#the main color was meant to be... a pink... color.... whoops

[airs-headspace]

CUTE AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

[wizardofrozz]

"Do I look like I've moved on?" with Cody

Always Yours

Commander Cody x fem!reader, Original Clone Troopers (Zero and Lith)

Word Count: 3.8k

Warnings: NSFW +18, smut, slight dubcon, possessive behavior (Cody's a little toxic in this), rough handling, exhibitionism

A/N: Happy Star Wars Day! Writing for Cody is new for me but this turned out better than I expected lol. I want to thank @homie-one-kenobi for letting me borrow her OC Lith for this fic and for all the encouragement and help from her, @a-single-tulip and @techs-feral-wife 💕

If anyone had told you that your night at 79’s would’ve ended with your cheek pressed into the wall of some dark corner with a panting commander at your back, you might’ve hit them. 

You were the idiot for thinking it would’ve ended any other way. 

It had started like any other night when you visited 79’s with a few of your friends, except this time there wasn’t a gold-painted commander ready to drag you to bed. You were almost sure he wasn’t even on Coruscant and that was the main reason you agreed to the night out. You had been playing this back and forth with Cody for a while now. Fucking like ashrabbits at every opportunity only to never hear from him until he blew back into 79’s after another campaign. It was an exhausting routine that got harder each time. Especially when you found yourself wanting…more from him. Something that seemed impossible for a man like him. 

You shoved away any thoughts of the 212th in general and leaned against the bar, half-heartedly listening to the conversation your friends were having. Luckily, it didn’t take long to catch a curious eye, although his red armor made you hesitate. Your job in the Republic Detention Center meant you worked closely with the Guard, and most notably, Commander Fox. 

Fox, who happened to speak to Cody at least once a week and couldn’t resist indulging in good gossip.

You allowed yourself to be pulled in by a sweet smile for the night knowing that Fox, and eventually Cody, would know about it in no time. You smirked to yourself as you approached the trooper, wishing you could see the look on Cody’s face when Fox undoubtedly called him. 

The trooper in question, Zero, truly was a sweetheart, and you felt a little guilty that you couldn’t give him what he deserved, but he seemed to understand on some level. You were currently perched on Zero’s lap, mindlessly playing with his fingers while he recounted the story of how he got his name. He was the kind of man you should’ve gravitated toward, but when did life ever make sense? 

“So, you’re proud of, as you put it, having zero brain cells,” you giggled, smiling when Zero’s cheeks took on a faint pink color.

“Well, when you say it that way,” he mumbled, twisting his mouth to the side. You laughed a bit louder, swaying close enough to catch a glimpse of his cheeky grin and unintentionally bringing your tangled hands closer to your chest. His gloved thumb grazed your collarbone, the warmth of his skin under the fabric had goosebumps trailing behind his touch, turning your laughter to ash on your tongue. He was close enough that you could feel his breath against your lips. 

“I think it’s cute,” you whispered, your eyes trained on his mouth. 

“And I think you’re beautiful,” Zero countered. You watched the smile form on his lips, transfixed by how it fell somewhere between flirtatious and sweet. There was a gentle pressure against the underside of your chin, tilting your head back to force you to meet his eyes. Your lashes fluttered as he closed the gap, his lips finding yours in a soft, hesitant kiss.  

An explosion of whoops and cheers had you jerking back, years of working in a prison meant that loud bursts of noise had you whipping around in a panic to look at the door on instinct. Your heart immediately hit the floor when your brain registered that, you weren’t at work, and it wasn’t prisoners but waves of orange armored soldiers blowing through the doors. 212th troopers flooded the bar and you were blatantly staring, looking for that distinct sunburst that you had hoped you’d make it through one night without seeing. 

But when would you ever be that lucky?

He was the last through the door, keeping a slow, unbothered pace as he wandered toward the bar, eyes scanning the room. A small part of you hoped he wouldn’t notice you but you could see the exact moment his eyes landed on you. Cody’s mellow expression steadily darkened, his jaw flexing as his eyes ran the length of your body, noting the trooper you were perched on. Suddenly you were almost scared for the poor, naive shock trooper. 

“Hey,” Zero mumbled, cautiously cradling your hand. “What’s wrong?” You turned your head, finding genuine concern shining in his eyes and it broke your heart; this man had no idea what kind of mess he’d walked into. 

“Uh, I know some of the 212th,” you admitted with a shrug. The white lie was obvious but Zero let it slide, nodding as he shifted his eyes to the battalion getting louder by the minute. Cody had moved to an empty spot at the bar but you could still feel his eyes burying holes into your skin. “We could get out of here if you want?”

“Sure,” Zero replied, a small smile on his face, “I can walk you home.”

“I’d like that.” Zero’s smile brightened as he helped you to your feet before sliding out of his seat and leaning down next to your ear.

“Let me run to the bathroom before we go,” he yelled over the music. You nodded, standing on your toes to kiss his cheek as you handed over his helmet. The dusting of pink in his cheeks was back and you wished that it could last but you knew the second you were alone, all hell was going to break loose. Maybe one day he’d find someone that could give him what he deserved. You watched Zero work his way through the crowd until he disappeared into the sea of brothers, squirming under the heavy stare you could feel on your back. 

“You know he’s gonna be pissed.” You spun around at the voice next to your ear, blinking rapidly at Lith’s smug expression. 

“Hi, nice to see you too, Lith. How’ve you been?” you sassed, rolling your eyes. Lith just arched a brow, loudly sipping his drink, waiting for you to break the stalemate first. “It’s none of his business. He made it glaringly obvious that he doesn’t care.”

“Ha! That’s cute, you thinking he doesn’t care,” Lith laughed, shaking his head and you couldn’t ignore the way your stomach somersaulted at the thought. He leaned into your personal space, the acidic stench of cheap liquor on his breath. “Looks like you’ll find out for yourself.” His eyes lifted to something over your shoulder before he backed away, doing a terrible job of hiding his smirk behind the rim of his cup. The unforgiving hand that closed around your bicep had you going rigid, muscles locking up when his grip tightened. 

You refused to even look at him, trying to tug your arm away but Cody was relentless. You knew there was no use in fighting it, giving up and letting him drag you through the writhing crowd of bodies. He still wore all of his armor, sans helmet, allowing you to glare at the back of his head, occasionally catching a glimpse of his profile. You stumbled to a stop when Cody pulled you into one of the back hallways of the bar that was blessedly empty, something you knew wouldn’t last long as 79’s grew busier.

“What do you want, Cody?” you snapped as soon as he released your arm. He turned a sharp look in your direction but you stood your ground, crossing your arms. It was infuriating that despite how irritated you were with him, there was a tiny part of you that was relieved to see him alive. 

“What the fuck was that?”

“None of your damn business,” you hissed, taking a step closer to him. You expected anger, maybe even contempt, but Cody letting out a harsh, unamused laugh was probably at the bottom of your expectations for this conversation. 

“Aw, you really liked Fox’s shiny, huh?” Cody taunted, a cruel edge to his voice that you hated more with each passing second. 

“Maybe I did,” you spat, stifling the urge to shove him. “Maybe I had plans to show him what us natborns have to offer.” Cody’s expression twisted into something dangerous and he stalked toward you, backing you into a dark corner, looming over you. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” he snarled, face barely inches from yours.

“And why not? You didn’t seem to have a problem sticking your dick in the closest breathing life form.” He jerked back like you’d hit him, a familiar crease forming between his brows, and for a moment you faltered. 

“What are you talking about?” he huffed, pressing two fingers into his right eye, an action you knew meant he had a headache building.

“I saw you with that Mirialan last time you were on-world,” you admitted, grinding your teeth at the image of the barely dressed woman draped across his lap. “You moved on, so I planned to do the same.” The words were barely out of your mouth before he surged forward, trapping you against the wall with a bruising kiss. Your immediate reaction was to push him away but your strength was no match for him, and if you were being honest, you had been craving this: the dominating sweep of his tongue, the way his presence demanded your attention, and the borderline possessive grip on the back of your neck. 

You ached for him no matter how hard you tried to fight it, despite the hurt that came with his presence. 

Cody broke away first, resting his forehead against yours. “Do I look like I’ve moved on?” 

“Could’ve fooled me,” you huffed, turning your face away from him. Cody growled, the hand curled around your neck tightening as he wedged his armored leg between yours, pressing the rigid plastoid tight against your suddenly aching pussy. 

“Guess I’ll have to prove it,” Cody breathed against your lips. You yelped at the sudden movement, gasping when your cheek met the cool wall, and your thigh clenched to satiate your throbbing clit. His body molded against your back, his warm breath puffing against your cheek, similar to how Zero’s had not even 15 minutes ago, but this promised something far less innocent than a chaste kiss. “For the record, I didn’t fuck that Mirialan.”

“Why?” you couldn’t help but ask. You weren’t expecting much, maybe an irritated huff but your lashes fluttered when his tense muscles softened against your back, his grip loosening slightly. 

“She’s not my sunshine,” he whispered, his pinched expression barely visible in your periphery. He didn’t even give you a second to absorb his confession before he was yanking your pants down, knocking the air from your lungs when his finger slid through your soaked folds. “Stars, you’re dripping.”

“Are you really surprised? It’s you,” you panted, blindly searching for his belt buckle. Cody chuckled against your shoulder, expertly sinking his finger into you down to the second knuckle from behind and resting his other hand on the curve of your waist. Stars exploded behind your eyelids, a soft whine working its way up your throat when it was just shy of what you had been craving. 

“Oh, cyare, you have no idea what you do to me,” he mumbled, pumping his finger.

“How - how about you show me instead of talking about it,” you taunted, rocking back into his hand. It really shouldn’t have been a surprise when he shoved two fingers inside you as far as they would go; you had asked for it. 

“I’m starting to wonder if I should fill that bratty mouth instead,” he mused, curling his fingers in a way that had your knees threatening to give out. You were quickly hurtling toward your first orgasm, your thoughts running together as pleasure tore through every cell in your body. 

“Fuck - I don’t care, just fill something,” you pleaded, meeting the slow thrust of his fingers. Cody groaned against your hair when you clenched around his fingers, your body unable to decide if you wanted his fingers or his cock. An involuntary whimper left your lips when you were suddenly empty and the clatter of plastoid behind you was enough to leave you squirming. 

“Ready?” Cody whispered against your cheek, his lips just barely brushing over your skin.

“Cody,” you whined, pushing against the head of his cock that was resting against your entrance. He didn’t seem to care about your pleading, sliding his cock through your soaked folds, the head nudging your clit with just the right amount of pressure. Stars danced behind your eyes, the drag of his cock taunting you with the one thing you wanted. Cody wasted too fucking long coating himself in your arousal only to sink into you without warning; the stretch was almost too much, bordering on painful. He didn’t stop until there was nothing left for you to take and his armored chest was flush against your back. He may as well have been in your lungs with how hard it was to pull in a full breath, your head feeling a little fuzzy. 

“Maker, you - you take me so well,” Cody panted, kissing down the length of your neck. You turned your head, resting your forehead against the wall, simply trying to breathe as the pain started to blossom into pleasure. The hand on your waist tightened, likely leaving finger-shaped bruises behind, a thought that made your head spin. Cody stood perfectly still as if he wasn’t balls deep in your fluttering pussy and if you could think straight, you’d have been a little peeved at his control. 

Just as you opened your mouth to beg him to start moving, Cody rolled his hips, forcing a surprised moan past your lips. Of course, that fucker could read you like an open book. However, that was the only warning he gave you before he pulled all the way out only to deliver a pointed thrust to exactly where you needed it most. Cody started at a brutal pace, the edges of his thigh armor biting into the back of your legs but you couldn’t find the brain power to give a shit, solely focusing on not drawing other patron’s attention. 

You jerked when something brushed against your lips, peeling your eyes open to find his free hand near your face.

“Open,” Cody ordered hoarsely in your ear, lightly tapping your bottom lip again. “And no biting.” You hesitated for a moment, this apparently being the thing that made your cheeks feel warm, not the fact that he was fucking you senseless with hundreds of his brothers a few feet away. And yet, your lips parted for him, taking two fingers into your mouth. You weren’t paying attention to what hand it was so when the faint taste of your own arousal hit your tongue you whimpered, clenching around him.

“Fuck,” he groaned, his pace faltering. “Good– good girl. You like that, huh?” You could only hum in response, earning a soft, shaky chuckle from the man behind you, and in some twisted way it felt like this piece of him belonged to you. A part of himself he willingly shared with you when he didn’t need to, allowing you to see the effect you had on him. “I - I know…I do too.”

You moaned around his fingers, doing your best to meet his unforgiving thrusts just to hear the pinched-off moan he muffled against your shoulder, sending you closer to your tipping point. The heat building under your skin continued to grow but there was a disconnect, you could only just brush against it, leaving the mind-blowing orgasm out of reach. You squirmed trying to change the angle but Cody’s hand on your hips kept you trapped; this asshole knew it wasn’t enough. Worst of all, to make his point, he started to pump his fingers in time with his thrusts and you moaned desperately, debating on just touching yourself if he wasn’t going to. 

“Don’t you dare,” he growled, teeth grazing your jaw. “You told me to fill something, so I’m giving you what you wanted, cyare.” Cody pressed down on your tongue, slamming into you before going still, his slightly labored breathing puffing against your cheek. “I’d find a way to fill all three if I had the time.”

The pathetic cry of his name was muffled against his fingers, tears starting to well up as you teetered on the edge, so close yet so far. There was a moment of stillness, his cock twitching inside you before he started to lazily grind against your ass, the pressure on your tongue letting up. 

“I’ll give you what you want if you give me what I want,” he proposed, nuzzling against the bolt of your jaw. It was a much sweeter gesture than the rest of his demeanor would suggest and you couldn’t decide between being irritated or flustered. Either way, you nodded as best as you could, ready to give him whatever he wanted. “You’re mine - fuck - you hear me?” he panted, struggling to keep the lazy pace, his hips stuttering. “Some - some wet-behind-the-ears shiny wouldn’t know how to do this for you. He’s not me.” The desperation in his voice resonated in your soul, reminding you of why there was no one that could captivate you quite like Cody. “Please, just - just say it.”

His fingers slid out of your mouth, trailing spit down your chin. Cody gave you a minute to catch your breath, his presence lingering over your shoulder expectantly. Later, when your brain was back online, maybe you’d regret saying it, but deep down you knew it was true; you belonged to Commander Cody no matter how badly you tried to fight it.

“I’m yours, Cody,” you whispered, turning your head enough to bump your forehead against him. There was another weighted pause before he craned his neck, blindly kissing the corner of your mouth.

“And I’m yours,” he breathed, the admission making your throat feel tight. There were very few times Cody let this type of vulnerability through and you treasured each one but this one was easily the most profound. He was telling you the one thing you never thought possible from a man of his position and it was equally as beautiful as it was arousing. “Always yours.”

“Then show me,” you pleaded, pressing back into him. The soft laugh that bubbled past his lips made your stomach somersault, only making your barely coherent thoughts feel more disjointed, yet your lips parted on instinct at the soft tap of his finger. Cody kissed your cheek in a final sweet gesture before bucking his hips, punching what would’ve been a loud cry from you if it weren’t for his fingers stuffed in your mouth. Cody resumed his previous, punishing pace, yet this time the hand keeping a vise grip on your waist loosened, trailing lower. 

Your knees buckled at the lightning-quick tap against your clit, somehow pushing him deeper and the tears finally fell. Thank the heavens above that he didn’t stop there though, pressing with the perfect amount of pressure, drawing tight, fast circles that made each of your stunted inhales grow shorter until you were forced to unseal your lips from around his fingers. 

“Let go, sunshine,” Cody coaxed, sounding a bit desperate. You had been known to push his buttons, disobeying when the urge struck, but this was not one of those times. Your hands clawed at the wall, your back arching as the coil finally snapped, the pleasure lighting up every nerve ending from your head to your toes. Cody used the fingers still filling your mouth to tilt your head back, doing his best to muffle your sobs as he moaned openly against your shoulder. He made it through a few more pumps before going rigid, a barely audible whine leaving his lips as he came. 

You both slumped forward simultaneously, Cody’s fingers slipping from your mouth as his weight pressed you into the wall. The warm panting against your throat slowly brought you back to the land of the living, realizing Cody was still buried inside your sensitive cunt, his cum starting to leak down the inside of your thigh. 

“You’re fucking heavy,” you complained half-heartedly. Cody littered your shoulder with light, playful kisses, his arms moving to wrap around your waist as his shoulders shook with laughter. 

“Not usually wearing 80 pounds of armor,” he chuckled, kissing the base of your throat. That reminded you of where you were, realizing that the harsh lines of his thigh plates were still biting into the back of your legs, making you wonder if you’d have bruises for days to come. 

“Finding that I don’t really mind it,” you confessed, wiggling your arms out from where they were pinned to the wall so you could gently stroke his arm. “Sometimes at least.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Cody snorted, one of his hands snagging your fingers as they trailed up his arm. A calm, intimate silence settled around you, letting you just bask in Cody’s presence but all good things had to come to an end. 

“We should go before someone finds us,” you sighed, dropping your cheek against the side of his head.

“Waxer and Lith are standing guard.”

“Of course they are,” you giggled, rolling your eyes fondly. Then you remembered a poor shock trooper most likely looking for you. “Did you at least tell Zero I didn’t get kidnapped?”

“No,” Cody grunted, squeezing your fingers in a way that definitely felt possessive. Oh, you had a bad feeling about what that meant. 

“Is Fox going to be calling to rip you a new one?”

“...maybe.” As if on cue, the comlink on Cody’s vambrace started to chirp softly and you had to stifle a laugh. 

“Come on,” you urged, voice wavering in an attempt to hide your amusement, “I want to go curl up in bed with a lot less plastoid, and you have the consequences of your actions to deal with.” Cody grumbled for a few seconds but inevitably untangled himself from you, bending down to grab his codpiece as you hiked your pants up again. You almost regretted wearing one of your favorite outfits now that they’d been stained with remnants of Cody. Almost. You glanced over at him once he finished clipping his codpiece in place, grinning at the scowl he was aiming at his comlink.

“What?” Cody grumbled. Fox barely let him finish answering the call before ripping into his brother.

“I’m coming for your fucking kneecaps,” Fox said, sounding eerily calm. “See how well you fuck without ‘em.” Cody shot you a dark look when you giggled but it didn’t hold its usual weight seeing that his brother’s disembodied voice was still chewing him out. You shot him a wink as you backed down the hallway, ignoring the warning in his beautiful brown eyes. 

“Reap what you sow, dear,” you called, blowing him a kiss before slipping through the door. You would definitely pay for that later and the idea that there would be a later with Cody made all the heartache worth it. 

Taglist: @toomanybandstocare @starrylothcat

[comet--cove]

rambling and random facts about my mcsm au because I'm hyperfixated on it!

disclaimer: none of this is canon to the mcsm universe and is only my au. this is going to be long.. so if you get bored of reading easy, whoops!

the general premise of this au is that the command block was alive (in the same way that skulk is, in a way?), and the witherstorm was actually a giant parasite. yes, I can hear some of you going "oh, man, here we go towards some generic zombie apocalypse au".. but I promise you this is different. I won't bore you with cliche love stories or that ONE character being like "omigosh, I'm immune!" and you knew it would happen because they're the main protagonist. I also won't explain too much of the actual au details because it's complicated and long (unless some of you want to hear about it.. wink wink).. so I'll simply tell you this: some of the cast-- including our beloved main character-- is mutated. think about hybrid creatures, or perhaps what the warden (deep dark warden, not the sunshine institute warden) would look like if it was more humanoid. yeah, that's them. with that out of the way, however.. here are some of my rambles and facts.

my favorite jesse skin is gsj (green suspender jesse), so my entire jesse design was initially meant to be paired with that skin. this also means that the canon jesse of this au is technically male (gsj). (I like to use they/them pronouns for canon jess-- yes, my nickname for them is 'jess'-- because the player can go male or female, but when I speak of this au I'll use he/they because I'm referring mostly to this canonically (in terms of this au at least) male-presenting character.) however, due to the changes I've made to the actual character.. he kind of stands along as his own skin now.

I've seen a lot of fanart of enderbeings and witherbeings in the minecraft community, so I made his design to kind of fit in with those-- not in the sense that i lacked ideas, but rather to have him fit into the fanon and have people at least somewhat recognize what he is. however, I have many unique designs elements that I saw from the actual game.

I make it sound like our protagonist has an official design... but in reality, I'm only in my first stage of designing him! he only has one concept design as of right now.. despite me having many ideas of how exactly he looks. that's just on the part of my art skills and me not exactly being good at drawing mcsm characters yet... my skill is pretty limited.

most of the armor choices in the au (for jesse, at least) are still the same! however, when we are speaking of jesse as a character, his favorite armors are slightly modified versions of 'ender defender' and 'dragonsbane'. he-- along with most of the cast-- agreed that these two armors fit with his color palette the best, due to his new color palette having a lot of blue and pink. YES, this jesse is very aware of fashion and what looks good on him.

in this universe, wither-sickness is called wither-infection.. since, y'know.. it's basically a wither-zombie apocalypse.

lukas and ivor co-wrote a journal! using ivor's studies of the wither-infection and lukas' journaling skills (along with his art skills, because he's somewhat of an artist in this au), they made a complete study of the stages and types of infection. they also have a part in the journal where they have brewing recipes for what specific potions help to slow the effects of wither-infection or at least make a person more comfortable if they're too far gone.

like canon mcsm, when the storm was vanquished, the people who were sick got better. however, in this au, the process was gradual (as the infection lost connection to what really kept it alive, and therefore slowly died). the mutants stayed as they were, since the infection caused physical changes to their bodies that couldn't be undone by natural means.

yes, ivor was the creator of the storm.. and yes, in a twist of fate and cruel irony.. he was, in fact, mutated. however, he had no idea that the command block was alive and would create an infection instead of simply a wither that he could control. due to this, when he saw both jesse and petra get mutated as well, he felt immense guilt and often has sleepless nights where he works tirelessly in his lab in an attempt to have some sort of cure for the mutation. these attempts have all been futile, and no cure has been made. all he can do is keep the others comfortable until their bodies get used to the additional changes that the storm brought upon them.

jesse was the last person to ever be infected.. and his actually came from when he was inside of the storm. instead of destroying the command block as what happened in canon.. the block actually fused with him in a last-ditch effort to save itself. so, naturally, he got very sick. wither-sick. this worried the absolute hell out of his friends, since "the storm is gone, he should be getting better and not worse!" I'll keep the story of his sickness short (unless someone wants to hear about it... wink wink v2), but the basic jist of it is that everyone thought he was gonna die, he got so sick he went into a coma for a few days.. and then he disappeared from the makeshift infirmary that they kept him in. when they found him again, he went from being a very, very sick human to not being as sick, but having undergone the mutation and looking completely different. that scared the everloving fuck out of everyone.. but then two days later, he woke up with no sickness whatsoever as if nothing happened. THAT part is still a mystery to ivor.

everyone who has been mutated experiences some pain for a while, since their bodies need to get used to the changes (as previously stated). a lot of the time, they also need to relearn some things-- walking, talking, coordination, etc.-- depending on what the mutation did to them.

aaaagh anyway.. I feel like I've made this just a bit too long, so if you want to hear more about this au, just put it in my asks and shoot out whatever questions you have. if you do so, please make sure to specify that you're asking me about this specifically by either blatantly stating it or saying something like "(wau) question", etc.

("wau" is short for wither au.. that's my very unoriginal placeholder name until I get a better one.)

anyway, sayonara for now! hope that those of you who decided to read all of this-- or even just some of this-- enjoyed the silly rambling from me.

[swordladywritesthings]

Choice Words

Pairing: Dreamnotfound (ooh thats new)

Words: 1972

TWs: miscommunication, a bit of anxiety. Let me know if there’s one I should list!

AN: So this is actually a school assignment, but since my teacher thought it was good and I still like it, it’s goin here. I know I don’t usually post MCYT content, but I’m hoping to change that soon! Don’t worry, Sanders Sides will probably stay my main priority for a while. (Also yes I’m still supposed to be on hiatus I know I’m a bad Christian shhhhh /j) Enjoy! EDIT! This is now available on AO3 here! for your viewing pleasure

George felt his head bounce against the school bus’ window as it bumped and sputtered its way down the road. He closed his eyes, hoping to catch up on some of the sleep that he had missed out on the night before, and now was sorely missing. This didn’t last long, however, because the bus screeched to a stop and the sounds of other teens climbing out filled his ears. George just sighed and was about to close his eyes again when he felt a pair of strong shoulders crash into his.

   He pulled his head away from the window to meet his best friend’s lively green eyes. “Dream, I’m trying to relax,” he huffed, doing his best to smother the smile he felt creeping onto his face. “Do you mind?”

   “Nah, I don’t mind at all,” Dream responded with a cheeky grin, making George roll his eyes. He was just about to put his earbuds in when Dream grabbed his hand, stopping the movement. 

   “Uh, actually,” Dream said, looking down at where his and George’s hands met, “I had something to ask you.”

   “Mhm?” George just continued to scroll through his phone, seemingly not minding the contact.

   Dream suddenly found himself supremely more nervous than he had been a few moments ago. He took a steadying breath and just decided to spit it out.

   “There’s a new movie I wanna see coming out in theaters tonight, and I was wondering if you’d wanna come with me?”

   At this George turned his attention from Twitter to focus on Dream’s face. After a momentary pause, he smiled. “That sounds like fun! I’ve got homework to do, but you could pick me up later tonight?”

   Dream let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. “Yeah, totally. Around eight?”

   “Perfect, it’s a date then!”

   As George went back to looking at his phone, the bus came to Dream’s stop. He grabbed his backpack and gave his friend a goodbye smile, then made his way off the bus and up his driveway. When he was sure that it had turned the next corner down the street, Dream did a little jump and let out a whoop. He was so sure that George would turn him down that now that he hadn't, Dream wasn’t quite sure what to do with himself. After a moment of stimming, which mostly just meant standing in the driveway clicking his tongue and shaking his hands up and down, he had regained his composure enough to be able to enter his house without immediately being teased by his sister. 

   At 7:30 that evening, Dream was standing in front of his full-length mirror and evaluating the outfit he had chosen. It was nothing fancy, just a pair of jeans and a lime button-up shirt, but that was exactly the issue. Was it too formal? Or not formal enough? This was his first date with George after all, he didn’t want to disappoint. 

   It was in the middle of this scrutiny that his sister spoke up, leaning against the doorframe casually. “You look fine, idiot,” Drista said with a teasing grin. “You know he’s gonna like you no matter what you dress like, don’t stress about it.”

   “But what if I overdress? Or underdress? What do people even wear to movie dates anyway?”

   Drista shrugged. “I dunno, I’ve never been on one. Probably what you’d wear for a usual date,”

   “Thank you for the help, dear sister,” Dream said sarcastically, turning his head to give her a deadpan expression. She stuck her tongue out at him, so of course he had to stick his tongue out at her.

   Their teasing match was interrupted, however, by their mother calling up the stairs. “Clay, George is going to be expecting you! Shake a leg!”

   “I’m going!” Dream hollered back, taking one more moment to fuss with his hair. Drista sighed and walked over, fixing it for him. 

   “You’ll be fine, Clay. You’ve known him for, like, ever, and just because you’re going on a date doesn’t mean that either of you are any different than you were this morning.”

   Dream nodded, and Drista gave his arm an affectionate whack. “Now get out of my house, you nerd.”

   “I’m still older than you!” He protested as he grabbed his keys and walked out the front door.

   The drive to George’s house was a short one, and soon enough he was knocking on the front door of a small ranch-style house that served as the Found household. He took a step back from the door when he heard muffled barks and scrabbling of nails on the other side. George cracked the door open, pulling three very excited dogs away from where they were trying to push out the door and run into the front yard. He smiled a bit sheepishly at Dream, then turned his head to call over his shoulder. “Mum! I’m leaving!” After a faint response had been hollered back, he shoved his way out past the dogs and onto the front porch.

   George huffed, brushing his sweater free from the dog hair that clung to it. “Sorry about that, the dogs just get excited when someone comes to the door.”

   “Don’t worry about it, I’m used to your dogs by now,” Dream chuckled, bumping his shoulder against George’s. “You look nice.”

   “Thanks,” George fidgeted with the hem of the blue sweater he was wearing, kneading it between his fingertips. The outfit wasn’t really anything special, but it was one of Dream’s favorites. The color made the brown of George’s eyes richer, and it looked especially good paired with the light pink blush that was currently painted across his face. 

      Soon enough the two of them were sitting in the plush red chairs of the theater, watching previews and waiting for the movie to start. It was a pretty small showing, there were only two other couples in the entire room, so Dream and George were free to spread out. George had his legs slung over the armrest, leaning his back against Dream’s shoulder, occasionally tipping his head back to give him an upside-down grin. In a way that confused George to no end, Dream had managed to fold his long legs underneath him so he was sitting cross-legged on the chair. He had one arm hooked over the back of the seat, not quite around George but close enough to feel the warmth coming from him.

   The background chatter of the theater quieted to a hush as the lights slowly faded and the beginning of the movie started to play on the screen. George flipped around in his chair to sit normally and shuffled closer to Dream’s side in excitement, causing butterflies to erupt within the taller boy’s chest. He casually dropped his arm to rest around George’s shoulders, then settled back to watch as the main character dashed onto the screen.

      The movie’s plot climax was fast approaching, and George wasn’t handling it very well. He was curled into Dream’s side as the scene around the main character exploded, and he practically shoved his face into Dream’s shoulder with an anxious squeak when the character onscreen only narrowly avoided the hunters chasing him. Dream couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle at George’s reactions, earning him a firm whack to the bicep.

   “Don’t laugh at me! It’s a very intense moment!” He mumbled, though the effect of his statement was diminished slightly by the fact that he was still hiding his face in the lime green fabric of Dream’s shirt. 

   “Aww, don’t worry Gogy, I’ll protect you,” Dream cooed teasingly, patting his head fondly. With a quick glare towards him, George turned back to look at the screen, though he didn’t move from where he was basically plastered to Dream’s side. Maybe if he had looked closer, he would’ve seen the smitten looks that Dream couldn’t resist giving him every couple of minutes. Or maybe he would’ve caught the way that Dream stiffened momentarily when he grabbed George’s hand, caught up in the moment. Or the relief that flooded over him when George just squeezed it without a second thought.

   The two of them got so caught up in the movie that it took both of them by surprise when the lights came back on and the credits started rolling. George pulled away from Dream’s hold to stand up, which made him pout for a moment, but returned to stand at his side when he had gathered his things. Together they walked out into the parking lot, where George talked animatedly about the characters of the movie while Dream watched in amusement. The drive back to George’s house was filled with much of the same, George sharing his thoughts on the plot and characters while Dream listened happily, throwing in his own opinions here and there.

   Dream did his best to swallow his nerves as he walked George up to his front porch, catching his elbow when he went to open the door.

   “I had a really nice time tonight, George,” He smiled at his best friend, hoping he sounded a lot calmer than he felt.

   “So did I! Thanks for inviting me. We should do this again sometime,” George chirped.

   “You think so?”

   “Definitely!”

   “In that case,” Dream said, taking a deep breath and trying to gather his courage. “Would it be alright if I kissed you goodnight?”

   This seemed to take George off-guard, taking a small step back and giving him a baffled look. “What? Why?”

   “It’s okay if not!” Dream rushed to backtrack, bringing one of his hands up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. “I just figured that’s what people usually do after a date goes well.”

   So many emotions flickered across George’s face in a matter of moments. Disbelief, realization, guilt, eventually landing on a mix of confusion and sadness. “Clay,” He started softly. “When you asked me to come with you tonight, did you mean it romantically?”

   A look of horror and embarrassment struck Dream’s features. “Did you think I meant it platonically?”

   George nodded silently, and Dream buried his face in his hands with a groan. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I should’ve made it more clear. Jesus Christ, I’m such an idiot.”

   “Hey, hey, don’t talk about yourself like that!” George said sternly, drawing Dream’s gaze from his palms to his blushing face. “Maybe there was a communication issue, and maybe neither of us completely understood the point of tonight, but that does not make you an idiot,” his voice softened as he watched Dream’s face flush. 

   “You’re right, I’m sorry,” Dream mumbled, stuffing his hands in his pockets self-consciously. “I should probably get going,” he went to turn away but felt a hand reach out and grab his forearm before he could. 

   “Clay, I…” George hesitated, trying to find the right way to say what he wanted to say. “I did really enjoy myself tonight, and I’m sure that I would’ve acted differently if I had known how you felt about me,” He quirked his lips up into a smile. “Can we try this again? Do it right next time?”

   Dream’s eyes shone with cautious excitement. “Really? You wanna go on an actual real date with me?”

   George nodded, and Dream smiled excitedly. “Okay, let’s do that.”

   George turned to look at his front door, then back at Dream. “I gotta go, it’s late. Text me when you get home, okay?”

   Dream nodded, then reached out to gently squeeze one of George’s hands. “Yeah, absolutely. Good night, George.”

   George hesitated for a split second, then rose onto his tiptoes to press a quick kiss against Dream’s cheek. “G’night, Dream,” he murmured, then disappeared inside his house, leaving Dream on the porch in stunned but ecstatic silence.

TAGLIST

General: @definitely-a-living-human @my-friends-art-and-writing @arodynamic-enby @ari-the-writer-enby @me-a-mess-morelikelythanyouthink @asexualtrashcan @the17thmeatball @inku-snas-art @fandoms-are-my-world

MCYT: @gabnapp @justalittlecorrupted

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

morning after | ot7

Each member has their own individual scenario.

summary: You get drunk, have sex with you crush, and wake up in his bed. Whoops.

warnings: idol!BTS; fluff fluff fluff; 18+ for language, mentions of (drunk) sex

note: Main character is female. I use ‘she’ instead of ‘you’ because I’m more comfortable writing the omnipresent POV. You are welcome to think of ‘she’ as yourself or an OC. The pair is alone except for Jin’s scenario because I had the idea and it was so funny that I couldn’t help it lol

--

kim namjoon.

He smiled down at her sleeping form. She was really cute. Her hands were loosely closed into fists close to her face, her mouth slightly open ad she slept. He had been awake for a while now, just looking over her. He didn’t want to wake her. Her lashes fluttered as she closed her mouth and whimpered softly, eyes opening slowly.

“Good morning, beautiful.”

Her hands relaxed and she rubbed her eyes. “Namjoon? What are you doing here?”

He reached out and stroked her head. “What do you mean? You’re in my bed.”

Her eyes snapped open and she stared at him, jaw slack. He frowned a bit, tilting his head.

“What’s wrong?”

Her cheeks colored. “We… did it, didn’t we?” She bit her lip. “It wasn’t a dream?”

He shook his head. “No. At least… I don’t want it to be a dream,” he added uneasily.

Her eyes found his. She looked shy and her cheeks were flushed pink.

“Me neither.”

He smiled coyly, scooting closer to her. “Did you have a good time?”

She placed her hands over her mouth and nodded. “Yeah.” It was as if she was trying to hide her blushing cheeks, but she was failing. He noticed she was looking at him with concerned eyes. “Are you going to be in trouble because of me?”

“I’m more worried about you than me.”

She shook her head, smiling.

“Clearly I don’t mind otherwise I wouldn’t have done it.”

He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. He kissed her nose.

“I’m glad we think the same.”

-

 kim seokjin.

He breathed deeply as he woke up. He opened his eyes slowly, enjoying the sensation of waking up. He stretched his arms, under the covers, feeling the crispness of his sheets. And then he hit something solid. Something that felt like skin.

His eyes snapped open and he tore the covers off his bed, only to find–

A woman. A naked woman.

He screamed.

He hadn’t meant to scream. It was just a gut reaction. The woman’s eyes shot open and she also cried out, grabbing the covers and pulling them over her head. Understandably, she was frightened. He recognized her, but her appearance in his bed had shocked him so much that he didn’t know what else to do but scream.

“What the fuck?”

He looked up and his roommate’s head popped up out of the covers, hair messy and looking like a grumpy cat that had been disturbed from a nap. Yoongi’s eyes were barely open, and he blinked several times, glaring at him.

He yelled again, in sheer shock that he had a naked woman in his bed and his roommate had been sleeping only several feet away from them.

Yoongi threw a pillow at him and turned over again. “Please shut up. What is wrong with you?”

The pillow bounced off him and hit the lump next to him. She squeaked under the covers at the sudden thump. Yoongi made a disgruntled noise and looked up.

“What was that?”

He could only gape open-mouthed at the younger man. Yoongi sat up in his bed and stared at him, eyes finally mostly open. He stared at Seokjin and then looked down at the bed. The covers shifted and her head slowly poked out of the covers. She saw Yoongi and hid the lower half of her face.

“… H-hello Yoongi.”

Yoongi looked from him to her, and then back to him. If he was surprised, he didn’t show it. But then again Yoongi was very good at hiding his emotions. Yoongi yawned and climbed out of bed, his loose gray pajamas rumpled from sleep. He walked up to the bed and placed his hand on her head, fluffing her messy hair.

“Hey.” He smiled down at her. “I’m going to leave, so don’t be too embarrassed, okay?” He looked up at him and gave him a pointed scowl. “Talk things out.” He patted her head one last time and then turned around and walked out of the room, locking and closing the door behind him.

She peeked up at him from over the covers. He felt his face redden, the memories of last night coming back to him. Her big round eyes looked shiny with tears. He pushed his own embarrassment to the side and scooted closer to her.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to shout like that. I…”

She cut in quickly. “It’s okay.”

He reached out and smoothed her hair. “It’s not okay. I didn’t mean to scare you.” His hand traveled down her cheek and he stroked the softness, smiling. “Don’t cry. I can’t bear to see you cry.”

She lowered the covers slightly and smiled back at him. “I won’t cry.”

He lay back down and pulled the covers over him as well, grinning. “Let’s wake up again. It’ll be like nothing ever happened.”

She giggled, biting her lip. “You’re so silly.”

-

min yoongi.

She woke up, half dazed, head swimming. A soft groan left her lips as she turned over, bumping onto something. She frowned and opened her eyes, squinting at the sudden burst of light. Then her eyes snapped open as soon as she realized a messy-haired man was lying right next to her. Not just any man.

Min Yoongi.

He mumbled in his sleep and opened his eyes, barely a crack. He looked a bit disoriented and sleepy, blinking a few times. Then she felt his hands loop around her naked waist and he pulled her to him. Oh no. She was naked. Skin touched skin. He was naked.

Alarm bells rang in her head and the memories struggled to drift back to her. He made a soft noise and nuzzled her neck. She had been drinking. He had been drinking. Their clothes were probably on the floor. She couldn’t see where they were. She could feel his lips against her neck when he spoke.

“Morning.”

She looked around them. They were alone.

“What… happened last night?”

He closed his eyes again and spoke without looking at her.

“Isn’t it obvious?”

She didn’t say anything for a long time. His eyes opened again, only halfway.

“Are you dissatisfied?”

“No!” She responded too quickly. She looked away, hiding her face. “No… not at all.”

He looked at her for a moment, amused, before closing his eyes again and kissing her neck.

“Good.”

-

jung hoseok.

She woke slowly, groggily. Her hand was touching something soft and furry. It felt like her cat so she petted it without opening her eyes. There was a noise next to her. It didn’t sound like her cat. Come to think of it, she hadn’t gone home last night. She struggled to remember what she had done last night. She had been hanging out with Hoseok, he had been drinking, so she dropped him off at the house. And then – oh shit.

Her eyes snapped open and the soft furry thing she was touching was not her cat. It was his hair. And the covers were halfway off their bodies. Their naked bodies. Her eyes widened and she reached down to tug the covers up over them. No one else was in the room, but she was still freaked out. Had anyone seen them? Was anyone around? Questions swam in her head.

He made a disgruntled noise and grabbed her hand, placing it back on his head. He snuggled closer. Upon seeing him, her worries died down. Even by just looking at his face, she began to smile. He tugged on her hand again.

“Don’t stop,” he mumbled, leaning his head against her shoulder.

Her arm was curved in a weird position around his head so she readjusted before running her fingers through his hair again. He had lovely hair. She couldn’t help but smile. He practically purred in satisfaction.

“Feels nice,” he murmured.

“Yeah?”

His eyes opened slightly and he smiled at her.

“I never thought I would wake up with you next to me.”

-

park jimin.

He woke up first, quietly. He scooted closer to her and lifted her head so it lay against his chest. He held her loosely. Seeing her face so calm and peaceful was all he wanted. He brushed her hair out of her face, stroking her cheek. He loved every detail of her face. Soft, luscious skin. Fluttering lashes. Plush lips. Simply beautiful.

He smiled.

Her brows furrowed and she mumbled, shifting in his arms. Her hand came up and she placed it on her forehead, wincing.

“Mmm, Jimin? My head hurts.”

Her little pout was irresistible. He petted her hair.

“I’m sorry, lovely. Can I do something to make you feel better?”

She curled up around his naked body. Her hand fell from her forehead and she intertwined her fingers with his. She had perfect hands, hands that he loved to hold.

“Do we have to get up?” she mumbled.

“No, not anytime soon.” He squeezed her hand and she squeezed back. Her warm breath felt nice against his chest. Her cheeks were flushed. It made his heart flutter. It was just – just indescribable, the way he felt.

“Are you happy?” she asked, quietly.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “Very.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, nuzzling his face into her sweet-smelling hair. He felt her smile against his chest.

“You’re so cute, Jimin.”

-

kim taehyung.

When she woke up, she hurt all over. Her head hurt. Her lower back hurt. Her legs hurt. She frowned and rubbed her eyes, yawning. She couldn’t remember what happened. Her mind felt hazy. She winced as she realized her inner thighs hurt. The memories tumbled back unexpectedly and she groaned, realizing why she hurt all over. Her cheeks flared red and she smacked them with her hands, hoping that when she opened her eyes that it was just a dream. If it was a dream then she would have no reason to be embarrassed. But, of course, it wasn’t, because she knew she was naked. That was a bad sign. The next bad sign was that there was weight on her stomach.

She cracked one eye open. An arm was wrapped around her.

Aw, fuck.

She turned her head to the side and there he was. His straight hair was covering his face but it was unmistakably Taehyung. His face was peaceful and asleep, his breathing deep. She closed her eyes again and sighed. She didn’t want to get him in trouble. It was probably best to leave as soon as possible, before anyone else noticed them together. The thought made her heart drop, but it was probably for the best.

She slid out from under his arm and sat up. She took one last look at his sleeping face, his delicate features mixed with his strong jawline. She didn’t really want to leave. She turned back around and looked around the room. Her clothes were scattered around the room. Her brows furrowed. With another soft sigh, she began to stand to collect them.

She felt a hand clasping her wrist tightly, pulling her back. She turned around and those sweet, brown doe-like eyes looked back at her.

“Please don’t go.”

He tugged harder and she sat back down on the bed. He scooted over to her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her shoulder.

“Stay.”

-

jeon jungkook.

She just stared at the ceiling. All choices had consequences. Her head hurt a bit, but she would get over it. She looked to the side and there Jungkook was, sleeping in a slightly crooked position, hair askew. She turned her head to stare back at the ceiling. She didn’t know what to do now. Part of her thought she should leave and maybe act like nothing happened. But most of her didn’t want to move and that was the problem. She bit her lip. Surely someone saw them. The question was whether or not that person or those people could keep their mouths shut.

He stirred beside her. His eyes opened slowly. He stared at her for about thirty seconds before his eyes widened, suddenly realizing what was happening.

She didn’t have to look at him to know his eyes were looking every which way, trying to piece together the situation even though it was a very obvious situation.

“I… we…”

“Yeah.”

She turned to look at him and he was sitting up, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. She raised an eyebrow and smiled.

“Do you want me to leave?” she asked, despite knowing she definitely did not want to leave.

He shook his head. “No, it’s just…” He looked sheepish. “I kind of thought it was a dream. Too good to be true, you know.”

She felt her face become hot. She turned away, staring back at the ceiling. “Er… sorry?”

“No, that’s not…” He trailed off. She felt the bed move as he shifted positions and then his head was right above her. He smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He still looked shy, but he spoke with more confidence now.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

--

drabbles masterpost | masterpost

[mawwart]

*poses* Tell me about Miss Davie and her robot parents! (if you'd like to!!)

Excuse me while I love you unconditionally now I'm just slapping these in hcs bc it's easier for me and I need to go to bed SO - The bots are all made with"color coded characterization" idk if there's a better term for it but using colors that people identify with certain personalities is interesting! I also wanted to bend those expectations a bit and give them some development from those expectations! Power Rangers is a good example of this off the top of my head. Color coordination is my favorite part of any character creation! -I'm a big ol' sentimental sap so most (if not all) my stories involve found family/longing for home. I eat that shit up -PRISM not only was meant to be one part but it was supposed to be a tragedy. Like. Everyone dies at the end kind of tragedy. Whoops. Okay now for some actual oc stuff: -The bots all think of each other as brothers and Davie as their littlest sister and all take part in raising her -Cherry and Davie immediately bond bc they’re the first person the other has seen in a very long time

(This gives me an excuse to toss in one of my favorite covers I did for PRISM)

-Not everyone is so welcoming to Davie… at first. Bunny (Pink) is the last of the main bots to warm up to Davie because of their own insecurity.

-Clover (Green) is the one who knows most about childcare being awake the longest. (And for other reasons that I have to remain tight lipped about for the time being unfortunately) -Clover is the oldest and Rav (Purple)! Though Noir is the youngest out of all of them, including Davie since their model was made the most recently -Blanc (White) is understandably the least knowledgeable about taking care of a child or caring about anything really. He gets there...eventually.

(btw this part was totally accidental! A friend of mine pointed it out actually. Blanc is an "ATLAS' model robot... The slogan for said model was "the cradles of humanity"...and he's carrying Davie... his world. Not to sound like a sap but I got REAL emotional over this and it wasn't even INTENTIONAL) -Also I'm planning an animatic! Well, technically two animatics but ignore that. I don't know if I'll have the steam to finish this but most of it is already boarded and needs some clean up! Fingers crossed I make something of this bc I've never made one before! It's exciting!

[alias-b]

sins of my youth. 001

Billy Hargrove x OC! Evie Fenny~ Also posted to my AO3

Summary: It was common knowledge that Billy Hargrove hated Hawkins. Hated Cherry Lane. Even loathed the strange girl next door. Evie Fenny wasn’t too fond of the chaotic Cali transfer either. An awful high school tradition sparks a chain of events that changes everything, ultimately bringing two frayed souls together. 

A/N: Hey!!! I'm definitely not giving up on LFTM, I've had this story whirling around my brain and it's been pulling at me for a while. Hoping I can slow down, care for myself, and juggle both fics at my own pace. Thank you guys for reading and for being so supportive. I hope everyone who enjoyed WTL also enjoys this fic, it's a totally different direction. I'm excited to share it! I'll tag warning in each chp like I always too. TW: Light bullying, hints at an inappropriate relationship between a teacher/student, and teenage jerks.

Chapter 1: Fast Times

   A blaring bell trilled. Lunch time. So close and yet so far. Scrambling high schoolers like zoo animals clamored into the cafeteria. Knocking shoulders and bouncing around. No one really cared about knowledge today, the last day of school before winter break began. 

   1984. Coming to a close.

   “Evie!” A hand rose to wave. One pink scrunchie around the elegant wrist. Heather Holloway. Cute as a button smiling there. Hands pulled headphones down to acknowledge her. Evangeline Fenny. Best friends since the sandbox and now seniors. “This stupid day is dragging.”

   “It’s killing me.” Evie whined to herself, settling her beat up lunchbox on the table. Red and blue pattern, scribbled all over with song lyrics in black marker. “Mrs. Stockard fell asleep at her desk, I wanted to die.”

   “She snores so loudly.” Heather sparkled when she laughed, sweeping her hair back into a high ponytail with her scrunchie. Evie held a mirror up for her to see out of habit. “Thanks.” It was particularly louder than usual. Teens pregaming the parties to come over the two week vacation.

   “Going skiing with the folks this year?”

   “No, they’re going up to the cabin and I’m staying home after Christmas.” Heather unpacked her lunch, carefully organizing it. Evie pulled a regular PB and J out, amused.

   “Sushi?”

   “My mom’s going through a phase.” Heather poured herself a bit of soy sauce and plucked up chopsticks.

   “Your rich is showing, Heath.” Evie giggled when a foot kicked at her under the table.

   “Trade you a piece for half the pear.”

   “Deal.” They switched. Evie tucked some unruly dark curls aside, sitting back.

   “So...there is a party tonight. Loch Nora. Bunch of schools.”

   “Which ones?” Evie’s brow rose.

   “Ridgemont will probably crash, but who cares. It’s winter break, we’ll go and have some fun then crash at my place. Eat chips, make fun of them, and pass out like we always do.” Heather bounced a little. “C’mon, Evie. I’ll pick you up and we can walk from my house.”

   “I’ll think about it.” That meant yes to Heather. She grinned, reaching across to pat her friend’s arm playfully.

   “It’ll be fun.”

   Evie just whined and crunched on her pear, brows scrunching. Parties weren’t the same since the incident. But, she picked the popular, social butterfly for her closest friend. 

   The two couldn’t have been any more different.

   Heather Holloway. Rich girl from Loch Nora befriending Evangeline Fenny, a Cherry Lane girl, in preschool. They switched beaded hair ties and the rest was history. Bonded over music and fashion. Heather was classically stunning as if she jumped off a magazine. 

   Students used to make snide comments. That Heather kept Evie around because she made her look prettier. Sweet Heather shut that down. Loudly. Whenever the subject came up. Evie Fenny was a bigger girl. Plush. Fat. It wasn’t a dirty word. She was a strange and pretty teen who carried herself too high to be bothered with comments.

   Water off a duck’s back was the saying.

   Used to be she hid herself under big sweaters, tunics, and flared jeans. But, that was before the incident. Afterward, she came to school with a new haircut. Louder makeup. Even louder, fitted clothing. Flaunted the hourglass and caught eyes on her hips swaying. Sat next to Heather at lunch as if nothing had changed. Red glossed lips only smiled and the student body took to her. Those who stayed angry burned alone.

   Thick skin, no pun intended.

   “If that asshole Tannen shows up, I’m dipping.” Evie decided with one breath. 

   “I’d say that I’ll protect you, but you made your point last year.” 

   Ah, the incident.

   “I’m never going to live that down.”

   “It was legendary.” Heather beamed, crushing her fist into her opposite palm. “Bam. Prick went down. My friend is Wonder Woman. Super Bitch.”

   Evie broke to laugh, eyes rolling.

   “Truthfully, I don’t recall it all.”

   That was a lie, she remembered every second of it. Sometimes her knuckles warmed at the thought.

   “I just...didn’t think you had moves like that. Your mom is basically Dolly Parton. You don’t even like violence. You squirm during horror flicks. You love your cat, your guitar, and all plant life...and you beat the hell out of Ridgemont’s golden boy asshole quarterback.”

   It did earn Evie some Hawkins’ fame. Ridgemont was their main rival. The Bulldogs. Football players found a soft spot for the teen.

   “Don’t tell my mom she’s Dolly Parton, that’ll go straight to her head.” Evie joked, popping her water bottle open to drink. Heather’s big eyes lifted behind her.

   A flood of cologne wafted before two fingers tugged a curl. Little harder than they should have. Water choked to spill onto Evie’s chest.

   “Whoops, you got all wet, Fenny.” A tongue clicked. Billy Hargrove slid around the table. All his glory. Heather plucked up a napkin to offer it.

   “Watch it, Hargrove.” She huffed down at herself. The yellow tee tucked into her jeans was soaked through.

   “Girls can’t help it around me, I guess.” He had one hand in his pockets and another cradling his silver lighter. Flicking it open and closed. Eyes narrowed. “Polka dots, huh. I had you figured for florals.”

   “You’re an asshole.” She covered her damp shirt and bra with her striped cardigan. Thick fall colors warmed her skin. Noted the fact that he'd thought about it.

   “Whatever you say, Ivy.” 

   Billy knew her name. They were neighbors. Unfortunately. Right down to sharing the same space between their bedroom windows. She’d had dinner at their house. Susan Hargrove was new and eager to make some friends and Ms. Fenny was eager to be friends with everyone. Perfect match.

   Evie glared up at him. Fucking Adonis.

   “Heather, you going tonight?” He ignored his neighbor and leaned over with one palm on the table, back to Evie as he sat down to flash that darling smile.

   “Maybe.” Heather gestured with her chopsticks.

   “I can work with maybe.” He acted like the girl behind him wasn’t there. Frankly, Evie was used to being invisible. It was better than being bullied. Most days. “Maybe I’ll see you there.”

   “Maybe you apologize to my friend and say her name right.” Heather winked at him.

   “Who?” Billy stood and turned, mocked some surprise. “Oh. Evangeline. So quiet, I forgot you, chica.”

   She wasn’t sure if that was a jab at her mixed heritage or him just being a smartass. Billy rolled her name off his tongue like it was a joke. Like it wasn’t a real word. Blue eyes alight at her stony expression. Sly and alert. 

   The California transfer vibrated after leaving the basketball team before the season ended. Word was that he was persuaded to leave after some fight with Steve Harrington. Billy was a strange one too.

   Often, he seemed lax when he was alone like the world didn’t matter. Other days, he was rocking and quick on his feet. Hungry and itching for something. Anything. It was a scary look on such a pretty boy. You could never gauge where his mind was. Where it would go next.

   “Evangeline.” He sounded out again even slower. “Your mom lose a bet?”

   “It’s a poem.” She replied flatly, sitting back to cock her head at him. Billy snapped his fingers to point.

   “Sounds like the name of some chick whose man died in her arms.”

   She huffed at him, leaning in.

   “...That would be what the poem is about.”

   “Fucking depressing.” Billy tapped his chin. “I got it. I’m going to call you, Angel. I won’t forget that.”

   “You are not calling me-”

   “Trying to compromise with you, Fenny. You cast the first stone.” Billy flicked his eyes to Heather. “Bring your friend with you to the party, Heather. Some guys like angel cake.” He winked and slunk off to his band of merry assholes. This school worshiped him. Kissed the ground he walked on since he started in fall.

   “What a fucking slimeball.” Evie grumbled to herself, stuffing trash aside to ball it up. Thought about tossing it at Billy's big head. Heather gave this conflicted look as if to say, but he’s cute, right?

   “Ignore him.”

   “Bad enough his family moved in next to me.” They packed up their lunches. “God, I want a smoke so bad.”

   She didn’t keep the habit up just to save her singing voice. Her mom picked up cigarettes only after the divorce last year. Smoked out her window and hid it, but Evie knew. No judgment there. Better than other habits moms pick up after divorces.

   “I’ll pick you up at seven tonight?” Heather walked out with her after the bell rang.

   “Yeah, I’ll see you in fifth.” Evie turned to go to her locker and stuffed the lunchbox away. Grabbed a book to hurry to class. History. Three more periods left. Students fidgeted around her.

   “Hey, Evie.” Steve Harrington batted his eyes at her. Friendly enough these days after he left the popular cliche and broke up with Nancy Wheeler. Sometimes having your heart stopped on made you nicer. Not always. “You, ah, do the paper?”

   “All six pages.” Evie set it on her desk. “You?”

   “I made an attempt.” It was strange because Steve never gave her the time of day before this year. Maybe the guy was lonely. He tapped his pencil and the chatter quieted when their teacher walked in. Late as always.

   “Class, pass your papers to the front.”

   “Hopefully they don’t come back with red wine stains.” Robin mumbled behind her, one leg crossed up so she could draw on the rubber side of her sneakers. Evie caught a snort, taking the papers to pass them along. “I like the jacket.”

   “Thanks. New haircut?”

   “My own dad didn’t notice.” Robin beamed.

   “Psst, Evie.” A note flicked on her desk. Tammy Thompson. Pretty girl, kind of shy. “To Steve.”

   Evie considered herself a professional middle man for lovesick note passing. Discreetly, she gave it to Steve, head cocking. He furrowed his brow upon seeing it, but wrote back.

   Whatever the reply, it made Tammy’s shoulders fall.

   AP Biology was next. Teacher treated it like his kingdom and didn’t pose much of a challenge because he was disorganized as hell. Evie was relieved to share the class with Heather. 

   Billy, Tommy, and Carol also had it too. Hargrove bitched for a week about how the other science classes had no openings. Strange because he wasn’t an idiot. Still got his work in and maintained a B average. Probably due to his dad. Neil Hargrove seemed like a real hardass. And all of Cherry Lane had heard him and Billy arguing at some point.

   Evie might have also witnessed some more physical spats through the windows.

   She figured it was why Billy hated her. She knew something about him. Something he hid because it made him feel smaller. He caught her eyes once and barked nastily before taking off in his Camaro. A gust of smoke.

   She never brought it up. 

   Dads could be real assholes.

   “Watch the movie. Fill out the worksheet.” Their teacher was as ready for this day to be over as the students were. Lights went down. Yawns followed. Evie propped her elbow up on the high lab table she shared with Heather, doodling new lyrics between answering questions.

   A crumpled paper hit her hair. Stuck into brown curls. Heather turned back to glare at Tommy shrugging with a sleazy grin.

   He was no artist. Evie smoothed it for a wide, big lipped and breasted caricature of herself. She drew on it and scribbled a note back. Smiling sweeter when she flicked it at his chest. Carol and Billy leaned in on either side to see Tommy’s expression sour because Evie gave him nothing.

   “You got my hair all wrong.” She��d written. Fixing it for him.

   Billy snorted and turned back to defacing his textbook.

   “Bitch.” Tommy muttered to himself, tossing it away. Evie finished her sheet, dug for her compact to reapply a lip color. Caught Billy behind her. Intent on whatever vulgar drawing his mind was concocting. Blue eyes flicked like he’d been aware of her this entire time.

   The mirror snapped shut.

** ** **

   Study hall. Last period of the day. Most kids who had it were skipping out early during the hour. Slipping away one by one through the library. Evie was one of those kids. 

   “Leaving so soon, Miss Fenny?” The smooth as silk voice lowered, startled her enough to drop her notebooks and folders. 

   “Fr...Mr. Bowers.” Evie dropped before her English teacher standing so close to her. Second period. Been in Hawkins three years teaching the junior and senior classes. Fredrick Bowers. Dream of a man to all the teen girls. “Sorry.” She bit her bottom lip, eyes lifting to see him and his shadow blocking the light from touching her. 

   “No, I’m sorry, Evie. I figured you’d heard me coming.” Sky blue eyes centered on Evie there before he came to one knee. Helped her gather lose papers strewn about.    

   Mr. Bowers had a name and face all the teen girls drew little hearts around in pink gel pen.

   Evie thought she saw those same cartoon hearts bubbling up behind his back. Popping like gum. Styled toffee blond locks, trimmed mustache, and groomed side burns. A simple patterned shirt tucked into fitted slacks with the sleeves rolled up. Never a tie. Something groovy about him that stuck from the seventies. Mid thirties and hell of a smile.

   Evie tucked hair aside, displayed her blush in full view obscenely when he flashed those sparkly whites at her. Eyes crinkling.

   “I’ll warn you next time.” 

   Her heart plucked like a song when their fingers brushed. Dashing and broad. A Jane Austen character come to life. Enough to make any young girl melt. And how quickly she did.

   “Next time.” Evie gave this scoff. Pulling her notes close as they both came to their feet with hard intent eyes.

   "I wanted to give you something. A book to read over the break." He pulled it from his leather messenger bag and peered around.

   "An assignment?" Evie sparkled at him so he was lighter.

   "No, it's just because I believe you're so clever and mature. I think you'll read it with an open mind and we can talk about it like we talked about all the others. It's complicated material. I, ah, really shouldn't be giving you this book." He offered it. "But, there were quite a few I wasn't allowed to give you. After that chat we had over The Crucible. I'm just so fascinated by what you think."

   "Lolita. I know what happens in this one." Evie peered at the battered title. Rough paper between her fingers, it was clearly an old copy. She peered at his chest instead of his eyes. "We-"

   "Don't you miss talking? You know. Last year. Someone who knows what you're going through. I want all my students to be comfortable around me."

   "I am comfortable, we..." Evie glanced as someone passed far down the hallway.

   Bowers helped her after her dad left. A shoulder. A confidant. A crush that... She felt her heart close in on itself.

   "I thought you said we couldn't anymore."

   "I miss you." He whispered that. Lush and blunt. She barely heard it. Eyes snapped up.

   Someone missed her. Someone wanted to listen. Someone who saw her depth.

   His wife left him before he came to Hawkins. Evie learned a great deal about her too.

   "I won't tell, I never do." She hid it away into her bag, matched his tone. "We can...talk. Not here."

   "Good." He swallowed. "I just think you blossom under guidance and support. I always knew you were one of those girls."

   Evie blushed again. Eyes on her shoes. 

   “I wanted to say I was impressed with your paper as well. As always.” Fredrick gave her arm a pat and left his hand there. Fingers pressed into the knit fabric of her cardigan. His lip twitched. 

   “Good. That’s…I’m glad.” Evie’s eyes flickered over stormy blue ones, swaying. Lashes gave a dreamy bat. “I was thinking, ah, about you when I wrote it.”

   “Really, you should speak up in class more.” Fredrick gave her one subtle squeeze and dropped his hand. “All those funny poems you shared last year.”

   “My songs.” Evie corrected softer and he only smiled to nod.

   “Right.” An idle step backwards before he leaned over her. A great deal taller. The shadow crept over her eyes this time. “You have a Merry Christmas, dear. And speak up again in class, Evie. You know I love to hear from you.”

   A sensation like a fizzling sparkler glowed in her belly. Out her spine. Spread over skin.

   “I know.” She giggled at him, peering around. “Merry Christmas, Mr. B. We'll talk.”

   “Small town, I’m sure I’ll see you out and about.” A wink and he was gliding off. Shoulders back and chest perched high.

   “You might.” Evie swooned against her locker. Watched him go. Gasped a breath into her lungs. Swept all the clouds aside to fill her backpack with work. He made her feel so special, like no one ever could. 

   “Anyone...” She sang to herself, “who knows what love is...” Fingers plucked up a final book. Evie hummed and thought of small cartoon blue birds spinning around her head as she went into the restroom. Washed her hands and lingered to see her reflection.

   Evie was in a strange place. In and out of her skin. Torn between love and hate for her body.

   Usually, it just took a brave face. Her dad always used to tilt her chin and tell her to put on her bravest face before leaving home.

   She hoped the one she chose was convincing. 

   Her mom would always spin her favorite Bible or Dolly Parton quotes. Which helped on occasion even if she wasn’t sure which source the words came from half the time.

   A sigh. This was her flesh. She’d live in it as best she could. Dreamed herself into something better.

   Footsteps hurried down the hallway until the door shoved open. Humming cut.

   “Hargrove!” She gasped, dropping her messenger bag. “Billy, you can’t be in here!”

   “God damn it, Fenny. You again?” Billy skidded to hush her. Pressed them back into the wall. The heat of his body engulfed her frame, standing a good few inches taller. “Do me a fucking solid. Hide this for me.”

   Billy had no sense of boundaries because he was stuffing a baggie into her front jean pocket. 

   “What are you doing?” She seethed at him, smacking his arms off her to put some distance. “Get off me!”

   “Don’t say a word. Got it?” Billy lifted a finger with an intent look. Smelled of leather and his heavy cologne. Hairspray too. It all overshadowed the cigarette scent. He smoothed his tee out and turned to see the door. Scrambling like a spider, Billy jumped up on the toilet, threw his messenger bag outside, and pulled himself up. Wiggled his way out.

   Evie heard a thud and groan.

   “What the fuck?” She whispered, more so to herself as he disappeared. Hands pulled what was clearly concealed weed bundled up several times and bagged from her pocket. “Shit.” More footsteps before the door burst as she shoved it away.

   “You see that Hard-grove kid?” A thick accent asked. Security guy. Useless.

   “Uh!” Evie pulled her bag up. “Who?...This is the ladies room! Can’t a girl have a moment here?” 

   “Sorry!” He cringed away before she jumped into mushy period talk. It always worked. 

   Evie rolled her eyes and marched out to find Billy. Casual as can be, he tossed his bag into the trunk of his car and stilled to light a cigarette. Grumbling, steps hurried up the hill.

   “Asshole!” She tossed the weed at his chest, made him catch it awkwardly and stuff it into the trunk with a hiss.

   “Keep a lid on it, will you?” He slammed it shut. No one was around to see them.

   “Don’t do that shit again.” She pushed into him to go, Billy’s big hand wrapped around her wrist. Tugged her square into his chest. An unkind grin swept.

   “I had you figured, didn’t I? You didn’t say anything.” Billy blew smoke into the air, plucked the cigarette out to flick it with his free hand.

   “Let go.” Evie huffed. “I would have been in deep shit too for that.” She wiggled and pushed at his chest. 

   Billy flicked his bright eyes over hers. So brown they looked black in winter. He never noticed that she had a dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks like he did. Pale for a girl with darker features. Indiana falls and winters must have taken the color right out of her. Looked like a lot of the mixed gals he knew back home. 

   Big curls. Soft and curvy. 

   Angry at him over something he did.

   There's no place like home, he figured.

   “You’re so weak.” Billy laughed at her. Took another drag. “They told me you freaked out on a guy last year.”

   “You want to be next?” She twisted away from him and turned. It wasn’t a real threat. He’s seen her tend to plants like they were humans. Feed neighborhood cats and nurse her own. Old black cat with not long left. Little fucker was always creeping him out from her bedroom window. Constantly staring with huge green eyes like it knew something Billy didn’t.

   “Babysit your own weed.”

   “You walking home?” Billy was relentless, voice lifting.

   Evie huffed and turned.

   “What, are you going to say I probably need the exercise? My bike chain broke.”

   “Christ, I was gonna offer a ride. Figured I owed you for saving my damn weed and my break. Not like it's out of the way.” Billy turned to open the passenger door. “Quit being a drag and get in. I don’t bite hard...unless asked.”

   “You’re such a creep.” She eyed him there. Wondered how he stayed warm in a tee, jeans, and leather jacket. “Not waiting for Max?” He gave this annoyed look.

   “She’s going out with her stupid friends, not my problem today.” Billy got in, gesturing. “At least close the door if you’re not coming. I went through the effort to open it for you.”

   “What a gentleman.” Sarcasm.

   Evie came back toward his car and debated it. Smelled like it might rain with the sky turning grey. And she really didn’t want to walk in these shoes. Rationalizing it, she slipped inside and shut the door. Settled her bag in her lap. Even buckled up. Billy revved the engine and skidded to speed out without a second glance.

   “You going to the party with Heather?”

   Evie peered at him watching the road with this hard look on his face. Ghosted a smile. Bingo.

   “You’re being nice to me to get to Heather, huh. You know you’re not the first guy to pull this. Could have just asked me about her.”

   Crystalline eyes flared up at her face.

   “What? Dorky chicks like you turn me on, too.” He replied rougher, not bothering to watch the road.

   “Wow. Spread it on thick, Hargrove.” She turned from him.

   “I always do.” He hit a hard corner. Christ, he drives fast. “I got a shot?”

   “She thinks you’re cute.” Evie shrugged. Far too used to this. Eyes slid to his profile. Wild curls still golden on grey days. The boy glowed. It was absolutely insufferable. Leaves whirled by, brown and dead. A smile crossed her face. “Listen. Since you’re saving me a walk. I’ll help you.”

   “Help me? I don’t need your help, I just wondered if she was gonna show.” He scoffed, turning on Cherry Lane.

   “You want to know what Heather likes. It’ll help you.” She crossed her arms, nearly flying forward when he screeched to a stop in front of his house. Billy shot her a look, filled with pride. “You got a pen and paper, bud?”

   He snatched her bag, tore a page from her notebook and dug into his glove box for a pen.

   Ass. She hugged it back to her chest.

   "Talk."

   “Okay.” A breath. “The thing about Heather is she’s a romantic. Jane Austin girl. Pride and Prejudice. If you can quote that just once like Mr. Darcy, she’s yours... Well? Are you writing?”

   Billy did a double take and huffed, grumbling. He actually marked it down.

   “Mr. Who?”

   “Your life amazes me.” She chuckled. “Darcy.”

   “Got it. Darcy. I’ll ask Susan about that shit, she’s a reader.” He muttered, tongue sweeping out before he scribbled. 

   “And she loves museums. First date ideas. Milkshakes. Cheese fries with jalapenos. Cheeseburger gal. Chinese from that corner joint. Always spicy. Easy picks.”

   “A girl after my own burning heart.” Billy felt her peer at him again. Lips lifting with this expression he couldn’t read. Blinked her big eyes and went on.

   “Definitely loves to snuggle in with something scary even though they freak her out. Must be a curiosity thing.”

   “Any excuse to get close to someone, I like it. This is gold, Angel, go on.”

   “You know, I think that’s all I got for you.” Evie turned to get out, sighing. That was just a little evil. “Billy.”

   “What?” He shut his door and turned from her.

   “Thanks for the ride.” She moved to go toward her house. “Knock ‘em dead.”

   Billy didn’t reply. Just watched her go into her house before he dug for another smoke.

   “Mom?” Evie called. “I’m home.”

   “I’m in my room, sweetheart!”

   Ramona Fenny was a spirited woman, went by Mona to the neighborhood. A girl of the 60s. Built like Dolly Parton with a pumped hairstyle to match in sleek dark brown, almost black. She worshiped the woman. Looked like she could have modeled atop a cake. 

   A church going girl who used prayer to get her through the divorce. Never pushed it on others, not even Evie. Too busy pushing other things. Like the free days she lost having her daughter young. She liked what worked in life and this worked for her. Liked the pretty side to things. 

   Mona was a sunny side up sort of mother.

   Best friends with Claudia Henderson as they both went through divorces which was not in God’s plan. Evie liked Dustin, she babysat him on occasion and he was a good kid. Bullied like her. 

   Mona owned the favored hair salon in town. Worked long hours with a team of women and ran a tight ship. Did hair for all the social elites so she knew everyone and all the hot gossip. And did she love that detail the most. Evie helped out with reception during vacation time. Liked the extra cash.

   “I was going to go to Heather’s later, there’s a party.”

   “Oh, have fun, baby.” She pushed her kid to go out. To live. To be smart. Never asked her to call. Not out of trust for Evie, she couldn’t be bothered. Never imagined her daughter would be up to mischief.

   If only she knew.

   Sometimes, Mona keyed in when it suited her. Understood when Evie’s likes and dislikes changed. When she asked to not go to church anymore because it didn’t help her after her dad walked out. Ramona was understanding as long as you didn’t bring up things like depression and anger. There always had to be a way out. Turn the other cheek.

   Evie knew her mother always thought the best.

   “Great.” Evie crossed to steal the hair brush, helped her mother out with the teasing. Dyed rich and dark locks that used to be a mousy brown. Dark eyes like her daughter. Evie didn’t look like her father with his brighter features. Her lush hair and russet eyes. Thick brows. “You going out? All dressed up...”

   “Just into town, couple of errands.”

   That was something that changed a week after her dad moved out. Mona’s style revamp. She was a woman of the sixties and seventies and that came back full force. Styled and pumped up like she was walking out of a Nancy Sinatra music video. Men around town noticed it and the woman certainly speculated. 

   But, her daughter had a style change too after the incident so it must have run in the family.

   “Better?” Evie eyed the glittery rings sitting in a ceramic dish. They looked like gumballs there.

   “Touch of hairspray and I’ll be right as rain.” Pink manicured nails came up with the can. “Take cover, baby.”

   “Got it.” Evie disappeared in a waft of spray. Stole an ice cube from the freezer to crunch it out of this habit she picked up when dad was gone. Cool and melty between her fingers before she swallowed it down. Felt the bulge tense all down her throat. Another followed. Teeth straining to crack it like glass. The chunks went down a little less smooth as she looked for real food and shut the fridge instead.

   Evie went into the bedroom to see her old cat on the pillow. His head lifted. Skinny and balding. Blind in one eye.

   “How’re we doing, my handsome boy?” Evie dropped her bag and crossed to pet him. Purrs erupted, whiskers twitching. “Bourbon, my darling.”

   A scratch of a meow rasped.

   “Yes, I love you too. I’d kiss you if my lips weren’t done up.” She smacked her lips and stood. “Outfit.” Clothing pushed around. Her room was a small, intimate space. Few pictures and purple curtains. Desks covered in song lyrics, trinkets, and needle felting projects.

   Evie held up garments to the cat, but he was no help. Just purred there like a motor boat. Settled on a black top with some sparkle and a magenta wash denim jacket. Jewelry was a must, she preferred earrings that were huge acrylic hearts. Bourbon had gotten into the window to watch the window across the way. 

   Billy wandering shirtless and damp. Muscles red and bulging like he’d done a quick work out

   “Yeah, not today, my sweet.” Evie plucked the cat from the window and reached to close the blinds. Billy caught her. Winked and licked his lips slower. She made a face at him. Utterly loathing and not impressed at his peacock way of navigation. “Ew." 

   The blinds snapped down, leaving Billy to laugh there. Evie carried her purring cat out, chiding. 

   "Don’t make his head any bigger than it already is.”

~~~~

TAGLIST OPEN! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks!

[bunnyinthestars]

Why we should have known Alix’s importance as essentially the in-show keeper of the Love Square the second we first saw her, and how we can use her character design to predict what will happen for the Love Square

*an analysis/exploration of her character design*

WARNING: spoilers for a couple season 3 episodes, including Desperada, Ikari Gozen, and Miracle Queen. Honestly, if you haven’t watched any of those episodes yet, I highly recommend them, they’re really good

Ok so, today, as I was drawing Alix and therefore thinking about her appearance, I realized that basically her entire physical character design has elements of the Love Square to it. I searched tumblr trying to find someone who posted about this but I couldn’t, so here we go bois. Sorry if I missed anyone’s post about this, I’m still kinda new to tumblr and I’m just trying to share my thoughts with the fandom!

There are gonna be three elements of her design I talk about: her hairstyle, her coloring, and the details on her clothing.

First off, I would like to start with her hairstyle.

Her hairstyle is iconic for its uniqueness— pretty wild, short, with a pigtail on one side and loose hair on the other. BUT GUYS. HER HAIR IS LITERALLY HALF LADYBUG’S, HALF CHAT NOIR’S.

Let me explain—

If you look at the images above, you can see precisely what I mean.

On the left side of Alix’s face (when we, the audience, look at her, not her own left), we can see Alix’s bangs are parted exactly the way Marinette/LB’s bangs are, plus she has Mari’s pigtail. On the right half, we can see the middle piece of Chat Noir’s bangs that is pointed toward/in his face, plus the rest of his hair that alternatively points outward (sorry if that wording was confusing, there’s a reason i’m not a writer, it’s easier to see in the photos). ALIX’S HAIRSTYLE ALONE IS QUITE LITERALLY HALF LADYBUG AND HALF CHAT NOIR. I AM NOT OK.

Alright. Ok. As if that alone hasn’t made me lose my mind, there’s more. Before we get into her outfit, I want to just quickly address Alix’s coloring itself.

Alix has pink hair and blue eyes, and her clothes are black, green, pink, and red.

The pink hair and blue eyes can easily be attributed to Marinette/Ladybug, since Marinette’s clothes and room are majorly pink, her transformation sequence and powers all have pink backgrounds, and pink is a variation of red, which is Ladybug’s main color. Marinette also has blue eyes (and blue hair, but I don’t know if it’s blue in-universe or black).

On the other hand, the black and green on Alix’s shirt can be attributed, of course, to Chat Noir, who’s entire color scheme is black with accents of lime green. Adrien also shows hints of these colors in his design, but that’s a completely different subject.

For the rest of her look, Alix’s shorts are almost all black, except for the red decal on the back pockets, and her socks and shoes are a mix of Mari/LB’s and Adrien/CN’s colors.

To sum it up, from head to toes we have Mari on Alix’s head, Adrien on her upper torso, and a mix of the two from the lower torso down. It is worth noting that the reasons Mari’s colors are Alix’s head and Adrien’s colors are on Alix’s shirt is that, throughout the series, it is established that Mari is associated with using her head, and Adrien is associated with preferring his heart. (This has been explocitly referenced in episodes like Lady Wifi (s1) and Ladybug (s3).) Therefore, Mari’s coloring being on Alix’s head—which is what Mari is associated with—and Adrien’s coloring on her shirt being closest to her heart—which he is associated with—makes total sense.

Ok ok ok. This is the last point I have to make, but also kinda the most complicated to explain, so bear with me here.

(sorry i keep using this same photo, it just shows a lot of what i’m trying to show you guys and i’m to lazy to find another photo hehe)

In the photo on the left, if you look by her wrist, you can see a snake head, and you can see the shape of the snake body trailing around her arms. The scale print even further adds to this.

So a snake. The immediate thing that comes to mind is the snake miraculous. If you’ll remember the episode Desperada (s3), the snake miraculous was originally given to Adrien, who transformed into Aspik, but then Adrien learned that he was unsuccessful as Aspik because he couldnt be Chat Noir at the same time, and his role as Chat Noir was essential to the success of the team, so Luka became the next (and way more successful) holder of the snake miraculous, Viperion. The other relevance of the snake miraculous was in Miracle Queen (s3 finale), when Chat Noir merged the black cat miraculous and snake miraculous (Snake Noir). The colors of the snake are also the same colors of Chat Noir, but black is Chat Noir’s more primary color while green is the snake’s more primary color.

(side note: When Luka holds the miraculous, the tones of the green color shift from a lime green to a more blue-green, which shows his individuality/difference from Adrien being expressed in the miraculous, similarly to how Ryuko’s coloring is more of an orange-toned red than Marinette’s as Ladybug/Dragonbug. This isn’t quite important to this analysis, I just thought it was interesting, whoops!)

For the photo on the right, I know the photo isn’t very clear, but I just couldn’t quite find a clear photo of the red snake decal on the back pockets of Alix’s shorts. For context, in the Chinese zodiac (where the second level of the miraculous originate), dragons don’t have wings (the wings thing came from western culture), and so they look similarly to the shape of a snake because they are long, thin, flexible, and have scales. Therefore, it’s reasonable to assume that this snake-like outline in red on the pockets of Alix’s shorts could also be meant to resemble a dragon. This makes a ton of sense when we consider how the snake and the dragon are pictured together in the show, and the colors typically associated with either.

The dragon’s relevance is presented in a similar manner to the snake’s, only Marinette doesn’t try to use the dragon (excluding Kwami Buster) until Miracle Queen, when she becomes Dragonbug (and Chat Noir becomes Snake Noir). Kagami, however, is meant to be Marinette’s “rival” for being Adrien’s love interest, and Kagami is the one who ends up getting the dragon miraculous and transforming into Ryuko for the first time in Ikari Gozen (s3).

Luka is meant to be a altered reflection of Adrien, and Kagami is meant to be an altered reflection of Marinette. This is why the miraculouses that Luka and Kagami are given are also the same ones Marinette and Adrien unify in Miracle Queen, and why the color schemes are the way they are. Their roles in terms of the writing of the show are only meant to be a psyche-out Adrinette for both Mari and Adrien. The balance is almost there, but not quite. This can be seen in their own character designs, but again, that’s a whole other thing. Their roles in the show, though, are essential to bring Adrinette together. In Miracle Queen, Luka and Marinette are established as an item, and Kagami and Adrien are established as an item. In the same episode, Dragonbug and Snake Noir themselves even foreshadows the separation of Luka & Adrien and Marinette & Kagami being unified into just Adrien and just Marinette themselves. A better way of saying that is that the qualities Mari likes about Luka will become things either Adrien grows into or that she’ll find in him, and the same thing with Kagami and Marinette for Adrien, which will lead to them becoming a couple. This is why they’re included in Alix’s design, if we can agree that Alix’s design is meant to represent their journey into becoming a couple.

Man, am I tired from finding the words to explain that. Hopefully it makes sense!!

So, to summarize everything, not only do Alix’s hair and general coloring have direct traces of LB and CN, but also the snake and the dragon, who can be represented by both Adrien & Luka (snake) and Marinette & Kagami (dragon), and can be used to determine that Luka and Kagami’s roles in the show hold the key to the Love Square becoming canon.

So. Yes. Alix’s design, once I realized all this, has been driving me crazy. I MEAN SERIOUSLY. She is a literal human representation of the Love Square.

[moonlightwinterdxxix]

Strawberry Teeth

~~~

“The world's not perfect, but it's not that bad,

If we got each other, and that's all we have;

I will be your brother, and I'll hold your hand—

You should know I'll be there for you.”

-Alec Benjamin, “If We Have Each Other”

~~~

There was something in particular about strawberries that made Osomatsu happy. Happy, joyful, complete, in a sense that he was coursed through by fulfillment. And although a strawberry had a lot of qualities that made the fruit stand out, from its juicy flavor exploding against the tongue, to the color that reminded Osomatsu of himself sometimes, the berry was important to him because of so much more than that.

But nothing was more important to him than his brothers.

And for the berry to assist him in exposing that fact, that was what made Osomatsu happy.

The importance of the strawberry in his mission, however, was specific. It was a fruit for a reason, because it was eaten for its nutrients, its taste, its collaboration with other foods to decrease hunger in the human body. But as much as it was that, a strawberry also served as entertainment, to add pungency to otherwise bleak treats, to behave as a dessert after a complete meal, and for Osomatsu—to make Todomatsu smile.

Even as a child, Osomatsu loved Todomatsu’s smile.

But this smile came in all shapes and forms.

~~~

They were ten, but it was still sweet.

It was sweeter than anything. It was sweeter than the candy made in Santa’s factory. It was sweeter than honey, and being called Honey by someone you loved. It was sweeter than a kiss underneath a patch of cherry blossom trees, petals blowing in the wind. It was sweeter than all those things combined. Because when you were someone’s older brother, to see your little brother’s smile was the sweetest thing you could imagine.

Most especially, when you were the cause of that sweet smile.

“Ah! This tastes so good! Thank you so much, Osomatsu!” Todomatsu took another sip of the reddened drink, pinching the tip of the pink and white straw with his little lips. His throat bobbed as he gulped down the smoothie in large gulps. After draining another one-fourth of the glass, he exhaled, raising his head to Osomatsu with stars illuminating his eyes. “Seriously, this is amazing! Who taught you to make this?”

With a light shrug, Osomatsu simply responded, “I had Mom’s assistance.” Which was true. But the flavor wouldn’t have been reality if not for his attention in their home economics lesson in school. For the first time, it was worth remembering what their teachers informed them over the course of infinite dragging seconds, as boring as it was. Osomatsu was tempted to pat his own back.

“Oh.” Todomatsu’s sweet smile was then mixed with vinegar. “And you handed her the ingredients while she mixed them up?”

He startled. “Huh?” Osomatsu waved his hands, protesting, “No! We helped each other make it! W-Well, I-I was the one with the idea to make it in the first place! Do you think I was her servant the whole way through?”

Now his smile was sour, and the stars once sparkling in Todomatsu’s eyes had reduced to dust. “I wouldn’t be surprised. I mean, that’s all you’re good for. I’ll remember to thank Mom for the drink later.” Todomatsu took another set of swallows until the strawberry smoothie was no more than a puff of blushing ice nestling at the bottom of the glass.

Osomatsu eyed him dejectedly.

Todomatsu didn’t acknowledge it. “Anyway, I’m gonna head out, play with the toy train I picked up from the side of the road.” He stood up from the chair, and it skidded away from the edge of their kitchen table. “Take that to the sink for me, Osomatsu. If being a servant is all you’re good for.” Tittering, Todomatsu skipped out of the kitchen, whooping as he called for Karamatsu in the living room excitedly.

Without arguing, Osomatsu took the empty glass and brought it to the sink. He felt bitter.

~~~

Once, when they were twelve, the day was made of fire.

The sun was too high up, and it wasn’t shielded by its white, puffy friends. Maybe the clouds were angry, and wanted to have some time away from it. That was too bad, since the sun was such a brutal fellow entirely, being made of hellfire. It shot the world of Akatsuka District with rays warmer than a sweltering dish on Matsuyo’s frying pan, and ice was a longed reverie as it melted elsewhere, out of reach from the district’s miracle of six same faces.

“I need a drink,” complained Jyushimatsu, fanning himself with his failed quiz in Mathematics as he leaned tiredly against the wall. “Choromatsu, get something from the fridge, won’t you?”

“Do it yourself,” Choromatsu replied, as worn-out as his younger brother was. To Karamatsu, he said, “Karamatsu, get something from the fridge.”

“I can’t. It’s broken, remember?” Karamatsu sighed.

All of them sighed.

Inching his back off the floor, Todomatsu swiped his sweaty cheeks with two fingers. His skin was warm, almost like his back, and the floor he had lazed himself upon. His shirt clung tightly to his skin like epoxy. The floor was as if Helios himself had laid down on it. Friction was the worst when summer existed.

“I’m gonna find something to cool me down, anything. Don’t bother asking for some if I actually find something.” He didn’t wait for a reply to be said from the others as he left the living room, a dungeon of pyre. He went straight to the corridor, body sagged as he defeatedly placed one feeble foot in front of the other. He was heaving.

The floorboards were just as bad as the living room. Each step was walking through a field of magma.

Todomatsu cursed the heavens for their cruelty.

But for his and his brothers’ cold reputation, they probably deserved this fire.

“Psst! Todomatsu!”

“Eh? Osomatsu?” Todomatsu grimaced at the kitchen’s direction, where Osomatsu was peeping over the frame of the door. His expression was entirely brightened, like he had found a way to control the fire instead of have the fire control him. “What’s going on? Do you need me there with you?”

“Mhm, that could work. But don’t tell the others.” Osomatsu vanished behind the wall, and Todomatsu’s curiosity danced as he heard the excited footsteps of his older brother emerging from the other room. “Come on! Get in here!”

Hesitation and curiosity boxed inside Todomatsu, with the latter taking the medal. Todomatsu ignored the heat beneath his soles as he jogged over to the kitchen, away from the others’ earshot, and entered into another room with the air stinging from the summer sun. Todomatsu coughed a breath, his head spinning abruptly from the levelled irritation and fatigue that clashed against him.

“Here you go.” Osomatsu pressed something against Todomatsu’s right hand, and the fire he felt diminished and turned to smoke. Todomatsu flinched at the unexpected, and he lowered his gaze to the item in his hand—a reddish Snow cone his fingers found themselves encircling. Cold, icy, refreshing. The sun’s enemy. Todomatsu’s soul sparkled.

Osomatsu said, “I found some pennies on the sidewalk, enough for something like that. I could only get two of them, and since you were the only one who had the guts to stand up and try whatever, I thought you deserved an award.” Osomatsu slid his tongue against his own Snow cone, as crimson and chilly as the one Todomatsu resumed marvelling over. Osomatsu’s tongue returned in his mouth ruby. “Try it, little bro. It’s very delicious.”

Todomatsu tried it. And it tasted like his life had been extended for another twenty years. Soon after he was licking like he had never before, drowning out the sun with an invisible force field as it attempted to penetrate the snowfall of Todomatsu’s happiness. He smiled the whole way through, giggling at his own success, until the red ice was sliding through his fingers and down his sleeves. Todomatsu didn’t care at all.

“What’s the flavor? Strawberry?”

“Yup.” Osomatsu winked at him. “Because I thought it works well when the sun’s a pisser. Don’t you think?” But he was met with no reply as Todomatsu resumed ingesting the frozen treat. At the innocent sight of it Osomatsu chuckled, rubbing his nose. “Ah, Todomatsu. You look happy.”

Todomatsu grinned at him, his teeth all coated in the strawberry’s rainbow of hues. “I am! Thanks, Osomatsu! This is great!”

The words meant more to the eldest than Todomatsu realized.

~~~

They crammed the exams in the last period. Todomatsu wasn’t prepared, and his pen fidgeted as his hands shook beneath the sleeves of his gray uniform. The situation was slightly relatable. Osomatsu’s paper barely had any answer, but Osomatsu leaned back in his chair, watching his brother from his side in the classroom. His eyelids carried anvils. He battled against sleep. Watching adult bedroom scenes the previous night did him little favors.

Worth it though.

The bell rang. The teacher stood up. Papers travelled from the corners of the classroom to the middle, different fonts penned against the numerous sheets tainted chalk. Answers differed. Some answers shaded the box next to Japan’s name. Others had Italy. A few had France. Osomatsu encircled none. The rest of his test was scribbled with irrelevant body parts that made the reproductive system. He wouldn’t ace this history test, but that wasn’t his priority.

It was the tears at the other end of the room.

Todomatsu stormed out of the door, calling Choromatsu’s name. Everyone either judged him or ignored him. Osomatsu followed him.

The corridors of the high school littered with students comparing answers. Caring less about the insignificance of academics, Osomatsu shrugged his bag on his shoulder, keeping close to the lockers that stood poised at his sides. He ignored his friends. He ignored Totoko. He ignored the rest of his brothers. Karamatsu only dipped his chin.

Osomatsu continued down a series of stairs, two floors away from the main lobby. He took a brief stop next to the rectangular machine settled on the landing, occupied by no other desperate students. He brought out his wallet—it stunk of poverty. But the single coin of silver glistened in the paling fluorescent lighting, and Osomatsu nudged away the voice demanding for selfishness. He inserted the coin into a slot. Nothing came out. Strawberry soda was no more.

Osomatsu gave the vending machine an eye roll and a middle finger.

Rain pelted on the towering structure of Akatsuka High School as Osomatsu exited the building, readying his black umbrella. He swept over the courtyard and front, trying to identify any familiar body build, easily differed from his by its height and the floppiness of its clothes. The scenery was a disappointment, a mockery, and Osomatsu loathed it. In general, he loathed being beaten in his own expertise, to be able to make out the form of those he had once called his brothers, but now called some fellowmen.

Whatever, he told himself. The voice of selfishness surged in him, and this time he decided to let it linger. I’m going home.

He untied the coal-dark wrap of his umbrella as he entered the drumroll of the sky’s sweat. The runner caught—Osomatsu shoved aggressively. He swore in annoyance, and cursed for its inability to comply. He wrestled with the metal, unable to stop himself. He wasn’t sure where his anger came from, or how it came to be, but it was there, either way. Some said that anger added ferocity into any particle of a gesture.

His finger slid against the steel. There was a ripping sound. And then, he was reminded of how similar in delicacy skin and fabric were, and of how close in color strawberries were to his own blood.

Except they didn’t taste the same.

He took a quick trip to the nurse’s office, and he hated their smiles. It was kind outside, but he knew more than anyone how much of a toxicant he was to the eyes of others. He was hated. Almost all of them were hated, even the brother whom he had lost to the downpour and his misfortune. Osomatsu seethed to himself. They treated his wound, running a cotton ball of antiseptic against the crack in his complexion. They wrapped it up with a bandage. They told him in a gentle voice to be careful next time when playing with toys. He called it karma for his middle finger.

They gave him a lollipop, saying, “You’ve been a good boy.”

He hoped they weren’t mistaking him for Todomatsu. But if they were, he was in all awareness ready to spit on their shoes. So what if they reported him to the principal for disrespect? It wasn’t as if they were knowledgeable of how much the deed disrespected his emotions. But he was nothing to them but a boy. A boy with six brothers, and a boy that deserved nothing but regret. The school glanced at him as if he were a parasite, and only a few gave the parasite extra attention. But people didn’t stay forever, no matter how often they would say otherwise. Osomatsu grew up with that experience.

A parasite. He might as well be.

But at the end of the day, he was nothing like those same-faced fools, any of them. And he was never going to be, he decided as he wordlessly slipped out from the splenetic atmosphere of the nurse’s office. He tapped his wounded finger against the side of his pants, destination set to the exit of the school, on his way home, where he could crash and rest to the sound of his own personal amusement. He didn’t care about his brothers.

But he did. Which was why he had the lollipop in his pocket instead of his mouth, and why the coin purposed as his ticket home was no longer weighing in his pocket. Osomatsu wanted to tell himself that it was the mood of kindness that triggered him, but his heart spoke of a different alibi. An alibi that wasn’t an alibi as it was the truth.

He flicked the runner of his umbrella again. It obeyed.

With the umbrella now properly catching the drops of heaven, Osomatsu walked out of the school’s boundaries.

And saw Todomatsu at the other side of the road, arms wrapped around Choromatsu’s. Todomatsu was crying. Choromatsu was stone-faced. He offered no consolation to the youngest.

Osomatsu waited for the lights to blink red before he and a few crossed the drenched concrete of the Ward, reflecting the gray skies in wide, rippling puddles. At the other side of the road, Osomatsu let a lazy expression fall over his face as he regarded his brothers. They regarded him back, uttering silence. Todomatsu was sniffing. Choromatsu had his chin up, his mouth angular and sealed. But they had the same eyes. All three of them.

They merely waited for him to do something, say anything. But Osomatsu said nothing.

He wasn’t like them.

He didn’t care about them.

...

He missed them.

“Todomatsu, here.” Osomatsu reached into his pocket and pulled out the lollipop, its red, strawberry color mirroring the color of the blood under Osomatsu’s bandage, and the blood running in the veins of those standing next to him. He extended the small sphere on a stick to the boy cowering behind Choromatsu’s body. “Hope this cheers you up. Tests suck.”

Todomatsu hesitantly took the lollipop, glistening eyes the size of saucers. He snapped back to Osomatsu, his already reddened cheeks brushed darker as something reminiscent of a smile tugged the corner of his lips. “Thanks, nii-chan,” he said. He was suddenly very loveable, and very much happier. And at eighteen, when their lives were a war against their greed and foolishness, this was all Osomatsu could ask for.

Osomatsu tried not to smile back as he turned away to walk home.

~~~

It hurt. It hurt, it throbbed, it shed tears. Todomatsu tried to steady his breathing as he cupped his eye, pounding like an orchestra of drums as he shook violently. People were talking about him in whispers he discerned. The toneless timbre made it worse. He was humiliated. He looked so pathetic. At that, he tried to keep still, stop himself from fretting over unnecessary pain. But it was anything but. He didn’t want to make his pain so obvious, but it was.

The pain wasn’t physical. It was emotional.

“Here, Totty,” Aida said, placing a drink on the counter. Concern shaped the curves of her eyes. “One strawberry milkshake. Get better, okay? It'll work out.”

It wouldn’t. Even if he was told a billion times by anyone in existence that it would be okay, it wouldn’t. The pain in his heart was more than that of a three-year long relationship cut short into heartbreak. His issues were morphed out of a different kind of love. A more important one. There was more than wanting to share blood with someone else, when a different rip was coated in the blood of those in the same family. A family where so many people are sad. Broken. Overwhelmed by their own grief.

Todomatsu’s injured eye was crying. The other eye was misting over.

His smile was all plastic. “Thank you, Aida,” he said, as steadily as he could muster, taking the drink from the countertop. “I’ll be seeing you some other time.” He let his feet drag him out of the doors of Sutabaa, ignoring the eyes that steadied themselves on his backside, some worried, others intrigued. He was careless to their judgement—they were nothing to him. But to those whom he found something in , maybe he was nothing to them too.

Perhaps all this time, all of them weren’t anything to Osomatsu.

If that was the case, then fine. Let him find his own self-fulfilment where he wouldn’t be so much of a pain to his companions, acting as a ruthless overlord to the Matsuno borders. Todomatsu didn’t need to linger in a shredded domicile. He was better than that.

Therefore he wanted out of a world where he was nothing.

When he was out of sight from Sutabaa, Todomatsu approached the closest garbage bin and stashed the strawberry milkshake into it.

~~~

No one else was home. The bridge was busy with Karamatsu’s efforts in a pathetic poem. The bookstore was turned upside down due to Choromatsu’s weakness over females sprawled in bikinis over magazine covers. The town’s cats all had their stomachs full where Ichimatsu had passed by. And the river was a current of energy where Jyushimatsu’s arms swept energetically through them.

Osomatsu and Todomatsu were the only ones home.

But it was still a typical day for both of them.

“Niisan, you should really be more careful,” Todomatsu stated, pressing the wet cloth over Osomatsu’s purple bruise. Osomatsu flinched, failing in containing himself from the reaction over how unexpectedly the water on his skin stung. “People in Pachinko could be aggressive if you don’t hold back on your pride. You don’t...Ugh, why am I telling you this anyway?! Choromatsu-niisan has reprimanded you on this before. Cod, you never learn your lessons ever.” He squeezed the cloth, setting it back into the basin.

Osomatsu lifted his shoulders carelessly. “Meh, whatever. They’re the unlucky ones. Do they have any baby brothers to take care of them when they get beat up? Nope! That’s all me and you, Todomatsu...Ow, ow, ow!” He bit back a curse as the towel was this time laid against his shin. The discomfort crept up his nerves and made his head spin, and Osomatsu wasn’t able to help dropping it against the pillow leaning against the couch’s side. The ice bag was crooked on his forehead.

“I can’t even touch your injuries, niisan. They’re so gross.” Todomatsu shook his head. “Jeez, you’re an adult. Handle yourself better! You can’t rely on us on everything forever.”

“Hey, it’s totally in you if you want to leave me to die. Don’t deny me. You’d totally do it. For some reason it was your good nature that urged you to care for me today.”

“Meh. True.” Todomatsu finished up Osomatsu’s leg before standing up with the basin. “Alright, you stay there while I throw out this crappy water. Try to get up and I’ll add to those injuries. Take my word, you idiot eldest.”

Groaning, Osomatsu waved a hand. “Fine, fine. Thanks for the help.”

Firmly nodding, Todomatsu directed himself to the door of their shared bedroom before shutting it behind him. And Osomatsu was alone in the room again, where everything was soundless, and movement was a lie.

Now. Now, it was boring.

What to do? Crack open one of Choromatsu’s sexually inappropriate books? Munch discreetly on an unopened pack of Ichimatsu’s chips? Doodle crazy mustaches on the dudes in Karamatsu’s fashion magazines? The possibilities swarmed around his head like bees, but each time he came into account of his status, with an ice pack over his head and his leg propped on a cushion. His limbs ached with a single movement, any hair on his arm touched sending a shot of agony racing through his body. He was vulnerable, and the state of being vulnerable pissed him off.

Maybe it was a bad idea to yell about a man’s nose ring after losing ¥5000 to him. He thought he had a chance against those bulging biceps though. Must’ve been wistful thinking.

He’ll win next time. Surely. Right?

Right?

(No, he wouldn’t.)

Osomatsu deflated at his own misery.

On the other hand, Todomatsu’s phone was in reach. All it needed before it made its way to the eldest’s hands was a bit of toe skills and kicking. Osomatsu might’ve had torture radiating from one leg, but there was still plenty of power in the other. As another plus in his part, it was much closer to the phone than the other, thus the chances were more than plausible. Awesome.

Osomatsu bit his lip as he performed control over his leg. His toes struck against the gadget’s white frame, and he reigned supreme for one moment just to grumble in annoyance the following second. It scooted and slipped, sometimes getting too close to the edge of the couch, to the horror of Osomatsu. It was more from the fact that he was going to spend an hour of inevitable boredom than realize he broke the screen, expecting an outburst from his youngest brother once he learned the news.

But at his fifth try, he was overjoyed when he found the phone locking in place between his two biggest toes. Osomatsu grinned wolfishly. Success. The nose ring guy could bite his tongue now in defeat. Heh.

As he carefully drew it close to him, Osomatsu snickered at the idea that the clean and elegant Todomatsu Matsuno’s phone had been carried off by a gambler’s dirty feet. Or worse, a sibling gambler’s dirty feet. It might not be the same as moving out of the couch injured, but it was still in the position to receive a severe beating from his youngest brother. That was, if the said youngest brother wasn’t in one of his ‘feeling compassionate’ days, as he was almost daily.

He dropped the phone into his hands, swiping the screen up. Password. He grinned. He typed. And he was in. He was too familiar with his brother’s vain nature to know that the password to his phone was his own nickname. In all caps, to be exact, to add emphasis over how grand he was. Getting in wasn’t something that Osomatsu needed to problem himself with.

The bigger problem was what he saw next.

In the world of social media, one of the most common things to see was hate comments. They took physical attributes on one person and expanded them into something big. Ugly. They fussed over speaking patterns like it made all the difference when the speaker tried to convey a message. The message could be about proper judgement. And sometimes, they spoke of things that made zero sense, but the choice of words used were so strong, so power-hungry, that they were still forceful enough to jab at the one they wanted to harm.

They filled Todomatsu’s screen.

What’s up with that face? Dude, you’re trying too hard.

Does it have to be pink? That’s a freaking girl’s color. Are you sure you’re searching for a girlfriend?

This irritates me so much smh. Cringing to the core.

These are the kinds of people that when I see, I could understand why they’re lonely. Because there’s so much not to like! Like I’ve said to so many other online users, you aren’t getting anywhere. Might as well give up now before you disappoint yourself with your lack of success.

Just get out.

Osomatsu frowned. Was there anything so wrong about posting a picture of yourself online? Not to mention a good picture, where your smile was captured perfectly in HD like an actor in a movie poster, and the world around acted as if it made way for you like you were the king that ruled it? No, there was nothing wrong with that, yet Osomatsu felt his anger bubbling as he scrolled through the comments of Todomatsu’s latest image.

It was a smile. Osomatsu lived for that smile.

The comments contradicted Osomatsu’s wants.

His eyes slitted. His lips pulled back.

It was all about his little brother, but his little brother was treated as a part of a discarded wasteland. People threw rocks, hit the bullseye, cackled in triumph. Todomatsu was a slave to their jurisdiction, but he replied to none of those harsh comments. And the process repeated itself on the screen, a cycle replaying of false acumen. The phone might not have belonged to him, part of Osomatsu’s heart throbbed as if it were involved in that wretched cycle.

Those asses. Those damn asses. Each one of them, may their souls find torture the day they died. May they burn in their own words, suffer in their own threats. Their lives mattered less than all those who tried hard to find purpose in theirs. Their lives mattered less than Todomatsu’s. Their lives didn’t matter at all.

They had no say in which lives mattered and which ones didn’t. Life was life, and it wasn’t equal. But that didn’t mean that when you felt superior, other lives were inferior to yours.

Damn asses.

Osomatsu snatched the ice bag from his head, slamming it to the floor. He swung his legs over the edge of the sofa, touching his bare feet to the ground. He pushed himself to stand, ignoring the pain in his leg as he pocketed Todomatsu’s phone and limped to the door. He slid it open, and clicked it shut, trying to identify the possible whereabouts of his younger brother. He said he was going to clean out the basin, but time ticked too much for that to be his only agenda. There was more to it.

Did he already know about those horrid comments? He must've. They were the first things to pop onto the screen for a reason.

Sloshing of a wet cloth against surface made its way to Osomatsu’s auditory senses. Water ran. Osomatsu scrambled over to the toilet at the end of the hall, and peeked through the small opening left by the ajar door. Todomatsu was still inside, washing the basin, his eyebrows straight, expression blank. Eyes stared into an invisible oblivion. He showed no signs of discomfort as he rid the basin of Osomatsu’s soot. Emotionless.

But emotionlessness often acted as the shield to hide all sorts of emotions.

Ichimatsu was often like that.

Osomatsu had been, once. Karamatsu’s knuckles had been bloodied. Jyushimatsu’s stomach had been bruised. And Todomatsu’s eye had been black.

Osomatsu snarled, facing away from the toilet as he made his way to the stairs. And walking down, he was turned into a lone wanderer as thoughts and anger rocked simultaneously in his mind. All his physical pain drained off, and Osomatsu was the definition of anger, of vengeance, and a wild beast being trapped from escaping into the wild. He wanted to rip limbs from their hinges, to yank head after head from numerous necks.

That was what it was like to feed on anger. But in this situation, his anger wasn’t going to take him anywhere. He didn’t know the hidden identities behind each ridiculous username, nor was he in the position to crunch some skulls with the injuries coating his body. It was also a fight after all, that turned him this way. His brash, stubborn nature might only make things worsen for both Todomatsu, and himself.

He approached the kitchen, hoping for a glass of water instead. Would it be chilly enough to clear the fumes combusting inside? Hopefully. Probably not. But it was better this way than to turn the situation from orange to red, and find a result of severe loss on their part.

He opened the fridge. There was juice inside.

“Osomatsu-niisan, where have you gone off to?” Todomatsu arrived at the kitchen frame, and as he laid his gaze on the red hoodie of his older brother, his brows furrowed as his arms crossed. “Cod, you’re thick. Couldn’t stop yourself from messing around when I specifically told you not to, can you?” He paused, then continued to, “Um, what are you doing?”

Because Osomatsu’s hand sported a pestle, the other hand tightly gripped a mortar. It was the only thing he was aware of that their house had when it came to crushing something. For this instant, it was the ice. Huge cubes of refrigerator ice. “I’m making you a drink. It’s the least I could do for your kindness, Totty.” He flashed Todomatsu a smile. It was truthful and false at the same time.

Scoffing, Todomatsu rolled his eyes. “Oh come on. That’s the worst thing you could do for me. Having you rest on the couch is the best offer if you’re so dead-set on doing shtick for me. Let’s return to the room.” Already, he was keeping to his word as be turned to leave.

Osomatsu said, “But you like strawberry, don’t you?”

Without turning back towards him, Todomatsu said, “It’s a girly flavor.” His following silence was uncomfortably long.

Ah. So he had read those comments. Osomatsu’s fists were triggered to break someone’s nose, but he held the instinct back.

Breaking him out of it, Todomatsu spoke again. “I’m serious, niisan. We should return upstairs and let you rest. I’ll keep you company, be on my phone, then leave if you want when the others return. But we should go and let you rest a bit more.” His tone lost a ton of ferocity. Indirectly, Osomatsu had struck a nerve, but it was better to have struck it than let the nerve be damaged for too long.

“Nah, I already began, so might as well continue.” The happy-go-lucky attitude was a fool’s talent, and Osomatsu was glad to be the fool. He once more plunged the pestle into the mortar, increased in strength, and more blocks of ice cubes turned into crystalline splinters. “Sit down instead. You can still keep niisan company here.”

Groaning, Todomatsu returned to the kitchen. “Fine. If it makes you stop.”

“Good.”

Osomatsu grabbed two glasses from the cupboard and set them to the center of the kitchen table. With the pestle, he slid some of the ice from the mortar into the two glasses, equal in each. Limping, he took the strawberry juice from the fridge, and once the pitcher was with him as he stood next to the table, he poured the drink into the glasses. He settled across Todomatsu on the table after setting the pitcher down and moving the glasses to their respective directions.

Todomatsu didn’t show a sign of gratitude. Well then. He wasn’t getting out with his little secret. Not a problem. This was a moment of truth, but if Todomatsu wasn’t going to cooperate in his own improvement by letting his chest out, Osomatsu needed to play alongside it. And succeed in his own way.

Grinning at his little brother, Osomatsu said, “Wanna hear a joke?”

“Your face.”

“And yours.”

Todomatsu flinched, and glared at his brother. Daggers weren’t as sharp as that stare. “Shut up. We’re nothing alike.”

“Yup. I’m a beggar and you’re a deity. We absolutely are nothing alike.” Osomatsu leaned forward on the table, the phone’s weight in his pocket letting itself be known. “That’s why we’re in this situation in the first place. I did stupid crap, and you’re here to take care of me. And for me, that’s absolutely great. You’re a very nice guy, Totty, even if you want to kill us sometimes. You’re not perfect, but you will always stay in a place for me where I can applaud you for being incredibly awesome.”

He studied Todomatsu’s expression as he spoke—unamused. But at the same time...

The shield of expressionless.

“You’re being sarcastic. Stop it. Where is this even coming from?” Todomatsu’s back was against the chair, and his crossed arms hadn’t untangled from his chest yet. The drink remained where it was in front of him, the wetness of it beginning to mark a circle on the table.

Shrugging, Osomatsu said, “Meh. Thought it would be a good time to let you know how I feel. We don’t get to hang as much, and now’s good timing, so yeah.” He smiled, all teeth. “This is awesome! It’s like karma, the good kind! Treat me well, I treat you well, that kind of stuff! But it’s also a nice time to let my brotherly instincts kick in, ya get me? I miss my baby bro, and I wanted to let him know how I feel about him.”

The sour set of Todomatsu’s features wasn’t pleasing, but it was necessary for Osomatsu to tell what was running in his mind. He was taking in Osomatsu’s words, letting them resonate. “That’s how you feel. That won’t matter to the world.”

Osomatsu chuckled. “But it matters to you, right?” He raised his glass of juice, and it sloshed against the sides of the transparent solid slightly. “And if you ask me, that’s more important. When you’re your own person, what’s more important is the opinion of someone you care about. I mean, think about it. Won’t it suck like hell if someone you cared about hated you? I couldn’t imagine. It would make my day to know that someone in this bummed-out universe actually likes me. And you made me feel that by taking care of me. So can’t I return the favor?”

Todomatsu’s arms unfolded from his chest, dropping slowly to the table. He sighed, eyes pinned on the juice. But the fact that he didn't question nor end this apparent conversation showed how much he truly needed it. “Is that really what you think, niisan? But you’ve always called me a monster.”

“Hey, every monster has a light side.” Osomatsu rubbed his nose. “You’re no exception. And I like seeing that side of you when it shows up. It reminds me of the loving family that I grew up with, and all the fun, happy memories I’ve made with them. Those cold nights, when life was hard, I always had my brothers to look up to the same way they looked up to me. We went through a ton, bro. Light always drowns out the dark.”

Todomatsu didn’t say a word, nor did he look at him. He could’ve been a statue, barely breathing, before he said, “You’ll always be there for me when I need it, right, niisan? No matter what happens?” He was expressionless. But his voice was desperate.

Not all shields were strong enough to withhold everything.

“Yup,” Osomatsu promised, and knew it was one that would never go hollow. “Onii-chan will forever be by Totty’s side. If Totty isn’t sure about stuff, and he feels hesitant to approach, I will assure him that I will always be open for him to approach. Just the way he approaches me, despite being a stubborn one.” He winked. “So don’t worry about the trials of life anymore, okay? Count on your Osomatsu-niisan too.”

And there was a smile. A small one, but it was there, lighting his expression from a state so blank and aggravating. A sense of fulfillment coursed through Osomatsu at the sight of that sweet smile, feeling like he was more than anything. And it grew, ever so slightly, as he watched Todomatsu’s brightening expression increase like it was being ignited with fire.

Osomatsu missed that kind of expression, given how it was rare to see his brothers at their best anymore, and he didn’t stop his own smile from blooming.

“Thanks, niisan.” Todomatsu chuckled lowly and grabbed the glass before raising it, a small flush dusting his cheeks. “Cheers to us?”

Osomatsu raised his own glass. “Yeah, man. Cheers!”

They knocked their glasses of strawberry juice against each other and gulped them down.

~~~

Aka, the first original story I made for the ‘Bits of my Brothers’ series. I haven’t posted it here on Tumblr yet, so I thought I might do that now.

[andiandyandee]

We Are Going to Be Friends Pt. 10

I’m not crying, you’re crying, shut up

Words: 1,978

Tag List: @datfearlessfangirl @princemesscharming @illogicalthinking @holliberries

Ask if you want added!

This is part of an Ongoing Parental Logince/ Punk AU. This is a prequel to the main stories, which can be found in several places. You don’t need the rest of the AU to read this, but it will give you some insight.

Here’s a link to the series on Ao3 

Here’s a link to the last part, In case you missed it

Here’s a link to the First Part, If you’re new here.

 Aaaannnd.... here’s the fic. 

    Friday sleepovers became just as much of a tradition as Saturdays on the lake or Sundays in the den once the Sanders moved into their new house, but Logan finds himself curled up in Remus’s bay window, watching the stars and listening to Remus talk for hours most nights. Which is why it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise when someone finally asked the question that so many had assumed.

    “So, are you two, like, dating now? Should we invest in soundproofing?” Roman asked one night in late March when Logan came stumbling into the kitchen in search of water.

    “Who, Remus and I?” Logan was too tired to hide his surprise. He and Remus were close, they spent most days together, and he was really one of the only people Logan referred to as ‘friend’ (best friend, even), but there had never been any inkling towards romance. “Of course not.” Roman did look surprised at that. Logan was trying to deal with both the fact that someone thought that he and Remus were romantically involved and that Roman, who almost always avoided Logan, looking uncomfortable and confused whenever Logan sought him out for conversation, was capable of being a normal human being. “Remus and I are friends, he’s my best friend, but He’s.. not exactly my type.”

    “Oh, I, sorry, I guess. I didn’t mean to offend, I just know you said you were queer, I assumed you were into guys.”

    “I am.” Roman looked even more confused at that, “just not Remus. One, I Iook for someone who shares important core beliefs with me, but otherwise is an opposition to my personality. Where I am relatively quiet, I prefer someone loud, but not just chaotically, like Remus. I prefer a partner who is confident. Someone who is intelligent, but not necessarily in the same way I am. Remus and I share too many interests to be compatible romantically. The dynamic would just be as it is now, chaos and humor, but not romance.” Logan shrugged. “Why are you awake, anyhow? It’s quite late, Roman. Don’t you have weight training in the morning?”

    “I can’t sleep. Too many thoughts for that.”

    “Oh? If you want to share, I’m all ears. Figuratively, of course.”

    “Would.. would you go to prom with me? If I asked?” Roman blurted out, immediately turning red. “I- oh my god I can’t believe I said that out loud, I’m sorry- I can go”

    “ Are you asking?” Logan replied in a voice that was completely neutral.

    “Y-yes? If that is.. okay?” Roman squeaked, looking like he might faint.

    “I would, er, enjoy that, I believe,” Logan replied, tugging at the collar of his NASA t-shirt. “Though, I am surprised you would ask me of all people. I was under the impression you were not particularly... fond of me.” Logan admitted, his cheeks and ears slightly pink.

    “I’ve been hopelessly and all-consumingly in love with you since you came stomping into school in that leather jacket on the first day.” Roman shrugged. “I thought you liked Remus, so I tried to avoid it, which probably just made me sound like a moron most of the time.”

    “Only some of the time.” Logan counter-argued.

    “That first time you slept over I almost died several times just because you looked at me.” Roman looked faint. “When you and Remus came in I was actually talking about how hopelessly in love with you I was, which is why Elliot almost died laughing, and I nearly died of embarrassment. Then when you were talking about your rebel shit, about music and rioting I actually thought I was gonna pass out because you had this fire in your eyes like you were single-handedly going to fix all the shit that was broken. Every time you answered a question in truth or dare, you answered it like it was the most important thing in the world, and you sang and I thought I would die then .

    Then Dahlia did your makeup, and you looked so pretty , and your eyes were sparkling and I wanted to flirt but instead, I choked and dumped soda on myself and then sat in the shower for twenty minutes wishing I would be struck by lightning so I didn’t have to face you and oh my god I’m rambling,”

    Logan was smiling. It wasn’t something he did much, but the more Roman talked, the more his face pulled up, his heart rose to his throat, he could practically feel the waves of adoration pouring off of Roman, so open and sincere, and it was only then that Logan realized that the reason he was so disappointed when Roman was awkward around him was that he wanted this, this conversation, so desperately it ached, and he didn’t know what came over him, but he stepped forward, his hands gently cradling Romans like he was the most precious thing in the world, because he was, wasn’t he? He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Roman’s lips, a little beyond ‘gentle’ but he didn’t have the words to express how he felt, so he did his best with what was at his disposal. Roman just let out a breathless laugh when Logan pulled away, staring up at him with his warm, cinnamon eyes just a little glassy. The air around them buzzed, not quite fireworks, but something more than what was there before.

    The moment was shattered by Remus, who pretended to gag in the doorway behind them. Logan and Roman jumped, turning to stare at him with identical shocked expressions, but he was beaming. “Thank god you two idiots figured out how talking worked, I was afraid Lo was gonna short circuit. But if you two are done, we need to go back to sleep because we really do have weight training at 4:45 am, Ro, and I am not going to be late again.”

***

    Lunch was an endeavor, the two close but previously separated tables now pushed together, Logan’s group and Roman and Remus’s group making awkward small talk, with the exception of October and Kai hitting it off immediately, finding solace in having someone to talk doctors with, finally. The rest were dealing with the others, all of them occasionally laughing at the way Roman and Logan were caught up in flirting. It was a Friday, which meant it was sleepover night, which Roman and Remus’s father had agreed to on the caveat that they stayed in the living room now that Logan and Roman were... whatever they were, which had not been discussed.

    “Lo, Toby and I are gonna get tattoos next weekend. You down?” Micheal asked with a grin. “Toby’s cousin got a gun and said he’d do ‘em for free.” Logan instinctively wanted to say no, because that was a horrible idea, why on earth would he want a mediocre tattoo permanently on his skin, but what came out of his mouth was,

    “Fuck yeah I am.”  Roman and Remus, as well as several others from both groups, looked nervous about that, but none of them said anything. It was a discussion for another time.

***

    “Larry! We have to have flowers!” Dot whined, which made Logan chuckle quietly. “I am not getting married and throwing a bouquet of Ferns.”

    “You don’t even like flowers! You actually told me, when we started dating, to never buy you flowers. Why would we have them at the wedding if you don’t like them?”

    “Well- well because you like them, L.” Dot had that soft expression on her face again, the one that said she would do anything for his happiness. “Maybe we can do some violets or something, and the rest can be foliage. Compromise.”

    “If I may interject, and frankly even if you said no I would anyway, I think you’re both the most disgustingly romantic nightmare couple I’ve ever met, and I hate you.” Logan was color coding binders on the floor with seating charts and schedules, pointedly ignoring the way his whole body hurt to move. “Also, are we inviting all of Dot’s brothers? Because if so we’ll have to dedicate them two tables, and I need to know which sets will get along best.” Larry and Dot grinned, both tackling L, pulling his from the binder and into a hug.

    “How is it that I have six brothers and somehow my favorite is the one that I have to sign a contract for?” Dot teased, ruffling Logan’s hair. Her hand paused when he flinched and the smile immediately dissolved. “Sorry, sweetheart.”

    “No, you don’t need to apologize. You know that.” Logan smiled sadly at her. His brother cut the tension.

    “On the subject of disgustingly Roman -tic things, how's that boyfriend of yours?” Larry grinned at the blush.

     “We have a wedding to plan. I know you’ve already booked the venue, but the caterer has not been confirmed. You’re getting married in four months and 9 days. We need to make these decisions now, or we’re going to have to learn how to cook and bake.”

     “When you and Roman get married, do you think you’ll be older than 21? As your best man, I think I’d like to take you to Vegas.”

     “Dot is going to be my best man.” Logan deadpanned, biting back a laugh at Larry’s faux hurt expression. Dot ‘whooped’ beside them.

     “Nice, I definitely want to take you to Vegas.”

     “Also, who’s to say I’ll marry Roman. Maybe by then I’ll have lost my mind and marry Alex.” Logan shrugged. “Or that new girl, Terra. Though I think she may be interested in Remus, actually.” Larry was loudly laughing now.

     “Logan… you know you’re gay, right?” Dot asked with false concern.

    “Preposterous. I’ve never had a molecule of serotonin in my life.” Larry laughed at that, but then got a serious look on his face.

     “You know, Lo, We’re renting a house right outside of town starting in June.” Dot looked at L with raised eyebrows.

     “I thought we were waiting until the paperwork was done to tell him?”

     “Tell me what? I already knew you were getting a house, Dot.” L shook his head.

     “ We’re getting a house.”

     “That’s what I just said.”

     “A three-bedroom house.”

     “Oh, I didn’t realize it was so large. Were you planning on having children, then? I thought you were waiting until after you had finished your degrees.”

    “One of the rooms is going to be a study, the other is going to be for family.”

    “Oh, that’s a good idea. Having so many siblings-in-law I assume you two will have regular visitors.” Dot was laughing lightly at L’s expression and the rapid way his hands were flailing.

    “Logan, the room isn’t for my side of the family.” Dot was looking at him pointedly. He still did not understand.

    “So it...is for you two to have kids? Again- I thought you wanted to wait unti-”

    “It’s for you, dumbass!” Larry looked like he was going to explode, and Logan was quite sure he was imploding. “We’re getting a three-bedroom house outside of town because we want you to live there, not because Dot has a big family or because we are going to have kids. We’re going to get you out of here, kiddo.”

    Logan couldn’t breathe. He wanted to argue, to tell them it was too much, that he could never accept, but what came out of his mouth, small and broken and just a little bit afraid was, “you are?” Which was all that they needed before the floodgates were broken, and the two brothers were crying and hugging. Despite the height difference, Logan had never felt smaller than when his brother wrapped him in his arms and whispered,

    “I’m never going to leave you alone with them again, Logan. I promise.”

[rmg91]

Meant To Be (In Any Form)-1

Main Summary: Branch and Poppy are meant to be in any way, from canon to AU. Join them in these stories. Oneshot Collection.

Chapter Summary:  Branch has decided it's time to ask Poppy a very special question.

Heya everyone! Here's the fluffy start of a new oneshot collection! Lots of AUs, canon, canon divergence and more is coming your way here! Since I have no real motivation (at this time) to start another full on multi-chapter fic but lots of ideas I'll be focusing on oneshots and usually dumping them here, will be updated when something's done XD I'll usually say something before hand as not all these will be related to one another (But some will!) Anyway...without further ado....

This little oneshot features a headcanon of mine that Trolls sing their proposals with specially chosen songs. If a troll sings said song and the one being sung to sings back, they are considered engaged. Rings aren't necessary but some choose to give their future spouse one sometimes. Also please listen to the Peter and Evynne Hollens cover of the song sung here, it's the whole inspiration behind it!

Next Chapter; AO3/FF.Net

@writerofberk-Thought I’d tag you for this fluffy thing since it involves a song from HTTYD c: Hope you don’t mind c:

                                                 ~*~*~*~*~*~

The night was dark, calm, stars shining brightly in the sky with all sorts of nighttime critters scurrying around the forest. Most would consider this time for calm reflection, cuddles with loved ones or sleep but not the tiny forest kingdom known as Troll Village. It was alight with flashing colors and pulsing beats, the bass pounding through the ground and into the feet of many dancing trolls. Glow bugs flew through the air, casting multi-colored light everywhere, glitter bombs were shot across the sky to sparkle down and glitter trolls hung from branches letting the flashing lasers catch their sparkling skin, sending rainbow specks of light over the moving mass of bodies. Fireworks were even shot up high into the sky, exploding and letting more glitter rain down on the tribe of Pop trolls. It was all very reminiscent of a party thrown from the, then, princess three years ago.

Queen Poppy danced atop the largest mushroom in the village square, skirts twisting around her legs as she twirled and danced to the music. She was resplendent in her high low gown, the short skirt allowing her free movement and the longer train giving her an air of regalness. Her crown sat inexplicably steady in the center of her head as her bright pink hair waved in the air as she moved. Pink eyes glowed with happiness with a large grin stretched wide against her face as she watched her people dance and sing and enjoy the night. And as she laughed, joy echoing loud and clear, she shined brighter than any star.

Branch sighed as he watched the party, watched Poppy, from where he was hiding behind a large bush, waiting for the right time to give the signal. She was beautiful, as always, so carefree and happy as she danced, her inner light bright enough to warm the darkest of nights. And hearts. She was his Sunshine and he would be forever grateful for all she had done for him and that she loved him back. Watching her now though, surrounded by all the citizens, dancing and singing to their hearts content, a panic shot through his otherwise amorous thoughts and he turned away, intent on running away.

“I can't do this.” He mumbled, trying to rush off to hide in his bunker. As much as he wanted this, wanted her, this plan was stupid. He needed a better one, a more romantic one! No big gesture in front of the entire village. What had he been thinking?!

A kind but strong hand gripped his bicep before he could get too far, “Whoa there, my boy.” Peppy, previous king of the tribe, maneuvered Branch gently backwards until they were facing one another, a soft but amused smile on his face, “It's going to be alright.”

“How do you know that? You can't know for sure! What if I forget the lyrics? What if someone else decides tonight's a good night to do this too? What if we're attacked right as I start?! What if she doesn't want it this way?! What if she doesn't sing back?!” Branch was on the edge of hyperventilating as he thought of all the ways this could go wrong, worrying about all the ways this night could be ruined. One wrong note could through everyone off! Someone could trip or fall and cause an accident before he could even start! Poppy could say 'No.'!!

Peppy firmly placed his hands on Branch's shoulders, holding him steady as he spoke softly, “Deep breaths, Son, deep breaths. There's no reason for Poppy not to sing back, she loves you. It's going to be fine.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, “Breath with me now.” He did it again and again until Branch picked up the rhythm and calmed down, the crazed look in his eyes fading. “There we go. Nothing to fret about.”

Branch sighed, “Right...” He wandered back over to peek out at the party, leaf shaped cape fluttering behind him. He watched the continuously dancing trolls, shoulders dropping as he wished, once again, he could be as carefree as them. Maybe then he wouldn't be so nervous. But twenty years of being gray and self-isolated weren't easily washed away.

Peppy watched the younger troll for a moment, comparing the once scared and angry kid to the brave, caring and willing to try young man in front of him, before smiling fondly. There was no one else he'd rather have ruling aside Poppy. And he knew Alder and Willow, and Rosiepuff, would beyond proud of him. Perhaps hearing that would help calm his nerves a little. “You know, your parents would be so proud of you. Your grandmother too.” And for a moment Peppy wished his old friends were here to see how far Branch had come.

Branch turned, a shocked expression crossing his face, “Really?”

“Oh yes,” Peppy nodded as he approached Branch to look out at the party, “You've become a quite remarkable troll, Branch.”

“But I was...gray for so long...”

“And?” Peppy raised an eyebrow as he turned and placed his hands on Branch shoulders, making eye contact, “You've come such a long way since your 'bunker days', my boy, and you're going to continue to grow and learn. So what if you were gray for a little while, you found your happiness again and that's what counts. And I know your family would be...just as proud of that as I am.” The orange troll chuckled, “Probably more. Cammy too, come to think of it.”

Branch blinked in surprise at the mention of the late queen, “Really? You think so?”

Peppy nodded, smiling as he chuckled some more, “Oh yes. She'd be over the moon this was happening.” He suddenly had a thought, placing his finger on his chin, “You know...she probably would have seen this coming if she were still here. Maybe even would have gotten you and Poppy together long before now.” The old king gave a hearty laugh as he thought about his wife and the match making she'd have gone through for their daughter.

Branch shook his head in disbelief but there was a curious smile tugging at the ends of his mouth, “You can't be serious.”

“Oh, I am! Camellia had the uncanniest ability to know when two trolls liked each other and would do everything in her power to help them realize it. There is no doubt in my mind she'd have done the same for you and Poppy.” Peppy continued to laugh softly as he thought about his wife and her brilliant spark. Oh how he wished she was here.

Branch wasn't really sure how to feel about that, the thought of possibly being with Poppy before now both terrifying him and making him wistful it had happened but he chose not to think about that right now. Instead he focused on Peppy's words of his parents and grandmother being proud of him and how far he'd come since he was gray. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly as he watched the party, “Thank you.”

“Anytime, my boy.”

“And...It's still alright I use your song?” While he felt just tiniest bit less nervous, or at least less panicky, the teal troll was still a little wary about using the same song that Peppy had sung to Camellia for this same occasion.

Peppy chuckled again and gently slapped Branch in the back, “Of course you can! Cammy would want you to, as well. And...I know how much it'll mean to Poppy.”

“Right.” Branch took another deep breath, trying to center himself before going out there and changing his life in one of the biggest ways yet, “Alright....Let's do this.”

                                              ~*~*~*~*~*~

Poppy laughed, her voice getting lost in the loud music, as she bounced to the beat of the song playing. The party was going amazingly well! Everyone was dancing, singing, enjoying themselves to the fullest and she didn't think she could be any happier. Her village was safe, happy and there didn't seem to be anything on the horizon to try and ruin that! The only thing she wished was here, or rather the only one, was Branch. He had come to enjoy parties, at least for a little while before he felt the need to leave, so to not have him here, by her side, was the tiniest little bit disappointing but Poppy didn't let that stop her. She'd party with her people until they grew tired and the party ended then she'd go find her ever sensible other half and tell him all he'd missed. She did wonder briefly where he was but then decided he had probably gotten caught up with a project and lost track of time. Which was fine, she'd just have to pull him away from it later.

Twirling around with another whoop of joy, Poppy was surprised when the next song didn't immediately start playing. In fact the music had stopped and just as she was whipping her head around to look at Suki a whistle started to echo around the square. It was familiar to Poppy, something she could almost place when a voice started to sing and it was a voice she was intimately familiar with. It was the one that brought back her colors after all.

“I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er the fear of drowning...” The surrounding trolls had also begun to hum, adding background music to the angelic voice, “And gladly ride the waves of life...If you will marry me...”

Poppy watched, eyes wide, as they moved, parting and creating a pathway for the now spotlight illuminated troll to walk down. She covered her mouth in happy shock, recognizing the song now, as she watched Branch, dressed in a white suit with a cape fluttering behind him, walk towards her, singing her parents proposal song, “No scorching sun nor freezing cold will stop me on my journey, if you promise me your heart...”

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, she could barely contain herself as she dropped her hands, revealing her smile, and let her own voice sing out and answer Branch's, “And love me for eternity~”

She couldn't stop the tiny giggle as she watched Branch's shoulders drop, the tension he had been holding in escaping. As if she wouldn't sing back, she loved him and wanted him by her side, to sing, to laugh, to have a family, forever. That was when the trolls on either side of the mushroom she was standing on created a staircase for her, and forcing herself not to fly down them and into Branch's arms, Poppy descended, singing sweetly, “My dearest one, my darling ear, Your mighty words astound me~ But I've no need for mighty deeds when I feel your arms around me~”

Confidence settled into Branch as he watched Poppy descend and he strutted forward, letting the song and music guide him, “But I would bring you rings of gold,” He'd a ring for months waiting for this day, “I'd even sing you poetry,” He did that, frequently, “And I would keep you from all harm, if you would stay beside me~” He would do anything to keep the holder of his heart safe and happy, she was his everything.

Poppy couldn't stop grinning as she and Branch got closer, “I have no use for rings of gold, I care not for your poetry!” She playfully tossed her head back, hand on her forehead thinking about how much she actually adored his poetry. She smiled up at him, reaching out, “I only want your hand to hold...”

“I only want you near me~” He sang back, taking her hands and pulling her close, his own matching grin gracing his face before he pulled her into a twirling dance, dancing for all the village to see as they harmonized.

“To love, to kiss, to sweetly hold~ For the dancing and the dreaming~!” They spun around, Branch guiding her and holding her close, “Through all the sorrows and delights, I'll keep your love beside me~!” He gave her a spin, twirling her away before gently pulling her back and touching their foreheads together as the village's voices rose to match them, “I'll swim and sail on savage seas with ne'er a fear of drowning, and gladly ride the waves of life, if you will marry me~!” Their spinning slowed until they were just sway back and forth before Branch pulled away enough to drop to one knee, “If you will marry me~”

“YES!” Poppy cried the moment they stopped, tackling Branch and kissing him soundly as the surrounding trolls cheered. Smidge could be heard over the celebration shouting 'About time!' The couple slowly sat up once Poppy pulled away, happy tears in both their eyes as Branch carefully pulled out and slipped a delicate golden ring with a blue gem in the center on her finger. Poppy laughed joyously and pulled him in for another kiss.

Peppy smiled from where he had watched the procession, chuckling at his daughter's excitement. And as he watched the two of them interact and the village celebrate, he knew things would be in good hands and there would be many years of joy to come.

                                               ~*~*~*~*~*~

Yay! Proposal fluff!!! Hope you enjoyed and stay tuned for more! And as I said please listen to the cover of 'For The Dancing and The Dreaming' by Peter and Evynne Hollens~ I love that version. Also Happy Thanksgiving!

[atlasifyllm]

Worldbuilding brewing

Neocity is separated into various sectors, due to how big it is as a city. Of course, these sectors are named/based after colors. Here’s a prototype on some of them, though so far the only canonical name and use is Viridian Hills, and the only canonical use is Hyperion Forest

Hyperion Forest: The central forest that the actual cityscape of Neocity surrounds. Basically, Neocity is a donut surrounding a forest.

Ruby Roads/Downtown Neocity: The ring of Neocity-Donut that’s closest to the forest, as the area is filled with buildings with red markings + separated from the forest with a red wall. Most buildings are either apartments, a small amount of large-scale restaurants (like Vanilla Cream Cafe), or grocery stores

Orange Alley: A sector of Neocity that’s basically a large alleyway filled with various restaurants. 

Aurelian Academies: Where all of the fighting schools (or, just schools in general) are located. Fighting academies take up way more space than regular schools, especially since Neocity is probably the WORLD’S capital for fighting schools. This sector also includes housing for students. The name is also symbolic in a way, as each academy is considered to create “golden” students. I even had the idea that each academy is named similarly to “Legend”, “Prodigy”, or “Champion”. Either that or they’re named after deities, lmao

Viridian Hills: The suburban housing neighborhoods filled to the brim with cottagecore aesthetic, as all of the houses are small, pretty cheap houses filled with flower gardens and other natural... well, nature. Basically a sector filled with Miss Honey’s cottage from Matilda, though each house is pretty polished and the cottages aren’t that isolated from one another.

Cyan Stadiums/Aqua Arena (names are a WIP, whoop): While not a LARGE sector, this is where the main Zodiac Tournament stadium is, maybe even where a few of the “fancier” stadiums are too. Maybe there’s even multiple stadiums, but the place is definitely meant for fighting-related entertainment. There could also be school stadiums here too, where students go for school-based tournaments

Sapphire Outlets: A lot of where grocery stores and more malls and such are located. Pretty self-explanatory

Violis Acropolis: I’m not sure if this is EXACTLY what I want to do with a Violet sector, but this could possibly be where most priestess temples or religious worship take place, and where priestesses typically stay as apart of their worship. It could also be where Lavender lives, or at least their version of a “White House” (heh). Also the name was so fuckign hard to come up with and it doesn’t even really mean what I want akfndsklg

Pink Palaces/Amaranth Utopia/Rose Lane/Pink Street/Pink Paradise/God this needs a good name: Basically another housing sector, this time more along the lines of suburban/urban where it’s not... as cottagecore akjflsgd. Cobalt lives here tho!

[yastaghr]

Geno Run Exiles

Summary: Continuation of my Sanster Week 2017 (that I have been working on since 2017). Underfell Sanster fluff with being on the Surface for the first time.

Relationship: Fell Sanster, Sans/Gaster

Warnings: Mentioned genocide run

Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24594760

The goopy monster, formerly known as Gaster and newly dubbed Trip, closed the door with a decided click. As much as he appreciated this other Toriel’s help, he really was capable of dealing with this problem by himself. He was a doctor, a medical one. He might not be able to do things as fast as her healing magic could, but he’d get there in the end. He didn’t need or want to be reliant on someone else’s help. You never knew what the price would be.

Like this apartment, for example. He’d expected to be dumped into the worst suite in the building, or worse, out on the street. Instead he was in this place. This place, with its leather furniture and brand new tv. This place, with its stainless steel appliances and double oven. This place, with it’s sleek wooden table and chairs. This place, with framed art on the walls. This place, with a jetted tub and two shower heads. This place, with its two bedrooms and a balcony big enough for another dining set and a telescope. This place, with it’s amazing view of the river and a park full of trees. This place...this place was so far above what he had imagined it was outside the solar system.

Trip shuddered. He hoped that whatever these new monsters demanded on him wouldn’t be too hard on him or Sans- no. That wasn’t his name anymore. Just like he was now named Trip, his Sans was now Kiks. It was the others’ universe after all. They deserved to be able to keep their names, no matter what the other Sans had said.

Speaking of Sans...er, Kiks, he should go and check on the other. Her Majesty had said it would be a while before his boyfriend woke up. Maybe yes, maybe no. Either way, Trip did not want the other to wake up alone. So he slowly oozed his way into the first bedroom.

The bedroom was just as well appointed as the main room. A king bed with an ultra-soft blanket and plush mattress stood in the center. A walk-in closet stood empty on one side. Two nightstands with beautiful lights whose bases were in the shape of conch shells lit the room in a soft glow. The comforter was patterned with curves of color; blues, tans, and light pinks gave the overall effect of a beach scene. He wondered if the sea was nearby. That would be nice.

Beneath the comforter and the blanket was Kiks. He was out cold. Her Majesty had removed most of his layers, so all that was visible above the blankets was his red sweater and spiked collar. The sight of it made Trip happy. His matching one was tucked safely in his inventory.

Trip planted a loving kiss on Kiks’ head and settled into the bed next to him. He didn’t lie down, just perched on the side of the bed and looked towards the foot of it. Beyond it, in the wall, was a window to the outside world. At the moment it was shut to keep the rain cascading down its surface out. Trip decided to fix that. He got back off the bed and oozed over to the window. He unlatched the bottom and started spinning the little lever that extended the brace. The window opened upwards since its hinges were at the top.

The sound of heavy rain hitting a window pane was one Trip had never thought he would hear again. It soothed him, just like it had done when he was a child. He went over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Soon, he laid back. A little relaxation wouldn’t do him any harm, right? And neither would laying flat. He was just enjoying the softness. Just… enjoying… the… rest…

=====

Trip startled awake. Someone was touching him, and in his world even letting someone close enough to touch him basically meant you were dead. He looked around, magic coming to his aid in a desperate burst. Then he saw who it was and all of that went away.

Kiks smiled at him. He was sitting up in bed, with his hand outstretched towards Trip. There were tear tracks on his maxillae, but no actual tears. They had dried up.

“if this is a dream, i don’t wanna wake up,” Kiks whispered hoarsely.

Trip smiled widely back at his boyfriend. His voice still sounded high and smokey, just like Trip had remembered. It was so nice to hear him again. Trip went to speak, but then changed his mind and signed, -I don’t think it’s a dream. It’s been too weird for even the worst of dreams.-

Kiks held out his hands imperiously. “hug first. story later.”

Trip smiled even wider. Yep, this was his boyfriend. He surrendered to the hug happily. They cuddled like that for a few minutes. Every time one of them went to leave the hug the other squeezed. Eventually they both pulled back.

“so, tell me about all this weirdness you were talking about.”

Trip did so, signing to Kiks about tripping over a safety railing on his way to work one day, about falling into the void, about the desperate loneliness of waiting in a place that was nothing for something, anything, to happen. He told him about Kiks showing up on the edge of death.

“before you go on, lemme tell you about what happened to me. i was hanging out at my sentry station - i’ve been a sentry pretty much ever since you fell - when a really loud scraping sound came from over by the big door. i went to check it out, and there was this human. well, not exactly a human. it was like something insane was wearing a human’s skin. also a lot of dust. and that wasn’t the end of the dust.”

“they, uh, pretty much decimated the underground. they didn’t just dust everyone in their path. they searched everywhere for even more monsters to dust. the only reason they didn’t get everyone...well, pap distracted them at the edge of snowdin. people got to the lab and hid in the basement. he, uh, wasn’t one of them. i was watching. they dusted him, and then they took his dust, swallowed some of it, and kicked the rest into the river.”

“needless to say, that hit me kinda hard. it pissed me off. by the time i’d stopped being in shock, they were all the way through hotland. i set a trap for them in the judgement hall and waited. the trap...didn’t work. they almost killed me just like they’d killed everyone else. but i couldn’t stand to let them have my dust. so i, uh, kinda teleported into the core?”

“i must have passed out, because the next thing i knew i was waking up in this creepily comfortable bed next to you. this definitely isn’t in the underground i know, so, uh, mind filling me in on the rest?”

Trip signed to him about the void suddenly giving way to his floating body. He told him about the door appearing out of nowhere, and how, eventually, he had braved his way out, Kiks in hand. He told him about the other Sans, Toriel, Undyne - all the other monsters. He told him about the healing, about their new names, and, finally-

“wait. are you seriously trying to tell me we’re on the surface here? that’s...way too good to be true, g.uh, trip.”

-It’s true,- Trip signed with a smile, -I made them take me outside to check. We have a balcony here we can safely go out on. It’s enclosed on both sides and several stories up. Do you want to?-

Kiks leveled a look at him. “trip, are you seriously asking me if i want to see the surface? of course i do!” He pushed himself upright. Trip caught him before he could fall. He had been seriously injured. It wasn’t surprising that he would take a while to recover. “um...might have a problem here, trip. trip? trip, stop laughing at me!”

-I’m not,- Trip signed quickly, fitting it in between belly-shaking, glitched-sounding laughs, -I’m just laughing at myself. I should have known it wouldn’t be possible for you to walk just yet. Do you mind if I...carry you?-

The other skeleton bonked Trip’s forehead. “you’re not omniscient, dumbass. just pick me up and take me out already!”

Trip obliged, scooping his lover up in a comfortable embrace and slowly oozing over to the balcony. Kiks operated the handle and sighed when he saw the view outside. It was a beautiful, green park that stretched for miles. Trees of all sorts were scattered around a creek. Children were laughing and playing in the wet grass. Their voices floated up to Trip and Kiks, then floated further up into the colorful sky. Sunset was just beginning, and it was gorgeous.

Kiks didn’t breathe for a solid ten minutes while he took everything in. As skeletons they didn’t strictly need to breathe, but it was still a good habit. Trip was starting to get worried when Kiks let out a wild whoop and hugged Trip around the neck tight.

“it’s the surface! doc, doc! there’s clouds and everything! i didn’t know that the sky got this colorful. what’s it called?”

Trip smiled and set Kiks down in one of the chairs so he could talk. -It’s called a sunset. S-U-N-S-E-T. It’s caused by the light rays from the sun hitting the atmosphere at certain angles. These angles, when coupled with the crystalline nature of the upper atmosphere, create a rainbow of color. This color is always present at some arc in the sphere of the globe, but is constantly moving and changing in shade. There is a similar, although not identical, phenomenon known as sunrise. S-U-N-R-I-S-E. It happens on the other edge of night and day.-

Kiks smiled softly at him, his head in his hands. “you know you're really cute when you get all nerdy on me, doc?”

Trip blushed at that and coughed. Then he signed in a flippant way, -I’m just answering your question, Kiks.-

Kiks’ smile spread into a wide grin. “yeah, right, and i’m the queen of the underground. queen of the surface? what’s this toriel like, anyway? i know the one back home had a wicked sense of humor and a love of dust pie.”

-This one seems to be very much in everyone else’s business. I don’t know about her sense of humor, but it was hard to convince her to leave you to me. She’s one of those bossy healers who thinks magic is a substitute for time. You know how I feel about them,- Trip said with a shrug.

Kiks cocky grin was a relief for Trip to see. He’d always loved his boyfriend’s sense of humor. “do you want me to start planning a prank?”

Trip nodded, letting his own face split into a savage grin. -Oh, yes. Nothing too bloody, they seem to be very peaceful here, but she definitely deserves to get dunked on. Also, try not to let it trace back to you. I don’t know what the price for this apartment is going to be yet, and I really don’t want them adding onto it.-

Kiks cocky grin vanished. “fuck, trip, we’ve been through this. not everyone is like that. i’m not, my brother’s not, and i’m pretty sure that these people aren’t, either. if they are, well, we’ll deal with it. but try not to worry about it in the meantime. you’ll just get stressed.”

Trip sighed. -I know, I know, I just…-

Kiks stuck his tongue out at him. “no justs, just wills. you will put it out of your mind and explain those weird light things in the sky now. Are those buildings in sky?”

Trip looked up sharply. There, in the darkening sky, were the stars. He smiled and began to sign. -Those are the stars I’ve told you about so much, Kiks! Stars and planets, too. A planet is…-

[justheretobreakthings]

Joy Is the Flag

Because there’s no way I wasn’t going to write an aro-ace Keith fic for Pride Month! Enjoy!

Read on AO3

“You doing okay there, kiddo?” Shiro asked Keith as they walked side by side through the crowd.

Keith nodded, silently, eyes not on Shiro but on the booths and decorations and people swarming around the two of them as they made their way through the crowd. Shiro felt a frown tugging at his lips as Keith’s arms tightened where they were crossed over his chest and leaned toward Shiro to avoid being knocked into by a group hurrying in the opposite direction.

Shiro had been utterly delighted when Keith had tentatively offered to come along to Pride this summer as an ally. He had invited him along the previous year, after Keith’s first school year at the Garrison, but the latter had turned the offer down. Shiro hadn’t been surprised. Keith wasn’t great at dealing with large amounts of sensory input; he tended to tense and become snappish when the cafeteria was too crowded, was known to lose his temper and devolve into shouting when the cadets ran emergency drills in the simulators, and during one particularly busy visitors’ day Shiro had sat with Keith in his silent and darkened dorm room for two hours while the latter cried his way through a sensory-overload-induced meltdown, just rubbing his back and not saying a word until Keith was back to normal and stubbornly behaved as if nothing had happened at all.

So a Pride festival, with its large crowds and loud music and bright colors and myriad decorations and fragrances from mobs of food booths and shouting and cheering and constant sound and movement - well, Shiro hadn’t really expected Keith to take him up on the offer to come along.

The fact that he had come this year meant a lot in terms of Keith getting out of his shell and facing new experiences, which, of course, gave Shiro a second thing to be proud about today. But he also stayed on his guard for Keith’s sake. The boy had a tendency to push himself beyond the point of brave and into purely hell-bent, regardless of whether it was any good for his health, mentally or physically, from staying awake for three days straight to work on a school project to attempting hoverbike stunts far beyond his skill level.

If the festival got to be too much, Keith wasn’t likely to show it, at least not in any obvious way. He would no doubt just try to grit his teeth and power through, shoving down any distress or frustration until there was no more room to shove any more and it would all explode out of him.

So he kept his eye on Keith as they strolled through the festival, pausing at craft stands to browse through the merchandise on display and peering into food booths and glancing over various non-profits’ posters and brochures. His own enjoyment at Pride was important too, sure, but Shiro couldn’t just turn off his big-brother-mode at the drop of a hat. If Keith was uncomfortable or unhappy, there was no way Shiro would be able to enjoy himself either.

Keith held up well, but about half an hour in Shiro noticed Keith starting to fade. His posture was growing more hunched, his shoulders gradually tensing, with every minute inside the noisy crowd, and he had started running his thumb over his knuckles, a subtle stim that Keith had adopted due to it being one that other people wouldn’t notice.

Shiro wasn’t other people; he noticed.

“Hey,” he called, leaning in toward Keith, not so much as to startle him but enough for him to be heard over the crowd and the speakers blasting music a few booths down. “I’m starting to get tired. Do you wanna go meet up with Adam, see if he needs any help?”

Keith’s shoulders sagged in relief as he nodded, and Shiro smiled at him before lightly taking him by the crook of his elbow and giving it a reassuring squeeze before starting to lead him through the crowd.

They made their way from the center of the festival and onto the outskirts, eventually passing through the roadblocks that signaled the edge of the fest and into the relative quiet of the streets that had been reserved for parade prep. Shiro kept his eyes peeled and his hand on Keith, trying to locate Adam. The Garrison’s Queer Student Alliance had a float in the parade, and as a student officer of the club, Adam had taken charge of the committee to build it this year. Shiro, busy with his own work and prepping for the Kerberos mission, hadn’t had the time to help out with it, and in fact didn’t even know what their float looked like.

That question was answered as he turned a corner and broke into a grin at the site of the giant foam space shuttle one block down.

He let out an impressed whistle as he approached the float, catching the attention of the handful of Garrison students standing on and around it, each of them decked out in their own pride gear. “Man, this came out nice,” Shiro said, eyes roving along the smooth surface of the shuttle and down to the float’s platform, which was bordered with an array of glittering planets painted in the color schemes of a variety of pride flags. “How long before I’m flying this thing out to Pluto?”

A door opened on the platform underneath the shuttle, and Shiro smiled at the bespectacled man who climbed out. “Shiro!” Adam said, straightening up and dropping down off the float. “What are you doing here?”

“Distracting you from your work,” Shiro answered. He stepped forward to greet him with a peck on the cheek before turning back to the float. “You did a really nice job on this.”

“You haven’t seen it in action yet,” Adam replied. “The main engine nozzle’s got a decoration of its own. You can see it in a sec, once someone gets the wiring fixed up.”

A girl Shiro recognized as a student from the year below his turned to scowl at Adam from where she was working at the tail end of the shuttle, a couple of visible grease stains on her pink, purple and blue shirt. “If everybody hadn’t been so careless while they were attaching the shuttle to the platform and moving the float out here, it wouldn’t need to be fixed at all!”

“Just finish it up before the parade starts!” The girl stuck her tongue out and adjusted her glasses before returning to work, and Adam turned back to Shiro. “So, hey, what’s with the change of plans? I thought we were going to meet after the parade. Coming in behind the scenes like this kinda ruins the magic, don’t you think?”

“I just missed you; can’t help it.” He leaned in closer, then, so that Keith, who was busy examining the planets painted on the side of the float with narrowed eyes, couldn’t hear, before continuing, “Keith was starting to get pretty tense with all the noise. Thought we’d go somewhere quiet, and this seemed like a good option.”

“Ah, okay.” Keith looked over toward the two of them, perhaps sensing that eyes were on him, and Adam grinned and waved his hand. “Hey, Keith! Enjoying the Pride fest?” Keith nodded before turning back to the float. “Least you could have done was get the kid some face paint or a pin or something,” Adam said to Shiro. “I know his all-black thing usually blends into crowds, but he’s sticking out like a sore thumb today.”

Shiro shrugged. “Eh, he’s already far enough outside his comfort zone as is. Think getting him all bright and colorful would be pushing it.”

“Mm. Fair enough. How’s that wiring looking over there, Veronica?” Adam called.

“Literally just finished, your royal highness,” the girl said, plopping down to sit on the float and wiping the back of her hand over her forehead. “And thanks, by the way, for being oh so fucking patient.”

“We’re on a time crunch,” Adam said. “Can’t help it. All right, let’s give it a test run.”

“Fine, whatever,” Veronica said, stretching her arms out before leaning back to fiddle with something under the nuzzle. “Everyone stand back, there’s like a forty percent chance this thing’s gonna blow. Kidding,” she added in response to the pointed glare Adam shot her. “God, you’re so serious. Ready?”

There was a little metallic thunk, then lights in the windows and along the sides of the shuttle switched on. A whirring began to sound in the engine nozzle, and as a bright light inside of it clicked on, lengths of multicolored fabric started to unfurl from inside and dance behind the shuttle. At a distance, the effect made it look as if the shuttle were emitting rainbow flames.

The Garrison students let out applause and a couple of whoops, Shiro joining in. Adam simply sighed in relief. “Thank God,” he said. “Can you imagine how bad it would have looked if students of the most prestigious space program on the continent couldn’t even get a parade float operating correctly?”

“I’m sure it would have been the scandal that rocked the world,” Shiro said.

“I hear your sarcasm, and I must say, I don’t appreciate it.”

“Aw, come on, Adam,” he said, slinging an arm around his shoulder and gently rubbing his arm. “It came together great, didn’t it? You worry too much.”

Adam shrugged, giving Shiro a little smile. “Every couple has their thing. Apparently ours is worrying.”

“Damn it. I was really hoping ours would be piloting.”

“It’s a close match.” He patted Shiro’s hand before slipping out of the half-hug. “All right, I’ve got a couple things to double check before the parade starts. Text me where you’re standing to watch the parade once you’re there, and I’ll join you when we finish, okay?”

“Will do,” Shiro replied, and they exchanged a quick kiss before Shiro turned back to Keith. He was still standing off to the side, silently examining the float. “Hey, kiddo,” Shiro said. “Ready to head back to the festival soon, find a good viewing spot?”

“... I don’t recognize any of these planets,” Keith said after a pause.

“Hm?” Shiro looked over at the planets painted along the side of the float, and he grinned. “Oh, no, these aren’t actual planets. They just took the color schemes and patterns of different pride flags and made them into planets. See?” He tapped a finger against a rainbow-streaked planet on the corner of the float.

Keith’s brow furrowed as he looked at the rainbow planet, and then moved his gaze along the others. “But, um, there’s - there’s a lot?”

“Outer space is a big place, you know.”

“No, no, I mean - I mean, isn’t it just, like, four? L, G, B, and T?” He strode over to turn the corner of the float and glance at the other side. “There’s enough here to cover the whole float, and they’re all different colors, so, how…?”

Shiro couldn’t help but let a little laugh escape him, which he quickly swallowed back at the scowl Keith shot him. “Sorry, I wasn’t making fun,” he said. “Sometimes I just forget that to a lot of people, this is new stuff. It’s fine. See, those tend to be the four, like, primary identities in the acronym, but it’s not actually just LGBT, it’s LGBT-plus.”

“Plus-what?” Keith asked.

“Plus anything that’s a marginalized sexuality or gender, really. Didn’t you notice any of the other flags while we were walking through the fest?”

“I dunno. Wasn’t really looking for them.”

“Well, there’s plenty out there. Like, this flag here - ” He pointed to a planet that was shaped like Saturn, pink at the top of the center sphere melting into blue, with bright green rings. “This is polysexuality, which is attraction to multiple genders, but not all. And this one - ” He gestured to a crater-laden planet striped with yellow, white, purple, and black. “This is non-binary, for when a person doesn’t identify as strictly male or female. Right here - ” He pointed to a planet shadowed to look like it was fading between stripes of black, gray, and white, leading to a large splotch of purple at the bottom. “This one is asexual, which is for when you don’t feel sexual attraction.”

Shiro turned the corner of the float and started on the next row of planets. “This is pansexual, which means - ” He paused and glanced up, realizing that Keith hadn’t followed him around to this side of the float. “Hey, Keith? You with me?” Keith, though, didn’t look up. Instead, he was staring at a spot on the side of the float as if mesmerized. Shiro sidled back over to see what had him so transfixed, and found him still staring at the asexual-themed planet. “Bud, you all right?”

“Asexual,” Keith repeated, moving his mouth slowly and deliberately as if he were trying a new food for the first time. “That’s - that’s a thing?”

“Mm-hm,” Shiro replied with a nod. “Think the pride club at the Garrison’s got a good handful of ace members - though, haven’t been all that involved in it this year what with all the Kerberos stuff, so I couldn’t give you numbers. There’s also, let’s see - ” He scanned the planets before finding the one where the grayscale ended with two stripes of green and pointing at it. “There we go, aromantic. Same concept, but with romantic attraction instead of sexual, see. Some people are both, some people are one or the other.” He looked back over at Keith, who had edged toward the aromantic planet Shiro had pointed to, that same fascination still on his face. “Why? Is something wrong, Keith?”

Keith shook his head slowly, letting a beat of silence pass before softly saying, “I didn’t know. I didn’t know it was - it was a - a thing.”

“Yeah, understandable,” Shiro said. “I guess they’re not identities that get a whole lot of attention. Same goes for quite a few of these, really. But, yeah, there you go. Keith?” He tilted his head. “Hey, something else on your mind, or…?”

Keith finally pulled his gaze away from the painted planet to turn to Shiro, and the latter’s brows shot upward in surprise at the dewy shine in Keith’s eyes. Frantically he tried to figure out what was distressing Keith badly enough to make him tear up. “Keith, you okay? Is it still too crowded here? Do you, um, do you want me to take you back to the apartment?”

Keith shook his head. He opened his mouth, let out a single choked sound, closed his mouth and swallowed, then tried again. “It’s just that - it’s just - ” He took a breath. “I thought it was just me.” His voice was soft as he finished, practically a whisper.

Shiro blinked at him before glancing back over at the float. “Wait, you mean...”

“Or, I - I thought maybe it was - that something didn’t work right, or got numbed, or - or something,” Keith continued quietly, and his thumb was moving again, that twitch along his knuckles. “Like because of - because of everything that - all the stuff with mom and - and - and the homes, and stuff, that it kinda… it messed me up…”

“Oh, gee, hey, hey, Keith,” Shiro stammered out as one of the tears in Keith’s eye began spilling over and down his cheek. Quickly he wrapped Keith into a hug, mostly as a means of comfort, partly because Keith would definitely want to keep his face hidden now that he was crying; it was enough of a struggle for Keith to even cry in front of Shiro, let alone out in public with total strangers about. “Hey, shh, it’s all right,” he mumbled, bringing a hand to Keith’s back to rub. “Just getting a little overwhelmed, huh?” Keith lifted his shoulders in a shrug. “So, you’re saying you think you might be aromantic? Asexual? Both?”

“Both,” Keith answered, voice muffled by the way his face was buried in Shiro’s chest.

Shiro kept up the hug and the soothing, but inside his mind was awhirl. Keith had just come out to him. Hell, Keith had just come out to himself, too. How had Shiro not noticed before? How had they not talked about this? He searched his memories, trying to figure out if there was something that should have tipped him off. Keith had never shown any interest in any of his classmates that way, had never come to Shiro to ask for any advice about dating or sex. But Keith was a private person, and besides, it was much harder to notice the absence of something than the presence.

Still, the fact that this sort of revelation had reduced Keith to tears the way it had suggested that this was something that had been bothering him, had been weighing on his mind. And he had been getting so much better lately about coming to Shiro to talk about things that bothered him. So it seemed a little strange that Keith hadn’t given Shiro any indication that he was struggling with his sexuality, that he felt the need to keep this to himself.

Unless…

“Keith?” Shiro said, pulling. “You know… if you do feel that those are a fit for you - if you think you’re aromantic or asexual - that’s not a bad thing. It isn’t something wrong with you.” Keith didn’t reply, so Shiro continued. “It isn’t, Keith. It’s just an orientation, like any other. Just as legitimate as being gay or straight or bi or - or anything. It’s real, and it’s okay. It’s good, Keith, it’s a good thing, to be able to learn these things about yourself, to be comfortable with them.”

He moved his hands to Keith’s shoulders and leaned down to be at eye level with him. “Are you okay with it, Keith? Do you think it’s a good fit for you?”

“I… don’t know,” Keith answered. “I guess it… makes sense… but I don’t want - I don’t know if - ” He sniffed and swiped the back of his hand over his nose. “It’s - it’s probably stupid, it’s stupid, but - but I just had hoped - you know, I’ve had, like, you know, foster parents and stuff in the past, who said - who told me I was, um, I was… unlovable…” He said the word softly, intently, as if it were a particularly filthy swear. “But I had been hoping that… that they were wrong…”

A heat flared up in Shiro’s gut, one that had gradually become familiar in the time he had known Keith. Keith had given him occasional glimpses into his life in the foster care system, and every time he mentioned one of the bad ones, Shiro would feel himself growing closer and closer to wanting to strangle anyone who had ever caused Keith any amount of harm. And if this was the sort of message one of them had been instilling in Keith, then it was no wonder that he had kept it hidden, and no wonder that he’d thought this was some sort of failing on his part.

“Keith,” Shiro said. “Look at me.” Keith did, blinking wide, damp eyes up at him, and Shiro said, firmly and deliberately, “I love you.”

Keith blinked, brow wrinkling. “What do you - ?”

“I love you,” he repeated. “So if you need hard and fast evidence that you’re not unlovable, there it is. I could not possibly have asked for a better little brother than you, and I love you for it. And you being aroace doesn’t change that, okay? Not one bit. Love doesn’t have to be romantic, or sexual, and not feeling that type of attraction doesn’t mean you’re not perfectly capable of other types of love, and being loved in return. Okay? You are loved - you deserve to be loved. Don’t you dare believe anybody who tells you otherwise.”

Keith was silent, his lower lip trembling as he squeezed his crossed arms tighter around him.

“And it’s perfectly all right if you don’t like the labels, if you don’t think they fit or if you don’t want to use them. You don’t have to. But just know - ”

“I love you too,” Keith interrupted. “And I - I like them. The labels, I mean. They’re… I have to get used to them, I guess, is the thing, but, um, they - they make sense. They fit.”

“Okay.” Shiro clapped his hand firmly on Keith’s shoulder and smiled. “Okay. That’s good, that’s good.” He paused, then asked, “Are you still feeling up for staying at the festival?” Keith nodded. “In that case, we should probably find our spots to watch the parade. It’ll be starting soon.”

“Right,” Keith said, nodding again, and he obediently followed Shiro as they turned back toward the festival.

The curbs of the streets were growing crowded as the parade’s start time approaching and people were clamoring to secure a spot where they could see it all. Shiro and Keith searched two blocks before they found enough space on a set of bleachers set up at one of the street corners where they could squeeze in together.

Shiro noticed as they took their seats that Keith had begun to stim again amid the stress of the crowd, this time knocking his knuckles rapidly against his forearms. He watched thoughtfully for a moment. Then, he tapped Keith’s shoulder and leaned in to say, “You mind saving my spot while I grab something real quick?”

“Okay,” Keith said, and Shiro gave him a reassuring squeeze before slipping out of the bleachers and making a beeline for one of the merchandise booths he had browsed earlier.

He returned a couple minutes later, slid back into his spot, and handed his new purchase to Keith. “Here.”

Keith stared down at the object in his hand. A flag, a foot long when unfurled, on a little wooden stick. It was two-sided, its stripes bearing the same colors as those of the planets Shiro had shown him on the float, the one with the purple stripe on one side, the green on the other. “What’s this for?” he asked.

“If you want it,” Shiro said. “You can keep your hands busy this way, and well, most everyone here’s got a bit of decoration, so I thought maybe you’d like some too. Or you can just pocket it for now, if you don’t want to have it out. Your pick.”

Keith continued staring at it, but he didn’t make any move to put it away either, and Shiro’s attention was drawn away from him when cheers went up through the crowd and he looked to see the first of the floats making its way down the street.

For several minutes the parade had his full attention, and he watched with rapt attention as the first couple of floats passed by, followed by a dance troupe. He managed to pull his attention away from the little procession of cars that followed them, and he couldn’t help but grin at the sight of his little brother, arm up as he waved his little flag in the air with as much fervor as all the other celebrators in the crowd, and with a small, rare smile on his face.

[1kook]

wong yukhei x female reader 


Summary: You can’t even begin to describe the disappointment that blossoms in your chest when someone rattles the doorknob and Yukhei startles, successfully ending your heavy make-out. 


This shit is smut y'all!!!!!!! 5.6k words of it!!!!
Hey this my first fic for the nct folks so please excuse any oc things I’m a lil rusty when it comes to xreader fic lol whoops 

Unlike high school, college was absolutely kicking your ass. Between the near constant deadlines and the awkward sleeping schedules, university life was completely unlike the easy ride you’d experienced during high school. Though you’d come from a large public school and had the pleasure of graduating with over two hundred other students, your university’s population was tripled. 

The population made it increasingly difficult to maneuver from building to building, and was even more troublesome when you’d have to attend your large lectures every Wednesday afternoon. The hall was ginormous to say the least, with rows of benches that went up for what seemed like forever. Though you’d thus far been blessed with a seat near the front of the board, you figured sooner or later you’d have to take the stumble of shame towards the very back of the hall. 

Unfortunately for you, that time came sooner than you’d like. It was already towards the end of the second semester, your hectic life as a college freshman was coming to an end, and you yearned to finally be freed from the awkwardness of being, well, a freshman. You still had to endure the last few weeks of second semester, which would surely be another challenge in itself. Being a freshman meant that literally any upperclassmen had superiority over you, and for the most part, weren’t very concerned with noobs like you anyway. Which is how you found yourself climbing towards the very back of the lecture hall, five minutes late, and extremely flustered. 

You prided yourself in recognizing a good handful of your classmates, especially those who often saved you a seat, or would be willing to move their stuff for you to pass by if you asked. For some reason though, that wasn’t really coming in clutch for you today, and the further back you went, the more upperclassmen you encountered, none of which you knew well enough to scoot by. By the time you found an accessible seat, you were already at the very last row. There was hardly anyone towards the back of the hall, save for a few stragglers whose only concern was receiving their weekly attendance points. 

Among those was Yukhei, a handsome upperclassmen you’d often seen at many of the frat barbecues, laughing obnoxiously loud. He was there, idly swiping through his phone, dyed fringe flopping over his forehead. He was undoubtedly attractive, and you’d like to convince yourself he was some hoodlum wasting his parents’ money away at college, but the results posted outside the hall clearly showcased him as some genius, who nearly always ranked in the top ten percent. Yukhei was smart as hell, and he was only a year older than you. You’d seen him many times, but you doubted he knew or even heard of you. 

You uneasily set your stuff down, and though you were at the very edge of the bench, with easy access to the aisle, you felt suffocated by Yukhei’s strong presence. He was every bit the dapper young man, sharp edged yet soft. He was seemingly unaware of your presence, long fingers tapping a beat on the edge of the table. It wasn’t until you clicked your pen that his attention flickered towards you, big eyes giving your a brief once over, and you had to contain a full body shiver at that. 

Yukhei was by no means some notorious womanizer, and you’d rarely heard of him sleeping around (you doubted he was completely pure, though), yet the absolute machismo he radiated was unlike any you’d ever experienced before. 

He blinked at you, as if he was completely unaware of the effect he had on women. By the way his doe eyes twinkled, though, you started to believe maybe he was blind to the effects he had on people like you. 

“Hey,” he said after a beat of silence, lips pulling into a taut smirk. It was by no means cocky, as it felt rather friendly. 

You were so distracted by the pull of those pink lips, that his greeting didn’t immediately register in your mind. “Hi,” you belatedly responded, the lecture in front of you long forgotten, pen halfway towards your notebook.

“I’ve never seen you here before,” he offhandedly mentioned, and you were mesmerized by the sight of his long fingers toying with his phone on the table. “I’m Yukhei,” he said, and someone in the row in front of you shushed him. 

The flush that formed on his cheeks was a complete surprise, as was the way his doe eyes rounded comically. You couldn’t stop the soft huff of laughter that left your lips, further startling him. You glanced at the row in front of you, before leaning in just the slightest bit and quietly saying, “I’m ____.” 

The whole time, he was staring at you as if you were revealing your deepest secret, lips quirked up in the cutest way. “Are you new?” He murmured, leaning in as well. 

You snorted, and quickly clapped a hand over your mouth, much to Yukhei’s amusement. “Why would I transfer with two weeks left?” You replied, and you couldn’t miss the twinkle in his eyes at your clever reply. He shrugged, and hummed a weird noise that sounded a lot like i don’t know. 

Your professor said something then, finally drawing your attention back to the lecture at hand. You shifted your attention back to the presentation, furiously jotting down the notes you’d missed, and after a while, Yukhei’s presence slipped to the back of your mind. 

It wasn’t until the end of class, when you’d began shoving your notebooks back into your bag that he’d caught your attention again. “Well it was nice meeting you, new girl,” he teased, sliding out of the bench after you. You laughed, quickly bidding goodbye, and though your stomach felt tingly from his presence, the whole encounter completely slipped from your mind by the time evening rolled around. 

-

The next time you see Yukhei is across the crowded cafeteria. You’re sitting with your friends between classes, contentedly chewing away at your lunch, when a loud ruckus catches half of the cafeteria’s attention, including yours. 

It was a group of young men fooling around near the Starbucks stand, obnoxiously joking around with each other as they awaited their drinks. You recognized most of them the way you usually did: from parties and other miscellaneous events. It was the usual crowd of handsome guys, and for a moment you wondered if Yukhei was acquainted with these fellows. 

Your question was quickly answered when you spotted light brown fringe peeking out of the white cap of a giant. He was clad in more comfortable clothes this time, a plain white tee with the front tucked into some Adidas pants. The stripes that ran down the sides of his legs made him seem almost unexplainably long, and you couldn’t stop your eyes from tracing down his figure. 

You were so engrossed in the act that you failed to notice how much closer him and his pack had wandered towards you. They were even louder now, with Yukhei’s laughter ringing above it all. He was attractive even then, you couldn’t help but think. 

It was probably that last thought that caused your slow reaction when he caught your eye. His eyes twinkled beneath the brim of his cap, and his raised one big hand up to wave at you, which you easily reciprocated. His lips quirked up into that cute smile again, so infectious you had to return it. 

His friend said something you couldn’t catch then, and the smile that consumed his face would’ve been quite the sight if he hadn’t shyly ducked his head down, the hand waving at you going to rub at the nape of his neck. 

Cute, you thought. 

-

The third time you see Yukhei is in class again. 

You’re on time this week, and manage to snag your usual seat at the front with your buddies, when he walks through the door. Your eyes instantly latch onto his figure, and, as if sensing it, he catches you. He graces you with one of those half smirk, half smiles again, and much to your surprise he saunters straight over towards you and your friends. 

“Hey,” he says, rapping his knuckles on the table top in front of you. 

“Hi,” you say, and his eyes flicker from you to your friends for a moment, before leaning onto the edge of the desk, pink tongue darting across his lips. He catches your gaze.

“My guys and I are having a party this weekend,” he mentions, and you lean forward, eyes tracing over his soft facial features. “You should come,” he says, and for a moment, he seems almost shy. Then as if remembering you’re not alone, he glances up towards your friends. “All of you, I mean.”

You roll your lips in, trying to repress the smile that so desperately wants to take over, and answer with a sure nod. 

Yukhei’s smile gets impossibly wider, and he knocks his knuckles against the table one more time, before slowly stalking backwards. “Cool, great, awesome,” he says, and you nearly snort when he adds, “snazzy.” 

-

The next time you see Yukhei is kind of planned, but not really. You have to admit, Yukhei’s house throws some of the best parties on campus, and the fact that his brothers are all respectable guys who actually take school seriously is just another plus. Like usual, the lot is packed when you and your friends arrive a little past ten thirty. There’s people spilling out onto the front porch, and some dilly-dalliers even strewn across the lawn. You maneuver your way into the house and are immediately bombarded by colorful lights and the strong stench of weed. Though you don’t mind it, the extremity of the scent is enough to give you a second-hand high that you didn’t really plan for. You’ve been cross-faded before, and truthfully, it’s a little too much for you. 

You settle on watching an intense match of beer bong in the main living room, leaning against the fire place and conversing with other girls also immersed in the game. The cheers for the game are loud and rambunctious, typical of a college party, and you soon find yourself absorbed in your role as a partygoer. There’s drinks being handed out, and you don’t hesitate to down multiple red cups right away. The pleasant feel of alcohol swimming through your veins like a soft persuasion to let loose. 

And you do. 

You’re next up for beer pong, excited in a way only parties make you feel, when a hand clasps around your wrist. You whirl around, and nearly crash into Yukhei, who’s all giggly and ditzy from partying. “Hey,” he yells over the music, and you can’t help the giggle that spills through your lips at his customary greeting. 

“Hi,” you shout back, lips brushing dangerously close to his neck, which smells of so much alcohol and sweat, you’d be disgusted if you didn’t smell the same. Someone yells at you to return for the game, but Yukhei waves them off, whisking you towards the staircase, where he pushes another drink into your hand. 

“I’m so glad you could come,” he shouts, and you see his lips move but you honestly don’t catch a single word that leaves his lips. You wanna blame the pounding bass for your sudden inability to hear him, but a voice in your head says you’d been to distracted just watching his cherried lips to pay attention.

You motion for him to repeat.

You’re not expecting for him to lean in close, lips pressed to the shell of your ear, “so glad you could make it, new girl,” he says, and you’re vaguely aware of the large hand pressed to the base of your spine. Your senses are slowly being pushed into maximum overdrive, so all you manage is a dumb nod. 

He leans away from you, but the feeling of Yukhei’s body leaning over you is already engraved into your mind, and you find yourself reaching a hand out to grasp at the front of his sleeveless shirt, pulling him closer. 

“You look hot,” you say, and he laughs hard against you, chest bumping yours. 

“Thanks,” he says, glances back towards the living room that seems to have become even more populated since you were there. “You look hot, too,” he returns, and you smirk. You unclasp your grip on his shirt, only to glide your palm over his neck, gently pressing your palm into the muscles there. 

Yukhei’s entire demeanor flickers then, and you catch him slipping, trying to remain as a composed gentlemen. He teeters dangerously on the edge between that and a rugged man whose only desire is to eat you up. His lip is caught between his teeth, and it takes him a hard gulp, but he eventually regains his composure, and flashes you a sweet smile. 

But the tiny flash you’d seen of his other persona is enough to catch your interest, and you can feel the heat forming in your core. The way his Adams apple had bobbed before you as he struggled to remain respectful replays in your head, over and over again. You give him a smile in return, and he seems sort of calm in your presence now. You almost feel bad for wanting to purposely rile him up. 

You lean forward, soothingly pressing your fingers into his neck. “Thanks for inviting me,” you murmur, and you’d be worried he didn’t hear you, but the way his eyes are laser focused on you assures you he did. Nonetheless, you take a challenging step closer, ghosting your lips over his ear in the same teasing way he’d done to you earlier. “Isn’t it hot in here?”

You feel him swallow beneath your fingertips, and that definitely sends another spark down south, feeling his muscles twitch. The little action is probably what seals the deal for you as you hear him stutter out a shaky agreement. You sigh a soft, “Yukhei.”

“Yes?” He breathes, and from the corner of your eye, you catch the way his hand hovers over your waist, fist clenching only to relax afterwards, his internal struggle still going on. 

“Where’s your room?” You ask, and press your chest to his. Your forwardness seems to be the deciding factor for him as well, and you feel his hand clasp onto your hip, fingers digging into your skin. 

“My roommate’s in there right now,” he huffs out, and you sigh in a teasing way, slowly peeling yourself away from him. His eyes are wide as you pull away, only fueling you further. 

“Well, I guess I’ll see you la–” 

“We can go somewhere else,” he abruptly blurts out, eyes wide. You beam at him, your hand slowly drifting away from his neck and down his exposed biceps, lightly squeezing the muscle. 

“Show me.”

Yukhei wastes no time in tugging you up the stairs you’d been leaning against and down the subsequent upstairs hallway. There’s people littered all over the place, some couples languidly making out against the walls, while others spark up by the bathroom. He guides you towards the end of the hallway, where a tacky sign reading Jae’s Room adorns the wooden door. He glances behind you almost mischievously, like a little devil, and you wonder if he’ll look at you the same way. He tugs the door open, and ushers you inside, before shutting the door behind himself. 

The room is dark, and Yukhei wastes no time flicking on a lamp in the corner of the room, drowning the room in a soft golden hue. Yukhei looks even more handsome in the light, tan skin smooth like velvet. When his eyes meet yours, you feel inexplicably trapped by his gaze, and for the first time that night, your cheeks flush, forcing you to look away. 

Yukhei sees anyway, and saunters over, cheeky smile adorning his features. He wastes no time in catching your jaw between his fingers, slowly turning your face towards him. Your breath catches from his proximity, and you can’t help the small quiver that passes over you, brought on by the honeyed look in his eyes. He gently presses your lips together, too soft for some random college hook-up, that your knees almost buckle beneath you. 

His hands depart your face, and glide down your arms and across your waist, until the settle on the curve of your spine, thumbs rubbing soothing circles against your skin. The music is more muted in the room, and you hear the quiet smack of your lips against his, and the soft noises you both make. 

Yukhei steps forward, and the backs of your knees meet the edge of the bed. He slowly eases you down, until you’re sitting and he’s leaning over you, one knee pressed between your thighs. Your hands are tracing across his broad shoulders, moving towards the nape of his neck, and tugging at his hair. He releases a quiet moan at the action, and you quietly lock that way for safe keeping. 

If you’re being honest, Yukhei is doing all the right things. His hands press over your waist and your spread thighs, long fingers sending shivers throughout your body. His tongue is working wonders on you, pressing into all your sensitive areas, making you squirm. He’s so attractive, both in his physical appearance and his personality, that the wetness that forms between your legs is embarrassing. 

You can’t even begin to describe the disappointment that blossoms in your chest when someone rattles the doorknob and Yukhei startles, successfully ending your heavy make-out. 

You begin to wave them off, hand tracing over Yukhei’s jaw to guide him back to you, when Yukhei becomes jittery, quickly tugging you to your feet.

Surprisingly, whoever is outside the door hasn’t let up their efforts, and you begin to wonder who it is, when Yukhei suddenly pulls the closet door open, peeking inside it with wide eyes. 

You tilt your head at him in confusion, and are immediately graced with his goofy smile, though now it’s a little more anxious than before. “Um,” he says, eyes flickering between you and the door. “Get in?”

You blink. 

“What?”

Yukhei swallows, and you nearly lose focus of the situation at hand.

“Technically, we’re not supposed to be in each other’s rooms during frat parties,” he explains, nervously jiggling the closet’s doorknob back and forth.

“And I think Jaehyun’s trying to get in.”

You glance at the bedroom door, which has gone suspiciously quiet. Suddenly, the soft clink of a key being inserted rings throughout the room, startling even you into jumping into the dark of the closet. Yukhei nudges the clothing aside, allowing you enough space to sit on the floor, before promptly following. The closet door clicks shut right as the bedroom door jangles open. 

Sure enough, you assume it’s this Jaehyun fellow who’s entered. Surprisingly, he’s by himself, though he’s talking loudly. You logically deduce he’s on the phone, if the pauses between his outbursts are any indication. 

You breathe a sigh of relief, because if you had to sit through another couple fucking while you listened like some voyeur, you’d feel repulsed with yourself. Still, you’re trapped in the closet with Yukhei, who was only a few minutes away from having sex with you. Your cheeks flame. The closet light is off, though, and you’re also facing away from Yukhei, so your embarrassment won’t show.

You’re nestled between his long legs on the floor, and you can feel his hot breath fanning down your neck. One of his hands is pressed against the wall, while the other loosely grasps your shoulder, as if to keep you from shuffling around too much. You’re lucky the closet floor is carpeted, otherwise your behind would’ve started hurting the moment you’d sat down. At most, the carpeted floor grants you another five minutes of comfiness. 

However, Yukhei’s imminent threat of being caught in his frat brother’s room is temporarily gone, and you feel him relax behind you. As if the situation hits him, he releases a soft puff of laughter, and you pinch his thigh to keep him from laughing any louder. 

“Sorry,” he murmurs, and then, “for making you do this.”

The situation screams Yukhei, and you can’t really complain, because you’d signed up specifically for Yukhei, so you just give your own quiet huff of acknowledgment. Though you had been so ready to get down and frisky with Yukhei just moments ago, your current plight is also quite endearing in a way you feel only Yukhei could make it be. 

However comfortable you are with him, your ass isn’t with the floor, and you soon start to feel the bruising ache set into your behind. 

You shift a little, hoping to find another position that will let you sit for a few more minutes. Jaehyun is still on the phone outside, talking animatedly with whoever, and you hope the conversation is nearing an end. 

You eventually find a somewhat comfortable position when you move back a little, and are able to stretch your knees out a little. You sigh contentedly, your back bumping into Yukhei’s chest. You’re closer now, and he knows it too, if the way he sets his chin on your shoulder is any indication. 

This position is kinda cute, you think, if you were in another setting. Maybe a picnic in the park, or on the couch during a movie. It’s a little shocking that you’re thinking of such situations with someone you’ve met only a handful of times, but Yukhei’s sweet, and somewhere in your chest, you hope this end-of-the-school-year fuck won’t just be a one time thing. 

Your thoughts are cut short when you shift back, and feel something poke against your ass. Yukhei sucks in a sudden breath, and you’re instantly aware of what just happened. Between your Yukhei induced daydreams and your constant shifting around, Yukhei was still in the mood, and the close proximity only heightened his arousal, which so kindly poked you in the behind as friendly reminder. 

Jaehyn’s voice is still ringing clearly through the door, and by the sounds of it, he’s nowhere near ending his phone call. 

Poor Yukhei must be suffering behind you, so aroused yet so trapped. The idea of him being so turned on, even in such a situation sort of sparks something in you as well, though. It doesn’t take long for the warmth between your legs to start up again, and your mind soon becomes hazy in the sort of cloud only sex puts you in. 

You shift back again, and you hear Yukhei exhale against your ear, the hand that had been resting on your shoulder pressing down, as if to warn you. You gently place a hand on one of the legs that encages you, running your fingers up and down to test the waters, and quietly coax him into some fun. 

When Yukhei doesn’t push you away, the idea nestles itself into your mind and stays there permanently. You carefully nudge Yukhei’s legs open a bit further, and he easily complies, allowing you to situate yourself even closer to his throbbing manhood. His hand falls away from your shoulder, only to press into your hip, as you slowly press back into him, his soft gasps only encouraging you further.

“___,” he murmurs, the way his voice wobbles music to your ears. You reach for his hands, hastily winding them around your body, until your pressing his palms against your breasts, urging him to return the sensations. Yukhei easily complies, with another soft whine of your name.

Though you’d definitely pegged Yukhei as a dominant man, one who was one hundred percent in control, the way he moulds under your touch is equally as satisfying. He does what you want him to, and accepts everything you give him. It’s different from what you’ve usually experienced, but you aren’t complaining. 

Just as you wrap up those thoughts, you feel the wet sensation of lips pressing against the juncture of your neck, and the gentle nips of teeth against your skin. You fight to hold back a gasp, barely managing to clasp a palm over your mouth. The sound quickly dissolves behind your palm, and you slowly begin to relax, raising a hand up to card your fingers through Yukhei’s hair.

You’re thrown for a loop again when one of Yukhei’s hands, which had been so diligently palming over your breast, snakes its way down your stomach, until his fingers are tracing over the seam of your jeans, right over your throbbing lips. The soft glide of his fingertips makes you jump, losing control over your own body. “Yukhei,” you breathe, quickly reaching down to grab at his palm, when he counters you, snatching your wrist away.

His chuckles are soft against your neck, and you can feel the smirk pressed against your damp skin. “So cute,” he murmurs, fingertips not once letting up their teasing onslaught. You bite down on your lip to keep from crying out, but your hips shift back and forth, thighs clamping down on his hand involuntarily. “Shh,” he hums, releasing your wrist only to press his fingers against your mouth. “Jaehyun hyung will hear you,” he warns you, and you nod, though your legs still quiver and your lower lip still trembles. 

The uncomfortable dampness between your legs is unbearable, but the fingers pressing against your clothed pussy are even worse. Yukhei traces a long finger up and down the area where he knows your lips meet, leaving your brain a muddled mess. “Please,” you murmur, your head slowly rolling back until it’s rested against his shoulder, and Yukhei, the absolute devil, laughs.

“I dunno,” he whispers, pressing his lips up your neck, until he’s kissing at your jaw. His hand, the one not currently occupied, snakes itself up your shirt, until he’s tracing his fingers along the cups of your bra. “Is it worth me getting in trouble?”

You gasp when his fingers finally find their way into your bra, and he rolls a pebbled nipple between his fingers. “Y-yukhei,” you pant, and your muscles twitch from all the stimulation he’s giving you. Your legs go to close again, but this time he grasps onto your thigh, and holds them open again. “Pretty please,” you beg, voice as wobbly as his was earlier, when he’d been under your control. 

It had been so much easier then, when you only needed to guide Yukhei around, and you knew exactly what was coming next. This other side of Yukhei, teasing you and playing with your pleasure, was dangerously delicious, and the wetness of your panties would vouch for that. 

“Mmm” he hums against your neck, releasing your nipple, only to grasp onto your jaw. His fingers encourage you to look over at him, and even though your drenched in complete darkness, Yukhei’s eyes looked impossibly darker. “Pretty please,” he repeats, lips ghosting over yours, and his grip stops you from leaning forward to kiss him. “I like that,” he murmured, right before he leaned down to kiss you again, his mouth hot, making the closet feel more and more like a sauna with every passing second. 

His tongue is rough against yours, quickly repressing any ideas to take over you might’ve had with a quick flick. If Yukhei’s previous actions turned you on, the amount of excitement he sparks in you now is ten times more intense. His long fingers continue to stroke over your core, stopping every now and then to palm over it. 

You can’t help the soft moan that leaves your lips. Yukhei bites down hard on your bottom lip, as if giving you both a warning and a punishment for being loud when one of his brothers is right outside. You’re stuttering breaths eventually draw him away, and you find yourself chasing after him, the hand knotted in his hair tugging him closer. 

Yukhei smirks, nudging your nose with his, until you’re dazedly staring up at him. “Beg,” he whispers, right as you feel the button on your jeans pop open. 

“Huh,” you murmur, attention zeroed in on his lips. 

“Beg,” he repeats, fingers crawling into your underwear, causing your breath to hitch again. “Because I still don’t know if I wanna get in trouble,” he adds, eyes momentarily flicking towards the door. 

“Please,” you murmur, pulling at his hair again, remembering the soft noise he’d made before the two of you had abruptly jumped into the closet earlier. He reacts the same way he had earlier, temporarily losing his focus, before he’s back on you, pressing kiss after kiss onto your skin, though his hand refuses to crawl any deeper into your underwear. 

“C’mon, princess,” he teases, biting down on your neck. You flinch, and he uses your vulnerable state to press a finger against your clit. You have to bite down the whine that catches in your throat, nearly curling in on yourself. “Say it again,” he whispers, “that cute little thing you said.”

Your mind is on a completely different plane, and you struggle to piece together what he wants. What had you said again? The alcohol that still thrums in your system isn’t much of a help either, and you nearly forgot that he wanted you to say something until he nips at your neck again, and your eyes roll back into your head. 

“Please,” you exhale, pressing a hand over his, the one that’s over your breast. He quickly grabs onto it, tangling your fingers together, and you continue your quest to figure him out. “Please, Yukhei,” you whimper. 

You can feel his lips break away from your skin, and you feel them as they start to move again, when you suddenly add, “pretty please,” fingers tightening in his hold. 

“There you go,” he breathes, before his fingers finally begin to toy with you, flicking over the sensitive bundle of nerves hidden beneath your folds. You’re leaning against him even more now, head rolled onto his shoulder due to your inability to hold it up. “So cute,” he murmurs as he presses a soft kiss to the vein in your neck. 

His fingers are still hard at work, using the wetness you’d accumulated to spread all over you. “You’re so wet,” he chuckles, and you shiver at the sound, your body so sensitive to everything this boy does. “Don’t let Jaehyun hear you,” he murmurs, and you feel yourself nod. “Or else I’ll be mad,” he adds, and though he’s just teasing, the prospect of seeing him mad sends another jolt of adrenaline through your body. 

However, you’re still holding onto the hope that this isn’t a one time thing, and quietly file away the information for another time. 

“Yukhei,” you mewl, quiet and soft against his hair, your body giving another twitch when he presses a finger against your opening. “Make me come,” you sigh, calming yourself enough to spread your legs wider for him. “Pretty pretty please,” you tack on, fingers twitching from where they’re nestled inside his silky hair. 

“Of course, baby,” he responds, deep voice husky from all the whispering you’ve been doing. You feel a finger slowly submerging itself inside of you, pressing into you with a quiet squelching sound. “Gonna make you feel so good,” he promises, and you nearly mewl. 

His finger presses in and out a few more times, and just when you’re gonna beg for another one, he beats you to it. His long fingers work fast, scissoring inside of you. And you find yourself writhing at his touch. 

“Please,” you whine, tugging at his hair. “Kiss me, Yukhei,” you say when he finally looks at you. He complies with your request, pressing his soft mouth against yours again, tongue prodding around like usual. 

It’s all too much by now, the tedious teasing he’d done for what felt like forever, the hot press of his mouth, and the delicious way he’d worked his fingers inside of you. You’re not sure if you’re turned on from just how talented this guy is with his fingers, or the fact you could get caught any second now. You guess both, and your attention temporarily flickers over towards the door, where you hear the soft lull of Jaehyun’s voice. 

As if sensing your attention drifting away, Yukhei curls his fingers inside of you, hitting that perfect spot inside of you. You gasp into his mouth, pressing yourself even closer to him. You pull your mouth away, and you open it and close it multiple times, like some floundering fish, legs shaking even more than they were a moment prior. 

Yukhei seems to get your message, and curls his fingers again. “It’s okay, ____,” he murmurs, and you feel that ridiculous smile pressed against your cheek again. You’d hit him if he wasn’t about to deliver the most exciting orgasm you’ve had in a while. “I got you, baby,” he breathes, fingers going into maximum overdrive inside of you, pulling in and out, curling at the perfect spot with each dive in. 

When you finally orgasm, your whole body shakes, legs clamping shut to keep his hand from moving. You find yourself pressing your intertwined hands to your mouth, as if trying to cover up the already silent scream that wants to leave you. Gradually, your body begins to relax, despite the heavy way your chest rises and falls. 

Your floating on cloud nine when you vaguely register the sound of a door shutting, and suddenly, all you hear is Yukhei’s breath against your ear. You slowly peel yourself away from Yukhei, suddenly aware of your soaked panties, and soiled jeans. 

Yukhei’s hand reaches up for the knob, still not saying a word, and you carefully peek out the small crack he opens. When you conclude there’s no one in the room anymore, you push the door open all the way, stumbling out of the closet like some drunkard. Which, you technically are. 

“Well,” you say, stretching your legs out as your eyes scan across the room once again. “That was fun.” 

“____,” you hear Yukhei sigh, and when you turn around, you catch sight of his disheveled appearance, still submerged in the partial darkness of the closet. His eyes are dangerously hooded, eyes dark like chocolate as they stare you down. He looks absolutely delectable in that situation, and the tent in the front of his pants sends another chill down your spine. “Don’t be rude,” he teases, sinful tongue peeking out to lick across his smirk. 

And well, you can’t be rude, really. 

-

The next time you see Yukhei, he’s tucked beneath the blanket beside you, one arm lounging across the dip in your spine, as you cuddle closer to him. 

- [ original post 2018 ] : is this proofread?? hell nah!!!! should i start taking requests now or something??? idk sis u tell me!!!!!

[ july 2020 update ] ; i added a tag on mobile that fucked up the post layout lol but now its fixed !

[literarycat]

here’s my @kagepro-secret-santa gift for @sablyte !!! i’m so sorry for the lateness on this one, but I really do hope that you enjoy reading it half as much as I enjoyed writing it.  they asked for a bit of winter-themed ayataka fluff, so I gave them a winter carnival date!! 

Takane shifted restlessly from her position on the park bench.  She had her headphones up, heavily covering her ears, and an upbeat tune blasted from it, thoroughly tuning her out from the rest of the world.  The music was far less angry than she usually listened to, some near-pop tune about a first kiss.  This was because Takane wasn’t in nearly as bad a mood as her retreated posture would imply.  In fact, she felt downright peachy.

Today, she and Ayano were going on a date.  

She’d shown a little trepidation back when Ayano had suggested the idea of going to a winter festival, seeing as huge crowds and loud noises weren’t exactly her thing, but… Ayano had convinced her without even trying, showing just a hint of disappointment at Takane’s hesitation.  She could suck it up for her, she determined.  Her desire to have fun with her girlfriend overrode her desire to stay holed up inside.

Besides, there were apparently shooting games involved.

She quickly straightened her posture as she saw a familiar shock of red in the passerby.  Ayano’s face emerged a few moments later as she waved furiously at the seated girl.  “Hello!  Sorry you had to wait for me, I just got off the train.” “It’s alright.”  Takane smiled, pulling her head just a little bit out of where she’d retreated into her coat’s oversized collar and hood.  She tugged her headphones down a moment later, having already paused the music the moment she saw Ayano approach.  “You ready to go?” “Yep!”  They were already almost at the entrance, the festival rising before them like an enormous, colorful, lights-decorated village.  To Takane, it might as well have been a death sentence.

Seeing her blanch at the crowds, Ayano turned towards Takane, suddenly concerned.  “You okay?” she asked, gently squeezing her girlfriend’s hand.  “If the people are too much, we can go somewhere else.”

Takane shook her head.  “It’s fine,” she reassured, but Ayano still looked worried.  “It’s way better when I’m with you.”

Ayano grinned, a blush spreading across both her already rosy cheeks.  “You’re so sweet,” she giggled.  She squeezed her hand again, entwining both their glove-clad fingers.  “Let’s go, then!  I saw some shops over there that I wanted to take a look at!”

Takane nodded, letting herself get pulled along by the more excited young woman. She was grateful to just give in to Ayano’s enthusiasm, letting it drive them both.  She was, clearly, more than happy to provide enough cheerfulness for both of them.

The two of them rushed to the colorfully-tented stalls showcasing a variety of goods.  The first one they passed was a food stall, and the sugary scent of funnel cake and powdered sugar hit their noses first.  Takane wrinkled her nose at the overly sweet sensation, but Ayano beamed.  “Doesn’t it smell amazing?”

“That’s one word for it,” Takane muttered.  Ayano, catching her displeasure, moved on without buying anything.  There were a few more food stands around, including ones cotton candy and giant, comically large lollipops filled with rainbow spirals.  To Takane’s relief, however, the food and candy quickly fell away to reveal tangible goods and souvenirs.

“Look!” Ayano said suddenly, plucking a tiny object off the next table and waving it in front of her girlfriend’s face.  “It’s a little panda bear!”

The bear was tiny, fitting easily in the palm of her hand.  It was made of crochet, with two little black beads for eyes and a shiny sewn-in nose.  Takane tilted her head, expression blank.  “Looks scary.” “Does not!” “Like it’d eat you or something.” “It wouldn’t!” Ayano protested.  She spoke in a falsetto, waving the little bear back and forth with every word.  “Hi, Takane!  I’m a cute little bear who just wants to be your friend!”

Takane had to suppress a smile at that.  She searched the myriad of animals laid out on the crochet table, picking up a tiger between her two fingers.  She suddenly whirled around, launching it towards Ayano’s bear. “Well, I’m a big tiger, and I’m going to eat your bear!”

“Eek!” Ayano giggled, hiding the bear reflexively behind her.  “Be nice!”

Takane pushed back an even stronger smile, forcing a scowl on her face as she readied the tiger for its next attack - but she was interrupted by the merchant at the stall clearing her throat.  “Sorry to interrupt, girls, but these aren’t meant to be toys.” Ayano flushed.  “Sorry,” she said meekly, replacing the panda to its proper place.  Takane followed suit, though she glared in the general direction of the stall owner.  The two examined the remaining animals in a more subdued manner, hardly touching them.

“This one’s cute,” Ayano said, brushing her fingers gingerly across a white rabbit.  It was small, rounder than actual hares, and attached to a golden chain.  It was a backpack charm, Takane noticed belatedly.  Ayano always loved those.  Takane watched her fingers hover over the rabbit for a few more seconds, then she dropped her gaze and moved her hand away.  “Sort of silly to have one in high school though, I’d bet.” Takane couldn’t bear even the hint of a crestfallen expression on her face.  Plucking the rabbit up with an earnest finality, she shoved it in the general direction of the merchant - who could only smile, bemused.  “I want this one.” Almost immediately after the transaction was completed, Takane felt her left side crushed in a hug.  “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Ayano gushed, scarf tickling against Takane’s neck.  Takane huffed, retreating further inside the tall collar of her coat.

“Okay, I get it!” she huffed, cheeks heating up with a rapid blush.  “You like the gift.” “I love it,” Ayano corrected, already undoing the clasp to attach the rabbit to her purse.  “Thank you.” Takane, face still hot, waved her gratitude away with one hand.  “Let’s just move on.” As they struck out from the shopping area into the more crowded middle lane, Takane felt her patience waning.  Ayano kept looking back at her worriedly, asking her repeatedly if she was alright, and Takane always answered in the affirmative - but it was hard for her to fully enjoy herself.

Hard, at least until she saw a familiar shape rising up ahead of them.

“Is that-!” she perked up with genuine enthusiasm, almost pulling ahead of Ayano in her attempt to catch a glimpse.

Ayano chuckled.  “It is.”  In front of them, tall and utterly imposing, lay the alley of carnival games - with a shooting game directly in the center.  

Takane actually whooped, competitive nature overriding her social anxiety, and dragged her girlfriend forward towards it.  The merchant looked at the two with an almost condescending smile, ready to give his general spiel about how to win, but Takane cut him off with a wad of bills shoved underneath his nose.

“Get ready to lose, old man,” she snapped with utter confidence.  Ayano merely giggled behind a gloved hand, staring at the giant stuffed animals hanging above them.  

Takane’s boasting did not go unfulfilled.  She hit all five targets for six games in a row, only stopping because the merchant was practically begging for her to move on.  She’d already won the main prize - three times over.  It was with an immensely self-satisfied grin that Takane accepted the three enormous plush animals: one bear, one dog, and one weirdly-shaped animal of indiscernible species that Takane figured was the mascot of the carnival brand.  It was somewhere between an elephant and a monkey, it was mottled blue and pink, and it was ugly as anything she’d ever seen. 

“Why’d you pick that last one?” Ayano questioned, other two prizes tucked neatly under her arm.  She’d asked for the bear, since she thought her younger siblings would like it, and she figured the dog was for Haruka.   “It’s so awful, isn’t it?” Takane asked, inspecting the animal with barely hidden glee.  Ayano nodded, confused, and her classmate continued, “I’m going to give it to Shintaro.” There was a beat of silence, then Ayano broke out in a frown.  “That’s so mean,” she chided, drowned out by Takane’s cackling laughter.  After a beat, she joined in, giggling neatly behind a hand.  She was more amused by Takane’s outrageous, movie-villain laughter than she was by the action itself - though the idea of Shintaro’s face upon being faced with this monstrosity was pretty funny.

“You know,” Ayano mused quietly.  “I should be the one to give it to him.  He likes me a lot more than he likes you, and if I pretended like it was a real gift…” She trailed off, leaving her intentions clear with a mischievous grin.

Takane balked at her.  “And you called me mean.” The two laughed all the way down the main street, dragging their prizes in their wake.

The two passed by several other carnival games as they went, but aside from Ayano giving the milk jug toss a try (she failed, miserably, and the two decided to cut their losses before they even began), they were satisfied in the victories they’d already attained.

It was a pleasant walk through the rest of the carnival, with the two headed towards their unspoken destination: the ferris wheel.  The largest attraction of the place, and the one Ayano was, by her increased pace, the most excited to experience.

Takane couldn’t blame her.  She was a bit of a hopeless romantic, Ayano, always striving for that movie-magic moment of true love.  Hopefully, she was able to provide it.

The two waited in line for what seemed like hours, Ayano bouncing on her heels and people watching while Takane slid her headphones over her ears.  It wasn’t a rude gesture at all, and Ayano knew it - it was just how she passed the time.  Ayano didn’t bother trying to talk to the girl while she had her music playing, but she’d occasionally tap her shoulder to point out a particularly interesting balloon animal, or a costumed performer.  Takane, for her part, didn’t let her attention stray too far from her date.

Finally, they were at the front of the line - and the attendant gave them a once-over, eyeing their enormous stuffed animals with something close to exhaustion.  “You getting on together?” “Yep!” Ayano tucked the dog further under her arm to grab Takane’s hand, and the two pulled themselves (and their plush companions) into the rather small compartment.  The door shut behind them, and Ayano scooted herself closer to Takane on the bench - then they were off.

At first, neither of them were inclined to speak.  The view was utterly gorgeous, and they watched the carnival they’d just spent a few hours wandering through turn to figurine size beneath them.  Ayano then leaned back, focusing her gaze upwards at the stars.  “Isn’t it beautiful,” she breathed, air coming out in a visible puff.  The car was closed, but still cold; the observing glass wasn’t much insulated from the outside.

Takane watched her fondly, scooting over a bit to lay her hand over Ayano’s.  She had to move the teddy bear to do so, and it flopped disgracefully down on its belly.  “The stars aren’t the only beautiful thing around,” she murmured, already feeling a wave of embarrassment from using the line.

Ayano suddenly flushed a crimson that rivaled her scarf, turning her attention back to Takane with a snap.  “Enomoto!” she snapped, using her last name as if she was chiding her - but her expression showed anything but.  She was pleased, more so than Takane expected. 

She’d have to keep it a secret that she stole the line from one of her favorite visual novels.

Takane cocked her head, giving Ayano a nearly teasing smile, and the girl relented, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.  “You are too much,” Ayano said warmly.  Takane’s smile only grew, confidence slowly taking the place of embarrassment.  She knew what those characters had done next, after all.

With familiar slowness, the two grew close, lips meeting just as the ferris wheel reached its highest point.  The car sat there a while, and the two separated; flushed, Takane dipped her head to hide her grin.  “Thanks for convincing me to come out here, Ayano.” “Anytime.”  Her eyes shone with pure, unbridled joy; Takane knew without her saying anything that she’d given her just the fairytale moment of romance she’d wanted.

Cheeks still tinted with pink, Takane settled back in her seat, entwining her chilled fingers with Ayano’s covered ones.  The two settled against each other on the bench, watching the city lights grow from specks as they slowly descended back towards the ground.

Takane wasn’t one for sappy stuff (trashy visual novels excluded), but she was starting to see why Ayano was so into all that.

Sitting there, with Ayano at her side, she was so utterly, wholly sure that she was in love.  And the feeling was incredible.