolutely pointless dialogues; 4) Spend a week editing it; 5) Start playing Dragon Age Inquisition again and romancing Cullen again; 6) Feel a heart ache when seeing King Alistair showing up in Redcliffe being flawless; and 7) Start to write randomly about him while playing Dragon Age Origins (because I hate myself. And Deep Roads).

So yeah, all the trailer's fault. And idk, I just really love Alistair, okay :(

Also a note: so many tropes here. SO MANY.

And another note: This is connected to Online Age, but it's sort of a prequel (aka about uh several years back, 5 or 10 or something), this time about (super young) Alistair and his one-day-to-be-wife-he-would-gush-about-to-everybody

It was precisely 2:12 AM, Alistair checked when Hell called, telling him they want their bad puns back. The coherence of apprehending the situation dropped to its lowest around midnight and dragged onward, he was glad he made his legs and arms cooperate enough to lift his sore, sleepy body off the bed, walk it to the main door of his flat and reach for the handle on the third try.

He didn’t really expect anything in particular, a half of his half functioning brain was still sleeping, so when he opened without checking first and saw a small, head to toe drenched girl shivering on his doorstep, nothing came from him apart from huh?

“Hi,” the girl greeted him with chattering teeth. Her blond hair was plastered over her forehead and around her neck and shoulders and there was an undeniable moment of oh crap, this is why I should not watch horrors late at night before Alistair woke up enough to realize the girl was not a ghost but a real, living person. Standing in a puddle, in pyjamas?

“Are those pyjamas?” his brain farted out and the girl opened her mouth, stopped, closed it, looked at her clothes consisting of plaid pants hanging on her lips too loosely and a shirt with Pooh Bear on it, and then back at him.

“Yes,” she said after. “They had them on sale.”

“K,” his brain supplied unhelpfully. “Hi then.”

“Yeah, hi,” she repeated the greeting and the shivering multiplied. “Sorry to bother you. But didn’t you, um. Left your water on or… your washing machine or something?”

“Not that I know of,” Alistair turned back to the innards of his flat, and the only noise that greeted him back was the clock on the wall, ticking its minute way through the dial. It showed wrong time but he was not able to correct it for about year and half. He looked back. “Why?”

“Why do you think?” she stared at him in the dark corridor, water dripping from her Pooh Bear shirt and Alistair could swear he saw the loading icon in front of his eyes for a second, before he raised a hand and went back to the flat to check on the bathroom.

No leaks, everything was quiet and peaceful. He double checked the taps and toilet and when nothing looked even remotely broken or dripping, he returned back to the door, now almost awake.

“Nope,” he told her with a shrug. “All dry up here.”

“I see,” she stared some more, then slowly nodded. “Sorry to bother you. Thanks for looking.”

She turned around and started padding from her puddle to the elevator, leaving wet footprints in her wake. Back to the flooded flat or something? Alistair shook his head, quickly grabbed his keys and followed her.

“Wait a sec,” he dropped his voice as low as he could to be still hearable but not enough to alert the neighbours, and she looked at him with a frown.

“What.”

“Lemme look at the leak,” he insisted despite her unhappy scowl. “Maybe I can help.”

The frown deepened and the elevator dinged, the light from it when the door slid open almost blinded him. She got in, crossed her arms on her chest and sighed.

“Fine,” she motioned for him to follow her, so he did. “But since it’s not from your place, there’s no point, really.”

“Story of my life.”

She looked even more pitiful under the artificial light and unusually pale, almost sickly. He refrained from commenting on it, but it took lots of his self-control, especially when she looked at him like he had lost his mind.

Her flat was on the lower floor right under his, which made her a lucky lady, since he was rarely at home to make any sort of noise that would bother her, at least from above. The name on the bell read Cousland and when she unlocked the door and opened, the smell of wet paint hit him right in the face. It took them only few steps inside towards the bathroom and he already saw the flood from there, dripping from the wall behind the bath, ruining the red coloured wall and tiles.

“Uh oh,” he let out, stepping in to assess the damage and the water under his feet splashed too loud in the otherwise quiet flat. “The pipe must have broken above there.”

“Oh no,” she walked in as well, her face horrified. “So, it’s not from somebody’s flat, it’s somewhere inside the construction?”

“Yep,” he stood up on the edge of the bath, pulling himself higher to the ceiling to see any cracks. “For now, let’s just turn off the water here. And in the morning, we call a landlord about this.”

“He’s going to kill me…” she buried her face in her hands and Alistair stepped down again to find the water lock hidden in the wall behind the toilet.

“Nah, it’s not your fault,” he said for the record, “This is an old house. He should let it checked anyway, the construction is ancient enough to remember dragons.”

“Are you a plumber or something?” he heard her asking behind him and it made him snort while closing the water with a quiet hiss. The wall stopped gushing out and he closed the lid and looked at the distressed owner.

“Wish I was, I heard the pay is good,” he shrugged, wiping his wet hands to his shirt. “But I know a thing or two about house stuff. And few other things around. And lots of things completely unrelated.”

“Right,” she shook her head and looked around at the mess on the floor. “Thanks for the help. I better start cleaning before it soaks to the neighbours…”

“Want help?” he offered faster than his common sense kicked in and that’s how it all began.

***

“-tair. Alistair!”

He almost fell off the chair when a slam on the table startled him from the definitely-not-dozing-off moment, just sheer luck managed to keep him balanced enough from meeting the floor.

“I wasn’t sleeping!” he announced in self-defence and then Duncan’s unhappy face came to his view.

“Didn’t I tell you not to stay up past midnight?” Duncan crossed his arms on his chest and Alistair realized it was already past eleven when he looked at his watch, and he somehow missed two hours. By totally not sleeping.

“Yeah, sorry,” she rubbed his eyes and fought down the yawn that threatened to overwhelm him. He still must have made weird face since Duncan’s scowl deepened.

“Wipe the drool away at least,” the dark-haired man sighed, handing Alistair a napkin out of nowhere, like an ultimate mum he was sometimes. “I’m making the roster now, you want the long shift this week or another one?”

Alistair was completely sure he did not have drool anywhere, but still used the napkin for Duncan’s satisfaction. For his defence he did go to sleep around eleven, but after the debacle with the flood he didn’t get back to sleep at all. When they were more or less done (actually less than more, the flat was in super bad shape, since apparently the leaks weren’t only in the bathroom) it was already six in the morning, so he just went home for shower and to brush his teeth and then kicked himself out to work. His eyes barely held up open during the morning meeting and he thanked whoever was above him for not dragging it for too long, or continue with a drill. He would fail so hard that Duncan would probably disown him on the spot.

“This week,” he mumbled, but then his hand shot towards Duncan’s forearm to stop him from leaving. “No, next week. Totally next week. Can’t this week.”

“Okay?” the older man glanced on the hand gripping him and then back at Alistair’s face. “Will write you up for a short one then. Something happened?”

Well, to put it mildly. The landlord was going to bark on a wrong tree, he was sure, and the girl would let him, probably, not really knowing where the real fault was. So he had a plan. Or part of a plan, at least, making it up as he went.

“Do we have my house’ construction plans by any chance?” he asked and when Duncan cleared his throat while pointedly looking at Alistair offensive hand, he finally eased off his grip with an apologetic quirk of his mouth.

“In the archive,” his mentor nodded towards the estimated location, then crossed his arms on his chest. “Why?”

When Alistair was looking for his own flat, Duncan helped him with choosing between three possible places by finding the construction plans, because if he could be labelled by anything, it would be precautious. Old houses are the best, he would say. So they dug into plans, found the ones that looked the best in Duncan’s opinion and Alistair moved in with light heart. No problems until yesterday, but then again, not really his problem, so that counted for something.

“Just want to look up the piping,” Alistair dragged himself up from the table. “I’ll be there if anything.”

“Do I look like your secretary?” Duncan hollered after him, but Alistair was already out of the room and only hitting his shoulder against two doors on his way. It was a small, meaningless victory, but victory the same.

***

He got out on the floor under his own because of some strange, unexplainable calling he heard in the back of his mind (or maybe it was his stomach because he was hungry). He wanted to stop home at first, take a shower and eat, but somehow his hand pressed the lower button in the elevator instead of his and he was glad for it, because when the door opened, he heard the angry voice of the landlord all the way to the cabin.

“Here we go,” he huffed, packing the copied plans under his arm and taking long strides toward the offensive voice that rang through the hallway so loud it was probably illegal.

“-for two months and you already flooded it?!” the landlord kept on barking, up until he came into Alistair’s view, standing in front of opened doors of the compromised flat, his stance all wide and up in arms. Alistair internally groaned.

The girl stood in front of him, dry for the first time he saw her, in a hoodie and khakis. Her hair was in a messy bun and she looked even more tired than Alistair felt.

“I didn’t flood anything,” she was saying the moment he finally stepped close enough for them to notice him. “I- oh, hey.”

“Hey,” Alistair gave her small salute and nodded towards the landlord. He saw him about twice since he started living here and kind of doubted the man even remembered his face. “Afternoon.”

“Are you here because of the leak?” the man gestured towards the flat, his eyes a little confused. “I’m sure I didn’t call firefighters though…”

Oh right, Alistair realized. He was still in the uniform, since he shot out of work without changing. Well, that worked too.

“I’m familiar with the situation,” he elaborated, making a show of looking into the flat like he was assessing the damage. He already did yesterday though and could tell it sucked balls for the repairs needed. The landlord was so not going to like it. “Looked over the construction plans, the pipes are damaged in the proximate area of the bathroom and living room. The wall needs to be torn down and the piping repaired.”

“Torn down?!” the landlord probably only by small margin avoided heart-attack, judging from his red face and the vein popping on his forehead. Alistair was glad he had the ambulance on quick dial.

“The bathroom one definitely, the water damaged it. I’d advice to have them checked as it is in the whole house, but of course that can be done through stacks for that part,” he handed one of the plans to the landlord who reluctantly took them and had to applaud himself for actually sounding serious so far. “The piping is old and rusty, random breaks happen all the time. I can point you out to a company dealing with these types of problems, though since the Christmas is coming, I’m not entirely sure how fast it’s going to be.”

The landlord opened his mouth, and then closed it. He repeated it two more times until it was apparent no words were going to come out, and then he settled on a nod.

“Great, glad we came to an understanding,” Alistair gave him a broad smile. “I’ll send you the company’s number in a text, in case you wanted to use their services. Happy to see landlords are taking care of their houses and tenants.”

Another nod from the poor man and then he was out of the hallway like a wind. Alistair wondered if he thought firefighter could actually send him to jail for disagreeing but he wasn’t going to try his luck.

“Huh,” the girl stared after the landlord even after he disappeared around the corner. “That worked like a charm. Good idea with the uniform.”

“What can I say, I aim to please,” Alistair commented and then took a step further to take her appearance in. “You’re dry.”

“Yeah, shocking,” her mouth quirked up in a smile. “I can do that sometimes.”

“I feel like I don’t even know you anymore,” he sighed dramatically but then it hit him. “Wait, I really don’t know you. What’s your name?”

“Elissa,” she introduced herself just like that, in her khakis and a hoodie and looking like she went through hell and kicked her way back, and somehow Alistair expected her to have tougher name, like Boulder or Killer.

“That’s a fine name,” he gestured towards her, to her whole appearance and the abundance of the puddle under her feet. “I’m disappointed it’s not something waterier though.”

“Waterbenders don’t have water names, you know,” she shot back and Alistair crossed arms on his chest.

“Elissa,” he tried her name and she mimicked his posture like a mirror. “As a waterbender… I gotta say, after what I’ve seen tonight, you suck at it.”

“Still learning,” she opposed. “Next time the pipe breaks, I will be ready.”

“I hope there is no next time,” he nodded towards the flat. “Don’t think it can take any more.”

That made her lose the posture as she followed his gaze and her shoulders sagged. It was a sad image, really.

“This suck,” she uttered. “It had been just two months. I have the shittiest luck ever.”

“As long as you don’t wind up somewhere without your pants, you’re still alright.” He took a step closer to the door, the smell of paint still hanging in the air. He noticed a packed bag resting in the hallway with a suitcase next to it and several shirts lying on the floor, soaking the moisture from it. The hallway itself looked super bad, the water completely ruined the laminate flooring, made it look like a skateboard park for snails. “Oof.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” she stood next to him, staring at the mess. “When I need a quiet place, something naturally has to go wrong. And expensive. Hope it won’t take long.”

“Yeaah, about that,” he offered her an apologetic look, even though it was not his fault, or hers, or anybody’s, and she must have understood since the groan she let out had enough frustration to lit up a town.

“You mean it’s going to take long?” she whined so loud he heard a door opening at the end of the hall, probably to look what the ruckus was.

“Well. It’s almost Christmas. And if you take in the state of the flat – and the piping – and the walls… That’s gonna take at least two months,” he checked once more, stopping at the floor. “And the flooring. And tiles in the bathroom.”

The majority of tiles fell off during their night cleaning, and most of them naturally broke in half. Elissa didn’t comment on it back then, but she definitely stomped harder when carrying the empty bucket to fill it up again.

“Okay,” she sagged even more, almost to her knees. “Alright. Okay.”

Alistair didn’t like that. Sure, he saw tons of misfortune in his life already, majority of it tied to his job and some of it not, but he couldn’t really do much about complete strangers losing their homes to fire. All he could do for them was to pat their back and wish them luck. When all of their stuff was gone.

Elissa’s stuff was not gone, but she was in similar situation. If she could at least go back to her parents or something, he’d be able to rest easy.

“You have a place to stay?” he asked in a softer tone and she nodded. Then took a deep breath. Shook her head. He took a step closer and crouched next to her. “Not even your parent’s place?”

“No,” her words were barely hearable. Then she cleared her throat and shook her head again. “I’ll manage.”

“You can stay at my place, if you want,” his mouth said.

Huh.

“What?” she looked at him as if he’d gone mad (rightfully so).

“My place,” his mouth repeated. Huh. “I’m not home that often, it’s better than nothing?”

She had big, blue eyes. She used them in full force now, staring at him so hard he was afraid a fist was going to come out of them.

“You don’t need to do all this,” she said finally and Alistair thought yes, I don’t need to do all of this. But I do. Because you look like somebody just died, good grief.

“You woke me up at ass o’clock in the morning and kept me up all night cleaning, now I feel emotionally invested in it. Sorry, I don’t make the rules,” he responded instead, light-hearted and nonchalant, and it was the first time he saw her genuinely laugh.

[writer-and-artist27]

Soup for the Sick

Note: …At this rate, this is already a series. One Piece and Naruto mixed. Never thought I would be getting into it. But @unlucky-marine’s art is something that always brings a smile to my face, and considering @langwrites writing the My Hero Academia-CYB crossover of Shell Game, well…

Yeah, I have no excuse. CP and S&S are still going on, but these little side stories starring the civilian pianist with her older Marine sibling-caretaker are adorable and I like giving something back to Eli. :) So there. Eli got me on the Tomo-Davy sibling train, and I can’t thank them enough for that. I’ve never had someone so outspoken in loving kid!Tomoko whenever I talked to them, so I think the appreciation goes miles now. ^_^

Of course, I don’t own anything except Tomoko and Hisako. Davy belongs to Eli, and Wendy to @ask-lieutenant-wendy.

The theme for this story is inspired by the sea, being SaphiraLynx’s piano cover of Mizuiro no Senritsu from Mermaid Melody. Or, as the translation calls it, the Aquamarine Melody, originally sung by the Aquamarine Mermaid Princess herself. :) The original song works just as well if you want to pull it up~

Please enjoy!

Oh, and Eli? You don’t have to feel pressured in making art for every part of this series, by the way. Only do it if you feel like it. I only write this whole thing because your art brought a lot of happy juice for me in these last days of summer and seeing you on Twitch and talking with you only helped fuel that. Friends look out for each other, and well, considering your theater job? A nice read is something you more than deserve. ;>

The words felt foreign in my mouth. “Jackie-nee’s sick?”

Wendy-nee gave me a sad smile as she sat down on her knees, a hand reaching over to rest on the top of my head. “She’s just resting in her barracks, Tomoko-chan. But yes, Jackie’s sick. It’s a cold, thankfully, so the bad sickness won’t be here forever.”

“How?” was already escaping my throat, and I found myself covering my mouth with both of my hands out of politeness and shock. My caretaker wasn’t the kind of person who found themselves sick so easily. At least, from what I could tell. When feeling more masculine as Jack-nii, he could easily kick someone’s ass if he wanted to, more so when I heard him mutter once on how he could break all 206 bones in a body. That was cool and kinda scary. When feeling feminine as Jackie-nee, she could then smash a womanizer’s face in with her heel and look beautiful doing it.

Being genderfluid was still something I didn’t know much about, more so considering I was a cis-female, but my caretaker was awesome. Simple as that.

I never thought I would hear the news that they would be sick.

But, alas, Tomoko-chan, my dear. Hisako swirled her glass of…lemonade. Okay. She was doing it while sitting in an armchair like Giovanni from Pokémon or something. All she needed was a Persian. And she was doing The Voice. Woo. We all are mere mortals.

Ugh.

I couldn’t help but find my heart sinking when Wendy-nee’s smile turned a bit more forced, as if frustrated. “I don’t think you want to know, Tomoko-chan. Let’s just say a Flamingo got a bit too angry and leave it at that, okay?” The minute crack in her voice was already enough for me to nod and accept it. I was still 10 in this life, so in Wendy-nee’s eyes, of course I was still a kid. An innocent kid, probably.

“Okay,” I said softly, but I still found myself gently tugging on her shirt collar to pull her in for a hug. It didn’t feel right going about this conversation without doing it. She looked troubled enough already, and my arms could wind around her neck, at least. “I’m sorry for prying, Wendy-nee.”

To my surprise, the blond Marine only laughed softly, arms coming around me to hug back. Aaaaah, she had a similar grip to Mama when she was excited. Tough muscle, but still snuggly. “It’s okay, Tomoko-chan, you were worried. It’s okay.”

I was not expecting her to lift me up anyways, essentially letting my sandals hit air as she pulled away from the hug to grin cheerily up at me. Somehow, I was sitting in her arms, close to her shoulders. Somehow! Aaaaaah, awesome strength. Also, Wendy-nee being 7 foot 2 and being carried that close to her height made everything in the near vicinity feel small, and gosh, being tall feels so cool! Fluttering skirt be damned.

…Don’t judge me on this. I’m still trying to gain height by drinking milk.

Wendy-nee’s purple eyes were now sparkling with something soft as she looked at me with that same grin. Her one curly hair sticking out from her hat tickled as she continued to beam. “Still, Tomoko-chan, what do you want to do now? Do you want to visit Jackie?”

The offer was tempting. Very tempting.

Hisako only swirled her cup of lemonade before chugging it in a few seconds flat. Once all the liquid was gone, she tossed the cup away, the motion accompanied by a small mental CRASH that was of the glass breaking in the mind library somewhere. Hm, she mused. It’s nice, but you’re thinking of something else, aren’t you, dear?

Yep. My Nobody was already reading my thoughts.

“Not now, Wendy-nee,” I shook my head while smiling anyways. “But could you carry me to the kitchen? I wanna cook something first!”

Those same purple eyes blinked at me slowly.

“Huh?”

“Here again, Tomoko-chan?”

The Marine chefs, despite bustling around with food and plates in almost every corner of the kitchen, all seemed to notice me as soon as Wendy-nee dropped me off in the doorway. She had work to do, unfortunately, but at least the big bear hug and bright smile in my direction before she left was a nice send-off.

Still, I was a 10-year old girl in a Sylveon-themed kimono dress, standing in the kitchen doorway, and at this point, the Marines weren’t even fazed. Huh.

Adjustment period is officially over, Hisako mused dryly.

I nodded at the nearest chef who asked with the politest smile I could muster. “Yep! Jackie-nee’s not feeling well, so I thought of cooking!” And then the Embarrassment was coming back in. Why, heart, why. “I-Is that okay?”

Said chef only shrugged with an exasperated smile before pointing to a nearby corner. Almost immediately, some of the chefs cleared away, leaving a small cutting board, knife, oven, and stove in the space left behind. “Go ahead, Tomoko-chan. That counter there’s all yours.”

The bright smile on my face was just as sudden as the swing of Embarrassment from earlier. “Thank you very much, Chef-san!”

The man only scoffed softly in a way reminiscent of Vy’s old Dad, almost in disbelief judging by the noise. In the end, he still nodded in acknowledgement at me as the other staff slowly moved away enough so that I could walk over.

For a corrupt military, the staff’s surprisingly sweet.

Maybe they don’t have a lot of kids around?

My Nobody only shrugged. Then I started hearing whispers while walking past.

“That Jack sure is lucky.”

“Of course it’s the paperwork guy who gets a cute girl looking after them.”

“Why can’t I get someone to drop through a hole in the ceiling to love me?”

Ohhhh! Hisako was smirking. Oh no. My, my, my! Tomoko-chan, you’re popular!

I still ran through the kitchen as fast as I could to get to that corner, because the heat on my face wasn’t going to go down otherwise. Aaaaaaah.

What was wrong with loving a caretaker like a sibling when you didn’t have any? Well, I technically had Kei and Hayate, but there was something different about older siblings than younger ones. In a past life, I was the younger one, and that was a mixed bag. Actually having that memory when it came to my Marine caretaker was the main seal to the deal. I could at least help out without looking like a brat doing it.

Reincarnation had benefits when it was botched. Apparently.

Still, once I got to my corner and got a good stare over everything, my head blanked. Um. “I know I said I wanted to cook something, but what’s good for a cold…?”

Soup? Hisako offered helpfully. Chicken Noodle? Clam Chowder? Gumbo? Or, heck, curry? Anything warm should do!

Those were all good suggestions. Especially since Jackie-nee was said to be resting from her cold.

I looked around. The kitchen staff were currently using a lot of seafood judging by the nearby lobster platter, so the clam chowder was a bust. I wasn’t even sure if I could do gumbo at my age, but chicken noodle soup sounded nice.

Only problem.

The only chicken I could see in the entire kitchen was a big frozen one sitting in the nearby freezer, and the staff were pretty crowded over there.

Ummmm.

Run?

No. This is a kitchen, Hisako.

Point. Fast-walk and try to wing carrying it?

It was an idea.

I tried. I really did. But being a short little girl in a crowd of tall chefs kinda meant being squished. Think any anime/gaming convention, where you would bump shoulders with someone every 5 seconds. It was like that.

“E-Er, excuse me? I’m trying to get through?” Even with my voice cracking, getting stuck in a crowd of moving people meant elbowing, and I was not good at that. Even if Kei had taught me self-defense, this was not the time to be throwing hands! “I-I’d like to get that chicken, please!”

Ignored. Because there was so much hustling and a pre-pubescent voice was hard to make out.

Aaaaah.

And then hands were sliding under my arms and effortlessly lifting me up, and I found myself squeaking. I could already tell that this wasn’t Wendy-nee’s grip, so who—

“Hey, you guys really should look out when in the kitchen. This little lady would’ve gotten hurt.”

Huh?

I looked behind me and met the stare of someone clearly new. I don’t know if he was ever in this kitchen staff before, but with his curly eyebrow, greyish-blue eye, straight blond hair falling down to brush the left side of his face, and muscular arms in spite of the Marine chef uniform, he definitely looked like someone that Jackie-nee would want to take a picture for when it came to bounties. This new person was definitely something. “You alright, ojou-chan?”

He grinned while still holding me up in his hands, and I tried not to squirm. Wearing a skirt in the kitchen and being lifted all the while was…yeah. “I-I am, but um, Chef-san?” I gestured to the ground while trying not to inwardly panic. “C-Could you please put me down?” I pointed to my corner. “Over there?”

The new Chef blinked at the direction I was pointing at before grinning again and nodding. “Whatever the ojou-chan wishes~!” I didn’t miss how he hummed before he literally slid over to my corner, ignoring chefs passing him all the while, and I tried not to focus on the sensation of my stomach churning. Motion sickness would be motion sickness.

Thankfully, I didn’t have to think on the stomach butterflies longer than necessary, because he was quick to put me down, still grinning all the while. “Now, ojou-chan.” I was not expecting his smile to turn into a more solemn expression. “What were you doing there? This is a kitchen, and not exactly the best place to play around.”

Aaaah. Another adult. I tried not to pout. “I was trying to get the chicken from the freezer. My older sibling who’s in the Marines got sick, and I was thinking of trying to make Chicken Noodle soup for them!”

He only blinked that same grey-blue eye at me before pulling on a more amused smile. “Oh?” he said softly, before turning his head around to look towards that far-away refrigerator. “Do you at least know how to make it, ojou-chan?”

…Um.

Uh.

I squeaked, “No?”

We did not think this through.

He only pulled on a more confident smile while tossing something into the nearest trash can. Was it…a cigarette? “Well then! Let this cook help you out, ojou-chan!”

I blinked. “It’s okay?”

With that same confidence, he turned to me while twirling a — holy crap, he was twirling a knife. I only blinked once, and then he was brandishing a small bowl of diced…diced onions? When did he— “I’m a cook, ojou-chan. And when a lady is in trouble, it’s natural to help out.” He then sat down on his knees, looking at me with that grey-blue eye, now sparkling. “I’m Sanji by the way, ojou-chan. What’s your name?”

Ah. He reminded me of Leo, at least a little. “I-I’m Hoshino Tomoko, Sanji-san.” Out of habit, I took a bit of my skirt to curtsy. “It’s nice to meet you, and I hope to work with you!”

Sanji-san only grinned. “And I you, little lady.”

He then brandished a bowl of cut carrots. Wow, that was a lot of skill.

Chicken Noodle Soup was, surprisingly enough, simple. Even though I only had Vy’s experience to call from when cooking, Sanji-san was quick. It only took an hour for him to prepare homemade chicken and vegetable broths for the soup, and by the time the chicken hit the soup pot, a warm homey smell was wafting around the kitchen, and I could’ve sworn some chefs were drooling while walking past.

“So, ojou-chan,” he said while stirring the soup with a ladle, “who’s your older sibling?”

Aaaand Sanji-san had to ask just when I was putting dishes away in this little corner. “Davy Jack-san! Currently going by Jackie, but I call her Jackie-nee! I think…” my voice cracked while recalling Wendy-nee’s words. “A Flamingo got angry and gave her a cold? Or something?”

The words were silly, but I didn’t miss how Sanji-san tensed. It almost looked like a shiver went up his spine before a nervous chuckle sounded. “D-Davy Jack, huh…? That’s interesting, ojou-chan.” He then muttered something under his breath that I couldn’t hear, but all I could make out was, “that explains things.”

Hisako wasn’t having any of it. He’s nice, but I dunno, Tomoko-chan. That reaction wasn’t the best.

Did my caretaker know this guy?

I ended up voicing it. “Do you know Jackie-nee, Sanji-san?”

Immediately, the cook turned to me with a warm smile, turning down the heat to the soup pot while doing so. “Kinda, ojou-chan. It’s a long story. But the soup’s almost done!”

Yep. That was a sudden subject change. So something did happen between them.

And was it just me, or did Sanji-san look sad for a moment?

I blinked, and as soon as I thought that, the glint in that grey-blue eye disappeared. “Still, ojou-chan, wanna go serve this soup to your sibling then? I have to be somewhere, so I can’t stay long.”

Already, I was feeling disappointed. It had only been a few hours but having a cooking companion aside from my Nobody did something. “Will I see you again?”

Sanji-san then turned off the heat entirely before turning to me fully and sitting down on his knees. “Of course, ojou-chan.” He then grinned, reaching over to poke my forehead through my bangs, and I tried not to wince. “Just look for a sail with a skull and a straw hat, and you’ll find me.”

Skull and a straw hat? What the hell is that supposed to be? A pirate flag thing?

I still nodded in spite of Hisako’s incoming rant. “Okay.”

Of course, I would jump on Sanji-san for a hug too. He deserved it, at least.

Jackie-nee was sitting up in her bed at the barracks, reading what looked like a book when I was finally able to pop in. Wendy-nee was still at work along with the other Marines, so it made sense that there was no one else around.

I did my best to balance the soup bowl tray in my hands while hiding it from view. “Jackie-nee?”

She blinked before looking up from her book, and of course I could see that familiar spark that I grew to love so much. “Tomo-chan,” she murmured happily, then coughed softly into one of her hands. “Sorry, I can’t hug you right now. Still — hack — sick. Wendy told you that, didn’t she?”

Even then, I couldn’t help but smile back. “Wendy-nee did say that, but I do have something for you!”

“What’s that, sweetie?”

“Well…” I tried not to run over to her bedside and instead walked over as gently as I could before brandishing the tray for her to take. “Chicken Noodle Soup. To help make the sick go away?”

I still wanted to ask myself how and why I reverted to childish talk when it only came to my caretaker, but the warm smile on her face made the thought process stop in its tracks. “Oh, Tomo-chan.” She looked down at the warm bowl before taking the spoon and blowing at it. “You didn’t have to.”

“But I wanted to!” Another pout was coming up on my face now. “I missed you and you deserve something to help you rest better! You work too much!”

At that, Jackie-nee suddenly snorted before laughing softly. “Yeah? I guess so.” The warmth in her voice said everything as she finally took a sip, and then the color was returning to her face as she smiled. “Whoa. Tomo-chan,” she gave me that same warm smile, “did you make this all by yourself?”

Nope. Hisako said for me.

“Nope,” I repeated with a more sheepish shrug. “I had help.”

Now Jackie-nee was confused. “Who helped? Wendy?”

Should I say the name…?

No harm in trying, dear. Hisako only patted my head.

“A new chef in the kitchen?” I found myself raising a pointer finger. “His name was Sanji-san!”

I was not expecting Jackie-nee to nearly drop her spoon mid-bite. “S-Sanji?”

Oh dear. Bombshell.

“Um, he was nice,” I filled in instead, because the sudden silence and the shock in Jackie-nee’s gaze was kinda hard to deal with all at once. “He helped me cut chicken and taught me how to make vegetable broth for next time! He also kept me out from being trampled by crowds and called me ‘ojou-chan’!”

“…What next time?” Jackie-nee said incredulously, but the simple fact that she was still eating was a good sign. At least, I was hoping so. “And, pffft.” I wasn’t expecting her to snort into her free hand. “‘Ojou-chan,’ huh.” But, oh.

She was smiling again.

I sat down at the foot of her bed, trying not to show my confusion. “Jackie-nee?”

She gave me that same warm smile. “It’s nothing, Tomo-chan. Nothing at all.”

And this time, I could believe it. Somewhat. At least while sneaking in one hug.

Hey. I have pride in my immune system, and screw colds! Soup keeps the doctor away!

“T-Tomo-chan, I’m sick…!”

“Just lemme hug you once, Jackie-nee, I missed you!”

Her only response was an exasperated laugh. I could settle for that. It kept thoughts of asking about Sanji-san away for another day.

[writingrei]

fragmented memories | chapter 3

chapter 1 | chapter 2 | chapter 4 | chapter 5 | chapter 6 | chapter 7 | chapter 8 | chapter 9 | chapter 10 | chapter 11 | chapter 12

“Upon sunrise, you will take Kagura with you to find and kill Kagome, as well as her friends. Do so, and I will reward you.” Naraku said.

“Kagura?” Inuyasha asked, raising an eyebrow.

Naraku glanced towards the door, and the woman who spectated prior emerged in the doorway, holding up a fan to her lips. The boy who peeked in hid from the entryway, though his silhouette was still seen through the translucent walls. 

“That would be me,” she said, watching Inuyasha’s face. Not a sign of recognition from him. 

“You know what you must do,” Naraku continued. “See that you get those jewel shards. Until then, feel free to roam about my castle.” He stood to his feet, exiting the room and disappearing down a hall. 

Kagura hummed in thought, observing Inuyasha as he left the room as well. His alliance with us could truly be beneficial with us- no, be beneficial for me. With him working on the inside, he could be my ticket to freedom.

The boy and Inuyasha did not meet eyes as the half demon passed, though they both acknowledged the other's presence.

“I think… you're just like me,” Kohaku piped up. 

Inuyasha froze in his tracks, almost offended by the boy's brief statement. 

“Like you? You don't know who I am.”

Kohaku remained silent, looking down at the floorboards as he tried to think of a response. “We're… we're both bound to the jewel. Bound to Naraku,” he said quietly. 

Inuyasha scoffed, looking back at Kohaku, but the boy remained facing away. His shoulders were tense and raised up high, as if he feared physical backlash from his comment. The tension from the boy’s stiffness made Inuyasha face forward again, making his way to the castle’s exit.

His pace was slow, and his nerves were on fire. Everything he felt was heightened- his feet making every step of contact with the cold floor, his hair and clothes brushing against his skin, and more importantly, the jewel shard that gave him surges of energy in his heart. Every pump felt like his whole body rattled in response, his vision fading away but quickly coming back. Focusing was all he could do to make sure the jewel’s energies didn’t make him lose his grip on his own body.

Sliding the entrance door open, Inuyasha’s body was met with a cold, refreshing breeze of wind. The sky was still dark, the full moon peering down and illuminating his whole body. He gazed up at the sky, hoping the beauty of the stars would distract him from his own frustration.

“Is this place... supposed to be my home now?” He asked himself.

-

Kagome couldn't sleep. No one could. She sat outside, fighting off her own urge to run back into that forest and scream Inuyasha’s name til her voice got hoarse. She stayed with her friends because she knew it wouldn't get him back. She didn't even know where to start, they had no clues as to where Naraku may be hiding. Kagome was left with her ability to sense jewel shards to possibly find him, and it may not even be him with the jewel shard.

“Kagome, come inside, it’s cold,” Sango said, standing in the doorway. Her eyelids sagged over her eyes, it was obvious she wanted to go back to sleep. 

Kagome faced away from her, sitting on the dusty and dirty ground in her pink pajamas, her legs curled in close to her. She rested on her knees, her cheek acting as her cushion. 

“There’s a huge hole in the wall, it can’t be much different in there.”

“It’s definitely less cold inside…” Sango responded, almost sing-songy.

Silence. Her weak attempt at a joke must’ve fallen flat, making Sango sigh.

“Sango… I'm overreacting aren't I?” She asked flatly. 

Sango’s eyes softened, looking at her friend sitting on the ground. “No. Not at all.” She kneeled next to Kagome.

“You know how Naraku took Kohaku from me, you saw how I acted around you all when I first met you. In all honesty, you're handling this better than I did. You're strong,” she said, mid-yawn, partially covering her mouth with her hand.

“I'm… strong?”

Sango hummed in approval, nodding her head to affirm her statement. 

“Mmm… Thanks..”

“Come and get your rest with us. We’ll let you sleep as long as you want to so that we can start our journey again with all of your energy.” Sango got back up onto her feet, going back inside to continue sleeping. She let Kagome come in of her own accord, let her mind settle before she rested. 

Kagome went back inside, sleeping upright and leaned on a wall. She observed her fast asleep friends, and before she knew it, she was out too.

The dim presence of sun in the room shone through Kagome’s eyelids, alerting her to wake up. Her eyes flashed open and she shot up, seeing 3 layers of blankets over her. Shippo who kept guard in front of her squealed, and hopped up to his paws.

“Kagome! You're awake!” he exclaimed, scrambling to pick up the tops that kept him occupied. 

She took a second to get used to her surroundings and rubbed her eyes. “Mmm. Yep.” She yawned and stretched, then looked back down on Shippo sleepily. “Where's Miroku and Sango?”

“They're outside, helping the villagers with the damage. Just us being here brings demons running after us, huh?”

She chuckled before yawning again. “Yeah. You can go and tell them I'm up. I'm gonna go and change.” Kagome said, tugging on her pajama shirt playfully, showing how unprepared for a journey she was. 

Shippo nodded, scampering out of the hole in the wall that Kagome made the night before. After affirming that Shippo was far enough away, she sighed loudly and leaned back onto the wall. She knocked the back of her head against it a few times, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to leave a faint sting. Her eyes burned and welled up, but she screwed her eyes closed to lock those tears back inside of her. 

--

Inuyasha slept on the roof of Naraku’s castle near its entrance, making his location obvious to anyone who exited it. The sun crawled up his body as he slept, the radiance of its light waking him up unapologetically. He groaned, brushing his hair over his eyes to try and get a bit more sleep before he had to leave with Kagura. 

He heard the entrance slide open below him, hoping that it wasn't who he thought it was. 

“Wakey wakey, Inuyasha,” Kagura said, almost condescendingly. 

It wasn't who he thought it was, but this was hardly any better. He groaned. “Tired.”

Kagura scoffed. “Tired? We have work to do.”

He didn't respond, still trying to get more rest. Kagura’s patience waned at his lack of respect for anything. “Get….” Her fan snapped open. “UP!” She dragged the fan up, creating a heavy gust of wind that pulled Inuyasha from the roof of the castle, into the sky. 

Kagura huffed, hearing Inuyasha’s screams get closer as he crashed into the ground. 

“DAMN YOU!” Inuyasha hissed, snapping back up onto his feet. 

“Disappointing, I expected a quicker reaction. If you're this weak, then we hardly have any use for you.”

“I ain't weak! All you did was catch me off guard,” he snapped, dusting off himself. 

Kagura did not respond, letting her silence frustrate the half demon as she plucked a feather from her hairpiece. 

It grew in size, scooping them both up and lifting them into the air. Inuyasha panicked, sitting down and peering over the edge of the huge feather. The ground quickly got farther and farther away. Before the castle itself was out of view, Inuyasha spotted Kohaku gazing up at them anxiously. Inuyasha squinted, then stopped looking over. 

A boring hour passed, Inuyasha trying to guide Kagura to Kagome on only his sense of smell and recollection of the direction he traveled. The incarnation figured that she could manage on her own, ignoring any snide comment from Inuyasha afterwards. He looked over the edge again, and saw the forest he was in the night before. 

“I smell her,” he said, a crooked smile spreading on his face. Without hesitation, he leapt over the edge. 

Kagome and the others headed back through the forest, hoping that they could eventually be led to Inuyasha had they followed in his direction. 

“I.. I feel something,” Kagome said. 

“Something?” Miroku asked. 

“I think it's… a jewel shard? But it's above us,” she said, craning her neck up to look to the sky, though the forest’s thick foliage stopped her from seeing past it. She gasped, tensing up.

“Kagome?” Sango and Miroku asked simultaneously. 

“It's coming down!” she shrieked, stepping far away from where she expected it to land. Her group followed suit, backing up, when they heard his voice. 

“Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!”

The light that trailed from Inuyasha’s claws cut through the trees, burning up the leaves and branches he touched. The group ducked for cover, chunks of wood hitting them. Kagome sat up, paralyzed with fear. 

Inuyasha cracked his hand, standing back on his feet from after his landing. His eyes made contact with Kagome’s, savoring the terror in them. “Good to see you, Kagome. Just the girl I was looking for.” Her name did not roll of his tongue right. It sounded condescending, and not the slightest bit friendly.

“Inuyasha?!” She asked, scrambling back onto her feet. “Do you remember us?” A wave of relief was so close to washing over her, but something was wrong. She knew this was too good to be true, she could even see the streaks of purple carved into his cheeks. Impulsively, she took a step forward. One step was all it took for Inuyasha to lunge at her. 

Miroku grabbed her by her shirt collar and essentially threw her out of the way. He let out a sharp but genuine “Sorry!” before raising his staff to block Inuyasha’s claws. Miroku’s strength did not fend off Inuyasha, the half demon grabbing the pole and bending it inwards. The monk kept his arms outstretched, being pushed back. 

Sango and Shippo rushed over to Kagome, who rolled onto her forearms. Sango grabbed her shoulders and helped her sit up. “Kagome.” She groaned in response, meaning to say, “Huh?”

“You said that you sensed a jewel shard. Do you think it’s coming from Inuyasha?” “Definitely…” “Can you spot where it is?” 

Kagome nodded then looked at Inuyasha, focusing her gaze on him. A soft glow emitted from his chest, eliciting a gasp from Kagome.

“It’s in his heart, and it's partially corrupted too!”

Miroku continued to struggle against Inuyasha’s enhanced strength, the bend in his staff growing significantly more severe.

“You’re a weak man, it’s almost funny,” Inuyasha laughed.

Miroku grunted. “I know you’ve got no memories of us, but this is quite out of character even for you, Inuyasha!”

“Quit yakking like you know me!” He ducked, then sent a hard punch with his free hand directly into Miroku’s stomach. The monk gagged, the wind getting knocked out of him as he was sent toppling backwards far behind Kagome.

“No blood from you? Guess I must be holding back.”

Sango wasted no time taking her own turn on Inuyasha, relentlessly smashing him in the face with her Hiraikotsu. He yelped, his head snapping to the side. He swiped at her without any aim on reflex, grazing her Hiraikotsu and leaving claw marks in it. Inuyasha shook off the pain, spitting up some blood. He held his jaw, shifting it around until it cracked. “You almost broke my jaw…” he growled. “You’ll pay for that.” 

He snapped straight up and ran at Sango, pulling back his arm. The demon slayer raised her Hiraikotsu to use as a shield, but Inuyasha’s fist connected with it, breaking it in half clean down the middle. His force was so strong, he connected with Sango in her nose. She gasped, the impact throwing her down onto the ground. Inuyasha grabbed her throat, raising her off the dirt with no time for her to recover.

Her mind was in a haze from the punch, blood dribbling from her nose. Panicked, she grabbed the hilt of her sword and yanked it from its sheath, stabbing Inuyasha clean through the arm. He screamed, letting go of her before he could really get a good grip around her neck. He kicked her in the stomach before she hit the ground, sending her flying back in Kagome’s direction.

Kagome watched in horror, her hands inching towards her bow and arrows. 

Inuyasha hissed, pulling out the blade stuck in his arm, dressed with his blood and tossed it aside like garbage. He eyed Kagome, frustration and impatience scrawled across his face as he made his way to her.

Kirara erupted into flames, her body and fangs growing in size. She roared, jumping at Inuyasha and sunk her teeth into his uninjured arm, using her weight to push him away from her friends. The half demon cursed, raising his fist and bringing it down onto Kirara’s nose a few times. She did not falter, so Inuyasha grabbed her nose and forced her mouth open, freeing his arm from her bite.

He wasted no time punching the huge cat in her face, sending her rolling back in flames to her smaller form.

Shippo cowered behind Kagome, but sucked in a deep breath before charging at Inuyasha. He jumped up and yelled at him with the intent of sending a top into Inuyasha to deter him, but a quick swipe sent Shippo into a tree, silencing him immediately.

Her breath hitched, quickly coming more erratic and panicked. Tears welled up and rolled down her face as her mind went blank, the only thought consuming her mind being, He’s really going to kill me! Kagome’s eyes frantically darted around, seeing the status on her friends. Miroku lay on the ground, struggling to recover from the blow to his stomach. Sango, Kirara, and Shippo were unconscious and Sango bleed from her nose.

A slight crack of Inuyasha's smile snapped Kagome into a panicked flurry. She pulled out her bow and retrieved an arrow, aiming and pulling back the string. For a second, she hesitated, but a knew thought urged her to fire. I have to live.

She closed her eyes and let go, the arrow speeding towards Inuyasha, shrouded in a purple light.

That same sacred arrow…! Inuyasha thought, the quick distraction allowing the arrow to plant itself in his right shoulder. The energy from Kagome started to purify the jewel, Inuyasha’s desire to kill her lessening. Kagome continued to fire, closing her eyes whenever she let go of the string. Many arrows grazed him, only one other arrow connected with him in his abdomen, making him step back.

She noticed him no longer advancing, looking up at him. His expression was completely different, his eyes looked brighter, and he looked almost remorseful. She wobbled to her feet, pulling out her last arrow as a precaution.

“Inu…”

Before she could finish, a strong gust of wind pushed Kagome away from Inuyasha, the distance between them getting larger again. She shielded her eyes from the dirt, trying to get a few glimpses of what was ensuing in front of her. 

Kagura lowered herself to the ground, ushering Inuyasha onto her feather before taking off into the sky again. The wind died off, Kagome getting a clear view at their escape.

 “Kagura!” She hissed in frustration. She aimed her bow at the sky, pulling back the string and letting her arrow fly. 

The lit up arrow trailed into the sky, heading straight for Kagura, but Inuyasha’s hand grabbed the arrow before reaching her. He looked back down on Kagome, the remorse in his eyes completely evaporated. He snapped the arrow in half and let it fall to the ground, the priestess watching in dismay.

Kagome watched until they were completely out of view, frozen in place. Intense feelings bubbled up within her again, rising from her feet to her head, but all she could do was let out a strangled cry before dropping everything and falling to her knees, face in her hands.

--

Kagura dropped them both at the front of Naraku’s castle, immediately making her way inside. “Come on.”

Inuyasha squinted and followed behind her. “Why did you stop me?” he snarled.

“Naraku’s orders. He wants to speak with you.”

Probably gonna scold me for not getting the job done, Inuyasha thought to himself.

Kagura stood aside a door, leading to a room that Naraku sat inside. Inuyasha entered, still having the two arrows prior stuck within him.

“Inuyasha, you seem to have come back in one piece.” Naraku started.

Inuyasha scoffed. “You knew this would happen to me?”

“Oh… No. All you are is unprepared, and I sent you out far too soon. You’ve yet to truly understand the benefits that the sacred jewel has for you,”

Inuyasha pulled out the arrow stuck in his abs, still listening.

“Unsheathe your Tessaiga. Perhaps I’ll teach you how to use it.”

----

previous chapter | next chapter

[hackingxbiochemist]

Number 1 for the height difference AUs sounds perfect for skimmons :D

It is supposed to be a 500 words prompt but it goes out of hand, I’m just really into the scene, imagining the cute interaction between these two. I remembered the prompts wrong so the setting is not in the bookshop but it’s in a library. Sorry, hope you enjoy it :) 

Prompt: “I’m in a bookshop and I really need that book can you get it for me??? Wait you’ve read that book? let’s have an in depth conversation about it.”

Daisy holdsa book and lean against the bookshelf, she flips through the pages and read thesynopsis of the book. While she’s reading, she feels like someone’s watchingher, hovering behind her. She shakes off the feeling and continues to read thetexts on the book. The music in her earphone is playing loudly as she finds iteasier to concentrate on reading with music; people’s chatters really annoyedher. After reading the synopsis, she’s not interested in the book and she putsit back on the shelf. She runs her finger through the books while looking atthe title, she picks a book with the most intriguing title and starts to readthe synopsis. She still feels that somebody is watching her, when she decidedto put the book back on the shelf; she is startled by a light touch on hershoulder.

Daisy turnsback and looks at a flustered girl opening and closing her mouth but she can’tseem to hear what’s she’s saying. Oh right, her earphones. She takes herearphone off and the music that was filling her ears is replaced with theramblings of the girl.

“Oh mygosh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” she speaks with a hushedtone, “I just see you and I thought why not, because I really need it, I reallydidn’t mean to jump on you, thanks God you’re not screaming, if you were, theywill come and asks us to leave since it is a library and all,” the girlcontinues on rambling, “so I just want to know—“

“Wait, holdup,” Daisy puts one hand on the girl’s shoulder, her other hand putting thebook back into the shelf, “breathe,” looking at the girl to calm herself down.

“Ooh..okay…”the girl takes a deep breath and looks at Daisy’s hand on her shoulder, Daisytakes her hands off of the girl, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to grab your shoulderslike that,” she smiles apologetically.

“So, I needto ask a favor from you,” the girl starts as she looks at Daisy embarrassedly.

“Hmm…when aperson asks me this, it is either about hacking or dating,” Daisy smirks, “sowhat’s it for you?”

“Oh my,”the girl gasps quietly as her cheeks turns red, “no..no dating, or hacking, no,”she tucks her strands of hair covering her cheek.

Daisy’s eyebrowsrise a little, “So…what do you need?”

“Uhm..well..”the girl puts her head down, not wanting to look into Daisy’s eyes, “it seemsthat your height is ideal to achieve my purpose in getting a book,”

“What?”Daisy tilts her head confusedly, “my height? You were saying?” she can’t reallycomprehend what the girl is saying right now.

“Myapology,” the girl shakes her head, “c-can you grab me that book right there?”she huffs loudly as she points to a book in the second-highest rack. Her faceseems uncomfortable and she smiles sheepishly toward Daisy, adding, “Please…?”with her eyes-wide, it reminds Daisy of the cat in Shrek.

Daisy chuckles,“Oh my gosh, now you’re speaking English,” she laughs again, looking at thegirl that is fidgeting with her blazer’s buttons, smiling a little at her. Thegirl does look cute, with her ramblings and blazer. She is quite petite but herheight is not that different with Daisy, but Daisy is wearing a boots todaythat makes her slightly taller and the girl uses flats, so that explains whyshe needs Daisy’s help in getting that book.

Daisystretches her arm and stand on her tiptoes to reach the book, while doing so,her shirt lifts up and reveals her abs. She looks at the girl and the girl isdefinitely checking her out, she smirks and takes the book off the shelf.  The girl quickly averts her gaze from Daisy’sstomach.

Daisy handsher the book as she whispers, “Checking me out, huh?”, not letting go of thebook even though the girl has her hands on the book too.

“What? No,I didn’t,” the girl flushes real hard, her face is now red. Daisy didn’t knowwhy but it’s her first time seeing the girl and she really likes it when thegirl flusters.  The girl continues, “I-I..probablyshould go,” she rambles, “friends waiting for me.. had a project to go back to,”she takes the book from Daisy’s hand but Daisy didn’t let the book go.

“Wait.. younever read To Kill A Mockingbird?”Daisy’s eyes wide in surprise when she notices the title of the book.

The girl’sface turned into a faux-hurt expression, “Of course, I’ve read it! Multipletimes! It’s my favorite!” she glares at Daisy.

“It’s yourfavorite?” Daisy’s eyes wide, “It’s mine too! I really love Scout, she kindareminds me of my younger self, only difference is she has a loving family and Idon’t,” Daisy says nonchalantly.

The girl’sface softens as she tries to hide her surprised expression, “I’m sorry?” sheasks, not sure of what to say. Then Daisy continues, “That’s okay, no big dealabout it, sorry for just dropping it on you, we just know each other for about5 minutes and wait…” Daisy pauses as she looks into the girl’s beautifulchocolate eyes, “we haven’t been properly introduced, so, my name is Daisy, I’ma computer science major here, and you are?” Daisy offers her hand to the girl.

“Oh god,yeah! How rude of me,” the girl berates herself as she scrunches her nose, yep,this girl is definitely cute, “my name is—“

“Jemma! ForGod’s sake, what took you so long?” a voice with a thick Scotland accentinterrupts Daisy and the girl.

“Hm,” Daisyhums, “Jemma, nice name,” she smiles at the girl that now has a name.

Jemma turnsher head toward the source of the voice that is a boy with curly hair, andsends him off, “Go away Fitz, I’m in the middle of something!”

“Urgh,fine, fine, but don’t come calling for me if you get stuck in writing youranalysis!” Fitz grumbles as he walks away from the both of them.

Jemma huffsexasperatedly as she turns back to Daisy, “Well, yes, I’m Jemma Simmons,majoring in biochemistry,” she smiles, shaking Daisy’s hand.

“So…can Icall you Jem?” Daisy wiggles her eyebrows.

“Ooh nicereference,” Jemma’s face lights up, “of course you can, you’re Scout and I’mJem,” Jemma chuckles lightly and it warms Daisy’s heart.

“Daisy, I’msorry but I need to go now, I kinda got a deadline on my literary paper of thebook,” Jemma smiles, “Hope to see you again!” she says as she walks swiftlytoward the study area. Jemma hears footsteps behind her and the chair acrossher is pulled, and Daisy is right in front of her.

“How about,I help you make the paper, so we can talk more about how awesome this book is?”Daisy winks at Jemma.

“Oh so it’sa date?” Jemma is never the one to talks spontaneously like this but she justdo it on impulse.

“No it’snot Jem,” Daisy answers, Jemma’s face is suddenly down, then Daisy continues, “it’snot a proper one, I need to take you to dinner, or at least, a coffee shop,”Daisy shrugs her shoulder.

Jemmasmiles at how Daisy calls her by a nickname, “Okay then, after I finished thepaper,”

“After youfinished the paper,” a smile forms on Daisy’s lips, agreeing on Jemma’s words.

Fin.