#this is just making me wanna go to law school sooner actually

[seekerstone]

“just do ur homework a day early” very good advice thank u. i will not take it bc unfortunately it will be missing deadline panic. instead i will fritter away the day & then stay up until 3am to do it then. thanks for understanding

[saintobio]

wastelands (epilogue)

For my Y/N,

I’ll start this off by saying I don’t really know how to write letters. Fuck, I’m sorry. This probably won’t be as cute as the ones you’ve written and I but here I’m writing this piece and I hope you know that I’m not Edgar Allan Poe.

By the time I’m writing this, it’s 2am on a Saturday before we leave for Aomori so I’m feeling a lot of things.

You’re sleeping right now and I hope you don’t mind that I left you for a while to get some fresh air. I also hope you don’t mind that I’m writing on the back of the letter that you’ve written for me — the lack of resources is appalling. You’d probably be surprised because we never really talked about the letters since the day in that gated community. I’ve been made aware that you wrote them while I was in the Tokyo camp and I got Sophia to admit the truth. I wish I can tell you how devastated I was, not because I wanted it to be Sophia, but because I felt like I’ve been stripped off of the opportunity to appreciate you better than I should’ve. Your letters were the best things I’ve ever received from someone. And for years, I’ve been in love with the amount of effort and time that someone has dedicated into writing those for me. To be honest, I’ve done so many fucked up things in life and I still wonder why you like me despite it all. I don’t deserve it It’s pretty amazing, don’t you think? How someone can stay loyal to a person who barely returned it? I’m fucking stupid

I thought I already knew what true love is until I actually felt it for the first time when you left the camp and I had nothing else in mind but to find you because living no longer means anything without you. I’ve done so many hurtful things to you so I’m turning this into an apology letter somehow. Baby I’m sorry for all the things I did. For not opening my eyes, for being insensitive, for asking you to do things that you shouldn’t have (but you still did because you love me) and for making you wait too long until I’ve come into terms with my feelings. Thinking of it now, I was such an asshole I’d probably go to hell.

I don’t think I can re-write my past, but I promise to give all of my heart to you from this day forward. You’re my life. You’re the reason I have content in my heart. I wanna spend every second of my future with you in our new beginnings. (Let’s make many babies and have a happy family :> Reproduction is key!) I can’t wait to see what else is in store for us. I can’t wait to see you in a white dress when we marry. I can’t wait to hold your hand when you give birth to our first child. I can’t wait to grow old with you away from this wasteland but in our own paradise.

You loved me for seven years. I’ll love you a thousand years more. It’s not enough, is it?? Then, in that case... I’ll love you a million times when we cross paths again in all the universes there is. It’s been a wild ride for this one. We’re almost at the finish line and I’m sure by tomorrow you’ll reunite with Asher and I’ll be the cool brother-in-law who saved the day!! I’ll make it a living goal to make sure that you’re gonna meet him again so don’t worry. I have everything planned out. Your Rin’s got this.

You’re the most beautiful person I’ve seen, from inside and out, and I can’t tell you enough just how deeply I’ve fallen for you. This shit’s cheesy and I know you’re just gonna laugh! But here, just believe me when I say I wished I’d opened my eyes sooner. I knew I felt something for you when we walked together to the bus stop that morning back in high school — I can never forget how you panicked in front of me or how you held on to your white backpack while trying to look away. I’ve heard you had a crush on me so I thought it’d be cute to tease and follow you around just to see your reaction. Such an ass, right? I enjoyed it when you blushed around me. I should’ve been brave enough to ask you if you wrote those letters instead of believing Sophia like the blind man I was. One of my biggest regret in life is that I didn’t follow what my heart was telling me (or what Rumiko was telling me, she’s right after all).

But on the other hand, one thing I will never regret is to die next to you. We don’t know when it’ll happen. Tomorrow, next week, next month, or 50 years from now. Nothing’s certain in this world. Rumiko once told me that if she was gonna die, she wanted to be held by someone that loved her. How could a 9-year old even think that way? Though it started to make sense to me now. It made me realize that I too wanna be held by someone when the time comes, and I want that someone to be you. Sorry, I don’t know how the topic transitioned to death it just crossed my mind for some reason and I’m also running out of space to write on but to end this very amazing literary piece by your very amazing boyfriend Rintarou Suna, I want you to know that I’ll never leave your side.

I’m with you even when it feels like I’m not. Through thick and thin, I’ll seek no one else but you. My angel. I love you. ♡

Love,

Rin

“Idiot.”

Droplets of tears had fallen on the crisp paper that you’ve been holding for the past hour. One of Suna’s last instructions to you was to only open the contents of his wallet when you’ve already healed. With six months that had gone since his demise, you thought you were ready again to check the pieces of him that he had left behind.

Contrary to your expectations, you were far from prepared. You still ended up bursting into tears in reminiscence of the nightmarish memory you had of that night at the rooftop. The surge of waterfall that poured out of your eyes were attributable to the grief that you’ve kept in your heart for half a year. And now, upon reading Rin’s response letter, you were back to being a sobbing mess whose heart had deep crevices that would never truly heal.

“You idiot.” You wiped your eyes and pressed your lips together as another round of heartache coiled inside of you. “Why did you leave me?”

Hearing about his excitement for the future that he didn’t get to fulfill was torturous in itself. You imagined the painful thoughts that were going through his head at the time of his transition but you spared yourself of the agony knowing that it would only add more bruises to your heart.

Life with Rin was bliss, life without him was misery. However, the only thing that placed you in the middle of that spectrum was the part of him that he had left behind. A part of him that allowed you to live sans the constant temptation to follow him six feet under. You had to live because he gave you a reason to, not only for yourself, but for the new life you ought to welcome ahead of you.

The other contents of his wallet consisted of things that all reminded you of him; his driver’s license, two sticks of his favorite cigarette, a ¥1000 bill with a drawn smiley face, and a packet of condom. Of course.

“Your dad,” you sighed, rolling your eyes, “should’ve used this.”

It was the first time you’ve smiled after you broke down from reading his letter. Searching through his wallet earned you one last item to discover and it was, surprisingly, a cutout yearbook photo of you. It was hidden between the narrowest sleeves in his wallet that you wouldn’t have found if not for your willingness to search for more.

How long has he been keeping a photo of you? Turning the photo around, there was a note written on the back with the words:

For nii-chan :D -Rumiko

God, the amount of tears that you’ve produced could give you an ocean at this point. You couldn’t help but think about the adorable Rumiko sneaking your photo inside his wallet hoping that someday he would find it there. Maybe Rintarou Suna really liked you deeper than you thought. And maybe, by this time, he had already reunited with his little sister.

“Y/N?” A knock on your door awoke you from your daze. At once, you were hastily gathering Rin’s items back into his wallet before the person came inside of your chambers.

The deepest sighs come from the loneliest hearts, he once said. Osamu’s eyes laved with worry at the sight of your obvious crying but you shrugged it off with a smile. “Hey, you’re back.”

He nodded, enclosing your frame into a hug before planting a kiss on your temple. “Is everything okay?” His fingers tucked your hair behind your ear.

“Yeah, I...” You moved the wallet to the side, unknown that his eyes had already caught it. “Just reminiscing on some things.”

“Sunarin?” he inquired with an intent look. “I thought it was the pregnancy hormones.”

Right. Osamu had always been the first one to deal with you during the height of your hormones. The constant crying, the agitation, the yearning—he had no escape from you. He was burdened of the responsibility to look after you as Rin made him promise so in his dying breath and Osamu was never one to break a best friend’s word.

The first time you found out that you were carrying Suna’s child, you were in a state similar to that of an empty void. You could barely get ahold of yourself, much less carry a child whose father was no longer alive. The only time you finally got back to your senses was after receiving constant reassurances from Asher, the Miya twins, and Aran who all said that you should consider your baby as a piece of Rin that you could hold on to.

They were right, because now you love your child more than anything else in this world. The thought of welcoming a baby—a product of you and Rin—acted as a glue to your broken heart. He didn’t truly leave you by yourself, but instead has left you with an angel that you would learn to fully love like him.

“Have you heard from the nurse?” you asked, having Osamu pull you into his lap as he sat at the edge of yours and Asher’s bunk bed. “I had an appointment today but I didn’t feel like going.”

The response he gave was a look of displease. “You know you can’t skip your sessions.”

Because many survivors acquired trauma from the zombie outbreak and the loss of their loved ones, Aomori offered special therapy sessions for those who needed it. Particularly in your case, you were considered on high priority because you were pregnant and they valued carriers of the next generation with utmost care.

“I will, tomorrow.”

“You better.” He tapped your thigh before he got up with you. “Wanna exercise those legs and walk around the camp?”

And so you did.

Walking around the camp was sort of a breath of fresh air.

To put it simply, life in Aomori could be likened to a marathon of the same movie. Daily activities were the same; the meals were served communally, children were required to go to school, men of age were to assist the military, and the women were either to aid the medical staff or help out in routine tasks.

Aomori was building a nation that had high hopes for the youth. After a vaccine was developed only three months ago, it was natural to see that the country still hasn’t risen from its wreckage. The Zs were still lurching all over the wastelands and the government’s current plan was to eradicate every single zombie until they fall instinct. How would they do that? You had no idea. Though it was a plain fact that the zombie apocalypse might not be over until 5-10 years from now, which also meant that you would have to live in Aomori for that long.

Asher didn’t seem to mind. He was contented with what life offered him in your new safe home and nothing much should be expected. You were proud to see your brother acting more and more in his maturity who saw brightness even in the dark. He had grown protective of you in comparison to the younger version of him who always indulged in petty sibling fights. You could only chuckle at the thought.

“Oh, Asher’s in there.” Following Osamu’s gaze, you saw your brother outside of the medical building who was standing next to Atsumu. The two were engaged in a conversation with Doctor Kat—the same doctor you met when you first arrived Aomori.

“I’m starting to think that the reason Atsumu can’t leave Asher alone is because of Doctor Kat,” you assumed, hand instinctively rubbing circles on your bump. “That idiot likes her.”

“Right? He won’t even admit it to me. He’s got heart eyes for her like Suna was to you,” the twin responded before he turned to face you. “Speaking of, do you think the baby’s gonna look like Sunarin?”

Your heart pounded at the thought. “I hope so. I hope he’s his carbon copy.”

“Wait, it’s a he?” Osamu’s eyes widened just as much his smile at the news.

Your nod was to confirm. “Yeah, I had an ultrasound yesterday. I was gonna surprise you guys.”

My little angel. You wondered what Rin’s reaction would be if he was with you. Probably ecstatic or he would most likely brag about his son to his friends. Kita was for sure congratulating him in heaven and the image of it made you laugh softly.

“He would’ve been so excited.” There was a hint of both happiness and sadness in Osamu’s tone that he immediately veiled with a smile.

He really would’ve. Based on the letter he wrote, Rin did want his own family with you and you couldn’t help but feel your depression kicking back in. However, with a baby in your womb, you ought to have a strong mental resilience. You weren’t just doing this for yourself now but also for the sake of your little one.

You thought back then that having Asher was enough. He was the only family you had and you would be okay with just him by your side. Suna was an exception because for seven years long you waited until he finally returned your love albeit taken away at a blink of an eye. You were only given a taste of what it felt like.

But with the loss of a loved one came with the birth of another.

Apart from the material things that Rin left for you to remember, he also blessed you with a child that you would love for all eternity. Maybe this was really your fate, in this universe, where you were never meant to be with your other half. There was no other way to change your destiny but to just keep going and continue living.

Rin would always be in your heart. His spirit would remain with you. As the sun sets, the sun would rise again. Nothing was to stay in the dark for brighter days awaited you.

“I miss you every day, Rin,” you whispered, eyes seeking the stillness of the sky.

In your head, you heard his velvet voice giving you a response:

“I’m always with you, angel.”

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[solar-bear]

Magic In These Moon Cakes

I make my way back home from the market, hands full of dishes and sweets for tonight, and sigh loudly as my swollen ankles protest my actions. I’m barely through the door when I’m faced with a very cross-looking cryomancer.

“Qīn, where have you been? I’ve been worried about you,” Bi-Han says sternly, grabbing the bags from me with frightening ease. He ushers me into our apartment as he sets the bags down on the kitchen counter, not even bothering to acknowledge his brother sitting on the couch.

“Kuai Liang-Gēgē, I didn’t know you’d be here so soon, my apologies for taking so long at the market, the lines and crowds were crazy,” I greet my brother-in-law and rest my hand on the small of my back to try and give it some more support.

“Sit,” Bi-Han commands as he pushes me gently down onto the couch before pulling my legs up and onto the ottoman, giving them immediate relief. “All this walking and stress of shopping and carrying all those bags aren’t good for the baby, why didn’t you just wait for me to get back home from picking Kuai Liang up?”

“Polar Bear, I’m pregnant, not made of glass, besides you hate shopping when the crowds are this bad,” I try and reason with my stubborn husband, but it’s halfhearted at best since I know he’s right. “Besides I felt so bad for not preparing the meal myself this year I felt like I needed to do something at least,” I sigh and rub my ankles.

“The Mid-Autumn Festival happens every year qīn, who cares if we miss moon cakes one year, your health is more important to me,” he grumbles even though I can see him eyeing the boxes of various moon cakes.

“It’s important for the boys, they love the Mid-Autumn Festival, you know the boys all take turns being Hou Yi and defeating all the demons not to mention stuffing themselves full of as much duck and crab they can. Besides they’re not the only ones who wanted duck,” I mumble and slouch down in the chair.

“Don’t forget brother it’s also an important time for families to gather together and appreciate the beauty of the moon,” Kuai Liang pipes up in an attempt to help defend my insistence at celebrating this year.

“Who exactly invited you again?” Bi-Han shoots his younger brother a look before turning his attention back to the groceries, “which ones need to be refrigerating qīn?”

Kuai Liang sulks at his brother’s playful malice, “your wife invited me thank you very much, and my nephews actually enjoy spending time with me.”

“Someone has to,” Bi-Han scoffs as he starts looking through the bags. “How many boxes of moon cakes did you buy qīn?” Bi-Han exclaims in disbelief as he pulls box after box of moon cakes out of the bags.

“Red bags need to be refrigerated and I six boxes, one of each of us, there are so many different varieties now I wanted to try them out. They have Oreo ones now! Oreos! I can’t wait! Oh! Oh! I can’t forget about the custard-filled ones! I also got some of the traditional ham and nut ones since I know your brother likes those ones, and some sesame paste ones for you, I don’t know I just wanted to go all out for the baby. I know shes’ not here yet but it’s technically her first Mid-Autumn Festival and since I’m too far along to really stand on my feet long enough to bake moon cakes and boil crabs and roast ducks and all the other dishes, I maybe went a little overboard.” I excitedly explain to both Bi-Han and Kuai Liang as I affectionately cradle my round belly.

“Well when you put it that way I guess I can’t be too upset, but I still wish you had just waited for me so I could carry everything for you, or at least you could have taken the twins,” Bi-Han grumps while putting the raw crabs in the fridge and the various containers of roasted duck and vegetables.

“Bi-Han I wasn’t going to make the boys get up early on a rare day off of school, they deserve to sleep in,” I yawn and lean back in the chair before I’m startled by a loud shout.

“Gotcha Shūshu,” my youngest announces as he flings himself in Kuai Liang’s lap with a pitiful handful of snow to the face.

“Shìxuě,” I scold him, and no sooner does his name leave my mouth than Kuai Liang’s hands come up to masterfully deflect a punch from Xiǎo-Hán and a kick from Xiǎo-Bīng, “boys!”

Kuai Liang chuckles as he pulls the twins next to him ruffling their hair, “it’s ok Sol, they’re getting much better! Your father must be doing a good job training you boys.”

Xiǎo-Hán is the first to break free from Kuai Liang’s gasp, “we’ve been working hard in between school lessons and soccer practice, look!” He exclaims excitedly as he begins forming an icicle in his palm.

“Yes, very impressive! I trust you’re putting the same effort into your studies too,” Kuai Liang questions quirking an eyebrow.

Xiǎo-Hán gives him a sheepish grin, “I’m doing a lot better this semester than last, so that’s got to count for something right?”

“Yes,” I smile at him knowing how hard he’s been trying, “it hasn’t gone unnoticed.” I turn to Kuai Liang, “Xiǎo-Hán takes after his Father maybe a little too much in the sense that he cares far more about his cryomancy than he does his studies.”

“Who wants moon cakes?” Bi-Han comes into the living room with a tray piled high with the pastries as the boys clamor for the treats.

I frown at him momentarily, “you boys can have one before dinner, and I mean you and Kuai Liang in that too Bi-Han. I don’t want anyone spoiling their dinner.”

“Deal,” Bi-Han agrees as he sets the tray down on the coffee table as he reaches for one of the sesame-filled ones and stuffs it in his mouth.

The boys all grab theirs before Shìxuě toddles over to me with a custard-filled one, “here mama. I brought it to you so you don’t wake up Mèimei and she doesn’t make you grumpy.”

“Thank you my little pumpkin,” I smile and pull him into my lap before taking a bite of the sweet, flaky pastry. I sit back and enjoy my happy little family as I can’t wait for our newest little one to join in next year’s festivities.

“Mama, will you tell us about Chang’e? I wanna hear the part about Hou Yi again,” Shìxuě asks as he bites into his moon cake and snuggles against my growing stomach.

“Would you rather watch Over the Moon again?” I ask grinning at him and humming the opening tune to the movie knowing full well what my son will choose.

“Yes!” he grins, with Oreo cream already all over his face.

“Boys, do you mind turning on the TV and getting the movie set up? We can watch it together before dinner,” I turn to ask my twins who are still trying to wrestle with their uncle. The boys do as I ask and we all settle in to watch the movie before enjoying dinner and basking in the beautiful glow of the full autumn moon.

[1engele]

daybreak | sal fisher x fem!reader - 4. questions

Previous | Next

[warnings: cursing, smoking, death mention, sexual discussion, drug mention]

"every mile further, there's a part of me that slips away."

—

At lunch, you and Sal eventually locate the group's spot in the cafeteria. It felt almost like a walk of shame as the two of you approached and cautiously sat down at the table.

Todd, Ashley, and Larry all turn their heads toward you both. Normally, they'd most likely greet you as if nothing was wrong—which, to their knowledge, nothing was—but this time they were hesitant in saying anything. You could only guess they'd caught the wave as soon as you'd both sat down.

Larry looked calmer than he did in the car. You hoped Ashley and Todd talked him down.

"Alright, something's weird," Ashley's suspicious eyes flitted between you and Sal. "What happened?"

Sal looked you in the eye, before returning his gaze to Ash. "Nothing, we-"

You should have let Sal lie about it, but the fact he still wanted to be selfless and keep the peace made you angry on his behalf and was enough to make you cut in. "Something happened in class that pissed Travis off. In the hall, he fucking cuffed Sal in the face."

Larry jerks forward in his seat. You take advantage of his shock to keep speaking. "His shirt had blood all over it. That's why I gave him my sweater."

"What the fuck?" Ashley's eyes were wide, her entire expression forming into something furious. "We need to report him."

"No, we don't," Sal shakes his head. "It makes things worse. It wasn't even that bad. The blood was superficial. It didn't even take more than a minute for her-" he looks to you, clears his throat, and corrects himself. You guess he doesn't want any questions being asked about what happened in the girl's bathroom. "-for me to clean it up."

Todd swallows a bite of his sandwich and speaks up. "Sal may be right. It would make things worse. That doesn't mean it's justified, though—no matter what Travis is going through at home."

"You know what is justified?" Larry is seething in his spot. "Him getting his shit beat. When the day's over, I'm taking him behind the school and knocking the lights out of his fucking head."

Sal inhales beside you.

"Yeah—that's not going to do anything," you breathe. You feel the blue-haired boy shift beside you—like he'd turned his head your way. "I actually spoke to him on the first day of school."

Ashley's eyebrows fly up. "What? What did he say?"

"We were all in the hallway," you began to explain, slowly and steadily. "I'd seen him giving Sal weird looks earlier in class—and at that moment, he seemed off, too—just standing there at the far end of the hall."

You paused. "I don't know. I've seen it before. It was like he was gearing himself up to walk over and say something. So I took it upon myself to beat him to it. I went over, asked him what he was planning on doing—told him to pick his battles. He almost went over anyway, but I put my hand on him and told him how that wouldn't end well."

You swallowed and glanced around anxiously. "He looked at me, scoffed, and walked away."

Your hand raises to your neck. You absentmindedly drag your knuckles over your throat—a nervous habit. "I hope I didn't make things worse. If I'd known that maybe that was the reason he was pissed off today I wouldn't have done anything."

Sal hadn't looked away from you the entire time you'd been speaking. Carefully, he shifts in his seat to face you and starts: "No," he shakes his head. "He would have hit me anyway. What you said didn't make him do that. It's about what happened in class."

He glanced over the table before meeting your eyes again. "He's jealous. I think he wishes he had something like we- he wishes he had a friend. That's all. So don't blame yourself for Travis' actions like you caused them when all you were trying to do was defend me."

Tears form but you blink them away quickly. Something flashes behind Sal's eyes and he looks as if he's going to say something to console you but someone's speaking before he can. You look away first, settling your eyes on the table.

"What happened in class?" Ashley asks, slowly reaching for her bag of chips.

Sal's eyebrows twitch downward. "Nothing. I tried giving Y/N another answer and Mrs. Packerton gave us detention. That made Travis mad, for some reason."

Larry lets out a bittersweet laugh. "As funny as Mrs. Packerton giving you detention is-"

Sal rolls his eyes in your peripheral vision.

"-why would that make Travis mad? It's not like he's a goody-two-shoes. He barely gets by in school."

Sal shrugs. "Who knows. I really don't care what he thinks, anyway."

Larry is beside himself with frustration. You can tell it. He's tense and his jaw is hard. You know he's ready to get up and talk to the other side of the cafeteria and beat the fuck out of Travis but he knows he can't—because Sal doesn't want that.

"If I were you, I would have killed him already," Larry mutters. "Don't know how you do it, dude. I don't think you aren't capable of it."

The boy beside you falters. "I don't care about what he says to me. It's really about what he says to other people. When he started saying shit to Y/N—I, uh- I'll admit, I did sort of feel like hurting him."

Your heart skips a beat. Immediately after this happens, you feel like slapping yourself in the face for letting your hormones get the better of you.

You watch the rest of the table exchange glances you would've missed—had you blinked—before Ashley speaks. "Whatever. I just don't get why he lets his anger out on somebody who's done nothing to him."

After that, the conversation steadily drifts into something more lighthearted. Larry makes fun of you and Sal for getting detention for something you nearly got caught for the previous day. Todd recites facts about medieval times and Ashley for some reason thinks that it's hilarious and laughs.

You enjoy the rest of lunch, despite the earlier topic.

You've come to realize this school absolutely does not give a shit. You and Sal are accepted into detention without any further notice for your parents. As far as you know, the faculty hadn't contacted nor your mother or Sal's parents.

"Let me call my dad," Sal mumbles, as you both approach the door to detention. "When I'm not home in time he always thinks something bad's happened to me, haha."

He pulls his phone out of his back pocket and flips it open.

"I'd call my mom, but I don't think she'd care," you laugh. It isn't bitter, really—you just couldn't care less. "From how you turned out, I bet your mom is really cool."

Sal looks up from his phone. "Thank you. Uh, yeah. She was good to me."

You falter at the 'was' and ask a question even though you shouldn't have. "Are your parents separated, Sal?"

He falters, waves the phone in his hand a little. "My mother, ah- is dead, Y/N."

Dread plunges to the bottom of your gut like a heavy rock and weighs your insides down. You feel like the biggest idiot known to the world—and you feel even stupider now that you can't muster the words up to apologize to him.

Eventually, you collect yourself—only to spiral yourself downward into further shame.

"Sal, I am so sorry," you breathe. "I should have caught on sooner."

He seems almost surprised concerning your sincerity, eyebrows raising and his eyes widening. Sal quickly raises his hands and waves them, his demeanor appearing distraught. "No! No, don't feel bad. There's no way you could've known. I don't talk about family much."

You breathe in slowly. "I'm such a horrible person. Here I am, complaining about calling my mother, and.."

He blinks down at you sincerely, glances both ways down the hall, and returns his gaze to you, and speaks: "Do you want to just get out of here?"

Your head jerks upward. You swallow the saliva that had pooled in your mouth and fumble for a response. "What do you mean?"

Sal breathily laughs. "We'll get in a lot of trouble for this—but you only live once, right?" He shifts his weight and takes a step closer to you. "Let's just ditch the detention. Me and you."

Your heart jumps. "Don't you have really good grades? Sal, what if-"

"That doesn't matter," he blurts. You meet his eyes. The blue in them cast something familiar onto you—exhaustion. Numbness. The want to feel, the want to be exhilarated.

You don't know this boy very well—but you see something of yourself in him. A person who's kept between the lives most of their life, but they're just itching to break through that wall.

Sal is bored. He's sad. And he wants the thrill.

"Let's do it."

You and Sal both escape the school in a matter of a few minutes. Leaving involved a lot of unnecessary running and giggling and navigating through halls—but you make it out and breathe in the crisp, autumn air. It further dries your parched throat and rustles your hair.

"Wow," Sal breathes, beside you, as you both stand with feet firmly planted on the concrete. You're a few yards away from the school, enough distance between you and the building to where you can feel comfortable. "Never done anything like that before."

You laugh. "We ditched detention, Sal. We didn't run from the law."

"To my standards, we may as well have." He meets your eyes, the breeze blowing past his blue hair. "What do you want to do next?"

You take Sal to a playground. It takes a little while of absentminded walking and searching for something to appear, but eventually your eyes catch on that swing set and you can't resist.

"Come on!" You grin and run towards it.

He laughs behind you, and follows you a little less excitedly, taking his time with walking.

You sit side by side. You dig the toe of your shoe into the ground and push yourself into a steady rock, back and forth. The chains squeak which each movement of the swing.

"Hey, Sal?"

He looks over at you, his hair rustling with the autumn breeze. The more you look at it, the more jarring the contrast becomes—the blue against the backdrop of orange and red trees and the dull sky. "Yeah?"

"Wanna play 20 questions?"

Sal blinks toward you. He brings his hands up to grip the chains attached to his swing. "Sure."

"Okay. Just one rule-"

"Don't ask for your bra size?"

You laugh. "No. If you really want to know, it's-"

He waves a hand hurriedly. You notice the strain in his voice when he replies. "I was just kidding. What's the rule?"

"No boring questions. That's it."

Sal chuckles. "I'm a boring person, so I can't really promise that."

No, you're not, you thought.

"Prove me wrong. You go first."

"Favorite color?"

You chuckle, kicking dirt up from the ground as you push yourself into a steady rock, back and forth. "Wow. What a question. Uh... I don't know. There's a lot of great colors." You glance toward him, shivering as a gust of wind brushes your clothed shoulders. "Blue."

He inclines his head toward you. "It's your turn, now."

You pause. "I'll ask you the same thing. What's your favorite color?"

"Yellow. If you could choose a way to die, how would you? Old age or something peaceful doesn't count."

The abruptness of the shift in topic makes you laugh. "I'd like to be struck by lightning."

He peers at you curiously. "Why?"

"Does that count as one of your questions?"

Sal fingers at the chains of his swing. "Yeah, sure."

You shrug your shoulders, sucking your front teeth behind your lips. "I don't know, honestly. I'd like to know how it feels. It would probably just feel like fire, and it would fucking hurt—but wouldn't it be kind of cool? Have you seen a photo of someone after being struck by lightning?"

He giggles, lifts a foot and presses the bottom of his shoe against the other one. "Does that count as one of your questions?"

"Shut up. Have you?"

"No. What's it look like?"

You grin. "It's like.. tree roots. Or a branch with leaves on it—but it's a scar. You'd have to see it to understand."

Sal looks as though he's about to say something else—probably tease you for your strange fixation on lightning strike victims—but you beat him to the punch. "My turn. What's your favorite song?"

"Memories and Dreams, Sanity's Fall."

You raise your eyebrows. "Metal? Well, now that I think about it, you seem the type."

"Larry actually introduced me to it. I didn't really listen to anything before I met him. Alright, I'll ask you the same question. Favorite song?"

"Wonderwall, Oasis."

"That one's pretty recent," he hums, pauses, and thinks about it. "Yeah. That sounds like you. I like it."

You smile shyly. "It's not metal, sorry. Can we still be friends?"

Sal exhales through his nose amusedly. "No. You don't like the same music genre as me. Friendship over."

You laugh. "Well, I never said I didn't like metal. Anyway, my question is.. when's your birthday?"

"December 20th."

Your eyebrows raise. "Holy shit. You're nearly a Jesus baby."

Sal chuckles. "I'm far from being the second coming. It's 5 days off, anyway."

That makes him a Sagittarius. You're pretty familiar with the general traits of the zodiac signs—personality traits, physical traits, sexual tendencies—like a lot of teenagers nowadays.

Well, if he's true to the zodiac, he has a high sex drive.

Your face feels hot. You're a creep, your brain says.

A few questions pass by. He asks about your birthday, you ask him his favorite movie, etc. You're nearing the end of the game, and it's been a decent amount of time. It feels almost too soon when the sun begins to drift down in the sky.

"Alright, my turn," you say after you've answered the question Sal had just asked you.

"Shoot."

"Are you a virgin?"

A tense moment passes, and you seriously regret asking. All you can hear is your heart thrumming in your ears and your blood rushing towards it and through all of you.

He meets your eyes evenly. "Yeah. Obviously."

"I don't believe you," you reply, immediately.

His eyebrows raise. "Why not?"

You hope he can't hear your pulse. "Because. You answered that way too smoothly."

"That makes no sense. If I were lying, I wouldn't have been as cool about it."

You narrow your eyes. "That's not just it, though. Why hasn't someone fucked you?"

If the abruptness of your question shocked you, it certainly shocked him. Sal laughed loudly like he was in disbelief—swaying his head away from you. His knuckles grow white around the swing chains.

His head turns back and his eyes meet yours straight on. "What are you trying to say?"

"Oh my god," you slapped a hand over your mouth. "I sounded so ignorant just now. Sorry. I'm not shaming you—that would make me a hypocrite. I'm a virgin too."

Sal huffs out another laugh, breathily this time. "No, I didn't think you were being ignorant. That's not what I was asking you."

You pause. "Then.." You plant your feet on the ground and stop the sway the swing is in. The sun continues to drop further down in the sky, and it's golden light warms your face.

You look away from him, your heart beating against your ribs. "Hey, I have an idea."

When you turned your head Sal's way, his attention was already on you. "Yeah?"

"You said that you drive, right?"

"Yeah. Not legally. But I can drive. Why do you ask?"

You grin.

By the time you've arrived at the apartments, the sun has fully dropped out of the sky and the heavens were completely black—save for the full moon and the speckles of bright stars. This is one of the things you love about Nockfell—it's so far out. The lack of air pollution and chemicals below the clouds made the celestial bodies out there so much clearer.

"My dad's going to kill me," Sal muttered, as he forced his personal key into the door to his apartment.

"Hey, Sal, you know we don't have to-"

His head turns to you. "I never said that. I want to."

Sal pulls the key out and slowly turns the knob beneath his long fingers. Instead of easing the door at a steady pace, he holds on tighter to the knob and pushes it open quickly. For a moment, you almost scolded him for his recklessness—until you realized he'd done this so the door wouldn't whine on its hinges.

"Have you snuck in or out before?" You ask him, voice low as you watch him lean down to take his shoes off before he enters the apartment. "Why are you doing that?"

"These floorboards are shit. They creak under the carpet. Wait here."

He leaves his cornflower blue sneakers at the foot of the door and walks inside. You watch the back of his head as his figure disappears into the darkness of the room. Sure enough, he was right. His feet only emanate soft pats against the carpet and don't disturb the wood beneath—because he's only wearing socks. You hear the sound of keys before he returns to you.

"You didn't answer my question," you murmur with a teasing lilt, as he slides the door back into its place in the frame. He locks it back and turns to you.

"Not like this. I especially haven't stolen his car."

You laugh. "I hope I'm not becoming a bad influence on you. We've already ditched detention today.."

"Yeah, but that was my idea," he reminds you.

"I guess you're right. Do you think your dad will be mad at you?"

You loom over him as he forces his feet back into his sneakers. "Honestly? Probably. I've never done anything like that before. Getting detention is one thing, but leaving the school before actually attending it is something else entirely."

The both of you enter the elevator instead of going down the stairs. It's late, this complex is shit, and the stairwell wouldn't be lit.

Somehow, it hadn't crossed either of your minds that taking this elevator so late wouldn't be exactly wise either, but you'd stepped inside of the compartment anyways.

You stepped to Sal's left and watched him press the button for the first floor with his knuckle. As soon as he'd done that, and the elevator doors had slid closed, the singular light that illuminated the compartment flicked off and the both of you stood in abrupt darkness.

"Holy shit!" You exclaimed, jutting yourself into Sal's side and grasping the material of your sweater that he wore. "I'm sorry, but what the fuck? Did it just break?"

"No," he laughed, shifting his weight towards you. "It always does that in the night. I think it's to conserve power so the elevator doesn't break altogether."

You let go of him, embarrassment fluttering in your gut. You weren't sure whether to feel relief as you felt the elevator make it's descent downward. "I mean.. shouldn't there be a sign? I don't know.. that says something like.."

"'You aren't about to plummet to your death, the building's just really old?'" Sal finished your sentence for you and chuckled. "Yeah. If someone had a heart attack, they could sue. But the guy that runs this place is really old and doesn't really have family—so that would just be sad."

You're close enough to him to where you can feel him shrug. "There's an awful lot about this place that's rundown and weird and honestly sketchy, but Addison doesn't care. For instance, the college kids that live in 301? They spend all of their free time doing coke and heroin."

Your eyebrows raise into your hairline as you listen along.

"They're super nice people, and I don't mean to be rude at all, but god, you can smell the body rot inside of that apartment. It's really sad."

You look to him. "You've.. been inside of there," It wasn't a question—more of a statement.

"Yeah. I did coke with them once or twice."

You get whiplash, that's how fast your head whips toward him. "Sal," you breathe. "I don't mean to sound overbearing, but please don't do that. Ever again."

He huffs, but not of frustration. It's of resignation and understanding and shame. "I.. I'll admit it to you, Y/N, that shit is a lot more addictive than it's made out to be. I'm not going to tell you how I felt because I don't want to make it out to be enticing—but I can understand why they're addicts. I'd only done it a few times and it felt like any time I wasn't doing it I itched for it. Eventually, I got busier with school and other things—so after a while, I.. guess I sort of forgot."

You hear him turn his head to look at you. You barely make out his prosthetic face in the black. "I'll smoke cigarettes with you, Y/N, but I'll never introduce you to something like cocaine. By the way you reacted when I told you I'd done it, I hope you won't do it yourself."

You meet his eyes amidst the darkness. "You know, Sal," your gaze wanders to the elevator doors. The compartment shutters as it reaches its destination on the ground floor. Your fingers brush his with purpose. "I know of a lot better feelings that don't come from drugs."

Your heartbeat sounds like gushing blood in your ears. You feel his burning blue eyes on the back of your head.

At the same time as you're stepping out of the elevator, you've stepped into something else.

[yukheistics]

liar, mark lee.

pairing mark lee x reader

word count 2.5k

genre angst, slight fluff

warning(s) implication of cheating

note i’m experimenting with writing styles, so bear with me on this one hehe! this concept is inspired by the ways we lie by stephanie ericsson. i finished this at 2am so idek (⊙‿⊙✿)

summary he knows how to lie. he knows how it works. he knows you.

There are many things Mark Lee is good at. 

He knows how to rap, sing, and dance until his lungs are on fire. He knows how to plaster a smile on his face when his company offers another tiring position for him to be in. He knows how to pretend that everything is alright for him to handle. He knows how to lie.

He has a thing or two for semantics and can construct a deception for one to believe in. He maintains his composure, sticks to his story, and walks around the truth more often than he can think. He claims to dislike lying, but the person he often does it to is you. He likes to think of it as a way of protecting you as unpleasant as it really sounds. 

“Have you told her yet?” Donghyuck asks him after dance practice when it was just the two of them alone. He looks concerned for him. “The sooner you tell her, the better. You know that.”

Mark simply shrugs his shoulders and leans his back on the mirror. “’Hyuck, just—I’ll handle it, okay? I just don’t know how to tell her.”

“Simple,” the younger male starts to wipe his sweat off with his shirt and sits next to him. “Tell her about the contract. It’ll ease her mind knowing that her boyfriend isn’t actually cheating on her.”

“Right.”

“She already put a lot on the line for you. The least you can do is tell her the truth.”

He recalls an essay he has read in his junior year of high school: The Ways We Lie by Stephanie Ericsson. It made him aware of the underlying cancer that grows within our mind that society accepts the fact that everyone lies. It’s a trait that has been embedded in the human mind for so long that it is almost impossible to get rid of.

There are ten ways listed, but all he remembers are four prominent ones: white lies, facades, omissions, and delusions. (He utilizes it all.)

“Baby, I’m fine.”

Mark reassures you. He never lies to you—not even a white lie, but he doesn’t want to worry you with his issues. It is his problem, anyways. He couldn’t find the right flow to the rap verse they assigned him to, no matter how many times he does it. Something is missing. He’s way off, he thinks. 

“Okay, fine,” you pout through the video call and cross your arms. “But if there is something wrong, you have to tell me. Even if you know I am sleeping because of our shitty time zones, you still have to call me just to tell me. I don’t care!”

He laughs wholeheartedly and grins at you. “Of course.”

“You better, Mark Lee,” you shake your head in a taunting manner. “Or else, I will go to South Korea myself and force the answer out of you. Wait, that’s too aggressive, but you get what I’m saying, right?”

“I’m still surprised I understand you in general,” he jokes and stands up to get a glass of water. “But baby, I’m fine. You know how comeback season works, it’s like, a routine at this point.”

“I know,” you address. “Just make sure to get lots of rest and know your limits. I don’t want my baby boy getting sick while I’m in another country studying law.”

He blushes at the nickname and rubs the back of his neck. “Of course. I always know my limits.”

“Take a break.”

Mark looks up from the lyric sheet and sees Taeyong staring right at him. He clenches his jaw and pushes the headset down to his shoulders before opening the door of the recording studio. “I’m fine. I just need more time. I keep messing up a verse.”

“The producer said your voice was already good during your eighth recording. You are at your twelfth right now,” the leader pauses and pats his shoulder. “I understand where this is coming from, but you never acted this way over a recording. Is everything okay?”

He looks down at his shoes. “Yeah, you know me. I have a tendency to try and perfect it the least. It’s the least I can do to our fans.”

“Just don’t push yourself. It’s already midnight. Make sure to get some rest,” Taeyong purses his lips and playfully hits his shoulder. “Plus, what would ____ think if she knows you’re not taking care of yourself, huh?”

Mark almost crumples the contract in his hands. “She’d be pretty concerned—and mad.” He pushes the chair back and runs his fingers through his hair. “Fuck, why did I agree to this?”

At this point, he wears a facade for you. He keeps saying things again and again and hopes to God that you haven’t caught on to his act. It’s a one man play. And you’re the only one watching. He looks at his best friend, who pushes a mug of green tea towards him—as if it will solve all of his problems. It won’t. 

“Why did you?” Donghyuck repeats and looks at him with concern. He has known Mark for the past ten years, but he can never understand the impulsive decisions he makes. It’s one to be dedicated to a job, but it’s another to be impulsive. “Mark, you’re gonna break her if you don’t tell her.”

Mark laughs. He glances down at the hot steam coming from the mug before looking at his best friend. “You think I don’t know that, ‘Hyuck?”

“Tell her,” the other boy urges on. “Tell her how you signed a contract that states you agreed to be in a relationship for the time being for the new group’s sake. Technically, it is the truth.”

“It’ll make her more stressed. She’s already stressed with law. I don’t need this to be a part of her concern.”

“Then, tell me,” Donghyuck finally sighs. “Tell me what you’re gonna tell her when you’re on the headlines for being in a secret relationship with a trainee?”

Mark clearly knows his faults and weaknesses. He is partaking in another version of lies: omissions. He tells you the truth by excluding one or more key components of it. You don’t need to know everything, is what his mind says when he sees you through the camera exhausted, but still excited to see him. You ask questions and he answers with the important parts being left out. He asks questions and you answer with utter honesty because he knows you too well. 

(You don’t need to know.)

“Yujin,” Mark enunciates and looks at her with a tilt of his head. “Do you think this is right by any means?”

She hums. “Well,” she takes a sip from her drink. “It’s what the company wants right? It’s their word against ours—and you should know how this industry functions at this point. It’s a bunch of manipulation and shit that is geared towards perfection, which is only utilized to please the public eye.”

“Well, I know that,” he scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. “I mean about this—our relationship.”

She giggles. “We’re getting paid anyways. What’s so bad about kissing in front of the camera at events to please fans?”

“Right,” he replies with a strained laugh. “I just find the idea nerve-wracking.”

She frowns at him. “Mark, are you okay?”

Here is what he learned from the entertainment industry: people don’t really want to know how you feel. The truth, they never want that. When they ask how are you, they don’t wanna know. They just ask because they feel like they have to. They don’t want you to elaborate on how you really are. It’s something that they do to make them seem like a good person. They do it for their part and not his. 

No. The two letter word burns on his tongue, but just like a mechanized script, the words that leave his mouth is a lie that he has told multiple times that leave people with a nonchalant smile on their lips: “Yeah, I’m fine. Why wouldn’t I be?”

He sees you for the fifth time this week, dressed in sweats as you cradle a bowl of cereal in your hands with a goofy smile on your face. “What?” you curiously ask with the spoon in your mouth. “Am I that pretty, Mark?”

“You’re always pretty,” he responds immediately with a slight smirk on his lips, which in turn causes you to blush. “I miss you.”

You smile. “I miss you more.”

He sees your tired smile once more and sighs. He wants to tell you, really, but he doesn’t want to see that smile slip from your features knowing that it is his fault. But he knows that he will be the reason you will be crying in the following week. It’s for you, he repeats in his head, it’s for you. 

I need to let you go.

“Imagine if I just became an idol, hm?” you suddenly say. “I’d probably see you more and not stress about stupid bar exams for the time being.”

Don’t. Please don’t. He urges to say, but he just shakes his head and sheepishly grins at you. “Well, if you did become one, you’d probably be a singer. I still remember when you were drunk and sang to me—”

“You said you wouldn’t bring that up!” Despite the virtual connection, he can still clearly see your flushed cheeks. Again. (He really loves you.) “That was so fucking embarrassing.”

“It was adorable.”

“Right,” you close your eyes and lean your face closer to the camera. “I love you, Mark Lee.”

“I love you too,” he responds immediately. “One day,” he rubs his eyes. “One day, I’ll finish my contract and I can be with you. We can be together. That sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

To think, he has already planned out his life with you in his mind, but he knows it’s impossible. But not only does he aim to deceive you, but to deceive himself too. It’s a delusion as Ericsson would describe it to be. It’s funny how he cannot remember a preponderance of things, yet he always remembers how delusion was described: filters out information that contradicts what we want to believe. He is building a perception of a perfect world with you, where he wouldn’t have to think about his image for a second. It’s too good to be true. It’s not real.

“It does. It really does,” you say, but the tone of your voice says otherwise. “Just promise me one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Mark Lee.”

The blinding lights of the studio almost make him want to throw up. Mark watches how the staff are preparing the set and how his management are talking over the script with the interviewer. He looks at himself through the mirror one more time before facing Yujin, who is busy fixing her eyelash extensions. 

“So, the interview is gonna be live,” Yujin drawls out, puckering her lips and tilting her head at him. “Mark, be honest with me,” she taps his shoulder. “Do you hate me?”

He widens his eyes and shakes his head. “No, I don’t. I swear!”

“You sure? Because every time we talk, you look glum. You tend to zone out.”

“It’s really not because of you,” he utters. “Let’s just say, I didn’t expect the company to agree to this for publicity.”

She nods in acknowledgement. “Is that all?”

Mark thinks of Yujin as a catalyst. She’ll be the one to speed up the duration of his relationship with you and destroy whatever he has built for you. Not that any of this was hers to control. He wishes he can hate her, but all she has ever done was sign her name on a contract the same as he did. If anything, Yujin is a spawn in a much bigger scheme that acts as the catalyst. 

“Yeah, that’s all.”

Mark feels dizzy. His eyes are overwhelmed by the numerous flashes from cameras and the questioning voices of reporters. He pulls down his cap as if it’ll do him any justice and wraps his arm around Yujin—as told by the company. “I didn’t know the reporters were gonna be this much.”

“Well, since our management wants our relationship to blow up, it’d make sense in a way,” she exhaustedly replies when he opens the car door for her. “Just smile and pose, Markie,” she says and leans in for a kiss on his cheek when she catches a camera aimed their way.

He freezes. 

“Show business is show business,” she whispers in his ear and gets in the car. “It’s a cruel world we live in, isn’t it?”

Mark calls you, but he understands why you haven’t picked up in the past week. He already can see your tear-stained cheeks and hear your stifled sobs. He wishes he can tell you the truth, but he’d rather let you go with a lie. He’s good at that. He’s good at lying. He’s lied before to you. It should be easy.

“It’s been going on for the past months,” he tells you. “I-I didn’t know how to bring it up, so I just—”

“Decided to let me see it for myself?” you cut him off, chuckling nervously. “God, Mark, this whole damn time I have thought to be with you, you’ve been off fucking a trainee?”

Mark almost grimaces. But he maintains the composure he has left for himself and nods slowly. Lie. Lie. Lie. Lie until it feels right. “It just happened. One day, we were practicing and we clicked. At first, I thought it was a one-time thing to distract myself. I just needed a friend at the time,” he pauses. “One thing led to another and we slept with each other, okay? And I just lost feelings for you. I only continued our relationship because I felt obligated to.”

It’s a lie. It’s a lie. It’s a lie.

He loves you. He has always loved you, regardless of the distance between you. The only reason you had to move was because of his debut; the company did not want any news spreading about him being in a relationship, yet they were the ones pulling the strings as of right now. They explained how their new girl group was not selling well, and the infamous Mark Lee was a way to solve the problem. Mark, do this, Mark, do that. Mark, pretend. Just smile and pose. Smile. Smile beneath the lie. 

He can’t keep doing this to you.

“You did so much for me, so I kept calling you as a means to return the favor.”

He sees it. He sees the tears building up in your eyes as you force on a smile and laugh again. “What am I? A charity case?”

“I’m sorry.”

“I hate you.” 

He knows you too well. He knows that you’re putting a front—don’t we all? He thinks of the white lie you’re uttering, the facade you’re wearing, the omission you’re doing, and the delusion you’re forcing yourself into. He knows how to lie. He knows how it works. He knows you. 

“I know.” I know that’s a lie.

[onlyfreds]

Chapter 2 - Hard to Hide | TRP

Summary: As the stress of the coronation increases with every passing day, the secret itself becomes hard to hide.

Warning/s: Mentions of food, mentions of eloping

Series Masterlist

I sighed, leaning by the porch of the Burrow, reading the paper my sister sent me under the rising sun.

The press never seem to miss anything, the headlines read: Coronation of First-Born Princess to be Held Soon.

And that was the last thing I needed.

To add to my annoyance, the article kept on stating how excited and happy I am to be crowned when they didn’t even interview me and got my thoughts about the matter.

As if mum and dad would let them interview me anyway.

I threw the paper to the side in disgust, but as I heard footsteps approaching the spot where I sat, I hid it away from view as best as I can.

“What’cha doing here darling?” Fred asked, pressing a kiss to my temple as he sat down beside me.

I gave him a small smile, “Just watching the sunrise.”

He dramatically gasped, feigning offense as he said, “You’re watching the sunrise without me? How could you do such a thing Y/N?”

I laughed at his theatrics, “You’re always so overdramatic, aren’t you?”

He smiled, putting an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to him, “But, honestly sweetheart, you seem stressed about something for the past few days. Is there something wrong?  Is there anything I could do to help?”

I chuckled, “Don’t need to worry Freddie. Everything’s absolutely fine, like I said, nothing to worry about.”

He raised a brow, “Are you sure sweetheart? You know you can tell me anything.”

I nodded, resting a hand on his chest, “Don’t worry, you’ll be the first to know when I have a problem.”

“Oi Lovebirds!” George’s head poked out from the window, “It’s time for breakfast! The cuddling can wait later!”

Fred groaned, muttering something about wrong timing as we headed back into the Burrow hand in hand.

--

Snapping my book closed in frustration, not being able to keep the article from occupying my thoughts.

I stood up, walking over to the desk in Ginny’s room and writing a letter in response to my sister’s.

Someone knocked tentatively on the door. “Come in!” I said, sealing up the letter and tying it to Hedwig’s leg as he flew off to the palace.

“Hey Y/N!” Hermione greeted as she entered the room, “Ginny and I were going out for some ice cream, do you wanna come?”

I smiled, “I thought you’d never ask.”

We walked through the alleys of the muggle town near the Burrow, chatting happily with our ice cream in hand, looking around a bit at the stores.

That was until, Hermione and I dragged Ginny to the bookstore.

“Why do I need to supervise the two of you?” She asked, “Y/N is practically of age and Hermione, you’re the most mature and most level-headed person in your year.”

Hermione and I exchanged a look, “Well Ginny,” I started to explain, “we’re in a bookstore.”

“And if you leave us unsupervised in a bookstore, chances are, Y/N and I would be going back carrying stacks upon stacks of books. So, unless you want that to happen, you have to supervise us.” Hermione finished.

Ginny playfully rolled her eyes at us, sporting a small grin, “Fine. Fine. Now, run along before I regret my decision.”

So, thanks to the redhead supervising us, we only came home with four books each.

--

Dinner had just finished, most of us were gathered around in the living room while Molly had started knitting and Arthur was tinkering with a muggle radio in their shed.

I leaned against my boyfriend’s chest as he threaded his fingers through my hair. George was busy writing a letter to Angelina, the trio and Ginny were settled near the fireplace, talking about Merlin knows what.

I inhaled the familiar firework powder and cinnamon scent of my boyfriend as he had me wrapped in the warmth of his embrace.

I felt like I was being lulled into a state of comfort and peace as I traced random patterns along his arm.

“Freddie?” I asked quietly, looking up at him.

His eyes softened by the light of the fireplace, even though he was looking down at me with worry and concern, I couldn’t help but adore the man looking down at me as the soft glow of the fire seemed to compliment his features.

“Darling?” Fred’s voice quietly rang through the air, snapping me out of my daze, “Are you alright?”

I licked my lips, “I can tell you anything, right?”

He nodded, furrowing his brows a bit, “Of course, and if it’s something that’s bothering you, then I’ll do what I can to help.”

I gave him a grateful smile, “Can we talk somewhere private? I don’t want anyone else to hear about it.”

He nodded before standing up, pulling me up with him as he wrapped an arm around my waist.

“The missus and I will be retreating upstairs.” He said with a cheeky smile, ducking when Molly threw the dish towel at him when he said the name missus. “So, do not disturb and good night everyone!” He added as we retreated upstairs.

“Use protection!” George called after having Molly smack him at the back of the head.

As soon as we entered his room, Fred shut the door behind him and sat down on the edge of the bed, patting his lap.

I sat down in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck as I was engulfed back into the warmth of his embrace.

“What did you want to tell me?” He asked.

“Well, remember me being the first-born princess and someday I have to be crowned as Queen?” I said.

He nodded, staying silent.

“That day, might be coming sooner than I thought.” I said.

He gave me a confused look, “What do you mean?”

I got off his lap, walking over to my trunk as I took out the paper my sister had sent to me earlier and handed it to Fred.

His eyes scanned over the headlines, then to the article underneath it. Even if he stayed silent, by the way his jaw clenched, I knew he was furious.

“How could they say this rubbish about you?” He said in frustration, throwing the paper behind him, “They talk about your happiness as if they know you. Then they say about whether or not you’re fit to be Queen.”

He then harshly grabbed the paper, “And get a load of this, ‘in an interview with the chief of staff of the palace, he states that, “The Princess has been trained to manage Montenaro ever since she was five. She may not be present at the moment, but we assure you that she will not turn her back on her responsibilities to the kingdom. Though she may have made some friends at the boarding school she attends, she will not let their influences get in the way of what she’s truly destined for.’”

He stood up, running his hand through his hair in frustration, “How could he speak like that about you? Like he knows what you want?”

I stepped forward wrapping my arms around his torso as he held onto me tightly, “And your coronation is happening in three weeks?! You just turned seventeen and they’re already expecting you to rule over a kingdom!”

I bit my lip, “According to the law of Montenaro, seventeen is legally an adult. I don’t know why my parents want to get crowned this early, but I’m actually having some doubts about it.”

“What do you mean by doubts?” Fred asked, resting his chin on the top of my head.

I hummed, breathing in his scent to calm myself down, “My parents have drilled into my head that being Queen is always what I was meant to be. But, deep down in my heart, I know that, it’s not what I want.”

“Then why don’t you tell them?”

I sighed, “If only it was that easy Freddie. Unlike your parents, mine never listen to me or what I have to say.”

“And if I, by any chance, I go against their wishes, the worst-case scenario is I would be disowned. I’m already a disappointment to them, so, why make it worse.”

“Hey.” Fred said gently, placing a finger under my chin and lifting my head up, “You’re not a disappointment, any parent would be lucky to have you as their daughter. If your family is too daft to realize that, then it’s their loss.”

He pressed a brief kiss on my lips, “I’ll support you in whatever path you choose. And if your parents don’t approve of our relationship, then, we’ll run off, elope and then shove our marriage certificate in front of their faces if they even try to put you in an arranged marriage. Nothing’s stopping us.”

I laughed, “You always know what to say to make me feel better.”

He smiled, “No matter what you choose, I’ll always be here for you.”

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝚃𝚊𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝:

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[slowly-writing]

Hometown

Jennifer Jareau x Reader

Word count: 2.1K

Requested by anon: hey! Can you do a JJ x reader where the BAU works a case where the reader has to go to her hometown and it brings up some difficult things for her but JJ helps her through it?

Warnings: mentions of canon typical violence and a crappy family

“Three women have been found dead in their homes in the last week. Each time the unsub has left an elaborate harddrive at the scene. The locals have been unable to get into them and have requested our help,” Hotch starts the briefing. Everyone looks down at the case files in front of them. You’re all saddened at the brutality of the crimes, but your sharp intake of breath draws all eyes to you.

“You good, y/l/n? It’s bad, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” Morgan says and you shake your head.

“I’m fine,” you snap, and that only confuses them further.

“Obviously you’re not. What’s going on?” Penelope asks and you grit your teeth.

“I said I’m fine Garcia. Just drop it!” There’s a moment of tense silence as everyone tries to process the situation before Hotch continues the briefing. As everyone looks back to the screen JJ grabs your hand under the table. She knows what’s going on, she saw it in the file too. You’re going back to your hometown, and it’s not going to be a nice reunion.

Hotch dismisses the briefing not long after and you dash from the room. Everyone looks to JJ, waiting for her to explain your behavior.

“Spill,” Morgan says and her jaw drops.

“Spill what? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she tries to blow it off and is met with several simultaneous eye rolls.

“Spill what’s got your girl all riled up. She’s never snapped like that before. Especially not at me,” Garcia states, crossing her arms and pouting slightly and JJ sighs.

“I know, and I know she’s gonna be beating herself up for it. Just, please be gentle,” she knows how upset you’re gonna be with yourself for taking your frustrations out on your team, and she hopes they won’t hold it against you.

“We’re gonna forgive her. We just wanna know what’s going on,” Rossi tells her.

“The case is in her hometown. She’s got some…not so great memories there. I don’t think she’s quite ready to relive them just yet,” the team all nods in understanding. “But it’s coming one way or the other. Come on, I’m sure she’s halfway to the tarmac by now.”

xxxxx

You had your hands shoved in your pockets as you walked into the precinct. You didn’t want anyone to see how tightly your fists were clenched. You shuffled in behind the rest of the BAU. You hadn’t talked to them yet, but they seemed to have an unspoken agreement to form a barrier between you and the locals, but there was only so much they could do.

“Well if it isn’t little Y/n Gardner, what brings you back to our humble town?” You flinch as the cop throws an arm around your shoulder and ruffles your hair. The rest of the team sends you confused looks for the second, and probably not the last, time of the day.

“I’m here for work, Charlie,” you shrug the man off and straighten your hair.

“Always working, aren’t you? Curious, wanting to solve all the mysteries. That curiosity of yours has caused you some problems in the past. Don’t you think it’s time you let up?” The rest of the team senses the anger in his voice and Hotch steps in.

“Regardless of the past, we have a job to do. Could you lead us to where we can set up?” He asks firmly and Charlie smirks.

“Chief Gardener is probably around here somewhere. He could show you,” he’s looking around and you cut him off.

“I know where the conference room is. We’ll get there on our own,” you say, walking toward the room on the other side of the precinct. You open the door, ushering the team inside with a grimace, “we can set up in here.”

The team is full of questions, but they’re also profilers. They know you’re in no mood to open up to them right now, so they shove the curiosity to the back of their minds and focus on the case.

xxxxx

“Alright, let’s deliver the profile,” Hotch announced to the team. It took everything in you to hold back your groan. Over the last few days you’ve been able to avoid direct contact with local law enforcement. They all had their eyes on you constantly, either sending looks of pity or hate to the girl who divided the town. Mainly you stayed in the conference room. Reid taught you how to build a geographical profile, and you helped Penelope with the computer where you could. You even managed to not be seen by the chief yet, but this briefing would put you right in his line of sight.

You stood up silently and went into the bullpen as Hotch asked the nearest officer to gather everyone. Your plan was to stand in the back and be quiet, but as you saw the man across the room look at you, you realized that wouldn’t be happening.

“The man we’re looking for is-“ Hotch is cut off.

“I wanna hear it from y/n,” the chief says and you clench your jaw.

“Now isn’t the time Jacob. Just shut up and let Agent Hotchner tell you who we’re looking for. The sooner we catch him the sooner I’ll be out of here and you won’t have to worry about me,” you say as calmly as you can.

“And let you ruin another innocent man’s life? I’m not gonna sit by and watch you do to somebody else what you did to dad,” he says, pushing himself off the wall he’s been leaning on and taking a few steps towards you and you snap.

“Dad was a lot of things, but innocent wasn’t one of them,” you can feel yourself losing your cool as you close the gap between the two of you. “He hurt a lot of people, Jake.”

“Oh and you’re quite the reliable source. His bastard daughter. What was it? Daddy didn’t give you enough attention? You had to find another way to get all eyes on you, huh?” he spits out. You’re about to throw a punch, but luckily you’re surrounded by a group of profilers who know you better than anyone. As you go to pull your arm back Derek wraps his arms around your waist, lifting you up and quite literally removing you from the situation. When he sets you down a few feet away JJ’s face is in front of yours, her hands on your shoulders.

“Calm down, everything’s alright,” she whispers as you avoid eye contact, brushing her arms off of you.

“I’m fine,” you say for the hundredth time this week and take off, going outside to get some air. You make your way to the back alley, furiously rubbing at your face and trying to stop the tears you can feel building up. JJ is the first one outside and you don’t fight her this time as she pulls you into her arms. You bury your face in her shoulder as the tears start to fall. You’re exhausted from trying to keep it all in, both physically and emotionally, and soon you’re sobbing so hard you’re starting to hyperventilate.

“Hey, look at me, right at me. Just focus on my voice,” JJ says as she pulls away and takes your hand, placing it on her chest. “Just follow my breathing love, you’re okay.”

After a few minutes you’re able to get breathing back in check, and you latch onto JJ again. You hear the door open and your whole body goes rigid, not ready to face Jacob yet.

“Hey, it’s just us. We wanted to check on you,” Spencer’s voice is barely above a whisper, as if talking to a spooked animal.

“I’m okay,” you mumble, pulling away from JJ and wiping the tears away in embarrassment. You still keep a tight grip on her hand, but your gaze is on the floor.

“You don’t have to hide from us. We all get it,” Penelope says and you smile a bit.

“I guess you want an explanation,” you say with a self deprecating laugh, hating that you’ve ended up in this situation.

“Only if you’re ready,” Hotch gives you an out, but you don’t take it.

“No, I want you all to know. It’s just kind of a long story.”

“We’ve got all the time in the world, babygirl.” You roll your eyes at Derek’s nickname before speaking again.

“That was my brother in there. He’s a few years older than me. Our dad cheated on his mom with mine when he was six and they had me. My mom died when I was four and I went to go live with my dad. None of them particularly liked me. Ever since I moved in there had been problems between my dad and Jacob’s mom. She pretended I didn’t exist and my dad…well I wished he did. He beat up on me pretty bad, but he was the chief of police, so everyone turned a blind eye. When I was nine I found out my dad was involved in some pretty shady stuff. Drug dealing, embezzlement, you name it he was probably doing it,” you explain and Penelope speaks up.

“How does a nine year old figure that out?” She asks and you look away again. JJ squeezes your hand drawing your eyes to her as she puts the pieces together. You can see the question in her eyes and you just nod, you can do this.

“I uh…I found his stash. I saw some powder in this little bag in his room and I thought it was candy, like a pixie stick or something. So I hid it in my pocket when he wasn’t looking. I was at the station after school, sitting in the conference room actually, when I went to eat it. I poured some on my tongue, the second I tasted it I spit it out. I came running into the bullpen yelling ‘Dad why does your candy taste funny?’ and waving the bag around. He panicked, started screaming at me, calling me every name in the book right there in front of the whole precinct. Half the guys still work here…I still don’t know if it’s the cocaine that I ingested or the fear of having him lose it, probably a bit of both, but I passed out. They had to rush me to the hospital. The one here doesn’t have a pediatric unit so they had to take me to the county one. When an ambulance came in with a little kid and half a dozen cop cars following it, the doctors had some questions. It launched a whole investigation. There was a whole ring here in town and a lot of people went down. It’s not like I was trying to break it apart, I was nine. I wasn’t investigating it. It was an accident but I sure got blamed. I had to testify at his trial. I knew the way he treated me was’t right, but I didn’t realize I was digging his grave a bit deeper with every word I said until a few years ago. Last I heard he was doing fifteen to twenty years. He should be up for parole soon,” you realize, and you start to spiral, staring off into space and wondering what will happen when he gets out. JJ calling your name pulls you back into reality.

“Huh? Oh yeah, I ended up living with an aunt after all that. I went by my mom’s last name, legally changed it when I turned eighteen. I kept my head down and worked my ass off. I graduated high school at 16 and never looked back. If I had I might know how the hell Jacob was able to get a job in this precinct, let alone run it,” you finish and before anyone can speak Penelope has practically tackled you into a hug.

“Did you know any of this?” Rossi’s question is directed at JJ and she lets out a sigh.

“I knew she had a bad experience with drugs as a kid. She freaks out whenever I leave a bottle of tylenol where Henry can see it, that makes sense now. I knew it was because of her father. And I knew she wasn’t on speaking terms with any of her family,” JJ lists off and you feel your eyes starting to water once again.

“It’s not something I talk about. I’m sorry, I should’ve told you.” JJ shakes her head, cupping your cheek in her hand.

“I’m not mad. It was your story to tell me when you were ready,” she places a kiss on your forehead  and you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

“Alright, let’s go catch this son of a bitch so we can get the hell out of here,” you say and the team agrees, heading back into the building with a renewed desire to close this case. 

tag list: @rvgrsbrns @rororo06 @prizmix-and-friends @worlds-in-words @5aftermidnight @im-salt-but-not-salty @riotmaximoff @xxxtwilightaxelxxx

Criminal minds tag list: @reidingandwriting

[punkscowardschampions]

Jac & Jameson

Jac: [An appropriate amount of time that the conversation could have taken place]

Jac: Tell me when she’s finished

Jameson: I’m done

Jac: I had to give her the chance to tell you herself, I’m sorry

Jameson: I know, it’s okay

Jameson: well, it’s fucking not, but between us anyway

Jac: I hate to say I’m more shocked at him but

Jac: I literally am, I’m not going to pretend otherwise

Jameson: she’s a school kid, he’s not

Jac: Yeah, it’s disgusting but I wasn’t even going to go there with her on that point

Jac: because it’s not the point but also, what the fuck

Jameson: I introduced them, and that’s the tip of the iceberg of what I’ve trusted him with

Jameson: I’m supposed to shoot with him tomorrow, share the same hotel room

Jameson: I just

Jac: I know

Jac: what are you going to do

Jac: about tomorrow, not long term

Jameson: Cancel

Jameson: I’ve never called in sick before, that much’ll be fine

Jac: I wish you could fucking bill her for the cheque you’ll miss out on

Jac: likewise mum and dad for all the free childcare, food, shelter, she is just expecting

Jameson: Maybe he was planning to buy her continued silence once the baby’s born cos he sure as shit wasn’t ever gonna say a thing to me about being the father to my niece or nephew

Jac: I doubt it

Jac: It’s not as if she would think to ask

Jac: I’d somewhat respect her if she did but no

Jameson: yeah, I’m giving them both too much credit, he won’t have said a word to her either

Jac: It’s so fucking

Jac: tragic

Jac: literally, even more so than previously thought

Jameson: and who the hell is the bigger dickhead here? At least he only lied to her face for one night

Jameson: now I’m a joke, along with the entire brand I’ve built around him

Jac: There has to be a way to disentangle your work from his

Jac: without outing this because it wouldn’t just tarnish his name

Jac: I’m going to ask the law students I know, as well as just think on it

Jameson: we’re an us right now, that’s how everyone wants it, there’s no way that won’t make me look unprofessional and if I get a reputation as someone who’s difficult to work with, I might as well forget it

Jac: He was unprofessional first

Jac: You need to talk him into being the one to break the contracts

Jac: he can be the one who thinks up the bloody story, he can at least do that much

Jac: you can threaten to out the truth without actually doing it, or intending to

Jameson: He’s also the one with a famous rock star dad, not me

Jac: I know

Jac: but fucking hell, if he was ever really your friend

Jac: he could make some effort to not ruin your career, Jesus

Jameson: he obviously wasn’t, or he’d have told me after it happened

Jac: Just don’t do anything hasty, okay

Jac: he’ll be more useful if he’s scared of losing something himself

Jameson: I don’t know what to do, hasty or otherwise

Jac: I don’t either

Jac: this is the worst, I can’t believe they’ve done this to you

Jameson: it could’ve been worse if you hadn’t forced Jude to tell me the truth, I know I can’t trust Raff anymore, which is good knowledge to have before we sign some massive new contract

Jac: She was wrong for trying to keep it from you

Jac: even if this is going to be messy, and we can’t work it out fully, you still need to know

Jameson: I get that I work loads, but I still thought I’d been a better sister than this

Jac: I know I weren’t so

Jac: but working under the assumption she’s not completely full of shit, she thought she was doing you a massive favour not telling you sooner

Jac: which proves she’s a total child but still

Jameson: yeah, she said, when I’d gotten her to stop crying and actually talk

Jac: Jesus 🙄

Jameson: it’s like trying to be fuming at one of the pups, meaning I don’t know where to put how I really feel

Jac: She thinks she can cry her way out of everything

Jac: Not how life works

Jameson: won’t get me any more sick days when I still don’t wanna go back to work after tomorrow

Jac: Exactly

Jac: I’m so angry at her

Jameson: He literally hangs around models all day, why my little sister?

Jac: Opportunity

Jac: men don’t think like that

Jameson: stupid of me to reckon I had any idea how his mind works

Jac: I know you trusted him

Jac: he clearly didn’t see it as the betrayal it is

Jac: and you wouldn’t have known if she didn’t get knocked up

Jameson: but she did and it is, so here we are

Jac: Are you going to talk to him?

Jameson: God knows how but I’ll have to

Jac: Do you want me to talk to him first

Jameson: you’ve already had to do more than you should’ve

Jameson: even Savannah and her sister have been involved

Jac: Thank God she did blab to Sienna

Jac: What if Toby came to her in a years time, ten years, whatever, and wanted to be involved

Jac: She’s so fucking stupid

Jameson: Whenever we think she’s stopped making a mess of things, it gets bigger

Jac: I don’t know what to do anymore

Jac: I really don’t

Jameson: what’s next, like?

Jac: If she has twins I’m officially calling the social

Jameson: I’m this close to getting on the first plane I can afford as is

Jac: I’d sooner never come back

Jameson: very relatable

Jac: Unfortunately

Jac: she’s very welcome for the pity party she can have

Jameson: she can go all in and have it on my birthday if she wants, I’m not in the mood

Jac: We should actually do something though

Jac: make sure you’re at least somewhere nearby

Jameson: Aren’t you going away with Sav?

Jameson: I should probably be somewhere near Italy or France

Jac: Well contrary to how she’s made it, I was actually trying to be a better sister in general

Jac: we should be able to meet in one of the two

Jameson: I’ll definitely be free if I can’t get booked

Jac: We’re not letting that happen

Jac: a rebrand, definitely

Jameson: it is a bit weird how invested everybody is in my completely invented love life, I wouldn’t miss it

Jac: Exactly, you don’t want to do those sort of shoots forever

Jac: and not solely those, either

Jameson: something to do tomorrow that isn’t just feeling like shit sounds like a 🥇💡

Jac: We’re not going to pretend she’s done you a favour because any hint of that and she’ll be clinging to it for all it’s worth

Jac: but you’re actually decent at your job, he just has a name and a rich dad

Jameson: You’ve never liked him, bit rude of your intuition not to go any further but

Jac: I’m sure she’d say I don’t like anyone

Jac: He’s also not attractive but I guess that’s secondary to cash

Jameson: it might be, but it’s cheered me up that you’ve said it

Jac: If anything, we’re allowed to drag him privately

Jac: publicly tbd

Jameson: I could always become an actress after selling for the cameras that we’re couple goals

Jac: 🤣

Jac: I don’t envy you, aside from the obvious reason why

Jameson: I don’t envy your uni course load, but I probably could go if I have to rebrand that hard, I’m not recognised everywhere, just loads of places

Jac: become a model that bangs on about her degree 💄🧠

Jac: you wouldn’t be the first or last

Jac: It isn’t going to end you, there’s no way

Jac: there’ll be the crazies who are mad/sad but most people over the age of 12 need to know it wasn’t real

Jameson: I’m not ready for it to be over

Jac: It isn’t

Jameson: I’ve worked too hard for it to be, not for a fuck up that ain’t mine

Jac: Who in this day and age is going to side with a boy blindly

Jameson: some of the lads I work with are SO unbelievably hot and I’ve never been for a drink or nowt with any of them cos I’m not trying to blur boundaries and put my job at risk and Raff just don’t even care

Jac: He can afford to

Jac: literally and with the double standard of it all

Jameson: there is no line for him, no wonder he didn’t bother to tell me, it wouldn’t occur to him he’s crossed one when he’s used to being able to do whatever he wants

Jac: Typical rich boy

Jac: I know this sucks though, he clearly acted like he weren’t that

Jameson: Typical Jude to take something from me and make it all about her

Jac: She really was waiting in the wings to be the sister who made it real 🙄

Jac: it’s ridiculous

Jameson: I don’t get to be upset cos her life is more ruined

Jac: It’s not cool that he betrayed you, but he didn’t do fuck all wrong to her

Jac: she’s made every decision since, if her life is ruined, it’s her fault

Jameson: at least you get it

Jac: Here’s hoping if I say it enough she’ll actually realize it’s her and her decisions

Jac: not holding my breath

Jameson: I can’t talk to her until she does

Jac: You can’t feel bad about that, we can’t

Jac: she has support, she isn’t alone

Jac: idk what the fuck she wants, a friggin baby shower and us to feel her bump or some shit

Jac: but her not getting that doesn’t mean she’s being victimized, like

Jameson: she’s not alone but she’s made sure I am, out on a weird fucking limb I didn’t ask to be on

Jac: I hope you told her all this

Jac: or I fucking will

Jac: more than I did beforehand, anyway

Jameson: there’s no point, she might go to the pub with her co-workers, or you know, did before, but she doesn’t get that Raff weren’t just teaching me the ropes at [whatever Pete’s record store cafe is called where Jude sometimes works]

Jac: It’s like she doesn’t live on the same planet, I swear

Jac: God knows where she came from

Jameson: I don’t talk about how lonely and homesick and daunted I was when I started, or any of the negatives honestly, cos that was my decision, but I shouldn’t have to explain that he was my mate and how few of them I have

Jac: You aren’t allowed to talk about it with 99% of people already

Jac: and she clearly thinks your life is perfect, nothing less

Jac: she doesn’t get it, at all, add it to the long list

Jameson: I knew she didn’t, but I thought he did

Jac: I know

Jac: finding out he wasn’t legit was never going to be good but this is possibly the worst way

Jameson: I hate that we’re in different countries when I found this out, you’re like the only trustworthy person left

Jac: 🥺

Jac: I don’t suppose extending the day off to a long weekend is a good idea?

Jameson: I could be fake sick that long, but I don’t wanna Jude my way into your life cos I can’t drop any of my 💔 into the group chat with [her friends names, however many of them are still around at this point]

Jac: I definitely owe you, okay, two years worth of not being there is a lot of long weekends

Jac: If you want to, you can

Jameson: You and Sav deserve a break from all this bollocks, we only just found out she was pregnant a bit ago

Jameson: I’ll be okay

Jac: We all do

Jac: do something fun in [whatever country she is in rn] that you wouldn’t have had the chance to do before

Jameson: alright, I will

Jac: and [something more nerdy] for me

Jameson: 😏👌

Jac: I notice that lack of a firm yes but okay

Jameson: I’ll send you a 🤓 selfie, okay?

Jac: 👍

Jac: and I’ll work out where we’ll be for your birthday, that’ll dictate what we do 🥂🏖🎭🏛🩰🏞🎨🛍🎼 yeah?

Jameson: yeah

Jameson: and tell your girlfriend I said tah for having a little sister who knows how to make a decision that’s not total shit

Jac: Ikr?

Jac: not about to tell her she’s SO lucky but…

Jameson: but I’m lucky to not still be in the dark about who Raff is

Jameson: so I appreciate it

Jac: I’ll let them both know

Jac: and make sure Jude doesn’t come at Sienna for letting us know

Jameson: and then take a break

Jac: I don’t think that’s on the to-do list

Jameson: I think you could get Sav to * it

Jac: Probably 😌

Jameson: go on, you’ve admitted you need one, that’s the hard bit

Jac: Thank God it’s Summer at least

Jac: If I had to deal with this and revise, nah

Jameson: If I had to be home with her rn

Jameson: my phone nearly didn’t survive how hard I chucked it after hanging up

Jac: I know the feeling

Jac: and the likelihood of her having an ugly kid isn’t a good enough consolation prize tbh

Jameson: Don’t, his face is literally on billboards here, even if he’s not trying to speak to me in person about what happened, he’s everywhere anyway

Jac: It’s really giving shit psychological thriller

Jac: 👀 on you at all times 😷

Jameson: and how good I look up there too is no consolation prize

Jac: but thank god you don’t look like shit, that’s the last thing you need

Jameson: I need to go for a run

Jac: Good idea

Jac: I’ll meanwhile try to remember what the hell I was doing before yet another bombshell was dropped

Jameson: Good luck

Jac: It’ll be alright, you know

Jac: I promise

Jameson: I don’t know but

Jameson: at least a promise coming from you is more reassuring than one of Jude’s

Jameson: or anything else she said

Jac: She’s not even reassuring herself

Jac: if this wasn’t her choice, or she was willing to be persuaded to make the right one

Jac: then we could help but

Jac: well

Jameson: 🤞 the baby isn’t ugly, it can have a go at modelling and get further than me

Jac: I don’t want to think about it’s lack of a future

Jac: or hers

Jameson: just mine then

Jac: Come on

Jac: we’re going to sort this

Jac: fix her fuckups like always

Jameson: Yeah, sorry, it was just loads to hear for such a short phone call

Jac: ‘course, I get it

Jac: we’re all spiralling

Jac: I’m just trying to keep us on track and not catastrophize

Jameson: that’s you and her with your polar opposite approaches covered, like

Jameson: meanwhile I’m just ignoring his messages

Jac: what’s he saying, trying to

Jac: he’s got nerve, give him that

Jameson: nowt that sounds enough like soz I impregnated your sister, here’s how I’m gonna sort it

Jac: He’s helped her ruin her life, period

Jac: because she’s not going to be talked ‘round, even by him

Jameson: if mum and dad can’t and nan won’t, that’s that

Jac: Yep

Jac: and we’ve all got to just

Jac: live with it

Jameson: and I’ve got to work around it on top of that

Jameson: fuck’s sake, I was getting somewhere

Jac: it’s not fair

Jac: she’s ruined everyone’s hard work, literally

Jac: what was the point of mum and dad doing things different, doing it right

Jac: for her to turn right back ‘round and fuck it all up, literal square 1

Jameson: Dad’s gonna have to bring clients back to a house where there’s a screaming kid

Jac: She better move to nans if she wants to be her so bad

Jac: I’m not being dramatic, I can’t bear to see her right now and I don’t know when I will be able to again

Jameson: poor Cam won’t have nowhere to sleep if she don’t

Jac: wouldn’t even want her around Jude if I was Bob or her mum

Jac: can’t have it being a trend, fucking hell

Jameson: her mum’ll love the excuse to stop her coming round as much, well done Jude

Jac: She should chat to her

Jac: they were in uni and look at what a completely subpar mum she is

Jameson: Jude would have to go properly deaf to get that charity off her

Jac: She only shouts like she’s hard of hearing, I know

Jac: she’ll just pretend she LOVES being a mum and do nothing with her life and hope someone writes a shit song about her

Jac: not a waste at all, so happy for her

Jameson: I’m going for my run before I do something you warned me against earlier

Jac: Sorry, go

Jac: it’s not time-sensitive anymore

Jac: it just still feels like an emergency

Jameson: it’s cos we know she’s still got time to do the right thing, even though we obviously also know she ain’t gonna

Jac: yeah

Jac: but seriously, go run, that’s sensible

Jameson: I’ll talk to you tomorrow

Jac: We can facetime

Jac: assuming you don’t look like total shit now 😘

Jameson: I probably do but you’re not in charge of my bookings so 🤷‍♀️

Jac: Thank God

Jac: Sav wants to speak to you more

Jac: I’d have hoped it’d be under less awkward circumstances but she still wants to so

Jac: pretend we’re not completely fucked as a family, or something

Jameson: she’d be the last person to judge someone else’s fucked family dynamics

Jameson: but if her dad’s willing to drag Jude to Sligo I wouldn’t say no rn

Jac: True but let’s say that in a less we’re judging yours kinda way

Jac: I’m sure he’d love to get her far away from Sienna by any means necessary though

Jameson: Poor Sav is never gonna be able to tell him how connected she is to you and this family at this rate

Jac: It was bad enough without this actual shit

Jac: I won’t blame her if she doesn’t

Jameson: I know it was

Jac: I don’t care

Jac: it’s all so new anyway

Jameson: if you do care, that’s alright, you’re allowed to reckon it’s another unfair thing

Jac: No, I don’t

Jac: It’s not like I want to talk to her father any more than he wants to talk to me, really

Jac: as long as she’s happy

Jameson: I don’t need facetime to work out she is, about that bit of life anyway

Jac: 🤞

Jameson: *👍✔️

Jac: alright, nerd

Jac: maybe you’ll meet some boys you can ask out for coffee on this run

Jameson: 🤞 I don’t now I’ve got a whole career rebrand to sort out, I was too busy before

Jameson: also boys plural is a bit rude

Jac: A boy per run, don’t get crazy

Jameson: it’s crazy enough I feel like I got cheated on, maybe when I’m not reeling from all the fake relationship drama

Jac: You don’t feel as lonely now

Jac: do you?

Jameson: Ask me when I’ve done my first shoot without him, that’ll be when it starts actually feeling real

Jac: Right

Jac: I’m sorry it’s so shit

Jameson: he wasn’t the only good thing about it, I’ll be alright

Jac: You’re not that daft

Jameson: it’s my job and I love it, before him and after

Jac: I’m really glad

Jameson: okay, I’m really going before this gets any closer to 😭

Jameson: I’ve got enough problems without being puffy

Jac: make sure your roller is in the freezer

Jameson: ‘course

[shinobirain24]

Iceberg Week 2021: Day 2 (July7)- Romeo and Juliet AU Pt. 1

Note: This fanfic is actually going to be a modern version of Romeo and Juliet. Where Weiss is the mafia's daughter and Neptune is the son of a police captain. I know it wasn't the best, but I would like to release it to share with you fellow viewers. Sorry for the late submission. I thought I should cut it into two parts

By wolfstyle2074

"Two Households, both alike and in dignity. When the differences have settled in cold blood. Love cannot be killed. The story of two young lovers seek out a way to escape with their lives when first sight came to light. Between law and crime, it was always conflict, questions of the choices we make in the war of blood..."

"Uh, Ren. Can we repeated that please? The background is getting sizzled?" Nora, a ginger-haired girl holding the camera, then interrupted as Ren, a raven-haired boy is speaking with a microphone in his hands. He is a reporter for a boarding school writing a story about two runaways fighting for their lives. "Um, Nora, are you okay?"

He asked. Seeing Nora wiping the tears off his eyes. Hearing the story kinda got her emotional. "Yeah, I just wished they'd be here to appreciate how you write this story."

"Don't worry, Nora. Neither of them will be forgotten. I am sure they will appreciate what you did to remember them." Ren said. Walking towards Nora and patted her on the head to cheer her up. "Wanna get some ice cream on the way out? I am sure it will make you feels better." Ren asked. Nora then rose her head up from the camera and smiled and nodded to the suggestion. "Yeah, I am sure it's fine. This is our last year in the Academy, sooner or later we will graduate." Nora said.

"You have read my mind, Nora." Ren said walking out together with Nora out of the school building. "Two years, and it was the story that made headlines that involves forbidden love between law and crime."

"Something tells me you will make a great novelist." Nora encouraged. The school bell rings. The one bell that rings from one transition to another, the sound that will haunt the students forever.

-2 years ago-

Captain Saturn Vasilias of the New York Police Force was in his cab to his destination for the assignment he was in. "10-2, we got a cartel in the dust facility, Ever Dust Inc., five males, two females on the road." One line have said from the radio. Saturn then picks up and speaks through the mic. "10-2 unit 6, close all the roads and don't let them escape." Saturn responded.

After driving at full speed, knowing he might have much time to prevent the crime of robbery in the dust facility and caught up with two cargo tricks in front of the entrance. The bombing was non-stop. The Schnee Family were a known crime family that illegally sells dust for weapons, their empire grew large since then. Saturn has been researching about them for years, but none of the family members has been caught. However, one of them, a young woman has been reporting about them and giving them tips since then, our of fear for the safety of her younger younger siblings, and would suffer the same fate. The woman then became an undercover informant.

Saturn then got off his cab, and takes out a megaphone as he spoke to an old man, who is in his 50s or 60s, wearing a casual suit, which is the sign of him being a ringleader of the cartel. "Jacques Schnee, you are under arrest for the robbery and numerous murders!" Saturn announced.

"Your father before you was a fool to think you could win this round!" Jacques retorts after ordering his men to raise their guns and pointed at him. "You never learn, haven't you, cold-blooded man?!"

Saturn's son, Jupiter has been behind his father this whole time and also pointed his sniper gun at him, mostly the main boss are the main targets. "Jupiter, you cannot draw weapons at him, you'll be charged with firearms! And you don't have a permit for that!" Saturn scolded him. "Relax, dad. Mom taught me a lot. Plus, this is the first time we have a father-son day in your fight." Jupiter remarks. But Saturn wasn't pleased. "Get ready, old man! Either you and your buddies come quietly and peacefully, or you'll regret it!" Jupiter warned.

"Peace? Peace is the very word I hate, as I hate all Vasilias'! Come at me then! Winter!" Jacques stated as he gave a hand signal to his men for gunfire. And called out his daughter, Winter to lead the gunfire. She came out and gave a signal to fire. Saturn and Jupiter hid behind the left side of the cab as the bullets created holes from a right side of the door. Jupiter then came out of hiding and shot back.

Jacques hid in his cargo for his own safety. And Saturn shots back at his arch-enemy. "Blasted Schnees, they don't know when to quit." Jupiter scoffed. Kept firing one after the other. Later, after a scuffle, Jacques got away in his own cargo. But the rest of his men have been caught, and some of the stolen dust has been recovered, but the rest were stolen.

Lydia, Saturn's wife, and Jupiter's mother, and a lawyer, cleaned some of the wounds they received from gunshots. Luckily they survived. But knowing her, she feared for her family's wellbeing and would scold them for getting too reckless. "Honestly, Saturn. You have enough damages for one day! And you, Jupiter, try not to get in the way for your father's patrol the next time."

"Sorry, Mom." Said Jupiter, crossing his arms.

"Sorry, honey. I'll make it up to you by making dinner tonight." He winces a little as Lydia puts rubbing alcohol on his bleeding shoulder. "Ah!" He hissed. "I am just glad Neptune wasn't here to witness this, it would've been traumatizing for him. Knowing how sensitive he was."

"I hope so too. Good thing our dear boy is at home minding his business." Lydia breathes in relief to know that her son is safe at home, or so she thought.

Later that afternoon, Neptune is in his bedroom doing his homework. Having headphones covering his ears with the music in his head. Then a knock on his window. It was a blonde-haired young man his age. Neptune then hears the knock and walks over to the window for a greeting. And opens the window. "Dude!" Neptune greets, and Sun jumps into the bedroom and gave him a handshake. "It's been a while."

"How've you been?" Asked Neptune. Sun then break away and gave him some stolen IDs with photos of him and Neptune. With different names that were related to crime empires. For Neptune, it's Kaman Aquors, and for Sun, it's Solar Reign. "What's with the fake IDs?" Asked Neptune. Sun smirked proudly as he thought of a great idea, or in Neptune's case, a bad idea. "Duh, I heard the Schnees are having a secret meeting for an auction. Where the stinking rich gathered around to buy stolen dust."

"Dude, no. I said it once, and I will say it again. No way. I cannot sneak out there and go to this auction. Dad will worry, and Mom, she'll be grounding me for a year if I ever go. I don't like how things were going as much as you do, but this is a bad idea." Neptune objects.

"Come on, Dude think of it as an undercover assignment. Think about it, once we have evidence to where Jacques Schnee is hiding, it will be the end of his empire. And plus, your dad will be so psyched, he will wanna make you part of his squad." Neptune then thought about it, his father has been stressing out for years fighting against the Schnees for their dangerous methods of running the business.

It worried him one bit as he saw his father feeling fatigued, coming home with wounds. Neptune then proceeds to think about the idea. Although it might get them into trouble, but it would give them the advantage for him to finally convince Saturn to rest up a bit. Neptune has no other choice but to accept the invitation. "Alright, if we're going to do this, we need a disguise. Knowing the Schnees, they would probably be after my family for being law enforcement."

"Alright! I knew you come around!" They high-fived. Later, Lydia came into her son's bedroom with dinner on the tray. "Sweetie, sorry your father and I are-Ah!" Lydia dropped her tray and it scattered into bits of vegetables and sushi. And saw that her son is gone and the window opened. "Oh my god! Saturn, he ran out again!" This is not the first time her sons have snuck out the bedroom window.

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

Weiss, the heiress to the Schnee has arrived to her room to get ready to meet her mother. Since she came back from a business trip. "More tea, Miss Schnee?" Asked her butler, Klein who have been close to her since she was young. The only family member she had been interacting with is with her elder sister. "Your sister had returned from her business trip."

"Thank you Klein. You know, it's funny. Living in a private island with no one but your family. This is absolutely isolation for the matter. Father had some shady dealings. Mother appoints lawyers in cases of my father on trial. While my brother wasn't around, just with my father. "Well, it's natural to be alone sometimes, my dear. But at the same time, it wasn't okay. Hopefully your mother will get the time off and you can have a bond with her."

"Good idea. But in the meantime, I have to think about what to do for the rest of the day." Then Weiss hears footsteps. It was her elder sister, Winter. The main heir to the Schnee Mafia. Although neither of the sisters agree to this. They acted like they were used to this. Winter came back in a sweet after finishing tipping off the police. Without their father knowing it. "One more thing there and done." Winter sighs in relief.

Weiss is happy to see her sister appear in her room. "Winter!" Said Weiss. As she ran and embrace her sister once more. "How are you today my sister?" Winter said. Weiss broke away. "Not so bad." Weiss replied. "Welcome home, Miss Schnee. How are your shifts with your father?" Klein curtsied. But Winter said, "Klein, there's no need for you to address me. But it's good to see you too." Winter assured. Winter hates the life she is living right now and wants her father out of the picture to provide the freedom for her siblings.

"Did you know that Mother will be arriving soon?" Asked Weiss. But Winter was adamant and never wants to speak about their mother. But reluctantly, she had to keep her sister at Bay to not be down on suspicion. "Yes, I have heard. But for who knows how long." Winter responded. But their mother appeared before her. "I am right here you know." Sighed their mother.

"An evening with you, Mother." Sighed their mother, Willow. Willow walks over to Weiss, who she has been expecting to appear before her. With Winter ignored a bit. But to her relief. "To what will do I owe you, Mother?" Asked Weiss.

"I age forgotten that you are reaching adulthood at this time, darling." Said Willow. "Still, you look very lovely."

"Ah, yes. Weiss has been growing up with her studies and was ready to apply for a university at this age. But at the same time, she-"

"I know this is too much to ask, Weiss. But have you ever thought of marriage?" Weiss was a bit stunned for a moment. Never she thought her parents would ask of this. But was aware her mother had been arranged to marry her father at Weiss' age. "Not exactly, Mother. I haven't thought of that. Anything you want to add?"

"Oh, for goodness sake, Mother. Marriage? I thought we were over this. Weiss is young and you can't just arrange someone to marry her. That's objectifying her." Winter argued in her sister's defense. Knowing that it was a ludicrous solution.

"Your father has been running out of men for the run-ins at some point. Therefore we need to combine our empires. And your father has already picked out the best suitor for your sister." Willow argued back. And Winter can tell in the eyes of her mother that she is just too much into pleasing her husband. "The auctions start tomorrow and the selection, Henry Marigold will be there to seek her out. His father will be the solution to our problems." Said Willow.

"Um, Mother. I don't know about this. Maybe Winter is right. Never met him. And he probably won't like me anyway." Weiss took Winter's side, unsure if she should take the opportunity of pleasing, or the opportunity of arrangement. But then again, she has not seen either of her parents, or her younger brother. "I have not yet met this person. But since this might be the option to get out the manor, even for a moment. This might be her chance. "If it means it will help our family, then I will see to it. Give me time to get to know this person." Weiss said. And Willow clasped her hands in joy. "Splendid, starting tomorrow, we will get you ready." Willow gestures Klein to follow, leaving Weiss and Winter alone in the same room. Winter shook her head in disapproval.

"Weiss are you sure about this. Think about it. You can't have this. What about your dreams of university? You can't throw that away. What if this person was a tyrant?" Winter asked, unsure how is her sister going to deal with this. Normally Winter would defend her to keep her out of harm's way. Informing police in secret in hopes she would put her father in jail. But the thought of her sister in exploitation is the horror she wished she wouldn't have to hear. If two empires merged by union would mean bigger chaos with crime all over. And it would lead to square one. Another thing she has to report.

"I don't know, but no matter what, I'll have to keep and eye on things, just to be safe." Said Winter, this could be a chance to expose some darker secrets.

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Neptune and Sun have entered the auction without fail. Using the fake IDs with the names of the previous rich men Sun had stolen from before he arrived in New York. Wearing tuxes and mask to keep themselves covered. To not blow their cover.

The private island of Schnee was no problem to find. Since Neptune had been hacking in computers all his life, he has no issue to find the transmission networks of the island. Most of the time the wealth has been building private islands for isolated reasons, and they have the most secured equipment. "Must've taken a lot of money to build this place." Said Sun.

Neptune looks around while seeing people in dresses and tuxes, masks and jewelry. Chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. Portraits of Jacques in a series of timelines. What a show-off. Only a few portraits of him and his family. Tables with such beautiful silver cloths. "Tell me about it, sooner we take the photos, the sooner we get out of here. Here, every day the auctions were illegally run by the Schnee Mafia. Empires gathered to buy the most expensive loads of dust and weaponry." Neptune replied.

"I'll see if they got any contracts that are related to this. We need a list of surnames just to be sure." Said Sun. Neptune nods, "Good idea, I'll talk to some guests, see what they know. I'll also record anything on the way." Suggested Neptune. Sun then pats him on the shoulder for some luck for him. And left his side to go upstairs. Neptune came to look around for some whispering crowds. But someone who came across him when his eyes got caught, distracting him.

A young, white-haired woman his age wearing a dark blue dress, and silver necklace. A mask matching her dress with teal gems attached. The woman looked at him and gave him a smile. Neptune cannot make out for what he was feeling, as if a fever began to make his heart pound in his chest. But then the gaze was interrupted when a dark blue-haired young man, whose hair was combed to the side approached her before him. "Are you Weiss, how do you do?" Asked the man.

"Henry Marigold, I presumed?" Weiss asked. Henry then smiled and lend her his hand. "Indeed I am, I hope you can do me the offer in this dance."

"Of course." Sighed Weiss. Neptune is left disappointed at he was beaten to it. But decides to wait for the right moment to see what Weiss knows about the empire. While Weiss wants this to end, growing exhausted that Henry talks about himself and never asked Weiss of what she likes, or what hobbies. Finally, she has enough, and Weiss excused herself for some fresh air. Neptune takes this chance to approach her. "Evening Miss. How is tonight?" Asked Neptune.

Weiss rolled her eyes and thought she was about to get a round of boredom. Things did not go as planned. "Terrible, I thought tonight would go so well, but I felt like nothing, as if everything died down a bit." Weiss replied. Then Neptune offers her his hand. Weiss looks a bit surprised. "I hope you don't mind if I offer you this dance. If that's okay with you?" Neptune asked. He was a terrible dancer, if he can mimic the moves by watching the crowd of dancers, then he could pull this off. Weiss is a bit shocked, but felt flattered that a man asked if she would like to dance. His eyes captivated her in his gaze. The charming smile he drew on his face.

"Actually, I would love that." Weiss replies and takes his hand, and was pulled into the dancefloor. Trying his best to watch his steps while seeing how the others dance their hearts out. Weiss then gazed into his eyes. Meanwhile, a security guard whispered into Weiss' younger brother, Whitley's ear, and was shocked to see who was on the dancefloor with his older sister. "There's a dog scorching on the House of Schnee? No, absolutely not. By the length and honor of my kin, I shall take this by my own hand." Whitley was about to make a scene to expose Neptune, until he was stopped by his father. "Ah, son! It's a pleasure to see you're enjoying this party!"

"Father, don't you see who that was? That commoner is nothing more than that son of the cop who's been chasing you for years." Whispered Whitley. But Jacques refrains him from taking action. "Look as long as we don't create a scene. If we have blood drenched on our hands, we would be hunted down by his father. So just do me a favor and keep it down. I'll sent someone to take care of him by the morning." Said Jacques, then Whitley unwillingly complied and left without a word, defeated. But not before giving Neptune (who did not notice and whispers into Weiss' ear, as she giggles) a dirty look and then turned his head and went to his bedroom.

Then Weiss is escorted into the courtyard by Neptune to have a moment alone with him. "So, you don't see much of what went all in those kind of parties?" Asked Neptune as he sat near the fountain near Weiss. "Most of the time, I would stay in my mansion, the only times I went outside the island is when I have classes to attend. I always dreamed of going to university. But with my parents having different plans for me, I am not sure if that's happening any time soon."

"Really? I always wanted to study at a university too. When I was a kid, I always wanted to study in NYU." Neptune blushed as he looked at her once more. The more they chat, the more enchanting the night has become. Neptune seemed to forget for why he was here. Something about the girl he was staring at seemed familiar to him, but this is the first time they have met. "The last thing I wanted was a life of success and a bit of freedom, even if that freedom cannot last. I never saw my parents often, nor my brother when they're busy on the line of work. Surely I knew those kind of things were illegal. But how am I supposed to argue with that? Of course, I wasn't allow off this island to know more." Weiss sighs.

"I'm sorry, I guess it wasn't fair that you've been living here all your life. But hey, look on the bright side. How was this night now?" Asked Neptune. Weiss then blushed and giggled. "I guess it's okay, for now. Maybe tonight wasn't so bad when you came along. Something tells me you weren't from around here." Weiss questioned. Not sure if it's another one of those suitors her father had sent, but she didn't mind since he seemed to approach her sincerely.

"Oh, yeah. I was sent here. Just for inspection. It was getting boring to me, but meeting you, it got less boring." Neptune replied. Soon, neither of them realized they are getting closer and drew their faces nearer, and their lips touched to one another. Weiss caressed his cheek as they have kissed for a few minutes. It was like fireworks exploded in their hearts. But it was interrupted when Winter showed up in front of him. "Sister, what was the meaning of this?!" Confronted Winter.

Weiss and Neptune broke away. Weiss tried to find a way to make excuses. Although Winter does not mind letting her sister having a great time. But at the same time, she knew she have to pull her away to not let her face her father's wrath. "Come, Father is expecting you." Winter grabs her hand and pulls her away. Neptune follows and saw that Winter has escorted Weiss to her father, his father's arch-enemy, Jacques Schnee. Winter then whispers something to her ear. "I must warn you, his name is Neptune, and he is a Vasilias." Weiss is in shock and looks at Neptune with despair. Feeling she was tricked by a boy who enchanted her in this party. At least Winter did not tell her father about the kiss. Neptune was about to leave, but not before seeing Weiss smiling at him, a sign that they will meet again. Neptune still couldn't believe she was a Schnee, but he was happy to have met her. Sun then approaches him. "Hey man, where have you been?"

"Um..." Before Neptune can say anything, Sun smirked at the side of him he has been seeing. He could tell Neptune has been lovestruck. "Oh, I see what was going on here." He sang. "You've been infatuated." Neptune jolts at the state of blushing. Then waved his hand in defense. "No no no! That can't be true! I was just lost that's all."

"Really, I won't tell your dad. Just tell me about that girl you've been swooning with." Sun asked. Neptune wasn't sure how to describe to him. He would be a bit shocked to find out it was a Schnee he was dancing with. "How am I going to put with this. Okay, just keep calm when I say this. But the girl I was dancing with, she was a Schnee." Sun's eyes have bungled at a state of shock. Then shook his head and tries to set the record straight. "Dude, she is way out of your league, did you forget that her dad is a criminal, deadly mastermind?" Sun reminds him, but Neptune huffed in response. But manages to change the subject. "Dude, let's just get back to that later, right now we have to get out of here. Trying to get answers from her and she never knew much. But you can tell she has been living on this island too much. And her dad would've probably sent the guards by morning.

"Fine, you and I need a serious talk when we head back to New York." Sun sighs. One night, they were hiding somewhere in the jungle where the manor took place. Even if the trees are fake. Neptune then snuck into the gardens of the Schnee Manor to see Weiss standing on the balcony of her room. "The glimpse of her in front of the moon can't be more beautiful than the moon at sight. Her eyes matches the icy waters. And Weiss is the moon in the sight of my eyes."

"Oh Neptune, Neptune..." Weiss said as she thought of that name after the party after it grew quiet as the guests left. "She speaks." He said quietly. "Wherefore art thou my Neptune? Deny my father and refuse my name. For what is a name if thou wilt be? But be sworn my love and I won't be a Schnee."

"I defy my name too!" Neptune shouted as Weiss jolted in shock to see him below the balcony. "Goodness!" Weiss gasped in shock. She never expected him to meet her again. But worries what her father will do. "Neptune, what are you doing here? If Father finds out you're still here, he will kill you." Weiss whispered in a harsh tone. But Neptune uses a pillar to climb onto the balcony to speak with her.

"I know, but as a son of a cop. Unlike your father, my dad is more of an overprotective type. I knew you are form this family. But it doesn't matter, I just want to get to know you more. Therefore I also defy my name and would be preferred to be called by my first name." Neptune explains.

"For years both the Schnee and the Vasilias have been at war with one another and they were still at war now. It came to the point where I knew I cannot see you. But I want to know you as well. My father has been committing crimes I wished I should've stopped. There was nothing I can do. It was a never-ending bloodshed." Weiss adds, turning away for a bit. As Neptune listens.

"Last thing I wanted was this war to end. Although you are a Schnee, I don't see you as one, just a woman with culture and personality." He then lift her chin, gently as he follows. "So, maybe we can meet in New York, I know I can't stay here and get caught. I can take you anywhere you want. Just say the word and I'll do it."

"I would love that. But knowing my father, I will always get surrounded by security. Or in some cases, my sister, since she was older than me."

"Maybe I can come up with the sneakiest plan for us to escape security and we can hang out a bit more. Without both our parents' knowing." Neptune suggested.

Weiss has been thinking about it, she cannot stand being in the crowd of security. She knew her parents would forbid her from seeing him because he has Vasilias blood in his veins. But there was a side of him no one has ever seen. "Perhaps I will think about it. see if we can meet. I will give word to my sister. After all, maybe she can help with that." Said Weiss. Knowing her sister will be staying for a few weeks. Neptune then smiled as a response as they leaned in closer and kissed again. "Weiss! Where are you?!" Winter called. Once again, they break away from each other and Weiss knew she has to get back inside. "Coming, Winter!" Weiss called back. Then push Neptune away to get him to hide. "Quick, hide! Before security comes!" Weiss urges him until he fell off the balcony and landed on the bushes in the garden. "I'm okay!" Said Neptune.

The next day, Neptune returned home, only to find his parents waiting for him in the living room of his house. "Where have you've been, Neptune?! Do you have any idea how worried sick your mother has been?!" Scolded Saturn, he was not one to be harsh on his children, but never took his youngest for being a rebellious type. "Oh, hey dad. Sorry I am late, I was just out for a walk..." He said, nervously. But Saturn was a bit suspicious. "The thing is, I got bored and I couldn't help but feel a bit dizzy in my own home and thought I could get some fresh air. I didn't realized it was late and my phone has died." Neptune lied.

Saturn then approaches his son. And then places his hand on hos father's shoulder and sighs. "I am sorry, son. It wasn't fair for you to be kept in the house all day. We are worried for you, that's all." Saturn apologized.

"Are you sure you're not lying, bro?" Asked Jupiter, suspicious about his brother's whereabouts before he came back. He saw red in his face. It was a sign he was lying at some point. The last time Jupiter snuck out, his little brother was too honest enough to snitch on his brother.

"Just don't do it again. Next time just tell us, okay sweetie?" Asked Lydia. They were just going to let this slide and let this go, being the caring parents they are. Lydia then walks over to her husband and son and embraced them. Jupiter decides to let this go this time. But thought that the next time Neptune snuck out, he would have to follow him to see what he was doing.

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On the weekdays, Weiss and Neptune would have to escape security with the excuses of school activities after school. Only to sneak out of the school building and go on dates. First, Neptune has been taking her out to the movies on her request. Seeing a romantic movie about Titanic. How an upper-class woman has been forced into an arranged marriage, only to fall in love with a lower-class man who saw her as a person.

"Even with those differences, they found each other." Weiss teared up as she saw the ending as the love of the main protagonist's life has died from hyperthermia. Neptune wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. Weiss felt better after the ending. Unbeknownst to them, a curious ginger-haired girl takes a picture without a flash of light. They heard a click, but saw nothing as the young photographer hid from them.

Another day past and they were at a mall. But wrong move, Jacques' security team arrived to search for Weiss, but they hid in another shopping center, where they bribed the manager to help them escape. After they exit the building using an emergency exit, Neptune and Weiss laughed a bit. Thinking how awkward this say went.

The next day, they were at a park while avoiding some eyes that might see them. Suddenly, some classmates they never recognized in their school approached them and asked them to take a photo for the school yearbook. "Can we take a photo of you guys?" Asked a raven-haired boy. They gladly accepted and Weiss and Neptune posed together. Not thinking twice before, cause they were having too much of a great time. Then Neptune spotted his brother looking for him. He then yanks Weiss with him and ran off before Jupiter could see them.

The next date, Neptune has to sneak out of his house. But not before his older brother notice and decides to follow him. Neptune has taken Weiss to a cafe, where she can try some latte, something her father would not allow her too. "I don't know, I wasn't allow to have some caffeine." Weiss said with hesitance. But Neptune insisted to make her feel good about being outside of the island and some relief from isolation. "Come on, one taste cannot hurt."

Weiss took one sip of the straw and felt the flavors on her tongue. And felt the cool but tasty features of the latte. "Oh, that was blistering, but sweet. What else can you show me? I cannot believe we hadn't been caught yet." Weiss giggled.

"I cannot believe it either." That is, until a voice interrupted them. "A-ha! I knew you were lying this whole time, Neptune." They then turned to see Jupiter standing before them. He is not happy to see him with Weiss, knowing she was a Schnee and he hates the family that committed the crimes against his. And seeing him with the daughter of the Schnee family made him furious. "Neptune, who is this? He looks like my sister's age." Asked Weiss as Neptune stood in front of Weiss to prevent Jupiter form doing anything to her. As he approaches his brother. "What were you thinking, she is a Schnee for crying out loud! Her family are criminals and they hunted down our family for years!" Jupiter shouted as they crowd from different tables are watching. "Jupiter, I can explain!" Neptune defended. But Jupiter grabs his wrist, tightly. "Home, now." Jupiter hissed.

"Gee, do you have to be this scary?" Neptune flinched. Then Jupiter turned to Weiss in pure anger. "And you, tell your sister to meet me in Times Square. And stay away from my brother, or else..." Weiss looked at him in shock as his face grew a bit frightening. Neptune then looked at her with sadness. "I'm sorry, Weiss." Neptune apologized, before being dragged away from her and then back home. At least Jupiter is not going to tell their parents about the relationship. But decided to keep Neptune watched 24/7. To not let the daughter of the criminals see him again, fearing she will use him for their father's information.

After two weeks, Neptune received a text from Weiss. Telling him they need to talk and to meet him at Central Park. Neptune manages to block the cameras hidden beneath the walls meant to keep an eye on him. Jupiter has no idea what hit him. Then jumps out of the window again. Ran in to Weiss at the Central Park.

"Hey, Snow Angel. What's up?" Before Neptune can ask a bit more. Weiss started to tear up. "I'm sorry, I cannot see you anymore, Neptune." Weiss wipes her tears from her eyes. "It was a mistake, I never should've met you." Neptune is appalled to hear that she won't be seeing him anymore as he thought he did something wrong to make things worse. "What do you mean, did I do something wrong. Please, Weiss. I want to know what I did wrong." Neptune pleaded, wanting to comfort her and console her. As he gets closer to her, she pushes him away.

"The truth is, I am getting married." Neptune thought his ears were playing tricks when Weiss mentions she was getting married. "My father planned this from the start, he knew you were at the party that night. And the fact that you were the son of a cop, he was furious. He told me he knew about our dates. And if I don't go with the plan of marrying the son of another mafia, he would kill your father and you." Weiss explains. Neptune is shocked. He never knew her father would gone too far.

"Weiss." Neptune then wrapped her arms around her. But Weiss wants to protest this. But her feelings of warmth from him are too strong and she allows herself to, as if it were the last time before she meets her fate. "I'm sorry, I am sure that we cannot see each other again. But it was for the best if you're alive and your family as well. I think this is goodbye, Neptune." Weiss then turns away and walks away to depart from him.

But Neptune did not just stand there and watch, instead he stopped her and she turned back to look at him. "Neptune, I told you. We're different. I am the criminal's daughter, and your the son of the police captain. We're just not meant to be. I enjoyed these times together."

Neptune did not take these words to heart as he then decides to defy the opposites. He then brings out a small box wrapped in a ribbon. "Weiss, I don't care about any of that. Like I said, I defy my name and renounce the name of Vasilias. Just like you said, you also defied the name of Schnee. Therefore for me, you're just Weiss. And I won't define you by name. And I won't be preferred by the name Vasilias. I am Neptune, and only Neptune."

"Neptune. Somehow you managed to convince me. And for some reason, I have no regrets meeting you. The stars, the ocean, and the night sky, it will always remind me of the night we met. I also dreamed not only for university, but to also see you there. Where we can be free of our differences."

Weiss then looks up in the night sky and Neptune turned to the gift box. It was the perfect place for the right moment. Even if it is too early. His family will not like this, and her family will not like this either. But now would be a matter of time to ask her something. In hopes to free her from the Mafia life under her father's rule. "Weiss, I know we have met for a couple of days and months, but I was hoping I will ask you this."

Weiss then turned to Neptune who had knelt down and he opened the box to reveal a golden ring. Not expensive, but it was enough for Weiss to know the love he has for her. The real love she has wanted for a long time. "Neptune, you know we can't."

"I know, but I want to be the one to make you happy. If you let me, I'll try my best to give what I can give you. I will free you from this, and when we run, and cut ties with our families completely, this way, you can settle. Weiss Schnee, will you marry me, and join me in the flow of time?" Neptune's eye sparkled. Weiss can never be happier than before, as she wrapped her arms around him as he slips the ring in her finger. The least they have to do is survive their family feuds.

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

The next afternoon, Winter and Jupiter are in a middle of a gun showdown as they came into a Mexican stand-off. "This time we will settle this once and for all, Schnee." Jupiter then cocks his rifle as he was the master marksman. But Winter has ready her gun after filling her bullets with her pistol. "You should appreciate when I became an informant for your father. I just want this war to end as much as you do."

"But not with you. These past few years were a streak of humiliation. Your father will not get away any longer without his secret weapon, mainly you. How does my father tolerate you this easily?" Jupiter snared. Glaring at her with such hatred. "Stop!" Then Neptune came in between them. "What are you doing, little bro?! Get out of the way!"

Neptune then turned to Jupiter. "No, bro! Let me handle this!" Then he turned to Winter. "I'm sorry my brother has been causing trouble for you! But for min and Weiss' sake, stand down!" Pleaded Neptune. Jupiter refuses to go down without a fight. And starts firing the gun, then Winter got behind the rails and shots back while Neptune and Jupiter also hid. "Sorry, Neptune, but this war has to come to an end."

Winter did not waste time to fire back. Jupiter then emerges and shots back. Neptune then fights back by tugging onto Jupiter's gun. "Let go of the gun, Neptune!" Jupiter yelled. "I'm doing this for the good of the family!"

"Good by foot!" Neptune retorted. Winter then lowers her weapon as she was about to say something. "Don't you realized this war has gone too far?! You and Winter have the power to stop this! If not for Dad, do it for me!" Pleaded Neptune as they kept fighting over the gun. Finally, Jupiter knocks out Neptune. Both are once again in position.

[songfell-ut]

Chapter 14 is gooo

Taking a short break after this. My hands hurt. Yep

The moment Sans appeared outside of Alphys’ laboratory, he knew he was going to hate this. He took in the good ol’ Hotland ambiance – mostly rocks, lava, and being too damn hot – then kicked the snow from his slippers, brushed off his overcoat, and banged on the heavy door.

It peeked open, and a yellow snout showed in the crack. “C-come in,” a voice said apologetically.

Sans rolled his eyes as best he could. “It’s me, Al. Move it, will ya?”

“Sans!” The door flew open, and the reptilian scientist backed up to look at him fully. “It’s r-really you! I thought the h-humans g-got you!”

“They did. I got better.” The giant skeleton bobbed his head at her as he stepped inside. “How’ve ya been?”

She smiled weakly. “Um...”

He nodded and went ahead into the main area, Alphys shuffling after him. The building was three stories, constructed of brick and steel in order to keep any mishaps contained. Now that he was using his sense of smell, it stank in here; Frisk’s workroom smelled like books and priestess and green things growing, but this was something acrid that made the magic of his nose and throat sting. “I’ve been w-working,” said Alphys, somehow phrasing it as a personal fault. “W-would you like something t-to drink? His M-Majesty brought t-tea.”

Sans came to a halt as he spotted a large shape moving from the back storeroom into the nook by Alphys’ first-floor library. The King of the monsters flipped a witchlight on, and it burned so bright that Sans had to shut his eyes. The humans’ lights really were a lot dimmer. “Welcome back, Sans,” Asgore said jovially, seating himself on a couch and gesturing for the skeleton to take the biggest armchair. “It seems you’ve had quite the adventure. How are you feeling? Would you like some tea?”

“No, thanks, Yer Majesty.” The larger boss monster wedged himself into the chair. “I’ve had a hell of a time. What all did the others tell ya, if I may ask?”

Asgore smiled thinly. His beard was longer than Sans remembered, and his hair looked like something had been nesting in it—as if they needed more evidence of how useless he was on his own, Sans thought. “It was quite a story,” said the King. “Would you mind telling me what happened again, please, from your perspective? But first…” He gestured over Sans’ shoulder.

Sure enough, Alphys was hovering behind him, holding something in one shaky claw. “Um,” she explained.

Sans scowled at her. “Don’t gimme that look, Al. I’m not gonna bite ya.” He extended his hand. “That’s a truth stone, right? I don’t care. I’ve got nothin’ ta hide.” Much.

“It’s m-mostly to check for any residual human m-magic that may be affecting you,” the scientist said, presumably truthfully. She allowed him to pluck the cobalt sphere from her grasp and skittered away with a speed that hurt his feelings a little. He and Alphys had never been the closest of friends, but…well, Frisk and her flagrant lack of fear had obviously spoiled him.

Crap. Whatever was in the stone was pretty damn potent, because thinking of Frisk made him want to say things that he had no intention of letting out until he absolutely had to. Asgore was suspicious enough of him having been around the High Priestess and other humans for so long; what would happen if he found out Sans had fallen for her like a ton of bricks?

“Now…” Asgore poured himself another cup. “How did you come to be in the humans’ grasp?”

Sans hadn’t minded telling Undyne all this stuff, but sitting here fiddling with the stupid rock while the King sipped his tea and watched him as if Sans was going to explode—that, he did mind. But he did it, starting with how he’d been out hunting poachers for a couple days straight without eating anything, getting weak enough to eventually be captured, and failing to kill the High Priestess when she came to make him that fateful offer.

Asgore was frowning, one hand to his chin. “She was sincere about taking you as her apprentice, with no attempt to harm you or steal your magic? Didn’t that strike you as odd?”

No shit, King Fluffybuns. “Yeah, it did, but she never even tried anything like that.” It was true; Gaster was the one who’d purloined a bunch of his magic. Sans wasn’t going to muddy the waters by bringing him up just yet. “I could tell she knew what she was talking about with the potions and stuff. She’s pretty sharp.”

“Yes, of course. Forgive me, but I want to be very clear: she subdued you without harming you, single-handedly?”

Sans’ socket twitched. “Your Majesty is correct,” he said stiffly. “She’s the High Priestess fer a reason. Her barriers are stupid powerful. I don’t think you, me, ‘n Tori put together could crack one.”

As he’d intended, the casual mention of Toriel made Asgore twitch right back. From her position behind Sans’ chair, Alphys cleared her throat nervously. “Are you s-sure? A human sh-shouldn’t—”

The skeleton held up the blue sphere, tapping it with one phalange. “Yeah, I’m positive. If humans had anythin’ like boss monsters, she’d be one fer sure.”

Asgore put down his cup. “And this extraordinary young woman also happens to be the child we knew as Kris? Is that correct?”

“Yep. She’s proven it beyond any doubt ta both me and Undyne.” Somehow, Sans doubted Asgore had made her hold the goddamned rock while she talked. “The others forced 'er to lie about bein’ a boy, but everythin’ else about her was real. She didn’t wanna leave here at all, and as soon as she got her memories back, she started figurin’ out how to come back with me. It happened sooner than we planned ‘cause the King tried ta sell some monsters out from under her. She got so pissed off that she broke the law and brought ‘em here on her own.”

“Got her memories b—ah, yes. Undyne said they were taken from her at the convent.” Asgore’s foot patted the floor a few times. “How old was she when she first visited?” he asked, with a new edge to his voice.

Sans frowned. “She said she was ten. She just looked a lot younger ‘cause they weren’t feedin’ ‘er. Why?”

Another slow pat, pat of fur on carpet. “Undyne overheard someone say the High Priestess was King Stephin’s illegitimate daughter. Do you believe this to be true?”

The giant skeleton looked at the blue stone, studying the patterns swirling in its depths. “I’ve seen how the King acts with her, and the guy I was talkin’ to had no reason ta lie. Puttin’ everything together, yeah, it makes total sense.”

There was no response. Sans glanced up. To his surprise, Asgore was staring into his teacup, his brow furrowed; the King set the cup and saucer down so hard that it sloshed all over the table. Sans had never seen him spill his tea before. “What about her other personal connections?” he asked brusquely. “Other friends and family?”

“Uh…” Sans craned his neck around to see if Alphys understood what was going on, but she was pushing her glasses up and looking at him in equal bewilderment. “Well, she’s got a bunch of half-siblings from the King, but she’s not real close with any of ‘em. One actually tried to kill ‘er while I was there.” Asgore blinked in astonishment, and Sans nodded grimly. “She doesn’t have any other family. She said ‘er mom was dead, and I haven’t had a chance t’ask her any more about it. Not many friends, just some lady she knew from school an’ a lot of guys wantin’ ta marry her.” He wrinkled his nasal ridge. “A lot of guys.”

Asgore nodded again. “I see. Thank you.” He finally noticed the puddle of tea, and used the hem of his already-stained cloak to mop it up. “You’ve spent a great deal of time with her. What do you believe are her true intentions? What does she gain from freeing monsters and antagonizing the other humans?”

“Frisk doesn’t think in terms’a what she can get, Yer Majesty,” Sans said irritably. “I know she sounds too good ta be true. I thought so, too, at first. But she really wants to help us, an’ she can do it better than anyone else. She’s already taught me how ta make fertilizer and a bunch of other stuff to improve our crop yields, and she’s got a whole plan t’get us outta slavery fer good—I’ll let ‘er lay it out for you whenever ya talk with ‘er.” He tossed the sphere from hand to hand a few times, then curled his fingers around it. “Did Undyne tell you about the farm on the river?”

The King stroked his beard. “She did, but I have difficulty believing it. I’ve seen that property myself, and I can’t fathom anyone buying it out of pure altruism.”

“’s not just altruism. She wanted t’do it before she even knew she’d been here as a kid, but now she remembers us an’ how much we all cared about her.” Asgore half-smiled in acknowledgment. With considerable effort, Sans forced himself off that tangent, concluding, “Frisk’s the real deal, Majesty. Turnin’ her down ‘cause she’s human would be the dumbest thing you’ve ever done.”

The King sat back, eyes narrowed, and Alphys made a more-than-usually nervous sound. Sans fidgeted with the sphere. “Anythin’ else, Yer Majesty? I wanna get back home.”

Asgore’s gaze shifted from him to the diminutive scientist. “Do you have any questions, Dr. Alphys?”

For the first time, Alphys came around to stand in front of Sans. “Um…d-do you think she’d let me s-study her magic? I just c-can’t believe a human could be that p-powerful.”

Sans shrugged. “On the way here, she hid us with a barrier that kept people from seein’ or hearing me ‘n the wagons for over ten minutes straight. They couldn’t even tell the barrier was there.”

The King looked him, and at the sphere. Sans was rolling it around on his metacarpals at Alphys’ eye level, daring either of them to say he was lying. When Asgore remained silent, the scientist asked, “What else have you s-seen her do that m-most humans can’t?”

“Be a good person,” Sans mumbled, but the stone’s magic prodded him, and he had to add, “Here’s somethin’ weird. I was checkin’ on ‘er after she used up all ‘er magic on that barrier, and I ended up givin’ her a bunch of my magic by accident.”

Alphys’ jaw dropped. “You did what?” the King demanded.

Fuck. “Not like havin’ a kid or anything,” the skeleton said hurriedly. “I just…she’d been sick right before we left, so she was already a little run down, an’ I didn’t want us ta be stuck out there without ‘er magic.” That was true enough, but he had to physically stop himself from saying exactly how worried he had been. “I picked ‘er up, and next thing I knew, she was fresh as a daisy ‘n I was passing out. The exact same thing happened a few hours ago, right before I zapped us inta the Ruins.”

“I see.” Somewhat mollified, the King stroked his beard again. “Was she able to use any of your abilities, or did she convert your power into magic of her own?”

“She put a barrier up with it, so it was all her.” As he’d told Frisk way back in his prison cell, monsters were useless when it came to barriers; even if a human stole their magic and tried to use it to fuel a barrier, it wouldn’t stick. “Givin’ it away didn’t hurt me at all. It was jus’ like I’d been workin’ really hard, and I was fine the next day. I’m still a little tired from last time, but I feel like I just need ta get home ‘n go to sleep.”

“Hm.” At least Asgore looked thoughtful now, not angry or alarmed. “Has she ever passed any magic to you in a similar fashion?”

Something came into his mind and straight out his mouth: “No, but we did share a dream where she was able t’touch me, even though we were way far apart. Think that has somethin’ ta do with it?” Argh, that stupid fucking stone—

Luckily, this information didn’t seem to make as big an impression. Asgore just shook his head, looking helplessly at the scientist. “What do you think of all this, Doctor?”

“Hmmm…” The reptilian monster folded her arms. “The humans’ royal family has always had the g-gift of magic. She didn’t get any training as a ch-child, did she?” Sans shook his head. “That means it kept growing until she c-came to the Underground, and this environment p-probably stimulated it further. Humans who don’t use their magic as children will usually h-have more power as adults, and her magic didn’t manifest as anything d-destructive, so she was able to w-wait until the optimal time to learn how to use it.”

The King picked up the teapot. “How is she able to turn a monster’s power directly to her own use? And what about the shared dream?”

“I d-don’t think she’d be able to do that with a regular m-monster, Your Majesty. I think it’s because a boss monster’s S-SOUL is powerful enough that he had magic to spare, and his intention for her t-to have enough magic to p-protect them was the impetus.” She turned to Sans. “Have you been in proximity to her at another t-time when she needed m-magic and you wanted her to have m-more, or was this the first time those c-conditions existed?”

The skeleton thought it over, and had to shake his head. “Nah, this was the first time we were in that bad a situation. So, it’s not gonna keep happenin’ at random? It’s just ‘cause she needed it an’ I wanted her ta have some?” And we were cozying up? he managed not to add.

“I th-think so. It doesn’t hurt that you’ve spent so much time around each other, or that she’s been to the Underground and already l-likes monsters. Given that and your naturally strong c-capabilities, that could explain how her body was able to internalize your magic and express it for her own p-purposes. The same factors would facilitate physical c-c-contact in your dream.”

Sans nodded as calmly as he could, clamping his jaws shut as the truth spell urged him to say something about wanting to give her a lot more magic on purpose.

“Fascinating,” Asgore murmured. He absently picked something out of his beard. “All things considered, it doesn’t sound like she poses an immediate threat to any of us, and we may well benefit from her presence. Therefore, I will trust your judgment and Undyne’s, and allow her to stay for now. However, I will hold both of you responsible for her actions. Is that clear?”

“Sure, Yer Majesty.” Sans held the stone out to Alphys, who slipped into her coat pocket. “I’m gonna get goin’ now, if that’s all right.”

“Absolutely,” the King said, getting to his feet. “Welcome back.” He started to extend his hand, but withdrew it as Sans hopped up and started toward the door, hands in his pockets.

“I-I’ll see you out,” Alphys said quickly, covering the awkward moment. “If you’ll e-excuse me, Your Majesty—”

Asgore nodded, sinking back to the couch. A glance over his shoulder puzzled Sans: instead of being mad at the deliberate slight, the King was scowling and staring at nothing again, obviously back to his unhappy thoughts.

For once, Alphys went straight ahead of him, holding the door wide and closing it right behind them. “I didn’t w-want to ask this in f-front of King Asgore,” she stage-whispered up at him, and Sans obligingly knelt to hear her better. “Everything you were saying about exchanging your m-magic—are you…um…”

Sans gestured impatiently. “Spit it out, Al. Like I said, I’m not gonna—”

“A-are you in love with Frisk?!”

…Well, shit. Sans had forgotten how invested Alphys could get in any kind of narrative, and how quickly she’d pounce on any hint of romantic feelings between anyone, fictional or not. When he failed to immediately deny it, the scientist’s face nearly split in triumphant glee. “I knew it! The way y-you were going on, trying not t-to say too much—it was b-better than a whole p-play!”

“Shhh!” he hissed, though no one was even in sight, much less earshot. “Come on, Al! What would that even matter?!”

“Are you k-k-kidding me? Direct magical c-conversion doesn’t happen every day! It’s only possible between m-monsters in a reproductive context, and I’ve never heard of it at all between a monster and a h-human! Y-you gave it to her and sh-she used it twice!” The scientist slapped her own face and rocked side to side so gleefully that Sans thought she was going to keel over. “Everything I said to His M-Majesty was true, b-but there’s n-no way your magic could be interchangeable unless your SOULs had developed an incredibly strong b-b-bond!” Something like a tiny squeal. “I c-can’t b-believe this! You’ve g-g-got to promise me to b-bring her here tomorrow so I can s-see it for myself!”

“She was gonna come visit you anyway!” Sans protested. “I’m not puttin’ a show on for ya, okay? You can just study her magic!”

Alphys dropped her arms and gave him a look that made him more nervous than the entire interview with the King combined. “What?” he asked warily.

She held up one claw, then pulled a small device out of her coat. It was a square of glass set on a rod only a few inches long, framed with stones in eight colors. The scientist rubbed the white one and held it up as the glass came alive, flowing and surging within its frame like a drop of oil on water. “Hold s-still, please.”

Sans allowed Alphys to peer through the glass to check his SOUL, wishing more than ever that he could see it for himself. “How’s it lookin’?” he inquired carelessly, fooling neither of them. “What’s my LV?” A remarkably stupid question: it had been 20 for four or five years now, and LV didn't go any higher than that.

The scientist stared for so long that Sans had to reach down and tap her on the head. “Hellooo? Alphys? Ya there?”

Alphys didn’t move, except to say, faintly, “It’s 17.”

A very long pause. “I must be misunderstandin’ something,” Sans finally rumbled, “‘cause yer makin’ it sound like I lost a few LV. That doesn’t happen.”

“Be honest,” said Alphys, still staring. “How many p-people did you k-k-kill when you were with the h-humans?”

“Uh…one. Just…one. Someone who was tryin’ really hard ta murder her right in front’a me.” It was true, no matter how hard he thought about it. He hadn’t killed that group of poachers on his way back from bringing Snowdrake to the Underground, or even the fucking bastard who’d said something about her and called him names right to his face. “What does it matter? How would I even lose EXP? It’s not like I un-killed anyone!��

Alphys was starting to grin again. “I, er, w-won’t ask too many p-p-personal questions, but…do you feel…nicer when y-you’re around her?”

Sans scowled, but it was hard to keep up. “Are you sayin’ I’m gettin’ so mushy that it’s knockin’ my LV down? Remember the part where that’s literally impossible?!”

“These don’t l-lie, Sans.” The scientist waved the device at him. Sobering, she said, “I don’t th-think we should mention this to Asgore. He’s still a little, um, t-touchy about humans and m-m-monsters.”

“Agreed,” Sans mumbled.

She grimaced, and fiddled with the device, staring at the ground. “Um...d-does she still like p-plays? At all?”

Sans didn't know what to say. “If it'd make you happy, then yeah, I guess she does.”

“Hmm. I think y-you're probably right.” Alphys smiled in a quiet way he didn't usually see, then gave him that knowing look again, tucking the glass back into her coat. “I have a p-proposition for you. Just let me track your LV when you come here with Frisk tomorrow, and I won’t s-say anything strange to her about your SOULs. D-deal?”

He didn’t bother accusing her of blackmail: it was blackmail. Sans tried to look very scary, but she just folded her stubby arms at him until he stood up, said, “It’s too fuckin’ hot out here. See ya,” and was gone.

 ~

 “Wow,” said Undyne. “That’s…wow.”

“Indeed,” murmured Toriel. She took another bite of apple, dabbing her mouth with the household’s single clean napkin. “You opened the box, and reclaimed your memories?”

Frisk nodded, cheeks glowing. “It’s been very hard,” she said, unable to keep a little quaver out of her voice.

This was honestly not what she'd had in mind. She'd planned to tell Toriel everything that had happened with Sans, explaining her mission and her plans for humans and monsters, and what a peaceful future could look like; instead, the former Queen had asked a few questions about her personal life, and now Frisk couldn't stop talking about it.

Toriel took her hand, breaking her out of her guilty thoughts, and Frisk smiled at her gratefully. “I think I’ve cried more in the past week or so than I have in the past year,” the priestess confessed. Not to mention more hugs in the last three weeks than the past three years. “So far, the second fortune seems to be coming true. Making it to the Underground was one of the hardest parts, so we’ll see how my plan might work from here on. And…” She coughed. “I’m not ashamed of what else might happen, I just…”

The air in the room got a little more heavy, the silence more complicated. They were sitting around the table in the chairs Undyne had charged out to grab from someone else’s house; Frisk had been feeling so emotional in general, and so grateful to have two other women to confide in, that she’d told them nearly everything, including the fortunes and the bit about having a child very soon. Undyne was visibly working up to the giant, inevitable question of “Who?” when the boss monster shook her head. “I hope, Frisk, that you’ll think very carefully before you make any decisions of that magnitude,” Toriel said disapprovingly.

Frisk was about to answer when all three women stopped, looked at the kitchen, glanced at each other, and did a sort of collective shrug. Toriel cleared her throat. “Besides abstinence, of course, do you know the steps you should take in order to avoid that outcome?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Frisk replied. Undyne looked lost, but Frisk wasn’t in the mood to explain human biology and birth control—it was awkward enough having to say why she needed to bring her bag with her to the bathroom. She also planned to never ask Toriel whether she thought a run-of-the-mill contraceptive would be sufficient against a boss monster’s magic.

“Well,” Undyne said firmly, moving on, “if it’s a big damn family you want, we’re not going anywhere.”

“Stop it, or I’m going to cry again,” Frisk scolded her, and they chuckled.

There was a more comfortable silence as they finished the last of the apples. “I hope this goes without saying, but if there is anything I can do for you while you are here, my child, you need only ask,” Toriel said, dabbing at her fur again.

“Actually,” said Frisk, “I would like a favor. We brought two wagons with us. One of them has gifts for everyone, and the other has a few provisions and my herbal supplies. Could you please check whether they’ve been inspected, and when we can go unload them?”

Toriel hesitated. Frisk understood why: it was a more official duty than Toriel had performed in a while. “I know it’s a lot to ask,” the human said, “but…”

“For you, dear, I will.” The boss monster sighed deeply. “I’d better do so now.” She folded the napkin and pushed her chair back. “Will you take her home with you, Captain?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I—” Undyne’s face fell. “Oh. Uh. Actually, my house is…”

Toriel sighed again. Frisk couldn’t help grinning. “Did you burn it down, or wreck it?”

“It was a training exercise that got too awesome,” the Captain said proudly. “I regret nothing! But, uh, I don’t have a house. I’ve been crashing with Papyrus.” She thumped the table. “Don’t worry, Frisk, I’ll stick with you. I’d do it even if His Majesty hadn’t ordered me to!”

Frisk winced, recalling what Sans had told her about the royal pair’s falling-out. A moment later, the fish monster caught herself and winced.

Sure enough, the former Queen’s hands were now gripping her robe, her eyes distant. “Did he?” she inquired. “How typical. Heaven forfend he speak to you or protect you himself, my child.” The boss monster shook her head. “You may either stay here or at the inn tonight, but starting tomorrow, my child, I’d like you to stay with me in the Ruins. You’re very welcome, too, Undyne.”

“But—” Frisk wished she could stuff the word back into her mouth as the monsters looked at her curiously. Somehow, she couldn’t bring herself to say that that was too far from Sans. “We’ll see,” she said lamely.

Undyne nodded. Toriel studied Frisk for a moment before saying, “All right, then. I’ll check on the wagons before I head home. Good night, dear.” She got to her feet, giving Frisk another hug. “Sleep well, Undyne—” She raised her voice. “I don’t know why you’ve been lurking back there, Sans, but I hope you also sleep well.”

“Yeah, I know it’s your house, boss, but eavesdropping is creepy,” Undyne said in the kitchen’s general direction. “Good night, Your Majesty. It’s, uh…it’s good to see you again.”

Toriel smiled a little, and let herself out.

The giant skeleton emerged from the back room, grumbling something about privacy. “Oh, bullcrap,” the fish monster retorted. “It’s not our fault your magic’s so damn strong. A kid could’ve felt it when you came in.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Sans went into the living room and stretched out on the floor, looking at them upside down. “I see Tori got my note. Must’a woke ‘er when I knocked.”

Frisk and Undyne exchanged nods of agreement to not tell him what’d happened. “How’d it go with Asgore?” asked the latter.

“Pretty much what I expected. He made me use a damn truth stone, but at least now he knows I wasn’t lyin’ about Frisk wantin’ ta help everyone.”

Undyne scowled. “That sucks.” She sniffed. “You know what? It reeks in here. I don't mind it, but Frisk deserves better. C'mon, pu—Frisk, we're going to the inn.”

The priestess glanced at Sans, who looked as irate as she felt. “Maybe—”

“That's great. Night, boss!”

It was no use. Twelve minutes later, Frisk was staring at her reflection in the hotel's bathroom mirror, listening to Undyne's energetic nighttime routine in the next room.

The human sighed as dramatically as she could, turning out the light. Oh, well. At least she'd be able to get some sleep.

 ~

 Frisk was too tired to sleep.

For one thing, her brain just wouldn't stop berating her for not sleeping, and for being at all unhappy. She'd made it Underground! She was home! She'd hugged Toriel just a few minutes ago; Undyne was in the next room; the abused monsters were all safe with their families; Sans and Papyrus' house was in easy walking distance...

It was wonderful. It was everything she'd wanted so much as a child that she'd had to forget it to even function again.

...But she couldn't sleep, because she couldn't scoot over and curl up against her giant, grouchy apprentice, which he...probably still was? They hadn't talked about that. They hadn't talked about several things that they really should have already. She'd been exactly brave and tipsy enough the other night to convey her intentions, but that had been pretty one-sided. Just for fun, Frisk tried saying it to herself: I gave him homework to do before he can have sex with me. It...didn't sound better in her head.

She heaved a sigh and burrowed under the thick hotel pillows to escape her own thoughts. Could this situation be any more ridiculous? How many steps had they skipped in a normal courtship? Was it even a courtship if he was both desperate and terrified to touch her?

She didn't care. She just wished he was here.

Frisk must have dozed off like that, because when she sat up, the pillows tumbled off the bed. “Sans?” she whispered.

Something rustled by the door. The priestess fumbled for the lamp, but her hand encountered bone as he reached it first.

It should have been a lovely moment, but the light clicking on forced her to throw the covers over her head. Sans chuckled, giving her a little shiver. "Nice ta see you, too," he murmured.

Now Frisk was squinty and self-conscious. There had been just enough room in her satchel for her oldest, frumpiest, most easily wadded-up nightgown; she'd also forgotten to pack a hairbrush, and the hotel only had huge, saw-toothed ones for monster fur. “What are you doing here?” she asked, sounding more petulant than she meant to.

Pause. "Leavin', I guess," he said in evident displeasure.

"No!" Frisk flew out of the covers and grabbed for his wrist. "I'm sorry! Don't—"

"Hey, hey, easy," Sans said gently, sitting on the floor and smoothing her hair out of her eyes. Frisk moved over on her knees to bury her face in the white fur of his collar, and he rested his hand on her back. She missed the soft, disbelieving smile that crossed his face. "Just wanted t'check on ya. 's kinda weird bein' back in my stinky ol' bachelor pad with just me 'n Pap."

"I bet," Frisk said, petting the fur on his collar. "I wish we could find another bed big enough for you. Mine's been in that room for a couple of centuries at the very least, so it's not going anywhere."

He snorted. "I don't think my room's even big enough ta hold it. The whole room'd just be bed." They both considered this, and he said, "Honestly, I'd be okay with that," to which she had to nod agreement.

It was quiet, except for the snoring next door. "Is Papyrus still asleep?" asked Frisk.

"Yeah. I hope Tori got the wagons taken care of so we can feed 'im tomorrow." Sans lifted both pillows back onto the bed. "I'd be okay, 'cept ya went an' got me used to eatin' every day, so..."

"I'm not sorry." Frisk yawned. She was getting hungry for something more substantial than apples, but knew better than to ask. It was impossible to forget the fear of not knowing when she'd eat again; she had to remind herself that she wouldn't die from missing a couple of meals, and that the monsters had been living this way for years. If she had her way, it wouldn't be for much longer!

Sans was playing with the ends of her hair. "So..."

"Mm-hmm." Despite herself, Frisk was relaxing, her legs complaining about having to keep her upright. It'd been a very long day, and the little tugs on her scalp felt wonderful.

The giant skeleton nodded vaguely. "Alphys wants t'see ya," he mumbled. "She missed you, a'course, but she mostly doesn't believe me 'bout your magic bein' super-duper amazing." Frisk made a pleasantly indifferent sound. "And..." She felt him tense up. "You were right."

"About what?" she asked, opening her eyes, not quite looking up at him.

"Alphys checked my LV—ever heard of it?" She shook her head. "It stands for 'level of violence,' which is exactly what it sounds like. Monsters figured out how ta quantify it a long time ago, 'n mine's been 20 for years an' years. If it could go higher than that, I'd probably be in the forties or fifties by now. Well..." Deep breath. "It's gone down to 17."

"Hm." Frisk scratched her nose where a few white strands were tickling it. "Is it usually difficult to lower it?"

That must not have been the reaction Sans was looking for: he growled at her under his breath, withdrawing his hand. "It's not 'difficult,' kitten-pants, it's impossible. LV is what it is. There's no take-backs on killin' people. I shouldn't be so spoiled by livin' in a nice place with a nice lady an' nice food that I somehow got less evil. It doesn't work like that."

"You're not evil, Sans. You're not perfect, and you have done a lot of terrible things—" He grunted, and she persisted, "—but that doesn't mean you're irredeemable. If you were, you wouldn't care if you were evil or not."

He grunted again, which was not the answer she was looking for. Frisk poked his sternum. "I think you're looking at it the wrong way. You've been absorbing years of accumulated negativity down here, haven't you? What if you've been...I don't know, negating it with better emotions, or maybe sloughing it off like Gaster said? Would that account for your LV going down?"

He just shrugged, and she retaliated with more poking. "Then tell me this: did you kill anyone yesterday, before Undyne attacked you?"

His massive ribcage swelled, carrying her outward and back in as he sighed. "No. One guy said somethin' gross, so I stabbed 'im in the foot. That was it."

She believed him. "And if you'd encountered him a month ago, would you only have stabbed him in the foot?"

The orange of his eyes dimmed. "...No. I'd'a killed him an' all of his buddies, no questions asked."

"All right, then." Frisk absently ran a finger down his ribs, pausing halfway down as he twitched. Was he ticklish? "That's another thing: if your magic's poisonous, why didn't I get sick and die when you gave me some of it?"

The skeleton laughed, short and harsh, nudging her hand away. "I barely even know how ya got it in the first place, sweetheart. Don't ask me why it worked or didn't work a certain way. 'm still not okay with just goin' for it the ol'-fashioned way an' hopin' you'll be fine."

That was the second time he'd called her that. Frisk's heart was in her throat. There was no wine or home-ground advantage here; she had to jump right in. "So..." She tried to sound playful, and was pretty sure she just sounded nervous. "Is that a 'no' after all? You don't ever want to try it? I know you haven't had much chance to practice what I asked, but..."

He had stopped moving—no breathing, nothing. The priestess pulled back a little. "Sans?"

"Then what?" he rumbled.

Frisk's hackles rose. "What do you mean, 'then what'?"

"I mean, what happens if we do it 'n I don't kill ya? Then what?"

It was a reasonable question, and she'd just been telling herself they needed to talk about it. Now that she had to answer, though, her mind was a roaring blank. "...Then...that would be...good?"

His hand flattened across her back and shoulders. "Yeah. At the very least, you could cross it off the list of stuff that's gotta happen for monsters t'go free. Sucks that gettin' knocked up is part of the deal.” Snort. “Maybe it's not too late ta find someone you'd actually want the kid to look like. You've still got a zillion guys ta pick from. There's, what, a month left before the timing starts t'get—"

The priestess pushed away hard, ignoring the pain in her chest. "What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, sitting back to stare up at him. "Is it supposed to be some kind of joke? Or are you saying I'd sleep with anyone in order to make everything else happen?"

He blinked, realizing exactly what he'd said. "Uh. When ya put it like that..." The skeleton tried to shrug. "Heh. Nah, I was...I was just kiddin'."

"No, you weren't!" She jerked a hand upward and snapped her fingers twice, creating a bubble in which she could convey her thoughts at the proper volume. "I know what a joke sounds like, and that wasn't it!"

Sans scratched the back of his skull, bone grating on bone. "Fuck. I didn't mean—"

"You didn't mean what?" Frisk was too tired and hormonal for this! "What kind of shallow, selfish, irresponsible moron do you think I am, Sans?!"

"I don't!" The giant skeleton held up his hands, scooting back against the wall. "Wouldja calm down? Yer not dumb, or shallow, or whatever, and ya gotta be the least selfish person ever! Jus' forget about it, okay?"

"No!" She glared at him till he couldn't meet her eyes. "What were you trying to say? Was it, 'Frisk, I am concerned that you're rushing a major life decision for both of us based on something someone told you at a street fair, and I would like to discuss the long-term consequences, such as the ramifications of a child being half human and half boss monster'?"

"Yes! Exactly! ...Pretty much!"

"Then why didn't you say that? Why frame it as me being a shallow, selfish, irresponsible moron?!" The pain in her chest was getting worse. "No, don't answer that! Here's a better question: are you really that insecure? Do you honestly believe that the only reason anyone could ever love you was because they had to?!"

Sans looked as if the universe had crashed to a standstill. His eyes had gone blank, and his mouth moved a little, but nothing came out.

Frisk cleared her throat and swept her hair behind her ears, face burning. "I know you can't change how you think of yourself overnight, but until you do, I'm not going to sit here and let you insult me or you like that," she said, soft but firm. "Is that understood?"

No answer. His gobsmacked expression didn't change; in fact, he wasn't moving at all.

Despite herself, Frisk wanted to laugh. Poor Sans. He hadn't expected that word, had he? Purely to snap him out of it, the priestess said, "If you really can't make up your mind, then tell me so I can find someone e—"

"No!"

It was Frisk's turn to sit very still as the echoes died away. The boss monster glanced up at the barrier. He shook his head violently, scrubbed his face in both hands, and let his head drop back against the wall. "Look, I'm...I didn't think I was still so damn scared, okay? I thought I was gettin' over it, but when we're actually talkin' about this stuff, I—"

"You don't think I'm scared? I'm the one who's having a child!" If she had to spell it out for him further, then so be it: "Listen to me, Sans. I'm not doing any of this because a fortune told me to. It just helped me figure out how to get what I already wanted. Do you understand?"

His sockets slowly widened, his entire skull reddening, and now her face was hot again. "It's your turn to say something," Frisk mumbled.

Her apprentice rolled his head sideways, eyes flicking toward her, as if he'd scare her off by looking for too long. "So...ya really..." His voice faded and didn't come back.

Frisk desperately wanted to hug him again. Instead, she sighed, rubbed her breastbone – was it heartburn? – and summoned all her priestessliness to say, "Here's what I'd like to happen, Sans. We'll still be friends, I'll be your teacher, and you'll remain my bodyguard until we both decide otherwise. If you make up your mind and decide you want more than that,you need to tell me when you're ready. I won't bother you about it again."

Sans shifted his weight, but didn't answer. The priestess turned onto her side away from him, cuddling a pillow to her midsection—stress always made her cramps worse. "It's very late. In fact, at this point, it's very early. Please go and see if the wagons have been brought in, and have the gifts and the herbal supplies moved to Snowdin. The food can be distributed wherever it's most needed." She didn't hold in a yawn. "I'm going to sleep in for as long as Undyne lets me. We'll come to your house as soon as we're both up. All right?"

No response. "All right," she said. A click of her tongue, and the barrier was gone. Frisk got under the covers, rearranging the other pillow under her head. "Turn out the light, please."

Silence. The light clicked off. She heard him move toward the bed; something smooth touched her cheek, and without thinking, Frisk reached up and clasped his forefinger. "Good night, Sans."

His hand slipped away. Her chest hurt so much that she wanted to cry again.

...He hadn't gotten up yet. Could he tell that she didn't mean the calm, logical things she'd said, and how much she wanted him to stay?

No, it wasn't his job to read her mind, and at least one of them had to be sensible about all of this. Frisk stayed quiet, burying her face in the pillow as she heard him climb to his feet.

But instead of the whisper of magic taking him away, there came a shuffling sound and a soft thump, and another shuffle and thump; a whooshing sound, the smell of leather—the boss monster was removing his slippers and his overcoat, tossing them on the floor. Frisk sat up, trying to see him in the total darkness. "Sans, what are you—"

There was a strange feeling in the air, and a sort of grunting sound, analogous to a human trying to break wind. "There. Think I got it," he said after a moment.

That was strange; he hadn't moved, but his voice sounded much closer. Thoroughly confused, Frisk edged away as he sat down on the bed. The pain in her chest had almost disappeared, but she forgot to breathe as Sans shifted even closer. The mattress creaked, and his shoulder bumped hers as he reached across her lap, resting his weight on her other side and bringing his face just a few inches away.

Frisk's heart was thumping so hard that she couldn't think straight; she didn't understand what was so different about him until she reached up to touch his cheekbone, just below the light from his sockets. Suddenly, it hit her: she could spread her fingers and cover almost the entire side of his face. "You shrunk?" she squeaked.

Sans chuckled again, and Frisk felt-lightheaded. "Ya wanted me t'work on that, right?" He placed his human-sized hand on hers. "Ta-da." Pause. "Man. It's like wearin' clothes that're way too tight. Dunno how long I can keep this up."

Still in disbelief, the priestess rubbed her thumb across his nasal ridge, feeling his breath on her forearm. That explained why his eyes were only about a foot above hers now—it was convenient, but extremely disconcerting, to say the least.

"Till then..." He took her wrist. "Here's somethin' else I wanna try."

Frisk shook her head. "What do you mean? Something like—yeep!"

"Shit!" Sans dropped her hand like a piece of red-hot metal. "Did I bite ya? 'm sorry, I—"

"No! No, I just thought..." She tried to look at her palm, which of course she couldn't in the dark, wondering if she was losing her mind.

Sans let his head drop to her shoulder; she had the impression that he was getting ahold of himself before he sat back up and reclaimed her hand. Frisk tried not to jump as it happened again: he pressed her palm to his mouth, and instead of bone, she felt something warm and soft, exactly as if he'd kissed it.

She now had no idea what to say or what to expect. It was a huge relief to be drawn safely against him, his arms winding around her, stroking her hair and down her back. "So, yeah," he murmured into her hair.

At this size, his touch was a little less gentle than usual, not as light or careful, and he was holding her tighter. Her heart was doing the glued-together thing again; like every other part of her body, it reveled in being held like this, but it wanted her to move even closer and let him squeeze her harder. "Yes?" she managed.

"So...what all did you want me t'do again? Fix the size thing, make up my mind, quit hatin' myself?" The bones of his arms and ribs were starting to dig into her as his grip tightened. "Is..." He exhaled. "I still don't like me that much, so...is two outta three okay?"

Frisk's heart soared. She put her arms around him – all the way, for once – and let him bury his face in her neck, nearly crushing her against his ribcage. He was definitely hurting her now, but she didn't care—if anything, it wasn't enough. "Maybe," she said into his shoulder, playing with the folds of his shirt, which he obviously hadn't figured out how to downscale with the rest of him. "You don't have to be as confident as Papyrus, but are you willing to at least tolerate yourself?"

The skeleton shook his head a little, as if trying to rattle the words loose, then raised it enough to say, "I 'unno. 'm pretty lazy, an' it sounds like a lotta work."

"There you go again!" Frisk tugged on the shirt for emphasis. "You're not lazy. You've done so much for me and for the other monsters—would it kill you to do something for your sake?"

A long pause, ending on a shaky sigh. "Can I start with yer sake, maybe work up to mine?"

She closed her eyes, melting a little. "Deal." It was incredibly tempting to tell him how cute he was, but she didn't want to risk embarrassing him enough to start a full-blown pout. And as long as they were doing this... "Would you turn the light back on, please?"

A short pause. "Don't wanna."

"Why?" Inspiration struck: "I know I look awful, but you can just close your eyes."

"Wha—what kind of stupid crap is that? You—"

"Ha! You see?" She poked him in a random rib. "See what it's like?"

"Ha, ha, lady," Sans growled in her ear, making her pulse flutter again. He shifted his weight without letting her go. "'s not you, dummy. 'Sides, I can see pretty well in the dark already, 'member? I just figure I look goofy as hell, all bones and then this fleshy stuff hangin' off my mouth. At least ya can't see my tongue when I've got it out."

"Your...oh." Frisk's face was even warmer. "So that's what that was." Well, that was good to know. If he was worrying about how he looked with lips on, then that meant he planned to keep them on, which meant...

"Yep. I figured it out from bein' human. Wasn't that hard." Sans ran his phalanges over her scalp, and stopped dead at the sound she made. "Wouldja knock it off? I can't think straight when ya do that."

"Do what?" A sudden, kittenish impulse made Frisk run her nail down the back of his skull.

He growled again, much deeper. "That does it." Before she could react. Sans' fingers wound themselves into her hair, metacarpals spread in a loose grasp on the back of her head. She swallowed very hard, but let him tip her face up to his and lean in. His mouth brushed her lips, the lightest touch—

Frisk made another small sound, and to her frustration, his head snapped up. "What's wrong?" he demanded. "'s not my fault I don't know what I'm doin', I'm just tryin' not ta—"

He stopped as Frisk took his head in both hands. "Nothing's wrong. Now do it again," she whispered.

With a blink, and a deep breath, Sans let her pull him down to touch mouths again, but only for a moment before he ducked his head and dropped both hands for the first time. "You know...maybe this ain't such a good idea." She'd never heard him sound like this—not angry, but so self-conscious that he couldn't bring himself to look at her, even in the dark. "There's gotta be other stuff I can do fer—"

"Sans," she said, and when his eyes cut back to her, Frisk rose on her knees, groped around for the back of his skull, and leaned down to kiss him so hard that he had to catch himself before she knocked him over. Whatever magic he was using felt real enough to her: warm and yielding, it offered just enough resistance for him to kiss her back as his arms came up again, almost shyly.

She enjoyed the slow, deliberate movements for several seconds, then paused, silently daring him to stop; she was almost immediately rewarded with a hand threading its way back into her hair, pulling hard enough for a very nice twinge of pain. His other arm circled her waist, and Frisk scowled as his head moved down again. But a moment later, something sharp grazed her neck, and she cried out, grabbing blindly to keep him there.

Luckily, Sans seemed to have gotten the point. He chuckled, an almost predatory sound; something hot and damp trailed up the curve of her throat and along her jawline, his grip on her hair holding her in place so he could lick her neck again, and again, pressing his tongue hard enough to send chills and heat racing through her.

The boss monster let his teeth drift over her skin once more, a little edge of fear sharpening the pleasure. He nipped here and there, careful to lick anywhere he'd bitten too hard, until he misjudged and made her gasp aloud. When he paused to check on her, Frisk shook her head and leaned into him, humming the tiniest bit of encouragement.

That was all the invitation he needed: the world spun as Sans lowered her to the mattress, shoving the pillows aside and discreetly hitching up his baggy trousers. Frisk allowed him to settle himself most of the way on top of her, breathing deeply into the crook of her neck and giving it a few gentle laps. "You didn't mean it, didja?" he said, barely audible.

The priestess swallowed, trying to remember what the hell he was talking about. "I don't—"

He nuzzled her cheek, his phalanges tracing her collarbone. "I know ya didn't really mean it, findin' someone else if I couldn't make up my mind, 's just kinda..."

Frisk sighed impatiently. "I meant literally everything I said except for that."

Tap, tap went his fingers on her shoulder. "Everythin', huh?"

"All of it." Frisk rested her cheek on him. Compared to the incident in the bathroom, when all that had set him off was a glimpse of bare skin, he seemed in complete control of himself; maybe that was another reason he'd wanted the lights off. Either way, she wondered what would happen now. Was he going to go back to his house right away? Cuddle with her till Undyne got up? At this time of the month, it wasn't as if they could—

"'Kay," said Sans, with a different note in his voice. He shifted upward and kissed her again, more confident. Frisk started to speak, but forgot it when his tongue flicked against her lower lip, his hand working its way under her head. Her arms draped around his shoulders as her lips parted, and the feeling of his tongue sliding into her mouth made her whole body turn to plaster itself against him.

Letting him taste her was so absorbing that it took Frisk a minute to realize what his other hand was doing. The backs of his fingers stroked down her neck and along her collarbone, but they didn't stop there; his phalanges deliberately traced the side of her breast, and she was tingling in anticipation when his hand kept right on going to her waist, reaching under her thigh to pull it up so he could—

Frisk went rigid and shoved at his clavicle. The moment her mouth was free, she emitted a steady stream of "Waitwaitwaitwait!"s that brought him up short.

Very reluctantly, he sat up, and she grabbed a pillow to hold between them as an extremely ineffectual barrier. "What the fuck?" the boss monster snarled.

She could have slapped him. "Don't give me that!" she snarled right back. "No one said we were going any further than that, and we can't right now!"

Sans was panting so hard that she could feel it heating the entire pillow. "Okay," he said, trying very poorly to sound reasonable. "Right. Asgore, destiny, can't get knocked up yet blah blah—"

Well, at least she was too angry to be embarrassed. "It's not just that! I've got my period, Sans. You know, menstruation? Did you come across it in any of my books?"

He blinked again, this time in thought. "Yeah. Is that how you say that word? I think I was drunk when I read about it." He shook his head. "So you're...what now?"

God damn it. "I'm bleeding from the exact place where you were going. It's technically possible to go ahead and have sex anyway, but I'm tired, and it already hurts a little, and it would make a horrible mess, and I would completely hate it. That's why the answer is 'no' for at least four or five more days, and then there's Asgore and destiny blah blah. Understood?"

Sans' ardor seemed to have cooled. "Yeah, I get it," he said grudgingly. "Here, close yer eyes."

Frisk thought he was trying to go in for another kiss, but a moment later, the light clicked on. From behind the pillow, she felt another strange pulse of magic. "There. Man, that's better." His clothes shuffled; when her eyes had adjusted enough to look at him, he was back to his usual stature.

She waited, very patiently, and he eventually glanced at her. "So...d'ya want me ta leave?" A beat of silence. "Forever?"

"Of course not, unless you want me to think that you're not interested anymore," Frisk said before she could stop herself.

Squint. Glare. "Is this another thing where you're makin' up stupid crap ta prove a point?" She looked away, and Sans smacked his forehead. "Shit on a brick! No, I'm not ditchin' you 'cause I can't get laid right this second! I just figured..." Squirm. "That was really...y'know..." He sat down again, face glowing. "'m sorry. Did I hurt ya?"

Frisk winced. Now that the mood was officially gone, her neck was starting to feel distinctly chewed-upon, but she didn't want to talk about that. "No, I just meant my period. It's normal to have some pain or discomfort as your body's getting rid of certain things. Basically, it's Nature's punishment for not having a baby yet."

"Wow. That sucks big time." Scratch, scratch. "So...what can I do right now to not get in any more trouble?" he asked slowly.

The priestess gave him a wan smile. "That's an excellent question, but the answer is that you're not really in trouble. If you hadn't stopped when I said to..." She drew a finger across her throat. "But you did, and the rest of it was...fine." She smiled wider, though she couldn't quite look at him. "I think we should go to sleep now."

“Agreed.” Her heart sank as Sans stuck his feet into his slippers and retrieved his overcoat. The lamp clicked off. "Don' mind me," he said abruptly, and turned onto his side, the orange light of his eyes fading.

Frisk sat there for a moment, then climbed over the second pillow, to where his head was resting on the floor. "Good night," she said, and pulled the covers loose from the foot of the bed to get under them from the wrong end.

There was no response, but she felt him reach over to touch her cheek again. She squeezed his forefinger again as his hand rested on the bed; neither of them quite let go as they lay back down, and both swiftly fell asleep.

 ~

 Bam. Babam. BambamBANG went the door.

Frisk jerked awake as light streamed in from the hallway. "What's wrong?" demanded Undyne. "Are you sick, or—"

There was a perfectly frozen moment as the Royal Guard Captain, in her fish-print pajamas and comfiest eyepatch, stared at the High Priestess, resplendent in her rumpled nightgown and a severe case of bed-head, and then at the bleary skeleton on the floor. Then there was no skeleton on the floor, only Frisk reaching for the lamp. Undyne blinked. "Uh..."

"Good morning," Frisk said, not being casual or sheepish, because why would she? "What time is it?"

Undyne scratched her neck, sweeping her loose hair aside. "It's almost eight o'clock. Don't expect me to let you sleep this late again." She glanced at the floor, as if doubting herself. "Rough night?"

Frisk looked at her, and she said, "Yes."

"That sucks." The fish monster came into the room and opened Frisk's satchel. "Not a lot to pick from, is there? You could borrow some of my stuff, but I don't think anything would fit. You're still pretty shrimpy."

"I'd argue if I could." Frisk yawned. "I'll see if I can go shopping later. In the meantime, I should have at least one clean outfit left."

Undyne did a quick, professional sniff test, locating the gown in question and turning to hand it to her. "Here. We've got a busy day. The wagons are ready to be unloaded, and I already had 'em take out...the food...for. Uh." Her eye widened. "That's...wow."

The priestess had been feeling fairly confident that she'd avoided any awkward questions for the moment, though she was dreading the hints Undyne would drop when they got to Sans' house; that wisp of security evaporated under the Captain's stare. "Wow," she said again. "I...damn! Seriously?!"

Frisk had no idea what she—oh. Oh, God. Oh, no. No no no no no—

Undyne had the decency to let Frisk run to the bathroom and stare at herself in the mirror for the count of twenty; then she sauntered in, allowing the human time to snatch her collar up to her chin. "Yep," said Undyne. "Here's your dress." She set it on the counter.

Frisk had another pathetic little hope that that was it, until she glanced in the mirror and saw that her friend's face was completely contorted with the effort of not grinning her giant, toothy, giant grin all over the place. "Really?" Undyne asked rhetorically.

"Shut up." Frisk stared dully at the bruises and occasional tooth mark ringing her neck. "Please, please shut up."

"Pffft! Like I have to say anything!"

"Shut up, please!"

Undyne was shaking her head, not as a threat so much as sheer disbelief. "I—seriously? No offense, but, Sans? I don't believe this!" Her grin faded a little. "Well...” She shrugged. “Not that it's anyone else's business, but just so you know, this is gonna mess some people up pretty bad." The grin faded to a smirk. "There's no way we can tell Her Majesty about this, or she'll turn him into a million toothpicks." It faded a little more. "I dunno how serious you guys are, but..." The smile was gone. "I don't think His Majesty would take it that well."

"Undyne, please don't tell anyone yet," Frisk said urgently. "Sans and I agreed not to let things get too far before I've spoken to Asgore about a peace treaty, and don't give me that look! This is as far as we got!"

The Captain held up her hands. "All right! All right! I know how serious you are about makin' peace, and about all of us. I won't mess that up." She straightened and gave a sort of salute, looking very stern in her pajamas and comfiest eyepatch. "My lips are sealed."

The High Priestess nodded. "Thank you." She examined her neck again in the mirror. Undyne closed the door, still shaking her head; when she was gone, Frisk finally permitted herself to smile.

[silkylious]

Tfw you wanna be a physics major but there are so little job opportunities for that degree beyond just becoming an educator in your homeland, so you settle aiming for med school when you actually despise biology and its one of your weakest subjects + you're a female in a hella conservative, hyper masculine muslim society so you have an even lesser chance at pursuing what you're actually passionate about 😃

Long rant about education and job opportunities as a high school junior under the cut, because I am livid. Feel free to ignore.

Tl;dr:

Me: hey physics is pretty cool and I'm naturally good at it! :D I wanna be a physici-

Middle Eastern job market: No.

Me: w-wait wha- why? I don't understa-

Middle Eastern job market: No. ❤️

Me: *blinks*

Middle Eastern job market: 😊

This is honestly so out of left field, I didn't expect to be venting about this when I woke up this morning. It hasn't been lingering in my mind for a while or anything. It's just that today something weird happened.

I had fun answering my physics exam. Genuinely. Ffs it was a final, why the hell would I enjoy answering a final exam?? Something that I had been dreading for the past 24 hours suddenly made me realize just how much I love this subject, and how much I want to pursue it as a career.

But then I quickly realized that won't fucking happen. The excitement I got from finding something I was so wholly, passionately fond of, that I could turn into a career, rapidly dissipated when I remembered that there are no job opportunities for it here.

And like Im passionate about psychiatry too, but nowhere near the same level. My revelation that I want to pursue physics as a major only solidified the fact that I just settled for something that I would probably like, not something I'm authentically interested in.

And it's all because of this ongoing cycle of mediocrity. Mediocre government makes a mediocre education system that only focuses on mediocre, obligatory jobs (like engineering, accounting, medicine) and leaves no room for creative or research based jobs, which in turn pumps out mediocre employees who work for the same mediocre government and the cycle continues. It keeps going until you over saturate the job market with the same fucking jobs and unemployment booms (more than it already is) and watch your economy collapse from the inside out. We're reaching that point I feel.

There are so goddamn many humanitarians and educators flooding the job markets right now, that if you want a job that secures a good buck every month you have to turn to either medicine, engineering, accounting or law (it won't be long until those get over saturated too).

And what does that entail? Competition.

There is so much fucking competition to secure a place in a med school or an engineering school, and each year the bar raises higher and higher because of that. If you wanna secure your place in university, you have to make sure no one else outdoes you. And so overall averages continue to rise and rise until it becomes fucking ridiculous.

For example: 5 years ago my eldest brother graduated from high school with a 97.5% overall average (admittedly it's still very high), that landed him a comfortable spot taking a dentistry degree.

Last academic year, the threshold for entering one of the medical universities in Egypt was 100%, one hundred fucking percent. If you got a 99.9% average, nope, sorry bud you just didn't cut it. Try harder next time. Granted, last year was a bit of a special case with covid and exams being easier as such but that doesn't negate the point that because of the constant fear of not getting a useful degree that will secure a well-paying job, which so happens to be in a limited set of professions, students keep raising the overall averages each year. Which makes universities, who have a set number of seats, raise their entrance threshold as well.

Why should I have to get a 99.buttfuck percent to enter a decent college? what are these standards that we're setting? How much higher can we go?

And for what? The same damn jobs that people always pursue because the government is too incompetent to implement an educational system that promotes creativity and research, a government that is so codependent on other countries' goods, resources, scientific revelations because it's so flawed it can't even economically support itself? Let alone fund good education?

I fucking hate it here.

I just feel cheated at this point. I've already wasted so much of my teens doing nothing but studying because I don't wanna be left in the dust when I grow up, and it's all ultimately for nothing. Because is it even worth it? To lose countless hours of sleep, to basically murder your social life, to interact only with your family and textbooks, just to achieve a goal that was never truly yours to begin with?

And I feel a bit naive for not acknowledging this sooner. And I say acknowledge because I already knew, somewhere in the back of my mind I was aware of all of this. Anyone who lives here knows. I just never really contemplated what implications it would entail. But I suppose I never had a reason to, I mean I was convinced that I'd just go to med school, specialize in psychiatry and be all satisfied and happy, until I realized, today, that not what I really want. And maybe I didn't realize sooner because of all the conditioning this educational environment puts students through. Med school good good, other degree bad, literally all I heard from educators growing up. Fuck outta here.

End of rant I guess

[as-clear-as-crystal]

If I Couldn’t Find You (Prompt Fill)

Good morning! @theoceanismyinkwell This is to fulfill the prompt you gave me a couple months ago from the whump prompts list: "“I’m not hurt.” “You are actively bleeding.” “Oh, so I am.”

I was so happy to get a prompt; and I'm sorry it took so long to write. But! I had so much fun writing this story. It was longer than I first planned it, but I'm kind of a more is more type of person when it comes to fic. 😅

Anyway, thanks for the prompt, and I hope you enjoy! To read on AO3, click this link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24898108 

Or, click to read more...

If I Couldn’t Find You

Tony was in a great mood. He’d spent the previous evening with Pepper, and his morning with Rhodey over brunch. The two friends were just stepping out of Rhodey’s favorite cafe in Manhattan when Tony got a call. He frowned when he saw the picture that flashed on his phone, swiping his screen immediately and putting it to his ear.

Rhodey raised an eyebrow, “Who’s that?”

Tony glanced at Rhodey, “It’s Peter’s friend... Leeds, you and Pete are supposed to be at a museum; please tell me you haven’t gotten yourselves in trouble.”

“Oh. Uh. Sorry, Mr. Stark, sir, but I think Peter might be… We were outside waiting to be let into the museum this morning, and he heard something bad going down a couple blocks away. Said it sounded like a robbery? He hated just standing there listening, so he snuck off to check it out, but he’s still not back, and that was two hours ago, sir, and I’m really worried. I’ve got a bad feeling; he’s got his phone turned off. I don’t know what to do, I’m so sorry, sir...”

Tony felt like he’d been doused with ice water. Rhodey edged closer to him, eyes narrowing in concern. Tony’s mind was racing with possibilities, but he had a procedure for situations like this.

First, track the kid.

“Friday, track Peter’s suit and phone. Pull up the location when you have it.” Tony said without preamble, praying that the phone and suit and his kid were all in the same actual location. “Leeds, you did the right thing by calling me.”

“Can you… tell him to call me when you find him? Please.” Ned sounded distressed.

“Yep, that’ll be on my list of things to tell him. Catch you later, kid.” Tony hung up as Friday pinged the locations for the suit and phone.

Locations, plural. The suit being in an alley a couple blocks from the museum where Peter’s class was meant to be that day, and the phone being forty miles north of that, in some abandoned packing-house, and Tony felt like he might vomit. Instead, he tapped his chest.

“Honey Bear, I need your help,” Tony’s pleading eyes turned to Rhodey’s, just before his suit formed around him, closing him off.

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

Tony was preparing his descent on the packing house when Rhodey called him.

“I’ve got his backpack, and his suit’s here, Tones,” Rhodey reported. “But, it sounds like Pete got himself in trouble. I spoke to a couple shop owners, they said the cops were here earlier responding to an anonymous call.”

“That was Peter,” Tony informed him, “Friday told me he’d made a call, before his phone was turned off.”

“Well, the shop owner said he was being held at gunpoint - and a teenager came in to say the cops were on their way; tried to talk the gunmen into leaving. They did, but they made the kid go with them.”

“Why the hell wasn’t he in his suit?” Tony would be pulling his hair out if he could. Why did his kid insist on doing stupid shit like this? Tony was going to ground him until he was forty. Fifty. He was going to implant a tracker in his -

“The suit notifies you when he wears it. Maybe he didn’t want you to know he’d ditched his class field trip,” Rhodey suggested.

“Well, surprise. I now know. Million dollar suit and he leaves it in his backpack. I swear to God, Rhodes, I’m gonna...” Tony took a deep breath, “Can you just… I’m gonna have Happy pick you up, and meet me at this location? What else did you find out?”

“No problem; I got your back on this,” Rhodey told him. “All I know is the cops are on the lookout for an unmarked white sedan. Surveillance cameras were unable to make out the license plate, and as you can imagine thousands of cars match that description…”

“I think I found it,” Tony told him as he approached a building. A dirty white car was sloppily parked near the side entrance.

“Don’t kill anyone,” Rhodey ordered.

“No promises.”

Tony eschewed all subtlety in favor of blasting his way inside. Friday’s sensors indicated four adult males, and zero teenage idiots, inside. But the kid’s phone was there, and those men were his only lead. They started shooting first, but of course the bullets ricocheted off his suit. He registered a lot of yelling, but that didn’t matter. He blasted two of them before grabbing the nearest asshole by the collar.

“Listen, Dipshit, you have ten seconds to tell me what you did with the kid you kidnapped this morning.”

“Whoa - what kid? - Shit! Hey!” Tony lifted the man up so his feet could barely tap the floor.

“Wanna try that again, Jackass? Because if he’s disappeared, then so do you -”

“No, wait, we didn’t do anything, that kid was crazy!” The man tried fruitlessly to loosen Tony’s grip.

“The hell are you talking about? Where is he?” Tony demanded. He didn’t appreciate man’s use of the word was. “Two seconds, and I’m gonna rip off an arm.”

“You’re insane! Put me down!”

“One,” Tony snarled.

“He jumped out of the car!” The man was practically crying at that point; probably recognizing how close Tony actually was to making very good on his threats. “We were going over a bridge and he- he just jumped out! We- we- you gotta believe me, we didn’t even touch him!”

Tony took a second to breathe. Peter was Spiderman. Peter could feasibly jump out of a moving vehicle and onto a bridge and still be ok. His kid could do that. In fact, maybe it was his best option to escape these assholes. Peter would be fine. Except, if he was fine, then where was he? Why hadn’t he called anyone? He had to know by now that at least Ned would be freaking out. Peter wasn’t the kind of kid to just make his loved ones worry like that. Uncertainty was gripping Tony’s lungs like a vice.

One thing Tony did know for sure was he didn’t feel any sympathy for the man crying in his vice grip. Peter wouldn’t have been jumping out of cars at all if he hadn’t been forced into one at gunpoint.

He pulled the man’s face close to his mask. “Where?”

“Wh-where?”

“Where were you. When the kid. Jumped out. Of the goddamn car?!”

Sobbing, the man finally gave Tony an actual location, and he wasted no time incapacitating the crook, asking Friday to contact local law enforcement as he grabbed Peter’s phone from one of their pockets. Then, he was shooting like a rocket towards the kid’s last known location.

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

Tony called Rhodey in-flight.

“I’m sure he’s fine, Tones, the kid’s strong.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know he is. Just, get here soon as you can. Please.”

Tony slowed down when he approached the offending bridge. It was short, spanning over a lazy, shallow portion of a river. There was a decent amount of traffic, but it wasn’t too bad. He had Friday scanning the area as he dipped under the bridge.

Nothing. There was nothing.

Considering it had been probably approaching two hours since Peter had escaped the moving car, Tony shouldn’t have expected the kid to still be there. But, then where the hell was he? Tony flew along the bank. There was a golf course on one side and a strip mall on the other. Had Peter fallen in the river? Hit his head and drowned?

No, no, no, no. Come on Parker, I need a clue, here.

He had another minute of freaking-out searching, before a new call was being pushed through. Given Tony’s calls were all filtered by Friday, he accepted it with a guarded hopefulness.

“This is Stark.”

“H-hey, Mr. Stark! Uh, so a crazy thing happened, today. Um, please don’t freak out - ”

Tony sucked in a breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. He’d been sick over the possibility of never hearing that voice again.

Thank God. Thank God.

“Pete?! Where the hell are you? Are you hurt? Friday, track this call - take me there now. And, please get Rhodes and Happy the new coordinates... Kid? Hey, I need you to answer me, Pete. Are you hurt?”

“Oh. Ok, this is not, uh, not freaking out.”

“Parker, are you hurt?”

“NO! I’m fine, Mr. Stark, I swear, it’s - OH, God, did Ned already tell you what happened?” Peter groaned miserably. “He did, didn't he?”

Tony loved this kid so much, and he was going to kill him.

“Tell me what? That you ditched school to interrupt a robbery, without the suit that I so lovingly crafted for you - to keep you safe - and that you were abducted at gunpoint and taken out of the damn city?”

“Oh, yeah, well that’s a lot more detail than I expected Ned to know about…”

“Rhodey, Happy and I have been searching for you since Ned called me an hour ago, which was apparently two hours after he’d last seen you. I just threatened to rip the arms off of someone, because I couldn’t find you, Peter! What the hell would I do if I couldn’t find you?”

“God, Mr. Stark, I’m so sorry…” Peter sounded like he might be very close to tears, and Tony shut his mouth, clenched his fists, counted to ten… He saw Friday guiding his suit to the call’s location. It looked like some old payphone at a service station on the other side of the golf course.

“I really would’ve called sooner, Mr. Stark,” Peter was saying, “but they had my phone, and everyone I approached acted like I was gonna attack them or something, they yelled at me and some of them threatened to call the police, and I didn’t know if they’d believe me if I told them I’d just been abducted, so I hid and looked for some spare change in the golf course, and then I found this really old fashioned pay phone...”

“Ok, listen Pete, it’s ok, just breathe.” Tony was going to wrap this kid in bubble wrap. He was going to put a tracker in his watch, and in his shoes, and...

“So, can you please maybe send Happy to come get me, sir, because I don’t even have my wallet so I can’t get on the bus, and May will actually murder me if she finds out that I ditched my field trip…”

“I’m gonna get you, kid. Come on, you know I’m gonna help you. I thought we were past this… I’m almost there. So, just stay where you are…”

He heard Peter sniff on the other end. “Wait, are you in the suit?”

“Am I in the suit?” Tony rolled his eyes. “Are you serious, right now, Parker? You were kidnapped. You better damn well believe I’m in the suit.”

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

Tony descended on the service station, to see his kid - finally, thank God - in the flesh, and felt his throat tighten. He was dismayed, but not particularly surprised, to see just how much Peter had undersold his injuries. He was soaking wet, missing a shoe, and he had a bruise on his chin and across the bridge of his nose. Dried blood crusted under his nose, and a trail of blood still dripped from a cut on his forearm.

But, he was there. He was alive.

Thank God.

Tony disengaged the suit as Peter ran into him. The kid wrapped his arms around him, and Tony just stood there senseless for a few breaths before he returned the embrace.

This kid was gonna be the death of him.

“Pete, what the hell?” He reproached softly. “You look like a damned drowned puppy.”

Peter started to pull back, but Tony held him by the shoulders at arms’ length.

“Mr. Stark, I really am sorry - “

“Hey, no - we can talk about that bit later, Pete, but you said you weren’t hurt…”

“I’m not,” he said, “I’m not hurt, I’m fine…”

“You are actively bleeding right now,” Tony remarked dryly, touching Peter’s sleeve right above the injury.

Peter looked down as if seeing the wound for the first time.

“Oh, so I am,” Peter said quietly. He looked back at Tony. “I must’ve scratched it when I jumped out of the car. I don’t even really feel it.”

Tony gently touched Peter’s nose, the bridge of which was a hazy blue, and swollen. “Do you feel that?”

Peter frowned. “It does not feel great.”

“May be broken... we’ll get it checked,” Tony said. “Did those assholes hit you, or did this happen when you leapt to freedom?”

“No, they didn’t hit me, they just tied my hands when I was in the car, and then… I didn’t know what to do, because I couldn’t break the rope while they were watching, right? Or they’d know I was too strong to be a normal... guy. So, I pulled the car door open and jumped out, but it was kinda hard to land with my hands still tied…”

“That was really dangerous, Pete, even for Spiderman…”

“They would’ve killed me, I think,” Peter looked at him, eyes haunted, and Tony felt a chill run down his spine. “I was really scared; I didn’t know what they wanted with me - to be a hostage or what - but they took their masks off in the car, so I didn’t think they were gonna let me go…”

Tony sometimes hated his mind, and the thousand possibilities that he could see all at once - the ways in which this whole scenario could’ve gone so wrong. The ways he could’ve lost this kid...

But, right then, Tony’s hands were still holding onto Peter. He was safe, and Tony promised himself he would do whatever he needed to do to make sure this scenario never happened again.

Tony cleared his throat. “You’re shivering. Come on, there’s a diner across the road. We can wait for Hap & Rhodey there.”

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

Tony gave a huge tip to the wide-eyed waitress who greeted them at the diner.

“He’s had a rough day,” Tony whispered to her after he’d sent Peter into the bathroom to at least wash his hands before eating. “We’re just gonna wait here until his dads come pick him up. You don’t happen to have any towels, do you? I’ll pay for them.”

The waitress, bless her, nodded and disappeared into the back. She returned with three fluffy hand towels and a stack of dish towels, just as Peter was exiting the men’s room. She then led them to a booth towards the back; a seat which afforded a good view out the window, so Tony would be able to see his friends when they arrived.

Thankfully, the place was nearly empty, and the patrons that were there didn’t seem to be paying them any attention. Tony ordered four large meals; not knowing when Peter’s last meal was, or if Rhodey or Happy would want anything when they arrived.

As soon as the waitress was gone, Tony picked up the fluffiest towel in the pile and tossed it to Peter.

“Dry your hair, Parker, you’re gonna catch cold.”

Peter caught the towel and eyed Tony warily before obediently rubbing his hair with it.

“Listen, Mr. Stark, I really am sorry…”

“Kid,” Tony sighed, feeling extremely tired, “every time you apologize, a fairy loses its wings.”

“I - I know, I get it, I keep apologizing,” Peter peeked at him from under the towel, and Tony’s heart clenched again with the thought of what could have happened. “But, I want you to know, I wasn’t just… trying to be reckless, or - or trying to ignore your rules. I just… Can’t let bad things happen to people if I’m there to stop it.”

“And what about you?” Tony raised an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest. “Who stops the bad things from happening to Peter?”

Peter frowned, “I was fine.”

“Yeah, we’re gonna work on your definition of ‘fine.’”

“The man was begging for his life.” Peter whispered harshly, flinging the towel down against the seat, not wanting anyone nearby to hear, but clearly needing Tony to understand. Clearly thinking Tony didn’t understand. “I couldn’t just stand there with my class and go on into the museum and listen to him getting murdered. I couldn’t… I - I had to do something!”

“Then wear the suit, Pete,” Tony ground out slowly through clenched teeth, pitching his voice to match the kid’s, even quieter, knowing Peter could hear, leaning forward to add emphasis. “The suit I made for you, so you could go save people when bad things happen to them, and so I would know to go save you when bad things happen to you!”

“I couldn’t wear the suit when I was supposed to be in class!”

“Why the hell not?”

“Because then you’d know I was… out.”

“Yes. Yes! Then I would know! Yes, that’s the whole entire goddamn point!” Tony hit the table - not loud enough to get them kicked out of the diner, but loud enough to drive home the point.

Peter stared at Tony like he’d just grown two heads. He blinked several times, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

“Peter?” Tony reached over and poked at the kid’s arm. “Did I break you?”

“Ok, wait, so would you have been ok with all this if I’d just worn the suit this morning?”

Would he have been ok with all this?

Something Rhodey had said before they’d left on this whole wild goose chase came back to him…

”Maybe he didn’t want you to know he’d ditched his field trip.”

Tony leaned back in his seat; trying to put himself into the mind of a 16-year-old. When Tony was 16, he was a little shit. He was already enrolled at MIT, going to parties and getting into trouble he had no business being part of, and the whole time… He had wondered if his Dad was ever going to give a damn what his son was up to.

He’d wondered if he’d ever get into enough trouble for his father to finally notice him. He’d wondered if he’d ever get into so much trouble that his dad just disowned him.

But, Peter wasn’t getting into trouble to get attention. Peter was cursed with the ability to know when something terrible was about to happen, and unlike most grown-ass adults, the kid actually gave a damn about someone other than himself. So, this morning, he’d been stuck in a catch-22.

Option One: Ignore the genuine terror of a man a block away, when he could’ve potentially helped.

Option Two: Go help the man, but get in trouble for ditching school.

“God, Pete, I’m sorry,” Tony sighed. He grabbed one of the clean towels and dipped it in his glass of water, sliding out of his booth and crossing the table.

“Scootch over, Web-head,” he said softly.

Peter obliged, and Tony sat next to him. He examined the cut that was still sluggishly bleeding, and carefully dabbed at the blood.

“I don’t want you patrolling when you should be at school,” Tony said, finally.

Peter opened his mouth, but Tony held up a hand before the kid could start to argue.

“This wasn’t patrolling, though, Pete. This was… you over-hearing an emergency situation.” Tony applied pressure to the cleansed wound. Happy had a first aid kit in the car, so they could bandage it up once he arrived. “In the event of an emergency like the one that happened today, I’d much prefer you to wear the suit. I can’t promise you won’t ever get detention if you ditch school, although the fact that they didn’t notice you were missing makes me doubt their abilities to keep you safe… I’m just thankful you have a friend like Ned.”

“Oh, shit, Ned!” Peter looked up at Tony, then clapped his hand over his mouth. “Sorry.”

“Another fairy, kid,” Tony laughed. “You can call Ned in a minute. Let me finish my heartfelt speech, please.”

Peter nodded, lips turning up in a slight smile. Tony ruffled Peter’s hair before continuing.

“I can’t honestly promise that I won’t ever get mad, or not lecture you… But, I promise to listen to your side of the story, and no matter what, I’m not gonna ditch you. Even if you have a month of detention. You’ll just have to visit me after you’ve served your time. And, I’m not gonna take the suit. I’m gonna help you. I think we’ve established today that I physically cannot handle losing you. Similar to how you cannot seem to physically handle not helping people out.”

Peter was quiet for a moment, seeming to process what Tony had just said. Then, his eyes grew misty, and he lunged at Tony, wrapping his arms clear around his mentor, so the man couldn’t move. The kid rested the side of his face against Tony’s chest.

“I really love you, Mr. Stark,” the kid whispered, and Tony’s brain short-circuited - fireworks exploding in his mind. He opened and closed his mouth like a fish, just looking down at the kid’s head, before Peter sat up again, blushing.

The waitress came with their food, and Peter stabbed his stack of pancakes with a fork, shoveling them in his mouth with an appetite that only teenagers seem to have. In the meantime, Tony texted the kid’s aunt to tell her Peter was with him, and Ned to tell him Peter was ok. By the time Rhodey and Happy pulled into the parking lot, the kid had eaten all of his meal, and half of Tony’s.

“Look, who’s here,” Tony said quietly, as Rhodey and Happy entered the diner.

Peter put his fork down, frowning at Happy’s scowl. “Am I gonna get another lecture, now?”

“Probably,” Tony said lightly, “But that just means they love you.”

[eroticcannibal]

Okay, I have a question for you and other parents/ child care workers/ect. So your kid gets upset and wants to/ trys to bolt in a random direction, what do you do? Because right now my main option is grab their wrist and threaten consequences? And like?? I don't wanna hurt my 7 year old and keeping hold of them when they're trying to get me to let go without grabbing hard enough to bruise is?? Really hard? So what the fuck do yall do to keep your kids from bolting into the road or the woods or some shit?

First of all agch I am so sorry u are dealing with that, this is one of those things where ur gonna be the bad guy and feel fucking awful about it no matter what.

Obviously the Big Obvious ‘of course I know that’ advice is look out for what triggers the behaviour and avoid it like the fucking plague. I will admit there have been times where I did not correct Dorito’s behaviour because I knew they would run if I did. Which ain’t great. But I decided better they have other shitty behaviours than run off. Also school was a major trigger for that behaviour I really should have homeschooled sooner but OH WELL

We struggled with that a lot. Constantly. Every single fucking day. It was BAD. Official advice we got from child services when it was getting really out of hand is if they run towards danger, Stop Them At All Costs. Better to try and explain a sore wrist than being hit by a car. (and like, that will suck sometimes. Sometimes they are gonna pull very hard. They are gonna cry. They are gonna scream that you are hurting them. Sometimes they are gonna pull so fucking hard it is going to leave marks and bruises. Fuck, my gf was reported for that once when Dorito tried to run out into a road and like, REALLY fucking went for it. But better a sad kid and dealing with questions than a dead kid.) Aside from grabbing, u can also try physically blocking them or picking them up tho that ain’t always gonna work. If they consistently run towards danger, hold hands at ALL TIMES and invest in a wrist strap like these

(also this is a pro-baby reigns blog. Restrain them kids. Keep them alive.)

If u threaten consequences, make sure they know the consequences ahead of time, don’t only tell them when they’re already trying to run, and FOLLOW THROUGH EVERY TIME. Normally I’d say give a chance but when it comes to safety I *personally* think it’s ok to give a consequence immediately. And keep it related, like if ur out at the park, oh u ran? We’re going home. Now. If you want to be nice and offer a chance, do it BEFORE they run. Like me brother used to run as a toddler. Me mum would jingle the baby reigns if he was getting cocky but before he actually legged it, shut that shit right down. Some Authorities think it’s reasonable to threaten more serious consequences when it comes to safety eg no tv, no favourite activity for the day, no pudding etc. I prefer to keep consequences related to the act as much as possible, but every kid is different and if it keeps them safe then go for it. Either way it’s got to be something they care about. It’s gotta sting so that running isn’t worth it.

If they are old enough and have the sense to run without running into roads, or u are in a safe enough place (obviously what point that is will vary by child, and may also depend on where u live, at our old place we could never do that cus it was main roads everywhere but we live in a quiet village now so it’s much safer) just follow them. They’ll give in eventually. Might take an hour if they are especially determined tho, fair warning. I think Dorito’s record is about an hour and a half? I will say it is a worthy investment of ur time and energy to work on road safety a LOT, cus following is the lowest stress way of dealing with the behaviour for the child, and it’s honestly just fucking boring so it reinforces the behaviour less (negative attention is still attention and all that). (also tiny bonus, u get less shitty looks from clueless idiots who’ve never looked after a kid which is nice)

Obviously just because this is Official Advice From My Local Child Services doesn’t mean that’s what child services would say where u live or even that I am correct here, I am not an expert I just did as I was told. Whenever it comes to a persistent behaviour that can put a child at risk, I would always advise that you get advice from any local authority that has a responsibility for children, and get it in writing. Like it’s shitty to think about but whenever there’s something going on with a kid that puts them at risk, even if it’s the kid doing the thing, u gotta cover ur ass cus if something goes wrong, people are kinda legally obligated to assume the worst and point fingers. (At least, that is the case here. I have NO IDEA what child protection services and laws are like where u are at, all I know is here it’s assume abuse first, ask questions later)

Also I know one person who just. Put her fuckin kid on a bike. Cus he was kinda shit at riding bikes so he couldn’t peddle off as fast as he could run and she’d just grab the bike. And he couldn’t climb off very easily so he’d be stuck until he calmed down. I’ve only heard of that one case of that so I have no idea if it’s effective or a fluke but that’s a thing.

Again, sorry ur dealing with this situation. It’s stressful and scary and upsetting for everyone involved

[wellidot]

Ayoooo it’s y’a bitch. I’m back. You know what time it is when I come back: it’s mental breakdown tiiimmmeeeeee

Before I begin, this post might have some triggering topics or themes for some people like family issues, mental pain, and general themes of not feeling like one is enough. If those things are trigger to you, please don’t read this rant. You are enough, you are worthy, you deserve love and happiness and you deserve to feel okay. Skip over this rant, I’ll see you in the next post, you got this.

Today’s topic of discussion: How I learned my dad doesn’t actually care about me and how I’m lower on his priority list than his children, children in law, and grandkids :)

Soooo this post is gonna sound slightly annoying and kinda entitled, so I wanna start by saying that yes, I’m well aware I’ve lived a very privileged and lucky life. I know there’s millions of people around the world who would love to trade places with me in order to have the luck and opportunities I’ve had in life. I’ve lived with that knowledge for many years, and I do my best to help out those I can when I can due to guilt of not deserving the life I was brought into. But, I didn’t get to choose where I went, I didn’t get to choose what struggles I’d have versus what other people are experiencing. I’m still going to do my best to take care of those I can around me when I can to repay the universe in a way for the opportunities and privileges I’ve been granted as an upper middle class white person. That being said, my struggles are still mine alone, and they still affect me. I’m not looking for advice, I’m not looking for judgement. I know I’ll still probably get that stuff, and I know I’ll still get judged that these are my struggles based on how “cushy”(as some would call it) my life has been. I get that, I respect your opinion on that matter, but someone else’s life being worse doesn’t mean my struggles and pain aren’t worthy of being felt and vented. Thanks.

So, my dad is planning a “Christmas in July” thing for my siblings, their partners and their kids and my mom and I. This is meant to be happening on July 24th, cause it’s essentially half way to christmas. He’s been getting gift ideas for everyone and he’s been buying my siblings and their partners and kids whatever they’ve asked for. My sister in law wants a new special craft iron that’s 4 times as expensive as a normal iron? Sure, no problem. My nephew wants a lego spaceship? Absolutely. My brother wants this cool toolset as well as a swing set/treehouse thing for my nieces and nephews? Sure, he’ll even drive down to where they are and stay there for a week to build it for them.

Well, I recently asked for a Microsoft surface, but I offered to go half and half on it with him so I could get it sooner. I’m slightly more impatient when it comes to things like tech that I want, especially since I wanna use it to write on while I’m away from my desktop(which is really the only working pc I have right now). He told me, “I can’t, I’m buying gifts for everyone else right now.” I paraphrased part of it, but yeah that’s pretty much what he said. He didn’t really say, “Are you okay waiting on it until later?”. He didn’t say, “I have to wait until I can afford it”. He just said he couldn’t get that or even send a little bit of money to me to help cover it. I’d be 100% okay in waiting on it. Hell, I’m now waiting on getting it so I can just buy it myself as my paycheck that came in today can’t fully cover it, and I’m like $100 away from paying for it. I’m fine with waiting for it, even if I’m a little impatient. I told him it’s okay if he wants to wait on it, but he said that he couldn’t do it and couldn’t even pitch in a little bit. I will admit, he’s helped with some stuff for my apartment, and I’m super appreciative of that, cause if he hadn’t I wouldn’t have been able to afford some of the really nice stuff in my apartment. I feel like if I wasn’t appreciative I would’ve just begged him to pay for it, but I offered to go 50/50, 60/40, even 90/10 with him, but he says he can’t.

I’ve known since like sophomore year of high school that he doesn’t financially provide for me nearly as much as he does the kids from his first marriage and their kids. I thought I was fine with it. But having him say that he basically focused more of his money on getting gifts for his other kids than he would on me and essentially prove I’m an after thought to my own father hurt. Bad. I’d hate to be the only one at this little Christmas in July get together that doesn’t have a gift, so I’ll likely not be going. I doubt he’s paid off the other gifts entirely, so he’s likely not gonna spend much on me, and that’s fine. I’d rather not go than be the awkward kid sitting there and be forced to be happy when my siblings and their kids get any gift they could’ve ever imagined while I have to say, “Nah, you guys being here is enough”. While, yeah, getting to see them all again will make me really happy, I don’t want to be the person who’s constantly holding back tears at what’s supposed to be a super happy family gathering when I’ve been forgotten. I’ve had to do it in the past and it just breaks my soul a little bit when I’ve had to. Soooo looks like I’ll be at work on July 24th :)

[fulisha-of-light]

Soma Voice Lines

Borrowed from @muffinrecord

Here’s my take so I can practice writing his voice. In retrospect, they come off as rather sad since he doesn’t know ugly truth ;o;

Intro Self Introduction 1: Ah, Hello! My name's Soma, and I’m from Tomoyoko City. I don't remember my last name, but I'm sure it'll come back sooner or later, haha. Hopefully I can remember everything else about myself too... actually, can I ask you something? Have you ever heard of a magical girl called the Sibyl? Self Introduction 2: I'm just a magical boy from Tomoyoko, probably the only one at the moment. But just because I'm a boy, doesn't mean I can't fight like everyone else!

Personal Story Story Chapter End 1 It’s hard dealing with other magical girls. I feel like I shouldn’t even be here talking to them. Story Chapter End 2 Looks like it’s back to square one. *Sigh* How frustrating... Story Chapter End 3 I’m not gonna rest until I find out the truth about the Sibyl. I just can’t go on like this.

Story Select 1 I can fight too! Just give me a chance! Story Select 2 The Sibyl of Tomoyoko... Just who is she...? Story Select 3 H-hey, hold on a second Misha! I'm not sure if I'm ready for this lesson yet! Story Select 4 Stop poking me Kiki, I'm not that cute! Hey, that tickles! *Laughs* Cut it out! Story Select 5 Why was I chosen? What makes me so special? Story Select 6 If I can just remember something, anything...

Stats Strengthening Complete: Huh. I think I’m getting better at this. Let’s see what I can do now. Strengthening Max: Wow, I never thought I get this far. Maybe I can actually do this!

Episode Level Up: I’m finally getting somewhere with this investigation. Magia Level Up: I feel a little... lighter. Like I can do anything. I think Misha’s training is finally paying off.

Magical Release 1: It’s difficult to learn about magic and control it, but everyday pushes me to work harder to recover my memories and find her. Magical Release 2: Witches are born from curses, yet I can create them from my magic. Well, distorted ones anyway. But I just don’t understand. Why would I have this power? Is it because of her...?  Magical Release 3: I think my reason for wanting to find the Sibyl goes beyond recovering my memories. We both must’ve had a reason for taking up this role. I want to know what she sees in me personally. If I know that, then I think I can keep fighting.

Awaken 1: I know some parts of Tomoyoko like the back of my hand, but everything else is a complete blank. There’s gotta be a reason for that. Awaken 2: Is it because I don’t want to remember? Is that it? Or am I protecting myself from someone, or something? Perhaps there’s a lot more going on around here than I initially thought... Awaken 3: I’d like the chance to become normal again, but I’ve gained so much from this experience. It wouldn’t be right for me to give it all up and go back. Do I really want to be a magical boy? Or should I be a normal person?

Home Screen Login (First login): Hey, how's it going? Ready to start investigating? We're slowly making progress, but I'm sure we'll find a lead on the Sibyl this time. Login (Morning): Yawwwwn... Mornin'. Looks like you slept well. Me, I just feel super groggy. Give me a quick drink and I'll start perking up here again soon. Login (Noon): Huh? Noon already? I thought we had more time... Oh well. Where should we have lunch at? It's your call. We'll join up with Misha and the others there once you've decided. Let’s discuss our findings there too. Login (Evening): Everything always seems to get quiet around this time. Not that I mind, I like that kind of atmosphere. Quiet enough to relax and think... maybe I'll just close my eyes for a minute... Zzz... Login (Night): Hmmm, nothing huh? Well there’s always tomorrow. Maybe we’ll find the Sibyl then after we get some rest. Login (Other): Sometimes I wonder if it's fate that I became a magical boy. What was my life like before? Would things turn out differently if the Sibyl wished for something else? I can't help but think about that sometimes. Login (AP full): You ready? We need to stick together and cover each other’s backs. A Witch or Familiar could try to sneak up on one of us. Misha taught me that one. Login (BP full): It feels wrong for me to hit girls, but Misha says I have to prepare to fight and defend myself from anything, especially other magical girls. I still feel bad for hitting them, even if they’re just a bunch of copies. Sorry.

Tap 1: The Sibyl of Tomoyoko is said to be an incredibly powerful and wise magical girl. She sounds amazing, but I think what makes her interesting to me is how she became the Sibyl. That’s what I really want to know. Tap 2: It’s hard working with girls when you’re the only guy in the group. Misha’s nice, and while Kiki can get annoying sometimes, Chiaki’s just outright rude and doesn’t trust me. I wish she’d stop being so cold towards everyone. Tap 3: Kyubey says that I’m some kind of strange anomaly because he doesn’t make contracts with boys. I don’t like how he describes me like that... it almost sounds like something’s wrong with me. Tap 4: I don’t remember much about myself, but I can tell you about Tomoyoko at least. If you wanna swim or relax in the sun, you head south. If you want to immerse yourself in history and community, then you go north. As for central... it’s the place that bridges it together. Tap 5: They say a wish is a miracle, something that can help others and bring hope. But Kyubey can’t grant mine, and I have no idea what I’d ask for. The Sibyl thought of making me join her, but I still wonder if it’s something I really wanted. Tap 6: Some people don’t think too highly of Mr. Shinoda, my home room teacher. Rumors say he’s gotten in trouble with the law and is a real creep, but I don’t get that vibe from him. He seems like a pretty sensitive and kind-hearted guy to me. But I’m not sure why I think that though. Tap 7: I wish I could pick a different outfit. Having all of these belts on me makes me feel like I’m being restrained. Is there a way to change it into something else? Maybe I should ask Misha about it. All after, she’s the one with the most experience in magic. Tap 8: I think that, even if I wasn't a magical boy, I'd still want to help out magical girls in any way I can. I don't like seeing others suffer, and I don't like being unable to do anything. Tap 9: Can I ask you something? Kiki and some girls at school say I have a cute face, but when I look at myself in a mirror, I don’t really see it. Do you think I’m cute? ...Gah, what a weird thing to say. Never mind, forget I asked! *Blush*

Battle Start: Come on, let’s go! Battle Victory 1: I did it! I can fight! Battle Victory 2: I’m ok! A little scared, but I can keep going. Battle Victory 3: I won’t let anything hold me back. I’ll get up and continue walking forward.

Doppel: Stop... please, stop... I don’t wanna die... Dying: Help me... it hurts...

I think it could use a little more work, but it’s good enough atm. I’d make a Personal Memoria, but I don’t think I have a solid idea of it yet. I’d need to write his story to properly sort that out lol

[otg2012]

These Hearts Were Never Meant to Beat Alone  |  Day 3: Future fic

Stiles and Jackson go on their first date and this is how their dinner ends. 

The previous parts of this flashback are here:

So Damn Blue  |  Your Heart Will Never Be Broken by Me  | 

Sex, Truth and a Minimum of Bullshit   |  Confirmation Denied    

Notes: This is the end of my series "What If It's You?" in which Jackson is a spy and Stiles is a journalist.  

“About this thing that you do that cannot be mentioned… did you always know that you wanted to do it? I’ve always wondered if there’s some kind of call for that,” Stiles admits. “Or you just wake up one day and you say, risking my life for a living sounds good.”

“When you put it like that, what I do doesn't sound too different from a firefighter or a policeman, you know? Maybe you should ask your father, don’t you think?”

“Come on, you know what I mean,” Stiles insists. “And for my dad, of course, I know he couldn’t see himself doing anything else. That’s what he always wanted to do.” Stiles says, waving both arms. “Is that what happened to you?”

Jackson snorts, shaking his head. “No, I have two years of law school under my belt. I thought my future was being a lawyer. Somehow I convinced myself it was a way to make money and help people at the same time… and of course, my parents totally loved the idea. Not to mention that Kane, my best friend at the time, was also at college with me…”

“So what happened?”

Jackson snorts once more. “What happened is that I got terribly bored, I guess. My marks were decent but I wasn’t brilliant… and I was supposed to be brilliant,” Jackson says matter-of-factly. “Hard as I tried, I couldn’t find the motivation to achieve what I was supposed to achieve. So, I lost interest and after my second year, I left and never came back.”

“Wow, that had to be hard,” Stiles offers obviously surprised.

“Yeah, it was,” Jackson nods, absolutely serious.

“And what did you do?” Stiles asks warily, biting his lip.

“Well, I was a mess. My parents didn’t get it, my best friend didn’t get it and even I didn’t totally get it. Because I knew I could actually finish it, and pass the bar and find a job… but also, in the back of my mind, I knew I couldn’t go on if I didn’t have a passion for it, you know… but for a while there I really thought I was stupid for not seeing it sooner… for wasting two fucking years of my life before I saw it. And I thought something was wrong with me… some people would call it a crisis, I suppose…” Jackson shrugs. “In the end, I left… stayed in France for a while… then I was backpacking through Europe… and decided to study economics and most probably start my own business in the future.”

“But that’s not what happened…” Stiles shakes his head.

“No... My boss… he changed all that. Somehow he trusted me, he recruited me and I realized this is what I was supposed to do.”

“You found your destiny,” Stiles declares. “Wow… that’s so cool.”

Jackson smiles. “I guess, it’s cool, yeah.”

“What about you? Is your call being a journalist?”

“I think so, yeah.” Stiles nods. “When I was a teenager, I thought I wanted to be a writer…”

“Really? Jackson raises his eyebrows.

“Yep. I have a lot of imagination in case you haven’t noticed—”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” Jackson smirks.

“But writing is not a career… you have to be lucky to actually make money with it.”

“So, you just forgot about it?” Jackson furrows his brow.

“As employment? Yeah, I did… but I still, I write… just a hobby… plus, it’s not like I have a lot of free time… and anyway, I love my job… I don’t write fiction but I write about things that matter—our reality— and that’s important… Hopefully, I make a difference showing what’s going on out there and you know, every day is different and I never get bored. I guess not many people get to say that… although of course, you’re not one of those.”

Jackson gets that and he believes him, but something tells that probably those are all things that help him cope with the fact that he’s not doing what would have been his first choice.

“I mean,” Stiles continues, “unless, you got so used to traveling and kicking strangers who follow you…” Stiles gestures with his hand. “In that case, maybe you should have become a lawyer after all.”

“God, no,” Jackson smiles, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t change what I do for anything. And you know, if I hadn’t kicked you, we wouldn’t be here right now…”

“That’s most probably true,” Stiles smirks.

“It is,” Jackson bites his lip. “And believe me, I’ve told you stuff that…” Jackson snorts, smiling, “few people know about me.”

And that is honesty right there. It’s true he’s not been on a date in a long time but still, now that he thinks about it, he can’t remember a date where he talked as much about himself as he has tonight. Obviously, there’s something about this guy that makes it easy to talk and just be himself in a way that doesn’t really come natural to him. Thank god Lydia won’t find out what they talked about because if she did, she would be teasing him about it endlessly.

“Well, I hope that means that you wanna see me again… even if I’m only really good at English and I’ve asked more questions that you probably wanted in your lifetime.”

Jackson drinks some more wine and licks his lips. “Yeah, but I’ll just text you next time. I hope it’s not too disappointing.”

Stiles smiles. “I admit it. I could get used to your fingers sliding inside my pocket, but I think I can deal with it. And you know, since it’s been established that your so called-plan for Christmas Day absolutely sucks, I think you should come over to my place and have lunch with my father and me. I’ll be cooking, not him, so it’s safe to say that you won’t die of starvation.”

“Wait—Your father and you?” Jackson raises his eyebrows.

“Yeah, he’s coming to visit for a few days. But don’t worry, if it bothers you that he knows that we are… you know…” Stiles waves his arms.

“Dating?” Jackson tries hard not to smirk. Stiles can be really ridiculous.

“Yeah. If that bothers you, you can come as a friend. I’m not trying to con you into anything… it’s just Christmas lunch… between friends. Well, family and friends… two friends.” Stiles closes his eyes for a moment, waving his arms. “You know what I mean.”

“I don’t think that me meeting your father is the best idea you’ve ever had… especially after just one date.”

“On the contrary, everybody likes my father. There’s even the risk that you could like him more than me…” Stiles smiles. “And hell, I just don’t want you to be alone. Besides, I’m sure anything is better than whatever you are going to eat at home after working out like a maniac.”

Jackson rolls his eyes dramatically but finally nods. “Fine. Whatever. I’ll go… but don’t do that. Don’t lie to him. As I said before, what’s the point of lying?” It feels stupid to do that. If the father is half as smart as Stiles is, he will see the way his son looks at Jackson and will know the truth anyway.

“Okay. I won’t.” Stiles shakes his head.

“So, are you gonna order any dessert or what? They are pretty good at this place.”

“Are you kidding? I never say no to dessert… especially cake… chocolate cake or apple cake… any cake, really...”

The way Stiles’ face illuminates at the idea of cake is too cute… maybe even beautiful. Jackson can’t help but grin. Somehow Stiles’ eagerness is contagious and he wants some cake too… and the thing is he never has cake. Too many calories.

“Cake, it is,” Jackson says nonchalantly, looking around to find a waiter.