#stayed up too late waiting for the steel ball run announcement

[resonating-kitty]

Dreambur - Pirate AU fic requested by @peppsta

Using the sentence “You’re too distracting with your handsome face and… your… everything!” (Took a bit of creative liberty to make it work)

I am happy with how this turned out. I've been a bit too critical of my writing lately but I generally like this one. Peppsta I hope this fits what you had in mind with the prompt! :)

I hope you all enjoy!

-

Wilbur laughed, joyous, as the wind hit his face. The open sea was such a wonderful place! His love of its wonders and mysteries and melodies was endless. He was a traveling musician, a quite successful one at that. His music was known all across the world and many lords and kings requested his presence to perform at their castles. That’s what he was doing now, headed back to England, summoned by his Majesty’s request to perform at the annual ball.

“Mr. Soot please get down from there!” The Captain’s orders barked hastily at him had him turning with a grin. He was standing up on the bowspirit of the ship and the Captain of the vessel was standing just behind him, hands on his hip and a growing annoyance in his eyes.

Wilbur relented, his boots hitting the bed with a thud as he hopped down to stand beside the Captain. He fixed the older man with an innocent look and a charming smile, “I do apologize Captain. I love the sea so much that I sometimes cannot help myself.”

The Captain regarded him with a knowing look and sighed, “Just please refrain from doing it in the future. It makes the crew nervous. None of us want to report to his Majesty that his requested musician fell overboard.”

“Of course Captain!” Wilbur saluted, mockingly.

The Captain opened his mouth, no doubt to reprimand the action, but was stopped by a frantic call from above.

“Captain! Captain! Skull and crossbones on the horizon!”

The Captain whirled into action, turning full circle to run to the helm. Curious, Wilbur followed closely.

“Pirates?” He asked, excitedly but none around him seemed to share his enthusiasm.

The Captain shot him a sharp look, wordlessly taking the spyglass that was handed to him. He looked through it, curses falling from his lips.

“It’s the bloody Speedrunner!” The Captain announced, turning for the wheel. He started to bark orders. Raise the sails, all hands on deck. “Mr. Soot below deck!” was the Captain’s last order.

Wilbur protested but the Captain cut him off. “Sir, whether you like it or not, you are under my command until you reach shore and you will do as I say and I’m telling you to go below deck.”

Wilbur was escorted below deck, not before he got a peak at the fastly approaching vessel. The light vibrant green sails of the ship stood in stark contrast to the jolly roger waving above them. ‘Tacky’ Wilbur thought as he was ushered below deck.

-

Try as she might, the merchant vessel was no match for the speed of the pirate ship. The Captain gritted his teeth as soon, his crew and his ship was completely taken over by the ragtag group of pirates.

“Dream,” The Captain gritted out with annoyance, heedless of the gun and cutlasses that were pointed at him and his crew. Dream usually never spilt blood during his raids and the Captain had been at sea long enough, had met with the pirate in these exact situations enough times, to know that the show of aggression was all bluff.

The Pirate Captain wasn’t much. He was tall and slim and didn’t even look or dress like a Captain. He wore dirty ragged clothes, a lime green bandana tied around his head to keep his dirty blond hair pulled back. He also wore a mask over the lover portion of his face, hiding all but his emerald green eyes from view. No one had ever seen his face and if they had, rumors had it they never lived to tell about it.

The Captain had no intention of doing that. He just watched the cocky pirate as he sauntered up to him.

“Sparklez!” Dream greeted happily, throwing his hands out, “what a surprise that we ran into each other again while you were transporting goods!”

Captain Sparklez pinched the bridge of his nose, insisting tiredly, “Just get what you came to get and leave”

Dream was grinning under his mask as he laughed, “Glad we have an understanding Captain,” he turned to a couple of his crew, “Alright boys, you heard the Captain, go see what’s below deck for the taking!”

A couple of the crew, a slightly shorter man with dark hair and a white headband tied around his head, a thin man with glasses and wearing a black, red trimmed, cloak, and another pirate that appeared to be in a full reindeer costume, headed below deck.

Captain Sparklez hoped they didn’t discover Wilbur but his hopes were dashed when muffled shouting sounded from below.

“What the hell?” Dream demanded, going to the stairs to call down, “Everything okay!”

“Look what we found!” Came the replying yell moments before the pirates were reappearing and dragging Wilbur with them. “He was trying to hide behind the salmon.”

Wilbur was pushed before the pirate captain. Wilbur looked up with wide eyes. Dark brown met emerald green. Both seem to freeze.

“Got something you wanna tell us Captain Sparklez?” The pirate in the black cloak asked, suspiciously. He glanced at Wilbur then his own Captain, who was still frozen.

“The boy is headed to Britian. He’s but a musician who hired me to ferry him.” Captain Sparklez answered hastily. He also was looking at Wilbur and Dream. “He is an innocent bystander in all of this.”

The pirate opened his mouth, possibly to ask more questions but he was cut off by his Captain.

‘Who are you?” Dream asked Wilbur, his voice soft and held none of the cockiness it had before.

Both crews, pirate and merchant, looked at the two with raised eyebrows and some with shocked expressions.

“Wilbur. Wilbur Soot.” Wilbur answered earnestly and Captain Sparklez facepalmed and muttered, “Boy, don’t engage with the pirate.”

“Why?” Wilbur asked, glancing at Sparklez, “He’s interesting.”

Laughter erupted from Dream. “Yeah Sparklez,” He said, his voice playful and teasing as he looked at the merchant ship’s Captain, “I’m interesting.”

“Please don’t feed his ego.” One of the pirates, a man dressed in light blue with a pair of goggles covering his eyes, warned in exasperation and Dream whirled around to face him.

“Oh shut up George, he can feed my ego as much as he wants to.” Dream demanded though the grin was evident in his voice. George just rolled his eyes at his Captain. Dream turned back, winking at Wilbur, who’s cheeks colored pink.

“So Mr. Soot, you do music?” Dream asked, conversationally as he leant against the mast of the ship.

“Dream, what about the cargo?” The pirate with the white headband asked and Dream waved him off with an order, “Start loading it on the Speedrunner obviously.”

“Dumbass,” the pirate muttered before motioning to a few of the crew and they disappeared below deck.

“I… I uh… yeah.” Wilbur muttered, “I’m actually on my way right now to perform for his Majestic at the castle.”

Dream whistled, impressed, “You’re Mr. Popular then aren’t you?”

Wilbur laughed softly, shaking his head. His brown curls bouncing on top of his head, “Something like that”

“What are some of your songs? Perhaps I’ve heard some of them?” Dream questioned. A crash was heard and his attention snapped to his crew and the box of produce that was now spilling out over the deck, hollering, “Hey be careful with the goods. We need those!”

“Sorry Captain.”

Dream turned back to Wilbur, “Sorry. Go ahead.”

“Let’s see there’s Jubilee Line, Since I Saw Vienna, Soft Boy, Saline Solution, Maybe I was Boring.”

“I’ve heard that one!” Dream exclaimed, eyes shining, “Maybe I was Boring. It was being sung in one of the pirate owned taverns. The guy singing it was trying to pass it off as one of his own but he didn’t look smart enough to come up with something so beautiful.”

“Yes well, as I’m sure you are well aware, there are thieves in every trade I’m afraid,” Wilbur sighed before he seemed to catch the last part of the sentence, “Wait you think my song is beautiful?”

“That’s not the only thing I think is beautiful,” Dream’s voice dropped as he reached up and closed the space between them. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Callahan was standing to the side, he looked apologetic.

“I do not mean to alarm anyone and I certainly hate to break up whatever is transpiring between the two of you, Captain but there is a ship on the horizon. Looks like the Navy.”

Wilbur was left at the mast as Dream stepped quickly to the side of the ship and took the spyglass from George. He looked through it, muttering out a curse before barking, “Everyone back to the ship!”

His crew reached instantly.

“What about this ship?” the pirate in the white headband asked almost eagerly as he headed for the ropes that connected the two ships together, “You said we could start sinking them.”

“What?!” Sparklez’s outraged voice rose up as panicked murmurs rose up from the crew. Wilbur’s breath caught in his throat.

“Not this one,” Dream said, his voice steeled with finality. Emerald eyes met dark brown once more, “Today this ship was saved by a distracting handsome face and everything else. So long for now and Mr. Soot? I’m sure you and I will meet again in the future”

Dream gave a little salute before joining his crew and soon the Speedrunner was just a speck in the distance as the Naval ship approached.

Wilbur stood at the bow of the ship, watching as the pirate ship disappeared in the distance. A soft smile on his lips and his whole body was warmed. The pirate captain certainly was charming wasn’t he.

“Charming?” Sparklez repeated with alarm as the Naval ship pulled up alongside them and Wilbur realized that he must’ve uttered the sentence out loud. A hand fell on his shoulder and the Captain leaned down to speak quietly, a warning, “Son let me tell you something, no matter how ‘charming’ he may be, at the end of the day he’s a pirate and you need to stay well away from him. He’s dangerous, not only in general, but also to your career.”

Wilbur tried to heed Captain Sparklez warning but he couldn’t get his mind off the oddly charming pirate. He hoped that Dream was being sincere when he said they would meet each other again because he was looking forward to it.

[queenoftheworldisdead]

Blood of the King

Chapter 2 Warning: 18 + only, character death, slow dark burn, character death, dark theme abortion is talked about in previous and future chapters Note: this is another self indulgence piece for me. this is so boring because i cant do a quick transition. tried hard to whittle it down.  Any critiques are WELCOME. Summery: Loki has a plan to be King. Dark Loki x Black Reader, Royal AU

👑

After you depart from the Prince, his man took you below deck. The large cold compartment containing no windows. The little light it did offer came from various cracks in the ceiling.

When he left you alone you crumple to your knees, crying as the shock of all the events wash over you.

Your mother dead, your kingdom gone and you were sure the Prince was bringing you before the High Church. Your stomach turns and knots as you fret, while the ships rocking added to your growing nausea. What you had in your stomach found its way on the floor as you try to steady yourself against a pillar.

👑

You had never been to sea and if you lived you would never step foot on such a vessel again. The days and nights melt together as there was no way to tell between the two. While the silence left you with only your running thoughts as company. Your mouth grew dry and your body weak, the longer you stay kept in the darkened room.

When the door opened you had little energy to move, only meekly shying behind the pillar as the prince's man steps inside.

He said nothing only placing a bowl down with a leather sack, your stomach ached for whatever the contents. Along side it he also placed a ball of bunched up fabric before standing. "Drink and eat then change." Was all that he spoke before leaving you alone again. Weakly you hobble to what he left you.

The gruel filled you, but did not stay down. While the water quenched the desert in you throat. Wiping your hands and mouth as clean as you could you gently shake the fabric. You lay out a dress and apron carefully, setting it far from the sick you expelled.

You undress as fast as you can manage. The letter tumbling out and you ponder its contents as you stare at it on the floor.

The new garments more conservative than your kingdoms and fairly loose. King Stark preferred more skin on his slave's garments, so you wonder if the High church had a hand in the design.

The head dress covers your hair, and without mirror you configure it the best you can. The neckline of the dress came high, the sleeves touch your wrists, the hem sweeps the floor, and the new apron cinched in your baggy sides.

👑

Thankfully when he returned you were decent. "Follow me."  Motioning you to come forth, your legs felt weak as you follow behind him. Your hands clasp together and your heart pounds as you ready yourself for what is to come.

After days of darkness your eyes ache at the first burst of light. Ascending into the blinding sun behind the man, you shield your eyes and try to keep pace. Once your vision clears you quietly gawked at the scenery. Thickets of trees and mountains stood tall in the far distance with a massive castle nestled between. The vast greenery was unlike your homes, and much too cold. The freezing air bled through your clothes, making you more thankful for the conservative dress.

Your heart sank once you reach the plank. The sight of the  small fleet of armored men on horses had brought your mind back to the church. Though the two carts behind them seemed too fancy for a prisoners exhibition.

As you descended the plank the distinct voice of the prince caught your ear, along with a chorus of foot steps. You fought the urge to look back continuing on with the nameless man as he opened the door to the first carriage, urging you wordlessly to go inside.

You sat anxious as strangers crowded inside and to your relief the prince didn’t follow them. A signal was called, starting the journey beyond. Your eyes shifted between the strangers all dressed in dark colors with hints of deep green. You looked at your own garb, and noticed yours was starkly different.

They stayed silent, not even chatting amongst them, a reoccurring them as of late. The prince commanded silents and order to a frightening degree. Exhaustion bled through your bones as their silence mixed with the sway of the bumpy terrain. The days spent on the boat you found little sleep as you mourned for your mother and despaired about your fate.

You fought fruitlessly to keep your eyes open, but slowly slipped into a heavy slumber. It was the deepest sleep you found in days, but the piece did not last as a thunderous bashing jolted you awake. Frantically you look around to find yourself alone.

Where was everyone? Were you dreaming all along? Had you slept walked into the stables? The door opened to the cart revealing yet another stranger, tolling away at his task of inspecting and cleaning the carriage.

He spied you. "Don't be sneaking about napping in our carriages." His accent thick as he spat at you. "Get on before we both are forced to suffer."

Cautiously you do as your told, exiting the carriage. More men busied themselves with the horse while others scrubbed the outer carriage, keeping it pristine. You were indeed in a stable, but not that of your countries. You felt lost in a new world, wondering listless as people move to and fro unconcerned or bothered by your presence. All acting as if their countrymen had not burned your kingdom to the ground.

👑

"Hey" a high pitch shout catches your attention, you froze as the source ran toward you. Your heart beat sped up the closer she came.

"Healer please hurry! We need all hands" the healthy woman with rose rounded cheeks pants at you. She matched Loki's description, you look around as if someone else would give you confirmation, but there was none. Unsure you dig in your apron, palming the letter. If you were wrong what would happen ? Swallowing thickly before shoving it at her.

She eyes it curiously then took it, opening it. You wait slightly surprised that she understood the scribbles upon the page. Her cheeks turn pale before she balls up the letter, stashing it in her own apron. "Right then. As I said all hands" She sounded shaken and it did not help set you at ease. What had the prince placed in such a small letter? You stiffen when she hooks your arm, leading you through the massive area. You bristle when shouting, cheers and rowdiness grow louder as a crowd appear in the distance.

She didn't stop once nearing them, only shoving past with you in toe. You flinch as a chorus of boos and projectiles flew through the air. Following their trajectory you find more armored soldiers with a man in chains.  

It was as if the world fell quiet once your eyes recognize their prisoner. Your king, draped in chains, battered and bruised. The soldiers force him along, ascending the stairs to a stage, while your guide pulls you off to a tent built next to it.

As they pelt him, he takes it in stride. Barking and cursing back defiantly on the stage. By the luck of the gods King Stark's eyes found you amongst the chaos. Your heart and stomach sink to the floor as he follows your movements and you his. Soldiers surround him forcing him down before a stump set in the middle of the stage. He fought furiously as they forced him on his knees, kicking and punching until he fell. King Stark's face was painted red with blood and visibly dazed from the assault.

"All right I will leave you to it. I must find the others" she explains before leaving you at the entrance of the tent.

👑

The sight inside of the tent was maddening. Dried blood stained the rags they wore, expose flesh, and bone had your stomach tightening. Some parts you were sure needed to be removed due to their rancidness and discoloration. The prince greatly overestimated your medical expertise.

You felt light headed while others dress like you move without hesitation. You do your best to mimic their movements without acting suspicious. Did he only want you as a healer? Were you kidnapped just to be a slave for a different king?

You fill your arms with wrappings, a grinding bowl and herbs you were the most familiar with. Gravitating toward the mouth of the tent to a man sat closest to the opening. Thankfully it looked like he only needed cleaning and redoing of his bindings.

Cleaning him, he sat silently watching the stage, unbothered by you. Slyly you watch along with him as you work slowly, hoping he didn't find it strange.

The tent sat close to the stage allowing for a side view. The crowd burst into joyful cheers as a mountain of a man with golden hair steps up on to the stage. His smile was bright even from here, raising his hands in the air the people quiet themselves.

"We have conquered!" The crowd erupt again. You yelped when the men in the tent cheer along with the crowd. "Their kingdom now ours." He kicked Stark in the ribs as he stayed positioned hunched over.

"A payment for a sour bargain" He laughed as your king spit blood, barley able to move. The tall blonde commanded the crowd, they adored him. He reminded you of King Stark in a way.

The golden mane man lifted his steel from it sheathed to the delight of the crowd. Their Kings sword came down swiftly and stuck in the stump. Resting at an odd angle, while your kings body slipped to the ground.

Stark's head rolled and bounced upon the stage, before he grabbed it by its hair. Showing it to the crowd as Stark's blood trickled from it.

"Do you think you have wrapped me enough healer?" The soldier brought you back to your surroundings.

"Sorry" you whispered as your hands tremble while you knot it.

Moving from him you search for another with similar wounds, until another healer asked for your assistance. You nearly vomit at the task of picking magnets from a wound, while she prepared an ointment.

When you finished you realized the crowd had gone and the tent had thinned. "Good work ladies" the woman who brought you here announced loudly in the tent. "Our king is proud of you all. Finish up and come to the hall for the feast."

👑

[samanthadalton]

Rumour has it

Takes place after chapter 2, mc (I called mines Josie) confronts Sam about being engaged) 

pairings: mc (Josie) x f! sam 

tags: @cloud9in

word count: 1.6k 

The night after your encounter with Sam, if you wanna call making out with your boss on your first day on the job an encounter, you wake up feeling uneasy. The feel of Sam’s plush lips still linger on your lips, the heat of her body and how it molded perfectly against your own. The way she tangled her tongue with yours, and how her moans set your entire body alight. But after the kiss was abruptly interrupted by Sam’s alleged fiancee, you couldn’t help but be curious about Sofia. 

After your talk with the boys last night, it was obvious that Sam was in some sort of relationship with Sofia, but you can’t help but wonder why it was so easy for her to lose control around you. How easy it felt being her arms. How your kisses felt like something you’ve done thousands of times. You remember the feeling of your heart shattering when Jenny found the Star Gossip article, which reported Sam’s unofficial announcement of her engagement. But you can’t shake the feeling that there must be more to the relationship since Mickey and Mason confessed that they’ve never even caught the pair kissing. 

All you know is that you need to talk to Sam, no matter how much you may be dreading it. 

You leave your bedroom determined to find Sam so you can arbitrate any feelings or concerns about what happened last night. The house is weirdly quiet considering two 7 year old boys live here but you feel a little dejected when you find a note from Sam attached to the fridge, ‘Took the boys to the park, enjoy your day off, Sam’. 

‘Well that saves me a couple of hours from an awkward conversation’. You decide to text the only person who could give you some advice, so you pull up Jenny’s contact info and facetime her. 

‘Wait… YOU KISSED HER? OH MY GOD!” 

‘Jenny I told you to not to freak out’ you balance the phone in your hand holding it up to show your frowning face while Jenny is totally freaking out, her face moving in and out of the frame as she frantically waves her arms around screaming. 

‘Jenny! Please! Just help me. What do I even say?’ 

Jenny hears your pleading tone and calms down a little, but she struggles to hide her ardor as her smile beams brightly at you. ‘Okay fine but I want the details about the kiss once I’m done helping you’ 

You exasperatingly roll your eyes as you reluctantly agree to give Jenny the full details of your kiss and you eagerly await for her advice. 

‘Why don’t you just ask her for the truth?’ 

You throw your hands up in the air, ‘gee, why didn’t I think of that, come on Jenny be serious’

‘I am okay? Just listen’ her voice is unusually commanding as she settles down on her bed and looks at you dead in the eye as she continues,’ look, judging by everything you’ve told me, I really think you should just be straight up with Sam. She seems like she’s a straight to the point no BS kinda girl, and you’re never gonna get the answers you want if you play it carefully. Don’t beat around the bush, just deadass ask her, are you engaged and see what she says’ 

As you contemplate Jenny’s words you realise that she does have a point, honestly is the best policy after all. After indulging in Jenny’s pleas and giving a full detailed report on the kiss as well as some casual small talk, you relax in the living room with the tv on, your thoughts drifting to the inevitable conversation you will have with Sam once she gets home and you mentally prepare yourself for any outcome, though you’re hoping that it ends with a happy ending for you. You suddenly hear the elevator doors ding and Mickey and Mason’s voices echo throughout the apartment. 

You look up to see two very sweaty boys running towards the bathroom and as you get up to go to the kitchen, Sam creeps up behind the counter, her soft voice startling you. Your mind flashes back to the night before, recalling that same tone, how low and husky her voice was, as she spoke about how much she wanted you, how she couldn’t stand to be so close to you without feeling like an animal. Now as you stand within the same vicinity, the energy is different, like everything has changed. 

Sam raises her eyebrows a little, and you shake out of your reverie, and give Sam a small smile, ‘hey Sam can we uh’ you’re cut off as Mason and Mickey enter the kitchen and run towards the pizza boxes on the counter. 

‘Hey Josie guess what? Mason jumps excitedly in his spot and you give him a huge smile, ‘what?’ 

‘Mickey and I went to the park today and I totally beat him in tag’ 

‘No you didn’t, I told you you only tagged me because my shoe laces came off’ 

The boys continue to squabble as Sam briskly claps her hands together, ‘Come on boys enough, you were at least too fast for me huh? I think you guys cheated a little when I was it’

‘No way!! You’re just too slow mom’, Sam ruffles Mickey’s hair and they all settle on the stools getting ready to eat. 

‘Josie we weren’t sure what you like so we got you a pepperoni pizza’ 

You gratefully take the box from Sam, your fingers brushing together slightly and you feel electricity coursing through your body. You’ve barely touched Sam but you feel the heat rising to your cheeks and judging by Sam’s clenching jaw, you know you’re not the only one who feels it. 

After eating and engaging in some enlightening conversation with the boys about the newest game craze, you stay behind to clean up while Sam gets the boys ready for bed. 

You ball up your hands, knuckles turning white as you try to remember Jenny’s advice to ask for the truth, no matter how devastating the answer may be. You’re pulled out of your thoughts as Sam ambles into the kitchen, her expression looking bleak as she clears her throat. 

‘Sorry, I just wanted some water before I head to bed’ she moves towards the sink, her back to you but you mentally steel yourself before blurting out, ‘can we talk?’ 

Sam freezes in place, you can’t see her face, but you can only imagine the tormented look on her face as she bows her head slightly down and speaks out, ‘if it’s about the boys taking the subway, it’s fine Josie, just don’t do it again’. 

You can’t help but feel a little bit hurt but angry as she attempts to dismiss what happened last night so you walk towards her and grab her wrist to spin her around. The contact of your hand touching her thrills you, so you quickly let go of her arm and take an abrupt step back trying to control your heartbeat as it thumps in your ears. 

‘That’s not what I meant and you know it Sam, please I just need to know’ 

Sam’s face looks conflicted as her brows furrow and her lips are curled down but she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath and stares directly into your eyes, her face looks emotionless, her eyes blank. ‘What did you want to know?’ her voice is devastatingly monotone but her jaw flinches a little indicating that she might already know what you’re about to ask.

‘Are the rumours true? About you and Sofia being engaged?’ You bite the inside of your cheek as you anticipate Sam’s answer. 

Sam looks dumbfounded, her expression crestfallen as she struggles to answer your question.

‘Come on Sam, I deserve an answer, are you or are you not engaged it’s not a difficult question’

‘Yes’ 

‘Yes?’ No matter how much mental preparation you took beforehand, the familiar anguish you once felt when you found out about Sam’s engagement returns and your stomach begins to flip as you try to control your emotions, grappling to keep a stoic expression so Sam doesn’t see how much her answer hurts you. 

‘It’s not like that Josie, okay? It’s complicated, last night i-’ 

You slice your hand through the air cutting her off, anger quickly filling up inside of you, ‘you’re engaged Sam, that’s it. I know I crossed a line when I kissed you but you should’ve stopped me’ 

‘I couldn’t’ her voice cracking as she shakily breathes in and out, ‘Josie there’s so much you don’t know’ she reaches out to you but stops, her hands hover near yours but she pulls back at the last second. 

‘Sam, I can’t. I really need this job and I don’t want one stupid mistake to ruin that’ 

‘So it was a mistake to you?’ 

You ignore the dulling ache of your heart as you swallow and answer, ‘yes, it was unprofessional and won’t happen again’ 

You swear that Sam’s face completely falls for a second before the weight of your words settle and her face returns to that same emotionless one, ‘I agree. I apologize Josie, I should’ve never indulged in it. I just hope we can move forward from this since you seem to be the perfect fit for the boys’ 

You nod, unable to find the words as your heart only hurts more, and with that you turn and retreat back to your room. As you lay on your bed you wonder if staying is the right decision, but you know that you need this job and your mind can’t help but wonder what did Sam mean by it being complicated.

[sprnklersplashes]

heart of stone (1/?)

AO3 (trigger warning for teenage cancer)

Janis Sarkisian has a heart of stone and a spine of steel. Her body, however, is just as fallible as anyone else's. When the world comes crashing down around you, how do you stay standing? More importantly, who stands with you?

Janis zips up her backpack, the same one she carried with her through the first three years of high school. It may be old, but everything inside is new, pencils, pens, notebooks, you name it. Her mom even got her a new water bottle that keeps her water cool all day for her. She assured her that it wasn’t breaking the bank and maybe it wasn’t, but that’s not the point. The point is her mom still went out and bought her a fancy water bottle to keep her water cold for her.

She laces up her boots and looks in the mirror, a surge of insecurity coming over her, the kind she hasn’t felt since she was thirteen and stepping back into middle school after a year. It’s been a while since she’s spent this long picking out her clothes for school, but the plus side she guesses is that she doesn’t have to spend so much time on her hair now. So swings and roundabouts, really.

Cady spent almost all of last night on Facetime with her, telling her about being ‘the new kid’ and listening to Janis complaining about it. She had nodded sympathetically, almost nothing to say to her other than ‘you’ll be fine’ and ‘good luck’ and ‘I love you’. It’s not her fault, but it’s the way it is. Because Janis isn’t the new kid, not really. Certainly not in the way Cady was. Cady was joining a group of total strangers, but practically everyone in North Shore knows Janis’ name by now, even if she doesn’t know 99% of them and they’re a year younger than her. Everyone she knows is off in college, living their best lives, and she’s starting senior year now.

It’s funny when she thinks about it. In middle school and high school she had to disappear for a year, both due to factors beyond her control. Fingers crossed she’ll make it through college without a hitch.

Downstairs, her parents are no doubt having a hushed discussion about her even going to school. They had gone over it with her so many times it made her head spin, asking her if she’d prefer to Skype her classes and work from home. Her mom had even asked Mrs Heron about homeschooling her, much to the other woman’s delight. Who knew that when her mom and Cady’s mom finally bonded, it would be over this.

The old Janis would have rolled her eyes at them and tossed her hair over her shoulder, telling them they’re being over protective and dumb and that she’ll be absolutely fine, there’s nothing to worry about. But now, Janis can’t blame them, can she?

They’d one hell of a year.

One year (and 10 days) earlier

Asking out Cady Heron was probably the best decision Janis had ever made. Okay, it wasn’t entirely her decision given that Damian had told her that Cady liked her, suggested Janis ask her out and also pushed her towards Cady’s locker, as well as hanging around just within earshot so he could intervene if something went wrong. Which miraculously, it didn’t, and she and Cady had spent a lovely evening with dinner and a movie and a kiss that made the butterflies in Janis’ stomach flap their little wings so hard she nearly flew away herself.

That was a lovely four months ago, and now she and Cady are laying on her bed, hands joined, legs intertwined, Love Simon playing on her laptop. While her computer is burning her legs (damn she needs a new one), Cady’s the one who is really keeping her warm, the warmth and gentle and golden in her chest as she nuzzles into Janis a little. Her dad likes to jokingly call Cady a pixie, as in ‘she’s a pixie and you’re a vampire, Jan’, but Janis thinks there might actually be some truth in it, since her skin tingles when Cady’s hand slides under her top and her fingertips run across her side and stomach. Janis isn’t looking, but she wouldn’t be surprised if there was a trail of pink sparkles in her wake.

Janis kisses the top of her head, adjusting her hold on her girlfriend and pull her closer (she’ll never get used to that word, girlfriend, being used to describe Cady in relation to her).

“I’ve watched this movie like 10 times,” Cady begins. Janis won’t tell her, but she’s actually wrong. They’ve watched it 13 times, and she knows she’s watched it with Damian at least three more times. It’s a masterpiece though, so that’s acceptable. “But every time I watch it, I start worrying that Blue won’t show up at the Ferris wheel.”

“Or it would be Martin,” Janis says just as Simon gets on the ride for the first time.

“You know when you first showed me this, I thought that he was Blue?” Cady says. “Just for like a tiny, tiny second. But that’s what I thought.” Janis’s bed shakes as she laughs, her usual loud cackle that she’s still a little self-conscious about, even now. But it’s fading more and more every day. Cady laughs along with her, her light and musical tone more than making up for it. “Don’t blame me. I was close to peak Plastic back then.”

“Peak Plastic,” Janis echoes, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand, a little purple lipstick coming off.

“Mm-hm.” Janis bites her lip, just a little, her skin beginning to crawl. She’s told Cady over and over that she’s been forgiven, even before they were this, but she wonders if Cady’s sure of it. Hell, Janis herself still wonders if she’s been forgiven for everything she did. Sometimes she likes to pretend that their junior year ended in December with Regina’s butt eating her underwear at the talent show, and then she and Cady got together and everything just became beautiful.

So she gives Cady a double kiss on the head to make sure she knows.

When Blue does show up, Cady lets out the most adorable squeak of excitement and her hand squeezes Janis’, her smile putting the late-August sunshine outside to shame. She buries her face in Janis’ chest so that only her brown eyes peek out, and lets out a long, high-pitched hum that makes Janis’ heart melt.

“They’re so cute,” she whispers. “They’re so cute, I am dying, send help.”

“You’re dying?” Janis asks thoughtfully, walking her fingers up and down her arm while she subtly and slowly pushed herself up on her side, her legs tingling as she mounts her attack. “Does that mean you need mouth to mouth?”

“Wh-”

Before Cady can answer, Janis flips the two of them over, her bed shaking and tapping loudly against her wall with the force. She takes a moment to hope her parents weren’t passing as she tries to catch her breath. For a few seconds, the world gets darker and her chest heaves, seemingly desperate for air. It does strike Janis as odd; she’s out of shape, maybe, but this out of shape? Really? Has her summer vacation been getting to her?

“Janis?”

“Did I hear someone say she needs mouth to mouth?” Janis asks, already feeling herself again. Cady’s anxious expression disappears, replaced by a flirtatious smile, her hands grasping Janis’ shirt.

“Maybe,” she responds, tilting her head up a little.

Some responses come to mind, but they all make Janis cringe, and so she leans in and presses a kiss to her girlfriend’s lips, sighing at the taste of honey and lemonade and the scent of orange blossom in her hair. Most of all, the sweetness of her lips, how gentle they are, how they make her toes curl and Janis’ head settle, chasing away any worries or woes. There’s no room for them here, not when it’s her and Cady and the world doesn’t matter.

Yeah, her girlfriend must be magical.

Cady texts her mom when the movie is over, as per Mrs Heron’s request. As over parents go, the Herons actually aren’t that bad, probably because Cady sticks to the rules they’ve laid out. She tells them where she’s going, and with whom; up until recently she’d text them every time they ran into someone, and how exactly she knows them. She obeys her curfew and is always home for dinner, asking ahead of time if she can come home later and guaranteeing she’ll eat when she’s out. As a result, Mrs Heron lessens her curfew more and more with each week and is apparently close to letting Cady learn to drive. That’s what Janis likes about the Herons, not that she hates her own parents; they see Cady as a person, and when she respects them, they respect her.

The two wait in the living room for Cady’s dad to pick her up, throwing the ball for Maxie, only interrupted once, by Janis’ dad, who tells them to be careful not to get Maxie too hyper or he will most definitely shit himself in the hallway.

“And I am not clearing that up,” he tells them, gesturing wildly with the end of the newspaper.

“Cady can do it,” Janis offers, scratching Max behind the ears while he nips at her hand. Okay, maybe her dad had a point. “She spent all her time before moving here cleaning up animal poop.”

“No I didn’t,” Cady protests before considering it. “Okay, a little bit. Kind of. But I did a lot more than animal poop.”

“Animal piss?”

“I’m going to leave before this conversation gets weirder,” her dad announces, eyeing the two of them with equal amounts of fondness and confusion. “Although if Cady ever wants a job cleaning up after Maxie, we’re open.”

“Get them dollas, Caddy,” Janis tells her, punching her arm gently.

“You know, I actually might get a job this year,” Cady says, pushing her hair out of her eyes. “You know, start saving up for college.”

“Smart plan,” Janis agrees. Despite the temptation, she’s not quit her mall job yet, designated her ‘the money friend’. College had never crossed her mind until Cady brought it up.

“Wish I’d thought of it earlier,” she says glumly, resting her chin on her knee. “What with school starting next week, I won’t have time!”

“Eleven days,” Janis reminds her, tapping her cheek. “School starts in eleven days. And you’ll find somewhere. I’ll help you.”

“Really?” Cady asks, her cheek smushing against the couch cushions. “You’d do that?”

“Of course, miss Caddy,” Janis replies, running her finger through Cady’s softer-than-soft hair. “That way you can start paying for date nights and we can be real fancy.” Cady grins, pressing a kiss to the inside of her wrist, making Janis’ cheeks glow and bite her lip to trap the excited giggle where it is. She will not giggle, not in her own living room where her parents can hear.

“Oh, that’s my dad,” Cady sighs as a car horn toots out front. Janis is sort of in love with Cady’s dad’s car, mostly because it looks exactly like the kind of car Cady’s dad would own. It’s small and shaped like a box and dark blue, a little silver line running around the edge, and the horn toots like a little cartoon car. It came straight out a 1950’s move and it’s one of the most precious things Janis has ever seen. She hopes that when Cady starts driving, it’s this little shit she drives around in so Janis can revel in the cuteness all the time.

“See you tomorrow,” she tells her at the door, her hand resting on the handle. She glances shyly down the hall; both her parents absent, before looking back at Cady, whose eyes sparkle with anticipation. Who am I to refuse the lady? she thinks as she bends down to give her a goodbye kiss, humming in contentment against her mouth and lingering in her space a little after she pulls away.

“See you tomorrow, Janis,” Cady replies, slipping out the door, taking a final look at Janis when she reaches the gate and giving her a finger-wiggling wave. Janis salutes lazily with her finger, watching as Cady gets into her dad’s car and they pull away from the kerb, rattling along down the road and around the corner, off to Cady’s little house.

And then Janis can feel the worst feeling of all; the relief that she’s gone.

It’s not relief, not exactly. Well, it is. Just not for that reason. Being with Cady is one of her favourite things to do in the world. But once Cady’s gone, she can drop the act she’s been keeping up for hours and her legs can give way, her back hitting the wall as she drags her hand over her face. A long, heavy sigh escapes her and her eyes fall shut as the remaining strength drops from her body. She could almost fall asleep standing against the wall were it not for the dog pawing at her legs, demanding hugs.

She’s just so damn tired.

She’s not entirely sure how long this has been going on, maybe just before school finished, or at the start of the break, but she’s felt like there’s been this little creature clinging to her back and sucking all the energy out of her. She’s gotten relatively okay at hiding it, thanks to extra espresso in her coffee and make-up hiding the shadows under her eyes, not to mention that her friends are always down for chill, relaxed activities. It’s not really affected her mood either, in fact, now that she’s with Cady, found some sort of friendship with Gretchen and Karen (Regina is a big question mark) and found some catharsis for her past, she’s found that, emotionally speaking, she’s better than she’s been in a long while.

But it’s there. Clinging to her back and reaching down to her legs, slowing her down, keeping her in bed longer than she wants to be and making her miss being at home even when she’s with her two most favourite people in the world.

Whatever this is, it may hurry up and leave before school starts, she thinks as she makes her way to the kitchen and leans against the counter, rubbing her heavy eyes. She is not dealing with this crap during a six hour day.

“You okay hon?” her mom asks, concern lining the edges of her voice.

“Just tired,” she replies, flipping the kettle on and taking out her Disney mug.

“Oh, you look it.” She knows her mom means well, what with the ‘what’s wrong sweetheart’ edge and airy tone of her voice, but her words are so blunt that Janis can’t help snorting.

“Love you too, Mom.”

“You know what I mean,” she says fondly. Her voice trails off, leaving a tense silence, her mom cocking her head to one side as she studies her. “You’ve been tired a lot lately.”

“I have?” she says, feigning ignorance and dropping the tea bag into her mug. “Didn’t notice.” Her mom hums in agreement and then pats Janis on the shoulder, her touch careful and casual, and yet Janis jumps a little, stifling a gasp.

“You’re okay though, right?” she asks. Janis nods, her mind involuntarily going back to the time where she picked at meals and spent hours in her room and walking around the house with empty, haunted eyes and shadows on her face. There’s a reason Regina remains a question mark, no matter how many times she sits with her at lunch.

“I’m fine, Mom, really,” she says, turning to face her. “Just need to catch up on the sleep.” Her mom nods and runs a hand through her hair with a half-convinced smile.

“Okay kid,” she says after a while, her voice strained at the edges. “Do you need me to pick anything up for you tomorrow?”

A fully functioning body she thinks as she lifts her warm mug. Instead she shakes her head, giving her mom the ‘I’m okay’ smile she knows no one in her house fully believes anymore and mumbling a response before heading to her room, her hand always on a wall or bannister to keep her upright.

                                                                                               *****

She’s pulled from sleep in the early hours of the morning, her eyes blinking open and adjusting to the darkness just in time for her to feel her sleep shirt clung to her back and her hair wrapped around her throat and sticking like a spider’s web.

“Oh shit,” she sighs. She throws the covers off and runs a hand down her damp leg, sighing in frustration before pulling herself up and making her way to the bathroom.

She looks worse when she turns the light on. Black patches are splattered across her top and the sweat glistens in a pretty vile way, making Janis shudder. In addition to being tired pretty much every damn day, she’s also been dealing with this. It was sparing at first, but recently it seems like it’s every other night she’s woken up in the middle of the night a hot and sticky mess. And worst part is that the novelty of an innuendo has long since faded.

She presses a cold washcloth to her neck, sighing as the coolness fights against the heat of her skin. She considers getting in the shower and just letting the cold water pour over her body for a while, but she doesn’t want to wake her parents and once she gets in, there’s a chance she won’t get out. Her parents would find a giant cold raisin instead of their daughter. So she pulls her top off instead and holds the cloth against her chest, her stomach, her back, anywhere she can, forcing the prickling warmth off her body as quickly and as quietly as she can.

She hasn’t let her parents know about this. Mostly because she’s sure it’s nothing, some days it slips her mind entire. But also because she’s sure her mom would go batshit and be fussing over her every single day, buying out the entire herbal tea section at the store and all the medicine she can legally buy in one go. Two different responses clash in Janis’ head; one urging her to smile as a surge of fondness rises in her and another pulling it down, dampening the wave and pulling her back, all the while scolding her. Her parents took care of her enough back in eighth grade. They deserve a nice life for themselves now.

So she keeps doing what she was doing, taking care of herself, something she’s more than capable of doing anyway. She refreshes the cloth and holds it against herself, counting to ten each time. Much as she appreciates all they do for her and loves every part of them, she doesn’t really need her parents, not now. She’s got all this under control.

Besides, she thinks with a shrug, flicking off the light. It’s probably nothing serious.

                                                                                               ******

She wakes with a stiff neck and heavy eyes the next morning, as well as her bare legs rubbing against her mattress and goosebumps prickling along her skin. Just before she collapsed onto her bed a few hours ago, she decided to take her pants off as well and stuff them under her pillow along with her shirt. Despite the chills that raced through her body and made her tremble, the way her pants stuck to her legs became way too uncomfortable for her. So she pulled the blanket around her almost-naked body and shut her eyes tight until she fell asleep.

Sleep is still reluctant to let her go, wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her back down. She may as well, after all, her alarm hasn’t even gone off yet. She turns over and grabs her phone to check the time, ready to give into her body’s demands once she knows-

“Fuck.”

11:37. She was meant to meet her friends almost ten minutes ago. That’s why she had an alarm set for 10:45, specifically for this purpose. So she wouldn’t be late. Like she is now. There’s three texts from Cady, two from Damian and one from Karen, all variations of ‘where are you?’ or ‘are you coming?’.

“Oh crap, okay,” she sighs. She pushes herself out of her bed, rubbing her heavy eyes with one hand and pulling on clothes with the other. Not having time to go to her closet, she picks the same loose grey t shirt and black skirt she wore yesterday, hoping Cady doesn’t notice or mind. She runs a brush through her hair while texting Cady a quick apology, promising that she’s on her way. She doesn’t even have the time of doing make-up, instead throwing some eyeliner and mascara in her bag and haphazardly lacing up her boots before taking the stairs two at a time.

“Dad?” she asks, leaning on the living room doorframe. The world tilts and sways a little and her hands tighten on the wood. Her dad looks up from his laptop, clad in jeans and a shirt and tie, the classic working from home look. “Dad… I’m sorry but I overslept and I was meant to meet my friends ten minutes ago and can you drive me to the mall?” Her tone is the kind of apologetic caution that was common in her preteen years, and even as he stands up and lifts his jacket, Janis feels a quick, sharp pang of guilt cut through her chest. “Actually screw it, I can walk.”

“No, it’s fine,” her dad says, picking his car keys up and closing his laptop. “I don’t have a meeting until one. I can drive you.”

“Okay,” she replies. Her dad pauses as he approaches her, his eyes scanning her face with concern. All Janis can offer him is a shrug as she tries to get her breathing back to normal.

“I’ll do my make up in the car,” she says.

“Okay.” Clearly, that’s not what he was thinking, but he takes it. “Did you eat breakfast?”

“Dad, I don’t have time-”

“Yes you do,” he insists. “Most important meal of the day.” He makes a detour to the kitchen and grabs her a granola bar and banana. As he presses them into her hands, his eyes narrow and he gives her another once-over. “You’re alright, aren’t you?”

“I’m fine,” she insists, crossing her fingers behind her back. She briefly considers about calling Cady and saying that she’s sick but dismisses it just as quickly. “Just a little... you know.”

She manages to do a decent job of her eyeliner and mascara, wishing she’d thought to put concealer or powder or something in there as well. Still, she’s done a good enough job of hiding the circles under her eyes and if anyone asks, she can dismiss it as stray make-up.

When her dad pulls up at the mall, her friends are hanging around the entrance, not exactly hard to spot. She thinks she could find Cady in any crowd, and Damian is over six feet tall and today decided to don a rainbow t-shirt and red suspenders. And aside from them, Karen’s ice cream bag stands out more than anything.

“Thank you,” she says, turning to her dad, once again feeling normal. “A lot.”

“You’re welcome kid,” he smiles back, squeezing her hand gently. “Go have fun, I’ll pick you up when you need to.”

She jogs up to them while her dad pulls away, Cady meeting her halfway for a light hug.

“Sorry I’m late,” she says, grasping Cady’s hand. “I slept through my alarm.”

“Maybe set a better alarm next time,” Regina suggests, not a note of kindness in her voice as she inspects her nails. Janis takes in a deep breath but doesn’t bother to hide the eye roll. Not even Cady can make her promise that.

“Okay, let’s go,” Damian says, steering Janis away from Regina before it can turn ugly. Regina ignores Janis’ eyes entirely, toying with her blonde curls and feigning interest in whatever Karen is telling her. That’s just fine by her; Janis can cuddle up to Cady, revelling in the joy of holding her hand out where everyone can see, and listen to Cady excitedly point at the drawings of animals at the art stall, sold between $5-10 a pop. As they walk past the other shoppers, she likes to think she is silently communicating “that’s my girlfriend!” with her beaming smile. She can swing their hands and insist on buying Cady an iced coffee and they can share a little muffin and Cady can slip her hand into Janis’ back pocket and rest her head on her shoulder. They can do all this out here, in public, and most importantly in front of Regina, and Janis can just not give two shits.

They follow the Plastics around the make-up store first, since apparently they’re all in need of some back to school make-up. That’s fine too since Janis can look at her favourite brands and test out new shades on her skin. Karen even bounds up to her with the same kind of energy that Maxie has when Janis comes home from school and asks her opinion on eyeshadow colours. A few months ago this would have sent alarm bells going off in Janis’ head and her eyes darting around and her waiting for the catch. Now she smiles and compares the colours to Karen’s fair skin and recommends she buy the pale ones. There’s something satisfying about Karen’s smile and bounce as she thanks her, squeezing her hand a little before running off to the counter to pay. And it’s not the kind of satisfied she felt when she was watching Regina fall; while she won’t admit it to anyone, it’s kind of better.

Once they’re done there they head off to the stationery store, all six of them in need of new stuff for school. Janis is relying on her spikey backpack to get her through the last year of school, since it took her through the first three, but she wraps her arms around Cady as she contemplates which backpack to get, enchanted by the one with little cartoon frogs and captivated by one with flowers sketched onto the fabric. Janis chuckles and hugs her tighter. She could watch Cady choose backpacks forever. That’s why she’s fine standing there, not because she’s tired.

“So should we just leave you here for an hour or so?” Damian jokes as Janis approaches the art department. She chuckles, poking her tongue out at him.

“I’ll just be a second,” she says. “I got a load of new stuff over the summer. I just need a new book.” She ignores the hardbacked books and the ones with the highly decorated covers in favour of the same ones she always gets; bottom shelf, end of the row, the plain black covers that she can decorate herself. If her art is inside it, why shouldn’t it be on the outside too?

As she bends down, she finds herself pressing her hand against the shelf to steady herself. She hadn’t realised how tired she had felt until she was sitting down, even if her legs are bent awkwardly beneath her and it’s not exactly the most comfortable position. Maybe it’s from oversleeping, but she could just lay down here if she didn’t care about her pride or store policy. She lets out a long breath-has her chest been this tight all day?  

“Janis?” Damian asks, frowning a little, his Mom-friend instincts overriding anything else. He’s probably a minute away from kneeling down and whispering ‘you okay baby’ in her ear. To which she would reply “yeah” because that’s what she is. Completely fine.

“I’m good,” she says, picking up the book and pulling herself up, her weary legs protesting as she does so. She shakes her head, resisting the urge to rub her eyes, and gives them a smile that she hopes is convincing. “I got it. I’m fine.”

As she passes them, Cady and Damian share an uncertain look that they think she doesn’t see, and she tries not to be annoyed at it.

Once she noticed how tired she is though, she can’t ignore it, and it’s not for a lack of trying. Weakness and fatigue settle into her body and cloud her mind as they go about their day, and it becomes harder and harder to shake off. Her chest soon starts feeling hollow and cold, her legs unstable and shaky. The worst part is her brain lagging and freezing like the computers in school. Focussing seems to become more of a challenge with each step she takes and the long, steady beep of the store’s alarm doesn’t do much to help.

Oh, right, she thinks to herself, feeling foolish. That’s me.

She pulls her jacket tighter around herself as the air turns colder. Did they go outside? No, they can’t have, they’re still in the mall. Did someone leave a door open maybe?

A weight falls from her hand and it’s then she realises that she hasn’t passed anything yet.

“Janis?” Cady asks. She blinks, looking at Cady’s barely-concealed worry, her eyes wide, her hand slowly creeping towards her. She looks behind her and sees Karen looking at Gretchen, then Regina and finally Damian in confusion while Gretchen’s mouth falls into an O shape and even Regina looks worried, her hand halfway extended towards her and her eyes wide.

Janis scoffs at herself, or at least she thinks she does. It’s hard to tell right now. She needs to get her shit together, and that needs to happen now.

“I’m fine,” she says breathlessly. Because she is. The room is definitely not tilting. “I’m just… I’m just tired.”

The word ‘tired’ has barely left her mouth before her legs crumple and her body crashes into something warm and both soft and firm at the same time. No, not something. Someone. Damian guides her down to the floor, his arms strong around her, one hand holding hers and the other stroking her head.

“I’m okay,” she whispers. For a second, she wonders if anyone heard her, but the thought flies out of her head in an instant. Damian asks if she can hear him and she nods, mumbling something that probably made more sense in her head. She leans against him, letting her body have the rest it’s been begging for. Cady kneels next to her, asking Damian something she can’t make out and beginning to pull Janis’ coat off her despite her protests. Or what are meant to be protests anyway. She feels Cady’s hand against her cheek and manages to hear the word ‘burning up’ in her voice.

She pushes herself up on her elbows, trying to sit somewhat independently despite Cady and Damian’s wishes. Someone offers her a bottle of water and she takes it gladly, not having realised how thirsty she was. She thinks it might have been Regina but logic doubts it. Regina would pour the water out in front of her instead.

The world comes back into focus again, little by little, and thankfully she feels too drained to be embarrassed.

“You’re back?” Damian asks. She nods in response, taking another swing of water. Has water always tasted this good? “Think you can make it outside? I’m going to call your dad-”

“No, Damian,” she protests, her voice cracking. “You don’t have to do that. I’m fine.”

“No you’re not,” Cady corrects her. “Janis, you’ve got a fever and you just passed you. You’re not fine.” She strokes her cheek, a gesture that’s half affection, half worry, her brown eyes pleading and breaking Janis’ heart with the way they grow. “Please, Janis.”

“Okay,” she sighs, squeezing Cady’s hand. “Okay I’ll go home. I can get outside.” And she makes it, even if she’s mostly leaning on Damian. As he calls her dad, she sits on one of the benches with Cady on one side and Karen on the other, the Plastic rubbing her back and stroking her hair, while she keeps sipping water and her brain puts itself back together.

Yep. There’s the embarrassment.

“I’m sorry guys,” she says. “I’m sorry I messed up our day.”

“You didn’t mess it up,” Gretchen assures her. She’s kept her distance since Janis collapsed, but now she inches forward a little, and then a little more and kneels in front of her, patting her knee kindly. “You just got sick, it happens.”

Janis hums in acknowledgement and takes another shaky sip of water, wincing a little. This is probably to some degree her own fault. Not like her body wasn’t giving her all the warning signs possible.

“Here.” She hands Karen the pink flask when her dad’s car pull up beside them. “Thanks Karen.”

“Oh it’s Regina’s,” she corrects, throwing the other girl the bottle. Janis’ head swings so quickly from Karen to Regina that she almost passes out again and the queen bee offers her nothing but a casual shrug and a sympathetic look that makes Janis’ hands curl into fists.

So it’s gotten to the point of Regina being nice to her? Is that where she’s at now?

Christ she better get over this fast.

Damian helps her into her dad’s car and pats her head gently.

“Rest up, Buttercup,” he tells her affectionately, his face still creased with concern. She squeezes his hand and gives him a smile before he closes the door and her dad pulls out of the parking lot. The farther away they go, the more her heart clenches in her already-pained chest, a nasty cocktail made of anxiety, embarrassment and guilt brewing and bubbling inside her. She checks her phone and tells herself she’s stupid for doing so. They’re having fun. Without her. That’s their right, isn’t it?

“You just lay down, kid,” her dad tells her, helping her into her room. She’s past the point of refusing help by now and leaned on her dad all the way up the stairs and into her room. “You need anything? Some water, some food?”

“I’m okay,” she says, leaning back on her hands and wincing at the sharp pain in her head. “I just want to lie down.”

“Okay, kid,” he replies, ruffling her hair affectionately and checking her temperature at the same time. He takes in a sharp breath, his shoulders tensing. “I’m going to get you some medicine, just to be safe, okay?”

“Fine.” When her dad leaves, she tosses her jacket to the corner and starts unlacing her boots before peeling off her tights and skirt. She’s cold in just her t-shirt but getting a sweater would involve getting out of bed and she doesn’t trust herself to stay upright. So she presses her face into her pillow and pulls the covers tighter around her, the pain in her head and heart fading the closer to sleep she gets.

When her mom comes home from work that evening, she’s managed to change into leggings and a sweater and move her ass down to the living room.  A grilled cheese sits on her lap and her dog’s head rests beside her as she watches TV. Despite being warned by her dad, she slips Maxie little bits of sandwich every now and then. If she’s not going to finish it, then it may as well go to a good home.

“How’s the patient?” her mom asks, leaning on the doorframe.

“Fine,” she replies, meaning not at all. Her whole body feels empty and run-down like an abandoned house; she imagines cobwebs hanging from her ribcage and a family of mice burrowing in her chest.

And that image put her off her sandwich.

“Your dad said you passed out,” she presses, coming to sit on the edge of the couch. Janis nods, looking down at her lap. There have been texts since this morning from everyone bar Regina; when she woke up there were six just from Damian alone, five asking if she was okay and one asking how he looked in the new waistcoat he’d bought. Despite how shit she had felt, Damian’s concern had made her forget just for a few minutes.

“Yeah. I think I was just overtired or something,” she sighs. “I overslept this morning.”

“And you’ve got a fever.”

“Okay, WebMD,” she jokes, shrugging. “I don’t know. I’ve probably just come down with something. It’ll go away on its own.”

“I don’t know about that…” Her mom moves closer to her, her face falling even more, confusion clouding her features. “Janis… how long has that been going on?”

“How long has what-ow!” Sharp pains jerk through her neck and her back and even up to the back of her head. Her breathing turns short and rapid until it subsides and she’s left with a phantom feeling buzzing on her skin. “Mom!”

“Sorry, hon,” she says. “Just… that swelling around your neck, when did that happen?”

“Swelling, what, where?” she asks. She gets up and goes over to the mirror on the wall, at first seeing nothing, but when she turns the light on, moves her hair and looks closer, she finds fat little lumps on the underside of her jaw. Turning around and straining her eyes, she can see some on the back of her neck as well, normally hidden by her hair. It looks like someone shoved a ping pong ball down her throat. Against her better judgement she pokes one, gasping as the same pain jumps out at her. “The hell?”

Had those always been there?

“Are they new?” her mom asks.

“I don’t know.” She lowers herself onto the chair behind her, resting her head against the wall and chewing her nail. Her mom doesn’t even tell her to stop.

“Maybe I should make a doctor’s appointment for you,” her mom says, checking her forehead again. “Hopefully, it’s nothing… wouldn’t want you to have to miss your first day.”

“Okay,” Janis agrees, her fingers straying to the swellings again. Now that she’s seen them, she can’t not be aware of their presence. They call out to her like little sirens that live on her body. Her mom pats her head before going to the kitchen, her phone already out of her bag. Down the hall, she hears her talking to her dad about her, mentioning strep throat and tonsillitis and other such illnesses. Janis sighs, leaning her head back only to be created with painful twinges. Thanks, little body sirens, she sighs.

On the couch, Maxie shows no sympathy towards her, instead gobbling up her leftover sandwich. He looks over at her, eyes innocent and mouth covered with crumbs and cheese, and it makes her laugh.

“You’re lucky I wasn’t planning on finishing that,” she tells him seriously and she takes his little squeak as an ‘I know’.

Janis really doesn’t like doctor’s offices. Everything’s way too clean and the people are too smiley, save for the bored looking receptionist who has to remind herself to be happy every couple of minutes. People avoid each other’s eyes as they wait; an exhausted mom holding a newborn on her knee and a toddler at her feet, a little girl playing with the outdated toys, a grandpa with a newspaper spread across his lap. They all look at phones or books and not each other, except for when the toddler comes over and starts poking at Janis’ boots, fascinated by the silver buckle and deciding he wants it.

When Janis’ name is called, the kid protests loudly, and she agrees with him. Sitting here chilling with a toddler sounds way more pleasant than whatever’s going to happen in there.

“Hi sweetie,” the nurse greets. Her white coat is thrown over the chair and her light hair tied back in a ponytail, her smile is covered in pale pink lipstick and her gentle eyes are framed with eyeliner and pink eyeshadow. It almost puts Janis at ease. Almost. “So your mom said you’ve been sick for the past few days? You passed out on Wednesday, right?”

“Yeah.” Janis sits up on the bed, taking comfort in the way her feet dangle above the floor. At her height, this is a pretty rare occurrence, so sue her for liking it. “I um… I’ve been really tired lately.”

“Okay… do you know when this started?” She bites her lip, shaking her head.

“Um… maybe just before school ended, or just at the start of summer,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck and wincing. “Oh, and I’ve got these boys.” She pulls her hair up so her doctor can get a better look at them. “I don’t know when they showed up. My mom noticed them before she made the appointment.”

“Do they hurt?”

“Only when I touch them,” she answers. “Then they scream like a-then they hurt.” Her doctor chuckles at her word choice, although her smile quickly disappears.

“Has there been anything else?” she asks. “Chills, fever, night sweats?”

“Check, check and check,” she replies grimly. “I um… I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night and just…” She gestures to all of herself, searching for a less-gross way to put this. Her brain immediately thinks ‘does she really need to know this’, apparently unaware that they’re in a doctor’s office for this very purpose, and this probably isn’t the most disgusting thing she’s heard today. “Sweat. Everywhere.”

Is it any wonder she’s never seen above a B in English?

“Okay,” the doctor says thoughtfully. “What we’re going to do is take a little blood from you so we can run some tests, and I’ll just give you a quick check to rule out anything else. We’ll hopefully have the results in less than a week, and until then just rest up, try not to do anything too wild, and maybe limit contact with other people, just in case you have something contagious. Sound good?”

“I’ll clear my social calendar,” Janis replies. She takes a deep breath as the doctor sticks the needle into her arm and she turns to look at the posters on the wall instead. In the back of her mind, there’s a little black cloud, trying its best to grow bigger and bolder, insisting this won’t be over soon. Like there’s something around the corner, something bad, and that the little prickle of anxiety is right.

And the scariest part is that she can’t wave it off this time.

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

Who Waits For Love (Chapter 8)

Summary: T.J. Kippen lost his chance to tell Cyrus Goodman how he felt when they were in the 8th grade. Now, they are in their junior year of high school and Cyrus is on his 3rd relationship. Is it time to give up… or continue to wait for love?

A/N: I’m so sorry that this took so long! I was working on my Valentine’s presents for the exchange so I neglected this a little. Then, life got in the way. But, I did it! Get ready for a bumpy ride! Enjoy!

Colorful streamers hung from the walls in various layers that the gaudy red brick was barely distinguishable. Round tables covered in various shades of pink, red, and yellow cloths were spread all over the gym floor. A stage was set up at the center, decorated with paper mache flowers and confetti, where the D.J. was playing the latest trending bubblegum pop song. A glittering disco ball hung from the ceiling above a makeshift dance floor, where some students were already dancing. Two large and long tables were pushed against the walls, filled with various drinks and food. And by the entrance was a makeshift photo booth, manned by a few freshmen and sophomores with cameras.

Suffice to say, Cyrus was impressed by how the Dance committee managed to make the gym look less like a gym and more… well… Formal-like.

He, Buffy, and Marty were sitting on one of the tables, watching Andi flit about like a fairy. Their pixie-haired friend had her trusty clipboard clutched in her hand and the skirt of her silver dress bounced as she ran back and forth, making last-minute checks.

“Does she know yet?” Buffy asked, randomly.

Cyrus shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He looked towards the entrance of the gym, scrunching his brows. “Where are Jonah and Walker? They’re taking a while. And T.J.’s late, too. They’re gonna miss it.”

“I guess we’ll have to record it for them,” Marty said, taking his phone out.

Another ten minutes and Andi finally appeared to be slowing down. Looking satisfied, she plopped herself on the seat next to Cyrus.

“Doesn’t this place look amazing?!” she exclaimed, putting her clipboard down on the table before stretching her arms up in the air with a satisfied groan. “I think I really outdid myself!”

“Everything does look great, Andi,” Buffy said, grinning. “So, are you done bossing your freshman minions around and finally going to start enjoying the Dance?”

Andi shrugged. “I guess so. Unless something goes wrong. But, I’m sure they won’t. I hope. Oh, god, did I jinx it?!”

She started to panic-flip through her clipboard again.

Meanwhile, Cyrus raised his head and spotted a familiar blonde figure tip-toeing towards them.

“Andi, relax. Just have fun with your date tonight,” he said, grinning.

Andi scrunched her face in his confusion. “What date?”

“Me!”

She swiveled around, gasping in surprise. “Amber?!”

“Hi, babe!”

With an elated shriek, Andi jumped up into the blonde girl’s arms and Amber wasted no time in lifting her up and twirling her around.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Well, I won’t have any exams for a while so I figured, I’d come home and surprise you! I missed you so much!”

“I missed you too, babe!” Andi turned to them, her happiness radiating brighter than the sun. “You guys knew?!”

“Of course, we did!” Buffy answered, grinning.

“But, it was a secret so we had to stay silent,” Cyrus added.

“You have a veeeery persistent girlfriend,” said Marty, chuckling as he continued to record on his phone.

“Awww, you guys.”

Twirling back to face Amber, Andi wrapped her arms around the older girl’s neck and gave her a kiss, which the blonde happily returned.

Buffy and Mary exaggeratedly groaned in annoyance, but it was clear on their faces that they were happy for the two girls. Cyrus was too. He truly was.

In the beginning, all of them found it strange that Andi and Amber started going out, considering what they went through in Middle School. But, now, seeing the way Andi couldn’t tear her eyes off Amber and how Amber couldn’t stop peppering the younger girl’s face with kisses, they somehow just made sense.

Suffice to say, they were sickeningly in love with each other.

“Let’s go dance!” Amber piped, taking Andi’s hand and pulling her towards the dance floor.

Andi didn’t even protest or say goodbye to them. 

Cyrus heard himself loudly sigh.

“You okay, Cy?” Buffy sounded concerned.

He turned to her with a nod. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

Both she and Marty flashed each other looks, like they were talking with their minds or something. It was a little unnerving sometimes.

Cyrus cleared his throat. “I wonder where T.J. is,” he ended up saying, checking his phone to see if the other boy had messaged him.

There wasn’t. Maybe T.J. decided not to come? But, Cyrus spotted Aidan earlier and they were supposed to be here together…right? It was strange to arrive at a Dance without your date, Cyrus thought. Unless T.J. had said “no” to the other boy?

He tried not to hope too much.

“We’re gonna go get some food,” Marty announced as he and Buffy stood up. “Want anything?”

Cyrus stared at his plate of uneaten chips and salsa. They had some snacks earlier while preparing at Andi’s place and he may have gorged himself on too many cookies. He wasn’t hungry right now.

“I’m good, thanks!”

“Okay!”

The two headed off and Cyrus turned his attention back on the dance floor. 

Andi and Amber were still wrapped around each other, giggling and twirling each other around as they swayed to the music. Andi rose up on her tip-toes to playfully rub her nose against Amber’s. Amber pecked it in return.

A burst of longing stirred in his chest. Cyrus wished he had someone to dance with. Well, to be more specific, he wished T.J. was here so he could ask him to dance. 

Where was he?!

“Hey, Cyrus.”

His blood ran cold at the familiar voice. Lifting his head, he met the deep brown eyes of Lance.

He hadn’t spoken to his ex-boyfriend in months since their last encounter in the halls when Lance tried to apologize. Whenever they saw each other in the halls, Cyrus would walk quickly or turn around and run in the opposite direction. Lance never tried to chase him.

“What do you want?” he said, stiffly.

The lacrosse player pursed his lips as he gestured to Andi’s empty seat. “Can I sit?”

“I’d rather you don’t.”

Lance flushed in embarrassment. “Okay, I deserve that.”

“And more,” Cyrus said, curtly.

Lance just tilted his head in agreement. “Look, Cy. I just… I want to say that I’m sorry. For everything. I mean it. I really am sorry for cheating on you and betraying your trust.”

As much as Cyrus wished he could feel touched by the apology, he couldn’t feel anything but numbness. He had gotten over Lance’s cheating. Maybe it helped that the relationship never got serious. But, still, being cheated on felt like crap.

“Why did you do it?”

His voice cracked as he asked the question but it was the one thing that still bothered him over the months.

“Why wasn’t I enough for you?”

Lance took a deep breath, appearing to contemplate the question.

“I… It’s not that you weren’t enough,” he answered, hesitant and careful. “It’s just… sometimes… you felt… disconnected?”

Cyrus furrowed his brows. “What? What are you talking about? I gave my all in that relationship, Lance! I was faithful to you!”

“I know, I know.” Lance sighed, loudly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s just…Sometimes… I felt like… You didn’t really see me. Like… you were wishing I were someone else.”

Cyrus felt his chest twitch with something he couldn’t right away identify. Was it guilt? It could be guilt. He was aware of his own shortcomings in his relationship with Lance. But, still…

“You could have talked to me,” he managed in a steady voice. “We could have discussed it and worked it out. We were in a relationship, Lance. We should have been able to tell each other everything. Instead, you decided to go behind my back with someone else. Instead of breaking up with me if you were really that frustrated, you decided to hurt me a million times more by cheating on me?”

“I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I know you think I don’t mean, but I do, Cyrus. You were a great boyfriend. And I messed it up, that’s on me. And I’m sorry.”

And for the life of him, Cyrus actually believed him. Yes, Lance cheated on him and lied to him. But, at this moment, he could see it. His ex-boyfriend was sincere and meant his apology.  

Lance shifted on his feet. “Look, Cyrus. I regret what I did and I won’t ask you to come back to me.”

Because he already had a girlfriend. Lance didn’t exactly wait to make it official after they broke up.

“But, I just needed you to know.”

At that, Cyrus felt himself nod. “Okay.”

Lance smiled, hopefully. “Are we good? Do you think we can be friends?” 

Cyrus sighed. “I don’t know if I can ever look at you without remembering what you did to me. But, now that I know I made you feel that way, I apologize for that, too. But, friends? I don’t think so. At least, not right now, Lance.”

The other boy’s face fell. “Right. I get it.”

Cyrus nodded and spared him a small, civil smile.

An awkward silence hung above them now.

“I, uh, I’ll leave you to it,” Lance coughed.

Cyrus nodded again and watched as the other boy resolved to walk away and return to his own table. His girlfriend looked up at him, smiled, and asked a question. At his answer, she flashed Cyrus a look, who returned the gaze with steel. Looking uncomfortable, she looked away.

“Hey.”

Almost instantly, his dark mood disappeared as his heart fluttered.

His frown now replaced with a smile, he looked up. “Hey, Teej! You’re finally here!”

His eyes drank the taller boy in – the dark green shirt, the black suit, his perfectly coiffed blonde hair. God, T.J. was so handsome.

“Wow,” was all he could say. “You look…wow.”

T.J. smirked, playfully, looking Cyrus up and down. “You look pretty wow yourself, Underdog.”

Cyrus blushed, pleased that his choice to go with a royal blue suit, white shirt, and a black bow tie had gotten T.J.’s approval.

The blonde settled himself on Andi’s empty seat. “So… Was it just me or was that Lance here, just now?”

“Oh. You saw that?”

“Yeah. I was getting ready to rush right over and punch him if you needed me to.”

Cyrus chuckled and shook his head. “Thank you, but there was no need. He was just apologizing. And…we talked. A bit.”

“Oh. That’s...good.” He seemed to hesitate before asking, “You’re not getting back together with him, are you?”

“Oh, god, no!”

T.J. chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to hear that. Really glad.”

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. “Me too. So… any reason why you’re late?”

“Traffic. And I got to talking with Jonah and Walker on the way in.” T.J. pursed his lips. “I didn’t know they were together.”

Cyrus beamed. “Yeah, it was totally unexpected! But, apparently, they’ve been hanging out a lot lately and some feelings happened and… well… Jonah wanted to ask him but he didn’t know how so he practiced on me a few times. It was so cute, he was actually stuttering. But, I’m proud that he did it!”

“They did look pretty cozy when I saw them,” T.J. laughed. “I’m happy for them.”

“Me too.”

T.J. turned his attention towards the dance floor. “And I see Andi now knows that Amber is here.”

“That she does. It was really cute. Marty got a video, he’ll probably send it to you, guys, later.”

T.J.’s brow furrowed. “Where is Marty? And Slayer?”

“I don’t know. They said they were going to get food but that was a while ago.”

Cyrus tapped his fingers against the table. He was happy that T.J. was finally here, but part of him wondered if he was there with a date. Was it Aidan?

“So, uh, where’s your date?” he casually asked.

T.J. smiled up to his ears, green eyes sparkling. He looked so excited. Wow, he must really like his date.

“About that…” the blonde began.

“Hey, Cyrus.”

Trying not to groan at the interruption, Cyrus looked up to see Emily, one of his classmates. She was in homeroom with him.

“Hey, Emily. What’s up?”

The girl linked her hands together in front of her chest. “Please dance with me?” she asked, acting cute.

Cyrus raised an eyebrow. “Emily… you know I’m gay, right?”

She huffed. “Of course I know! But please spare a dance for this straight girl and make her dream of dancing with a cute guy come true?”

He laughed, amused. Well, it couldn’t hurt. Emily had always been nice and respectful to him.

He turned to his blonde friend. “Do you mind if I go ahead and dance with her, Teej?”

The blonde nodded. “Yeah. Go on. I’ll be here.”

Squealing in excitement, Emily pulled Cyrus up from his chair and dragged him towards the dance floor. She kept a respectful distance, allowing him to take her hand and lead as he spun her around. A few times, Cyrus couldn’t help but look back at T.J., just to make sure he was okay. He did kind of abandon him so soon after he just arrived.

Whenever their eyes met, T.J. would wave and Cyrus would wave back.

“I’m sorry for taking you away from your date,” Emily’s voice burst through his thoughts. “Don’t worry, I’ll return you when the song ends.”

“Date?” he questioned, confused.

Emily frowned as they swayed. “Aren’t you and T.J. dates tonight?”

“Oh. Oh no. No, we’re not. Um…I… uh… didn’t get the chance to ask him.”

“So, you do like him!”

Cyrus flinched. Oops. He didn’t mean to reveal that. “He’s here with someone else… I think.”

Emily raised her eyebrow. “You think? Have you asked him?”

“Uhhh…” He looked at her and couldn’t see any hint of mockery. Just genuine curiosity. “Why would you think we would be here together?”

“Well… I don’t know about everyone else, but some of us actually thought you two were dating already.”

“Wait… really?”

Cyrus felt himself slowing down, as he stared Emily. She was someone whom he rarely he spoke to but was civil with, and she thought that he and T.J. were dating? It made sense if his friends said it but a random classmate? Was he that obvious?

“When we heard what happened with you and Lance, we thought for sure that you two would be together by now!”

Cyrus pursed his lips. “Am I that obvious?” he asked, sheepishly.

“You both are,” Emily giggled.

Cyrus blinked. “Both?”

Emily stopped dancing, the upbeat pop song already changing to a soft ballad.

“Yeah. Both,” was all she said before stepping away from him. “Thanks for the dance, Cyrus!”

And with one last wave, she walked off, practically skipping in her high heels. He watched her approach another guy, pointing at the dance floor, and soon, she was back with her new partner, slow dancing away.

“Both?” Cyrus repeated to himself.

What did that even mean?

Still pondering, he turned around to head back to their table and maybe tell T.J. about what Emily said.

But, he froze in his tracks.

Sitting in front of his blonde friend now was Aidan. When did he get there?

The other brunette said something and T.J. laughed, shaking his head. He looked so happy. When was the last time Cyrus had seen him genuinely enjoy someone else’s company? 

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, they looked really good together. Cyrus paled in comparison compared to Aidan, who was just as handsome as T.J., just as athletic, and had a lot of things in common with him.  

Why would T.J. even consider going for Cyrus when perfect Aidan was there?

T.J. turned his head and met his gaze.

Cyrus’ chest tightened.

Before he was aware of what he was doing, he looked away and sped towards the doors.  

“Cy?!”

He heard the call but he couldn’t face him.

He couldn’t breathe.

He pushed the doors open, ignoring the concerned looks of other students idling around. He didn’t know where exactly he was going. He just needed to get out of there.

He turned and walked down an empty hallway, thinking that he could just find an empty room to calm himself down in.

“Cyrus!”

A hand wrapped itself around his arm, pulling him back, gently.

Cyrus flinched and broke away, taking a few steps back.

T.J. put his hands up. “Cy, what’s wrong?” He sounded worried.

Cyrus shook his head. “Nothing.”

“Cyrus, it’s not nothing. You’re shaking.” T.J. took a step closer.

But, Cyrus backed away. “I-I’m fine. You can go back.”

“But, Cy-.”

“Just go back to your date!” Cyrus’ eyes stung. “Why are you even here with me?!”

T.J. frowned in confusion. “What date?”

Cyrus sniffled. “Aidan. Aren’t you two together tonight?”

“What-.”

“You two look good together. I’m happy for you. So, you can go back now. I’m fine.”

But, even as he said it, his eyes began to water and his vision turned blurry. Hastily, he turned away and wiped the moisture away with the back of his hand. He made to walk away but T.J. held him back again, forcing him to turn towards him.

“Cy, something’s wrong. Tell me, please. Why are you so upset?”

“It’s nothing!” Cyrus insisted, refusing to look him in the eye.

“It’s not nothing!”

“Why do you even care?!”

“Why do I… Because you’re my best friend, Cyrus!”

“I don’t want to be!”

T.J. pulled back.

For a moment, there was only silence. Only Cyrus’ deep breathing to calm down filled the space. He could feel the sweat gathering on his forehead and the tears brimming at his eyes. He couldn’t bear to look at T.J. He was afraid to see what was there.

“What do you mean?” came T.J.’s soft voice. “Cyrus… you don’t want to be friends anymore?”

His head shot up in alarm. “No! It’s not like that!”

T.J.’s lips were in a thin line, his eyes guarded. “Then, what do you mean? You don’t want to be what?”

“I…” Cyrus’ voice lodged itself in his throat, refusing to come out.

T.J. stepped closer now and this time, he didn’t move away. The blonde gently placed his hands over his arms.

“Cy, please.”

“I… I don’t want to be…” Cyrus forced his voice out. “Just friends.”

T.J.’s eyes widened. He didn’t say a word so Cyrus continued.

“I love being your best friend, T.J. But… but… Sometimes… it’s just… not enough.”

Finally, T.J. found his voice. “What do you mean by that?”

Was he really doing this? Was he really going to confess his feelings for T.J. when he was a such a mess?

He had already lost control of himself. He thought he could continue to hide it. But, seeing T.J. with someone else… it hurt. Like his heart was being torn in two.

What was going to happen to their friendship if he did end up confessing? He didn’t want to lose T.J.

But… on the one in a million chance… what if T.J. returned his feelings? Or was at least willing to try and see if Cyrus could be someone who was more than just a friend?

“I like you…” he whispered.

T.J. bent his head down. “Huh? What?”

“I like you,” he repeated a little louder. “I like you, T.J.”

“You… you like me?”

Cyrus sniffled. “Yes.”

A mixed feeling of relief and dread pooled in his stomach. Did T.J. hate him now? Was he going to end their friendship? 

His heart wouldn’t be able to take it.

To his surprise, T.J. chuckled.

“Why are you laughing?!” Cyrus whined, frowning.

T.J. kept laughing. “Because you have no idea how long I waited to hear you say that,” he replied, sounding happy. “Do you have any idea how long I’ve liked you? Since the 8th grade, Cyrus. Probably since the moment we met.”

Cyrus’ mouth dropped open. Did T.J. just say what he thought he said?

“That… That long? Why didn’t you say anything?!”

At that, T.J.’s smile dimmed a little. “How could I? You were always with someone else.”

Cyrus felt his heart twitch in guilt. T.J. wasn't wrong there.

His head spun at the new and the unexpected information. T.J. liked him? He liked him!

He felt himself finally smile. “You like me.”

T.J. looked shy now. “Yeah. And… you like me?”

“Yeah… since 8th grade.”

As quickly as it appeared, T.J.’s smile disappeared. “Wait… 8th grade?”

Cyrus nodded.

There was a sudden shift in the air. T.J.’s gentle hold on his arms fell away and he took a step back. Confused, Cyrus tried to take his hand but the blonde shied away from him.

“You’ve liked me… all this time?” he asked, frowning.

“Y-Yes,” Cyrus replied, wondering why T.J. wasn’t holding him or kissing him like they did in the movies. Didn’t they both just confess their feelings?

“And… you didn’t say anything?” T.J. looked distressed. “Instead, you went out and dated other guys?”

The pit in Cyrus’ stomach grew. This all felt wrong. T.J. wasn’t supposed to look like that. They were supposed to be happy. This strange tension... this wasn’t supposed to happen.

“I...”

T.J.’s forehead was creased into a frown and Cyrus didn’t like it. “Are you kidding me? All this time, Cyrus?”

“T.J., I…”

“Was I not even worth asking? Were you ashamed to date me? Is that it?”

“No!” Cyrus shook his head in distress. “It’s not like that! T.J., I just… I didn’t want to lose you. You’re my best friend. I... I just didn’t want things to change between us if... if things went wrong.”

T.J. swallowed and when he spoke, he sounded broken. “Do you know how hard it was to watch you be with other guys, Cyrus? My heart wouldn’t stop breaking every single day. But, I didn’t say anything because I wanted you to be happy, even if it wasn’t with me.”

Cyrus’ chest tightened even more. “I thought you didn’t like me that way. You never said anything, even when I wasn’t dating anyone.”

It was the wrong thing to say.

T.J. let out a chuckle devoid of humor. “You’re right. I didn’t make a move because I figured I’d let you heal from all of your heartbreaks, you know. Then, when you were ready, maybe I’d take my shot. But, every single time, I’m too late. That’s my fault for waiting too long.”

Cyrus swallowed. “Teej…”

“But, I get it.” T.J. took a deep breath before flashing him a strained smile. “I wouldn’t take a risk with someone like me either.”

“T.J., that’s not it!” Cyrus cried out, desperately.

He loved him. He wanted to be with him so much. But, he was so afraid. Could you blame him for being afraid? But, maybe it was his fault, too. He was so determined not to lose him that he didn’t realize had been hurting him. All this time, he had been hurting T.J.

He tried to take another step towards the other boy but T.J. took a step back.

“I…need a little space. I’m sorry, Cyrus.”

No.

Nonono!

How did things go so wrong?!

“T.J., wait!”

Cyrus tried to follow but T.J. spun around and the look on the blonde’s face stopped him in his tracks.

T.J. looked like he had given up on everything.

“I just need a little space, Cy,” was all he said before turning on his heels and walking away.

“T.J…” Cyrus tried to call out.

But, the other boy didn’t look back like he normally did.

Cyrus’ heart shattered.

……….............

Best Basketball Guy In The World: Running an errand tomorrow. I’ll ask Marty to give you a ride.

For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, Cyrus sighed as he read the text over and over again. The pit in his stomach never really went away the entire weekend. It felt like it just kept growing and it was never going away.

The entire weekend, T.J. ignored all his phone calls and left his texts on “Read”. 

Cyrus cried on and off. Out of all his heartbreaks, this one was the worst. Buffy, Andi, and even Amber came by with ice cream and they spent the entire Saturday watching Netflix and gorging themselves on junk food. It didn’t make Cyrus feel any better.

T.J. finally texted him last night. Cyrus had excitedly opened it, only to discover that T.J. wasn’t going to pick him up for school the next morning.

He sighed again.

“Hey, it will be okay,” said Buffy, looking back at him from the passenger seat. “Just talk to him today.”

“Want me to beat him up for you, Cy?” Marty piped from the driver’s seat.

Cyrus’ lip quirked a little. “Please don’t. I like him.”

Marty chuckled. “And he likes you too. He’s just being dramatic.” He spared Cyrus a kind smile through the rearview mirror. “He’s pined for you for so long. I guess finding out that you liked him back all this time just stirred up some old insecurities.”

Cyrus bit his lip. “How long have you guys known?” he asked, softly.

“I sort of figured it out when we became friends at the end of 8th grade,” Marty replied. “And he cracked when Buffy interrogated him, freshman year.”

“Oh.”

There was a silence for a few moments as Cyrus gathered his thoughts.

T.J. had liked him all this time but didn’t tell him. Why didn’t he? Didn’t he like Cyrus enough to go for it?

But, then again, Cyrus was no better either. He was a coward, too. And he avoided his feelings by dating other guys. Maybe, for a moment, those guys were able to make him happy. But, in the end, none of them ever felt right.

He had only ever felt right when it came to T.J. But, it all went wrong.

He had to fix it. 

“So, you like him back, too,” Marty stated, casually.

Cyrus nodded, absentmindedly.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I… didn’t want to lose him.”

Marty hummed. “You two are a lot more similar than you think.”

Buffy turned back around again. “T.J. is stubborn right now, but trust me, Cy. He can’t say ‘no’ to you. Just ask him to talk.”

“Right. Okay. Talk. I can do that.”

Could he?

“It’s not like I broke his heart with my own stubbornness, right? Not like I was too afraid to lose him that I could actually, potentially, lose him if this talk doesn’t go well. No pressure.”

Huffing in distress, he leaned his forehead against the window. From the corner of his eye, he could see Buffy and Marty giving each other concerned looks.

He chose not to say anything else.

When they arrived at school, Buffy wrapped an arm around him in a side hug, kissed Marty’s cheek, and headed off to her locker. Meanwhile, Cyrus followed Marty to his, hoping T.J. was already there. He knew the two often walked to homeroom together.

The universe was on his side.

T.J. was already there, swapping his books and looking worse for wear. His hair was a mess, devoid of its usual product, and he sported dark bags under his eyes. His movements were also slow and weak. 

Freezing in his tracks, Cyrus’ throat was suddenly dry. Now that he was there, he didn’t quite know what to say.

Marty patted his back. “You got this,” he said before heading to his locker.

He gave T.J. a greeting, which the blonde returned.

Cyrus watched as Marty tilted his head towards him, making T.J. turn his head. His eyes widened when he saw Cyrus there.

“Hey,” the brunette greeted, nervously.

T.J. swallowed, lowering his gaze. “Hey,” he returned before turning back to his locker and shutting it. “Sorry about this morning. And I have tutoring this afternoon so I can’t take you home. Marty, you can give him a ride, right?”

Before Marty could even answer, T.J. was already walking away.

Cyrus forced his feet to move and chased after him.

“T.J., wait!”

The blonde didn’t slow down.

“T.J., please. I know you’re mad but hear me out.”

T.J. stopped and Cyrus almost bumped into his back. He almost wished that he did. Then, maybe T.J. would turn around and finally look at him.

“I’m not mad,” said the blonde, softly. “I just… I need space.”

“But, we need to talk.”

T.J. sighed. “Cyrus-.”

“Please.”

Cyrus was practically pleading at this point. And if T.J. asked, he would go down on his knees and beg if it meant he would listen to him.

“I… uh… need to get to homeroom.”

“T.J.-.”

But the blonde was already walking away. Cyrus tried to follow but a couple of students moved in front of him, getting in the way. By the time he managed to get through them, T.J. was gone.

Now, he wondered if Buffy was lying and T.J. was perfectly capable of saying “no” to him (even though he technically didn’t say it, but he didn’t exactly waste any time trying to escape him, so that was practically a “no”).

He felt a hand at his back and looked to see Marty giving him a sympathetic look.

“Just give him time, Cy,” he said. “But, I’ll try to knock some sense into him, okay?”

Cyrus managed a smile. “Thanks, Marty.”

Knowing that there was nothing he could do right then, he resigned himself to a T.J.-less morning and headed to his locker so he could grab his things for the day.

The morning went by in a blur. He barely registered anything that happened in class but, somehow, he managed to take notes. He counted the minutes until lunch, hoping that at least in the presence of their friends, T.J. might talk to him. Or even just look at him!

But, T.J. didn’t show up to lunch, either. He wasn’t even at the basketball team’s table.

“There’s still time,” Andi had tried to reassure him. “You guys have History together, right? Talk to him then.”

The others agreed that T.J. wouldn’t be able to escape him during class.

But, he was wrong.

During History class, T.J. barely looked at Cyrus, choosing to stare at only the board or his notes. He didn’t even wait for Cyrus to finish packing up before leaving. They didn’t walk to their next class together like they always did.

By the time he managed to drag himself to his last class of the day, Cyrus felt like crying. 

The last time he and T.J. hadn’t spoken was after the gun incident back in Middle School. But, even that wasn’t mostly his fault because the girls were too protective at the time. Aside from that, they never gave each other the silent treatment in their entire friendship. Cyrus had always been proud of their amazing ability to communicate without resorting to such a thing.

But, now, he wasn’t so sure.

When the last bell rang to signal the end of the day, he dragged himself to his locker, sighing to himself.

Solemnly, he gathered what he needed before taking out his phone to text Marty to ask where to meet him and Buffy.

“Hey, Cyrus.”

At the familiar voice, he looked up and flashed the newcomer a small smile. “Hey, Aidan.”

The other boy didn’t normally approach him unless he was with T.J. Which, yet again, reminded him that T.J. wasn’t speaking to him. Now, his mood was even darker.

“What’s up?” Cyrus asked, to be polite.

The other boy pursed his lips. “Did something happen with T.J.? He seemed a little off today. When I asked, he said nothing was wrong. But, I’m still a little worried.”

Cyrus felt a tinge of jealousy.

“We… had a little misunderstanding,” he replied, swallowing the lump in his throat. He hesitated before continuing, “He’s not talking to me right now.”

Aidan’s eyes widened. He seemed to carefully choose his words before answering.

“Listen, I know that I haven’t known you guys for that long. But, I know that T.J. cares about you. A lot.”

Cyrus frowned. “Why are you telling me this? Aren’t you interested in him? You asked him to the Spring Formal.”

Aidan shrugged. “I did. But, he turned me down. He said he wanted to ask you. But, at the Dance, he told me didn’t ask. I wasn’t sure what happened.”

Cyrus recalled the moment when he saw the two of them talking. It was the moment that made him walk out of the gym. The moment that sparked their confessions. The moment that led to T.J. misunderstanding his feelings.

“I… I completely misread the situation between the two of you,” he finally confessed.

Aidan looked confused now. “What do you mean?”

“I… All this time, I thought something was going on between the two of you.”

The other boy chuckled. “Well, I’m gonna tell you now that it was all one-sided. He didn’t like me back. I may be new to this school but I figured out pretty quickly that T.J. only has eyes for you.”

Was he really that blind and oblivious?! Everyone could clearly see T.J.’s feelings except him?! How much of an idiot was he?!

He, now, understood. If seeing T.J. with Aidan for a brief moment had sparked such intense feelings of jealousy in him, what more did T.J. feel when Cyrus blatantly dated and displayed his relationships in front of him?

It felt awful! He truly did break T.J.’s heart! Many times!

Sympathetically, Aidan patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you two will make up. Don’t give up on him. He’s an amazing guy and you’re really lucky.”

“Yeah…” Cyrus replied, softly. “I guess I am.”

Bidding him goodbye, Aidan left just as suddenly as he appeared, leaving him to his own thoughts once more.

Everyone saw what he was too afraid to see. He ran away instead of facing his feelings head-on. He allowed his own fears to rule out the possibility of having something special with the person he most wanted to be with.

He was done running away.

Filled with new determination, Cyrus grabbed his things. He wasn’t going to leave until he and T.J. talked.

Making his way up the stairs past other students lingering behind for after-school activities, he headed for one of the Math classrooms on the second floor. This was where the students getting special tutoring often met.

He peeked through the little glass panel, searching for a familiar blonde head. He found none. T.J. wouldn’t skip tutoring, would he?

“Cyrus?”

He almost jumped out of his skin at the voice.

“T.J.! Hi!” He managed a smile, wanting the other boy to know that he was happy to see him.

The blonde was flashing him a curious look. “What are you doing here?”

He inwardly flinched at the lack of emotion in T.J.’s tone.

“We need to talk.”

T.J. looked away. “I have tutoring.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here. I’ll wait until after you’re done.”

“Cy-.”

“I’ll do my homework out here so I won’t disturb you, guys.” Clutching the strap of his bag in front of him, Cyrus bit his lip. “There’s a lot we need to talk about. I have to explain my side. And so do you. T.J., please. I don’t like it when we’re like this. We need to talk. Please, basketball guy.”

Finally, T.J. looked up, their eyes meeting.

Cyrus’ stomach churned with nerves.

Closing his eyes, T.J. sighed. When he opened them, he nodded. “Okay. I’ll be done in two hours. You sure you can wait until then?”

Happy and finally relieved, Cyrus eagerly nodded. “I’ll wait. As long as it takes.”

“Okay.”

With one last nod, T.J. entered the classroom and shut the door behind him.

Elated and feeling hope burst in his chest, Cyrus settled himself on the floor. He sent a quick text to Buffy and Marty, telling them that there was no need to wait for him. Then, he took out his Math notebook, textbook, and a pen.

Let the waiting begin.

A/N: I apologize for the heartbreak.

@androgynouspoetrycollector

@tyrusmuff1n

@thedampjofangirl

@tjsmuffin

@alyssailovespuppies

@buffy-driscool

@r4anly

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@tjshoodie

@just-fic-me-up

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@completelysterling @theobligatedklutz

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@literally-just-for-fanfics

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@tyrus-endgayme-confirmed 

@breadisticks

[k18fics]

Prelude To Power

Chestnutfest has been GREAT I’m so sad it’s over, but I have a longer fic in the works, I hope you guys will stick around and read that :) This is my submission for free space K18 day. Thank you @chestnutisland for putting this all together, I loved all your submissions and all the submissions other people have done. Krillin Jr. Anon whoever you are, this one is for you! This fic has NSFW content, you’ve been warned. 

Prelude To Power

The words plagued his mind. You are a disappointment. You are weak. All your training was for nothing. You are pathetic. Those were all the things the love of his life said to her after they returned from the tournament to save the universe. He had been the first one eliminated in the fights and she looked at him with utter disgust even though he had only been knocked out because of a trick. She didn’t see it that way. They’ve been back for over two weeks and she still didn’t hide her utter disappointment and Krillin started to fear that his wife would leave him. He was weak and pathetic and why would a woman like her be with him when there were so many better options. He was convinced that she was only with him now because of Marron. He couldn’t give her everything she desired and that had to change. He needed to get her an insane amount of money, strength and stability...power.

So he got up at three in the morning on a difficult night. There was a giant thunder storm rumbling outside. The building shook from its power and the rain pelted the windows mercilessly. He couldn’t blame Marron for being too terrified to sleep. It took him and 18 hours to finally get her to sleep. So when he got up, 18 was deep asleep. She didn’t usually sleep so deeply, but he knew that tonight she would and he could get out unnoticed. He left a note with the words, I know I’m a disappointment to you so when I return I will be better. I will be stronger, more handsome, and richer. I will make you proud.

He left the note on his pillow and climbed out the window. The rain immediately soaked him but he ignored it and flew into the air.

It was nearly two hours later when 18 woke up with a jolt from the loud thunder. She stayed frozen in the darkness waiting to see if Marron woke up. There was nothing but silence. She sighed in relief and turned to her husband who was always a light sleeper. “Thank Kami she didn’t wake...” She sat up and looked around the dark room. Her husband was not there. “Krillin?”

She clicked on the light and saw the small note on his pillow and picked it up.

I know I’m a disappointment to you so when I return I will be better. I will be stronger, more handsome, and richer. I will make you proud.

18 jumped out of the bed in a panic. “H-he left me?” She was being hard on him to push him to train and be more confident but she pushed him too hard and now he left her. She crumpled up the note in anger. No. She wouldn’t allow that. She grabbed the phone and called the only person she knew who would know exactly where Krillin was.

“Hello?”

“Bulma?”

“18? What the hell is going on it’s 5am!”

“Where is Krillin?”

“Huh? What do you mean? He’s not with you?”

“He left, said he went to be stronger and more handsome,” 18 said anxiously. “You and Goku are his best friends. He would’ve told you about this.”

“I’m...uh, sorry 18, he didn’t tell me anything,” she said. “The last time I saw him he...”

When she cut off 18 tensed. “What? What is it!”

“He, uh...came to borrow the dragon ball radar.”

“Dragon...No!” 18 cried.

“18 he’s gonna make a wish and those things are not reversible! Go find him!”

18 hung up and immediately called Goku. Chichi answered groggily. “Chichi, grab Goku and both of you instant transmission here right now, it’s an emergency!”

“Wha—“

“Please!” 18 cried desperately.

“O-Okay,” Chichi said then hung up.

“Kami Krillin what are you doing?” 18 said desperately.

In a flash Goku and Chichi appeared with a sleeping Goten in Goku’s arms. Goku set him down on the bed then said, “what’s going on?”

“Help me find Krillin, he’s gathering the dragon balls to wish to change himself in someway,” 18 said.

“What? B-but we agreed long ago to never use the dragon balls in that way,” Goku said.

“Please Goku,” 18 cried as tears sprung to her eyes. “I love him just the way he is.”

“I’ll stay here with Goten and Marron,” Chichi said. “Go hurry.”

In that moment the sky flashed yellow and Shenron appeared in the sky. “No!” 18 cried gripping Goku’s arm. “Goku go!”

Goku placed two fingers on his forehead and they flashed to Krillin’s exact location. They arrived just in time to hear Krillin say, “I wish I was as strong and tall as Goku.”

“No!” 18 cried running to him. “Don’t do it! Krillin please!”

“I’m sorry 18,” Krillin said as lightening flashed above them. “I am tired of being a disappointment to you and you will eventually leave me.”

“Krillin you Baka I love you just the way you are,” 18 said. “Take the wish back.”

“Too late, it has already been uttered,” Shenron’s loud voice boomed.

“Can’t we negotiate Shenron?” Goku said stepping forward.

“No!” Krillin cried hot tears slipping down his cheeks. “I made the wish now grant it.”

“Krillin ple...”

“Wish granted,” Shenron said interrupting 18’s plea.

“NO!” 18 lunged at him but Goku was there in an instant stopping her for touching him as a yellow light enveloped Krillin completely. 18 struggled against Goku almost violently trying to reach Krillin but Goku was way too strong. She couldn’t even move an inch.

“It’s too late 18, there’s nothing you can do,” Goku said holding her tight until she calmed down and burst into tears. Goku felt the sharp raise in Ki and gasped. Krillin’s ki rose through the roof and he was scared his human body couldn’t handle that.

Vegeta, Piccolo, and Gohan joined them at that moment. “We felt a Ki as strong as yours dad,” Gohan said. “Is our planet in danger again?” Vegeta and Piccolo crouched in fighting stances ready to defend. Gohan stepped towards them, “18.”

18 was sobbing hard as she lunged at Gohan and hugged him. Gohan had been the only Z fighter that befriended her without hesitation after the Cell Games, probably because he didn’t fear her, and he had been visiting often to have play dates with Pan and Marron. She trusted him way more than any of the other fighters. Still crying in front of someone else was something she didn’t even do in front of Krillin if she could help it.

“K-Krillin?” Gohan said fearfully.

Goku nodded glancing up at the light. “He made a wish to Shenron to be as strong and tall as me.”

Vegeta looked stunned and Piccolo said, “Can a human handle that kind of power?”

The light disappeared and Krillin remained floating in the air. There was a blue aura surrounding him that was similar to the Super Saiyan God power. His hair was not spiky or blue though. He still had his same short jet black hair style. His muscles bulged out more  and ripped right through his orange gi shirt. The tattered remains of his gi shirt slid off his wet skin as he flew down to them and landed in front of 18. He stood at least a head taller than her at Goku’s height.

18 stepped away from him as her face contorted in anger and she lunged at him throwing the hardest punch she could right at his face. A punch like that would have sent Krillin flying through the air and possibly killed him, but instead her fist hit the steel wall that was his face. He didn’t even stumble back. She spun on her heel and took to air not even looking back.

“What did you do Krillin?” Gohan said.

“I just didn’t wanna be a disappointment to her anymore,” Krillin said.

Vegeta huffed. “Well she looks pretty damn disappointed right now.”

“I kinda didn’t ask her for permission,” Krillin said.

“Even Goku wouldn’t do that,” Piccolo said.

“And he’s a terrible husband,” Vegeta added.

Gohan was the one offended by that comment, Goku just continued to look clueless. Obliviously Goku squared up to Krillin and said, “we got to spar!”

....

“And the new champion of the World Tournament and winner of 50 million Zeni is,” the announcer cried on the TV screen. “Krillin!” The crowd cheered as Krillin displayed the championship belt and waved to the cameras. His gi was intact because not a single fighter could even touch him. Girls surrounded the fighting area and screamed at him fanatically. One girl managed to pass security and lunged herself at Krillin. Krillin swiftly dodged her and security quickly escorted her off stage.

“In addition to being the new champion,” Hercule Satan said taking the announcer’s mic. “I,  Hercule Satan, am hiring Krillin to be my representative. He will be my champion. If someone should defeat him they will have to face the real champion, the one, the great, Hercule Satan!”

The crowd went wild. The TV shut off and 18 growled angrily as she stormed into the kitchen. Bulma and Chichi who were with her quickly followed her.

“Are you mad because Krillin is famous and now a rich millionaire? Cause that’s not a bad thing?” Chichi said.

“Or are you mad because your husband is now getting a lot more female attention then he used to before?” Bulma said.

“I liked him how he was before!” 18 cried. “It’s been two weeks but I can’t help but feel like I lost my husband.”

“If you liked him how he was before, why didn’t you tell him that?” Chichi said.

“I married him and had lots of sex with him,” 18 said. “He was short, broke, and weak, and I still did that. Isn’t that enough?”

Bulma snorted. “Of course not 18. He’s my best friend and no one knows him, like I do. He’s been burned so many times before by women, friends, even his own parents. He’s felt like a disappointment to all of them. You were his salvation. Even when people kept saying you were totally out of his league he was always confident by your side. He’s the most insecure person I’ve ever met and you cured him.”

18’s face softened.

“Then you were disappointed in him and he went back to his old ways,” Bulma said.

“He just changed his appearance 18, he’s taller and stronger but he’s still the same Krillin,” Chichi said. “I see him coming to train with Goku, who he is as a person has not changed at all. And that’s why you love him right? Because of who he is?”

18 nodded. Bulma touched her shoulder gently and said, “so see that and learn to get used to these changes.”

18 sighed and sat at the table. “It’s just strength and height right? I can get used to that.”

Bulma smirked and said, “well if he has more height now he probably also has a larger cock.”

Chichi choked on the water she had just drunk and 18 looked at her shocked. The three friends had no problem talking about their intimate lives to each other but it still shocked them how explicit and blunt Bulma could be.

Bulma, completely unphased and totally confident, sat across from 18 and said, “you told us before that he has 7 inch cock that was super thick. Very nice for a guy his height. And Chichi you said Goku was 12 inches, lucky girl, so Krillin at his same height now should still have the thickness but at around 10-12 inches now.”

“Bulma, don’t make her nervous,” Chichi said looking at 18 who did indeed look very nervous.

“Don’t be scared,” Bulma said with a laugh. “You know that Krillin is a way better lover than both our husbands because he actually cares about your pleasure. It won’t take you too long to love his new cock.”

“Let’s,” 18 said her face turning bright red, “talk about something else.”

...

Krillin returned home after 9pm. 18 was on the couch rocking a fussy Marron to sleep. When he walked in the little girl scrambled out of her mother’s arms and ran to her father cheerfully. “Daddy!” She cried as he picked her up and hugged her tight. 18 observed them closely. The girl didn’t seem to notice any differences in her father, her unending love was exactly the same. Shouldn’t she be the same? He was exactly the same in every other aspect. His heart, his soul, his face, his kindness. It was all the same.

Krillin lifted his daughter in the air and tossed her a few times. She giggled wildly and cheered. “Okay squirt,” he said putting her down on the ground. “Go up and pick a book and I’ll read to you okay?”

“Yay!” Marron cheered before scampering up the stairs to the bedrooms.

After she was gone Krillin put his duffel bag down and walked to the couch where he sat down beside 18. She stared at him quietly and took the paper he gave her. “Deposited the money. I don’t have to do any more tournaments or publicity stuff for a long while. I only need to fight in Satan’s name if he gets challenged and he’s paying a salary of a million zeni a month. We have a total of 175 million right now.”

18 glanced down at the bank statement in awe. Then looked back up at Krillin. He grinned at her and said, “we can buy a mansion if you want. As many cars as you need. Any shopping sprees you wanna do. Anything you want, I’ll give to you.”

18 felt the urge to kiss him then so she did. She leaned forward and gently pecked him on the lips. Krillin looked a bit stunned. It was getting near two months since he made the wish and 18 hadn’t even hugged him in all that time. Now she kissed him? That was progress.

“Damn it Krillin,” she said. “I am...sorry.”

Krillin looked at her surprised.

“I liked you just the way you were before and I...made you think I didn’t and that’s why you made that wish,” 18 said. “I don’t say this much, but I love you Krillin. I always did.”

“I love you too 18 and I’m sorry for doing this without talking to you first,” Krillin said. “I just wanted to make you happy.”

“Daddy I found a book!” Marron cried skipping down the stairs.

“Okay sweetie go on upstairs and I’ll come read to you,” Krillin said. He leaned over and kissed 18’s cheek. “Duty calls.”

18 stayed downstairs for a while and thought about her situation. No doubt about it, he was still her sweet, gentle Krillin. She could get used to his height and strength. He could cuddle her better because she was much skinnier and smaller than him now. He could actually overpower her and dominate her which did have a very nice appeal. And he was rich now and Kami knows she loves money. The fact that other girls wanted her man definitely made her feel proud.

With a heavy sigh she started up the stairs. When she arrived to Marron’s room she saw Krillin shirtless in just his pajama white sweatpants cradling a sleeping Marron to his chest and reading from the book with his other hand.

“...And the princess moved to the castle to be with the prince and they lived happily ever after. The end.” Krillin gently put Marron in her crib and covered her. He turned on the monitor and turned on the nightlight. 18 scampered away into their bedroom before Krillin could see her. It was a bit odd to sleep beside Krillin since his change. She was used to his short little legs reaching as far as her shins but now her legs reached his and he took a bit more room because he had more muscle mass.

She zoomed into the bathroom to put on a sexy teddy cause regardless of the changes Krillin still got flustered and so damn cute when she teased him. The teddy was thin and white so you could see through it. She made sure to wear no underwear or bra underneath. The teddy reached just barely past her butt and it had a bit of lace on the edges. She fixed her hair a bit then grabbed the lotion from the sink.

She walked out into the bedroom just as Krillin was shutting the door behind him. “I went to see if...” he saw her appearance and gulped. “If, uh, y-you we’re downstairs but you weren’t.”

18 climbed onto the bed seductively and started slowly rubbing lotion on her arms. “I figured I could get comfortable here and just watch TV here.”

“Y-Yeah,” he said gulping. He watched her hands like a hawk as she slowly rubbed the lotion all over her arms.

“You did good at your last tournament made it look like some of those guys were actually a challenge,” 18 said handing him the lotion. “Here get my back.”

Krillin stumbled forward like a dork and put way too much lotion on his hands.

18 snorted. “Gotta control that new strength. You better make that last for my legs too.”

Krillin stammered dumbly and said, “Yes yes I’m sorry.”

He wiped a hand on each knee leaving a huge blotch of lotion to spread then climbed up behind her back. He started rubbing her shoulders slowly lathering the lotion in. 18 smirked at his clumsiness. Same old Krillin. “I gotta confess something.”

Krillin paused at her words. “I’m listening.”

“I saw a fan mail letter yesterday from this girl saying some very dirty things and I almost flew over there and snapped her neck,” 18 said.

“Hah, I don’t even read any of those letters. Let them drool,” Krillin said pressing himself against her and speaking right into her ear. “I’m only yours.”

18 gasped and shuddered. She could feel his definitely larger erection pressing against her lower back. She turned her head to him and came face to face with him. Their mouths were just a few inches apart, she could feel his breath on her face. She teased him a bit by biting her lip and gently brushing her lips against his but not actually kissing him. When he tried to kiss her she turned her head and grinned at his grunt of frustration.

“You didn’t finish spreading the lotion on my legs.” Krillin moved without question. He settled himself between her legs and gently started spreading the lotion her had placed earlier down her legs. He rubbed them down her calves and feet then started sliding up to her thighs. He felt her tense up as he caresses her thighs gently and moved closer and closer to her apex.

18 sighed deeply and bit her lip trying to contain herself. He moved higher and higher until they were face to face with him kneeling between her legs. They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment then Krillin said, “I know I changed myself without your permission and that you liked me the way I was, but do you like me this way too?”

18 sighed and gently slid her hands up his bare back. “I like you any way Krillin because I love you. I don’t care if you’re tall, short, weak, strong, rich, or poor. I love you.”

Krillin leaned forward and kissed 18’s lips gently. She responded in kind rubbing his back and letting him lay her down on the bed while kissing her. She could feel his immense power underneath her fingertips and knew he would actually need to control himself or he would kill her. The thought exhilarated her and she intensified the kiss. With one hand he ripped her teddy clean in half as if it were nothing but a piece of paper and she shuddered in desire.

Krillin groaned and started kissing down her neck. 18 arched up into him and gasped. She slid her hand down Krillin’s torso and pushed down his sweatpants and boxers. Krillin lifted off of her for a moment to finish taking off his clothes and throwing it aside. 18 moved up to her elbows and stared.

Bulma and Chichi were right, his member was a lot bigger than before because of his height change. Krillin was the only man she’d ever been with, she’s never had a cock that size before. She gulped nervously.

Krillin read her like a book as always. He tilted 18’s chin up and said, “it is a bit bigger than what I had before. 11 inches now, but don’t worry I’ll be gentle.”

“A bit? 4 inches bigger is definitely a difference I’m gonna feel Krillin.”

Krillin chuckled and laid 18 down on the bed. He went back to gently kissing her neck and caressing her sides tenderly. “You remember our first time 18?”

18 just moaned softly in response.

“You said to me that there was no way I would fit inside you, but then I did and then you got used to it,” Krillin said. “Just relax and trust me.”

18 nodded nervously. “I’m yours Krillin.”

Krillin grabbed his member and gently rubbed it against her. She was drenched and it didn’t take much to coat his member in her juices. Properly lubricated he placed his member at her entrance and prodded her gently. 18 groaned and placed her hands on his shoulders. She was used to his thickness so he easily spread her out as he entered her slowly and she moaned in pleasure. He pushed himself halfway in and paused to let her adjust.

He kissed her lips and gently pulled out and back in to the same place. She moaned against his lips and dug her nails into his shoulders as he pushed just a little deeper with every thrust. Then suddenly with one hard thrust his entire length was inside of her and she cried out moving a hand down to his stomach to push him away.

He remained still, letting her adjust as she panted hard and hissed. “It’s painful, but Kami so good,” she breathed.

Krillin began to move very slowly. 18 grunted lowly and pressed on his stomach trying to slow him down. “Relax,” he whispered in her ear grabbing both her hands and pinning them down on the bed. He put just enough pressure that she couldn’t move them even an inch. He started moving faster and 18’s moans escalated unable to contain herself. It was unbearably good and she didn’t know if she could handle this.

He moved a bit faster and harder and she tried to wriggle her hands free because she needed to grip the sheets or she would pass out from this pleasure. He was too strong when she used her ki to try to escape he just tightened his grip. He kissed her then passionately swallowing her cries as he thrust harder than she had ever felt in her entire time with him.

Before he would pound into her at his full power and speed and it would feel so good but now he was doing it harder than that and it was obvious he wasn’t even using a quarter of his strength. It was a pleasurable pain that made her insides flip and tingle wildly. She wanted to scream it felt so good but she contained herself by moaning against Krillin’s lips and twisting her hands in his grip to grab onto the sheets. She was on the verge of an explosion.

He moved unrelenting and her breaths and moans escalated with every thrust. The first orgasm hit her in waves. She arched up and pulsed around him then she started trembling wildly and then she tensed. She thought the orgasm was ending until she was hit with another, and another, and another.

They kept hitting her back to back like they did that night when she had 25. It was the day after they been wished back during the Majin Buu fiasco. She was desperately on him after witnessing his death and then in other world they were separated and she thought she’d never see him again.

He was sweating but he seemed to have enough energy to pump in and out of her for the rest of the week. The orgasms seemed to be in one long ending change. She would pulse around him then tense up at the end and immediately start pulsing again.

She had counted 37 of them before she started seeing stars in her eyes and the pulsing was so intense Krillin could no longer continue pumping. He started moving again with the rhythm of the pulses pushing in harder and deeper every time the pulse expanded and contracted. He moved impossibly fast that She couldn’t even see his hips move and he pounded into her so hard She thought it would shatter her whole body.

He grunted loudly as 18 felt the biggest of the orgasms washed over her. It felt like She got hit by a truck. 18’s body flew off the bed in pleasurable agony and Krillin’s thrusts started to become erratic. She pulsed hard and juices squirted out of her hard. Usually when she would squirt it would push Krillin’s cock out of her a stream would jet out, but because of his strength it just spilled out all around his cock like a faucet if you try to block it. Her legs shot out straight ahead and her whole body trembled out of control.

She saw black at edges of her eyes as she started to lose consciousness, but before she passed out she felt his hot cum spill deep inside of her. Even the jets were strong and she felt jet after jet fill her up so much it started spilling out of her around his cock before he was even finished cumming.

She lost consciousness when he collapsed on top of her moaning out, “I love you Lazuli.”

...

18 gulped as she stared wildly at Bulma. “You’re kidding right?”

Bulma grimaced. “Fraid not 18.” She handed 18 a paper. “You are pregnant.”

18 read the paper twice over then tossed it away angrily. “Redo the test.”

“I did it five times,” Bulma said. “You are one hundred percent pregnant.”

“B-but I’m on birth control,” 18 said anxiously.

Bulma shook her head. “I know. I designed that special birth control for you because normal birth control doesn’t work for an Android. I don’t know what happened. Maybe Krillin has super powered sperm now.”

18 scoffed. “Seriously?”

“I was on birth control when I got pregnant with Bulla, Vegeta fucked me while in God form.”

“God form? How are you alive?”

“Apparently it’s a form control training,” Bulma said. “In order to save their energy or something like that. Chichi likes this training.”

18 snorted. “She’s actually sleeping with Goku more than once a month?”

“It’s everyday now, you know how obsessive Goku is with ‘training,’ but honestly I just think he became obsessed with it like all men do.”

“Krillin is not sex obsessed,” 18 said with a huff.

“Back in the day he loved those dirty magazines like Master Roshi,” Bulma said smirking. “He’s not an innocent flower.”

“No he’s not,” 18 said blushing. “He definitely knows what he’s doing.”

Bulma laughed. “I bet! Okay so let’s get you on those prenatal vitamins early this time. Marron caught us by surprise and you had difficulties, but this time we’ll start early.”

18 grimaced. “I’m not looking forward to the morning sickness. I only came to get checked because my cycle was late and that never happens.”

“Not for an Android no,” Bulma said with a small laugh. “I want to be prepared though so I want to run some more tests.”

“Tests?”

“Super powered sperm can make a super powered baby,” Bulma said. “When I was pregnant with Trunks I flew one time, and with Bulla I threw a Ki blast at Pilaf cause he pissed me off.”

18 cocked an eyebrow. “Interesting.”

“It’s too soon now, in a month I should know more.”

18 nodded. “Okay.”

“Here,” Bulma said handing her the prenatal vitamins. “I’ll have more next week. You go home and tell your husband.”

18 gulped. Oh yeah. That.

...

When she arrived Krillin and Gohan were sparring in the backyard and Videl was on the porch playing with Pan and Marron.

Krillin was evenly matched with Gohan in the sparring but 18 knew he could give more. “Hey 18!” Videl said cheerfully.

18 smiled forcibly and walked onto the porch where she carried Marron into her arms. Another baby. How would she tell Krillin?

Later that night after Gohan and Videl left with Pan and Marron for a slumber party, 18 decided a long warm shower was in order to get her thoughts cleared up.

She didn’t know how Krillin would react to the news. The Krillin she knew before would be thrilled and excited to have another child but would this new Krillin be the same? He was more popular, more handsome, more busy. Maybe he would hate the idea of having another child.

She felt the cold air hit her back as Krillin joined her in the shower. Usually she would feel his presence right underneath her shoulder but now she felt him looking over her like a tower. When he engulfed her into his arms and laid his chin on her head she sighed in relief. It was odd but she still felt comfortable and happy in his arms.

“What’s wrong 18?”

Still perceptive. She turned slowly in his arms and looked up at his face which she still wasn’t used to. She wrapped her arms around his neck and got up to her tiptoes to kiss him. He held her firmly against his chest and kissed her back gently.

“Come on 18,” he said breaking the kiss and gently caressing her jawline. “You’ve been distant since you got back from Bulma’s. Is everything okay? You still mad at me?”

“No, Krillin I’m not mad, it’s just...”

Krillin waited patiently as she trailed off.

“Krillin,” 18 took a deep breath. “I’m pregnant.”

Krillin looked stunned for a moment then he burst into happy laughter. “Pregnant! Oh what great news!” He slid down to his knees and kissed 18’s stomach. “Another beautiful child with the woman I love! I can’t wait to meet him or her.”

18 looked down at Krillin’s bald head and he looked up to meet her eyes. They were still the same sweet eyes that looked at her with complete love and adoration.

It was in that moment that she realized this wasn’t a new Krillin. This was a Krillin who was taller and stronger yes, but this was still her amazing, goodball of a husband who adored her with all his heart. This was the same Krillin she always knew.

She caressed his cheek and smiled. “I love you.”

Krillin lifted her up and gently placed her against the wall with her legs wrapped around his hips. The warm water gently tickled their sides Krillin leaned his forehead against hers and said, “I love you too. We’re gonna have another baby.”

She felt his tears hitting her cheek as he cried in pure joy and she kissed him. They kissed and kissed until the water turned cold and then Krillin was pushing inside of her gently. 18 gripped his head and cried out in pleasure.

He grunted as he thrust into her slow and deep placing one hand on the bathroom wall to keep himself steady. 18 was already starting to tremble. Her body felt so hot and the cold wall against her bare back was exhilarating.

“Faster,” she moaned digging her nails into Krillin’s shoulders. He complied moving faster and harder so that their skin was slapping together upon the impact but not enough to cause any damage.

18 reached over and shut off the water. “Bed, now!”

Without pulling out of her he carried her swiftly out of the shower and into the neighboring bed. They didn’t care about dripping water all over the floor or about wetting their sheets.

They were arriving to the bed when 18 shoved Krillin’s shoulders roughly making him land on the bed and her on top of him making his cock go deeper inside.

“Ahh!” Krillin cried as 18 cursed.

She placed her hands on his chest and started riding him. Krillin gripped her hips and guided her as she moved faster and faster.

“18,” Krillin groaned moving his hips up to meet her thrusts.

18’s body started trembling, she moved erratically unable to continue moving so Krillin pumped his hips up.

18 gripped the bed post and arched her back as the orgasm rushed through her body. She trembled and moaned loudly shutting her eyes at the intensity of it.

Krillin grunted lowly as he thrust up and released himself into her.

...

5 years later

“Mom!”

18 sighed in annoyance when 12 year old Marron stormed into the room angrily. “I got it,” Krillin said standing up from beside her on the couch. He was in a crisp designer suit with his hair brushed back.

“What is honey?”

“Krillin Junior stole my paintbrushes!” Marron said with a huff. “Tell him to give them back.”

Krillin grinned and leaned down to be at Marron’s level. “And what did you take from him sweetie?”

At that moment a blonde little boy with bright round eyes like his father but icy blue just like his mothers ran in waving around a paintbrush. “That’s cause she stole my Hercule Satan action figure!”

“That guy is a fraud you shouldn’t have an action figure for him!” Marron cried.

“I use him to get beat up by my other action figures, give it back!”

“No! Give back my paintbrushes you little twerp!”

“Kids,” Krillin said stepping in between them. “Enough of that. Marron you can’t take your bother’s toys and then get mad when he takes yours.”

“But Hercule is lame! I can’t believe he’s Pan’s grandfather!”

“Hercule is the reason we can live in this amazing house and even buy you the best paintbrushes,” Krillin said. “It’s not all about being the strongest, I learned that lesson long ago.”

Marron nodded in understanding. “Yes daddy. Here,” she handed the toy back to Krillin Jr. who took it happily.

“And you, little guy,” Krillin said crouching lower for the young boy. “When your sister takes your things you come talk to us you don’t just take her things that’s not how it works. Now give the brushes back.”

Krillin Jr. pulled the paintbrush set out from his pants and handed them to Marron smirking.

“They were in your pants!?” Marron screeched. “Gross!”

Marron lunged at him and Krillin Jr. immediately started flying away. Within seconds the two children were flying around the living room throwing Ki blasts.

“Well my method didn’t work,” Krillin said chuckling.

“Stop it right now or no more TV for a week!” 18 yelled standing up from her chair. Both children immediately stopped, zoomed back down to he ground, and lowered their heads in shame. “Up to your rooms now! And if I hear a peep out of you you’ll lose your privileges for a week AND you’ll have to wash Daddy’s underwear.”

The kids looked mortified and immediately zoomed up the stairs quietly.

Krillin laughed. “I still don’t know how you do that.”

“It’s a gift,” 18 said turning him around and hugging his waist. She tucked her head under chin and snuggled in his arms. “Good luck with your interviews today.”

“I’ll probably end up having to fight in Hercule’s name, I don’t want to ruin the suit,” Krillin said.

“I doubt anyone could even touch you.”

“True.”

“I love you,” 18 said lifting her head up to look in his eyes.

“I love you too,” Krillin said with a grin.

18 smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek just like the first time. He still blushed.

[grumpytrashpanda]

Requested by anonymous as a featured one-shot and featuring the likeness of @taikothecat as a guest character.

Summery: During what was supposed to be a normal breakfast, Rocket is once again duped by his fiancés continuous pranks. Growing tired of being on the receiving end of these petty gags he goes out of his way to plan some sweet revenge on the Star-Lord that he'll remember for weeks to come after this, with some inside help of course.

Word Count: 5,343

It was just another day in the galaxy within the early hours of morning. Now of course there wasn’t a normal cycle like you’d expect but there was a schedule everyone would try to fix themselves to for the coming days, some of the crew aboard the Quadrant still asleep in the wee hours of waking up early at seven’ in the morning.

As his normal routine schedule played out Rocket would always get another hour or so of shut eye after his partner would be up and about for the day ahead, usually attracted out of his makeshift blanket fort in the bed shared by two by the smells of pancakes and other scrumptious delicacies he’d never known before joining the Guardians.

For years alone with Groot trying to make ends meet as a bounty hunter, the raccoon would always be living off protein bars. They were easy to transport when living on the run and didn’t break his bank since his other option was rummaging through the trash for scraps.

They didn’t taste great but he managed and didn’t care, they were all he knew of when it came to feeding himself. These days he couldn’t stomach them since the bars tasted like cardboard compared to the simple pleasures he’d indulge in almost every morning, guess you could say he was pretty happy and easy to please.

The raccoon was curled up in the bed, always shifting his body into this little ball under the beige covers with nothing but his nose sticking outside to be seen. He’d always shift his sleeping position throughout the night with the warm inviting body beside him, sometimes clung to it like a child to their favorite stuffed animal during the late hours but his favorite pose was to be held by those arms from his lover.

For the most part he still hated being touched, prodded, or anything else involving his personal space but he was better about affection from others after he learned it didn’t have to be bad.

One night during their first week sleeping together Quill absently while dreaming wrapped his arm around the raccoon. Rocket’s first instinct was he was he was in danger, his small body tensing and the rational side of his mind telling him he needed to get out of there.

His tired copper-colored eyes darted around the dark bedroom nestled under the blankets and like a deer in headlights, he was completely frozen in place and unsure of what to do right there.

He’s never done anything to hurt me, so why am I afraid? if I wanted him to stop I could just say so right?

Rocket had never been given a single reason to be scared of the Star-Lord in their history together. Your average betting man would’ve known if he didn’t like what was being done right here, being cuddled with a loose arm, he could’ve easily gotten away from it and left everything there where it stood.

But he didn’t, he liked it that way...

That night he learned two important things, the first one was that touched and comforted like this was something he secretly always wanted but never knew how to ask for.

Secondly if this was going to become a routine thing for them, Peter needed to get himself some better soap or Rocket was going to take over the bedroom and kick him out into the hallway.

Rocket’s nose twitched under the thick covers when he woke up to the familiar scents of pancakes being served with his favorite marmalade, yawning with a high drag and crawling out from the sloppy mess of the large bed and onto the floor.

His feet clicked across the metal floor, the raccoon wearing some casual cloths consisting a grey shirt and black shorts he had tossed on when entering the hallway being further drawn in by the scents of pancakes and other side dishes to come.

When rounding the corner into the common room he heard a couple mixed laughs among the crew talking amongst themselves, still not having noticed him walking in yet until he yawned again catching the attention of them all with his presence. Everyone aside from Gamora and Kraglin were there for breakfast, the other two off still in slumber for the early morning today.

“Morning, Rock’.” A voice greeted him from the room’s worn out couch, the body laying on it with a single knuckle resting under his chin watching everyone go about their business and occasionally throwing in a few chats with them.

Rocket tensed up from hearing the voice, part of wished it was still waking up and misheard it coming from within his reach. The first thing to catch his eye after noticing Quill over in the ship’s kitchen still in his blue pajamas and preparing a delicious banquet for the group was their guest sprawled out like a stereotypical feline would he was sitting here among the group.

Rocket turned his head to where it came from and sure enough, the guy was still here today, his face tensing up slightly. “Go home Taiko…”

“Rocket?” Peter voiced over to him from the stovetop, the man’s informal tone sounding almost parental telling him to behave.

“Well good morning to you too, grouchy head.” Their feline guest peeped back to the raccoon, sounding even more enthused if his grinning face wasn’t already a give-away.

In a short answer Taiko was a humanoid calico cat and a guest staying with the Guardians for the time being, the black and white spotted feline had a similar skeletal structure to Rocket’s but weirdly enough without the need for cybernetics or any other enhancements.

His overall character was much more upbeat compared to the ringtail he’d often playfully tease when around him noting here that in some instances Taiko was a polar opposite with his behavior.

Rocket paused where he stood before he spoke up lowly to the cat idly staring back at him. “Look, about last night-“

“Last night? Last night was a blast…” The cat replied back to him, those eyes watching Drax as the muscular man walked back into the room not paying much attention to their conversation.

Rocket was cautious with his words mentioning the discreet topic he was talking about since nobody besides his fiance knew about their new trials as a couple, having an undisclosed third partner in the action as something they both agreed to have for the week.

That image of them all was the last thing he wanted any of their friends knowing was going on aboard the ship beyond the next room.

It was Quill’s idea first and foremost and it all was about trying new things to keep his and Rocket’s relationship together exciting, though maybe having a threesome with another guy in the basket was a mistake looking back but there was a first for everything with him.

“Yeah, ya’ can knock it with the jokes…” The groggy ringtail turned away still unsure of the whole thing. Anytime you introduce someone new into the fold there’s bound to be questions asked, many of them that couldn’t be answered without spilling the whole picture to everyone.

Rocket climbed up the steel counter and reached up to one of the cabinets containing his fruit spread, standing on his toes to grab the circular glass jar containing the marmalade and trotting back over to the table already set up.

He never asked for help with anything because yes almost everything in the ship wasn’t accustomed for his stature but he still held quite the ego when it came down to what he was physically capable of doing.

Unless on rare instances like when he was injured, Rocket would often feel insulted if something out of his reach was handed to him as if he couldn’t retrieve it himself without assistance. Instead Peter among some of the others in the group would leave things within his reach, which he always appreciated of them.

“Coming in hot, who’s hungry?” Peter announced putting dishes down for every seat at the table, a couple stacks of flapjacks on each plate with a side of vyloo eggs, which the man claimed had a sweet aftertaste compared to what he grew up on at home with but nobody else would’ve known to compare.

Everyone was busy eating and casually chatting while Rocket was fiddling with his marmalade jar, trying to get the damn thing open after he could’ve sworn it’d been popped already.

“Ok, I’ve got a good one for you.” Peter took a drink of his coffee, trying to recall the events of last night when him and Rocket were having their usual date of shared drinks. “So we went out last night and Rocket over there tries to wave down the tender to get our drinks. Only thing was that the guy serving everyone was this old guy, grey haired and wearing an eyepatch over his left side and he didn’t hear us so we were getting tired of waiting around…”

The small crowd at the table was listening onto the words while Rocket still continued to struggle with the tightly sealed jar, cursing the item a few times as the man went on with the joke.

“So anyway, Rocket climbed on the countertop after that and yelled at the server from the top of his lungs…‘ay’ does a guy gotta wait till’ his friggin’ bar mitzvah to get a drink around here?”

Peter took another bite of the flapjacks, thinking he’d done a pretty good job on them today. “After that the bartender looked over at him from across the room and with the most serious face I’ve ever seen, asked Rocket how old he was.”

“I loved that story very much.” Mantis chirped, though it was questionable if she understood everything. She wasn’t dumb but there were certainly things that’d fly right over her head at times.

“Good joke, Quill.” Rocket muttered sarcastically while everyone else laughed off the story, it sounded like something that would’ve happened. “Guy was being a real dick holding back like he did.”

“I still thought it funny how he backhanded you like that.” Peter laughed thinking about it. In all seriousness he wanted to believe the elderly man in his seventies serving them their drinks was that sly, maybe he wasn’t but it was funny to think so.

“I did not know you were one of holding beliefs such as that.” Drax stated when he looked down at his furred companion in the seat next to him at the table. “I am interested in knowing more…”

“I don’t have any beliefs ok?!” Rocket retorted to the comment.

“Hey if he does it’s fine.” Taiko had to give his two cents across the table finishing a glass of milk, knowing already Rocket wasn’t into that stuff or believed in it but he liked teasing him nonetheless. “We can have a party right here, though we might be a little old for that sort of thing yeah?”

“Can you people just shut up?! I haven’t even had my coffee yet and everyone’s on my ass already.” Rocket pointed his ears back to all of them ganging up on him.

Drax looked down at the jar, the raccoon still fiddling with it for the past couple minutes be nobody bothered to say anything. “I think our friend here is feeling insecure…”

“Drax you’re going to feeling something too if ya’ don’t shut that trap of yours on the topic, I ain’t like that.” Rocket argued back to which the muscular brute didn’t answer and continued staring at the glass.

“Do you require assistance opening that?”

“No Drax I don’t, I can open my own jar of fruit so thanks.” Rocket didn’t look him in the eyes telling him so, he’d never had this much trouble opening it before. It was as if someone deliberately tampered with it beforehand without his knowledge.

“Got it!!” The raccoon exclaimed when the jar clicked and he was finally able to slide it open, hoping to get some food in him. His excitement was short lived however, the mashed fruity contents bubbling up from the exposed air within a matter of seconds.

“What the-“ He slowly gawked peering into the container when the homemade concoction overlapped and exploded in his face with all the sticky and sweet residue.

“What the flarg’ was in that?!” He hollered aloud at everyone, hearing someone giggle while he was trying to wipe the sticky residue off himself to little avail with his hands.

“Got you again Rocky’, that’s two in a row.” Peter told him, unable to hold back his laughter any longer from being known as the one responsible for this.

“I’m going to kill you Pete, you know how hard it is to get this stuff out of ma’ fur?! Thought that was a ground rule?”

“I thought we agreed that rule wasn’t in play anymore.” Peter grinned widely leaning back in his seat, taking another tally for himself.

This little game between the couple was an ongoing thing and it came to the point these days it was like a competition between teenagers, seeing who could prank the other the most and there never was a truce because the moment it’d be called someone who hit the other again.

The only rules of the prank war were that you couldn’t physically hurt the other or at least not too bad, tamper with that person’s gear on a job since it could very well end badly for them and finally there was always a grace period during mealtimes for them both.

Simple enough rules to follow but it seemed the Star-Lord had either forgotten or disregarded that last one when compromising the raccoon’s fruit preserves right here.

“You’re an asshole.” Rocket told the man, his brows lowered and expression seethed when hopping out of his chair at the table, the raccoon stalking his way into the cockpit.

“Ah come on, it wasn’t that bad….Rocket-“

“I can’t hear ya’ I’m already gone, enjoy staring at my backside.” Rocket hollered aloud climbing up the stairs into the helm. “Hope ya’ll enjoy the rest of breakfast.”

“Rocket- “ The metal door into the cockpit slid shut leaving them out as Peter tried to talk to him, knowing if it was a real hinged door it would’ve been slammed for them all to hear downstairs.

“Shit…” Peter breathed with a sigh, looking at everyone’s reactions around the table. “Was it really that bad?”

“I Am Groot.” The teenage tree shrugged at him, still not understood by the bunch around him but his body language was uncertain.

“I believe you gave the mammal a false hope…” Drax noted from his table, having already finished his food before everyone else had.

Peter cocked his head at the brute’s words. “What’s that supposed to mean, you saying I did something wrong?”

“Yes.” Drax told him as bluntly as he always would, looking up at the man resting his palms on the table. “In this game you both play, there are rules and from I have learned watching so-called this game is you broke one of those rules here at our meal here.”

“On my planet, we would hold ceremonies for the coming of age for our children to be tested in ritual combat, to know who’d eventually become the next Destroyer. It was seen as disgraceful to attack an opponent after the fight was over, when that person had lost.”

“I can’t believe I’m hearing this.” Peter lowered his head at the table before lifting back up to the face the brute. “He’s done way worse to me with his schemes right?”

“I mean- I’ve only known you folks for a month but isn’t the point of the game to do exactly just that?” Taiko concerned with a raised fork making his point, a mouthful of spongy hotcake gargling his speech.

“May I ask who this other mammal is again, he is shaped like our furred friend but is different...” Drax leaned across the table, his arms crossed when the cat’s emerald colored eyes darted up to the brute’s nose hovering over him from his plate. “He smells different too.”

“Please don’t do that-“ Taiko paused looking up the brute.

“He’s an exchange student Drax.” Peter couldn’t believe that was the first thing he thought of, it sounded so stereotypical to say but maybe Drax wouldn’t understand and thus wouldn’t question it. ”The guy’s been tagging around with us to get some experience from the best advisers those people can give him.”

“Very well…” Drax sat back down in his seat, the man breathing a sigh after feeling like he dodged a bullet with nobody still knowing. “I do not know what he expects to learn from you though?”

“I’ve been learning plenty, from him and Rocket.” Taiko chucked finishing up his plate and pushing it to the side.

“Yeah…” Peter mumbled looking not talking much either, partly because he did feel like he went a little overboard in that Rocket didn’t even get to eat before storming off in a heap.

“Hey Taiko?” Peter called out to the cat about to stroll off from the table with an outreached hand. “You mind talking to Rocket, maybe get him to come down and eat something?”

“Yeah sure thing.” Taiko replied turning on his heel and walking the short distance up the stairs into the cockpit.

“Asshole…” Rocket was in his pilot’s seat looking over the galaxy, his orange ball in hand and tossing in against the ship’s windshield.

cur-clink

cur-clink

He was beyond pissed, still pissed at Quill for being the stupid idiot he was sometimes just like when they met back all those nights ago.

I mean- I know I’m crazy but he’s supposed to be better then that.

I’m so friggin’ hungry right now, damn it Quill.

His tension on the stress ball tightened, a few holes from his claws in the worn-out object he’d been given for these situations chucking it off the glass for his waiting hand to catch again.

cur-clink

cur-clink

Before he could toss the ball again his ears perked to the sound of someone knocking on the locked door from behind, the raccoon leaning his head past his seat to the noise and clicking his teeth.

“Who is it?” He raised his voice to the whoever it might’ve been.

“It’s me, I wanted to talk to you.” Taiko stared at the metal wall for a few seconds, a tense pressure he wasn’t sure he was meant to carry but would still give his best shot. Fingers were crossed that Rocket liked him in their short time together to even let him through the doorway.

The locked door buzzed and swooshed open, the cat quickly making his way inside when it closed behind him. He noticed Rocket was down the few steps leading to the helm in his usual seat, his backside facing before the chair swiveled to face the cat.

“Let me guess, you’re supposed to be the negotiation party that wants me back down there?” Rocket looked at him as the cat walked up beside him in the quiet cockpit.

“I just wanted to check in, that’s all.” He meant it staring out the window with the ringtail but wondered if Rocket would believe it.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to go?” Rocket questioned him with a raised eyebrow, the cat turning his own head to his attention. “Or are you just out of the bag and into the bunch with the rest of us?”

“Well my ship still isn’t fixed.” Taiko replied, leaning an arm on the pilot’s seat. “I’ve been trying to see about that.”

“Don’t tell me that’s the excuse ur’ going with right?” Rocket cracked a smile at him, catching that there wasn’t much truth in it. “I could’ve fixed it right up and sent your hide off and away from here.”

His dimple grew further into a smirk looking at the cat leaning over him on the chair. “Don’t tell me you stick around and put up with all this just to check in on little ol’ me up here all day?”

“Ah come on…” Taiko nudged him playfully with a small jab. “yeah I like everyone else but I’ve got favorites, those I like more then others around here too.”

“You know what?” Rocket reached under the ship's dashboard for a brown box containing his usual bunch of trinkets and gadgets he’d mess with when up here for long periods of time. “Since you want ta’ stick around so badly, maybe it’s about time you help me out with something on Quill.”

“Ok…what do you need?” From the look on Rocket’s cunning face and the atmosphere of the room, the cat couldn’t help but be hesitant since he didn’t know what he was agreeing to here with the raccoon.

“Someone here tainted my shampoo, shouldn’t need to remind you what I looked like when you came here.” He didn’t want to go in detail on that when meeting Taiko for the first time, the conversation turning into one of those awkward introductions where the infuriated pink trash panda was scrubbing for days after his shampoo was filled with pink hair dye as a prank.

“Anyway, I don’t got any doubt it was Quill, guy couldn’t keep from snickering whenever my back was to him so I thought I’d do the same.” He pulled a small homemade device wrapped in black tape that could be hidden in the palm of his hand, giving it to Taiko to take.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Taiko curiously looked over the crude device. Whatever it was, it didn’t look very impressive compared to everything else he’d seen made by the raccoon’s hands.

There was a short black fuse tied in and it smelled of fresh gunpowder, it’s appearance looking more like a small makeshift firecracker if he knew any better.

“That’s a dye bomb.” Rocket said, still holding the orange ball in his lap when continuing. “Never made one before but thought it’d be kind of funny ya’ know, for what’s I’ve got planned for him?”

“So…what do you want me to do with this?”

“How about you shove it up somewhere for starters for asking that.” Rocket swished his mouth and his ear twitched for a moment. “I’m joking....”

“Next time he’s in the john, go ahead and toss that thingy in there with him in there. Think it’s about time he’s get his fair share of color, idiot should be grateful I didn’t choose a worse color then pink.”

Taiko nodded in response. “You share what you get right?”

“Dang right I do.” Rocket replied, sounding enthused with this plan of his he had put together over the last couple days. “It’s part of eh- what’s that thing called again? Personal growth yeah, that’s it!! I’m going to be the best future hubby for this one.”

“Ok I’ll do it on one condition.” Taiko couldn’t help but have this idea of why the raccoon had these type products around the ship it wasn’t for him personally to use. “If you tell me why someone like you would have hair products and dye just sitting around here.”

Rocket stared blankly at the cat for his words. “Dun’ know what you’re implying, I just told you it’s for-“

“You know what I’m talking about Rocket, the ride might be cheap for but it’s not free and you know that.” He hoped bartering like this would get an answer either it be with booze, a favor, or anything else he learned was the only way to get a confession from the raccoon.

Rocket growled lowly before lowering himself in the seat. “Fine, I was thinking of dying my tail purple a while back, is that what you wanted ta’ hear from me? Now get out of here…”

“That’s rich.” Taiko laughed it up, not in a mocking manner but he couldn’t imagine getting himself dyed ever crossed Rocket’s mind. It sounded so offbeat for someone of his character to care much about his appearance. “You should let me do it sometime, I’ve done it to myself before so you’d get a good job back there.”

“You ain’t gonna be doing much of nothin’ if you don’t get out of here and handle that thing first.” Rocket tried to sound threatening but it fell on deaf ears to the humored cat, nothing but hot air coming from the raccoon's muzzle.

Taiko chuckled at him, him and Quill were certainly one of the craziest couples he’d ever seen but it was sweet how those two guys would reconcile over these pranks. Sibling rivalry at its finest.

“Anyway imma’ go take a shower in the meantime, I feel gamey right now and it’s making me sick.” The raccoon huffed from his slouched position in the seat, picking a piece of black hair off himself.

“So I guess I’ll get to it…” Taiko tossed the device in the air, catching it back in his palm when leaving the cockpit before turning back. “Hey I’ve been meaning to ask you where you get those awesome jumpsuits made, do you have a personal tailor for those things or what?”

“Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason, just when I tried it on last night I loved how it felt on me.” He grinned widely when Rocket crooked his head over the chair, his face frozen there. “I might get one for myself in green.”

“You tried on my suit?!”

“Yep and I’ve got to say, I think I wear it better then you do.” Taiko winked at him flirtatiously and strolled out of there before the other could properly respond to his comment.

So while Rocket was off washing himself down Taiko was tasked with delivering the package to its rightful place but needed to wait until it was a good time. The  cat decided to go back to go back to his earlier place on the common room’s couch and wait, lazily sprawled and looking over a few things on his own holo-tablet.

He was wondering why Rocket didn’t just go ahead and do this himself but the truth was he didn’t need too and he wanted to see if Taiko would actually go through with this request of his.

It wasn’t too long before he was approached by the Star-Lord strolling through the ship, his face looking rather mixed of guilt.

“Hey Taiko…” Peter gestured with a waved hand when walking by, the man kneeling down to speak to at the cat’s level. “How’d your talk with Rocket go up there?”

“It went fine, a bit crabby but yeah.” Taiko said passively. He didn’t want it sounding like things went exceptionally well or anything, even that was in question still but he didn’t want to ramble too much out of fear of what he might say here.

Peter nodded. “That’s good. So where’d he head off too, I went into the cockpit earlier and he wasn’t in there anymore.”

“Think he said he was going to take a shower or something, maybe that’ll help him cool off from happened…”

“Yeah.” Peter rubbed a hand over his chin with a drag. “Can’t help but feel like I was a bit of a dick back there right, like more than twelve’ percent and the usual bit.”

“It happens and yeah you were kind of a dick to him.” Taiko typed in a few things on the tablet and scrolled across a few pictures. “He’ll be fine though, just needs to chill in his own time."

“Well when you see him again can you let him know I wanted to talk? Maybe I need to make him something to eat since that’s my fault too...”

“Yeah sure, I’ll tell him…” Taiko perked to which Peter smiled and walked off to his own things again to attend too, the cat watching his backside like a hawk with those green eyes from afar.

Meanwhile away in the captain’s room away from everyone, Rocket was showering and getting all the sticky jam and grime of yesterday out of his fur under the steamy water, reaching for his usual shampoo and lathering it everywhere he could reach.

“Duh duh duh, da da. Duh duh duh, da da.” He hoped nobody could hear him through the thick walls when singing along to an old tune he’d heard before once, a timeless classic he had fallen for and would argued he had the swagger to pull off if he wanted too.

Part of his mind, the really cynical part that is, was snickering at whatever awaited his partner when he’d be finishing up here. Somewhere deep down he felt kind of bad about doing this because it was that the cute kind of romance with them where’d he’d sometimes do something outlandish and act like he didn’t care if it hurt them when that couldn’t been have been further from the truth.

He trusted Taiko, well as much as anyone you’d trust enough bedding together with someone else but it went further than just that, it was always going to be awkward because his commitment wasn’t to this new guy and it was repressing when they were alone.

Still when thinking about it, maybe when everything settled and the nightly adventures under the stars shared y three stopped here or later there’d still be a place for Taiko around here.

It didn’t mean they’d stop being a thing but just maybe something a bit of themselves for here on out, their own special thing that didn’t have to result in just being here for each other’s pleasure and company.

It was complicated when he rested his head under the rushing water, letting it drown him out into his thoughts. They’d taken in so many people over the past and came across many more in their adventures of helping those abroad and far, most coming and going without a second glance but something stuck out with that spotted feline back there.

It’s something Rocket never believed he’d be having to think about, something with how this tugged at his heart in a way that was sweet and endearing to have around. It wasn’t even about sexual tension, just how he felt here about going forward.

I still can’t believe that hairball’ was in my clothes.

Eventually the man did come back into the hallways, his footsteps heard across the grated floor as the cat listened with a raised ear to a metal door being opened and closed again when captain entered it.

Being very subtle, he crawled off the couch and slinked to the corner of the room that lead into the ships corridor and sure enough, he was in the bathroom and right where this needed to take place.

“Ok well here goes nothing…” Taiko breathed seeing there was nobody around to see what he was doing when, striking the small fuse and opening the bathroom door just enough to chuck the explosive into the room with the man sitting on the toilet.

“Hey Taiko.” Rocket came down the hallway with a white towel wrapped around his waist, his fur still damp and spiked in places on his head with water from his shower, his feet clicking when walking by the cat standing outside the bathroom “You get that thing taken care of we talked about?”

“Just one second alright…” Taiko raised his hand to the raccoon.

“Three…”

“Two…”

“One…”

With that the tiny explosive went off, covering the entire bathroom and the Star-Lord in a flurry of bright pink dye that’s be in his hair for the weeks to come.

“OH MY GOD- WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS CRAP?!”

“ROCKET!!”

“And see…” Rocket grinned holding back his laughter, leaning over Taiko’s shoulder and whispering into his ear. “that’s why I like ya’.”

[redwine-house]

Golden Years Ch.8 (Negan x Reader)

It’s Too Late to be Grateful

(Ao3) (Wattdpad)

(Masterlist)

Words: 1,960

For the first time you witness Negan’s brutality and things take a dark turn.

The Sanctuary was buzzing with nervous conversation. You watched as men and women shifted from foot to foot and spoke in whispers. Children looked up at their parents, anxious and scared as they waited for something that you didn’t understand.

You stood in the main hall in the Sanctuary, surrounded by hundreds of Saviors. Every inch of the room was stuffed with people, all the way up to the rafters. You swallowed, unable to shake the feeling of hundreds of eyes gazing at you.

“Aw, don’t be shy,” Negan assured, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. “They’ll forget all about you in a minute, Old Aaron here is our star!” Aaron sat, tied to a chair. He was trembling like a leaf and his chest was heaving as his eyes stared blankly into the roaring fireplace.

Negan let out a long, dramatic sigh. “Ya’ll know this really breaks my heart, don’t you?” he asked the crowd, his eyes sweeping across the room. “Why do you keep breaking my heart?” He looked to Aaron. “Aaron thought it was okay to stick his nose somewhere it didn’t belong. He invaded my privacy and that is seriously fucked up!” Negan smiled. “But I’m a reasonable man. I was actually gonna kill him! But this little lady convinced me otherwise.” Negan briefly rested his cheek on the top of your head. “See, her privacy was invaded as well. We’re running a new operation, and it really pisses me off that this is the way I have to announce it!”

A flicker of movement made you turn. Dwight had knelt down in front of the fireplace. The light lit up his face as he took something from the flames.

As the hot embers danced, your heart began to palpitate. You could feel it ram against your chest as you stared into the roaring fire. Even though you were several paces away, you could still feel the heat billowing against your skin. Despite the high temperature, a wave of goose bumps appeared on your arm.

When Dwight turned, your stomach dropped.

He held an iron that was still burning hot from its time in the fire. You frantically looked to Aaron, who had started to cry.

Before you could save the man, Negan grabbed you by the forearm. “You’re the one who wanted this.”

You could only watch in silence as Negan wordlessly slipped his hand into a heavy glove.

“I want you to know that I hate this more than all of you,” Negan declared before pressing the iron against Aaron’s cheek.

The smell was what hit you first. As Aaron’s flesh cooked against the molten steel, the smell of fried pork wafted through the air. Next came the sound – Aaron’s skin crackled and popped like bacon grease in a frying pan. Finally, there was the screaming.

You didn’t see the strings of fatty tissue that clung to the iron when it was finally pulled away or the glistening blisters because you had buried your face in Dwight’s shoulder.

“It’s done,” Dwight assured, placing a hesitant hand on your back, but it wasn’t enough. Without another thought, you took off.

You pushed through the crowd, throwing men, women, and children out of your way with equal ferocity. Their protests fell on deaf ears as you charged up the stairs and finally reached the privacy of your own room. Slamming the door shut, you ran to the toilet and threw up.

As you crawled away from the toilet, your bathroom melted away. You were suddenly surrounded by an unfathomable heat. Above you wood burst and ripped from the high temperature, forcing you to curl into a tighter ball. But you knew you were being a coward. You had to get up. You were running out of time.

Get up.

With a gasp your eyes shot open. You were back in your bathroom, your cheek pressed flat against the cool tile. Your skin was dewy with sweat and you staggered as you got to your feet, but you didn’t give a damn.

Stumbling into your room, you grabbed your backpack. You couldn’t remember if Negan had given it back…

When you pulled out the small bag of heroin, it felt like the world had become a little brighter.

Negan threw Lucille over his shoulder as he watched you disappear up the stairs. “Well, that was weird.” The crowd had already begun to disperse, all taking care to avert their eyes. Negan looked to Dwight and sent him a cheeky grin. “So have you porked her yet?”

Dwight simply turned and began to untie Aaron. The man had somehow managed to maintain consciousness, but his eyes were blank and clouded.

“Well, looks like I have to do this all by myself!” Negan barked. “As usual.” With a hand in his pocket, he began his leisurely stroll up to your room.

It never took him long to get anywhere in the Sanctuary; his people parted like the Red Sea wherever he went. It took him half the amount of time it normally would to reach you, and he walked like a lazy bastard.

He couldn’t help but smile as he stood outside of your door. The building was filled to the brim with people who were afraid of him and who kissed his ass. You did neither. Negan was pretty sure that you actually liked him.

“Fee-fi-fo-fum! I smell the blood of a major disappointment!” Negan said deeply. He waited a moment, expecting an opened door and an exasperated, but amused huff, but he was met with silence. With a deep frown, he banged Lucille against the door. “Hey, I’m not some Mormon douchebag going door to door handing out pamphlets and a promise for an eternal right to wipe God’s ass. I expect you to answer me when I knock!” With a final, angry huff, Negan smashed Lucille’s handle down on your doorknob, breaking it clean off. When he burst through the door, he was taken aback. “Shit.”

You lay on the on the ground, slumped against the wall as your head lolled to your chest. Your skin was pale and there was a blue tint to your fingertips and lips. Each breath was a gasp as you struggled to breathe.

Negan knelt down and lifted your chin. He smacked you across the cheek. “Oh, come on! Don’t be such a pussy.” Irritated, he flung you over his shoulder and got to his feet. “If I knew you’d be such a pain in the ass, I’d never would’ve let you stay,” he grunted.

“Alright, doc. I got a big old case of dumbass over here,” Negan announced as he unceremoniously lay you on one of the infirmary’s hospital beds.

Dr. Carsen looked up from his charts. “What’s the problem?” The doctor shrank under Negan’s glare. “Obviously you don’t know. That’s why you brought her here.”

Negan chuckled. “I knew I kept you here for a reason!”

Dr. Carson was rooted to the spot, nervously laughing along with Negan as he tried not to panic.

“You’re here.”

Negan turned as you weakly tugged at his hand. He raised a quizzical brow and knelt down. “Say that again, sweetheart. I can’t hear you through all of the choking.” When you reached out and touched his cheek, his eyebrows shot up and his mouth fell into an over exaggerated pout.

“You don’t have the right eyes,” you rasped.

“You are really interesting when you’re about to die, do you know that?” Negan asked, both amused and mystified by your babble. “I mean, what the shit are you talking about?”

Dr. Carson shined a light into your eyes before he listened to your lungs. “Is she a substance abuser?”

Negan winced and made a tiny space between his thumb and pointer finger. “Little bit.”

“She has track marks all over her arm. She overdosed on heroin.” The doctor stepped back and placed a hand on his forehead. “There’s nothing I can do. Traditionally we use Naltrexone or Nalmefene when someone OD’s, but I don’t have either. The only thing I can do now is make sure she’s breathing, calm, and keep her on her side.”  

“Christ, you’re really not good for anything are you?” Negan went to stand, but you wrenched him back down.

“I couldn’t do it. I’m sorry.”

Negan’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. “Fuck me sideways,” he muttered before snagging a chair and throwing himself in. Setting an ankle on his knee and resting Lucille on his lap, he slouched down. “How long is this going to take?”

“No overdose is the same. She could wake up in a minute or go into a coma.” Carson gently rolled you to your side and covered you with a blanket.

Negan shifted. “Really? Holy shit.” He sounded more interested than concerned.

“I’m going to see if we have more IV drips. If she throws up, just make sure her airway is clear.”

“I’m on it, Doc.” Negan winked. Soon, he was alone with his dying business partner. Suddenly, he looked very tired. Running a hand down his face, Negan sighed. He did not do well around sick people, more specifically, sick people he didn’t hate. “What happened to you, kid?” he asked quietly.

There was a sudden fresh rush of air to your lungs as you took in your first clear breath. With a start, your eyes flew open and your heart jerked.

The sudden onslaught of sensory stimulation made your stomach lurch. Scrambling, you leaned over and vomited.

“Well, I guess your airways are clear.”

With a start, you sat up and looked to your right. Although a corner of Negan’s mouth was quirked up oh so slightly, the rest of his face was set in a hard mask. He wasn’t happy and that was a death sentence.

Negan tilted his head and smiled wryly. “Where the fuck do you get off?” He crossed his arms.

“Excuse me?” You began to shiver, but your debilitated state garnered no sympathy from Negan.

“You heard me. Where, the fuck do you get off?” Negan pointed to the door behind him. “I took your dumbass in. I made you my partner. Do you know how many partners I’ve had?”

You were silent.

“Answer me!” His voice was loud, and it caused you to jump.

His voice made your head throb and you became dizzy. “None.”

“And then you came in and you screwed me over!” Negan let out an angry huff. “You’re out, and you’re quarantined.” He got to his feet and ripped the door open.

“What, so you’re putting me in timeout?”

“Oh, big time!” The door slammed behind him.

As another spout of shivers hit you, yourl buried your face in your hands. Your only ally and leader was furious with you and your business failed before it even started. Somehow you had even ruined the end of the world.

Your introspection was interrupted when Dr. Carson stepped into the room. “I could hear that all the way down the hallway.”

“He was the only one on my side. They’re going to kill me in here. I don’t know why, but everyone wants my head.” When Carson let out a short laugh, you looked up, perturbed.  “What’s so funny?”

Carson placed his stethoscope to your chest. “If he hated you, you would have gotten pretty friendly with Lucille just now. I mean, quarantine?” He snorted. “Never heard of that before. And everyone hates you because the big bad boss likes you, not to mention you didn't have to kiss his ass for months to be his friend.”

You looked at the door, as confused as ever. Never had a friendship been such a pain in the ass.

[pearlrenaud-blog]

two wolves and a lamb

who: @adelynnrenaud @lailarenaud @pearlrenaud

where: Ashbourne, Nova Scotia. Adelynn’s apartment

when: September 26, 2017

what: Pearl plans a family dinner for the Renaud sisters, Laila ruins it by being herself.

Pearl: There was a knot in the pit of her stomach, and she found herself checking the time almost maniacally. The dinner was nearly ready, the apartment filled with the smell of fresh roast chicken and vegetables and the wine was chilling in the fridge. Adie was coming straight from work, and she had Laila's word (whatever that was worth) that she would be there too, coming from god knows where. Her kitten sat contently in her lap, the rumble from it's small chest a comfort as she waited anxiously for her sisters. A knock at the door came as an iron grip on her wind pipe, and she steeled her nerves, placing Minou onto the kitchen floor and smoothing out the front of her trousers as she went to answer it. Inhaling slowly, she pulled a smile onto her red painted lips before swinging open the door.

Laila: She didn't know whether to knock or to simply just enter; but it wasn't her home and Laila balled her hand into a fist before rapping out a beat against the wood. So this was how the other half lived. Adelynn was doing well for herself, the building was old; but in the way that meant the rent could be hiked up on account of history, not leaking pipes. The door opened and Pearl stood before her, the smallest of the Renauds; her lips in a garish ruby smile. "Hey Pearly girl, can I come in?"

Adelynn: It wasn’t uncommon for Adelynn to stay at work until late in the evening but she stayed late purposely tonight, wanting to avoid as much of the night as possible. She knew it was only a matter of time before Pearl suggested it and as much as she would have loved to say no, she could never refuse her baby sister. By the time she got back, Laila and Pearl were already there and she awkwardly slipped in. “I’m glad you could make it, Lai,” she greeted, giving her sister a small shrug. They were far from perfect but they always managed to pretend for their sister’s sake.

Pearl: She had ushered Laila inside, seating her at the table and pouring her a glass. She wasn't able to bombard her with the questions she'd wanted to, Adie entering quietly, Minou's quick exit the only announcement of her arrival. Pearl couldn't understand why the little creature couldn't stand Adelynn, not for a lack of her trying. "Adie! Sit," she insisted, tacking on a 'please' after a moment. Placing a matching glass in front of the middle Renaud, she beamed at the two. "Thank you both for coming," the blonde said, reciting it like it was from an old time etiquette book. "I have to take the food out of the oven, no one move until I get back." She tried to give them both a stern look, though it would only likely make the two of them laugh. Ducking into the kitchen, she left the two to talk, hopefully civilly.

Laila: Laila glanced at the kitten, a small creature with ears too big for it's body-- a tiny pink nose sniffed the air delicately before it darted away. "I hate cats," the blonde noted, settling down into the chair that had been assigned for her. She didn't sit in a way that their mother would have called charming, heavy boots clunked onto the ground and she sunk into the seat like a petulant teenager. "How was work, Adie? Did you do anything good for humanity?"

Adelynn: Adelynn was about to object, offer to help Pearl with the food, but her sister had disappeared before she could even get a word out. Instead, she was left staring awkwardly at a random spot in the wall. When Laila spoke, she looked over at her sister and shrugged. “It was okay. I was dealing with mostly speeding tickets today.” She paused, realizing she didn’t actually know what Laila did day-to-day. “So, um, what have you been up to?”

Pearl: She could only hear the conversation faintly from the kitchen, too distracted by searching for hostility in their tones to be careful enough with the hot plate, and she hissed as she burned her fingertips. Running her hand under cold water, she cursed her own clumsiness. This had to go right, she chided herself, her insistence almost childlike, petulant. Tugging on oven mitts, she continued, dressing the serving plates with the meal. In a second thought, she poured her own glass of wine, swallowing down a gulp and making a face at the bitter liquid as it slid down her throat.

Laila: The oldest Renaud snorted, "Sounds exciting." She didn't really want to be there, like a dog caged, she wanted to pace and then race out-- there was a sort of running anxiety that surrounded her at the thought of such intimate time being spent with her family. "I blew off my shift tonight at the Sanatorium, but usually I'd be there at night."

Adelynn: Adelynn nodded, not really sure what to say to that. Her sister was being as unresponsive as ever. Still, this dinner was for Pearl’s sake so she at least had to make an effort. It had always been Adie’s job to make sure that Pearl’s illusion wasn’t completely shattered. “What do you do there? I haven’t really had a chance to explore the town yet,” she confessed.

Pearl: Piling the potatoes into a bowl, she barrelled in from the kitchen. It didn't take a genius to see that this wasn't going well, from the rebellious tilt of Laila's chin to the hard line of Adie's jaw, intervening was necessary to save the dinner. Plunking the dish down, she beamed at the two, her smile not quite reaching to her eyes. "Serve yourselves," she insisted, gesturing at the plates already set before them. They hadn't grown up in a house with matching dishes, and it was almost strange to be at a table with Adelynn's perfect set. She scurried back into the kitchen to retrieve the roast chicken ready to be carved, along with the roast vegetables. "Does anyone need anything else?" Pearl asked, with the flightiness of a small bird, hovering around the table. She mirrored her mother the most in that moment.

Laila: Laila looked at the chicken, wondering if there was any way that she could get a part of the creature that wasn't cooked through-- there was something carnivorous about her, though for Pearl's sake she'd swallow down the dryness of cooked flesh. She was already heaping food onto her plate, skipping most of the vegetables in favour of protein. "This looks great Pearly," she said before turning her attention back to Adelynn. "I'm a bouncer. I kick drunk guys out before they grope the drunk girls-- and I make sure the vamps stay on their best behaviour." She paused, glancing at Pearl, head tilting. "How much do you know?"

Adelynn: Adelynn could sense that Pearl knew things weren’t perfect and it pained her to see her sister so worried, but this was the nature of their family. Laila never wanted to really be a part of it. It sucked but, in a way, it was all they knew. “Thank you, Pearl, but I’m okay.” She began to dig in, though most of her food was getting more acquainted with the plate than anything. When Laila brought up vampires, Adelynn tensed. “Are you sure this conversation can’t wait until after dinner?” Adelynn stated, her words slipping through gritted teeth. She wasn’t sure if Pearl had fully recovered from what had happened and forcing her to suddenly relive it was cruel.

Pearl: She filled her own plate timidly, Laila shovelling enough food into her mouth for the three of them. The question took her by surprise, but she tried to hide it, albeit poorly. After seeing Felix, she couldn't get the subject off her mind. Vampires occupied almost every bit of her attention, and she secretly scoured old books and the internet for information about them, always exiting out of the browser or leaving the library with a sense of embarrassment. "Mack gave me a necklace with vervain before she left. That'll stop them from controlling my mind. Everything else, I figured out." Pearl didn't have to say how, the marks on her neck still lingered, silver scars marring the pale flesh. She tried to speak evenly, to stop emotion from bleeding into her voice, but still, it wavered.

Laila: "It won't." Laila interjected, ignoring Adelynn's protests. Her fight with Cael stood at the forefront of her mind, pressing her to be more urgent with the discussion. The blonde took a bite from the leg of the bird, swallowing down and continuing to talk. "Vervain only works half of the time and it's useless if the vampire is old enough." Blue eyes found Adie's, "I'm not staying after dinner." She barrelled on. "Do you drink it, as well?"

Adelynn: Adelynn clenched her fists, obviously the only one aware of their sister’s discomfort. “Laila, stop,” she ordered, her eyes narrowing in anger, knowing fully well her sister wouldn’t listen. “Pearl doesn’t need you interrogating her.” She briefly glanced at their sister, her anger flaring at the sight of how small she seemed in the moment. “Are you forgetting that the only reason she was hurt was because of you?”

Pearl: It seemed time had erased the memory of how cruel Laila could be. She cast her eyes down, her mouth gone dry as her sister cut in. She wondered if she meant to be this way, or if she never quite learned how to be soft. Laila was not the child who grew up at the hands of their mother, she had learned boldness from their father. "I don't know," she said, her voice coming out as nothing but a whisper, like it was caught in her throat, a rasp. Her fingers reached up towards the locket, momentarily overwhelmed. She looked up, eyes crystalline. "Don't fight."

Laila: She snarled in response, "I'm trying to make sure that it doesn't happen again." The blonde cast her hand towards the locket. "Do you want her to continue thinking that a locket will keep her safe?" Laila's light eyes narrowed and she shoved her plate aside, finding that she no longer had an appetite, "Or are you stupid enough to believe it as well?"

Adelynn: A retort was on the tip of Adelynn’s tongue but the look on Pearl’s face made her stop. All her sister wanted was one dinner, one reunion without them being at each other’s throats and they couldn’t even manage that. “I don’t want to fight you, Laila. We’ll be more careful, okay? So can you just drop it? Mack did as much as she could to teach Pearl how to stay safe.”

Pearl: In her belly was a rot, a sour taste in her mouth. "Make sure it doesn't happen again?" Pearl repeated, following the words with a horrible little laugh, an ugly noise that sounded wrong coming from her. "You did this, Laila. Adie is right. It was your fault. You attacked the vampire, and in turn, it came for me." She intended her words to cut, and her mouth was cut in an ugly grimace, but from her eyes a sadness bled through. "Maybe if we wanted to truly be safe, we wouldn't need lockets or good luck charms or full moons." She stood, her chair scraping back behind her, hot tears brimming, collecting on the base of her long lashes. "We'd just need to be rid of you." Maybe she didn't mean it, loneliness haunted her in those years spent alone, loneliness might be worse than the danger that haunted her now.

Laila: "You don't know anything," Laila hissed. Her words were venomous, an ugly match for the ones that fell from her sweet baby sister's lips. She'd attacked a vampire that left her family for dead-- the retaliation had left even more destruction. The oldest Renaud stood, backing away from the spread of gleaming plates and warm food. It had all been too idyllic to be true, too perfect for someone like her. Laila was the piece that didn't fit, the devil's daughter with the blackened heart-- blue eyes flashed darkly. "You should bite her," she said to Adie now, moving for the door, "On the next moon. That's the only way to keep her safe."

Adelynn: Adelynn froze as the words left Pearl’s mouth, having never heard anything so scathing coming from her. It was true, in some ways, but Pearl had always kept her feelings in, a smile thoroughly plastered on her face. Seeing something get under her skin like this… Adelynn’s heart clenched. She was about to reach for her sister, comfort her in any way she could, when Laila suddenly got up and stormed towards the door, leaving the table with rather haunting words. “The last thing she needs is to be like us,” Adie muttered under her breath, sure that Laila could hear her. She got out of her seat and walked over to Pearl, kneeling in front of her and taking her hand. “Don’t listen to her, Pearl, nothing will happen to you.”

Pearl: She bit down hard, tears stubbornly tracing hot tracks down her cheeks, no matter how she willed them away. Laila got the last word, and watching her retreating back she could feel herself crumbling. Maybe she would end up begging to be bitten, to join them as wolves, any relief from the curse of her own body. It was as weak as her spirit, like a pillar of sugar and salt in an evening rain. Threading her hands through her hair, Pearl pushed the heel of her hands to her temples, standing up. She looked past Adie, ashamed at the outburst, hurt over how the night had unravelled. "Don't you see Adie? Everything already has happened." They were broken, the Renaud sisters did not function as a unit but as three lost souls, patched and mended in a hundred mismatched ways. She bent down, scooping up the kitten in one hand and headed to her room, the door locking behind her. She didn't need Adelynn to see her cry as well.

[miss-agent-e-15-jedi]

Chapter Five

As the snowspeeder was marshaled off the ground and toward the hangar exit, I watched with heavy heart as other pilots raced toward their ships. The light that shone through the exit was blinding as it reflected off the glistening snow; for a moment, I had to squint to see even though I had a protective visor over my helmet. Gradually I adjusted my vision to the brightness, and I was soon out of Echo Base, probably for the last time ever. Nearing the trench-filled battlefield, where hundreds of rebel soldiers stood by their dish-like ray guns and towers, I glanced out the windscreens on either side of the cockpit and saw that the establishment of my squadron was nearly complete. 

The scopes indicated the presence of imperial machines. A zoomed-in view revealed the machines to be a massive steel body mounted on four stilt legs with a small head-like protrusion in front.

Imperial All-Terrain Armored Transport Walkers.

I’d only heard stories about such awesome war machines existing, but now I was seeing them with my own eyes. Several red laser blasts streaked past me, making my heart skip a couple beats. The accelerator was pressed, and as I led the squadron further beyond the snowy field of soldiers beneath us, more energy bolts shot this way and that, and the AT-AT walkers gradually increased in size as we neared the horizon.

My palms sweated beneath my thick gloves as I squeezed the controls. I turned on the commlink and announced, “Echo Station Five-Seven, we’re on our way.”

I banked downwards at an angle, the rest of the fleet following behind me, and in a few seconds, we were racing towards the walkers full throttle. There were five of them altogether, and they were enormous by this point, much bigger than I could’ve possibly imagined. Flak bombarded me on all sides, but I had to ignore it and keep my focus on destroying those armored transports. The main controls had to be in the head, I reasoned, so I decided we should make that our primary target.

Turning on the commlink again, I said, “Alright, boys, keep tight now.”

My gunner suddenly spoke in the back seat. The eagerness that had been in his tone back at the base had been replaced by nerve-wracking uneasiness. “Luke, I have no approach vector,” he informed me. “I’m not set.”

I had nothing against Dack personally, but as Rogue Leader, I simply couldn’t stoop down to his level of anxiety.

“Steady, Dack,” I said, hoping to ease him a tiny bit. “Attack pattern delta. Go now!”

The instructions were carried out, and I lead a couple fighters away from one of the advancing walkers with a bank to the right, sending us into an attack formation. Bringing the craft around, I directed myself straight to one of the menacingly advancing war machines. I was certain that the perfect opportunity to fire at them would be here very soon.

“All right, I’m coming in,” I said, more to myself than to anyone else.

I darted toward one of them, sending my speeder into a dive that sent my stomach rising into my trachea. As I fired my blasters at the imperial nightmares, I veered the speeder through the legs of one of them, temporarily shaded from the sun beneath its underbelly. Yanking the joystick upward, I soared over another walker, firing more shots as I did so.

Glancing out the window, I sought Hobbie, another pilot that I’d befriended. My heart stopped for a second when I didn’t see the familiar markings of his ship.

“Hobbie, you still with me?” I called out.

As soon as I’d asked, Hobbie’s speeder raced by me, flying post haste toward the horizon. Sighing with relief, I turned around once more, my attention directed toward the AT-ATs. I fired a few times, striking the enormous metal hull, only to realize that the armor remained intact. Some of the bolts were directed toward the head, but also to no avail. I watched with helpless horror as the AT-AT shot down one of the speeders, sending it crashing into the snow in a ball of fire below.

Breathing hard, I quickly conjured up another plan for bringing those monsters down. Above all the flak and explosions around me, I announced, “That armor’s too strong for blasters!”

Banking away from the walker’s line of fire, I braced myself for another attack run as I instructed, “Rogue Group, use your harpoons and tow cables. Go for the legs. It might be our only chance of stopping them!”

I then turned my attention to my gunner. “Alright, stand by, Dack,” I said as calmly as I could manage.

His tone hadn’t changed a bit. “Luke, we’ve got a malfunction in fire control. I’ll have to cut in the auxiliary.”

That definitely didn’t sound good, but we would have to try anyways. The alliance was counting on us, and we couldn’t let a malfunction stop us from enabling all the personnel to escape. I hoped the auxiliary would be enough to make my plan go through.

We were nearing an AT-AT, and I was temporarily blinded by a bright explosion of energy bolts as the legs came closer in range.

“Just hang on!” I yelled above all the noise. “Hang on, Dack. Get ready to fire that tow cable.”

The target was so close now. Just one quick bank to the left and Dack would fire the cable. I gritted my teeth as the words Almost There slowly crescendoed in my head.

Almost…There!

An explosion and scream from the back seat shot me out of my concentration. There was an absence in the Force where Dack had just been a second ago. I turned the joystick hard to the left, sending my craft zooming through my target’s legs. Veering away from the walker. I craned my neck behind me.

“Dack?” I called. No answer. “DACK!”

My heart sank at the sight of blood streaming down my gunner’s face and his body slouched over the melted controls. The Force hadn’t lied—it never lies—so that absence that I’d felt hadn’t tricked me. Anger and grief began to swell inside me like a balloon. I turned my head back toward the windscreen, clenching my jaw and forcing a deep, laborious breath into my body. Briefly, I reflected on what Ben had told me about emotions—especially the ones I was experiencing at the moment—and how they lead to the dark side of the Force if they were not controlled. There was no time to dwell on my sorrows; we were in a war, and the lives of other rebels—and possibly other planetary systems—would be relying on me to keep the empire at bay for as long as possible.

Looking out the window to my left, the signal on another speeder rose up. 

“Rogue Three,” I called.

“Copy, Rogue Leader,” came the reply. I immediately recognized it as Wedge’s voice. I couldn’t help but cringe as I told him, “Wedge, I’ve lost my gunner. You’ll have to make this shot. I’ll cover for you.”

Moving in front of him, I prepared for another attack run toward the AT-ATs and continued, “Set your harpoon. Follow me on the next pass.”

Wedge answered, “Coming around, Rogue Leader.”

I hoped I’d be able to keep enough fire away from Wedge long enough to take down the monstrosity. As the four-legged war machine came closer in range, I watched as another T-47 raced by, getting a little cooked by the onslaught. I recognized the markings, and warned, “Steady, Rogue Two.”

I rounded the walker, banking hard to the right to make sure Wedge would have as much space as possible. I glanced at one of its hind legs, and a barely visible black line grew from the ankle as Wedge’s speeder flew around, gradually tying up the monstrosity. After his third rotation, the cable was released and Wedge raced toward the horizon.

I held my breath, dreading the possibility of the AT-AT breaking through the cable. One of the front legs moved forward, and it seemed like the cable would snap at any given moment. Suddenly, the head of the walker was lost beneath a cloud of snow, its front knees caved in, and its hindquarters pointed at the sky. A few seconds later, an explosion filled the area where the walker had been as the rest of the squadron fired their blasters at its neck. Pieces of debris and clouds of smoke filled the air. Triumph swelled in my chest. I could hardly believe my strategy had worked. There was definitely hope for taking down the rest of the AT-ATs.

“WHOOHA! THAT GOT HIM!” I heard Wedge exclaim over the commlink.

Keeping the celebration brief, I answered, “I see it Wedge. Good work!”

Hurrying toward the remaining AT-ATs, I glimpsed my friend Zev’s speeder to my left.

“Rogue Two, are you alright?” I asked.

Zev replied, “Yeah. I’m with you, Rogue Leader.”

“We’ll set harpoon. I’ll cover for you,” I told him kindly. I would do what I had done for Wedge, I thought, and once more I prayed that I would be enough of a distraction for the empire.

“Coming around,” said Zev.

“Watch that crossfire, boys,” I warned as I maneuvered in front of them.

“Set for position three,” Zev said, and we flew ourselves into the formation. We were nearing the walkers once more.

“Stay tight and low,” I instructed as the AT-AT’s fire increased.

 Suddenly the target was in range. “This is it!” I yelled.

An earsplitting explosion drowned out my shout, and I felt blank space in the Force where Zev had been less than a second ago. My insides churned at the loss of another friend. Painfully swallowing my grief, I moved to the side, hoping to get out of the line of fire coming from the trekking monstrosities. Too late; I felt the whole ship tremor as flak burst all around me. My vision became obscured by black, suffocating smoke and electrical sparks zapped the interior of the cockpit. I frantically ran my hands over the controls as the speeder went into a nosedive.

I switched on the commlink. “Hobbie!” I cried out, coughing. “I’ve been hit!”

No answer. I braced myself for the impact, waiting for the inevitable explosion that would mean the end of me. I squeezed my eyes shut as the front of the ship buried itself into the snow. The only thing that prevented me from being flung through the cockpit window was the endurance of my thin seatbelt. Hurriedly unfastening it, I shoved the hatch open and scrambled out. The ground shook beneath me as another AT-AT lumbered closer and closer to me with each thundering step. Glancing at it for a split second, I suddenly had an idea. Reaching back into my battered speeder, I found a landmine and cable gun.

Another ground-shaking step warned me that I was running out of time. Desperately I tried to yank my gunner out of the back seat. I hoped I’d be able to at least bring his body back to his family so that he could have a proper funeral as soon as the battle was over. Unfortunately, he was too far in the back of the ship and strapped in too tightly. I looked up, and the sky had become gray and metal. My face contacted the snow as I leapt out of the way just in time.

I didn’t need to look to know what the scene was before me. I kept my face buried as the image filled my head: the imperial walker’s foot on my wrecked speeder with Dack still trapped inside.

Dack.

I forced my neck to crane up, clutching at the landmine and cable gun in my hand. Seeing the AT-AT that had crushed my speeder replaced my grief with anger, anger at the empire, at the loss of friends, loss of my family…

Suddenly I began to run towards the walker, the fire of rage gnawing at my heart. Feeling the supplies in my hands, I hoped my simple idea would take down another one of those monsters.

For Dack! I told myself furiously. For Zev! For Biggs! For Ben! For my aunt and uncle! FOR THE WHOLE GALAXY!

Stay tuned for Chapter Six! 

[aleinnilatibae]

Atop the Billboard, chapter 2

(chapter 1 here, AO3 link here)

In which Robbie gets stuck on the billboard again, and also some Distress happens.

                Robbie was rudely awakened the next afternoon by a loud BANG!  Momentarily disoriented by the sound, he sat straight up. “What? Buh? Huh?” he garbled, looking left, right, left. He blinked a few times, and rubbed his eyes.  "That is the sound of a rubber ball hitting a shed wall,“ he observed blearily. Oh, that’s right. He was in the shed, in his fuzzy orange sleeping bag.

                "Now why did I come out here?” He asked himself, and that triggered his memory. Eggs. Stink. Billboard. Sportacus saving him…

                Sportacus TALKING to him.  He couldn’t even REMEMBER the last time they had just had a normal conversation, like the one last night.  Usually he was too embarrassed to stick around after he was unmasked,  and it’s not like they were on speaking terms generally.  They were hero and villain, and they stuck to their roles most of the time.

                Didn’t stop Robbie from having a crush on him, though.

                “Yuck,” he gagged.  He felt a little sick whenever he was forced to acknowledge that. It was embarrassing! He was the VILLAIN. And yet…every time Sportacus was nice to him, he felt a twinge in his midsection.   But nobody EVER had to know about THAT. He had those feelings locked RIGHT up.

                Except talking to him last night, had really…STIRRED up those feelings, making it feel like he had restless bees swarming around in his midsection. So he had to admit…

                “It was uh, nice…to talk,” he mused. “But oh, how humiliating to be carried down the ladder like a baby!” He moaned, kicking off the sleeping bag with some difficulty, and then kicking it into a corner of the shed. “Whatever. Good thing that’s over,” he smiled, and wiped his hands of imaginary dust.  “I’m definitely not going back up THERE again.”

---

                “I….” Robbie sighed deeply, steepling his fingers together. “I set a…battery powered robot loose.”

                Sportacus sat down next to him on the sign. “You what?”

                “Well I HAD a battery powered vaccuum,” Robbie held up one hand,  “And I had a few spare kits from the Metal Monster Jaws company,” he held up the other, “now tell me WHAT was I SUPPOSED to do but COMBINE THEM??” Robbie smashed his hands together haphazardly, which was a not inaccurate demonstration of the process.  He let his hands fall to his lap. 

                “I don’t know, Robbie.  I guess that is the only logical next step, ” Sportacus said, eyes sparkling with mirth. Was Sportacus LAUGHING at his SUFFERING??

                “It has FOUR SETS of gnashing teeth! I got scared!” Robbie said defensively.  "I’m waiting til it runs out of battery!“ He gulped, and hugged himself. "Even though I REALLY do not like it up here.”

                “At least the moon is nice,” Sportacus said.

                “Yes, yes it is,” Robbie said, fixing his eyes on that instead of the 22 foot drop below.  With that, he felt a little more relaxed.

                “If you are in a situation that really frightens you, sometimes it is better to focus on what’s good about it, rather than the fear, ” Sportacus said.

                Robbie gasped.  Tricked! Into panicking less!

                “You…REALLY take this hero thing VERY seriously, don’t you?” Robbie said, looking at Sportacus now. “Even helping ME, the VILLAIN.”

                Sportacus just smiled and nodded. “Everybody needs help.”

                “But this could be your chance to get one-up on me! Get revenge for all of my schemes!” He dimly thought that maybe he shouldn’t give him any IDEAS, but…Sportacus never DID any DEFEATING! It was so confusing! He would save everyone from a scheme gone haywire but…he let Robbie get off scot-free every time.

                 "Robbie, I’m everyone’s hero!“ he declared, holding his arms out as if presenting himself. "Including you,” he said, clapping him hard on the back.

                Too hard–Robbie could feel himself slipping.

                “HELP!” he screamed, as his behind lost traction with the sign.  He felt the sick, lurching feeling of gravity acting on the pit of his stomach, and worse-complete and total helplessness.  He could only squeeze his eyes shut as he plummeted toward his own demise, then-

                -he stopped.  A strong arm had caught his own, suspending him awkwardly like a rag doll.  He chanced one eye open, then the other. He was alive! He looked up to see Sportacus, breathing heavily, the other arm hooked around a ladder rung. “I got you,” he was mumbling. “I got you."  He pulled him up with a single bicep curl to standing position on the sign. 

                "I am so, so sorry,” he said, still holding his arm for stability. “I almost killed you.”

                Robbie’s vision was swimming, he felt woozy from the aftermath of the sheer terror he had just experienced. 

                “Just-please-get me down,” he managed.

                “Hold onto me,” Sportacus offered, pointing to his back.  Robbie uh…“climbed aboard,” and they descended the ladder, a trembling Robbie clinging tightly to him like a koala, face buried in his neck so he didn’t have to look at the ground.

At least he doesn’t SMELL like fruit,  Robbie thought dimly.

“We’re here,” Sportacus said gently, and only then did Robbie let go and find his wobbly feet on blessedly solid ground. 

“Again, I’m so sorry to have put you in danger,” Sportacus said, looking…sad? Upset? Robbie didn’t really care at the moment, but it was different than usual.  “You sure you’re okay?”

Robbie’s mouth was dry, heart beating HARD in his chest, he swallowed with great difficulty.

“I’m fine,” he panted.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes, now go away,” he said, shooing him off.

Sportacus hesitated, then climbed back up the ladder–but not without a backward glance or two.

Once the ladder had ascended too, Robbie sat right on the ground, his panicked breaths rushing free now that he was alone.  He spent some time trying to hyperventilate a little bit slower, get the oxygen to stay in his brain so he could process what happened instead of reliving the feelings over and over.  That was his absolute worst nightmare, being pushed off the sign.  And it had happened.  Thankfully he was ALIVE, due to Sportacus’ fast reflexes, but it was also due to Sportacus that he fell off in the first place!

“God damn it!” he swore, getting up to pace. “How am I supposed to FEEL about this??”

He stopped as an idea struck him. “Maybe…maybe I’ll hate Sportacus for real this time?” he asked himself, tapping his chin with a finger in thought.  "No, no, that didn’t work. I still…“ he couldn’t say it out loud.  He did feel upset! Because of the horrifying thing that just happened! But it killed neither him nor his crush on that blue kangaroo!

"One thing is for certain,” he growled, “I am NEVER.  EVER climbing that thing again.”

 ---

The  first thing he did when he woke up the next day, was make a decision.

“I am going to STAY. DOWN. HERE,” he announced to no one,  "Where I don’t have to SEE anyone or TALK TO anyone or…DO ANYTHING!“ he yelled.

"And nobody can stop me,” he said, satisfied.  He leaned back in his chair and intended on sleeping again.

But, his stomach chose that exact moment to cramp, painfully. He popped his eyes open and grabbed at it, looking down.  How long had it been since he had a good meal? How long had it been since he had gone to the STORE?

He looked to the ceiling, and counted back the days in his head.

Both of those things had been since…before the Egg Incident.

“Is that REALLY how long it’s been since I’ve been to the store?” he gasped. “Time flies when you’re evil, I guess…and eating cake mix for every meal,” he said, looking down as his stomach made more angry noises. “Ohh,” he gasped, “An omelet sounds SO GOOD right about now.  Maybe, I can sneak to the grocery store and buy some more eggs!" 

                His lip curled. "I really don’t feel like going up there today though. I REALLY don’t."   He was still feeling the aftermath of his brush with death from the night previous, and he would love to just…sit down and ignore the world for a while.  But, his stomach decided that was the right moment to give him a sickening hunger pang that almost made him double over. That was a bad sign. "It looks like YOU’RE not giving me any CHOICE,” he told it. He sighed deeply. He knew what had to be done.

                “Well,” he said, laboriously standing up, “If anything WEIRD happens today, I’m blaming YOU.”

                He froze.  “I’m talking to my STOMACH,” he realized, grimacing. “I really DO need some food.”

                Rising up into the bright sunlight was just another onslaught to his senses.  Ohh, he was THIS close to becoming completely overwhelmed,  the hunger and the irritability were putting him on thin ice. He took a deep breath, and put on his best villain stride, furrowing his brows.  Maybe nobody would bother him if he looked angry enough.

                His strategy worked well for almost the whole way to the grocery store. Probably because he didn’t see anyone. When he rounded the strange, standalone section of wall that honestly had no purpose, (seriously why was it there?) there was the grocery store! He was so close! But there was also a VERY LOUD soccer game going on that he would HAVE to pass to get there.  He looked at the store and the game, back and forth, back and forth, calculating. Was it worth it?  “I must do it,” he said, steeling himself.  His stomach growled in agreement.  So he furrowed his eyebrows a little more, and strode on.

                He was JUST passing the soccer game when heard from behind him what sounded like someone stomping. Or-or jumping, with both feet-

                “Oh no,” he said to himself. He turned around to see Sportacus flipping right toward him.  Caught like a deer in the headlights, he searched for a place to hide…

                “Robbie!” he called.  Fear gripped his heart. Too late!

                His next course of action was to ignore him and continue on, a plan which Sportacus ruined by doing a double backflip DIRECTLY OVER HIS HEAD and landing right in front of him.

                Robbie stiffened and stopped in his tracks, letting out a little “eep!”

                “H-how are you, Robbie?” Sportacus asked.

                PLEASE. NOT. NOW. “Don’t talk to me, Sportaflop. I’m only up here because I need food. NOT to play with the little brats,” he gestured at the soccer game.

                Sportacus nervously fidgeted. “There is something I need to say to you.”

                “Whatever it IS, I’m SURE it can wait until TOMORROW,” Robbie said, irritably.  He needed to get out of there, and FAST. Every sound from that godforsaken game was POUNDING in his ears. He winced as the Pink One started to scream and cheer. Nope. Time to go. He started walking away.

                “No, Robbie,” Sportacus said, catching his arm.

                RED ALERT. DO NOT GRAB ROBBIE ROTTEN WHEN HE IS ON EDGE. “Let go of me!” he snarled, and wrenched his arm from his grasp, finally looking Sportaflop in the face.  Oh, heaven help him, Sportacus looked DISTRAUGHT. He was NEVER this upset when Robbie was rude to him before, what could he POSSIBLY want to say?  But the emotions on Sportacus’ face were spilling into Robbie, and it was making him wobble on the edge of a meltdown. “T-talk to me later,” Robbie said, attempting an apologetic tone as he sprinted off, tears starting to pour as he ran.

                He ducked behind a house and sat against the cold brick, head in his knees, sobbing.  Too bright, too loud, too noisy too…MUCH!  He tightly grabbed around his own legs as he tried to control his sobs, but he knew in the back of his mind that they would come and go as they liked. At least the cool of the shade and the relative quiet were soothing, in comparison to everything that came before.

                Even when his sobs subsided, he still kept his face planted into his own knees. Moving was simply out of the question, so he just…stayed there. Sitting on the cool grass, back against the rough brick, head against his uncomfortably bony knees. He had no idea how long he had been in that position, but it was absolutely long enough to regret it later when he heard a familiar voice.

“Robbie Rotten?”

He snapped his head up, and his neck and back protested angrily.

“OW!” he exclaimed, his stiff neck and back freezing in position. “Go away kid,” he gasped in pain. Not very effective.

Stephanie didn’t move.  "Are you okay?“

"I’m fine,” he said, trying to force a smile through the pain. He must look like a mess, sitting in the dirt, tear tracks on his face, shoulders raised involuntarily to his ears.

Her eyes narrowed. “Are your shoulders SUPPOSED to be like that?”

“Yes, it’s the…new style.  Quite relaxing,” he strained, giving another grimace-smile.

Stephanie went closer to him.

“You LOOK like you were CRYING,” She observed.

WHY are kids LIKE THIS?? “Thanks for NOTICING,” Robbie snarled.  Maybe if he was MEAN, she would go AWAY.

But Stephanie only nodded sympathetically. “Once, I sat in bed for two whole days.  Then when I got up, moving hurt SO BAD that I started crying too.  Sportacus had to help me get flexible enough to dance again!”

“I swear if you call Sportaflop right now I’ll-”

“Don’t worry. I got this,” she said, rubbing her hands together with a downright DEVILISH look in her eye.

“No, no,”  he said, laboriously, and far too slowly, finding his way to his feet. “No way, Pink Girl. On second thought, Sportacus sounds like a GREAT op-” he froze midsentence, as she was not in front of him anymore. “Where’d she go?” he asked nervously.

The answer turned out to be, behind him.

“AAGH!” he cried as she wedged her tiny fist into the base of his spine.

“Kid, kid, have mercy, you’re gonna damage my-UUGH!!” he cried again as she JUMPED ON HIS BACK and stabbed what felt like a knuckle inbetween two of his shoulder muscles.

“Don’t worry Robbie, I do this to my uncle all the time!” she reassured him, as she attacked his other shoulder.

“Get off me, child!” he commanded, but she did not listen.

“Relax, Robbie!” she said in return, before shoving an elbow into the side of his neck.

“Re-LAX?!” he squeaked as she continued on her quest to cleave every muscle from his bones.  “I am NOT-UGH!-A-HRK!-T-BONE-AAHAH!-STEAK!” he protested, punctuated by his involuntary reactions to particularly SHARP jabs to his body.  Good LORD this kid was absolutely RELENTLESS.

This is how I die, he thought numbly.  Killed by the Pink One, and her amateur chiropractics.

Something cracked, very loudly, and she  jumped off of her own accord.

“All done!” She squealed, clearly very proud of herself.

He whirled around and pointed at her. “Oh, NOW you’re done?? Now that you’ve completely DESTROYED my body, NOW you’re DO-” he cut himself off as he realized something.  He was wildly gesticulating, pointing…without any pain at all.  His mouth dropped open. He wiggled his shoulders.  He moved his head around.  He moved one arm in a circle, and then the other.

“You-” he said, pointing as if he was going to continue yelling at her, but he just…couldn’t do it. “You should REALLY, REALLY, get LICENSED, before trying that kind of STUNT again,” Robbie said, a bit lamely.  Because she DID help him.  But, it would be irresponsible to…encourage her, lest she become some sort of chiropractic mini-vigilante who jumped on the backs of unsuspecting adults.

“You’re welcome, Robbie!” She beamed, and skipped off without another word.

He stood there, in the alleyway, for a little while longer.  “Why do these things always happen to ME?” he asked the universe.

The universe had no answer.  So he just sighed, and walked the rest of the way to the grocery store. That was what he came up here to do, and by god, he was going to accomplish that goal today.

Arriving back home with his hard-earned groceries, WITHOUT any more surprise attacks from children or superheroes, he breathed a sigh of relief.

“TOO MANY THINGS happened today,” he announced to his lair.  “First order of business: MAKE an OMELET!”

 Eggs, diced onions, and cheese.  “That’s all an omelet should EVER be,” he grumbled as it fried, inspecting it for doneness.  When it was finished, he didn’t bother with a plate.  He took the entire pan with him to his chair, settling in amongst the soft fibers, and placed it on his lap.

Big mistake.

“AAAHHH!” he screamed, picking up the searing hot pan from his lap in a flash. “Ugh, it was JUST on the STOVE, Robbie!” he scolded himself. “HOW could you FORGET that the STOVE is HOT??”

He sighed. “And why do I keep getting HURT when eggs are involved?” he lamented.  He rocked once, twice, three times, until the momentum from the chair carried him up to his feet.  Grumbling, he went back into the kitchen to get an actual plate.

When finally, FINALLY, he was safely in his chair with his food and without any more…hazards around, he put the first bite in his mouth.

BLISS.

Oh, the flavors were perfect.  He knew that not everybody liked omelets like this, but did he look like a caterer? No. He was a caterer for one: Robbie Rotten.

And his single customer was EXTREMELY satisfied.

“Ahh,” he sighed, contented. “Problem solved.” he leaned back into his chair with a smile, closing his eyes.

Onto problem two: Guilt.

His eyes popped open.

“Guilt?” he spat, like the word tasted disgusting. “Really?”

But yes, as much as he didn’t want to believe it, he was feeling guilty about snapping at Sportacus.

“Why SHOULD I feel guilty?” he asked himself. “I’ve done far worse to him before! I’m supposed to be bad anyway! WHY am I feeling-” he cut himself off with a gasp as the answer occured to him.

“Everything I’ve done,” he said slowly,  "All of my schemes against him…he has never looked that SAD before,“ Robbie said. He closed his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh.  "Oh, I’ve got to at least EXPLAIN myself somehow…”

But he couldn’t figure out quite HOW.  It was never the right TIME. When would he do it, anyway? He couldn’t exactly do it in disguise, and he certainly wasn’t going to let the KIDS overhear him, he had a REPUTATION to uphold. So he went on as normal for a few more days, a few more schemes, trying to find the right time.  There was a tension in the air, Sportacus seemed a little less…enthusiastic, than usual, in dealing with his plans. And with each day that went on, the guilt ate at Robbie more and more, and the harder he tried to find a way to talk to him with no one else around. But the more he tried, the more it seemed like Sportacus was AVOIDING him, he kept flipping away into his ship as soon as the problem was solved!  How was he supposed to explain himself NOW??

The answer ended up coming to him when he was least expecting it: during another chaotic night in the lab.

---

“Carefully…” Robbie was muttering, using an eyedropper to transfer an extremely volatile substance into an even MORE volatile substance that would, theoretically, make a somewhat stable smoke bomb.

“Carefully…” he said again, tongue between his teeth, one eye closed as he squeezed a single drop into the flask. “Last…drop…” he said through gritted teeth, trying to calm his shaky fingers.

And then he sneezed.

BOOM! The entire lair was filled with purple smoke in a matter of seconds.  Robbie coughed and tried to wave it from his face, but there was ENTIRELY too much of it for that now. “C-can’t-breathe-” he spluttered, but realized that monologuing was not worth the precious oxygen.  That he was rapidly losing. He had a gas mask somewhere, where was it?! Where was it?!?!  All he could see was PURPLE!! He felt around for one of the most likely piles, metal pieces clanging to the ground as he dislodged them in his search.

It was taking too long.  His eyes were stinging, he could see spots at the edges of his vision, and his body was physically rejecting the attempts to breathe in any more of the smoke. He needed to get OUT of there or he was going to DIE. He mercifully found the first rung of the ladder by touch, and started the climb.

Somehow, possibly just through muscle memory alone, he made it up and out.  He coughed until his throat was raw, gulping in deep breaths of night air and hanging onto the light fixture as tightly as possible.

Wait. Light fixture?

“UUUUUUUUGHHH!!!” he drew out his groan in frustration. “I didn’t want to end up HERE!!”

He crossed his arms and huffed, because sure enough, he was sitting atop the billboard.  AGAIN.

“Well, I’ll just have to wait for Sportakook to descend from the heavens and-”

He gasped. “Oh no!” he looked around. “Sportacus has been avoiding me! What if he doesn’t COME this time??” He bit his fingernails on the hand not grasping his anchor, anxiously watching the sky.

That thought was SORT OF on his mind every time he was in trouble, and he had been proved wrong every time, but still-

THUNK.  The unfolded ladder hit the billboard right next to him, and he exhaled a HUGE sigh of relief as the hero climbed down to his level.

“Robbie,” Sportacus said, a note of surprise in his voice. “I’m surprised to see you back up here after…”

“Don’t remind me,” Robbie said tersely, kicking his feet against the billboard.

They sat in silence, and Robbie sneaked a glance at Sportacus.  He still looked…down in the dumps.

“I understand that you don’t want to talk to me,” Sportacus said, quietly. “But…I still need to tell you something.”

Don’t WANT to?? Oh no, that was very, VERY wrong.  This is your chance Robbie! Take it!

“Uhm,” Robbie said, looking around for cues. He hadn’t planned for this in advance. Time to improvise!  "You know that I can be mean, cranky, and irritable.“  What an OPENER, Robbie Rotten. Bravo.  "When you tried to talk to me before,” he stopped, took a comically deep breath and barrelled on, “Four days ago, the-the bright sunlight-” he screwed up his face, “-and the loud children-” he made high pitched mocking noises imitating their voices, “-and I was just…SO HUNGRY.” he groaned, grabbing his stomach. Sportacus looked confused still. “And then you grabbed me and it was all…too much.  I simply COULDN’T take it,” he said, grimacing at the awful memory. 

“But look around,” he continued, actually grinning now. “No sun, no kids, and NO. NOISE.  Tell me what you wanted to say.”

Sportacus’ face changed from entirely upset to…something else.  Understanding? “Thank you for explaining,” he said, nodding.  “And what I wanted to say was…I’m sorry.”

Robbie was taken aback.

“For what?”

“You know, about the last time we were up here,” Sportacus said, gesturing around. He paused for a moment, pursed his lips, and continued on.  "I, as a hero, am supposed to keep people from danger, not cause it. I’m…I’m sorry I failed you.“  His face looked the same as it did that night, which Robbie was clear-headed enough now to see that-

He was VISIBLY upset. Possibly on the verge of tears?? Robbie again felt the urge to flee, yet there was nowhere to go. He’d have to face this.  Quick, how does Sportacus make people feel better, think! Think!

"Hey, uh, it’s okay!” Robbie said, smiling wide. “I didn’t die so…it’s fine!” he said, putting two thumbs up. Sportacus managed a half-hearted smile.  Good, good, it’s working!

“But you COULD have.  And that…is unacceptable for a hero.  I hope you can forgive me,” Sportacus said, a bit thickly.  He wiped at his eye, and Robbie went wide-eyed.  if Sportacus started crying right now he would NOT know how to deal with it. His whole world might come crashing down. Try again, Robbie!

“Pah, what’s to forgive?” Robbie scoffed, trying to bring back a little lightheartedness to the hero.  “You HAVE to get me back for all I’ve done SOMEHOW! What’s a little terror between friends, eh?” he bumped him with his elbow.

Sportacus didn’t budge, and he didn’t say anything either.  He was just looking down at his own legs. Robbie sighed.

“Ugh, Sportacus, look.  You might have…pushed me off this sign, which is my, uh, NUMBER ONE fear, but-” Sportacus clapped a hand to his mouth in horror.  Oh, Robbie, you HUMAN DISASTER. Get to the point!  “But-did I even get hurt? No! Not a scratch,” he said, fake-examining his body. “Ta-da!!” he presented.

Sportacus was looking at him intently.  Did that mean he was considering what Robbie was saying?  A good sign! Keep going!

“Even after all I’ve done-or tried to do-to you, you still did your little hero thing-” he wiggled his fingers for emphasis,  “-and saved me. So, you made up for it by…doing that.  And I…forgive you and everything,” he mumbled.

Sportacus blinked several times. “Thank you, Robbie.”

“Whatever,” he said gruffly.

Sportacus wiped at his eye again, and then shook himself out of the fog, giving Robbie a real smile.  Robbie gave a forced smile in return. Thank goodness, he seemed to be back to his old self. It worked!

“Anyway. What’s the trouble tonight?” Sportacus asked, in a much cheerier voice.

“What? Oh, yeah,” Robbie said.  He had forgotten momentarily the reason why he had run up there in the first place.“There’s a whole bunch of smoke down in my lair.  So thick I couldn’t find my gas mask.  So up I went.”

“No wonder my crystal went off. Your lair sounds VERY dangerous, Robbie.”

Robbie considered. “It is. But, I accept the risks of the job, so I can come up with MORE villainous contraptions!!"  he let out a villainous laugh. Sportacus just smiled.

"Well, be careful.  Your wellbeing is important to me, you know.”

“I-” Robbie sputtered, heart beating faster. “Th-thanks?”

“You’re welcome,” Sportacus said, jumping up and bringing his fists to his hips. “Now, let’s get down from here."  Robbie knew what to do.  He climbed onto Sportacus’ back, piggyback style, and held on tight the entire way down. 

(In a small part that Robbie didn’t like to acknowledge existed, he thought that holding onto him like this was REALLY NICE.)

Sportacus put him down on the solid ground with a "Good luck with your lair, Robbie,” and then skipped to his ladder, scaling it lightning fast.

Robbie watched him climb up, and then watched the ladder disappear into the clouds.  He sighed. He actually, really…LIKED watching Sportacus perform his feats of acrobatics.  Not that he would ever TELL him that. 

“UGH! I could have told him to leave TOWN to make up for almost killing me!” He thunked himself on the head with his open palm.  “Robbie, you really ARE a big softie,” he grumbled, as he stalked back over to the entrance.

“Now,” he said, rubbing his hands together and grabbing the latch, “Let’s see if things have cleared up down there." 

FWOOSH. What must have been a cloud’s worth of thick purple smoke flew upward out of the entrance hatch, right into Robbie’s face, and upward toward the sky. 

"No. No they have NOT,” he observed, blinking a couple times.  "I think I will…let that AIR OUT a little,“ Robbie decided, making a 180 away from his mildly smoking abode and heading back toward the shed.

He was still giddy about his talk with Sportacus.  He thought it was going to go disastrously, but somehow, he had HELPED him. ROBBIE ROTTEN had somehow HELPED the HERO. "That might have been the only plan of mine that ever worked!” He said happily, but immediately soured.  “Oh boy. THAT might have been my ONLY plan that EVER WORKED,” he said, grimacing.  He sighed. “Oh, Sportacus,” he said, settling into his sleeping bag.  “What am I gonna do with you?”

[lalast0ne]

New Management

Wilder

*I walked into the club, an uneasy feeling settling in my mind but I pushed it to the back. Today was a new day. Jessie was gone from here and my sight. New staff was coming on board…..well once I forced Salem’s hand and refused to take no for an answer. I flipped on the lights and stalked over to the bar, pulling the best bottle of whiskey from behind the counter. Three glasses lined up and poured each one full. Layla would give me that look for using the best whiskey but this was a celebration. Gone was the skank ass who was single handedly out to ruin what we had built. Gone we’re all the other employees who had taken part in her sex shit and drugs. I grabbed another two glasses and poured them full. One for Chris and the other for the new assistant manager. I smirked at the thought of Ruby’s face when she realizes I stole him out from under her. Nothing like a little payback for my sister in law for annoying me with all her texts and “planning”. I pulled off the perfect wedding right from her under her nose as well. I drink half my glass of whiskey and fill it up again, waiting for my wife to make an appearance. On cue, she walks through the door, high heels on and donuts in hand.* Fashionably late as always Little Ball of Fire.

Layla

*I’m sure many of our employees think it’s strange that Wilder and I work together, live together .. we’re married, yet we come to work in different cars. The reasoning is simple … when we are here together it’s never usually for very long. He’s always off on business and my impatience has me point blank refusing to stay later waiting for my husband to come and get me. I plaster a smile across my face and wave the donuts in my hand.* You know my husband, I like to make an entrance. *I lean in to kiss you when I’m close enough.* And I just love to keep you on your toes. *I lay the box on the bar, my eyes averting to the glasses lined up and extremely full of whiskey. Of course it’s not just any whiskey, it’s the clubs finest. I lock eyes with my husband who gives me a full on grin as I shake my jacket from my shoulders and take my seat. My hand reaches for the glass and I take a sip, smirking when I see your eyebrow raise in surprise. I should feel easier, more relaxed, but I couldn’t. The repercussions of all the shit Jessie had been up to was weighing heavily on my mind and as much as I wanted to believe she was gone, I had a strong suspicion that yesterday wasn’t the last time we’d see her. I check my watch and grin over at you* But as you and I are the only one’s here I’m beginning to think I’m not actually late. Where are they?

Wilder

*I tap your nose, grinning as I open the box of donuts.* No you are late. I said to be here at 11:00. They will be here at 11:30. You have 5 minutes to spare. *I scoff down the donut in two bites, grabbing for another one.* Time to relax baby girl. Today starts a new era for The Steele Cage. One Salem as manger and one Bradley…..*I lean across the bar, my voice low.* Is he gay? Not that it matters but he loves to wear pink. Was that a requirement of Ruby’s? We need to get him some black clothing. He will fit right in. *I laugh and grab for one more donut as you pull the box away from my reach.* Someone is looking to add up infractions again I see.

Layla

You mean .. you lied to me about the meeting time? *I blink several times feigning mock hurt then grin.* Very clever husband. *I look down at the box of sweet treats, trying to make my decision in the time it takes you to take one then another, downing each donut in two bites. I laugh as you turn the conversation to Bradley. While I was manager at The Gentlemans’ Club he was by far my favorite bartender. He had a way with the clients like no one else but kept it extremely professional 99% of the time. I look up from the box, letting my indecisive nature win out and sit back, pushing the box out of reach when you go in for a third.* Save some for the others. I’ve got you your own little box in the car. *I give you a wink and lean forward to kiss you.* And as for Bradley, he’s as gay as I’m straight. He likes bearded men with a mean streak … so you best watch your rear. *I laugh hard just as the door opens and several pairs of footsteps walk across the floor.* Speak of the devil and he does appear!

Wilder

If he touches my ass, I will slice him. *Growling as I grab another donut when you turn around, polishing it off just as you look back at me.* Delores only gets away with it because she provides baked goods. *I round the bar and shake Bradley’s hand as he makes a beeline to you, Salem coming into the club a few minutes later. I grab the glass of whiskey I had poured for her, holding it out. She gives me one look and folds her arms across her chest.* What? I’m being nice. Take the damn drink.

Layla

Don’t worry handsome. He know’s you’re VERY taken. *I give a little squeal as Bradley clock me and smiles, just as I’m about to go in for the hug you cut across and shake his hand, instead I turn my attention to Chris, pointing at the donuts then wave at Salem as she comes thru the door. For someone who claims to not be a morning person, she’s always looks surprisingly pulled together and presentable. Only when your attention turns to Salem, do I go to Bradley. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I pull him in for a tight hug.* Thank you so much for agreeing to come and work with us. I know you’ll be so amazing! *I laugh as he pulls back and eyes you.*

“You’re husband made it worth my while. Even all the shit your sister gave me wasn’t going to change my mind. I’ve heard all about this place and the fact I get to come and work here wasn’t an offer I was about to pass up.”

*I hug into his side and then pull away, pointing to the bar where his drink remains.* That’s yours. We’re definitely celebrating this morning. *I look over to where Salem stands with a drink in hand, totally unsure about what is actually happening right now then move to stand in front of you, my back to your chest with one hand wrapped around my own glass and the other resting against your thigh, giving a little squeeze as I look up at you.* So, shall we fill these people in on why we’ve dragged them over here today?

Wilder

*I snake my arm around your waist, holding you against my body. Chris steals the donuts and bottle of whiskey as I tag him in the back of his head.* Thief! *He laughs and leaves us to tend to the business at hand.* Well I will get this little meeting started. Salem as you know Jessie is no longer employed here. Please hold your excitement until the end. *I laugh as she has to contain her excitement.* Bradley comes from Layla’s old stomping ground and is our new assistant manager. I may even let him work behind the bar. *I grab your glass and down the last of the whiskey.* Which makes you our new manager. Congratulations on your new job. No is not an option.

Layla

*My glass disappears from my hand just as I’m about to raise it to my lips. I’m not a whiskey lover but even I can appreciate the good stuff. No such luck. I look up at you as the contents of my glass are drained then turn my attention back to Salem.* As he just said “No” is not an option but I’d much prefer it if you actually agreed to do the job because you wanted too. *I smile as the blonde stands there looking between all 3 of us in disbelief, like one of us is going to announce that we’re only joking at any minute.*

“Are you serious? You want me?”

*We both nod, confirming it and Salem begins nodding with us.* Like Wilder said, Bradley comes from my Dads club. He knows how I like to do things and is on board with whatever this one has told him, so you guys will work well together. And the thing for us is that we know we can trust you both! *I look up at you then back to Salem.* So, is that a yes? You’ll do it?

Wilder

*Bradley nods like a bobble head, making hands in front of his chest, praying she says yes. I cock my brow as I watch him, laughing to myself.* She will say yes. *Salem spits out YES at the same time I finish my sentence and then launches herself at us.* My laughter booms through the club as Bradley joins in the most awkward group hug ever and grabs my ass.* Dude, I will fire your ass before you even start. *He gives me a wink and laughs more.* Welcome to management Salem. You are the pain in the ass like my Little Ball of Fire. Showed up in my town and will not leave. I’m about the erect a sign that says “no strays allowed.”

Layla

*I laugh so hard when I hear your exchange with Bradley and watch as he winks at you. The weight I’d been feeling on my shoulders for the last 24 hours eases slightly and I relax a little. As the hug breaks, my arm remains draped over Salem’s shoulder, both of us turning to look at you wearing equal smiles.* You wouldn’t have your town without either of us Mr. Steele, admit it.

Wilder

*Shaking my head, a smirk playing on my lips.* Some days it is debatable depending on how much trouble either or both of you are causing. *I turn back to pour us fresh drinks, Chris joining us again. He hands Salem and Bradley both folders. All locks have been changed along with security codes. Only the five of us will know it. *I nod to Salem.* Your contract is in there along with new salary. You will get your offices tomorrow. One is still being fumigated. Until then, you can both duke it out for the bar. *Bradley makes a move for the VIP bar and I laugh. Finally, it feels like our club is back to normal and running the way it should have been from the start. One bad decision hopefully gone from here…..but nothing really leaves forever.*

Layla

*I turn back to you as our new management team disappear into the VIP area. Your eyes are fixed ahead and I watch as your expression changes ever so slightly, as though you’re thinking about something. My hand goes to your chest and you quickly compose yourself, as if you’d momentarily spaced out, forgetting that I was even here.* It might take a while, but I know with those two on board, working with us, this place will get straightened out in no time. *I smile encouragingly at you, more to convince myself that my error in judgement wont completely destroy the reputation of our business.*

Wilder

It’s in the right hands now. *I pull you into my body, leaning down and drag my teeth along your neck. My voice is low as I speak.* Kingston has gone to Jessie’s place and found everything she took from us. It should be at our house when we get there and hopefully this will be the last time we ever have to deal or say her name again. I want her gone from my memory.

Layla

Who? *I smirk up at you, deciding now is a good time to change the subject and refusing to let my mood bring your positive one down. I never doubted for one second that you wouldn’t already have the situation in hand, one way or another. It’s just another reason to add to the ever growing list of reasons I love you so much. As I tip my head, savoring the feel of your lips on my sensitive skin, my eyes fall on the near empty box of donuts and I inwardly laugh to myself.* Do you realise how indebted we’re going to be to my sister? She’s totally going to milk this entire situation. Maybe I’ll take that box of donuts in my car to her instead.

Wilder

*I growl against your neck when you make the crazy suggestion of taking MY box of donuts to your sister.* Indebted? We owe her nothing. This is payback for those million texts she tortured me with. We should have eloped and she would still have Bradley as her employee. She brought this on herself. Next time she will toe the line.

Layla

I’ll remind you of that when she’s on our case every day .. reminding us how she’s down a manager. *I flutter my lashes at you, smirking.* All because you wouldn’t give up your box of donuts. *I raise my hand to my face and tap my chin.* Maybe she’ll take more of a back seat at my next wedding which will do everyone a favor. *I smirk when a growl emanates from deep in your chest and push against you a little more.* I’m joking. You’re right though, she’ll get over it, I’m sure …. eventually.

Wilder

*I bring my hand down hard on your ass.* I may have forgotten to tell you, I stole her manager and hostess. *I laugh when you give me a look.* Don’t worry, I sent her a truckload of Fall’s newest shoes. I’m not entirely crazy.

Layla

*I groan loud and press my forehead to your shoulder.* You stole Daisy? Permanently or are we just borrowing her?? *I cross my fingers behind my back and chant in my head “Please just borrow, please just borrow” until you confirm what I already knew in my gut with a huge smile on your face.* Shoes might just do the trick but I wouldn’t count on it. *I reach past you and grab the last donut out of the box.* We both know you’re completely crazy because if you weren’t you’d have sent the truck to our house and a few boxes to hers. *I head toward the office, fully aware that you’re watching my ass as I go.* Remember husband, happy wife, HAPPY LIFE!

Wilder

*My eyes narrow in on your sexy ass.* Don’t worry wife. Your husband is smart. You have a few new treats at the house as well. *I stalk towards the office, slamming the door in my wake.* Let’s discuss your infractions for the day.

[ofcitylightsandstars]

Absinthe

I’ve always believed in the other world, I knew they existed. Ghost, spirits, angels and demons. It just didn’t cross my mind that in my entire life time, that I would be in a corner, backed up against a wall, trying to win a staring contest with one.

So how did I get myself into a situation like this, you ask?

I don’t know either.

Oh, by the way, Hi! I’m Jada Tsui, 25 years old, working as a part-timer. Just an average everyday working lady.

So… why do I have impending death staring right at me?

Here’s why, I was being nosy as hell.

  An hour earlier

“Thank you for your hard work! See you tomorrow!” I said to my co-workers as I bid them goodbye while I stayed behind to close up shop.

“Haaaaaaaa… So tired!” I stretched my entire body before I got down to business. As I was cleaning off the display and putting the utensils back to where they should be, I heard some noises just right outside our back door entrance. I ignored it at first since I thought that it was just some rats digging through the trash.

THUD

BANG

THUD

“What the Fuck!”

“NO! You asshole!”

“Shut up you motherfucker! I want your soul!”

But then I realized that that is a mighty huge rat to be making so much noise, plus the fact that this rat is cursing quite colourfully too.

“Soul?” for some unknown reason, that last word sent shivers down my spine.

Fear started to set in. Making it blatantly aware that I am now alone, defenceless in the middle of the night, and from the voices its more than just one person, and it seems that they are not in good terms with each other.

Crap! This is trouble! What do I do? What do I do?

I weighed my options, Call the police, and then what? Hunker down? Wait it out? It might be too late. Someone might die right under my nose.

As I tried to force down my panic, my sense of duty surpassed everything else.

THUD

THUD

THUD

CRASH

It was the sound of something, or someone hitting the wall.

“I’m too old for this.” I said to myself, clicking my tongue as I decided on what I have to do.

I reached for the phone, dialled the emergency hotline and gave them the details to where to find the shop.

Next thing I did was look for anything that I could use as a weapon.

Great. I am at a chocolate shop. I can throw them these humongous chocolate bars then make a run for it. Nice.

Oh wait. Look around you.

We have knives, cast iron pots and oh, la la!

I smiled triumphantly as I held out my choice for a weapon of mass destruction. A blow torch.

“I can do this! I am not scared! I can do this!”

Oh boy, if only I had known what a huge surprise I’d be in…

I would’ve chosen a group of thugs over what I found on that alley, anytime, any day.

Armed and ready with my blow torch, I announced my arrival.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing, you bastard?!” I said as flung the door open, hoping to stop whoever was attacking who. Silently hoping that my bravery wasn’t in vain.

I saw a tall guy, with black shoulder length hair, wearing a dark leather jacket was standing over someone on the ground, there was blood everywhere too, there was also a stump of something that I decided not to look at, knowing that it is someone’s body part. He was facing away from me but I wasn’t stupid to not realize the glint of a knife on leather-jacket’s hand.

“No! No! Stop!! Help me!” the man on the ground suddenly let out a blood curdling scream.

Without hesitation, I readied my body to go on a full out sprint and tackle leather-jacket to the ground. But, in that split second that I could even take a step in their direction, leather-jacket quickly plunged the knife… no, the sword into the man’s heart, cutting off his screams.

The man on the ground, let out a choked gasps as he looked up at the man above him.

“Pol expect talionis daemonium!” The man on the ground his voice surprisingly calm for someone who had just been stabbed in the heart said on his final breath

“Non exspectare,culus.” leather-jacket said, while smirking and wiping off his sword.

 “No… No…”

Too shocked to even give a flying pig’s fuck about what they just said, I sank on the ground. Not aware that I was stifling a scream in my throat.

That was then leather-jacket guy turned around and noticed me.

The alley was dark but, tonight the moon was so bright and the light from the open doorway illuminated everything.

I looked up at him involuntarily, I saw his eyes, and they were green. Absinthe, the color of the devil’s drink. It was cold and cruel, the bloodlust evident. I can feel my soul being sucked in, but in those eyes, I can see a bottomless pit, with the soul of the damned is waiting for me. I trembled slightly, I had to look away, those orbs…they were glowing. I am positive of that.

He had this look in his eyes that makes me wonder how many he’s killed but this grin… made me realize he’s probably lost count.

His smile promised death. That there would be no escape. It was a smile that promised slow and agonizing pain. It was a smile befitting a monster.

A monster. A demon.

My heart stopped at the realization. I knew right at that instant that I was right. He isn’t human.

He is not from this world, and that smile really does belong to someone like him.

Perhaps, he was able to read my mind, or maybe he thought that it won’t matter anyway, because sooner or later I will die in his hands. He showed me his true form.

In a shimmer of red smoke and black sparkles, he transformed.

He was not a small, horned, fork-tailed man, the way demons were portrayed in pop culture. He was a beautiful creature. He looked like an angel.

With the exception of big black wings, and murderous intent in his every move.

Despite my fear, this is not what I was expecting.

I may be losing my mind in that instant but…

“Wait, what?!” I asked, dumbfounded.

“What the heck is this?! Where’s the tail? Where’s the hooves? No horns?!” I ran my mouth as I stared him in the eyes, while I thought of a way to escape.

This demon was undeniably shook, and I used that as an advantage. I don’t know how long this plan will take me but, I am not going down without a fight.

He looked like he was about to retort about me judging his appearance when I remembered the door way was still open. Just a few feet away from me.

Buy more time, back away slowly.

“Is this a joke? What are you supposed to be? That is some realistic cosplaying job you did dude, where did you get that costume? How did you get to do the sparkles?” I yammered on and on until I was just a foot away from my escape.

“Were you guys practicing earlier? I guess I should’ve known though! It was pretty realistic!”

Just a little more…

“Well, anyways. Sorry for disturbing you. You guys go on ahead. I’ll go back in. Don’t stay out too late thou—“

I was a little disoriented when I felt my body being lifted up from the ground and was thrown against the trash bins.

A few meters away from the open door.

Almost!

“Tsk!” I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

I started to look around me, wondering how I got there in the first place, when he appeared in front of me and picking me up from my collar.

“How dare you filthy human, to try and trick me. Do you think that I won’t be able to see through your plans?” He asked as his face came closer into my line of sight. I realized that my feet were dangling of the ground.

“Let me go!!!” I tried to kick him in the balls, only to have my right foot caught in his grasps too, He pushed me up against the wall and made my foot wrap around his waist, his annoyingly beautiful face drawing nearer and nearer.

“Do you think that you can outrun me little girl?” He breathed seductively in my ear, sending ripples of shiver from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

“I CAN AND I WILL! WATCH ME! LET ME GO! NOW!” I screamed in his face trying to hide the fact that I might be blushing from the sensation of his breath in my neck.

Shit! Shit! Shit!

He laughed heartily, and I felt the vibrations of his laughter in my entire body.

“You are brave, I have to commend you on that. But I do suggest that you shut up and stop squirming about. I still have a prior engagement tonight, I am already behind schedule. Let’s make this quick shall we?”

Oh. So I am just something that had to be disposed of huh? Heck, no. I am going to die anyway so I am taking your pretty schedule to hell with me.

I know in my mind that it was a very petty and stupid thing to think of, but that was enough to steel my resolve to raise hell if I have to.

I am now way past the fight or flight stage, adrenaline coursing my entire being.

 Before I could even think, my body made a decision on its own. My left fist lifted and landed a hard punch on the demon’s face making him let go of me, sending me crumbling to the hard cement.

That’s when I realized that we were hovering a few feet from the air. Good thing it was just a few feet up, if it were higher I would’ve died and my punch would be all for naught.

Run! Run! Run!!!! I screamed in my head over and over.

When I finally got my bearings, I dashed away. I don’t where I’m going, just anywhere away from here, away from him.

But of course, I am human and I am up against a demon.

Something dark dashed in front of me, then I hit it, whatever it was. I hit it like I was running to a brick wall, making me bounce off it.

Then again, I was lifted off the ground and thrown against the wall like some sort of ragdoll.

I heard, more than felt one of my ribs crack. It was a sickening snap that echoed to the walls.

“Still standing huh? I said, I am busy. No matter how much you try and escape, you cannot outrun me human. So please, stay put so I can kill you.” He sauntered his way towards me.

I started giggling, it was growing louder and louder until it became a full on maniacal laugh.

I’m starting to scare myself, maybe I’m starting to go crazy. This is bad. Very, very, bad.

“Are you fucking with me? Let you KILL me? You are stupid. HAHAHA!” I started getting to my feet, an amazing aura of killing intent coming off of me.

The demon stood silently, watching me with his cold beautiful eyes. I was bloodied, and broken in various places but I don’t care.

I straightened my back, and looked him straight in the eyes.

“Go ahead. I dare you.” I challenged him. Staring him down. He stared back, but I am not backing down.

“This is getting tedious, however, you are very entertaining. I am going to enjoy peeling your skin off you.” He said in a dangerous tone as he picked me up from the ground once more.

And… that’s how I am in this situation.

Staring down a very beautiful fallen angel, for a minute I let myself appreciate his face, his big black wings, the way his hair swayed in the light breeze, and how his eyes glowed with a cool excitement. He could’ve been a supermodel if he were human, tall and lean. Hmmm… he can be hot, too.

Glorious and dangerous. If only he isn’t out here to kill me, I would be swooning over him.

Huh. My nuts and bolts are coming undone. Finding my murderer hot? Pfft. Wow. Nice, Jada.

Preparing myself for the coming pain and suffering, I smirked just a little at the absurdity that’s going on in my head, I silently said a small prayer. Saying sorry to my friends and family that I will be leaving behind and to my enemies that I never got the chance to make amends to. I closed my eyes, surrendering everything. Losing all hope.

“Look at me.”

“Huh?” What?

“Open your eyes, and look at me.”

Uh… what?

I opened my eyes, one at a time. Unsure of what else to do.

He was staring at me, his eyes losing its coldness just a little bit, replaced by curiosity.

“What? Something on my face?” I asked him

“You are annoying.” He said, casually. As he let me go.

Why you… This jerk!

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance. “Well, I’m sorry for boring you!” This guy is starting to get on my nerves.

He had his back turned from me, but I can sense that the killing intent was no longer there. Like a fire that had been doused with water.

“Ow. Ow.. ow…” I whispered, feeling pain all over my entire body. I had to steady myself just to catch my breath.

He looked back for a second, I saw a flicker of concern, regret and hurt in his eyes before he turned away again.

“Go. Get away from here. Run away and never look back.”

Huh? What? Why?

For a moment, I forgot how to speak.

Why is he letting me run? Is this going to be some sick game of hide and seek?

“I am not going to go after you. I’ve lost any interest in killing you. So go, before I change my mind.” He said as he turned back to me. A hurt expression painting his beautiful eyes.

Why?

I don’t trust his words enough, I feel like there would be some sort of catch. I feel like if I turn my back from him any moment, he would stab me with his sword. So I stood still like a rock.

Even if I wanted to move, I don’t know if my muscles can carry me far anyway.

“You seriously have a huge trust issue.” He clicked his tongue.

Duh. You are a demon. Anyone would have trust issues with that.

“Uhm… I—uh, Well… I don’t know why your letting me go. But, thanks anyway. Sorry for punching you.” I started to back away slowly, towards the door of the shop. Next thing I knew, I was falling face first and then darkness.

Ahhhh! Drat! What now?

  It’s bright, too bright.

Where am I?

What time is it?

What day is it?

Who am I?

Uh. Right. I’m Jada.

I tried to stretch out my body but I suddenly felt something tug at my left arm.

I’d know that feeling anywhere. Needles. Crap. I’m at the hospital, but why am I here? Car accident? Mugging?

The dark alley behind the shop.

Full moon. A glint of something metal.

Long-haired guy in leather jacket. Big black wings.

Eyes, the color of absinthe.

“WHAAA!” the scream got out as I suddenly sat up. Scaring the bejeezus out of the nurse beside my bed.

“How…? What…?” I asked myself, reeling from the barrage of memories.

“Miss, you need to lie back down, you can’t suddenly sit up like that, you’ve been asleep for awhile,” The kind nurse guided me back down the bed.

“What happened to me?” I asked.

She then told me that I barely got out alive from a murderer, I was found in the back alley of the bake shop wounded and broken, with multiple contusions. It’s a good thing that I was able to call the police prior, and they came right on time. They said that the murderer was a guy, and that it was the first of the string of serial killings that happened in the past two days. He was still at large too.

“Oh… Okay. I should thank my lucky stars then.” I said nonchalantly, after she relayed everything to me.

Of course, he would still be at large. No human can stop something like that. He is a monster. He is a demon.

Cold, glowing, cruel eyes. A smile that oozes danger and death. Superhuman strength. Unflinching calculation.

A ripple of fear coursed through my body just remembering what I’ve been through. Making me completely aware of the places that I had broken.

I asked the nurse a glass of water just to get her out of the room for a while, I wanted to be alone.

I’m completely confused on why and how I was able to escape. Yeah, he did decided to let me go and he also said that he lost all desire to kill me. But, why?  I saw the bloodlust, I saw how dangerous he was. I am sure that he was a fallen angel, but if he really is a serial killer, why did he had that expression when he let me go? Why did he seem hurt? And what was that flicker of regret when he saw I was hurt?

My heart felt like a ton of bricks in my chest. Something about these things are not adding up, I feel it. I just can’t pinpoint what it is.

Once the nurse returned with my glass of water, she then asked me if there would be any family members that needs to be notified.

THROB

I have no one.

“It’s alright, I live alone. I do need to inform my work though. Can I make a phone call?”

“Of course dear, just a moment.”

“Thank you so much.”

I slowly sat up, trying to make my way to the window. I felt a presence in the room. thinking it was the nurse.

“Wow, that was qui— AAAAAHHHH!“ I screamed out of surprise. I clutched my chest, hoping that my heart won’t jump out of my throat.

Someone is in the room with me, but it wasn’t the nurse. It was HIM.

He was leaning against the wall, in all his dark glory, a smirk in his lips.

“What a frightful scream you got there. You should probably take it easy, you might start bursting in places you didn’t know you had.” He said as he sat down on the chair beside my bed. I followed his languid movements, unsure of what to even say.

“The look you have on your face is so dumb right now.” smiling cockily.

Huh? What? This jerk.

I shut my gaping mouth. But still dumbfounded to retort.

“Why…? How…? Who…? Wait, what?!” That’s all I could stammer out.

“Shut your mouth, you like a fish out of water.”

That did it. That broke my shock. I am now angry. I picked up the nearest object on my right and started throwing them at him, my pillows, a bottle of pills, a pack of syringe, I forgot what else was there. I just threw anything at him. Which of course he dodged gracefully, which annoyed me even more.

“Ha… ha… ha…. How dare you! I don’t look like a fish!” throwing a pack of cotton balls at him.

I started giggling like a crazy person, clutching my sides.

“Ow…” still trying to hold my laughter.

“Have you gone crazy? Is it shock?” as he reached out to support me.

Maybe. Yup. Maybe I am.

I waved him off, no need for his worry. “Maybe I am going nuts. I barely survived your attack, and yet here you are, annoying the shit out of me by telling that I look like a fish. Hahaha… ow! Ow!”

“Stop being an idiot and lie back down, will you?” he growled back at me, which made me giggle more.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Shut up already. Nagger.” I shot back.

That earned me a menacing growl from him. Again, I giggled back. By this time, I was wondering what kind of pain reliever cocktails are running through my body to make me go on this laughing-trip.

“Hey, you said you live alone, yeah?”

“Yup.”

“Why?”

“They’re dead.”

He looked at me, probably wondering why I gave him a nonchalant answer.

“What’s your name?” I asked him.

“My name is not important, this is the last time you will see me.”

“Hm… if that’s the case then, I shall name you… Tatsuo. Yup. You will be Tatsuo.” ignoring what he just said.

“Weren’t you listening? Hey! Don’t pretend to sleep, Oi!”

But I was no longer listening, already drifting off to dreamland.

“Why would you even bother giving me a name you idiot.”

I smiled groggily, as I heard him grumbling somewhere near me.

  The next morning, I almost fell out of my bed, why you ask?

Imagine this: A dangerously beautiful fallen angel, who tried killing you, gave you bruises in places you didn’t know you had and has killed a person, without hesitation right before your eyes, is now sleeping peacefully beside you, like a human-sized statue for some forgotten Greek god.

“Whoa…” I gasped quietly.

I tried to move as quietly as possible as to not wake the demon in question, but an arm slithered around my waist, stopping me from moving further.

What the heck is this?

“Hey, oi! Can you please let me go? Hey! Wake up!’ I tried shaking him awake, but his arms is only hugging my waist tighter and tighter.

“I really need to go to the bathroom dude, please wake the fuck up.”

That was the truth, I need to pee like really, really bad and his arms constricting around me is not making things better.

You are leaving me no choice then.

”I swear to god, if you don’t let me go now, I will fart in the covers and you will regret every breath that you’ll take. Believe me.” I whispered in a menacing tone in his ear.

That did the job, actually. His arm vanished from my waist and in the same second he was on the other side of the room.

“I’m up, I’m up, I’m up.” He said in a voice still thick of sleep.

I was giggling so hard when I dashed for the bathroom.

While I was doing my business, reality sets in.

Why was he sleeping next to me? And has he been there since I passed out last night? Why did our exchange seem so normal? He isn’t human and that is not normal. For crying out loud, I don’t even know his name yet, so why am I acting so fricking normal around him as if he had always been there the whole time?

Well, whatever. I’m going to ask him later.

Once I’m done, I opened the door back to my room. There was no sign of him anywhere, the room was bright, but it felt a little weird. Unconsciously, I felt lonely. Why? I don’t understand.

I took a shower, trying to clear my head from the glum feelings that I didn’t know I had, taking my sweet time, because last time I took a bath was the morning before the attack.

I used the time alone to think of what happened, why was I attacked? Why was the man killed?? Why were they speaking in a language I couldn’t understand? Who was the man that was killed? And what were his reasons for letting me live? Will I still be able to know the answers to this questions?

After a few days, when all the tests were done and the doctors were sure that I am no longer in danger. Tatsuo didn’t return since that morning. It made me feel a bit off, I still have a lot of questions in my head. Also, to be frank, I am worried about him, I mean, I know he is a demon and all, so I know he won’t die but, its autumn. It does get chilly at night.

“Yo.” a deep quiet voice came from somewhere in the room.

“Oh my sh…! Do you mind not popping out of thin air?” I said, clutching my throat. As a tide of relief washed over me as I did a quick inventory on his entire body.

Yep, this demon is still around. The same one who sent me to this hospital in the first place. In the past few days, I was questioned by the police over and over regarding the identity of the so-called serial killer. Since I was the only one who ‘escaped’ alive.

“Going home?” He asked.

“Yeah, they said I’m going to be fine now. So I can go home.” I answered, turning my back from him to continue my packing.

“Alright, then.”

“Where have you been by the way? You weren’t here for the past few days. I had to sleep on my side the whole night you know” I said still turned away from him.

“Why were you on your side?”

“To make space for you, since you won’t fit in the sofa to let you sleep.”

What the hell am I saying?Darn it!

“You were waiting for me?” He asked tilting his head on the side. Making him look like a cat. Adorable.

HUH? Wait…

“Nope. I just figured that you might not have anywhere else to go to, “

“Why?”

I don’t know dude. Don’t ask me. Dodge the question!

I shrugged, not sure what to say.

I finally faced him, I have things to ask and he is going to answer all of them.

“I’m hungry, let’s grab some lunch before we go, okay? I said nonchalantly.

“We?” his dumbfounded expression was so subtle I almost mistook it as nothing but an eyebrow twitch.

“Are you planning to stay here? I’m not sure they’d allow that though. Do you have a place?” I said, trying to finesse my way out of the “We?” question he popped on me.

When I looked back at him, his face was unreadable, his long bangs covering his eyes.

“Hey, you okay? Are you having an episode or something?” trying to peek at his face, trying to lighten up the mood.

“Are you trying to make a joke? If you are, its dumb.” came his sarcastic reply.

“Oohhh… snarky!” I giggled finding it adorable how flustered he is.

“You do realize that you are inviting a demon, yes?”

“Yeah, what about it?” giving him a look feigning innocence.

“Look, I am not forcing or demanding that you come with me. It is an offer that you are free to take.” I continued.

“In exchange of what?” His tone changing into ice. I bet that he had asked those words a million times before.

“Nothing.” I looked him dead straight in the eyes.

“Really now?” He smirked, turning into a dangerous one I’ve seen before.

“You don’t scare me.”

I lied. That smile still brings shivers to my soul, but I am not letting him know that.

“Huh. You are truly one weird human.” He said as he got up from the chair he had been sitting on and taking my bag of belongings from me.

I know. I know. I know.

“Wow, that’ so human. So are we going to have lunch or what? My stomach is killing me.” I said as he led me out the hallway.

  We had lunch in family restaurant just a few blocks away from the hospital, it was a quiet event. Which surprised me, I kinda thought that he’d make a big fuss about all of it.

“Are you really sure that you’re okay with what I offered?” I asked while taking a sip of my iced tea.

“I’m a demon. In case you’ve forgotten. I can kill you anytime if ever you try to do something funny.” He answered back.

“Pfft. There is no way in hell that I’d forget about that fact. So don’t worry, I know what you are capable of. I’m just asking you these questions because I am being human here.”

“What do you mean?”

“Being concerned about other’s welfare, also… I know you have reasons on why you do what you do. That’s why I don’t want to judge you.”

He was quiet after hearing my words. He may not believe those words but, I’m hoping he can feel the honesty from them.

“So you pity me? Do you think I deserve that?”

“Don’t you?”

Once again, silence. Eyes downcast, his expression unreadable. That look keeps on hurting me. Why?

“I still have a lot of things to ask you, but now might not be the right time. So for now, let’s eat. Okay?” I smiled up at him.

“Whatever floats your boat.”

And… he’s back. Snappy like a turtle.

We finished our meal in companionable silence. Me, enjoying my time people-watching and him… being dark, gloomy and cranky.

I’m enjoying this moment, maybe because this is the first time in a long while that I was able to enjoy a meal with someone. It sucks to eat alone all the time you know.

“What are you grinning about? You look like a pervert.”

“Oh nothing. I was just thinking if tickle torture would be enough to get back at you for breaking some of my ribs.” I said as I stood up from our table. Snickering quietly as I turned away from him.

“I really should’ve killed you that night…”

“Haha! Yeah, maybe you should’ve.”

  “Wow.”

That was all that came out of Tatsuo’s mouth when we entered my apartment, after seeing the mess that I call home.

“Uhm… Yeah, Sorry. I’m always busy so…”

“Are you really a freaking girl? How on earth can you live with this mess?! How can you even sleep here?! This is like hell!”

Oh, boy… looks like I am in deep trouble.

“There is dust everywhere! How can you even breathe in here??”

The demon is livid. I’m starting to wonder if I should slowly back away and hide somewhere.

“W-well… I sorta don’t have much free time to clean the house… I mean with school and my work… I—WHOA!!!” I had to duck because something was just thrown over my head, this demon is going on a rampage. A cleaning rampage.

“You…! This place looks like a pig sty! When was the last time you cleaned this place?!” He asked me, again a black aura surrounding him.

Huh. I forgot.

“Uhm… last month? I had exams and I also had to do over-time at the shop so… WAAAAHHHH” I stammered out, ready to run.

He marched towards me, and this is even scarier than that night, this time I am sure that I will be killed.

“WE WILL CLEAN THIS HOUSE. NOW!” He screeched. He was riled up, alright. He is usually stoic but, hot damn! This is a next-level reaction.

“Uh… Yes sir! I will start cleaning right away!”

Sheesh.

As soon as I got the vacuum, cleaning rags and the broom out, Tatsuo didn’t waste any time, he dropped everything and immediately started being a human…demon hurricane equivalent of a cleaning lady. I wasn’t much of a help because of my injuries, so he ORDERED me to go in a corner and keep quiet.

It was amazing though, watching him clean and grumble at the same time. He was like a pissed off mother hen. It is funny and endearing how he lectures me while donned in a cleaning apron and with brooms and rags on his hands. I found myself smiling the entire time, letting the warm feeling go through me.

He was about to finish when I looked out the window and saw that it was already dusk, he is a demon but I think he still needs to eat. I’m getting hungry too that means, I got to start preparing for dinner.

I got up from my ‘isolation ward’ corner and started heading out to the kitchen when he grabbed me by my shirt.

“Where do you think you’re going, human?”

“Well, since you’re almost done with your war against dust and germs, what would you like for dinner?”

He had that look of shock in his face again, why does he always do that?

“Omurice.” he said quietly before turning away from me to continue his battle.

Huh. Okay. I can do that.

“O-okay. I’m on it.”

30 minutes passed and dinner was ready, I decided to call him to the table when I heard a loud sound coming from the living room. Acting on instinct I ran out the kitchen to find a very disconcerting scene.

Tatsuo was in full demon mode, his power palpable in the air giving me goose bumps. His black wings were bristling, and he has a blue-is black fireball emanating from both of his hands.

“You have to die! You filthy insect!!!!” His voice was in a scary double-timbre. Bloodlust and anger in his eyes. He is in attack mode.

TROUBLE.

All my alarm bells were ringing, what’s going on? Are we in danger?

Crap! Crap!

I was prepared to see another dead body when I rounded the corner, but…

Eh? What? WHAT?!

No…. No…. freaking way.

I can’t believe this.

There wasn’t any danger, no dead bodies, the room is still intact. I followed his eyes and I saw the ‘enemy’.

“Are you kidding me? Are you serious right now?!” stomping my way towards the ‘enemy’. It was pandemonium in the living room. Everything was upside down.

“YOU ARE UNBELIEVABLE! Are you planning to tear down the entire house just for this?!” grabbing a bundle of newspaper, and bunching it up.

SMACK! SMACK!  

“I can’t believe that you went full beast just for this?!” grabbing the dustpan and broom from the floor, cleaning up the crushed remains of… a spider.

Yep, a harmless spider. I mean it is big for a spider, but still.

He was looking at me like I just slayed a thousand soldiers in front of him.

“What? It’s just a spider dude. Like, for real. I ran here thinking that we were under attack or something only to find you in full demon mode because of a spider?! Unbelievable.” I said as I walked past him and back to the kitchen.

I was setting the table when I realized that it was quiet, too quiet.

Now what?

“Tatsuo? Dinner’s ready.Whoa…. wow.” I chuckled, “Are you sure that you’re a demon?”

Everything is spotless. No dust particle would make a mistake on entering this area, or this house. I think if one tries, this demon beside me would blow it to kingdom come.

“Do you perhaps have OCD? Are all demons like this?” I asked as I looked around, sure that if I even breathe, the room would be contaminated.

If I ever felt unworthy of something before, this... this right here sure makes me feel even more unworthy of living in this world. 

The demon’s chest swelled up with pride, its making me want to punch him in the face for some reason. 

=tbc=