#we got snow last friday and it's mostly melted today but that really put me in a depresso mood for the entire weekend

[misslilli]

Felix Felicis

MSR. AU. PG-13. | tagging @today-in-fic | read on AO3

Chapter 27 - Embarrassments And Evil Plans

[ FM ]

It’s not like I planned it or anything, but on the same day next week, I find myself back outside, walking the streets of Plymouth. Last weekend, snow has finally fallen but it had melted right away, leaving an ugly brown slush in the streets and pools of water on the floors. Somehow, I end up in front of the only Starbucks in town, oh what a coincidence.

I enter the coffee shop a little too exuberant for the wet floor and my dress shoes, so before I can catch myself, I slip in the puddle and fall face first to the floor. It knocks the air right out of me, stupid snow!

“Well well… isn’t it a nice surprise to have a man fall at your feet, in a Starbucks of all places.” I recognize the teasing voice even without looking up, my face burning with embarrassment. When I do look up, I’m faced with a smirking Scully waiting in line for her weekly sugar fix.

“Are you okay?,” she asks between laughs after she helped me up.

“Aside from my wounded ego? Yeah, fine.” I grumble at her laughter, that’s not helping little lady.

“Sorry. Come on, I’ll buy you and your fractured ego some coffee.” We step up to the counter to the eagerly waiting barista.

“Black coffee for Bob.” she says. “Peppermint Mocha, sweet cream foam and an extra shot of espresso for Nancy.” I say.

She hands over her credit card and at the end of the counter, as we wait, she raises an eyebrow at me. “Nancy? Really? Next time, I’m choosing the undercover names!” ‘She said next time!’

“I’m curious about that sugar mixed with more sugar concoction of yours, can I get a sip?” She gives me a ‘Yeah right’ look.

“Nu-huh, you’ve proven youself to be a concoction-snob, you’re not getting a sip.”

“Ouch, there goes my recently mended fractured ego again!”

As if we’ve never been doing anything else, we walk out of Starbucks and turn to head towards the junction where we’ll have to part ways.

“You should really invest in some sensible winter boots, city boy! These are just a safety hazard!” I burn my tongue on my coffee with a hiss.

“That won’t go well with the GQ cover look I’m going for, to be honest.”

“Well, maybe you should consider modeling for Land’s End if you don’t want to kill yourself in the winter that’s about to come!”

When she almost slips herself in her high-heeled boots, I offer her my arm. “Maybe you should start by taking your own advice, being on the Vogue side of the shoe department yourself!”

“I need all the height I can get, otherwise I won’t be able to see across the Starbucks counter.” I chuckle, taking another sip, my tongue still burning.

“Sooo how has your week been so far?” She goes on to tell me stories about her kids at school and the girls, then I tell her about my new case, as much as I’m allowed to, anyway. I also tell her about how my mother, while very helpful, is slowly driving me up the wall.

Skirting the fine line between friends and flirting, we never actually talk about what we are to each other now. I’m just glad we’re on speaking terms again and enjoy her company. Also, I’d rather chew my own arm off before I put myself into the friend zone voluntarily. We don’t arrange to meet anywhere else, like on a date - that would be like pouring gasoline over the line and setting the damn thing on fire.

We part ways with a short hug and head off in different directions, the coffee and something else warming us up from the inside.

—————

[ Teena ]

Over the course of the past few weeks, I’ve seen quite an improvement happening with my son, he’s not obsessing over work anymore and he seems to be getting better. Why, I can’t say, maybe it’s therapy, maybe it’s me taking care of him, maybe it’s something entirely different, like what’s happening during his walks on Tuesdays he keeps insisting on.

Either way, I’m glad that he’s doing better, I hate seeing him hurting.

Felix and I are spending a lot of quality time together and I marvel at the amazing child he’s become, despite his history. His mother is a piece of work in itself, she’s late every single time she picks him up from school, and this week, of course she does it again.

The call from Principal Skinner comes on the landline and I happen to be the one who takes it, which is how I found out about this situation in the first place. Felix doesn’t like to talk about it and, knowing my opinion of his ex-wife, Fox avoids talking to me about her like the plague.

The weekend passes, we talk, we cook, we laugh, we reminisce about the old days and I can’t wait for Sunday evening, when Felix returns with his mother.

She sends him into the house without coming in, which is rude in its own way, so I leave the two boys to themselves and step out of the house. “Diana, a word please.”

She’s surprised to see me there and I wonder if she talks to her son at all during those weekends because if she did, I’m sure he’d mention that I’m staying at their house for a while.

“I heard that you were late for pick-up again this Friday.” The defiant look she gives me is not new, I’ve seen it a thousand times when I tell her how I feel about her parenting abilities. She doesn’t think I have a say in the matter, but I’ve raised two children and I’m fiercely protective of them as well as my grandson.

“And…?,” she has the audacity to ask.

“It’s disrespectful to your child and his needs that you don’t seem to care enough to be on time. We’d appreciate it if you made an effort to be on time from now on. Goodnight.” Not waiting for a reply, I close the door in her face. I’ve said all I had to say.

—————

[ Felix ]

“… and a partrige in a pear treeee.” We finish singing all thousand verses of The 12 days of Christmas just before the bell rings for recess, proud that we mostly got it right. It’s really hard!

Sitting in my designated spot on the teacher’s bench, I take my chance of talking to Miss Anderson alone while Miss Scully is settling yet another fight between her kids on the playground.

“Hey Miss Anderson, can I ask you a favor?”

“Sure Felix, what’s up?”

“It’s about the trip to the Chocolate Factory on the last Thursday before Christmas. My dad’s coming on it too to chaperone and I was wondering if you could maybe put him with another group? I know it’s not very nice but I don’t want him to ruin my good reputation. He’s such a dork!” The last part I stage-whisper, to the laugh of Mrs. Anderson.

“It’s not very nice, no, but I get it, it’s no fun if your parents come on school trips. I’ll see what I can do, alright?”

An idea has formed in my head since the day dad told me he’d be coming on the school trip, an evil genius idea. I hope Miss Anderson will go along with it.

Feigning nonchalance, I swing my legs, pretending that this idea just popped into my head right now. This is the most important part in my evil plan so I need to get it right.

“Soooo… maybe we could put him with the fourth grade kids? They’re randy and loud and they fight so much, I think they need someone like dad to keep them in line!” That’ll teach him not to come on school trips anymore, hee hee.

Why Miss Anderson looks at me with surprise, I have no idea, but she agrees. Yes! My evil plan has been set in motion.

[mamabearcat]

First Impressions

Yesterday, I reblogged this long post that gave heaps of examples of people being nice humans to each other, despite their outward appearance. And the last paragraph, where a girl with a cold goes to convenience store and has a chat to a friendly giant of a man, just struck a chord. And then this inukag oneshot happened.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kagome cracked open one eye, clutching the blanket tighter around her as she shivered. She really shouldn’t be surprised. All day yesterday she’d been feeling like crap. She’d put it down to the stress of moving into a new place, but nope. She had a cold. And probably not just a sniffle considering she was both shivering and sweating. She swallowed, then wished she hadn’t – it felt like she had a golf ball lodged in her throat. A golf ball covered in broken glass, serrated knives and acid.

“Sangoooo?” she moaned pitifully, not wanting to move from her balled-up position under the covers. No answer. Then she remembered. Sango had gone out last night, after failing to coax Kagome to come out and meet her friends for their regular Friday night drinks at the pub. Kagome had taken a rain check, feeling exhausted after moving all her stuff into Sango’s apartment and had just wanted an early night.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t heard Sango come in last night. Surely, she should be back home by now? She pushed one arm out of her blanket cocoon, patting the bedside table to find her phone with shaky fingers, then pulled it back inside, squinting at the brightness of the small screen with scratchy dry eyes.

She had three missed texts from Sango.

Kagomeee! If you change your mind hon, we’re at the pub a couple of blocks down – Three Blind Mice. Come out and drink with us! Me and ma boys! We gotta celebrate you moving in! Don’t be a party pooper!

Are you coming?! C’mon, we’re going dancing! You love to dance!

Gon crash at Mirokuuus. Bit tipssdfy. lOve ouup Kagsssss xxxxxxxxxdsklfsx

Kagome snorted. On the upside, it looked like she wouldn’t be the only one feeling like crap this morning. On the downside, it meant she had to fend for herself. She lay there feeling pathetic. Tried whimpering a little to see if it made her feel better. It didn’t. She wished that a glass of water would miraculously appear on her bedside table, complete with flu medication and a box of tissues. It didn’t. She tried engaging her usually happy go lucky personality. C’mon Kagome! Buck up, it’s just a virus. You’re not actually dying. Lots of people have it worse off than you… probably.

Finally, she dragged her sorry self out of bed, shivering as her feet met the cold wooden floor. Note to self. Buy slippers. She had no idea where any medicine she owned might be in her half-unpacked boxes of possessions, so she dragged herself into the bathroom and opened the mirrored cabinet to see if Sango had any. Lots of eyeshadow. Eye make up remover. Some nail polish that looked like it had gone a bit clumpy. Some bedraggled looking fake eyelashes that had seen better days. But no medication. Not even a cough drop. Note to self. Buy the entire contents of a pharmacy.

She shut the door of the cabinet and recoiled at her own reflection. Gah, she looked disgusting. Her face looked deathly pale framed by her blue-black hair, which seemed to look greasy and lank, even though she’d washed it yesterday. Nose and ears bright red. Blue eyes now watery. Even her lips looked chapped.

“Uuuungh”, she moaned, and wished she hadn’t as the demon that had taken up residence in her throat commenced merrily stabbing her with a pitchfork without restraint. She leaned her head forward on the cabinet with a dull thud. There was nothing for it. She was going to have to go outside and engage in conversation with actual people to buy something to make her feel human. Dammit.

Trudging through the snow wearing her only pair of tracksuit pants, her only pair of boots, nearly every shirt she owned and Sango’s puffy jacket that she’d pilfered from the hall closet, Kagome was bitterly regretting her decision to move to New York from California in late autumn. Who does that? Her joy at finally being able to move in with her best friend Sango after securing the job of her dreams in New York was definitely being overshadowed by her physical misery at the moment. Her shivers were reaching the proportion of actual earthquake tremors, and the cold air was making her throat feel even worse. She hunched her shoulders against the cold wind, both hands shoved in the pockets in an attempt at keeping them warm. Note to self. Buy a woolly hat. And gloves. And a scarf. A trickle of dampness invaded her suede boots, which were very cute, but obviously not waterproof. And new boots.

A small eddy of frozen air whistled around her, the cold breeze managing to poke it’s frozen fingers down the back of her neck. She whimpered, and then made a determined face. C’mon Kagome. Think of the pioneers. They didn’t have puffy jackets, and they survived. Mostly. She’d been walking for twenty minutes and she still hadn’t found somewhere that sold over the counter cold medicine. Now she’d settle for just Tylenol, anything to dull the pain in her throat and the increasing thump in her head.

She spotted a convenience store on the corner and decided this was it. Whatever they had would be good enough until Sango got home. She shuffled in the door, scrubbing the snow off her boots on the mat and swiftly closing the door behind her. She could have wept in relief. It was warm in here.

Her ears were burning with the cold, and she wished she’d had the sense to buy more cold weather clothes before she moved. She was pretty sure her boots were going to be ruined, her socks were soggy and freezing. It was only mid-November, she didn’t think it would be snowing already, but apparently according to the weatherman, she’d moved in the middle of some freak early cold front. Figures.

Rubbing her ears gently to try and defrost them, she walked over to the shelves that had looked like they had medication stocked on them, glancing at the guy standing behind the counter. She stopped. Wow.

He was tall, really tall. And muscular. The red flannel shirt he was wearing did nothing to disguise the width of his shoulders. But what really made him stand out was the long silver hair, pulled back at the nape of his neck. And… omg, were they puppy ears?! Kagome nearly squeaked. She’d only met a few demons in San Diego where she’d previously lived, mostly ones that had an affinity with water, seeing there were so many jobs available that centred around the fishing industry. She’d never seen anyone like him before. One pointed white ear twitched, obviously listening. Gah, so cute!

Kagome realised she had been blatantly staring when he turned his piercing amber eyes her way, his expression a little stern, and she quickly whipped her gaze to the shelves in front of her, cheeks burning with more than the cold. Focus Kagome! Don’t bother the nice demon. So what if he’s the most spectacularly beautiful person you’ve ever seen. She picked up some Tylenol, then grabbed a basket and trailed around the little store. There wasn’t a huge amount to choose from, but she added a couple of bottles of Gatorade. That would have to do.

She approached the counter with some trepidation. At 5’2”, she knew she wasn’t the tallest person around, but next to this guy she felt miniscule. A tiny pathetic, wet kitten sized ball of sickness. He was leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed and arms crossed, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but this convenience store, and she couldn’t really blame him. She’d done her time working in customer service and it sucked. She quietly put her items down on the counter.

“Um, excuse me?” Ouch. She almost whimpered at the ripping feeling in her throat as she spoke.

He turned towards her, uncrossing his arms, his amber eyes almost seeming to possess their own glow.

“Hey, you okay? You really don’t sound so good.” His voice was like melted honey, a rich baritone, and the gaze of those golden eyes was focused directly on her. A double whammy that had Kagome feeling a little weak in the knees. Usually she would have brushed off a stranger with a bland ‘I’m fine’, but something about that voice and the concern in those amber eyes made her tell the truth.

“Not so good. I woke up with a sore throat; I think I’m coming down with the flu.”

He looked her over and Kagome felt like a deer caught in the headlights, mesmerised. Like she’d accidentally come in contact with some ancient demigod doing his best to blend into modern society by wearing a flannel shirt and jeans and failing miserably because he was just too goddamned beautiful. She tried to get her shivering under control, so she didn’t look quite as pathetic as she felt, but that seemed to make it even worse.

“Have you eaten anything today?”

Kagome shook her head, unwilling at this point to speak and risk more punishment from her throat. His throat rumbled; it was an obvious reproach, a resonating grumbling growl that woke up tiny butterflies in Kagome’s insides.

“You need to eat if you’re sick. Would ya like a chicken sandwich? They’re warm, and they’re pretty delicious.”

Kagome’s stomach spoke for her as if on cue, and he grinned at her, a sharp fang poking over his lip, the golden eyes squinting in amusement. Her cheeks heated even more, and the butterflies turned somersaults in her stomach and woke up their friends.

“I guess that’s a yes then.”

Kagome nodded again, gripping the edge of the counter for support. She wasn’t sure if it was the flu or the aura of the man in front of her, but she was feeling a little light-headed. She watched as he carefully wrapped up the hot chicken sandwich and scanned her other items, placing them all gently in a bag, handing it to her after she’d paid.

“You be careful out there, okay? The slush on the corners can be really slippery after it’s stopped snowing. Have you got far to walk?”

Kagome shrugged. “Not too far”, she tried to say, but all that came out was a creaky whisper. Great, now her voice was disappearing altogether. She swallowed with an effort. “Thankyou.”

She opened the door and stepped back out into the cold, and the wind seemed to cut into her like a knife. She smothered a small whimper and began trudging away from the store, hunching her shoulders in an effort to keep the small amount of warmth leftover from being inside still had safe, when a sudden hand on her shoulder made her freeze.

She turned, only to see the dog-eared demon from the store. With a bright red woollen beanie in his hands. Which he suddenly plonked down on her head.

“Ya know, only an idiot would be going out in out in weather like this without a hat, especially if they’re sick”, he said conversationally, tugging down the edges to make sure her ears were covered.

Kagome stared at him open mouthed.

“Either you’re an idiot, or you’re delirious. Which is it?” He placed a hand on her forehead, checking her temperature. “Dammit, girl, you’re burnin’ up! I was just jokin’ with the delirious crack, but maybe you really are!” He stared at her seriously for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. He poked his head into the store, hollered that he was leaving for the day, grabbing a jacket and a scarf that was near the front door, then walked back to her side.

“C’mon, I’m walkin’ you home”, he said, shrugging on the jacket. “You said you didn’t have far to walk, right? Can’t be good for business to lose a local customer.”

Kagome looked at him uncertainly. He certainly didn’t look like a serial killer, but she got the impression that most serial killers didn’t go about announcing their intentions either. And he’d seen that she didn’t have much money – she’d dumped the fistful of change on the counter when she’d bought stuff, with only a dollar or two to spare. What if he were some kind of pervert?

While she was trying to make a decision, he commenced winding the scarf around her neck gently, tucking the ends in her jacket. He must have noticed the hesitation in her gaze, because he took a step backwards out of her personal space.

“Hey, I promise I’m not tryin’ to take advantage of ya. I’m not that kinda guy. And even if I was, which I promise I ain’t, you really look terrible at the moment.”

Kagome glared at him. That may be true, but he didn’t have to be an asshole and actually tell her. She was tempted to rip of the scarf and hat and stomp home, but her ears had only just begun to thaw out. And to tell the truth, she was feeling so ill that she was actually beginning to wonder if she would actually make it home, stomping or otherwise.

The dog demon clicked his fingers, and Kagome noticed the long pointed nails at the ends of his fingers. “I know. What if I call a friend of mine? To vouch for me. She’s the type a girl to tell it to you straight.” He dug into his jeans pocket and pulled out a phone and dialled a number.

“Hey Sango”. Kagome’s eyes rounded in surprise as she watched him speak on the phone. He sniggered. “You sound terrible… Yeah sorry to wake you. Actually no I’m not… That’s what you get for listenin’ to Miroku – I thought you were smart. Anyway, I want you to speak to a girl I’m gonna walk home, let her know I’m trustworthy… Shut. Up. Not like that! Okay, thanks… wait, what? Oh, I dunno, guess I’d better ask huh?”

He turned to Kagome. “Sorry, just realised that I never asked your name.” He bent his head down so he’d be able to hear her soft voice over the wind whistling around them in the narrow street.

“It’s Kagome”, she whispered, almost giggling as the demon’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Wait, you’re Kagome?! Sango’s new flatmate?” Kagome nodded, shivering violently as another breeze whistled around the corner, and he the golden eyes narrowed in concern. “Shit, we’d better get you outta the wind and home before you get any sicker.” He turned his attention back to Sango on the phone. “Hey Sango, it’s Kagome. She’s actually sick, she’s lost her voice – I was gonna walk her home because she looks terrible. Can you talk to her, let her know I’m okay?”

He handed the phone to Kagome. “Here, listen to Sango for a sec.”

“Kagome?” said Sango, “is that you?” Kagome made an incoherent creaking sound. “Oh, hon I’m so sorry you’re not well and I wasn’t there this morning. Listen, let Inuyasha walk you home. He’s one of my best friends – you would have met him last night if you’d come out with us. He may look grumpy, but he’s just got resting bitch face – he’s actually a sweetheart when you get to know him. I’m gonna have a shower here and I’ll be home in an hour or two, okay? Love you!”

Kagome handed back the phone. “What the hell Sango? Resting bitch face?” he grumbled into the phone. “Yeah right, sure, when hell freezes over. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. See ya later.”

The walk home ended up being a bit of a blur to Kagome. She was sure she was actually leaning on Inuyasha at one point, and he may have piggy backed her up the stairs. They finally made it back to the apartment, and after he’d taken the key from her shaking fingers and opened the door, he insisted she take some Tylenol straight away and have a shower to try and warm up.

The warm water burned at first against her frozen skin, but finally she managed to thaw out. The medication must have started working because the thumping in her head had decreased from kettle drum sized down to a small set of bongos, and her shivering had almost stopped.

When she tottered back out to the lounge room, dressed in her pj’s and thick socks with her quilt wrapped around her, dragging on the floor behind her like a royal train, she found Inuyasha waiting with two bowls of instant ramen.

“Hey Kagome.” He examined her carefully, then smiled, holding out a bowl to her. “You’re actually lookin’ a little better, but you still need to eat somethin’. I put your chicken sandwich in the fridge for later, but I thought this might be a little easier on your throat. If you can’t eat the noodles, at least drink the broth.”

Kagome plonked herself down on the sofa across from Inuyasha and reached out for the bowl and chopsticks, breathing in the steam and wrapping her hands around the warm of the bowl. She smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks Inuyasha”, she whispered. “How did you know that I love instant ramen. Did Sango tell you?”

Inuyasha shook his head and returned her smile with a toothy grin, picking up his chopsticks and watching as she greedily slurped the noodles from her quilt cocoon. “Nuh, she didn’t. But it looks like you and I are gonna get along just fine.”

[cbraxs]

Warped [Time Warp Trio Fanfiction] - Chapter 10

Snow fell lazily outside of the Olympia diner where Joe, his friends, and Anna gathered to eat greasy fried food and work on homework. Snowflakes hit the window and melted into droplets upon contact, streaming down the glass pane. Outside, everything was washed out like winter itself was sucking the color out of everything with its last breath. The streets of Brooklyn were dead, as if the frigid weather itself was slowing down time, bringing it to a freezing halt.

Joe turned his attention to the blank paper in front of him, chewing on his eraser in thought. “How about,” he cleared his throat then said with extra bravado, “Ladies and Gentlemen of the audience! We are proud to present to you for the first time today the marvelous, mind-blowing, mesmerizing,—”

“Maddeningly mind-numbing…” Anna muttered, her eyes not leaving her book.

Joe was about to say something slick, when Sam cut in, “Hey, I got an idea for you! Now hear me out, why don’t you try working on your homework for a minute?”

“C’mon Sam,” Joe complained. “This is important. The talent show’s a few weeks away.”

“Yeah, and the homework’s due on Friday.”

Joe motioned to Fred, whose eyes were glued his phone screen, his earbuds plugged in his head. “How come you never say anything about him slacking off?”

Sam glanced at Fred and shook his head. “He always slacks off. At this point, I’m learning to accept it.”

“Hey!” Fred protested, pulling the earbud out. Joe was shocked that he could even hear them with his music blasting. “I’m doing my work.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Izzy looking up the answers for you doesn’t count.”

Izzy glanced up from the history textbook and smiled innocently. “It’s okay. I don’t mind helping him.”

“See Sam?” Fred smirked. “She doesn’t mind helping me.”

That did it. They went back and forth; Sam yelled at Fred to do his own research, Fred insisted that he learns better this way and bonked Sam on the forehead with an onion ring, blah blah blah. Joe tuned them out and tapped his temple with his eraser.

The talent show was coming up soon. He and Izzy got the trick down so now the only thing left for them to do was to tighten up their act, pick out their costumes, paint their trick box, finish his script… Okay, so there was a lot left to do, but the talent show was a few weeks away and they were making good progress.

“How about, ‘Prepare to feast your eyes on the—’”

“Is this whole act gonna be you shouting for six minutes,” Anna asked, “or will Izzy get the chance talk, too?”

Hearing her name, Izzy stopped apologizing to Sam and Fred to join their conversation. She smiled shyly and scratched the back of her head. “I don’t think I need to. It’s not that I’m shy—”

She’s so shy, Joe thought.

“—but speaking in front of a crowd is super nerve-wracking. I don’t know how Joe can do it.”

“His big mouth helps.”

Joe stuck his tongue out at Anna, but they both laughed.

“Are you gonna be okay on stage?” Fred asked, ditching his argument with Sam. “The talent show is gonna be more than the three of us… mostly because it’s mandatory.”

“Iz is gonna do great,” Joe said. “Anyway, are there any more comments from the peanut gallery, or can I get some actual input on my script?”

“Script?” Anna snorted. “You got, like, two lines.”

Joe huffed and ignored her. Looks like he’d have to come up with more “m” words by himself.

He considered what Anna asked him. Joe looked at Izzy comparing answers with Sam… then he realized he was staring at her and shot his eyes back down at his paper. Should he give Izzy some lines? Knowing her, she’d agree to it but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

He, Sam, and Fred spent the past few days trying to do the opposite. They’ve studied together after school every day to keep her company and planned to see a movie this weekend (even though there was nothing good out in theaters) in an attempt to distract her from what went down on Monday.

Joe glanced back at Izzy laughing at something Anna said and smiled. At least she wasn’t thinking about what happened on Monday constantly.

~*~

Monday’s events were constantly on Izzy’s mind. Of course she thought about other things, but everything that happened was always spinning around in the back of her mind, never still enough for her to fully processed them.

Even after sharing what happened with her friends it still felt too surreal. She sat at the breakfast bar and fidgeted with her napkin, swinging her legs and avoiding eye contact.

Fred was the first to break the silence. “That’s crazy, man. How does your mom know Mad Jack?”

An excellent question. Izzy would like to know the answer, too. And what about her dad? Did he know? It wouldn’t surprise her.

Sam frowned and rubbed his chin in thought. “I wonder why The Book decided to warp you to that event in your life.”

“Who knows,” Fred said. “The dumb thing does what it wants half the time. Remember where we ended up when I wished we could go on summer vacation a week earlier back in eighth grade?”

Joe shuddered. “I thought we agreed to never talk about that?”

Sam rolled his eyes. “What I meant was why did it warp her to that moment specifically?”

“You have a point.” Joe turned to Izzy. “You said you wished you knew what was going on, remember? You think that’s related to your dad disappearing?”

Izzy shrugged. If so, she couldn’t make sense of it. Did Mad Jack have anything to do with her dad leaving? Even if he did, she was at another dead end. Mad Jack was an evil psycho doing evil psycho things, so her dad went to stop him from eviling psychotically… why? Why did he have to be the one to do it? Her dad wasn’t some kind of time cop.

Reality stung at her. There were a lot of things she didn’t know about her parents. If her mom was a time adventurer, what’s stopping her dad from being a time cop or whatever? If that was the case and was the reason he left, what could Izzy even do? How could she even help? There was one thing she did know, though; it wasn’t enough for her dad to disappear without a trace…

“He doesn’t want me near him,” Izzy said.

“Your dad?” Joe said. “Yeah, his letter said—”

“No, it’s more than that. I think… I think my dad did something, some kind of a spell. When I warped back, I don’t think it was with The Book. It felt like an outside force. And remember how we bounced back mid-warp? I think my dad put a blocking spell on himself so I can’t get to him at all, in any timeline.”

“So it’s magic?” Fred said. “That good right? Can’t you make a counter-spell or something? Undo what he did?”

“I-I don’t know magic that powerful.”

Izzy felt like the world’s lamest witch. She thought she was pretty good with the magic she knew, but levitating balls and phasing through objects wouldn’t be enough to break a spell that strong. This magic was way beyond her abilities. Sure she was able to place that protection spell on Anna and Joe and blast Mad Jack back in Egypt, but those were random magical outburst. Without a teacher, she wouldn’t know how to recreate those spells. Izzy never felt so powerless.

Her parents would tell her there’s no such thing as powerlessness. There was always something you could do within your power. But with all the things they never told her, she didn’t think she could put much stock in their words.

“You think your uncle could break it?” Sam asked Joe, tearing Izzy from her thoughts.

“Maybe,” Joe said. An annoyed edge crept in his voice. “The only problem is he’s impossible to reach.”

Silence washed over them again. Izzy watched her friends try and come up with something to cheer her up, but she was too wrapped up in her thoughts to hear them. They were worried about her and her dad, whom they never even met. Her heart warmed to see how they cared about her and worried with her. She felt touched… and guilty.

She pulled her friends into her situation with her and burdened them with her unsolvable problem. A part of her realized she was being silly. These were her friends, and if any one of them were in her place she’d be doing exactly what they were now. Still… she couldn’t help be feel like a problem. The guilt made her chest tighten.

Izzy sighed heavily, catching their attention. “Right now, there’s not much we can do.”

Her friends looked at her quizzically. She forced a smile. “We tried everything we could, right? There’s nothing else left to do. Thanks again for trying to use The Book to help me, Joe.” She placed a hand on his arm. “I really appreciate it.”

Joe frowned at her but nodded. “Yeah. No problem.”

Since then, the boys hung out with her after school everyday to keep her distracted. It was all so sweet. Even listening to the album Anna lent her helped keep her mind off things… things like the secrets her parents kept from her for fifteen years.

She couldn’t help but wonder what her dad was doing— wherever he was—  and if it really had something do with Mad Jack. And she thought about her mom. If everything Mad Jack said was true, then Izzy didn’t know who her mom really was. She was an adventurer; Dulari the Daring. How could some random car accident take out someone so strong and powerful?

Izzy couldn’t get to her dad, but with The Book, she could go back in time and save her mom. She could talk to her, really get to know her, and—

No. No, no, no. Bad thoughts. Stop, stop. Izzy smacked her cheeks to snap her back to the present where she worked on Spanish homework in the noisy cafeteria. It wasn’t the best place for a dyslexic to learn a foreign—and equally difficult—language, but she’d rather get a headache conjugating Spanish verbs than a heartache thinking about her mom. Soy confundido, tú estás confundido, él ella estamos confundidos—

“Heeeeey, Isabella.”

The sweet, sing-song voice broke Izzy out of her concentración. Three girls without lunch trays slid into the seats around her and regarded her with interesar— interest.

Izzy shifted in her seat, trying to place their familiar faces. “Oh, hi. It's Isadora, or Izzy for short.”

A giggle from the girl across to her. Izzy frowned. What was so funny?

The girl closest to her smirked and perched her chin on laced fingers. “I love the name ‘Izzy’. It’s so… cute.”

“Oh, uh, thanks. Thank you.”

“You liking this school so far?”

“Yeah, it’s nicer than my last school. It used to be a women’s prison in the thirties and forties and—”

“We've noticed you've been hanging out with those three guys, like, all the time,” the lead girl interrupted. “What were their names again?”

Izzy perked up. “Joe, Sam, and Fred! They’re the best.”

“At what?” the giggling girl said. The third girl smacked her on the arm to shush her, but she was repressing a smirk of her own.

“Isadora…” The girl next to Izzy put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her like she’d just learned Izzy contracted a rare disease. “You do know what that looks like to other people, right?”

“What what looks like?”

“You know… One girl hanging out with three boys. It's not a good look for you, especially being new and all.”

Izzy frowned. “I don't understand.”

“People think you're, y’know, easy.”

“Easy?”

This time the other girls both laughed freely, and it dawned on Izzy what they meant. Their laughter felt like sandbags on her shoulders. She wanted to say the boys were just her friends, but the words lodged in her throat. She stared down at her half-eaten sandwich, her face so hot she was sure it was scarlet.

A backpack slammed on the table and everyone jumped two feet in the air. Izzy looked up at the owner of the backpack and gasped.

“Hey girls,” Rin said. “You giving my friend any trouble?”

Friend? Izzy was sure she didn’t mean her, but Rin’s usual sneer wasn’t directed at her this time, but at the other girls at the table. Rin was defending her?

The girl beside Izzy shrunk back. “W-we’re just talking to her.”

“More like you were trying to embarrass her.”

The girl who smacked her friend spoke up. “Relax, Patinkin. We’re trying to help her. People talk about her behind her back.”

“They can screw off. Who cares whose she's friends with? Why don't you mind your own business and stop fishing for gossip. Now run along and get a life.”

Rin fixed them with a hard look. Not a moment later the girls stood and fled from the table like ants running from water.

Izzy let out a relieved sigh she didn’t know she was holding. “Thank you.”

Rin shrugged her backpack back on. “Whatever. Those girls are piranhas. They’ll chew up every bit of drama you can give them and leave you a pile of bones and a bad reputation.”

“Oh, they weren’t that mean...”

Rin gave her a look that told Izzy she didn’t buy it. “Y’know, you’re too nice, dude.”

“Oh, thank y—”

“It’s not a compliment.”

Izzy deflated. “Oh.”

Rin lean on the table. “Being too nice gives people free rein to walk all over you. You need to tell people messing with you to stop and piss off.”

Izzy blanched. “I-I don't think I physically can.”

“Work on it.”

“Okay.”

Rin shook her head. Wrong answer. “That’s what I’m talking about. Don’t let people push you around and tell you what to do.”

“Not even you?” Izzy asked. She meant it innocently enough, but realized too late Rin might interpret her question as sass and get annoyed.

But instead of getting mad, she let out a short laugh. “Sure, not even me.”

Izzy laughed awkwardly and extended a hand to her. “I’m Izzy. Thank you.”

To Izzy’s surprise, she took her hand and shook it. “Rin. No problem”

Izzy couldn’t believe how nice she was being, especially after their first encounter. If this was Rin’s way of apologizing for their first meeting, then Izzy was relieved she decided to be nice to her now.

She was about to invite Rin to sit down when Joe and Fred returned to the table. Joe slid into the seat next to Izzy. “Hey, Iz. I snagged you a cook—” He noticed Rin and he flinched, but otherwise kept his composure. “Hey! It’s… you.”

Rin looked at him, unfazed. “Me.”

Fred eyed her suspiciously then looked at Izzy. “She giving you trouble?”

“Does she look like she’s in trouble?” Rin snapped.

“She wasn’t!” Izzy said. “She was—”

Sam slammed his tray on the table drowning out Izzy’s next words. He huffed and dropped to his seat. “You guys will not believe what I went through in that line. First, this kid tried to trip me! I almost— ah!”

When he saw Rin, he jumped and squeezed his bag of juice so tight it exploded all over his pants.

“Ah, come on!”

Fred laughed and pounded the table. Joe went to hand him some napkins, but Rin beat him to it. She grabbed the napkins from Fred’s tray and handed them to Sam. He yelped.

Rin frowned at him. “You okay there?”

“I’m okay, perfectly okay, why wouldn’t I be okay?!”

Fred wiped a tear from his eye. “Good job, dude. Real convincing.”

Sam laughed nervously and took the napkins from her. “T-thanks, Rin”

Rin looked away and scratched her cheek. “Whatever.”

She turned and Izzy realized she was about to leave.

“Wait!” Izzy called, jumping from her seat.

This time, it was Rin’s turn to jump.

“Uh, sorry, but we’re seeing a movie tomorrow. You can join us if you want. I’ll buy your snacks.”

Rin thought about it for a moment and smirked small. “Sure, if you’re paying.”

The boys stared at them as they exchanged numbers. Their jaws dropped so hard they fell off and skidded halfway across the cafeteria floor.

And with that, Rin snuck past a patrolling teacher and left the lunchroom.

“Uh…” Joe looked at Izzy in disbelief. “What was that all about?”

Izzy sat back down and twisted one of her earrings. “I wanted to thank her for saving me.”

“Wait,”Sam said. “She saved you? From what?”

Izzy explained to them what happened with the girls before they arrived.

“I guess we had her pegged wrong,” Joe admitted.

“Anyone who can get rid of those girls can’t be all bad,” Fred said. “They’re always like that, like someone injected Jodie with the essence of pure b—”

“Hey!” Joe shot Fred a look that shut him up.

There was the name Jodie again, the same one Anna mentioned at the museum. She was about to ask who Jodie was when Sam said, “So we’re gonna let her come with us?” He dabbed his juiced pants with the wad of napkins.

Fred mixed his ketchup and ranch with a french fry. “If she gonna be cool from now on, I’m cool.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Izzy. “So was that your way of asking Rin out on a ‘Thank You’ date?”

Izzy’s face warmed. “Date?! No! I didn’t mean it as a date. I don’t even think Rin’s my type.”

Joe raised an eyebrow at her, but didn’t say anything as he drank from his bag of juice. For some reason this made Izzy’s cheeks grow hotter.

“So what is your type?” Fred asked.

Izzy thought about it for a second. To be honest, she never given it much thought before. “They have to be, like, y’know, and have like, some, uh, things and be a little… you know what I mean?”

Fred nodded and gestured “okay” with his hand. “Totally. Super vivid description. Very nice. Joe, I think she just described you.”

Sam chuckled. “Or you, the lunch lady, principal Robinson, John Cusack...”

“Looks like you got some stiff competition, dude.”

The two laughed. Izzy put her hands on her face and shook her head. “Guuuuys, you’re such dorks…”

~*~

Joe and Sam were the first ones to the movie theater. They waited inside by the ticket booth, discussing which movie they were going to subject themselves to. Their group had a rule that whenever they didn’t know which movie they wanted to see, the first ones there got to choose. Joe made it a point to arrive ten minutes early.

The theater they frequented, The Loop, was a combination movie theater and arcade. Everything from the eighties décor to the retro games to the ancient marquee with flashing lights pointed to this place being stuck in the past, but that’s exactly what Joe liked about it.

The crowd was sparse, even more so than normal during the Dump Months. A few clusters of teens bought food at the concession or hung out at the arcade. Two or three younger kids dragged their parents into the theater of some animated movie.

Joe yawned and stretched. He was still a bit tuckered out from how much he and Izzy practiced their routine a bunch the day before. They ran through it about a dozen times trying to get faster at it before Izzy convinced him to take a break before they burnt out.

“So we whittled it down to three movies,” Sam said. “The bad pop star bio-documentary, the bad action comedy, or the bad animated movie based on classic literature.”

“Our cup runneth over with options,” Joe said dryly.

“My vote is for the bad pop star movie.”

Joe and Sam turned to see Rin walk up to them, hands shoved in the pockets of her jacket.

“Huh, didn’t peg you as a fan,” Joe said.

“Oh, God, no!” she said more forcefully than Joe thought was necessary. “I just think it’d be fun to make fun of.”

Joe laughed. He was always down for enjoying a terrible movie, either genuinely or ironically.

Sam argued, but since it was two against one, he gave up and they bought their tickets. Joe filled in the silence with small talk. He wasn’t as nervous around Rin as Sam, and he was still a bit wary of her with her attitude. But she stood up for Izzy when she didn’t have to, so Joe was willing to give her a chance.

“Even my sister doesn’t like this guy,” Joe said, waving his ticket. “Though I guess it’s not surprising if you knew my sister. She likes weird experimental foreign music with a lot of screaming. I think she started listening to it ironically to annoy me but —”

“Okay,” Rin cut him off with a sigh. “I get what you’re doing.”

“Uh, talking?” Joe asked.

“Trying to make things less awkward, since he,” she pointed her chin at Sam, “wets himself when I’m around.”

“Hey!” Sam protested.

“Look, if you want to say something to me, say it. Get it off your chest so we can move on.”

“P-promise you won’t be mad?” Sam asked.

“No,” she said, “but it’s not like I’m gonna hurt you, dude.”

“Pretty sure that’s what scares him,” Joe muttered.

Rin raised an eyebrow at them, her expression unreadable. Sam shot Joe a ticked off glare before saying, “I am not scared of you. It’s that you’re being… nice.”

“What?” Rin asked. “I’m nice. I’m always nice.”

Joe very convincingly covered his laugh with a cough.

Sam was about to explain himself further when Fred sauntered over to them with Izzy in tow waving excitedly at them.

“Ah, man!” Fred complained. “You guys are early. Please tell me we’re not watching a chick flick?”

Joe told them their pick, and the look on their faces was gold. Izzy was more upset than Fred. You couldn’t tell by looking at her, with her pigtails and flowy pink skirt, but she was into more hardcore music than pop. Nothing that would make a conservative parent faint and clench their pearls, but there were a lot more screaming and guitar solos than you’d expect on her MP3 player (yeah, she seriously still had a MP3 player).

Rin made a good choice. The theater was surprisingly empty so the entire time the five of them sat in the back and mocked the film. Sam pointed out editing flaws when he wasn’t busy falling asleep from boredom. Fred made up crude parody lyrics to the songs and quipped about the cute, hyperactive fangirls in the film. Rin noticed Izzy would cringe in her seat every time a new song would start and would lean in her ear to whisper something that made her cringe harder. As for Joe, he couldn’t help but snicker and roll his eyes every time the music swelled during an oh-so emotional interview in a half-baked attempt to wring any tears from the audience.

After the film, the four of them hung out in the vacant arcade, goofing around and playing games. The machines were ancient and a couple were perpetually out-of-order, but they were always able to make things entertaining.

Hanging out with Rin was a lot of fun; even Sam started to relax around her. She could be intense and aggressive when they played competitive games, but she could go toe to toe with Joe and even Fred when it came to shooting hoops.

Fred used the tickets he won to claim the greatest prize imaginable: a bedazzled tinfoil crown straight from a D-list fast food restaurant.

Fred grinned. “How do I look?”

“Like the crowned Duke of Dorks,” Rin said, sipping from her soda. Izzy giggled and covered her mouth.

“Duke?” Fred asked incredulously. “I don’t even get to be a king?”

“He’s the king.” She motioned to Sam and plopped in a chair of the broken Rapid Rage game.

Sam flushed and glared at her. “Hey!”

Joe laughed and claimed the seat beside her.  “Right, they’re the dorks. Whose idea was it, again, to watch a teeny-bopper documentary?”

Rin rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I suggested it. To mock it.”

Izzy frown at her. “I thought you liked the movie.”

Was it Joe’s imagination or did Rin’s cheeks turn pink?

“Pffft, what made you think that?”

“During the movie you were telling me all this trivia about—”

“Hey!” Rin shot up from her seat. “I’m gonna go grab another refill.”

“Cool,” Fred said. “Can you grab me a—”

She was already gone, fleeing to the concession stand.

Fred’s face fell. “Never mind.”

“She forgot her cup,” Sam said

Joe waited for Rin to vanish behind a claw crane machine before he asked Izzy, “What did she tell you?”

“Just stuff like who wrote his songs,” she explained, spinning her earrings. “Can you believe the lead singer of Strawberry Tragedy wrote the song ‘Sweet Love’?” She crinkled her nose in disgust.

“Totally cannot imagine that,” Fred muttered.

Did Rin actually like that music? Joe couldn’t see it. She had the attitude and wardrobe of someone who’d mosh at concerts and wasn’t afraid to stomp on you. Nothing about her screamed “bubblegum teen pop.”

Joe was about to suggest that go find Rin and give her her cup when Sam shrieked. Joe froze as a familiar sensation crept around him. Even before he looked down, he knew that a green fog was coiling around him them vines.

“Joe!” Sam cried. “What’s happening?!”

“I don’t know!” Joe said.

“Do something!”

“Like what?! I didn’t even bring The Book with me.”

Izzy squeaked and glomped onto the closest arm (this time Sam) and nearly knocked them both over.

Fred tried to swat the fog away. “Maybe we can—”

It was too late for whatever Fred tried to suggest before the four of them were unwillingly dragged through time and hurled towards their next adventure.

[boysandsuicide]

1-100 😜

First of also sorry for my English. I know it’s bad 🙄 these are actually hella fucking cute y'all1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?Idk. Idon’t eat often cereal haha2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?Sometimes yes , but mostly not 3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?Starbucks Card , handkarechiefs, paper uns other stuff 4: how do you take your coffee/tea? I love black coffe, but also with milk and suggar. Same with tea . Like it depends in what mood I am and which kind of coffe/Tee it is.5: are you self-conscious of your smile?No 6: do you keep plants?Nope. I even made a cactus die😂7: do you name your plants?No 🤔8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?I think none. Just tumblr haha9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?Yes, but only when no one is around10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?I have like 1000 different sleep positions every night 11: what’s an inner joke you have with your friends?I don’t have really good friends, but the most ones are about people from school in Russian 12: what’s your favorite planet?Never thought about it 13: what’s something that made you smile today?A friend,whom I don’t know very long ,but I really like haha14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?I think like a ikea catalog 😂15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!Uranus is tilted on its side16: what’s your favorite pasta dish?I think Bolognese but this also depends on my mood . All in all I love food and eat nearly everything 🙄 17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?Platin blond ,but many said ,that it would look good and so i didn’t dare18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.I think there’s nothing 19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?I don’t habe one . I just draw or write something during school,when I’m bored af 20: what’s your favorite eye color?I depends on the person but I like grey-green 21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that’s been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces. I don’t have one 22: are you a morning person?Definitely not 23: what’s your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?Netflix , sleeping or reading 24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?There’s somebody from tumblr whom I don’t know a very long time , but I think one day I could tell him everything 25: what’s the weirdest place you’ve ever broken into?None 26: what are the shoes you’ve had for forever and wear with every single outfit?It changes like every ½ year , but now it are my black vans 27: what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?Purple airwaves 28: sunrise or sunset?Both but I like more sunsets. Sunrise it too early in the morning 29: what’s something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?Idk haha30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?I get often scared ,but i remember , when I was small and I was flying somewhere and there was turbulence and I thought that we will all die haha31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.I like socks because they’re covering foot but I have only black and white ones and yes I do sleep with socks 32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.I don’t remember something happened while I was with friends after 3AM. This even didn’t happened often 33: what’s your fave pastry?I love cake but I’m working at bakery so I don’t really like pastry 🙄34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?It was called karkusha(Russian ) it was a bird puppet and I got it on a flight and my grandmother always played with me. It’s somewhere in our flat but idk where 35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?Nope 36: which band’s sound would fit your mood right now?Idk haha 37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?I like it when my room is clean but I’m a messy person 38: tell us about your pet peeves!I don’t have pet :((((39: what color do you wear the most? Black, than white and grey 40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what’s it’s story? does it have any meaning to you?I got and gold chain from my grandmother , but I’m not wearing it because it breaks often and it doesn’t really having a meaning from me . Only that it’s from my grandmother 41: what’s the last book you remember really, really loving?Scythe and night school 42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!Starbucks 😍😍😍😍43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?I never did this but i want to :(44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?Idk. Last time I felt , that I can be who I am , was with a friend ( I hope is one , because ideally like him , we just don’t know eachother for a long time ) His name is Noel and he also has tumblr 🙄 45: do you trust your instincts a lot?I depends on the situation but often i do 46: tell us the worst pun you can think of. Idk hahaha47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?Oysters . I hate it and the smell 48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?Spiders , falling somewhere down from a high place - I’m still afraid of both today; dying - I’m not afraid anymore of dying 49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?Nope and it was a long time ago I bought one so idk 50: what’s an odd thing you collect? Different stuff but I collect flight tickets but I lose them in my room 😂 and I collect nearly everything 51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?There’s no52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?Too many 😂 53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them? I watched None of them 54: who’s the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?I think some school-friends on Friday - we got our certificate 55: what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?Idk 56: what are some things you find endearing in people?It depends on if like Theo person or not . But I like when someone truly smiles a lot and cares about someone 57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics? I like this song and it made me fell like sad or something like that but also happy haha🙄58: who’s the wine mom and who’s the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?And again no friends haha59: what’s your favorite myth?There’s no . But maybe aliens ?🤔🤔60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves? I like Russian poetry . Pushkin 61: what’s the stupidest gift you’ve ever given? the stupidest one you’ve ever received?I got many stupid ones and gave many stupid ones , but I think the stupidest givt was a bottle opener which looked like a bottle cover haha but again I am/ wasn’t invited often to birthdays or something like that 62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?Nope . I’m allergic against fruits 63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?Nope I’m not . Just put like the first , second etc. Part of a book series together 64: what color is the sky where you are right now?It’s dark blue/ black . At home 65: is there anyone you haven’t seen in a long time who you’d love to hang out with? Yes a girl who I know a long time but we like drifted apart and a boy from tumblr whom I saw some days ago ( I know it’s not a long time, but I miss him)66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?Pollen allergy 😂67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?I like them when I’m st home with a hot drink and read book/ watch Netflix or a good friend is around me and you can talk about deep topics haha68: what’s winter like where you live? Like shit . It’s rainy and maybe there’s snow for 2 minutes but then it melts :(. But it’s typical german winter and it’s often „very called“69: what are your favorite board games? I like monopoly70: have you ever used a ouija board? Nope 71: what’s your favorite kind of tea?I love bubble tea , but also black , green tea or some with fruits . It’s depends on my mood. 72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you’ll forget it?Sone things yes . Some I will still remember in 100 years 73: what are some of your worst habits?There to many . Some of them : I am very annoying and clinging 74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.I don’t have good friends (now)75: tell us about your pets!I wanna a cat since I’m 5 years old but allergy :( but it’s one of my biggest wish which will never come true 76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren’t?Homework, learning 77: pink or yellow lemonade?Both 🤔78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?Definitely Fanclub 79: what’s one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?Hugged me a long time , cared about me , wrote me a very long and cute birthday text me 80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?White and grey . I wanted something normal and I like the colours black , white and grey 81: describe one of your friend’s eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.I don’t remember they’re eyes and eye colour😂82: are/were you good in school?Im good but not good Enough for me and my mom . My average is 1,8 but I wanna 1,5 or better 83: what’s some of your favorite album art?Idk 84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?I wanna a tattoo but Idk which one . Maybe something with rose(s)85: do you read comics? what are your faves?I don’t 86: do you like concept albums? which ones? Yes I do but idk which ones 87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?Idk. It depends on what kind of movies the person likes 88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?Idk Hahahaha89: are you close to your parents?I don’t know my father . I hate my stepfather and don’t talk to him but I’m also not close to my mom 90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.I love Moscow . It’s besutiful af and it’s big and it’s like full of live and not dead in the night and I just love it 91: where do you plan on traveling this year?Moscow92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?I drown my pasta into cheese . There’s never too much cheese 🤷🏻‍♂️93: what’s the hairstyle you wear the most?Idk how it’s called haha 94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?I think the brother of a school friend 95: what are your plans for this weekend?My plans were sleeping as long as I want ,Netflix and homework because I have to get better grades 96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?Mostly I procrastinate on them a lot 97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?Intp, Lion , idk haha but Irving the one Harry Potter was in 98: when’s the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?I don’t remember it and I don’t want to and I hate it . So please never talk about it again 99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.Leer-KC Rebell Hold on -chord overstreet Take on the world -you me at sixMAD world - Riverdale cast Many from little peep , kizaru, troye Sivan and russ

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?I think the future one . Like I wanna know how my future will be. Will I be still alive ? Will I be happy ? Will I reach some of my goals ? But on the other hand I also wanna be surprised but life etc.

BTW I needed nearly an hour to answer so questions but I think no one will read everything haha. But I you did , maybe you can message me 🤔

[vcg73]

Witch!Kurt #20: Witchcraft 101

I really should have worked in Kurt’s witchcraft studies a long time ago, but just keep in mind that in spite of the length of this series, it only actually covers a couple of months in character time. (Author’s excuse. Heh.) To make up for it, this chapter is quite lengthy.  : -)

 ~*~*~*~*~

 “How did it go?” Kurt blurted the moment he walked in the front door on Friday evening.

 “How did what go?” Adam asked, with a display of overt innocence.

 “The job interview, as if you didn’t know!” Kurt said, wrestling his way out of his dove gray wool pea coat, black gloves, gray and purple scarf, and a deep purple Homburg hat crafted from warm finely-woven wool that Elliott had given him for Christmas. He took a moment to brush a dusting of white off the hat brim before placing it lovingly on the little stand he had installed next to the front door. “I’ve had my fingers and toes crossed for you all day.”

 “That must have made dance class fun. Is it snowing?”

 “Just started again.” Kurt came in and plunked down on the sofa, sitting sideways so that he could face his still annoyingly unperturbed fiancé. He paused for a moment, distracted by Adam’s ensemble of a crisp white shirt, a dark red tie with subtle stripes, Kurt’s old Cheerios warm-up pants, and black slipper-socks. “Nice outfit.”

 Adam glanced down at himself and laughed. “Oh, right. The interview was a video chat so I only spiffed up the upper half. I was wearing a Henley and your Hello Kitty apron to cook dinner, but that didn’t seem quite appropriate to the occasion.”

 “Probably not the impression you wanted to make on a bigwig like Stewart Henderson,” Kurt agreed, tugging Adam’s tie forward to kiss him on the lips. “How did it go, though? Did he love you? Does he want you to start right away? Is the remote connection thing going to be an issue?”

 Adam’s shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Thank you for the vote of confidence, but all I can say so far is that I’m in the running and that Stewart seemed to like me. I finished my interview just a bit ago, and though I had the feeling he was somewhat skeptical of Gran’s glowing sales pitch, after speaking with me he said that I showed good instincts, had an excellent educational background, and that he thought I might do, but he’d have to look into a few things. I assume regarding my issue with leaving the house, though he didn’t specifically say so.  I didn’t go into the real reasons, either, but I also didn’t try to hide my condition from him and he seemed to appreciate that. At the end of the interview, he said he would have someone contact me once he’d made his final decision. He still has a couple more candidates to speak with.”

 Kurt deflated. “Damn.  I hope that wasn’t polite code for ‘better luck next time’. I really thought he would recognize quality and snap you right up.  But hey, you put yourself out there and no matter how this goes, that’s still progress. Plus you’re on a first name basis with Stewart Henderson. That’s pretty impressive!”

 “Well, I don’t think I’ll be inviting him to pop round for tea any time soon, but he was very kind and surprisingly easy to chat with. Quite a funny man,” Adam said, seeming far less disappointed by the idea that he might have received a brush-off than Kurt was. “He insisted that I use his given name the moment we began. Said if he was going to consider taking on an assistant who is only 24 years old, he was damned well going to pretend we were contemporaries and not be reminded every two minutes that he’s old enough to be my grandfather. And as I said before, if this doesn’t pan out, I still have a few more avenues to explore. This, for example.”

 He offered Kurt a sip of tea from the steaming cup he’d had before him on the coffee table. Kurt’s nose twitched at the scent, recognizing the particular blend of jasmine tea from a local shop they both liked. “Bui’s Tea? What does that have to do with anything?”

 “The interview got bumped forward an hour so as I had some extra time, I walked over for a cup and a biscuit before starting on dinner,” he replied casually, as if the shop was not five blocks away and farther than he had ever managed to venture on his own before. Seeing Kurt’s probing look, he dropped the nonchalance and admitted, “It was terrifying. You probably felt a sense of panic right around 3pm. I was honestly attempting to go to the grocery and buy a bottle of wine to serve with the lasagna, but it started to snow rather hard before I got halfway. Suddenly finding myself surrounded by a field of swirling white nothingness . . . well, let’s just say that I had to duck into the first available shop before I ended up having a melt-down in the middle of 12th Street.”

 “I did feel something, but I thought you were getting worked up about the interview. I was in the middle of dance class so I couldn’t call to check on you. I almost did, but then the feeling stopped. Should I have called anyway?” Kurt asked, guilt washing over him as he said, “Oh gosh, I should have. I knew it!  I tried to absorb some of the fear and project a sense of confidence back down the length of our connection, but Miss July called on me right then to demonstrate a series of wing changes.”

 Adam reached over and squeezed his hand, telling him without words that he was not upset that Kurt had not dropped everything to run to his side. “How did that go? If you were projecting to me at the same time, I’m guessing not very smoothly.”

 He sighed and brushed his free hand through his hair. “Yeah, it could have been better. I know I was doing the moves correctly, but between your anxiety and my distraction, Miss July told me that I looked like an over-caffeinated cricket. The class found that hilarious until she made us do speed rounds against each other.”

 Adam laughed. “Nice. You’re a regular speed demon on the changes. I’ll bet they were eating their laughter as sauce for the humble pie before you were done with them.  Your projection does explain why I suddenly felt so much better, however. I just assumed it was because I’d found a haven.”

 Kurt shrugged sheepishly. “It was probably Bui’s that calmed you down. That place always smells delicious, and it’s dimly lit and sort of cozy in there. I can see why it would be a perfect place to get your bearings.”

 “Well, in any case, thank you for your help. My detour might have been a blessing in disguise, however. Mrs. Bui saw that I had a case of the collywobbles and you know how she is. Bustled me right over to sit and was pressing a hot cup into my hand, and a cool towel to my neck before I could suss out what was even happening.”

 “She’s a sweetheart,” Kurt agreed. The biggest reason he loved that tea shop was for its plump, ever smiling owner, who always gave him a cookie and a pinch on the cheek when he stopped in, as if Kurt was only five years old. The fact that he had to bend forward so that she could reach his face just made the gesture even more charming. To call Mrs. B five feet tall would be a generous fib.

 Adam nodded, taking another satisfied sip before setting the cup back down. “She is. We got to talking, and I found myself telling her all about us, and about my recent struggles, and how I was looking for employment but somewhat limited in what I could apply for. Next thing I knew I was being offered the chance to replace Steve.”

 “Her son?” Kurt said in surprise. Steven Bui was his widowed mother’s eldest and had been helping her create the special blend teas and coffees that made the shop stand out in a vast sea of similar businesses. “What happened to him?”

 “University,” Adam said. “It seems that Steve is a bit like yourself. Too stubborn to take no for an answer when his first application was denied. He brushed up his CV and tried again for the winter term at UCLA and he’s made it. Flew out to begin classes last week.”

 Kurt smiled and shook his head, somehow not at all surprised. “Good for him. Do you know anything about making tea, though?  I mean, you definitely drink enough of it to be a good taste-tester, but isn’t the blending process more complicated? Or do you just infuse a little potion-making and voila, instant deliciousness?”

 Adam laughed. “Mrs. B is a Standard, so that would be a bit of a cheat. I would go in as more of an apprentice, at least at first. I do know a little about the process, but I would be mostly ringing up customers and stocking inventory. Assuming I accept the job, of course. I still may get the position with Henderson Productions, which would certainly be more of a financial boon than working in a tea shop. There is also the problem that while I made it that far today, it doesn’t guarantee that I’ll be able to do it every day. I’m finding, unfortunately, that making progress against mental barriers isn’t quite as cut and dried as knocking through physical ones. The little bastards seem to rebuild themselves while I sleep. I went for a walk today in part because I found I couldn’t make myself go out onto that bloody balcony again. Previous success be damned.”

 “Progress is still progress,” Kurt told him. “You did it once, so now you know it’s achievable. And you will get there, Adam. It’s enough that you keep on trying, and learning to figure out what things will trigger the fear. Those roadblocks won’t stand a chance in the long run. As for Mrs. Bui, you said she offered you a job after you’d told her about your problem, so I don’t think she’s going to take it back if you find that you can’t bring yourself to come in every day.”

 Adam nodded. “At any rate, I told her I would have to wait and see how today’s interview works out before I could give a firm answer, since I have no idea what sort of schedule I’ll be keeping if it does. And there’s the matter of needing to devote adequate time to helping you train with the coven, and face down your ex. Then of course, there’s the very important matter of a wedding and honeymoon to consider!”

 Kurt beamed at the reminder. They had Skyped with Burt and Carole last night, and with Henry and June early this morning. Both families had been surprised but gratifyingly enthusiastic about the engagement. Henry had expressed some doubt that they could put a wedding together so quickly, but naturally Burt and Carole held no such reservations. “That reminds me. I told Isabelle our news when I dropped off that paperwork yesterday. I know we were going to wait until we’d told the families, but I was basically bursting to talk to someone who would be as excited as I was.”

 “I understand,” Adam said with a grin. “I may have spilled the news to Tanya yesterday when the Apples were over. I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d be disappointed in my big mouth, but as yours was equally indiscreet, I no longer feel guilty.”

 He laughed. “Good, then neither do I. The important part here is that Isabelle called me back about an hour ago . . .”

 Recognizing a cue in the pregnant pause, Adam turned and offered his undivided attention. “Aaand?”

 Kurt bounced in place, clasping his hands underneath his chin in an adorable effort to contain his excitement. His shining eyes gave it away regardless. “And she’s offered us the use of The Ballroom for our reception!  Can you believe that? The  Ballroom!”

 Adam’s mouth fell open in honest amazement. He had only been to the company owned reception hall once before. The first time he and Kurt had dated, his boyfriend had been helping put together some sort of grand couture event that his boss was managing. The place was very popular for upper crust society bashes; presumably because it was beyond posh, with a price tag to match. “On Valentine’s Day? How on earth . . . ?”

 “I know!” he gushed, practically dancing in his chair. “It seems that being a managing editor at Vogue has its perks. There was some sort of event rescheduling today that left a 3 hour window open on the 14th. Isabelle heard the receptionist confirming the change and she snapped the slot up. She called once the change was confirmed and offered it to us as her wedding gift!  I’ve been on pins and needles ever since I got off the phone, trying not to leak my feelings to you and give the secret away. I didn’t want to distract you from your interview.”

 “Hang the interview, this is amazing!” Adam said. “Imagine telling people we had our wedding reception where celebrities and ambassadors have danced and dined! And with that much space, we can invite as many friends as we like with no worries.”

 Kurt’s enthusiasm dimmed, taking on an edge of concern as he said, “Maybe one worry. Are you sure you’ll be okay with a big space filled with dozens of people?  It won’t be like the Christmas party where we could slip away whenever we liked.  As the grooms, everyone’s attention is bound to be focused on us. Maybe I should call Isabelle.”

 Touched by his concern, and willingness to give up something he had doubtless dreamed about for years if it meant sparing Adam pain, he said, “No need for that. I’ll be so delirious with joy at having made you my husband that I doubt it would bother me if the entire cast of the Macy’s Parade were to show up demanding a slice of wedding cake.” They both laughed, imagining what that might look like. “And if I should have any difficulties, I’m certain that my dad will be happy to transport me, or both of us, out for a quick breather whenever it’s required.”

  “Good idea.” He kissed Adam’s lips, intending it as a quick reward for his forward thinking, but Adam responded with avid enjoyment and they were soon wrapped in each others arms for several wonderful minutes of making out.  Kurt’s elegant designer top and Adam’s shirt and tie quickly became lost over the back of the couch.

 Pausing to catch his breath and straighten what remained of his outfit after Adam had treated him to a very enthusiastic welcome home, Kurt said, “God, you should have a job interview every day if it makes you react like that!” Adam just laughed, making a show of slowly licking his lips. “Oh, Adam. The stars really seem to be aligning for us, don’t they?  It’s almost scary.  After so many years of everything going wrong, I’m a little freaked out to have everything suddenly going so right.”

 “Don’t be,” Adam suggested, getting up and dropping a kiss on Kurt’s forehead as he went to fetch each of them a warm jumper to wear, picking up their discarded garments from the floor as he went. It wouldn’t do to let their friends see the evidence. Not if they wanted to get through the evening without being teased to death. Tossing Kurt a fleecy blue garment, he tugged on a camel colored version of his own and continued, “Trouble comes when it will, barring the interference of those who force it upon us, but good times are precious and need to be celebrated. So for now, let’s just enjoy being in a happy spot and cherish our good fortune.”

 Kurt nodded, forcing himself to shake off the habit of anticipating the worst.  Pulling on his sweater, he said, “You’re right. After all, even the grayest clouds can turn out to have a silver lining. A bully can become a brother. An enemy can become a friend. And one of the worst years of your life can turn you down a path to meeting the love of your life.”

  “Exactly. And a crowd of faithless friends can lead one to a band of true and lasting comrades. Speaking of which.”

  “The coven is due around six,” Kurt agreed, catching his hint immediately. “And the snow isn’t going to slow them down, so we need to get going on dinner.”

 “As I’m sure your nose has already informed you, I’ve prepared two pans of lasagna; one with meat and one without. The bread is ready as well, but for garlic spread and a touch of baking.”

 “I’m a little disappointed. You haven’t left me anything to do.”

 Adam smiled. “You can toss the salad.  And as you’ve recently expressed an interest in building up your witchcraft skills, I thought you might enjoy a quick lesson in potion-stirring the garlic butter.”

 Kurt perked up at once. He had just spent a busy day at work and school, but this sounded like fun. Hopping up from the couch, he joined Adam in the kitchen and grabbed an apron. Not that he needed one just to make garlic bread, but it was habit to protect his clothing from any risk of kitchen spills. “I like it when you play teacher. What do we do?”

 “First of all, would you like to stir any particular variety of charm into it, or just have it be especially delicious?  I might suggest a simple tonic. It’s easy to create and garlic makes an excellent cold remedy even without magic. Add a bit of enhancement and one only needs a small dose of it become immune to cold and flu season.”

 “What happens if we just add enough charm to make it taste really good?”

 Adam laughed. “Then you have people eating you out of house and home.”

 “So, an average night with the gang then,” Kurt quipped with a smile. He picked up one of the garlic bulbs from a hanging basket of vegetables near the stove, looking at it uncertainly. “Are you sure about this?  Your cooking is always wonderful, but what if I try to create a good health charm and it makes the bread come out tasting like cough syrup?”

 Adam admitted, “That’s a valid concern. The first time I tried enchanting molasses, I infused too much raw magic into the blend and everything I made with it tasted like tar. Needless to say, I was forced to toss that batch.  However, I promise I won’t let any of our friends suffer if your initial potion doesn’t come out.”

 Kurt nodded, willing to accept that. “I’ll trust you. I already put my dad through the burned rubber phase when I was learning how to make quiche and I’d rather not repeat the experience with our friends.”

 “Self-taught, were we?” Adam inquired, a tender smile playing about his lips as he imagined a pint-sized Kurt with the same deadly serious face that his fiancé took on whenever he was concentrating on doing something difficult.

 “Yeah. I used my mom’s old cookbooks, plus I was kind of obsessed with the Cooking Channel when I was in middle-school.”  

 Adam cocked his head. “I still enjoy those programs. I’ve had a great opportunity to catch up with all the latest editions during my recovery. So let’s begin by softening and whipping a brick of butter to make it good and spreadable, then mince the garlic. We’ll add a bit of Italian seasoning and pepper when we mix it together. Just a hint of both to seal the flavor and enhance the charm.”

 “I think a cold remedy will be a good choice. It sounded like Johnny and Dani were a little under the weather when I called them. This might be a nice way to apologize for pushing everyone away recently.”

 Resisting the urge to remind Kurt that the coven was equally at fault, Adam just said, “I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. Remember the method we used at the holiday party to improve your boss’s crab cakes?” Kurt nodded. “We’re going to use a similar trick here, but first let’s get the salad out of the way. When that’s done, I need you to chop up a clove of garlic, very fine.”

 Kurt just nodded and went to work, chopping and mixing a variety of cold veggies with the efficiency of lifetime practice. Once it was done and waiting in his favorite salad bowl, he pulled out a cutting board and a sharp knife, quickly mincing a clove of garlic into tiny shards. “Is that small enough?”

 “Perfect. Now I want you to do the same thing with this dish of butter that you did when warming the crab cakes. Not too much. Just a hint of heat to make it spreadable.”

 Fine control of this power was one of the things that Kurt constantly struggled with, and his shoulders slumped when he tentatively willed a surge of heat into his palms, only to watch the rectangle of butter immediately dissolve into a pool of bubbling liquid.

 Adam was unperturbed by the mistake. “Not to worry, we’ve plenty more,” he said, taking away the first dish and placing a cold brick of butter into a new bowl. Setting it aside, he placed his right hand under Kurt’s left. “Take a deep breath. Find your center and concentrate on the shape and feel of the magic without activating it.”

 Seeing that Kurt was hesitant, Adam placed the pads of his left and middle index fingers against Kurt’s temple, guiding him to the place he needed him to go. It felt almost like a click when Kurt found what he was looking for.

 “Oh, this is kind of like when Brittany first taught me how to See potential!” Kurt said, closing his eyes and turning his Sight inward. “The first day I became linked with the coven.”

 “Exactly like that,” Adam told him, and though his voice remained calm and encouraging, Kurt felt a pulse of dismay echo down their link. He actively sent back a feeling of questioning. “You picked up the grounding of your power very quickly, but it’s clear to me now that no one told you that when you actively engage in spell casting, you need to find your center and work out from it. Otherwise the magic can become unstable and difficult to control. It also drains you more quickly. I feel like a fool for not recognizing the problem sooner.”

  “It’s okay, Adam. You’ve had a lot on your mind,” Kurt said quietly. “We all did. I think maybe everyone thought that I knew more than I did because they’ve been witches for so much longer, and most of us grew up together so they kind of assumed I had the same experiences they’d had. Then of course there’s what happened when I went into the Void.”

 He cocked his head. “Meaning?”

 “I used magic all the right ways that day, but it was mostly instinct and emotion. I followed Dani’s directions to reach you, but I’m just starting to realize how much I was using the link I had forged with the coven to guide me once I was in the Void. I’ve been thinking about this a lot since we talked. Once you started to get better, I tried to get back to magic lessons, but I couldn’t seem to do anything right. None of it made sense, and whenever I asked a question the answer didn’t make much sense either, and everyone . . . okay not everyone; mostly just Santana . . . acted like it was so self-explanatory that I felt really stupid. You said the other night that all my practice is paying off, but I’m not sure that’s true. I have gotten better at directing the power where I want it, but the levels are still hard to control, and I still can’t seem to help activating my thermal magic when I get upset. At least not consciously. I’m just lucky that I haven’t set it off in class, or at work!  And when I work with the coven, I can tell that they’re getting exasperated with my lack of progress. Or maybe it just feels that way because I get so frustrated with myself.  Lately, I’ve been thinking that I was having so much trouble because I wasn’t . . .”

 “What?” Adam said gently, reading embarrassment in Kurt’s sudden hesitation.

 He nearly mumbled the words, “That I wasn’t good enough. That I’m not really as Talented as everyone keeps telling me, and they just don’t know how to break it to me after all that build up about what a great witch I was supposed to be.”

 “And that was another part of the reason you’d started avoiding the coven,” Adam concluded.

 Kurt nodded tiredly. “Part of me is still afraid that they only stick around because we need to stop Blaine, and that once that’s over, I. . .” He paused, licking his lips to give himself a moment. This was difficult to admit. “I’ve never had a group of friends quite like this one, but the Glee Club came really close. New Directions was like a family, at least at first. I thought we had something special and lasting, but then they all dropped me as casually as a worn out pair of shoes. And it wasn’t only due to Blaine. Whenever I didn’t act the way they wanted me to act, or when someone more interesting came along, I was suddenly at the bottom of everyone’s best friend list. It happened over and over, and the more I tried to hang on to my friends, the more they took advantage of my willingness to do anything to keep them. In the end, it still didn’t matter. People leave me, Adam. They just do. Always have.”

 “And always will?” he finished, an expression of ineffable sadness filling his lean features. “Is that what you’ve been struggling with? You believe that because your high school friends were so unfortunately fickle, that the coven will be too?”

 He nodded meekly, hating to admit it but forcing himself to be honest. He cared too much about Adam, and knew that Adam cared too much about him, to hide his true fears anymore just to keep up a happy appearance.

 “Oh, darling. I’m sorry. Again, I see that I’ve been paying too much attention to my own issues at the expense of yours. Between losing your mum, nearly losing your dad twice in body and then again in spirit, the sudden death of your brother, your cheating fiancé, your best friends haring off to chase the lure of stardom . . .” He sighed. “And then there was me. Vanishing into thin air, then coming back only to be reluctant to start up an intimate relationship again. Yes, I can see exactly how you might feel that way.”

Kurt gulped, ducking his head. “It makes having faith in people hard for me sometimes.”

Adam took Kurt’s hands, dipping his chin to catch his beloved’s downcast eyes and encourage him to look up again. “I know it is. But I need you to make a leap of faith that things are different this time. I know it’s hard, because experience has taught you that you can’t depend on anyone to stand by you, but I believe I can speak on behalf of the coven when I say that we will not let you down in that way again. Including the members who were part of your high school group. I can’t promise no one will ever die. Time marches on, and that’s simply beyond mortal power to control, but as long as we do live I can promise that we’ll always be a part of your life and heart. I promise you, Kurt, that none of us are fair-weather friends.  I, for one, never have and never will never leave you by choice.”

 Kurt nodded and wrapped him in a fierce hug. “I know. I do know that,” he mumbled into Adam’s shoulder. “In my heart I do, but sometimes my head gets in the way. A nasty little voice starts whispering in my ear, and sometimes I can’t help listening to it. I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help it. That’s one of the things I’ve been using my sessions with Janice to talk about.”

 “I’m glad of that,” Adam said, holding him in comforting arms, in no hurry to break the embrace. “She’s done me a lot of good, and I know she’ll do the same for you if you give her time and trust.”

 “I’ll try.” He pulled back to look into Adam’s face. Seeing the love and understanding shining in his eyes allowed him to find his smile again. “Leaps of faith aren’t exactly my specialty. They have a way of biting me in the ass, but I’ll take one for you, and for this coven because both of you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And if things do get rough, well, I’ve never been afraid to work for the things I wanted.”

 Adam kissed him. “True, and that’s one of the things I love most about you. As for the coven, we’ll have a talk tonight and get everyone on the same page. I’ve a notion your magical studies will get a great deal easier after that. At least in the sense of not merely being an exercise in frustration.”

 “That’s good enough for me,” Kurt agreed. And it really was. Just hearing someone acknowledge his problem and take it seriously, proposing a workable solution rather than treating it like an imaginary issue that he should just get over so that they could take center stage again, made him feel a thousand times better already.

  “Good. As for anyone thinking you hadn’t the strength or talent for being a coven leader, you could not be more wrong. If anything, I believe the others have been assuming too much the other direction. Thinking they didn’t need to spend time on the dull but necessary basics because you showed such incredible instinct. I think they’ve been hesitant to push you in case you proved a bit too powerful. Hearing that you intend to take combat magic from trained professionals may just prove something of a relief.”

 A smile tugged at the corner of Kurt’s mouth. “Someone told you about the exploding canary, didn’t they?”

 “They might have done,” Adam admitted with a chuckle. “Is it true that LT and Elliott both hid underneath the couch?”

 “Yes, and everyone else ducked behind it,” Kurt remembered, the remains of his bad mood dissipating at the memory of his friends diving for cover. “It was pretty funny.”

 “I wish I’d seen it.” Adam considered for a moment. “As for your magic, I think we should ask Elliott if he’d mind staying with us for a time. He really ought to be taking point on your training and that will allow the two of you to spend more time together.”

 “Why Elliott?”

 “Because he’s your Familiar,” Adam said, as if it were self-explanatory. Seeing Kurt’s blank look, he ventured, “Didn’t anyone explain what that means?”

 Fighting the desire to roll his eyes, Kurt said, “Apparently not.”

 Adam considered that, and then shrugged. “No matter. This is as good a place as any to restart your elementary witchcraft lessons. A Familiar is a very rare creature, and the bond between Familiar and Witch is a deep and special one. Coven leaders, witches who need special training, witches who have no human to appropriately guide them in the use of their power; these are the ones who typically attract a Familiar. It was almost inevitable that you would partner with one.”

 “Wait, are you telling me that Elliott auditioned for my band because he was planning to become my Familiar one day?” Kurt said, astonished. He took a seat on one of the tall kitchen bar stools and pulled a pad of paper and a pen from one of the drawers built into the cabinet. He jotted down ‘Lesson 1 – Familiars’ and then made a quick note of what Adam was telling him. If he was going to become a dedicated student of magic, he was going to do it right, and Kurt Hummel had always been a dedicated note-taker in class. “I remember him telling me that he came to New York to be part of my band, but I thought he just meant that he wanted to be part of one that was just starting out. That’s more or less what he told me.”

 Adam smiled. “I’m sure that the band was an attractive component in itself, given his musical proclivities, but it’s not as if he was going to introduce himself with, ‘Hi, I’m Elliott. I spend half my life as a cat and I’d like to be yours!’ You’d have assumed he was either barmy or that he fancied you.”

 “Those two things are not always mutually exclusive,” Kurt agreed with a wry smile.

 “True, especially as I recall my own embarrassingly enthusiastic sales pitch on the day we first met,” Adam laughed. “Your talent as a singer is more than enough to attract admirers, but the band audition probably presented Elliott with an ideal opportunity to get a close-up impression of you without attracting attention.”

 With a snort of amusement, Kurt said, “Right. Steam-punk glasses, a top hat, leather outfit that he made a point of telling me he designed himself, sky-high platform boots, about three pounds of glitter, and swinging from a chandelier. That was the kind of ‘not attracting attention’ that Starchild felt would make a decent first impression. And I suppose it worked since that outfit is still burned into my retinas, but I was so freaked out and convinced that he wanted to take over what I was trying to build that I basically told him to get lost. Luckily he didn’t listen to me.”

 “He never told me that,” Adam chuckled. “Still, once you did meet face to face, he would have known for certain whether he was meant to be a part of your life. A pure-bred cat Familiar like Tubbington chooses their own charge. A human Animagus like Elliott has the instinctive need to bond, and becomes attracted by the magical signature of their particular witch. A feline homing instinct, if you will.”

 “So in a way, Elliott and I were sort of born to be good friends,” Kurt said, finding that idea both pleasing and a little scary. He quickly jotted down this new information. “I’m guessing that a witch who attracts a Familiar is typically trained in magic by them. Do they get something in return from us? I hope the answer is yes, because otherwise this feels pretty selfish.”

 Adam smiled, a bit wistfully. “Indeed they do. It benefits your Familiar greatly to spend time with you. You provide them with affection, emotional stability, and a sense of connection. Being a part of a coven is important, but the connection the two of you share together is deeper and more personal. Or at least it’s meant to be. It should ideally be something like the emotional bond you share with me. I don’t fully understand the particulars myself. You’d have to ask one of the cats, but it seems to satisfy some inner craving in a Familiar to have frequent physical contact and plenty of opportunities to help his charge.”

  Kurt’s voice was quiet as he said, “So . . . when he offered to Transport me to and from work, Elliott was really asking to spend more time with me. And I refused because I thought I was putting him out, when in reality I was denying him the closeness he needed. Oh, Adam, why didn’t he tell me? He must have seen that I didn’t understand.”

“It may have been a mutual misunderstanding. You thought you were putting him out, and he may have feared that he was crowding you. Don’t forget, Elliott is still new to this relationship as well. I wouldn’t worry. I’m sure he hasn’t held it against you,” Adam said kindly. “Familiars aren’t quite like ordinary witches. They live a long time, barring accident or injury. That old saw about cats having nine lives was undoubtedly based upon them. Tubbington is considerably older than any of us, I suspect. I do know that he was bonded to Brittany’s grandmother before her, and that he’s now chosen to expand his protection to Santana.”

 “And to the rest of us.”

  “Correct.” Adam agreed, eyes twinkling. “I believe he sees the lot of us as unruly kittens in need of a firm paw. Plus he’s more or less mentoring Elliott, who is quite as young as he seems.”

 “Why didn’t I know any of this?” Kurt complained, annoyed. “It seems like these are things somebody should have clued me into if I’m really supposed to be the coven leader.”

 “I suppose the right time just never presented itself.”

 Scrubbing a hand over his face in an effort not to start yelling, Kurt blew out a tense breath. “That’s definitely something that’s going on the list to talk to the others about. If the right time doesn’t ‘present itself’ then they should frigging well put up with the awkward! For crying out loud, Tubbington stayed with me an entire week when Brittany was out of town, right before we went searching for you. It seems like he could have found a minute in there somewhere between raiding my cupboards and binge watching my Netflix to tell me some of this.”

 “Agreed, though perhaps that’s another thing you were meant to be learning from Elliott. You’re a new witch, but I don’t believe any of you lot have ever had much experience with covens before now. I have, because my family is massive and we have connections to at least half a dozen covens. Oh, you smile darling, but my parents’ little brood of four practically made them the childless couple of the clan. One can hardly toss a rock back home without hitting a Crawford or one of our many offshoots.” 

“You should know, you’re making me very curious to see your home town,” Kurt said with a grin. “I bet they’ll throw a parade if you dare to show your face back there after being gone so long.”

Adam looked a trifle disturbed by that idea. “Hmm. They might at that. At any rate, what I was trying to say is that you should give yourself, and the others, some slack and try to enjoy this new experience. Meanwhile, I’ll speak to Tubbington about being a little less circumspect with his knowledge. As for Elliott, I want you to spend time with him. It’s important that you two bond as much as possible, though I am here and now drawing a line against his accompanying us on our honeymoon.”

 Kurt laughed. “Agreed. You’re sure it won’t bother you, though? That Elliott won’t have the same Witch/Familiar bond with you that he has with me?”

 Knowing enough about Kurt’s relationship history to know what he was really saying, Adam said, “No, darling. I’ve known many cats in my life and though we’ve always got along well, to this point none have ever chosen me for a bonding, and I’m all right with that. As I told you, it’s a rare thing. The fact that you have been chosen just makes you even more special in my eyes.”

 Kurt heaved a contented and audibly relieved sigh. He had had too much experience with people who only seemed able to be happy for him, or supportive of him, if there was something in it for them. He was getting used to it, but it still caught him off guard sometimes when Adam would freely offer no-strings support. “Thank you. And if you want one, I’ll be happy to find a nice non-magical kitten that can be yours alone. It can be one of my bonding projects with Elliott. He loves kittens.”

 Adam laughed. “Thank you. I may take you up on that one day.” Letting him go, he picked up the butter dish again and placed in Kurt’s hands. “So, back to work. Hold this in your hand, center on just the individual thread that is connected to heat. I’ve realized that the last time we did this, I simply guided you to the correct place without showing you how to find it. So this time I want you to see and feel it for yourself. Separate your Talents like picking out one particular voice section in a choir.”

 Eyes closed, Kurt did as he was told. His magical energies were usually something he viewed as a whole. He found that thinking of them in terms of a choir helped a great deal. He was able to relate this lesson back to the one Dani had given about separating singing from spell-casting, and he remembered something else he had been told early on; that nearly all witches seemed to be musical in some way. Music was something he had always been able to understand. “That’s it,” said Adam, as he felt Kurt relax. “Now, what do you feel?”

  Kurt considered how best to describe it. “The kinetic magic that I use to move things and levitate is the ‘loudest’ part,” he said. “The melody, I suppose you might call it. I can touch that with hardly any effort at all. I’ve noticed before that moving things has gotten a lot easier the more I’ve grown used to having the ability.”

 “Undoubtedly your primary power,” Adam observed. “What else?”

 “The thermal is probably the next strongest. Now that I’m looking at it next to the kinetic, it kind of reminds me of when Rachel and I used to compete for solos. Both wanting to be noticed, but only one getting all the attention.”

 Adam laughed. “So moving things about is your Rachel power, and setting things alight is your Kurt power, eh? That may be a good way for you to think of them. It also may explain why you tend to ignite things when the frustration builds. One can only take so much rubbing the wrong way before they explode.”

 Opening his eyes again, Kurt rolled them at his grinning fiancé. “Oh, ha ha. What does that make my transference magic that I use to change clothes?”

 “Well, the power is understated, unique, and quite spectacular when you choose to show it off. What was the name of that friend of yours? The one you said always got overlooked until it was time for the big power note?”

 Kurt laughed. “The Mercedes power?  I like it! And I think she’d like knowing that she’s finally been put in charge of my wardrobe.”

 “Add in a few minor dribs and drabs, like potion making and your power of Sight, and you have a very fine choir of internal magics,” Adams told him, liking this analogy more and more as he noticed how comfortable Kurt was with it. “But unlike your daft choir master, this time you get to be in charge of who gets which solo, and when.”

 Following Adam’s instruction carefully as he showed him how to draw forth just a hint of well controlled power, Kurt activated his thermal magic, watching with delight as the butter in the dish obligingly softened around the edges, becoming creamy rather than melting into liquid.

 Adam made a satisfied sound in his throat, and picked up Kurt’s free hand to hold it over the fragrant garlic bits. “Excellent. Now keep the butter just at that state, then reach into the garlic and feel its essence,” he said quietly. “Imagine the plant as nourishing and full of good health, then draw that quality forward. Sort of coax it into being its best self.”

 It was hard to imbue personality into a few bits of garlic, but Kurt tried his best. It was difficult but when he turned on his Sight at Adam’s command, he was surprised to see the garlic take on a soft golden glow. What’s more, it suddenly looked mouth-watering.

 “Very good. Now just add the garlic to the butter and we’ll seal our charm with a sprinkle of spice,” Adam said, singing a few soft wordless notes over their concoction as Kurt stirred it together. The butter suddenly ‘flashed’ in Kurt’s Sight, startling him so much he nearly dropped the dish. Having expected the reaction, Adam steadied him before their experiment could end in disaster. “And there we go. All done but for spreading it over our bread and baking it in.”

 “That’s it? So it’s . . .?” Kurt said, blinking his vision back to normal and gesturing curiously toward the innocent looking spread.

 Adam took a tiny swipe of butter onto the tip of his index finger and held it out with a smile. “Yes, indeed. Taste for yourself.” Kurt obeyed, wrapping his lips around the end of Adam’s finger and sipping off the butter, just slowly enough to make his pupils dilate. Adam cleared his throat. “What do you think?”

 “Delicious,” Kurt said, teasing a bit. Then his brow furrowed as he licked his lips and realized, “Actually it really is. It tastes fantastic.”

 Blue eyes twinkling, Adam said, “How’s the blocked nose?”

 “How did you know I had . . . ? Whoa. Adam, it’s gone!”

 Adam grinned brightly at his astonishment. “You sounded a bit snuffly when you first got home. And now I’ll bet you’re right as rain.”

 Kurt pulled a deep breath in through his nose. Winter colds were such an average occurrence that he had barely noticed how little air he was getting before. “That’s amazing. You could totally corner the pharmaceutical market with this stuff.”

 He laughed. “If it wouldn’t be a complete violation of secrecy and ethics, I might. But you certainly did your share. I guided the power and spoke the necessary incantation, but the rest was all you. You did very well at your first potion, and I’m proud of you.”

 “Thanks,” he said with a grin. Kurt personally felt a bit doubtful that he had really done anything, given that Adam had sung the spell that bound it all together, but it was nice to know that he might be able to do something similar one day. He glanced at the clock. “Oh, gosh!  The others will be here any minute!”

 As if conjured by the thought, a knock sounded on the front door. Kurt recognized the signatures of his friends as they touched the wards. He unlocked the entrance with a thought and yelled, “Door’s open. Come on in!”

 The others piled in, the entire coven having arrived en mass; Dani, Elliott, Santana, Monica, Johnny, and finally Brittany.

 “Hey guys. Something smells great!” Johnny greeted as he and Dani both passed over bottles of wine they had brought to complement dinner. “You said we were having pasta. I hope this is okay.”

 “It’s perfect, thanks. Welcome everyone!” Kurt said, accepting the offering with a hug of greeting for each of them. Noticing how cold the embraces were, and how much snow was covering coats and hats, it was obvious that the group had not used any teleportation magic to get here tonight, “Is the storm getting any worse?”

 Brittany, who had been looking oddly as if she were pregnant, opened her long overcoat and presented Lord Tubbington, who she set on the sofa before moving to give the hosting couple a warm hug. LT seemed disinclined to change to his human form right away, just stretching and yawning as he hopped up on the couch-back to observe the fun. “It’s pretty windy and we only have a couple of inches so far,” she said, taking off the coat, “but we’re in for a big blizzard, so we’ll stay the night with you. I brought pajamas for everyone so we can have a sleep-over. I got you purple ones so you can wear your new hat with them if you want! I bet you’ll look super cute. And also sexy, so Adam will want to keep you warm tonight.”

 “He already has been if my Spidey-senses don’t deceive me,” Santana noted, taking off her scarf and looping it around Kurt’s neck to tug him closer. She looked into his surprised eyes and said, “Oh, yeah, our baby is finally getting some back!”

 Kurt shoved his cackling ex-roommate away with a blush. “I never should have told you about Adam singing me that song.”

 “Notice he’s not denying your observation, though!” Dani teased. She gave Adam’s rear a little squeeze in passing that had him yelping in surprise. “Good job, gorgeous.”

 Needing to change the subject, Kurt looked to Monica for a distraction. “Are we really expecting a blizzard tonight?”

 She nodded. “At least a couple of days. I’d say closer to three.”

 “In that case, I’d better email the script revision Maggie asked for tonight, and get any homework assignments the professors might have put up on the NYADA website, just in case we lose power,” Kurt said, not questioning her prediction. Along with metallurgy and scrying, Monica was more reliable than a meteorologist at forecasting the weather. “Um, by the way. Not that you guys aren’t welcome, but why exactly do you need to stay here tonight? Between Elliott and Santana, you can all get home safely no matter what the weather conditions are.”

 “Where would be the fun in that?” Santana demanded. She grabbed a grocery bag out of Elliott’s hand and shoved it at Kurt. “This is Hummel coven bonding night, right? So why not make it last! And since you’re doing all of the cooking tonight, we brought dessert. Hope you guys still like B and J.”

 Kurt opened the bag to show Adam at least a dozen different small containers of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. “We’re about to have a blizzard and you got ice cream?”

 She hopped up on one of the kitchen stools. “Sure, why not?  We didn’t know what flavor you guys would want, so we bought a couple of everything they had in the freezer case.”

 “Well I think both sleep-over and ice cream are excellent ideas,” Adam said, looking at a tub of Phish Food with a covetous glint in his eye. “And the wine will go perfectly with lasagna. Thank you all for the additions. Kurt and I were just making up some garlic bread, so dinner will be ready in a trice.”

 “Hope that means soon,” LT said, projecting his mental voice to the room.

 Kurt grinned. “It does. Should be ready in just a few minutes. Adam and I made a good-health charm for it, so it anyone is feeling under the weather this should help.”

 Dani immediately looked interested and came around to examine the bowl of garlic spread. “May I?”

 “Please,” Adam invited, smiling proudly at Kurt when the girl used a spoon to take a tiny dab of butter and taste it, promptly following with a deep uncongested breath of relief.

 “Wow, this is good stuff,” she approved. “Like, hundred proof cold medicine!”

 Kurt was a little concerned, “Too strong?”

 “No way!  Johnny, you need to try some of this.”

 As Johnny came over to get a taste, Adam said, “Go ahead, but don’t eat too much of it. We still need enough to cover the garlic toast. It’s strong because it’s in pure form. Once it’s baked into the bread the potency will lessen a bit, but it will still be good for curing any wintertime sniffles.”

 As Adam quickly moved to rescue the enhanced butter and get it added to the bread before his greedy friends could sample it all away, Kurt pulled Elliott aside for a private word.

 “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant with you,” he blurted. “I’ve had a lot on my mind and I didn’t know that I was pushing you away when I refused your help with getting to and from places. You’re my friend and my Familiar, and I want you to know that I appreciate both of those things. And if you want to hang out more, or do things together more often, I would like that.  Magical or non-magical, because Adam thinks that we really need more of both, and I agree with him, and he also thinks you should stay with us until the wedding so that you and I can develop a proper Witch-Familiar bond.”

 Elliott looked startled by this quick burst of contrition. Then his usual bright grin appeared and he wrapped his long arms around Kurt to give him a back-thumping hug. “I’ve missed you too, buddy,” he said, not a trace of hurt or anger in his voice. “Of course we can do more together. You’re my witch, Kurt, so I’m always here for you. And did you just say wedding?”

 “Oh. Oops, I hadn’t meant to spill the beans that soon,” Kurt said with a surprised laugh. He’d been in a hurry to get everything out and hadn’t even realized. “But yes. I asked him a couple of days ago and he said yes. We’ve decided to get married on Valentine’s Day and I’d really like it if you’d agree to be my best man. Or best cat! We can make you a tiny top hat and a sparkly tie if you prefer it that way.”

 The taller man burst out laughing. “That could be super fun, just to see the looks on your other guests’ faces! But naw, man. I’m honored and I would love to. And for you, I’ll do the traditional human in a tux routine, or whatever you want me to do.  I’ll even whisk you away to whatever honeymoon destination you choose, airplane free, as my wedding gift. That’s what being a Familiar is all about. Well, that and being your magical guide.”

 “I’m just now learning what that really means,” Kurt admitted. “I have a few things to talk to all of you guys about tonight. Some important changes that need to happen if we’re all going to be happy and successful as a coven, but first I really need to make sure that you know how much I love and appreciate you and all that you do for me. Before any of this witch stuff happened, you were my best friend, Elliott. I don’t want that to change just because I have different commitments now.”

 “I love you too, man, and nothing is going to change that.” He looked at Adam, who was now engaged in a game of self - defense with his butter spatula as he laughed and struggled to get the pan of garlic bread into the oven unmolested. “He’s a good guy, and I’m really happy that you two found each other again. Speaking of which, you both seem unusually relaxed tonight. Santana was right about you two, wasn’t she?”

 Kurt could not help the silly grin that spread across his face. He nodded. “A couple of days now, and it’s every bit as wonderful as I knew it would be.”

 “Aww, congratulations! On everything, not just the sex, but definitely congrats on that too.”

 He folded his laughing friend into another enthusiastic hug, and when he let go, Kurt was startled to see LT in his newly changed human form standing right next to them. “Mazel tov, kid,” the large man said, clapping one pudgy hand on Kurt’s back and rubbing his fingers over the surface in a way that reminded Kurt of a kneading paw. “You’re a big commitment kind of guy, as taking on all of us kooky hairballs goes to show. You and Adam feel right together, and I believe that you’re doing the right thing by making it official.”

 “Thank you, Lord Tubbington,” he said, not quite sure why he felt an instinctive need to be so formal. Perhaps it was because the man/cat was being completely serious for once. “That means a lot.”

 Suddenly, a squeal from Dani rent the air and probably nearly burst poor Adam’s eardrum since she was now hugging him with all her might. Monica and Johnny were grinning like proud parents and clapping him on the back.

 “I think Adam may have just spread the news,” Kurt laughed, not minding at all, especially when Brittany and Santana instantly ran to embrace him, Santana nearly choking him to death with the ferocity of her hug.

 “Good job, lady-face,” she said, sounding a little choked up, though she attempted to pretend like she was not tearing up by quickly dashing away the moisture as she moved over to give Brittany a turn. “And good riddance to that last sham of an engagement. Consider it the disastrous rehearsal dinner that you’re supposed to have before the perfect wedding day. Please tell me you’re going to use a High Magic Day for the ceremonies?”

 Kurt grinned. “Valentine’s Day!”

 She made a face. “Seriously? Ballads, and flowers, and cupid vomiting pink and white hearts all over everything? Although now that I say it out loud, that does sound like your kind of day. Still, hasn’t that holiday been kind of cursed for you, between Gorilla Boy, and the Schuester-Pillsbury cold-feet-o-rama, in which you were injected with loser venom by the walking grease-gun?”

 Kurt rolled his eyes. “Thanks for the reminders. But that’s kind of the point. Adam knows I’ve never had a decent Valentine’s Day and he suggested we sort of redeem the holiday by making it our own. And you can’t deny that the level of positive feeling in the air created by all those expressions of love will make this the ideal High Magic Day.”

 “He’s right,” Brittany told her girlfriend. “You know that’s why it’s one of the most popular days for the commitment ceremony, as well as weddings. I think it’s a great choice, Kurt.”

 “Commitment ceremony?” Kurt repeated, realizing that Santana had also mentioned ‘ceremonies’ in plural. “What’s that?”

 Brittany clapped her hands like a little girl. “That’s right! You’ve never been to one before! It’s a magical ceremony performed around the two of you by your family and best friends. It reinforces the connection you and Adam share, and the love we all feel for the two of you. It’s a spiritual wedding, different from a legal one.”

 “Think Pagans,” Elliott told him. “The rite stems from centuries ago. It involves some ancient incantations and a couple of rituals to invoke luck and love, and to celebrate your strength as a committed couple. And don’t worry, it’s not a religious ceremony in the modern sense. We invoke the elements and the spirits, not God.”

 “That sounds really nice,” Kurt decided, appreciating that Elliott knew him well enough to respect of his atheist beliefs. “And I’m actually glad that we have a way to celebrate as witches, since the actual wedding reception will have both magical and Standard guests. I haven’t sent out any invitations yet, but my boss has given us The Ballroom for our reception and I want to invite pretty much everyone I know to celebrate with us!”

 He laughed, feeling giddy at the thought. The others made impressed noises at the news that Kurt and Adam’s party would be held in such a venue, immediately offering their services as decoration committee.

 The rest of the coven danced over to offer their own hugs and congratulations to Kurt, as Elliott, Brittany, Santana, and LT did the same for Adam.

 “You’ve got the reception booked, but what about the wedding?” Johnny asked. “Are you just going to sign some papers for a judge, or have an actual ceremony with an officiant?”

 Kurt and Adam looked at each other, question in their eyes. Given the short planning time, they had thought to just ask Adam’s father to whisk them to the courthouse for a quick service in front of the grooms’ two families. They shared this plan, bracing themselves for reactions of disappointment, but to their surprise and relief, the coven was completely on board.

 “Great idea,” Tubbington approved. “That way you can get married without a lot of people telling you how you should do it. If you want, we’ll come to the courthouse to watch. Or we can just greet you at the reception hall with a big fanfare of ‘Here Comes the Groom’. Then it’s party time!”

 “That’s the part everyone shows up for anyway,” Santana agreed practically. “Cake, dancing, free food, booze, embarrassing toasts from your friends . . .”

 The wicked gleam in her eyes left little doubt as to which part she was volunteering to provide.

 “I can take care of the food,” Dani offered.

 Johnny chimed in, “I have an uncle who owns a bakery in Midtown. He’s from the Standard side of the family but he knows all about us. He totally owes me a favor for some space savings and oven efficiency spells I did on his store when he first opened the place. You’ll have the best wedding cake ever. He does some beautiful three tier cakes, unless you need more. What flavors do you want?”

 They grinned at each other and Adam said, “Three will be wonderful, and thank you mate. As for the flavors, what do you say to a vanilla base, a champagne middle, and a chocolate cheesecake top layer?”

 Kurt’s eyes gleamed with approval. “Yum!”

 “Sure,” Johnny said, pulling out his phone and sending a text to his uncle without delay.  For Valentine’s Day, ordering early would be vital, favor or not.  He received a chime back almost at once, showing it to his friends with a grin. It said, ‘Glad to!  For all the $$$ you’ve saved me, your friends can even have an extra layer of white cake.’ “What do you think?”

 “Sold,” Kurt said happily.

 Brittany offered to conjure up as many flowers as they liked, and Monica and Elliott both had some connections on champagne and other liquor from past jobs they had worked. It wouldn’t be free, but given how many other expenses had just vanished from his planned budget, Kurt had no problem with that.

 “You guys are amazing,” he told them. “And I’m really sorry I’ve been so stand-offish lately. I’ve been avoiding you instead of talking to you, and now I’m realizing how stupid that really was.”

 The oven timer dinged just at that moment and Adam suggested, “Why don’t we all get our supper dished up and eaten. Kurt and I have some things to discuss with you lot, and I think that conversation would best be had over full stomachs.”

 “Agreed,” Tubbington said at once, already heading for the kitchen. In his view, everything was best done over a full stomach.

 The others curiously followed, but held their questions. Soon all nine of them had full plates in front of them and were gathered around the dining room table. Conveniently large enough to accommodate them all, complete with chairs, courtesy of Johnny and Brittany who used an expansion spell and a conjuring spell, respectively.

 Food, wine, bread, and salad were enthusiastically consumed with many compliments, and it was not until the dishes were washed and everyone was gathered again in the living room with pajamas on (except for LT, who had chosen to resume his natural form instead), that Adam broached the topic that most concerned him.

 “It has recently come to my attention that we, and I decidedly do include myself in that, have bollixed up Kurt’s magical training to a shameful degree,” he began. He held up a hand to stop the immediate babble of protest that rose up. “Did you know that Kurt was unaware that he needed to find his magical center and separate the individual Talents before performing complex spells? Or that one needs to weave power and spells together when creating a potion?”

 They all fell silent, looking at one another in surprise.

 “He also was unaware until this evening exactly what having a Familiar entailed, including the fact that they’re meant to be spending extra time together to cement their bond,” Adam continued. He met each pair of shame filled eyes squarely, reaching to his side to take hold of his fiancé’s hand. “Each of us has assumed that someone else was showing him the ropes, that he knew the basics of witchcraft simply because he was using it somewhat effectively. As we’ve all noted more than once, Kurt has enormous power at his disposal, but we’ve essentially left a powder keg sitting next to a lit furnace. There’ve been some complaints that we aren’t moving fast enough to confront Blaine, but what happens if Kurt goes to face him having little more idea than his enemy does of how to control his power?”

 Elliott winced. “Kablooey.”

 Adam nodded. “Precisely. Someone will get hurt, and if we’re lucky, that someone won’t be our own coven leader. He’s had dribs and drabs of training. How to See, how to separate normal singing from casting a spell, how to recognize and differentiate one power from another, but it’s like having a lot of individual cooking ingredients with no earthly idea how to blend them into an edible recipe.”

 “We’ve been expecting gourmet meals from somebody who’d never even seen a spice-rack before we met,” Dani concluded with a self-directed grimace. “Shit.”

 “And I thought you needed space to take care of Adam, so I’ve given you so much space that you’re on a different planet,” Elliott concluded, wrapping his arm around Kurt’s shoulders and giving him an apologetic squeeze. “Man, I’m sorry.”

 Monica, who was sitting on the coffee table, reached out and squeezed Kurt’s free hand. “Sweetie, why didn’t you tell us you were struggling so much?  I agree, this is totally our bad, but if you were completely lost why didn’t you tell us? You’re our coven leader, as well as our friend. It’s our job and our duty to help you when you need it.”

 Kurt was blushing furiously by now. This was necessary, and would hopefully be very helpful in the future, but for now he just felt embarrassed. “I . . . I guess I didn’t really know that either. You all have had magic for years. Most of you grew up with it, and have been surrounded by it all your lives even before you could use it yourself. I didn’t even know witches were a real thing until a few months ago. I guess I should have said something, but I just felt more and more lost and stupid.”

 “It’s hard to know what you need to know, when you don’t already know what you don’t know,” Johnny said wisely, holding his serious expression for a moment as everyone turned confused eyes on him. Then he grinned and said, “Y’know?”

 The entire group laughed, easing the tension considerably.

 “So basically, what you’re telling us is that we’re all a bunch of dumb-asses and Kurt isn’t the only one who needs to go back to the beginning,” Santana concluded with a wry smile. She and Brittany were sharing the love-seat, Santana stretched across her girlfriend’s lap, with Tubbington comfortably lounging on her. Unable to get up, she formed a fist and aimed a little force-field at Kurt to give him a long distance punch to the arm. “Noted and painfully accepted. Jesus, can you imagine what Coach Sylvester would have said if one of us had showed up for Nationals after having skipped nearly every practice that season?”

 “You think this is hard?” Brittany barked. “Try building a squad of assassins from a kindergarten class! That’s hard! And also? Get off my squad before the stench of mediocrity kills us all.”

 All of the former McKinley students cracked up, while the others just looked at each other in confusion, then shrugged, realizing you probably had to have been there.

 Adam continued. “The good news is that we’ve discovered the difficulty before too much harm was done, so we can still take steps to remedy it. Our first step is to invite Elliott to stay with us and give Kurt some one on one instruction whenever he’s free of other commitments.”

 “He’s already invited me,” Elliott said with a nod, “and I’m totally up for it.  I promise I won’t get in the way, and I won’t sleep on your bed unless I know you’re not, uh . . .  otherwise occupied.”

 His teasing grin earned him a smile and a quick elbow to the ribs from his blushing best friend.

 Adam cleared his throat loudly. “Ahem, at any rate, that’s taken care of. Secondly, I have recently begun looking for employment and I have a couple of promising prospects. If that goes well, it will free up more of Kurt’s time, as well as giving him relief from being our sole financial provider.”

 There were several interested questions at that, and Adam quickly explained what had been happening since they last met.

 “I gave my notice at the diner,” Kurt added, drawing a look of approval from Adam and surprise from the others. “I can’t keep up with all my commitments, including devoting more time to my magic, if I’m going to be a good friend or a good leader. Plus, I’m taking on a TA position with Cassandra July next semester at school, and hopefully devoting a few hours a week to combat magic with Troy and other jocks. I talked to him briefly today and he said he’ll check his schedule and help me work something out.”

 “Kurt feels that he needs to learn combative spells, including self-defense against magical attacks, before we proceed against his ex,” Adam said.

 LT nodded his head. “Smart thinkin’, Junior. Wild witches are hard to predict, even at their most innocent, and this one is anything but. With all that local power to steal from his brainwashed friends and little birdie buddies, he’s both dangerous and potentially clueless. I’m pretty sure sending Adam to the void was a complete fuck-up rather than a calculated move, and who even knows if that was an isolated incident or not. Building up your defenses is smart, and so is getting that training from an outside source that won’t be afraid to smack you around a little.”

 “That’s what Adam thought too,” Kurt said ruefully.

 He shrugged one furry shoulder. “Best way to learn, kid. Blaine ain’t gonna be giving you pats on the head if things get serious.”

 Kurt agreed, “I know. He came at my head with a bo staff in Stage Combat class just three weeks after I’d gotten out of the hospital with a skull fracture, and that was when we were supposed to be in love. I’m not taking any chances.”

 Unhappy expressions crossed every face at this news. Dani lifted her hand, catching Kurt’s attention, then formed a tiny ice sculpture of Blaine Anderson in her palm, which she then pointedly crushed into powder. This wordless show of support warmed his heart.  

 Feeling like everything was finally traveling down the right road again, Kurt told them, “In addition to the magical training, it would be good for me and for all of us as a group, to spend more time doing things together that are unrelated to being witches. I’ve . . . well, I’ve kind of been feeling lately that nobody else cared about that side of our friendship. We never have band practice anymore, or go to a movie, or just have an evening like this one that’s about having fun just being together.  I’ve really missed you guys.”

 Monica launched herself across the space between sofa and table and hugged him. Elliott joined in, then Dani, and soon all of them had formed a laughing, tearful dog-pile of witches, with Kurt in the center.

 “You and me, hot dogs in the park next week,” Tubbington offered, transforming to his human self long enough to ruffle Kurt’s hair before switching back and flouncing out of the room on a mission towards Kurt and Adam’s comfortable bed. “Have a good night, kiddos. Save me some sausage and waffles in the morning.”

 They all laughed, yelling goodnight to their retreating mentor. Taking his cue, the visitors took a few minutes to make up places to sleep, pushing back the furniture and making a cozy circle after Brittany helpfully whisked in the sleeping bags and air beds she had bought but left at her and Santana’s apartment. Kurt and Adam mutually decided to stay out here and join the others, leaving their room to the no doubt already slumbering cat.

 “I really am sorry we let things get so far out of hand,” Dani said quietly to Kurt as the two of them spread blankets atop one of the air beds. “We’ll make up a rotation so that everyone can share magical knowledge as our schedules match up. And you and I are totally on for mani-pedi day once this storm clears up. Okay?”

 “Count me in for that!” Monica offered with a grin, “And we should totally schedule in band practice once or twice a week. We can do it for fun, but One Three Hill needs to book some paying gigs, man!”

 Elliott held up a hand and dipped his head, shaking his hand like he was attending a revival meeting, “Amen, sister.”

 Kurt laughed. “Let’s start with the band practice, then figure out the other once things cool down, okay? My show at the Lexington is coming up in only two weeks, so I need to devote my spare time to that for now. Plus, I still haven’t come up with a song for my mid-winter critique.”

 “We can totally help with that,” Brittany offered. “We’ve got three days until the blizzard clears.  We can come up with choreo for you!  Oh, unless that cranky turban lady is judging you again. She didn’t seem to like our first performance, even though you wore the hot gold pants.”

 “The dick framers?” Santana asked, looking interested. “You never told me you wore those for your NYADA audition. And Tight-ass Tibideaux still rejected you? I thought she was straight.”

 Kurt shrugged. “She has three ex husbands, but maybe that’s the problem.”

 “Those gold pants definitely would have won my vote,” Adam murmured, wrapping his arms around Kurt’s middle as he came up behind him and kissed his neck. “I’ve seen the photos.”

 Hugging those arms, Kurt looked around the room at his busy, laughing, chattering coven. The future suddenly felt a great deal brighter.  He did not know why he had been so worried about talking to these people for so long. This coven was not like his fickle friends of the past. Not even the members who had been a part of that past. They, like Kurt himself, had grown up and changed for the better.

 He smiled.  He would take that leap of faith and believe that they would continue to move forward together.

 “Who wants ice cream?”

 THE END