#sort of sad because I think he’s hanging on in the first game but nobody bothers to get him out

[mrdrhenwardhykle]

If you told Phone Guy you lost your arm during your shift, he would probably say something like “Welcome to adulthood!” Or “Those kind of things happen, you’ll get used to it” like it’s a completely normal thing.

[strayheartless]

Things in Zack’s ADHD apartment that are necessary for him to function (as implemented by Angeal.)

His toothbrush lives on his nightstand. Not in the draw, not in a cabinet over the sink, not in a little pot on the sink. On. His. Nightstand. Because in Zack’s brain, if the first thing he see’s in a morning is his toothbrush he thinks “I need to remember to do that, I’ll do it now” and then gets to the bathroom and thinks “I might as well shower and do my hair too…. Hey I need to pee!”

Everything he needs for meal prep goes in a little container in the fridge and is labeled with the days they are to be consumed by. Even the stuff that doesn’t classically live in the fridge go in to these cubbies. Angeal checks them every week and if there is left over stuff he takes it away, makes small lunch portions, freezes them and leaves a note on Zack’s fridge that says lunches are already there for him.

Speaking of, there is a dry erase whiteboard on Zack’s fridge door. It has a grocery list side and a calendar on it. Cloud tends to be the one who updates it when Zack forgets (which is a lot).

Zack’s game consoles are in a cupboard with his games to stop himself getting distracted while he typed up his reports. This was Zack’s own solution and it works semi well.

His sword hangs on a peg on the back of the door now.

Shoe rack. It’s messy but he can see all of his shoe options.

Files on his shelf that are clearly labeled: “pay checks, bills and taxes”, “letters from home”, “bills part 2”, “commission certificate and graduation paperwork”, “legal thingies”, “passport, birth certificates, and other Identification stuff”. The files were Genesis’ idea. They are written in fun fonts and in colourful felt tips, so he knows where they go.

If he forgets to put things in files they are usually on the coffee table and Sephiroth (the filing fiend) usually does a weekly sweep and sort of his documents.

Laundry basket hoop. Doesn’t always work but sometimes it gives him the dopamine.

A physical letter box on the wall by his front door. He gets a dopamine hit from using a key to check his mail…. Nobodies willing to question it.

The worlds most irritating alarm clock.

Cloud. Just Cloud.

Bottles and kitchen tools all hung at eye level.

Spiny spice rack. He could have had a shelf but the spiny one entertains him.

The smart watch Lazard had Reeve make him. It reminds him of basically everything.

Stamp the dog hydration app that makes sad puppy noises when he needs to drink water (he was irritated about it but he doesn’t actually like upsetting the dog.)

A roomba with googly eyes on it called George. George is on a timer.

Electric air freshener and automatic air filtration.

Kunsel.

[pastelhikaru]

totcf x dcu plot bunny

[𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗢𝗥 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗢𝗧𝗖𝗙 𝗜 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗞???]

(𝗪𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗕𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥????)

Cale deals with Burrow by stabbing himself with a piece of the world tree and everything goes to shit. The issue is dealt with but now Cale is in stasis, unmoving. And which seems to be another coma. But, this time he’s not waking up and it’s taking way longer than last time. (The previous being six months, I think(?)). He has so many people waiting for him. (And they can’t handle losing him again).

Nobody is taking this well, especially his kids. That’s where the god of death takes a gamble and decides to bring him somewhere he has a chance to interfere.

And where Cale gets transported to is not where the god of death was expecting. He fucked up big time. And he feels the weight of it.

Of course it doesn’t take long for Cale’s fam to realize he and Raon are missing. Raon? Yeah, he refused to leave Cale even to eat. His older siblings took this hard too. But they wanted to stay hopeful for Cale.

(I would imagine all three of them would sleep next to Cale at night and two eldest would only leave for food or something or the sort).

Obliviously they question (threaten) god and he cracks, telling them he bought Cale (and Raon by accident) to a place he can help him. However, he keeps out the fact that he lost both of them. He’d rather not be killed today.

So you’re probably wondering where Cale and Raon have landed exactly and that’s good old Gotham. :)!! 

(A place within the God of Death’s range but he struggles to identify which timeline and where exactly they landed.)

So Raon and the still unconscious Cale are stuck in Gotham. Roan is undeniably angry, sad, and confused. But he does his best to keep his human safe no matter the cost.

However, people keep trying to either take Cale for whatever purposes be it good or bad. It doesn’t matter. It probably doesn’t help that they landed in the worst place imaginable. Crime Alley….

So it’s not a surprise when there’s a rumor of a pretty red-head being protected by some type of meta(It’s Raon we all know it’s Raon.)

Raon has to continuously move, feed, and protect Cale all the same. 

But damn, a meta in Gotham??? It reaches people’s ears even outside of Crime Alley's territory. Said meta is strong and it’s clear with the abundant amount of property damage. 

We all know this “meta” reaches Red Hood's ears first. I mean come on this is his territory. So when he eventually finds the dubbed “Sleeping beauty” it’s in an abandoned warehouse hidden away in a corner on a mattress next to them some necessities and a bunch of toys. (There are a butt load of plushies :( ). He doesn’t miss the sound of a child sobbing and childish yet grand decor. 

This “meta” was a child…. Fuck.

He’s flung with some magic and piercing screech, earth rumbling at its wake. And damn was he not prepared for this shit.

So here he is staggering to keep up with whoever this kid was, as infuriating as it is. He tries his best to calm the kid down. Which doesn’t really work. The kid’s full on growling, but he’s determined to help the kid. Because an abandoned warehouse is never a safe place to hang out in these parts. 

Despite Red Hood’s offer to bring them to a safe house. Raon refuses, he can’t trust him just yet. And they both understand that this is a game of trust. So Jason takes his chance and occasionally delivers necessities to them both. While Raon doesn’t let him get close to Cale he does slowly but surely warms up to him. One day he does eventually tell him more about Cale. He affectionately calls him his dad but the tone is somber. He whispers his worries about finding him dead one day. And that’s probably the moment Jason emotionally adopts him. 

Now Raon is obviously curious in nature, and much as he wants to explore he can’t past finding things to sustain them both and or keep Cale comfortable. And it’s on one of these outings that he loses Cale in the unfamiliarity. He immediately starts looking and runs into Red Hood at some point in his search. And he trusts him enough to help him look. The two eventually find out Cale’s been kidnapped by either some goons, cultist, some villain? (Whatever adds more tension idk.) Raon is livid because how fucking dare they??? And both Raon and Hood haul ass. The bad guys are dealt with and this leaves the two in silence. 

This is the part of the story where Raon shows himself in a moment of trust and weakness. Cale almost got hurt and all Raon could do now is clutch on to Cale’s night gown, nuzzling into him while sobbing. Now Jason realizes this kid was a fucking baby dragon all along. What. the. Fuck????

So he comforts him the best he can. Jason decides to take care of them both, taking them to either his apartment or safe house. And Raon begrudgingly stays. They both do end up bonding together and Raon gets really comfortable. Idk if Jason would talk about himself much but they do learn about each other at some point. Raon would definitely drop some info about himself at some point and go on about how he’s stuck here because of the god of death. And Jason is both so done and not surprised at this point. 

Cale’s health does end up looking worse for ware at some point. And the problems start up again. I didn’t mention it before but Cale’s mind is stuck in a perpetual loop of old memories, good and bad. SOooo, now this is the part of the story where both Raon and Jason try and wake up Cale using various methods. 

At some point Jason decides to ask Bruce for help. And oh boy. Would this be an awkward family dinner…

basically jason's acquires his now child (raon) and sleeping prince (cale) :D i don't see much of a romance subplot but I do see some gay panics, and mistaken boyfriend scenarios(?) feel free to add on to this mess.

[cherphadetseuk]

I'm doing a rewatch of the first episode of Only Friends (for giffing purposes) and now after having seen 7 episodes of this show it's just such a clear sign how bad this friend group is for Ray. I'm not saying they're bad friends but they're not very observant and in general just very judgy. Like in that game night scene at Yo's club they did that drinking game with the shots. They drink a lot. I know they're young and live life but sometimes I feel like the drinking is way too much. For all of them. But knowing Ray's past I feel like the friends should be more observant and supportive. I mean, I know not everyone knows everything about everyone's past. I understand that most of them don't know Ray's past. But Mew does, or at least a part of it. As we know in later episodes. So we know Ray has a drinking problem but yet here they are drinking all the time and nobody even thinks about maybe taking it down a notch. Ray wants more rounds and everyone just calls him a burden when he's drunk. Say he's just gonna throw up again. Even Mew out of everyone. I know you can't just stop drinking and I know probably even if they tell Ray to stop drinking or just all of them to stop drinking, Ray might just yell at them and drinks anyway but at least that means they were observant enough to try and support Ray. To know the problems and try to help. But nobody lifts a finger. They just insult him. Sand (I know I'm biased but objectively seen it's true) comes in later as an outsider who knows literally nothing about Ray and his past and yet here he can read the signs and sees the problems or at least that there must be some sort of problems and he tries to be supportive and helpful. Ray has money and he's not afraid to use it and he talks about it all the time and in all honesty I wouldn't be surprised if people hang around him for that reason and that reason only. I know Mew is his friend, his emergency contact and the one that saved him that one time but other than that none of them actually show true emotional and supportive friendship. They more seem like friends from school who just hang out because they work together on a project. I don't know. I just have a lot of thoughts and I'm trying to see behind the characters. I know most of them are red flags and I don't say they aren't but there are always reasons behind that and from a psychological point of view Ray's support system is terrible. There's literally none. Until Sand. And I feel like it's hard for Ray to see that because it's unknown to him. Sand IS in fact the only one so far who showed actual support that would be good for Ray and his problems. He needs help. Professional help at that but he also needs friends who stand behind him through that help and support him and none of those friends (except Sand) would fall into that category which is sad. Sad for Ray because he has no actual true friends. I'm not here supporting his behaviour towards Sand or anyone for that matter but I can tell when it's defence mechanism.

[cityandking]

3, 5, 19 for dai, minah and vesper!

thanks my dear! // oc ask meme: roots edition

3. How did your OC feel the first time they left home? Why did they leave?

DAICHI — he felt nervous, definitely, but also a little proud. he was sure that the leavetaking was the right decision. it was when he was stationed at the northern garrison, so it was a part of his training and he'd known it was coming—he was nervous for the change in routine and structure and work, but he also knew what to expect and was looking forward to the chance to work and help and (im)prove himself. he even had a good couple months of routine before things went. well. you know. MINAH — felt miserable when she left home for the first time, alone and afraid and confused and overwhelmed. she left out of fear, and because she couldn't stay. VESPER — the first time vesper left home was when she was about eight or nine and her family moved from their countryside home to live in the family estate in Ostwick. her uncle had died and her father inherited his title, and vesper remembers the grief of it—not for her uncle's passing as much, because she hadn't known him well, but because her father was angry about the burden and nobody wanted to go and she missed the greenery and the space in the high stone city walls. even as a girl she'd known that the move—from country to city, from space to walls, from freedom to responsibility—was a cumbersome and unwelcome change, but she'd had no choice but to bear it. a lot of things in her life got worse after that move. the magic was the cherry on top.

5. What did your OC think their life would be like when they grew up? Has it lived up to that expectation?

DAICHI — dai thought he'd do his time at the garrison and move back to Skysong Keep and perform his duties and see his father on leave and go where the Skysinger sent him. it was a very simple, structured life, and he was content with it. it has... really truly not lived up to that at all, but he's grateful. that life seems such a small and sad thing now, and he's glad he's had the chance to learn and see and do more. MINAH — her life was meant to be a simple thing, lived according to her family and society's expectations. she'd get married, she'd be a good wife and eventually mother, she'd do her part to take care of her family and her community. it was going to be a proper, dutiful life. everything changed when the fire nation attacked her father died VESPER — vesper didn't think a lot about it, truth be told. she knew there were expectations placed on her as the daughter of a noble house, but when she was young that didn't really solidify into any specific kind of expectation. then her magic manifested and she knew she'd end up in a tower eventually, or on the run—but either way, not quite noble anymore. she gave up on deciding her own future in any meaningful way a long time ago. (the circle ended up being more palatable than she had expected, though she never loved it. the inquisition was a surprise)

19. What traditions or stories does your OC carry forward from their childhood to the rest of their life?

DAICHI — his father told (or read) him stories growing up, probably some mix of drow tales and folklore and battle exploits, and I think there's a bit of romanticism in there that has rubbed off on dai, even if he doesn't entirely realize it. there are a few smaller ones he picked up from his father or soldiers in camp as a boy—the way to be grateful for a meal, the right way to sit when he prays, how to fix his hair. it's all little things. MINAH — minah has honestly done her level best to shake off the stories and traditions of her childhood, but there are probably a few marcher superstitions she practices in an idle, reflexive sort of way. she also probably knows a bunch of handclap games actually. VESPER — when her family moved to ostwick and everyone got kind of miserable, she took to hanging out in the kitchens with their elvhen cook, and vesper picked up so many tales and stories and traditions from that old elf. she remembers most of them; it was the start of her interest in the more esoteric and historical stuff that she spent a bunch of time with in the circle. listening to solas' stories takes her back, a bit. it's nice.

[neptunes-curse]

Hi! Can you do Fred Weasley headcannons with a shy! Slytherin reader?

Fred Weasley w/ shy!Slytherin reader headcanons

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

please send in some more requests! these are fun :)

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

so first of all, i feel like you would have met at the beginning of hogwarts

maybe even on the train there, the compartments are all full so you join fred and george in one of them

when he looked at you for the first time, it was basically love at first sight

he thought you were the prettiest person in the world, and nobody could tell him otherwise

he was just staring at you in some kind of lovesick daze and george is sitting there like “are you fucking kidding me and on the first day too”

when you three got to the school, you were up first for the sorting hat.

when you got slytherin Fred’s face just sank

you were very sad too, but you knew you guys would make it work as “friends”

you definitely had a crush on him too, but it was kindove hidden deep down so you didn’t notice it to well at first

throughout the years, Fred would do all of these cute little gestures kindove as a secret way of telling you he loves you

he would sneak into the slytherin common room so you two could hang out, and every single slytherin who saw him do so thought y’all were dating but nobody said a thing about it

that’s why, i’m fourth year, when you two started dating, not a single soul was suprised

everybody thought you guys were really cute, kindove like opposites attract

now when it comes to you two getting togther, i have a couple differant ideas

number one is that it was during some kind of game of spin the bottle/seven minuetes in heaven type thing

when it landed on you, Fred was literally about to scream because he was so happy.

this man had a crush on you for 4 years of course he wants to kiss you

but you were really scared

all the thought running through your head like:

what is he doesn’t like me?

what if this ruins our friendship?

what if i’m a shit kisser?

and that’s all natural, but Fred literally just went straight into it

like my man was not waiting he was READY

and let’s just say he wasn’t bad at all

okay so for number 2, i like to think it was after gryffindor had a really good quidditch match, maybe winning against ravenclaw

he was ecstatic, and you were ecstatic for him.

When he was up on that winning high, he flew over to you in the stands

you two just kindove starred at eachother and you said “good game” and he literally just fucking kissed you. like my man just did it

you were pretty embarrassed, i mean it was in front of all your friends and bascially everyone in the school saw it

(i can just imagine lee announcing like,“Gryffindor has beat ravenclaw! oh and look Fred and Y/n are making out-)

but you really couldn’t help but care

you had realized your crush probably last year and so you were just really happpy that he felt the same

and for number 3, maybe it was just something really cute and simple

there was a dance or something coming up, (think yule ball but more springy) and fred knew he wanted to ask you

like that scene in goblet of fire, he passed a note to you asking if you wanted to go

you said yes of course, re-assuring yourself that he only wanted to go as friends.

oh boy you were wrong

when you two met up at the dance, fred’s jaw quite literally dropped

you were literally stunning, and he couldn’t keep his eyes off of you the whole night.

when the party started to wind down, fred asked you to dance

now you weren’t very good, but fred was probably worse so it was fine

while you two were dancinung together, fred was looking in your eyes and just had this thought

kindove like “now or never” or setting like that

so he he said he loves you, and you were just shocked

you said it back of course, because who wouldn’t-

moving along then

okay so when y’all were dating, there was the occasional mean person, but it affected you way more than it affected fred.

people would talk about your realationship, saying things like

“why would he date her?”

“she’s so boring, she like, never talks”

“i can’t believe he’s with a slytherin”

the comments would make you get down about yourself, and make you doubt if he really loved you

you often would keep your feelings secret, just bottling them up

but when you came crashing down and would admit what you felt to fred, he already knew

he’d talk to the people who say that, (maybe throw a few punches) but everybody kindove learned their lesson after that

next scene

so at parties, you didn’t really know what to do

you didn’t go out much, but fred was quite the opposite

you would stand by his side, and of course he wouldn’t mind

he liked showing you off to everyone

like yeah, this is my partner, be jealous 🙄

he’d also do a lot of the talking for you

you knew eachother so well, he probably can tell what you’re saying next by just looking at you.

eeeek i love him.

[millenialfanfictionaddiction]

🐈Being Nekoma's Manager 🐈

Third Gym Squad Helps their

Manager Deal with a Toxic Past

Third Gym Squad (Akaashi, Kuroo and Bokuto) featuring Nekoma x GN reader

⚠️ This may contain triggering material⚠️

Warnings: mentions of abuse (nothing specified), mentions of PTSD, mentions of triggers, Swearing, Kuroo trying to figure out to get away with a crime 👀

AN: This is an Anon request. Please note that this set of HCs is about abuse and it maybe triggering. It is never ok for anyone to touch you without your consent or to hurt you.

🌠 Please Like, Reblog and/or Share to help support my writing 🌠

Chaotic? Abso-freaking-lutely

Supportive? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY TIMES A MILLION!

Please these boys are everything 😭

They are so wholesome I cannot

I just can't, I'm signing off the internet forever

Ok I can't do that but you get it 🥰

I love them

But you know what?

They love you more 💞

Seriously when Nekoma first got their precious manager, the ever amazing YN

Kuroo thought there wasn't a team more lucky ❤️

You are so cute and bubbly ☺️ like a little cherub 👼

When you aren't being fussed upon by Kai or Yaku

You are being praised by Yamamoto and Lev 🙇‍♂️🙇

Please they all worship you

But it's Kuroo who had taken you under his wing

Please Kuroo loves it when you call him Senpai 😫

This man would lay down in a puddle of mud for you to walk across YN

But despite how cheery you might be in the publics eye, it can only go so deep

Your cheery, happy deminer had become a sort of mask 😔

Growing up, you knew your home life wasn't the best

You essentially never felt safe or cared for in the company of anyone in your home

Heck you avoided home at all possible

Thankfully being a manager for the volleyball team helped that cause

You left for school supper early and came home super late

You'd play video games with Kenma or even hang out with Kuroo, Kai and Yaku

But nobody knew why

They all just assumed that you just were a social butterfly

Nobody knew the sad truth 😔

Despite this fact, you never let on about your home life

Which is why, when summer training camp came around, you were so excited

Please you were bouncing up and down with joy as you watched all the buses pull into the lot

"Geez YN"- Kuroo 😏

"I'm just really excited Kuroo-Senpai"- YN 🤩

Enough said YN ✋️ that man already loves you

Please save some for the rest of us

I mean it YN 😐

Not only do you have Kuroo wrapped around your finger but 👀

"HEY HEY HEY WHERE'S MY YN??" -Bokuto, practically shooting off the bus to find you

"Bokuto she's her own YN"- Akaashi, following close behind because well

He likes you too 🤫😏

But you didn't hear that from me 👀

Proof is in the picture YN

And the pictures involve numerous hugs and head pats from Akaashi

Seriously he's so good at giving head pats

Tell me I'm wrong? I'm not

Bokuto and Kuroo love you because you cheer so loud for them

Akaashi loves you because you cheer loud of Bokuto 😅

When they play against each other, You are screaming so loud you lose your voice

But that's just how precious you are

Seriously Yamamoto is on such high alert with all these boys around

Between you and Kiyoko, the boys have ramped up security

When it's time for individual training, you barely get to finish your manager duties before Bokuto is dragging you to the gym

"BOKUTO LET YN GO"- kuroo, chasing after you

"No!"- Bokuto, now full on running with you

He probably threw you over his shoulder 🤣

Alaashi quick get the spray bottle or something

Now despite your home life, being in a volleyball gym has always brought you a sense of peace

I think its probably all the flying in the air and like beautiful sets 😍

It's majestic ✨️

Just watching it calms you down

Unfortunately for you, you can't control your triggers 😔

It's something you've been working hard on but it can happen unexpectedly

It's not ever your fault YN just know that!

So when you are picking up stray balls and Bokuto slams a ball hard that comes right by your head

You collapse in fear

It happens so fast, you don't have time to think

You instinctively cover your head and start to cry

Please, these boys waste no time at all

They RUN 🏃‍♂️ to you

Bokuto freaks out because he thinks he hit you 🥺

"OH MY GOD YN IM SO SORRY!! PLEASE DONT HATE ME"- Bokuto, freaking out

Voted mostly likely to panic in any situation 👉🏻 Bokuto

But Akaashi knows Bokuto didn't hit you

He's probably the first to realize somethings wrong

Kuroo is going to talk first

"YN, hey YN are you ok? What happened?"- Kuroo

He isn't going to touch you but he is going to bend down to your level

You slowly peek up from your protective ball and realize what's going on

The first thing to hit you will probably be embarrassment

But trust me YN, you have nothing to be embarrassed about!

"YN what happened?"- Akaashi

You probably won't speak but your silence gives away more than you know

I feel like Akaashi would be really in tune to stuff like this

I mean he's very in tune to Bokutos emotions right 😅

"YN has someone hurt you?"- Akaashi

Bokuto and Kuroo go completely still

Again, your silence is very telling 😔

"Come on YN, we need to get you to the coaches. Is it OK if I help you up?"- Akaashi

Pls say less ✋️

Our consent king 🤴

"It's really ok guys, just a bad flashback. I'll be fine"- You, trying to save face

Give up YN these boys are not going to back down

"Who hurt you YN?"- Kuroo

He's going to be super blunt about it

"I- I can't tell you"- You, scared of what will happen

"You're safe YN"- Akaashi

Please imma cry 😪

"My- my home life isn't the greatest"- You, slowly opening up

Please they make you feel so safe

"YN, please let us take you to the coaches. I promise, we will get you help"- Akaashi, the freaking most amazing man alive

😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

They will take you to the coaches and while you talk, they will just FILL with anger 😡

Like it's radiating off them

Please they are worse than Ushijima was in season 3 when he got all fired up

Afterwards, they will walk you back to your dorm

But oh no, it's not any normal walk 😅

"Guys I really appreciate you but the coaches said they will help"- You, trying to calm the boys down

Because let's be serious YN, they are PISSED

Bokuto is literally punching the air and ready to fight

"Let me at em! Let me at em!"- Bokuto, all fired up

Akaashi isn't above letting him just do it because he's way pissed

I feel like Akaashi would be one of those people who is really quiet when they are mad

And right now Akaashi is DEAD silent

Kuroo is texting Kenma to help him find out this would be justifiable homicide 😅

BTW it's not 👀

Kuroo is still figuring out how many years he would be doing in prison if he was caught

And that's a BIG IF

When you arrive at the dorm, you give them each a giant hug 🫂

Those chemistry skills come in handy ya get me 🤫

BTW, violence is never the answer kids, these are just fictional headcannons ✋🏻

And they instantly melt 🥰

"Thank you so much for being the best"- YN

Now, you're mind might of been fuzzy when this happened ✋️ but you did it anyways

You kissed their cheeks 💋

Oh god they all die

Dead Deceased GONE 💀

"Everything will be ok YN"- Akaashi

And you know it will be

Because you have the best support squad in the world YN 💗

[rex101111]

i now step back upon my “taokaka should have been the main character of blazblue” soapbox (though truthfully i never leave it housing prices are surprisingly reasonable on hills you choose to die on) to give another reason as to why her being the MC would have been really fun.

Specifically, she would have been the fighting game equivalent of Kirby. Allow me to explain.

Alright, so the biggest thing about Kirby games is that the lore is surprisingly deep and dark and full of ancient evils and long dead heroes and wish granting living stars and all that junk, while Kirby himself remains blissfully oblivious to all of it.

The reason being that he’s a basically good hearted kid with a relatively simple view of the world who is, coincidentally, the latest, and possibly last, in a long long line of super powerful warriors. So he just sees a bunch of jerks who steal his cake or wreck his house or make his friends sad so he just saddles up to make ‘em quit it. And he does make ‘em quit it. Every single time.  

And because he always makes ‘em quit it he continues to be his happy jolly oblivious self, while he makes the lives of the people around him better just by being positive and friendly. He’s surrounded by people more serious or selfish than him, but they all defer to and trust in him because he’s proven himself, over and over, as a good and capable person. He’s their friend, Kirby, he’ll find a way to sort this all out just fine.

There’s a bunch of similarities between Tao and Kirby; they’re both big eaters, neither of them have any clue about the wider lore of their setting (Kirby because he’s a naïve kid and Tao because she’s naïve but also...kinda dumb), both of them are a part of a lineage of great warriors (Kirby is a Star Warrior while Tao is the clone of Jubei, one of the Six Heroes who fought the Black Beast), and both of them take a relaxed view on life.

If Tao had been the main character of Blazblue; the story would have shaken out something like so: Taokaka goes out from her village to find a way to get money to buy food. She meets Ragna, who she remembers from a wanted poster, and goes to fight him for that money. Problem; she’s hungry, so she forgets that first thing and says that if she beats him he has to buy her food. 

Ragna is like, “alright fine whatever, weird cat...”, because this is just this random weird cat girl he can beat her just fine. And than she beats him. Trounces him, really, and he can only lay on his back in disbelief. While the cat girl cheers about her victory and impending meal, Ragna can only think that that beating was...oddly familiar.

He buys her food, cause he promised and he doesn’t want to get beat up by the cat girl again, and she’s really happy about it. Really happy. Oddly happy, They finish and he leaves...and the cat follows him.

“...you got your food, what else do you want?”

“Huh? Waddya mean Good Guy? Tao wants to hang out with Tao’s friend!”

And so Taokaka hangs out with her friend. And suddenly she has to deal with a bunch of weirdos trying to fight her friend, so she steps in every time and gets them to quit it. NOL officers, Noel, Jin, all the way to Nu. She just beats them all up because they keep trying to hurt her friend and nobody hurts Taokaka’s friends.

Just, imagine she gets to Hazama/Terumi, and he takes off his hat and does his laugh and he goes on this big speech about his plan and AMATERASU and all that anime villain shit...and Taokaka just scratches the top of her head befuddled and asks “...sooo, Tao didn’t get most of that, but are you saying you’re the reason Good Guy is grumpy and sad all the time?”

And Terumi can only really blink at her slowly and go, “heh, you know what? Yeah, that’s basically the gist of it.”

And Taokaka nods cheerfully, “Okay! Tao gets it!”

And than she beats him up. Beats the absolute shit out of him. And Terumi is a mix of rage, panic, and terror. Because this is like fighting Jubei. No, this is like fighting Jubei if he had no regard for his own physical well being or for the integrity of his environment and was somehow both utterly stupid and completely mental.

And this repeats for every major villain in Blazblue. All the other Arcade Modes have each character struggle against their inner demons and these cruel villains, while the Canon Story is Tao’s Eventful Afternoon where she meets a bunch of weird guys, befriends them, and then meets a big scary nightmarish villain who she beats up with her big puffy sleeves (full of knives) until they quit trying to hurt her friends.

It would have been rad, is all I’m saying.   

[fics-n-stuff]

A Nice Christmas

Thanks to @gayhistorynerd for the prompt, see here (I kind of deviated from it a little maybe a lot but the story still stemmed from this prompt)

Pairing: Wilhelm × Simon

Summary: Wilhelm may have denied being in the sex tape, but that doesn't mean that the world has forgotten. The Christmas break proves to be difficult for both Simon and Wilhelm, one suffering from ongoing harassment and the other feeling completely isolated, and they find that they can't help but be drawn back to each other.

Word Count: 4.5k

A/N: This took me so long to write because I got writer's block right after I started it. This doesn't have a super happy ending because I wanted to try and keep it pretty realistic, but it is pretty sweet and wholesome.

Taglist: @probablyprocrastinatingrightnow @rika90 @angelwilhelm

Wilhelm had never felt more alone than he did being home for Christmas break. He spent as much time as was physically possible holed up in his bedroom, not wanting to see or talk to anyone, especially not his mother. He hadn’t turned his phone on for three days, he had bitten his nails down to the nailbeds and he hardly had any appetite. The ache in his chest was constant and unyielding.

He lay in the dark most of the time, his curtains closed throughout the day and only sometimes opened at night to let the moonlight in. Besides that, he didn’t have much idea of how time was passing.

He did know that it was Christmas eve though. And it must be the morning because nobody had come to drag him out of his bedroom to join the celebrations. A cursory peek around the curtain confirmed that, as Wilhelm saw that the sun hadn’t even fully risen yet.

A deep breath settled the stone in his stomach, and he reached for his phone with a shaky hand.

When the device turned on it immediately started going crazy with notifications, and Wilhelm felt his heart rate increase with every buzz.

5 messages from August

Ignore.

10 messages from Mamma

Ignore.

2 missed calls from Felice

Wilhelm paused in swiping away the notifications. Felice had called him twice and sent him three messages. He clicked on the message notification, sitting back against the wall and holding in a breath without realising it.

Felice: Hey Wille, how are you feeling being home?

Felice: I just wanted to check in but I can’t get a hold of you, I hope you’re doing alright

Felice: You probably don’t want to talk but you can call or text me whenever you do

Wilhelm sighed. Of all the people that he thought that he could depend on, Felice was the only one that he still had. He swallowed the lump in his throat and called her back.

It rang for a while before she answered, and he’d almost decided to hang up the call when it stopped ringing.

“Wille, good morning.” Felice greeted, cheerful but clearly tired. “Merry Christmas.”

“Yeah, merry Christmas Felice.” Wilhelm replied feebly. His voice was hoarse from disuse.

“Are you alright? Do you want to talk about something?”

“Uhm, I- I don’t know, I just... I don’t know.” He stuttered, wrapping his free arm around himself.

“Okay, well, what are your plans for today?”

“I’m not sure, I haven’t really been talking to anyone. What, uh, what are your plans?”

“Oh, you know, just the usual. We’ll watch Kalle Anka's Jul and play some games before dinner, then we’ll open presents.” She explained. The tinny sound of her voice through the phone was actually quite calming.

“What about for the rest of the break?”

“Um, I’m going to New York to see Maddie for New Year, so that’ll be fun. And I’m going back to Bjärstad on Boxing Day to see Sara. I’m gonna stay there just for one night.”

“So you’ve been talking to Sara a lot then?” Wilhelm questioned, moving to bite at his almost non-existent nails.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Has she said anything about Simon? Do you know if he’s alright?” His words came out more rushed than he had intended. Clearly, he was more eager for some sort of information on Simon than he had thought.

“Um, she hasn’t said much but I think he’s pretty okay.” Felice replied, but it was followed by a small sigh that let Wilhelm know that there was more to the story. “Sara says that things have mostly gone back to normal, but Simon goes out a lot less and she’s had to make her Instagram private. I think they’ve had a few people show up at their house.”

Wilhelm swallowed hard, a feeling of guilt crawling under his skin. Simon’s Instagram account had been private ever since the video had been leaked, so it seemed that now people had found Sara’s too. They had attention on them that they had never signed up for, and Wilhelm knew that it was his fault and he felt terrible for that.

“Okay.” He replied shakily. There was a short silence before Felice spoke again.

“How are you, Wilhelm? Really?” She asked.

“Lonely.” He answered. “Listen, I have to go. I need to take a shower before someone comes demanding that I take part in the Christmas celebrations.”

“Alright well, call me back whenever, okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Bye, Felice.”

“Bye, Wille. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas.”

Wilhelm ran a hand over his face, letting out a groan of frustration and sadness. Why couldn’t he just be a normal kid?

He stared down at his phone in his lap, gnawing at the nail of his right thumb in contemplation. With a shaking breath and trembling fingers, he picked it back up, opened his conversation with Simon and typed a short message. He dropped his phone in mild panic as soon as he hit send, and rubbed his hand over his chest as he took a deep, steadying breath.

+ + +

“Simon, wake up. Rosh and Ayub will be here soon.” Sara’s voice stirred Simon from his sleep and he rolled over to look at her. She was already dressed.

“What time is it?” He asked with a yawn.

“Nine o’clock. Get up and come help with breakfast.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m getting up.”

Sara rolled her eyes and left the room, and Simon reached out to his bedside table blindly until his hand landed on his phone. He squinted at the screen as he sat up, faltering when he saw the notification on the screen.

Wilhelm: Merry Christmas Simon

He felt his heart race as he stared at the screen, only snapping out of it when he heard Sara shouting at him from downstairs. He blinked, dropped his phone and set about getting dressed.

Every Christmas eve since they were ten, Simon, Sara, Rosh and Ayub would have breakfast together and then go for a long walk. It was tradition for them at this point, but Simon found himself unable to feel excited for it this year. It was all well and good to pretend like life was going on as normal, but it was hard not to feel uncomfortable when people stared at him everywhere he went.

Rosh and Ayub arrived just as he and Sara were finishing up making breakfast, and they exchanged Christmas well-wishes as they sat down to eat.

“You’re being real quiet over there, Simme. You alright?” Ayub asked after a while, and Simon realised that he’d been completely zoned out.

“Sorry, just thinking.”

“About Wilhelm?” Sara questioned. Simon pushed a bite of food into his mouth and shrugged.

“You have to move on, Simon.” Rosh said. “I know you care about him but he’s not worth all the trouble that he comes with.”

“I know. That’s why I ended things.” He replied. “It still sucks though.”

“You’ll get over him eventually.” Sara told him, putting a comforting hand on his for a few seconds before going back to her food. Simon smiled slightly.

He didn’t tell them about the text.

Despite all of that, he was in high spirits when they set out for their walk, happily joking and laughing with his friends, and they made it half an hour before he heard the first comment.

“That’s the guy from the sex tape.” Muttered a girl to her friend as they passed, and Simon felt the smile fall from his face.

“Just ignore them.” Sara told him, wrapping an arm around one of his. He nodded, but it had gotten to him. For the rest of their walk from that point, Simon felt like every person that they passed was looking at him and judging him.

They walked both Rosh and Ayub back to their houses before heading back to theirs just a bit past noon. They had almost gotten home when they were approached by a group of teenagers probably slightly younger than them.

“Are you the guy from that viral sex tape?” One of the boys asked unabashedly, the group coming right up in front of Simon and Sara and blocking their path.

“Uh, I don’t want to talk about that.” Simon replied stiffly, still trying to be polite.

“Oh my god, it is him!” A girl exclaimed.

“Was it actually the crown prince in the video?” Another chimed. Simon felt lightheaded.

“He already said that it wasn’t.” He deflected, trying to sidestep the group.

“Yeah, but there’s a lot of people that don’t actually believe him.” The girl laughed; actually laughed, as if this hadn’t been an earth shattering event for Simon.

“If it wasn’t Prince Wilhelm then who was it in the video?” A boy asked, and that was when Simon spotted the phone filming him and his stomach dropped.

“I’m not discussing my sex life with a bunch of strangers.” He scoffed in disbelief, shouldering his way past the group with Sara close behind him. “Please leave me alone.”

“You could just tell us if it was actually the prince or not.” One of them pressed, the group now following after Simon. “If it wasn’t him then you don’t have anything to hide.”

“Oh my god, did the royal family pay you off? Did they make you sign an NDA!?”

“Were you, like, boyfriends? Or was it just a hookup?”

Simon kept walking, keeping his head down and not answering any of the questions being hurled at him. He could sense that Sara was just as tense beside him. The group followed them for a full block before Simon finally lost his cool and came to a dead stop, turning to face them.

“I’m not going to answer your questions. The fact that you’re following me is not going to make me answer your questions. I’ve had my privacy majorly invaded once already and now you’re invading it again. I’m trying to enjoy Christmas with my sister and you’re chasing me with a camera, I’m sick of people harassing me.” He fumed, making sure to meet the eye of every one of them at some point. “Whatever you choose to believe is not my problem. It doesn’t matter whether you think that the crown prince is telling the truth or you choose to make up some type of theory, I deserve my privacy.”

He didn’t wait for any type of response before he turned around and walked away, thankful to find that they weren’t going to follow him anymore.

“You handled that well.” Sara said quietly once they had turned the next corner. Simon didn’t reply.

When they got home, he went straight upstairs without a word. He slammed his bedroom door shut and buried his face in his pillow, unable to hold the tears back any longer.

By that same evening, the video was viral.

+ + +

I bet that girl was right and the royal family made him sign an NDA

If he didn’t want people to think it was the prince he would have just said that it wasn’t so either the prince was lying or this guy is seeking attention

He’s literally a kid why can’t people just leave him alone??

I don’t care if it was the prince in the tape or not, this guy is hot

The way he said that people are making up theories makes me think that it actually wasn’t the prince in the video

I feel bad for this guy, getting followed around like that must suck

Wilhelm scrolled through the captions and comments on the seemingly endless posts of the video of Simon, feeling like somebody had a vice grip on his heart.

The first time he saw the video had been right after Christmas Eve dinner. He’d had a full blown panic attack and locked himself in the bathroom for half an hour. When he came out, his mother had tried to talk to him about the politics of the situation and he had immediately retreated into his bedroom once again. He missed Erik desperately.

He hadn’t been able to sleep, he'd only gotten about three hours of broken, fitful sleep all night, and now he couldn’t pry himself away from his phone. He knew that it was bad for him, he knew that it was making him feel terrible, but he wanted to know what people were saying.

He had been hesitant to text Simon, especially since he hadn’t received a reply to the merry Christmas text that he had sent in the morning, but in the end he mustered the courage to reach out. He had asked how Simon was doing and apologised for getting him into this situation. He wasn’t surprised when no answer came.

Christmas day was proving to be probably the worst day of Christmas break for Wilhelm. His chest felt like it was bursting open and like it was an empty chasm at the same time. He didn’t eat breakfast or lunch, he didn’t respond to the knocks that came at his door. He felt like he was trapped in a glass box and someone was shaking it.

Wilhelm didn’t know how long he had been scrolling through multiple different social media platforms when his phone buzzed in his hand and an incoming call appeared on the screen. He faltered, sitting up and almost dropping his phone, when he saw that it was Simon. He ran a nervous hand through his hair as he raised the phone to his ear.

“Simon?” He croaked.

“Hi, Wilhelm.” The reply came through the phone, and Wilhelm felt his shoulders relax at the sound of Simon’s voice.

“Hi. H-how are you.” He fumbled, and Simon sighed on the other end.

“I’m okay, I guess. As okay as I can be after... well, you know.”

“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry for putting you in this situation.”

“This wasn’t your fault, Wille.” Simon muttered. “I just wish things were different.”

“Why, um... why did you call?” Wilhelm asked. There was a short stretch of silence that rung in his ears before Simon answered.

“I just wanted to hear your voice, I guess.” He confessed, and Wilhelm couldn’t help the soft smile that pulled at his lips. “Honestly, I was kind of surprised that you didn’t delete my number or something.”

“Why would I have done that?”

“I don’t know, I guess I just thought that you weren’t supposed to have any ties with me since you said that it wasn’t you in the video.” Wilhelm winced at that.

“It's not like my contacts list is available to the public.” He replied, trying to keep his tone light. “I’m not gonna let that kind of thing get in my head again.”

“Is your mum mad?” Simon asked, and now it was Wilhelm’s turn to sigh.

“I’m not sure, I kind of shut myself in my room so that I wouldn’t have to deal with her.” He answered tiredly. “How is your family?”

“Uh, shaken. Sara’s off in her own world with her sketchbooks and mamá can’t go for more than an hour without checking on us both, but we’re handling it.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologise.”

There was a silence again. Wilhelm ran his hand across his leg, back and forth in a soothing motion, not sure what he should say but not wanting the conversation to finish. In the end, Simon spoke first.

“Did you mean it, what you said before you left for the break?” He asked softly.

“Yeah, I did.” Wilhelm answered without hesitation. “I know it wasn’t a good time to say it, and you probably didn’t want to hear it, but I just had to say it out loud. At least once.”

Silence again. Wilhelm heard Simon sigh, and pursed his lips nervously.

“I miss you.” Simon said.

“I miss you too.” Wilhelm replied with a nervous yet relieved chuckle. “I miss you a lot.”

Another pause.

“Where do we go from here, Wille?” Simon whispered.

“I don’t know.” Wilhelm mumbled. “But I... I want to fix this. Or at least just try to fix it. You don’t deserve to be harassed like this, and it’s my fault and I feel terrible.”

“It’s not your fault.” Simon reassured with a sigh. “It was everything else. We still didn’t do anything wrong, and that includes you.”

“No, I did. I promised we would be in this together and I broke that promise.”

“I understand why you did it. And I’m not mad at you. Honestly, having thought about it, you probably made the best decision for my sake too. I mean, I’m getting harassed enough as it is already. I can’t imagine what it would be like if you had told the truth.”

“I’m still sorry anyway.” Wilhelm said softly, and Simon chuckled. “So, um, Felice told me she was visiting Bjärstad tomorrow.”

“Yeah, her and Sara have gotten close. It’s nice, you know, that Sara’s made friends. And Felice is cool.”

“Yeah, she’s great.”

There was silence again, and Wilhelm bit at his nails thinking that Simon was done with the conversation.

“Are you alright, Wille?” Simon asked after a while. “I know this is your first Christmas without Erik, and I guess things with your mum might be a little... well, I just hope you’re okay.”

Wilhelm swallowed. He could lie, pretend he was fine and wave away Simon’s concerns, but he knew the lie probably wouldn’t hold up. Or he could tell the truth and admit how painfully lonely he was, how much he hated being home because the palace felt empty without Erik and how much he longed to be with Simon with every fibre of his being.

“I’m coping.” He sighed, settling for a middle ground of vagueness. “It’s lonely here. The ceilings feel too high.”

“Have you had stuff to do?”

“No, not really. I haven’t really been in the mood for Christmas, but I guess none of us are particularly festive this year anyway.”

“Would you - I mean, if you would even be allowed to, but maybe if you could – would you want to come down here for a day?” Simon asked, and Wilhelm could just picture him fidgeting nervously as he stumbled over his words. The image brought a smile to his face.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” He answered softly. “I’ll try and convince my parents.”

+ + +

Going to Simon’s house had been an absolute no go with his parents. “Just too risky” his mother had said. However, with enough persistence, he managed to wear them down to a compromise.

That was how he ended up in a car on his way back to Hillerska the day after Boxing Day. While Simon’s house had been absolutely off the table, it would be easy enough to get back to Hillerska without being seen. The only people who were there during the break were security and the people who came to take care of the horses.

He had been worried at first that the inconvenience of it would make Simon not want to bother, but when he texted to ask if it was okay he had been met with a quick agreement.

A security guard unlocked the door for him when they arrived, sworn to secrecy of course, and he headed up to his room to wait. He didn’t realise he was biting his nails until there was a knock at the door and he was knocked out of his anxious thoughts.

The door opened slowly, and Wilhelm felt like all of the air was knocked out of his body when he saw Simon step inside, dressed in his beloved purple hoodie under the coat that he took off and draped over the back of a chair that was within reach. The door clicked shut behind him, and silence hung in the air.

“Hey.” Simon greeted finally, and Wilhelm took a deep breath as if he was just remembering how to breathe at all.

“Hey.” He echoed. “How are you?”

“Better.” Simon nodded. “Did you get into a fight with your parents?”

“Yeah, kinda.” Wilhelm muttered. “It’s fine though.”

Simon crossed the room and took a seat beside Wilhelm on the edge of the bed, a good few inches of space between them. It felt like miles.

“You look tired.” Simon commented.

“I’ve been having a hard time sleeping.” Wilhelm replied weakly, eyes downcast, fidgeting with his hands. “I get that way sometimes. It’s fine.”

“Is it?”

He looked over to find Simon watching him, and he practically crumbled under his gaze. He took a very unsteady breath and shook his head.

“No, it sucks.” He mumbled. His hand drifted back up to his mouth and he gnawed on the nail of his thumb nervously.

“Wille, you’re bleeding.” Simon said, gently grabbing his wrist and pulling his hand away from his mouth. Wilhelm looked down at his thumb and saw a bit of blood pooling in the side of the nailbed, becoming aware of the taste of it on his tongue.

“Oh, I didn’t notice.”

“How much have you been biting your nails?” Simon questioned, pulling Wilhelm’s hand towards him to get a look at them. Every nail was jagged and uneven, bitten down to stubs. The skin around them had been bitten at too.

“I don’t know, I do it without realising.” Wilhelm shrugged. “Probably a lot.” He resisted the urge to curl his fingers around Simon’s hand and blinked back the tears that threatened to fall.

“You shouldn’t have to bottle everything in, you’re destroying yourself.” Simon murmured.

“I don’t have anyone to talk to.” Wilhelm’s voice broke halfway through his sentence, a single tear managing to fight its way from his eye. “I used to be able to talk to Erik about at least some of it but now he’s gone and I don’t have anyone, and sometimes it feels like the ground is falling out from under me and I just don’t know what to do.”

He didn’t notice that he was hyperventilating until Simon pulled him into his arms. Wilhelm’s chest was tight, rising and falling rapidly against Simon’s body. Simon's arms were wrapped around him tightly, and Wilhelm was suddenly overwhelmed with how much he had been craving a hug as his hands grasped at the back of Simon’s hoodie and he hid his face in the crook of Simon’s neck.

Wilhelm had always been told not to cry. Ever since he was a child, whenever he began to cry he was told to stop. The seed had planted itself in him when he was very young, but the fear of letting himself cry didn’t truly grow until he once saw an article in a tabloid. He was barely eleven and he had fallen and hurt himself at an event. He had hardly cried, just a few tears and red cheeks, but the tabloid had had plenty to say about it. He hadn’t let himself properly cry since, except for when Erik died. Even then, he had waited until he was completely alone before he let his weakness show. But now, with Simon, he felt an overwhelming need to let his tears fall.

“I’m so sorry.” He whispered into Simon’s shoulder. He could feel the tears coming out of his eyes but they weren’t falling down his face, instead absorbing into the fabric of Simon’s hoodie.

“It’s okay.” Simon soothed, a hand moving up to stroke over the Wilhelm’s hair.

“I never wanted any of this. I never wanted to be a prince.”

“I know.”

“I just wanted to feel normal. Just for once.” Wilhelm said through his tears. “You made me feel normal.”

Simon furrowed his eyebrows, sympathetic. He loosened his hold on Wilhelm and leaned back, sliding the hand that was on the back of Wilhelm’s head forward to rest against his cheek.

“You made me feel normal too.” He replied softly. “At school I was a social outcast because I’m not rich, and at home I have to take care of my mom and Sara. When I was with you, I didn’t feel like I had to take care of anyone or watch where I was stepping. Well, except that one night.” Wilhelm huffed a slight laugh at the comment, lifting a hand to wipe the tears off of his cheeks. “I’ve never seen you cry before.” Simon commented.

“I’m not supposed to.” Wilhelm replied with an awkward chuckle, his head tipping forward in embarrassment. Simon sighed through his nose and lightly touched his forehead to Wilhelm’s.

“You have to cry sometimes, Wille. Everyone cries.”

“I’m not supposed to be everyone.”

“Okay, but sometimes you need to stop worrying about what you’re supposed to be.” Simon told him. “I know you know that.”

Wilhelm took a deep breath. This close to Simon’s face, he could feel his breathing too. He wanted to kiss him, but he didn’t know if that would be okay. He nodded slightly, covering Simon’s hand on his cheek with his own.

“Yeah.” He breathed.

When Simon leaned forward and connected their lips Wilhelm responded automatically, though it took his brain a few seconds to catch up. Once his brain did catch up, his hand took hold of the back of Simon’s neck and pulled him impossibly closer, holding onto this moment like it was his last. Maybe it would be the last time he got to kiss Simon; he couldn’t know. He hoped it wouldn’t be.

“Thanks for coming to see me.” Simon said when they broke apart.

“Thanks for wanting to see me at all.” Wilhelm replied. “I really missed you.”

Simon hummed, a faint smile playing at his lips. He watched Wilhelm for a few moments before kicking off his shoes.

“Come here.” He said, shuffling over the bed towards the wall. Wilhelm followed suit and allowed himself to be guided down to a lying position, Simon’s chest against his back and arm around his waist. “You need to sleep.”

“It’s the middle of the day.” Wilhelm protested, weak as the protest may have been.

“People have naps all the time, and you know that you need it.” Simon said firmly, adjusting the pillow under his head with his free arm and finding Wilhelm's hand to hold in the other. “It doesn’t have to be for long, okay?”

“Okay.” Wilhelm nodded, feeling suddenly very relaxed. He took a deep breath settling into the comfort and warmth of Simon’s body around his as his eyes fell shut. “This is nice.” He mumbled after a while.

“Yeah.” Simon agreed softly. “Go to sleep, Wille.”

It wasn’t long until he felt Wilhelm’s breathing change, signifying that he had fallen asleep. He smiled, fondly but with an edge of sadness to it, and pressed a light kiss to Wilhelm’s shoulder before closing his own eyes. They would deal with the rest of the world when they woke up.

[astaroth1357]

More undateables with a demigod hades mc???

By request, have yourself a part two!! 

Demigod MC Series: Hades Pt. 2 (Un)Dateables Edition!

I will ask that y’all please don't ask for continuations of other gods unless I say it’s okay to do again. This series already fills my inbox something fierce and this is a one-off that I allowed for during the request window.  If I have to make ideas for new gods while continuing a bunch of old MCs, it'll burn me out fast...

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2

Diavolo

Oh, he has no problem at all hosting a child of the Underworld, hell he even throws them a welcome banquet when he finds out! Hades is a dear friend - and practically a parental figure to him growing up - so he's more than happy to take in one of his children for a year.

Diavolo is actually one of the few people that the MC can talk to about their home with any kind of fondness. Usually when they bring up things like the comforting wailing of the River Coctyus, the brothers will give them weird looks... but Diavolo knows where they're coming from!

He spent numerous summers in the Underworld growing up doing things like pestering Charon on the River Styx or playing games with Cerberus (the other one) in the Asphodel Meadows... His beach house is actually modeled after his childhood summer home in the Isles of Paradise! Really, it can be a lovely place if the gloom doesn't bother you!

So in the spirit of his fond memories, Diavolo really tried to make their time in the Devildom a fun one!... in his maybe trying a little too hard way…  

Poor MC found themselves offered pretty much everything under the moon… Tickets or exclusive passes to different cultural events/festivals, invitations to gala events, and tours of nearly every inch of Hell by the Prince himself - it was… it was a lot for the poor introverted thing…

It didn’t help that Diavolo would have a hard time gauging if they were having any fun due to their naturally melancholic nature, which only pushed him to try harder… He means well, he does. He’s just not the most in touch with what would make an anti-social doom child happy...

It took Barbatos and Lucifer stepping in for the mortal to actually start getting some much needed space and that improved their experience significantly. Sometimes less is more, Dia… Less is more. But they appreciate his efforts anyway.

Barbatos 

Also has a pretty amicable relationship with the Ruler of the Underworld, though his is much more professional compared to Diavolo’s. He actually has a good deal of appreciation for the man for taking good care of the Prince during his visits, so he sees this as an opportunity to return the favor.

Like Diavolo, he’s rather focused on making sure the MC is having a good stay in the Devildom, but he’s much more subtle about it. He’ll come by the House often to check up on them and make sure everything is to their liking... 

Even the brothers notice that he treats them like anothering visiting Lord/Lady in that way, which he would argue they very much are and should be respected as one. It’s the least the Devildom can offer their father at this point.

His visits may also be an excuse for keeping an eye on the brothers to make sure they don’t do anything to inconvenience their “young guest…” To be honest, the entire House is a little paranoid about that… Nobody wants to know the punishment for hurting MC if Barbs is the one dishing it out...

Apart from watching out for them, Barbatos tries to encourage the MC to accept the Young Lord’s gifts (while also actively advising Diavolo to go easier on them at the same time). It would be so disheartening to him if his Prince feels like he hasn’t offered them the best experience that he could… He’s sure they understand.

Any time that he invites the MC to tea, they usually end up talking about their father in some way. Barbs knows a surprising amount about the god… He’s been around about as long as Chronos - preceding the birth of Aether and Chaos themselves - so he has some stories to tell.

The MC did once ask him why he doesn’t just run everything if he’s really been around for so long... his answer was: “Kings and their kingdoms will rise and fall… Worlds upon worlds are born, then cease to be. But time is what brings about all changes… So, I think I’m perfectly content with the power I possess. Wouldn’t you be?” 

Annnd they never asked Barbs another question like that again… and people think death is scary… 

Simeon 

He was honestly a little worried for their new companion for quite a while… It’s not like there’s never any sadness in the Celestial Realm or anything, but they seem to have something else entirely…

He’s heard stories about the Underworld. He’s never been himself, that’s usually a job for the Seraphim due to the… dreary nature of the place - but he’s heard it would make the Devildom look downright festive…

If he were being honest, he had half expected the MC to be obsessed with skeletons, ghosts, and other elements of darkness but that wasn’t the case. They certainly knew a lot about those things, but they appeared to have a healthy interest in the afterlife in general, so they asked him a lot of questions about the Celestial Realm, angels, and how the souls of the blessed are treated up there… It was surprising to say the least.

Of course he did the same and, frankly, Simeon found it incredibly wasteful that so many Greek followers find themselves just wasting away in a field of nothing for so long… but that’s neither here nor there.

He was also surprised by how gentle of an influence the MC ended up being on Luke as well. He had always suspected that the little angel just needed a bridge between him and Devildom to start finding appreciation for it, and the MC fit that bill perfectly - nothing he was used to, but still approachable enough to make everything less frightening. He thanks them a great deal for that… but...

It’s just that… Well they’re just so… depressing sometimes…! He doesn’t want to blame them because it hardly seems like their fault! They’re a very kind person, it’s just an atmosphere around them… It brings him to tears if he isn’t careful…

He’s invited the MC to Purgatory Hall on multiple occasions to chat and try to make them smile… When they do, the gloom is dispelled - even just a little - and they’re a truly beautiful creature regardless. It’s just so unfortunate that their life brings so much sadness...

Even so, he actually likes the MC enough to consider basing a character on them if he ever wrote another book. Something about a gloomy but sweet protagonist at home in a world of darkness sounds appealing… doesn’t it?

Luke

He didn’t know how to feel about the MC when they met. At first, he actually thought they were just as unhappy as he was to be there due to how depressed they looked but when they told him that wasn't true, he was really confused...

The Devildom is a dark, brutish, and dangerous place. Why would anyone feel at home down here??

But… well… He would spend time with them at RAD between breaks (partially to help scare off their many, many demonic suitors) and it might be weird to say, but they really made the Devildom look beautiful… literally.

The world just looks better when they’re around! It’s really hard to describe because it’s not something you notice much until they leave, but when the MC is around everything looks more vibrant and inviting! The grass gets greener, flowers grow bigger, and butterflies/birds hover around wherever they are like they have their own gravity - the realm loves them!

It started getting hard for Luke to hang onto his disdain for the place when they made it look so appealing… And then they started talking to him about the Underworld and the creatures they’d befriended there… creatures a lot worse than any demons he’d seen there...

Like. If the MC can be good friends with a bunch of rude walking corpses, then he could probably make friends with a demon right? There’s nice ones… kind of… 

Beel. He can make friends with Beel.

Like Simeon, he does feel bad that they seem so sad all the time… but unlike the older angel, he’s a bit more understanding that this is just how they are and enjoys his time with them regardless. (It helps a lot that just being around this little bean of a boy can lift their spirits anyway).

And you know what’s even better for him? When Lord Diavolo gives the MC tickets to things that they don’t want to go to, sometimes they’ll invite him along or give them to him instead! 

He’s gone to the Devil’s Coast with MC and Simeon sooo many times by now and he loves it!! Maybe the Devildom isn’t so bad after all, I mean, it can be a lot of fun when you go to the right places, anyway.

Solomon

Oh, he finds them both deeply fascinating and utterly terrifying - so just his sort of test sub-er, person!

He kids (somewhat), Solomon isn’t that dumb/lacking in self-preservation instinct. Experimenting on a child of death in a land of the dead (even if it’s not their “home turf”) would be asking for trouble. They’d have more than enough ammunition to fight him off and if their father found out? Immortality wouldn’t even begin to save him...

That being said, questions aren’t necessarily experiments… and oh boy, does he have a lot of them.

If the MC isn’t being pestered by Diavolo or the brothers, then they’re probably having to put up with Solomon nipping at their heels trying to get them to use their powers or answer all sorts of “innocent” scientific questions…

“MC, reanimation of Greek dead requires a blood offering, correct? Do you have to sacrifice animals for that process or do you allow them to feast on your own?”

“MC, when you’re controlling a skeleton do you move the body as a whole or do you have to animate each individual bone due to their lack of ligaments?”

“Think fast!! Oh look, you just caught the skull of my good friend, Richard! Could you bring him back from that, or should I fetch the rest of him?” 🙂

They put up with it because, believe it or not, he’s not nearly the weirdest person they’ve ever met (a lot of crazy people drift in and out of the land of the dead…) and well… they’re a pretty lonely person too so it’s not like they have a lot of standards when it comes to friendships anyway.

But the second they breathe a word of this to Barbs or Diavolo, this boy is on his way to a royal restraining order… Where does he even get those skulls…?

[spectaclespencer]

P.H. // Part 1; Alone

Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

A/N; Here’s the first chapter! Let me know what you think <3 this is based off of this request I got. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Please know I know this theme/part has little to nothing to do with the actual meaning of the song, but some lines work if you ignore the rest 😅

Summary; After Gideon leaves, Reader takes up chess to comfort Spencer through the difficult time.

Category; Fluff, Angst(?), Hurt/Comfort

Content Warnings; Sad Spencer otherwise none!

Word Count; 3.5k

Masterlist | Series Masterlist | Next

It started when I found Spencer one morning. He had fallen asleep on a chair at the bau, and he explained to me that he’d been waiting for Gideon because he promised to play chess with Spencer that night.

“Is Hotch in yet?”

“No, he will be soon. We have a case, JJ is gonna brief us and we leave in 30.”

He thanked me and left the room, with his head down. He kept the same mood during the briefing, he kept drifting off as JJ was talking. Spencer was known to be stuck in his head often, but this was far more unusual behaviour. I figured maybe he slept wrong, or maybe just was simply looking forward to playing chess with Gideon. That was their usual routine, to have a game or two after cases to relax. It was understandable to see him on edge after not hearing from him all night.

As we got on the jet he didn’t sit with me on the couch right away as he usually did, instead he walked over to Hotch in the back corner. I craned my neck to try and see what he was doing and hear what he was saying. He spoke in soft whispers, seemingly asking questions I assumed were about Gideon’s presence. I saw Hotch shake his head, to which Spencer’s expression dropped. He thanked him, then made his way over to the couch beside me.

“You okay?” I asked.

He gave me a quick nod -- yet didn’t meet my eyes -- then curled up at the end of the couch to presumably take a nap before we landed.

We were all worried about Gideon, none of us had heard from him since the last case. We figured he just needed a break from the chaos; having a loved one die would take a toll on any of us. It was logical really, any one of the team would need time to recover when presented with that situation.

Spencer remained more quiet throughout the case, not engaging in conversation when it wasn’t crucial to the work. We ended up sharing rooms but even then he didn’t budge. He mostly sat in the corner and played chess against himself, often zoning out and staring at the wall. It was hard to see, and even harder to sit back and let him try to get through it. I could tell he was fighting himself in his head, probably going over scenarios on Gideon’s whereabouts. I imagine the stress was affecting him heavily -- or at least it was clear with the way his forehead had been creased all night.

Chess. Nobody on the team had a fair shot at him besides Gideon. Sitting there staring at the pieces probably wasn’t doing him too good, only making him worry more.

It wasn’t that I didn’t care because I did, but when it comes to certain things Spencer can be defensive and refuse help, so I wanted to give him a chance to get better. It wasn’t unlike him to refuse help, and I didn’t want to make the situation worse by opening my mouth. Instead, I opted to ask, “Mind if I join in for a game?”

“What? Uh- no it’s fine. I mean, okay yes. Sure,” Spencer stuttered, spooked by my sudden appearance beside him.

“Stop slouching, you’re gonna make your posture even worse,” I chuckled lightly, patting his shoulder to remind him. He shot me a small smile, watching as I rounded the table to sit across from him. I wasn’t too good of a player, but I wanted to make Spencer feel just a little less alone.

“Do you even know how to play?”

“Ouch,” I mocked offense, slapping a hand over my heart. “So cruel, Spencer.”

He raised his eyebrows in a form of asking again, to which I replied with, “Kind of. I haven’t played for years but I’ve observed you.”

“Y-you’ve observed me?” Spencer questioned, resetting the chess pieces on the board.

“Well, yeah. Kind of hard not to. You’re a pretty interesting guy.”

“Oh. Thank you.”

I smiled when he finally made eye contact with me. He looked tired -- more so than usual -- with his eyebags a deeper shade than they were normally.

The game didn’t last long. In only seven minutes, he managed to beat me. I groaned at my loss, lips pulled into a tight line. Spencer didn’t react, however.

“Okay that’s enough for me,” I said, heading over to the bathroom to brush my teeth before bed. “Goodnight Spence. Get some sleep. No offense but you look like you need it.”

He hummed at me, cleaning up the table before he climbed into his own bed.

I could tell he didn’t sleep much that night, as he kept a lamp on and littered his bed with various books. He looked cute, all swaddled up in the blanket he brings with him on every case for a sense of stability. His glasses were perched on his nose, and he was chewing his fingernails -- a habit I’ve tried to get him to kick over the past two years.

We didn’t talk during the night, but we both knew that each other were awake. I was kept up by my thoughts, trying to figure out how to get Spencer out of his slump. Re-learning how to play chess seemed like a decent enough idea -- yet one that would take some time. I was proved tonight that my skill needed to be greatly improved. It was nice in the moment, but realistically it would take a few weeks, if not more, to get the hang of.

The next day at the precinct I was stationed at the map, trying to figure out our geographical profile. I heard faint chattering coming from outside, and looked over my shoulder to see Spencer and Derek talking. I couldn’t hear much, but I did get that Spencer mumbled about calling Gideon, to which Derek answered that he might’ve just missed the call. It was possible, but likely deeper than that.

“Six times? Six calls? Something’s wrong,” Spencer sighed, rubbing his eyes.

I didn’t intervene with the conversation, instead deciding to finally speak to him about it after the case had ended.

On the last day, we all headed to our rooms after grabbing some dinner, to get a good rest before we took off early the next morning.

“Hey Spence, you awake?”

He hummed in response, and I could hear the rustle of the sheets as he rolled over in his bed to face me.

“I know you’re worried about Gideon. How about when we get back tomorrow I’ll drive you down to his cabin? We can go check on him.

“Would you really?” he asked softly. I couldn’t see him fully in the darkness, but I could sense he was looking at me with pleading eyes.

“Of course. I don’t like seeing you this stressed and down. I want to help.”

“Thanks ____, goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Spencer.”

After our conversation it was like a blanket of grey was lifted over his head. He settled in more, drifting off to sleep within minutes. I hated seeing him sad, and I did my best to try and fix his mood whenever I could. Spencer didn’t like change, I knew that, and the team knows that. A part of me had a sneaking suspicion that Gideon wasn’t coming back, and I had fear for what that would mean for Spencer.

-----

“Do you want me to come in with you?” I asked, pulling up in front of the cabin and turning off the engine. The only sounds were the faint hum of rain outside, splattering against the windows.

Spencer shook his head and took a deep breath, before unbuckling himself and opening his door. He mumbled something about being right back, as he headed off towards the building. It wasn’t dark yet -- only being four pm -- but it wasn’t too light either.

It looked as if the lights inside the cabin were off, and I could just hardly see Spencer as he knocked on the door. He waited on the porch for a moment, waiting to see if anyone would come to the door.

Nobody did.

It was hard to just sit there and watch, as his desperation grew stronger by the millisecond.

-----

I took deep breaths, trying to even out my intake of air and remain calm. When nobody answered the fifth time that I knocked, I reluctantly grabbed a hold of the knob and turned it. Much to my surprise the door opened, creaking inch by inch as I stood there unmoving.

“Gideon?” I called into the home, taking one step inside. “Jason?”

I wasn’t greeted with an answer, he didn’t come to the door and thank me for coming to visit. It was eerily quiet -- so quiet I took a few more steps inside to create some sort of volume.

“Hello?” I spoke again, louder this time. Shutting the door behind me I took off my jacket and hung it on the coat rack next to the entrance.

The place had been mainly cleared out, there weren’t many personal items behind. I stalked over to the kitchen, to see if there was any trace of someone within the last few days. It’s been officially a week and a half since anyone had last heard from him that I was aware of. I thought someone must have eaten, or at least left a bit of a mess behind them that would signal a presence.

As I turned the corner to enter the new room I noticed something on the table. I stopped in my tracks, leaning down to take a closer look.

Gideon’s badge, gun, and an envelope.

I swallowed thickly, walking around the table and took a seat in front of the items. When I saw the envelope had my name on it, my heart dropped. With shaky hands I picked up the paper and opened it, seeing there was a letter inside.

Spencer,

I knew it would be you who came to the cabin to check on me.

You must be frightened, I apologize for that. I never meant to cause you any pain. But then I also never envisioned writing this letter. I’ve searched for a satisfactory explanation for what I’m doing, all I’ve come up with is: a profiler needs to have solid footing. I- I don’t think I do anymore. The world confuses me. The cruelty, indifference, tragedy.

I stopped there, my eyesight becoming blurry from tears. I shoved the letter in my pocket, not caring at the moment if it got crumpled or not.

I was out of the cabin in no time -- choosing not to stay there and sulk in a deeper sadness.

-----

Waiting in the car for Spencer felt like torture. It was difficult, letting him go in there alone to be met with possibly no answers. I was thrown out of my thoughts by the sound of the cabin door slamming shut, Spencer jogging over to the car.

“Hey. Hey, what’s wrong?” I asked, red flags hanging immediately as he climbed in the car, tear soaked face pointed down towards his lap. It took me a moment to realize he was crying -- the rain had completely soaked through his top layer of clothes. He didn’t reply with words, instead reaching into his pants pocket to retrieve a piece of paper. He handed it over to me, still not meeting my eyes.

I unfolded it and began to read -- it was hard, through the tear stains smudging the ink across the page.

“Oh, Spence…” I whispered and stopped after the first few sentences, leaving the rest for him. I didn’t know what to say, how to comfort him.

“He’s gone,” Spencer sniffled, wiping his eyes on the sleeves of his nearly drenched jacket. “He just left. He didn’t say goodbye. He left me a note,” he froze, taking a few deep breaths. “Just like my dad did when I was a kid.”

“It’ll be okay. Wherever he is, I’m sure he’s okay,” I assured him. “You know he cares about you, right?”

“I know he is. It’s just-” he started, trying to find the right words between his gasping for more air. “Can you just take me home, please.”

I nodded, while turning the car back on to drive away. Spencer kept his gaze towards the window, refusing to let me see his face. I’m selfishly almost glad for it, because I don’t know if seeing his heartbreak is something I could handle.

It was a long, quiet drive, taking around an hour and a half to finally reach his apartment. He scrambled out of the car fast, but I still walked him up as I usually did. He got to the door before me, thanking me for driving him home. He shut the door just as I got fully up the stairs, leaving me standing with my mouth open.

‘Baby, when you fought me at the door

Kinda hard to force what's natural

Maybe you don't want what you need most’

-----

The next day when he came over after work he was almost back to normal. It was weird to see, to see such a shift in his behaviour after less than twenty-four hours. As much as he tried to hide it, I could tell just how hard it was for him. The sudden change didn’t go well with anyone, we’d all been informed that Gideon wouldn’t be returning and that he’d moved on from the BAU. It was especially hard on Spencer too, since Elle had just left not too long ago, and then Emily joined the team. First he loses a friend, someone who truly understood him as I did, and then someone he considered a father figure.

And neither of them had said goodbye to his face. It was scary, knowing a member of your team could walk out and never return before you know it.

We were seated on the couch, a game of chess displayed on the middle cushion between us.

It wasn’t anywhere near a fair game -- Spencer’s skills were still far ahead of mine. However I noticed it made him smile, and that’s all I wanted. For him to feel loved, and secured. It was a sense of grounding, a routine that was regular in his life. I still wasn’t very good -- not having played since high school and that night on the last case. But I downloaded an audiobook and several player’s guides for the plane ride home to study, because I wanted to learn for Spencer’s sake. However I soon realized it was easier to watch Spencer and how he plays, and to ask him questions. He seemed to enjoy it, having someone else in his life to play with.. And he loved to teach, to help people learn. He was so good at it too, his big brain being used to help people no matter the context.

Eventually he won the game as usual, causing me to groan in frustration..

“You bastard.”

“Not my fault you kinda suck,” he laughed bashfully, lips curling up into a small smile. It was nice to see a bit of happiness on his face, no matter how temporary.

“You’re so rude to me,” I joked, moving the board to the coffee table. “I thought we were friends.”

It was silent for a few moments, with me figuring out what I was going to say next.

“Spencer I know you haven’t wanted my help, but please tell me what I can do for you. Tell me how you feel, at least?”

‘Maybe you don't want what you need most’

“It’s nothing, ____,” he breathed, looking away from me and instead at the wall the couch was facing. He could see our reflection on the blank tv, and instead opted to just look down at his lap. “I’m better now.”

‘You ain't even there for me

Now you're scared to be alone’

“Respectfully, that’s bullshit.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh come on. I know you don’t want to talk about this but at least give me something. Don’t keep it all in. It’s not healthy.”

His face screwed up at my words, eyebrows furrowed and lips twitching. I could tell he knew I was right, as much as he hated it.

“I’m just- I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“I don’t want you to leave,” Spencer whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear.

‘Got me thinkin' that you scared of yourself, not me’

It all made sense -- the way he’d been distancing himself lately. It took me promising candy and Star Trek for him to come over tonight, and even then he almost declined. Too many blows to the heart made him afraid to get attached. He didn’t want anyone else from his life to disappear in a flash.

“Look at me,” I said, and he snapped his head to face me. “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t claim to be far in the future, but right now? I’m here. You’re stuck with me for a while, Spencer.”

He smiled, closing his eyes as a stray tear graced across his cheek. I used my thumb to wipe it away, and pulled him into a tight hug. He relaxed against me, I felt the tensions in his shoulders deflate as I held him.

“I’ve got you,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of his head. His breath shuddered, and he wrapped his arms around my middle tighter, pushing his face into my shoulder to muffle his crying.

We sat for a while, my hands tracing patterns along his back. It took a few minutes for his cries to calm down, but eventually his breathing evened out with only a few hiccups here and there. He was practically sitting in my lap with his legs flung over mine, suddenly not caring about his personal space. I couldn’t blame him -- the boy was so touch starved he so clearly craved all contact he consented to.

“Do you want to spend the night?” I asked, quietly so I didn’t scare him with the sudden sound.

“Could I please?”

“Of course,” I smiled, pulling away. He still held on tight, not wanting to let go.

We made our way to my bedroom, repeating our usual routine. This wasn’t the first time we’d had a sleepover, and it won’t be the last I’m sure. Sometimes after particularly harder cases he would spend the night, just to be close to someone.

I went into the bathroom to change, giving him the opportunity to do the same. When I returned, he was dressed in a t-shirt and flannel pants he left at my place for sleepovers like this. He was already in bed, and when he saw that I was done in the bathroom he lifted the side of the blanket to welcome me in.

I joined him, grinning as he scooted over and pressed his back to my chest. I felt him breathing softly, my right arm slung over his torso to bring him in closer. He held onto my hand, and didn’t let me drift away. I was happy to comply, happy to feel his body warmth radiate through me.

“Thank you, ____. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight Spence.”

From that day on for the foreseeable future, I swore to myself to have check-ins with Spencer whenever it seemed necessary. Whether it was in the form of words, sleepovers, movie nights, or chess.

His smile got brighter everyday, and eventually he no longer felt as much weight on himself a few weeks down the road. He still cried to me about how he missed Gideon, but it had gotten less frequent. And I was always there for him, offering my shoulder and the promise of my embrace. I knew he appreciated it too.

After a few months since our first game, I beat him in a game of chess. We were on the jet on the way to Montana for a case, and Derek was sitting beside Spencer. He kept annoying him, doing little things like twisting his hair and fanning him with files. Spencer kept shrieking quietly -- trying not to alert Hotch of the bickering.

“Checkmate,” I said, biting back a smile.

“What?!” Spencer froze, arm raised in what looked like to be a poor attempt of whacking Derek’s head.

“Awe, pretty boy. You’ll get her next time,” Derek threw his head back in laughter.

“What?” Spencer repeated quieter, eyes darting across the board, likely running calculations in his head.

“Better luck next time,” I smirked, tilting my head to the side. I wiggled my eyebrows, my small victory boosting my ego.

Spencer tried to keep a neutral face, but I could see by the tension in his cheekbones that he was happy. He was enjoying it.

-----

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permanent taglist; @spencerscumrag @spenxerslut

[belphies-cuhm-sluht]

Could I please request the brothers reaction to a normally fiesty and strong female MC flinching at the sight of an emotionally abusive Ex. She remains strong and tries to play it off, but its clear shes not okay.

Brothers When MC Changes When Seeing An Emotionally Abusive Ex 

Warning (Mention of Emotional Abuse)

I didn’t actually mention what the ex did and I made this GN because anyone can experience any type of abuse, sadly.

Lucifer 

You were always so spunky, sassy, that’s what had drawn his attention to you in the first place. This little vacation that he had set up in the human world was something that he had planned a while ago, and now that the two of you finally had some free time, he was able to enjoy some time with you while you showed him around your hometown. He found it cute how excited you would get when you passed small stores, pointing to them and telling him how you always went there when you were younger but never actually going in. You would just pull him along behind you, almost as if you were scared that time would run out before you got to show him everything, although he would have been able to bring you back up at any time. The change was so noticeable, it was almost like hitting a brick wall. You had stopped running, your voice dropping so low he could barely even hear you anymore. Had he done something wrong? Not act excited enough? “What is it, Darling?” He tilted your head up to look at you, he saw the sadness in your eyes before you shook your head. “It’s nothing, let’s just go the other way…” He saw your eyes dart up, looking at the person who was walking down the sidewalk, heading towards the two of you. “Really. It's nothing. I’m just getting hungry.” You tried to sound unbothered as you turned around, but he knew otherwise. He let you pull him in the other direction, and once you got somewhere where you could both talk in private he asked why you reacted that way and you reluctantly explained everything. He grabbed your hand and squeezed it lightly, offering you a soft smile and sweet words that would help keep your mind off your ex for the rest of the evening. Once you’re asleep he will go out and find your ex and teach him a lesson, scare the hell out of him, and tell him that he’ll be waiting in hell for him when his time comes. No one dies, but it was really hard for Lucifer to keep it that way. 

Mammon 

Your feistiness was so attractive to him, he thought it was both hot and cute at the same time. You didn’t put up with anyones shit, and you had that attitude as soon as you entered the house. He thought it was amazing that you stood up to a bunch of demons, especially Lucifer, even he was too nervous to do that so he thought you were like, super badass. When you told him that you had managed to convince Lucifer to let the two of you up to the human world for a little trip, he was beyond excited. You were taking him on a sightseeing tour throughout the city, showing him your favorite hangout spots and where you’d go when you just needed to get away for a bit. The places wouldn’t have seemed very special if he had come across them by himself, but now that he knew they were your spots he thought they were amazing. As you walked down the street, window shopping and just goofing off, he noticed your body tense up and your head dropping to look at your feet. “Oi, you alright, babe?” He looked around, seeing if someone had maybe passed by and touched you because that would be unacceptable and he would handle that real quick. When you only nodded your head he realized that it was something more than that. If it was the latter you would have handled that person yourself, so whatever was wrong with you now, it must have been really bad. “Yeah. I just think it’s time we go now, don’t you?” You said to him, your eyes quickly glancing over at the person who was staring straight at the two of you. He nodded quickly, taking you back to that spot you had told him about, hoping that you’d tell him what was going on. When he found out that it was your ex and that they emotionally abused you?!?! Oh he didn’t like that, and it took every ounce of control for him not to go and find your ex right now to teach them a lesson. He waited to get back to the hotel, watching you get comfy in your bed before excusing himself under the guise of wanting to run out and get something. He’d yell at your ex, and not only that, he’d change into his demon form just to scare him a little more. Of course, his voice kind of broke because he got choked up when he thought of anyone hurting you… but he did what he had to do, and he’d do it again. No one messes with The Great Mammon’s human! 

Leviathan

The fact that you were so strong and so feisty actually made him weary, but once he figured out how fun you were to actually be around that weariness faded almost completely. Not only were you fun to be around, but you also stood up for him a lot when he was too awkward and anxious to do so himself. When you told him about a trip up to the human world he was slightly put off by it, but then you told him about this arcade that you used to go to and his thoughts immediately changed. An arcade?! That’s so cool! He’s always wanted to go to an arcade up in the human world, but Lucifer told him that it was unnecessary to open the portal just so he could play some video games. Now he could actually do that, and also hang out with you at the same time! It was awesome! He sat on the little chair in front of the Pac-Man machine as you stood right next to him, cheering him on as his score climbed higher and higher. Then you stopped and your hand gripped onto his shoulder tightly, and at first he thought that maybe you just got worried that he was about to lose, until he looked up at you and saw your jaw clenched and your eyes looking around the room as if you were looking for someone. “Everything okay, Y/N?” He asked, and you quickly loosened up, smiling down at him and nodding. “Yeah, it’s just getting late. We should head back.” That wasn’t like you at all, and he could tell that your smile was forced. He nodded, slowly getting up from the chair and leading you out of the arcade, noticing your body tense up as you walked past one of the employees. He knew it wasn’t a good sign, but he didn’t want to force you to talk about it. No matter what, whether you told him or not, he would stay by your side and cuddle with you until all your worries melted away. You were always so strong for him, it was his turn to be strong for you. 

Asmodeus 

The two of you together were like an unstoppable force not to be reckoned with. His personality mixed with yours, it was like the perfect cocktail. If anyone even attempted to talk down to you, he would sass them and put them in their rightful place. If anyone said anything about him you would shut them down in the blink of an eye. Everyone knew not to mess with the two of you, whether you were together or apart, it would never end well. When you invited him to go shopping in the human world with you, he was more than happy to go with you. You were trying on an outfit, ready to step out and show it off when you saw your ex walk into the store, quickly shutting the curtain again. “What’s the matter, Y/N?! I thought that outfit looked cute!” You chuckled from behind the curtain, stepping out and trying to act like nothing was wrong, but, being so close to Asmo had its flaws. He could read you so well, and he quickly looked around the store. “Is someone messing with you here? Do I need to speak to someone?” You knew he would too, so you quickly shook your head, grabbing yours and his pile of clothes and heading to the front counter. You didn’t have to say anything, he was looking around the store and he immediately picked out your ex, noticing that they were staring at you a little too much for his liking. Do not try to hold him back because he is going to completely berate everything about your ex in front of everyone so they’re humiliated and they’ll never look at you again. Then he’ll take you to the spa because you deserve it and you’re perfect and he just wants you to relax.

Satan 

Barnes and Nobles was having a book sale, you got an email about it and of course you wanted to go. You went to Satan first, obviously, and he quickly agreed to go. A bookstore with the only person he could stand to be around for long periods of times, other than Belphie. Sounds great, what are you waiting for? He really did enjoy your presence. You were feisty and you weren’t afraid to straighten him out when he was acting out of sorts. You were strong willed, and you didn’t let anyone step on you. You were nobody's floor mat, and he respected that about you.  Barnes and Nobles was packed, and he was shocked to see that so many humans actually still enjoyed reading because most of the humans he had met were idiots who seemed like they hadn’t picked up a book in their life. Maybe he was just being judgy, but, that doesn’t matter, he was in a store filled with books and you were right there next to him, it was the perfect day. While browsing through the sections you had somehow tripped over seemingly nothing, fumbling back into the bookshelf and he quickly caught you, looking around to see if someone had pushed you or something. “What happened? Are you alright?” He wasn’t letting on that he was worried, at least he thought he wasn’t, but your entire demeanor changed and that confused him. Your shoulders were tense and your pupils were dilated as if you had just seen a ghost or something. “Tell me.” He wasn’t going to let it go, so it would probably be best to take him somewhere private where no one else was around because as soon as you let him figure out what was wrong he’s gonna flip out. He’ll try to keep his cool because now that he knows, he doesn’t want to upset you, but he is mentally plotting your ex’s soon to be suspicious death. You’re so strong, and he doesn’t want anyone to break you, not the way your ex did. Never again. 

Beelzebub

Your feistiness was adorable to him, and you were always so strong, it was just precious. To him, you were like a little tiger cub, your rawr was small compared to his, but still just as mighty. He absolutely adored you and he would protect you at all costs. When you told him that you were going back up to the human world to visit some family he quickly offered to go with you. Not just because he really wanted to go with you, but also because the mere thought of food from the human world had his stomach growling. Of course you let him go with you, you loved having him around and you wanted to show him to some of your favorite restaurants and fast food joints that helped keep your stomach full during late nights spent up. Your hand was in his, swinging back and forth as you walked down the busy sidewalk, talking about random things that weren’t really important to you, but he found highly interesting and promised to remember either way. He felt someone bump into your shoulder, the bump pushing you into him lightly. Usually you would tell the person to watch where they’re going, or just laugh it off, joking about how clumsy and careless people were. This time though, you froze up, and even if it were just for a split second, he felt it. “Hey, what’s wrong? Did the bump hurt you?” You quickly looked up at him, laughing softly and tsking your tongue. “What? Pfft, no! Come on, we’re almost at the restaurant.” He didn’t believe a word you said, but the mention of food had him pushing that thought back, at least long enough to fill his stomach. He never brought it back up to you, he didn’t like the way you tensed up, it wasn’t normal for you. The person's face was etched into his brain, and as soon as the two of you got back to the Devildom and you fell asleep, he went right back up to the Human Realm. He didn’t need to get physically violent, his appearance alone was enough to frighten your ex, but he didn’t think that was enough, so he changed into his demon form. You had already been hurt, and he couldn’t do anything but promise to never hurt you like that, but he would make sure that your ex did that to no one else in the future. 

Belphegor 

Your personality traits were nothing short of entertaining to him, especially when that feistiness came out during conversations with Lucifer. It was his favorite thing, and he’d talk about it for days, especially if Lucifer would look shocked or insulted afterwards, it was hilarious. The trip to the human world wasn’t something that he wanted to do at all, but you had promised to lay in bed with him all day if he went with you and that was one offer he couldn’t refuse. You walked with him through the mall which was packed with people and he was visibly annoyed by the fact that you dragged him out on a Saturday, but that promise you made kept him from forcing you to go back and pick a different day to go out. You started pulling him toward one of your favorite stores, only to stop dead in your tracks and turn around which confused him to say the least. “What?” He was already on edge the entire time, being around so many humans, it wasn’t fun for him and he just wanted to go home and take a nap. When you acted that way, it only made him feel worse, his eyes scanning the entire mall. “Oh I just, I smelled the pretzel place and I really want a pretzel.” His eyes narrowed, but he didn’t have the patience to question it, and he honestly just wanted to get out of there so he let you lead him in the complete opposite direction. “You’re just like Beel sometimes.” He made the joke just to lighten his own mood, but now his eyes were scanning the entire mall. He had memorized every face of every person that had been standing in front of the both of you when you turned around, and now he was scanning the mall for any of those faces, seeing if any of them stopped and looked at you a little too long. He didn’t mention it to you, but a small smile crept onto his face as he made new plans for the night. Somehow your ex’s body was found in a river the next day. How strange. But don’t worry about it, just take a nap with him, you promised, remember?

[dreamsclock]

hello i am obsessed with Daisy lore au, nice to meet you.

(ignore my previous ask.)

so what if George will know about Daisy's visits?

he is just walking sort of near the flower field, not even thinking about it, just minding his own business, when with a peripheral vision he sees a familiar shadow, making it's way to the flower field. he thinks it is Dream so he intends to look away and ignore him but something grabs his attention and he sees Daisy, who goes to the place where the Monster, the Villain "lives", even when everyone has been told not to go there. in the distance he, surprisingly, also sees some other children, who are talking to each other. they are having so much fun, building something little, creating something new and just playing, but there is still no Dream around. so George thinks that everything is okay and, probably, this area isn't dangerous for them anymore. he turns around to go home and never notice that he was watched by a semi-transparent grey silhouette, hiding behind the trees.

- Stjerne.

ohhhhhh this is such a sad idea,, just the two of them being so Close to interacting and just not ,,,, ugh i had to write this HHDJDJ i couldn’t help myself

warnings: death, grief, emotional distress

So Dream has moved on, George thinks, and wonders why it feels like such a kick in the teeth.

It’s a relief as well, don’t get him wrong — Dream has been hanging over his head for years as a guilty weight he couldn’t shake, haunting him at every twist and turn, and it’s good to know he must finally be at rest. But, staring out at the flower fields, at the half a dozen children playing around and building and chattering happily to themselves, there’s something in George that feels hollow at the sight of them.

It used to be him and Dream and Sapnap playing there. A long, long time ago, sure, but he still remembers it, and knowing Dream is gone, now, seeing the children play in the space the Monster had once haunted, makes George’s stomach turn.

Letting out a breath, short, determined, he tells himself it’s a good thing Dream has moved on. None of them have to feel guilty anymore, about not visiting — if anyone felt guilty in the first place, other than him. (He knows Sapnap does. He doesn’t talk about it with anyone else.) Dream is happy and at peace; the children can play where they want; and maybe, just maybe, George can move on with his goddamn life and pull himself together.

The wind ruffles his hair like a playful hand as he walks closer to the flower fields, stopping a good couple of metres away and not daring to go any closer. It still feels like it belongs to the dead, still feels like Dream, and for a second the enormity of it all is so all-encompassing that George feels like he’s being crushed.

It’s the sound of kids laughing that knocks air back into his lungs, and he exhales solidly, dragging a hand down his face and collecting himself hastily. “Daisy!” He yells. “Daisy, dinner!”

His daughter comes bounding over to him, an uncontrollable bundle of energy and cheer, babbling about the games she’d been teaching the others and what she’d been building with them, and it’s so Dream that George feels grief for the first time slide into his chest, a tangible thing that makes the words stick in his throat, sharp and cruel. Daisy is so much like him sometimes that it hurts: the universe, he thinks, is not kind to him.

“You look sick,” Daisy tells him in concern, taking his hand, “are you okay?”

George smiles down at her. She isn’t Dream. She isn’t Dream, because George will never let her go down the same path that he did, never: and because nobody else knows she’s Dreams, and if he has his way, nobody ever will. “I’m okay,” he says, squeezing her hand, “just haven’t been here in a long time. It’s kind of weird.”

“Why?” Daisy looks up at him, face surprisingly shrewd for an eight year old. George meets her eyes, stunned, because it feels like she knows more than she should, because Daisy looks like she’s judging him and sympathising with him at the same time. “Why don’t you come here? It’s pretty.”

“Yeah,” George says, stuck for a lack of a better response, “it is. It is pretty. Maybe I should come here more often.”

And with that, he begins to lead her home, too busy with Daisy’s rambling about the day to feel a pair of eyes on him, still as sharp as ever, but softer now, quieter.

Dream slips out from behind a tree, watching them both go. He knows Daisy’s dad, recognises him in a strange way that tugs on his heart and makes his eyes burn, but the thought of him ever seeing him makes childish fear run through his veins like he’s alive. It wouldn’t end well, he tells himself, and yet, a silent what if it does? buzzes in the back of his brain.

He watches them leave until all he can do is stare at the little mushroom house in the distance, eyes watering with the intensity of his focus, before turning away and returning to the kids. It’s hard to distract himself, harder to immerse himself in their games, and his thoughts are still racing long after they leave, as the sun burns low below the trees.

What if it does? His mind whispers, and he hates himself for longing. What if it does?

[its-snicket-here]

Hc if Rihmaru have a sister with him who is also a slime, who things go with out three fave demons?

I'm assuming you mean Demons and Demon Lords right? bwb

I'm deeply sorry if they're seem to OOC for this ;-;

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Milim

You being a girl slime that is siblings with Rimuru?

Bitch, get ready for Milim being your high school bestie since elementary school. Shit gonna get wild with her.

I would say that she's like the oldest sibling type vibe as being her bestie. Gonna teach you sum stuff being as the whole demon lord thing.

If she can't play with/hang around with Rimuru, she gonna take you instead. There is nothing stopping her to do so.

Will and can drag you everywhere to go goof around. Her favorite thing is to do is pulling mindless pranks on unexacting people all over the places or eating the foods that Rimuru introduced into the world.

Isn't too big on shopping or dressing up honestly. Wants to highly goof around and eat.

She'll probably bring you to the manor where the demon lords in, much to Rimuru's dismay. Though she'll probably try to protect you from the other demon lords, especially Clayman.

The first few times meeting, Milim gets the two of you mixed up in slime forms due the similarly in shape, color, and size (slightly, Rimuru is bigger) to be blunt. Though she had gotten better telling the difference between the two.

If you can cook: Please let Milim have a taste of your cooking. Let her.

Honestly, I feel like Milim would be a great person to be the shoulder to cry on. Like, she'll drop the highly child like attitude to listen to you. If anyone made you sad, there is nothing stopping her beating their ass to a bloody pulp. If nobody is making you sad. In general, I feel like she'll take you somewhere that she goes whenever she feels sad or angry.

Big sister energy

Diablo

Even though he is an intelligent demon. When it comes around you, he becomes a nervous wreck on impressing you due to you being the superior form of being the closest with Rimuru. So no manipulating you. You're special.

He's basically become a total train wreck. Like, dead ass. I feel like whenever you say something that he thinks it's important, he's like this. Especially when it comes to topics that is related to your brother.

Basically Demiurge 2.0, but if Pandora's Actor's personality mushed in.

Will spoil you to no end to impress you.

Breakfast in bed? Check.

Picking out your- Wait you don't have a human form yet.

TIME TO PICK A CORPSE THEN

This of course lead Rimuru scolding and chiding the demon for attempting murder on a woman so you could shift into human too

It's not a fun sight seeing a nearly dead woman screaming bloody murder inside the manor after having an attempt of a night stand.

Personally as a butler to Rimuru, I feel like Diablo would be the one who would fret over you being very healthy and safe.

If you somehow doesn't have the fighting skills or don't want to fight. Then please, let the demon butler fight in your honor. Much more easier to impress you with his powers.

If you're a person that can be easily impressed by anything; you're now his main source of ego boosts.

The fact that's he's trying to impress you is so oblivious to you that there is a running gag where you don't notice him impressing you.

Though if you're feeling sad. He will not hesitate to go kill the person who made you sad. How are they made Lord Rimuru's beloved sister mad?!

Very big on comfort when easing your negative emotions

Though this will lead Rimuru scolding Diablo again if he hears about Diablo going out to kill somebody over you being sad. Despite Rimuru also wanting go strangle that person. He can't afford the Tempest Federation labeled as a threat.

The impresser/fussy butler

Ramiris

She tiny. This causes problems between the two of you when visiting.

For starters, you struggle to keep sight of the fairy when you're distracted with looking around the labyrinth in it's marvelty. To be blunt, you never visited the labyrinth with Rimuru because, haha no body to possess.

Honestly, with Milim and her. There would be tea parties... err... sort of because you really never have a human body. So can't taste anything. Damn you now realize how fucking lucky your brother is.

Though when you actually get a body, thanks to Milim and Ramiris, the three of you celebrated with a shit ton of food and drinks. Diablo still salty about not being the one giving you a body.

Not gonna lie, Ramiris seems to be the type of person who would also be like bragging off her deeds in the past.

Though you must be thick skinned as well because sometimes this tiny ass lady is very truthful/blunt about her feelings/opinions. Though very great when needed on fashion.

This bitch gonna turn you into a pretty slime. No buts, ifs, or whats.

Though she knows when to drop her prideful ass when you're not in the mood of it. She knows when to stop being snarky or blunt with her opinions.

Also a great person to cry on. Though unlike Milim and Diablo who would go fucking nuts if somebody else made you cry. She would tell you not to listen to them and give them insults for you to laugh at.

As a person who lived her long life before Milim, I feel like she's a mix of being a great guardian and a friend that you could look up too.

Additionally, she'll lower her blunt attitude even more if you're a person who is insecure and emotional when encountered with negative emotions. She'll become even more over protective over you.

A guardian friend

-----------------------------

Diablo rushed through the corridors, seeming to be in a worried rush. This morning when he came to bring in your breakfast, you weren't there sleeping. Your bed was left in a mess and your drawers were opened. There is no way you were woken up in a rush haven't you? Seems like he is going to give you some scolding when he finds you. Sensing your magicules inside one of the doors, he hastily open the door to only be greeted by his lady and two women he never encountered.

"My lady! There you are!" He claimed. Milim and Ramiris looked at Diablo in confusion, as you looked at Diablo in shock. You were rather startled with Diablo's sudden entrance inside the game room. You were in your human form that represented a child, much, much shorter than Rimuru. About Gobta's size perhaps. Diablo whisked you up in his arms, ignoring the fact that you were occupied with playing a board game with the two women.

"H-hey!"

"My lady, you shouldn't have run off like that before breakfast! Not eating-"

"Let my best friend go you weirdo!" Yelled Milim. She glared at Diablo, not amused that the demonic butler just came in uninvited and whisked her bestie up in the middle of a game. Right besides her was a plateful of snacks and sandwiches that she was hoarding as well a pissed off Queen of Spirits.

"Don't you have a pair of eyes? Can't you see we're in a middle of a game!" Diablo seem irked, annoyed the idea that it was this woman and a short stack that whisked away his lady first before eating. Even more irked that they also made his lady eat junk food as breakfast.

"Well I'm deeply sorry for not seeing the two of you with how short you are."

"What did you say?!"

"Take that back!"

You nervously look between the two parties, seeming to be in great discomfort being in the middle ground of a soon to be fight. Slowly shifting into your slime form, you slipped through the demon's arms and scurried away quietly - hoping to find your brother to at least ease the situation.

Though you're not blessed with sight like your brother...

CRASH

"What was that?"

"Never mind that! Where's my bestie?!"

"Augh! Thanks to you, now she's gone!"

"Hey, guys?" In came an Kijin woman who were dressed in a purple attire. In her arms was another blue slime, that was slightly bigger than his sister, resting under her breasts.

"Lord Rimuru!"

"Bestie!"

"Rimuru!"

"Where's my sister?"

[amazingphanisnotonfire-imagines]

Cheryl//this is me trying

Request: Can I request a season 1 cheryl x reader. Cheryl always protects reader from people and r is shy but falls in love with the redhead and some who’s accidentally tells her while she’s having a bad day but cheryl is quick to reassure her then they cuddle after going to pops or something and it’s just fluffy.

hey! happy valentines day gays! and get you, two imagines in one day, it must be the day of love. i hope you all like this because it’s really fluffy and i enjoyed writing this a lot!

Overnight, Riverdale became a shell of its former self. Two months since Kevin Keller and Moose Mason stumbled upon the body of Jason Blossom, and nobody has been the same since. 

The town is riddled with secrets, they’re slowly destroying it like a disease. Nobody trusts anybody anymore, everyone is on high alert, and everyone is a suspect. 

Cheryl usually loves being the centre of attention, she has done ever she was a kid. It’s something that comes naturally with being a twin, you share everything and as much as she loves loved the shared birthdays and friends, she has always loved being the centre of attention.

Now however, she hates it. Her life is a true crime documentary at the minute, and all she wants is for the killer to be caught so the crew can pack up and leave and she no longer has to stare down at the blinding lights being cast over her and her family. 

The only thing that’s kept her sane over the past two months, is you. Despite everything happening, despite the murder and the secrets and the suspicion, you’ve stuck by her side. You were with her when they found the body, and you haven’t really left since. 

The two of you are unlikely friends, she’s Cheryl. Bright and bold and never one to back down from confrontation. But you’re Y/n, sweet and shy and always the first to shrink away from any sort of attention directed at you. 

She knows you hate the constant attention recently, it’s something you get used when you’re best friends with the victim’s sister, but not once have you complained. 

You’ve being questioned by police, journalists and strangers on the internet. You’ve had camera’s shoved in your face on your walk back from school and been asked countless questions about what you know about the Blossom’s. And you’ve also been offered ridiculous amounts of money in order to talk. But no matter what happens, you always just rush past them and join Cheryl, who’s always waiting for you with a sad smile and warm hand. 

Due to the constant hoard of vultures swarming Riverdale High, the two of you had to figure out somewhere else to meet after school so you could walk the long way home. It adds twenty minutes to your walk, but it’s not that well known around town, meaning people can’t bother you. 

Plus, the extra twenty minutes that you get to spend with Cheryl isn’t the worst thing. It’s the opposite in fact. It’s the thing you look forward to, even if you are looking over your shoulder every so often 

But today you’re not at your meeting spot. 

When Cheryl pushes her way through the stares of her fellow students with you and only you on her mind and makes her way through the school basement, back up the stairs and out of the fire exit, you’re not waiting for her with a smile that makes her feel warm and a cold slice of pizza you snuck out of the cafe earlier. 

The only thing waiting for her is a full bin and an empty field. 

“Y/n?” She calls out and looks around the corner. She’s met with three seniors, all of which are smoking with absolutely no care for being caught. 

“She’s not here.” One of them says, her blonde hair and large glasses cover half of her face and Cheryl forces a smile. 

“Hey, Blossom.” A boy says and Cheryl freezes. Who knows what they want, but whatever it is, it probably won’t be nice. It’ll probably be something along the lines of ‘hey, did you kill your brother’ and no matter how many times she’s asked that, it doesn’t get any easier. “Maybe try the bleachers.” He says, ending his sentence with a sympathetic smile and Cheryl nods slowly, not really sure what to say. 

“Thanks.” She forces and spins on her heel. 

“We’re sorry about your brother, Cheryl.” The blonde one says and she turns around again. Each of them look sad, with matching frowns and sorrow swimming in their eyes. 

Jason meant the world to Cheryl, but he also meant a hell of a lot to other people too. And that’s when it hits her. Of course you’re at the bleachers. 

For some bizarre reason, only known by your father. You and your family used to come along every other week to watch the Bulldogs play. For a while you thought it was because your dad was trying to get you and your brother into football and this was a lot cheaper than the actual game, but the older you got the more you figured it was because he was just trying to relive his youth. For 90 minutes he could pretend that he was quarterback again and for those 90 minutes your dad would be the happiest he’d been all week. 

Then one week, a redhead sat beside you. In clothes that were far too expensive to be worn to a high school football game. Her parents looked like they wanted to be there as much as she did, but then a boy with matching red hair ran out on to the pitch and you’d never seen a smile quite like it. 

After that, you made sure to sit beside her at every game. And then one day she sat opposite you at lunch. The first few times she was alone, but then soon she began to appear with a group of other girls, but you were the only one she’d talk to. 

Eventually lunch times and football games turned into group projects and sleepovers. You spend hours braiding her hair and listening to her tell you stories of other worlds and the creatures that live in them. You’d sneak down the dark and creepy halls of Thornhill in hopes of finding a midnight snack, and instead be met by Jason and your older brother in clown masks. 

Eventually, you found a different way to get to the kitchen, one that Jason didn’t know about. And when he’d come looking for you, both of you would jump out  and chase him around the house, much to the dismay of Penelope and Clifford. 

Those bleachers are what started a whole friendship, not only between you and her, but also you and Jason. When you’re brother eventually made the team, thanks to a good word put in my Jason, despite him being a year younger. Him and Jason became as inseparable as you and Cheryl and so it wasn’t an uncommon occurrence to see the four of you hanging out. It also meant that if Cheryl was busy, you and Jason would hang out until she finished whatever she was doing. 

Grief is a hell of a lonely thing, and sometimes Cheryl forgets that other people miss Jason too. With everything going on, she didn’t even think about how you were doing. With all the questions, accusations and crying that constantly fills Cheryl’s house. She never even asked how you were. 

And now her legs can’t carry her quick enough to were she hopes your sat. Because she’s already lost her brother, she can’t lose you too. She wobbles as her heels dig into the dirt, kicking up dust and mud as she runs across the field. Her hair swings behind her, and she can feel the red scrunchie loosen the quicker she runs. 

The bleachers have all sorts carved into them. Initials in hearts, some of them still there, some of them crossed out so aggressively that it’s a miracle they didn’t chop it in half. There’s inside jokes and ridiculous rumours. Codes and dates and everything in between. 

But something new has been added in the past few days. 

cheryl murdered jason

and y/n helped

The writing is small and barely legible, but it’s there and the more you run your fingers over it the more it carves itself into your heart. 

“Y/n?” Cheryl pants breathlessly and you quickly pull yourself away from it. Instead you stand up properly and pull the sleeves of your sweater down over your hands. The y/f/c scrunchie remains still in your hair and Cheryl has to stare at it for a few seconds to calm herself down. “You weren’t at our spot.” She says quietly and you close your eyes. 

You let her down. You let her down. You always let her down.  

“Sorry Cheryl.” You sigh and sit down in the dirt. Cheryl looks around before sitting beside you. “I just wanted some space.” You add and force yourself to look at her. 

The sun sits behind her, but even that doesn’t seem as bright as it used to be. Nothing is what it used to be. For the past two months, you’ve been told that thats a good thing. But what’s good about someone you loved being dead. What’s good about watching someone else you love go through life but not really live. 

Cheryl just exists. 

But she exists for you. 

Because as lost as she would be without you, she knows you would be just as lost without her. 

It’s an unspoken rule now, you always text each other when you wake up and before you go to sleep. It’s something you used to do anyway, but now you make a point not to forget. Because forgetting means that the worst could have happened, and that’s something neither of you can bare to deal with. 

“I get it.” She nods. “I was just worried that’s all.” She adds, trying to sound as casual as she can. But on the inside she’s screaming. Because she thought you had died, she thought whoever had killed Jason had gotten to you too, and the whole reason you’re both dead is because she wronged the wrong person. 

There’s a lot of people that don’t like Cheryl, being unliked comes naturally to her. But she doesn’t know how she’ll cope if she’s so unlikeable someone she loves died. 

She has no idea why your friends with her to be honest. She saw you staring at her at a football game once. But it wasn’t a stare she was used to. It wasn’t cold like her mothers or jealous like her friends. No, this was nice. You were staring at her like you wanted to know about her, like when you looked at her, you saw a friend not someone to be feared. 

And so Cheryl clung onto the tiny hint of friendship, the crack of a door into something that could happen, and she shoved herself through it. It worked, and now you’re the only person she’s nice to. She’s mean to everyone else, she calls them names and teases them, especially when they’re rude to you...but you stay. And she has no idea why, but she’s not going to wish it away. 

“Shit, sorry Cheryl.” You drop your head into your hands and Cheryl looks at you confused. She looks around, not really sure of what to do. “I didn’t think, God knows what you thought had happened.” You ramble and she realizes you’re crying. Her eyes widen and you look at her, your eyes red and puffed and your lips pulls into frown. 

“It’s okay.” She replies and wraps her arms around you. You bury your head into her neck, the smell of maple and cherries invade your senses and you let out a shaky breath. 

It smells like home and happier times, and you want to crawl into those happy memories and never come back out. “I was just being ridiculous.” She tries to play it off, to make it seem like she couldn’t feel her heartbeat in her throat and the ringing in her ears. Pretend like it didn’t feel like someone had pulled her heart out and stamped on it. 

“No, no you weren’t. I’m really sorry.” You sob and wrap your arms around her. She falls into your neck, surprised but not upset with how tight you’re holding her. She never wants you to let go. But of course she has to, and so however reluctant, she untangles herself from you and lets out a deep sigh. 

“I’m sorry.” You sniffle. She hands you a tissue and you wipe your eyes with it before scrunching it up in your hand. “I’ve just had a rubbish day. Somebody shoved this in my locker.” You frown and pull a balled up piece of paper out of your pocket. 

Cheryl’s eyebrows knit in confusion as she takes it from you, her fingers graze yours and you freeze for a few seconds. 

who do you think did it? 

cheryl __

y/n __

Jamie __

“Why is your brother on here?” Cheryl asks, her voice rising with each word and you rest your hand on top of hers to calm her down. 

“I dunno.” You shrug. “Your parents are on there too.” You add and point further down the page. 

“What a bunch of dicks.” She grumbles and crumples it up. “Do you know who it was?” You shrug and she sighs. 

“I’ve just gotten tired of the staring and the whispers. So I thought I’d just have five minutes peace before going home and having to listen to Jamie cry in his room but pretend he’s okay. Or for my parents to walk on eggshells around both of us. Neither of them know what to say, and because of that they keep saying the wrong thing.” You ramble and she listens intently, trying her best to find a resolution to all of your problems. 

Unfortunately, she doesn’t know the answer to everything, no matter what her mom says. 

“I just thought five minutes by myself can’t be terrible. But then I came down here and someone carve-well it doesn’t matter what they wrote. What matters is that I made you worry at the worst possible time in your life. I hurt you, and I’m really sorry. Believe me, hurting you is the last thing I want to do you. I feel sick even just thinking about it. I never, ever want to hurt you. I love you too much. I love you more that I’ve ever loved anything or anyone ever. I just love yo-” Your eyes widen when you realize what you’ve just admitted to. 

You don’t want to look at her, but she hasn’t said anything in a while and that’s strange for her. So you force yourself to look at her, expecting the worst. Expecting disgust, disappointment, betrayal. But it’s none of those. 

Instead she’s smiling. And she looks actually happy. Something you haven’t seen in so long, something you’re glad to see, despite the circumstances. 

Oh yeah, you’ve just told her you’re in love with her. What do you say after that? 

“I-er-”

“Y/n?” She cuts you off before you get the chance to ruin the moment. She’s known you for long enough to know that when you get nervous, you ramble and when you ramble you say weird things. 

You’re grateful for her cutting you off, usually if she talks over you, it annoys the hell out of you. But this time it’s welcomed and she stifles a small laugh and the sigh of relief you let out. 

But the next thing she says is something that you weren’t expecting, but you’re sure as hell grateful for. 

“Would you like to go on a date?” 

---

The red lights from outside, illuminate Cheryl’s pale face in the night, painting her in a reddish hue and you find yourself staring at her for far longer than would be considered normal. 

Lucky for you, she hasn’t noticed. She doesn’t seem to be paying attention to anything, not really anyway. Instead she stares down at her food, pushing a few fries around the plate and anxiety rises in your chest. 

She’s already regretting doing this. She’s made a mistake and now she doesn’t know how to let you down gently. 

She seems to sense you nerves because she’s looking at you quickly, a sad smile twitching at her lips.

“Sorry, I just. Jason always used to tease me about the two of us. It’s the only thing we’d take about sometimes. He’d constantly ask me if I’d asked you out yet. And every time I would say ‘no, we’re just friends’ but, well neither of us really believed that.” She says, a small laugh escapes her lips near the end, but she quickly shuts it off. It’s too soon for her to be laughing, too soon for her to be happy. 

“Yeah.” You nod and finish your drink. “He used to tease me too. ‘if you don’t tell her, I’ll do it myself’.” You mimic his voice and a ghost of a smile twitches at her lips as she forces herself to look at you. “I am really glad you did ask me though.” Your voice shakes a little with nerves and Cheryl stares at you confused. “I do really like you Cheryl.” 

“I really like you too.” She smiles softly and you stare at her lips. Sometimes you think the red lipstick has permanently stained her lips cherry red. Even when you guys are a sleepover, she still has bright red lips and the other part of you wonders if that’s just what they look like. 

“Hey.” You start and a sly smile twitches at your lips as you remember an old memory. She leans forward, excited to know what you’re smiling about. 

It could literally be anything, from a musty old book she let you borrow from the Thornhill archive, to a new tv show you started to watch. But whatever it is, she’s excited to hear you talk about it. 

“Can you remember last year. It was Jamie’s 16th birthday and you and Jason were invited over. Jason was there because him and Jamie were planning on sneaking out later that night, and you tagged along so you could keep me company.” You start and she smiles at the memory. 

The four of you sat in the living room, while your mom brought cake and your dad sang ‘happy birthday’. Cheryl remembers how happy she was, and she remembers talking to Jason afterwards, the two of them whispering and wondering if that was what a normal family was supposed to look like. 

You, Cheryl and Jason had each pitched in for the record player he wanted. And even though you all knew that just Cheryl alone could have been able to buy him it if she really wanted, you knew they split it for you. 

Jamie was ecstatic when he opened the box, and then all of the records you’d bought to go with it. He’d played it every single day since getting it, but now you haven’t heard it in months.

“Yeah.” She nods, a sad smiling taking over he face. “Can you remember when Jason pushed his face into the cake.” She adds making you snort a laugh. 

The bell above Pop’s rings and Betty and Archie walk in. They send you a sympathetic smile before sitting at their own booth, and you and Cheryl share a look. 

“Would you like another one?” You point at her milkshake and she nods, smiling shyly. 

---

The walk home is over far too soon, and it’s only when you’re standing on your porch do you realize you took the normal way home by accident. Either the media has gone to sleep, or people are starting to forget about Jason and Riverdale. 

That thought makes you frown and Cheryl watches your expression falter before you look back at her again. 

“Thank you for walking me home.” You smile shyly and a nervous laugh escapes her lips. 

“It’s no problem.” She shrugs and the two of you stare at each other for a few seconds longer than normal. She’s about to leave when you grab her hand and spin her around to face you. 

She’s surprised for a second, until suddenly she feels a pair of lips on hers, and then the only thing she can feel is them. Everything else disappears, and though the kiss is short and a little awkward, it’s still perfect. 

“Would you like to come in?” You ask and motion your head to large wooden door. The pain is chipped around the metal numbers, something your mom has nagged your dad about for the past 6 months. “We still have the rest of y/f/s to watch.” 

“I’d love to.” She nods and the two of you grin at each other. “But seriously, how many times have you seen that now?” 

“It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen it.” You unlock the front door, giving it a quick kick before you stumble through it. “What matters is that this is the first time you’re seeing it.” You add and she rolls her eyes but follows you up the stairs anyway. 

The sun sets over another day in Riverdale and darkness floods the town. The streets are cold and scary, but wrapped in your duvet and Cheryl’s arms, you’ve never felt warmer. 

[spine-buster]

peaceful easy feeling ft. b.boeser | four

A/N: This one is an emotional one.  Please be prepared.  Content warnings are below.

CONTENT WARNING: parents with disease/sickness (Parkinson’s); parent death; swearing; sex; alcohol use; lots of emotions.

                                                                *     *     *     *     *

Brock was wiping Grace’s tears as he stood in between her legs as she sat on the counter.  She had come over to his house crying after an appointment at the hospital with her dad’s neurologist.  There was no good update.  There was no bad update.  There was just an update.  “Things are progressing at the rate they’ve always been progressing,” the doctor had told her.  “We’ll see how long the pureed foods last.  He’s been doing well with that, but as you know it will have to switch as some point to tube feedings.”

“I just want so much more time with him,” Grace cried into Brock’s shoulder, clinging to his body with every limb she had.  Brock pulled her away slightly so he could look her in the eye and wipe the tears that were streaming down her face himself.  “There was still so much he wanted to do.  So much I wanted to do with him.  He—he’s accepted his fate, but it also breaks his heart.”

Brock’s heart was heavy.  He wrapped his arms around her again and held her close against his body, placing small reassuring kisses on her neck and whispering to her over and over again that everything would be okay.  In reality, the both of them knew it wouldn’t be.  Hamish was dying.  He was dying a slow death.  But both of them also knew it was exactly what Grace needed right now – to be held, to have her tears wiped away, to be told everything was going to be alright.  It was one of the things she loved most about Brock, that he always knew what to do and what to say to her.  

“I love you,” he whispered into her ear tenderly.

“I love you too, Brock,” Grace whispered back.  “I love you so much.”

As Brock stood in the kitchen with Grace’s limbs wrapped around him, he thought about his dad.  He thought about Duke holding his hand as they watched football together.  He thought about Duke sipping on water from a straw, angry that he couldn’t have a beer like his buddies around him (his buddies would eventually stop drinking beer in front of him).  He thought about helping his dad get dressed, making his bed, helping him in and out of chairs or sofas.  He thought about his dad with Coolie and Milo and how much he loved them.  

Brock started crying too.

***

“You alright dad?” Grace asked as she gripped her father’s hand, watching him as he sat down on his bed in his brand new pajamas she bought him.  He nodded his head before sitting.  “Okay, let me help you with your legs.”

She bent down in front of him, seeing that he had already lifted them off the ground before she grabbed them gently and brought them on top of the bed.  He shifted his own body further into the mattress, and she made sure to fluff up his pillows before he really set his head on them.  “There you go,” she said, grabbing at the blanket bunched up at his feet.  She brought it up and draped it over his body, making sure he was snug in his bed.  She looked down at him once more.  “Sleep tight, dad.”

He said nothing.  Instead, he grabbed her hand.  Grace looked down at him.  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Why’re you so scared, sweetheart?”

Grace almost burst into tears right then and there.  But she knew she had to stay strong for her dad, because he hated seeing her cry.  He probably wouldn’t sleep for the night if she did.  “I’m just scared for the day I’m going to wake up and you won’t be here anymore,” Grace admitted to him.  Even though the doctor’s appointment didn’t necessarily bring her any good or bad news, these thoughts had been rampant in her mind ever since.  She only ever expressed them to Brock.  Sometimes to Svea.  “I know the day has been coming since I was fourteen and I’m still not prepared for it.”

“You’re…a smart girl, Gracie,” he said.  “Even with me gone…you will…still be able to do…everything that you want to.  Dance.  Have a family.  Be a mom.”

Grace nodded her head.  “I know I will.  I just don’t know if it will be as special if you’re not here to see me do all that.  Especially become a mom.  Because you know how much I want to be a mom but it’s—you’d be the best grandpa.”

“I’ll be there.  I’ll be watching.”

That’s what got her.  Right then and there, Grace let out a sob, heavy and desperate and loud, like a hurricane had just swept through her body and had taken everything with it.  She tried to stop but it was no use.  And while she sat there on the edge of his bed sobbing, he pulled her down so her head was to his chest.  “You need to…stop worrying, Gracie,” Hamish said.  She could feel and hear his heart beating.  “I’m still here…and still breathing.  Don’t you worry.”

***

“D’you miss your parents?” Grace asked Svea one night when they were hanging out together at Elias’s apartment.  They were alone in the den while Brock and Elias played video games, and Grace was looking at all the photos Svea had of her with her older sister and parents.  There were a few of her and Elias too – that was a given – in Vancouver or when they were awkward looking teenagers.  She got a kick out of those.  

“Of course.  Every day,” Svea nodded her head.  “Do you miss your parents being together?”

Grace shrugged her shoulders.  “They separated when I was so young – I barely remember them together.  I remember the fighting more.”

Svea hated to hear that sort of thing.  She knew Grace’s story, and Grace had talked to her about it before, but every time they did speak about it, Grace revealed just a little bit more about it.  “That must have been hard for you – to see your parents fighting.”

“Not just see – I was involved in it half the time,” Grace revealed.  “They would use me to get back at the other.  They were young and stupid and had too much money, and it made things unnecessarily complicated.  I think that’s why I want to become a mom so bad, you know?  Because even though I know my parents loved me, I just want to give them a better childhood experience than what I had between my parents.”

“You want them to know mom and dad love each other,” Svea nodded.

“Exactly,” Grace stressed.  “And I want, like, a big family.  I want my kids to be able to have each other, you know?  That whole time I was so alone.  I had my friends at school but I never had a sibling.  Nobody really understood.”

Svea could only imagine.  It was at that moment she realized how lucky she was that she knew her parents loved each other.  Love was complicated, yes, but they loved each other.  Her mother moved from Vancouver to a tiny town in Sweden to be with her father – that was love.  “I think you’ve found what you need in Brock, you know,” Svea said matter-of-factly.

“I know I have,” Grace nodded her head, smiling slightly.  “I’m a very lucky girl.”

“He’s a very lucky guy,” Svea quipped.

Grace couldn’t help but giggle.  “So is Elias,” she retorted, causing Svea to blush.  “When the hell are you going to marry him, Svea?  That boy is head over heels in love with you.”

Svea shook her head.  “He’s my best friend, Grace.”

***

“I love you so much,” Grace whispered as Brock bent down to kiss her, his travel-day suit already on, and a beanie on his head covering the hair Grace loved so much.  She loved running her fingers through it, especially while in bed, and the best part was that Brock loved her doing it too, so she did it all the time.  

“I love you too,” Brock replied after the kiss.  “What are you gonna get up to for these two weeks I’m not here?”

“A lot of masturbating while I think about you.”

Brock groaned, burying his head into the crook of her neck as she giggled.  He bit down at the skin of her neck and she yelped.  “You better fucking call me when you do,” he growled in her ear.

“I will.”

Brock gave her one last kiss before standing up straight again.  “Say hello to your dad,” he said, even though he just saw him yesterday for their weekly Sunday Night Football watching.  “Tell him I’m sorry about Sunday, but I’ll make it up to him when I win our Superbowl bet.”

Grace smiled.  “He’ll be crushed if he loses that bet.”

“He better start preparing.”

***

“When are you gonna just kiss her?!” Brock was exasperated.

“Shut up,” Elias mumbled, still concentrating on his phone as he typed a message to Svea.  

“Petey, no other girls exist in, like, your world besides Svea.  Can you just get it fucking done already?”

“Brock, shut up.”

“Uuuuuuuuaaaaarrrrggghhhhh!” Brock groaned loudly as he and Elias walked through the front doors of their hotel.  “I’m gonna kill you.”

“Go right ahead.”

Brock rolled his eyes.  Before he could say anything else, his phone began ringing from his pocket.  It was after the game, and judging by their routine now, he knew it was Grace.  He actually wondered if she was with Svea watching.  “There you are.  I was wondering when I’d get a call from you,” he said cheerily, not bothering with formalities.

He was met with silence on the other end.  Then, a sniffle.  She didn’t respond.  He could hear her breathing and sniffling on the other end, but she wasn’t saying anything.  “Grace?”

“Brock…he’s gone.”

Brock’s heart fell into the pit of his stomach.  He stopped walking and stood in the middle of the foyer, the world standing still around him.  He barely registered Elias stopping when he realized Brock wasn’t walking beside him anymore, and barely registered Elias looking over his shoulder with furrowed brows.  “Grace—”

“We were at the hospital.  He—he caught pneumonia somehow and it just—it just—”

“I’m on my way home right now,” Brock said quickly.  

“Brock—”

“I’m gonna get on the first flight out to Vancouver, I promise you.  I’m just at the hotel and I’m gonna pack and leave,” he explained.

“Please hurry,” her voice was desperate, full of sadness and grief.  

“I’m on my way.  I love you,” he said.

“I love you too, Brock.  Please hurry.”

When Brock hung up the phone, he finally noticed Elias staring at him.  There were so, so many thoughts running through Brock’s mind – how he was going to tell Travis he wasn’t going to take the team charter flight home, how he was going to get to the airport, how he was going to get to Grace’s dad’s house or the hospital or wherever she was – but he was only able to verbalize one.   “I need you to call Svea and tell her to get in touch with Grace.”

“What happened?” Elias asked.

“Her dad just died.”

Elias’s eyes bulged out of their sockets.  But he immediately brought his phone up and swiped until he got Svea’s number.  “Go,” he urged, bringing his phone up to his ear.  “I’ll pack your things.  I’ll bring your bag.  Just grab your passport and go.”

***

Hamish’s viewing was busy.  He was a well-known figure in Vancouver, and so Grace had to host two days’ worth of viewings, with timeslots in the afternoon and evening.  Grace stood first, her two uncles (Hamish’s brothers and partners in the investment firm) Robbie and Owen Gillespie and their families after her.  Eliza, James, Jasper, and Theo sat alone in the third row – obviously not part of the “line”, but there to support Grace.  Hamish was Eliza’s ex-husband, after all, regardless of how nasty and bitter it got.  And he was her daughter’s father.  Brock sat alone in the second row, directly behind Grace.  Elias and Svea, when they were there – which was most of the time – were beside him, attending to Grace’s every need.  

The people wouldn’t stop coming.  There was constantly a line to pay respects and then greet Grace, Robbie, and Owen.  Brock could tell it was making Grace tired, greeting people she barely knew and shaking their hand and thanking them for their condolences.  It didn’t help that it was in the newspaper and on the night-time news, too – however brief the mention of it was, it still made more people aware, and Brock was sure they showed up even though they probably hadn’t seen Grace or Hamish in years.

The funeral was even worse.  Grace couldn’t stop crying.  She said her eulogy, and it was beautiful, and Owen said one too, but after that it was just constant tears.  After the church service, she clung to Brock, pulling him into the procession.  At the entombment, her cries were loud and continual.  Elias and Svea were crying at the final prayer before his casket was sealed.  

Brock tried to be strong – for Grace, of course – but he cried, too.

***

It was a few days – almost a week, really – until Brock saw Grace again.  There had to be meetings with lawyers and her uncles that Brock had no reason attending.  The money was already hers – everything was basically just a formality, as he understood it, like an official transfer over – but Brock knew she didn’t care about the money.  Grace wanted her dad.

Brock had barely sat down on the couch before she climbed onto his lap.  Her lips immediately found his and her tongue immediately slipped into his throat.  It was urgent.  It was hasty.  It was visceral, at least for Grace.

It was also wrong.

“Grace…” Brock mumbled, pulling away.

“Brock, c’mon,” she urged, continuing to kiss his strong jawline even though he turned away.  “I need you.  Touch me.”

“Grace—”

“Touch me,” she begged, grabbing his hands and leading them up her shirt.  

“Grace, no,” he said sternly, pulling his hands away now too.

She furrowed her brows at him, an obvious look of anger on her face at his denial.  Despite him knowing it was the right thing to do, Grace didn’t think so.  “You don’t want me?” she asked in a harsh tone.

“You know I want you.  I want you all the God damn time.  But I’m not gonna do it when you’re…emotionally compromised,” he tried to reason with her, even though he knew it would be a futile attempt.  “You don’t want this.”

“Yes I do.”

“No you don’t.  You just want to feel something right now.”

She looked at him indignantly.  “Fuck you, Brock Boeser,” she growled as she lifted herself off of his lap, grabbing her purse and slamming his front door without saying another word.  

***

There was a light knock at his door.  Brock knew it could only be one person.

When he opened it, he knew Grace would be standing on the other side.  What he wasn’t expecting was how she looked.  Hair that looked that it hadn’t been washed since the last time she was over.  Wearing clothes she’d obviously been wearing for days.  Dark circles under her eyes, which were puffy and red like they hadn’t stopped crying.  She looked defeat, frail, and crushed into a million different pieces Brock just wanted to pick up and piece together again.

“I’m sorry,” were the first words out of her mouth – practically squeaked out.  He wondered if she had a voice left.  Within seconds, he could see tears well in her eyes and spill down her cheeks like a flood.  “I just…I miss his more than my heart knows how to handle.”

Brock engulfed her in a hug, and she cried and cried and cried.

***

“I was in the hospital with him…and he was weak, but he could still speak a bit, and move too.  And I was holding his hand the entire time.  And I just wanted to be in bed with him like when I was a kid and had a nightmare.  And when I got in, I—well, when I was a kid, he’d hold me against his chest and I always remember how I could feel his heart beating, so I did that.  And he held my hand and before he fell asleep, he said ‘I love you Gracie.  I’ll be there.  I’ll be watching.’  And then that was it.”

Brock felt a tear escape his eye.  He let it fall as he began to shift his and Grace’s body’s so that he was lying on top of him, her head on his chest.  He felt her hand clutch at his bare skin briefly, and a wetness on his chest he knew were tears.  “Can you feel it?” he asked, referring to his heartbeat.

Grace nodded her head.  “Stay like this, please.”

Brock didn’t move an inch the entire night.