#travis is taking the boys to get some new shoes for school

[veone]

🍦a "quiet" sunday morning

[davidpastrsnack]

fool for you - nolan patrick

a/n: a little nolan hate sex for your enjoyment :) i'm thinking of maybe making this into a series so pleaseeee let me know what you think and if you’re interested in more! and big shoutout to @toplinetommy​ for helping me out with this!

word count: 5k

The boys were back in town for the start of the season and it was finally the first gathering of the year. Claude and Ryanne were generous enough to offer their place, maintaining a balance of enjoying themselves and a night off of parent duties while also keeping their eyes on everyone.

You were in the kitchen, twirling the straw of your drink while you caught up with some of the other girls. It had been a long summer, but right now it felt as if you guys never left. Between hearing everyone’s latest school and work opportunities to gossiping about summer flings, it didn’t take long to get back in the swing of things. But just as Karly was telling you all about the new apartment she and Travis just moved into, your attention was drawn elsewhere.

You could barely even look at him.

Not with the way he was sauntering around the apartment like he was royalty, a musty beer in hand as he scanned the floor for his next target. His long hair was messy and roughly tucked behind his ears. His all black outfit reeked of arrogance, like he knew he didn’t even have to try to look good. He was waving and smiling to everyone he passed, each of them inflating his ego even more as they lit up at his acknowledgement. After scouring the room for long enough, he settled on his final destination, wrapping his arm around a tall blonde, a smirk spreading across his face as she leaned into his touch.

“Y/N?” Karly snapped you out of your trance making your head snap back towards her.

“Yeah,” you responded, shaking it off,  “Sorry.”

“Y/N,” she repeated, but this time her tone couldn’t have been more different, “Tell me you two aren’t going to do this again.”

You squinted your eyebrows in defiance, “I just got distracted, that’s all.”

“Yeah, by Nolan,” Karly scoffed, persistent in her confrontation.

Your relationship with Nolan was interesting, to say the least. It started one night last year when your mutual friends introduced you, the chemistry between you two undeniable as the drinks flowed. Nolan was unlike anyone else you had ever met. He was quiet, but he was an incredible listener, taking in every word you spoke as he got to know you. His attraction to you was overwhelming, his body creeping closer and closer to yours as the night went on. You felt the exact same way, but there was just one little thing holding you back: your boyfriend, Andrew.

You still remember the moment perfectly to this day. Claude innocently asked where Andrew was and that was that. Nolan’s energy shifted to ice, his body turning away from yours as the realization that you weren’t available struck him. You didn’t understand why you were so easily withholding the fact that you were in a relationship from Nolan, you were perfectly happy with the way things stood. Andrew was kind, he was stable, but you hadn’t connected with someone so quickly like you had with Nolan.

Despite your hope to be friends, Nolan shut you out completely after that night. That sweet, rosy-cheeked boy you met in the bar seemingly vanished. He barely spoke to you, and when he did it was always blunt, before eventually he became downright rude. You didn’t know what to think of him anymore, you could only assume that first impression was a fluke. It didn’t take long to convince you that Nolan was a complete asshole so you matched his energy, giving him the same sass he gave you right back.

But little did you know, shutting you out was the only way Nolan knew how to grapple with his feelings for you. He hadn’t been so drawn to someone in years, and his heart dropped when he discovered you had a boyfriend. Instead of getting over it and moving on, he lashed out, hoping he could somehow train himself to hate you. But now over a year later, his feelings hadn’t budged one bit. If anything, they had only grown stronger. There was nothing more attractive to Nolan than a woman who could go toe to toe with his attitude.

“Karly, please,” you begged, “I didn’t even know Nolan was here,” you lied through your teeth.

“What was that about Nolan?” you heard from behind you. You could recognize that voice anywhere, Travis giving you his classic cheeky smile as he turned to face you, pulling Karly into his side.

“Will you please tell your girlfriend that she’s delusional,” you snapped back.

“See I would,” Travis laughed, “Except I don’t think she is. Not about this at least,” Travis teased, gently bumping his hip against Karly’s as she rolled her eyes, far too familiar with his sass.

You didn’t even ask how he already knew what you were talking about. You could only assume that this was a premeditated attack on their part.

“Whatever,” you mumbled, throwing back a long sip of your drink. “How’s camp going?” You asked, desperately trying to change the topic. You didn’t need to hear how great Nolan was for the hundredth time when he had only ever treated you like a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of his shoe.

“He asked me about you today, you know,” Travis continued, ignoring your plea to move on.

“What could he possibly want?” You groaned.

Although Nolan had never outright admitted it to him, Travis knew exactly what he wanted. It was beyond painful watching him pine for you from afar, but he also knew that it wasn’t his place to completely expose his best friend. He was not afraid of a little meddling, however.

“Y/N, he’s a good guy. He just takes time to open up,” Travis tried to reason with you, “I hope it’s okay I told him about Andrew.”

Your stomach dropped when you heard Travis’s words. It was like he stuck a dagger right through your heart, reopening the wound you thought had healed by now. You were so embarrassed of your failed relationship. Nothing dramatic had happened, you both just sort of fell out of love before deciding it was best to go your separate ways. Regardless of whatever Nolan tried to bring you down with over the past year you always had that to keep you sane. But now that you didn’t, you were terrified of how much more power Nolan would have over you.

“Thanks a lot Travis,” you mocked, “As if he needed another thing to make fun of me for.”

Before he could get another word out you were turning on your heels, dodging Karly’s arm that reached out for you as you hurried out of the kitchen. You pushed your way through the pockets of people, heading straight towards the balcony. As you slid the door open and slipped outside, the cool air instantly calmed you. It was quiet, the hum of the city below you the only sound you heard. You needed a minute to clear your head. Just a minute and then you would put your smile on and head back inside.

“You okay?”

Your body jumped at the sound of Nolan’s deep voice. You couldn’t even have one moment of peace before he was coming for you.

“Like you care,” you scoffed, not even bothering to look at him.

Nolan should have expected that reaction, but he was actually trying. He had been keeping an eye on you all night, deep down praying that you hadn’t noticed, and he saw you storm out. It was unlike you, you had always gotten along so well with everyone and even though it killed him, he was worried about you. But clearly nothing had changed between the two of you, Nolan now already reverting back to his usual defense mechanism.

“Someone’s on edge,” he mumbled, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

At that your spun around to look at him, the insinuation of your breakup thick in his words. Nolan was staring at you, eagerly waiting for your reaction, with his hands tucked into his pockets.

“You’re disgusting,” you snarled, shaking your head in shock of his blatant disrespect. Nolan was a lot of things, but to comment on something as personal as your sex life, or the lack there of, was beyond his usual teasing.

“Try me,” Nolan challenged, “I’ll show you just how disgusting I can be.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at that one, his empty proposition so absurd. But Nolan didn’t seem to find it funny, his baby blue eyes staring straight at you.

“As if you’re even capable of getting a woman off,” you snarled, swiftly walking past him, your shoulders roughly bumping as you left him standing alone.

Nolan stood in his place in shock as he watched you weave your way between people through the windows. Clearly he had struck a nerve, you had stormed away from him before but nothing quite like that. A wave of guilt washed over Nolan immediately, his hands coming up to his head and running through his long hair. Reaching for the door, he entered the party once again, his eyes scanning the room for you but he was unsuccessful. You were nowhere to be found, and Nolan was left to assume that you had left all together.

And that was exactly what you had done, deciding that from that moment on all you wanted to do was change into your pajamas and catch up on brainless reality shows. You didn’t bother to stop and say goodbye to anyone, knowing they would just rope you into staying regardless of your desire to be alone. The walk back to your apartment was brisk, but by the time you arrived home you had decompressed from the situation and were ready to relax. Nolan only had as much power over you as you let him, and for the rest of the night you decided that you were going to be free from his grasp.

Or so you thought.

Despite his feelings of guilt still lingering, the longer Nolan replayed your interaction over in his head his focus shifted. Did you really think he couldn’t get you off? He knew he shouldn’t care what you thought and that he should move on, but he just couldn’t shake your words. Nolan excused himself from the circle he was sitting with to use the bathroom, when in actuality, he slipped out the front door before anyone had the chance to catch him.

-

Meanwhile at home, you were finally feeling like yourself again, free from anyone’s judgement. Dawned in a matching sweat set, you were sprawled across your couch covered in blankets. Instead of your usual glass of wine, you opted for a hot tea, the remnant alcohol from the party still coursing through your veins. You were already on your third episode when you heard a series of knocks on your door. You groaned as you slowly peeled yourself from the cushion you had practically melted into, confusion and annoyance lacing your face while you wondered who could possibly be coming by at this hour.

When you finally reached the door and looked through the peephole, your mood turned sour right away. It was Nolan, standing tall with his arms hostiley crossed. You wondered if you could get away with just ignoring him. You could turn right back around and pretend you never heard anything, but you knew better. He wasn’t going to let you off the hook that easily. Your eyes slipped shut as you braced yourself, finally placing your hand on the doorknob and swinging the door open.

“What-” You began to ask, but you were quickly interrupted.

“You’re wrong,” Nolan hissed, his deep voice making your stomach flutter.

“Excuse me?” You snapped back,  not hiding your emotions very well.

“I have no problem getting anyone off,” Nolan asserted, his cheeks even redder than normal as he spoke.

As much as you wished you could control your reaction better, your eyes widened slightly at his words. It wasn’t your fault, you told yourself, it was all his. He had no right showing up to your apartment dressed to perfection, his warm scent clouding your senses as he towered over you in the doorway. But even still, you couldn’t let him off the hook quite yet.

“You came all the way over here to tell me that?” You chuckled, “Congratulations, Nolan. I’m happy for you, really.” The sarcasm was thick in your words as you mustered up a reply. Your hand moved to push the door shut, but Nolan beat you to it, using the weight behind his own hand to hold the door open.

“You don’t believe me?” He questioned, his eyebrows raising as he stared down at you. He knew this was pointless, that you were just trying to get a rise out of him, but it was working. As much as he hated himself for it, his pride wouldn’t let him walk away.

“Nolan,” you whined, “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

You could admit that sometimes you enjoyed the banter between you two, but you were too tired right now. The hum of your TV and the warmth of your couch was calling your name, but here you were with Nolan practically begging you to nurse his ego back to health.

“Say you’ll let me prove it. Right now.”

Your jaw dropped at his words. There was no way he was serious? Right? But the way Nolan was standing in front of you with his arms still crossed and his face dead-set on yours, you couldn’t help but wonder if he was.

“Nolan, I-,” you stuttered, suddenly filled with nerves as the way he towered over you clouded your judgement. “That’s not a good idea,” you said, finally gathering yourself enough to get a coherent thought out.

“Oh please, Y/N,” Nolan muttered, “Don’t act like you’ve never wondered.”

“Wondered what?” You rebutted, even though you knew exactly where he was going with this.

A small smirk creeped its way onto his face, his body slowly inching closer and closer to yours. Your eyes slipped shut as he invaded your personal space, the warm scent of his cologne overwhelming your senses. You jumped when he started whispering, his hot breath against your skin making your own hitch in the back of your throat.

“What it would be like if I touched you,” Nolan hummed, the hairs on the back of your neck standing straight as his lips so faintly brushed against your skin, “If I fucked you.”

You could feel your eyes roll back into your head as he spoke, the tension between the two of you thicker than molasses. Before you had even fully registered what was happening, Nolan was pulling away, sternly staring down at you. Your eyes fluttered open when you felt his warmth separate from your own, the cool air between your bodies snapping you out of your trance. He was expressionless, waiting for you to do or say something, anything.

“I stand by what I said,” you asserted, your eyebrows raising slightly as you challenged him, “But I’ll give you a chance to prove me wrong.”

Now it was Nolan’s turn to be taken aback. Sure, this is what he came for, but he didn’t think it would happen. Never did he ever imagine that he would have the chance to have you. But here you were offering, looking up at him with the most innocent eyes. His gaze trailed down to your lips, soft and smooth from the lip balm you put on earlier after taking off your makeup. For longer than he could even remember he had thought about what they would feel like against his own, nibbling the lobe of his ear, sucking down his neck, gently biting into the ripples of his toned stomach, before finally reaching the place he needed them the most.

“I-,” Nolan stuttered, nervously lifting his hand to rub the back of his neck, “Y/N, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have-”

After spending so much time secretly pining for you and mastering his own self-sabotage, Nolan couldn’t let himself do this. He wouldn’t.

“What? Someone’s a little scared now, hmm?” You challenged, ever so slightly pulling the flesh of your bottom lip between your teeth as you tilted your head at him.

Just like that, the switch inside Nolan’s head turned again. You were enjoying the game just as much as he was. You wanted him just as badly as he wanted you. Before he let his nerves get the best of him again, Nolan was pushing his way through the frame, slamming the door shut from behind him before his hands were harshly grabbing at your waist.

As if you were on cue, you jumped into his arms, your legs wrapping around his waist and your hands circling his neck. Your lips instantly met in a rough kiss, Nolan wasting no time in asserting his dominance as his tongue overpowered yours. You let out a soft moan against his skin as he flattened his hands across your ass, the tips of his fingers dangerously close to your inner thighs catching you off guard.

Nolan could have sworn he blacked out a little at the sound after spending so long just imagining what you would sound like. A quiet fuck slipped out from his mouth, blood rushing straight to below his waist. He suddenly pulled away from you, but only to get a look at his surroundings and see where he was going.

“That way,” you whined against his neck, pointing in the direction of his bedroom.

“Someone’s impatient,” he teased, reveling in how desperate you were for him already.

Just moments later you felt your back land on your bed, the soft material of your bedding engulfing you. Nolan laid on top of your breathless body, his cold hands snaking underneath your hoodie as he attached his mouth to your neck. You were lost in the contrast of his gentle kisses and sharp bites, but it didn’t take long for you to snap out of it.

“If you leave a single visible mark on me, Patrick,” you snarled, pushing his head away from your sensitive skin.

“Patrick now, huh?” Nolan mocked, the smile on his face almost giving away how much he was enjoying this.

You simply rolled your eyes at his comment, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling him back down to your lips. He obliged, this time putting the entirety of his weight onto yours, earning another moan from you. You always knew he was big, it was one of the things that made hating him so hard. He was so strong, so broad, and now you got to feel every ounce of him pressed against you.

As much as you hated to admit that you could have stayed there making out with Nolan until the end of time, you were getting impatient. Without any warning, you pushed him off of you, reaching your hands up from the waistline of your hoodie and pulling it off. Nolan’s reaction to seeing you braless made you swoon, his eyes widening as he took the sight of you in. But just as he began to lean back down, you stopped him.

“Ah ah ah,” you whispered, shaking your head.

He knew exactly what you wanted, letting out a small laugh before peeling his shirt off. You had to keep yourself from drooling as soon as he did, the defined lines of his body making you audibly whimper. To put it plainly, Nolan was beautiful.

Nolan made his way back down to your level, his arms resting on either side of your head holding his weight above you. He resumed his attack on your neck, this time hastily making his way down with a trail of wet kisses before scattering bruises across the tops of your boobs. Your body arched up into his in anticipation, the pressure of his growing bulge making you weak.

“Nolan,” you whined, abandoning whatever dignity you had left.

Hearing you beg with his name like that was like pure ecstasy. Nolan finally gave up his act and moved his fingertips to tease the waistband of your sweats, pausing to watch the way you squirmed for him. He would do absolutely whatever you wanted at this point.

“Easy baby,” he cooed, the pet name making you momentarily forget the throbbing between your legs as your heart fluttered. “Can I?” He asked, eyes locked with yours.

You nodded embarrassingly fast, so desperate for him to do anything, but it wasn’t enough for the long-haired boy.

“Use your words,” Nolan challenged, needing your verbal approval before he moved further.

“Yes,” you breathed out.

Just like that, he was pulling your sweats down in one swift motion, the cool air enveloping your burning legs. You were so clouded with lust that you had almost forgotten the circumstances that brought you here, but Nolan was not shy to remind you.

“Cute undies,” he chirped, poking fun at the very plain, but very comfortable, boyshorts you had on.

You smacked him across the head, not finding his little joke very funny. “I am so sorry for not wearing my best lingerie while sitting at home alone, please excuse me.”

Nolan chuckled at your response. “Apology accepted,” he laughed, sending you a quick wink of reassurance. He would be lying if he said he didn’t immediately let his mind wander to what you would look like dawned in lingerie, but he didn’t have time for that, he had a task at hand.

Nolan slowly dragged one finger across your core ever so slightly, lifting his gaze to watch your reaction. Your head fell back against the pillow, back arching off the bed at the barely there contact. You could feel yourself practically dripping and you just knew the soft cotton material of your underwear was soaked through.

“Awfully wet for someone you say you hate so much,” Nolan mumbled, watching you thrash.

“I do hate you,” you responded, your voice laced with disgust as you tried so hard not to give him what he wanted. He had barely touched you and you were already a wreck. Get it together, Y/N, you scolded yourself.

Nolan chuckled at your desperate attempt to gather yourself, deciding he would just make it that much harder for you. He moved his fingers to focus on your clit, slowing rubbing circles through the fabric. Smiling as your legs tensed, he couldn’t help himself from offering yet another jab, “Fuck, I don’t even think I have to take these off.”

God dammit, Nolan, you thought to yourself. But he was right. Between how much he worked you up earlier and the way his fingers were giving you the perfect amount of friction, you were close. Embarrassingly close.

Nolan picked up his pace, his devilish smirk growing as your legs faintly started to shake. Before long you were seeing stars, his fingers now moving in a quick side to side motion against your clit as you fell over the edge. Your eyes were screwed shut, and despite your best efforts to stay as quiet as possible, your moans got the best of you.

The sight of you cumming was the most incredible thing Nolan had ever witnessed. The way your back arched, how tightly your hands clenched the sheets, and most magically, how perfect his name sounded falling from your lips.

“Nol, Nol,” you whimpered, the pressure becoming too much.

He obliged, finally pulling his fingers away before bringing them to his mouth, sucking them clean. Your head fell back into your pillow yet again at that, the way his blue eyes were practically staring into your soul making your cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

“So much for not being able to get you off, hmm?” You heard Nolan mutter. You could feel the outline of his smirk pressed against the skin of your thigh, his cockiness growing exponentially in just the past few minutes. You didn’t give him the satisfaction of responding, not that you even knew what you would say to that.

Your silence was satisfactory enough to Nolan. In all the time you two had been going after each other, rarely did Nolan get the last word. But tonight he had managed to shut you up with just a few flicks of his fingers. While you were simmering in your post-orgasm shame, he was gloating.

“Want another one, sweetheart?” Nolan hummed, the pet names escaping his mouth without even thinking now. He slowly trailed his way back up your thighs before hooking a finger in your underwear, gently pulling them down. “Fuck,” he groaned at the sight of your bare pussy, glistening in the dim light from his previous work. Your hips unconsciously lifted off the mattress, the cool air making you desperate for his touch once again.

“Oh honey,” Nolan mocked, “Tell me what you want.”

“Nolan,” you groaned, your voice laced with annoyance. You knew exactly what you wanted, but more importantly you knew he knew too. But of course, he was going to make you say it.

“Hmm?” He questioned, playing dumb as you struggled in front of him.

“I want you to fuck me,” you finally gave in, “Happy?”

“Very,” he quipped, “Now turn around.”

You felt yourself clench at his order, wasting no time doing just what he said. Settling in on all fours, you braced yourself for what you could only assume was to come.

“Fuck, you’re something,” Nolan groaned, his hands running down your back to the curve of your ass. You couldn’t help but smile at his words, grateful that your face was hidden in the comforter.

“Wait, I don’t have-” But before he could finish his sentence, you were interrupting.

“You’re not going near me without a condom on,” you asserted, lifting your head just enough to point to your nightstand, “Bottom drawer.”

“Thanks a lot,” Nolan scoffed at your jab, but still eagerly grabbed one regardless.

With next to no warning he was slowly pushing into you, the pressure making your mouth fall open in a silent moan as your body adjusted to his size. Nolan sighed as he pressed into you, mumbling a string of swears at how your pussy enveloped him. He was patient, waiting just like that until you gave him permission to move.

“Nolan,” you whined, “Please.”

That was all it took for Nolan to start snapping his hips, agonizingly slow at first, making you feel every inch of him, before he sped up his pace.

“Fuck, Y/N,” he groaned, the way your body looked in front of him almost too much to handle. The arch of your back had him weak, one of his hands reaching to tangle in your hair as he used his grip for leverage.

You felt like you were floating with the way Nolan was hitting all the right places. It was funny to you know that his line that started this whole thing was actually painfully accurate. It had been a while. After Andrew you tried to fill the void with random hookups, but it didn’t take long for you to cleanse your phone of all dating apps and opt for nights out with the girls instead of on the prowl. But now, you were reminded of everything you had been missing out on with the way Nolan was working you.

“I- I’m,” you sputtered out, unable to find the words on your first try, “I’m so close, Nol.”

Instead of most guys you had been with you would take that as their sign to go faster, Nolan didn’t, instead keeping the exact same pace. His grip on your one hip got tighter as he felt himself get closer too, his other hand in your hair sinking down to meet your clit, the familiar pattern of his fingers bringing you that much closer.

“Go ahead, honey,” he cooed, leaning into your ear as he encouraged you, “That’s it, that’s a good girl.”

That was all you needed to hear to push you over, your muffled cries filling the air as Nolan fucked you through your high. Your legs shook around him as he continued, your body going completely limp. He was right behind you, his deep groans into your neck sending vibrations through your body as he spilled into the condom.

Nolan hovered above you just like before rolling over onto his back. You collapsed into the mattress, the tingling sensation still coursing through your lower half. You both stayed like that catching your breath in silence. While the reality of what you just did began to sink in for you, Nolan was basking in it.

He turned his head to get a peek at you, but you were facing the other way as far from him as possible. Your body language could not have been more clear, and the realization made Nolan’s heart drop. He knew this wasn’t going to change anything, he was a lot of things but he wasn’t dumb. But even still, part of him deep down hoped that maybe, just maybe, it could.

His thoughts were interrupted by your sudden movement. Despite the stinging between your legs, you lifted yourself up and sat on the edge of the bed, taking a sip of the water on your nightstand. Now that the lust of the moment was long gone, you were in shock that you let that happen. The sex was incredible, undeniably some of the best you had ever had, but you knew that this was going to make things so unbelievably complicated from here on out.

Before you could let yourself spiral too much, you stood up, hastily making your way to the en suite bathroom. Nolan was entranced by the shape of your silhouette in the dim room, but your next words before you disappeared reminded him just where you two stood.

“Lock the door on your way out.”

[mossygardenstone]

Run Away With Us

Sal and Larry x reader hurt/comfort one shot

TW: Abusive parents, panic attack, angst, crappy writing

Relationships: Platonic with hints at a crush on Larry

Wanted to do a little fanfic for my feels after being inspired by this playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FGOuYP0x88  _____________________________________________________________ You tapped your pencil anxiously on your desk, watching the clock. You could never understand how you were so ready to leave, but not to go home. School was awful, but home.. Was even worse. You don't know what you even wanted anymore, and it tears you apart inside. But there was someone noticed the taps, two someones actually. Two classmates on either side of the room, ever since the teacher separated them. Both of them were your friends, and both were very much trouble, well mostly the tall one. The shorter blue haired boy was still trouble, but the kinda of trouble that you just know he didn't bring on himself. But they were your friends, and they you loved them, even with all the weird stories they told you about their "ghost hunting". Ghosts you believed, but cults? Demons? It all seemed too far fetched to truly believe, but you supported them. You listened to their stories all night over the phone, and wished more than anything, that you could go with them. To call your parents protective, would be a offensive at this point. They smothered you, painfully so, and your relationship with them, was rocky, on the good days. The thoughts of home and the tense there, swirled dangerously in your mind, as you watch the clock. It wasn't even lunch, but you were worried about going home already, and your pencil showed this, when it wasn't tapping, thanks to the dirty looks you got, it was between your teeth, taking the brunt of your emotions.

Sal was the first to notice this, as Larry was too busy doodling. Once the teacher turned to the board scratching the assignment loudly, Sal lobbed a paper ball across the room at the taller teen, nailing him in the head and making it nestle into his long and greasy hair. The teen looked up with a start, remembering the world outside of his little doodle page. He picked the paper ball from his head, and read it, knowing Sal's hand writing right away, and peaked at the other, before he read: "Are they alright today?" Larry looked from the paper, to Sal, who nodded toward you. You had already laid your head down to keep from snapping the pencil in your teeth, taking to staring at the desk in the darkness your arms created around your head. Larry looked at you, furrowing his brow, then looked to Sal again, who gave a soft head tilt as Larry turned back to his paper, flipping a page, and quietly ripping it out, scribbling, and yeeting it to Sal at the earliest possibility. By now, you could hear them, you know the sound of paper balls smashing the two boys in the face from a mile away, but you didn't lift your head, simply looked at through the little crack in your arm where you could see Sal's desk and hands moving to read a new note. But you were too anxious to really think of anything else, other than they were plotting a hunt or a smoke sesh after school, so you shut your eye's again.

Sal folded out the note, smoothing it with his large hands, wondering why Larry always had to crumble it to death like that, the pencil was smudged and the wrinkles were over the top, but he still could read it, he had learned to read Lar's awful hand writing ages ago, a skill you had yet to pick up. Once he straightened the paper out, and read the very simple, and unnecessarily small text of "ditch x3?" Sal lifted his head and looked at Lar, you, the clock, and then back to Lar, tapping his wrist like it had a watch and gave a shrug, to ask him “when”. Larry smirked and leaned back into his chair some, looking up to the teacher, she had long fell asleep at her desk after writing the pages to read on the board, she pretended she was simply reading her own book, but the faint snore wasn't missed. The other kids had either gone to sleep too, or was fucking off more than them. Lar gave a glance back to Sal and his smirk turned into a shit eating grin, as he mouthed "Now." to the other teen, and nodded toward the window next to Sal. Sal's eyes widened behind his mask, they usually would ditch between classes, not DURING them. But he worried for you, he knew you wouldn't tell them about your home anymore, last time, Larry and you argued. It was like you didn't know what they did to you was abuse, or if you did, you didn't want to hear it. So you started to clam up about it, despite Larry prying till you both fought again. You two were often compared to a married couple, you bickered over things, but everyone figured it was cause you both we're just as stubborn as the other. Sal came back from his thoughts, glancing from Larry to the window. Larry still smiling, leaning forward again, motioning his hand to open the window, trying to encourage the bad deeds.

Sal was a bit panicked at the idea, but caved, turning to the window next to him, and leaned over his desk to very softly push on it, begging it to be silent. It slid up with a little pop of air coming through, which caught the attention of a few people, including you, but thankfully, not the teacher, who just snored louder. Sal put a finger to his mask as the class looked at him. Some rolled their eyes, others snickered softly, but they all went back to their lives, but not you, you popped your head up and looked at him, with questioning eyes, before turning to Larry and raising a brow. Larry was practically out of his chair already, his stuff gathered to his side as Sal very anxiously slipped the window up enough to fit a person. You turned you attention to the window again, seeing Sal's things kicked toward the window as well, and gave a chuckle, along with a couple other students that were gawking, but you had to stop yourself from making a noise as a paper ball smacked the back of your head. You rolled your eyes before grabbing it and laying it out flat, squinting at the shitty hand writing on the mangled paper. "come with?" read the small text with a little ghost drawn other it.

Your eyes searched it frantically, looking for the joke, but when you whipped your head up to look to Larry, he was standing above you, bag over his shoulder, waiting for your answer right next to you. You wanted to speak but you didn't even know what to say if you were going to. Larry simply gave a breathy chuckle and mouthed "scared?" at you. Your eyes narrowed at him, a challenge? Fuck it then. You stuffed your stuff in your bag as fast as you could while being quiet, and slung it over your shoulder and joined Sal next to the window, with Larry not far behind you. But you could feel eyes on you, eyes filled with anger, and not "what are these chuckle fucks doing now?" like the others, you looked up to see Travis, the local homophobic homo. Once your eyes met, he glared daggers at you, and whipped his head around, looking toward the teacher. Larry's half lidded eyes widened, and his head went back a little in shock. Sal had gathered his bag and swung a leg out the window, and before he could fully hop out, he heard the boys voice ring out loudly. "They're skipping class again!" he screamed, his voice cracking, causing students to snicker, as the teacher woke with a start.

"Aw, shit, fucking Travis." Larry grumbled out, and turned to the window, where Sal had already hopped out and waited, but you were stuck stunned as the teacher rose from their desk and looked at you both. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GET IN YOUR SEATS!" Larry snagged your arm, giving a soft shake and leaned down to you. "Come on, we gotta go now, or not at all." He said in your ear, before ducking his lanky limbs out the window and rolling out next to Sal with a laugh. Both looked up at you, the teacher closing in on you. "Back in your seat!" She screamed as she moved closer, reaching for you. Sal took a couple steps back, trying to put distance between the window, and get a head start, but Larry didn't budge, he watched you, with half lidded eyes. You glanced from the teacher to the window again, before sucking in air, and just straight up jumped out, like you were about to take a nice slide down a slip n slide, but instead of a nice slide, you just belly flopped out with a pathetic little slide, earing a laugh from Larry who helped scoop you up, and the three of you started to run from the grounds, hearing the teachers screams fade till all that was left was the sounds of your shoes padding away quickly.

Once you reached the fence at the end of the school's property, the two teens, easily hopped it, tossing their things over to the first over, which was Sal, who caught them and tossed them to the ground. You could tell they did this, like a lot. Once Larry was over, he turned to look at you, as you were sizing the fence up. "Heh, come on, you can't hop a window, OR a fence?" you narrowed your eyes again, this man could really push your buttons. "Not all of us can just step over it, you long legged ass." You grumbled scaling it, biting back your nerves. Once at the top, you swung your legs over, and sat at the top railing for a moment, looking at the ground. You were hardly higher than Larry, but something about being higher than the tall bastard was sending you for a loop. "Come onnnn, I'll catch you!" Larry finally said with a smirk, holding out his arms. Oh that was it, he's gonna catch you alright, with his fucking face. You hefted yourself off the rail and straight at the other teen, expecting his little lanky ass to crumble like his paper balls under your weight from that height. But instead the wind was knocked from you for a second time, as you were easily caught by the boy. His arms pressed hard around you with the catch, and he stumbled a tiny bit, but you were still safe, feet but a foot or two off the ground, dangling in his arms, like a rag doll as you tried to figure out what even happened.

You looked up, the boy's nose painfully close to your face, that was now heating up at the closeness. "I told you I would catch you." He said with a chuckle, not helping your embarrassment. You gave a weak wiggle in the boys arms, trying to signal to just drop you already from the bear hug. "Jesus...Fuck. How did you even catch me, noodle arms?" Larry was about to release you, before that comment, but instead his grin widened and he squeezed you tightly to his chest, showing off just how much more strength he had. You let out a breathy squeak, caught off guard by the pressure, before you heard a loud pop, and your eyes widened a little. He had popped your back in the most amazing way, and you both looked at each other, questioning if that just happened, before all three of you bust into laughter, Larry finally putting you down. "If the married couple is ready, we're not too far from school, and uhhh." Sal said, pointing up to the security guards, huffing as they ran to the fence, starting to yell for them to stop. "Oh shit, let's go." Larry said, grabbing his bag, and then yours, hefting both over his shoulders and taking off first. You and Sal quickly joined them, the sound of feet and backpacks shuffling away as you all left behind the guards.

"When you gonna carry my bag, dude?" Sal huffed and puffed behind his mask, adjusting the bag filled with most of their ghost hunting things, he turned to look at the tall teen, hefting the two bags. "When you belly flop out a window then get your spine cracked in a bear hug, I guess." He snickered and looked back to you, who tried your best to keep up, but again, they seem to do this, a lot, and had you beat in the running department... and the jumping.. actually let's stop thinking about that. Sal snickered and as the three of you ran till your were far enough to not worry anymore, so you all slowed down to a nice walk, which you welcomed. As you three walked Sal pulled out his phone and started to send a text, you trotted to walk beside him and smiled. "Texting Todd?" You questioned, which gained a smile from the boy that you could see in his eyes, even behind the mask. "Yeah, he's probably not going to ditch, but I like to let him know at least." Larry sighed, his usual slouch ruined by the two bags, forcing him to actually stand straight. "He never ditches, but it's cool, we just do small snooping without him." Sal gave a nod and stuffed the phone back in his pocket. "Yeah, he's got grades to keep up, so he doesn't like ditching."

Larry laughed, shifting the backpacks on his back, with a shake of his head. "Yeah, I'm glad I don't have to worry about that." You rolled your eyes, giving a tug to your bag to take it from him. "Ever think, maybe you should?" You teased, looking him up and down. He simply rolled his eyes and let the bag drop into your hands with the tug and shruged. "I make Cs, that's good enough for mom, it's good enough for me." Sal chuckled and looked over his shoulder at him "What about the F in chem Lisa was just yelling at you about this morning?" Larry frowned and groaned, "I forgot about that honestly." he said, his smirk coming back, earning a laugh from you both. A silence washed over you three as you walked, once the teasing and questions were aside, but you enjoyed the nice silence as they lead you into the woods. "Sooo," you finally interrupted the silence, wiping sweat from your brow. "Where are we even going?" You looked from one teen to the other, before Sal spoke. "There's this weird little house out here." Larry nodded and raised his hands, wiggling his fingers in a "spooky" fashion. "Yeah it's fucking creepy as hell. No one remembers it ever being there, no address for it or anything." he dropped his arms, and rolled his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. "And it's completely empty." Sal added, pulling his phone back out as it vibrated. "Other than some like, really, really old, dusty furniture." Larry continued, watching the other tapping away on the flip phone, before pocketing it again.

"Todd said the whole school is freaking out about us." Sal looked at the two of you, a smile behind his mask. Larry threw back his head with a laugh, "Oh man, were so boned." Sal hummed in agreement, but you stopped in your tracks. You couldn't take another step, as panic took over you. Gripping the straps of your bag, you looked at the ground, completely zoned, thinking about what would happen when you went home. You'd never be allowed to do basically anything, ever again. You'd be surprised if they didn't padlock you out of your room...again. Larry and Sally came to a stop as well, looking at you. "Y/N?" Sal asked, worry in his tone, but you didn't respond, your brain was going a mile a minute and didn't even hear him. Larry started snapping his fingers to bring you back, "Y/N? Come on dude, I can't have you both starting this zoning out thing." You looked at Larry with a start. "Hu-huh? Oh.. sorry I just uh..." You trailed off, eyes falling back to the ground, the thoughts trying to close back in. You wondered if you'd have a room left when you came back, would it be all thrown outside? All your things, your sketch books, your clothes, your bed, your cat? You shook your head and shut your eyes tight, wincing at the thought.

Sal put an oversized hand on your shoulder, while Larry slipped his fingers around yours and held your hand so tenderly, you could feel it through your freak out. You looked at them both, trying to pretend you didn't have tears in your eyes, knowing it was a lie. Sal finally spoke again, rubbing the hand on your shoulder for a moment. "You're worried about your folks, huh?" his voice was comforting, like the one you'd hear from someone that loved you dearly, it was almost strange for you to hear that from someone, did you really never get to hear that tone from anymore else? "Yeah, don't worry about it tho-" Larry squeezed your hand, you could see he was upset, you knew the look he had when he was upset, his brows would knit together, and he couldn't stop from frowning, almost looking like a pouting child. But you saw restraint in his eyes, like he was, for once, biting his tongue. "Y/N just-" He started but sighed and looked away, his hand never leaving yours though. You felt bad, you knew what he wanted to say, and you didn't know if you could fight this time.

You came from this train of thoughts as well, when Sal slid his hand down your arm, to catch your free hand in his, like Larry. The both of them, on either side of you, holding you hands gently, their love pouring through their palms. It reminded you of those cute pictures you've seen, where parents hold the hands of their kids as they walk. It was then, that you were absolutely certain, no one had shown you love like this. Love that you didn't question, that you didn't fear. Love that you can actually feel. It felt really nice, you couldn't help it anymore, your eyes dropped to the ground, as tears ran down your cheeks, a small sob escaping your lips. Sal's hand seemed to hold yours even more gently, where Larry's tightened, you could truly feel their emotions, and how they handled yours differently. It was beautiful, and grounding, but still the tears fell.

Larry was steaming mad, but he wouldn't let you know, he hated your parents, he was so pissed about how they treated you. If they weren't abusing you emotionally and mentally, they were neglecting you to go do whatever they wanted and left you alone. And when they weren't doing either of those, they had the nerve to gaslight you, till you wouldn't listen to your friends, even though they loved you. He wanted to speak, say what he wanted to for weeks now, but he knew there would be venom in his voice that he couldn't stop, so it was Sal that broke the silence. "Y/N... Me and Lar have been talking." He glanced to the taller teen, before looking back to you, as you stared a hole into the grass. "And we've been talking to our parents..." He continued, but this time Larry spoke up, more aggressively than he meant to, "Yeah and-" he lowered his tone when he noticed you flinch, sadness creeped into his heart when he saw that, and he vowed, he'd never make you do that again. But he continued his sentence, with the softest and most loving tone his anger allowed. "An-And we want you to move in with us." He finally got it out, but why did he feel his cheeks heating up? Why was he suddenly so nervous? It was his idea, he brought it up to Sal weeks ago, and after talking, and getting the evidence he needed to show both their parents, they agreed without a hesitation. Their parents had already started to make their relationship more serious, talking about marriage, but even then, they couldn't stand what they heard about your parents. Sal's dad and Larry's mom had reactions, similar to their sons. Soft pitty, and bitter anger. Lisa even talked about fighting their parents, but they decided that instead, taking them in was the best option.

You looked up quickly when he told you, looking between the two of them. They we're joking right? They had to be. But it wasn't a bad idea, and you'd be lying if you said you didn't think about it. Late at night, when your parents fought, you put your headphones on, to drown them out, thinking about what it'd be like to live in the apartments with Sal, Larry, and Todd. You never really said it, but you wanted to move into them when you were able to, and well, you just kind of forgot, you would be able to do that soon. You were only months from your 18th birthday, Larry was even closer, where Sal had already hit his. It made sense for them to even think about this, and you you realized, you could just, never go back. But you couldn't stop staring at them, you just knew it was a lie. Why would they want to live with you? Who even were you living with? They lived in two different apartments.

Larry finally broke the silence again, "Well? Aren't you even going to answer?" He sounded hurt, was it from your pause? Was it because you seemed like you didn't want to? But you finally spoke, "Why?" was all you managed out of the many questions in your head. They both stared at you blinking, they didn't really expect that question you guessed, but you felt Larry's hand grip tighter, and he tugged it, just enough to fully obtain your attention. "What the hell do you mean 'why'? Your parents suck, Y/N. You're fucking scared to even go home." He spoke bluntly but with a calm tone, worried of freaking you out again, and knew this topic never had gone well before. But you softly sighed, you gave both boys a soft squeeze to their hands, catching them both off guard, from the limp fish they felt they were holding earlier. Now, you held their hands back, even stroking a finger over each boys hand, but never looking up. "I know..." your words were flat, and you barely realized you said them. They were true, weren't they? You knew they were, you didn't want them to be, but they were. You didn't want to go home, ever fucking again. You didn't want to hear them yell at you, to belittle you, to use you for a therapist or maid. You wanted to be free.

The boys looked at you for a long time, both caught off guard by the response, but before they could even collect a sentence, you spoke again. "Which of you would I live with?" You finally looked up, Sal smiled behind his mask, his eyes showing it plainly again, but Larry thought his heart was melting still from the way you held his hand back. He never understood how someone who went through something so hard, had such a soft grip. But he had to shake his thoughts from his head, a smile creeping on his face. "Me, of course." He chirped happily, earning a brow raise from you. Sal rolled his eyes, "Neil got a house, it's right down the road from the apartments, and Todd's going to live with him of course, and he invited me to come along." Larry pipped up to finish for his bro, "And I'm hanging back for a bit, I'm not gonna move out just yet, I still haven't figured out if I'm going to college, like these nerds have." he said smirking at Sally, earning an eyeroll. You looked from Sal to Larry for a minute, before looking back to Sal again. "So how shit of a roomie is he?" you question, making Sal chuckle loudly, and earning a scowl from Larry. "The worst." Sally teased, raising a hand to his face and waving it in front of his nose. "His room smells like pot and paint all the time, and he loses everything he touches." Larry narrowed his eyes at the other, "And your mask stinks." He retorted with a smirk. Sal raised a finger and waved it at him, "It's a prosthetic thank you, very much." Larry rolled his eyes and mumbled "A stinky one."

You all laughed and your smile could warm these entire cold, dark woods. You felt so safe and happy with them, and you never even noticed. "Alright." You said with a shrug, dragging both their hands up with it. Larry looked almost shocked, like he never thought you'd agree, but Sal just smiled at you both. "Wait, really?" Larry questioned, still stunned. But you simply looked at him, and gave him the biggest smile you've ever had in your life, tracing a finger over the ring on the boy's finger. "Yeah Larry, I'd love to live with you guys. I really would." It was their turn to join in on the tears, and they finally let go of your hand, before closing in around you, the two of them wrapping their arms around you and each other. You beamed and let out an embarrassed giggle as you hugged their arms to your chest, enjoying the group hug, more than you ever thought you would. You all held each other for a moment, enjoying the comfort of the group hug, you all had a place, and it was together.

But all things come to an end, including the cuddle puddle. Which was rudely interrupted by the loud blaring of your ringer, Sanity Falls, poorly recorded off Larry's stereo on your flip phone. You pulled the phone out, as the boys finally released you, but they didn't move far from your side, peaking at the caller ID on the front. It was your mother. Your stomach bounced from your feet to your throat, and back again, eyes scanning the phone, your hands starting to shake. Sal's eye's grew sad, seeing you so upset. Larry was trying to control his anger, his want to just- Before he could finish his thought, you opened the flip phone up, accepting the call, stunning both boys, not only did they think you'd ignore it, but you always skittered off to answer it when you did. But instead, you just flipped it open, your fingers trembling against it. Your mother's voice blared through the phone, as if it was on speaker, the loud bitch always did have some lungs on her. "Y/N? Where the fuck are you? Why did you leave school? You are in so-" you turned the phone, taking each side of the flip phone in your hands, and snapping it in half, the voice spotting short as you broke it. Larry was stunned, and upset, that's just what he wanted to do. You looked at the halves of the phone, and threw them to the dirt, stomping them in a little, feeling a wave of euphoria wash over you. You looked back up to the boys, almost looking for approval. But before your face could even turn to Larry's, he had scooped you up in another bear hug. "That was fucking metal, Y/N!" He spun you, nearly side swiping Sal with you dangling legs, but he jumped back and pumped a fist in the air. "Hell yeah it was!" He cheered, as the lanky boy finally finished spinning you, put your feet on the ground. You head was spinning, but you couldn't tell if it was the twirl or joy anymore, laughter spilling past your lips, even though tears still formed in your eyes. But for once, the tears weren't painful. But you looked up to Larry, as he put his hands on both sides for you shoulders, looking in your eyes. "I'm proud of you, Y/N." your lip quivered, but you jumped a little when you felt Sal hand on your back. "I am too." his voice was calm and gentle, just like the hug Larry pulled you into, as Sal rested his mask against your shoulder, wrapping his arms around you from behind. You laid your face against Larry's chest, the two of them felt warm and comforting against you, and you smiled as you sobbed softly. "Thank you." You finally choked out. You were finally home.

[shinebrightlikeanarwhal]

Travis-centered plots because I Like fix it’s… (I just finished typing them all, I’m ashamed for my sinful brain oml)

- Larry and Travis having once been friends but being torn apart by Travis’ father. Larry keeping an eye on Travis for years but then turning his attention to Sal, whom in turn receives the sudden disdain of Travis.

Sal confronts Travis in the bathrooms one day and Larry listens from the door. Eventually Sal talks Travis into tears. He confesses to being jealous of Sal and not wanting Larry to stop focusing on him, even if Larry ends up hating him. How his dad would beat him if Travis and Larry ever got close again. Larry barges in and holds Travis close. They reconcile (Sal opting to let the boys talk, clearly not in the mood to see Enemies to Lovers tonguing den in the school bathroom.

They uproot and destroy the cult, blah blah blah, Happily ever after and Travis gets help for his trauma induced depression and anxiety.

- Travis has been off for a few days. He doesn’t antagonize anyone. Philip does more talking and ginger touching that Travis violently jerks away from. During class he barely responds and teachers don’t try to force him. Sal didn’t expect to find Travis sleeping on a bench one day. His worn shoes now tattered with holes at the bottom. His black eye prominent but accompanied by a busted lip and what looked to be severe damage to his legs.

Not sure how he did it, but Sal managed to convince Travis to come home with him. Introduces Travis to Henry and leads him to the bathroom where he washed off and got treated. His damage was severe and Sal really wanted to call the police but just seeing a fearful Travis weened him off the idea.

Larry was not too pleased to find Travis at Sals. He almost yelled until he noted Travis look at his raised hand and cower from him. Larry pausing and pulls Sal to the side to understand. Of course they don’t know the full story but it’s enough to have Larry texting the group for help. Most were curious about what could lead them to wanting to help Travis. Ash, however, seemed to know a lot.

They find out about Travis’ abuse, the cult. Travis helps a little. He is still terrified of them but they start to grow on him with time. He even allows contact with Sal rarely, who shows him his face during a bonding moment at the dead of night. Larry makes playlists and CDs to help Travis get accustomed to loud noises (many of which are songs Larry personally thinks Travis would enjoy.

After the gang destroys and puts the cult behind bars. No demons, no murders, and no dead friends. Sal manages to convince Travis to report his father, thankfully they kept his clothes to give to the state police, Todd refused to trust the local police after further investigating the cult and their connections.

Healing and coping, cuddling and coddling. Travis getting the love and attention he deserves! Could end with him dating someone or him just being under their care for a while.

—Salvis but Sal is a bit more aggressive with Travis. Fuck it ABO, Travis is a very spicy omega that pretends to be a Beta. Sal is a strong scented alpha, like it’s a musky and domineering scent compared to his appearance. Larry is an alpha, though his scent is murky and smoky, and he doesn’t act like the stereotypical alpha. Travis nitpicks them like usual, though sometimes they are too distracted by the nice smell seeping off of him. Larry sneers and asks if Travis mom scented him before school. Travis is upset at this. Much more emotional than usual. Sal notes the spike in scent and jabs Larry.

Uh oh, Travis is presenting in the bathroom, and beta Philip isn’t able to fight off the alphas coming to investigate the scent, thankfully Sal is here to soothe and calm the terrified Travis while his friends help fend off the other students.

Mr. Phelps is pissed about an omega son. Travis is constantly scented with distress. He isn’t allowed to talk about it but everyone can smell it. They are well aware of Travis’ fluctuating weight, fatigue and his tan skin turning pale and bruised worse than before. Larry is annoyed by this but can’t tell whether it’s the scent affecting him or his stern belief in protecting omegas from abusive alphas.

Sal hates it, he knows he felt the mate bond but Travis doesn’t seem to notice. Travis’ suffering eats away at Sal until he all but corners Travis and propositions him to save him from his father and give him sanctuary. It takes a lot to convince Travis. Heck, he has to promise Larry wouldnt hurt him (Larry later seeks Travis to reconcile their bad blood).

They get to know eachother. Sal is head over heels and watching Travis grow and blossom into his omega blood. Travis starts falling for someone else and Sal tries to be supportive (until he can’t even look at Travis without feeling heartache). But Travis notes he doesn’t love ____ And follows his heart to Sal. They bond, they love and boom, happy little family. (With three cute babies because Travis and Sal deserve happy families)

Larvis: roughly the same as the salvos ABO but Larry straight up picks up Travis and carries him home. Travis tries to fight but is swaddled and pampered until he’s fast asleep and purring in Larry’s arms.

Mr. Phelps doesn’t have much ground to stand on when he tries to take Travis back. Larry confirming that Travis is his mate and based off of Phelps’ beliefs he should reside with his mate.

Travis is surprised his father backs off so easily (because how could the pastor refute what he preaches?? Such blasphemy would be heard by the church blah blah blah). Larry and Travis talk and Larry admits that they are indeed mates, he never brought it up for Travis’ health. He was already struggling to care for himself, a mating bond would send his already feeble body and fragile mind spiraling. Larry also admits he knew they were mates ever since he presented, which wasn’t that long after entering highschool. But, Travis was so proud to be ‘normal’ and not some horny mess like the others. He also didn’t like seeing Travis harass and bully others, which probably aided in his aggressive rejection of the omega and prolonged Travis’ presentation.

Life goes on and Larry and Travis are happily married with four kids (two more in the oven, because Larry is a very affectionate husband). Cult was handled and Sal is NOT dead and very much the worlds best uncle.

-Travis having a hot girl summer.

That’s it. That’s the plot.

Thotty church twink marching about in short shorts and tank tops (sinful!) showing off his goodies to the masses. Larry shamelessly offers to partake, and gets thrown for a whirlwind when Travis’ phat ass is delightfully uncontrollable. Sal jokingly shoots his shot and winds up slumped in the back of the church from immaculate head.

Mr. Phelps is away so the thot is out to play. (Courtesy of Mama Phelps aiding and abetting her sons growth as a person. He may be throwing it back to the boys he once sneered at but at least he’s nicer to people)

-Travis being rescued from the Phelps home after a concerned report to the state police. The church closed and his father put behind bars for many accounts of child abuse and neglect and the disappearance of Travis’ mother.

Sal and gang are curious about what the new home will do to Travis after months of rehabilitation, and all damn near faint when they see Travis with long pink hair and a cute sun dress marching into the school. Directly towards them and apologizing for his horrible treatment of them, specifically Sal. They can’t believe his change at first but after weeks of watching him, he seems genuinely happier.

This new happiness starts to get unsettling to Larry, who watches Travis and Philip be closer than before. He shouldn’t care he hates Travis! But god he wished the boy would wrap his arms around his and march down the halls. He would kill to get surprise back hugs or do the hugging. He wanted to share lunch with Travis. Be hand fed meals and have his mouth cleaned whilst being scolded.

Fuck, he’s in love! He thought he nipped that in the bud when Sal started getting bullied by Travis. But no, Travis being rescued from his awful father and being a genuinely good person from then on was astounding. Hell, he even brought Sal treats as an apology for walking in on him with his mask off once. Sal said it was fine but Travis babbled ok about feeling bad because Sal looked terrified even though Travis didn’t think Sal was any less cool. (Yes, Sal cried in his room about how much it meant for someone to say that).

For fucks sake, Travis had pictures upon pictures of his new family and their pets. PETS. He had dooogs, god Larry lost his mind seeing Travis jogging around town with dogs in shorts and a sweaty, almost see through tank top!! He’s too gay for this.

He finally confesses, maybe tries to play it off as a joke, but Travis just smiles sweetly and pecks his cheek. He’s sorry but he’s already dating someone. Larry tries not to let his disappointment show, but he just can’t feel the need to go to school for a couple of days. Hides out in his tree house and just smokes. Cause, cmon.. who’d wanna date him?? All he does is smoke and play around! He hasn’t had a stable relationship in years and most he’s known for is sleeping with whoever he deems the hottest.

Sal notices his behavior and tries to comfort him, not sure why Larry is like this, by offering to introduce him to his partner. Maybe they have a friend Larry is interested in. Larry wants to be supportive but he really doesn’t care to see Sals new beau(ty). He really just wanted to camp out in the tree house and smoke away the pain. Or, he did until he sees Travis and Sal holding hands and nuzzling on the couch one day. Sals legs on Travis’ and Travis combing Sals hair. Larry felt like his world came crashing down, his best friend?? And his first and worst crush?? The crush that sent him spiraling for what could have been weeks? Sal is innocent, he didn’t know that Larry was madly in love with Travis. Didn’t know that Travis so politely rejected him and offered to cease contact if Larry felt he couldn’t be around him.

Larry wasn’t much of a romantic after that. He played around with whoever he felt needed love. His partying spiraling out of control in adult hood. Travis tried to contact him and help him find a good person, but any attempts to help Larry ended with Larry crying to him drunkenly. Asking why he wasn’t good enough, why he couldn’t have been Sal. Travis wasn’t allowed near Larry after Larry drunkenly made advances at him, he doesn’t blame Larry he’s extremely emotional, but Sal felt Larry would only get worse the more they stayed in contact, so they were kept apart.

Larry never loved anyone as much as he loved Travis Fisher.

-Last one was a sadder Onesided Larvis, this one is Larry teasing and cornering Travis so much that Travis tries to shock him by kissing him. He came home with some hickies and a very prominent limp.

They’re not saying, yet, but Wingman Sal is politely judging Travis into Larry’s arms. They are constantly alone together. Larry blowing Travis’ back out in an abandoned amusement park when the others split up to explore. “He sprained his ankle running from a shadow” Hmph, Travis smelt like axe. He HATES the smell of axe… but okay lovebirds.

Sal has 100% walked in on the secret lovers getting frisky when moms out. Later helps Travis shop for more pretty clothes, because who wouldn’t want a shopping body??? That’s almost illegal to not take the opportunity.

Larry eats ass. A lot. Travis can literally be on FaceTime shopping with Sal and Larry just slips under the covers and enjoys his fill of boyfriend cheekies~ yum!

Travis, as revenge, will give the gawk gawk 9000. Larry is NOT safe if he thinks Travis has forgotten the embarrassment of Sal chuckling and telling him he has to go walk his homework. He could be on the phone with his boss or Lisa and Travis will give the sloppiest top he’s ever had. (Praise the son for horni bratty bottoms)

[ivyglow]

I don't know if you write for him but could you do 91 with Carter Hart? In a situation where he is just slightly tipsy

Hey there! Sorry for taking forever, here it is and I hope you enjoy it! 🧡

91. “Listen, it’s for science.”

Carter was great. In fact, during all your 2-year friendship you guys went through a lot together, from taking care of each other sick to celebrating your promotions at work. And celebrations are exactly the subject for today’s essay while you look in disbelief at your door.

You were busy with college and work so you were not able to go to Carter’s game tonight, opting to watch it on your TV while finishing some papers. From time to time you would send a message to Carter just so he would have something to laugh at the end of the game and thank god they won, that means no grumpy-harty to deal with.

That’s why you were in pure disbelief when you opened your door hours after the game, already on the bed ready to sleep, finding a slightly tipsy Carter looking at your with amusement.

“Tell you did not drive like this” you plead with your eyes almost closed.

“Nah, Tk got me in an Uber” he smiles displaying his red cheeks and squished eyes.

Damn you, Travis!

“Ok, get inside, I’ll do some coffee for you and you can crash on the sofa” opening your door wide you watch him almost trip to take off his shoes without undoing the shoelaces before finally getting inside.

It was not usual for him to show up drunk at your door after a celebration with the team, but since you knew better how to deal with a drunk Hart you were his teammates' first number to call.

“Why coffee?” He’s sitting at a stool, arms dropped at the counter and cheeks at the cold marble, head slightly tipped up so he watches while you start the coffee machine.

“It will help your drunk ass to sober up” you explain watching him play with the fruit basket.

“I’m not that drunk, y/n...” he rolls his eyes and you chuckle before going to your room to get him clean clothes.

When you get back Carter is playing with some cherries and you can’t help but suppress the laugh. He was usually very thoughtful while drunk, coming up with philosophical questions and wondering about the smallest things to ever happen, usually the questions that he didn’t bother to voice when sober, so you usually took serious his ramble, never making too much fun of it.

“What’s up now, Hartsy boy?”

“You know how to tie a cherry stem in a knot??” He asks making you furrow your brows.

“That’s a very random question, but yeah, I know” you went to the coffee machine but before you could get the hot and dark liquid to pour in the porcelain cup Carter voice fills your ears, he wasn’t finished with his question “using your tongue?”

“What?” You get the cup full and turns to him.

“To tie a cherry stem in a know using your tongue. You know how?”

“Ooh...yeah, I know in fact” you give him his coffee thinking about high school while he’s sipping and blowing. You used to do knots in cherry stems with your friends in the last years of school, it was a silly teenage thing but it used to be fun considering you got to eat the cherries after.

“You know...I read on the internet these days that if you can do it then you’re a good kisser...and I couldn’t!!!” He has his elbow in the counter and his head is held by his hand, anyone would tell that he was genuinely upset.

You wanted to laugh. Because he had was genuinely cute doing that face, and because you couldn’t believe someone as good looking as Carter believed in something so silly like cherry knots being connected to how good of a kisser you are.

“It’s internet stuff, Carter, it’s not like it’s one hundred percent true,” you try to reason with him.

“But what if I’m a bad kisser?!” He seemed disturbed and you rolled your eyes lightly before chuckling.

“That doesn’t make sense, honey, you’re just drunk.”

“I’m not drunk, y/n, I’m in the middle of a philosophical discussion here...and what if girls never tell me I’m a bad kisser because they think it would hurt me?!”

He walks to the freezer before dropping an ice cube inside his cup and taking two long gulps of coffee. You giggle with his eagerness to finish his coffee, trying to prove he is -or soon will be- sober enough to discuss kisses.

“If you were a bad kisser we would’ve known. Remember our friend Karynne?! She was 200% still into you after you guys hook up if you were a bad kisser she wouldn’t be in your feet until nowadays” it brings you a small pang in the heart think about girls that hook up with Carter, he was usually very private about it and you were grateful for that, but still, it makes you mad.

“Oh- yeah but Karynne wanted an athlete, doesn’t matter if he’s the worst kisser...” he argues and you puff your cheeks.

“You see, I think-“

“We should kiss.”

“What?!”

”Listen, it’s for science”

“Omg, you’re not making any sense right now, Carter Hart” you puff your cheeks again praying that it won’t be red as soon as he says anything else.

You wanted to kiss Carter?! Of course!!! Your friendship was full of lingering touches and pet names and midnight talks and tension, and people usually made fun of you two, but you were torn between going for it and risk get hurt or don’t go and never know how it would really feel.

“Scientifically talking you’re a good kisser, and besides you’re my best friend, I know you wouldn’t lie to me!”

You let out a nervous chuckle.

“You’re drunk!”

“Slightly tipsy when I got here, but now I’m sober as I can be, you know it” his hands are on his hips and he’s intently staring.

You groin before dropping your arms beside your body, it was hard to resist to Carter asking for anything, let alone Carter asking for a kiss?!

Impossible.

“Listen, this thing is probably fake news...” you start and he displays a full laugh, his head slightly thrown back.

“Yeah, so it’s our job to check it and prove either it’s really true or false” he seems determined and you give in, before sitting in the stools and holding his hand.

He seems to take some minutes to realize what you’re doing but when he does he’s fast to be in the middle of your legs. Right hand holding and caressing your jaw and left hand bringing your waits closer.

He seemed to know exactly how to hold you and just by that you could tell he was in no ways a bad kisser.

”For science, yeah?!”

“Pure science” he mumbles with his eyes closed, his face closer than ever and his hot breath makes you shiver.

He takes his time breathing you in, discovering a little more about your face using his lips and when he finally presses it together it’s strong and soft and it’s hot but cold and you can taste alcohol with coffee with a sweet point somewhere. His tongue is gentle, he may be eagerly judging the way he holds tighter to your waits, but he’s not in a rush and by no means he fights for dominance. It’s natural. Almost like you two do it every time.

You thread your fingers on his locks and your body seems to be on automatic when your legs go around his waist begging for more contact.

When you two put away you’re taking as much air in as possible. Your bodies still tangled, his hand still tight around you.

He smiles before pecking your lips and you hold him there enjoying the feeling of his soft skin against yours.

He chuckles.

“That means I’m a good kisser?!”

“I’ll need to do some more tests” you whisper before bringing his mouth to yours again.

[blackbabybird]

Forgiven - Chapter 4 - An Event 

warnings: self hating bruce mostly and bad words. this is a long ass chapter, #sorrynotsorry kind of got carried away. however, we learn new things more and more everyday ;) also i think isley’s job fits her and bruce v v v well. enjoy:)

I get those goosebumps every time, yeah, you come around, yeah You ease my mind, you make everything feel fine

~ Goosebumps by Travis Scott

I parked my car in front of Cork County Middle School. The school itself was a large brick building in the middle of a corn field. It used to be an insane asylum. I grab my bag and get out of my car to head toward the doors of the school. Once I get up there, I pull on the door. It’s locked. I look at the wall near the doors, they have an extremely fancy security system. I buzz the door. 

“Hi there! What can we do for you?” a happy voice rings through the intercom.

“Uh, my name is Isley Thomas. I have an appointment with Headmaster-,” I look down at my phone, “Guille.”

“Give me one second, dear. I’ll get those doors open for you,” her sickly sweet voice came through again. 

A second later the massive doors swing open. I’m greeted by two men in riot gear. “Any weapons must be surrendered before entry into property. This includes, but is it not limited to guns, tazers, pens, and ninja-stars.” speaks the large guards. 

“Pens?” I ask. 

The other guard nods curtly. I shake my head and grab all my pens out of my bag. They take them and put them tightly in between their bullet proof vests. “Follow us.”

What the hell is this place? I walk silently in between the two. We arrive at large double doors with a Medusa head engraved into the doors. The two walk around me and open the doors synchronously. I walk through them towards what looks like the office. That same god-awful sweet voice rings through the hallways, “You must be Ms. Thomas! You’re shorter than I expected. Hm, anyways, follow me.” 

So I do. “I never caught your name, Ms...?” 

“You needn’t worry about me, sugar. Names get in the way. I’m simply the next vessel for Headmaster Guille. Oh, we’re here! Knock twice then let yourself in, alrighty?”

I nod quickly and do as she said. The room I walk into is white and pristine. Nothing, and I mean nothing is out of place. There’s just a desk and two chairs in the room. No computer or even a cup of coffee, weird. “Please, sit Ms. Thomas.” says a voice from my left. 

I sit down in on the chair across from the desk. Slow, loud clacking walks pass me. A woman sits in front of me. She has on black classic pumps, a pencil skirt and a white blouse. I finally make my eyes to hers and that’s when everything starts clicking into place. Her eyes are gouged out in an attempt to recreate Oedipus. “I am headmaster Guille, Ms. Thomas.”

“Thank you for agreeing to meet me Headmaster. I know you have plenty of other more pressing things to do.”

She turns her head, “Why, my dear, nothing is more important than finding one of my sweet, obedient students.” I nod in agreeance despite my weird feeling towards her and this place. “Why don’t you tell me more about yourself?”

“Well, I’m the owner of IT Investigative Services. We do freelance investigative work and are outsourced for police work occasionally.” I explain. 

“And your business here, is it freelance?” 

I feel my heart dip in a weird way, “No ma’am. The Cork County Police Department needed help and they outsourced me and my company to help with a missing persons case.” It wasn’t necessarily a lie. 

“I see.” she says. Her non-existent eyes felts like they were boring into my soul and making a home. “Well, I will say that we told the police everything, not sure what else I could say.”

“Anything helps. Especially when it comes to a missing child,” I say. 

“Ask away,” she says splaying her hands outward. 

I start asking the basic questions. Just small things I could compare to the recordings that I borrowed from the Cork County Police. Everything was going relatively fine until I seemed to strike a nerve. “So, I noticed that Amos actually lived in Andan County. That’s a 3 hour drive to Cork County. Why was Amos going to school here?”

She opened her mouth a few times with replies, but she eventually settled on, “Amos was a special boy. As are most of the students that attend here. However, he needed correcting. As do all of the students here,” she gives a tightlipped smile.

Now we’re getting somewhere. “Why did he need correcting? Did he do something bad?” I ask simply. 

“As with most 13 year olds, he was ill-mannered and bad tempered. He had to be corrected,” she repeats.

“Fair enough,” I nod. Time to go for the kill.“Yet, there is one more thing I’m confused with. Amos was an orphan. One that lived 3 hours away from this county, so who told you he was being a nuisance?” 

If this woman had eyes, I know she’d have a look that could kill. Her eye sockets bend slightly. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Ms. Thomas. We have an assembly soon that I must attend.” 

“Of course, Headmaster.” I say as I start packing up my stuff. I walk to the door, feeling her cavernous holes in my back. I go to pull the door open, but then I stop. “One last question,” I say. She looks up at me, “Who reported him missing?”

Bingo. Question answered.

The smile she gave was cruel and mouthy, “Some questions needn’t be answered. Have a good day, Isley.”

I walk out the door and head back to my car. 

/// 

When I arrived back at my car after successfully getting my pens back, I scrutinized the building. Being in there fucked with my mental state. Something was off about the place and I wanted to know more. My phone starts buzzing. It’s Phoebe so I click answer.

“You bitch! I can’t believe you,” Phoebe’s voice screeches through my receiver. 

“That’s one way to talk to your boss,” I deadpan.

“Boss or not, you’re literally the worst person I know.”

I scrunch my nose at her insult, “Let’s say hypothetically that is true, what exactly did I do to deserve such a title?” 

“Beside be a size 10 in shoes when I’m an 8?” I roll my eyes, “You also never mentioned that THE Bruce fucking Wayne of Wayne Corporation invited us to a fundraiser in Gotham City.” 

I sit there listening to her, “How’d you know about that?”

“I was going through your emails and there’s an invite. Also, pause, you knew?” she huffs.

I shrug even though she can’t see me, “It’s just a Wayne Event. It’s not a big deal. I didn’t even know it was a fundraiser.”

“Yeah, he’s going to try and get the Gotham socialites and old heads to give money for a-,” she stops talking and there’s some slight shuffling in the backgorund, “Ah! A metahuman trafficking recovery center. It would be an extension of Arkham Asylum.”

I feel my heartbeat get 10 times louder, “Pheebs, I need to call you later. I’m still here at Cork County Middle and I need to finish some paper work before I drive back tonight.”

I don’t wait for her to say goodbye before I hang up. I start dialing Bruce’s number. 

///

One. Two. One. Two. Jab. Hook, hook.

“God fucking damnit,” Jason exclaims. 

“The fight not going well?” I ask.

“Bruce. Manny Herechio has to win tonight.” Jason starts.

“Has?” I interject. 

He rambles over me, “HAS. I have so much money on this fight. Like, my future children’s money kind of money!”

I shoot him an amused look from my book. “I’m sure he’ll pull it out. Underdogs have a weird way of doing that.”

“OH MY FUCKING GOD. HE DID IT! HE FUCKING DID IT MAN,” Jason shakes me. 

I smile at him, happy that he’s happy, but then the scene changes. I’m now Batman and I’m holding Jason. He’s barely breathing and there’s so much blood. “You did this. You did this to me.” He breathes out angrily. 

“Jay, what? No, I didn’t! What do you mean?” I explain.

“You, the fucking Batman of all people, should have saved me. I’m dead because of you!” He’s now yelling at me. 

I feel the panic flutter throughout me. I should’ve saved him. It should’ve been me. 

The clatter of my phone hitting the floor shakes me out of my daydream hard. Less of a dream, more like a nightmare. The phone goes off again and I grab it from the floor. Isley Thomas flashes across the screen. I press accept. 

“Isley? Hello?” 

“Have you lost your goddamn mind?!” she seethes through the phone. 

I pull it away from me. “I can’t catch a fucking break today,” I grunt out. I put the phone back near my ear, “It’s possible I have, but depends on what this reason is,” I joke. 

“This event, party you’re throwing is for the business proposal that was between us privately. What the hell, Bruce?” 

I can tell she’s upset at what I tried to make a surprise. “It was supposed to be a surprise.” 

“A fucking surprise? For why?” she all but yells into the receiver. 

“I presented it to the board,” I didn’t. “And they didn’t like the idea of Wayne Enterprises being the face of metahuman trafficking support centers,” I explain. “Having a fundraiser will show that people, specifically people with money, are interested in defeating the metahuman trafficking.”

I can hear her breathing. “You could’ve just told me that the board rejected it,” she pauses, “I would’ve dealt with it.”

She’s not incorrect. However, I needed a win for today, “You told me that this was Staya’s dream. I just wanted to do everything I could to try and make it come true.”

She doesn’t reply anything. For a second there I think that she’s just hung up on me. “Okay. Next time, let me know ahead of time, please, Bruce,” is all she says. Then she adds, “I have to work. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

I hear the click of call ending and put the phone down. I bury my face in my hands. I walk to my door and walk to Sonya’s desk. She looks at me with a smile, “Mr. Wayne! What can I do for you?”

“Sonya, I’ll be unavailable for the rest of the day. See that the fundraiser details get figured out. I want to no hiccups, understood?” She nods, typing furiously. I continue, “Perfect. Thank you.”

I walk to the elevator and press floor one. I lay against wall in sheer exhaustion. Between my guilt from Jason and my repressed feelings about Isley, I needed to punch something. 

/// 

I took another sip of my coffee and continued typing on my computer. I was trying to find information about Cork County. “With the way you’re hunch over your computer, we’ll have to get massages before heading to Gotham,” Phoebe said pointedly. 

I roll my eyes, “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

“Fair enough. Enough investigating today boss lady. If we want to make it to Gotham in a decent hour and avoid traffic, we need to go,” Phoebe insists as she shuts my computer. 

“I made us a reservation at some fancy hotel. It offered nails too, what a deal. And, ooh, our dresses were delivered!”

“I thought we were going dress shopping today?” I say scrunching my nose at the implication of Phoebe picking out a dress for me. 

“Oh no you don’t. We were yesterday at 4, but someone,” she squints at me, “was a bit forgetful.”

I inhale, “Okay, that’s my bad. I’m sorry, this case just keeps making new turns every second. I feel like I’m drowning.”

“Well, tonight, no missing children to worry about.” 

I nod and smile at her. If only it was that easy. 

///

“Master Bruce, people will be arriving in less than 30 minutes, what on Earth are you doing?” I heard Alfred call for me while I was in the Batcave. 

I kicked the bag again. Focus. I kick again. 

“Master Bruce?” I hear Alfred again. I shake my head. Focus, Bruce. I kick the bag again. The chain breaks and bag flies across the room. 

“That is the 8th bag you’ve broken this week, Master Bruce.”

I exhale deeply. “It’s unimportant.”

“Perhaps to the ghosts of this cave, but not you. Never mind all that. You must shower and get dressed immediately,” Alfred says pushing me quickly towards the stairs.

“Can I at least take the elevator if speed is what we’re going for?” I grumble. 

“That privilege was lost once you made me trundle down those godforsaken steps and come get you!” I trudge up the stairs his insistent demands. 

When we arrive at the top, “Mr. Maurice, sorry to keep you waiting, Master Bruce is insolent when it comes to other’s time and efforts,”

I shoot Alfred a dirty look at his insults. He simply flicks his hand and I’m being taken by the tailor. Who starts showing me different fabrics and colors for tonight’s event. “What do you feel tonight Mr. Wayne? Navy or Black? I have grey also, but it has not been a fan favorite for the year.” Maurice explains quickly. 

I look at the colors. The black always speaks to me, but tonight was different. Because Isley will be there. I ignore my thoughts, “Let’s take a walk on the wild side, shall we?” 

“My thoughts exactly, Mr. Wayne!” 

I go to hop into the shower and prepare myself for tonight. 

///

I can hear the people downstairs. Drinks are flowing and soon enough the cash will be too. I hear my door open. “Only man I’ve ever known to be fashionably late at his own home.” It’s Dick. “Also, I don’t know what the fuck those little sausage balls are made with, but they are delicious. Woah-”

I turn and look at him, his mouth is wide open with the same bits sausage hanging in his mouth, “What? Also, please close your mouth.”

“This suit...who are you and what have you done with my best friend?” Dick jokes.

I just grunt and turn back around fixing my tie. I hear Dick’s laughter stop, “Okay, I’m sorry, here let me help with your tie. It’s more crooked than Cobblepot’s teeth.”

He fixes my tie and I can’t help but think about Jason. Dick searches my face, “You been thinking about him?”

I turn back to look in the mirror to inspect the knot he made. It answers his question. I know he wants to say something, he just doesn’t know what. No one ever does. “Master Bruce, Mr. Grayson.” Alfred’s voice turns us both around. “Almost all the guest are here. It is time to make an appearance.”

“Well, thank god I didn’t throw the party. I’m gonna find some pretty ladies and some more of the sausage balls.” Dick chippers happily and leaves this room. 

Alfred turns to do the same, but not before saying, “Mr. Todd is a great man. Just because you’re choosing to move on, doesn’t mean you’re forgetting him.”

“Don’t you mean was?” I ask.

“No. I meant is. What’s that saying you always tell the board members when you’re not present? Oh, yes, physicality is not the only way to be present.” With that Alfred mules out of the room.

I follow after him. I make it down the stairs, “Man of the hour. Mr. Bruce Wayne.” I hear some rich old guy yell at me. He grabs my hand and shakes it furiously. 

I do this for about an hour before I clink my glass and everyone quiets down. “I want to thank you all for being here,” I start, “Tonight was a bit last minute, but I am so glad to have the ability to host such things that bring us together. Tonight is about us expanding Arkham Asylum to host those affected by metahuman trafficking. Donations, as always, are tax deductable and can be written to the Wayne Corporation. Again, we are going to make a difference.” I raise my glass and every one claps. “But please, keep enjoying the booze, gives me an excuse to buy more!” I add with laughter. 

I make my way through the crowd towards one of the balconies. There’s just a woman out there. “What a speech,” she says as she comes out the shadows. 

It’s Isley, but she looked...beautiful didn’t even begin to describe it. Her hair is  straight rather than its usually curls. She has on a silk baby blue dress that ends at her mid thigh. Her dark eyes are blown wide with the chill air and small goosebumps litter her dark brown skin. “Isley,” I breathe out, “Thought you bailed on me.”

She turns her head like a curious cat, “Me? A flake? Never.” she says with fake ingenuity. “Although, I was very late. Phoebe loves to take her time with me.”

My eyes scan her face, “Well, she did an amazing job.” I compliment.

A smile grows on her face, “Why thank you, Mr. Wayne. You clean up nicely yourself. A navy blue suit? How daring.”

“Dick already made fun of me for it, I thought it was time to step out a bit.” 

She steps close enough to grab one of the lapels. “Dick? Also, it reminds me of prom. Senior year,” she whispers. 

I grab her wrists, we’re extremely close now. “Well, look who I found hiding in the shado- oh?” 

It’s Dick, again. I breathe out slowly, “Dick, meet an old friend. Isley Thomas.”

[brightsun-and-darkmidnight]

Bonds

TITLE: Bonds

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 4 / ?

AUTHOR: brightsun-and-darkmidnight

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki assuming your nephew is your son. He’s not totally wrong, though, since you’ve been the boy’s legal guardian for a couple of years now. Plus, you do play a convincing “mother” role. (more to the imagine in link)

RATING:  M (Swearing, maybe some violence and MAYBE some smut)

NOTES/WARNINGS: I don’t want to give too much away but obviously adoption takes place. Talks of abandonment. Angst. 

AUTHOR'S NOTES: YAY! Some more Loki and Raelynn interactions!

My Ao3: brightsun_and_darkmidnight

LENGTH: As usual I will try to keep to my 3,000 words per chapter.

*FINALLY..Read the warnings. Once you agree you can handle it...

 ~ ~ ENJOY  ~ ~

Looking at herself in the mirror Raelynn cursed. “Natasha I can’t go and see everyone like this!”

Natasha walked into her room. Headed straight for her closet, flipping through the clothes. “You need a new set of clothes.”

Raelynn scoffed. “Sorry my clothes don’t scream, “Look at me. I’m single and ready to get mingle.” Because I am not ready to mingle.”

Natasha threw a tank top and long sleeved cardigan on the bed. She threw a pair of jeans on the bed too. Then she searched through the very few shoes Raelynn had, she picked a pair of heeled ankle boots. “Next time we go shopping.”

Raelynn rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Now get out so I can change.”

Natasha went to the door but turned at the door. “Make sure you wear your best bra.”

Raelynn groaned, “Natasha. I swear you are terrible.”

“I am a great friend. Don’t lie to me.” With that said, Natasha shut the door.

Once Raelynn left her room she saw Natasha looking her up and down. 

Natasha spoke. “Definitely going shopping.” Then she turned with her purse towards the door.

“There is nothing wrong with my clothes!” Raelynn sighed heavily as she grabbed her jacket and purse, following her friend to the car.

---

Loki took his turn to throw the darts.

The men agreed to having “male bonding time.” Which consisted of drinking, sports on the TV and playing various games, such as darts.

Clint watched as Loki got 2 of the 3 darts in the center.

The elevator door opened causing Tony to yell, “GIRLS!”

Loki rolled his eyes before throwing the dart. However, just as he was letting go of the dart, Thor patted Loki roughly. 

Thor’s voice boomed, “Lady Natasha has returned with Lady Raelynn! Grand news!”

Loki looked to the entrance, his eyes instantly set on Raelynn… His heart fluttered at seeing her. She has always been gorgeous since the first time that he laid eyes on her. Her outfit was motherly, with a more casually comfy look as well. She pulled the mother look very well. 

“I win.”

Loki turned to Clint, then observed the dartboard… Clint had certainly won. Loki’s dart was in the wall. 

Clint pulled the dart out of the wall and handed it to Loki with amusement in his eyes, “Care to try again. It seems you were distracted.”

Loki ignored Clint and threw the dart in the center again, then walked away. He walked to Raelynn, helping her out of her jacket. He hung the jacket on the chair.

She gave him a shy smile. “Thank you Loki.”

Tony grinned, “Where’s the Kid?”

Raelynn’s smile disappeared for a moment, making Loki want to throw Stark. But Loki waited because he was curious as well.

“He is at a friend’s house tonight. Slumber party.”

Tony nodded. “Okay. But what are the two of you doing here? You are interrupting boy time.”

Natasha smirked and looked to Raelynn. “I leave the boys alone and they throw a party.”

Loki watched Raelynn laugh, and let the others catch up with her. Natasha went to pack a bag, apparently staying at Raelynn’s for the night. Tony offered her a drink but she just had some sparkling water.

Listening to Raelynn talk he discovered tonight was the first time she let Travis spend the night at a friend’s house. She seemed to be upset about it underneath the brave front that everyone else fell for. 

She talked about Travis. His love for animals unmatched, and he has been begging her for a pet. He has a ton of friends at school, as well as a particular bully she's worried about. Travis was doing very well in school, he does struggle with math though.

Tony shrugged. “Bring him here and I’ll teach him some cool stuff to do with numbers.”

Bruce laughed, “Your math is a little too advanced.”

Tony looked offended. “I can teach simple math! You don’t think I can, is that it? Bring the kid sometime. I got a whole lesson planned out. He will love it.”

Raelynn looked worried, “No you don’t need to do that.”

Tony waved his hand. “Nope. I gotta prove I can do it now. I will get my suits involved and the kid will love it.”

Raelynn spoke evenly, “Travis.”

Tony spoke, “I knew that.”

Loki mumbled, “Going to teach Travis simple math, but you can’t manage to remember the boy’s name?”

Clint chuckled a little, “I would like to see him again.”

Raelynn smiled sheepishly. “I know… I was supposed to bring him over.”

Thor beamed, “It has been settled. We shall invite the little one here and teach him valuable lessons!”

Everyone looked at the other and Raelynn laughed a little. “I can see if it is something he wants to do.”

Natasha came back with a bag. “We could pick him up and bring him tomorrow.”

Raelynn nodded with a shrug. “We will see what happens tomorrow.”

Loki felt excited at seeing Raelynn tomorrow.

He wondered what he could contribute to the boy’s knowledge…

---

Raelynn smiled as everyone said they missed her, and very strongly insisted on her visiting with Travis.

She laughed at everyone trying to figure out activities to teach Travis things and the jabs from the others. “Okay, I will see what he wants to do tomorrow.”

Her phone and watch notified her of a call coming in. Excusing herself to answer the call from Travis.

“Hey Kiddo.”

Travis yawned. “John’s mom gave me crackers and ginger ale. My tummy feel a little better. The movie is over and I think I am going to stay here.”

Raelynn smiled, “Okay Kiddo. If you need anything just let me know.”

“I will.”

“Hey.. I am at the Avengers tower, Natasha is going to stay the night with me so we had to get her a bag. Everyone here wants to meet you. Would you want to come here for a little tomorrow?”

“YEAH! That sounds like fun!”

Raelynn heard the excitement in his voice as the second wind kicked in. “Make sure you sleep, Okay?”

“I will try but I might meet the Avengers. You can’t just tell me something like that and expect me to sleep with this information!”

“Oh boy…” Raelynn smiled a little but regretted telling about it before he was supposed to go to bed. “Just promise me you will go lay down and ATTEMPT to sleep.”

“I guess I can promise that.”

She heard the promise but didn’t entirely believe it with the tone he used. “Goodnight Kiddo. I will see you tomorrow. After breakfast let me know when you want picked up.”

“OKAY! Goodnight, Rae Rae.”

And with that the call was ended.

She shook her head in amusement. She announced that Travis was excited about tomorrow.

Everyone looked to Thor at his outburst of suggesting a movie.

“Oh. Um…”

Natasha shrugged, “Up to you.”

Raelynn bit her lip for a moment. “I guess we could stay. We were probably just going to stay up for a while anyway.”

Everyone went to the TV after getting some snacks. Somehow Loki and Raelynn were the last ones to sit and were placed next to the other.

Loki offered her some of his chocolate bar.

Smiling, she accepted the offer, exchanging for some chips. Throughout the movie they would exchange a few things, passing the bowl of popcorn around the room, but it seemed to stay with them. Occasionally their hands would brush the other as they reached in the bowl absentmindedly, preoccupied with the movie.

The brush of his hand sent a familiar sense of belonging to Raelynn. Like his hands were hers to hold, and his hands would alway be there to protect her. It was a simple comfort that yelled belonging to Raelynn. She allowed herself to bask in the feeling for a few moments, but with Travis in mind.

Would Loki extend his protection to Travis? Raelynn couldn’t bother with anyone who wouldn’t protect Travis first.

She threw the thoughts, the wishes, away. 

“Are you okay?”

Raelynn smiled at Loki, realizing she was worrying her lip. “Yeah.”

Loki gave her a lingering look. The same look he would give her when she would lie, just as she did. “If you are sure.”

“Don’t worry. I’m okay.” Raelynn reached in the popcorn bowl, realizing it was gone. She took the bowl from Loki. “I’m gonna get more.”

She expected Loki to stay where he was, but he took the bowl with him to the kitchen.

“You can go watch the movie. I can make more.” But that didn’t stop Loki from getting more popcorn ready.

He turned to her after starting the popcorn, “What’s wrong?”

She looked at him wide eyed. Stuttering, “Nothing.”

He gave her a doubtful look. “Rae… Talk to me.”

She shrugged looking away. “It isn’t something I wanna talk about. I promise I’m okay though, just sorting through some thoughts.”

Loki’s chest swelled with air before sighing. “Well. If you need to talk I am here. Just don’t be a stranger again.”

Raelynn looked at the microwave as the popcorn started to pop. “I appreciate it Loki.”

Loki leaned against the counter. “I don’t want to loose you again.”

---

Loki cursed himself for the admission. Especially when Raelynn looked at him with wondering eyes.

He looked elsewhere briefly before admitting. “You are an amazing person Rae, and with you gone I had to depend on those fools for entertainment.”

Raelynn smiled a little. “Loki I thought we talked about not calling the teammates names.”

Loki shrugged and grinned. “It’s the truth.”

The popcorn stopped popping and Loki retrieved the bag, pouring it into the bowl. “Butter?”

“You know that answer.”

Loki’s lips pulled into a small smile as he got the butter out. He put the butter in a bowl, then in the microwave. “I do know that answer.”

She smiled back at him. 

Loki was curious about the earlier statement, "so Travis' first time over at a friend's?"

Nibbling on her lip for a moment. “I was really nervous about letting Travis go but he seems to be doing very well. Got a little case of home sickness though.”

Loki smiles, “I can understand the homesickness to a point.”

Raelynn tilts her head in thought, “Have you been able to visit Asgard again?”

Loki looks out the window. “No. Not yet.”

Raelynn offers a kind smile, “I hope you are able to soon.”

“My mother tries to talk with me sometimes.”

Loki watched Raelynn smile warmly. 

“How is she doing?”

Loki shrugged, turning to retrieve the butter from the microwave. “She seems to be okay. Claims to miss Thor and I.”

“Neither of you have been to Asgard in a few months. I am going my first night without Travis and its… Hard. I can’t imagine what your mother feels.”

“Well… It is sentenced, by Odin,  that I do my community service here. I was only back at Asgard to report in.” Loki got the butter and poured it over the popcorn. He smiled a little, setting the popcorn in front of Raelynn. "I don't like the soggy popcorn."

Raelynn’s face dropped to a brief moment of upset then turned to teasing, "you could have got some out before dumping the butter over the whole bag."

Loki shrugged, "I know."

[chicagocryptid]

that kiss prompt? salash.... pls

oh shit oh fuck oh shit thank u

Bare // SalxAsh

Warnings: language, alcohol mention

Unlike so much in his life, kissing her had been easy.

[[MORE]]

Maple had thrown a party of the raucous high school kind, a spring fling of her own, to break up the lul between prom and graduation. Sal was hesitant to go, but Larry wore him down eventually, promising only one drink and then they could leave.

It hadn't exactly worked out that way, and Sal had ended up wandering the house in search of some form of entertainment until he had to drag Larry home in his stupor. He'd found her outside, his last resort, sitting in the cabin of an antiqued swingset, crosslegged at the top of the slide. She smiled when she saw him approaching, her face briefly illuminated by the lit end of her cigarette.

The rest of the party had faded after that. Early April air pressed cold hands against their skin, so they huddled closer together, and when their throats were sore from talking, they sat in silence and listened to the hum of the crowd inside. It had been just after he'd asked her why she was out in the cold, alone. He'd taken his prosthetic off some time ago, shielded from anyone else by the dark and the rotting wooden pannels. She didn't answer for a while, but when she did, her voice was full of an emotion he didn't understand. Almost sad. Almost happy. Nostalgic for something that had never happened.

"I'm not alone. I'm here with you."

And then he'd kissed her. Before he could think about it, or talk himself out of it. He leaned across what little space was between them and pressed his lips against hers, careful at first, and then harder, with purpose. And then she was kissing him back, her hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer. She tasted of liquor and cigarettes and fruit punch, too sweet and still too bitter. Neither of them spoke when they broke apart, trying hard to read the others thoughts, until Larry's voice rang out from the back door, slurred and too loud.

"Ash?!" The way he said he said her name made Sal's stomach churn, but he stayed quiet, hidden. "Be my partner for beer pong! I wanna kick Travis' ass!" He punched the air, knocking himself slightly off balance, and she gave Sal one last look before she pushed herself down the slide and jogged across the yard to meet him. Larry wrapped an arm around her waist and Sal watched as they walked into the house together, part of him chasing after them, one step behind.

She had been avoiding him. Not because she wanted to; Not really. But she was terrified of what it would mean, to confront what had happened at Maple's house. At first she'd intended to brush it off, just two people who were close, trying something new. But when she'd seen him on Monday, that had changed. There was something warm in the pit of her stomach, embers maybe. She didn't want to touch them. She didn't want to get burned. So she turned away and made herself sparse for as long as she could.

A little over a week had passed by the time he was able to corner her. She'd made a point of staying after school under the quise of studying to avoid walking home with the boys, but somehow he'd found her out. He was waiting for her at her locker after she finally ducked out of the library, 20 minutes after the final bell. She would've gone the other direction, but they made eye contact before she could back around the corner, and then it was too late.

She tried to play it off as best as she could, plastering a smile so wide across her face that her cheeks hurt. "Sal!" Her voice was too bright. Not even she would buy it. "I'm so glad you waited, I've been so swam-"

"Why are you avoiding me?" His voice was glass, cutting her to the quick. Her smile faltered.

"What? That's insane. I've just been busy."

"Ash." The coldness melted away, and he was begging her now. "Don't lie to me. Please. Not to me."

She huffed and clutched a textbook closer to her chest. She could feel color rushing to her cheeks. "What do you want me to say, Sal?"

"About what?!"

"You kissed me!"

"You kissed me back!"

They were quiet for a beat, eyes locked, waiting for the other to make a move. Eventually, Sal sighed, his shoulders drooping.

"Look, I'm not here to apologize, okay? I just..." He scuffed the toe of his shoe on the tile. "I miss you. I want my friend back."

"Sal..."

"I meant it. I don't want you to think it was just some stupid throw away thing."

"I don't-"

"And I would jump at the chance to be with you. I think you're maybe the most amazing person I've ever met but I..." He shook his head in an attempt to get himself back on track. "I don't want to lose you. I fucked up, and I'm sorry, and I get it if you don't want it to mean anything or change anything or whatever. But I need you to at least be my friend. Okay?" He took a breath, looked up from the spot he'd been studying on the floor. "Okay?" He asked again, weaker, more fragile.

She hesitated. And then,

"And what if I do?"

"What?" She couldn't see it, but she could tell he had raised an eyebrow.

"What if..." Her voice wavered, and she had to clear her throat to go on. "What if I do want it to mean something?"

"I... Well, I..." He cleared his throat too, and lifted a hand to the back of his neck, a commom gesture when he was nervous. She could tell he was trying not to get ahead of himself. "Then we can figure that out."

Carefully, she raised a hand just a little, fingers parted, an invitation for him to take it with his own. "Together?" She sounded stronger than she felt.

Sal took it, lacing them together. They didn't look at each other, but something settled over them, a comfortable understanding that made them both release the tension in their shoulders, just a little. Still, she could hear the hint of a smile in his voice when he answered.

"Together."

[nicostolemybones]

Transitioning to Manhood

Will felt a strange nostalgia looking at the box his mother had sent him, although it wasn’t a bittersweet feeling. It was a twisting feeling in his gut, a horrible reminder that his mom was clearing the house of all reminders of her child, trying to get the child she thought she remembered to snap out of a phase and return home. He picked up a knitted hat, barely the size of his fist- he’d been born premature, and his grandmother had knitted the tiny pink hat as soon as she received news of his birth. It was a pale pastel pink, almost white, a pearly quality to the colour, but years of collecting damp in a cardboard box had tinged it a dusty, damp grey. There were photographs, and Will was bombarded with pigtails and frilly dresses and patent shoes buckled with bows. “I think I would have cried if I’d been put in that monstrosity,” Lou-Ellen said softly, pointing at the photograph Will was currently holding, featuring him in a pink frilly dress for a Church wedding, holding a basket of bright pink and red rose petals, bawling his eyes out and lifting up the hem of the skirt to wipe his face. He looked about five.

The next picture showed the same dress covered in mud, Will grinning like a maniac chasing the vicar’s daughter with a worm in his hands and one shoe missing, hair a tangled mess. Cecil snorted and laughed. “Please tell me you put that worm down the back of her dress!”

“Nah, she picked up a bigger worm and chased me with it instead. We were friends in kindergarten,” Will replied, pointing out a photograph of him in pink flowery dungarees sitting opposite the girl, who was wearing the same dungarees in blue. “We made mud pies and put them in her father’s shoes in that picture,” Will said sadly, “we got into trouble for boyish behaviour and making a mess.” Will unceremoniously shoved the photographs into the bottom of the box, taking a few deep breaths.

“Are you okay, Will,” Lou-Ellen asked gently, placing her hand on his back and rubbing small circles.

“Yeah,” Will sighed, staring emptily into the box before picking out his birth certificate and staring at it. “I don’t know,” Will amended, and Cecil took the certificate out of his hands.

“We should burn this,” Cecil announced, “it’s useless. If you end up needing it for anything, you can just get it re-printed at the register office. Although you might wanna make some changes to it first. Until you can do that legally, Connor and Travis owe me a massive favour, if you’d like.” Will let out a small laugh, burying his face in his hands.

“My whole childhood is in this box,” Will said quietly, “and my mom’s throwing away all of her favourite memories of me, and I can’t bring myself to look at them.”

“Hey,” Lou-Elllen began gently, “we’ll make new memories, new photographs.These aren’t your memories, they’re your mom’s ideal childhood for you, it’s all the parts she didn’t like taken out and the select few moments she did pruned carefully and displayed to be her image of perfection. You don’t have to keep any of this, because that’s not how your childhood felt to you. They aren’t pictures of you, they’re pictures of the child your mom wanted everybody to see, they aren’t pictures that truly represent your childhood. You aren’t obliged to hold onto somebody else's image of you.”

“We can burn all of it later, mate,” Cecil offered, “just us if you want. And Nico too, of course. Kayla and Austin too maybe, if they aren’t busy.”

“Yeah,” Will sighed, “shoot it with a burning arrow or something.”

“That’s the spirit,” Cecil grinned mischievously, taking the box from Will, “I’ll go take this to my cabin and get my siblings to thoroughly vandalise everything so before you burn it you can have a laugh.”

“Thanks,” Will laughed, and Lou-Ellen pulled him into her shoulder.

“I’ll see you later, dude,” Cecil smiled, “and you, my bi-hexual girlfriend!” He kissed Lou-Ellen’s cheek and jogged off.

“Do you wanna go find Nico?”

“He’s got training now,” Will replied, “but I wanna go talk to Clarisse, do you know where I could find her?”

“I saw her heading to her cabin before I came here,” Lou-Ellen replied, “I’m gonna go work on creating some more sigils, okay?” She kissed Will’s cheek before heading towards her cabin, and Will set out to find Clarisse. She wasn’t in her cabin, or in the armory- Will found her sitting outside the currently empty Aphrodite cabin, holding a pale green and cream chiffon scarf in her hands. Will sat beside her, bumping her shoulder.

“It was Silena’s,” Clarisse said gently, “her favourite hijab. She used to cover it with pins and I’d put flowers through the pins. After we burned her shroud, we uh… her parents invited me to her funeral, at the Masjid. The mosque, that is.”

“It’s beautiful,” Will said, “you should keep it. She’d want you to have it.”

“Yeah,” Clarisse sighed, “don’t tell anyone I went soft, you hear me, Solace?”

“Message received and understood,” Will smiled, and Clarisse punched him lightly in the arm.

“She taught me how to put on makeup,” Clarisse admitted, “she used to do it real subtle, so nobody would know. She’d contour my whole face and she’d put on neutral eye shadows and clear mascara, cherry chapstick muted with matte powder.”

“I never noticed you wearing makeup,” Will replied.

“That’s because that was the point. She made it look completely natural. I’m not exactly… feminine.”

“But she taught you how you could be butch and still be pretty, right?”

“Exactly,” Clarisse replied, “she helped me to pass.”

“A true ally,” Will smiled, resting his head on her shoulder, “how have you been recovering from surgery?”

“I’ve had worse pain,” Clarisse smiled, “I’m still getting used to the extra weight on my chest, but Chris likes them just as much as I do, I think.” Will chuckled lightly, and Clarisse put her arm around him. “Anyway, you look like shit, Solace, what happened?”

“My mom,” Will replied dejectedly, “she sent a box of stuff from my childhood. I’m gonna burn it all later. Cecil’s idea.”

“I’ll be right there with you,” Clarisse said, squeezing his shoulder roughly, “providing I can take a baseball bat to everything first.”

“You can rip the birth certificate before I shoot everything with a burning arrow” Will offered, and Clarisse chuckled lightly.

“That’s my boy,” Clarisse grinned, punching his arm lightly.

“The thing is… I don’t hate my childhood,” Will began honestly. “I didn’t always know I was trans, I didn’t always hate myself, I just couldn’t understand that weird out of place feeling, you know? I didn’t know why things made me uncomfortable. I only started figuring it out when I came to camp… and now, it hurts to look at all the pictures, because they… they don’t feel like I’m looking at photographs of me, and the more I tell myself that’s me, the more I can’t stand to look at them, because I look so female. But my childhood wasn’t a sad one, I… I was loved once, I used to pretend I had nightmares so my mom would give me these butter cookies with warm milk. She knew I was usually faking it, but she didn’t care as long as I smiled.”

“Tell me more,” Clarisse probed gently, before wrapping Silena’s scarf around his shoulders when she noticed a breeze, keeping her arm around his shoulder.

“She didn’t always have a lot of time for me, with the singing and all,” Will began, “but when she did have time for me, we always did something. She used to take me to my grandma’s farm a lot. The chickens didn’t like me much, but there was this baby calf my grandma let me name. Which was a terrible decision, I called it Dustbin Grass,” Will announced with a small laugh. Clarisse snorted, and Will continued. “Anyway, the calf used to come in through the back door and lay down in the middle of the sitting room, and I’d curl up next to the calf. We had a height chart on the wall, and I’d always compare my height with the calf every week. And other days, my mom would take me on day trips. Sometimes it was just to the local park or play area, we’d feed the ducks and sit in the sun with a picnic. I’d always go on the slide, although some days it was so hot the metal burned and I’d start crying. My mom always used to wrap me up in a warm hug and she’d tell me that it was all okay.”

“That sounds nice,” Clarisse said sincerely, and Will continued to share his memories.

“I wasn’t so good with all the school stuff. When I was a kid, I hadn’t been diagnosed with ADHD yet, or dyslexia, but I still struggled. I was behind everybody in the class on my reading and writing and my handwriting was always terrible. I used to get frustrated and walk out a lot. And after break time, I always had a hard time calming down, so I used to be super bouncy and I’d need something to fidget with. And of course, I was a kid, so the louder the better. I’d get into trouble a lot and get sent out of class. I used to cry because I thought I was dumb, but my mom always told me I was the smartest. She’d take me on nature walks, and she’d point out different trees and birds and insects and I’d tell her what they were. And at one point, I could identify native birds by their calls. My mom made me feel smart, and I didn’t feel smart again until I came to camp.”

“How the fuck did they think you were dumb?”

“Classism, sexism, and ableism. Anyway, my mom and I used to have pamper weekends, where we’d just sit out in the garden with bowls of cold water for our feet and face masks, and we’d watch the clouds if there were any. Mom never used to put enough sunscreen on herself and she used to end up looking like a lobster. We’d talk about how our weeks had been, and about my mom’s record deals and tours. She mainly toured the South, she didn’t usually go far out from Texas, but I’ve always been travel sick and I can’t really handle anything over half an hour, so it was always better to leave me at home with my grandma sometimes. My mom and I lived in the city in Austin, but my grandma lived on a ranch. She used to make me cookies all the time and she’d tell me stories of mom’s childhood and her childhood. She’d tell me how lucky I was. My grandma was a lesbian, but things when she were young were… well, worse than they are today, so… she married a man and had kids and buried who she was. She always told me that I couldn’t help who I was, and that if ever I figured myself out and I wasn’t straight, then it was okay and she’d love me just the same. The vicar used to sit and have tea with my grandma every day, because he had a gay son and he wanted her advise on how to support him.”

“Your gran is a legend,” Clarisse smiled, “is she still with us or…”

“I wish I knew,” Will sighed sadly, “grandpa died when I was six and the year after, my nan met a woman, and she moved away and my mom refused to let me have her address or contact her. Everyone always assumes my mom is kind and loving because I have such happy childhood memories. But when you have a child, if you can’t love your child unconditionally, then you never loved them at all. I grew up, knowing, just knowing… that one day, I’d do or say something and my mom would know I was bisexual and my mom wouldn’t love me anymore. Knowing that your own mother will stop loving you, for the very thing that gets you beat up in the playground, for the very thing that gets you harassed, knowing that your own mother believes with all of her heart that her child deserves to burn in hellfire and brimstone for eternity just for being attracted to somebody… from a young age I knew that my mother’s love was conditional. For years, I knew that I didn’t meet the conditions for my mother’s love. And then I stopped going home because I was scared and I wasn’t ready to be abandoned by the same woman who promised unconditional love. And then I came out as trans to her and… she sends me the box. And it’s not just a box to remind me of my childhood, it’s all her favourite memories. It’s the drawings she stuck to the fridge, the photos she showed guests, the things she was most proud of me for. It’s her way of telling me that she hates me so much that those memories are worthless to her. Happy childhoods are empty gestures when a parent’s love is conditional. And I have to face biphobia and transphobia every day of my life, but it’s worse knowing I don’t have a home. My home is a summer camp. I’m alone. If the woman who swore to love me unconditionally, swore by her bible to love me and protect me and fulfil her god given role as a parent, can cast me aside like I’m disgusting, then how am I ever meant to feel anything but wrong? How am I meant to convince myself I’m worthy of love? I can’t even use public restrooms without fearing for my safety, how am I meant to feel safe enough to trust anybody?”

“Hey,” Clarisse began, squeezing Will’s shoulder, “you’re never alone. No matter what, I’ve got your back. I’ll kick a transphobes teeth, you know I will. We have to stick together, we can’t let the community be divided, okay? We’ll look out for each other. You’re not unloved. I love you. My mom is your mom now, okay? Actually no, I’m your mom now, kiddo. And you have the best friends you could ask for, okay? Lou-Ellen can and will hex anybody who tries to put you down. Cecil’s always got your back, he pranked that Athena kid real good, remember? And you have Nico. You’re dating the Son of Hades. He can and will turn anyone into a ghost if they hurt you. That boy loves you, okay? Your self-worth is not defined by your mother’s prejudice. Nico’s friends- Jason, Percy, Frank, Hazel, Annabeth, Piper, Reyna, Leo- they’re all allies we can trust. You’re not a boy anymore, Solace, you’re a man now. You’re making your own way in a world where the odds are stacked against you. You just gotta keep going. People will hate you no matter what you do. So surround yourself with allies, keep going no matter how bleak, stay strong, and when you can’t stay strong, use your support network. We’ll both survive if we stick together. If you feel scared to go outside, come and find me. We’ll keep each other safe. And remember. You’re perfect, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Aphrodite would want you to respect yourself and love yourself. Your dad would want you to shine and spread light amongst the hate, to rise no matter how many times you’re pushed down. My dad would want you to fight back and never stop fighting for your rights, our rights, for what you believe in. And I’m sure most of the other gods support you too.”

“Damn girl, now I know why you’re in charge of motivational battle speeches,” Will smiled, and Clarisse ruffled his hair.

“Good boy. Now, you’re gonna get back to that infirmary, and carry on as normal, okay? And then we’re gonna burn your birth certificate and all the other stuff.”

“I had my T shot this morning,” Will stated with a small smile, “after a few months, people no longer misgender me when they hear my voice and for once in my life, I like how I sound. I feel like me. My dysphoria is… it’s so much less intense than it used to be. I feel safer in public, I feel confident enough to speak as loud as I want without fearing judgment or misgendering or violence.”

“You’re getting a bit of a fluffy mustache too there, Solace,” Clarisse teased light-heartedly, and Will laughed happily. “I’ve gotta go teach the Aphrodite girls some self-defence classes, you have to prepare for the influx of inevitable injuries because the Ares cabin and the Athena cabin are sparring in the arena.”

Will went about the rest of his day with his head held high. For once, he felt proud of who he was, of the man he’d become, of the way he hadn’t let the hate he’d heard turn him hateful, how he helped people, how he tried his best to make every camper feel like they had a safe space, a home. He never wanted anybody to feel the way he had for such a long time. He prided himself on his kindness, and he vowed never to lose it.

So later that day, the camp stood around a pit of flames at the beach, all turned out to show their solidarity bar a few. Will wore his flag as a cape, and everybody cheered when Clarisse marched in still in her armour from the day, with a ‘fuck the cis-tem’ jacket, and ripped up Will’s birth certificate. Will smiled as he threw the photographs into the flames, one by one, his friends all cheering and clapping. He watched every painful reminder, every perfect image of his mother’s ideal child- graffitied on with funny mustaches and devil horns on his mom, courtesy of the Hermes cabin- of conditional love and rejection, go up in flames. For once, Will wasn’t defined by his past, but rather by his future, one surrounded by allies and friends from all walks of life. People of many religions and races, sexualities, and genders. And even better, he received a loving kiss from his boyfriend in front of the crowd. For once, he didn’t look back.

@solangeloweek day 2, childhood/back story building

[addictedtostorytelling]

thoughts

a short fic-ish in honor of the twentieth anniversary of er episode 06x14 “all in the family,” which took place (within the universe of the show) on february 14th and 15th, 2000 and forever broke my heart.

canon. a recounting of the episode, mostly about lucy. not shippy, per se, though there is some mention of her relationship with carter, both the good and the bad. the pov is, uh, a take on second person. ~2,100 words.

here be angst and major character death cw.

how do i still have so many feelings about this fictional character going on twenty years and counting? rest in peace, baby girl. 

_________

do you ever think about how when she died, lucy knight was only twenty-five years old, certifiably an adult but unarguably a young one, in many ways still ostensibly a kid, just trying to carve out her place in the world?

if you think about how young she was---about how she still sometimes wore butterfly clips in her hair---then do you also think about how, even though she was young, she already knew that what she wanted to do with the rest of her life was to help people, to heal them? 

does it ever hit you how, just before she died, she had recently started to come into her own at the hospital---that for a year and half, she’d been the odd girl out, always struggling to catch her breath, but now she had finally begun to get the hang of things, to know herself and her job, and to form some connections? do you think about how she was going to graduate in june and become a psychiatrist? do you think about how good she might have been and about how many people she could have healed, had she a full lifetime (eighty years as opposed to just twenty-five) in which to work?

---and then does it occur to you that she never got the chance to be any of those things (a med school graduate, a psychiatrist, good at her work) before she was brutally stabbed by someone she’d spent all day advocating for? 

do you ever think about how lucy probably knew, from the moment paul sobriki pulled the knife out of her gut, that even if someone were by some miracle to find her before she bled out on the exam room floor, her injuries were too severe, and she was beyond saving? (that was how the speech they had taught her to say went, wasn’t it? “ms. knight, we’re so sorry. we worked very hard to save your daughter. we exhausted all of our capabilities, but despite our best efforts—”?) 

have you ever considered lucy’s simultaneous desperate hope and abject terror as she saw the light from the hallway pour into the room from where she was lying, helpless, in an ever-widening lake of her own blood? do you think about how she knew all the while that paul sobriki was still lurking and still armed? do you think about her pleading with the universe that maybe whoever had stepped into exam #3 could overpower sobriki and then find her in time to at least give her a fighting chance? do you think about how she probably also despaired that they might not notice the danger in the shadows until it was too late? do you think she was scared to death that her would-be savior might end up just like she had, in a broken heap on the ground? 

do you think about how lucy had to have realized before he even fell to the floor that this new person—this new victim—was carter? do you think about how she probably recognized his shoes as he bent down to pick up yoshi’s valentine off of the tile? or do you believe she could tell it was him right away, maybe by the way that he walked or how he breathed? (because, she supposed she could admit to herself now, the truth so much harder to resist as she pushed up against the brink of her consciousness, that she had always paid too much attention to carter, in one way or another, seeking his approval, his friendship, possibly even more—?) 

do you think about how she probably wanted to cry out in warning but couldn’t because her throat had been slashed? can you imagine what she felt like, watching sobriki charge out from the corner and hearing carter give that strangled yelp—“somebody!”—and then clatter onto the instrument table before falling astride from her under the bed? 

do you think about how, as she struggled to stay awake for just a few seconds longer, lucy probably wanted so badly to tell carter that she was sorry? (for all of it: for not being able to save him; for the fact that they were going to die together on a cold, linoleum floor; for how their last conversation had been a fight; for how now their last conversation would always be a fight; for the fear that she could, at that moment, as he rolled over to face her, see in his eyes, bright though the room were otherwise black?) 

do you think about how the last thing lucy heard before she faded out was him, stuttering out her name like a foxhole prayer through the darkness? 

do you think about how the next time lucy awakened, surfacing from beneath the deep waves of her heavy anesthesia, that momentarily she forgot what had happened to her? do you wonder if it were only as her nerves roused and a lacerating, sawed-down pain tore through her that she began to remember that she’d been stabbed—that she was dying? do you think that, briefly, she considered that she might already be dead—that this pain and this darkness perhaps signified the end?

do you think about how when she first opened her eyes, lucy was alone? do you think about how only after she started to stir—to try to speak (something stopped her throat); to try to move (everything hurt, as if she had been ripped in two)—did someone come over to her, not a stranger, but someone she didn’t know well—something, something—the surgical nurse—kit? do you think about how confused she must have been and about how much she must have wanted her mom then, unashamedly, like a child? 

can you imagine the horror of her conversation with elizabeth? can you imagine how the medical jargon, the thoracotomies and tracheotomies and splenectomies, which just that morning she would have found fascinating, suddenly made her sick to her stomach? do you suppose that she thought to herself this can’t be real, only she knew that it was real—and knew that, despite that litany of procedures that elizabeth had just rattled off to her, there was no stopping what was coming next, no matter how frightened she was? 

doesn’t it track that by that point in her medical training, lucy had probably seen enough lost causes to recognize herself as one? do you think, fleetingly, she remembered back to last spring, to those teenagers who’d gotten in a fiery car wreck on their way to the prom? do you suppose she thought about the burned boy, travis, who, as he had slowly and painfully succumbed to his injuries, had offered his parents an understatement on the phone in order to comfort them? do you think his words echoed in her ears: “i don’t think i’m gonna make it out to the lake this summer”? 

though she had been touched enough by his bravery back then, do you think she better understood, now that she was herself dying, how what he had done for them had also been a kind of mercy? a reprieve? a grace? 

do you think that’s why lucy asked elizabeth to plug her trach? do you think that’s why she whispered only gratitude with what little breath she had left to her? do you think she hoped that maybe in the days and weeks after she was gone that this final benediction (this gift) would allow elizabeth to sleep---would absolve any errant guilt, because of course elizabeth had done everything possible—they’d all done everything possible—and she knew as much, and she was thankful to them now in a way that just hours ago, before this nightmare had unfolded, she wouldn’t have been able to fully comprehend? 

do you think lucy understood that somehow the death they were helping her toward, the kind of death they were trying to offer, with this second’s pause to collect herself before the inevitable end, was also itself a gift (so much better than the cold floor where she would otherwise have perished)?

do you think, just as elizabeth rose to leave, that lucy may have actually felt an instant of peace before a sudden knot formed in her lungs, and breathing (even with the tube) became impossible? do you think that the differential diagnosis—pulmonary embolism—leaped into her mind before she could stop the thought? do you think she knew the statistics? do you think she knew that she was fucked before they even wheeled her to the scan? 

can you imagine what she was thinking as corday and romano allowed themselves to be overly optimistic about her chances with the filter? do you think she was aware enough to know that they were kidding themselves but experienced enough to realize that they had to kid themselves, because they needed the hope in order to do their jobs—because good doctors work on hope---because maybe, were she not about to die, she would have herself been a good doctor someday, too? 

do you think that was when the truth of everything really hit her—the reality, the senselessness, the fear—because even though she had already known that she was dying, now she was to the point where she was right up against the precipice, and though she was surrounded by many people in a crowded room, she suddenly felt more alone than she had ever felt before? 

do you suppose she thought, then, of carter, wondering if he was dying, as well, or already dead, because no one had told her what had happened to him or if he had even made it out of the exam room alive? 

do you suppose at that moment she yearned sharply for her mother and for her childhood bedroom? do you think she struggled and writhed and raged inside of herself, because, goddammit, she was just a kid, and she didn’t want to die, and she wasn’t ready—she wasn’t!—and she was going to do things and say things and be things—keep being someone—and she had plans!---but now everything that was her was going to cease, and she knew as much, and she felt scared, she felt so scared, scared of the blackness creeping up in her brain, of her synapses misfiring, as she could already feel them doing, her past and her present blurring together, until she wanted nothing more than to pull the blanket over her whole self to stay safe from the ravening beyond? 

do you think that in her swirl of memories she found herself in her grandparents’ kitchen, suddenly a toddler again, playing underneath the table, adult legs and adult voices towering above her? do you think all at once she snapped back to being twenty-five again and on a table, crying? do you think that’s why, when elizabeth explained the versed to her, she so adamantly refused—because she knew that the next time she went under, she would never surface again, and she wasn’t ready to say goodbye?

do you think that as she lied there, with romano making that tasteless (but also stubborn and human and hopeful) joke about how they’d put too much time and energy into her training to lose her, she had one final instant of consciousness and clarity? 

do you think that, in that instant, blood wet in her hair and tears salting her cheeks, she saw in her mind’s eye what might have been if she had only had more time---graduation, practicing medicine, finding her place and her purpose, falling in love, being happy, surrounding herself with family and friends and people who knew her---truly knew her? 

do you suppose she was thinking, just before the light in her eyes went out, how, in that moment, she wished she could tell them---corday and romano, kit and the other nurses, everyone in the er, carter if he were still alive---everything there was to know about her, everything that made her a person, just so someone would remember, so she would remain in some form present, if only for a little while longer?

can you hear her listing to herself the only vitals that mattered anymore: her hometown, her middle name, her first kiss, that even in her fourth year of medical school she still phoned her mother at least once a day (no matter how busy her schedule), that she had almost ranked emergency medicine over psychiatry on her match application, how grateful she was for everything, how much in this last second before the crash of the wave she missed and loved everyone and everything, all of it, just being---?

_________

he still thinks of her, of course, every valentine’s day, and whispers her name into the darkness like a foxhole prayer.

she would have been forty-five years old.

there are a lot of things she would have been.

[storybookwolf]

Nancy Wheeler, Matchmaker (for day 6 of Jancy Week 2019, Idiots in love and/or Forelsket [how you feel when you first begin to fall in love])

August, 1984

As Miss Walsh’s junior history class filed out of the room, Jonathan was intently reading Fahrenheit 451, oblivious as always to the mass of students around him. Nancy nudged him with her hip to get his attention. “Hey, do you want to come to Travis’s party this weekend? Steve and I can pick you up.”

Jonathan cocked his head to the side, looking at Nancy with his eyebrows raised in his best are you kidding me? expression. “Absolutely not.”

“Come on, why not? Are you afraid you might actually have fun?” she teased.

“It’s my greatest fear,” he said, deadpan. “But seriously, you know I don’t go to parties. They’re full of people, and I don’t like people.”

Nancy rolled her eyes. “You like some people.”

“Okay, fine, I like three people: my mom, Will and you. But if you keep trying to get me to go to parties, the list might be down to two.”

“Got it. I won’t bring it up again,” said Nancy. “Are you still up for studying after school today?”

“Sure,” he said. “I’ll meet you at my car.” They parted at the end of the hallway, him heading towards the art rooms and her towards the labs.

Nancy paused for a moment to watch him walk away, looking down at his book again but somehow still managing to navigate through the crowd. Like he was his own little planet, existing within Hawkins High but somehow not really a part of it. She was pretty sure that there were days when she was the only person he even spoke to at school. Other than a few awful weeks after everything that happened last year, when he was hassled for being a “pervert”, everyone other than her seemed to not even know he existed.

But then she noticed something. A girl – Samantha something, maybe Perrottet? – standing at a locker. It was open, but instead of getting her books, Samantha’s eyes were fixed on Jonathan as he walked down the hall. She even turned to watch him as he passed her. Unsurprisingly, Jonathan didn’t notice at all, too engrossed by Ray Bradbury. But Nancy saw it, and knew exactly what was happening.

This Samantha girl had a crush on Jonathan.

Nancy was delighted. This was so great! In the months that they’d been friends, she’d gotten to know what a sweet, kind, funny person Jonathan was, and it bothered her that no one else seemed to appreciate that. They were in a few of the same classes, and would study together after school once or twice a week. But she knew that whenever she was with Steve or Allie or Stacy, Jonathan was either working or holed up in his room. She wished that he had other people to hang out with – and now maybe he would.

She hurried off to physics, but the only formulas in her mind were how to get Jonathan and Samantha together.

***

It had been nice to learn that Jonathan Byers was the perfect study companion. Steve usually spent most of their study sessions trying to distract her from her work, and Allie and Stacy either wanted to gossip or get her to do their work for them. But she and Jonathan always seemed to strike the perfect balance between getting lots of work done and still having fun. It was almost like how things had been with Barb.

But that afternoon in the library, Nancy couldn’t focus on her notes. Instead, she was just waiting for the right moment to bring up Samantha. Did Jonathan even know her? She’d moved to Hawkins in middle school, and seemed to mostly hang out with band and drama kids. She was pretty, but not in a showy way, and was almost as quiet as Jonathan. Nancy wasn’t even sure if she’d ever spoken to her.

Her mind was still trying to think of a subtle way to ask Jonathan about Samantha when her mouth blurted out, “Samantha Perrottet has a crush on you.”

Jonathan froze, his pencil poised above the page. “What?”

“Umm. I just realised today, but I think she really likes you. You should…” Nancy shrugged. “You should ask her out.”

He dropped his pencil and leaned back in his chair, looking more nervous than he had when they were preparing to face the Demogorgon. “I, um, uh—I don’t even know her,” he said, colour rising in his cheeks.

“Well, maybe you should get to know her,” said Nancy. “She seems nice. And she’s pretty, don’t you think?”

Jonathan’s face was really red now. “I guess, yeah. I don’t know.” He twisted uncomfortably in his seat. “Listen, uh… I just remembered that Mom wants me home early today. I should go. You’re okay to wait for Steve to pick you up after practice, right?” Without waiting for an answer, he gathered up his things and rushed out of the library.

Even though her conversation with Jonathan about it couldn’t have gone worse, Nancy couldn’t stop thinking about setting him up with Samantha. It wasn’t surprising that he’d been so flustered when she’d brought it up – he’d never had a girlfriend. She wanted that for him, wanted him to have somebody who loved him and saw what a great guy he was. And she was pretty sure he’d make a great boyfriend.

This wasn’t her first attempt at finding someone for him. Over the summer, Stacy had been lamenting the limited selection of single high school boys in Hawkins. “Seriously, Nancy, Steve was the last decent guy in town, and now that he’s off the market there’s nobody,” she’d said. When Nancy suggested that Jonathan was good boyfriend material, Stacy just rolled her eyes, and she’d let the idea go.

But she just couldn’t let Samantha go. So Nancy did what she did best – research. By the end of the week, she knew that Samantha got mostly Bs, that she was a percussionist in the school band, and that she worked at the Dairy Queen, saving money to go on exchange to Italy. But most importantly, she found out that Samantha liked music that Nancy’s sources described as “weird” and “gloomy” – the exact words she would have used to describe half the stuff Jonathan listened to. Surely this was destiny.

It was time to step things up. Luckily, Nancy’s years of being a star student had ingratiated her with the school secretary. She dropped by the office before school with some of her mother’s fresh muffins for Mrs Verney, and when the older lady went to make a coffee to go with them, Nancy quickly found Samantha’s schedule in the files and copied it. All she had to do was cross-reference it with Jonathan’s, and she’d find all the possible opportunities for them to meet.

The only problem now was convincing Jonathan.

***

Nancy knew that persuading Jonathan to ask Samantha out would be the hardest part of her plan, so she decided to adopt a two-pronged approach. The first was to slowly, gradually reintroduce the topic, as subtly as she could, so as not to freak him out like last time. The second was to start taking routes through Hawkins High where they were more likely to see Samantha, so that when Jonathan was ready to make a move it could all come together naturally.

She hadn’t made much progress on the first prong — it was harder than she’d thought — but the second worked surprisingly quickly. One Tuesday, as they were cutting across the west hallway en route from English to Pre-Calc, Samantha was heading the other way (from Algebra to Social Studies). The younger girl was in such a rush that she literally ran into Jonathan as she passed, nearly dropping her books.

“Oh shit, sorry, I—” Samantha stopped speaking when she saw exactly who she’d run into. Her face went white. “I…. Sorry, I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine,” said Jonathan.

“Okay, thanks.” Samantha smiled and rushed off again.

It was possibly one of the most awkward social interactions Nancy had ever seen, even though Jonathan was actually more relaxed than he usually was when talking to his peers.

“I told you she liked you,” said Nancy, unable to stop herself from smirking a little.

Jonathan looked exasperated. “She would have bumped into anybody who was standing there just now. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“She wouldn’t have been that flustered if she’d bumped into anyone else, believe me. Are you actually this oblivious, or is it just an act?”

“I’m not…” He sighed.

“All I’m saying is, she likes you and she seems nice. So you should try to get to know her.”

Jonathan looked down at his shoes, his brow furrowing as he fiddled with the strap of his bag. “Why are you so invested in this?” he said quietly.

“You’re my friend and I want you to be happy, that’s all,” Nancy said as they reached their classroom.

Jonathan looked slightly pained. “What would make me happy right now, is not talking about this any more,” he said.

So Nancy let the subject drop. But whether it was her needling or Samantha’s battering-ram approach, Jonathan and the sophomore would now say “hey” to each other when they passed in the hall. And over the next few weeks, Nancy even saw them having a couple of actual conversations (very short ones, but it still counted). When banners for Homecoming went up, Nancy had to bite her tongue to stop herself suggesting that Jonathan ask Samantha to the dance. But even if her matchmaking hadn’t worked, she was still glad that Jonathan had someone else he could talk to.

“Hey, do you want to study after school today? I’m already freaking out about the test next week,” asked Nancy as they took their seats in history one morning.

“Oh, I’d really like to but I can’t,” said Jonathan. “I, uh, have something on.”

Nancy looked confused. “You don’t usually work Tuesdays. Did you swap shifts with Eric?”

“No, I, uh … I’m hanging out with Samantha.”

Nancy’s eyes lit up. “What? Why didn’t you tell me? When did you ask her out?”

He blushed. “I didn’t! And it’s not like that. Yesterday I said something about the Depeche Mode picture on her folder, and she asked if I’d heard their new album. I said I hadn’t, so she invited me over to listen to it today. It’s not a date or anything, we’re just hanging out.”

Just then, Miss Walsh walked in and started the class. Nancy spent the whole period stealing glances across at her friend, and thinking about his “not a date” which she was 100% certain was a date.

***

Since she was studying on her own that afternoon, Nancy went home instead of to the library. But somehow she just couldn’t focus on her notes. Her mind kept wandering to Jonathan and Samantha, wondering how their “not a date” was going.

She knew she should have felt smug. Victorious, even. This was exactly what she’d wanted: Jonathan having a cute music-nerd date with a nice, pretty girl who was into the same things he was.

But instead, whenever she thought of Jonathan and Samantha her stomach would lurch a little, and her skin would feel weirdly hot. She found herself getting irritated by the whole idea of the two of them together, even though she'd spent weeks trying to make it happen.

Oh shit. She was jealous.

It hit her like a wave of nausea. How could she have been so stupid? All this time she’d spent wishing Jonathan had a girlfriend, what she’d really wanted deep down was to be that girlfriend. And now she’d pushed him straight into the arms of Samantha, a girl who was actually bold enough to invite a guy she barely knew over to her house to listen to an album. Her stereo was probably in her bedroom, too, which was awfully convenient. Honestly, it was a Steve Harrington-level move, and she almost admired Samantha’s brashness. She would have admired it, if Samantha was using these moves on any other boy. But now Nancy realised that if any girl was going to be kissing Jonathan Byers, she wanted it to be her.

She needed a new plan. A counter-plan, one to undo all the careful scheming that had gotten her into this mess in the first place. Turning to a fresh page in her notebook, she quickly scribbled down some ideas.

Ring Samantha’s house and tell Jonathan there’s an emergency with Will, and he needs to go home right away. Pro: He would definitely leave. Con: It’s a low blow, and he’d be upset when he realised I lied.

Go over to Samantha’s house, pretending I think Jonathan has my history textbook. When I get there, feign enthusiasm for Depeche Mode and insist on staying to listen to the album. Pro: Third wheels always kill romance. Con: I would have to listen to Depeche Mode.

Do nothing, and just hope nothing happens between them. Call Jonathan later tonight, and tell him how I feel. Pro: Doesn’t involve lying or embarrassing myself in front of Jonathan and Samantha. Con: The thought of telling him I love him is terrifying.

She stared at the list for a few minutes. She couldn’t do option 1 – it was just too cruel to use Will as a pawn. And option 2 would make her look like a crazy person. Which left option 3. The scariest one, but also the most honest. If she ever wanted to have a real relationship with Jonathan, it had to be built on the fact that they were friends who could trust each other, who said what they were really thinking. She just had to wait until tonight.

It was going to be a very long afternoon…

[violetnuisance]

A Spark

The Pure Attract The Toxic - Chapter 2

a/n: I-I finally did it. Things start to get explicit in this one. Here’s the link if you’d rather read it on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20988461/chapters/49910162

I dunno if my “read more” is working on mobile, but let’s pray

[[MORE]]

Travis could feel his pulse pounding in his ears as his hands tightened their grip around the strap of his messenger bag. Despite the dread filling his lungs, his eyes narrowed on his target. The mane of frizzy brown hair towered over the other students who sat at their respective tables eating lunch, making it easy to spot Larry from a mile away. The blond marched onwards, forgoing his own lunch. His stomach had been in turmoil all day, too nervous to digest anything. It wasn't until brown eyes snapped up to meet his that Travis paused for a second, losing his bravery.

Larry’s eyes narrowed as they caught Travis’s, and the blond swallowed. The look of intense displeasure crossing the brunet’s face was a stark contrast to the chaotic energy he exuded just the day prior. As Larry looked away from Travis for a second and excused himself from his lunch table, the blond could all but feel the annoyance radiating from the other. He continued to stand still, waiting for his death sentence as Larry approached him. The taller male’s hands were dug in his pockets and shoulders hunched as he glared down Travis.

“Come on,” Larry barked out as he grabbed Travis’s arm. The blond stumbled backwards, balance briefly knocked, causing Larry to only tighten his grip. “Without making a fucking scene.”

“You’re the one dragging me out of the cafeteria,” Travis huffed, letting him be pulled through the double doors and back out into the hallway. Larry’s bruising grip on him only lessened when the brunet scanned the area and found no wandering students.

“I wouldn’t have to drag you anywhere if you’d just stay away from me and my friends,” Larry retaliated. Travis felt his face redden as his temper rose. He jerked his arm completely out of the other’s hand, earning a huff from the metalhead.

“If I recall correctly, you were the one following me around yesterday,” the blond seethed. Larry’s gaze darkened and a snarky laugh pushed its way up his throat. Travis felt his temper drop to be replaced by fear as the taller male took a step towards him. Mouth suddenly feeling too dry, Travis took a step back.

“Don’t get so full of yourself,” Larry chastised, voice dropping to a low growl. The deep octave made the hair on the back of Travis’s neck stand up. “Just because I wanted to toy with you yesterday doesn’t mean we’re buddies or that I want you anywhere near my friends.”

Travis’s mouth worked for a second, trying to push words out, but his brain failed to find a snappy comeback quick enough. Larry rolled his eyes as the awkward silence grew between them until the blond wished it would have the mercy to suffocate him. He found himself staring dumbly at the taller male’s chest, feeling akin to a toddler who had just gotten chastised. No, he never would’ve considered him and Larry friends, but he didn't think it’d be quite this difficult to get the other’s acquaintanceship at least.

“Trust me, the feeling’s mutual,” Travis chose to say. Larry crossed his arms over his chest and shifted his weight to a side, obviously not believing the admission. “I was just going to invite you to a church service.”

“Why in the absolute fuck would I want to go to your church?” As if they were in a comic or animated show, Travis swore he could see Larry’s eyes visibly twitching, ready to deck the blond.Travis felt himself become hyper aware of how his hands clutched his messenger bag strap for dear life once more, too used to getting his lights knocked out by others to process that Larry didn’t have any true intentions of hitting him.

“I mean, I was just thinking-“

“Whatever you were thinking, you were wrong,” Larry deadpanned, eyes narrowing. Travis’s own eyes dropped down to stare at Larry’s shoes. He really wished he could call upon his usual venom, but he felt stupefied. Everything moved a bit too slow for him to process it fast enough to put on a facade. “And from now on, only talk to me when I approach you.”

Travis didn’t utter a word as he watched Larry walk away, long hair bouncing with every angry stomp.

/ / /

The lackluster interaction between them had left Travis feeling disgruntled. He never envisioned that he’d be able to conquer the wild beast that was Larry Johnson in his first rodeo, but he had been hopeful to at least make a millimeter of headway. Instead, the stony brown eyes of the other had shot him down on sight, refusing Travis before he even had the chance to open his mouth. Despite the blond’s overwhelming negativity with the situation, he realized that maybe not everything had crumbled to ashes like it appeared when he made his way to his trusty bicycle after the final bell had rung.

Mirroring the day before, Larry stood against the chain link fence by his bike. This time, the brunet held a lit cigarette between his lips, and Travis watched as the smoke billowed against the “No Smoking!” sign attached to the fence. He did his best to swallow the anxiety that Larry was just there to scold him more and held his chin up as he approached his own bike, determined to let the metalhead know that he had absolutely no control over him.

“Hey angel,” Larry cooed, taking the cigarette from his mouth. “Seems like you have a little more ‘pep in your step’ now.”

Just like that, Travis could feel his temporary control snatched from him by a mere pet name. A wolfish grin covered Larry’s lips as the brunet averted his gaze to let out a low chuckle while Travis stood in front of him, frozen. “What’d you call me?”

“Angel,” Larry answered, pushing himself off of the fence. Travis took a step back as Larry became a step closer to him. “I can call you something else if you’d like. Kitten rolls off the tongue easily, but maybe you’d prefer baby boy?”

“I’d prefer my name.” The words came through Travis’s gritted teeth. As soon as his surprise at the name had dissipated, his stomach had done a weird flip flop, but then utter annoyance took place. The male in front of him had no place to be referring to him so fondly, how one should refer to their girlfriend, not another boy-

“Earth to Travis, yoo-hoo!” The cigarette was back in Larry’s mouth, and the taller male had leaned in closer to Travis, waving a hand in front of his face. From this new, much closer, proximity the blond was overwhelmed by the reek of the nicotine. One again, he took a step back, this time quickly looking over his shoulder. It just sank in that Larry could get them both in trouble for smoking on school premises. “What were you fantasizing about so hard that you didn’t even offer me a nod when I said that I’d go to your stupid church?”

“Wait,” Travis’s head whipped back to Larry, “You’ll go?” The blond couldn’t keep the excitement and eagerness out of his voice. If he could just get Larry to go to service, he was sure it’d change the brunet for the better and maybe help cease some of the feelings going through Travis’s own mind when he caught himself staring at Larry.

“I’ll go to one meeting,”Larry corrected, holding up a single finger. Travis would take what he could get.

“That’s great-“

“But only if you let me drive you to my place tonight,” Larry interrupted, smile broadening as Travis’s own shrank. That wasn’t so great.

“Why?” It seemed that Larry’s grin only continued to grow, his insufferable tooth gap making an appearance now. The brunet drew his eyebrows together and shrugged his shoulders as if to exaggerate how “hard” he was thinking about the answer to Travis’s question.

“I dunno, thought we could have a little bonding experience before I show up at the Phelps Ministry, y’know?” Travis didn’t know. He didn’t know why they needed to bond before the Wednesday night service. Larry rested his hand on Travis’s shoulder, and the blond felt like he was being smothered. He swore his knees started to buckle when the bastard started to rub slow circles into his skin with his thumb.

“What about my bike? I can’t leave it here, didn’t bring my chain today,” Travis got out, thanking God for the excuse.

“Let’s throw’er into the back of my pickup truck. I have some cords that I can tie her down with if you want to be sure she’s safe,” Larry assured, a glint in his eyes that made Travis feel cold. The blond hugged his arms to his chest, heaved in a breath of air, and slowly sighed before nodding.

“If there’s a single scratch on the bike from the bed of your pickup truck, you’re dead faggot,” Travis snapped, surprising them both at the sudden shift in tone. Larry snorted, shaking his head.

“There you are. There’s the Travis I know and love to hate,” Larry deadpanned. The brunet’s own sweet facade fell at Travis’s words, and he jutted a thumb in the direction of his truck. “Go ahead and get in while I grab the bike.”

/ / /

Travis sat stiff, as if the tiniest movement from him would make the vehicle’s alarm go off, as he waited for Larry to tie his bicycle down. The truck was the kind that only had a row of front seats, no back ones. At the moment, Travis would’ve killed to have been able to sit in the back, farther away from the gremlin of a brunet.

“Alright,” Larry began as he swung himself into the driver’s seat. The whole truck heaved to the side under the offending weight, and the blond was duly reminded of how much the other had bulked up since freshman year. “Next stop: casa de Larry.”

“You live in an apartment, not an actual house. Wouldn’t it be ‘piso de Larry?’” Travis asked the question half because he was an ass and half because he had a Spanish exam next week. Larry shook his head and turned the key in the ignition. As the engine roared to life, Travis felt himself cave in even more.

“Maybe if my mom was from Spain or some shit. We never use that form,” Larry gritted, eyes no longer focused on Travis as he tried to maneuver the truck around an assortment of sloppy student parking jobs. In the silence, Travis noted that Larry no longer had his cigarette, must’ve stubbed it out before climbing in. He was thankful for that, not really wanting to be trapped in a small space with the obnoxious smell of a cig. The odor was already present enough on Larry’s clothes. “So why, exactly, am I going to your church? And don’t bullshit me Phelps. I know there has to be more of a reason than it being a good experience.”

“I dunno Larry. Why am I being abducted to your apartment? There has to be a better reason than bonding,” Travis echoed back, his sarcasm slowly but surely firing up again. Larry’s glare whipped towards him, frown pressed into his face before he let out a dry chuckle.

“Like I told you, it’s just bonding. I wanna get to see the big, bad Travis Phelps in a new light,” Larry replied. His eyes darted back to the road to make sure they weren’t going to crash before he looked back at Travis, gaze traveling up and down his body. The Christian felt like he was being undressed.

“What if I don’t want to ‘bond’ with you?” Travis sneered. Larry couldn’t help the smile that broke out across his face, and Travis couldn’t help but cross his arms back over his chest, trying not to completely ruin his front. They both knew Travis would be putty in Larry’s hands.

A touch against his neck made him snap his attention back to Larry. The brunet’s own eyes flit back and forth from the road to Travis as his free hand traced patterns on the side of the blond’s neck. The shorter male roughly swallowed, disconcerted by the weird yet soft interaction. “Don’t worry angel, we’ll only do whatever you want to,” Larry purred, fingers dipping down to trace the base of Travis’s neck before lightly tugging at his sweater’s neckline. “But something tells me that you’re going to want to do a lot.”

Just as the gentle touches started, they stopped, leaving Travis alight. He tried to blame his longing for the caresses on the lack of positive physical affection in his own household, but that debate came up short in his own mind. He didn’t have to mull over the reason for long however because Larry’s hand suddenly rested on his thigh. Travis looked to the other, to see what game he was playing, but the metalhead was focused on the road, signaling their conversation was over for now. At first, the hand didn’t bother Travis too terribly much. He grew accustomed to its weight and warmth, could almost pretend it wasn’t there. However, when Larry started driving on back roads and subconsciously squeezing the boy under him at every dip in the road, the blond began to mind the hand very much. He knew the other, for once, wasn’t trying to get a rouse from Travis, but this might’ve been the best show Travis put on for him yet.

While Larry’s hand was resting on top his outer thigh, his fingers were curled against his inner. And while the placement was nowhere near his crotch, it still made Travis’s head spin. Right now, he was sat up stiff and straight, legs almost completely shut together. If he actually relaxed, slouched a bit, and let his legs spread to a more comfortable position, the hand would surely rest a lot higher on him. Travis wasn’t a fan of how much the idea excited him, but another part of him certainly was. The Christian could’ve screamed bloody murder when he realized he was starting to sport a hard on from just having a hand on his thigh, Larry’s hand no less. Instead, he looked out the passenger seats window and steeled himself, trying to calm down.

However, as fate would have it, the bastard beside him started to rub circles against him, fingertips curving all too pleasantly against Travis’s leg through his shorts. The blond knew in the back of his mind that it simply wasn’t normal for even a less disciplined man than himself to get hard from a hand on their leg, but Travis felt like he was positively burning. He looked like he was burning too. In the window, he could see his faint reflection, and a vicious blush dusted his features.

“Only about fifteen minutes away from the apartment complex,” Larry stated, casting a glance over to Travis. His eyebrows immediately furrowed at the sight. “Jesus, do you have a fever? My mom just got over the flu, can't be bringing any more illnesses into the house.”

“No! No, I’m fine,” Travis replied, words tumbling out quick. He ripped his gaze from the window to face Larry, offering a nerve stricken smile. Larry stared at him intently, eyes searching his face before they suddenly dropped down to his crotch.

“Oh my god,” Larry began, grip on Travis’s leg tightening.

“Fuck you,” Travis spat, jerking his leg away from Larry. His whole body shifted from the brunet, legs clamped together, but it was still easy to notice the tent in his pants.

“Apparently you really want to,” the brunet mused. His hand hovered in the air, as if he wanted to pry the other’s legs apart and see how much damage he had done, but he thought better of it. His thumbs drummed against the steering well as he grabbed it with both hands.

“Only in your wet dreams, Johnson,” Travis growled, and Larry really wanted to go into a hysteria of laughing. Only the blondie sat beside him would deny his attraction while there was a raging boner in his lap. Instead, he slowed the truck as he pulled off to the side of the road. He never cut the engine, just let it purr gently as the vehicle came to a halt. The change in pace startled Travis, and he felt his heart start to race. At this point, he didn’t know if it was from anxiety or anticipation. “What are you doing? Why are we stopped?”

Larry shifted in his seat to fully face Travis now that he wasn’t driving. The coy smirk that seemed to be ever present on his face broadened as he once again looked Travis up and down. The Christian could feel the blood rushing in his ears as Larry bit at his own finger for a second, seeming to decide something in his head. “Say Travis, have you ever heard of road head?”

[judefan820-blog]

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[valentindaily]

ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Returns With a Special Two-Night Season Premiere

The Full Cast of ABC’s Upcoming ‘Dancing with the Stars: Juniors’ Will Be Revealed In-Person, Live on Tuesday, Sept. 25

Pop Star Mackenzie Ziegler Will Perform Her Hit Song, ‘Wonderful,’ on Night Two

At the End of the Two-Night Premiere, One Couple Will Be Eliminated

“Episode 2701” – “Dancing with the Stars” is back with a new, dynamic cast of 13 celebrities who are ready to move out of their comfort zones and hit the ballroom floor on a special two-night premiere. The competition begins with a two-hour season premiere, live, MONDAY, SEPT. 24 (8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. The show will kick off with an exciting opening number featuring the full cast dancing to Erin Boheme’s “I Won’t Dance,” choreographed by the show’s own Emmy®-winning Mandy Moore.

This season’s lineup of celebrity dancers includes an “American Idol” mentor, the first-ever blind contestant to take part in the show, an alumnus from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, a Duke of Hazzard, an Olympic Gold medal-winning gymnast and a Bachelor Nation favorite, among others. Each couple will perform a jive, cha cha, foxtrot, salsa or quickstep, vying for America’s vote for the first time. There will not be an elimination on this night.

Each couple will dance to the following songs (in alphabetical order):

Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten – Jive – “Good Golly Miss Molly” by Little Richard

Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess – Jive – “T-R-O-U-B-L-E” by Travis Tritt

Danelle Umstead and Artem Chigvintsev – Foxtrot – “Rise Up” by Andra Day

DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold – Cha Cha – “Sweet Sensation” by Flo Rida

Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe – Foxtrot – “Do You Believe in Magic” by Aly & AJ

Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile and Jenna Johnson – Quickstep – “Fish Out of Water” by Leo Soul

John Schneider and Emma Slater – Foxtrot – “Good Ol’ Boys from Dukes of Hazzard” by Waylon Jennings

Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke – Salsa – “Dinero” by Jennifer Lopez featuring DJ Khaled & Cardi B

Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber – Cha Cha – “Treasure” by Bruno Mars

Milo Manheim and Witney Carson – Cha Cha – “Free Free Free” by Pitbull featuring Theron Theron

Nancy McKeon and Val Chmerkovskiy – Quickstep – “It Don’t Mean a Thing” by Club Des Belugas

Nikki Glaser and Gleb Savchenko – Salsa – “YES” by Louisa featuring 2 Chainz

Tinashe and Brandon Armstrong – Jive – “I’m a Lady” by Meghan Trainor

For week one, viewers may cast their votes for their favorite “Dancing with the Stars” couples via phone and online at www.ABC.com on Monday night, beginning from the start of the episode on the East Coast at 8:00 p.m. EDT/5:00 p.m. PDT and closing at 4:00 a.m. EDT/1:00 a.m. PDT on Tuesday. 

“Episode 2701A” – On part two of the spectacular season premiere, the 13 celebrities get ready to hit the ballroom floor once again, with a lot riding on their final scores, on “Dancing with the Stars,” live, TUESDAY, SEPT. 25 (8:00-10:01 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network, streaming and on demand. The night kicks off with an electrifying opening number, featuring all of the pros dancing to “The Greatest Show” from “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack, choreographed by Mandy Moore. Also, as a special treat, singer/actress/model Mackenzie Ziegler will perform her hit song, “Wonderful.”

In addition, the cast of the much-anticipated “Dancing with the Stars: Juniors,” which premieres on Sunday, Oct. 7 at 8:00 p.m. EDT, will take the stage and be revealed. The youngest cast ever, featuring 12 celebrity kids and professional junior ballroom dancers, will hit the ballroom floor, sparkle up their wardrobe and break in their dancing shoes as they ready themselves for what will be an unforgettable journey. Each couple will be mentored by one of “Dancing with the Stars’” professional and troupe dancers. The “Juniors” cast will then complete a performance to DNCE’s “Dance.” Additionally, the “Juniors” pros will also perform a dance to “Born Ready” (by Disco Fries featuring Hope Murphy). Both numbers will be choreographed by Mandy Moore.

Each “Dancing with the Stars” couple will prepare a jive, cha cha, foxtrot, salsa or quickstep. At the end of the night, one couple will be eliminated.

Each couple will prepare dances to the following songs (in alphabetical  order):

Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten – Jive – “Shake the Room” by Gamu

Bobby Bones and Sharna Burgess – Jive – “Gimme Some Lovin’” by The Spencer Davis Group

Danelle Umstead and Artem Chigvintsev – Foxtrot – “Strong Ones” by Armin van Buuren featuring Cimo Fränkel

DeMarcus Ware and Lindsay Arnold – Cha Cha – “I Like It (Like That)” by The Blackout Allstars

Evanna Lynch and Keo Motsepe – Foxtrot – “Rewrite the Stars” by Zac Efron & Zendaya

Joe “Grocery Store Joe” Amabile and Jenna Johnson – Quickstep – “Check It Out” by Oh the Larceny

John Schneider and Emma Slater – Foxtrot – “Orange Colored Sky” by Nat “King” Cole

Juan Pablo Di Pace and Cheryl Burke – Salsa – “Tu Sonrisa” by Elvis Crespo

Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber – Cha Cha – “Hot Stuff” by Donna Summer

Milo Manheim and Witney Carson – Cha Cha – “Good Feeling” by Austin French

Nancy McKeon and Val Chmerkovskiy – Quickstep – “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina & The Waves

Nikki Glaser and Gleb Savchenko – Salsa – “Tres Deseos” by Gloria Estefan

Tinashe and Brandon Armstrong – Jive – “Yes” by Merry Clayton

For Tuesday’s show, which airs at 8:00 p.m. EDT/7:00 p.m. CDT on Sept. 25, the eliminated couple will be determined based on that night’s judges’ scores, along with the previous night’s judges’ scores and viewer votes, along with the results of a live viewer vote during the live broadcast of the show. Fans can vote online during the live broadcast in the Eastern and Central time zones at www.DWTSLiveVote.com. The live viewer vote will open after all of the eligible couples have finished their dances and will remain open for approximately five minutes before the elimination is revealed.

[keijiwrites]

Jackson vs. Grace

pairing: jercy

characters: almost all of the seven

rating: G

Word count: 2175

additional tags: volleyball au

Percy never thought he would be playing volleyball in college when he was a swimmer since he was a little boy. He hasn’t stopped swimming, but they had no swimming club in college – a real shocker – so he decided to give volleyball a try. Surprisingly enough, it was his senior year in college and he was captain of the team. In his team were his closest friends Nico and Frank along with a few friends like Connor and Travis Stoll and Will Solace.

Percy had no idea how he became close to his teammates but he was glad about it. They were like his family after all. Percy was the middle blocker of the team while Nico was the libero, Frank was defensive specialist, Connor and Travis were wing spikers and Will was the setter. It was a strange arrangement at first but they managed to work it all out in the end.

Practices were hard and matches even harder so. It went relatively easier when Nico joined. An outstanding libero even when he looked like he could die of boredom in the middle of a game. He was an excellent player, receiving every serve and spike aimed his way. Percy once asked him why he played if he looked like he was about to fall asleep in practice, but Nico gave him a look and walked away. The only person who could get a single reaction out of him was Will. The two have been dancing around each other for a while. Meanwhile everyone is dying in the back because of the dumb pining between the two. Percy wants to smack them but he holds back every time.

They were in the middle of practice when their manager, Annabeth Chase and Percy’s best friend, told them they had a practice match with one of the best teams in college history.

“Wait, isn’t that where Jason Grace is?” Frank asked and of course he had to mention him.

Jason Grace is the best setter anyone has ever seen. Their college had gone to nationals twice and they were aiming for a third time. And it was all because of Jason Grace. Since he joined two years ago they were practically invincible, especially with their ace Leo Valdez at his side. He wasn’t as tall as a regular ace but he could jump and was quick and full of energy to spare.

An unnecessarily loud ‘smack’ was heard and they all turned to Percy who was on the serving line, shoulders tense. Everyone looked at each other and frowned at the ball that was bouncing on the other side of the court.

“Uh, Percy.” Annabeth said softly, her blond princess curls in a ponytail. “What’s wrong?”

Percy blinked his sea green eyes and looked at Annabeth. He had a faraway look on his face. “Nothing. Just, not feeling good.” He gave sheepish smile at everyone. “Thanks for setting it up, Annie.”

“Stop calling me that, Seaweed Brain.” She huffed, flicking his forehead. “I know about your true feelings towards Jason.” She murmured so only he could hear.

Percy’s shoulders tensed as he took a sharp intake of breath.

“You two are – you know. I won’t tell anyone I promise.” She smiled at him and sat down in a corner to watch the practice happen.

“H-How did you know?!” He squeaked out, face flushed red.

Annabeth rolled her grey eyes and said, “I’m not stupid, Percy. I saw his jersey when I went over last week. And shoes. And his sports glasses.”

Percy shook his head and joined his team, where Coach Hedge told them they had to do diving drills. Everyone let out a loud groan but complied.

Percy arrived at his and Jason’s shared apartment where he dropped his bag and walked to the kitchen. He saw his boyfriend slaving over the stove and hugged him from behind. “Hey, Perce.” He murmured and kissed his temple softly.

“Hey.” He muttered out tiredly.

“Someone sounds like they got beat during practice.”

Percy groaned, forehead against Jason’s head. “Coach Hedge beat us to a pulp. But, it’s not just that.” He sighed out, staring at the wall.

“What is it?”

“Annabeth arranged a practice match and I don’t know how to feel about it.”

Jason hummed thoughtfully. “And that is because…”

Percy sighed loudly. “Because it’s against your school, Jason.”

*~*~*

Percy did not feel okay for the remainder of the week. He was frowning constantly and was spacing out a lot in class. The conversation with Jason was a little awkward after that. They had gone to bed with frowns on their faces. They had had matches before, but they were always official. Practice matches were to mostly goof around after it and since everyone thought Percy and Jason had a rivalry they decided to keep up the façade. Neither knew how the rumor started but it was probably because Jason had smirked at Percy when the former school won and Percy had shot him a murderous look. What they didn’t know was they had a bet. Who lost had to bottom for a month. Percy wasn’t exactly fond of bottoming. Jason had more of a field month than a field day. He was jumping for joy.

They had known each other since they were children and it came to a surprise to the two when they decided to go to different colleges. Percy was butthurt for a while because he went to the college that was near their neighborhood. Jason chose one where he had to take the subway to get there in time. Yet they came to an agreement where they got an apartment in the middle.

They were sitting in Percy’s room – he lived with Sally before he moved out junior year - after the first week of freshman year when Jason said he had joined the volleyball team. Percy had wide eyes because he was going to tell him he as well had joined the volleyball team because they had no swim club. The two stared at each other before chuckling. Percy had looked at him with a mischievous glint and jokingly said, ‘Guess we now have some rivalry to look forward to’ before kissing Jason.

Now, Percy wasn’t feeling okay. Sure, they had matches before but never a practice match. Those were different because, even if they took is serious, it a lot less personal than an official match. They would usually have a laugh at the end and sometimes even go out for a meal. But this time Percy was sure it wasn’t going to happen. This was Jason’s team. The supposed rivals and ‘former friends’ in a place where they were both sure their teammates were going to make the best of it and make new friends because that was what always happened in practice matches. They would be friends out of the court but rivals in it.

Percy was not mentally prepared for the comments he was sure his teammates would say.

*~*~*

It was the day of the practice match and Percy felt nervous for no apparent reason. Jason had called just before Percy would leave with his team and assured him that everything would be okay but he wasn’t very sure about that. He hated the fact that everyone thought they were in some type of rivalry. They let it slide because when they tried explaining there was nothing going on and they were fine, no one believed them.

Now it was time for the match and Percy was jittery. He and Jason had decided that enough was enough and were going to keep a straight face during the match but at the end they were going to show the rivalry was only a rumor.

Percy went outside of the court when he got a call from Jason and answered it quietly. “Hey, where are you guys? We’re already here.”

Jason sighed on the other end of the line. “Leo’s running late.” He mumbled. “But we’re going over in a few minutes. Our school and we’re the ones running late. The lockers were closed though.”

Percy hummed. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you on the court.”

He knew Jason was grinning. “See on the court Jackson. Get ready to get pulverized.”

Percy scoffed. “In your dreams, Grace.” He hung up and went back inside to put his phone in his bag. He went back to warming up. He spiked the ball and yelped when the ball bounced and hit Jason square on the face. If Jason had his normal glasses, he would’ve knocked them off. Luckily, he had his sports glasses. The court was silent and Percy swallowed. Jason was as still as a lamp post and he had an unreadable expression on his face. He turned his head and glared at Percy, not his usual glare but more of the glares he saw when Percy said or did something stupid. It was mad but full of fondness. “Oh, shit.” Percy muttered with wide eyes.

Someone behind Jason snickered and it was none other than Leo Valdez. His dark skin was a pink color because of the laughter he saw holding back. Jason glared at him and Percy smirked.

“Nice one, jackass.” Nico huffed form behind Percy. “Now we’ll really lose.”

Percy rolled his eyes and said, “Just because he walked in at a wrong time doesn’t mean we’ll lose.”

“You smirked at him. At the captain and the best player they have. What the fuck.”

Percy didn’t say anything and went to the side as Jason’s team went to warm up. Coach Hedge gave them encouraging words as they stood in front of him. “Listen up, Cupcakes. We already went through this. We will beat their little-“

“Please don’t swear.” Annabeth mumbled.

“Butts.” He said instead. “Percy! Keep the rivalry between the two of you to minimum. We don’t need another middle blocker vs. setter game.”

“Yes, Coach.” Percy mumbled.

There was the loud tweet of the whistle and they starting line went to the court after both captains shook hands. They took their positions, Percy and Jason right in front of the other. Percy was smirking while Jason glared at him, face slightly pink from the previous hit.

The game was a blur. Percy blocked as many spikes as it was possible and Nico received the ones missed. Will was the best setter in the team and Percy could not have asked for anyone better. Contrary to popular belief, Percy though Jason’s sets were a little too fast for him and he could not keep up when they would have matches against people in their neighborhood. Jason had to tone it down when they played in the same team. Which wasn’t often. Leo could keep up with Jason’s quicks and Percy couldn’t deny he was amazing.

The game ended 20-25 and 23-25. Jason’s team won. The teams shook hands but Jason and Percy left each other for last purposely. The taller male was smirking in that irritating way Percy hated.

“Asshole.” He muttered as Jason clasped his hand in his.

Jason smirked wider and Percy fisted the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. Everyone – but Annabeth – gasped and were scrambling towards their captains when Jason clasped his hand on the back of Percy’s neck and kissed him. It was only a chaste kiss but everyone was silent.

“Good game, babe.” Jason grinned.

Percy glared at him and mumbled under his breath. “We’ll beat you next time, asshole.”

Jason laughed and slung an arm over Percy’s shoulders, Percy’s arm around his waist. They walked out of the court after grabbing their bags and headed to the locker rooms. Everyone was staring blankly at the door.

“What the fuck just happened?” Leo asked.

“Apparently, they’re… together?” Frank asked more than said, head cocked to the side.

“They did tell you all there was nothing between them.” Nico said with a roll of his eyes. “You guys just never listen.” He took his bag and headed out with Will hot on his heels.

Annabeth grinned. “I’ve known for a while now. Now get changed! We have a trip ahead of us!”

Everyone in the team grumbled but obliged.

Meanwhile, Percy and Jason were showered and dressed, waiting for everyone outside of the locker room to have lunch. “I’m starving.” Percy moaned dramatically as he slumped next to Jason.

The blond laughed and kissed Percy’s temple. “Don’t worry. We’re eating soon. How do you think everyone reacted? Should’ve gotten someone to record it.”

“You guys nearly gave a few panic attacks with your stupid little show.”

“Wise girl! How did everyone react?” Percy was grinning like a child as he stared up at Annabeth.

“They took it fine. Just shocked. Coach wants to talk to you, though. So, I think it would be best if you go now. You see Jason every day. Now hurry up.”

Percy grumbled but followed Annabeth after kissing his boyfriend. He was going to get a long lecture from both Coach Hedge and his teammates.

[thatbluegibson]

CH 57

Liz tucked her boys into their beds in her sister’s old room and met her mom in the hallway.

“Try to get some sleep, dear,” her mom whispered, “We’re just across the hall if you need us.”

Liz nodded and retreated to her childhood bedroom, still somewhat unchanged since she had last slept in it some fifteen years ago. Her mom had taken down the band and gig posters, lovingly rolled them up and stashed them in the closet, but the bulletin board and CD collection still were intact. Liz curled up onto her full sized bed and stared at her old nightstand, smiling at the pick collection she had stuck to the side of it. She wondered if Travis had talked Kyle into rehab and if he had the will to get clean again. An emergency custody order had been arranged through her lawyer to strip Kyle of his rights until he was proven clean which she knew would infuriate him, but the boy’s safety came first above everything else. Rolling onto her back, she took inventory of her day. Up at five with the kids, dropped Jack off at school at 8, then drove over an hour to Portland for her dance lesson, then an hour back to pick up Jack and then head home to relieve Travis of watching Owen. An hour later Kyle had shown up. She took a deep breath just to see if she could, thinking that the exhaustion of everything was so heavy that she might not be able to. Her life was a fucking wreck, but it wasn’t all gloom and doom if Paul McCartney wanted her to work on an album. And then there was Dave, who cared enough to worry about her and her seemingly endless drama. Why did everything have to fall apart right when he showed up? Remembering she still hadn’t called him, she felt for her phone and dragged herself off the bed when she realized she had left it in the kitchen. Tiptoeing down the steps, she avoided the squeaky treads that she knew by heart and grabbed her phone off the kitchen counter. She was just passing the foyer when a figure in the window next to the front door made her gasp and jump back before realizing it was Travis.

“You fucking scared me,” she whispered as she pulled open the front door and let him in.

“You didn’t answer your phone,” he replied, looking down at the device in her hand, “Kyle is all checked in and under lock down for three weeks.”

Liz let out a long sigh and leaned against the wall, “Good. Thank you for dealing with all that.”

“He’s my brother, Liz. I’d do it whether you asked me or not.”

Liz felt the rush of empathy hit her and realized she was being incredibly selfish. She stepped forward to hug him and he immediately hid his face in her hair. He didn’t often let his tough facade break, but when he did it was a full collapse. “He’s such a fucking idiot, Liz.”

“Yeah, I know”

“The boys deserve so much better.” He loved Jack and Owen like they were his own and cherished being their Uncle T more than anything. He had come running when Liz was in labor with Jack and Kyle had vanished, holding her hand through the thick of it until Kyle miraculously reappeared and kicked him out of the room.

“I know,” she repeated.

“Do you think…” Travis stepped out of her arms and looked down at his feet, “Do you think maybe I could take the boys while you’re in England? We can send Andy for security and-“

“Travis, I’ll never take those boys away from you, ever. Regardless of what your idiot brother does,” Liz said firmly, “If you want to send Andy and watch the boys, I’m 100% down with that.”

Liz couldn’t remember the last time Travis looked so happy. She hugged him goodbye with the promise that she’d see him tomorrow to work out logistics and locked the door before heading back up to bed.

 *

Dave’s phone lit up and buzzed sideways, bouncing off the red glass candle that was set in the middle of the booth’s table.

“Answer it,” one woman urged her friend as she checked her makeup in a small mirror fished from her giant purse.

Her friend flipped her black hair over her shoulder and picked up the phone with her long acrylic nails, swiping to answer the call, “Hello?”

Liz looked down at her phone screen thinking she had called the wrong number.

“Hello?” the woman asked again, her shrill voice now annoyed.

“Uh… yeah. Is Dave there?” Liz furrowed her brow, trying to listen over the blaring music in the background.

“Oh, he’s a little busy right now,” the woman said, her friend giggling hysterically next to her. She flipped her hair again to hide the phone when Dave turned away from the bar with his hands full of beer glasses.

“Riiiight…,” Liz muttered, looking again at the phone screen.

“You’ll have to call back later. Like tomorrow or something,” the woman said quickly and ended the call, slamming the phone onto the table top.

Josh jumped at the loud noise and leaned across the table as the woman adjusted her top, “Who was that?”

“Literally, no one,” she smiled up at Dave when he set the glasses on the table and shoved Josh over so he wouldn’t have to sit next to the two random groupies Josh had plucked from the crowd at The Rainbow.

“So do you have a girlfriend?” the blonde screeched across the table at Dave.

“Yeah, Dave. You got a lady in your life lately?” Josh threw his arm around Dave and shook him a little.

“I’m seeing someone, yeah,” he replied, raising an eyebrow when the two women exchanged a giggle.

“But she’s not… here, right?” the other woman leaned forward and pressed her ridiculously huge implants against the wooden table top.

“She’s working,” Dave said, now thinking it was a bad idea to call Josh to get his mind off things. Why didn’t he call Taylor? Or Chris? Or Nate? He could be sitting in Nate’s kitchen discussing vintage aprons with him right now, but he had to call his rowdiest friend and go to the most insane bar they knew on the Sunset Strip of all places. He had waited as long as he could for Liz to call him back before he was certain he was losing his mind and Josh was the first person he thought of. They were several beers in when Josh had the bright idea of trolling the dance floor for some tail and dredged up these Oxford scholars while Dave did shots with some fans at the bar. Spotting his phone on the table, Dave slid it towards him and checked the screen, disappointed for the hundredth time that his notification bar was blank.

“Well if she’s busy…” the woman with jet black hair that he was pretty sure was a wig purred and he felt her acrylic claws slither up his leg.

He jumped back and Josh looked at him like he had grown another head, “What the fuck, dude.”

“I’ll be right back,” he managed and fled the booth for the back of the bar. Once outside, he shakily pulled a cigarette from his shirt and lit it, leaning against the brick building away from the other groups of smokers. He tried to remember the last time he had smoked, but couldn’t place it. He had tried to quit so many times at the request of his girls, but it was a bitch of a habit to break especially when he had been drinking. Realizing he hadn’t smoked in Oregon, a cigarette at least, he checked his phone again. Scrolling through Liz’s texts to make sure he hadn’t missed any, he noticed his call log was off. Thinking that was a bizarre thing to notice, he checked the log and swore when he saw her name above Josh’s at the top of the list.

“Shit,” he whispered and tapped the return call button as hard as he could.

“Hello?” Liz’s voice was muffled and gravelly.

“Hey,” Dave looked down at his shoes so no one would see that he was grinning like an idiot.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t call earlier,” he heard her roll over in bed and shut his eyes, imagining he was next to her.

“It’s okay, Liz,” he said quietly, “How are you?”

“We’re at my parent’s for the night, but Travis got Kyle in an inpatient rehab so we’re going back home tomorrow.” Dave struggled to understand what she was saying. She had to leave home to get away from Kyle? What the fuck was happening up there? “What are you up to?”

“Oh, uh…,” Dave looked up as Josh appeared next to him, “Josh and I went out for a beer.”

“Or twelve,” Josh chuckled and tossed a cigarette in his mouth.

Dave heard Liz mumble something and turned to the wall to hear her better, “What?”

“I’ll let you get back to having fun,” Liz said louder.

“No, I can-,“ he looked around for a quieter spot he could talk to her in, but couldn’t see anything.

“I have to get up in a few hours anyways,” she yawned, “Have a beer for me, okay?”

Dave leaned back against the wall feeling a little defeated, “Okay.”

“Bye, Dave.”

“Goodnight, Liz.”

He held the phone to his ear for a minute after she ended the call, only looking up when he felt Josh staring at him.

“You find a muse, man?” he asked, taking a deep drag off his cigarette.

“Fuck, dude,” Dave shook his head and returned his phone to his pocket. “I found something.”

Josh eyed a group of women that were inching their way towards them, “You ready to unshelve that Vultures record yet?”

Dave thought about the rainy day he had spent in bed with Liz in Oregon, telling her all about the Vultures sessions. “Yeah I might have promised someone that we’d put something new out.”