#when i didn’t forget to pack any camping stuff i knew something was wrong

[myfairkatiecat]

GRACIE IS LOVE GRACIE IS LIFE SHE IS AMAZING

SHOOT I DIDN’T PUT OUT FOOD OR WATER FOR MY BABY

anon, Gracie owes you many thanks, I’m gonna call my neighbors brb

[hansols-yoda-boxers]

CNS Spin Off - Sweetness - Finale

Lee Seokmin x Chou Tzuyu

Word Count: 1620

Seokmin’s hands were sweating. And his arms. And his legs. He was pretty sure every part of him was sweating which was not at all ideal because he really wanted to look and smell nice. He had spent the whole last week planning out this date to make it perfect. He got the food, he’d readied one of the guitars, he was currently hoping the whole sky didn’t cloud over. It was partially covered, above them, but off in the distance the horizon was not. They would still be able to see the sunset.

He hoped.

Despite his nerves, as Tzuyu approached down the path a big smile broke out across his face. He didn’t know if she liked wearing dresses. Most people didn’t wear them at camp, they weren’t the most practical clothing choice. But she had apparently packed one and broken it out for the occasion.

And she looked stunning.

“You- You’re- That’s really- It’s v-very- Pretty.” He finally managed. Tzuyu giggled and he felt lucky for the thousandth time that she found his floundering so endearing.

“Seokmin,” she said, taking a hold of his hands. “You don’t have to be nervous. It’s just me.”

Seokmin didn’t think in a million years he could ever explain why “just me” was such an understatement. Just her. Only her. How could it ever be?

“I’ll try,” he said. “Follow me.”

Tzuyu kept a hold on his hand as he led her down the path. It wasn’t far where he’d set up and soon they came to a little clearing along the lake. Tzuyu let out a little gasp at his set up. He had a small barbeque to cook for them, he’d laid out blankets and the guitar and pillows to sit on. He’s brought a picnic basket full of food. Very carefully, he’d lit candles and placed them around the edge of the blanket.

“I-I had to ask Seungcheol if we even had candles,” Seokmin mumbled. “S-So some of them are different sizes o-or they were burned once or twice before. I know it’s not-”

“It’s perfect,” she smiled. She let go of his hand before excitedly running over, settling herself on a pillow.

Seokmin followed her. He settled next to her and she scooched closer to him as he set a fire in the barbeque before putting two patties on to cook.

“This is such a nice spot,” she hummed.

“I looked around to find one. I know we come through here a lot but I still thought it would be good for a d-date,” His voice was a little small. He knew it was a date but something in the back of his brain kept telling him he had misunderstood. That she wouldn’t want to go on a real date with him.

“It’s a beautiful spot for a date,” she said. “We can nearly see the sunset.”

“Y-Yeah,” he wasn’t sure if he wanted to spoil his plans for later just yet. “It’s a good view.”

Seokmin reached for the picnic basket he’d brought, pulling it closer to them. Tzuyu let out a small gasp when she looked inside at the food he’d brought.

“How did you get all this?!”

“I’m really nice to the cook staff,” he mumbled. “A-And I bribed Shinwon for some stuff.” He reached around in the basket, pulling out a small pack of cookies.

“H-Here.”

“You-” Tzuyu looked incredibly touched. “Did you remember I said these were my favourites?”

“Of course I did,” he grinned. “How could I forget?”

“It’s such a silly little fact,” she said, taking the cookies.

“Not to me,” he said. “Nothing about you is silly. U-Unless you’re trying to be silly. If you make a joke of course I’ll laugh, I-I just meant-”

Seokmin fell silent as Tzuyu pressed a kiss on his cheek.

“You’re so thoughtful.” She said.

“I-I-I try,” he mumbled, unable to stop the smile that was breaking out across his face.

“You are,” she said. “You put so much thought into this. You made it so pretty. You didn’t have to do all of this for me.”

“Of course I did,” he chuckled. “How could I not? Of course I put in a lot of effort for you. I like you so much.”

Tzuyu smiled at him, taking his hand and squeezing it. “I like you so much, too.”

“I-” Seokmin stopped, the smile starting to fall from his face as he looked over at the barbeque, the smell of burning coming from the patties. He quickly flipped them over and let out a whine when he saw they were burnt to a crisp on the bottom.

“Oh no.”

Tzuyu just giggled. “It’s alright. There’s lots of other snacks in the picnic basket.”

“Yeah,” Seokmin sighed. “I’m really sorry, I should have been paying attention.”

“I don’t mind so much when you were distracted talking to me,” she said a little shyly.

Seokmin turned off the grill and they turned to the basket. He tried to put the slip up out of his mind. It wasn’t the end of the world but it wasn’t his planning either. He tried not to kick himself for it but talking to Tzuyu helped. As they ate the snacks and fruit that he had brought they talked about their plans for the school year and favourite things and any topic that came to mind. 

As the sun sank lower and they finished eating he thought he ought to move onto his next plan.

“I know we both like music,” he said, grabbing the guitar. “So I wanted to play something for you.”

“What song is it?” She asked excitedly.

“I-It’s uh- I kind of wrote it?” He said.

“You wrote me a song?” Tzuyu gave him the sweetest look as he nodded with a bashful grin. He liked that she was excited but it made him even more nervous. Tzuyu shifted onto her knees, smiling and bouncing a little as Seokmin checked the tuning. Even though he had tuned it already the weather had it out of tune again. He turned the tuning pins, listening to the notes and fixing each one until he got to the high E string. He twisted it a little tighter to tune it.

There was a loud “Twang!” as the string snapped.

Seokmin’s jaw fell open as he looked at the guitar, some sense of betrayal filling him, as if it was the guitar’s fault.

Tzuyu giggled. “I think the guitar got stage fright.”

At least she was good natured about it. “Yeah,” he sighed. “I’m sorry, I guess the strings are a little old.”

“You know, my mother says bad things come in threes.”

Seokmin looked up at her in fear. “Don’t say that!” He hissed, as if the universe was eavesdropping. “Only two bad things have happened.”

“It’s okay,” she giggled. “So far it hasn't ruined anything.”

Seokmin nodded, more to reassure himself than anything, as he set the guitar aside. They closed up the basket and he helped Tzuyu to her feet, taking the time to put out the candles before leading her away from the clearing a little.

“Are we watching the sunset?” She asked.

“Yeah,” he said. “I know we’ve done it before.”

“It’s something I’ll never get tired of,” she said.

Seokmin led her to the edge of the water with a pretty view across the lake. They settled on a rock, peering at the sun on the horizon. Though the sky above was getting darker with clouds, the far horizon was still clear enough to see the sun setting.

Tzuyu squeezed his hand and reached across herself to hold onto his arm. She leaned into him, snuggling into his shoulder and it made his heart leap. A few things had screwed up but maybe it wasn’t so bad. This moment was good. This moment was nearly perfect.

Seokmin started as he felt something drop on his nose. Then something else on his arm. He looked up at the clouds with a frown.

“Did you feel that?”

Tzuyu looked at him. “What was it?”

Seokmin stood up. “It felt like rain.” He stuck out his arms, gazing up at the sky as a few more drops fell on him.

“We should probably-” The words on his tongue were washed away as the heavens opened up. Rain poured down on him as he stood there stunned, mouth agape as he looked over at Tzuyu who had also been drenched in the sudden onslaught.

Tzuyu took one look at him and let out a laugh. A full, proper, howling laugh that made him chuckle a little at the absurdity of it all. Tzuyu got up, still laughing and came over to him.

“So this is thing number three,” he sighed.

“I guess so.” Even in the rain her smile was dazzling.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “Things have gone all wrong this evening. I really wanted this to be perfect for you. It turned into such a disaster.”

Tzuyu shook her head with a giggle, cupping his cheeks. “It’s not a disaster.”

“Tzuyu,” he said. “I burned the food, the guitar broke, and now we’re both soaked. How can it-”

Tzuyu cut him off as she pressed her lips to his in a sweet kiss. Seokmin stood stunned for a moment as his heart hammered in his chest, taking a moment or so to relax and kiss her back, his hands grabbing her waist.

“It’s perfect because I’m with you.” She murmured. “I love hearing you talk, Seokmin. But right now, I’d much rather you kiss me.”

Seokmin grinned. “That, I can do.” 

He pulled Tzuyu against him, feeling her arms wrap around him as they kissed again.

[moondustis]

perfect places (m)

pairing: jung jaehyun + reader genre: angst, smut (camp!au, breakup, exes) | word count: 3k summary: Memories had a weird way of catching people off guard and your mind swims with the one of Jaehyun hugging you near this very lake and whispering in your ears unkept promises song rec: we find love - daniel caesar a/n: this is set in the same universe as The Louvre, but can be read separately. 

Change always scared you, even more when it came abruptly, when it caught you off guard completely and left you hopeless. This one, though, it happens like a storm. You could see the clouds moving, the sky turning grey and even before the first thunder happens, you know what is coming. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that it hurts.

College ends quicker than you would ever imagine it would. It’s like in a blink of your eyes you’re graduating, without a set plan on what you want to do with your life and where you really want to work. And it’s a year of that, a year filled with doubts and sleepless nights, and thinking you’ll never make it. A year of applying to jobs you don’t get, getting in slumps that leave you thinking that maybe you had chosen the wrong major and wasted all those years. A year of phone calls from your mom asking how things have been and of you lying through your teeth that the job you got is actually something you enjoy and are passionate about.

But amidst all that, it’s also a year of self discovery. A year of learning more about yourself, things that you never knew before and that makes you reflect, wanting to be better. It’s a year of expressing yourself through art and learning new things, taking a few risks, making mistakes.

And, the better part is that it’s a year filled with him. Jung Jaehyun continues to fill every empty spot you had inside of your life, making you smile just by the simple fact that he had stayed by your side. The relationship becomes a part of yourself you’re very proud of, settling into the naturality you always craved, and be it on sunday mornings with breakfast and sleepy kisses, or in the middle of a busy day with a text to make you laugh, your heart swoons with the love you have for him.

During summer he takes you to his friend Johnny’s camp house, for a little getaway as he says. There, in the middle of all the green and the sun high on the sky, he says he’s going to marry you someday. You cry of happiness for almost an entire hour.

So after a year, you get used to your new routine. It’s definitely not what you expected, but enough to make you feel comforted. And it goes like that, until it doesn’t anymore.

The call you get is so sudden that it makes your heart beat faster. Even more when you hear the voice on the other side say something you were not expecting at all. A job offer, to work somewhere you could only dream of and the opportunity to start immediately.

And that’s great, wonderful, leaves you with a tingly feeling on your chest that could only be excitement mixed with fear. But wait, wait, there’s a catch.

There always is a catch, you’ve come to realize.

The job was on another city, 3 hours away that in theory didn’t seem like that much, but you knew it would be a totally different thing in practice. That would mean changes that you weren’t sure you were ready for. A new job, a new city, a new routine.

The lady on the phone gives you a few days to think about it and you’re thankful for it even though your mind was made up from the start.

You liked normalcy, enjoyed the comforting feeling that settled when things followed a routine. But you hated feeling small, unaccomplished and that was bigger than any fear you had of changing. So you said yes, had to.

Jaehyun supports you to no end, of course he would. He helps you find a place and to pack your stuff, making sure everything is nice and ready for when the time finally comes. It’s a couple of weeks of ignoring the impeding fact that this would change everything, the only hint of acknowledgment being promises of doing everything you can to make it work whispered away on nights that start to feel too short.

So you move, 3 hours away from the place you used to call home, leaving behind your normalcy, your friends and him. Settling in the newness of a job that you actually like and the small anxiety that fills your mind daily.

And distance, well, it’s a strange thing but you adjust, do your best. He calls every day, asking about your day and you stay hours on facetime chatting about anything that comes to mind. When he can, he comes to visit and holds you tight like it might be the last time. It’s nice, enough to settle in the awful feeling of needing to be close and longing for someone, and it stays like this for two months.

When you’ve been with someone for so long it’s easy to notice when things start to change, even if they are just small details. It happens almost like a domino, the pieces falling one by one and how could you stop it when it has already started going down?

The calls get shorter, you and him too tired from your jobs to keep the conversation going for too long. The visits stop completely because there’s either no time or the prices for tickets are just too expensive. And then, the worst part, the feeling of wanting him close just becomes painful, hard to deal with instead of a reminder that he was yours.

There’s maybe more into it, jealousy, doubt, uncertainty, but that’s not important. What’s important is that the storm hits and you knew it would, had been waiting for it, but still it’s like you didn’t bring an umbrella.

The breakup is mutual and peaceful, but still heartbreaking. Like your heart had been slowly cracking and now it’s completely gone. It just wasn’t working, that’s something you both agree on, and none of you would ever ask the other to give up on their career.

He says he will always love you and you sob through the phone, even more when you hear his own sniffs. It’s like for a moment everything comes back rushing to you. Jaehyun taking your virginity on a stupid college party, dying his hair pink on a sunday, tasting the chocolate ice cream he liked so much on his lips. Him loving you when you couldn’t even recognize your own self.

And you had gotten better at dealing with your feelings, but this just wrecks you completely. Good thing you had also gotten better at pretending everything is ok.

You drown in your work, forget that you even had a life before that and it makes it easier. You get so busy you don’t even think about the breakup anymore.

It goes like this for a month, then another, and after a full year, Jaehyun is a memory that makes your heart warm again in long old affection and not just pain. A memory that every time he sends you a text to catch up makes you cry inside your bathroom and when your mother tells you he called on her birthday, makes you feel like there’s a hole inside of you. But still, a memory.

The storm stops after a year and life goes on, even if you sometimes worry that it’ll rain again.

—

There’s something about looking at your old city from a car window after a long time that makes you feel weird. Nostalgia maybe, even more when your best friend you hadn’t seen in a while is right by your side, smiling at you every couple of minutes because he can’t quite believe you’re actually here.

Taeyong had changed just like you had since graduating. His hair was now a pink shade, pretty even from behind your sunglasses, and his ears had more piercings than before. Aside that he still had the same kind face, a face of someone you could trust.

He had picked you up from the airport, something that had been settled the moment you announced you would be going home for the summer. It was heartwarming seeing him the moment you stepped outside the gate, rushing into his arms and giggling like the two stupid college kids you two once were. Again, it feels nostalgic and you’re not sure it’s the best feeling in the world. Still, you smile when he squeezes your hand.

“Was nice of Johnny to invite us all to his camp house, wasn’t it?” He asks while he drives you two to that exact location, both of your hairs flying around because of the open windows.

“Yeah. He was always a nice guy.” You say genuinely. Johnny was one of the few people from college that you stayed in touch with, mostly because he was friends with Jaehyun and along the way all your friends and his turned into the same thing.

So, knowing that almost everyone would be in town for summer, Johnny had invited everyone to his camp house to spend a couple of days of catching up and reminiscing on old memories, as he had said. You were sure that just translated to getting drunk and eating poorly.

You had accepted the invitation, of course you had. Even if Johnny chose not to talk about a certain subject and if Taeyong was avoiding bringing it up. Because it was inevitable.

It was inevitable that sometime you would have to face Jaehyun, even if you yourself tried to avoid thinking about it and even if it would happen on a place that brought memories of him promising you something that would never happen anymore.

You shake the thoughts from your head. “I can’t wait to get drunk.” You mumble out, fixing your sunglasses and watching the streets you were once so familiar with pass by.

Taeyong laughs and it makes it all a little better.

—

The first person that brings it up is Taeyong.

You’re both sunbathing near the lake after having finally arrived at the camp house and settled in. It was nice seeing Johnny and Yuta, them both hugging you tightly and going on about how they missed you and how it has been too long, the joy of being reunited with old friends making you giddy and happy.

Johnny’s family were comfortable when it came to money, let’s put it like that, so the camp house was cozy but big enough for all of you to be in separate rooms. Still, you and Taeyong decide on sharing the same one for old times sake.

Jaehyun had yet to arrive, no one mentioning a word about him to you until there’s a car door closing sound coming from back on the house that you can’t ignore the meaning of.

“This is gonna be weird.” Taeyong says with no beating around the bush, which you are thankful for.

You snort. “It’s gonna be fine.” You both know that’s a lie.

“We can stay here a little longer if you want to.” He says, because he’s Taeyong. Gentle and caring and apparently never changing. It’s comforting and unsettling how for once he seems to be letting you stay inside your very comfortable bubble.

The sun is still high, bathing the parts of your skin that are not covered by your dress. The way it makes the lake in front of you shine is probably one of the most beautiful views you had ever seen. It’s a very beautiful area overall, with high trees and flowers, something that, if you liked nature and being outside more, you would definitely know how to appreciate.

You realize while you’re basking your surrounding in that you’re not nervous, or scared even. The tingling that settles in your skin could only be from anticipation. “I’m ok. It's better if we just get it over with already.”

The two of you get up with the laziness and tiredness of being out for too long in the heat. You stretch your arms above your head before you follow Taeyong back to the house.

Jung Jaehyun stands besides a car, taking his very minimal luggage from it and settling it down before he’s shutting down it’s door with a loud sound that startles you. You watch as he turns around, face going from relaxed to surprised when he sees the two of you there. There’s nothing phenomenal about it, just his smile coming to settle on the face that looked the same from the last time you had seen him, and the deep tone of his voice as he greets you. Your heart beats a little faster in your chest.

Taeyong hugs him first, pleasantries being exchanged alongside back taps while you watch the scene feeling just the slightest out of place. Would it be weird for him? Would you say something weird? Would he feel the same?

There’s not enough time to overthink because next thing you know he’s coming to stand in front of you, smile still there but this time with the tips of his ears clearly turning pink. You can’t help but smile back, muttering a small  “Hi.”

“Hey.” And then he hugs you, of course he does. Encircling you with the arms that always made you feel safe and the scent of his perfume that you had grown so familiar with invading your mind. It’s far from a hug shared by two friends, there’s no need to say it is, with the warmth from being on the sun radiating from your body and the way he tries to bring you closer.

When he breaks the hug there’s something on his eyes you wish you couldn't read so well.  “You… You look well.” He says before clearing his throat.

“Thanks, you too.” Shifting from feet to feet, you avoid his gaze, instead looking around and stopping by the car he was standing by just minutes ago.  “You -- You got a new car! Looks great.”

He nods,  looks behind his shoulder at the black car you recall seeing on his phone before. “Yeah, been saving money for it.”

“That's great, you always wanted one of these.” You smile genuinely and he reciprocates it.

Before you’re able to say anything else, Johnny is walking out the house with Yuta right behind, cans of beer on both their hands. When he sees Jaehyun there he yells some nonsense, rushing to hug his best friend and then it’s over from there, with them joking around and going back and forth with teasing.

It’s a pleasant rest of the day, all of you settling in and catching up on what has been going on and what has changed. Jaehyun is a constant presence, of course, but it seems natural, not uncomfortable like you thought it could be.

-

The second days go by in a blur of too much heat, cheeks flushed from all the beer and swimming around in the lake until you’re tired of it. It goes by so fast and it’s so busy that when the sun is just about to start setting, you find yourself by a huge rock near the lake, sitting on it by yourself and watching as the sky turns the prettiest shade of orange.

The boys had stayed on the house, playing some game you weren’t really interested on so you decided to take some time to yourself. To think about things that you didn’t really want to.

You close your eyes for a second. Memories had a weird way of catching people off guard and your mind swims with the ones of Jaehyun hugging you near this very lake and whispering in your ears the promise of marrying you someday.

You take a deep breath.

You and him had barely spoken to each other, maybe because it was hard to find a time alone. On one side you were glad for it, unsure of what you could say to him, but when you hear leafs being stepped on as someone approaches, opening your eyes and turning your head on your shoulder to be meet with him, you feel a little relief washing down your body.

He walks to you, gesturing to the bowl on his hand. “Brought you some peaches.”

You smile, giddy that he stills remembered that you loved them. “Thank you.”

Sitting down next to you, he settles the small bowl on the side, looking straight ahead at the sunset while you pick up a piece of fruit to eat. It doesn’t seem weird, it never does when it’s with him.

“We haven't been able to catch up.” He says quietly after a while and you hum, the taste of the peach invading your mouth. “How have you been?”

“I’m okay. You know work and all that, it has been some busy months.” After finally getting settled in on your new routine, work had practically consumed your entire life. With projects that had impossible due dates and pieces that drained you mentally and physically, it was hard doing anything else. But you liked it.

“That's good. You like being busy.” He points out.

“Yeah. What about you? How have you been?” You ask, even though you had been on his instagram page enough the past months to know exactly what had been going on. Still, there was no way to know how he really was feeling from that, a fact that made you weirdly bothered.

“I’m good, nothing has really changed that much.” He says around a chuckle that you mimic.

You settle in a comfortable conversation, about little things that did change and just ordinary stuff that you had missed from each other lives. He talks about his family and his job, some new friends and music he had been listening to, and you listen to it all with a slightly there pang in your chest from having missed all that from his life. Still, you’re glad that you get to hear him share it all now.

After some talking a silence settles, one that is normal and makes you feel calm. The both of you just watch the sunset with the sounds of nature surrounding you. It’s then that you realize that your breakup had never felt conclusive, like there was still things you had to talk about. Even more when you say the next words without really thinking.  “I…  I missed you.” The confession is almost a whisper, as if to not disturb the peaceful bubble you two had put yourselves in.

He replies without missing a beat, like he was waiting for those exact words. “Me too. Have been thinking about you a lot lately.”

“Why?” You ask out of sadistic curiosity or to know if it’s for the same reasons as you had.

He shrugs and you turn to look at him, the sun on his face making him look almost angelic. “I don't know.” You look at every single detail on his face, the ones you had memorized and now felt so familiar.  “Can't really control, but it’s like you just pop into my head sometimes. When a song you like starts playing or something like that.”

Your heart grows twice its size when your hear that. “Yeah. That happens to me too.”

He gives a small sad smile. “Thought that would stop after a while.” His voice is calm and it’s kind of insane how much you had missed hearing it. “But I don’t think I would’ve liked it if it did.”

You feel the same way, but don’t say it. Instead you put a hand on his thigh, palm up in invitation. The way he immediately holds it in his, squeezing it softly, tells you everything you need to know.

-

The sun sets and Jaehyun leads you inside the house as quietly as possible to avoid unwanted questions. The room he chose looks exactly like the one you were sharing with Taeyong. A bed with soft sheets on the middle and some clothes spread around from his unpacking. You don’t have more time to examine the room, though, because the plans right now are very well defined.

You think you could cry if you concentrate hard enough on the way he looks down at you, eyes filled with adoration as he brushes the hair out of your face. There’s plenty and nothing to be said at the same time, the gentle and barely there press of his lips against yours enough as he cradles your face on his palms.

There’s a sigh that you don’t know from who it comes, but it’s certainly out of bliss, out of relief from getting something you’ve waited for so long. That’s why there’s just a hint of impatience when you tilt your head a little to the side, pressing your lips with more force and purpose against his. It’s still perfect, a little unpracticed, but his bottom lip still fits perfectly between yours. His lips still move in ease with your own, his hands bringing you closer when you finally part your lips for him to slide his tongue inside.

The desperation of it happens quickly, his movements more forceful as you grip on his arms in a silent plead. It’s like you can’t possibly get enough, can’t possibly have him as close as you would like.

He breaks the kiss with a deep breath and lips puffy, helping you remove your dress and the both of you laugh softly when it gets stuck on your arms. You help him remove his own clothes, and after it’s all gone he kisses you again.

It’s easy letting him lay you out on the bed, kissing your skin, and it’s easy placing your arms on his shoulder, hands closing behind his neck as he kisses you deeply.  “Thought I would never get to do this again.” He murmurs against your lips, face moving so he can nuzzle at your cheek.

“Me neither.” You had hoped for it, of course, in your deepest dreams, but now that it was finally happening it felt out of this world.

He pecks your lips one more time before he’s moving down, pressing kisses all over your neck, sucking lightly on it as one of his hands moves to your chest so he can massage your boob gently.

He continues his way down, seemingly trying to kiss all of you, and when he reaches the place you crave him the most a whine out of desperation bubbles on your lips, because you’re sure you’re beyond wet at this point.

He presses a kiss just underneath your navel, hands parting your legs so he can fit in between them. It’s torture when he parts the lower lips, a groan leaving his lips before a thumb is being pressed to your your clit. “Dreamed about this so many times.” He whispers, circling it as he watches the way your lips part in pleasure.

“Please — Please, Jae.”  You say in a moan, back arching slightly when his lips finally close down on you. It had been a while and the feeling of him sucking on your clit with the determination of a man that seems to want nothing more than to make you come is overwhelming.

His tongue is wet and warm against you, working with swirls and kittenish licks while one of his fingers press against your entrance, gathering the wetness there before he’s finally dipping it inside. Your whole body tingles when he pumps the finger in and out, matching the speed of his tongue and when he adds another one you’re reminded once again of how long it had actually been.

“Can’t fucking believe this.” He mumbles, words muffled by being pressed against you and you watch as his eyes flutter closed and he practically devours you.

It’s too much and not enough and it doesn’t take you long to be begging for more, which he gladly gives you, coming to hover over you again, with mouth and chin coated in your arousal.

There’s no condom, and in the back of your mind you’re thankful for it. You assure him it’s more than fine, you’re still on the pill and the last person you had slept with had been him anyway. The confession makes him groan, face dropping to where your shoulder meets you neck as he grips your thighs.

The first presses of him against your entrance makes your entire body shiver, legs open and resting on his back as he barely manages to get half of his dick inside. Another thrust and he’s moaning lowly, taking deep breaths as if he needs to calm himself down.

When he finally bottoms out, it’s familiar and overwhelming at the same time. You let out a long moan, desperate for him to start moving. “Jae, oh my — Please.” You whimper. “I’m… I…”

It takes him a couple thrusts to relearn how to move against you again, but when he does he settles a rhythm that makes your eyes roll. “Feels… Feel so good.” He groans, eyes shut tightly as he fucks you deeper.

You nod in your out of mind state, gasping when he hits the one spot that had you seeing stars. “Ah — Right.. Right there.” You wail, him muttering a low ‘yeah’ as he aims to hit it time after time with punctuated thrusts. You grip his shoulders, eyes definitely watering as the knot on your lower stomach gets tighter and tighter and it finally snaps.

You come with a cry of his name, as low as you can manage. Your legs trembling on his waist as your nails drown crescents on his naked shoulders. There’s a second you think your vision turns white, but it could be from how your shut your eyes so tightly.

“Fuck. ‘M… ‘M so close.” He says against your lips, hands on each side of your head holding him up as he pounds into you as your walls flutter against him. “Ah, fuck. Never — Never want to fuck any other cunt. You feel so perfect, god.”

His orgasm seems to hit hard from how much he shakes, hips pressed as close as possible to yours as he twitches inside of you and coats your deepest walls in a groan. His breathing labored, cheek pressed against yours as he catches it. You feel like floating, heart heavy on your chest but content from being so close to him. You close your eyes, letting the smell of him and of sex fill your mind instead of thoughts of what this meant.

After he has gone soft inside of you, his cum dripping out, you both get cleaned, saying little or not at all until you’re finally on the bed again.

He cuddles you close as you lay your head on his bare chest, listening to his quiet breaths. He draws soothing circles on your back that make you almost fall asleep if it weren’t for his next words.

“Remember when you said you loved me for the first time?” He asks in a whisper as if to not disturb the silence.

The memory makes a weird feeling settle in your heart. But it’s not an unpleasant one. “Yes, I do.” How could you ever forget, even if it felt like it was ages ago. His pink hair, how he felt like a good thing you didn’t deserve, the gentleness of his touch and voice. How much you loved him.

Love him, how much you love him.

He hums. “You said something silly about soulmates that day.” You remember that too, the silly nonsense your young self had thought about. “Can’t stop thinking about that either these days.”

You look up at him. “Why?”

He chuckles lowly, looking right back at you. “Because being away from you made me realize it’s probably true.”

You can’t help the tiny smile that makes its way into your lips, him mimicking it perfectly. There are probably tears on your cheeks when you kiss him and there’s definitely a lot more things to talk about, but you both ignore that. Instead you bask in what feels strangely like finally breathing again.

[theheavenlymoon]

A flower’s growth 🌸

I just realized that Hanako is technically a self-insert oc because I use her for more than just twst i-

Also, this is my number one resource https://camp-halfblood-fanon.fandom.com/wiki/Hestia_Cabin

Its mentions one important thing that is critical in Hanako's back story. I'll show you the important thing but I recommend reading it all because its really interesting!

"i.e. Hestia takes some essence of a mortal man she takes a liking to and create her child by fire from the hearth with her essence fused to that mortal's. Hestia then proceeds to notify the father as she cannot raise the child." (13 in 'powers and traits')

Also to give you some visuals (I’ll explain the two boys later on)

So with that being said..let's👏talk👏trauma! More specifically Hanako's trauma.

(The writing style might change so just ignore it-)

WARNING: Suicidal thoughts

Virginal Goddesses like Hestia don't really have kids. Athena children are born from their mother's head. So how would a Hestia child be born? Let me explain.

A man caught Hestia's attention. He was compassionate and energetic and always tried to help when he could. Even though he had very little money, even though he had some hard times, he was still compassionate and that intrigued Hestia.

When he was more financial stable, Hestia decided to gift him a child. A perfect gift for a family man like him. Hestia took some of his essence and mixed it with her’s and with the help of some fire from the hearth, Hanako was born.

A small knock could be heard through the small house. Fumihito goes to open the door only for a baby to staring up at him while making cooing noises. Rapped in a purple blanket with flowers on it, the baby had a small name tag that said ‘Hanako’

“Welcome home Hanako.” The man said with a small smile

When Hanako was about 4, Fumihito married his best friend and moved to America. A few months later triplets were born. All of them being male. First is Kaji, Hinote, and Yakeru. Most people would think Hana would hate to have siblings, but it’s quite the opposite. Hanako was ecstatic to have siblings she could play with.

When she was told she was going to be a big sister and had to take her role seriously, that’s exactly what she did. She read the boys to sleep and keeped them entertained as best as she could. When they were a little older Hana liked to make them wear dress and have tea parties. In return she took part in everything the boys did. Sports, video games, music, art you name it she would try it at least once.

Hana grew in grace and compassion. She truly was a great balance between her parents. It was funny hearing advice that sounds like something a sage would give only for it to be a child talking. She was a bright, energetic girl and never could stay in one place for very long. She was very social and was friends with almost everyone in her school.

But some stories can’t always be fairytales and rainbows...

Hanako’s step-mother fell ill and passed away when she was about 10. Everyone was devastated but life doesn’t stop when people fall. So they didn’t either. Obviously they still mourned but they tried to have a positive outlook even though a family member is gone.

(Fast forward to where Hana is 11)

In the dead of night, when everyone was in a deep slumber, there’s a small crash. At the sound, Hana jerks up in a sweat. Call it intuition, but she had a horrible feeling something was going to go wrong.

She snuck into her brother’s rooms and hid them in a small closet in one of their rooms. As Hana was about to go wake her father she heard a noise. Hana turned around only to see a woman holding what look to be like a sword.

Without warning the woman grabbed Hana’s hair and threw her into a bookshelf. Hana let out a small shriek. The bookshelf itself was unstable and the added force made it fall. Luckily Hana was fast enough to move most of her body. Let’s just say her left leg wasn’t as lucky as her other limbs.

The woman had a feeling the father could come out any minute so she ran around the corner and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike

At the sudden noises that we’re going outside his room, Hana’s father slams the door open only to see Hana stuck under the unstable bookshelf.

In at state of panics he rushed over to her. “Hana are you alright?!?!” But Hana didn’t answer. She was to focused on the woman who was still behind the corner.

“I’m calling the police! Just hang on!” Fumihito yelled. After Fumihito called 911 he tried to move the bookshelf. While he was doing so the woman kept stalking closer. “DADDY LOOK OUT-“ but it was to late. In one swipe Fumihito’s head was cut clean off, his body falling limp right beside Hanako. No one in that neighborhood could ever forget the Bloodcurdling scream that came from Hanako’s house. Eyes wide with horror and despair Hana couldn’t keep her tears in.

Before the woman could do any more damage they heard police sirens. “We will meet again someday demigod.” And with that the woman disappeared.

After a full check of the house they concluded that only the children were left. Once they found Hana, nothing was left of the lively girl. After helping her get out from under the bookshelf the police immediately sent her to the hospital. The police told the triplets to pack stuff that was most important to them and follow the police. (The triplets also packed stuff for Hana as well. One of the things being a photo album of the family.)

The police concluded that the children didn’t have any other adults to care for them so they would have to be put in an orphanage. However there wasn’t an orphanage where they lived so they would have to be put in a new town.

It was hard adjusting to this new life. There was barely enough food for everyone, you had to share rooms with other kids. Hanako had to use crutches for a while until her leg healed. Her new school wasn’t that great either. Hana, not being as social as she once was, was bullied for being too quiet. Not to mention, no one had ever seen a kid with natural yellow eyes and violet hair.

From beating her almost to death, to threatening to cut her hair and gouge her eyes out because she was ‘too pretty’

On terms of Hana in general, she wasn’t acting like her normal self. She had gotten more reserved and became a cry baby. You could easily tell she had eye bags and her anxiety was always threatening to go through the roof. You can only assume those eye bags were because of nightmares from that night. She talked much quieter and always wore a frown with her eye brows scrunched in a worried way.

The other three were to young to understand what happened. The police had to lie to them saying “your dad is on a special trip right now.”

About 6 months later the triplets were adopted by a man who looked like he was the head of some company. Hana tried her best to run after them but the staff had to hold her back. All the while the three were screaming for her to come and save them.

What no one knew is that the triplets would be forced to become assassins. It’s not like they wanted to! The man said if they didn’t he would kill their sister! The night after the adoption they all made a promise to keep Hana safe no matter what.

So there Hana sat all alone on the swings of a play ground, with no one around to comfort her. Surrounded by people who have families and are happy. It’s like the universe was taunting her.

The only thing that didn’t change is her older sibling nature. Giving her food to the little ones. Playing dress up or soccer. Her smiles were always fake. Maybe to the blind eye she seems happy but some could easily tell she was anything but happy.

6 months later Hana finally gets her cast takin off. At this time Hanako is 12 and is at her breaking point. After another day of school, and another day of almost getting beat to death, something snaps inside of her.

(TRIGGER WARNING⚠️)

You have to understand, Hanako didn’t have anybody to talk to. Everyone was either to busy or didn’t bother to care. Which left her all by herself. It felt like she was trapped almost. No one there to listen or laugh with.

The scissors on her dresser looked quite tempting. The relief of not having to go through any more of this pain and loneliness was very appealing, but before she could touch them a huge gust of wind blew into her room. Taking the scissors away from her while she was distracted.

If that couldn’t work then running away would be the next best option. That night Hana packed her things (including the photo album) and drew out her plan. It was quite simple really.

She would skip school and go behind it, where a cliff is, to get a good view of where she could go from there.

After running around the school and into a forest, Hana reached a stream. Cupping some water to drink, Hana got caught up in how refreshing the water was. A snap of a branch snapped her out of her state and made her look around. That’s when she saw the manticore out of the corner of her eye.

Hana quickly got up and started backing away only to forget that there’s a cliff and slips. Plummeting to her presumed death tears start to seep out once again. Out of no where a boy that looks to be about 15, swoops in to save her, but the weirdest thing is that his shoes have wings on them, But she was to tired to care. So acting like she didn’t have a care in the world, she rapped her arms around him and snuggled into his neck.

The last thing she could make out was something like “ Let’s get out of here before that manticore decides it wants a 3 course Demi-god meal!” Or something like that.

When Hana woke up, she looked around and realized she was in an infirmary room. The same boy she saw was sleeping on the bed next to her. A knock on the door was heard, and in came girl who looked about the same age as the boy. “You two have been out for a while.” She said “I would’ve never suspected that a tiny demigod like you could cause so much trouble.” Hana looked confused “Do I know you? And what do you mean by demigod?” She asked.

The older girl let out a small chuckle before walking up an sitting next to Hana. “I’m Jane, daughter of Aphrodite! The reason why I called you a demigod is because, well... you’re half god half mortal.” The younger girl couldn’t believe her ears. “B-but how do we know I’m a demigod?” “Have you seen your other parent before? Can you never be in one place for to long? Those are all signs my dear, of course if you don’t believe me we can wait till your godly parent claims you as their kid.”

After that small encounter Jane took Hanako on a tour of where she’d be staying the whole summer. “W-why are we at a camp? And who was that boy w-who saved me?” The younger girl asked in a quiet voice. “This camp houses demigods, there a two from what everyone knows. One for Greek gods and one for Roman gods. The boy who saved you is my best friend Chase, he’s a child of Hermes! Speaking of Hermes, you’ll be staying in that cabin until your godly parent claims you.” The elder girl pointed at the Hermes cabin. “The gods have specific cabins for them and their children, and depending on your mom or dad you could end up housing with me or Chase.”

After the tour, there was dinner, after dinner it was time for everyone to sit around the big campfire. Everyone was laughing, talking, and telling stories. One kid asked Hana if she knew her godly parent yet, but before she could answer something flashed above her head.

The warm glow of a fireplace hung over her head. Everyone stopped talking, looking shocked. Hana was the first ever child of Hestia! From the back of all the campers you can hear someone yell “All hail Hanako! Daughter of Hestia!” And just like that everyone bowed.

After all that craziness, Hanako was escorted to her own cabin. She let out a small thank you before going inside. To her surprise there was a woman waiting inside, but this woman felt oddly familiar. Almost as if Hana saw her before! The woman turned around and said “We have quite a lot to catch up on, Hanako.” With a welcoming smile. Just like that Hana dropped her bag and ran to the woman. It didn’t take long to figure out that she was her godly parent.

That night the two girls talked and talked till midnight. That’s when Hestia tucked Hana into bed. For the first time in a year she finally felt happy, and that night she went to sleep wearing a smile. The next day Hana sat by a tree relaxing when suddenly two boy came out of nowhere! One had black hair, blue eyes, and he had some freckles on his nose. The other had light brown hair and cyan blue eyes and wore a black baseball hat.

“We h-heard you were the daughter of Hestia and w-we were w-wondering i-if you would like to-“ “What he’s trying to say, is that we wondering if you to be friends!” The brunette interrupted. “A-are you sure you want a crybaby like me to be your friend??” The boys looked at each other and smiled (the brunette smiling more brighter and the blackette smile more small)

They nodded and reached out their hands to her’s. At first she hesitated but quickly grabbed their hands, afraid they might disappear. When she grabbed their hand it was like weights were lifted off her chest. She never realized until now, how important friends and family are until recently . “I’m Xavier and the dork with the freckles is Kai!” “I AM NOT A DORK!! I’m just not that great when it comes to ladies!” “Right, Right.” The brunette said sarcastically. “Anyway my godly parent is Hermes and Kai’s Mother is Athena!”

Maybe thing we’re starting to take a turn for the better.

Once she met those two Hanako started coming out of her shell more. She was still quiet and anxious but it isn’t as bad as before. Not to mention she gets more loud and energetic with Xavier and Kai around!

Hanako HATES libraries and bookshelf. She’ll go in a library if she has to, but she avoids them as best she can. If she’s ever in a vicinity of a bookshelf she’ll distance herself as much as possible. Let’s just say she gets very anxious and nervous when she around them.

If you ever asked about Hana’s past she would never be ashamed to tell you what happened. She isn’t happy about the events that took place but there’s nothing she can do about it know. So know matter what Hanako always tries to keep her head up high when it comes to her past.

(More visuals)

🌸Some side notes here🌸

(Don’t mind the last one’s eyes being blue. I was trying to decide if I wanted to stick with yellow or try something new-)

(I can go more into depth on Hanako’s two besties if anyone would be interested)

(I’m also thinking of reintroducing her because the first one is her in twst but she’s like that in every fandom basically. Obviously I won’t delete the first one I just wanna talk about everything she’s in and what her relations are to everyone!)

[sally-mun]

For whatever reason I was just thinking back on my 5th grade camp trip when I was 11, and how in the middle of the week it stopped being this fun, activities-filled, nature-enjoying break from real life. They hit us out of nowhere with this SUPER serious exercise that was meant to make us think about the value of the natural world vs. the expansion of the modern world, and it was designed to not have a clear right or wrong answer.

The way it worked was, we were all sent to the main lodge, and as we entered we were each given a random card with a string to hang around our necks. This card determined our roles in the upcoming roleplay that none of us knew we were about to participate in. Some kids got things like ‘building management,’ ‘gardening service,’ or ‘McDonald’s franchise owner.’ Others got things like ‘old tree,’ ‘flock of birds,’ or ‘timber wolf.’ My card said ‘bus driver.’ They sat us all down assembly-style and brought out a big whiteboard with a blueprint of the campgrounds drawn on it, and one of the main counselors announced that we were going to debate whether or not Clear Lake Camp should be sold to a development firm that wanted to buy it. I know that to your adult ears this is clearly just an exercise, but in 5th grade, a lot of us were still unworldly enough to wonder if the camp really did have a buyer and they were dropping this on us just to see what would happen, so for many of us this was already pretty unsettling.

What I remember most about this roleplay (which probably lasted for like an hour) was how quickly various students in my class flipped to the side of “let’s bulldoze the camp” as soon as a case could be made for how it would benefit them. When the counselor made the initial announcement of why we’d been called to this meeting, there was an immediate discomfort in the room, because we’ve been enjoying this camp all week and don’t want to see such a fun, beautiful place destroyed. But then he started proposing things like, hey, lumber mill owner! You could sure make a lot of money if this plan goes through and we need to cut down all these trees! And you, McDonald’s owner, could build a restaurant in the new development! Soon enough anyone that had an industry-related card around their neck had flipped their opinion on the situation and they were all calling out that they wanted to build on the land, and the counselor started modifying the blueprint to show the new developments.

The kids that had more nature-oriented roles, however, were way more inclined to stick to that original resistance we all initially felt. They pointed out that nature isn’t just a backdrop, and that all these plans to tear down the camp were going to affect living things and that there was value in leaving the camp the way it already is. Kids with roles such as trees and bushes pointed out that they can’t exactly just pack up and move to make room for the businesses to move in, and that they would necessarily die. Some of the students with animal roles pointed out that it’s not that easy for them to ‘just move’ either, because not every animal can survive in a new environment.

More than anything, I remember this moment where I was looking down at the card around my neck and just staring at the words ‘bus driver.’ There was a hot second where I started to think about how the land development could possibly benefit me; surely this new branch of civilization could use a bus stop or two, right? Public transportation could be an important component, and that would help me out. Maybe if the development got big enough I could run a bus station, and make even more money.

I had a moment where I considered speaking up to ask if bus stations could be added to the map so I could get on board, but I kept hesitating to raise my hand. I realized that, even though this is something that could potentially put me in a good position, this still isn’t something I wanted. I didn’t care if I could make money with a bus stop or bus station, I wanted the camp to stay the way it was. I didn’t want the environment bulldozed, I didn’t want the animals forced to leave or die, I didn’t want to knock down the enormous trees, I didn’t want to lose the songs of the crickets or the birds, I didn’t want to give up the clarity of the sky at night. Money wasn’t worth giving that up, and money sure as shit couldn’t buy it back afterward.

So finally I raised my hand, and I went on a mild rant about how it doesn’t matter if we CAN build all this stuff on the campground, the question is whether or not we SHOULD do it. Doing something just because you can isn’t good enough, and money isn’t the only thing everyone should be thinking about. The head counselor pointed out what I’d been thinking about, and how I could run a bus service and make a lot of money, but I said that didn’t matter me. What mattered to me was that we already HAVE gyms, we already HAVE McDonald’s, we already have ALL of these things. We DON’T have another Clear Lake Camp we can go to instead. There’s so much good that exists here and nowhere else, and if we develop the land, then we’re throwing away all of those good, special things just to get more of what we already have.

At the end of the debate period, the counselors had us each vote as to whether or not the camp should be sold and torn down. I felt really strongly that the student body would vote no, because there had been SUCH a strong response after kids spoke up about the reasons against development, including mine. There was so much applause and whoops and cheers when someone spoke in defense of preservation and calling out the greed. But as you’ve probably already guessed, the vote came out in favor of selling and developing. I remember just being so, so dumbstruck about it. I just honestly couldn’t understand how the votes could’ve come out that way. Everyone seemed so supportive of those that needed protection while they were trying to defend themselves, everyone seemed to agree that the greed of business was a bad thing and we needed to set limits. How had all those principles suddenly gone out the window in an instant??

It was an experience that, for a long time, I honestly tried to forget about because I found it so upsetting. In some ways it really affected how I saw my classmates after that, because it really didn’t paint a pretty picture about their morals and values. These days, though, I look back on it and realize that was one of my first glimpses at how disappointing the world can be. It’s amazing to think how that one little exercise so perfectly demonstrated exactly the sorts of obstacles and lack of empathy and greed that I’d be facing for the rest of my life, without me ever knowing it at the time. It was more or less a way to let me down easy, so I wouldn’t be quite so smacked in the face later to realize just how selfish and greedy people would turn out to be in the real world. At that time I did honestly believe that people were at least mostly good, and those that weren’t were a very small minority, and that things would continue to get better over time, even if it had to go slowly. I’m now glad I never succeeded at forgetting about that exercise, because I think it did a better job at preparing me for life than maybe any other lesson I’ve ever learned.

[wherearemyglassesbro]

Omg omg omg omg everyone be quiet right now thank you @heyheyjay for THIS

For starters, it would absolutely have a very negative effect on Fran’s relationship with Arthur. He’s aware it’s irrational and his feelings are based on personal issues but having his rival/friend/lover defend a murderer? And have that murderer get away? Oh no, Fran would probably not talk to him for awhile after. Not because he’s mad AT Arthur, he just has to sort out his own feelings. He’s a complex guy and his feelings are like balls of colored yarn all tangled together. He has to take time to sort it all out and come to a conclusion. “I am not upset with you. I am upset with the outcome of that trial. I would like for us to go back to being friends again...If that’s alright...” he’s still closed off for awhile but eventually, he’ll open back up and go back to normal, the incident not forgotten but forgiven

The first two times Arthur saw Francis in a murder trial setting were VERY different. The first time, he was still somewhat of a rookie. He had gone up against Francis twice now in court and won both times. Now he wanted to study his way of speaking, his organization, his body language, that kind of stuff. So he sat in the crowd, off to the side out of the field of vison for the prosecutors booth.

Francis carried himself the same as usual. Confident and proud, speaking passionately on behalf of the victim, appealing to the jury. He did everything by the book and to be honest? Arthur was impressed. It was different watching him from the crowd than it was from the defense booth.

When Francis lost the trial, even Arthur was shocked. He watched him stiffly pack his papers away and leave the courtroom in a hurry. It was strange behavior for sure, something that he’d never seen before. Instead of his classic smile, he sported a frown and a look in his eyes that Arthur couldn’t place. To be nice, he caught up with him in the hallway “Look, I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to but I want to let you know, you did fantastic in there. I don’t know how on earth you lost that-“ “Leave me alone, Kirkland” Francis all but shoved past him, making a beeline for his car. Arthur could hear the squeal of his tires from inside the courthouse

That was not the loud, extravagant Francis he knew. That was someone else, someone sad and angry...Maybe Francis was more complex than he thought (Spoiler alert: Yes. He is)

The second time he witnessed a loss, he was far closer with the Frenchman. He knew his mannerisms and his body language. The two were teetering on the edge of being in a relationship or just being super close friends. Francis didn’t want Arthur to go to this trial but he insisted “It’s my day off. I’ll come support you and we can go to lunch afterwards. No big deal. I like seeing you in court” Francis was reluctant but had him sit in the second row anyways for moral support

Again, he did everything right. Arthur was criticizing the defense in his head ‘you dolt, you’re talking too much. It’s giving Francis the upper hand’. Of course he wanted Francis to win. Even as a defense attorney himself, he knows a guilty face when he sees one. He’s once again shocked when Francis loses

This time he notices how his hands shake, clenching and unclenching. There’s tension in his shoulders, the mask of confidence gone from his face. He was fighting to suppress a frown, swallowing around the lump of guilt in his throat

Francis apologized to his clients when the court was released, hugging them and shaking their hands, promising paperwork in the mail....yadda yadda. Arthur noticed how tired he looked, the way his shoulders now sagged in defeat

“You did great out there love” “I don’t need your pity, Arthur” “I’m not pitying you. You did everything right” “Apparently not”

Arthur led him to the parking lot, cupping his cheeks when they were out of the public eye “I know how it feels to lose something big like this. It stings, I know. However, it isn’t the end of the world”

“‘It isn’t the end of the world’? Are you kidding me? You’ll never-! Forget it. I’m going home” “Francis? We were-“ “I don’t care about lunch” and with that, he got in his car and sped off, tires screeching once again

Arthur is invited over for dinner later on, Francis apologizes for the way he reacted and Arthur assures him that it was no big deal. He expresses his emotions differently than Arthur does and he is still getting used to it! And this is Francis’s first relationship since Jeanne so he’s still re-learning how to open up about more serious or intense feelings. There’s a learning curve for them both.

So I also I think I’m gonna talk about Jeanne again cause I WAS gonna have a single post dedicated to her effect on Fran and Art’s relationship but I think lll....Just go over it here. There is a small fic at the end but I can’t even really call it that, it’s 2 paragraphs of text lol so yeah :)

More under the cut cause this is getting long and I feel bad clogging your dashes :0

So Art knew about Jeanne before he really knew Francis personally. Before he goes up against prosecutors, he asks Eliza about them and their argument styles, stuff like that. She advised him to stay away from murder trials if Fran managed to get his hands on one and since he didn’t know about Jeanne he was like ‘pfftt what? You think I can’t take him?’ And she was like ‘No...He can’t take you’ oh...

Eliza told him like...The bare minimum. Francis’s girlfriend was killed behind a small party store and he was the one who discovered her body. That’s all he knew about it

But when he and Fran started to get serious relationship-wise Francis decided to sit him down to have a talk with him, pouring his heart out to him after a long, draining day at the courthouse:

// Uhhhh tw for the rest for death mention and description of finding Jeanne after her death. Like...blood and all so if that makes you uncomfortable: this is your warning :0 //

“We dated for five years. From eight grade to twelfth...It was like we were joined at the hip. We were always together wether it be baking in the kitchen, studying at the library, going to the movies or attending church camp. We did it all together. Hell...In highschool, we were voted ‘cutest couple’ every year. She was my date for every school dance and she would have been my prom date too if... If she had lived” Francis choked out a sad laugh “She had the most beautiful dress picked out and I had a suit to match. She was so excited about it...”

“That day was my nightmare. I relive that day over and over again in my dreams, thinking about everything I could have done to prevent that outcome. I should have taken her to the store earlier. I should have gone in with her. I shouldn’t have answered the phone and gotten distracted when my friend called. She was in there for forty minutes just to grab some streamers and a bag of candy for a piñata... When I went in to look for her she wasn’t there. I looked around, called her name, called her phone...no answer. The cashier helped me look too as I started getting worried. In the bathrooms, the stock room, the janitors closet, behind the refrigerators...All that was left was the rear exit. She didn’t go out there right? No...that was unlike her...” tears started to slowly make their way down his cheeks “When we pushed the door open, I remember seeing the pool of blood right there on the ground and thinking it was just a puddle. How wrong was I. My legs moved on their own, I rounded the corner and there she was. Her hair was covered in blood from the gash across her temple, her favorite floral blouse ripped and dirty. Her purse was gone. She was just laying there on the dirty, cold asphalt” Francis shook his head, rubbing his face as the memory replayed once more

“Out of the corner of our eyes, the cashier and I saw the perpetrator and he chased him down, catching him and sitting on him until the police arrived. I called them...I don’t even remember making the call but I distinctly remember them telling me not to touch her- not to mess with the ‘evidence’. I didn’t listen. I sat in the pool of blood and held her until the ambulance arrived, petting her hair as she slowly went cold in my arms...Praying that just maybe she’d make it. They were too late. I was too late.”

“What was it all for, you ask? That evil son of a bitch wanted her money. She only had $10 on her that day. He killed her over $10! And after all of my pain, her family’s suffering, that fucker got to walk free after two years? Two years! It isn’t fair at all. I don’t mean to ramble too much but before you and I become anything too serious I just- I need you to know about her. She made me who I am today, she’s the reason I practice law, she’s always here with me” he clutched his cross necklace in his shaky hand “Just because I still love her does not mean I love you any less, Arthur. I will always be here for you but at the same time, I will be there for her. I’ll still visit her grave and her parents...I’ll have her picture on the mantle...”

Arthur reached out to rest a hand on the blond’s arm. This was a new side of Francis he hadn’t seen before. Sure he knew about Jeanne by now, he had seen her picture in Francis’s apartment. He knew the other took the two hour trip up north to visit Jeanne’s grave and her family every other month. He knew she was important to him but he had never heard the full story like this before. He truly didn’t know the extent of the damage that day had done “I understand, dear. If Jeanne is important to you, she’s important to me. She’ll always have a place here with us” he assured, pulling Francis in to hug him against his chest to let him cry “I don’t think I can begin to express how badly I feel for you. But you can always confide in me, I’ll be here because I lo-like you a lot. I want you to be open with me. This...is a lot to bottle up” Francis nodded and wiped his eyes as Arthur brushed his curls out of his face “If it isn’t overstepping any boundaries, maybe I could come up north with you next time you go to visit her?”

“I...I think I’d like that. I’ve already told her and her family about you. I’m sure they’d love to meet you”

———

Well I hope that wasn’t bad! I haven’t written in a fic format in uhhh hehe a year or so so...yeah! Anyways! Yup! That’s all for now :) ❤️ thanks for reading this far if y’all did!!!!

((Looking back I hate the formatting of the ficlet thingy but tbh there’s not much I can do about it now :) ))

[charlieliqueur]

Mark X Camper!Reader (Unus Annus)

Camp Days - Part One

Summary/Warnings: Unus Annus spoilers? Takes place during Camp Unus Annus, includes some of Camp Unus Annus fan stuff like the camp cabins and etc, and some of my own variations. Reader is 18+ years old, and part of cabin Taser Fire, since it seems decreed that Mark is the head counselor for that cabin. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go to the Camp Unus Annus posts and you'll find the stuff pretty quick.

---

You didn't remember signing up for this camp. Probably because you didn't, you couldn't have. Oddly enough, you barely remember anything before waking up on a bus, a bag packed and other 'campers' waiting to arrive. This felt off, the bus ride, the look of it, how isolated and almost abandoned it felt. It had all the wrong feelings.

But you were still here. Almost immediately after stepping off the bus a blond man and brunette woman held out stacks of shirts. One stack white, one black. You carefully picked one, and the woman kindly said "Welcome campers! This isn't our official welcome, but we wanted to make sure you had a uniform for initiation! I'm one of the counselors here, my name is Amy! And this is Evan!" They both waved happily.

What were you doing at a summer camp again?

Why would you be here-

Suddenly you all were being ushered away to a grassy clearing with a bonfire pit. Near a roaring fire were two men, wearing semi-matching black and white clothes. One in white, one in black. They turned towards the group of several, beyond several, dozen campers of varying ages, looks, and personalities.

"Welcome to your first day of Camp Unus Annus! In just a few moments you'll be directed to your cabin!" Said the short haired one. The longer haired man said "Don't forget, Camp Unus Annus and officials are not responsible for any harm or death caused here."

"Death??" Asked a few, they also seemed to have no idea how they ended up here.

"Um, excuse me, but I don't remember signing up for this camp," said one girl.

"Me neither!"

"I don't remember too!"

"Uh, me either!"

They two men looked at one another and began laughing. It seemed almost fake. They looked back at the group of confused people. "Of course you didn't sign up, that's not how Camp works here. Now come on! And-" the man in the white shirt looked to the man in black and they said in unison looking over the group, "Don't forget the Buddy System!!"

---

You had been sorted to your cabin. You stood among a group of confused and concerned campers, as they tried to find buddies before your counselor arrived. You got paired up with a man named Gerald, mainly because he had no one else and seemed distant enough not to bother you too much. Though he seemed a little incompetent.

You all looked at the still-packed collection of supplies, when suddenly a rushing of footsteps and a loud voice boomed, "Heeeeey campeeers!!"

You all looked to see Mark. He adjusted his white shirt briefly before smiling and saying "I bet you're all thrilled to be here, and-- What's this? You don't have your tents up yet?? Well hurry! Nightfall is coming soon and the bears will be out, and the bats, and deer, and snakes-- Just, chop chop!"

The group looked among each other hesitantly. "B-Bears?" Asked a girl.

"Yeah!! And not just the animals. Bear Cabin is... well, we won't talk about them."

"Aren't you betraying the buddy system?" Asked a young man. He seemed rather upset. Probably didn't like being at a summer camp he didn't sign up for. Neither did you.

"Yeah, you've broken your own rule!" Added another boy, the first one's buddy.

"Do you wanna talk to me about rules or do you wanna listen and live??" Mark demanded strongly. Most of the younger teens immediately started opening the tent bags, pulling out the plastic structures and beginning to set them up. Gerald and yourself began setting up your tent as well. The older group members glared and hesitated, before joining in as well.

Soon tents were set up, and as Counselor Mark was inspecting them, a large portion of Taser Fire gathered around a fire pit. "What are we supposed to do?" Asked one boy, his name was Daniel. "What do you mean?" Asked Lizzy, a twenty-something girl.

"Like, the fuck are we supposed to do?? Just play along to this summer camp BS? Hasn't anyone realized we've been kidnapped??"

"Speak for yourselves," said Mickey, a thirteen year old boy. "My home fuckin' sucks, I'd rather be here getting covered in mosquito bites than have another drunk fight with my dad," he said openly. It seemed he felt safe here. What was this place doing to you all? Some now anxious, some now comfortable? And what were you feeling?

"Okay campers, it seems dusk has begun. Why don't we get a fire started for a little meal before night, eh?" Asked Mark, gesturing with an open smile. You all looked around at each other and sheepishly nodded. He gave off vibes. Vibes you weren't sure how to feel about.

"And tomorrow, we start the fun!" He assured, before gathering some wood from a pile and making a firepit. You yawned and looked around. "Hey, where's Gerald?" You asked, when suddenly the man stepped beside you, zipping his fly. "Sorry, just stepped away to-"

Suddenly Mark seized him by the collar of his shirt. "Remember... the buddy system. Nobody leaves the group without their buddy!! Understood??" This was directed at the whole group, who nervously agreed, fearing what their counselor would do if they disobeyed. You stumbled back a bit from the muscles man who practically held your buddy a foot off the ground. He lowered Gerald to the ground and stepped away, refocusing on his fire.

It started up in no time, and the campers gathered around it. You looked off into the distance and could see a few other distant lights. Fires or lanterns. There were five cabins in total.

Thicc Water, near the lake.

Breaking Wind, in a clearing.

Earth Girth, near a river.

The Bears, near a cave system.

Taser Fire, on a rocky area near the forest.

You were studying a map that had come with the supplies. Your fingers traced paths and memorized some bigger details. This place felt off, and you wanted to know where to go if you needed to run somewhere. Either away from something... or someone...

Your nervous eyes glanced up at Counselor Mark, a guitar in his hands while he strummed a tune and hummed a song no one knew. He gave off an ill aura. Ted Bundy mixed with Jigsaw and maybe a cult leader or two. Suddenly Counselor Mark saw you watching, and after your eyes met briefly, you looked back down at the map.

"So tell me all your names," he requested, and you looked up with only your eyes, to see his looking across everyone.

People answered, some more reluctant than others. What worried you most is how some who had been very upset being here were suddenly laughing and sharing past stories and tales. Once more that feeling hit you, a feeling it seemed only a few others realized. This place, these people, it was wrong. At least... at least Mark was...

---

You were lying awake in your tent, your buddy Gerald asleep beside you. He wasn't exceedingly friendly, or strong, or smart, but least he didn't snore. You were propped on your arm, a zippo lighter in your hands, lit to provide enough light to read the map. Then you noticed something in the corner. You brought the lighter closer, and it revealed words, full National Treasure style.

Near the logs whom fell, find the stories they tell. A land of old, of death and cold...

What... the... fuck? What was this about?

You suddenly heard footsteps. You clicked the lighter shut, stuffed the map under your bag, and pulled the covers of the sleeping bag over your head. You were nearly silent, but not suspiciously so. You heard them get close to the tent, and heard whispering, but you couldn't identify who.

"Such a shame..."

"Can't follow the rules, can't stay in camp..."

"It is day one, Annus, give them time."

"Life is not fair, nor is death. Time will march ever forward, my friend. Lessons must be learnt in the time they have. Momento Mori."

"Yes, that is true... which tent was it?"

"This way..."

You covered your mouth, hoping they couldn't hear your ragged and terrified breaths. You listened to the footsteps leave. It took you hours to fall asleep, and even then you were plagued by nightmares. Of two men, one in a white suit, one in black, they were familiar but you couldn't place them, their faces just out of sight.

---

"UNUS ANNUS! UNUS ANNUS! UNUS ANNUS!" A chant erupted through a speaker system you hadn't noticed existed, the sound of distorted male voices. You sprung upright, hearing someone rustle the tents and say "Time to get up campers!"

Counselor Mark.

You groaned, and suddenly went still, remembering last night. You waited for Gerald to step out so you could change. You left the tent as well, seeing a fire already started. A majority of the group was gathered round, laughing and joking and making food.

"Where's Jake?" Asked a voice, one that sounded pained and scared.

"Who?" Asked one girl.

"JAKE!" Said the boy, as if we should know. But you did, you actually remembered. Jake and this boy were the two who pointed out Mark breaking the rules. Mark simply laughed it off and said "Jake has been removed from Camp Unus Annus, should've followed the rules. Now, who wants bacon??"

"Me!!" Cheered some, holding out their plates. You stuck farther back, pulling your map from your pocket. You saw a circle appeared around a spot on the map. You couldn't leave alone. Buddy System. Didn't wanna end up like Jake...

"Hey Gerald?"

"Yeah?"

"We're going somewhere, come on."

"But what about-"

"You'll live. Besides, that bacon seems... off..."

"What do you-"

"Just shut up and follow."

"Okaaaay."

He followed you as the both of you headed towards the marking on the map. "Gonna let me know what this is about?" He asked, walking lazily, not even concerned on wild animals in the woods or poisonous plants and crazy counselors.

You yawned deeply, restless from last night's sleep. You didn't have a lot of time. Then you saw it. Stuck under a log that seemed like it had fallen decades ago, poking out, was a journal. "Help me move this," you demanded of you buddy, trying to force the log to roll.

"Y/n, you sure? It's all damp and rotted, there might be like slugs or-"

"Dammit Gerald push the log!!"

He whined again before pushing against it with you, and it rolled over enough for you to kick the journal free.

"All this way for a notebook? Pfft..."

"Yeah, a notebook. One you won't mention or you'll have more than just Mark to worry about," you warned darkly.

What was wrong with you? Would you normally say that? Yes, no? You couldn't remember. There had to be something about this place. A toxic material waste, brain fucking everyone.

Gerald hesitantly agreed to secrecy, then began his journey back, you following close behind.

"Hey, look, Taser Bitches!" Shouted an unfamiliar voice. You both looked around, before seeing a small group of kids, wearing matching bandanas. Thicc Water.

"Alright guys, pelt 'em!!!" Shouted someone, and they raised water balloons.

"What the fuc-??"

You urged Gerald to run and you both began sprinting, water balloons crashing and splatting all around you, the water seemed oddly thicc.

However you escaped with your lives, and luckily it seemed counselor Mark was gone. Good. You pulled the journal out in front of you and read the first entry.

I don't know what day it is. Not what they say. They think today is tomorrow and is also yesterday. I've been here weeks and they're saying day three. This place is wrong, so fucking wrong. But I can't leave. My buddy started the idea of cabins. He seems to be leaving me. I can't escape without help...

You entered your tent and exhaled shakily. You took a seat on the polyurethane floor. Was this from the beginning of the camp? It had to be a while ago, these cabins and all had been here for a long time, the signs and everything super old. Like, decades old. That's when what you read next horrified you.

Counselor Mark and Ethan are up to something. Kids keep going missing and it's only ones in their cabins. I have to get the fuck out of here...

How old are they? What the fuck was this?? Was this real, what did this even mean, that Counselor Mark and Ethan are-

Suddenly there was a rustling on the tent, like knocking, and a scary familiar voice asked "Hey y/n right?"

To be Continued...

A/N: Woo!! I hope to finish this story, or at least get a good few parts out. What's going on? Spoooooky. Anyways, things will obviously get more dramatic as it continues. Hope you enjoyed!

[cottage-babe]

Burning Scars part I (zuko x reader)

Chapter 1 | Next

Masterlist

So this idea has been stuck in my head for a while now... I think I've been watching too much Netflix :(

This is gonna be a slow burn I think, but bare with me guys. I've literally planned everything out already and we're gonna have lots of Uncle Iroh moments :) Who wouldn't want to hang out with him?

Summary: Y/n, a werewolf from a hidden village, comes across Zuko and Iroh after being exiled. How has fate intertwined the wolf's life into the avatar's destiny?

***This chapter takes place on Season 2 Episode 8, just after their fight with Azula.

___

Pain.

Pain is all Y/n felt.

It spiked into the soles of her feet, burned through her calves, and crept up into one of her thighs. Oh yeah, her thigh.

She glanced down at it and saw dark red gushing from it. The large animal bite that adorned it spread from her pelvis to her knee. The scar was going to be so very deep.

Despite her bodily pain, she kept running. She stepped on rocks, twigs, anything that layed on her unplanned path. She could feel bruises on her arms and stomach, but absolutely nothing would stop her. She had to leave this forest now.

It's kind of crazy how the place that was once her home could convert to something so terrifying. She used to feel at peace here; comforted by the trees that shielded her from the blind eye. But now, she feared what was lurking behind each branch; paranoid that someone was following her, but why would they? They had no use for her anymore.

A loud crack rumbled through the silent forest.

A storm was coming.

Oh, just my luck.

Fate, however, was on her side. She finally reached the edge of the forest, but stopped before her foot passed the border. She glanced around until she was met with the sight of two men. They seemed to be doing a weird dance; synchronized all the way down to their crouched knees. They wore deep brown clothes and the older one seemed to be injured as his shoulder was wrapped tightly with white bandages.

Y/n gazed down at her body. Spirits....

She forgot that she wasn't wearing any clothes. These human traditions seem to constantly slip her mind.

The old, wooden house a few feet across the sand was going to be her place to rest, but it seemed that the two men were camping there. And she definitely cannot confront them naked.

Maybe she could steal some clothes and find somewhere else to rest?

Yes, that would have to do.

While the boy's backs were turned, Y/n rushed into the cottage and tiptoed on the wooden floors. If they creaked, that'd be it for her. She grabbed the first bag she saw and ruffled through it. There was a pouch of money... a blue mask... Aha! A shirt! It was the same shade of brown that the two men wore and was extremely long.

When she threw the shirt over her head, she didn't notice how crowded her area was. Her foot moved slightly and knocked over a tea cup. It's shrill clinking made Y/n pause in fear. Maybe they didn't hear it...?

She was so so so wrong.

The two men made it inside the house at an astonishing speed. They held their arms at a threatening angle and had fierce looks on their faces. On the left was the old, injured one from earlier. He was chubby and shorter than the other man, and looked as if he was analyzing her whole life.

The one on the right was young and angry. He had a scar etched into the skin around his left eye. Y/n could only picture the pain he had gone through before it healed.

Well, the injury on her leg didn't really leave much of it to the imagination. But still.

Luckily, the shirt was long enough to cover most of her; it ended at around the middle of her thigh. She kept glancing between the two men, waiting for them to say something or attack her. The young one looked like he was going to kill her if she even twitched, so Y/n decided to keep still and wait for their first move.

The older one finally seemed to notice her blood covered leg and lowered his arms.

"You are hurt," he declared as he looked at the boy. "We must help her."

"No! She's trying to steal our stuff." Then the boy looked at the girl straight in the eyes. "Who are you and why are you here?"

"Now now, you never ask a traveler for their story, nephew. It'll come with time." The old man took a step toward Y/n and she flinched, trying to decide if she could make a run for it. "I'm just going to go through my bag to find my bandages, so I can wrap your wounds... and make you some tea!"

His bright, welcoming smile calmed Y/n and she walked backwards until her back hit the wall. The boy was still glaring at her while his uncle put a kettle on the fire.

Wait, was that fire always there? I swear it wasn't...

She didn't have much time to dwell on it as the old man patted the floor next to him; a signal for her to sit.

Y/n slowly walked over and sat down. She tried to bend her legs, but only managed to do so with the non injured one. The boy's uncle hummed as he took in her injuries.

"Lee, can you go and fetch me a bucket of water?"

The boy, Lee, presumably, was still watching the girls every movement. It almost seemed like he never blinked.

"Lee... LEE!"

Finally, he looked at his uncle in confusion.

"What?"

"Can you get me some water? I need to wash all this blood."

It seemed like Lee finally took in the severity of the girl's injury. He looked pale at the sight of the blood dripping onto the floor. He nodded his head and ran out to get his uncle's request.

"I'm terribly sorry for my nephew, he doesn't take too kindly to strangers." The old man smiled again. "I'm Mushi and that was Lee."

Y/n nodded her head in acknowledgement. "I'm Y/n."

"Hmm... I've never heard that name before, but it's beautiful nonetheless!"

Y/n cursed herself silently. How could she forget that her name wasn't... normal here with the humans. She could've made up one on the spot, like Jin or something.

Finally, Lee came back with a bucket of water. He hauled it over to his uncle, who had a cloth ready to be drenched. Mushi started to clean the blood around and on the wound; an action that made Y/n hiss out in pain. She bit tightly onto her hand to make sure no other noises would escape her. Mushi had an apologetic look on his face as he grabbed the white bandages off the floor. Knowing that the worst was over, she took a deep breath to relax.

"I was... bit by an animal." Y/n whispered.

Both of the men looked up in surprise; they probably weren't expecting her to answer a question they hadn't even asked.

"There's no animals around here that would leave a bite that harsh," Lee said with mistrust dripping from his words.

...there actually is. Like a lot.

Before she could correct him, Mushi intervened.

"What my nephew meant to say was: we're terribly sorry you had to go through that. Please, rest here for the night. A storm is coming and it's not best for travel."

Y/n paused. Stay here?

Well, this would give her time to process everything.

"Thank you so much. I hope that I can repay your kindness one day." Y/n bowed her head slightly.

Lee looked like he wanted to protest this, but one look from Mushi shut him up.

"No need. Your company is payment enough!" Mushi laughed as he waved his hand.

Y/n smiled back at the old man gratefully as he finished wrapping her wound. She is fortunate to have come across this pair. Well, one of them at least.

"Mushi, may I talk to you? Outside?" Lee whispered to his uncle.

Mushi and Lee walked out of the cabin and talked quietly. Y/n tried to listen in, but the sound of the pouring rain drowned out their voices. Huh, it's raining.

Y/n crawled to the corner of the room farthest from the fire and supplies. She hadn't realized it, but she was exhausted from today. Soon she found herself drifting slowly off to sleep, but her mind was still restless.

___

Y/n leaned on all four of her legs. Her fur was slicked back from the mud on the ground. The entire pack was surrounding her and her opponent; a tight circle being formed.

She looked at her brothers who were at the edge of the circle. They were equally as wounded as her, covered in mud, blood, and cuts. She met one of their eyes and he looked away; what was he shameful of? He's safe.

Y/n didn't even bother to glance at her parents. She already knew the disappointment and anger that would leak from their expression into her soul. She instead decided to focus on her opponent.

It was her sister. Born from the same litter, carried by the same mother, Ayano was her blood through and through. They grew up together, played together, and broke rules together. They were almost inseparable before this moment.

But oh, this moment had changed everything.

Ayano's eyes were dark. They held murder inside of them and seemed to bleed into the snarl that adorned her mouth. Her gray fur was just as matted as the rest of the fighters, but she was still Y/n's beautiful, compassionate sister. How, oh how, could these traditions put sisters against one another?

Their father howled and it caused the whole pack to follow his lead.

The signal to begin the duel.

Y/n could not fight her sister. She wasn't exactly sure if she could win, but she definitely didn't want to find out. This was her blood.

So instead of jumping at Ayano, she bowed her head. Her front arms bent to show her surrender.

She half expected Ayano to do the same, or show at least a sliver of mercy. But she didn't. Instead, she released a low growl that said: fight me, you coward.

Then, Ayano pounced with her teeth barred and her claws -

__

"Hey... Hey, wake up."

She opened her eyes and shot up in panic. Unfortunately, Lee was way closer than she thought and her head slammed into his. They both groaned out in pain and Y/n laid back on the floor to sooth her pounding head.

"Sorry, you just scared me," she groaned out.

Lee had a hand to his forehead and one eye was closed. "Whatever, just put these pants on and then come outside. Uncle wants to talk."

He through to trousers at her face then walked out the door, grumbling slightly.

Y/n was still catching her breath from the memory. It seemed like such a long time ago, yet it was only yesterday. Her hand drifted to her bandages; the blood had peeked through slightly, but nothing major. Who would've known that yesterday's Y/n would be so different from today's?

She slipped on the brown pants that Lee gave her and rolled up the bottom of them. It was obviously Lee's clothes and they were far too big for her. Then she saw a clean bucket of water a few feet away with a cloth on the side. They must've left it for her.

Y/n cleaned up her face and arms to her best ability. She didn't feel the best, but she felt better.

Then she walked outside to meet the fresh air and welcoming rays of sun. They beamed down on her skin; warming her flesh and a small part of her soul. Was this going to be the happiest she could be? Hopefully not.

Y/n looked off to the right and saw the two men sitting around a fire. They probably moved it out here so she could sleep better. The ground was still a little soggy as she walked towards the duo, but it still beat the pebbles she walked on before.

Mushi greeted her with a smile and a soft "good morning." Lee, on the other hand, was staring at her very attentively. When she met his gaze, his eyes formed a glare and a light blush spread across his cheeks. He looked away sharply towards the fire.

"I've made some more tea, since you didn't get to drink any last night," Mushi said as he poured her some.

Y/n bowed her head and accepted the cup. She took a seat near Mushi and sipped her tea.

Mmm this is so good!

She just about chugged the rest of her beverage; an action that would been embarrassing if she wasn't so thirsty. Mushi kindly gave her more and watched as she drank it slower.

"So," the uncle started, "Lee and I talked and we decided to offer you a ride to the nearest town."

Y/n's eyes widened as she heard his words.

"No, please, it's fine! You've already done so much for me, I can't accept this."

"Of course you can!" Mushi exclaimed. Then, he leaned close to Y/n to whisper, "and maybe we can think of a way to get Lee to smile on the way there."

She giggled and looked at Lee, who was glaring at the two of them with his tea cup gripped tightly in his hand.

Ok, maybe she'll stay with them just a little bit longer. Just a little.

___

I'm not a furry I'm not a furry I'm not a furry

Things will make more sense in the next chapter!

I'm probably gonna update once a week, so let me know if you wanna be tagged or something <3

Chapter 1 | Next

Masterlist

[theonewiththefanfics]

Not So Bad After All (one-shot)

Synopsys: When the Reader’s car won’t start and the only person around is Billy Hargrove, she’d rather let the Demogorgon take her out on a date. But when her crazy ex decides to roll around, having another person in her corner might not be that bad. 

Pairing: Billy Hargrove x f!Reader

Genre: fluff, lil bit of angst, but only like if you squint

Warnings: swearing, mentions of stalkerish behaviour, suggestive talk, but nothing much. If there’s anything else, please let me know :)

Word count: 3008

        Summer nights in Hawkins were like a game of Russian roulette. They could be hot and sweltering, and to the point that you wanted to camp on the lake for some kind of relief from the heat, or they could be ruled by piercing winds, and temperatures that dropped below 50 degrees, despite the weather during the day being literal Hell.         Fortunately for Y/N, it was the first one, as she had no harrowing want to go back to the community pool in barely there jean shorts, a bikini top and a loose Jaws t-shirt over her body.         Working at the pool was a tradition at this point for her, and forgetting her bag with her driver’s license, wallet and house keys much the same.         Letting out a frustrating huff, she opened the gate to the pool and strutted towards the women’s changing rooms, not acknowledging Billy Hargrove who had applied for the lifeguard job and had gotten it, becoming her partner. Sort of.         They shared shifts, as there needed to be two lifeguards on spot at all times, but if Y/N was being honest, she’d rather share her time with a Demogorgon, than Billy.         He was stuck up, thought he was better than everyone else, flirted mercilessly with anyone that would come up to him, had two boobs and a vagina between their legs. Not that she really cared, but when in the timespan he was offering Nancy Wheeler’s mom ‘private swimming lessons’, a kid had slipped and broken his nose and another one had twisted her ankle, Y/N was very much so over his bullshit.

        Y/N groaned seeing as someone had left the women’s sauna door open, which meant all the heat had escaped into the showers, and she could only hope it hadn’t been left open cause Billy had wanted to have some fun with a girl.         Sighing, Y/N peeked inside and crossed her fingers that she wouldn’t have to clean all that mess up, and it turned out luck was on her side, as everything seemed clean. Heather would still have to mop down the floors in the morning when her shift started, but that was not Y/N’s concern.         As quick as possible, she closed the sauna door, placed a towel by the entrance to soak up the moisture on the tiles and rushed to get her stuff. She was starving by that point, and her dad had promised they’d be having a barbecue night. Just at the thought of food, her stomach released the loudest grumble ever.         With her bag slung over her shoulder, Y/N pulled out her car keys from the back pocket of her shorts and gave Billy a small tight-lipped smile as he held the gate open for her before closing for the night.         “You sure you got everything?” he asked, and she nodded.         “If not, I’ll just get it tomorrow.”         And that was it for their conversation. They weren’t enemies, but they certainly weren’t friends. Y/N hung out with Steve Harrington most of the time, and let’s just say Billy and him were not buddies. Besides, it’s not like Billy had expressed any interest in getting to know her, so why should she?         She pulled back the hair that had stuck to her forehead from the humidity, and dropped her bag into the passenger seat, putting her foot onto the clutch and twisting the key.         Her eyebrows furrowed, and she repeated the motion.         Like before, the engine sputtered, rattled and did nothing.         “Fucking, hell, are you kidding me?” Y/N muttered and slapped her hands against the wheel, stepping out of her car and sighing. “I just fixed you.” It was an old car, but it wasn’t ancient so it made no sense why it would be acting up.         From the corner of her eye, she saw Billy approach, and Y/N rolled her eyes at the cigarette he dumped onto the ground and extinguished with his foot. “Need some help, sweetheart?”         “I’d rather shove a spoon through my eye.”         Billy let out a small snort and shook his head, the dirty blond curls that had stretched out a bit from the heat swishing along his forehead in soft waves. “Come on. I just want to help. I promise that’s all.”         Y/N eyed him sceptically but relented in the end. Maybe she’d need his help and have him spark her car up. “But if your hands go somewhere, I can’t see, you’re dead.”         “Noted, princess.”         She rolled her eyes at the nickname, which seemed to be Billy’s favorite pastime, but nevertheless, Y/N opened her door and leaned to open the glove compartment where a flashlight resided. You never knew, when it could come in hand, and the lighting outside the pool’s parking lot wasn’t the best.         “Pop the hood,” Billy said, and Y/N pressed the button on the inside, the hood obscuring her vision of her ex-classmate.         “Your ignition cable’s gone,” he immediately announced.         “What?” she rushed to his side, shining the light to where Billy was pointing at, and true to his words – the cable was gone.         “Are you kidding me?” Y/N leaned closer but nope, the view didn’t change. The cable was really gone. Right then, the sound of a car engine rolling up next to them made the two look up. Even without glimpsing the shitty green paint job on the Mustang, Y/N would’ve recognized the car and the owner in a matter of seconds.         “You’ve gotta be joking,” she mumbled glaring at the car that was approaching them as if she could see through the metal hood.         Billy’s eyes flitted down to where Y/N was glaring a hole in her car.        "Know who it is?"         “That’s my insane ex-boyfriend. Ever since I broke up with him, which, mind you, was months ago, he’s been stalking me.” She slammed down the hood, and it would’ve made Billy flinch, had it not been for the overwhelming feeling of anger that started to course through his veins. “And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that my car’s dead.”         “The pool’s closed, amigo,” Billy called out to the boy who stepped out from his car. The Californian would never admit, but he’d grown really attached to Y/N. He didn’t show it, nor did it seem like she noticed one bit, but he always kept out an eye for her.         Whenever she was the one on closing duty, he lingered around under the guise of trying to hook up with a girl in his car, but in truth, it was to see if she got to her own vehicle safely.         He always made sure Y/N took her lunch breaks and wasn’t in the direct heat of the sun for too long. There had been one time she’d passed out in the girl’s locker room, according to Heather, after having basically worked a double shift, and Billy’s protectiveness just grew. He'd even given half of his sandwich when the only thing Y/N had had time to pack before rushing for her shift had been an apple.         “Y/N,” the dark-haired boy’s tone had the fake-shocked note to it. “I didn’t expect to see you here… is everything alright?”         She crossed her arms and popped her hip out. “It was. Until you showed up and completely ruined my evening.”         “That’s a bit mean, isn’t’ it?” the guy chuckled, and pretty much simultaneously both Y/N’s and Billy’s jaws clenched. Hers because Derek was the last person on her list of people she wanted to see, Billy’s cause he could instantly tell what a disgusting slime ball he was.         “We’re alright here,” the blond answered and puffed up his chest a bit if only to make it clear Y/N didn’t need his help and neither wanted him there. “And again – the pool is closed. So, piss off.”         Derek scoffed. “Yeah, I wasn’t talking to you, Hargrove. I was talking to the lady here.”         “Well I don’t think she wants to talk to you,” Billy sneered in response and looked over at Y/N who was just looking at Derek. For the first time ever, he was glad her eyes were not on him. Whenever he caught her glancing his way, his heart sped up in excitement, but now... if looks could kill, Billy was sure Derek would be twenty feet under.         “I think she can talk for herself, right, lovie?”         And Derek got what he wanted – a reaction out of her. Y/N hated that nickname, had always despised it, but it took two to play a game.         “Car trouble,” she said and slowly walked closer to Derek and coincidentally, but not really so coincidentally, her trunk. “Couldn’t start it, and Billy here offered his help.”         “You know that you can always ask me for help, right?” Derek’s tone was softer now but held an edge to it as he eyed Billy. “We might not be together, but I still care about you. Unlike the slut of the town who probably just wants to get in your pants.”         “Oh, I don’t doubt that,” Y/N smiled at the ground, and it made Billy’s heart clench. He knew he had a reputation, but that didn’t mean he didn’t genuinely care for her. Though when she pulled out a baseball bat, her grip tight around the handle, his mood shifted. “But there’s caring about someone,” she said, “and then there’s your absolute psycho behavior.”         “Y-Y/N?” Derek stuttered, and Billy crossed his arms with a smug look on his face.         “See here’s the thing, Billy boy here said that my ignition cable’s gone, which is funny, cause I was at the pool for barely five minutes,” she tossed the bat from one hand to the other before flipping it in her palm. “And less than two minutes after I’m in a little bit of trouble, you,” she pointed at Derek with the bat, “show up. And if you think I believe in coincidences such as this, you’re dead wrong.”         Derek bristled, and Y/N smiled seeing a muscle in his jaw tick, especially when Billy went to tower behind the other guy’s back. “You can’t be serious and think that I'd do something to your car? This is ridiculous.”        “Then you wouldn’t mind me searching your Mustang?” She pointed with the bat at the window. From the corner of her eye, Y/N could see Billy’s lips pull up in a smirk. She’d be lying if the thought of having him on her side wasn’t a soothing one.        Derek’s eyes widened at the sight, and he gulped when she gently slid the piece of wood across his back window.        “You wouldn’t mind me taking a look, would you?” Y/N repeated in a way too sweet of a tone.        “You’re crazy,” he said, making her eyes darken.        “Fine. Then I guess I just have to make myself fit that label,” she sneered and swung the bat back. Just as it was about to reach the window, Derek screamed, ‘alright, fine!’        His chest was heaving up and down, but Y/N could see how his fists clenched and unclenched. “Do whatever the fuck you want.”        In mock gratitude, Y/N put a hand against her chest. “Thank you.”        Her eyes flitted to Billy. “Would you mind keeping an eye on him?”        The Californian’s grin widened, and his tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. “Not at all, princess. Take as much time as you need.”        But Y/N only had to look for three minutes, before she remembered that under the backseats, there was a compartment Derek had made to stash his weed, fearing his parents might find it if he hid it in his room, so with a little bit of prying and almost breaking off a nail, Y/N opened the little compartment and was greeted by a greasy tube sticking out from it.        “Oh, Billy, would you look at that!” Y/N exclaimed not surprised at all as she threw the boy the cable. “I think we found the hidden treasure.”         “Well, I think you need to change professions from a lifeguard and become an archaeologist, miss Indiana Jones.”         “Exactly my thoughts,” but her sarcastic reply was not filled with any humor at all.        “Listen here, you absolute psycho,” Y/N growled as she moved closer, grip tightening around her bat. “If I even smell you anywhere near me, your ass is dead. Got it? I broke up with you cause you were a piece of shit, but I wanted to remain civil. Though, now, it seems like it’s not possible.”        But as much as Derek was scared, ‘cause he knew Y/N never made threats only promises, he still wouldn’t see the error of his ways. “Come on, darling. I just miss you. Why don’t we go grab a bite and talk everything out? Let’s not let this dent our relationship…”         “Dent,” Y/N chuckled and shook her head. “The only dent that I’ll ever acknowledge, cause there’s no relationship between us, is the dent in your car.”         Simultaneously as Derek yelled ‘what?!’ Y/N swung back the bat and let it connect with the passenger door.         “You bitch! What are you doing you psychopath?!” her ex screamed as his hands went to tangle in his hair. “I’ll make you pay for that, just you wait!”        “Go on,” she smirked heaving in a breath after she left another dent on the side, “tell your daddy and mommy your crazy ex busted up your car. And I’ll tell Hopper how you’ve been parked outside of my house for the past three months trying to spy on me. Or how about the times you've followed me with your car? Who do you think he’ll believe – me, someone with evidence – or you – a bitter boy who just can’t get over a girl that doesn’t want him?”        Derek’s eyes widened in fear. “What evidence?”        Y/N scoffed and crossed her arms. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice you lurking outside my house and not do anything about it? I know how people treat women, that whenever they say something it’s because they’re crazed bitches. So,” she smiled smugly, “I had my parents install a security system with cameras. And your license plate shines brightly under those streetlights. Oh, and how could I forget our star witness tonight. Billy, sweetheart, if I went to Hop and told him about everything, would you mind corroborating the story? You know, how I came here to get my stuff, how I couldn’t start my car and we found out my ignition cable was gone. Not to even mention, how it turned up in the back of Derek's car here?”        “Of course not, princess,” he smiled mimicking Y/N’s position. “It would be an absolute honor.”        “You’ll never get into her pants,” Derek sneered at the other guy, trying to strike a chord, “in three years she didn’t put out once.”        “Trust me,” came Y/N’s immediate reply. “Billy has more chance of getting with me than you ever had or will. Now stay away from me, or it’ll end uglier than it started.”        Derek swung open his door and hopped in his car, sneering out a ‘you’ll regret this, you bitch’, before driving away into the night.        “Gotta say, Y/L/N,” Billy smirked and helped reinstall the cables to her car, “I’d be lying if I said I’m not scared and aroused at the same time.”        “Busting up a car makes you hard?” she let out a genuine laugh sitting down into the driver’s seat and turning the key, fist-bumping the air as her car roared back to life.         “No, but a girl not taking anyone’s bullshit might,” the look on his face was the pure embodiment of what she thought of Billy, of his womanizing ways, and Y/N rolled her eyes.         “If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been taking your bullshit either.”         He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth before answering completely honestly. “Then why do you think I’ve been trying so hard to make you like me?”         Her jaw practically slammed through the car floor, because when Y/N’s eyes met his, there was not a single trace of him lying or scheming something up. This was Billy without his bravado, asking out a girl he had actual feelings for, and hoping that she wouldn’t break his heart too much.        “What are you doing this Friday?” Y/N asked both hands on the wheel to have something to hold on instead of fidget with her fingers.        For a second, he was stunned but quickly regained his composure. “Dunno,” Billy smirked, “have any ideas?”        Y/N shrugged but didn’t hide the smile that blossomed on her lips. “They’re still showing Day of the Dead. Wanna go and watch?”        He seemed to contemplate her proposal but then shook his head. “Can’t,” he chuckled. “I’m taking this smokin'-hot chick on a date tomorrow morning, so hopefully on Friday it’ll be our third one.” But his face had this huge grin on that made her frown in confusion.         “Then why did you say you don’t know?”         “Cause first I have to take you out for breakfast.”        “What?” her eyebrows scrunched up and she let out a small laugh. Billy pointed at her before hopping into his Camaro, rolling down the passenger side window and stating, “10 AM. Benny’s. Be ready or I’ll leave without you.”         With that, he revved up his beloved blue baby and reversed out from the parking lot.         What she didn’t see was how he smiled all the way back to his house even doing a little dance as he walked up the steps.         What he didn’t see was how she squealed in excitement and hugged both her parents when she got home so hard they thought they’d pass out.         “What’s up with you?” Y/N’s father laughed seeing his daughter so over the moon that he had to look at her mom with a raised eyebrow.         “Nothing,” she shook her. “I’m just… happy.”         Luckily they didn't question her any further, and just let her smile as widely as her cheeks would allow.        Maybe the bad boy of Hawkins wasn’t that bad after all.

Tags (crossed out wouldn't take):

Forever tags: @lumelgy @palaiasaurus64 @supernaturalbaesduh @breezy1415 @crazy--me @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @sea040561 @staryeyedgirl @deathbyarabbit @s-c-a-r-e-d-po-t-t-e-r @reblogger-not-a-blogger @m-a-t-91 @dalilx @i-need-a-hero-i-need-a-loki @maladaptive-ninja-returns @averyrogers83 @in-the-end-im-still-trash @gallifreyansass @dewy-biitch @avxgers @unlikelygalaxygiver @sweet-ladyy @magicwithaknife @ollyoxenfrees @bnhvrdy @tvwhoresblog @celebsimagines @thatkindofgurl @sj-thefan @teenwolflover28

Billy Hargrove’s tag list: @la-reina-tigresa @youcanstandundermyumbrella

A/N: thought I’d get something else up as well for Billy :)

[thecassadilla]

Anything For You

Pairing: Kristanna

Word Count: 3,688/AO3

Summary: Anna agrees to go camping despite her uncertainties, but Kristoff has a few tricks up his sleeve to make their experience more comfortable.

Author’s Note: Hi all! Here I am, once again writing about a topic that I know nothing about. I’m sure I got something wrong haha. I’m also the most indecisive person on the face of the earth, so I couldn’t decide how to end this. I don't even know if any of this makes sense tbh XD I hope you enjoy it regardless! 

“I don’t want you to leave,” Kristoff sighed.

“I wish I could stay, but we both have work in the morning and I have to drive home.” Anna wrapped her arms around him. “I’ll see you on Friday.”

“I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” he said sheepishly, before pulling away and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “You didn’t actually plan to do anything except hang out this weekend, right?”

“No,” she shook her head. “Did you have something in mind?”

“Well, I was hoping to go camping. I haven’t been in a long time - since before we got together - and I’d love for you to come with me,” he explained, before hastily adding, “But only if you want to, of course.”

“I’ve never been camping before,” she responded, feeling a bit uneasy about the idea. Any vacations that her family had taken had always been to some kind of fancy resort; the thought of camping had never crossed her mind as a thing people really did until she was a teenager.

“I know, and I know it’s probably not something you’re thrilled about, but it’s only for two nights. I really want to go hiking and fishing before it gets too cold out.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “If that’s what you want to do.”

“Really?” he asked, his face lighting up. 

“Of course! Don’t be silly.”

“This is going to be so great,” he smiled. “I wasn’t sure what you were going to say, but I’m really glad that you’re willing to come along.”

“I’d do anything for you, Kristoff,” she promised, giving him another hug for good measure. “I’ll let you know when I get home, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay, drive safely.”

“I will.”

She spent the entire twenty minute drive agonizing over what the weekend would be like; she knew nothing about camping. In her head, all she could picture were tents and sleeping bags in the middle of the cold, dark woods. She was so focused on her thoughts that she had no recollection of the actual drive; with a sigh, she made her way inside, taking notice of the fact that the lights were still on, which could only mean that her sister was awake. She kicked her shoes off in the entryway and texted Kristoff before venturing in. 

“Hey,” she called out as she approached the living room.

“Hi,” Elsa responded, not taking her eyes away from the book she was reading. “How are you?”

“Pretty good,” Anna responded, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. “I’m going camping this weekend.”

Elsa looked up at her younger sister and blinked a few times in disbelief. “You’re going camping?”

“I know,” Anna cringed. “But it’s something that Kristoff really likes to do, and it’s not like I’ve ever done it before, so I don’t really know that I’m going to hate it.”

“I don’t know, sleeping on the floor in the middle of the woods sounds very unappealing to me.”

“Yeah, but we’ll be in a tent.”

“What about bugs? Or bears? Or the countless other wild animals that lurk in the woods?”

Anna shrugged, a bit of anxiety rising in her. “I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

“And what will you eat? Where will you go to the bathroom?”

“I don’t know, Elsa,” she answered exasperatedly. “Look, I’m going to go and if it’s really awful then I’ll just request that next time we get a camper or something. But I don’t want to disappoint Kristoff and say ‘no’ off the bat because he does everything that I want to do.”

Elsa nodded thoughtfully. “That’s really nice of you. I don’t know if I would be willing to do the same.”

“I have a feeling that you’ll feel differently if you ever love someone,” she muttered under her breath, sliding off of the couch. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go figure out what on earth I’m supposed to pack.”

She headed upstairs to her room, and sat down on her bed before grabbing her laptop and logging on. After a few minutes of research, it became clear that she didn’t have most of the things that were required to go camping in the fall, and amidst her anxiety returning, she decided that a quick call to her lifeline wouldn’t hurt.

Kristoff answered on the first ring. “Hey, Anna.”

“Hi, honey. Do you have a minute?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“So, I’m trying to figure out what I have to bring with me this weekend, and I’m having a bit of a hard time because I don’t really have any of the things this website says I should have.”

“Like what?”

She squinted at the screen whilst reading off some of the items to him. “Waterproof boots, a rain jacket, a sleeping bag...sleeping pads? I don’t even know what that is.”

“It’s like a cushion that you put down so you aren’t sleeping on directly on the hard ground,” he explained. “It’s also an extra layer of insulation.”

“Gotcha,” she remarked. “Will we have time to stop somewhere so I can get these things?”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it covered.”

“I have total faith in you, I do - but unless you have a pair of boots in my size laying around somewhere, we will have to stop and get them.”

“It’ll all be taken care of,” he assured her.

“You know what? I’ll go to the mall and buy the stuff I need before we leave on Friday.”

“I don’t have any issues with stopping,” he promised. “You don’t have to rush out and go buy a bunch of stuff.”

“Alright,” she said, cautiously. “Can you text me a list of clothes I should pack? And what type of bag I should pack them in.”

“Absolutely, but you really won’t need as much as you think you do.”

“That’s easy for you to say; you’re a human furnace. It’s probably going to be very cold at night and everything I’ve read says to wear lots of layers.”

“Just...trust me,” he breathed, in a rather content tone. 

It was both comforting and alarming to her. “I trust you.”

“Please try not to worry about it, it’s going to be great.”

She smiled to herself. “I’ll try.”

“Good, now try to get some sleep, okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed. “Goodnight. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

“And don’t forget to send me that list!” she called at the last second, and she heard him laugh before the line went dead.

Her phone buzzed a minute later; she glanced down at the text that read, Warm clothes, toiletries, backpack. Don’t overthink it. Love you.

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes; it was the opposite of helpful. Regardless, she sent back a message thanking him, setting her mind to doing more research and getting the necessities at the mall.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A trip to the mall after work on Friday was not enough to quell Anna’s anxiety about the camping trip; she still felt wholly unprepared, even as she was sitting on the floor of her bedroom, folding her clothes and allowing her mind to race. A soft knock on the door brought her back to reality. She looked over, and Kristoff was leaning against her doorframe.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

“Hey, I didn’t know you were here already!”

“I texted you, but it’s not a big deal. Elsa let me in.”

“Sorry, my phone is charging over there,” she said, pointing to her desk.

He sat down on the edge of her bed and watched as she hurried to throw her clothes into her backpack. “Is that my hoodie?”

“Maybe.” She shoved the sweatshirt into the bag and changed the subject. “I went to the mall today.”

He cocked his head. “I promised that we would stop to get the stuff that you needed.”

“I know. We still have to stop at the camping supplies store for my boots. The sporting goods store at the mall was all sold out and I need them.”

“We’ll get them. What’d you get at the mall?”

“I bought wool socks. And a puffer vest and a fleece jacket. I already had a hat and a scarf and mittens, of course.”

“That sounds good, you won’t feel cold wearing all of that.”

“I had to go on a wild goose chase for leggings, though, because all of the Victoria’s Secret leggings I have are made of cotton and that’s not a good material to wear while camping, apparently.”

“You did a lot of research about camping, huh?”

“I had to, my boyfriend was being intentionally vague,” she remarked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“I wasn’t being intentionally vague,” he corrected. “You’re not an avid hiker and camper, you don’t really need special camping-only clothes.”

She zipped up her bag. “But you like camping, so this is probably not a one time thing - unless you plan on going without me after this.”

“You’re always invited,” he assured her. “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I feel a little unprepared, though. Are you sure that I have everything I’ll need?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he chuckled. “It’s going to be fine.”

Anna stood up and unplugged her phone and it’s charger, stuffing them both into the side pocket of her backpack. She slid one of the straps over her shoulder. “Ready.”

He followed her down the stairs and to the front door, where Elsa was waiting. 

“Be safe,” she said, pulling Anna in for a hug.

“We will,” Anna assured her. “See you on Sunday.”

“Have fun!” Elsa called from the doorway as they walked out.

They climbed into the car, which was parked at the end of the driveway, and Anna set her backpack on the floorboard near her feet. Kristoff started the engine, then leaned over the center console to reach something in the backseat. Upon turning back around, set a box on her lap. “Here, these are for you.”

It was a shoe box. She flipped open the lid and inside were grey hiking boots with purple accents and laces. Her breath caught in her throat. “You bought me boots?”

“Yeah, you said you needed them.”

“You remembered my shoe size?”

“...Yeah?” He raised an eyebrow. “Was I not supposed to know?”

“No,” she shook her head. “I only dragged you shoe shopping, like, once so I didn’t think that you knew what size I wore.”

“You didn’t drag me anywhere,” he corrected. “It’s just something that I paid attention to. I know for a fact that you know my shoe size even though I’ve never bought shoes in front of you.”

“I do,” she nodded, looking down at the box again. “Thank you for thinking of me.”

“Anything for my girl,” he grinned, shifting gears from park to drive. 

The drive up to the campsite went by fast; the roads were empty and they were able to enjoy each other’s company and talk as they made their way through the mountains, as well as stop at a diner for a quick meal. After an hour on the road, Kristoff pulled into a parking lot surrounded by lush green pine trees.

“This is the place?” she asked, a wave of anxiety rushing over her. The sky was overcast and it was a little foggy, and on top of that she couldn’t see any visible trails or signage from where she was sitting. She figured that there had to be one around here somewhere.

He nodded, parking on the far end. “This is it.”

He climbed out of the car and went around the back to open the trunk. In the meantime, she opened her own door and twisted so her legs could hang out and she could put her boots on. She toed off her sneakers, and slid her foot into the first boot, realizing for the first time how heavy they were.

Kristoff appeared in front of her. “You need some help?” 

“No, I’ve got it,” she answered, tugging the laces through the hook eyelets. When they felt tight enough, she tied the ends onto a knot and started with the other boot. When she finished, he held out his hand and she took it before hopping out of the car. 

“Put your sneakers in your backpack,” he recommended. “You’ll be dying to take those off when we get to the site.”

“Okay,” she agreed. She did as he said, squeezing the shoes into the bag and then slid her arms into each of the straps. She closed the door and walked back to the trunk, growing concerned when she realized he hadn’t brought that much stuff along with him. “Where’s all your stuff?”

“It’s right here,” he said, patting the duffle bag. 

“There’s no way that that’s everything we need for two nights.”

“Everything’s in here,” he assured her.

“You’re joking, right? Where’s the tent? The sleeping bags? Food and water? They can’t all possibly fit in that tiny bag.”

He placed a hand on each of her shoulders. “Anna, relax, you’re working yourself up over nothing. I’ve got it all covered, okay?”

“Okay,” she nodded, exhaling shakily. She wasn’t quite sure if she believed him, but he was the camping expert. 

He removed his hands in order to close the trunk, and then took her by the hand. “Come on, we’re going this way.”

He led her toward a densely packed area of trees, no path in sight. She gulped. “We aren’t going to be following a trail? We’re just going to...walk in the woods?”

“Yup,” he answered.

“That doesn’t seem very safe,” she remarked. 

“I know these woods, we’ll be fine.”

Although he was trying to be reassuring, it was not helpful in the slightest. Her mind was wandering - what would they do if they encountered a wild animal? Or if they got lost - how would help find them? Would they starve to death or freeze to death? Meanwhile, Kristoff was as cool as a cucumber, forging ahead and seemingly doing so without a care in the world.

They walked for a long time, much longer than she had imagined they would. The woods were damp and cold, with lots of ups and downs in the terrain. A slight separation formed between them, and she trailed behind him, struggling to keep up. They kept the talking to a minimum, until she recognized the area that they were in.

“Hey, haven’t we passed these trees before?”

“No.”

She wiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand. “Are you sure? Because I swear that I’ve seen this fallen tree.”

“It’s your mind playing tricks on you,” he assured her. “Just keep walking, don’t pay too much attention to the trees because they all look alike.”

She threw her head back in a moment of frustration and groaned, but did as he said and kept walking. She kept reminding herself that he knew a lot more than she did, but it was incredibly difficult to not worry about their safety. Her feet were starting to ache from wearing the unbroken-in boots, and carrying the weight of her backpack was getting harder and harder on her back and shoulders with each step. When it had started to become noticeably darker, and they were still walking, she spoke up again.

“Kristoff?” she called, a little breathless from the thin mountain air. 

He turned around. “Yeah?”

“Shouldn’t we stop somewhere soon? I know that you’re the camping expert, but it’s getting dark out and we still need to set everything up.”

He stopped for a moment, allowing her enough time to catch up to him before they continued. “The site is just a little bit further ahead, we’ll make it.”

“I trust you, but you’re making me a little nervous.”

“You have nothing to be nervous about,” he assured her, in a sincere tone.

She stopped dead in her tracks regardless. “No offense, but that’s something a serial killer would say.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Did you just accuse me of bringing you out here so I could murder you?”

He reached out to take her hand and she took a step back, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s just a little too convenient. I may be a lot smaller than you, but I could kick your ass if I have to.”

“That won’t be necessary,” he chuckled, motioning for her to continue following him.

She did, though she tried to keep a safe distance in case she had to run. “You’re just acting so...strange.”

“You’ll see why as soon as we get past this cluster of trees.”

Suddenly, the land in front of them cleared into a wide open space. He pointed to a rather large campground that was not populated by tents, but rather by a few wood cabins. “There. That’s where we’re staying.”

Her heart was racing, now. “But those are cabins.”

“I know.”

“Wait, are we not sleeping in a tent?”

“We’re not,” he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Surprise.”

She shook her head in disbelief. “I’m so confused.”

“Look, I know that you’ve never been camping before, and I really wanted you to come along, but I knew that you were a little uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping outside.”

“You did this for me?”

“Of course,” he said in a low voice, before pressing a kiss to her temple. “You agreed to come because you knew it would make me happy. The least I could do was make sure that you would be comfortable.”

“But I just…accused you of being a serial killer. And I threatened to beat you up.”

“Because I spent an hour and a half leading you in circles around the woods and deflecting your questions to throw you off.”

She blinked a few times, unable to slow her pounding heart or her racing mind. “I don’t know what to say.”

“How about we go check it out?”

“Okay,” she nodded.

The walk across the field was much easier than their trudge through the woods. 

“My truck is actually parked right over there.” He pointed to the right, and though it was hard to see, there was a parking lot just past the furthest cabin on that side. He then pointed to the furthest cabin on the left. “We’re staying in that last one on the left.”

“How did I not see any of these?” she asked, dumbfounded.

“Because I parked on the far end and took you through the woods, behind the cabins. If I had wanted you to see them, you would’ve.”

“This isn’t technically camping, you know,” she pointed out. 

“It’s glamping,” he smirked. “Besides, we can’t have you freezing to death out there.”

She frowned. “I just feel bad that you got jipped out of a real camping trip.”

“I didn’t get jipped out of anything,” he promised. “We can go hiking and fishing, we can build a campfire right outside of the cabin and look up at the stars, and best of all, you’re here with me - that’s the most important thing.”

In no time, they were walking up the stairs to the small deck of the cabin, where two chairs and a small table sat. He pulled a key out of his pocket and unlocked the door before leading her inside. It was much nicer than she anything she could’ve expected; a large, comfortable-looking bed in the far corner, and a couch near the front door. It was cozy and quaint, and the absolute opposite of sleeping in a tent in the middle of the woods. 

“It’s not fancy, but there’s a bed, and a bathroom, and a kitchenette,” he said, pointing out each of those areas as he said its name. “I already stocked up the fridge, and look! We have electricity and heat, but there’s also a fireplace and we can keep a fire going.”

She was at a loss for words, and frankly, a little disoriented. The boots, the cabin, it was all so unexpected and so...thoughtful. So romantic.

He glanced down at her face and squeezed her shoulder. “What’s on your mind?”

“I’m just a little shocked, that’s all,” she answered, her voice soft and shaky.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “I totally wasn’t expecting this and I’m a little overwhelmed, but in a good way.”

“Do you need to sit down?”

“No, no,” she said, frantically waving her hands around as she spoke. “It’s just that I agreed to come camping to make you happy, and even if I absolutely hated it, I’d still do it again because I know you love it and I love you so I want you to be happy all the time, of course, but then you turn around and do this amazing thing to make me happy, and even though I’ve known for a long time that you’re the person I want to be with for the rest of my life -”

“You want to spend the rest of your life with me?”

“More than anything,” she breathed. “I’ve never been so certain about something.”

“I feel the same way,” he cooed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I want a lifetime with you.”

“I didn’t even know that loving someone this much was possible,” she mumbled, reaching up to his face and gently brushing her thumb against his lips before settling it on his cheek. He leaned into her touch, pressing a kiss to her palm. “I really can’t believe that you did this.”

“You make me so unbelievably happy,” he confessed, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer to him; she closed her eyes, taking in his smell. He smelled vaguely of pine and body wash and sweat, and she was sure that she smelled the same. His leaned down, his breath was warm on her face when he whispered, “I’d do anything for you.”

She softly pressed her lips to his before leaning back to meet his gaze. “How about we make good on that promise, then?”

[flipomatic]

Closed Book Chapter 4

Chapter 1 Chapter 3

Author Note: We’re getting into some of that lumity now. Just a bit. I’ve made some assertions about the Blight parents in the last chapter and this one, which I really don’t have any grounds for. This is just how I think they might be, so I’m sure I will be proven wrong in later seasons of the show. Also, the current plan for the rest of the fic is to write and publish one chapter a day until it’s done.

___________________________________________________

The trip to The Knee was approved, with some conditions.

It almost didn’t happen due to the whole Emira and Ed being grounded thing, but her mother stepped up and convinced her father that it would be fine. Emira wasn’t sure how she had pulled that off, her father was notoriously stubborn, but she couldn’t complain with the result.

The conditions were that the three had to return without a single scratch on them, and the twins had to be unfailingly kind to their sister while escorting her.

Both of those conditions had been broken.

The trip itself hadn’t been nearly as safe as expected. The Owl Lady showing up with the human Luz brought a brand new level of danger to the group. As Mittens had complained once before, the human seemed to attract danger to herself.

Emira, Ed, and the Owl Lady had almost been eaten by a slitherbeast, which probably would’ve gone after Mittens and Luz once it finished digesting them. Luckily, the two kids came through and freed them. Amity used the new fire spell to do it, and Emira made sure to tell her how brave she’d been after. Ed ruined the moment a second later by ruffling Mittens’ hair.

Once the Owl Lady and Luz shot off into the distance, that left the Blight siblings to pack up and head back to town. Since Mittens had control of the spell, she could practice it safely at home with a bucket of water.

They went back to their tent and put all of their stuff back into packs. Once that was done, Ed folded the tent back to its regular size with a spell.

Once that was packed, they picked up their backpacks and set off towards town. The stuff was divided between the three of them, with some extra weight for Ed and Emira. It would take a couple hours of walking to get to town, since The Knee was far away.

“Are you sure I can’t bring the bat?” Ed asked as they started walking away from where their camp had been set up. He paused to look back over the trees, as if trying to spot something.

“You don’t still have it, do you?” Emira stopped next to him and asked with hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised.

Ed stuck his lower lip out in a pout. “No…” He said with a sigh. Emira reached over to pat him a couple times on the arm in a ‘there there’ kind of motion. It didn’t seem to help.

“C’mon let’s go!” Mittens called back to them from the trail a few meters away. She hadn’t stopped to discuss the bat and was now waiting at a distance.

“Alright.” Ed was still pouting as he gave in, moving to join Mittens on the trail. Emira followed, wishing the bat farewell in her head.

“Make sure to keep up.” Mittens said pointedly, looking first at Ed then at Emira as they reached her.

Ed raised one hand in a mock salute. “Yes Ma’am.” He had his usual smirk back in place. Emira followed suit, mimicking the salute.

Mittens rolled her eyes, then turned to set off down the trail. Emira glanced over at Ed and the two shared a chuckle before following.

“Before we get back, I think we need to get our story straight.” Mittens adjusted her bag on her back as she spoke, turning her head slightly so that the twins could hear her.

“Not that that’s a bad idea, but I’m surprised.” Ed sped up a little in order to walk next to Mittens. “Miss goody two shoes, suggesting we lie to our parents? What a twist.” He leaned in on Mittens for emphasis, so she fell a step behind to avoid him.

Emira cut in to bring the conversation back on track. “She’s right though, we can’t tell them that a slitherbeast almost ate us.” She shuddered at the punishment that might bring. Forget one month, they’d be grounded for the rest of their lives.

“We’d never see the light of day again.” Ed muttered, clearly imagining the same thing.

“Exactly.” Mittens said with a nod. “So we need to figure out what to tell them.”

“We should just say that you mastered the new spell without any trouble or danger.” Emira thought keeping it simple would be best. “No need to mention the slitherbeast or the Owl Lady.”

“I’m not sure which would be worse to them,” Ed added, “The Owl Lady or the slitherbeast.”

Mittens brow furrowed at that, her eyebrows moving closer together. “The slitherbeast for sure.”

“I’m with Mittens.” Emira had to agree. “Near death is far worse than covenless witches.”

“I don’t know.” Ed shrugged his shoulders. “That Owl Lady is a wanted criminal after all.”

“The Blight family will not associate with those below us!” Emira spoke loudly in a low pitch, imitating the way her father had said it many times.

“She’s been doing a good job teaching Luz.” Mittens interjected, but a moment later her eyes widened and a slight pink dusted her cheeks. “Or so I’ve heard.”

“Luz cast a pretty powerful spell today.” Ed mimicked the motion of the ice cannon rising from the ground with his hands. “It was weird how she cast it, looked like some kind of rune.”

Mittens nodded. “She draws glyphs, not any I’ve seen before though. I’m not sure how it works.”

Interesting, Mittens hadn’t seemed to like Luz at all back at the library. In fact, she’d been more upset about Luz reading her diary than the twins reading it. But now, she knew the basics of how her magic worked and had even talked about starting a book club together.

“You seem close to her now.” It wasn’t a question, but Emira was watching carefully for Mittens’ response.

A larger blush blossomed on Mitten’s cheeks as she turned to hide her face, far more than could be attributed to the cold. “N-not really. We’re going to be in the same class and I like to know my peers.” The stutter didn’t give her argument much validity. As Emira had suspected, there was clearly more going on between her sister and the human.

“Riiight.” Ed smirked, also not buying it. “Because you totally stop in the middle of training to wave at all your classmates.” Ah right, that was when he buried Mittens in the snow for not paying attention while they were sparring. She had stopped casting spells to wave at Luz. Very incriminating.

“I would.” Mittens insisted, digging one of her heels against the ground as she walked. Thinking back on what Emira knew about her other friends, she doubted it.

If Ed wasn’t part of this conversation, Emira might’ve pursued this topic further. She was quite curious about this new relationship with Luz and with how red Mittens’ face was getting. Unfortunately now probably wasn’t the best time to push the issue, but she couldn’t resist one small tease. “Hey, knock it off Ed. Let Mittens have her secrets.” Emira settled with that.

“That’s right.” Mittens huffed, before realizing exactly what was said and almost squeaking. “No, wait, there’s no secret.” Her eyes were wide as she waved her hands in a dismissive motion, that blush still easy to spot on her face.

“Fine, have it your way.” Ed shrugged and adjusted his pack, agreeing to drop the topic. He quickly bounced back with a new one. “Did you see that spell the Owl Lady used?” He mimicked the arm motion the Owl Lady made when she put the slitherbeast to sleep. “That was so cool, I wonder if we could learn it.”

“I think a sleep spell is part of the healing coven.” Emira mused, thinking about the way the spell was cast with a smaller circle and then pushed into a larger one.

“Oh right.” Ed frowned at that. “Too bad, the potential of being able to put someone to sleep is limitless.”

He was right, putting someone to sleep made pranking or tricking them a lot easier. “We can ask the teacher if there is anything like it in illusions.” Though Emira and Ed were excellent at illusion magic, they didn’t know every spell that existed.

Emira lifted one hand to her chin as she thought about the different spells she knew, trying to figure out if one could be applied this way. The best she could come up with was using the magic to knock someone out by force.

“You’re plotting something again.” Mittens had fallen back to her side, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

It was Emira’s turn to wave her hands dismissively. “I’m not, I swear.” She couldn’t help but grin when Mitten’s eyebrows popped up in doubt. Emira leaned in slightly. “Not yet that is.” She laughed, drawing another eye roll and a hint of a smile from her sister.

“We’ll plan later.” Ed matched her grin, probably already working out how to use illusion magic to knock people out.

“I want no part of this.” Mittens picked up the pace, speeding ahead of her siblings.

“You’ll miss all the fun.” Emira called after her, chuckling again when Mittens looked back and shook her head no.

“I think I’ll manage without it.” Though she sounded serious, Mittens looked like she was enjoying the banter.

Ed and Emira carried on a conversation after that about different illusion spells that might be useful in knocking someone out. They couldn’t think of one that wouldn’t cause physical harm to the victim, unfortunately. Though she walked a meter ahead of them, Mittens was definitely still listening in.

Soon the trio was out of the snow and onto the main road back to town.

Despite almost dying, they had a successful trip.

Chapter 5

[vampylovesaliens]

Pariah - p4

-echoes

Her father’s bow was still too large for her, heavy and difficult to hold steady as she took aim at the target he’d built at the base of a grassy knoll a fair distance ahead. But T’chendris-hlau was growing to be every bit as stubborn as her parents combined, and so she refused his help, determined to steady her aim on her own as she hauled back on an arrow. Just as her muscles began to protest the effort of maintaining it, she released the string and the arrow whistled across the meadow to embed itself with a crunch into the thick hide cover of the target. It was quite a bit off-center, but considering her earlier attempts hadn’t landed at all she was pleased with the improvement.

Kh’azu-hlau was similarly pleased, the warmth of his emotion reaching her even before the audible rumble of approval rolled from his throat. She could tell there was criticism--she could hear the murmurings of it in his mind, but it was the stuff of habit, his experience lending to his eye for detail. But those lessons were secondary to his desire to praise her now for her progress, and as she returned to where he sat he reached up to give her tresses a playful tug, his mandibles pulling back to give her a smile. “Well done, child. You’re determined--that’s good to see.” “Do you think I’ll be ready to Hunt with you by the time you heal?” She took a seat beside him, gesturing to his leg. He’d returned from one of his outings with a deep gash, dangerously close to the artery running through the limb. It was the first time she’d seen him truly wounded, worse than the few scuffs and scrapes that were more or less typical when he would return. He rattled irritably a moment, eyeing the dressing that covered his injury. “We’ll see. You’re still young, daughter; some prey is still beyond you.”

She started to protest, certain that she was ready to handle anything bigger than the small critters she now regularly hunted both alone and with her mother, when a flicker of movement caught her eye and she looked away to follow it, blinking curiously. There, among the hills, stood another Yautja. In the bright sunlight that made her albino eyes struggle to focus it was little more than a silhouette standing there stock-still, watching them from a distance. “Taka, it’s--” The words caught in her throat as her vision adjusted finally, the face of the Yautja in the field a hollow ruin, blood still dripping down his front though it never seemed to reach the ground, one broken mandible still attached, twitching weakly.

Kh’azu-hlau reached out, catching her arm and pulling her back to face him, letting her bury her face against his chest with a frightened hiss. “Calm yourself, child. It is just an echo.”

“A w-what?” She mumbled, unwilling to lift her face for fear the gruesome sight would be there where her father’s face was. “What happened to him? Who is he?”

“You and I bear a great gift, yes?” He smoothed a thumb over the edge of her crest, a soothing rattle humming in his throat. “...Well, in some ways it is also a curse. The echoes are part of that. This is our punishment, the way it balances itself. To use this gift as a weapon makes an echo of its victims, so we never forget, and never grow too comfortable in wielding it.”

“So..you did that to him?” She finally looked up, glad that it was her father’s face still that greeted her. He regarded her solemnly for a moment before nodding, his claws brushing along her tresses again. “Yes. And I would do it again, even knowing he’d leave an echo behind.”

She stared at him for a moment, trying to understand. Then she allowed her gaze to shift, looking out into the meadow. The dead Yautja was gone, the grass swaying lightly under the breeze. But the image remained clear in her mind, settling into an uneasy pit in her stomach that lingered even after they packed up their things to return to the camp. It chased away her appetite, even, leaving her to pick mildly at her food while her parents spoke, their words distant as she remained lost in her own thoughts. As the dead Yautja remained there in her thoughts there were details that were becoming familiar. A brand on his armor--it had once been emblazoned on his crest too, but that part of his skull had been destroyed. She had seen it before somewhere.

That evening as she sat, idly carving a bit of clay atop the hut’s roof, she felt a prickle down her spine that made her blood run cold. She lifted her gaze slowly, knowing what she’d see even before her eyes fell on the figure who stood at the edge of the camp, bloodied and silent, the edges of his form slightly blurry but the details within still starkly clear. She swallowed hard, her mandibles tight across her teeth as she forced herself to face the terrible figure. Yautja did not flee from the visage of death, her mother told her--death was part of the Hunt, the other side of the journey that was life. And it was her father who had killed him; the least she could do was to face him and understand the ‘echo’ that he had become. And then she remembered.

They had traveled all together to a trading post somewhere on the planet--it was not often that T’chendris-hlau herself got to go anywhere, so it had been a thrilling little adventure. They had not been the only Yautja visiting the trade hub though, which had set her father in particular on edge. He grew tense and gruff, keen to get his business handled quickly and get the supplies they’d come for without dawdling. T’chendris-hlau noted the difference between her parents; her father’s evasive and hostile manner contrasted with her mother’s almost bold indifference, her back straight and eyes fierce as she regarded their kin in passing, keeping her daughter close with a hand on T’chendris-hlau’s crest. They were clanless, she knew that much--not that it really meant anything to her--but her mother’s clan emblem was still obvious on her brow and it commanded respect, if nothing else.

She had not been allowed to go near the other Yautja, who were only stopping for a refuel of their ship and to grab some extra supplies, much like they were. She could only watch them anxiously from a safe distance, waiting while her parents loaded their own cargo. The other Yautja made her nervous anyway; the way their eyes focused coldly on her and her father--it made her feel as if she’d committed some terrible crime despite never seeing them before, despite being only a child still. Their minds, as much as she dared to touch in curiosity, roiled with dark feelings that made her afraid. Her parents had told her than she and her father were strange among their people, that their difference, their gift, their mutation, was something regarded with fear and uncertainty by the rest of their people. Kh’azu-hlau had long since accepted his status as an outsider and even embraced it now. But T’chendris-hlau did not know enough to have done that for herself yet, and to have her own kin despite her on sight was not something any child could comprehend.

But as she waited she noticed something, another child among the group that was still getting their affairs in order. A pup around her age, she could only roughly guess--he paced away from the others while she watched, picking up a stick and experimentally swinging it as he moved alongside the wall of the docking bay, play-sparring with his shadow. T’chendris-hlau rocked back on her heels, torn by a yearning for companionship and the urge to obey her parents. The childlike yearning won out in the end and she cautiously trotted away to approach the other child. His eyes flashed warily when she appeared, timid and awkward as she bowed her head in a greeting, but he was young--too young to understand that she was wrong--and so after the initial surprise at her unexpected appearance he broke the stick in half and tossed part of it to her, the two of them easily engaging in a playful battle.

For a moment she felt a warmth in her, a sense of...almost relief, in a way--she only had her parents, after all. She had never had a friend outside of them. And while they had only just met it was impossible not to think that maybe she and this other pup could find a way to be friends even with distance between them. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad if his clan only got to know her own fam--

The illusion was shattered all too soon, the clack of their sticks having drawn the wrong attention. She only had a moment to notice the large figure approaching before a great claw backhanded her, sending her small and fragile form flying against the wall while the great Yautja bellowed furiously. “Away from my pup, little freak!” There may have been more to follow but she didn’t hear it, the Yautja promptly struck down as her mother appeared with a howl of rage, bodily tackling the other female down. T’chendris-hlau curled up tight, her head throbbing from the strike she’d been given, and she peered through the narrow space between her arms to see the pup she’d been playing with being ushered away to rejoin his clan. Nearby the enraged snarls and bellows of her mother and her attacker told her they were still embroiled in furious combat, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the jagged blade that sprouted from the end of a spear, held by one of the other clans’ warriors. He drew it back, ready to skewer M’tendris as she fought the other Yautja who dared to strike her child, and T’chendris-hlau lifted her head to call a warning to her mother as she realized what was about to happen.

It never did, though. Instead there was a strange...warping sensation, as if the world around her shook and then was steadied again, a deep thump that was half sound and half sensation rocking her, followed by a hideous crunch and a spray of glowing blood that spattered the ground alongside her. But before she could even look, her father’s arms were around her, lifting her from the ground and barking a stream of curses that were lost in a cacophony of horrified and infuriated snarls that faded behind them as he bolted for the ship. Whatever had happened, M’tendris had used it as a chance to get free of her own battle, the rage in her eyes replaced with a strangely shaken expression that only softened when Kh’azu-hlau pushed their child into her arms once they were aboard the ship, taking his own place at the controls to get them away from the port as quickly as possible.

The echo now stood there before her, the gory crater that had once been his face evident of how his life had halted. He’d been ready to kill her mother--who had only been fighting to defend her child in the first place, and so her father had killed him first. T’chendris-hlau grumbled uneasily as it all fell into place, tearing her gaze away finally to look back at the clay block in her hand. This echo was tied to her somehow--she’d been there when he died, and so her mind was linked to the event as her father’s was. The solemn tone in his words still stuck with her, that he would do it again if he had to. She had a sudden sense that it was not a new event for him, and with that came a morbid curiosity.

How many echoes existed that she COULDN’T see? Never had he indicated that he saw things that troubled him, but she had noticed times when his mind seemed more reserved, his thoughts harder to reach and too blurry to interpret. She thought of his injured leg, and how he evaded the topic when she asked how it had happened. Was whatever--or WHOever--that had wounded him now just another echo?

[buoyantsaturn]

Bring On The Monsters (6/8)

chapter title: They Take a Moving Truck to Vegas

word count: 1,515

read on ao3

Nico was woken up by a rustling sound, and sat up on the couch to find Bianca on the floor in front of him. She had dumped the contents of the backpack from Ares and seemed to be sorting through it all. It was food, mostly, and a wad of cash, plus a small pile of gold coins.

“Bia?” Nico whispered, keeping his voice down since Will still appeared asleep across the way.

She turned her head and smiled at him. “Are you hungry? Ares gave us some food.” Nico nodded, and she passed him a small package of Oreo cookies. “If you ever need anything, just ask, okay? But this time, I’m going to be in charge of handing stuff out, so we don’t run out like last time.”

Nico frowned at her as he ripped open the package. “You don’t need to be so mean to him.”

Bianca rolled her eyes. “Why not? He’s an idiot.”  

“So am I,” Nico shot back. “And he’s the only one who knows what we’re supposed to be doing out here. And… He’s my friend.”  

“Yeah, sure,” she scoffed. “Don’t forget about the prophecy, Nico. Betrayed by one who calls you friend. How many friends do we have between us at this point? I won’t trust him until this whole thing is finally over and done with.”

That reminder suddenly made Nico a lot less interested in his cookies.

Then, a few minutes later, his friend woke up. It only took a little bit of nudging to convince Bianca to give Will his own pack of cookies for breakfast. Then there was tension.

Nico nudged her again when Bianca started glaring, and he hissed, “Be nice!”  

Without bothering to whisper, Bianca replied, “I just don’t see why Chiron couldn’t make a more experienced camper come with us.”

Hurt flashed in Will’s eyes, and Nico could only watch as he seemed to curl up into a ball. “Chiron can’t force anybody to go on a quest,” Will muttered in reply.

“He forced Nico,” Bianca shot back.

“No, he didn’t,” Nico told her. “I went willingly, and so did you. And if it wasn’t for Will, then we’d be all on our own out here.”

Bianca huffed. “Well, what about that Annabeth girl? She seemed so desperate to go on a quest until she found out that we were going. Maybe if I had backed out, then you would have two responsible campers on your team.”

Will didn’t take the bait. Instead, he told them, “Annabeth has already been out in the real world with two kids of the Big Three. It didn’t go well for her. If I was smart, I probably wouldn’t have come, either, but I did because Nico’s my friend.” He shot Bianca a glare, and missed the way that Nico flinched.

“There are other Big Three kids?” Nico asked.

“There were,” Will replied. “They were all trying to make it to camp together. Annabeth, and Luke, the Hermes cabin counselor, and Percy, a son of Poseidon, and Thalia, daughter of Zeus. They almost died, like, a bunch of times, and Thalia knew that it was because her and Percy smelled too good to the monsters, so she left them behind. She joined this group of hunters; they pledge their loyalty to Artemis, and they become immortal until they die in battle. She thought that leaving the others would mean they would be safer, but… Thalia was the strongest out of all of them. They were lucky they made it to camp at all, I guess.”

“What happened to Percy?” Bianca asked.

Will pulled his legs closer to his chest. “You know that willow tree at the camp’s border? That’s where Percy died. He sacrificed himself to save Annabeth and Luke, and… I mean, I wasn’t at camp, so I only know this from what Annabeth told me, but… She said that she prayed to Poseidon as Percy was dying, and Poseidon turned him into that tree, so he never... really died, I guess. And Thalia’s still alive, too, but nobody’s seen her since. So, I mean, maybe she isn’t still alive.”

“You…” Nico couldn’t seem to find his voice at first. “You knew you might die, and you still came with us?”

Will shrugged again. “Well, sure. Anybody could die on any quest. I mean, this one time, Charlie went on a quest with two other people, but he was the only one that came back alive. Now that I think of it, I think he had to go to California for his quest, too.”

Bianca had gone pale at some point, practically as white as a ghost as she wondered if there was any way that she might be able to contact those hunters of Artemis.

The next time the moving truck stopped, the three demigods scrambled to gather up their things and made a hasty exit from the back of the truck. And if a few boxes happened to tumble out with them, well, hopefully the owners had insurance.

They’d jumped out at a red light, apparently, and had to run off the road so they weren’t hit by oncoming traffic. Bianca, though, kept running even after they were safely on the sidewalk, so Nico and Will had no choice but to follow. When Nico shouted after her to slow down, she replied, “We need to find some place to figure out our next move!” And she continued weaving through the crowded sidewalks.

Will grabbed Nico’s hand and shouted, “In here!” Nico barely had a chance to grab Bianca with his other hand before Will was dragging him into the open door of a hotel, the air conditioning pumping cool, sweet-smelling air onto them.

Something about that smell had Nico’s hair standing on end, and when he finally took a second to glance around, he felt like he might throw up. He squeezed Bianca’s hand, but she seemed to be frozen in horror.

“This is awesome,” Will whispered, his hand slipping out of Nico’s as he started to move forward. “Look at all those video games! Nico, can we take a break for a few minutes? I really wanna try that one.”

He tried to take another step away, but Nico yanked him back by the sleeve of his shirt and told him, “No, not here, we have to--”

“Hi there!” somebody said off to their left, causing Nico and Bianca to jump, though Will simply smiled and waved politely. “Welcome back to the Lotus Hotel, you two! How long will you be staying with us this time?”

Nico tugged on Bianca’s hand. She told the man, “Uh, sorry. Wrong hotel.”

The man smiled creepily, almost menacingly, down at them. “Why, that can’t be right. We’ve missed you here, Miss di Angelo, and we already have your usual room ready and waiting for you! And what’s this--” He pulled a black credit card out of his pocket, and even without reading it, Nico knew that it had Bianca’s name printed across the front. “It’s your all expenses-paid card! I’m sure you’ve missed this just as much as we’ve missed you. So go on, take it, and we’ll have you three settled into your room in no time at all.”

Nico watched in horror as Bianca’s hand started to rise, like she was actually going to take the man up on it, so Nico snatched the card away before she could. In the next second, he grabbed his sister and his friend and dragged them back out the door, then a few blocks down the road, just to be safe.

The second they stopped moving, Bianca started sobbing. It took Nico only a moment to realize that, while it had been morning when they ran inside, it was now nearing sunset. Before he could mentally debate how much time could have possibly passed inside the lobby of the Lotus, Will turned on him and yelled, “What was that for? He was offering us a room, for free! We at least could’ve, like, spent the night and recharged!”

Rather than stopping to argue, Nico focused on his sister, pulling her around the corner so that they were off the main sidewalk and had some semblance of privacy. She leaned back against a wall and slid to the ground, Nico following after her and resting his head on her shoulder.

Will followed after them, though he stayed on his feet, frowning down at them. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve been there before,” Nico told him quietly. “It’s...not a good place.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Will asked.

Nico glanced up at him. “Do you know what the date is?”

Will’s frown deepened in frustration, and he shrugged. “I don’t know. June...sixteenth, maybe?”

Beside him, Bianca croaked, “What year?”

“2005.”

Nico flinched, and felt his sister beside him doing the same. They traded a look - of fear, of sadness, of understanding - then Bianca wiped her tears away. She took a deep breath before confessing, “The first time we went into that hotel, it was 1939.”

thanks for reading!!

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[ehenyeoongg]

TATTOO

Pairing: Idol Johnny x Tattoo artist reader

Word Count: 1.4k

Synopsis: The outbreak of the Covid-19 virus meant lockdown, impulsive decisions and sex. Of course you, being Johnny's girlfriend, had to entertain him when he was bored and Mark wasn't around.

"Babe" You were scrolling through Instagram as you lay on the bed with your boyfriend's head on your stomach.

"Hmm?"

"I want a tattoo."

"Johnny, you can't just get a tattoo on impulse just because you're bored and there's nothing else to do. You could play video games or hang out with Mark or something, anything but a tattoo. SM will kill me if they find out." you put your phone down as he got up off your stomach to lay his head in your lap.

"But I've done almost everything with Mark! We made a song, made a video, we camped indoors.. I'm running out of ideas. I would dye my hair pink, but the stylist noonas said they will literally kill me if I do anything to my hair." you ran your fingers through his newly dyed red hair and sighed.

Johnny had been dying to get a tattoo since forever. He accompanied you to get your tattoos every time and was most interested in your designs, He especially loved the huge piece of art you had running down your thigh. You designed it yourself, but had to get one of your friends to tattoo it onto your thigh. Although you were a skilled tattoo artist, inking your artwork on yourself wasn't an easy task.

---

"What do you want tattooed this time?" Jungmin asked as you walked into the shop. Although you were the co-owner of the shop, you rarely came down to the shop. You only designed the tattoos and sent it to Jungmin. Everything else was handled by your best friend, who was skilled in seducing innocent lambs to do his work for him.

"Ah, this time I'm not the client." You motioned to your boyfriend. "He's your client."

"Won't SM-"

"We're getting it tattooed on his back. Where it will be covered by whatever stage outfit his stylists will give him."

"What if they put him in a see-through shirt? What are you gonna do then?" You looked up at Johnny. You hadn’t thought that far.

"Nah.. I won't wear it then. They don't even give me enough lines. I'm not exposing my body just to get more lines and- What?" He saw the look you were giving him.

"Yeah right. What happened with Neo Zone? You had your abs and arms on display. They literally gave you nothing but a vest and some bandage tape stuff."

"Hey, relax. I promise they won't discover the tattoo. Because it will be tattooed.." he trailed off and looked down. You followed his line of sight.

"No." you stepped away from him.

"On my thigh. What were you thinking sweetheart? Anyway, only you will be able to see it." he had his hand on your waist as he pulled you closer.

"I'm out. If you want it tattooed on your thigh, Y/N can do it." Jungmin walked out, leaving both of you alone.

"Your ears are red." he teased, pinching your ears.

"Stop it." you pushed him away and walked over to the table. You pulled out the folder with all your designs in it and gave them to Johnny.

"Choose one,"

---

After 4 hours, the tattoo was almost done. You dabbed away at the design.

"Beautiful." it was simple, but you wouldn't call it beautiful. You looked up. Johnny was staring at you and you realised the position you were in. You cleared your throat and looked away as you got up. Johnny held your shoulders and made you kneel again.

"Johnny." he sighed and leaned back against the chair. Johnny now had a tattoo running across his thigh. He knew it would be the safest place to have a huge tattoo since he rarely wore shorts and ripped jeans anyway. So as long as the tattoo ended a few inches above his knee, he was safe.

You were touching up on the small details of the tattoo on his inner thigh and that was when you felt his gaze again. His eyes were filled with lust as he admired you with your shoulder length hair tied back and your gloved fingers pressing against his inner thigh, making him feel things. He had been trying to hold it in for so long, but he couldn't. He pulled you back up and pressed your ass against his clothed dick.

"I'm almost done." He still had a firm grip on your waist.

"Ugh, but I can't hold it any longer.." he whined and let go of you.

"Wait till we get home." And so he did. After you finished wrapping his tattoo, you cleaned up and walked out of the room.

"I hope all you did in there the past five hours was get a tattoo." Jungmin walked out of the other room.

You had first met Johnny three years ago, when he accompanied one of his friends to get a tattoo. After that, Johnny would sneak out of his dorm or training rooms just to see you and meet you in the same room every day. The room always ended up a mess and there were times when Jungmin had walked in on the both of you in the middle of your business.

You gave him a glare and walked out with Johnny's hand in yours.

---

"Careful with your hands." Johnny teased you as you applied the cream on his tattoo. He watched your hands eagerly as you spread the cream over his inked skin.

"Stop it. No sex until after this heals. I don't want to risk you getting any tattoo infections" he whined.

"How long does it take to heal?" 

"Depends. This took me longer than a month to fully heal." you tapped your thigh where the tattoo roughly the same size as Johnny's was.

"No sex for a month?" his eyes widened, "I regret my decisions. I'm never getting a tattoo again." He pulled you to sit on his other thigh as he hugged your waist and rested his chin on your shoulder.

"Suh Johnny, you've gone months without sex during your tours and promotional periods, but just one month of this stupid lockdown and you're getting hornier than ever."

"But that's only because I don't know when else I'm gonna do you again. We're having comebacks even during this period, your boyfriend's only gonna get busier.." he pouted, but you refused to give in to his pleas.

"Fine, I'll wait until this heals." he gave up negotiating.

---

After the end of the lockdown period, Johnny and NCT did get busier. His schedule was jam-packed, but he still didn't forget the promise he made to you.

"Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at the dorm or some-" he pushed you against the wall.

"What's wrong, baby?" you touched his face.

"Remember your promise?" What promise? What was he talking about? He suddenly appears out of nowhere and asks you about a promise.

You shook your head. "The tattoo's healed now."

'Oh, that promise.' you suddenly remembered.

'Oh no, that promise.' your eyes widened in fear. Johnny was usually very gentle when it came to sex. But since you had put him off for a whole month, there was no doubt he was going to be the total opposite of gentle.

"Babe, I'm not feeling well, I'm on my-"

"Don't try to lie to me. I know it's your safe day today."

"But I-" he interrupted you with his lips. He was kissing you roughly since he was hungry. He hadn't tasted you in a month and had been trying to control himself. But he couldn't help but turn into a beast when he saw you. His hands trailed along your curves and landed on your breasts. He cupped one in his huge hands and fondled with it underneath your shirt as his tongue fought with yours.

"J-Johnny." you moaned out as he placed kisses on your jaw.

"Bed." you managed to choke out as he bit and sucked at the skin on your neck.

As you had predicted, Johnny went rough on you the entire night, not letting you rest until you came more than thrice.

---

"Did you really have to go that rough?." you woke up in his arms the next day. He pulled you closer to his chest and groaned.

"I missed you."

"Correction, you missed having your dick in my vagina. How are you still so hard?" you felt his dick poking at the back of your thighs. He shrugged and you saw the look in his eyes.

"Round Three?" he asked.

"Four, you mean." he took it as a signal to thrust himself back into you.

[what did i just write?]

! image credits to owner !

[hysterialevi]

His Name Was Isaac - Ch. 15

Fanfic summary: During a mission to avenge his mother’s death, Isaac hunts down the men responsible for her murder and kills them off one-by-one, only to discover that his last target is taking refuge among the Van der Linde gang. In an attempt to kill them, Isaac attacks the gang and unknowingly becomes enemies with his own father, who is in the process of fighting his own battle for redemption.

Point of view: third-person

Previous chapter | Next chapter

This story is also on AO3

THE NEXT DAY

GRIZZLIES WEST

Resting a hand on the journal’s worn pages, Dutch hesitated to turn to the next chapter as he thought back on the things he’d just read, wondering where everything went wrong.

Just this morning, he finally took the time to sit down and skim through some of Arthur’s private thoughts, only to end up discovering that they were much worse than he expected.

It was evident from the entries that Arthur lost his faith in their gang years ago. His words had no motivation behind them. No hope. No purpose.

They were all just so... bleak, and so full of finality.

It only made Dutch wonder if things were always meant to end this way. If, perhaps, Arthur was meant to turn on him from the start.

He knew the man wouldn’t be able to stick around forever. No one would. Not even Hosea. But the fact that he lost Arthur so quickly and so easily made Dutch question if there was ever a true relationship between them.

If there was, he would’ve given anything to get it back.

“Boss!” Micah’s voice suddenly barked from behind, leading Dutch to look up from the journal.

“What is it?” He asked, still somewhat preoccupied.

The other man sniffed, strolling in his direction through thick snow.

“...We got a problem, Dutch. It’s Bill.” Micah stepped next to him, letting out a disappointed sigh. “I think... he’s cut loose.”

Dutch snapped his head towards Micah in surprise, furrowing his brow.

“What? What do you mean he’s cut loose?”

Micah gestured towards the horizon, casually explaining his thought process.

“I saw some tracks leadin’ to the south from where I sent Bill to investigate last night. His horse is gone too. You ask me, I think he made a run for it. Probably decided to make his way back to New Austin. Try to survive on his own in the desert. He certainly talked about it a lot.”

“You sure it wasn’t somebody else’s tracks?”

The outlaw chuckled. “Who else could it have been? The Pinkertons? They’re mean bastards, I’ll give you that, but I reckon we’re the only ones crazy enough to actually come out here, Dutch. No... I’m pretty sure it was Bill.”

Dutch firmly shut the journal closed, storming off into the distance. “Dammit...! That goddamn coward.”

Micah gazed after him, shrugging in confusion. “You wanna try findin’ him?”

The older man coughed before waving a dismissive hand. “No. We’re here for Arthur and Isaac. No one else. If Bill wants to leave us behind and freeze to death in these mountains, then so be it.”

“Of course, of course. But you should know, Dutch... it’s gonna be trickier, now that it’s just the two of us. ‘Cause as much as I hate Arthur and his lil’ brat, I can’t deny that them boys know how to fight. I mean, look at what they did to my goddamn eye.”

Dutch glanced down at the journal, mindlessly tightening his grip on it. “...I’ll fight Arthur myself if need be. I raised him ever since he was a boy. I know how he thinks.”

The man coughed a few more times, his strength wavering with every jagged breath as the wind howled loudly around them.

“...Listen, son,” Dutch continued, his tone much softer now, “I don’t know how all this is gonna end. I don’t know if... Arthur will kill me, or if the tuberculosis will, but... whatever happens, I appreciate you stayin’ by my side this whole time. You’ve always had my back ever since you joined us, and I won’t forget it.”

Micah grinned, his eyes dark with insincerity. “Of course, Dutch. You’re practically family to me now. There ain’t much I wouldn’t do for you.”

Dutch nodded in reassurance. “I know, son. I know.” 

Slipping the journal back into his satchel, Dutch walked over to his horse and began mounting up, eager to continue his search for Arthur while the day was still young.

“C’mon, Micah.” He beckoned. “We’ve got one last score to settle.”

~~~~~~~~~~

MEANWHILE

NEAR LAKE ISABELLA

“Here,” Isaac said, handing a warm mug to Arthur as the campfire crackled between them. “Drink this.”

The man took the cup in hand, curiously examining the dark liquid inside. “What is it?”

“It’s... medicine, I guess you could say,” Isaac answered. “I made it from some herbs I picked. I was gonna brew it when we got done fishing yesterday, but I never had the chance. It should calm your cough down a bit.”

Arthur raised the mug in appreciation, beaming at the boy. “Thanks, kiddo.”

Isaac held up a hand just before his father could consume the drink, giving him a last-minute warning.

“Oh, um, just so you know -- it’s probably gonna taste like shit.”

Arthur chuckled, bringing the mug to his lips. “Yeah, I figured as much. That tends to be the case with most medicines. Though, it can’t be worse than salted offal.”

He took a sip, immediately grimacing from the bizarre taste. “Jesus Christ, you wasn’t kidding. What kinda herbs did you make this with?”

Isaac smirked at his father’s disgusted expression. “English Mace and Alaskan Ginseng. They’re pretty hard to find in Ambarino, but they’re a common mixture when it comes to curing illnesses. I remember mom always used to make this when I got sick.”

Arthur cocked a brow in interest. “Did she?”

The boy smiled fondly at the memory. “Yeah. I’d always get nervous whenever I saw her makin’ it in the kitchen ‘cause I knew it would taste horrible. But... I can’t really complain. It did its job, after all.”

The older man nodded in a nostalgic manner. “Yep. Eliza always had a knack for takin’ care of people. I remember she’d fret over me every single time I came home, lookin’ to see if I had any stray bullets stuck in me and whatnot.” A sigh escaped Arthur. “Your mother was such a sweet woman. She didn’t deserve the stress I put her through.”

Isaac gave Arthur a gentle look, reminiscing about his times with Eliza. “...She loved you, you know.”

Arthur cupped the warm mug in his hands, setting it down for a moment. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. Mom always talked about you whenever you was away. She could never say much since she didn’t want me to know about your work, but I could tell she missed you. She was never angry, though. She understood why you couldn’t be around.”

Arthur felt a tinge of guilt. “...Did you?”

“Not at the time,” Isaac admitted. “But I do now. You had people to look after. A gang to protect. You couldn’t just abandon them.”

The older man glanced at the ground in remorse. “I guess that’s true. But I still wish I could’ve protected you and Eliza. You were in danger, and I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

Isaac shook his head in disagreement. “It was four men against a woman and her child. Even if you had been there, you probably just would’ve gotten shot with her. And trust me, that’s not what mom woulda wanted. For either of us.”

Arthur found some peace in those words. “...Maybe you’re right.”

Falling into silence for a moment, the two of them quietly enjoyed each other’s company as snowflakes gently fluttered down from the sky, painting the ground around them with a new layer of snow.

The weather was getting colder in this region, or so it felt. It was probably due to the fact that they were further up north than before, but the sun seemed to appear less often these days, and Isaac couldn’t remember the last time he saw anything apart from dying grass and naked trees.

It just made the boy wonder how much longer they had until they’d reach Canada’s border. He had never been anywhere outside of the United States, so the idea of finding freedom in a different country was admittedly daunting for him... but he knew they had to do it.

There was nothing left for them in America. Both of their gangs had scattered to the winds, and it was more than obvious that the age of outlaws was finally dying out. 

Civilization was moving on without them, and if they didn’t catch up, they wouldn’t survive. It was a sad truth about their lives, but one they had to accept.

“Hey, Dad,” Isaac said. “I gotta ask. Did you... hear what Bill said last night? About Dutch bein’ sick with TB?”

Arthur nodded, his tone more serious now. “Yep. It would explain why we’ve both been coughin’ so much.”

The boy sighed. “...I’m sorry. I wish there was somethin’ I could do.”

The older man coughed into his elbow a few times. “You’ve done more than enough, Isaac. Don’t go blamin’ yourself, now. We talked about this.”

“I know,” Isaac replied. “It’s just... hard to accept, you know?”

Arthur took another sip of his drink. “I understand.”

Finishing the rest of his medicine, Arthur put the empty mug down and stood up from his seat, stretching out his arms as he began gathering their stuff.

“Hey, Isaac, why don’t you go make sure the horses are ready? I think it’s time we get movin’ again. We’ve been stuck here long enough.”

The boy followed his father’s actions and headed over to the hitching posts, helping to pack up their camp.

“Okay. You think this weather will hold up? It got pretty bad last night. I just hope there won’t be another storm blowin’ through here before we can... we can...”

Stopping mid-sentence, Isaac’s voice suddenly trailed off into silence as the young man noticed something in the distance, leading Arthur to follow his gaze.

“Isaac?” He called out. “Everything okay?”

The man glanced at Arthur, his tone now low with caution. “Dad, I think I see Pinkertons.”

Taking hold of his gun, the older man instantly strode over to Isaac’s side and stepped protectively in front of him, looking to see who it was approaching them from the horizon.

Their uniforms certainly resembled that of the Pinkertons, but unlike before, it wasn’t just Edgar Ross and Agent Fordham. This time, it looked like they had an entire group of men riding with them, ready to take Arthur and Isaac in at a moment’s notice.

Arthur whispered quietly to the young man as the Pinkertons rode in their direction, making sure to keep his movements subtle.

“Keep your gun close, boy. And be ready to ride when I say so.”

Isaac nodded, taking position near the horses. “Got it.”

Standing his ground, Arthur readied his pistol as the Pinkertons got closer to their camp, causing a trail of snow to wildly spray behind their mounts.

So far, no one was shooting at them, so Arthur took that as a sign that the Pinkertons wanted them alive. But based on the heavy amount of security Ross had brought with him this time, he assumed that lethal force was no longer out of the question.

Arthur would have to do his best to keep things peaceful. There weren’t a lot of places for them to hide out here, and if anyone started firing, he and Isaac would be caught dead in the open.

It was unlikely that they’d be able to run away from this without a fight, but for the sake of not getting Isaac killed, Arthur was sure as hell going to try.

He just had to trust that the boy would do the same.

“Mr. Morgan.” Agent Ross greeted upon reaching the camp, remaining mounted on his horse. The rest of the Pinkertons lined up beside him, keeping their rifles at the ready.

“I’m surprised to see you all the way out here,” Edgar confessed. “I didn’t think you’d risk trying to survive out in this cold, but it seems Mr. Bell was correct.”

That caught Arthur off-guard. “You spoke with Micah?”

The Pinkerton casually adjusted his sleeves, straightening the cuffs. “Regrettably, yes. Not too long ago, actually. He was quite the informant. Said he didn’t know exactly where to find you, but that he suspected you were wandering somewhere in Grizzlies West. Looks like he knew what he was talking about. For once.”

Arthur grunted at that. “I’m sure he did.” He coughed a number of times, trying to stifle it as he spoke. “Look, what d’you want? It’s clear you ain’t just here to chat.”

Edgar’s eyes narrowed. “No, I’m not. We’re done giving second chances, I’m afraid. Though, I’ve given you far more than that, haven’t I?”

The agent took a few steps forward, signaling the other Pinkertons to brace themselves.

“Look, Mr. Morgan, I know we’re both tired of having this same conversation over and over again. Lord knows I am. But I need you to listen to me. Ideally, we would like to capture you alive and have you face full justice, but I think it’s safe to assume by now that you’re not the type to cooperate with the law. Or with anyone, really.”

Ross held up a cautionary finger. “This is why I’m only giving you one last opportunity to comply. Surrender your weapons, and come with us peacefully. Do this, and you have my word that you and your son will not be harmed. Not for now, anyway. Once we return to civilization though, your lives will be in the hands of the law. You will both face a trial, and a judge will sentence you. What happens after that is up to them. If you refuse to surrender, however...”

The Pinkertons prepared their weapons, causing Isaac to grow restless in his position. Arthur threw a side-glance at him, reminding him to stay calm.

“...well,” Edgar continued, “I think you know what’ll come next.”

The outlaw scoffed at the meager offer, glaring at Ross in disbelief. “So, my only options are to either die right here, or let you drag me and my son all the way to Blackwater where you can parade us around before havin’ us swing? You really think that I’ll--” a cough interrupted him, “--that I’ll--”

Another series of coughs came bursting from Arthur’s throat, causing the man to keel over slightly as the Pinkertons watched him from their mounts, waiting for a response.

Meanwhile, Isaac stared at his father in concern and felt the need to rush over to him, but restrained himself out of fear of alarming the Pinkertons.

“...That’s quite a cough.” Edgar remarked plainly.

Arthur spat some blood onto the snow, wiping his mouth. “TB will do that to you. I got it from Dutch himself, apparently.”

“That’s a tough disease.”

“Sure. But it makes your job easier, I suppose.”

Edgar rested his arms on the saddle’s horn. “I know you see us as the bad guys, Mr. Morgan. We’re the ones threatening your livelihood, after all. But what’ll it take for you to see that you’re also threatening the livelihood of others? You people are all about violence, and living in the wild. Your code revolves entirely around one man and his gun versus another man. It’s survival of the fittest, put simply. It’s a living hell.”

Arthur shook his head. “You’re talkin’ philosophy with the wrong man, agent. I done some bad things in my time -- that, I won’t deny -- but I don’t care about any of that no more. Right now, only concern is my son. And as much as you and I may disagree, you are right about one thing. You are a threat to my son’s safety, and there ain’t nothin’ you can do that’ll convince me to let you lay your hands on him.”

The agent sighed in disappointment. “Well, unfortunately for you, there’s nothing that can stop us.”

Realizing that it was pointless trying to dissuade Arthur from the inevitable, Edgar decided to put an end to this chase and reached for his gun, swiftly pulling it out so that he could shoot the man.

Just before he could properly aim however, Arthur quickly caught wind of his intentions and hastily fired a stray bullet, shooting Edgar’s horse in the neck. The creature reared in panic and collapsed to the ground, causing the agent to be trapped under its massive body. 

Though, that didn’t stop the man from pulling the trigger. Despite the unexpected turn of events, Edgar still attempted to take a shot at the outlaw, and before Arthur even had time to react, he suddenly felt a sharp pain hitting him in the abdomen.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out what just happened.

“Father!” Isaac shouted in horror, hurrying to Arthur’s side. He fired two bullets into the line of Pinkertons, taking down an agent with each of them. 

Letting out a strained groan, the boy desperately dragged Arthur over to his horse as the agents continued to fire back at him, only to end up shooting a large tree that stood between them.

“Stay with me, Dad...!” Isaac urged, helping his father onto his horse.

Climbing onto the saddle in front of Arthur, the young man let loose another bullet in the Pinkertons’ direction before bolting off in the other, causing Agent Ross to yell after them.

“Goddammit!” He barked. “Don’t let them escape! And somebody help me out from under this horse!”

~~~~~~~~~~

A FEW MINUTES LATER

NORTHEAST OF LAKE ISABELLA, COLTER

Galloping frantically through the snow as the Pinkertons fervently chased after him, Isaac found himself riding into what looked an abandoned settlement not too far away from Lake Isabella, leading him to come to a halt.

The last thing he wanted to do right now was give the Pinkertons a chance to catch up to him, but with the state that Arthur was currently in, he needed someone to look after his wounds. 

There was already a worrying amount of blood staining the fabric of his shirt, and judging by the roughness of the man’s breathing, Isaac assumed the horse’s sporadic movement wasn’t helping him much either.

He hopped off of Aldo’s saddle, quickly bringing Arthur into his arms.

“I got you, Dad.” Isaac whispered, letting the older man lean on him as he headed inside one of the cabins. “Just hold on.”

Arthur groaned sharply at the pain piercing through him, struggling to keep up with the boy’s pace.

“...What the hell’re you doing...?” He wheezed, pressing a hand on his stomach where the bullet had hit him. “You need... to run...! The Pinkertons--”

“--I’ll worry about the goddamn Pinkertons later!” Isaac dismissed. “I ain’t lettin’ you die. Not like this.”

Kicking the cabin’s flimsy door open, Isaac practically hurled Arthur inside before shutting the entrance again, giving the older man some time to rest on the floor. They couldn’t hear any of the Pinkertons’ voices at the moment, but Isaac knew it wouldn’t be long before they picked up their trail again.

He crouched down next to Arthur, taking a closer look at his injury.

“Shit...” Isaac muttered under his breath, unsure of what to do. He fumbled through his pockets for a minute, desperately searching for anything that could’ve helped. “I... I have some bandages left. Here.”

Stretching the bandages into one long strip, Isaac tightly wrapped them around Arthur’s waist as the man hissed in pain, trying not to make too much noise lest the Pinkertons hear them. 

Blood was already starting to seep through the thin layers of white cloth, and with every agonizing second that slipped by, the more Arthur could feel his energy escaping him.

No, Arthur thought to himself. Not now. Not like this. He couldn’t give up. He just couldn’t. Not after fighting for so long. Not after finding his son after all these years.

He had to stay strong. For Isaac’s sake. The boy was counting on him to survive. He couldn’t die now. He refused to.

“...Dammit...!” Arthur cursed through clenched teeth as Isaac pulled on the bandages. “That son-of-a-bitch got me good...!” 

The outlaw’s body shook with another series of coughs, causing even more blood to gush from the open wound.

Isaac immediately placed his hands on top of the injury and pressed down, doing whatever he could to stop the bleeding. But it was no use.

The red liquid only ended up leaking through the cracks between his fingers, and by now, Arthur’s skin had transformed into an alarmingly pale color. 

His eye sockets were almost purple, and judging by how the man could barely walk right now, Isaac knew there wasn’t much of a chance of him getting out of this alive. But that didn’t mean he was willing to quit.

“Hold on, Dad...” the boy pleaded, “...please. Just hold on.”

“...Isaac...” Arthur groaned out, his voice grating against his throat. 

“You’re gonna be fine.” The boy insisted. “Don’t you give up on me now.”

The outlaw coughed weakly, struggling to get his next words out. “...Isaac, listen to me.”

“You’re gonna be fine.” He repeated, but Arthur knew what was coming. “We just... we just need to...”

“Isaac...!” He said more firmly, gripping the boy’s arm this time. “Listen to me.”

The young man fell silent, his eyes glossy with tears. He looked up at his father, fully aware of what the future held. 

“I’m... I’m dying, son.” Arthur said softly, almost sounding apologetic. “I can feel it. I know... this ain’t how we wanted things to end, but it’s what we’ve come to. It’s what we gotta deal with. You hear me...? I need you... to be strong, Isaac.”

The boy gazed downwards, unable to hide his true emotions. 

“I...I don’t know if I can, Dad. First mom, and now you? I can’t lose both of you. Not after we just found each other again.”

Arthur placed a hand on Isaac’s shoulder, urging the man to keep his composure. “I know it’s difficult, Isaac, but...” a cough rattled his chest, decimating what little energy he had left, “...I know you can still survive this. You’re strong. Much stronger than you realize. You just... have to keep pushing. Just for a little longer.”

Isaac shut his eyes, shaking his head in refusal. “...I ain’t goin’ to Canada without you, Dad. You’re outta your mind if you think I’m gonna leave you behind--”

“--You have to, Isaac...!” Arthur reiterated. “I wish things was different. I do. But look at me. I’m sick, I’m dying... I ain’t much use to anyone in this state. But you... you can still make it. You can still reach the border. You’ll be a free man. You’ll have the chance to start a new life for yourself. One that isn’t full of death, and violence, and fear. It’s the life your mother and I wanted for you.”

“But you said it yourself,” Isaac recalled. “What’s the point of survivin’ if you’ve got no one to care for?”

Arthur’s hand began to slide down Isaac’s shoulder, his exhaustion finally being reflected in his movement.

“You will find other people, Isaac. And besides, life don’t end just ‘cause you’re alone. I’m sure you’ll find someone you love. Someone who... you can start a family with.” A quiet chuckle escaped Arthur. “...Heh. Who knows...? You might even have a son of your own, someday. But whatever happens... you need to get out of Ambarino alive, first. You can’t stay here. You can’t... let me hold you back. You understand?”

Interrupted by the sound of men yelling at each other from outside, Isaac glanced out of one of the windows and suddenly noticed the large presence of Pinkertons closing in on the area, causing Arthur to reach for the boy’s hand.

“Isaac...!” He whispered urgently. “Tell me you understand.”

The young man gazed down at his father, still reluctant to leave him behind. The idea of leaving Arthur alone in the middle of these mountains tore Isaac apart with guilt, but deep down, he knew it had to be done if he wanted to live.

There were far too many Pinkertons for him to fight alone, and if they managed to corner him in this cabin, they’d both be finished.

Isaac would be shipped off to Blackwater to be executed, and all of Arthur’s efforts would’ve been in vain.

He couldn’t let that happen.

“...O-Okay.” The boy finally agreed, his voice trembling softly. “I’ll... I’ll go.”

Arthur appeared content with that and let out a relieved breath, his shoulders now slouching due to the fatigue quickly overtaking his body.

“...Thank you, Isaac.” he murmured weakly. 

Reaching for his satchel’s strap, Arthur slowly pulled the bag off and reached for his gun before handing both of them to Isaac, ensuring that the boy would have some supplies in the wilderness.

“It ain’t much...” Arthur said with a cough, “...but there’re some provisions left in here. They should keep you goin’ for a few more days. And take my pistol, too. You’ll need the extra firepower.”

Isaac cradled the last-minute gifts in his palms, staying quiet as his father lived out his final moments.

“Oh,” the older man remembered, “and there’s one last thing... I want you to take...”

Lifting a shaky hand up, Arthur gently gripped the dented crown of his hat and gave the accessory to Isaac, placing it so that it sat proudly on top of his head.

The hat looked like it was made for the young man, and for just a split second, Arthur almost felt like he was looking at a reflection of his younger self. Isaac had the same ruffled hair, the same blue eyes, and if he looked closely enough, Arthur could’ve sworn he saw some of Eliza’s features hiding behind his expression.

It was the perfect fit, just like when Arthur took the hat from his own father.

“You look just like me when I was younger,” the outlaw reminisced with a faint smile. “...Eliza would’ve been so proud of you. You’ve grown so much.”

Isaac’s sharp gaze softened a bit at the remark. “You think?”

“Well, I know I am.”

Letting his head lean back against the wall, Arthur finally decided to rest and and gazed up at the cabin’s decrepit ceiling, sighing in peace as Isaac stood up from the floor.

This wasn’t quite the death he imagined he would experience, but no matter how cold these mountains were, or how desolate their environment remained, Arthur still considered himself lucky for being able to be with his son in his final moments.

Part of him wished he could simply ignore the pain and follow Isaac out of these woods, but as the edges of his vision started to go black, the more reality began to sink in... and the more Arthur came to accept the fate that had been given to him.

His job in this world was done. His time with Dutch’s gang was over, and his responsibility as a father had been fulfilled. 

Isaac was his own man now. The boy still had much to learn about life and the people around him, but from now on, Arthur would have to trust that he would do the right thing in the future.

It was his journey to lead from this point, and Arthur could only hope that the kid had a better chance at life than he ever did.

It was the only thing he ever wanted for the boy. The only thing he and Dutch ever dreamed of.

Freedom.

“...Isaac...” Arthur whispered, his breath faltering with every syllable, “...if you see Dutch again.... tell him I never hated him. And I’m sorry I weren’t there when he needed me.”

The young man nodded in an assuring manner, trying his best not to break down in front of his father. “I will.”

“...Thank you, son...” The older man said quietly, letting his head tilt to the side. “Thank you.”

On the outside, he might’ve looked miserable to the boy, but on the inside, he was surprisingly content. Arthur found himself flipping through all his memories like an old photo album and recalled the days from when Dutch first met him, all the way to when he finally reunited with Isaac in Tall Trees.

There were so many emotions flowing through him. So many what ifs. So many things he wished he could’ve said when he still had the chance to say them.

He thought about his parents. He thought about Dutch and Hosea -- about their gang. He remembered the days they’d spend riding freely through the open deserts of New Austin, and the nights where they’d share stories around the campfire.

He thought about the years he spent falling in love with Mary. About the life he wished he could’ve had with her.

He remembered the pain of her absence when she decided to marry another man, and the happiness that quickly replaced it when he ran into Eliza a few years later.

But most importantly, Arthur remembered the day Isaac was born. He remembered the feeling of holding him for the first time, and wondering how on earth he was going to raise a family.

The boy was so innocent back then. So pure. He was completely untouched by the troubles of the world, and every time Arthur came home to visit, he’d feel at peace seeing his son’s face again... only to be forced to leave a few days later.

In the beginning, Arthur thought he’d never see Isaac again. He thought that Shay and his men had finished the kid off for good, and that he was condemned to be alone for the rest of his life.

And yet, here he was -- fifteen years later -- a full grown man, and fighting against the world entirely on his own, stronger than ever.

He carried a lifetime of sorrow and remorse with him, but Arthur knew that Isaac was still good at heart. The young man had the same compassion that Eliza held for others, and Arthur couldn’t have been prouder of the boy if he tried.

He loved him more than life itself, but now... he had to leave him behind. One last time.

Finally reaching the end of the road, Arthur welcomed the cold sensation that embraced him and calmly shut his eyes, falling still as one final breath escaped him.

His body was completely motionless now. Completely devoid of life. And the longer Isaac stared at the corpse of his father, the more he could feel warm tears welling up in his eyes. 

He was alone again. After all those years of seeking vengeance for Eliza’s death and finding the strength to move on from it, the process of mourning had reset itself.

It felt like the world around him had stopped turning, and despite the urgent threat of the Pinkertons lurking close by, Isaac couldn’t help but feel nothing except emptiness.

But he knew there was no time to grieve. Not right now. Arthur would’ve wanted him to get out of here safely, and he wouldn’t have wanted him to look back.

So, with one last farewell, Isaac said a brief goodbye to his father before heading for the cabin’s exit, and taking his leave from the abandoned town.

He felt like the same scared, little boy that watched Eliza die again, but this time, he wasn’t going to let others determine his fate for him.

He wasn’t going to allow anyone to control him like Shay or his gang did, and he wasn’t going to lose himself to vengeance.

The only thing he was going to do was reach the border, and he’d be damned if he let anyone stop him.

~~~~~~~~~~

OUTSIDE COLTER

Stepping back out into the unforgiving weather of Ambarino, Isaac removed himself from the confines of the cabin and began making his way back to Aldo, only to stop in his tracks when he noticed a man waiting for him outside.

The man was clearly a Pinkerton based on his uniform, but unlike his fellow lawmen, he seemed to display no hostility towards Isaac. His gun was resting in its holster, and even though the boy was obviously alone now, the agent showed no intentions of taking advantage of the situation.

In fact, his temperament suggested quite the opposite. The man wore a sympathetic expression on his face, and when his eyes landed on the signature hat sitting on Isaac’s head, a proverbial light bulb seemed to illuminate in his mind.

Isaac tentatively walked towards the man, analyzing his face.

It was Agent Fordham.

“There you are.” The Pinkerton said as he leaned against a wall, keeping his arms crossed. 

The boy kept a hand close to his gun, admittedly suspicious of the lawman’s motives.

“Archer Fordham...? What are... what are you doin’ here? You knew I was in there?”

The man nodded. “Yes. I saw you and your father go inside earlier, but I didn’t have the heart to interrupt.”

Archer sighed morosely, gazing at the snow-covered ground. “I’m sorry for your loss, Mr. Morgan. Your father and I may have been on opposite sides of the law, but it sounds like he was a good man.”

Isaac replied halfheartedly, still somewhat shocked by the sudden death.

“He was.”

The Pinkerton steadily approached Isaac, careful not to alarm him.

“Listen, Mr. Morgan, I know this is a traumatic time for you, but you need to understand your current position. If Edgar finds you, you’ll be a dead man. After that little shootout he had with your father back at camp, he’s fully intent on taking you back to Blackwater as a corpse. He won’t let you walk out of here alive.”

Isaac picked up on the man’s tone. “...But you will?”

Fordham let out a conflicted breath, furrowing his brow in thought. “I believe in a world of law, Isaac, but I don’t believe that a world built on order has to be one without mercy. I’ve read your files. I know you’re only twenty-one years old. And I know that if I alert my superiors of your presence here, they’ll take away everything you’ve worked for. They’ll have you killed.”

The agent stepped closer to Isaac, looking around to make sure no one else was nearby.

“...I know Edgar disagrees with me on this, but I think you deserve a chance at life. It may be the unlawful thing to do -- letting you go -- but I believe it’s the right thing to do. After all, how much is civilization really worth if we reflect the same savagery we fight?”

Taken aback by Archer’s compassion, Isaac found himself at a loss for words and simply stared at the man incredulously, unable to believe his stroke of luck.

“You-- you’re--” Isaac stuttered, “...thank you, Fordham. I doubt your friends would’ve done the same.”

The Pinkerton maintained a stoic demeanor, but Isaac could tell he felt empathy for the young man.

“Just don’t mistake my mercy as a pardon. You’ll still be a wanted man in the United States, and the Pinkertons will take you in if they find you again -- myself included. So, if you have any plans to get out of the country, I’d use them now. This will be the only chance you get.”

Isaac nodded despondently, his mind still preoccupied with Arthur’s final words. “Of course. I understand.”

Archer turned on his heel and walked back to his horse, promptly ending the conversation there.

“Good. Then I think it’s best if you and I pretend we never had this talk.”

Mounting up, Agent Fordham took hold of the reins and clicked his tongue, urging the horse to begin trotting away.

“It’s a shame that it had to end this way, Mr. Morgan, but I wish you luck. For both our sakes, I hope we never cross paths again.”

Isaac watched the man slowly vanish into the distance, holding onto Arthur’s gun as if his father were still around. He was fully aware that the man wasn’t coming back, and yet, part of him couldn’t help but hope.

Strangely enough though, that just seemed to make it even worse.

“Yeah...” Isaac whispered solemnly, his tone burdened with loneliness. 

“...Me too.”

[bakuhoes-slut234]

Aizawa x reader fluff - Birthday part 1

Aizawa's eyes fluttered open as the light leaked in through the blinds.

He looked around the room, feeling like he's forgetting something.

He looked to his side where Y/N was sleeping peacefully and smiled softly.

She looked so peaceful and relaxed. His heart swelled at the thought that she was his and his only.

His phone dinged, letting know that he has a notification.

He grumbled and unlocked his phone. A message popped up on his screen.

Private chat

Loud Mouth

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAN!!!!!

Let's go out for drinks to celebrate if you and Y/N don't already have something planned.

Aizawa thought for a moment.

' does she have anything planned? ' he thought to himself before replying

She might have planned something. I don't know. We'll see.

I don't expect her to though.

He turned off his phone and got up.

When Mic reminded him that it was his birthday, he was kinda shocked to see Y/N still asleep.

Him and Y/N have been together for 4 years now and every year, on his birthday, he always woke up to breakfast in bed.

He would always say "you don't have to do this" even though it made him feel special that she would get up early just to make him breakfast.

But like any other day, he was the first one up. He hadn't heard an alarm either that would suggest that maybe she slept through the alarm.

' did she forget? ' he asked himself.

The thought made him a little upset but didn't dwell on it.

' maybe she's planning something later rather than this morning ' he thought.

Shota got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

He put on his apron and got out the bacon, eggs, and other things he wanted for breakfast.

About 10 minutes later, the soft sound of feets patting against the floor was heard.

Shota turned to see Y/N walking to the kitchen, wrapped in a blanket, smiling sleepily.

"Morning babe" she smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Hey beautiful. Breakfast is ready" he said and placed two plates of food in the kitchen counter.

He had already cleaned up the mess he made so that he could eat breakfast without caring about dishes.

"Thanks Sho" she plopped the blanket onto the couch and then took a seat at the table.

They both ate in silence for a while, just like normal. Today though, the silence seemed to bother Aizawa.

"What are we doing today?" He asked, finally breaking the silence to find out if she planned anything.

"Could you run some errands for me today, I'm a little behind on work and need to catch up before the boss gives me another written warning?" She asked.

Shota froze for a moment.

' has she actually forgotten? '

While he didn't really mind if all they did was stay at home and watch movies, he at least expected her to say " happy birthday"

A frown settled on his face.

"Sure, what errands?" He grumbled.

Y/N noticed his suddenly sour mood but chose to ignore it.

"I just need you to buy groceries and deliver a few things. Would you be okay with that?" She asked and he nodded.

He finished his breakfast and put his plate in the dishwasher.

"I'm gonna get dressed" he mumbled and headed towards the bathroom.

Soon, Aizawa came back into the kitchen and saw Y/N had moved to sit on the couch, cuddled up in her blanket again.

He frowned. "See you later" he said

All he got in response was a wave, she didn't even turn face him.

Aizawa slammed the door as he left and his phone dinged.

Private chat

Kitty Kat

Here's the list of things I need you to do:

* Attachment sent *

His eyes widened when he saw how long the list was.

"Fuck sakes Y/N. That's a lot" he grumbled to himself.

~

As soon as Y/N clicked the send button, she jumped up from her spot on the couch and ran down the hall.

The list that she sent should keep him busy for a couple hours while she set up.

She picked up on the fact that he was upset this morning and felt bad that she had caused it.

She knew he didn't expect her to do much, he liked simple things. Like movies and juice pouches but she always tried to make his birthday special.

Everything was going according to plan.

Wake up late. Check.

Don't mention his birthday to him. Check.

Send him to do errands. Check.

' forget ' his birthday. Check

Feel guilty for not making breakfast. Check.

Now she needed to set up and get dressed.

She quickly pulled out a small, portable table that they used when they went camping that one time and put it into a large bag.

In the bag, she also put a black table cloth, red table runner ( those coloured, narrow cloths they put in the middle of a table that goes from one end to the other), two wine glasses and two plates wrapped in bubble wrap, two knifes, forks and spoons.

She packed a lot of candles and a lighter.

Once that was done, she put on her shoes and ran out the house.

She made a b-line for the gazebo at the beach. She had to bring her own table because the gazebo at the beach didn't have one. She had asked Hawks to make sure that no one takes it before she was able to set up and to watch it while she gets herself ready so no one steals her stuff.

Once she got to the gazebo, she set up the table and put on the table cloth and table runner, two plates, glasses and cutlery.

She then placed a few candles on the table and around the table. Once that was done, she made a pathway from the gazebo, leading about 10 metres away.

That all took about 2 hours to set up since she had to run and get more candles when she was only halfway done with the path. By now it was lunch time.

She found Hawks approaching her with a goofy smile.

"Hey baby birdie. How's it coming along?" He asked.

"It's going good. Shota seemed a little upset this morning but didn't say anything. " He huffed.

"Oh well, he's in for a treat tonight"

"Yeah. Can you hold onto the lighter? I'll text you when it's time to light the candles." She said and handed him the small object.

He nodded and watched as she ran off.

Y/N ran back the apartment and started cooking. She quickly cooked some Udon and put it in a special container that keeps the food hot.

By then, it was already 4pm.

"Shit. This is taking longer than expected." She grumbled.

Thankfully, Mic had said that he would distract Aizawa and to text him when he could finally let the poor man go home.

Y/N ran down to the beach and put the container of food down on the table.

"Hey chicken. Text me when you want me to set up the food, okay?" Hawks said as he approached her. She nodded and quickly ran to the flower shop near by and bought some roses.

She handed them to Hawks, knowing that he knew what to do with them when she gives him the ok.

She then ran home and got dressed into her usual every day clothes, just a little nicer.

She didn't want to dress up all fancy with the risk of him catching on that she was planning something.

She blushed at the thought of what she was really planning other than dinner.

She pulled out a beautiful black lacey bra with matching panties and put then on. Then she flipped on a pair of suspenders to hold up the long, black sleek socks that she out on.

She always wore black so none of this was too new.

The next part is what made her really blush.

She pulled out a small device from another bag.

I'm her hand was two things. One, being a small vibrator and the other being a remote.

She quickly but carefully slipped the small object into her, sucking in a deep breath as she did so.

She then put on a flowy lace dress that ended at her mid-thigh and stuffed the remote into her handbag.

As she was walking out the door, she slipped on her shoes and left.

Her phone dinged on her bedside table.

Private chat

Radio Rebel

HEY!!!!

Listen, I can't hold Aizawa for much longer. He's getting grumpy and wants to go home. He looks really mad.

Ok, just stall him for five more minutes please

You got it

Y/N turned off her phone and ran out the door she needed just one more thing.

She ran to the nearest costume shop and bought a pair of black, fluffy cat ears and then ran home.

As she was about to put the key in the hole, she noticed the door was unlocked.

' dammit ' she thought.

She slowly opened the door to see Aizawa standing in the kitchen, leaning against the table with his arms crossed.

"H-hey babe" she smiled nervously.

He just grunted in response.

"Thank you for running errands for me"

"Where were you? I thought you had work to do." He narrowed his eyes.

"I did. I just needed to run to the store and get tampons real quick. I forgot to put it on the list and didn't know when you would be back." She lied easily.

"Whatever. Here's your crap you wanted me to get" he said and motioned to the packets in the table behind him

Y/N smiled and then ducking into their room to place the day ears in her draw.

She walked back to the kitchen and saw a still grumpy Aizawa.

"What's wrong with you today?" She asked.

Aizawa's attention snapped to her, looking at her with wide eyes.

"Why's wrong with me!? What's wrong with you?" He yelled. "I've been running around all day doing errands for you can cooked you breakfast, none of which I mind doing on any given day except for today! It's my birthday for fucks sakes and you didn't even say ' happy birthday'. I don't expect much except just a simple ' happy birthday' " he huffed, clearly pissed the hell off.

"Aizawa, I swear, I didn't forget" Y/N mumbled.

He just clicked his tongue.

"Get dressed into something comfy. We're going somewhere" she said, seeing as it was now dark out.

"Don't say that just because you feel bad" he grumbled

"I'm not. Just shut up, and get dressed. I have a surprise for you. Fucking dumbass" she said, mumbling the last part soft enough that he didn't hear her.

As he grumbled his way into their bedroom, Y/N pulled out her phone.

Private chat

Birdie

Set up now. Aizawa is grumpy and ready to kill me. We'll be there in about 20 mins

Yes, chicken nugget, ma'am