#we make sure your roof is in top condition!

[riseoftheangstywriter]

And here is the part 2 to this post!! Part one with Donnie and Mikey can be found there! :))) This was a fun ask to answer!

Leo

"Are you sure you don't want help?" you offer with a glance over at Leo's current predicament. On top of a pizza box he balances two soda cans and a small container of donuts from your favorite bakery in the city. Of course he's doing this all with one hand.

"Hermosa, please. I've got this. No need for you to lift a fin-" As he says that, something on the concrete makes him just slightly loose his balance, the soda cans rolling off from their position. Landing right into your own hands. "...ger."

Pausing for comedic effect, you grin, an unspoken agreement being made to not bring up what had transpired.

After all, it was your one year anniversary. Not to mention he had gone out of his way to make the sweetest little set up on the roof of this building so you could watch the sunset. Fuzzy blankets, string lights. and Leo. It's more than enough for you.

You settle in your spot, playing with the chain of your brand new necklace, Leo's present to you. It's hard not to admire the glint of the sapphire jewel pendant. Blue, just like his mask. You knew it wasn't intentional, having an affinity for the gem long before your feelings for him ever existed.

It was ironic however, like your heart had always known who it would belong to. Blue blue blue..

You felt strangely sentimental all of a sudden. Yes, it was only a year, ad yet the two of you had been through a lot, individually and together. Not to mention the years of friendship before that awkward stage of desperate yearning and denial.

You were.. proud. Of him, and also the "we" the two of you had become.

Leo enters your space, shoulder pressed against yours. A strand of hair is pushed away from your face. He had this ability to turn you to goo. Despite his occasional shyness, he knew exactly what did it for you. Frustratingly charming, but also way sweeter than he gave himself credit for.

He takes your hand, squeezing it. "Hey, y/n. You ready?" He coos in that deliciously soft tone he used only towards you. "Thinking about me when I'm right here?"

Lost in your head, you turn at his query. Knowing that his ego was just a front by now, you roll your eyes, returning the gesture as you rub memorized patterns into his palm with your thumb. "Maybe." You remember something suddenly. "Actually, I have a favor to ask first. Could you open a portal to my place? Just a small one right over my desk, need to grab something."

"Oh? Forgot something?" Grabbing a small pen from his handy side pouch, it comes alive with his signature ninpo as he draws a small circle in the air, a bright portal appearing.

Sticking your hand through, you feel around for what you're searching for, grabbing it firmly. What you pull out is a flat box, topped with a shiny blue bow, for a touch of flair.

You present it to Leo, a shy smile on your face. "For you. Happy anniversary, Leo."

His initial shock is replaced by a smirk, a signal he was about to make one of those silly jokes you loved. "A box? Y/n, you shouldn't have. And such a fine material?"

"Searched all over, last of its' kind," you play into the bit, trying to ease your growing apprehension about your actual gift to him.

His laugh soothes it, and you lean closer, wanting to see his reaction.

"Whaaaat...?" Leo says when he opens the box, the humor in his words gone and replaced by awe. "This is... the last Jupiter Jim comic I need for my volume 1-6 collection."

You nod, biting your lip. "In mint condition too."

"Y-Y/n, you shouldn't have," he repeats, and you don't miss the slight shake in his tone.

"Hey, don't worry," You lift the comic out from the box, not letting it crinkle to reveal the same exact one directly underneath. "I was able to find another copy. Not in mint condition, but still nice enough where you can read it! This one is just for display, since I know you've been dying to get your hands on it."

Hoping your explanation would make things better, you let him piece together his thoughts. Giving him all the time he needed.

But, what you get in response is what you least expected.

"I.. don't deserve this," like he can't stand to see it anymore, he attempts to move the box back into your lap. "I-I'll ruin it by accident, or whatever, and then all the effort you went through to get them will go to waste." He smiles, though it's fake, not reaching his eyes. "I appreciate it, you have no idea how awesome this is but- I shouldn't have it. Give it to Donnie, he wears gloves while reading his comics for crying out loud."

"Leo.." you say, softly at first. "Leo?" A question this time, because how could he even say that about something he's wanted for so long, and especially directed so negatively towards himself?

You make him look at you, tracing the stripes on his arm knowingly, comforting him. "I'm listening, and I hear you. But... no. No, I will not be giving this gift, your gift to anybody else."

"But I-"

"But I do deserve it is what you better have been trying to say, Leo," you scold gently. No anger or frustration is felt by you. Just an overwhelming amount of love and the need to tell him how he actually deserves every good thing ever, and if you could be an ointment to any pain he's ever felt, you would do so gladly.

"Donnie is just being Donnie, comics are meant to be read anyways right?" You hold his face, staring into his eyes. "I'm more offended you're refusing the box I thought you loved so much."

That line cracks a genuine smile, and you lean in. "There it is. It's fine, I'm hilarious I know. You can laugh."

He does laugh, after he slots his mouth with yours and savors your warmth towards him in a kiss. "You... are perfect. Have I told you that?"

"Mm," you hum, happy. "Yes." And don't ever stop.

You tap the sides of his face, garnering flushed cheeks and a series of churrs that fill your heart.

"Y/n...." He mutters through affectionate chirps. "You can do this later."

"When's later?" you say, relishing in teasing him for a moment longer.

Leo stills you, grasping your wrists. "After we eat, and after we go through the new issue," he kisses you again, making a promise. "I want to read it with you."

To that you could never say no, so you nod. "Okay. Fine. Truce! I surrender. No more more taps until then."

"Thank you.. not for that. For the gift," setting the box aside, he takes you in his arms, running his fingers through your hair.

"Anytime." You mold into him like putty, feeling grateful and content and Leo.

Even if the pizza ends up getting cold because of how long the two of you stay in the embrace, you can't say it wasn't worth it.

Raph

"Y/n, can Raph ask you somethin?"

You glance up from the book you're reading, the turtle mid-rep with the barbell he's working out with held in the air.

"Yeah, of course." you respond, seeing something was on his mind. Clear by the "Raph-chasm" as his brothers always called it.

Raph sets the weight down with ease, sitting up from the bench. "Do you think.. I'm strong?"

Your knee jerk reaction to his question is an exasperated scoff, but you backtrack immediately, feeling like Donnie for a moment before going full support mode. "Raph, come on, you already know you're super strong that its ridiculous; but that's not bad! It's amazing."

He smiles, but just barely, expression going back to a frown. You wonder what must be bothering him so much that he's questioning his own strength.

"Right. But," he exhales, like he's finally letting something off his chest. "Do ya think I'm, well, big?"

Book snapping shut, you set it aside, abandoning it at the sudden shift in tone of this conversation. Having the hindsight to realize it was an important one.

"What do you mean by that? You ask, wanting clarification instead of making assumptions. It was Raph, your patience could never run out towards him.

The snapper grumbles to himself, the regret and frustration in his eyes making your heart twist. "It's silly, I know I'm big. Just.. am I too big?"

Suspicions confirmed you jump up, going by his side. "No. You are not too big," you reach out a hand to touch his shoulder, feeling protectiveness overcome you "Where is this coming from? Did someone say something?" You'd fight them, if you had to.

"No. Nobody said nothin," he takes your hand, letting the gesture calm the storm swirling in his head. "Don't you notice how many things I can't do because of my size?"

"No," you answer. "Who cares about the things you can't do, what about all the things you can? Oh Raph.. your size isn't a detriment, you know that right?"

He looks into your calm, concerned pupils, sighing heavily. "... I do y/n. Raph tends to forget sometimes, that's all. Specially' when I slow the team down, or break something by accident, or I can't wear neat clothes or costumes like the others."

Heart breaking for him, you hold him close, trying to hug him as tightly as you're able. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to fix this, but I'll never love you any less for being who you are. Actually, it makes me love you more."

"Really?" he asks with a voice so small and an embrace so gentle you'd truly never be able to guess what he looked like if you'd never met him before.

"Really." You reply with the certainty you knew he needed. In the back of your mind however, you were thinking of ways to make his situation better.

........................

"Hey! You coming?" You peak your head into Raph's room, where he's standing over his bed, arms crossed as he looks deep in thought.

"Yeah. Be there in a sec." Tonight was the annual Lou Jitsu marathon, everyone dressing up in various versions of their idols' (and also their dads'?) signature outfits.

Raph is struggling to pick from his small collection of accessories he typically wears during such occasions.

You, with innocent intentions and a smile that seems too wide for no reason, enters to intervene. "I can always pick for you, if you want. Hm, how abouttt," you set down a bag. "This."

"What's this supposed to be?" He pokes a digit in the bag to peer inside, your furious nodding urging him on to actually see what this mysterious package is.

"Surprise!" You shout out the moment the blue and orange jumpsuit appears in his hands. Looking like it came fresh off a movie set.

"Is this..." like he almost can't believe it, Raph holds it out, amazed by the fact it actually looks like it might fit him. "Mine?

"Yes! I got it made for you!"

"You did?" you see him search for words, only able to ask. "Why?"

"Because, I know you said how it bothered you not being able to dress up with your brothers. So.. I wanted to show you that it's possible! Sure, it takes some effort, but I don't mind. I'm more than happy to do something like this for you," you never wanted his size to be an insecurity for him, because he wasn't just the "big guy" to everyone. He's the big guy with the biggest heart and humility of anyone you've known.

When tears start welling in his eyes, you can't help but get emotional yourself, letting him take you up in his arms as your feet leave the ground.

"Y/N.. you don't have to go and do stuff like this for me, but it means a lot. Thanks for makin me feel special, I really love ya," he says while almost cradling you back and forth and pressing kisses on your forehead.

"I love you too," you close your eyes, hoping this put his mind at ease, even if it's just for the night. You'd be there for any tough day after the fact.

When Raph offers an arm to you before joining the others, all dressed up and ready for the reaction he's about to get, you realize there's nowhere else you'd rather be.

[octuscle]

Help!

I'm tired of being a skinny loser with no muscle. I wanna be a confident bro. I'll trade anything!

Really everything? Everything you own? Ever heard of DeepTraining? Actually, you must belong to the mega-rich of this planet to undergo a transformation there…. But IronData is sponsoring transformations for high school graduates, freshmen and sophomores. You just have to get through the selection process first. And you then commit to IronData for ten years after graduation though. And you really have to give away EVERYTHING you own to IronData. In return you can undergo the normal DeepTraining process. And IronData provides you with a starter package. Interesting? Then I send you the link for the application.

The selection process will take place in Lansing, Michigan. At the Red Roof Inn, a rather shabby motel. Not your world. Your R8 Spyder V10 quattro looks a bit lost in front of it. It was a last gift from your parents before they crashed their private jet. A beast. You love it. The motel doesn't have a real lobby. But there are a few fellows standing around. Every now and then, the cell phone of one of them signals and the owner walks wordlessly in the direction of the hotel rooms.

Your iPhone 15 Pro vibrates. "Please make your way to room 322." Okay, here we go. You knock. The door opens. No one there, a notebook on the desk. On the screen a form with the general terms and conditions. Seems to be what you have already received by e-mail. You click "I agree". And then you write on the screen. After that, there are a lot of tests. Intelligence tests. Personality tests. For a full three hours. Without a break. Then a window pops up. "Congratulations, you meet the requirements for our program. If you wish to participate in our program, click on 'Accept'. After that, go to room 118, and the transformation will start in half an hour." Fuck! Now? Right now? No one knows you're here. You didn't sign out anywhere. But this is your chance. You know that. You click on "Accept". And you go to room 118. A voice sounds "Please strip completely naked and proceed through the door." Okay, now there's no way back. The next room looks like a simple hotel gym. "Please put on the prepared clothes." Sure enough, there are jockstraps, sweatpants, a tank top, socks and sneakers. And a cap. And a pendant on a leather strap. You put it all on. There's a mirror. It looks ridiculous on your skinny body. "Please proceed to the cross trainer. The first workout will last 30 minutes. An aerosol comes out of nozzles on the ceiling. The light is dimmed. Loud hip-hop music blares from the speakers. Every now and then there is a command to change the machine. You work out to total exhaustion. Then the light goes on and the music goes off. The door to the first room opens again. You go in. And first you have to sit down. And you look in the mirror… Fuuuuuck!

There is a duffel bag and a sports bag on the floor. At the coat check hangs a bomber jacket. "Please take your personal belongings and proceed to your dorm." Inside your jacket is your wallet. With your driver's license, your ID, with your gym membership card. You remember the terms and conditions. You start your business degree at Michigan State today. You're a freshman on a football scholarship. You have nothing else. Outside the hotel, two more beefcakes are waiting for the bus to the dorm. You fistbump your bruhs. They still have their sweaty clothes on, too. The bus is coming. It's rush hour and you have to squeeze in. You have the sweaty armpit of one of your bruhs in your face. And the other one presses his hard-on against your thigh. Fuck, you can't wait to get to the dorm!

Like most of the hot pictures of bruhs with cap I also found this one @simonsx 

[quinncupine]

So glad your request are open I love your writing! Here’s a request for you, Deku x fem reader where he’s out on patrol and calls his s/o to check up on her and she doesn’t answer, so he goes home and and sees someone holding the reader hostage and he saves her. Protective worried Izuku wins my heart every time lol

I definitely got a little carried away with this one. This request was a bit similar to the last one, so I took a few liberties, but I hope you'll enjoy it all the same!

Failsafe

Relationship: Izuku Midoriya X Female Reader

Word count: ~7,600

Warnings: Blood, mild language, guns, explosvies, violence

MASTERLIST

The phone buzzed for a second time in his pocket. With a distracted sigh, he pulled it out, only getting a momentary glance at the caller's I.D. Your picture lit up the screen, and he couldn't help the smirk that pulled at the corners of his lips. He moved to answer it, but someone laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Deku, the negotiator just finished the call." Detective Tsukauchi said with a grim look. "Dynamight just arrived as well."

Izuku glanced back down at the phone and declined the call with a promise to call you back once this situation had been handled.

The command center that had been hastily assembled outside of the museum buzzed with activity. Officers had scattered about, all running orders and securing the perimeter of the increasing amount of curious onlookers. Evening had set upon them, bathing the area in golden rays blended with the flashing lights of the nearby cruisers.

Both men headed towards the back of a S.W.A.T. vehicle where Dynamight stood, grumbling about something to a man right outside the truck.

"Dynamight!" Deku called to his old friend as they approached, "It's good to see you! We'll not under these conditions, I suppose."

Hearing his name on familiar lips, he tensed, and turned to glare at the bright beam of a smile being shot his way. "Of course, you'd be here," was his apparent greeting.

"I'm glad you're here," Tsukauchi said to the feisty hero with a nod. "I'm sure you've been briefed on the situation at hand."

"Yeah, a bunch of rich ditz's got themselves kidnapped during their own fundraiser." He snipped, crossing his arms. "The idiots robbing the joint made a mistake during their little heist and decided to make things worse."

Tsukauchi cleared his throat. "Um, well, yes I suppose you could put it that way." Then he turned his attention to the man Katsuki had been talking to earlier. "This is Agent DeLuca. He's our chief negotiator tonight. He'll fill you in on the rest."

"Right," the older man nodded, looking between the three of them, "I've made contact with their leader. He didn't have much to say except for a list of outrageous demands."

"Outrageous?" Izuku asked, curious.

"Yeah," the man chuckled before turning serious. "They want a helicopter landed on that roof," he pointed to the museum, "five fresh pizza's waiting in said helicopter, along with four crates of top shelf sake. They want it all within twenty-eight minutes, or they'll execute their first hostage. And by my count, we have twenty-four minutes left."

"Pizza and booze?" Katuski scoffed. "What're they playin' at?"

"Twenty-eight minutes is a pretty specific timeframe." Izuku cocked his head. "And with those kind of demands It almost seems like they're waiting for something. Stalling."

The phone in his pocket buzzed again but this time he simply reached in and turned it off, mind swirling with possible theories. They had to be aiming toward a bigger goal here. What weren't they seeing?

"Do we have eyes and ears inside?" He peeked into the truck where a wall of screens shone through.

"We managed to patch through to the security system, but they've been hacked. They're just playing the same loop on repeat. We do have a specialist currently working on overriding it, but that's gonna take time." The detective rubbed his head while he explained. "From what we can gather, they still have roughly 18 guests and staff held hostage."

"And that quirk barrier is preventing anyone from getting in," Izuku murmured, examining the building. It emitted a faint purple aura. "I bet holding that up takes a lot of stamina. That could be why they were on such a specific time frame."

"Our men tried to get through." Tsukauchi frowned. "Anyone who touched that thing ended up numb from the shock. That's why you two are here. It might be possible to break through with your quirks. The only problem is alerting the captors."

"They said they'd start shooting the moment anyone stepped foot in that building. Agent DeLuca explained. "At the moment, we're in a deadly stalemate."

Tsukauchi's phone rang, and he excused himself.

Izuku pinched his bottom lip in thought as he faced the building. There were a few ways they could go about this. With Dynamight here, it should make things a little easier. However, he needed to be sure to keep the lives of the civilians as his first priority. So maybe if he-

"Deku," Tsukauchi grabbed his shoulder, pulling him from his ruminations. "Your wife is calling."

He blinked. You were calling again. When he instinctively reached into his pocket wondering how the detective new that, he paused, finally noticing the phone in his hand. Then he noticed the deep-set frown on his face.

A million questions scrambled through his head, but he locked them down in favor of taking the phone. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Deku, listen closely," you said quietly. Your voice didn't sound right. A slightly slurred warbled edge.

had the baby hairs on his neck on end. "You're going to…to let the men in the museum leave unscathed. You will not pursue. Do this, and everyone gets -" You hitched your breath "- everyone gets to live."

A lingering silence pressed between the two of you. Your labored breaths a loud echo to his ears. It was wrong. So very wrong.

"Are you hurt?" He finally spoke, locking eyes with a concerned detective.

A shuddered sob answered him. It locked his heart in a vice grip to hear you so frightened. So vulnerable. How long had you been like that? How many calls did you try to make to him, and he simply ignored them all? Right when you needed him most. An equal flood of guilt and rage filled his veins. He could feel the sparks of his quirk begging to be let out in the wake of his anger, but he had to reel it in for your sake.

Behind your erratic panic, he could hear it.

The faint puffs of air around your own tattered breaths. Someone was there. Someone was there with you. And if he didn't act carefully, your life would be on the line.

"You have tw-twenty minutes to either s-save the innocent people in that building or come f-find me. There's not…there's not enough time to do both. If not…" you faltered before taking in a sharp drag of air and screaming. "Don't do it, Izuku! Save them! It's a trap. There's a-"

The call abruptly ended.

He stared at the screen. Too many conflicting emotions were battling for control to think clearly. Someone, a villain, had taken you. That much he was certain. There were more men than those five stuck in the museum. But it didn't add up. Even if there was someone from this crew working from the outside, there would simply not be enough time to plan something like this on the spot. Unless…unless it had been orchestrated from the start.

"Deku!" Katsuki snatched the phone out of his hands with an annoyed growl. "Get your head out of your ass. What was that about? You sayin' there's more of these losers?"

Izuku flinched at his words, not realizing he'd been mumbling.

"It's-she…they-" he locked eyes with Katsuki, "-they have her."

He straightened, glancing between the detective and Izuku. "Explain."

And so he did.

A nervous energy he couldn't quite tamper down ran rampant through his body. He itched to just take off and leave to go find you right then and there. But there was more to this than they realized, and if he ran headlong without forethought, it could put not just you but the other hostages in danger.

"That bastard!" Katsuki snapped. "They want to divide our forces. They think they can escape that way."

Yes, Izuku figured as much, but it still didn't change the fact that you were in some slimy villain's hand. He'd already tracked your location from the phone. It pinged from home, but whether you were still with it was up in the air. Those calls he'd missed seemed to be mocking him now.

He couldn't forgive himself for that.

You were calling for help.

You were calling for help, and he didn't answer.

You were calling for help, and he didn't come the one time you truly needed him.

What kind of lousy hero was he?

"Stop that," Katsuki slapped him upside the head, non to gentle either. "I know what you're thinking idiot. This isn't your fault. You just happened to be their target."

"What?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"If they actually put a few braincells together to plan this thing, then it would make sense to have a backup plan. A failsafe of sorts." He tossed a glare towards the building before focusing back on Izuku. "They must've known your route. They must've planned for you to be in the area. What better way to take you out of the equation than to create your own hostage situation? Draw the heroes away."

"I believe Dynamight's got the right idea. They have more men involved than we thought. We'll need to revise our plan." Tsukauchi turned to relay this new information to the command tent.

"We're wasting time." Izuku turned to Katsuki, eyes wide and almost pleading. "I need to go. We're on a time limit. Whatever he has planned….I have to save her."

"You don't think I know that?" He scoffed. "I can handle things here easily. I bet those dumbasses didn't expect me to show up. My route doesn't fall into this sector."

Izuku nodded, grateful that he had arrived, then paused. "Why are you here?"

"Because I had to track down that bastard mugger that managed to escape through here. And if you thought I'd let you steal my crook, then you're dead wrong." He puffed up, daring Izuku to challenge him.

"First time a mugging actually worked in our favor then." He chuckled ironically and grabbed Katsuki's shoulder, his small smile slipping. "Thank you. I'll radio you as soon as I get her back."

"Yeah, yeah," he shrugged off his hand and shooed him away. "Now get out of here before I have to show you up again."

"Wait, Deku," Tsukauchi jogged back over, "I'm coming with you."

"I appreciate it, but I'm faster airborne." Izuku explained, impatience rearing itself in the form of a harried sigh.

"I know, but you're here under our jurisdiction. This kidnapping falls under that. I'm coming." He pulled out his keys and headed towards his car. "We can't rush into this without our own plan. Dynamight can handle things on this end, but i'm coming as backup. There are too many lives at stake here. If you barge in there with quirks blazing and emotions clouding your judgment, then it could spook the boss into doing something we'd all regret."

Logically, Izuku knew this. He did. But he also felt that overstored anger directing itself towards the detective. Izuku could handle a hostage situation. He's handled them before, and he most likely will have to handle them again. Then the rational side to his brain told him it would be good to have backup in case things did end up going wrong. Regardless, he couldn't waste any more time by arguing, so he simply nodded and got in the car.

The moment Tsukauchi started the car, he peeled out past the gathered crowd, straight towards Izuku's home. The same home he shared with you.

The house was silent aside from the low buzz of the television in the other room. It played some show Izuku had been watching earlier before he left for his evening patrol. A hero documentary he's made you watch hundreds of times already. You absentmindedly listened to it as you cooked dinner, making sure to make leftovers for him to reheat once he returned from work.

After making a plate for yourself and storing some in the fridge for him, you dumped everything in the sink for a soak with the intent to come back later to clean. The meal smelled good if your rumbling stomach had anything to say about it. Washing up your hands, you took your plate into the dining room where you could finish watching the show.

On the way there, the lights flickered overhead before the power went out. You paused, staring around in the darkness to see if it would come back on. With the television off, the lifelessness seem quite foreboding as you stood all alone. Left in the quiet of the apartment, you set the plate down and headed into the living room where your phone sat on the coffee table. A quick call to the power company should clear this up.

When you stepped into the living room, using muscle memory to feel your way to the coffee table, the lights suddenly flickered back to life. You blinked rapidly to readjust your eyes as light flooded your vision. Glancing around the empty room, you wondered what had made the power surge like that.

"Weird," you whispered to yourself as you picked up the remote to turn the television back on.

One look at the flatscreen, and you gasped, dropping the remote. A dark, murky shape loomed behind you in the reflection, and before you even had time to react, a sweaty hand wrapped around your mouth and pulled you right off your feet.

You were slammed down into the carpet with a hard smack to your side. The attacker didn't give you much reprieve as you were hoisted back up and thrown onto the coffee table, smashing a vase full of flowers and knocking everything off as he dragged you across the wood surface.

It took a few seconds for your brain to pick up on what happened, and you shoved your legs under his arms and kicked as hard as you could in the groin. He yelped and let go, stumbling back into the couch, clutching himself.

That defense only bought you a limited amount of time. You scrambled off the table and landed on your knees, still a bit disoriented. The phone had landed underneath it, undamaged, in a stroke of luck. Dropping to your stomach, you reached under and nabbed the device.

You knew exactly who to call.

The intruder's hands latched onto your ankle just as you gripped the phone. He pulled your leg so hard you were sure something popped out of its socket. You screamed and twisted over, kicking at him wildly.

He didn't bother trying to hide his face. The man towered over you. He sported a neatly trimmed silver beard with matching square eyes that drilled an icy glare into your own.

"Stop fucking moving!" He growled as you kicked his knee and he doubled over, releasing you.

"Get away!" you screamed out, scurrying to your feet and dashing around the couch in an effort to make it to the door. "Help!" With the phone in your hands, you dialed in the number. He could respond faster than any police. And you would just feel better hearing his voice.

The phone rang twice before it disconnected. There wasn't much time to think about it as you made it to the door. You turned the knob, but a much larger hand snatched your wrist at the same time. The door slammed shut along with your hope.

He towered over you for a terrifying moment before he rammed you into the door. Your body dropped to the floor like a sack of rocks. Pain seared up against your spine where you had impacted.

The phone landed out of reach, corner of the screen smashed. You just prayed it would work.

Still disoriented, you didn't react much when his burly hands seized your throat and easily lifted you off the floor. Panic set in. You didn't even realize what had happened until it was too late. When it did catch back up, you scratched anything you could reach in an exhausted effort to release the pressure on your neck. The only sounds that managed to escape were wheezing gasps that held no form.

Regardless of how this scenario ended, you knew it wouldn't end well for you. This man had strength on his side. Fighting him would be a mistake, so you had to figure out a way to escape. Or, at the very least, call for help. Unless you could reach your phone, you were screwed.

Slippered feet struggled to try to pry him off you. His fingers only seemed to tighten further. Black ebbed at the corners of your vision, and pain blossomed up your head. Thinking, let alone, fighting seemed nearly impossible.

As your swirling vision dimmed, your foot managed to connect with his stomach. You dug your heel in as hard as you could. The fingers around your neck loosened slightly, and the only thing you could think to do was bite down on his hand.

He yelped and threw you against the door where you slumped forward onto your knees, gasping for air. The phone sat within reach, but first you swung out, and sucker punched him right where it hurts most for a second time. He roared and fell backward.

You used the opportunity to dive for your phone and redial Izuku's number, praying he would answer quickly. With a tight grip on the phone, you launched to your feet, swaying dangerously as you stumbled for balance. That hit to your head did more damage than you thought. You were almost sure you had a concussion.

Turning to the door, you glanced down and your heart sunk. It had gone to voicemail again. What was happening? He always answered.

"You're not going anywhere!" He yelled, staggering back to his feet.

Shit. You couldn’t think clearly and wasted too much time stumbling around. Now, he stood between you and the door, giving you quite the death glare.

"Please, just take whatever you want!" you tensed as he stepped closer. "Just…please just let me go."

"That's kinda hard when it's you that I need, now ain't it sweetheart?" He sneered, grabbing hold of the collar of your shirt and twisting you around into a headlock. "Now come on, we've got a schedule to keep."

He squeezed hard, forcing you to shuffle forward, away from the door. He wanted to keep you here? Why? If this had been kidnapping, you were sure he would've taken you somewhere else. Why keep you here unless… Actually, you didn't want to think of those implications.

"Sit," he ordered, not giving you much choice as he shoved you into one of the dining room chairs.

You could try to run again, but you doubted you'd get very far before he caught up to you. And you weren't too keen on figuring out if he really wanted to keep you alive or not. He already looked pissed off as it was.

"What do you want?" you asked, hating how wobbly your voice sounded.

"I want you to make a call," he said, placing a hand on the back of the chair and the table, essentially trapping you between them, "to that little hero of yours."

He wanted you to call Izuku? That was strange. Usually, villains try to steer clear of heroes, not invite them to their crimes. He must have some plan to try to lure Izuku here to do who knows what. As much as you wanted him to come, you also didn't want to walk him right into a trap.

You steeled your nerves and glared up at him. "No."

"Oh, so you wanna play hero now, do ya?" He grinned. "Think you're ready to play in the big leagues, huh? Let's see if ya are!"

His hand moved too quickly. You nearly tumbled out of the chair as his palm struck your cheek. Aching streaks of pain weaved across your stinging skin.

"Don't test me." He leaned so close you could smell the tobacco on his breath. "You're gonna want to make that call, sweetheart, trust me."

He leaned across the table and dragged a large duffle bag into view. How long that had been sitting there, you weren't sure. You actually weren't even sure how he got into the locked apartment in the first place. It seemed a little late to worry about that now, though. With a sadistic smirk, he unzipped the bag and let you have a peek inside. It nearly made your heart stop.

"Now," He pulled out a stack of notecards from his coat and forced them into your hands. "Your job is simple. All you have to do is read these cards. Simple enough, eh?"

As you scanned the cards, your stomach flipped. Did he really expect you to read this? You were too distracted to see him pull out your phone until he grabbed your wrist and used your thumb to unlock it. He put it on speaker as the phone rang. It barely rang once before it went straight to voicemail for a third time. You were starting to worry Izuku had been hurt and unable to answer somehow.

"Hmm," the villain stared at the phone thoughtfully. "Guess he doesn't care so much about ya, huh?"

"Don't say that! You don't know anything about him!" You spit out, then bit your tongue, knowing you shouldn't stoop to his barbs.

"Well, I know he's too busy to answer ya darlin." He chuckled and dialed in a new number. "I'm sure the detective will be more willing to talk, yeah?"

Detective? You only knew one detective. It still struck you as odd that he would call the police on himself. But with the cards and what he had stored in that bag, you were starting to understand your role in all this.

The phone rang, and this time, someone did answer. You refused to say anything. It would be too dangerous to bring him here. Not with what he had planned.

That turned out to be the wrong decision as the man reached into his coat and brought out a handgun. He used the barrel to tap the cards.

"Deku," you whispered, glaring up at the criminal.

"Y/N? It's unusual to hear from you at this hour. Are you alright?" He sounded concerned.

"I…need to speak to Deku," you blinked hard. "Please."

A notable pause hung in the air before he hesitantly spoke. "…alright."

Tsukauchi was a smart man. One of the few who you thought could hold a candle to Izuku's analytical skills. If he could already tell something was wrong, then Izuku would pick up on it immediately.

Suddenly, his voice came on and threw you for a loop. They were already together? It must have to do with whatever these cards meant. It could be the reason he didn't answer. Izuku could be caught up in a case already. But the real question is how did the man know that, let alone know you would have Tsukauchi's number.

"Hey, is everything alright?" He sounded confused with a concerned undertone.

The cards shook in your hands as you scanned them again, debating just going off script. But with that gun looming in front of your face, you wisely decided to play nice.

"Deku, listen closely," you began quietly, knowing your voice had a slight quiver he would undoubtedly pick up on. "You're going to…let the men in the museum leave unscathed. Do this and everyone gets," those next words caught in your throat, "everyone gets to live."

They were using you as some sort of ploy to try to escape whatever situation this gang had found themselves in. Everything about this was just wrong. Now, Izuku would have to worry about rescuing you while also trying to do his job. You loathed every minute of it.

"Are you hurt?" His voice, quiet and low, betrayed the calm air he tried to maintain. A characteristic tone you've heard before. Anger and frustration just barely concealed.

The fact that he knew you were in danger filled you with a sort of relief that now he could finally do something about it. He could fix this. He always managed to fix things.

You tried to answer, but only a garbled sob of mixed syllables spilled from your mouth. It took you a moment to compose yourself again as the man huffed at you, tapping the cards impatiently with his gun.

"You have tw-twenty minutes to decide." More disturbing things were written, but you needed to warn him about what kind of trap he was walking himself into. "Don't do it, Izuku! Save them! It's a trap. There's a-"

The phone crunched in half under his brute strength and he threw it against the wall. Despite your very real fear, you managed to smirk at him. In hindsight, making a man with a gun angry was probably the worst thing to do in your situation. You learned that the hard way as he twirled the gun to his other hand and with a violent swing, he whipped the side of your head, knocking you clean off your chair.

Head throbbing, you clutched the gash just above your temple. A warm, sticky trail of dark red dripped down to your cheek.

"Got a loud mouth, don't ya?" he grinned and hauled you up only to drag you across the floor and dump your ragdoll form into the middle of the living room. You couldn't hide the panic as he knelt by your face, plopping the black duffle from the table next to him. "I'll just leave ya with a little present to greet your hero with. How does that sound. A nice parting gift."

The drive couldn't have taken any longer in Izuku's opinion. Even if Tsukauchi flew down the road, he still wasn't getting there fast enough. A few times, he had been tempted to just jump out and fly the rest of the way there.

He bounced his leg impatiently, glaring out the window as the silence seemed to permeate the air around them.

"We'll get her back," Tsukauchi broke the silence first.

Izuku turned his attention back to his phone. The three missed calls from you berated him each time he looked. He willed his leg to still, but all that pent up adrenaline didn't have any other outlet to escape from.

"This is my fault," he mumbled.

"No, it's not. There's no way you could have predicted this. No one could." Tsuhauchi sighed, turning sharply onto the next street. This was a conversation he'd had with the young man on multiple occasions. He was starting to understand how All Might felt, practically raising the boy through high school. "The only people to blame are the criminals responsible. You know that as well as I do. Thinking that way is only falling into their trap."

He made a noncommittal sound, turning back to obsessing over the missed calls. The rest of the ride was made in silence. Izuku had gotten so lost in thought that he didn't realize they'd parked until Tsukauchi opened the door.

Silently cursing, he blinked back into reality and got out of the car. The two of them headed for the apartment building. Your last known location was here. Though Izuku had doubts that you'd still be here. Most kidnappers took their victims to secondary locations.

They burst through the lobby, startling a poor woman taking her dog out for a walk. She jumped out of the way as they rushed past, yelping when she saw Tsukauchi's drawn gun. They paid her no mind, set on reaching their target.

Izuku took the lead. He raced up the stairs with a spark of his quirk, only stopping when he reached the right floor. Tsukauchi trailed up behind him at his fastest pace. He paused when the door came into view. Closed and undamaged. Whatever lay beyond might be an entirely different story, and it had his heart racing with fear.

"Take it slow," Tsukauchi huffed when he reached the last step. "We don't know what's waiting for us."

"I know," Izuku nodded, taking a spot in front of the door.

He signaled for the detective to take the side. Whoever was in there was sure to be expecting Izuku. He would have to act quickly. When they were in position he readied Fa-jin to break down the door with a strong kick of his leg, but the moment he lifted it, that sharp stab of Danger Sense screamed at him. He tensed and prepared to dodge whatever threat was coming his way, but when nothing came, he set his foot down, examining the door with a critical eye.

"Something's not right," he whispered, hand gently grabbing the handle.

The knob turned slowly in his hand and opened the door just slightly. Danger Sense lit up his spine once again. He drew in a sharp breath when he finally saw where the danger lay.

Opening the door any further could trigger whatever nasty surprise waited inside. He let go of the handle in favor of leaning closer to try to get a glimpse of the room. From his narrow line of sight, he didn't see anything amiss. He would need to see further somehow.

A shimmering line of wire ran across the entryway.

Trap, his mind so helpfully supplied.

"Here," Tsukauchi pulled out a small mirror with a telescopic rod attached. "Use this."

Izuku took it without question. The police had all sorts of gadgets at their disposal. He was just thankful Tsukauchi was here.

As discreetly as he could, he slipped the mirror partly into the doorframe. It gave him a full view of the living room. What he saw nearly made his racing heart stall.

The room was a mess. The coffee table had been kicked over, and the couch pushed off to the side to make room for the single dining chair plopped directly into the center of the disaster. The worst part was the person he cared for most sitting… no, tied to the chair. You were slumped forward and seemingly out cold. A gash in the side of your head trailed dark sticky blood down the side of your face and onto your shirt. Even from a distance, he could tell it was still wet. Still fresh.

You were draped in a throw blanket, which he found odd. It sent alarm bells off in his head. On the other hand, this entire situation was just one blaring alarm.

He was so close. All he needed to do was figure out a way to get to you without tripping any booby traps.

Angling the mirror down, he tracked where the nearly invisible wire led to. His eyes followed it across the floor and right up to you. It threaded under the blanket that had been wrapped across your chest. As he leaned in further to try to see you better, the door creaked slightly.

It caught your attention.

You stirred with a groan and when you looked up, he could see the duct tape sealed over your mouth. As you straightened in your seat, the blanket slipped from your shoulders.

He finally realized why the wire led to you.

"Tsukauchi," Izuku whispered, a slight tremble to his voice. "I need you to evacuate the building and…and call the bomb squad."

It took a few precious minutes, but Izuku had exited the building and now stood on the fire escape, examining the window. Another wire had been threaded around the handle. If he lifted it, it could trigger the bomb. He would need to go about this carefully.

The only good thing was that the top part of the window seemed to be unaffected. After scoping out the interior, he'd come to the conclusion that the man had fled. A smart choice. If you strap your hostage with an explosive, you don't want to be around for the aftermath. A dumb choice to target someone Izuku loved. He'd find the man later, that much he vowed. Right now, he just needed to get you as far from that bomb as possible.

He took a deep breath and in one solid strike, he shattered the top portion of the window. That startled you enough to flinch in your seat, pulling the wires taut.

"Hey, it's alright," Izuku called out softly as he navigated through the window, careful of any more surprises. "It's just me. It's Izuku."

You deflated a little, nodding to show you understood.

The moment he landed, he carefully picked his way through the room until he came face-to-face with you. Your eyes carefully tracked his movement, wary of the various strings attached to the heavy vest you were wearing. He knelt in front of the chair, cupping your bruised cheeks. At the soft contact, you squeezed your eyes shut to blink away the tears.

"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm right here," He kept his voice low and comforting as he offered you a small smile. "I'll get you out of this, I promise."

Then he dropped his attention down to the explosive. They had strapped you into a Kevlar vest with the clunky explosive sewn right into the fabric. The most worrisome thing was the clock. The numbers were steadily counting down.

Nearly four minutes left.

A time limit.

You did say he had twenty minutes to decide. Didn't the criminals inside the museum say something similar? They must've been working off the same clock. No wonder they gave such a specific time frame.

"Don't worry," he said, looking up when you made a muffled whine of a cry. "I've got people coming to help. People who can disarm this thing in no time." He glanced at the kitchen where you kept the knives. "I just need to get it off you first."

Your reaction caught him off guard. You wildly shook your head, careful of the wires pulling around you. He turned back to you, eyes wide, and hands held out in a pacifying gesture. You only seemed to grow more desperate, shaking your head faster.

"Hey," he laid a hand on your cheek to stop you and forced you to look in his eyes. "Okay, okay."

As you fought back your ragged breaths through your nose, he gently gripped the edges of the tape and slowly peeled it back. You winced as the tape pulled against your skin. The moment your mouth could move, you went into a panicked rant.

"You can't! You can't cut it," you cried, words jumbling over each other as you tried to push them all out at once. "There's a- a failsafe inside the vest. You cut it, and it triggers the bomb. It's the same for these wires," you eyed the wires all connected to various parts of the room. "Any of them pulls too tightly, and it explodes. But the time limit - oh my god, Izuku. It's almost up, I don't - there's no time! There's no time!"

He wrapped his scarred fingers around your chin to center your focus and shushed you before you could run out of breath. "It's going to be okay. I'm here now. I'll get you out of this." His eyes tracked over the vest again, scanning every part of it. He didn't want to tell you that the bomb squad would be at least ten more minutes. There was no time to wait for them. "I'll be right back. Trust me, I promise I'll get you out of this."

If your hands were untied, you would've reached out to stop him. Now that he had come, you were terrified of him leaving. He had a comforting presence that everyone had come to rely on as a hero. He always kept his word. If anyone could get you out of this nightmare, it would be Izuku. You just had to trust he knew what to do. Though the bomb strapped to your chest had built up a raw terror in your chest, making it hard to get even a solid breath in.

Izuku, true to his word, only disappeared for a moment before he returned, kneeling at your side with a knife. "I can disarm it."

Could he? You didn't want to doubt his skills, but you also didn't remember him ever working with bombs like this before.

"Didn't I tell you about those few weeks I spent with SWAT?" He smirked as if reading your mind. "Taught me all sorts of cool stuff." There was a hard edge to his casual tone as he pried open the front of the device to reveal the bevy of wires inside. "This was nothing compared to the kinds of stuff we did. I'll have you out in no time."

You nodded. It was about as much movement the vest would allow at the moment. You could scarcely believe a small contraption like this could be your doom in a matter of mere minutes.

"Izuku," you whispered, looking up at the ceiling as if that would put any distance from you and this death machine. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked, eyes flitting up to meet yours before he refocused on the wires. "This isn't your fault."

Silence fell over the room as you absorbed that. Your fingers held a death grip on the arms of your chair, pulling against the restraints. It felt as if the room grew smaller. The beeping only seemed to be getting louder by the second. Panic had nestled itself deep in your chest, spreading throughout your body as the seconds passed.

"H-how much longer?" You dared to peer down at the clock, angling your head to try to see for yourself.

He didn't answer. You watched his fingers hover over the wires, subtly glancing at the timer but refusing to speak. In other words, not long.

"How much, Izuku?" you said again, gritting your teeth.

"Two minutes," he finally ground out. "I've almost got this figured out. I just need to make sure this one is- it should be…" he trailed off, as his finger followed where the wire connected.

Two minutes.

That wasn't a lot of time. You both knew that much.

"Izuku, I don't want you dying too. Please, just go." You warbled out, straining your head up to the ceiling again to try to stop the ebb of tears. "I don't want you dying for me."

"No one is dying tonight," Izuku chose a wire and locked eyes with you. That determination you'd grown so used to seeing cemented on his face. He looked so confident, you almost believed anything was possible. Hell, maybe it was in a world with someone as determined as him. "Are you ready?"

Drawing in a forced breath, you chewed on your lip and nodded. He hesitated for just a moment before bending the wire and cutting it with the knife. The two of you sat in complete silence, breaths held as he stared at the timer. The numbers stopped just before the minute mark, and relief sagged through his body.

"See, I told you I-" the words died on his tongue as the clock beeped twice and suddenly began counting down at double the speed. "-shit!"

"Get out of here!" You tried to shove him away with what little movement you had in the restraints, wires be damned if it meant he could still survive. "Please, save yourself! Go!"

"NO!" he pulled at the bundle of wires, muttering as his eyes darted between them. "I made a promise, and I refuse to break it! There's no way I'd ever leave you!"

He picked a wire and sliced through it. You squeezed your eyes shut with a whimper.

The beeping stopped again with eight seconds to spare.

Izuku froze, body tense as he stared at the machine, daring it to start again. After a few terrifying seconds, he looked up at you, wide-eyed and slightly shaky. He swallowed, setting his face into a more composed look as he offered you a small smile.

"It worked." He breathed out.

Those unbidden tears leaked from your eyes as you drooped your head froward with a heavy sigh of relief. All that terror that you were storing had nowhere to go. Every part of you buzzed with adrenaline. You were quite literally shaking in your socks.

"Hey," he set down the knife and found your chin. "Are you okay?"

"Still got a bomb strapped to me so 'okay' is a bit relative at the moment." You coughed a harsh chuckle out. Maybe it was the frayed nerves trying to find an outlet out of your system, but you laughed again, harder this time, your body just expelling all your emotions out in the form of near hysteric laughter.

"Uh, right," he mirrored your smile and easily unhooked all the wires connected from your vest to objects around the room. Now that the main trigger had been deactivated, these were just decorations. "I think I'll let the professionals handle this vest. They should be here any minute. But I can at least get you out of those restraints."

Using the knife, he easily tore through the tape to free your arms and legs. When you had freedom of movement again, you grabbed his sleeve and pulled him close, careful of the disarmed bomb on your chest. It was still an explosive, afterall.

"Thank you," you whispered, "thank you for not leaving.

He brushed the hair out of your face and placed a soft kiss to the crown of your head. "I told you, I made a promise, and I never break my promises." Then he pulled back to give you a pout. "But please, don't ever tell me to leave you like that ever again. I could never even think of doing something like that. I would never abandon you, you know that, right?"

The way he looked at you made you feel like you'd kicked a puppy. But in your mind, you just wanted to protect him, too. For the moment, though, you simply nodded and buried your face into his chest, knowing you were safe with him. That you would always be safe with him.

It took another six minutes before the squad arrived and another ten tense minutes with Izuku gripping your hand the entire time to safely remove the bomb. As soon as it slipped off, you rushed into Izuku's arms, trying to entwine yourself as deep as you could with him.

"What about the other hostages? The criminals, too?" you asked, twisting your head up to look at him. "The ones you were supposed to let go?"

"Kacchan, uh, Dynamight handled it." He assured you. "He didn't even need any help taking them down. I think they were counting on this scenario working in their favor. The hostages are safe, and the criminals are in custody."

"Even…" you pinched the fabric of his uniform between your fingers, dropping your gaze to stare at the stitchwork.

"We'll find him. I won't let him get away with this." He assured you, tightening his own hold on you. "But right now, all you need to worry about is getting some rest. Well, actually, we need to get this -" he ghosted his fingertips over the cut above your temple, "-looked at first."

"I'm fine." you waved him off.

"Yeah, you will be," he agreed, pulling you over to the medic who had set up shop on the dining table, just waiting for you. "Once we get you fixed up."

With a small sigh, you sat in one of the chairs, facing the medic. Izuku, who you still had a hold of his sleeve, moved to stand behind you.

"Are you going to leave? I mean, I guess you should. There are other people out there who need you too. And with this whole mess, I'm sure there's a lot of-"

The words were just spilling out of you now, and in the back of your mind, you realized you sounded just like Izuku. You only managed to stop when he bent over and lightly bumped his forehead against yours.

"Take a breath," he gave you a fond smirk, "I'm not going anywhere. Like I said, Kacchan handled it. The only place I need to be right now is by your side."

He stood hunched just inches from your face, and all you could do was stare into his eyes. There were so many emotions swirling through those big green irises, but the biggest one shining through was his sincerity. A solace you didn't realize you needed until just this moment. The warmth he emitted was so comfortable, and the sheer exhaustion from your ordeal had you leaning back into the chair with a tired nod.

"Okay, I trust you," you mumbled, pulling his arm down so you could hug it. "You're a really good hero, Izuku."

He blushed at the soft comment and glanced at the paramedic trying to busy herself with getting her supplies out, but even she couldn't help the little smile that played on her lips.

"She's right, you know," the medic chimed in, gently cleaning your cheek of the blood. "I'd say that was the work of a top-class hero. You should be proud."

Izuku rubbed the back of his head. Years in the field and still hearing something like that overwhelmed his heart so he decided to focus back on you. Your hands were interlocked with his and casually fiddlin with his bony fingers.

A lot that could have gone wrong tonight, and he knew he would be certain to go over every detail in full to make sure those mistakes would never happen again. Not if he was going to be a hero that could protect not just you, but everyone.

Right now, though, he put his analysis on the back burner and turned his full attention to what was most important.

You.

Taglist: @stanny-uwu @lykingart @rei165

[bravetimetravellingaussie]

And it feels like home

Chapter 3

Summary: Peter's reached the casa de pool

Warnings: foul language as always, threats of violence

Peter was practically buzzing as he followed Dopinder up the stairs of the apartment block.

Dopinder stopped in front of a door with the number 69 on it and knocked. Peter glanced back. They'd passed 27 and 28, this door should be 29, but before he could ask, the lock clicked and the door swung open.

Peter's spider sense sent him flinching back, flattening himself against the wall next to the door.

"What the fuck do you want, Dopinder? You better have a good answer or so help me God you will be eating through a straw for the next month," a voice growled, grumbled almost, it seemed just barely restrained, almost like he was trying not to wake someone up. All Peter could see was an arm, the hand gripping the front of Dopinder's shirt, a foot long blade extending from between the man's index and middle fingers rested against Dopinder's face.

Peter hadn't faced a real threat in a while now, just normal people, occasionally with guns or knives, but the apprehension was there now, whoever this was could really hurt him. As if that had ever stopped him.

Peter stepped away from the wall.

"I made him take me here." Peter finally got a good look at the rather large and muscular man threatening Dopinder. The man who was wearing a tank top and- hello kitty pajama trousers?

"And who are you?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm spider-man."

"Who?"

"Oh, uh-"

"And what's with the weird get up?"

"I-"

"Oh fuck- don't tell me your one of those wannabe vigilante types." The man chortled. "Your costume looks like it was put together by a blind person."

"I can still hear you, asshole!" came a voice from within the apartment.

"Says you, you look like you raided the closet of a teenage girl." Peter couldn't stop himself, it was right there. His stomach dropped though when the man shoved Dopinder out of the way and moved towards him.

"Jokes on you, I stole this from my boyfriend," the man growled.

"I'm pretty sure he got them as a gift from Yukio," Dopinder said, his hands already raised in a defensive position.

"Wait, boyfriend? You're this pool guy's boyfriend?"

All of a sudden an inhuman squeal sounded through the apartment. In a neighbouring apartment, a dog started barking. Even Peter found himself wincing at the pitch of the sound.

"Speak of the devil," the man in the doorway said with a smirk.

"I heard you call my name, baby boy, how can I help you?"

"I-" Peter couldn't really find the words, and no, it wasn't because the unmasked face of the man in red looked like it was plagued by a rare skin condition, but because he hadn't really thought this far ahead.

"While you think about it, come on in, make yourself at home, you don't mind do you, peanut?"

The large and scary man retracted his claws and let out a sigh. "Do what you want, but I'm going back to sleep." The man disappeared into the apartment but not before giving the unmasked man a peck on the cheek.

"On second thought, kid, why don't we go get some fresh air, the view from the roof at night is quite nice. I'll answer any questions you have."

"I'm not a kid, I-"

"Sure sure, let's go. You can go back to work, Dopinder, your work here is done."

"Always a pleasure, Mr Pool."

Once he'd waved goodbye to Dopinder, the man let out a sigh of relief.

"Finally, we can have a normal conversation. I didn't want to say too much at the McDonald's, protecting the secret identity and such-"

Peter's stomach went plummeting down the stairwell.

"H-how do you know who I am?"

"That's easy, Petey," the man stage whispered, " I'm deadpool."

[leupagus]

The subtitle for this should be "Undead Hardy: Too Annoying To Be Scary"

It was near dawn by the time they heard someone fumbling at the door at the south transept and Hardy came limping in, caked with dirt and looking irate. "Six feet down you put me," he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Ellie. "Were you trying to make sure I couldn't get back out?"

"Couldn't say," Ellie confessed. Paul radiated tension behind her, although if Hardy was whinging like this he wasn't likely to eat anyone's brains. "But you're here now."

"Aye, just," he grumbled, and scrubbed at his hair. Clumps of earth skittered along the stone floor. "Did you catch him?"

Ellie stared at him, trying to parse his words. "Catch—?"

"The suspect, Miller, the one we were chasing through the boatyard! The one up in the cliff-top hut! How is it I spent the night digging myself up out the ground and I've got a better grasp on this case than you do?"

"Right," said Paul, clapping his hands on his knees and getting up. "I'll go find a broom. Detective, there's a garden hose outside round the back. I suggest you use it. And then you'll come back and clean this up. And you're making a donation to the church's roof fund."

"A donation?" Hardy demanded. "What for?"

"For starters, making me explain to the workmen why they have to re-dig the grave meant form Mrs. Ellison's funeral tomorrow," Paul snapped back, evidently coming to the same conclusion Ellie had: it was pointless to be afraid of an ancient horror as irritating as Alec Hardy. "Ellie, any time you want to talk, I'm here." And he went off toward the vestry, presumably in search of a broom and dustpan.

"Right," Hardy said, turning round and heading back outside. "Call the station and see if Uniform managed to do their jobs while you were sat round here gabbing with a suspect."

"A suspect?" Ellie repeated incredulously, following behind. "Paul could've had me arrested for seven different crimes—"

"Eight, if you include molestation of a corpse," said Hardy. "Call them, Miller. I'd do it myself, but you've got my jacket somewhere. And my shoes, where have those got to?"

"—he could have run screaming," she continued over him. "He could've called up Maggie and told her there's a… what are you, anyway?" Hardy ignored her as he cast about for the garden hose. "A zombie? A revenant? Isn't there something called a lich or something?"

"I told you, I prefer Hardy," he said absently, fiddling with the tap. After a moment it sputtered out water that had to be ice-cold, but he didn't show any sign of discomfort (or no more so than he usually did) as he rinsed off the worst of the grime from his clothes and face and hands.

She gaped at him. "What, is that supposed to be a joke? Making puns about your… condition?"

"It's not a condition," he protested.

Ellie resisted the primary-school urge to insist that it was, or at least that was the best term she'd come up with and until he had a better one he could just shut up. "Paul could've done any of those things, and he didn't."

"He wouldn't," said Hardy, dismissive, as he shook himself off. "Clergy get training in this sort of thing."

"Training or not, he helped me last night—"

"Aye, helped you bury me six feet underground—" Hardy said, stalking off toward the carpark.

"How was I supposed to know how deep?" Ellie shut the tap off and ran after him. "That's how deep a normal grave is, that's what we put you in. You're welcome, by the way."

"What made you think of it?" he asked, wheeling around to loom over her, scowling. "Burying me. Not something most folk would think of. Even when dealing with someone in my condition."

Ellie stood her ground, glaring right back up at him. She knew well enough by now the difference between DI Hardy, probing at someone to determine the truth and DI Hardy, being a tit. "It worked, didn't it?"

He made a grumbling noise in his throat that sounded like two cats having a go at each other. "How did you know it would work?"

Ellie hesitated. "I'm not sure," she said, in lieu of telling him about her jelly mould analogy. "I just knew it would."

He nodded, as though she'd given the right answer, then hovered a moment. "Well. Thanks for that." His scowl deepened, as if embarrassed by any expression of gratitude. "Get on the horn and find out what the hell happened last night. Plus we still need to find Susan Wright's dog — don't suppose there's been any progress on that. And I wasn't joking, Miller, where the hell are my shoes?"

"God, you're such a knob," Ellie muttered, but she fished the keys out of her pocket and stomped off toward the car, Hardy still complaining as he followed.

[hirocimacruiser]

Comparison between the Suzuki Jimny and Pajero Mini kei cars.

Check your rivals!

Speaking of cross-country 4WD light vehicles, we must not forget the Jimny, which is undoubtedly the biggest and strongest competitor to the Pajero Mini. Here, I would like to analyze the differences in the characters of Pajero Mini and Jimny.

Although it is a rival car, it asserts a different personality.

The difference between the two only 4WD vehicles in its class is clear.

When it comes to full-fledged cross-country 4WD light vehicles, the Jimny is something you shouldn't forget. It is not difficult to imagine that when developing the Pajero Mini, it was seen as a ``rival''.

It has been 13 years since Jimny first appeared!

The Jimny has been extremely popular due to its extremely long range, and as it is a powerful model, it is sure to be of interest when purchasing a Pajero Mini.

Pajero Mini & Jimny, the big difference between these two cars is simply ``Are they a van or a wagon?''

In fact, the Jimny does not come with a 5-number wagon (although there is only a 1.3-liter Sierra), and all models are registered as vans, whereas all Pajero Minis are registered as passenger wagons with a 5-number.

I think it's safe to say that this fact clearly speaks not only to the difference in registration and number, but also to the personalities of these two cars.

While the Jimny focused on the basic performance required of a 4WD vehicle, such as durability and ability to travel on rough roads, the Pajero Mini has added elements such as ``RV-like product appeal'' and ``utility.'' It can be said that these are RV cars that add ``comfortable living,'' and this is what makes both cars unique.

This is a major point in creating a star. For example, the Pajero Mini can be said to be more "passenger car-like" than the Jimny's "Spartanness."

Looking at the mechanism, the Jimny has a 4-wheel leaf suspension and a 3-cylinder SOHC turbo engine, which is undeniably a bit ``old-fashioned'' compared to the Pajero Mini's 4-wheel coil suspension and 4 cylinder unit.

Considering the additional equipment, Jimny has a bit of a hard time.

The price of both cars is important, but the Pajero Mini starts from 1,118,000yen for the basic grade XR-I MT to the top grade

VR-II・AT at 1, 478,000 yen. Jimny Van HA/MT with basic grade knees starting from 1,059,000 yen, top grade Panoramic roof EC-AT at 1,335,000 yen, Jimny is cheaper in all groups. .

Prices are about 100,000 to 150,000 yen cheaper on average.

The price difference between the top-grade VR-II and Panoramic Roof EC is about 130,000 yen, but considering the difference in equipment between the two, it's hard to say that the Jimny is a better value. For example, the VR-II comes standard with air conditioning, power steering, power windows, and a center door lock, while the Jimny comes with power windows, Center door lock is not set. Furthermore, considering that the VR-II comes standard with a grille guard, and that the SRS airbag system and 4-wheel ABS can be ordered as options, this price difference may be more than justified.

Considering these things, if you were to choose between the Jimny and the Pajero Mini, if you are looking for the versatility and comfort of an RV, you would definitely choose the Pajero Mini. If you're looking for the wildness typical of a cross country, the Jimny is the answer.

PIC CAPTIONS

▼In terms of styling, while the Jimny has straight lines, the Pajero Mini has rounded lines, emphasizing a sense of volume. Ingenuity can be seen in the treatment around the fender.

▲The unit installed in Jimny is an in-line 3-cylinder SOHC turbo. Has a performance of 58ps/8.8kg-m

[rsedits9420]

mark estapa taking care of injured reader or other way around or both

Caretaker

Mark Estapa blurb

Word count: 1.5k

Masterlist

I was leaving my last lecture for the day to go get ready for Mark’s game tonight. Mark is my boyfriend of 3 years. We met junior year of highschool and instantly fell for each other. I followed him to U-Mich as he continued to presume his hockey career. He says I’m his number one cheerleader. And I kinda am. I love to make outrageous signs and go all out for the games. I even purchased season tickets where my seat was right next to the penalty box. Mark didn’t find me as funny as his friends did for doing that, but what can I say? When your boyfriend has over 80 penalty minutes, you expect him to be in the box a lot. Tonight they play Pen State at home. It’s nearing the end of the regular season, so emotions are running high. Our boys need to keep winning. And that’s what they plan to do.

I am stopped at a red light when all of sudden I hear a screech. I quickly turn my head to be met with the sight of a 18 wheeler flipping on the road. I’m frozen. I can’t move. The truck looks like it’s flying in slow motion and it’s coming straight for me. I instinctively protect my head. The truck hits the roof of my car and I sink down into the seat. Something knocks my head, and then my vision goes black.

Mark

As the team is just ending our pregame warm ups, Coach calls me into his office. Damn. Please don’t bench me. I already promised to not get anymore penalties. “Mark. Can you sit down for a sec?” I nod and go sit in the leather chair across from his desk. “Mark something has happened. I don’t know the full extent, but I know when I tell you, you’re not going to want to play tonight.” I look at him with a worrisome look, ” What happened?” I say. “ Y/n was in an accident. An 18 wheeler flipped on top of her car. From all I know she’s at the hospital and she’s stable. They couldn’t give me any more information. I’m sorry that’s all I have, but I already talked to Philippe and he’s going to take you, because I don’t want you to drive in your condition.”

I’m in shock. She got in a crash?

Y/n got hurt.

Y/n got hurt.

Y/n got hurt.

That’s the only thought going through my head.

We were talking on the phone less than 2 hours ago. I quickly get out of my head and go to get my stuff. I quickly grab my phone and wallet and go to find Lapointe.

Phil dropped me off at the hospital, he offered to stay but I told him just to go back to the game and I’d keep him updated. As I walk in, I go straight up to the front desk. “Ma‘am I’m looking for a Y/n Y/l/n. I’m her boyfriend. I was told she was in an accident.” I say in a worried manner. The receptionist clicks something on the computer then says,” She’s just down that hall there, room number 1432. I thank her and quickly make my way down the hallway she pointed too. When I open the door, a man in a lab coat says,”You must be y/n’s emergency contact. She was sitting at a red light when a car collided with an 18 wheeler, which caused the 18 wheeler to flip. Luckily it wasn’t going full force towards her, so she has minimalistic injuries. She has a concussion, broken collarbone, and a couple fractured ribs. Other than that she has some cuts and bruises, but nothing too serious. She’s a lucky girl, that’s for sure. She was in fact knocked unconscious at the scene, and is still struggling to gain consciousness. We suspect she has a grade 3 concussion.” I nod and try to process the information. “I am allowed to see her?” I ask still in shock. He opens the door and I see her fast asleep. She has a big bruise on her forehead and a busted lip. I hurry and get by her side. I put her hand in mine and hold it close.

About an hour later, she starts to stir. “Baby, are you awake? I’m here y/n. It’s me Mark. I’m here.” I whisper. Her eyelashes flutter and her beautiful y/c eyes appear. “M-mark. Is that you?”she groans. I grab both her hands into mine and say,” Yes baby. I’m here. Are you feeling better?” She looks at me with a confused expression and says,”What happened? How did I get here?” I tell her all of what happend and at first she’s upset about her car her dad had given her for her 18th birthday, but I told her we would get her another one. All I was worried about was her health. I loved this girl with every bone in my body. And I would spend the rest of my life staying by her side.

The next day, she struggles to move, so I’m helping her do anything she needs. Her body is still bruised and cut. They gave her a cast and she let me sign it first. She says I’m lucky because she’ll be wearing my signature for the next month. We have spent the majority of our time laying with each other and me holding her. There isn’t much she can do so I like to get my phone so she can listen to some of her favorite tv shows.

Y/n

Two weeks later

After I got discharged 9 days ago, I’ve been staying with Mark and his roommates. He insisted that I stay with him, so he could be there if I needed anything. He’s totally been babying me, but honestly I’m not complaining. He’s a real sweetheart when he wants to be. He’s always trying to make sure I’m super comfortable. It the sweetest thing. I am hopelessly in love with this man it isn’t even funny.

“Babe! Can you bring me a Gatorade so I can take my pain killer?” I shout. After a few minutes, I hear loud footsteps coming towards Marks room,” Here. I got you red and yellow. You can pick which one you want. Me and the boys have to head to the rink in 15 minutes, but call me if you need anything. I’ll check my phone at every water break just in case.” I give him a kiss on the cheek and say,” Love you Marky!” He cups my check and gives me a gentle kiss on the lips, while saying,” I love you more that you’ll ever know.”

Then the next day, all of the guys were going to get lunch and Mark refuse to leave me alone. “I wouldn’t be a good caregiver if I left you alone, now would I?” He asked. We ended up just cuddling for the rest of the afternoon. He also made sure to play my favorite songs so I can have somthing to listen to. The hardest part of the whole thing is no screens. Lucky for me I have an AMAZING a boyfriend, who just went to get me some more books from the library.

My car was totaled, so today we are shopping for a new one. Mark wants one he can actually fit in, but when you're a 6 '2 hockey player it’s hard to find cars that fit him that aren’t trucks. “Babe look at this one!” I point at the tahoe in front of us. “Let’s check it out.” Me and Mark both go over to it and we both fall in love with it. We both get in and he says,” you could take all of us to the rink in this! You could be our personal taxi!” I laugh at Mark's comment, then I say,” Or…. You could finally fit in so you could drive me! That way I’m the passenger princess not you!” I say jokingly. “I am not!” He says defensively. I laugh and plant a kiss on his check before going back to checking out the car.

We ended up getting the Tahoe. Mark drove it back so I could return the rental car. He picked me up from the rental place and took us home. On our way home I felt one thing, peace. The past couple weeks have been hectic. With the crash, hockey, and school, I haven’t felt calm in a while. I think I can get used to this.

Me and Mark get back to the apartment, and he helps me to the door. Almost 3 weeks later and I’m still sore. “Come on. I got you.” Mark whispers in my ear. He has been nothing but supportive and caring for the past 3 weeks. I feel bad because I can’t do anything for him in return. “So we have a game today, and yeah I know you can fully get to go, but I got a coach to let me snag you a suit to watch the game. You’ll be in your own quiet room and it’s pretty dark up there so it should be fine for you to come.” I give him a kiss and say,” Now what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t come watch your game? Of course I’ll go! I want to see my baby get some more penalties!” He gives me a serious look while saying,” You better not. If I get anymore penalties I’ll be benched for the rest of the year.” I giggle,” Mark I was just playing around with you. I know you’ll be smart about it.” He pulls me in close to kiss me one last time before leading me to the kitchen so he can make my favorite soup. I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better caretaker. He’s the best there ever was.

[dialovers-translations]

Diabolik Lovers LOST EDEN ー Carla Dark [08]

ー The scene starts in the Ghouls’ manor

Kino: You guys can make yourselves at home in this manor for a while. 

Also, leave the Ghouls up to me, okay? See you.

ー Kino leaves

Shin: ...I’m going to take a quick look around the house.

I’ll choose my own room, is that okay, Nii-san?

Carla: I do not mind. Be my guest.

Shin: Thanks, Nii-san.

ー Shin leaves

Yui: ...I’ll go have a look around as well.

Like it wouldn’t be bad to know what we have to work with in the kitchen and such.

Carla: Yes. 

ー Yui goes to the kitchen

Yui: ...Seems like we’ve got the basic cooking tools covered. There’s ingredients as well. 

I suppose we should be fine for a while with this much to our disposal...

( I don’t know for how long, but we’re going to live here. )

( I honestly did not even fathom we’d end up leaving Banmaden to live at a completely unfamiliar place. )

( Carla-san makes some incredibly rash decisions every now and then... )

( However, that might be characteristic of a King. )

???: Huh? So this is where you’ve been.

Yui: Shin-kun. I thought you were in your room.

Shin: I figured I’d have a drink. ...I mean, I guess I won’t really be able to enjoy it in a place as smelly as this.

Yui: But I believe the stench is much more manageable inside the house.

Shin: Don’t you think you’ve just grown used to it already?

Yui: ...You think so...?

Shin: To be honest, I don’t want to live at this place at all. I can’t wait to return to the Castle. 

But Nii-san’s thinking of taking those Ghouls along with us, right? 

I think he went too far by claiming that he’d protect them. I can’t imagine having to live under the same roof as those Ghouls.

ー Somebody approaches them

???: That is a statement unbefitting of a Founder.

Shin: Nii-san...

Carla: It is a King’s duty to protect his people. 

Shin: Haah!? You’re calling Ghouls our people...For real!?

Why would you go that far for people who don’t even have any magic...!? 

Carla: We are First Bloods. We should stand at the very top of the Demon World. 

All other individuals living in the Demon World aside from us Founders would be considered our people. 

Shin: ...I’m not saying you’re wrong, but...

Carla: Would you not agree that a King should not reign by installing fear in his subjects, but instead gain their trust and be respected instead? 

Shin: ...I feel like that’s a bit of an utopia.

I mean...I get the gist of how you feel about it.

Carla: So you are okay with it? 

Shin: Yeah, sure. As you wish. I can’t exactly go against the King’s orders.

ーー I’ll be going back to my room then. 

Yui: Eh? Um, Shin-kun, I thought you were thirsty...?

Shin: Changed my mind. See you.

ー Shin leaves

Yui: ...

Carla: ...Yui.

Yui: Yes? 

Carla: Do you also believe that I am tackling this the wrong way?

Yui: I mean, Shin-kun’s not really saying you’re wrong or anything...

Carla: His attitude says exactly that though. 

Yui: ...

I’m in no position to judge whether your decision is right or wrong.

However, I do believe that the conditions you are offering are very appealing to the opposing party. 

Now it is up to what they decide, since I have no idea what their actual response will be...

If the other party sees it as something positive, wouldn’t it make it a good deal...?

Carla: ...I see.

It would appear that Shin cannot even allow the idea of letting the Ghouls live alongside us at Banmaden, but how do you feel about that?

Yui: I wouldn’t mind.

Carla: It doesn’t concern you?

Yui: Not particularly.

Carla: ...Heh. You have a very big heart.

Yui: No, I don’t think that’s it.

Carla: Hm?

Yui: I’m not a Demon myself, and this is my first learning about the Ghouls.

Therefore, I have no assumptions or prejudices towards them. That’s all. 

Carla: ...I see. I suppose you could say that you provide a very objective perspective on the matter.

Yui: Fufu, I suppose so.

Carla: To have someone like that by my side. Heh. ...Not bad. 

Yui: ...

( I feel as if his expression softened a little... )

( I’m glad I was able to help him ease up a little. )

Hey...Carla-san.

Carla: Yes? 

Selection

→ Worry about his health

Yui: Please take good care of your health, okay?

Carla: Hmph. Why bring that up all of a sudden?

Yui: No...I can imagine it must not have been easy for you...

Carla: ...You are worried about that? 

Yui: ...Are you upset?

Carla: No. I am not unaware that this is simply part of your personality.

However, worrying too much will have the opposite effect. Understand?

Yui: Y-Yes...

( I suppose he’s trying to tell me to mind my own business... II’ll try to be careful. )

→ Thank him (❦)

Yui: ...Thank you very much.

Carla: Hah. Why are you thaking me all of a sudden? I do not remember doing anything to warrant your gratitude. 

Yui: No, you asked for my opinion. That alone made me very happy.

Carla: ...

Yui: Because I initially assumed that my opinion did not matter.

But you’re taking me into consideration as well...

Carla: ...Hmph. I do believe you are an odd one for getting happy over such a trivial thing. 

I believe I made myself clear from the very start, that I would protect you. 

I would never disregard your opinion. Rest assured.

Yui: ...Okay.

( His words seem even warmer than usual... )

Monologue

From what I’ve heard, Ghouls are the victim of discrimination (差別) in the Demon World,

because they do not possess any magic. 

In which case, Shin-kun’s reaction to the situation,

might only make sense. 

Even though we’ve come here to Rotigenberg,

I have yet to have any proper conversations with the Ghouls. 

That’s why I know close to nothing about them. 

If they were to come to Banmaden,

I hope I can get along with them,

and I simply hope that Carla-san’s wish (望み) can come to fruition. 

Please may this deal go smoothlyーー 

ーー TO BE CONTINUED ーー

[claireelle18]

The Reactions

A/N: These are the reactions of fans meeting their favorite hockey player and the player's significant other. There are 3 players for this one. I am open to writing more - just send a request in!

Ross Colton:

It was a balmy day, that pre-afternoon thunderstorm humidity creating a thick wall outside of any area that could potentially hold air conditioning.

The season ended for the Bolts, but the battle for Lord Stanley continued for other teams. Bogo invited the team over to watch it while having a BBQ. He had asked that a side dish, snacks, or dessert was brought along, which prompted the rushed trip into the local grocery store.

Ross's frame hid her smaller frame as the two decided what to bring to the barbecue. The case of beer held by his side, the other arm wound around her waist. "How about we just bring some hummus and pretzels? We could also bring a box of cookies because we both know the kids would love us forever," he suggested, grabbing the bag of tiny pretzels. She nodded along, starting to walk over to where the cookies were in the bakery.

With their quest for snacks completed, the couple head to check out. She chirped about him not grabbing her some drinks, because 'beer is awful.' He chuckled, went to grab her a case of her own drinks, and return to the long line. That's when a young fan popped up behind them.

"I am so sorry! He just saw you from down the aisle. He's a big fan of yours," the frazzled mom spills.

Sharing a look, Ross turns to the boy. "Nice to meet you...."

"Jason!" A toothy, energetic reply comes. "As mom said, I am a huge fan. I watch everything I can! Can we get a picture, please?"

"Well that's very nice of you, buddy. Absolutely so," he says to him. "Hey hun, do you need my card?" he asks, turning to you.

"No, I've got it," she explained. He turned back to Jason, his mom ready to snap the picture. The two boys pose, large smiles on both faces.

"Who's that?" Jason questioned, peering over towards her.

"That little dude is my girlfriend."

Jason's jaw drops. "She's super pretty!" Hearing Ross chuckle, you turn and give the boy a soft smile and a little wink. "Lucky her! Can she be in the picture too?"

"Nah, I am the lucky one! Only if she wants to be." A set of pleading eyes convinces her to join the picture. The two leave to continue their shopping, and to let the couple get to where they needed to go.

Later that day Ross found the picture of the three, along with the caption, 'Thank you Ross for stopping and taking the time to say hi and to both of you for taking a picture with the little man.'

___________________________________________

Brandon Hagel:

A day spent accidentally burning in the sun, playing tag and soccer, crashing in the waves led to catching a bite to eat at one of the various beach restaurant locations. The Key West styled and painted building invited the couple up to the roof top bar.

Amidst the semi-impromptu sunset dinner date, she notices a girl, who she couldn't decide if was closer to the teens or early twenties, glancing over at their table. He also clocks her on his radar, but continues to focus on his lovely company. "Honey, you're going to need to apply aloe!"

She groans, "Ugh! I swear I had enough sunscreen on, but I can feel that post sunburn feeling already starting to take affect."

He throws a few ice cubes from the bottom of his water glass at her, laughing then starting to hiss like when water hits a burning hot pan. She makes a face at him, sending a glare towards him, as he continues to laugh. "My poor poor little crispy tater tot. We can stop on the way home to make sure we stock up on the sunscreen and aloe," he promises.

The two continue their meal, making the occasional chirps at each other. "Finish watching the sunset, to the store for the promised relief, then home for a shower," she compromises with him. He downs the remainder of his third water cup, reaching to grab the half drank beer. Again he clocks the other girl. Their table had just been cleared from the food baskets, which is when she decides to take her chance.

"You're Brandon Hagel," she states looking at him after approaching the picnic table.

He swallows his drink, "That I am. Can I help you?"

"I think I can help you. I cannot keep my eyes off of you. Can maybe I get your number?" She asks, a small pout to her lips, while she twirls a strand of hair.

"I don't have an issue taking a picture with you, but as you can see I'm here with my girlfriend," he motions toward her. The fan turns toward said girlfriend, eyeing her up and down. "You didn't even acknowledge that she's here. So please be kind to us.”

After she stalks away, he turns to you. “So tots - you ready for that promise relief?” A set of pleading eyes sends the couple off to retrieve the items and take a much needed indoor break.

————————————————————————

Brayden Point:

Her coworkers and begged for a drink after the long day. She agreed, but texted him to join them at the local restaurant. This really would be the first time he meets the entire work family. When he arrives, she disappears to retrieve him. “Team this Brayden. Brayden these are the lovely ladies who help me survive the day.”

“Nice to meet everyone,” he nods.

It takes a bit before Janet, the work team grandma, puts two and two together. The dots connect for her. Brayden had just excused himself for a moment. “Wait wait wait tots! You’re telling me that your boyfriend is Bolts player Brayden Point?! How am I just putting this together?”

She laughs, “Jan, we don’t really put this out on display for everyone. Neither of us want to draw attention to our private life.”

“Right there sweetheart. Never really gets questioned too much honestly. I think poor Bea gets confused as a fan or a friend of one of the other guy’s girl’s more than anything else,” he chuckles sitting down, arm draped around her shoulder.

“I can’t believe you never said anything!” Janet continues. “You’re dating basically a local celebrity!”

“Well you never really asked, and we don’t tell many people. Rather just let them find out on their own,” she shrugs. “We joke that it’s a secret club once people find out about us. So umm…welcome to the club I guess!”

[catboii]

((Not to be majorly ooc on the rp blog but my anxiety is through the roof today and i kinda just need to vent.

I've been back to work for maybe 2 or 3 weeks after taking some time off for my mental health. And upon coming back I've had countless issues with logging in. Multiple systems have either been disabled, locked, or I just forgot a password and it needed resetting but it's not just a case of *change* done.

And yesterday which is a nice quiet day on the phones and I was hoping it would all be sorted so I had a nice intro back on, still not done. One manager said the one single system I had left to fix should be an easy one and he seemed pissed that no one had done it already, but the IT guys closed like half an hour before we figured it out. So I was supposed to go see him when I started today to get it sorted, get back on the phones. Easy! Sorted!

But today. The lift is busted. Worse, they're doing some scheduled* maintenance. So multiple people in charge knew this was happening. I don't like to call myself disabled outside of certain contexts, I prefer "less able-bodied" or something, because physically I can walk, physically I can stand for maybe half an hour if for some reason my life depended on it. But it's the chronic pain and fatigue, the connective tissue issues, random minor dislocating of joints and Ataxia that means I use a walking aid and even with that I'm slow, awkward and off balance, I walk into things like desks and walls, going from sitting to standing I need to steady myself with both hands on something or I'll topple over. On top of that I'm asthmatic and although it's medium risk, it's specifically cold weather and exercise triggered, it's really exacerbated by central heating and air conditioning. I've given myself 3 asthma attacks in the last few months just by existing at home and doing general chores.

I cant do even one set of these stairs. And my desk is on the 2nd floor (that's 2 floors up if anyone is reading this and isn't sure bc i think in the US the "first floor" is our "ground floor" then the first floor up is the "first floor" lol).

I do have a desk set up down here still, in the barely used training area, and normally I would just jump on it and go about my day with no help apart from our work chat I barely get a useful reply from, but I've been off sick for like 3 months. Things have changed that I'm not sure about and if there's a complaint you're supposed to bring it to your manager... I'm way too anxious to even try taking any phone calls right now.

But I'm also being paid for being here with just one system issue that should be easily fixable. If I get called out on it I dunno what to say apart from "if I'm left alone I will break down"...

I'm making myself sick I just. I dunno what to do.

[gently-decaying-flowers]

HEY THIS IS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF MY WIP “The Fall of the Raven”

TW: mental health fuckery, su1c1d3 mentions (please read safely i promise it gets less sad later on)

tagging @niallermybabe bc ik you were interested :]

————————————————————

The Beginning

For once, or the hundredth time, it was in fact a dark and stormy night. The thunder rolled and rumbled in the dark sky, lighting illuminating the Earth for a second before vanishing. Revon listened to the hard pattering of the rain on the roof. Staring out into the night they wondered what they were doing here. A voice called after them but they didn’t hear what it said.

The pain will end. The pain will end. The pain will end. The voice echoed around the walls of their mind. A firm hand gripped their wrist, forcing them to face the figure.

“Excuse me Mx, it’s just- it looks like you’re about to jump. I wanted to make sure everything’s alright.” It was dark enough that Revon felt no need to study the figures' features. The grip on their wrist loosened and they were gently pulled from the ledge. The top level of the parking garage was high enough, they figured.

“Everything’s dandy.” They snapped, tearing their arm back. The figure calmly stepped back.

“Do you have a ride home? Or someone to call? It’s not smart to drive in your condition.” Revon gritted their teeth at the condescending tone. Instinctively their hand flew to their knife, and their knife at the figure’s chest.

“Mind your own damn business and we won’t have any more issues.” They growled. Surprisingly calm, the figure lowered Revon’s knife and cleared their throat.

“Seriously Rey, not your best move.” Upon hearing their nickname the voice of the figure was familiar. Revon groaned.

“Jesus Christ, Lukas. Why are you here?” They put their knife away. Lukas chuckled.

“Well, I’ve been coming here every night. For my own reasons of course but also because this is your fourth suicide attempt in the last month and someone needs to care about you.” He said, smugly. Revon’s jaw clenched up again but they knew better than to draw their knife on Lukas purposefully.

“I don’t need to be cared about. I can handle myself just fine.”

“Not if you’re lying dead in front of the parking garage. Don’t argue with me Rey you’ll never win. Let’s go.” They silently obliged, fists clenched at their sides as they followed Lukas to his car.

“What about my car?” Revon asked, hoping Lukas would realize they drove themself here and let them go. Another tension filled car ride with Lukas was the last thing they needed right now.

“I’ll drop you back here tomorrow morning. You’re coming back with me. Now get in the car.” He passive aggressively opened the passenger door and they angrily plopped down. Lukas started up the car and the vibrations rumbled in Revon’s core. The drive to Lukas’ was familiar, even while the city was blanketed in the dark of night. It didn’t take long to get there but time passed slower in the car.

“Home sweet home!” Lukas sang as they pulled into his driveway. Revon rolled their eyes and slithered to the guest room, slamming the door. Crawling onto the bed, shoes still on, they fell asleep.

A knock came at the door causing Revon to jolt awake. Danger. The person behind the door is dangerous Revon. Grab your weapons. They reached for their knife. Slowly slinking toward the door they assumed their position. The door swung open and Revon thrust the knife at the person behind it. Lukas ducked down and dropped the mug in his hand.

“Good morning to you too, Revon.” He groaned. Revon put their knife back away and stepped back.

“Yeah yeah, just take me back to my car.” They ordered, stepping around him and the mess on the floor.

“Chill dude, now I need to clean up the coffee I so graciously made for you.” Lukas grabbed paper towels and the broom, slowly cleaning up the spill. Revon anxiously tapped their foot, itching to get out and back home. When Lukas finally finished Revon nearly ran to his car.

“What’s the rush hm?” He asked smugly. Revon angrily cracked their neck, trying to avoid another fight with him. It never ended well.

“I just want to get back to my goddamned car okay?” They practically growled.

“Alright whatever dude. Don’t pop that vein in your forehead.” He laughed which made Revon more pissed off. Lukas took everything too seriously but covered it up with a laugh and a joke. The air in the car was thick with anxious anticipation. Lukas slowly circled all the way to the top of the parking garage, parking next to Revon’s car. They leaped out, slamming the door without another word.

Revon drove off, Lukas didn’t follow. They clenched their hands around the steering wheel. It’s a good thing he didn’t try to follow them. Despite his stupid sarcasm and shit attitude Lukas cared a lot about Revon. They knew he really had gone up there every night. He knew them well, and he was genuinely scared for them. It’s not like it’s the first time Revon had gone through a spell like this, it happens a lot actually.

Revon and Lukas met at camp. It was a summer camp for troubled kids. Revon was forced to go by the state after they had been arrested at fourteen. Revon had beat up a kid at school, and ended up breaking their ribs. It punctured the kid's lungs and he died, they didn’t necessarily mean to kill him. Lukas was there for petty theft, going to camp was an alternative to community service once school started. Revon isolated themself and Lukas was appointed by the counselors to talk to them. They hated each other at first but one day Lukas found Revon by the lake, they made a truce after he offered them a cigarette. They never really split up after that.

Before they knew it, Revon was home. Their hands ached from gripping the steering wheel so tight and they cracked their knuckles. Calmly, they walked into the building. Susan, who works the front desk, looked up over her glasses.

“You didn’t come back last night dear, you know I have to alert parole correct?” Revon just grunted in response and stomped up the stairs to their apartment. Their neighbor, Lindsay, was smoking outside in the hall.

“Good going, your officer is already here.” She warned, pointing toward Revon’s door.

“It wasn’t a choice, I was taken.” Revon stated blankly. Lindsay’s eyes went wide.

“Really? What-”

“My… acquaintance. He uh- found me last night and insisted I went with him.” They corrected, not sure why they wanted her to worry.

“Oh, well, don’t get yourself hurt, Revon.” She put her cigarette out on the wall and went back into her apartment. Revon tried to shake the conversation away and unlocked their door. Their parole officer was lounging at their kitchen table.

“Hello there Revon, take a seat and tell me where you were last night.” Revon complied, of all of the parole officers they had, they liked Officer Santez the most. She was scary, took no shit and striked a compelling fear in them.

“I went to the parking garage.” They replied. Santez immediately rubbed her temples in frustration.

“Been taking your meds? I know for a fact you haven’t missed counseling because I take you there myself.”

“Yeah I’ve been taking my meds. Sometimes, the voices win Santez.” They spat. Santez glared at them and they cowered, lowering slightly in their seat. “Lukas found me again, he just didn’t want me driving this time. I was at his place, you can call and ask if you feel so compelled.” Revon said, softly.

“Well, I believe you. Lukas is a good friend, I hope you know how lucky you are to have him.” Officer Santez loosened up, she always likes when Lukas comes up. It’s the one thing Revon hates about her.

“He’s not my friend.”

“Remind me again, how long you’ve known him?”

“Uhm…” Revon counted on their fingers. “Eight years.” They muttered.

“And how many times has he found and saved your life?” Officer Santez asked, rhetorically.

“Every time.” Revon slumped lower in their seat.

“Sounds an awful lot like friendship.”

“I don’t make friends.” Revon rolled their eyes. Friendships meant caring about other people. They lost that ability at a young age.

“What about that poor girl Lindsay next door? Every time I get here she’s anxiously smoking and always asks me if you’re okay.” Santez smirked. Revon stopped, their blood running cold. What? It had to be a lie, no one cares about Revon just like Revon doesn’t care about anyone.

“You’re lying. No one gives a shit.”

“Well this is running in circles and I don’t have time for this shit. You didn’t die or break any laws so my work here is done. Take care of yourself Revon, soon you may not have anyone who will do that for you.” With that, Officer Santez left. Revon heaved a sigh of relief. Things always got all mushy gushy and they weren’t in the mood for that today.

Their day was as usual, they sat around until dinner time, ate a half assed meal, showered and went to bed. Laying in the dark of their bedroom Revon’s mind wouldn’t quiet down.

All of what Officer Santez said this morning is true Revon. Lukas and Lindsay both care for you. What would they do if you killed yourself? Lukas wouldn’t be able to live with himself, Lindsay would probably start drinking and ruin her sobriety streak. It would be all your fault. You’re so selfish.

Unable to fall asleep with the never ending guilt trip in their head, Revon stepped onto their balcony. Next door, Lindsay was smoking.

“Evening.” She muttered to them.

“Why do you smoke?” They asked bluntly. Lindsay exhaled a puff of smoke out of her mouth slowly.

“It’s a good stress reliever. Want one?” She reached over the balcony, Revon took it and lit it with the lighter they left next to the door.

“Officer Santez was all mushy again today.” Revon sighed. Lindsay chuckled.

“What now?” She was used to Revon’s late night shenanigans by this point, they’ve been neighbors for four years. Revon hesitated, not sure how much of the conversation to share. They realized they don’t actually care.

“Oh the usual, how lucky I am to have Lukas as a friend. She did have more to say though. I tried to convince her I don’t have friends but she told me I do. Not only Lukas who has been there to save my life every time for eight years but also…you.” At that, Lindsay raised her eyebrow and lit another cigarette.

“Why does she say that?” Her hand seemed to be a bit shaky but Revon didn’t care to question it.

“Apparently every morning she’s had to check in, you’re out in the hall, stress smoking and asks where I am and if I’m okay.” Revon looked over and Lindsay let out an exasperated puff of smoke.

“Well yeah Revon, suicides are hella common here and I never know if you’ve actually done it. I know you like to think you’re this stone cold bitch. Don’t get me wrong, you totally are but that doesn’t take away the imprint you leave on other people. I’ve been here, talking to you for four fucking years. I can’t imagine how horrible it is for Lukas either, he’s known you longer. Despite how much you hate it, people care about you, Revon.” Silence followed. Lindsay catching her breath and Revon processing what they just heard.

“No. No one can care about me. I don’t care about anyone else, that means no one can care back. Why care about someone who doesn’t care about you?” Revon said finally. Lindsay scoffed.

“Sometimes our brains are fucked up. Love isn’t conditional.” With that Lindsay left. She never leaves first. No one’s ever told Revon they loved them. Lindsay didn’t either, she really just made a statement poorly timed for the context of the conversation. Revon looked down at their phone, shaking slightly in their hand. They made a decision.

[kittzuxp]

I made this weird ass fic about my head cannon,, (twomp) uhh if you wanna read it it's under the cut

Argos meets Mr.plant's brother.

A day in the life of Argos.

Argos and Mr.Plant were sitting on the couch watching whatever the telly was playing when Argos noticed Mr plant taking a piece of paper and scribbling something with a black sharpie.

Then he lifted the piece of paper,

"Can u meet my brother?" Was written with bad handwriting, after all, Mr plant didn't know how to write very well.

Argos tilted his head and clasped his hands together,

"Aww, of course we can go!" He said in his usual high-pitched voice.

Mr plant then quickly rushed to get  his bag. Argos just took his mail-carrying bag since it was the only one he had and stuffed it with some snacks. Biscuits, crackers and some basic sandwiches he quickly made just in case.

After they were both done they got in the car and Mr plant started driving.

~~

After a while, Argos noticed instead of the familiar seemingly endless rows of houses,  they were in an empty wasteland. With withered bushes and dead trees here and there. He thought he might have seen 2 or 3 houses on the way too, but wasn't sure.

He thought talking would be a good idea.

"Wow, your brother lives here?" He exclaimed trying to make a conversation.

Mr plant stayed silent which made Argos think he was ignoring him, but then remembered that Mr plant could only communicate with him through ASL, writing, or just by seeing his expression. And he could do none of those.

"Right. You can't talk and drive."

. . .

"This place sure is empty, not like the void."

. . .

He then realized it would take him nowhere, so he just stopped talking throughout the road trip to Mr plant's brother.

~~

Some time later the car stopped outside of a bunch of dead trees and a seemingly abandoned house in the distance.

As they walked closer to the house, Argos saw it better and realized it was in pretty bad condition. The walls were a bit cracked, the paint had ripped off in large areas, the roof looked as if some bricks were missing and the rectangular windows at the front were 'sealed' up with wooden planks. The door wasn't in good condition either. The hinges seemed too tight or too loose, the paint had chipped off, there was no door handle but an empty spot where it should have been and a small triangular chunk at the bottom of the door was missing.

The house was definitely abandoned... By Argos' standards at least...

"Umm, Mr plant... Are you sure this is the place? It doesn't look very ... Well, livable..." He muttered but then immediately Mr plant shot an angry glance at him and frowned.

Argos suddenly lowered his head and smiled awkwardly.

"You're right. I should meet him first before I judge..." He muttered again.

Mr plant stepped forward and knocked at the door 3 perfectly timed times .

Tok.

Tok.

Tok.

He resumed his previous spot right next to Argos and waited.

a sudden sound startled Argos.

Creeeeeeeekkkkkkkk....

The door seemingly opened on its own, a saturated green hand with 3 unnaturally long fingers appeared and hovered over the door, until it grabbed the door as firmly as it could (without a thumb and only 3 fingers). A big eye opened in the darkness that the door had opened to. Their retina was slightly yellow and their pupil was shirked to the size of a pea.

A dry, croaky and seemingly British voice spoke,

"he.... hello?" The voice said and immediately cut off itself. They backed up and opened the door fully.

A bald green 'person' with a weirdly familiar green sweater and red irises. They were smiling pathetically and had little hairs poking from the top of their hands, which were neatly stacked one on top of another, the unnaturally long fingers hanging limply.

"Ah...hello brother." The person said in their croaky, dry voice.

Argos wasn't as freaked out by their appearance as one would expect, after all, he had seen people who looked worse than this at the void. And he didn't have any weird questions about how they looked nothing alike, because Mr plant had explained to him that they were not blood related at all, and in Fact had chosen that they felt more comfortable as brothers.

"Is this your partner? They seem very lovely!" Mr plant's brother asked while tilting his head.

Mr plant quickly smiled  and nodded a couple of times. Then Argos replied, smiling too,

"This is he! My name is Argos!"

"How delightful! I am salad, fingers!" He said and smiled cheerfully while putting his hands on his cheeks.

"Please, c-come inside Kenneth!" He smiled again, showing pairs of yellow, rotten teeth Argos didn't seem to notice before.

Argos was also weirded out by the name change, 'why did he call you Kenneth?' Argos signed at Mr plant, only for Mr plant to smile and sign,

'His younger brother, Kenneth died during war. He has PTSD about that era, don't worry about it though.'

"Ah, how I wish I could understand your blokes' weird hand dancing." Salad fingers Interrupted and escorted them inside, Argos saw a hook with a top hat made out of flesh hanging and a skeleton under, then a shelf with a miniature horse and a small mirror.

They drank tea and chatted until late at night, when Argos and Mr plant had to go back to the void.

[inkribbon796]

Egotober 2023 Day 7: The Little Things

Summary: Ethan wants to be a hero, he wants it more than anything else in the world. And Silver is terrified when he won’t take no for an answer.

Prompt: Leaf/Leaves

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31

Ever since Ethan was little he could remember the heroes. They had a team in his own home city. When he was five his mom moved him and his brother into Egoton.

He saw Silver flying around and even doing aerial tricks. And as a young gymnast, Ethan thought it was the coolest thing in the world.

It was all he wanted, and now literally the only thing standing in his way was Silver himself. Someone who seemed to believe that Ethan should do anything but be a hero. And literally everyone in the Coalition seemed to be making Syndrome jokes, and that was only making Ethan want it even more.

Dark even seemed to be under the impression that not only was Ethan working with Silver, but was his kid or at least a younger brother. And anyone who saw Ethan, at least in costume, was to chase him out of the area. Or if Dark was in the area to bring the “child hero” to him.

On one particular slow Saturday, Ethan was wandering around town, trying to find things to do. He was crunching any leaves he could see on the ground, some gave what he was looking for, others were disappointed. He was minding his own business, trying to keep an eye out for Dark’s enforcers, when Silver flew in.

“Fuck off,” Ethan said, trying to sound bigger and tougher than he felt.

“Let’s talk,” Silver said. He was holding out a baggie. “Your mom mentioned you were allergic to peanuts, before you ask. It’s safe.”

That disarmed Ethan a bit, so he took the bag as Silver touched down on the ground.

“Talk about what?” Ethan asked, looking at the sandwich inside. It looked like a normal burger.

Silver canted his head to the side. “Somewhere a bit more private, we’re too close to Barnum Park.”

“Park’s a great place to talk,” Ethan said, pointing his thumb in that direction.

“Yeah, just not that park. C’mon, I’ll explain once we get to 5th Street Plaza.” Silver began leading the way, actually walking.

“Can’t you fly?” Ethan asked.

“Yeah, but you can’t, and I could use the exercise,” Silver said and started walking.

Debating for a second, Ethan watched him go before following Silver down five blocks until they got to the plaza. The changing leaves following the whole walk.

Silver asked how school was going and when they got to the plaza Ethan had eaten half of his sandwich and it had yet to cause an allergic reaction.

Besides a free sandwich was a free sandwich.

Instead of sitting down on some random bench, Silver directed Ethan up three flights of stairs to a roof. On the top of the roof was a couple air conditioning units and two benches that were side by side and overlooking the plaza.

“Sometimes we come up here to talk and get a break during patrols.” Silver brushed off some leaves and sat down on one of the benches.

“Okay,” Ethan said and took a seat, sitting around some of the leaves as he eat the rest of his sandwich. “Nice view.”

“It is,” Silver agreed. “Barnum Park is owned by Dark, he’s got spies all over the place in there.”

“Oh,” Ethan said.

Silver nodded. “Yeah, anyways, Bing, Jackie, and I have been talking and you’re in if you want to be.”

“Yeah,” Silver said, a slight sigh in his voice. “Bing and Henrik got apprentices behind my back and it’s not fair that they got in and you don’t. Even if all three of you should get kicked.”

“When did that happen?” Ethan asked, excitement bubbling up inside of him.

“One of them happened a couple of days ago, and the Septics have been sitting on theirs for a couple weeks. They're both seventeen."

“This is awesome!” Ethan shouted.

Silver held up a finger. “Wait a minute, we’ve gotta set some ground rules, first.”

“Sure, whatever.” Ethan could help but grin.

“No, not whatever, you break the rules, you’re either off the team or suspended.”

Ethan sat back down, unable to stop his legs from bouncing.

“First, you don’t tell a soul. Your parents will know, but that’s it. I don’t care if you think you can trust your best friend with your life, they can’t know. Your grandparents, siblings, cousins, they can’t know. For any reason. You keep pretending like the only thing you want to do is be a superhero and I keep saying no. But don’t overdo it.”

“Okay.”

Silver stood up and pointed to his spot on the bench. “Sit here, it’s got a better view. Jackie always takes it first.”

Ethan quickly took the spot and Silver moved to the spot on the bench where Ethan had been.

“First thing’s first,” Silver said. “You picked a hero name yet?”

“Blank or Crank,” Ethan smiled at him.

“You picked one yet?” Silver asked.

“Blank,” Ethan said, “cause invisible.”

“How does it work?” Silver asked. “You use it often?”

“Sometimes,” Ethan said, which sounded like a lie and Mark wished that Ethan could see his face. “Anyways, I just concentrate and I turn completely invisible. It used to just be me, and my clothes wouldn’t go, but now I can do it with anything I’m wearing or holding.”

Silver leaned forward. “Really, anything you’re holding?”

“Well, the more things I hold the more I have to concentrate,” Ethan said. “Heavy stuff takes a while. And if someone taps me I tend to come out of it real easy.”

“Neat power, how long have you had it?” Silver asked.

“Maybe a year,” Ethan said. “I don’t know when it first started, and it took a while to figure out how to control it.”

“You’ll learn more, after we talk to your folks, you’ll be working directly under me, and we’ll make sure you know how to use those powers better. Just make sure you’re not stealing anything or peeking in the girl’s restroom okay?”

“Hey, I only have stolen one candy bar, I’ll have you know,” Ethan said.

“At least you’re honest,” Silver said, laughing a little. “We’ll get you a better outfit too. Can’t have you running around in sweatpants. And you’ll get to meet the other two apprentices: Logic and Stripes.”

“Awesome,” Ethan looked out over the plaza with a huge smile.

He was finally getting everything he wanted and he was so excited he could hardly stand it.

[unitedbydevils]

A dressing room leakier than Old Trafford's roof: why fans must ignore the nonsense

Another day of drama for Manchester United. Another day of ridiculous media coverage because guess which club has the biggest news pull.. that's right, it's the (temporarily not so) mighty reds.

Unity is needed to fix our poor form, but I think an inquisition is needed to root out the leakers because it's boring. Years of shit being passed out from Carrington like it's a paper note in a classroom. Grow up.

Does Erik Ten Hag have favourites? Perhaps. Does this mean you should down tools? Absolutely not. The attitude here forgets several things:

You are an asset in of yourself. If you give up, other teams notice. This will lessen your value for a sale.

It also reduces your personal growth as a player. 6 months of not trying might have been the period where you level up your skill set and playstyle.

Football is a game of small margins. Anything less than your best could be the difference between a salvaged point and a painful defeat.

The rumoured leakers are obvious: Sancho, Maguire, McTominay, and maybe Donny Van de Beek (I doubt this last one). Henderson was also rumoured to be leaking before, as was Eric Bailly. Disgruntled players are the obvious suspects, and normally it's correct.

Roy Keane, seen here on Sky Sports, has the right take: players are failing to take responsibility for their poor performances, and are giving up too easily. Could ETH make better subs or quicker tactical changes? Sure. But it's his second season, having finished 3rd, won the League Cup, and reached the FA Cup final, all with Weghorst up front for crying out loud. Give the man a chance, believe in his plans. We can't keep cycling through managers. United will just be a graveyard for talent and a money pit.

The latest 'leak' or drama is about David De Gea's departure. People have short memories. He was a good goalkeeper, and kept United alive for many shitty seasons, but his last few years saw his shot stopping - the star attribute - fall off in terms of stats and success. This is an issue. Onana is a solid replacement for the keeping metrics, but with great feet to help play out from the back.

Our current form isn't derived from Onana playing badly. It's derived from an injured Varane showing the gulf of skill between him and Lindelof, and how important Varane is to getting the best out of Lissandro Martinez. Hence the need for Kim Min Jae in the summer.

Beyond that, Eriksen starting games at 31 with a heart condition. What the fuck. Casemiro looks overweight and slow and needs to be eased in to the season. Last year he played more games in the season than he EVER did at Madrid. Ever. They're playing though because Mount, Amrabat, Mainoo are all injured. All three would be playing if they were fit. They might all feature tomorrow versus Burnley, and they'll make a huge difference going forward.

The media is to blame as much as the players though. The Daily Mail published an article about Onana dropping his car keys. How is that journalism? The same goes for Samuel Luckhurst, seen above. There's a lot of stirring the pot to cause drama, to generate clicks.

The reality is that people shouldn't be taking the Manchester Evening News (M.E.N) seriously because they're clickbait these days. The death of local/regional news; clamouring for clicks and views rather than offering actual substance and building loyalty and respect.

United are in a rough spot, and perhaps this poor start means we fail to make the top 4 this season, but if - in the grand scheme of things - Ten Hag gets United playing the way he wants to then so be it. I want us fixed, and I'm willing to back this manager to get it done. If everyone was pulling the same way, trying, and it just wasn't working then fair dos, Erik might not be the man, but no. He hasn't had his preferred first XI. He hasn't had players properly trying. He's had issues with leaks, player insubordination, scandals off the field, and the takeover farse.

There are better managers, but I guarantee they cannot be arsed with United and the Glazers. Lets get behind Ten Hag, back his authority, lose the dregs and crybabies, and see what we can achieve with a committed squad of battlers and ballers. Up the reds.

[scullys-scalpel]

THE house

Another short fic. In between s9 and IWTB

Three years have gone by since Mulder and Scully had been on the run. They never stayed in a place for too long, afraid there was still an ongoing search for them.

Finally they caught a break. Skinner phoned Scully to tell her there was no longer a search to worry about and as long as Mulder made no attempt to enter the J.Edgar Hoover building.

This news excited Scully. Over the years she yearned for stability. She wanted to return to medicine, to cook in her own kitchen, and to have a home with Mulder.

“Mulder, Skinner called to say we can stop running” Scully said through a smile with a single tear running down her left cheek.

Mulder had a thousand thoughts running through his head but all he could say was “So is the basement off limits or is that too much of an ask?”

This made Scully chuckle, “Since you mentioned it, that’s the one request the FBI made is that you are not allowed on the premises.”

“I had no intentions of stepping foot on those grounds Scully, I just wanted to see you laugh.”

“You know Mulder I have known about this for a few days and wanted to surprise you. I made an appointment to go look at home that I think would be perfect for the two of us.” Scully said as she pulled Mulder closer to her.

“And I was just getting to like this motel” Mulder said as he placed a soft kiss upon Scully’s lips.”

*A week later they met the realtor at the soon to be known unremarkable house*

“Scully this doesn’t seem like the type of home you would pick out for us.” Mulder said as he drove their SUV up the unpaved driveway.

“Sure it is Mulder,” she said grabbing his hand and placing a kiss.

“Remember when you said if you were to settle down you’d live in a place away from the city, a place where you do not have to lock your doors, no faxes, modems, or cell phones.”

“I can’t believe you remember that Scully,” Mulder said squeezing her hand tighter, a toothy smile on his face.

“I remember Mulder and I want the same thing” Scully says as she releases her seatbelt.

The realtor is waiting for them in the porch, “You’re both really going to love this home. It may need some updating, but with the land it sits on and the size of the home it’s quite a deal.” The realtor says shaking both Mulder and Scully’s hands, introducing themselves.

The home is the perfect size for them. It's white with a roof that appears to be in good condition, and a wrap around porch, perfect reading the paper and drinking coffee.

They enter the home and a flood of emotions runs through them both as they imagine their future life here. They don’t express it verbally but the smiles laid across their faces tell it all.

As they tour the home Mulder finds a room he knows would be perfect for his office, he has already picked the wall the wants to place an I Want To Believe poster. They are both pleased by the sizes of the kitchen, living room, and master bedroom.

There is an extra room located at the top of the stairs they know would be perfect for a child.

Neither of them acknowledge what the other is thinking. They haven’t spoken of William much over the years. The pain and guilt is almost to much to for either one of them to bear.

Sensing the emotions silently flooding out of both of them, Mulder pulls Scully towards him. Placing a kiss on her forehead. “ Scully I think this house is made just for us,” Mulder says trying to distract them both from thoughts about William.

“Me too,” Scully says. “I saw a Catholic Hospital in town. Our Lady of Sorrows, I believe was the name. I would really enjoy practicing medicine again” she tell him.

They both meet up with the realtor downstairs, who was giving them their space to tour the home.

“We would like to make an offer,” Mulder says.