#this thing was incredibly hilarious in my head i am sorry for whoever comes across my broke sense of humor

[spkyart]

Peak 90s fashion

[tickle-bugs]

Justice League Headcanons

So...yeah. Blame @fickle-tiction and @fanficsandfluff but I can’t get JL out of my head. I know next to nothing in terms of canon and I only enjoy a handful of DC movies, so this is the beginning of what I am calling the BEU (Bug Extended Universe). 

Essentially, in the words of Nick Fury, ‘I recognize your canon, but seeing as it’s a stupid-ass canon, I have elected to ignore it :)’. A mish-mash of everything I’ve learned about DC through osmosis and my own personal vibe checks :)

This is absurdly long so everything is under the cut:

Clark Kent

- Superman? NO, Superdork. 

- He’s extremely clumsy. If he wasn’t as fast as a speeding bullet he’d get his ass handed to him ten times over. He has two left feet. 

- He has a sweet tooth like no one’s business. Lois once found him perched on the kitchen counter at 3 am eating the donuts she brought home from work. 

- Super playful and affectionate! King of bear hugs! Country boy I love youuuuuuu

- Curses like a sailor. Do you really think Clark ‘Smallville, Kansas’ Kent is wholesome? He stubbed his toe once and yelled FUCK so loud that the windows vibrated. Everyone who isn’t in the league thinks he’s a boyscout but the league knows the truth. 

- Forgets about his powers a lot. He has been known to run through walls/take doors off their hinges when he’s excited. 

- Goblin. He loves messing with Bruce and roping Barry into his schemes. 

- Clark being ticklish is actually smth that can be so personal? His laugh is so loud and he always goes ‘sorry’ and tries to be quieter but it does NOT work. He has flight instincts more than fight instincts so he often starts unconsciously floating away when he’s tickled it’s so cute. He giggles a lot and he’s not particularly embarrassed by it.

- Do NOT get me started on ler Clark I could write a dissertation. He is SO playful and teasy but also sweet? He definitely is the type to laugh along with his lee. He definitely allows any sort of retaliation/fighting back like,,, if you manage to crawl away it’s because he let you, and if he wants too, he can be very mean and immovable.

- Bruce and Barry are his favorite targets. He doesn’t go after Diana because, frankly, he doesn’t have a death wish. He loves to cause problems on purpose by squeezing Arthur’s side and then blaming it on Barry. (Hal Jordan isn’t in the DCEU Justice League but I wish he was...they’d be partners in crime <3)

Bruce Wayne

- Okay let’s clarify some things: he’s not actually an asshole. He can be abrasive and snarky but he’s more towards the sarcastic gruff side vs straight-up mean.

- A lot of people think he’s genuinely an asshole/disconnected rich guy because he has a terrible habit of zoning out/interrupting people? Bruce actually just has intense ADHD that he refuses to get diagnosed, no matter how much Alfred pushes him. He doesn’t care what people think about him and he’s mostly learned how to manage it, so he leaves it alone.

- That being said, his friendship with Barry has me :’) Yes, he thinks Barry’s a pest (affectionate), but they share a few science-related hyperfixations (robotics, chemical engineering, etc). They can frequently be found holed up in the Batcave with a week’s worth of food and caffeine, and they’re just....tinkering. Watching them at work is amazing because as much as they annoy each other, they respect each other :)

- He’s 100% a cat person. He doesn’t have a problem with dogs, he just prefers cats. He feeds the strays that hang out around the Manor all the time...

-...which Alfred begs him not to do, because Bruce is severely allergic. He thinks he can power through the allergies until one of the stray cats does the face-headbump thing and he’s incapacitated emotionally and physically for the rest of the day. 

- He severely restrains his emotions but like...catch him on a good day or in a good mood and he’ll smile and laugh, especially in friendly company. He just generally believes in maintaining a poker face so no one can read him. 

- Not to be disrespectful but...thighs. I am Looking. 

- Bruce has a wonderful laugh. He’s not much of a giggler tbh but he has this open, clear, slightly scratchy kinda laugh (his voice is permanently hoarse from the Batman Voice). It’s so lovely. He has a habit of covering his mouth bc he’s embarrassed of his smile but if he finds something very funny he’ll laugh openly. 

- Thee Batman is ticklish and he...doesn’t hate it? Like of course he protests ten ways from Sunday but he more minds the ‘guys stop you’re ruining my dark and brooding facade’ bit. He hates being teased though and he will throw hands. 

- Circling back to the emotions thing, he’s very good at controlling his reactions, which means he has thoroughly convinced everyone he’s not ticklish. Except Clark, stupidly perceptive Clark, because he can hear Bruce’s heartbeat and see the way he clenches his jaw to avoid smiling. 

Diana Prince

- WIFEY!!!!! 

- Diana is hilarious okay? She’s just...so fucking funny. Her jokes never miss. You wouldn’t think she’s the quippy type, but she is, and she’s damn good at it. In a distant alternate universe, Peter Parker senses a rival. 

- Loves fresh fruit, but especially strawberries? She makes frequent trips to the local farmer’s market. 

- She also has a raging sweet tooth. She and Clark work together to steal sweets and buy snacks. 

- Will not back down from a challenge, ever. It’s kinda a problem.

- She has such a sweet laugh :’) It’s so bouncy and melodic and she scrunches her nose. She WILL snort and it’s the cutest thing ever. Yes she’s ticklish, but no one gets more than five seconds of laughter out of her before she turns the tables. 

- World’s meanest ler. Not only is she frequently on the prowl, she is near-ruthless, especially if she’s been baited. Once she sets her sights on someone, she won’t rest until she’s heard their laugh. 

- Diana is very mischievous and loves hearing her friends laugh. It’s impossible to be in her vicinity for more than five minutes without at LEAST a few pokes. She is not above just,,, random tickles either. 

- Nails. That is all. 

Arthur Curry

- Why are his tiddies always out? Someone please explain.

- The most targeted for pranks ever. Diana especially. Something about him just attracts goblinism. 

- He’s coming for Clark’s bear hugger crown. He picks people up so often that they’re just used to it now. 

- Playfighting and roughhousing is his love language. He absolutely loves wrestling with anyone who’ll humor him. He and Diana frequently tussle because they’re both good sports about it (Bruce is a little bit of a sore loser. Just a smidge). 

- Thinks he can get away with anything, which is decidedly not true. He just nopes his way out of the room and everyone’s like D:< get back here and atone for your sins!!! But Arthur’s already in the Pacific Ocean. 

- I like to think he’s ticklish, just not super ticklish y’know? He probably has a couple hidden spots that make him lose it though. Like he’ll definitely laugh and fall over, but he can and will fight back. Oh boy, will he fight back. 

- Batman: No fear.

Diana and Arthur sneaking up behind him:

Batman: One fear. 

- Y’know that picture of Jason Momoa sneaking up behind Henry Cavill on the red carpet? That is extremely relevant. Arthur loves to sneak up behind people and just...take them down. 

- Thinks Barry is annoying (affectionate) and the two of them are constantly chasing each other around. Barry is fast but Arthur’s strong (and wayy less ticklish than Barry)

- Physical affection!! He always has his arms around someone’s shoulders or something. He’s just a touchy kind of guy :)

Barry Allen

- Speedy boy! ADHD king! Sometimes his thoughts are also at superspeed, which means he talks way too fast and no one can understand him? But Bruce speaks fluent Barry and he translates often (though not without a labored sigh beforehand). 

- Physically affectionate but casual about it? He likes to play with people’s hands while he’s talking, bump shoulders with whoever he’s next to, etc. He doesn’t really realize he does it either. It’s not uncommon for him to be talking to Clark or Diana and they just...unconsciously give him their hand before he reaches for it.

- Okay so y’know how Bruce feeds the strays? Who do you think lets them in the first place? Barry has tried to adopt every stray he comes across, and when Alfred inevitably says no, Barry runs them to the shelter himself :’)

- Gifting is his love language!!! If he sees anything that remotely reminds him of his friends, he brings it to them. 

- He likes to hang out with Victor because he’s quiet, but doesn’t mind when Barry rambles, which he tends to do quite often. Barry will catch himself rambling and trail off, but Victor will encourage him to keep going, because he’s listening. 

- Thee Pillsbury Doughboy. Just these high-pitched, bouncy, frantic giggles that only get worse and eventually morph into cackles. He hiccups a lot too :’)

- Okay so he’s not a flailer but he’s super squirmy. Barry will cling onto his ler’s arms just to hold onto something. He kicks his legs too (he does this when he’s not being tickled either, if he laughs and he’s sitting somewhere he kicks). He also just constantly tries to crawl away. If he isn’t pinned down he will drag himself to safety. He also has a habit of curling up :’)

- Absolutely invented the speed-tickle. He actually doesn’t often use his powers (unless he’s chasing down Clark, because Clark isn’t above breaking the sound barrier to escape). He’s just got incredible hand-eye coordination and precision. His hands will be absolutely everywhere and he is so teasy about it. 

- Tries not to start fights he can’t finish, but he always gets roped into Clark’s mischief and gets targeted with revenge tickles. 

- He has tickled Clark once. It was incredible, amazing, showstopping, spectacular. Literally his crowning achievement. Did Clark absolutely destroy him afterwards? Yes, but it was so worth it. 

Victor Stone

- Quiet and stoic, but he’s always preferred listening and interjecting with a joke or two. 

- Closest with Barry and Diana, but he’s making an effort to bond with everyone.

- Unfortunately not ticklish :( I like to think soft touches on his face will make him smile and lean away, but it’s not going to get a laugh from him.

- Doesn’t often get involved in tickly shenanigans, but when he does, he surprises everyone with how much fun he has. A different, warmer side of him comes out when he’s among his friends.

- He’s a hugger! Definitely awkward about it, but he loves hugs and just...holding his friends. 

- He collects hoodies. He can’t really feel them when he’s wearing them, but he likes them and the idea of it. Barry seems to slip him a new hoodie every week. Victor has no idea where he gets them from but he’s not complaining. 

- He is an enabler. He will look at Bruce like :| ���no, I don’t know where Barry and Clark are, nor do I no what they’re planning” But they’re literally right behind Bruce, about to squeeze his sides. 

- That being said, he won’t do that with Diana. If she asks where they are, he’ll subtly nod his head in their direction. Even in jest, he will never lie to her. Which makes him Thee person to avoid when Diana’s on her mischievous streaks.

[ramuoto]

TOP 10 MANHWAs

if anything good came out of 2020, it’s my discovery of manhwas. 

well, it’s not like i’ve never read a single manhwa in the past 15+ years but tbh, the ratio of manhwa:manga i consume on a weekly basis has jumped exponentially this year. previously it was like 1:99 and now it’s like 90:10 LMAO. 

so, just to remind myself that the world is still full of good things, i had to make this list. which i will probably edit in the future, if i can be bothered to. :) 

anyhow, this list was not made in any particular order, just whichever came into mind. it’s loooong so be prepared! (I’ve read way more titles than mentioned but just included the ones worth checking out)

for whoever stumbles across this list, i hope some of these resonate with you and i hope they make you as happy as they made me. 

pic credits: https://geekculture.co/geeks-guide-to-transmigration-novels-avoid-death-at-all-costs/

1. Ebony

https://mangadex.org/title/41838/ebony

Bahahah omg he looks evil there! But our dearest archduke is hardly that aww. Soz, I just ripped off the covers of the manhwa cos I can’t find a panel I liked more than another. I mean, this manhwa is a GEM. I can’t even begin to describe this because everything about it blew me away. This is not something you read when you are craving for fluff, or just wanna have something brainless after a hard day at work or if you just wanna have some eye candy lol. This is something you pick up on a weekend, when you have time, because you need those hours to digest, appreciate, clutch your chest, tear a little because you find yourself falling in love with these characters. It doesn’t have any of that cliche isekai, romance, revenge themes going on. It has a solid plot, backed by incredible characters, beautifully woven by the authors and artist with incredible pacing that keeps you on your toes and keeps you looking forward to the next chapter. Maybe I would have been happier if I found it after it was completed lol. HAVE I CONVINCED YOU ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WANNA READ IT?! like, idk, just go. JUST GO READ IT GDI. 

p.s. it says there romance but naaaaaaah, dont go in with that expectation. :) this story is so much more than that. 

2. Bring the love

https://mangadex.org/title/44472/bring-the-love

This...this!!! THIS MANHWA NEEDS MORE LOVE. If you need a lot of fluff, a little, ok maybe quite a bit of sadness and tragedy, sweet sweet romance, cutie pies, please, look no further!!! Again, pacing, character development are so important to me and this manhwa aces it. I love the 2 MCs very much. And the side characters too. :)

3.  A Stepmother's Märchen

https://mangadex.org/title/39474/a-stepmother-s-m-rchen

When I first read this, i fucking cried. like please don’t ask me why. it’s not like its an absolute tragedy but I was just rooting for the MC so much and I really want for everything to go her way. That’s how much I adore this MC!!! I LOVE HER. I LOVE HER MORE THAN YOU DO NORA! HAHAHHA. okay soz. I need to keep this spoiler-free.

Anyhoo, there is nothing typical about this time travel plot. Sure, she goes back to try to undo the stuff that went wrong but phew, she certainly changed things so much everything that comes her way have made it so her previous experiences can hardly help aaaaaaand that’s what makes it fun! I sometimes wish the pacing could be a little more consistent, and there could be more characters I could love a little more wholeheartedly (so i wont have to be in so much despair when i read this sometimes lol) but omg the art, isn’t it pretty?! I’ve re-read this soooooo many times but the art blows me away all the time. And have I already mentioned how much I love her?! I LOVE YOU SHULI! AND I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY!

4.  Lady Baby

https://mangadex.org/title/34691/lady-baby

I literally LOL-ed when I saw this cover. WHO THE HELL ARE THEY. WHAT LADY BABY?! ehehehe. okay anyway, uhm, this is already incredibly popular. im not sure if i need to elaborate but yes, it’s adorbs!!! i dont think i like the MC as much as i love her family lol. and everyone else who adores her. im looking forward to when they get older. :) actually not really. please stay cute for as long as yall can! but yeah, i do wish the plot can move a lil faster. i want to see more character development in the other kids too COME ON! 

5.  Death Is the Only Ending for the Villainess

https://mangadex.org/title/47754/death-is-the-only-ending-for-the-villainess

am i allowed to reveal how shallow i am rn? like the previous choices were all like ‘wow-deep-plot’, ‘wow-character-development’ and this one i just included cos of AESTHETICS ALONE?! the novel covers are breathtaking!!! the manhwa art is amazing as well. and the harem is great! LOL. as for plot... uhm... it’s alright. it’s pretty engaging and i quite like the MC, she’s smart and independent and i love how she views them all antagonistically at all times HAHAHHA. her past is kinda... weird though and i do wish they’d stop referencing it. cos... girl why do you wanna go back to reality!!! stay here! it’s way more exciting! 

i love the whole isekai/reincarnate/transmigration theme and this is honestly one of the better, not-so-cliche or cheesy ones HA.

6.  Beware of the Villainess!

https://mangadex.org/title/47286/beware-of-the-villainess

do you already see the whole villainess theme?! am i suppose to start feeling embarrassed about my choices?! NO! cos this one is AWESOME!

again, another wildly popular title. for good reasons. it’s hilarious, our MC is as real and candid as it gets and LOOK AT THAT BLUE HAIRED BEAUTY. DO YOU SEE HIM?! IMPLANT HIM INTO YOUR MEMORY NOW!

it’s highly entertaining and breaks all isekai-reincarnation-villainess plot stereotypes. definitely one of the titles i look forward to every week.

7.  Who Made Me a Princess

https://mangadex.org/title/32506/who-made-me-a-princess

what? why did i choose this?

BECAUSE OF CLAUDE OF COURSE. ahahaha. okay aside from the amaaaaaaazing art and the beautiful people, the plot is not too bad. a little extreme at times but it’s interesting enough to keep me going. it’s currently on hiatus though and i was highly annoyed by how the first season ended. (YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? NOTHING.)

i hope the plot can move faster in the next season! and that our dearest MC athanasia can you know, finally be a little more useful... like omg just tell lucas already!!! and tbh girl, no matter which guy you choose, i approve. :D 

8.  The Flower That Was Bloomed by a Cloud

https://mangadex.org/title/37648/the-flower-that-was-bloomed-by-a-cloud

i featured this before, mostly out of frustration HAHAHA. do you see why i chose this cover?! yeah, i support this (unpopular) pairing okay! the other one is doomed!!! no matter what the author is trying to do now!! I DONT SUPPORT IT!!! lol.

anyway, i had to feature this cos the art is unique! and the story is great. :) and i looooooove listening to the ost while i read it. it starts out kinda slow but as the pace picks up, you won’t be able to stop. and you find yourself conflicted at various points. it did win an award for a reason. 

no matter what, i still think dowun is best for her okay. it’s dowun or nothing. he’s devoted to her, we all know that! he just needs to ditch that annoying female guard!!! ok yknw what, maybe nothing is better. :/ *cries*

9.  Solo Leveling

https://mangadex.org/title/31477/solo-leveling

why do i even bother? this manhwa is popular enough. 

the art is great. the MC is great. i use him and his gang as my wallpaper. 

im just not sure i like how this season’s plot is progressing. :/ but i guess it brings us nearer to solving the mystery in the first leg of the manhwa. i just enjoyed the whole part of him leveling up and now that he isn’t really leveling up anymore... idk. am i hoping for more plot shit like bleach (oh wow now u quincy?)... idk man. anywho, no regrets starting on this series and marathon-ing it to death. 

cross fingers the plot picks up and doesnt get too complicated for its own good.

10.  The Reason Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke's Mansion

https://mangadex.org/title/31606/the-reason-why-raeliana-ended-up-at-the-duke-s-mansion

okay, tbh, by the time i reached 10, i still have like 15 other series i was considering LMAO. i even considered lengthening this top 10 to top 15. but that would just be more of me and my nonsense. so... why did i choose this?

COS I LOVE THE 2 MCs!!! they’re adorable. the plot is again, kinda far-fetched at times (i literally laugh my head off at some parts) but it’s isekai-reincarnation okay! anything is possible in whatever magical crap country you end up in! lol. and i like how straightforward it is... in the sense there’s no 2nd lead. like okay i mean they are there but we all know they have no chance. oops. sorry!

and cos i can’t give up on the other titles i have, imma just list them down, without pictures... cos im tired. HA. 

11. Doctor Elise 

https://mangadex.org/title/29474/doctor-elise 

Kudos to the huge improvement in art style lmao. The good... lovable MCs, engaging plot. The bad... sometimes lengthy, incredulous medical moments (i work in the medical field so i... idk. sometimes this borders on iryu LMAO and i need to remind myself this is romance) otherwise, this is a highly highly entertaining read.

12.  Seduce the Villain's Father

https://mangadex.org/title/46775/seduce-the-villain-s-father

This is another of my ‘father-love’ whims. MC is adorable and ML is handsome. enough said.

13.  The Villainess Lives Twice

https://mangadex.org/title/49644/the-villainess-lives-twice

This is like a lesser version of Ebony and Bring the Love combined HAHAHA. The plot and premise is great and it’s awesome to marathon! I don’t find myself loving the MC as much as I should but the ML is a darling! I just find her a little toooooooo gloomy. Like come on girl, be more spunky! 

14.  The Stereotypical Life of a Reincarnated Lady

https://mangadex.org/title/46790/the-stereotypical-life-of-a-reincarnated-lady

I dont know why I like this so much HAHAHAHA. It hardly has a plot. I just find the MC and ML amusing i guess lol. 

15.  I'm Stanning the Prince

https://mangadex.org/title/45586/i-m-stanning-the-prince

Sometimes I wonder if I should be ranking this higher but I kinda feel this manhwa is trying to achieve too much with an underpowered MC. I love her... but I just don’t like how she’s just a pawn of everyone else and I dont know how she can change this situation of hers. It’s cute though. the MC and ML.  and the ML reminds me so much of american/jap Mackenyu. 

16.  The Villainess Reverses the Hourglass

I HAD TO. the art is so pretty! but girl, dont use the hour glass so much! you look a little too old! i would appreciate it if MC stops basing too much of her moves on the “past” tho like idk you are gonna sound unoriginal soooooon like develop your own thoughts soon okay? <3

17. Inso's Law

ANOTHER ONE. omg. im a lil on the fence regarding this but i like MC too much. and her harem LOL. i dont see where the plot is going either but i just hope for a happy end... ):

18.  Why Are You Doing This, Duke?

HAHAHA. this is sooooo sooooooo cute, i would have ranked it top 15 if it wasnt licensed by tapas tho cos they are a joke. WHY NOT TAPPY GDI. 

19.  Miss Not-So Sidekick

Uh-oh. Is this a top-20 list now? anyway, the MC for this series is GOLD. im not liking where it’s currently heading tho thus the lower ranking.

20.  IRIS - Lady with a Smartphone

omg IVE NEGLECTED THIS FOR TOO LONG. lemme go buy more chapters hahahaha. it’s a tad too lengthy... otherwise i like the MC and yummy ML!

still not enough?

Special Mentions - Okay, these will be unranked cos I don’t think these are that good but probably still worth a read.

I've Become the Villainous Empress of a Novel - this is new, im looking forward to how it progresses wheeeee.

Lady to Queen - It’s a ruthless manhwa. There was a point i started reading all sorts of sadistic content (i was running out of content i swear) and this was one of the better ones. I appreciate the MC very much. the plot now is a little weird and im a bit wary of the MC’s sister... hopefully the ML can be more useful. he’s pitiful though. but dude come on, dont rely on the wrong gal.

Goodbye, In-law - I’m not sure if i like the current progress buuuuuuut MC and ML are cute so who cares.

The Duchess' 50 Tea Recipes - plot is still engaging. MC and ML are cute. i dont know where the plot is heading towards though. 

A Falling Cohabitation - this is interesting and fun but a lil lengthy.

Light and Shadow - the sequel is out!!! i highly enjoyed this entire series!!! i would have probably ranked it a lil higher if i did this post earlier but too many series have overtaken this in my heart lol.

This Girl Is a Little Wild - is the hiatus ending yet? i would add it back to top 20 if it came back LOL. it’s highly entertaining tho. ML is adorable.

The Duchess With an Empty Soul  - pretty nice. MC and ML are a little boring. i think it can end soon. LMAO.

A Capable Maid - it’s amusing how she gets her powers for all sorts of situations lol. the prince is creepy tbh. and im secretly rooting for the other king hehe.

Beware of the Brothers! - it’s cute and heart-wrenching at the same time! not too sure im digging the latest plot development but okay... i’ll take it. they’re all cuties.

Living as the Tyrant's Older Sister - hehehe. it’s cute. duke is kinda silly but the latest chapter made me squeal!!!

The Evil Lady's Hero  - idk where the plot is going but MC and ML are adorable!!!

The Dragon Next Door - HAHAHA. it’s hilarious.

The Youngest Princess - she’s growing uppppp noooooooooooo

Virtues of the Villainess - ginger is hilarious. i dont see where the plot is going tho... and cant say i like the ML yet. i dont even get to see him much, hello?!

The Justice of Villainous Woman - pretty wholesome... i like the MC! (the ML is fine. no one else to contend with so...) can u end already?! lol.

Amina of the Lamp - hey, what happened to this? it’s pretty inconsistent but i do like the MC and ML... and the art...

The Villain's Savior - this is some sadistic shit. i reserve it for when i feel sadistic. i pretty much wanna see MC happy but idk if she’s making the right choices. :/

I Don't Want to Be Empress! - HAHAHAHA uhm it’s getting interesting. i just want ML to step up more... 

La dolce vita di Adelaide - I FINISHED THIS! and it’s wholesome, feel-good and cute. some parts felt a lil extra but ah whatever.

The Black Haired Princess - plot. move. faster!!! otherwise the MC and ML are pretty cute.

The Abandoned Empress - im a lil on the fence but i know how popular this series is. it started out HORRIBLE. i hated the ML so much. and then i found the green hair boy creepy. like MC, you need better taste in boys. it’s certainly getting more interesting now though. so please, continue to make my money’s worth!!!

Lucia - i. am. not. guilty. of. anything. *smut warning* anyway go read the novel. it’s better. hehehe.

What's Wrong with Secretary Kim - i do not need to elaborate any further. 

Past loves 

I created this section just to remind myself, that what i could like one day, i could hate the next LOL.

The Monster Duchess and Contract Princess - I know this is wildly popular. but i lost interest in it once she grew up. i dont think she’s particularly lovable. soz.

Survive as the Hero's Wife - another popular choice. I find the plot kinda boring now. MC and ML are cute though. 

Sincerely: I Became a Duke's Maid - another popular one. again, boring plot. like cant it end yet? oh you mean we need to wait for the real female lead to show up? dont need luh.

I Am a Child of This House - wow. the plot is shit now. and i do not support the MC and her guard. soz. she’s OVERPOWERED tbh. 

This Is an Obvious Fraudulent Marriage - idk what happened but my enthusiasm for this died.

Charlotte and Her 5 Disciples - i don’t get it. i dont get their obsession for her. 

[shitty-marvel-fan732]

Sleepless in the Tower

Title: Sleepless in the Tower

Pairing: Peter Parker x Barnes-Rodgers!Reader

Requested?: Yes! : Hi can I request a peter parker x reader please where I'm in a relationship with peter and I'm bucky and Steve's daughter and me and MJ go to a night club that we told not to go to and I end up getting really drunk and she ends up having to call peter and he takes me back to the tower trying to wake everyone up but ik being so loud and everyone goes mad that snuck out and got drunk and my dads try to take care of me but I just want peter thanks xx

Warnings: Teenage alcohol use, wild mood swings, Peter being scared shitless of your dads

Word count: hahahahahahahahahahaha...7K

Summary: Y/N’s drunk, Bucky’s angry, and Peter just wants to get some sleep.

    Peter Parker was not one to usually get the of 8 hours of sleep that was recommended for guys his age. Between homework, studying for decathlon, spending time with May, going on patrol, and trying to squeeze in more than just a few spare minutes with Y/N a day outside of school, sleep just didn’t fit into his schedule. Peter didn't dare complain. He loved doing all of those other things, and if sacrificing a few hours of sleep here or there was the price he’d have to pay for them, he’d willingly pay it. 

    Even so, he wasn’t completely tone-deaf to his body’s needs. Peter could tell he’d been running more than a few hours short for the past few days, but he had yet to find a way to get some sleep without letting one of his other responsibilities fall by the wayside. It was getting to the point where he was thinking very seriously about just taking a quick nap right on the roof where he was currently perched. If he was being completely honest, only the mental image of May and Y/N absolutely losing it if they found out about his little rooftop snooze was keeping him awake. Frowning, he yawned for what felt like the millionth time that night as he scanned the mostly empty streets. He was more than used to the constant urge to sleep, and was sure he could make it the next few hours without passing out.

Still, everyone had a breaking point, and Peter was relatively sure that he was nearing his. 

Miraculously, it seemed luck was on his side tonight. His patrol had practically flown by without much of a hitch -- save a few random muggings, Queens seemed pretty quiet. Peter felt a small bit of hope begin to bubble and build in his chest as he realized that he was going to get to go home early for once. Even more exciting was the fact that tomorrow was Saturday, and he had the opportunity to actually sleep in for once. He grinned beneath his signature mask, exhausted body beginning to tingle with anticipation at the prospect as he swung his way home. 

Peter had barely made it in his bedroom window before he flopped face-first into his mattress -- suit, mask, and all. He groaned loudly at the way his soft bed felt against his exhausted and aching muscles, thoroughly pleased and delighted at the welcome comfort. As he grabbed a pillow from the head of the bed and snuggled his mask-clad face into it, it suddenly occurred to him that he was falling asleep at an alarming pace and that he was still wearing his full suit. Peter groaned internally as he pictured all the jabs and jokes Mr. Stark would surely come up with once he found out Peter had fallen asleep in the suit.

Again. 

Peter idly contemplated the effort it would take to remove it before eventually deciding in favor of not moving. Mr. Stark could tease all he wanted -- and he surely would -- but there was nothing on Earth that was going to make Peter move from his bed for the next 12 hours or so. 

Just as he was beginning to drift off, the dull buzzing of his cellphone registered somewhere in the back of his mind. Still too tired to properly function, Peter ignored the annoying sound and stubbornly attempted to fall asleep even faster now, before something could get in his way. Eventually the noise mercifully stopped and Peter smiled a little, feeling slightly smug that he'd successfully ignored the distraction.

“Peter?” KAREN chirped. 

Though the AI’s voice was as smooth and gentle as ever, the sudden sound in his ear breaking through the silence of the room startled Peter. He jolted upwards and yelped in surprise before scanning his bedroom urgently. Realizing that there was nothing visibly amiss, he flopped back down onto his pillows and groaned loudly. Thoroughly annoyed at whatever, or whoever, could be the cause of the interruption, Peter merely grunted in response as he screwed his eyes shut once more. 

“I’m sorry to wake you, but per the protocols you set I’m alerting you that Y/N has called you more than twice and you haven’t responded,” the AI calmly reported. 

Peter muttered incoherently in acknowledgement as he drifted in and out of consciousness, and KAREN fell silent. For a beat or two it seemed the tired superhuman had finally succumbed to the sleep that’d been threatening to claim him all evening -- his body still and breaths slowing steadily. 

Until KAREN’s words sunk into his mind and his eyes shot open. 

Peter gasped -- the hairs on the back of his arms suddenly standing upright and his skin prickling with alarm as he bolted up once more-- this time fully awake. 

“Y/N’s been calling?” he questioned KAREN, heart beating wildly and thoughts racing with the possibilities of what could be causing his girlfriend to call him at… “Also what time is it?”

“It’s 3 am Peter”, came KAREN’s calm reply. “She’s called you three times so far, and it appears she’s calling again right now.”

Peter lunged for his backpack -- it was propped up against the wall where he’d tossed it carelessly earlier tonight as he’d scrambled through the window. Fingers practically vibrating with anxious energy, he dug through the mess in his bag frantically in search of his phone. Finally finding it, he quickly swiped across the picture of the two of you that was flashing on his screen. 

"Y/N?" he questioned breathlessly. "What's going on, what's wrong?"

"PETEYY," you sang through the phone. "Oh my gosh I misssssed you!"

Peter felt his brows crinkle in confusion. You never called this late, knowing that he was usually on patrol at this time. Plus, he could sense that something was off just by the sound of your voice. Your words were just slightly slurred together, and the pitch was a little higher than it normally was. It reminded him of the way you sounded right before you fell asleep, when you were really, really tired. Peter briefly considered that you might actually be calling him in your sleep, but the constant buzz of voices and noises in the background that weren't yours told him otherwise.

"Y/N babe what's going on? Where are you?" he asked nervously. 

" 'm out with MJ and we saw this totally awesome band and OH. Petey you should've seen them they were so awesome! You would've loved it. The guitar player was...," you chattered excitedly through the phone, completely oblivious to your boyfriend's obvious concern. Peter's brows furrowed deeper, and he felt his face contort into a look of pure confusion. 

"That's great babe, but I'm confused," Peter cut off your rambling abruptly. "Where are you?"

"Mmmm I'm not really sure!" came your thoroughly unbothered reply. "Somewhere in the city maybe? Yep. Definitely in the city."

Peter sighed, a gloved hand coming to rest on his covered head in exasperation. 

"What? Sorry -- no MJ, it's Peter!" he heard you mumble to someone else. "Petey? MJ wants to talk to you, 'kay?"

There was some shuffling on the other end of the phone before Peter heard MJ's voice. 

"Hey."

"MJ? What the heck is happening?" he questioned for what felt like the hundredth time in just a few minutes. 

"Y/N just showed up at my door tonight and dragged me out to see this show," she explained casually. "It was actually pretty cool, but anyways people have been buying her drinks left and right the entire time. So now she is wasted and, don't get me wrong, it's hilarious, but I have absolutely no idea how I'm going to get her home."

"Wait, Y/N is drunk?" Peter exclaimed, shocked. Never in all the years that he'd known you would he have ever thought that you'd be calling him at 3 in the morning, drunk. You were only 17! You were incredibly smart and goal-driven -- underaged drinking was just not something Peter would've expected from you. 

"As a skunk," MJ replied in her deadpan voice. The knot of concern twisted deeper in Peter's belly as he realized the potential danger of your situation. 

"PETEY! Is that Peter? Tell him I love him!" Peter could hear you yelling from somewhere around your phone's speaker. Ignoring the light blush that always seemed to creep up his face whenever you said things like that, he asked again where the two of them were. MJ calmly gave him the address, and he instantly grabbed his backpack, scrambling onto his fire escape and out into the night. 

"Okay, just stay there, I'm coming," he grunted as he swung from building to building. 

"I'll do my best, but you might want to hurry," MJ agreed cautiously. "Your girl is about 10 seconds away from throwing a punch."

"She's what -- why?!"

"No, I told you I don't want another one! You are being so pushy right now!" Peter heard your irritated voice, slightly muffled in the background. 

Anger and panic started to burn in his chest like acid as he realized that someone, probably some dude, was making you feel uncomfortable. The anger churned and mixed with the concern in his belly, creating a fire the likes of which he'd never felt before. He'd been angry before, sure, but this feeling was entirely new. The protective feelings only intensified as he pictured you, alone and vulnerable as some creep was pushing his way into your space. 

"I'm coming," Peter growled as he increased his speed. 

MJ ended the call, and Peter started throwing himself through the skyline as fast as his muscles would physically allow. He wasn't sure who you'd been arguing with or why, but the pit of anxiety in the bottom of his stomach was only growing bigger the longer he wasn't with you. 

All he knew was he needed to find you and find you fast. 

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

Even though Peter's mind was screaming for him to get to you as soon as possible, he realized that him trying to find you while still wearing his suit was problematic at best. So he changed as fast as he could, throwing his regular clothes over his suit, just in case. 

Nearly tripping over his own feet in his attempt to get out of the alley quickly, Peter's eyes scanned the busy street. His eyes washed over the crowd, desperately searching, before they finally landed on your face. You were swaying your hips to an imaginary beat and singing quietly to yourself near the street. MJ was sitting on the curb near you, watching your performance with amusement written all over her features. Relief surged through him at the sight of your cheerful expression, and he swiftly jogged to your side. 

"Hey, you finally made it," MJ remarked sarcastically as he reached the two of you. Peter rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the small grin that was rapidly taking over his face at the sight of you. You looked so happy, so free, that the feelings radiating from you combined with the lingering relief Peter still felt made the poor boy let out a breath for the first time since he'd taken your call.  

You, however, still hadn't noticed that your much beloved boyfriend had arrived. Though you'd been whining to MJ about wanting to see him for the past few hours, you were extremely distracted at the moment. Save the few sips of scotch you'd snuck from your dads every now and again you'd never really drank before, and now that you were decidedly tipsy you were feeling great. You weren't really sure what the source was, but your body felt like it almost couldn't help but move. It could be the leftover adrenaline from the concert, the thrill of sneaking out late, the five (or ten) drinks you'd had, or some combination therein, but you felt incredible. 

Your body felt like it was practically buzzing with energy. Humming along to your favorite song, you hopped one foot onto the curb gracefully-- or more likely clumsily -- and began taking slow, wobbling steps down the narrow path. You idly wondered when Peter would arrive, the sudden thought causing the butterflies in your stomach to kick up in excited anticipation. As you walked the curb like a tightrope your brain was filled with images of his handsome features, and you felt your face break out into an even wider grin. Surely he must be getting close by now? It felt like years since you'd talked with him on the phone, and -- 

Your thought abruptly cut-off as you felt the foot closest to the street slide suddenly out from underneath you. Reflexes all but non-existent at this point, you only managed to let out the briefest gasp before you tumbled off the curb completely.

“Whoa,” a voice sounded in your ear. Someone was gripping your body tightly, arms supporting your entire weight to prevent you from toppling face-first into the street. The voice sounded familiar in a way your alcohol-infused brain couldn’t place right away. Scrunching your face in confusion, you quickly scrambled your way out of the stranger’s arms and put some distance between the two of you. Turning suddenly, you spared a glance at your savior, internally hoping it was someone you at least knew. A brief look was all you needed, confusion giving way to pure excitement as a jolt of recognition ran through you. 

"PETEY," you squealed, happiness bubbling up in your hazed mind as Peter's face came into your line of vision. You threw your arms open expectantly, and Peter chuckled lightly before pulling you into his embrace once more.

"Getting into all kinds of trouble, huh babe?" Peter whispered fondly into your hair, the gentle feeling of his breath tickling your scalp and making you smile. You let out a girly (and very out of character) giggle, snuggling deeper into your boyfriend's arms. 

"Mmm nope, no trouble here," you hummed playfully, grin widening as you felt Peter's chest gently vibrate as he chuckled. Unbeknownst to either of you MJ rolled her eyes incredulously. 

"Yeah right," she snorted. "Tell it to that guy."

Peter followed her jutted out thumb to see an older guy, standing near the bouncers of the nightclub with a surly expression and a prominent welt forming under one of his eyes. Peter pulled himself out of your death grip just far enough to send you a curious glance.

"Y/N...?" he questioned, clearly hoping for an explanation. Your eyes traveled to the man in question, irritation blossoming in your chest as you recognized him. 

"I don't like him," you huffed. MJ chuckled. 

"You don't say" she drawled sarcastically. "I would never have guessed, ya know, by the way you punched him in the face."

"You did what," Peter exclaimed.

"Punched him!", you piped up from his chest, smiling proudly at yourself. 

Peter took a slight step back and stared at you, wide-eyed and slack jawed. He couldn't picture you, his intelligent and sweet girlfriend punching anyone, much less a grown man, in the face. He sputtered incoherently, unable to formulate a response. 

You giggled at the look of pure confusion on his face for a moment before deciding you should probably explain. 

"Mhm, he was being really obnoxious! He kept, like, insisting -- no demanding-- to buy me a drink, and I obviously told him no way cause I didn't want one. And also I told him that my boyfriend was coming, but he didn't believe me! Fucking jerk, right? So I went to walk away, 'cause I was getting really annoyed, and he grabbed my arm really hard and wouldn't let go! So I punched him," you babbled, annoyance and pride lingering on your face as you recalled the encounter. 

Peter just stared for a moment, the adorable dumbfounded look still overtaking his sweet face as you told the story. An all too familiar feeling of complete adoration for him washed over your intoxicated brain like a wave as you watched him try to process things. How you came to deserve someone like Peter was still beyond you. 

"Yeah it was pretty awesome," MJ agreed, a sly smile taking over her features. "Guy was a total creep."

You huffed again, childishly shoving your face back into Peter's firm chest. 

"He was mean."

Peter’s protective hold over your body tightened as soon as the words tumbled from your lips. It seemed he'd finally broken past his complete shock and was now in full defensive mode. You looked up to find his normally peaceful, chocolate-brown eyes turned suddenly dark with anger, and you could feel the way his muscles tensed as he shot the man a glare. Guilt wormed its way into your chest as you realized how things probably sounded to your over-protective, chivalrous-to-a-fault boyfriend. 

Trying to think quickly, before Peter did something he was sure to regret later, you grabbed his face with both of your hands. He hesitated for only a moment before willingly allowing you to turn his face back towards yours. Smiling deviously, you peppered kisses all over his quickly reddening face in an outward show of affection. 

The effect was almost instantaneous. Peter's eyes softened and his cheeks heated with a light blush that made your tummy erupt into butterflies. Best of all, his lips quirked up into your favorite sweet, crooked smile. 

You gripped his body a little tighter, suddenly wobbly on your feet. The sight of Peter in all his lovely, shy glory never failed to make your knees weak, and this moment was no exception. Even though you admittedly probably wouldn't have been able to stand upright without Peter's support regardless. 

"Hey, s'okay Petey, I took care of it," you reassured him in between kisses. He sighed, pulling you closer into the fold of his arms and burying his face into your hair. 

"I know, I just got nervous when you called," he murmured against your head. "And then I heard you arguing with that guy and I couldn't stop picturing all the terrible things that could be happening. And I was just so scared because I wasn't there, and if anything ever happened to you I just… I couldn't…"

Your heart swelled with an overwhelming feeling of pure guilt as Peter trailed off. How could you be so stupid. Of course he was worried, it was Peter. The things he'd been through, the things he still saw on a daily basis. You sniffled, tears stinging your eyes as you realized just how upset you'd made him. You gripped Peter even more tightly, and a small sob ripped through your throat as you spiralled instantly into a pit of self-loathing.

"I-- 'm so s-sorry Peter," you blubbered, your voice muffled by his chest as big, sloppy tears rolled uncontrollably down your cheeks. "I didn't mean to make you worry, I just was having so much fun and I re-really wanted to see you!"

"Hey, hey," his smooth voice cooed in your ear as his hands began rubbing across your back lovingly. "It's okay, you're safe now and that's all that really matters. Please don't cry Y/N/N, it's okay angel."

His sweet words of reassurance did little to quell the tsunami of tears now flowing freely from your eyes. In fact, the idea that he was now comforting you when you were the one who'd caused this problem in the first place was only making things worse. You openly sobbed against his chest, too drunk on alcohol and self-loathing to really care that every person who walked past was eyeing you both with a mixture of pity and annoyance. 

It went on like this for several minutes (or maybe hours? You couldn't really be sure at this point), until Michelle cleared her throat loudly. 

"Not to break up this cute little love-fest--" she ground out, discomfort breaking through her disinterested facade. "-but I'd really like to get home now."

Peter's face flushed instantly, the adorable pink flooding from his neck to the tips of his ears. He backed from you a little but kept your bodies linked by threading his fingers through yours. You couldn't help but giggle at his obvious embarrassment, your tears drying as you were suddenly flooded with feelings of adoration for your sweet boy. Peter cleared his throat and nodded at MJ. 

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

Peter considered himself pretty brave. He fought off thieves, muggers, and would-be bank robbers on a near nightly basis. He faced the most sinister parts of his city with absolutely no fear at all, but at the moment he couldn't have felt more like a scared child. Because if he was being really honest, the thought of facing either one of your dads made him feel scared absolutely shitless even during the best of times. 

And clearly this was not the best of times. 

The mere thought of trying to explain why he was not only helping you sneak back into the tower in the middle of the night, but sneaking you back in while you were completely wasted, made Peter feel like he could vomit on the spot. He knew your dads were only begrudgingly okay with the idea of the two of you dating, and the fact that he was now bringing their sweet, innocent baby girl home -- drunk-- in the ungodly hours of the morning would surely do little to endear him to them. But nevertheless, you clearly needed the help, and Peter's instinctual need to protect you outweighed the pure terror he felt when thinking of your dads. 

And boy did you need help. 

If he hadn't been by your side the entire time he would've sworn you'd snuck a couple more drinks on the way home. If he thought you'd been loud beforehand, it was nothing compared to now. The entire cab ride home had consisted mainly of you alternating between singing loudly as you described the concert for the millionth time, sobbing because you 'just love you so much Petey!', or you sloppily planting as many kisses all over Peter's face as you could. If he was being honest with himself, Peter would have to admit that he found your alcohol and sleep drunk state extremely cute; if he wasn't so terrified at the prospect of your dads seeing you like this, that is. 

Getting you through the tower was simultaneously easier and much more difficult than Peter anticipated. Easier because you'd hacked into FRIDAY's system before you'd left and somehow deactivated the security alarm for the two of you. And so much more difficult because getting you to your room quietly was seeming virtually impossible. Outside of the fact that you practically screamed every time a new thought popped into your head (which was frequently), you also continually tripped over nothing at all and landed in a heap on the floor. Even clinging to Peter’s arm with a kind of death grip that was making his fingers feel slightly numb you still managed to find a way to fall over every few steps. 

“Whoopsies!” you ‘whispered’ giggling as you looked up at him from the floor once more . Peter sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes in frustration. While he was glad you’d taken his note about talking more quietly, the stage-whisper you’d taken to speaking in wasn’t exactly an improvement. As he helped you back on to your feet for the millionth time, he glanced down the hallway to see how far the two of you still had to go. He groaned and cursed under his breath -- you were moving at a near glacial pace, and the pair of you had only made it as far as the common room. Deciding a different approach was necessary, Peter motioned with a finger to his lips for you to remain silent before swiftly picking you up. One of his arms wrapped under your knees and the other around your shoulders as he scooped you up, cradling you like a child against his chest. Ignoring the way you squealed at the sudden movement he started walking towards your room, determination written all over his face. 

“How can you be so cute?” you questioned playfully. Peter’s eyes widened at the sound of your loud voice, internally begging you to quiet down. Evidently you did not get the subtle message -- instead, you attacked his face with kisses, cooing and fawning over him loudly as you did. Fear burned through Peter at the sheer amount of noise you were making and he jerked his head away from you in a futile attempt to quiet you down. 

Peter looked down at you with wide, pleading eyes. He shook his head silently, motioning once more for you to remain quiet. Your face scrunched in confusion as you looked up at him, bottom lip trembling. 

“Y-you don’t want my kisses?”

Peter stopped, eyes widening even more as he caught sight of your distress. Peter's heart broke as he saw the hot, fresh tears springing up in your eyes and the look of utter rejection plastered all over your features. Had you been even slightly more sober you would’ve seen the guilty look in his eyes as he realized just how his small action came across to you, but you were too wrapped up in your own feelings to notice. Those few tears had turned almost instantly to full-blown sobs, and you were now louder than ever. 

“No no no no, that’s not true. You know I love your kisses sweetheart,” Peter whispered urgently. He glanced nervously down the hallway, praying silently that you hadn’t woken anyone and that you wouldn’t get any louder. You scoffed, oblivious to his fear and overwhelmed with that kind of indignation that only drunk people could seem to muster up. 

“You don’t!” you exclaimed loudly, shoving yourself out of Peter’s arms in protest. “You don’t, otherwise you wouldn’t pull away!”

“I’m sorry, so sorry, Y/N/N,” Peter murmured desperately, hands reaching out to try and connect with yours. “I didn’t mean to make you feel bad, I just don’t want to wake anyone up or get you in trouble.”

You slapped his hands away, thoroughly enraged and too stubborn to listen to his reasoning. 

“That's not even true, you just hate me! Go ahead and just say it!” you shouted. Peter’s eyebrows shot up practically to the ceiling, complete shock written across his face. 

“What?! No no no no, Y/N/N that’s absolutely not true, you have to know that's not t--”

Peter’s pleading was abruptly cut off as the lights above the two of you flicked on and the entire common room flooded with light. Peter froze, hands still held upwards in defense as he faced you, too scared to turn and face the source of the light. 

    “Underoos?” he heard Mr. Stark’s confused voice from behind him. “Y/N? What the hells going on?”

    Peter swallowed thickly before turning to see the entirety of the team gathered in the doorway, all clearly having woken up to the commotion you were causing. If he wasn’t so completely petrified he might have found their various choices of sleepwear interesting. But he didn’t exactly have time to think about how Thor was wearing large fluffy pajama bottoms embroidered with storm clouds right now. Especially as he caught sight of your dads’ expressions. Arms crossed and clearly fuming with anger, Bucky was sending Peter a glare that could only be described as murderous as he appraised the scene in front of him, and Steve looked to be thoroughly confused. Clearly the slower of the two to wake, he was standing near his husband with sleep-ruffled hair and an expression like he was struggling to process the fact that he was even out of bed, much less the scene in front of him.

    “Yes Parker, please do explain why my daughter is crying in the middle of the night and what you’re even doing here at all,” Bucky barked. 

    “Hey-- uh -- Y/N she was...I-I was just trying to--” Peter stuttered, unable to really muster much of a response. He always thought that people were exaggerating when they said they were paralyzed by fear, but he knew that in this moment that they were right. It felt like he was trapped under the terrifying weight of your dad’s menacing look -- sheer panic swirled and clouded his thoughts, and he felt his mind go completely blank. 

    You, even though you’d been livid with him mere moments ago, seemed to sense his discomfort and threaded your fingers through Peter’s in a show of support. Peter felt his breath hitch just the slightest bit at your affectionate response, the crushing weight on his chest lifting just a little. He glanced at you quickly, sending you a look of appreciation as he squeezed your hand gently. You grinned upwards, all resentment clearly forgotten. 

    “Ahem,” Tony cleared his throat amusedly. Peter felt his cheeks heat up, embarrassment filling his chest and mixing with the fear that lingered there. You, however, seemed completely oblivious to the severity of the situation.

    “Hi guys. Nice jammies Thor,” you grinned sweetly at the team, waving your free hand in greeting. Several people chuckled, evidently amused at your behavior, and Thor yawned widely before shooting you a thumbs up. Your dads seemed to be the only ones still angry, Steve having to seemingly caught on to what was happening. 

    “Y/N Barnes-Rodgers, what on earth is going on here?” he asked harshly, arms coming to rest across his chest. Rather inappropriately and to Peter's extreme discomfort, you giggled loudly instead of an appropriate response. 

"You look so funny with your hair like that," you giggled uncontrollably, the hand not currently entwined with Peter's resting on your stomach as you laughed. Peter closed his eyes, unable to physically stand the awkward tension surrounding the two of you any longer. 

"Kid, level with me. Is she shit-faced?" Sam's amused and slightly shocked voice broke through the silence. Peter's eyes shot open, mouth agape as Bucky's glare deepend and his face turned a concerning shade of red. Steve, much like Peter, simply looked appalled at the accusation. His expression shifted from one of denial, to rage, profound sadness, and finally back to angry as he came to terms with what was going on. Peter opened and closed his mouth several times, wishing for nothing more than for the earth to open up and swallow him whole, when his attention was suddenly pulled back to you. 

"I think I'm gonna be sick," you mumbled, face rapidly paling and both hands flying towards your mouth. Peter's hands were instantly on you, resting over the small of your back and rubbing gently as concern washed over him. You spared him a single wide-eyed glance before darting down the hall. 

"Oh my little дорогая," Wanda hummed sympathetically as she breezed past Peter to follow you. Nat wasn't far behind her, patting Peter fondly on the back as she too disappeared into your room. 

"Parker." 

Peter gulped audibly before slowly turning to face the rest of the team. Sam and Clint were laughing uncontrollably while Thor simply chuckled beside them, Tony had a gleam in his eye that betrayed his utter amusement at the situation, and now both of your dads were glaring at Peter with so much sheer force he was honestly surprised he wasn't already dead. 

"If I were you I'd start explaining. Now." Steve addressed him firmly, leaving no room for discussion. Peter sighed again and started to tell the entire story of how he'd gotten to this point. His hands were shaking the entire time and he was honestly pretty proud that he didn't physically pass out under Bucky's rage-filled stare. 

By the end, Sam and Clint had all but fallen to the floor they were laughing so hard. Thor was nowhere to be seen, having left the room after he lost interest in the topic at hand. Bruce had sent Peter a compassionate look before he too left, presumably heading back to bed now that he knew there was no immediate threat. 

Well, to anyone except Peter that is. 

Though Steve had left mid-way through Peter's recounting, Bucky hadn't moved an inch. He was still standing stoically in front of Peter, eyes dark with anger and distrust, arms crossed tightly against his chest. Peter couldn't take his eyes off your dad's metal arm, fretting silently about the many possibilities the lethal appendage held. 

"So let me get this straight," Tony interrupted Peter's mental musings. "You're saying Y/N snuck out to see some concert and didn't ask you to go with her, but then called you because she was too drunk to get home on her own?"

Peter nodded fervently. 

"That...makes perfect sense to me," Tony shrugged, looking over at Bucky. Turning his icy stare towards Tony for a moment, Bucky's arms finally fell to his sides, fists clenched in anger. 

"No it doesn't." he growled. He jammed his finger accusingly towards Peter. "He's lying."

Tony rolled his eyes, but before he could reply he was cut off by Steve popping his head out of your room.

"Buck. We've got a problem." 

"Yeah, I know," Bucky scoffed, eyes never leaving Peter's face as he replied. 

"Bucky." Steve snapped. "I mean an actual problem."

Brows raised in surprise, Bucky paused only momentarily before rushing over to his husband. Peter shared a quick glance with Tony, worry coating his features as he followed Bucky into your room. 

"Come on doll, open up," Bucky was pleading through your bathroom door. Steve was standing just to the side of him, fingers threading tiredly through his blonde locks. Peter felt his brows furrow in confusion. 

"No!" 

"Nat, what's going on?" he asked quietly as you continued to argue with your dads through the door. Nat smiled knowingly.

"She's locked us all out. Says she won't talk to anyone except you wonderkid."

Peter felt his face flush bright red at the implication, and the butterflies that'd been laid dormant for so long fluttered hopefully in his stomach. They were quickly squashed as he caught your dad staring daggers at him, and he gulped once more. 

"Peter, would you mind?" Steve asked tiredly. Peter's eyes widened and he physically turned to see if there was another Peter he could possibly be talking to. 

"M-me?" he squeaked. Steve nodded, and Peter cautiously approached your bathroom door before knocking lightly with shaky hands. "Y/N/N? It's me, can you open the door please?"

"Petey?" you mumbled through the door. Peter's heart felt heavy at the way you sounded so small. It was clear you'd been crying more, and his hands twitched with the desire to comfort you. 

"Yeah it's me angel," he murmured. "Can you come out? Please?"

You hesitated for a moment, and Peter would've sworn the everyone in the room was holding their breath waiting for your response. 

"No."

Peter sighed, deflating like a balloon and leaning his forehead against the door.  

"Come on sweetheart, Peter's here now like you wanted. Can you please unlock the door?" Steve pleaded. 

"No! You guys are just gonna make him leave as soon as I'm out, and I don't want him to go!" you protested stubbornly. Bucky clapped his hands over his face in exasperation.

"Doll you know the rules, your...friend isn't allowed to stay overnight," Bucky retaliated firmly, glaring at Peter once more. 

"Then I'm not coming out!". 

Peter groaned in disbelief, head banging lightly against the door. This was not how he thought his night would be going. Or rather morning? He realized suddenly that he didn't even know what time it was at this point. All he did know was that you and your dad were two of the most stubborn people on the planet, and he might be stuck outside your bathroom door for the next few days if one of you didn't relent soon. His eyelids grew heavy at the mere thought, entire face pressing against the door in total exhaustion. 

"Okay," Steve interjected, hands raised in surrender. "Okay fine. Y/N, Peter can stay."

"What?!"

Both Peter's confused squeak and Bucky's roar immediately echoed one another, the two of them flabbergasted by Steve's concession.

"Steve. Absolutely not. No way," Bucky growled, eyes wide as he shot his husband a look of pure shock. Steve frowned at him, crossing his arms defiently across his broad chest. 

"Buck. It's late, I'm too tired to deal with this now. They can stay on the couch, in the living room that way we can keep an eye on them," Steve replied. Bucky gaped at him, eyes travelling between him and Peter as his mouth opened and closed wordlessly. "I mean for God's sake look at Peter! The poor kid's about to fall asleep standing up!"

"Hmm?" Peter hummed, too tired to lift his head much from the door. Natasha clicked her tongue, pity written all over her face. Bucky crossed his arms too, face dark as he contemplated things. After a period of tense silence, he finally sighed, arms falling to his sides. 

“Fine,” he growled. “But I’m not happy about it.”

“Okay,” Tony chirped, clapping his hands together and startling the half-asleep Peter. “So it's settled! You hear that Y/N? Spiderling can stay, so you can open up now.”

Peter glanced hopefully towards the door, praying silently for you to finally see reason and come out. The entire team stared for a few moments, everyone wordlessly waiting for you to respond. Slowly the sound of the lock clicking open broke the silence of the room, and Peter outwardly sighed in appreciation. You cautiously opened the door, innocent wide eyes scanning the room before you stepped out fully to sheepishly face the group. 

Your face was still paler than usual, though it was worlds better than the white-and-green color you’d been as you ran away. There were stains from your tears marring the soft skin of your cheeks, and your eyes sparkled with a look of such exhaustion and guilt that it took Peter’s breath away a little. Instinctually, he opened his arms for you and you gratefully stepped into the fold of his embrace. Burying your face into Peter’s chest like a little kid, you rubbed your nose against the soft fabric of his shirt and hummed lowly in comfort. Peter’s face rested lightly atop your head, eyes closing once more as a synchronized wave of exhaustion overcame you both. 

“Barf. Alright, seeing as this little show seems to be over with now, I’m going back to sleep,” Tony’s loud chuckle broke the silence of the room once more. The rest of the team muttered their agreement, everyone filtering out as they said their goodbyes. You detangled yourself from Peter, sleepily murmuring something about changing into your pajamas. Peter took it upon himself to leave your room then, not wanting to push your dads’ patience any further than you already had for the evening. Steve too left the room, clapping Peter on the back as he set out in the direction of his room and quietly thanking him. 

It wasn’t long before Peter found himself lying on the common room’s couch, covered in a mountain of blankets with you wrapped around his body and sleeping soundly. You were sprawled out on practically top of him, arms and legs tangled around him in such a way that he wasn’t entirely sure where your limbs started and his ended. You were lying facing one another with your arms and legs clung around his middle, fingers wound tightly into the small hairs on the back of his head, and face pressed into his chest. His own arms were wrapped securely around your body, still slightly afraid that you would fall off the side of the plush sofa even though you’d clearly locked onto him on your own. Despite the somewhat strange positioning of your bodies, Peter felt immense comfort from your presence; the butterflies in his stomach were dancing around joyfully as he sleepily appraised your features and tried his best to commit them to memory. Your face was adorably squashed a little due to the way you pressed it into his chest, and Peter couldn’t help but find you incredibly cute in this moment. Even with the clear line of drool running from your mouth pooling on his chest. 

Yawning quietly, Peter snuggled a little deeper into your hold and hummed happily when he felt your sleeping limbs pull him in closer. Finally ready to put this day to rest, he closed his eyes contentedly. He was nearly asleep, breaths slowing to an even pace when suddenly all the hairs on his body stood upright. Heart racing, he scanned the darkened room worriedly, wondering what could cause his senses to go haywire all of the sudden. When he could find no immediate sources of danger he almost chalked his body’s response up to a state of pure sleep-deprivation, and he was just about to settle in once more when he saw it. 

A figure, dark and hidden in the shadows of the room that had only the nearly rising sun as a source of light, sitting near the windows and watching the two of you. Peter’s heart rate immediately picked up speed as he willed his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. Slowly, the figure came into focus. 

It was your dad. 

Bucky was sitting stoically in a chair, arms crossed as he sullenly watched the two of you. He caught Peter’s frantic gaze on him and smiled darkly at his daughter’s boyfriend. Motioning for him to continue, Bucky settled back into his chair with a threatening and somewhat gleeful expression on his face. Peter swallowed thickly, snapping his eyes away from the super-soldier and scrunching them closed as his heart thudded against his ribacge. You stretched out a little in your sleep -- completely oblivious to your dad’s presence as you happily cuddled into Peter’s embrace. Peter laid like that for an immeasurable amount of time, heart still pounding wildly and body frozen against yours. He felt paralyzed under the weight of your dad’s stare and wondered internally what he’d ever done to deserve the position he was in now. 

At least he was used to going without sleep, because it didn’t seem like he’d be getting any anytime soon. 

Taglist: @rororo06​

[sohotthateveryonedied]

Do Whatever You Want, I’m Super Dead

Read here on AO3!

Summary:

Tim has come to the stunning conclusion that human bodies are defective and evolution needs to pick up the fucking slack.

Tim has come to the stunning conclusion that human bodies are defective and evolution needs to pick up the fucking slack. Why else would he be this miserable? Tim is settled in the manor’s TV room, curled up on the comfiest sofa in the house. He’s on his third episode of Riverdale in a row—not because he enjoys the show, definitely not. But he lost the remote under the couch some three hours ago and if he moves even an inch from his current position, he’s sure he will bleed out and die. Tim should have been prepared for this. For two days now he’s been crampy, but he figured it was just a stomachache and ignored it. Like an idiot. He let himself get lulled into the false sense of security like a helpless lamb being led right into the slaughterhouse. Needless to say, he learned his lesson when he woke up this morning feeling like his insides were being torn out with rusty pliers. Of everyone in the household, (which pretty much just means Cass and occasionally Barbara and Steph), Tim gets the worst periods by far. Yes, that is incredibly unfair and he is seriously considering selling his entire reproductive system for ten dollars on Ebay just to be rid of it. Bruce says he can get the surgery when he turns eighteen, but Tim would rather wait a few years than be put out of commission for such a long stretch of time. This is making him regret that decision, though.

It’s bad enough that every time Tim does a tampon run he has to look at that stupid “feminine care” aisle sign, like it’s accusing him of something. (And, yes, he knows that statistically there are far more cis women in the world who have periods than trans men, but still. Not fun.) To make matters worse, Tim couldn’t find his heating pad anywhere and didn’t feel like tearing apart his room for it, so instead he presses a hot thermos of coffee against his stomach, willing the cramps to subside. (Spoiler alert! They don’t. Tim’s body hates him.) Speaking of spoilers: “You’re doing the next food run after this,” Steph says as she enters the room. She’s got a bowl of hot mashed potatoes in each hand. She places one on the armrest next to Tim and snuggles into the nearby armchair with her own. “I almost blew up the stove.” Tim sits up a little, replaces the thermos in his lap with the warm bowl of potatoes. He’s starving. “You’re the best, Steph.” “Fuck you.” “So grouchy.” “I have a right to be.” “Come on, I’m too cute and crampy to be mad at. Also you’re currently in my house, so you have to be nice to me.” Steph throws an aptly named throw pillow at him. This one has the quote, “World Peace Begins With Inner Peace” stitched on the front—one of Alfred’s futile attempts at abolishing bickering in the household. Poor guy never stood a chance. “You did this to me,” she hisses. “How was I supposed to know we’d sync up? It was an innocent oversight on my part. Couldn’t be helped.”

“Jerk.” If Tim is a lamb in a slaughterhouse, then Jason is a kangaroo stepping into a boxing ring with two other, just as aggressive kangaroos. Tim didn’t even know he was at the manor today. Jay takes one look at Tim, burrowed under two blankets in a fetal position, and laughs. “Did the demon finally poison you?” “Har, har. You’re fucking hilarious.” Jason flops on the couch by Tim’s feet, probably would have crushed them if Tim didn’t move them out of the way just in time. Jason reaches over and steals Tim’s mashed potatoes like the absolute villain he is. He takes a bite, then gestures with his spoon to the television. “Why are you watching this crap?” Tim snatches the bowl back and smacks Jason in the arm for good measure. “Can’t find the remote.” “So? I thought you were a genius. Just hack into the TV or something. What else are we keeping you around for?” Tim shakes his head and eats his potatoes, uncaring when they scald his tongue. “Too tired.” “Are you sick?” “No, but my organs are melting.” Steph snorts. “And you called me grouchy.” “Oh, yeah? Says Miss “wahhhh, my boyfriend sabotaged me even though it’s actually not his fault at all and he’s just trying to live his life.’” “You did this to me on purpose and you know it. I was supposed to have another week and a half, but nooo, you had to take the reins and change it up. I have an English presentation tomorrow.” “I said I was sorry!” “Are you guys serious?” All eyes snap to Jason. “It’s just PMS. Get over it.” Tim slams his foot into Jason’s stomach as hard as he can. Jason lets out a wheeze and doubles over. “Jesus. What the hell was that for?” “Leg spasm,” Tim says innocently. “My bad.” “You bruised my fucking kidney, you little ingrate.” “Oh, you’re in a little bit of pain? Get over it.” “That was a joke.” Jason rubs the forming bruise with a wince. “I didn’t ask for a demonstration.” Tim eats his mashed potatoes and does his best to ignore Jason. He’s miserable enough today as it is; he doesn’t need his brother adding on to that misery. He gets hit with another cramp and grimaces, curling in on himself as tight as he can. So not fair. Jason stands and goes to the kitchen, leaving Tim alone on the sofa. He takes advantage of the free space and stretches out his legs across the full length again, biting back what is definitely not a whimper. Look, having a uterus fucking hurts, okay? Tim can take a gunshot any day, but his own body attacking him is just uncalled for. Whoever decided that anyone with XX chromosomes deserves to be put through pain as a regular part of life while the other sex doesn’t should be lined up and shot. Jason returns in seconds, this time with a chocolate bar that Tim vaguely remembers seeing in Jason’s junk food stash behind the microwave. He throws it at Tim, who fumbles to catch it. “Here. Am I absolved of guilt now?” Tim considers that for a moment. He gives the chocolate to Steph, who tears off the wrapper and wolfs the entire thing down in record time. She should be a gold medalist in eating. “Not much of a chocolate fan,” Tim admits. “It’s too sweet.” “Then what do you want?” “I like money.” “Why the fuck would I give you money? You’ve got PMS, you’re not dying.” “It’s like buying me another candy bar, but instead of buying the candy you can just give me the cash. Cut out the middleman.” Jason rolls his eyes. “This is what I get for trying to be nice.” “Fine, fine. If you want to buy me food, can you get some guacamole from that place next to Wayne Tower? The one with the really good quesadillas? I don’t want any quesadillas, though, just the guacamole in a to-go cup with a spoon.” Steph holds up two fingers. “Make that two,” she says around a mouthful of chocolate. “Two guacamoles. And maybe a handful of those chewy mints they have at the front counter too.” Jason sighs, grabbing his jacket from the back of the couch. “Coming right up. But you two owe me for this.” Tim burrows deeper under his blankets, smiling. Yes, they can be annoying. Yes, they are utterly hopeless when it comes to things like this. But sometimes it pays to have brothers.

[tev-the-random]

What it Ursa took her children with her? - Pt.2

As we were saying:

Little over year has passed since the family arrived in Hira’a, and fateful news gets to them: Ozai remarried. His new wife is someone who is honoured to marry the Firelord and doesn’t mind the fact that his head is so deep up his own arse- anyway, and they are expecting a child, who is to be the Firelord’s legitimate heir.

Azula’s hopes and dreams are shattered. At age ten, she is quite literally being replaced in her beloved father’s life. It’s like she’s never even existed, and she can’t help but wonder what she did wrong.

Zuko is also upset, of course. All those years when Ozai told him he was unfit and worthless come flooding back. But somehow, he already expected things to turn out like this. Unlike Azula, he wasn’t so deeply feeding on hopes that things would go back to normal. He sees it more as a situation that was out of everyone’s control.

He convinces Azula it’s not her fault, and these kids will still be trying to understand and defend their father later down the road. There must be a reason for all of this, right? They start thinking of a reasonable scenario…

Ursa just feels sorry for the poor woman who has to deal with Ozai now.

So we get a timeskip: about three years came and went. Zuko and Azula – treated as kids and not as weapons – lead a peaceful and happy life whenever they’re not thinking of their father and everything they could be doing out there.

They have become known local troublemakers in their spare time. Kids know better than to challenge them, people know not to leave flammable goods out in the open – a strict policy regarding fireworks has been established after a chaotic incident – and failure to keep an eye on them this one time led to… well, let’s just say that the town is still unsure of whether or not they’re is being haunted by evil spirits.

They aren’t allowed anywhere near Forgetful Valley, but bold of you to assume they never tried. In-jokes arise.

‘No, I’m serious: that tree’s face looked exactly like yours, Zuzu. You really should befriend it,’ Azula mocks, remembering a particularly ugly tree they encountered in their adventure.

‘Sorry, I wasn’t looking at it. I was busy looking for whoever it was that asked you,’ Zuko retorts. ‘Since Forgetful Valley has all the kinds of crazy stuff.’

‘Maybe we should go back and look for your impulse control, then.’

‘None of you are going back in there,’ Ursa reprehends. ‘It was very irresponsible of you. Forgetful Valley is a dangerous place, you could have gotten hurt!’

‘Your mother is right, you know?’ Noren comments. ‘I’ve been to that jungle before, and it’s definitely not a playground. But I swear…’ He makes a dramatic pause. ‘I once saw Ursa’s sense of humour in there.’

The kids burst out laughing while Ursa sighs. ‘Since you can find such amazing things in the valley, dear, why don’t you go back there and find yourself actual funny jokes? I’m sure my sense of humour will be around the same corner.’

*More laughter*

(IDK, I write crappy comedy, ok?)

They still have a bit of a hard time making friends. I wouldn’t say they are shy, but they definitely have a talent to say the wrong things at the wrong times, and it’s hard to make deep connections. Sure, they would play with other kids from time to time, but in the end, Zuko and Azula are each other’s best friend.

They’ve cleared an area by the beach that any Hira’a resident knows to stay away from when they’re training.

Azula discovered a great passion for theatre. Not only are her acting skills fantastic, she also seems to be naturally aware of what makes a good scene. People say she’s Noren’s Little Assistant.

She hates being called Noren’s Little Assistant. She would much rather be called Ursa’s Little Star, because goddamn is she a good actress and she needs everyone to know that.

Zuko is more of a plant-lover guy. Unfortunately, he hasn’t inherited his grandmother’s green thumb, and despite Ursa’s best efforts to teach him, it seems like everything he touches dies.

He has grown to show a way with animals, however. Any variety of frogs and toads love him; lizards of all kinds are attracted to him like he’s a magnet; furry animals big and small adore him and any type of bird-like creature seems to think he is the best human being in existence. But his favourite animals are still the turtleducks.

Back in the palace, Iroh eventually learns of Ozai’s bullshit and how he got the throne in the first place. And you know what? The time has come for Iroh to draw a line in the sand. He confronts his little brother, who confronts him back by telling him that, should he try to tell anyone in the Fire Nation the truth – that Ozai was a top-grade traitor who actually had no right to the throne –, no one would believe him. Since his brother won’t be sensible, Iroh decides that’s it: he’s fucking out.

Now a fugitive from the Fire Nation, he somehow winds up owning a lovely traveling tea shop called the Jasmin Dragon. Most people don’t even suspect he is the fearful Dragon of the West, because he’s just so nice?

You can bet he serves blends of tea from all across the nations.

The tea shop is also a good cover up for his exchanges with the Order of the White Lotus. He gives and receives information, and does his best to help villages to either defend themselves or evacuate during Fire Nation attacks.

One day a member of the White Lotus travels to Hira’a for one reason or another and finds Zuko and Azula. This person then sends a letter to Iroh.

Iroh comes to Hira’a to visit the family. He’s glad to see they’re ok, even if he can’t stay for too long. But long enough for some Quality Time – these kids have grown so much!

Iroh doesn’t know of Ursa’s part in Azulon’s assassination, and only assumes she knew of Ozai’s plan. But now, it’s time that her children learned a couple of things, and he is willing to teach them, so that when the time arrives for them to meet their destiny, they should be able to choose wisely and face whatever comes their way. So he asks the children to accompany him in his travels.

Ursa doesn’t want to let them go. They’re children, they should be here living a peaceful life, not meeting some grand, dangerous destiny! What if something horrible happened to them?

Iroh understands the pain of losing a child. He doesn’t want to make Ursa spend her time worrying about losing two, so he respects her decision and soon leaves the town.

But the siblings are not about to just sit here when they know they’re destined for something greater. What incredible knowledge did their uncle hold? Did their father have something to do with this? They always knew there was more to their fate than just living in Hira’a for the rest of their lives, and this is their chance; it’s now or never.

Zuko and Azula are about to sneak out and follow Iroh when Noren spots them. But instead of trying to stop them – he is well aware that he can’t – he gives them two masks and some advice about never forgetting who they were.

Why yes, I am saying that they eventually take the masks and become partners in crime, Zuko as the Blue Spirit and Azula as the Red Spirit, because parallels.

They catch up with their uncle and adventures and shenanigans issue as Zuko, Azula and Iroh cross the Earth Kingdom.

Now imagine this trio: two of the most awkward firebending teenagers travelling with their old tea-loving uncle, who spits proverbs like he’s made of them. The possibilities for both hilarious and heart-warming moments are endless.

Iroh thinks himself a matchmaker. Whenever he thinks he sees some romance going on, he encourages his nephew or niece to make a move. His flaming cupid arrows do more damage than good, yet he only has good intentions at heart. Teens all around the kingdom encourage you to stop, sir.

Their new life is even more humbling than in Hira’a, since they are constantly travelling. But they manage, and they know their uncle is nothing but wise… even if Azula is still quite arrogant and manipulative, and Zuko is impatient and hot-headed, which can lead to a lot of conflict.

Iroh teaches them both how to create and redirect lightning. Zuko is better at redirecting than Azula. Creating it, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated, and both of them get their fair share of explosions while learning. Neither of them really gets a hang of it – although Azula is better at it than Zuko, that’s not saying much – for they still have a lot of identity-related turmoil inside them that won’t let them grasp the energy.

Guess who else teaches them? Other members of the White Lotus. Both Zuko and Azula get some swordsmanship Skills™ from Piandao, some different (and somewhat unwillingly taught) firebending technics from Jeong-Jeong and a lot of things from Bumi, including but not limited to: creative thinking, the art of patience, strategic planning, dealing with pirates and a surprising amount of rocks-related knowledge.

Bumi adopted Zuko and Azula and gave himself the role of Second Uncle. You cannot convince me otherwise.

So one day, little over a year after the siblings joined Iroh, they wind up in a city where this big circus is performing. Uncle Iroh decides to take his niece and nephew to see it. And oh, aren’t they surprised by who they see performing?

Even though Ty Lee was essentially the only one between her sisters to befriend Azula – and consequentially, the only one to periodically spend time in the palace with her –, Zuko and Iroh still have a hard time distinguishing her from the six other girls who look exactly like her, uncertainly calling her all different names before Azula snaps ‘you idiots, that’s Ty Lee!’.

The acrobat is so glad to see her friend again, because damn: it’s been nearly four years since they last saw or even heard from each other! And Zuko, I thought you were dead? This is such a neat reunion, there’s so much for them to talk about! And sure, the circus has to leave soon and so do the siblings, but Ty Lee reassures them that, if they ever needed her, she wasn’t hard to find. This isn’t the last we’ll see of Ty Lee.

Azula doesn’t let it show, but she resents Ty Lee a little bit for choosing to abandon her noble life. She really wishes she could have had a choice.

Uncle Iroh tells the siblings stories about the war that would have some day mesmerized them. But now, his opinions about those events and what he did as a prince general have changed; that, along with what the family sees in their journey – all the horrors brought to innocent people – gives Zuko and Azula a new perspective on what they used to think was a greater good. It will still take a while for Azula to understand that no, these people are no lesser than her and for Zuko to understand why any of that matters.

Iroh eventually tells them the truth about Azulon’s death. Or at least, what he knows of it: their father killed Azulon, banished them, took the throne by force and planned to gain more power at the expense of everyone. This is a lot to take in, and the siblings don’t quite believe it.

After four years thinking about it, Zuko and Azula decided to take their mother’s early words – they went to Hira’a to be safe – and formulate what for them was a reasonable scenario. They believe that Ozai never actually wanted any of this to happen. The whole family had to have been in danger, be it due to some political, social or personal threat, and Ozai wanted to take it all by himself to protect them. So he sent his wife and children away, concocted a plan with Azulon to cover for them and, once Azulon died and left him the throne, remarried to keep appearances. To Zuko and Azula, this makes perfect sense. And they thoroughly convince themselves of that.

They initiate an argument, thinking that Iroh is jealous of Ozai.

Their uncle sees these children are starting to stray from their path, but he knows this is a necessary journey for them. They will never be able to deal with reality unless they face it.

The siblings leave Iroh, planning to head straight to the Fire Nation capital and find out what really happened. Maybe now that they are older, it would be a perfect time to come back home; they surely could defend themselves from any threats.

Of course, they’ll be very disappointed to know that Ozai was just a bitch and never actually cared for any of them.

I don’t have a full formed idea about how their reencounter with their father would go down, but I say Ozai would officially banish both his children from the Fire Nation for trying to cause a commotion – which could easily be perceived as a threat. Not only that, but Zuko and Azula are the children of a traitor; cue for Ozai revealing what happened that night four years ago, confirming that he was the one to kill Azulon with Ursa’s help.

I also think that, after that day, the Firelord would have discreetly helped spread rumours about Ursa that would drag her name through the mud in the Capital – was she cheating on Ozai? Was she selling Fire Nation information to the Earth Kingdom? Was she planning a coup against the Firelord? Her crimes change from mouth to mouth. In the end, no one would take Zuko or Azula back unless Ozai wanted it. But he doesn’t. Not now, at least…

But Ozai also decides to play with his options: he plants a seed of doubt in his children’s minds; should they prove themselves useful later on, it would only take pulling a few strings for them to come crawling back to him. So he tells them that they needed to prove themselves for everyone to see that they weren’t traitors like their mother. They needed to prove their worth so that he could accept them.

Ozai goes a step further with Azula and tells her that, before his demise, Firelord Azulon had a plan. A plan to bring her back and put her in the leading, prestigious role she was always meant to get. But they needed to wait for the right time. There is a right time, Princess Azula. Your hopes were right all along, they will come for you eventually if you prove yourself.

The siblings have a lot to think about while they’re leaving the Fire Nation. They idolized Ozai so much all these years. But the undeniable truth came crashing down on their heads, spoken by the man himself. What would they do now? They didn’t think it possible, but their harsh actions made things so much worse: they couldn’t come back to their mother, they didn’t have many hopes of running into Iroh again, they can’t even set foot in their homeland anymore; Zuko and Azula are all on their own.

Maybe it’s time to turn a new leaf. It starts with them being fairly neutral, not completely loyal to either the Fire Nation or to the rest of the world. During this period, they would argue a lot about what to do or where to go next, getting separated and going their own ways before destiny makes them stick together again, over and over.

They manage to get a few deals and own a few favours here and there, become known thieves as the Spirits, and maybe meet up with Ty Lee’s circus every now and again. Life is hard.

But there is one thing that is about to be a beacon in their darkness…

Time to catch up to the show. Oh, you thought I wouldn’t go there?

Part 3 coming right up!

(I know I said this would be a two-parter, but it got ridiculously long, so I split it again. Three-parter now.)

[sofisnow]

A perhaps too long review of Killing Eve 3x07

307 is a gorgeous episode. The stakes were high and Laura Neal delivered in a spectacular way. The episode has the sensations and pace that characterise the show giving all the characters the necessary amount of screentime. No scene felt unnecessary or empty.

I will start talking about Carolyn and Geraldine, because if I start talking about Villaneve now, lorde help me I will never get to these two, I am weak. Mother and daughter are two ends of a spectrum and as much as I want Geraldine to have a more interesting role, it is still interesting to see Carolyn having someone she considers a stranger live in her house and constantly needing attention, conversation. Something we never saw with Kenny, who seemed to understand his mother a little better. This time however, we were able to see Carolyn loosen up and smash everything up in frustration. I do wonder whether Geraldine is going to realise her mother shouldn’t have to change the person she is and rather try to find a different way to communicate with her. I am also glad Carolyn warned her about Konstantin and that he was indeed using her, I was dreading having to see them being physical my stomach was not going to cope with that.

This family drama brings me onto Irina. My sweet murder child. I wonder it must have been Konstantin’s ex-wife who brought her to the detention centre because at first I thought it was Konstantin and it wouldn´t make sense for him to expect getting her out of there. Seeing him being unable to deal with Irina, who’s completely unaware she has done anything wrong makes us wonder what it must have been like when Villanelle was younger and whether we will ever see any of that period, Konstantin´s parenting styles are something to talk about. Back in season 1 Irina and Villanelle were a hilarious duo, but we couldn’t have expected Irina to become someone other than the psycho-killer that she’s become. As I am still unsure what is going to be of Konstantin, I can´t really figure out whether we will see more of Irina in season 4. However, a part of me would like to see some scenes with Irina and Eve, as both of them are starting their ‘Dark!’ paths this season.

Now onto what we have all been waiting for. First of all, this episode has been hilarious, every comment, every facial expression by Jodie and Sandra has been on point. The showrunners really knew what they were doing making Camille Cottin the cretin, manipulative boss she is. Every scene with Villanelle turns your brain into mush and gives you a headache because you can’t stop looking right and left. I am starting to wonder how come the 12 haven’t killed Villanelle yet, they don’t seem to be losing their patience with the amount of jobs she has messed up. One thing we can see consistently through the episode is Villanelle’s well-known coping mechanism she now uses constantly. We rarely see the Villanelle we once knew and we can’t really blame her nobody gives her a break. Her boss telling her she’s a literal monster was blunt and Jodie’s facial expressions during that scene, the amount of pain and rage she displayed was completely heartbreaking. I loved the moment Hélena awkwardly hugged and Villanelle, fighting back the tears grabbed her arm. That moment of weakness we are really not used to seeing, immediately followed by sarcasm and flirtatious comments. Seeing Villanelle like that, especially after the end of 306 really awakens something in the people who care about her the most (that’s us, sorry Eve) and who just want to protect her. Both Hélena and Dasha pressing onto her wound, trying to bring her down and remind her she is weak and she has lost what she once had serves as a visual reminder of what has been going through her head this entire season. From the moment she learned she had a family to knowing they never loved her and that small part of her that hoped she had people who cared about her, Villanelle’s only focus has been her identity crisis. We were expecting a bit more of the cat and mouse game that had been going on for seasons, but we weren’t really expecting for the cat to be so broken that she forgot the mouse would be waiting for her to come back and that they would still be chasing the cat back.

Contrary to what we expected, the scene at the train station where a worried Villanelle sees Eve run after the train and wave back at her is the moment Villanelle remembers that Eve is still there and that Eve wants her, whoever she is. That train scene was beautiful. I cannot believe the twisted and visceral show gave us two psychos who’ve tried to kill each other waving and looking at each other longingly while one of them runs after the train the other one is in. who gave them the right to do that?

Now onto Eve. Oh, Eve. Eve is my favourite person on the planet. She is tired of working on the case on her own, knowing the people she is working with either don’t know enough, don’t understand or don’t want to risk enough. Eve has not been able to stop thinking about Villanelle since the minute she saw her, and as much as she wants revenge for what happened to Niko, she is done fooling herself into thinking she does not want her. It is not that he doesn’t care that people notice, but perhaps she doesn’t know what is happening. One of the reasons why I love her character so much is because she is so impulsive. She acts one way and immediately regrets doing that. She stabbed Villanelle and immediately said sorry. She broke the window in the bus stop and screamed after doing so. She threw the cake over the roof and instantly tried to grab it back. So perhaps she doesn’t know that she looks like a crazy person trying to find a serial killer but she is just going for it. Sandra Oh is a genius and the way she portrays Eve’s determination, her ruthlessness and bluntness is incredible. Eve doesn’t have a proper plan, but she is 100% sure Villanelle is the answer. Carolyn’s comment regarding how heroes don’t get the girl was a great foreshadow the rise of the villain we have been waiting for. Eve is not the hero some people might have thought she was in season 1 and with Villanelle being unable to kill, the possibilities of Eve taking the lead in the finale/season4 are really exciting.

I really just want to mention the way Eve pronounces Villanelle and the amount of times she has said her name this episode, and thank Laura neal for that. Another thing worth mentioning is the parallel of Eve saying she left a man to die to chase after a psychopath referring to Hugo and doing the exact same thing TWICE in one day. Three times if we count pushing the American guy out of the car as soon as she got the information she needed. I do wonder what Eve’s first full kill is going to be like, I was really hoping to see Dasha die and I wonder how she’s going to die next week, or even whether she will have a role in season 4. However, the lack of hesitation she displayed stepping on Dasha, staring at her in the eyes and smiling at the sounds of bones cracking. It was visceral and thrilling. What would have happened if she had not heard the sirens and more importantly, what will happen when there are no sirens and she gets so finish what she started?

I could probably talk about Eve’s scene with Dasha for five straight hours but this is already too long. Eve has had one hell of a week. She’s almost lost her ex-husband, who’s done with her for good. She’s travelled to Barcelona and back in a day to find Villanelle, She’s done with her co-workers telling her to stop looking for her, she’s jumped in a dumpster and travelled all across the country and back and she still hasn’t seen Villanelle. And suddenly, as she was giving up and heading back to London there she was. This is one of the softest Villaneve moments we’ve had. I am surprised they didn’t play Clairo or Shura. They weren’t scared or angry, they weren’t leaving each other. This was a surprised Villanelle saying hello to the only person she has left, saying sorry I missed you I didn’t know you were looking for me. This was a relieved Eve. Not angry or frustrated that she missed her by a few seconds, but calm and just happy to see Villanelle. She was saying sorry I missed you, I’ve missed you.

I will stop talking now, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this episode as I’m sure you did too. I can’t wait to read more theories and please tell me what you think is going to happen next episode. How soon are they going to meet after the phone call? Who is going to arrive to the ballroom first, Eve or Leanne?

[lbat1901]

Eddsworld: At World's End Chapter 8

Old School Reunion - (Chapter 8) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Both Edd and Matt were on the couch watching tv till the door to the apartment suddenly swung open which got their attention. "Edd! Matt! I've found something that you won't believe" said Tom. "What?" asked Edd. Tom quickly rushes over to them while carrying a folder. "I...I was just walking till I stumbled across Durdam Lane" said Tom as he was trying to catch his breath. "You were? How come you didn't tell us?" asked Matt. "Tell you? Why would I- forget it. I found Tony's house and I tried knocking on his door only to realize he wasn't there. I found an open window, climbed through, and got into his house" said Tom. "Wait...did you just break into someone's house? Tom, you do realize that's illegal right? You could've been caught by the police" said Edd. "I know, I know, I know, but that's not the point. I walked in his house till I found a room which was his office room and I found something completely shocking. I found out that Tony isn't all that innocent and that he's hiding a dark secret" said Tom. "Really? What's the secret?" asked Matt. "I found out that Tony is a leader of an army and he's a communist" said Tom. What Tom didn't expect next was that both Edd and Matt suddenly burst out in laughter. "Why are you two laughing?" asked Tom as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Tony's a communist? That's so ridiculous" laughed Edd. "I have no idea why I'm laughing, but this is just so hilarious" laughed Matt. "What? I'm being serious here!" said Tom. "Tom, I know that you can't seem to trust Tony, but you can't just make something like this up. There is no way that Tony can be a communist" said Edd. "But....but.....I'm telling the- you know what, fine. I tried to tell you, but if you're not going to believe me then, I'll find a way to prove it myself" said Tom before walking towards the door. As Tom was about to leave he was greeted by two familiar men dressed in uniforms. "Uh, can I help you two?" asked Tom. "Uh...umm....ah......let's see here....." said Paul while looking at a piece of paper that had pictures of Edd, Matt, and Tom on it. "Give me that!" said Patryck as he snatched the paper out of Paul's hands. "Eh....sorry about that. We were just walking down the neighborhood till we came by here and do you mind if we ask one question?" asked Patryck. "Sure, whatever. What do you what?" asked Tom. "Are you by any chance Tom?" asked Patryck. "Uh yeah, that's me" said Tom. Both Paul and Patryck looked at each other as Patryck gave Paul a slight nod before the two looked back at Tom. "What's with the looks? Did I do something wrong?" asked Tom. "No, just get in the body bag" said Paul while getting out a body bag. "Oh....wait....what!? Oh my GOD!!! THEY HAVE BODY BAGS NO!!" screamed Tom before getting covered up in a body bag. Both Paul and Patryck went inside the apartment to find both Edd and Matt on the couch before going up behind them and put them in body bags. "WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME!? I'M TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BE PUT IN A BODY BAG!!!" screamed Matt as he was being dragged by Paul. "Get your hands off me you fiend!!!" yelled Edd as he was being dragged by Patryck. Paul and Patryck threw Edd, Matt, and Tom in the back of a van before closing the doors. "Well that went smoothly as I thought it would" said Paul. "Paul how could you say that when you didn't know what Tom looked like?" asked Patryck. "I don't know. They all the look the same to me" said Paul. "Look the- never mind. Let's just get out of here" said Patryck. ~At The Red Army Base~ "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god......it's so dark. Where am I? How long has it been? What year is it?" asked Matt before a blindfold was removed from his eyes. "Relax, it's only been like 30 minutes" said Tom. "Just where are we?" asked Edd. Matt walks up and touches something metallic before gently rubbing it. "We seem to be trapped in some strange force of psychic energy" said Matt. "No, we're not. We're in a cell" said Tom. "Gahhh! Whoever put us in here is so going to pay!!!" yelled Eduardo. "Wait....Eduardo....?" asked Edd as he got a better close to see Eduardo and his gang trapped behind a different cell across from them. "Oh cheer up Eduardo, it's not all bad" said Jon. "Not bad!? It is bad Jon! We're in a frickin' cell!" yelled Eduardo. "Hey! Leave him alone Eduardo! What did he do to you?" said Edd. "Huh? Hehe....well isn't our lovely neighbors Edd....and his friends. Fancy seeing you three here" said Eduardo. "Yeah it is. What are you guys doing here?" asked Tom. "How we supposed to know? We were here way before you" said Mark. "Yeah and I was somehow brought here too for no reason" said Todd. "Oh.....ey Head" said Hellucard who was standing next to Todd. "Todd? Some random guy who seems to get my name wrong every time he sees me? Look.....do you know who kidnapped us?" asked Edd. "Unfortunately we don't. All I remember was that Jon here just randomly opened the door" said Eduardo. "Opened the door? Wait, I did same thing but I was only leaving till I was stopped by two men who seem to be soldiers. One of them had a scar over there right eye while the other seemed a little bit smarter" said Tom. "Aw someone recalls seeing us. How cute" said Paul. "We hate to break up this friendly reunion, but we got orders from the boss. He wants to see you three" said Patryck. "Well I hope he's happy, because I'm just about ready to break these bars wide open" growled Edd. Paul walks over as Edd, Matt, and Tom braced themselves only to see that Paul took out a key and used it to unlock the cell door. "Are you three coming or what?" asked Paul. Edd, Matt, and Tom slowly walked out of the cell and followed both Paul and Patryck out of the room. "Hey! What about us? You can't leave me here with these idiots!" yelled out Eduardo to the void. After a few minutes of walking, Paul and Patryck lead the three prisoners to a large room which appears to be very decorated before forcefully making them kneel on their knees. "That was a bit mean" whined Matt. "Who cares? I just want this day to end already" said Tom. "Oh Tom, you've always been just so uncaring" said Tord. "Wait....it can't be" said Edd who recognized the voice. "Of course it is Edd, I was waiting forever to see you again" said Tord as he swung his chair around before getting up and walking towards his old friends. "What the?" asked Tom who couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Tord, you're alive. This..this is so incredible" said Edd in amazement. "Heh, longtime no seen old friends" said Tord with a smile. "Hold on for just a minute, how are you still alive? I thought you'd died once your robot exploded" said Tom. "Oh Tom, I thought the same exact thing as you did, but I was lucky to survive only with these burn marks on my face" said Tord while showing off the scorches on his face. "Ew.......so disgusting" said Matt who was a bit disturbed to see the burn marks on the right side of Tord's face. "So anyway this has been great to see you but we're kinda busy" said Edd. "I understand that, but this is important. So important that I need to be alone with Tom. Paul and Patryck, please take both Edd and Matt out here" said Tord. "So those are your names. How nice to know" said Matt. Paul and Patryck took Edd and Matt out of the room leaving Tom alone with Tord. "How has the Jehovah's Witness been doing?" asked Tord. "What do you want, commie?" asked Tom with an unamused tone. "Oh I just wanted to check up on one of my friends that's all" said Tord. "I said this before and I can say it again, I am not your friend" said Tom. "Tom, I know you don't like me but please just hear me out" said Tord. "Yeah, yeah, can you make it quick? I need to get back to something" said Tom. "That's exactly what I wanted to talk about....and.....do you know anything about the Black Leader?" asked Tord. Tom's eyes suddenly widen upon hearing what Tord just said. "I have a feeling that you do" said Tord. "Yeah I do. There's something fishy going on here that doesn't add up. What are you up to?" asked Tom. "Nothing really. It's just that I recently gotten a report about him and decided to do some research. The Black Leader's real identity is Anthony von Rudolph and he's a cult leader" said Tord. "Cult leader? The last time I checked, he's actually a communist just like you" said Tom. "Does a guy who plans on draining the earth of its natural resources while leading a group of infamous gangs is considered to be a communist?" asked Tord. "Well no but- wait....he's planning to drain the earth out of its resources? I knew that there was something going on" said Tom. "Exactly. Where did you get your information from?" asked Tord. "I uhh....went back to Durdam Lane and found Tony's house. I went inside and got these" said Tom as he got out the folder containing all the pictures. Tord takes the folder before looking inside to see each picture. "I see. Did you mention this to anyone?" asked Tord. "I've told both Edd and Matt, yet they wouldn't believe me" said Tom. "I guess they'll have to learn it the hard way" said Tord. "Well not both of them, it's just Matt who thinks that there's nothing wrong with Tony" said Tom. "To be honest, Matt doesn't understand who he's actually dealing with" said Tord. Then Paul and Patryck unexpectedly suddenly came into the room. "Paul and Patryck, do you care to explain why you just barged in here?" asked Tord. "Uhh.........yeah......hehe....about that...." said Patryck nervously. "We....have a problem" added Paul. "Problem? What is it?" asked Tord. "Let me guess, Edd and Matt distracted you two and got away?" asked Tom. "Uhh....nooooooo...ehh...yes they did" said Paul. "How could you let two people distract you that easily?" asked Tord. "I wouldn't say that they distracted us, it's that Paul wanted a milkshake" said Patryck. "I-I....that didn't happen!" yelled Paul. "Oh yes it did Paul!" yelled back Patryck. "Both of you two shut up! Even if they had escaped, we're able to track them down with a special drone" said Tord.

[ahgastae]

First Impressions

Mark x Reader - Soulmate!AU Angst/Fluff Word Count - 4.2k Warnings: i have a potty mouth soz

Mark’s always been a little jealous of the other soulmate systems. Everyone around him gets cute little first greetings or pretty flowers delicately scrawled across their skin. Hell, the universe literally handed Jackson a map to the exact location where he’ll meet his ‘meant-to-be’. Meanwhile, Mark’s, well, mark brings him nothing but embarrassment, so much so that he goes out of his way to keep it covered up, even especially when at the dorms.

The light is the first thing Mark notices when he wakes up, eyes blinking drearily at the ceiling. He left his curtains hanging open last night, so the harsh sunlight beams through his bedroom windows, effectively pulling him out of his peaceful sleep. Or maybe it was the loud, poorly concealed footsteps passing by his door. Mark rolls over to peak at the alarm clock on his nightstand. The neon numbers tauntingly blink back at him, reading, ‘6:32 AM’. Ah, that must’ve been Jackson. He’s always been an early riser, and never very good at keeping quiet. Mark huffs, and throws off his comforter before slowly sitting up. He briefly catches a glance of the mark under his arm. His eyes scan over the all too familiar writing, sleep riddled mind struggling to remember what they mean.

‘Who does this fucker think he is?’

Oh, right. It’s his soul mark. The very first thoughts his soulmate will have about him. At first, he thought the mark represented the first words he would hear them say, and, at this point, he doesn’t know if that would be better or worse. His younger members find it hilarious that his soulmate’s first impression will, essentially, be that he’s a giant prick, “just like we already know you are!” Mark rolls his eyes at the memory as he pushes himself off his bed to head toward the tell tale shouts of Jackson and Youngjae in the kitchen. He hesitates in front of his desk, eyes spotting the black hoodie hanging over his computer chair. Maybe one day without it wouldn’t be so bad...

Suddenly, the sound of the front door slamming open echoes throughout the dorms, followed by Bambam and Yugyeom loudly greeting each other like it wasn’t the ass crack of dawn. If they weren’t awake before, the whole fucking dorm definitely would be now. Mark only sighs again, and reluctantly grabs the hoodie before leaving his room. He’s just pulled the black fabric over his head when a deafening clang draws his attention to the kitchen. Please, don’t be what he thinks it is. Not this goddamn early. Mark rounds the corner much too soon for his liking to find all of his members gathered in their normally pristine kitchen. Except, it’s currently cluttered with what looks to be every single pot, pan, or cooking utensil that they owned, along with a very exasperated looking Jinyoung. Jinyoung turns to him when he enters, murder dancing behind his sleep filled eyes.

“What...What the hell happened?” Mark’s voice is hoarse and deep from lack of use, and he wonders if he can get a glass of water in the midst of...whatever is happening.

“They couldn’t decide on who should get to make breakfast.” Jinyoung’s eyes narrow as he nods his head toward the three members currently trying to become one with the floorboards. Jackson, Bambam, and Yugyeom all possess similar guilty expressions as they stare back at the oldest member. Mark glances at Jaebum and Youngjae sitting at the bar, with the latter trying (and failing) to contain his giggles. Mark makes eye contact with Jaebum, and silently pleads that he has some semblance of how to respond to this situation. Unfortunately, the leader only shrugs in response. Mark sighs for what feels like the hundredth time that morning, running a hand through his messy hair before pulling his hood over his head. Why does it always have to be him? And, as if to make matters worse, Yugyeom’s stomach growls loud enough for everyone to hear. The maknae smiles sheepishly when their attention turns to him.

“Sorry, hyungs, I’m starving.” Mark didn’t think it was possible, but Jinyoung’s glare deepens.

“Maybe we would have something to eat if someone didn’t wreck the kitchen.” The edge in his voice has the guilty party shrinking back against the counter again, evidence of their crime still surrounding them. Jaebum, seemingly sensing how close Jinyoung is to snapping, rises from his seat on the bar stool.

“How about we go out to eat?” His suggestion breaks the heavy atmosphere, and Mark silently thanks whatever higher being is out there. Jackson, Bambam, and Yugyeom all nod eagerly as the furrow in Jinyoung’s brow eases up just a bit. Youngjae finally lets his bright smile show, and bobs his head up and down in excited agreement. Jaebum turns towards Mark expectantly, and he suddenly gets the feeling that hell might break loose if he were to say no. So, instead, he shrugs, causing small cheers to erupt from the maknaes (plus Jackson) as they all race off to get dressed.

Jinyoung rolls his eyes as he call after them, “Don’t get too excited! You three are cleaning this up when we get back!” The responding groans elicit a laugh from Mark as he heads back to his room.

About an hour later, the boys are all sat around a private table in a nearby cafe. They had gotten there relatively without incident (save for a small shouting match between the two youngest members over some phone game, but Jinyoung put an end to that real quick). Currently, they’re waiting for their food in the mostly barren cafe. Mark grips his coffee mug, gentle smile worming its way onto his face now that the haze of sleep is finally starting to clear. He laughs at some joke Jackson makes as his eyes drift toward the cafe window. What had started out as a bright and sunny day is quickly turning into the beginnings of a storm. Dark clouds hang low over the sky, and Mark wonders if they’ll make it back to the dorm before the rain.

“Looks like it’s getting pretty bad out there.” Mark jumps, turning to Jaebum with a small smile.

“Oh, yeah,” Mark chuckles. “We better hurry, or we might be stuck in that mess.” As if on cue, a flash of lightning briefly lights up the dimly lit cafe. Jackson freezes mid sentence as Youngjae leaps a few inches off of his chair. Even Bambam and Yugyeom are startled out of their conversation.

Jaebum, however, only grins in amusement, “Too late.”

I’m late. I’m so late. I’m so incredibly fucking late that it’s almost unbelievable how I managed it. Okay, maybe I know exactly how I did it. It started off with a semi-drunken late night with my roommate, D. I was feeling down over my stupid soulmate again, and she always makes it her mission to cheer me up. Really, I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s kind of hard to take her words to heart when her mark says, ‘All this art, and you’re the most beautiful thing in the room’ while mine reads, ‘Fuck, I can see her bra through her shirt’. One is definitely more romantic. Granted, she’s in the words system, so her soulmate probably puts some thought into what they’re first going to say to her, yet I literally just get mine’s thoughts. And whoever they are, I’m already not a fan.

Now, in my defense, a couple of drinks aren’t entirely what equated to me currently being over an hour late for my early shift. First, it was the drinks. Then it was immediately heading to bed after said drinks, forgetting to plug my phone in and causing my alarm not to go off this morning. Then my hair dryer shorted out on me when I was halfway through drying my hair. Then D forgot I had to go in early today and borrowed my car keys without asking. I absolutely love her to death, but, right now, all I can think about is strangling her with the cord of my now fried hair dryer. I sigh, wrapping my arms tighter around myself as I fast walk to the nearest train station. It’s not optimal, but right now it’s my only option. I was able to charge my phone a bit as I rushed through my routine this morning, but I can’t risk losing that battery on trying to contact my lovely roomie.

Thunder suddenly crashes above my head, forcing me out of thoughts. I look up at the darkening sky just as small droplets fall to the earth around me. Fucking great. Something else for me to deal with. Oh, and of course, I forgot my coat. Grumbling under my breath, I pick up my pace, and attempt to ignore the water soaking through my blouse. The streets are clear, at least, as most people are either driving, or have taken shelter to avoid the rain. What I wouldn’t give to be one of them, but, no, my boss needed me to come in this early for reasons he has yet to share. I’m cussing him out in my head when my phone starts vibrating in my back pocket. A groan almost escapes my lips at yet another obstacle, but I think, with the way this day is going, this might as well just happen.

I duck into the nearest building to stop and yank my phone out of my pocket. My irritation quickly subsides when I see my boss’s contact flashing across the screen. Oh, shit. Contemplating on whether or not to answer, I realize that ignoring his call on top of already being late wouldn’t help my situation. Hesitantly sliding my finger across the screen, I accept the call and bring my phone up to my ear.

“Hello...?”

“Y/N, where are you? You were supposed to be here hours ago.” That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I’m only like, an hour and a half late, but his question still sends my mind reeling. Where do I even start?

“I, um...”

He cuts me off, “It’s the rain, isn’t it? All of a sudden, it just started down pouring. Are you close to the office?”

“Uh, no, not really.” I have no idea if that’s true or not. To be honest, I don’t even know where I am.

“Alright, good. Don’t worry about coming in. The power went out in the neighborhood, something about a struck power line, so I’m sending everyone home.”  My eye twitches involuntarily. He says something else before hanging up, and my arm lamely drops back to my side. He told me not to come in. After I walked I can’t tell how fucking far. In the goddamn rain. I feel like I should be relieved, but my frustration only mounts as I realize that there was probably no reason for me to come in in the first place. I take a deep breath, eyes finally scanning the building I ran into without a second thought. Thankfully, it seems to just be a small cafe with only a few patrons eating and workers bustling about. I pat my back pocket for my wallet, and decide that I might as well eat something before I head back home.

Sitting down in a small window seat near the door, I let myself relax for the first time that morning. A waitress comes by soon with a polite smile and notepad in hand. I give her my order, just a coffee and whatever pastry they have on hand, and lean back in my chair. I momentarily shut my eyes, relishing in the quiet atmosphere of the little cafe when I suddenly get the distinct feeling of being watched. Thinking that maybe it’s just the waitress already back with my order, I open my eyes to find nobody there. A frown etches onto my face as the feeling intensifies and I still can’t find the reason why. My gaze drifts around the room as nonchalantly as possible until, finally, it lands on him. A hooded figure sits with a large group of people in a secluded corner of the cafe. I can’t see his eyes, but somehow I know he’s staring at me. I quickly avert my eyes to my table, wondering why I’ve caught his attention. The boys he’s with all chatter animatedly among themselves, but he seems to take no notice of their conversations. I fidget in my seat, and cross my arms over my chest. That’s when I realize the state my shirt is in. The rain completely soaked through the thin fabric, leaving it damp and showing off my black bra to the entire world and everyone in it. Including that guy.

My head whips back up as my eyes lock into a glare. Seriously? This is supposed to be my chance to relax after a very stressful morning, and I am not in the damn mood to deal with some fucking pervert staring at my boobs at eight in the fucking morning. Who does this fucker think he is? I stand up from my seat to march over there and give that asshole a piece of my mind, but the mark underneath my arm starts to viciously burn before I can take a single step. A gasp leaves me, and my hand flies to my bicep as the burning feeling crawls up my arm. My eyes subconsciously avert back to the hooded stranger. His hood has fallen back, revealing the shocked expression on his, admittedly, handsome face. He stares incredulously at his arm, the same arm that my own mark is on, before his eyes come back to meet mine. The first thing I notice is the pleasant warmth his gaze spreads through me. The second is his friends shoving him out of his seat, sending him awkwardly stumbling in my direction. Finally, when he’s only mere feet away, my mind finally pieces together what’s happening. 

It’s him.

He’s my soulmate. This guy, whom I was just about to curse out for ogling at my chest, is the person I’m destined to be with, as told by the universe, for the rest of my life. And in an impulsive, split second decision, I force myself to ignore the inexplicable pull to his sparkling brown eyes. I push past the dull ache in my arm, snatching my phone and wallet off the small table before making a beeline for the door. 

And I tell the universe to go fuck itself.

My pace picks up as I rush out the door, breaking into a sprint as soon as I exit the cafe. He calls out to me to stop, and I have to fight my legs from slowing down. After what feels like hours, the sounds of his footsteps finally lessen, until eventually dying down completely. I glance over my shoulder to find him no where in sight. As my feet slow down to a stop, I become acutely aware of the rain pelting down on my skin and the sound of his voice calling to me in the back of my mind.

Mark shuffles back into the cafe, eyes downcast and hood pulled low over his head once more. A mixture of rain and tear drops streams down his cheeks, and he wipes his face with a sniffle as he slumps back into his seat. His members stare at him in silence. The sympathetic looks on their faces worsen his dejected mood.

“She fucking ran away from me, alright? It’s like you all said, she already thinks I’m a dick. No point in trying to fight it.” He crosses his arms and looks away, gaze falling on the table she was sitting at minutes ago. Mark closes his eyes, and wills himself not to become a sob story in some random cafe.

“Hyung, we didn’t mean it like that...” Bambam tries to explain, but Jaebum silences him with a shake of his head. The younger boy glances at the maknae next to him; both bearing similar expressions of guilt for the second time that day. 

“Uh... W-Why don’t we head back to the dorm? We can get started on cleaning up that mess,” Jackson suggests, shake in his voice betraying the smile on his face. They all glance at Mark hesitantly, but the oldest member only halfheartedly shrugs, already rising from his seat. 

“Whatever. Let’s just get out of here.”

“You fucking ran away from him?!” D shrieks after I relay what happened earlier that day. She grabs the pillow behind her on the couch, repeatedly smacking me with it as she yells. “Are you actually insane?!” 

I hold my hands up to block her assault, “No! I just... I don’t know! I panicked!” She freezes, raising an eyebrow at me over her fluffy weapon.

“‘Panicked’? Girl, panicking is spilling coffee on yourself or mispronouncing your name; not bippity boppity booing the fuck out because you find your soulmate.” She opens her mouth to say more, but the small sniffle I fail to hide stops her. The pillow falls from her hands as she moves closer. “Y/N, what happened?”

“I-I really don’t know.” The tears start to fall before I can stop them. “One minute he’s walking towards me, and the next I’m just booking it as fast as I can. God, why did I do that? Because he was staring at me?” I run a hand across my cheek as D softly pats my back. “Of course, he noticed my bra; I probably looked like a fucking weirdo running in there the way I did. A-And when he tried to talk to me, I just... I freaked out. I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t want some unknown being choosing who I love, or because I noticed he was really fucking cute and he had this look in his eyes that made my knees weak and I thought that I wouldn’t...” My voice trails off as I realize what had been nagging at me since the second we made eye contact.

D squeezes my shoulder in encouragement, “That you wouldn’t...?”

“That... I wouldn’t mind being stuck with someone, as long as it’s him.” Another wave of tears washes over me at my confession. It was true. I didn’t want to accept it back at the cafe, but I want to be with him. My soulmate, whose name I don’t even know because I ran away before giving him a chance.

“Oh, baby, what did you do?” D whispers, and pulls me into a tight hug.

“D, oh my god, I fucked up,” I sob into her shoulder. “I-I can’t get his voice out of my head and he probably hates me and never wants to see me again and I’m gonna die alone because I’m a socially awkward weirdo who pushes away her own soulmate!” D suddenly pulls away from me with stern look. I whine at the loss of comfort, but she points a finger in my face.

“Now, you stop that right now, Y/N L/N. You are not going to die alone. You just have to fix this. Like a grown up.” I open my mouth to protest, but she cuts me off. “He does not hate you. You’re his soulmate. I don’t think he has it in him to hate you. But he probably hurt and upset by the fact that you ditched him like that.”

I blink at her, wiping the last few tears from my cheeks, “How do I fix this?” 

D shakes her head, “I don’t know. It’s something you’ll have to work out between you two, but you can definitely start by tracking him down to explain yourself.” She suggests this like it’s something simple, but I don’t even know where to start. I don’t have his name; I only know what he looks like and that he went to that cafe once. I explain this to D, and she only shrugs. “Then that’s where you start.”

Two weeks later, and I’m still dropping by that little cafe every chance I get in the hopes that I’ll see him again. So far, there’s been nothing but what appears to be the usual regulars and a couple hipsters looking for the ‘authentic’ coffee experience, whatever that means. But no soulmate. Not even one of his many friends he was with that day, although I’m not sure they would want to talk to me either. I’ve been ready to give up and move into some dark, dusty cave in the middle of nowhere since my fourth day of no results, but D refuses to let me give up on fate. She pretends not to hear me when I tell her fate already gave me a chance, and I responded by spitting in its face.

I sigh, pulling my coat tighter around my body as I take the familiar route to the cafe from work. I’ve been walking a lot more now, simply on the off chance I may see him on the way between my destinations. The clouds hang low in the sky, and my memory flashes back to that day. Why hadn’t I just given him a chance? Then, at least, I wouldn’t have this empty feeling sitting in my chest, and I definitely wouldn’t be out in this mess for the second time in two weeks. Rain steadily falls by the time I reach the cafe door, and I silently curse myself for continuously sticking myself in these situations. Shaking off what little water I can, my hand reaches to open the door and take shelter in the sweet aroma of the coffee and pastries. 

Except, the door doesn’t open. That’s weird. I pull again, this time with slightly more force, but the metal doesn’t even budge. A frown etches across my face as I cover eyes and peer through the glass. The lights are all off, chairs are placed on top of tables, and no one appears to be inside. My frown deepens, and I finally notice a small sign hanging in the window. 

‘We’re sorry, but we’re currently closed due to personal matters. Sorry for the inconvenience!’ Oh. My vision starts to blur, and I rapidly blink my eyes to clear them of the falling rain. It’s only when a warm tear falls on my hand that I realize I’m crying. But why am I even crying? The cafe is just closed for the day, it doesn’t mean anything. It doesn’t mean that I lost my chance to find him again. No, it... It just means that it’s time to give up. Something I probably should’ve accepted a while ago. I sigh, uselessly wiping my face and turning to head home when I hear soft footsteps approaching behind me. My head whips over my shoulder, eyes immediately locking onto a familiar hooded figure currently trying to get into the cafe. His hoodie is pulled over his head, but I’m certain I see the profile of the attractive face that’s been plaguing my mind. Heart leaping into my throat, I fight the urge to run away again, instead, turning on my heel and quietly approaching him.

“I, um... I think they’re closed.” He jumps, whipping around to face me. His expression morphs into something akin to shock, and my heart breaks when I notice his bloodshot eyes. I offer him a small smile, “Uh, hi?” He stays silent, gaze drifting down to his shoes. My flight instincts kick in as soon as he averts his eyes, but I force my feet to stay on the ground. I take a breath, and swallow my nerves before speaking, “I...I’m really sorry about what happened. I shouldn’t have run away like I did. I just...” I look up to find him meeting my eyes. He doesn’t say anything, but I suddenly feel a wave of confidence wash over me. “I got scared. Not of you or anything, but of...of this.” I gesture between us, hoping he understands that I mean the bond we share. “I know that’s no excuse, but I wasn’t ready to accept it and that’s entirely on me. And I definitely don’t expect you to accept me now. I just... wanted to get that out of my system before I never see you again.” He remains quiet, not even offering me so much as a nod, and I worry that I’ve made a mistake in talking to him. Maybe I should have just left him be. I turn to leave when his hand gently grabs my wrist, the increasingly familiar warmth spreading up my arm at his touch.

“How can I not accept you? You’re my soulmate,” He whispers through the rain. I can barely hear him, but I feel myself relax at his voice. “I thought you hated me. We don’t even know each other, but...it killed me to think that you rejected me because of some stupid, unfiltered thought. It’s...it’s been horrible knowing you were out there, and not...with me.” His gaze bores into mine, and, for the first time, I don’t feel like running away. Instead, I let him pull me closer, his hands gently resting on my waist. My hands rest on his chest, and my eyes flick down to his lips. Is it weird how badly I want to kiss him right now? “...Would you be mad if I kissed you?” I would have laughed at our similar thoughts if it weren’t for the heat rushing to my cheeks. I slowly shake my head, biting my lip as a small smile crawls on his face. I don't have much time to admire it, however, before his soft lips press against my own in a gentle kiss. It’s chaste and sweet and doesn't last very long, but sends my mind reeling none the less.

I pull away first, voice coming out as a whisper, "I'm Y/N." He breaks into a full on grin, and I swear my heart feels like it'll jump out of my chest.

"Mark."

[shawnsassymendes]

Are The Girls Here?

Author: Juju

Pairing: Shawn Mendes x Reader

Warnings: fluff…so much fluff, also sorry for any typos or mistakes. If you find any, drop by my inbox and tell me please?

Word Count: 3.1k ...sorry?

Summary: At one of Shawn’s Q&A’s, the fans seem to be more interested in you and Aaliyah than they are Shawn.

A/N: There was a Shawn imagine where it was similar but it didn’t include Aaliyah or the same questions. I asked the writer of that fic ( @1-800-sassy-mendes)  if she was ok with it and she was! Hope you understand! Xx

Masterlist

____________________

“y/n? y/n wake up, Shawn’s doing the q&a and you said you were gonna come with me.” Aaliyah said as she shook you awake. 

“I’m up! I’m up. What’s-what’s Shawn doing?” You mumbled as you slowly rose from the couch. 

“The q&a! Come on! It just started!” She whined.

Aaliyah loved watching the fans ask questions because sometimes they mentioned her. You usually stayed away from the fans because you didn’t know if they liked you or not. And to be honest, you didn’t want to find out. Shawn said that they loved you but you weren’t so sure. 

You were only going to this one because this was one of the few shows Aaliyah could attend.

Both of you slowly crept through the halls giggling to yourself as you got lost. 

“I swear it was here!” Aaliyah whispered. “I saw him get in like ten minutes ago and like a little while later a group of girls came in! It couldn’t have ended!” 

You looked at your phone to check the time and shook your head. 

“No, it would have just star-wait! Be quiet for a second…” You paused and looked around. A second later, you could hear cheers coming from a room about 10 doors down. 

You and Aaliyah rushed towards it only to stop right in front of it. Both of you tiptoed inside so nobody would notice. Shawn was answering someone’s question so he wasn’t paying attention.  

“Oh, you got that! That’s so cool! I didn’t think anyone would realize! But yeah, yeah I did that! I wanted to see if anyone would notice! Thanks for telling me! That’s so cool!” He mumbled the last bit with a smile on his face. 

“All right next question! You, in the ‘y/n and Shawn’ shirt. Where did you get that shirt? Definitely not in my merch store, but I might steal the design.” The crowd laughed as Aaliyah nudged you in the side and you felt the heat rise to your face. 

“I uh I made the shirt. But I want 60% for all future purchases of the design if you want it?” The girl said.

“Wow, business woman. I like it.” Shawn laughed. “No you keep the design, I’m just kidding. y/n would hate me if I put something like that in the store. What’s your question, honey?” 

“Are the girls of the tour here tonight?” She asked in reference to Shawn’s Instagram post yesterday. He caught you, Aaliyah, and Karen taking a selfie and posted it with the captions ‘the girls of the tour’. 

“Actually, two of them are here right now. My parents headed out to see the city before the show. Last I saw y/n and Aaliyah, they were asleep.” Shawn chuckled. 

“Hey, I wasn’t asleep! I was just resting my eyes! y/n was asleep!” Aaliyah piped up from where you two were in the back. 

“Aaliyah!” You hissed at her as you saw everyone had turned to face you. 

“Oh relax, y/n. They don’t bite.” She rolled her eyes at you. 

“There you are! What are you doing all the way in the back? Come up here!” Shawn said as the girls made a path to where he was. Aaliyah grabbed your hand and pulled you along to the stage thing. 

Shawn helped you and Aaliyah up and both of you sat on each of his sides. 

“What are you guys doing here? I thought you didn’t like coming to these?” He whispered at you. 

“I don’t, but Liyah does. I wasn’t gonna let her go alone.” 

“I think she means she doesn’t want to be alone.” Aaliyah chuckled as you rolled your eyes. 

“Yeah yeah whatever. You’ve got questions to answer, Shawn!” You scolded him.  

“Alright, alright! So did you have a question for the girls of the tour or did you just want to see if they were here?” Shawn asked the same girl. 

“I wanted to ask what they thought about all of this. The tour and you being famous and stuff.” She said as she looked at you and Aaliyah instead of Shawn. 

“It’s pretty cool, I guess. But it sucks that I can’t go to all the shows. And most comments on my social media are a bunch of people telling me I’m Shawn’s sister and saying how much we look alike.” Aaliyah joked causing you, Shawn, and the crowd to laugh. 

“What about you, y/n?” Someone yells from the crowd. 

“Oh, well um, I think it’s pretty amazing! I know that when Shawn started posting those vines, he didn’t mean for it to be a way to come to fame, but it was definitely his dream. When I see Shawn happy, I see him performing to huge crowds with the biggest smile on his face. And it’s amazing to see him living his dream. It’s just surreal at times. I am incredibly happy for him.” You said while you held onto Shawn’s hand. 

“My amazing supportive girlfriend everybody! Give her a hand!” Shawn yelled and the crowd cheered. You covered your face with your hands and let out a whine only Shawn, Aaliyah, and probably the first row of girls could hear. Shawn laughed and he pulled you into a hug. You put your face in the crook of his neck, trying to hide from all the people.

“As you can see, y/n gets shy sometimes.” He chuckled and the crowd awed. 

“We love you y/n!” Someone else yelled from the crowd. 

You pulled away from Shawn and squinted at the direction the voice came from. “Are you sure? I mean, you hardly know me!” You joked and the room erupted in laughter. 

“I’m sure I love you y/n!” The same girl yelled out and you chuckled. 

“Then I love you too!” 

“Hey, what about me?!” Aaliyah whined. 

“I love you too, Aaliyah!” She yelled. 

“Hey, what’s your name?” You asked the girl in the crowd. Her eyes got really big as she pointed to herself. 

“Me?” You nodded at her. “My name’s Charlie!” 

“Charlie, can I take a picture with you?” You asked as you got out your phone. 

“Oh my god! Yes, yes of course!” She squealed. You jumped down from the stage and headed her way. 

“Wait, you want the picture? I thought you were like giving me the opportunity to take a picture with you.” 

“I wouldn’t call it an ‘opportunity’ to get a picture with me, but if you want a picture then sure! I just wanted to take a picture with the girl who loves me.” You chuckled. You snapped a picture of the both of you on your phone then hers. 

“Oh wait! While I’m down here, where’s the girl who want’s 60% off future sales? Can I take a picture with you too?” You asked as you looked around the room. You saw a hand jumping up and down across the room. You made your way over, apologizing to whoever you bumped into. You saw her unlocking her phone as you were approaching. 

“You want a picture too?” You asked her with a curious look on your face. 

“I thought that would be obvious! Unless you don’t want me to take a picture? I would totally respect that.” She said seriously. 

“Oh no! I don’t mind! I just didn’t expect you to want a picture with me.” You giggled. 

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m wearing a shirt with your face on it.” She laughed. You took pictures with the girl and went back up to Shawn and Aaliyah. 

Shawn smiled at you knowingly. He knew that you thought that the fans didn’t like you, as much as he tried to make you believe otherwise. But he was glad this group was nice so he could prove you wrong, because he did get the occasional rude fan.

“Ok, how about you? All the way in the back?” Shawn pointed at the girl. 

“My question is for Aaliyah actually.” She said shyly. 

“Jeez, bring ‘em up here and they steal the show.” Shawn muttered loud enough for the room to hear as he rubbed his face. “What do you wanna ask the brat?” He said, which earned him a slap upside the head from both you and Aaliyah. 

“What was it like for you after Shawn started going on tour? I mean, he’s there 24/7 one day and then he isn’t anymore.” 

You smiled sadly at Aaliyah and noticed Shawn whispered something in her ear. She smiled at him and looked back at the girl. 

“It was weird, to be honest. I mean he’s annoying like any other older brother would be, but he was always there. I know he’s always just a phone call away and he would always be there for me. But before he would always like physically be there. Like taking up the whole couch and raiding the fridge and eating all the muffins and stuff.” She chuckled sadly.

“The house was much quieter after he was gone. But I got used to it. I was just telling myself that it would have happened sooner or later. Like if he was gonna go to college or whatever, you know? But he’s still annoying whenever he comes home.” She ended it on a high note to lighten the mood. Typical Aaliyah, always trying to make everyone laugh. Shawn gave Aaliyah a bear hug and continued. 

He chose a girl and stopped her before she could ask. “Wait, is your question for y/n and Aaliyah too?” She paused then nodded slowly. He turned to the rest of crowd. 

“Who has a question for me?” About 5 hands went up. “Who has a question for the girls?” Almost all the hands went up. “Traitors.” Shawn whispered. The entire room burst into laughter. 

“What’s your question, sweetie?” You smiled at the girl.

“In your opinion y/n, who’s the better Mendes sibling?” 

“Pfft, easy! Aaliyah!” You said and gave Aaliyah a high five.  

“And I just called you the most supportive girlfriend.” Shawn muttered next to you and you laughed.

“Ok! Next question! You! Little guy in the Captain America shirt!” You pointed out the little boy sitting on his father’s shoulders. 

“When did you and Shawn meet?” The crowd awed at the boy and the question and you blushed as Shawn pulled your hand into his and gave it a squeeze. 

“Uh, we met at school. We had Algebra together in freshman year and Shawn was just hopeless!” You chuckled as you remembered your high school days. 

“The teacher was ripping her hair out when it came to Shawn! It was hilarious in class! That was until she told me to tutor him for extra credit. I thought I was gonna be the one pulling out my hair, but teaching Shawn was way easier than I thought. And then we hit it off from there I guess.” You laughed and looked over at Shawn to see him already looking at you. 

“Teaching me was only easy because I’m a sucker for pretty girls who share my interests and are funny and have a beautiful laugh and an extraordinary personality and are called y/n.” Shawn smiled at you with his doe eyes. 

“Oh my god, you’re going soft Mendes!” 

“I’ve always been soft for you, baby.” Shawn mumbled and kissed your forehead. You instinctively nuzzled your head into his shoulder. You stayed like that while Shawn looked for someone else with a question.

“Aaliyah, what’s it like explaining to people who don’t know why you’ve got so many followers on social media?” 

“It’s really weird! Like, last year we had a new girl come to our school. We hit it off and we exchanged numbers and everything. When I got home she sent me a voice note like ‘Aaliyah, why do five hundred thousand people following you on insta? Are you like famous or something?’. And I told her I would explain it to her the next day at school. I told her all about Shawn and his crazy life that made all our lives crazy. Watching her reaction was hilarious to say the least!” 

“This is for both you and Aaliyah.” Shawn grumbled jokingly. “What has been your favorite part of the tour so far?”

You turned to Aaliyah and stuck out your fist at the same time she did. You shook your fist three times and put paper. She put scissors. You groaned and let her go first. 

“I really love it when the fans ask me if I’m ‘really Aaliyah’ and I’m like yeah. And some of them freak out and make me feel like a big shot when I’m not.” She chuckled and turned to you.  

“My favorite part is watching Shawn perform. Cause it’s different every time. Like, it’s the same set lists and everything but he always changes it up. Sometimes he would lose the chorus and play around with the songs, and it’s really fun when he lets the fans sing some parts and he’s just ecstatic. He’s like a little kid in a candy store, I swear.” You laughed along with the group in front of you as Shawn blushed next to you.  

“Aww look, Shawn-y’s gone shy!” You chuckled and leaned in and kissed him out of habit. Shawn pulled you closer but the kiss was cut off when Aaliyah started making gagging noises. Shawn rolled his eyes at her and gave you a small peck on the cheek. The cheek that was coincidentally flushed red because you guys just kissed in front of a lot of people.  

“Who’s gone shy now?” Shawn chuckled in your ear and you playfully slapped his shoulder. Shawn’s eyes suddenly went big as a huge grin spread across his face. “Oh my god, speaking of y/n watching me perform!” Your eyes went big because you knew exactly what he remembered.  

“No, Shawn! That’s so embarrassing! Please don’t!” You whined in between fits of laughter. 

“Oh no, I’m telling them!” He looked at you with a familiar glint in his eyes that sent a rush through you. He usually looked at you like that when he would suggest getting lost in a random city before a show. 

“I think it was in Barcelona where I performed ‘The Weight’, and then I looked over at y/n and she was full on crying next to the stage. I obviously freaked out. I mean she was bawling! I thought someone died! It was the end of the show so I ran off stage after thanking the crowd and I was like what’s wrong! She was blubbering and I- and I- I’m so sorry!” Shawn was laughing so hard he couldn’t even finish his sentence. You smiled and decided to finish off the story for him, no matter how embarrassing it was.

“Ok listen, so when he was performing ‘The Weight’, the crowd was like singing word for word with him like usual. But Shawn stopped for a few seconds, like he stopped singing and he let go of the guitar and just smiled at the crowd as they kept on singing even when he stopped. And I just couldn’t anymore! Cause like his dream is mine and it came true and oh my god my emotions were crazy that day I swear!” 

“And when she was finally able to speak she was like ‘they just love you so much and I’m so proud of you and how far you’ve come!’. Seriously though, I couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful girlfriend.” Shawn said as he pulled you in for another kiss but you put your finger against his lips. 

“As much as I want to kiss you right now, enough PDA. There are children here!” You giggled. Shawn rolled his eyes playfully at you. 

“Another question please?” You looked over at the crowd. You pointed out a girl in the front row. 

“Do you have a tumblr?” 

“Uh, well, I um I do. I haven’t gone on it in forever though. Last I used it, I saw a lot of um rude people on there. I didn’t open the app since then, not only because of that but because we’ve just been so busy with the tour, y’know? Anyways…” You said with a smile to lighten the mood. 

“Alright, does anyone have a question for me? Cause this is the Shawn q&a after all…” He chose a boy who was standing in the back. 

“This is a question for you but it’s about y/n and in my defense I was gonna ask it before she came.” He chuckled. “Are any of the songs on this album about y/n?” 

“Um, actually not a lot.” Shawn said as he rubbed is neck. You narrowed your eyes at him.

“By ‘not a lot’, you mean some are?!” You asked in shock.

“Well, I wasn’t gonna tell you! But yeah, some of them are.” 

“Like what!” 

“Well, of the top of my head, lights on, there’s nothing holding me back, probably more but I can’t think of anything right now. But most of Handwritten was about you, though.” He said, as if this was no big deal.  

“And you decide to tell me this now! I hate you so much right now! I just thought they were like random love songs!” 

“Well, that was the plan. But I was kinda falling in love with you while writing them so it was pretty hard to make them random.” He chuckled. 

“You are so damn lucky that I love you.” You pointed at him.

____________________

That night you opened Tumblr for the first time in ages. You were looking through the Shawn blogs that you followed and noticed that all of them were posting pictures of you and Shawn at the q&a. 

Some you didn’t even know when they took. You found so many photo sets of Shawn looking at you while you were talking in complete admiration and you saved them all to your phone. 

Maybe you would go to more q&a’s in the future.

____________________

thankyou for reading my loves, feedback is greatly appreciated.

[jazzyhazzy]

Harry’s texts are in bold and Ruby’s are in italics.

“RUBY WHITTAKER YOU BETTER OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR RIGHT NOW OR SO HELP ME I WILL BUST IT DOWN AND I’LL PROBABLY HURT MYSELF IN THE PROCESS AND IT WILL BE ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT” 

I wake instantly from my blissful sleep to the insistent sound of Lydia hammering her fists on my door. What time is it? What possible emergency could there be on a Sunday morning? I manage to untangle myself from Harry’s delightfully warm and comfortable embrace and stand up, feeling each and every drink from the night before hit my head like a tonne of bricks. The big warm body in my bed stirs, but rolls over and continues sleeping. 

This time yesterday I would have thought the idea of having a boy stay over in my bed was completely absurd. But I look over to the lump under my covers and smile triumphantly. Even if nothing comes of this, it’s a positive step in the right direction for me, being able to move on at last feels like a weight has been lifted off of my chest. Lydia interrupts my train of thought by banging on the door again, and I reluctantly leave my bedroom, closing the door behind me and dragging my feet to the front door, unlocking and opening it to find her looking very frantic and uptight. 

“SSSSH! my neighbours will have a fit, and my head will explode if you keep yelling like that” I scowl at her, opening the door so she can come inside. I know I won't be able to get rid of her right away, but I do have to stop the yelling so she doesn’t wake my guest.

She storms past me, and plants her feet. “Why haven't you answered your phone?! I’ve called and texted and left about a hundred messages! What the hell happened to you last night?” she burst, her face going red with anger. Shit, I completely forgot to tell her where I went, I usually let her know when I head home just so she doesn't worry about me, but I must have been so caught up in everything last night that I forgot to tell her. I haven't even checked my phone since I left the club with Harry to head to the Library, which is totally unlike me, I am usually always checking it. I’m the kind of person you can rely on to be an emergency contact. 

“Shit, I’m so sorry Lyd, I totally forgot” I apologise, grabbing her hand and squeezing it, giving her the most sincere look I can manage. Her face softens a little, but I can tell she is still pissed. She looks me up and down “Were you still asleep? It’s midday... you’re always up before 10, even after a night out” she asks, suspicious. 

Do I tell her? Now? Or do I wait until Harry is gone so she can’t freak out on me because it’s been so long. Nothing even happened anyway, its not like there is much to tell, we didn't sleep together or anything.

Unfortunately I don’t have to decide, a throaty cough rings out through my entire flat, and I freeze. My face must look like a deer in headlights, and Lydia turns to face me, her eyes  and mouth open impossibly wide. “Who the hell was that?!” she whispers loudly, at least she’s not forgotten how to be discreet. “It’s just a guy I met last night” I answer, preparing myself for her reaction.

“Oh my GOD Rubes did you... Oh my GOD... Please tell me it’s not-”

“Jesus fuck, of course not Lydia!” I cut her off, not even wanting her to say his name. I just don’t want this to be ruined just yet. “You need to tell me everything” she demands, pointing a finger at me, and smiling. “I will, I promise, but you need to go. I’ll call you later” I whisper, ushering her back towards the door and praying that Harry was still sleeping and wouldn’t pop his head out or anything. 

“I’m so proud of you-”

“Oh God, shut up” I chuckle, pushing her out the door before she can say any more. I lean against it and close my eyes, sighing heavily, before retreating back to my room, opening the door to find Harry more sprawled out on my bed than he was when I left, but still fast asleep. He must be sleeping extremely heavily to have remained unconscious through all of that. I stand in the doorway for a moment, just admiring the way his lips pout when he sleeps, and his eyelashes rest on the tops of his cheeks, his hair falling in loose curls, framing his face. He looks like a damn cherub and if I don't stop staring at him while he’s sleeping I’m going to fall in love. 

Sighing quietly, I grab my towel from the hook on the back of my door and decide to have a shower, with the hope that it will at least help cure this headache a tiny bit. I haven’t drunk that much in a very long time. I’m definitely just not the party type anymore, not since the ex. While he went out and got drunk and went to parties every night, he would stay in and cry my eyes out, telling myself that people cope with break-ups in different ways, but now I see that he wasn’t hurting. I was the one doing enough hurting for both of us. 

The hurting has subsided a great deal over the past six months, but my whole existence has changed. I thought that it would pass and I would be back to my old self again. I’d be able to go out with my friends and not care about him, what he was doing, wondering if he’d be thinking about me. How stupid I was to keep letting him in all of this time, when all he’s done is made my life a living hell, made me a shell of the person I used to be.

Last night with Harry, that timid girl emerged from the shell and came out for once, and it was amazing. It was like I stepped out of my own body and watched myself transform into a totally different person. He didn’t even cross my mind once, Harry was captivating, and hilarious and sweet and I’m more thankful than he will ever know that he bought me those drinks. I feel stupid for thinking like this, because he will wake up and disappear back to where he came from and I’ll most likely never see or hear from him again. But at least I was myself again, even if it was just for one night, its not going to magically cure all of my problems. 

The water is lukewarm when I step under the pressure of the shower head, the last thing I want when I feel this awful is a hot shower. I scrub my skin with soap, trying to get rid of the stink of alcohol that seems to be coming out of every single pore of my skin. I take time to wash my hair and comb my fingers through my hair to get rid of any knots. My mind drifts to the boy in my bed.

I’m glad I haven’t forgotten anything from last night, wanting to preserve every detail in my mind, so I have something else to think of other than him. Instead, I think about the cherub boy that sleeps in my bed. I think about the incredible smell of him that will linger long after he leaves, I think about how soundly I slept in his arms, his warm breath tickling the back of my neck. I think about the soft brush of his lips against mine, just moments before I drifted off to sleep, and I think about how much I want to kiss those lips again. Properly. It’s so strange that I met this boy less than 24 hours ago, and already the thought of never seeing him again saddens me deeply. It’s not often that you come across people like that in your life, people who you can talk to effortlessly, people who make you forget about everything else, even things that you never thought you could forget about. 

When I’m with Harry, I don't think about him, and that is a feeling I’ve been waiting 18 months to experience. Whoever Harry is, wherever he came from, whatever he’s doing, I want to know him. 

Hopping out of the shower, my headache has subsided a wee bit, and I find myself feeling a lot less groggy. Still doesn't change the fact that all I want to do is crawl back into his arms and tangle my legs with his. Damn Lydia for interrupting such a perfect sleep. 

With my towel wrapped around me, I put some BB cream on, just to make myself slightly more presentable. While I’m not usually one to hide my bare face, it helps me feel a little more confident about being around him. I mean, he’s damn gorgeous and I’m just... well, me. 

Creeping back to my bedroom quietly, I open the door a crack to see if he’s still asleep, or if he’s finally woken up. 

He’s sitting up in my bed, leaning against the wall and talking on his phone. I bite my lip and hesitate in the doorway, not wanting to linger and eavesdrop, but also not sure if I should just enter my bedroom and get dressed in front of him. I was kind of betting on the fact that he would still be asleep, but something must have stirred him awake. 

“Yeah mate, I’m sorry I totally forgot-” his voice sounds strained, and apologetic. “I’m not sure where I am, I’m still in town-” he gets cut off again. “Yep, I’ll be there as soon as I can.” he sighs, finally hanging up. 

I can’t help it when my heart sinks a little, having hoped that I would at least have a bit more time with him, maybe exchange numbers or something. I open the door a little wider so I can squeeze in and meet his eyes, he looks up at me apologetic, about to say something but he stops himself. I watch as his eyes wander up my legs, lingering on where the bottom of my towel sits high on my thighs, before lingering again at my chest and neck. He catches me watching him with a raised eyebrow and his cheeks flush. How the hell am I making this beautiful creature blush from looking at me. 

“I’m really sorry to just get up and go, but I’m an hour late for rehearsal... I don't even know where the time went-” he begins, “It’s okay, honestly-”

“I haven't slept that good in... well ever!” he marvels, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and plucking his jeans off my floor, squeezing himself into them, standing up and wriggling them over his bum. And then I become the one staring, I find him unbelievably sexy. I didn’t take the time last night to look at his tattoo’s, but he has quite a few. I notice the butterfly on his stomach first, then the two swallows, the tall ship on his arm, and a mermaid lady on his forearm. So many smaller tattoo’s dotted all around them, not covering him completely, but enough to make you wonder what such a random assortment of things mean to him. I want to know about each and every one, and why he got it. 

“Are you hiding any ink under that towel?” he asks, having seen me studying his. I shake my head and shrug, “Never liked an idea long enough to get it”

He chuckles, pulling his t-shirt over his head inside out and back the front, combing his hair out of his face. “I am really sorry to rush off like this, it’s not how I wanted to leave” he shakes his head in frustration. But why should I have expected him to hang around at all? I’m just a girl he met in town anyway, and he crashed at my flat because he couldn't find his way back to wherever it is he’s staying. “It’s honestly fine, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry to keep you from your rehearsal” I apologise in return.

“I really have to run, or my manager will skin me alive, and I quite like having skin and being alive...” he jokes, taking my hand. “Can I call you?” he asks, a hint of nervousness in his voice, I did not expect that! He wants to call me! I nod, taking his phone and creating a new contact, adding my number and saving it, handing it back to him. “Miss Whittaker?” he plays with the sound of it on his tongue, and it sounds like pure magic. I want to hear him say my name all day long, my name has never sounded to beautiful. “Yeah, like the chocolate” I smile. 

Harry looks confused, and I realise that Whittaker’s is a brand of chocolate from New Zealand and he’s probably never heard of it. “It’s a chocolate brand here - try some before you leave.” I clarify.

“I’m here until Friday, I’d really like to see you again before I leave” he suggests, his voice sounding like pure milk and honey. All I can do is nod, thinking of all the places I want to take him, the questions I want to ask him about each and every one of his tattoos, all the nights I could fall asleep in his arms. “I’d love that” I respond, stepping aside so he can get out of my bedroom door. I follow him to the front door, still in my towel. “There’s an uber downstairs for me-” “Its fine! Just go, you’ve got my number so don’t be a stranger” I smile big, squeezing his hand and he pulls me tight against his chest in a warm embrace, his arms around my waist and his chin resting on top of my head. “I’ll talk to you soon Ruby Tuesday” he winks, letting me go and disappearing out the door like a cloud of smoke.

Just like that, he’s gone. 

***

I spend the hour after he left keeping busy tidying the flat, throwing out all of the bottles and cans from the pre-town drinks the night before. I spend the whole hour thinking about Harry and all of the things I want to show him, the questions I want to ask, and just reminiscing about last night. 

Once I’m satisfied with the state of the place, I figure I should at least ring Lydia and explain to her what happened last night, I know she’ll be desperate for information. I locate my bag on the floor of my room and dig out my phone, plugging it into the charger next to my bed and jumping in, unable to keep a ridiculously large smile off my face when I smell him all over my pillows and duvet. I unlock my phone and ignore all of my notifications, going straight to Lydia’s contact and calling her. 

She picks up after 2 rings, “Hellooooooooo my saucy little minx” she answers, I shake my head, she’s so wrong, always one to jump to conclusions. “Wanna come over and order pizza and watch a movie?” I offer, she knows full well that I want to talk about last night as much as she wants to hear every detail. “I’ll be over in 20, order me a pepperoni” she squeals before hanging up. I call the nearest pizza place and order two pepperoni pizzas and a garlic bread. I need something greasy to help me ease out of this hangover. 

Once that’s done, I figure I should go through my notifications and respond to everyone, overwhelmed by the amount of messages, I open them up and the first one I see is from an unknown number, my stomach flutters.

I got away with my skin on! Thank you for letting me stay last night, you’re a marvellous little spoon ;)

It’s Harry btw :p

I can’t get this stupid grin off my face, even as I’m typing my reply. 

Well keep your skin on and you can big spoon me anytime ;)

I feel like it’s a bit cheeky, but he is only here until Friday, and I’ve got no time to waste. I’d have him sleep over every night of the week if it meant I could sleep that well again. Also snuggling up to him makes me feel all warm and gooey just thinking about it.

My other messages consist of a check up from my Mum, complete with a picture of the dog in a Christmas costume - only three months before December. Texts from Ava and Hettie, asking if I got home safe, and one from Cory asking if he had left his pipe at my flat. I reply to each of them before finally opening my conversation thread from him. 

2:43am: James told me he saw you with some guy, finally moving on? LOL

3:16am: You still out? You should come see me ;)

3:33am: I’m fukkkkkkkkkkkkkkd Ruuuuuuuuuuubsees

3:56am: Come see me, I’m all aloneeee

9:24am: Hey! How was your night? Unlike you to go to town

Wow. 5 texts in a row is very unlike him. Usually it’s me being ignored and not the other way around. It feels good, I feel extremely smug. I’ve got all the power here for once and it’s a nice change. I debate whether or not I should reply at all, I could just never talk to him again and leave it at that, but I know that I will end up missing him, he is still my friend at the end of the day... 

Hey, my night was really great thanks!

I send that back, definitely rubbing it in a bit with my enthusiasm. I’m definitely not letting him spoil my Harry buzz. Speaking of, he’s just replied to me. 

I might just conveniently forget where I’m staying after my gig tonight and end up at on your doorstep

Oh God if he showed up on my doorstep I don’t know what I would do. Let him in obviously. 

Do it ;) I’m a sucker for lost boys

I scroll through instagram and snapchat, catching up on everyones stories from last night. I didn’t post anything, but a lot of my friends did. I frequent Lydia’s one, singing a terrible duet of Total Eclipse of the Heart with Cory, doing shots with Hettie and Ava, dancing on chairs in a club, pulling a face in the line of a club. It’s nice to see myself through someone else's eyes, I look like I’m my old self again, and I love it, I want to save them all and watch them when I’m feeling like I’m creeping back into a dark place. James’ story is a slow pan around the Library, jazz music playing live in the background, and you can very clearly see Harry and I leaning close together in our booth table, talking. It lingers on us for a few seconds before moving around, and I know that he would have seen it. I feel like my privacy has been invaded, and I can't help but feel like James posted that on purpose. 

But fuck it, people can talk about me and Harry all they want, I don't care. In fact, I’d much prefer that people talk about that, then talk about me being pathetic and pining after my ex after 18 months. As if on cue, the ex responds, a pretty fast response time for him. 

Looks like it. Who’s the guy you were with?

I decide for once, not to reply. Leaving him hanging and wondering. Feels good. Feels really good. He’ll pretend to not care, but I know he’ll be going crazy in his head, panicking that his back burner girl is moving on. 

Lydia arrives not long after the pizza does, and she bursts in wearing leggings, ugg boots and an oversized jumper. “Hey girl heeeeeeey” she greets me, throwing her arms around me and hugging me. It’s a big improvement from her loud entrance earlier. “Come sit, I’ve got Love Actually on in the background and pizza is here!” I invite her in, grabbing two glasses of water from the kitchen and following her into the lounge. 

“Rubes, I’m dying here, tell me what happened!” she gets straight into it, not even touching her pizza yet. I tell her everything, him buying me the shots, me going over and thanking him, him wanting to go somewhere more quiet. She interrupts me there “You should have taken him straight home then and there” I shake my head at her, that might be the way she likes to do things, but after such a long time without even kissing a guy, I obviously wasn't trying to get the first guy that buys me a drink into my bed. 

I tell her about the library, touching on some of the things we talked about, I included the part where he paid and she gushed about how great he sounds. We’re the kind of girls who pay for our own drinks, even insisting a lot of the time, but that doesn't mean we  can’t appreciate a devilishly handsome guy getting the bill for us. I tell her about the walk home, and how big and warm his hands are, and how he’s over here playing music. I tell her about how he walked me home, but then was lost and didn’t know how to get back to where he was staying. How I invited him to stay and how we cuddled and almost kind of kissed. 

“So... you didn't even kiss the guy?” she asks, slightly disappointed. I sigh, giving her a look. The kind of look I need to give her every now and again to make her take a step back and remember what I’ve been through, how hurt I’ve been, and for her to let me do things in my own time. She nods, getting the message. “Lyd, I want to kiss him, I want to do more than just bloody kiss him, he’s like... I can't even begin to describe how fucking hot he is, hot doesn't even do it justice. He looks like he was hand sculpted by God himself.” 

“Are you going to see him again?” she asks, and I nod, “He gave me his number, he asked if we could hang out again before he leaves on Friday” I tell her, feeling a bit sad that he is only around until Friday, that’s only 5 more nights. Is it selfish of me to want him to stay and spoon me every single one of those 5 nights? Is it silly of me to even get involved when I know he is leaving so soon? I’m already giddy at the thought of him, and I’ve only spent 12 hours in his company. 

I decide that I’m just going to say fuck it. It feels good being around him, it has made such a significant change in my mood, my outlook on everything, and my general mental health feels a hundred times better already. I want to spend time with him, and get to know him because it makes me feel good, and why not do something that makes me feel good for once, rather than feeling sorry for myself all the time. 

Lydia and I talk until 10pm, and I can tell she’s drifting off mid conversation. “Do you want to crash here?” I offer, she can sleep in one of my flatmates rooms seeing as they are away for 4 months. But she shakes her head anyway, “Nah, I’ve got work early tomorrow morning so I’ll head home.” she takes her time getting up from the couch, slapping her face a couple of times to wake herself up a bit. I pick up the pizza boxes and follow her through into the kitchen, putting my leftovers in the fridge and getting rid of the rubbish. 

She holds her arms open wide, beckoning me forth. I hug her tightly, squeezing her hard to wake her up more. “Don’t fall asleep on the way home” I tell her, handing her her car keys from my bench and seeing her off. 

Once she’s gone I check my phone to see if Harry has replied, nothing from him, but I did receive a few question marks from the ex, obviously pressing for me to answer about who the guy I was with is. I’ll respond to him tomorrow, and leave him hanging overnight, because I can do that now, with all of my newfound power. 

I brush my teeth and wash my face, getting ready for bed, when I hear a knock at the door. Probably Lydia leaving something behind no doubt. “What have you forgotte-” 

Standing on my very doorstep with a cheeky grin on his face is none other than Harry. 

[heyymonkey2]

First Night Back in Fuuga Ch 43: Overwhelming Feelings

AO3 Link to Chapter 43

Summary: Lili confronts her feelings and has an enormous decision to make

From a palace rooftop perch, Jae-Ha watches Hak train Sky soldiers.

He’s not surprised to see a smile flash across his little brother’s face. Jae-Ha is quite aware Hak just got back from another rendezvous with Yona. Ever since making up, those two have been finding private nooks all around the palace to connect.

It’s certainly made Jae-Ha’s life more interesting to watch them. Finally! Letting their guard down and playing a bit. It’s been making him feel a little playful himself.

And fascinated.

At a time when Yona and Hak could easily be stressing over their delayed coronation -- because nothing can happen until Lili and Tae-Woo are back -- they’re instead focusing on how each day their growing child becomes stronger.

And even though Hak could be trying to coop up his beloved wife until he’s gotten to the bottom of the threats on her life, he’s instead been happy to know she's moving freely throughout the palace to do the work that’s important to her. And the country.

Jae-Ha wasn’t sure what a reign under Yona and Hak would look like exactly, but these past few days have started to give him a glimpse. The whole palace a glimpse. And if that’s any prediction of what could be to come… it's worth fighting to preserve.

Jae-Ha's eyes land on the mountains in the distance. The landscape sends his mind wandering elsewhere...

“Take care of her,” he whispers as he remembers the last time he saw Lili...

::-:: A few days before -- hours before Lili and Tae-Woo’s departure ::-::

Lili stands just outside the palace gates, looking out at the mountains in the direction she’s about to journey.

“Leaving without saying goodbye?”

Lili glows at the sound of Jae-Ha’s voice. “I was thinking about it.”

He takes a seat beside her. “Lili Dear, are you mad at me?” He watches her consider and raises his brows. “Oh, you are. ...oddly, when you make that face at me, it’s kind of a turn on.”

Lili smacks his arm and rises. She throws her hands down at her sides in frustration. “I hate that!”

Jae-Ha can’t suppress his smile at her fury -- he's only been here for about one minute.

Lili notices his amusement and throws her hands up in exhaustion. She begins to pace. “This is why I didn’t want to see you.”

Jae-Ha watches her. Waits. And when she finally stops, he asks. “Tell me.”

“I really, really… wanted to see you. I always want to see you. Being near you is...,” Lili huffs and turns her back to him. She takes a deep breath. “Listen. I’m leaving and I don’t know if I’ll get to see you again. To me, I just wanted you to know… you’re a really special person.”

Jae-Ha rises, “Something tells me you don’t get this mad at all the special people in your life," he pulls Lili into a hug -- a touched expression on his face, "And of course you’ll see me again!”

Lili laughs against him. He always makes her laugh. That’s why this has been so confusing. Jae-Ha is handsome, sincere, a great listener, talented, hilarious, and outrageous. She had wondered all this time if maybe… liking being around someone this much is what love is. But spending time with Tae-Woo has only further confused this notion.

Lili sadly acknowledges the space and silence left between she and Jae-Ha even now. There’s affection and yet… for some reason nothing has ever happened.

Lili looks Jae-Ha straight in the eyes. “This moment, right now, is what I don’t understand. You’ve never tried to kiss me. Ever. Even now.”

“If I kissed you... you wouldn’t be able to forget.”

“Uh… good?” Lili is pissed he sees a problem.

“You’re not thinking this through.”

“Do you always think it through before kissing a girl?”

“Well, in your particular case…”

“OH HO! And just how am I different than other girls?!”

Jae-Ha has known this conversation was coming -- ever since she arrived at the palace and he saw the way she looked at him. He knows why he hasn't kissed her. I treasure our friendship. And your happiness. I want you to succeed. But he doesn't want to tell the truth if it will just draw her in further. So he goes another direction. “I doubt you need any additional distractions at the moment.”

“Don’t men like these kinds of distractions?”

“Flings, yes. Relationships… are more than distractions.” Dragon lives are short. Your life is going to be long. “You deserve someone who can be devoted -- to you.”

“I don’t mind… about Yona.”

Jae-Ha absorbs those words with a sad shock. He takes a step back and speaks now more like a father to a daughter than one friend to another. “You’re going to be a general now.”

Lili stares at him with surprise at the sudden seriousness.

“You can’t walk into a battle like love giving up so much at the start. As a leader, protect your people. As an incredible girl with her whole life ahead of her -- protect your heart. I have things I must protect, too.”

Does he mean Yona and Hak? “I feel like you’re looking at a big picture I can’t see. It scares me. Don’t do anything stupid while I’m gone, OK? I won’t be here to heal you.”

Jae-Ha pulls Lili into another hug. “Let’s both not do stupid things while you’re gone, deal?”

“Deal,” Lili smiles.

“Unless you want to with that young general. That, I completely approve of.”

Lili smacks Jae-Ha again, shaking her head but also a bit embarrassed about how well that idea sits with her.

Jae-Ha begins to walk Lili back to the palace. “You know what’s so good about friends versus lovers?”

“Well now that I know where we stand, it better be good.”

Jae-Ha smiles. “You get to keep friends forever,” he takes her hand and kisses it. “You’re a special person to me, too, my dear Lili. Be safe on your trip. And come back so we can keep that friends forever thing in motion,” Jae-Ha glances up at the palace gate where Tae-Woo emerges with Hak and Yona. “Though I have reason to believe not a hair on your head is going to be harmed.”

“Ungh!” Forearm meets forearm.

Lili steps backward, then comes at Tae-Woo again. “Yah!”

“Mm!” Tae-Woo absorbs the hit, carefully taking her limb toward him to prevent as much bruising as he can.

They’re so close to Soo-Won now. Shin-Ah went on ahead to verify it’s the hidden Village of Hakuryuu up ahead. They’ll need to enter carefully.

Lili catches Tae-Woo’s eyes on her. It sends a shock from her head straight to her heart.

“Hhh,” she misses this time.

Tae-Woo moves an open palm against her stomach to balance her. She feels the contact of that strong hand of his and then her thighs weakening in reaction. She shoves herself back from his touch like it terrifies her.

Fuck. Focus. She looks at a tree off to the side. Brown bark. Boring. Focus on boring. All the little details of the tree. Lili has goals and responsibilities right now. It’s no time for overwhelming feelings. What the hell is wrong with you, body?! Just. Stop.

Is she flushed? Tae-Woo notices the pink rising on Lili’s cheeks. He wonders if he’s working her too hard. She’s seemed… distracted.

“Is it Soo-Won?”

“Huh?” Lili looks Tae-Woo straight in those dark blue eyes. She regrets it immediately and snaps her attention back toward the boring brown bark. “What’s that supposed to mean out of nowhere.”

Tae-Woo holds a closed fist against his lips as he considers. Is he saying too much? He's wanted to ask her things so badly lately... but he's been trying so hard to keep whatever distance he can. Well, too late to recover on this one. “We’re really close to him now. I thought… maybe you were thinking about him?”

Lili sighs. Given the mission we’re on, I should have been. But SOMEONE had to go for a naked swim… “I’m sorry I’m not doing so great today. If that’s what you mean.”

“No!” Tae-Woo backpeddles, sincere concern on his face. Shit. “This is hard work. I’m not judging you,” he scratches behind an ear, “I don’t care what pace we go. Sorry I said that before… there was a rumor you two were friends. I didn’t know if it was true…”

There’s an awkward silence between them. Lili staring at a tree. Tae-Woo staring at Lili.

And then he can’t help it, “... was it… true?”

Lili glances up at Tae-Woo. He’s never asked her a question that personal before.

“I don’t want to tell you...”

Tae-Woo smiles gently. “Why’s that?”

“Don’t you hate him?”

Tae-Woo’s smile disappears.

SNAP! In an instant Lili is horizontal under Tae-Woo against a bush.

“Shh,” he mouths down at her. She hears the breaking of underbrush from footsteps. It’s getting louder, closer.

Lili watches Tae-Woo as he looks up toward the sound. He’s so serious, focused. She's captivated.

And then the sound of whoever is out there is so, so near. Lili steels herself. She knows how to fight now. She will if it comes to it. Her first time has to happen eventually.

Tae-Woo can feel Lili tremble beneath him. He instinctively pulls her tighter against him. He’s ready to jump into action, but also takes care to find her hand and give it a squeeze.

And in that frantic moment, Lili realizes unequivocally… she has feelings for this boy. And even if she cannot pursue him, if she can just be near him… it feels like she can truly breathe.

“I’m sorry,” Tae-Woo carefully gets up off Lili.

Lili notices the sound of the stranger is gone. “For what?”

“Getting so close to you.”

“...I didn’t mind.”

Tae-Woo looks at her an extra long second, then suggests, “Jae-Ha might.”

Lili’s expression goes on a journey from mild confusion to amused revelation. “You don’t know Jae-Ha very well, do you?”

“Not really…”

Lili rises, “We’re not lovers. He’s an important friend of mine.” A very perverted friend.

As Tae-Woo watches Lili walk back to their training area, he's as intrigued as he’s ever been with her... and more excited than he knows he oughta be that she's not with Jae-Ha.

Tae-Woo peeks through the flaps of the tent where Lili sits. Her cheeks instantly go pink at their scenario.

Shin-Ah still hasn’t returned, so they’d set up the tent to get some rest. Just the two of them.

“I can sleep outside…” Tae-Woo offers.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lili gestures toward a blanket for him she set next to hers. She notices his hesitation. “Hey, listen, you don’t have to be shy about it. ...I noticed.”

Tae-Woo freezes, color rising in his cheeks, too. Has that he likes her been that obvious? “Lady Lili, I--”

“You don’t have to say a word about it. I shouldn’t put you in that position.”

Tae-Woo moves into the tent enough for the flaps to close behind him. “Have I been making you uncomfortable?”

That sends Lili wondering -- wait, has he been onto her this whole time? That even though she can't have him, each time they touch she wants to jump him? That seeing him half naked nearly sent every ounce of her composure packing!?

“Yes. I mean, no! It’s not your fault. You can’t help it.”

Tae-Woo is starting to feel like he really screwed this up. “I’m here to protect and train you. I won’t cross that line.”

“You men and your lines lately,” Lili mutters in frustration.

Tae-Woo is so damn confused. He looks at her without a clue what to say.

“I’m sorry. That actually wasn’t about you. You have all the reason in the world to keep boundaries and I respect that. Han-Dae is lucky to have such a devoted boyfriend.”

Tae-Woo’s jaw drops and his eyes nearly pop out of his head. “What did you just say…?”

Lili stares back completely innocently. “Han-Dae is lucky.”

Tae-Woo’s biological instincts go into overdrive. Not even thinking, he blurts defensively-- “I like women!”

Both Tae-Woo and Lili stare quietly into the empty space of the tent between them, suddenly both retracing their entire conversation. The blushing all around steadily increases.

By the time she’s the color of a beet, Lili crawls into her bedding without a word.

Tae-Woo looks at her, his bedding right next her, then at the tent door. He doesn’t know what the right thing to do is. The things he’s feeling compelled to say -- and do -- are coming from some primal place. And he hasn’t ever felt it this strongly before.

Lili stares at the dirty beige tent wall. Damn, no distant tree details to focus on in here. Nothing but him. And how can she face him right now when every detail on his face, the sound of his voice, the way he’s so well-mannered toward her… draws her in.

Lili hears him starting to leave and can’t bear it -- she turns over and quietly calls, “You should come to bed.”

Tae-Woo has a brief internal struggle, then crawls under the blanket next to her.

They lay facing each other, their hearts pounding, eyes locked.

“This is stupid but… I’m embarrassed about earlier. I want you to know… Han-Dae is only a close friend of mine. Nothing… more.”

Lili smiles and laughs. “I’m an idiot. I can’t believe this entire time I thought that.”

Tae-Woo mirrors her smile. “To be fair, this entire time I thought Jae-Ha was your boyfriend.”

They continue staring, soft smiles, hopeful eyes -- the want between them tangible in the heat of the air. They both feel it. And now, finally, they kinda both know they both feel it.

Lili opts to speak freely. “I’m really happy it’s been you training me. You’re so… patient. And encouraging. You’re already a general -- I think I have a lot more to learn from you.”

They’ve been so careful to keep their conversations to being about the weather or training tactics. In this new intimacy, their voices change as though they’re letting their guard down, opening the gates to something much deeper, and are welcoming the other in.

“I never really thought of myself as General. I always thought Lord Hak was coming back… and only lately has it really sunk in... this is for real.”

“Everyone in your tribe respects you so much. I respect you so much,” Lili proclaims.

“I think the same about you. And I see why your tribe follows you with pride. I mean, how quickly you’ve been progressing? You really push yourself. I’ve been impressed this entire time. You should know that. And I’ve heard stories about you standing up against the former king to protect the princess. You’re… a really cool girl.”

Tae-Woo doesn’t look away. Dark blue eyes to dark blue eyes, it’s a meaningful gaze they hold, each further realizing that they may have been feeling the same thing, confused the same way, and frustrated by the same want. A want that’s more and more in this tent tonight beginning to feel like a need.

The held moment between them is a silent, mutual confession.

And Tae-Woo just keeps not looking away. Happy disbelief. The sentiment is so overwhelming, Lili feels a tear slide down her cheek. He wordlessly reaches to brush it away. Her lips naturally part as she inhales in preparation for the touch--

“Pukyuu!~” Ao chirps from the tent entrance.

Both Lili and Tae-Woo snap their heads toward the sound with alarm.

Ao is sitting on Shin-Ah’s shoulder. Shin-Ah scratches the little squirrel’s head. Everyone is relieved the blue dragon's mask is on. No reaction to see here.

“Soo-Won is there. It’s best if we go now. In the darkness.”

Soo-Won.

Every time that name comes up, Wind warriors get agitated.

Lili can’t help but be disappointed as she walks beside Tae-Woo on their way into the hidden Village of Hakuryuu. So much of the warmth this boy was just emanating just faded into coldness. His soft expression tightened into what looks more like preparation for a fight.

The moon is out and Shin-Ah’s white mane is easy to follow with its reflection of the light. But the open night air is cold, dark.

Soo-Won.

It’s dawning on Lili that this is it. This is the moment she came all the way out here for. It’s on her to make this go well. But truly… it could go very, very badly.

Lili grabs Tae-Woo’s hand and stops. He turns, concern all over his face.

“Please be careful,” Lili begs.

She’s not afraid of Soo-Won as much as she’s afraid of Tae-Woo and Soo-Won. Because: Hak.

“I’m not gonna let him hurt you,” Tae-Woo swears.

All Lili can do is squeeze his hand, like he did hers just hours before that day. I don’t think Soo-Won will hurt me. But if I need to… I will protect you.

Tae-Woo sees the worry in her eyes. He pulls her against him tightly. She wraps her arms around him. He feels her steady heartbeat and it calms him. She feels the warmth of his body and it gives her relief. It's hard for them to let go, but they know they have to.

“Just a little further,” Tae-Woo takes Lili’s hand and leads her after Shin-Ah.

Soo-Won stands beside Ik-Soo as he watches the silhouettes emerge from the forest edge.

Ik-Soo glances at Soo-Won’s frown. Ik-Soo had already known for days that things would come to pass this way. Now he can only hope he’s brought Soo-Won to the right state of mind to face it.

Lili stops a short distance before the former king. Shin-Ah, Ao, and Tae-Woo stand at her side.

There he is -- alive. All in white. That radiant blonde hair. Those mysterious eyes you never know if are honest, but that you always wish were.

The sight is overwhelming to Lili. She hadn’t expected seeing him again to be a tidal wave of feelings, but it is.

Lili gasps for air as she tries desperately not to get emotional. She sees Soo-Won's frown and she knows… “I’m so sorry I’m not her.”

Soo-Won’s expression softens so slightly at that. Maybe he’s a little happy to see her, too?

“Lady Lili,” Soo-Won opens his arms to her.

Lili moves to him swiftly and he wraps his cloaked arms around her in a warm embrace.

Tae-Woo steps forward, eyes wide, hands on his spear.

Masked Shin-Ah looks toward Ik-Soo. The priest’s wavy bangs cover his eyes. He nods calmly to the blue dragon.

Lili burrows her fingers into the cloth of Soo-Won’s cloak as if to verify he’s real. She recognizes this scent, these hands, this man. But then she remembers… Jae-Ha. He hurt Jae-Ha so badly. And Min-Soo…

She pulls away and looks up at him, conflicted. And back to why she's here.

“The dragons said you had a message for the princess. Is that something I can hear and bring back to her?”

“This is a matter urgent beyond trust, Lady Lili. We must leave immediately.”

And that was the sound of Lili’s plans falling apart.

She tries to gather her thoughts as her heart sinks. “We?”

“I need you to take me to Kuuto.”

“Not a chance!” Tae-Woo growls.

Soo-Won doesn’t move his gaze from Lili. His desperate plea is to her alone.

And, as the leader of this mission, the call will be hers to make.

[cajunroe]

baberoe + teacher/parent!au ( + teacher!babe + doctor/parent!gene) ↳ all his life, babe has wanted to teach. he wasn’t really particular about where or what grade, he just knew that he wanted to help kids with the difficulties that come with growing up. turns out, early education was his calling. he’d grown up teaching the kids in his neighborhood geometry and art history and biology, and he was good at it. he loved it. it only made sense to make a career out of it. it’s been three years and he loves his job teaching first graders. they’re energetic, smart, hilarious, and challenging. everyday gets to be an adventure. two weeks into the new school year and his life completely changes. a young girl named charlie, with sharp blue eyes, light red hair, a sassy attitude, a southern accent,  and a jean jacket with the band rancid on the back, is transferred into his class. babe likes her from the moment she slaps bobby wittmore for trying to steal her cookie. before he knows it, it’s november and time for parent teacher conferences. babe is always nervous, he teaches at an elite elementary school and the parents can be intimidating. charlie is the last conference and her father is twenty minutes late before running through the door, charlie in tow. babe’s jaw drops at the flustered man standing in the classroom doorway. pale skin, hair as dark as night, light pink lips stretched across bright white teeth, and a deep, gravely voice apologizing for being late and babe is down for the count. he feels something in him shift, and feels like this man was someone he didn’t know he was looking for. he feels like home.

“hi mr. heffron!” charlie waved excitedly from the doorway before running up to babe and giving him a hug.

“hiya charlie! how are you?”

charlie shrugged and sighed like her troubles were weighing her down and babe fought another smile.

“honestly, i could be better, mr. h. betty johnson stole my red crayon at recess today.”

babe leaned in close, “we’ll just have to get you a whole new pack of crayons, won’t we?”

charlie smiled wide and put her hand up for a high five.

babe returned it before giving her a coloring book and crayons.

he looked up to the girl’s father and his heart started hammering in his chest, nervous for an entirely different reason. 

“you must be gene. hi, i’m mr. heffron, but you can call me babe.”

the man’s eyebrows rose as he shook babe’s hand.

babe laughed curtly, “real name’s edward, but ain’t nobody called me that since catholic school.”

charlie’s father squinted at him and it made babe’s palm sweat. 

he jerkily gestured to the seat in front of his desk, “please have a seat.”

“i’m sorry for bein’ late, but i’m a surgeon at the hospital downtown. with the move and everything, it’s been a little difficult to adjust and get our schedule down.”

babe smiled, “it’s no problem. it’s not like i had anything better to do.”

smooth babe. real smooth.

he cleared his throat, “anyway, as much as you’re having difficulty adjusting, charlie is thriving.”

charlie piped up, “hear that dad? i’m thriving.”

babe laughed and he saw gene smile fondly. babe could fall in love with that smile.

“her grades are excellent and she’s reading at a second grade level. you have a very bright daughter.”

gene’s looked shifted from anxious to proud, like he was worried on hearing something else.

“i hope you don’t mind me asking, but why the sudden move?”

gene ran a hand through his hair, “i was offered a position at the hospital here that was too good to pass up. i asked charlie if she wanted to live in phiily and she asked me if there was snow here. when i told her yes, she immediately ran to start packing.”

babe laughed and saw the love and adoration gene had for his daughter. if babe could’ve swooned he would’ve.

“well charlie is an incredible girl and you didn’t hear it from me,” babe leaned in to whisper the last part, “but she is probably my favorite student.”

gene laughed and babe felt the warm breath fan across his face and he blushed. 

“that’s awful nice of you, mr. heffron.”

“please call me babe.”

they stared at one another for a moment too long before charlie slammed a picture on babe’s desk.

“here ya go mr. h. i made it for you.”

babe looked and saw who he thought to be himself, charlie, and gene all walking in the park together.

“that you and me and then daddy. i was gonna draw a dog, but i don’t know what kind of dog i wanna get yet. daddy say i have to wait until the summer to pick one out.”

babe was tickled pink, but saw how uncomfortable gene was becoming.

“thank you charlie, i’ll be sure to put it somewhere special.”

she smiled brightly and skipped back to the desk.

“i-i’m sorry about that, she has no filter, just like her mother.”

babe’s heart sank a little.

“i don’t mean to pry, but both parents usually like to come together.”

gene smiled sadly, “she died when charlie was born. it’s just been us two since then.”

babe mentally slapped himself across the face. 

“i-i’m so sorry gene, i didn’t mean to…”

gene smile warmly again, “it’s okay. she was a best friend and we’d gotten way too drunk one night, but i’d make that decision ten times over if it meant i got charlie.”

gene’s eyes widened, he didn’t offer that information to everyone, but something about his daughter’s teacher’s open expression made him want to tell him everything.

babe’s heart melted and he cursed whoever was bringing this man into his life because he was ruining every other man for him in a thirty minute meeting. 

“she’s blessed to have you, gene. you’re doing a wonderful job.”

gene let out a sigh of relief, “i gotta say i’m glad to hear you say that. with the move and doin’ everything on my own, i feel like i’m just guessing at everything. i never feel like i’m doin’ enough, you know?”

babe leaned forward and placed a hand gently on gene’s, attempting to comfort the man, “trust me gene, you’re doing more than a lot of the parents i see. and most of them are parents living off their spouse’s or family’s wealth. you are working full time and trying to raise a five year old on your own. believe me, you’re doin’ just fine.”

babe smiled reassuringly and gene placed a hand on top of gene’s.

babe opened his mouth to say something, anything, when someone interrupted.

“babe, you gotta tell web that there’s such a thing as bigfoot. he won’t believe m-am i interrupting?”

babe and charlie bit out a, “yes,” just as gene said, “no.”

“charlize grab your thing, we need to get home.”

charlie grunted and glared at lieb before walking to babe and giving him a hug.

“bye bye mr. h! see ya tomorrow.”

“bye charlie,” babe extended his hand to gene, “pleasure to meet you gene.” 

he smiled gently and received a tight, slightly uncomfortable one in return.

“mr. heffron.”

they were walking out the door before babe could correct him…again.

lieb spoke up, web silent beside him.

“sorry babe, didn’t mean to interrupt your,” he gestured in the room, “thing.”

babe sighed, “it’s fine,” then he shouted, “david webster bigfoot is one hundred percent real.”

web flew into a rage shouting at the two men and the three left together, lieb and web still arguing, while babe thought about the man he’d met tonight.

the next few weeks flew by and before babe knew it, it was nearly time for christmas break.

for the past week he’d dedicated each day to different traditions and religious practices around the world. today was the last day and after a holiday themed spelling test, he decided to let the children relax and watch ‘a charlie brown christmas’ and enjoy the rice krispie treats they got to make during art.

as they settled in on the floor, babe sat at his desk and watch the snow slowly fall. he really loved his life sometimes. his phone buzzed and normally he didn’t answer during work, but it was the day before break and he wasn’t teaching right now.

lieb: web is having an easy family thing at his place on sunday, you down?

babe: yeah, provided my family doesn’t drag me into their twelve days of christmas extravaganza. i swear my ma makes shit up every year.

lieb: lol i don’t even know what her tinsel tower tango was supposed to be. everyone just got drunk and passed out. he said to invite bill and fran, he invited the rest of the guys.

babe: haha! it was a disaster. and will do, doubt they’ll miss it. fran has been helping kitty with wedding planning and i think bill could use some guy time. 

lieb: i’m cracking up at bill picking out linens. 

lieb: shit i gotta go, bobby jackson keeps pulling layla hyde’s bra strap.

babe laughed softly, counting his blessings that he only has to deal with hair pulling and name calling.

the final bell rang and babe helped the kids bundle up to brave the cold outside before seeing them out the door.

he passed them to the carpool volunteers, went back into the warm school, and answer a call from bill.

“heya babe.”

“hey bill, what’s up?”

“just callin’ to see how you’re holding up since lieb and web crashed your date.”

babe groaned, “it wasn’t a date bill. gene is a student’s father, nothin’ more.”

“uh uh and pig are flyin’ out my ass. you’re lying babe.”

“fine i like him, a lot, but he don’t want anything to do with me bill. i’m just charlie’s teacher.”

babe reached his classroom, head down, and sat down at his desk heavily.

“yup, just his kid’s teacher. nothing that gene roe would ever want to be a part of his life.”

“alright, enough of this whiney bullshit. we’re going to the bar tonight because if i’m asked one more question about color schemes, i’m gonna shoot myself.”

babe laughed, “okay, see you at the 501st at eight.”

gene was nervous. he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a night off, let alone a night out. but as it was, he was getting ready to go to some popular bar with a couple of friends from work.

charlie was helping him choose what to wear.

he held up to dress shirts.

“neither. just the tshirt dad.”

“baby, it’s twenty degrees outside and daddy isn’t used to anything below sixty.”

“then wear that leather jacket you got to match mine.”

gene smiled, he loved how brazen and fearless his daughter was, especially when it came to her choice in clothing.

“you got it kid.”

gene put it on and held his hands out for her final decision. he was wearing all black from head to toe and it offset his pale skin in the way he liked and knew other men liked as well.

“perfect daddy! you look like james dean but better!”

gene laughed and picked up his daughter throwing her over his shoulder.

he set her down on the counter and got her one of her favorite snacks.

she was chewing loudly when she asked a question that had gene stop in his track from tying his boots.

“daddy, will i ever have another daddy?”

gene didn’t look up, continuing his process, albeit with shaky hands.

“what do you mean princess?”

“like cindy martinez has two mommies and kyle brinker has two daddies. you explained it all to me and i wanna know if you want to find us another daddy.”

“am i not enough sweetheart?”

“of course you are, but sometimes i need another dad for when you’re not here.”

gene’s heart broke a little, but he smiled at his daughter’s inquiry.

“one day, charlie, one day.”

“you should make mr. heffron my new daddy. i like him a lot and he said that he’d be lucky if he had a kid like me.”

gene frowned, he’d been trying to keep his daughter’s teach out of his mind. something about the man clinging to gene and refusing to let go. gene did always have a thing for redheads.

“charlie, i don’t think it’d be appropriate. he’s your teacher and,” someone knocked at the door and gene took charlie down from the counter and plopped her on the floor, “it’s complicated baby.”

charlie shouted, “but he likes you daddy. like likes you like johnny like me. he told someone named bill that he does.”

gene didn’t know which point to tackled first. his daughter wasn’t a liar, something he’d tried to instill in her since the start and she had taken to it with gusto. the second that babe had talked about him to someone and said he liked him. gene would’ve given anything to be a fly on the wall during that conversation.

“we’ll talk later charlie. the babysitter’s here.”

gene made introductions and was gathering his stuff to leave.

“alright charlie, come say bye to your old man.”

charlie ran into his arms and gene loved when she hugged him like that.

“be good and please try not to discuss politics with this one.”

charlie ruffled her father’s hair.

“i don’t make promises i can’t keep daddy.”

gene laughed and left.

babe sighed into his beer, bill was talking his ear off about work and he was listening but his mind kept shifting back to gene. god he was crushing harder than he did when he was in grade school. but gene was so magnetic that babe just couldn’t let go.

“god i ain’t see you this lovesick since that jack guy a coupla years back.”

babe groaned, “i’m not lovesick, gene just,” babe looked past bill and his heart stopped when he saw the door open, “is here.”

babe ducked under the table and he wasn’t sure why.

“what babe?” bill ducked under the table with babe.

“he’s here he just walked through the door.”

bill looked, “which one there’s like five guys.”

babe looked up, “which one? the pretty one.”

bill leveled a look at babe that said ‘be more specific dumbass.’

“the pretty one with the black hair and blue eyes that make you wanna stare at them all day,” babe sighed.

“christ, you in love with this guy?”

babe scoffed, not necessarily in denial, “no, there’s no way.”

“you sound like me when i talk about frannie.”

“okay…maybe…a little. no, wait, that’s crazy right?”

bill laugh, “babe ain’t nothin’ about your life ever been sane. your mother’s christmases can attest to that.”

babe laughed and looked over to where gene was laughing with his friends.

“he’s something else, bill.”

he looked to bill and saw a smile that had always made babe weary. it was a smile that told babe that bill was about to do something that he wouldn’t like and more often than not would end up with them in trouble, in a fight, or in jail.

“well, if he’s the guy for you then i gotta meet him don’t i?”

before babe could stop him bill was halfway across the room and made his way right next to where gene was standing. 

babe wanted to look away, run away, and hide, but he couldn’t.

he saw bill grab a glass of wine off the bar and interrupt the conversation the gene was having with his friends.

he saw bill laugh and gene smile before being handed a glass of wine and then…

oh shit

bill was pointing directly at babe and babe and gene made eye contact and both men’s eyes widened.

babe waved, awkward and turned back to finish his beer in one full drink.

gene was startled when the slightly abrasive man started talking directly to him.

“listen man, my best friend thinks you’re something else, he’s just a little shy. this is from him and he’s right over there,” bill pointed to babe and gene followed his finger.

when his eyes caught babe’s his heart skipped. fuck.

“well shit, charlie was right.”

bill laughed, “your daughter right?”

gene nodded.

“babe thinks she hung the moon, i’ve never heard him talk about one of his kids like that.”

gene smiled, “i’ve never heard charlie talk about a teacher like she does him. she really likes him. and i happen to know for a fact that she hung the moon.”

bill laughed, “well i gotta go, the missus is gonna kill me if i’m late again.”

he moved to walk away but turned back to gene, “two things, babe’s been my friend since we was in diapers. you hurt him, i hurt you. got it?”

gene nodded solemnly, the threat very clear.

“and two, he’s head over heels for ya, doc. so don’t blow it.”

gene watched bill yell his goodbye to babe across the bar.

he swallowed a hefty amount of his wine before making his way across the bar.

fuck. shit. no. oh my god. i’m gonna kill bill. shit he looks so good. it’s illegal how good he looks right now. and oh my god he’s smiling at me. why is he smiling like that.

“good evening.” gene said in a low voice.

“fuck me,” babe breathed out and then immediately blushed.

“maybe once we get to know each other.” gene winked and babe felt like he melted into a puddle of goo.

gene laughed and sat across from babe, taking a long drink of his glass of wine.

“so,” babe started, “now that i’ve been thoroughly embarrassed. fancy meeting you here.”

gene laughed warmly, “i could say the same about you. it’s..it’s good to see you babe.”

“you too gene”

“i wa-”

“hey gene! you called me babe!”

gene narrowed his eyes, “i did? when?” 

babe smiled, “just now.”

gene laughed, “babe,” he drawled liking the way it felt on his tongue, “i guess i did.”

babe laughed with him then tried to imitate gene’s voice, “babe.”

the look on gene’s face would have been considered annoyed if he didn’t look so damn fond and lovestruck. it knock the breath of out babe’s lungs.

“heffron, order me another glass of goddamn wine.”

babe laughed and bit his lip, you got it gene.”

that night, as the two migrated closer to one another, they got to know each other.

gene found out about babe’s insecurities as a teacher and babe found out more about gene’s insecurities as a father. they talk about their pasts, their presents, and their hopes for the future. they talked until most of the bar had emptied and there was barely any space between them in the booth.

“you charlie is a really great kid. i mean that gene. if i ever have kids…if they were even a tenth of what charlie is, i’d be happy.”

gene looked at his hands and then back up at babe, “she, uh, she told me you told her that.”

babe’s eyes widened.

“she also a-asked me if i would ever find her another daddy. and then she suggested i ask you because she heard you talking to bill, who i assumed is the man who approached me tonight?”

babe nodded, hanging on every word coming out of gene’s mouth, like he was dreaming and would never dare wake up.

“she said you were talking to him and saying how much you like me…like like me, as she put it. and who’s this johnny she keeps talk-”

gene was cut off by babe’s warm hands holding onto his face and his warm, soft lips caressing and gliding over his own.

he responded instantly, pulling babe into his arms and breathing in everything about babe, feeling like he was coming home after a long day. kissing babe made him feel like everything was right and okay and would always be that way.

when they pulled apart, gene kept them close, by placing his head on babe’s shoulder.

babe whispered, “wow,” completely in shock over what he’d just experienced.

gene laughed, “yeah.”

babe pulled gene’s head up and kissed him again.

“gene, would you like to go to dinner with me? properly, i mean. i-i want to do this right. i can’t screw it up. not with you.”

gene smiled, falling even more in love with the man in front of him than he already was. he really did have a thing for redheads.

“i’d love that babe.”

babe kissed gene again and felt everything finally fall in place.

                                                    two years later.

babe really hated pta meetings. since he and gene had gotten married, they agreed to share full parental duties. that included pta. carol hastings, the chairwoman of the board, was a prissy, stuck up woman who insisted everything be done exactly her way. and she always demanded she make the brownies for all the bake sales. babe seethed the last time he was assigned popcorn balls. he made phenomenal brownies, goddamn it. 

so it was the christmas pageant planning meeting and carol was being a fucking tyrant. declaring that anything anyone suggested was out of the question.

“christ she’s got a stick up her ass, don’t she?” lieb grunted.

babe laughed, “yeah. she still won’t let me make brownies. and she even brought them here just to shove it in my fucking face, i swear.”

babe was livid about the damn brownies, but he needed to be calm and wait for carol to announce the pageant singers for this year.

charlie had practiced for weeks for a solo and babe watched happily and proudly as she nailed it. he just knew she was going to get it.

“…and the last soloist of the year will be peter hastings.”

the crowd slowly clapped, some fed up and other not surprised that her own son was going to solo.

babe. was. pissed.

he stood up and pointed at the woman in front, “fuck you carol! charlie deserves that part and you know it!”

the other parents gasped, but some looked at babe like he was leading a revolution.

bethany hart stood up, babe had always liked her since she spiked the punch at the pta end of the year party last year, “yeah and you never let any of us pick the themes for the dances.”

bob chardon stood up next, “and my wife jessica made amazing bouquets for the banquet last year and you threw them out!”

as others stood up and demanded a new chairperson, babe was fueled.

he strode over to the table by the front of the stage.

he grabbed the tray of brownies. brownies that should’ve been his.

“and everyone hates your goddamn brownies.”

he threw them on the ground and the crowd cheered. 

lieb was dying of laughter, god he and web should have kids if it led to shit like this.

he saw babe storm out and followed him.

babe was laughing but looked scared, “gene’s gonna fucking kill me.”

after babe had calmed charlie down after breaking the news of her not getting the solo. 

she was all tucked in and asleep and babe trudged downstairs.

he grabbed a beer from the fridge and sighed after a long sip.

gene walked through the door and the look on his face told babe they were about to argue.

more like, babe was about to get yelled at.

twenty minutes later, babe was proven right. gene was yelling at him.

“and i can’t believe you destroyed her brownies. carol is vindictive and shows favoritism, but christ babe we have to still see these people.”

babe nodded. he didn’t feel bad, carol had deserved it for the years they’ve had to tolerate her.

“and i had to tell her some shit about my job adding stress and i’ve been working long hours so you’ve had more on your plate.”

babe stopped there.

“what the fuck gene? that woman doesn’t deserve anything less than the truth. and she certainly doesn’t need to know jack shit about our family.”

gene sighed, “what was i supposed to do babe? she was going to demand for you resignation. i had to talk her down.”

babe was taken aback by that. his shoulder slumped in exhaustion.

“i-i’m sorry gene, that woman is just horrible. and she purposely didn’t give charlie the solo just so her untalented son could have the solo. i only just got our daughter to calm down. she was devastated.”

gene’s heart swelled every time babe used the word “out” to describe their family. “our” home. “our” life. “our” love. “our daughter. the last one was his personal favorite.

“i’m sorry babe, but we’ll get through this. if i have to go to meeting from now on, i will. i didn’t realize it was so brutal. and charlie will be okay, she doesn’t deserve that, she deserves that solo, but she’s strong and resilient. she’ll be okay.”

babe sighed and pulled gene to him, “i just love you both so much. it’s hard not to want to protect and fight for you both. that’s how i’ve always shown my love, even since i was a kid. bill and i had too many black eyes as kids.”

gene smiled and pulled babe into a soft, but strong, kiss.

“i love you babe heffron.”

babe breathed out a sigh of relieved tension, “god, i love you gene roe.”

they heard a soft yawn and charlie sleepily asked, “you guys fighting?”

gene laughed and moved to pick up charlie, “no baby, we’re just talking.”

babe looked at his family with nothing but pure love and adoration in his eyes and gene fell in love all over again.

“hey princess, i think papa needs to be cheered up. why don’t we give him your christmas present early?”

charlie perked up, “really?!”

gene nodded, “yeah.”

he put charlie down and she ran like the wind to the large tree in their living room.

gene pulled out his phone, needed to commemorate this moment forever.

babe sat on the kitchen floor with charlie in his lap.

“let’s see what this is, my queen. a present for a lowly servant like me.”

charlie laughed, “you’re not a servant papa, you’re a knight in shining armor.”

babe delivered a kiss to the top of charlie’s head as he finished ripping the wrapping paper off the picture frame.

as he read the paper inside the simple frame, his hands shook and tears ran down his cheeks.

charlie jumped up and wrapped her arms around babe who hugged her tight and looked at gene in absolute astonishment and pure love and happiness.

gene moved to the floor to join his husband and daughter. 

he kissed babe until they were absolutely breathless.

“merry christmas papa!”

“merry christmas charlie!”

“merry christmas daddy!”

“merry christmas princess!”

gene whispered against babe’s lips, “merry christmas babe.”

babe laughed and whispered back, “merry christmas gene.”

on that kitchen floor, in a simple macaroni and rhinestone frame made by their daughter, sat a paper that stated that edward heffron had full parental and custodial rights of charlize antoinette roe. charlie was officially and legally his. as was gene.

on that kitchen floor, babe’s entire world came together. 

@jim-bones-spock​ - THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THIS PROMPT WAS AN ABSOLUTE GODSEND AND I HOPE YOU LOVE IT BECAUSE I REALLY REALLY DO. <3

send me a pairing and an au and i’ll make an aesthetic post + ficlet