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infjsnightmare · 3 years ago

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How You Met: Port Mafia Style

Before I start, thank you @jadegreenimmortality for sharing and liking my first one! It gave me the confidence to actually write this one! 💕 This is similar to the How You Met: ADA Style, except this one has spoilers via Gin's and a TW for human trafficking and blood via Aku's, so not as fluffy as before either. Those are the first two under the read more, so if you don't want to see spoilers or read about above mentioned TW, then please skip them. Characters like Ace, Oda, and Ango will be included in a later edition of this series. With that out if the way, here you go!

Gin: You were taking a back alley home to avoid the usual foot traffic around lunch time. You saw a small-framed man walking opposite you in the darkened street, his lower face covered in bandages with a black cloak wrapped around himself. You clutched your bag tightly and moved to give more space between you as you bumped into a dumpster. Locking eyes, you bolted for the corner. After a few minutes, you felt safely alone, relaxing until you heard the quick pitter-patter of footsteps. You turned to see the most beautiful woman dressed in a gray shirt and slacks, face red as if she'd been hurrying, her long hair messy and framing her face. In her hand you saw your wallet.

"I saw you running from someone back there and I think you dropped this."

Ryunosuke: The ocean breeze felt nice against your skin as you sat up against the warehouse by the docks. You were in the middle of unwrapping your lunch when you felt multiple hands grab at you, yanking out your earphones. A hand covered your mouth as you heard foreign words being exchanged among the traffickers. Tears filled your eyes wetting your face until you felt warm liquid covering your arms. The traffickers lay dead before you as a man whose face you'd seen many times on wanted posters walked rigidly towards you, his black trench coat fanning outwards in the wind.

"They were conducting business on Port Mafia grounds. Speak nothing of what you've seen here, understood?"

Chuuya: Sighing, you pushed open the door to dimly lit nightclub while the sound of jazz filled your ears. You were tired from work and needed a drink to help unwind. You skimmed the bar and sat yourself on a barstool next to a short red-head who was lazily swirling red wine in his glass. You stared at the menu bewildered by all the options while the bartender eyed you expectantly. Your brows furrowed, unsure of what to order until the man next you straightened up in his seat looking at you with piercing blue eyes.

"They'll have a glass of 2009 Vega Sicilia Unico. Put it on my tab."

Hirotsu: You were silently admiring the many different pieces at the latest art exhibit to come to town. The well lit gallery looked like perfection in your eyes. The droves of people coming and going couldn't even detract from its beauty. You came across a lonely corner of the exhibit and sat on a bench to observe the painting before you. The darker colors had muddled into the lighter pastels as if to taint them. You pondered various interpretations of the piece as an older gentleman took a seat next to you, eyes appraising the painting.

"As with all things in this world, light becomes tainted with darkness. You must have a keen eye to enjoy a piece like this."

Tachihara: The sun was shining, there was a light breeze and the trees provided just enough shade. It was the perfect atmosphere for your afternoon jog. You laced up your shoes and were off on your merry way. As you were jogging you noticed a young man with ruddy red hair run ahead of you. Trying to remain inconspicuous, you upped your pace to pull ahead of him. That was until he easily began running faster. After a few minutes of back and forth you had both broken into a full on sprint until you reached the end of the trail you were on, with him reaching the end just before you. You wiped your brow and looked up seeing the cheesiest grin.

"Best two out of three?"

Mori: You were honestly too old to be running around in the park and climbing on the playground equipment, but it was a quiet time where there were no children around. This was probably the only chance you were going to get to relive your youth. You felt the familiar rush of excitement as you climbed up the large set and jumped, grasping for the handle of a monkey bar. Only you didn't grasp it. You fell to the ground, bracing the full weight of your body on one forearm, hearing a loud "pop". Your shoulder was in excruciating pain and you could feel the heat building as it began to swell. You felt a gentle hand firmly holding your body still as a man with long dark hair and tired eyes examined you. He placed his other hand towards your injured shoulder, looking you in the eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor. But, this is going to hurt."

Higuchi: Your friend had been helping to push you along the trails, since the uneven ground was sometimes difficult to navigate alone in your wheelchair. But, lunch had finally caught up with your friend and they needed to make an emergency pit stop to the restroom. They engaged the brakes because of the incline and headed off to do their business. You were enjoying the chirping of the birds and the Ray's of sunlight streaming between the trees. Until your brakes broke. You felt your stomach sink as you rolled backwards, unable to see where you were going. You were about to use your hands to stop yourself when the chair stopped and began moving forward. You looked up to see a soft-featured blonde woman with her brows knit with worry.

"Are you alright? That could have been a nasty spill."

Kouyou: When you found the clearing in the forest, it felt like heaven. Your own personal sanctuary. You'd been coming here to practice guitar for a while now. Softly, you began adding in vocals as the breeze carried your voice away. The music entered your eardrums and you slowly lost yourself in it. So much so, that you didn't even notice the light and swift footsteps that began dancing as you played. That is until a flash of pink blurred your vision. You stopped playing to see an angelic woman twirling about and glancing at you with her cherry eyes. Her giggle twinkled like chimes.

"Please, do go on. It sounded lovely."

Kajii: The stars in the sky were absolutely gorgeous tonight. Winding down with a beer after the festival, you sat down on the soft grass at the bank of the river. You had hoped to see more of the fireworks, but it was so crowded, you could barely have seen in a foot in front of you. You then spotted bright, colorful lights not far off down the river from where you sat. Your curiosity got the better of you as you wandered down to where you saw a man with goggles and a lab coat furiously arranging various powders. He lit the first one, creating a small firework. The sound of your shoes kicking up some pebbles in the ground caught his attention. He grinned maniacally as he met eyes with you.

"You're going to want to stand back. This next one should be huge."

#readerxportmafia #reader x port mafia #drabbles #tysm jadegreenimmortality #you are super nice!#reader x bsd

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rantingwriter · 4 years ago

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Accidentally in Love (Hawks x Civilian Reader) pt. 5

Trigger Warning: long hospital stay and angst if you squint

“Alright, it’s time to try taking a step,” Mayu states as you stand shakily on your prosthetic.

“Nope, I think I’m good,” you have been struggling to get your legs moving. You can usually twitch the muscle and shuffle about a millimeter forward, but taking a full step has not been successful as of late.

“I’m here to catch you, you can do this.” Ryo was helping today, he is rather lanky, but he can lift his patients like it’s nothing.

“Okay...Okay,” you try to focus and take a step, you manage to lift your leg, but you quickly lose your balance and fall forwards. Ryo catches you and keeps you upright, “sorry…”

“Don’t apologize, that was good. You got a leg up!” Mayu assists to get you standing again.

“Let’s try again, one more time and we’ll call it a day.”

You sigh in defeat despite the encouragement. “Fine,” you gear up to try again when a knock on the window startles the three of you.

You look over to find Hawks with a little sign, ‘you can do it!’ His feathers hold the page up while he does a little cheer with his arms. You smile and shake your head, “Mayu, please stop drooling.” Ryo grumbles as Mayu stares at the goofy hero.

“I’m not drooling!” She covers her mouth just to be sure. “Let’s, uh, do this and then uh...maybe we could go say hi?”

Ryo rolls his eyes, “yes, I’ll cover for you, but you owe me!”

“Thank you!!” Mayu jumps up and down clapping, you clear your throat to remind them you are still there. “Right! Sorry, go ahead [y/n],” they get back into position and you try again to take a step. You shakily lift your leg, “halfway there…” you clench the parallel bars tightly as you urge the leg forward.

Hawks is celebrating outside as Mayu and Ryo cheer, “you did it!!”

“I did?!” You can’t really believe it as you stare down at your legs. You are still shaking and require the parallel bars to support your weight, but you have indeed taken your literal first step towards walking again. You try to take another, but that is less successful as you stumble into Ryo again. “Welp, guess that was a fluke…”

“No, that was a success,” Mayu rolls your chair forward so you can sit down.

“You did great, I’m sure you’ll be taking multiple steps in no time.” Ryo adds on, ensuring you are sitting properly.

You hear another tap on the window, Hawks is pointing up towards the roof. “Let’s go say hi,” Mayu is quick to wheel you towards the exit.

“Thank you!” You call back towards Ryo who waves in acknowledgement.

You reach the roof and get swept up by the winged Hero in a hug, “that was awesome!” Mayu looks a bit worried, as he hovers just above your wheelchair. You are holding onto him for dear life and hoping no one could see the blush blooming on your cheeks. He carefully lowers you back down to your seat. “I was just passing by when I saw you, I’m glad I stuck around.” He is all smiles, “oh? I don’t think we’ve met.” He just now noticed Mayu standing behind you.

“Hi, uh, yeah I’m Mayu, I’m her bearcyst, THERAPIST I meant therapist.” She holds her hand out to shake his.

“Nice to meet you,” you can’t help but notice a slight shift in his demeanor as he shakes her hand.

“Could I get a picture with you?” She pulls her cellphone up, he nods in consent and they take a quick selfie. She squeals with glee, “thank you! It was great to meet you! I’ll see you tomorrow [y/n],” she dashes back into the building, leaving you alone with the pro hero.

“That happened,” you chuckle as he stretches his arms. “Sorry about that.”

“I’m used to it,” he waves it off, “I can’t stay long, but I’ll be back after work and I’m going to bring something to celebrate.”

“You don’t have to do that,” you feel flustered from all the excitement and hype.

“You kidding? That’s a huge step!” His wings emphasize his excitement as they raise up.

You scratch the back of your head, eyes trained on a random box garden. “Okay, if you want to.”

He grins and ruffles your hair, “I’ll see you tonight then.” He takes off and you feel your face burn with a blush.

“Ugh, stop that me!” You rub your face a moment before wheeling your way back towards your room. When you arrive, you find Fumiko waiting for you with some lunch. “Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting.”

She waves it off and smiles, “I just got here, how was PT?” You tell her about your day as you start eating and she lights up in excitement. “That is so great! Won’t be long and you’ll be able to walk out of here!”

Your face falls for a moment, you hadn’t thought about what you are going to do after your time here is done. “Yeah...I can’t wait.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been here so long I honestly hadn’t thought about what to do next…” She leans against her hand, thinking as you nibble on a carrot. “I don’t have a job and my landlord has informed me he needs me to start paying rent again, starting next month, or get my stuff out.” The landlord was nice enough to halt your rent payments until you were discharged from the hospital, but he failed to mention he was only doing that for 3 months.

“You know you could always come stay with me for a bit, my wife won’t mind. Rika and I could go get your stuff too and hold onto it until you are discharged and find a new place.”

“Thanks, but I wouldn’t want to be a burden…”

“[Y/n], you are my friend and I love you and if you call yourself a burden again I’m going to hug the stuffing out of you.” She squeezes your shoulder reassuringly as you chuckle. Her watch suddenly beeps, “I gotta get back to work, let me know if you need anything. Okay?”

“Thanks Fumi,” you hug her before she leaves and relax on your bed to rest up. It took a lot of energy to make that step today and you are ready for a nap. You drift off for a long time, a loud thump against your window startling you awake. “What year is it?!” You look around, your gaze drawn to the figure writhing in pain hovering by the window. You call a nurse in to open up the window and let your friend in. Once he has landed you let the laugh you were holding slip out, “did you run into the window?”

“Maybe…” he is hiding the embarrassment with his jacket collar. “Not important, I’ve brought coffee and [your favorite dessert].”

“Oh my God, you remembered?!” He sets the dessert on the table and hands you a fresh can of WAX coffee.

“How could I forget? You were craving it hard a couple weeks back.” He pops the lid off the dessert and he waits for you to take the first bite. You are so happy, flowers and sparkles float around you as you savor the bite. “Wow, I need to bring you this more often.” He tries a bite, it is a satisfying flavor. “How was the rest of your day?”

“Well, I slept for most of it, but I was reminded I need a game plan for after my stay here.” You sigh, reminding the young man of something.

“Oh! I forgot to tell you earlier, I showed Best Jeanist that rainbow bird cloth you made and he wanted to know if you would work with denim.”

“Yeah, I can work with any size thread,” you tilt your head, curious where he was going with this.

“He has his own clothing line and he is always looking for ways to improve. The quality of the cloth you made impressed him.” You perk up as you realize what he is implying. “He wants to interview you when you get discharged, but it sounds like he already wants you on the team.”

“You serious?!”

“I’m dead serious.”

You aren’t sure what to do, your hands flailing a little, “oh my- I could kiss you, thank you so much!!”

His feathers puff up a little and he has to stop himself from saying something stupid, “no problem, happy to help.” The two of you finish off the dessert and drink your coffee as you talk about his day and just enjoy each other's company. He gets a thought and checks the weather outside. “Hey, want to try flying?”

“Pardon? I am missing a very key ability to do that.”

“No, I know, I’ve got you covered on that.” He flutters his wings, “I just wanted to show you something that you can only see tonight.”

“Uh...sure! I just need to let the nurses know.” You hit the call button, a nurse poking his head in to see what’s wrong. You ask them if you can go out for a bit and he looks a little conflicted until Hawks reassures him you would be completely safe with him. The nurse makes a note that you would be going out for any other nurses that might be checking in on you.

Hawks opens up your window and picks you up bridal style. “Ready?” He waits for you to give him the okay and he takes off into the night. You hug his neck and screw your eyes shut as he soars to the surprise destination. “Alright, we are here.” You open your eyes and find he took you to the top of a tower overlooking a festival.

“Wow! We are really high up,” you feel a bit shaken as he sets you down on the platform.

“Best seat in the house for what’s to come.” He sits down next to you, one wing curling around you to block the wind.

“I’ve never seen the city like this before,” you are already mesmerized by the lights of the city.

Hawks is mesmerized by something else, he removes one of his gloves and takes your hand in his. His fingers intertwined with yours, his thumb sweeping across the side of your thumb. You feel your heart rate spike up at the contact. Before you can say anything, a loud pop draws your attention to the inky black sky. A firework briefly lights up the darkness and dazzles anyone who sees it. “Wow,” you are breathless as you take in the glorious display.

“I knew you would like it,” he squeezes your hand gently as you both enjoy the bright and colorful display. You test the waters and lean your head against his shoulder, much to your surprise he leans his head against yours. It’s comforting, the show lasts for around 15 minutes and it’s over all too soon.

“Thanks for bringing me out here,” you speak softly, scared to ruin the moment.

“Anytime,” you can hear the smile, “ready to head back?”

“Not really…” a blast of wind sends a chill down your spine. “Yes…”

He chuckles and moves to pick you up, “hold on tight.” He jumps off the platform and glides languidly back towards the hospital.

“Will you still come see me...even after I leave the hospital?”

“Of course,” he answers without hesitation, swiftly quelling the fear you didn’t realize you had. You couldn’t deny the feelings that have been growing stronger each time you see him. You didn’t want to say anything and risk ruining what you have, but you were starting to wonder if the feeling might be mutual.

#reader insert #hawks x reader #keigo x reader #keigo takami #pro hero hawks #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #fluffy fluff #long shot #tw: hospital #part 5 of 6

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eggytranslations · 4 years ago

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Volume 1, Chapter 6-Mid-Autumn Festival

Content warnings: some lite/implied nsfw

On the second day, the rains suddenly stopped and the skies cleared up.

Having gone through several days of cleansing by wind and rain, the flowers in the courtyard inevitably withered. However, even more verdant green leaves peaked up their heads, and within each and every one of the green leaves sat small, not yet grown flower buds. Looking at that scene, in less than three to five days the trees would be full of blossoming flowers once again.

Shen Qingxuan sat in the courtyard, smelling the balmy scent of soil in the air while he looked into the distance. After not seeing it for several days, the entire mountain forest had been washed by the rain into a kind of hazy green color, flooding with a jewel-like luster.

He sat until noon, when the sun became too deadly and shone so hard that people started sweating all over. It was as if the sun wanted to unleash all at once the temperatures that it had been brewing for many days. It became so hot that even the birds in the forest started to look dejected and listless.

Shen Qingxuan looked towards that golden-bright disk of light in the sky with squinted eyes, and in just an instant, an expanse of whiteness blinded his eyes.

He promptly shut his eyes to let them rest. Shen Qingxuan could not help but feel moody inside and helplessly thought, This old yao left, and now the sun dares to come out.

As his thoughts progressed, he also found it laughable, and leaned his head back on the chair with a silent sigh.

He sat there, sitting all the way until the afternoon.

The sun dragged out the silhouette of him sitting alone in his wheelchair into a long, lingering shadow.

Yi Mo had left for more than a month in the blink of an eye, and during this time, he sent back zero news.

Shen Qingxuan merely pretended he had never known of his leaving and did not think about it. Only, sometimes as he was turning about in bed, it would flash across his mind. He would wonder if that snake slough of his had been found or not and how long away he was from returning to the mountain. As soon as this thought surfaced, he would force it back down, not wanting to torture himself for no reason. Worst comes to worst, he could actually light incense and invite a couple demons and monsters, instead of missing someone who was uninterested in him.

Just like that, this month passed considerably smoothly.

The second month, just after the seventh day, Shen Qingxuan flipped through the almanac. The marks drawn by the writing brush appeared before his eyes and he recalled that his mother’s birth date was almost near. He also inwardly worried while unsurely deliberating what to gift as a birthday present.

Seeing his gloomy expression, the serving boy at his side guessed what he was internally thinking about and accompanied Shen Qingxuan by being moody for a few days as well. Later, the serving boy came up with an idea, saying it would be nice if the young master prepared some wild goods from the mountain, then personally prepared a meal and cooked a bowl of longevity noodles to send to the old madam as a present.

Shen Qingxuan thought about it and cheerfully agreed.

Old Madam Shen was a Buddhist and did not touch meat or fish. There were various kinds of fresh mushrooms on the mountain, and even more fresh bamboo shoots from the rains. One only had to lower their head to see them everywhere.

Shen Qingxuan sent someone to pick a whole entire basket of the goods and separately picked the two foods apart to store. Then he went into the kitchen to knead and roll flour into noodles.

He busied himself for several days before he could roll out a long, lengthy, and unbroken noodle. Old Madam Shen’s birth date had also arrived.

After plating the stewed fresh mushroom soup, then thinly slicing fresh bamboo shoots and pouring sauce over them, Shen Qingxuan packed them both into a food box

, and sent someone to deliver it down the mountain. He instructed them that the longevity noodles must not be cooked until they had arrived at the manor, followed by the mushroom soup poured on top and that would suffice.

The serving boy heeded his instructions, shouldered the meal box as well as the basket of fresh wild goods, and descended down the mountain.

Shen Qingxuan sent him off at the entrance, looking towards the serving boy’s back, unable to return to his senses for a very long time.

Seeing him like this, the maidservant by his side felt rather mournful and stood for a moment before she softly said, “Shaoye, since you miss Lao Furen, why not go down the mountain and deliver it yourself? After Lao Furen sees Shaoye, she will be a bit more joyful.”

Shen Qingxuan came back to his senses. After he heard this sentence, his face was expressionless, too. He shook his head slightly and made a gesture to direct her to push him back to his room.

That serving boy shouldered the food box along with the other things and quickly set off down the mountain. He arrived at the Shen Manor just as the sun was setting. Mother Shen heard the news and came, but once she saw the soup and food in the meal box, she immediately shed tears. She quickly took out her handkerchief to wipe her tears and said to herself, “My son is filial.”

The serving boy was clever, and while bowing his waist, he said some auspicious words before telling her, “These noodles were hand rolled by shaoye himself. He sent this insignificant one to deliver it. Just before leaving, he instructed that the noodles must be cooked after they had entered the house. Would furen like to eat now?”

Mother Shen nodded her head, and entered the kitchen, watching the kitchen maid heat the water to a boil. The kitchen maid lowered the long, lengthy strings of noodles into the pot, then, once she fished them up, placed them into a bowl and poured the mushroom soup on top at just the right temperature. After the scalding hot noodles were drenched by the lukewarm soup, they were just right to eat. It was neither too cold, nor too scalding.

After eating the noodles, Old Madam Shen called over the serving boy to give a reward and told him, “You go back and pass on to Xuan’er, mother understands his thoughts. In the past years, whenever he returned home, I would always have a cry. His heart was already in pain, but seeing me like this added even more to his grief. Naturally, I do not blame him for not leaving the mountains now. Let him quietly rest in the mountains for the time being. As a mother, I do not demand that he goes into trade or politics; I only wish for him to be in good health and stable.” After saying this, she put her palms together, said May Buddha protect him, and left in tears.

The serving boy received a hefty amount of silver as a reward and put it near his chest. Once he returned to the mountain, he passed on Mother Shen’s words to Shen Qingxuan without missing a word. After he was rewarded once again, he happily retreated.

The days in the mountains passed sluggishly, moreover, it was also summer. The days were long and the nights were short.

Shen Qingxuan also thought the days passed exceedingly slow. During the day, he sat listlessly under the trees for a long time, but when he opened his eyes again, it was still bright daytime.

And unknowingly, this spare time was somehow idled away. One day, when he opened the window, his nose suddenly caught the floating scent of osmanthus flowers, which startled him. Was it already the eighth month?

Mid-autumn during the eighth lunar month was exactly when the chrysanthemums became golden, the crabs became fatty, and the osmanthus flowers became fragrant.

Shen Qingxuan perked up. He called for someone to wash the courtyard with fresh water and pave the ground with fine sand. Once it cooled down in the evening, he invited the numerous serving boys, maidservants, kitchen maids and senior attendants and set up three or four banquet tables with the dozens of steamed, big, fat crabs arranged in the middle. There was also heated wine warmed in water for everyone to enjoy while they admired the full moon.

The servants in the mountain courtyard were not originally trained by the main manor, so their tempers were rather wild. Once they received their master’s permission and saw he was in a rare, spirited mood, they immediately began to eat and chat.

Shen Qingxuan sat with a few personal servants at a table and would also smile at the jokes he heard from them. Upon seeing their master’s joy, the servants became happy as well. At once, the jokes and mischievous talk came out one right after another. Some were extremely vulgar, but Shen Qingxuan laughed without control, and bestowed them a drink afterwards.

After drinking three cups of yellow soup, the serving boy became quite pleased with himself and his naughty jokes could no longer be contained anymore. At once, he boasted outrageously about everything under the sun. The more he spoke, the more absurd he became. Later, he somehow dragged in gods and ghosts, saying Xingtian did such and such, and Fuxi did such and such. Of course there were tales of flower ghosts and fox spirits. The stories came out, one right after another, not to mention, their favorite tale to discuss: the struggling scholar and the steadfast yao/guai/ghost/immortal pledging their undying love before the flowers and under the moon. Once a serving boy began this type of story, the others would then continue to narrate it. Each story was more sentimental and more touching than the last.

The courtyard was momentarily livelier than ever.

Tonight they made noise until the third watch and everyone in the courtyard was visibly drunk. Shen Qingxuan felt happy, so he also drank a few more cups and felt a bit dizzy. His personal maidservant was still sober and she helped him back to his room to rest. Shen Qingxuan lay on the bed and sent her back to the courtyard to continue drinking with everyone while he rested by himself.

Once the maidservant closed the doors and left, Shen Qingxuan started to feel the rather uncomfortable effects of the alcohol kick in and regained some clarity as well. He suddenly felt a bit miserable when he heard the bustling noise outside the room slip in through the windows and under the door seam like silk thread, appearing far yet near, real yet imaginary.

He could not help but think of Yi Mo and wonder where he was right now, what he was busy doing, did he find his snake slough, was he able to drink some wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival…had he thought of him at all and their time of written conversation under the candlelights?

Just as he was losing himself to his imagination, he suddenly heard a melodious female voice delicately and weakly call out by his ear, “Gongzi.”

Shen Qingxuan suddenly opened his eyes, but there was no one around him. He almost thought he had misheard, so he paused a moment, and abruptly opened the bed curtain.

Not far away, he could only see there was a woman standing slim and graceful in red clothes. Her hair was wrapped into a tall cloud bun shape, her complexion was flushed red, and looked as pretty as a picture with an unspeakable, flower-like beauty.

At the moment, she was looking at him with unspoken tenderness.

Shen Qingxuan stared blankly at her for a long time, which made her pink cheeks even more red and her flirtatious expression even more enchanting.

Thinking that he was in a dream, Shen Qingxuan hurriedly reached out his hand and pinched himself, but it felt extremely painful.

At once he came to his senses, this woman had to be either an immortal or a yao. His heart was on alert.

The woman’s light footsteps were delicate like a lotus as she moved to his bedside. She bowed her head and said shyly, “Gongzi has the right idea. This slave of yours is a charming flower from these mountains. After many years of receiving gongzi’s benevolence and careful watering, this slave of yours has cultivated a human form. In the courtyard just now, gongzi was drunk and poured a cup of wine on your slave’s body. Does gongzi still remember?”

Shen Qingxuan listened dumbfoundedly, recalled dumbfoundedly, and then remembered suddenly that something like this seemed to happen just a moment ago, but it was a cluster of many-petaled rose balsams

The woman’s pink neck lowered as she said, “That was your humble slave.”

Shen Qingxuan did not recover until now, but he was puzzled by her reason for coming here, and was staring at her doubtfully.

“It was because this slave of yours received gongzi’s bountiful benevolence that I am able to exist today…” Saying this, her face suddenly became rosy and even more incomparably alluring. In a voice as quiet as a mosquito cry, she said, “Tonight I have come to repay gongzi.”

She said it very quietly and was so bashful that she could not even lift her eyes up. Shen Qingxuan was a very intelligent person, and after he understood her meaning, he immediately became terribly bashful as well. His ears turned red as he did not know how to respond.

The two of them became unbearably shy for the moment as the shadows of the candle were swaying and the mood turned charming and gentle.

Upon seeing this, the woman was still blushing and unable to lift her head, but she reached out her hand to gently untie her bright red silk gauze shirt

, and slowly lied down, nestling into his arms.

With a soft and warm beauty in his embrace, how was there any reason to be unmoved?

Naturally, Shen Qingxuan was stirred by passions, but he also hesitated. The affairs between a man and a woman were not any ordinary matter. Although he was born into a merchant household, he was still tutored at the young age of three. Under the tutelage of great teachers, he studied poetry and literature as well as courtesy. To this day, he has never been disrespectful with his words or actions. Although he had thought of the affairs between a man and a woman, he cut short this wishful thinking long ago because of his body.

Tonight, this woman was as beautiful as a flower. Even if she was not human, she was still innocent and cute. Thus, Shen Qingxuan did not dare to act impulsively.

After a period of reflection, Shen Qingxuan gradually cooled down, but the woman did not. The soft body in the blankets started to entangle him.

Shen Qingxuan could not speak with his mouth so he could only push her away. As soon as he pushed her away a little bit, she would timidly wrap around him again. He pushed again, and she stuck to him again.

After repeating this a few times, since the pair on the bed were a man and a woman in the prime of their youth, like a spark of fire to drywood, in the end, the inferno caught fire with a bang.

Shen Qingxuan’s mind was already exhausted. He only performed in a daze to the most critical moment, when he felt the soft and warm body in his arms suddenly turn cold. Furthermore, there was an ice-cold palm caressing his forehead. He had no idea where all those low moans and soft words went. He could only hear a voice lowly and deeply whisper by his ear, “Shen Gongzi is indeed simply refined, but bewitching; beautiful as if heaven-made.”

Shen Qingxuan was shocked. His waist shivered once, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

But, there was no one around him. That bed, however, was some ten steps away from him. The quilts and pillow on the bed were neat and tidy with no sign of being touched.

Shen Qingxuan only felt sweat drip off his forehead while an icy coldness penetrated his whole body, as if he was still entwined with the ice-cold body in his dreams.

With a glance down, however, he saw that he was soaking in the bath bucket and the water had already cooled completely.

So it was actually a bath, but he dozed off and had a spring dream.

Shen Qingxuan let out a sigh of relief and amusingly shook his head. He raised his arm, preparing to ring the bell for someone.

But at this moment, he cast a glance out of the corner of his eye to the bottom of the water. His outstretched hand abruptly, as if it had become rigid, stopped still in midair. His face turned white as paper while he was foolishly staring at the threads of thick white substance in the water that were floating before his eyes.

So debauched!

#a snake encounter #Yu she #su hen #danmei #TL #eggytranslations

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bittybattybunny · 4 years ago

Note

I'd like an order of Green Tea.

Coming up!

This btw is from the “book” Section of the fic!

The aide spat his tea out and coughed, “Excuse me my lord?!” he stared with his one good eye, “You are jesting surely?” he frowned. He rolled his chair around as he grabbed a towel to wipe up his mess, “A strange girl danced with you at the ball, showed no interest in you, and thus you decided you must meet her again?!”

“She was interesting!” the prince admitted as he played with the anklet, listening to the silent bells. He frowned, “why won’t it chime again?”

“Let me see it.” he held his hand out.

The prince frowned, “No. You won’t give it back.”

“I will.” he pushed closer, “Come on. I’ll make it chime.”

The young man huffed handing it over.

The wheelchair-bound man leaned back as he held it up, “These are fairy bells. No wonder it won’t ring for you.” He shook it, that delightful chime going off once more.

“Fairy bells?” the prince asked confused. He took the anklet back and frowned as it didn’t ring when he held it, “How did you do it?”

“Magic.” he shrugged rolling back towards the table, “Fairy bells alert you to the presence of the fair folk. Which is more reason to not go after that girl. She was most likely a fairy child.” he sighed as he watched the young man rattle and toy with the silver charms.

“I feel she wouldn’t have run from me if she was. Why would a fairy just go to a ball to dance?” he frowned and placed the anklet over his wrist, hiding it under his sleeve.

“Did she say that?” the man at the table opened a book with a scowl, he had an inkling who the girl was now.

“Yes. She said she wanted to dance, but our dances mostly involve partners, and her chaperone couldn’t dance.” the prince sighed as he took a seat frowning, “It was nice talking to someone who wasn’t trying to butter me up. And she spoke honestly about my laugh.”

“She’s blunt alright.” the man grumbled reading, “I’d give up a search. I mean, you have another ball tonight do you not? Just find someone else interesting.”

The prince smirked, “That’s it! There are two more balls for the moonlight festival! She may show up again! I’ll look for her!”

(also apologies these asks aren’t tagged yet. Tumblr isn’t letting me load to edit posts cuz my nets being weird blah. I’ll tag them when I’m able to so each can be found by it’s AU tag)

#ask #Bun's Ficlet Cafe #fic snip #writing #Fairy Cinderella AU

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tabloidtoc · 4 years ago

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Globe, November 30

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: The palace lured Princess Diana into death trap

Page 2: Up Front & Personal -- Sienna Miller shooting Anatomy of a Scandal, former soap star Wanda De Jesus and longtime partner Jimmy Smits take a walk in Brentwood, Mama June Shannon gambles on plastic surgery

Page 3: Billy Dee Williams may walk with a cane but he doesn’t let that stop him from taking the wheel in West Hollywood, Joey Fatone at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Ariel Winter lugs around a massive roll of bubble wrap in L.A.

Page 4: Courageous Al Roker has battled health problems for years and now his new devastating prostate cancer diagnosis seals his rep as the unluckiest man on TV

* Patrick Duffy and Linda Purl are proof that love can be just as wonderful in your golden years and now pals predict their whirlwind romance will lead them to an elopement -- the former Dallas star was heartbroken after his wife of 43 years died of cancer in 2017 but Happy Days alum Linda brought joy back into his life -- the greying sweethearts plan to spend the holidays with both their families and then go house hunting for their own place

Page 5: Kanye West thinks he’s so smart and wonderful and creative he’s showering bucks on a project to make a posse of his own personal mini-mes and he sees his clones as his gift to the world claiming it’s his duty to keep himself on the planet at all costs long after he’s gone so death doesn’t have to be the end of Kanye -- Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian has given Kanye permission to double down on himself -- he’s also fascinated by cryogenics and no one would be surprised if he arranges to have himself stored in a chamber when he dies so he can be revived years later

Page 6: Britney Spears is having another family feud because she wants her dad Jamie Spears suspended immediately from his role as co-conservator of her estate claiming he installed a new business manager to run her $60 million fortune without consulting his daughter in what she brands a blatant attempt to get full functional control of her assets and books and records in the face of Britney’s objections

* Ryan Seacrest is turning into a bloated recluse as career and personal problems have worried pals thinking about an intervention -- he’s so devastated by his breakup with Shayna Taylor and the end of cash cow Keeping Up with the Kardashians that he’s shutting himself away for days on end and ignoring calls from friends and co-workers and only responding to texts and he’s stuffing his face with junk food and sloppy takeout and pizzas and he’s come close to belching on camera a few times

Page 7: Devastated widow Paulina Porizkova who her bitter husband Ric Ocasek cut out of his will even though she took care of him in his final days suffered a shocking collapse -- she had gone to Costa Rica with her sons for a change of scenery following the death of Ric who was divorcing her -- she says she had a total nervous breakdown in the airport and they had to put her in a wheelchair to take her back to the plane

* Abby Lee Miller is learning to walking again -- the former Dance Moms star had been using a wheelchair after undergoing chemo for Burkitt lymphoma and having life-saving spinal surgery but she’s now cancer-free and recently underwent an elective operation to help regain mobility -- even though Lifetime canned her plan spinoff Abby’s Virtual Dance Off over charges she’s racist she claims to have a scripted show and two reality series in the works

Page 8: Mike Tyson says he once used a prosthetic penis loaded with his infant son’s pee to pass a drug test during his hard-hitting heyday in the ring and although he swears he never took performance-enhancing drugs he has been blunt about his history of toking weed and snorting cocaine

* Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond reveals she has a foster son named Jamar -- Ree who has four children explains she couldn’t talk about Jamar until he turned 18 and state agency restrictions no longer applied

Page 9: Beloved Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek went to his grave harboring a bitter grudge against talk star and game show rival Regis Philbin -- Alex and Regis began their feud in 2000 when Alex slammed Regis’ Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as a game show for dummies and Regis was deeply hurt by the dig and shot back that face to face if Alex says anything about Millionaire he’d just look him in the eye and say is that your final answer, Alex?

Page 10: Inside the modern Mafia -- blogs and blunders and killer cops

Page 12: Celebrity Buzz -- Adam Brody shows off his bod in Malibu (picture), Lamar Odom was seemingly back on a marriage track to wed fitness instructor Sabrina Parr next year but Lamar’s engagement was abruptly called off amid ominous sparks of ongoing trouble for the athlete and Sabrina sad she’s no longer able to be by Lamar’s side while he seeks the help he so desperately needs, Mina Starsiak of Good Bones wants a postpartum tummy tuck pronto, things got bristlier than an old broom for Anne Hathaway groveling her way out of massive fan backlash for her appearance on The Witches remake for the insensitive way she portrayed a three-fingered witch with split hands, behind the scenes at The Tonight Show where Jimmy Fallon recently extended his lucrative contract to host the struggling late-night talk show past 2021 but his head writer Rebecca Drysdale lasted six months of butting heads with Jimmy and his cronies before getting dumped

Page 13: Katie Holmes and boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr. (picture), Sean Stewart in a leg cast in Beverly Hills (picture), Busy Philipps puts on lip gloss on the NYC set of Girls5Eva (picture)

Page 14: Dave Grohl got scared stiff recording an upcoming album in an eerie L.A. home reportedly rocking with paranormal activity and when he got nosy about the place’s past he apparently got answers from the landlord along with an NDA form meant to keep him from spilling secrets, RHOBH star Kyle Richards’ half-sister Kathy Hilton is joining the show; socialite Kathy cold-shouldered Kyle and her husband Mauricio Umansky when he left her husband Rick Hilton’s real estate company to launch a rival biz

* Fashion Verdict -- Jana Kramer 7/10, Michelle Dockery 4/10, Gretta Monahan 3/10, Charlize Theron 2/10

Page 16: Ailing pop star Phil Collins is being so publicly humiliated by his two-timing ex-wife Orianne Cevey who dashed his dreams of a permanent reunion by secretly marrying another guy pals now fear for his life -- Phil is currently battling Orianne in court over his $38.6 million waterside Miami mansion which she and new husband Thomas Bates have now agreed to vacate but Orianne is demanding half of the home insisting Phil promised her a 50 percent share when they moved into it in 2016 -- Orianne also claims that Phil became a hopeless addict in 2017 hooked on booze and pain pills and after two years of drug hell he was incapable of having sex and he stopped showering and brushing his teeth and had become a hermit

Page 17: Troubled Jonathan Rhys Meyers crashed his car in Malibu and failed a field sobriety test and was slapped with a misdemeanor DUI

* Teresa Giudice has found new love with business man Louie Ruelas just two months after divorcing deported jailbird Joe Giudice -- the Real Housewives of New Jersey star who has four girls with Joe hooked up with the dad of two and digital marketing whiz and both are very happy

Page 19: 10 Things You Don’t Know About David Giuntoli

* Sophia Loren says early in her career she told a director to buzz off when he suggested she surgically alter her nose -- she recalls telling the meddling moviemakers her nose is going to stay there forever and it has a lot of personality

* Parkinson’s patient Michael J. Fox admits he may be forced to say goodbye to Hollywood because his short-term memory is shot and acting is getting tougher to do

Page 20: True Crime

Page 21: Desperate to salvage his tarnished reputation and career Johnny Depp is hoping to hook up with another Hollywood outcast in former co-star Angelina Jolie -- Johnny and Angie first flirted while filming The Tourist in 2010 but at the time Johnny was with Vanessa Paradis and Angie was with Brad Pitt -- Johnny recently reached out to Angie to jumpstart their friendship and he’s been sending her poems written with her in mind and suggestions for book to read and music to listen to and they’ve exchanged a series of emails and texts and talk on the phone quite a bit so Johnny has hope to win her heart and they’re making plans to meet in L.A. very soon but the ball is in Angie’s court and she’s open to having a little fun but don’t count on anything getting too serious

* Johnny Depp’s career has taken another hit as he’s been axed from the Fantastic Beasts film franchise after a British court determined he beat ex-wife Amber Heard at least a dozen times

Page 24: Cover Story -- Princess Diana was lured to her death by a twisted dirty tricks campaign orchestrated by the palace -- acting at the direction of Queen Elizabeth’s hard-case husband Prince Philip British intelligence officers mounted a clever operation to drive Prince Charles’ emotionally fragile wife to the breaking point and they knew she was frantic and suicidal and vulnerable and played on her worst fears -- Diana’s own brother Charles Spencer has also broken a 25-year silence to expose a plot against the People’s Princess and he reveals forged documents and a whisper campaign hinting at treacherous betrayals fueled her paranoia and desperation and despair and pushed her into a decision that ultimately cost her life

Page 26: Health Report

Page 30: Rock legend Jerry Lee Lewis vowed to keep wailing ‘til the end but the 85-year-old stroke victim now spends his days listening to his old hits and staring out the window and his health has taken a tragic turn for the worse since he was clobbered by the stroke last year -- he’s hunched over and seems confused and he’s forgetful and can’t remember some of the lyrics to his oldest hits; he tries to play the piano and just can’t because his hands are so stiff and don’t move the way he wants them to

* Mel B claims she’ll go bankrupt if a judge doesn’t lower the $500,000 she’s been ordered to pay her ex-husband and if the sum isn’t modified she will in all likelihood have to file for bankruptcy -- Mel and ex Stephen Belafonte divorced three years ago and have been slugging it out in court ever since

Page 44: Straight Talk -- lifestyle queen bees Martha Stewart and Gwyneth Paltrow are at each other’s throats but their furious feud is hard to understand because they’re not really in the same business -- Martha is the ultimate homemaker peddling recipes and furnishings and decorating tips while Gwyneth’s New Age-style Goop website is a sleazy sex shop with items normally found in tacky joints along West Hollywood’s sleazy Santa Monica Boulevard

Page 45: Sinead O’Connor is taking a break to enter a one-year trauma and addiction treatment program after losing a loved one and she admits she’s been addicted to weed for 34 years but became briefly addicted to another drug following her loss

* Sean Connery’s wealthy widow Micheline Roquebrune could end up behind bars and fined a whopping $28 million if convicted of stiffing the Spanish taxman -- the tax-cheat case spans back to 1999 when Sean sold their Marbella mansion on the glitzy Costa del Sol; Connery’s lawyer and the mayor of Marbella and six other elected officials were jailed over a tax-cheat scam involving the property but in 2014 Sean was told he wouldn’t be prosecuted but now Spanish bigwigs say the case has not gone away and want to indict his widow for tax fraud

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timebird84 · 5 years ago

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🎄 PotO Advent Calendar ‘19 🎄

By @daae-dancer93

Christine loved Christmas almost as much as she loved her family and music, but this year would be different. It was her first holiday season with Erik in ten years, along with their daughter, Charlotte. Little Lotte was with her father in the music room. They were perfecting Charlotte’s violin piece for the holiday Mass. Erik was overwhelmed when he learned that he had a ten-year-old daughter who was just as much an angel as her mother. Her face was identical – but she shared their eyes. They were most unusual, one sapphire eye like her mother and one amber gold like her father. With her fiery amber curls she was such a beautiful child that very few others noticed her mobility challenges, but Erik did and because it was their first Christmas together he wanted to create a miracle. He despised himself that he wasn’t there for his child when she contracted the infection that took away her ability to walk, but her spirits were high as her mothers because they shared the love of the holiday he had so despised not so long ago.

“Charlotte your fingers are going to blister, and your mother will be cross with me, let’s take a break from the violin for a minute,” Erik said scooting her closer to him on the piano bench.

“But Papa! It just has to be perfect for Christmas Eve!” she whined as he took the instrument from her hands and put it back in the case.

“And it will be my little angel, but how about we go see what Maman is up to – I think she said something about making cookies in the kitchen. I’m sure she would love a little helper to cut them out and decorate them.”

Christine smiled when her two favorite people joined her in the kitchen, giving them each a kiss. “My love, my little angel. I’ve got the gingerbread ready to cut and bake, and while they bake, we can string cranberries and popcorn. After they cool, we can decorate our little gingerbread people! Erik, are you going to help?” she asked, her smile reaching her eyes in a way he usually couldn’t turn down.

“As much as I’d love to be in the kitchen doing festive things, I have a project of my own I need to work on in my workshop, so with your permission I’ll take my leave and be back for bedtime. I do believe it’s my turn for a story tonight.” He kissed the top of Charlottes head, ruffling her unruly ringlets and making her giggle, and in turn he chuckled too. “I’ll see you angels in a while.”

Christine shook her head, all attention was on the task at hand of rolling out the dough, cutting and placing it on the cookie sheet. “Maman?” a little voice interrupted the process in Christine’s head. “Yes Petite?”

“This is our first Christmas with Papa…I want to get him something special, but I don’t know what I should do? He has all the music, and all the tools, he has an entire park of things. I’m just me. What can I get him that’s meaningful?” she rambled, Christine knelt next to her little girl, brushing a curl away from her face.

“You are gift enough for the both of us. I know you want your violin piece for Mass to be perfect, and it will be I’m sure. What if we practice a new song, one that your papa taught me when I was living in the opera house, and we sing it for him together, hm? Does that sound fine with you my duckling?” Charlotte considered the offer, pursing her lips in deep thought before she nodded.

“Yeah, I’d like that but when will we practice? Papa hears us sing and he’s here in a moment!” She said tossing her hands up in the air, letting them fall to her lap in an exasperated fashion. Christine laughed at her little girls’ antics. “All right, let’s finish these cookies then.”

Erik locked himself in his basement workshop. He laid out various lengths of metal rods and plates, screws, nuts, and bolts, along with the softest leather he could find in his supply. He had sketched out the design of a brace that would support Charlotte’s hips all the way down to her feet. He hoped it would help her gain strength to walk on her own again. He took a deep breath and started the first prototype. He had made one similar for one of his coworkers on Coney Island, but one leg still mobile at the hip is different from both legs lacking the ability to bear weight. For the first time, he prayed to Christine’s God for a miracle. He realized that she would also need stability to lean on her arms too. Erik quickly sketched out crutches she could use for her forearms and hold onto. He smiled to himself and got working.

When the cookies finished cooling Charlotte took great care in creating ginger people with a striking resemblance to her family. Erik had come upstairs as she was putting a frosting mask onto the one that looked like him. “Now where have I seen this cookie before?” He asked, kissing the top of Charlottes curly head.

“That’s because this is us! See! You, Maman, and Me…” she said looking at her own cookie sadly. “The legs got broken on this one because I accidentally dropped it…so, I figured it should be mine since they don’t work.” Erik was new to the role of father, but this kind of sadness did not belong to his little girl, even if it did come honestly to some degree. He didn’t like this feeling of distress from his Lotte.

“Now then, is that something to be so upset over? I think you’re perfect and so is your cookie. While I was in my workshop, I realized that I’m going to have to show you what I’m doing and have you try it on. Would you like to come down and see what I’m working on?” His gaze moved to Christine, “You may join us if you’d like my Angel. How does that sound little duck?” Charlotte nodded and smiled a little.

“Because I’m learning what my gift is early, does that mean I won’t get anymore presents?” Lotte asked as her Erik carried her to the workshop with Christine right behind, she smiled.

“No Petite, you will still get other presents I’m sure.” Christine looked at the contraption Erik had put together in just a few hours. “Erik what is all this?” she asked as Erik set their daughter on the table.

“A miracle, I hope. This is just the first go at it. – I’m want my little girl to have independent freedom from her wheelchair and being carried.” He pointed to each part of the design of metal and leather straps. “This piece will go around your waist because you are stable there. The rest work like trousers in a way that the next part goes around your thighs here.” He pointed to her upper thigh. “Above and below the knees and then under the bottom of her shoes to hold them in place.”

Christine stood gob smacked and wide eyed as ever. Charlotte beamed with excitement.

“Charlotte my love can you lift your dress up for me so I can get to your waist?” Erik asked picking up the contraption. “Yes Papa, Maman, Will you help me?” Christine came over, picked up Lotte, and held her as if she was standing. “Would this be easier my love?”

“Yes, actually thank you. Charlotte, this strap is lined with wool to go over your underclothes so it wont dig. I need you to pull it as tight as can and still be comfortable.” Charlotte took the strap and pulled. It felt weird but it was like wearing a tight sash. Erik punched a hole where she pointed and threaded it through the buckle. Next he lined the legs up to hers, he looked up at her with a smile. “Breath my love. I can tell you’re nervous. We will make this work.” As he fastened the straps all the way down to her feet, Christine continued to hold her little one. “Ok last part,” he brought out the crutches he altered to her size. “You’re going to hold on here” Erik pointed to the handles that protruded, “and your forearms go right here so you can lean on them. They will hold her Christine let her lean on them.”

“Papa, I’m scared I’m going to fall.” Lotte’s eyes were wide and surprised she was standing on her own.

“Little Lotte, my petite angel, you aren’t going to fall because – you are going to fly.” He smiled. “Let’s go upstairs and try it on the carpet, would that be better?” Lotte nodded. Christine was in tears. Her little baby hadn’t stood on her own in seven years. Erik carried her back up the stairs and into the living room where there was a plush carpet.

The doctors had given her exercises to keep Charlottes’ muscles from deteriorating and they did them enough that she could move them a little on her own but not enough to bear weight. Occasionally she would have cramps so badly that she screamed to wake the dead.

Erik set Lotte on her feet once more, not letting go until he was confident that she could balance. “Charlotte. My duckling, my petite – I want you to take the crutches a little ways away from you, and try to get your legs to go forward with you. If you can’t its ok, we’ll work on it. Can you try for Papa?” Charlotte put on a brave face, nodding.

“Yes Papa, I’m going to try, you’ll catch me if I fall right?”

“Yes little one.” Erik smiled.

Christine sat on the sofa, wringing her hands, hoping and praying that she would be successful and not get hurt. Of course it was a foolish thought Erik would never allow injury to come to their little girl. Charlotte took a deep breath and moved her crutch in front of her and used her hips to push herself forward. Lotte’s right foot slid forward just a little. Christine gasped and her tears flowed freely. Charlotte pulled her left foot to be parallel to the right and tried again.

Erik grinned, “That’s my little girl, come to me!” he was almost giddy. “You can do it my Lotte Marie.” He encouraged. Charlotte was breaking a sweat and crossed the small distance between them.

“I’m doing it Papa! I’m doing it! Maman, Look!” she beamed

“Yes Baby girl you are.” Christine moved closer and knelt on the floor with Erik.

Charlotte opened her arms and hugged them both. “Thank you Papa! This is going to be the best Christmas Ever. Can we go eat our Christmas cookies now?” Lotte grinned.

Erik kissed Christine, and held his girls closer. “Yes, I think we can go celebrate with some cookies now.” He scooped up his little girl and put his other arm around his wife to enjoy their festive holiday evening and eating Christmas cookies.

* * * * * * * * * *

The days passed, and Erik spent much of the time leading up to Christmas squirreled away in his workshop. He had made many notes the night of that first fitting, it took him most of a week to make those modifications and refinements. The second fitting was less climactic, most of that fitting involved clipping the wool of the pads that transferred her weight to the framework, ensuring its even distribution, and preventing rubs and blisters.

The structure had been refined so that everything lay close to the leg, without sacrificing needed strength or stiffness, and extra, counterproductive stiffness eliminated. What remained was elegant in its simplicity, the only places there was even a dram of extra weight was to all for adjustments as Charlotte grew, both in size and in strength. He was afraid to voice it, but his hope was that one day, with exercise and practice, she would gain enough strength to walk unassisted, but until then the braces would support enough weight to allow her mobility.

One of his realizations early on was that he had to allow a way for the brace to bend at the knee. Taking the brace on and off was not going to be an option every time she needed to rest, at least not unless they wanted to take up naturalist ways, and the winter weather on Coney Island was hardly suited to that! He looked at the devices others had made, took the best parts, and designed his own hinges for the knee joint, and rebuilt the hip support so it would articulate too, both joints controlled by a single lever located at her waist

As she practiced with the braces in his workshop she was often in just her night dress, which gave him ready access to all of the adjustments. When he saw that despite his careful trimming the wool caused redness, he had special silk stockings made for her that fit her frail legs perfectly, and provided the final bit of protection. There would be no pressure sores on his angel’s legs.

Once the mechanicals were finished, the real work began. He constructed a device that ran on a track from an overhead trolley he scavenged from a ride, and then built parallel bars to use for stability, so Lotte focus on learning the gait needed to walk with the braces without having to focus on her crutches too. The trolley relieved her of most of her weight in the beginning, each day he adjusted to add a little more of her weight to give her muscles a chance to get accustomed to the work.

A week before Christmas he took down the hand rails, and they started with the crutches. He helped her dress, putting the braces under her clothing, and then helping her into custom boots that were both fashionable, and worked with the braces. Other than her crutches you could not tell she had any disability at all. She clapped and laughed and cried when he showed her herself in a full length mirror.

“Papa! Call Maman, I want her to see how pretty I am!”

“My little duckling, you are beautiful, the braces only let you stand, so others can see how beautiful from farther away,” but he also did as she asked and called Christine to the shop.

Charlotte took a few more paces around the room with Erik while they waited for Christine to join them. but Lotte kept making her way back to the mirror. “Papa, I’m not so broken.”

Lotte stood and looked at herself in the mirror for a while longer when she heard the footsteps she turned her head. “Maman! Look! Stay there!” She turned and all of her practice with the parallel bars paid off, as she had with the crutches, she was slow to turn but she could do a straight line. Christine started weeping tears of joy seeing her little girl finally taking her first steps.

Christine saw the sight of her little angel in her new long holiday dress. “My Little Lotte, look at you! You’re walking!” Erik stood behind Christine with a smile. “She is. She’s walking, the one thing I didn’t get to miss. For which I will be eternally sorry for not being there for you, or her.” He whispered in her ear. Lotte crossed the workshop and stood in front of her mother, her arms embracing her tightly, but careful to not upset her balance.

The night of the Mass, his generous contribution has ensured him a secluded seat in the Triforium. His angels might see him as beautiful, but no others, and tonight he did not want to hear the people’s gasps and exclamations. “One would think,” he thought, “that by now I would be used to it, and normally I am, but tonight I want to be perfect.” He sat in his dark corner and watched the mass, hearing the once familiar Latin chants and prayers. As he listened to the service if wondered if the God that Christine prayed to really existed, but he perked up when Charlotte began to play. She was to the side of the sanctuary, almost in the Transepts, but still in the nave, in a spot that resonated with her instrument, reinforcing its tone and volume. The song was beautiful and perfect, as he knew it would be, and he sat for that moment, transfixed by its perfection. At the end of her performance there was a stunned silence, and then, despite being in church, applause from the people seated in the Nave.

When she finished playing, he watched as she stood. He hoped she was not taking a bow, he wasn’t a believer, but he knew the church was not big on vanity. Charlotte didn’t bow, simply stood there, and then Christine joined her, a single note was played on the piano, and they began to sing. The song seemed familiar to him, he suddenly remembered. It was a Christmas Eve, he was to have sung with the children’s choir, but kindly old father Francis had fallen ill four days before the midnight mass, and another priest came in to fill his duties. Father Alfonzo took one look at his disfigured face, and told him right in front of everyone that he was longer a part of the choir, that even if he had the voice of an angle, he would still spoil the performance. He had run all the way home, chased by the laughter of the other boys, and his nounou had comforted him, singing the very song that Christine and Charlotte sang. It was later that year that his mother sold him as a freak…. It transported him back, there had been few moments of tenderness in his childhood, and while the sting of rejection was still there, he had the same unconditional love from his Angels. His emotions overcame him, and he did not even realize that his rich baritone had joined theirs for the final verse until he saw that there were people looking at him in awe, no trace of revulsion on their faces, as if they did not see the horror that lay covered by his mask.

#PotO Advent Calendar #PotO #Phantom of the Opera #seventh door #daae-dancer93 #Timebird84

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atths--twice · 4 years ago

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And now it is getting closer... Almost there...

The Ninth Month 6e/6

Chapter Five

Hospital Arrival

Mulder and Scully arrive at the hospital. It’s almost that time.

October 30th- late evening

Mulder and Scully walked into the hospital, informing the man behind the desk why they were there. He smiled and asked them to fill out some paperwork and then signaled to a nurse to help them.

The nurse helped Scully into a wheelchair and pushed her back to the room, making her laugh as they went down the hallway. Mulder followed along behind them with the bags, feeling nervous and awkward.

A different nurse met them at the door and helped Scully out of the chair. She told them her name was Karla and she would be their delivery nurse. She asked about her contractions and Scully informed her of what had happened to bring them to the hospital.

Karla smiled and said they were going to hook up a fetal monitor to get a sense of where her contractions were in regard to time and intensity. She helped Scully sit on the bed and then got the machine. Mulder watched, zombie-like, as she hooked Scully up, chatting away as if this was fun or normal.

Nothing about this night felt normal. He had been in plenty of hospital rooms with her in the past. The monitors beeping in the background had been almost comforting, if not familiar, and he had learned to tune them out. But the one being set up now, he knew he would not be able to ignore it.

She had two more contractions before they had arrived at the hospital. Driving and being without help, had made him very nervous. He had clenched the steering wheel so tight, he could still feel it in his hands.

As he watched her get hooked up, his phone rang. He continued to watch Scully, seemingly not hearing it.

“Mulder,” she said, looking at him. “Mulder your phone is ringing.” He looked at her and she smiled. Oh. His phone.

He set the bags down and opened the backpack searching for his phone. He missed the call but saw it had been Doctor Reynolds calling.

As he started calling her back, Scully tensed and started breathing hard. Karla held her hand and spoke quietly to her while it happened. He watched her as he spoke to the doctor, telling her they were in room 529 and she was having a contraction right now. She said she was almost there and to sit tight. He hung up and almost laughed. Tight. He felt as if he would never relax again.

After the contraction had passed, Karla told Scully they needed to see when the next contraction came on before they got her undressed and gowned up. Scully was breathing deeply and she had her eyes closed. She nodded and leaned back on the bed.

Karla looked at Mulder and said she would be back in a couple of minutes, smiling as she left the room

Scully opened her eyes and looked at him. She reached for his hand and he walked over and took it.

“It’s really happening now,” she said, motioning to the monitor. He nodded and squeezed her hand.

“The doctor is almost here. She said to sit tight,” he told her.

Scully laughed and squeezed his hand. “Did you tell her what your face looks like? I think it should be in the dictionary as the image of “tight.” You sure you can handle this, Mulder?”

“Truthfully, I don’t know. I thought I would be okay. I mean, how many hospitals have we been in over the years?” he said, sitting next to her on the bed. “I am incredibly nervous, Scully. Genuinely nervous.” She put her head on his shoulder, threaded their fingers together, and took a deep breath.

“Mulder, of all the times we have been in the hospital, the reason we are here tonight is the most natural one ever. No gunshots, no crazy viruses,” she said quietly and he laughed softly as she squeezed his hand. “We’re going to have a baby, Mulder. I can’t think of a better reason to be here.”

He let go of her hand and put his arm around her. They sat quietly for a few minutes before the door opened and hey both turned to see the nurse and Doctor Reynolds coming into the room.

“Well, fancy meeting you two here,” the doctor said with a smile. She walked over to the sink and washed her hands before she walked over to them. She grasped both of their hands and then checked out the monitor readout and nodded her head.

“You said contractions every ten minutes before you arrived, right?” she asked as she looked.

“Yeah,” Scully replied. “I feel another one coming now. Oh, my god.” She gripped Mulder’s hand again, and he watched her, waiting for it to pass. When it did, she loosened her grip and looked at the doctor.

“Okay! They are definitely ten minutes apart. Let’s get you checked and see how it’s going,” the doctor said.

Mulder moved off the bed and stood to the side as the doctor and nurse helped her get undressed and in a gown. They handed Mulder her clothes and he put them in her bag. They re-situated the heart rate monitor and helped her to lie down to get ready for the exam.

“Your water hasn’t broken? No bloody show?” Doctor Reynolds asked as she examined her.

“No, not yet,” Scully said, her eyes closed and her head back.

“Well, you’re five centimeters dilated. That’s great! We just need to get that farther along and wait on the baby. I’d like to wait until you’re at least six before I’m forced to break your water. Best if it happens naturally. You’re progressing well since I saw you yesterday. Let’s see how it goes in the next hour and then we’ll see where we stand, okay?” she said, as she stood up and threw her gloves out and checked the monitor again.

Scully nodded and moved the bed up a little. She said she had to pee and then she would like to walk around. The doctor smiled and the nurse helped her off the bed and into the bathroom before she left the room.

Mulder stood there, frozen once again. The doctor looked up and noticed him standing there.

“Fox? You doing all right?” she asked in a teasing tone.

“Yeah,” he said very quietly. She put down the readout and walked over to him. She touched his forearm and he looked at her.

“She’s doing well. Her heart rate and the baby’s are good and strong. She’s halfway there with both dilation and being effaced. She’s doing well. There is no cause for concern. In an hour, I will check her again and we will see where we go from there, okay?” she looked at him with concern in her eyes.

“Yeah, okay. Thank you, Doctor Reynolds,” he said, nodding his head and exhaling a large breath.

“Fox, I think we’ve reached a point where you can call me Elise,” she said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He laughed and nodded. She stepped back and checked the readout again. Scully came out of the bathroom and headed for the bed. She sat down and asked for her sandals.

“Dana, I want to get you hooked to an IV first and then you can walk around. I’ll see about the socks we have too instead of shoes. Just give me a few minutes, okay?” Elise said, touching Scully’s shoulder. She nodded and Elise left the room.

“Talk to me, Mulder,” she said, putting her hands back on the bed and resting on them.

“What about?” he asked as he came around the bed to face her.

“Anything. You pick,” she said.

“Okay.. um. Okay. So, I was reading an article earlier, when you were in the bath, about this town that celebrates Halloween in a fun way,” he said, pulling the chair in the room close to her and sitting down. “Apparently, they have a large duck population and so they incorporate it into their festivities. They have contests for who has the best duck costume, duck floats in the parade, Duckinstein themed haunted houses, and pumpkin carving contests of the best duck ones.”

Scully laughed and smiled at him. “I like that, it sounds like a fun place to live.”

“Hmm,” he said with a smile.

The door opened again and Karla came back into the room with the fluids the doctor had ordered. Mulder moved out of her way and she had the IV in and the bag hung up in no time. She also had a pair of socks which she slipped on Scully.

“Okay, you’re set to walk around!” she said as she picked up the plastic from the items she used. “Stick to this floor, and take your time. Leave the monitor on and we can keep an eye on you. If anything happens, we’ll be right there.”

Scully thanked her and she left. Mulder came back close to Scully and helped her up. He took a hold of the IV pole, made sure her gown was closed, and she opened the door. He followed her out, pushing the IV pole in front of him.

She stopped just outside the door and looked at him. She pointed left and he nodded. They walked around the hospital floor once and she had to stop halfway for a contraction. The second time around, she was okay. As they started the third lap around, she cried out. She had a strong contraction and her water broke in a gush down her legs.

She held onto Mulder as nurses came rushing over. They wiped her off and helped her to step around the mess. She went back to her room and into the bathroom. Mulder helped her to strip down, taking off the monitor, her gown and her socks.

There was a shower in the bathroom and he turned it on to help rinse her off. He kept the IV pole out of the way and she kept her arm out of the shower as he washed the lower half of her body as best he could with his hands.

The bathroom door opened and Karla brought in a washcloth, a couple of towels, and a new gown. She set them on the sink and walked back out.

Mulder grabbed the washcloth and washed her again. He shut the water off and grabbed a towel. He was bent down drying her off when she gripped the handle in the shower and cried his name.

He looked up to see her holding her stomach, her face scrunched in pain. He hurried with the towel and grabbed the clean gown. Her contraction had passed by the time he started putting on her gown. She leaned into him as he tied the back and he could feel her deep breaths.

“Oh my god, Mulder. They’re getting closer, and definitely harder,” she said into his chest.

He closed his eyes and held her for a second before he pulled back and led them back into the room. Scully sat down and Mulder helped her get her legs in the bed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Mulder stroked her hair and then kissed her forehead. She hummed and he kissed her once again. He stepped back and sat in the chair again.

“It’s 10:13, Mulder,” she said as she opened her eyes. “We have an hour and roughly forty five minutes until midnight. Definitely gonna be a Halloween baby.”

“That doesn’t matter to me now. I just want everything to go well and for you to be okay,” he said, Halloween the furthest thing from his mind.

She smiled and started to say something, but the door opened and she stopped, as Elise walked in with a smile.

“You like to do things in a big way it seems. Age be damned, water breaking in the hallway. Go big or go home huh?” she said with a smile.

She went into the bathroom, picked up the monitor, and then strapped it back onto Scully’s stomach.

She picked up the readout and studied it. “Heart rate still looks good, you had two contractions in about twenty minutes, lasting about thirty seconds.”

“She had one in the shower,” Mulder said.

“Did you?” Elise asked, letting the readout go and stepping over toward them.

Scully nodded. “It was harder than the others and lasted a little longer.”

“Okay, let’s see how you’re doing,” she said, as she grabbed some gloves to examine her. "Well.. you do like to keep us on our toes. You’re at seven now, almost completely effaced. Are you feeling any pain aside from the contractions?”

“Just my back,” Scully said, reaching for Mulder’s hand. He grabbed it and held on.

“Okay,” Elise said, standing up, throwing out the gloves and washing her hands. “You’re doing great, Dana. Now is the time to discuss an epidural. You say you’re not in much pain, but you’ve done this before and you know it will get worse. An epidural will help with the pain and let you have a reprieve. I know you mentioned before you didn’t want it, but I want to tell you, if you continue progressing quickly, you may lose the time frame for it to be effective or have the chance to even get it done. I have to page the anesthesiologist and he may be busy. So I need to know as soon as possible, okay? As soon as possible.”

“I don’t want it,” Scully said, shaking her head. “I know I don’t and I won’t change my mind.”

“Okay,” Elise said, flicking her eyes to Mulder. “I’ll give you twenty minutes and I will ask again, double checking with you.” She looked at Mulder again and he nodded slightly. She walked out the door and left them alone.

“Scully,” he began.

“Mulder, please,” she said, closing her eyes.

He watched her lying there, breathing deeply, her hand on her stomach. She wanted a natural birth, no medication. She had told him before. She did not have it with William, she had said, and she wanted it the same way again.

He had looked at her questioningly when she said it. She seemed uncomfortable with her answer. She had looked down and said she wanted to feel it all, as much as it would hurt. Then she looked in his eyes and said she needed to do it. Needed to. He nodded. He knew her so well, of course he understood.

Watching her now though with the pain really just beginning, he had hoped once they were at the hospital, she would change her mind. He hated seeing her hurting and he already felt as if he would not be able to handle it as it increased.

“Scully,” he began again.

“Mulder, please,” she repeated, letting go of his hand. He grabbed the chair and sat down close to her bed.

“Why?” he asked.

“I already told you.”

“I need a better answer, Scully.”

“I need to do this. To feel it.”

“Why? You don’t owe it to anyone to prove you can or to suffer as a form of redemption…”

“Is that why you think I want to do it?” she asked, her eyes blazing into his.

“I don’t know!”

"You said you understood! That you respected my answer,” she said in quiet anger.

“Yeah well, that was before,” he said, standing up and pacing across the room.

“Before what?”

“Before I saw the pain it’s causing you and knowing there will be more! Worse than this!”

“Mulder..”

“Scully,” he said quietly, as he stepped closer to her. “All that you have been through, that we’ve been through, don’t you think we’ve suffered enough pain? Wouldn’t you want to alleviate that if you could? You have the chance to do it and I wish you would. To ease any discomfort you might feel. I don’t like to see pain on your face. Too many times I have. I don’t want that for you anymore.”

She stared at him, her anger dissipating. She exhaled and sat up a little, reaching for him. He went to her and held her as best he could as he sat on the bed. She pulled back and stroked his face.

“I understand your concern, Mulder. I do. But it’s not that I am wanting to suffer. It’s not that at all. When I had William, there was no choice, I had to deliver him without any medication. It hurt like a son of a bitch,” she said with a deep breath. “But, Mulder, it was also the most beautiful experience I’ve ever felt. The connection between him and I, I can’t describe it. I know it sounds crazy, and as a doctor I should listen to my doctor, but Mulder, I want to do this. I want to feel that connection. To experience it for my last time. I have been given two chances when I thought I would never have one. I need to do this, Mulder. Do you understand now?”

He searched her face. The face he loved for so long and he saw what he needed. She was not doing this to suffer needlessly. She wanted that connection to their child. She wanted the feelings she had with William to be shared with this baby. A feeling that they would never feel, but would forever share in her mind. Siblings and family no matter anything else in this world and she was their connection. She wanted it to be another bond that tied them to each other.

He nodded and felt tears in his eyes. He put his forehead against hers and took a deep breath.

“I understand,” he whispered.

“Good,” she whispered back.

Then she moaned. A contraction starting again. He stayed where he was, her grip on him vice like. When it was over and she was panting, he looked at her with raised eyebrows.

“I’m sure,” she said, licking her lips.

She had to pee again and he helped her to the bathroom. When she was done, she paced around the room. Back and forth she walked, the IV pole and Mulder her only company.

Mulder heard the door open and Elise poked her head in. Mulder shook his head at her and she nodded. Scully was in the midst of another contraction and she did not see her.

Karla came in and replaced the IV bag. She brought ice and water in a pitcher and told her to drink slowly as the IV was providing a lot of hydration. Scully asked for some water and Mulder handed her a cupful. She took her time drinking it as she paced around.

At 11:30, her contractions were five minutes apart and lasting almost a minute. She had stopped walking and was in the bed on her side. Mulder stood next to the bed and rubbed her back as she cried out. He reminded her to breathe and relax between contractions.

Elise came in, read her readout again, and smiled. She grabbed some gloves, helped her turn onto her back, and examined her again.

“They’re coming faster and harder than an hour ago,” Scully said breathlessly.

“Yup,” Elise said. “You’re completely dilated and effaced. It’s time to start pushing, Dana.”

Mulder felt his ears ringing. He could see Elise’s lips moving and knew she was saying something, but all he heard was the ringing. He felt hot, his stomach churned, and for the first time in his life, he felt like he might pass out from fear alone.

This was it. It was time.

____________________________________

Ahhh! Now what? What will the baby be? Will Mulder faint?

#The X Files #XF Fanfic #Post MSIV #Pregnancy #Its time #Who is more nervous?#Here we go...

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thefifthclown · 5 years ago

Text

Part 1, Chapter 6-That’s Why I Told You to Escape; Scene 3

Fifth, Pierrot, pages 190-200

December 26th. 2AM.

Ayn was near the president’s estate.

It wasn’t to eavesdrop on President Julia. It was because he had been called there by someone.

Yesterday, a letter had reached Ayn. The contents were extremely simplistic, but the important thing for him had been the name of who sent it.

Heidemarie Lorre.

The woman who had once been his coworker, and his girlfriend.

A letter had arrived from her after she’d been missing for over a year. The penmanship was hers, there was no mistaking it. It was very like her to write such broken up and hard to read lettering.

He couldn’t see her anywhere. But that was also like her, in a way. Heidemarie never observed their agreed-upon times.

Ayn continued to wait for her, glancing around at his surroundings.

There wasn’t a soul around, this time of night. The darkness and silence had enfolded the entire district. If it had been a little earlier he could have seen the lights of Milanais theater even from here.

I’m freezing…

It could have snowed. That was how cold it was.

It was half past two in the morning.

Heidemarie still hadn’t come.

As one might expect, Ayn had started to become a little irritated, huffing white puffs of breath.

She’s late, no getting around it…Maybe the letter was fake…Or maybe something happened with her…

Should he go back already?...Or should he wait a little bit longer?...

While he was pondering this, it happened.

“Meow.”

He could hear something coming from a back alley.

“--!?...Is that a cat?”

It probably wasn’t anything to worry about. But Ayn casually headed in that direction.

It was just an alley, nothing particularly unusual about it. Yet, he had seen this sight before.

He remembered. The incident that had happened four years ago.

I see…This place is…

Ayn then proceeded into the alley.

There was no cat. Instead, there was a single figure.

As the figure was hard to see clearly, their appearance obscured by shadow, Ayn thought for just a moment that it was Heidemarie.

But the figure looked a little bit shorter than she did.

“Good evening.”

It was a man—or rather a boy’s voice. When he drew closer he could make him out more clearly. His face was painted white, and he was wearing gaudy clothing…Dressed just like a clown.

“Detective Ayn Anchor…Thanks to you ‘Pere Noel’ has been put in quite the crisis. Do a favor for ‘First, Santa Claus’…and die here tonight.”

He was gripping a silver knife in his hand. That knife had been used to take many lives up to this point.

--This was “Fifth, Pierrot”. There was no mistake.

If it hadn’t been in this place…if it hadn’t been this back alley, Ayn’s reasoning would have stopped there. Ayn could see Pierrot’s appearance, with his true face hidden, overlap with that of a certain boy.

“Are you…Lemy Abelard?”

Pierrot didn’t hide his surprise at Ayn’s question.

“--!? How do you know—”

“So you are, then…Don’t you remember? The day we met.”

“What are you…talking about? What in the world do you—”

On Lemy’s part, he had first seen Ayn’s form when he’d been hidden in the ceiling at the Lucifenian palace.

But they hadn’t met directly then.

“Four years ago. When you were attacked by hoodlums here. That was when we met,” Ayn told him.

“…It can’t be…”

“I was participating in the investigation to capture ‘Fifth, Pierrot’. We had a tipoff that he was to appear in a show in Milanais Theater, and I infiltrated the circus to search for him—yes, dressed as a clown.”

“…You’re lying.”

“A disaster happened, then. A wild-animal tamer child was mauled to death by a lion. It wasn’t the work of ‘Fifth, Pierrot’…but apparently he wasn’t expecting it either. By chance I caught sight of him as he panicked and fled the theater. I gave chase—and then came to this alley.”

“…”

Lemy gave no reply. Ayn continued, heedless to his silence.

“There, I heard a scream. It was a boy’s voice. It wasn’t the direction that ‘Fifth, Pierrot’ had run to…but I couldn’t just let it go, either. I gave up on chasing him, and headed for where I’d heard the voice. There was a boy and two thugs. Apparently the two ruffians got me mixed up with ‘Fifth, Pierrot’—”

“That’s a lie! You’re lying to me! The idea that that pierrot was just a police officer—”

“…After I saved you, I immediately returned to the hunt for ‘Fifth, Pierrot’. But he was already long gone. ��My superior at the time chewed me out good. Throwing away a once in a lifetime chance like that.”

“That’s enough.”

As he spoke, Lemy raced towards him, the knife in his hand. But he was clearly shaking.

It wasn’t all that difficult for Ayn to dodge the end of his knife, trembling as he was.

“Lemy. Why are you doing this? Are you under orders from your mother—from President Abelard? If that’s the case, then she’s deceiving you. To think that she’d be forcing her own child to do this—”

“It has nothing to do with my mother! This is my own will! I’ll erase you, and so erase my worthless aspirations in the past! And then—I will become the true ‘Fifth, Pierrot’!”

Lemy charged again. Ayn shifted to dodge his knife once more.

But—

--! Dammit!

There was a large rock by his feet. He hadn’t seen it there due to how dark it was. Ayn tripped, and fell to the ground on his back.

Lemy quickly moved to straddle him. He took his knife in both hands, and lifted it high.

“Die!”

He would be killed—Ayn screwed his eyes shut without thinking.

--Bang.

An explosive shot suddenly resounded through the alley.

He had heard that sound before.

That had—been a gun.

And not just from any regular firearm.

That…was from Heidemarie’s gun—

Ayn opened his eyes.

His gaze fell on someone who had fallen, leaning on him.

It was Lemy. Red was staining his chest. He’d been shot.

It was straight to the heart. A fatal wound.

“Wh…y? My…chest hurts…” he whispered, his voice fading.

Ayn stood, holding Lemy in his arms, and then laid him down on the ground.

When he looked up, a new figure had appeared.

“…Heidemarie.”

She was standing there wordlessly, revolver in her right hand. Smoke was wafting from the gun.

“—My my, that was careless of me. Looks like I forgot to ‘hypnotize’ you into forgetting Gumillia’s face.”

From deeper in the alley another person approached. She was in a wheelchair. The owner of that brothel.

“No…That’s not it.” In the back of Ayn’s mind, a memory resurfaced. “Yes…How could I have forgotten you until now? You’re…You are—Hanne.”

Her hair color had changed, but it was none other than Heidemarie’s older sister, Hanne Lorre.

“It’s been some time since I was called by that name.”

“Why…are you two—”

“To kill ‘Fifth, Pierrot’, of course. –Sorry, Ayn. We sort of used you as bait.”

Hanne moved the wheelchair herself, and drew close to Lemy’s fallen body.

“…That’s why I told you to escape.”

Lemy looked up at Hanne with blank eyes.

In his mind, she looked to be sneering down at him.

“Why…you said…you’d save me…”

“Only if you didn’t betray me. I wish that I could have gotten you away from Julia. But…you picked her. You decided for yourself to take the path of ‘evil’. I couldn’t just leave a ‘Twin of God’ in her hands—so I had no choice but to do this.”

“I’m—not ‘evil’. The evil ones…are the whole wo—”

“No. Maybe you were using justice as a pretext. Maybe you thought you were doing it for your mother and Rin. --I remember a boy who looked quite like you, a long time ago. He too committed sins, for the sake of his older sister. Though the world scorned her as ‘evil’, he alone tried to protect her. But he didn’t enjoy killing people. …You had begun to take pleasure in the act of murder, using your mother and friend as an excuse. You and he—aren’t anything alike.”

Blood was gushing from Lemy’s chest.

“I don’t want to die—I don’t want to die.”

“I expect the people that you’ve killed felt much the same way. …You just enjoy murdering people. An outcome like this is quite fitting for one like you. A low end with neither punchline nor catharsis. But…this is the story that you chose.”

“If this…is my…story…What should…I have…done?”

Hanne shook her head.

“I don’t know. How about you ask Ney?”

“Ney…where is Ney? I can’t hear her voice. Even though she’s always been so annoyingly by my side…Hey…where’s…Ney…”

Lemy raised his hand and grasped at air.

But there was nothing there. At least, Ayn couldn’t see anything.

He couldn’t save him now—not like he had four years ago.

Ayn still didn’t get what was going on now.

What relation did Hanne and Heidemarie have with Lemy?

Why did Heidemarie shoot him?

And as for Hanne—was she even really “Hanne Lorre” in the first place?

Her face was the same…but to Ayn she looked a little different than the Hanne that he knew.

Her true identity was that of the “Eternal Sorceress”, Elluka Clockworker—that’s what he’d learned of her before she disappeared.

But it wasn’t just that. There was something more frightening than that about her now—

While he still didn’t understand everything.

One fact was clear.

--The story of “Fifth, Pierrot” was drawing to a close now.

At some point, it had started to snow.

Ayn remembered that tomorrow would be the day of the Nativity Festival.

Beneath the piling snow, the fallen Lemy’s eyes started up at the sky.

But there was no longer any light lingering in them.

Duel challenge:

To my beloved sister-in-law,

I’ll be waiting at Merrigod Plateau.

From Irina Clockworker

As Julia Abelard

<<prev------directory------next>>

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alliswell21 · 6 years ago

Note

Older!Peeta for your prompt request?

Hi Anon! This Prompt has been in my inbox for an embarrassing long time. But it just kept growing and getting away from me. So, it’s not a drabble anymore. It’s a 4500+ word one shot, and I hope you like it.

Rated G.

>>—————>

He’s wiping the preparation table when I walk onto the threshold of the back door to his bakery. I linger a moment, just to admire the flex of his strong, muscly arms, before clearing my throat, alerting him of my presence.

Ha startled a little when he looks up, but as soon as he realizes is me, he smiles broadly, making my breath hitch and my knees falter. The man is in his early thirties, give or take some ten years my senior, but I can’t help the way my stomach flips every time he smiles, regardless of if it’s directed at me or someone else.

“Hello, Katniss! What can I do you for?” The young baker says throwing his rag over his shoulder, making his way to meet me.

I step forward, trying not to trip on my own feet. Every time we trade I hope he doesn’t catch up on the humongous crush I have on him. I would die of embarrassment if he did.

“Hi, Mr. Mellark. I have a couple of squirrels in my bag, in case you’re interested.” I say with my best smile, one I secretly save just for him.

“You know I’m always interested in your squirrels, Katniss! I love me a fresh game stew.” He says, winking at me, making my heart rush.

I can’t hold his gaze, my cheeks are burning. I try to shove down my silly infatuation to close the deal already and retreat to the street, where my heated face and neck can cool off.

I busy myself rooting around my bag, choosing the thickest critters while mindlessly responding to his comment.

“We usually fry ours. Especially if I get too many and can’t trade them all for something else. Having a whole fried squirrel to oneself is alright when there ain’t anything else besides.”

I pull two fat squirrels out of the bag triumphantly, but when I raise my eyes, my smile falters. I think he was looking at me with pity or something in that realm, it’s hard to tell, since almost immediately his eyes took his usual warm, jovial quality. But I’m still mortified, the last thing I want is for him to pity me. He’s the only person to ever showed me compassion in this town, and I don’t want him to worry about my wellbeing; I can take care of myself and my family now.

When I was eleven, there was an explosion in the coal mines where my father worked. My father was one of the few lucky ones to come to the surface with his life tightly grasped. Father suffered third degree burns over most of his body, his boots melted to his skin. The town doctor had to amputate both legs. Father was alive and eventually recovered from his many injuries, but the accident had effectively rendered him employable any longer.

The fear, anger and helplessness I felt then almost ate me whole; of it hadn’t been for Mr. Peeta Mellark, my whole family would’ve starved to death, but here we are still, and I want him to know we’re okay now.

“Fried squirrels are a perfect meal on their own. Why mess it up with sides if you can help it?” I smile at him weakly.

“True. But if you ever have an overstock on game of any type, don’t hesitate on coming here to trade. I host family supper with my folks, my brothers and their families every so often. More meat in the stew will always be a plus!” His smile is so sweet and genuine, I have no choice but to agree.

“Will do.”

He looks over the squirrels with a satisfied smile on his lips and nods in approval, which makes me burst with pride and joy; he turns to bag a loaf of bread from a nearby tray and while he’s doing it, he asks conversationally, “So, are looking forward to the festival tonight?”

“Yes. Nothing like my sister, though. But I am looking forward to it. Daddy is coming too. It should be nice.”

“That’s great news about your father,” he says looking at me over his shoulder. “I bet your mother will have her hands full, caring for him and shooing away all the boys that’ll come asking you for a dance,” his eyes are full of mirth as he hands me the bread.

My mother, is the daughter of the most trusted apothecary in town, she’s a very respected and sought out healer, but caring for Daddy became a full time job for her for a while, leaving me as the sole breadwinner for the household.

I’m uncomfortable with the last part of the baker’s comment, but I try to hide it. “Oh, not really. I don’t get asked to dance much,” is a statement, and I’m completely fine with it, but Mr. Mellark is frowning, like he can’t believe it, so I add, “I’m not the dancing type, anyway. I’ll be too busy making sure Prim’s line of admires doesn’t get out of hand.” I smile.

“Surely that fellow, Gale Hawthorne, will like to take you into the dance floor for a spin?” The baker asks doubtful.

I shake my head. “He’ll most likely be too preoccupied watching over his siblings for that.” I shrug.

I think he’s about to say something else, but I cut him off pretending I didn’t notice, informing him Prim will be over tomorrow with some of her goat cheese. Four years ago, I was able to get a nanny goat for my sister. Now we have two goats that produce good milk. Primrose, makes cheese and sells it. She does well with her cheeses.

The baker and I conclude our business quickly after that, and I hurry home before the baker has a chance to start talking about the festival again. I’m exhausted from having to keep in check all my feelings and emotions in front of the baker while we traded. Is a taxiing chore being polite and friendly without showing my affection for the man, I doubt he’ll be thrilled to learn of my crush anyway. Is a well known fact that the man is very selective where women are concerned.

The baker, Mr. Peeta Mellark, is single, relatively young and very attractive. Women of all ages flock to his shop like flies to a flame. He’s also very well off being one of two bakers in town— the other one is his oldest brother, who’s married with children of his own— but Mr. Peeta has only been romantically linked to a couple of ladies in the last few years, and none of the relationships progressed to marriage. I know is silly, but I like him not being linked to anyone, it just makes my crush on the man feel harmless, at least this way, the only heart that could get potentially hurt is mine.

My family is already preparing for the festivities when I step into my home, and my mother sends me straight to the washroom, where a tub with warm water awaits me. After I’m rid of the grime of the day, my mother lets me wear one of her dresses from when she was young, a very femenin blue number with matching blue shoes. She puts my hair in an elaborate updo and Prim swoons dreamily, imagining there would be a line of boys trying to ask me to dance with them.

I snort.

It seems my sister and the baker mistake me for something I’m not. Nobody wants to dance with a scrawny, dark, scowling girl, with too many responsibilities and mouths to feed to be paying any attention to suitors. Of course, I don’t say any of this out loud because Prim seems happy, and there’s so little instances in which she can let her imagination romanticize my life anyway, I let her be for the night. Tomorrow will bring reality way too fast, there’s no reason to rush into it.

At seven o'clock, my mother and I sit Daddy in his wheelchair, while Prim pushes it carefully out of the living room and unto the small ramp running down the porch steps. Mother takes over and Prim and I simply flank our mother’s sides while we make our way to the town square.

Everyone is in attendance, the Harvest Festival being one of the few events our small community celebrates in unison. This year they went all out with the decorations; fairy lights hang criss crossed from building to building overhead all over the square. Small bouquets of wildflowers and sprigs of wheat and even a small fruit can be found tied with strips of burlap to light poles or benches all over the place; and the smell of spiced cider fills the air, making it feel warm and cozy, though is completely packed in here.

There are a few booths where one can buy cider, candied apples or pastries, circling the square perimeter. Prim squeals when Daddy gives a coin and sends her away to get peppermints from the sweets’s table. A group of men with mismatched instruments play music in the gazebo on the opposite corner of the square; that’s where Daddy wants to go, because he started playing the harmonica with the fiddler a few months ago, and the man invited my father to join ‘the band’ for the festival. The problem is that my mother and I can’t lift Daddy’s chair up the four steps into the gazebo.

We start looking around for either Gale or his brothers, so we can figure something out, but before my neck gets permanently stretched like a lamp post, Peeta Mellark materializes out of nowhere, and lifts my father— chair and all— over and on the wooded structure, all by himself. My parents thank him profusely, but the baker waves them off humbly, saying it was his pleasure.

He smiles at me for a moment; I think he blushes, but he tears his eyes away much too fast. I realize he could’ve been just flushed with exertion. He did just haul a grown man in a wheelchair a good foot and a half from the ground or so.

Daddy won’t let him go yet, though, “Alright, I’m a man of tradition. You do something nice for me, and in return, I’d like to do something nice for you. What’s your favorite song, sir? I know the band will be happy to perform it, and dedicate it to you. Who knows, maybe you’ll have an excuse to bring a pretty lady out on the dance floor?”

Mr. Mellark scratches the back of his head, “I’m manning my booth over there. I’m not sure when I’ll be able to close it for the night, but there’s this one song…” I believe his eyes flick in my direction for a moment, but he shuffles on his feet, and continues, “The Valley song. I know is a slow one, and I doubt I’ll dance it out with anyone, but if the band can squeeze the request in…” He Let’s the words hang in the air scratching his neck again.

“I’ll see what we can do! Thank you again for your help, mr. Mellark.”

“Peeta.” He says quickly, and brings his hand forward to shake Daddy’s. “Mr. Mellark is still my father.” He smiles.

Daddy nods. “Hunter Everdeen, harmonica player extraordinaire.”

We all chuckle at that and the baker walks off after another hand shake and a nod to mother and me. My heart is beating so fast, I think I’ll break a sweat in a minute without a way to explain it, so I make some excuse and head out find Prim, who’s been gone way longer than expected.

After finding Prim sitting on a bench with her school friends and the younger Hawthorne boys, I figure I should visit with my own friends… except my only friends are Madge Undersee and Gale Hawthorne, and the two are currently pressed together in the middle of the dance floor barely stepping in a small circle, although the music is too lively and fast for their slow pace. I scowl, not really jealous because they seem to be sweet on each other, but jealous because they can dance with someone they like, and no one thinks anything of it.

“I guess that’s why you were so adamant nobody wanted to ask you to the dance floor.”

I startled, though the voice speaking over my shoulder is deep, velvety soft and full of something like concern. I turn around to find blue eyes watching Gale and Madge with a frown.

“I’m sorry you didn’t get to dance with Hawthorne. I’m even more sorry for pestering you about it earlier. I apologize if I caused any distress.” Peeta Mellark says quietly, this time looking straight at me.

I shake my head, smiling. “Nah. Is not like that. When I graduated school, Gale asked me out. I turned him down because I didn’t feel like that for him, but I knew Madge did. I’m glad he finally realized it and gave it a chance.”

“But… you don’t seem happy.” He observes.

“It’s not about them.” I say. “I just, I’m almost twenty, and the only prospect in my future is joining the mine crews to help out at home. We do alright with Prim’s cheese, Mother’s healing, and my hunting for now, but once Prim graduates and marries, then things will get more difficult.”

The baker’s frown deepens, and I realize I’ve gone and run my mouth, worrying the only person that ever cared to lend a hand.

Is true we are better than most families in our neighborhood, The Seam, but that wasn’t true right after Daddy’s accident. The mines paid the equivalent of three months salary as termination when it was clear he wouldn’t be coming back to work. The money ran out despite all of our stretching and maneuvering. It got to the point only Prim and Daddy were eating, while mother and I went without, although mother never found out about I wasn’t eating, but saving my portions for Prim’s school lunches. The day we only had mint leaves broth for supper, I knew we were in big trouble. There was no money, Mother wasn’t tending patients because Daddy needed tending all day and night, and I decided to go sell whatever we had of value in the house.

When my plan to sell our old baby clothes failed, then I resorted to look through waste bins for any scrap of food. A teenaged Peeta Mellark found me digging through the bakery’s trash on a bitterly cold, rainy day that awful winter, and instead of chasing me away like his mama would’ve done, he gave me two loaves of the most delicious bread I’ve ever eaten. The loaves were full of nuts, raisins and grains, hearty and filling, and the first solid food we’ve had in three days.

I was so relieved to have some food, I hugged his waist and cried, but his mother finally caught on in what he’d done, and started screaming at him, berating him for being soft and gullible, giving away good bread to Seam rats; I was so scared of the old baker’s wife— it wasn’t for nothing her nickname was The Witch— I took off running with the warm bread under my shirt burning my skin, for fear the witch would take my precious food away. I faintly heard Mr. Peeta said he’d give bread away again if he ever saw a starving kid in need. I had the bad luck to turn back to see him once more before rounding a corner, right as his mother struck him across the face, screeching the most horrible things imaginable.

I didn’t stop running until I was safely home, with the bread pressed against my chest for dear life. Nobody asked me where the bread had come from, maybe too afraid to know the answer. It was Peeta Mellark’s gift that gave me the idea of foraging the woods. The next day I saw the young baker had a bruise under his eye, compliments of his witch of a mother. I was too horrified by it, I’ve never actually seen a parent hitting their own child for something that was actually good and generous, so it took me a long time to return to the bakery, but when I did, I had game to bargain with, and the smile on young Peeta’s face is something I’ll treasure forever.

“I’m not complaining about my lot in life—“

“You’re almost twenty, you said?” He asks, his voice unsure, his eyes searching.

I nod and the corner of his mouth twitches. “That’s good!” He says, his face turning crimson red. His hand goes back to scratch the back of his neck, and I start thinking it’s some sort of nervous reaction. I find it endearing, really. “I have to go back to mind my booth, but please, come find me when your father is ready to get down from up there, I want to help.”

I don’t get to accept or decline his offer, he walks quickly back to the line forming at his table, leaving me puzzled with our short interaction.

The rest of the night goes by, I do get to spend time with Gale and Madge, but since they keep making puppy eyes at each other, I leave them alone and go say hello to other people I know, mostly very loyal clients I’m on a first name basis with, like Rooba the butcher, Delly the cobbler, and Sae the street vendor that buys whatever meat I have no matter the critter, her stews are legendary, but nobody asks what’s in them.

Around eleven, my mother flags me down to let me know Daddy is feeling tired already, although he denies it vehemently. I round Prim up, who’s been dancing half the night with a different boy every time I see her. She doesn’t complain when I tell her is time to go, in fact she smiles gratefully. I guess she’s tired of the attention. We head back to the gazebo, and then I remember to go fetch Mr. Peeta, but his booth is already packed and closed for the night. The baker is nowhere to be seen, until I turn to the gazebo disappointed, just to see him already there, speaking to my parents.

“Hmm… I wonder what’s up with Daddy’s face?” Says Prim looking at our father.

She’s right, Daddy has a serious expression, the beginning of small frown tugging at his brow. Then his eyes find me in the crowd, asqe make our way to them, and then his features soften, a quizzical look takes his face. He looks back at the baker and gives a small nod. Mr. Peeta seems to breath in deeply, a big smile covers his face and he takes my father’s hand in an enthusiastic shake. In a moment, he lifts the chair with my father in it, and places it on the ground. Mother takes the handles and pushes it, so we meet on the outside of the square, ready to head home.

“So, Katniss, dear, Mama and I are heading home for the night, but Peeta here has offered to escort you and Prim back home by midnight.” My father’s voice is deep and scratchier than usual. He spares the baker a quick look, “He’s asked my permission to take you out for a dance, if you agree?” Daddy is looking at me now, his eyes knowing but soft.

My mouth hangs open, but nothing comes out, Prim loops her arm around mine and squeezes it to her side.

“She’d love to dance with Mr. Mellark, and I’ll sit with Hazelle and Posy Hawthorne until it’s time to head home.” Says Prim happily.

I nod, still too stunned to say anything. My eyes travel from my father’s to Mr. Peeta’s, not truly hiding my surprise until I notice how nervous the baker is, standing beside my parents.

“If that’s okay with you, of course. I wouldn’t dream of imposing—“

“Okay!” I gasp out.

Peeta Mellark’s relieves sigh matches perfectly how I feel inside. He smiles sweetly at me, then thanks my parents, offering his arm to me.

“May I say that you look absolutely breathtaking tonight?” He says after a few minutes dancing quietly.

“Oh… thank you.” I say shyly.

“Really!” He says beseechingly. “When I saw you walk in with your family… my heart stopped for a second. I couldn’t breathe right… heck, I still can’t breathe right. You are just stunning.”

I smile to my boots, too overcome to meet his eyes. “You look nice too.” I say, because he always looks nice, even covered and flour and frosting.

The fiddler up in the gazebo announces the last song of the night, “The Valley song, special request from Mr. Peeta Mellark. Enjoy!”

The soft notes of the mountain air come sweet and full as Mr. Peeta’s smile thins out.

“You know why I chose this song?” He asks me.

I shake my head.

“You used to sing it with your daddy when he brought you over for trades when you were a child, you used to wear your hair in two braids, instead of one back then. You remember?”

I nod, “I do. He has the loveliest voice.”

“So do you.” He says. “The birds stop to listen when you sing.” He smiles sadly, “You stopped when he got hurt. It pained me to know the world had lost two songbirds to the mines, one to injuries, the other to hunger.”

I tense in his arms, but he doesn’t stop holding me as he speaks.

“Then, one day, you came by and you were singing again, The Valley song. Your hair was in the single braid already, and you looked so grown. Your game bag was bursting with meat and greens and I knew you’d be alright. I felt happy. The song became synonymous of hope to me.

“And then, last year, you came to trade with me, and rolled your eyes at a joke I botched, most other women laugh even though is not funny. I loved that you found me corny, because that meant you weren’t like the other women, and it hit me, you’ve grown again, and you were magnificent!

“But Gale Hawthorne was standing a few paces behind you, and pulled on the end of your braid when you started walking back home before you shoved his hand away playfully. I thought it’d be a matter of time before I was making your wedding cake, and then I realized the thought made my chest tighten with sadness and jealousy, no matter if the groom was Gale or some other person.

“I felt like a pervert, because you were so young. The problem is that I felt invested in your survival when you were a kid, and then I couldn’t stop admiring your resourcefulness. Turns out I’m eight years older than you, I just feels like the gap is so much bigger when you’ve watched the person grow up before your eyes.

“I figured, next year you’ll be twenty, and age won’t matter as much when we’re in the same bracket, so I asked your father if it was alright to court you. He said that was up to you, but I could start by walking you home tonight, with Prim as chaperone”

I snort at that. Prim is possible the poorest choice in chaperone my father could’ve make. Knowing my sister, she’ll be picking out the names of her potential nieces and nephews by now, and she doesn’t even know this conversation is happening.

Peeta interrupts my musing then, “Maybe, if you find me worthy at all, I’ll be making your wedding cake a happy man this time around next year, because I will be your groom.” The uncertainty in his voice is painful. “I know that’s too far out in the future, but would you consider it?”

“Marrying you?” I ask astonished.

He scowls, and tries to dislodge from me, “Well… I understand if the idea is too—“

“Okay!” I rush breathlessly, clawing at his shirt sleeves to keep him in place.

“Okay?” He poses dazedly, “You’ll allow it then?”

I nod eagerly, “Yes, I’ll allow it. Court me, Mr. Mellark!”

He grins, “Please, call me Peeta.”

I smile at him, “Of course. That’ll be weird, calling you Mr. Mellark while we’re out on a date.”

Is his turn to smile widely. “I’m looking forward to that.”

“There’s just one thing… Peeta,” I say, and his face lights up when I use his proper name. “My birthday is in May, so maybe… we can cut short that year of courting?” I feel silly, and happy, and reckless all in one swoop.

His responding smile is blinding. “I think we can work with that. Will your folks be okay with it?”

I shrug, “They let you walk me home tonight, didn’t they? Is the first time they officially let a man walk me anywhere. And I know for ads t Daddy likes you. I like your chances.” I tell him, wondering where did all this cheekiness came from.

“Good!” He says with a shaky chuckle.

The song ends, and we collect Prim to go home. To her credit, Prim is being a very mature fifteen year old, and gives us the illusion of privacy by walking three steps ahead of us. When we reach our house, she goes right in after a quick “Good night” to Peeta, leaving us in the front stoop alone.

“Thank you for dancing with me tonight.” I say, “and for walking us home. I know is much too late for a baker to be out and about.”

“Oh, I’ll be alright. I’ll have my father come in if I need any help, but I think I can handle a long day. Spending time with you is worth it.”

Again, I smile shyly to my shoes, just noticing how comfortable they feel on my feet. I need to thank Mother for letting me wear them.

“I enjoyed spending time with you too, Peeta.”

He puts two fingers under my chin and tilt my face up, so our eyes meet.

“Could I come see you tomorrow evening?” He asks softly.

“That would be nice.”

“Katniss… there’s something else I would like to ask.” He swallows audibly.

I give him a questioning look before gesturing to go ahead.

“Would you allow me to… kiss you?”

“Yes,” I whisper nervously, excited.

He leans in slowly, his eyes searching mine the whole time, until our lips touch, and my lids close blissfully. The kiss is short and tender. Gale tried kissing me once, but I punched him in the jaw and he never tried again, but this?!

“Wow!” I breathe out. “I think I’m going to like kissing you, Peeta.” I say circling my arms around his neck.

He smiles broadly against my lips, “That’s good to hear. We’ll be madly in love with each other in no time, so it’s okay to kiss me anytime you feel like it, you know.”

I giggle. “Okay, then, come here!” I stand on tiptoes and kiss him again, long and curiously, until we hear my mother clearing her throat behind us.

The moment is embarrassing, sweet and funny, but the warmth I felt while kissing him stays with me all the way until the next day, when we steal a few kisses at the back door of the bakery when I stop there for our daily trade.

Indeed, I think we’re way on our way to madly in love already, and I couldn��t be any happier!

#everlark fanfiction #my fics #anon prompt #age gap everlark

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smolfangirl · 6 years ago

Text

Cómo te pido

Based on the song and mv for “Cristina” by Sebastián Yatra, and some of my own experiences. I hope you enjoy this ♥

Word count: 5.8k

///

Entre tanta gente yo te vi llegar

Algo en el destino me hizo saludar

///

One day off. One single day of getting lost in the city, not found by anyone except himself. That’s all he wants, craves, after weeks and weeks of being praised as someone who exists solely in the minds of the media and his fans.

One day, and he couldn’t even get that.

It starts with some teenagers chilling on the staircase to the metro, asking for pics, and soon they’ll be all over Instagram and a group of paparazzi and reporters will follow him – Matteo knows the deal. The business.

And frankly, he’s tired of it.

///

The moment he steps into the bar, he wonders if this was the right decision. The air feels hot in his lungs, the smell of cigarettes and cheap beer burns in his nose, while his eyes struggle to find the barkeeper in the crowd blocking the counter. He pulls the hood of his sweatshirt deeper into his face before he slowly makes his way to the bar.

No one looks at him for more than just a second.

///

She’s looking at him.

The stage light creates the illusion of a halo around her, and she’s looking at him with a smile so bright and honest, he can’t tear his gaze away from her. At first, he feared she recognized him, saw through his terrible disguise, but the longer he watches her, the more he relaxes. During his career, he’s seen hundred versions of people spotting him and freaking out. That girl is not one of them.

So, he winks back at her.

///

Her voice sounds as sweet and golden as on the stage, like honey that’s sticking to his soul instead of his fingers. She appears next to him out of nowhere, asking if the seat is taken as she already casually jumps on it. With a chuckle, he replies that he won’t ask her to leave, and the moment she directs another smile at him, the burden of being a superstar whirls off his shoulders.

“Do you usually arrive only to see the last performance of the night?” she asks, head tilted. Her hair falls freely over her shoulder, a tangled mess that somehow frames her face perfectly.

Grimacing, he reaches for his drink. The wine still tastes like a grape took a piss in his glass, although that detail is forgotten the instant he figures out what to answer. “No, but usually, the last performance isn’t worth paying attention to.”

“You’ve never been here before.”

“And you’ve never had a drink with someone as cool as me.”

That makes her laugh. He feels pride rushing through his veins, like when his music makes someone happy or when his mom looks at him with tears in her eyes after watching a performance from him.

She leans closer. “Technically, I’m not having a drink right now.”

The smile on his face never leaves, only deepens. “Then it’s about time we change that.”

///

At some point after midnight, long after his phone ran out of battery, the barkeeper releases a heavy sigh and asks them to leave. They’re the only ones left in the entire room.

At the exit, he stops. Glances over his shoulder, at this place he’d never expect to find (or look for). For a few hours, he had a safe haven, away from fans, flashing cameras and obnoxious voices chanting his name. It was worth the stifling air, the hint of vomit out of the toilets, the headache the cheap wine will give him in the morning. Whatever happened tonight will end too soon, even when he’s not ready to give it up just yet.

“You okay?” Luna’s hand lingers on his arm, gently guides him back to reality, where her last laugh still echoes through the bar.

Upon facing her, he discovers a frown on her face. “Yeah, sure. Just wanted to make sure I left nothing behind.”

“Okay.”

The air leaking inside from the entrance hits him with all its coldness, reminding him of what kind of world he’s returning to.

Silencing the sigh rooted in his chest, Matteo hides in his hoodie again. “Okay, let’s go.”

She holds him back. Lets her hand hush over his cheeks, carefully tugging the fabric until the hood falls on his back. “You shouldn’t hide such a beautiful face.”

His breath hitches. Eventually, he whispers back, “You can never be too careful in a city like this.”

“I keep wondering if you’re new around here, you know?”

That’s the curse of being a star, he thinks. He’s not new to this city – or any other – yet knows nothing that exists outside of his hotel and the venue. And with Luna, everything feels new altogether.

“I am.”

She smiles, again, and if every camera in the world had only one picture left, that’s what he’d photograph. “I can show you around then, if you’d like.”

///

Y empecé mis planes para vernos otra vez

///

“You want me to put skates on my feet?” Half protesting, half questioning her, his mind already paints vivid pictures of him in an emergency room, sitting in a wheelchair with one leg and two arms broken, as his manager yells at him.

“What did you think the helmets were for?”

“I don’t know, something less dangerous? Cycling, maybe?”

“Are you trying to tell me you never skated before?”

Matteo sighs, rubbing his arm. “I used to. As a kid.” In the street where his grandparents used to live, back in Italy. Some part of his body always carried a scratch or a bruise during those summer days, he remembers ending up on the ground a lot, and the band-aids his mom used to ease the pain. (With funny little fruits on them.)

Luna dangles her boots in front of him with a smile that sends his heart into overdrive. “Then this will be even more fun.”

“Luna…” His heartbeat picks up at the mere idea of falling. When he was younger, he felt invincible enough to risk it, but looking at her, at the skates, he feels like his whole body is made of glass.

“I’ll hold your hand the entire time.”

Maybe he won’t fall.

///

He can’t remember the last time it’s been so dark around him. On the street, cameras blind him even through his sunglasses. At home, his phone never gives him a rest, blinking for every message, every notification that comes in. Even in the bar they met in light leaked behind closed doors, from the stage or as a broken reflection from a cocktail glass. His whole world is bright and open and cruel – there’s no shadow to make one wrong move in.

Here, everything is dark and soft and honest. When he glimpses behind the curtain, he can see the stars sprinkled over the sky. Next to him, Luna is dozing off, the silver moon light dancing on her cheekbone. He can hear the beat of his own heart, calm and steady in a rhythm it hasn’t found in years.

Just as he closes his eyes, Luna shifts on the mattress until he feels her gaze settle on him. “I can’t believe I’m doing this”, she whispers.

“What, camping?”

“Going on a road trip with someone I barely know. You could be an axe murderer.”

Or worse, a popstar who could get you on the front cover of every gossip magazine you ever heard of. Out loud, he chuckles. “Damn, you caught me. How will you fall asleep now that you discovered my darkest secret?”

She tries to slap him on his arm only to hit his blanket, and he keeps her fingers locked and secure in his own hands. “You know what, Luna, you put up too much of a fight. I’m gonna have mercy on you.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“And you’re freezing.”

Her voice grows softer, shy almost. “The blanket’s not very warm.”

For a moment, they fall quiet. The wind creates a melody in the tree tops, plays with the leaves like a five-year old chasing a ball, and Matteo thinks about the bottom drawer in his mom’s kitchen, the one that doesn’t close completely, because of this one pot that’s a millimeter too big. He thinks about the empty jars his mom keeps in there for her strawberry marmalade, and how he wants to store this feeling in them, forever. This moment, this peace, won’t last, but perhaps he could lock it away, remember it, completely: the wind outside, the muffled rustling from his blanket as he robs closer to her. How her body curves against his like she’s a matching puzzle piece.

How he falls asleep, wondering if all these coincidences that lead him here are just his destiny in disguise.

///

He’s been to many beaches. Beaches in Italy during his childhood, where he mostly cared about how good the sand would build up to castles. Beaches on vacations, where he was surrounded with people who didn’t wish to be bothered by anyone, just like him. Once or twice he performed at a beach festival. He got his skin burned, got tanned. Went swimming and snorkeling and hired jet skis to cruise on the ocean.

He never just stood and watched.

“What a view, huh?”

Next to him, Luna stands in the breeze, eyes half closed as she wears this smile again that could replace the sun. Her dress softly flaps around her legs, and the wind plays with her hair. Yeah, what a view.

“I wonder if there’s a way to get down there,” he says out loud.

Grimacing, she glances down the cliff separating them from the ocean. “Unless you wanna jump down there, I don’t think so.”

“That’s a shame.”

“There’ll be other beaches, you know. That we can actually go to.” Her fingers dance over his arms, the silent encouragement only contradicted by the soft laugh that follows. Goosebumps run over his skin, his stomach ties itself into a knot, but Matteo can’t quite fathom a smile. As long as they’re alone, his mind is too full of her and the rush of emotions she brings along like a fresh breath of air after sitting in the studio all day. But she’ll say something like this, reminding him that there’s more out there, people and social media and another life for him, and his chest tenses until he’s almost suffocating.

Luna has no clue, of course. She doesn’t know better, so she lets him discover her, lets him read through her past and thoughts and feelings like it’s nothing more than a sweet novel to get lost in during vacations. And he knows better, so he turns page after page, trying to memorize the lines, the ticking clock a constant noise in the back of his mind.

The more he gets to know her, the more he dreads going back to the spotlight. (The more he falls for her, too.)

“Let me take a picture of you. With this beach, okay?” he begs her. The dimple on her cheek deepens as she carefully places her camera in his hand. Her touch still lingers on his palm when he snaps the first picture, and he can’t hurry enough to capture the softness in her gaze, or the brightness in her smile. He hasn’t grown tired of admiring her, and with the camera in his hands, he finally allows himself to keep more than just a fond memory. If a few pictures are going to be the only thing left when reality catches him in its iron fist again, he’ll hold onto every tiny snippet of them.

///

Luna takes pictures of him, too. On that cliff, in front of the crystal-clear sky which is only outdone by the shimmering blue of the ocean. In a small town when they wander through the streets and follow graffities bursting with color. When they stumble upon the kid bringing the grey walls to life with his spray cans, and he poses with him as if they were best friends. When she invites him for ice cream and a hungry seagull steals his cone directly out of his hand.

Every night after dawn, she cuddles up to him in the campervan to show him her favorite pictures.

Once, she’s fast asleep next to him, he scrolls through his phone to the file with the pictures from photoshoots and magazine covers. The Matteo in there smiles too, but it isn’t real. Luna brings out the smile in his eyes, and in the picture he’s staring at, the curve on his lips is plastered on like the make-up on his forehead. For his work, he acts like a mannequin, nothing more than a prop to polish someone’s Instagram page and give his fans the illusion of knowing him.

In Luna’s pictures, he’s happy. Silly even, if he wants to. When she focuses her camera on him, there’s no expectation in the little click of the lens, so he lets go and smiles because one look from her pulls the corners of his mouth up. Sometimes she pulls a grimace at him that he copies, and sometimes, he leans down to kiss her cheek right before she takes a selfie.

He hopes that when this is over, she’ll look at these little moments, knowing she unlocked a side of him no one else saw before.

///

Recuerdo todo lo que te gustaba

Y tu camisa que llega a los pies

Esa carita cuando te cantaba por primera vez

///

Her phone died. In the middle of the song, two seconds away from her favorite part, and he expects the pout on her face before he tears his gaze away from the street. Before he met her, he never even heard of the band, too busy with his own music. Now, his fingers tap the melody on the steering wheel with ease, and he finishes the song so naturally like the words were tattooed into his veins. It’s not until he falls silent again that he glimpses over to her.

Tears glisten in her eyes.

“You have a beautiful voice,” she whispers.

“Thanks,” he replies, smiling to himself. (After signing his first contract, he never thought these words could mean so much again.)

“I mean it. I can totally see you becoming a singer or something. Hey, maybe I could ask Simón if he’d be up for a collaboration, or…” Her enthusiasm intensifies with every word she rambles, but it’s not contagious this time, not when his mind already paints a new picture of the worst case. She probably knows her best friend’s phone number by heart, and she’ll sneak his phone out of his pocket to call him, and he’ll know more about a certain Matteo Balsano than she imagines, so she’ll find out who he is (or who everyone else knows him as) and hate him and he’ll have to let her go, and he’s not ready for that.

“Matteo?” Her voice snaps him back to reality. “Are you okay?”

Is he? His knuckles turned white as he’s driving, and he clenches his teeth so hard that his jaw hurts. “Um, sure, yeah. I’m fine. I just don’t think I’m the type for a boy band.”

The frown on her forehead tells him he seriously needs to work on his white lies. But before she gets to needle him with more questions, Matteo gives her his most charming smile and asks, “Are you in for a duet though? Like, right now?”

A few minutes later he thinks that no professionally recorded and produced duet could ever live up to the harmony that is her voice melting into his.

///

Y si pudiera mostrarte

Que estando juntos ya no hay nada que falte

///

She asked him to pull over, again. The coastal view tempted her too much, and she’s sorry and hiding behind her open hair, even when he’s coming to a stop without as much as raising an eyebrow. Leaning against the van, Matteo watches her standing in the breeze, arms wide open, a huge smile on her face. One glance over her shoulder, and he’s by her side. She raises an eyebrow at him, more a challenge than a question, so he smirks and twirls her around until a laugh pearls over her lips. Bumping into his chest, Luna is still giggling, still making his heart feel like a race car that’s cruising his ribcage. With her arms around his neck, she pulls him into a dance along to the rhythm of their heartbeats. (A scene just like a music video, he thinks, except that it’s real.)

She takes the lead. Whirls him around just like he did, fuels him with every look out of her dazzling green eyes. There’s the thought of kissing her, again. A part of him already suspects that he’ll never stop writing songs about her once his lips get to know hers, but this urge never burned him so fast from the inside.

This time, he won’t fight it.

Matteo allows himself to give in, every move is now aimed to get him closer to her, every breath he takes hopes to be shared with her, and he’s falling, falling, falling.

They’re slow dancing now. Her face is hidden in his chest, both arms wrapped around him as if he’s her favorite stuffed animal. The sun creates the illusion of diamonds on her hair, and he feels endlessly torn between soaking up this pure moment, and finally pressing his mouth on hers. Her fingers sneak over his shirt, caress him light as a feather. Matteo is done, defeated, desperate, as her name slips out in nothing more than a whisper.

Their eyes meet.

He leans in.

Thunder growls above them.

Her, ducking away. Pulling him along, towards the van. The moment he blinks up at the sky to the dark clouds sneaking in, she hastily explains, “I think we need to leave now.” He stumbles behind her, speechless. (Because all he feels is her hand intertwined with his fingers.)

///

They don’t talk while Matteo is driving. He’s focused on the road, and the rain clatters on the windscreen too loudly anyway, killing any hope for a conversation. Luna tried to ask him if driving in this weather was a good idea, but the noise swallowed her voice, so she gave up. Now she’s staring into the angry sky outside, pretending she’s not tempted to sneak another glimpse at him, and then another.

Her mind is overflowing with things left unsaid, with confessions and too many questions. He wanted to kiss her, she’s pretty sure about that. And he might still want to kiss her.

Everything else, though, remains a mystery.

How can she be sure she knows him at all, anyway? A book in a foreign language wouldn’t be as hard to decipher as he is. He never mentions his everyday life, or his job. The one time she asked, he said he worked in the entertainment industry, and then he changed the topic. He talks about his childhood, but never his presence. She still doesn’t know why he refused to leave the back of the van three days ago, when she refueled the van and got some snacks in a small city by the coast. Maybe he’s just weird, maybe he’s hiding something, an ex who he’s not keen on running into, or something worse. Maybe she doesn’t want to know.

But these doubts never linger in her mind long enough. Because their eyes meet or he gets her without a single look, or they laugh for ten minutes straight about the same dumb joke, or he smiles at her so gently it takes her breath away. Like right now, as he catches her glare and in an instant, her mouth runs dry.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.” A bold lie. She’s thinking about a lot of things, like how soft his lips look, or how her stomach feels like it might burst and how she wants to be close to him for the rest of her life.

And how he better kiss her soon, because otherwise she definitely will.

///

They end up stranded in the middle of nowhere.

The storm rages on, too harsh for them to keep going, and now they’re in bed, listening to the wind howling. Lightning crushes down somewhere close to the van, for a moment, everything is silver and bright and scary. Then, darkness returns. With a shaky breath, Luna pulls her blanket closer.

“Are you okay?” Matteo whispers. The mattress gives in to his weight as he shifts around, before his hand finds her clenched fist underneath the thin fabric. “You’re cold.”

“You’re hot.”

“May I?”

Her reply, “Sure”, already dies on her tongue. He must have heard it anyway, because he robs closer until she’s in his arms, surrounded by his warmth and his scent and the daydream of his lips on hers. “Thank you,” she says, turning to what she hopes is the outline of his face in the dark.

Lightning, again.

He’s close, closer than she expected. His breath hovers over her face. The memory of this afternoon flickers through her mind, the anticipation that built up ever since they sat in that little bar, the tension in the air when they glimpse at each other at the same time and –

Finally, Matteo kisses her.

///

Solo tienes que saber

Que yo quisiera quedarme

///

Sunlight caresses her cheek. Matteo is feeding her grapes, piece after piece, as he snuggles up to her left side until her blanket becomes kind of redundant. The morning is nothing like last night, quiet and soft, the early sky a canvas of pastels.

“Do you think we can go to the beach today?”

“If we find one, sure.” He nips on his coffee cup, the grapes now out of her reach, then pats over the blanket, probably in search for his phone.

“How come you keep looking for the same things every morning?”

“I don’t know, I swear it was just right here… ah, got it!” A frown finds its way on his forehead while he begins to type. Then, a soft groan, followed by more typing.

She nudges him with her shoulder. “Let me guess, you’re still trying to find a beach where it’s just us?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with any beach either.”

“Why don’t you just…” He falls silent, gaze suddenly stuck on the screen. The wrinkle above his eyes deepens. His thumb lingers in the air, frozen.

“Why don’t I just what?” Luna asks, her hand finally getting a hold on the grapes, so she at least has something to do.

The sigh he replies with doesn’t exactly promise good news. “I got a text message from work and… seems like they need me back soon.”

Her eyes flutter shut. She thinks of last night, of the dawn, when the first thing she felt upon waking up was his arm loosely wrapped around her, and the second thing his lips greeting her. She thinks of sitting on the beach, a golden sunset in front of them as she steals a kiss from him, safe in his arms. She thinks of the deadlines and unwritten reports and papers waiting for her at home. “How soon?”

“A few days. A week, if I really push it.”

“We’d have to drop off the van early.”

“I don’t want to. I’d rather stay here. With you.” With one hand, Matteo pushes a strand that escaped her ponytail overnight behind her ear. His words hit her straight in her chest, from where a thousand butterflies escape into her bloodstream. “And why can’t you?” she whispers.

“I can’t just… quit. I’m too important there.”

Chuckling, Luna hides her face in his shoulder. When he asks her what’s wrong, she glances up at him, grinning only harder. “You are such a chico fresa, Matteo,” she explains, and the confusion sticks on his face even after she tucks a grape behind his sweet lips.

///

The ocean underneath her feet. The smell of sunscreen lingering in her nose. His smile around her, more constant than the sun in the sky. Her, trailing after him like she’s indeed a silver rocket in the universe and he’s her earth.

For an instant, Luna ponders about this moment, certain she’ll miss it at some point later. But then, he makes her laugh again and all that matters is now.

///

No sé cómo te pido que te enamores

Cuando al final no voy a estar cuando tu llores

(Cuando de ti me enamoré)

///

“Oh my god, guys, that’s Matteo Balsano!” Half a scream, half a whisper. It’s too soon for him to be pulled back into his superstar life, but too late to escape it – that life, his fans, and the realization dawning upon Luna.

“Matteo! Can we take a picture?” Louder. Flashlights. A forced smile on his lips.

“Can you sign this? For Kaylee?”

“Can I have a photo too?” Three phones all up in his face. Four. “I can’t believe we��re running into the Matteo Balsano, just like that!”

Hands, trying to touch whatever is closest to them, trying to nudge him away from where he wants to be. “Why did you disappear for two weeks?”

Luna, gone from his side.

///

Time moves too slowly. She needs answers, explanations. Now. He’s still standing at the other side of the street, those girls stuck to him like fruit flies trapped in honey. She wants them gone, and she wants to be home already, in the silent comfort of her room.

Time moves too quickly. She needs space, something familiar. Her brain is still catching up on what happened, and she’s only halfway through his Wikipedia page. She wants to wake up in bed so this can just be a dream, and she wants yesterday back, with the soft embrace of his arms.

Time moves on. He’s walking towards the van. His face disappears under the hood of his sweater, and she feels like a paparazzi watching him, his every move.

All at once, he’s a stranger to her.

///

“Why?”

“I’m so sorry, Luna.”

She huffs. The sun hits her directly through the windscreen, yet her cheeks heat up for a whole other reason.

“This wasn’t how I wanted you to find out.”

Her gaze fixates on the view outside, the house fronts and parked cars. It’s motionless, not even a breeze softly ruffling through the palm trees. Inside her, everything seems to be moving and stirring. “And how was I supposed to find out? Never?”

If making him speechless is an accomplishment, it doesn’t feel like one. After seconds or minutes or whatever excruciating amount of silence it equals on the clock, he sighs. “Do you know how hard it is to find someone who doesn’t treat you like some kind of god? You made me feel… when I’m with you, I’m different. Someone…”

“Normal?” Bitterness leaks out of her tone, and it poisons her heart. “That sounds terrible, Matteo. And I’m not going to pity you.”

“Happy,” he replies. “I wanted to say that you made me feel like someone happy.”

You made me feel happy too. Those words don’t cross her lips, though. Instead, she turns on the engine and starts driving. (Away from the place where her heart broke, but not away from him.) Taking a shaky breath, he opens his mouth but before he says anything else, Luna drowns his voice with the first radio station she finds. After two minutes, the host announces one of his songs.

She almost smashes the radio with her fist.

///

All day, she waits for dawn to come, for the darkness to match her mood. An hour into driving, Matteo quietly asks her to stop by one of the beaches to their left. She follows him in a safe distance as he watches the ocean. There’s no smile on his face, just a wrinkle on his forehead. Her phone weighs heavy in her pocket, tempting her to snap a picture of him like all the days before. But she no longer feels like she has the right to take a photo of him, which shouldn’t add to her misery this much.

So, now she’s aching for the night to hide him from her eyes.

///

His eyes flutter open in the darkness. The blanket is tangled between his legs, and he feels some part of Luna bumping into him. His heart clenches at the memory of her silence today, or the looks she sent him. He doesn’t know what he expected, only that he hoped, with a little luck, that she’d stay in his life.

There’s no such faith anymore.

Her touch startles him. Slowly, her fingertips draw patterns on his arm, and Matteo isn’t sure if he’s dreaming. “Luna?” he whispers into the silence.

Her hand stops moving, but it stays frozen where it was, which is everything he needs to hope again. “What are we gonna do?” she finally says.

His heart skips a beat, only to riot harder than ever before in his chest. “I don’t know,” he admits, unsure. “I can’t escape this, you know? People will recognize me wherever I go, whether I like it or not. That’s just a part of my life.”

“So, after this, I’ll never see you again?”

He closes his eyes. Sighs. “Would that be a good thing for you?”

Luna hesitates, he can feel it in her fingertips leaving his skin, in the breath she’s holding. Every second in which she keeps him hanging on to the last thread of hope hurts. All he wants is to pull her back into his arms, back to a time where it was just him and her, and reality got no hold on them. And he feels stupid for believing any of this could have lasted.

“No. It wouldn’t.”

Luna buries her head in his shoulder. A sob pearls over her lips, and out of words, he presses a kiss on her hair. “But I can’t do this,” she adds before she rolls over to her side of the bed and shatters his heart into pieces, just like he must’ve earlier.

When he finds his words again, he whispers “I’m sorry I can’t stay”, but she seems to already be asleep.

///

Este amor ya no es mío

///

He’s watching the van being driven away by one of the employees. The sun is setting behind the rental office, sealing the end of his little run from real life. Turning around, his eyes land on Luna, wo’s holding on to her bags as if her life depended on it.

“So, this is it,” he concludes.

She returns his gaze, and the tears shimmering in them feel like a knife to his chest. “I guess.”

“Maybe we could…”

“Matteo, no.” It sounds as if he’s torturing her, as if nothing brought her more pain than the mere chance to see him again. (If only he knew how to make her smile again…) “We can’t. You know this wouldn’t work.”

With that, she leaves him.

///

Sé que la vida se pasa pero no pasa contigo

///

The next months bring her a lot of opportunities to cry. His new single that her roommate plays on repeat for hours, unaware that the Luna in his song is the same one yelling at her to use headphones. The music video for said single, where he replaces her with a girl who looks nothing like her. His new album, titled Chico Fresa out of all things, and every song that speaks to her. Every single time her thumb hovers over his contact in her phone, until she remembers why she refuses to see him again.

But she learns to stop asking herself “What if”, to stop torturing herself with daydream after daydream. She learns to ignore his voice on the radio and the gossip on the internet. She learns to sleep alone again and get mad enough at him for his lies and songs and calls to move on with her life.

And then she walks into the skating rink on her birthday to a package with her name scribbled on it, inside brand-new skates in the colors of a sunset, along with a card signed by him.

After that, she can’t pretend anymore that she hates him.

///

No tengo la certeza de volverte a ver

Recuérdame

///

The beach in Cancún hasn’t changed. The palm trees along the way, offering some shadow in the merciless midday sun, the scent of salt and sunscreen in the air. The pathway along the ocean she led him to, with her hand in his, which often enough was the only reason his ass didn’t kiss the ground.

Matteo, however, has changed. He has grown, as a person, as a songwriter. Even as a skater – he doesn’t need anyone’s hand anymore in order to keep his balance.

Still, he keeps thinking about her.

Especially here in Mexico, where a year ago, he kissed her, and she claimed his heart only to walk away with it. He wonders what she’s up to, which skating competition she’s training for right now, and if her studies are going well. If there’s someone else, someone new in her life. Someone who isn’t followed by ecstatic fans and paparazzi.

His mind always stumbles over this idea, sooner or later. Not that it’s any of his business. He just wants her to be happy, that’s all. (Is it wrong if he wants her to be happy with him?) And who can blame him when sometimes, missing her overwhelms him, and he can’t stop thinking about what ifs – what if he gave up his career? What if he insisted on seeing her again just a little bit more?

It’s a dangerous path to walk on, and never a gleeful one. So, every time it gets too much to bear, he goes skating.

It’s a routine by now. Matteo puts on his helmet and sunglasses, then his boots. He never goes fast, simply cruising up and down the beach while painting pictures in his head, of her by his side. He imagines her whirling around in pirouettes, jumping and showing off all the tricks he doesn’t dare to try. He imagines the sun adding a soft shimmer to her hair, and her laugh ringing in his ears as he recites the lyrics of the last song he wrote for her. About her. He imagines that he’ll never has to write another song about the moon, because he gets to tell her everything in person.

Her laugh, again.

First, he wonders how clear his memory makes it sound in his ears. Then, he realizes it’s not just an imagination anymore, because Luna is here, for real, a mere hundred meters away. Wearing his skates.

In that moment he knows he’ll have to write another song for her.

#soy luna #lutteo #my sl fanfiction #cómo te pido #if anyone feels just half as emotional after this than from the mv then my work here is done #it feels like an eternity since this song came out #this wasn't supposed to turn out this long but is anyone really surprised

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ask-the-phan-site · 5 years ago

Text

Phan Cam: The Festival of Our Dreams

WARNING: This post may be a bit long. Also, there’s a chance some posts may not show on time.

>The stage for the Dream Festival was all set up and ready. The idols were doing some last minute rehearsals before the first concert. Dream FES will last six days from Monday to Saturday this year. The first event takes place tonight on Monday which will be like any other concert. The second event takes place on Wednesday where it’s Open Mike Nite and anyone can perform on stage, even with the idols. The finale takes place on Saturday where the competition to see which Rookie Idols, Skull included, will get to become True Idols and possibly record a CD takes place with the idols finishing it with a huge show stopper.

Okay, so I stand here and I announce the groups when they come out. I think I got it.

Good. Now when you announce them, don’t hold back, give it as much energy as you can so the audience can feel it.

MC: I’ll do just that.

Worker: Hey, they stylist is calling for one last check!

MC: Coming!

>The MC leaves. Haruto also goes back stage.

>The dressing room. KUROFUNE was getting ready for that night.

God, this is just so great! We’re gonna blow this place tonight!

Calm down, Ryuji, I’m just as excited as you are.

Skull: I know. But this isn’t like all the other times I performed with you guys. This is the big time.

The real big time.

I’m glad to see you’re hyped for this. Now we know the songs we’ll be performing?

Yuto: First, we perform OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. Then, Treasured Hearts. And we finish off with Whole New World.

Skull: I like that choice. Though I wish I coulda written another song before all this.

Keigo: This year’s Dream FES is a week long to correspond with the End of Summer. You’ll have another chance soon.

??????: I hope so.

>They turn to see DearDream and Haruto come in.

Keigo: What brings you here?

We wanted to wish you luck... Or is it “break a leg”?

Either way, we hope you’ll do well.

Keigo: Thanks.

Yuto: What songs are you performing for Dream FES?

We’re starting with Dream Pulse. Next, we’ll do Up to speed!. And finally, GO TOMORROW!!!!!

I’ve added something new to our finale.

Skull: Really? You added something new to that last song?

Actually, he’s talking about the finale where both our groups perform.

Haruto: Actually. it’ll be three this year.

For real!? There’s more this year!?

Haruto: (smiling) You’re Ryuji Sakamoto, am I right? KUROFUNE’s newest member.

Skull: It’s a part-time job, actually. But I hope to work full if I can.

Haruto: I see. Well, this year, ANSwer will be joining you.

Kanade: So Asuma san, Chikage san, and Eiji san will be singing with us?

Haruto: That’s what the producers said. Letting one of the newer idol groups perform with two of the legendary idol groups, especially with KUROFUNE’s newest idol would gather more people.

Shin: That sounds a little... Big.

Haruto: That’s business. But don’t worry. I know you can do it. I’ve seen you do more impossible things than I can count.

Kanade: No doubt.

Haruto: So, can I count on you to do this?

KUROFUNE and DearDream: Yes!

Haruto: That’s the spirit. Well, see you tonight.

>With that, he leaves... And we come in.

Sounds like a big job.

Skull: I’m sure we can pull it off. With all of us here.

Keigo: That’s right. By the way, I like your concert outfits.

Thanks, my mom helped me put them together.

Keigo: God bless you, Katherine sama.

Wait until the Wednesday event, will have something really great on.

Chizuru: I’m already looking forward to it. By the way, how’s Suzui san? I hear she’s taking part in the Stride Tournament.

Panther: She’s doing fine. I’ll tell her you wish her luck.

Chizuru: And don’t forget to tell her that we love her.

That’s a little too much for her to take, but okay.

But thanks for wishing her luck, though.

>Then, Peter, Harry, Gwen, Miles, Anya, Aleksei, Randy, and Liz arrive. Also with them are John Jameson, Flash Thompson, even Alistaire Smythe, and three new faces: A young man with glasses, a chubby boy in a school uniform, and a young woman in a sweater.

You made it!

It wasn’t easy, we almost lost our luggage.

Only because one of us didn’t exactly packed light.

Well excuse me if this is my first trip overseas!

You should have just taken my advice and only packed what you really needed. Me? My football’s all I need.

So, you didn’t pack anything else? No clothes, just your ball and the clothes you already have on?

Flash: ... Okay, maybe there’s more than a ball that I need.

If he’s stayin’ with me and Harry, I draw the line at lendin’ my clothes to him.

Relax, Ryuji, I made arrangements at the Wilton Hotel.

Good. I don’t think any of the places our Japanese friends stay are wheelchair accessible.

Actually, my apartment has an elevator.

Yeah, we saw it the last time we were here.

So, how excited are you that you’ll be doing this?

Skull: I’m a little nervous, but everyone’s here, so I’m okay.

Speaking of everyone, aren’t you going to introduce us?

Peter: Right. Everyone, these are some of the friends I talked about. This is Kamala Khan.

Kamala: It’s nice to meet you.

(outfit altered to avoid being flagged) It’s nice to meet you, too, Kamala chan.

Harry: Ollie Osnick, he was a student at Oz Academy.

Actually, I’m already acquainted with Ryuji san.

Skull: Really? How so?

Ollie: ... It’s complicated.

Peter: And last, but far from least, Grady Scraps.

It’s nice to meet you. お会いできて光栄です。

名誉は私たちのものです。

Grady: Sorry about the uniform. It was in such a hurry, this was the only thing I could get on.

It’s alright, Grady, we’re here until the 24. We have plenty of time to shop for new threads.

Grady: That’s good to hear.

Chizuru: Then might I suggest Peace Parade. Sheep Heavenly is good, too.

For real!? Idol Brands can be bought as well?

Keigo: Normally, it isn’t. But remember, even though they are used in the Dream FES System, the clothes are still made by designers and they use our concert to promote their clothes.

Panther: It’s true. Mom does it sometimes, too.

Fox: I see... I wonder if I should feature my art in a concert.

Maybe on Wednesday. I know they'll love it, Yusuke.

And that’s why I love you, Ren.

>We both smile.

They’re the same as always. Even though we just saw them not that long ago.

Queen: Anyway, now to introduce ourselves.

>We introduce ourselves. Even Yuto, Keigo, and even DearDream introduced themselves.

Ollie: Nice to meet you all. But it seems you’re missing a couple of people.

Queen: Diego and Mishima are already in the crowd. We’ll be meeting up with them soon.

Skull: I just wish Axel and the others could be here, but they went back to Landmark City. I’m sure we’ll see ‘em again soon.

Oracle: Me, too. I’ve heard of this guy called Garrett and I really hope I’d meet him.

Worker: (coming in) Hey, the concert starts in a few minuets. You guys better get ready. (leaves)

Joker: Well, we’ll see on later on. Have a great show.

Enjoy the show!

>We leave.

>In the crowd, we meet up with Diego, Admin, Shiho Suzui, Boss, Sae, Mrs. Sakamoto, and even our councilor, Takuto Maruki.

About time you got here. This place is getting hyped up and packed.

(sorry if she’s still wearing her old uniform) He’s right, a lot of people showed up this year. Look over there.

>She pointed and we saw that Japanese fencer, Kagami Tsurugi, was here with French teen model, Adrien Agreste.

Panther: Are they here as a couple?

Shiho: I doubt it. They brought their friends.

>She is right, there are seven more teenagers with them... Two of which I recognized, but I won’t say more on it.

Not just them. Look there.

>He pointed to who is unmistakable the “Super High Schooler”, Moyuru Koda, and his teammate/boyfriend, Junichi Kotoba. They’re holding each other really tight.

It looks like we have some royal visitors, too.

>She was right. Not too far from where we were are the Royal Family of Attilan with their fellow Inhumans, Inferno, Iso, Haechi, and Flint Jaycen. (We’ll just call him Jaycen because we already know a Flint.) Not too far from them is King T’Challa of Wakanda, aka Black Panther. And next to him is Thor Odinson of Asgard.

I see a few other celebrities, too.

>I look around. I also see Hifumi is here. I also spot Rise, Yu, Yosuke Nanako, a man who I can assume is her father, and Teddie. I don’t think they notice me. With them is model/actress, Yukari Takeba. Not too far from them is the American author, Phoebe Halliwell and her husband, Coop. They were in deep conversation with... A young dark-skin man with pink dread locks who was accompanied by another dark-skin young man with brown cornrows, a young man with facial hair and glasses, a young man with long blonde hair, and, was was unmistakably, a brown and blue mecha.

This is getting too much. How’d I get dragged into this, anyway?

Oracle: (smirking) Because you just can’t say no to a face like this.

Boss: Heh! Maybe.

?????: Maybe you’re just getting soft.

>We turn to the newcomer... We were shocked.

What the hell are you doing here?

Are you saying it’s wrong to visit family once in a while?

Crow: Says the man who abandoned me and my mother in our hour of need.

Shido: That’s all water under the bridge now. Let bygones be bygones...

Besides, I happened to be a fan of Sankishi. Is that alright with you?

Crow: ... Just behave yourself, alright?

Shido: Like a church mouse. (sits quietly on his seat... Next to Crow)

This is going to be a long week.

?????: No kidding.

>Then, another comes in... You’ve got to be kidding.

I never pegged you to be someone who like theses events.

Now do we have to be such a downer? ... By the way, how do you like my anime look?

Seriously? What is it with older men and anime?

Stark: Just dressing for the occasion.

???: Actually, I kind of agree with her.

>Then, four new faces join in.

But at least your beard looks good.

Stark: That’s something, I guess.

Still, I guess it’s a slight improvement from your last two anime forms.

I’ve never seen that, so I can’t judge.

Eh, he’s still the same, either way.

Stark: (in defeat) Let’s just enjoy the show.

Mrs. Sakamoto: (whisper) It’s nice of you to come, by the way.

Energetic boy: (also whispering) Thanks.

>Then, the lights dimmed and the crowd starts cheering louder. The lights on the stage come on. The MC comes on stage.

MC: HELLO, TOKYO! WELCOME TO THE DREAM FESTIVAL 2019!

>The audience was hyped.

MC: Now before we begin, I first would like you all to give a big warm welcome to some famous people in the crowd tonight. Let’s give them a hand!

>The crowd cheered for all the people the others mentioned. Although, I’ve noticed that the Inhumans got little while Black Panther and Thor got a lot... Man, they’re cruel to them, they’re just like us... Only with power and slightly different appearances. Koda mostly got cheers from the girls while Rise and Yukari got cheers from the guys.

MC: And now, with out further ado, let’s welcome our first act for the night. The legendary idol group with a million cheers in one night, our very own Sankishi!

>The crowd cheered loud for the first idol group.

Haruto: Good evening, everyone! How are you?

>The crowd cheered.

Susa: That’s music to our ears. And we know that we’ll be music to your ears.

Ichika: Let our voices reach to you, tonight. Your hearts will glow for us.

Haruto: And we will glow for you. Let’s soar to our future.

Sankishi: TOGETHER!

Dorika Time!

Shido: I believe this one should suffice.

Crow: How... Fitting for you.

>We load our wands and launch the cards into the stage.

Catch Your Cheers!

Haruto: I shall wear your cheers with honor!

Catch Your Cheers!

Susa: My heart goes out to all of you!

Catch Your Cheers!

Ichika: The songs we sing shall be the pride of tonight!

(sorry for the chop job)

White Orchid Series! Complete!

>Sankishi begin their performance. The audience and us really enjoyed... But we know what we’re really looking forward to, but Sankishi is good, too.

>After some time, Sankishi finished their songs.

Haruto: Thank you all! I hope you enjoy the next group as much as you enjoyed us!

>They leave and the MC comes back.

MC: I’m so sure they will, Haruto san. Now for your next group. They were practically born for this show. Heck, they’re basically named after it. Give up for the idol group that puts the Dream back in Dream FES! DearDream!

>Everyone cheered.

Kanade: Before we begin, we would like to give a big thank you to Moyuru Koda, who is a big fan of ours, for coming here.

If you can really live up to your group’s name, I’ll really be hyped for the finale on Friday.

Junya: Then I guess we shouldn’t disappoint now, should we?

>The crow gave a little laugh. Then, I notice Koda is holding his arms and chest. I use my Third Eye to take a closer look at what he’ saying to Junichi.

It’s alright. We took all the precautions. I don’t think it’s going to happen here.

Koda: I know... I’m just worried. After what happened at that party... What I almost did to you.

Junichi: It wasn’t your fault. No one could predict that would happen.

Koda: Oh yeah? ... Tell that to your missing leg. You nearly lost your place on the team.

Junichi: But I didn’t give up... And you shouldn’t either.

Koda: Normally I would side with the winning team. I always saw you as that... But I realize, it never really was about winning or losing.

Junichi: And what’s that?

Koda: ... If I knew that, I would own the world.

>The two young men smiled in joy.

DearDream: Alright then, let’s being our show!

Dorika Time!

Junichi: If their first song is Dream Pulse, I think this one will work.

Koda: (smiling) Yeah, I think so, too.

>They loaded their cards and launched away.

Catch Your Cheers!

Kanade: Thank you so much!

Catch Your Cheers!

Shin: Thank you for your support!

Catch Your Cheers!

Junya: Your cheers will light up!

Catch Your Cheers!

Itsuki: Thank you, we’ll do our best for you!

Catch Your Cheers!

Chizuru: Your cheers will strengthen my love for you!

(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)

Candy Block R Series! Complete!

>DearDream performs their song, Dream Pulse. The audience really applauded when they finished.

>Meanwhile, with T’Challa and Thor.

I am still unfamiliar with this. Do all Japanese idols transform like that?

According to Stark, only those who work for this production company. Though I still wish I knew how.

(who couldn’t help but overhear) No one really knows. It’s one of Japan’s greatest mysteries. Although, I’ve heard the System works on the dreams of the idols and the people who go watch them... But that’s just one theory.

Thor: I see... I think.

King T’Challa: (looking through the Dorika) Let’s see. I was told when they first performed Up to speed!, they used this.

Iso: The original Candy Block Coord. That should be good.

Thor: Yes. Very elder school.

Iso: That’s old school.

Thor: What’s the difference?

Can you hurry up, Iso? They’re about to start up again.

Iso: Right.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Kanade: Let’s get things up to speed! ... Okay, not a good job, but still.

>DearDream change their clothes.

Candy Block Series! Complete!

>DearDream performs their song, Up to speed!.

>Meanwhile, with the Investigation Team.

I brought the snacks!

Thanks, Yosuke senpai.

Yes, thank you.

I don’t think you need to copy that.

Just be careful, Yosuke, that looks like more than you can carry.

Yosuke: Sorry, Dojima san, I guess I didn’t expect a certain bear to order so many.

Teddie: (shocked) Now that’s just rude!

Yosuke: But you’re the one who- WHOA!

>Yosuke tripped.

Koda: (who noticed) Hold it!

>As if he were as fast as the wind, Koda quickly catches Yosuke and all the snacks before they hit the ground.

Koda: Your friend is right, you have way too many snacks here.

Yosuke: (a bit surprised) R- Right!

Teddie: (pouting) So mean.

Rise: (also surprised) Wow, you caught my senpai so quickly. No wonder you’re the Super High Schooler.

Koda: (helping Yosuke back on his feet) Thanks.

Nanako: (amazed) You’re the Super High Schooler? Wow. Actually, my big bro is a bit of a super high schooler himself.

Koda: ... (laughs) I doubt it. I have something he probably will never have.

Yu: And what’s that?

Koda: ... If I told you, they would kick me out of the tack team.

>The Investigation Team just stares in wonder. Koda begins to make his way back to Junichi when he suddenly felt like he was being watched. He turns... Phoebe Halliwell and the young man she was talking to were watching him. he quickly turns, pretending not to notice, and returns to Junichi.

>With them.

(using comic appearances to avoid getting in trouble) You saw it, too, didn’t you?

No doubt. So he’s really... That sucks. He’s boyfriend will probably be disappointed.

Hold on, Kaz, I don’t think we should act just yet. He hasn’t done anything, so I think we’re safe for now.

Kaz: Hope you’re right.

(sorry, this is the only picture I could find) Be patient, sir. We’ll have our chance.

Kaz: Right.

Yo, Kaz, they’re about to start.

We thought it over and we thought this should be used for GO TOMORROW!!!!!

It’s no Gucci, but I think this is just as fabulous.

Kaz: Right.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Kanade: Let’s go on to our future together!

Rose Bullet Series! Complete!

>They being their song, GO TOMORROW!!!!!. The crowd really cheered, even us and the Royal Family joined in.

Looks like you guys have a favorite group.

Maybe.

Just a little.

...

Fine, a lot. But only because we can sense the heart in their songs.

As can I. If they were like us, we would definitely wish to bring them back with us.

*bark*

Iso: It’s one of the few things that makes us no different... Music.

Haechi: You might get your chance.

Kanade: Thank you for tonight’s cheers! Be sure to give that same love to KUROFUNE!

>With that, DearDream leaves and the MC arrives.

MC: For our next group, they have sailed through the trail and hardships, but have made it all they here tonight. They even recently picked up a new member. Ladies and gentlemen, weigh anchor and raise your colors for the Gold, Silver, and Bronze: KUROFUNE!

>As KUROFUNE gets on stage, the crowd cheered a lot. Me and my friends were cheering the loudest. I also notice the Investigation Team cheering really loud, too... I hope Skull gets the win on Saturday.

Yuto: The time has come to set sail to dreams ahead!

Keigo: The stars shall guide us to your hearts and your souls!

So join us on our adventure to find our passion!

KUROFUNE: Let KUROFUNE be your captain tonight!

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: The great seas are calling us!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Your cheers will be our map to you!

Catch Your Cheers!

New Sailing ver. Ryuji

Skull: Alright! The wind is blowin’ our way!

(Reminder: The following images are not in violation of the Tumblr policy as they do not actually contain sensitive or adult contain. They only show the upper half. Please do not flag.)

>Skull was wearing the same thing, but with a more Bronze color.

New Sailing Series! Complete!

>KUROFUNE begin their song, OVER THE SEVEN SEAS. We were cheering loudly for them.

Skull: (after finishing the song) This next song is a song I wrote. I would like to dedicate to my friends and family who supported me all this time. Especially, Ren Amamiya, Goro Akechi, Peter Parker, and Harry Osborn.

Thanks so much for everything you’ve done! I love you all!

We love you, too, brother!

We know you can do it, Ryuji!

Peter: You and KUROFUNE can do it! Together!

Harry: This is your dream! Go for it!

>Suddenly, the boy known as Makoto, leaped up from his seat.

Makoto: THAT’S RIGHT! JUST TAKE FLIGHT AND YOU CAN DO IT!

(whisper) Thanks, little bro.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Innocent Pirates ver. Ryuji

Skull: I’m gonna enjoy this!

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: Now we shall sing to your hearts!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Your cheers shall brighten the stage tonight!

(Imagine Skull wearing the same outfit, but Bronze in comparison to Gold and Silver.)

Innocent Pirates Series! Complete!

>They being to sing Treasured Hearts.

>After they finished, a Wakandan guard comes to us.

Wakandan guard: My king and his fellow Avenger wish to speak to those Ryuji Sakamoto spoke of.

Really? They wishes to speak to us?

Wakandan guard: I also have been asked by Lady Crystal that Chloe, Kamala, and Makoto of the Future Avengers come as well.

Makoto: Only Bruno comes.

Bruno: (in defeat) Please don’t drag me into this.

Peter: Well, we should at least see what they have to say.

>We make our way to the VIP Seats where the royals were waiting for us.

Hello, Future Avengers and Web Warriors and friends.

Chloe: Hey, Triton.

Triton: We will be speaking with Chloe, Kamala, Makoto, and Bruno. King T’Challa and Thor will speak with the rest of you.

Peter: Alright.

Chloe: Tell them I’ll speak to them later.

>Me, Crow, Peter, and Harry go over to King T’Challa and Thor.

Thor: You are friends of Ryuji Sakamoto?

Joker: Yes, we are.

Peter: We support him in his dreams and what he does.

Thor: Yes. I know you two as Spider-Man and Stealth Spider, so I can say that you have made many great friends.

King T’Challa: That is true.

Crow: Is that all you just wanted to do?

King T’Challa: Maybe. I have heard a great deal about you, Goro Akechi, the Detective Prince. And your father.

Crow: What about him?

Thor: We know that Inhuman reside here in Japan as well. But they mysteriously disappeared... After the sudden appearances of psychotic breakdowns and mental shutdowns.

...

King T’Challa: But now that’s passed thanks to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. After some time, Japan’s Inhumans are slowly resurfacing.

Joker: Yes, we know. Some of them are even at our school. But we have no problems with that. They’re not doing anything wrong.

They make Japan feel like we’re part of something bigger.

Thor: That is true... However, there is one thing that troubles us.

Crow: What’s that?

King T’Challa: ... Actually, it can wait until after the show.

Harry: You’re right. This is Ryuji’s show. Let’s not spoil it. We’ll talk later.

>We return to our seats. Chloe stays behind to talk to King T’Challa and Thor.

Stark: So what did they have to say?

Bruno: We’ll tell you later. Right now, KUROFUNE is about to sing their last song for the evening.

Adi: (nods) I searched the deck and I think I know just the cards to use for this song.

Crow: I think that will be just perfect.

Dorika Time!

Catch Your Cheers!

Yuto: Now for our finale for tonight!

Catch Your Cheers!

Keigo: Thank you! This will keep me going!

Catch Your Cheers!

Skull: Nothin’ is between me and your Cheers!

(Skull’s has bronze colored feathers on both shoulders.)

Infinite Voyage Series! Complete!

>KUROFUNE performs their last song of the night, Whole New World. (Not the song from Aladdin, in case you were wondering.)

>With the Investigation Team.

(Can’t believe I didn’t get to talk when we came to the scene with Kida.) That song was great. It’s definitely nothing like the Disney one... Actually, they’re both good.

Nanako: I want to vote them to win the competition.

Rise: Well technically, KUROFUNE already won in a previous Dream FES. They’re not Rookie Idols anymore. Except for Ryuji, so I guess we can vote for him.

Nanako: Then I’ll vote for him.

Yu: That’s good of you, Nanako.

Teddie: Yes. Beary good.

Rise: If he ever makes it, I so want to help him with his CD. Yosuke senpai, you help, too.

Yosuke: (a little confused) Why me?

Rise: Well, you always have headphones on. Maybe you can lend a hand.

Yosuke: (groans) As if I have nothing better to do. And I have a relative who’s an idol, too.

>With us.

Way to go, KUROFUNE!

Adi: I agree!

Mrs. Sakamoto: I love you, Ryu kun!

(Does she have to shout out my pet name?)

Keigo: Thank you! And we hope you will share that love with Ryuji san and vote for him for the competition!

>The whole audience really cheered as the MC comes back on.

MC: I’m sure they will, Keigo san. And good luck to you... Ryu kun.

(trying to walk off stage quietly) (Keep it together. Keep it together.)

MC: And now, for our last group of the evening. They help with the most difficult questions in your life No matter what, they are the ones you are searching for. (Mostly because they were voted for that name.) Ladies and gentlemen, give a big hand for ANSwer!

Akiomi Inamasu: Good evening, Tokyo!

Nanao Hidaka: We may be last, but we’re really not the last!

Souji Kibino: Yes.

ANSwer: Now let’s get to it!

(Since they’re a minor group in Dream Festival, we’ll be skipping their song. Sorry, guys. Maybe if they make a third series.)

MC: Weren’t they spectacular? Make you wish they really were the answer, then every student would pass their test.

>Everyone laughs a little and the joke as they applauded.

MC: Well, that’s it for tonight. When we come back on Wednesday, we’ll be having our Open Mike Nite. Anyone wishing to perform doing whatever show they wish to put on, good luck to you all! And remember... If you wish to use the System, you have to sign in and pay the fee in advance before Wednesday. If you haven’t, you have to pay double.

>All the idols join the MC on stage.

Haruto: The Open Mike Nite is here to remind us that you are just as important to us as we are important to you.

Kanade: You have just as much talent as we do. If not in singing or dancing, then in other ways. No matter what.

Yuto: We wish only good luck to you for showing us just how well you do what you do. Not in competition, just for fun.

Akiomi Inamasu: So let’s see what you can do that night. So until then...

Idols: Our goal is the Dream Festival! Dream FES is about to start!

>Everyone in the audience, including us, cheer happily.

>In the dressing room, we, including, the Investigation Team, Tony Stark, and the Future Avengers, came back to congratulate KUROFUNE for their performance.

Flash: That! Was! AWESOME! ... Though it will never be as cool as Spidey.

Peter: Aw, thanks, Flash.

Flash: (unimpressed) Don’t push it, Parker.

What Mr. Thompson is trying to say is, you guys did well tonight.

Keigo: Thank you, Makoto chan.

Makoto: That’s gonna be tough. My name is like hers.

Queen: I don’t mind being called Mako chan if that’s alright with Haru.

Noir: It should be fine.

Mrs. Sakamoto: Ryu kun, I’m so proud of your performance.

Skull: Thanks, Mom. (And enough with the Ryu kun, already.)

Rise: Just keep it up and might win that CD debut.

Skull: Yeah. I’m lookin’ forward to it.

Yu: We’ll be supporting you all the way.

Yuto You have good friends, Ryuji san. Be happy with that.

You know it.

Oracle: This calls for a celebration!

After-party at Leblanc! Sojiro, let’s get a turkey.

Now hold it! I don’t think it’s big enough to fit us all.

Oracle: In that case...

Let’s pull our funds and get some sushi!

Diego: (really happy) I can get on board with that.

Fox: That could be hard. I’m low on cash at the moment.

Skull: Let me guess, art supplies?

Pretty much.

Harry: I’m rich. I can get the sushi.

Stark: I better pitch in, too. I still remember from what happened the last time I had some.

Bruno: I doubt you’ll be attacked this time.

I’m not going to ask what that means.

>We begin to make our way to the exit. I notice that the dressing room used by Sankishi. I hear voices in there. I couldn’t help buy listen.

Randy: Hey, Ren, you coming?

Joker: ... My shoelace came undone. You go, I’ll catch up.

Flash: Alright, but hurry up. I really want to taste that sushi.

Diego: I want some sushi, too... But I’ll stay behind and help.

>With that, the rest of the groups leaves while me and Diego stay.

Diego: What’s up, Joker?

Joker: I thought I heard something in Sankishi’s dressing room. I’m very suspicious.

Diego: Alright. I’ll see what I can do.

>Diego changes back to Morgana form and sneaks into the room. I access his collar cam with my phone... I was a little shocked.

Shido: Is that any way to talk to an old friend? Or even a fan?

Haruto: We’re not friends. But we still accept you as a fan.

Susa: And after knowing your secret, I doubt we’ll be friends now.

Ichika: Sorry. Guess stuff like this just happens.

Shido: I merely come here to congratulate you, and this is how you treat me? ... After everything I’ve done for D-Four?

Haruto: Tch! Don’t remind us. I’m surprised we’re still going after what happened with the Phantom Thieves... And what you did to your son?

>Shido, his face full of fury, bashes his fist against a mirror, shattering it.

Listen and listen well, you fucking, ungrateful fools! If it weren’t for me, D-Four Productions and you would have lost everything. The three of you would be out of a job. Your little proteges would be out of a job...

So I suggest you be a little more nicer.

Haruto: (looking down) ...

>Morgana returns to me and changes back to Diego. Just then, Shido walks out and notices us.

Can I help you two?

Well...

Shido: (staring at me) You look... familiar.

?????: I see you’ve met my new intern.

>I look up to see Tony Stark and Yuto coming up.

Shido: (unconvinced) Really? I don’t see someone like you hiring someone like him, Stark. What is this about?

Stark: (firm) It’s exactly as I said. Now if you don’t mind, I was about to treat my intern and his friend to sushi. So if you’re not too busy, you’re welcome to join us.

Shido: ... I’m due back at the Wilton. See you on Wednesday.

>With that, he leaves.

Yuto: We better go. Everyone’s waiting.

>So, we leave.

>The sushi restaurant in Ginza. While everyone partied, Stark and Yuto spirited me and Diego to a stall.

Yuto: How much did you hear?

Joker: A lot. What was that about?

Yuto: As most people probably don’t know, but there was a time D-Four Productions almost ceased to exist.

Diego: (a bit surprised) Really? What happened?

Yuto: ... Calystegia.

Joker: The song by Kanamin Kitchen originally written by deceased idol, Yuko Osada?

Yuto: Yes.When they sang it at the Love Meets Bonds Festival, their popularity skyrocketed... And they totally forgot about the Dream Festival. Only about 250 people showed up.

Diego: That’s harsh.

Yuto: With everyone so focused on Kanamin Kitchen, who works for Takura Productions, sales for D-Four were dropping. If that kept going on, many idol groups would have to be let go. Sankishi included. Even Amuse, Lantis and Bandai Namco, the companies that birthed D-Four, would have severed their ties with them to avoid being dragged down. Then, they would have filed for bankruptcy and their only salvation is to be bought out. Mostly likely their competitor, Takura Productions, or an overseas company, like Apollon Media.

Joker: Why would Apollon be interested in the Dream Festival?

Yuto: I don’t know. And I don’t care to find out. Anyway, Masayoshi Shido, who was already a major and well believed politician and a big fan of Sankishi, bailed them out by raising their popularity back up by showing his support. As a result, the next Dream Festival... The same Dream Festival KUROFUNE and DearDream first appeared, was a huge success.

Diego: So you owe him?

Yuto: Well, that’s what Shido thought. After his heart was changed by yo- The Phantom Thieves, our deal with him was over... But D-Four itself wasn’t.

Stark: Yeah, you’re welcome.

You helped them, Mr. Stark?

Stark: I got curious about why Shido loved Sankishi. So I listened to their songs... And I truly understood why they are famous for the night of a million cheers... That, and I was curious how the Dream FES System worked. Or even where it came from. So, I bought D-Four Productions. Now they’re members of the Stark International Family and those other companies didn’t have to sever their ties.

Diego: That’s quite generous of you, Mr. Stark.

Stark: Yeah, well, I still want to know more about the System... Maybe another time. Anyway, I wouldn’t worry about Shido now. But just to be sure, we’ll keep an eye on him.

Yuto: And Ren, Diego, about what we just told you...

Diego: It’s our little secret.

Yuto: (happy) Thank you.

Joker: And than you for keeping D-Four open, Mr. Stark. It means a lot to Ryuji.

Stark: You can thank me by not calling me Mr. Stark. Just call me Tony.

Joker: I don’t think we can do that.

Stark: Why not?

For starters, we already know a CEO named Tony.

Stark: I see... But for the record, I’m a way better Tony than that skate punk.

>I smile a bit. And we rejoin the others.

#phantom thieves cam #dream festival #dream fes

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just-absolutely-super · 6 years ago

Text

Diligence

TUMBLR IS FUCKING USELESS WEBSITE THAT DELETED MY FIC WHEN I WAS TRYING TO EDIT SOME OF THE TAGS ON MOBILE

*ahem* so yeah, reuploading

Summary: Winry gets well acquainted with all-nighters. She has a job to do after all.

Rating: K-K+ I guess?

Pairing: Ed/Win but it’s not a big focus. It’s there because you people should know me by now.

Read it on FF.net and AO3

On that night where everything changed, Winry didn’t sleep.

It was kind of hard to when you and your grandmother had to work to make sure your childhood friend didn’t bleed to death from two sudden amputations.

They worked well into the night, Pinako expertly cauterizing the wounds, while Winry assisted with checking Ed’s vitals and hanging intravenous fluids to make sure Ed was receiving as much volume as he lost. Then there was the bandaging, which had to be sterile in order to prevent an infection.

It was well into the early morning when Pinako declared the small alchemist stable.

“He’s resting, so that means we should too.” She had said. Winry nodded and was prepared to leave for her room when she noticed Al—now in a suit of armor—was still awake and diligently staying by Ed’s bedside.

“Al,” she gently said, “you should get some sleep too.”

He looked to her, the glowing red of his eyes unnerving Winry a little. “I can’t.”

Winry cocked her head to the side in confusion, “Al, Ed’s okay now. You won’t be helping him if you don’t get your rest.”

“No, Winry, you don’t understand. I can’t sleep.”

Eyes wide and mouth agape, Winry finally understood what he meant. He wasn’t awake by choice, wanting to stay by his big brother’s side. No, Al physically could not sleep.

What had happened to him? To Ed?

Winry spent that night with Al, asking him question after question. He explained what it meant to bind a soul to an object. He explained what he and his brother neglected to tell her over the past couple of years—that they found a formula to transmute a human. They meticulously planned on bringing their mother back. Only it seemed their calculations weren’t perfect, and the Elric Brothers paid a hefty price. All night Al opened up to her, and even though Winry was exhausted from the night’s events, she refused to go to bed. Al needed someone right now; sleep could wait…

By the time Pinako came back downstairs, she found her granddaughter sitting with her dear friends; dark bags under eyes like nasty bruises.

“Go to bed, Winry.” She commanded.

Al looked out the window and noticed the daylight. He profusely apologized for keeping Winry up. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have kept talking and you would be in bed! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Winry just gave him a tired smile and said she was glad to be with him, and she wanted to make sure Ed stayed well too. Not bothering to hear for his reply, she went up the stairs and plopped face first onto her mattress.

She didn’t wake up until early the next day.

----------------------------------------------------

Sleepless nights soon became Winry’s dear friend.

Edward had physically recovered from that night he and Al tried to bring Trisha back to life, but not mentally.

He spent his time in his wheelchair, staring into space and not speaking—his eyes glazed and defeated. He refused to eat and barely slept, Winry believing the reason being that if Al can’t eat or sleep then Ed shouldn’t have that right either. Eventually, he would give in, sleep coming out of sheer exhaustion and eating if his little brother begged him or if Winry cried hard enough.

It broke Winry’s heart.

One night she couldn’t sleep, her thoughts too wrapped up in her friends. What would happen to them now? Would Alphonse always be trapped in that armor, never to live life as a regular kid again? And Ed—would he spend the rest of his days depressed and barely living?

Winry furrowed her eyebrows as she thought of the oldest Elric brother. His behavior was typical of someone who lost their limbs. She was with her grandmother enough to know the patients started out as depressed and thinking their lives were over; but once Pinako talked to them about the benefits of automail and how the technology could give back their old lives, they took that metaphorical step forward…

It then hit Winry. They hadn’t talked about it because it seemed too soon and too big of a decision, but Ed getting fitted for automail seemed like the logical conclusion. True, he probably wouldn’t be happy about it—Edward never seemed that thrilled with the metal appendages for whatever reason—but at least it would help him live.

With newfound determination, Winry crept downstairs and into the workshop. Sometimes she went down there to tinker in order to help her relax, but not tonight. Instead, she grabbed one of her sketchbooks and started drawing.

She wasn’t much of an artist, but as an aspiring automail engineer she had to become good at designing blueprints.

By the time dawn hit the horizon, Winry had filled up almost half the book with automail design sketches. And she would continue to spend countless hours of her evenings sketching and revising—after all, Edward deserved nothing but the best.

One night, Alphonse came into the shop to find her comparing and contrasting the different sketches.

“Winry,” his voice echoed from the empty suit, “you’ve been down here a lot lately. Granny won’t say it, but she’s a little worried about you. Even Brother has noticed you haven’t been getting enough rest. Why don’t you go to bed?”

Feeling a sense of déjà vu, Winry replied, “I can’t.”

Al cocked his head to the side, “Are you having trouble sleeping? We can get you some warm milk. Or we could turn the radio on and see if the music can relax you. Oh, Granny has some sleeping medicine she could—”

“No, Al.” Winry said, her tone gentle, “I can’t sleep right now. I have to make sure this automail is perfect.”

The two were silent for a while before Al spoke again, “It’s for Brother, isn’t it? The automail you’re designing?”

Winry nodded, “He hasn’t said anything yet, but I know me and Gran will fit him with automail. I know I’m a novice right now, but…” she paused, trying to keep her voice from cracking with emotion, “But Iwant to be the one to help him get back on his feet. Does that sound stupid?”

Al gave a soft chuckle and shook his head, “No, Winry, it’s not stupid at all. I don’t think Brother would want anyone else to do it.”

Winry smiled at her friend and allowed him to sit with her to keep her company.

----------------------------------------------------

A few days later, things started to shift into gear.

“I’m going to take up the Lt. Colonel’s offer. I’m going to join the military and become a State Alchemist!”

Winry didn’t like the idea—none of the residence of the household did—but she kept her mouth shut. Miss Riza’s words kept echoing in her mind: it’s his decision. If he thinks becoming a dog of the military will help him and his brother get their bodies back then she shouldn’t protest. She should give her support.

“I’m gonna need to be fitted for some automail.” Edward said, and to Winry’s surprise he was addressing her specifically.

“Do you think you can do that?” he asked her. He then gave her a cocky smirk, “I’m gonna need the best.”

Winry blinked, processing his words, before she smiled back at him and nodded. “Of course. I’ll do my best!”

That’s how Winry became a pro at all-nighters. Between Edward’s surgery and rehabilitation and building his new arm and leg, Winry didn’t have a lot of time to fit in a proper sleep schedule. She wouldn’t let it deter her though. The boys were counting on her. She couldn’t perform alchemy, or join the military with them, but she could do this and that’s enough for her.

When she wasn’t helping her grandmother with Ed, she was down in the shop finalizing the designs. Alphonse kept her company most nights, giving her his opinion on what Ed would like better (often joking that whatever Winry decided, Ed would insist it needed more flames or spikes). When the building process started, she turned to her grandmother for advice (Is this metal too heavy? Why isn’t it giving me the full range of motion? Should she have gone with a slimmer design?).

A few months after Ed’s ports were put in, Winry walked up to the oldest Elric and offered him her finished work.

“What do you think?” she asked him, anxious for his approval.

Having her set the metal prosthetics down in front of him, Ed inspected. He hemmed and hawed at them for a while, running his flesh hand over the metal, and glaring at them with a critical eye—almost like he was a judge at Resembool’s sheep festival trying to find the fattest sheep for the coveted blue ribbon.

Winry was getting so antsy she almost yelled at him to hurry upwhen Ed laughed and gave her a strong pat on the head.

“They’re perfect! Thanks, Winry!”

Winry blinked at him before letting out a huge sigh of relief. With Ed’s eager prodding, she and Pinako connected the nerves. He gave a startled yelp at the pain, but was able to recover quickly enough.

“Alright, Pipsqueak, see if you can stand. We’ll have to go through some range of motion exercises to make sure it isn’t giving you any problems.” Pinako commanded. Ed grumbled at being called “pipsqueak,” but complied nonetheless.

As Winry watched Edward stand up from his chair, moving his limbs to and fro at her grandmother’s instructions, she couldn’t help but tear up. A year ago, Ed was nothing but a cripple who appeared to have given up on life. Now, here he was, with new limbs to help him move forward with this new chapter in his life.

They would still need to help him with the rehabilitation process—after all, it would take time for the alchemist to get used to the new weight—but for now, Winry felt satisfied with herself. She did it. She helped her friend stand back up on his own two feet.

“Winry, why are you crying?”

Winry was pulled from her musings at Edward’s question. She looked up to see Ed, Al, and her grandmother give her worried looks. Smiling, she wiped the tears that escaped her eyes.

“I’m fine. These are happy tears.” She sniffed a couple more times, a sob escaping her every now and then.

Ed rolled his eyes, but not in a malicious way, “Aw geez, you’re still the biggest crybaby ever!” He then placed his hand on her head and pulled her forward in a makeshift hug—actively avoiding the teasing looks on his brother and surrogate grandmother’s faces.

“You’re probably bawling because you haven’t been sleeping properly. Quit pulling all-nighters and go to bed.”

Winry huffed at him, “Edward Elric, that’s not how you comfort a lady!”

“Funny, I don’t see any ladies around here.”

After a swift wrench to the head, a few heated words, and Alphonse having to manually restrain both his brother and friend, Winry finally gave in and went to her room to get some sleep. Despite her and Ed’s argument, she couldn’t help but smile. It had been a long time since they fought like that. Things weren’t exactly back to normal, but it was a start. And it was this thought that lulled Winry to sleep.

----------------------------------------------------

Winry would continue to work diligently, whether it was for Edward, her grandmother’s customers, or the people in Rush Valley who Winry met while doing her apprenticeship.

All-nighters were a breeze to her now. Garfiel sometimes fussed over her like a mother hen, but she would laugh away his concern. After all, she’s used to it. Why sleep when there was a job to be done?

She was a Rockbell. It would tarnish her family name if she didn’t give it her all.

Her friends and family admired that about her.

Though Ed sometimes had to complain a bit…

“Please tell me you woke up earlier than usual and didn’t pull another damn all-nighter. Do you have any idea what time it is?” he grumbled into the workshop.

Winry jumped in her seat, having not heard her husband walk in. She turned to stare at him. “Oh, you’re back from your trip already? I thought it wouldn’t be until tomorrow…”

Ed ran a hand over his face, “It is tomorrow.”

He grabbed a clock from a nearby desk and shoved it in her face. The time read 6 a.m. Winry gaped at the clock before whipping her head toward the window. The early morning sunshine greeted her. She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh… I guess it’s later than I thought… Or earlier? Hehehe.”

Ed sighed, “I swear you never change. Come on, Gearhead, let’s go to bed.”

Winry protested, “But I’m almost finished! Little Tommy needs his new leg, I can’t just abandon the project when I’m so close to finishing it!”

Ed rolled his eyes, “Little Tommy’s leg can wait a few more hours. You’ll think more clearly with a full night’s—or day’s…whatever—sleep.”

“But—” Winry didn’t even have time to make a better claim before her husband lifted her up from her chair and over his shoulder like she was a sack of potatoes. “Edward!”

“I’m tired and haven’t seen my wife in 2 weeks. I’d like to make up for it, thank you very much.”

Winry huffed but sighed in defeat. Now that her focus was no longer on her work she could feel her body shutting down from her exhaustion. Ed was right, she needed her rest. Who knew what mistakes she could make in a sleep-deprived state. Persistent labor had its drawbacks too, huh?

Allowing Ed to place her on their bed, she snuggled into the covers and pillows, heaving a content sigh. Her body fully relaxed after Ed joined her.

“Goodnight Winry.” Ed yawned, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her hair.

Winry smiled, feeling safe and warm in her husband’s arms. The cold of his automail leg—the one she designed and made for him—gave her a comforting feeling.

“Goodnight Ed.”

She’ll be up in a couple of hours and get back to her work. After all, she had a job to do and Winry took pride in her diligence.

But for now, she’ll take a deserved rest.

#fma #edwin #winry rockbell #edward elric #alphonse elric #pinako rockbell #fanfiction #my writing #''we're tumblr.com and life is a fucking nightmare~''

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k4l1ps0 · 6 years ago

Text

Yakitons and All Might plushies

@twinstarsweek #5

Prompt: Festival/ Tender/ Recovery/ Spice/ First

Prompt chosen: Festival/ Recovery/ Spice

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Katsuki's POV

Deku was finally allowed to be discharged from the hospital and I swear to god I have never been happier in my life.

That god damn villain didn't hold anything back, (even to a fucking 15 year old) and neither did Deku, causing, yet again, massive damage to his body.

The idiot never learns does he? How does he expect to be a hero who'll be able to save people no matter what when he can't even save himself.

He should've ran and called for help or something, then maybe he wouldn't have been sent to the hospital for two months.

This time it was his legs, because he had the "bright idea" that if he wanted to preserve his arms he should fight with his legs. That only ended up breaking more of his body.

The problem isn't with how he's fighting, it's with how he's thinking. He shouldn't be willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of others so easily. He's getting people worried...

Anyway, enough of the past, I should be thinking about tonight. The day after he was let go, I asked him if he was up to go on a date. He said yes and asked where we were going, but I told him it was going to be a surprise.

Now, I was getting ready for the date and was going to leave to pick Deku up soon.

I had on a black button up shirt, with the first two buttons undone, and dark blue, faded jeans.

Slipping on my shoes and tying the laces, I fastened my watch on, grabbed my jacket and headed out the door.

When I arrived at Deku's house I rang the bell and waited for him to come out. As I waited, I thought about what we were gonna do at the place I was going to take him. I didn't want him getting bored.

At last, the door opened and I turned around to see Deku again for the first time in two months.

For some reason, visits weren't allowed other than close family and I didn't even meet him the day he got discharged because of my own family stuff, we just talked on the phone.

So imagine my delight when I finally got to see my boyfriend again; alive, well and as beautiful as ever.

He smiled shyly at me as he noticed my open-mouthed staring and blushed at the attention. He had on a green, half-sleaved hoodie, that complimented his emerald eyes and hair, as well as denim shorts that reached the knee and his signature red sneakers.

He had bandages wrapped around his legs as well as a few on his face and arms. He looked a little pale as well but to me, he still looked gorgeous.

"Hi." He whispered, as he stepped a little closer, hands clasped together meekly in front of him, "I missed you."

I reached out my hand to move the hair out of his eyes and cup his face, gently brushed his bottom lip with my thumb, just to make sure he was actually there.

He closed his eyes and leaned into my touch, placing his own hand over mine and squeezed it tightly.

That's when the tears came, my tears first then Deku followed. I pulled him into a hug and we both sobbed into each others shoulders.

"I-I thought you were never gonna w-walk again," I hiccuped, "I was expecting you to come out in a fucking wheelchair or something."

"Wh-who told you that, huh?" Deku chuckled through his sobs, "I'm fine. I'm right here standing with you, aren't I?"

"Yeah." I replied, eyes still watery.

We stayed like this, in each others arms, for a while. When we broke apart I kissed him so hard he was about to fall over.

"Don't ever do something stupid like that again, ok?"

He just nodded in response, sniffling but smiling slightly.

"Anyway, don't you have a date to take me on?"

When Deku found out that I was taking him to the festival, he squealed and hugged me tight saying how he always wanted to go. I was just happy to see him smile again.

We entered the festival gates and I paid for our tickets, despite Deku's protests, we then got a stamp on each hand and we were good to go.

The moment we stepped inside Deku started going insane. He was grabbing my arm and pointing at everything he saw as well as tugging me towards stalls.

"Ok, you need to calm down." I said to him, "It's just a festival."

"I know but I've never been to one and it just looks so pretty..." He said as he gazed at the lanterns hanging overhead.

"Wanna get something to eat?" I asked him.

"Yeah, I'm really hungry." He replied then pointed to near by stall selling food, "Hey, I wanna try a yakiton!"

"But those are spicy..."

"It's okay, I can handle it." He assured, "All those meals with your family have toughened my taste buds."

I was hesitant, but then I agreed to get some for us. I didn't want to give him anything that affects his health but a little spice wouldn't do anything, right?

I ordered two yakitons, paid for it and handed one to Deku. I warned him that it was going to be hot at first, so he suggested that we play some games to wait for it to cool.

He dragged me to the nearest game stall, which he eagerly picked out because of the All Might plushie as a prize.

It was a shooting game. Pretty simple rules; Try to shoot down all the three cans that swing suspended in the air by a thin piece of string.

Each can was a point and if you get three points, then you win an All Might plushie.

Deku tried first, he shot down the first on, then the second but missed the third.

"Awww!" He cried because of the loss.

It was my turn now. I really wanted to get that prize for Deku so I tried my best to aim as accurately as I could.

I shot the first one and the second one with ease. I aimed for the third but found that it was swinging wildly because of the collision of the first two cans.

I took a deep breath, aimed then fired. And missed.

My eyes widened in shock. How the hell did I miss that? It must be some kind of stupid trick!

I looked over at Deku and found him smiling sadly. He grabbed the yakiton we set down on the counter and made to leave but I stopped him because I had an idea.

"Hey, stall man!" I called to the man at the counter, "Can we put our points together somehow?"

The man scratched his bearded chin in thought then shrugged, " No one has ever done that before, but I guess so."

"That means we have four points. We win a prize." I told him.

He just shrugged once more and reached behind him to get the plushie.

After he handed it to me, I smiled and turned around to see how Deku would react but he was gone.

I started to panic and frantically look around in hope of finding him. When I couldn't, I retraced our path and ran back to the places we had been, shouting his name.

"DEK-"

"I'm right here, Kacchan. Stop yelling."

I whirled around and found him eating his yakiton while holding a bottle of water.

"I was just getting water, chill."

Relief washed over me, "Why would you leave without saying anything? You scared the crap outta me!"

"I'm sorry." He said and came up to me to kiss my cheek, "But you shouldn't be so worried."

"I know, but I can't help it!"

"Oh shush, every thing's fine! Stop overeacting!" He scolded, "Anyways, I grabbed a bottle of water because these yakitons are really spicy, but after a few bites I got used to it. Here's yours!"

He handed mine to me and I took a bite. I could recognise that it was red chilli on it but it's nothing that I couldn't handle.

"These are pretty good!" I excimed, taking a few more bites before I remembered what I had in my hand.

"Oh, Deku, look what I got." I held up the plushie and watched how his eyes lit up, "I bargained with the stall guy and ended up putting our points together to get the prize."

Deku squealed for the hundredth time today and hugged the plushie close, "Thank you so much Kacchan!"

"Hey, you got half the points yourself." I reminded him.

"But you had the great idea to ask the guy to put it together!" He insisted, "So thank you!"

"Anything for you, babe."

He flushed a light pink at the name, and gave a small, embarssed smile.

I kissed his adorable red nose which made him blush even more.

"Let's continue the date, shall we?"

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This is very, very late ;-;

#twin stars week #bakudeku #katsudeku #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #midoriya izuku #izuku midoriya #bnha #mha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #anime #fanfic #fanfiction #fan fiction

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