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chaozsilhouette · 3 years ago

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Shadow Theater, Hero’s Folly

It has been difficult to complete my posts before we start season three. Given the positive response to my last shadow play, I wanted to make this rendition something special. I hope you enjoy the mental torment and emotional manipulation.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

In a humble apartment, its single resident was trapped in a lost battle within his own mind. Fingers dug deep into the sheets as the heart raced. Legs twitched, echoing the dreamer’s desperation to escape. Sweat gathered on his forehead as teeth ground against one another as terror consumed his mind. Chained in a hell of his own making, he couldn’t turn away.

Force to watch, helpless to change the outcome of a true slaughter.

Crack

The sound of bones breaking muffled whatever screaming the victims had to give.

Squelch

The bitter scent of fresh blood grew as the strikes continued, not losing any of their strength or ferocity.

Crack

“You talk too much.” A voice he recognized even as he desperately tried to distance himself from the nightmarish scene.

Dark Eyes snapped open as teeth bit into the owner’s lip to prevent the release of the slightest sound. On reflex his hand shot out to his nightstand where a pair of glasses rested exactly where he left them. The world came into focus as Tang slid them back into place. A quick look validated the owner’s location was still in his sparsely decorated apartment.

Taking a moment to make sure he wasn’t surrounded by bodies were moments from being reduced to corpses, Tang glanced at his clock and refrained from swearing that would no doubt wake his neighbors. Groaning, Tang threw himself back onto his pillow before choosing to make himself some tea. It was almost three am and it wasn’t like he was going to get much more sleep after this, assuming he could even manage to soothe his mind enough to close his eyes for more than ten minutes.

Mindlessly he walked to his small kitchen and got to work preparing the kettle. The second wisps of steam appeared, Tang poured the water into his frustration cup (a traveler’s mug he purchased during his first trip to the Hawaiian islands designed to hold 48oz). The scent of hibiscus and passion fruit wafted from the ruby liquid. Tang breathed deep in hopes the floral and fruity scents could distract him from the phantoms scents of copper that continued to haunt him.

Tang had not endured a nightmare of such brutality in years. He feared it was a prelude to something far worse, specifically what he could not say, but he knew things were changing. Too many signs were making themselves known in all the wrong ways, leaving only the possibility of destruction in their near future.

The longer MK struggled, the more Tang feared the Monkey King’s so-called ‘vacation’ was a ruse for something far more sinister. Monkey King did care about MK, but it was obvious the simian had issues letting people get close. You didn’t go into self-imposed exile for five hundred years and abandon your signature weapon out of just mourning. Odds were after the deaths of his brothers and master, the Monkey King closed himself off in the hopes he would never suffer like that agony again. Not the best coping mechanism but he was hardly one to judge. There was a high probability that Monkey King choose to leave and handle some up incoming threat without telling MK in the hopes of not worrying his successor. Sadly, without proof all he was doing was revving himself up based on nothing but his own fears.

And that was nothing compared to the frenzy Mei described MK falling into over a video game in his quest to obtain new powers based on some loose theory. The boy was going to burn himself out at this rate. His desperation to discover more power was taking a toll on the kid’s social life. Before MK was dedicated to training, but he always tried to make time for his friends. Now their little group had faded into the background as he constantly tried to best an unnamed foe.

Something needed to change.

Sighing, Tang began sorting through the mail he tossed aside earlier in the week. He normally tried to ignore it until he needed a distraction, looks like the time has come. Flipping through bills, vaguely veiled attempts to scam him, and a magazine hand out he stopped at a curious sight.

A flyer neatly folded for the local theater.

On one side, it depicted an ad for the movie Kung Fu Monkey Cop 3, but on the other, it was advertising for a play. The art style was simple yet bold, depicting two figures in martial arts poses, both seemed to be cloaked in mystic power. The short description on the side stated that a traveling artist was performing at the local theater for a limited time.

Igniting the Sky

According to the small description at the bottom, it would only be showing for two more days.

Smiling Tang booted up his laptop to order tickets. This was the perfect way for everyone to spend time together and just unwind. Ma insisted on MK taking a break after all the nonsense with the video game. Mei had completed all her coursework for the week, leaving her free. Pigsy did promise he’d take a day off every two weeks to prevent burnout. Unfortunately, Sandy would be out making deliveries for the next few days to make up for spending almost three days at Mount Huagou, but with any luck, they would be able to attend a different play when he returned.

Or at least take up Ma’s offer for lunch.

He wasn’t sure if MK noticed during their mission, but the monkies definitely looked like they needed some fresh experiences. A few fresh faces might be able to help with them finally being able to heal after so much loss. If Ma’s reaction was honest, the wounds had barely begun to heal.

Happily, the scholar clicked on the theater’s website unaware of the dark figure smirking across the street.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

The lights dimmed, leaving only small bulbs along the stairs for lit for safety purposes, signaling the performance had begun.

The curtains pulled back, revealing a solitary figure wearing an exquisite black cloak with red clouds. Fog slowly rolled in filling the stage and flowing off into the stands.

“Welcome viewers to a shadow play the likes of which have never been seen.” From his wide sleeves, the puppeteer manifested a beautifully crafted lantern.

The wall behind him became illuminated by a purple light with no visible source. Shadows twisted until they formed the Warrior from the poster, standing proud against a mountain backdrop.

It follows the tale of a legendary warrior and how those who bring light into this world inevitably bring darkness to those they hold dear.

Suddenly the Warrior was attacked by shadowy tendrils that stripped him of his strength as they burned his soul. The audience could have sworn they heard screaming echoing in the back of their minds. The attack continued until the wall went dark and the screams turned silent.

In the beginning, all that existed was a lone soul surrounded by darkness and noise.

Suddenly two small eyes flickered open, followed by a tiny body. What was strange was the six ears the little one possessed.

The little soul sought answers to their existence. Their travels taught them much.

The little soul formed a raft and hit the seas. On their handmade creation, the little soul scampered around with innocent joy that could only exist in childhood.

They learned of the warmth of a family’s love. They experienced the cruelty of man. In time their pain devoured their happiness until naught, but regrets remained. Yet despite all odds, the little soul fought on until he became a Warrior.

The little soul could be seen playing with two humans. Then he was battling a group of bandits, surrounded by bodies, whether they were ally or enemy no one could say. With each scene, the little soul grew until he reached maturity, both physically and mentally. Enemy after enemy, family after family, the soul walked away from each scene covered in blood until no trace of the innocence remained.

The Warrior continued his travels as his heart became as ice, that is until he met a young hero in the making. Despite the Warrior’s efforts, the Hero was determined to win his heart.

The scene changed to feature a temple courtyard where the Warrior was training with a staff. The Warrior swung down the staff in steady repetitions until a new figure appeared, one that looked almost exactly like him. The Hero happily black flipped towards the Warrior, ignoring the other’s annoyance. The Warrior pushed the Hero aside and headed indoors.

Pushes became nudges. Attacks became spars. Eventually, the Warrior was forced to concede to a force far more stubborn than he could ever dream. With the prize well in hand, so began a period of ultimate bliss.

Days passed, yet every time the Warrior trained the Hero was quick to join him. Any attempts to push the Hero away only served to encourage the other, while attacks were taken as a training exercise. Again and again, they clashed until the Warrior gave in. The two of them became a team unlike any other.

The Hero and the Warrior were like the Sun and the Moon. Their glow a protective light shining upon the world. Together, there was nothing that could stop the two of them either in the Celestial realms or on Earth.

Leaving the temple, the two set off on a series of adventures. They faced demonic hunters, human armies, dragon warriors, and divine generals. Not one could ever hope to defeat their united front.

As time went on the Hero attained power beyond comprehension. Until not even the greatest masters could deny his might. A trap was set, one that preyed upon the Hero’s vanity. Despite the Warrior’s warnings, the Hero charged forward without hesitation. A price far greater than any could predict rocked the warrior to his core.

The two made their home on a mountain paradise. Those like them made this land their home and under their leadership, turned it into a true haven. From the heavens, a shining throne appeared. A light shone down upon the Hero and just like that their partnership was over. Without looking back, the Hero abandoned the Warrior no matter how he pled.

The Warrior was proven correct as war erupted around those they had sworn to protect. Staring out into the abyss of his former home, the warrior became stained by the thousands of deaths he failed to prevent. The Warrior was forced to face the truth.

Yet when the King approached the throne, he was shackled and the mountain paradise where they lived was engulfed in flames. Despite all the pain, the Warrior survived yet he felt no accomplishment for such a feat. Staring out onto the empty wasteland where once life flourished all the Warrior could feel was emptiness.

As the Hero’s light grew so too did his shadow. And so, the Warrior was cast in that shadow. In the darkness, the Warrior was forgotten by the hero.

The Warrior who once thought he stood equal to the Hero, learned he was a but a flicker to the King’s roaring sun. The hero’s massive figure utterly eclipsed the Warrior until only the darkness would take him.

Adrift in the void, the Warrior sought out the means to end his suffering. Neither combat nor knowledge held the key to the Warrior’s peace. For far too long, it seemed that nothing would ever change. That the moon would never again bathe the world in its tranquil glow.

The Warrior walked on, all around him the world turned and grew, wars were waged for every reason imaginable, but none of it touched him. He continued walking until his ears twitched upwards at a familiar yet foreign cry. Walking with greater purpose, the Warrior came across a little soul crying out for comfort.

It was the darkness that held his salvation in the form of a young star. A tiny being familiar with the agony of life, the Warrior could not bring himself to turn away.

Mindful of his claws, the Warrior pulled the little one close and wrapped it in his cloak until the cries had stopped. Large eyes stared at the Warrior as though he was the young one’s entire world, just as he once did to another. Unable to simply abandon the little one to the unforgiving world, the Warrior nuzzled the furry head and walked on more confidently than he had in decades. And this was but the first of many he would save.

One by one the moon gathered stars and comets until the dark sky became a patchwork of light. The Sun’s abandonment echoed throughout space, but the Moon persevered as even though the night was long and cold, he no longer had to walk it alone.

The shadow of the Warrior was slowly joined by the images of different creatures, some demon others resembling humans, however, they all stood as one. With each new addition, their collective glow grew brighter and brighter. Until every shadow was scattered before their unity in a burst of violet light.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

When the light died down and the dark spots stopped dancing behind their eyelids, The audience saw the puppeteer had vanished. The overhead lights slowly turned back on, signifying that the play had been completed.

Audience members started to walk out, excitedly chatting about what the play was based on and their favorite parts. Everyone was so excited and wrapped in their own worlds none of them noticed the Monkie Kid frantically looking for his friends. There was nothing to prove they had ever been seated, except for strange scorch marks on the bench. It was like they had simply vanished.

He was so wrapped up in the story, he completely tuned out the world.

Did they leave already?

Did they even wait for the play to finish?

Did they leave him?

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

The Hero and the Warrior were like the Sun and the Moon. Their glow a protective light shining upon the world.

Shaking his head MK paced outside the theater, phone pressed to his ear as he hoped his call to Mei would go through this time.

You reached ya girl Mei. Leave it Boi!

Groaning MK hung up. Something told him if she hadn’t responded to his last three voicemails, this one wasn’t going to make a difference.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

As the Hero’s light grew so too did his shadow. And so, the Warrior was cast in that shadow.

Hoping Pigsy just rushed over for an emergency order, MK headed to the restaurant. But when he arrived it was still closed. There was no sign anyone had been there, either to open its doors or create a glorious meal.

Hand inches away from the handle, MK looked at the untouched lock. Breathing out, he stuffed his empty hand into his coat pocket and walk off.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

In the darkness, the Warrior was forgotten by the hero.

The city library was completely silent, not a turning page or heartbeat could be found in the entire building. Even Tang’s personal alcove was undisturbed, just like his university office.

When he talked to a few of his students, they commented that he sent out an email early in the morning stating that he would not be able to take any calls or hold office hours today. They had no idea where he could be.

No one knew where any of them went.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Depressed, MK returned to the theater and proceeded to eat his feelings with overpriced popcorn. Not the best idea? Yes. Did it help fill the void? A little bit. And that’s what mattered right now.

Thus, leaving him in an empty theater as he shoveled fistful after fistful of popcorn and other salty snacks into his waiting mouth. He wasn’t sure how long he spent sitting there. Mired in his own depression as he wondered where he went wrong.

“Ah, it’s you again.” Startled, MK hastily swallowed before facing the speaker. It was the puppeteer. MK couldn’t make out the top half of his face due to the hood, probably a drama thing, but from what he could see the man had an immaculately trimmed beard and a mischievous smile. “You must be my biggest fan. You do know the play is over, right?”

Releasing a breath, MK quickly debated over being honest with the stranger and himself. “So what happened with the Hero? Did he and the Warrior ever patch things up?”

The puppeteer gave a low chuckle at the question. “What would you like to hear?” He turned to face the stage as though he could imagine the scene playing out only for the entire set to get struck by lightning, catch on fire, and turn to ash. “The Hero suddenly remembered his beloved friend, The Warrior? That they lived ''happily ever after?’’” The phrase that was designed to bring joy turned to poison as it left his lips.

The puppeteer suddenly shifted his stance, even through the hood’s shadows MK could feel the man’s eyes burning through his own. Scrambling to find an answer, MK panicked. “No! No, no, no, no- Well yeah, maybe. Okay, I don’t know why I’m telling a complete stranger this but, I guess…I kinda feel like the Warrior in the story. A little. Is that dumb?”

“I take that as a compliment, young man. The telltale sign of a good story you resonate so personally,” The puppeteer passionately explained with wisdom that came from a lifetime of honing one’s craft. “But I think maybe you missed the poin-”

Whatever he was going to say was cut off as MK couldn’t hold it in any longer. “It’s like I want to be strong and I’m trying to be, but it’s like Monkey King isn’t giving me a chance!” He just wanted to protect his family and prove to his idol that he was worthy of such immense power. But he couldn’t do it if no one told him how to. He already learned that trying to find strength just anywhere wasn’t going to work. The whole point of being a student was that you had someone wiser there to help you learn the ropes until you could stand on your own. But how could that mentorship flourish without open trust?

And just like that all the confidence and outrage was exhausted leaving a series of painful questions he feared answered. “What if he knows he made a mistake? Chose wrong, chose the wrong successor?” There he said it! It may have started as a cruel taunt, but MK couldn’t help but feel there was a cold truth he overlooked.

“And?” The voice was echoing as though its origin was from the bottom of a well, but that wasn’t what earned MK’s attention. No, it was the voice itself. Turning so fast the youth could feel his neck protesting, but that didn’t matter.

The puppeteer had vanished.

But there, sitting on the other end of the bench, was the Monkey King, appearing in a flash of light. “What if he did?” The monarch asked, looking as though the child had proposed a pathetically stupid question.

Startled MK nearly fell to the floor but caught himself in time. "Augh. This again? Look I know you're not really here. I’ve been following your advice. Believing in myself, blah blah blah. But I’m not ready for this.” Any remaining confidence crumpled away in the face of true self-loathing and fear. “I can’t face Lady Bone Demon alone. I just feel so…"

“Ha ha ha,” The Monkey King chuckled at the youth’s dilemma. It was low and uncaring, so unlike the King’s traditional laugh in how it raised the hairs on the back of one’s neck.

Blinking back tears, MK raised a trembling fist. “Urgh! If you're not going to help, then just LEAVE ME ALONE!” Launching forward with every bit of strength he possessed, MK was stunned when instead of phasing through his hallucination his fist was effortlessly caught by real flesh.

“Woah, bud. You been working out? You pack a bigger punch than I remember.” The fake king playfully commented, acting as though the assault was less than nothing.

Meanwhile, MK was truly freaking out. “Who are you?” Not only was this stranger able to handle his raw strength, but there was something about him in Monkey King’s form that just felt so wrong.

“Aw. Come on, bud. Can’t you tell?” The Fake King continued to smile but his golden eyes glittered with world-shattering cruelty. “Why so glum? One would think you’d feel better after a little venting.”

MK winced as the Fake King started twisting his arm and it was taking everything he had to stay standing. “What are you doing here?” But suddenly he realized he made a massive mistake. “No. I just-”

“Unloaded all your insecurities on me.” Another spine-tingling laugh echoed throughout the room. “I know! But hey. No shame in that man, sometimes you just got to talk it out. Ya know. Suddenly the Fake King’s expression turned slightly insecure, a face he never imagined his idol wearing. “I don’t really do it. Maybe I should, but we’d be here all day.” Like that he regained his trademark confidence and MK would be lying if he said he wasn’t relieved to see that defeated expression vanish.

“Would you just get to the point!” MK screamed, launching his free hand at the imposter’s face.

“Settle down kiddo. This is the thanks I get for checking up on the infamous Monkie Kid and putting on a show.” A tail wrapped around MK’s ankle, before he could even look down to see what touched him, he found himself being whipped into another set of benches. “Oh MK. Did you really not suspect something happened to your beloved family? Did you never think they could be captured? You truly are dense.”

Conjuring the same lantern he used for the performance, the room was cast in a mystical purple light. MK squinted at the sudden light but when he was able to see he saw a new show had started.

It was a silhouette of himself. He was just standing there, and from the edges of the light MK saw massive hands coming closer. “You saw a story about a hero who got handed everything, who didn’t have to work for anything, and you thought you were the other guy.” A massive rendition of Monkey King appeared holding the replica of the young hero, bestowing powers beyond measure.

“The second the hero got real power he couldn’t care less about his friends. That’s you, bud.” The scene shifted to the tale of the Hero and the Warrior, where the Warrior was pleading with the Hero not to leave, only for the Hero to turn his back and fly away.

“Me?” Sure, he could be selfish at times, but he would never just abandon his family like that. “I-I’m nothing like that.”

“Hmm, these three would beg to differ.” The heartbreaking scene faded away, leaving three outstretched shadows bearing striking resemblance to very important people.

“Guys!” MK looked on in horror as the shadows emerged from the floor and walls, no longer bound by two-dimensional limitations. The shadows greatly resembled their origins, perfectly detailed except for their faces. They lacked any form of facial features apart from their eyes which were solid purple circles that expressed nothing, not even blind obedience.

“Oh, did you just realize they were missing? Classic hero maneuver.” The Fake king sneered as the youth stared in horror at the twisted forms of his loved ones. “Maybe it’s just me but these guys don’t look too happy about being left in the shadow of the Great Monkie Kid.”

Then the story entered the climax.

The shadow servants struck. They coordinated their assault as a single, powerful unit. MK was kicked across the room, thrown into benches, and hurled until the room wouldn’t stop spinning. The rotating light from the lantern regularly saturated the room in equal parts dangerous light and vaguely protective darkness.

He was in tremendous physical pain, but he didn’t dare raise a hand. He didn’t know how this magic worked. Striking the shadows could free them, but it could just as easily kill the poor victims trapped inside. MK was mentally beating the crap out of himself for being so blind. He let his guard down and his family paid the price.

The beating continued until MK was pinned under the strength of his three family members. In the back of his mind, he replayed what the darkness showed him, Tang’s face being twisted in regret and pain. Did they know what was happening? Could they see their bodies being used as puppets? Were they trying to fight the control?

What was worse was the bastard laughing on the stage, not bothering to lift a finger. He thought he was going to walk away from this scottfree.

“Enough.” The lantern was the key. Either way, he would free his family. Gritting his teeth, The three shadows were sent flying as Mk charged towards the Fake King, prepared to unleash all his rage towards the artifact of their imprisonment.

It was time to end this.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Once again, his attack was stopped by the barest of movements. Tendrils of shadows rose from the ground, holding his body at an awkward angle.

“I had such high hopes for our reunion. You were utterly helpless.” MK’s struggles ceased as the shadow master’s voice became deeper, a tone he would recognize until his final days. “No clones. No transformations. You didn’t even draw the staff.” A quick flash of purple and the Fake King transformed into another familiar face. “Clearly, we have much to discuss.”

The young adult was gently returned to the ground at the elder’s command.

“Macaque…” MK breathed as his stared at his mentor struggling with a strange mixture of emotions. Given the situation, he went the easy route and chose to start things off with rage. “Seriously?! I haven’t seen you in months and this is how you choose to come back?!”

“What can I say? I love making a memorable entrance.” Macaque proudly stated. Shadows behind him morphing in an army kneeling in reference.

“And you chose to do so by kidnapping my friends and traumatizing me??! Clearly, you have issues.” And he was not projecting this time!

“Ha. I’m a three-thousand-year-old immortal, of course, I have problems, but that’s not important. Do you feel better, cub?”

“Huh?” MK blinked at the question. He honestly wasn’t expecting a monkie to genuinely want to talk to him outside of Monkey King’s influence. Hell, unless he gave the go-ahead, odds were he’d never meet the Stalwart Generals.

Just like that, Macaque was in front of him holding his cheeks in a tender embrace. “Being able to strike Wukong? Letting your frustrations out?”

“A little…I just- I get your lesson. Don’t become so consumed with the desire for power that I abandon those closest to me.” It was weird, just before the play started everyone had been telling him that he had been ignoring them and their feelings. How strange that he was only able to truly listen once he got a taste of being left with nothing. To be reminded of that pain.

“That is of course unless you want to become a copy of the Galant Sun Wukong.” Macaque posed as his shadow turned into a perfect duplicate of the Monkey King being raised onto a pedestal.

MK couldn’t help smiling at the display. “Ha. For so long I wondered how you and Monkey King knew each other. There were too many hints that gave the impression you were close, but neither of you hinted what that connection could be. Now I know. Monkey King was always meant to be a famous Hero while you were doomed to be the forgotten Warrior.” It was pretty sad if one thought about it.

“Maybe you’re not as dense as you look,” Macaque said earning an annoyed glare from his student as he led the young one to the bleachers that managed not to be destroyed.

Mentally and physically exhausted MK collapsed on the wooden surface. “I see what you were aiming for, I just wish you tried another approach.”

“One thing you need to learn, cub: I’m a sadistic bastard. Never denied it, but I choose to use my quirks to help others discover their own flaws.” With a flourish, the Lunar King took a seat. “You needed to open your eyes. These people are important to you, they care about you, never allow yourself to forget that unless you want to spend the rest of your life mired in what could have been.” The three shadows appeared but this time they were acting out more pleasant scenes. Offering advice as a nutritious meal was prepared. Dancing upside down at the Anti-Gravity Club. Walking through the city’s flower gardens.

All memories he cherished with his family.

“You’re familiar with Wukong’s tale, yes?” MK starred at the dark-furred monkie in confusion. He nodded curious as to where this was going.

“Then you are purposely blinding yourself. The truth is he didn’t become King simply by jumping into a waterfall. No, he earned the right to call himself king through blood. He slaughtered any who dare oppose him. Destroyed all that would pose a threat. Before the Journey, before his rampage through Heaven, before he barged into Ao Guang’s palace, his hands were soaked with blood. Demon, human, god, immortal, he butchered thousands of them without a hint of regret or remorse. The truth is he is not a good person. He only cares for himself and his next source of entertainment, and no journey was ever going to change that.” Macaque no longer resembled a powerful warrior, all that remained was someone who was tired of waiting, tired of hoping, tired of feeling so empty.

“T-that can’t be true. I mean, yeah he was basically a chaotic force of nature, but he’s mellowed out.”

“He’s gained some minor control of his impulses, yes, but can you tell me he truly cares? About the world? About your feelings?” Macaque pressed until tears were threatening to fall from eyes that once held such hope. “Judging by your outburst earlier, things haven’t been that great.”

“I-I…just don’t know what to do.” Falling to his knees, MK allowed everything to consume him. The fear, the doubt, the pain. He let it all out, uncaring of who he was with or when two arms carefully wrapped around him and pulled him close. Or when the sounds of tender cooing and delicate claws started to glide through his hair.

§~~~~§~~~~§~~~~§

Smiling Macaque inspected his treasured lantern and its mesmerizing glow.

Today was a good day. One that came with many pleasant surprises. His student was coming along nicely. At his current pace, he was in no danger of becoming the second coming of Wukong, but he still needed a few reminders to keep on track.

Then there was the matter of the scholar.

To think, his lantern had been able to effortlessly force ancient warriors and deities to submit, yet one human was able to maintain a sense of awareness. The heir to the Western Sea Clan and a stubborn demon remained completely ensnared, so how did the only true human of their little group manage to peer beyond the veil? There was also the nature of his soul, such a pure yellow one could mistake it for gold.

He'd have to check in another day.

As in a sign of good faith he released his captives and with a little magic ensured that there would be no trace of their imprisonment. Sure, they may question why they were leaving the theater so late or why it felt like their memories of the play were from someone else’s perspective. But hey! That’s the cost of a relatively simple life.

Sadly, he was reminded of another task by the sound of enthusiastic clapping.

In one of the few intact stands, the one who was not the Mayor smiled at the performer with a smile that was a touch too wide. “Bravo! Bravo! Drama, danger, love, and tragedy. Top-notch my friend.”

“Thanks. Shows over I’m afraid.” Smiling, Macaque started to walk away hoping this could end peacefully.

Without warning, he was lifted off his feet by his throat. “Lady Bone Demon would like a word.” The servant looked down at the latest piece of the puzzle. “Oh and she’ll be needing that”

Strangely Macaque did not appear distressed. “Tell her to make an appointment.”

Before the servant could ponder the source of the simian’s confidence, his head was forced through the floorboards. When the not Mayor was lifted, now in the exact state he once forced upon another he saw something he should have anticipated.

Two perfect copies of the Six Eared Macaque smirked at him.

The servant’s smile froze on his face as though the concept he may be bested never occurred to him before. The poor thing was used to effortlessly overwhelming his foes, much like a certain monkie he used to know, but unlike his old ally, this creature was far more simple minded.

“Oh, little fragment. How many souls have you feasted upon to gain this level of power? No matter. I’m fully aware of your mistress’ plans, regardless of what she tries she’ll find herself wanting.” Unknowingly Macaque’s signature six ears bloomed out of their glamor, the top ears glittering blue wiggled in glee.

“Until then you can give her a message. Enjoy your victories while you can.” Macaque started to tighten his grip, he could feel the bones beginning to crumble beneath his strength. The temptation to rend this worthless amalgamation of magic and souls caressed his heart, yet he restrained himself. There was still much to do. “Think you can do that for me? I thought so.”

“You could always tell me yourself.” A sickly-sweet voice emerged from the stands.

“Ah, so the little tactician chooses to reveal herself.” Rolling his eyes, the king waved his lantern back into his shadow as he faced the demon responsible for his latest headache. “Cute host. I’m certain she has granted you plenty of sympathies.”

“This one has proven useful in more ways than one.” In a flash, the young girl’s face took on an expression of pure fear and panic, if one didn’t know any better, you’d be excused from believing the host had regained control in this one moment. Yet not even thousands of years of acting and manipulation could erase the sense something was horribly wrong. Just like that the all too human expression smoothed into one of cool control and confidence. “But we are not here to discuss my choice in vessels.”

“No. I don’t believe we are.” With that, Macaque thoughtlessly threw the servant at the bleachers mere feet away from the child’s body. The servant would survive but with his neck and limbs were twisted at such angles the same could not be said if it truly was human.

“From what I heard, you had quite the morning stretch.” It makes one wonder just how long she had her claws in the Iron Bull Family. Red Son’s logs actually showed signs of tampering, as though someone had purposely erased sections of recorded energy until the Demon Bull King had sensed them. And just why would the young calf be searching for a mystical key before there was any hint of needing one?

“I am afraid you have me at a loss. Do we not crave the same outcome? To see the Monkey King brought low by those he thoughtlessly crushed.” A sliver, a mere drop of the hatred she carried for so long was allowed to surface in that single word. That simple act demonstrated just how much this ancient force ached to taste the king’s blood after he had fallen into complete and utter despair.

Macaque couldn’t help but smile as his own rage stirred. “What I want and what you envision are two separate things.” Memories bubbled to the surface, igniting bursts of cold fury. However, Macaque wouldn’t have lasted this long if he was a mere slave to his bloodlust.

“We both desire to see the Monkey King writhing in agony, yet you reject my aid.” The Lady stated, both politely and giving the slightest hint she may have been insulted by his refusal.

“Hahaha. You flatter yourself. All you see me as is a pawn in your little game. When I get my revenge, it will be carried out as I wish in accordance with my desires and no one else’s.” The lunar monkie’s shadow gained a vicious smile as it climbed higher along the walls. “Besides, if I give you my lantern, we both know I’ll never see it again.”

“It appears you will not hear what I have to say.” The fiendish spirit commented, almost appearing disappointed in the outcome. But the slowly decreasing temperature told a different tale.

“It seems you will not let me leave peacefully.” A playful black tail flick was matched by a mischievous fanged smile. Looks like it was time to take a page out of Wukong’s playbook.

Golden eyes were consumed by purple energy as the shadows lashed out in every direction. Walls, floor, ceiling, nothing was safe and nothing survived. Taking advantage of the entire building being torn asunder, Macaque merged with the shadows and took his leave. Savoring the look of surprise on the child’s stolen face, clearly, she hadn’t expected him to mimic the one they both loathed.

How soon she forgot he would do anything to survive. A haunting laugh could be heard echoing from every shadow in Megapolis.

An icy aurora filled the former room, revealing a barrier where a certain body snatcher didn’t have so much as a speck of dust on her. For the tactician, this was quite a surprise. She had anticipated the lunar monkie fleeing or attempting a sneak attack. Wonton destruction wasn’t his usual approach, much more suited to another.

On top of one of the city's many skyrises, Macaque listened as the skeleton demon took her servant and retreated to the sewers.

He felt bad about destroying the theater. He did have fun and the other actors were quite accommodating. But keeping the bone bitch off his tail took priority. An anonymous donation would have to be sent to help with the repairs.

If nothing else this encounter did provide valuable information and confirm more than one theory.

Even in this weakened state, she was dangerous. ‘No wonder she was able to control brother Bull so easily in his current condition. This will require a few changes to my preparations. I’ll have to warn sister Iron Fan.’ The only reason she would be revealing herself is if her plans are that much closer to completion. Or she was that confident she could not lose.

He could hear the screams, the cries, the flames as the city falls under her power. Even without the lantern, it wouldn’t be impossible to find a suitable replacement, especially not in this city. He only prays the kid takes his advice to heart. As he is, he can’t win, but that doesn’t mean victory will always remain out of reach.

If the kid had followed his instructions, he may lose most of his powers, but they will remain his and those he manages to keep will be all the greater for it.

Although Macaque couldn’t help but mourn over the loss of an ally. Before Wukong was freed, he found solace in his fellow manipulator. Her drive for power reminded him of the one he missed, and her cunning mind pushed him in ways the residents of Mount Huaguo couldn’t match. In the past, he may have supported the Lady in his betrayal fueled desperation to see the indomitable Sun Wukong brought down to size, but she made one critical error. She fucked with his nephew, his family, thought he could be played like a cheap kazoo, and he would never forgive her for that.

He would allow her a small victory, but in the end, his plans would not be stopped. No, if anything her actions only served to aid him. When the sunset on her legacy, he would stand victorious over the mangled shells of those who wronged him.

#vanishing shadow au #lego monkie kid au #monkie kid #six eared macaque #liu er mihou #tang #lmk mk #mk #lmk mei #monkie kid pigsy #lady bone demon #shadow play #emotional manipulation #projection

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fatescattered · 9 months ago

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whenever george is on the road, her thoughts always go back to her hometown. she thinks of what must've changed, how sungtae is managing the pub all on his own. how emma's adjusting to her new home – though her sister was always quick to adapt, especially when in the company of books. she thinks of kaya, if she's safe with her butler from hell constantly shadowing her, if she thinks of her, too.

for someone who occupies george's mind so often, kaya renders her uncharacteristically quiet. george's words always seem to have more weight when said to kaya, so she does her best to think them through and not act so carelessly – especially now that she has a secret to keep.

the way in which she matches kaya's smile is second nature by now. no matter how anxious george feels, seeing her always made her feel better. she's relieved she's not the reason for kaya being up, too – but before she can voice it, she feels kaya's hand gently reaching for her own.

gaze drops down as a reflex, and george struggles to fight the urge to wrap her hand around kaya's. it doesn't feel right, to hold her close when she's always slipping away. in the end, she only turns her hand slightly, fingers brushing against kaya's palm. it's all she can give of herself for now.

" yeah. " her throat feels dry as she croaks out the word. " gardens? " she offers, as if there's anywhere else on the property they could go for a stroll. heading into town at this late hour would be risky, and george doesn't want to leave emma unattended, even if she's asleep.

she motions for kaya to go first, a courteous gesture that doesn't quite suit her. when they were kids, george would often act proper and play up the theatrics to make kaya laugh; now, it just serves as a reminder of the distance between them. at the end of the day, she's just a runaway criminal, with no hopes of clearing her name, while kaya keeps on moving ahead without her.

the walk to the front door is quiet. though she had sought kaya out, george hadn't actually thought of what to say to her. bringing up kuro seems ill-timed, and she won't dare mention her time travelling, lest she slips up.

but when they spend so long apart as it is, relying solely on very few letters, she doesn't want silence to be the only thing between them.

" grab a coat, " she advises as she opens the front door, hiding behind another mundane exchange. " merry will give me an earful if i let you catch cold. and you make for an awful patient. " her playful jab is paired with a smile in hopes of making kaya laugh. " even worse than emma. "

kaya gazes up at the painted flowers on the ceiling as she tries to will herself to sleep, eyes tirelessly tracing the twisting vines. by now the poison klahadore had served her for years had completely left her system -- no more hours of feverish headaches, wracking coughs, aching chills -- yet her stomach still churns. she keeps running the conversations of the day over and over in her mind, hating herself for lying to george.

she could excuse the briefness of her letter for not wanting to send pages and pages to george to read. but now that george is here and nothing is preventing kaya from telling her the unadulterated truth . . . she keeps running away from the gruesome details, hiding them beneath praise for emma's ingenuity or the marines or her own carefully-placed high collar blouse.

it wouldn't help anything, she reminds herself. it's over now, and the story would only add to george's endless troubles. but it still sounds like a sorry excuse to kaya, no matter how she dresses it up or down. it's her fault for not taking george's dislike of klahadore seriously, allowing a monster to share the same roof as her sister. allowing him to hurt merry. in this manner klahadore may have been right after all; the years have amounted to her being a helpless, pampered brat. no matter how much she wants to be more for george, and emma, and merry.

the guilt's dizzying, her nervous hand picking at a loose thread on her blanket ( pushing away the phantom voice of klahadore scolding her for such unladylike behavior, finally catching and reminding herself to call him kuro; he was never klahadore ). at last kaya rises, disentangling herself from the blankets. maybe some fresh air will clear her thoughts . . . or at least, help her decide what to tell george tomorrow.

yet when she opens the door, she's greeted with none other than george herself on the other side. it's so sudden, so welcomed, so flustering, at first kaya thinks she may be dreaming after all. it's always a little hard to believe when george is finally here with her them after weeks of only penned words; sometimes it feels as if she leaves just when kaya's grown accustomed. but she's standing here now, realer than life, hair mussed from attempted sleep and smelling faintly, faintly of forest and flame and gunpowder.

she forgets to speak, just drinking her in, always savoring these moments not knowing when the next job will whisk george away. it's only when george apologizes that kaya's nudged to answer, shaking her head. ❝ oh. no, ❞ she assures, a little amusement in her smile; she doubts george could accomplish that without expressly aiming for it, gait gentle as a cat. ❝ neither could i. ❞ she touches george's hand gently without realizing it, body always drawn to george's in an effort to prove her presence.

the custom would be to offer a calming tea, yet sitting sequestered at a table clinking porcelain would not seem to perfectly suit either of them now -- george usually keen to perambulate, kaya a little less fond of tea these days. ❝ we could . . . go for a walk? ❞ kaya suggests with a touch of sheepishness for the oddity of the hour. and yet she and george did not have much alone time upon her arrival, kaya too consumed with what she could share and what she couldn't, more than happy to relinquish time to the sisters' reunion.

#apaise #how did i somehow make this longer #girlies pls #also sorry i didnt give u much to work with there #george is truly so awk around her rn #feels bad feels guilty #just wants the ground to swallow her :)))#( thread ; george dawson )

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sugamamacustard · 4 years ago

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Reach So High.

Pairing: Alpha! Nishinoya Yu x Omega! Reader, Alpha! Tendo Satori x Omega! Reader

Genre: Fluff, So much tooth-rotting fluff.

Request: N/A

Summary: You’re used to the world around you not being kind to the vertically impaired, but you and you’re alpha get through it.

Warnings: Cavities.

Author’s Note: I am so cold right now. Like shivering.

Requests: Open!

NISHINOYA YU

➵ Yu knew what it was like to have issues reaching stuff on high shelves.

➵ To fall behind when people Tanaka with longer legs decided you need a “light” jog.

➵ To be used as an arm-rest.

➵ Being mistook for middle schooler- or worse, an elementary student.

➵ He understands all of these all too well.

➵ But that does not mean he won’t tease the absolute hell out of you.

➵ You’re his omega, so of course, he’s going to tease you.

➵ Never in a mean or demeaning way, absolutely not, but more light-hearted ways that make you both laugh.

➵ He would never even dream of hurting you, even for the sake of a joke. That’s not who he is, he worked hard to call you his omega and he doesn’t want to let you go ever. He wants to love you for the rest of your natural born live, and will not do anything to risk you.

➵ But, if you’re both in on the joke? Different story.

➵ He’s holding your drinks above your head, only giving them back when you reward him with kisses.

➵ He’s hugging you from behind and resting his head on yours.

➵ Or teasing you as he reaches shelves to your fingertips barely brush against, his own just barely reaching what you want.

➵ He’s draping his Karasuno jacket over your shoulders as a way to stake his claim.

➵ Noya knows he’s not always the most intimidating alpha, so he goes the extra length to make sure everyone knows your his.

➵ And the fact that your perfectly sized for him?

➵ He refuses to let you go, okay?

➵ He is doing everything in his power to be the perfect boyfriend and alpha.

➵ There are probably times Nishinoya runs himself ragged trying to prove himself.

➵ When those times come around, you simply have to be patient and explain he doesn’t need to do any sort of fancy things for you to love him.

➵ He’s also hesitant to have you with him during volleyball practices, especially practices when the bleachers-- which are a safe distance away-- are closed and your forced to sit on the teams bench.

➵ You’re so small and the balls are going so fast.

➵ He’s seen the aftermath with Hinata one too many times.

➵ Noya only really lets you watch if you promise to stay near Kiyoko or Coach Ukai, both of whom have fast enough reflexes to protect you if need be.

➵ Even then he’s apprehensive on having you there. But that only pushed him to be a better libero, to save the ball before it gets even close to the sidelines.

➵ He’s holding his breath whenever a fly serve is too far for him to get to, only for it to hit the wall miles away from you.

➵ His poor heart.

➵ He does, however, totally loves if you come to his games.

➵ There you’re in the bleaches, behind nets that protect you and high enough no fly serves can hit you.

➵ It makes him feel better and he’s always at the top of his game when you’re there.

➵ Everyone knows when you show up because he’s so happy and jumpy.

➵ And, if your wearing his Jersey? Especially if you’re wearing his jersey, he’s just so- He’s in love, is the best way to put it.

➵ Heart eyes, purring subconsciously, waving to you every time he gets on the court, nearly crying when you wave back, and both you of you shaping your hands into hearts when he’s off the court?

➵ He’s loosing it on the court, constantly pointing you out to his-- and the opposing-- team.

➵ “Hey, look at my omega! Aren’t they adorable?!”

TENDO SATORI

➵ Oh, ho, ho.

➵ Guess monster could not guess how much he would enjoy this.

➵ No, I kid, I kid. Tendo is honestly one of the best to have in this situation.

➵ He knows what it’s like to be teased because of things you can’t control.

➵ He had the same thing happen to him because of the way he looked. It happened up until he presented as an alpha and even then he was still called ‘Monster’.

➵ Part of the reason he first started courting you in the first place was because of your first introduction.

➵ You were the new manager, surprise surprise-- nothing notable. Shiritorizawa went through managers like candy.

➵ And then Goshiki introduced him.

➵ “This is Tendo Satori, our ‘guess monster-’” You stopped him. You questioned what made him a monster, puffing through your nose when he offered no reasoning.

➵ He fell then and there, he swears. Up and down, cross his heart.

➵ Everything else was pretty much history.

➵ He formed a friendship with you, solidified how much he cared about you and asked to court you with a hand made blanket for your nest.

➵ He absolutely adored you and everything you did.

➵ Bring him a fresh bottle of water after practice? He’s a purring mess. Remember to bring one of his jackets for him when he’s running late to class? He’s doing everything you want at your beck and call. Breathe? He’s on one knee.

➵ And that fact that your so small?

➵ He is smitten.

➵ You’re so small and he’s so big and your little hand fits so well in his???

➵ Honestly, you’re kind of enigma to him. Like you trust him so much but he’s so tall and you just- like??? Him??? For who he his??? G O D S E N D.

➵ He loves picking you up and holding you to his chest after practices, even just walking you home while your hanging off of him, his arms supporting you by your butt.

➵ He loves doing it anyway, in fact. Like just holding you on his lap while he sits on the bench waiting to sub back in. When he does stand up he takes you with him, scenting you momentarily before setting you back onto the bench, wrapping his jacket around you and giving you a sweet kiss before going on court.

➵ Yes, he is waving at you until he’s on court and in position. Yes, he is babbling about how cute his omega is to the other team.

➵ “Your lucky your in the presence of my omega with how pathetic of a player you are.”

➵ You can scold him, yeah, but nothing’s gonna change how high of a pedestal he’s put you on.

➵ Literally, nothing else compares to you.

➵ He doesn’t mind having you at practices because he’s literally called the guess monster.

➵ Nothing gets close to you. He’s already blocking stray balls or harsh spikes.

➵ He’s also pulling you away under the pretense that he ‘can’t receive every ball’ when you know that bullshit because he’s literally on the biggest powerhouse school that has ever volleyballed

➵ But you don’t mind because alpha cuddles, right????

➵ The only person Satori trusts you with for extended periods of time is Ushijima.

➵ It is quite amusing the looks you get. The two super tall, big boy alphas with this tiny omega, following the omega around like dogs on a leash.

➵ Everyone just watches you drag around these alphas that could crush you between their thighs.

➵ It absolutely hilarious to you and Satori.

➵ Tendo is not really one to want you wearing his jersey, he more less just wants you in whatever you want

➵ But if that is his jersey, or his jacket, or a sweatshirt of his, he’s not complaining. Never will. As long as his omega is happy.

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surlybobbies · 4 years ago

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(here’s a late holiday offering for all of you)

deancas, 2.5k, AU, friends to lovers, baby jack

-----

They stopped at a park on the way back to Dean’s apartment. Baby’s trunk was full of gifts, evidence of a successful Christmas shopping trip, and so it was with satisfaction that Dean leaned against the hood of the car and pulled out his burger from the takeout bag.

Cas was similarly content, and they enjoyed each other’s company in silence for a few minutes as they began their meal. At a nearby jungle gym, children threw snowballs at each other from the little flakes of ice they’d been able to scrape together. Dean tried not to watch them too closely - you could never be too careful - but Cas observed them with a furrowed brow.

Apropos of nothing, he said, “How do parents handle the Santa situation?”

Dean wiped his mouth with a napkin. “What do you mean?”

“When would one begin telling a child about Santa? And how does one deal with the inevitable fallout when they realize he isn’t real?”

Dean’s stomach turned a little bit. “You thinkin’ about kids all of a sudden?”

“Not sure,” Cas said, examining his burger and plucking out a piece of onion with his fingers.

Another silence descended. Dean frowned at his meal, his appetite lost.

Meanwhile, Cas plucked out another onion slice. “I don’t think I believed in Santa,” he said eventually. “But I knew about him. I wish I could remember who first told me the tale.”

“I learned about him when I was in middle school,” Dean admitted. “The first time I stayed at one school for more than a few months. Pretty sure by then I was too old to believe.”

Cas lifted his eyes to the playground again. “No doubt at least a few of these children believe in Santa.” He sucked some stray ketchup off his thumb, and Dean had to look away.

“Good for them,” he said. “They should enjoy being kids.”

“In a few years, maybe even this year, their parents are going to have to admit to their lies.”

“It’s harmless,” Dean replied, waving away Cas’s curious stare. “It’s good for ‘em. Teaches ‘em to question things, question motives. Gets ‘em ready for the adult world of backstabbing and lies.”

Cas smiled at him. It was wide and affectionate. “I thought you said they should enjoy being kids?”

Dean bit down on a reflexive smile. “It’s one little thing, alright? Santa’s like - 1% of the kid experience. They’ve got the other 99% to think about - cooler, more important shit.”

“Like what?”

“Like the shit they do on the daily, y’know? If they can con their parents into letting them have candy for breakfast. Or sneaking down at midnight to have some ice cream. Or building a pillow fort. Or stickers. Or farts.”

“Farts?”

“Kids like farts.”

“No one likes farts.”

“You don’t know kids then.”

Cas conceded with a tilt of his head. “You’re right. Maybe they do enjoy farts.”

They finished their burgers and sipped at their sodas. It was when Dean was returning from the trash can that he saw the wistful look on Cas’s face as he listened to the yells and laughter of the kids. He smacked Cas on the arm. “You good?”

Up close, Dean could see the downturn of Cas’s lips. “Just thinking about the future,” Cas said eventually. When he turned to Dean, he was smiling woodenly.

Dean’s gut turned sour again, and he knew himself better than to blame it on the burger. “So you are thinkin’ about kids.”

Cas looked down at his shoes. “I think I might be.”

Dean ran a hand over his chin, then cleared his throat. “Good for you, man. I think you’d be a good dad.”

Cas looked at him. “And you too. You’d be an amazing father.”

The expression on Cas’s face - sincere, soft, affectionate - made Dean’s throat tight. He laughed too loudly. “Hey, listen, when you do have kids, you can tag me in any time, alright?”

The wistfulness had vanished from Cas’s face. He was smiling. “Agreed. I’ll let you handle the Santa situation.”

-----

Cas started fostering Jack a year later, and it was apparent very early on to Dean that fatherhood was Cas’s calling. Yes, he was always tired, and yes, he didn’t have nearly as much time for Dean as he did before, but Jack was thriving and Cas was happy - and because of that, Dean was happy, even if it meant losing Cas’s attention to fatherhood.

Dean’s disappointment was lessened by the fact that Jack quickly became just as attached to Dean as he was to his foster dad, so if Dean spent a few days a week at Cas’s place to “help out with the baby,” no one questioned his motives.

“You ever going to tell him?” Sam asked one day as he and Dean watched Cas carry Jack around Sam’s garden. Jack was a grabby kid, and Cas was constantly having to stop him from putting flowers in his mouth.

Dean didn’t bother asking what Sam was talking about. “He doesn’t need that on his plate right now.”

Sam raised his eyebrows at Dean, unconvinced. “So when? When he gives Jack up? You and I both know that’s never happening.”

“Then never,” Dean snapped, even though just the thought of holding it all in for one more day made Dean’s chest feel tight.

Sam ran a hand over his mouth like he was trying to stop himself from saying anything else, but Sam was nothing if not nosy. “We both know never’s not an option. It’s gotta be now, Dean. Or if not now, then soon. You’re already playing house with Cas. Plus there’s a kid involved now - a kid who absolutely adores you - so I hate to say it, but if things have to go south, it has to happen before Jack’s any older.”

Dean stared at Sam. “That’s fucked up, Sammy.”

“Don’t act like you didn’t know this already,” Sam said, though his tone was gentle. “I’m just saying out loud what you don’t want to admit.”

Cas was approaching with Jack, so Dean didn’t respond.

“I apologize,” Cas said to Sam. “Jack might have destroyed a few blooms.” He opened his palm and offered the crushed red blooms up for inspection. It could have been Dean’s bloody heart for how much he was hurting.

It was obvious that Sam was still watching Dean out of the corner of his eye, but he spared a smile and a tummy tickle for Jack. “No harm done, little guy.”

-----

Dean knew Sam was right, knew that for Jack’s sake, his two de facto parents needed to be on the same page about what they were to each other - but there was never a good time to bring it up. Was Dean supposed to just spill his heart out onto the dining room table with Jack’s sliced fruit? He contemplated asking Sam for advice, but 1) Dean did not want nor would he accept any pity from his little brother and 2) Sam was busy getting ready for his wedding.

So Dean, Cas, and Jack went on with their lives - separate but hopelessly intertwined, and all Dean could do was lie awake at night hoping that when the time came, he’d be able to make sense of the mess of tangled knots they’d created.

-----

Jack made the cutest ring bearer. Cas was a groomsman, but he’d asked to escort Jack up the aisle, and Sam and Eileen had loved the idea. Dean had loved the idea too, mostly because he knew he wouldn’t have been able to stomach the sight of Cas walking down the aisle in his smartly-tailored suit, arm-in-arm with Eileen’s cousin Sara. In the moment, however, Dean loved the idea simply because Cas was incandescent, smiling widely down at Jack, holding Jack’s hand as the toddler took his too-big, unsteady steps down the garden path.

At the end of the walk, when Cas had deposited Jack safely with Gabriel in the front row, he took his place by Dean’s side.

Dean couldn’t help but smile at him, helpless with affection. “I’m happy for you, Cas,” he said, just as the guests stood up to welcome the bride.

Cas ducked his head bashfully, but he put a hand on Dean’s back in acknowledgment. “Thank you.”

-----

Cas cornered him at the reception, where Dean was lurking at the edges of the dance floor. “Can we talk?” he said, leaning in to be heard over the music.

Dean had two servings of whiskey in him. “Always, Cas.”

Cas looked him oddly, but he said nothing. He led Dean away from the reception tent (where Gabriel and Garth were taking turns to dance with Jack in their arms) and stopped when they were far enough away to hear each other without yelling.

Cas was pink-cheeked from champagne, his hair was a mess, and Dean was so in love with him it hurt. “What do you need?” he asked, because concentrating on what Cas needed kept Dean from focusing on what Dean wanted.

“I thought I should tell you before it gets any farther in the proceedings - I’ve started the formal process of adopting Jack.”

Dean’s heart was full to bursting. He swallowed down a sudden urge to cry. “That’s great news, man,” he said, pulling Cas into a rough hug. “Congratulations!”

Cas’s arms wrapped tight around Dean, his chin hooked over Dean’s shoulder. There was a telltale sniff at his ear, so Dean just held on tighter to his best friend.

When Cas drew away a minute later, his nose was red. He kept his hands at Dean’s elbows. “I’ve asked so much of you already - “

“Stop right there,” Dean said, shaking his head, “because that’s not true. Whatever I did, I did because I wanted to. Because I’d do anything for that kid.”

Cas looked at Dean so tenderly it made Dean’s throat tight. “And I’m so grateful for that, Dean. You’ve been the best support I could have asked for.” Cas looked down, his eyebrows furrowing. The hands at Dean’s elbows tightened. “But I have to ask of you one more thing.”

There was no universe out there where Dean would have refused Cas anything. “Spit it out, Cas.”

“If something were to happen to me,” Cas said, eyes brimming, “would you take him in?”

Dean took hold of Cas’s elbows too, a reassurance that Cas was still there in front of him, still alive, still breathing. “Cas, you’re going to be kicking for a long time. Jack will have grandbabies before you check out.”

Cas smiled softly. He indulged Dean. “Still, if I should go before you - “

Helpless, absolutely wrecked, Dean closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Sammy had just gotten married to the best woman on Earth a few hours prior. A few yards away, the people Dean loved were dancing to “The Cha-Cha Slide.” And now Cas was asking Dean to take on the biggest honor of his life in the same sentence that Cas was talking about his inevitable death. Dean’s eyes welled up.

Cas touched Dean’s face for a brief moment. “I’m sorry to do this to you.”

Dean swiped at his eyes stubbornly. “Cas, I meant it when I said I’d do anything for that kid. If he ever loses you, he’s going to have me. Don’t even think about apologizing for that.”

“Thank you,” Cas said. There were tears on his cheeks too. “That makes me feel less scared of the future.”

Dean sniffed. He straightened Cas’s tie. “But hey, no takebacks, alright? Even if you go and get yourself hitched, I’m not giving Jack up.”

Cas’s mouth lifted at the corner, but Dean knew it was just for show. “I don’t think marriage is in the cards for me, Dean,” Cas admitted.

It was the way Cas looked at him that made Dean remember what Sam had said a few months before. If Dean was ever going to say something, it had to be right at this moment.

“Listen, Cas,” Dean said, clearing his throat, “now that we know Jack’s gonna be sticking around, you should know something.”

The hands at Dean’s elbows tightened again. “Tell me,” Cas said, his eyes growing worried. He stepped closer, studying Dean’s face.

Dean was crying again, and he despised it. “I’m in love with you,” he said. He was terrified, anxious, and angry with himself at the same time. “So if that changes things - if you want me to fuck off and never talk to you or Jack again - now’s the time to tell me.”

Cas took a shaky breath. He cradled Dean’s face. “My love,” he murmured, eyes warm though they were still brimming with tears. “Love of my life.”

Dean almost laughed. Incredulous, he asked, “What? Who, me?”

Cas kissed him. It tasted like salt, and Dean was still crying, and honestly he had no idea what was happening, but Cas was patient with him, kissing his cheek when Dean did nothing but stare.

He drew back after the first few seconds, smiling despite Dean’s shock. “Yes, you,” he confirmed. His hands went to Dean’s tie. His voice was thick when he spoke again. “So no, in case it isn’t obvious, I do not want you to ‘fuck off.’”

This had not been what Dean was expecting. Tentatively, he touched Cas’s face, just a brush of fingers against Cas’s cheek, not bothering to hide his amazement when Cas smiled at him.

“Kind of slow on the uptake,” Cas said. His nose was still pink. “Maybe I should be in charge of Jack’s studies.”

It hit Dean all at once. Cas was his. Jack was his. Everything he’d ever wanted in this world was his. He kissed Cas properly this time.

-----

They returned to the reception a few minutes later. Eileen, upon seeing Cas’s glossy eyes and pink nose, instinctively grabbed a butter knife to throw at Dean’s throat, but Sam tugged her arm down and pointed at Dean and Cas’s joined hands.

The pair mingled with the guests hand-in-hand for most of the night, only letting go to pick up Jack and swing him between them.

Later on, in the parking lot, with Jack asleep in his car seat and buckled safely in the back seat of the Impala, Cas turned to Dean, who had his arm around Cas’s waist.

Cas smiled at him. He said two words: “Marry me.”

Dean didn’t know how he had any tears left in him. “Jesus. Give a guy a break,” he said, his voice cracking.

“Earlier I said marriage wasn’t in the cards for me,” Cas explained, smiling widely, apparently pleased that he was making Dean cry so much. “I don’t want you to misunderstand - it’s in the cards if it’s you.”

Dean touched his forehead to Cas’s, so happy he could barely get any words out. “Cas, you know it’s a yes.”

-----

Jack was five years old and came home from kindergarten with a coloring sheet of Santa. Cas looked at Dean, mouth thin. “I’m tagging you in,” he said, then left the room.

“Can we see Santa at the mall, dad?” Jack asked, tongue between his teeth as he scribbled with his crayon.

Dean put a hand on Jack’s back. “Sure, bud,” he said. “You can tell him what you want for Christmas.”

He pulled out his phone. You’re dealing with the tooth fairy, he texted Cas.

Fine. You talk to him about the Easter Bunny then.

-----

Hope you liked it! I only ask that you do me one favor if you did - go and read my most recent fic on ao3 - I posted it at a dumb time and wish more people could see it.

#destiel #deancas #destiel fic #deancas fic #holiday fic #friends to lovers #kc fic

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trashytoastboi · 4 years ago

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Hello TrashyToastBoi! I saw that you are open once again and I really really admire your fics! I still read the fic about Killer on number 17 on your one event, that was one of the best! So..can I please request for Killer? Like, insecure reader has a long time crush on Killer that everyone on the ship knows it, even the Captain, but Killer doesn't (maybe), and reader was getting all the courage they could gather within themselves to confess, but knowing how popular Killer is, cause he a pirate, ladies flocked among the people of their crew, and reader saw their own disadvantages and have amplify it by that flock, so they just backed down, with a bit of angst but happy ending, mayhaps? I'm sorry if this is so long, just too excited that you're back! Anywho, thank you for writing fics and please take care of your self, thank you very much!! 💖

Heyya!🍀 sure thing! And thank you so much for saying so🥺 take good care of yourself too! Hope you enjoy ~

(Gender Neutral)

Scenario: Killer x Insecure! Reader – Neon Moon

There's a rundown bar, across the railroad tracks

I've got a table for two, way in the back

Where I sit alone and think of you ~ (Neon Moon by Cigarettes After Sex)

Warning: Sprinkling of angst, cursing

Word count: 3,247 words

🍜Killer🍜

“Finally, how long has it been since we last saw land!” {Name} exclaimed excitedly, especially at the fact they could finally disembark and feel some land beneath their feet. It had been way too long, staying out sea for a few months, everything was running a little low. Including supplies and treasure, though the company was not as bad as one might expect from the Kid pirates, land was needed especially seeing that Kid was growing irritable due to some cabin fever and well...they needed to take Kid on a walk, maybe allow him to raise a little hell just for him to use that excessive energy. While chortling at their own humorous thoughts, {Name} failed to pay attention to their feet and found the deck fast approaching, Killer's quick reflexes allowed for {Name} to be caught by his grip, a tug of their arm and helping them find their feet again. {Name} felt incredibly embarrassed thanks to their clumsiness. “Are you alright {Name}?” Killer inquired, sending {Name's} heart into a mess as well as allowing that fluttery feeling to settle in their stomach, “A-all good! Thanks...” {Name} states quickly with a nervous smile before shuffling away and truth be told they were grateful for the swift escape. {Name} had an inclination to liking Killer, something a little more than a friend. {Name} took a deep breath and turned to see Kid giving them a shit eating grin and that knowing look, they frown and glare at him “Don't you dare Kid” {Name} grumbled, of all the people that could have possibly known...it was Kid, and he has been holding the information over their head ever since he found out about their little crush on Killer. Of course the entire crew already knew, it was so painfully obvious and yet the person in question was the only one who had no idea about {Name's} feelings. Truthfully they could often find it a little tortuous, sometimes even comparable to pain, the fact that Killer treated them so kindly. At first {Name} believed that it was just the way he treated everyone, due to the fact that anyone close to him gets to see a softer side to him, and a better understand to the complex personality he shrouded beneath the epithet of “Massacre solider” and “Murder machine.” Though the comfortable distance he seemed to keep from everyone proved to discourage {Name}, kindness aside, he allowed no one to get too close to him aside from a certain angry tulip.

Insecurity never helped either, the fact that {Name} would drown themselves in those negative and demeaning thoughts, never intentional due to the intrusive nature. But it proved difficult, constantly downplaying themselves, never believing in the compliments people paid them and on the surface always smiling and saying thank you. Often acting as if they were that confident, even if it was the furthest thing from the truth. For once they felt a little brave, an inkling of courage proved to be the world of hope to {Name}, especially after what just happened. They considered it was finally time to take the leap and disclose their feelings to Killer, it had taken so long just to gather up the minuscule amount of courage and confidence to even come to the decision and the insecure thoughts of discouragement were held back by the hope of “It could be different, we could be more” and that sliver made {Name} a little giddy, it felt so promising. It was a helping hand, a manner of steadying their resolve to tell him, though the question of when was one of importance but {Name} opted to let the opportunity arise on it's own. Surely it would? No matter the outcome, {Name} needed to make it known before it consumed them...or at least before Kid finally acted on his threats of telling Killer about their feelings.

As with most things, it never really lasts forever and even the strongest things can become so brittle, the courage that had been building up was so easily and utterly crushed. From the moment they set foot into town, the crew was swarmed with what could be called 'fans', even admirers, and they surrounded everyone. At first it proved entertaining seeing that everyone seemed to have a little clique of fans, each for different reasons though swarmed and swooned none the less. Killer and Kid always had the biggest gaggle of admirers, Killer had plenty of woman throwing themselves at his feet. {Name} watched on with a gnawing feeling of anxiety, they were soon pulled from their thoughts at their own little crowd that formed quickly, {Name} was utterly surprised at the crowd that implored them for dates, drinks and the works. Some paying compliments that left {Name} feeling a little shy, it was not the time however, they spotted Killer being dragged away to the tavern and {Name} just felt a little shattered. They smiled, waving off the invitations with a friendly rain check, and despite the pleasant smile on their face; {Name} was currently filled with jealousy, bitterness and a little ounce of pain at seeing all those people so easily throwing themselves at Killer and all he needed to do was take them up on invitation. Maybe it was the absolute boldness of those people that made {Name} a little jealous, if they could be that confident and honest with Killer things could have changed, but insecurity kept them holding back and honesty seemed daunting, threatening to them. They only seemed to measure themselves up against everyone else, their personality against that of a strangers, their little quirks, the sound of their voice, appearance, just everything was compared anything, and everything they had to offer never measured up against anyone else. Any and all of the courage they had steadily built up disappeared as quickly as a whim, the determination to take a chance and tell Killer about their feelings was now gone, so far out of their mind as if it had never existed in the first place. {Name} had a small smile on their lips, some could even perceive it as a happy smile, it was simply the furthest thing from. Truth be told, it was the only thing keeping back the tears, and it was their acceptance that they were not the best, accepting that they had nothing they could really offer to Killer and even to those high expectations they set on themselves, it was a smile of resignation and defeat.

{Name} slipped away, their escaped snagged on the company of their remaining fans, though they didn’t really feel up for a drink, promising that they would gladly partake in one tomorrow but not now. Right now, {Name} wanted the quietest place possible and that was the ship, it was away from everyone and it provided a little room for their thoughts.

{Name} wandered back to the ship, accompanied by a couple of stragglers up until the moment when they finally got aboard the Victoria Punk, skulking over to the deck and taking a seat on the hard wood, they faced the ocean and slumped against the hard surface. Their eyes traced every line of the wood, absent mindedly and the thoughts began settling in their head, indulging those terrible, spiralling thoughts that tormented them and tore down any notion of something positive they had. “I'm such an idiot. What's the point of sulking over something like this anyway...” {Name} clenched their fist and hit railing in frustration, by all means they shouldn't be upset when Killer didn't even know. It just felt so frustrating, even feelings right now were so illogical and pointless. “Maybe I should let those people buy me a drink” {Name} bitterly chuckled, growing annoyed with the way they were feeling and yet felt absolutely no motivation to do anything about it. The constant back and forth argument of logic and reason tried to fight against the intangible nature of emotions, and in their attempts they tried to outweigh insecurity only to be met with failure. {Name} helped themselves to a drink, it was literally bottom of the barrel and the last they had, but any liquor was good company to wallowing and {Name} could not argue that it would be a long night tonight.

Another person fell at Killer's feet, unable to hold their liquor as he felt refreshed and not even remotely tipsy though the same can not be said for the people that attempted to match him drink for drink, his eyes scanned the room for the the hundredth time tonight. Still unable to find {Name} anywhere in the crowd, the crew was scattered across the bar but everyone seemed to be in the vicinity and admittedly Killer hoped {Name} would be there, maybe perched in a corner like they usually were, Killer loved joining them. It was quiet and usually {Name} offered the most random conversation once a bit of alcohol was in their system but Killer loved it none the less, most of the time he would just sit in silence and listen to them ramble on about whatever topic was burning in their brain.

Kid slammed into the bar, laughing wildly at some joke Wire just told, he slammed the tankard down signalling for another drink as he glanced over at Killer as he leaned over to talk “Have you seen {Name}?” it was a simple enough question though Kid just smiled widely, “What, you missing them already?” Kid mused, seeing Killer shift in his seat a little only proved Kid's question to be right, Kid was revelling in the fact that he held the same secret for both {Name} and Killer and was originally waiting for the two of them to realize it, and it was infuriating that they never did. It was entertaining to see the way the two of them would act, at this point it just became frustrating to watch them dance around each other awkwardly and completely oblivious. Kid could pick up that Killer was in higher spirits until he realized that {Name} was not around, it almost made Kid feel bad for taking a stab at him. Kid was definitely not one for for playing cupid nor involving himself in the affairs of others, but seeing that either of the two were too afraid to make the first move, he decided to lend a helping hand. “Want to go see them?” Kid offered, and saw Killer shake his head “It's alright.” Killer was quick to say, denying wanting to speak to them, until Kid passed a very unusual comment “Even if they were alone and upset right now?” Killer stopped dead hearing that, betraying his stoic act as he faced Kid who looked at him, a serious expression on his face which proved that Kid was not joking. Kid could be an idiot, but he was not a fool and he noticed how {Name} looked earlier and the fact that while they were all being dragged away, {Name} trailed their way to the ship while dragging their feet.

{Name} sat alone, wallowing and indulging their sadness, if only tonight. Because tomorrow they will have to be alright and pretend that nothing happened and that things are completely fine. As usual the moment the crew would come back {Name} would go out of their way to pretend to be up beat and like their normal self all the while pushing the thoughts to the back shelf and allowing it to bother them when lying awake at night. It was definitely hard to explain, to anyone and especially to themselves, the worst thing was knowing that the entire time they were treating it like a typical crush but it was so much more, if anything {Name} could be brave enough to call it love. Quite literally, they had been through stormy seas and war with Killer, coming out on the other side relatively unscathed and it certainly was thanks to him. For all the times he picked them up, protected them and pulled them from the deteriorative mindset they could fall into.

{Name} sighed, leaning on their arms and looking at the moonlight rippling and refracting on the surface of the sea, trying to imagine waking up one day and being completely rid of those feelings. It was all so ironic, {Name} only ever began to feel this lonely and melancholic every since they fell in love. It could be explained that the chaotic state of mind should be blamed on the fact that not even {Name} entirely knew what their own feelings were. {Name} heaved another sigh, knowing that if someone were keeping count they probably could have set a new record. “You sulking over Killer?” Kid chirped, startling {Name} who failed to notice his presence. Which is saying a lot considering that Kid was not at all quiet or stealthy. They looked up at him, with the usual annoying grin he wore, pretty sure he only ever did it knowing it irritated them so, it just made {Name} annoyed at the sight of his face. “Are you going to hold it over my head forever?” {Name} spoke evident traces of irritation laced their voice, “Hold what?” Kid teased, feigning ignorance towards their question “You know what!” {Name} snapped back and agitated by his blatant prodding and now was certainly not the time for him to be pushing them like this, {Name} was in no mind to entertain it. Kid chortled, stifling something akin to a mean snicker as {Name} threw their empty cup at his head, which was completely ineffective as Kid simply swatted it away like a fly. “You know how I feel about Killer.” {Name} murmured, slumping down even further as Kid leaned down, holding his hand to ear “Sorry I didn't quite catch that” Kid stated, {Name} stared at him challengingly, not saying anything. “Guess, I'll just have to tell Killer about it~” Kid mused, {Name} stands up and grabs him by his coat, it seems less than intimidating when grabbing someone of his stature “Don't you dare Kid!” {Name} snaps, no longer eager to play games about this particular thing, it's only rubbing salt further into the wound. “Don't I dare what?” Kid pushes further, wanting a bigger reaction from {Name} “Tell him!”, “Tell him what exactly?”

“Cut the shit Kid! You know exactly what. I don't know why you're playing dumb now after all the times YOU were the one to bring it up and threatened to tell him.” {Name} half yells out of pure frustration “Oh? You mean I shouldn't tell Killer that you love him?” Kid grinned finally seeing the reaction he wanted from {Name} who was now incredibly flustered and worked up “I love him! Do you have a problem with that Kid? Is that the issue here?” {Name} shouted, a little too lost in their little spat to have cared if anyone else was around. “Your words, not mine” Kid muttered, shrugging {Name's} hands off of him and turning his back to walk away, he stops randomly and turns his head to seemingly glance at the wall “Did you catch all of that?” {Name} was about to respond, until they see Killer step out from around the corner, awkwardly rubbing his neck as Kid snickers and leaves. {Name's} stomach drops and their heart sits in their throat feeling absolutely shell-shocked that Killer had heard everything. They babble trying to find words of explanation or apology, no clue as to what they actually want to say.

Killer approaches them, a little awkward in his manner that staggers his walk into more of an awkward shuffle, and there is a thick silence left between them. “Did you mean it, what you said?” Killer asked hesitating to know the answer even if he had already heard it, {Name} realized denying it would do more harm than good, especially if they deny the truth and the shock of everything still rendered them speechless, and mustering all they could {Name} nods and averts their eyes. “I see...” Killer offers no further words as silence fills the space between them yet again.

“KILLER LOVES YOU TOO!” Kid shouts from somewhere, making it obvious that he was still around watching this all unfold like a soap opera. Of course he had to, how else was he supposed to leave these two alone when doing so has proved ineffective. “Kid!” Killer hissed, unable to scold him since he was still hiding somewhere, {Name} broke out into a blush at what Kid said and Killer grew nervous at the sight of them. {Name} felt really elated, overwhelmed even “So I guess the feeling is m-mutual?” {Name} chuckled only to be graced with silence on Killer's part once again which only added to {Name's} growing anxiety. Reality seemed to set in, ripping {Name} off of the very short lived cloud nine feeling, leaving them to feel unsettled and doubting “I'm sorry, I guess Kid was just saying that to get a reaction” {Name} apologised for getting ahead of themselves and Killer felt guilt over seeing the hurt on their face and the misunderstanding that began to form, he needed to say something and yet, the words were none existent. “{Name}, that's not...I do, it's just. I don't know how to say it, I mean a-are you okay with me?” Killer desperately stumbles over his words trying to clear up the sudden misunderstanding. {Name} looks at him, absolutely confused “O-Okay with you? What do you mean?”

“I'm not...good?” Killer's words fall short and he finds himself unable to explain the source of his insecurity. {Name} looked at him quizzically feeling like they could understand him a little more, it may have been really similar to their situation of thoughts telling them things that simply were not true. {Name} took a step closer, seeing Killer's reaction, they took another step “You're more than good enough Killer, you might not see it... it's the same case with me I guess. But I've never really loved anyone...more than you...so” {Name} spoke softly, their voice threatened to fail though the words were graced by utter kindness and sincerity. Killer felt his face heating up at their words, his hand reached for them, resting on their arm. He wanted to take a little more, wanted to pull them closer and embrace them. Killer suddenly halted his actions at the sound of a sneeze, he turned to look in the direction of it and spotted the entire crew in the distance, faces peaking out and watching them. {Name} turned their head and saw the same sight, and seeing all their faces was enough to completely murder the moment. Killer and {Name} sighed in unison, “I think this is a conversation to be continued away from the drunken idiots” Killer states, indirectly inviting {Name} to spend some time with him to which {Name} instantly agrees.

Bonus:

Heat pulled out the piece of paper “I told you {Name} would make the first move!”, “Technically Kid made the first move on both of their behalves” Wire retorts seeing the disappointment in some of his fellow crew mates over losing the bet. “But they took a step towards him when he was being all shy and shit!”

“Shouldn't all the money just go to me since I made it happen?” Kid mused, a proud grin on his face from his less than graceful handiwork.

#one piece #killer #massacre soldier killer #one piece killer #TrashyToastBoi #gender neutral #angst #fluff #murder machine #kamizo the manslayer #sfw #one piece scenarios #one piece scenario #one piece imagines #one piece headcanons

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ratsoh-writes · 4 years ago

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Could we get some random hcs for the all the horror bros?

Alrighty! How about we feature all the horror bros and one headcanon with kids ;)

Oak:

There’s a ton of young families and children in the neighborhood that all the horrors live in. And the kids are all notorious for bothering the horrors lol. Oak is no exception. There’s a running joke among the teenagers that if they run and jump at oak, he’ll drop whatever he’s carrying to catch them. The parents are always getting and worrying about him breaking something, but what they don’t know is that oak just shortcuts whatever he’s holding onto his kitchen table

One effect of oaks head injury is some color blindness. His vision is a bit greyed out so he struggles to see bright shades. But oak doesn’t care and will wear whatever. To remedy this problem, willow has slowly been replacing clothing items with neutral shades that always go with everything. That way his dumb older brother stops walking out looking like an Easter egg

Willow:

The family that helped oak and willow move in are willows favorite people in the neighborhood. The dad owns a gardening/landscapers business and does willows trees and bushes for him. In exchange, they get discounts at the bakery and willows baked for all their kids birthdays

Willow used to have basic square shaped glasses, but for his first Halloween he decided to get a long white beard and go as a typical wizard. And lilac and basil who the horrortale brothers had just started becoming best friends with, commented that the half moon glasses of his costume suited him better

Rust:

There’s a lot of kids in the nursery that also live in the same neighborhood as rust and noir. So if rust is outside working on his woodworks and models, he almost always ends up entertaining one of his nursery kids as they tell him all about their eventful day lol. He can’t help but indulge them though.

Rust doesn’t like wearing shirts to bed since he always feels too hot in them. He also tends to kick off the covers too. If rust ever got a SO, they would have to invest in a fan for the room

Noir:

Its an open secret in the neighborhood that he and willow have really bad back problems. So the kids are taught early that they’re not allowed to let noir or willow pick them up. This is a genuine concern because all the little kids are constantly tempted by the sweet skeletons and the prospect of being really tall for a few minutes. Especially since rust and basil are dirty enablers. Noir still secretly picks up some of the sassier kids when he’s out, even if his back punishes him for it later

Before the famine, noir would never have gone out looking anything less than his absolute best, but seeing every one suffer has really scraped off a lot of the pride that noir used to have. Now he’s fine making a run to the grocery store in a paint stained t shirt. It’s not like Walmart has a dress code

Lilac:

There was one time one of the neighbors kids had a friend over, and that friend didn’t believe that lilac only had one leg. How could he run that fast then?? So being a good mature adult, lilac yelled at them to catch, and gently tossed his leg to the screaming and laughing kids. None of them ever doubted him again after word got out lol

A lot of lilacs free time is spent strength training these days. He’s realized that his new body size will never have the speed it used to when he was Star, so lilac is looking to be the strongest skeleton instead. Well second strongest. They all know rancher has an unfair genetic advantage

Basil:

There was one time when basil was in his garden, and the kids were having a massive water fight. One dummy decided it’d be a great idea to squirt at the giant skeleton holding a hose. It was pure reflex that made basil turn and hose down the little sucker. But before he could try and apologize, the pack of kids declared war. And thus started the water fight of 2021. No one on the street was safe

As an online translator who has trouble speaking out loud, basil only works on converting written documents. He’s gotten into fan fiction though blame honey and his latest passion project is translating every mandarin game of thrones fanfic he finds into English. Basil is the hero we all need

#undertale imagines #undertale headcanons #horrortale #horrorfell #horrorswap

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daddywright · 3 years ago

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I have only recently got into the ace attorney fandom, and this story was the first story I read, and I feel spoiled! I absolutely loved every chapter, so I'm gonna word vomit here and tell you everything I love about this!

"She offers him a smile. It’s small, tentative, but it possesses a strength that makes a hidden part of him twist and burn with quiet envy." the first time we see nick's wish to be as strong as mia!

Considering the fact that nick didn't have any prominent figure in his life, it makes sense that he would look up to gregory so much

"Phoenix looks up, and starts walking towards Mia Fey

He doesn't stop for two years."

THE RELATIONSHIP THAT MIA AND NICK HAD WAS PRECIOUS AND DESERVES MORE THAN WHAT THE FANDOM GIVES THEM

"Larry’s arms wrap around him, squeezing almost too tight" People forget that Larry and Phoenix were good friends too, and Larry would help his best friend

"Nobody believed him, nobody but Mia" Maya is what Phoenix is to Mia and I adore that

"He wishes, desperately, that he’d said it while she was still alive. I loved you. For everything you did." Not you absolutely breaking my fucking heart

Also the first AA game felt unnatural in the sense of how seemingly unaffected Phoenix seemed at Mia's murder so I'm really glad you wrote it this way

"Expensive. Thoughtful. Too much." SHUT UP NICK YOU DESERVE ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING

Also quick break to mention how I absolutely fucking love your writing style and i wish I was literally half as talented as you cuz the last time I read something that made me feel this multitude of emotions was ocean vuong. And I practically worship Ocean Vuong. So now I worship you too

"You're a stranger to me // When will I stop hoping?" I never really realised just how badly nick musta been hurt by good ol' bratworth before this fic, but now that I have read it, it would have hurt him so bad

"Is this why you never answered my letters? Because I was a reminder? Because it hurt too much?" Honestly what happened to miles and phoenix's friendship hurts so much because it should have never happened, and miles didn't deserve that.

"Maybe Miles Edgeworth is not the man he thought he’d be, either." yo when I tell you this hurt I mean this huRT

Fun fact! My birthday is on the same day as DL-6 anniversary. Gregory Edgeworth died on my birthday. I feel horrible now

"monster. You were nine years old and he's a monster. " No one has made me feel this much emotion for what happened to Miles in a single sentence other than you. I commend you for that

"I love you," he says quietly. He has never said those words to anyone, except for Dahlia Hawthorne.

Maya sniffs in his ear, crushing him tight. "I love you, too."

He has never heard them back.

PHOENIX HAS NEVER HEARD THE WORDS " I LOVE YOU" COME BACK TO HIM ARE YOU FUCKING WITH ME WHY NOW I'M SAD

"Tell me everything. Every detail—" Miles is worried bout nick and why wouldn't he? gods you're so gay miles but tbf if I knew someone like nick irl i'd go ballistic too

"He determined the motive for his own assault...with amnesia. Naturally." My man's smart af and he is king

"Is that what she thinks of me? That I'm like that? That I don't care about who the bad guys really are?" Gumshoe noooo you're hella precious! Also this particular chapter was so well written! loved this soo much!

Also taking a minute to appreciate the pacing! Rarely do I ever come across an author who just hits that sweet spot of perfect pacing and you did! so thank you!

Alright so here are a few thoughts that I felt capcom needed to do which you did for us!

no. 1 - Address the trauma phoenix faced with not only dahlia but also with mia's death

no. 2 - Actually fucking flesh out a good relationship dynamic between larry and phoenix

no. 3 - actually! have! phoenix! be hurt! in bridge to turnabout! istg my man would not have dropped from a burning bridge to a freezing river only to have a cold

AUNT FRANZY AND PEARLS MAN!

THEY CUTE

ok so I have a LOT of feelings for bridge to turnabout and HOO BOY BUCKLE UP

So I always thought that in this fic, miles must have felt fucking awful! I mean he very clearly hates who he was and what that has led to but that must have been doubled over with this case! Phoenix would have died if not for mia and it would have been indirectly miles's fault. I think about that alot

Like he said that he very much regrets whatever he did as bratworth in the phone call with gumshoe but i don't think he anticipated this. poor edgeworth

Also I think this was the final nail in the coffin for miles. Phoenix forgave him, after all the fucked up shit miles did, and that made that man go "how is this guy so fucking compassionate awwwww shit I'm in fucking love with this idiotic brave man".

my main thoughts were "holy shit phoenix must have been feeling awful." like to learn that you were in love with a person who turned out to be a murderer but then not a murderer cuz everything you felt about that was real and just...... it must have hurt. He never fell in love with dahlia. it was iris, always. and WHAT ABOUT MILES DURING THIS!!! Like to learn that the man you love was falsely led to believe that he was in love with a person he rarely met and then learn that his ex who is not murderous might still be in love with him because "that was real. that part was real." like damn. people just gloss over this

also I feel terrible for iris F in the chat for iris lads.

Dahlia literally haunting that courtroom scene. I felt mia's power. I felt her desperation. I felt everything and I am once again in awe of the absolute power your writing holds.

also godsdamn pearls had to go through all that shit huh. also FRANMAYAAAAAA THANK YOUUUU

I too, am a hoe confused as to what I should feel towards diego.

Ok anyways we jump to disbarment now

"He just winks at her and says Maya has other talents, and if Mystic Maya overhears, she puffs up at him like the fish from the aquarium she saw once, the one with all the spikes and silly eyes."

you know what constantly amazes me? your ability to change tones so effortlessly. When writing from edgey's pov, the language is sophisticated. precise. when writing from pearly's pov your language is simplistic, child-like. from phoenix's pov it's natural. grounded

"She never knew anybody who made faces like him, growing up in Kurain, and it’s one of the things that makes him special." Yo phoenix is the most amazing uncle ever and we all know it ok he's brilliant

I'M RUNNING OUT OF CHARACTER LIMITS

PEARLY CALLING EDGEY AT FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE I'M SOFFFFTTTT

“I think I did something really bad." trucy baby no it's not your fault

pearl and trucy bonding supremacy. my girls would fuck shit up

"She’d meant to do this properly, one day." Thank you for giving importance to maya's feelings. thank you for treating her like a real human being. thank you

“Everything that happened...for what? It’s only gotten people hurt. Pearly. Our mother.” Me. Me." I felt so bad for maya here. I wish I could tell you in precise words about how this exact framing of the sentence is what broke me. "me. me" maya deserved more, but mia did all she could

"What do scared kids need? ...Food." not you breaking my godsdamn heart again. phoenix just knows what's it like being a helpless child, and he'll be damned if he ever lets anyone face that again

“‘Course, Pearls,” he says reflexively, before frowning. “What for?” reflexively. if every man in the world could be like phoenix wright then the world would be worthy of the gods

"Another one?" give it 2 years edgey she'll be your daughter too

"after countless hours creating the man’s living space in his mind from the background snatches he’d seen in the man’s ridiculous video calls." NOT ONLY DO THEY VC FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON BUT ALSO MILES ACTUALLY SPENDS TIME TRYING TO RECREATE HIS ROOM?? BECAUSE HE WOULD ONE DAY LIKE TO BE IN IT??? good gods these bitches gay. good for them

"because just as day is light and night is dark, Phoenix Wright is an honorable man." damn straight. you love to see it (it being a 27+ year old man pining for another 27+ year old man)

also hey miles! how do you feel about the fact that the man you love changed his fucking major and degrees halfway through college just so he could see you again only for you to be incredibly rude to him and make him end up in jail! (i bully edgeworth cuz i love him)

"Wright finishes, shrugging like it’s nothing, like his commitment and belief isn’t the most extraordinary thing that Miles has ever faced." it's more than pining at this point. it's incredible faith and trust. Miles had someone who cared about him even after all those years despite him having changed so drastically, ofc he would be surprised. Miles loves phoenix and so do i.

also HOT DAMN YOU WRITING IS JUST * MWAH *

Also the whole segment where they kiss is just !!!!! miles wants! it's beautiful! THEY'RE IN LOVEEE

receiving poisonous bottles which your ex tried to kill you with. My man can't get a break huh

Miles being chivalrous and protective and absolutely stealing my godsdamn heart (and phoenix's too)!

Klavier being the absolute king that he is we stan

The hostage situation section? gods miles must have been terrified.

Phoenix not being able to promise pearly that he'd always come back home and miles hearing it and like... ouch. my heart. you didn't need to do that (but i love your for it)

GODS THE CLIMAX WITH KRISTOPH WAS SOOO SATISFYING AND LIKE MY MAN PHOENIX REALLY PUNCHED THAT BITCH HUH

klavier baby I am so sorry

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL!

and thus my comment ends. I believe I have almost used up all of my commenting limits and i leave with these few parting words : HOLY SHIT YOUR AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU!

also I made a playlist on spotify for this fic! here's the link : https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3k8lRHiO8ZXQDLpiTUL7SN?si=fc3b35b4ab064867

gods this was long huh

GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY....WHERE DO I BEGIN...THE FACT THAT YOU BROKE THE CHARACTER LIMIT ON AO3 AND MADE A PLAYLIST? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS?

thank you so much for all the amazing things you said....i am crying on a Wednesday morning knowing my writing was appreciated this much. thank you!

#ask tag #long post #my fic #nymphietonkslupin

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thosewickedlovelies · 4 years ago

Text

An Ode To Marcus Moreno’s Arms

Pairing: Marcus Moreno x GN!Reader

Rating: Mature

Summary: You’re a training specialist in swordsmanship at Heroics Headquarters, so you see a lot of Marcus Moreno.

Tags: Reader has a vivid (sexual) imagination, but there’s only a few brief sections.

Word Count: 2,272

A/N: This started out as an ode to his arms, but his arms are connected to the rest of him, so. Alternative title: In Appreciation of Marcus Moreno

My assumption/headcanon of his powers are telekinesis, plus general exceptional physical prowess and weapons skills? Idk, we weren’t given much, but those feel like solid abilities for someone implied to be the super among super heroes. Idk what this is but I regret nothing.

More content/worldbuilding set in this universe 💗

Marcus Moreno’s arms were capable of many things.

You knew this because you saw them on an almost-daily basis. You were one of the training specialists at Heroics Headquarters, one of a large, ever-expanding staff of instructors who were experts in their respective fields of combat or weapons. Your job, essentially, was to be a superhero minus the powers- and use your abilities to keep the Heroics in top form.

Your expertise was swordsmanship, which meant you spent more time with Marcus than any of the other heroes. All of the physical trainers and specialists sparred with the Heroics in mock villain showdowns, but you also helped them hone specific skills. You were here because your skillset and abilities matched Marcus’s.

So you’ve had plenty of opportunity to behold his arms at work.

One would think that they’d be most enticing mid-action, but it was a cosmically ironic fact that there was never really a wrong moment to ogle. How that man could make merely unsheathing his swords so erotic was beyond you.

But by now you’d seen it from every angle. You were as familiar with Marcus’s technique as you were with your own, and knew well the cycle of muscle contractions which rippled up his whole body. It started with his legs: setting his stance, primed and poised on the balls of his feet. Then every muscle in his torso, his clinging t-shirts sliding over taut flesh as they rode up with the lifting of his arms- his arms. Biceps suddenly incredibly present and visibly straining past barely-existent sleeves, tendons flexing rigid and obvious, a tangle of pathways you wanted to map with your tongue.

This show was best when he had started his day with tactical theory sessions, because then his expressive face got involved. Oh yes, it wasn’t enough for him just to be built the way he was, his face had to go and be attractive as well.

Tedious strategy debates with Miracle Guy during these sessions never failed to get under his skin- you could always tell how much steam Marcus had to let off based on the clench of his jaw. Or the way he’d drag his bottom lip over his teeth, nostrils flaring in an almost-snarl. When that happened you knew he gripped the hilts of his swords a little tighter, because you’d see the ridges in his wrist dip and pull like piano strings perpendicular to the line of his gloves. The blades would sing little sharper on those days, his arms freeing them in a jerk rather than their usual smooth, deliberate slide.

It was amazing you ever made it beyond unsheathing your weapons.

But oh, were you glad you did, because watching Marcus Moreno fight was truly a treat. The control he had over his body was remarkable; even when his limbs flung and stretched, they were to ready to contract again at a second’s notice. “Fight” was really too limited of a term for it- Marcus manipulated his body in an incredible harmony of mind and muscle, using his weapons- including his telekinesis- as extensions of himself.

You wondered sometimes how fine his control over his telekinesis was- if he could use it on himself. If he did use it somehow to give his blows that devastating extra speed and strength.

It was easy to understand, after witnessing him, why battle is often described as a dance.

On particularly ruthless training days, his tan skin would gleam with sweat. It would bead and trickle along the pulsing veins in his arms, drawing your attention even more, and salacious scenes would flash behind your eyelids: those same glistening forearms visible in your peripherals as they box you against a wall, that same intent glitter in his dark eyes as they come closer and closer, breathless, his chest heaving into yours-

You never let on to any of this though. You were a master of the blade, and had trained too thoroughly to let the appearance of an opponent get to you. Besides that fact, you would never do anything to risk your place with the Heroics. Although you were an authority figure, they were still superheroes, and thus unlike anyone else you’d worked with- it made for a challenging, stimulating dynamic in which you were constantly both instructor and student.

Even outside of the training arena, Marcus’s arms were a sight.

Holding data pads or writing utensils as he led the Heroics in discussions of group tactics, deftly manipulating characters onscreen or scribbling things on a whiteboard. Sometimes he would go to these sessions straight from physical training, and the cooling sweat on his skin would raise goosebumps all along the smooth flesh.

You observed how gently his arms could move in yet other circumstances.

Training specialists often joined in when the Heroics were given new gadgets to play with. And although these days tended to be slower, they still made you sweat. Watching the caution with which Marcus handled the gear at first, the slow care he reserved for things with which he was still becoming familiar. The precision and that control he always kept- even when his frustration slipped out in the form of snarky remarks, he was always conscious of his movements. As he gained confidence, the surety would return to his motions, his shoulders squaring in quiet triumph- his broad, broad shoulders, which you had imagined far too many times propping up your thighs while his hands and mouth were otherwise engaged between them.

You wondered if Marcus would treat your body like something new he had to master. If his hands would probe and caress with the same thoroughness. If the same wicked delight would steal over his features as he learned how best to coax you toward his desired goals; if his fascinated smirk would change after the thousandth time he had taken you apart.

It didn’t help that these sessions highlighted that he was a kind, competent teacher. His teammates exasperated him sometimes, but Marcus was the first to step in when one of them was struggling. A light touch to rearrange their stance, an encouraging word or smile. If you hadn’t personally felt the power thrumming under his skin, you would have never guessed that such a soft man was capable of his immense abilities.

Occasionally you had to remind yourself not to get all dopey-eyed when he was instructing the kids. If you thought he was patient with the adult Heroics, it was nothing compared to how he interacted with their younger counterparts. Equally firm and joking in turn, he taught them every trick he knew while desperately hoping they would never have to use the knowledge.

Some days were easier for him than others- the times they practiced with weapons could have unexpectedly diverting consequences. Marcus let Guppy hold his katanas, once- she was fully capable with her shark strength, but the vision of the diminutive girl brandishing swords that were taller than she was, her face aglow with a ferocious grin, had all the others in fits.

You swore he was suppressing laughter himself as he carefully took them away from her. His hands, already distracting enough, looked comically vast compared to hers as he delicately maneuvered them to pluck the swords from her grasp. Something about the sight of his thick fingers, resettling themselves around the hilts with reflexive ease, made your mouth dry.

His fingers squeezed other things, too, and it made flames leap low in your belly every time.

Lime wedges, on the rare occasions he indulged in drinks stronger than wine at the Headquarters bar. His friends’s shoulders, in affection and farewell, after relaxing with them at said bar following hard days. You longed to be one of those who Marcus slung an arm around in jest, a laugh shaking his shoulders and sparkling in his eyes. Would his skin be as warm as it was while swinging a weapon? What would his body feel like softened in mirth, instead of vibrating with focus?

You didn’t blame him for his more formal attitude during work hours. His days were busy, and you rarely saw him off the training mats. You had shared a few evenings with him on nights when the bar was quieter, though. He was perfectly friendly, treating you just like anyone else he was getting to know.

Tonight was one of those quieter nights, but you didn’t do more than cast a quick glance at the small group sitting in the corner before slumping to the bar. You were worn out today, and just wanted something strong and solitary before going home.

You sighed into the numbing wash of your drink, your eyes drifting shut. Nobody would bother you this evening; it wasn’t that kind of atmosphere.

Except- the barstool next to yours scraped against the floor.

You inhaled deeply, preparing to politely rip into whatever idiot was assuming you needed company- only to have the words struck off your lips by the apprehensive brown eyes of Marcus Moreno.

“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat. “I’m sorry to bother you. You can tell me to march right back to my table if you like, but uh, I just wanted to see if you were all right. After today.”

You could see that he genuinely meant it- he was perched only partially on the barstool, ready to take off again if you said the word. But his gaze was curious, concerned.

You brow furrowed. “After today?” you echoed, too caught off-guard to think of anything else. What could he mean? Nothing special had happened today. He’d disarmed you, sure, but it wasn’t the first time that had occurred in the eight months you’d been working with him.

Marcus shifted uncertainly. “You just seemed...tired. Reflexes slower than usual,” he noted wryly. “And, well. We have matching bags.” He pointed to his face, where dark shadows were visible beneath his eyes. He offered a self-deprecating, tentative smile, conscious that he was treading in new territory.

It takes you a minute to process. In all the time you’ve spent observing his fighting techniques to perfection, you’d never considered that he could have been using those same opportunities to observe you. It provokes a funny feeling in your chest, twisting your breath up in your lungs like tangled ribbon.

“Oh,” you murmur, surprised but unoffended by his mention of the bags under your eyes. “Well...I am tired today, I guess.” You took a sip of your drink, gauging his interest, hesitating before continuing. “My sister broke her hip, so she just moved in with me for while she heals. It’s been...a stressful transition,” you admitted.

He angles himself toward you, attention fully committed and eyes widening in sympathy. “Oh gosh, that’s terrible. Do you need some time off? I can clear it with the boss for you, work with Santino for however long you need.” He seemed to straighten up, as if ready to spring away and take care of it the moment you answered.

“No, please,” you chuckled in appreciation of his earnestness. “I might need a few shorter days, but neither of us need me fussing over her 24/7.” Both you and your sister were strongly independent. It meant that you had often been at odds when you were younger, but you were all each other had now, and had made efforts to improve your relationship.

Marcus nodded in understanding, settling again. He seemed at a loss for if he should leave or say something else, so you made the choice for him.

“Tired of getting your ass kicked in my lessons, Moreno? You know Santino doesn’t work you as hard.” Your fellow swordsmanship instructor was slightly younger, a newer hire who was still a little bit in awe of the Heroics.

You didn’t usually speak so flippantly to him, but his eyebrows arced high at the challenge, a smile tugging on his lips. “Sounds like somebody needs a reminder of who kicked whose ass today, ma’am.” Rolling right along with your apparent newfound playfulness.

You pinpointed, suddenly, what was different about him tonight, why this interaction felt different compared to your others. There’d always been an air of deference about him before, as if even outside of the arena he considered you a superior. But tonight he was just treating you like a peer, a regular person. Maybe it had taken your excessively dragging day for him to come to terms with the fact that you were a regular person, but the ice finally felt like it had broken between you and you just...talked, after that. For longer than both of you probably intended.

“Shoot, I have to go get Missy,” Marcus realized, catching sight of his watch. “But you- you’ll be here again? I mean, I see you here a lot.” He stumbled over his words.

Did he? It was true that you were often at the bar at the same time, but for him to acknowledge that meant that he actually noticed you. Remembered your presence.

“Yeah, I’m here pretty regularly,” you confirmed, cautiously hopeful.

“Good. I mean, I’ll see you, then- next time.” His voice rasped low, but there was a nervousness in his expression. He twisted his jacket between his large hands.

He wanted to see you again. “Yes.” You smiled at him, surprise and pleasure shining through. “I’ll see you next time,” you said with conviction.

His eyes crinkled in answer, and your breath caught. Your ordered yourself not to watch him leave the room.

You drove home with a quiet grin on your face.

#we can be heroes #wcbh #wcbh fic #marcus moreno x reader #marcus moreno x you #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #NOBODY LOOK AT ME

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dinosaurtsukki · 4 years ago

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haikyuu!! zombie apocalypse AU

anon: hi! how do you think haikyuu pairs would react/response in a zombie apocalypse?

this ask sure takes me back because i had SUCH a zombie phase when i was 12. i literally bought that ‘zombie survival guide’ book by max brooks and walking dead was my fave but AHHH I’M SO EXCITED FOR THIS ASK. also this eventually becomes more angsty as it goes on

Hinata and Kageyama:

hinata would probably be the first to believe in the news on TV but they’ll both be freaking out a lot when they first encounter an actual zombie

luckily they’re both really good at running so they just run for their lives before they consider hiding somewhere

they probably pass by a convenience store to stock up on ‘necessary supplies’, that being meat buns and milk

between the two of them, it would be kageyama who’d keep more of a level head. he devises a whole system for them when it comes to finding hideouts and taking watches at night

as much as possible, they wouldn’t want to directly engage with and fight zombies and choose to outrun them. mostly because hinata would still grapple with the fact that the zombies are still humans

they’d definitely try to find a group to stick around and travel with because they believe in safety in numbers. also they just know they’ll go crazy by themselves

hinata, who hasn’t dealt with the whole zombie apocalypse so far, would feel much better in a group. he’d take on the role of taking care of fellow kids. also, his speed and quick reflexes make him a good scout when they have to do supply runs

kageyama would definitely try to hone his skills with using weapons so that he could be one of the fighters that the group can count on. most of the time he’s doing target practice

if they’re in a good group, i can see their survival chances being quite good but without, they’d probably suffer from emotional damage by themselves

Tsukishima and Yamaguchi:

neither of them would be able to believe their eyes after hearing the news and they’d both be too shocked to act when a zombie horde starts attacking their town

tsukishima would be the one to act first and yell at yamaguchi to run away with him

both of them would try to find a strategic place to hide. if they’re in school, probably thought of hiding in the kitchens because it has weapons and food

they both like to play it extremely safe so they wouldn’t dare leave that hiding spot until either supplies have run low or they’re chased out

yamaguchi is generally quite hospitable to other survivors, especially if he knows that they’re fellow students but tsukishima is way more suspicious

luckily, tsukishima’s wary nature has saved them from being entangled in group conflicts or other people who would try to sabotage them

the only thing is that none of them are very good at combat or doing supply runs so they do have to rely on being in a group

tsukishima would be quickly known for having really good strategies to minimize casualties when they do have to do supply runs or raid a building to turn into a hide-out

yamaguchi would take it upon himself to learn first-aid so that he could be more useful to the group and he becomes invaluable to them in the long-run

between the two of them, yamaguchi would be more hopeful about humanity’s survival and them trying to find a cure or a way to eradicate the zombies

tsukishima would just only grow pessimistic as the years go by, not just from the ongoing zombie apocalypse but because of how he’s seen people lose their humanity

Daichi and Sugawara:

they’re shocked at first but fairly quick to react. they’re able to grab the attention of people around them and start a plan of escape in the event that they’re both in a building when it happens

daichi would be quick to take somewhat of a leadership role but he wouldn’t hesitate to put himself out there to direct counter-attacks. because of this, people would easily see him as a very reliable person

sugawara is also quite skilled at coming up with solutions whenever they’re in a predicament. if they end up in a hideout, he’s in charge of laying traps for any zombies that might come in

both of them do have the potential of becoming leaders in a group of people

their main aim would be to have a section of the city full of survivors that would also be self-sustainable and of course fortified from the outside world

their only fault probably would be that they’re too forgiving and have trouble making hard decisions

in the event that only one group of people would be saved between two, daichi and sugawara would try to save both but that does cost them

they also have a tendency to make things seem okay when it’s not okay to prevent mass hysteria

but that does mean they’ll be hiding things from their own group. but one thing they have promised is to tell everything to each other

Oikawa and Iwaizumi:

ngl they’ll both be really freaked out in the face of a horde of zombies unless iwaizumi would quickly pull oikawa off to the side so they could hide somewhere

i can imagine iwaizumi hammering nails into a baseball bat and expertly using it as his weapon

oikawa is quite crafty and cautious when it comes to interacting with fellow survivors because the only person he can trust at this point is iwa-chan

he ends up prioritizing their survival above all else and has once or twice tricked or backstabbed another survivor just to get weapons or basic necessities

iwa isn’t a fan of it at first but after realizing that it could happen to them, he becomes more open to oikawa’s way of doing things

most of what they do is break into houses and stay there for the night before leaving and going someplace else the next day. they know its not wise to stay in one place

they also don’t really trust other people enough to be in a group. they already have each other so why take that risk?

they do like to look for alcohol when breaking into new houses and after making sure they’re safe, they’ll definitely spend the night drink

neither of them particularly like the way they live and it’s things like these that they look forward to

both oikawa and iwaizumi would like to try and settle down at some point. hopefully in a cabin to themselves in the woods where they can live a life that’s as normal as it can get

Ushijima and Tendou:

tendou,,, wouldn't be that surprised cause i feel like he watches a great deal of zombie films and just thinks that it will happen at some point

when ushijima sees that his friend just knows what to do, he doesn't hesitate in following him

they immediately arm themselves with whatever makeshift weapons they can find

tendou already knows to aim directly for the head and to use the zombie's slow speed to their advantage

its only after they're able to take a rest in a hidden place away from people and zombies that it hits them -- this is going to be their life from now on

they'll try to look for their friends if they can and form a group together. the only people they could actually trust are their teammates

both ushi and tendou would have really good combat skills though

ushijima has enough strength to wield almost any kind of melee weapon, even something like an axe. although his prefered one is a crowbar

crowbars are great zombie apocalypse melee weapons though because ideal weight + pointy end + functional

tendou is great at using handguns (he makes sure to always have a silencer on hand). knows how to conserve ammo too

ushijima would definitely try to look for an ideal place to live (like, a farm). he isn't a fan of having to constantly roam around

tendou is quite fond of scouting missions and being able to explore what’s left of the human race and structures. his goal is to make a map of the area around their hide-out for other people to use

Kuroo and Kenma:

ngl kenma thought that he had been gaming too much and now the zombie survival game he was obsessed with had come to life

and kuroo’s just like ‘are those??? zombies????’

it takes a while for them to snap out of it and realize that such a thing is now happening and they need to escape or hide

kenma’s survival instincts tell them to divert from crowds because crowds are bigger targets and spread infection easily

he’s very strategic about this and opts that their best chance for survival would be to gather resources and hole up inside an apartment with the doors barricaded

since they live in a city, it’s hard for them to move around because it’s so overpopulated

kuroo knows that they’ll have to leave at some point so he trains himself physically, even making makeshift weapons too (hello crowbar and probably a hammer)

kenma spends his days watching from a window, observing how the city population quickly gets infected and falls to ruin but tries to concentrate on routes for getting out

finally, they pack up what supplies they have and make their way down and hijack one of the cars left behind to drive out of the city

both of them know that they have a better chance of surviving in a group but they’re both still wary. whenever they sense that something’s off in their group, they’ll leave without a second thought

kuroo and kenma are the ones who miss the ‘old world’ more than anyone else and they always get a bit sentimental when they break into houses

kenma has a tendency to look around for handheld game consoles and batteries. his most prized possession is a gameboy that he only plays for one minute a week. sometimes he just holds it for comfort

kuroo likes visiting high school gyms, despite their danger. whenever he comes across one, he’ll mindlessly do some serves and spikes with any balls that are left

Bokuto and Akaashi:

when the zombie apocalypse happens, initially they put their trust that the military would be able to save them and that it won’t last for so long

they spent most of their time being in a makeshift military base camp, not knowing what’s happened in the outside world around them until their living space was infiltrated by what it was trying to keep out

akaashi was quick to pack up their things and run, dragging a shell-shocked bokuto with him

with the two of them alone for the first time, their sanity does crumble a bit until a pack of survivors from the same camp find them

neither of them can survive without a group, mostly for mental stability reasons

but when they’re with a group, they are sure to put in their own work

despite his physical prowess, bokuto still has reservations with killing zombies because part of him still sees them as people who unfortunately ended up turned

he prefers roles related to building or strengthening their hideout like reinforcing walls and fortresses

akaashi has this desire to make things feel as normal as possible. he likes tinkering with machines and his main goal is to be able to set up a sustainable source for electricity

they have different reactions to how the world has changed. bokuto hates venturing out of the hideout and seeing the city that he’s known for so long being greatly different.

akaashi, on the other hand, is more accepting of how the world has changed, thinking that it must have been bound to happen

Osamu and Atsumu:

the two of them have watched enough zombie movies to figure out was going on and instantly know what to do

they’re quite quick to snap into action and grab any weapons they can use nearest to them and just make a run for it

they both have different priorities -- atsumu being better weapons and osamu collecting resources like food and medicine -- but they’re quick to sort them out

both of them are also the solo drifter type of people. they travel in the same car, even having the foresight to steal gas from abandoned cars or stations at the roadside

the zombie apocalypse does bring out a savagery in atsumu and osamu. they’re skilled with killing zombies alright. in fact, almost too skilled

the killing desensitizes them to violence and they end up adapting a more ‘survival is the fittest’ mindset

they do have different skills when it comes to combat. osamu prefers using a gun and is quite handy at it. atsumu feels more comfortable with using melee weapons

when put into the situation where they have to kill a fellow human being for their own benefit, they won’t hesitate to do so

sometimes, the twins do reminisce about how their lives used to be and the dreams they once had

atsumu raises his hands and pretends to set a ball when he’s alone and osamu sometimes laughs to himself whenever they raid a grocery store

there’s a savagery in how they kill zombies because of this because that’s how they take out their anger on the things that robbed them of the life they should have had

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

taglist (still open to anyone who wants in!): @montys-chaos @miyumtwins @strawberriimilkshake @pocubo @sugawara-sweetheart @akaashisbabydoll @laure-chan @therainroguefanfiction @atetiffdoesart @stephdaninja @oikaw-ugh @charliefredb @dramaqueenweeb1469 @tremblinghearts @applepienation @doodleniella @haikyuu-my-love @waitforitillwritemywayout @kattykurr @tpwkatsumu

#haikyuu!!#haikyuu!! headcanons #hq headcanons #haikyuu!! pairings #kageyama tobio #hinata shouyo #tsukishima kei #yamaguchi tadashi #daichi sawamura #sugawara koushi #kuroo tetsurou #kozume kenma #bokuto koutarou #ushijima wakatoshi #tendou satori #miya osamu #miya atsumu

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hotchley · 4 years ago

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strawberry cheesecake

BAM! IT’S HERE!!! BEFORE MIDNIGHT AS WELL!! It was 23:14 when I hit publish on ao3 and I really do need to go to sleep, but it’s here, with some level of accuracy because I googled what happened when someone has an allergic reaction.

Finally, I, the pioneer of Aaron Hotchner’s strawberry allergy, has written the fic where he eats strawberry cheesecake at an FBI function and has a reaction. It got unexpectedly dark, but we’re going with it.

As usual, I have not proofread it, and I kinda need you to suspend all belief about how the FBI works/is run because the function kinda doesn’t make much sense and yeah... you’ll see what I mean when you read... I’m really hoping this doesn’t suck because you guys actually looked forward to it??

Trigger/Content Warnings; food, referenced child death (most recent case), alcohol consumption, anaphylactic shock/allergic reactions, child abuse, hospitals and I think that’s everything

Word Count: 7669 (it got really out of hand...)

read on ao3!

If there was one thing David Rossi hated more than local press giving unsubs ridiculous names because they believed it would make a good headline, it would be FBI functions. And not just any type of FBI function. The FBI function where the Behavioural Analysis Unit- which nobody had believed in- would be mentioned so frequently that it felt like they were on a case.

It was just his luck that one was being held on the same day that he was supposed to be going to the ballet with one of the lovely women that worked in the White-Collar unit. Because despite the rumours that went flying around about him and his dating habits, he was not going to take advantage of his position and make rookies or anyone else uncomfortable. The woman he was supposed to be meeting had approached him and asked if he’d liked to go.

Hotchner had been watching him, looking slightly scandalised as she had placed her hand on his tie, and so Rossi had said yes. He’d even leant in slightly and asked if she would have a problem with him giving her a kiss on the cheek. When she said that she wouldn't, and would actually quite like that, he did and Hotchner had fallen off his chair.

Rossi had smirked, the lady had laughed and Hotchner had hit his head trying to get back up, gone an even brighter red and made something up about dropping his pen and needing to grab it. Rossi’s date had snickered, whilst Rossi had just raised an eyebrow.

Hotchner had excused himself to the bathroom.

As he ran out of their area, closely followed by Anya- she’d slipped Rossi a piece of paper with her name and number, Erin Strauss had walked in, holding two envelopes.

Rossi didn’t need to be a profiler to know what was in there.

“No,” was the first thing he said.

“David,” Strauss warned.

“Erin,” he mocked.

Strauss sighed. “Look, I know you hate these things, but the entire bureau is founded on politics and people-pleasing. If you come to this, then there may be less questions about what exactly it is you do all day, apart from ogling the other agents.”

“I do not ogle. And I guess it’s too much to hope that the other invitation is for Anya, isn’t it?”

Strauss nodded. “It’s for Aaron. Do try and get him to come, it’ll give us all something pleasant to look at whilst we slowly die inside.”

Dave stared at her.

She rolled her eyes. “Look, I’m not saying that I want to ruin his marriage or sleep with him, I’m just saying he’s objectively attractive. And I don’t know why you look so surprised, Jason told me about the women that flirt with him. And that you started calling him pretty boy, which hasn’t exactly gone unnoticed.”

“Right.”

“Just make an effort to actually attend. And please get Agent Hotchner there too,” she said.

Dave just nodded.

Aaron had returned from the bathroom.

“Agent Hotchner. I hope Dave hasn’t been making you feel too awkward with all of his comments,” she said. It was clear that she was just trying to see whether any had been made.

Aaron’s cheeks flushed again. “Not at all ma’am,” he said, holding the door open for her. She nodded and left, but not before turning to Dave one last time as she gave him an extremely pointed glare. He made a face at her, which caused her to laugh.

When Hotch had sat back down again, Dave finally acknowledged him.

“That trip to the bathroom seemed rather urgent,” he joked.

“I- well, so,” Hotch stuttered.

Dave shook his head. “It’s fine. And it doesn’t look like that date will be happening anyways, so it’s not a big deal.”

“Wait why won’t it be happening? You both seemed… excited at the prospect of going.”

In response, Dave threw the second envelope at his head. Aaron’s reflexes weren’t fast enough, so it just bounced off and landed on the floor. As he bent down to pick it up, Dave began to understand why Erin and the other agents thought of him as being something pleasant to look at. As in, Aaron had pretty eyes. And his hair was constantly falling in his face, which was endearing.

“That envelope is why it won’t be happening.”

Aaron stared at him and then opened it. “Oh.” He seemed even less enthusiastic than Dave did about attending.

“I thought you would have been thrilled at the thought of going. It’ll be like all those balls you went to when you were just a young boy growing up in the good old South Virginia," Dave said. He knew he was toeing the line.

Aaron's silence about his childhood revealed more than his words ever could.

"First of all, I didn't attend balls when I was a young boy. The only dance I ever went to was my prom, and that was only because Haley basically forced me to go. And South Virginia isn't that good, that's just a stereotype that people have because people live in fancy houses with white picket fences," Aaron snapped. It was uncharacteristically sharp.

"Sorry," Dave said. And he meant it.

Aaron's eyes widened. "Sir, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you. You've not done anything wrong. I just-"

"It's okay. Do you want to talk about it? There's no pressure, it's just if you wanted to. That seemed like quite an extreme reaction to something so trivial." Why was he so bad at this? He could charm any woman he wanted, yet the moment he tried to speak to Hotchner about anything other than work and Haley, he sounded like an idiot.

"I left prosecution because it was always more about politics than actually helping people get justice for the terrible things that had happened to them. And now it just feels like nothing has changed and time that could be spent stopping someone from destroying lives is just going to go on people-pleasing," Aaron confessed. He wouldn't meet Dave's eyes.

Dave wanted to pull him in for a hug, but he knew it would most likely not be well received. He also knew that wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't his place to push. Aaron felt things, more deeply than the rest of them, but he would never admit to anyone that there were certain cases that got under his skin.

Like the one they had just finished. A child wasn't going to be coming home, but the look on the mother's face when they informed her was not one of sorrow. It was one of relief. Aaron had asked to stay behind to speak to her for just one more moment. And when he returned, there was an anger written in the clench of his jaw that Dave had never seen before.

Jason had told everyone to give the kid space. Against his gut instinct, Dave had listened to him. Which he now very much regretted.

"Kid. We all have limits. Nobody can spend every hour of every day hunting down these guys. At the end of the day, we're all just human. I won't lie to you, it will be a lot of people-pleasing. However, it will also- if you let it- be a bit of fun. You're a good agent Hotchner. And an even better person. Let yourself breathe for once."

Aaron looked down. "Thanks Dave."

Dave just shrugged. It was only when Aaron left the room again did he let himself groan. Now he was going to have to pretend to enjoy himself at the function or else Hotchner would just be upset because of his ruined date.

Depending on how you looked at it, the members of the BAU were either lucky or unlucky when no cases turned up the morning of the event. Dave had been watching the fax machine intently, and Max had been looking through a suspicious number of case files the entire day. But in the end, there was nothing.

Which was how Dave found himself standing around, sipping a glass of champagne he thought tasted horrible, talking to strangers he couldn't care less about and silent seething at Hotch. He wasn't there yet, despite phoning Dave to say he would be there in half an hour about forty five minutes ago.

The only reason he'd bothered to attend and not faked some form of emergency that would let him go on his date with Anya was because he wanted Hotch to have someone to keep him company and make him laugh as he suffered through conversations about being an ex-prosecutor and the change to the FBI.

He was looking round for a waiter so he could take yet another glass when Aaron appeared in the doorway, fiddling with his cuff links. His cheeks were slightly flushed and his hair was more ruffled than usual. As he entered, awkwardly greeting people and tripping over his own feet, Dave rolled his eyes.

How the kid had managed to pass all of his assessments and be the best shot in the entire building was still completely beyond him.

"Hi," Aaron greeted, a dopey grin on his face.

"It's lovely of you to join us," Dave remarked. He just couldn't help it. When Aaron's face fell slightly, he regretted it. He kept forgetting that Aaron took the things people said a bit too literally sometimes. Especially if it came from someone he looked up to.

"I'm sorry about your date being ruined," Hotch said. He was looking around at all the other people in their perfectly tailored suits and beautiful dresses. It made him- with his slightly too big shirt and undone bow tie- look even younger than he already was.

"Well barring any disasters, this should be over in time for me to make it. Anya said she could wait."

There was a slight silence, broken only by Dave rejecting what would have been his third glass of champagne and Aaron quickly accepting it. And then it became too much for him to bear.

"Kid, why is your tie undone?"

Hotch's eyes widened like he had only just realised. Rossi wouldn't have been surprised if that was true. For someone that was a profiler, he was quite oblivious sometimes. Not realising that if you took your vest off and then someone shot at you, you would suffer more than a few bruises, forgetting that his shirt collar wouldn't cover his entire neck, the list went on.

But this was something entirely different. Aaron Hotchner's tie was never undone.

Rossi raised an eyebrow when an entire minute passed without him explaining himself and the colour rose to his cheeks.

"Well, it took me a really long time to do it the first time and then Haley came into our room to grab her bag. And then she really likes it when I get all dressed up because I normally hate doing it- I mean I always hate it- so then she, you know and then I thought I had tied it properly but clearly I hadn't."

Rossi had never heard so many words spoken in a single breath. He did however, understand what the kid was trying to say. "Well at least one of us got to have some fun tonight," he joked.

"Is that why everyone's been staring at me?" Hotch asked, turning his back to Strauss. The woman simply raised an eyebrow, then raised her glass of champagne at Rossi, who glared at her, just because he could.

"Yes," he lied, because he was not about to be the one that explained to him that people were staring at him because he had been deemed the eye candy of the Quantico and therefore, everyone loved him.

"You're lying to me. I can tell! What's the truth?"

Not for the first time, Dave wondered what he'd been thinking when he saw the lead agent in Seattle run after a suspect without any sort of back-up, slip in poison ivy and then carry on running, even though everyone else had realised it wasn't the killer they were after and decided that he would make them into a profiler.

"Are you sure you want to know?" he said, making his voice as serious as he could in a vain attempt to make him change his mind.

"Yes. Because it's nowhere near as bad or as serious as you're making it out to be."

Damn him.

"Fine. But I did warn you. It's because you are- objectively- attractive. And apparently, your slightly repressed accent makes everyone swoon. Also Strauss thinks you have a nice ass," Dave said, completely nonchalant.

Hotch's cheeks went brighter than ever before and he spun round, searching for Erin. She had rather coincidentally turned her back to the two of them as she engaged in a very serious conversation with another Section Chief.

"I- I don't even want to know how you know that," Aaron muttered, stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets, looking like a petulant child.

"Oh I thought you would love it! You're basically a Southern Belle."

Dave was lucky he was immune to the Hotchner Glare as it came out in full force. "Don't call me a Southern Belle. Do you even know what that is?"

Dave shrugged. "I'm sure I could guess. Look, I'm sorry, I'm just being bitter. Come here."

Aaron regarded him suspiciously. "Why?"

If it had been anyone else, Dave would have told them it was a surprise. Or that they wouldn't know until they stepped forward. But Aaron wasn't anyone else, and Dave needed to remember that. There were certain things he just couldn't say.

"We're going to be here for a while. You can't just stand there with your bow tie undone."

Aaron narrowed his eyes, but stepped forward. When Dave reached forward and grabbed the ends, he tensed. To anyone else, it was too minute a gesture to be noticed. But Dave had spent more time reading people than he had with his second wife. He knew why Aaron was tensing. It was why he took as little time as possible tying it neatly, even though he wanted to take forever.

So that the other agents wouldn't be staring and making him self conscious. That was his only reason. It had nothing to do with the attachment he could feel himself forming, and it most definitely was not linked to his desire to help Aaron associate touch with love and comfort.

When he stepped away, Aaron seemed to relax slightly. "Thank you," he said, ever the gentleman.

Dave just shrugged. "You look better with it done properly. Speaking of, where is Haley?"

"What does Haley have to do with me looking better with my tie done properly?"

"Your tie wasn't done properly because of Haley. Come on Hotch, I thought you were meant to be an ex-prosecutor. And we both know the two of you are inseparable."

Hotch flushed, the way he always did when someone mentioned just how in love with Haley he was. Dave found it adorable, even though he hated himself for that. But he knew how important Haley must have been to Aaron's survival, so even though he wasn't her biggest fan, he begrudgingly respected her.

"She's out with her sister," he mumbled. "They made plans ages ago and they've been so excited for it that I couldn't ask her to cancel just to keep me company."

"That's kind of you. Most men probably wouldn't let their spouse just leave them when there's an event like this going on," Dave said.

"If you want to go on your date I'll cover for you when Strauss comes calling," Aaron said, rather suddenly.

Rossi frowned at him. Aaron had seemed excited at the thought of spending the evening together when he first arrived and for him to suddenly seem so willing to spend it apart, just so Dave could go on a date with someone who he was sure was lovely but he couldn't envision a future with, was more than a little unusual.

"Like I said, barring any disasters, I should be able to make it. Are you annoyed at me for bringing up Haley? I know that we had a bit of a rocky start when we first met, but I do respect her. And I like to think she appreciates the fact that I keep you alive."

"I'm not annoyed at you for bringing up Haley," Hotch said, huffing slightly. He was fiddling with his cufflinks. Dave wanted to comment on his behaviour, but did not want to be reminded of the no-profiling rule- which Hotch himself had implemented.

"Well you're annoyed at me for something and I would appreciate you telling me, instead of just bottling it up until we're on a case and something else happens."

"Dave, I am fine," Hotch snapped, tone mitigating his words.

"I'm sure you are," Rossi snapped back, turning away. Strauss was frowning at the two of them and he rolled his eyes. Screw etiquette, and screw the people that thought they were being unprofessional and causing a scene.

They were, but he wasn't going to admit it.

"Do you really think I would forbid my wife to do something as harmless as going out with her sister the same night that I have to attend quite possibly the most boring function known to man?" Hotch suddenly asked, tone laced with malice.

"Of course not Hotshot. I was joking," he said, softening his tone as the problem clicked.

"I wouldn't. I'm not her keeper. And I'm not-" he caught himself, shaking his head. "I just wouldn't."

"I know. I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to joke that like that," Dave said, catching Erin's eye. She nodded, clearly pleased that he had resolved something without resorting to violence or shouting.

He didn't acknowledge her. He wasn't an idiot, and he knew that resorting to violence or even raising his voice would lead to some sort of shut down from Aaron. And he did want the kid to enjoy himself, even though he did agree that playing politics whilst people were dying was stupid.

"The decoration is nice," Aaron commented, a few minutes later.

"It is, isn't it? It reminds me of this opera house I took Carolyn to, for one of our anniversaries. Actually, that opera house seems like the sort of place Haley would enjoy going to. I'll give you the name, you can surprise her," Dave said, deciding he would take the win and prod later.

Aaron choked on his champagne, colour rising to his cheeks when he realised people were watching him cough. He cleared his throat once more before turning to Dave, making absolutely no attempt to hide his shit-eating grin.

"What?" Dave said, hating himself for taking the bait.

"I have to tell Haley that you think she's the kind of person that would go and enjoy herself at an opera house."

"Is she not?"

"Dave, for our last anniversary, I took her to the local theatre because they were putting on Pirates of Penzance because that's what got us together. And the year before that, we both thought it was a week later than what it was, so her sister ended up taking us out."

Maybe Dave wasn't as good a profiler as he thought he was, because in his mind, he had a very specific image of Haley, and none of what had just been said fit with that image. He supposed that was what he got for making assumptions, having never actually met her in person.

"Oh, that's certainly interesting," Dave said.

"She's a very interesting woman," Hotch said, smiling so wide it physically hurt Rossi to see because he knew how the BAU burnt out love, and the strain it put on marriages. Hell, he had lived through it.

"Hold onto her Aaron," he said, without thinking.

Aaron frowned. "Of course I will. Dave, you've been acting weird the whole time we've been here. Are you okay?"

In all honesty, he wasn't. He always said he wasn't like Jason. He had no interest in being a mentor, or finding the next generation of profilers. That was never what he wanted. But there was something about Aaron, and his too large suits and his floppy hair that made him feel things he wasn't ready to confront.

But if he said any of that, Aaron would probably run for the hills. Hell, he probably would too.

"Of course I am. Now loosen up and enjoy yourself. I can tell you want to," he said, smiling when Aaron's eyes sparkled.

"What do you think Strauss would do if I told her I know what she thinks about my butt?" he asked, the smirk on his face far too mischevious for anyone's comfort.

"You can find out now," Dave said, nodding as Strauss approached them.

"Dave. Aaron, you look very handsome," Erin said, looking him up and down once.

Whatever had possessed Aaron just a few moments before had clearly vanished, as his cheeks flushed and he awkwardly stuttered out something that nobody, not even the person speaking, understood.

"Thank you… Ma'am. You look very nice too," he eventually managed to say, sipping his champagne to distract from his failure at speaking.

"Is there something you need?" Dave said.

"No, just making sure you weren't too bitter about your date being cancelled. And also making sure that Agent Hotchner would save both of us a dance after dinner. I'm sure everyone from Quantico wants to know whether or not our Southern Belle can dance," Erin said.

Hotch downed the rest of his glass. "I'm not- it doesn't work like- I don't- I really don't think- fine. One dance. But that is it, and none of you are allowed to laugh if I mess up, because I'm not the dancer. Haley is."

Haley seemed to be a lot of things that Aaron wasn't. Maybe it was part of the reason they were so well-matched.

Erin nodded, smiled at them both, then went to mingle with different people.

"See, everyone thinks you're a Southern Belle!" Dave said, smirking.

"But why? I've done everything I can to repress my accent, and I have done since the day I started law school," Aaron said. He did not whine, because grown men that worked for the FBI do not whine. But if they did, his sentence would have definitely sounded like whining.

"I know, and most days, it's only the slightest thing. I don't really know how everyone worked it out, but they did. And that's fine!"

Hotch pouted.

"Look, if you really don't want to dance, you could always land yourself in the hospital with some kind of injury. I could take you, sneak off to my date, Haley would affectionately roll her eyes and then give you all the kisses you want…" Rossi said, smirking.

"No it's fine. I'm not going to fake an injury, that would be so embarrassing," Hotch replied.

"Then stop pouting, you look like a child. And go mingle with someone else, if you spend the entire time before dinner with me, what will people say?"

Hotch snorted, then schooled his face into a look of neutrality, before nodding and going off to speak to one of the other higher-ups. Rossi noticed, rather fondly, that it was the one person that actually cared about the people involved in their cases, as opposed to just the politics and the prestige.

About five minutes later, he realised he missed the kid. And then he started to panic. Because he didn't get attached to people. Especially not new agents that had too much hope and faith. Not new agents that were that nice. He didn't. He couldn't.

Him and Aaron ended up seated next to each other at the banquet table, because there genuinely was no other way to describe it. It was long, and grand, and every platter was filled to the brim with food of so many different types. Dave honestly could not remember what the function was actually for, but a part of him was tempted to comment that if part of the budget for these events went to the BAU then they'd probably be able to properly fund the unit.

He refrained, if only because Aaron looked so excited at the prospect of finally eating something. Dave had learnt long ago that you had to eat before you came to these events because people loved talking and more often than not, you'd drink the champagne just to get through their conversations, but clearly Aaron hadn't quite learnt that lesson yet.

"So where is that wife of yours?" Max asked, seemingly out of the blue.

Hotch tensed. "Out with her sister. Why?"

"I've only seen you smile like you are now when Haley is around, but I don't see her anywhere," he said, in that annoyingly patronising tone of his.

Hotch relaxed, but flushed. "I-oh. Yeah. She's out with Jessica because they had made plans a while back and they don't really see each other as much anymore because Haley's busy teaching and doing the school production, and Jessica's getting her Masters so," he trailed off.

"I think it's lovely, how much you love Haley," Erin added.

Dave snorted into his glass, not at the fact that Aaron looked so uncomfortable but at the fact that these people hunted down serial killers and criminals for a living, and yet the thing they got the most joy from was teasing a kid about his marriage.

"Right, that's enough being mean to the newbie. What about dessert?" Dave said.

Aaron flashed him a grateful smile. He just shook his head. He remembered when he’d turned up to his first event, Carolyn in awe of all the decorations and outfits, and everyone else had been ruthless with their teasing. He wasn’t about to let Hotch suffer that same fate. He’d probably faint with embarrassment.

Erin laughed at the two of them, and Jason smiled at Dave’s defensiveness over his new protege. One day. One day Jason would get Dave to admit that the way he felt towards Aaron was nothing short of paternal. Max just rolled his eyes, but the waiters came to clear their plates before he could make another biting comment.

Aaron excused himself to the bathroom, and then the dessert was brought out. Dave, being the saint he was, switched his and Aaron’s plates because he wasn’t getting younger and he knew he was meant to be cutting down on his sugar. So if Aaron had the bigger slice, then it would do them both a favour. And it had a whole strawberry to decorate it, not just the jam.

Erin was giving him one of his looks when their eyes met and he resisted the urge to stick his tongue out. He knew what that look meant. It meant Erin had an opinion on whatever he had just done, and it was one he wouldn’t like or approve of.

“Look, it’s strawberry cheesecake!” Dave exclaimed, poking his fork in Aaron’s direction in an attempt to distract from Erin’s gaze.

The smile that had been plastered across Aaron’s face since they’d been sat down- and Dave really didn’t want to think that it was as a result of Erin’s comment about his butt, although it was the only thing that made sense- faded, and the colour seemed to drain from his face.

“What is it? Come on, you must love dessert, you’re the kid,” Dave said, slightly teasing.

Aaron opened his mouth, seemingly contemplating saying something that he thought would ruin the entire evening, but then he closed it and gave Dave a forced, tight-lipped smile. He almost pushed, but they had been having fun, so he just grinned back and urged Hotch to eat it.

If anyone noticed him wince as he swallowed each bite, or the fear that flickered in his eyes when he ate the strawberry, they didn’t comment. For that, he was grateful. He still had no idea what he was meant to do when the inevitable happened, but so long as nobody realised, he had time to work it out. All he needed was time.

He did really miss Haley though. If Haley had been there, she would have said something on his behalf because she would have known there was no way he would do it himself. It was too late to turn back now though. There was a tiny part of him that secretly hoped he’d outgrown it, but the moment he felt stomach cramps forming, he knew that was wishful thinking. Still, if he was lucky, nothing too serious would happen until he got home. Haley would panic, take him to the hospital and everything would be fine. Nobody else would have to know.

Or so he thought.

He’d gotten so good at not eating strawberries that he had completely forgotten just how badly, and quickly, the effects would hit him. He had forgotten just how allergic he was to the fruit. And he was aware of how stupid that sounded, but it was just one of those things.

Dave was staring. So was Erin. He cleared his throat, awkwardly looking down. When the waiters came out once more to clear the plates away, he smiled at them, hoping his cheeks didn’t seem flushed, or his palms too clammy.

“You promised me a dance,” Dave said, nudging his elbow.

“I did, didn’t I?” Aaron responded, hoping his voice didn’t sound too strained. When he stood up, his vision went slightly fuzzy and unfocused, and he found himself grabbing the table in order to stay upright.

He was going to be fine. All he had to do was make it through another few hours, and there was always a delay between his vision blurring and breathing becoming difficult, so with just a bit of luck, he could still do it.

Luck had never really been on his side.

Erin was standing, talking to Dave, and he couldn’t remember what he was meant to be doing, or why nobody was dancing. Maybe they had just been teasing him when they said he owed them both a dance. Or maybe they were waiting for him to do something. Either way, the confusion wasn’t helping him function.

“Kid, what’s happened to your hand?” Dave said suddenly. It reminded him of that time his cousin had eaten shellfish, but that didn’t make sense. There was no way Aaron had hit adulthood without realising he was allergic to the things they’d eaten.

Aaron stared at him.

Erin grabbed his wrist, the look that crossed her face one of fear and panic. “Aaron.”

It couldn’t be. There was no way the ugly red rash forming on his hand as they watched him was being caused by an allergic reaction. It just couldn’t, because Hotchner may have been stupid and irresponsible, but there was no way he was that irresponsible.

He cleared his throat.

“Now would be a terrible time to tell you that I’m allergic to strawberries, wouldn’t it?” he rapsed.

Dave’s jaw dropped. “You’re what?”

Aaron Hotchner’s timing had never been good. It had actually always been abysmal. He was born early, in both senses of the word, met the girl he would end up marrying on the last day before a three month holiday which she would spend out of the state, and was generally just not smooth with the way he did things.

So as if on cue, he fell to the ground, completely losing consciousness. Clearly the delay between his vision growing blurry and his breathing becoming shallow was not the large space of time he thought it would be.

“Aaron!” Dave yelled.

Erin dropped to her knees by her side. “Dave, phone for an ambulance. Now.”

Dave blinked a few times, then realised what she was asking him to do and ran out the room to find the phone. When he was patched through, he realised he had no idea if what Aaron was experiencing was just a reaction, or anaphylactic shock, but he just explained himself as best he could, only relaxing when they said it was likely everything would be fine and they would be there soon.

He re-entered the room only two minutes later, and Aaron was still in the recovery position.

“The idiot doesn’t have an EpiPen on him. I don’t know why, but he doesn’t, so now we literally have to wait until the ambulance gets here and hope for the best,” Erin said, some strange mix of angry and terrified.

“He doesn’t have his- what kind of- why not?” Dave said.

When he looked around the room, he realised it was suddenly startlingly empty. It was just Erin, him, Aaron- who still hadn’t come around- and Jason. Max was suspiciously absent. He figured that was for the best. If anyone would make the situation more awkward than it already was, it’d be Max.

“He managed to get everyone to go downstairs, then said he would stay with them. We figured the less people around when he woke up, the less embarrassed Hotchner would be,” Jason explained. “And on that note, I’ll go explain to the paramedics what happened,” he added, as sirens filled the air.

“Dave, when did our lives suddenly become co-parenting this mess of an adult if only so he gets home safe to Haley?” Erin suddenly asked.

“We don’t co-parent him. No. We just… look after him the way we would do with any other new agent that was his age,” Dave said, although he wasn’t even convincing himself. Erin didn’t respond, just looked at him with that glint in her eye.

He didn’t get the chance to carry on with his argument because Jason entered with the paramedics, and him and Erin moved away. It seemed like they had already been informed that Aaron didn’t have an EpiPen on him, because the first thing they did was inject him. There was one terrifying moment, in which Erin grabbed his wrist, where Dave thought they were too late, but they weren’t.

Aaron opened his eyes, obviously disoriented and immediately after lifting his head, let it hit the floor again. He seemed far too pale, but nothing gave the impression that he was going to be sick, so Dave relaxed. When he and Erin were finally able to go over, Aaron was almost done answering their questions, some of the colour returning to his face in the form of flushed cheeks.

If he was capable of embarrassment, then everything was going to be fine.

“We’re going to need to take him to the hospital for observation and to make sure he doesn’t have a secondary reaction, but one of you is welcome to come. In fact, it would be preferred, wouldn’t it Aaron?” one of the paramedics said.

Aaron nodded, not quite meeting anyone’s eyes.

“Dave, you should go. Aaron, I don’t want to see you in the office until you’ve been cleared both by the doctors and by Haley to return. Do you understand me?” Erin chastised, sound every bit the mother Aaron had never had.

He nodded miserably, closing his eyes, and for a few moments, Dave felt terrible for him because so many pieces seemed to be falling into place now. And then he remembered that the whole thing had been caused by Aaron not saying he was allergic. He still felt terrible, but he also wondered what the hell he was meant to say to Haley.

“Come on kiddo,” he said as gently as he could, helping Aaron to his feet and into the elevator.

When he was safely sat in the ambulance, and they were well on their way to the hospital, he raised an eyebrow at Aaron who pulled a face.

“Don’t,” he protested weakly.

“So you’re allergic to strawberries,” Dave said. “How long have you been sitting on that piece of information for?”

“I’ve known since I was four and ended up in the hospital after I went strawberry picking with my mother and ate one of them.”

“Aaron, nobody was going to be offended. You could have just said something, it would have been okay. Really, you can’t judge someone just because they have an allergy, and everyone would have just moved on. You didn’t need to eat it.”

Aaron swallowed. “When I was eight, my father bought strawberry tarts for my mother and I, because he knew she had friends round and he wanted to seem like a dutiful husband. He didn’t- she’d kept the first time a secret from him because he’d been out of town. And when she tried to tell him, he said I was being difficult, then he made me eat it whilst she told her friends everything was fine. I only survived because she snuck in with my EpiPen.”

“Oh kid,” Dave said, chilled to the bone.

He shook his head. “I knew, realistically, that nobody would say anything, but I just couldn’t shake the memory of being told that if I was going to waste food, then I didn’t deserve it.”

“Aaron, that’s not-”

“I know that. Now at least. Thanks for not reacting weirdly. Or thinking less of me.”

“Agent Hotchner- are you still esquire, oh it doesn’t matter, esquire- nothing would ever make me think less of you. Especially not this. It wasn’t your fault. It was never your fault, and I know it’s easy for me to see, but I need you to know that.”

Aaron gave him a slight smile, eyes watering. “Thank you Dave.”

“I do have one question though. Where the fuck was your EpiPen?”

He made a sound, one that Dave was not going to dignify by actually naming in his head.

“That didn’t sound like an answer young man,” he teased.

Aaron sighed. “It- okay. My blazer pockets weren’t big enough to fit it, and I figured strawberries isn’t exactly a common thing, so it would be fine if I left it in the car, but then I didn’t want to say anything, and then I passed out before I could- oh.”

“What?”

“Did everyone see me collapse?”

Dave considered lying, but Aaron had bared his soul to him. He owed him this small piece of honesty. “Yes, but they also witnessed me running like a headless chicken to get to the phone and Erin completely freaking out, so it’s all okay. I promise.”

Aaron nodded, not fully convinced. “Thank you. For caring.”

And one day, Dave would teach him that caring was what people did for each other. That it wasn’t something he had to earn, or something that would be snatched away at the smallest transgression. He would teach him that the love he had always deserved but never been shown was going to come from more than just Haley. It was going to come from every single good person he knew.

But in that moment, he just leant over and ruffled his hair. And maybe the gesture was paternal, but he could live with that.

“Mrs Hotchner’s been waiting for you all to arrive,” the receptionist said the moment they came through the doors. Aaron relaxed at the mention of his wife.

“You can send her in as soon as we go in. He’s been treated, we’re just keeping him for observation,” the paramedic said. The receptionist nodded and turned to one of their colleagues, who immediately got up.

Dave hung around as they got him situated, wondering when would be an appropriate time to leave. He didn’t want to step on Haley’s toes, or make her feel like she wasn’t trusted, but he also didn’t really want to leave either of them. Not if the real timeline matched the one he’d created in his head. She would have just been a child too, but children always believed that they needed to save everyone and anything less was a failure. He didn’t know how to say that their job was to be a child, and it was on the adults to keep them safe without patronising the two of them.

So he sat instead, keeping Aaron company until he was no longer needed.

Haley came rushing in the moment she was allowed to, her eyes slightly red. They must have told her how severe the situation was, and Dave felt guilty for making her panic so much, when Aaron was doing much better already.

“Baby, they told me what happened. How are you feeling? Is your heartbeat erratic? Is there anything you need?” she asked, not even acknowledging Dave. He wasn’t offended though. The love Haley had for her husband was the most fierce thing he’d witnessed, and now he understood. She’d spent her entire life defending him and the love she had for him.

He shook his head, then grinned at her. “Kiss me?” he asked, and for a moment, he was just a normal man, so in love with his wife it physically hurt to witness.

“I shouldn’t- me and Jess had strawberry margaritas before we got the phone call. She’s coming round tomorrow to check on you herself by the way,” Haley said, brushing his hair off his head with a smile.

Aaron nodded. “I’d expect nothing less. Oh Haley, this is Dave. And Dave, this is Haley.”

“It’s lovely to meet you,” Dave said.

“You too. So, what happened? Because you told me it was just a function, and then when I got home, there was a message from the hospital that you were being brought in for anaphylactic shock which doesn’t make any sense because you don’t eat strawberries anymore!” Haley said.

Aaron had the decency to look away. “I didn’t want to cause a scene so I ate this slice of strawberry cheesecake. And I thought it would be fine- well not fine, don’t look at me like that. I thought I’d be able to last till I got home. I’m sorry.”

“Baby, I’m not angry, don’t worry,” Haley said, taking his hand. “Just do what the doctors say, okay? And please don’t eat strawberries anymore just to be polite.”

“I’m afraid I may have made it worse,” Dave confessed, needing them to know, even though it had not been intentional, by any stretch of the imagination.

“What do you mean? How?” Haley asked. Aaron lifted his arm enough to signal that he had the same question.

“I switched our plates when they got given to us so Aaron had the bigger slice. It also had a whole strawberry on it, instead of just half a slice. Maybe if I hadn’t done that, his reaction would have been less severe. I’m sorry.”

Haley, in spite of, or maybe because of that single comment, started laughing. Aaron just watched her laugh with a smile on his face like he had never seen something so beautiful, and he probably never had. Dave watched them, confusion across his features.

“I’m sorry. It’s not funny. It’s just- Dave you have nothing to apologise for. He was always going to have a reaction. And given that he didn’t even have his EpiPen-”

“It was in the car,” Aaron said, not quite whining but definitely getting close.

“Didn’t have his EpiPen,” Haley said, like Aaron hadn’t even spoken, “it was probably always going to end like this. I’m just laughing because you sound like such a parent. Like switching slices is something my dad did for me and Jess when we were little. It’s cute.”

Aaron looked to Dave, fearful and hopeful all at once.

“What can I say? Erin and I need to make sure someone keeps an eye on him,” he said. There were a lot of things in his life he wasn’t proud of. There were lots of mistakes he had made. But this? Being considered Aaron’s parent? It would never be one of them.

Aaron smiled at him, the light in his eyes returning. Haley nodded her approval. When the nurse came in a few minutes later to check Aaron’s vitals, the silence felt comfortable and natural, as though they had already become attuned to the others’ needs.

“Are you two going to be okay?” Dave asked. Someone needed to tell Erin that he was okay, and he really wanted to go to bed. He realised that he hadn’t even considered trying to salvage his date with Anya. He supposed they could always reschedule. Besides, Aaron was more important now.

Haley nodded. “Yeah, I’ll drive us home, make sure he takes a bath and have him back and safe with you on Monday, don’t worry.”

Dave stood up and started heading towards the door. “Oh don’t worry too much about rushing back to us. I’m sure we’ll survive. His cute butt will be missed, but we’ll make it through.”

Haley snorted. “Aaron didn’t I say that there was no way people hadn’t noticed?”

Aaron did not reply, but he did glare at both of them.

Dave smiled. Just before he left, he hesitated for a moment, wondering whether or not it was the time and the place. But he just couldn’t resist. “So are there any other allergies we need to be aware of? Shellfish, pollen, nuts? Pretty ladies that want you to call them back?”

“Dave!” Aaron said, and this time it was definitely a whine.

He just smiled, leaving Aaron and Haley in the hospital room. Had it been a normal event? No. But he wouldn’t trade the night for anything in the world. After all, he had just found a whole new family. And he couldn’t wait for Haley to meet Erin. The two of them would definitely cause Hotcher a whole new level of embarrassment.

It was going to be the messiest and most random family to exist, but a family nonetheless.

#criminal minds #criminal minds fic #aaron hotchner #david rossi #haley hotchner #erin strauss #hotch x haley #tw child abuse #tw alcohol #tw anaphylaxis #tw allergies #tw child death #tw hospitals #guys i finally did it #tw food #sumayyah writes cm

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itsleese · 4 years ago

Text

Todoroki Shouto as an NRL Player

We’re blaming @undermattsun for this, btw.

Warnings: 18+! a leetle bit of smut at the end.

You’re all probably like “But Leese, what the hell is NRL?” Fear not, mumma Weese is here to explain to you the wonderful subculture of Australia’s second favourite football code: National Rugby League. but not really.

Shouto is your typical prodigy. He plays footy as a youngster, with his dad as his team’s little league coach. Enji’s a Hall of Famer, after all, and he grinds the shit outta little Shou to make him the best player he can be.

Fast forward to Shou’s debut.

21 years old. Six foot two. 92 kgs.

He’s not nervous because he doesn’t really care too much if he disappoints his dad, and he’s been a successful under 18’s player for three years genius kids i swear. He’s scouted by one of the more expensive teams, which is nice for him, because it’s not the team his dad was made famous on. Double-win.

He debut’s as a centre, and he’s incredible— as predicted. He has an effortless flow that makes him hard to tackle, and a double-step that has even some of the most seasoned vets on the other team misjudging his movements. He’s big and fast, which doesn’t usually happen, and he meshes well with the other players. Needless to say, he scores no tries, but has seven— YES SEVEN what a monster— assists. That’s good, guys. Real good.

He ends up as the team’s play-maker (or half-back, or number 7, if you will) and his quick thinking and reflexes have his team in the grand final four years in a row. In a row. That’s so fucking rare, I—

Needless to say, he’s an absolute star. He’s used in all of the promos, he’s constantly interviewed, and always on the talk shows because he brings in the ratings. He appeals to the male audience because of his skill, and the females and males because of his... thighs. Mmmm.

Anyways, you’re nothing special, just part of his team’s medical unit, waiting in the wings for any injuries, walk-offs, or HIA’s. It’s more than a surprise when Shouto’s helped off the field with some kinda damage to his knee.

“Shit, it’s Todoroki.” One of your colleagues gasps, jumping into action.

“Fuck.” You say under your breath. It’s quarter-finals. He might not play for the rest of the season.

A couple of men help him up to the table and begin to ask him all the questions they need to, then you’re instructed to wrap and ice him. They leave you to it. He’s the star, he doesn’t need a million people buzzing around him when he’s probably already stressed enough as it is.

How you end up with a mouth full of cock and his hand in your hair is another story; but he’s long and thick, and the smell of his sweat mixed with the earthy scent of grass is intoxicating, his little grunts and moans, addictive.

“Just— Ahhh,” he breathes piercing mismatched eyes staring down at you. “Just like that.”

You moan around him, eyes lolling back and pussy throbbing as you take him deeper, fingernails digging crescent moons into those famous thighs, nose dusting his thatch of crimson pubes.

He swears once, then twice, other hand meeting the first in your hair, holding you there as his thick, hot cum slides down your throat. He doesn’t set you breathe until you drink it all up.

“Thanks,” he grins, tucking himself back into his briefs. “I feel better already.”

#shouto todoroki x reader #fem!reader #shouto x reader #footyplayer!shouto #hello this is my return to writing #im SORRY guys #smut

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chicagotvnation · 4 years ago

Text

A Hurricane - Jay Halstead/Reader

Pairings:Jay Halstead x Reader / Jay Halstead x You

Warnings: Shots fired, love, injured, mentions of blood

Words Count: 1115

Prompt: A hurricane takes human form

Summary: Your a hurricane, always coming in and ruining everything, at least thats what you thought. You were apart of intelligence on a buy and of course things went south because when did they not?

Author Note: This is the first time I have posted to this profile with my writing but you can check more of my writing out on both Wat pad and archive . I haven’t written anything in months besides essays so if you like this go check out my other work and let me know. im almost done with my degree and hoping to get more written.

https://www.wattpad.com/user/AuroraBurrows

https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraBurrows/profile

You were a hot mess wrapped in an human. The past always followed you and no matter what you did you tried to escape it. To the point that you even became a police officer. The only thing that mattered to you was to find all the people. Growing up in Chicago you got to know the police force and one officer in particular. Hank Voight. He knew you were a good kid who was constantly put into a bad situation. He saved you, He helped you out of the trouble you were always tied too.

Years later after your father was arrested and put in jail, Hank got you a spot in the police academy and after working hard on the grind you found yourself handpicked for his unit. Not because he was like a father to you, but because you were one of the best of the best and you worked hard for that title.

You were young and hella good at solving puzzles which is why you were so good at putting things together. This case was no different. Your CO had some information which lead you to a dealer. You went undercover for a buy with one of your co workers Jay, Jay Halstead. The man you admired for the war he fought for his country, and well he wasn’t bad to look at either. Your informant introduced you “this is Sam, and Jake.” She introduced the two of you “they are were the ones I was telling you about” She started to explain and you went to try and ya know how much y’all were looking to buy. Some thing unexpected happened. One of the drug dealers associates walked up behind him and looked you right in the eye “y/n” he said to you. You tried to quickly play it off “I think you have me confused with someone else” you say to the man “I am sam and im just trying to do a simple deal here”

“She’s a cop” he said simply “I would know she is my daughter”. You closed our eyes for a quick second as you opened them you saw that guns were pointed at you and Jay “woah woah woah this man is crazy!” You said trying to back track the deal “I have never met this guy in my entire life.” You said holding up your hands

Everything was going south so you did what you had to do. You were a hurricane trapped in human form, always putting people in danger. You Shoved jay out of the way as you heard a gunshot go off and your informant went running off before you quickly jumped over another table and flipped it. In getting Jay out of the way you didn’t even notice you were hit. You quickly pulled out your gun ass the rest of the team came in clearing the bar and getting everyone to safety as you quickly fired back “come on dad you don’t wanna do this” you said out loud

‘Oh but I do” he said as he moved to see you and fired another shot, this time you felt it hit you in the shoulder “its your fault I spent the last 10 years in jail not being able to see my own son grow up, your such a bitch I should have taken care of you a long time ago” ‘fuck” you mumbled holding your shoulder for a second and taking a breath and shifting “thats not my fault you sold and did drugs and whatever else they got you for I had nothing to do with it. With a few more shots fired off you could feel that something wasn’t right. “Hey a/n, stay with me” Jay said as he stood over you. “Everything fine stay with me you are okay” He said putting pressure on your side the last things. You heard before you passed out because all the adrenaline wore off “5021 George I have an injured officer and need assistance now roll an ambulance to my location now” he said into the walkie. As the rest of the team walked over to where you were The ambulance ride was weird it was something you were in and out for. You heard the machines beeping and you saw jay riding with you as he was your partner and “Jay” you said to him before the machines started to beep and you were back out of it. They where able to pull you back and you heard Jays brother Will “don’t worry she will be okay, and maybe you will finally tell her how you feel, dr Roads is the best”

A few hours later you woke up to jay sitting in the chair next to you. “You got to stop doing that” he said back to you when he saw your eyes open ‘what saving your life because you have slow reflexes?” You wondered with a slight smile and a soft chuckle that hurt so you made a face

“No making me scared that I am going to wake up and you are not going to be there tomorrow your not indestructible y/n” Jay said back to you “seriously you should have aborted the mission, if you thought you were compromised” “he isn’t usually that smart” you said back to him “I kinda thought he would play along but I guess he has a grudge” you said looking around at all the monitors “wait Jay, are you okay is that your blood?” You asked seeing the bandage on his arm “Yeah guess you were not fast enough, apparently the bullet hit my arm and then went into your side” he said “My arm would have been better than I don’t know you loosing your spleen” he said back to you. “You don’t need a spleen anyways, but you do need an arm’ you said back to him with a wink. “Shut up, you know id follow you anywhere, but sometimes I I really can’t watch you get hurt again. Y/n I am better with you. You can’t do this to me my heart can not handle loosing you” “Actually its you who makes me better” you replied “its kinda why I pushed you out of a bullets path tonight” you said back to him as will walked into the room.

#jesse lee soffer #jay halstead #Jay Halstead x Reader #Jay x reader #Chicago Pd #Jay Halstead x you #Jay Halstead x y/n

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script-nef · 4 years ago

Text

Interview Time | Oikawa Tooru

Category: fluff

2k words; an eventful interview with Oikawa and his girlfriend

Today we are joined by the phenomenal setter of Club Athletico San Juan, Oikawa Tooru, and the manager of the team, [Name] [Surname]. They are the iconic couple who have brought laughter and joy to many matches by their interactions.

“Hello, [Name] here!”

“Hi, I’m Oikawa! And [Name]-chan, is that a reference to Zuko?”

“It most certainly is. It’s good to see you finally recognise some of my pop culture references now. I was wondering when you’d finally get a hobby outside of volleyball.”

“I have one!”

“Searching for alien conspiracy theories is not a hobby. Tooru, you’re weird as hell.”

“But you still love me.”

“Unfortunately.”

“Hey!”

You guys are so cute and lively together! Today’s interview will be focused on your relationship, but feel free to reject some of the questions if you’re uncomfortable. Is that okay?

“Sure!”

Q. How did you two meet?

“Oh, I was working for San Juan as one of the managers when he was brought in. Since I’m fluent in Japanese, the head coach asked me to help him around because his Spanish and English was atrocious.”

“Eck, [Name]-chan! I wasn’t that bad!”

“You were terrible, who are you trying to kid? Literally no one could understand half the things you were saying. I was basically your translator for the first year.”

“[Name]-chan!! You’re breaking my heart!”

“As long as your body works for volleyball I don— Okay, okay, I was kidding! Don’t pout, Tooru. You learnt it quick enough and now you don’t have any problems! Besides, it’s thanks to your previously horrible language skills that we got to spend more much time together, right?

“I guess that’s true… Was I really that bad though?”

“Absolutely horrible. Everyone can back me up on this.”

Q. What is one quality about each other that you admire and love the most?

“Tenacity, I guess. In volleyball and everything else. He stays behind all the damn time for hours, none of his teammates can keep up. I once had to conk him on the head and drag him out so he would rest.”

“It hurt! You’re stronger than Iwa-chan sometimes, I don’t even understand how that’s possible.”

“You think I’m stronger than the arm-wrestling champion Iwa-chan?”

“Yes. Anyway, what I love most about [Name] is her perceptivity. Did you know that I once had a small kink in my leg muscle which was uncomfortable and she caught it in a second? No one else noticed except her! And this was before we started dating!”

“Yeah, well. I did spend the most time with you and you constantly tell me things about yourself. Even when I didn’t ask.”

“[Name]-chan is so shy. It’s okay, I know you loved me since the moment you laid your eyes on me.”

“Eh…”

“Hey!”

“I didn’t fall in love with you at first sight, I don’t believe in that. You slowly grew on me because you incessantly hit on me.”

“That’s the best kind of hitting!”

“...hm. Do you, um, like any other sort of hitting—”

“[Name]-chan, we’re on camera! Stop that!”

I’m sorry, please keep this PG, there are young fans who might be watching. Moving on!

Q. What was your first date like?

“First date, huh? It was like, ages ago…”

“It was 6 years ago, in August. We went to the Tango festival in Buenos Aires. I had such a fun time with you then!”

“You had fun stepping all over my feet. It’s honestly appalling how much you sucked at dancing back then. You were bad at a lot of things, huh.”

“She complained about it all night, but even then she was so cute and brilliant. She led me for the second half, stating that she had enough of her feet getting trampled on.”

“Thankfully you picked it up fast. You’re pretty fast at learning new skills.”

“Aww, is the ever-so stoic [Name]-chan praising me? How rare!”

“Well, if you don’t want me to, then…”

“Wait, no don’t stop! I was kidding, praise me more!”

“Ah, don’t latch onto me, this is on cam— Tooru!”

Now, now, please calm down. Straight onto the next question!

Q. Do you have any memorable dates or events?

“Oh, there was this one time.”

“I already said sorry for that!”

“That doesn’t mean it never happened! My jaw still hurts when I think about it!”

“I said sorry every single time!”

“Still! Okay, the story is that I wanted to surprise him when he came back home but it went horribly. The first part, at least. “He didn’t know I was coming over because I wanted it to be a surprise, which in hindsight was a bad idea. I made dinner and turned the lights off when I heard the door unlocking. In my head, it was like ‘pop and and surprise him’, but when I did, he got spooked and hit me in the jaw.”

“It was reflex! [Name]-chan, you popped out screaming ‘surprise’ right in front of me!”

“Yeah, but still. That’s how I now know he has a great right hook. Nearly knocked me out. But his crying and screaming stopped me from falling unconscious.”

“I thought I really did knock you out!”

“Yeah, but you kept on screaming even after I said it was okay. You’ve probably heard of it too, there were news articles about how he came into the emergency room crying his eyes out.”

“I really am sorry about it, [Name]-chan…”

“Hey now, no need to be sad. It’s just a funny memory to tell everyone now.”

At least you can laugh about it now.

Q. 6 years is a long time. You must have a lot of anniversaries. What do you do for them?

“Nothing special, we just get presents for each other and spend the day together. I used to just tell him what I wanted but he can figure out what I want now.”

“That shows what an amazing and observant boyf—I mean fiancé I am! Have you ever been disappointed with anything I gave you?”

“Well, no, not yet.”

“See? And you get me all the things I want and need. We’re a perfect couple.”

“We sometimes go on trips to neighbouring countries, visit some tourist spots. I bought him a camera for the anniversary last year, and now he takes tons of photos everywhere we go. There’s a huge stack of polaroids in our bedroom.”

“[Name]-chan, don’t ignore me! Aren’t we a perfect couple?”

“I think we’re the best we can be. Perfection doesn’t exist, but we can strive to be the best we can be, right Tooru?”

“Yup! You’re so wise when it comes to things like this.”

Q. What do you do in your spare time?

“We recently started watching TV shows like Umbrella Academy and Doctor Who. Tooru likes them because of all the aliens and superpowers.”

“They’re all so creative! Like the Weeping Angel, that makes me freak out whenever I see a statue now. Some of them give me nightmares.”

“Weeping Angels are messed up. Wait, why do you watch it if it gives you nightmares? You need to take care of your mental state as well, national representative!”

“But you hug me when I sleep if I have night terrors! I would sit through a hundred horror movies if it means you would hug me.”

“…”

“Are you… blushing?”

“No.”

“Aw, [Name]-chan, you’re blushing! I love you so much!”

“Tooru, stop! I’m going to fa—”

*Technical difficulties please hold*

Q. You recently announced your engagement, congratulations! How was the proposal, if you don’t mind me asking?

“I took her to her favourite restaurant! It’s this fancy place in a building near the training centre and she loves the pizza there.”

“It is delicious. He can’t see how good it is, this uncultured child.”

“It’s not my type! I like other pizzas, just not that one. Her face absolutely glows with happiness when she takes a bite but I can’t understand it. They have those really salty fish—”

“Anchovy. And I usually don’t like it either, but they make it taste amazing!”

“No, it still tastes like clumps of salt. Thankfully I like other dishes on the menu. We go there so often that the owner has a special spot reserved for us. It’s by a window and since the restaurant is in a tall building, it looks over the lights of the city. It’s very beautiful.”

“He was looking skittish than usual, so I was worried for him. I actually thought he wanted to break up with me. But instead, he showed me the ring and asked me to marry him.”

“Why would I ever break up with you?”

“Couples split apart! It’s what happens to a lot of them, I have never heard of someone who lived forever with only one person.”

“Tobio-chan did!”

“Are we considering volleyball as a person now?”

“[Name]-chan, we went to their wedding!”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just kidding! He was pretty cute, all twitchy and red. His wife was even cuter though, so shy and embarrassed. Very beautiful as well.”

“You’re going to be even more radiant at our wedding. I can see you in your dress already.”

“Wow, you must be able to see into the future, since I haven’t even looked at the catalogue.”

“It’s a figure of speech!”

Now, now, please calm down! Onto the next question.

Q. You guys had been dating for quite a while before getting engaged. When did you realise you wanted to spend the rest of your life with each other?

“Oh, you never actually told me this.”

“It was actually when I was away for a game! [Name]-chan couldn’t come because she had to work back in Argentina, so I was all alone in a foreign country.”

“Literally everyone else on the team came to the game, you weren’t alone.”

“But none of them were you! Let me be romantic and tell my love story!”

“Alright, alright, no more interruptions. Proceed.”

“Thank you. It was the first day there. I finished the practice for the day and did our daily night call, because we always talk before falling asleep. I dozed off to her talking, so I thought she would be there when I woke up. But when I opened my eyes in the morning, and she wasn’t there, this wave of panic came over me until I realised I was overseas. “That moment was probably it. I thought there, lying on the bed, that I would never be happy unless I wake up next to her every morning and see her sleeping face. Unless I could start off my day by kissing her and holding her in my arms.”

“…That— that’s what you thought when you woke up?”

“Yeah? And I thought that every morning since the— wait, are you blushing?”

“No, shut up and go away, Tooru.”

“AWWWW [NAME]-CHAN IS BLUSHING AND TRYING TO HIDE FROM ME!! YOU��RE SO CUTE AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I WANT TO SQUISH YOUR WIDDLE FACE AND CUDDLE YOU FOREVER MY AMAZING AND PRECIOUS WIFE!”

“Ack, Tooru, I’m going to fall agai—”

*Another technical difficulty, please hold*

Well, I think this has been a very cute and informative session. Quite eventful as well.

“If by eventful, you mean him trying to hug me so tight my ribs break and I get concussions from falling all the time, then yes, eventful.”

“Sorry, [Name]-chan, you were just too cute!”

“Not another word, volleyboy.”

Well, I’m sure your fans will be thrilled to see how cute the two of you are!

“His fans do seem to like knowing little stupid stories we have.”

“They’re our memories and I wouldn’t ever trade them for anything else.”

“…Me neither.”

“Aw, you’re so affectionate today, [Name]-chan. Maybe we should come again next time so I can see you blushing even more!”

We are completely on board with tha—

“Okay, this is the end of our interview and I hope it was fun for the viewers! Bye-bye now!”

“Ah, she’s escaping! Wait for me, [Name]-chan! Thanks for watching! Bye!”

#oikawa x reader #oikawa imagine #oikawa tooru x reader #oikawa tooru imagine #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! x reader #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu!! imagine #haikyuu one shot #haikyuu!! one shot #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#oikawa #oikawa tooru #fluff #female reader

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tngrace · 4 years ago

Note

“I really need you” please!

Thank you nonnie. this is gonna be another coda/extension of 2.03 with members of the 118 making an appearance in the story. I tweaked some of the dialog, and who said and did some things to make it fit where I was going with this. Plus it gave me an excuse to watch parts of the episode again, especially stealing the fire truck scene. 😍🤣

And @moviegeek03 thank you for being so wonderful and becoming a trusted friend. Have some of that TK whump we discussed. 😉 i’m pretty sure this is the most whump I've ever written in one setting. This also ended up being more Judd & TK focused than Tarlos.... not sure how that happened. 🤔

Prompt was from this list. I'm officially closing that list but please feel free to send me a request if you have one and I'll see if I can do anything with it.

4 word prompts masterlist- find all completed fics & requests waiting to be written here. I've got 2 left to write after this one.

TK was exhausted. They'd been working the wildfire for a week, getting little sleep. Out of state crews were to be arriving any minute, and he was hoping that would mean they could catch a break. He just wanted a little rest, and to talk to Carlos. The few texts they'd exchanged wasn't enough anymore.

Before he was able to find a quiet spot for a call, his dad called a meeting with all the out of state crews that had arrived. He let's out a deep breath and throws on his jacket, before joining his crew. Out of town crews made him uncomfortable just because he wasn't sure he could trust them. With his team, they knew each other's moves and thoughts as they worked together. He knew they needed the help, but he was leary. His leariness remained especially when he saw some guy constantly staring at Marjan. It set his already frayed nerves on edge.

TK is gathering shovels and picks with Mateo when he learns Judd, Paul and Marjan are abandoning them with one of the 118 crew members. To say he is not happy about it would be an understatement. He tries to put on his best face though, and he can’t turn off his friendly personality even though he tries when he realizes it's the guy who stared Marj down. Plus Mateo is doing his damnedest to engage him so TK throws in his own comments to try and help because he knows how personally Mateo takes things and he just wants to protect him.

The work is hard and tiring on his already tired body. Plus Buck just doesn’t seem to want to engage with him. TK understands though; Buck is probably feeling just as abandoned as he is by his team which he tries to convey to Mateo. At least TK still has Mateo; Buck was left by both of his other team members. As they’re comparing their wildest calls, TK sees a burning car rolling down the hill at top speed at them. He doesn’t even think; he just reacts diving towards Buck with a yell at Mateo to look out.

He collides full force with Buck, knocking him out of the way. He can feel the air knocked out of himself as well as they collide with the ground. They’re up and moving before his body can even process possible injuries, the adrenaline spurring them on. Once the fire is out, and the dog is reunited with his owner, TK doubles over to catch his breath. He can feel the struggle, knowing he must have sustained some bruising to his ribs when knocking Buck out of the way. He feels a twinge in his ankle too, but ignores it. He can’t afford to be hurt though with it being all hands on deck, so he takes as deep a breath as he can and stands back up before anyone can notice.

“So that was weird,” Buck says to him as they watch the guy retrieving his dog from Mateo.

“Right?” TK says with a confused look on his face.

“Nice moves by the way. Good reflexes,” Buck says with a smile on his face before he walks off to get back to work.

“Yea you too,” TK says watching the scene and still mentally trying to asses himself. He has enough medic training to know what he should be feeling for, and when all he can come up with is the soreness in his ribs, he decides to push on.

After that, Buck opens up more to them also explaining his fixation with Marjan earlier, and it makes the day pass faster. TK does his best to ignore the aching in his ribs and ankle. Buck notices how off TK would get at times, especially when he wouldn’t take a break from digging, but he brushed off every attempt Buck made at making sure he was ok. Mateo has noticed the same thing, but he also knows when to push and when not to push TK.

By night fall, they’re heading back down the mountain, still discussing their wildest calls, and TK is limping and having to pause his talking every now and then to catch a breath. His ribs and ankle are throbbing now, and he just wants some Tylenol and bed. Mateo effectively ends their pissing contest on who has the wildest calls, but before he can even contemplate the fact that Probie was the voice of reason, they encounter the rest of their teams minus his dad and Hen.

They tease them about already having their feet up, but one look at Judd and Marjan and TK knows somethings wrong. “What? What’s wrong?” he asks feeling the panic building under his skin. It’s not ideal for his ribs, but he can’t stop it, not with the way they’re looking at him.

“You didn’t hear did you?” Marjan finally asks finding her voice first. TK is looking between all of them as he hears Buck ask, “hear what?”

Paul speaks up then, explaining how his dad and Hen went up to provide air support to find the missing kid. TK’s eyes never leave them as he listens, his breathing becoming more erratic the longer Paul talks. When he hears the fateful words that the chopper went down, he’s almost positive he stops breathing. He feels his world tilting; he feels his knees giving out, but before he hits the ground again, Judd is off the back of the ATV so fast TK is not sure how it happens.

“Woah there brother,” he says his arms coming underneath TK to catch him. TK can’t stop the whine when Judd’s hands connect with his sore ribs. “What the hell?” Judd asks him as he holds him up.

“Uh... I might can help with that,” Buck says when TK refuses to answer Judd. He explains how TK saved him from the runaway car, and how he’d been limping and breathing weird ever since. He explains that he tried to get TK to take it easy, but TK insisted he was fine and kept working.

“Of course he did,” Judd says before muttering under his breath about idiot little brothers.

“Uh... Judd,” Paul and Marjan say at the same time as TK’s erratic breathing becomes extremely apparent and his eyes glass over.

“Fuck,” Judd grunts as he takes more of TK’s weight. “Let me get him calmed down and then you can check him over,” he tells Eddie before more or less dragging TK off to the first quiet spot he can find. They’ve been down this road with TK’s panic attacks before, and Judd seemed the best to handle them.

He gets TK seated before coming around in front of him and placing his hands on TK’s shoulders. “Hey kid. Eyes on me,” he says as one of his hands come up to cradles TK’s neck to keep his head from lolling too much. He can tell TK has really worked himself up this time, by the glassy look in his eyes and how TK doesn't appear to hear him. “TK! Look at me,” he says sternly as he finally gets TK’s eyes on him. He takes TK’s hand and places it along his own chest so TK can feel his breaths.

“I’m gonna call Carlos and you’re going to focus on breathing,” Judd tells him digging in his pocket for his phone while making sure TK stays with him. “Slow and steady,” Judd reminds him as he focuses on keeping his own breaths even for TK to match.

“Gracie!” Judd says when she picks up. “I need you to get me Carlos. TK is having a panic attack, and he needs to talk to him,” Judd relays. He knows she’s working tonight, and he’s not sure about Carlos so he did the only thing he knew would guarantee Carlos would answer. It doesn’t take Grace five minutes before she has Carlos on the line. Judd quickly explains what has happened and that he needs Carlos to talk to TK.

He puts the phone on speaker so he can go back to holding TK’s head up. “Alright Reyes you’re on speaker. He can hear you,” Judd relays and he steadies his breathing once more for TK.

“Ty, you’re ok. I’m here. Judd’s there. You’re whole team is there. I know you’re tired. I know you’re exhausted, but I need you to focus on breathing for me ok?” Carlos murmurs softly. Judd can tell TK is focusing more listening to Carlos and he tells him to keep talking.

Slowly but surely TK comes back around and his breathing is more even. “Carlos,” he finally says in a choked whisper when he realizes his boyfriend is talking to him.

“Yea love, I’m here,” Carlos says as TK finally reaches for the phone from Judd.

“You good? You’re not gonna kill over on me are you?” Judd asks him as he sees TK sitting up more on his own.

“I’m good,” TK promises as Judd finally passes him the phone.

“Five minutes little brother, and then I’m letting the Army medic check you over,” he warns before giving TK time to talk to Carlos.

TK takes the phone off speaker, but he knows Carlos has already heard. “Ty? Why is the medic looking you over?” he asks TK with worry clearly seeping through his tone.

“Judd’s being overprotective as usual,” TK says but he knows Carlos doesn’t buy it. He lets out a sigh and then winces when his ribs twinge. “I’m tired, exhausted really. I saved one of the other guys from a different team today from a runaway car. The collision with the ground may or may not have bruised my ribs, and I may or may not have tweaked my ankle, but I’m fine,” he tries to stress not wanting his boyfriend to worry anymore.

“Tyler,” Carlos stresses knowing TK is not fine. If he was fine, Judd would not have had to call him tonight.

“Ok, I’m not fine,” TK admits trying to hold his tears off. “I’m hurt. I’m tired, so tired. Dad is possibly hurt or dying or we don’t know. He.. He crashed in a helicopter and no one’s heard from him, and I just... I just got him back from the cancer, and I just almost lost him last week. I just.. I can’t... I can’t... I can’t do this again. I can’t lose him. I can’t... ” he gets out in a rush with his breathing hitching and his ribs protesting.

“Easy Tiger. Breathe,” Carlos calms. “Breathe TK. It’s going to be ok.” TK tries his level best to control his breathing and stop the tears once more.

“I just really need you,” he gets out as a few stray tears fall. “I don’t think I can do this.”

TK can hear background noise and Carlos talking to someone in Spanish, before Carlos is telling him he will come. “Wait? Who was that? Where are you?” TK asks knowing Carlos rarely uses his Spanish unless he’s on the phone with his family or on a call where he needs to use it. TK doesn’t think Carlos is working, which means he must be with or around his family.

“I was at my parents,” Carlos tells him. “But I’m coming to you, ok?”

“What? No! You can’t!” TK says feeling the panic rise once more. Carlos won’t even broach the topic of his parents with him, and TK doesn’t know why. He hasn’t had the time to question Carlos on it either between Tim’s death and being called out to assist with the wildfire, but TK knows it’s something. But the last thing TK wants is to pull Carlos away from his family knowing how little time Carlos gets with them. Besides he doesn’t want Carlos near this fire either.

“TK it’s fine. I can be there within three hours. Just breathe baby,” he says when he hears TK’s hitching breath once more.

“Carlos no. Don’t. Stay with them, please,” TK begs the tears falling faster now despite how much he tries to stop them. It’s amazing how broken down and non-cooperative the body can get when it reaches the stage of exhaustion TK is in. He doesn’t want Carlos’s parents to have a bad impression of him if they know about him, or for them to be mad he’s pulling Carlos away when they rarely get to see him. It's causing his panic to rise once again.

Judd has returned to force TK into being checked over and notices the tears and erratic breathing once more. “Damn it kid,” he says as he kneels in front of him again. He once again places TK’s hand along side his chest, before putting the phone back on speaker. Carlos is doing his best to get TK to listen and calm down, but Judd finally has to speak up.

“It’s not working. Look I’m gonna see if I can get him calm,” he tells Carlos who then explains what happened. Judd sighs knowing TK’s mind is just too worn down at this point. “Drive safe,” he tells Carlos before hanging up knowing it’s useless to try and tell Carlos to stay in Austin.

“Alright kid, breathe with me,” Judd instructs as he forces TK to focus on him and breathe. Once TK is breathing normally again, Judd motions for Eddie to come over and check him out. The others have gone to the command tent to see if they can reason with the Commander. Judd would love to be in there helping them, but he knows his anger would get the best of him because he knows what the Commander is going to say. Besides TK needs him and that is his top priority right now.

Eddie checks TK over, noticing the dark bruising along his ribs. He feels of them making TK wince as he apologizes but they both know it has to be done, and while they don’t feel broken, with the bruising he thinks one might be cracked. “I’m good,” TK tries to say, but Judd ain’t buying it.

“Just let him wrap your damn ribs kid,” Judd says tossing Eddie an ace bandage. “I know you’re not gonna stay in the tent and rest, even though that’s where you should be, so at least let us make sure you’re not going to do more damage.”

TK finally relents and Eddie does his best to stabilize TK’s ribs. He then moves on to check TK’s ankle, and once his boot is removed, the swelling is obvious. Eddie feels along it and determines it is just twisted. TK had come to the same conclusion, so he lets Eddie put a brace on it to keep from making it worse. Eddie leaves them with it once he’s finished his medical assessment, knowing Judd probably needs a minute with his kid brother.

“Look I know I’m not going to be able to keep you sidelined on this,” Judd started getting a definitive agreement from TK making Judd rolls his eyes hard. “But I want you to be smart about it, and try not to make your injuries worse.”

TK does agree to that, even though they both know once he's caught up in the moment, he'll forget his promise. He doesn’t want to be laid up anymore than Judd wants him injured. “Now wanna tell me why talking to your boy sent you into another spiral?” Judd asks as he helps TK up and towards a picnic table.

“Not really,” TK murmurs as he drops down to rest.

“Fine. I won’t make you talk if you don’t want to. I know what that’s like. But you know I’m here for you bub.” At TK’s nod, Judd announces he’s going to find them food and water and for TK not to move. TK decides he needs to inform his mom what is happening, so while Judd is gone he calls her. He’s just wrapping up the call when he feels someone walking up behind him. He assumes it’s Judd returning with the promised food and water, he had no plans of touching, but is surprised to see it’s Buck with pizza.

Even though Judd had told him not to move, TK is up and moving as Buck starts to talk. He doesn’t think he can handle any small talk, and he doesn’t want to talk about how he is. He just wants to find his dad, even though he knows deep down he is in no position to go out looking for him. Even though he knows it, he doesn’t think it’s going to stop him, especially when Buck holds up keys to the fire truck.

They grab their go bags and sneak through the command center. TK is a little slower than he’d like because of his ribs and ankle, but Buck is patient with him. TK tries to talk Buck out of going so he doesn’t get fired as well, but Buck doesn’t back down. TK is thankful because he knows he’s not fully up to going this alone. He gets frustrated easily when Buck doesn’t explain his total plan and tries to divert him from the 118′s truck. He just wants to get in it and go before Judd finds him.

It doesn’t take long for Judd to gather everyone up when he gets back to the table he’d left TK at and finds it empty. Eddie is the first to piece it together when he realizes Buck is also missing. They grab backpacks and race off to the fire trucks, splitting up to surround them when they see two bodies trying to sneak around. They flip on their flashlights and Judd speaks up before the guys make it to the 126′s truck.

“Hey! Dumbass! Dumbasser!” Judd calls out making them both freeze. TK knows he’s screwed by Judd’s tone of voice. He slowly turns to face Judd and realizes Paul and Mateo are with him. He sees Buck looking the other direction, so he can only assume Marjan and Eddie are there. “Did you stop and consider the consequences of what you’re about to do at all?” Judd asks shining his light on TK making him wince hard at the bright light as Paul shines his on Buck.

TK’s theory of Marjan and Eddie coming in from the other side is confirmed when they both speak up. “You obviously don’t know Buck.”

“You two didn’t seriously think that you could sneak off and drive into wildfires did you?” Marjan asks in an accusatory tone, making TK scrunch his face with a wince feeling like a scolded kid.

“Yes?” he says, more like asks, timidly. He’s hurting, he’s exhausted. He just wants to find his dad and sleep for a month. He wants this stupid wildfire over with so he can go back home.

“Well that ain’t gonna happen,” Paul finally pipes up. TK feels the defeat creeping in until Buck stands up to them. “You think you’re gonna stop us?” he asks.

“Stop you? We’re going with you,” Mateo supplies like an excited puppy going on his first adventure. “Come on let’s go,” Eddie say as everyone starts loading up.

TK and Buck share a look as everyone jumps into the truck. TK gives Judd a skeptical look making Judd roll his eyes. “Just get in the damn truck before I change my mind,” he huffs helping TK climb up. Once everyone is in, they take off up the mountain to find their captain and Hen.

Judd does his best to keep TK from over-exerting, but it’s useless. As soon as the truck stopped, TK was out and racing for the helicopter despite his limp. Judd watched from the sidelines as TK crawled all over it, screaming for his dad. He knew they weren’t there though; he knew Owen would’ve tried to get them somewhere safer. He can see the defeat creeping in to TK’s face. He decides to take the lead and tells everyone to fan out. He grabs TK and makes him come with him so he can keep an eye on him. He takes the backpack off TK’s back so it’s less he’s carrying and exerting himself.

Once Hen and Owen are found, Judd can’t stop TK from climbing into the mine to get to his dad. He knows TK is probably doing more damage to his ankle and ribs, but he can’t stop him. They’re able to get both Hen and Owen out safely and loaded in the trucks. TK sits next to his dad the whole way back, telling him over and over he’s going to be ok even though Owen is unconscious.

Since they were able to complete the rescue safely, their reprimands are minimal. Once they’re dismissed from the Commander, Judd steers TK to the medical tent. “No argument,” he says gruffly when he sees TK start to protest. “You are hurt. You are exhausted, and brother, I’ve lived through the kinda panic attack you hard earlier. You are resting. You are getting fluids and a proper medical assessment even if I have to tie your ass to the bed.”

“That won’t be necessary Judd,” they hear turning towards the voice. Carlos is standing there in uniform watching them. He’d used his badge and uniform shamelessly to get through to San Angelo as quickly as he could after hanging up with TK. He hadn’t explained it to his parents, just told them he had to go, and here he was.

TK’s eyes filled with tears before he could stop them. Carlos had really come. He was here. TK all but collapses in his arms, and Carlos catches him as always. “I’ll leave ya to it,” Judd says clasping Carlos’s shoulder before he goes to check on the captain.

Carlos gets TK over to a bed, and TK clings to him when Carlos tries to lay him down. “I’m not going anywhere Tiger,” he whispers as he finally gets TK stretched out. A medic comes and checks TK over, Judd having sent her over after detailing what he knew of TK’s condition. She starts an iv to run fluids before listening to his lungs. She doesn’t think anything is broken, but she does advise he take it easy in case one is cracked. She elevates his ankle wrapping it in ice and suggesting he rest for the time being. Carlos sits by his bed the whole time carding his finger through TK’s hair.

“I’m sorry you left your parents,” TK says quietly.

“Don’t,” Carlos tells him as he softly kisses him. “You needed me, and here I am. I always said I would come if you needed, and that doesn’t change just because I’m visiting my parents.”

TK gives him a sleepy nod, Carlos’s fingers working like magic as always to relax him. “Rest TK, and then we’ll go home and you can rest some more.” TK turns into Carlos’s touch giving a sleepy nod, before he lets his body succumb to the exhaustion and he falls fast asleep.

The out of town crews are dismissed while TK is sleeping. Eddie and Buck both check in on TK and see Carlos sitting beside him watching him sleep. They leave their numbers and well wishes with Carlos before following Hen to check on the captain. They let her have a moment with him, while they say goodbye to the rest of the team. The 126 decide to all catch some sleep now that the wildfire is contained. They know they’ll be dismissed to return to Austin soon, but they all need some much needed sleep. They check in on their Strand boys before they all crash for some much needed rest.

It’s the next day before they load the truck to head home. TK decides to ride back with Carlos letting his dad have room to stretch out in the back of the truck to rest as Judd drives them home. He’s still feeling the exhaustion, and he’s glad they have mandated time off. His head lolls against the window as Carlos drives them home. He knows over the next few days they’ll have to talk about his panic attack and how he freaked out again over Carlos’s parents, but for now he’s just glad to be back with Carlos and almost home.

#tarlos #tarlos fic #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #4 word prompt fic #writers life #big brother judd #judd & tk #126 & 118 #i love a fire fam #this is more fire fam than tarlos #but i got my tarlos moments in there

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