#when i finally woke up i was like [all chipper and everything too] ''WOW i feel so well rested! i needed that :)''

[transxfiles]

got 19 hours of sleep yesterday and apparently my parents + sister genuinely worried i was dead for a little bit. no i just needed to hibernate a little. it happens.

[numberonephantompizza1]

Poppy Fanfic: “Ask Her”

For context: This is a fanfic I wrote in order to join the Poppy Milk dev team and show off my writing skills. Since the callout at the time said we’d need to write a lot of sidequests, I wanted to ask the question of what a Poppy-centered side-quest would be like. I got the idea that it would be from an Asker’s perspective, and everything sort of came naturally after that. Even though I’m on the dev team right now, it’s not canon to Omega Timeline: Poppy’s Story and even has some inaccuracies that contradict canon. With that said, please feel free to read the story below the cut.

---

You noticed something very different inside your room when you woke up. The lights were off and the sun hadn’t yet risen, but there was a certain… aura, coming from your door. You were filled with a certain trepidation, but… you approached it. It was hard to see in the light, but it looked… grey. 

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you stepped through...

...and found about the last person you would’ve expected. The spitting image of Frisk - CORE!Frisk, that was, looking up at you, in the middle of a white void.

“Wh- You’re real?!” you asked, dumbfounded.

“Of course I’m real. Have you been taking all this multiverse stuff for granted? Everything is real somewhere,” Core answered, simply. 

“I… I don’t… and you, me…” you panted, starting to feel a small panic attack coming on.

“Focus,” Core snapped their fingers, grounding you back in reality. Okay, this was happening now.

“Let’s get down to business. Simply: you don’t like me. And I don’t like you. But we BOTH like Poppy. Poppy, my dear, sweet angel… has unfortunately recently come to the realization that Askers ALSO exist in the multiverse. And now she wants to do a ‘meet n’ greet’ with one of her fans. Trust me, I TRIED to talk her out of it, but she can be darn persuasive when she wants to be. And as you’re now realizing, that’s where you come in. 

“I wanna make you a deal. You play along with whatever Poppy wants until she gets bored of this. If you’re on your best behavior - and that means, don’t give her anything bad, don’t tell her anything you KNOW she shouldn’t know, don’t use any magic, and be a general good influence - if you play nice, in exchange, I will allow you to hang out with ANY resident of the Omega Timeline. 

“Want to spend a day full of wacky hijinks with a Papyrus, or even an Underswap Sans? Consider it done. Want to know how Deltarune Chapter 2 plays out ahead of time? I know a Susie with your name on it. Whatever you want, so long as you play by the rules, and don’t ask for anyone obviously ridiculous. So… do we have ourselves a deal?”

You contemplated that offer, and everything that was happening, trying to suppress your inner urge to geek out for just a few moments. The Omega Timeline, Poppy, and all the AU’s you could think of and more were real. And you just got an invitation to visit them.

“Yeah, of course!” you nodded excitedly, though your enthusiasm only seemed to make Core more anxious.

“Don’t make me regret this…” Core sighed, as the whiteness seemed to melt away into a cozy-looking house with wooden floors and lime walls, where you were standing directly outside of a white door. Core seemed to have disappeared.

Technically, there was nothing stopping you from exploring. So you did just that. You walked up to a shelf with some family photos. One was a photo of Poppy, Core, Dusted and Rust all together, in some meadow, looking happy. At least, you assumed Dusted and Rust were happy, they didn’t show up well on camera. There was another photo of Poppy alone, looking somewhat younger than she did on the blog, seated on a chair in a photo that looked far more staged. She held an actual poppy flower in her hand and smiled brightly.

You opened the cabinet doors, curious of what knick-knacks you might find in there. Some crayons, a few random glass cups, some art by 3-year-old Poppy that was so poorly done its meaning was hard to decipher, and a locked box. You reached for the box--

“Getting a bit sidetracked, aren’t we?”

You jolted up, and faced Core behind you. Even though they were child-sized, they crossed their arms with the poise and authority of a stern parent. You laughed anxiously. “Ahahaha… ahaha… ha……..”

“...Strike one.” Core said, and vanished. The meaning of that was all-too clear. Deciding not to dilly dally any longer, you went to the room you suspected to be Poppy’s, and knocked. 

“Just a sec!” Poppy said, and opened the door. She looked up at you, and gasped. “Wow, Granpa really did come through…!” She twirled excitedly. “You must be my adoring fan, aren’t you?” she asked.

You stared down at the girl in stunned silence.

“To be honest, I kinda figured you’d be some gray guy with sunglasses, but that’s kinda silly in hindsight. How you doin’?” She asked that last line in a mock accent as you continued to stare.

“Baby,” you said.

“What?”

“Nothing,” you quickly tried to change the subject. “Yeah, it’s… y’know, it’s great to be here…” You clasped your hands together, biting your lip. You were in an Undertale AU, faced with the AU granddaughter of another AU character. You still weren’t entirely over that. Was this fever dream? Fandom heaven, or fandom hell?

“I know! Once I heard you guys weren’t from the Omega Timeline, I realized I hadn’t met even ONE of my fans… even if you guys are super annoying some of the time.” 

“Uhhh, yeah…” you wondered if you should apologize on behalf of the askers who put Poppy in the hospital that one time. Then again, it seemed kind of awkward, and it might have been best not to bring that up while Core was watching, which was always. Looking down at the cutesy girl, it was almost tempting to pull her into a hug, but you managed to keep your composure. 

“I wanted to do something a little more special than just some sorta interview, though, because you ask me questions all the time anyways,” Poppy said. “Granpa said you’ve never been to the Omega Timeline before, so I wanna give you the big tour!” Poppy went to the door. “I’m gonna be outside when you’re ready!” She left the room.

Seeing the empty room in front of you, you were tempted to snoop again, but you’d learned your lesson after last time. You headed straight out after Poppy.

You couldn’t help but gasp in awe of the serenity of the great outdoors as you were beckoned to it. You’d been outside before, obviously, but everything just looked so… nice. The blue sky, the grassy grounds, the ornate buildings… you’ve seen this place in pixel art and a couple drawings before, but seeing it with your own eyes was another story. And the next thing for you to nearly faint at was seeing the Undertale characters running around, Sanses, Undynes, Frisks, even goat moms. 

Poppy smiled. “...It’s nice, isn’t it? I KNEW taking you on a tour was a good idea.” She smirked. “Now remember, just because this is a meet-up doesn’t mean it’s free, and there WILL be a fee at the end of our ride.”

“...Uh… I left my wallet at home,” you said, patting your pockets, “And I don’t have any, uh... ‘G,’ I think. Unless the G stands for ‘Gratitude,’ amiright?” you did finger guns.

“G stands for Gold,” Poppy corrected you bluntly, unamused. She returned to her chipper attitude just as quickly, though. “Now, let me show you around!” She led you down the street. 

Walking with her, seeing so many versions of your favorite characters in the flesh, walking around… well, the temptation to talk to SOME of them was irresistible, Core be damned. You did resolve not to go too far off-track, but you shared some words with the folks you passed by, Poppy thankfully stopping each time you did. You met two Frisks - one boy, one ambiguous - an Underswap Undyne, a human version of Toriel, and surprisingly, a version of Princess Peach.

You and Poppy approached an elegant fountain, stood upon proudly by a statue of a mustachio’d CORE!Frisk. “This is the Timeline Plaza! It’s sort of the local park, where people meet up to do... stuff. Just hang out. Make a picnic. Play ball. All that good park-y stuff, y’know? And there’s stores in all directions, so it’s pretty good.” She proudly showed off her home to you, with a smile.

You talked to more on the way to the next place. An Inverted Fate Papyrus. A weird Ralsei who said his name was “Noyno.” An Asgore wearing a hoodie, who you assumed was swapped with Sans. (Poppy did scold you a little bit for this, telling you that just because someone has a hoodie you shouldn’t assume they’re swapped. You apologized.)

“This is Grillby’s! One of them, anyways. The nearest one to my house. It’s pretty good if you want an OK burger. Sanses love the place, though. It’s… kind of unhealthy. And a little gross.” Poppy said. “Especially when they just drink… raw… ketchup.”

“Can’t handle a little ketchup?” you smiled mischievously. “We drink it by the gallon back in my universe,” you lied.

“...I really hope you’re joking,” Poppy said, alarmed.

“Am I?” you smiled brighter.

“...W-well, we’re not going in there, so you can FORGET about drinking that much ketchup!” Poppy said, afraid of the sheer power of your ketchup-drinking.

You and Poppy moved onto the next spot. You met an Underswap Alphys who seemed to be trapped in a red-and-gold palette. You met a robot dressed as a circus ringmaster, who claimed to be a Chara. You met a Dummy dressed in a Frisk shirt. (You didn’t assume it was swapped with Frisk this time, which turned out to be a mistake, because it was.) Poppy stared at you awkwardly now, wondering why you were talking to all these random strangers. Finally, you and Poppy reached your next destination.

“The theater! Where we show off all the greatest hits! Including MY movie, which, not to brag, but it’s--”

Except, you’d been distracted by a hyperdeath Asriel, and were ignoring Poppy for the moment.

“...” Poppy spoke up. “That’s what I don’t get about you.”

“Huh?” that seemed to wake you up, and you looked at her. 

“Everytime it’s always, ‘have you met Underswap Sans,’ or ‘have you met JangoTale Frisk,’ or some other weird thing. You always ask that. But… they’re just people. Why do you always assume I know some random Sans or Frisk or someone?”

“I…” you were a bit taken aback. “...I don’t… we don’t assume you know them, they’re just… they’re just important.” 

“Important?” She asked. “...I-I mean, yeah, EVERYONE’s important, but, I don’t really get what you mean…”

“They’re all--” You paused, trying to collect your thoughts, think of everything you knew from the blog, and tried to actually talk to her. “...They’re like friends to me. Kinda.”

“...You guys are friends with them? I thought you were stuck in your world…” she frowned.

“No, it’s like-- I’m not ‘friends’ with Underswap Frisk, or-- or Storyshift Frisk, or Shifty or whatever, I’m just friends with… Frisk.”

...Poppy stared at you like you just said the ground was turning to jelly, or something equally bafflingly inane. “...I… think you’re confused. Look, sometimes newcomers struggle with this. Your Frisk isn’t the only Frisk--”

“I know! It’s… You don’t get it. This world, these worlds are so special and creative, and they mean a lot to me. I know we can be really edgy, and I know we ask weird questions about Dusted and Rust, but that’s all because… because...” you paused.

Poppy looked, seeming upset about hearing her siblings mentioned in the context of ‘edgy’ questions, not seeing what you were seeing. Core, standing behind her, holding up a hand signal.

The number two.

You were getting carried away. You overstepped.

“...Um… I’m sorry.” You pulled her into a hug as Core vanished. “There’s really no reason for us to ask those questions. We can just be dumb sometimes.”

“...” She hugged back. “Yeah, it’s okay. I knew you guys were super weird and dumb before I convinced Granpa to let you in here, so I guess I should’ve seen this coming,” Poppy smiled, regaining her confidence as you did your best to not be offended at being called weird and dumb.

“Okay! I think I have just one last stop in mind to cap this tour off on a high note! Literally, hehehe…” She giggled mischievously. This time, you didn’t stop to talk to others, following her directly as you approached a peak overlooking the town. For yet another time, and probably the last, you couldn’t help but ogle at the town’s beauty. “Pretty good, right?” She sat down.

“Ha… with all the climbing, I was worried we’d fall down a mountain,” you joked. Poppy seemed to roll her eyes, as you sat beside her. “...I guess I get how you can call this place home. I mean, once I stop nerding out, anyways. You don’t see stuff like this in my… reality.”

“Just gallons and gallons of ketchup, huh?” she commented. You couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Yeah.”

And you two just stared into the distance for a while. ...She wasn’t just a character. She was a human being.

...Or, technically just a ‘being,’ scratch the human part. Still, you felt a bit desensitized to all this. And so did she. You related in that way.

“I can’t say you exactly passed with flying colors, but you fulfilled your end of the agreement well enough.”

Without any warning, you were back in a white void with CORE!Frisk, just like before. You almost forgot about the deal you made, what with all the time you spent with Poppy. You stood.

“Uh… yeah. So, my reward…” you drifted off, remembering the offer Core gave you. The chance to meet just about any AU character of your imagining… or at least, any that would be peaceful enough to be in the Omega Timeline. Which still left a WIDE variety of options…

Who did you want to see? What mattered most to you?

...

Thinking deeply… you told Core their name.

“...Oh. Really? Well, I guess it makes sense for you that you’d want to see them,” Core remarked. “I can’t guarantee they’ll give you what you’re looking for, but a deal’s a deal. Let’s head off.”

You and Core went somewhere else.

---

And that’s all she wrote! If you read this far, thank you. Working on the game since then has been fun, and I think you’ll like what we have in store. Until then, ciao.

[sirowsky]

The Flowers Always Know

Description: When a mad scientist uses you as an experiment while you’re on holiday, the Heroics only just manage to save you. And in your recovery you become very close to the leader of the group. (Slow burn)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Language, angst, physical injury.

Link to Masterlist

Comment: Reader continues to struggle with her abilities, but with some help, she finally begins to understand them better. Though, no good news without bad ones too...

(Is this GIF yours? Let me know, and I’ll credit you!)

Chapter 21

  The next morning you woke up in a secure room. They didn’t trust you with med-chambers anymore. That was probably about time.   Tuesday. Today was Tuesday. You sighed as you wondered just how long it would take before you’d inevitably mess up the days again.   You already missed waking up to Amaire’s brisk and energetic ‘Good morning, champ’. They were so good at using just the right level of enthusiasm to give you a boost, without stepping over into overly energetic, or annoyingly chipper.   Here, there were no lovable nurses, no doctors checking on you every hour, just sensors in the walls that continuously scanned you for changes in energy-levels.   Unfortunately, though, the science division had been kept up to date on your move, and within five minutes of you waking up, the door opened and another fucking piece of cardboard was shoved in your face.

  “Seriously? Do you people even sleep? It’s not even 6am yet…”

  “We sleep in shifts, miss. This is important, we want to get you that assessment as soon as possible.”

  Oh, great, now you felt bad for being snarky, on top of your usual less than stellar morning mood.

  “How thoughtful of you. And what about making this shit actually edible? Any idea how soon that might become a priority?”

  “Uh… sorry, miss. It’s a process.”

  “Really? I hadn’t noticed. Does the recipe actually change at all? Because it still tastes like something between paper and dirt, no matter how many times I eat it.”

  “It does, but they actually remove as much flavour as they can, since it’s so full of synthetic materials.”

  You raised your eyebrows at him before swallowing the synthetic piece of crap.

  “Sorry I fucking asked.”

  He squirmed a little where he stood, clearly uncomfortable with your language. But you were pretty sure he’d actually been waiting outside the door for you to wake up, and then not even had the decency to wait until you’d been to the bathroom before barging in. So, you didn’t really give a fuck about his feelings right then.

  “What?”

  “Sorry, I just have to ask if you feel any sense of fullness?”

  “I’ve barely swallowed it…”

  “I know, it’s just that the effect should be pretty instantaneous.”

  “Well, then – it isn’t. Can I go and do my morning bathroom now, or do you have another annoying and useless point?”

  He all but ran from the room and you felt a tiny little bit bad for him. But they really should know better than to bother you first thing in the morning, by now. Especially with nervous tweens.

  You missed the relative warmth of the med-chambers. These rooms were literally just empty squares of powers-proof materials, or, as close to it as you could get. There wasn’t actually any material that was 100% proof against powers, but some metals combined with force-fields could withstand incredible amounts of supernatural forces.   There was a simple bed, and two chairs and a table, all of it made with the same power-resistant metal. That was it.   And while you did see the wisdom of keeping you in there, it also felt more like a prison than anything else, and it made you anxious. Especially since Marcus was still on single supervised visits.   He’d been verbally reprimanded for taking you to the in-house restaurant, and sitting you down among dozens of other guests yesterday, but in these circumstances that was like getting a slap on the wrist. You hadn’t really been in any state to be able to harm anyone, since he practically had to carry you there. And he’d made the judgement call that getting nutrition into you was more important than keeping you isolated, at that particular moment.   He’d sat with you while you’d gone through the equivalent of about six dinners, continually refilling your plate as you emptied it, until you’d finally had enough, and damned near fallen asleep over your plate.   You didn’t expect him to visit until school was out for the day, so you prepared yourself for a long and dull morning, probably accompanied by nothing but the fucking science division.   Oh, joy.

  It was just before lunch that the door opened for the fourth time that morning. You were just completing your eight set of push-ups, burpees and hand-stands, and you were in no mood for more synthetic foods. Today was the kind of day where your morning mood just lingered, and became your overall mood.   You were pushing yourself physically in an effort to keep yourself calm and balanced, despite the boredom and interjecting annoyances, but it wasn’t quite working.

  “Did some idiot give you coffee?”

  You actually warmed at the sound of Anita’s sharp voice behind you, and you let your legs fall down from your last hand-stand and stood up to see her magnificent scowl.

  “I wouldn’t put it past them.”

  “Well, sit down before you pass out.”

  “I’d rather stand. I have a little too much energy at the moment.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  “I generally do. So, what brings you to my dungeon on this unremarkable Tuesday?”

  “Just checking on you for Marcus. He’s a bit worried after yesterday.”

  “Yeah… that wasn’t a very good day, either. I don’t seem to have a lot of those lately.”

  “Mm. It’ll get better. All supers struggle after discovering their powers, it’s just that, usually, they’re kids or teenagers which means they don’t have the grown-up problems to worry about too. You’re juggling a lot, loco. Give yourself a break.”

  “Wow. Marcus must be really worried if you’re actually being nice to me.”

  “I’m always nice to you.”

  You looked at her with a mockingly shocked expression.

  “Incredible. You’re lucky I kinda love you.”

  She squirmed and got up to leave, and you couldn’t help but grin widely behind her back.

  “You’re welcome, by the way.”

  “For what? The privilege of your visit?”

  “No, niña. For the smile on your face right now.”

  She didn’t even look back as she said it, somehow still knowing the smile was there. It lingered on your face for a good few minutes after she left.

  You gave up on trying to exercise your stress away, after your arms gave out and you fell on your face, during your fifteenth set of hand-stands.   You did have an actual bathroom, with a shower. But it was an adjoining room that could be detached from the actual cell, if anyone feared you might try to use the toilet as a battering-ram for some reason.   You took a long and soothing shower, letting the soap wash away the sweat and grime, but also some of the nervousness that seemed to live in your skin. You took some time to take care of your nails and put on creams and blow-dry your hair.   You hadn’t taken the time to really groom yourself in weeks, and it somehow made you feel better. Less chaotic and messy.   When you stepped out of the bathroom, the errand-boy from science was back, and whatever good mood you’d managed to accumulate, evaporated in an instant.

  “Oh, for the love of fucking Hades, will you just leave me alone, already!”

  A puff of energy escaped you, and it was enough to fling the scrawny little boy across the room and into the wall, head-first.   All the anger inside you morphed into a lump of ice in your heart, as you watched him collapse into a pile on the floor.   You ran over to him and picked him up into your arms, holding him tightly as you pushed your energy around him, and felt that thing leave you. That thing that wanted to make it right, to make him whole again, and in the next moment; he was.   You felt him twitch back to life, and your own energy drain, but you kept holding him.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to, I swear, I didn’t mean to, I’m so sorry.”

  “Uh… it’s okay, miss. I’m fine.”

  You let him go just enough that you could grab his face and look into his eyes to make sure.

  “Nothing hurts? Nothing feels bad, or weird?”

  “I feel… great. My shoulder’s been killing me after a baseball accident last week, but it’s all better now. How’d you do that?”

  Suddenly terrified of how easily and effortlessly, you’d hurt this boy, for no reason, you crawled away from him.

  “Go. Get out of here. Don’t come back, don’t let anyone come back in. Stay away from me.”

  You crawled all the way to the opposite wall, before the fatigue overpowered you, and you passed out.

  When you came to, you’d been moved.   You were on a hard bed of some sort, in what looked like a lab, and there was an elliptic-shaped, transparent dome covering most of your torso, as well as two thin tubes leading into each one of your arms, and another two into each leg. IV-tubes. And the banana-bags they were attached to where in the gallons- not ounces -category.

  “What… what are you doing? It’s not safe… you have to put me back, it’s not safe…”

  “Calm down, miss. Everything’s fine, these instruments have been calibrated to absorb your energy, you can’t hurt us here.”

  Her voice was soothing, comfortable without feeling forced.

  “My name is Doctor Emily Kane, and you’re in the Research division right now. We’ve decided to go ahead and do your assessment. For the moment, it seems more urgent to understand your abilities, than keeping your energy up. That said, we’re not going to push you until you’re completely drained, don’t worry. We’ve taken as much precaution as we can.”

  “I… I think I killed that boy…”

  “And then you saved him. It was an accident, and I understand that it frightens you, but the key to controlling your powers in the future, is precisely by not being afraid of them. And the best way to reach that point, is to understand as much about them as you can.”

  She met your eyes and held your gaze until you nodded.

  “Okay. Then let’s get started. This machine on top of you is going to absorb and measure and categorise your energy, so I want you to try and activate your power right now.”

  You took a few deep breaths, and tried to push your energy out, but it wouldn’t come. Your fear had locked it down, and you wanted it to stay down. Forever.   After twenty minutes of failed attempts, no matter how much the good doctor tried to either soothe your worries, or antagonise you, she finally had to admit defeat and was forced to change tactics.

  “Okay, this isn’t gonna work. Bring him in.”

  The door opened and Marcus stepped in, and came towards you, and every piece of equipment in there that was attached to you, started beeping and moving.

  “Marcus… you shouldn’t be here.”

  “It’s okay, sweetheart. You won’t hurt me.”

  “I don’t know that.”

  “But I do.”

  He kissed you, really kissed you, and the machines went crazy as you heated up for him. You wanted to touch him so badly, but your arms were trapped by the elliptic dome on top of you. Your ghost hands found him, curling into his hair and holding him to you, and all the while the room got louder and louder.   The frustration of not being able to feel his skin against your body, eventually made you angry. Angry enough that your energy flared, and the dome really did absorb it.   Somehow, that was a big enough surprise to you to break through your lust, and make you pull away from Marcus to stare at the dome while you shot another burst of energy through it.   It just disappeared from you as the machine sucked it up, and for reasons you couldn’t understand; it all seemed like a challenge to you. Like it was baiting you to try harder.

  Challenge accepted, Data.

  In your periphery, you saw Marcus back away, as you held back and gathered your energy under your skin. You had broken an entire med-chamber by filling the room with an invisible density, you’d certainly be able to break one little machine.   When the energy was so thick under your skin that you feared you might burst from the pressure, you released it. The whole room shook, but only for a moment, and then the dome had swallowed it all up.

  “Amazing…”

  Dr. Kane’s voice broke into your concentration, and you forgot your challenge.

  “I’ve never seen this type of energy before. It seems to exist in several dimensions simultaneously. Fascinating.”

  “Dimensions? Wait, it really is ghost energy?”

  She chuckled slightly at that.

  “I guess you could call it that.”

  “So, what does that mean?”

  “Well, we’ll have to perform more tests, obviously. But, basically, it means that you have the ability to tap into one or more alternate dimensions, and draw energy from them, into this one, using your own body as a conduit. It also means that there’s theoretically no limit to how much power you could wield, with the exception that acting as a conduit is seriously draining on your own body. So, let me be clear: your power absolutely can kill you.”

  You took a minute to absorb that, not that you actually could yet, and you felt, more than saw, Marcus shift nervously at your side.

  “And the healing?”

  “That one I can’t answer with any definity until we’ve had a chance to observe it through these instruments.”

  “But… your best guess?”

  “My best guess would be that that power actually comes from you, not some other dimension. It seems to be a clean transference, your energy and life-force is transferred to the injured person, instantly weakening yourself, much more than acting as a conduit does – but also instantly healing the recipient. It’s interesting that you’d develop these two powers specifically, though. It seems to indicate that you have a naturally self-sacrificial tendency.”

  Marcus flinched.

  “Self-sacrificial?”

  “Yes. A willingness and capability to take on difficult or even impossible tasks and burdens in order to protect others, regardless of personal pain or even the possibility of death.”

  That was a little too true for comfort.

  “And… while we’re on the subject of things that are less than fun to talk about, I feel obligated to inform you about something we’ve discovered about healing abilities in general.”

  “Okay.”

  There was something in her tone that made you feel like running out of the room.

  “We don’t know why, exactly, but it seems that women with healing abilities of any kind have an increased difficulty in conceiving children. We think that it might have to do with the fact that women bleed during their cycles and that their abilities instinctively try to prevent it, thereby messing with the natural order of the female body.”

  “But… I can’t heal myself.”

  “It doesn’t seem to matter. Have your cycles been regular?”

  “…No… not since the experiment. I figured it was because of the coma, since nothing at all worked during the time I was under, and for a while afterwards.”

  “Irregularity is one of the tell-tale signs, I’m afraid. But, listen, this is not an exact science. Couples that have been medically declared infertile or sterile have managed to get pregnant anyway. Nature’s amazing, and there’s so much we still don’t know about supers. So, if this is something you want, don’t let the science get in your way.”

  You had no idea what you wanted, only that you were suddenly glad that you’d at least started this conversation with Marcus a while back. It felt like it would’ve been a more difficult subject to broach now, if you hadn��t.   But this wasn’t the time to have it. There were more tests that needed to be done, and for the first time, you really wanted to know what more the science actually could tell you.

  You glanced at Marcus, hoping not see him crushed by the news, and were relieved to find him looking calmly determined.   You’d talk about it later.

Authors’ Note: I love criticism, don’t be shy to let me know if there’s anything you like/don’t like/have questions about.

@blueeyesatnight​ @farfromjustordinary​ @allmyspideys​ @hrk-fic-recs​ @strawberryperegrine @lucrezia-thoughts​ @computeringturtle

[theink-theiron]

Fairys Lost in Liones - Chapter One

Gajevy and Banlaine are my OTP's and I wanted to see a crossover between them and between Fairy Tail and Nanatsu no taizai, hope you enjoy!

Read on AO3 Here

Levy could feel aching and pain all over her body as she woke up from a deep sleep, she opened her eyes and shuffled sitting up on the bed, wincing as she did. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around the room expecting to see the guilds infirmary, but that didn’t seem to be the case in this situation. Instead of white sheets they were pink and instead of Mira or Wendy stood beside her tending to her wounds there was no one.

“Where am I?” She muttered out groggily, speaking to no one in particular but hoping that one of her guild mates would answer her. The nerves were beginning to creep in as the predicament she found herself in began to dawn on her, alone, injured, and unaware of where she was or how she got there; With each passing second more questions arose but no answers were there to comfort her.

She slowly got out of bed, being mindful of her injuries that seemed to encompass the majority of her body, she stretched out her body a little hoping to ease some of the tension she was feeling both inside and out, she took another quick scan around the brightly coloured rustic bedroom that for the life of her she could not recognise, she was hoping it would be a guildmates bedroom or something like that but she didn’t think so, the whole place just felt a little… off.

It was at that moment that she realised two things A) She was covered in neatly wrapped bandages, so she assumed that whoever brought her here was friendly and B) That she was wearing an outfit that was more befitting of Lucy! a tight pink t-shirt that ended at her waist, the smallest blue mini skirt and belt, and one long blue sock. Not her typical state of dress however she was more concerned about who dressed her.  

Then it hit her, Gajeel, Pantherlily, Jet and Droy were all with her, the last thing she could remember was all of them heading out on a mission together, which she had just about managed to drag Gajeel onto. Are they here? Are they ok? A loud commotion from downstairs disrupted her train of thought, it sounded like a lot of people, maybe that was them. Even if not she would still have to leave the room at some point, so that’s what she did. Creeping down the stairway the ruckus got louder, people yelling and cheering maybe, but none of them sounded like any of her boys.

Reaching the bottom of the stairway and rounding the corner, she shyly walked into what seemed like quite a nice little restaurant and bar. How odd. But what caught her eye the most was that she could see the group people she is assuming found her.

“Look who’s finally awake” Straining her neck looking up she came face to face, well face to chest, with a pair of red eyes with a devilish glint in them, the man was grinning down at her but it wasn’t malicious it seemed more playful which actually threw her off a little bit. She had to take two steps back just to look at him properly, how tall is this man!? she thought, he easily towered over her, even more than Gajeel did. And why on earth is he wearing an apron instead of a t-shirt?

Six pair of eyes scattered around the room were all on her waiting for her to say something, but her nervousness temporarily got the better of her, she didn’t recognise any of these people or the place and Gajeel was nowhere to be seen the whole situation was very unsettling for her, she wished she didn't have to do it alone.

“Ban don’t scare her! Don’t mind him my. name's Hawk captain of scraps disposal!” A large pig pushed past the man she now knew as Ban to speak with her. He seemed rather outgoing. She heard Ban mutter out a quick ‘Sorry Master’ This pig wasn’t in charge was he?

“Uh hi, my name's Levy Mcgarden, it…it’s nice to meet you Hawk” She was taken back by the fact there was a talking pig for only a moment before she composed herself again, deciding to ignore the part about scraps, she had bigger questions at the moment.

“You’re not surprised by the talking pig?” Ban asked incredulously whilst leaning against the bar and wrapping an arm around a small blonde girl with big golden eyes, seriously who are these people?

“I know a talking cat so no” He nodded at her, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“I’m sorry but I’m so confused, who are you people?” She tried to remain polite but the whole situation was so strange.

“You don’t know? we’re the Seven Deadly Sins” A small blonde boy who seemed rather chipper then joined the conversation, but he also started groping a tall, beautiful white haired woman who kind of reminded her of Mira. The girl blushed but didn’t do anything. Levy immediately averted her eyes and decided to talk into the void instead as to avoid the embarrassing scene.

“Who?” Ok so the name ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ did not put here at ease. And she had never heard of them before, is that some sort of guild name perhaps?

“You’re not from around here are you” Another small brunette boy joined in with a deadpan tone, it wasn’t exactly a question more of an accusation. The blonde boy then introduced himself as Meliodas the leader of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Dragon Sin of Wrath and gave a very brief description of what they were, although it was confusing, an order of Holy Knights for the kingdom of Liones and… criminals. As interesting as it was to hear it raised a lot more questions than it did answers.

“What? There is no place called Liones or Britannia and there are no Holy Knights”  She knew of every country on Earthland and she was sure that she was right about this, but she also didn’t think that they were lying, what is going on?

“Yes, there is and that’s where you are right now” Meliodas said keeping his voice light, she could not seem to tell what he was thinking and everyone else was just looking at her like she was crazy, which to be fair she could understand.

“OH! Gajeel, Jet, Droy and Pantherlily where are they!?” She suddenly burst out looking frantically around the room, they must know where they are, they would have been with her right; she couldn’t be out here all on her own.

“There was only one other person with you, tall, dark hair, angry looking guy. He’s going to be ok, but he’s hurt bad, he’s upstairs resting now” Meliodas told her pointing at the staircase then heading behind the bar.

“Oh thank Mavis Gajeels ok” She sighed letting out a breath of air she didn’t know she was holding in, but that didn’t make her feel completely better as the other three still weren’t accounted for “But are you sure there wasn’t any else with us? A ginger guy, a big guy with dark hair, and a small black cat with a sword maybe?” It was a desperate attempt; she knew it but she had to ask maybe they had seen them somewhere else on their travels.

“No but that last guy sounds cool!” Exclaimed Ban jumping up a little, the blonde girl patted him on the shoulder and giggled signalling for him to cool down a little bit, which he did.

Worry took over her then, where on Earthland could they be? she hoped they were ok, with any luck they were still in Magnolia.

“You must be starving” The White-haired girl approached her and ushered her to sit down at the bar, they sat beside each other, and the blonde girl sat on the other side of her. “Ban why don’t you get started on some supper for everyone, the others should be back soon” Meliodas told Ban whilst he started fixing up some drinks for everyone.

The White haired girl accepted the drinks and divided them amongst the three girls “My name is Princess Elizabeth but don’t worry you don’t have to be formal with me” She smiled brightly at her and it actually did make Levy feel a bit better.

“Wow a Princess are you sure I feel like I should bow” Elizabeth giggled at that and shook her head.

“And my name is Elaine, I’m from the Fairy kings Forest '' There was something about Elaine that she couldn’t quite figure out, she looked young like Wendy, but her eyes gave her away she looked wise beyond her years.

“Ha that’s funny I’m from the Fairy Tail guild”

“You’re a fairy too!?” She beamed with excitement practically bouncing out of her seat.

“Are you a fairy!?” Shocked beyond belief this girl seemed genuine when she said too so that must mean…no. This doesn’t make any sense, she can’t be a fairy, this day just keeps getting weirder and weirder.

“Yes…why are you surprised?”

The guild wasn’t going to believe this, if this was real then she had just discovered actual Fairy’s, just imagining everyone’s faces when she told made her laugh internally.

“I’m sorry I know this might sound ridiculous, but you don’t have a tail do you?”

“No we don’t have tails! are you crazy?” The brunette boy shouted from the cushion he was currently laying on in the air, ok so that was a little weird. But now she could tell everyone the answer to the age-old question on whether Fairies have Tails or not, this was an amazing day, well if you don’t include everything else that has happened.

With everyone in the room looking at her like she was out of her mind she started to explain why she had asked, she told them about the guild and Fiory, hopefully they might be able to fill in some of the gaps that she was missing. They told her that they had no idea what she was going on about which by now wasn’t that surprising, but they said a mage called Merlin may be able to help, they would just have to wait for her to return. Apparently there were still a few people missing called Merlin, Escanor, Diane and Gowther.

Dinner was almost ready for everyone so she decided she should head up and check on Gajeel just to make sure he was alright.

“LEVY!” Everyone stopped at the sound of a fierce roar coming from upstairs, he rushed downstairs clearly ignoring any pain and each thud of his descent was getting closer and closer. Rounding the corner they locked eyes and he marched up to her gently grabbing her shoulders and checking her over noticing the many bandages, his eyes looked panicked and she could tell that unlike her the moment he awoke he leaped out of bed and instead of waiting to try and piece together what was going on he immediately went on a hunt.

“Are you alright?” He asked, staring at her. After a moment he realised how close they were and stepped back and let go of her shoulders opting to scratch the back of his head and look away from her to alleviate some of the awkwardness, she noticed a very light blush on his cheeks but passed it of as a reaction to all the adrenaline coursing through his system. She nodded and hoped that he didn’t see her light blush either though, but of course it was only because of the adrenaline

“Where’s Pantherlily and the two morons?” And who are all these people?” He motioned to everyone else in the room who were still looking at them intently, seeming a bit put off by the silence of the unknown presences.

She ignored his moron comment and then smiled thinking of introducing him to the new friends she had made, Elaine and Elizabeth were delightful and she didn’t know what to think of the guys yet, but they seemed alright too.  

“These are the Seven Deadly Sins” levy gestured around the room and the girls and Meliodas waved, Ban nodded his head, and the brunette boy rolled his eyes.

“What the hell is that, a boy Band?” Gajeel asked mockingly, still seeming a bit Sceptical though.  

“No but that would be cool” Meliodas shouted out from beside Liz and jumped up to look excitedly at Ban who also had a massive grin plastered over his face.

Gajeel however looked much like Levy did not too long ago as hearing that name didn’t really clear anything up. Oh well she had plenty of time to explain things to him in more detail later, she couldn’t wait to tell him about the Fairy’s.

But as ok as things seemed at the moment they were still in a dire situation; was this the result of the Dark Guild they were going to face?

[horansqueenandpaynesqueen]

Next-Door Neighbours : Chapter One

A Liam Fanfic, A Niall Fanfic, MA Rating

New neighbours, new drama. Sometimes what you need is the last thing you’re looking for.

+NOTES+

This fic is written by Julie (@paynesqueen) & Livia (@horansqueen)

Julie will write the odd chapters and Livia the even chapters

This fic will have romance, drama and smut.

Chapter One by Julie (paynesqueen)

Liam got out of the truck as he looked at his new apartment building. He never actually believed he would ever move again, but walking in on his girlfriend screwing another guy sort of changes his plans. Thankfully, his best friend told him a few apartments were available for rent in his building and he luckily succeeded to get one of them.

“Payno!” He recognized his best friend’s voice. “You’re finally here. Let’s get your stuff up to your flat. I’m so glad you’re going to be my neighbour.”

“Thank my cheating ex-girlfriend for this.” He forced a laugh.

It still hurt to think that Lisa would actually cheat on him in their own bed. She wanted to work things out, but he couldn’t do it. He had always been a relationship kind of guy. He didn’t mind the occasional one-night stands, but he always preferred to be with one girl only and Lisa obviously wasn’t the one for him even if hurt to say it.

“She didn’t deserve you, man.” He sighed. “I know it sucks, but I also know something that might cheer you up a little.”

Liam raised an eyebrow intrigued; “Yeah and what would be that?”

“New girls just moved on the same floor as us. Julie and Olivia.” He grinned. “Both are fucking hot. But I got dibs on Olivia just so you know.”

“I’m not looking for a new girl, Niall. No matter how hot they are, I’ll just pass this time. You can have both of them.” He told him before opening the backdoor of the truck. “Now, I just need you to help me unload this truck so I can finally settle in and drink a beer.”

Niall laughed and came to lend a hand. After an hour, they had unloaded the truck and Liam was finally able to close the door to his new place. A few days earlier, he had gotten his new furniture delivered as he didn’t want anything he had shared with Lisa to taint his new apartment. He needed a fresh start and he could afford to buy everything new so he did. So now, it was just a question of unpacking the boxes and try to make this place his new home.

“Want me to help you unpack?” His friend offered, but he denied his offer. “Okay. You know where to find me if you change your mind.”

And with that, Niall left him alone. He went to the fridge and grabbed a beer from it. He was quite happy that he filled up his fridge prior his moving in; he wouldn’t be out of beers while dealing with the unpacking and trying to forget his ex. He was about to take a sip and wonder what to do first when a knock came on the door. He almost ignored it, but decided against it. Upon opening it, he found a girl on the other side, smiling shyly. She was cute and he wondered if she was one of the girls Niall had mentioned earlier.

“Can I help you?” He asked not in the friendliest tone.

“Hi! I’m Julie. We just moved in yesterday and we are out garbage bags and wondered if you could l-...” She stopped herself noting the inside of his place; “And you just moved in too so this may have not been the right door to knock on.”

He forced in a sigh as he answered her; “If you check with Niall, you might have more chance. He lives just next to me.”

“Thanks and good luck with the unpacking.” She replied before walking away.

He watched her walk away a bit longer than he should actually have and finally closed the door. It’s only then that he realized maybe he should have introduced himself or at least be nicer. They were going to be neighbours after all.

“Oh well!” He said outloud. “Let’s get this unpacking started.”

+++

Julie walked back into her apartment where her sister was working in the kitchen. Both girls had moved in together after Livia’s ex-boyfriend dumped her for her now former best friend. Not that her sister was particularly heartbroken about it; she and Derek had started to drift apart a while ago, but the fact that he went for her best friend was something that she still couldn’t digest.

“Got the bags!” She told her. “Niall had some.”

At the mention of their neighbour’s name, Livia’s smile grew. She found the Irish boy to be quite attractive. They had flirted a bit when they met in the hallway, but she hadn’t gotten the chance to see him again.

“I went next door to him first though. I thought I could introduce us to everyone.” She added. “He just moved in too and he was seriously hot. Not your type, but totally mine.”

Livia laughed knowing that her sister was probably right. Even if they agreed on a few guys here and there, their tastes in men were quite different.

“This hottie got a name?” Olivia asked as she put away mugs in the cupboards.

“Well, he didn’t give me one. I noticed his millions boxes and he sent me to Niall. I felt like he didn’t really want to talk to me, so this hottie is probably not even slightly interested, but your hottie did tell me his name. It’s Liam.” She answered her. “He’s actually his best friend who just moved in after a bad breakup.”

“Wow seems like it’s the season for breakups.” Her sister laughed. “Probably why he didn’t show any interest in you.”

“Maybe or maybe I’m just not his type.” She argued. “It doesn’t matter anyways. It’s not like I’m trying to settle down or anything. If I’m in need of a man from time to time, I can always call Louis.”

Olivia rolled her eyes at that. Louis was a friend of their and one of the few guys they both agree on and her was quite happy to sleep with either of them. She hadn’t slept with him that often since she had been in a committed relationship for the past three years, but Julie and him had this thing going on for the past six years. When she broke-up with Derek, she ended up sleeping with him after a night of drinking too much, but it had done her some good.

The fact that her sister didn’t even seem to care that Louis had gotten into her bed showed just how much Julie and Louis’s relationship was always going to be friends with benefits. That is until her sister finally breaks the walls around her heart and actually let some guy in.

“He’s always up for fun that’s for sure. That reminds me that we need to go to the grocery store for the party.” Livia laughed. “Do you think we should invite Niall?”

“Sure. Why not? He would probably be down for a party.”

“Awesome. I’m going to go and invite him right away while you finish in the kitchen.” And with that, her sister disappeared.

Julie laughed as she grabbed another box and started to unpack it.

+++

Liam woke up to a knock on his door. He groaned and trying to get up, he realized that he had fallen asleep on the couch. Witnessing the number of empty beer bottles around him; there was no mystery how he never made it to the bedroom.

He yawned as he opened the door to see Niall standing there a bit too chipper to his taste.

“Seriously, dude. Too early.” Liam complained.

“It’s like 4pm, Li.” Niall chuckled. “Seriously, you need to get over your ex. She’s poison to you and I got the cure. We are going to a party tonight.”

“Not going.” He groaned before walking back to the couch.

“You are fucking going, man.” Niall retorted and then look at the various beer bottles on the floor. “You don’t need to hook up with anyone if you don’t feel like it, but you need this party. Like seriously.”

Liam couldn’t deny the fact that his friend had a point, but honestly he didn’t feel like seeing people at the moment.

“So you’re going to clean up. Put on some nice clothes and meet me in the hallway around 9 and you’re going to be my wingman. I’m hoping to score with Olivia tonight.” He added.

Maybe a one night stand would do him some good. He wasn’t sure that it would actually happen, but perhaps it would beat drinking beer until he passed out simply so he won’t be thinking too much. Then again, it most likely that he’s going to be just drinking at the party and still pass out in her flat afterwards.

“Fine. Whatever.” He agreed knowing there was no point in arguing with him.

That’s why he was now standing in the hallways five hours later with Niall just outside the apartment in front of his. The door opened and a hot brunette stood there all smile... for Niall. Too bad, he might have tried to charm her pants off, but she was off limit.

“Hey Nee! Glad you could make it. Who’s your friend?” She exclaimed.

“Hey Pet! This is my friend Liam. He just moved in and is in need of a good party.” His best friend introduced him. “Li, this is Olivia.”

That much he had gathered seeing how Niall had turn on the charm on her the minute she appeared.

“Oh he’s Liam.” She grinned looking at him from head to toe. “I can see why he would be Julie’s type. Too bad he doesn’t share the interest. Come on in boys!”

He frowned at her comment, but before he could reply anything, she grabbed Niall’s hand and he followed the two of them into the noisy apartment. There were about twenty people inside talking, drinking or dancing just about everywhere. He didn’t really want to be a third wheel to Niall and Livia, so he moved to the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the bucket on the table.

As he drank it, he looked around the room not recognizing anyone. He didn’t know if they lived in the building or if they were friends of the girls.

“Hey mate!” A guy next to him said. “Mind giving me one of those?”

He grabbed the guy a beer and handed it him. “Thanks.”

He watched as he walked right up to... Julie and it brought him back to Livia’s earlier comment. He really must have been acting like a jerk when they first met for her to think that. He really took the time to look at her and he realized his first mistake. She was not cute, she was beautiful. He took another sip of his beer and wondered what would be his chances to bring her back to his place even with the other guy in his way? He shook his head laughing to himself.

A few hours ago he wouldn’t have considered a booty call would happen and now he was trying to secure one for tonight with a girl who was with someone else no less.

She stood close to the guy as he whispered something in her ear which made her laugh and he had to admit that a part of him was kind of jealous. She pushed him away shaking her head as they both chuckled. When he left her side, Liam made a beeline for her. It was time to make up for his lack of attention of yesterday.

“So who’s your boyfriend?” He asked.

He could have worded it better or at least start with a hello and are you enjoying yourself, but that’s not what he wanted to know. Honestly, he had made up his mind; he wanted her. He didn’t know whether it was to forget his ex or if he really wanted her, but he wanted to claim her tonight.

“Louis is not my boyfriend. He is one of my best friends.” She answered before turning to him. “Why?”

“You two looked a lot more than just friendly.” He stated.

“The guys I sleep with is none of your business.” She retorted. “What’s with the attitude? Jealous?”

“Yes.” He replied bluntly.

A surprised look appeared on her face, but it was gone just as fast. He wasn’t sure why, but a part of him believed was that she didn’t want him to know that his answer did something to her.

“Too bad.” She sighed. “If only you would have been nicer, perhaps you could have a chance.”

“Perhaps, I could maybe change your mind.” He exclaimed.

“I highly doubt that, but have fun trying.” She laughed before walking away.

He wasn’t usually the kind of guy to go after a girl who didn’t seem too keen on him, but tonight, he was going to take on her challenge. Now, it was only a matter of how to do it without being a douche.

+++

“You’re evil with the guy.” Louis laughed as Julie joined him. “Just give the poor guy a break. He is going through a rough patch. Niall just told me about it.”

“He was still not nice when we first met. If he actually wants me, I’m sure he can get creative about how to make it happen.” She smiled.

“Oh you want him to take up the challenge.” Louis exclaimed. “God, it must be hard for you to play hard to get when you would probably have gone with it if he had just said the right words.”

“Perhaps, but still, I never had a guy fighting for my attention. It could be fun.” She shrugged.

“Love, if you want a guy to fight for you, you have to open your fucking damn heart for it, because let me tell you that a guy fighting for you only to get you into his bed is not really fighting for you.” Louis argued.

Perhaps he was right, but she had no intention of getting serious with a guy for she would take what she could. She watched around the room for Liam and saw him talking with some people but his eyes were still set on her. He sent her a mischievous smile.

“But may I just add something?” He added as she turned back her attention of him. “Don’t play with him. Be up front with him about what you want.”

Julie felt like Louis’ demand was hiding something. Perhaps something he learned about Liam, but she doubted that Liam was looking for a commitment at the moment anyways. No string attached sex was all she could offer him and she believed he wasn’t going to have any protest about it.

“Louis, I’m always honest about what I want with the guys I sleep with.” She stated. “But don’t worry, I won’t play with him.”

He smiled at her before hugging her.

[notyetneedcoffee]

Not Exactly A Classic Dame (8)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x OFC (platonic friendship between Steve x OFC)

Warnings: Violence, No smut in this chapter

Bucky Master List / Main Master List

Chapter 8

Cassidy propped herself up. Waking alone, she called out for Bucky without much hope of an answer. She knew lying around with her when he had a mission, official or not, went against his nature. She happily stretched, feel the limitations of her injuries. Her body ached, in some very good ways as well as bad.  

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.” She called out to the building’s AI. “Please locate Sergeant Barnes.”

“The Sergeant is not currently in the Compound.”

“Please call him.” Cassidy hobbled toward the living room.  

“Sergeant Barnes has blocked your contact. Override authorization is required.”

She dropped onto the sofa hard, a sudden flush of nerves knocking her off balance. “What?”

“At 06:34, Sergeant Barnes modified his contact profile blocking your cell phone, office extension and voice command contact.” The question came out rhetorically, but the AI’s answer caused her heart to race. This morning. He purposely did it this morning. It wasn’t a mistake.  

No, she thought. He couldn’t, wouldn’t. Not right after… something was terribly wrong.

“Where is Captain Rogers?” Cassidy’s voice shook. She pressed her hand to her mouth, willing herself not to cry. Her skin smelled like sex, like his sweat. Silent tears flowed down her cheeks.  

“Captain Rogers is currently on assignment.”

“Can he be reached?”

“Yes. Would you like me to establish communications?”

“Please.” Cassidy took slow measured breaths.

“Cas?” Steve’s voice came through clearly. “I’ve just got a minute. Feeling better?”

Just the sound of his voice crashed through her fragile control. She began to shake, unable to keep her voice steady. “Stevie.”

“What is? What’s wrong?” He snapped. “Are you safe?”

“Where’s Buck?” She hated the desperation she heard in her own ears.  

“What?”

“I woke up and he’s gone. He’s literally not in the building. He’s, oh fuck, he’s told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to block me from contacting him. What happened? I was asleep for a couple hours, that’s all.” She couldn’t stop the sob. Something horrible had to have happened. Something, someone, made him do it.  

A long silence followed. Cassidy stared at a point on the opposite wall. A voice in the back of her head barked to pull her shit together. She realized how much time passed. “Steve?”

“Sweetheart. I’ll find out what I can. I’m sure everything is fine. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get right back to you. It’s okay, I promise.” He had the voice of someone who knew everything was falling to shit, but meant to keep the situation calm. “Cas, you just rest. Okay?”

“Okay.”

He cut the line.  

Steve turned away from the Chicago street to face Natasha. Her brows were drawn close together. She growled under her breath, “motherfucker.”

“I need you to keep watch for a bit.” Steve marched away from the window and into the back room. He dialed Bucky’s phone. It went straight to voicemail. “Call me, now.” He growled. Fingers flying across the screen he left a text with the same message.  

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. give me a communications and access summary for Bucky over the last twelve hours.” He accessed the AI from his Stark phone.  

“Sergeant Barnes accessed the network using his credentials at 04:18, logging off 32 minutes later. He accessed his profile security via voice command at 06:32. At 06:59, Sergeant Barnes accessed the building garage.”

“Give me a GPS location on his phone.”

“His phone is currently in his quarters at Avengers Compound.”

“Son of a bitch.” Steve growled. He paced the room. Four stepls, turn. Four steps. Back and forth.  

Every scenario his tactician’s brain rolled over failed to be viable. No one could have gotten a phone call or email message to him without the AI knowing. If someone threatened Cassidy again, he wouldn’t leave her unprotected. Steve was on location of the issuer of the contract on his life, so if new intel came in he would contact the team. They were closest. There was no logical reason to go dark.  

Steve’s gut already knew the answer. He was running.  

“Motherfucker.” He muttered to himself, echoing Nat’s words. Steve dialed his phone.  

“Yup.” Tony Stark’s chipper voice answered almost immediate.

“I need another favor.”

“Wow, you forgetting how to do your job or something?” Stark drawled.

“Or something.” Steve’s voice was as dark as Tony had ever heard it.

“Name it.”

“Bucky went dark at seven this morning from the Tower. I need to find him right fucking now.” Steve rumbled. “Off the record.”

“Okie-dokie.” Tony stopped himself from saying ‘language’, but only barely. “Could be tough. He does have a some experience at vanishing. But,” Steve could hear that semi-distracted, typing while talking tone. “I’m sure it won’t take too long.”

o o o o o

Bucky parked the motorcycle around back of the cheap weekly motel about twelve hours west of New York. He just needed a place to think, so he drove until hunger and fatigue forced him from the road. He ignored the knowledge behind his lack of sleep. The hours of watching Cassidy sleep, feeling her curled up against him until he relaxed enough to sleep without nightmares, remained locked away. The feeling of her body under his, the taste of her, stayed buried in a box behind wall upon wall of mental shielding.  

He moved on autopilot. The food he’d scarfed down at the drive through down the street tasted like cardboard and grease. Walking around to the door at the end of the building, Bucky unlocked the room he’d rented just for a few hours of sleep.  

Throwing a small duffle on the bed, he stripped off his jacket and headed to the bathroom to piss. Bucky stopped just inside the door, his reflection momentarily startling himself. Looking fully in the mirror, he had to grip counter top. A corner of his mind recoiled from man looking back from the mirror, too closely resembling the Soldier than himself.  

He was stupid. A broken killer who tried to play at being a good man.  

“You’re such a good man. Thank you for taking care of me.”

The cheap yellowing linoleum cracked under his fingers as the sound of her voice echoed through his mind. He could still smell her on himself, despite the wind of the ride. Bucky pulled at his clothes, desperately stripping down until he stood shivering under icy water and scrubbing himself until nothing of the little motel bar of soap was left.  

By the time he dried off and dressed in his spare clothes the numbness returned. He laid back on the bed, above the covers and fully dress. Sleep did not come, so he just stared at the ceiling, empty, for hours.  

The cheap lock broke with a loud crack and the chain anchor ripped off the wall.

Bucky instantly rolled away from the noise, coming to his feet, wide awake. Steve blocked the doorway.  

The two men stared at each other in the dim light. Bucky’s brain told him it was Steve, stand down. Still, every nerve jumped to the ready for a fight.  

“Why are you here?” Bucky finally spoke.

“I was going ask you the same thing.” Steve rumbled, stepping completely in the small room and kicking the broken door closed behind them. The two super soldiers took up too much room, left too little air in the space.

Bucky felt cornered, regardless of his ability to literally go through the cheep walls of the motel if he need to. His eyes darted around, but he didn’t answer.  

“You going to explain why I’ve just been consoling a woman I thought we both cared about.” Steve took a step closer.  

Bucky took a step back. “It’s best.”

“Best?” Steve bitterly laughed. “For you or for Cas, because I’ve seen her scared, and broken, and in real pain…” His jaw clenched, teeth ground together. “But I’ve never seen her cry like that. So you tell me Bucky, who is best for!”

“Her.” Bucky barely recognized his own voice. “She… It was a mistake. It’s better that way.”

Steve’s face turned bitter. “You fucking coward.”

The words hit Bucky like a physical blow. Knocking him back, but making him coming up fighting. “You don’t know shit! I won’t ever get a happy ending. It’s not what I was built for. I fucked up by pretending any different. She needs to stay away.” Buck stood toe to toe with his best friend. “If you care so much about her, then get it through her head that last night was a mistake.”

Bucky crashed backward through the little table Steve belted him so hard. Buck lunged, knocking Steve through the door and into the parking lot. They rolled, Bucky coming up on top, swings fueled by pain. Steve kicked Bucky off. On their feet they exchanged blows. Steve’s kick caught Buck’s knee and threw him sideways. In that moment, Steve grappled him to the ground.

Left arm pinned and face in the pavement, Bucky strained. Barely able to breath past the choke hold, he croaked out “I can’t be the reason she gets hurt.”

“You selfish shit!” Steve wanted to rub his face in the asphalt. “You have hurt her. For god’s sake, you left her in bed! Without a word! How could you?!”

Bucky’s whole body went slack. “I can’t protect her.”

“So you hurt her worst of all?” Steve lightened his grip, but did not let go.

“Cassidy doesn’t see it, doesn’t see what I am. Doesn’t see what that will bring to her.” Bucky’s forehead came to rest on the pavement. “She thinks I’m something I’m not.”

“Which is what?” Steve’s ass hit the ground, leaving him holding Bucky more than restraining him.  

The words came out lower than a whisper. “She thinks I’m a good man.”

“You are.” Steve shook him. “At least when you’re not a complete asshole.”

Bucky couldn’t meet his eyes, the carefully constructed box would break if he did. “No. I’m not. I haven’t been for a very long time and time is coming when I will pay for it. I can’t stop them all. I can’t end it by taking out a target. They will come and I will not let her be there again when they do.”

“Don’t you think she knows? Don’t you think she should have a choice in this?” Steve’s voice broke. His best friend, his brother, was slipping back into a darkness he thought behind them forever… leaving Cassidy in tatters.    

“I can’t.”

“Dammit, Bucky. She loves you.”

Bucky closed his eyes, reaching for the numbness. “I can’t.”

Steve pushed him, kicked him away. “Then get your lousy ass back there and man the fuck up. You tell her, Buck. You see her and you tell her yourself.” He got to his feet and pulled Bucky up by the shoulders, holding him inches from his face. “You go back there, and you look one of best women you or I will ever know in the eye and you tell her why you are tearing her heart out.”

Steve’s angry tears were only answered with Bucky’s empty-eyed nod.      

TAG LIST

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[znaeb]

I needed to come see you. | B.A.

“This again?”

You internally rolled your eyes when you saw who was on the other side of the door. You thought he was getting past this, that he was maturing.

The drunken parties had seemed less interesting to him recently, but here he was again. Drunk, whining about god knows what, and on your doorstep asking to come in because he’s too wasted to drive himself home.

“Brandon, What is this?” You closed your eyes and pinched the bridge of your nose.

“I just needed to come see you, I just needed to make sure you were still here.” He stumbled but caught himself with one hand on the doorframe.

“Where would I have gone?” You furrowed your eyebrows at him, “it’s 2am, B.”

“I dunno, out with Steven.” He mimed gagging himself at the mention of your off-and-on-boyfriend’s name.

You chuckled at him before stepping farther into the house and tugging his sleeve so he’d follow you, “C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”

“No, I need to talk to you about something.” He said sternly as he pulled his arm away from you.

“And what would that be?” You said as you sat him down on the couch and tried to get his jacket off of him.

“Well I don’t want to tell you now.” He pouted, smooshing his face against the arm of the couch and tucking his hands under his head.

“Whatever...” you said calmly, knowing he was just drunk and didn’t know what he was saying.

You sat on the floor by the couch so you could comfortably talk to him face to face, you reached your hand up and ran your fingers through his hair. His eyes closed and your plot to make him fall asleep began to work.

“Do you need water or anything?” You whispered to him.

He shook his head and mumbled a quick, “no, thank you.” You sighed and stayed there quietly next to him for a while.

When he was almost completely asleep you stood up and grabbed a blanket from the little rack by the couch to cover him up.

“Thank you.”

“No problem, Brandon.” You smiled at the fact that he even had good manners when he was drunk.

“Y/N?” He said slightly louder as you started to walk away.

“Hm?” You turned around as you put your foot on the first stair step.

“I’m in love with you.” He said it without even opening his eyes. In fact you’re pretty sure he was asleep within 3 seconds of saying it, but even though it seemed not to affect him in the slightest, it took you a minute before you could regain your thoughts and turn to walk up the stairs.

You didn’t sleep very well that night.

—

Fuck fuck fuck fuck....

He was ripping his hair out, cringing at himself for his actions the last night. His drunken self never failing to embarrass him.

“Maybe she’ll think I was just too drunk and out of it...” he whispered to himself as he paced the floor of her living room.

Thankfully she was still asleep and he didn’t have to face her and the inevitable embarrassment of what he’d said.

He grabbed his jacket and bolted for the front door, opening and shutting it as quietly as the squeaky S.O.B. would allow.

He walked the few blocks from her apartment to the parking lot of the pub where he’d been the night before. he pressed the unlock button on his little remote a bunch of times and hopped inside, turning the key and speeding away from all his problems.

“Nick!” He called for his roommate the second he opened the door.

He walked into the kitchen where he saw him eating a bowl of cereal at the small island. “Nick... I fucked up, dude.”

“What’d you do this time?” He rolled his eyes.

Brandon gave him a dirty look before continuing, “I got drunk last night...”

“So?”

“And then went to Y/N’s...”

“Shit...”

“And then I told her I’m in love with her...”

A slight pause. A bite of cereal. And then Nick spoke: “yup, you fucked up.”

“Wow you’re so helpful. Thank you, oh wise one.” Brandon rolled his eyes and tossed his keys on the counter before sitting across from his roommate.

“Well what do you want me to say? You are in love with her, and it’s not like she was never going to find out.”

“But I didn’t want her to find out from drunk Brandon! I wanted her find out when I planned to tell her.”

“Oh? and when was that, Romeo?” Nick mocked him.

“Y’know... when I planned.” Brandon crossed his arms.

“Wow.”

“Shut up.”

—

When you woke the next morning your head hurt. The lack of sleep obviously didn’t agree with you. You rubbed your eyes as you got up and walked down the stairs.

As your foot hit the last step you heard the door close, making you huff and put your hands on your hips. He crashed on your couch, then told you he was in love with you, then bailed? Dick.

“That motherfucker.” You shook your head as you walked into the kitchen to start the coffee maker.

Who does he think he is? Making you lose sleep and then leaving without even offering an explanation?

You considered calling to make sure he got home alive, but you decided to just check the Snapchat map and see his location. Sure enough, he was at his house.

You wanted to storm over there and ask him the thousands of questions that were now swirling around your brain, you wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake the answers out... but you didn’t. You were afraid of those answers.

You didn’t exactly know what your feelings toward Brandon were. You knew he was definitely more than a friend, but you’d never let yourself get farther than that. You refused to let yourself think about him that way, no matter how many weird, intimate, thankfully only occasionally sexual, dreams you’d had about him.

You poured yourself a mug of coffee when it had finished brewing and decided you needed to talk to the best advice giver in the world. Edwin.

“Hey sugar pie, what’s up?” He answered on the 2nd ring and sounded way to chipper for this early in the morning.

“Ed, something happened.” You sighed.

“Uh oh, tell me everything.” You heard his car start in the background and you furrowed your eyebrows.

“Was that your car? Where are you going?” You questioned impulsively.

“Home. My graveyard shift just ended.” He spoke matter-o-factly, “The E.R. was suspiciously slow and I need something to make my day more interesting, so, spill.” He didn’t let the subject change, he loved knowing everything.

“Brandon...” You started and then paused, “he showed up at my house last night, at like 2am.”

“Oooh, did you guys do the diddly do?” You face palmed.

“No! He was drunk.” You rolled you eyes and clarified the situation as much as you could, “he walked to my house because he couldn’t drive home.”

“Oh, is that it? I was hoping for something more interesting.” The disappointment was very evident in his voice.

“No... he kind of— well not kind of... he, um, told me that he’s in love with me?” You bit your bottom lip and squeezed your eyes shut as you waited for Edwin’s reaction.

You heard a gasp through the phone and then, loudly, “fucking finally! I’ve been waiting for one of you to let it slip.”

“Wait, what?” You were officially puzzled.

“Sweetie, everyone knows.” He sighed.

“Knows what?” You asked in a defensive manner.

“That you and Brandon are basically obsessed with each other.” You could practically hear him rolling his eyes at you.

“We are not!” You scoffed at the very notion, then after a moment of silence added, “at least I don’t think we are...”

“Honey, are you seriously going to try and deny this? To me? I know all. I am all knowing.” He sassed and you chuckled.

“Does Miranda know too then? You do tell her everything.” You laughed out loud thinking about it. Edwin and his fiancée, Miranda, pretty much knew everything about everyone in their friend group. They were like the parents to whom all the pathetic single friends brought their drama.

“Well obviously, me and my wife share everything. It’s how we keep our relationship so healthy.” Although they weren’t scheduled to be married for another 3 months, they had been referring to each other as ‘wifey’ and ‘hubby’ since their senior year in high school.

“What do I do, Ed?” You said after another moment of silence, “I don’t know what I’m feeling.”

“Just take some time and think about it, like really think about what you want. And just be honest with him when you decide what you feel. He cares about you a lot... he’ll get it, whatever you choose.”

Once again Edwin came through, he always gave the best advice. You sighed again and nodded even though he couldn’t see you.

“Okay... okay you’re right. I’m gonna just have to wait to talk to him until I know what I want, because I literally have no idea what to say.”

“You got this, boo.” He encouraged, you then heard a door opening in the on his end and him say, away from the speaker: “Good morning, little miss love of my life.”

You swooned at the soft words your friend spoke to his fiancée. you silently wished you had that with someone— and because of the current topic of conversation, your mind automatically went to Brandon.

“Hey, Y/N?” You heard Ed addressing you on the phone again, “I’m gonna go eat some breakfast with M, we can call back in a little while if you still want to talk though.” He offered kindly.

“No that’s okay! Thank you for everything, go spend time with your wife!” You laughed as you shooed him off of the phone.

He laughed then said, “alright alright, text one of us if you need anything.”

You said your goodbyes and hung up. Then you stood alone in your kitchen for another few minutes before deciding to run some errands and think about everything.

—

“Ed, I—“ Brandon was cut off seconds after he began to speak.

“I heard.” Edwin rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“You heard? From who? Y/N? What did she say?” He questioned his best friend frantically, “Edwin, I swear to god, tell me what she said!”

“I’m not going to betray her trust like that!” He smacked Brandon on the side of the head, “calm down.”

“Ow.” Brandon rubbed the spot that was now sore from Edwin’s assault.

“What I will say is that I think you should just give it some time, let it breathe, and she’ll come to you.” Edwin made hand gestures to emphasize his point, “and, also, maybe don’t be a creep and show up at her door at two in the morning!”

Brandon physically cringed for the millionth time.

“I didn’t mean to do it... it just happened. It was totally unplanned.” He hugged himself tightly, hoping it’d make the pit forming in his stomach stop growing.

“Dude, fuck off. You knew exactly what you were doing when you got drunk at the only bar within walking distance of her house.” Edwin leaned against the kitchen counter and cocked his head to the side.

“Ignorance is my story and I’m sticking with it.” Brandon shook his head and huffed.

“Wow, very believable.” Miranda chimed in as she walked into the kitchen. Her long blonde hair swayed behind her as she made a bee-line for Edwin, latching her arm with his, “I almost, almost thought you were telling the truth.”

“Hello, my love.” Edwin completely abandoned the conversation to greet his girlfriend, nothing new.

“Hello.” She beamed at him and kissed his cheek.

“Guys! Focus! I need serious help!” Brandon pleaded.

“Oh, we know.” Ed raised his eyebrows at B.

“Why is everyone so mean to me? My god!” Brandon threw his arms up in defeat.

“Oh stop it, drama queen...” Miranda rolled her eyes, “hey, don’t you have work in like 15 minutes?” She furrowed her brows and looked at him.

“No I—“ He looked at his watch, “fuck! I’m gonna be late.” He rushed around to find where he’d set his keys. When he finally found them he hurried to the door, Edwin following close behind to lock it after him.

In a last ditch attempt to gain some information he turned around in the doorway and rushed out, “Please tell me what Y/N said?”

“Never.” Edwin scoffed and smacked the other side of his head, “go to work, Brandon.”

“Fine, bye.” He grumbled and hurriedly made his way out of the apartment complex and to work.

—

“Zion? thoughts?” You raised your shoulders as you sought the opinion of your neighbor. The normal routine of sitting on his back porch and having a beer to unwind after work was rudely interrupted by you ranting about the whole Brandon mess.

“What about that Steven dude?” He questioned and tipped his chin up, “What’s up with him?”

“I don’t even really like him like that, every now and then we both just get bored of being single and go to the movies or something.” You plopped down on a deck chair after you finished pacing and crossed your arms, “he literally would not care at all if I started dating someone else.”

“So you want to date Brandon?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you’ve thought about it?”

“I mean... yes.”

“Okay.” Zion started, setting his beer down and leaning foreword, “I’m gonna say a word and your gonna say the first thing that pops into your mind. Don’t think, just say it.”

“Z, that’s stupid. What’s that gonna prove?”

“Will you just shut up and do it?” He rolled his eyes, having no patience for your doubt of his methods.

“Fine.” You sighed.

“Tree.”

“Tree?”

“Okay, something other than the word I said, please? Thank you.”

You rolled your eyes, but gestured for him to continue.

“House?”

“Home.”

“Car?”

“Road trip.”

“Friend?”

“Miranda.”

You let your mind go blank. Bored to death with this little exercise, you zoned out.

“Dog?”

“Cat.”

“Lover?”

“Brandon.”

“Aha! You love Brandon!” Zion accused, pointing a finger at you. You were just as startled by your own admission as you were of Zion’s sudden triumphant yelp.

“I... What the fuck?” You scratched your head. You honestly hadn’t meant to say it. Your own subconscious baffling you beyond belief.

Zion leaned back in his chair and sipped his beer with utter satisfaction. A smirk on his face as he mentally crowned himself the king of relationship advice. Even though he himself has never had a serious girlfriend, he reckoned he’d be amazing at relationships.

“I think I’m in love with Brandon.” You admitted to yourself as you came to terms with feelings you’ve had since high school, “Huh... how about that?”

“It’s not that weird y’know, people fall in love all the time.” Zion remarked offhandedly.

“I guess that’s true.”

You both sat in silence while you finished your drinks and then retreated back to your respective homes.

—

It was 2am.

You knocked on the door and waited. Your intense nerves were crawling up your back like some sort of monster and making the little hairs on your arms stand up.

You waited as you heard footsteps from inside, bouncing on your toes and hoping to god that this goes how you want it to.

The door opened and light flooded out and into the ground. Making it difficult to hide the uncomfortable look sneaking it’s way on your face.

“Y/N?” Brandon was surprised to see you.

“Hi.” You did an awkward little wave then stood there silently.

“Um, what’s up?” He stepped outside with you and turned to pull the door closed behind him, taking the light away and making everything dim once again.

“I just needed to come see you.” You spoke quietly and looked down, eye contact seeming impossible at this particular moment.

“I thought you’d be avoiding me for the rest of our lives.” He attempted to joke, also looking down.

“I could never do that.” Your head shot up and you looked at him for what felt like the first time ever.

You re-noticed the small things you adore about him. Like how his eyebrows raise when he’s giving you his attention, and how his eyes are so pretty (even when you can barely see them), and how he bites the inside of his cheek when he’s anxious.

“That’s a relief.” He whispers.

“Hey, Brandon?” You issued a question in response. Your eyes once again glueing themselves to the ground, too scared by what you were about to tell him to look him in the face.

“Hm?” He stepped closer, the tips of your shoes almost touching.

“I’m in love with you too.” You finally forced yourself to look up at him again, and when you did his face was much closer than you had thought. Your noses brushed as he responded:

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes please.”

And so he did.

[thecardsimagine]

Of shipwrecks and seafoam

Summary: Let me tell you a story about a pirate and a merman, finding a love that goes beyond insecurities and death. Let yourself be taken away onto a journey about doubt and secrets, understanding and a bond that even goes beyond the deep blue of the ocean.

Pairing: Merman!Julian Devorak x Pirate!Reader (Nonbinary) Rating: Mature because of swearing and suggestive content Warning: Blood, Death, Killing Genre: Romance, Drama, Alternate Universe

a/n: It’s getting... more intimate I would say, hoho. No, I am joking, it’s just cute. Tell me how you liked the chapter!

Chapter 5 - Boundaries

The day started rather uneventful.

You woke up in the blossoming morning hours, getting to see some seagulls hopping around you and checking you out. With loud screeches, they flew away as you moved as if it was your fault that they got scared. Huffing, you sat up, feeling something sharp and dry at your side. With a look under your shirt, you confirmed that the seaweed had dried up and started to crumble away, though pieces kept sticking to you and hurting the wound.

Sighing, you rolled around, taking a sip from the water before you stood up tall. Even without the stick, it was much easier to get up now, and you were thankful for that as it wouldn't take a toll on you anymore to move around. Nevertheless, even if you valued Julian's care, you were not going to leave the dried up sea-puke on you for any longer.

Speaking of which - the merman was nowhere to be seen. Though you didn't mind as he probably got enough on his sleeve - at least you thought he must have some kind of life after all - you couldn't deny that you missed some company. But for now, the thought about getting your wound clean was enough to keep away any bad feelings that might occur from the previous night.

Stripping yourself, you were careful about ripping off your shirt. Surely, the cloth had seen better days, now stained with dried seaweed too, but you weren't going to complain and instead, just throw it into the water with you. Though that day promised to be a sunny one, when you first stepped foot into the ocean, a cold shiver ran over your body. You were used to cold baths, but of course, right after waking up this wasn't exactly the definition of fun.

But you bit your tongue, strode into the cold until you were up to your knees and prepared for impact. It would hurt, you were sure, but it was still worth it to get off the seaweed bandages on your side. Settling down, you let the plant get soaked for a small part of a minute, determining the time by the slowly creeping up of pain in your side as the water got in contact with your flesh. That's when you used your hand to peel and pick off the plant from your body, careful to not accidentally rip off some healing parts of the wound with it.

"Well, hello there ~" you heard suddenly, startling you so severely your hand tore off an especially significant piece of seaweed. Screaming bloody murder, you had to determine you had just ripped off some scab too and you gave Julian a furious glare as he immediately came up around the side to inspect it. "Oh, we'll need to wrap this again," he mumbled, biting his lower lips. Bringing your hand into the water, you used all your strength to splash him, which caught him off-guard, though it only made him giggle.

"We wouldn't have to if only you wouldn't creep up on me like this!"

Getting up immediately, you made it short and painless, rubbing off the small parts of seaweed that still remained on your body. Sadly, it wasn't as painless as you would have liked it and you swore and hissed all the way back to the shore. You immediately put your clothes back on, while Julian came after you, snatching your shirt which you had lost in the waters after the initial shock and he had picked up and held out to you.

"I'm really sorry I startled you, I didn't think you'd be quite that… jumpy." He could barely hold back his grin as he said those words and you only huffed, marching off into the direction of the woods. "Ah, wait!" he yelled after you, and you looked over your shoulder, not slowing down in the least. "Where are you going?" he asked, worry in his voice. "I need new firewood!" And with that you were off and gone into the thicket, leaving behind a discouraged Julian.

"Sorry I acted this way," you mumbled quietly, knowing fully well he could hear you. "I shouldn't just have run away."

"I understand it. Sometimes I just want to run and leave everything behind too," he reassured you, draping another layer of seaweed over your wound. "You do?" you questioned, again, genuinely interested.

"Yeah, I… I'm a little different than the others, I guess? Did some things they did not approve of. Lift the arm, please."

Nodding you did as he asked, making sure he could reach the wound properly. "And you really think that green stuff helps?" Lifting up half of a shell, filled with the green goo you had come into contact with before into your view, he asked, "This?"

Agreeing, his mood seemed to lift, as he told you with much confidence, "Absolutely! I made it myself! It's the best cure for wounds like this!"

"Are you a doctor or something?" His response was a chipper, "Yes!"

If you had learned anything about him by now, then that he took your health somehow incredibly serious. It's not like it really had to concern him, but he still did whatever he could. Even when you had tried to chicken out from another treatment of seaweed and goo, he had made it very clear that there was no running this time.

In fact, you felt a bit bad. After the hysteric argument, you had left him for almost an hour while you searched for new firewood. In reality, you had found yourself a spot to sit down for some time, trying to regain your composure. To say he had surprised you really had been an understatement. It had literally put you in a state of fear, something you still hadn't been able to lose around him yet. He treated you well, and yet, your body was in constant agony about his being.

Where your mind had been reasonable already, every fiber of your skin still repelled the idea of letting down your guard. You weren't sure if it was some sort of instinct or if there was something that your body wanted to tell you with how strongly it refused Julian's presence. But when you had finally stepped out of the forest again and saw him dragging his body out of the water and already halfway over the beach, making you feel incredibly bad seeing his worried expression.

When he saw you, his face had immediately lit up with relief, and he explained he had gotten worried after you were gone for so long and feared that something had happened. And for once, you believed him.

"Next time, when the seaweed dries out then you can ask me to remove it. This way you won't hurt yourself again. We can't have you lose more blood, can we?" He finished up his work, and you gave it an approving look over before pulling your shirt over your head again. "You really like that stuff, don't you?" you asked, pointing at the leftover seaweed in his hand. "Oh, this? I love it!" It shows, you thought, only smiling meekly at his enthusiasm.

"Human doctors are currently really interested in leeches," you explained, trying to find something to compare his interests to. "Leeches?" he returned puzzled. It made sense that he didn't know the little, brown worms, as they only lived in other parts of the lands and not so much in the big, wide ocean. "They are little animals. And they attach to you and suck out your blood!"

"Ooh…" he mumbled. "I would love to get my hands on those."

"Of course, you would." Somehow you had to laugh about the thought of him admiring leeches in the claw-like hands of his, only for them to bite him and him freaking out like any normal person would. You heard him scoot closer to you, his tail touching your legs with how close he was. His hand came up to your chin, pushing it up until your eyes met his. There was something sensual about the way his face looked when he was only inches from yours, and his words sent shivers down your spine.

"I don't understand why you are laughing, but I like the sound of it."

It took you a few moments to snap out of it. Even though you should be used to these random teases or flirts of his by now, they still managed to make your mind blank out for a second until you could take control of your thoughts again. Basically jumping away from him, you brought some distance between the two of you, much to his confused surprise as he watched you scoot away.

"Oh, wow, Julian. You really need to work on those boundaries," you muttered, face slightly flushed from the situation. "Boundaries? Why? I am your doctor, I need to be close," he retorted, winking at you slightly. Oh, what a tease he was. He knew exactly what was up. "Don't tell me your view of fish people has changed by now? Has it?" You let out a loud snort, getting comfortable around the fire and picking up some sticks to light it up. "You wish!"

He let out a dramatic sigh, placing one arm over his forehead. "I do, my dearest. I do wish to change your mind badly." Biting your lip, you tried not to laugh and keep up a tough act, though he saw through you right away. "You are so dramatic for not being human!" you complained, now it being your turn to sigh dramatically.

"As if you don't like it!" With another wink, Julian scooted back into the water and away from the fireplace. "You really don't like fires, huh?" He shook his head, positioning himself properly into the water. "Mermaids… are surprisingly flammable. We had our reigning leader get a little too close to humans before, and it didn't end well."

"Surprisingly, considering you are literally wet all the time. But it sounds like an interesting story, you should tell it to me sometimes." A weak smile came over his face as he looked at you. "Sure… Some other time, okay?" You found it strange that he was reluctant to talk about, but you figured it must have been a bad topic for him to talk about, revealing one of his own weaknesses maybe. In the end, he must have been just like you, not trusting you completely.

"Can I ask some questions?" he asked all of a sudden, making you halt in your movement, as you tried to light a fire. "Huh? Sure, I guess?" Even though you took your eyes off him to go back to rubbing the sticks together, you heard him take an excited deep breath, before long held back questions seemed to swell out of him.

"What do you do on those things you call ships? I've seen them plenty of times, but I always wondered."

"We…" You made a pause to think for a second. Were you just going to tell him about pirates and ship wars? Would you be able to or would it cause you another day of crying? "We transport things. Over the ocean! And we… Yeah, that's it."

"So, why were you fighting, then?" You weren't sure how, but Julian seemed to know how to ask all the right questions. You kept him on hold for a second as you noticed sparks coming from your sticks, quickly lightening the fire. He shuffled in the water, his fin moving up and down in a splashing sound as he waited patiently, watching your every move.

"Sometimes, people want to steal your wares. And you need to defend it from the others." He let out an understanding 'Oh' and you decided you didn't want to tell him about your pirate lifestyle and how you were the reason that everyone was dead because of what all of you did. A thought lingered in your mind, that you didn't want him to think badly about you. After all, he was the only thing pretty much keeping you alive at the moment. Until now, you hadn't realized how dependent you were on his presence, and understandably, you didn't like it all too much.

"What is it like…" he asked, interrupting your string of thought. You felt a wet hand come up to your feet, softly caressing your skin as he brushed over it. "To walk?" Thinking, you shrugged your shoulders. "What is it like to wave your tail? It's only natural, I guess."

"But does it hurt?" he insisted on talking about the topic, and you nodded vaguely. "Sometimes… When you step on things, it hurts. Or when you receive a wound that you have to walk with. And when you get older, your bones will start not working as good as they did when you were younger. Do you not have that when you get older?" His eyes still on your feet, he seemed to think about your words before looking up at you.

"How old do you think I am?" The question caught you off-guard, and you stuttered a little as to try and find an answer to it. Inspecting him, you spoke out the first number that came into your mind. "Twenty... Seven?" Julian smiled pitifully at your guess, though it was followed by some soft laughs while he propped himself up on his arms to face you better. The fire was crackling peacefully next to you, and you set up the second pot to cook some more water.

"Let's see... If we take it in human years, I think I am around 756 years old. And I am still young! The blossoming of my youth so to say," he confessed, wiggling his eyebrows. You couldn't help but snort at that, having never heard something so ridiculous before. But when you looked at him expectantly, you realized he was not joking, his face void of any untruth this time. "Shit, you're serious…" you mumbled, staring blankly at him.

"Sure am."

"But how?" Shaking his head to acknowledge your question, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I have seen many humans age before, we just do it in a different timespan," he explained, and you couldn't help but believe him. "So, you revealed yourself to more people before me?"

"Only two, but no need to be jealous of them, I never engaged with them this much." You let out an exaggerated groan, and he laughed, sounding soft like a wind chime. Then again, he had caught your interest with his confession, and you couldn't help but dig a little deeper. "But why do it? Why risk showing yourself to them?" Lying down again, he thought about it, poking his claw-like finger against your big toe, making you jump as you found yourself to be ticklish.

"I was just curious, you know. About them… The humans…"

"Julian, can I ask you something more serious then?" His eyes perked up to you, and he nodded while running his hand continuously over your foot. By now, you didn't have a fear of him touching you anymore, or felt like pulling your limb away, and it was a subtle affection that you didn't mind.

"Do you know what we humans say about your kind? That you are luring sailors into the water and eat them? Is that true?" His hand stopped, his eyes unwavering from yours as his stare intensified. "No…" he finally admitted, avoiding his gaze almost instantly. "It's not."

With a sigh, he let off from your leg after brushing over it for a few times more. He robbed back, halfway into the water, not looking at you at all. "I am sure you are hungry, let me get you something good." A smile crept over his face, but he still avoided to look at you. "Hey," he shouted as he was already shoulder-deep into the ocean.

"Do you… still distrust me so much?" Finally, he looked up at you, his expression sad. It made a genuine impression on you, and you couldn't help but believe that he might actually be hurt by the actions you had shown him before. "No, Julian… I don't," you finally admitted, and a big, happy smile appeared on him.

"Will you tell me your name then?" he asked and suddenly, you realized you had never introduced yourself to him. "It's [Name]!" By now, you had to yell so he would hear you as he drifted off. And though he didn't scream back, you heard him say, "How pretty!" before he ducked away and vanished into the ocean.

Leaving you behind with more questions than answers and a wildly beating heart.

[theeverbloomingdarkness]

THE MUN PLAYS KH3

Here are my notes/comments I made while playing through KH3. The thoughts that went through my head.

***SPOILERS FOR EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. SPOILERS. SPOILERS.***

Tuesday, Jan 29th. 5:00 pm.

-Finally home and ready to play. Colored lights on, fluffy pants on, favorite blanket nearby, cats fed, pizza in oven, cold water in fridge, juice smoothie drink standing by. Waiting on my pizza to finish so I can eat dinner while listening to the title screen music. Have not put game on yet. (Just so happened to get my Marluxia keychain the other day too! Got my game today.)

-Here we goooooOOOOOO.

-OATH ORCHESTRAL IS SO PRETTY. Also expected recap. I bet there will be a lot of flashbacks in the game (update: not at all).

-Cable town seems a precarious place to live- also a pain to get around. Pretty. there’s a LOT of islands. (Update: homeworld of Keyblade wielders? Or base)

-Eraqus playing dumb?  Messing with Xehanort? Or is he actually just like that and doesn’t know.

-Queue intro. Music feels off slightly but that could just be because I saw the trailer one first. Also new Marluxia content, gonna need a gif of that little clip jumping over the scythe.

-Darkside, of course. Nostalgia reasons. Would have been more interesting if they changed up the fight with him, I think. He’s always been a pretty lame fight.

HERCULES WORLD

-Cutscenes feel much more natural (first reaction). Also Donald getting shit on, always fun. (Update: the amount of shitting on each other in this game is unreal)

-Hercules’ new voice… Is it new? IDK, but I find it unnerving.

-The Instagram loading screens are weird? Not a big deal.

-Maleficent’s much needed glow up.

-The graphics are odd because some things look super good and then some things look kinda weird sometimes. IDK I just started. Generally very pretty.

-SORA, DONALD, GOOFY. Is this going to be a thing again? (Update: yes, it is)

-Guess Phil isn’t going to talk at all? Sort of weird (Update: speaking of NOT SPEAKING. Aeleus and Dilan. Not a single peep. Wow.)

-Xigbar’s voice is changing into Xehanort’s now. Someone help him.

-Holy shit an NPC. WTF was that scene??? I think that’s all that needs to be said here. Just, what? How did that even work? No idea where the girl was/how far? Didn’t see any fire? Too slow? Yeeted into the universe. Little girl saved???

-Jumping around when you get hit with fire is annoying.

-Fighting those Titans was a shirt storm. It was soooo janky for me. (update: the combat in this game is incredibly aerial based)

-“May your hear-- ?” Unsure if game bugged or not. (Update: I get it now. Thanks, epilogue.)

-So Axel DOES get an outfit, wonder if we’ll ever see him wear it. (Update: AT THE VERY END

-Phone call. Is it my boy IENZO??? Oh, nope. D: WAIT, there he is.- -MOODY AELEUS??? What does he have against Roxas? Just because he left the Organization? Yeah, like Axel. Stop the bias against the other Org members.

-GODDAMMIT they did it again with the title card.

TWILIGHT TOWN

-Seifer and gang left for a “hero’s journey”.

-IENZO SPYING? IENZO CHUCKLE. Ienzo didn’t know= that makes sense. He’s so…happy (Update: he really is chipper in this game) -KIDNAPPED EVEN? -Just get Even to make him a body. -I too could go for some hot wings, little girl -Talking about Sora. I figured, but I hoped.

-Darn you Axel for being attractive -DILAN

IT’S MARLUXIA TIME. MARLUXIA TIME. MARLUXIA TIME

-What a lovely world; everyone’s having a nice time… It sure would be a shame, if someone….ruined it.

-Mar you creep. PINK EYES?

-FAVOR? Oh. :I Balance, eh? Do you believe that Mar? Also would rather forget? Himself, or does he mean Sora?

-Marluxia does indeed dislike nicknames.

-Is Marluxia really out to protect the light/Rapunzel for balance? If it were anyone else it’d be easy to write off. (Update. Like Larx for this story it’s just about making sure they have the PoH backups)

-Time for Mar to be an ass. Lol. Sounded like he wasn’t even trying.  He likes it when they run. Also I guess Mar tied Flynn up in this version? -HE’S SO PRETTY -SLEEP BOY! Also…Mar? New power? Lol. How handy, wish I could do that to myself. (Also the comment about him being good at sleeping or something? Guess he knows that from DDD? When they were all there at the end. Or upon learning he was in a pod for a year.)

-The bosses thus far have been huge and really annoying to hit/air battles.

-On Marluxia, still looks like they’re just using him for Nort fodder at this point. Even though it still makes no sense at all.

-And I’m sure that’s all I’m gonna get this game for Marluxia.

-ALSO,  Reapers baby. CALLED IT.

-Get Even to make one! Well Goofy’s right, Ienzo might be able to do it. OH MY GOD I CALLED IT. Good job Riku for being smart.

-*Sidenote: If you haven’t seen Tangled some things might seem disconnected to you as a player. (Update: this goes for most of the Disney worlds actually.)

TOY STORY

-Final Fantasy??!?!?! LOL Riku and Noctis fusion

-WTF. Shot by YMX into Square Enix? Oh nope, Gigas.

-OOO Woody burn. No one loves you Xehanort.

-Should have been ,“There’s a snake in my boot”

-ANOTHER Woody burn.

-I feel like Young Xehanort learned something they already knew???

-OH YEP. Need Even. I wonder if Aeleus and Dilan will talk in this game (Update: nope)

-OOOO Evil meeting. Everyone yell so you can hear each other. DAMN IT VEXEN, you mad science man. At least it’s a believable reason for Vexen. Unlike Marluxia, which is total bullshit

-Gummi flying takes forever.

FROZEN. Ready to see my girl Larxene

-This is literally the my friends are my power game with the way the combat is set up (Update: Very Aerial and AOE oriented gameplay)

-Also enemies have a lot of HP

-Lol. Oh yeah, memory loss. They filled her in.

- Using the electricity to move the blocks and trap them… I can be like, ok I’ll buy that. But this is a complex-ass labyrinth

Along with Marluxia’s sleep thing and now this,… Headcanon that it’s due to Xehanort influence possibly?

-Larxene Nobodies! They look like ninjas. YEP. Just checked. Called Ninjas.

-Giant Larxene knife symbols on wall. Classy.

-Did Larxene just show Elsa up with that labyrinth btw?

-LET IT GO. LET IT GO. “I don’t know what I just saw”. lol

-What is with all this Larx ice using? I dun like it >.<

-Again boss is up so high the fight is really floaty and crazy

-What girl??? Who??? Namine? Kairi? Streli? Not Larxene . Must be Kairi. (Update: STILL DON’T KNOW THE GIRL. Future game plot point)

-KARATE Aqua

-Oh god, not Pooh Bear. Please be optional.

-Ienzo has an Instagram.

MONSTERS INC

-Alright Vani where you at?

-LMAO Sully just grabs him and throws him in a door xD That is a GOLDEN moment

-Ienzo’s gonna be the one who saves Xion Roxas and Ventus. Nice.

-This is “shit on each other the game” isn’t it?

-Oooo evil meeting.  MY PALS. Marluxia is WOKE as fuck., he’s like nah he just wants our empty husk bodies as vessels.  Larxene ain’t having it, yep, that’s what I thought. You? Canon ‘Marly’ Omg Benched, I believe it. REBEL GROUP. REBEL GROUP.  (Update: I chanted this in my head a lot)

WHAT??? Another purpose? Luxord in.  TELL US THE PURPOSE? All four of them? Wow. Demyx and Luxord in Union X confirmed. :/ Not a fan of this. Too many keyblades.

Ugh I want more plot Dx Gotta do Pirates.

*So it does seem like the four of them don’t want to be in the Org? But again they aren’t doing anything about it so???

So the reason they let them back (Mar and Lar even though traitors) is because they want their ancient keyblade powers. (Update: This is never mentioned again. Like, why does it matter to Xehanort? Did Xehanort pull them out of time? More questions)

PIRATES

- Vexen and Lux. Oooo Vexen not obeying. Luxooooord. REBEL GROUP. REBEL GROUP. -Pausing air fight to feed cats. Not enjoying this flying oof. Thank goodness it isn’t all shooting -Who needs air? -Wow nice ship and sails Luxord -Whatever you want eh Luxord? -Gonna honor the rules Lux? Did he lose on purpose? -Hope eh? -LOL No Parley. OOF breath on his face, into the ocean. Luxord just got burned. First Vanitas now Luxord - Dramatic walk scene?  Awwww

-GDI Axel change your clothes -Was thinking this at the first scene but GDI I know people are going to ship these two

-Here comes darkqua? -A tale of two Ansems. Feeling Namine guilt? -Hayner bout to get FUCKED. WHAT GIRL? -WHAT THE FUCK? Nobodies? Who doing this??? -FUCK it’s Vexen. Good Vexen? What? :o Is he lying??? FUCK CLIFFHANGER. I appreciate all the diff character interactions in this game though. Does Vexen secretly have a heart of gold and is in on the REBEL GROUP?

BIG HERO 6

- Data Riku or Repliku? Going with Repliku. But the enemy is very codedesque. Also Data Riku is just Data, no body. Could also be timetravel bs - Replica confirmed. Not sure if it’s the same ”Repliku” - Hoping actual Repliku will come back. Riku did mention his other me after all

ALL PLOT FROM HERE ON OUT FINALLY

-Darkqua music was great

-Aaand she’s gone. Again. OR NOT

-Finally these two: Vexen and Demyx. DUNCE. LMAO their fighting. REBEL VEXEN. What’s in it for you, Demyx??? UHHH Not becoming Xehanort. (Demyx continues to be a douche character). Marluxia? Maybe. DEMYX TIME. Oh my god. Was that intentional??? LMAO Demyx is so ‘useless’ no one expects him to do anything. Nice FAMILY REUNION

VEXEN YOU LEGEND. I always liked him. Now it’s up to you Marluxia >:Y I think Vexen may have been talking about Ansem the Wise. Also may not still completely trust him because it says he went back willingly. Unless he changed his mind when learning about Ansem the Wise. (Update: Nope, Vexen really is a legend. I love him).

CASTLE OBLIVION -Vani fight, nice. Great music -HE UP. Go visit your old friend Mar.

-Ventus gets to meet both Axel and Marluxia as adults. How odd.

-Sudden Saix. So casual. WHAT GIRL? WHAT GIRL???? Is it Strelitzia? Skuld? New character? (Update: Again, future plot point.)

-Repliku with Riku.? YEP. DOPE. Save Namine? (Update: Yep. To protect Namine).

BATTLE TIME

-Enter Terranort. Shock for Ven to see. -Axel got fucked. -SHIT AN F5. - Everyone died. The end -STARS???? More pieces???? WAHHHT PAST? Union X Club??? Streli?! D’x

The Final World :O

-DEAD.

MARLUXIA? NO, VENTUS. YEP Ventus. Aw…

-Chirithy is great.

-Vexen gonna save the day with a replica? And Demyx  lol. They both got benched. What a team up. (Update: And we never heard from them again. They literally just dipped from the Org and none of the Norts did anything. (Update: No idea what happened to Demyx. He dropped off the replica and was outie).

-DÉJÀ VU. Oof.

-EPHEMERA! THE KEEEEEYS. All the dead people

-UNION LEADERS KEYS. Also all the others, but I believe I saw five? What I’m saying is those four-five Starlights= Dandelion Union Leaders.

-??????? YEN SID DID SOMETHING HOLY SHIT

-Is Vexen with the coat guys up there??? -Also Demyx??? -Do they have a PLAN??? (Update: Nope, they literally just dipped).

-MARLUXIA THEME I HEAR IT

-MY CHILDREN WHY R U WITH XEHANORT???

-Thank you, Luxord awww.  Such a cool guy…(Update: Sora still has the Wild Card)

AWww Larx. Heart tank? NO THANKS.  Along for the ride- With?? (Marluxia?)

MY BOOOOOY Dx

*MEMORIES BACK???? Real laugh. A smile. He DID forget. Always about “purpose for being with Mar”. How did I predict that? (Update: Marluxia amnesia confirmed? Also why the heck didn’t /he/ rebel. Makes no sense. I blame Nomura. He also gave no reason for why he was following Xehanort. Again, it’s pretty BS. NO EXPLANATION.)

Riku down. Very interested in what Xigbar will have to say… Repliku repossession! NOOOO. Repliku stay! Roxas, of course.

PROTECT NAMINE. D’:

He just wanted that keyblade bro. What?????? Why the backwards drama D: (Update: Nope. Xigbar just playing the role, or should I say Luxu).

Fucking Axel. That smart mouth.

Saix would have let him die; also I knew it was Xion from trailers.

:O XION. He knew.

And Roxas is in. The music has been SO GOOD.

Vexen  Zexion Ansem Demyx. LUL GET FUCKED Xemnas.

WHO IS THE HER>>>>

Vanitas sounds higher pitched in this game.

GUARDIAN??? This is weird.

I don’t believe in perma dead Kairi.

WHEN’S THE BOX? ALSO Luxord’s Wild Card!

*Btw guess Vexen and Demyx just left so the other Norts replaced them instead of doing anything about it

Awww, Saix. Or rather, Isa.

Didn’t shed any tears, but the part that got me feeling the most was with Xehanort and Eraqus tuff at the end, surprisingly

I KNEW IT WOULD END WITH A BEACH PARTY. Again, awwww, Saix.

*** WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO DEMYX? What did he even do to help besides delivering the replica LMAO??

WHY DIDN’T I GET TO SEE MY BOY IN THE ENDING? Maybe secret ending. ☹ (Update: Nah)

Oh yeah, Sora vanished btw.

*Xehanorts VA could have had a better performance.

-Wow. Xigbar really was the MoM? Union leaders alive?  OH, nvm he’s Luxu. Guess he picked up on MoM’s behavior and mannerisms. Also been through many bodies I see… No Ava.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX GDI.

UH OH. New game board. 7 evils. Five being leaders and Xig, 2 Unkowns. Please don’t put Mar through more of that, IE make him be in another Org/group.

They never opened the box, did they.

[texasthegreatdestroyer]

So, I don't usually do these, because I always felt that shipping oc's with characters from other fan works was socially frowned upon, but since I've been seeing a few of these around, I'll give it a shot. My OC shipped with Auron.

Auron x Texas.

Yes, Auron's current partner in crime, rather he'd liked to admit it or not. Their meeting was rather... comedic. Auron didn't really notice his co worker until he accidentally rested the elbow of his sheifed arm on her head. She was very short, Her height being 4'8. He looked down to find a short, albino girl with wolf ears, and a tail. The whole package. Everything else looked human, she just had a few furry parts to her. Another key thing about her is that she always came off as the, "edgy" type, for her preference in black lipstick, and eyeliner. When he did get to know her, Auron has always found her annoyingly chipper, and overly friendly. The two attended a funeral together once, and she wouldn't stop smiling. Seriously. How does someone smile that much at a funeral??? Auron asked her about it.

Her response: Usually when people die, they don't want people to mourn over them, there for I choose not to mourn.

She wasn't entirely wrong, speaking from his own experiences, however it wasn't exactly the majority opinion, as Auron had to keep the wife of the dead man from trying to punch Tex in the face. Tex was almost always very clingy in the irritating and physical sense. She liked hugging a lot. She would hug Auron everytime she'd see him, and it usually would last 5 minutes before he would have to eventually pull her off. As time went on, and they grew closer, Auron started to notice that something was very wrong with Texas. Her extremely chipper personality was used to hide some dark, twisted thoughts, feelings, and even experiences. He came to this realization when he went to visit her one night, and she didn't answer her door. She lived in a dormitory like area, where there was the bedroom, and then a small room next to it that was a kitchen, and the bathroom being against the the smaller side of the rectangular kitchen. It was a nice little place for someone who likes living alone, but it had its downsides, like paper thin walls. You could hear the inhabitants, and they most likely can hear you as well. After a minute or two of waiting, just as he turned to leave, Auron was startled by the sound of soft, female sobbing, coming from Tex's dorm. He knew for a fact that if Tex was crying, which he had never actually seen her do, something was horribly wrong. He immediately opened the door to find a mess waiting for him. Texas sat their curled up in a ball, hands grabbing at her hair and pulling, make up smeared, wrists bleeding from self inflicted bites. Scattered around her were drawings of morbid, violent, and just horrid depictions, along with words scribbled over them along the lines of, "Worthless", "Dead", "No Future", "I'm nothing." A common sign of depression. If there was one thing Auron always knew about Tex is that she had a talent for art. She did this thing that she called a web comic. Auron, not really being kept up in technology, never really knowing what it was, let alone reading it, thought nothing of it, but he had seen her art, and it was phenomenal. It really opened his eyes to what she truly was when he saw that beauty and talent turned into something so ugly and self degrading. When Tex finally noticed him, her reaction was just to try to hide herself in the comfort of her knees. Auron began snooping around, and grabbing rags, then pried Tex's hands from her head, and wrapped her wrist.

Auron: Moron. What were you thinking???

Texas: ...

Auron pulled her into an embrace, still holding the rags to her wrist.

Auron: Would you like to talk about why you bit yourself up like this? Or the sketches for that matter?

Texas: I-I don't know what to do! My art! My comic! I- the deadline to get chapter 9 out is tomorrow, and I thought I could just push through it in a day with enough effort, but I don't even have content! I don't have a script! I have no story, no art for chapter 9! I'm a fuck up! I'm stupid! I'm nothing! I-... I'm so sorry... you shouldn't have had to see me like this...

Auron: It's fine. You're human after all. I expect you to have emotions, breaking points. As for your problems. Tex, the comic is just a for fun thing, right?

Texas: Yeah...

Auron: Great. Take some time off until you get over your writer's block. The timely fashion of updates doesn't matter, the quality does. If you can't produce anything good, then step back and take a break. It's obvious that it's affecting your mental health. This will make you hate what you do, so step back from it. Take a break.

Texas: You're right, I've just... meh.

Auron: Don't be afraid to show your emotions around me. It shows me that you are human.

That night, Auron didn't leave Tex's side, mainly out of fear for what she might do when she's alone. This opened a pathway for future sleep overs. Auron didn't share his bed with many, but with Tex, it had become routine, and he didn't mind. He actually liked the cuddles. A few months later, he receives a message from Tex. That night, she wasn't with him, she decided to stay at her place to do some cleaning.

Message received at 1:23 am:

Texas: Hey. Are you awake?

Auron: I wasn't until you woke me. -_-

Texas: Oh sorry. I forgot that your ringtone is up all the way usually... I'm sorry. XD

Auron: This better be important if it warrants you texting me at one in the morning...

Texas:...

Auron: It's not that important, is it?

Texas: ... No comment...

Auron: Tex...

Texas: I'll leave you alone then.

Auron: Why do you do this!? Spit it out! I'm already awake!

Texas: Are you sure? It can wait until tomorrow.

Auron: Tex. Spit. It. Out...

Texas: I can't! You're making me nervous!XI

Auron: Why would you be nervous?

Texas: Because it's kinda personal...

Auron: Okay. Pretend I'm not here. Say what you have to say.

Texas: ... that is so unaffective when I'm staring directly at that message...

Auron: Point taken. Just tell me.

Texas: Okaaaaay! ...

The icon at the bottom that says that Tex is typing stays that way for 5 minutes.

Auron: So?

Texas: Okay. Here goes nothing. And when I say that, I mean here goes everything I could possibly hold dear in my life. XD

Auron: Are you going to say what I think you're going to say?

Texas: I would really really really REALLY like to punch you in the face!

Auron: Okay, that's not where I thought you were going with this.

Texas: With my face, gently... I Love you! You are amazing, and wise, and sweet, even when you hide it under your protective layers! I simply love you. End of story. And I was wondering if you would allow me to take you out to dinner! I'm going to go cry now, because I feel like I'm dying XD

Auron: I stand corrected...

Auron: O//_//O...

Auron: No.

Texas: No?

Auron: No.

Texas: Okay then... What? No reason why? Like I'm cool with it, if you don't like me like that, but still. At least give me a reason...

Auron: Okay. I'll tell you exactly why. Yeah. I like you. I think you're cute. However, I don't appreciate you waking me up at 1 in the morning to text me with a confession. You want a relationship? Fine, but take initiative and tell me to my face. Quit being a coward. -_-

Texas: Ouch. My feel goods. Anyways, I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow man. Sorry about this...

Auron: It's fine :) Sleep well, Tex.

Texas: You too bro <3

After Auron and Tex finish messaging each other, Auron goes back to sleep. The next day is pretty amusing. Auron waits for his partner. Half expecting she hopes to forget about the previous night. Auron hears running behind him, and turns to find Tex in a suit and tie running up to hi., screaming, "I love you, you sexy, sexy son of a gun!" She knocks his feet out from under him, and steals a very, very passionate kiss, but soon afterwards, causing Auron and Tex both to fall over to the ground. Because her tiny frame is too much for his bigger, heavier frame. Luckily Texas's arm was under Auron's head when they fell, so no brain damage was caused to the older male. Texas turns to Auron, half expected to be heated, and she wasn't wrong, just heated in a different sense. Auron's face was bright red, slight tears to his eyes, he bursts out laughing, black lipstick smeared on his lips.

Texas: What? You told me to take initiative!

His laughter fades to a light chuckle, and then he stops.

Auron: Wow. That was... cheesy.

Texas: Also clearly failed...

Auron: (Still catching his breath.) No it didn't.

Texas: So it actually worked!?!? YAY!

Auron: Just don't do that again. You took us both out in the process.

Auron pulls Tex into his lap, and the two share a proper kiss.

Auron: See. That in of it's self is enough for me.

Texas: Yeah, but it wouldn't be a confession from me if it wasn't stupidly cheesy and didn't make you smile.

Auron: It's missing something though.

Texas: And that is?

Auron: The amazing pick up line from last night.

Texas: Ah yes, you have good taste, my kind, gentle sir. I would really.

Auron: Yes?

Texas: Really.

Auron: Go on.

Texas: Really.

Auron:...

Texas: Really!

Auron: Hopefully this is the last, "Really."

Texas: Like to punch you in the face. With my face gently, romantically, and in other places besides your face.

Auron: Okay. Okay. Calm down. We haven't even had dinner yet...

Texas: Exactly. Dinner.

Auron is very flustered at his now girlfriend's sense of humor. Safe to say, they had a very romantic evening together. ;3

This is my contribution to OC x Fan work Characters. Hope you enjoyed!

[iluvmyogblog]

Roommates, Routines and Best Friends

A/N: can u guys believe how emotional AIW is..... anyways. i hope u guys enjoy this. i feel like about two more parts until the end ;( oh and remember my crush that liked me back??? yea well he ghosted me lol if theres typos, so sorry. if i forgot to tag u, L M K <3 god, seb is a dream

Summary: (AU) being roommates with the infamous womanizer Bucky Barnes is tough, especially when all he does is bring home different girls every night and complain about you and your choice of men. masterlist.

Words: 3802

Warnings: im so sad but im laughin

Roommates, Routines and Best Friends: Just Call

“I’m just saying, (y/n). Maybe you should talk to Steve again. It’s been two weeks. Maybe the two of you just needed space. It’s not like Steve didn’t care for you. He obviously did. He kept that information from you because he loves you, (y/n),” your best gal pal explained. You sigh softly and swirl the strawberry wine in your glass.

“He hurt me, M,” you say softly. She nods, extending her legs over your lap.

“I know he did. But you hurt him too. You realize that, right?” She did have a point. You did hurt him. It doesn’t seem as excessive to you but maybe it hurt him just as much.

“Maria, you’re right but i don’t think I can talk to him right now. He just.. i don’t know. If I talk to him, I know I’ll just go back and pretend none of this happened.”

Maria sighs and gets off the sofa. You follow her into the kitchen and hand her your glass for a refill. She shrugs and pops open a new bottle of wine. “Well will you please talk to one of them?”

It was your turn to shrug. You didn’t know what to tell either of them. You were sad about Steve. Mad, even. But you didn’t know how you felt about the Bucky situation. It felt like you were just a big burden in both of their lives. And maybe they’d do better without you. Yeah, you missed them but that didn’t mean all was forgiven. So you did what you always do; avoid the conversation.

Who would you even talk to first? If you spoke to Steve first, were you kind of betraying Bucky in a way? You didn’t even apologize to Bucky for being a bitch to him before. Blaming him for everything. Everything that was caused by Steve. You sighed and pushed those thoughts away.

On the other side of town, Bucky was feeling down. He was always feeling down now. It was normal for him. All of his usual morning routines dissipated. He woke up whenever he wanted. He went out with whoever paid him attention. He hated it. Absolutely hated it. Everyone was temporary in his life. The only constant he did have was you and Steve. He missed his friends beyond words. But were they even friends anymore?

“I don’t know man, it’s just crazy. How this all happened. I say just call them and be like, ‘look, guys. Why can’t we be friends? Why can’t we be frie-“

“Scott, seriously,” Bucky interrupts his good friend. Scott snorts and throws his arms up, obviously confused as to why his beautiful singing was cut off.

“I’m just saying, dude. Calm down, pal.” Scott begins to kick out his feet on the coffee table and cross his arms behind his head. “Call up this girl, and text your friend an apology.”

Bucky laughs and claps. “Good one, Lang. You crack me up.” Scott rolls his eyes and throws a pillow at the tall brunette. Bucky quickly catches it and tosses it back onto the sofa. Scott quickly gets up and grabs the home phone. It was your genius idea to get a land line.

“Buck, please? Please please please,” you pleaded as you got down on your knees.

“No. Absolutely not. You come in here, start redecorating my living room. Start recording Grey’s Anatomy on my tv. And you want a phone with an answering machine ‘cause you never had one? I’m sorry, who do you think you are?”

You groan and roll your eyes. “You’re the worst roommate ever. I don’t even know why I try to be friends with you.”

Bucky sighs and watches you place your hands on the sofa cushions, pulling yourself back up to your feet. Your hair was in a side braid and your nails were painted this deep red he kind of liked. You huff out a breath and walk into the kitchen, far away from the man sitting on the sofa. He continues to watch you tip toe, trying to reach for the bag of chips he bought. He groans softly and walks over to you, swiftly taking the bag down from the top shelf. “Okay.”

You snatch the bag out of his hand and knit your eyebrows together, looking up at him. “Okay, what?”

“Okay, we’ll get you your stupid answering machine.”

Your eyes twinkle. “Really? Are you just screwing with me, Barnes?”

He chuckles and shakes his head, “I’m being genuine here, (y/l/n).”

You throw the bag of chips onto the counter and leap into your roommates arms. “You’re the best.”

You caught him off guard. After all, this was y’all’s first “hug”. You had only moved in three weeks ago. It took him a few minutes to hug you back, but he did. And when he did, he really hugged you. His strong arms wrapped around your body perfectly. And you couldn’t think of anyone who gave better hugs. After you guys went to buy the phone, you set up the machine and persuaded Bucky to say a line with you.

“Hello, you’ve reached the household of-,”

“,-shouldn’t it be apartment?”

“Shut up,” you whispered back, “the household of (y/n) and-“

Bucky watches the red light blink, completely forgetting he had to be saying something. You nudge his shoulder. “Hi, I’m Bucky.”

You groan and put your hands over your face. “James,” you sighed. He looks at you confused as hell. “We gotta do it again.”

It was his turn to groan. “This is exactly why I didn’t wanna get-,” he says, his voice fading away as he walks into his room. You quickly catch up to him and drag him back into the living room. After two more hours, you finally had a ...decent message.

“Hey, you’ve reached (y/n) and the most handsome guy- ow, and Bucky. Sorry, we must be sleeping or something. Call- okay bye,” his voice made yours seem extremely chipper and annoying, his voice was so monotone.

“What are you doing?” Bucky asked as he watched Scott press random numbers on the phone.

“Honestly, Buckaroo, I have no clue,” he says as he scrolls through contacts. “You guys have a home phone but don’t have your own numbers saved? What kind of- y’all are weird. Why even have a ph-“

“I get it.”

“I’m just saying,” Scott mumbles.

“She’s... she’s under doll. You’re looking for her contact right?”

Scott’s mouth shapes into an ‘o’ form as he slowly leans back into the cushions, looking up at his friend. “I was... just gonna order some Chinese food.. but.. like, if you want me to call her- I will.” Bucky’s cheeks turn a hot red. He huffs out a breath and rolls his eyes, walking into the kitchen.

“Do you want me to call her,” Scott yells.

“No,” Bucky says immediately. Scott sighs and mumbles a ‘yeah, you do’ as he clicks on your contact name. Scott holds in a laugh.

“He seriously put your number as doll. Who calls anyone doll anymore?”

“Lang, what are you saying over there,” Bucky asks from the kitchen.

“Huh? Oh, just asking if you want some oranges.”

“Oranges? Do I want or do I have?”

“What? Oh, nothing. Never mind,” he laughs nervously. He clicks on Doll and hears the beeping noise, then comes the ring. Bucky went back to rummaging through the cabinets for snacks.

“Hello,” Scott hears a sweet voice through the phone.

“Wow. That’s a nice voice,” he says quietly.

“I’m sorry, what was that? Who’s this?”

“Oh, oh right. This is Scott. I’m B- I’ll take orange chicken and some ramen. Hey, you want anything?,” he quickly says as Bucky walks into the living room. Bucky grabs the phone from Scott’s hands and brings it up to his ear.

“I’ll take three egg rolls. Do you guys have those.. um those little crunchy things with cheese in the middle?”

“Umm.. Cream Cheese Rangoon’s,” the voice on the other line asks.

“Yeah! Yeah those. I’ll take three orders of those and go ahead and add some sweet and sour sau-“

“That sounds really good but I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong number.” Bucky knits his eyebrows together and looks back at Scott. A nervous Scott who’s eyes are scanning the room.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“This is (y/n)... and last time I checked, I work at a coffee shop. Not a Chinese restaurant,” you giggle. “But hey, order me some egg rolls too.”

“It’s.. oh.. um yeah. Okay,” Bucky quickly says and hangs up. He sends death glares at Scott.

“Hey, man look. Hear me out. Didn’t it feel nice to hear her voice? She has a really pretty voice. Like I’ve honestly never heard a more prettier voic- woah woah, sit down, Buck,” Scott says as he leaps over the back of the sofa.

“What the hell, man? You called her? I told you not to,” Bucky growls. Scott holds up his hands and let’s out a quick laugh.

“I’m sorry. But did you or did you not like hearing her voice?” Bucky’s face relaxes, his shoulders fall back.

“Not the point,” he mumbled.

“Dude... call her back, man. You won’t regret it. I promise,” Scott says softly. Bucky nods and turns his attention back to the phone thrown on the sofa. He hesitates to pick it up, resulting in his friend jogging over and handing it to him personally. “It’s dialing.”

“Shit. Okay. Alright,” Bucky says nervously as he brings the phone back up to his ear.

“Hello,” you say questionably, a hint of joy in your voice. Bucky’s chest swelled up at the sound and familiarity of your voice.

“Hey,” he says softly. On the other side of the line, you knit your eyebrows and pull the phone away from your ear, placing it on speaker so Maria can hear.

“Hi.” Maria stifles laughter and leans in closer.

“Hi, I’m- I’m sorry about before. My friend told me it was a Chinese restaurant and so I started rambling.”

You laugh, your heart speeding up at the sound of this guys voice. “No problem. Although, you kind of made my friend and me a little hungry. I think you owe us some Chinese food now.”

He laughs, your heart leaps. This laugh. It was so familiar. Like you knew it. You stop laughing and stare at the unsaved phone number. You glance at Maria who looks back at you with a confused look in her eyes. “(Y/n)...”

“James,” you say softly. Maria’s eyes go wide.

“Hey,” he says with the same softness.

“Why are you calling me,” you ask.

“Why are you still talking to me?”

“I can hang up if you wan-“

“(Y/n), please don’t. I just, how are you? How’s Steve?”

You don’t say anything. You just stare at Maria. ‘Talk’ she mouths. You shake your head. She nods, encouraging you to speak. “Um...I- we.. I gotta go.” You quickly hang up and throw your phone at the sofa in front of you. You hold Maria’s glare and shake your head.

Scott stares at Bucky with a smile. “What’s she saying?”

Bucky doesn’t turn around. He lets the phone fall onto the sofa. He shrugs and walks towards the front door. “She hung up. Bye, Scott.”

“Wha- woah man. You don’t gotta kick me out. If you’re sad, we can talk it out.”

“I’m not sad, Lang. I’m tired. Come back later. Or don’t. But if you do, bring some damn Chinese food,” he shoves Scott out the front door and slams it shut, leaving a dumbfounded Scott questioning what he did wrong.

That night, you and Bucky laid awake in bed. Tossing and turning. Not seeming to find a comfortable position. Your mind begins to drift.

It was raining. And for some strange reason, the rain didn’t seem to make you drowsy. It just made you restless. And that stupid exam you had to take at 9 am was teasing you. You groaned and threw a pillow off your bed. You violently stuff your face into a pillow and scream.

You didn’t hear the knock on your door. You didn’t hear the footsteps approaching your bed. But you did feel the hand on your shoulder. You quickly turn around and kick the person away from you, screaming. “Woah, hey. Doll, it’s me. Relax,” the shadow said. You didn’t listen.

“James,” you screamed as you stumbled over to your bedroom door, hoping your roommate would come to your rescue.

“(Y/n), shut up,” the shadow says. You flick the light on and your eyes land on your annoying roommate. You groans and pick up that pillow you threw, throwing it right back at him. He chuckles and catches it, easily. “It’s just me.”

“What the hell, James? You’re so annoying. What are you doing? Get out,” you say as you climb back into your bed.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said, throwing himself on your bed. You roll your eyes and turn your face away from him.

You pull the sheets over your head and shrug. “Me either,” you mumble into your pillow. Buck sighs and looks at you. Your hair was a mess. But that pretty mess Bucky soon grows to like. “Turn off the light,” he hears you say.

Bucky gets up and walks over to your light switch, flicking it off. You feel the spot next to you sink in and a cool breeze of air runs down your back as Bucky pulls the blankets over him. You turn around and scoot closer to him, embracing his warmth. This became normal for you two. Whenever you or Bucky couldn’t sleep, you’d go over to his room or vice versa. It benefited you both.

You could almost feel his arms around your waist and the smell of his hair. It consumed you. He could almost hear your soft snores and feel your soft breath hit his chest. You’d kill to go back to those days. Before you met Steve. Before you fell so hard for Steve. But if Steve was Bucky’s best friend, maybe it was fate that you met Steve. Regardless, you’d meet him either way, right?

There was a knock on your door. “Hey, (y/n). There’s someone at the door for you,” Maria says in a raspy voice.

“What? Who,” you ask as you throw the blanket off of your body, swinging your legs off the bed. Your feet land in your fluffy slippers and you hug your body. It was always so cold in Maria’s house.

She mumbles something but then walks away and disappears into her room. ‘Who the hell could be here for me? I’m so sleepy.’

You sigh and grab a throw from on top of the sofa and wrap it around your body. You tip toe and try to peep through the peephole but you’re way too short to even reach. You groan and unlock the door again, opening it.

Your eyes land on a chest. You heart begins to race as your eyes roam up to his face. You inhale a breath and look into his blue eyes. You open your mouth to say something. And he opens his to say something too.

“Um, you first,” you whisper.

“No, you first,” he whispers back.

His heart was racing so fast. It was leaping out of his chest. God, he missed your face. He missed your face so much. And him standing right here in front of you made you realize just how much you’ve missed his too. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. For everything. For all of this.”

“How did you know I was here?”

“Your parents. Come home, please,” he grabs your hands. His big hands trapped your tiny ones in them. You did miss this. You really did. You sighed and pulled your hands back to you, bring them up to your chest.

“Steve... it’s not that easy,” you said softly. He sighed and ran his hands down his face. “Look, I-”

Your phone starts ringing. You sigh and let Steve in, closing the door behind him. “You gonna get that?”

“No, i’m talking to you,” you say. This was a conversation that needed to be said. The two of you didn’t bother turning on a light. Ironically, there was lightening outside. So the room was a little bit lit. The soft pitter patter of rain on the window filled the silence.

“I’m a dick. I know. You didn’t deserve any of the shit I did to you. If I could take it back, I would. But there’s a part of me that wouldn’t.”

You look at him in confusion, a little bit of anger. “You wouldn’t?”

“No. I would not. You know why? Because I think meeting you was the best day of my life. I don’t know if I would’ve met you if it wasn’t for Sam. And I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m so glad it didn’t work out with him. I’m fucking selfish. I want you all to myself. And i did anything I could to make sure that happened but I still fucked up. And I am so sorry. I love you. I love yo-”

The house phone began to ring. You sighed and walk over to the phone, quickly pressing the automatic machine. Almost immediately, there was a beep signaling a new message. You roll your eyes and turn your attention back to Steve. He looks at you with those sad eyes of his. “Steve, I don’t know what to sa-”

A knock on the front door interrupts your words. Maria emerges from her room again and opens her front door. “James, hey. What are...”

“I need to talk to (y/n),” he says softly. Maria shakes her head in confusion, her sleeping mask resting on her forehead.

“How did you know she was here,” she asks.

“Maria, come on. Earlier on the phone, I heard you laugh. Then I went to Steve’s and noticed her car wasn’t there. So... can I please talk to her,” he asks again. She sighs and gives him an apologetic look.

“Buck, she’s... Steve’s here.” 

You stopped talking to Steve and glanced down the hallway. You got up and walked over towards the front door, calling out Maria’s name. You see her shut the door, locking it.

“Who was it,” you ask, startling her.

“Jesus, (y/n). It was some person,” she waves off. You heart races. Your body begins to feel jittery. Ignoring your friend, you rush to the front door and unlock it, quickly stepping into the Hall. You look to the right and then left, catching a glimpse of a tall brunette. Your heart does that achy feeling. You rush down the hall and call out the name James. Sighing disappointingly when he turns around, realizing it wasn’t who you thought it was. 

“So if that were James, what would you have done?” A voice says from behind you. You jump up and turn around. Coming face to face with Steve.. again. You shrug. 

“I don’t know, Steve. I don’t know.” He nods and tucks his hands in his pocket. He clenches his jaw and scans your face. He notices the tears at the brim of your eyes. 

“(Y/n)... I thought you were over that.” You scoff and brush past him. Your eyes roam to the end of the hall. You stop in your tracks as you see that pretty face walking towards you. His sad eyes staring into yours. You inhale a shaky breath and slowly walk towards him. You stop, remembering Steve was right behind you. You glance back to Steve who was already sending glares at James. You sigh softly and look back up to James. 

“Hey doll,” he says softly. 

You swallow away your feelings and shake your head. “What are you doing here, James?” 

“I don’t.. I don’t know. I left you a message. I think I said why I was coming... or how I knew.. I don’t know. I just-“ 

“You just can’t seem to stay out of our relationship, can you,” Steve blurts out, walking closer. You feel Steve wrap his arm around your waist, pulling you behind him. Bucky chuckles and shakes his head. 

“Steve, I didn’t come here to argue. I came here to talk to-“ 

“My girlfriend? Yeah. That’s obvious.” 

“I’m not your girlfriend, Steve.” Bucky furrows his eyebrows and looks back up at Steve. Steve looks back down at you, completely forgetting Bucky was right there. 

“(Y/n), can we please just... just talk about this. I said I was sorry. I didn’t mean any of that-“ 

“You still did it, Steve. Look, I’m sorry. But you guys have to leave.” You quickly say as you walk back into Maria’s apartment. You shut the door, lock it and slide yourself down the door. You hear muffled voices, a few steps getting further away. It sounded like one of them stayed behind though. The pair of footsteps outside the door paced back and forth before a small note slipped under your door. It was a colorful sticky note. A light blue one. You sniffle and wait until the steps reside. You grab the sticky note and hold it in your hand, your eyes reading the words. ‘I couldn’t sleep. Funny, it was raining that night too.’

‘That night’ was underlined. Emphasized. The beep on the answering machine kept echoing throughout the living room. “I left you a message,” his voice echoes. You quickly stand up and rush over to the machine. You click the button. “Maria, ignore this if she isn’t there but.. Doll, I miss you. I miss you so damn much. And I can’t stop thinking about you. And there’s no more milk. Can you believe that? I’m a mess without you here. I need- want.. need. I need to talk to you. I went to Steve’s. No one was there. So I’m hoping y’all are at Maria’s. I’ll probably get my ass handed to me,” he chuckles nervously, “but shit, I need to see you. And him too. I miss you guys. And I-“ 

“you have 0 new messages,” the machine says. A stream of hot tears roll down your cheeks. This wasn’t easy. It wasn’t fair. To anyone. Especially the guys. But you still picked up the phone. You still dialed that number. You anticipated what he’d say. Was he mad at you? At himself? Could he forgive you? Would he? Would you forgive him? “Hey,” you say softly through the phone. You hear him let out a breath and inhale one too. “I’m.. I’m sorry,” you say softly. 

“Don’t be,” his raspy voice cooed, “don’t be sorry for anything.”

— — —

OH MY GOSH I REALLY LIKED THIS. Honestly the whole Chinese food part was improvised. It’s 2 am and i am CRAVVVING CHINESE.

tag(s): @coal000 / @goldenstateof / @cherrywinedarling / @justahappylilblog / @faakelanadelrey / @juicyqueenlme / @ourdreamsrealized / @boyzines / @bornfortherainydays /@fightmeandmy100fandoms / @deadpoolgirl23 / @bethanyv10 / @ilovethings-somuch / @spidey-linquentimagines / @lilypalmer1987 / @gravity-9-8 / @vivianbabz / @imeannooffensebabybut / @queendade / @irepeldirt / @petals-overdaisies / @warishaadnan / @sweetmockingbird / @loki7ms / @chickennacho1 / @dakotacheyennee / @starkxpotts / @sighscassidyy / @jellzu / @krockszz / @lowkeysebby /  @chuckennuggets1213 / @wowbarnes /  @eccentric-impulses / @dugan365 / @frackinawesomeninja / @cosmetologynerd / @straight–on-til-morning / @sophiealiice /  @barnes-and-noble-girl / @satans-knitting-club / @grosskyjaja /  @xunicornwhovianx / @evetheplum / @cravingmustardraventt5-bb / @dedicated-fangirl-forever /  @sarahp879 / @fandomlover03bands-and-shietz / @wintersoldierbarnes / @keepyoureyesopenwide / @i-am-moody-yes-i-am / @fandoms-will-collide / @xcyber-queenx / @ly–canthrope / @kimskew / @mala-firebringer / @crazyjam-pot / @emotionlessteenblog / @piensa-bonito / @little-miss-headphones / @loricamebacklunacajun / @bisexualmotherfucker / @iamtrashsry / @vxidnik / @sergeant-james-bbarnes / @prussianengel / @alina-barnes / @mythrealfan / @darthestvaderever / @caitlyn1030 / @elleatrixlestrange/ @wintersoldiercomics / @letmebeyoursforever / @spidersholland / @directionerfae / @sweetlifeofadreamer / @gonnadiereading / @who-the-hell-is-sebastianstan​ / @whataloadofmalarkey​ / @iwishiwasnicki / @alittle-crazy​ / @turdblossommm​ / @buckyisloved​ / @language-rxgers​ / @callmedaddys-blog​ / @disneychic8 / @me221187 / @the-divine-femme  / @br3ndo 

[crsinclair]

No Extreme G-Force Required

This whole thing is based off this post by @shir-oh-no.

Enjoy! (cross-posted onto ao3 here)

It all went downhill for him after the motorcycle crash.

He’d just accepted a job at the Garrison as a Test Pilot and of course the day before he was to fly out there and officially join the ranks some idiot in a red corvette ran a red and did their damned best to smear him across the streets of Manhattan. When Shiro had woken up, his hair was long, his bangs were white, and he was not only missing his right arm but four months.

When he’d finally had the strength to figure out what had happened, he contacted the Garrison to find out what had happened to his position. “Due to the unpredictability of your recovery,” the woman on the phone had said, chipper and not caring that Shiro’s heart had stopped, “we canceled your position here at the Garrison and handed it over to the next available applicant.”

And not only did Shiro suddenly no longer have a job, they had taken his medical coverage with them.

The hospital was nice enough to not kick him out immediately, but Shiro had only gotten his legs under him again (literally) before they had said he was “good to go” and let him walk out the door, massive bill in hand. He couldn’t remember how he had made it back to the small house he owned (he was so thankful that it wasn’t an apartment he could get evicted from), but he flopped down onto his couch with a heavy sigh and stared at the number of zeros attached to his medical bill.

“…Fuck,” Shiro whispered roughly.

It was a few days after that he was finally able to sit down and try to come up with…something of a plan. A bit hard, especially when he realized he couldn’t just write things down anymore considering his dominate hand was gone and let’s not go into where that thought left him for nearly an hour but he made due. He didn’t need the car in his driveway – he wasn’t going to try and drive stick with only one hand, and especially since he couldn’t afford the physical therapy to help him figure things out – so that could go. And he didn’t really watch television, so the 50” in his living room could be sold on Craigslist, right? And while his motorcycle was totaled and he would never be able to ride it again, he still had all the tools he used to keep it in perfect condition. Those were expensive, right?

In the end, the list of things he was getting rid of was about 3 pages long.

It was several hours that he spent posting each thing online individually, painstakingly doing his best to take photos of everything with his phone and not cry type everything up one handed. Once that was done, notifications of people liking his postings popping up every now and then (but not offering to buy), he took a deep breath and looked up jobs.

And if Shiro had thought his situation was depressing before, then wow he was in for a surprise.

Turns out, even with the excuse of being in a coma for four months, not having a job for too long was not good for your resume. Didn’t matter that he lost his last position due to a medical emergency, didn’t matter that he had two separate degrees in both Aeronautical Engineering and Astrophysics, didn’t matter that every manager or boss he’d ever had thought he was God’s gift to mankind. He apparently was unable to hold a job and “disabled”. So all the salary jobs that he knew he was qualified for?

Well.

Every cent, every penny that he’d managed to put away into a saving account over the years was soaked up by bills so quickly that within days of his fruitless search for a job he knew that if he didn’t cut back somewhere then he was probably going to starve before he ever got a call back. So with great reluctance – great, great reluctance – Shiro turned off the heating. “It’s fine,” he told himself, ignoring the tightening in his chest, “that’s what blankets and layers are for, right?”

It didn’t matter that since he woke up he couldn’t hold onto heat, but who cared?

Two weeks after that he stopped trying to buy fresh food and stuck with things in cheap packaging.

Four weeks after that he had to call his internet provider and cancel, deciding to just use the unlimited data on his phone plan.

A few days after that he sold his laptop - it was a recent model, and it’s not like he really needed it now without internet.

The week after that? Shiro found himself staring at the paperwork to sell his house.

-

He had managed to save half of the money he had made off his house and use it to rent out a small, cheap, small efficiency. Did he mention it was small? It was small. There was just enough money to pay for the first three months and a month of electricity, which gave Shiro a little bit of time to try and find some place that would hire him.

Salary jobs were now out of the question, and so Shiro turned to the papers for just about anything.

But no one - no one - would hire him.

The restaurant owner? Politely told him that they’d already found someone to man the host stand and that they were looking for servers with “more experience”.

The grocery manager? Didn’t look him in the eye to tell him that he didn’t fit the personality profile they were looking for at the register.

The convenience store manager? Nervously said that they were looking for people who were younger and “more capable” while staring at where he’d pinned the sleeve of his right arm up. If Shiro had the money for it, he’d take the discrimination to court. But hey, he couldn’t afford to pay for the gas to heat the water in his fancy efficiency, so hiring a lawyer was out of the question. Instead he slowly made his way through the papers daily, hiding around the corner at the local Starbucks to steal their wifi, and called any and every place looking for a helping hand.

He just needed one. Please.

One morning he’d blearily stumbled into the bathroom and caught himself in the mirror. Still tall, but his hair had grown…even longer, the stubble on his face was forming into a beard peppered with white, and his face seemed thin. Thinner than he’d ever seen it.

“Wow. No wonder no one will hire me,” he croaked to himself. He didn’t spend much longer looking in the mirror after that.

But that once look told him that, yes, he did need to try to do something about his appearance. The only problem with that was, of course, the cost. A hair cut? He’d go down to a Sport’s Clips and get a cheap cut - his usual undercut was pretty cheap, and he could just skip the hair wash - but getting a shave? That was…a bit more.

Shiro did his best to shrug on his jacket and walk down to the shop, struggling with himself over the decision to get both. Perhaps he’d just get the shave and leave his hair? He never did like having more than just a little bit of stubble. But then he’d still have all his hair that he had no way of putting up. So maybe he’d get his hair cut and stick with the beard.

But. God, he hated having a beard. And his brief look in the mirror showed him that he really didn’t look good with one.

He needed to look his best whatever that was anymore for an interview.

Of course, Shiro’s internal conflict distracted him from reality, and just as he was passing by the entrance to the Starbucks, something thin suddenly met his shoulder. He stumbled, yelping a bit and startled when something hot and wet splashed across his shoes.

“Ah - ¡Mierda!”

Shiro blinked, turning to look at what he’d stumbled into, and saw a young man, clear tanned skin and dark brown hair cropped short yet stylish, and was that an Armani scarf draped across his shoulders? “I - I am so sorry,” he managed to get out - and his breath was punch from his lungs when two fierce blue eyes snapped up to meet his.

“Dude, I haven’t even had to chance to have a sip of that!” the man snapped, one hand moving to his narrow waist and the other waving his now empty coffee cup in the space between them. “I’ve been out of state for months and I haven’t had a good Pumpkin Spice latte since last year, and because you can’t fucking watch where you’re going it’s gone!”

Shiro winced. “I’m sorry, really, I-I was just lost in thought - “

“If you’re really sorry then you’ll be paying for a new one!”

“I - you’re right, absolutely,” Shiro babbled, hand going into his jacket pocket and fumbling his wallet out. “Right, sorry, I - here - “

He was doing his best to pull the twenty out of his wallet out of the money pocket when he froze.

‘Wait,’ he thought, staring at the wrinkled bill caught between his pointer and middle fingers. ‘I can’t just hand over the money. I need this - to get a shave or a haircut to get a job, to pay for groceries.’ He pressed his lips together and blinked quickly. ‘Damnit, I can’t…’

“I…” Shiro swallowed, licked his lips and avoided the man’s eyes. “Sir, I’m sorry, but. I can’t afford to pay for a new cup.”

“What?”

Shiro winced, chancing a glance up and cringing at the frown on the unfairly pretty face. “I’m sorry. If I had the money, I’d pay for the drink, I promise, but I can’t - “

“No, no, no, wait. Hold on.” The stranger stepped back a pace, frown deepening and looking him up and down. Shiro fidgeted, anxiety creeping up his throat. What was with this guy?

He was stared at for a few uncomfortable moments, and just when Shiro was about to try walking away - seriously, what was with this guy - the man’s frown smoothed out, lips twitching upwards. “…Okay,” he suddenly said, shoulders dropping and whole posture going from tense to loose in no time at all. “So I probably could have been watching where I was going, too. My bad, all’s forgiven. And I might have ruined your shoes, so.”

It was Shiro’s turn to stare.

“Hi, I’m Lance,” the man chirped, sticking hand out - his left one - with a wide grin. “You’re Takashi Shirogane, right?”

“I - how - what?”

Lance snickered, reaching out and taking Shiro’s hand - still holding his wallet - and shook it firmly up and down a couple times. “Nice to meet you. Though, uh, I wish it coulda been under better circumstances,” he said sheepishly. He released Shiro’s hand (Shiro barely managed to not drop his wallet in bafflement) and pointed down at Shiro’s feet. “Seriously, I think I might’ve ruined your shoes. I can buy you a new pair, if you want?”

Shiro did drop his wallet at that.

“Wh-what? No, no, that’s - that’s fine, it’s fine - “ Though now that Shiro looked down at his own feet he could see that his shoes had definitely seen better days. “I’ll just, just throw them in the wash or something - “

Lance slapped a hand to his mouth in horror, face actually going a few shades pale. “NO! You can’t do that! That’s - no!” He shook his head, frantically tossed his empty cup into a nearby trash can, and grabbed Shiro by the wrist. “No, my dude, I can’t let you do that, nuh-uh, I am buying you a new pair of shoes right now!”

“What!? No! You don’t need to - sir!” Shiro attempted to dig his feet in, but Lance’s thin frame was surprisingly strong or maybe he’d lost strength.

“It’s Lance, Mr. Shirogane, and you not having a pair of nice shoes is a goddamn crime!”

-

The next hour was the most fast paced Shiro had ever experienced in his life. Lance had drug him into Paul Evans - Paul Evans, what even - slapped him onto a bench next to the dressing rooms, where an attendant quickly came up and Lance started quickly speaking to the man in rapid Spanish, and suddenly Shiro was trying on several different types of shoes of all different styles. He blanched the first time he caught sight of the price on one of the pairs, but Lance simply rolled his eyes and said they were going in the keep pile. The attendant refused to say anything to him unless it was a complement.

Lance had then flipped out his phone and called a cab, said some short words to the attendant with a smile, told Shiro to quickly slip into one of the pairs in the keep pile, and without even grabbing the rest of the shoes grabbed him by the wrist and out the doors to a cab that was already waiting. “B-but you didn’t even pay?”

“I’ve got a credit there through some business,” Lance shrugged. “They’ll box up the rest and get them delivered to my place.”

“I, um. Thanks, Sir - “

“Lance.”

“ - but I was really just stepping out to get a hair cut?”

Lance beamed. “Where do you think we’re going?”

Shiro shortly found himself in a very stylish Salon - the kind he thought he’d only ever see in movies - and sitting in a chair getting the best scalp massage he’d never thought he’d ever get. Lance was speaking swiftly to the woman rubbing magic over his head, again in quick Spanish, and before he knew it Shiro was getting his hair towel dried, brushed, and buzzed into…into his old undercut. He didn’t even get a chance to ask about it before he was being leaned back and a warm towel draped over his face, and ten minutes later he was staring at himself in the mirror with smooth cheeks and his white bangs a soft floof styled just out of his eyes.

Lance grinned, slipped a few bills into the woman’s hands - w-were those one hundred dollar bills - before kissing her on the cheek and pulling Shiro out of the chair. “Come on, hot stuff, you’re not done yet!”

“Sir, why - “

“Lance!”

“ - why are you - ?”

He never got the answer to that question, as he was dragged into a store just across the street - O.N.S., Jesus - and Lance was tossing shirts and jackets and pants at a very eager attendant and Shiro was pushed into a changing room to try everything on. The storm of clothing eventually ended (in which Lance had Shiro come out so that everyone could tell him if it worked or not - and Lance, strangely, seemed to pray whenever he came out to the main area), and Lance simply popped the tags off the clothes Shiro had on and tossed them onto the keep pile before grabbing his wrist again and pulling him down the street.

Which is how, finally, Shiro found himself in a booth of a busy restaurant with a pasta dish in front of him, smelling strongly of lemons, garlic, and butter.

“I mostly come here because the garlic knots are amazing, though not nearly as great as my Uncle Estaban’s,” Lance said, waving around his fork of spaghetti. “Come on, eat up, my dude, you look half starved!”

Shiro blinked down at his food - chicken limone, with penne pasta instead of linguini (much easier to eat with just one hand) - and carefully picked up his fork, stabbed a few pieces of penne, and took a bite. For the first bite of real food in over two months, it was phenomenal. He groaned around his bite of food, loving the taste of the lemony sauce mixed with the sprinkles of parmesan and minced garlic.

“…Oh my god,” he choked out once he’d swallowed, and Lance grinned brightly.

“Right!? Amazing food, I swear.” Lance chomped down on his forkful of noodles, slurping it up noisily - and spattering the marinara sauce over his nose. “Seriously, eat up - I’ll keep chattering away to fill up the awkward silence and when you’ve finished eating what you can then we can talk, m’kay?”

Shiro hesitated, glancing from his plate of steaming food to Lance’s face. “Are you…I mean, why are you - “

“Eat up, and then we’ll talk.” Lance softened his grin into a soft smile, blue eyes sparkling. “I promise, nothing bad - I don’t even want anything. Promise.”

He licked his lips, turning his eyes back to his plate, and slowly started eating. He heard Lance giggle - of course someone that pretty would giggle - and start to fill the air between them with nonsense, talking about the weather, the price of gas in Taiwan, whether or not he was going to throw a surprise party for a ‘hunk’ after New Years.

Eventually Shiro had to concede defeat and lay down his fork, little less than half a plate of pasta left. He noticed Lance give his plate a calculating look, but the man quickly sported a sheepish expression once he saw Shiro looking at him. “We can get that boxed up to-go for you,” he said, taking some bread and using it to swipe up that last of the sauce on his near empty plate. “Maybe even get you some dessert? The raspberry cheesecake here is amazing.”

“Um,” Shiro said eloquently, fiddling with his napkin. “No, thank you. You've already bought so much for me today, I don't, don't want to put you out of house and home. This is – I really was only stepping out to get a hair cut?”

He wasn't entirely sure why that came out as a question.

Lance laughed, pure and hearty and lighting up his face. “Oh, no, no, you're good. I wanted to, really! You're not putting me out of house and home, promise. I've been looking for something to spend all this money on.” Lance leaned back in his chair, giving Shiro a considering look. “Which it's looking to me like you needed.”

Shiro tensed in his seat. “I...”

The man across from him blinked, then suddenly flushed pink, expression going sheepish again. “Wow, sorry, um. Foot in mouth,” Lance snickered to himself, scratching at his cheeks. “Hold on, I keep forgetting I didn't fully introduce myself earlier. Lemme start over, 'kay?” He straightened in his seat, stretched his hand across the table – again, his left – and put on a wide, charming smile. “Lance Mcclain, Professional Dancer, Dance Instructor, and Former Airforce Hopeful.”

“Oh,” Shiro said, blinking, and with a small smile shook the hand offered to him. “Former Airforce Hopeful?”

“Yep. I'll be honest, Mr. Shirogane, I had followed your career for a long time, back when you had first started in the Airforce,” Lance said, hands breaking up the bread into little pieces. It seemed like he was constantly needing something to do with his hands. “I'd always wanted to be a pilot, and watching your career there grow was a huge inspiration for me. Never got the chance to join, though.”

“Why not?”

“Well, I'd been dancing since I was seven, and when I was sixteen I was good enough to take part in some small time gigs back when I lived in Florida – paid enough for me to save up for college and help out my Mama some.” Lance gave a somewhat bittersweet smile to the table between them. “At one show, though, the technicians didn't secure the lightening too well and halfway through it all tumbled down. Lot of heavy electrical equipment falling onto some more really sensitive equipment, which sparked a hell of a lot, and as luck would have it, that show also had a lot of pyrotechnics. Needless to say, it all blew up – and I was the lucky fella who was closest.”

Lance reached a hand up to tug his scarf aside and tilted his head so the dim lighting of the restaurant caught on his slim neck. Shiro gasped when his eyes landed on the twisting scars that curled up towards Lance's ear, his own arm throbbing in sympathy. A thin smile twitched on Lance's lips and he smoothed the scarf back in place. “I mean, I healed up fine. But the damage had been done, and I was rejected by the Airforce due to a 'Compromising Spinal Injury'.”

“I'm sorry. That sucks,” Shiro said meaningfully. He was already going through life with the knowledge that he'd never be able to pilot again. But having the dream and then having it ripped away before it could be realized? He didn't even want to think about it. “And you're – you're still dancing?”

“Oh, yeah, no troubles with that at all! Dancing just fine! In fact I just got done with a tour down in South America doing some Star Camps for the young and hopeful. Lots of fun, lots of dancing. But yeah, no extreme G-Force required. Though now that I think about it, some really cool things could be done with a show using G-Force, but wow I am off topic, that's not really what I wanted to talk about!” Lance laughed. “Normally I'd be more than happy to talk about my dancing exploits and skill – I am amazing on a pole - “

Shiro choked on his tongue.

“ – but the reason I brought that up is to say that, yeah. I recognized you, though it took me a bit to place your face, what with the beard and 80's rock band hair you were sporting.”

“Ah. Yes, that was...I didn't mean to let it all get quiet out of control like that.”

“Yeah.” Lance frowned, leaning forward on the table, blue eyes kind. “I remember hearing about the crash you were in seven months ago. That's, uh...that's how that happened, yeah?” He nodded at Shiro's arm.

Shiro licked his lips, suddenly nervous. No one since the hospital had bothered talking to him about the accident. Everyone just “politely” ignored the fact that he was short a limb or stared at him but never said anything.

Honestly...it was nice that Lance was making an effort at all.

“Yeah. Some idiot ran a red and...well, I woke up from a coma four months later to this,” he said roughly.

Lance's frown deepened. “And the job you'd been promised at the Garrison to test the new model planes was given away to someone else.”

Shiro paused. “How'd you know that? I didn't think that was common knowledge.”

“I've got a... Well, I wouldn't call him a friend, pre se, but I know someone who works for the Garrison,” Lance said. “Also someone who looked up to you, though I think you guys may have met. Do you remember Keith?”

“Keith?” Shiro furrowed his brow.

“You know, never smiles, tends to be kinda angry, mullet?”

“...Keith Kogane?”

Lance smiled. “Yep! That's him. He was still in training when you guys met. He said it was a few years ago, and shortly after Keith completed training he was offered a job at the Garrison. Lemme tell ya, he was so looking forward to working with you, but when he'd heard you'd been dismissed from your position there while you were still in the hospital, he threw a fit.”

Lance's smile tightened a bit, and a somewhat fake laugh escaped him. “I mean, he called up while I was still on tour down in Argentina to rant about it. He may have also gotten in trouble with...uh, what's his name. Some dick named Iverson, I think. Almost got kicked out.”

Shiro eyed the man across from him carefully. “Okay...so, where are you going with this?”

Lance's lips quirked up, and the tightness almost disappeared. Though not quite. “Well, Mr. Shirogane, I...I mean, you're life kinda got flipped upside down in the last year,” he started slowly. “From what Keith told me, you get kicked out of your job and that...probably took your insurance.”

At Shiro's involuntary wince, Lance continued. “And spending that long in the hospital wasn't...cheap, right? I mean, I know mine wasn't, and I was only stuck in the hospital for a few weeks. I was lucky I'd been saving up for college...” He shook himself. “Anyway, no job, lots of bills, and down a pretty important limb? I...I can't really imagine it's been easy.”

Shiro kept his silence, frowning down at his lap.

“Um.” Lance cleared his throat. “Um, okay, don't take this weird or anything but. I mean, if you'd like,” he giggled nervously, “I could...maybe help you out?”

A shock speared through Shiro.

“Wha...” Shiro blinked, eyes snapping up to Lance's. “What are you – “

“I mean, it's just, I know you don't know me all too well but I promise I'm not weird or, or anything – okay maybe a little bit, apparently the fact that I like pineapple on my pizza is freaky to others – and you've been such a huge inspiration to me, even after I was rejected from the Airforce, and then I spilled coffee on you and I think maybe God or someone is telling me to help you? You can say no it you want, I promise I won't get mad, though I may spend a good hour crying into some double chocolate ice cream later because wow I'm not the best at rejection and you're like, my hero, but yeah, you can say no, I just think you look like a sad puppy and wow I should probably shut up now.”

Shiro blinked again, staring at the rapidly flushing Lance across from him, the spew of words having been rushed and hard to take in. He took a moment, brain not quite catching up with everything in the last...however long it'd been since he'd stepped out of his tiny efficiency that morning. He furrowed his brow.

“You like...pineapple pizza?”

Lance stared back at him, blue eyes wide, and then burst into laughter, bright and delighted. “Out of everything I just word-vomited out at you, that's what you took away? That I like pineapple on my pizza?”

Despite it all, Shiro couldn't help but laugh as well. “Well, it was either that or focus too much on the fact that you just offered to...be my Sugar Daddy.”

For the first time since meeting him, Shiro got to watch Lance choke on his tongue. “W-well, I mean...not...it's...” He coughed. “Technically?”

“That's, uh, very kind of you, Sir.”

“Lance.”

“Right. Um. But...I don't think...”

He looked down at his plate, still half full of pasta. Even though he'd just eaten as much as he could and knew he couldn't eat another bite, his stomach turned at the thought of going another day of eating cheap canned and boxed food. Who knew how long it was going to be until he managed to eat this well again.

'You can't say yes,' a small voice in his head said, indignent. 'What about your pride?'

'What pride, though?' Shiro wondered, frowning. Ever since he'd woken up, everything that his pride once was apart of had been falling apart on him and just...rolling away from him. His pride in his work, his pride in his body, his pride in his home and belongings. Nothing stayed.

“...Can I think on it?”

Lance's guarded smile broke out into a hopeful one, and Shiro's hesitancy broke just a little bit more at the light he saw in his eyes. “Really? Uh, yeah, yeah!” The man near bounced in his seat, fumbling out his wallet and pulling out a small card. “Here, it's my business card if you wanna take a couple days.”

He practically threw it across the table in his enthusiasm, leaving Shiro chuckling. He glanced down at the sleek card, seeing Lance's name in full print, an image of a man mid-dance on one side, followed by a couple of phone numbers and a web address. “I guess I'll let you know?”

“Yes! That'd be - “ Lance was grinning so hard Shiro was sure his face was going to split. “That's great, yeah, let me know, I promise I won't pressure you or anything – just – yeah, okay!” Shiro couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him. Lance, the pretty, well-put together man in front of him, was...really a huge dork, wasn't he?

-

Lance had swiftly moved the conversation after that to lighter things. And it was actual conversation, not just Shiro listening to the man talk about things. It turned out that Lance had a rather interesting understanding of the field of astrophysics, which...was a huge surprise and yet wasn't. The man was practically made of starlight. They talked about that for a while, followed by a chat about knowing Keith, which delved into a lengthy debate on whether or not the Garrison did human experimentation.

(“You can't really believe those rumors, Lance.”

“I can if there's some sort of proof! And I've got a man on the inside – he's looking for evidence every chance he gets!”

“Careful, Lance, you're starting to sound like a Cryptid hunter.”

“What? N-no! That's Keith! Keith!”)

Eventually, though, Lance smiled apologetically and called their lunch to an end. He paid without letting Shiro see the bill, calling their server over to box up the leftover food. “Let me know, okay?” he had said, pressing the to-go bag into Shiro's hand and opening the cab door (that he had called for him at...some point) for him. “Even if it's just to turn me down. Don't leave me hanging, man.”

Shiro couldn't help the smile on his face. “I'll let you know,” he promised.

He climbed in, Lance shutting the door gently behind him, and the cab slid smoothly into traffic. He turned in his seat, meeting Lance's eyes through the rear windshield, holding the image of him until the cab took a turn and the sight of the slim, pretty man disappeared from view.

The ride was silent in comparison to the past couple of hours. The radio played softly in the from of the cab, just loud enough to sooth over Shiro's ears and quiet enough not to clog up his tired brain. It made it easier to think around everything that had happened.

Shiro looked down, taking in the sleek shoes Lance had purchased for him earlier. Sleek, just barely broken in from being dragged around New York. The cuffs of a pressed pair of pants sitting just atop the sleek shoes, light as silk and soft as a cloud. He lifted his hand, pressing it to the fabric on his side – a fitted long sleeve with a high collar and a smooth vest over it. His hand rose and the pads of his fingers brushed his now smooth cheeks and drifted to the line of his hair, cut how he liked and styled for the first time in...a long time. Maybe it was a little over the top of what he'd personally buy for himself (and especially with the non-existent budget he currently had), but he felt...normal.

He let out a short laugh, more a breath than anything else. 'Well, more normal than I've felt since waking up.'

It wasn't long until the cab stopped in front of his apartment building. The driver waved him off when he attempted to pull some cash out for a tip. “That pretty boy already paid and tipped me,” he said. Really, Shiro should have seen that coming.

The cab drove off, tires crunching over concrete as Shiro turned to the building. He tucked the to-go bag into the crook of his arm as he pressed the buzzer; when the door clicked open – the whole frame shuddering, which always made him wince – he stepped through, tossing a tired smile at the young attendant working the desk.

“Hey, you the man living in number 237, right?” she called, voice heavy with the thick twang of New York.

Shiro paused, turning partly to give her a confused look. “Um. Yes?” he answered. He hoped it wasn't a warning about the water bill again, but instead of being met with a stern stare like he was expecting the young woman nodded before hopping off her stool and shuffling into the back office.

When she came back, her arms were laden with several boxes – with familiar name brands on them. Shiro's mouth opened in shock at the pile in her arms.

“These were dropped off 'bout fifteen minutes ago,” the attendant explained. She squinted at him, eyes dragging over his right side. “I, uh, take it you might need some help getting them up to your place?”

“I...sure?” he said. 'When did Lance...?' he wondered to himself, leading the woman dazedly towards the stairs and towards his apartment. From what he could remember, Lance had only gotten his address so he could call him a cab home – which happened about half an hour ago. Which, if Lance had taken the time to get the address sent out to get what basically amounted to a new wardrobe delivered to his place? 'That man sure works fast,' he thought. 'And has a lot more pull with those businesses than I thought.'

He unlocked the door to his apartment quickly and held the door open for the woman. “You, uh, you can set those on the table,” he said. “Thank you for your help.”

“No prob,” she grunted, rolling her shoulders after finally putting the boxes done. She sent him a wry grin. “Man, most people that live here can barely afford the rent. Iunno what you're doin', man, but if you can afford to shop at these stores and get it all delivered home, what the hell're you doin' livin here?”

Shiro could only let out a strangled laugh and show her out. He leaned against the door for a moment, breathing. He peeked over his shoulder at the boxes piled on his tiny table. They sat there, innocuous and innocent, and with a sigh Shiro locked the door and put his to-go bag on the counter. Walking over to the pile, he pulled one of the smaller ones to a clear space on the table and looked it over. O.N.S. was on the side, and with a bit of relief Shiro noticed that it wasn't taped shut. He didn't need the stress of trying to open anything with one hand and a sharp implement.

By working a finger under the lid he managed to pull it open. Thin packing paper was wrapped carefully around the contents, and Shiro tugged it aside to reveal a stack of neatly folded socks.

“Socks,” he said to himself. He stared at them – they ranged from plain black and white to bright pink and purple, some ankle length and some tube. And for some reason that made him laugh. A snort caught him by surprise, followed by a chuckle that crept out of him and the next thing he knew he was curled against the side of the single chair that was at his table, gasping for breath against the hiccuping laughs that kept escaping.

“S-socks,” he gasped. “He bought me fucking socks.”

It took a few minutes, but eventually he wrangled some control back to himself and, after wiping the tears from his face, carried the box over to his closet to tuck the new and stylish socks into their proper place. He eyed the socks that were already in place – old, all either white or black, and most of them with holes due to an irregular wash schedule and crappy washing machines and driers.

Over the course of the next hour, Shiro took the time to unpack all the shoes and clothes, carefully tucking them onto hangers (he'd figured out how to hang up his clothes with one hand the previous month without having to resort to using his mouth), tugged the older, less cared for clothes he'd been holding onto and packing them in the boxes like he'd done with his old sock. When he'd finished putting the new clothes away, neat and orderly like his belongings hadn't been since before the crash, he'd taken the boxes one by one downstairs to the dumpster. He'd hummed and whistled all the while, another thing that he hadn't done in ages.

The last box finally thrown out, Shiro eyed the closet with a since of right. He wasn't even really sure why he felt so good – all he'd done that day was step out for a haircut and then get dragged along on a wild ride.

'Maybe,' a small part of him whispered, 'you just needed someone to give you a chance.'

Shiro smiled.

He turned back towards the rest of the small room, and jumped when his eyes caught the to-go bag he'd left out on the counter in the kitchen area. “Dang it,” he muttered, swiftly walking over to the bag. “Complete forgot about this.”

He blamed the socks – he wasn't expecting the socks.

With a sigh he reached into the box, knowing that as long as he put the food away as soon as possible it would still be good to eat, but was surprised when he hand came across two boxes. He blinked, and pulled them both out.

One box was his leftover chicken limone, cooling condensation from the original heat dripping from the inside of the lid onto his food. The other box? A single yet generous slice of cheesecake, swirled with a dark pink and a thick sauce poured ontop. A small arrangement of raspberries were tucked around the slice, making everything look delicate and delicious.

“The raspberry cheesecake here is amazing.”

Later that night, as he tucked himself into bed, stomach full with good food for the first time in too long, the taste of raspberries and the cream of the cake on his tongue, he realized that he'd smiled more in a single day than he had in seven months.

-

“Hello?”

“Lance,” Shiro greeted warmly into the speaker of his phone. “How are you? It's Shiro.”

There was a crash and the sound of things – many, many things – falling over for a moment, before Lance's voice piped up eager over the line. “Oh! Hey, hey, h-how's it going? What's up?”

Shiro laughed. “Nothing much. Though it sounds like you've, uh, got your hands full on your end.”

“N-nah, this is nothing, nothing up, everything is just – cool,” Lance finished, and Shiro tried (he really did) to hold back his snickers, but he couldn't. The man was the same over the phone as he was in person.

“So I thought about your, um, proposal.”

“...And? I mean, it's entirely up to you, man, I said I wasn't going to pressure you into anything or anything and I just said anything twice, wow what is wrong with me - “ Lance's voice got quieter, as if he were holding the phone away from his mouth and trying not to be heard. Shiro laughed again.

“I think I'd like to take you up on it.”

There was a quiet on the other end. It stretched, long enough that Shiro worried for a moment that he might have broken the young man with his words. It wasn't until a tinny, distant, “Hey, Lance, you okay?” came over the speakers that he heard an intake of breath.

“Yeah, Hunk, I'm fine – more than, just...wow,” Lance replied to whoever was talking to him. He cleared his throat, and Shiro could near feel the nervousness over the phone. “So you're okay with me...um...being your sugar daddy?”

A choked off laugh escaped Shiro at the words, and he could swear he heard the person that was with Lance on the other end burst out into bewildered expletives. “Uh, yes, Lance. Under a few conditions.”

“Right! Yes, anything, man, whatever you say – Hunk, shut up, this is important!”

“One, never say Sugar Daddy again.”

“Well, I mean, you said it first, remember? When we talked about it - “

“Two,” he cut in, and Lance trailed off with a giggle. “I don't want to completely rely on you. Thanks for buying me those clothes and the food – you were right, by the way, the cheesecake was good (“I know, right?”), but I need some independence.”

“Sure,” Lance easily agreed. Shiro could imagine him nodding. “Yeah, no problem. I completely get that.”

“Great. Which brings us to three.” Shiro took a steadying breath. “No exchange for...favors. Completely non-negotiable. I'm not a, a prostitute, and I expect not to be treated like one.”

There was a great amount of sputtering on the other end of the line. “What!? Why would – prostitute!? Dude, I dunno where you got that idea – okay, wait, I kinda get it, but still, how could you – I would never – ”

“That being said,” Shiro continued, smile firmly in place as he listened to Lance sputter. He'd known before he said the words that Lance would be offended at even the idea. Of course he would be – the awkward embarrassment and babbling he'd done when he'd first brought the idea up to Shiro at the restaurant couldn't be faked. “I'd really like it if we could go on a date.”

“...Huh?”

“I said, 'I'd really like it if we could go on a date,'” he repeated. “Not now, since I only just got a job and it'll be a couple paychecks before I can afford to take you out - “

“Um, I – congrats on the job – wait, take me out?”

Shiro grinned. “Well, yeah. You might be my sugar daddy, but that doesn't mean I can't take you on a date, does it?”

“Why do you get to say sugar daddy?”

Shiro laughed. He couldn't help it. “Does that mean yes?”

“Uh, it means hell yes!” Lance laughed a bit, giddy, before coughing nervously. “Um. Can I ask why?”

“Why what?”

“Why you said yes,” Lance said. “I mean, you had only just met me, and when I look back on it I feel kinda like I was a total creeper, which sucks because I am way too young and pretty to be creeper, but – “

“You bought me cheesecake and socks.”

“....Huh.”

Shiro smiled. “You took the time to buy me cheesecake and socks. The cheesecake was an unnecessary treat that...well, honestly, it just made me smile, which.” He blushed, and was thankful that Lance couldn't see him at the moment. “It'd been a long time since I really had reason to smile. And the cheesecake was delicious.”

A breathy laugh came over the line, more a small, quiet rush of static in his ear, and Shiro's heart warmed. “And, uh, the socks?”

“I mean, you bought me shoes. Brand new, not even broken in brand new. Which means blisters if I walk in them too long at first without a good pair of socks,” Shiro said. “You could have just bought me the shoes and not bothered at all with a decent pair of socks. In fact, most people that buy someone else shoes just assume that the person the shoes are for have some socks they can wear with them.

“But you didn't. You didn't assume anything. You just...bought me socks.”

“I mean...sure?” Lance said, confusion coloring his voice. “But I still don't really...”

“I means you're thoughtful,” Shiro explained, smiling. “And like with the cheesecake, it's been a long time since anyone has been thoughtful towards me.” He paused. “Or you just really wanted to buy me socks.”

Lance burst out laughing, a helpless string of 'ha's' that tugged at something in Shiro. “Um. Wow, okay. That's great.”

“So... We're doing this?”

Lance hummed, a warm note in Shiro's ear. “Yeah, let's do this.”

[hoffkk]

On the eleventh day of Ficmas, hoffkk gave to me...

Eleven Months of Waiting (A Snowbarry Fanfic)

*******

Barry was staring at the Jitters menu, trying to decide what he was in the mood for.  He wanted something that was sweet and comforting.

"One peppermint hot chocolate, please." A familiar female voice called out, totally reading his mind.

"Make that two." Barry interjected quickly, handing the barista a twenty.

"Hey, Bare." Caitlin smiled.  "You don't have to do that, you know.  I can pay for my own."  She added, gesturing to the change he received from the barista and was now pocketing.

"Please, it's the least I can do, considering how much you've been there for me over the last few months."  He told her honestly.  When Iris got a job offer at big newspaper out of state that she couldn't pass up, their engagement was effectively ended.  Barry took it real hard, but Caitlin was there for him when he needed it... on the bad days, the worse days, and eventually even the good days too. Looking back, he didn't know what he would have done without her around to confide in.

"It's called being a good friend, something that's always free of charge." She replied. "So, what are you doing here alone on Christmas Eve?  I thought you'd be with Joe and Cecile."

"Normally, I would be, but I figured since this is their first Christmas with the baby, I would let them enjoy it as a family.  I'll just stop over tomorrow sometime."  He explained.  "How about you?  Do you always drink cocoa alone on Christmas Eve?"

"Is it sad if I say yes?"  Caitlin asked, only half joking.

"Considering I'm doing the same thing, I'm gonna say no."  Barry answered.

"Then yes." Caitlin responded truthfully. "With an estranged mom, no dad, no love life, and busy friends, this has sort become a tradition of mine. Every year, I get some cocoa and gingerbread cookies and watch Christmas movies by myself all night long.  Wow, that sounded way less pathetic in my head."

"No, it's not pathetic. It actually sounds fun." Barry assured her.  "More fun than my night of doing nothing anyhow."

"Well, you're welcome to join me if you want."  Caitlin offered.  "I mean, since you're going to be alone, and I'm going to be alone... we might as well be alone together?"

"I guess it depends."  Barry responded teasingly.  "What movies will we be watching?"

"Only the classics."  She promised. "Including the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and, most importantly, It's a Wonderful Life."

Just then the barista set the drinks on the counter and gave a chipper, "Happy holidays!" before tending to the next customer.

"Well, it could be..." Caitlin trailed off, referring the barista's comment, then grabbed her cup and added, "What do you say?"

"I say..." Barry paused to pick up his own cup and clink it against Caitlin's as he retorted, "You had me at Grinch."

Sharing a sweet smile, they took a sip of their hot chocolates then headed out into the frigid winter air and made their way to Caitlin's place.

*******

Barry made it through the first three movies but fell asleep early in to the last one.  Around three in the morning, he woke with a start, still sitting on Caitlin's couch and facing the television.  However, instead of seeing Clarence get his wings, he was watching Kofi get the chair from Roman Reigns.  Feeling confused, he looked to Caitlin who was sitting next to him, drinking a beer with her feet propped up on the coffee table.

"Cait?" He queried, wondering what the heck was going on.  To his knowledge, Caitlin wasn't a wrestling fan or much of a beer drinker.  She usually opted for wine or the occasional cranberry vodka cocktail.  Not to mention, Caitlin would never allow feet on her table.  She had scolded Cisco many a times for doing so, in fact.  So, what was going on with her?

"Not quite." She answered in a snarky tone.

Hearing that, the missing puzzle piece finally clicked into place, causing Barry to jump to his feet, fly across the room, and switch on the overhead light.

"Killer Frost." He called out knowingly.

"Bingo, fraidy Flash."  She teased.

Barry stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists, ready for whatever fight she wanted to throw at him.

Killer Frost laughed and shook her head before responding, "You can relax.  I'm not here to hurt you... or anyone else for that matter."

"Then what... how..."  He tried, not sure what to ask first.

Frost cut him off and explained, "Caity had a little nightmare.  Nothing too tragic, just your run of the mill bad dream.  Next thing I know, I'm here watching some terrible black and white flick.  As if the cartoons weren't bad enough..."

"Wait, you were aware of all that?"  He questioned, still a little uncertain about how their connection worked exactly.

"I'm aware of everything our little Caitlin does.  How much exactly depends on her emotions."  She told him, taking a long drag from her bottle then went on to elaborate. "When she feels strongly about something or someone, I can sense it so vividly that it's like I'm here, and when those feelings are negative, I usually am here."

"And when she's in a normal mood?"  Barry probed.

Frost sighed, "When she's her normal, boring, unemotional self, I get stuck underneath the surface, completely ignorant of what's happening in the real world."

"Right."  He nodded his understanding as he stared at her skeptically.

"Would you stop looking at me like that already." She whined.  "I told you I'm not here to cause trouble."

"And I should trust you, why?" Barry tossed back, crossing his arms over his chest.

Frost shrugged and answered simply, "because you don't have a choice."  Barry just glared at her in response, so she went on. "Look, we both know you aren't going to leave your precious Caitlin until I'm gone..."

"Which will be when exactly?"  He inquired pointedly.

"Soon."  She replied vaguely with an evil smirk just to annoy him.  "But first, I wanna watch this fight and drink my beer.  And, like I was saying, since we both know you are going to stay and babysit me, you might as well actually sit down." She finished, gesturing to the couch.  "You may even enjoy yourself."

"Doubtful." Barry told her, though he knew she was right about one thing.  He wasn't going to leave her side for a second until Caitlin was Caitlin again. So, very reluctantly, he made his way back over to the sofa and sat back in his spot on the end.  Of course, Frost had to sit in the middle section right next to him way too close for comfort.  Therefore, he did the mature thing and grabbed the two throw pillows that had been tossed to the floor and shoved them between their bodies.

"Comfy?" She queried in an amused tone.

"Just watch your fight."  He retorted.

After that, it got quiet for a while as they watched The New Day duke it out with The Shield.  The two of them watched as fists, legs, and entire bodies were flung all across the ring.  The two teams put up quite a fight, one upping each other with every move they made in this throwback match.  

Killer Frost and Barry were able to remain civil and silent for a good fifteen minutes until the match finished and other wrestlers took the stage for a one on one battle.  As the next fight began, Frost couldn't help but open her mouth and cause just a little trouble.

"So..." She said, drawing out the one syllable word.  "Do you want to know?"

"Know what?" Barry asked suspiciously, already regretting indulging her.

"About Caitlin's nightmare." Frost specified.  "Do you want to know what freaked out her so much that I was able to break through?"

"No."  Barry said tersely.  "It's none of my business... or yours."

"Fine.  I just thought that you might like to know, considering you were in it and all."  She revealed.

"What?  Why would she have a nightmare about me?"  He asked in disbelief.

"Obviously, she has a subconscious fear of rejection."  Frost told him.

Barry looked perplexed as he replied, "I'm not sure I follow."

Rolling her eyes, she stated matter-of-factly, "You know, for brilliant scientists, you two are idiots."

"Excuse me?" He retorted incredulously.

Frost ignored him and continued, "I've been listening to the two of you talk and hang out for eleven long, excruciating months, waiting for one of you to finally step up and make a move.  And if I have learned anything from living inside of Caitlin's body, it's that that person is not going to be her."

"You've got it all wrong."  Barry denied. "Cait and I... we're not like that."

"Not yet." She acknowledged.  "But you could be... if you stop being a fraidy flash."

"Quit calling me that."  Barry commanded, then, more calmly, he added, "And I'm not afraid, my last relationship just ended badly."

"Boohoo, your fiancée left you and broke your heart... blah, blah, blah.  Life moves on, Barry."  Frost told him in a no nonsense tone.  "Now, it's your turn."

"So, I should ask Caitlin out because I need to move on?"  He questioned uncertainly.

"No," She responded.  "You should ask her out because she's the one you always want to be around, because she's the one you chose to spend Christmas Eve with, because she's the one you like... and because she's the one that may just be the one."

Barry wasn't sure what was more unbelievable right now... that Killer Frost was giving him a pep talk about his love life or that she might actually be right.  He had been spending a lot of time with Caitlin lately, and he liked being around her.  So, was it possible he liked... her? Barry was so confused.  He quirked a brow at Frost as these thoughts, plus a million more, ran through his head.

"Ugh, I can't believe I just that."  She admitted, creeping herself out a bit.

"Why did you?" Barry couldn't help but wonder.

"Because Caitlin has clearly made me watch too many Hallmark movies."  She said disgustingly.

"I don't buy it." Barry rejected.  "I think this is your way of looking out for Caitlin. I think that you might actually have a heart after all."  He teased, shifting focus to her now.

She snorted, "I don't care about Caitlin, I care about me... and since her emotions mess with my well being, I get the short stick in this love triangle.  Long story short, just do us all a favor and make a decision already.  This will they/won't they crap is really getting on my nerves."

"Right, whatever you say."  Barry mumbled sarcastically, not believing her for a second.  He didn't dare argue though.  He had enough to worry about, and the last thing he needed was to get on Killer Frost's bad side.

"Exactly." She answered assertively. "Now if you excuse me, I have some very violent fighting to enjoy."  Frost added with a smirk as she crossed her legs and turned up the volume on the TV with the remote.  "Ouch!" She winced empathetically for the wrestler that was just body slammed before grinning widely and taking a sip of her beer.  A little warm for her liking, she blew a cold fog over her bottle, chilling it along with the liquid inside.  Taking another sip, Frost nodded approvingly then went back to watching the WWE television special.

While Killer Frost got back into her show and enjoyed every minute of the next hour, Barry couldn't even tell you who was on screen.  His eyes were too busy focusing on Frost, and his mind was too busy focusing on Caitlin. Barry thought about everything Killer Frost had just said.  Had it really been nearly a year since he and Iris broke up?  Apparently so, if the date on his phone, and the decorations around Cait's apartment were anything to go by.  Maybe it was time he moved on after all... but was Caitlin the right person to move on with?  Did he actually like her in that way?  Barry wasn't completely sure.

Thinking back over the last eleven months, Barry knew he and Cait had gotten closer.  She had become his rock for getting through his breakup with Iris, just like he had become her rock for when her Killer Frost side became too overwhelming.  They had learned to lean on each other and confide in each other in order to make the hard times easier and the lonelier times less lonely.  And it worked... really well.  Caitlin quickly became the first person Barry wanted to talk to when something was bothering him, and, when he had good news, she was the one he couldn't wait to share it with.  Not to mention, Caitlin was the first person he thought of when he woke up in the morning and the last person he thought of at night before falling asleep.

It was that train of thought that Barry followed for a long while until Killer Frost finally fell asleep. By the time she passed out and faded back into the Caitlin Snow that he knew and loved, Barry had figured out just that... that he knew he loved her... or at least that he could love her, given a fair chance and a leap of faith.

As Caitlin, no longer barred by a pillow wall since she was no longer her evil twin, turned in her sleep and snuggled into Barry's shoulder, he smiled and moved his arm that was extended across the top of the couch to curl around her back.  Rubbing soothing circles on her side, like he had done once long ago after their first karaoke night together, Barry knew that he was more than willing to take that leap.  The only question was... was she?

*******

Barry thought several times about running home during the night and getting his Christmas gift for Caitlin, so it could be here when she awoke Christmas morning.  However, he just couldn't bring himself to leave Caitlin's side.  It was so warm and cozy and completely perfect that he didn't dare ruin the moment. Instead, Barry turned off the TV, closed his eyes, and relaxed, enjoying their embrace as much as possible until he drifted off himself.

A little after nine in the morning, Barry woke up as Caitlin stirred next to him.

"Morning." He grinned happily.

She yawned then smiled back, "Good morning."

"I hope you don't mind that I crashed here."  Barry told her.  "I just didn't want to leave without saying goodbye... and you were sort of using me as a pillow."

Immediately pushing herself off him, Caitlin a sat up and said, "Sorry about that.  I guess I was more tired than I thought."

"I guess so." He agreed then couldn't help but prod, "So... did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, but I vaguely remember having the strangest dream..."  She trailed off, running a hand through her auburn hair as she tried to recall the details.

"Oh, really? What about?"  Barry feigned innocence, hoping to learn more about the mysterious nightmare that brought Frost out last night.

"You."  Caitlin answered then went on, "You were talking to Killer Frost.  She was trying to convince you to--"  She suddenly cut herself off as she realized her feet were up on the table with an empty beer bottle sitting inches away.  "Oh, no.  That wasn't a dream, was it?" Caitlin continued as her face began to flush.

"Yeah... that would be a no."  He responded truthfully.  "No worries though, she watched a little TV then went to sleep. No trouble was caused.  I made sure of it."

"Good."  She nodded curtly as some worried eased off her shoulders.

"We had an interesting talk though."  Barry informed her.

"Yeah... I'm starting to remember."  Caitlin replied as bits and pieces of their conversation came back to her.  "She told you to ask me out."

"Yes, she did." He confirmed.  "Apparently, she thinks we have feelings for each other... and I think that she is right."

"What?" She asked wide-eyed, caught off guard by his admission.

"Look, Caitlin..." Barry began as he stared nervously into her beautiful brown eyes. "I can't speak for you, but Killer Frost was right about me.  It may have taken a while to realize it, but I know now that I do have feelings for you, feelings I would really like to explore.  So, with all that being said, I have one question for you... Caitlin Snow, will you got out with me?"

His heart pounded in his chest as he took in her unchanged expression and waited.  Did he screw up?  Did Frost con him, causing him to ruin their relationship and throw away the best thing in his life right now?  He was seriously beginning to freak out when Caitlin's lips twitched upward into a small smile.

"Yes."  She answered sweetly.

"Yes?"  He queried again, wanting to make sure he wasn't just hallucinating or something.

"Yes."  She told him again as her smile grew bigger. "I would love to go out with you, Barry Allen."

Barry beamed back at her in response, suddenly overcome with joy.  Then, because it felt right, he closed his eyes and leaned forward to give her a tender kiss on the lips.  He was mere inches away when he felt a hand splay on his chest.

"Wait." Caitlin suddenly interjected.

"Is everything okay?"  He wondered aloud.  "Am I moving too fast?"

"Yes...  I mean, no... I mean," She struggled for a moment, not sure which question she was trying to answer.  "I want to kiss you."  She tossed out reassuringly.  "I just need to brush my teeth first."

Barry chuckled. Morning breath.  Of all things, she was worried about morning breath.

Smirking at her adorableness, he told her simply, "Cait, I just admitted to liking you after spending the night talking to the evil meta living inside your body.  I'm not real worried about your morning breath."  Then, before she could say another word, he cupped her cheek and brought her forward once more, so they could finally share their first kiss.

Caitlin didn't pull away this time.  Instead, she blissfully obliged as she grabbed his wrist and deepened the kiss. It was a long, magical moment. One that neither of them wanted to end.

However, Barry managed to pull away long enough to whisper, "Merry Christmas, Cait."

Smiling, she intertwined her free hand with his free hand and whispered back, "Merry Christmas, Barry." then, rotated herself back around so she could lean into Barry's side once more.  With her head resting on his shoulder and his head resting on her head, the two of them snuggled together and proceeded to enjoy a lazy yet perfectly wonderful Christmas morning.

[malecsecretsanta]

Merry Christmas, @toreadthestars!

So I hope this bit of Malec silliness hits the spot...or my version of a coffee shop AU - as I’m a sucker for drunk Alec there’s a teensy weany bit of that too....

Read on AO3

*****

Sometimes Coffee Is The Only Solution    

The first thing Alec noticed when he woke up was that, somehow, he’d managed to not draw his curtains properly before crashing out last night and the bright morning light shining into his eyes was borderline painful.

With a grunt of discomfort he rolled on his side, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and the way his stomach seemed to be doing somersaults. Blearily he looked around the room and noticed the glass of water and painkillers and thanked the angel that ‘drunk him’ seemed to have at least some common sense.

Carefully sitting up, he grabbed the glass and swallowed the pills before gingerly stepping out of bed to pull the curtains shut before crawling back under the sheets.

Ordinarily Alec wasn't much of a drinker, and lying in bed waiting for the painkillers to work their magic, he was starting to remember exactly why. The worst part was he really should've known better, but after weeks of excuses, he’d finally given in and accepted his siblings invite to come out with them.

Beyond that, things got a little fuzzy. He remembered arriving at the bar and meeting up with Clary and Simon and everything was pretty much ok until, about an hour in, Jace had suggested shots. In his defence, he may well have over indulged, as evenings spent with Izzy and Simon and Clary and Jace, two couples that were sickeningly loved up, really only served to remind him of the one thing he really wanted to forget, the nonexistent state of his own love life. He’d only gone because Izzy had promised that her hot friend, a guy called Magnus, was coming along too, but as far as he could remember he’d been a no show, so really, the only solution was to drown his sorrows.

All in all the night had been a complete disaster and, quite frankly, Alec was glad he didn’t remember much of it.

……..

Having forced himself into the shower, Alec began to feel somewhat more human, although he was desperately in need of coffee. Throwing on some clothes he trudged out to the kitchen hoping that it was still too early for his siblings to be awake, knowing full well the pleasure they’d take in tormenting him for his drunken antics.

“Shit..” Alec searched through the cupboards frantically only to find an empty pack of coffee and nothing else. Typically, Jace had forgotten to restock.

“Oh my god, it lives..” Spinning round Alec saw Izzy perched at the breakfast bar looking remarkably chipper, considering last night. “Didn’t think you’d surface for hours. No offence mi hermano, but you were wasted last night.”

“Yeah, thanks for that.” Alec grumbled, contemplating making himself a tea but deciding that the crusty old container didn't exactly fill him with confidence.

“So...do you remember anything from last night?” Izzy teased, as Alec continued to desperately scramble through the cupboards in the vain hope that it was just his killer hangover that was stopping him finding some coffee.

“Don’t, just don’t.” Alec glared over his shoulder, getting increasingly frustrated with the situation.

“Oh come on Alec, it was funny..I mean, you were on top form.” Izzy laughed and the sound went through him like a knife.

“I literally couldn't care less right now. All I want is a drink and Jace forgot to get any goddamn coffee, as per usual..” Alec snapped.

“Suit yourself, but let me tell you, it’s a great story.” Izzy seemed totally nonplussed by Alec’s mood.

“Whatever. I’m going out..” Alec pushed past her, marching to the hallway to grab his coat and boots. Feeling a little guilty for taking his mood out on his sister, he paused for a second and turned to look at her. “You want anything..?”

“You going to Java Jones?”

Alec grunted in reply.

“Then get me a mocha and double choc muffin.” Izzy grinned, reaching for her phone and beginning to tap away.

With a final huff of indignation, Alec stalked to the front door and let himself out.

……..

Alec wasn't sure if it was the painkillers or the fresh air on the walk to Java Jones but as he entered the doorway, he almost felt human.

The coffee shop was fairly empty this time on a Sunday morning so he decided that enjpying his drink there was a much more preferable option than going home just yet. Especially as home, he was pretty sure, meant a morning of inevitable teasing by his sister.

Reaching the front of the queue, Alec was relieved to see his friend Maia on duty.

“Hey Alec, wow, you look like shit. Bad night or a really, really good one?” Maia teased.

“Bad, really bad… and no, I don’t want to talk about it..” Alec held his finger up, shaking his head slightly in defeat. Thankfully it didn't hurt as much as it did this morning or he’d have seriously regretted the gesture.

“Ah c’mon, I’m stuck here all morning, I need gossip to keep me going.” Maia pouted briefly before starting on Alec’s coffee, knowing without asking what he’d want.

“All I’m gonna say is I’m never ever letting Izzy talk me into a night out again..” Alec grabbed his drink from the counter as soon as Maia put in down, warming his hands on the cup.

“That bad..” Maia raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, apparently some friend from yoga class was supposed to turn up but I apparently even get stood up by blind dates.” Alec grumbled before cautiously sipping at his coffee which was still really hot.

“Oh Alec..”

“Yeah, and trust me, an evening spent watching the four of them swooning over each other is not as much as fun as you’d think.” Maia began to laugh again as he spoke and Alec couldn't help but smile. “Seriously, alcohol was the only option..”

“Damn, I wish I’d been there..”

“No you don't.”

“No, I don't..”

Behind him the door chimed signalling another customer arriving and making his excuses, Alec grabbed his coffee and shuffled off to a corner booth.

………...

Alec drained the rest of his coffee and sat staring at the empty cup for far longer than was really appropriate, tossing up whether to go for a refill or return home and face the music. He had the distinct feeling Izzy knew something he didn’t and he dreaded what that could be.

“You look like you could do with this.” The man’s voice sounded strangely familiar and yet Alec was sure he’d never heard it before, but what really grabbed his attention was the ring-clad hand that slid the cup towards him. Suddenly his mind flashed back to the previous night.

“Wow, you’re hands are so pretty.” Alec gasped, grabbing the man’s hand and holding it up to look at it more closely. “Look Izzy, they’re all twinkly..”

Alec fought down the feeling of nausea in his stomach.

“I take it you’re suffering a bit this morning.” The man laughed and instantly another memory resurfaced.

 “By the angel, your laugh, it’s like music.” Alec gazed with adoration into the face of possibly the most beautiful man he’d ever seen. “How are you sooooo beautiful? Are you even real, ‘cos if this is a dream, best dream ever!!!’

“You mind if I join you? If you’d rather be alone I’ll understand of course.” Alec nodded his head, not daring to look up just yet because the sound of that silky smooth voice was bringing back a wealth of memories each of which were excruciatingly embarrassing.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he took a deep breath and using every ounce of courage he had, forced himself to meet the man’s eyes.

“Magnus…” The name came back to him instantly as soon as he saw the man’s face, flawless tawny skin and the deepest brown eyes accentuated by dark kohl.

“Oh, you do remember me then? That’s good to know.” Magnus’ eyes danced with mischief and Alec groaned, his head in his hands as another memory came flashing back.

 Alec reached forward and touched the man’s bicep, holding on a little more firmly than was appropriate as he swayed from side to side.

 “You’re really, really real. Are you sure you’re not an angel because those arms, that face… I mean, wow, no human could look that good….” Alec slurred, not letting go of Magnus's arm as he turned to his sister and leant on her heavily. “Izzy someone sent me a literal angel…”

 Izzy chuckled before turning to speak to Magnus.

 “Magnus, I’m sorry about my brother. I promise he’s not normally like this ….”

 “Magnus …. your name’s Magnus…. even your name is pretty….” Alec blabbered on obliviously.

 “I promise you, it’s fine. I’ve doubtless been in worse states myself and I was ridiculously late so…” Magnus laughed.

“Oh god…” Alec muttered into his hands before peeking out between his fingers to see Magnus trying to hold back his laughter. “Please tell me this is all some horrible nightmare and I didn’t make a total fool of myself last night. I’m so embarrassed .”

“Oh Alexander, there’s honestly nothing to be embarrassed about. I actually think you’re a rather adorable drunk..” Magnus winked and Alec felt himself flush. “Anyway, shall we start again? Hello, I’m Magnus, Izzy’s friend from yoga class.”

Magnus smiled as he extended a hand.

“Hi.” Alec smiled shyly before shaking his hand, trying desperately to ignore the tingles that ran up his arm from Magnus touch. “Alec. Thanks for the coffee by the way, I’m not normally much of a drinker so…”

“So I take it you don’t remember a great deal…” Magnus smiled.

“Um yeah..” Alec shifted uncomfortably in his seat as another memory resurfaced.

 “C’mon you. Let's get you in a cab.” Izzy grabbed his arm and began manhandling him towards the exit with remarkable strength for someone so little.

 Alec tried his best to resist reaching back to Magnus imploringly.

 “No…..don't make me leave the angel man...please let me worship him…”

 Izzy was having none of it and dragged him away, his last glimpse of a smiling Magnus shaking his head in amusement before being bundled outside.

Magnus looked at him carefully, eyes slightly narrowed and the corners of his mouth quirking as if he was trying to suppress a smile.

“Alexander Lightwood, why do I get the feeling you’re possibly being a little economical with the truth here?” Magnus waved a finger in admonishment. “I think you remember more than you’d like to admit.”

Alec blushed bright crimson as he had to fight the urge to facepalm.

“Okay, okay..I do remember bits and pieces, but honestly I don't know what got into me and I didn't mean..” Alec stopped speaking when he saw Magnus pout a little. “What?”

“Well I have to say Alexander, I’m a little disappointed.” Alec looked at Magnus warily only relaxing a little when he saw the mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “Does that mean you don't want to worship me and climb me like a tree…?”

“Oh god… I said that, didn't I?” Alec groaned as Magnus nodded.

“Because I would definitely not be adverse to that.” Magnus winked and Alec damn near fainted on the spot.

“You would…?” Alec asked hesitantly, biting his lip anxiously as he awaited the answer.

Magnus looked him up and down pointedly and Alec had to suppress a shiver.

“Well, you’d need to buy me dinner first.” Magnus tilted his head to the side coquettishly.

“I can do that..” Alec said with a bashful smile.

“And, actually, I think a movie too..” Magnus teased.

“Yeah?” Alec felt himself leaning forward, elbows on the table, mesmerised by Magnus’ smile.

“Most definitely..In any case, think of the fabulous story we’ll be able to tell our grandkids about how we met..”

Alec burst into laughter, a mix of happiness and relief.

“Well then, I guess we better do that...you know, for our future grandkids..”

“It’d be rude not too.” Magnus agreed in mock seriousness.

“Exactly.”

“A toast then, to dinners and future grandkids..” Magnus held up his cup.

“Sound good to me.” Alec smiled before doing the same, already anticipating the best date EVER.

[evenifyoudontfic]

Even If You Don’t: Chapter 25

Previous chapter

Mari’s POV; 9am

I woke up the next morning the sun shining directly on my face. I groaned quietly, rolling onto my other side, opening my eyes to find Kaylynn watching TV.

“Morning, sunshine,” she giggled at my less-than-amused expression.

“Tell the sunshine to go away,” I whined, burying half of my face in the pillow.

“I don’t think I can do that, sorry,” she smiled, getting up and going to the window, “But I can close the curtain.”

“I’m already awake,” I sighed, “I might as well just pack.”

“Already done,” Kaylynn informed me, “Your sweats are on the bathroom counter with your toiletry bag, so all you have to pack is that and your pajamas.” I smiled slightly.

“Thanks, Kay,” I murmured, dragging myself out of bed and into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

I brushed my teeth, changed into my other clothes, and went back into the room. Kaylynn had turned the TV off and made both of our beds, ready to go get Kenzie and Vanessa to go to the boys’ house.

“You sure you still want to go?” Kaylynn asked, “We can just hang around here until we have to head to the airport.

“I’m sure,” I nodded, “I still have to kick Mikey’s ass in GTA one more time.”

“That’s my girl,” she beamed, holding her hand up for a high-five.

I grinned lightly again and we met the other two girls in the hallway after making sure we had everything we’d brought with us. Kaylynn had called Bryan after I went into the bathroom, so he was already waiting for us when we got outside.

Once we made it to the boys’ house, we didn’t even get to knock on the door before Ashton was pulling it open.

“Hey, guys!” he smiled brightly – way too chipper for 9:30am in my opinion, but hey, that was Ashton for you. “Come in!” he ushered us inside, “Guys! They’re here!”

“Wow,” Kaylynn nodded as she looked around, “It’s cleaner this time around.”

“Yeah, well, Ash made us clean when we got back from shows all week,” Luke said, coming into the room with Calum following behind him like a lost puppy. We made eye contact for a brief moment, but quickly looked away when the blonde started talking again. “Mike’s waiting for you downstairs, Mari,” he looked at me, “Said he’s looking forward to kicking your ass in GTA.”

“In his dreams,” I rolled my eyes. I tightly gripped the hoodie in my hands, holding it out to Calum. “Here, Cal...” I said softly, “Figured you’d want this back.” He barely nodded, taking it from me before I hurried downstairs.

I trotted to the main room of the basement where Michael was sitting on the floor in front of the TV, already playing Grand Theft Auto V. He had propped himself up against the couch, a second controller sitting beside him.

“Hi, Mikey,” I said softly, going around the back of the couch so I didn’t walk in front of him.

“Mari!” he beamed, pausing the game and waiting for me to sit down so he could hug me tightly. Michael ended his current game and switched to multiplayer so I could join in.

~

About 30 minutes of in-game horseplay and Michael's terrible jokes later, he apparently decided to get serious.

“We know what happened last night, kitten,” Michael told me as we continued playing the game. I let out a breathy laugh.

“I should have known Kay was gonna tell you,” I replied.

“How do you know Cal didn’t?”

“Because I know him,” I murmured.

“It’s okay to be upset about it, you know?” he said thoughtfully, “It was a really shitty reason to end it.”

“I know, but if he couldn’t handle the distance, I don’t want to make him stay with me,” I shrugged, “Maybe we just weren’t meant to be.”

“Like you believe that,” he nudged me. I laughed lightly again, laying my head on his shoulder.

“I don’t,” I confirmed, “But I’ll get over it. I don’t want to talk about that anyway. I’d rather talk about how many times I’m gonna kick your ass in the next six hours.”

“Oh, I love talking about dreams!” he sighed dramatically. I elbowed his side, picking my head up to look at him.

“Alright then, what do you say we make this a little more interesting, Clifford?” I proposed.

“How so, Duncan?” he returned with a small smirk.

“We turn away from the TV and try to kill each other without looking,” I said, “Whoever loses buys pizza for everyone for lunch.”

“Oh, you are so on,” he snickered. We put our characters in the same room and switched weapons to only our fists, then spun around so we were no longer facing the TV just as everyone else was coming down the stairs.

“What are you guys doing?” Kenzie asked with a small giggle.

“Mari’s buying lunch!” Michael chirped.

“Loser’s buying lunch,” I reminded him, rolling my eyes.

“Isn’t that what I said?” he smirked again, earning himself a shove.

“Here’s how it’s gonna work, Mikey,” I announced, “This is gonna be a clean game – that means no one will tell us where our characters are, no weapons except for hands, and if you put any one of your fingers near my controller, I’m gonna snap it in half.”

Michael gasped dramatically, “I can’t believe you don’t trust me, kitten.”

“I’d trust you with my life, Mikey,” I stated, “I just don’t trust you when we’re playing video games.”

He paused for a moment before nodding, “Fair enough. You ready for this, Duncan?”

“Born ready, Clifford,” I grinned slyly, “Okay, someone count us down.” Vanessa happily took initiative.

“3... 2... 1... Go!” she squeaked.

It was only about 7 minutes later that a winner was declared. Everyone started cheering as Michael and I snapped our heads back to the TV, finding the ‘WASTED’ screen over his character.

“Yeah!” I shouted happily, throwing my arms up.

Michael threw his arms around my waist and tackled me to the ground, lying on top of me. He started tickling my sides to make me laugh, but I didn’t mind, honestly; I knew I needed a good laugh after what had happened yesterday.

Calum’s POV

Since I was standing behind everyone, I got lucky in that no one noticed how tight my jaw was getting. Mari and Michael had been best friends pretty much since the moment we all met, but the way her face scrunched up in the same way that it did when she was with me made me jealous beyond all reason.

I knew it was my fault – and boy, did I hate myself for it – but that was the thing about me; No matter how badly I wanted to fix things, I was incredibly stubborn. And no matter how jealous I was now was going to make me admit to anyone else that I was wrong.

~

Mari’s POV; 10:30pm

Calum wouldn’t stop staring at me the entire time we were waiting in the airport terminal and I found myself desperate for our plane to start boarding so I didn’t have to deal with it anymore. His gaze made me feel so self-conscious and small that I just wanted to curl into a ball and disappear.

Finally, like God was speaking down from the heavens himself, the woman over the airport intercom announced that our flight to London was finally boarding.

I let out a small sigh of relief, quickly grabbing the peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks that Michael insisted to buy for me off the table as we all stood up. After making sure we all had our carry-ons, the boys followed us to the gate entrance, all of them except for Calum having prominent pouts on their faces.

“Don’t be strangers, okay?” Michael hugged the other girls, “If you’re ever back in Sydney, we’ll take care of you.”

“My mum’s dog would take better care of me than you would,” Kaylynn shot him a glare, shoving his shoulder. I let out a breath as I giggled softly, keeping my head down but still knowing everyone had looked at me.

“I think I could out-care a dog, Kaylynn,” he scoffed, turning his attention back to the bassist.

“Don’t be so sure, Mike,” Vanessa chirped, “Cal was a search and rescue dog for half of her life.”

“Cal?” he raised his eyebrows.

“Cal,” Kaylynn interrupted, her tone menacing, “Short for Callie. I would argue it really is a great nickname for a bitch though, wouldn’t you?” Calum swallowed thickly when she looked at him. “Oh, right!” she exclaimed plainly, “Cal is your nickname too! I totally forgot! What are the cha-“

“Kay,” I whispered, making everyone look at me again, “It’s not worth it; Let’s just forget it and go home.” The girls agreed and began walking toward the gate while I remained in my spot. Luke and Ashton hugged me tightly before Michael took his turn.

“Stay in touch, okay?” he mumbled into my ear, “I’m gonna miss playing video games and causing trouble with you.” I let out a genuine laugh that time.

“You've got my gamer tag, Mikey – just text me whenever you wanna play,” I squeezed him lightly before letting go, “And if you’re ever back in London, I don’t mind sharing a bed with you.” I stole a glance at Calum, taking note of how his jaw had tightened, before looking at the other boys. “Thanks for bringing us on tour, guys. It’s a shame it had to come to an end,” I said, my eyes trained on Calum. I stood there for a moment before bending down to pick up my carry-on bag and turning around, walking toward the gate.

“Duncan!” I heard Michael call out. I turned, now walking backwards slowly. “Call me when you get back, yeah?” he told me, “Wanna know you got home safe.” The corner of my mouth twitched into a half-smile.

“Anything for my favorite person, Clifford,” I told him, noticing Calum shift uncomfortably.

“Hey!” Luke pouted, “I was your favorite person three hours ago!”

“Better start being more careful about talking with your hands then, Hemmo,” I shot back, pulling on the bottom of the shirt he had given me to replace mine when he spilled his drink on me at dinner.

He sighed, “I’m not getting that back, am I?”

“Nope,” I smirked, winking at him before turning around again and hurrying to the gate before I missed my flight.

Next chapter

[loopy-atla-fanfic]

Samsara - Chapter 7

Rating: T

Characters: Mai, Zuko, Ty Lee, Azula, Iroh

Story Warnings: Ableism, Suicidal Thoughts

Written for Maiko Week 2017

Karma

"Come on, Mai. It's time to embrace the day Hey, that rhymed."

And so it started again, with a chipper cutesy voice and a call to action.

Well, she had accomplished everything she had set out to do. She hadn't missed a single element. She had pushed herself to the limits of her mortal power, using more than a little quasi-immortal knowledge, and saved as many people as she could. Of course, she hadn't been able to save everyone. There was a war on, after all, and the harbor battle in the morning was poorly timed.

Hm. So this was what it felt like to be Zuko: eternally trying and eternally failing.

Unless, of course, you redefined success as trying your best. Then the only way to fail was to not try.

Was that surrender?

Was that making yourself your whole world?

Did Mai properly understand either concept?

Eh, who cares? Philosophy is boring.

Mai took a deep breath, found her better urges, and prepared to throw herself back into the endless cycle of trying to make things better. Maybe she'd trip over a way to save more people. Feeling the strength of purpose and energy of benevolence, she sat up in bed and opened her eyes.

And then she hissed against the blinding glare and threw her hands over her poor defenseless eyes and oh ashes why had she opened them in the first place? See, this was what mornings got you!

But what in the name of the First Fire was so bright? It was always dark in the palace's guest room when she woke up, the only light coming from a dimmed lamp. This was-

This was-

-different.

It was different.

Mai shifted a hand out of the way and tried to squint against the light. It was like charging out of a tunnel after spending an hour underground; a circle of brightness was blasting at her as if the daylight was annoyed at her for being away so long. Except this wasn't daylight; it was too tinted, too white.

Mai kept squinting and peered a little deeper.

No, it wasn't a circle of light, it seemed to be taller than it was wide. And- squint a little harder- it had arms? And a head? And an over-complicated arrangement of hair? And a flying scarf floating behind it?

It was a woman?

As the realization moved into Mai's brain and began putting its feet up on the mental furniture, the brightness stopped being a problem. It was still there, still flooding the room with a white light- moonlight, she realized- but it no longer seared her eyes. And so she could see the being that had woken her up by speaking Ty Lee's words.

It was a Water Tribe woman, no doubt about that. But instead of blue and furs, she was wearing moonbeams spun and given opaque form. She smiled and intoned, "I apologize for the deception with your friend's words. I thought it would be more comfortable to wake up to a familiar voice."

Mai acknowledged the apology with a nod. "You, um, aren't supposed to be here?"

The Moon Spirit- for it simply could not be anything else- narrowed her eyes in a subtle expression of Royal Displeasure that even Azula would have had to award points. "You presume to tell Me where I can and cannot go?"

Mai shook her head. "I- I just- Ty Lee is supposed to be there, and Azula is waiting, and- and- then stuff?"

The Moon Spirit's brow smoothed. "Ah, I see. You suffer from the habit of Time. I have forgotten what it is like to feel Time. It has been many eons since I Ascended those months ago."

Mai blinked. "Maybe I'm still just too used to time- or Time, if that's how we're doing it- but I don't think that sentence made any sense?"

"I said I do not feel Time. When I, the Princess Yue, became the Moon Spirit at the end of Winter, I began an existence that stretched across all Moments at once. I have been the moon for less than a year, but I have been the Moon forever. I shine down on your grave and the day of your birth with the same Light. Light does not know Time, and neither do I."

Mai couldn't help but point out, "Unless someone is born during the day. Or under a New Moon. Then you don't shine."

The Moon Spirit was silent for what was a Moment for Mai and probably Forever for her. Or possibly the other way around. "This kind of irreverence is how you got in Trouble."

"Yes, ma'am."

The Moon Spirit took another one of those infinite Moments. "You and I need to talk. Come, let us walk."

Mai started to get out of bed-

The Moon Spirit waved a hand. "Time is merely the dance of the Moon and the Sun, and the beatings of a heart you do not have in your dreams."

Mai blinked. She was now on that rooftop patio at the Capital Temple, where the golden statues of the Sun Warrior and the Dragon glistened under the shining sun. She was fully dressed in the clothes she wore 'every day,' and her hair was done up in the ox-horn style. She could even feel the weight of her knives against her skin. "What-"

"Time is merely the dance of the Moon and the Sun, and the beatings of a heart you do not have in your dreams."

"Um, right." Mai sighed. "This is going to be one of those disconcerting, weird spiritual experiences, isn't it?"

The Moon Spirit actually smirked. "I am a spirit, and this is the first Time I've been able to do this kind of Thing since I became the Moon."

"Except you're not bound by time, so you've also done this an infinite amount of times."

"That is also True."

"Ugh." Mai massaged her own forehead. "What do I do to deserve this?"

"You sat on that Holy statue, insulted My presence and power, swore to kill the Water Tribe warriors who love Me, and dared Me to do something to stop you." The Moon Spirit, in all her regal glory, held up her hands and wiggled them. "Ta da!"

Oh.

Right.

That.

On the first Day of Black Sun, Mai had gotten bored, mouthed off to the moon right before the eclipse, and then carved 'MAI WAS HERE' in the golden Sun Warrior's palms. To be fair, if she knew the moon had actually been listening and had a sense of proportion like that of Azula's, she probably would have been more polite. (Probably. Mai offered no guarantees when it came to politeness.)

She dropped to her knees and kowtowed. "I'm sorry?"

The Moon Spirit walked forward, her glow growing brighter as she towered over Mai. "In My mortality I would have Forgiven such ill-considered words, even though I wore the title of Princess. However, the Moon Spirit cannot tolerate such disrespect. The Spirit of the Summer Star agreed, and felt shame on your behalf. It was by combining Our domains to form the whole of Time that We crafted the Punishment. He watches Us above. So you should apologize to Him, too."

Mai looked up at the sun. "Sorry?"

Did the sun just flicker? She had always suspected it was a cheeky little jerk.

The Moon Spirit reached out and placed a cool hand on top of Mai's head. "Your irreverent words do not mask the true regret you feel in your spirit. We Forgive You, Mai of the Fire Nation. You may rise."

Mai did so. Well, it was good to have that little matter cleared up-

"Now, We will discuss whether you wish to Return to your life, or if I shall extend the Protection of the endless cycle of the Days of Black Sun."

That was a few too many archaic phrasings and arbitrarily capitalized letters for Mai to understand what was being said. "Huh?"

The Moon waved a hand.

Mai looked down at herself.

Wow, she made ugly faces while she slept.

Somehow, she was standing in the forested campsite that she and Zuko had made together the 'night before.' Zuko's war balloon was right where they had eventually landed it, when they became too tired to keep flying. The campfire was a scorched remnant, and Mai and Zuko were both still asleep beside a cluster of trees.

Mai was in Zuko's arms, and she was smiling and cuddling in her sleep.

And Mai was also standing over herself, reflecting now how that smile was genuine and sloppy and completely uninhibited, not a well-crafted little glimpse of emotion at all. Ugly.

But also kind of beautiful.

Mai turned back to the Moon Spirit, who was basking in the dawn light in the center of the campsite. "So am I now doing that whole 'glowing in two places at once' thing, too? Because I don't feel like I'm glowing."

The Moon Spirit's lip might have twitched. "You insistence on shielding yourself with Wit reminds me of someone. Someone I loved."

"Oh, good."

"You have killed him several times."

"Oh. Not good."

"You did not Believe it would be permanent when you did it, so I am willing to Overlook it."

"Thanks. You know, I have no idea why everyone in the Fire Nation says you're a poor man's sun with weak light and no real purpose in the sky. I think you're okay."

"Your sentiment earns My gratitude, Mai of the Fire Nation."

Mai smirked. "So spirits do sarcasm, now?"

"We never stopped." The Moon Spirit lifted a hand, and a beam of soft white light extended to illuminate the sleeping couple on the ground. "Behold the result of your choices. You have finally won the love you craved. If you Choose, you can wake up there and continue to live that life as you see fit."

Mai looked down at them again. Zuko was just adorable when he was relaxed in sleep. "So what's the catch?"

"There are no Terms."

"So why make it a choice? Why wouldn't I want to choose that?"

"Because you would have to continue to live that life. My Punishment, as trying as it has been for you, is also a Boon. You enjoyed Freedom from consequences. Wake up there, in your prince's arms, and you will wake up as a Traitor to your Nation, as a Friend devoted to Zuko's vision, and as someone who has Chosen to Care about the World. The World, and its People. I offer you the Choice of burdening yourself with the new life upon which you have stumbled. And it will be a burden. I shine-"

"-on every moment I've ever spent in the bathroom. Yeah, I get it." Mai looked back at the couple. Seeing herself in Zuko's arms like this made it an easy choice. Here was everything she wanted-

Azula walked by with blood flowing out from a gash in her neck to stain her black armor.

Zuko walked by with a charred mess where his face should be.

Ty Lee walked by, head turning frantically from side to side as she called Mai's name.

Corporal Fan walked by, the metal prosthetic foot giving her no trouble, but the broken bones throughout her body turning her gate into an inhuman shambling.

Corporal Lee walked by, eating a sweetroll.

Claustrophobic Jiao walked by, holding a stack of letters and crying tears of relief.

Jiao walked by again, on Mai's other side, screaming for someone to let her out.

Soldiers of both sides poured out of the forest and filled the campsite with their traffic. Some were healthy and some were injured and some were clearly dead and some of them were there once and twice and a million times.

Everyone who had ever set foot in the Capital walked out of the forest and past Mai. None took notice of her. As ever, she passed through the river of lives without making so much as a ripple.

And all the people obscured her view completely of the Mai and Zuko sleeping cuddled against the trees.

"This is the fate I am allowing you to Choose," the Moon Spirit intoned. The flow of bodies passed around her, a white glow forming a shelter of empty space that circled her form. "You have accepted Responsibility for these People. It will be your burden until it is time to Choose again."

Mai stepped back, trying not to bump into anyone. Were they coming thicker now? More Zuko's and Azula's and Ty Lee's and Katara's and Avatars and Hakoda's and Toph's and the Water Tribe Guy With The Sword's and- "When will that be?"

"Every Moment of Time. The Choice is Infinite, Mai of the Fire Nation. Do you think you are the only one faced with this Choice?"

Mai let loose a single, sharp laugh (for as much as she had changed, she wasn't about to give a dull laugh). "And here I thought I was special."

And then she Chose.

Or simply chose.

Stupid spirits had to make a big deal out of everything.

There were no words, no bouncing on the bed, nothing to wake her up but the light of the sun and the awkward shifting of the man underneath her.

Mai woke up anyway.

Zuko opened his eyes, and immediately smiled at her. "Good morning."

Mai smiled back. "Is this real?"

He reached a hand over and brushed his fingers through the fringe of hair above her eyes. "It feels real to me."

It felt real to Mai, too, in a very unreal kind of way. She had done it. She was free. Maybe that dream about the Moon Spirit was just a dream, or maybe it really had happened in a dreamscape or the Spirit World or something else entirely. Either way-

-she was free.

She grabbed Zuko and pulled him into a kiss.

It was a greedy kiss, because for all that she had surrendered her world and her self, this was one thing she wanted to keep. She loved Zuko. She loved Zuko, and now that she had him for real, now that she had stopped him from leaving her and herself from throwing him away, she wasn't going to hide her feelings.

This was where she belonged.

When they finally pulled apart, Mai saw that Zuko's cheeks were almost as red as his scar. Still, his voice was steady as he said, "Sorry, but we should get going. We don't want to lose the Avatar's trail or miss our rendezvous with Uncle."

Mai nodded. "I suppose you're right. We'll just have to make time for ourselves when things aren't so urgent."

"Yeah." He stood up, and then helped her to her feet as well. "I just- thank you. I thought I might have to do this on my own, but with you- and Uncle- I-"

She reached out silenced him with a finger to his lips. "You don't have to thank me. I'm here because I care. Because I- I love you."

He raised his hands to cover her own, and gently moved her finger aside. "I love you, too."

And because he was Zuko, that's when he turned to start getting the war balloon ready.

Mai indulged in a chuckle. Even if he lived through an eternity of looping days, as she had, she was sure that some things about him would never change. But, happily, she didn't want those things to change.

Funny how that worked out.

Mai went over and joined him in the preparations. As she unlocked the balloon's control panel, she said, "So do you know what you're going to say to the Avatar and his friends? I can vouch for you, but after your- uh, history, you'll probably want to make a good new impression."

Zuko looked over at her from where he was unfurling the main balloon. "I was thinking the same thing. I guess I should try to tell them how much I can help them, but- I don't know. It's probably going to be very awkward."

"So we'll practice while we fly. Pretend I'm Katara or something, and talk to me like you will when you meet the real thing."

Zuko frowned. "Do you really think that will work? I mean, it's a good idea, but I've never been the best with words."

"And I wasn't very good at caring until recently." She stepped over to Zuko, and took his hands in her own. Their eyes met as the sun shined down on them, and Mai thought she maybe spotted a little silver streak in the sky that might have been an early moon rising.

She looked at the love of her life, and said, "But practice makes perfect. Trust me on that."

END OF DAYS