#unbelievably not okay i was when we were younger. nope. not at all. in fact thats so not whats happening that i think you should completely

[squarebracketsmileyface]

I had an idea for something I wanna write for S,IL, specifically to do with Tim and Brian and their friendship in highschool, after Tim got out of the hospital and reintegrated into society, and goddamn this fic has me digging through old diary entries I saved on my phone. Some of the shit in there is just so stupid and dramatic and poetic and would work fucking perfectly for writing Severely Mentally ill Teenage Tim dealing with a weird "my best friend who I have a crush on is the only thing keeping my even semi sane, and also I have convinced myself he's a deity and I pray to him" thing 💀

This shit is so overdramatic and "cringe" but honestly it described EXACTLY how I was feeling so no actually, it's not cringe it's great. Y'know lol? Honestly tho, I love these little bits of writing I found, because they let me see exactly what younger me was feeling. Like "i feel sad and angry and my heart's beating too hard and I feel shaky and too cold" does NOT get how we were actually feeling across anywhere near as well as this bullshit.

Anyway if you wanna read a couple of these bits I found, they're under the thingy 💀

“I’m bleeding myself dry while I'm going on walks every day like everyone tells me to, and my mental health is still at its worst. I’m putting every penny of my self worth into this boy and twisting the crank to see what colourful hunk of plastic comes rolling out so I can bare it like it's my soul to anyone who asks to see that deep inside me.”

I was such a dramatic kid. Any time I was doing bad my thoughts just switched to overdramatic shitty poetry and I couldn't do anything about it 💀 I was such a fucking

“Can I appeal to your humanity as I lose my own?”

[fruitcoops]

Accidental Family

Hey folks! This is one of two fics for the six month celebration of this blog! Woohoo! Blood on the Ice is one of the most popular series I've written, and expanding it into Josie’s (@prohibitionincurls ) Winging It world with her was unbelievably fun. Disclaimer: one of the OCs has ADHD and it is a central theme of the story--while Josie based some of his characteristics on her own experience, we both recognize that this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Thank you again for six amazing months, and I hope you enjoy!

Lots of love,

Eve <3

TW for mentioned injury

“Oh my god, they’re gonna kill me,” the kid whispered in a wavering voice, sounding much younger than he actually was as he left the penalty box.

“They’re not going to kill you,” Bowie soothed, still watching the tunnel where Remus had disappeared mere minutes earlier. From what he saw, there had been a bit of blood, but the bruising didn’t look too bad. Then again, there had barely been enough time for anything to visibly swell before he was whisked away.

“Can I just stay in the box?” Felix cast a look toward the Lions bench and his voice cracked. “They can’t yell at me in the box, right?”

“Hey. Look at me, Marty.” Bowie took him by the shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. “The Lions are good guys. They’re not going to hurt you, but you did just fuck up one of their best friends. What would you do if someone hit me in the face?”

“Come on, man, I’m a terrible fighter. I don’t know how well I’d be able to defend your honor after something like that. It was an accident. Do you think they know it was an accident? Should I go tell them?”

“I know. They know. Loops definitely knows. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re a little cold at first.” He ruffled the rookie’s hair and turned back to the game; the Lions were moving fast and brutal, slicing right through their defense for yet another goal. Shit. Felix clearly felt bad enough already--losing the game wouldn’t make him feel any better. 

They ended up losing the game.

Bowie had figured it might happen; he would have had the same fire if it had been his teammate that got clocked like that. Hell, he used to have the same fire when he and Remus had played together, so he completely understood. 

That did not change the fact that once they got home, Felix was still borderline inconsolable. The 18-year-old wasn’t technically billeting with them, but the apartment he was renting just so happened to be in the same building, on the same floor, and right across the hall from his and Simon’s. This led to an informal adoption of the rookie and he was around their house at least five times a week, if not more. 

Felix Martin was a good kid, and that idea was confirmed when Kronk immediately took a liking to him; the cat loved nobody but the three of them. Bowie was grateful that he and Simon were there to quell some of the homesickness that came from moving out to a new city on his own for the first time. The transition was always tough, but they could provide a little support.

They parted ways from the team when the bus got back from the rink and drove to their building in silence. Once they made their way up the stairs and down the hall, Felix moved to go back to his apartment. 

“Nope,” Bowie said immediately, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him through the door to his and Simon’s place. It wasn’t a good idea for Felix to be alone right now--there was nothing to do alone after a loss aside from beat himself up about it, and Bowie would be damned before he let that happen. 

Simon and Kronk were perched on the couch, but they both moved into the kitchen as soon as the door clicked closed. Simon took one look at the pair and carefully wrapped his arms around Felix; the kid practically melted. The three of them stood there for a moment until Simon pulled back a bit and tilted his head toward the living room. Felix nodded and Bowie followed the two, sharing the couch with Simon while the rookie curled up in the large armchair diagonal to them. 

He...well, if Bowie was being honest, Felix looked like hell. He chewed his lower lip like an anxious beaver and fiddled with the loose threads of the closest armrest; everything about him screamed discomfort. Bowie caught Simon’s worried glance in his periphery and let out a slow breath, trying to relieve at least a little of the tension in the room.

“You don’t have to relive it if you don’t want to. I saw the game. But if you want to talk about it…” Simon trailed off with a significant look.

Felix sighed and his shoulders caved in a bit. “It was just one of those moments. All of a sudden, I didn’t really have a grasp on what was going on, which feels like shit because I’ve been doing pretty well so far. I dunno. It was just...bad.” 

That was it. Bowie knew Felix had seemed a little off. When Felix mentioned he had ADHD at the start of the season during one of their ‘getting to know your neighbor’ chats, Bowie hadn’t thought much of it. But as they grew closer, he began to notice when Felix forgot to eat or drink, or got overwhelmingly excited about something, or when he suddenly spaced out. It wasn’t just Felix being Felix.

The whole team stepped up and became intensely protective, of course. They not only helped him remember meal times, but also scheduling, directions, and everything in between. Bowie felt especially responsible for reasons he didn’t entirely understand--there was just something about the kid’s sweet heart that struck a chord.

He also knew that Felix was highly emotionally intelligent, but had no concept of whether people liked him or not. He was someone who assumed the worst, all the time. So, Bowie decided to do the only thing he knew would work: after a few more beats of uncomfortable silence, he pulled his phone out, tapped a few buttons, and pressed ‘call’.

“Hey, Remus, are you alive?” 

An amused snort came from the speaker even as Felix blanched. “Hello to you, too, Bowie. Jeez, you’re worse than Sirius.  I’m one hundred percent alive, just a little swollen. Your rookie’s got a helluva shot, but maybe tell the kid to hit the puck and not my face next time.” 

Felix flushed red and put his face between his knees, though hearing the laughter in Remus’s voice and knowing that he was okay clearly took some of the weight off his shoulders. Bowie whooped internally and shot him a quick, reassuring smile.

“Yeah, the kid’s got spirit, but he’s also got ADHD. He’s great most of the time, but sometimes under extreme pressure he can’t figure out where the fuck he--or anything else around him--is. Something about focusing or neurons firing the wrong way, maybe? Either way, it’s why he’s a terrible fuckin’ driver.”

Felix flopped back against the chair with a groan. “How the hell am I supposed to know how far away the cars around me are based on the mirrors? And how am I supposed to park?!” 

Remus’s laugh echoed once again. “Don’t ask me, kid, I’m not allowed to drive, either. Not because I’m ADHD, but because I’m terrible at it.” 

“You can say that again!” a muffled voice called from behind Remus. 

“Please excuse my fiance,” Remus said politely. “He’s a jackass who’s trying to make me lay down again.”

Felix smiled, though it was a bit pained. “I didn’t get a chance to apologize earlier. That stick was totally on me. And--I mean, I heard some of the guys talking afterward and it sounded like you got pretty banged up, so I’m really sorry. Like, really sorry.”

“Hey, woah, you’re fine,” Remus soothed. Bowie recognized his ‘talking to newbies’ voice and hid a smile in the cuff of his hoodie. “It’s the name of the game, after all. Did Bowie ever tell you about the time I accidentally checked him into a wall? Or when I broke his visor with a puck? For context, this was when we were on the same team.”

“Or that time you kicked my legs out from under me and sent me sprawling across the ice during practice.”

“That one was on purpose.” 

Bowie glared at the phone, but Felix was snickering and his grin was genuine. It calmed him a bit. “Thanks, Loops.”

“No problem, kiddo.” Remus paused for a moment, then mumbled something inaudible to someone in the background before clearing his throat. “Bowie.”

“Yes?” Remus had never been a wild card, per se, but he certainly had a knack for asking strange questions out of the blue.

“Did you accidentally adopt a child or do my ears deceive me?”

Bowie was about to laugh at the absurdity of it, but then he took a moment to think, looking back and forth between Simon and Felix. “Fuckin’--maybe I did, Re, but he’s ours now. And if that’s the case, I’m going to formally request that you tell your fiance to quit being mean to my son.”

Remus laughed on the other end of the line. “Will do. Felix seems like a sweetheart, I’m glad he’s got you two.” 

Bowie nodded with a slight smile, even though Remus couldn’t see him. “So are we. I can practically sense Sirius hovering, so go let your boyfriend fuss over you for a little while.” 

An offended noise came from Remus’s side, followed by a lower laugh and the click of the call ending. 

Simon looked Felix dead in the eyes. “I’m seconding the ‘kid’ thing. You may just barely be a legal adult, but it doesn’t mean we can’t adopt you. Congrats on your new gay dads.” 

Felix’s bright laugh sent a wave of relief through Bowie. “You guys are only, like, eight years older than me.”

“Silence, spawn,” Simon said, pointing a playful finger at him as his grin widened into something sweet and lopsided. “Now both of you need to come eat something. I made cookies while you were getting pushed around for a living.”

Bowie was still worried about Remus’ face--he made a mental note to call the next day to check in--but all his concerns disappeared as Felix scooped the cat up for a snuggle and followed Simon into the kitchen. They may have lost the game, but he would lose a million Cups to keep that moment forever: his Simon fussing over them both, his cat purring in pure bliss, and his kid settling into place at last.

[star-spangled-steve]

Ransom and female reader have been family friends since birth. Families always together. He finds out that the reader is a Virgin and he wants to help her fix that problem. Thanks 😊

Masterlist Of My Works

A/N: Ransom ended up a bit Dom-ish in this, so I hope that you don’t mind. I just couldn’t help myself!

Let’s just say that you guys were at some friends and family gathering at your parents’ house, near the end of it when everybody was sort of relaxing together.

You and Ransom were up in your childhood bedroom, sitting on your bed. You had wanted to get away from all of the boring chatter, so instead you were listening to one of his stories that he likes to go on about.

Apparently one of his younger buddies admitted a secret about himself, and Ransom thought that it was just hysterical enough to tell you.

“And then, get this, he tells us that he’s a virgin. The guy’s twenty-three and still a virgin! Unbelievable, right?”

But you, not really thinking before you spoke, decided to blurt out the first thing that came into your head. “That’s not old to be a virgin.”

The man scoffed. “Oh, please. What, you know someone older?”

You stuttered. “Uhm… well… I was just saying that in general, uh-”

“Wait a minute.” He stopped you, a huge smirk forming on his face. “Is it… is it you?”

“What?” You played it off with a small chuckle. “Uh, no. Of course not.”

“Oh, it is so you!” Ransom pointed one of his thick fingers right in your face, completely laughing his ass off. “Y/N’s a virgin! Y/N’s a virgin!”

“Shh!” You reprimanded, really not wanting any of the guests in the house, or worse, your parents to hear. “Fine, fine, I am! Just shut up about it.”

At your request he stopped cackling, but it sure didn’t take the smile of his face. “Ha, a virgin. How embarrassing.”

You rolled your eyes. “Hey, at least I don’t sleep around with everything that breathes like you do.”

“Oh, please, you know your jealous.” He stated.

“Of you? Ya, never in a millio-”

“Of them.” He interrupted, grinning devilishly. “The girls that I sleep with. You know you’d love to be one of them.”

You were at a loss for words. Of course you weren’t jealous of them. I mean… was Ransom good looking? Yes. Was he skilled at sexual intercourse? Probably. Did just speaking about this topic in his presence get you turned on?... Maybe. Well, crap. Maybe you were jealous of them. Not that you’d ever let him know that.

“No, Ransom. I would not love to be one of them. You’re just too full of yourself to think any differently.”

He shook his head cockily. “Nope. You’re lying.”

“Am not.”

“You know you dream about this cock.”

You flushed at his words. “Ransom, stop.”

“Oh? So if I checked your panties right now, they wouldn’t be wet?” He spoke, placed one of his large hands on your knee.

You froze, unsure with where this was going. You knew that you probably looked like a nervous wreck, cheeks pink and breathing uneven.

He slowly started to trail his hand higher and higher, until eventually it was at the top of your thigh, rubbing gently. “I bet just the thought of me fucking you has you weak in the knees.”

“Ransom.” You gasped, feeling his fingertips now brushing your inner thigh. You’d never been touched like this before, and you couldn’t exactly say that you weren’t enjoying it.

He shifted his entire body closer to yours, now breathing in your ear. “I know you want it, Y/N. Huh? You want me to fuck you? Take you virginity away, baby girl? Right in your childhood bedroom?”

You shuddered, not being able to make eye contact with him, before muttering out a small, meek, “Yes.”

Ransom smirked, beginning to crawl on top of you. “Exactly what I want to hear.” He grabbed one of your shuddering hands and pressed a kiss to it, trying to calm your nerves. “Now we have to be extra quiet, sweetheart, because we don’t want our families to hear. Okay?”

You gulped before nodding your head.

“Good girl.” He cooed, turning you on even more. The man stroked the side of your face, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, and gave you a sweet smile. “Don’t worry, baby. I’m going to take care of you.”

Next thing you knew, Ransom was leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to your lips. It almost felt as if that was the last barrier between friendship and something more, now broken by him, and boy oh boy, you weren’t sure if you could ever go back.

He reached his hands behind your back and begin to unzip your dress, before pulling it over head with a simple, “Arms up. Need to get this off of you.”

He marveled at the sight of your almost-naked body, now only clad in your bra and panties. He noticed that your legs were instinctively closed together and put his hands on your ankles, separating them with ease. What Ransom saw made him chuckle.

“So I was correct. You’re dripping for me.”

He pulled the panties down your legs and showed them to you, making you blush at the large wet stain.

“Oopsy.”

He smiled at your embarrassed response, tucking the panties in his back pocket.

“Going to want to remember this.”

It wasn’t long before Ransom was going down on you, using his mouth to pleasure your pussy in the most delicious ways.

You’d never felt anything quite this good before, and when he began to insert his fingers inside of you too, you nearly screamed.

“R-Ran-Ransom.” You stuttered out, gasping when he started scissoring his fingers inside of your hole.

“Shh, shh, baby.” He instructed, never pausing his movements. “You have to be more quiet. Just calm down, sweet girl. I’m trying to get you ready for me.”

You nodded in understanding, liking the fact that he called you his ‘sweet girl’.

Ransom then started to lick your clit, bringing it into his mouth to suck on it, and just when you felt like for were about to cum… he stopped.

“Wha-?”

He peered his head up and took his fingers out, licking them clean of your juices while humming in delight. “I want you to cum around my cock, not my hand.” He began to strip himself down, pulling his expensive cashmere sweater over his head. “You taste beautiful, by the way. Probably the best pussy I’ve ever ate.”

You gave him a small smile. “Thanks.”

Ransom winked in return, now pulling the rest of his clothes off, including his underwear, and pulling on a condom that he just happened to have in his pants pocket. Of course he had one. He probably had a whole strip.

You gulped at his large size, realizing that you somehow had to fit all of that inside of you.

“Don’t worry, baby girl.” He spoke, crawling on top of you again. “I’ll help you through his.”

Why was he being so nice to you? Oh, yes, that’s right. He was about to get some.

Ransom began to push the tip in and you inhaled a breath, feeling him stretching you already.

“Fuck, you’re tight, Y/N.”

When he bottomed out, he paused, checking to see if you were okay. You looked pretty freaked out.

“How are you feeling, darling? You good?” He cooed, wiping the stray tears that were falling from your eyes.

“Uh huh.” You nodded, keeping your arms wrapped arounnd his thick shoulders. “You-You can move.”

Ransom grinned before beginning to thrust in and out of you, making you moan as quiet as you could.

“Look at you, my pretty girl. Taking my cock so well.” He grunted in your ear as he began to speed up his pace, getting the feeling that you were comfortable now.

The sex went on longer than you thought that it could; apparently Ransom had incredible stamina. Who knew?

He brought your hands up above your head, a silent display of power that didn’t go unnoticed by you. But that’s okay, you were happy to submit to him.

He also apparently had great dirty talk, constantly whispering the nastiest little things in your ear.

“You look so cute right now, sweetie. So fucked out. I love knowing that I made feel you this way.”

Ransom brought one had down to clit, rubbing slow, torturing circles around it and making you whine.

He began to place kisses on your neck, which eventually turned to nips, then to bites, until he left a whole splotch of purple marks on you.

“Now everyone can now that you’re mine.” He rasped out, and you couldn’t believe your ears. After tonight, you desperately wanted to be his.

It wasn’t long after that when you came, his expert fingers working your clit so well.

The feeling of you squeezing his walls was enough to make him finish as well, spilling into the condom with a growl.

“Fuck, baby girl.”

You guys laid there for a solid minute, not moving, just gasping for breath.

Surprisingly, his close proximity was not uncomfortable to you anymore, but actually felt really nice. You quite liked the feeling of his weight on top of you.

“So?” He questioned, a slight grin on his handsome face.

“That was really, really great.” You giggled. “You are so good at that. Thank you, Ransom.”

He pressed a soft kiss to your lips before beginning to pull out of you, and you sighed at the empty feeling you now had. “It’s no problem, sweetheart. Actually, thank you.” He insisted, pulling off the condom and wrapping it a tissue before throwing it away. “You’re the one who let me do it.”

“Um…” You began, hesitant if you should continue or not. “Uh…”

“What?” Ransom asked. “Don’t be shy, baby. Not after what just happened.”

“Well… um, w-when you said that I was ‘yours’… di-did you mean that?”

The man smiled at your words, taking a seat on the bed. “Well, I was hoping. Though, I guess that’s more of a thing that you ask, right?”

“Y-You want me to be yours? Like for real?” You questioned, having a hard time believing this.

“Yes, I do. Of course I do, you’re the best.” He spoke sweetly. “Do you want to be mine?”

You nodded enthusiastically. “Yes.”

Ransom instantly gave you a big kiss, smiling at your happy, adorable face. “Perfect. I’m going to take you out to lunch tomorrow. Okay, baby? We’re going to make this official.”

“Sounds amazing.” You giggled. “Well, if I can even get out of bed. I have a feeling that I’ll have a bit of trouble walking tomorrow.”

Feedback is always welcome!

Permanent Taglist: @jesseswartzwelder @firecatcher007 @ctrl-alt-jeon @xlanawriter

Tell me if you want to be added!❤️

[tw-anchor]

36. The Anchor and the True Alpha

Anchor

Stiles Stilinski x Original Character

Episode: 3x12; Lunar Ellipse

Word Count: 8,373

Warning(s): Mature language, canon violence + gore, stupid Jennifer Blake, moron Deucalion, true alphaness, badass anchor, awkward Derek

Author’s Note: Here’s the 3A finale! I hope you enjoy. Please make sure to let me know what you think, reblog, and like!

Masterlink in Pinned Post!

"Okay, like this?"

Allison giggled at Olivia, enjoying the way she held the Chinese ring daggers that the shorter brunette had insisted that Allison teach her how to use. Right now, Olivia held them loosely, the tip of the blades closer to cutting her wrists more than protecting herself.

"Stop laughing at me!" Olivia called her out with amused eyes. "I'm trying to be a badass like you!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Allison choked down the rest of her laughter. "Let's start over."

Olivia nodded and put the daggers back to the starting position that Allison had taught her. "Okay, now what?"

"Now, you twist them like this," Allison demonstrated the move with the set she was using. "and then you flip your wrists up and raise your arms like this."

Olivia did as Allison told her, wincing at the slight bruises starting to form around the base of her fingers. Chinese ring daggers were no joke and now she understood why Allison came to school with bandages around her fingers for a couple of weeks the previous semester of school.

She did the move sloppily, nowhere near as sharp as Allison's, of course, but that was expected. Allison nodded in approval, a small smile forming at her lips. "All right, keep practicing that," she said encouragingly. "Once you tighten that up, we can move onto the next move."

"Considering that I'm not athletic whatsoever, I think that went okay," Olivia breathed as she slipped the daggers off of her fingers.

Allison laughed. "Does that mean you want to try the crossbow?"

"Don't even think about it, Al!"

-

Olivia walked through the woods surrounding the old Hale House. They were training Jackson about control before he headed off to London, England. To say that he was being a bitch about it all would be an understatement. He was taking his temper out on her and Scott—he was upset about what he had done as the kanima, his brush with death, and the fact that his parents had found out what happened and were moving the family to London for no other reason than to get him away from everything supernatural.

Olivia could take his temper and his snide comments because she had seven or eight years to get used to it. Scott, however, did not. Too many comments about he used to suck at lacrosse and cheated the whole semester, how he used to have only Stiles as a friend, his mom's income, and Allison breaking up with him had gotten to Scott.

He stomped away with golden eyes, leaving her to deal with Jackson on her own. Since she was still harnessing her own abilities, she just sent Jackson home for the day and then proceeded to go and find Scott. She found him by a small creek, sitting on the bank.

"Hey," she called as she walked over and sat down next to him. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," he told her quietly. "Just lost control for a second."

"Anyone would have. Jackson's a dickhead. I don't know how he has more two friends," she huffed out a laugh. "Other than me and Danny, I think the rest are just afraid of him."

Scott's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Probably," he hesitated. "Have you, uh, have you heard from Allison?"

Olivia frowned as she thought of her friend. "A couple of nights ago. She's not doing too well. I think Gerard messed her up just as much as her mom's death."

"He's a psycho," Scott agreed. "Did she ask you about me?"

She hesitated, not wanting to hurt his feelings—how had she become this empathetic person? "I'm sorry, Scott, but no," when Scott ducked his head, she reached for his hand and took it, trying to give him as much support as he needed. "I know it hurts but she's going through a tough time. And you're both different people now, you've both changed."

"So does that mean she won't want to get back together?" Scott asked miserably, lifting his head to look at her with wet eyes.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "But, Scott, listen. I know you love her, I know you do. And what you had was amazing and odds-defying. But sometimes relationships don't last. It doesn't mean that those people don't love each other, but sometimes circumstances can alter the path of the relationship."

Scott frowned and looked back at the creek. "I really love her."

"I know," she squeezed his hand. "but sometimes love isn't enough. Then again, I can't predict the future. Allison may come back from France and want to get back together, she may not. I just want you to be ready for whatever she decides, okay?"

"...Okay," Scott said after a minute and then attempted to smile at her, changing the subject only slightly. "Are you a love guru or something, Liv?"

Olivia laughed. "Nah, I'm not so good at love."

"That's not what Stiles says."

"Hey," she slapped is arm playfully. "You guys talk about me?"

"A little too much—ow, Liv!"

-

Derek sighed reluctantly as he sat Olivia down on her bed, taking a seat in the armchair a few feet away. "Okay, I didn't want to have to do this, but you and Stiles—"

"Oh no. Oh, God, please don't do this," Olivia pleaded with her cousin, her cheeks warming up. "Derek just walk away."

"No, I have to get this out," Derek insisted. "You have no one else to tell you."

"Uh, yes I—"

"Obviously, you and Stiles are in a serious relationship," Derek interrupted her. "and with a serious relationship comes...personal relations."

"Personal relations?" she looked at him in disbelief. "What are you, eighty-five years old?"

"Fine, sex," Derek glared at her. "You and Stiles will start having sex."

Olivia sighed and though she appreciated that he was there to give her advice and take care of her, Natalie had given her and Lydia the typical parental sex talk when they were eleven and twelve and they got their periods around the same time. Then, a few years later, Lydia gave her an actual sex talk after her experiences with some boys and then Jackson—the kind of talk that was rated R and too inappropriate for parents to talk about with their kids.

"Now, you probably won't experience this, because I'm tempted to rip off Stiles arms if he doesn't keep his hands to himself, but," Derek winced, looking more uncomfortable than she felt. "but sex...is...natural."

"Derek, please..."

"Just let me get this out before I lose my nerve," Derek cut her off; Olivia nodded, her lips twisting in amusement. "Under no circumstances are you to have sex without a condom. Only when you're married and want to have a family is when it's accepted to go without."

Olivia hid her smile to nod seriously. "Okay."

"And never, ever do anything you're uncomfortable with," Derek continued. "If you say no, Stiles will stop if he's a good guy. If not, I put pepper spray on your keys and a rape whistle in your purse."

"Oh, God..."

Stiles was not a guy who would put his hands on anyone without their express permission. Usually he was a nervous wreck anyway if they did something sexual. And he was always respectful of her. But, if he was out of his mind or crazy enough to force her into relations—as Derek called it—than she would kick his ass. And then break up with him. She loved him but she loved herself too and she was not going to put up with that.

When Olivia nodded her understanding, Derek cleared his throat. "Now..."

He paused to pull something from behind his back. Olivia's mouth fell open when she saw what he had. "Oh, my God...please tell me that's not a banana and a condom, Der! Oh, my God, it is!" she winced and buried her burning face into her hands. "Please don't do this Derek."

"I want you to learn how to put on a condom."

"I didn't want to say this, but Derek, I've already had this talk, two different times, okay?" her voice was muffled by her hands, but Derek got the gist; he looked horrified. "Lydia even taught me how to put on a condom."

She almost added that she knew how to do it multiple ways, but Derek looked like he wanted to die from embarrassment from what he had already heard.

He glared at her. "Why did you let me ramble on?!"

"I didn't let you ramble on, you kept interrupting me!"

"You're grounded!"

A genuine laugh spilled from Olivia's lips. "You can't ground me!"

"Well, I just did, so there!"

-

"Top five favorite ice creams. Go."

Olivia blinked in surprise from Stiles' random prompt. They were on the beach, laying on their towels and trying to tan after a dip in the ocean. She raised up onto her elbows—she was laying on her stomach—and looked down at Stiles, from where he was laying on his back, hair halfway grown out and the black ray bans she gave him as a gift on the bridge of his nose.

"I don't like ice cream very much," she told him.

"There's not way you don't like ice cream," Stiles disagreed; she shook her head. "Come on, you don't even like chocolate-chip cookie dough?"

"I don't like raw cookie dough."

"Unbelievable. I'm in love with a heathen," Stiles joked. "So, not one ice cream?"

"I have two that I usually get if I actually want ice cream," she confessed. "I like vanilla and mint."

Stiles looked up at her in disbelief. "Vanilla and mint?" when she nodded, he scoffed. "Sorry, nope, I'm not dating a heathen, I'm dating a senior citizen."

"Hey!" she gently slapped his toned abdomen in offense. "I'm younger than you."

"Your favorite ice cream flavors are vanilla, which is the most basic out of all the flavors, and mint—without chocolate, by the way—which only adults eat. No offense, babe, but you need to live on the edge sometimes."

Olivia pinched his side because of the pet name and laughed. "Living on the edge is eating different ice cream flavors? Wow, what a life you live, Stiles."

He poked her in the cheek. "At least I don't have the personality of an old lady."

"Ouch, that really hurt."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Stiles put his hands up defensively. "All right, how about the worst five moments of your life?"

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "What a serious change of topic."

"Here, I'll pick a new one—"

"No, it's okay," she assured him. She leant toward him more and rested her head on his stomach, facing him. "Number five would be my very first day of school."

"Really?" that surprised Stiles. "You love school, though."

"I do now. Before I started school, I hung out with either Lydia, or Cora, Derek, and Laura," she shared with him. "They were all my heroes and my best friends. And I'm a year younger than Lydia and Cora, so I didn't start school with them and it made me so upset that I threw a fit."

"You, having a tantrum? Wow, I didn't expect that," Stiles commented sarcastically.

"I really was an angel," Olivia went along with him and then went back to the story. "Anyway, my mom started teaching me stuff because she was in college studying to be a teacher. By the time I went to preschool, I was too advanced and I was miserable because Lydia and Cora weren't with me."

"So they let you skip a grade."

Olivia nodded. "I tested out of preschool and went right to kindergarten."

"We had class together," Stiles remembered. "You were quiet."

"And you were weird," Olivia returned with a laugh.

Stiles joined in with her laughter. "All right, what about number four?"

"Number four was when I was seven years old and I realized that I wasn't able to draw," at the look Stiles gave her, she defended herself. "In my defense, I wanted to be an artist back then. And I was not good at art. At all. I was always jealous of Lydia's ability to do anything, especially draw."

"You shouldn't compare yourself to Lydia," Stiles scolded her quietly. "You're perfect, even with all your flaws."

Olivia smiled gently, touched by his words. "Thanks, Stiles."

They kept going with her worst moments in her life. Her third worst moment was when she and Cora got lost in the woods outside of the old Hale House when they were five or so. She had been really scared and Cora hadn't yet mastered her enhanced sense of smell, so they were stuck out there for four hours—when Talia and Peter had found them, they were grounded for two weeks. Her second worst moment was the night of winter formal, when Peter had bitten Lydia and herself.

"The worst moment of my life was when I heard about the fire," she said quietly, tracing the pattern of Stiles' freckles on his stomach. "Everyone but Laura and Derek were in the fire. They came to me and told me what happened. Our whole family was dead, my mom was dead, and my dad barely survived."

Stiles brushed his fingers through her hair; he knew what it felt like to lose a parent and he couldn't imagine what it was like to lose two at the same time—because she had lost Peter, too, even if he wasn't dead. He just turned into a psychotic alpha who wanted revenge without carrying about those closest to him.

"I was lost for a really long time," she admitted quietly. "Derek and Laura left for New York and I was suddenly living with Lydia, Uncle Thomas, and Aunt Natalie. But I eventually got better."

"Yeah, you did," Stiles gazed at her with soft, loving eyes. "and you're the strongest person I know."

"I'm not strong," she denied, avoiding his eyes. "I'm a coward. I hide my feelings away deep down inside of me. I act like a bitch to anyone I don't care about. Most of the time I'm an emotionless robot."

"No, you're not," Stiles sat up and simultaneously adjusted her until she was sitting in his lap. "The people who say you're emotionless don't take the time to pay attention to you. I'm sorry, Livvy, but you're actually very easy to read."

Olivia gaped at him, unsure if she should be insulted or relieved. Maybe it was a little bit of both; she was a little insulted because her emotionless robot mask was a comfort to her and not to mention, something to push away all of her negative feelings. On the other hand, it was special to her that Stiles was able to read her so soundly. The only other people who had been able to were Lydia and Derek but Stiles being able to, the boy she loved...that was amazing.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," Stiles emphasized his words with a quick but loving kiss. "Okay, that's enough seriousness for now."

"Mmm, I agree," Olivia smiled at him.

"So, how about...your top five pizza toppings?"

"Well, number one is pepperoni..."

"Ah, what a classic."

-

-

Olivia woke up eight hours after Stiles, Scott, and Allison had fallen unconscious. Lydia and Isaac were sound asleep but Dr. Deaton was awake and there to greet her when she woke up. She was disoriented, the memories with Allison, Scott, Derek, and Stiles going through her mind like flashes.

She didn't tell Deaton about the memories, but instead thought on them. It didn't take long to realize that one of those memories were unlike the other. Derek hadn't been in the ritual like the others, so why did she see him?

It worried her. It worried her so much that she excused herself from the exam room and called Derek. It was Cora who answered the call, shockingly—she had no idea how Cora was better but boy, was she glad that she was. She told Cora that she was worried about Derek and in return, Cora told her just how she hadn't gotten better. Derek had given up his alpha status to heal Cora; he was now a beta again and very, very weak at the moment.

Olivia checked her tethers and she saw that Cora was right. Derek's tether was bright blue again, like the color of his eyes before he killed Peter and became an alpha. It was strange, but it was more worrying than the memory she had. Kali and the twins were supposed to come for Derek before the lunar eclipse and not only was he not an alpha anymore, but he was tired from healing Cora. He was screwed.

She told Cora that she would call back soon before hanging up. Then, she cried. She cried for Derek, she cried for Stiles and Allison and Scott, for Noah, Melissa, and Argent, and finally, for herself.

The whispers in her head were loud and they were pressing. She could no longer focus on anything but the names of her loved ones and the pain that filled her heart from her loss, even if Stiles, Scott, and Allison came back. She had the potential of losing the boyfriend she loved, two friends, and Derek, her protector, guardian, and father-figure for all intents and purposes.

It was not okay. None of this was okay.

Stiles, Allison, Scott...Derek, Derek, Derek...Stiles, Allison, Scott...Over and over, came the whispers until a migraine grew and she fell asleep once again.

She woke up only three hours later, more collected. She stayed seated in between Isaac and Lydia, who had now woken up for the day, and they all listened to assurances from Dr. Deaton that Stiles, Scott, and Allison would be okay. There was worry in his voice but somehow, his words comforted them. Olivia had the feeling that the man could give someone the worst news of their life and still be a comfort.

It was eight hours after the first time Olivia woke up, sixteen hours after they first fell unconscious, when Stiles, Allison, and Scott all woke, sitting up out of the water with loud gasps. Olivia, Lydia, Isaac, and Deaton rushed over to the tubs, the ice long gone, and handed the three of them towels.

"I saw it, I know where it is!" Scott claimed, taking the towel that Lydia held out for him.

Stiles nodded. "We passed it," Stiles confirmed as he climbed out of the tub soaking wet. "There's—there's a stump, this huge tree. Well, it's not huge anymore, it was cut down. But it's still big, though, very big."

As Olivia wrapped a towel around him, Scott added, "It was the night we were looking for the body."

"Yeah, the same night you were bit by Peter."

"I was there, too, in the car with my mother," Allison was still sucking in huge gulps of air. "We almost hit someone."

"It was me. You almost hit me," Scott told her; Allison gasped in amazement while he turned to the others. "We can find it."

Olivia, Lydia, and Isaac all exchanged worried looks. It didn't go unnoticed by Allison, Scott, and Stiles.

"What?" Allison asked them.

Isaac was the one to answer them. "You guys were out a long time."

"How long is a long time?" Stiles wondered, glancing between the three of them and then over to Dr. Deaton.

"Sixteen hours," Deaton broke the news.

Scott's eyes widened in shock. "We've been in the water for sixteen hours?"

Dr. Deaton nodded. "And the full moon rises in less than four."

Scott sighed heavily and sat down on the rim of his tub. "I have to go back to the alpha pack."

Olivia gulped uncomfortably and spoke up, "I think I should go with you, too."

Scott looked at her with an understanding expression and nodded slowly.

"No, dude, you are not going back with them," Stiles told Scott firmly before pointing to Olivia. "And you, don't even think about it, all right?"

"I made a deal with Deucalion," Scott reminded him. "And he wants Olivia, too. A lot."

Stiles scoffed. "Does anyone else think that sounds a lot like a deal with the devil?"

"What does it matter, anyway?" Isaac piped up from his seat next to Allison.

"Because I still don't think we can beat Jennifer without their help."

Allison shook her head at Scott's answer and turned to Dr. Deaton pleadingly. "He trusts you more than anyone and Liv is obviously going to agree with him. Tell them they're wrong."

Deaton glanced at Olivia and then Scott. "I'm not so sure they are," he admitted. "Circumstances like this sometimes require that you align yourself with people you'd normally consider enemies."

"So we're gonna trust Deucalion?" Isaac shook his head in disbelief. "The guy that calls himself death, destroyer of worlds? We're gonna trust that guy?

"I wouldn't trust him, no," Deaton advised and gestured to Olivia and Scott. "But you guys could use him to your advantage. Deucalion may be the enemy, but he could also be the bait."

They all paused as they heard the door to the lobby open. Deaton went out first, and when they heard Ethan's voice, Olivia, Lydia, Stiles, and Scott joined him.

"I'm looking for Lydia," he told them.

Lydia looked at him expectantly. "What do you want?"

"I need your help."

Olivia gave him a suspicious look. "With what?"

"Stopping my brother and Kali," he paused only for a second. "from killing Derek."

Olivia lifted her chin, all of her concern for Derek coming back into focus. Stiles, Scott, and Allison were all right, but what about Derek? His tether was still shining bright blue and although it wasn't enough to take all of her focus, his name was still floating around in her head.

"You should go, Lydia," Olivia cleared her throat. She had never liked Lydia's relationship—if anyone could even call it that—with Aiden, but there was at least one benefit from it, other than Lydia's happiness. And it was that Lydia had a hold over him. If she could convince Aiden to not kill Derek, then maybe he had a shot at surviving.

Lydia looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you sure?"

"All day, I've been hearing warnings about Derek," she confessed, glancing at Ethan. "I don't know if he's going to survive or not, but if you can convince Aiden, maybe..."

"We'll turn against Kali," Ethan spoke up in agreement with her. "We won't let her kill Derek."

Lydia didn't think it over very long, but that was Lydia; she was brave. "Okay," she agreed and gave Olivia a quick hug. "Just be careful."

"No, you be careful," Olivia insisted; Lydia smiled at her and when she walked out the door with Ethan, she turned back to the others. "Okay, what's the plan?"

-

"Just grab anything," Scott told Stiles through the phone as he, Olivia, Allison, and Isaac got out of the elevator in Allison's building and headed to her apartment door. "Stiles, I'm not smelling your dad's boxers. Socks? Okay, I'll smell the socks."

He ended the call and as Allison unlocked the door, Isaac asked, "What about me?"

"See what you can find in my dad's closet," the door opened and they all filed in. "Anything with the strongest scent."

Allison opened the door to her dad's office and stopped in her tracks, making Olivia, who was right behind her, slam into her. In the office was Agent McCall and two deputies, waiting for them at the desk.

"Quite the arsenal your fathers got here, young lady," as McCall spoke, Scott came up behind Olivia and stared at his dad in shock. "Scott."

Scott carefully squeezed past Olivia and Allison to enter the room. "What are you doing here?"

"Following one of the only leads I have," McCall stood from Mr. Argent's desk chair. "Now, since I don't know where you've been, why don't you have a seat and we can talk? You too, Isaac."

Isaac, who had been hiding in the hallway, came and stood next to Olivia. "How do you know my name?"

"Your name's one of the few things I know," McCall told him. "To be honest, the rest of what's going on around here has be stumbling in the dark, even over the smallest clue."

"If you're trying to tell me that you don't have a clue, I learned that a long time ago," Scott glared at his dad.

"I'm really hoping to avoid the embarrassment of dragging my own son into an interrogation room," McCall said firmly, meaning business. "Really hoping."

Olivia, Allison, and Isaac entered the office. Scott and Isaac let Olivia and Allison take the chairs and stood behind them. None of them were taking this very seriously; Isaac was eating some Icebreaker mints, for crying out loud.

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm more than a little disturbed," McCall admitted. "Not only by the number of missing parents, but the fact that it's Stiles' father, your father, and your mother."

Isaac shut his case of mints, popped one more into his mouth, and said, "Mine are both dead."

"Mine too," Olivia added, though, technically, that wasn't true. As far as anyone outside their little supernatural circle knew, Peter had disappeared from the long-term care unit in the hospital and had never been recovered.

"Save the cliché teenage apathy for your high school teachers," McCall glared at them. Olivia narrowed her eyes at him. What a dick. "The four of you know more than you're saying and I'm fully willing to keep you here all night if I have to."

"We don't know anything," Scott emphasized. "Stiles already told you that."

"And you can't keep us here," Olivia glared at the giant McCall, recalling some of the information her Uncle Thomas told her about his job. "Not without some kind of warrant."

Agent McCall gestured to the desk full of weapons. "I've got a desk full of probable cause."

Allison scoffed quietly and stood from her chair. "My father is a highly respected private security consultant and federally licensed firearms dealer. That means he has to own a few weapons," she told them as she stepped toward the desk. She pointed to a large crossbow and then a huge knife. "Like this one hundred and seventy-five-pound tactical crossbow or this carbon steel marine combat knife," she then poked at one of the handguns. ".50AE Desert Eagle..."

She stopped for a moment and hummed before picking up a smoke grenade. "A smoke grenade with pull-ring igniter," she pulled the ring and threw the grenade toward McCall and the deputies. "Go!"

Olivia, Scott, and Isaac all scrambled out of the office after her, ducking to avoid the smoke currently choking up McCall and the others. Olivia, Allison, and Isaac got into Allison's car and Scott sat on his motorbike and drove away from the apartment. They only stopped when they reached the woods, where a sign prohibited entrance to the preserve after dark.

As Olivia got out of the car, a scream ripped its way out of her throat. She didn't even notice that Isaac and Scott immediately covered their eyes, too focused on the feelings that overwhelmed her. Not only had Stiles gotten hurt—and she didn't know how, which worried her all the more—but Lydia was screaming and she felt everything her cousin felt. Someone was dead, more than one person was dead.

"Olivia, what's wrong?" Allison grabbed Olivia's hands, which were covering her ears, and pulled them away from her head as she stopped screaming. "Olivia?"

"Stiles is hurt," Olivia croaked, her throat now in horrible pain from the combination of the garrote and the loud scream that had escaped her. "And Lydia, she screamed. Someone's dead."

"Is it Derek or Stiles?" Scott asked worriedly.

"No, I would have known if it was," the tether that connected her with Derek wasn't lit and Stiles was, though it wasn't a dangerous feeling that came from it. "It's someone else. Maybe one of the alphas."

"I'll call Stiles and you can call Derek," Isaac offered.

Olivia nodded in agreement and pulled out her phone, quickly pressing on Derek's contact to call him.

"Ollie, what's wrong?" Derek answered a hint of panic in his voice. "We were on out way out of Beacon Hills when we heard Lydia scream."

"I think one of more of the alphas are dead," she told him. "Are you okay? Did you get out in time?"

"We did," Derek confirmed. "but we're heading back to the loft now to check on Lydia. I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay, be careful, both of you," Olivia bit the inside of her cheek. "Love you."

"Love you, Ollie," both Derek and Cora chorused before ending the call.

"I didn't get anything from Stiles," Isaac walked up to her side, giving her a worried look. "Did you get Derek?"

"Yeah, he's okay for now. He and Cora are going back to the loft to check on Lydia," Olivia told him as Scott and Allison walked over to them. "What if Stiles...?"

"He's not," Scott tried to comfort her. "I don't get it, though."

"Well, we can't wait for him," Isaac decided. "Come on."

They all turned away from the vehicles, only to come face-to-face with Deucalion. "You're cutting it a little close, aren't we, Scott?"

"We got a little delayed," Scott informed him. "Where are the others?"

They knew that one of them, if not all three of them, had died. When Deucalion spoke, he only confirmed it, unbeknownst to him. "Occupying themselves with other pursuits."

Olivia inhaled deeply and steeled her nerves, speaking up, "Well, I've come with Scott to join you. If you'll still have me, of course."

God, I can't believe I'm sucking up to a blind, psychotic, alpha werewolf, she lamented privately.

"Of course, you're still welcome," Deucalion said pleasantly. "You, Scott, and I will made a good team."

Olivia exchanged a nervous look with Scott before he turned to Allison and Isaac. "Okay, get Stiles and then get to the root cellar, okay?" he told them. "We'll keep Jennifer away long enough for you to get them out of there."

"How are you gonna do that?" Isaac wondered.

"I have a plan."

-

"Sir," Olivia spoke up uncomfortably. "Uh, Mr. Deucalion."

"Please, just call me Deucalion, Olivia," he chuckled pleasantly as they walked through the woods, heading to an unknown location.

"Deucalion, right," she corrected herself, ignoring the half-amused look that Scott was giving her. "I just wanted to know why you wanted me as part of your pack. I mean, other than the fact that I'm an anchoram."

"Anchorams are rare, as you likely know. But what you may not know, is that they are immensely powerful. You've harnessed most of your powers, yes?" he glanced at her, even though he most likely couldn't see her (Scott had told her what Gerard told him about Deucalion; he wasn't always blind).

"Some. I can calm a werewolf down if they're losing control, or use that same ability against them during a fight," Olivia shared her progress. "I know when my pack members are in danger or close to death and I know how to locate them."

"But's only for your pack mates," Deucalion said knowingly. "One day, when you master those abilities, you'll go on until you've unlocked them all."

"What do you mean?"

"At the height of your powers, you will be able to locate any supernatural creature in the world. You'll be able to use their strengths against them, like you do for werewolves now. You can physically make a werewolf lose their lycanthropy, making them human again," Deucalion listed, the most recent ability making Olivia and Scott shared a look of shock. "And, of course, using the banshee side of you, you will be able to predict the death of anyone you hold dear to your heart, not just your pack mates. Every anchoram is different, though."

She could hardly believe the magnitude of her abilities. In all honestly, it sounded like a lot. Maybe too much. "How do you know all of this?"

"My great-great-great-grandmother's mother was an anchoram," Deucalion told her. "Her name was Marguerite Richardson, nee Hale."

Olivia looked at him in surprise. "We're related?"

"Very distantly. I used to be great friends with your aunt."

"Wow."

She honestly didn't know how to react to that.

She and Deucalion fell silent and the three of them continued walking. The storm got progressively worse the more they walked on. The wind was strong, the rain felt like glass against their skin, and it was so dark Olivia was having trouble seeing, using only the outlines of Scott and Deucalion to keep going.

Finally, though they entered a distillery. The one that Derek and Paige used go when they wanted private time.

"You said you had a plan," Deucalion reminded Scott once they were under the protection of the metal roof.

"On the first day of class, Jennifer sent all of us a message. It was the last line from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness," Scott told him. "I got a message of my own to send to her."

He proceeded to take out his phone and gave it to Olivia so she could film him. He stood in front of the revenge symbol that they all had seen many times before, and Olivia started filming.

"See this symbol?" he pointed at the swirl all the while glaring at the camera. "It's a symbol of revenge. You talk about balance, about saving people? We know what you really want...And now, you know where to find us."

Olivia stopped filming and handed the phone back to Scott, who sent the message to Jennifer right away.

"And now, we wait," Deucalion sighed.

They only waited ten minutes until they came. Yes, they; Derek was with Jennifer. It confused the hell out of Olivia. Was Jennifer forcing him onto her side? Was he actually on her side? Was he acting like he was on Jennifer's side to catch her off guard while he was really on their side?"

"Derek," she breathed. "what are you doing?"

"This might be hard to believe, but I'm actually trying to help you both," Derek eyed her and Scott meaningfully.

He was fooling Jennifer, he was actually on their side—not Deucalion's, Olivia's and Scott's side.

"Ooh, like brother against brother...and sister," Deucalion commented, almost tiredly. "How very American this is," he faced Jennifer as he brought together his seeing cane. "Are you ready, Jennifer, hmm? Did you gather your herbs, pray to your ancient gods and your oak trees, slit a baby's throat, perhaps? Should we show them why you needed to sacrifice nine innocent people just to face me? ...Or is it twelve now?"

Deucalion's eyes glowed red and his wolf features appeared on his face. Surprisingly, Derek was the one to make the first move. He swiped his arm at him, but Deucalion simply grabbed the arm, and then the other one. With Derek trapped, Jennifer went up to the plate. Using whatever powers she had, she threw them at Deucalion, expecting them to work.

Except they didn't.

As Scott slipped something into Olivia's hand, she closed her eyes and brought up her tether map. She found Deucalion easily this time, in between Derek's bright blue and Scott's orange tethers. It didn't surprise her, since Deucalion was clearly the most powerful werewolf she'd come across—it made since that he was easy to find. What would be hard, however, was fighting to use his control against him.

She heard grunts and groans from Jennifer and Derek as she focused on Deucalion's deep red dot, which was also larger than her the other werewolves she had come across. Despite how tired she was, both physically and mentally, she used all the power she had left to hit his dot with her bright purple blasts. She hit him but he actually was able to push back against her, forcefully making her take a step back.

She gritted her teeth and raised her hands toward him. She felt her power build within her and she projected it toward him. For a second, just a second, his features started to fade, long enough for Derek to knock him over. Then he was back up and throwing Derek across the distillery and then stomping toward Jennifer and lifting her up by the neck.

He forced her down on her knees in front of Scott. "Kill her," he ordered Scott, his voice demonic. "Do it."

Scott didn't move, though, and that pissed Deucalion off. He roared loudly, so powerfully that Olivia had to fight to stand and Scott dropped to the floor, his wolf features out on display.

"Now kill her," Deucalion demanded once again. "Your parents are dying. That storm you hear, she's burying them alive. It's her connection to the telluric currents. Kill her and it ends."

"It won't end," Jennifer objected forcefully. "Not with me. He'll have you kill everyone you love. It's what he does."

"They're dying, Scott," Deucalion tried to get Scott back on his side. "Your mother and the parents of your best friends. Kill her now and it's over. Become the alpha you were meant to be. Become a killer."

"Scott."

The firm way in which Olivia said her friend's name made him stiffen. She knew that she had given him some control over the shift that Deucalion forced upon him. They both knew that if Scott killed Jennifer, he would no longer be a true alpha. And that was exactly what Deucalion wanted from him.

Scott glared at Deucalion. "They're not dead yet."

"Who's going to save them? Your friends?"

Scott shook his head and said determinately, "My pack."

Deucalion looked at him for only a moment before he threw Jennifer to the side and raced over to Scott, snarling furiously. He grabbed one of Scott's clawed hands and held it up, forcing him to hold it out.

"Maybe you just need a little guidance," he gritted through his teeth, guiding him over to Jennifer.

At once, Olivia had her hands up again, the arrow tip that Scott had given her, which he snagged from Allison's apartment, in one hand. She pulled together her power. Her anger and fear and all that anxiety that had piled up inside adding to it.

She screamed as her power blasted itself into her tether map and right at Deucalion's dot. His grip on Scott immediately faltered so much that Scott managed to free himself and he staggered, blinking rapidly. \

"Scott!"

"I forgot to tell you something," Scott spoke loudly over the grunts that Deucalion forced out of his lips while he struggled to fight off Olivia's attack. "Something that Gerard told me. Deucalion isn't always blind."

At the same time as Scott, Olivia threw her arrowhead at the concrete by Deucalion's feet. Both of the arrowheads were flash bolts; they lit up at contact and Deucalion practically fell on the floor. Olivia winced at the bright light, obviously effected by the bolts, but not like Derek, Scott, and Deucalion were, and dropped her hands, more than a little tired out.

It didn't help that the lunar eclipse had started. Like werewolves lost their power during the eclipse, it appeared that she did too. She leaned one hand against the wall as Derek ran over to her, allowing him to steady her.

On all three werewolves, their features had gone away.

"The eclipse," Deucalion stumbled to his feet. "it started."

They all noticed that Jennifer was gone at the same time. As they all looked over to the entrance of the distillery, Scott whispered, "Oh, no."

Jennifer dramatically entered the distillery, her disguise of a beautiful face gone. She was also wearing a completely different outfit from before, which was pretty weird. Olivia didn't know how she changed within a minute and she had to admit she liked the outfit Jennifer was wearing before more than the one she was wearing now.

She shrieked as she held a handout to Scott and threw him against the wall. She didn't make a move toward Olivia, which had to do with the fact that she was leaning against Derek, but went straight to Deucalion. He fell to the floor and Jennifer was there beside him within a second, grabbing his head and bashing it against the concrete repeatedly.

Blood had started pouring out of the wound at the back of Deucalion's head and his eyes rolled back into his head before Derek interfered. "Jennifer!" she stopped and looked back at him. "He doesn't know."

"Know what?" she growled back at him.

"What you really look like," Derek told her. "He knows the cost of bringing Kali into his pack, but he's never seen the price you paid."

Jennifer paused for a full minute. "No. No, he hasn't," she said finally before turning her attention to Deucalion. She placed her hand over Deucalion's eyes and she must have healed them because he started to scream in pain. When Jennifer released him from her grip and stood up, she ordered him, "Turn to me. Turn to me!"

When Deucalion turned to face Jennifer, his blue eyes were no longer cloudy. Honestly, he didn't react too badly to Jennifer's real face. It didn't seem to be therapeutic for Jennifer like she thought it would be. She changed back to her fake face and pulled her right arm back to finally kill the alpha.

But instead, she faltered. Derek let go of Olivia, gesturing over at Scott to take his place since she didn't have much of her energy back, and walked over to Jennifer and caught her.

"What is this?" she asked weakly.

"Healing him made you weak, just like healing Cora did to me," Derek informed her. "You won't have your strength for at least a few minutes."

"Then you do it," Jennifer's voice broke. "Kill him."

"No."

She looked at Derek, surprised, while Olivia smiled proudly. "What?"

"Like my mother used to say, I'm a predator. I don't have to be a killer," Derek moved his hand from her back up to her neck, squeezing it tightly. "Let them go."

Jennifer struggled with his grip and gained enough of her strength back to throw Derek a few feet away from her. He landed against a random bale of hay and raced to him, punching him forcefully in the face, two times, then three times.

Olivia threw herself out of Scott's arms and into the line of fire. She pushed Derek away, knowing that the eclipse would end at any second, and received the blow that was meant for him to the face. Her head reared by from the hit, but she managed to kick Jennifer away from her.

At that moment, Olivia felt her powers rush back into her body. It felt like a vibration. Something that she had gotten so used to being there, she hadn't noticed it. The eclipse was over and Derek and Scott had their powers back—and so did Deucalion.

Derek flew through the air and hit Jennifer, holding her against the floor. "Your fifteen minutes are up."

Jennifer managed to get up and dodged the attack that Scott gave her. Before either of them do anything else, she had taken some mountain ash from her pocket and threw it around her, creating a barrier that would protect her from Scott, Derek, and Deucalion.

"Like I told you, Derek, either you or the parents," Jennifer said nastily. Apparently all of her "love" for Derek was gone. "Well, I guess I'll just have to take them now. In a few minutes, they'll be dead and I won't need a lunar eclipse, even to kill a demon wolf."

Derek and Olivia exchanged a horrified look. By the time they looked away, Scott had stormed over to the circle of mountain ash and held his hands up, pushing them against the supernatural barrier between him and Jennifer.

"You've tried this before, Scott," Jennifer taunted him. "I don't remember you having much success."

Scott pushed harder at the barrier, his body leaning further and further into it. Blue light streaked past his body as he broke into it, getting a hand through. The more he pushed through the barrier, the brighter his tether looked in Olivia's head, until finally, it turned a deep, alpha-werewolf red.

The barrier fell apart. Scott was an alpha.

Jennifer had fallen to the floor from the small eruption that occurred when the mountain ash barrier broke. She frantically crawled away from Scott, looking up at him with horrified amazement. "How did you do that?"

Scott glowered down at her. "I'm an alpha now," he said powerfully. "Whatever you're doing to cause this storm, make it stop or I'll kill you myself. I don't care what it does to the color of my eyes."

"It won't change the color of mine, so allow me," Deucalion growled as he strode past Scott. With one swift move, he threw his clawed hand forward and slit the length of Jennifer's throat. She choked on her own blood and she slumped down onto the ground, dead. Olivia was not reluctant to admit that she was glad to see Jennifer dead.

As soon as Jennifer's heart stopped, the storm above them ceased. Olivia slowly reached for her pocket, the blood loss from the blow she received on her face from Jennifer making her sluggish, and called Stiles, hoping that he and everyone else was uninjured and safe.

"Olivia?"

"Hi," Olivia sighed in relief from just hearing his voice. "are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're okay," he confirmed. "We're all okay. What about you and Scott, are you okay?"

Olivia glanced at Scott and Derek, who stood close together discussing something. "Sort of."

"Do you think you and Scott could come and get us?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Great," Stiles huffed out a laugh. "And, uh, bring a ladder."

"I'll get right on that," Olivia giggled. "Hang tight. We'll be there soon."

Derek walked over to her as she ended the call, bent down, and helped her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her and let her lean all of her weight against him while they walked over to Scott, who was standing in front of Deucalion with a stern look on his face.

"My mother told me you were a man of vision once," Derek told Deucalion, his voice strong. "We're letting you go because we hope you can be that man again."

"But if you're not, then having your eyesight back won't matter," Scott threatened him. "because you'll never see us coming."

With that, the three of them turned around and left the distillery.

-

Unfortunately, Olivia ended up in the hospital once everything was over. Because of Jennifer's strength, she had a concussion and the bruising around her neck was worse than she, or anyone, thought. She only stayed for one night and by the next morning, she was itching to get out of there. She wasn't a fan of hospitals, especially Beacon Hills Memorial—no offense meant to Melissa.

That morning, only two hours before Natalie was supposed to come and get her checked out, Derek and Cora interrupted her and Stiles' conversation. Just by the looks on their faces, she didn't like what they were going to tell her.

Yeah, she really didn't like it.

Cora was the first to speak. "Ollie—"

"You're leaving again, aren't you?" Olivia interrupted her, recognizing the guilt on her face.

"I am," Cora confirmed with a slight nod. "With Derek no longer an alpha and Boyd gone...I can't stay. I don't really...get along with your friends."

Olivia frowned but ultimately, she knew Cora had found a good life down in South America where she had been living for the past six and a half years. She was going to miss her fiercely, especially since she just discovered that she was alive, but she had to let Cora go so she could be happy.

"You'll call, right?" Olivia asked finally.

"Of course I will," Cora leaned forward and gave her a goodbye hug. "I love you, Ollie."

"I love you, too," she said as Cora pulled back. She looked at Derek and added, "Let me guess, you're going with her."

"Just dropping her off," Derek corrected her. "Peter's coming too."

"And you're coming back?" she checked, a little worried that they wouldn't be back and she'd lose her Hale family members all in one go.

Derek heard her heart start to race. "We'll come back," he confirmed taking her head and squeezing it. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."

"How can I? You're taking all the stupid with you," Olivia finished the quote, thanking whatever supreme being that was out there for Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, and the friendship that came out of Captain America: The First Avenger. "I love you, Der."

"I love you, too, Ollie," he promised. "We'll send Stiles back in. Remember what I told you—"

"Wear a condom, yeah I got it."

"Actually, I was going to remind you about the pepper spray and rape whistle."

"Get out of here!" Olivia took the paper cup she had been drinking out of and threw it at Derek, who caught it easily.

Derek laughed and he and Cora left the room, giving her one last goodbye. Her smile slipped from her lips as she watched them walk away, but she wasn't able to be sad for long. Stiles had waltzed right back into the room and took his seat on the chair next to her bed.

"So," he grinned at her. "We defeated Jennifer and Deucalion is no longer his evil self. You know what that means?"

"No, but I bet you're going to tell me," she smiled back at him.

Stiles chuckled. "I am. It's time to get engaged."

"Ha! Very funny, sweetcheeks."

(Gif is not mine)

[cosmiceverafter]

Sprinkled Surprises of Hope and Love

Summary: Michael Guerin isn’t one for surprises, especially when it comes to his birthday. However, that won’t stop the love of his life and their friends from celebrating this curly-haired alien.

A/N: This fic is a birthday gift to my best friend, Beka! I am so unbelievably grateful that this fandom brought you and our friendship into my life. You’re my person forever and always. I hope you enjoy this fic! Happy Birthday, hun! Love ya lots! @i-never-look-away​

Read on ao3

Sprinkled Surprises of Hope and Love

Summer nights in Roswell, New Mexico were some of Michael’s favorite times in this place. Ever since he was younger, he’d drive out in the middle of the desert and just watch the stars shoot across the dark night sky. He would make a wish or two, but truthfully he’d never actually believed them to be true.

That is until he met Alex Manes.

Alex Manes was the love of his existence. Often he would think that the cosmos themselves brought the two of them together. Perhaps coming to earth was written in the stars long ago so he’d find this special human man. Alex was nothing short of a miracle to his life. He gave Michael all the reasons to hope and dream, and basically…want to be and do better.

Sure, they had their ups and downs, but Michael always believed that it was worth the journey to get to this final destination with his one true love. With no regrets made, he had stayed on earth for Alex.

“What are you thinking about, Guerin?”

His thoughts of the perfect man were interrupted by the man himself. Michael looked over and saw his love smiling over at him, the crackling fire illuminating that breathtakingly beautiful smile of his. “You, as always, Darlin.’”

“You’re such a charmer,” Alex laughed as he leaned in for a kiss.

Awe yes, kissing Alex Manes. There was nothing quite like it. He was always taken back in time to their first kiss at the UFO Museum. Truth be told, he wanted to kiss Alex long before that, but unfortunately, he had been too scared to let those feelings come in. Michael had been so vulnerable in those moments. When Alex had leaned in to kiss him after giving him a safe haven and the gift of music, he had pulled away not just out of fear, but out of hope for something more than the life he had been dealt. Michael knew he would’ve messed it all up, so he hadn’t wanted to give in to the dream of wanting someone like Alex Manes.

However, he was not that strong. All it took was one look of the guy in his alien-green painted visor to know he was a goner. Without thinking of all the complications it could bring to their life, he had given in to desire.

It was the greatest move of his life.

He was brought back to the present moment as Alex’s hands moved into his curls. Every kiss they shared seemed to take away his breath yet fill him with life at the same time. It was familiar and comforting, but unique and mesmerizing. Soft lips nipped and sucked as his; Alex’s tongue licking to be let in, which of course he would always extend an invitation for.

Their tongues moved together as the crickets serenaded them in an orchestra of the warm night. He pulled away breathlessly, “God, I love kissing you.”

Alex followed him and smiled against his mouth, the warm breath of his lover hitting his face gently in an embrace, “It never gets old, does it?”

“Never,” Michael answered honestly, “I could kiss you forever and it still wouldn’t be long enough.”

“Then we’d better take every opportunity we can then. We’re living our forever,” Alex whispered, moving his mouth to Michael’s once more.

Yes, this opportunity would not be wasted on drifting thoughts of years past.

But then Alex pulled away, as Michael whined, and looked down at his watch, “Oh! It’s officially midnight. It’s your birthday!”

“Yay….”

“Hey! It’s a big deal, Michael!”

He shook his head. Another year had come and gone on a day he wasn't even sure was his real birthday, “It’s just another day.”

“Not to me it isn’t,” Alex replied as he kissed Michael’s cheek.

“You have to say that because I’m your boyfriend.”

“Nah, it’s because you’re my boyfriend that I can tell you that you drive me absolutely crazy!”

Michael grinned, “In bed?”

“In all ways imaginable.”

“As it should be,” Michael answered with a sly smile.

“Happy Birthday, my love,” Alex whispered softly into the night.

They embraced tightly; this was what made Michael felt safe. As he held Alex in his arms, he looked up at the beautiful speckled sky not wanting to be anywhere else but here.

***

“A BBQ?”

“Yes, Alex, a BBQ at the cabin! We haven’t been there since lover-boy moved in with you,” Isobel laughed on the other line. “I want to see how you’ve made it your own, and to see if Michael trashed it yet.”

“I wouldn’t let him,” Alex replied with a shrug to no one. Truth be told, having Michael move in with him was the greatest gift a man could ever wish for. All walls were down between them. They were finally comfortable being with each other in every way. It was literally heaven on earth.

“That’s my boy!” Isobel exclaimed as Kyle gave a cheer in the background. The two of them had recently started dating, and Alex couldn’t be happier for the two of them. They both deserved some happiness in their life. Kyle was his best friend, and Alex was growing closer with Isobel by the day. He enjoyed her sassy spirit—it matched his own.

“What’s Kyle going to bring?”

“He’s going to help manage the grill and I’ll be marinating the steaks of course.”

Alex smirked, “Since when did you learn to cook, Iz?”

“Please, Alex, I’ve always been a good…” He heard a sigh in the background, “Kyle has been teaching me. But fine… we’ll let Max marinate, he lives for this crap, which you know thrills Liz!”

“Ahh, that’s what I thought.”

Isobel huffed, “He won’t even let me use my powers. Not even a bit.”

“Well, that’s just rude,” Alex laughed as he shook his head, “You’re Isobel Evans, when have you ever listened to expectations?”

“Hmm, you know something, my dear friend, you’re right! I’ll work a little magic with our drinks!”

“Sounds perfect,” Alex smiled widely. Then he took a small breath, “You think Michael will enjoy this?”

“It’ll be the best surprise birthday that alien’s ever received! Just you wait and see.”

Alex sure hoped so. He wasn’t sure how much his alien lover enjoyed… surprises.

***

Michael looked up at the clock high on the wall of the Wild Pony and groaned. It had already been almost two hours.

“What’s your problem, man?” Max asked as he took a long swig of his beer.

“Brother, as much as I love sitting here listening to you talk about Liz and the latest felon, there’s a certain human I’d like to spend the rest of my birthday with.”

“Awe, c��mon, Michael!” Max replied with a smirk, “When was the last time we just got to sit and hang out together?”

“Like three days ago at the Crashdown, remember? And you kept stealing my curly fries and it pissed me off.”

“I gave you the rest of my shake, I don’t see what the problem is.”

Michael shook his head, “You never steal a fry, my friend. It’s the Food Law—Code 3. You’re a police officer. Don’t they teach you these protocols at camp?”

“Camp?”

“Yea, you all run around and shoot cardboard people… maybe a few aliens in the mix. Then you get evaluated so you try to explain that the aliens are in fact the good guys, not the young little girl out at 3 am.”

Max laughed loudly and shook his head, “You watched Men in Black again, didn’t you?”

“It’s a classic! Even Alex agrees. Plus, you and I both know that organization exists.”

“How many times are you going to make that poor human watch that movie?”

Michael slyly smiled with a wink, “Until he forces me to stop. You know how I love when he takes charge.”

“Okay well, I hate to break it to you, partner, but the Academy wasn’t like that,” Max shrugged looking down at his phone. “But fine, I’ll get you to your man.”

“About damn time!” Michael said standing up quickly, almost knocking his hat off his head. Max gave him a ‘really’ expression, the one he excelled at and was most likely born with. “I mean, I had a wonderful time with you and we should do it again soon.”

Max grabbed him by the jacket and put an arm around him, “Yeah yeah, c’mon, you.” Michael couldn’t help returning the gesture.

***

“How many balloons do I need to blow up? I thought I was managing the grill,” Kyle mumbled as it was clear the good doctor was getting lightheaded.

“Um,” Liz looked over her shoulder, “Only about 16… maybe 20, to go.”

Kyle groaned as Isobel leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, “Honey, you’re doing a fabulous job. But um, they need a bit more air. They’re looking a bit… I don’t know, lopsided.”

“You have powers, why don’t you do it? It’ll go so much faster.” Kyle replied with a wink as he kissed Isobel.

“Ugh, do we need to see this all night?” Rosa groaned as she rolled her heavily lined eyes.

“Nope. Soon Michael will be here and you’ll get to witness the Cosmic lovers go at it,” Isobel exclaimed as she motioned to Alex. “And I’ll be using my powers for something else, thank you very much!” She winked his way and handed Rosa some green streamers.

Smiling, Alex shook his head as he heard a meow. He looked down to see Boots rubbing up against his leg. Scooping the small kitten up he said, “Hi little fella, is this too much excitement for you?”

Boots purred loudly and rubbed his face against Alex’s cheek in reply. He wasn’t just happy Michael moved in because he was in love; he was also happy because he just so happened to love Michael’s cat as well. Alex stroked the black and white fur. Boots touched his face softly with his white paws as Alex cradled him in his arms.

Just then he heard a bark and he looked over at his dog Buffy, “Don’t worry, sweetheart. You’re still my number one girl.”

He bent down, still holding Boots, and rubbed Buffy’s ear gently as her tail started going back-and-forth wildly. She rolled over and he gave her a big belly rub, the ones she loved.

Alex sat Boots down, and he curled up nice and close to Buffy, who not only allowed it but seemed to welcome the warm snuggles. The two of them really were the best of friends. Just like Milo and Otis.

“Hey! Max just texted me, they’re on their way,” Liz called out from the kitchen, looking flushed in the cheeks as she continued running around.

Isobel jumped and down and clapped excitedly.

Grabbing his guitar and taking a big breath, Alex hoped like hell Michael would forgive him for all this. He really did.

***

Michael was getting annoyed. Really annoyed. He loved Max, truly he did, but the guy was driving slower than watching paint dry. He kept his mouth shut though, resisting the urge to use his powers, not wanting to ruin their now healed relationship.

He just wanted to be with Alex. It was hard enough to be away from the guy at any point, and this was his birthday, not that he cared much about that fact, but he knew Alex did and probably planned a nice dinner or somethin’ for the two of them.

Finally, they arrived at the cabin. He was about to turn to Max to say a quick goodbye and thank you, but Max was unbuckling and stepping out of his car. What the hell?

Max clearly caught on, “Oh, I’m not going to stay or anything. I know you probably have birthday plans with Alex. I just have to ask him something.”

Since when did Max ask favors from Alex?

Shrugging with a curt nod, ignoring the awkwardness, they walked around back where he knew Alex would be. The first thing he saw was twinkling lights hanging down from the trees.

As his mind was slowly comprehending what was happening, he was stunned into silence at the….

“SURPRISE!”

Michael jumped at the word, literally getting air off the ground, and looked around. You have got to be kidding me, he thought as he saw all of their friends standing there. But where was Alex?

Just as he was about to ask the most important question, he heard the music start to play.

Alex was sitting on one of their barstools next to the trees, holding his guitar. He blew a kiss in Michael’s direction, a wink, and started to sing.

It was the song A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman, a movie they both had enjoyed. This song though...the way his voice hit the notes was mesmerizing. This was his gift for Michael; it meant so much to them both.

The first time they had watched it, they went to the local Roswell movie theater for date night, and when the song came on, their fingers had intertwined and Michael had leaned over whispering to Alex, “It’s like our journey and our future.”

Alex has nodded and pressed his lips to Michael’s, “Kind of like a song meant for us.” Their song.

He had remembered. Alex always remembered everything.

When he was done, everyone clapped as Alex smiled and nodded to Michael. Alex knew. He knew. Michael tried to ignore the tears forming quickly in his eyes and looked away, pulling his cowboy hat way low.

He was just so unbelievably touched at that moment. Music had always brought them together; it was the foundation of their relationship.

But before he could go kiss his boyfriend, Alex started playing again. This time “Happy Birthday.” They all joined in and he felt touched in another way.

They had all had their ups-and-downs with each other, especially with Kyle Valenti who sometimes he was still unsure of, but they had overcome so much. They were a family; they had made it so.

When they were finished, Michael cleared his throat. “Y’all, thank you.”

“How mad are you on a scale to 1 to 10?” Isobel questioned with a sisterly smirk, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t wanna know,” he replied, narrowing his eyes.

“Perfect! That’s what we were hoping for!” Isobel exclaimed excitedly as she rushed over to him and kissed him on the cheek. He hugged her, never wanting her to change her eccentric ways. She was one of a kind.

He looked over at Max, “Guessing you were in on it?”

“I took you day drinking, Michael,” his brother from another mother replied. “How you didn’t question that, is beyond me.”

They both laughed and hugged. The guy really wasn’t so bad after all, was he? Max had a heart of steel… literally.

The others came over one-by-one and shared a hug or in Kyle’s case, a handshake. It was touching really.

But there was one person he wanted to get to, above all the rest.

Alex was still sitting on the stool, letting their friends have this time with him. But Michael made his way over and grabbed Alex’s chin lightly, tilting it up, “Thank you. Thank you for the song, it meant the world to me.” Alex nodded and closed his eyes. “And thank you for planning all this.”

“You aren’t mad?” Alex opened his eyes and winced slightly, as he put his hands on Michael’s wrists. It didn’t take a genius to know this was mostly Isobel’s doing. Alex would’ve been more than fine sitting by the fire and eating together. They never needed to have showy things; they had each other and that was more than enough.

“Nah,” Michael replied, shaking his head. “Because I know you’ll make it up to me later. In so many different ways.”

Alex’s eyes widened, then filled with desire. When Alex looked at him in that way, Michael wanted to rip his clothes off. He had to control himself so he didn’t do it with his powers, something he had recently done.

“Kiss me,” Alex answered softly, his bottom lip full and pouty. It needed to be sucked on, and he volunteered always as that tribute.

As they kissed softly, Michael felt as though he could finally catch his breath.

He heard Rosa groan in the background and Isobel chuckle, “Didn’t I tell you we’d witness some ‘Cosmic exchanges?’”

Now Michael shook his head and turned to glare at the group, “It’s my birthday and I’ll kiss my man if I want to.”

Liz laughed, her long hair swaying, “Should we just be on our way then?”

Michael grinned and looked towards their cars, “Well….”

“Absolutely not!” Isobel said with that party planner gleam in her eyes. “The party is just getting started!

And party they all did. It was a wonderful evening, to Michael’s relief. They ate delicious food, which Liz, Kyle, and Alex managed. The three humans laughing over old memories. The drinks were exceptionally tasty and he kept noticing Isobel winking at Alex; information he’d pry out of his lover later. He enjoyed the fire with Max and Rosa, who talked old bands and good music as Rosa played some music of her own with Alex’s guitar.

The cake was a special one that Liz, Rosa, and Arturo made. It had an alien on top, with green frosting running down the sides. It was delicious, and his alien insides were very happy. There were lots of candles on top. Michael smiled knowing very well, he could possibly be older or younger than that.

They gave him some gifts. A really nice whiskey, a new belt and shirt that he actually really liked, and a few books. He loved to read, especially at the cabin. The people surrounding him knew him better than he ever realized.

He enjoyed the conversations, the music, and the company of his furry pets as he rubbed Buffy’s ears; the red kerchief he gave her was tied loosely around her neck. Occasionally he’d look at the window and see Boots staring sadly out the window clearly wanting to join the party. He’d go into the cabin and give his kitten some lovin’. Boots was too small to be let outside, so he’d have to bring the attention inside. Rosa and Isobel were so fond of the cat and demanded to also share the affections of his little one. Boots was thrilled, purring loudly.

They all eventually made their way around the fire, telling jokes and stories of the adventures they had all gone on together. It had been one wild ride. He was grateful for all of it, even the rough times. They shaped who he was and you know what? That was more than enough.

***

After everything was cleaned, and they had gone deep into the night, everyone finally said their goodbyes.

Alex had found him on their porch, as he was looking up at the night sky once more. Leaning over, Alex put his arms around Michael and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek. “Did you have a nice birthday, sweetheart?”

Michael sighed and leaned back so he could look at Alex from within his arms. “You know what? I really, really did, baby.” He smiled softly and kissed Alex’s hand gently, “Thank you.”

“It was Isobel’s idea really,” Alex replied with a grin, “but I did think it was a good opportunity for you to see how loved you are.”

“Guess I do need you all to remind me from time to time.”

“I’ll help to do that, my love, always.”

They gazed up at the night sky, the beginning and the end of their night.

Michael held tightly to Alex’s hand, his lifeline, and his anchor that kept him grounded. Michael looked up at Alex as his love looked down at him.

“I love you, Michael.”

“I love you, Alex.”

They spoke the words at the same time; double the meaning, double the love.

Michael grinned as Alex sat down next to him, “Maybe they were right about our ‘Cosmic exchanges.’”

“That’s how it’s always been with us.” Michael nodded in reply at the truth of Alex’s words. He was right of course; the course of their relationship was written in the stars. As if by magic, a shooting star suddenly danced across the night sky. “You better make a birthday wish!” Alex said as he looked up at the heavens.

Michael looked at his beautiful Alex and felt his heart swell. So this was what true happiness felt like, sprinkled with a dash of hope. What more could he ever want when he had the whole world next to him? He brought Alex’s hand softly to his lips once more and said, “It already came true.”

[braveclxrke]

What deserves to find you will never be lost

Written for @malexweek 2020.

Day 4 (July 16th) - FREE DAY: 5 times Alex and Michael weren't in a relationship and 1 time they were.

Read the whole fic under the cut or read on Ao3

preview

Alex felt like someone had squeezed his lungs, his mouth falling open for a moment, but no words came out until a second later, "Oh no, no we're…not together, he’s not my boyfriend." Alex rambled, pulling his hands into his lap, trying to somehow move further back against the seat away from Michael.

The waitress gave the pair a nodded and headed off, Alex glanced over at Michael whose face was unreadable, the playful smile completely gone. Alex felt some guilt creep into his chest, settling into the dark corners. Michael pulled his hands back, giving a small sniffle. "Well say hi to Greg for me," Michael said, getting up from the booth and walking away. Alex went to say something as Michael walked away but he didn’t, instead, he slumped back in his seat. Alex hadn’t done anything wrong, deep down he knew that, but for some reason, the guilt remained. He wasn't dating Michael, that was just a fact, he'd just stated a fact. Alex sat there in the cafe, staring at the plate of fries unable to eat them, finding his stomach twisted in more knots than before.

"Good morning," Forrest said, sitting down where Michael had been. Alex didn't miss the lack of breathlessness he experienced in seeing Forrest compared to Michael, feeling the guilt in the dark corner of his heart seeping out more.

preview ends read the whole fic under the cut

1

Alex sits in the Crashdown Cafe, twisting the straw in his milkshake. Alex looked around at everyone just going about their daily life, they had no idea what could have happened to them. A few weeks ago Jesse Manes had nearly blown up half the town at crashcon, only being stopped by Greg, Alex and Michael. After everything that had happened; being kidnapped, losing his father, Alex had decided he was tired of hiding, of living a lie, singing a song about a guy in front of a bunch of cowboys was his a way of starting to live. What Alex hadn't excepted was Forrest coming up to him afterwards, he really thought he'd ruined his chances with him. Kissing Forrest in the Wildpony was something Alex never thought he'd do, kissing any guy in public but he had and Alex felt like a weight had been lifted. After that, they'd started seeing each other, Forrest was something different in Alex's life, removed from all the Alien business and the 'Manes' legacy.

"What you are thinking about?" Alex felt a hand on his shoulder and looked around to see Michael stood there. Alex felt the familiar breathlessness in his lungs, giving Michael a small smile. "How are you?" Michael asked, slipping into the booth, facing across Alex. r

Alex smiled back, "Good," Alex and Michael's relationship had been the best it been in years, they finally seemed to be on the same page, or at least working towards being on the same page. Michael seemed like his younger self in many ways, he was happier, closer with his siblings. The normal anger that was always flickering in his eyes had dimed. "How's Max doing?" He asked.

Michael took in a large breath, running his hand through his hair. "He's doing okay...still getting used to..." Michael trailed off, looking around.

"Mr Jones?" Alex finished. Michael gave a small frown, shaking his head. He'd told Alex many times how stupid he thought the name was. "Any word from Liz?" Alex asked, deep down knowing the answer to the question.

"Nope, radio silence," Michael said, and Alex caught the small hint of bitterness in his voice. While Michael might not admit it, Liz was a friend to him and she'd just taken off, not giving them a goodbye. Alex felt the knot in his stomach as well at her departure. "Pretty sure Max is taking that harder than the clone," Michael tried to joke. "So you seeing Greg today?" Michael asked, reaching over to take one of Alex's fries.

Alex gave a playful tap on Michael's hand, causing Michael to smile while taking another fry. "Yeah, I'mma drive over to my dad’s in a bit," Alex said, feel a slightly nauseous feeling in his abdomen. Today Alex had to clean the remaining stuff in his dad's house.

Michael paused for a moment, leaning closer on the table. "You going to be okay?" He asked, concern in his eyes.

Alex pushed some fries around on his plate, "Yeah, just...just want it over now you know?" Alex confessed.

"You want some help?" Michael asked, taking another fry from Alex’s plate.

Alex waved his hand off to the side, shaking his head and giving a small laugh. "You don't wanna help clean my dad's crap out," Alex said,

"No I don't,” Michael laughed, the small smile dropping a little from his face, "But if it will help you, then, I don’t mind," Michael said, looking down at his hands. Alex gave a small smile, Jesse Manes hadn’t only caused Alex trauma but Michael too and yet Michael was willing to help Alex.

"Can I get you anything?" A waitress said, stopping in front of the boy's table, interrupting Alex before he could reply.

Michael reached over and helped himself to a fry, "No thanks, we're sharing," He said with a playful smile on his face.

"Of are we now?" Alex teased, matching Michael’s playful smile.

Michael slipped the fry into his mouth, "You're not going to eat them all anyway?" Michael said, the smile still on his face. "You never do," Michael finished.

"You are unbelievable," Alex chuckled, leaning forward on the table.

The waitress gave a small laugh, looking over at Alex, "Don't worry, my boyfriend is just the same,"

Alex felt like someone had squeezed his lungs, his mouth falling open for a moment, but no words came out until a second later, "Oh no, no we're…not together, he’s not my boyfriend." Alex rambled, pulling his hands into his lap, trying to somehow move further back against the seat away from Michael.

The waitress gave the pair a nodded and headed off, Alex glanced over at Michael whose face was unreadable, the playful smile completely gone. Alex felt some guilt creep into his chest, settling into the dark corners. Michael pulled his hands back, giving a small sniffle. "Well say hi to Greg for me," Michael said, getting up from the booth and walking away. Alex went to say something as Michael walked away but he didn’t, instead, he slumped back in his seat. Alex hadn’t done anything wrong, deep down he knew that, but for some reason, the guilt remained. He wasn't dating Michael, that was just a fact, he'd just stated a fact. Alex sat there in the cafe, staring at the plate of fries unable to eat them, finding his stomach twisted in more knots than before.

"Good morning," Forrest said, sitting down where Michael had been. Alex didn't miss the lack of breathlessness he experienced in seeing Forrest compared to Michael, feeling the guilt in the dark corner of his heart seeping out more.

2

"Three shots please!” Michael called to Maria over the bar. Maria gave him a brief glare before pulling three shot glasses on the bar and filling them. Michael looked over at Alex who was giving him a small disapproving look. "Oh come on, we made a breakthrough today, we can celebrate," Michael said, holding the shot out in front of Alex, shaking it a little. Today they had finally managed to get some information from Mr Jones, information that could finally help them understand where the aliens had come from and who they really were.

Alex gave a small smile, reaching out and taking the shot, "Fine, just one," He said, holding his finger up. Michael clinked his small glass against Alex’s the pair smiling for a moment, throwing the shots down along with Maria. Michael put the shot down on the table, watching as Alex screwed his face up, "God now I remember why I don't do shots," He coughed.

"So Guerin you forking the bill for this celebration?" Maria asked, moving the shot glasses away. Maria and Michael had managed to remind friends after breaking up, Michael appreciated her and was glad she was still in his life.

"Why you gotta be like that Deluca?" Michael joked.

"Because she's running a business," Alex continued, leaning on the bar. Michael could say the same thing about Alex, after everything that had gone down, their friendship was somehow stronger than ever. The constant heavy tension that use to befall them was no longer there. "Three more Maria," Alex said, placing some money on the table.

"What happened to one more?" Michael said, giving a small laugh.

Alex leaned on the bar, looking at Michael. Michael couldn’t help but smile at how relaxed Alex looked, "You're right, we made progress today, two shots won't hurt," Alex said.

Maria placed the shots on the bar, leaning forward, "Plus Alex is doing another song tonight and is a little nervous," Maria teased, a friendly smile on her face.

Michael pushed himself off the bar, looking at Alex, "You're singing again?"

Alex turned around to Maria, a small pout on his face, "Hey Maria remember when I said I wasn't telling anyone that-"

"It's Michael," Maria said, waving her hand in Michael’s direction.

Alex gave a smile before going to reach the shot when Michael reached over and moved it. "You don't need shots to sing Alex," Michael said, Alex gave a small huff, looking around the bar. Michael stepped closer, placing his hand on Alex’s shoulder. "I heard your last song, you're great," Michael admitted. Alex looked up from the ground at Michael, his eyes wide. They just stood like that for a moment when the announcer called Alex’s name. Alex looked over at the guy and then back at Michael, he could see the nervousness in Alex’s eyes. He gave his shoulder a little squeeze, Alex smiled back and started to walk towards the stage. "We'll keep the shot for after you're back," Maria called, holding it up in the air. Michael leaned against the bar, waiting to hear Alex’s song and feeling his nerves pricking up. Alex got to the stage and sat down on the seat, looking over at Michael for a moment. Michael gave a small nod and smile. Alex seemed to take in a large breath before he starting to play the first note. Michael watched as Alex sang, a song that seemed to be about his childhood.

Michael couldn’t help but smile, entranced by Alex’s performance, he notices that someone came to stand next to him by the bar, some girl he’d seen around the Wildpony before. "Damn, your boyfriend is a great singer," She said.

Michael froze, feeling almost all the warmth drain from his body. Michael shifted uneasily, “Uhh-" He said, clearing his throat when he found it was dry “He’s-he’s not my boyfriend,” Michael said, his voice breathless. Michael looked up and noticed as Forrest walked into the bar, taking a seat in the front row. Michael felt his chest constrict again as he saw the smile appear on Alex’s face as he noticed him. “That would be him,” Michael said, pointing to Forrest.

"Well he’s a lucky guy,” She said, placing her empty glass on the table.

“Yeah, he is,” Michael quietly said, not even sure the girl heard him. Michael turned around to face the bar, going to grab one of the shots when Maria took it from him. Michael went to say something when she reached out, giving his shoulder a little squeeze which she paired with a sympathetic smile. Michael let his head drop for a little moment, turning back around to look at Alex, this wasn't about him, he told himself. To his surprise, Alex's eyes were glanced over at him. Michael stood up straighter giving Alex a smile, Alex returned it, his eyes staying with Michael for a moment and Michael couldn't help noticing that they stayed with Michael for most of the performance.

3

Alex shook his head, placing both hands on the table. "Okay, okay can we tell stories about someone else?" He laughed.

Liz leaned forward across from him, placing her hands on top of his, "Oh come on Alex its cute,"

Alex laughed, giving a mock offended look. "It's not," He said. Alex pulled his hands back and leaned on the table, one of his eyebrows raising up. "How about we tell the story about the first time you drank and threw up in my bed-"

Liz reached up and covered her face, shaking her head. "Oh god," Alex heard her muffle through her hands.

Max put his hand around Liz, looking down at her, "Yeh I think I'd like to hear that one,"

Liz pulled her hands down, holding her hands out. "No, no, no one needs to hear that,"

Michael finished his beer next to Alex, "Oh come on Liz were all friends here," He joked, pointing to Max across from here. Over the last few months, there had been a lot of change in Roswell. Liz was back, after some time away, and some long talks with Max she had agreed to come back to Roswell. Alex was sure there was more too it but didn’t want to push her. The group had spent months looking into Mr Jones and were finally putting that whole ugly mess behind them, being able to use his heart to replace Max’s failing one. Finally, Alex and Forrest. Alex and Forrest had had a good few months together, and Alex meant it, Forrest was kind and reminded Alex of when he was young. However, deep down Alex knew It wasn’t going to last; Forrest had to go back to the city and Alex couldn’t go with him, there were too many important people in Roswell he couldn’t leave.

"Whose round is it?" Liz asked, finishing her own beer.

Max moved out of the booth, stretching a little. "I'll get them, Michael?" Max said.

Michael slides out of the booth, pointing back at Alex and Liz. "I wanna hear that story when I get back Manes," He joked, giving a small wink.

The boys walked over to the bar, chatting and joking, Max giving Michael a little playful shove as Michael clearly teased his brother. "It's nice to see them getting on again," Liz said, watching the boys as well.

"Yeah, it is," Alex smiled, "We have enough going on without the cowboy angst," He teased, Liz laughing.

The pair spoke for a little while longer getting lost in a story when a waitress came up to the table, placing an array of shots on the table. “Here,"

Alex gave a small frown, "Oh we didn't order them-"

The waitress nodded over to Max and Michael who was fussing over drinks at the bar, "Your boyfriends told me to bring them over, they've got the other tray,"

Liz gave a chuckle, "Oh god how much are they ordering,"

The waitress turned around to Alex, nodding her head over at Michael, "Well your boyfriend has a just requested the cocktail menu..." Alex looked over as Michael was studying a cocktail menu at the bar, seemingly reading a list out.

Alex laughed, shaking his head, “Dammit Michael," The waitress placed the finale shot down on the table and walked off. Alex continued to watch Michael explain something to the poor unfortunate bartender who had to serve them, Alex giving a small laugh the whole time. Alex looked up at Liz who was looking at him, her smile wide, "What?" Alex asked.

Liz twisted the straw in her beer, shaking her head, "Nothing just..." She looked up at Alex, tilting her head to the side, "She said boyfriend and you instantly guessed Michael?" She said, "and didn't deny it?" Liz finished, pressing her lips together. Alex looked over at Michael and back to Liz, feeling the heat started to rise in his face.  That didn’t mean anything  Alex told himself, he just didn’t see the point in correcting her, that was all.

Alex watched as Max and Michael walked back over, holding two trays of drinks. Michael sat down next to Alex, and somehow Michael seemed closer this time, their thighs touching. Michael passed the drinks out, turning to look at Alex, his arm stretched out behind the booth, almost resting on Alex’s shoulder. Michael looked over at Alex, a cheeky smile on his smile, "So Manes, spill!" Michael said.

4

Michael and Isabel were at Max’s house, going over some information they had found. Every now and again sharing something important.

“You found anything important?” Isabel asked, looking over a few documents that Alex had given them from some military database he’d hacked.

Michael shook his head, scanning his own piece of paper. “No, just normal genocidal plans concerning aliens,” They were trying to see what information the military already had on them, what information that group still didn’t have.

“Brilliant,” Isabel mocked from the sofa across. On the table in front of Isabel, Michael’s phone rang. Isabel leaned down and took the phone, looking at it for a moment before throwing it over to Michael, “It’s your boyfriend,” she teased.

Michael glared over at his sister before he answered, bringing it up to his face. “You found anything Alex?” Michael said, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear.

“ No, the database is clear, just ordinary military documents,”  Alex said over the phone, sounding tired.

“I suppose that’s a plus,” Michael said, relieved they'd found no more secret government conspiracies.

“What about you?”  Alex asked.

“Well we think we found a subbranch of Project Shepard but we’re not sure,” In the documents they’d found references to Project Shepard, they suspected that some members of Jesse’s Project Shepard had gone rogue and started their own branch. Michael heard Alex cursed on the other end, a prolonged sigh and Michael could practically see Alex, rubbing his forehead. “You okay”? Michael asked.

“Yeah, yeah just, I really thought I’d cleaned this all up you know, that Project Shepard was done,”  Alex said, the disappointment clear in his voice, his voice suddenly sounding older.

Michael leaned forward on his knees a little, now holding the phone to his ear. “This isn’t your fault Alex, you’ve pretty much shut down a whole covert military branch-“

“-Well clearly not all of it,”  Alex said. Michael closed his eyes a little, wishing Alex was here so he could really talk to him. Michael knew how serious Alex took the Project Shepard shut down, trying to destroy everything his father had created.

“We’ll fix it,” Michael assured, “Together,” he finished.

There was silence on the other end for a moment, before Alex spoke,  “I know”  He breathed,  “Let me know if you guys need any help,”  Alex finished.

“Will do,” Michael said, hanging up and placing the phone next to him on the sofa.

“So…?” Isabel said, coming over to sit on the sofa next to Michael.

“So…what?” Michael asked, keeping his eyes on his work.

“How’d you know it was Alex?” Isabel asked. Michael looked up at his sister, who was resting her chin on top of her hands. “I mean I said boyfriend and you didn’t even look at the phone?” She went on, raising her eyebrow at her brother.

Michael shifted in his seat. “Who else would it be Iz?” he defected.

Iz leaned back on the sofa, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m just saying when I said boyfriend your mind went directly to-“

“Iz,” Was all Michael said, cutting his sister off.

“Look I don’t like to meddle-“, Michael gave a sarcastic laugh, gaining a frown from his sister. “But you told me it wasn’t your guys time yet because Alex was trying something with Forrest and you were working on yourself,” Isabel went on, shuffling a little closer to her brother, trying to catch his eye line. “Well he’s not with Forrest anymore and you’re doing well?” She said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Michael had said that, and he had meant that, he did believe at some point it would be their time but he didn’t know when that would be and didn’t want to risk trying something and it being the wrong time, there was only so many chances they got. “We’re in the middle of an- “

Isabel threw her hands out to the side, a laugh escaping her lips, “We’re always in the middle of something Michael!” She shook her head, “Do you really wanna wait around till someone else notices him?” The thought made Michael’s stomach churn a little, watching Alex and Forrest had been hard enough. Michael was glad Alex had someone who made him happy, Alex seemed lighter when he was with Forrest but that didn’t stop the pain in Michael’s chest. Isabel was right thought, Alex wasn’t with Forrest anymore, and yet he was still happy, he reminded Michael of 17-year-old Alex; confident and light. Michael looked over at his sister, a sympathetic look still on her face. Maybe it was time to take the leap Michael told himself, feeling a breathlessness in his lungs that was only ever associated with Alex.

5

Alex sat with Greg around his fire pit in the garden, sipping their beers.

“So you heading back tonight?” Alex asked, looking up at the sky.

“Yeah, I gotta be up early for work,” Greg said, he looked over at Alex, “It’s been nice being here though, he sais with a smile.

Alex nodded, “It’s been nice having you around,” he said.

Greg shifted forward on his chair, “Well you’ve still got Flint,” He said. “He seems to be doing better?” It was true, over the last few months Alex and Greg had managed to pull away the aspects of Jesse Manes that remained in Flint.

“Yeah, yeah we’re making progress,” Alex said, they weren't there completely. Flint still didn't completely trust the aliens or even like them, but he wasn't out to murder them which was a start. Flint had agreed to stay in Roswell with Alex for a little while longer, then spend some time with Greg.

“What about you? What’s your plan now?” Greg asked.

It was such a simple question that had such a complicated answer, Alex decided to keep it short and simplistic. “Keep working, try and clean up the military as best I can,”

Greg gave a small laugh, “So keeping it simple,” he joked.

Alex smiled back, “Michael and I are going over some documents tomorrow which might give us some more intel about what we're dealing with,” He said.

Gregory didn't say anything for a moment, playing with his beer label. “He’s…he’s a good guy,” Greg said.

“Yeah Michaels…” Alex started and then stopped, there was so much be could say, so many words that came to his mind, he chooses not to say them, “He’s good,” was all Alex offered.

“Look I don’t wanna pry and I know I’m probably 10 years late to do the whole big brother act but…” Greg trailed off, he shifted in his seat. “I heard your song Alex, what you feel for Michael-“

Alex looked away, “What was a long time ago,” He muttered.

“Was it?” Greg asked. Alex looked over at his brother, Alex wasn't sure what to say but his lack of an answer was enough for Greg. “Because I’ve seen how you guys work together, look at each other, Alex you are so happy around him,” Greg smiled. Alex couldn't deny that being around Michael did make Alex happy, it always had. “I remember coming back home for a visit when I was younger, you were around 17 and you seemed so happy, and I never understood why I mean you lived with dad still..." Alex remembered the week Greg was talking about, just after what had happened in the shed, before everything had fallen apart completely, Greg had stayed at home for a while “It was because of Michael, right?” He asked. Alex didn't have to answer, the look he gave Greg told him he was right.

Alex reached up and ran his hand down his face, “We’ve tried it so many times and it never works out,” he quietly said,

“That’s because you guys weren’t ready, maybe you’re ready now,” Greg assured, "Maybe it's time to meet him in the middle?" Greg said, quoting Alex's song. Greg stood up, placing his beer on the floor, “Good luck little brother, talk to your boyfriend,” he teased like only an older brother could, patting Alex on the shoulder. Alex turned his head to watch as Greg left only to see Michael had pulled up and was walking towards Alex. He passed Greg giving him a small nod.

“Hey,” Michael said, “Greg off?”

“Yeah, he’s driving back,” Alex said as he watched Greg pull out of the drive.

Michael sat down in the chair next to Alex, moving it so it was in front of Alex, “I was going through some files and found this," He held out a piece of paper to Alex, "Looks like some kind of code, though you could take a crack at it tomorrow?" He asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Of course," Alex said, studying the code, having never seen it before.

"I thought you'd say that," Michael said, sitting forward, "So as a thank you, I brought you this," He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brown paper bag folded over, tossing it to Alex.

Alex caught it, giving Michael a hesitant look. Michael just nodded towards the bag. Alex opened it and peered inside, unable to see. Alex reached in and pulled out a triple chocolate cookie, Alex's mouth fell open for a moment. "Is this-"

"The one and only," Michael said with a self-satisfied smile on his face.

Alex could recognise the cookie anywhere. Back when they were kids, next to the Crashdown was a small bakery that made; in Alex's opinion the best cookies. When Alex and Michael could sneak off into the desert in Michael's truck they'd always stop off and buy some for the day. "I thought she closed down?" Alex asked, looking down at the cookie like it was gold.

"She did, she moved across town," Michael said.

Alex looked up, the smile from his face dropping, "You went all the way across town for this?" He asked.

"There your favourites right?" Michael said, smiling. Alex looked back down at the cookie, it was suddenly so much more than a cookie. Alex slipped it back into the bag, placing it on his lap. Michael had driven all the way across town just to get him a cookie he liked, just to make Alex happy. Alex looked back up at Michael who was looking at Alex with an anxious look. "Everything okay?" Michael asked.

Alex grinned, his smile going all the way up to his eyes, "Yeah, yeah everything...great," he admitted.

Michael nodded, standing up in his chair, "Well, I'll leave you to it," Michael went to walk away when Alex called.

"Michael wait!" He said. Michael turned around, taking his hat off to hold it in his hands.  Maybe it was time to meet in the middle  "You wanna stay for a drink?" Alex asked.

Michael appeared to give a breath of relief, sitting back down in the chair. "Yeah sure," he smiled. Alex reached into the bag, breaking the cookie in half, holding out one half to Michael. Michael took it, the smile growing on his face as the boys sat under the growing moonlight, maybe they'd finally come home.

+1

Alex leaned against the bar at planet 7, looking at the sea of people. It was Isabel’s turn to pick where they went out, so here they were. Alex hadn’t really been here much, a few times with Kyle but that was it.

“Whiskey?” Someone said next to Alex. Alex spun around to see a guy stood next to him, leaning against the bar,”

“It’s a celebration,” Alex said, raising his glass a little. It was true, things had been quiet lately, their lives almost seemingly normal.

“I’m Oscar,” The guys said, holding out his hand to shake.

Alex shook it back, looking back across the dancefloor. “Alex,”

The guy turned to face Alex, “Well Alex, I’ve not seen you in here before,” He said, his voice sound flirtatious.

Alex shifted awkwardly on his feet, “Uh no, I’m pretty new to the place,” He admitted.

The guy seemed to step a little closer, “Well how about a tour of the place?” He quietly said.

Alex gave a small awkward laugh. He looked down at his feet and back just in time to see Michael walking over, a large smile on his face. Alex nodded towards Michael, “I think I’ll leave it to my boyfriend,” He said, the smile never leaving his face. The guy gave Alex a polite smile and walked away.

Michael reached Alex, leaning forward to place a kiss on his lips. Alex chased the kiss as Michael pulled apart, “Everything alright?” He asked.

“I think that guy just tried to flirt with me,” Alex admitted, a confused look on his face.

“Of course he did! Have you seen yourself?” Michael flirted, a cheeky grin on his face.

“Smooth,” Alex teased. Michael laughed, reaching out to wrap his hands around Alex’s hips, “You know were dating now, you don’t have to use cheesy pick-up lines,” Alex said, wrapping his own arms around Michael’s neck.

“Cheesy?!” Michael said, pulling back, feigning mock offences. Michael pulled Alex closer a little, his hands resting on his lower bad. “How do you think I got you,” He quietly said.

“Definitely not with those lines?” Alex continued to tease, playing with Michael’s hair a little.

“How then?” Michael asked, tilting his head.

“You want me to make a list?” Alex asked. Michael shook his head, a shy smile on his face. Michael gave Alex another kiss on the lips before pulling back a little. Michael released his hands from Alex’s lower back, taking one of his hands to walk over to the group. Alex reached out and pulled Michael back a little, “Well your kind, generous, a freakin’ genius and beautiful,” He said, Alex smiled as he watched Michael’s face go a little red, looking down to the ground. Alex reached up and placed his hand on Michael’s cheek, “And one of the best people I’ve met,” He said with sincerity.

“That’s a pretty good list,” Michael said, his voice quiet.

“No cheesy lines this time?” Alex asked, tilting his head to the side watching Michael.

Michael laughed, shaking his head no. Michael reached out and draped his arms around Alex’s neck. “You’re not too bad yourself you know?” He said, swaying a little on his feet.

Alex dropped his hand from Michael’s face and wrapped them around his lower back, there positions switching from earlier. “Thanks,” Alex said.

Michael seemed to think for a moment, looking down at the ground. He finally looked back up at Alex, his face looking serious. He swallowed, one corner of his mouth going up into a smile. “And you’ve always believed in me, even when others haven’t,” Michael finished.

Alex smiled like he’d been doing most days since he and Michael got together. Alex leaned forward and kissed Michael, his hands wrapping around Michael a little tighter. Michael replied by pulling Alex’s face forward a little, their kiss deepening as they swayed on the dancefloor. After a moment the boys pulled away, there foreheads leaning against each other.  

“Now that was smooth,” Alex said, giving another quick kiss to Michael's lips.

“Sorry to interrupt sweethearts, but we're getting another round, so if you want some drinks on Valenti…” Isabel called walking past time, pointing to Kyle who was stood at the other bar.

“Apparently Valenti does have his uses,” Michael joked, receiving a disapproving look from Alex. Michael pulled himself off Alex, holding his hands up “Sorry, I’ll try and be nicer to my boyfriend’s friend, even if they're an ass,” He joked, quieting his voice at the end hoping Alex wouldn't hear. Alex smiled, sure he's never getting tired of hearing Michael call Alex his boyfriend. “What?” Michael asked, clearly noticing Alex's smile.

“Nothing, just…” Alex bites the inside of his cheek a little, leaning back against the bar, “If you told 17-year-old Alex that in 10 years he’d be free of his dad, close with his siblings again, happy in himself and Michael Guerin's boyfriend I...” Alex trailed off, looking up from the floor back to Michael's warm eyes. “I don’t think he’d believe it,” Alex admitted.

Michael stepped closer to Alex, taking hands in his, running his thumb over his hands, “Now who’s using cheesy lines,” Michael joked, pulling Alex closer to him. Alex smiled at Michael, feeling a contentedness in his chest that he hadn't felt in years, that only grew when he was near Michael. Alex gave Michael a finale kiss, pulling back to walk over to where the rest of the group were gathered around.

"Hey come to love birds," Liz joked as the pair walked over, Alex could only smile as he realised they'd finally met in the middle, and Michael had come home.

[crowno-0]

*Ruby who had come up with a plan to fight a large group of Grimm, she now has been nominated by the teams to speak Infront of multiple huntsman to explain said plan*

Ruby: And if group two can successfully lead the Grimm to this point, group one can cover their retreat and then both groups can take out any that are left. Any questions?

Random hunter: Yeah, who brought their kid And why is she trying to give us orders? *There were a few people who spoke out in agreement*

Ruby: Uh... Well, I am apart of the group that found the..uh initial group of Grimm and-

Different random huntress: Ah, I see she's kinda like a mascot. Come on now honey we are hunters can you get who came up with the plan and organised this, we aren't playing around.

~

Blake: oh no, we should have expected this. Someone hold Yang back before she kills our someone.

Nora: on it!

Blake: Ren, can you come with me and try to he-... Where are Jaune and Weiss.

~

Another random hunter: You look too young to even be in one of the academy's.

Ruby: I actually was allowed into Beacon early.

Another huntress: So you are like what 17? Who's idea was it to allow a little ki-

Jaune: Okay, hands up who have heard what happened at Beacon, Haven and Atlas. Now put down your hand if you heard of the name Ruby Rose.

Weiss: Hmm, so those with their hands still up had their heads under a rock.

Jaune: It seems that way Weiss, a few questions to those with their hands up.

Weiss: Can you singlehandedly take out a Grimm Wyvern large enough to encompass a mountain?

Ruby: Uh, Weiss.

Jaune: Because if you had heard about Beacon you would have know that Ruby rose had done just that.

Ruby: Jaune, please.

Weiss: I can see some of you trying to put your hands down. What was the main complaint? That she was too young?

Jaune: And to all of you, yes she is young, she is sixteen in fact. I wonder what all of you were doing when you were sixteen?

Ruby: Guys, come on, please.

Weiss: I was studying and training, how about you?

Jaune: Hmm, I think I was going to dance lessons with my sister's. I wonder what all of your were doing when you were sixteen.

Weiss: Imagine, getting so out of sorts because someone, maybe two or three decades younger than you is not only much more skilled.

Jaune: but has beaten Grimm in multiple city's whilst they were hiding away forcing a , in their words, child to do the job.

Ruby: Oh, gods.

Weiss: Hey Jaune, have you right after beating a leviathan Grimm, been welcomed into Atlas by their General and given your huntsman license all at the age of sixteen?

Jaune: Nope, mainly because if I was sixteen I like the rest of these people would have died at the leviathan part.

Weiss: that's weird because she not only did so, but also took down solo one of Atlas's elite Ace Ops.

Jaune: Wow, that's crazy... Now let us tell all of you, that this is Ruby Rose and it was her idea to call in you guy's for help, because the villages you are protecting would be on danger.

Weiss: A lesser danger because after leading a two standard teams against a group of Grimm maybe half the size of the one we are about to face. With no casualties.

Jaune: So, not only is she more than qualified to lead us, she is the only one we will allow.

Random hunter: that's alot of lip and not enough substance kid's, leave this to the adults.

*Jaune and Weiss look at each other*

Jaune: Look at this guy...he doesn't even know.

*Jaune lays a hand on Weiss's shoulder*

Hunter: Know what?

*Weiss crosses her arms and leans slightly into Jaune*

Weiss: Know who the real children are.

*A colossal Arma Gigas large enough that a single swing could hit most of the gathers hunters, made entirely out of ice appears behind Weiss, Jaune and Ruby*

Jaune: Any more question on who gets to lead...no? Good.

Weiss: You may continue Ruby.

*Red in the face Ruby once again speaks up*

Ruby: ...Okay as I was saying.

~

Oscar: So I guess that's that taken care of.

Qrow: Awesome, maybe now we can get things done.

Nora: Blake, help she biting!

Blake: Yang, no bad, don't bite you friends.

Yang: I'm going to kill those bastards.

Ren: I'm going to make some tea, anyone want some?

B,Y,N,Q,O: Yes please/I'll have a cup/Thanks Renny/Nah, I'm good/If it isn't too much trouble.

Ren: even if what they said is true, it's still unbelievable to most...I think all they wanted to do was show off.

B,Y,N,Q,O: Most definitely/Ha, Yeah/You think they are compensating for something?/Don't care/Ozpin does say it's all about presentation.

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 1-The Residents of Chikusei-sou (Part 2)

Whassup everyone who’s still keeping up with my translations? Here’s a longer chapter part! Since the next part is a lot shorter, I should probably have it up by the time this year ends lol

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Nightingale floors are floors that make a chirping sound when you step on them. They are used in some temples and palaces in Japan.

2. Ten tatami mats is about 16.5 square meters.

3. Nicotine is ニコチン or nicochin in Japanese, so Nico-chan’s nickname comes from that basically

4. Yuki calls Nico-chan a nirou (二浪), which is someone who failed their university entrance exams two times.

5. Yuki’s name has the character for “snow” (雪) in it

6. Nico-chan is referring to the classic anime Heidi, Girl of the Alps which was a World Masterpiece Theater anime. In Japanese, Heidi is ハイジ (Haiji), Clara is クララ (Kurara), and the goat is ヤギ (Yagi).

7. Six tatami mats is about 10 square meters.

Previous | Next

The apartment was older than he thought it was going to be.

“…Haiji-san, is this the place?”

“Yeah, this is Chikusei-sou. We call it ‘Aotake’.”

Kiyose proudly looked up at the building. Kakeru was just stunned. It was his first time seeing such an old wooden building that wasn’t even a cultural asset.

The cheaply built wooden two-story building looked like it was about to collapse at any moment. It was unbelievable that someone was living there. But what was particularly terrifying was that there were soft lights coming from several of the windows.

Chikusei-sou was right on the midpoint between the university and the public bath “Tsurunoyu”.

When one passed through the alley, one would come to a neighborhood where new condos that were beginning to be built and traditional fields existed alongside each other. Chikusei-sou was built in that area, surrounded by lush green hedges. There was no gate, and one could see into the lot from gaps in the hedges.

There was a large front yard covered in gravel, and to the back of the left side, there was a one-story house that seemed to be where the landlord lived. The roof must had been retiled, as it shone slightly from repelling the starlight. The building on the right side was the Chikusei-sou in question.

“There’re nine rooms altogether. Thanks to you, we’re all full.”

Kiyose led Kakeru to the front door of Chikusei-sou while stepping on the gravel. The door was a grated sliding door fitted with a thin pane of glass. The outside light was flickering restlessly within the long narrow door canopy where tiny insects were gathered. Relying on that sooty light, Kakeru tried to read the old wooden doorplate hanging next to the entrance somehow. There, written in manly cursive, seemed to be the characters for “Chikusei-sou.”

Kiyose carelessly stopped his bike, carried the two wash basins on top of each other under his arm, and put his hand on the sliding door.

“I’ll introduce the residents to you one-by-one. Everyone here’s a Kansei student.”

There’s a bit of a trick to this, Kiyose said as he opened the poorly-fitted sliding door as if he was lifting it.

Immediately after entering, the ground became a dirt floor hardened with concrete, and there was a shoe cupboard with doors installed nearby. It also seemed to play the role of a mailbox. There were horizontal slots that could be opened on the doors, and room numbers scribbled on paper with ballpoint pen were affixed with cellophane tape. Every piece of paper was browned from the sun. A quick look at the cupboard showed that there were four rooms on the first floor and five on the second floor.

The stairs that led to the second floor was to the right of the entrance. Even without trying to ascend them, one could see that it was crooked and warped. Kakeru thought that it was a wonder that the building still hadn’t collapsed yet.

Kiyose took off his orthopedic sandals on the dirt floor and prompted Kakeru, “Now, let’s go upstairs.” Kakeru put his sneakers into the cupboard labeled “103” as he was told.

“Haiji-san, welcome back!”

The voice came at that moment. Surprised, Kakeru looked around. There was no one there. Next to him, Kiyose was also knitting his brows together in suspicion.

“Up here!”

The overlapping voices called, and the two looked up at the ceiling. For some reason, there was a fist-sized hole on the ceiling of the entryway. It looked like there was someone trying to pressed their face through it. Someone’s eye was peeking down from the hole, and it looked like they were laughing mischievously.

“Jouji…” Kiyose said in a low voice. “What’s with the hole?”

“The floor got stepped through!”

“I’m going there now, so stay put.”

Kiyose was angry, but he went up the stairs without making any sounds. Kakeru was confused, but decided to follow after him. When he put his foot on the stairs, they creaked intensely, like they were nightingale floors. (1)

Kakeru climbed the dark and steep stairs and got a view of what the second floor was like. The ceiling was taller than he had expected. There were two doors that seemed to lead to the toilet and bathroom respectively next to the stairs, and next to them seemed to be two rooms. There were three more rooms on the other side of the corridor facing the stairs. All of the rooms were completely silent, but light was only leaking from the door with the plate that read “201” that was in the middle of the three rooms, directly opposite to the stairs.

Kiyose walked up to Room 201 without hesitating, then opened the door without knocking. Kakeru nervously peeked into the room from the doorway.

Room 201 was about ten tatami mats wide,(2) with a low tea table placed in the middle that served as the border between two sets of futons that were left out on the floor. It seemed that there were two people living in Room 201. Scattered messily around the futons were what seemed to be books and other junk that belonged to each person.

It was the residents of the room who caught one’s attention the most. They were two men with the exact same face, looking towards them like they were entreating them. They were twins who were extremely identical. Kakeru, feeling like he was doing a spot-the-difference game, compared the faces of the two residents of Room 201.

“I’m pretty sure I told you guys to be careful. Which one of you did it?”

Kiyose said bluntly, putting his hands on his hips. The twins, who made sure to huddle together, began to talk at the same time.

“Nii-chan did it!”

“Jouji did it!”

“That’s so mean, Nii-chan, pinning the blame on your little brother.”

“Weren’t you the one who made the hole bigger?”

“I only got stuck in the hole you made!”

Even the tones of their voices were exactly alike. Kiyose lightly raised his right hand and wordlessly commanded the twins to “Shut up.”

“Did you pay attention to the fact that the space between the boards near the entrance was weak?”

Room 201 was tatami-matted, but only the place that was right above the entryway had a wooden floor. The twins nodded with the same timing to Kiyose’s scolding.

“We were careful.”

“We were walking normally. Normally. Then suddenly, snap!”

Kiyose hmphed.

“The boards will come loose if you walk normally. From now on, walk with great care. Okay?”

The twins nodded again. Kiyose cautiously put his knee to the boards and inspected the hole.

“Um, Haiji-san?”

One of the twins shyly called out to Kiyose.

“What?”

“Who’s that?”

The twins’ gazes were fixed on Kakeru, who was idly standing at the door.

“Oh!” Kiyose said like he just remembered and looked back at Kakeru. “That’s Kurahara Kakeru. He’s a first-year going to Kansei this spring like you guys. He’ll be living here starting today.”

Kakeru stepped into the room and stood next to the tea table, then lightly bowed his head.

“Please treat me well.”

“Nice to meet you.”

The twins said in unison.

“Kakeru, these are the Jou twins. The older brother is Jou Tarou and the younger one is Jou Jirou.”

The twins nodded in the order they were introduced. If their positions were changed, one probably wouldn’t be able to tell them apart anymore.

“Call me Jouji, and Nii-chan’s Jouta.” The one who was Jirou told him amiably. “Everyone calls us that.”

“Wonder if that hole can be used for something, eh, Kakeru?”

The one was Tarou also brought up the topic in a familiar way. “Um…” Kakeru stammered. He was overwhelmed by the twins, who spoke in rapid succession.

Kiyose got up. “We gotta put magazines or something over it to cover it up.” He said, looking down at the hole. “Did you guys hurt your feet when you stepped through the floor?”

“Nope, not at all.”

The twins shook their heads at the same speed. Guessing that Kiyose wasn’t angry anymore, their expressions were clearly relieved.

He scared those twins that much, Kakeru thought. Haiji-san seems to be a big person in Chikusei-sou. Thinking about his future living in a group in this old apartment, he sighed heavily. No matter where he went, it didn’t seem like he could escape from cliques or pecking orders.

“I still haven’t even showed Kakeru to his room yet. I’m begging you, don’t destroy Aotake any more than this.”

Kiyose said before quickly leaving Room 201. Jouta and Jouji saw Kakeru off at the door.

“The truth that this place is run-down got out as soon as you came.”

“If you’re really gonna live here, it’s a nice and quiet place.”

Kakeru said “Good night” to the twins who both talked in turn, and chased after Kiyose, who was beginning to go down the stairs.

It was true that Chikusei-sou was engulfed in silence. Even though the twins had made such a fuss, he didn’t see any of the other residents. Were they not in their rooms? He could only hear the rustling of the thickets of trees scattered around the building and occasionally the sounds of cars driving in the distance. From the front door that was left open, the spring night wind that was beginning to be lukewarm sprang up gently, carrying in the scent of the soil from the fields.

Kakeru picked up his sports bag that he left on the dirt floor. The overhead hole that was just created was already closed up with a magazine that had a woman in a swimsuit on the cover. There was no longer light coming from the twins’ bedroom, so the entryway was dim.

Finally, Kakeru was able to get a good look at the first floor of Chikusei-sou. The layout wasn’t much different from the second floor. They went down the hallway, heading directly from the entrance to the back.

On the left side of the hallway, by order from closest to the entrance was the kitchen, Room 101, and Room 102. Room 201 where the twins lived from just now was directly above the entryway and kitchen. Because of that, the second floor had one more room. Kiyose lived in Room 101, which seemed to be below Room 202. Based on that, Room 203 would be above Room 102.

The right side of the first floor hallway had the exact same layout as the second floor. Next to the stairs was the doors to the toilet and bathroom, and Rooms 103 and 104 were towards the back. They were below Rooms 204 and 205 respectively.

Guided by Kiyose, Kakeru was about to go down hallway when he stopped, startled. At the end of the first floor hallway, thick white smoke that definitely did not look trivial was rising.

“Haiji-san, isn’t there a fire over there?”

But Kiyose, without looking perturbed, was about to explain something or other with an “Oh, that.” At that moment, the door to Room 102 at the back of the left side opened vigorously. A figure flew out from inside. Thinking that they came out because they noticed the fire, Kakeru braced himself, but that person did not go to the entryway where Kakeru and Kiyose were, but instead violently knocked on the door of Room 104 across from them immediately.

“Senpai! Hey, Nico-chan-senpai!”

They continued to knock ten times, violently enough to rattle all the doors on the first floor. At last, the door to Room 104 opened.

“Shut up, Yuki.”

It looked like a large figure lumbered out, but the smoke was so thick that Kakeru couldn’t them well. The two did not seem to be aware of Kakeru and Kiyose, who were near the kitchen, and began to get into a fierce argument.

“Your cigarette smoke is getting into my room.”

“Shouldn’t you be happy you can get a whiff of it without spend money?”

“I don’t smoke! Anyways, it’s bothering me, so please stop it!”

Look, it’s so smoky, the resident of Room 102 said, flapping their arm to clear the smoke. The white toxic substance drifted all the way to where Kakeru was. He agreed that it definitely was the smell of cigarettes. It was good that there wasn’t a fire, but the two’s argument was escalating.

“Your music is too loud too. Blasting that nonsense music all night long and making me listen to it. You’re giving me nightmares!”

“I use headphones at night.”

“Even so, I can still hear that awful nonsense!”

“This place is ancient, so there is no helping it.”

“I don’t want my smoke to leak out, you know. It’s cuz the door’s fit is bad…”

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Kiyose clapped his hands and drew the attention of the arguing duo. “Perfect timing. Let me introduce our newest resident.”

When the sounds of the quarrel ceased, it became clear that the music from Room 102 that sounded like heavy bass and electronic noise entangled together, and the cigarette smoke from Room 104 that was pure white like dry ice, were both endlessly overflowing from the rooms. Kakeru did not want to go over there, but Kiyose walked to the back of the hallway where the two people were without minding it at all.

The residents of the back of the first floor, their momentum dampened with their fists raised and their mouths opened, waited for Kiyose and the newcomer Kakeru to approach.

“Senpai, Yuki, this is Kurahara Kakeru, who will be living in Room 103 from now on. He’s a first-year sociology student. Kakeru, this is the old-timer of Chikusei-sou, Hirata Akihiro of Room 104. Everyone calls him Nico-chan-senpai.”

“Cuz he’s the nicotine demon king.” (3)

The man called Yuki who was still not introduced yet, with his back to the loud music, said angrily.

Kiyose reined him in. “Nico-chan-senpai will be a third-year science and engineering student this spring. He was my senpai when I first arrived here, but before I knew it, he became a year lower than me.” He continued.

Nico-chan, who had a strong physique like a bear’s, nodded to Kakeru without smiling.

“So you’re gonna be my neighbor. Nice to meet you.”

Nico-chan, who had stubble growing on his impudent-looking face, really did not seem like a student. Kakeru secretly asked Kiyose, “Um, how many years can you stay in university for?”

“Eight years.”

Nico-chan added to Kiyose’s answer.

“This is still my fifth year.”

“By the way, he failed his entrance exams twice.” Yuki, whose real name was still unknown, impatiently interrupted. (4)

So that means he’s twenty-five years old this year? Kakeru quickly calculated and looked at Nico-chan, who was still dignified despite all of that. He did not cut in with any jokes or get angry, never breaking his composed demeanour. Part of him wanted to avoid damage from smoke pollution, but he didn’t seem like a person who was hard to deal with.

Kiyose finally introduced the other person.

“Kakeru, this is Iwakura Yukihiro. He’s a law student and a fourth-year like me. We call him Yuki. He may not look it, but he’s passed the bar.”

“Hello.”

Yuki curtly greeted him. Just like his name, his skin was an unhealthy-looking bluish-white. (5) He was lanky and wore glasses, and had a very high-strung, fussy-looking face. I should avoid anything that would make this person complain as much as possible, Kakeru thought.

Nico-chan took out a cigarette from his pocket. Acting like he didn’t feel Yuki’s condemning gaze, he lit it.

“Yo, Haiji. There seemed to be some kind of noise upstairs just now. What was that about?”

“The twins, as expected, stepped through a floorboard.”

“Did they do that right away?” Yuki-chan laughed.

“Those two are idiots.”

Yuki’s cheek spasmed. “Even though they were specially assigned the biggest room in Aotake, isn’t it meaningless if they stepped through that floorboard?”

“The upstairs room near the entryway had always been dangerous. I have to think of a way to reinforce it somehow.”

Kiyose said, and Yuki frowned.

“I think it’s Prince’s fault though.”

While Kiyose and Yuki were deep in talk, Kakeru was silently standing around with Nico-chan. Nico-chan had an astounding lung capacity, and his cigarette quickly turned to ash all the way close to the filter. He stubbed it out on the door to his room.

“Oi, Kakeru.”

As expected, Nico-chan also suddenly called him by his given name without honorifics. “I realized something incredible just now.”

“What is it?”

“You three have the same names as characters as that Masterpiece anime!”

“Hah…”

Kakeru knew little about anime, so he could only respond dully. Nico-chan, with his second cigarette between his fingers, pointed at Kiyose, Kakeru, and Yuki in that order.

“Haiji’s obvious. Kakeru is Kurahara, so he’s Clara. And finally, Yuki-chan’s the goat. See?” (6)

“Please do not arbitrarily make a person into a goat.”

“I’m Peter, and…”

Nico-chan said, ignoring him, and forcefully closed the door to Room 104 behind him. Yuki, burning with rage, spun on his heel and shut himself inside his room just like that. The door to Room 102 was also closed violently, and only the remnants of smoke and music drifted in the dark hallway.

“Umm…”

A bewildered Kakeru spoke up, but Kiyose lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t worry about it. They’re always like that. They both seem to like you, so it’s all good.”

They like me? Really? Kakeru’s bewilderment deepened more and more, but he stayed silent and walked a short distance back up the hallway, and watched Kiyose opened the door to Room 103.

“Well then, this is your room, Kakeru. Here’s the key.”

Kiyose pointed to a brass key with a round head hanging from the interior side of the room’s door. “If you want to lock it from the inside, you have to put the key in the inside keyhole, and you do the same thing when you lock it from the outside. That’s too annoying, so almost everyone keeps it unlocked when they’re in their rooms.”

Kakeru took the dull gold key. It had a retro shape, like it was for opening a magic door. The plating was worn off in places, and it had a warm roundness due to being in the hands of generations of the room’s owners.

Kiyose took the lead and opened Room 103’s window, letting in the wind. The room was six tatami mats wide (7), and there was also a closet. Kakeru tried opening the closet’s sliding screen just to be sure. There were no bloodstains there like he was worried about, and the interior of the room was old but kept clean.

“Tomorrow, I’ll teach you where the rental futon place is. Bear with my blanket for tonight. I’ll bring it later.”

“I’m sorry for all the trouble.”

“There’s a toilet and washroom on each floor. The job rotations for cleaning are posted in the kitchen every month. Since you just came, you can start in April. I make the meals in the morning and at night.”

“You are? By yourself?”

“Just simple stuff. Each person supplies their own lunch. If you don’t need breakfast or dinner, tell me the day before.”

Kiyose stated the rules of Chikusei-sou without faltering. “For baths, you can go to Tsurunoyu a little ways from here, or you can also borrow the bath in the landlord’s house. In that case, you have to do it between eight to eleven p.m. There is no need for advance reservations or cleaning the bath. Cleaning the bath is a hobby of the landlord’s.”

“Got it.”

In order to hammer it all into his head, Kakeru concentrated and listened carefully to Kiyose’s words.

“There’s no curfew whatsoever. If there’s anything unclear, just ask.”

“What about mealtimes?”

“The times are different depending on the lectures, so everyone eats warmly. Most of the time it’s around eight-thirty in the morning and seven-thirty at night.”

“Got it.”

Kakeru nodded and bowed his head again. “Please take care of me.”

Kiyose once again smiled. Kakeru had been suspicious that he had some sort of ulterior motive for taking him to Chikusei-sou, but now that he met half of the residents of this apartment, it was difficult to continue to hold such suspicions. Kiyose and the residents he came across up until now were a bit strange, but they had accepted Kakeru immediately. Kiyose’s smile was extremely modest and mild-mannered, without any hint of pushiness.

From the kitchen, the sound of the wall clock striking could be heard.

“Is it ten-thirty?”

As though he just recalled something, Kiyose’s eyes moved to the wash basins he had left at the entrance.

“You can still use the landlord’s bath. If you’re not tired, do you want to go greet the main house?”

The two went out the entrance again. Kiyose encouraged Kakeru to wear orthopedic sandals, as it would be a pain to get out the shoes one by one. It seemed that everyone at Chikusei-sou favored wearing sandals whenever they walked in the neighborhood. There were several pairs of sandals that were taken off at the edge of the entrance.

They stepped on the gravel, crossed the garden, and headed for the one-story wooden house, which was the main house. Although called a garden, there were only a few large trees suitable for making shade, and they grew naturally alongside the hedges, and the rest were short and blunt. The simple appearance was almost like it was a garden in progress, and there was a large white station wagon parked there. It felt like it was only parked where the driver felt like, not that it was a fixed parking space.

Even though this was within Tokyo, that was a way to use a very luxurious piece of land. Perhaps because he could afford to do it now from settling where he was going to live, but for the first time, Kakeru was able to feel an affection for the area where his university was.

He had thought Tokyo was just a squalid and restless place. Kakeru breathed in the night air deeply. Surprisingly, that was also not the case. Here as well, people were diligently living. It was no different than the town he was born and raised in. There was someone’s livelihood here, seeking comfort by planting hedges and creating a garden.

Perhaps because it heard the two’s footsteps, the breathing of a creature that was strangely excited was heard in the darkness. When he looked closely, he saw a light brown mixed breed dog come out from beneath the porch of the main house, coming towards them while energetically wagging its tail.

“I forgot about this important resident.”

Kiyose crouched down and stroked the dog’s head. “This is the landlord’s dog, Nira.”

“That’s a weird name.”

Kakeru crouched down besides him and looked into the dog’s deep black and wet eyes.

“A senpai who lived at Aotake before found him,” Kiyose said, while raising up Nira’s drooping ears by his fingers. “Apparently, in Okinawa, bliss is nira something…what was it? Anyways, it became his name after that.”

“Heh, bliss?”

He certainly was a dog with a charming face free of any worries. It seemed like the perfect name for him.

“He’s a dumb dog who loves everyone, but he’s cute.”

For a short while, Kiyose toyed with his ears and stretched his rounded tail, but Nira still showed his deep affection towards the two of them. Kakeru also stroked him on the head as substitute for a greeting. Nira was not chained and had a beautiful red leather collar around his neck. “It suits you,” Kakeru whispered to the dog.

Previous | Next

[jimlingss]

Jungle Park [21]

Chapter 20 - Chapter 21 - Chapter 22

➜ Words: 4.5k

➜ Genres: Fluff, Light Humour (?), Slice of Life, Workplace Romance!AU

➜ Summary: The equation is simple. Hoseok needs to hire someone. You need a job. Except like any actual equation, it’s not fucking simple at all! Not when you have to add the fact that he was forced to hire someone he doesn’t want in his office, he has little respect for your job in general, and oh yeah...once upon a time you might have—*CENSORED*.

You love your job. Really you do. This is the best career you’ve had. It’s fulfilling and the administrative work can be rather fun. You adore every person in this office. You haven’t had many bad days or terrible encounters. You also get to work alongside your partner in crime. But this….this is one of the rare moments you have to convince yourself you love your job.

“Look it’s not that big of a deal.”   “Of course it’s a big deal! That’s my personal space that you’re invading. And last I checked, you don’t have to suffer the consequences of your own actions.”   “Okay, wait, wait.” You put out a hand, halting Yoongi and Sunyi’s argument with each other. “Let’s take a step back and assess the root of the problem.”   “The problem is that he microwaved something in my office and now I can’t even walk in without wanting to gag and puke!” Sunyi is both exasperated and hysterical.   “Ever heard of mung beans?” Yoongi’s brow lifts with a mocking smile that adds more fuel to the fire. “It’s quite healthy for you and it’s really soft when you heat them up.”   “They smell like death!” Her fist pounds against the conference table. Out of the corner of your eye and through the glass windows of the room, you catch Lisa and Dahyun looking over from their spot at the front desk. It’s like these two are in the middle of a divorce mediation appointment. “Why can’t you just use the microwave in the kitchen?”   “Jin microwaved popcorn. I don’t want my mung beans to smell like popcorn.”   “You are unbelievable! Get your own damn microwave!”   “Listen.” He spins in his swivel chair, pointing his index finger down at the wooden surface of the table. “Why do you have a microwave in your office anyways if no one can use it?”   “It’s my microwave in my office for my own convenience and for me to use. Not for you, Min!” she spits it out in animosity and her blood vessel at her temple threaten to burst. “Not for you or your damn mung beans! Stay out!”   “Alright!” You shout above them both, straining your voice and getting between them before it spirals more out of control. “Enough. If you can’t discuss the issue properly like adults without screaming then how are we supposed to do this?” A long sigh spills from your lungs. “I’ve heard both sides and Yoongi, I believe you should apologize to Sunyi. It is her microwave after all and you didn’t ask permission to use it. The microwave in the kitchen is working fine and that’s for everyone to use. There’s no need to barge into Sunyi’s office.”   “Okay.” He nods once. “I understand and I’m sorry, Sunyi.”   “That’s it?” The female lawyer looks at you, her arms in the air. “There’s no punishment for him?”   “Well...if there’s a second offense, I’ll look into proper consequences. It’s a warning for now. If you need air freshener, I have some you can borrow.”   Sunyi falls back, collapsing into the chair while rubbing her temples. “Oh my god.”   Today is a heavy session of conflict resolution. You and Hoseok were chatting about the two lawyers casually on the sofa one night and he decided to put an end to it once and for all. It was getting pretty ridiculous when over three quarters of the complaints were of Yoongi from Sunyi. There are a lot of investigations still pending, but it’s time to put everything in the open and find the root issue to address it and stop this nonsense. Hoseok was here, mostly to observe and give you moral support, but much to your dismay, the lawyer looked more entertained than anything.   “Okay. Let’s take a look at some older complaints.” Your foot moves the first box forward and you lean down, plucking a random page from the papers sandwiched inside, as if you were picking a name slip in the Hunger Games. Your throat clears. “On February sixteenth of this year, Yoongi was calling Sunyi by the name Sunny all day and confusing the client they were talking to.”   “It’s a cute nickname, right?” Yoongi asks no one in particular, more so a thought aloud.   “It’s not good if the client is confused,” Hoseok adds.   You put the filled form down. “Yoongi, you should call Sunyi by her legal name since that’s what she wants.”   “Okay.”   You turn to her. “Is that alright with you?”   “I...uh...yeah.” She nods, cheeks heating up, and no one notices her reaction except for Yoongi who smiles to himself.   You pick another. “Here’s one made on December twentieth. Yoongi was wearing too strong of a cologne and it was clogging up your nose and making it hard to breathe.”   Everyone turns to look at her, giving the female a chance for further explanation. But instead, Sunyi’s head is downcast and she fiddles with her fingers in her lap. “Ummm...can...can I actually redact that? I don’t mind...it doesn’t bother me anymore.”   “Redact?” Your brow shoots upwards. “Alright. Makes the job easier.”   Yoongi gazes at her, staring, and goosebumps raise along her skin from the mere intensity of his eyes. Unfortunately, you don’t notice the exchange. You’re too busy picking out another sheet while Hoseok is preoccupied checking you out and making you send a glare his way, to which he gives you a greasy smile and flirtatious wink.   “Okay. November second, Yoongi spammed you email after email asking if orange pee is normal.”   Hoseok butts into the conversation, concerned for his friend. “Did you go to the doctor?”   “Yeah and I’m fine.” He smiles.   Sunyi raises her hand timidly. “Can I withdraw that?”   “Sure.” You put it aside into the accumulating pile. “Here’s another one where you said he was out to get you and driving you insane—”   “Redact that please!” Sunyi interrupts and Yoongi smirks.   He’s still staring at her, elbow propped on the table, cheek in his hand. “I drive you insane?”   She ignores him, speaking directly to you. “I’d like to withdraw it.”   “Okay…”   Somehow Sunyi redacting a lot of the complaints, especially those that attack Yoongi’s general character, personality or behaviour. You’re baffled, wondering if something changed her mind or they reconciled on their own. Nonetheless, the session is fairly successful and the two of them are less hostile towards each other by the end.   Still, you privately tell Hoseok to talk to Yoongi since they’re both friends and you know the latter man respects the former. Hoseok agrees and in confidence speaks to Yoongi about not wasting time or bothering Sunyi anymore to which the dark-haired lawyer nods along with. Sunyi leaves soon after, thanking you and it’s a job well done.   You high five Hoseok but he considers it inadequate, pulling you aside when you’re both alone and he kisses you eagerly, murmuring about how hot you look when you’re working hard. You scoff, chiding for him to get back to work and he salutes you with a firm ‘yes, ma’am’.

The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere, dim lighting that comes from candlelights placed in the middle of tables. The chatter and murmur of conversations blurs together with the soft music, but it’s quieter in the secluded area. The scent of food wafting from the kitchen is appetizing and the quality is only imaginable considering the toasted bread and creamy butter the waitress brought out is already mouthwatering.   You imagine this would be a fancy, hot date between you and Hoseok. But nope. The person sitting across from you is Kim Seokjin who’s devouring the bread like a wild animal starved. You’re also jammed between Naul who sips on her glass of red wine, lost in thought like she’s seen too much in her lifetime, and Namjoon who has his fingers attached onto his phone.   Hoseok is sitting at the front of the table with Jimin, visibly more tortured than you are.   “Jin! What the fuck!” Lisa moves her arm away, shooting him a disgusting glare. “You’re slobbering! And butter just hit my fucking arm! Eat properly, you dog!”   “Look.” He chews, cheeks stuffed to the brim. “I haven’t eaten in literally five hours, okay? I’m starving and the food is taking forever!”   “Can we not swear in a fancy place like this?” Seulgi pleads with a long sigh. “It makes us look unsophisticated and uncultured.”   “Are we supposed to be sophisticated?” Taehyung moves his sunglasses down, looking over the rim of his dark shades.   “What the hell are you even wearing.”   “It’s fashion. Ask Namjoon!”   “Don’t ask me,” the legal assistant mutters while still tapping away at his phone.   Sunyi scoffs. “You’re wearing pajamas, Taehyung.”   “Pajamas are in. Right, Jungkook?”   “Uh...” The younger lawyer reaches for his glass of water, sipping through the straw and refusing to give an answer.   “I can’t believe you blow your money on shit like that.” Lisa shakes her head in disapproval, obviously judging his horrible tastes.   “Don’t tell me how to spend my money and I won’t tell you how to spend yours, Miss-I-get-a-pedicure-every-other-day.”   “Excuse you! It’s relaxing for me.”   “Well, shopping is relaxing for me.”   “I prefer online shopping,” Inyoung timidly murmurs, attempting to mediate the argument.   They ignore her, but Dahyun swoops in with a smile to acknowledge the accountant. “Same here.”   “Look, I’m sorry you fools have no fashion sense.” Taehyung leans back in his seat, arms on top of the other chairs beside him. “And if Namjoon was paying any attention, you would know that he has the exact same set as I do. We actually pre-ordered it together.”   Seulgi turns to her friend with a frown. “What are you doing, Namjoon?”   He doesn’t look away from the screen and she thinks he’s actively ignoring her, but then the corner of his mouth moves. “Texting my girlfriend.”   “What.” Everyone cranes their necks over to stare like they’re hyperactive dogs and he’s a bouncing squirrel. “Since when?”   “Since years ago. Haven’t I talked about her?” The paralegal pockets his mobile device and finally lifts his head, pushing his glasses up the slope of his nose before it slips too far. “She plays in the philharmonic orchestra.”   “No, you haven’t talked about it,” Jin spits at his best friend, absolutely appalled and shocked at this news. “What the hell…”   “Yeah, she’s nice.” Namjoon shrugs nonchalantly and it doesn’t do much to lessen the shock.   But it goes quiet as they mull over the new revelation. And Jimin takes the opportunity to stand up. “Alright, alright. Let me get everyone’s attention again. Fellow employees of Jung and Park, do you know why we’re all here on this lovely evening?”   “Food?” Jin jokes, but he’s all too serious at the same time. He looks around and his eyes pin on a waiter holding a plate...only for that waiter to brush past and head to a different table. Dammit.   “No. We’re celebrating Hoseok’s and my anniversary!” There’s a pause. “Of being called to the bar!”   “Right.” Naul nods and holds up her glass, congratulating him before downing the rest of her drink.   Jimin is not impressed. “Can we get some more enthusiasm in here?”   “To Hoseok and Jimin!” Yoongi holds up his glass of water and everyone mimics him, raising their glass. Each gives one monotonous and short shout and then rehydrates themselves, making you laugh and Jimin snicker.   He opens his mouth, but gives up, taking a seat again with an exhale. His partner, on the other hand, grins. “Would anyone like to make a toast?”   “I will.” Taehyung volunteers, happily taking the spotlight as he stands and holds his water with a boxy smile. “I have been working at this firm ever since it started and I’m so glad that you dragged and threatened me to be here, Jimin. You were right. I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed that tax firm….even if they paid me more and had better benefits and was a closer commute…..”   Both friends laugh and he turns to smile at the other lawyer. “Hoseok, you’re scary. When any of us make a mistake, you glare, but lately you’ve been a lot nicer and approachable. I just wanted to say that it’s okay if any one of us mess up. We’re human after all.”   No one knows where he’s going with the toast, only that he’s ballsy enough to be this direct to Hoseok and still stand in front of him. Though Taehyung has no malice in his voice, just idiotic joy and he inhales, looking carefully at everyone. “But I think we have to mention a very special someone who’s sitting at this table right now. Y/N!”   “Me?” You blink, dumbfounded.   “Yes.” His lips are tilted upwards, cheeks puffing out, too cute. “You are the backbone of our entire firm. I don’t know what we would do without you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for staying with us. Thank you for saving us from scary, scary Hoseok.”   He sits back down and Lisa jumps up. “My turn! First off, I want to congratulate my two bosses, Jimin and Hoseok. Jung and Park has been the best place I’ve ever worked at and even though I know my job is technically less important than all of yours, you have never once made me feel insignificant in the office. For that, I am grateful. Congratulations on your anniversary.”   “But…” She quickly moves on before anyone can stop her and applaud. “I also have to thank Y/N.” Lisa smiles and shifts to you, eyes twinkling. “I know we got off on the wrong foot and I wasn’t always the nicest. But you never once took that and used it against me. You listened to me when no one else would. You helped me during tough times. You feel like a ray of sun in the office. God knows before you came, everything was a mess.”   The receptionist laughs and the others agree, nodding along. “There were boxes everywhere and I couldn’t walk without bumping into anything. So, thank you, Y/N. You don’t know what you mean to all of us.”   She sits back down and Jimin protests, “Wait a minut—”   “Hold on.” Timid Inyoung stands, adjusting the length of her skirt before she picks up her glass and presses it to her chest, gazing at you endearingly. “I also want to thank Y/N.”   The girl is sincere and you’re smiling, tears filling your eyes, overwhelmed by their appreciation. “I know we’re all kind of doing this as a joke to take the light away from Jimin and Hoseok—” She glances at them with a soft laugh. “—but I really mean it. Y/N, you are the sweetest person I know and you were there for me during one of the scariest times of my life. Without you, I don’t know where I’d be right now. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. You’re the one who sticks up for everyone in this office and I don’t think we tell you that enough. You’re the one who time and time again proves that you genuinely care about us. And for that, thank you.”   You’re speechless. “You guys…”   Jungkook clears his throat. He steps up as well. “Y/N, I know you already know this but, you’re my role model. I aspire to be someone like you, someone who works hard and is so passionate about their work. The office has been changed for the better ever since you arrived. Jung and Park wouldn’t be able to function without your...uh..presence….”   He’s blushing from the attention and awkwardly shuffles back into his chair.   “You guys, let’s not take the light away from what we’re actually here for.” Seokjin grins mischievously, pushing away his hunger and chaotically getting up, scratching the leg chairs against the floorboards. He looks at the front, eyeing both lawyers. “Hoseok...Jimin…” They’re both expectant and Jin lifts his glass higher. “...thank you for hiring Y/N.”   There’s laughing and chuckling all around. Jimin opens his mouth to whine at the audacity to treat him like this, but unknowingly, you interrupt, getting to your feet and scanning your surroundings to imprint this memory into your mind. “You guys, I’m absolutely flattered.”   “You’re the ones who make me love my job so much. To be completely honest, before I came here, I was having a difficult time. I was applying everywhere trying to look for jobs, but I never expected to land my dream career. You’re the best bunch I’ve ever had the opportunity of working with. I’m so lucky and sometimes I wonder if I deserve it all.”   “But let’s not forget about Jimin and Hoseok.” All jokes aside, you shift to address each of them. “Jimin, you’re sweet and generous to everyone regardless of who they are. Congratulations on your anniversary for being called to the bar. Thank you for needing an HR rep.” The lawyer giggles, smiling wide, finally having his proper praise.   “And Hoseok.” Your breath is caught in your throat and you’re focused on him, tunnel vision, everything else blurring into the background. “I don’t think you’re mean at all. Well, maybe sometimes. You’re passionate about your job and I admire that. If people got to know you better, they’d know you’re literal sunshine on this planet. Thank you for hiring me.”   There’s a pause where you take a deep breath, eyes locked into his. “Thank you for picking me...out of everyone else.”   Your speech is coming to an end and you spin on your heel to address the rest of them. “Also, I’d like to use this opportunity to remind everyone that the fridge is a communal space. This has been an issue for a while now, but please do not eat food if it’s not labeled as yours and if you don’t know, it never hurts to ask.”   There’s a round of applause and you sit back down, hands falling into your lap, slightly embarrassed from the whole ordeal. No one notices, but you can feel Hoseok’s gaze on you.   Jimin grins. “There we go! Finally, a proper toast!”   And like perfect timing would have it— “Food’s here!” Jin’s announcement garners cheers as waiters and waitresses approach the table, passing around the food. People begin to dig in and you take one look around at each person’s face, all too happy to be here.   Your eyes meet Hoseok and you smile. He quirks his head to the side as well, staring and smiling back.   //   The pair of you return to the office. Giggles and drunken laughter echo down the halls, fluorescent lights flicker on slowly, flooding the entire floor with light. You teeter inside, throwing your bag and coat onto a chair at the empty front desk as he follows behind.   “Did you have a good time?”   You spin around, arms thrown around his neck. “Course I did.”   “Everyone loves you.” Hoseok grins, searching your face. “You took the spotlight.”   You laugh again, leaning closer and tilting your head. His breath skims along your skin, lips a millimeter away and his hands find purchase on your waist. Hoseok’s eyes become half-lidded, flickering down to your mouth and his Adam’s apple bobs. “Now you really can’t fire me, Jung. Else there’d be a riot.”   He laughs softly. “You know how to capture people, minx.” And Jung Hoseok leans in, breathing you in. His eyes are slightly open, watching your expression until he shuts them, relishing in the tender touch, enjoying the way your hands run through the strands of his hair, tugging ever so gently.   You pull away after ten seconds. “Wait, wait….we said we wouldn’t do it at the office again. What happens if we get caught?”   “You really think anyone would come here at this time?”   “I don’t know.” You giggle, feeling ticklish by the way his hands move along your side. You play with the hairs at the nape of his neck, lips pouty. “We should’ve just gone to your apartment instead.”   “That’s too far away.” He moves closer, body pressed on yours and the air becomes heated, making your skin feel hot. “Would rather have you right here, right now.”   Another giggle spills from your kiss-bitten lips and you draw closer as if you’re addicted to his scent, his hands. But then something stops you from planting a kiss on his mouth. There’s a subtle clatter, like the sound of thunder, but quieter and yet, closer. “Hoseok.”   “Hmm?” He’s too busy staring, touching, taking you all in to notice.   “What was that?”   You both crane your necks over. He holds your hand, stalking the noise. It’s probably a bad idea. You’ve watched enough horror movies, and you don’t know what to do if the office is haunted; knowing Hoseok, he’d probably pick up and move Jung and Park to a warehouse instead.   The noise comes from Taehyung’s office and you frown. Hoseok extends his hand, fingers wrapping around the knob, and he throws the door open. It crashes against the wall. You gasp. Eyes wide. Jaw dropping. There are clothes all over the ground, a small lamp fallen on the carpet as well, probably the noise you heard.   More importantly, on top of Taehyung’s desk, with papers amok is Sunyi and Yoongi wrapped around each other.   “Oh my god!” — “Holy fuck!” — “Don’t stare!” — “Sorry!”   It’s horrifying. You wish you saw a ghost instead.   //   The need to wash your eyes is all too high. But you compose yourself, trying to act like an adult, especially in this moment. You’re sobered up. If possible, the intoxication has been scared out of you.   The conference room is deathly quiet. Hoseok called for an emergency meeting and the two lawyers are barely put together. There are purple and blue hickeys all over Sunyi’s throat, her blouse still unbuttoned. Yoongi has lipstick stains all over his mouth and cheeks, hair riled up like he was electrocuted. It’s so unbearably uncomfortable that you feel yourself dying inside.   “How long has this been going on for?”   You’re the first to start off with a crystal clear voice, enunciating each syllable with your hands clasped on top of the table. “It’s complicated.” Sunyi is mortified, face reddened, head downcast. “It’s been...on and off.”   “When’s the first...time then?” It’s not like you want to intrude into their lives or overstep your boundaries, but this is unfortunately part of your job. You can’t pretend like you didn’t see it.   “Two years ago,” Yoongi states plainly, more composed than the female beside him.   “Years?” Hoseok’s brows shoot upwards, wholly surprised.   “This is purely a sexual relationship,” Sunyi scrambles to explain as if it can save the situation.   “Yeah right.” He scoffs, looking at you to explain. “We’re dating.”   She automatically protests, voice moving up a pitch, sharp and offended, “No, we’re not!”   “Then what do you describe going out ten times to movies and dinners? What? Are we friends?”   “It’s not dating. It’s just...hanging out...or rather, being at the same place by coincidence.”   Yoongi scoffs again, ignoring her. “We’re living together.”   “No!” She sighs. “I just have a lot of my stuff at his apartment and it happens to be closer to work than my place and my landlord is an asshole—”   “Alright.” Hoseok stops them before he gets a headache. He pinches the bridge of his nose, letting them off the hook considering how late of a night it is. “Obviously you need to talk to each other and figure this out. I don’t care what you guys are doing on your own time and neither does Jimin, but we need to know to prevent liability issues, okay? You’re both lawyers and you should understand that. So go home, figure it out, and in the morning, go report to HR.”   Sunyi nods frantically, grabbing her coat and covering herself up, walking out before she’s humiliated any further. But as you all make your way, Yoongi’s cat-like eyes are sharp and narrowed into slits. It sees right through you. “But...why did you two show up?”   He inhales a shallow breath and the corner of his mouth tugs, like they’re tempted to pull into a smirk. He knows.   “I had to pick something up.” Hoseok swallows hard, pupils diverted elsewhere.   Yoongi smiles and he glances at you for a millisecond. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”   “Goodnight, Yoongi.”   The pair of you watch them leave, still unable to wrap your minds around this bizarre development. Then, a tired exhale leaves through the seams of your lips. “I’m going to have to do another presentation on office romances and not having sex here, right?”   “Probably.” Hoseok nods, still looking ahead at the elevator doors with you. “But right now, we have unfinished business.”   “If you think for one second that after that we’re going to your office—”   “To my apartment we go!” Hoseok laughs, clutching your hand in his and dragging you off as your mouth curls and a soft scoff leaves it.   The trip to his place isn’t as bad as you thought it would be. Well, considering Hoseok kicks the front door open and he’s carrying you. You didn’t have to take many steps, but he was slightly struggling, almost crashing into the wall and wobbling from side to side. “Oof.”   “I thought I was light as a feather, Hobi.” You make fun of him, tugging on his chubby cheek and mimicking his words from inside the apartment elevator.   Still, the fool of a lawyer manages a laugh and a grin. “You’re heavy as one brick. So not that much.”   “Lovely. Comparing me to a brick.”   Once he’s made it to the bedroom, he throws you onto the mattress, making your body bounce once and you feel absolutely giddy from head to toe. He strips off his jacket before jumping on top of you, causing laughs to bubble out. You complain he’s too heavy and too warm, pushing him off.   But even when Hoseok’s moved aside, he’s relentless, arms wrapping around your abdomen, nuzzling into you. A quiet yawn leaves him and he cuddles into your body, head propped on top of your crown. “Y/N…”   “Hmm?” Your lashes flutter, finally simmering down.   “Wanna just sleep instead? You’re too soft to let go. Like a pillow.”   “Okay.” Your hands card through the strands of his hair, patting and petting him. The man who’s melted into putty hums in satisfaction, reminiscent of a cat being lulled by their owner. “But Hoseok.”   “Yeah?”   “I still need to brush my teeth. And take off my makeup. And change into pajamas.”   There’s silence.   You wonder if he’s fallen asleep. “Hoseok?”   “Yes, ma’am.” He pulls away, albeit reluctantly and obviously tired. Yet somehow, he manages to scoop you up in his arms again, carrying you into his bathroom to get ready for bed. He’s all too silly and as you laugh, you wonder how it’s possible sunshine has been encapsulated into one man.

[the-nagakenny-archives]

The Break-In

((OOC: This is just a little piece I’ve been working on that takes place in the Batman: TAS universe. :’3))

Kenny Huggins whistled to himself in the passenger seat of his secretary's car and took note of the sinister-looking Studebaker that was parked in a shady spot away from his driveway as they pulled up to his home. He said nothing to Maddie, though; Maddie was a dependable but timid woman and would probably want to call the police. He was perfectly capable of handling unexpected visitors on his own terms.

"Thanks for the ride, my darling!" He leaned over and gave her a swift peck on the cheek. "You're a peach!"

Maddie blushed but gave him an adoring smile in return. "Y-You're welcome, sir. Aren't you ever going to learn how to drive, though? It would be a lot more convenient for you, you know."

"Nope!" Kenny declared cheerfully as he stepped out of the car and shut the door. "Besides, I have too much fun riding with you. I'd miss it terribly."

"Fibber." Maddie grinned bashfully, brushing a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"Oh, almost forgot!" Kenny dug into his pants pocket and brought out his wallet. "Here you are. For the gas." He reached in through the driver-side window and handed her two crisp twenty dollar bills.

Maddie fumbled with the bills, a bit taken aback. "B-But--"

"Is it enough? If you want I can add another." He was already reaching for his wallet.

"N-No, that's fine, it really is!" It always startled Maddie how frivolously generous this man could be. "It's more than enough, thank you!"

Kenny waved to her as she pulled out of the driveway and drove down the private road, and watched her go with his hands in his suit pockets. He enjoyed the quiet atmosphere of near-evening for a few moments. It had been a long day at the office---not that he actually had done anything that could be considered work, really. He went to the office mostly to keep up appearances and morale, and to meet with Very Important People occasionally. He had gone to one such meeting today, and it hadn't gone well; at least not for the Very Important People that had came to see him. He expected that was why the Studebaker was here. Someone---and he thought he knew exactly who---had sent in their goons to do a little more negotiating with him in private.

He allowed himself a small smirk and started walking to the front door. Well, he had never been known to turn away unexpected company.

Ten minutes earlier, Eddie Kowalski was squinting out the window from his vantage point, watching the silver coupe pull into the driveway. "And here comes Mr. Sunshine himself," he muttered to himself gruffly. "Okay boys, get by the door and jump him when he comes through."

"The heck is this guy's deal, anyway?" Peanuts Zimmerman, the smaller and younger of the two remaining men, was poking around in the refrigerator. "There's nothing in this thing except raw meat and mineral water. Some fruit, too."

"Prolly some fad diet or somethin'," grunted Gil Foster from his spot near the door, arms crossed over his chest. He was an impressive slab of mountainous continent. He cracked the knuckles in each of his brick-like hands. "All rich fruitcakes are into that sorta thing."

"Peanuts, stop clownin' around and get in position," Eddie hissed. He took the brass knuckles out of his pocket and put them on his right hand. "He's coming to the door."

"Okay okay, don't have a cow." Peanuts darted in, arranging himself on Gil’s right flank. There wouldn't be much for him to do except maybe kick the guy in the kneecaps if he tried to get smart; Gil's size and strength was usually enough.

But not this time, however.

Even if Kenny hadn't seen the Studebaker, Gil would have blown their cover anyway; Kenny could vaguely sense the intruder's body heat emanating from the other side. A big man, probably just as big as himself, and at six foot five he was nothing to sneeze at. As soon as he stepped through the threshold that gorilla-goon would jump him, and was he going to stand for that kind of conduct in his own home? Surely not.

Whistling, he put his hands in his pockets and started walking.

"Wait.....what the--?"

When the front door failed to open, Eddie chanced a sideways peek out the window. Their target was ambling around the side of the house and out of sight.

"Aw, dammit! Come on, he's moving!" He motioned for them to follow him down the hall with an annoyed flick of his hand.

"Huh?" Peanuts blinked incredulously. "You don't think he knows we're here, do you? Do you think he--"

"Nah, I met this guy when the boss went to meet with him today. Typical billionaire pretty-boy. 'Bout as bright as a damp match." It was a little disquieting, though; had they not hidden the car enough? Could he have seen Eddie peeking out the window? If they screwed this up Eddie knew there would be hell to pay with their boss, and that was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

The three goons made their way through the huge, expansive house, convening at the back door, and waited. This time they’d get him for sure. 

Kenny hummed to himself as he nonchalantly climbed up the side of the house, moving with uncanny ease. He had had to take his shoes off; they were all wrong for climbing, and would have made too much noise scrapping against the siding. He wouldn’t be needing them anyway, once he got to the upstairs window. 

Within minutes he sidled into the house, chuckling cheerfully. By now his ‘surprise party’ would have moved to the back door, no doubt. He’d greet them eventually, but first he had to make himself presentable.

After a few minutes of waiting by the door with no results, the goons heard a strange noise upstairs----a slow, stealthy sliding sound. Immediately they all looked up, on the alert. 

“What was that?” Peanuts hissed. “Sounded weird. Like someone dragging their feet across the floor.” 

“What do you mean, ‘someone’?” Eddie snapped at him. “There ain’t anyone in here besides---”

“Fellas, we got a problem. He pulled a disappearing act on us,” Gil grunted gruffly from his post. “He ain’t coming to the door, as far as I can see.”

Anger and frustration seared Eddie’s brain like a grill-mark across a steak. This was quickly turning into a botched job, and their control over the situation was slipping through their fingers faster than he could think. “Okay, so he’s inside then,” he growled through gritted teeth. “I see how it is. Fine. We can handle it.” 

“Handle it?! What if he’s callin’ the cops right now?” Peanuts yelped, wild-eyed. 

“Oh, not to worry, I haven’t called anyone. I won’t have to.” 

The three goons looked in the direction of the cheerful voice, and they were stunned into silence by what they saw. Peanuts’ jaw dropped, his eyes bulging. Eddie took an unconscious step backwards, his face contorted in a mask of fear and disgust. Gil fainted dead away. 

Kenny was coming toward them from down the hall, hands folded behind his back, teeth shining bright in a toothsome grin. He was dressed only in his suit jacket and shirt, and under normal circumstances that would have been disquieting; unfortunately this detail was the least disquieting thing about him at the moment. He wasn’t walking toward them---they recognized now the sound they had heard upstairs. He slithered toward them with a gently winding mass of serpentine coils that trailed behind him for what seemed like forever. 

“He’s some kinda’ freak!” Peanuts shrieked hysterically. “A monster! Oh sweet Mother Mary, get me outta here!” He turned, making a run for the back door. 

A huge, thick tail whipped past Eddie, making him jump to the side with a gasp and stumble to the floor. It snatched Peanuts by the ankle and heaved him off his feet, dangling him upside-down while he wailed in terror. 

“Excuse you,” Kenny said slyly, flexing his tail muscles and bringing the man up close, gazing into his terrified upside-down face. “I take offense to those particular terms.”

Eddie stared in silence at the unbelievable scene for a moment, then seemed to come to his senses; as Peanuts babbled incoherently, pleading for Kenny not to hurt him, Eddie got unsteadily to his feet and made a run for the door himself. 

Unfortunately, he soon discovered escaping that way would be impossible for the time being. Gil had fainted right beside the back door, and his gorilla-like bulk was completely blocking it from being opened. Eddie cursed under his breath and knelt, giving Gil’s blocky face a few whacks to try to get him to come to. “Come on, wake up, you dang lummox...”

“Please oh please lemme go, I just wanna see my ma, I wanna go home to my ma,” Peanuts blubbered from where he dangled.

Kenny shushed him, shaking his head. “Not yet. So why don’t you just relax-ssssss while I get this all sorted out, hmm?” 

Eddie looked up from trying to slap Gil awake at the sound of Kenny’s gentle hiss, and then something happened that he couldn’t quite make out----something with Kenny’s eyes. He was too far away to really tell what it was, but it caused Peanuts to gasp softly and stop blubbering entirely; in fact, his dangling body slowly went limp. Eddie decided to hell with it; he’d charge him head-on with his brass knuckles while he was dealing with Peanuts and go for the front door instead. Gil and Peanuts weren’t his responsibility, they’d just have to fend for themselves. He didn’t get far with that thought, however; Kenny placed Peanuts gently on the floor and began slowly slithering toward him. 

“Hey, I recognize you,” Kenny said, cocking his head with a smile, his eyes twinkling with mirth. He had the air of a man greeting an old friend rather than an intruder in his house; it made Eddie extremely nervous. “You were there in that meeting with Roland this morning. Is that what this is about?”

“Don’t come any closer or I’ll knock your block off,” Eddie snarled, brandishing his brass-encased right fist. Now he was wishing he had brought something more lethal, like a gun; Gil had been the most effective weapon they had thought to bring, and he was currently still out cold. To be fair, none of them could have come close to predicting their current situation. 

“Hmm. Isn’t that funny.” A sly glint shone in Kenny’s eyes. One of his massive coils rose into a hill, and he rested his elbow upon it, leaning his face against his hand. “You break into my house, I don’t call the police, don’t even wish you any harm, and you threaten me. You humans are a strange bunch, to be sure.”

Eddie was more unnerved than ever by this, but a plan came to him then. He pointed accusingly at Peanuts, still laying inert on the floor. “Don’t wish us harm, huh? What’d you do to Peanuts, then?” 

Kenny smiled and turned around to look. Eddie saw his opportunity and pounced on it with dark enthusiasm; he wound up for a particularly heavy blow and let it fly. 

Eddie’s fist was snatched mid-trajectory, causing him to grunt in surprise, and he was lifted clean off his feet just like Peanuts had been. He had somehow managed to forget about Kenny’s tail; it had grabbed him and wrapped completely around his hand and arm. 

Kenny chuckled and looked back at him. “Why, he’s fine,” he said slyly. “He’s just very relaxed. You should follow his example, honestly. Maybe I could...give you a hand? Hmm?” Kenny waggled Eddie’s arm back and forth with his tail, laughing in his throat. Eddie growled in reply and started kicking his feet and swinging his free arm, trying in vain to get himself loose. 

“Ah, but seriously now.” Kenny lazily settled himself among his coils. Eddie suddenly found himself rolling in mid-air as thicker coils manipulated around his body, pinning his arms and legs. His head and stomach lurched uncomfortably. “Let’s cut to the chase. I know why you miscreants are here---Roland’s got a sore spot about how this morning went, so he sent you three to intimidate me a little. Maybe more than a little, judging by your unsophisticated weapon of choice.” Kenny slowly wagged his index finger, tsking to himself. “I regret letting him have that extra coffee and doughnut now.”

“Look, I---mmmph!” Eddie’s angry protest was stifled by Kenny’s tail draping over his mouth.  

“Please don’t try to talk your way out of this. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough already.” Kenny brought Eddie close so that they were eye level with each other. “I’m not gonna kill you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I like humans in general too much to do something like that to you.” Kenny leaned forward until their noses almost touched, his voice lowering menacingly. “But I also can’t let you leave here having seen what you’ve seen.”

Eddie’s eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly, trying desperately to communicate that he wouldn’t talk. He couldn’t even imagine what Kenny meant by that---torture maybe? Eddie’s stomach lurched again. 

Kenny’s menacing glare melted into an easy grin, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Did that scare you? I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist. Bad form, I know, but the opportunity doesn’t present itself very often.” He chuckled. “Now, I can’t just trust you to keep this to yourself, that’d be silly. I have to make sure of it.....myself.”

Eddie glowered darkly into Kenny’s face. He didn’t know what this screwball snake.....thing was playing at, but he was tired of being toyed with like some kind of child’s ragdoll. Maybe if he took a bite out of his tail, that’d teach him....

What he saw next would have made him gasp---like Peanuts had done earlier---but he was still silenced by Kenny’s tail against his mouth. Kenny’s eyes, normally a dark brown shade that was almost black, were now full of the most beautiful colors Eddie had ever seen, blooming from the pupils in an endlessly repeating pattern. Eddie’s angry glare softened, his eyes widening as he watched the colors, rippling and expanding over and over and over. He began to feel a peculiar sense of sinking into those colors, and he realized vaguely that this wasn’t right, and tried to resist. He grunted and shook his head, grimacing, attempting to tear his eyes away. 

“Relax-sssss, my iniquitous friend,” Kenny purred silkily, his eyes still rippling rainbows. “Regard me with those beady hoodlum eyes, listen to my dulcet tones, and you’ll feel like you’re on cloud nine in just a few moments.” 

Eddie’s struggles didn’t last long, and he found that Kenny was right; it wasn’t bad at all. He groaned softly as he let the colors in, seeming to fill his mind with warmth and fluff, his anger and scheming thoughts winking out one by one like tea candles in a gentle breeze. Kenny’s tail slipped gently from his mouth, which now hung half-open in fascination. A serene, empty calm had begun to come over him like a soft, heavy quilt. 

“Good. Now....” Kenny smiled slyly and slowly rose up from where he lounged, his powerful torso towering above Eddie slightly so that Eddie was forced to look up into his face to catch the colors that held him spellbound.

“Sleep.”

“So, it’s all settled---me an’ Ma decided we’re heading out to California to live with my uncle. He could use a hand around the house, he’s gettin’ kinda old, ya know? And the warm climate’ll be perfect for Ma, too. She’s gonna meet me at the airport, you’ll get to say hello.” 

“Sounds swell. I’m headin’ up north myself. It’s always been my dream to get a glimpse of them whadayacallits, the ‘Rora Borealis. It’ll be good to get outta this town, that’s for sure.”

Eddie blinked in bewilderment in the backseat of the Studebaker. Gil was driving, Peanuts riding shotgun. There was a suitcase sitting next to him that he somehow knew was his. He couldn’t remember how they got to this point. 

“Hey, Eddie, where you movin’ to?” Peanuts turned in his seat to look at him, an excited grin lighting up his boyish face. “Rome? Bora Bora? China?”

“Uh...” Eddie frowned as he scanned his thoughts for an answer. He sighed in relief when he found it. “I’m goin’ to Amsterdam. Got a job with Greenpeace there.” How could he have forgotten? This was the biggest break he’d had in a while. 

Peanuts whistled, impressed. “Say, that’s really great! What kinda’ job?”

Eddie grinned broadly, a gesture that, for once, held not a single ounce of cruel malice. “Human Resources.” 

The Studebaker continued on its voyage to the airport, the three men inside looking forward to their particular journeys and new paths their lives were taking them, with no memory of what had transpired that day whatsoever. 

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #256

song lyrics here.

Would you date someone who still lived with their parents? Well considering I still live with my mother, I'd be quite the hypocrite if otherwise. Are you a generous person? I personally think so. Do you have a close relationship with your family? With my mom, extremely. Do you think there is life on other planets? Well, define "life," I suppose. Bacteria, stuff like that that science defines as life, yes. Complex life, I don't know. Would you enjoy a night of playing video games? Fuck yeah. Are you sexually attracted to any inanimate objects? ???? No. Would you watch a porno with your partner? UH NO I'm personally not at all interested in porn, and I feel it'd be awkward anyway? Have you ever stolen from your work? No. How much does intelligence turn you on? I guess like your average person that finds intelligence attractive. Do you ask someone out or wait for them to ask you? History shows it varies. Do you own any sex toys? No. Do you talk about your sex life with either of your parents? Well I don't have one now, but historically, I very timidly have with my mom about something. Generally though, I don't. I keep that very private. Do you search someone on the Internet before a first date? No. How often do you use Facebook at work? I'm unemployed. Do you enjoy television or movies better? That's hard, but maybe movies. I don't really watch either, but movies, when they have a good plot, are usually more enjoyable. Would you consider donating your body to science after you die? Sure thing. I personally want to donate my organs and have the rest cremated, though. Are you a romantic person? Yeah. Would you be okay with your partner hanging with their ex as friends? It would seriously depend on the depth of their relationship, where they're hanging out, how long... that kind of stuff. I am very serious about letting your partner have friends, including w/ the gender they're interested in, so I try to be open-minded here. Are you careful with your money? It's hard to even say with how seldom I have any. Do you like to be friends with someone before dating them? Absolutely. Do you like soccer? No. Is it more fun to go out just with your date or on a group date? Depends. I'd say I USUALLY prefer uhhh... single dates? How often do you go dancing/clubbing? Never. Is marriage a necessity for two people who love each other? Uh, no. Do you meditate? No. Have you ever been fired from a job? No. Is there anything you think science will never be able to explain? The soul. Do you cook fancy meals for dates? I don't cook. You don't want me to. Is intoxication ever an acceptable excuse for acting stupid? Fuck no. Do you believe in an afterlife? Probably. Do you litter? NO. Would you have sex with someone hot who you hated? nO????????????? Do you have a career plan? Kinda, but who knows when the fuck that's coming true. Do you mostly cook your own meals? Well, I mostly microwave stuff. I never use the stove or oven. Could you live with someone who was really messy? To a certain degree, no. Do you believe in fate or destiny? No. Have you ever had sex with someone you worked with? No. Would you date someone just for the sex? Nope. Have you ever had a one night stand? No. Have you ever lied about the number of sexual partners you’ve had? No. Are sex and intimacy the same thing? "Sex is just one example of intimacy. There’s other ways to be intimate, including ones that don’t involve being sexual at all." <<<< Exactly this. Have you ever played strip poker? No. How often do you get angry? "I’m someone who gets irritated, moody, upset, and frustrated often, but not angry." <<<< Also this. Do you consider yourself an emotional person? VERY MUCH SO. Is work important to you? Considering how harshly I shit on myself for not having a job, most certainly. Have you had cosmetic surgery? No. On a first date do you pay or do they? In every experience but with Sara, they did. I only paid on Sara's and my first date out of trickery lmao. Do you only date people who have jobs or are full-time students? No. Could you date someone who does drugs? Nope. Medical marijuana is fine, though. Have you ever been to a sex shop? No. Have you ever had a threesome? Nah. Do you enjoy discussing politics? Noooo. Would you do a striptease for your partner? WHOA I would feel WAY too awkward gd. Would you date someone who doesn’t have a car? Yeah. Is it wrong to watch porn if you’re in a relationship? That depends on the people in it. Some mind, some don't. Idk how I'd feel it if was my partner. Do you think men should pay for everything on dates? Hi, it's 2020. Women don't need to be "taken care of." Would you tie up a partner if they asked you to do so? Yeah. Have you ever had sex in a public place? No. Would you date someone twice your age? No. Should a child caught masturbating be punished? It'd be weird at a certain age, but no. It's normal to explore sexuality and what you like, and perhaps even more importantly, it's way better for you to let your sexual urges out privately versus... you know. Being forceful on others. Do you tell your friends you love them? Of course!! Maybe it's just how I was brought up, but I've always gotten kinda confused when (particularly good) friends don't. Love is platonic just as much as it is romantic, and you should let people know! Do you like playing tic-tac-toe? I mean, I guess? What about hangman? It's more fun than the former. Did you play hopscotch when you were younger? Yeah. Did your older sibling ever tell you freaky stories that you believed? I remember at least one. Do you have a yahoo account? It exists, but I haven't touched it in an eternity. I don't even remember the password. Are you a violent person? Definitely not. Do your siblings dye their hair? Not really. They occasionally get highlights, though. Do you still have any of your exes’ stuff? Besides gifted stuff, no. I think. Who can you best relate to in the last book you read? That I finished, Clay. Because he's dumb and hungry. Are you indecisive? Unbelievably. Do you collect anything? What? Meerkat and Silent Hill stuff. What are you listening to? An Emzotic video. I'm like,,, hooked on her stuff. I've been on a MASSIVE animals video binge lately, and she's a FUCKING MOOD. What was the last compliment someone gave you? Idr. What are your pets’ names? Roman and Venus. Gah, I need more bbz. What did your first best friend look like? Last I've seen a picture of her, she was a somewhat bigger person with long, curly brown hair, and she's always been very tan. Did you have a role model growing up? Steve Irwin. If you could learn how to play one instrument, what would it be? Guitar. Is your best friend dating anyone? Do you like them? No. Do you want to move? Very badly, and we probably are soon. Do you have a big family? My extended family is giant. Do you want more or less siblings? I'm happy with what I have. What is your idea of perfect happiness? Great contentment in all I do. Surrounded by love, changing the world in even tiny ways, etc. What is the trait you most deplore (dislike) in yourself? I realized it semi-recently and honestly don't want to share it. Only my old therapist knows, I think. Besides that one, the fact I'm very impulsive with words when I'm upset, probably. What is your greatest extravagance? I'm really creative and passionate. What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Probably the glorification of virginity. I would know. It was a MASSIVE DEAL for most of my teenage years. On what occasion do you lie? When it's a thing where I feel it's just better to not be honest. Now I honor honesty a lot, so I avoid it as much as possible, but no, I don't believe it's always the best policy. What do you most dislike about your appearance? My weight. Which living person do you most despise? I don't know about one specific person. The traumatized part of me says Jason's friend that encouraged him to break up with me, but I know I rightfully shouldn't even dislike him, save for the fact he was pretty arrogant. What or who is the greatest love of your life? I don't know. When and where were you the happiest? Well, it depends. If you mean in a specific moment of most intense happiness, lots of times with Jason. An extended period of happiness, early into recovery when I lived with Colleen. What do you consider your greatest achievement? Recovering from the breakup. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? A house cat. Seems like a pretty good life. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? At least from my experiences, harsh rejection when you try your best to please that person. What do you value most in your friends? As far as a sweeping characteristic they all share, the will to listen and just be there for me in times I really need companionship. Who are your favorite writers? I don't really have favorites. Who is your hero of fiction? Hm, I dunno. Which historical figure do you most identify with? Uhhhh I also don't really know. I'm not enough of a history buff for this. Who are your heroes in real life? I answer this enough. What are your favorite names? Alessandra and Severin. Do you like watching reruns? No. What do you think is worth waiting for? Deep relationships. Should parenting classes be mandatory for new parents? No. What is the number one thing people are always asking you for help with? English/writing. What movie did you love the original but hated the sequel to? I remember the Ghost Rider sequel was nothing compared to the original. It was okay, but. Are you more talk and less action or vice versa? More talk. Have you ever given someone a handmade present? Yeah, especially as a kid. What type of person angers you the most? Probably those who can't put their pride aside for anything. What do you think should be a wonder of the world that currently isn’t? I don't even know what they all are to get a proper grasp on the question. What comforts you on bad days? My mom and Sara, sleep, YouTube, sometimes regrettably food, etc. Do you treat yourself and your body with respect? Not very well. Something you eat that other people would find gross. *shrugs* Nothing that's too weird. Have you ever broken the law and didn’t get caught, if so how? Yeah, and obviously by not screaming it to the world, but also because none are massive. Something you fear might change you. The aftermath of heartbreak. It still affects me today and makes me see less hope in love. What personality trait in people raises a red flag with you? Volatility. Have you ever resented someone, if so what for? "Stealing" Jason, and the other person for accusing me something of so fucking selfish and vile I don't even like saying it, especially when she was my damn therapist that I loved and trusted. How old do you think is too old to have a baby? "Old enough that getting pregnant would cause significant harm to you or the baby." <<<< How have you changed over the last five years? I've definitely become wiser and more open-minded. Have you ever painted a house? Nope. Have you ever had a surprise party (that was an actual surprise)? No. What makes you feel miserable? Eating badly (particularly too much sugar makes me feel shitty), doing nothing/extended boredom. What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn? Don't have a clue. What’s been the hardest loss you’ve had to take? Jason. A loss without actual death is, wow, awful. I mean death is too, but holy shit it hurts when that person chooses to leave you. Do you like sunny days or rainy days more? Depends on the temperature and my mood. Who is your favorite movie director and what’s your favorite movie from them? Tim Burton, of course. Alice In Wonderland. What is the furthest you’ve ever got a paper airplane to fly? Not very far. Nothing impressive. Do you like the person you are becoming? It depends on the context. Honestly, by this point, not really. What’s the highest you’ve ever jumped into the water from? Not high at all. What inspires your ideas? More than anything, music. Just a single lyric, sometimes one word, spawns a sometimes very complex concept. Have you ever assembled furniture by yourself? No. Have you ever bolstered your resume to get a job you really wanted? No. I have a really, really hard time lying for a job. Have you ever had an internship, if not what would be your dream intern job? No. Do you prefer chicken, beef, or seafood? Chicken. Have you ever had a health scare? Yes. What do or did you hate the most about dating or the dating process? Opening up again. What do you frown upon when it comes to raising kids? Spanking. Have you ever been professionally photographed? Yeah. Do you influence people more than they influence you? I very much doubt that. If you could ask one person, alive or dead, only one question, what would you ask? If he regrets me. Do you buy anything organic, if so, what is it? I don't think so? What was the name of the first album you ever bought and who was it by? I believe it was You're Awful, I Love You by Ludo. Do you have any prejudices you’ve admitted to yourself? No. Who is the very first friend you ever remember making and how old were you? Brianna; I was two. What makes you lose sleep? Stress. Anxiety. PTSD. Do you floss or use a toothpick when food gets stuck in your teeth? I floss. Have you ever made out in a bathroom? Pretty sure that's a negative. Ever physically fought with member of the opposite sex? YIKES no. Well, besides playfighting. Ever walked in on your friends having sex? No. Ever kissed a friend’s crush? No. Has anyone ever called cops on you? No. Do you swallow gum when you’re finished? Noooo that's so uncomf. Ever tackled someone to the ground? Not in a way that was a harsh fall. More like a crumbling to the floor. Where was the last place you fell asleep other than your bed? Hm. Maybe in the school library, but I doubt that, really. I don't think I ever actually fell asleep. Did the last person you kiss have piercings? No. Did your parents spoil you as a child? No. Have you ever had alcohol poisoning? No. Ever thrown up in public? Yes. Has anyone laid on your bed besides you? Yes. What bothers you more, when people lie or when people complain? Depends on the severity. I think lying is more hurtful, though. How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? Three. Who took your profile picture on Facebook? Me. Do you sleep on a certain side of the bed? More towards the left. Has anyone ever drunk called/texted you? No. Would you ever date anyone your parents disapproved of? Yeah. I'd consider their reasonings, of course, but it's my decision.

[zor-earp]

They're stronger, together.

Chapter 1: Movie Night

It was a peaceful autumn evening in National City. The trees were making the turn from bright green to a nice orange colour, the skies were a bit darker than usual and the temperature was starting to drop. All in all, fall was rather beautiful in the city, though Kara had to admit that the colours were much more interesting out in Midvale where they seemed to pop just a bit more than they did here.

“Alex? I’m home!” Kara yelled into the small apartment she shared with her sister. Tossing her work bag down and hanging up her coat she did a quick scan of her living space and found her sister to be in the kitchen with… of course, a beer in her hand.

With a small smile on her lips, she rolled her eyes and took her shoes off before making her way into the cozy little place she called home. “Drinking already? Don’t you think it’s a bit early for that?” She said quietly, knowing full well that Alex would drink wherever and whenever she pleased. As she asked, the blonde-haired Danvers made a beeline towards their fridge in search of something to eat.

“It’s past five and Haley was a pain in the ass today.” Alex shrugged whilst taking a long sip of her beer. “Did you at least have a good day today? Maybe make up for the crappy one I had?”

Kara just shook her head as she grabbed a cold piece of pizza they had had for supper the night before. “Snapper was a butt today. Apparently, I don’t write well enough and I need to stop writing about all the aliens in the city and start writing stuff that’s “newsworthy”,” she said, making air quotes around on that last word. “And, to top it all off, the DEO had Winn working for them all day so he wasn’t even at Catco to talk about how much of a big ol’ meanie Snapper is!” She whined before taking a bite of her pizza.

Alex let out a soft chuckle as Kara’s face morphed from looking like a puppy that had just been kicked to a puppy that had just been fed a piece of roasted chicken. “Well, if you need me to, I can always kick him in the ass. Or go flash my badge at him and give him a scare.” She gave Kara a huge grin, taking another quick swig of her drink.

“Nah, I can deal with him. It’s not like he scares me or anything... I mean, I’ve dealt with aliens ten times bigger than him. A man who scowls and shouts constantly is like a walk in the park...”

“Liar. You’re totally scared of him.”“I am not!”“Crinkle,” Alex pointed out, shoving her finger on Kara’s forehead to prove her point.

“Damn crinkle…” Kara groaned as she pushed Alex’s finger away.

“Anywho, you say you’re not scared of him and yet here you are, talking about the mean old man who critics your work and yells way too much. If you’re not scared of him, you have a horrible way of showing it. Seriously, it’s like he’s always got a stick up his a--”

“ALEX!” Kara shrieked and shoved her sister gently. “Don’t say that! He may not be the nicest person on earth but… golly that’s just… no! Don’t say that!”

The redheaded sister just laughed and shook her head. “God, you’re such an innocent little bean, Kar. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear once.”

“Cuz I don’t… swear that is… swearing is just… it’s unnecessary. I’m a writer which means I’m more… y’know… with words… and since I’m… that, I find gooder… I mean, better words to use to express myself.”

“Oh yeah… you’re great with words sis.” She chuckled as Kara finished up her cold piece of pizza.

Kara let out a sigh and shook her head, gently pushing her sister out of the way as she headed towards the living room. “Whatever…” she said as she turned to stick her tongue out at the taller of the two girls. “So, what are we watching for sister’s night?” She plopped herself down on the couch, grabbing the remote with her greasy pizza hands and looked up at her sister.

“Hmm, who’s turn to choose?” Alex asked as she followed suit and sat down on the far end of the couch, pulling her legs up so she could lay them on Kara’s lap.

“I think I chose last time since we watched that musical.”

“Then it’s my turn and I choose…” She sat quietly for a few seconds before her eyes lit up with something Kara couldn’t pinpoint… until she could. Uh oh...

“Oh, Rao… Alex no… please no…” She let out a groan as she looked at her sister, a pleading look on her face. “Anything but that…”

“Nope! You said it was my turn to choose! And I choose “The Shining”!” Alex now had a huge grin on her face.

“You’re unbelievable...” Kara mumbled under her breath before flipping on the TV and finding the movie in question on Netflix. “You know how much I hate these scary movies…”

“For a crime-fighting alien, you sure are scared of a lot of little things…” Alex chuckled. “I mean, you’ve literally gone to space, fought dragons, travelled through time… hell, you’ve even gone to a whole other universe and yet these movies and Snapper scare you.”

“Okay, stop right there. These movies are just… they’re terrifying. And Snapper? Well you know I hate being yelled at.” Mumbling quietly, she pushed her glasses up on her nose before pressing play on the movie. She knew she’d regret watching this later but it was Alex’s turn to choose the movie so she was willing to sit through this painful experience.

“Don’t worry sis. Big sister Alex is here to protect you.” She pat Kara’s head with a shit-eating grin on her face. She let out a laugh when Kara tried to shove her away.

“Y’know, I am older? Kinda? I mean I was stuck in the Phantom Zone so technically I’m older than you.” Kara chuckled as she looked at her sister.

Yes, she had been stuck in the Phantom Zone for twenty-four years. She would be older than Alex if it hadn’t been for the fact that she was knocked off course when she was sent off to Earth, away from her dying planet. But because of her experience in space, she’d stayed 12 for twenty-four years, never ageing, making her younger than Alex when she finally arrived on earth and therefore younger than Alex now.

“Technically is just technical.”

“Thanks captain obvious.”

“Shuddup. You know what I mean. Whether you like it or not, I’m older than you right now and I have been since you got here and I will be until the day we die.”

“Whatever. Let’s just watch your dumb movie.” Kara said with a playful eye roll as both girls finally turned their attention back to the movie at hand.

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

“Alright, I’m off to bed.” Kara smiled as she shut off the TV. They had watched “The Shining”, gone through three more bottles of beer (two of which had all been drunk by Alex) and two big bowls of popcorn (one and a half being eaten all by Kara).

Kara had to admit that the movie hadn’t been as bad as she had expected it to be. She’d only jumped a few times and she hadn’t broken Alex’s hand like the time they had watched “Chucky”.

She stood up and walked into the kitchen to put the bowls into the dishwasher and the bottles of beer in the sink. “You should get to bed. Didn’t you say the DEO has been way busier without Jonn?” She asked her sister, glancing at the redhead who was currently getting up off the couch. “Yeah… being the director of a highly trained secret organization is way harder than you’d think. Supergirl will be on duty tomorrow right? It’s your day off from Catco?” Alex asked as she walked over to her sister. She leaned against the doorway as she watched Kara clean up.

“Yup. Thank Rao it is. I don’t think I can take another full day of being yelled at by Snapper. I’ll pass by the DEO around two. That sound good? But I’ll be on call whenever you need me.” “Sounds great sis. I’m going to bed though. Goodnight.” Alex smiled. She kissed her sister’s cheek before walking off towards her room.

Once she finished cleaning everything up, Kara followed suit and tiptoed to her own bedroom, calling it a day and heading to bed for a good night’s sleep. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow will be a better day.” She hoped that that would be the case because today had been a lousy day. She shut off the light before slipping into a gentle slumber.

[fruitcoops]

I was watching this video w Megan Rapinoe & Sue Bird (tumblr won’t let me link but it’s from 2 days ago on GQ- they ask each other questions but it’s like quiz style?) and didn’t know if you would want to do something similar for coops? Some of the stuff they said/how they acted reminded me of coops’ dynamic

Anon, this video was the perfect way to spend an evening. Both these women are my role models and they’re unbelievably cute together--go check out the video here if you have the chance! Their dynamic is a lot like how I imagine Coops, too! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

“Hey, Lions, we’re back!” Sirius waved at the camera and tapped a short stack on notecards on his thighs. “I’m Captain Sirius Black of the Gryffindor Lions and I’m here with my fiancé, Remus Lupin, to do another couple game.”

“The response to our last few interviews was incredible and we had a great time,” Remus continued. “Miss Marlene McKinnon was kind enough to drag us back in here to answer even more questions!”

“Do you want to go first?”

“Sure.” Remus cleared his throat and pulled the first card. “What are my parents’ first names?”

“Hope and Lyall.”

“Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. What’s my hidden talent?”

“You can sing.”

“Does that count? I feel like most people know that now.”

“Hmm.” Sirius thought for a moment, drumming his fingers on his knees. “You can cook really well.”

“Thank you, baby. What’s my favorite accessory?”

Sirius brightened. “Your watch!”

“Yes!” Remus held it up to the camera—it was simple and elegant, with a leather band and a small face. He wore it with the clock against the inside of his wrist, just above his pulse point. “What is my dream travel destination or vacation?”

“Oh, that’s tough.” Sirius bit his lip in thought. “Seattle? Paris?”

“I do want to go to Seattle, but I’ve always wanted to go to Montreal,” Remus said. “You’ve seen my hometown, but I’ve never been to yours.”

Sirius frowned. “Really?”

“Really. What am I most afraid of?”

“I think…I think you’re most afraid of not being useful,” Sirius said after a moment. “For six years, your job was all about helping people, and it’s not now.”

Remus raised his eyebrows at the camera. “I was going to say the dentist’s office. Goddamn.”

“Sorry,” Sirius laughed. “Yeah, you don’t like medical facilities.”

“I mean, you weren’t wrong about the useful thing,” Remus said. “You still get a point for that. What’s my favorite music, song, or artist to listen to before a game?”

“You don’t have one.”

“That was quick. Half a bonus point for speed. When was our first date and what did we do?”

“Our first official date was just after All-Stars and we went to Sid’s, but we had been together for about three months at that point and just hung out at each other’s houses.”

Remus grinned. “Do you remember what day it was?”

“January 28th.” Sirius gave him a look. “I know for a fact you don’t know what day it was.”

“January 28th.”

“You only know that because I just said it!” Sirius smacked him playfully with his cards. “Next question.”

“What’s my favorite movie and TV show?”

“Jurassic Park and Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

He whistled the first part of the theme song as Sirius did the hand motions. “What’s my shoe size?”

“Oh, god,” Sirius muttered, staring down at the floor. “Eleven? Eleven and a half? You have smaller feet than I do, but not by much.”

“I’m a size ten.”

“Are you really?”

Remus pulled one sneaker off and handed it to him with a laugh. “Check for yourself. Oh, I’d love to know the answer to this one. How do you know when I’m mad at you?”

Sirius tossed his shoe back with a snort. “You make faces.”

Remus seemed surprised. “Do I?”

“Yeah. You’ve got a very expressive face and the second you’re pissed, it’s written all over it. It’s like—” Sirius pursed his lips and scrunched his nose slightly. “I can’t really do it, but anytime I see that I’m like, ‘oh, shit, what did I do?’ Also, you stop calling me baby.”

“That’s what I was going to say. What’s my favorite city to play in?”

“Not Florida.”

“Not fucking Florida,” Remus agreed with a grin.

“Gryffindor for sure.”

“Where was I born?” He gave Sirius a teasing look. “Do you know this time, or should I get my mom on the line?”

Sirius stuck his tongue out. “Madison, Wisconsin.”

Remus glanced at the camera. “We got asked this question in an interview a few months ago and he had to call my mom afterward because he forgot.”

“She made fun of me the whole time,” Sirius pouted.

“What is my favorite food? Oh, you’ll get this one for sure.” Sirius hesitated and Remus’ eyes widened. “Really?”

“I’m a little torn. It’s either my grilled cheese or your dad’s turkey-cranberry thing. Actually, I don’t think you know what your favorite food is.”

Remus nodded slowly. “That’s a really good point. My first thought was grilled cheese, but my dad makes the best postgame sandwiches. I’ll give you that. What’s my favorite hobby?”

“Reading.”

“What did I want to be when I was a kid?”

“A librarian, until you started playing hockey.”

Remus leaned over and high-fived him. “You’re on a roll, baby. What was my jersey number in college?”

“Number six.”

“The transition was so fucking easy,” Remus laughed. “Coach literally came up to me a month before practices started and went ‘hey, what was your old number?’ and I told him, and he looked down at his clipboard and went, ‘cool.’. I got my jersey two weeks later.”

“Is this your last question?”

“It is, indeed. What’s my full birth name?”

“Remus Jehosephat Lupin.”

“That is incorrect.”

“Close enough. It’s Remus John Lupin, which I find endlessly funny.”

“Why is it funny?” Marlene asked off-screen. Remus hid his face behind his notecards as Sirius laughed.

“Because it’s such a basic middle name! I love Hope and Lyall with my entire heart and they’re wonderful people, but they named their sons Remus and Julian and then I think they got stuck. Like, you’ve got these two very uncommon first names and they sort of went ‘fuck it. John and Michael. We’re done.’ It’s just so funny.”

“Whereas your parents went the extra mile and gave you and Reg goddamn supervillain names,” Remus snorted. “The drama of it all, my god.”

“Alright, alright, my turn.” Sirius leaned his elbows on his knees. “What is my favorite color?”

“Blue.”

“How do I like my coffee?”

Remus hissed between his teeth. “Ah, shit, you always make the coffee. With a lot of sugar, right? It’s black with sugar?”

“It can’t be black if it has sugar in it,” Sirius laughed. “But yes, I do put sugar in my coffee. What are three things I never leave the house without?”

“Keys, wallet, phone.”

“My favorite TV show?”

“Why are you going through these so fast? Uh, Avatar.”

“Did I ever have a job that wasn’t playing hockey?”

“Nope.” Remus frowned. “Were you allowed to get a job as a kid?”

“I was not. What’s my favorite ice cream flavor?”

“Cookies and cream.”

Sirius made a buzzer noise. “Incorrect.”

“Is it chocolate?”

“Yep. You get half a point for that. What’s the first meal I ever cooked for you?”

Remus gave him a look. “You don’t remember what you cooked for me, do you?”

“Refresh my memory?”

“No way!” He punched him lightly on the arm. “I’m not falling for my own tricks. Next question.”

“It’s kind of a repeat from earlier. How do you know when I’m mad at you?”

Remus fiddled with the edges of his cards. “You act all weird and Captain-y, and then you get quiet. Just cranky vibes all around.”

“Cranky vibes,” Sirius laughed. “Good to know. What are my favorite movie-watching snacks?”

“Popcorn and…Sweet Tarts?”

“Yes!” Sirius gave him a high-five. “Do you know what I like on my popcorn?”

“Butter and enough salt to kill a Victorian child.”

“Bonus point! What is—oh, shit!” He nearly fumbled the cards onto the floor. “What is my favorite movie of all time?”

“Indiana Jones.”

“Which one?”

“The one with Marian, because she reminds you of me.” Remus looked over at the camera. “I really don’t like snakes.”

“What is the first thing I do when I wake up in the morning?”

“Oh, I think this requires a demonstration. C’mere.”

“Does it really?” Sirius sighed as he laid down next to him.

“For sure.” Remus cuddled into his side and laid his head on his shoulder. “Alright, the key to a true Sirius Black wake-up is getting all four limbs wrapped around the other person like you’re trying to suffocate them with affection.”

“Okay—”

“And then,” Remus continued with a grin. “I go, ‘honey, wake up’—”

“You absolutely do not.”

“In my head, that’s what I say. It’s very sweet. To answer the question, the first thing Sirius does is this.” He buried his face in Sirius’ chest and groaned loudly, then dissolved into snickering as Sirius’ chest began to shake with suppressed laughter. “Stop it, you’re ruining the demonstration!”

“You forgot the part where I have to peel you off me with pliers and grease,” Sirius teased as they stood up, dusting themselves off. The camera crew applauded and they both bowed. “Alright, where were we? What am I most scared of?”

“Losing your friends and family,” Remus said. “Also, spiders and most bugs.”

“You forgot one.”

“Which one? The dish soap bubbles?”

“Losing you.”

A vibrant blush tinted Remus’ cheeks and ears, and he floundered for words. “Oh.”

“You still get the points, though,” Sirius said mildly. “What city do I like playing in the most?”

Remus paused for a moment longer, then shook his head to clear his thoughts. “Uh, Gryffindor. You like the crowd.”

“I do.” Sirius smiled at the camera. “To all the fans out there: you are incredible and there is nothing like skating out with everybody roaring so loud the windows shake. Who is my biggest hockey influence?”

“Now, or when you were younger?”

“Now.”

“It’s Dumo, right?”

Sirius nodded. “On and off the ice. What’s my proudest career moment?”

“Hmm, I wonder,” Remus said sarcastically. “Could it possibly be winning the Stanley Cup?”

“Just maybe,” Sirius laughed. “What’s my most famous celly, and which one’s my favorite?”

Remus grinned. “Lightning McQueen.”

“I hate it when you call it that.” Despite his words, Sirius was smiling. “It’s supposed to be cool!”

“Can you elaborate?” Marlene asked.

“I mean, most people who have seen him play know what I’m talking about,” Remus said, gesturing to the camera. “But Sirius’ famous celly is a double fist pump, and I call it the Lightning McQueen because it’s like ka-chow! It’s also his favorite one, though he dances when we’re skating alone or with a couple of the guys.”

“Shhh, they aren’t supposed to know that!” Sirius covered Remus’ mouth with his notecard. “This is the very last one. What is my biggest pet peeve?”

“When I leave my socks laying around the house.”

“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner! That drives me fucking bonkers. Marley, who won?”

“It wasn’t a competition,” she said off-screen. “Just a Q & A.”

“Who got the most right?” Remus asked.

“You two are hopeless,” she muttered. There were a few beats of silence. “Remus won, with sixteen and a half out of seventeen. Sirius, you had fifteen and a half.”

“No.” Sirius groaned and dropped his head into his hands as Remus whooped.

“Hell yes!”

“My bonus points let you win.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this.”

Remus faced the camera with a victorious smile. “Thanks for joining us to witness my landslide victory—”

“It was one point.”

“And make sure to like and subscribe for more Lion Pride content! See you around, Lions.” They both mock-saluted, and the video ended.

[cookieswriting]

This is part one of two (possibly three) that incorporates a BadThingsHappenBingo prompt and a request by Shelly88.  There seems to be a divide regarding Stella...personally, I was hoping they’d work out, partly because I’ve been the new girlfriend struggling to fit into/adapt to military life.  So part of this is also my fix-it for Stella’s character in general...and is set before the boys return from Mexico, obviously.  Little bit more language in this one.

Fandom: SEAL Team

Characters: Clay Spenser, Stella Baxter, BRAVO Team, Naima Perry

Prompt: Hostage Video 

Can’t Be Happening

Every step that Clay Spenser took away from his car, towards the plane, sent a stab of grief through Stella’s heart.  Guilt tore at her stomach; here he was heading off to deployment, and she’d just ripped the rug out from beneath his feet.  Once he was out of sight the brunette took several steadying breaths, wiping the tears from her eyes, and moved around the car to the driver’s side door that he’d left open.  This was not how she’d wanted things to go…

The movement of her - Clay’s - passenger door opening and someone sliding into the car startled Stella from her thoughts, and she sighed heavily as Naima shut the door once again.  “What’s going on, Stella?”

“Nothing, I’m just upset that he’s deploying, always makes me emotional,” Stella lied, hands clenching around the steering wheel.  The older woman watched her silently for a long moment, and Stella forced herself not to squirm.

“I might not have known Clay for long, but I’ve never seen him look that dejected, and him heading to deployment like that worries me.  So I’m going to ask you again, what’s going on?”

Despite the gentle tone of her voice, Stella could feel the tension rolling off of Naima.  There was no getting out of this conversation. “I...I just...I don’t know how to do this anymore.  I don’t know how to handle the fear...first it was the cave-in, then the helicopter crash, then he was shot and had to watch Adam die in the same night.”  Fresh tears sprang to her eyes, and she shook her head.  “I can’t bear the thought of life without him...but I can’t handle the stress of waiting for a phone call any time that he leaves.  I was...I was trying to keep it together, push through it until he got home, but...Clay has always been able to read me like a freaking book, and you know how they are once they get something in their heads.  He just wouldn’t let it go.  The last thing I wanted was for him to ship out with this weighing on him.”

Naima ran a hand over her face, watching the plane prepare for takeoff.  “I can’t sugarcoat how bad this is, Stella...sending him out with a destroyed sense of hope means he might function with less self-preservation and might end up taking more risks.”  The statement made Stella nauseous, and she couldn’t hold back a sob.  Naima settled a hand on her shoulder.  “I know that the guys have unbelievably dangerous jobs, but Stella, no one knows when their time will come.  Clay could come home and be killed by any number of things here at home...Alana’s death is proof enough that life is too short to waste what little time we have with the ones we love.  You say that you can’t bear the thought of life without him...but are you truly willing to choose life definitely spent without him because of the possibility of something happening to him?”  The older woman was silent for a moment, gaze steady and intense as she let her words sink in.  “You are strong, independent...I never expected that you would allow fear to stand in your way.  And I have to apologize; I feel like things may have been different if we’d been more accepting.”

Stella furrowed her brow in confusion.  “W-what?”

“Bravo Team is the best because of their bond.  When a new member is brought in, particularly a rookie from Green Team like Clay, it takes time for the family to fully accept them...until we know that they are not going anywhere.  Spouses are challenging all on our own...we are the ones that keep each other together while our men are gone.  We are the ones that coordinate babysitting, appointments, things like that when the husbands are gone...and whatever they need when they come home.  It was especially tough for you because of how fresh your relationship was with Clay.”  She paused, dropped her gaze to her hands with a wry smile that had fresh tears falling down Stella’s cheeks.  “Still...I can tell you that boy would marry you in a heartbeat if you let him.”

The younger woman gave a tearful laugh.  “Yeah...yeah he would.  After his first close call, when the floor caved in under his feet, he proposed to me in the hospital room.  He meant it...he was so sure...and that terrified me.  After Alana’s wake, I saw the look in his eyes, that he was getting in deeper, and felt like maybe it was okay with me.  I felt like I was able to fit into the family that day…”

“And then he almost died,” Naima murmured.  Stella nodded, covering her eyes with a shaking hand as the sobs threatened to take over again.  “I can’t make the decision for you, Stella, and I don’t begrudge you your fears about this life.  Just know that if you change your mind, if you decide to stay, I will make sure that we are more intentional to bring you into our family, to prove to you that you’re not alone in this.  Ever.  All you need to do is call me, okay? Take care, Stella.”

Just like that, Stella was left alone in Clay’s car again.  Sobs finally started to wrack her body, and she laid her forehead on the steering wheel as all of her emotions crashed over her.  

A week of wrestling over her choice and a failed call to Clay found Stella at the bar where she first met him, nostalgic and antsy to talk to him.  “Here, Stel, drink.”  Amelia pressed a shot glass into her hand, and Stella obeyed immediately, a smile tugging at her lips.  “No thinking about...anything other than alcohol tonight.  That was the deal, right?”

Finally looking up at her best friend, she nodded.  “Yes ma’am.”

“Oh, shit...Buck, turn that up will ya?” The holler from further down the bar startled both women, and Stella looked up to the television to see two large Hispanic men holding the arms of a hooded captive.  As soon as she registered what was playing she turned away, horrified by the fact that a POW hostage video was being broadcast for the world to see...and terrified that she might know the victim.  “Fuckin’ bastards,” the man growled.  Stella heard the Spanish coming from the speakers and numbly found herself imagining that it was just a random video and Clay was beside her, translating for her with that cocky grin that said yeah, I know you think it’s hot that I speak six languages, so of course I’m going to use that to my advantage whenever I can.

When that all-too-familiar voice joined the Spanish-speaking one, this time as a grunt of pain, Stella’s world threatened to come down around her.  Amelia gasped and grabbed her arm. “S-Stella…”

No.  Nope, nuh uh...that’s not Clay.  Despite her mind outright refusing to believe that it was true, it was in fact his piercing blue eyes staring defiantly at the camera, hair a mess from the hood they’d just dragged from his head and chest heaving as he steadied himself on his knees.  Blood caked the side of his face from an injury somewhere in his hairline. The scrolling subtitles might as well have been in Spanish too for all the sense they made to her...all Stella could see was Clay’s eyes, clear and proud despite the beating they’d clearly given him.  The first time they punched him on screen, hard across the jaw, tears blurred her vision.  Amelia grabbed her shoulders and turned her away from the screen.  Men all around the bar began muttering curses, many recognizing the SEAL as well.

“C’mon, let’s go outside, you can’t watch this,” Amelia murmured, her own voice thick with tears.  Stella shook her head, torn between feeling like running away would be abandoning him in what could be his last moments and not wanting his murder to be burned into her memory forever.

“I can’t...God, this can’t be happening…”  The alcohol and bar food turned in her stomach when he grunted again, and Stella ran for the bathroom, making it just in time before she was violently sick.  Amelia’s soothing voice drifted past the ringing in her ears, and suddenly she couldn’t catch her breath.  

“Come on, Stell...up, you need to get some fresh air to calm you down. Clay’s strong, he’s stubborn, no way is he going out like this.”  Her friend continued to ramble in her ear as she wiped her face with a wet paper towel and then they made a beeline for the door, avoiding listening to or looking at the screen.  The night air was crisp and helped ease the hyperventilating, but she leaned back against the brick wall for support nonetheless.  

Tinny music from her purse startled both girls, and Stella pulled out her cell phone.  Without hesitating she answered it, grief hitting her full-force.  “Naima…” The name came out as a sob, and Stella couldn’t bring herself to be embarrassed.

“Where are you? I’m coming to get you.  Trish is coming to get the kids and I’m not letting you be alone until we know he’s okay.  Is there anyone with you right now?”

Questions to answer were good...helped ground her...and ‘until we know he’s okay’ means he wasn’t killed...right? “I’m...I’m at the bar near base with my best friend.  God, Naima...I just tried to call him this afternoon, and he wasn’t available.  What if this is my fault? What if he doesn’t know…”

“Stella, you can’t focus on the what-if’s, do you hear me? This is on those assholes that took him...soon to be dead assholes if the rest of Bravo has anything to say about it.  I’m about fifteen minutes out, I’ll be there as soon as I can, just sit tight, okay? Don’t let them keep replaying that damned video...the news has it on loop. If Buck hasn’t already changed it, have your friend make them, okay?  You don’t need to keep watching Clay suffer and neither do they.  I’ll be there soon.”

Stella stared at the phone for a long moment, numb shock taking over until Amelia took it from slack fingers.  “Do you want to go back inside or wait out here? I’m going to go get our jackets and settle the tab.”

“I can’t go back in there,” she whimpered.  Amelia nodded and drew her in for a tight hug, starting fresh tears all over again.  When her friend pulled back, Stella eased herself to the ground with her back to the wall and waited for her to return.  While she was alone, flashes of her life with Clay played across her mind, and the roiling fear that she’d never get to fix things with him began to turn her stomach once more, until a hand settled onto her shoulder gently.

“I’m back.  Buck didn’t charge us anything, wanted me to tell you they’re all sorry that you had to see that...and that he’s still alive. They’re holding him for ransom.  The guys all seemed confident that his team would get him out of there.”  Amelia’s warmth settled down alongside her, shoulders pressing together.  “Talk to me, Stell, what can I do?”

The question forced a near-hysterical laugh from her chest.  “I can’t even begin to tell you...uh,” she sniffed, wiping tears from her cheeks.  “C-can you call Gordon in the morning and tell him I need some time?  I’ll talk to him when I can get my head around this just…”

“Done.  Naima’s picking you up, right?”

Stella gave a ghost of a smile.  “Yeah...she’s not going to let me out of her sight until Clay comes home, I’m sure.” The smile trembled; whether in a box or on a stretcher, she thought to herself.  In that moment, though, she knew.  Without a doubt, she knew that she couldn’t bear the thought of not knowing what was happening to him unless it showed up on television, couldn’t imagine not helping get him back on his feet if he did make it home...and if he did, couldn’t image not making the most of every single second she was given with him.  She looked up at Amelia and was grateful that her best friend understood that there was part of her life that was just different, and didn’t begrudge her for it.  Without any more words, she leaned her head on Amelia’s shoulder and waited.

When Naima arrived, the older woman jumped out of the car and pulled her into a tight hug before hugging Amelia as well and asking if she was okay.  Once her friend was sure Stella was in good hands, she said her goodbyes and promised to get her car home safely.  Naima gently guided Stella to the passenger side, waiting until she was seated and buckled before closing the door and climbing into the driver’s side herself. “I’m not going to ask you if you’re okay, because I know you’re not right now.  I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can tell you that as soon as your boy gets home, you need to tell him how you feel right now.  I can see in your eyes that you’ve made your decision...and I promise you will be able to tell him, because he will come home...because that’s what our boys do.”

[ask-the-munchkin-crusader]

Luckyland: A Place With A Name

Chapter 3 is finally here! Woo! Enjoy everyone!

“Oh man, Caesar, you should see your face right now. Priceless!” The young Joseph laughed.

Now Amy’s mind was completely blown. First, there was Caesar, and now a young Joseph?! Huh?! How was this even possible?!

Going into the river, Caesar trekked through the not-so-rushing water and pulled Joseph out by his ear, causing him to wince the entire time.

“Ow, ow, ow! Caesar, that’s my ear you’ve got!”

“We don’t have time for fooling around, JoJo,” Caesar growled at Joseph, releasing his ear. “We are on the run!”

“Doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun every now and again,” Joseph remarked, earning a smack on the back of the head from Caesar. His outfit, Amy noticed, was similar to Caesar’s; white shirt and aqua-green striped pants in all. Had Joseph not been wearing the big, green scarf around his neck, Amy could’ve sworn they were dressed exactly the same.

“May I remind you,” Caesar spoke up. “That we are on the run because of you?!”

“It wasn’t my fault! The Queen just needs to learn to take a joke.”

There it was again; the Queen. They were being brought up again. Who were they? What were they like? And why did they have such an overwhelming presence over this place? All these questions circulated in her head, along with whether she should make her presence known to Caesar and Joseph. How would they react upon seeing her? Would it be one similar to Old Joseph?

“Whatever, JoJo, we have to get going,” Caesar took charge. “We need to get going before someone comes following the Bubble trail I left to fool the Queen’s guards.”

“Oh, so that’s what that was for,” Joseph finally pieced together. “Makes a lot more sense now.”

Suddenly, from out of the blue, Amy’s nose began to tickle. She let a large sneeze that she didn’t have time to hold in that Joseph and Caesar definitely heard. Both men froze and looked towards the tree where Amy was hiding. She gulped as she heard footsteps heading her way. What now?! Before she could even come up with a plan, Joseph peaked to look behind the tree and his eyes went wide when he and Amy locked eyes. They just stared at each other for a moment before Joseph shouted, “OH MY GOD! IT’S A KID!”

“A kid?!” Caesaer gasped. He ran to see for himself and sure enough found Amy standing there nervously looking up at the two of them.

“Um, hi,” She finally muttered out with a small wave.

Neither man spoke as they looked at the little girl in front of them. They were both in absolute shock and no one spoke during this time.

“Uh….are you guys okay?” Amy finally asked after a good solid minute of silence.

“W-Where in all of Luckyland did you come from?” Caesar stuttered out. “Do you work for the Queen?”

“Um, well I-” Amy went to try and explain but stopped when she reviewed Caesar’s words; he said Luckyland. Where the heck was Luckyland? Was she not even in the same world as the rest of the Crusaders anymore? “Did you say Luckyland?”

“Well he didn’t say Canada,” Joseph quipped, earning another smack on the back of the head from Caesar.

So, I’m definitely not in Aswan anymore,Amy thought to herself stroking her chin. What exactly is this place? How did Iggy and I get here? How are we going to get back to the others? How are Caesar and a younger Mr. Joestar here when there’s an older Mr. Joestar here? And everyone keeps bringing up this Queen; who is she?

“Caesar, I think she’s a bit too young to work for the Queen,” Joseph poked fun of his friend.

“You can never be too careful,” Caesar stated, crossing his arms over his chest to emphasize his point that he wasn’t too happy with this situation. “The Queen will use any tactics they can to try and get us. And another thing, JoJo, you-”

Caesar stopped mid-sentence when he glanced back over at Amy. Something he hadn’t noticed before was now catching his eye. He walked over to Amy, still having not said a word, and just stood in front of the little girl, causing her to gulp in nervousness. What was he about to do? He squatted down to her eye level and looked her right in the eyes. Was he trying to size her up to see if she was really working for the Queen?

“….What on Earth are you wearing, child?” Caesar asked, causing Amy to become baffled. “I mean, just look at this; what kind of person wears somethings like this?”

Amy blinked in confusion and then looked down at her outfit. After all that, he was concerned with the way she was dressed?! She tugged on her shirt just to make sure nothing was on it or out of the ordinary. Nope, everything was still there and in place. “What’s wrong with my outfit?” Amy asked.

“It looks like you chose it while blindfolded,” Joseph remarked. “It’s completely outlandish!”

And yours aren’t?Amy thought to herself. “My Mom picked this outfit out for me. She told me it looked good.”

“Well she’s color blind because this is awful,” Joseph remarked.

Harsh. These two were not letting up on this matter, which really didn’t make sense to Amy. And who were they to talk about her outfit when they were both dressed like that?

“This just proves it; there’s no way this kid works for the Queen, Caesar,” Joseph concluded. “They would never send someone out to kill us dressed like that. They care way too much about appearances.”

“I see your point,” Caesar agreed. “But that does raise something else.” They both glanced back at Amy at the same time. “Who are you, and where did you come from? No way you are from Luckyland if you’re dressed like that.”

Ignoring the remark about her clothes, Amy tried to figure out how to explain it all to the two. She could tell them the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, about how she wasn’t even from the world she had just recently fallen from and confuse them even more, or she could lie and possibly get into trouble for it. After a while, she decided on a third option; a mixture of both. “Well you see, I was in a hospital because my friends got hurt in a fight and need a doctor. During the night, I got thirsty and went to get a drink of water Iggy following me to make sure I wouldn’t get into any trouble. We waited for a nurse to bring back water when I saw Mr. Joestar running down the hall shouting he was late. Iggy and I chased after him until he went through a strange door. When we went in after him, Iggy and I fell down a dark shaft and fell and fell until we ended up here in this place, which I guess is called Luckyland, right?”

After finishing the long explanation, Caesar looked as if he wasn’t sure what to think of the story. It was unbelievable to say the least and he wasn’t sure if Amy’s story held much merit or if she was just a loon with a poor taste in fashion. Joseph, on the other hand, looked as if he had enjoyed the tale that Amy had told. He honestly thought the little girl just had a huge imagination is all.

“Um, who did you say you were looking for again?” Caesar finally asked.

“Mr. Joestar,” Amy answered. “Me and Iggy were looking for him.”

“And who the heck is Iggy?” Joseph questioned.

“Iggy’s-” It was at this moment that Amy finally realized she had left without telling Iggy where she was going. Uh oh. She began to frantically look around for her dog companion, unsure if he was lost or if she was lost.

Just then, she saw the Boston Terrier in question coming her way from the beaten dirt path. He didn’t look too happy to see Amy. In fact, he was glaring at her as he made his way towards her.

“Oh…Hi, Iggy,” Amy laughed nervously as he sat in front of Amy.

“What the heck were you thinking walking off on your own?!” Iggy growled, causing Joseph to jump into Caesar’s arms in shock at the dog vocalizing in human dialect. “You can’t just go wandering off and think there’s no consequence for your actions, kid!”

“Sorry, Iggy. It won’t happen again.”

“It’d better not.”

“C-C-Caesar, t-t-the dog just talked!” Joseph stuttered, clinging tightly to Caesar who wasn’t quite amused with this whole situation.

In fact, he was so done with Joseph that he just straight up dropped him without warning. “After today, nothing surprises me anymore,” Caesar stated, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Anyway, Signorina…..what was your name, now?”

“Amy,” the little girl replied with a small smile. She then bent over and picked up Iggy from off the ground. “And this is Iggy.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Signorina Amy. I am Caesar,” Caesar greeted, then going to point over to Joseph, who was getting off the ground. “And this is Joseph, but everyone just calls him-”

“JoJo, right?” Amy interrupted, earning looks from Caesar and Joseph.

“Yeah,” Joseph confirmed, a bit surprised that the small child had picked up on his nickname. “How’d you know that?”

“Well, Caesar did say it a lot, so I just figured that that was your nickname.” If Amy had told him the truth about how she really knew who he was, then she was sure that Caesar and Joseph were going to be even more freaked out than they already were.  

“Well then, you said you were looking for someone, correct? What was his name?”

“Mr. Joestar. He’s pretty much an older version of JoJo.”

Joseph and Caesar exchanged a telling look between each other, one that even Amy could pick up on. They knew who she was talking about. “You must mean the Rabbit,” Caesar hypothesized. His head lowered a bit after saying so, as if mentioning this “Rabbit” brought back horrible memories about the past. “Sorry, we can’t help you.”

“Why not?” Amy pouted. Caesar had been so nice to her earlier, even calling her Signorina. Why was he so standoffish now?

“It’s nothing personal, kiddo,” Joseph tried to assure Amy. “It’s just that the Rabbit works for the Queen and well, the Queen wants us dead for using Hamon.”

“Foryouusing Hamon,” Caesar corrected.

“So I used a bit of Hamon to cross a river. What’s the big deal?”

“The big dealis that the laws prohibit using Hamon, period!” Caesar was getting heated up now. Amy gulped as she watched Caesar walk over and grab Joseph by the front of his shirt. “It’s been that way for years and you know it. On top of that, your little water incident just so happened to trench the Queen and their caravan as they were passing!”

“So what?!” Joseph pushed Caesar off of him. He gave his friend a sympathetic look but kept the passion burning in his eyes. “Caesar, we used to be the best Hamon users in all of Luckyland! We were known throughout the land as the Hamon Twins. No one could stop us.”

Caesar growled and seemed on the verge of a blow-up. “Quit living in the past, JoJo! That life is over and you need to accept the fact that we can’t get that back! Grow-up already!”

“Okay, that’s it!”

The two glared each other down and looked ready to get into a fight, cracking knuckles and baring teeth. Soon, it was an all-out fist fight between the two and Amy watched from the sidelines. 

Knowing the trouble that was going to come if left unchecked, Amy placed Iggy on the ground and got in the middle of the two Hamon users. “Stop fighting!” She shouted at them, finally getting the two to stop hitting each other. “You two are friends, right? Friends shouldn’t fight like this. And if you’re really on the run together, you can’t afford to be fighting. It’ll only make your situation worse. Is that what you really want?”

Silence fell as the child’s words sank in. All those years of watching friendship-based cartoons and movies was finally paying off. Honestly, Amy adlibbed most of what she had said, hoping it didn’t sound too cheesy and that it would get the point across.

“…..We can’t afford to be at each other’s throats,” Caesar began.

“Yeah, agreed,” Joseph stated. “……Sorry, Caesar. That got way too hot too quickly.”

“No, it’s might fault too. We need to work together in order to survive.”

“Right.”

Amy let out a little cough to remind the two men that she was still there. “I’m glad you guys are getting along again, but you really can’t help us find Mr. Joestar?” She inquired.

“Sorry, kid, but there is someone else who can help you.”

A bit of light shimmered in Amy’s eyes after hearing that. Finally, things were gonna go her way. “Really? Who?”

“It’s, uh…..” Joseph stopped mid-way and then seemed to realize where his train of thought was going. He began stroking his chin trying to figure out what he was going to say next. Why had he stopped to begin with? “Well, actually, I’ll send you to someone else that can help you for sure: the Caterpillar.”

Well, it wasn’t like Joseph was sending her off on a wild goose chase. Anything at this point would help. Amy couldn’t rely on Iggy and his canine senses forever.

“He’s the smartest guy in Luckyland. If anyone can help you, he’s your guy.” Having help from someone who knew Luckyland best did seem like the best option.

“Okay, where’s he?”

“I have no clue!” The way Joseph said that in such an optimistic tone was strange and just down-right puzzling to Amy. “But, I do know someone who does know where he is, and I actually know where he is!”

“Okay, who’s this guy then?”

“He’s the Mad Hatter; he’s just down the road from here. He and his buddies all live together. The Hatter can get you and your dog to the Caterpillar in no time.”

Amy smiled up at Joseph when she heard the news. She wasn’t too sure about all the confusing and slightly conflicting information she had been given, but at least she had a direction to go in.

Further instruction from Joseph and Caesar gave Amy the correct way to go to find the Hatter.

“Good luck getting home, Amy!” Joseph told her with a wink and a smile.

“Thanks, JoJo!” Amy thanked, smiling back with Iggy just rolling his eyes. “Try to stay out of trouble!”

“Like we said, just follow the path and there will be signs pointing you in the right direction to the Hatter’s place,” Caesar reminded the little girl. “And stay on your guard.”

“Yes sir, Caesar,” Amy nodded.

Caesar smiled and rubbed the top of her head. She was a good kid, even if she didn’t have a good taste in style.

The Hamon twins gave Amy one last wave goodbye before heading in the opposite direction as her and Iggy. Little did any of them know that someone was watching them from the tree leaves above. He waited until the two young men were out of sight before he silently began to trail the little girl and dog from the tree branches above.

TO BE CONTINUED

And that’s all for now folks! Sorry for the delay, but school and stuff have been piling up so we’ve both been busy. Anyway, what awaits Iggy and Amy in Luckyland? Who is the mysterious follower? And what will the two learn of “the Queen”? Find out next time! (Also don’t forget to ask Amy and Iggy about their travels!)

[ongsniel]

[request] this love is difficult (but it’s real)

AUTHOR: ongniels (ali) FANDOM: WANNA ONE/Produce 101 RATING: PG-13 PAIRING: Lai Guanlin/Park Jihoon WORD COUNT: 5,4k WARNING: cursing SUMMARY: Guanlin knows he should be paying attention, or at least listening to the older boy, but all he can do is steal glances at Jihoon and wonder how to initiate some body contact, how to bring himself to reach out and take a hold of Jihoon’s hand.

Or: The three times Guanlin wants to initiate skinship with Jihoon but is too shy/nervous to do so and one time Jihoon notices and helps him out.

[AO3]

1.

It’s the first day in their new dorm and after having pigged out on all kinds of food to celebrate the occasion, all of the members are in the living room watching a movie.

Normally, not all of them would fit in the room, even less with all of them lying down, but Jisung had convinced them to sleep together since it was their first day in the dorm. That’s why they had dragged some of their mattresses into the living room and created a huge make shift bed.

As Guanlin glances around, two things catch his eyes.

The first thing he notices are actually two people.

Seongwoo and Daniel.

They are the only ones lying on the couch, Daniel’s arm tightly wrapped around Seongwoo’s waist as Seongwoo is sprawled all over Daniel. They are almost chest to chest, Seongwoo’s face hidden in the crook of Daniel’s neck.

Guanlin guesses he must have fallen asleep sometime during the movie.

The both of them look cute, Seongwoo’s face relaxed in his sleep, Daniel happily looking down at him with the softest of smiles.

The other thing that had caught his attention is actually Jihoon.

Said boy is lying right next to Guanlin with his lips in a smile and his eyes sparkling as one of the main characters cracks a joke.

They are lying closer to each other than they usually would.

Guanlin wants to reach out and tug on Jihoon’s arm until the boy understands and rests his head on Guanlin’s chest but just the thought of doing so makes his heart feel like it’s about to explode.

Still, Guanlin scoots even closer to Jihoon, carefully to do so without the other boy noticing.

When he glances at the other boy nervously, his heart beating so fast it might as well fall out of his chest. However, when he looks at Jihoon again, he is relieved to see that he is too focused on the movie to realize what Guanlin is doing.

The younger boy waits a few minutes before he tries to reach out for Jihoon’s shirt. He, painfully slowly, stretches out his hands towards Jihoon.

Every time his hand is only a millimeter nearer to the older boy, his stomach tightens in anxiety and his heartbeat gets faster without a real reason as to why. When his fingertips reach the soft fabric of Jihoon’s shirt, it feels like his skin is burning.

Guanlin backs his hand off immediately, wiggles away from Jihoon in a flash of panic and looks at his hand in surprise, trying to calm himself down.

***

“Guanlin?” Jihoon murmurs some minutes later, his hand caressing Guanlin’s forearm. ”Why are you so far away, suddenly?”

“Uhm, I just… I just felt too hot,” Guanlin replies, lump in his throat.

“Ah, okay,” the older boy nods, removing his hand from Guanlin.

As soon as Jihoon’s gentle fingers are gone from his skin, he wants to tell Jihoon to touch him again. But somehow, he can’t.

***

For the rest of the night, he sneaks some glances at Jihoon, his body itching to get closer and have Jihoon in his arms.

2.

“Jihoon, are you going to sit there all alone sulking for the rest of the day?” Jisung asks with a smirk.

The younger boy just sticks his tongue out and crosses his arms over his chest. Guanlin thinks it’s one of the cutest things he has ever seen as he smiles he moves forward and plops down beside Jihoon.

“Why are you sulking anyway?” Guanlin says.

“Because Jisung and Seongwoo are assholes,” Jihoon replies, making sure to be loud enough for both of the older boys to hear. “They were teasing me the whole time we were in the car because I made a tiny mistake.”

“Aw, how pitiful,” he laughs, his hand reaches out to pat Jihoon’s head but stops midway.

Just like the last time he had tried to touch Jihoon, his heart starts to speed up in his chest, thundering against his rib cage, a lump forming in his throat. His mouth, all of a sudden, feels dry and his skin is on fire.

He is aware that he’s probably blushing, too.

Thankfully Jihoon is too distracted by Jisung wiggling his eyebrows at him and Seongwoo sending hearts their way to notice Guanlin’s hand awkwardly hovering above his head.

Guanlin, for at least five minutes, stares at his hand, trying to find out why the hell he just couldn’t touch Jihoon without feeling like he is going to have a panic attack or without his brain shutting off just at the thought of doing so.

“You’re on my side, right Guanlin?” Jihoon snaps him out of his trance.

He looks at his hand again, then back at Jihoon and nods without thinking about it. Jihoon grins at him with the cutest of grins and taps him on the shoulder before running off to play fight with Seongwoo.

3.

Jihoon is so unbelievably close to Guanlin all he would need to do for Jihoon to be cuddling against his side is to inch just a centimeter closer.

***

They had filmed for their variety show today, luckily Jihoon and him had been paired together so they couldn’t be more than one meter away from each other. Jihoon had played well with him, admiring him for his basketball skills and joking around whenever he got the chance.

It had been a pretty good day, well, until now.

Before they go to sleep, the staff drops a bomb on them.

“You guys thought it was over, right?” the scriptwriter questions, a smirk on her face. “Well, surprise then, we told you in the morning, it’s twenty-four hours.”

“What?” Jisung yells, frown on his face.

“The day is not over yet, you need to sleep in the same bed with your partner,” she laughs when almost all of them groan, complaining about how they are too big for the single beds.

***

Guanlin knows for a fact Jihoon is not sleeping, not when his breathing is not stable yet and he tosses and turns beside him. He wants to stop the other, put a hand on his waist, tug him closer and feel Jihoon’s breathe tickle his neck.

He turns over to face Jihoon.

His eyes follow the slope of Jihoon’s nose, he looks at the other boy’s slightly parted lips and the way his chest rises and falls.

“You can’t feel asleep either, huh?” Guanlin murmurs, eyes fixed on Jihoon.

The older boy opens his eyes and smiles, moving around so that he now, too, is facing Guanlin. If the lights were on, Jihoon would have probably been able to see how Guanlin’s cheek slowly turn into a shade of red.

“Nope,” Jihoon laughs. “But I’m glad you can’t either.”

They stay silent after that, just looking and smiling at each other as if they weren’t wasting their precious sleeping time.

Jihoon moves a little bit closer to Guanlin then, saying something about how he is almost about to fall out of the bed and suddenly Guanlin feels like he can’t breathe because Jihoon’s arms and legs are carefully pressed against his, Jihoon’s mouth only a few inches away.

Guanlin feels the urge to close the gap between the two of them once again but his brain is failing him.  Thoughts like “Jihoon is so near, fuck” and “What should I do?” begin to pile up in his head and Guanlin can’t stop them, can’t control them like he wants to.

He just wants Jihoon to be closer, he can’t really comprehend why his body is making such a big deal out of it, why his heart goes insane just at the thought, why his hands stop moving and start to tremble from nervousness as soon as he tries to touch Jihoon, why a lump forms in his throat and his mouth feels dry when he thinks of asking Jihoon to come closer to him instead.

The next time he looks at Jihoon, the other boy is sleeping soundly, breathing evenly on Guanlin’s nose.  

+1.

Guanlin is so stressed and just, plainly said, frustrated with himself, for not even being able to be one meter away from Jihoon without his heart feeling like it will explode in a million of pieces, that on his free night off he doesn’t go to sleep.

Instead he steals the tablet from in between a sleeping Jaehwan’s hands, sits down on the couch in the living room and googles “how to stop being too shy to touch my friend? Boyfriend?”.

He clicks link after link, reading through all the tips – he even writes them down in a little notebook his mother had gifted him at least three years ago.

Guanlin is so focused on filtering out the good advices from the bad ones that he doesn’t even notice Jihoon and Daniel, who had both just gotten back from an individual schedule, sitting down beside him.

“What are you doing?” Daniel inquires while peeking at the tablet.

Guanlin is so startled he almost throws the electronic device across the room. Thank God though, he doesn’t, instead he hugs it tightly into his chest and mutters a “nothing” underneath his breathe before standing up and closing the incognito tab he had open.

“Where you looking up girl group performances?” Jihoon wiggles his eyebrows.

The younger boy just frowns at him and shakes his head. He puts the tablet down on the armrest of the couch and sits back down, this time though, he sits only next to Jihoon.

Daniel, thankfully, breaks the silence by telling Guanlin every single detail of how the shooting for “Let’s Eat Dinner” went, he tells him about how they had to stop the shooting because of the rain and how a lot of fans ended up crowding them, Kang Hodong even complimenting them for their huge popularity.  

Guanlin knows he should be paying attention, or at least listening to the older boy, but all he can do is steal glances at Jihoon and wonder how to initiate some body contact, how to bring himself to reach out and take a hold of Jihoon’s hand.

He scoots closer to Jihoon, nodding his head and looking at Daniel for a second.

Now that the side of his legs are pressed against Jihoon’s, his heart is doing that weird thing, where it begins to hammer in his chest, again. It feels like it’s taking part in a race to find out how fast it can be before Guanlin has a heart attack.

Nonetheless he keeps this legs were they are, adverting his gaze from his legs and looking up at Daniel, who is wildly gesturing around and teasing Jihoon about how he had been able to eat first.

He rises his hand from where it’s resting on his lap and slowly moves it so that it’s nearer to Jihoon’s own.

When he is about to finally hold onto the other’s hand, he feels that same strange sensation in his stomach – Guanlin knows people would describe them as butterflies from excitement or something like that but for him, they feel weird, make him feel anxious and afraid, make him question all that he’s doing.

Guanlin sighs.

He retracts his hand again, puts it back on his lap and fidgets nervously with his fingers.

Suddenly though, Jihoon’s hand is on his.

It’s warm and soft and all that Guanlin had imagined it would be. He looks up at Jihoon, gaping and completely ignoring the way Daniel stops and looks at their hands with a knowing grin for a moment before he continues talking.

Jihoon only winks at him and then goes back to listening to Daniel.

Although the older boy is not looking at him, he interlocks their fingers together and strokes the back of Guanlin’s hand with his thumb in relaxing, circular motions.

Guanlin’s heart still feels like it’s running a marathon, the butterflies in his stomach are still there too, but somehow, they feel nicer, make him feel giddy instead of angsty.

The feeling Guanlin has now is one he wants to capture in a bottle and let free when he is feeling down.

He looks at their intertwined hands, a blush on his face, and smiles.

***

“Daniel…” Seongwoo whines, still half-asleep, and rubs his eyes with one hand. “Come to bed, you have an early schedule tomorrow.”

Guanlin, Jihoon and Daniel all simultaneously turn around and look at Seongwoo, all of them startled by the sudden appearance of the older boy.

Of course, Daniel is the first to snap out of it, standing up while laughing and making baby noises.

“Aw, look how cute you are when you are worried about me and half-asleep,” he says when he brings Seongwoo closer for a hug and kisses the other boy’s temple lovingly.

Guanlin feels kind of jealous while watching both of the older boys disappear into their room. He wants to be like that too, wants skinship to come as easily to him as it comes to them, wishes he could hug Jihoon just like that as well.

“Let’s go to sleep, too,” Jihoon says, snapping Guanlin out from his thoughts.

He nods, smiling when he notices Jihoon hadn’t let go from his hand, and walks over to their door. When they open it, they realize none of their members are sleeping – Woojin playing games with one of their other tablets, Minhyun typing speedily on his phone and Jaehwan listening to music in his bed.

None of them notice them though, too concentrated on what they are doing.

Jihoon leads them to Guanlin’s bed, lying down unceremoniously and tugging on Guanlin’s hand until the younger boy is also lying in the bed. He gets the blanket from the bottom of the furniture and drapes it all over the both of them.

“It’s warm,” Guanlin mutters. “Just like your hand.”

“Is that a good thing?” Jihoon asks with a grin.

“Yes,” he answers, nodding and squeezing the other’s hand. “I have been wondering for a while how it would feel like to hold hands with you.”

As soon as the words come out of his mouth, he wants to slam his head into the nearest wall because shit, this is the most embarrassing moment in his life.

Jihoon, though, doesn’t laugh at him, nor does he tease him.

“I know,” the older boy acknowledges.

Guanlin doesn’t know how to reply to that, so he doesn’t. He, however, does try to stop his face from getting even redder than it already.

“If you were wondering, I was curious, too,” Jihoon says a few minutes later.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” the older sighs and turns to face Guanlin. “I was wondering how cuddling would feel like with you, too. Do you remember the first night at the dorm? All I could think about was how it would be like to snuggle with you.”

“Me too!” Guanlin exclaims excitedly, unconsciously scooting closer to Jihoon. “I tried to… but I would always get so nervous whenever I was close to touching you.”

“Well,” Guanlin follows the way Jihoon’s tongue moves to swipe over the other’s lip. “Can we cuddle now then? I mean, if we both want to know what it feels like… we should try it out, right?”

“Y-Yeah,” he nods.

Jihoon smiles.

He happily takes a hold of Guanlin’s arm and stretches it out, then he lets his head rest on it. Guanlin reciprocates the older boy’s touch by slinging an arm around Jihoon’s waist and pulling him closer. Jihoon giggles into the skin of Guanlin’s neck, his breath tickling it and making a shiver run down Guanlin’s spine.

***

“We should…” Jihoon sleepily grins at him from where he is still probed on Guanlin’s arm the next day. “Cuddle more often. It makes me sleep so much better.”

Guanlin laughs, his hand coming up to pat Jihoon’s head lovingly, when it stops midway and his heart starts thundering in his chest, Jihoon is there to take a hold of it and put it on his head himself. Guanlin snorts but still proceeds to caress Jihoon’s hair softly, smiling at the way Jihoon’s eyes close in contentment.

“Let’s do this every day now,” Guanlin suggests, scooting closer to Jihoon and, after hesitating for a second, placing a kiss on Jihoon’s forehead.

“Okay,” Jihoon agrees.

He surges up and, instead of how Guanlin had kissed him on the forehead, pecks Guanlin on the lips sweetly before he lays back down with a soft, small, shy smile on his face.