#sigh. anyway. when will my cousin come home. for banana bread.

[tennisarchives]

now i want banana bread but my cousin who makes them rly good has been on a business trip for weeks this is horrible

[tera-91]

Monsters part 1 - rewrite

I'm back! This past year has been rough ... so what better way to start off the spooky season and to put the past 365 days behind me than to do a rewrite of chapter 1, I had to clean up a few things and make a few tweaks it was driving me crazy. Don't worry Part 2 is already written 😈. Just have to make a couple of adjustments and it will be posted, my aim is for October 20th or 23rd depending on my work schedule since I don't have a computer at the moment. That aside I give you Patton and his lovely stalkers .... I mean monsters 💜.

Summary: Patton is afraid of monsters. They might not be so bad after all?

Pairing: not really any (yet)

Warnings: monsters, night, attack ... let me know if I missed anything

Word count: 2374

Please feel free to comment 💙

Patton had always been afraid of monsters for as long as he could remember. Ever since his older cousin Ian had popped out from under his bed with snake skin glued on to half of his face.

A monster currently resided in Patton's closet, this monster was mostly alright. He, at least Patton assumed it was a he, never really came out much anymore after Patton had begun to leave crackers with blueberry crofters on a plate near the closet door at night before he went to bed.

There was a second monster as well, his grandmother had told him about it once during a visit. It never would sneak around his house at night but Patton had a sneaking suspicion it would nap in his bed while he was at work. Wether he made his bed or not it almost always looked different somehow when he returned home. Although he wasn't completely convinced it wasn't just the closet monster. Patton did what his grandmother told him to do anyway. He would place an orange, or if in season a blood orange, on the window not far from his bed twice a week. It would always disappear after his next shift at work.

_______

Patton woke to the faint glow of sunlight as it filtered through his semi-transparent teal curtains. He snuggled into his warm covers to enjoy the soft fabric briefly before he reluctantly stretched with a groan.

He lazily glanced around the blurry room before his gaze settled on his closet door. Even without his glasses he could tell it was slightly ajar, the closet monster came out last night. As he reached for his glasses he was somewhat thankful it had waited for him to go to sleep. A shiver ran up his spine at the thought of the long, sharp tongue and the glowing dark blue eyes. Once he was able to see clearer he was able to tell that the plate by the closet door was empty, just a few crumbs from the crackers remained. Not even a speck of jelly remained.

Patton threw back the the covers a d hopped out of bed. He ignored the shock of the cold wooden floor against his bare feet as he slowly approached the closet. He hesitantly reached for the door, with a deep breath he pulled the door hard. He peered into the closet and released the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Empty.

It always surprised him how he never found the monster in his closet during the day. One day he even had his cousin over to help him look for a present he had misplaced. Neither of them had seen the monster while they searched the many closets of the three bedroom home.

Patton closed the closet with slight hesitation once he grabbed his clothes for the day. A violet polo shirt with the pet daycare logo and khaki pants, which looked somewhat less wrinkled than they had when Patton put them away. However, on a time crunch he just shrugged and headed to the bathroom.

With the morning routine done Patton made his way into the modest kitchen. Toast sounded good. He grabbed the half empty bag of sliced bread, retrieved two slices and popped them into the toaster. Now all he needed was milk and crofters, maybe a cookie afterward if the jam didn't satisfy his terrible sweet tooth. With a small side step away from the sink he reached for the upper cabinet that held his mug collection. He analyzed each mug. Did he want a big one? A small one? What about the Winnie the Pooh mug? He pondered briefly, his finger tapped against the counter. A creature of habit, he reached into the cabinet and pulled out his favorite one, a swirled rainbow mug covered in puppies and kittens with paw prints. He walked over towards the refrigerator and placed the mug on the counter.

The cool air ghosted over his face as he opened the heavy door. The milk was easy to spot, the big red label caught his eye immediately. However, the green lid of the blueberry crofters jar was far more elusive than it should've been. He sighed as he searched, it wouldn't be the first time the closet monster hadn't been satisfied and cleaned out the near empty crofters jar and hid the empty jar within the fridge. Patton found the jar, after nearly a full minute of searching, two shelves lower and on the opposite side of the refrigerator from where it usually sat. He pulled the jar out, a slight pout on his face, and placed it on the counter just as the toast popped up.

"Again?" Patton said in a raised voice, he hoped the closet monster could hear him. At least he had left enough for Patton's toast this time. Patton was happy to share but would it really be too much to ask him to leave a note if he wanted more crackers?

Did the monster even know how to write? Even if he did, the more Patton thought about it while he poured his milk and spread the jam on his toast, a shiver ran up his spine. Just the thought of the closet monster coming close to him while she slept to place a note on his table caused his heart to beat a little faster. He began to look around and tidy up the kitchen to calm down as his finished the last bites of his toast.

The jam might be able to last another few days if the monster didn't come out again for more than what Patton left out. His gaze soon settled on the fruit bowl on the island, a couple of bananas and quite a few apples.

'Maybe I should take some to work. Bonnie would love them, the rabbits too.' Patton thought. At least they wouldn't go to waste if the store macaw and bunnies enjoyed them. He paused as he took a sip of milk, there were no blood oranges in the bowl. He must have used the last one the day before.

"Well I guess I'm going to have to go to the store on my way home." Patton said to himself as he finished cleaning up before he made his way towards the door. He grabbed the durable rainbow fabric of his messenger bag from it's hook and slung it over his shoulder before he made his way back to the kitchen. "Hmm, one for Bonnie and Mable, half for Darrel aannnd one and a half for Jenna and Monty and Mopsy." He said as he figured out how many apples to place in his bag. Once he was satisfied he hadn't forgotten anyone he headed towards the door.

Located by the door was a reasonably sized table, on top of which sat his wallet and keys. First, however, he pulled open the drawer of the table. Despite being full of mostly miscellaneous he pulled out a notepad and pen. Patton quickly jolted down a short grocery list, tore the page off, and placed them back in the drawer. He picked up his wallet and tucked the list in it before storing it in his bag. With practiced ease he plucked the keys from the table and slid it onto one of his fingers as he made his way out the door.

Patton took a deep breath as he took the first step out the door. He loved everything about Fall from the cooler temperatures to the smell. Well, just about everything, he wasn't the biggest fan about Halloween and people dressing up, it made it more difficult to spot possible monsters. As he turned to lock the door he heard a soft bark. "Hey bud, give me a second." He said without skipping a beat.

A smile stretched across his face as he turned and squatted down. In front of him stood, what he assumed was, a red Canadian Eskimo dog. He reached down and began to per the rather large dog, which quickly dropped to the ground to reveal his belly to be rubbed. Patton laughed as he began to tickle the monster of a dog. The pair played for several minutes before Patton's phone began beeping, a warning he needed to head to the bus stop to be able to make it to work on time. Patton's smile fell and the dog whined. "Sorry Roman, I have to get to work now." Patton said as he stood up. Roman rolled and sat up, another whine escaped him. "It's okay buddy, go home." He said gently as he rubbed Roman's ears and checked his collar for what was probably the hundredth time. The name plate remained blank, save for the name Roman elegantly engraved in the golden metal.

Patton wondered where the dog belonged. He would take him in as he saw the fluff ball nearly everyday but he was sure Roman had a home. He looked a healthy weight, if not slightly over. If Patton had to guess he would guess that Roman weighed close to a hundred pounds and his coat was always immaculately brushed, no knits or mats anywhere. Patton was pulled out of his thoughts by another soft bark from Roman. "I know what you want." He said, a slight lilt in his voice. With one swift movement he pulled out a slice of dehydrated sweet potato he had made for Roman a few nights ago. "Potato!" He said in a silly voice as Roman gingerly took the treat. He laughed as he scratched under Roman's chin before he headed for the bus stop.

That day work was typical for Patton, nothing particularly interesting happened. Bonnie had sung in approval of the apple slices and the rabbits left no trace of the apples within an hour. After his shift was over for the day Patton caught the next bus towards the market.

Sue to it being later Patton was greatful that the store was mostly empty. Luckily he was able to find five decent sized blood oranges as well as some fruit for himself. He was slightly disappointed however, when he discovered they were out of blueberry crofters. He hoped the closet monster would behave as he grabbed a jar of berry harvest crofters instead.

After he checked out Patton looked at the bus app, it wouldn't be at the stop near the market for nearly fourty-five minutes. As he closed the bus app he pulled up the phones map to see how close to home he was. He could walk home in half the time, he just had to go down Comet street at the end of the block and go through Sanders park then walk two blocks down Russet boulevard. He hesitated for a moment as it was already dark, but a cool breeze and a shiver made him finally decide with a shrug to walk home.

Halfway down Comet street he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched as he walked down the semi-dark street. Little light came from the street lamps and even less from the few houses to his right. A rustling noise to his left nearly caused him to jump out of his skin, the woods of Sanders park held no light what so ever. His heart pounded in his chest as he stopped and stared into the inky darkness for a moment. Suddenly a pair of playing fox kits came tumbling out of the bush before they must have realized they were out in the open and ran off. A nervous laugh escaped Patton as he continued on his way.

Suddenly Patton was pulled from the sidewalk and pushed up against the wall of the darkened house. The rough brick bit into his back and caused him to open his eyes, he hadn't realized he closed. He had dropped his bag, he watched as a couple of oranges rolled across the grass towards the sidewalk. However, he could barely even make that out. His vision blurry as his glasses had fallen off at some point.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing out in the dark? It's not safe after sundown you know. It's when the monsters come out to play." the man said with a grin as he ran a dirty hand down Patton's cheek. Patton swallowed any response that he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs as he struggled to get out of the strangers strong grip.

A low growl caught both of their attentions. The man froze, his grip remained firm on Patton. At the same time a large dog barreled out of the woods and a large bat dived bombed the man. He released Patton and stumbled back while he attempted to swat the bat away. As the bat drove him further away from Patton the dog didn't hesitate to tackle him to the ground, a deep growl emanated from deep within its chest.

Patton hadn't noticed the bat had disappeared until it reappeared right in front of him. He immediately threw his hands up but when he realized the bat didn't attack him, he peeked between his arms. The bad just hovered there. It took him a moment but he realized the bat had his glasses in its mouth. Unsure of what to do, he hesitantly held out his arm, hand open and fingers splayed out.

Patton held his breath as the bat, with seemingly practiced ease, wrapped it's feet around two of his fingers and slowly maneuvered itself to hang from his hand. Even with everything that was happening, Patton was most surprised at the bat. Cautiously he reached out his other hand to take his glasses. Once he had his glasses back he expertly, stumbled, and put them on one handed.

A shuffling sound caught Patton's attention, he looked over towards where the man and dog were. He barely managed to see the dog snapping towards the man as he ran off. With the man out of sight Patton turned his attention to the large dog and realized that he recognized it.

"Roman?"

@not-so-innocent-bi-sander @princeanxious @teacupfulofstarshine @moltengoldenstardust @sandersfander1820 @coolerthan-a-vintagecassette @j-d-lightful @could-always-be-gayer-2 @altruistic-skittles @sylveon-lover-crazyfangirl1415 @xx-fandom-potato-xx @c4t1l1n4 @dutifullystrangequeerdom @i-read-by-lamp @thatcacidork @i-do-not-dislike-fudge @bigfirecreator @random-name-here @tinkslittlebelle @kindly-falling @punsterterry

[sussexcraze]

Harry and Meghan One Shot [Babysitting the Cambridge Kids]

To the dear anon who requested this - I’m so sorry this took so long! Here’s Harry and Meghan babysitting the Cambridge kids while William and Kate have an engagement! 

“I promise, George - we’ll try to get back home as early as we can.”

William sighed as he squatted down to hug his son, who was not happy with the idea that they were leaving so late in the evening.

“Daddy, I don’t want you and Mummy to leave. It’s already night time.” George whined.

“I know, love,” Kate called out, carrying an equally glum Charlotte in her arms. “It’ll only be for a little while.”

“What about banana bread?” Charlotte whined.

“Yes, darling, I promised we were gonna make one today-”

“BUT!” William cut his wife off dramatically, earning an eye roll from Kate. “I think someone can help you do that while we’re gone!”

In mere seconds, the door swung open, revealing Harry with his arms wide open. “Give your uncle some love, you kiddos!”

“Uncle Harry! You’re here!” The kids bolted straight to his arms. With the recent tour with Meghan and his flurry of engagements, Harry was ecstatic to see the kids again.

“Uncle Harry, are you staying for dinner?” George asked.

Harry smiled at his nephew and ruffled his hair. “I sure am, George!”

“But, are you helping us make banana bread, Uncle Harry? You always burn it!” Charlotte squealed.

Harry shook his head as he pinched her nose. “You’re brutally honest, Lottie. But yes, that is the sad truth… which is why, I brought back up!”

As if on cue, a head popped up from behind the door. “Hey kids!”

“AUNTIE MEG!!!” George and Charlotte screamed as they ran for Meghan.

“Hey, I used to be the cool uncle,” Harry whined. “Why do they scream louder for you now?”

Meghan smirked at her husband as she braced herself for the kids. “Sorry to dethrone you, love. I’m fairly certain it’s the banana bread.”

“Fine,” Harry relented. “That I can’t compete with - Hey! Don’t hug Auntie Meg too tight! We don’t want your little cousin getting squished-”

“Oh hush, uncle Harry!” Meghan cut him off as she kissed the top of George and Charlotte’s heads. “You’re just jealous!”

“Come here, you two,” she whispered, pulling them closer towards her. Meghan was very fond of the Cambridge kids, as they reminded her so much of her own godchildren. “You can hug Auntie Meg as tight as you want.”

“That’s it,” Harry huffed in response. “I’m gonna go find the other baby to cuddle.”

As the kids ran off to the kitchen - they knew it was baking time soon - Kate came up to Meghan as she was taking her coat off.

“Hey, thanks so much for coming to look after the kids. Harry would’ve been just fine-”

“It’s fine, Kate, really.” Meghan countered. “I haven’t seen them in so long, and I’d rather be here up and moving.” She looked down at her growing belly and rubbed it affectionately. “I find that little bean here likes it when I’m more mobile - brings down the gymnastics routine a notch or two.”

Kate smiled warmly. “I’m glad. And please, feel free to lay down and rest if you feel the need to; Maria’s also here to help out if my children have sucked the life out of you already.”

Meghan laughed heartily. “Yes, thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Just as Meghan said her goodbyes to the couple, Harry emerged with a squirming Louis in his arms. “Look at this dashing boy! Hey bud, I’m such an expert at carrying babies now, aren’t I?”

Meghan chuckled as she tickled Louis’ foot. “Yeah, remember when uncle Harry nearly dropped you when-”

“OKAY LOUIS SAY BYE-BYE MUM AND DAD!” Harry exclaimed. “We’ll see you later!”

“Is it cooked now?”

“A few more minutes, Georgie.”

“Now, uncle Harry?”

“Not yet, Charlotte-”

The kids whined at what they heard, growing more and more impatient as they were taking turns peeking through the oven door.

“How about now-”

“That’s it!” Harry shouted as he stood up from the sofa. “We’re going to play a game!”

Meghan - who was busy cleaning up the mess from the baking session - gave her husband an amused look. “Hmmm, what kind of game, uncle Harry?”

“Okay, it’s called the quiet game!” Harry exclaimed, raising his voice for extra effect. “Do you kids want to play?”  

George and Charlotte, immediately intrigued, nodded in response.  

“So, to play the game, you have to stay really quiet. You can’t say a word.”

“Not a word?” Charlotte squeaked, her nerves noticeable through her voice.

“Not a word,” Harry stifled a laugh, no doubt amused by his niece’s reaction. “Unless there’s something really important that you have to say. The person who gets to keep quiet the longest will win.”

“How long does it last, uncle Harry?” George asked, his game face ready.

“Hmmm, how long should we play the game, auntie Meg?” Harry turned to his wife, a smirk forming on his lips. “How about until Mum and Dad gets back from work?”

Before the kids could whine in protest, Meghan saved the day. “No fair, uncle Harry! That’s too long!” Meghan walked towards the oven to take a peek at the most awaited banana bread. “What about... until the oven timer rings? The game will be over and then we can all eat!”

“Yeah!” The children cheered.

“Alright!” Harry rubbed his hands together, eager to start the game. “The game begins in three… two… one… and - ”

“Wait!” Charlotte squealed. “What about... Louis?”

“Louis?” Harry replied, confused. “What about Louis?”

“Well, isn’t he joining the game? And nanny Maria, too!”

Harry and Meghan, quite taken aback with Charlotte’s thoughtfulness, laughed in response.

“Well - about Louis, ” - Harry managed to mutter in between laughs - “I think he’s too young to understand what the game is.” He turned towards Maria and Louis who were across the room. “Is that correct, little man?”

Louis, who was bouncing up and down on Maria’s lap, cooed in response.

“And…. he’s out before the game even started.” Harry said. “But hey, nanny Maria is welcome to join us if she wants to!”

Maria simply shook her head as she smiled (but yes, she was immensely grateful for the new game that she was SURE to play with the kids in the near future).

“Okaaay,” Harry sighed. “Any more questions? I think all players are accounted for? Right, auntie Meg?”

Meghan nodded in approval. “That’s right! We start in three… two… one… and.. Now.” she said, mouthing the last word for effect.

As the game started, Harry and Meghan settled for the sofa, clearly entertained by the two siblings who were trying their very best to keep their mouths shout.

“Hey,” Meghan whispered. “You’ve got that face on, again.”

Harry, still smiling from his ‘victory’, turned his head towards her. “What kind of face?”

Meghan rolled her eyes - of course her husband knew what she was talking about. “The I-am-such-a-genius face.”

Harry grinned. “Yeah, I thought so too.” He leaned in closer, careful not to let the siblings find out that they were speaking. “Still, you can’t deny it was a smart move, right?”

“Yes, yes,” Meghan muttered under her breath. “But I can’t believe you wanted them to keep quiet until their parents arrived!” She huffed. “William and Kate will think we’re torturing their children!”

Harry merely chuckled in response.

Meghan sighed as she leaned onto his shoulder. “Still, props to you for your newfound game.” She rubbed her belly lazily. “It’ll come in handy for the future car rides.”

“Future car rides?”

She smiled. “You better buckle up for… ‘How far are we?’ ‘Are we there yet?’ ‘Are we here already?’”

Harry felt his insides warm up at the thought of his future family; he couldn’t resist the laugh that came out of him. “You’re absolutely right!”

“Uncle Harry!” Charlotte boomed. “You talked!”

While Meghan was trying not to laugh, Harry put on a shocked expression. “Did I? I didn’t-”

“Mmmhmmph!” George retorted, a hand on his mouth. He was gesturing wildly to Charlotte.

“Oh no!” Harry shouted, finally getting what his nephew was saying. “Lottie, you spoke too! We’re both out!”

“But I was - I was just telling uncle Harry that -” Charlotte, at a loss for words, gave up and ran to Meghan. “Auntie Meeeeg!” She cried out, the tears starting to form.

As Meghan consoled an upset Charlotte, she turned to her husband, who was still laughing his heart out. “You’re so… mean,” she mouthed at him, which only made Harry laugh harder.

After the tears and hard feelings subsided, thanks to the arrival of the banana bread, everything went back to normal. Harry and George played with George’s toy airplanes - wherein uncle Harry passionately described the little details and stats of each plane, much to George’s annoyance (and boredom). Meanwhile, Meghan and Charlotte played hair salon, with Charlotte placing bows and clips onto her aunt’s hair, which Meg adored.

When it was bedtime for the Cambridge kids, Harry immediately took charge of putting them to sleep, insisting that Meghan take a breather and simply rest.

Meghan, however, couldn’t sit still, and she later found herself heading for Louis’ room.

“Putting him to sleep?” Meghan whispered as she swung the door open.

“Ah, yes ma’am.” Maria replied as she fought back a yawn, still tapping Louis’ back.

“Maria,” Meghan uttered softly. “You’ve been working all day. Please rest. I can watch over him.” She took a peek at Louis, whose eyes were nearly closed. “He’s almost asleep anyway.”

“Oh, it’s fine, ma’am. I don’t want to burden you-”

“No te preocupes,” Meghan countered as she placed a hand on Maria’s shoulder. “Tienes que descansar.”

Maria, touched by the change of language and by Meghan’s genuineness, smiled gratefully. “Muchas gracias, ma’am.”

Meghan simply smiled and nodded in response, turning her attention immediately to a sleeping Louis. She couldn’t help but marvel at the mental image of it all - the baby, the crib, the little blankets and toys; the fact that this would all be a reality for her and Harry in a few months made her inexplicably happy.

“Hey, bud,” Meghan whispered as he doted on Kate’s mini-me. “You’re growing so fast…”

She sighed. “In a few months, you’ll be teaching your little cousin the ropes on how to be a royal baby.” Meghan chuckled softly. “How did you manage all those camera flashes with such ease?”

“Uhm, like I said earlier, auntie Meg- I think Louis is too young to understand whatever you’re saying.”

Harry’s deep voice reverberated through the room, startling Meghan.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” she inquired as she turned towards Harry.

“Ha. Ha.” He retorted, his eyebrows raising up as he looked at her. “I should be asking you the same thing. Shouldn’t you be in the living room? Resting?”

Meghan smiled sheepishly. “Well…. if the tabloids think I’m stubborn and non-compliant, guess I better live up to their expectations…”

“Veeeery funny,” Harry rattled, but his face was more than serious. Hugging Meghan from the back, his arms automatically wrapped around her waist, with his hands circling repeatedly on her growing belly. “Really, are you alright? It’s been a long day today.”

Meghan leaned back as she exhaled loudly, grateful for her newfound back support. “A little tired - but I’m fine,” she whispered. “Are the kids asleep?”

“Yes,” Harry replied, a hint of a smile on his face. “I liked that.”

“Liked what?”

“You saying that…” Harry muttered. He kissed Meghan’s shoulder, his smile growing bigger. “‘Are the kids asleep?’ ‘Did they brush their teeth?’” he droned on. “I could get used to that.”

“Well, I don’t think you have a choice, Henry,” she replied, with a grin matching his. “When we have this baby, there’s no turning back.”

“Yes. And I’m absolutely ready.”

“To clean up toys and spilled food?”

“Uh-uh.”

“To change diapers?”

“Nappies,” Harry snapped, but his grin gave it away.

Meghan stuck her tongue out at him. “Diapers. What about... stepping on a Lego?”

“Ooooh,” Harry cringed. “That’s a tough one.”

He sighed defeatedly, crouching down to kiss his wife’s stomach. “But yes, I’ll endure that because I love you too much.”

“Wow, daddy, how patient you are!” Meghan remarked, a surprised expression on her face. “I’d be pulling my hair off in frustration if I stepped on one of those things.”

“Ah, the perks of having a daddy like me,” Harry quipped, gesturing slightly to his head. “No need for hair pulling as I have very little to begin with, anyway.”

He knew his wife couldn’t resist a balding joke, and as she tried to contain her laughter, Harry couldn’t help but smile at the image before him.

Seeing his family like this - his ever beaming pregnant wife, in a picture of pure ease - he knew that no tabloid or random noise could ever spoil such a precious moment.

I’m reaaaally bad at endings- so sorry! I also realized after writing the entire thing that I didn’t focus on the babysitting too much (sorry!), but I hope you guys liked it nonetheless! Lastly, I wanted to freshen up on my Spanish so I decided to squeeze in a tiny bit of Spanish dialogue for fun (thought it was a bit OOC at first but after finding out Meghan spoke to one of the residents at Brinsworth House in Spanish, I just went for it). Would love to hear from you guys! Happy new year everyone!

No te preocupes - Don’t worry

Tienes que descansar - You need to rest

Muchas gracias - Thank you very much

[nanamismoonchild]

Chapter 5- The Forgotten

Title: The Forgotten

Author: Nam

Genre: Angst, Smut, Fluff

Au: Werewolf

Warmth spread through my unconsciousness.

What happened?

“Oh-Oh, she’s not dead,” I hear someone cheer.

Oh…yeah… Namjoon was telling me that I’m a werewolf hybrid and then I fainted. Too much information at once. Things were too strange to not believe him.  I felt a rumble underneath me-must have been the bed I was on.  It was really soft.

“Mom, should Hobi-hyung be underneath Y/N like that?”

“Well, it’s the only way I can wake her up.”

Underneath…me?

Warning bells sounded off in my head, and my eyes flew wide open.  Only to see a giant wolf face.

Jungkook smiled, “Y/N! You’re okay!”

“Hobi, you might want to…”

I scream, scrambling off the belly of the monster. Then I noticed that the air smelled eerily like wet dog.  Looking around, I saw that i was not surrounded by men ( besides Jungkook) but 7 12-foot tall werewolves.  

My scream grew even louder as I rushed out of the house.  

That did not go well.

Halfway toward my house, I paused to catch my breath. I did not need the neighborhood to think I was a  crazy teen running from nothing. I was already the the friendless teen.  

I sat on the curb, holding my head between my legs. Being blasted with new information then actually seeing it was enough for me.  I could piece the rest together.  Dad had been a werewolf and Mom had been human, so that makes me a wolf-human? But werewolves are already shape-shifting humans right?  

I started walking again. Walking gives  me time to collect my thoughts. I remember something Namjoon said before I passed out:

    “Your father did not listen to our warning and married your mother, who was indeed another species of supernatural….”

So does that mean I’m not human at all? Or am I one-fourth human since werewolves are half-human? Regardless I am a hybrid. I wish I had parents to explain this to me, but sadly they died before they could.  Well not died, but murdered the same way my grandparents were.  But there was one more family member who knew everything.

Aunt Noel. She was still alive and walking. She was the only member alive, and the only member who somehow hated me.  Neither her husband nor her spoiled children. But she was the only person I could talk to.   I will just have to call her when I get home-if she answers.

I found myself, practically running to the house. This was a chance to finally know another piece about myself and to connect with Noel.  

Why hadn’t she told me earlier? She had obviously known about this; she wrote a freaking book based on her “adventures.” Why hadn’t she told me the last time she saw me?  Sure, the last time I  saw her was in a shopping mall–buying school supplies.  

    “Y/N, what are you doing here?” I turn around to see my aunt and my cousins. They were each holding a three bags in a hand.

   “Buying supplies.”

Jinhyun, the daughter my age, snorts, “With what money?”

Jinyoung, the son also my age, snarks, , “ The money she doesn’t have.  “

I sigh. I didn’t have time for either of them. The sale is was going to end in one hour and I was only on pens and pencils.

They all laugh as if it were the funniest thing ever.  I roll my eyes and try to move to the notebook section. My eyes were on the one with the basket full of puppies.

Noel blocked my advance, “ It’s actually nice that I met you here. I don’t need to go to that bastardly house. Who knows what you have been doing. You might even be waiting for a man here.”

I could just slap her if it wasn’t for the fact that a lady was trying to take my notebook.

“What do you want?”

“ I just wanted to tell you about something I forgot. Your father wanted me to give you a letter.”

    I wait for her to give it to me.  “And where is it?”

“Oh, it’s in his room, “ She takes a moment to think, “In a shoebox. Good luck finding it. “ She, Jinyoung, and Jihyun walk out the store.  However, Taehyun stays behind. She was the quietest of her siblings and takes pity on me whenever they pulled a prank.  

    I ignore her and continue to sift through notebooks–the puppy basket was gone.  I felt someone move behind me. It was her.

“I saw you looking at this while Mom was talking and I grabbed it before that lady did,” she hands the puppy basket notebook to me.

    I eagerly take it, “Thank you. “

    She stares at me before saying, “ Mom won’t tell you this but… You’re really special to our family. If you ever want to know what I mean, I can… I can help you. “ And with that, she hurriedly catches up with her mom and siblings.

I had never spoken to her or my aunt since then. I was too afraid of learning I was adopted or something. But now, I desperately needed answers.  I was either getting them from Aunt Noel or Taehyun.  

Opening the door to my house, the hairs on my neck stood up.  Something had changed. Did someone come fix the air conditioner? It had been broken and the house had been a desert. Usually they left a note, but the guy they sent must have been lazy.

Even so, I grabbed the bat I keep near the door and turn on the lights. I walked towards the kitchen, since it’s the place thieves steal  from first. Nothing. Until I rounded the island.  There was a huge glob of my peanut butter, bread, and bananas on the floor. I stared at the mess for a long time.  That was my favorite peanut butter, for one, and they didn’t bother to clean up the mess.  How rude.

Thunk! Thunk!

“Oh….hell…”

Spinning around, I see a shadow run up the stairs. Every sense in me told me to not run up the stairs, but curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.  I tiptoed up the stairs making sure not to step on creaks.  It was dark in the hallway but the light to my parents room was on. I lifted my bat ready to swing if I needed to. Steadily toeing my way though, I listened for the tell-tale noises of an intruder. The room was silent as it normally is.  I had never stepped into this room before now; I abandoned this room when my parents died.  I didn’t need the memories.

I let my bat drop loosely, and sighed. Maybe it had been my imagination. Turning around to walk out, I banged my head on a wall. A furry wall. A breathy growling furry wall.

I squeaked.

The wolf launched its snarling mouth at me, but I used the bat to keep it open while I ran away.  Three stairs down, I heard the bat snap. It was metal, and the wolf had easily broken it.  With that thought,  I ducked inside the storage closet.  I thought about all the ways Teen Wolf  and Twilight had written about wolves.  

Smell. He probably has a scent of me. I knew there was a bottle of Bleach on the upper shelf. Maybe if i drowned my body in it, I could mask my scent.  I reach up for the bottle, unscrewing it, and, holding my breath, doused myself in the foul smelling stuff.

Sound. I had to be as still as not to cause a single sound. How do I do that? I don’t know, but this is life or death and I wanted life.

Sight.  More than likely the guy could see in the dark, so if he somehow opened the door, I was screwed.

Tough skin-  No knives could help me. Not even silver.  I would have been dead a long time ago.

I had to sit quietly. However long that took.  

Two hours had passed according to the little clock on the wall, and the wolf had not noticed me yet. He hadn’t left–I could hear him in the kitchen. Probably eating more of my peanut butter.

I could not be a sitting duck any longer. If I only I had a phone, then I could contact Taehyung or Aunt Noel if it needed be. But sadly, I was too stubborn ( and lazy ) to go out and buy a phone.  I always used the house phone. I didn’t have friends to call anyway. Plus if I used it, the beast in the kitchen would hear my voice amid his munching.

Wait…. Could I use the mind-talking Jin and Jimin used? Only one way to find out.  

Hello…?

Well, I didn’t expect it to work. I don’t have any idea of how to work this. Maybe I don’t even have the stupid thing.  Regardless, I tried again.

Jin-oppa! Can you hear me?

Nothing again.  What had Jin said? That you have to be in close proximity. Well, I totally couldn’t get close.  But what if I pictured Jin or any of the boys in my head?  I took a deep breath and focused on any boy.  Dark brown hair with a deep tan… Taehyung.

I exhaled.  Taehyung?

There was a something that sounded like  television static then it connected

Y/N? What’s wrong? How are you doing this?

Don’t worry about that. Is anyone else listening?

Yes. The other guys.

Well… I am kind of stuck in a situation.

What?

There’s sort of a man-eating werewolf in my kitchen eating my peanut butter.

The connection was cut short. Only because the door of the closet flew open. A man’s hands grabbed me by the collar.  I squeaked.

“Did you think you could hide forever? I smelled you before you poured the bleach on you. I just wanted to tease you,” Wolf-man growled into my ear. “By the way, you have great taste in peanut butter.”

I kicked him in the place where it hurts the most. He was momentarily shocked but that’s all I needed to wiggle out of his arms and run.  I was halfway down the driveway when Wolf-man came bounding after me. He springs up, his teeth bared, but I dive to the side.  I threw a stick at him… It didn’t work.  Miffed, Wolf-man roars and charges. I would have been killed if it wasn’t for another wolf crashing into Wolf-man, knocking him through the doorway.

“My house!”

That’s the least of your problems right now Y/N.

It was Namjoon’s voice-thought. Behind me, I hear six other howls.  They had come for me… Taehyung had listened… They had listened…

A midnight blue wolf with scarlet eyes pushes against me with his snout.  It’s best if you go to our house.  It was Yoongi.  

I nod. I could only guess what was going to happen to mine.  A deep chestnut wolf with the same colored eyes lets me get on top of him.  It’s ok. I will try and  salvage some of your things.  Jin.

But for now, let’s get you to safety.

[arathoonabroad]

Chapter 13

In which Katie uses 2,000 words to say "I was tired."

Thursday, September 21, 2006

There have been certain grumblings of the "are you dead?" variety concerning my lack of updates recently, and I apologize; hopefully this installment will both satisfy those grumblers and explain my (extremely out of character) reticence.

So. I actually managed to give up alcohol for a month, and here's the story of why. One week after my birthday, we accidentally threw the most awesome party ever. The excuse was the arrival of a new flatmate, the awesome Freya—so it was a "house re-warming" party. Our arrival time was set at eight, and the theme was "Heroes and Villains." At eight o'clock we four flatmates were sitting in the living room. Sarah had made the largest token to the party's theme, and was wearing an Astro Boy t-shirt and, most impressively, an Astro Boy pair of underpants on the outside of her jeans. Freya was dressed up as an evil version of herself, and I was dressed up as a not-evil clone of the evil version of Freya, which meant that we were both wearing cute skirts and glasses, but otherwise looking pretty normal. Amina appeared to be going as Amina.

"Did you invite anyone?" asked Sarah. A chorus of Not Really's ran 'round the room. "Me neither," she sighed. The party seemed a loss. I texted the few people I had invited and warned them it was dead.

And then people started arriving, and they didn't stop. The house was full of people. We’d purchased forty bottles of wine, and we ran out and had to go get more. My camera was passed from hand to hand, capturing people's costumes (most impressively a young gentleman dressed entirely in tinfoil). People we didn't know showed up. People we did know and didn't like showed up. Somebody's younger brother and his best friend showed up, refused to speak to anyone, and then passed out in the living room. We had Brazilians and Italians and Indians and Germans and more, but everyone drank like Aussies. At four o'clock my camera was full of pictures, we were full of alcohol, and we decided it was a really good time to go to a bar. So, we shuffled off to the bar, I broke a chair, and the rest is a blank until it was suddenly 8:20 in the morning and one of my newfound best friends was shoving his watch in my face and saying, "Aren't you supposed to be at work in ten minutes?"

Ah yes, yes I was. A special one-off Saturday job, shelving books in the bookstore part of the café. Still reeling, I leaped into work clothes and ran the whole way to the café, making it there in just ten minutes (rather than the usual twenty). My boss thought my showing up reeking of alcohol was hilariously funny, and I proceeded to shelve books, dwelling on all the stupid things I'd done the night before, for two hours. Two hours of silent book shelving in a silent café is a really good time to do some earnest reflection, and I'd done a lot of stupid things the night before. By the time I'd finished the last box of books I'd worked myself into quite a state.

"Come on, I'll shout you breakfast as a thank you," my boss offered.

"I can't, I have about twelve apologies I have to make," I said, and, brain now moving into hangover zone, I wandered home, collapsed on the sidewalk outside my house, dissolved into tears, and called my mother.

Not my proudest moment in Sydney.

So, from that day until the end of August, I went teetotal. Totally teetotal. This caused extreme consternation amongst my friends. I did prove very definitively that I am capable of going out without drinking; I also proved that it's almost impossible to go out and have fun without drinking, mostly because everyone else gets annoyed with your sobriety and spends the evening trying to get you to change your mind. Spending evenings explaining why you're sober is really, really dull.

Luckily, the flu that I'd picked up back in June was still around and getting worse, which meant that most of the time I was too tired to go out anyway. Some days I would come home from work at five, get straight into bed and fall asleep, wake up at eight and have dinner and then go back to sleep; other days I would pass out at 7:30 and not wake up until 7:30 the next morning. I'm not sure quite why it didn't occur to me that being sick for more than two months was a bit odd, but it just seemed to be one of those facts of life; I'm Katie, and I sleep for twelve hours at a time on a regular basis. The month of no alcohol dragged on, things ended (I think) with Marco, and then work took a turn for the worse.

The boss, bless him, figured out that he could pick on me—and pick on me he did. When he yells at Sara she yells back, and Kia set down boundaries early enough that he doesn't yell at her at all, but he soon discovered that with my tendency to a) internalize disapproval and b) burn banana bread on a regular basis, I could provide a useful outlet for the daily frustrations of café management. Day by day things got worse—to the point where the other girls were leaping in to my defense ("Don't speak to her like that!") and I broke down in tears on several occasions.

The breaking point came one Friday in early September. Late in the afternoon I found myself getting shouted and sworn at, top volume. The boss was throwing around a sandwich I had made and was so angry that he was barely articulate. I went into crisis-control mode, as usual, and solved the sandwich problem (there was no problem, it turned out—the sandwich was exactly what the customer had wanted). Then I spent the next hour cleaning and finishing my shift and getting more and more worked up. I was sick, and tired, and absolutely sick and tired of getting screamed at for no good reason.

The next day, shopping with Kia, I related the story. "If he treated me the way he treats you, I'd quit," she said frankly. I considered that option. I have enough money saved up for this trip that I could just stay in Sydney until I leave. The money from the café is great, but not a necessity. Why don't I just not go back to work on Monday?

But then, thinking it over that Sunday in our sunny garden, I had a far more liberating thought: if I have enough flexibility that I can quit, then I can also just behave any way I want to at work, and if I get fired, it's no big deal!

I can shout back!

I went into work on Monday eager for him to pick a fight with me. He was gonna get it! Anybody who throws a punch at me from now on is getting knocked out of the ring! Just you wait, matey!

And, of course, that change in attitude has meant that I don't actually need to shout back; bossman has stopped picking on me. The few times things have drifted back towards our old pattern, I've dug my heels in and gotten sassy, and then we go back to him treating me like a human being. The old adage about standing up to bullies is true, it seems, and I’ve emerged from the experience with a—potentially useful—thicker epidermis.

But I was almost too tired and miserable to appreciate my once-again enjoyable work environment. September had arrived and I was still sick, still in bed by eight o'clock every night, still knocked off my feet for days every time I drank alcohol (teetotal August having ended at last). I tried to go out for dinner with Brenda one night and felt so miserable I could barely stand. "You look like you're going to cry!" she said in dismay, and sent me home to bed. I had to get a taxi because I was too tired to walk the two blocks to the bus stop. I was too tired to go out, too tired to write. What is the point of being here, I wondered, if all I'm going to do is work and sleep?

At Mum's urging I went to get checked for mono, or "glandular fever" as they so quaintly call it here. (Shoutout to free universal healthcare, btw!) The doctor poked and prodded me for a while and finally said with a note of satisfaction, "Ah. You have an enlarged spleen."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"That means your mother is probably right," he said.

"My mother is always right about everything," I said glumly.

So they drew gallons of my blood and sent them off for testing, and then Cousin Becky arrived. 

Cousin Becky, one of my favorite people in the world, is moving to the Australian equivalent of Napa Valley until the end of the year, and touched down in Sydney first. So there's Becky, my big cousin whom I adore—and there's me, too tired and sick to show her a good time. Luckily, she was jetlagged and missing her boyfriend, so we were both able to be tired and miserable together. This somehow involved us buying extremely cute bikinis and lying on beaches for hours and hours, and then having lunches that consisted of wine and ice cream and dinners that consisted of phantasmagorically amazing seafood. Hey, if you're gonna mope, mope in style!

Becky left on a Sunday morning and I went straight to bed and slept more or less nonstop for the next eighteen hours (standard Sunday protocol at this point). On Monday I actually felt a little better. Tuesday even more so—to the point where I actually went out and had some drinks and got up to no good. Despite that, on Wednesday I was feeling, for the first time in months and months—practically normal!

That Wednesday was of course the day when my blood tests came in, and I slunk into the doctor's office feeling a bit sheepish. Here I'd just gone and gotten all these tests done on Medicare's dime, and just today my body was refusing to play the role required of it. Where was the drama, the lethargy, the I'd-rather-be-hit-by-a-bus misery? I have an enlarged spleen, damnit! I'm dying here!

"Nope," said my body, "Actually, I'm feeling pretty okay today."

So I was somehow unsurprised when the doctor explained to me that I don't actually have mono/glandular fever, at least not any more. (Glandular fever—honestly! What an archaic-sounding disease! Next they'll be telling me people still get scurvy, or gout, or the plague!) Very patiently he took me through all the different tests, all the different results that my gallons of blood had provided—and they all basically said I was a-ok. Even my cholesterol's pretty good, it turns out.

I tried to be enthusiastic, but I was still confused. "So, why have I been so miserable?" I asked.

"Sometimes, the body just gives out when it's being pushed too hard—when the patient is going out too often, or there's stress at work, or they're not eating the proper food."

World cup. Bossman. Cornflakes. Hmm. "Burning your candle at both ends?" I suggested.

The doctor looked at me carefully. "Sometimes I think some patients aren't just burning both ends—they're burning holes in the middle, too."

Point taken.