#what? what was that? speak up young man i cant understand you when you mumble

[gibbearish]

hey question when did spencer's get dope as fuck

[kiwi-channn]

Feel your love

(part 2)

Older Simon Riley × young fem reader

∆ reader met Simon in a bar and got attached ∆

(reader referred to as "she")

part 1 - part3 here

~~~~~~~~~~~🍄🍄🍄~~~~~~~

Ghost hums calmly as he feels her being uncomfortable so he prefers to let this slide… and they meet for two weeks more, just chatting and talking about anything really…

and then suddenly he disappeared AGAIN and she didn't see him in the pub for a few weeks.. she remembers the last time when he disappeared … and she couldn't stop going to that pub every few days, hoping that she would see him… but he didn't come for three whole months.. 

And she curses herself for not taking his contact info the last time she saw him….losing hope to see him again… feeling distracted all the time… he evaded her head and her mind -maybe her heart too- … and she tries to deny that she started liking him… 

(what is wrong with me?.. Am i stupid?... I only talked to him a few times.. I don't know him to like him!.. No no no.. I don't like him.. I'm just lonely … yeah that's it…)  she huffs softly and she looks at her phone's screen and it is 9 pm now…. She huffs tiredly …

(i won't go again… he won't come again.. I just need to give up this stupid thing… No, I HAVE to give up this thing… I'm not going!)... Her mind is a mess ... She doesn't know what to do about these feelings, crawling up inside her heart and they are almost out...

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

And After an hour...

she was sitting in the same barstool… and she saw the bartender looking at her understandingly, he is pitying her... The bartender has seen her coming every few days and she just sits and wait ... He knows that she is waiting for that masked weird man... and he feels sorry for her...

she feels the bartender's looks and finds so annoying... she felt so upset and dumb… and she just leaned her arms on the counter and put her face in her hands…

Suddenly she feels someone sitting beside her, she slowly raises her head and looks beside her and she sees him… finally!

She feels her lips closed tight as she just stares at him…her heartbeat racing.. Her cheeks flushing.. She really missed this man..

“Are you gonna just stare at me, y/n?...”

He says calmly as he gives her a small smile under his balaclava

She gulps and parts her lips to finally speak.

“Where have you been?..”

Says so quietly as she feels emotional, holding back tears.. she didn't wanna say that... She wanted to be the always cute nice girl... She didn't wanna be annoying....

He looks at her.. Their eyes meet and he sees her glossy sad eyes, he doesn't fully understand it, but he wanna comfort this little girl..

“I'm sorry..” he mumbles calmly and moves his hand carefully to put it over her trembling hand…

The moment she felt his hand over hers, she couldn't hold back anymore, her tears started falling down her tired face… she wanted to cry for so long… 

He feels a bit taken back by her tears and he just squeezes her hand a bit…  and she feels sad and tries to wipe her teary eyes, but the tears aren't stopping..

“Don't cry.. Calm down..it's okay…” says calmly in a soft tone as he tries to calm her down.. He doesn't understand why she is crying … but he feels a sting in his heart for seeing her sad like this…

“I… I… I can't … where have you been?.. Why aren't you telling me anything?!....” she mumbles quietly as she sniffs softly..

He sighs tiredly and raises his other free hand to wipe her cheek gently

“It's classified, luv… just calm down yeah?... Why do you wanna know anyway?...”

She sniffs and lightly bites her bottom lip, trying to muffle her pants as she cries… and she cant take this anymore.. She can't bottle up this anymore...

“Because… because I like you… ” mumbles so quietly as she feels so nervous… she takes a deep breath... She finally says it... Now she got nothing else to lose...

“I want to .. feel your love..” 

[binkszamsstuff]

camp of america

summery: when the reader vists a small summer camp in the middle of montana she is in for a twisted love from two men. when she learns the truth of what she has been brought into can she get out?

warnings: dark!steve roger x dark bucky barnes x innocent reader (dark! stucky x reader) losely based off of the moive mid sommer

Not proof read, or edited sorry but I'm lazy🤷

《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》《》

Summer of 1972 somewhere between June 1-3 the leaders of camp America waited for the bus of new campers to arrive. "I dont know if i can wait another summer" one of the leaders told in counterpart. "I know you cant, but me neither." The other man said back "I just hope that these fresh campers aren't like the ones last year." The man with slivers rings on his fingers spoke clearly to the other. "We need our flower, time is running out. We're the leaders yet we have no 3rd."

Just as the other man was about to reassure his partner the old rusty sc hool bus pulled into the dirt and gravel drive way. Both of the leaders put on fake smiles hoping that soon they wouldnt need them. The young, boys and girls filed off the yellow bus the two leaders scanning the faces hoping to find one worthy. Then the leaders eyes met with y/e/c, both men ran over her. Long tan legs that her shorts did a great job at showing off. Her long hair blew in the slight summer breeze. They found their flower.

"Hello everyone! We are the leaders of Camp America. I'm brother steven and this is my partner brother james some may call him bucky" steven the blonde one of the two told the new campers.

As the two shared more about the camps life and people they kept an eye on the girl. Hers eyes wide with amazement, the beauty of the people, camp, and culture held a dark sinister tone. in the camp all of the fresh eyed people felt cold on their necks. Even when the sun was wrenchingly hot it was like a beast that could not be met by the eyes was breathing down their backs.

"The men and the women sleep together in one sleeping unit. But when two get married they move to a cabin on the other side." Steven and james walked into the long unit house beds and bunck beds lined up in rows some people were out side working.

When the group passed by they all smiled and said hello all wearing wearing white while the children wore yellow. When the group walked in the sleeping unit they were met with moans of pleasure, three woman laid having sex.

"Now we dont forbid premarital sex we think it's an art here. You can have sex with who ever you like man or woman here but once you are married you can not and if one breaks said rule there will be consequences."

All the new campers etheir looked away from the three woman or started -most men kept their eyes on them. In the group their were 4 girls and 9 boys one being toby raxx a hellish boy that y/n was not to happy seeing.

They continued to walk on with the tour and have dinner y/n talked and mingled with the people saying hello and thanking them for opening up their home. Y/n was very understanding, her own mother was from a place like this and when summer came she would go to a rainy part in Washington were her grandparents lived in the camp her mother grew up in. But that all changed when she was 12, her mother had disappeared one day, and her father closed off.

Never the same. He forbid her to ever speak to her grandparents or ever go to the camp. mumbling under his breath that the camp did something to her mother sisley. Her father never used to believe in God and never went to church but after her mother he prayed and he made her as well every sunday they went y/n didnt mind but she did miss her summer fun in her grandparents community.

As y/n talked around and laughed with the people and children, a red haired woman couldn't take her eyes off of the young girl. Natasha was well a where of the other people looking at the girl with lustful eyes especially the leaders.

Y/n was open minded, and found her heart and child like ways more happy here, it reminded her so much of her mother and grandparents. Once night fell they made their way back to the shared unit, they gave all the of them white long baggy dresses to wear from now on. Y/n remembered that her mother wore them often.

When the sun was finally down and she was changed as she made her way to her assigned bed, pulling the blanket down and getting nice and cozy sleep taking her o er quickly.

As the night went on people began to shed their clothes, james and steven walking in the sleeping unit they watch as Natasha a red haired woman that they used to have sex with make her way to their girl sleeping peacefully unaware of the filthy moans and skin slapping around.

Her soft long hair flowing on the pillowcase so innocent. Natasha gently pulled her blanket back, y/n's nightgown ridden up on her waist revealing her white little cotton panties with a pink bow on top. Both leaders now sat on the empty bed across from their girls. The Green eyed woman pulled y/n's panties down, Nat had now had the girls legs open wide showing casing a pretty naked pussy to the three on them steve and bucky naked slowly jerking eachother off at the sight of her virgin cunt.

The red haired woman kicked her lips eyes blown out with lust. She made little kitten licks to her clit a soft moan coming from y/n. Natasha then dived deep sucking and slurping at the innocent girls pussy.

James and steven moving their hands faster as y/n's eyes opened gasping at the sight of the woman between her legs. Sitting up on her elbows she said "What are you d-" she was cut of by a loud moan coming from her throat when Natasha sucked harder the womans green eyes met with her y/c/es eyes . Steven standing up from the bed cock wet and pre cum leaking from the tip he yanked the dress all the way off of y/n her breasts now out james moaning at the sight.

Steven leaning down her neck and chest leaving kisses in his wake, one hand playing on her nipple well the other nipple was being sucked on. "O-oh that feels sooo good" y/n sequeled in delight her eyes heavy. James's blue eyes locking with y/n's as he came hot white cum shooting out all over his hand and soon she followed cumming on Natasha's face, the red head moaning at the taste of her.

"Your ours now sweet girl" bucky spoke.

A/n: I'm probably not making a part 2

[juminsmysticmc]

Hiii!! I loved your new one shot of jumin with drunk mc and it's fab like all your other works. I had been looking for something like this and yours just came up to be so great! Could you do something with this plot again like when Jumin gets drunk after an argument and poor zen drops him off. And mc "had to" bathe him (a bit nsfw pls cat mom is hot i cant resist-) but keeps on rattling how he loves mc and telling mc to back off cuz he is too drunk to even recognize his wife 🤦‍♀️.

Mc x drunk Jumin who gets bathed by her

Hello! Thank you very much for liking the story! It really made me feel happy that you liked it a lot! here you are and just for you to know - I love your idea and request, I never thought of it! Thank you a lot! Hope you will also enjoy this version! Please make sure to tell me what you think of it!

,,I don’t get it,’’ you mumbled and crossed your legs. Even those movements seemed wonderful. They were just as ladylike as you were in Jumin’s eyes. And if the both of you wouldn’t have an argument, Jumin would for sure tell you just how beautiful you were in his eyes. Well, if he would tell you now, would it change your mood? Surely not.

,,I thought the two of us were married,’’ you told him and looked into his eyes. As if someone stabbed the young CEO, your words hit his heart and suddenly he looked just sad over at the couch where you were sitting.

,,Mc, my love, my wife, we are married,’’ he sighed and took a step towards you. You quickly put your hand up to stop him and shook your head as you looked away.

,,Don’t come near me, Jumin. I’m very sad and disappointed. Actually, I’m angry. I… I don’t feel as if we are in a marriage…’’ you whispered.

,,You…you always make the decisions on your own. You never ask me. And I could forgive you all this time because I knew that you just wanted the best for me, but Jumin, not this time. I won’t let you decide for me again,’’ you said and finally looked over to him again. Jumin looked so sad as you said these words. You could see that he was nervous. Nervous about the words you were telling him, your future actions, even your thoughts. Jumin feared that you would take your things and leave him alone forever. Even worse, Jumin feared that you would take the children with you and never let them see him again. What if they would come to hate him? He just thought of their well-being when he decided to tutor them at home. He just thought of your mental health when he decided that a nanny would take care of his son and his daughter. However, you were angrier than he thought…

,,Mc, my love, I thought this could… I was only thinking of you,“ he honestly confessed. You wheezed. You suddenly jumped up and hit your hand firmly on the table. That's the problem. You only think but never think of talking to me! Jumin, who are you to make your own decisions about our children? Our son is already scared to talk to other people! If we tutor him at home, what do you think will happen? He will never find any friends!’’ you hissed. Jumin began to bite his lip.

,,What do you think your daughter will learn at home about the world when she is always supposed to stay at home? And why should a nanny come over if I gave up my freaking job just to take care of my family?! Jumin, communication is the key! If you can’t understand that…’’ Jumin couldn’t hear the end of your sentence. But before the young man could even speak up, someone totally different called you.

,,Mommy?’’ the girl whimpered, coming from behind the door, her long pajamas dragging on the floor as it was a bit too long. In her left hand was the beige teddy bear she got from Jumin after she was born while her right hand was rubbing her eye.

,,Baby, don’t rub your eyes so strongly,’’ you softly said, immediately approaching her while Jumin watched. You took your girl in your arms and supported her body on your hip as you stroked her cheek. The girl rested her head on your shoulder and started yawning.

,,Why are you still up?’’ you asked her, slowly moving around. Your attention was now totally on your daughter while Jumin just watched. It wasn’t the fact that you turned around and tried to take care of your daughter, it was the opposite. He loved to see you as a caring mother and it was the fact that his daughter didn’t even think of coming to him. The first one she called was her mother, not him. It was something that hit him harder than anything else. Maybe, just maybe, Jumin wanted to have a nanny so that that time the two of you spent together with your children would be equal? Jumin wasn’t sure anymore. Jumin was totally confused about his own actions, but quickly came back to reality when he saw your eyes on him.

,,I will put her back to bed. We are not finished yet though,’’ you said and walked off. The door closed behind him and he was suddenly all alone. He knew that you wanted to keep talking to him, but suddenly Jumin Han felt that perhaps it would be best if he would go out for a while, just to quickly clear his head. And so, Jumin decided to get comfortable on the chair in his garden as he opened the chatroom. Zen was in there with him and both men began to chat about what they could do to get their heads free. To Jumin’s surprise, Zen wasn’t that aggressive towards him.

,,Maybe you should go out and drink something,’’ Zen said and suddenly a good whiskey seemed like a really good idea to Jumin. Seeing that you still weren’t back, Jumin took his wallet and called Driver Kim who gladly brought him to the nearest bar before driving home to end his shift. The back haired man ordered one whiskey after the other cubes of ice were slowly melting in the brown liquid in front of him. Whenever Jumin took the whiskey in one shot, the man in front of him seemed to refill his glass constantly. Supporting his arms on the counter, Jumin began to think about the past years. When did he become so weak? Wasn’t he the first one who liked to speak clearly about actions before he took them? Why did he suddenly change so much? And the more Jumin thought about his mistakes, the more he drank until he couldn’t even lift up his head from the cold counter.

,,Man, get the fuck up,’’ someone hissed. Jumin slowly tried to open his eyes as they constantly flickered.

,,Jumin Han, get the fuck up or else your wife will come here and pull your fucking dick out of this place,’’ Zen hissed louder, making some other guests chuckle at Zen’s choice of words.

,,Who are you and why are you taalking about my wiffeeee?’’ Jumin moaned.

,,I’m the last idiot who called after Mc panicked in the chatroom. After you fell asleep here, someone decided to take your phone and call the last contact. Unfortunately, that was me,’’ Zen said, finally managing to get the drunk man on his feet before he bowed to the bar owner. It took more than half an hour to finally get Jumin back in his penthouse. All the lights were on as you nervously expected the arrival of your husband. Although you didn’t really think he would come home that drunk as he was someone who could typically hold his liquor.

,,Thank you Zen,’’ you sighed as you supported Jumin, turning your head immediately to the opposite side.

,,Do you need me to bring him to bed for you?’’ Zen asked you, making you laugh loudly. You had no plans of letting this man sleep in your bed. ,,He smells terrible. No way. I will first bathe him somehow, but thanks,’’ you said and with that you tried your best to drag Jumin towards the bathtub.

,,Young lady, I am married….’’ he hissed when you tried to open his tie, rolling your eyes.

,,Younggg lady noo. I love my wife,’’ Jumin groaned louder when you finally managed to get rid of the once white shirt. You observed your husband’s chest as you softly stroked his skin. Jumin moaned at the sudden touch, making you back off.

,,Please, don’t do it… I love my wife,’’ he said louder and looked at you.

,,I am your wife,’’ you said firmly and came closer to him. You quickly kissed his lips, your eyes observing his face. However, he seemed to not recognize you.

,,You are not my wifeeee. Mc is much more beautifull. She looks like an angel. An angel which came directly from the sky just to dazzle me with her smile… My wife is the best mother… you know?’’ he drunkenly asked you, making you chuckle and take off his pants.

,,She always knows what her children need and knows how to react to their needs. Not like me… know, I would never, NEVER!’’ he suddenly hissed, making you shriek for a second ,,be just as good as her… and today I even made a mistake because of my stupid jealousy towards my children, hahah!’’ he laughed, making you stop what you were doing.

,,I… I did so many things wrong… what if she takes the children away? What if she starts to hate me? I’m not a good father, you know? But how… How should I react?’’ Jumin asked you and suddenly fell asleep. You were still kneeling down in front of him when you noticed that earlier you just kept rambling about how you felt about his actions, but actually never cared to ask him if he had a reason for his actions. Your eyes were still on his face when you began to stroke the face of your husband. He looked so pale and… sad. Jumin was bearing a lot of things. He was trying to acquire the world for you and you knew it. You also knew that this time it was you who had to help him…

ᗰᗩᔕTEᖇᒪIᔕT

14.01.2022 // 21:58 MEST

[jangmi-latte]

(Twst Anni!) Oneshot form please! I know I can choose up tot wi characters, but in this case, I’m just gonna choose one for Vil (i cant think of any other lines that appealed to me): “Beautiful flowers are poisonous. But isn’t that just another one of their charms?”

╰──➢    “Beautiful flowers are poisonous. But isn’t that just another one of their charms?”

❥ ara ara you geared something in my brain. may our waiter, vil schoenheit, treat you with this anniversary special dessert!

Another hit bashed his sides as he fell to the ground. No pain did adhere to his figure yet the disappointment of failing yet another training session made him scowl to himself. His foil was thrown across the room in a sign of defeat. His father sighed while you kept yourself sitting on the chair in worry. “Vil,” his father began, helping his son up and continuing, “It’s time for you to rest. You’ve done enough for today.”

“I want to continue, papa,” came his struggling grunts while he stood up. Patting down the dust on his pants, he walked to pick up his foil. However, his papa prevented him from going any further with a tight grip on his wrist. “I said, that’s enough.”

“But I’m not tired--”

You wanted to run and comfort the boy -- your best friend. His father had already removed his fencing mask off of him. “Vil. You need to rest. You’re already frustrated enough to continue.”

Mr. Schoenheit’s eyes glanced at you, nodding his head over at his son while his hand laid at the small of his back. Vil’s face was cast down, hands balled into fists with teeth gritted in frustration. You looked at the older man and quickly set your feet down on the floor and ran over to your friend. 

“Let’s go outside, Vil. The sun can calm you down."

Vil looked at you in the eyes, his expression not even fading — gazing down at your hands holding his. He doesn't know what he’s feeling but immense frustration. Towards who? Himself. He brought you to his home to show you how much progress he did with fencing and yet he just wiped the floor with his failure. The shame of failing his own ability. How did he word his statement again?

“Come to my house! I’ll show you how much stronger I got with fencing!”

Stronger, huh.

“I’ll make you something to drink.” Mr. Schoenheit placed a hand on his son’s head, “You go outside with y/n. It will help you greatly.”

Now both of you sat at the porch of his home, listening to the white noises his little village made whilst drinking some nutritious smoothie. It was quiet between the two of you. No awkwardness, no uncomfortability, just feeling the presence of one another. You gazed at Vil, his blonde locks covering his face yet you could see how he stared at the pavement below him. His lips remain locked around the straw as you watch him subconsciously swallow down his smoothie.

“Vil?” you called.

“Hm?” he responded yet his eyes never left where they desire to look.

Your mouth ran dry; what did you want to say to him? Think, y/n. How can you emotionally support your friend who was disappointed? “You did great back there.”

Really, y/n?

“You’re only saying that to make me feel better,” he exhaled, taking his time to finally glance at you. His glass is now empty and yours still half full. You tripped on your words, scratching the back of your nape. “I didn’t do well. I know that. I just need to try harder.”

“But you really did better. It’s okay to fail, you know. You’re still ten years old.”

“You speak as if you’re any older than me. I’m fine, y/n.”

“You don’t look like it.” You placed your glass on the steps beside you and scooted closer to Vil. “You’re stubborn, you know that. I saw how you wanted to cry back inside and yet you didn’t let yourself. If you want to cry now, then I have a shoulder for you to cry on!”

Vil shook his head in denial, twirling his straw as he looked away. “I don’t like showing signs of weakness. You’re being ridiculous.”

“Sheesh.” You gave up, huffing in defeat while you slurped on your smoothie. You know it’s useless to get into Vil’s head. When he’s determined to do something, you know he wants it to happen. Despite seeming weak already, he wants to stay strong. How poisonous. Even you wanted to keep on going through his head.

You already saw his success by being a child influencer. You were there -- or at least try to be present -- during his stage plays. His movies? Oh, Vil would use his dad’s phone just to contact you and how everything is going. What else does he want? Surely, he would tell you about this and that and how the world of media is different from his little village in his homeland. He failed just ONE round of fencing and now he’s sulking.

Why won’t he tell you his objective this time?

He could beat you in fencing himself. Even his dad would wince every time Vil would attempt to playfully punch his arm. He’s that strong already. What else, Vil. What else do you want?

You wish to know the answer eight years later.

You sat in Pomefiore’s lounge, the leg over your other, swinging in boredom as you scanned through endless magicam content. Epel was so close to looking like a pile of hay with his hands tugging on his hair countless times. Looking at your junior, you sighed and placed your phone down. “Magical pharmaceuticals? That’s Iodine. It can be used to revive dead plants. Wait, why are you studying this? This is for second-years.”

“I wanna prove something to Vil-- I mean, my senior…” he admitted laying his head on his arms in distress. “He said the first step into being stronger is to be smart. So I...well..borrowed some books from other second-years.”

“Be smart? I don’t think Vil would say something like that…” you said.

“I ‘on’t know! I didn’t understand a single w’rd he said s-so I assumed that!” he burst out as he sat back with a scowl on his face. You sighed, scooting closer to the boy and wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Just across the room where the both of you sat were Vil and Rook. You can’t hear what they’re talking about yet you could see how focused they both were as they communicated with another third-year. 

“Epel, you know…” you began, rubbing his arm in a comforting way, “Whatever Vil told you, he just wants you to do well.”

“But ‘e’s too harsh!”

“Not everything is going to be easy and Vil just wants to see you work hard. You wouldn’t be able to carry that interviewer’s luggage if it wasn’t for him working out your arms right? He just finds a way to gear you up.”

“He succeeded alright…” he mumbled, following your gaze over to his senior. As he looked at Vil, he remembered how he turned down his magic wheel design in order to bring out his full potential in creativeness. Admittedly, he often misunderstands Vil’s words into something much cruel but people learn from mistakes, right?

With a deep inhale, Epel stood up and collected the books. “Alright! I’ll prove to Vil that I’m gonna be the best. Someday, I’ll… I’ll…”

“Think about it Epel. You still have a long way to go.” 

“Ahhh…” he moaned and nodded. “I’ll be back! I still have some flowers to pick for the experiment! See you, y/n!”

You waved at the departing boy. Adorable. No small body can hold such a big ambition. And just what was still the answer to your question about Vil? What does he want?

“That boy,” you heard the dorm leader sigh as he and Rook walked closer. The latter chuckling to himself as he sat beside you. “He complained again, didn’t he?” he questioned. Nodding as a response, you laid your head on the arm of the couch as Vil eyed you.

“He misunderstood me again, no?”

“He understood afterward. No biggie,” you grinned.

“Either way, you conveyed my message--” He moved his hand, swatting the air in a sign of disregard, “But that won’t be the last time I’ll persuade him to do better.”

“We know,” You and Rook simultaneously spoke. You mentioned how Vil could even tolerate Epel’s attitude and how immune he is to his personality. You remembered how both yourself and Mr. Schoneheit are immune to Vil’s determination and non stop hard work. Is there a difference? Maybe there is, maybe none. That’s a Pomefiore student after all.

No harsh or rude words can knock them down. Determined? Hah! That’s a battle with oneself against the world. How poisonous would a flower be if its beauty and ability are showcased to everyone. Nothing can destroy something so elegant yet powerful when they are their own poison. Being poisonous is something to brag about.

“He’s cute but he’s the first student in Pomefiore that can fight you Vil.”

The young man laughed to himself, smirking your way in delight. “That’s a challenge I am looking forward to. After all, beautiful flowers are poisonous. But isn’t that just another one of their charms?”

© jangmi-latte, all rights reserved. Happy to Serve!

[zuffer-weird-girl]

@glassartpeasants I blame you for this.

Heartless, demon, cruel, cold, murder...

Those were honestly the kindest words you ever heard of him... yet your heart spoke the exact opposite.

The man could even commit arson right on your front and you couldn't just be... mad at him. Your thoughts about Chisaki never changed despite the attrocities he said and did on all those past few months.

Yet something truly did angered you. How he couldn't give a fuck about you.

After the boss entered on a coma for unknown reasons, Chisaki wasn't the same. Heck, now he demanded to be called by the name of his quirk, Overhaul. Is that or being a pool of blood and mutilated limbs on the ground.

Yet... you felt hope. You really felt hope that this man could change. Be the young man that you met and fell for. Just... notice something.

Notice your pain like he used to... or even show a tad bit of... care. That's all you wanted. Kai would always know when you were sad, on his own way try to comfort you. But now? He didn't even cared...

One tear of yours brushed past the cracks of your cheeks as you winced at only touching it... sighing a bit, you grabbed your mask and put it on. Ready to start the day.

Walking past the halls you saw the man himself standing on his foot. Your face brighten up a bit as you walked towards him.

"Ka-" you stopped immediately when he gaved you a harsh glare "Sorry... Overhaul. Good morning Overhaul." You mumbled.

He only scoffed, walking away from you and simply lifting his hand.

"I dont have time for this. Get to your work and don't bother me."

Each sentence like this one was like a stab on your chest... why would he answer a good morning of yours like that?

"A-Actually.." you tried to muster as he stopped with an annoyed sigh "Can we.. please talk?"

He narrowed his golden eyes at you, looking as if he had been staring at something hideous and that just fucking spitted on his face.

"Make it quick." He grunted, one of his hands resting on his hips as the other remained on one of his pockets.

"I-Is kinda silly ..." you poked your fingers together "I-I mean, we've know each other for more than years already and-"

"Spit it out." He hissed and your smiled dropped.

"... is just that... I felt like I needed to say it." You lifted up your head and stared at him without fear "I.. like you.. more than anything."

"... fine." He simply said like he was expecting something else as your body started to tremble.

".. fine? Is that.." you gulped the thick air on your throat "Is that all you have to say at someone who is confessing feelings for you?"

"Tch." He rolled his eyes before giving his back to you, only giving a side glance "That wasn't a surprise for me. You're like one of those loyal dogs. No matter how much they are kicked they come back crawling towards their owners."

You widened your eyes as you felt the crack on your cheek deepen.

"What?" You let out a gasp of disbelief as he blinked.

"For your information." He narrowed his golden orb at you harder "I dont like to repeat myself. You're just a toy and a obedient scum that is meant to follow my orders. Is only a matter of a lackey, in that case you, and the master." He started to walk as you stood dumbfounded.

Your hands formed into fists as your jaw clenched, finally a feeling you never thought you could feel towards this man appeared. Anger.

Without thinking you grabbed a vase and threw hard enough to almost hit his head, missing by a few inches as he widened his eyes at it.

He looked at the broken vase on the floor in shock before looking towards you, breathing in and out as you felt your skin cracking even more.

"If all I am to you is a loyal pet..." you breathed out, taking your mask off and eventually showing the cracks on your skin to him and the curious precepts coming to see the scene. "THEN YOU CAN TAKE THIS!" you threw the mask towards him that kicked on the floor and almost landed on his feet.

"You have some nerve now.." he growled, taking off his glove as a threat.

"DONT COME TO THIS SHIT TOWARDS ME NOW CHISAKI!" you shouted with a finger pointing at him as he felt his shoulders tense.

Never on your life with him you ever called him by his once surname.

"I was really the only one on this fucking house to truly respect you! Not by fear as almost everyone on here, but because I really am so stupid to fall in love with a bastard, selfish and arrogant man like yourself!" You walked towards him to be standing chest to chest with him as finger was aimed at his face.

"Quiet down." He growled before finally noticing the many cracks and pieces of your skin falling on the ground as you shouted "(Y/n) what-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!" You shouted so loudly that even Rappa winced at the anger of your voice... every precept seing the scene as you breathed in and out "If you want to kill me do it now... would be a favor for yourself wouldn't it?" You glared at him as he blinked, still in shock at your actions.

"Not a word?" You commented as you winced at the cracks going to your neck already "For these past few years I wanted to see you happy, succeed... I fucking loved you..." you whispered in pain, dropping your head a bit, taking out a gift Chisaki had given to you a few years ago, a black and white bracelet you never once took off every since now.

".. I was stupid." You lift up your head with a frown and let the bracelet fall into the floor as you gave your back to him and almost ran out of the house.

He was in state of shock before he narrowed his eyes at the subbordinates and commanded them to get back to work... just when all of them left he crouched down to pick both your mask and the bracelet.

"... she will be back. It was just a tantrum." He sighed, taking the two of your once possesions to hsi office "But.. what on hell was that thing on her face?"

.

.

.

Five months... five months flew by since you exited the Shie Hassaikai for good. Going into the doctors to just search for a damn cure... but it was impossible.

"I'm sorry my dear, there is nothing we can do if..." your doctor of years tries to speak through the pain as you stood in the chair, your arms with cracks as part of your cheek was gone.

"I understand." You said, hollow as you always had been after leaving that house. "Thank you for your time... I will see you on the other side then." You managed a smile to the old man as he could only drop his head in shame when you left his office.

People you brushed through the streets looked at you with pity... and you hated.

You evicted the Shie Hassaikai like the plague himself. And one time you could feel Chrono following you.. it was the last straw when he followed you at the appartment you were living on the subborns.

"Go away Kurono." You muttered, feeling him watching you get your keys and open the door, and before you could close the door you groaned at sieng the black boot on the door, preventing you to close it.

"Can we at least talk? I'm not him." He said while taking off his mask, a wince escaping his lips as soon as he saw you on the state you were "What the-"

"Shattered heart disease... dont have a cure." You mumbled, eyes stuck on the floor as a piece of your ear cracked and fell.

"Holy fuck..." the man sighed shakily "Listen, maybe if you come back to the Hassaikai Overhaul can-"

"No." You grabbed the handle and forced the door "It was because of him I am on this state. And I know you came here by his others, and let me say one thing" let me die in peace." You slammed the door shut as Chrono groaned.

"Both of you are just so thick skull it gets on my nerves!" He kicked the door as you rolled your eyes, locking and going to the bed.

The man glared at the door before sighing, looking at his cellphone ringing and leaving the place.

"Forget it man. (Y/n) doesn't wanna see you or the Shie Hassaikai even if we offered her tons of gold."

"... fine. You did what I order so there is nothing that we cant do."

"Be honest Kai.. you do have feelings for her, for a long time." He ignored the disgusted "tch" on the other end of the call "And honestly? If I were on your shoes I would be almost killing myself to fix things." He spoke with a frown.

".. what are you talking about Chrono?"

"Well.." he looked over his shoulder at your apartment door "Ever heard of the Shattered heart disease..?"

"... you're joking with me, right?"

.

.

.

You clenched the side of your waist with a grunt as your other shattered arm support yourself on one of the walls of the apartment.

"No... please..." you whimpered as you gasped at part of your leg shattering as you felt on the ground, more cracks forming in your whole body as you stared in horror at your hand.

"Dammit..." you hissed before hearing a knock on your door.

"Open (Y/n)." You furrowed your eyebrows and gritted your teeth... the guy wouldn't leave you alone even on the freacking hour of your death..?

"Leave..." you sobbed, tears started to shed and unit with the many cracks on the floor where you were standing as you heard Chisaki overhauling the door.

It hurted tu see him... you still had feelings for the man whose caused you this... you didn't know whether or not if you wanted him to see you or not.

"I swear even when-" he stopped midsentence as soon as he saw the scene in front of him.

You could only lift your gaze up with a pained yet broken hollow look as he almost stuttered your name.

"Get out.." your lips cracked, and at this rate you knew you couldn't even move anymore or else it's you meeting death right away.

For the first time on his life his body seemed to move on his own as he kneeled with one knee on the ground beside you as he stared with wide eyes and shaky hands at the pieces of you on the ground.

"For crying out loud.." he muttered in horror as he brushed a hand on his hair before discarding hsi remaining glove in hopes he could put you back.

For the first time he saw you trying to slap his hand away, and your hand broke out of your wrist, shattering in pieces on the ground.

"(Y/n)!" He shouted in a mix of anger and desperation as he saw your face, one that would torment him at nights for the rest of his life surely.

"Don't.. touc..." you breathed out your last word as he widened his amber eyes in horror at seing you cracking even more "me..."

After this last word you saw black and the last thing you heard was Chisaki shouting.

Your body broke. Shattered in pieces right in front of him.

.

.

.

You breathed in harshly. Your lungs burned at the sensation of feeling air again inside them as you coughed...

Blinking, your vision focused a bit to see you were on your bedroom, everything seemed on order and even a tad bit cleaner than it was usually.

Groaning, you standing on your elbows and saw the bandages on your arms as you untangled them to see your skin back to normal... not even a single crack.

"What..?" You breathed out, standing in sitting with a groan as you looked at your surroundings.

You had the strenght again to move your legs and gasped at seing that the leg you saw shattering was still intact, not even a single scar or little crack on it. Standing up you like a newborn, you took a hesitant step only to smile in astonishment that you havent heard the sound of skin or bones cracking.

Walking towards the bathroom, you giggled in surprise and utter relief at sieng your face back to normal before you flinched at hearing something breaking.

"FUCK!" a thundering voice echoed in your apartment that made you flinch. Aa voice you knew it way too well to just forget it. You poked a bit if your head out of the bathroom and tip toes carefully towards the living room to see Chisaki, jacket discarded as well as his mask, back arched on the kitchen counter as he talked with someone on the phone with a gloved hand clenching one side if his head.

"I put all the pieces together already and it has been almost a month." He growled as you stepped inside the living room...

Different from your bedroom, this one was a disaster, papers tossed aside at everywhere, your own phone shattered in pieces near a wall and the couch was with a pillow and a blanket...

Was he..?

"Yes her skin healed but she doesn't appear to be breathing..." you looked at the man, his forearms were filled with hives and you could see by the reflection from the kitchen counter the huge eyebags that were underneath his eyes...

He looked so broken and... terrible.

".. just wait and see huh?" His voice spoke in venom as the hand gripping on his head lunched the counter "WHERE DID YOU ENROLL YOUR PIECE OF GARBAGE ?! NEXT TIME I WILL FUCKING CALL A LAB RAT IF I WANT A DECENT HELP!" and with that he overhauled the cellphone before literally breaking part of your kicthen counter.

"Dammit..." he whispered, a hand on the counter as he fixed back while the other was covering his face...

"Uh..." you mumbled ".. Chisaki?" He flinched at the name and slowly took his hand out of his face.

Ever so slowly his face turned to see you, his eyes tired and red from sleep deprivation but still just as wide as if he had seen a ghost.

".. (Y/n).." he whispered your name before straighting up his back, god, not even his shirt was folded, part of his button up shirt was unbuttoned leaving part of his chest at shown to you.

You could die happily now.

You both stared at each other for a bit, still in shock as you decided to see for real if your arms were still there and without any mark.

"Uh.. can you.. tell me what happened and what are you-" before you could finish you gasped at him suddenly moving to be mere inches away from you.

"Please tell me this is not another fucking hallucination... " he breathed out as you stood there awkwardly.

"Well, I would like to not be.. I literraly died the last time I remember and-" you stopped breathing and talking just when in one blink of an eye Chisaki kneeled on the ground and cradled your hands in his own as he breathed out shakily "C-Chisaki-"

"My god..." he exhaled as he supported his forehead on your two interviewed hands "Thank God... I thought.. I thought I lost you for real..."

You blinked, frowning while looking away from him.

"Wasn't I just a loyal pet as yourself named it?" You mumbled as he let out one of the most painfull chuckles you ever heard of.

"If you were... was I really going to pass each day picking your pieces together... live on this house because I trusted none to take care of you... ever time I woke up and in very five minutes I checked for your breathing and only lord could describe the amount of relief I had when I saw the cracks on your skin dissapearing... I didn't notice earlier how much I needed you in my life... until I fucked up..." he dropped his head again while getting up.

"... so you.. never leaved after that?"

"Didn't take one single step out of this place... I was never one to pray but god..." he brushed his gloved hand on his messy and greasy hair "I lost count on how many times I begged for whoever is up there to bring you back..."

"... why? I thought.."

"The thing is..." he breathed shakily before locking gazes with you "You only give value to the things you loved after you lose them... I learned that from the hard way..."

[p1nkwitch]

If I can request one more lonelyeyes than can I have 36?

Its still lonelyeyes but with James/Peter first because you stumped me completely, I was on a soft roll!! What have you done? Is it because I never write sad stuff for realsies isn't it?

Jokes on you, I can still turn this boat around and get fluff at the end :)

36- “We can never be together” kiss

James was being difficult and it was starting to piss him off, they have been going out, not speaking well, which for him is quite the feat. The older man was… well he was handsome and he would have to admit that he enjoyed his company, perhaps-

Perhaps a little more than that, but lately he had been acting off and Peter was getting very frustrated, he even has been slowly making attempts at showing interest for something… more.

He was somewhat clumsy since he was not used to that kind of stuff, however he was calmly rebuffed, even if months ago the man would laugh a little and flirt back with interest. The sting of rejection was delightful in its own way, but he really did want the other one to reciprocate.

It was maddening.

So he invites him for dinner when he is in land, James was about to deny him, but he said it was in that particular restaurant that he likes, reserved and prepared just for them. He sees the hesitation crumble and he accepts.

Feeling much more pleased he tells him the time and date and disappears from his office. Now with a better mood he gets some clothes fit for the occasion and makes sure everything is set perfectly, with any luck this time he won't get rebuffed, or if he is he will ask for an explanation.

Peter is aware of the age difference between them, very much so, but its not so much the body rather than the man who despite his looks is sharp and funny in his own way, who delights on their own wagers and knows when to drop it and leave him alone if they get into a fight.

So yes, Peter is charmed despite everything. Forsaken curls and uncurls around him, trying to figure out what to do with him. He won't abandon it, that's also the reason why he likes the man, he understands his connection to his god and is aware that he won't choose him before it, a relationship between them would be nothing if productive for both.

Finally the day arrives and he gets there a little bit late 15 minutes or so, not wanting to give the man the inkling that he was expecting him. Of course James merely gives him a look, raises an annoyed eyebrow and walks inside, leaving him feeling cold and delighted.

The dinner goes off without a hitch, they talk and joke, make a few comments about sacrifices for their gods, it all goes well. He looks at James while sipping some wine and sees a small smile that lets him know it's not all going bad, maybe this changes his mind finally!

So it goes and he shifts ever so slightly towards him during the course of it. He doesn't comment or rebuff him, so things are looking up.

Finally its time for desert and he asks for some cake, the man looks delighted and eats it rather happily, Peter asks for a slice of apple crumble rather than the chocolate cake, so after giving it a few looks the other man sighs and asks if he wants to try it. Grinning he nods and tries to steal some, but its stopped by him who takes a piece with his fork and offers it at him with a challenging smirk.

He stops, too close, but also not enough.

Ugh-

James rolls his eyes and eats it instead, offering the plate, making him huff. Still he tries it and its very good, mmm maybe he should make some chocolate muffins before he goes away again its been a while-

Anyways, once done he offers to go along with him to take him home and that's when he sees him frown and stiffen. Peter hesitates a little bit unsure of what the issue was.

“Peter… i appreciate the company i do, but this is not… whatever this is, its not going further. It can't, i apologize if i gave you the wrong idea” He blinks rapidly and tries to understand, he flirted back, he knows he did, he-

Did he read it wrong this entire time? Forsaken is tugging at him to disappear and forget this now, to erase any shame or embarrassment and let him be released from it. But-

No, he needs to figure it out first, it can have been just him!!! He saw the beholder smiles and flushed faces, it's not just him.

“Why? You flirted back, im not, its not just me, so what is the problem!” He is a little bit more annoyed at it and he can already hear the distorted sound of the lonely around them, keeping people out from seeing them or hearing them. James' face goes hard and blank at the same time making him clench his teeth.

“I'm afraid it won't work, plus… i believe you are a little bit young, i'm sure someone closer to your age would be far more fitting than me” The way he said that sounded a little bit odd to him, but he ignored it.

“I don't care, i really don't!” James stares him down and he feels the sensation of eyes piercing his head.

“Stop that!” It subsides. The man sighs and steps closer to him, making him give a step back. He smiles somwhat nastily.

“Peter i mean it, we cant in fact i will ask of you to not contact me again beyond that of business, people are really getting the wrong impression about me and i cant have that now” He shuts his mouth close and steps forward just right in front of him. He sees his lips twitch and his eyes briefly look down to his mouth and in a fit of childish pettines he leans down and kisses him briefly. It's short and bitter, he intends to be a goodbye before leaving, but he feels him lean forward and like magnets they end up coming together, the kiss becomes deeper and he fights him all the way through, James sneaks his hands around his neck and pulls him closer still, slotting them perfectly. The warmth and the bitter knowledge that he won't change his mind make him stop with a gasp, but the other just moves and bites his lip before giving him a short peck and steps back.

“I'm sorry Peter, but we can't really be together like this” Peter who is not used to strong feelings feels his face contort in fury.

“Fine, be that way mister Wright. Goodbye” He is pulled away and misses the stricken face the other makes before going back to a neutral one.

He leaves for almost a year and refuses to go to any meeting, merely sending in the money requested from the institute. Better like this he figures.

Eventually after two years of that his uncle scolds him in his… own way and tells him to go.

So he does.

It's not what he expected at all, instead of James Wright a very young man named Elias Bouchard sits as head of the institute.

“Ah the elusive Mister Lukas, i was expecting you my predecessor left some notes about you-”

“What happened to James?” He is still puzzled, did he retire? Elias' face does a complicated journey that settles in a fake smile.

“He unfortunately died last year and I have been his replacement since. It was honestly quite sudden a heart attack out of all things” It sort of shuffles around his mind trying to comprehend what the man was saying, he… died ? he missed the funeral then, one of those calls he ignored-

“Oh” And that's all, he sits, lets the man speak, and even if it sort of feels familiar in a way he just shrugs his way around signs the papers pointed at him and goes. Again he does not see the disappointment in Elias' face.

So he comes and talks with him and then he leaves, rinse and repeat, Peter learned his lesson by now and its rather happy to not pay attention to the new beholder. Covering himself with the fog more and more and leaving him ruffled at his passiveness. He has a very light thought that he is sounding more and more like his uncle as time goes by, which is a frightening prospect but at his rate not unwelcomed. 

Elias asks him out eventually and he declines.

That sets him off in the end.

“Oh my god Peter this has gone on for too long, i thought it was some fancy but i'm really getting tired of your attitude. I apologize for how things ended but please can you fucking look me in the eyes and tell me what you see!?” Now absolutely baffled he gives him a look and shakes his head.

“What are you-”

“I was going to switch! I couldn't keep you around during that! Plus people were speaking and while i tried to get Elias it would look bad so i needed to make it less suspicious. I did want to date you. It just wasn't the right time that's all” He is starting to get angry now because he had been rifling thought his mind and was using it-

“Don't mess with me and spy just to play an awful prank on-” Elias groans, gets up, walks to him, making him step back and grabs his face making him look directly at him. He freezes at the contact, the last person he touched and was this close to was James almost three years ago.

“Look into my eyes you see weaded idiot” He stares they aren't that special, they are just grey just like Jam-

“No” He grins and its so bloody familiar and unnerving he gasps.

“Oh yes, i have been looking after my institute all this time and i wasnt about to stop now” His mind reels and he sort of gapes a little until he mumbles the name.

“Jonah Magnus?” Elias grins is positively vicious but he can see it twitch and his eyes go softer. Oh my god-

“Hi” Peter stares far longer than he ever has to another human face. Once his mind finally sorts everything out he kicks him in the leg making him let out a yell and he grabs his face before kissing him deeply. That shuts him up. Elias was shorter than James by a few inches which were hell for his neck, but ultimately he was more concerned with just kissing him harder, something the man was happy to reciprocate.

They end up making out on the couch in his office for the next 20 minutes, all between curses and questions.

“Why you-” He gets a bite on the jaw and he clutches his waist in warning.

“Told you the body was old, gossip was going around. And i-” Peter kisses him and bites his neck, making him moan a little bit.

“I panicked, i did like you, hell i wanted to take you to my place and do this and more, but my body was seriously getting in the way-” Another peck on the lips.

“Is that- fuck is that wh you said that about me finding someone younger?” He nods and goes to attach himself to his neck.

“Yes- it was a reference to Elias. Plus I thought… you weren't being serious about James” Peter has mixed feelings, lots and lots of mixed feelings that he will ignore and maybe just maybe parse through once he is alone at sea, but for now-

“Stupid, i dont care how you look as long as its you” He feels his cheeks burn and forskaen hiss at him more for that than the making out, but its betetr to let it out now.

“i will only say this time, so get it in your head” James/Jonah/Elias nods and kisses him again, he sees him flush and smiles a little bit before laughing and hiding his face on his neck. Both of them embarrassed for different reasons.

“Say do you want to marry me?” He hears him choke and Peter grins, perhaps its a crazy idea and out of nowhere, but he is rather happy with it.

Elias doesn't answer yet, merely berates him. 

But once he is about to leave he tells him to give him a ring and ask again right.

“Is that a yes?” He gives him a look that would be terrifying if he wasn't staring at the small hickey in his neck barely peeking from his shirt.

“Its not a no, now go you already messed up my afternoon”

“Sure thing little starfish” The offended sound follows him back. Oh they will make each other possibly miserable, but they will have fun though it.

[mindofharry]

Motion sickness G.D

chapter 6.

in which julie realises she’s only with gray because of their kids.

chapter 1-5 can be found here!

fluff, angst, swearing and cheating. feedback is welcome as always!!

TW: some of the stuff mentioned in this series might trigger some people. please don’t read if you get triggered easily!

julie lay in bed that night, awake and alone. thinking of how wrong ethans lips felt on hers. But how good it felt, being wanted. no, it’s feel so fucking amazing to be kissed like that again. she used to kill for grayson to even look her way, to just breathe in her direction. and now it’s finally happening - with ethan, and julie couldn’t help the guilt crawling in her stomach. She knew what she was doing, they both did. So julie wondered why neither of them stopped. Ethans shirt was nearly off, until she remembered both of her boys were upstairs. fuck, she nearly had sex with their uncle, he “husbands” brother. She was such a bad person, julie thought. But was it so wrong, to want to feel like that again? to want to feel loved again?

she was overthinking again - her therapist said she needed to stop doing that. to just go with the flow more. she used to be like that, until she got married and had kids. julie needed routine, she always needed something to do to take her mind off the fact that her life was going to complete shit.

julie didn’t sleep at all the night, thinking about grayson, the divorce, ethan, the boys, the woman grayson decided to cheat with. was that woman ok? was she hurting too? or was she happy, happy that she finally had grayson to herself. happy that grayson no longer had to worry about kids and a wife. Julie wanted - no, needed some answers.

she picked up her phone, taking a the charger out and letting it drop to the floor. julie squinted at the light coming from her phone, the clock read 7:30. “fuck” she mumbled to herself, bringing down the brightness. julie opened graysons contact - which she just recently unblocked. yes, she’s petty, but she had a pretty good reason to be. ‘we need to talk some more. come by for lunch. julie x’

grayson smiled when he got the text. he used to love when she would put the little kiss after every text, sometimes she’d even leave him little notes in his coats or jean pocket. it was the highlight of his day. Grayson was currently staying in his old apartment, about 20 minutes away from julie and the boys. Julie and grayson used to come down here for anniversary’s or birthdays, or just some alone time. they hadn’t done it in awhile, he missed times like that. but grayson knew he only had himself to blame, but he was willing to try again. Even if julie wouldn’t take him back, he’d be a better dad.

he bit his lip, leaning on his elbow as he texted the message. ‘i’ll be there at 1:00 pm, cant wait, G :)’. Julie had seen the message and smiled to herself, things were going to get better, she’d focus on getting the divorce, taking care of herself and giving her boys the best childhood the could possibly ask for. She just needed answers, so she could fully move on. So she could finally be at peace.

And with that julie fell back asleep, with ease. she dreamt of a peaceful life, with no cheating, no kissing your “husbands” brother, no other woman. just pure bliss - but of course that didn’t last for long. sebastian came thundering in with alexander. “sebbie, lift me up” alexander whined, and sebastian laughed “no, you baby” he said cuddling into julie. julie heard everything, but god, she just wanted to ignore it and sleep even five minutes longer. “mama” alexander sobbed stomping his foot.

julie sighed sitting up in the bed, putting on a huge smile for her youngest boy. “no crying, honey. come cuddle with mommy” she cooed bringing him up to lay on her chest, he easily calmed down laying his head down in the crook of her neck, sucking on his thumb. sebastian climbed under the covers, playing with julie’s hands.

“you ready for school next week?” julie asked kissing sebastians forehead. he just shrugged “i guess.” he whispered snuggling into his mama more. “what’s wrong, bub” julie asked concerned, he was so excited last week, he couldn’t even keep still. “i’ll just miss you, mommy” sebastian said softly, making julie smile. “i’ll miss you too” she whispered kissing his temple.

soon enough it was time to get up and get ready, they had all stayed in bed as long as they possibly could. Well, julie needed to get the house cleaned before grayson got here, she didn’t want him picking anything out today - she really wasn’t in the mood. and alexander seemed to be a little sick, probably just a cold, but julie still felt bad for him nonetheless. he was exceptionally clinging, julie loved it when he was like this. but alexander was getting older and he talked a lot, even if he didn’t fully understand the words he was speaking. she couldn’t let him hear her and gray. but how was she going to put him to sleep, when all he did was scream when she put him down?

“hello?” grayson called out, the house was messy and the only thing he could hear was the tv coming from the sitting room. julie cursed to herself when she heard gray - turns out alexander has a fever and sebastian is in a mood. and julie is just so damn tired.

“i’m in here”

grayson walked down the hall, passing all the family photos. ones from christmas and halloween, his favourite time of year. the family went dressed as the addams family, luckily sebastian wanted to wednesday and he did a damn good job at it.

he walked into the sitting room and frowned at alexander. god, he looked sick. “he’s not well. the flu i think, some of his friends down the street from has it too. he’s passed out now, so hopefully he’ll sleep for awhile” julie sighed closing her eyes. “i’m sorry, i really wanted to talk, gray” she whispered rubbing her temples, her cold hands felts nice her throbbing head. “hey, it’s ok. i get it. let me take alexander, you go and relax for a bit.” grayson said smiling, julie bit her lip and started to overthink.

“don’t overthink it. i’m his dad, let me do my job”

those words replayed in julies mind, while having her bath. was he really going to try? she hoped so, for the sake of the boys. she just needed him to grow a pair, and be the father the boys need.

once she was relaxed enough and her headache had disappeared, she arrived downstairs to alexander speaking to his dad and sebastian pouting in the corner. “look who it is, baby” grayson cooed pointing at julie. “mama” both boys screached - alexander croaked more like.

she sat down pulling alexander on to her lap and letting sebastian cuddle into her side. “why are you pouting little man” you asked and sebastian shrugged. grayson grinned, standing up, and bringing sebastian up with him, making all of you laugh. “because you wanted to cuddle with papa, huh?” grayson asked placing sebastian on his shoulders spinning him around. you giggled, making alexander copy you, he sounded like a little mouse.

the look the boys had in their eyes, was something you never wanted to leave. grayson looked like your grayson, the grayson that laughed loudly, the grayson that let you climb all over him, the grayson that carried you everywhere. he looked like your husband again.

after some pizza and a little dance party between you and sebastian, the boys feel asleep for their lunch time nap, leaving you and grayson to your dreaded talk.

“i’m glad we’re talking again” grayson voiced taking a sip from his water, from dinner. julie nodded agreeing “i think we have to get along for this to work” she said smiling. “i just want to talk about a few things, that have been on my mind. before we properly separate” julie said and grayson sighed closing his eyes, before nodding “ask away”.

“why did you cheat on me?”

graysons eyes snapped up to julies , his mouth opening, but once again he couldn’t find the words. “i....i” he started looking down at his hands. “grayson. look at me. and tell me why you ruined our marriage” julie asked sternly, making him look up at her, again.

“i was depressed. needed something to make me feel young, and good about myself” he started, before julie interrupted “and i... we weren’t enough?”

“you want honest?”he asked and julies eyes filled with tears nodding “no, you weren’t. but julie, i wasn’t mentally there, i was off my rocker. i had no idea what was happening to me, and why i didn’t feel the same anymore. i was scared and i couldn’t find anyway to tell you. i knew you were tired too. and she was there, and she... didn’t know i was married. and it just happened” grayson said his voice cracking at the end. “do you want to know how long i knew?” she asked drying her tears. “1 year. 365 days” julie sobbed, making grayson tear up. god, he hated himself so much, for hurting her this bad. “i made up excuses for you for 1 year. i parented two kids by myself for about 6 months, while you were out living your best life” julie cried, slamming a hand to the table “god, i hated you so much. i hated that i still loved you and i hated how good you looked in that damn suit” she laughed quietly.

“i’m sorry, julie”

“i can’t forgive you, but i’m moving on. i’ll never forget what you did, and the boys will find out sooner or later. but i’m willing to play nice for their sake, ok?” julie said, moving her curls out of her wet, flushed face. grayson nodded, bringing a hand to his eye, rubbing away the tears.

“we should be able to get divorced sometime next year, which is a pain in the ass.” julie sniffled, itching her scalp.

“i want to be better, julie. i’m not seeing the girl anymore. she broke things off. i want to better for you and the boys. and me. i promise” he said grabbing her free hand. julie nodded placing a hand on his.

“please don’t break this promise. it’ll break me if you do”

[voidcat]

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Characters: Matsukawa Issei/Reader

requested by anon, prompt 9

Warnings: reckless drinking, dont drink the amount you cant handle kids, esp if you’re not supervised by someone you trust

Word Count: 2.3k , this was supposed to bE SHORT, seijoh brainrot........

It’s loud, too loud. If they weren’t in your head, you’re sure you wouldn’t be able to hear your thoughts. Is that what people listen to as music nowadays?

The flashy lights all around and people keep bumping into you, you remember once again why you’re not the party type. Which brings the question: what are you doing at one?

See, the answer to it is quite simple, really. Maybe a little sad too, even pathetic. You’re beyond caring for the night. You’ve gone to a party, can it get any lower than that? What a waste of night, is the only thing you can say to yourself.

Placing the untouched cup in your hand to the counter, you look around to find the bathroom. Exiting the kitchen is a nice first step. The blur of bodies only make your task more difficult. Getting tired of people bumping into you, you start shouldering the ones not moving, crashing into people if they refuse to make way, expecting you to go through the five centimeter long gap.

And at long last, you find what you were looking for. Checking to see no one else is in, you lock the door behind you and turn on the tap. Splashing some cold water to your cheeks, careful not to mess with your make up, you take a look at yourself in the mirror. Why did you let him drag you into this in the first place?

Or better yet, why do you keep following wherever Matsukawa Issei takes you, never saying no, never refusing the puppy looks, always right by his side... why do you keep doing this to yourself? Since when have you gotten so weak towards him, for him?

Exiting the bathroom and spotting him in the distance, you recall earlier today. It was just a usual hangout, nothing special. Typical grabbing a lunch together and procrastinating when the reason you met in the first place was studying. Thirty minutes of silence, finally finding your focus fully on your text book and you jolt up suddenly at the contact you feel by your waist. Looking to your right and seeing his pen hanging by your waist, ready to poke again if necessary, you just rub your side.

“What, Issei?”

“There’s a party tonight, starting around 8. Would you like to go with me?” Oh, this again. Another hopeless party invitation. He never seems to give up, though knowing how much you dislike the parties. One party couldn’t hurt, right? You can’t help but admit to yourself how curious you are to see him at one. So you just shrug. “Sure, pick me up by 7 if we want grab dinner beforehand.”

“Look I know you don’t like the- Wait, really? Are you sure?” The caught off-guard look suits him.

“Yeah, I mean I kept saying no but it’s time I expand my… extra curriculum activities.” He grabs you by the shoulders.

“Who are you and what have you done to (Lastname)? They would never accept an offer from me that easily.” You can’t help but laugh at his dramatic antic. Pushing his hands off you, holding the said hand while you can, you roll your eyes again.

“I am fine. Can’t I be the supportive friend for once?”

“Oh but please! You always are the supportive one.” He says as he wraps you in a big hug. It’s moments like these when you feel your breathe hitched, heart racing and brain imagining a scenario you’ll never get to live.

As you eagerly make your way to him, the figures in your way make way and you see he’s not alone. Some girl talking to him, if eyeing someone like that and touching their muscles nonstop can be count as talking, not to mention leaning over him on a constant. What’s worse is he doesn’t look bothered slightest bit. Can you blame him, though? You’re sure it’s not the first time she has approached him, she hangs around the gym sometimes, walks up to him after their shared classes, she’s clearly interested and makes no effort in hiding it.

She is beautiful, no straight man, or lesbian or bisexual, in their right mind would ignore someone such as her. And yet you can’t help but feel jealous. Jealous that you have no chance of competition, no chance of winning, no such luck in being seen as “‘more than just a friend”. Changing your direction suddenly, you walk back up to the kitchen and grab the first untouched cup you see. Searching for a bottle of alcohol next, you don’t care what it is as long as it is alcohol, you pour it down until your cup is filled to the brim.

Looking outside, you can see them again. Issei smiling and looking as breathtaking as ever, it hurts that the smile is for her. You down the whole cup before you can register what you’re doing. The party is just getting started, you better get into the mood.

After a while it gets fuzzy. You lost count of the drinks you’ve had, the shots you’ve taken too. You’re glad to have eaten before the party at least, the alcohol won’t hit as hard.

Maybe it’s already hit? You’re not sure, you feel warm and bubbly but you still walk just fine. Walking up to people and joining the conversations randomly, leaving as quickly once you’re bored, you walk around and around and around...

It must be late, is it late? You try checking your watch but you can’t make sense of the little circle plastered on your wrist, it seems too tiny.

At some point, you’re singing along to a song you know. And making the most absurd dance moves to it. It doesn’t matter, everyone else around is drunk as hell, looking more ridiculous than you are, moves not even making any sense. It makes all the crashing more understandable, it’s good to just move around and not apologize once. To let some steam off, get loose and do whatever the hell you like.

Except it isn’t as good because one thing you truly want in that moment and you don’t even know the room he is in. Maybe you should have another drink just in case and decide to cross the line from tipsy to drunk. It’d be good to forget about tonight once you wake up.

Making a 180 to go back to the kitchen for another drink, you crash into something warm, someone. Probably a chest. Feeling warm hands on your shoulders adjusting you, to keep your balance, you don’t even look up. Waving your hand in the air, you shout out an apology.

“(Name)? Is that you? I’ve been looking all over for you!” Hearing your name come out of someone’s lips is unexpected, but recognizing the voice makes all the fuzziness go away in a second. You make a mental note to name it the “Issei effect” if you ever come up with a hangover elixir of sorts.

“Hiiii Mattsun.” Hearing yourself speak feels weird, especially if you have no idea if your lips are actually moving. “I’ve been here this whole time! Was about to go get a drink, want some?” You can imagine the worried look on him, so you keep your gaze focused on his tshirt. What was that color called anyway?

“Are you sure you’re alright? We can leave if you wa-“ he stops mid-sentence to examine you from head to toes. “Have you been drinking?”

The tone in his voice indicates, it’s wiser not to answer him. Your mouth decides otherwise. “Maybeee.”

“But you hate alcohol! And you’re a lightweight!”

“Nope!” You pop the ‘p’ as you reply. “Had a change of heart! I like new stuff now! Maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought.” Crossing your arms, you look to your left. “Hah, lightweight!” You mumble.

“I mean it. If you want to leave, we can. When I asked you to come, I didn’t do it so we could get separated. I just wanted to spend some time with my friend.”

Ouch. That word sure hurts. More than the movies and books can even tell. You suddenly feel sick, stomach empty and deadweight.

“M’kay, let’s leave.” You say softly.  Seeing the smile rise like the sun on his face, you can feel butterflies in your stomach. Truly feel it. The term no longer sounds ridiculous when it becomes real for you.

“Okay. Let me just grab by jacket and we’ll be out in a minute. Wait by the door if you want, it’s whiter there.” He says and leaves in a hurry.

Making your way to the door in slow steps, you reach it in no time. When you look back at the apartment, all the people partying seem so irritating to you. It’s hard to believe you were just like them a while ago. Eyes trailing the crowd, you see Issei again, a smile making way to your lips, almost on instinct now.

It dies out before it can bloom.

Because there she is, again, and he is still smiling at her and nodding and talking and suddenly all the hurry he made to find his jacket seems like it was not to make you not wait, but to get to her quickly.

Looking to the hall, you spot a tall boy holding a bottle of what you hope is booze. Grabbing it with a “Sorry, emergency.” You take a big gulp of the bottle. To hell with staying tipsy.

God, is that how plain vodka tastes? The Russians must be out of their minds. And yet, you keep taking gulp after gulp, sip after sip and open the door to escape the suffocating party air.

If Issei wants to find you so badly, he must know how to do it.

Walking a bit and sitting in the pavement, your head drops to your knees, bottle still in one hand. You’re not sure how long it has been since you arrived.

Hearing footsteps coming closer to you and coming to a stop right by your side, you look up to find an angry Issei. Arms crossed, he’s looking down at you, trying to look as mad as he can but worry painted in his eyes. It hurts how well you know him sometimes.

“So?” You make no noise.

“Care to explain?” He’s tapping his foot this time, probably to get your attention. You grunt in response.

“Do Not grunt at me young lady. I am only asking because I am worried, can’t you see!” Voice raised, you realize you’ve never heard him raise his voice, not at you.

“Maybe I don’t want you to worry about me! Or maybe I do but not like this! Have you thought about it?” You snap.

“What’s that supposed to mean?-“ not waiting for him to finish his words, you stand up fast, stumble for a mini second in the process, the bottle gripped tighter, and you start walking away.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?” He calls our behind you, walking after you.

“Away from you! Leave me alone Mattsun.” You yell back, quickening your steps. Damn his height and tall legs because he catches up to you in no time and grabs your wrist, trying to stop you from going any further.

You expect a “fine.” And a “no.” And maybe a “stop being so childish and talk to me.” But not a “Why are you calling me that?”

The softness in his voice catches you off guard. You stop and turn to look at him, your wrist already free of his grasp. “Calling you what?”

“You never call me Mattsun. It’s always Issei. Did I do something wrong?” You don’t meet his gaze.

Maybe it’s the hurt in his words, the sadness in his eyes or the alcohol in your blood. When you look up to meet his gaze, you’re certain you see something die. “I don’t want to talk about it.” You gather enough energy to say the words.

“Why now? We’ve never hold back anything from one another.” You turn your head at his words again. This is exactly why you don’t want to talk. Hearing a sigh behind you, he clears his throat. Probably one last try, you’re determined to keep your stance.

“Look, whatever it is, please tell me. Maybe you’re drunk and happen to be the unfiltered honest kind. You may as well not be drunk at all and honestly this is a lot of better. But please give me a reason, an explanation and if it’s so bad or awkward, we won’t talk about it in the morning and pretend we were both drunk. How does that sound?” The offer itself sounds ideal and he, hopeful. You nod your head as you sit down on the pavement, the bottle now in your lap. Following your cue, he sits next to you.

The words are a mumble of incoherent sounds. You can sense him leaning towards you, considering to say your next words loudly, just to irritate him, you decide against it.

“I don’t want you to worry about me as a friend.” You say. He looks confused. Silencing him with your finger before he can say anything, you continue. “I want you to see me in a different light for once. I am sick of the back and forth dance we keep having.”

He stares at you for what feels like forever. Followed by laughter. It only gets louder.

“Stop- Stop that! Are you… laughing at my feelings?” You make no effort in hiding the disappointment in your tone.

“No! It’s just- I- I’ve been thinking of the same thing for too long. I can’t believe we were both so blind.” Words interrupted by occasional chuckles, he seems happy, glowing even. You throw yourself at him, arms around his neck.

He speaks to your head next: “If you hadn’t been drinking, I’d even kiss you right now b-“

“Do it then. I am not drunk.” You whisper to his chest.

He kisses the top of your head. “Tomorrow, I promise. For now, let’s get you home.”

[mousehole5000]

tgcf again chapters 174-191. im now midway through book 4. pain and suffering. and yet also.... this is really good.... but also.... pain...

okay cave of ten thousand gods everythings coming out into the light.... xie lian pretending not to hear fengqing drop their act im emotional..... fengqing silently working together to separate xie lian and hua cheng im emotional..... every word that comes out of mu qing’s mouth im emotional....

honestly reading the xianle trio discussing hua cheng.. its very hard for me NOT to project all the times ive been in a friendship trio and someone got a boyfriend the other two didnt like (which was every time. theres never been a bf everyone liked. sometimes i was the one who had the bf. there were no winners then and tbh i predict there will be no real winners here as far as this friendship goes but such is life)

mu qing is so smart he’s clever he’s tricksy i love it i love him ugh

“A pair of arms had circled around him from behind, and hugged him with force all of a sudden. Xie Lian had buried his face in his back, and also didn’t speak. Though nothing was said, it was enough.” okay i cant get into every different way im feeling about whats going down bc it would get Too Personal but this..... im emo. also xie lian saying “something like this has to be said clearly“ and then proceeding to not say a word just going in for a hug is a mood

“He heard Hua Cheng’s staggering voice coming from above. “...Your Highness. You really…will be the death of me.” - ok well DONT SAY THAT!! now im worried!!!

“Hua Cheng, however, only snorted, appearing as if his eyes could see through the thick rocky walls. He said darkly, “Don’t worry. If he kills one, I’ll make ten more. Fast and furious like the storms, I will never back down. Let’s see who’s the one left standing in the end.” Xie Lian’s heart skipped a beat for some reason, and he mumbled inwardly, “... Oh no, this is bad.” Even though Hua Cheng’s expression was subconsciously displayed, Xie Lian really was quite weak to this aggressive and rebellious confidence of his.” - fjadskfajsl its okay xie lian honey you never know whats going to do it for you

okay so are the murals and statues are only from the xianle era? im hoping hua cheng didnt secretly follow xie lian during his time as a mortal during the entire 800 years and then pretend to a total stranger that would be too much imo lets see. i still really do get why feng xin and mu qing are like “...dude wtf lets get out of here stay away from that guy” (also tbh probably if theyd all managed to stay close... this probably wouldnt be happening which isnt a judgement im just saying bc thats definitely how ive felt about friendships) although this whole thing IS indeed tinged with homophobia which i still dont think makes sense in this setting but whatever i guess.

BOOK 4!!!! im scared

“A few days ago he nearly fainted, and it was only after that did he realize it was because he hadn’t had anything to eat for several days.” - unfortunately relatable but :(

“Ever since Xie Lian was young, he had never had to consider these kinds of affairs, and this was truly the first time in decades that this problem gripped him. However, if gods didn’t even know what starvation felt like, how could they possibly understand the feelings of a starving worshipper? How could they possibly empathize? At this point, he could only take this experience as a form of training.” - TRUE THO!!!!!!!! i like seeing this even tho the circumstances are sad

wait does xie lian get his bad cooking skills from him mom? im gonna cry...

“After returning to the city, Mu Qing’s stomach was still turning. He said as he stumbled, “I thought…that porridge, it smelled like bran water, but I hadn’t thought it’d taste like it too!” Feng Xin gritted his teeth. “Shut up! Don’t force people to remember that pot of stuff! The queen is…body of ten thousand gold after all…never cooked…this is already…UGH!…” Mu Qing humphed. “Did I say something wrong? If you didn’t think it was like bran water, why don’t you…go ask the queen to grant you another bowl! UGH!…” The two were heaving back and forth, and Xie Lian grabbed hold of the both of them, patting their backs.” - xianle trio.... including simply because it made me do the pleading emoji in real life..... also the way the queen wanted to feed all of them... weeping

i didnt realize that mu qing would still be around during this time.... god the fact that i know theyre all going to split......

“It’s precisely because it’s a time like this that money has to be brought up!” Mu Qing countered. “A time like this? What time is it? Time when we’re starving! It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to admit it, but nothing can be done without money! Can you both not just suck it up a little bit?” - mu qing i love you. god.... for real the fact that he comes from a completely different background than the other two is so important to his character and i think it shows so much in the way he continues to be in the present. he gives me the vibe of someone who is smart and hardworking but is bitter about it and tbh!!!! i get why he is!!! he’s very aware of these kinds of concerns bc he’s had to be, while the other two kind of think theyre above it and its a big difference between them. he’s still separated by the circumstances of his birth despite how much harder he’s worked to get to where he is.... ugh painful and delicious

i really am enjoying the xianle story tbh. xie lian going from his highness, favored by heaven, well-intentioned but lacking in experience and understanding to living in poverty and fighting with mortals who disrespect him. fucking delicious i mean this sincerely and respectfully im sad but i really like his character arc. and then to how he is in the present....

“Mu Qing looked at him, speaking not a word. Then he bowed deeply and really turned around to walk away.” - OH NO ITS HAPPENING AHHHHH ;_; honestly all of this hurts but it feels real like i think mu qing has every right to want to leave honestly and he DOES have other family and other ambitions outside of the trio... and i get why feng xin is mad about him wanting to leave when theyre suffering!! and i get why xie lian lets him go.... friendships are hard man and the pain of them splitting is rough!!!!

“Mu Qing’s departure had really shocked him to the core. First, he had never thought that someone so close would just up and leave. Second, Xie Lian had always believed in “forever”. For example, friends would always be friends forever; no betrayal, no deception, no breaking up. Perhaps there’d be times when they’d part, but it for sure wouldn’t be over reasons like “life is too horrible” - pain. just pain. same as above i get it but it hurts

“Xie Lian didn’t know too well just how much money would be considered normal when buying over ten lanterns, and he never looked at the price tag when he purchased things in the past.” - i feel bad kicking him while he’s down and he’s still trying to be kind even when it costs him but this is the first thing that came into my mind

but also oh?? spirits of soldiers from the battlefield you say?? hmmm i wonder... who.... could possibly be among them....

“If you remain forcibly, you won’t be able to rest in peace,” Xie Lian said. The nameless ghost didn’t seem to care. “I pray to never rest in peace.” -  i cant lie this legit gave me goosebumps lol

“Xie Lian himself was alright in suffering through it, since there were far too many other things to worry about. But his mother, who had lived a comfortable, luxurious life, when had she ever done such crude labour? But if the queen didn’t do this work herself, who else could take over?” - hmmmm!!! housekeeping!!!! it matters!!!! rich people dont appreciate how much until they have to do it themselves!!! but this still makes me sad

oh god THATS when they pawned hongjing?? with the king sick and mu qing leaving?? :(((( even more emotional about its appearances in the present day

“That passerby chuckled. “You don’t know? This is too exciting! The servant is beating the master!” - oh god the dramatic and ironic timing of it all

god..... this is just... a sad time....

“MU QING ISN’T LIKE YOU ALL. HE’S MY FRIEND, HE WOULD NEVER HELP YOU!!!” [cut to] “Those were the only words echoing in Xie Lian’s mind, but he couldn’t utter a single sound, and could only crazily grab at anything at his disposal to throw. He didn’t care who he was hurling at, either. Finally, Mu Qing couldn’t take this anymore, and he steeled his face as he swept his sleeves and left. Xie Lian panted harshly for a bit and fell back down, spacing out again.”- IM SAD!!!!!! tbh i wonder if on some level xie lian kind of felt like mu qing owed him? i know he said to forget about that stuff to both of them but its one thinig to say it and think you mean it and another to have to deal with it

white no-face what is your DEAL!! also all the little fire ghost bits im...

“After having exchanged so many words, Feng Xin finally got the gist of what had transpired. He widened his eyes and pointed at Mu Qing, unable to speak. A moment later, he bent down and grabbed a sack and flung it over, roaring. “SCRAM! SCRAM SCRAM SCRAM!” Mu Qing was hit in the face by the sacks of rice he brought and backed two steps away. All three of them in the house were panting harshly.” - this is it this is the part where i closed my laptop and said “noOOooOOOoooo” out loud to my room im so upset... and mu qing still tried to leave the rice even after the broom thing im ;_;

“Feng Xin was completely convinced that he would never do such a thing, but that was precisely why this had become the worst-case scenario!” - pain, suffering, dismay, etc

“Feng Xin continued, “If Your Highness thinks your life might be in danger, I can finish this for you, I won’t tell Her Majesty, haha.” - bless your heart for trying feng xin

“But it shouldn’t be like this. The Feng Xin of the past would have absolute faith in him no matter what! Even if there was only twenty percent doubt, it was still unbearable!” - AHHHHHHH okay idk if i really have much to say about their relationship other than im sad but IM SAD!!!!

the differences between feng xin and mu qing’s relationship with xie lian are so interesting. feng xin has clearly always idolized xie lian a lot while mu qing hasnt at least not in the same way and he seems like he has some resentment towards xie lian (thats how i read it anyway thats what i said about it at the beginning of book 2 and i think its understandable and can be a very real part of friendships) that feng xin doesnt and i just think thats neat!!

“He was firmly tied down upon the altar, that broken base of the statue under his body. There were many people squeezed below the altar, and pair after pair of round, unblinking eyes were watching him.” - hmmm dont think i like where this is going

“Yet, before he could finish, he realized that the white silk that he used to cover his face had been undone. In this moment, the thing that had him completely tied down was that exact white silk.” oh my god wait is this ruoye?? is ruoye that same ribbon???? ill cry

“The hand stained with blood, the one that ended a life, was immune to the Face Disease.” - ohhh shit okay. okay okay. okay. shit okay. i See now.... so if youre an innocent civilian the only way to escape this fate (and the faces are actually the souls of other innocent civilians) is to get rid of your innocence... and doesnt this disease not actually hurt its just horrific? god.............

“White No-Face pitied, “You think they don’t want to do it? Wrong, it’s not that they don’t want to, it’s solely because no one wants to be the first, that’s all.” - shut up!!! youre the one who created this situation dont fucking preach about the way you think the world is

“He forced down the mouthful of blood and hissed, “What are you laughing at? You think that you got what you wanted? This was all forced by you!” The ghost fire within the ghost’s hand flickered even more fiercely.” - yes exactly!!! you put people in extreme circumstances sometimes they do extreme things!! youve proved nothing!! god i do love when characters say exactly what im thinking. plus the first ones who caved were trying to save their child

“He felt that, if he was to let them do what they wanted, there was something in his heart that would never return to its original state.” - :( also i kind of feel that in my life sometimes and i just hope xie lian’s heart ends up in a state he’s happy with

“He didn’t dare to look at what had become of the person lying on the altar, because what laid there didn’t look human anymore.” AHHHHHH!!! :(((( i mean i get why this event is what made hc... level up??? thats not a good way to describe it fjasldkfjaslk but you know what i mean... that line about being powerless to help your beloved OOOOOOF

okay well finished that chapter im. pain. hmmm. pain. i dont know if i actually have any words rn lol but im gonna stop here for now

[1heartfanfics]

Do you remember somewhere in Blood of Olympus Percy gets poisoned by that underwater guy I cant remember the name of? If you do, can you do a story where someone unlikely takes care of him? If you don't, I completely understand😊

Yes omg, another example of Rick Riordan being one of us because after that incident he talks about Percy having to go throw up several times. It was Kymopoleia and Polybotes who poisoned him.

 Side note though, I kind of hated that scene because Riordan made Percy so useless even though he was in his domain while Jason, who was very much out of his, was the hero. I’m not saying Percy has to be the hero all the time (although he is the main character really so like kind of) but I love the way he was always written as being so powerful (near water especially). Like at the end of House of Hades Nico says that Percy is the most powerful demigod he’s ever known, so I just felt like it was dumb for him to be rendered useless so easily in that scene. 

Anyway, enough of my rant. Here’s the part you came for:

TW: spoilers for blood of olympus I guess and depictions of vomit

“Percy are you okay?!?” Jason yelled, darting over to him once the poison dissipated. 

“Gah, yeah I think so,” Percy coughed and sputtered, stumbling around in the water.

“Alright, come on, lets get back up there. Hopefully the Argo II is okay,” Jason said. He could feel the air getting thin. His wind storm was thinning. 

“Could we, uh, maybe not mention exactly what happened down here? The son of the sky god saving the son of the sea god underwater thing?” Percy asked. 

“Yeah, sure bro,” Jason nodded, smiling sympathetically at his friend. He understood where Percy was coming from. They were supposed to be the leaders of this quest, but Jason seemed to just keep getting knocked unconscious, needing rescued. He’d felt useless many times along their journey. 

“Great. Thanks,” Percy said, still sounding out of breath. Normally he could breathe underwater just like it was air but he seemed to be struggling right now. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jason asked, “You’re looking a little green,” he said. He was sure it was more than just the tint of the water that was tinging Percy’s face. 

“Mhmm, fine,” Percy mumbled, stroking upwards to swim toward the surface, but his limbs weren’t coordinated enough so he didn’t go anywhere. Jason reached through his air bubble to grab Percy’s arm, willing the winds to take them to the surface before they ran out of air. 

Jason gasped for air as they reached the surface, not having realized just how shallowly he’d been having to breathe. He managed a few deep breaths, finally filling his lungs, before Percy suddenly gripped his arm. 

“Jas-” Percy said frantically, before his body convulsed and he vomited into the water.

“Oh Gods, okay,” Jason muttered to himself, kicking forward to move behind Percy. He wrapped an arm around his waist to keep him afloat while he brought up his stomach contents. Jason knew Percy had looked pretty green. 

Percy was limp against him, which worried Jason. Normally he could keep himself afloat just by willing the water to support him, but he was clearly in too bad of shape to even use that power, which was concerning. He didn’t seem to have it in him to even keep himself up the normal way, by kicking. Percy slumped forward of Jason’s arm, almost pitching into the water completely. 

“Ookay, come on. We’ve gotta get you above deck Perce,” Jason said, pulling Percy back against his chest until his head was resting on Jason’s shoulder. He kept one arm wrapped firmly around Percy’s waist, using his other arm to swim toward the boat. 

He managed to get them over to the Argo II, which took a lot longer than he’d expected. It hadn’t looked that far, but with Percy’s dead weight it felt like miles, and he was exhausted. 

“Gonna need a little help here,” Jason panted as they reached the ladder. His muscles were aching and his breath was coming in gasps. 

Thankfully, Percy seemed to have recovered some, because he was able to grab the ladder, hauling himself out of the water. Once he climbed to the top he leaned over and offered Jason a hand, pulling him the rest of the way to the deck, where both boys collapsed. 

Immediately, all of their friends rushed over. A myriad of hands pulled them both up off of the deck and into chairs. Percy forced his eyes open, wincing as his vision swam (pun intended), making him feel dizzy and sick all over again. 

“What in Hades happened down there?” 

Percy blinked a few times, taking some slow deep breaths until the worried faces of his friends came into view. He forced himself to focus on the calming motion of the waves below him, trying to settle his stomach, which was still churning queasily. 

“It was the goddess Kymopoleia. She was working for Polybotes. But we got her to turn against him and help um, help us kill him. But Percy got poisoned. My uh, my venti cloud protected me from it I guess,” Jason explained, still breathing hard. 

His friends all murmured a collection of sympathies and sighs of relief, but Percy couldn’t focus on any of them. He still felt too sick. 

“Where’s Annabeth?” he croaked. 

“She’s helping Leo man the wheel while he does some repairs,” someone answered, Piper maybe. 

“Maybe someone should go switch her out,” Jason said, glancing worriedly over at Percy. He needed his girlfriend right now.

“No,” Percy said quickly. “No don’t worry her,” he shook his head. 

“Are you sure?” Hazel asked, placing a hand on Percy’s arm. Jason was right, he really didn’t look so good. 

“I’m fine,” Percy insisted, although his ashen complexion said otherwise. “Could someone just help me to my room?” he asked weakly. 

“I will,” a small voice spoke up from behind the rest of the group. Nico?

Everyone parted for him to come forward, looking surprised. He didn’t really speak all that often. In fact, they often times forgot that he was even there, lurking in the shadows. 

“Come on, let’s go,” Nico said, stepping in front of Percy. He grabbed Percy’s wrist, pulling his arm around his own shoulders to prop him up. Although Percy was still a handful of inches taller than Nico, he was stronger than he looked, so he began to half drag half pull Percy down the hall toward the below deck quarters. 

“You doing okay?” NIco asked when Percy let out a soft groan, leaning even more heavily on Nico. 

“Not feeling so hot,” Percy shook his head.

Nico realized how chalky Percy’s complexion had become, mouth hanging open slightly and his eyes unforced. He had his free hand clutched to his stomach, hunched forward over it slightly.

“Are you going to throw up?” Nico asked, putting the pieces together. Percy nodded miserably, rubbing his hand back and forth across his stomach.

“Okay, come on,” Nico began dragging Percy again, this time with the destination of the bathroom instead of his room. 

“Ohh my stomach,” Percy moaned. His hand moved up to cover his mouth, fighting back nausea.

Nico pushed their way into the bathroom, lowering Percy down onto the floor in front of the toilet as gently as he could. As soon as Percy’s knees hit the ground he lurched forward over the toilet and heaved up a mouthful of seawater and green sludge. The poison, Nico thought, wincing. 

“You’re okay,” Nico said, crouching down behind Percy and placing a hand on his back. He was surprised to find that Percy’s clothes were wet, which he’d failed to notice before. He must really be feeling bad if his powers couldn’t even keep him dry. 

Percy continued to pant over the toilet, clutching the rim with white knuckles. Nothing happened, though, so Nico pulled him away from the bowl to lean against the wall behind them. 

“Let’s get you into some dry clothes and in bed,” Nico said, positioning Percy’s arm around him again so he could get him up.

“Nooo,” Percy groaned, shaking his head, “Feel nauseous.”

“Yeah you were poisoned Percy, might take a while to wear off. I’ll put a trash bin beside your bed, okay? You need to get some rest,” Nico argued, hauling Percy’s limp body off the ground with some difficulty. He was all dead weight now. 

Nico and Percy managed to slowly limp their way down the hall to Percy’s room, which he had to admit, instantly made him feel a bit better, Just to be surrounded by his things. 

“Here, get changed,” Nico said, tossing Percy a dry t-shirt and a pair of shorts. While Percy got out of his wet clothes, Nico pulled the trash over to sit beside Percy’s bed, laying a towel underneath it just in case his aim was off. 

When Percy was finished he helped him climb into bed, pulling the covers up over him to still his shivering. This poison had really done a number on him it seemed. He watched as Percy closed his eyes, clearly exhausted. 

“You need anything else Percy?” Nico asked, leaning against the wall. Percy cracked an eye open to look up at him with an expression Nico had never seen on him before, fear. 

“Could you-? Could you stay? Just for a minute,” Percy asked quietly, averting his eyes. He sounded so young, despite being almost 5 years older than Nico. 

“Yeah. Yeah of course,” he said, moving to sit at the edge of Percy’s bed as he closed his eyes again. 

Nico had a feeling that Percy and Jason hadn’t exactly been honest about what had happened on their underwater adventure. Whatever really went down, it had clearly shaken Percy up pretty good. As much as Nico looked up to Percy, it made him feel slightly better about his own life to know that even someone as strong and as brave as Percy Jackson had his vulnerable moments. 

[moistmailman]

Princess Neo AU

Roman, groaning loudly: Sweetheart, I’m just trying to protect you! That is all!

Neo, angrily signing: I do not need a bodyguard on me at all times! I’m not a damn damsel!

Roman: I know that! It’s just that...well, you are a very important girl and some people will try to hurt you!

Neo, signing: So you’re implying that I can’t protect myself!?

Roman: Pfft, What!? No! Of course not! Why would you think that?

Neo, signing: Then why are you insisting on getting me a bodyguard!?

Roman: I......well......uhm......

Neo: *Staring accusingly at Roman*

Roman, shivering: O-Okay look, can you just work with me!? Please!?

Neo, signing: *stomping her foot* No! I won’t! I don’t need a damn bodyguard! I can handle myself!

Roman: YOU ARE BARELY OVER FIVE FOOT, NEO! YOU ARE TINY AND NEED TO BE PROTECTED!

Neo, wide eyed:........

Roman, grimacing: Wait no, that came out wro—

Neo: *rolls up her sleeves*

Roman: Oh no....

Neo, signing really really fast: OK LISTEN HERE YOU SACK OF SHIT!

Maid 1, wide eyed: Oh boy. The princess is quite angry today. How can King Roman even understand her? She’s signing so fast.

Maid 2, nonchalantly: Princess Neo is a sassy child. She does this a lot.

Maid 1: Really?

Neo, still signing: I SWEAR TO GOD OF YOU EVER CALL ME TINY AGAIN THEN I WILL SHOVE MY FOOT SO FAR UP YOUR ASS—

Roman, nodding along: Yeah Yeah.

Maid 1: Oh man, I can’t even keep up with her at the moment. Can you?

Maid 2, nodding: Yeah, right now she’s going through the details of her shoving her foot up her father’s ass at the moment.

Maid 1, covering her mouth: Oh my.

Maid 2: Oh my is right.

Roman, terrified: S-sweetheart, p-please.

Neo: *Signs something*

Roman: *Gasps*

Maid 2, wide eyed: Oh my.

Maid 1: What? What did she just say?

Maid 2, grimacing: Trust me, you don’t want to know.

Neo, signing: So don’t you dare try to put a damn body guard on me! Got that!

Roman:........uhm....well, we have a problem. The knight is on her way to the castle as we speak.

Neo, signing: WHAT!?

Roman, cowering: Y-Yeah, they should be here at any moment actually. She just got here by horseback.

Neo, angrily signing: SEND THEM BACK THEN! I DONT NEED THEM!

Roman: I can’t just do that! The young lady traveled all the way from Mistral! I can’t just turn her away!

Neo, signing: WELL I’M GOING TO SPIT ON HER!

Roman: YOU ARE GOING TO DO NO SUCH THING! THIS YOUNG LADY TRAVELED FOR DAYS TO GET HERE, AND SHE’S NOT GOING TO BE SPIT ON WHEN SHE FIRST ENTER THIS CASTLE!

Neo, signing: YOU CANT STOP ME!

Maid 1: What’s going on? Why is King Roman talking about spitting?

Maid 2: Neo is going to spit on the knight from mistral.

Maid 1: What?!

Maid 2: Honestly she’s done worst to people.

Roman: OH MY GODS! JUST PLEASE WORK WITH ME! IM YOUR FATHER AND YOU SHOU—

Neo: *Kicks Roman in the shins*

Roman, hopping: OW YOU LITTLE GREMLIN! WHERE DID I GO WRONG SITH YOU!?

Neo: >:P

Roman, still hopping: THAT DOES IT! I AM PUTTING MY FOOT DO—

Emerald: Your majesty!

Roman: Yes?

Emerald: Knight Nikos has finally arrived at the castle!

Roman, panicking: Oh shit! Tell her to not come into the throne room! My daughter is going wild right now! Threatening with spit!

Emerald, tilting her head: What?

Roman, shaking his head: It doesn’t matter! Just make sure she doesn’t come in here!

Emerald: But sir, she should be in here—

*Suddenly a tall redhead with green eyes and full knights armor walks in*

Emerald, cringing: any second now....

Roman, under his breath: Oh shit....

Neo, wide eyed:..........

Pyrrha, bowing down: Your majesty. I have traveled all the way from Mistral to protect your daughter from any sort of harm that will come her way.

Roman, awkwardly swallowing: O-oh, that’s uh....that’s cool. Glad to have you. *looks at Neo*

Neo, staring right Pyrrha with her cheeks slightly tinted red:..........

Pyrrha: So it comes to my knowledge that your daughter is mute, yes?

Roman, on edge: Hmm Hmm. Yeah, she is.

Pyrrha, nodding: Okay. Well thankfully I took some classes for that, so I should be able to communicate with her, as long as she speaks slowly to me that is.

Roman, nodding: Okay.

Pyrrha, gesturing towards Neo: So I imagine that this is your daughter.

Roman, nodding: Yep. This is her alright......

Pyrrha, smiling sweetly: Well it’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady. I hope we both can get along.

Roman, grimacing: *mumbles* Oh no, she’s very sweet too. She doesn’t deserve this.

Neo, still staring at Pyrrha:..........*starts walking towards Pyrrha*

Roman, under his breath: Oh shit! Here it comes! She’s going to spit on her like a child!

Neo, approaching Pyrrha with a mischievous glint in her eyes:.........

Pyrrha, respecting nodding: My princess. It will be an honor serving under you.

Neo, smirking:.......

Roman: Oh gods, here it comes. This is going to be so embarrassing.

Neo: *Extends her hand to Pyrrha*

Roman: Eh?

Pyrrha: Huh?

Neo: *Spins her wrist, putting emphasis on her hand*

Pyrrha, confused: I’m sorry, what do you want me to......OH! I see.

*Pyrrha kneels down and takes Neo’s hand into hers*

Pyrrha: I swear I will protect you with my life, my lady.

Roman, baffled: What.....what the hell is she doing?

Neo: *Smiles before shaking her head at Pyrrha*

Pyrrha, raising an eyebrow: Uh... I’m sorry? Did I not do what you wanted?

Neo: *shakes her head again*

Pyrrha: O-oh well uhm....what do you want me to do, my lady?

Neo: *points to her lips, before pointing to her hands*

Pyrrha, thinkng:........O-OH, I-I See. Y-you want me to— o-Okay, I can do that.

*Pyrrha descends her lips onto Neo’s hand before kissing it*

Neo, silently giggling: *signing* That’s much better. Not only 2 minutes in and you’re already spoiling your princess. I can tell I’m going to like you a lot *winks*

Pyrrha, blushing: O-oh. Uhm...t-thank you, m-my lady. I really appreciate the compliment.

Roman, absolutely baffled: What in the fuck is happening?

Maid 1:.....did the princess just giggle?

Maid 2: Yeah. She did.

Maid 1: Has....has she done this before?

Maid 2: Yeah, But never like this before. She usually giggles when she annoys someone, or hurt someone, or bring any type of inconvenience to anyone. But not once has Neo ever giggles like a silent anime girl.

Maid 1: What’s anime?

Maid 2: Shh shh! She’s saying something!

Neo, signing moderately fast: You know it’s kinda funny. I was going to spit on you at first, but now that I’ve seen how gorgeous you are, I kinda rather you spit on me instead~

Roman, repulsed: Oh god!

Pyrrha, confused: Uh...I’m sorry. I didn’t quite get that. You signed too fast. Uh...what did you say exactly?

Neo, signing more slowly: I said—

Roman, embarrassed: S-SHE SAID THAT SHE CANT WAIT TO GET TO KNOW YOU, KNIGHT NIKOS!

Pyrrha, smiling: Oh did she?

Neo, signing moderately fast: Gods, I bet if I took that armor off then you will be like a chiseled statue under there. *shivers* Oh man, what I wouldn’t do to just touch your beautiful abs.

Pyrrha: Uhm...again, I didn’t quite get that either. Is she cold? She shivered just now.

Roman: Y-Yeah, She’s cold! Y-you should escort her back to your bed chambers to warm up!

Pyrrha, nodding: Right. I will do that then.

Neo, signing moderately fast: Oh my bed chambers you say? I couldn’t agree me~

Pyrrha: What did she—

Roman, blushing: SHE DOESNT WANT TO GO TO HER BED CHAMBERS ACTUALLY! SHE WANTS TO GO TO THE FIREPLACE IN THE NEXT ROOM ACTUALLY!

Pyrrha: O-oh. Okay. I can do that. Shall we, my princess?

Neo: *Takes Pyrrha by her arm and cuddle into it*

Roman, rubbing his head soothingly: God damn it, Neo. Quite it.

Pyrrha, slightly blushing: O-oh, Okay. I guess you can do that. I am escorting you after all, right? *giggles*

Neo, signing moderately fast: I can not wait to here how my names sounds when you are moaning it.

Pyrrha: Hmm?

Neo, signing regularly: Lets go to the fire place already. I’m freezing.

Pyrrha: Right. Let’s.

*Pyrrha escorts Neo out of the room*

Roman, groaning into his hands: *muffled: God damn it.

Maid 1: Hey, at least the princess likes her. That’s good, right?

Roman, sighing: Yeah....But we also made and released a horny gremlin on Knight Nikos.

[tendertenebrosity]

I don’t know what this is but it wouldn’t leave me alone and apparently I get like this when trying to finish a project, so here we go. 

“Say that again.”

The words cut through the many conversations taking place over the room, low and threatening. Helis looked up, heart falling.

The darkhaired youth who had been addressed leaned back casually in his chair, swirling his glass with feigned nonchalance. His accent, so unlike everyone else in the room, clipped the edges of his words. “I’m sorry, was I unclear?”

Joss stood up, his height looming over the other young man. Voices faltered all over the room, people looking over to see what was going on. “I understood you,” he said pleasantly enough. “I’m just giving you a chance to realise your mistake and apologise.”

Damn. Helis mumbled an apology to the person they were talking to and began to slip through the small crowd towards the pair. They were the host, they ought to smooth this over, whatever it was.

Joss was intimidating – tall and broad, his posture obviously threatening – but Illiam gave no indication of fear. He gave a thin smile and sipped his drink. “No mistake,” he said. “I simply spoke the facts. These beastfolk – aha, I am sorry, the polite term here is wild-born, is it not?”

Helis stopped dead, feeling the blood drain from their face. They let their wings fall, soft feathers brushing their shoulders as they held them close. Beastfolk.

Joss caught sight of Helis, through the people, and the colour rose in his face. “Illiam, you little – ”  

“These wildborn are less than human, you cannot argue with me on that,” Illiam continued. “Their blood is polluted. Where I come from we understand this and order things accordingly.” He paused, let his gaze wander over to see what Joss was looking at.

His eyes were pale blue. They flickered – down to Helis’ feet, heavy clawed things that no boots could contain, up to the feathered wings folded sleek and small against their shoulders. Then back to meet Helis’ gaze. Pale, ice-cold, unflinching.

“I don’t see any point in pretending not to notice what is self-evident,” he said. “That’s all. You do things your way, here. In my country we do things our way. We - ”

“All right, that’s it,” Joss said, his face red. He kicked his chair aside, rounded the table in two steps. “You little shit. I’m going to –”

“Don’t,” Helis croaked, as Joss grabbed Illiam by the front of his coat. Drinks toppled over, the clatter of glass and cutlery and furniture loud over the sudden babble of voices. “Joss, don’t!”

“Unhand me, you stupid –”

“How dare you? How dare you? What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I didn’t say anything that isn’t –”

“If I hear one more word out of your putrid mouth I’ll – ”

“Joss! Stop it!”

Helis’ friend stopped, cast them a look over his shoulder. “Hels, I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have let him –”

Illiam choked, his pale face turning an unhealthy mottled red. His hands groped and pulled at Joss’s grip, at the twisted handfuls of material he held.

“Joss, let him go, please,” Helis said, quietly. “Just… put him down. It’s my party and I don’t want people fighting.”

Joss scowled, but he lowered Illiam so that his feet touched the floor. “Don’t you listen to a word this slimy piece of shit says, Hels. Why is he even here?”

“He’s here because I invited him,” Helis whispered.

I don’t know why. I guess I thought… I don’t know. He comes to things when I invite him. Why does he come if he thinks I’m… polluted? Less than human?

The room was hushed. Helis jumped at a touch on their shoulder, and then realised it was a friendly touch from Ki, their friend. They gave her a weak smile. The room shuffled as people edged closer to Helis, touched them gently on the wing or the shoulder, glared daggers at Illiam.

Illiam pulled himself free of Joss’ grip with a jerk. His colour was high, now, too, ice blue eyes flashing murderously. He flipped his lank dark hair out of his eyes and straightened his coat, fastidiously. “If you think…”

“Get out,” Joss growled. “Turn your cowardly, slave-owning little ass around and get it out of my sight before I kick it for you. Get out.”

Illiam sneered. “Fine,” he said. “None of you wanted me here anyway. Good night.”

He straightened his coat again, gave the crowd a defiant, venomous stare, and left, unable to disguise his unsteadiness as he stalked away.

~

Helis struggled, helpless against their bonds. They reached for power and were denied, over and over, the silver thread wound through the fibres of the net rendering their magic as useless as their wings, as useless as their hands bound tightly against their sides. They could hear the voices, harsh and clipped, over their head as they were dragged, catching only glimpses of stone hallways, fur-lined black and red uniforms.  

Sudden noise and heat, an open space filled with voices – they were dumped on the hard stone floor, the impact jarring their teeth together and crushing one folded wing underneath their body. Helis blinked back tears and tried to look around.

They were in a hall, crowded with people; people in the garb of the northerners, heavy boots and thick materials, furs and velvets. They looked at them from an awkward angle, head canted to the side, too heavy to lift up for a better view. The crowd had pulled back to leave Helis and their captors in the centre of an empty circle, murmuring to itself.

“Tell me, what am I looking at, captain?”

Helis couldn’t see who was speaking; a deep, rich voice with the clipped northern accent,that carried across the hall and bounced off the high ceiling.

“A spy, your grace,” the soldier answered. “Caught it sneaking past our lines. A slippery one, and it’s got magic, too.”

“Yes, I see the silver. A beast with formal magic training?” the deep voice gave a hoarse-sounding chuckle. “Only in the South, eh?”

There was a roar of harsh laughter, too many voices to pick them out. Helis whimpered.

“Not a spy,” they tried to protest. “Not a…”

A boot buried itself in their side and they cried out, folding up around the point of impact. “Silence, creature,” the captain snarled. “Unless you want your guts stretched out between the watchtowers to freeze before we kill you.”

A roar of cruel laughter. Helis shrank into the floor, terror freezing their tongue in their mouth.

“Well, by all means, get what you can out of it and get rid of it,” the deep voice said. “I don’t want to keep things like that around. More trouble than it’s worth.”

Helis twisted on the ground and eventually got into a position where they could see a little. There was the dais, a man in furs with dark hair sitting on the throne; Helis was lying supine in the space in front of it, richly dressed Northerners crowding around. Those words should have hit them harder, get rid of it, but they felt almost numb.

“Your grace!”

The voice rang out over the crowd, loud and confident and slightly… familiar? It came from behind Helis, from amongst the crowd of people. Helis, aching, turned their head.

“Yes?” the man on the dais said. “What is it?”

The crowd was parting respectfully to allow a figure through – clad all in black, a swirling cloak with the crackle of magical power about it, and high leather boots. Helis stared at those boots and they, too, were familiar.  

The black-clad figure bowed, hand on his sword hilt. “May I ask you a favour, your grace?”

The man on the dais snorted, propped his bearded chin on one hand. “Ask away.”

The figure stepped closer, nudged at Helis’ shoulder with one of the black boots and flipped them over onto their back.

It had been five years. He hadn’t changed much. Black hair, grown long enough to pull back in a tail; ice-blue eyes with heavy shadows under them, a nose chapped red with cold, and a familiar sneer.

Illiam regarded Helis for a long moment, his mouth tight with distaste. Then he lifted his gaze up to address the man on the dais over the top of them, his voice ringing. 

“Can I have them?”

[ikemenshakespeare]

Harr X MC | “Spring Fever”

Warning: NSFW.

Authors Note: I’ve been inspired to write something like this since “A Charming Change” event released a while ago. They missed a few of our favorite guys, So I asked around and most people said they were curious to see our boy Harr with a different type of personality then his regular shy withdrawn self. Although the storyline is not the same (like at all.) I had fun putting in my own creative twist on the idea of opposite personalities! As always enjoy, reblog, and comment because I love to see feedback from you guys. Thank you to all who read! 💕

Harr darted onto a quiet ally still hand in hand with me. He let out a small sigh of relief but I stared him down with a frown. “What’s wrong?” We were casually strolling through central quarter and next thing I knew he was frantically trying to find some place to hide.

“There’s just so many people, I’m not used to openly walking around like this.” I looked behind me to exam the scene, trying to understand the feeling Harr was having. With close examination all I could see were the many people laughing and enjoying each others company.

“Everyone seems to be having a wonderful time. After all, the weather is beauitful. I find going out like this really fun, I think you just have to give it some time and you’ll grow to love it too.” The sounds of spring played peacefully. The birds were chirping and the wind whistled a soft happy tune as it breezed by. Looking into his eyes I could still see the conflict, but he responded confidently.

“I guess you’re right, let’s continue.” He stiffly led me back into the busy street and we began walking once more. I thought back on all that’s happened in the past couple months. Harr had his reputation as ‘The Wanted Wizard’ upheld after he helped both armies defeat the currupt magic tower. He was so used to living in his own isolation that he forgot what it’s like to be around lively groups of people, to be excepted in a town which he came from. I glanced around hoping to find something that would take his mind off the nerves. I suddenly stopped short, in awe of what I saw. A little Kiosk stood on the corner of the road. The entire thing was covered in a number of different flowers, Some I’d seen before and some I had not. Harr spoke up, “what is it MC?”

“Look over there, have you ever seen this little shop before?” He looked over and shook his head, a shy no. “Do you mind if we take a look? Maybe they sell flower arrangements, I’ve been meaning to get something new to spiff up my bedroom.” He smiled sweetly and squeezed my hand.

“Sounds like a plan.” As we walked closer I saw a woman a bit older then us organizing bottles. I spoke up to get her attention.

“Hello, Miss?”

“Oh hi! Are you be interested in purchasing one of our perfumes?” Perfumes?

“Oh no, I’m sorry. I was admiring your kiosk and thought you might be a flourist. My mistake.” The woman’s smile never faltered.

“Well that’s quite alright, You can still sample and see if you’re interested?” She pulled up one of the bottles she’d been organizing earlier. The pattern was an array of 5 different colors so bright I thought it may be glowing.

“I really don’t have much money, so I don’t know if I’d be able to purchase something as fancy as that.” Harr looked down at me then spoke to the shopkeeper.

“Can we take a look at it?” Her smile gleamed.

“See! This young man understands quite well what a woman wants. If your hesistant to try for yourself, maybe your boyfriends opinion could help make up your mind?” She handed the bottle over for Harr to inspect then continued on. “Our scent is made up of several of cradles most beauitful flowers, that’s why I’ve decorated my kiosk this way. Every bottle is unique due to its combination of colors which upon movement of the bottle reveal many different variations.” As if testing her theory Harr tilted the bottle, and surely the rainbow pattern changed.

“It’s beauitful...” I stepped forward to take a closer look for myself now. The woman stared on expectantly.

“Aren’t you going to try it sir?” To my surprise Harr wore a skeptical look on his face. I spoke up not wanting him to get uncomfortable.

“The scent is for woman right? If you don’t wanna smell feminine I could-”

“It’s fine.” One quick spray and the area around us smelt of the most wonderful flower field. Surprising since he’d sprayed it directly on himself.

“It smells amazing!”

“It really does! People say while wearing it they find themselves feeling more active or excited. Some have even said they’ve felt amorous.” The way she spoke those last words left a sour feeling inside me. It was almost as if her whole demeanor had changed. Using my better judgement I gave my final decline to her offer.

“I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ll be buying anything from you today. Thank you for all your kindness!” With that I turned around and walked away as quickly as possible, dragging Harr not far behind me. I know I saw a park a couple blocks back, maybe we could head over there to sit down and relax. The entire way Harr remained unusually silent, even for him. When we were just far enough into the park I stopped to ask him, “That women was a bit strange, wasn’t she? I’m glad we got out of there when we did.” No response, I turned around. “Harr, are you feeling alright?” Before I could make eye contact, I felt myself being pushed to the ground. “HARR?!-” my shout was muffled by his left hand against my mouth. I was in such shock I didn’t even notice he’d pinned my hands above my head.

“SHH.” He hissed. I tried mumbling some confused questions his way but they remained unheard. He gazed at me with eyes I’d never seen before. He looked lustful, maybe closer to hungry. We locked eyes for a moment before he slowly tilted my face, leaving one side of my neck exposed. I felt his tongue move leisurely down my neck. My body tighten as I breathed out a small moan. Harr gave me a deep chuckle in response, something I would never expect from him. My eyes widened in shock. “I never realized how cute you could be Alice, I should’ve taken control sooner.” Alice? He hasn’t called me that since we’d first met... Desperately I ripped my hands from his grip and used them to pry his fingers from my lips. Leaving his hand halfway between my jaw and throat.

“What is going on with you?? You can’t do this here, someone could see us.” I urged, I felt like my entire face was on fire. Yet somehow, his hands were warmer. Gentle as they were against my skin, his eyes were relentless.

“Alice, are you trying to tell me you don’t like it?” My brain practically flat lined at his words, All rational thought leaving my mind. Truthfully I had lost count of how many times I’d fantasized about Harr. Imagining all the possible things he could do to me. Even a moment like this was something I could only daydream about, but the possibility of it ever actually happening... Harr could never- Another unarming laugh fell from his lips, in the best way. “It’s written all over your face, you don’t really want me to stop, do you?” I’d been caught red handed, lying would do nothing for me now. I shook my head, turning a brighter shade of pink then should’ve been possible. A grin like moonlight spread across his face. Then he brought his lips unbearably close to my ear and nipped. A gruff whisper came to follow, “Alice, I promise to take care of you... so long as you behave like a good girl.” My heart hammered in my chest as he started undoing the buttons on my blouse, slipping his hands to cup my breasts. The sun was starting to set, and many of the towns people were more then likely on their way home. I could go against my better judgement and go through with this. Get away with our dirty little act and have some fun, but something inside me screamed it’s not right. This has to do with the woman at the perfume shop? I just know it! If he goes on like this he’ll regret it. I took my hands and placed them on either side of his cheeks, I struggled to speak through the undeniable moans of pleasure I felt.

“Ha-Harr, this isn’t like you. You don’t have to do this.” He paused abruptly and his one eye winced shut before flashing back open again.

“What are we...” Like he was having some sort of epiphany, he jumped back in surprise. “Eh-!” He fell back on his behind, using him arms as support. He was turning a shade of red that rivaled the color of my own cheeks, I’m sure. “The-the perfume. That’s the last thing I remember before I-” he looked me over hesitantly, a disheveled mess.

“She tricked us, it’s not your fault. As soon as I can I’ll be sure to notify the red and black army about what happened here!” I angrily began adjusting myself back to normal, buttoning my shirt and giving my hair a quick run though with my fingers. Harr gave me a weary look.

“No MC, it was my fault we’re in this position. I had a feeling that woman was up to something, but as soon as you volunteered to try out the perfume yourself I panicked and reacted without thinking. I’m sorry.” He looked away from me, ashamed. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight as I could.

“This wasn’t your fault, that lady played a nasty trick on the both of us. We can figure out what to do about her later, but for now we should head home. It’s starting to get dark.” The look of astonishment on his face was undeniably cute, but then he did something that surprised me for the upteenth time today. A soft kiss pecked my lips, so quick I could have been mistaken that he’d even done it at all. “What was that for?”

“You’re amazing, you know?” I grinned bashfully.

“Listen, My heart cant take much more of your antics. Are you sure all the effects have worn off?”

“Yes. But if you don’t mind I would like to say one more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I love you.” He rendered me speechless. As he stood up he helped me to my feet aswell, brushing the grass off my skirt like the true gentleman he was. We spent our entire walk home in content silence. Our hands never apart from one another.

[eremika-forever12]

|| Eremika Fanfic: Remember Me!? ||

This is basically continuation from Manga plot with some changes ....you will get to know as story progresses! Do read, share & comment!

Chapter : 1

Just like any day....the sun rose from East making the whole city glow from its heat!

Just like every day everyone is back to their own chores !

Since that day of the new history of Shinganshina or to be more accurate the new Paradis....where there is no more walls, no more eldians & marliyans hatred....it was more like a new Era....Everything has just changed!

People know more about the truth with No Memory Loss....No Misconception Of Titans & Their Existence....Cause Titans Are Just A History Now Which Kids In Their Schools Learn About Their Past Existance!

6 Years....

6 Years Since He Disappeared....Vanished Just Into The Thin Air Just Like That! Leaving her alone once again in this Cruel World! He is known as humanity's Biggest Enemy Now....Who was once recognised as Humanity's Only Hope! But Something Tells Her....His Decision Changed The Whole Prespective! He Actually Changed This World....United Them To Fight Against Him! Sacrificed Himself....For The Cause Of His Own People! No Matter In Which Way But He Succeeded...Even If It Is By Being Cold Hearted Mass Murderer....She knows he was The Saviour, He Was No Monster!

But.....The Sad Part Is He Just Disappeared Like That 6 Years Back After That Rumbling Ended!

No One Noticed Him Since Then Nor His Giantic Titanic Body!

Did he deceive her all again? After making her that promise of returning back alive....wrapping around her that piece of cloth...before going for that final battle against everyone....Did he just die like that after doing so much....not even once meeting her again! Is he actually dead? Where is he? Where is Eren Yeager?

Just like any day....Mikasa starts her day thinking about him....just when her thoughts broke off hearing the powerful scream of her son....shrieking the hell out of her!

“ MOOMMM “

“Ahhh....Heyyy....” says Mikasa shocked watching that little guy running to her hurriedly with a backpack in his hand.

“ MOMMMM! GETTT ME MY FOOD HURRY! I GOTTA BE LATE FOR MY SCHOOL IF YOU JUST KEEP ON SITTING LIKE THAT! I AM HUNGRY” says the little guy with his loud voice.

“ Hush! Cant you speak a bit normally? I mean whats with all these shouting! I am not deaf!” scowls Mikasa as she gets up from the dining table.

The boy simply shrugs- Look Mom! I have no time for this....Alright! I am HUNGGRRYYY!

Ah that pout....thinks Mikasa....his cute little pout always makes her heart melt....and those Green eyes...it just reminds her of him! Thinking about him makes her Sad again!

Mikasa brings a plate full of noodles as she pushes it slightly towards the little devil on the other side of dining table.

The little guy hungrily takes the spoon out of it as he starts rolling the strands of noodles in it....and hurriedly stuffs them in his mouth.

Mikasa stares at her little boy silently observing his every features....his antics were just completely like his dad. Mikasa sighs....only if he was here! Suddenly her eyes fell on a small bruise on his forhead...Mikasa frowned....

When did he got that! Damn....did he just again fight with someone in his school yesterday!

This boy will surely make her crazy....

Mikasa glares at the green eyed little boy who was busy in gulping down his glass of water without noticing his mother's furious glare!

Mikasa in serious tone- Eli.....Look at me!

Eli looks at his mother in confusion as he stops munching his food for a moment...

Eli mumbling – Yes Mom!

Mikasa scowls- What is with that scar on your head!

Eli gasps in shock as he looks else where but not in her eyes....he surely tried to hide that thing by bringing his most of the black hair upto his forehead so that his mother wont notice that scar!

Eli nervously while fidgeting a little as he speaks in his child like voice- Errmm...Its nothing...actually...I fell on the way while returning to home so I guess Got hurt a little!

Mikasa glares- Eli...Shut up! Dont dare you lie to me! Since you got admitted to the school...I have been receiving lots of complain due to your rude behaviour towards children! So dont give me that crap! Did you fight again with someone?

Eli glares back at his mother as he says raising his voice- Rude behaviour? I am not Rude! Its not my fault if those kids of my class bumps into me intentionally just to tease me ! I am not gonna keep my mouth shut if they taunts me by calling me Monster Baby! I am gonna punch their freaking ugly face for calling me that! I had enough of it! I am not weak or Something....

Mikasa scolds him as she raises her voice- Eli! Stop it! If they taunts you....its not necessary for you to reply them back! Stop being impulsive! You cant just beat up people if they tell you something! Learn to control yourself!

Eli tries to defend himself- But...

Mikasa holds his shoulders softly- Eli listen to me!

As Eli stares with his big green eyes, Mikasa with broken voice tells him- Punching someone or beating someone wont prove you strong! I know how it feels but you gonna get adjusted to this! You dont need to start a fight with someone if they say hateful words to you! I know you are strong Eli! But you need to control yourself! Your anger wont do any good....

Eli remains mum as he softly shrugs off his mother's hand....taking his back pack on his back.

Eli calmly- I am done with my breakfast! Bye Mom!

Before Mikasa could say anything, Eli runs out of the house way to his school while Mikasa just whispers watching him running away- Bye! Just dont fall into any trouble Eli! You are the only one I have! I have lost everything in my life....I dont want to loose you!

Mikasa stares at sky scattered with clouds and the sun rays with birds flying...

Mikasa murmers as lone tear escapes from her eyes- Eren....I Wish You Were Here!

***********

Eli has been walking merrily along the way towards his school when he hears someone calling him from behind....

Eli turns around and squeals in happiness seeing the blonde hair guy with that scout uniform- Uncle Arlert!

The blond guy walks hurriedly towards him as he laughs- Its Armin!

Eli rolls eyes- oh yeah its the same thing! Arlert is also your name anyways!

Armin giggle- oh well young man ! Off to school ha? Come I will take you there!

Eli with his head high- No need! I can walk to my school myself!

Armin nods his head gently- ofcourse you can! But I have to make sure you dont fall in any trouble you know....or else your mom will be worried!

Eli frowns as he chirps in his child voice- Wait Mom asked you to follow me!

Armin nods in negetive as he nervously says- No No....Not that lately she is being really worried about you! So I thought to have a check on you....

Eli yells angrily- Heyyyy! What the hell is wrong with everyone damn it! I am not a toddler or something! I dont need anyone! I can look out for myself! I am freaking 5 years! Leave me Alone uncle Arlert ! You have your own daughter....Just look after that pathetic princess of Yours!

Saying this....Eli ran off hurriedly before Armin could follow him any further.

Armin was shocked by his reaction! He wasnt expecting such outburst! He was not told by Mikasa to follow him....he just did it cause he felt he had some responsibility towards his best friend's son after what just happened a week back in his school!

But today this out burst....he just completely reminded of HIM!

It wasnt for first time....Eli was like this anyways since he was born....stubborn & pure brat with that pathetic anger of him but he usually doesnt talk like this with him....he is really fond of his uncle Arlert & his only friend Alina Arlert....his & Annie ‘s daughter! Yes They are no more titan shifters now! That power & the curse got ended 6 years back immediately after the rumbling! They were all normal now....

Alina is 4 now....a year younger than Eli...She still didnt get admission in school yet , most probably after she turns 5....she will also start going to school and accompany Eli too...

But well right now Armin is concerned about Eli sudden outburst....did he get into an argument with Mikasa again in morning! He seemed really pissed off hearing his mother’s name!

He needs to talk to Mikasa right now....

***********

Eli was breathing heavily as he stops mid way & looks back....damn his little legs are paining now! He just ran a marathon to escape from Armin.

Aaahhh He hates just being lectured every damn time! Nobody just understands him & his point of view! His mom only thinks him of as some brat who doesnt listen to her or something! What she doesnt understand is....Eli is just tired of this daily bully of him in school by calling him some monster's child, Titan baby, illegitimate kid etc etc ! When he tries to explain this to his mom....all she tells him to not react to them! Like how the hell....why wont he react to those carzy bunch of people who simply insults him! Eli's anger just rose thinking about all these! He realises...he just ran off bit too far from his school....in some empty area with less people walking around! The area has some broken houses all around....people dont live here now much! Duh he is in no mood to walk back to his school....missing a day at school wont be any harm ,thinks Eli.

He just notices a bench a bit far.....and walks towards it & sit down!

He wants to be alone from his mother's scoldings and lectures! Eli always wondered why he didnt have a father like every other kid! He has been numerous times taunted about this by some adults in their neighbours! They simply call him Titan Baby & he hate that Word Titan! He doesnt really know what are those but once he heard some students in school talking about it....Titans were some bad ugly creatures who used to be on this land some years back! And Eli understood he was simply called those ugly creature's kid....

Once he dared to ask his mother about his own dad....but didnt get any answer from her instead he made her sad for some unknown reasons. He hates his mom to be sad or to cry! Its true his mom is strict in many ways and over protective too but Eli loves his Mom very much....just only he wishes if only she understood his feelings! Since Eli never questioned his mom about his Dad whom he never met!

Eli was lost in his thoughts as he was swinging his small legs over the bench absent mindedly....when all of a sudden he felt some one was watching him from far....Eli’s eyes travelled up infront of him as he felt alert all of sudden....

He noticed a Silhouette infront of him......on the wall ahead of that old broken house...someone is standing behind HIM!

To be continued.....

Chapter : 2 - click here

[ancientbooshartifacts]

Deerest Howard

Author: The_Reverend

Year: 2010

Rating: G

Pairing: Howard Moon/Old Gregg, Howince

“Howard…”

It wasn’t just the way that Vince said his name, like he does when they’re neck-deep in some serious (albeit ridiculous) trouble about to collide head-on with even more serious (and ridiculous) trouble, it was also the look on Vince’s face as Howard stepped onto the landing and found Vince standing in the middle of the flat, eyes wide and mouth slack.

Howard was pretty sure someone’s must have died. Or Jagger had gone bald. Hard to tell with Vince.

“What is it, Vince? What’s happened?” Howard dropped his jazzercise bag and rushed across the room to grab Vince by the shoulders. “Have I gotten a call? Has someone… Is it my dad? Say something Vince!”

Vince swallowed, sort of half smiled. “Funny you should mention your dad, Howard…”

“Oh, no.” Howard cried, dropped his arms to his sides and sagged.

“Here,” Vince said, turning away from Howard’s Russian Sorrow to fetch something from the coffee table. He held it up.

It was a fish bowl.

“Look, Vince, I don’t have time for a game of Xooberonian Go Fish, alright. I haven’t even gotten the taste out of my mouth from last time, and besides, I’m a man in mourning!” Howard’s face crumpled. “Father!”

“Look, Howard, your dad’s not dead.”

“Oh. He isn’t? Why didn’t you say so?”

“Would you just hold your trumpets, you berk!” Vince snapped and shoved the fishbowl into Howard’s arms, then turned to fetch something else from the table. Howard looked into the bowl. It was a strange looking fish. A green fish with… pink fins? Was that a moustache? Did it just smile at him?

“Here,” Vince said, holding out a damp, crumpled, and stained sheet of paper. “This came with it.”

Howard took the letter, balancing the bowl in one hand. It was written in a wavy scrawl, in multiple colors.

Deerest Howard, my sweat man peech. You holde in your big, stronge hands the frute of our gloryus onion yunion. As soon as I squeezed him out of my gloweing mangyna, I decided he belonged with his fother, that’s you, my peech. I hope you can give him the lyfe I cant, in you’re big citty with you’re fansy lady wyfe, and rase our Younge Gregg up to live amonge the humens, like I never culd. Youll forgive the dampness of this letter, that’s just my salty teers, not teers of sadness but pane, as I’ve cut my fut on a broken bottle of Bailey’s. See, theirs some of my bludd their. You’res forevver, Olde Gregg Pee Ess: I got a mobyle now. Giv me a ringading if you neede any advice. I half to screene my calls, thou, so leave me a voycemale and I’ll get back to you. I’m Olde Gregg! Pee Ess Ess: Since you culdn’t be their for the berth, I made you a watercolour of the big event.

As if on cue, Vince handed him another, even more moist and wrinkled paper. Howard looked at it and frowned, then turned it sideways.

“I think it’s a close-up,” Vince offered.

Howard paled. “Oh God.”

“I know, it’s quite realistic!”

“No, Vince,” Howard said as he sat down heavily on the sofa, tossing the letter and painting aside, fish bowl still in his hand. “I don’t know how this could have happened.”

Vince sat next to him. “Oh, I bet you can figure it out.”

“I mean, we were…” Howard made a strange gesture with his free hand.

“Careful?” Vince suggested.

“Well I was certainly careful not to be murdered, but…”

“Maybe a bit overexcited?”

“Traumatized, more like.”

“Forgot a johnny, did you?”

“Oh God.”

“Look, it’s alright, Howard.” Vince rubbed his shoulder, “You’ll make a great dad. Well… a responsible dad, at least. He’ll be the safest, most organized kid in Shoreditch.”

Howard considered this. It would be nice to have someone to whom he could pass on his love of well organized stationery.

“And women love single fathers, Howard.”

“Yeah?”

“’Course. I mean… if that’s what you want.”

“But it’s not even a child, Vince, it’s more a pet, really.” Howard held up the bowl and looked at his son, daughter, fish. Brown eyes stared into black.

“No way, Howard, think of it like this, yeah? His mum, or whatever, was half human, you’re all human, he’s half you and, well… I ain’t really good at maths but I know that makes him a bit more human!”

Howard rubbed his chin, considering. He couldn’t do the math either.

“But I can’t raise a child on my own!”

Vince shrugged. “I could help.”

Howard made a strange face, “Yeah thanks, Vince. But you’ll get bored won’t you? You can’t take a child to a club, you know.”

“Get stuffed, I helped to raise baby animals in the jungle loads of times, plus you know I’m a gifted child. I could really get on well with the little guy. And anyway,” Vince leaned in to get a better look at Howard’s swimming offspring, “I think he’s well cute.”

Howard looked closer. It was… kind of cute… in a green, scaly, moustachioed way, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Takes after his dad,” Vince said, smiling, and Howard realized just how close their faces were, both of them peering into the bowl.

“Do you love me?”

“What?” Howard asked.

“I didn’t say anything,” Vince said.

“Do you love me? Daddy?”

“Howard, I think…”

“Oh dear.”

________

There isn't much to do at first. Keep his bowl clean, give him fish flakes a few times a day, keep Vince from giving him sweets (and pretend not to see at least one or two of the times when he does), and talk to him. Life's never been very simple for Howard, even if there is a simple truth to him as a man. He knows not everyone visits other planets and lives with talking apes. But it somehow doesn't make it any less strange the first time he talks to his son. Gregg's vocabulary is simple at first, consisting mostly of the phrase "do you love me" and "mmm, creamy" and various Parliament lyrics, so that the first time Howard nervously asks Gregg "hey, where you from?" Gregg offers to lick his funky soul. But he's a clever little tadpole, seeming to grow and mature so much faster than normal--that is, less special children, so that it's not long before Gregg is responding in more usual childlike babble, repeating phrases even if he doesn't understand them. Vince helps as well. And if Young Gregg says "yeah?" and "genius!" a little more than Howard would like, he's not going to complain. Vince actually spends a lot of time with Gregg, to Howard's surprise, sits at the sales counter much of the day, Gregg's bowl on the counter next to him, reading Cheekbone aloud in a slow, careful way, pressing pictures against the glass for Gregg to see while he comments on trending fashions that are well out as soon as the pages are printed.

________

Some evenings he'll sit on the sofa with Gregg in his bowl on the end table, and read Charlie books, or turn on the telly and show him music videos until Howard comes along and makes them watch a documentary on bees or Uruaguay. Vince groans at this, but stays and watches them too. They learned quite quickly, thanks to Gregg’s frantic splashing and wailing, not to watch ones about sharks or octopi. At night Gregg sleeps in his bowl on Howard's bedside table. He doesn't sleep well. It's the biggest problem they've had with him. Howard will often wake to his tiny, watery whimpering to find Gregg, visible in the glow of the night light they bought just for him, staring down at him with a reasonable facsimile of Howard’s own beady-eyed misery. "What's wrong, little man," Howard will say, and touch Gregg's bowl, and sit up and speak low and quiet to him, trying not to wake Vince across the room, until Gregg settles again. He gets most of his sleep during the day, when Howard and Vince are both up and about and bustling around. “I’m really worried about him, Vince,” Howard says one morning as he shaves, quiet so as not to wake Gregg, asleep now that it’s morning and the house is awake. Vince stands in the doorway in pants and socks and a tee, twisting his toe into the carpet. “Me, too,” he says. Howard looks at him in the mirror. There’s genuine concern on his pointy face. At any other time, any other subject, it would be comical, what with Vince’s hair all askew as he bites his lip, eyes wide and downturned.

“Really?” Howard asks. “’Course,” Vince sounds offended, “poor little guy. I remember what it was like, awake all night in the jungle when Brian was on tour and Jahooli was visiting his sister in Somerset. I couldn’t sleep, all alone in the treehouse, monkeys chattering outside the windows, the wind whistling through the bus tickets. Augh, it was a nightmare, Howard!” “Well this is hardly the jungle is it? Or a cave beneath a lake. It’s safe here. He’s completely safe.” “Yeah but he might not know that. Something’s wrong, Howard, the way he cries like that. It’s well heartbreaking.” Howard nods, rinses his face and dries it with a towel before he turns to Vince. “Wait a minute, how do you know what it sounds like? You sleep through it.” “As if I could!” Vince’s says, voice high but still soft, face full of concern, not irritation at being woken as Howard might expect. “I wake up every time, I hear you cooing and calming him. It’s quite sweet really.” He looks down. “Only, I don’t get out of bed ‘cause… I just reckon, you know, it ain’t my place.” Howard feels a swell of affection for Vince, frowning at his own socked feet, arms crossed defensively, concerned for someone besides himself. “Of course it is, Vince,” he says, putting a hand to Vince’s shoulder and squeezing when Vince looks up at him, blue eyes wide and soft, and Howard means to say something meaningful and encouraging, but then he realizes his hand is still on Vince’s shoulder, and instead he mumbles about tea and brushes past him in the doorway. ________ Gregg is awake by breakfast and swimming laps in his little bowl where it sits on the kitchen table. He and Vince seem to be in some secret confidence, Vince eyeing Howard over his shoulder when he thinks he’s not looking, and Gregg flitting from one side of his bowl to the other, alternately communicating with Vince in some wordless, child-fish way, then back to the other side to watch Howard’s back. Howard pretends not to notice, either being watched or their real goal, to feed Gregg bits of syrup-soaked pancakes. He whistles while he cooks, adding fishy puree to a small cup of batter. Bollo eyes Gregg’s bowl warily when an overexcited Gregg splashes water onto the table. “Bollo not think that sanitary,” he says. “You’re not sanitary, you grumpy monkey,” Naboo says, then flashes Vince a far-off but reassuring smile before he goes back to reading the Shaman Daily. “Bollo not see why Harold’s fish so special.” “Because he’s not my fish, Bollo,” Howard says defensively, pointing at Bollo with a rather dangerous looking spatula. “He’s my son. And I’ll thank you to refer to him that way!” “Him fishy freak.” “Oi!” “Whoa there!” “Alright, you prick!” Howard’s glad to have the rest of the house to back him up, but the combined outburst is loud and sudden, and in the silence that follows there’s a tiny noise, a sniffle, a whimper, and by the time they’ve all turned to look at the little bowl on the table, the fish-child within it, Gregg’s cries have started in earnest, loud and wobbly, bubbling up out of the water in great sobs. “You’ve frightened him!” Vince says to Bollo, screwing his face up in his best cockney snarl. “Not Bollo,” Bollo says, “you ballbags.” “I’ll have you, you... Christ I can’t even get my cockney bitch on.” Vince says, suddenly more miserable than angry. “Howard, fix him!” Howard picks up Gregg’s bowl and peers inside, his face big in the glass. “C’mon, little man, it’s okay.” “You’re just gonna scare ‘im more like that,” Naboo suggests. “I got somewhat could calm him down.” “No!” Howard and Vince shout in unison, upsetting Gregg further. “Oh, Howard… why’s he crying? I can’t stand it. Makes my heart all squeezy.” “He’s only startled, Vince. It’ll pass.” But Howard doesn’t feel as sure as he sounds. “Here, Howard, try this!” Vince says, trotting softly but quickly to the stereo and rifling through albums. “What are you doing?” Vince drops a record on the turntable. “Bowie, yeah?" Howard shakes his head. "How's that going to help? Wouldn't he prefer Parliament or Rick James, all things considered? Or maybe Coltrane?" "No way, Howard. He's got to have some awful associations with funk by now. And no one needs jazz. You want to kick him while he's down? But Bowie always mellows me out. And he loves it, we listened to it the other day, he did flips out of his bowl, it was genius!” “He can do flips?” “Yeah, you were down in the shop, it was that day I took off for personal hair reasons. We touched up my roots and listened to ‘Space Oddity’ on repeat.” “He can do flips?” “Look, just… everybody quiet, alright?” Howard looks down at the bowl in his hand, feeling helpless as Gregg looks up at him, eyes wide and pitiful, crying endlessly. The music starts, quiet and slow, and Gregg just continues to cry, gulping in little mouthfuls of water now and then. It’s difficult to watch. Howard didn’t think it was possible to feel so miserable. Suddenly there’s a ripple on the water that shouldn’t be there, and Howard is surprised to find his cheeks wet with his own tears. He quickly wipes them away and holds Gregg’s bowl out so there aren’t any more mishaps like with the koi carp. “How’s he doin’?” Vince asks, stepping closer. “Oh, well,” Howard looks and, to his surprise, Gregg’s stopped crying. He’s only frowning. But soon he’s waving his little tail and pushing himself along in time, and before the song’s over Howard gets to see him do a flip, fishy mouth grinning wide as he arcs gracefully and splashes neatly back into the bowl. Howard beams. Gregg smiles up at him. And Vince kisses his cheek. If Vince notices the salty taste of dried tears, he doesn’t mention it. _____ That night when Howard wakes once again to soft, watery cries, Vince is already padding lightly across the room. “He alright?” Vince asks, face drawn and sleepy in the dim glow of the night light. He sits on the edge of Howard’s bed and rubs at his eyes. Howard pushes himself up onto an elbow to check on Gregg who’s still sniffling but no longer whimpering. Vince leans in and smiles at him and Gregg presses his face against the glass and smiles back, then goes about his business of lazy night-swimming. Howard watches the affectionate exchange. “It’s you,” he says when Vince turns to him, smiling still, although it slips when Vince asks what he means. “You’re why he cries. I mean, because he wants you.” He pushes himself up in bed. “That’s not true, Howard, he just—“ Vince tries to argue but Howard knows there’s isn’t any denying it. “Howard…” He says softly. “It’s alright, Vince. Everyone loves you, don’t apologize for it.” “What, everyone?” Vince asks with a suggestive smirk but Howard ignores it, watching his hands, dark against the pale sheets. “I don’t think I’m right for this, Vince. Maybe I’m not meant to be a father. I didn’t even know he could do flips! Maybe… maybe he’d have been better off with his moth—with Gregg.” Vince scoffs. “I know that ain’t true.” “Look,” Howard says, breathing heavily, “you take him alright, let him sleep with you.” Vince draws back a bit, as if Howard has suggested he take tuba lessons. “No way, I won’t do that! He belongs with you, Howard, you’re a great dad. He’s just, you know, well I spend a lot of time with him, yeah? I’m more like a mate. Maybe—“ “Just take him, Vince.” Howard reaches out and picks up Gregg’s bowl, pushes it into Vince’s chest so that he has no choice but to take it. “Howard…” Vince looks miserable. Looking at him, brows drawn in concern, holding the familiar bowl, Howard feels almost like he did that morning. “Please,” he says, and waits for Vince to argue. When he doesn’t, Howard slides back down beneath the sheets, and turns over onto his side, his back to Vince and his son. After a moment he feels the bed shift, feels Vince stand and hears him walk across the room. The gentle sound of the Gregg’s bowl being sat on Vince’s bedside table is as loud as a shot in his heart. He’d been wrong. It is possible to feel more miserable. He tries to sleep. He can’t of course. So he’s awake when the sniffling begins again. “Howard,” Vince says as he taps Howard’s shoulder, standing beside his bed, Gregg’s bowl in hand. “What’s wrong Vince?” But he already knows. “It ain’t me, Howard. I think…” Vince places the bowl back where it belongs, next to Howard’s bed, and Howard turns to watch even as Vince sits again. As before, Gregg quickly quiets and settles, watching them through the glass. Howard looks up at Vince, astonished. Vince smiles softly. “I think it’s both of us, Howard.” Before Howard knows he’s doing it, he hears himself laughing quietly. “Shift a bit?” Vince asks and Howard does, allowing Vince to crawl in bed beside him. “Just…” Howard says. “I know!” Vince whispers with his hands raised in the universal gesture of ‘I won’t touch you!’ They’re almost asleep when something occurs to Howard. “Maybe you’re not so much a mate,” he says, “more like… a step dad?” “Step mum?” Vince suggests in a sleepy slur and Howard agrees with an amused hum. _________ In the morning Howard wakes beneath a pile of Vince, and Gregg’s so hard and fast asleep he’s practically floating. Howard has to tap the bowl to stop himself panicking, watches as Gregg twitches and swims a bit, still asleep. Howard sighs in relief, then settles back down against the bed and, in defiance of all his own rules of timeliness and efficiency, tucks in for a bit more sleep. At breakfast Vince whispers into the bowl, breath rippling the water as Gregg nods with childish glee. Howard watches. He’s not sure it’s possible to be more happy. Bollo lumbers in, shoulders drooping, clearly feeling the glares of the others as he sits at the table. "Morning, Bollo," Howard says as he sips his tea, hoping to dispel the tension. Bollo hangs his head when Naboo glares at him. "Bollo sorry he insult Howard's fish-- er, son," he corrects when Naboo kicks his hairy shin with a curly shoe. "Him not fishy freak. Well, maybe him fishy freak, but Bollo talking ape. Live in stone house. Throw glass." "Thanks, Bollo," Howard says. "Go on, then," Vince is whispering to Gregg who shyly swims to face Bollo's end of the table. He opens his little red lips as if to speak, but only bubbles come out. He looks at Vince for approval. "S'alright, he deserves it." "Vince, what--" but Howard is interrupted by Gregg's excited, watery voice. "Uncle Bollo is a monkey idiot!" "Vince! Gregg!" Howard cries. Vince only laughs and Gregg joins him, swimming circles around his bowl. Naboo grins, although it's not really any different from the expression he's been wearing all morning. "Sorry, Bollo," Howard says, but Bollo's too busy watching Gregg's antics with surprised affection. "Bollo always wanted to be uncle. Not in creepy way. Bollo teach him ways of the jungle. And DJ skills." "I was thinking I might share a few Shaman secrets with him, bit of basic magic. Potions, yeah? He could be my apprentice." "No way, he's going to be the first hybrid merman popstar! My glam rock protégé! Right, Howard? Howard?" But Howard's too busy smiling his unsettling smile at the group gathered around the breakfast table, heart fit to burst like a trumpet blast, surrounded by this unlikely group that is apparently, illogically, his family.