#so she'd know why we were acting weird

[rin-may-1103]

College Rivalry with the Genius Toddler in the First Row.

My take on this prompt Requested by @purplereaderfans

Danny looked up from his paper, a bright green crayon clutched in his small hand. Jazz patted his head with a quick smile, pushing her chair in so she could start making her way to the teacher, something about the wrong definition if Danny had heard what she'd been muttering correctly.

grumbling, Danny shook his head in an attempt to fix his hair. he hated how everyone was treating him like a child, he was sixteen, almost seventeen for Ancient's sake!

sure, he looked like he was three, but was this really necessary? head pats, baby talk, dumbed-down explanations; it's like they don't notice that he's still mentally a teenager. Like, seriously?

Mom and Dad had been the ones who created the damn device, they should know how to fix this, but did they? no, because; "Aww, Jack, look at him! Isn't our baby boy just the cutest!" and "Why yes, dear, we should get more pictures! It's not like every day a parent gets to witness their kid's toddler years again!"

danny hated it, even Vlad was treating him like a baby! Danny never wanted to hear the man try and speak to him like that again. it might actually be his new nightmare fuel, you know if he wasn't still using what happened with Dan and Pariah to fuel his consistent nightmares, that is.

Danny was ready to start blasting people's knees the next time someone so much as even hinted at dressing him up again. thankfully, for everyone's safety, Jazz noticed he was still mentally normal. She volunteered to take care of him while their parents worked on a way to reverse what their new ghost machine caused. (though he doubted it would be anytime soon, considering the GIW was acting up again.)

which, by the way, apparently wasn't supposed to have de-aged him, but in fact, just you know, 'barrow' his naturally made ectoplasm and knock him out for a few minutes. Ancients, his parents were insane.

he should have known they were going to do something stupid, but no; he had started slacking after revealing his phantom form and getting accepted by them. Because, again, why would he need to keep an eye on them and what they make when they promised to never try and hurt him and his normal rogues again?

they're adults, they should know how to handle themselves. but no.

oh, ho ho, was that such a big oversight on his part. they were Fenton's, of course, he should have kept an eye on them.

no longer making ecto weapons, his parents wanted to learn how to help peacefully capture raging ghosts and how to help heal the injured ones (mostly how to help Danny when he gets hurt). Noble, right?

right?

Wrong. somehow, they managed to create a de-aging device when they were trying to come up with a way to knock out an angry ghost without hurting them. How? Just how?? and what do they do without even testing to see if it would even work? use it on him. because, oh, danny's half ghost, and it's only supposed to make him tired right now, not knock him out. it should be fine.

and now he's a toddler.

a three-year-old toddler.

"psst!" someone hissed, dragging danny's attention away from his crumbled crayon. blinking, Danny dropped the crayon on the table and grumbled. this was the seventh crayon this morning, he really needed to get his strength under control before someone noticed.

"psst, hey kid!" they hissed again, making Danny sigh. turning his head, Danny glared at the weird dude who kept trying to talk to him. The dude usually talked to him like he was an adult, which Danny appreciated, if it wasn't for the fact the dude was hellbent on figuring out danny's secrets.

all because Danny scored more than him on a dumb test.

"What?" Danny grumbled, wiping the crayon crumbs off his hands and onto his pants. the dude, Danny thinks his name is Tam or something, frowned at Danny, watching him wipe the last of the obliterated crayon away.

"aliens," he hisses, leaning forward so he could stare more intently into Danny's eyes. "that has to be it, you and your sister are aliens. probably from some planet that's more advanced than ours."

danny blinked, studied the dude for a second, and blinked again.

"no," turning back, Danny grabbed another crayon and started filling out the worksheet in front of him, making sure to use as little of his super strength as possible.

the dude groaned and slammed his head onto his desk, the sound echoing out and around the silent room like a gunshot. Jazz snorted, pulling out her chair and sitting down. "that one has got to be one of the worst theories yet," she chuckled, turning her body to face the dude.

"you seriously can't believe my brother and I are aliens just because we got higher test scores, Tim." Jazz explained, casually leaning sideways in her seat so she could see him.

the dude, Tim, just groaned, slamming his head back into the desk, his voice muffled, "I wouldn't have a problem with it if it was just you," Tim lifted his head, glaring at him as Danny continued to carefully fill out his worksheet. "I can accept the fact that I'm not the smartest person in the room, I don't like it, but I can do it. I even respect it, having this much knowledge takes a lot of work and dedication, but him?"

"He's three, Jazz. he should be just starting to figure out the names of colors, and noticing differences between things. not astrophysics-level math questions from an April Fools gag test that our Psychology teacher jokingly gave us." Tim's eyes somehow got even narrower as he continued his rant. Danny valiantly tried to keep himself from laughing; Jazz said it was rude to laugh at people, especially if they weren't mentally all there, so he couldn't laugh.

but by the ancients was Tim making it hard.

with a fianl dash, danny smiled triumphantly. Setting the crayon down, he gave the paper a quick once over before deciding he was finally done filling it out.

now, for the moment he was waiting for; turning in his seat, Danny excitedly held up his paper, "Look jazz! I did it!" he had finally managed to complete the paper without ripping the page! and he'd only broken seven crayons! it was progress! there was hope! but Tim didn't need to know that, no, he needed to think Danny was excited about completing the paper.

Jazz, who was just as much of a gremlin as Danny, smiled as she patted his head, "Good job Danny! I'm so proud of you! why don't you go turn it in, I'm sure Mr. Kronmatil would love to see it."

smiling, Danny turned, climbed out of his seat, and started to make his way over to the teacher.

Tim grumbled in annoyance, his crazed theories and curses filling Danny's ears like the sweet sweet sound of music. if there was one good thing that came out of this whole fiasco, it was that Danny was able to work on his studies and cause as much chaos as possible while doing so.

being treated like a baby was all worth it when Danny turned and spotted the same confused and crazed look Tim had been giving him all week. yes, being de-aged wasn't fun, and he didn't appreciate being partially interrogated every time he entered the same room as Tim, but man it was so worth it when he knew he was driving one of the Gotham bat's nuts.

all because he scored higher than him on a test.

He couldn't wait to see Tim's face once the scores were announced tomorrow. He was so going to tell Lady Gotham all about it later.

[alllgator-blood]

'FOGGY STREETS AND CHRISTMAS LIGHTS'

(part 3/3)

I'm gonna infodump about the backstory of this comic, don't feel obligated to read it because it's not cotl related it's just personal stuff, I just want to be able to write about it somewhere cause I can't really talk to anyone about it.

As always, thanks for reading this far, sorry my stuff has been such a bummer so consistently. This comic goes out to all my "christmas induced depression" homies, I left my house maybe like ~5 times all month and it was NOT pleasant hearing "IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!" on the radio when I'm so ready for it to be over. Gonna take it reaaaaal easy til the year ends, you guys take it easy too!! Got some asks I have to respond to when I'm more stable but probably no new comic pages til january

Alright uhhh so this part of the comic is pretty much taken directly from the last time I saw my great-grandma alive, a few days before christmas. She didn't remember me, but at the nursing home there was a piano, and I sat down and played some stuff because I didn't know what to say. I was really into lisa the painful rpg at the time, and I played that "I've got the joy" song that the villain sings without realizing it was an old christian campfire song. She didn't really say much or move that whole night, just kind of gave me a polite blank smile, but started singing the words when I played the notes to that song.

I kinda stopped in shock, my dad frantically asked me to keep playing, so I did. While the comic I made is way more sappy than the actual moment was, I wish I'd cherished the moment longer. I didn't know it was the last time I'd see her alive. Every family christmas was held at her house when she was around, so it's been weird the past few years. I actually lost another dementia-addled grandma to cancer on christmas eve in 2009, so the holiday was already kind of weird for me on top of everything else that makes me sad this time of year. That's what part 2 was about, I'll spare the details but I wrote leshy to act out how I felt back then. Why are we all sad? This is supposed to be a happy time, all the decorations are up and we're almost all here, so why is everyone smiling yet everything feels so wrong? I feel like since leshy's canonically the most ignorant one to things lurking below the surface, he'd be the one to try and make everyone feel better but not quite understand why everyone is so miserable. My first memory of having self injurious behavior came from then, hence why I had leshy pull his leaves off in the last comic. It was confusing and frustrating and I was just old enough to comprehend something was wrong, but not old enough to understand the depth of it, it DEFINITELY didn't help that nobody helped me back then so I made leshy's siblings actually come in clutch instead of grabbing him/yelling at him.

That night with the piano was something that's stuck with me the few years she's been gone, but I felt kind of strange when I asked my dad and my sister about it and neither of them remembered it. The room we were in was completely empty so nobody else witnessed it but us three. I myself have a history of head trauma and memory loss (plus, native americans are disproportionately more likely to develop dementia... lucky us) so if I ever forgot about that moment, there'd be nobody left to remember it. Sometimes when I do comics, it's my way of going "this happened at some point, and the only evidence it ever happened was me witnessing it, so if something happens to me I want the memory to stay alive in some form."

Anyway. The autistic urge to overshare, am I right? Idk what my religious ass great-grandma would think of me drawing demonic comics about my last memory of her, she'd probably think it's funny though cause she raised my dad whose interests have always been "death metal and devil worship". I'm not sure if anyone read this far, I just hope my dumb comics can convey the things I can't say with my voice and struggle to say through text. None of this was supposed to be "feel bad for me!! Woe is me!!", it was supposed to me more like...cathartic? Healing? I almost didn't post this comic because it felt kinda weird, but seeing people connect with it made it worth it imo. Thank you

[itdontmatter283472374]

What are we?

Soooo… I’m new to this whole writing thing. I just had foot surgery and’m bored, so I figured I’d give this a shot. I’ve always liked Pazzi fics, so why not try writing one? I’m open to any advice you’ve got. And if I mess up any basketball terminology, feel free to call it out—I play soccer, so this isn’t exactly my area. 

“Az!” Paige called from down the hall of her best friend’s house.

COVID had ruined her senior year—playoffs: canceled. Graduation: canceled. The only thing that made the time bearable was getting to spend it with her best friend.

“Yes, Paige?” Azzi responded, trying not to sound annoyed. But no matter her tone, she could never truly be annoyed with Paige.

“Wanna go shoot some hoops?” Paige asked, a grin spreading across her face—one reserved only for Azzi.

“No… my knees have been bothering me,” Azzi said reluctantly, absentmindedly rubbing the scar on her leg.

Paige hesitated. “Come on, bro. Please?” Her grin lingered as she tried to read her friend’s face.

“It’s been hurting all week,” Azzi replied, pausing. “Actually… I’m about to head out with some friends. If that’s okay?”

She glanced at Paige, already knowing the answer wasn’t going to land well.

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” Paige asked, taken aback.

“I forgot,” Azzi said quickly, her tone unintentionally sharp. She immediately softened. “I can stay back if you want.”

Paige shook her head. “No, it’s okay. I’m just gonna hang with Jose. It’s probably good for you to see them—it’s been a while.”

“You sure?” Azzi asked gently.

“Yeah. Have fun,” Paige replied, her voice low, almost emotionless. She turned and left the room quickly, not wanting to let the awkwardness stretch any longer.

Azzi stood there, the silence heavy between them—another layer added to the tension that had been building ever since Paige came to stay a month ago.

The weirdness between them wasn’t new. Paige had always been a little jealous of whoever Azzi spent time with—whether she admitted it or not. Colleen, one of Azzi’s closest friends, had picked up on it early, though she never pushed. She just chalked it up to how close the two girls were.

What Colleen didn’t know were the slip-ups—the near-moments—that Azzi and Paige had been having lately.

Still, Azzi walked out the front door and got into her friend’s car, choosing not to mention the earlier conversation with Paige, when discussing what they had throughout the day so far. It would only add fuel to Colleen’s suspicions.

The late afternoon sun beat down through the sunroof, but Azzi wasn’t really focused on her plans. Her thoughts kept circling back to the girl she'd left behind.

Outside, Paige breathed in the smell of fresh mulch as Jose followed her onto the driveway. She couldn’t stop wondering where Azzi was going—and who she'd be with besides Colleen—but she didn’t want to seem possessive. That was a recurring fight lately.

She tried to focus on her shooting form, but her rhythm was off. Brick after brick—until she finally airballed one.

“Paige, what’s going on with you?” Jose asked, eyebrows raised. “You’ve been acting weird since Azzi left.”

Jose didn’t usually comment on the dynamics between the two—Paige was like a sister to him—but today felt different.

“Nothin’. Just tired,” Paige muttered, exhaling hard.

“Well, your shot’s garbage,” Jose deadpanned. A moment passed in silence before he added, “What do you call a basketball player who loves to cook? A slam chef!”

He shot finger guns at her, a goofy smile on his face.

“Bro, shut up,” Paige said, breaking into a reluctant laugh—not at the joke, but at Jose being Jose. He might be getting better at basketball, but his jokes still sucked.

She tossed the ball at him and headed inside, shaking her head, still caught in her own thoughts. Still thinking about Azzi.

Meanwhile, Azzi was trying to enjoy herself. She and Colleen had grabbed froyo and were now wandering around downtown Arlington. They’d run into Blake, Max, and Reid—friends from school.

Colleen was chatting non-stop, but Azzi’s replies were distant.

“I can’t believe we ran into Blake, Max, and Reid. They’ve changed so much in just a couple of months,” Colleen said between bites of her ice cream. “Like, why didn’t you seem interested in the conversation? I thought you liked Reid?”

Azzi barely responded.

“Bro, you’re spacing out again,” Colleen said, her annoyance seeping through.

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about some stuff,” Azzi replied. “And yeah, I liked Reid… but that was December. It’s May now. I guess I just don’t care anymore.”

She looked away, but her mind was still back at home—with the girl she couldn’t stop thinking about.

“Did something happen you’re not telling me about?” Colleen asked, already suspecting the answer.

Azzi sighed. “I mean… yeah. Paige and I had some miscommunication earlier. But it wasn’t anything major.”

Colleen raised an eyebrow. “Look, I’m not trying to be that friend—especially after what you told me before—but you two are a little... weird.”

Azzi shot her a look, already bracing for what was coming.

“I know you keep saying you and Paige are just best friends,” Colleen continued, “but the way you talk about her? The way you act around each other? It’s different. I try not to bring it up, I really do—but every time you tell me about these little moments or arguments, I start wondering if I’m lying to you by pretending I don’t notice something more.”

Azzi looked away, her throat tightening. She knew Colleen wasn’t trying to be malicious—but that didn’t make it easier to hear.

“Colleen, bro… it’s not like that, I swear,” she said quickly. “Paige is about to head off to college, and with COVID messing everything up, I think she’s just looking for some stability right now. And I haven’t been the best at communicating lately. That’s all it is.”

But even as the words left her mouth, Azzi wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince—Colleen or herself.

“Alright, if you say so,” Colleen said, pausing for a beat. “I’m not gonna keep bothering you about it—as long as you promise to actually act like yourself for the rest of the day. I was really looking forward to hanging out with you.”

Azzi managed a small smile, grateful for the shift in tone.

They wandered through the downtown area, slipping into light, mostly meaningless conversations—about senior year, what color dresses they might wear to homecoming, or which college Azzi was thinking about committing to in the coming months.

But it all felt like noise to Azzi.

Everything was starting to feel overwhelming. College decisions, the weight of expectations, the looming reality that Paige would be at college. She tried to appear calm—confident, even—especially around Paige, Colleen, and everyone else. But inside, she was struggling.

The truth was, she didn’t know how this next year would go.

She had only recently started to feel strong again after missing her entire junior season with a torn ACL. Now, as her senior season approached, the pressure to perform—to prove she was back—felt heavier than ever.

And while everyone talked about prom and parties and plans for the future, all Azzi could think about was how quickly everything was changing.

When Azzi got home, she found Paige stretched out on the couch, watching basketball highlights—trying, as usual, to fill the void left by the canceled NBA season.

“P,” Azzi said softly, stepping into view.

Paige glanced over her shoulder. “Wassup?”

“What’re you up to?”

“Just watching some hoops. Nothing much,” Paige replied. “How was hanging with Colleen?”

Their words felt stiff—off. Anyone who knew them would have said the same thing. These weren’t their usual conversations. It wasn’t like them to tiptoe around each other like this.

But lately, that’s exactly what they’d been doing—tiptoeing around conversations, pretending things weren’t weird when they very clearly were.

“It was good,” Azzi said, answering Paige’s earlier question. “You wanna run to Chipotle? My parents are at my grandparents’ house.”

She was hoping for some space away from her brother—and maybe a chance to actually talk.

“Yeah, that sounds good. Am I driving?” Paige asked, already knowing the answer.

“Duh, bighead,” Azzi replied, smirking as she wandered out of the room.

SZA was playing softly through the speakers of Azzi’s car. Paige tapped her fingers lightly against the center console, in rhythm with the music. Azzi watched her hand, her gaze lingering longer than she meant to. The lyrics faded into the background as her mind drifted—back to last week.

Flashback

It was a late spring night, and boredom had completely taken over.

Azzi and Paige had been cooped up inside all day—cycling between the PlayStation, random snacks, and half-hearted basketball drills in the driveway. Everything felt repetitive.

When the clock hit 10 p.m., Paige finally sat up with an idea.

“Hey, wanna go for a ride?” she asked, glancing over at Azzi.

“I’m tired, and my parents are definitely gonna say no,” Azzi replied, already annoyed.

“Come on, dude,” Paige urged.

“No,” Azzi said firmly, but without much force.

“Please?” Paige added, flashing the overly innocent smile she knew Azzi could never say no to.

Azzi rolled her eyes but caved. “Fine. But you’re asking.”

They padded down the hallway toward her parents’ room. Azzi peeked in first—they were still awake—before Paige stepped in, leading the charge.

“Hey,” she began casually, “can we go for a drive?”

Katie, Azzi’s mom, didn’t even look up from her phone. “I don’t know, guys. It’s late.”

“Pleeeaaase,” Paige pleaded, dragging the word out dramatically. “We’ve been stuck inside all day, and we’re 18 and 17 now. Technically we’re allowed out this late.”

She put just enough charm and confidence into the tone to break Katie’s resistance.

Katie finally looked up and sighed. “Fine. Just don’t be out too long.”

Paige grinned, victorious. Azzi just shook her head, hiding a smile.

In the car now, windows down, sunroof open, old Justin Bieber tracks pouring through the speakers. Paige sang along—loudly and off-key—throwing occasional glances at Azzi. Azzi couldn’t help but chuckle at the blonde, her energy infectious even in the stillness of the night.

It was nice, Azzi had to admit. Moments like this reminded her why she treasured their friendship so much. But underneath the laughter, something heavier lingered.

She couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen once Paige left for college. What their friendship would look like when they weren’t sharing the same roof, the same routines. What new people Paige might meet—new friends, maybe even new relationships. And where that would leave her.

Paige noticed the change in Azzi’s expression—how her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes anymore.

“Hey, what’s up?” Paige asked, reaching over to tap Azzi’s shoulder. She turned the volume down, snapping Azzi out of her thoughts.

“Oh, nothing,” Azzi said, forcing a small smile, eyes shifting quickly back to the road.

“You sure?” Paige pressed gently, concern etched in her face now.

Azzi hesitated looking out at the window. The wind pushed through the open windows, but it didn’t cool the warmth rising in her chest.

“I don’t know…” she finally said, voice low. “It’s just… everything feels like it’s changing so fast.”

Paige stayed quiet, waiting.

“I’m scared,” Azzi admitted. “About senior year. About the season. About you leaving. I know I act like I’ve got it all together, but I don’t. I missed my whole junior year, and now I have to come back and somehow prove I’m still that player. And then there’s you—going off to college, making new friends, living this whole other life without me in it every day.”

She blinked a few times, trying to hold it together. “I don’t know what it’s gonna be like… when you're not around.”

Paige reached over slowly and rested her hand on Azzi’s thigh. It wasn’t dramatic or showy—just steady. Reassuring.

“Hey,” she said softly, her voice threading through the quiet hum of the car. “I’m not going anywhere. Okay, yeah—I’m going to college. But that doesn’t mean I’m leaving you. You’re not just some high school friend to me. You’re… more than that.”

Azzi turned her head slightly, meeting Paige’s eyes for a brief second—just long enough for something unspoken to pass between them.

Paige gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. “You’re gonna crush this year. And I’ll be in the stands whenever I can, screaming louder than your mom.”

Azzi laughed under her breath, the weight in her chest softening just a little. “God, please don’t scream louder than my mom. That’s dangerous.”

“Can’t make any promises,” Paige grinned.

They fell into a comfortable silence again, the road humming beneath them, Justin Bieber faintly playing in the background. But this time, it felt less heavy.

Less uncertain.

End of Flashback

“Dude.” Paige said, looking over at Azzi. “You can't keep dissociating when we go on car rides together.” Paige said, smacking her lips, but she had hidden worry underneath her words. 

“Yea, sorry just thinking about something Colleen said.” Azzi admitted knowing that it would lead to a discussion she did not really have the energy for but she brought it up.

“Yeah… sorry,” Azzi muttered, her eyes fixed ahead. “Just thinking about something Colleen said.”

Paige raised an eyebrow. “Colleen?”

Azzi sighed, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. “She said our friendship is… weird.”

Paige leaned back in her seat, her expression tightening. “Weird how?”

Azzi hesitated, glancing sideways before answering. “She said the way we act around each other isn’t really… just best friend behavior. That we keep doing things and then pretending like nothing happened.”

Paige sat up straighter, suddenly more alert. “Wait. You told her?”

Azzi’s head snapped around. “No! I didn’t tell her anything specific. She’s just not dumb, Paige. She picks up on stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Paige asked quickly, voice sharper now.

Azzi took a breath. “Like… how we keep kissing. Like it’s nothing. But it’s not nothing.”

Paige stared at her. “You told her we kissed?”

“I didn’t have to,” Azzi said, voice quiet. “She figured it out. She thinks something’s up between us.”

Paige shifted uncomfortably in her seat, looking away.

Azzi’s voice softened. “She’s not wrong, you know.”

Paige didn’t answer.

“I mean…” Azzi continued, her throat dry. “We’ve done other stuff too. And we never talk about it. We just pretend it didn’t happen.”

Silence filled the space between them, heavy and awkward. The only sound was the soft murmur of the music still playing.

Azzi finally added, “Don’t you ever wonder what that means? Or are you just hoping I won’t bring it up?”

Paige’s jaw clenched slightly, but she didn’t look away this time. Her voice was quieter now—unsure, maybe even scared. “I don’t know what it means. I didn’t think we were supposed to… define it.”

Azzi let out a short, breathy laugh that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Well, maybe we should start.”

[allthingsfangirl101]

*In Need of A Little Guidance – Glen Powell

Warnings: self-masturbation, turn-on, teasing, fantasy fulfillment, unprotected sex, language

Glen's POV

"And cut!" Our director yelled. I glanced over, my entire body burning when I saw Y/N in her overly exposing costume. I burned hotter when she looked at me and smiled.

"Nicely done, Powell," Y/N giggled. I tried not to look at Y/N's exposed chest, but it was useless.

"You too, Y/L/N," I said, trying to sound normal even though I was fighting the urge to throw her over my shoulder and have my way with her in my trailer like I've imagined doing so many times.

I quickly turned on my heels before she could figure out what kind of things I was imagining myself doing to her. I all but sprinted to my trailer, locking the door behind me.

As I lay down and started taking care of myself, I imagined Y/N on top of me. I imagined her in her sexy pilot uniform, riding me. I imagined her screaming my name as I devoured her. I imagined spending all night with her. I imagined waking up next to her with her tightly in my arms. I imagined her telling me that she's had feelings for me, real feelings, since we started filming. I imagined us dating, hooking up whenever our scenes turned us on. I imagined our future together.

I was ripped from my daydream when someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, Glen?"

"Shit," I mumbled. "What do you need, Y/N?" I asked, hoping she didn't walk in.

"I was gonna see if you were alright," she said through the door.

"Why. . . Why wouldn't I be alright?" I stuttered. I closed my eyes, praying she would just walk away.

"You've been acting kind of weird all day," she explained. "Do you want to go get dinner? We could talk through things."

I bit my tongue, choking on my moan. This always happened. Y/N was a badass on screen, but the second we stopped filming, she was sweet and caring. And she, somehow, knew when I was having a rough day. I wouldn't even say anything to her, and she'd show up at my trailer with lunch and some beers she snuck onto set.

Whenever she did this, all I wanted to do was take her and make her behave very un-sweetly.

"Glen?"

"Not right now," I said quickly. I cringed when I heard how rude that sounded.

"Oh," she said, clearing her throat. "Okay. Well, if you change your mind. . ."

"I won't," I rushed out, instantly hating myself for it.

"Okay," she said softly. "I'll see you tomorrow. I guess."

"I'm sorry, Y/N," I whispered to myself as I heard her start to walk down the stairs to my trailer.

Reader's POV

At the bottom of the stairs, I froze. I smirked, knowing exactly what Glen was doing in his trailer. I unbuttoned my shirt a little too much, hiked up my pencil skirt, and ran my fingers through my hair. I quietly snuck into his trailer, closing the door softly behind me. When I got in, I had to hold back my laugh.

Glen was lying on his couch, his eyes closed, and his hand down the front of his pants. He was so focused on pleasuring himself that he had no idea I was there. I unbuttoned one more button before quickly jumping on top of Glen and straddling his lap.

"Y/N?!" He gasped. He started to pull his hand out of his pants, but I quickly grabbed his wrist, not looking away from his eyes.

"I had a feeling that you were lying to me, Powell," I said as sexily as I could. "You are not fine."

"I was just. . ."

"You're in need of a little help," I cut him off. Before he could do anything, I leaned down and pressed my lips to his. I finally let go of his hand and grabbed his face as our lips moved messily in sync.

I moaned against his lips when he pulled his hand out of his pants and placed both of them on my thighs. I moaned again when I felt how wet his hand was.

"Wow," I moaned as I broke the kiss. I looked down at his wet hand on my thigh. "You must've had quite the daydream."

"I did," he said through his teeth.

"What did you dream about, baby?" I asked, sitting back on his lap and slightly moving my hips. "Tell me, and maybe we can act it out."

Glen's face fell slightly, and his face turned pink. Seeing this shift, I decided to push him gently.

"What's wrong, Glen?" I purred, rolling my body down his. Soon, I was lying on top of him, waiting for him to open up. "Don't go shy on me now, baby," I whispered before leaning in and pressing my lips roughly to his. He moaned against my lips as his hands found my ass. I broke the kiss and started nibbling on his neck.

It took me beginning to slide my hand down his pants for him to finally moan out, "You were riding me in your sexy pilot costume, baby girl." I sat up and started rubbing his chest.

"Keep going," I prompted.

"We were turned on by our scene," he continued.

"That we were," I said, tearing off my shirt. I smirked when he groaned as his eyes scanned my bra.

I grabbed his chin, making him look back at my eyes. "Keep going," I pushed again as I moved my hips in just the right way.

"We were turned on by our scene, so we came back to my trailer and you were riding me."

"Is that the only thing that happened, sexy?" I asked, slightly pouting. He watched as I reached down and took off his shirt.

"No," he said through clenched teeth. "As I imagined you riding me and screaming my name, I pictured our life together. I pictured spending night after night with you. I pictured waking up in each other's arms. I pictured us telling each other we had real feelings. I pictured us sneaking around, hooking up whenever our scenes drove us crazy. I pictured us having a future together."

I stopped moving my hips against his and studied his eyes. "You pictured all that?"

"All that," he said softly, as he gently massaged my hips. "Is that. . . Did I just creep you out?"

Instead of answering, I grabbed his face and pressed my lips to his. He instantly started kissing me back. We fell into a perfect rhythm as we undressed each other without disconnecting.

I broke the kiss once we were completely undressed. "We can't do everything that you pictured right now," I said, already out of breath, "but we can get started."

And get started we did.

Glen quickly rolled us so he could hover over me.

"What the fuck are we waiting for?" He growled before smashing his lips to mine. I threw my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Our lips moved messily in sync as we battled for dominance. Glen quickly took control.

"Glen," I moaned, breaking the kiss. The second I broke the kiss, he started sucking on my neck. "Baby, we should probably use. . ." I cut myself off with a moan as he bit my collarbone.

He pulled away from me with a grunt. I sat up a little as he got off me and rummaged through his things for a condom. My eyes scanned his body, my heart beating against my chest as he returned to me.

Without breaking eye contact, Glen slipped the condom on. I bit my bottom lip as he put his hand on my stomach and pushed me back so I was lying down. I took a shaky breath as he crawled on top of me. I waited for him to kiss me, but he didn't. He just stared at me.

"Is something wrong?" I asked slowly.

"No," he said under his breath. "I'm just making sure I remember. . . everything."

I gasped when he leaned down and roughly pressed his lips to mine. I instantly reached up and started running my fingers through his hair. He moaned when I pulled on his hair. Me doing this seemed to send him into overdrive.

Not that I minded.

Glen grabbed my thigh and wrapped my leg around his waist as he positioned his hips. I gasped, arching my back and breaking the kiss, when Glen pushed into me. As he rocked his hips into mine, I squeezed my eyes closed.

I heard Glen chuckle, but I kept my eyes closed as he kept going. Without pulling out of me, he leaned in and whispered, "Moan for me, baby. That's what I need. You to moan as I fulfill everything I've done to you in my dreams."

What Glen did next made me moan exactly the way he wanted me to. He leaned down and pressed his face between my breasts.

"Shit!" I gasped, pulling Glen's hips closer to mine. He groaned because of the pressure and started biting my breasts.

"Oh, Glen," I moaned as our hips rocked in sync. I moaned his name over and over again as he explored my chest. I shivered when he started to lick my body, beginning at my belly button. I swore as his tongue slid up my body, passing my breasts, and up my neck. He cut off my moan when he shoved his tongue roughly into my mouth.

Without breaking the sloppy kiss, Glen grabbed my hips and rolled us over. He sat up with me on his lap. I broke the kiss and smirked at him. I knew exactly what he wanted.

I repositioned myself and glanced up to see him watching me eagerly. We maintained eye contact as I brought my hips down to his, making him slide into me.

"Fuck," he moaned as he leaned his head back against the couch. He grabbed my hips and squeezed them tightly. "That's it, baby. Keep going. Fucking hell, Y/N."

I leaned in and started sucking on his neck as he continued to swear and tell me to keep going.

"Is this what you imagined?" I asked after chewing on his ear. "Me riding you."

"Fuck yeah!" He yelled. I gasped, quickly turning into a giggle as Glen roughly rolled us over so he was back on top. We stared at each other for a second, both of us breathing heavily.

"Finish me, baby."

He smirked before sending things into overdrive. It didn't take long for us to fulfill our fantasies. We let out matching moans as we both released. I squeezed my eyes shut and arched my back as he gently pulled out of me. I waited for him to get off me, but he didn't. Instead, he laid next to me and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned my head on his chest and listened to his heart.

"I know I talked about it as if it were a daydream," Glen said, his voice soft, "but I meant it. I have feelings for you, Y/N. Strong feelings. Every day I come on set, eager to see you. And all the sexy scenes we've been filming have been driving me crazy."

"How about this," I said, slightly sitting up, "whenever one of our scenes turns you on, text me. We'll meet in your trailer or mine and. . ."

Glen laughed when I didn't continue. He cupped my face in his hand and delicately pressed his lips to mine. I instantly started kissing him back as I rolled over so I was lying on top of him.

"Only," he broke the kiss, breathing heavily, "if you let me know if one of our scenes turns you on."

"Well," I smirked, "then we'd be hooking up every day, baby, because every scene we film turns me on."

"I'm okay with that," he whispered as he put his hand on the back of my head. I let him pull my head toward his and press our lips together. We broke apart when someone knocked on Glen's trailer.

"Hey, Powell!" They yelled. "You're needed on set!"

"Be right there!" Glen yelled back without looking away from me. He lowered his voice as he asked, "Continue this later?"

"Absolutely."

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for coming to dinner with my ex and his new GF uninvited?

This situation is long and messy, so I'll try to include the relevant info only. I (F32) broke up with my long time partner (M33) right before COVID hit. We stayed in the same house during lockdown and continued to live together after lockdown was lifted, because we generally get along and we had a child (F11) to raise together. Over the last 3 years we've been roommates and co-parents and that's it.

One day he was supposed to take our daughter to buy new school clothes, and she came back 10 minutes later in tears. She said they were on their way to the store when his new GF called, and he drove her back home and dropped her off so he could go spend time with her. He even asked our daughter to lie to me for him, but she was tired of covering for him (implying she'd been lying for him for a while now).

When he got home we had a massive argument. I didn't care if he dated other girls, I cared that for some reason he thought he had to sneak around, and it made him act like a jerk to me and our daughter. I told him if he had been a man about this new girl and just introduced me to her then maybe we could have all been friends, but instead he had to act like a horny teenager. It ended with him moving out to live with his parents.

A couple days later he called and apologized. He said he hoped it wasn't too late for him to do things right, and he hopes we can all be friends. I was hopeful that we could finally co-parent in peace for the sake of our child.

This is where I may be TA: I have always been close with my ex's parents, to the point where even after we broke up I would be invited over regularly for dinner. They said even if I wasn't their son's partner I'm still their grandchild's mother, and that makes me family.

So one day when my daughter texts me while at my ex's parent's house and invites me to dinner because they're having my favorite meal, I don't think twice about coming over even though my ex and his GF I've never met now live there. I figured everyone had to be okay with it, since my daughter was inviting me.

I end up having dinner with my ex's parents and daughter, but my ex only comes upstairs to grab two plates of food and goes back downstairs. I ask my ex's mom why and she says his GF doesn't feel well today. Whatever, I think. She's just sick and I'll meet her another day. I have a perfectly pleasant dinner with my ex in-laws, help clean up, and make a promise to bring them a coconut cake (ex father-in-law's favorite) and take my daughter home.

Later my ex blows up my phone with texts and calls, saying it was so weird and rude that I came over for dinner uninvited. That I made his new GF uncomfortable, and like she wasn't welcome there. And that I caused trouble in their relationship because she assumes we must still be in love for me to come over and see his parents out of the blue like that, because "exes don't do that. it's creepy."

I had a talk with my daughter and asked her calmly if she had asked everyone else if it was ok if I come over before she texted me, and she sheepishly said she didn't know she had to ask since it had never been a problem before. (I didn't tell her about her dad's meltdown at me, or tell her dad that she's the one who invited me. She's a child and shouldn't be involved)

Instead I just told him I'm sorry me dropping by made things awkward, but I thought he wanted us all to be friends from now on and I figured this was a good place to start being friends. He said there was no way she'd want to be my friend now that I made her feel uncomfortable in her own home.

It wasn't my intention to make anyone uncomfortable, but I admit I'd be perturbed if he brought this woman into MY home and I had not even been warned first. So AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[bumblesimagines]

Lessons in 'Chemistry'

Request: Yes or No

Summary: After getting stranded on the side of the road, (Y/N) is helped by Sarah Cameron and given a ride home. Weeks later, she asks if he can return the favor in an unexpected way.

Pronouns: He/Him/His, M!Reader

CW/TW: Typical OBX warnings, mentions of drugs and dealing, mentioned/implied classism, sexual content

Idk what possessed me but goodnight

~~~

The moment he crossed the threshold from the hallway into the bedroom, he immediately felt out of place, like a worn-out pair of dirty old boots being set amongst a shiny new pair of Mary Jane's.

He scoped out the room, noting it was much bigger than his bedroom back on the Cut, and felt a hint of uneasiness settle in the pit of his stomach. Everything looked as if it'd come right out of a magazine or a sitcom based around high school, including its inhabitant who slotted into the space like the last piece of a puzzle. 

Sarah leaned against her vanity, the table trembling under her weight and almost knocking over some upright lipstick tubes. She hooked her fingers into the back of one of her sneakers and pushed downward until her heel popped out, then casually tossed the shoe aside to be forgotten until she needed it again. She did similarly with the other sneaker, and then her socks, which she threw into the laundry basket a few feet away. She seemed comfortable yet nervous, her fingers fidgeting with her golden bracelet as she turned around to face him.

They weren't friends, hell, they were hardly acquaintances. Though he assumed that was precisely why she'd even approached him in the first place asking him to repay a 'favor'. It hadn't been entirely his fault that his dirt bike had chosen to suddenly stop working and she'd just happened to be driving down the same road, but that act of kindness was typically repaid with a similar favor.

He still wondered if it was all some sort of prank, a test set up by Rafe to test his loyalty or something. But Sarah clashed with her brother enough for him to take Rafe out of the equation. 

"So," She exhaled, scooping her hair over one shoulder and toying with the ends of it. "What.. what should we do first?"

(Y/N) needed a drink, or two, or maybe three to process what Sarah was asking of him fully. She'd gone up to him the day prior just as he'd been preparing to drive home from another kook party with his pockets full of cash.

For a moment, when she asked if he was willing to return the favor, he thought she meant hitching a ride back to Tannyhill or scaring the shit out of some jock who wouldn't leave her alone but then she'd given him an almost sheepish smile. 

"I... I want you to teach me some things." She'd said, tugging her jacket further over her body to escape the nipping chill of the night. He'd grimaced, expecting her to mean shooting a gun or doing some sort of drug that'd send her spiraling down the same path as Rafe. Instead, she nearly made him and his bike tip over into the grass. "Like... in the bedroom? How to, you know... please? Ugh, that sounds so weird."

"Why?" He'd asked slowly, the word drawled out 'cause it sounded batshit for her to be asking him and not her boyfriend.

"I don't want to embarrass myself with Top. I always hear the guys talking shit or- or complaining." Her cheeks had gone red by then, a combination of the chill and what she was asking of him. He almost felt guilty but then Topper's irritating little face flashed in his mind and he considered telling her to straight up dump the guy.

"Yeah, sure."

He'd been mostly itching to get out of the cold, his tired brain telling him it was just some dumb dare and she'd be texting him some apologies by the time he got home. His phone had vibrated with a message telling him what time he could come over without Rafe around to ask questions that night.

There he stood, half-certain the regret would begin settling in for her in a few minutes and he'd be compensated with some snacks from their walk-in pantry. She tilted her head, though, and he quickly realized that maybe the Camerons were all really fucking weird. 

"You do realize this is cheating.. right?" (Y/N) asked with an arch of his brow, maneuvering his leg around the door to push it shut behind him. Maybe they'd sit on the bed and he'd offer her a free therapy session on why kook guys weren't worth stressing over, because no guys who unironically wore polo shirts and khakis together were worth stressing over. She gave a flimsy shrug.

"Yeah," She answered casually, because she was Sarah Cameron and she was known for that sort of thing, before she took a few cautious steps toward him. She looked at him like middle-aged women with nothing better to do looked at banned breeds in shelters, with intrigue and a desire to reach out. "But it's whatever. I'll have other boyfriends."

He was beginning to believe she was using him to get out of the relationship, as a reason why they weren't working out. The most that'd happen to her would be a few nasty looks from Topper, and the least that would happen to him would be a fight. A kook with a bruised ego was a dangerous kook, and he was certain Rafe believed there was a bro code between them. No macking on siblings was always a given, no matter the relationship. 

"What do you want to do?" (Y/N) asked, because he wasn't fully sure what she'd meant by 'teaching' her 'things'.

The fancy private school she and the other kooks attended definitely had to have classes where they were taught anatomy, and at the very least had some basic Sex Ed classes. All Kildare County High had was a teen pregnancy epidemic that was treated like cooties because they were all at a higher risk of OD'ing on something and not making it into their twenties. Not that DARE ever swayed anyone.

Sarah smiled, almost bashful, and tucked her hair behind her ear. "I want to kiss you." She answered, stepping closer to him, still slow as if she were dealing with a shelter mutt.

Something coiled around his gut, hot and electric and uncomfortable. He was no prude, he'd lost his virginity as a sophomore two years prior, but to be wanted aloud felt wrong.

His life had been spent learning how to hide, how to blend into the background and be forgotten within the hour. You only had two choices in the Cut: become a ghost floating on by or become a feral dog with bloodied teeth. He'd chosen the former, his brother the latter. To be noticed raised an alarm in his head and sent his senses into overdrive.

"Mm." He made a noise in the back of his throat, his hands furling in the pockets of his worn jacket. The room suddenly felt hot despite the AC blasting cold air into the back of his head and his fingers twitched for something to fiddle with while thought about his next words.

He was starting to wonder if maybe he was a new passion project of hers, though he'd never seen Sarah Cameron care for that sort of thing.

"Why not one of your friends?" He was stalling. He knew he could easily back out, mutter some excuse and offer to do her another favor, but some part of him wanted to stick around. Maybe for the chance at a good time, maybe from dumb curiosity. He just despised the idea of something more forming from it.

(Y/N) could hardly count as a playboy. He'd been with three girls in his long nineteen years of life and he only ever had to look one in the eyes when he attended school. The other two were tourons, the daughters of eager tourists who visited during summer break to bask on their beaches and get a taste of their day-to-day lives. He preferred them over girls he'd grown up with, over girls who lingered and could potentially continue prodding at him.

Sarah's lip jutted out in disgust. "Like Kelce or Benson? They're basically my brothers, it'd be too weird." (Y/N) did not comment on the fact either of those two would jump at the opportunity to do anything with her. He simply nodded as if he understood, as if he had girl friends who were like sisters to him. It'd always been just him and his brother.. and Rafe, he supposed, but Rafe was more like a stray who refused to leave. "Plus, they're friends with Top. I don't trust them not to snitch."

"But you trust me?" (Y/N)'s brows furrowed. 

"Yeah," Sarah laughed lightly. "You're not like those other guys Rafe hangs out with." Sleazeballs, she meant.

The one singular time they'd ever had a proper conversation aside from polite small talk had been when she'd given him that ride in her shiny BMW. The car still had that brand-new smell, fresh and light and almost cool but mixed with subtle hints of vanilla and coconut that he often associated with Sarah.

She (unsurprisingly) proved to be a better driver than her brother who believed going the speed limit was optional, and she spent most of the ride chatting with him as if she were catching up with an old friend who'd left for college. It was odd, somewhat endearing but odd.

"Right." He exhaled and rolled his shoulders, his jacket sliding off his shoulders and exposing his upper arms to the cold air. He tugged each arm free from the sleeves and rolled the jacket up before jumping it on a chair pressed up against the wall beside the shelf built into the wall, the faded brown fabric clashing with the floral pattern. 

If she was comparing him to Barry and his clients, the bar for trust was in hell. He could count on one hand the number of guys from that group he trusted, and it only included Barry 'cause the same blood ran through their veins.

Most of them were older men; ones with wives who despised them, divorcees with enough bitterness to create generational feuds, deadbeats who rarely remembered their kids ages or birthdays, or hopeless folks who'd long given up on their dreams of the future. (Y/N) pitied them sometimes, before he'd be reminded violence and greed came just as easy as breathing to the hopeless.

Sarah's room was incredibly nice, he noted, though an odd shape from being on the side of the manor. It looked like a hexagon cut in half with its slanted walls, leaving the lower half of it to be decorated with pictures and frames and the upper half to loom over the bed. Sarah must've really liked blue because nearly everything was blue or white. Her lamp, the floral loveseats, the large circular rug, the decorative pillows on her bed that had S and C threaded into them, the curtain. He felt tempted to ask if half the things in her bathroom were blue too.

When he tore his eyes away from a framed picture of different butterflies and their names, he found Sarah standing much closer than before. His first instinct was to flinch, to create distance between them, but his feet kept him rooted in place and rendered him to blink at her in surprise. Sarah's eyes crinkled, amused she'd caught him off guard, and then her hands moved to rest over his cheeks. Her hands were soft and smooth, free from callouses and chaffing because unlike most of the kids in the Cut, her father had ensured she'd never have to work a day in her life if she so desired.

"Can I kiss you?" Sarah asked, voice soft and almost breathless, dripping with anticipation. She cradled his face in a way that was unnatural to him, too gently, too sweet; it made him uncomfortable, it made him want to press pause and savor the moment. Affection was a fleeting thing on the Cut, and most often involved a trade of sorts. 

Another threshold, another line he contemplated crossing. Technically, he'd done nothing to warrant the wrath of the kooks yet but kissing their princess would be breaking an unspoken rule between pogues and kooks. The 'war' between them was dumb, he very well acknowledged that, but he still followed the laws of their divided land to avoid conflict. Most kooks knew to leave him alone, his status as the local dealer's baby brother giving him an advantage over others, but kooks weren't particularly known for their intelligence. 

"Yeah, sure," He exhaled, his go-to words with Sarah at this point, and she laughed again like windchimes in a summer breeze. 

Just as expected, Sarah's lips were soft and plush, suddenly making him self-conscious about how his own lips felt. He applied chapstick a fair amount of times, would that change anything? He wasn't sure but he tried pushing the insecurity away to close his eyes and focus on not making a fool of himself in front of the nicest kook in all of Figure Eight. 

His hands clumsy grasped at her waist, exposed by the crop top she wore riding up when she circled her arms around his shoulders. His hands retreated briefly when they touched her skin, worried for a moment that it was going a step too far as if their mouths weren't on each other. He placed them over her waist again more confidently, massaged the skin warm from constant time in the sun, and tried not to focus too heavily on how well he was kissing.

Sarah tilted her head and her button nose rubbed against his, her lips parting slightly and teeth gently digging into his lip. He tentatively opened his mouth, just a bit, and swallowed the muffled giggle the bottle-blonde released. He'd kissed girls before (just the three but enough to keep his brother's teasing to a minimum) but they'd always been rushed kisses, frantic and fast-paced to get to the part they actually wanted to do. Sarah took it slow, exploring his mouth and then pressing against him to encourage him to do the same. 

She began moving, her chest bumping into his and forcing him to blindly move along with her until his legs bumped against her bed. They parted when he plopped down on the bed, the comforter rustling and the bed creaking softly with the added weight. He took a moment to catch his breath, to allow his mind to catch up and he peeled his hands off her waist. His lips felt different, likely smeared with the barely noticeable pink lipstick she wore, and his heart had kicked up its pace. 

"What exactly-" He swallowed and pressed his palms into the smooth white comforter. "What exactly do you want help with?" 

Her arms hugged his shoulders again and the moment their lips met again, she took advantage of their position and proximity by grinding her hips. His hands flew to her waist and a quiet grunt escaped him, his body naturally beginning to fully react to the situation. Her lips curved up into a victorious grin and he began to wonder just how inexperienced she actually was. 

It definitely wasn't kissing. If anything, Sarah was an expert at that already with her years of dating boy after boy after boy.

He assumed the 'lessons' would be about heavy-petting or featherlight touches underneath clothes but instead of answering, Sarah smiled at him and dug her knees into the bed as she straddled his thighs. The lingering smell of her scented body lotion invaded his senses while she got comfortable on his lap, light and sweet-smelling enough to nearly make him hungry. 

Sarah suddenly pulled away and brushed her fingertips over her bottom lip to wipe away the slick that'd gathered there. Her legs moved, sliding effortlessly along the comforter until her toes met the floorboards and then her knees followed with a soft thump. (Y/N) stared at her long and hard before the switch flicked and realization dawned on him like a wave of cold water. 

"Is this okay?" She asked softly, her palms already moving along his thighs and hazelnut eyes peering at him through her dark lashes. She almost reminded him of a siren trying to entice him to make a costly decision, and his body seemed fairly keen on doing just that. Sarah palmed the growing bulge and smiled when he shuddered, her eyes darting back and forth between his crotch and his face.

"Are you sure about this?" He managed to ask without his voice miraculously cracking. His fingers dug into the comforter and crinkled the material but he desperately needed something to grasp onto while his brain struggled to comprehend what he'd gotten himself into. Heat invaded his face, covering his neck and ears before creeping down his spine and torso.

Sarah pressed the pad of her index finger into the button of his jeans and then nodded, her fingers popping the button and slowly dragging down the zipper until it reached its end. He felt clammy and nervous, like a fourteen-year-old seeing an old Playboy magazine for the first time or watching a scene from a film get steamy. It was the type of jittering nerves you got when you were doing something you shouldn't and the risk factor was beginning to set in. It made him a little light-headed. 

Sarah's fingers dipping beneath the waistline of his jeans and the band of his briefs snapped him out of his momentary daze, his gaze darting downward in a flicker of confusion before he lifted himself enough for her to begin shimmying the articles of clothing down his legs. He lowered himself down closer to the edge of the bed, inhaling heavily through his nose when the cold air hit his thighs and reminded him he was now exposed in front of Sarah fucking Cameron.

He almost flinched when fingers curled around him and his eyes darted down, his cheeks flushing with heat at the sight of her long fingers slowly dragging over his length. He twitched in her hand, slowly hardening further, and he wished for nothing more than to shove his face into a pillow to avoid being seen by her curious eyes. 

All the times he'd been touched by a girl had been quick, swift pumps before he sunk into her through a drunken haze. He wished he had a drink in hand, something that'd fog his brain and halt his instinct to overthink every single little thing. It was difficult to try not to when he had the Princess of Figure Eight with his dick in her hand. And she had the gall to look intrigued, if not delighted. 

"Should I take my top off?" Sarah asked breathily, and (Y/N) almost hadn't heard her through the light ringing in his ears when she gave him an experimental squeeze. 

His eyes immediately jumped down to the shirt she wore, one he actually thought looked nice. It was a light rose-pink shirt with a darker pink floral pattern that he thought looked rather fancy for a casual everyday party until he stopped to wonder if she'd dressed up a little nicer than usual just for him.

He had no sisters to run questions by, to watch and take notes of what girls purposefully did or didn't do, just an older brother who'd rob anyone if given the chance and whistled at pretty girls on the street occasionally.

He shrugged. "If you want."

Sarah smiled, a little cheekily, and released him to lift her top up and over her head, tossing it aside without a care. He swallowed thickly and her smile turned into a grin, one that blatantly spelled trouble for him. She leaned forward onto her knees, ones that'd likely be red and numb by the time she had her fill of fun, and arched her back slightly.

He tried focusing on her layered necklace, the gold one she frequently wore that had an S charm, but his eyes flickered lower regardless. His grip on the comforter tightened and he twitched again, his misery coming this time in the form of a small watery glob that trickled down from his tip. 

Jesus.

A chill shot up his spine when Sarah abruptly leaned forward and dragged her tongue over his tip to collect the pre, his hips involuntarily bucking at the action. She gave a light hum and took him in her hand again, giving him a few experimental pumps that had more pre trickling down his shaft. Her eyes watched him, observing every reaction his body gave her as if it were an actual lesson and she was taking mental notes. 

"I-" He made a low noise in the back of his throat and she stopped, blinking up at him with doe eyes like it was all some casual thing and wouldn't have her dad whipping out a shotgun if he walked in on them. He gave a shaky exhale regardless and raised his hand, suppressing the trembles by pressing his fingers together before he spat into his palm. 

"Oh." Sarah peeled her fingers from him and brought them to her mouth, licking the mess off them while she watched him with a concreated furrow of her brow. Dangerous, was what she was.

He tried ignoring the sight and gave himself a few pumps, pre mixing with saliva and making him glisten under the sunlight pouring in from the window. Her hand replaced his and he rubbed his palms against his thigh, not daring to dirty the comforter that likely costed more than his mattress back home.

She continued moving her hand, squeezing lightly at times and slowly picked up her pace. Her eyes flickered upward to his face once his pants and quiet noises became noticeable, another spark of victory glowing in her eyes. 

A strangled curse fell from his mouth when she leaned forward and wrapped her lips around him, her hands falling to grip his calves and dig half-moons into his skin. (Y/N) had half a mind to gather her bronze hair up with his cleaner hand, loosely holding it in a ponytail as she began attempting to fit him further into her mouth.

Her eyes squeezed shut, driplets of drool escaping from the corners of her mouth. He could tell she made an effort to breathe through her nose through the newfound haze in his head and gave her hair a light tug to coax her into taking a breather. 

She leaned back and inhaled, her lips already swollen and slick. Her forehead creased with some frustration, reminding him that stubbornness ran in the family, before she leaned in again, wet warmth enveloping him and forcing another buck from his hips despite his best attempts at remaining still.

She made a small noise, unintentionally sending vibrations right to his gut where a knot slowly began to form and forcing a guttural groan out of him. He practically watched a lightbulb flicker in her head.

Sarah Cameron, as he came to learn, was a quick learner. She scraped him lightly with her teeth every now and again, her watery eyes jumping up to look at him apologetically to which he gave a reassuring nod despite his gaze only focusing on where they were connecting, but she managed to keep it to a minimum. She had little idea what she was attempting to do, likely going off what she'd seen or heard, but she gave it her all and was rewarded with noises he'd never heard from himself before.

It was messy, with an occasional gag or choke or gasp for air when she pulled back, but she kept going with determination he'd certainly never have. 

Kook girls were certainly something.

With another curse, another half-stutter of his hips, and another surprised noise from the kneeling blonde, the tightened knot in his gut burst and he spilled in her mouth. Her hand grasped the base again and she pulled back enough to only have the tip ensnared in her mouth, suckling as if she were drinking soda that'd spilled over onto the lid of a cup.

His legs trembled and his back slumped, the AC keeping the sweat from collecting across his temple. He hoped he could shower or at least curl up for a nap somewhere in the manor like a cat who'd strolled in through an open window.

Sarah leaned back and wiped at her mouth, looking like the cat who'd caught the canary with her prideful and even smug smile. She was full of surprises.

He released her hair and took the liberty of slumping back onto the bed, letting out a heavy exhale that left his body deflating into the comforter. His view of the white ceiling was obstructed by her pretty face, lips still glistening and pulled into a small smile.

"Maybe we could.. go all the way sometime?" Sarah asked, strands of her hair tickling the side of his face when she leaned down to kiss the corner of his lips. He blinked.

"Thought this was all for Topper?"

Her nose crinkled with a laugh and her shoulders moved with a shrug. "I used him as an excuse." She revealed, lowering down to lay on top of him and prop her chin on his chest.

"Oh." He should've guessed as much; no girl with any actual interest in her partner gave head to other people. His brother always lamented about his gullibility.

"So?" She tilted her head and batted her lashes. "What do you say?"

"Yeah," He murmured, lips pulling upward. "Sure."

[puriiinz]

POSTED | smau abby a.

IV; F U 2X

a/n: this is my last draft, i won't be posting for a while because of the situation my country is in. thank you guys for loving posted so far ❣️

contains: a little too much cursing

masterlist | next

yn needed to stop thinking about abby.

like right now.

she locked her phone and stared at the ceiling with the intensity of someone trying to change dimentions to escape from their thoughts.

yn was not imagining things at the cafe, it was weird. it wasn't anything absurd per se but it wasn't normal either. yn wouldn't feel that way when she would play-flirt with her friends, no. what was she feeling? great question! she didn't know either. she couldn't pinpoint what and how many things she was feeling. was she the problem? maybe she was...

yn's phone buzzed once, twice, thrice... like five times? but she wasn't going to look. no. she's a strong independent girl who has REALLY good self control and- wait her phone buzzed again.

maybe a peek...

yn grabbed her phone and unlocked it immediately, seeing dina's name pop up, she clicked on the notification and that's when she wanted to shoot her brains out. literally.

???

what

?

literally what was that supposed to mean. like are we just copying each others' sentences now??? literally WHO is abby flirting with using yn's jokes. it wasn't even FUNNY. god. FUCK#%-&:!27:'e

okay.

be calm.

let's think for once.

no one knows they were together yesterday, so there's no chance anyone would guess this was about yn. but why would yn care what people thought? but yn knows she said that to her. as a joke. was abby flirting with someone else using yn's own joke??? zero originality whatsoever???? but why would yn care? like abby's not even fitted. but what if abby said that about yn? what if abby tried to make an inside joke between her and yn but yn was being a delusional ass bitch and her ego is so high and she's dumb and

okay breathe.

there were two possibilities:

either yn's really delusional and abby was NOT!!!! thinking about yn when she tweeted that. it was just a random act of saying she loved some people so much to the point she'd give up some things that had nothing to do with yn.

or yn's not delusional.

yn's checked twitter too many times. abby hasn't deleted shit. and to top it all off she was replying to ellie's tweets making fun of her. that means abby's aware of her fuckass tweet. great.

and yet she hasn't said jack shit to yn. but why would she? it's not like yn had triggered her to tweet that shit. lol. ok.

it's not like yn was the one who spent her entire time at the cafe watching abby eat her croissant like an insane food behaviorist.

and it definitely wasn't like yn and abby were the ones arguing about stupid food shit in a not-flirty-but-kind-of-flirty-question-mark way. and why the FUCK was dina still texting yn.

after blocking dina on twitter and putting her phone on dnd, yn decided enough was enough. she had to take her mind off of abby. which is why 13 minutes later yn made the (highly questionable) decision to go grocery shopping at night. because nothing says #unbothered like staring at vegetables under blindingly white lights at 12 pm.

yn was so focused on picking out the best overpriced beverage that she almost didn't notice someone walking up beside her.

almost.

but then, in her peripheral vision, she saw the unmistakeable shape of a tall, broad-shouldered, protein powder for brains hoe. yn's stomach dropped in the sight of her because there was NO WAY that was a coincidence. like of the fuck course she would run into abby sooner or later but immediately after her tweet? crazy shit bro.

yn slowly turned her head and there abby was. all in her glory, holding a single loaf of bread. she could've gone anywhere else for a loaf of bread but she chose to come to the store yn always shopped at, of course. and of course she was standing way too close to yn.

abby blinked at yn, her grip on the bread tightening slightly, she looked like she was thinking, must be hard for her. bitch.

"hey..."

yn said nothing.

because what the fuck.

abby, who apparently hadn't been expecting the silence, cleared her throat, adjusting the already perfectly fine positioning of her hoodie.

"didn't think... didn't think i'd run into you here."

yn blinked, and without thinking opened a can of diet coke, taking a big sip to try calm herself down, which didn't work.

abby shifted uncomfortably, gripping her bread harder. there was literally no reason for that interaction to be that painful, except for the giant (but not really) elephant in the room that neither of them were acknowledging.

yn's eyes flicked down to abby's hands, then back to her face, "you came here for bread?" abby hesitated before seriously answering "yeah..."

yn squinted at abby, abby squinting back at her. they both were standing still, abby holding her bread and yn holding her can of coke, doing nothing but breathing and staring at each other. after what felt like forever, abby cleaned her throat,

"...what about you?"

yn blinked, then dumbly gestured towards the beverages, because she can't fucking talk apparently.

abby nodded way too slowly, "cool... cool."

a pause.

a long pause.

"did you see my tweet?"

yn felt every single nerve in her body get up and start running around, her entire existence stopped functioning for a full second. was this shit even that serious? she didn't know. while thinking whether she was being dramatic or not, she made the stupidest decision. and lied.

"...nope," she rocked back and forth on her feet "haven't checked twitter today..."

abby looked at yn

yn looked at abby

then abby tilted her head. just like back at the cafe. but she looked cuter this time. that's not the point. the point is, she didn't believe yn.

"...really?"

yn did not break eye contact.

"yes."

a beat of silence.

then abby, who's still gripping her stupid loaf of bread like it's her last lifeline, exhales, her expression unreadable.

"...huh."

yn nodded, making abby nod after her.

another pause.

then, suddenly, abby looked almost amused. but literally anything wasn't funny. yn was doing nothing except shuffling her feet. she really had to beat abby's ass sometime. when they're not awkward.

"...okay."

yn narrowed her eyes, something about abby's tone felt dangerous. but at the same time, all this shit over a tweet, really? god, yn was losing her mind dails as is, she didn't need abby to add into it.

abby adjusted her grip on the bread one last time. and all of a sudden, saying the worst fucking thing she could've said. with a straight face.

"i guess l'll just have to say it to your face next time."

yn's brain completely shut down. what the fuck does that mean. was she serious???? FUCK YOUR MOTHER BITCH. SHIT.

while praying on abby's downfall in her mind, yn did the stupidest fucking thing, never truly giving up on her style.

she quite literally chucked her coke can at abby, making sure abby was holding it, then started to power walk out of the store.

because who was yn if not running from her problems?

[elliesluckycharm]

don't text me, ex ellie williams one shot

sinopse: you and ellie broke up due to her commitment issues and you've been non contact until she calls.

cw: lowercase intended, swearing and alcohol use and "drunk"? sex, semi public sex, not explicit if reader is fem or masc. use of nicknames like babe and my love.

wc: 2,9k

nsfw/smut: ellie bottoms. tit play (r receiving), clit stim and pinching (e receiving), fingering (e receiving), cum eating (r)... i think thats it?

a/n: okay uh im gonna kms bc this was meant for @breathinlove but alright.

you and ellie had broken up a few months ago. you have been no contact ever since, you blocked her everywhere except her number. you told her not to contact you if she didn't need anything.

but she'd called today.

you were in bed with your best friend kamala, she noticed you suddenly sitting up.

“what?” she touches your shoulder as you look at the screen. “ellie? don't pick up, y/n” she looks at the phone over your shoulder.

“i told her to only contact me if she needs anything…” you sigh, but the phone stops ringing and you bite your lip as you look at kamala, worried expression.

“hey, if she actually needs anything she'll either call again or text.” she pats your shoulder and you nod.

ellie doesn't call again, but you get a text.

«sorry about that, hope ur okay»

“um, i guess she didn't mean to call.” you roll your eyes after texting her back with a «don't worry, hope ur okay 2», which she saw and reacted with hearts.

“girl, yes she did, she let that thing ring for ages.” kamala scoffed.

“whatever kami, let's just forget about that. she's literally with cat.”

“it's insane that she broke up with you because she ‘couldn't be in a relationship’ and ‘felt trapped’ and now she's with cat.”

“i know but well, she just couldn't be in our relationship i guess.” you chuckle and hug kamala. “why are we still talking about this shit…?”

and then you drop this subject, and it was true… ellie broke up with you along those lines. she had met you at your house and held your hand, kissed your forehead before leaving. now, she has been going out with cat. you hadn't completely moved on but what's over it's over, you didn't want any messiness.

weeks pass by, you usually see ellie at college, you both curl your lips in an awkward smile. you do it out of respect but it hurts to act like you were never close.

today wasn't any different, film class and you're sat at the back. she got in late, she sat down at the front. you noticed her and followed her with your eyes but you didn't expect her to look around to the back of the class.

you lock eyes and she stares a little before turning back, you feel uneasy. class passed by and you don't interact in any way and you decide to talk to her after class.

she gets ready to leave and you run down the classes stairs to catch her.

“ellie.” you call out reaching for her shoulder but she turns around to face you before you can.

her green eyes pierce through yours, you hadn't seen those freckles from so close in months. you blink a few times in a roll.

“um… yeah? sorry i called.” her voice is raspy and she looks awkward, as if you don't know each other.

“you let the phone ring.” you mumble, her eyebrows almost touch as she looks confused.

“yes? i'm sorry.” she takes a step back as you do the same.

“so you meant to call. it wasn't a mistake?” you ask, you sound calmer.

“yeah, i did… but i know i shouldn't have, you did the right thing by not picking up.” she looks at your lips for a second before you curl them up in a sympathetic smile.

“i was going to. thought you might have needed something.” you hold your own shoulder. “you okay?”

“no, yeah… i'm okay i was just… i don't know.” she rambles awkwardly and you chuckle. “are… you okay?”

it felt weird talking to her, but she was still the same. she toyed with her fingers nervously as she always did.

“yeah, i am.” you breathed out before straightening your back. “what did you wanna say?”

“that, i've… been” she chokes on her words, you examine ber face, letting her speak. “thinking ‘bout you.” now it's your turn to internally choke.

“you don't need to tell me that.” you bite your lip as you start walking down the starts and she does the same as everyone's leaving the classroom.

she lowers her head to face her feet as she thinks of what to say but all she says is “i know.” you turn to face her after you leave the classroom.

“i'll see you” you say, she nods and leaves as you walk towards the bathroom.

your eyes water as soon as you enter the bathroom, you let out the breath you had been involuntarily holding. you decided this meant no contact was as rough as her as on you, even worse since she decided to call you at 3pm on a random saturday. but it didn't mean anything other than that, it's hard not to talk to someone you used to talk all the time and you understood that.

when you're walking to your next class you see cat running towards ellie and jesse. she kisses both of their cheeks and you wave to them, mostly jesse, who gives you a sympathetic look and waves back. cat doesn't see you until ellie raises her hand, cat waves at you then.

you and cat were neighbors during all your childhood, she was really nice, artistic, down to earth but still had a bubbly personality. you honestly liked her, which hurt.

kamala had texted you about this party next saturday at dina's, her cousin who ‘happened’ to be jesse's long term girlfriend and ellie's best friend. you, dina and kamala had been friends since the start of college and your breakup with ellie wouldn't change that.

ellie would obviously be there, so you decided to give it more than one thought. you didn't want to see her if it made you feel so small, but you couldn't stop doing what you usually do just to avoid her.

so you decided to go. you hadn't talked to dina that much about ellie to be honest, you didn't want this to become something where people had sides to take.

you and kamala go to the party a little later than supposed, the party was already crowded. you find dina and walk up to her to hug her.

“hey dina! nice party.” you hug her excitedly and she chuckles as she pats your back.

“it's a generic one, thanks though baby” she looks at you up and down as you back away. “you look good, girl.”

“you look hot, dee.” you smile wide and she gives you a gentle push towards her drink table. “go grab a drink, you too kamala!” she calls her cousin out.

kamala starts grabbing a drink but your eyes land on ellie, who was at the corner of the room. she saw you and stepped away from the wall she was leaning on.

“is ellie here with cat?” you ask dina as ellie walks up to you. dina nods no. “really?”

“yeah, they went out a few times but ellie said they were better off as friends…its been a while already” she shrugs.

“i see.” you tense up as ellie gets closer. “hey ellie.”

“what's up?” she smiles as she nodded at dina.

“nothing…” you shrug, your lower lip between your teeth and she clicks her tongue, staring you down.

“yeah umm, can we… maybe talk? i mean, i will text you?” she asks in a lower tone, you look around for nothing.

“sure, we can. what about?” dina had leave your side, and you were left alone with her and some strangers next to the wall.

“me. i miss you.” she breathes out and you squint your eyes. “i do. can we please talk?”

“didn't you feel trapped with me? in our relationship?” you scratch your forearm. she takes your hand off it and you look up at her.

“no, i felt trapped but it wasn't you who trapped me. you never limited me. i just wanted to get out a bit, try new things maybe.” you scoff and snap your hand from hers.

“you needed a break from me? to try out new things? like what…? cat?” you sound annoyed by all this now and she's quick to argue.

“no…no, y/n. i thought i did but… i still miss you alright? and cat… i thought could move on to something but i didn't”

“ellie, i'm sorry but… you can still move on. i'm… sorry it didn't work out with cat? but that has nothing to do with me.” you try to call down as she gulps and looks to the side.

“i'm sorry.” she mutters, she sounds embarrassed but she nods. “you're right. i can move on, i don't want to.”

“ellie, this is not the place for this but… yeah we can talk, i can text you.” you sigh and she nods.

“alright, text me when you can.” you nod and leave to find kamala.

you tell her about it and she says ellie is embarrassing herself and you can only say you feel bad but also annoyed by this behavior. you see ellie a few times during the party and you just smile at each other.

you definitely still love ellie, you do wish you had never broken up but it was her who did this and you didn't feel like you could get back together just like that. you'd let her say what she had to say, you respected her, but you didn't think this would end up in rekindling things.

you were dancing with kamala, a little drunk already, when you felt a little hot. you went into the kitchen to grab water. ellie was there, her hand on her forehead.

“hey…” she looks up, recognizing your shoes. she looked a little drunk herself, cheeks flushed. “are you okay?” she saw you stumble.

“yeah i'm fine actually, i have been drinking though, came for a water bottle.” you chuckle and she nods a little as she holds her own head. “who's driving you home?”

“ugh… actually… no one” she chuckles back and shoot her an worried look. “hey, don't worry i'll wait until i sober up a little, i know it was dumb but it's okay.”

“yeah… you better… drink some water maybe.” you walk up to her with another water bottle, she takes it and mumbles a ‘thank you’.

“i feel like the floor's kinda moving.” she looks up to you now.

“you're just light headed. and a lightweight.” you chuckle as you get closer to her.

“yeah right…” she laughs and looks at your lips as you get closer. “you smell nice.” she takes a huge sip out the water and grabs your hand pulling you closer, you let her.

“thank you, you look real good.” your drunken self speaks and she leans on your shoulder, you feel her breath against your neck, making your breath heavier.

“you've such pretty lips.” she mumbles as she lifts her head back up and her lips ghosts against yours. she holds you closer as you hold her arms.

your alcohol breaths fan eachother's lips and faces, you hands fall on her torso and she grabs your hips.

“i wanna kiss you.” you drop your face on the crook of her neck and you sigh. she puts her water bottle down on the marble you were both leaned against only to cup your face, making you face her again.

“you know i'll kiss you back.” and you kiss her, liquor tasting kiss as your tongue pass through her lips.

she moans when you do, holding you so close your leg ends in the middle of hers. you're now running your hand up and down her torso and hip. her arms wrapped around you.

“needed this.” she groans and your grab her hair tightly.

“i need you.” you reply, kissing her deeply. she moans again, her hand finds your thigh and she lifts it.

“have me” she whispers in your ear. she's thrusting her hips as he holds your leg up by your thigh.

you make out feverishly, kisses your neck and you start panting and she grins against your neck. you felt your panties damp.

“bathroom?” you suggest as she starts shamelessly grinding her clothed pussy on your thigh. she nods frantically mumbling ‘please's as she lets go of your thigh and grabs your hand.

she pushes your body with her own, grabbing your waist to turn you around, her crotch against your ass as she walks you to the bathroom.

“don't trip, babe.” she jokes and kisses your neck.

“make sure you don't either, my love.” you giggle and now she's next to you. you look at eachother.

her cheeks are flushed pink and you smile at her, she opens the bathroom door and you get in. she kisses you now, grabbing your ass.

“i want you so bad, y/n. please.” she kisses your neck and you push her back. “what?”

“block the door.” you kiss her as her back hits the door, her hand is running up and down your back and around your hips. “missed you so fucking much.” you nibble her neck and she moans.

“i missed you, this. i need you right now” her hands go up your shirt and she sounds needy as fuck, grinding poorly on your hips. your hands find her stomach. “it's been too fucking long.”

you can feel your clit throb as she talks to you. you suck her earlobe and she grinds even more.

“so eager…” she pinches your nipple when you tease her, you whine out and she kisses you again.

“take this off, babe.” she says, tugging your shirt and you do what she tells you to. she goes in on your tits immediately. “yeah? you like that?” she asks as she nibbles the skin before sucking your nipple.

you moan and whimper holding her hair, she only stops when she feels your fingers tugging her belt.

“let me touch you.” you ask, she quickly unlatches her belt and you unzip her pants.

“i can't do this anymore…” she tilts her head back and you give her what she wants, tugging her jeans down.

you cup her pussy over her boxers and she moans, head hitting your shoulder.

“wet and warm, huh?” you whisper and she starts kissing you again. groping your tits with one hand and the other on your back.

your fingers ghost her slit, but you start caressing her inner thigh and hips, opening her legs. she grunts and starts trying to grind her pussy on your hand, which makes you press her hips against the door.

“stay still, now, alright? i'll get to it… promise.” you mumble, enjoying her body and how eager she was.

she nods, now grabbing your ass and thighs. you kiss her cheek and tug her panties to the side

“good girl” she grunts when your fingers run over her sticky slit. she was soaked in her slick.

you tease her clit and entrance with your fingertips, she moans and tried to grind against you.

“fuck, be quick with it.” she grunts and you frown. “please.” you slide two fingers into her pussy when she pleads. she gasps and grips your hair, taking your lips in a sloppy kiss.

she grinds her clit against your hand as you thrust your fingers in and out at the perfect pace she never stopped thinking about.

“more.” she moans between kisses.

“more what?” you start rubbing her clit with your other hand. “this?” she moans and nods.

“yeah… thanks.” you chuckle as she thanks you, kissing her neck again.

you look up at her eyes closed and cheeks flushed pink, her hands moving from your back to your shoulders. you speed up as you look at her.

you get the vision you wanted, her closed eyes squint, broken pants leave her open lips… you moan at the sight and the feeling of her wet pussy clenching around your fingers and her legs shaking, threatening to close around your hand.

“oh… you feel so good ellie, fuck.” you pinch her clit and she moans louder “yeah, keep those legs open for me.”

she cries out as she nods, her pussy clenching hard when you moan seeing her cry.

“please i'm so close.” she grunts through gritted teeth. “don't stop.”

“relax, you're so tight…” her stomach tenses and she relaxes and you reach deeper. “god…” you moan.

she moans non stop and her legs shake even more as she cums all over your fingers. you fuck her slowly as she comes down from her orgasm, hand leaving her clit.

you're both panting and she holds you by your back as you take your fingers out of her pussy only to look down and see her creamy cum on your fingertips and around her entrance. your pussy throbs at the sight.

you weakly get on your knees, sucking her cum off your fingers to lick the cum on her pussy. she grips your shoulders.

“you're so good to me.” she mumbles as you get up, tugging her boxers and pants up.

[nonsscrapheap]

TFP: Universal Observations

WE HAVE RETURNED! AND HERE WE START... THE MECHA AU!!!

MWUAHAHAHAHAH— expect some changes and similarities to the ever popular Mecha Pilot Jazz AU- but TFP kids-centric just because I can! and I have a solid outline and plot for this au that i could have used for an actual fic but NOPE! REACTION FIC INSTEAD!

this... took longer than i thought it would. you'll see. but ENJOY!

ACT I: Alien Mecha - I -

[ ----- TP : UO ----- ]

Omega Outpost One

[ UNIVERSAL OBSERVATION ACTIVATEDENTER KEY WORD TO START UNIVERSAL OBSERVATION ]

"So! While you were looking into this thing, did you figure out how to uh- do the key words thing properly?" Jack asked Raf after Bee was kind enough to move the couch from its usual place by the TV to a place closer to the screen being projected by the o-Observer.

Might as well get comfortable while they were going to watch other universes… Bulkhead and Optimus were even going around to get some cybertronian-sized chairs from their rooms so they didn't have to stand around the whole time. Might as well get comfy if they were going to do this…

It's been what, nearly a couple of hours? Since Arcee had drove in with Jack and now they were involved with some weird tech that was letting them look into other universes.

She still wasn't sure about that, about the entire situation. She didn't exactly trust the thing; came out of nowhere, they had no idea how or why it was there, and now they were supposed to be using it when they could barely understand it?

Arcee just wanted to shove it somewhere and leave it be. Unfortunately she was outvoted, and now they were going to watch another universe where who knows what was going to happen…

Okay so maybe she's being a little biased about it, she just… Seeing Arachnid from both worlds acting… UN-Arachnid-like, not a word she knows but shut up, it messed with her. Okay? It messed with her more than she'd ever like to admit.

Especially the… Actor world?

The 'Shattered Glass' world had been weird enough with Arachnid being nice to the kids and herself being… violent (she doesn't want to think how her counterpart had been so savage with that other Makeshift) but at least her and Arachnid had been enemies.

Even with the flipped moralities thing it had going on, that made sense.

But the Actor universe had completely flipped her on her pedes, she could barely fathom the fact that her coutnerpart, even if she was an actor, was friends with any kind of Arachnid. Actor or otherwise.

Sure they were rivals but it was clear from their interactions on the show, they were more like- friendly rivals instead of go-for-your-throat-cables kind of rivals.

Or maybe they'd been putting up an act for the liveshow? Didn't want to show it in public? She doubts it though, she would've been able to tell if they were acting like- or maybe she wouldn't?

Primus, this whole situation was more than ridiculous.

She shook her aching helm and instead focused on Raf, she'd been half-listening and half-lost in her thoughts. His answer to Jack was yes… and no.

"Remember how I said the machinery inside is really damaged? Well, it affected the input settings for Key Words- the Observer is just going to choose random words from whatever its users say for now until more of it can be repaired." Raf explained. "So you, Miko and I just have to keep talking randomly and it'll latch on to whatever words we're saying, make them key words and find a universe that way."

"Just the three of you?" Arcee frowned, unsure if it was a good idea to leave the control over the Observer to the three human children- she knows Jack and Raf could be responsible, Miko less so, but even then…

"Unfortunately with the state of its internal machinery, adding new 'Users' to its database is not possible. Like everything else, we're just going to have to wait until it's repaired before the children can add us to its user registration." Ratchet grumbled, thanking Optimus when he offered the medic with a chair when he and Bee finally got back

"So I just have to say random words like before? Didn't I already try that but it ended up going for Jack instead?" Miko pointed out, lounging back against the couch. "Did you check if there was like- a priority thing between the three of us? It got my key words first, then Jack's, now it'll probably do you Raf."

That was… a fair assessment really.

Raf nodded slowly, thoughtful, "Uh, no I didn't check for priority but hmm… considering how it's been going on? That makes sense."

"Miko making sense? Today's really full of surprises." Jack teased, grunting when the girl punched his shoulder with a mock-glare on her face. "So, we thinking it's going to focus on Raf for Key Words?"

"Since you and Miko went first, I'd say yeah." Bulkhead agreed, taking a seat between Bumblebee and Arcee. They were all sitting now within the main base, gathered somewhat comically around the floating screen from the Observer.

.: Well, go ahead Raf. Say a bunch of words. :. Bee encouraged.

"Uhhh, hm- cars? Racing? School-"

Miko interrupted him with a groan, "Noo, don't say any words related to school! We come to the base to get away from school! Not watch it!"

"Miko, let Raf say whatever he wants." Jack sighed, though he did privately agree but it was Raf's turn to show a universe.

"Ugh," Raf groaned, throwing his hands up in frustration. "I wish the Observer let me use my laptop to input the Key Words! Or have a holographic keyboard for this section as well." He complained, pouting at the screen.

The Observer had provided a keyboard for Raf to control when he and Ratchet prodded it for its commands and such, managing to stumble their way into a blueprint of its inner machinery somehow through sheer luck and stubbornness.

"Hopefully when it's more repaired, it will do exactly that." Ratchet huffed, agreeing with Raf's complaint.

"Hopefully." Raf grumbled, "Gotta wonder though, just who made these things? I know the only alien tech I've come across is Cybertronian- mostly Earth-based cybertronian in the base, but even Ratchet said that the mechanical engineering was beyond Cybertronian make."

"Current Dimenion's Cybertronian ma- there we go."

[ KEY WORDS ; ALIEN MECHA ]

"Alien Mecha?" Arcee repeated with the others, "That thing's definitely busted if it just got mecha from mechanical." There were murmurs of agreement but it all died down as the screen loaded fully and they were all treated to the very first sight of this new universe.

( "Alien Mecha." A warlord repeated with disdain but slight curiosity. )

[ The screen's edges were frosted and fogged white. Details were fuzzy, as the faint and muffled sound of shrieking was heard.

A small boy was standing alone on a yard, holding a toy sword. The boy's face was familiar, eyes opened wide at the screen.

The entire sequence was slow and sluggish. ]

Confusion was quick to set at the bizarre way their first view of the universe was shown. "Is that…" Bulkhead started slowly.

Optics and eyes turned to a certain teenage male. "Me?" Jack finished in disbelief, mouth agape at the familiar sight of his younger face that he's only seen in old pictures at home! "That's me! When I was a kid!"

"Woah… Wait, why is everything slow-mo?" Miko squinted at the screen, "And have white-edging?"

Raf frowned, "Is anybody else hearing screaming?"

( "Who the frag is that?" A red racer deadpanned.

His seeker comrade scoffed, "Nevermind who that is, just what is happening?" )

[ A shadow loomed over the small boy, dark and large as the white frost and fog seeped into a darker color and the shrieks grew louder, turning into fullblown screams.

A monstrous looking creature, canine-like in body, towered over the boy. Segmented with dark purple metallic plates that had dark green muscles underneath that bulged dangerous between the seams. The lower jaw of the hideous creature split in half to open, dark blue sludge dripping from its open maw.

The boy stared at it with wide, fearing eyes. ]

"What the frag?!" Arcee hissed, digits clenching tightly on her elbow joints at the sight of something in front of tiny, tinIER, Jack. "What is that?!"

Raf was quick to latch on to Jack, his own eyes wide with fear and apprehension while Miko gasped first in excitement then concern, realizing that now probably wasn't the time to say the monster looked cool when a version of her friend's kid self was standing right in front of it.

Optimus stiffened, frame going tense like the rest of the Autobots, but his optics shuttered, an old memory trying to resurface.

( "WHAT THE FRAG IS THAT HIDEOUS CREATURE?!"

"Hm… It's rather familiar…" A warlord uttered before turning to see a visored mech displaying two pictures, a familiar human and the human child on the screen. "I see, it's one of Optimus' human pets but much younger..." )

[ "JACK!" A voice screamed and echoed, the screen blurring- time speeding up for the briefest moment before slowing down once more.

Suddenly there was a familiar woman rushing in, metal bat in hand, colliding hard against the monster's open maw. A desperate young woman with a near-feral look of panic and anger on her face. ]

"MOM!"

"Ms. Darby!"

It was a chorus of noise as they watched the woman take the monster head on with nothing but a metal bat. Jack was standing now, with Raf holding on to his sleeve tightly and Miko on the very edge of her seat.

The bots were tense, Arcee especially considering that was her charge and her charge's mother on the screen. As much as June had been a bit of a helicopter-parent (a term she learned from Miko and the internet), she understood the woman's apprehension and protectiveness.

They've smoothed out some differences, but even when Arcee was annoyed with her, she didn't want to see her in danger like this.

( "What a contrast, I had that woman cocooned helplessly yet here she is, trying to take on something beyond her size." A spider muttered, optic ridges raised with interest as she watched the screen.)

[ The screen flashed, rapidly going through still images splattered with blood, red and black, while being hazy at the edges. Screams continued to sound in the background, gradually getting louder and louder with each image.

June's bat bit in half, leaving a jagged end. June shoving the jagged bat and her arm into the mouth of the beast, somehow managing to pierce through the head. It falling dead. June cradling her arm and shouting at a man. Another, identical monster appearing behind her. The man grabbing Jack who finally, frantically reached out for his mother.

"Take Jack and run—" "MOMMY!" "RUN!"

The last image was of June's back, facing a new monster before it all went black.

A pair of eyes snapped open, breath hitched and uneven. Jack Darby, much older now, woke up in the bottom of a bunk bed. ]

"Wait, what happened? What just happened?" Jack was struggling to comprehend what he saw- the brief flashes of images on the screen had been quick, but Jack didn't like the implications of what he saw regardless. "She's alright, she's fine. Mom's- okay. She's got to be."

"I mean, she's fine here. Dunno about over there though." Miko said then winced at the look that Jack and even Raf gave her.

"Miko!" Jack hissed, upset that- well, Miko was right. His mother was fine in his universe, but it was still distressing to see what was implied to have happened to another version of her in another universe.

At the very least, it didn't show how she… if she…

Arcee didn't know how to reassure him, feeling similarly upset over the situation- no one in the room was unaffected by it. Not even Miko, though she was trying to lighten things up in her own way. Arcee shook her helm and focused back on the screen. "You look older Jack." She noted aloud, trying to change the subject.

He did. Older than he was right now.

( "Did I watch that right or did that tiny human manage to kill one of the- whatever the frag that was?" An ex-wrecker questioned aloud.

"She shoved her arm and weapon right through the mouth, unorthodox yet effective. Unfortunately not without its demerits." A warlord muttered to himself. He had to admit, even he was hesitant to do such a thing. He would give credit where credit was due, the human female was brave- reckless, yet brave. Organic as she was, she died a death he would not disrespect. The creature, however, was familiar, he tried to scour his memories for why it seemed familiar and where… )

[ Jack groaned, getting up from the bed, pressing a hand against his eyelids and sitting at the edge. He looked around the room, it was modest. Small almost. Militaristic but a little personalized with a few knickknacks and items around the small area.

Beep! Beep!

He heard an alarm clock beep, and not long after, the sound of a pained groan and he quickly turned the alarm off. Standing up to look at the top bunk, a small lump hidden underneath a blanket.

"Raf? You good?"

The lump shifted, "… yeah…" Was the quiet reply.

Jack frowned then whispered low, "How bad is it today?"

"… need my headphones…"

"Full stop?"

"… halfway… shades too…"

"Got it bud." ]

Miko squinted at the screen, "Where are you two? Where am I?" She asked, a bit put out that it was showing both Jack and Raf- well, mostly Jack. Raf was hiding underneath a blanket. But why was Raf sleeping in a bunk bed with Jack in that room anyway?

.: What's wrong with you? Uh, no, other Raf? :. Bumblebee beeped sadly, not liking the sight of Raf being so… quiet and tired. Even without being seen, the boy seemed miserable hidden underneath the blanket on screen.

"Dunno Bee, I hope other me's alright."

Arcee tensed, optic ridges furrowing as she heard Jack speak. His voice…

[ Jack grabbed a pair of thick headphones from the desk beside their bunk bed, fiddling with it a bit before opening a drawer to grab a pair of shades as well. He placed them on the top bunk's bed before going over to a small bathroom that was attached to their bedroom.

The screen focused on Raf, who finally emerged from the blanket. He looked exhausted, bags underneath his eyes, complexion pale and hair a mess. He winced as he hears the door close, quickly grabbing the headphones to shove over his ears, he grabbed the shades but didn't put them on until he climbed down from the top bunk to get to the lightswitch.

He only turned on the lights after he put on the shades. ]

Raf tilted his head, "Huh, I think other me might be hypersensitive to sound and light."

"Or maybe he just wanna look cool first thing in the morning, it's okay Raf. I'd wanna look cool with headphones and shades too." Miko teased making the tween roll his eyes.

"No, look- I think those headphones are noise-canceling headphones, my cousin has a pair, they block out loud noises and stuff. And those shades are pretty tinted, he put them on before turning on the lights." Raf reasoned.

Ratchet frowned, "That would make sense… Rafael, do you require the same items for yourself?" He didn't like the way the younger- well, technically older, no, the other Raf on screen looking so… haggard.

Raf blinked at the question before shaking his head, "No, well, sometimes I am overwhelmed by stuff but not to the point of needing things like that." The medic gave a toneless hum, but made a mental note to keep an optic on him just in case.

( "Ugh, why are we watching the Autobot's pet humans? I thought this was about Alien Mecha or whatever the 'Key Words' were." A seeker grumbled.

"Considering in all three instances so far had these children on screen, perhaps it has to do with the fact they're the 'hosts' or 'users', whatever that orange mech said. What was his designaiton again? Ring? Rong?" A racer asked, confused.

"- My name is Rung -"

"Ah, thank you Soundwave." )

[ Jack stepped out of the bathroom, towel on his head and dressed in a modified military jumpsuit. "Bathroom's all yours Raf."

The young teen nodded at him before he went past Jack to enter the bathroom, closing the door behind him as Jack took a moment to sit down. Rifling underneath his shirt to grab a locket from underneath his shirt.

He took in a deep breath and clicked it open, an incomplete picture of a family was on one side of the locket. His expression was sorrowful as he looked at the faces of a woman, a young boy and a man- the man's face had been scratched away, barely recognizeable. The other side of the locket had an engraving, faint but barely readable. 'Till all are one - R' ]

Jack's breath hitched at the sight of the locket, at the expression his other, older self had on his face. Any hope for his mother in that universe had completely wiped away from that alone, And the sight of his father's scratched face didn't bode well for him at all.

"'Till all are one?'" Bulkhead read, optics narrowing at the engraving. "Hey, Optimus. Ain't that…" He trailed off, uneasy and unsure.

"What is it Bulk?" Miko asked, curious as to why he seemed so uneasy.

"… The phrase, 'Till all are one' is mainly a Cybertronian phrase. It is a promise, usually made before important battles." Ratchet said, just as uneasy and unsure at the fact that the other Jack had such a phrase engraved into that locket.

"Why does Jack have a Cybertronian promise engraved in his locket?" Raf asked pointblank, confused as the rest of them.

Throughout the entire thing, Optimus was silent. A strange feeling nagging at the back of his processor, but unable to recognize what or why he felt this way.

( The phrase is noted on a warship, general confusion as to why it was there but mostly swept aside. The phrase has always been more of an Autobot tradition during their war, but it was noted how strange it was that the human had it carved into a strange place. )

[ Jack spent a good minute looking at the locket, expression changing before he closed it. Tucking it back securely underneath his shirt.

The scene cuts to both Jack and Raf jogging lightly through the halls, dodging grown men and women in semi-familiar military uniforms. They were quick to arrive at a mess hall, the line was thankfully short, and there were plenty of tables to sit around. ]

Arcee squinted at the sight of the militiristic humans lingering around others, they looked familiar.

"What a fraggin' minute. Those are MECH agents!" Bulkhead blurted out in realization as he saw the human uniforms in proper lighting, recognizing their clothes from the time he rescued Breakdown. "Why're Jack and Raf with MECH?!"

"What? Why are we with MECH?" Jack blinked rapidly, wondering why he and Raf were with the organization that tried to nab a Decepticons and were definitely not Autobot-friendly. Hell, they were wearing modified MECH uniforms too!

( An ex-wrecker recognizes the uniforms as well, swearing heavily, "Those're the humans that nabbed me and my optic!" He hissed, his glare at the screen turned towards a chuckling spider-bot. )

"Wait, if Jack and Raf are there then I…" Miko trailed off, going silent as soon enough, her suspicions were proven correct.

[ A young woman with short hair sat down with Raf and Jack, the ends of her hair were faded pink. Her uniform was incomplete, her top jacket was tied around her waist to show off her well-toned arms. She grinned at them, though it seemed forced. "Mornin' guys!"

"Morning Miko." Jack greeted back with a nod.

"Morning." Raf mumbled tiredly from his cup of coffee. ]

"Dude! My hair!" Miko complained, wondering why her hair was so short, not to mention it clearly needed a touch up. Her signature pink was all faded! "Well, at least I grew up strong! Look at those muscles! Haha!" Also, giving it a second look- her hair didn't look too bad. She was really rocking the really short hair there.

"The question still stands as to why the children are with MECH in this universe." Ratchet muttered, frowning at the scene of the three on screen. They had grown up, they were together, and yet he couldn't help but notice that something was off about them.

Not just because they were with the strange yet malicious human organization that had tried to bomb them using Breakdown's optic as bait.

.: Maybe… Maybe MECH isn't that bad in this universe? They might be on our side there. :. Bumblebee hesitantly offered, though it was clear he wasn't entirely onboard with his own suggestion. He was very worried over why Raf seemed exhausted.

[ "Sensitive?" Miko squinted, noticing the headphones and shades. "How much we talkin', quarter? Half? Full?"

"Half." Jack answered for Raf who was too busy drinking coffee to do so.

Miko whistled, "Plus shades? Man, Doc Shock must've been hard on you yesterday then."

Raf set down his cup and sighed, "Please don't call the Doctor that, he doesn't like it. At least just call him with his actual callsign."

Miko snorted, "I'll call him whatever I damn please, but you know what? I'll call him by his full callsign when he pilots a mecha again. Pfft, who wants to quit piloting to become a scientist?" She scoffs, tossing food into her mouth with a grunt.

"Shockwave, that's who." Jack answered in a deadpan, "And he's not just a scientist, he's Head of the whole science division and main engineer for our mecha." ]

"SHOCKWAVE?!" All three kids covered their ears from the loud shouts from the Autobots,

( Similar shouts of "SHOCKWAVE!?" came, mostly from a panicked seeker. )

"Shockwave?! Near the kids!? WITH MECH!? Ex-fragging-cuse me?!"

.: Raf was with Shockwave?! Why?! Oh Primus, what happened?! What did he do to Raf?! :.

"Those kids gotta get out of there! Pronto!"

Jack waved his arms, "Woah, woah, woah! Time out! Pause!" He exclaimed, not just to gain the attention of the bots, but also pause the screen as it was still going while most of the Autobots were talking over each other, the most upset he's seen them in a while since this all started. "What is going on with you guys? Who's Shockwave?"

"A monster, that's who." Arcee spat, frame trembling at the very thought of the cycloptic mech.

"We talking literal monster, or—" Miko was sternly interrupted by Ratchet, "He's a monster in every way that counts. Shockwave is a mad scientist, emotionless and psychotic. He's infamous for his sparkless experiments throughout the history of our war. He has no morals, no limits he won't cross, if given the chance he would experiment on his fellow Decepticons." He said grimly with a tight, furious expression.

Raf swallowed, now looking very nervous. "So the fact that I'm doing- something with him is…"

"Worrying." Optimus finally spoke, his expression grim before he gave them all a reassuring look. "However, we must keep in mind what Rung told us earlier on. This Shockwave is already different from the one we know, he is working with the humans, with MECH, we do not know what he is capable of. The same goes with MECH, we do not know what they are in this universe. Until further information is gained, we must remain calm."

"Easier said than done!" Bulkhead exclaimed, servos clamping over his arms, giving worrying looks to both sets of kids, on and off screen. "MECH's bad, Shockwave's worse! But with both…"

Jack sighed, apprehensive but determined, "Hey, Optimus is right. We have no idea what's going on, but there's only one way to find out… We good on continuing?" He waited, watching everyone nod in agreement after some time. "Alright, uh, Observer. Continue!"

[ "Yeah yeah…" Miko huffed, "Just… You good Raf? Whatever he's working on, you've been sitting out of spars more and more. Tired as hell with your sensitivity-shit either half-way or full on. That doesn't really happen unless you've been clocked in your mecha for more than eight hours or something."

Raf gave her a weak smile, adjusting his shades and headphones self-consciously. "It's fine, I'm fine. Doctor Shockwave just has a new invention that'll change our fights, hopefully. He needs my help since I'm the only Rescue-class pilot with a way above average sensitivity, compatibility and a high enough IQ to keep up. At the rate we're going, we might have a new class on our hands."

Jack and Miko gave him impressed yet worried looks, "No shit? New class? Got a name for it already? How's it going to help with the fights?" Miko asked a bit excitedly.

"Nothing official yet, we're in the mid-stages and MECH wants big results before we try to present it to everyone else. As for how it'll help…" Raf hesitated and shrugged, "Sorry, but I can't really say right now." ]

"They keep saying those words. 'Pilot', 'Mecha'." Ratchet mumbled, faceplate thoughtful. "Just what does it entail? From those words alone I would think… is it possible…?" He shared a look with Optimus who looked troubled.

A sharp, happy squeal gained their attention as Miko was suddenly on her feet, wide-eyed with a starry grin on her face. "No way, no way! NO WAY!"

"Woah Miko! Calm down! What's got you so excited?" Bulkhead asked, confused by the sudden spike of excitement from his charge.

Miko pointed at the still going screen, "Dudes! Dudes! How can you not figure it out already?!" She demanded before abruptly shaking her head, "No, no! No, I'm cool. Just- wait, watch! WATCH!" She pointed back towards the screen, urging them to keep watching.

[ Alarms suddenly blare and the three of them share a disgruntled look, Raf adjsuting his headphones with gritted teeth. "Well, at least we got to eat some of our breakfast." Was all Jack said before all three of them were rushing off of the table. It was a rush of movement from everyone around them.

<CALLSIGNS: TAILBREAKER, WRECKER, SENSCRIPT YOU ARE BEING CALLED FOR DUTY. I REPEAT, TAILBREAKER, WRECKER, SENSCRIPT YOU ARE BEING CALLED FOR DUTY.>

"All three of us? Together? Must be big!" Miko exclaimed with a near-feral grin.

"Less talking, more running!" Jack barked at her.

Jack, Miko and Raf were sprinting down the hall, many got out of their way to let them through- there were shouts, orders and more in the air as the three of them were rushed into two separate changing rooms. ]

Arcee recoiled, first other Jack's voice seemed so much like- now that name came up—

.: Arcee? Are you okay? :. Bumblebee asked, breaking her out of her spiraling thoughts.

The femme took in a deep invent, shaking her helm and giving her fellow warrior-scout a reassuring smile. "Y-Yeah, I'm… I'm good, Bee. Don't worry about it." Despite her words, the yellow mech still gave her a concerned look in his optic.

They both spied Miko practically vibrating in place on the couch, excitedly looking at the screen and shushing Jack whenever he tried to ask her if she was okay or what was up.

( "Wrecker?" An ex-wrecker muttered confusedly, unknowingly mirroring a certain other ex-wrecker in Omega Outpost One. )

[ The scene cut to a familiar man with a scar running over his nose bridge, he stood in a control room, a pulsing map on the giant screen before him. "Pilot status?" He asked aloud, a nearby woman manning a control panel answered him.

"Gearing up sir, ten minutes max till deployment."

"Make it eight, these readings are uncomfortably close to our base. The last thing we need are the XTRs gunning for us." ]

"Silas." Optimus murmured uneasily, frowning at the sight of the man.

( "That puny little— next time I see him, I'll smash him to bits!"

A spiderbot laughed, "Do you need a hand with that, Breakdown? Or sorry, an optic?"

"Enough! Both of you, silence!" A warlord commanded, glaring at the bristling cons who were quick to back down and mutter 'Yes, Lord Megatron' soon afterwards. )

[ "Shockwave." Silas addressed a man who stood by a giant window, overseeing what looked about to be five gigantic robots. Each varying in size and color, though only three were being surrounded by people and worked on. "Is it ready?"

"It is abrupt, calculations may be off if we attempt to do a live-testing so soon." Shockwave, a man wearing a dark-purple labcoat and a full-faced red-tinted visor said. His voice was slightly modulated, artificial, but mostly toneless. "But yes, it is ready. Senscript is ready." ]

Everyone did a doubletake at the sight of 'Shockwave'. The Autobots nearly fell off their chairs!

( On a warship, multiple Decepticons almost stumbled in place. A cacophany of noise at the sight of their mad scientist Con turned human. )

"Wha- I thought this 'Shockwave' guy was a bot! Er- cybertronian? Like you guys!" Miko exclaimed, her previous excitement temporarily displaced by the sight of the admittedly menacing man that stood on screen.

"He is! He's- Shockwave's a cybertronian… here." Ratchet said, realization kicking in as he remembered this was a different universe. "However, it seems that, in that universe, he is not."

"Sweet Primus! Human Shockwave? I don't know whether to be relieved or scared scrapless!" Bulkhead gawped, torn over the fact that the infamous mech was human in that universe.

"I-Is it a good thing or a bad thing that Shockwave is human there?" Raf dared to ask, nervously rubbing his arm.

"I don't know Rafael," Ratchet answered with a tense frown, "I don't know."

.: I don't like him. :. Bumblebee's frame was tense, servos clenched on his lap. .: He did something to Raf, to- 'Senscript' and now he and Silas need Raf to do something. I don't like it. :.

[ "Then let the live-testing begin. Get those pilots out there and subdue the commanding XTR." Silas commanded. "Deploy as soon as possible."

Miko stepped onto a platform, dressed in a thick, dark pink protective jumpsuit. MN-00 was stamped in white across her back. She put on a thick visored helmet, securing it on her head. The platform rose towards a towering, tank of a robot with thick metal plating and dark red painted on gunmetal black. It was the biggest mecha within the gigantic hanger, needing two separate support structures to keep it aloft.

Jack stepped on a similar platform, dressed in the same dark, thick protective jumpsuit- only it was in a deep blue. JD- 05 was stamped across his back. He was securing the same visored helmet on his head. The platform took him to a thinner, shorter mecha- at least compared to Miko's mecha. It just needed one support structure. Its plating was dark blue on grey.

Raf was on the last platform, also dressed in a jumpsuit, his was a smooth red-orange. RE-13 was on his back. His helmet was secured, and a little different. Much thicker compared to Jack and Miko's helmets, it covered part of his neck as well. His mecha was the smallest of the two, half the size of Jack's mecha but surprisingly widely built. Its plating was red-orange on light grey, with a medical cross painted over the chest and shoulders. ]

Miko's confusion over Shockwave was instantly gone as she grabbed Jack and shook him rapidly. "I KNEW IT! I knew it- pilots? Mecha? WE'RE PILOTING GIANT ROBOTS! LIKE ACTUAL GIANT ROBOTS! LIKE GUNDAM!" She squealed, ecstatic beyond belief.

"That's… woah." Jack blinked, a bit speechless as he watched himself step into chest cavity of the giant robot-mecha. He thinks the mecha was as tall as Optimus, maybe a bit taller. Hell, Miko's mecha was ginormous!

Raf tilted his head, looking at the red medical crosses on 'his' mecha, remembering what his other self said earlier. "Rescue-class…" He muttered to himself, brows furrowing in thought. "Sensitivity…"

Arcee didn't know what to say, how to react- the fact the kids in that universe, although they were older, were getting into what looked to be sparkless bodies of Cybertronians— no, they were human built mecha. Not… Not cybertronians, still, looking at these things was… disturbing.

Their visored heads just reminded her of empurata victims, faceless. Miko's mecha didn't even have full-five digits, just three, clearly created to smash into things. Raf's mecha was thickly built but smalll, the color scheme and that symbol seemed like he was a support type of mecha, didn't he say something about rescue earlier? And Jack's mecha… the colors, the designation were so close to Tailgate's that it made her spark hurt. But he didn't have the same frame as Tailgate, his legs were built different, digitigrade and clearly for speed.

( "… Okay, I think I know where this is going." A red speedster deadpanned, hiding how uncomfortable he was at seeing the mecha. It was uncanny really, how Cybertronian-like they were yet weren't. )

[ Miko sat in her cockpit, strapping herself into the seat. She grinned, "Callsign: Wrecker, clocking in!" From behind, her helmet shifted, opening a segment to a previously unseen part of her neck. previously hidden underneath her hair. Two ports. As she sat back, the seat's head opened to reveal two wires which automatically plugged themselves into Miko's neck. She gritted her teeth, her grin turning feral. "Syncronization, plug in complete!" Her mecha whirred to life, steam escaping the wires and connectors to the support structures as they disconnected from her. ]

The teenage girl's excitement faltered, but only for a moment just to wince at the phantom pain she felt at the sight of the wires stabbing themselves into her neck. "Oh weird! Why'd they have to do that? Gundam didn't have that!" She complained, rubbing her neck with a shiver.

Ratchet was muttering to himself, already theorizing on what was going on- yet his mutterings were put to a stop when he noticed how tense and disapproving Optimus looked. "… Optimus?"

The Prime didn't look at him, merely watched as Jack and Raf came in next.

[ "Callsign: Tailbreaker, clocking in." A similar sequence followed, his helmet shifting behind him to allow the wires to plug themselves into his two ports. Jack gritted his teeth, fingers digging into his arm rest before they relaxed. "Syncronization, plug in complete." His mecha hissed as he was released from the supports as well.

Raf's clock in was a bit different, he sat in his cockpit, strapped in. "Callsign: Senscript, clocking in." He took in a deep breath, his helmet shifted open, revealing not two, but five ports along his neck. He let out a pained yelp as five wires dug into each port. "S-Syncronization. Plug in complete." ]

"Wait, why does Raf have five ports instead of two like Miko and I?" Jack asked, frowning at the sight of the young boy- well, teen now in the screen, yelping in pain.

"That's a lot of ports." Miko agreed, frowning, her excitement dimming slightly from how uncomfortable on-screen Raf looked with five wires plugged into his neck like that.

.: That doesn't look comfortable. :. Bumblebee said unhappily, worried for his human charge's counterpart. He looked over to see Raf shivering, rubbing at the back of his neck with a deeply uncomfortable look. .: Shockwave must have done something. :.

"The question is, what." Arcee muttered, "He and Silas are up to something."

( "If only Shockwave was here, perhaps he could give some insight of what's happening." A seeker wilted over the pointed, displeased look his warlord leader gave him. "Even though his counterpart is human there, I'd imagine he would've had an inkling to his counterpart's thought process regardless… It's truly a shame that he died on Cybertron."

A seeker gulped nervously, "Hahaha… i-indeed..." )

[ "Pilots lock in; XTRs appeared south-west to MECH base. Deploy in T-minus 2 minutes, your orders are as follows; deal with all the grunt XTRs and subdue the commander." Silas' voice came into the mecha's comm-system. Each of them standing at the entrance of the hangar.

"Pilot Senscript is crucial to this mission, not a scratch is to be on him. Senscript hang back as Tailbreaker and Wrecker deal with the chaff and get the commander subdued for your main objective."

Shockwave's voice came, making all three of them tense. "Your main objective is to live-test my invention. Senscript, just as we practiced and tested. Ensure a link is possible with the cortical psychic patch and download or scribe whatever data you find within the XTR commander's processing unit. Operation: Patch-Link will now begin. Do not fail me."

Silas interrupted, sounding irritated. "Do not fail MECH. Deploy, now."

All three pilots let out a unified 'Yes sir!' as the hanger doors opened, letting them deploy out of the base and towards the 'XTRs'. ]

"Cortical Psychic Patch?!" Both Ratchet and Arcee shouted, causing all three humans to wince. Bumblebee flinched at the mention of it, whirring lowly to himself in a low, wordless beep.

"I knew it! I knew it, no Shockwave is good! Cybertronian or otherwise!" Arcee snarled, her helm spiking in pain from years ago- the ache of the patch going in, of Shockwave rummaging through her memories… Not to mention not too long ago.

"Pause! Cortical- y-you mean that thing that let Megatron into Bee's mind? Back when Optimus was sick with the cybonic plague?" Raf gasped, looking sick to his stomach as he remembered what happened. Bee had heroically went into a comatose Megatron's mind to retrieve the cure, but Megatron had managed to hitch a ride back, controlling his friend and returning to his original body afterwards.

It had been a mess, and caused more than a few nightmares.

"Ugh, thinking about it, the kids plugging into their mechas is reminding me of that." Bulkhead muttered aloud, wincing when he sees Raf pale even more as well as the disturbed looks from his fellow Autobots. "Uh…"

.: Wait, i-if Shockwave wants Raf- er, Senscript? To use a cortical psychich patch… just what, or who, is he patching into? :. Bumblebee asked, focusing back on the screen with great apprehension.

"He… wanted him to patch into something called an XTR… do you think- back at the start, were those…?" Jack hesitantly theorized with a distressed look on his face.

Miko didn't hesitate, "Observer! Continue!"

This universe was definitely different from the other two they'd last watched…

[ ----- TFP: UO -----]

THIS TOOK... 6.4k WORDS... that is the LONGEST chapter in this story so far. and originally i wanted to end SOMEWHERE ELSE but that would've taken WAY LONGER!

i certainly hope you guys enjoyed because this was fun! and it's just going to get better! also please don't mind the mecha descriptions, i suck at those currently. hoping to get better at those at some point. but just know, i gave miko the biggest, baddest mecha (with a surprise for later), jack a strong but slimmer mecha built for speed (with a surprise, for later but from jack himself) and raf a nice support mecha which is smaller, thicker (and yes, he also has a surprise for later. next chapter even!)

also! did you know... jack and tailgate have the same voice actor?? i had fun knowing that! and now so does arcee! kind of! she is getting SO MUCH TAILGATE VIBES from Mecha Au Jack, especially when Jack's in his mecha and using his callsign of Tailbreaker. hehehehehe this'll be very fun.

also also! did i just kill june in mecha jack's backstory? yes. i did. we move on!

thank you all for supporting me and the story, i'll see you all next chapter!

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[lokisprettygirl]

Fix You Fix me (Bill Skarsgård! Eric Draven x Female Reader) (Au)

Read chapter 4 here / Series Masterlist

Chapter 5

Summary : How long will you be able to keep the truth away from Eric? Eric stumbles upon something.

Warning: Fat shaming, body shaming, manipulation, reader lacks bit of a spine, emotional abuse, reader's weight will be mentioned because the fic demands it

Oh god. You couldn't even run even if you wanted to.

Your heartbeat sped as she suddenly got up, taking long strides towards you. The moment she was in your vicinity she gave you a big warm hug as if you both were best friends, you were slightly weirded out by the gesture especially when yesterday she was sending death glare your way for spilling the coffee on her.

“Heyyy y/n ..good to see you here..what are you doing here?” She asked, smiling from ear to ear, her white teeth sparkling, looking at you as if she was surprised that you could afford to be at a place like this. Well you couldn't but that wasn't the point.

“Ummm I'm here with my boyfriend…what are you uhhh doing here?”

The smile on her face was constant, she was definitely overcompensating because you had caught her sucking another man's face.

“Ohh just hanging out with friends” she answered so you hummed in response, you briefly glanced at the unknown man she was kissing just now. Friends? As in plural? No it was just one friend, one man, one whore kissing another man's girlfriend. “Look y/n..girl to girl.. since we are friends now. It's not what it looks like so don't say anything about this to Eric..”

She said to you so you crossed your arms. Girl to girl ? Friends? Sure you had known both of them for barely ten days but your loyalty lied more towards him.

“But you were kissing him” you mumbled sharply, surprised by the firmness in your voice. Why did it bother you that Eric was being cheated on? This was none of your business but it still bothered you a lot.

Maybe it was because underneath all that broodiness he really seemed like a decent guy.

“Yeah so? It's normal in our industry” she answered.

Shameless. Utterly shameless.

Was she really trying to gaslight you?

“Umm I don't think it is” You said to her, making her jaw clench in frustration.

The only reason she came here was because she wanted to stay incognito, it was an exclusive restaurant and only high profile people managed to get in.

She rolled her eyes, finally dropping her act.

“Look, just don't say anything to Eric. I'm not going to lose anything because he loves me and he's not going to believe a random client's words over his girlfriend.. Jesus, I thought we were becoming friends..can't you keep a secret for me?” She asked you, acting as if you were in the wrong that you caught her cheating.

“But if he loves you, why are you kissing other men?” You asked again, wanting to know why she would cheat on Eric. Ofcourse you didn't know him personally, but he was a handsome man and he was always nice to her.

“Look.. that guy over there" She paused as she gestured towards the whore friend of hers “He's a very influential man and he fancies me. I love Eric..i really do but you have no idea what he's like..all he cares about is his gym, his competition and his disab--” she caught her lips before she'd make this worse.

“You know he never takes me out on a date? It's me who has to initiate it.. and even then i have to drag him.. and it's not even fun because he refuses to eat anything that's not boiled chicken and other bland crap he is into..the only thing he truly loves is his body and that gym”

That was still not an excuse to cheat on anyone though. So What if he was passionate about his career and had dreams? Why dont she just break up with him if he wasn't a good boyfriend?

You were going to respond but then Jake approached you both.

“Where have you been?” He asked you before his eyes met with Regina so she gave him a smile.

“You must be the boyfriend..hii..I'm Regina” she brought her hand forward, smiling again from ear to ear, so Jake took her hand on his own and then much to your shock he bent down and kissed the back of her hand. The last time he did that with you was the day he had asked you out.

“Heard a lot of you..I'm Jake Smith..I'm a neurosurgeon” she let out a loud gasp as he said that.

“Oh my god you must be like a genius or something..lucky you y/n” she said to him. Now usually you fumed with jealousy when women who were prettier and hotter than you flirted with him but at the moment Eric being cheated on was the only thing that occupied your thoughts.

The worst part was that she seemed to have no remorse for it, she was instead justifying her actions. Maybe this wasn't her first time.

“Anyways..gotta go guys, hopefully we run into each other again Mr. Smith” she said to him before she pulled you in for a hug again.

“If you want to keep coming to the gym, just don't say anything alright” she whispered in your ear before she gave you a flying kiss.

Was she really threatening you when you had the upper hand in this situation?

Her heels clicked on the fancy marbled floor, you saw as she grabbed her homewrecking interloper's arm and they walked out of the restaurant.

“You see, you should dress up more like her..so classy” You heard Jake's voice so you looked at him briefly in disbelief “Don't worry I'll change your wardrobe..you're so hopeless.. it's cute” he said as he kissed your temple. The insult now sweetened by the affection.

*****

The following day at the gym you couldn't really concentrate on the workout even though Eric was shouting instructions at you. You kept thinking about Regina and her sidepiece.

“Y/N, focus. You’re going to hurt yourself”

You blinked, realizing your grip on the barbell was loose, your form was all wrong.

“Sorry” you muttered, avoiding his eyes.

Eric didn’t say anything for a moment but as you were resting between the set he finally spoke.

“You’re distracted” he said to you as he moved to the barbell to add a small plate on each side.

“Just…a lot on my mind” you said to him so he nodded.

“Want to talk about it?”

Yes. The word was right there on your tongue. But the memory of Regina’s hissed warning rang in your ears. Would he even believe you?

“It’s nothing important”

Eric didn’t press you any further, he wasn't your friend afterall, he just gave a tight nod and went back to guiding you. “Alright. One more set. Focus. Don’t waste your own time”

You tried. You really did. But every time you looked at him, all you could think about was how unaware he seemed. It made your chest ache in a way you weren't expecting.

How would he react when he finds out? You really needed to do something about it, you just didn't know what.

After another set, you grabbed your water bottle and sat down at one of the benches as Eric set up the barbell for another exercise.

“Ummm that day at the restaurant..those guys asked about the prep..what are you prepping for?’

He was unloading plates from the barbell, his arm muscles flexing with every move, he turned his head to look at you, a little surprised by the question.

“A show” he said simply “National physique championship. It's at the end of next month.” your brows crinkled with curiosity as he said that.

“Like… a bodybuilding competition?”

He gave a faint nod, glancing down as he adjusted the screws on the rod.

“Like that..but it's completely natural..so no drug enhancer and steroids” he answered nonchalantly.

“Mmm good I heard those things are bad for you”

“They are”

“Is this your first time?” you asked another question, he didn't know how to feel about this. He wasn't used to talking about himself. There was only one person who took that sort of interest in his life.

“Yeah… I mean, I’ve done a few things here and there but nothing on this level” Eric said, his voice quieter now, more focused “Nationals are... different. Bigger stakes. Tougher competitions. A lot of guys train years just to qualify..and the winning amount.. well it will change my life”

You watched the way his brows furrowed slightly, how serious he seemed about it. He wasn’t just some gym bro showing off for Instagram, this really mattered to him. It made your chest twist again. How could Regina not see this? The way she phrased it last night was as if he was a musclehead neglecting boyfriend who didn't care about her when he was just focused on a goal he had to achieve.

“Well I can't imagine you not qualifying.. you're the most disciplined person i have ever seen” his eyes met with yours, he almost smiled. Almost.

“Okay enough about me. Come back now..you don't pay me to talk about me” he said to you but it was well intended, you groaned but eventually complied.

Later that day after work when you reached home, you still felt guilty, what's the worst that could happen if you tell him the truth? But after what he told you, you couldn't tell him, right? It wasn't just about you losing him as a trainer and losing the gym membership, now that you knew he was preparing for a competition, you couldn't help but fear that this will distract him.

After showering and eating as you laid down in bed, you opened Regina's profile, she had put up a few stories so you opened it,

“Hey guys..get ready with me while I tell you about how this gorgeous set from gymshark was ruined by a jealous woman”

She said and then a picture popped on the screen, the purple jacket, the same jacket she had worn the day you spilled coffee on her.

“Bitccchhh” you gasped out loud as she narrated the whole story and made it seem like you had run purposefully into her. Luckily for you she didn't take any names or you'd have been getting death threats in your dm right about now from her ass kissers.

Everything was clicks and stories with her wasn't it? Did she even care about Eric? It was funny how your view of her had changed so drastically in the past few days. You almost used to idolize her life, now you knew it was all fake.

For a week you sat with the secret but everytime you saw a post where she was flaunting him shamelessly the guilt intensified. But you didn't know how to go about it either.

You had just returned from the evening gym session. Jake was home and the moment you got out of the shower he pulled you in the bed with him.

As he took your top off he looked down at you.

“Don't look like you have been losing anything yet honeybear”

He said with a chuckle as he pinched your stomach between his fingers or more like the fat.

You swatted at his chest, feeling self conscious all of a sudden, there was a smile on his face but his words made your stomach twist a little. You had been trying. Harder than ever, actually. Eating cleaner, cutting back on takeout, dragging yourself to the gym even when every bone ached. But Jake’s words landed wrong—less teasing, more insulting.

“It's been like two weeks” you defended yourself so he chuckled.

“Just saying..if you don't make progress in the next month we will change the trainer..god knows if he's even qualified”

“Ummm he's good actually.. people see results eventually”

He rolled his eyes before he bent down and began kissing you, that's when you felt the familiar churn in your stomach.

“Ummm Jake I think I just got my period” you said as you placed your hands on his chest to pull him away.

“It's okay..you know I don't care-” he whispered in your ear.

“No my stomach hurts.. and it will get worse if I don't take the pill..” he let out a groan of disappointment before he got off you.

“Just great.”

You heard him murmuring as you almost ran into the bathroom to take care of the situation, as you opened the medicine cabinet, you realised you had run out of the medicine.

“Jakey…can you get me the ibuprofen..it's the only one that works for me” he was relaxing on your bed , his phone in his hand, he didn't even look up as he answered.

“Just take anything..a painkiller is a painkiller.. I'd know better im a doctor” your eyes teared as the pain just went from 3 to 4.

“I don't have anything else .. please just get me some”

“You seriously don't have any other painkillers in that cabinet? What the hell do you even keep in there then?”

He got up and put his shirt on, begrudgingly he agreed to go out. You felt bad as he never really got much free time, you wouldn't have asked if it wasn't an emergency.

Your stomach churned again, painfully.

You sat down on the bed and grabbed your phone to text Eric. You didn't think you'd be able to go to the gym tomorrow morning.

You : Won't be able to come tomorrow ..i have cramps :(

You pressed the send button. He responded almost immediately.

Eric : Where?

Men right?

You : ummm period cramps

You texted again.

Eric : ohh

Eric: Rest tomorrow then. Feel better soon.

You : Thank you :)

.....

As half an hour passed, you texted Jake to ask if he was close, you felt as if you'd die, he should have been back by now, he then responded a minute later.

Jake : Got paged, emergency at the hospital..wait it out, it's just cramps..you'll be fine

Your eyes teared up, you knew how important his job was to him but it would have barely taken ten minutes to just drop off the medicine and then leave. But maybe it was a life or death situation and he had to leave immediately.

A minute later the buzzer went off so you got out of the bed and moved to the living room to speak through the intercom

“Hello? Who's there?”

You asked but no response came, maybe someone has pressed it by mistake. You sighed knowing that you'd have to go get it yourself. You pulled on a comfy pajama before taking the elevator below

But when you made it downstairs and opened the front door you saw something on the stoop.

A small paper bag placed neatly outside the door, the kind you’d get from the pharmacy.

You bent down slowly, picked it up, and looked inside.

Ibuprofen.

There was also a note inside the bag.

“For your cramps”

The handwriting didn't match Jake, especially the way the r letter was written, there was a double swirl at the each end of the r, every r was written in the same manner which was unique.

You felt as if you had seen it somewhere, maybe he got his assistant Shane to do it for him.

You smiled as you quickly turned around and went up to your apartment. You couldn't wait a minute longer, the cramp was only getting worse.

Ten minutes later when the medicine finally kicked in you picked up your phone and texted Jake. He was getting late but he made sure the medicine reached you.. Why didn't he just tell you?

You : Thanks :) love you

Jake : Huh?

He responded.

You : For this

You sent him the picture of the pharmacy bag along with the text

Jake : So you found it? Happy now? :)

You : Very sneaky. Why didn't you just tell me?

You asked him but he didn't respond. You figured he got busy with the surgery.

************

Later that night you were relaxing, you had taken a day off from work too tomorrow so you were pretty excited about the off day. Maybe you'd even make it to the gym in the evening.

You had started to enjoy lifting weights and working up a sweat. As you were mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, a text from Eric popped up.

Eric : Uhhh warm bath helps with the cramps

You couldn't help but smile as you typed your response.

You : Thank you. I actually do feel better now. Don't kill me..i know it's not good and all but I took a painkiller..my cramps get really bad.

You responded.

Eric : It's okay. Would rather not have you in pain if it's not from working out.

You sent a laughing emoji before you typed again.

You : Thank you for checking in :) I might come in the evening

Eric : Rest if you need to. You don't have to push so hard. You're doing good already y/n and I don't say that very often so I mean it.

You sat up as you read the message. He was kind of sweet when he wanted to be. And that made you feel guilty again. He didn't even know he was being cheated on.

You : Okay but I can come if I want to?

Eric : Of Course. You can do whatever you want

********

Next day In the evening you walked towards the gym. When you entered, Chance greeted you..

“He's not here today. Did you have a session scheduled?” He asked so you shook your head as you made an entry in the register.

“No I just wanted to do something light..I'll just use the treadmill and stretch” he smiled as you said that “Ummm is Regina here?” you asked him so he sighed.

“No ..thank god” he rolled his eyes.

“Why did you say it like that?” you chuckled.

“Well what can I say? She doesn't deserve him” he mumbled, his tone was one of frustration.

Why did he say that? Did he know something too?

“Why would you say that?” you asked him but then the phone rang so he excused himself. You didn't want to stand there and appear overly curious about the situation so you stepped inside the gym area.

The gym was quieter than usual and you were glad Regina wasn't around either. You finished your forty five minutes walk on the treadmill and then did some basic stretches Eric had been making you do everyday. Once you finished you grabbed your bag and water bottle to head toward the reception area.

But then you paused mid-step as you stared at the whiteboard.

It’s where Eric usually wrote down the workout schedule, mostly his own. You never paid much attention to it but something caught your eyes tonight.

The list was scrawled in thick black marker, sets, reps, the usual but your eyes were stuck on one letter.

The R.

Your breath caught as you made the connection. It couldn't have been a coincidence.

You had never seen anyone writing their R’s in that manner and without fail each time there were two swirls at the bottom just like the note that was in the pharmacy bag..

************

Last Night

Y/n (Personal client) : Thank you :)

After reading your last message Eric put his phone back inside the pocket of his hoodie. The fluorescent lights of the pharmacy flickered faintly above as he stood in the long line. Last week the woman behind the counter had promised a restock of the specific prescription he’d been hunting for days. He had no choice but to get it today before it would get out of stock again.

He shifted his weight, checked his phone again. No new messages from you. 

The chime above the pharmacy door jingled. Eric glanced over his shoulder, his gaze lingering on the man who walked in before he turned his eyes forward again.

He recognised the man really well. He never really forgot a face. It was him.

“Fuck you won't believe the long line here” the man said on the phone to someone “No the other one was closed actually” he sighed. Eric couldn't help but pay attention to the conversation.

“What can I say, she's such a klutz, she expects me to run out in the middle of the night because her stomach hurts. Jesus..I get one day every two weeks and this is how I get to spend it”

Eric turned his head slightly, expression unreadable as always.

His gaze stayed low, but sharp, as the man paced the aisle behind him, still on the call. 

“I swear, man, the things I put up with. She doesn't even do anything all day. Just lying around after her lazy job is done with. And now she wants Ibuprofen specifically. Can’t even take a goddamn aspirin”

Eric’s jaw flexed. It was anger. The way he spoke of you, he recognised that tone really well. Was this how he treated you? Did you know how he spoke of you behind your back? Or How he portrayed you in front of his friends?

Is he the reason you seemed so desperate that night to lose weight? The reason you reduced to tears?

 “Wait, hold on—Dr. Harris is scrubbing in on the Morris case? At our hospital?”

There was a pause, then a change in his tone. "Fuck no ofcourse I'm coming. I can’t miss that..it has been a dream of mine to watch him operate” he paused as the person on the other side spoke. “Nah, she’ll be fine. It's just a period. I’ll just tell her I was paged”

Eric watched as Jake turned on his heel and walked out. Without getting the medicine you had probably asked for. The door swung shut behind him.

Eric stood in line for several minutes, appalled and disgusted. He could’ve easily picked up the medicine and been on his way, it wasn’t like he was the one performing the surgery. And he knew enough about surgeries to know they took hours. Ten minutes wouldn’t have made a difference, especially not when his girlfriend was at home, in pain, waiting for him to come back to her.

As the line cleared in front of him Eric stepped up to the counter and passed his prescription slip.

“Anything else?” the pharmacist asked, bagging up the items he’d come in for.

He glanced over at the shelf nearby, eyes scanning quickly before he found what he was looking for. 

“Can I get a sticky note please?”

He asked the woman so she nodded and offered him the note and the pen,he quickly scribbled down the words and put the note inside the bag.

“For your Cramps”

He already knew where you lived, but not your exact apartment number. On the way over, he called Chance to see if you'd listed it on the registration form and luckily, you had.

He set the bag down on the stoop before pressing the buzzer, hoping you’d find it. The idea of you being in pain bothered him more than he'd like to admit.

***********

Around 9 at night the next day, he was walking back home after closing the gym when he saw something that made him stop in his track.

It was your boyfriend again. Arm in arm with a woman that wasn't you.

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Taglist @loushaw131460 @wiseyouthinfluencer @purplerainx1 @bloodykisserr @muchwita @mariaenchanted @a-differentbrandof-beans @kikibit

[woso-dreamzzz]

Breakfast IV

Ellie Carpenter x Daniëlle van de Donk x Child!Reader

Summary: The trip to the Maldives

"You can smile, you know," Mamma says," It won't hurt."

You don't give her the satisfaction, shovelling more food into your mouth.

"Oh? Giving me the silent treatment but now smile? Come on. Smile." Mamma pokes at your cheeks until the corners of your mouth lift up begrudgingly. "There's my beautiful girl. What's got you so grumpy?"

"It's hot," You complain.

Mamma laughs. "Well, maybe you would be less hot if you didn't insist on sleeping with me and Ellie last night."

"Should have kicked Ellie out. You've had me longer," You mutter but Mamma keeps laughing and presses a soft kiss to your hairline. You look behind you. "Is Ellie up yet? I'm bored."

"I thought you were hot."

"Mamma! I can be both!"

"Ellie's still sleeping," Mamma says," How about we head out and grab some ice cream if you're so hot?"

You look at Mamma suspiciously for a moment but then run to get your shoes before she changes her mind.

It's Christmas break and you're in the Maldives with Mamma and Ellie. You don't really like it much. It's too hot and the ocean makes your hair go all weird and Ellie's being extra annoying.

You made your truce in France so you don't really think it applies here.

Ellie's being extra annoying because of the heat, you think, because she threw you in the sea yesterday when you weren't ready all because you ate some of the snacks from Australia she'd brought with her.

You thought that was kind of mean because Ellie's an adult and you're only little and Mamma always says sharing is caring. Ellie should have acted like an adult and not thrown you in the sea.

You're good at swimming though so it didn't matter and you kicked her in the shin when you got back to shore and Mamma didn't even tell you off for it.

You get ice cream with Mamma and immediately beeline to her bedroom as soon as you're back.

"Ew! Why are your fingers sticky?!" Ellie demands as she wakes up.

You shovel more ice cream into your mouth, wiping off your hands against her arm.

"You got ice cream without me? Daan, how could you?!"

You knew she's joking around now and you've sufficiently annoyed her for today so you skip back to the lounge to watch some tv.

You know that Mamma and Ellie are kissing and being gross because you can hear them giggling and you know that's what they do when they kiss because you walked in on them once.

"Mamma! Ellie's being mean again!" You exclaim when they finally come back in and Ellie gives you a noogie on your head.

"Ellie! Leave her alone!"

"Daan! Your pipsqueak is trying to bite me again!"

"Y/N! Be nice!"

You stick your tongue out but keep your teeth to yourself as Ellie laces up her shoes and throws your own at you.

There's something about you that Ellie can admit that she'll never get. You're slightly feral at times. It shouldn't be endearing but it is and Ellie hopes that never changes even as you try to shove her off the boardwalk and into the ocean.

You're pushing with all your miniscule might but Ellie's refusing to budge. In an impressive show of strength, she picks you up and throws you over her shoulder as she walks to the oceanside bar that's nearby.

"If you're going to give me alcohol, Mamma will be mad," You say as she comes back from ordering drinks, having dropped you off at an empty table.

"I'm not giving you alcohol," Ellie says, dipping her hand into her purse a bit nervously.

"Unless it's in ice cream," You reply," Mamma lets me have ice cream that's got champagne in it when we go to the theatre. Can we get ice cream?"

"You've already had ice cream today, pipsqueak," Ellie reminds you, rolling something around her fingers.

"But you wanted ice cream earlier. I won't tell Mamma if you let me have some."

Ellie rolls her eyes fondly at you before suddenly turning serious.

You notice the switch instantly and it's like you immediately put your walls back up. You go stiff and rigid and look at her as suspiciously as the first time she slept around. One of her hands comes up to take yours but you pull away.

"Pipsqueak," She says gently," It's okay."

You shake your head. "Is something bad happening?" You ask, eyes darting around," Ellie, you're being weird. Stop it."

It's clear that you're panicking now but still rooted to your seat. You look like you're going to bolt at any moment and Ellie doesn't know if she has the wherewithal to catch you before you disappear.

It's now or never.

She slides you what she had hidden in one of her hands.

You stop breathing and suddenly it's Ellie's turn to panic now.

"I..." You say, staring down at what is now cradled in your palm," I...I don't understand."

"I want to marry your Mamma," Ellie says to you. She reaches out for you again.

You let her.

"I don't want to be temporary in your or her lives. I really want to marry your Mamma."

You pop open the box to look at the ring.

"And I know we have a truce but I don't think it covers this. So, I need to ask. Are you okay with this? Is this alright with you?"

You're still not looking at her. "But...But why? I'm mean to you all the time. I get you all sticky with ice cream and I know you don't like walking to school with me when we can just drive. Why are you staying?"

"I love your Mamma, pipsqueak," Ellie says," Can I tell you a secret?"

She moves to sit on your side of the table, gently bringing you closer in case any sudden move will startle you.

"I love you too."

Your eyes starting stinging with tears.

"And I promise that I don't actually care if you put your sticky ice cream hands on my skin or make me walk half an hour in the rain when the car journey is basically ten minutes. I want all of that with you and your Mamma but only if you want that too."

You look up at Ellie and clamber onto her lap, curling up so you can press your ear against her chest and listen to the beating of her heart.

When you come back to the villa, Daan knows that you're acting weird. You're a little jumpy and you can't seem to make eye contact.

Ellie's no help, telling her nothing of what you've done to waste almost three hours together. She just shrugs and shepherds you into their room for your usual afternoon nap.

"You know how she is," Ellie says after getting you settled," The heat's getting to her a bit." She offers up no other explanation but that one before heading out again.

Daan's left to stew in her own worries for a few hours before familiar feet draw her attention.

"Did you have a good nap?"

She cranes her head back to look at you, brow furrowing as she does so.

You've changed out of what you were wearing earlier, with your shoes already on and holding hers in your hand.

"Have we got plans?" She teases when you force her into her shoes and drag her out the door.

You don't answer, holding your Mamma's hand tightly. You pull her along the walkway to the beach, weaving through the sparse trees to where Ellie's waiting for you both.

"What are you two troublemakers doing?" Daan asks," Wearing the same clothes now? What have you planned?"

You drop her hand to stand next to Ellie, who leans down to whisper something in your ear. You giggle before going to grab something out of Ellie's bag.

Ellie smiles.

She steps closer.

She gets on one knee.

Daan says yes before she even asks.

You throw confetti into the air.

[denwritesandcries]

Call me Yours – N.S

Pairing: natalie scatorccio x fem!reader

Summary: You’re in a closet with Natalie Scatorccio. How ironic.

Word count: 2,3k.

Content: NSFW minors dni, no crash!AU, cursing, arguing, jealousy, makeout session, thigh riding, slightly toxic behavior?? but it wouldn't be a yellowjacket relationship if it weren't just a little.

Note: Is it a secret relationship?? Friends with benefits??? I don't know man but they’re horny.

English is not my first language.

You're in a closet with Natalie Scatorccio.

There is a party going on outside, students filling the rooms of Lottie's house with loud generic music playing in the background, but the small room you two were locked in remained silent, too silent.

“See ya’ in 7 minutes, ladies!” Van's mocking voice cuts through the air, but a knife could have done the same; the blonde snorts and you roll your eyes, fixing your gaze somewhere in the darkness so you don't have to face her.

“Ugh, how old does she think we are?” Natalie hisses, you can feel her eyes on your face, even though you can't see much more than the outline of her body at the moment.

You say nothing, arms crossed over your chest and a frown covering your face, Nat tries again:

“I didn’t even want to come to this stupid party.”

“I get it,” you bite, just because you know her well enough to guess that she won’t stop complaining until she gets something out of you, “I get that you don’t want to be here, Natalie.”

She must finally realize how mad you are – mad at her – at the sound of her full name instead of the nickname that always seemed to be on the tip of your tongue, because you swear you can hear her teeth chattering when she shuts her mouth.

With a growl of frustration, you let your head hit the wall with a thud. Great, your night was already being shit, the last thing you needed was to end up playing 7 minutes in heaven with the person who was the cause of your bad mood. Simply amazing.

You see, Natalie had been acting weird for days now, randomly avoiding your company and acting like she didn't know you in the school hallways and being really rude to you during practice. Now, this might even be normal and acceptable behavior from the quiet blonde if you were anyone else, but you weren't. You are her girlfriend.

Are? Were? You don't know for sure anymore given the way she's been acting lately.

Maybe it wouldn't have made you so angry – confused? Yes. Sad? Definitely, but not angry like that – if it weren't for today, for the party.

You had planned to meet Nat at Lottie's party and corner her to finally make her explain what the hell is wrong, dammit, because one afternoon you're smoking with your girlfriend and friends quietly in the basement and the next she's throwing you daggers with her glance every time you open your mouth around her. Anyway, that's what you were going to do, until you found her in the Matthews' giant kitchen leaning against the counter with a cup of beer in her hand and Kevyn Tan practically throwing himself at her, keeping an arm full of spike bracelets wrapped around her shoulders and face with heavy makeup too close to hers to be considered friendly, drooling for Nat like he's always done since you've known about his existence.

Now that really pissed you off.

Who does that sad, emo, pitiful boy think he is to touch your girlfriend like that? And why is she letting him?

You think she could feel you fuming as you stared at them from the door, because the next second she lifted her head and looked at you like a deer caught in the headlights, as if she knew exactly that she was doing something she shouldn't have.

Screw it, you thought, if she'd rather act like you didn't matter anymore, then fine. You won't be standing just watching.

You turned around and only managed to disappear around the house for the next half hour before Taissa appeared with a tired frown and practically dragged you to where the group had gathered with an empty bottle, because Van and Jackie wanted to play something – 'If I'm in this, then you’re too!’ – and well, fuck.

You two have been completely quiet for almost a whole minute and that it's eating you alive; Nat has always handled silence well, you haven't.

Fidgeting with the hem of your own shirt angrily, you huff and give up on the tough act, the blonde straightens up when she hears your footsteps approaching her.

"What is happening?" Your voice comes out in a shamefully desperate tone, “Why are you acting like this with me? What did I do?"

You can see her now, being so close and now used to the dark; her fists are clenched, Natalie keeps her eyes fixed on your figure. For a moment, you think she's going to keep her cold facade and avoid your question with some sarcastic response, she most likely considered it, from the way her mouth opens and closes for a quick moment.

She turns her face to the side, trying to hide, but you can see the difference in tone in the paleness of her skin anyway. Oh, she's embarrassed.

“Nat?”

She mumbles something you don't understand, then your curiosity gives way to the anger and your hands find her face, turning it so Natalie is looking at you.

"What was this?" You ask again, softly this time.

“You called me your girlfriend.” She spits it out fast as if it were just a single sentence, rolling her eyes at your confused face, “You called me your girlfriend to everyone when we were smoking after practice last week.”

Oh, you remember that, when Jackie decided to lecture you all about the smell of smoke that lingered on her clothes after she and Shauna decided to tag along on one of your hangouts with Lottie, Van and Tai, turning up her nose and talking about how you all – and especially Nat – should stop with this habit. ‘Jackie, stop bothering my girlfriend!’, that’s what you said. Is that what made you spend a whole week grounded in the doghouse?

“...And isn’t that what we are?” You try, unsure. This conversation is not taking a very pleasant turn toward a reconciliation.

Nat bites hard her bottom lip, you can see her struggling with the next words:

“It’s just… no one was supposed to know.”

“Oh,” you mutter pathetically, sounding very much like a wounded puppy, “So that’s the problem.”

You're in a closet with Natalie Scatorccio. How ironic.

You can tell she regrets it the moment she says it, grabbing your hands in hers as you pull away.

“No, no, I’m sorry. I– I didn’t mean it like that.”

“How did you meant that then?” Your initial anger and frustration return with a vengeance, you move forward until Nat's back hits a shelf in the small room.

Natalie always does this. Avoid anything that labels your relationship as real; calling your dates ‘hangouts’, not touching you when there are people around, leaving your house before you wake up in the morning, avoiding kisses and caresses that don't initiate anything sexual, calling you ‘friend’ when you can see that the whole team knows this is not all you two are.

Still, – still – she always shows up at your house when she's upset; she doesn't like it when you miss your 'hangouts'; always stays close to you wherever you are together; gets mad when she sees you talking to other girls, even if they are nothing more than classmates; leaves marks all over your body, but doesn't let you do the same, spots and more spots all over your neck that are impossible to cover. People know that you're dating, they just don't know that you're dating Natalie.

And then she gets mad at you for finally putting a name to whatever this is and starts avoiding you completely, even though it's been months since it all started and you've known each other for years.

Nat gasps when your hands find her waist with a firm grip, bringing your lips closer to her ear:

“I’m gonna make you want me to be your girlfriend.”

You swear you feel the shiver that runs through her body. Nat smells like cigarettes and mint gum and it tastes the same when your mouth meets hers.

Her arms are around your neck before she's even processed what's happening, black painted nails playing with the hair on the back of your neck like it's second nature – and it is.

The way Natalie tilts her head to deepen the kiss and bites your lip hard when your hands come up to caress the skin under her shirt says your actions are much appreciated.

The husky, needy moan that escapes your throat when you realize she's braless, palming and massaging her soft skin brings a cocky smile to her face, she sighs, breaking the kiss and letting her head fall back against the shelf in satisfaction.

Nat doesn't moan, not like you do. She seems to want to hold back as much as possible, taking all kinds of reactions from you and your body, but not giving the pleasure of having the same from her. You want to change this.

You let your mouth roam from her strong jaw to her pale neck, leaving wet kisses, bites, and marks. Many marks. You bite the thin skin in different spots, soothing the bite with your tongue, hoping for the spots to form and stay there for days, for everyone to see.

You lazily slide a knee between her legs when you feel Natalie try to turn you around to take control. You usually let her do it, but not today. She squeals in surprise and pleasure, hips instantly grinding against you.

“Nah-ah, Nat,” you cut, bringing a hand down to slow the pace of her hips, “I guess you shouldn’t take anything today, or do you think I forgot about how much you paid attention to that little emo bastard earlier, huh?”

“You hate him that much, huh?” She tries to say in a mockery tone, wanting to turn the tables again, but it sounds pathetic as her voice breaks later in the last words.

“Yes,” you say easily, leaving a lingering kiss on her shoulder, finding her pulse point, “He was touching you. Touching my girlfriend.”

You bite down hard on the skin when Natalie turns her head to grant access and she moans, actually moans, fuck, you did it. A full sound, loud enough to make your pupils dilate until your irises almost disappear. This, this sound, you want to hear this forever.

It's been more than seven minutes, you think, or maybe our discussion was just really quick. You wonder if you would have time to take one of her breasts into your mouth, feeling the way she rolls her eyes and thrusts her hips against your thigh, now free from your hands, when you roll her nipples hard between your fingers.

She sighs as she receives another kiss from you, much softer now, more affectionate, feeling her hand tracing circles on your cheek.

A quick, loud knock on the door startles you both, making Nat jump and bang her head against one of the shelves behind her and knock something over, “Fuck!” She screams and you instinctively reach for her head to check for injuries.

You look at the source of the knock, it's definitely not Van calling, she would have opened the door at once just to laugh at your faces.

“Girls, time is over!” Jackie's voice sings on the other side.

“Ugh,” Natalie grunts, clearly frustrated at being interrupted so abruptly, she takes the opportunity to finally take a look at the closet as you head towards the door, “Is this some kind of pantry?”

“I don’t know,” you shrug, “Rich people have so many random rooms scattered around their houses.”

There are loud whistles and jeers as you leave, half the football team gathered in the busy room and giving you knowing looks, you give Van the finger when she points out the traces of dark lipstick on your mouth.

“Were you guys actually going to fuck in there?” She teases, arching an eyebrow with a smirk.

You open your mouth to retort – probably with something stupid – but Natalie is quicker:

“Fuck off Van, stop bothering my girlfriend.”

Van gives up the provocation, raising her arms in surrender and Nat rolls her eyes as if she hadn't said anything important, but you're absolutely frozen, listening to your heart beating rapidly against your ears.

Natalie looks back when she notices you standing still and snorts in amusement at your reaction, grabbing you by the wrist and pulling you with her.

“C’mon,” she says, “Let’s go, silly, I got something to do–”

“Move!” Jackie interrupts with an anxious tone, pushing you gently by the shoulder and bouncing on her heels, “It’s our turn.”

You catch a glimpse of Shauna standing shyly behind her like a shadow being dragged to the closet and Jeff sitting on the floor with the rest of his classmates with the most confused and defeated expression you've ever seen as Nat hurriedly guides you out.

When you're about to get into her car, Natalie surprises you, grabbing your waist with her cold hands and pressing you against the door, hungry eyes fixed on your form.

“I–” you stutter nervously, “I thought we were going home?”

Natalie nods.

“We are,” she agrees, “I just have to do you first.”

Well, maybe your night won't end as bad as you thought it would.

[love-quinn]

— COMING OF AGE

summary — dave’s had a crush on you since he could remember, but he’d driven you away with his superhero duties. you’re the TA of his class and he’s determined to get it right this time

pairing — college!dave lizewski x reader

track two — “coming of age” by maisie peters

warnings — none i think

word count — 1.7k

note — atj i am free whenever you wanna hang out i have a great home we can place your wife in don't worry about it she'll be fine. kick ass is lowkey one of my guilty pleasure movies, one of my friends watched it a few months ago and told me she'd never watch it again as long as she lived but she just didn't get it like i do </3 this hasn't been edited because i wrote all of it while waiting for my shift to start and i'm not about that life, but i hope u enjoy <33333

When you spend years acting as a quasi-superhero, moving away feels weird. Dave had never had so much time in years. He was pretty sure that wasn’t how most people felt upon starting college, but he was relieved that the worst thing he had to deal with was midterms.

Dave liked being Kick-Ass, sure. It had been his decision to become a superhero after all. But it was kind of nice being able to just be normal for a bit. He had Todd keeping tabs on things back home, he was doing alright in his classes, and he’d even made some friends. So far college was looking like more of a social success than high school had been.

That was how he ended up in a stranger’s living room on a Thursday night, music blaring from the speakers and a drink of something in his hand. He’d been chatting to a girl from one of his classes when Dave realised that he’d never learned how to flirt. Katie had been attracted to him once she found out he was Kick-Ass, and his only other romantic experience had… left a lot to be desired.

It hadn’t been your fault. You had been effortlessly lovely from the second Dave had laid eyes on you, but it’s hard to find time to woo a girl when you’re constantly getting the shit beaten out of you for no meaningful reason. You were a year older than him, and he’d known that getting a senior girl to even look at him was an accomplishment.

Todd and Marty had assured him that he was annoying you, but you’d thought he was kind of sweet. A guy who was utterly obsessed with you but in an endearing way rather than a creepy way (he was a little creepy, you had to admit) was good for your confidence, and you couldn’t lie and say he wasn’t cute.

Then he’d blown you off two separate times after you’d finally agreed to go on a date with him and from that day on Dave was dead to you.

Which is why he didn’t hesitate to abandon the girl he’d been attempting to chat up the moment he caught a glimpse of you pushing through a group of people to get to the kitchen. He didn’t even process her calling him a dickhead, he was too locked in on your profile.

You were pouring yourself a cup of something from a bottle on the counter, listening absent-mindedly to the girl beside you babble about something her boyfriend had done when you finally noticed his presence.

He’d expected some more of a reaction than a deep sigh and a halfhearted wave, but you weren’t yelling at him so he took that as a win.

“How are you?”

You took a gulp of whatever you’d poured yourself and immediately set about refilling your cup. “Fine.” You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear. “I didn’t know you went here.”

He frowned at the side of your face. “Here like… parties?”

You’d downed your second cup and were half-way through pouring a third when he realised that the bottle in your hand was lemonade, his concern melting. “Here like on campus,” you said. “You’re a freshman?”

He nodded. “Yeah,” you were different than the last time he’d seen you. Your hair was different, you’d changed the way you dressed, and the last time you’d spoken to him you’d smiled sweetly at him like the sun shone out of his mouth. “You’re a sophomore?”

You nodded, already looking past him for someone else to talk to. “I should go, my friends are probably looking for me.” You put the cup down but kept your hand wrapped around the neck of the bottle. “It was nice seeing you, Dave.”

Dave figured that was it. Fate had delivered you right into his lap and the first thing you’d done was claw him in the eyes to get away. Dave had often known that he didn’t understand you a lot of the time, but this time it was clear. He’d thought about you pretty often since the last time he saw you, but he just had to accept the fact that you wanted nothing to do with him.

He deliberately avoided places that he saw you around campus, not wanting you to think he wasn’t backing off. Now that he’d seen you around for the first time, you were everywhere. He wasn’t sure how many times he’d frequented the campus coffee shop without realising that you worked there, but now he couldn’t ignore it. Apparently you had a lot of lectures in the same building, which meant you probably overlapped professors once or twice. He’d gone to see one of them about their office hours and seen you sitting across from her through the window.

He felt like he’d done pretty well until he came back from Christmas break and walked into his first class of the second semester. His professor was one he’d had during the fall semester, but you were off to the side at a smaller desk. He’d found his assigned seat (second row, perfect view of you, not that it mattered), and settled in for the 90 minute lecture. His professor introduced himself and then gestured to you, introducing you as his TA. You’d smiled at the room, giving a small wave. You did not look at him.

You looked tired but pretty in a comfortable sweater and a soft smile, and Dave realised that much to his dismay he would not be able to pay attention to a single word his professor was saying.

He didn’t plan to utilise your willingness to help, his professor’s office hours were sufficient without him needing to use yours. As much as he didn’t want to, he had every intention of leaving you alone.

This worked out well enough until he missed a class and his professor had given his copy of the last week’s quiz to you to hold onto until Dave came back. His professor seemingly noticed the hesitation on his face after he’d been instructed to stop by the classroom during your “office hours” to collect it from you, because he clapped Dave on the shoulder. “She’s not as scary as she looks,” he’d said comfortingly. Dave didn’t believe him.

But he needed the quiz to study for their next test, so he put on his big boy pants and went down into the empty classroom. You were sitting cross-legged on top of your desk, a paper balanced on one of your knees and a highlighter in your hand, probably marking one of his classmates’s revised papers for a better grade - a concept Dave appreciated but had never utilised for fear of bothering you. He’d wanted it to be clean and easy, he’d grab his quiz, you could go back to pretending like he never existed.

When he approached your desk, you glanced up at him and Dave almost folded in two when you smiled at him. “Here for your quiz?”

There was a folder on the desk that you rifled through before pulling out his stapled quiz. With a pang in his chest he realised you’d been the one to mark it. Seeing your handwriting near his name made him breathless in a way that saddened him slightly.

“This is your second job, right?” He didn’t know why he’d opened his big mouth instead of just taking the quiz from you. You nodded, looking back at the paper you were marking. He’d thought a lot about what he’d say to you if given the opportunity to actually speak to him. Something along the lines of an apology, a confession of sorts, something that would make you stop disliking him so much. That was not what he’d imagined. “Makes sense.”

You looked at him blankly. “Thanks?”

Dave took that as an opening. “I mean if anyone was an overachiever it was you,” he tried to keep his tone light. “You’re amazing, I mean. I couldn’t do everything you do. I mean,” he looked down at his shirt, an old Atari shirt that had aioli on the hem.

“You are a mess,” you inferred, voice not unkind. “You’re more put together than you were in high school. Better at expressing yourself, at least.” His face must have betrayed his surprise, because you amended yourself. “I read all your papers, Dave.”

He brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck. “I’ve been working on it since we knew each other,” he admitted. “On that and not being such an asshole who bails on the girl he’d had a crush on for three years.”

You snickered, low and soft, looking down at your lap. You looked tired again and he felt an ache when he remembered how full of life you used to be. “I’m sure that’ll come in handy.”

“I’m sorry.” He had to push the words out, knowing he was running out of time to actually apologise to you. “I made you feel like you weren’t important to me, which isn’t true.”

Dave had never told you, but he’d blown off the first date because he’d been getting patched up by Mindy after getting the shit kicked out of him by a group of guys he’d caught trying to rob a gas station. The second time he’d walked the same route and had chanced across the same guys who beat him up again for having the audacity to exist on the same street as them. He’d held his own fairly well but there had been six of them, and even his superhero skills and damaged nerves couldn’t keep him standing after the second altercation. He didn’t want to drag you into his shit, though, which was a good idea considering a month later he got dragged into the mob. Fortunately for you and unfortunately for him, you were done with him by that point and then before he knew it you’d graduated and left for college.

You looked at him softly, nodding slowly. “I appreciate that.” He figured that would be where the conversation ended, and turned to leave. “What other classes are you taking?”

It wasn’t a lot, but he figured it was better than nothing.

[cloversnstrawberries]

"nestling" platonic!yandere!jareth & teen!gn!reader [oneshot] ! !

masterlist !

description; Beth couldn't have known any better-- she's a kid, it wasn't her fault she wished her older brother to the Goblin King, because as far as she knew, it was just a story. As far as you'd known, it was a story-- come to find out, it very much is not, and you're scrambling to try and take her place and run the Labyrinth to get little Richie back safe and sound.

Unbeknownst to you, you've fallen right into the Goblin King's trap. Hook, line, and sinker.

additional notes; hello yes.. i'm back... been having a bit of mental health trouble lately, so why not write for one of my comfort movies :] PLEEEAAASE request jareth i love this devious fae man and there is a sore lack of platonic jareth & reader...

*jareth refers to reader as 'nestling' in a few spots, because owl. haha. compared to him you probably are actually considered a baby. like a newborn. dudes OLD by human standards. also reader is a babysitter and babysitting beth & richie. i didn't know where else to mention this.

warnings; possessive behavior, jareth being cryptic, jareth is non-human therefore does not abide by human culture/morals nor understand it fully, terror, slight horror (the goblins...), kidnapping, talks of transformation presumably against reader's will (human -> fae), panic, and i cannot for the life of me remember anything else :( please let me know if I forgot something major!!

w/c; 3.7k

She didn't mean it, that much you know.

For God's sake, she couldn't have meant it-- she's four! She just entered kindergarten, can hardly remember the ABC's. If anything, it's your fault this happened in the first place. Even tangentially so, you're still willing to take full responsibility.

It was a storybook, that's all you thought it was. Something about it drew you in, into that quaint little antique shop and right to the book section of it. Instinctively, like you were in a trance-- your eyes scanned the shelf, immediately landing on a book with a plain, textless red spine.

Once it was in your hands, it was like the owner came out of nowhere. The way her hands shook should've set you off, as she told you, in no uncertain terms-- "Hah-- I didn't think we had that anymore. It's been here for years."

Then, she'd patted you on the back, and said she could tell you really wanted it. She gave it to you for free-- but something about her demeanor told you there was a far less benevolent intention lying beneath the act of kindness.

The ways her eyes shifted from the book, to you, then to the book-- she threw a glance to the wall behind her, and as you followed her eyes, you saw her looking at an old cuckoo clock hanging on the wall.

It must've been some kind of movie prop or novelty item, because-- while you weren't very good at roman numerals, which it was numbered in for some godforsaken reason; you could still count the number of markers-- of which, there were 13.

Her panic was almost palpable, as she all but shoved you out of the shop-- saying that she forgot to do something important, closing the door right behind you and switching the sign from 'open' to 'closed'.

And as you stood on the sidewalk outside of the little shop, you don't know how you didn't question it further. A part of you wanted to believed you dreamt it-- but the book bound in red textile, embossed with bright gold letters and a black border that made up its front cover, said otherwise.

For a while, it just sat on your desk. The next weekend, you popped by the shop again-- the woman was working, and she apologized for how she acted. She didn't explain herself, though.

Maybe the strange cuckoo-clock had been sold, and in its stead was a near-identical looking one, but this one only had 12 markers. Or maybe you'd imagined that part, so flustered that your eyes did a goof.

A few months after-- you finally picked the book up, the weirdness and anxiety surrounding the way it came into your possession had mostly worn off, and you found yourself enjoying the story.

Enjoying it so much, that you took it with you as you babysat the Hamilton kids, Beth and Richie. 4 and 5 1/2 years old, respectively-- they were good kids, but they were still kids.

Still got into silly fights, and this one had been over who got to choose the movie you said you'd watch with them tonight. Beth wanted to watch ET, while Richie wanted to watch the Carebears movie.

They wouldn't listen you, wouldn't compromise-- you tried saying you'd watch both films tonight, but then they started arguing on which movie would be first. Both said they'd fall asleep before the second one would start-- which, you'll give some props for admitting that, but it still caused problems.

You tried a few more alternatives, until Beth got fed-up, shoved Richie, and shrieked "I wish the Goblin King would come and take you away," as she stormed up the stairs, and when she got to the top-- her face red and scrunched, as she finished with

"Right now, Richie!"

The whole thing lasted maybe a minute at most, and you'd stayed glued to the couch for the duration of it. A strange, sinking sort of... fear, settled in your gut.

Anything said by a 4 year old should not have that amount of finality, shouldn't have been enough to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

It was a story, but that didn't make you any less afraid. Maybe it's because it's dark out, and the Hamilton's live just on the cusp of the town-- it was a good 5 minute walk to the nearest neighbor-- that set your teeth on edge,

Whatever it was that spooked you so bad, it made you stand. For a moment, you just stood there, looking between the stairs and Richie, who was standing still. The little shove Beth gave him wasn't enough to send him toppling,

But he had this... vacant sort of look about him, and he didn't answer you when you asked if he was okay. Torn between two options, something prickled in the back of your mind. That you shouldn't be here right now, shouldn't be near Richie--

"I'm... gonna go check on your sister, you stay right here, okay?" You kept your eyes on him, not moving an inch-- hoping for a response. Whether it'd be an 'okay' or a 'stay here' was fine by you,

But you didn't get that. He didn't say anything, didn't move at all. His face looked pallid, and a thin sheen of sweat covered his face-- even though he'd just been complaining about how cold he was.

"Ooookaaay..." You drawled, concern lacing through your tone as you tore yourself away from the strange sight, heading up the stairs-- you heard a window open, halfway through the trek.

Beth screamed, and you know damn well she couldn't have opened that window on her own. It sounded like it came from her bedroom, and the only window there was your standard up-and-down sliding sort of window,

The lock was on, and even if it wasn't, there wasn't nearly enough muscle on her little frame to exert the force necessary to open that window.

It sent you into a panic, tearing up the rest of the stairs and down the hall-- screaming her name, you put your foot down on top of a stuffed toy you could've sworn had been downstairs.

You heard shuffling, manic little giggles around you. Paying no mind to that, you picked yourself off the ground and hurdled toward the room. The door was open, but it was the kind that swung out.

The hallway felt narrower than usual, like the house itself was trying to choke you out. A feeling of wrongness invading every sense of yours-- little hands grasped at your ankles, pulling at the ends of your sleep-pants, little sharp nails digging into the flesh of your leg as the panic reached a fever pitch--

"You aren't supposed to be here," One raspy voice said, barely a whisper. Another one, distinctly different, expressed a similar sentiment "This doesn't involve you, go away."

Upon reaching the door, it slammed shut. Right before that, you heard a voice that was so achingly familiar, yet so new. Like you'd heard in a dream or something--

A click of the tongue, almost sounding chastising-- a woosh of air, and the door had slammed closed. In your panic, you looked down-- there were.. were little creatures surrounding you, and terror made your throat close.

Lifting up one leg, you shook one off-- tried doing the same to the other leg, only to find that the one on there was adamant on hanging on. Its terrible little fingernails shredded at your sleep pants, leaving you no choice but to grab it by the scruff and toss it down the hall.

"Beth!" You screamed, looking back down the hall-- it was distorted now, like something out of your nightmares. Beth's room was getting further and further away, and you ran to it, only for the goblins-- and yes, you're quite sure they were goblins-- to grasp at you again, slowing you down.

Despite the perceived distance, you could still hear a male voice, wispy and otherworldly-- clear as day, through the door, as he said "Persistent little thing, aren't you?"

And-- and you don't know how to explain it, but in an instant you knew it was the Goblin King. That was the only... logical explanation, though this situation was anything but logical. If you went to a trusted adult about this, you'd probably get set up for a psych evaluation ASAP.

Chest heaving, no other option-- you scrambled your brain for any way out of this. The door was getting further away, and you felt your legs give and your knees bash into the unforgiving, hardwood floor,

"Please! Please, Please just-- Please! I'll do anything, just-- I-- uh, Jareth! Jareth, you have to-- uh, just stop for a sec--!" He was a fae, right? The Goblin King-- how much the rules you'd read about in other fantasy stories applied to him, you have no idea; but whatever it was, your desperate plea seemed to catch his fancy.

In an instant, you felt a million times lighter. No more scratching, clawing hands at your ankles, no more rasping, childish taunts; the hallway was normal again, and you sat back on your haunches-- the door to Beth's room was wide open, and you sat right in the doorway.

Inside was a crying Beth, and oh, how badly you wished to reach your hand out and comfort her-- but now wasn't the time. Not as your gaze trailed up, taking in the extravagant, otherworldly detail of the man's outfit.

You could've sworn that the whole place was doused in glitter, and maybe some of it got in your eye or something-- eyes watering, blinking rapidly. Or maybe you were about to cry right alongside Beth,

Knowing full-well what it meant for the Goblin King to be here, suddenly it clicked why Richie hadn't responded to you. Why he looked so far away, like he was in a trance.

His smile was sharp, but not cruel-- teasing, not mocking. Like he was endeared to you, as the heels of his fancy, knee-high boots clicked against the wood of Beth's room. Getting closer to you, slowly-- like he was approaching a spooked cat.

"So you're the one that found my story, hm? Odd, that you weren't the one to wish the little boy away." He made no comment on any debt you may owe him for saying please, or any debt he may owe you for knowing his true name.

It was all too quick, one moment he was near the window on the far side of the room-- and the next, he stood right before you, head tilted like an inquisitive bird.

An inquisitive owl, which, if memory serves you right-- the story said he could transform into at will. His smile widened to a lopsided grin, as he addressed you with far too much amusement given the current situation. "Well? Are you going to sit there all day, or will you stand and let me have a look at you?"

Scrambling up, you nearly pitched right into him. He wasn't tall per-se, but his presence was suffocating nonetheless. In a last-minute save, you stumbled back.

The wind was knocking right out of your lungs-- what little you had, as you held your breath in an attempt not to hyperventilate so hard you pass out-- as your back collided with the wall beside you.

The lightswitch dug right into your spine, but you paid it no mind. More pressing matters, and all-- the more pressing matters being how the Goblin King reached out, and you expected him to roughly grab your jaw and flip your head around, have a look at you, he'd said.

instead, it landed innocently on the top of your head. Shaking like a leaf, you look at him with wide, confused eyes. He still had his head tilted, smile gone-- overtaken by a thoughtful sort of expression.

You said nothing, despite the millions of questions running through your head at the moment. Let him mull over whatever he had in his head--

Of course, when he opened his mouth to speak, is when you decided it was a fantastic time to speak. A stupid decision, to cut him off-- that's definitely rude, isn't it? Fae don't like rude people.

"If-- I wanna run. For Ric-- for, uh, the little boy." You caught yourself, not knowing how far the 'names have power' thing went with the Goblin King in particular.

It left you absolutely shocked and bewildered, when in lieu of a stinging reprimand or maybe a clipped scold about cutting in-- the Goblin King simply smiled again. Taking no issue with your (albeit accidental, but still) rudeness.

Straightening his neck, he replied with "Ah, little Richie?" The Fae seemed to take immense pleasure in the way you went stock-still at that little revelation. You settled for a simple nod, throat closing up so bad that you doubt you could speak coherently by then.

The Goblin King hummed, pretending to think it over-- and with an overly cheerful tone and demeanor, he pulled his hand from your head, cryptically proclaiming "That won't be necessary, nestling."

You took a double take at the... term of endearment(?), but did your best to brush past it. You looked at Beth, who was shaking just as bad as you-- no, worse. You want to pull her into a tight hug and tell her it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't have known.

"Wha-- She's four, man!" You don't know what got into you, fear turning to foolish boldness in an instant. Goblin King straightened his posture a bit, a bit of surprise painting his features. "You-- You can't make her run the Labyrinth, she'll die!"

Placing a hand over his heart-- or where it'd be on a human, you're not very educated on Fae anatomy after all-- in a dramatic show of faux-offense, he acted like you'd offended him.

Like he had any right to be offended, if that was actually the case.

"Is that what you think of me?" Narrowing your eyes, squaring your shoulders as you grasped desperately at the last shreds of your sudden, unexplainable bravery; you silently questioned him.

He dropped his hand with a little smile, and looked over at Beth-- she squeaked, and you twitched. A knee-jerk reaction, to take one step forward, maybe to try and stop the Goblin King if he tried anything.

If he noticed it, he didn't say anything about it. Still looking at Beth, he sighed, voice eerie in a way you couldn't figure out as he said "That was never the plan, making her run my Labyrinth. I don't make a point of answering these sorts of calls, most times. Children don't have developed enough brains to realize what they're really doing."

"...Oh." Your mouth went bone dry, arms hanging limply by your side. Fingers clenching and unclenching, not knowing what to do with yourself. "You say that like it's a surprise, that I'm not cruel." Slowly, ever so slowly, he turned to face you.

You couldn't have predicted how he'd look at you next. Angry? Maybe, or perhaps frustrated-- a sly sort of amusement, a smirk on his face. But that look on his face isn't any of those,

He looks sad. Wholly, and humanly sad, at the idea that you think a non-human would have such sound morals when it comes to this topic. But that didn't make sense, what...

"Then why are you here?" Like a switch got flipped, any and all traces of sadness was off of his face. Replaced a frightening sort of glee. It made your skin crawl, the way he looked so human, but there was something so... wrong with it. A baser part of your brain screaming at you to not trust him, that he wasn't human, no matter how similar he appears.

He made a non-committal swing of his hand, like he was trying to grasp at the air for a response-- "Why else? I've grown lonely in my immortality, and find myself needing an heir."

Oh no.

Oh hell no.

Like a Phoenix, the dying embers of your seemingly short-lived bravery have come back full force-- burning hot as you took a few daring steps forward, then a few more,

Until you were right in front of the Goblin King, right within grabbing distance. You could sock him in the stomach, if you didn't know any better-- instead, you jabbed your finger in his face, nose scrunched with anger.

"You are not taking Richie to be your heir! You must have hundreds of kids wished away every year--" He raised an eyebrow, making you sputter for a moment before regaining your footing-- "okay, fine-- maybe, maybe not hundreds, but you're probably not at a lost for them--" His eyebrow went down, as he patiently waited for you to end your tirade.

"But out of all of them, you are not taking Richie-- or Beth, not on my watch-- if you try, i'll go right to the kitchen, grab the salt shaker, and smash it against your head!"

So many little slips, if the other folklore was true/included the Goblin King, you're well and truly done for, in every measure of the sentiment.

Instead of being angry at your outburst, he just laughs. He laughs, and he laughs, and he laughs-- your face goes hot with embarrassment, with frustration, as you resist the urge to shake him.

"Stop laughing--!" You're so busy with him, that you don't realize the floor begins to give out from beneath you. How the hardwood floor is changing to multi-colored, uneven stone, how you can't hear Beth's little sniffles, and don't bother to notice the change in lighting until it was too late.

Once he stops laughing, is when you realize it. Taking a step back, your foot catches on the edge of a particularly high-set stone in the floor, sending you toppling over and right onto your butt.

The Goblin King was gone from your sight-- and before you could panic, you felt hand grab under your arms and heave you upright. It takes all of your strength not to let your legs buckle and say hello to the floor again.

"What makes you think I'd want a young child? I find them to be far too much work for how I live, so easy for them to wander off and get caught up with the Fireys." He turned you around, brushing imaginary dust off of your well-loved t-shirt you used to sleep in. He hummed something under his breath, a lilting sort of tune that-- against all odds, put you to ease.

Swaying in place, the Goblin King stopped dusting you off to hold you firmly by the sides of your arms. Your head lolled to the side, adrenaline crash hitting you like an absolute truck.

"No, I think you'll do quite nicely. You've indebted yourself, after all." Your brows furrowed "But that's... huh?" Your brain was sluggish, moving at a snails pace as your eyelids begun feeling like a ton of bricks.

The Goblin King didn't mock you for your totally complete and understandable question, just smiled against, took one hand off your arm-- and gently tapped the end of your nose with his fingertip.

It reminded you of your parents, in a way. In made your stomach flip-- what about them? What about Beth and Richie, will they remember this--

Will anyone remember you, or will the Goblin King place some spell to make it seem like you were never there in the first place.

Oblivious-- or maybe just uncaring-- of your impending hysteria, the Goblin King continued as usual "You asked for my help. It's not very binding, but it does mean something."

"...Jareth." You clumsily said, and he had the gall to not act surprised at all-- as he drug out "Yeees? Does my little nestling need something?" Your face scrunched in confusion, but his smile only widened further.

"Jareth, take me home." You venture to say. For what it's worth, it does have a little bit of an effect on him. His eyes go wide for a moment, jaw dropping open-- for a second, you thought you'd found a hail mary.

Only for him to throw his head back and laugh, sounding like chiming bells now. Inhuman, as he pressed you against him-- arms wrapped around you, it takes a little to put two and two together.

He's hugging you.

"My, you're a quick learner, aren't you?" One hand pressed on the back of your skull, guiding your face to the crook of his neck. As a compromise, you hook your chin over his shoulder-- staring wide-eyed at the large, glass-less(?) windows behind him. The scenery below.

The entirely inhuman, fantastical, and frankly terrifying scenery below-- outside, creatures of all shapes and sizes walk the street; from how high up you are, you can't make out anything distinct with what their saying. It all sounds like meaningless noise.

Your ears are ringing, you think.

"But... But it's your true name, isn't it?" Your voice was so small, so thin and fragile, that you hardly realized it was your own. Your arms continued to hang limply by your sides, but Jareth didn't mind as he continued to hold you close.

"Yes, it is."

he doesn't elaborate, so you push a little more "Why isn't it--" Floundering for anything else to say, your mouth opens and closes a few times, before Jareth seems to catch onto what you mean and answer the unsaid question.

"Why am I not bending to your will?" He sounded way too amused in contrast to what he was actually saying in the moment, "I'm not a lesser fae, things sort and bend and break around me. Maybe you could've gotten an average court member with that-- perhaps even a duke, but certainly not a king."

Breath caught in your throat, your eyes started watering-- you'll blame it on the weird, otherworldly glitter-- as Jareth continued to hold you, trying to... comfort you, maybe, with what he meant to be reassuring words.

In the end, it felt more like a prison sentence-- as he cooed oh-so-softly "It's alright, nestling. I'll keep you here, all safe and sound until all that pesky humanity is gone. I wouldn't want my guards to think you're a runner when you visit the town, now do I?"

[jammatown919]

I Hear You, I'm Sorry, I Love You

(Cross-posted to ao3, and I'm pretty sure someone already reposted it here, but I thought I'd post it anyway)

After the Nublar Six reunite in Biosyn Valley, Yaz and Sammy have a talk late at night. ------ Biosyn Valley was kind of like being back on Isla Nublar, all things considered. Only somehow with more tension.

They had the forest filled with potentially killer dinosaurs. The far from ideal sleeping conditions. The inability to even build a fire out in the open because of course these stupid lizards were attracted to light.

But on Nublar, they had been a largely united front. A group of best friends with unbreakable bonds. A bunch of kids who worried more about confessing to their crushes than real, adult relationships and the problems that could come with them. Young couples who looked at each other with stars in their eyes. Now, Sammy and Kenji hardly looked Yaz or Brooklynn's way at all.

It tore Yaz up inside to be so close to Sammy and not be able to talk to her, or touch her, or even make eye contact without some weird, bad feeling settling over them both. She couldn't stand it, frankly. If she had to deal with this any longer, she was actually going to go insane.

She managed to wait until the rest of the group had gone to sleep, exhausted from their travels and wanting a few hours of rest before they continued their search for Bumpy. Without the luxury of a shelter like they'd had on Nublar, they assigned watches to ensure nothing snuck up on them in the dark. Sammy volunteered for first, and Yaz saw her opportunity.

Maybe thirty minutes in, ample time for everyone to fall asleep in their messy beds of leaves and grass, Yaz sat up. She didn't know whether it was too optimistic to take it as a good sign that Sammy had settled in for her watch nearby rather than putting as much distance between them as she reasonably could. She was completely across the group from Brooklynn, but the next person over from Yaz. Maybe she was hoping to talk too?

In any case, Yaz slowly stood up and walked over to her, intent on sitting down beside her, but Sammy managed to stop her with only a glance in her direction.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" she asked flatly. No hint of anger, but no hint of anything else either.

"Can we talk?" Yaz replied hopefully. Sammy turned away from her with a harsh sigh, and Yaz had never felt so small in her life.

"Yaz, I don't want to fight with you," she said. "You were right about Brooklynn, big whoop. She still hurt us, and I'm still mad at her. I'm glad she's okay, but just because she apologized doesn't mean I'm gonna run right back to being her friend after everything."

"It's not about Brooklynn." It never really had been, between the two of them. And maybe if Yaz had realized that sooner, she could have saved them both a lot of heartache.

"What, then?" Sammy almost looked back at her, but seemed to stop herself at the last second.

Yaz took a slow, deep breath, then launched into what she'd been wanting to say since talking this out with Ben on the trip to Malta.

"I'm sorry, Sammy. I'm sorry for how I acted at Gia's house and for not taking the time to really try to understand how you were feeling. You have a right to be upset with Brooklynn, and I shouldn't have acted like you didn't. I was worried about her, but I got so wrapped up in it that I trivialized your emotions. I never meant to do that to you, and I'm so sorry that I did."

Sammy was silent for a few moments, her expression hard and strained. Then, it softened just slightly, and she patted the spot beside her. Yaz readily sat down, eager to be as close as Sammy would allow.

"It's not the first time, y'know," she murmured. "I wish I hadn't brought up Wyoming the way I did, but have you ever thought about what that was like for me? To have my partner, the only person still consistently in my life, just pack up and move away and barely talk to me? To call you every day and have you answer maybe once a week? Or two weeks? To send you dozens of texts about my day, asking about yours, trying to connect with you, and to get nothing but a thumbs up? It was like you just stopped thinking about me altogether. And I really tried to understand, because I knew what you were going through, but then you couldn't even extend the same courtesy when we were arguing. I give you space, I give you time, I do everything I can to be there for you because I love you. But when I need your support, you say I'm being ridiculous and call me a coward. You prioritize what you want to do over what I need like you don't even care."

These were all things that Yaz knew, in concept, had been harmful to their relationship, but to have it all laid out so plainly was like a knife to the chest. Sammy thought she didn't care. She had sabotaged her own relationship by being inconsiderate and oblivious. It was a lot to unpack, but it was her responsibility to do this and show Sammy she understood and wanted to do better. She would just have to start small and work her way up.

"Of course I care," she began. "And I'm so sorry I ever made you feel like I didn't. I never should have said what I said. Your relationship with your parents wasn't for me to comment on, and your feelings about Brooklynn are valid even if they're different from mine."

"So why did you say it?" Sammy demanded.

"I was too focused on trying to get you to see my side of things," Yaz replied. "I was afraid that if we didn't go after Brooklynn, something would happen to her and we'd never be able to get her back. I was afraid of everyone being too upset with her to help her. But I let that get the better of me and I lashed out at you. I resorted to arguing and name-calling because I wanted you to understand me when we should've been working to understand each other. It was childish and wrong, and I'm sorry."

Sammy let out a slow sigh and swept a hand across her face. "I get why you had to go after her. I really do. And I know I can get passive-aggressive sometimes, but I was so sick of not being heard."

"I'm sorry I let it get this far," Yaz said softly. "In Wyoming, it's not that I ever stopped thinking of you. It was the opposite."

"You ignored me for the better part of a year because you were thinking of me?" The skepticism in Sammy's voice absolutely killed her.

"Yes," Yaz went on steadily regardless. "When I left, I thought I was removing a problem from your life. We both know I wasn't exactly well, and I hated how worried you were and how much energy you put into taking care of me. I thought things would get easier for you if I left and proved that I could still stand on my own. But getting better wasn't a linear process. I had a lot of setbacks and bad days, and there were a lot of times when I was afraid that if we talked too much, I would say something that would make you think I wasn't getting better."

"It was the not talking that made me think that," Sammy said.

"It was the wrong way for me to handle it," Yaz conceded. "I should've been honest with you about everything. About feeling like your protectiveness was counterproductive, about wanting to be independent. I was just worried you wouldn't understand and it would hurt you. And then I just ended up hurting you anyway."

Sammy pursed her lips, her eyes planted firmly on the ground between her feet. Her hand twitched, almost as if to reach out and grasp Yaz's, but ultimately stayed where it was. 

"Sammy," Yaz said gently, "I never wanted to hurt you, and I'm so, so sorry that I did. I'm sorry that I made you feel like... this was our only option. It doesn't have to be. I want to fix this. I want to do better for you."

Sammy's breath hitched, and suddenly she buried her face in her hands. The tiny sob that escaped her shattered Yaz's heart into millions of pieces, and not knowing if hugging her would help or hurt just about ground it to dust. 

"This has been the hardest thing I've ever had to do," Sammy whimpered, "because I still love you. Of course I still love you. And for five years, we were good. You were there, and I felt like you wanted that as much as I did. But ever since you stopped letting me in, it feels like you've been getting further and further away from me. I can't keep chasing you, Yaz."

"You don't have to." Yaz took a risk and reached for her hand, relieved that Sammy let her take it gently. "I'm coming to you. I'm here, and if you want me, I'm yours. I love you more than anything, Sammy. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you never have to doubt that again. Whatever you need."

"I need to know that you mean it." Through the tears, Sammy managed to fix her with a stern gaze. "When I tell you how I feel, I need you to actually listen. I need you to take me seriously even if you don't agree. And I need you to be the one to reach out to me every once in a while."

Yaz leaned in a little closer. "I promise to do my best to be better. To be the partner you need."

Slowly, Sammy leaned in too until their heads were touching. It made Yaz feel a little lighter to be close again. 

"Okay. But I mean it, Yaz," she said. "I know fixing things takes time, and I'm willing to work with you, but I need you to work with me too."

"As a team," Yaz replied softly. "Like we should be."

"Yeah." Sammy pressed herself a little closer still. "So, teammate, here's what I need from you right now. Don't try to tell me I should forgive Brooklynn. If you want to, that's your choice, but I need to make up my own mind about it. Understand?"

"Loud and clear."

"Good." After another few seconds, Sammy pulled away. "Thank you."

"Of course," Yaz murmured. She wanted to ask directly if they were okay now, to confirm what she hoped she was hearing, but she didn't want to push it too quickly and risk the progress they were making. Fortunately, Sammy always seemed to know what she was thinking. 

"I don't think I was ever going to not forgive you," she said gently. "I never wanted to split up. I just didn't know how else to make you see how much all this was affecting me."

"It was definitely a wakeup call," Yaz replied. "Even managed to get through my thick skull." 

Sammy stifled a small laugh with her hand, and Yaz found it in her to smile. 

"I'm sorry it took going to that extreme to make me understand," she went on. 

"Honestly, you should get your money back for those psychology classes. They clearly didn't teach you anything about how to deal with people's feelings." It would've been a jab, one that would've genuinely terrified Yaz in the context of the conversation, if not for Sammy's light, joking tone. Thank God they could joke with each other again. "Granted, I could be more upfront sometimes. Not like I ever really tried to tell you how upset I was while you were gone."

"But you were upfront in Italy, and I was a jerk," Yaz said. "I didn't mean to be, but I was."

"Little bit," Sammy agreed. "I'll forgive you this time, but I don't ever wanna hear anything like that again, Missy." 

It didn't even need saying. Yaz had been way out of line, and she knew it. She also knew what was at stake if she continued to let bad situations get the better of her and dictate her behavior. It could never happen again. Sammy was too important. 

"Never again."

"And the thumbs up emoji is banned from now on," Sammy declared. "When I text you, I better see words."

"Words and hearts," Yaz conceded. 

"Damn right." Sammy gave her a little nudge in the side. "Now how about you get some sleep? You've got second watch in an hour, and I'm not letting you sleep in just because you're my girlfriend."

That was, quite literally, the best thing Sammy could have possibly said to her. 

"Okay." She stood slowly, reluctant to part, but knowing they would be close again soon. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Yaz."

Yaz walked back over to the pile of leaves that would have to do for bedding tonight and laid down. It was cold and extremely uncomfortable, but she couldn't help feeling a little giddy anyway. Maybe the environment was less than ideal, and maybe she was still in danger, and maybe she was even still on thin ice with Sammy, but she found it difficult to worry too much about all that right now. 

They'd managed a real conversation. They'd come to an understanding. They were going to try again. Yaz hadn't lost everything after all. 

She had her girl back, and despite everything else going on, that was all that mattered tonight. 

------ Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed, please consider reblogging or buying the writer a coffee!

[awriterinthenight]

"What'd She Say To You?"- Leo Valdez

requested: anonymous

words: 1817

warnings: reader is insecure, a bit of swearing, reader avoids Leo

summary: Someone tries to break up you and Leo, but Leo won't let that happen. But for you, you start to feel insecure about it.

No one could compete with Aphrodite kids. They were the prettiest, the most charming, and even some of the most cunning. If an Aphrodite kid liked someone they would stop at almost nothing to get them. Some weren't like this, but others could be even worse. To you the worst one was the girl who tried to break up you and your boyfriend.

Jessica, or Jess as everyone called her, had plotted a way to try and get your boyfriend, Leo Valdez, to break up with you so that she could get with Leo. She planned to charm him, and convince him that you were actually a terrible person, so he would then break up with you. What she didn't account for was how much Leo Valdez truly loved you, and could see how clearly she was trying to get him to break up with you.

"And I just think someone as talented as you should not be with someone as useless as them, they're bringing you down," Jess said, trying to make herself be as seductive as possible, which made Leo want to laugh, but he held it in.

Leo shrugged, "I think they're pretty great actually, they're my girlfriend, and they also have some pretty good talents," he defended, watching her get more frustrated the more he wouldn't budge.

"But they're so...them. I mean they don't talk to anyone at camp, that's really weird, don't you think," she uttered, which wasn't a lie, since you were very anti-social.

Once again Leo brushed it off, "They talk to me, I think that's good enough."

Jess knew she needed a new plan since she couldn't get Leo to break up with you, she needed to get you to break up with Leo. She left Leo after that conversation to go search for you.

While Leo and Jess were talking you had seen them from across the camp. It made you feel a bit nervous, since you were the opposite of her, so why would he talk to her, but its not really any of your business, Leo can talk you other people, but still why her, and more of why was she talking to him, and why was she so flirty? So many questions, thoughts, and negative thoughts flooded your mind while you zoned out.

You were startled when Jess herself showed up behind you tapping you on the shoulder. You were shocked as to why she would talk to you. She'd given you more dirty looks than she's had boyfriends, and she's had a lot.

"Hey, I know we don't talk much, but I just thought since I'm a girl’s girl I would tell you what Leo was saying about you," she said, acting as if she was trying to tell you something important and not act like she was lying.

"Oh," you muttered quietly, "W-what was he saying?" you asked confused as to why Leo would say something that warranted her to tell you.

She took a breath and grabbed your hand before she spoke, "I'm so sorry, and I swear I'm just trying to look out for you, but he was saying how you were basically useless. He said how you don't really have a talent, and how he's really unattractive to how anti-social you are. He also said something about how he thought you weren't that pretty, and he's only with you cause you were easy to date and he never actually liked you, which I think is bogus, you're so pretty," if she wasn't such a bad person, she could've won an academy award for her performance.

You were in complete shock from her statement. Did he really say, and think those things? "Wait, but that doesn't- I mean- he never seemed like he believed any of those things, that- I'm just- I," you could barely make out sentences from your confusion, and the shock you were in.

"I'm so sorry, but I think he's completely crazy for thinking and saying those things," she said, dropping your hands, "A little advice that may be helpful. You should really dump him, you deserve someone who truly loves you." She then left, leaving you to wallow in her words that were apparently Leo's.

You had had problems in the past with being insecure, and having fake friends. People used to say things behind your back, and still do sometimes. It affected you deeply, so even though deep down you knew what she said was a lie, most of you believed what she said. It wouldn't be the first time someone lied to you about how they felt about you.

Talking to Leo was the right option in this situation, but you couldn't bring yourself to do it. What if he really did say and mean those things? What if he was lying to you all the time? What if every time he called you beautiful he was lying, and wanted to tell you how horrible you looked? What if every time he called you 'mi amor' he never truly meant it?

Every thought spun in your head, making you avoid Leo more and more. You sat by yourself at the Hecate table instead of sneaking to the Hephaestus table like you usually did. You didn't have many siblings, and the couple you did mostly stayed silent during meals. That gave you more time to ponder about everything you ever did wrong.

***

Leo could tell something was wrong immediately. You were avoiding him, not sitting with him at meals for the past two days, and walking the other direction every time he tried to talk to you. Leo was worried about you, and why you were avoiding him so much, so he set out to talk to you about what was going on.

Luckily he knew one place he could always find you at. The forest was your favorite place, especially one tree that dropped a bit and could create the perfect shade. Leo walked over to where you were, building up the courage to confront you.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" he asked, being directed, but his words came out as a plea for you to answer.

You looked up from your book startled by him, but fear of what he might say to you consumed you, "I-I've just been busy with counsellor duties," you managed to lie.

Leo knew you were hiding something, but was doing his best to not get on his knees and beg you to tell him. He sat down next to you, cringing when you moved yourself farther away from him, "You've been busy before, and haven't avoided me. I know something is going on, please tell me what it is, amor."

The name 'amor' made you think of exactly what Jessica had said. You tried to keep yourself together, but a few stray tears slid down your cheeks. Leo quickly wiped away your tears with his thumb.

"What's wrong, princessa?" he asked, worried for you, ready to kill whoever made you cry.

You decided to tell Leo the truth, the worst that could happen was that it was true, "Remember the day you were talking with Jessica?" you asked him through sniffles.

He nodded, letting you continue, "I saw you talking to her, and I might've been a bit insecure, but I tried to think nothing of it. Then she came up to me and said that you told her all these horrible things about me. I know I shouldn't have believed them, but I didn't want to risk them being true and knowing if they were, so I avoided you. I know it was stupid, and I'm sorry, and I shouldn't have been so stupidly insecure about it," you finished, the last of your tears rolling down your cheeks.

Leo was in shock from what you told him, he knew Jess was lying, and he hated how it hurt you, "I don't know what she told you, but she lied. I love you, amor. I'm so sorry," he wrapped his arms around you, placing a few kisses on your forehead.

"I'm so stupid for believing what she said. I'm sorry I avoided you," you mumbled into his chest.

Leo lifted up your chin, wiping away your tears, "You're not stupid. Jessica is just a horrible person. Why don't we go back to your cabin, no one's there. You can tell me about the book you're reading," he offered, knowing you loved nothing more than when that was how you spent your day with him.

You let out a small smile, something Leo was happy to see, "That sounds perfect."

While you two were walking to your cabin, none other than the bitch herself, Jess, showed up to talk to the two of you, "Hey, she said, a bit flirtatiously to Leo, while once again giving you a dirty look.

"What do you want?" Leo asked, annoyed by her from what she did to you.

"Nothing, just surprised you two are still together," she said, disgusted by it. You could feel yourself tense up from her words.

Leo was done with her, and her bullshit, "I think we're going to be together for a long time. I don't care for you, so I think you should move on, and leave her alone."

She seemed shocked by what he said to her, "Fine, but when you break up, don't crawl to me," she said, storming away. Once she left Leo brought you to your cabin, and laid down with you on your bed.

"I'm so sorry, princessa," he apologized, wrapping his arms around your waist to hold you close.

"It's not your fault," you said, closing your eyes.

After a moment of silence Leo asked you, "What'd she say to you? Like what did she say, I said about you?"

You were too confused as to why he would ask, but you answered him, "She said you said I was useless, and not pretty," you said, saddened when you remembered her words.

Leo let out a scoff, "I think that's the biggest lie I've ever heard," he said, placing a kiss on your forehead, "You're the most gorgeous person I've ever seen, and I don't think anyone is better at helping me than you, you're not useless," he reassured you, peppering kisses on your face and neck.

You felt content that he didn't agree with the things Jessica said, "She also told me how you apparently never actually liked me," you told him.

"Well I don't," he said, making you sit up in confusion, "I love you, mi amor." You laughed at him, falling back onto his chest.

"I love you too," you muttered into his chest. You were content with staying like this for the rest of your life. No matter what happens in the future you will always have Leo to make you feel better.

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