#which will involve screwing her out of her lunch break so not that much better

[outerspace-iiinnerspace]

its really cool how this library has three (3) staff members to cover seventy-seven (77) open hours. fifty-three (53) in the summer, which is not so bad except when one (1) librarian is on another continent for a month and i wake up in just awful stomach pain on a day i'm supposed to open (not part of my normal duties and no, i have not been given a key). options are go to work like this and suffer for nine hours (nine hour shift with an unpaid lunch break five hours in) or call out sick less than an hour from open and screw my coworker (she's fine and i don't dislike her) into working an eleven hour day.

[kichous]

✧･ﾟ:*   baby, you already know

summary. the pack mule with the pink hair looks like he could use an ice water, and you tell him as much. series. history lesson. part one you’re here ! . part two . part three . pairing. itadori yuji x f!reader. past ryomen sukuna x f!reader. warnings. briefly mentioned ---- childbirth, body horror, child murder. word count. 2265.

07.11.23 / read the updated re-release on ao3!

Your manager hates it when people ask for it. ‘Screw you for knowing you can get this for free, instead of buying an overpriced plastic bottle from the cooler below the pastries.’ You can only imagine what he might think of you independently giving an ice water away, which is why you’re thankful he’s in the back room using what remains of his little pea brain to come up with next week’s schedule. He’d probably rip your head off for wasting a cup — for a refresher! an iced latte! iced coffee, even! — on a cute guy.

You’ve had your eye on the manspreader at the corner table, surrounded by at least a dozen shopping bags, for ages. The sunlight filtering through the lightly tinted windows behind him gives his pink hair almost an angelic glow. The fact that he actually managed to nab a table (albeit one with only a single seat) during rush means he must actually have God watching over him too.

And he’s really cute, and you’re a fifteen year-old girl. Sue you.

The real problem arises when your fingers touch. But let’s backtrack to the first moment you saw him.

It’s two weeks before summer break.

You barely managed to get permission to get a job, and that’s likely because your homeroom teacher is really trying to be one of those caring, involved ones from the American TV shows she loves so much. You fudged the paperwork a bit and said that you’re older than you are. You’ve been working at this job for about four months now, and every time you clock in, you think to yourself, ‘I wanna quit.’

It’s a Sunday, and people have nothing better to do with their free time than get a sweet, sweet cavity-inducing drink while waiting out the busy crosswalks outside. A busker with a makeshift drum set plays and sing-speaks loudly outside. You can’t hear him, but you can tell from the wide berth people are giving him that he’s being obnoxious.

Facing the blenders as you clean, pour, pump, scoop at the speed of light, you don’t see the three of them coming in. Twenty minutes later, your coworker announces she’s going on lunch, and you leap at the chance to take her place at the register. The trio bickers as they step up to the counter in unison. Really, like they all step forward with their right legs at once.

The tall one with the dark hair orders first, and your little ‘ooh, pretty customer’ gets drowned out by your judgment at his quite boring drink. The girl adds six different things to her white mocha latte, a recipe you just know she found online somewhere. And then the third guy, carrying three bags (UNIQLO, Hikarie, and ZARA, same as when you first touch) slides a juice box over for you to scan.

‘What are you, like six?’

He pays, using the shopping bags to muscle his companions out of the way, and for a moment you feel a little bad for being so mean, even if he hadn’t heard you. You hand him back the juice box and the trio moves off to the side to wait for their drinks. You don’t speak to them for the rest of the day, as the line remains endless even after you clock out. Closing is at 4am, after all.

The second time you meet, he orders the same drink as the girl did last time. You get his name then, Yuji, and you ask which characters he uses in a flirtatious manner that flies directly over his pretty head. He doesn’t notice because he reads his order directly from his phone, but he smiles at you when you hand him his change, and that makes your heart flutter. You walk over to the espresso machine with his cup and the shift lead rolls her eyes at you.

“Bye, Yuji,” you tell him when you slide his drink over to him. He must finally hear the lilt in your voice, because he pauses, glances down at your chest, and then thanks you by name.

“You should just ask him out,” your coworker said as he left, and so that’s why you’re now handing him the cup of ice water.

Your apron draped over your arm, you double check in the mirror that your zipper is up and that you’re not covered in syrup stains before you make your way across the busy store to him. It’s July now, just shy of three weeks when you first laid eyes on him, and the most interaction you’ve had is him waving at you when he passes into the bookstore with his friends. The dark and broody one doesn’t always buy something, which is why they often duck in and out and why it’s only now that you’ve gotten him alone. And on your lunch break, no less.

“Hi, Yuji,” you say eloquently, heat rocketing across your cheeks when his head snaps up at the sound of your voice. He’d been dozing off, his chin drifting closer and closer to his chest over the past fifteen minutes. That he’d perked up at all was a good sign, right? Unless he was always this nice. Which is still a good thing, but you’ve always been a little self-centered.

“Hey,” Yuji says. He scoots the bags over and leans across the way to ask for a chair from a family of three, dragging it over to the other side of his too-small table. “You just got off work?”

“I wish,” you huff as you sit down. You almost set your apron down on the table before you realize it’s sticky on your side. “I’m just on my lunch. Four more hours to go, woo!”

“You’ve got this,” he laughs. “You look like an octopus when you’re on the back line.”

It’s not the most flattering creature to be compared to, but you grin at him nonetheless. You cast a glance around for his friends. You hadn’t seen them at the bar, and they weren’t with him on the second floor, so they could be anywhere in the basement or the four floors above you. Point being — it would take some time to get back to him. So you’re effectively alone, at least for the next five to ten minutes.

You extend your legs, crossing them at the ankles. If you had any idea how to reach him outside of work, you definitely would have picked a cuter outfit for this occasion. A black polo, black pants, and awful, beat-up sneakers don’t exactly scream ‘date me!’ Plus, even a quick glance into the bags at his feet show that he’s close to at least one fashionable girl.

Oh, shit, it didn’t even cross your mind — does he even like girls?

A brow lifts as he says, “Are you okay?” and you feel like an even bigger idiot than you did before. So much for thinking you’d perfected your customer service face. That one businessman who wants this much soy in his drink probably realizes that you think his requests are this much of a pain in the ass but is too polite to complain.

“Yeah, I just forgot if I actually hit submit when I clocked out or not,” you blurt, waving your hands in front of you. The ice in your cup rattles at the motion, a couple droplets of water swishing out of the strawless lid to dot the junction between your thumb and forefinger. “No biggie, just me being… duh, again. Ha.”

“You wanna go and double check?” He’s trying to get rid of you.

“No! No, I’m — I know I did it. I got it. It made a little ding noise, I remember now.” Smooth. Real smooth.

Yuji tilts his head, almost puppy-like. “If you’re sure… I just don’t want to get you in trouble.”

After all the trouble you went through to get this job as a high school first-year, he’s right to worry. But here’s the thing — you were lying. And few feelings are worse than someone taking a one-off white lie and running it into the ground, whether they’re trying to suss you out or not. Yuji’s consternation seems genuine. That may be the worst part.

“Don’t worry about me,” you insist, before taking an exaggerated look around. Would it kill you to just be yourself? (Are you kidding? How is that gonna get you a boyfriend?) “Is your girlfriend not around? Or… boyfriend? The one with the crazy hair?”

His eyes go comically wide. “They’re not my — they’re just classmates, that’s all. Dating Nobara…” He shudders, actually full on shakes in hypothetical fear. “No thanks. And I’m not really sure if Fushiguro’s even into that sort of thing. We’re just friends. Do we look like a couple to you?”

“Nah, more of a throuple,” you tease. You laugh as he shakes his head vehemently, patting his forearm. “I’m messing with you. You look like good friends. I just didn’t want to overstep when I asked you out.”

Oh. Well that just sort of slipped out of you, didn’t it?

To his credit, Yuji recovers quickly. His face is tinged pink, but he acts like it isn’t there. Not like you, trying to cover half your face with your hand in an attempt to appear mysterious and suave and totally not mortified. “Well,” he says, lips twitching, “for your information, I am single. So.”

“Good.” This is the part where you say something else. “I got you something, ‘cause you looked tired.”

“You didn’t have to,” Yuji protests, leaning back in his chair. His shoulders float towards his ears as one hand reaches back to scratch absently at his undercut. It isn’t like you went out of your way or anything; it’s freaking water. You dug some ice out of the bin and stood in front of the faucet while your coworker was waiting to make more lemonade, that’s all there is to it. But he’s certainly behaving like you got him a dozen roses or something.

“I insist.” You thrust the ice water at him, sloshing some more onto your hand and onto the table. Half of the ice is melted, and it clacks pitifully against the plastic. You chuckle, more out of pure instinct than anything else. “Consider it a courting gift.”

Yuji laughs. Gosh, you’d love to hear it again. Every day possibly. For the rest of your life. Wouldn’t that be nice? “Cool. My dowry is water and solid water.”

“Dowry is for marriage,” you snort. “This is my equivalent of picking you up in a limo for a night out at Makudo. Which, by the way — the Mega Mac? Perfection.”

“Are you allowed to advertise other restaurants at work?”

“Probably not, but I’m off the clock anyway.” As Yuji reaches out to take the cup, his fingers close over yours. It’s an innocent touch, though it’s one that has your heart racing nonetheless. Electricity crackles through you —

But not in the good way.

Terror creeps into your every pore as your mind races back to over a thousand years ago.

Scratchy grass beneath you, long hair spilled across the ground as you lay next to a stable boy with big dreams. Heavy makeup on your face and even heavier clothes on top of your frame as you looked up at a man fifteen years your senior, your hand promised to him the moment you were born. Agony, your lower half splitting apart, tears, the smell of iron in the air, and then two little tiny babies placed into your arms, their cries still ringing in your ears. The stable boy’s body warm against you as he promised he’d never let anyone hurt you again. His laughter as your father called him the King of Curses. Your husband’s fury and your sons pressing themselves into your arms, your pleas for him to believe you, that you had been faithful. Your father, still bearing scars from his fight with the Two-Faced Specter, saying he has no daughter.

The unnatural bend of your arm at the bottom of the ravine, numbness gravitating up your legs. You look over to the left to find very little of you there, bone sticking out of the stump of your shoulder. Your boys have stopped whimpering for you, stopped begging for their father’s forgiveness. They are silent and still, like broken dolls. They were only eight years old. The King of Curses hovers over you, bloodlust radiating out of him. You beg him not to do anything rash. To take that rage inside of him to turn it into good, the good you knew he once possessed, the good he just had to strive for — good he was capable of. Your last sight, one of his four hands reaching to close your eyes for the last time.

Whose memories are these? you wonder. They have to be yours. How else would they come so vividly?

You come back to yourself and find Yuji staring at you with concern. One of the markings at the corners of his eyes cracks open, and a red orb swivels to bore holes into you. Goosebumps appear over your arms. It’s almost 29 degrees, and the AC does nothing with all of the bodies packed into the building.

You must be in the sweltering pits of hell, as evil itself sees you and remembers you.

Pure malevolence cracks a sly grin. Its vessel is none the wiser.

[fific7]

Cold Day in Hell - Part 1

Logan Delos x Reader

A/N: This does not completely follow canon, it’s mainly lemon zest 🍋 because the world needs more Logan Delos.

Warnings: 18+ NSFW due to sexual content, including oral, between consenting adults* in future chapters. Drinking and swearing.

*Irl, please don’t go wild in the country without protection.

(My GIF)

Logan Delos was bored. Mind-numbingly, screamingly, terminally bored. He was rapping out an irritated drum solo on the arm of his chair with his long fingers. He was shifting in his seat, constantly crossing and un-crossing his long legs. He was moving the papers on the conference table in front of him from side to side, then backwards and forwards.

The businessman who was talking through the main presentation had a voice that was flatter than roadkill and had only one tone... monotone.

Logan leant forward and propped his elbows on the conference table in front of him, using his fingers to physically hold open his eyelids as they kept closing of their own accord. He felt a yawn coming on and fought to stop his mouth opening to accommodate it... but failed.

He was aware of the door to the conference room opening behind him but didn’t even have the energy to turn and see who it was. This asshole is draining the fucking will to live out of me, he thought. He vaguely heard said asshole saying something about his colleague talking through the next section of the presentation.

Logan sat right up in his seat as he spotted a beautiful - no, stunning - woman making her way to the front of the room. She was dressed in ‘business smart’ but even those sensible items couldn’t hide her curves. Her hair was pinned up, and he had already started fantasising about loosening it and running his hands through it. He wished he’d paid attention when Asshole had said her name. Or had he said her name? Logan had no idea.

He heard her starting to speak, a melodic voice... he had to know her name! Logan tutted and picked up the meeting agenda, riffling back and forth through the pages to get to the correct one, but wasn’t even sure what page he should be on. Suddenly the folder tumbled from his hands and clattered onto the floor. The talking stopped and he became aware of everyone’s eyes on him, including hers. In fact, she was kind of glaring at him.

He gave an apologetic wave to the room in general as he retrieved the folder from the floor. She began speaking again, and he resumed his page-riffling. Finally he found the current one, and there was her name in black and white. A melodic name to match her voice, he thought.

He started paying attention to what she was actually saying.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

You’d just started your part of the presentation when some asshole dropped his agenda folder, the sharp noise bringing you to a screeching halt. When you saw a hand waving around in the air, your eye followed the arm down to its owner and noted that he was in fact a very good-looking asshole. But he was still an asshole.

You cleared your throat, trying to collect your thoughts and then launched back into your presentation. The asshole was now staring at you relentlessly; every single time your eyes swept the room, his dark eyes were on you. Like... always on you. Not like the others, who were at least glancing down at the handouts occasionally.

The section you were presenting drew to a close, and you now took an empty seat at the table. It was diagonally opposite the handsome asshole. Who was still staring at you.

Now that you were much closer, you could see that his eyes were a dark chocolate brown, with a wicked gleam in them. They matched his shining dark hair, which was immaculately swept back from his forehead. You boldly met his stare for a while, before breaking eye contact to listen to your colleague Craig deliver the final part.

At the end of the presentation there were a few questions which were duly answered, and then everyone was gathering up their paperwork and milling around prior to leaving the conference room. As you tucked your folders away in your document bag, in your peripheral vision you became aware of a pair of long legs making their way to you. You knew who it was bound to be so you didn’t bother looking up. A throat cleared next to you but you continued packing away your items, and then you heard your first name being spoken in a low, husky voice. This time you did look up - it would be rude not to - and yup, it was Handsome Asshole. A hand was proffered to you and by reflex you took it, your hand being crushed in a strong grip. “Logan Delos,” said that suave voice, “...it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you, sweetheart.”

“Sweetheart?” you scoffed, “...how original!” while thinking, oh... so this is the infamous Logan Delos, whose name you’d heard all the time in connection with the projects but never actually met before. He had a reputation of being a bit of a diva. You heard him give a deep chuckle. “Yeah, that’s me - an original. Unique, in fact I’d say.” “Well, you’re super confident, that’s for sure!” You picked up your document bag and headed for the door, saying “Nice to meet you, Mr Delos,” as you started to leave. His tall frame scooted round in front of you before you could reach it, “Oh, not so fast.... I can’t let you leave before you agree to have dinner with me.” You tried to sidestep him but he blocked your way, and then a little ‘step to the right, step to the left’ dance ensued. Finally, exasperated, you stood still and put your hands on your hips. “Mister Delos! Will you please let me past!” He copied your stance, “Not until you say you’ll have dinner with me. Or lunch. Or.... breakfast, if you prefer?!” wiggling his eyebrows at you. You huffed, “I don’t date business partners!” He still stood in front of you, seemingly immovable, “We’re not business partners - technically speaking. Boring Asshole is my business partner, not you.” Your mouth dropped open but before you could stop it, laughter bubbled out.

You hastily silenced it, saying, “I admit, Craig may not be the most inspiring public speaker, but he really knows his stuff,” trying to cover your somewhat indiscreet reaction and save your colleague’s honour at the same time. “But that’s beside the point, Mr Delos, because we are business partners despite what you’re trying to say.” Logan had moved slightly aside while you were speaking and you took this opportunity to brush past him, calling out, “Goodbye, Mr Delos,” with the emphasis on the goodbye as you went.

If you’d bothered to look back, you would’ve seen Logan Delos watching you go, a very determined expression on his face.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Juliet looked up from her laptop as Logan breezed into her lounge, tossing his car keys onto the coffee table and throwing himself onto the sofa, long legs spreading out in front of him as he did so.

“Good meeting?” she asked, seeing that his head had gone back onto the cushions and he was staring up at the ceiling. He hummed, “Good and bad. The presentation was the single most boring thing I’ve ever heard in my life, but on the other hand one of their staffers.... wow! It was like an angel came down from heaven and found her way into that conference room.” She sighed, “Logan... by all that’s holy... do not try to screw one of our business partners for god’s sake! Dad will go ballistic if you mess up our working relationship with them.” Logan looked offended, “Who says I’d mess it up?” Jules gave a big sigh and shrugged, “Me, for one. Dear brother, I love you with all my heart but you’re fucking awful at relationships. You’d just fuck her and drop her like a hot potato. Who is it that caught your roving eye this time anyway?” Logan said her name in a dreamy tone and Jules rolled her eyes heavenwards, “Oh, no, no, no!... no way, Logan. I know her, she’s a lovely person and also does a fantastic job - she’s one of their top software engineers, specialising in middleware.”

Logan smirked, “She can engineer my middleware anytime she likes.” “Oh, shut up and get your mind out of your pants, Logan. Stay away, okay?!!” He huffed, “Hey! You can’t tell me who to pursue or otherwise, Jules!” “But that’s it, right there - you’ll chase her, catch her, bang her and drop her! I really like her as well as respecting her work, so you better just be damn careful!”

Logan sighed. He loved his sister but god, she was a king-size pain in the ass sometimes.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

A week or so later, and you’d almost forgotten about that handsome asshole at the presentation. You couldn’t deny that he’d popped in and out of your thoughts since, but you’d googled him the day after you’d met him and had also made some discreet enquiries amongst those colleagues who’d worked with him before on projects. What you’d discovered had not endeared him to you.

He was a world-class player, that was obvious - and not fussy about which gender he played around with either. Not that that put you off, it was just the sheer volume of men and women he was pictured out on the town with. And alcohol and substance abuse had been there in the mix too, with some stays in rehab mentioned although the last one had been over a year ago. So no... you’d decided you wouldn’t be entertaining any further thoughts of the undeniably attractive Mr Delos.

You turned your thoughts back to the current middleware solution you were constructing, in fact it was for Delos Corporation, involving various scenarios for their Westworld hosts. You were immersed in code and structure when your phone rang, and you saw your boss’s extension number on the caller ID. Hmmm... what could she want? She usually gave you free reign when you working on a project, catching up with you every couple of days at team meetings. Answering it, you heard her assertive voice asking you to pop along to her office and so you set off on the short walk there. You knocked on her door and heard her say ‘come in’, so in you sailed and then came to an abrupt halt. Logan Delos was sitting opposite your boss; he was half-turned towards you with a somewhat triumphant smirk on his face. Your boss indicated the chair next to Logan and you quickly sat down, wondering what this was about and why Logan looked so smug.

Your boss launched into a mini-summary of what you were currently working on, and all you could do was nod. Eventually she finished up with, “So all your current projects are for Delos.” It was a statement not a question, so you just nodded. “Mr Delos here...” she levelled a hand towards Logan, “....has come up with a suggestion, and I happen to think it’s a good one.” She smiled at Logan, before looking back at you and continuing, “He thought it would be beneficial to have the person working on most of his projects - that’s you, just to clarify - to be based at Delos Destinations for the next three months, to facilitate progress.” You knew you were looking completely dumbfounded as she hurried on, “Obviously I’d like your input on this, but I’m sure you can see that it’d be very helpful for you to be on-site with our partners while you’re working through the projects?” Meanwhile you were desperately trying to come up with reasons to remain in your own office, but truthfully you couldn’t. It would be helpful to have instant access to their engineers when you needed an answer on something, you couldn’t deny that. Reluctantly you nodded, “Yes...I can appreciate that. But couldn’t we just have me spend maybe one or two days a week over there rather than be actually based in their offices?”

Logan spoke for the first time, his expression business-like now, “That wouldn’t really fulfill the brief though, would it? Because we’d be back to having a slight delay in receiving and giving responses for the time you weren’t at our offices. And I’d ... we’d... make you very welcome. There’s an office waiting for you... right next to mine.” He couldn’t stop that smirk reappearing as he finished speaking. You forced a smile, “Well, I can’t really refuse an offer like that, can I Mr Delos?” You looked back to your boss, “I guess that’s agreed then. When does this take effect?” Your boss beamed at you, “Excellent! I don’t see any reason for it not to commence immediately, do you? How about as of tomorrow?”

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

Logan walked onto his office the next morning, whistling a happy little tune. He’d had a small glass of wine the night before at Juliet’s place when he’d dropped in on his way home, knowing he had to break the news to her that evening about the cunning plan he’d come up with. He was happy for two reasons; firstly, visiting Jules and his niece Emily and not having to see William’s stupid damn face any longer would never get old, and secondly, his little scheme to get closer to that gorgeous woman was coming together. As Jules worked partly from home and partly at the office, he had to let her know that a new face would be around for at least the next three months. It would give him a much better chance to persuade her to go out with him - she wouldn’t really be able to escape him given that she’d be right next door to him every day. Predictably, Juliet had issued a stern warning about what would happen to certain parts of his anatomy should he overstep, but had reluctantly accepted that it was a fait accompli. (Privately, she was looking forward to working more closely with her and also warning her about the usual antics of her beloved brother, that’s if she wasn’t already well aware of them).

He’d been racking his brains for ideas on how best to pursue her ever since she’d turned him down flat at that conference. Logan wasn’t used to being turned down. He’d had a brainwave a couple of days later and had checked into who was handling the Delos projects at her company - after all, surely she wouldn’t be at the conference in the first place if she wasn’t involved somehow? He’d been overjoyed to find out that she was handling just about all of the current open projects (so why on earth had they allowed Boring Asshole to give the majority of the presentation?! he’d thought incredulously) and had then begun to put together a plan to somehow get her into his close orbit. He was really quite proud of what he’d come up with.

His secretary knocked on his doorframe and announced that his visitor had arrived. A big smile appeared on Logan’s face.

Here I go! he thought, the thrill of the chase coursing through his veins.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

The secretary smiled at you over her shoulder as she leaned against Logan’s office doorframe, “Please, go right in,” before stepping aside so you could enter.

The man himself was lounging back in his fancy office chair, which to you looked more like the type of padded seat you’d get on a private jet, waving you into the office before getting up and striding over to you. He held out his hand which you took but instead of shaking it as you expected, he pulled you towards him and kissed your cheek very softly. A waft of delicious and no doubt expensive cologne reached your nostrils before he stepped back, “Welcome on board!” he said, “...I’m so glad you’re joining us here at Delos Destinations.” You smiled, “Thank you, Mr Delos.” “Logan!” he said immediately, waving his hand and saying your first name. “Logan,” you said dutifully, “yes, thank you for the welcome ....of course I do still work for my own company.” He smiled at you, still holding onto your hand and beginning to lead you to the door, “Well, for now you do. I’ve a mind to steal you away for myself, you know. Or, sorry... for Delos Destinations, I should of course say.”

OK... seems like he’s still interested, even if that wouldn’t last longer than a heartbeat once you’d gone out (and especially if you slept) with him. You knew this secondment was going to be trouble, you thought. Three whole months of trying to resist Mr Player of the Decade. But you were convinced that you could do it.

As he lead you from his office to what was going to be yours, you were suddenly very aware of his tall figure beside you, your hand in his (he still hadn’t let go of it) and a hint of that beautiful cologne of his again. He looked across at you, dark eyes gazing into yours and gave you a mischievous grin. Annoyingly, your stomach did a little flip.

Yeah, really convinced.

»»————————————-———-　⚜　———————————-————-««

(Not my GIF - credit to owner)

[justnerdthings]

New Beginnings Ch. 8

Female reader x Liu Kang/Kung Lao

Liu Kang has spoken.

Liu had left you to rest in the infirmary. He was confident that you were going to be alright physically, mentally… But maybe not emotionally. Lao had gone too far last night. Stepping out of the infirmary, he sighed.

“How is she?” Lao asked, pushing himself off the wall. He’d been waiting outside.

“You went too far,” Liu told him, stepping out of the way of a passing monk. Liu watched Lao frown… really frown. Lao was genuinely feeling the guilt. “She’ll be fine… Physically,” Liu tried to reassure his brother.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean.”

Lao swallowed the lump in his throat.

“She asked me to keep you away from her. I think you should keep your distance for a while,” Liu told him.

Lao opened his mouth to protest, but seeing Liu’s serious expression made him close his mouth without a word. Lao nodded, agreeing to grant your wish.

“Give her a few days,” Liu reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Lao’s shoulder. “The monks want her to rest anyway. She deserves that much.”

“I wouldn’t have let her fall,” Lao admitted, futilely rubbing the guilt from his face.

“I know.” Liu gave his shoulder a small pat before he began walking down the hall. Lao walked with him.

“I left my hat in the sand. I would have teleported back there if it went wrong.”

“I know.” Liu nodded.

“She was right.”

Liu cocked a brow and glanced to him.

“I’m a fucking idiot.”

Liu grinned and looked back down the hall. “And an asshole.”

Lao sighed heavily. He really had been. “I really screwed this up, didn’t I?”

Liu nodded. “Just give her a few days,” he repeated.

.

Lao had kept his word. He didn’t bother you all day. In fact, you didn’t see him at all after meditation. Liu had talked him out of it every time Lao said that he wanted to see how you were doing--to apologize to you. Liu knew you weren’t ready to see him again. He’d never seen Lao so beat up over himself.

You didn’t go to lunch, and you hadn’t been there now at dinner. Liu watched as his brother idly pushed his food around his plate.

“You need to eat, Lao,” Liu told him.

“I am…” Lao didn’t bother to look up.

“No, you’re not. You’re just pushing your food around to make it look like you are.”

“Do you think she hates me?”

Liu sighed. He’d been dealing with Lao’s guilt all day. “Well, she’s certainly not fond of you at the moment.” He didn’t mean to say that as harsh as it came out. But it was true.

Lao’s jaw hardened and he put his chopsticks down. There was no point in pretending anymore. “Do you think if I told her that I had had a plan, that she wouldn’t be so angry?”

“I think if you go anywhere near her right now, I’ll break your arm,” Liu said impatiently, then pointed to Lao’s plate, not giving his brother even a glance. “Eat.”

Lao stared at his plate. He should eat. But he wasn’t hungry. He wasn’t very hungry at lunch either… or breakfast.

“If you don’t eat, I’ll shove eggrolls down your throat,” Liu threatened.

Lao grabbed his chopsticks. He lifted an eggroll and took a bite. Liu was serious, maybe not literally, but he would make Lao eat before he left the table. Lao hadn’t eaten all day.

“Just think of this as a lesson,” Liu told him before taking a bite of his own food.

Lao just gave a defeated grunt in response.

“I know you don’t like them,” Liu answered. With how close they were, he could decipher Lao’s grunts. “But you can’t skip this one like when we were children.”

Lao sighed in his defeat. He had had a habit of ditching classes when they were kids. The monks were just so boring. He just wanted to train and fool around. Liu never missed his classes though. You had been right earlier: Liu was the smart one.

“Your actions have repercussions,” Liu told him.

“Yeah, yeah…” Lao ran his fingers through his hair. “I get it.”

Liu nodded and continued eating.

“I really am sorry, though,” Lao admitted for the seventeenth time that day.

Liu nodded again. “I know, Lao.”

.

After dinner, Liu had forgone his evening meditation in favor of checking on you again. The monks had told him that you had been free to go since his last visit after breakfast, but you had opted to stay in the infirmary. Liu wondered why as he searched the makeshift hospital… Until he finally found you.

You were helping a warrior monk who, by the look of it, had injured his foot. Standing back and out of the way, he watched silently as you treated the monk.

“Does it hurt when I put pressure here?” You asked as you pressed gently on either side of his ankle. He let out a pained gasp and jerked his foot back in your hand. Yeah. That hurt. And you did too with his sudden movement, irritating your shoulders and back. You fought back a flinch of your own pain, pushing it out of your head. You nodded to him. “I’m sorry,” you apologized. The monk had trouble moving his foot. He’d explained just earlier that he’d rolled it while practicing a new fighting style. He had to have help getting to the infirmary, but he could put weight on it as long as he did so slowly. He had wobbled though when you’d asked him to demonstrate just a few minutes ago. You were pretty sure it was just a sprained ankle by now.

Letting his foot down ever so gently, you turned and rifled through the various cabinets until you found what you were looking for: compression wraps. You pulled over a stool and sat at his foot.

“Broken?” The monk asked, obviously not knowing much english. You grinned and shook your head as you carefully began to wrap his foot.

“No. Just a sprain,” you told him, happy for him. By the sound of him earlier, you were sure whatever he had been doing could have had the potential to break his ankle. You saw him nod his head out the corner of your eye. He flinched and jerked as you wrapped his ankle tight. “I’m sorry. Just a bit more,” you told him gently as you made sure to wrap it tight enough to give him the support he’d need, but not too tight.

You had finished in no time and secured the end of the wrap with the metal clasp. You carefully let his foot dangle off the gurney and stood, offering him both hands to help him stand. Despite the surge of pain it gave your shoulders and back, you helped support him as he put weight back on his foot. You could win an oscar for how well you hid your own pain, but this monk wouldn’t be winning any awards for his efforts. You frowned to him but helped him over to another monk--the one who helped him get to the infirmary. Looking to the injured one again, you pointed to his ankle. “Rest,” you told him, hoping he would understand. Seeing him nod, then bow graciously, you knew he did. You returned his bow as best you could without hurting your back too much and watched as his friend helped him down the hall.

That’s when you noticed Liu standing out of the way, watching you with a smile. Had he been standing there the whole time? Watching you? Your jaw clenched as you turned away to clean up, expecting him to tell you to rest yourself.

Liu watched as you tidied up. You were a nurse. Of course you looked so natural in this setting. This was you. His smile grew as he realised just how in your element you were. “You look better,” he said.

You scoffed a laugh. “I don’t feel it.”

Liu shook his head as he joined you. “I mean here.” He gestured broadly to the infirmary. You looked to him with bewilderment. “The infirmary. You look better here,” he said. “More natural.”

Oh. Yeah. You nodded and sighed, tossing your gloves into a waste bin. “Feels more natural here.”

“I noticed.”

You glanced at him, then turned to walk down the hall. He followed you. You could feel his eyes on you. “I like it here. Feels…” You struggled for the word.

“Normal?” Liu offered.

You stopped and turned to look at him. He understood you, didn’t he? You let a heavy breath go, as if relaxing for the first time since you’d gotten here. “I miss it,” you admitted.

He nodded. “I’m glad you’ve found something here you like. It must have been a culture shock that day.”

You laughed and let yourself back against a wall carefully, leaning on it to rest your back. “Understatement of the year,” you said. He smiled and stepped closer. Liu debated with himself for a moment. His eyes shifted to the floor, then to his prayer beads. You noticed. “What?” you asked.

He shook his head. “Nothing. How is your back?” He’d changed the subject.

“Still sore, Liu,” You repeated playfully from the other day. He laughed, catching it immediately. “But really, what?” you asked.

He hesitated, but seeing your pressing face, he caved. “Lao’s said he’s sorry.”

You rolled your eyes and rubbed your forehead. Not this again. “Please, don’t…” you begged.

Liu frowned. “I know. You don’t want to hear it.”

“I really don’t.”

“Just one more?”

“Fine. One.”

“I’ve never seen him this upset,” he’d admitted.

You didn’t know what to say. You didn’t know what to think. Last night you were sure you had seen Lao become embarrassed when you called him out on hiding feelings for you. Then this morning Liu had told you Lao had just been testing you. So which was it? Did Lao have feelings? Or could Lao also win an oscar? You rubbed your head again before letting your hand drop to your side. “I don’t want to think about him right now,” you said.

“Fair enough.” Liu nodded. “Do you feel up for a walk?”

“It doesn’t involve unnecessary routes, does it?”

He grinned and shook his head. “Not if you don’t want to.”

“I don’t,” you said, but pushed yourself away from the wall and walked for the infirmary door. Once you two were outside, you were surprised to see Liu offer his arm to you. He really was a gentleman, wasn’t he? You took it. He led you through the halls.

.

You two had walked the halls and Liu had regaled you with the history of Mortal Kombat. You were sure he knew everything about it. He studied it. He lived it. He breathed it. Liu led you to every mural the temple had and told you the story each one depicted. Even The Great Kung Lao’s. It made you uncomfortable at first, because you ended up being reminded of Lao, but you realized it wasn’t fair to this Kung Lao. They were two different people who just happened to have the same name… and same blood. You now grasped the importance of why Lao was so picky when it came to his future wife. You got it. It was important to him and his family. He was practically Mortal Kombat royalty.

Liu then brought you to the arena he was fond of. The one with the statute of Raiden. He told you the identity of the other statue. It was Raiden’s brother: Fujin, a wind god who had decided long ago to spend his time among mortals, much to Raiden’s displeasure. Liu told you all about Fujin, all about Raiden, all about the elder gods. You didn’t know what to think with all this information, but you were glad to finally have it.

You two had walked in silence after that. You weren’t sure if it was because Liu had finally tired of talking, or because he didn’t know what else to talk about. It was awkward at first, but quickly grew--… relaxing. Almost meditative. Not once did he lead you by any extraordinary views of the ravine. You could trust him, you knew that.

“I need to confess again,” he broke the silence. You turned your head to look up at his face as you two kept walking. He hesitated, as if rethinking his decision, but forced it out, “I have thought of you…”

Your legs stopped. You stared at him. You knew exactly what he was saying. You remembered last night’s fight at dinner. Lao teased Liu for feelings you weren’t sure he really had at the time. But now… He was confessing them to you. Okay, maybe Lao wasn’t deflecting. Maybe Liu had really been a victim himself last night in Lao’s attempts to rile you up. You swallowed the growing lump in your throat.

“It’s okay if you don’t feel the same,” Liu said, avoiding your eyes.

You wouldn’t have lied if he’d asked if you had felt something, but you were grateful that he hadn’t asked. Did you? Yes. There was something there. But love? Lust? You weren’t sure. It was more just ‘trust’ right now. “I don’t know what to say,” you told him gently.

He shook his head and forced a smile to his face as he finally looked to you. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted to let you know.”

You couldn’t help but frown. “Thanks…” That sounded stupid coming out of your mouth. You didn’t know what else to say. You tugged him along as you continued to walk, looking at the floor. Now the walk was awkward again.

“Are… are you sure it’s not just because I’m the only woman here?” You asked nervously. Maybe he was just confused. Honestly, how could anyone like you? You were a mess. And you weren’t even that pretty.

Liu’s brow wrinkled. That was such an odd question. But, he could understand what you were asking. The Order of Light was an order of monks. Just monks. There were no nuns here. And no other kombatants but you, him, and Lao. He got it. You must have felt vulnerable… maybe alone?

He frowned. “I admit, I don’t have much experience with women. Ever since I became a monk, I’ve been focused on training. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

“No… It’s not that. I just…” You sucked in a deep breath as your nerves fired up. “Just, I’m the only girl here. You sure you’re actually thinking of me?”

He turned his head to look at her in confusion.

“Like, I could have been anyone. What if I was some other girl? What if she was better than me? What if there were plenty of women here? Would you even notice me?”

Oh. Now it was clicking for him. He shook his head as if to protest, but didn’t say anything. Liu actually thought about it. “Maybe…” he finally answered. “If you were the only one with the mark, of course I’d notice you.” Wait. That wasn’t what he meant. He didn’t want to insult you. “I mean—”

“I get it,” you broke in. “It’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“No.” He stopped you gently and moved in front of you so you would look at him. “Hold on.” His jaw flexed as he tried to sort his thoughts into words. He wasn’t used to this at all. “If this temple had plenty of women, I’m sure I would notice you. Even if you didn’t have the mark. Even if you were just a quiet nun who never stood out.”

Your brows knotted in suspicion. You weren’t sure if he was just trying to make you feel better, or if he was just struggling to say what he felt.

He’d noticed your suspicion and pointed gently, accusingly to your face. “That,” he said. “Stop that. Listen to me. Not your head.”

You blinked at him. How did he know you were doubting him—

“When I saw you help brother Li back there, I saw exactly who you are. I saw exactly why Raiden was so set on saving you and bringing you here to train with us. I thought I’d seen it before, but I only had half of it. Maybe I still don’t see the whole reason, but I definitely see more of it,” He told you.

But what the hell was he talking about?

“You are amazing,” he said, catching you off guard. “I have seen hundreds of people--of monks try and fail to find themselves. And you just… You just are. I see you second, third, hundredth guess yourself every day, but when you’re in a situation that needs to be dealt with, you jump in and take it into your own hands. Last night? I couldn’t believe that you had caught Lao. I figured you would freeze up when the time came. That is huge. And Lao told me about the man you saved in a fire.” He stepped closer, keeping his eyes locked on yours, his shifting focus from one to the other. “What are you?” he asked, just so simply amazed with you.

“I’m… just a nurse,” you answered sheepishly.

“No. You’re not. Look at yourself. Really look at yourself. You don’t just risk your time to help people. You risk your life. I’m not trying to dismiss what nurses do. But most nurses don’t throw themselves over a cliff to save someone. They don’t run into fires without proper equipment. And what you did with brother Li? Y/N, you didn’t have to help him. There were plenty of infirmary monks that could have done that. You’re injured. You’re in pain. You should be resting, but you helped him anyway.”

“It was just a sprained ankle,” you tried to reason. “It was nothing.”

“What if it was something?”

“What?”

“What if it was an emergency? What if he was dying?”

“He wasn’t—”

“Humor me.”

“I…” Your jaw clenched. You knew what he was doing. Lao had done this several times. “I would have helped,” you admitted. “I would have had to.”

“You wouldn’t have had to.”

“I would have wanted to.”

He smiled to you. You were near tears and he reached up to hold your face gently in his warm hands. Liu’s dark eyes never left yours. “I know you don’t think of yourself as someone who deserves credit. I know you don’t expect to be appreciated for what you do. I know you feel like someone who doesn’t get noticed. Whether you think it’s because you’re not good enough, or you’re not strong enough, or because your head tells you lies about yourself…” Tears had started to trickle down your cheeks and his thumbs wiped them away. “So don’t ask me if I would ignore you if someone better was around. You’re going to be really hard to beat,” he said, smiling to you. And he meant it.

.

@ancientowlgirl @miss-nori85

[purrincess-chat]

Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s Spite Playlist: Remix CH27

What are Marinette and Chloe going to do now that they’re in cahoots? Find out below~

Previous      First       Next       AO3

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Chapter 27: Better Than Revenge

“I’m surprised to see you here, Dupain-Cheng,” Chloe said as Jean Luke poured their tea.

Marinette averted her gaze the way Adrien always did when he came over. People with morals really were annoying.

“Lila’s gone too far. I can’t turn a blind eye and watch my friends get walked over,” she said. “This afternoon, she-”

“Look, I’ve already agreed to help you. I don’t need the whole sob story.” Chloe held up a hand.

“Where were you today anyway? I didn’t see you at the Louvre,” Marinette asked.

“I needed a spa day, so I conned Adrien into taking notes for me.” Chloe examined her perfectly manicured nails. “I see you’ve changed your mind about the status of those brats in your life.”

Marinette sighed. “They’re my friends, or at least, they were at one point. I hate seeing Lila blatantly manipulate them for her own selfish gain.”

“Yes, yes, I’ve got that much, how noble, now what are you thinking? I say we invite her onto a ‘game show’ only in reality it’s a trap we’ve set up where we’ll get a bunch of celebrities to diss her on live television.” Chloe took a sip with a wicked grin.

“Look, I’m agreeing to help you, but we need to set up some ground rules first,” Marinette said.

Chloe sat back with a groan, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine, what?”

“I want everyone to find out that she’s a liar, yes, but I don’t want to be needlessly cruel.” Chloe rolled her eyes, but Marinette continued, “We need to be smart about this, or else she’ll just play the victim.”

Chloe thought back to their previous failed attempts and pursed her lips. “Fine. Anything else?”

“Yes. Secondly, and most importantly, Adrien cannot find out that I’m helping you,” she said. The corners of Chloe’s lips twitched into a smirk. “I’m serious, Chloe. Don’t tell him.”

Chloe eyed her for a long moment, debating whether or not to say anything when another knock pounded on her door, and Jean Claude moved to answer it. She squared her shoulders, lifting her teacup to her lips with a sly grin.

“I won’t tell him.” She vowed as Jean Mark unlatched the lock. “You can tell him yourself.”

“Okay, Lila has gone too far this time. I’m ready to do things-” Adrien stormed into the room, stopping short when he laid eyes on Marinette, “-your way… Marinette?”

“Adrien?”

“What are you doing here?” They said in unison.

Adrien’s eyebrows furrowed, and he flicked his gaze between Marinette and Chloe.

“I was just-”

“Oh, save it you two!” Chloe interjected with a groan. “Adrien texted me earlier; Dupain-Cheng just showed up at my door, and now you’re both here for the same reason.”

“I know we promised to stay out of it, but Lila has gone too far.” Adrien flashed Marinette pathetic puppy eyes. “I’m sorry for going behind your back.”

“No, you’re right. Lila has to be stopped. That’s why I went behind your back too,” Marinette said. “Forgive me?”

“Of course!”

“Ugh, if you two start kissing, I’m gonna throw up,” Chloe moaned. “So, what’s the plan? I can get a crate addressed to the middle of the Amazon here in the next 20 minutes.”

“Ship her to Egypt for all I care!” Adrien threw his arms out in exasperation.

Chloe reached for her phone with an excited grin that deflated upon seeing Marinette’s contemplative frown.

“Don’t even try to convince us. It’s two against one unless you’ve got a better idea.”

“As fun as it would be, I’m pretty sure that’s highly illegal,” Marinette said pointedly.

“Buzzkill.” Chloe slumped, letting her phone fall back to her lap.

“We need to figure out a way to help everyone realize the truth and prevent her from ever lying again.” Marinette tapped her chin.

“Perfect. Do you want to call Jagged Stone, or should I?” Chloe picked up her phone again.

“You saw how well your interview with Ladybug went. Everyone knows I have an in with Jagged, so exposing her will only make us look like the bad guys for ganging up on her.” Marinette shook her head.

“Don’t you think she more than deserves it? After everything she’s done to you, Marinette, and especially after today with what happened.” Adrien winced. “Look, normally I’m with you, but Lila is evil. She can’t be saved.”

“No, but our friends can.” Marinette turned to face him. “Regardless of how obvious her lies are and how many times we’ve tried to tell them the truth, they’re being manipulated, and it’s going to break their hearts when they find out.”

Adrien held her gaze, pursing his lips, but after a moment, he nodded.

“Okay, you’re right.” He gestured for her to take the lead.

“What? You’re switching sides on me? Traitor!” Chloe shot forward with a gasp, though she shouldn’t have been surprised.

“Chloe, I’m not suggesting doing nothing, just doing something smarter,” Marinette said.  

“Like?” Chloe cocked a brow, and Marinette took a thoughtful sip of tea. She really hated how methodical Marinette could be.

“Well, I sort of have half an idea.” Marinette set the cup down. “You and Adrien have a lot of power and money as do a lot of my new friends, and today at lunch when they were talking about Christmas with royalty and charity trips I had a thought: What if we recreate all of Lila’s lies ourselves as truths for the whole world to see?”

“That way when news trickles down to the school they’ll realize that Lila never did any of those things.” Adrien finished, and Marinette nodded. “That’s genius! We’ll have all the proof, and Lila will be forced to admit that she lied without us ever having to confront her.”

“And we get to help people along the way and bring some good from this messy situation.” Marinette added.

“I always knew you were brilliant, mon ange.” Adrien lifted her hand to his lips, gaze soft and disgustingly affectionate. Chloe wanted to barf.

“I still prefer making her disappear, but I guess your idea could work too.” Chloe relented with a huff. Anything to get them out of her suite. She still couldn’t believe Adrien actually fell for her of all people. “It’s the most Marinette way you could have suggested. Always trying to make the world a better place, so annoying.”

“I’ll talk to my friends tomorrow at school and come up with a plan of action. It’s a lot of work, but I think this way Lila will have nowhere left to run. She’ll have to own up,” Marinette said.

“I’m behind you all the way.” Adrien gave her hand a squeeze.

Chloe stood up, clapping her hands. If she had to sit through any more of their cooing, she was going to break out in hives.

“Wonderful, now if you two don’t mind I’m late for a date with a hot stone massage.” She waved her arms in a ‘shoo’ motion, so Marinette and Adrien took their leave. “Jean Clarke, tell the cage guy to be ready on standby. Just in case.”

“Yes, mademoiselle.”

♪♫♪ Call It What You Want ♪♫♪

The slam of Chloe’s suite door echoed in the hall with a bang, and Marinette rubbed her temple with a sigh. Was one normal day so much to ask for? Marinette thought she was getting out of this mess when she changed schools, but somehow she kept getting dragged in deeper.

Adrien slipped his fingers into hers and tugged her toward the stairs. “I think you and I have a lot to talk about.”

He remained quiet for the first flight, lips screwed into a pensive frown. Should she speak first? What would she even say? They’d both gone behind each other’s backs to see Chloe, but they’d done it to protect each other. All she wanted was one perfect day with him, but it seemed that the closer they got to each other, the more complicated everything around them became. His silence ate at her as they rounded the second flight, but halfway down he finally spoke.

“I know you didn’t want to get involved with Lila, which is why I came here today. Even if Lila hadn’t pulled that stunt at the end, I’d already texted Chloe to start again.” He lowered his gaze to his feet. “You must be disappointed in me.”

“Adrien,” Marinette said, tightening her grip on his hand. “I came here without you too, ya know. Lila isn’t giving us the option to stay out of it anymore. She’s not going to stop unless we do something.”

“I know.” Adrien stopped and pulled her into his arms. “I just can’t stand to see you so broken and upset. Just when I started to think that things were going to be okay, she goes on the offensive again. Sometimes I feel like we’re never going to win.”

“We will. One day Lila won’t be able to touch us.” Marinette assured him.

He pulled back with a tortured frown. “That wasn’t how I wanted things to happen earlier. I didn’t want our first kiss to be so heavy. I was hoping that tonight… I planned something for us, but now I feel like everything is ruined.”

“You planned something?” Marinette quirked a brow, heart fluttering.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I was hoping we could have dinner at my place and finally celebrate your designs for Clara. We could still go—if you want. Everything is set up.”

Marinette’s cheeks warmed, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her prince was always looking out for her. She leaned in to kiss his cheek.

“I’d love to.”

♪♫♪ Fun Tonight ♪♫♪

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

Nino flicked his gaze over to Alya as she set a tray of juice on the desk. She crossed the room to sit beside him on the bed, and Nino buried his face in his knees.

“What did I do wrong? I was right there, she could have come to me,” he said.

“I never painted Ladybug as the type of person to take her anger out on other people, but I guess it’s true when they say no one’s perfect.” Alya remarked bitterly. “But if she wants to be that way then, who cares? We don’t need superpowers.”

“But having superpowers was awesome! Fighting crime with Ladybug and Chat Noir was totally legit!” Nino lifted his head with a frown.

“Well, what kind of hero is Ladybug if she turns her back on real heroes? If she puts hurt feelings over the safety of the city? We never gave her a reason not to trust us,” Alya said.

“You used to look up to her, Alya.” Nino sat back and looked her up and down. “Now you’ve deleted your blog, and you sound like you hate her.”

“Can you blame me? After how she treated Lila and now she’s taking it out on us?” Alya shook her head. “She’s not the person I thought she was.”

“Al…” Nino lowered his gaze. “I know you’re hurt, but I’m worried about you. You’re always stressed and exhausted and angry nowadays ever since…since you and Lila started hanging out more.”

“At least Lila hasn’t turned her back on me!” Alya snapped. She knew exactly what he omitted.

Ever since Marinette left.

Nino sighed, placing his hand over hers. “It’s been a long day. Let’s not fight, okay?”

“Sorry, I’m just all riled up from this afternoon.” Alya crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against his shoulder. “Lila says her ankle still hurts.”

“Do you really think Marinette pushed her?” Nino asked. “I mean, I know Marinette has been kind of a loose cannon lately, and their beef runs deep, but I’ve known Marinette a long time. She’s not the type to hurt someone.”

“She hurt me,” Alya mumbled.

“Don’t you think this feud has gone on long enough? There has to be some middle ground somewhere. I mean, I lost my best bud too,” Nino said. “I miss the way things were before all of this. Don’t you?”

“Nino…” Alya lowered her gaze, then nuzzled in closer. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

Nino sighed, and Alya sat up, cupping his cheek. His eyes swirled with unease that only added to Alya’s reservoir of guilt, but he didn’t argue further. He wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her in.

“Then let’s not talk.”

[sunkissedpages]

breaking curfew [part thirteen] || th x reader

A/N: shoutout to my gf @httpchrisevans for helping me with a line i was stuck on lol

Summary: When you got the job to be a counselor at the summer camp you’d grown up attending all your life, you expected to see some familiar faces. But you certainly hadn’t counted on having to work alongside the boy who had made it his life’s mission to make your life a living hell every summer. In fact, you thought you’d never have to see Tom Holland again. But he’s is in the cabin right across from yours with campers of his own- smirk, jawline, and all. If you didn’t know any better you might’ve thought that he applied for the position just to spite you, but who were you kidding? What kind of asshole would do something like that?

Warnings: swearing, angst

What I listened to while writing: the breaking curfew playlist by @cinnamon-roll-peter​​

Word Count: 2.6k

Series Masterlist

You spent a good fifteen minutes ironing your polo in Zendaya’s cabin after your shower that morning. You needed it to look as pristine in order to make a good impression on the parents this weekend. Well, as good of an impression as you could make with your arm in a neon cast.

Parent’s weekend couldn’t have come at a worse time for you. You already were a mess inside and out, and after that conversation with Fy you didn’t feel like doing anything other than crawling into bed and and hibernating for a few weeks until camp was over so you never had to face him or Tom ever again. 

“Jesus, y/n, I think all the wrinkles are out! You’re going to burn the fucking shirt if you keep doing that!” Z shouted and leapt off her bed to grab the iron from your hands. 

“Sorry, I just want it to look presentable,” you apologized and took a step back, rubbing your temples.

“It looks fine, babe. Any stiffer and I don’t think you’d be able to put it on.” She gave you a sideways look. “You okay?”

It was no use lying to her because she could always tell when you were so you just shook your head. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

You gave another shake of your head and sighed. “I can’t start crying right now, we’ve got to go deal with these parents in like five minutes.”

“Is it about Tom because I’m still taller than him, I can still beat him up.” 

“Is it ever not about Tom?”

Z screwed up her face in distaste. “Bastard.”

“Easy, Tiger, you don’t even know what he’s done yet.”

“I don’t need to know, he's an asshole.”

 She had a point. “You have a point. But if anyone’s gonna beat him up it’s me.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’d spend my life savings to see that.”

“Oh and what is that, twenty bucks?”

“What is that twenty bucks?” she repeated mockingly and flipped you off.

You rolled your eyes.  “Can you just get over here and help me with my shirt?”

Buttons were harder to do with one hand and on normal days you’d just take the extra time to painstakingly fasten them yourself, but since your best friend was right there you figured you might as well make her useful.

Once your shirt was buttoned all the way up and tucked into your khaki shorts (the uniforms were literally the best birth control) you made the trek back to your own cabin to wait for the parents. 

All the campers were at the dining hall for breakfast with the bonus counselors because the primaries were supposed to greet the parents at their cabins to avoid all the chaos... and potential tears, which meant you’d have to put on your best smile and pretend like everything was perfectly fine. It had seemed easy enough to do merely an hour ago, but now even thinking about it was making your head spin. 

But you’d have to do your best to push all of that down because a thin, blonde lady was making her way towards you with an expectant look on her face. You recognized her as May’s mother, and it didn’t surprise you that she was first. 

She reintroduced herself and shook your hand. “So how did you break your arm again?” she asked, not wasting any time. “It wasn’t while doing anything dangerous, was it?”

An email had been sent by your boss to all of the parents/guardians of your campers detailing the entire situation when it had happened just to keep them in the loop, but clearly this woman wanted to hear it straight from the source. It was evident that she’d been agonizing about it for weeks, wondering if her child was actually safe here. 

“No,” you reassured her, “it was during a counselors-only activity, don’t worry. There weren’t any campers involved.”

She seemed to relax a little and laughed artificially. “Oh good, my husband and I were a little spooked when we got that email, but I’m glad you’re doing okay.”

She actually hadn’t asked how you were doing and obviously didn’t really care either way so you just forced a smile. “Thank you.”

Then before she could mention anything else Grace’s dads arrived with Amalia’s parents not far behind. They each exchanged niceties with you before falling into amicable chatter amongst themselves, leaving you to hang back in silence. 

You were grateful not to have to participate and instead rocked back and forth on your heels as you anxiously waited for your campers to get back from breakfast. 

They’d been so excited last night while deep cleaning the cabin in preparation, they didn’t even complain about their chores. Theo had even offered to help the other girls with their tasks so it could get done faster, but secretly you knew she was only doing it because she was a bit of a perfectionist and wanted everything to be just so for the special weekend. 

Eva’s parents arrived next, then finally Theo’s mom jogged up to the porch just in time for the kids to return from the caf. 

There was a lot of loud chatter and laughter as the families hugged and got reacquainted with each other and it made your heart ache just a little. You remembered what it was like to be that young, to drag your mom and dad around campus for the entire weekend and ramble on about all of your activities and new friends and whatever else you could think of. You had to catch them up on everything they missed, tell them all of the stories you’d been saving all summer. The nostalgia was like a punch in the stomach on top of everything else and suddenly you weren’t sure if you’d actually be able to pull this weekend off. 

You gave them a few more minutes to talk before getting the parents’ attention and inviting everyone inside for a family circle time. 

The girls excitedly showed their parents their bunks and pointed out all of the decorations that had accrued on the walls of the cabin since the beginning of the summer. The coloring pages from that very first day, art projects and medals from daily activities, postcards from family, and dozens of developed pictures of the girls from your disposable camera hung up around the room. Your favorite was a photo of the six of you at the Wild West night from a couple weeks ago. Everyone had a different colored plastic cowboy hat on and was posing back to back with a partner holding up finger guns. You were back to back with Eva and the height difference between the two of you was absolutely ridiculous. Just looking at the picture made you laugh. 

Once everyone settled on the floor you cleared your throat and started the programming. 

“Good morning, it’s great to see you all again, glad you could make it. I’m y/n, cabin eleven counselor, and we’re so excited to get to share our camp life with you for the next few days! First, I’m just gonna go over the itinerary for the weekend and then you can hit me with any questions you have before we head down for the big group meeting.”

-

“How’re your kids’ parents?” Tom asked at lunch later that day as he casually brushed up against your ass.

You whipped around and smacked his hand away almost immediately out of instinct. Tom gave you a look like a wounded puppy and retracted his hand. 

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, still looking confused. “Are you... okay?”

“I-” you looked up and caught the eye of one of your parents back at your table and smiled painfully. “Yeah, I’m good.”

For whatever reason he pretended to buy it and shrugged. “Okay, well listen, I’ve been thinking and I was wondering if you’d consider switching activities back to arts and crafts with me?”

You almost dropped the jello you were putting on your tray, but Tom caught it smoothly before it fell. 

“What?”

“I was wondering if you wanted to come back to arts and crafts...” he trailed off awkwardly, “because, you know, we’re kind of in a different place now.” 

When you didn’t say anything he continued to stumble on. “I, uh, just thought it would be nice to spend more time together... not having sex.” 

You opened your mouth but words wouldn’t come out. 

“Whaddya say?” 

It was hard to remember why you were mad at him when he looked at you like that. But it was also hard to forget what he had done. 

“Y/n?”

“Um, I have to go,” you said suddenly and turned on your heel. “My arm is hurting. I have to go get my pain meds.”

“Wait, y/n-”

As you hurried out of the cafeteria you threw a look over your shoulder at Nicole asking to take over for you until you got back. You hoped she got the message. 

It felt like the whole caf was watching as you ran out of the room, leaving Tom standing there by himself. Your campers didn’t even blink as you rushed by them. They were pretty used to it at this point. 

The noise from inside faded into the background as soon as you stepped onto the grass. You looked around and realized you didn’t know where exactly you were running to, much less what you were really running from. 

You didn’t want to go to your cabin just in case Tom or someone else went after you. You didn’t want to go down to the lake where everyone could see you either. The bonus cabin wasn’t an option and neither was the canoe shed. You wanted to scream. For the first time in your life you felt trapped in your favorite place on earth. It was suffocating, being stuck on this mountain with all the people from your past, but there was nowhere to go. 

You ended up sunken down in the back seat of your van, playing with your keys as tears streamed down your face. It felt stupid to cry. You’d known Tom for over half your life, and you’d known exactly the kind of person he was when you started sleeping with him. You really played yourself with that one.

You wished you could spend the rest of your day hiding from Tom in your car, but you still had a cabin full of campers and their parents waiting for you. You couldn’t stick them with Nicole for too long. She had her own responsibilities to take care of this weekend too.

-

Your girls were ecstatic to have their parents in town. It was all they talked about that evening after they were dropped back off at the cabin. 

“My dad said your cast is cool,” Grace said as she climbed into her bed. 

You finished looping a hair tie on the end of Theo’s braid and looked up. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, he said he had one too when he was your age and that casts make you look cool, but my other dad just laughed at him and said he wishes.”

“Well, tell him I say thank you,” you laughed.

As your campers finished getting ready for bed you went around the room like you always did and picked up anything that was lying on the floor. You kicked some stray shoes under the beds so no one would trip on them in the middle of the night and turned off the light before saying your good nights. 

“Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite!”

They had started saying it back to you just recently and they were slowly getting better at saying it all in unison too. It made every night a little sweeter. 

You expected your mind to be swimming with thoughts of Tom that night, but you found yourself thinking about your girls instead. Parents weekend had always been bittersweet for you because as fun as it was, it also meant that the end of the summer was right around the corner. You felt like you had just started to get to know your campers and now in just a few weeks you’d be saying goodbye.

-

It was Sunday evening when Tom managed to corner you next. You had spent all weekend avoiding him by sticking close to the parents in your group, always pretending to be engaged in a conversation when he came anywhere near you. And it always worked, but now the parents were gone and you had to fend for yourself. It felt oddly similar to being dropped off at college for the first time and feeling completely lost.

“Why have you been avoiding me?” he asked you as you walked up to Harrison’s cabin.

It was then that you realized that you’d fallen into a trap. Haz had texted you asking to bring the geocaching clues over to his cabin so he could go plot the course for tomorrow when really he was probably just doing a favor for Tom by getting you here.

“I haven’t been avoiding you,” you lied, biting your lip as you did.

“That’s bullshit, you haven’t talked to me all weekend, you haven’t texted me back, you’ve been ignoring me-”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you gave a fuck about me all of the sudden,” you snapped bitterly and pushed past him to go back down the stairs.

“Wha- I was just worried!” Tom said defensively and sidestepped back in front of you.

“About me?” 

“Well, yeah,” he admitted. “I’m sorry if I made things weird by asking about arts and crafts. We don’t have to have that sort of relation-er, friendship if you don’t want to.”

You never thought you’d hear Tom say the word friendship in reference to you. The word alone sounded foreign rolling off his tongue, like it was something he wasn’t really sure about.

You scoffed. “This isn’t about that.”

“Then what is it about?” he asked, practically begging now.

“It’s about you spending over a fucking decade trying to embarrass me!”

Tom looked bewildered. “Are you kidding me? That’s what this is about?”

“And don’t you dare say we were just kids, or that it wasn’t that big of a deal because it was a big deal. To me.” He still looked confused so you decided to spell it out for him. “Why did you tell Fy that I had a crush on you that summer?”

The memory flickered in front of Tom’s eyes as he realized what you were talking about and his expression shifted into one you couldn’t read.

“I spent weeks trying to figure out why he stopped talking to me, wondering what I had done wrong to make him not want to be friends with me anymore.” You were crying again, but this time you didn’t care. “Then one day after total radio silence I get a note from him saying to meet me on the dock after curfew? And you show up instead? Don’t you realize how fucked up that is? And now all these years later I let myself fall for you like all the girls I swore I’d never be. I fell for you even though you made my life hell every summer for years, even though you hated me and I didn’t even know why-” you stopped to catch your breath and sighed, shaking your head. “It’s... it’s fucking embarrassing.”

“Y/n,” Tom reached out for your shoulder, but you jerked away. Only then did you realize that he was also crying. He took a step back and pushed a hand through his curls like he did when he was trying to get his thoughts together. “Fuck, I- I messed up really bad.”

“You don’t say?” you chuckled dryly and rolled your eyes. 

“No, you don’t understand,” he insisted.

“Enlighten me then.”

“I only signed that note as Fy because I knew you wouldn’t show up if it was from me.”

idk why this part was so hard to get out but lmk what you think i always appreciate feedback!!

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[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

I know it's been said before buy I just have to say I know the whole demetri and yasmine plot was just so that all the gay undertones of the rivalry and obsession and tension between Demtri and hawk could be easily overlooked

Lololol Anon you’re not even WRONG

Once they yeeted Moon out of the picture the writers were like “Oh shit, better No Homo it again!!!”

I guess in the writer’s (very feeble) defense, they DID set it up kinda, by having Demetri be like “Wow!!! I’d love to have Yasmine spit in my face!!!” and then very atrociously trying to hit on her at the beach party. But I thought his sorta-crush on her was just supposed to be like...comic relief??? Like “haha look at this nerdy guy being hot for this sexy popular chick he’ll never, ever get, isn’t it good memes???” I mean, him coming on to her at the party and just FAILING at every level was so incredibly funny BECAUSE of how much someone like her was just...never going to go for a dude like that in a million years. Like I thought that was the whole joke??? And Cobra Kai seems a bit more realism-leaning than some teen shows in how the teenagers actually act, so I figured from that angle it was gonna be the trope of “nerdy guy into hot popular bitchy girl” set up...but then, Reality Ensues, and she’s not only not remotely interested, but mildly to moderately disgusted at the idea. And that’s the comedy of it.

So yeah, after Season 1, I thought we were done with that whole arc, and it was literally just like...a joke “love” subplot to balance out the more serious relationship difficulties Miguel was having at the time. But now...Yasmine’s back, I guess??? And she apparently did a full 180 and is sorta nice now and went through a bunch of Character Development offscreen, none of which we got to see? So I GUESS her and Demetri were hinted to eventually become a thing, just like...very, very poorly. And in “hints” I assumed we were in no way meant to take seriously at all.

But yeah, the Yasmine/Demetri thing DOES seem kinda thrown in last-minute, given how finished that arc felt back in s1. And we only ever really get to see Yasmine when she’s interacting with Demetri, so it really feels like she was only brought back to be his love interest, which like...VERY weird flex, Cobra Kai writers, but okay :/

It IS incredibly sus how much time and energy Hawk and Demetri devote to their rivalry in particular, rather than like...idk, moving on with their lives??? Just ignoring each other and doing their own things, now that they are officially no longer bros and are in different friend circles, etc etc? Like they go OUT OF THEIR WAY to fuck with each other when they could just like...chill and move on. Like Demetri, a socially-awkward dude with limited people skills, works up the balls to get onstage and roast Hawk in front of an entire partyful of peers. Hawk SEARCHES THROUGH AN ENTIRE SCHOOL to hunt down Demetri at the school fight. Hawk goes up to Demetri on the first damn day back at school just to GLARE at him ominously (which I also just realized is RIGHT after some freshman girls give Demetri moony looks as they pass--jealous much???) Later on, Hawk coulda ignored Demetri and finished eating lunch with his Cool New Friends, but instead he goes out of his damn way to bust Demetri’s project and then come over and roast him about it. Demetri then eagerly goes over and reciprocates said roasting and spends that entire fucking soccer game tryna screw with Hawk in particular. They fricken almost IMMEDIATELY go for each other in the Golf N Stuff fight, IIRC. Really, they devote more time and energy to each other and their Rivalry™️ than either does to like...any other character? Like are Eli’s thoughts 90% “what’s the next thing I can do to fuck with Demetri?” Are Demetri’s thoughts 90% “what’s the next thing I can do to fuck with Eli?” Because like...I just don’t think obsessing over another man that much, even in a negative context...is very straight XD

There’s also the fact that their arcs are WAY more intertwined with each other’s than ANY girl either of them dates or interacts with. I mean ffs, Moon dumped Hawk BECAUSE of how he treated Demetri--even Hawk’s supposed Straight Romantic Subplot™️ ties directly back into Demetri! And the only reason Demetri joins Miyagi-Do at ALL and doesn’t just like...fade into the background in Season 2 is to show HAWK SPECIFICALLY that he can “fight back.” And later we have DEMETRI being the one to make Hawk realize he’s gone too far with Cobra Kai (i.e. his guilt after breaking Demetri’s arm) and ultimately being the catalyst that makes Hawk SWITCH SIDES! I honestly think every major point of development for both characters directly involves the other in some way--you could even argue Eli initially becomes “Hawk” in part because Demetri quits Cobra Kai, and isn’t around to stick up for him anymore--so he has to find another way to protect himself from bullying. Even their sense of “dojo rivalry” is mostly just about each other--Hawk’s animosity toward Miyagi-Do lowkey seems to stem almost entirely from Demetri in particular joining it and “betraying” him, while Demetri’s animosity toward Cobra Kai basically entirely comes from Cobra Kai taking Eli away from him. I literally like...cannot think of a single thing in either of their developments that doesn’t tie into the other in a major way. 

Like to put it plainly, Moon and Yasmine feel like a single step in each of the boys’ character journeys--a single turning point to spur them in a certain direction. But Demetri and Hawk just...ARE each other’s character journeys. They’re not a step for the other to discover something about themself or get pushed in a certain direction--they just ARE the entire arc for each other, if that makes any sense. Like you could argue BOTH Demetri and Eli/Hawk’s arcs like 90% center on how to navigate their relationship when Eli gains confidence and their interests diverge and they no longer need each other the way they used to. Like??? Name ONE aspect of either of their arcs that doesn’t tie directly into their undying gay love friendship in some way??? It’s INCREDIBLY integral to both their stories and is just...SO much more compelling to watch than either of them making out with hot girls at parties or in the hallway. And them repairing their relationship and/or evolving it as needed, realizing that they love each other too much to let one another go, even if they’re both somewhat different after everything??? And realizing it’s a romantic kinda undying love they’re feeling, because really, what good reason is there for it NOT to be??? We HAVE enough male characters in media already with strictly platonic/brotherly friendships, why not just let two male characters with a compelling story, a strong prior friendship, and REALLY good romantic chemistry just like...be gay??? It feels natural, it’s a good ending to their arc, it feels narratively satisfying in a “Finally having the ‘will they or won’t they’ couple get together” kinda way...why not do it??? It makes ALL the damn sense and would be incredibly thematically interesting and SATISFYING, but y’all writers are COWARDS DAMMIT

Just gonna make that crack ship from Season 1 canon so we can prove that Demetri isn’t gay, no sir??? No Homo my guy??? We can only have one (1) LGBT character per television show, or the “traditional values” viewers will come for us???

Pre Season 3 I honest to god was hoping that part of Demetri’s arc, if he ran into Yasmine again, would be him realizing that he could honestly do better than someone that bitchy and vile, and having enough self-respect to just...lose interest in someone who’s going to push him around, act like he’s beneath her, and talk smack about his friends the second she thinks they’re “lame.” Maybe it isn’t too late though, and we’ll see this in Season 4? Here’s to hoping, because I am going to THROW HANDS if this fricken pairing is ENDGAME endgame. Like...what even do these people have in common, besides getting wedgies??? Do they even have like...any of the same interests??? At all??? How are they going to build a lasting relationship off of...both having gotten a wedgie? And being mean to people sometimes, I guess?

Like, sure. Let them date for a bit--they’re horny teens, they’re prone to jumping into relationships for not exactly the most deep and meaningful reasons. Physical attraction, teenage horniness, and raging hormones are no joke. So sure, I can see them having a fling solely because they both think the other’s hot. But you wanna tell me they’d LAST??? No SIR, I must inform you I Do Not Buy it.

(Tfw you meant to do a short ask making memes about what a crackship Demetri/Yasmine was in Season 1 and you ended up having WAY too much to say about All The Things and now it’s 3 am and you’re typing like a madman. I probably cycled back across the same 5 points like 5 times each because it’s late and I’m not thinking straight, I apologize.)

[rpd-rookie]

What Does The ‘S’ Stand For ? - Leon S. Kennedy x Reader

Summary: When you learn that Leon got the job you desperately wanted you decide to pay him a visit to congratulate him and finally put an end to the competition between the two of you in favour of some cooperation. Turns out, cooperation sometimes involve taking your clothes off.

Author’s Note: Some one-shot involving (pre) RE2 Remake Leon, a very sassy reader and some smut. I haven't written that genre in a while though. Hope I'm not too rusty. And by the way, if you notice some terrible grammatical mistakes please let me know (English is not my mother tongue). Anyway, I wish you'll like this story and as usual don't forget to like/reblog and tell me what you think about it.

Warning: SMUT and Language. You can also expect some humour and some fluff. 

Also available on AO3

Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today, begins where competition leaves off.” Wise words. But clearly Roosevelt never had to compete with Kennedy, and by Kennedy you didn’t mean John F. Kennedy but another Kennedy, one with less charisma yet better hair (hell, got to render unto Caesar what’s Caesar’s), Leon S. Kennedy - ‘S’ probably standing for “sucker” or “saint” in your opinion. After all, the guy was such a goody two-shoes. Teacher’s favourite. Neat and tidy top student. Perfect arbiter of right and wrong. And certainly, the only guy in the academy who didn’t stick his cock in Barbara Johnson’s pussy. Weird since she also had a president’s name just like him. Could have been the perfect opportunity for a horizontal presidential debate.

If it wasn’t clear already, you didn’t like Kennedy very much. But it was not for the reasons mentioned above. No, you could tolerate the fact that he was the embodiment of virtue and morals. What you could not tolerate though, was that he was better than you at everything. At fundamentals, at crime prevention and analysis, at counterintelligence, at physical agility, at shooting, at… well, you get the point. It infuriated you. He infuriated you. You never had the chance to beat him. Never. He was always top of your class and you were always close second.           So of course, when you received the letter from the Raccoon City Police Department informing you that your application had been rejected and that the position had been given to someone else, you did the math.       Only Kennedy could have taken that job away from you. After all, you had heard him talking about Raccoon City at lunch break quite a few times in the past weeks and each time he had sounded so excited – well, as excited as cannibalistic murders can make you of course. Truth is, you had also shown interest in this city the moment its terrible crimes hit the first page of the newspapers alongside the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal, collecting every tiny article about it and telling your classmates what a thrilling experience it would be to work on that case. You had even imagined yourself wearing the blue uniform, RPD largely written on your chest, making a report about the rotting body of a camper found in the Arklay mountains.

You sighed, disappointment hitting you hard again. And with a hesitant hand, you knocked at the door in front of you somewhat ready to let go of the competition in favour of some cooperation. You barely waited a couple of seconds before Kennedy opened the door, a cordless telephone against his ear. He appeared genuinely surprised to see you there. “Call you back later, mom.” He said before hanging up the phone, still staring at you with astonished eyes. “Y/N.”   

“Telling your mommy about the amazing job you just got?” Your question had sounded more barbed and curter than indented. Bitterness probably. Leon sighed. He knew exactly what you meant. “Look, if it is about Raccoon City…” “Of course it is about Raccoon City. Why do you think I’m here? To discuss fashion?” You entered his bedsit without asking and looked around you. So well organized and tidy, so military. Pff. Where were the greasy pizza boxes, the nasty underwear on the floor and the bin filled with used tissues all the other guys usually had?      

You turned around to face him with a stone cold expression. “I’m guessing you knew I wanted that post.”           “Yeah but…” You cut him off. You couldn’t care less about the thing he wanted to say. “I don’t blame you. Had I been in your place I would have apply for it too. Damn, I even applied without being in your place, so … The point is, I wanted to congratulate you – even if it hurts me to do so – and tell you that I’m glad this competition between the two of us is finally coming to end.” Leon briefly chuckled and kept an amused smile on his face. This wasn’t the kind of words he had expected from you. “Well, thanks I guess.”       “You’re welcome” You dramatically put a hand over your heart “Gosh, it kills me to be so polite to you, Kennedy.” He retained a laugh and you approached him to slam a heavy blue binder against his - surprisingly strong - chest. Wow, muscles! “Take this.” You reluctantly said with a strangled voice as if you were a mother giving up her baby . “Take care of it. It’s the work of a lifetime … sort of.”

Leon furrowed his brows and opened the folder. Inside, there were all the articles you had collected about Raccoon City since the reveal of the incidents to the public eye plus some notes you had written during you personal late-night investigations. Leon skimmed through them. They were incredibly detailed and you could see how impressed he was. Damn, you wished you had your camera to immortalise this moment. “It won’t be of any use to me now. And it took me too much time to just throw it away so have it. Take it as parting gift.” “Wow, Y/N. I don’t know what to say.” He looked beyond happy. It made you smile. What the hell, Y/N?           “Thank you, maybe?” You swallowed you smile back before he could notice, choosing to replace what could have been something sweet and nice by sarcasm. “Yes, sure.” He grinned. “Thank you.” You nodded. “I don’t want you to have a heart attack so you’re not obliged to say ‘you’re welcome’.” He teased you and as much as you wanted to find the joke lame, you surprisingly found it rather funny.   “Good. Cause that would have been too much for my heart to take in a single day.” He smiled again and this time you couldn’t help but gaze. You were forced to acknowledge he was very cute, handsome even, certainly the kind of guy you would have willingly flirt with if it hadn’t been for the relentless competition between the two of you. “You know it’s nice to see you smile.” Your eyes slightly widened. You had been smiling the whole time? No! “That wasn’t a smile. That was a sneer.” You quickly replied, trying to prevent him from spotting the sudden panic in your eyes.   “Sure.” But yeah, that was definitely a smile and right now your cheeks were burning.

You cleared your throat and looked back upon his face, hoping yours had found back its usual seriousness and scorn. “Well, gotta go. Good riddance, Kennedy. Good luck and try not to screw up.” You proceeded to the door, glad this conversation was over, but Leon was not ready to let you leave just yet. “You know, for me, there was never a competition between us.” You stopped and turned around. “What?” You frowned. “Of course, there was a competition.” He shook his head. “Not for me.”   “Are you telling me that I have deprived myself of sleeping, fallen into coffee addiction and lost my entire social life for two years in the hope of finally beating you at a freaking test while you …” You could tell he was clearly trying not to laugh but his mocking grin was enough to make you blow a fuse. Well, a funny fuse … a funny desperate fuse “No! No!” You repeated, all irritated. “You’re kidding me!” He shrugged, playing all innocent. “Don’t fucking tell me you let me tilt at windmills!” He did. Bastard. Leon - Son of a bitch - Kennedy! That’s what the S stands for. You cursed in your head.           “I tried to tell you …” He started to explain to defend himself. “When?” You harrumphed, almost shouting at him. “Well, many times but …”           “Clearly not enough times.” Your sarcasm was back. “… each time you sent me packing” “I don’t do that.” You felt offended.         “I can’t barely make a full sentence with you!” You opened your mouth to retort but he stopped you by pointing a finger that undeniably meant ‘Careful what you’re going to say’. So you stood there, perfectly still, mouth opened, realising that he was probably right.             “You’re allowed to breath, you know.” He said as a response to your reaction but you didn’t know what to say anymore. Did you really spend all your time at the academy trying to win a non-existent competition? “Fuck.” You cursed, definitely dumbfounded.

Leon observed you, perplexed and wondering if you were going to stay rooted to the spot for the rest of the day. “Y/N” He waved in front of your face to pull you out from your thoughts but you barely noticed. “All that repressed sexual tension for nothing?” You asked yourself. Wait! Did you just say that out loud?           Panic-stricken, you looked up at Leon and judging by the way he was staring at you – all  ‘what the hell did she just say?’ – yep you did.       “You didn’t hear what I’ve just said.” You waved your hand past his face, like a Jedi would do in a Star Wars movie, knowing perfectly it wouldn’t work but hoping that ridicule would make the situation less awkward and give you a chance to run away from his room. It was a failure. “Yes, I did.”

And just like that, Leon Saint Sucker Son of a Bitch – whatever the S stood for - Kennedy caught your face in his hands and kissed you with a passion that made you gasp against him. You tried to resist for a second but then you decided to let go. After all, you had nothing to lose. The study years could be considered over and soon Leon would be in Raccoon City analysing amazing crimes while you would be God-knows-where writing parking tickets. You would never see each other again.     “Tell that to anyone, Kennedy and I’ll kick your gorgeous butt from here to Raccoon City.” You threatened, close to his mouth. “I won’t. Scout’s honour.” Leon Scout Kennedy? You shook your head (Stop being silly, Y/N!) before pushing Leon on the convertible sofa behind him.  

You straddled him without waiting, definitely willing to let your sudden eagerness and your repressed desire for him get the better of you. You met his lips in a new heated kiss, your body pressed against his, craving for lustful friction. And by the way Leon was holding you tight you could tell you weren’t the only one.             His tongue asked permission to enter your mouth and you happily granted it. Who would have thought that Leon Saint Kennedy was such a skilled kisser? Couldn’t he suck for once? Oh yeah, he could suck at your neck apparently. Damn.   A moan escaped your throat and you felt Leon smirk against your skin. “You like that?” He asked, proud of himself. You instinctively arched your neck asking for more, your hands weaving into his soft hair. “It’s not that bad.” You acknowledged and he suddenly bit you in the nape of your neck. “What the fuck?” You shouted, surprised. Leon laughed and you caught his face to kiss him and bite his lips in retaliation. But judging by the kinky smile on his angelic face, he didn’t seem to mind.             “You’re incorrigible.” You humoured. “Did I hurt you? I’m sorry.” He pecked your lips again and again and slowly began leaving a trail of light kissed down to your neck. “You’d better be. Aren’t you tired of making my life a misery?” You pretended to sulk as he kept on pressing his soft lips on your burning skin. You grabbed his chin, putting you thumb in his dimple and stared at him. How ridiculously hot he was right now with that arousal tinting his beautiful blue eyes and this dishevelled hair.  

“What do you have in mind, Y/N?” Rhetorical question. He knew exactly what you had in mind. Hell, it was basically the same thing he had in his.     “Stop playing coy and take your clothes off.” You whispered close to his face, your hot breath against his mouth, before pulling his bottom lip between your teeth “What about your silly competition?” He murmured back, his hands slowly falling along your sides.   “I’m all in for cooperation right now. So are you gonna give me a hand …” You started unbuckling his belt. “…or do I need to do everything by myself?” His eyes fixed upon yours mischievous ones, gazing at you with awe. You could tell he was completely at your mercy. “I’ll give you more than a hand.” You smirked and allowed your hands to unbutton his jeans. “I thought so.” He lifted his rear and you pulled down his jeans along with his boxers, biting your lips at the view of his beautiful cock. Jesus Christ Kennedy, Mother Nature certainly had been kind to you.

You stood up to undress yourself as well, dropping all your clothes to the floor, your eyes watching at Leon’s hastening hands fighting desperately with the buttons of his shirt. Clearly, you weren’t the only one that was impatient in this room, or horny.   You let him finish before taking your place back on his laps. His hard sex against your body, you slightly shivered, impatience eating you from within. “You’re gorgeous.” He said as he tucked few strands of your hair behind your ear. You couldn’t help but blush, not used to such compliments, and, as a consequence, in order to erase all sense of discomfort in you (if you could call it like that), you decided to focus your attention on his cock.   You brushed his length with your fingertips, admiring it with envy and lust, excited to do more with it. It made Leon hiss and you looked up at him. His eyes were pleading you. Without looking away from the blueness of his look, you caught his penis in your hand and started pumping it gently. Leon’s eyelids flickered; his head hit the back of the sofa and his mouth opened slightly. He seemed thankful, relieved even. You continued your gesture, watching him melting underneath you, listening to his now ragged breath with delight. God, that was sexy. He was sexy. Leon Sexy Kennedy. Suited him.

You bit your lips and decided to venture in between his legs, kneeling onto the floor. “What are you …” Leon complained when he suddenly stopped feeling you on top of him. You cut him short by guiding his cock to your mouth to softly kiss the pre cum-covered tip “Holy...” The rest of the sentence got stuck in his throat and turned into a growl as you eagerly sucked the head of his cock like a Popsicle. You smiled and licked his length, staring at how ecstatic he looked from this angle. “You like that?” You winked as you quoted him and he laughed. “Women.”   You engulfed his cock deep in your mouth and started bobbing your head. A new sigh of pleasure escaped his mouth and you felt him instantly relax on the couch. “God, you’re amazing.” You liked the compliment and to show your appreciation you decided to massage his balls as you kept on sucking him. You received a lustful grunt in response and soon Leon’s hand grabbed your hair to give you a quicker pace, almost making you gag on him. “Oh, sorry.“ What a gentleman! “That’s okay.” You smiled in a very naughty way. “I like it.” He chortled and you took back his dick in your mouth, welcoming it deeper to show him you didn’t mind some roughness. “You know, if you keep doing this I’m soon going to cum in your mouth.”             You stopped, licked your lips and crawled back onto his lap. “That would be a shame.” You joked sarcastically, hands back in his hair “Got a condom?”

The way you pronounced the words, all smiley and adorable, made him laugh again. He pushed you softly to open the drawer of his nightstand and find your one-way ticket for cloud nine. “There!” He announced excited as he showed you the contraceptive. “But first …” He suddenly grabbed your ankles to pull you towards him, making you slightly yelp in the process. “There’s something I got to do”   He lay down on the couch, spread your legs and immediately nestled his head right in between your thighs, making you instantly shiver. So, that’s what he got to do.   You sighed when you felt his breath against you swollen clit but it was only when his tongue met your pink flesh that you realised how aroused you truly were. You were so wet.           “Fuck, am I the one to blame for such a mess?” He joked but his mouth and tongue felt so good in between your thighs that you could only just moan and arch your back, begging for proper sucking and licking. He didn’t make you wait and gave you what you wanted as he started fondling your clit with his tongue. “Leon” That was the first time you where saying his first name and you got to admit, you liked the sound of it. “Yes, sweetheart?”   “Keep going, please.” You begged and he sucked on your bud, gazing at you melting under his touch as he did. You grasped his hair when he finally let a finger enter your core. Fuck, he was good. You moved your hips instinctively against him and he added a new finger. It sank into you as easily as the first one and you cried out, finding it impossible to be discreet anymore. “Fuck, Leon. I want you. I want you now.” You begged.   “Wait a second.” He asked, definitely loving your taste too much for him to stop just now. He pumped his fingers in your pussy, licking your juices greedily and you clenched your thighs around his head, feeling the imminence of your orgasm slowly yet surely approaching. “Now, Leon. Now! Please”

Leon obeyed this time and he quickly sat up and grabbed the condom he had left on the pillow next to him. He put the red wrapper between his teeth and tore it open. Then he rolled the condom down his length with both his hands. You watched him all the time, your fingers massaging your clit, finding him terribly arousing at this very moment.

Once ready, Leon bent over you to kiss you again and he tapped his hard cock on your hand to ask access to your humid entrance. You didn’t object of course and even spread your legs wider. Soon enough, you felt him slide in between your wet lips and then finally push slowly yet exquisitely inside of you. You closed your eyes as he did and drew a sharp breath once you felt him fully inside. You didn’t need time to adjust to him as if your body was meant for him. Guess Leon felt it too as he immediately took a quick pace and began pounding you. You let your hands wander on his smooth chest from his strong pectorals down to his divine abs and the chiselled V below his navel, finding him simply gorgeous. Then you grasped his hips, and nudge his rear with your ankles, pressing his pelvis closer to you to take him deeper, and started moaning his name again. His hands caught your bouncing breasts to play with your nipples, and you rapidly felt the strong wave of pleasure back in your core, ready to drown you. “Fuck, Leon!” His mouth met one of your teats and sucked on it with ardour. That was too much to handle. “I think I’m gonna cum.” You cried out.         “Yeah?” You nodded, letting a tear of pleasure escape your eyes. “Cum for me then.” He didn’t have to say it twice and few seconds later, you dug your nails in his hipbones and screamed loudly as you clenched around his cock, finally coming undone under his thrusts.

Stunned, breathless and at the same time a bit embarrassed that you had already reached your orgasm, you let Leon kiss you soft lips with a smile on his face. “See, you reached the finishing line before me.” He humoured.           “Fuck off.” You whispered, amused yet completely exhausted. He chuckled and pressed his lips against yours one more time before gently pushing you flat on your stomach. “I’m not done with you yet.” He whispered in your ear.  

You moaned loudly when he thrust back into your wet core, pinning you down on the mattress that you ultimately grabbed tightly in order to stay in place. He started pounding you again, holding you by the hips, taking delight in watching your sweet butt bouncing against him as he was burying himself deeper than he had ever done before. “Jesus, Y/N!” He growled before spanking you.         You gasped, astonished but in a good way. You had never thought he was that kind of guy. “Really, Kennedy? Spanking? That’s what the ‘S’ in your name stands for?” He laughed, still fucking you from behind. “I thought you would like it.” “Oh but I do. I just never thought it was your thing.”         “You should stop taking me for a saint, Y/N.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead, brushing the strand of hair covering his right eye away and focused again on his movements. “It’s not my fault. It’s your baby face.” You confessed in between two moans. He brutally stopped and you wondered for a second if what you had just said had actually vexed him.       “My baby face? Really?” He repeated in your ear with a smirk as he grabbed you by the hair. “Who’s been crying out my name the whole time?” Holy shit. You instinctively braced yourself and when he resumed his hammering you knew it was a smart decision. Leon started growling even more loudly as he slowed yet deepened his movements inside of you, his hand in your hair, using your body as leverage. He was almost aggressive but you moaned nevertheless, out of breath, feeling a new orgasm building inside of you. Really? You clenched around him, trying to hold your orgasm a bit longer, unwilling to give him the satisfaction to cum around him again.

When Leon’s hard pounding started to get sloppy you realised he was really close to his release. “Jesus, I’m almost there.” He admitted.         You don’t know how you found the strength to push him on his back but you did. Sitting on top of him, you removed the condom, threw it carelessly onto the floor and started to jerk him off. “I want you to cum on me.” You confessed. A guttural moan vibrated in his throat and he let himself sprawl on the mattress, leaving you in complete charge of his pleasure. You grinded against his cock as your hand kept on firmly going up and down his length. It drove Leon crazy and you soon felt him throbbing in your grip. His breath became even more ragged and jerky and small spasms took control of his body. You angled his cock towards you and soon, a hot load of thick cum spurted on your stomach and breasts as Leon cursed and grunted between his gritted teeth. “Fuck, Y/N!”

You smiled and let go of his member, proud and satisfied of your work, looking at poor panting Leon who had a beautiful yet exhausted smile on his face. “You killed me, woman.” He joked and you briefly laughed. Then, you wiped his cum off your body with your fingers and brought them to your mouth, sucking them eagerly and swallowing the white seed looking right in Leon’s eyes. You had the feeling he would find it very hot. “Jesus Christ” Bull’s eye!

He circled you with his strong arms and pulled you against his chest. His heart was beating wildly and you allowed yourself to huddle a bit more against him to enjoy the melody. Post-coital cuddling session? Not sure that was a good idea but you decided to go for it and so did Leon as he chose to burry his nose in your hair and kiss the top of your head.

“Scott” He whispered sleepily. You looked up, wondering what he meant. “That’s what the ‘S’ stands for. Leon Scott Kennedy.”

Scott? You repeated in your head with a soft smile. Oh well, that didn’t sound so bad even though, right now, you preferred Leon ‘Stay’ Kennedy.

[purplerose244]

Irrational - Chapter 6: Okay

BACK WITH ANOTHER ONE!! 💙💙💙

Here’s the sixth chapter for the @spacecampweek, for the prompt “You’re okay”, the one that makes all Space Campers’ heart beat faster! 🥰🥰 I had fun on this one, lots of overthinking Seamus while Krel tries to be sincere 😙

Enjoy! 💕💕

Summary:  "I need to talk to you" With a message like this how could someone blame Seamus for being worried out of his mind? Considering how little he was proud of his past and how much it felt like he was never going to make up for it, it felt like the natural conclusion of the upcoming discussion was going to be a breakup. ... he and Krel were not a couple though?

Read it on the AO3

Tarron: Hello Johnson

Tarron: Are you free now, by any chance?

Tarron: I require your presence

Tarron: …

Tarron: I need to talk to you

So, Seamus was panicking. Those few little messages in rigorous grammar had been sent more than an hour ago, and he had been unable to think about anything else ever since. Today’s impossible amount of homework? Forgotten. Logan chatting to him about the latest Fist to Face game? Never heard of it. The fact that his dad had forgotten his lunch in the fridge and tonight he was going to be absolutely unsufferable to the entire world him included? Didn’t even phase him.

All he had allowed himself to do was lay down onto his bed, stare at his ceiling covered in those familiar fluorescent stars and contemplate the universe. Or his life. Or how he was going to deal with it from now on if Krel was going to break up with him.

“… wait a second. Hey, wait a second!” Suddenly he got up, sitting onto his mattress with crossed legs. “He can’t break up with me! We’re not even together!” He stood up, bouncing lightly, the biggest smile over his face. “Krel won’t break up with me because we’re not a couple! That’s it! What a relief! Eheh… yeah, that’s not really good news, but still.” He sighed, scratching the back of his head. “At least whatever this is it’s not for that… is it?” He widened his eyes. “Can he break up with me as a friend? Is that a thing?!” He slowly let himself fall down onto his seat again, gaping helplessly. “Oh gosh, what is going on anymore, how do you do relationships again??” He was so happy Steve wasn’t there witnessing his breaking down and teasing the heck out of him.

His eyes fell onto his phone, left untouched over the nightstand. There was only way to find this out, no matter how terrifying it was. Seamus took a deep breath and picked it up.

Me: Sounds serious

Me: Alright man, be there in ten

Tarron: Thank you

This guy was even taking the time to thank him. Him, the arrogant Krel Tarron, the one who had always taken every chance at showing teachers how to do their jobs, so he didn’t have to thank them for accidentally teaching him. Something was definitely off, and Seamus wasn’t completely sure he was looking forward to finding out.

That being said, he had been called to Krel’s house. By Krel. He would have not been able to stop himself from going… and his feet had already left his house for the Tarron’s residence.

Yeah, he was weak. And terrified, but he could deal with one feeling at the time.

During the entire trip his unfortunately very well-trained mind was systematically replaying his life ever since he had first met Krel, wondering what exactly the matter at hand was and if it involved something he had done – his pessimism said yes, his optimism said pessimism had a point. It turned out there was almost too much material supporting that theory into his head, between all those racist remarks from the very beginning, the numerous deadly glares because of his A+s, calling him a cheater, cheering Steve from that time he was about to punch him saying to “knock him back to wherever he came from” – if only time travel was real and he could go slap himself. Sure, after the Math Duel they had started to get along. Sure, he had made lots of effort to improve himself in order to show Krel that he was thankful for what he did. Sure, he had joined their group of friends several times at this point even engaging in a few conversations with Pepperjack – what in the world this Earth Invaders was the coolest thing ever. It was all shaded under the massive jerk he had been as a first impression though, something he was never going to be able to shake away.

When the retro style house appeared around the corner, Seamus was struck by the feeling that something was meant to happen in there, and he was in no way mentally prepared. All he was hoping for was that he could still be friends with the Cantaloupian, in order to at least pretend to dream that one day he might grow a pair and ask him out. Yet his brain was being mean. It only replayed Krel’s scowl into his mind when the Math Duel had been proposed, again and again.

Before he knew it or wanted it, he was in front of the door, sweating bullets. He didn’t want to, maybe he was still in time to back down and run at the speed of light, pretending that he had fallen asleep or that his dad had demolished his house because of an A-… which wasn’t unlikely.

Too late, force of habit had him press the doorbell. It ringed inside of his brain as well, making him realize that this was it. There was no coming back.

It had been nice having a genius as a friend.

“… hello Johnson.” A single brown eye peaked from the barely opened door, like he was checking for intruders. Krel looked so distressed, his hair was a little messy as well. “Thank you for coming with such a short notice, I know it must’ve been quite bothersome for you, especially when your father is involved.” It was wrong, so wrong, Krel wasn’t supposed to feel this unsure and diffident. He was supposed to feel confident, in control, happy. “Really… thank you.” A second thank you. No, this wasn’t only worrying anymore, this was straight up a problem. Something the blonde was apparently a part of, which didn’t help his current anxiety.

“Uhm, no worries.” Seamus was let in. It was dead quite inside, grandpa Tarron was definitely somewhere else, or he would have heard him from outside – same with Aja… and Mrs. Tarron… and Mr. Tarron, alright this family was all genetically loud. “Are we alone?” Wow, an occasion like this and he was going to be dumped, his usual luck.

No, not dumped, not… probably… hopefully.

“Varvatos is out for his usual chess game with the other geezers, Aja is currently participating to the event called ‘girls time’. As for the Bla- parents, mine, they are not… here.” He was scratching his palm, a tic Seamus had never seen on him before. “Would you like some liquids for hydration?”

That made him laugh a little. This guy was so weird it was adorable.

“Trying to be a good landlord by offering drinks, Tarron?” Krel looked at him and smiled a little, shrugging. Seamus laughed again. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Good… good.” The brunette took the deepest breath, walking towards the couch, gesturing for him to follow. The air was getting tense, something Seamus would have never wanted around the guy he liked. It seemed important he followed through though. “Johnson?” He was right next to him, but the blonde still hummed affirmatively. “There is something I need to tell you. Perhaps I should’ve addressed this right away, when we had started to get to know each other better, but it… it is not an easy thing to do for me.” Again, he was scratching the palm. “I hope you understand.”

Oh.

Oh gosh.

Oh gosh Seamus was right. Krel totally wanted to dump him… as a friend.

He knew it, he should had known right from the beginning that nothing was going to make his situation better. He had screwed up big time right away, there was no way someone as smart and cool and beautiful – alright Johnson chill – as Krel could ever want to stay close to him. He had clearly reached his limit with him, all the patience he could had given to him, now he was finally going to ask to never see him again.

Seamus clenched his fists over his knees. Dang it, he wished he was angrier about this, he wished that his usual mood would have gone out by now just to vent his frustration, the fact that he wasn’t good enough just like dad had always said.

He couldn’t. He cared about him more than that, he didn’t want to upset him even more.

“Alright, I’m all ears.” He really didn’t want to be, but for him he was going to endure.

Krel looked down, almost as he was struggling to gather his words. For someone this brilliant and with no filter whatsoever, it was really weird to see.

“Where do I start… this is something that does not have anything to do with you, I hope you know this. It is not that I do not trust you, I know you are a good person now.” Wow, really? The good old ‘it’s not you it’s me’? He might had as well kicked him in the ankles and screamed that he was never going to date jerky blondes with problematic fathers – huh, that actually ruled Steve out too –, pity was the last thing he wanted. “The matter is far more complicated than you could think… it’s… ah kleb, when Aja did this it has not looked nearly as difficult!”

Mind explosion. Seamus gaped, almost choking with air.

“Aja? Aja did something like this?” His brain was starting to melt. The Cantaloupian nodded without looking at me, as it was something normal. “With Steve?!”

“Yes, and she did not hesitate for a sekton. I wish I had her resolve right now.” Why and how and when and where and how did Aja actually break up with Steve?! There was no way, not only the Palchuk would have called him a million times to have him console his sorry butt, but such a juicy gossip not way would have not reached Mary’s ears by now – and if she knew, the entire town knew. “Perhaps this is because she never had problems finding people to hang out to, she was always very well liked, even back home.” His inside scream stopped. Krel was gloomy again. Seamus slapped himself for thinking that even now, with those big sad eyes and a rare vulnerability in him, he was really pretty. “While I do not want to risk losing the few people I have, they came almost by accident. Alas, it would not be fair to keep this from you… especially from you.” Oh. The marvel, the way his cheeks were slightly red, his eyes adorably timid.

It really was easy for someone like Seamus to be pleased. Maybe he could take it. He could take this moment, this outstanding view of a completely different Krel into his heart, to conserve after everything was to end. There was no way he wanted for him to suffer because of his mistakes, not again, and if that meant not being friends anymore, that was fine.

It wasn’t, but it could be. Maybe… hopefully.

Seamus was going to slap himself for this as well, later, but right now he couldn’t help it. He grabbed one of his hands, holding it between his with a smile.

“Ever heard about ‘few but good’?” Krel was looking at their united hands, looking baffled, shaking mindlessly his head. “Here in Arcadia you have friends, people that care about you. It doesn’t matter what came before, it’s about here and now.” He swallowed, caressing the back of his hand. “And… and even if something put a distance in between, they would still care. Trust me, you’re that likable.” He really hoped he wasn’t saying too much.

It looked enough. Everything would have been enough given that beautiful, relieved smile.

“Thank you.” Krel looked at him, straight into his eyes with those wonderful brown irises of his, lips trembling slightly. Seamus took a mental breath. This was it, it was happening. In a moment everything was going to end. He didn’t want to, he didn’t but- “The truth is… I am an alien.”

It felt like a pop. All fears and grief and acceptance he had gathered until now, growing larger and wider like a weird motivational balloon, they all exploded altogether by the aid of a single quill.

It took him a moment. A minute, a few seconds, it was hard to tell.

“… huh?” He was still holding his hand, and Krel was staring with fearful eyes. “An illegal alien?”

“No… or rather not completely, I am still a little confused by your concept of ‘legal’, the last time the term had been presented to me by Jim Lake and his friends it was not properly explained.” Somehow in his mess of a head knowing Lake and his group was involved was the only thing that made sense – weirdness happening, skinny legs definitely was in it somehow. “Anyway, I am an actual alien… although the term is quite offensive, for me and for the entire extraterrestrial population, the actual denomination would be Akiridion… but we can, uhm, we can talk about that later.” Krel sighed, his shoulders sinking. “I am truly sorry, I know I’ve kept this for a long time. Not many are aware of this, and I could not tell you until I knew I could trust you but even then-”

During his complete mind blackout, the only certainty was that this guy was speaking words to him. It was only in a brilliant moment for his highly complimented brain that Seamus Johnson managed to find his way back to this world, to realize exactly what was happening. The guy he liked was blabbering about something involving space, the situation was a ton less tense than it was before, and there was nothing threatening his relationship with the Cantaloupian.

In other words…

“Wait, so you’re not dumping me?!?” Krel widened his eyes – was that a blush again? Seamus bit his tongue. “I mean, I thought… you still wanna be friends?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t I?”

What a rational and normal question. Seamus was starting to feel really stupid now about himself.

“I don’t know! It sounded serious and I thought about all possible scenarios, the fact that I literally called you cheater only because you’re good at math and my dad was absolutely horrible to you and… I don’t know, all the rest.” The blonde pressed his lips together. “It made sense.”

“No it did not!” His hold tightened, Seamus didn’t think his heart could beat any faster. “Whatever you brain has been up to, cease this instant! You are supposed to be smart enough to measure up with me!” His face was close. They both realized it at the same time, suddenly letting go and looking in opposite directions. “I-I mean… you are one of my best friends, Johnson. Sure, you made some mistakes in the past, but you are doing your best to be a better person.” Ah, that tone was too much, Seamus had to look again. Good idea, he was smiling again. “And if it makes you feel less self-conscious, I have way more good memories of you than bad ones.”

I did help. Although this guy could had said something like “You are a mediocre math student but I have saved you so you now must show loyalty towards me” and that would have done it. Again, he was weak, and even if that would have been one massive hit to his pride, he would have bled his inferiority complex all over to have at least another moment with him.

… holy mole, maybe he liked Krel a little more than he had thought.

Seamus breathed in. Then he released a massive sigh of relief, because he liked Krel a lot, and he didn’t want to part ways. He had never wanted to, even while trying to be the mature one and accept his fate. At last, he was still here.

“My gosh Tarron, you sounded so serious in your message! I was so worried!”

“You cannot hear written messages Johnson, I fail to understand how you could’ve caught that intention into my texting.” Despite the mockery, there was a lighter tone into his voice. “I was equally concerned myself, I truly didn’t want to lose you, no matter the situation. I cannot comprehend how Aja managed with Steve so easily.” Ah, Staja was still going strong then, good for them. “I guess back then the abduction helped breaking down the news, it is hardly something you can avoid in such a situation.” Yeah, that made sense, with an abduction involved… “And with Steve almost falling to his death, Aja’s reveal was mostly a matter of chances.” Falling to his… death? “Thinking about, it was less about sister’s resolution and more a necessity… what? What is it?” Krel was giving him a confused look, only fair to an equally confused stare.

Freed from the stress of the worry, Seamus’ brain had managed to reboot, finally coming back to its senses as his crush was explaining the situation to him. About an alien abduction, about a fall from a spaceship apparently, how Aja was also a… a…

“… you’re an alien.”

Krel blinked at him.

“I thought I established that already.”

“Sorry, it’s just… it’s kinda coming to me only now, give me a moment.” He pressed his hands over his eyes, breathing in deeply, then he pulled it all out. Krel. His friend, his crush, was an alien. An actual alien. “… don’t take this the wrong way, okay? Because I trust you, I know you don’t joke around and you’re usually even too serious and literal. But this feels a little unreal, or either something you’re making up to turn my long-lasting dream of interacting with the extraterrestrial world true. Which I thank you for, but I really don’t understand why.”

He got a frown out of that, which was better than what he had expected since he knew Krel didn’t like when people didn’t believe him or listen to him. The guy – alien or, what did he say before, Akiridion? – hummed softly, looking around, then he lightened up. He took out something, a protractor by the look of it, showing it to him.

“I have very concrete proof, though it might be quite surprising. Please stay calm, okay?” Seamus nodded, not really sure what to expect. Krel pressed something over his protractor, there was a sudden light what in the- Oh. Oh. “There, this is my actual form. Well, my Akiridion form, I do not mind my human form at this point, it is almost like another side of me. This is to tell you that my appearance was simply that, the real Krel is always here, I hope this is a given for you.” He felt himself being observed. “Johnson?” He felt himself being poked a little. “I told you to remain calm, what are you doing? Is this a human reaction? Are you sick perhaps?” Not that hearing Krel worried about him wasn’t nice, but his thoughts resided elsewhere.

Like the fact that in the house of his crush, this apparition had materialized. There was a glow in front of him, pulsing blue of energy that almost made him look away. Beyond that there was a creature, taller than the one before, even more given the mane of glimmering hair raising up as without gravity. His body was dark but luminous, like space covered in stars, able to shine through despite the darkness. His eyes were blue through a black world, like far away dashing planets.

Seamus gaped, feeling like he forgot to breath for several minutes. It was ridiculous falling in love all over again, right? Right, of course. This was fine, perfectly fine, nothing to be this amazed b- Oh holy everything he had four arms, he was an al- Akiridion with four arms, screw everything his amazement was off this house’s roof and there was nothing he could have done about it.

His brained had switched off again, the little traitor. When it came back, Krel was looking at him with deep worry, something he never would have wanted for him. He needed to speak.

“… you look like a fairy.” Dang it, the traitor again, where was his filter?!

Krel blinked with those unbelievable eyes of his.

“What is a fairy?”

“Oh, huh, uhm…” Seamus swallowed, pondering if it was even a good idea and deciding that what in the world, he was talking to his friend who was a freaking extraterrestrial, rationality was officially out. “Uhm, do you have, like, legends and stories where you come from?” Krel nodded. “Well, a fairy is like a mythical creature, invented, that doesn’t exist.” Ah, he could already see the frown forming, his thoughts going somewhere like ‘I am right here you soolian’. “They are like magical beings coming from the forest… of such an ethereal beauty they cannot be real.” He almost breathed those last words, because they were almost too true all of the sudden.

The Akiridion widened his eyes, which was a sight. He was frozen, taken back, then he slowly melted into a smile. The first smile Seamus had seen of him in this form. It was as beautiful as ever, something that made him feel so lucky that Krel had trusted him enough to show him thi- Holy, freaking, mole, were his cheeks glowing? Was that an alien blush?!?

“Thank you.” Too many thank yous today, and his crush was an alien. It made sense in the fact that it didn’t make sense. “Truly, for being fine with this.”

Seamus grinned, holding his hand again. It felt a little warmer than before.

“One of my best friends is an Akiridion, how could I not? This is the dream!”

Krel beamed at him, going for the hug, making him gasp.

“You are a really good person. I knew it.” His voice was sweet. Everything felt immensely warm. The blonde was almost too overwhelmed by the fact that his crush had two arms plus to hug him to fully realize that his heart had not beat. Perhaps it was an Akiridion thing, he really wanted to know. They pulled away after a while. Krel’s cheeks were glowing again, Seamus suspected his own weren’t doing much better. “Uhm, I will take it you have some questions.” He looked away, and it was adorable to see.

“Make that some something like a thousand.” Seamus laughed a little. “Would that be okay?”

“Yes of course, you deserved to clear all the doubts you might have.” This was too good, Krel was an Akiridion, still his friend and he had another reason to spend time with him while daydreaming about his hopeless feelings. This day had been amaz- “Perhaps we could go on a less secluded place? Aja might come back soon, and I have not told her about my intention to tell you just yet, she might berate me over the fact that I did not want her to tell Steve before.” He could totally picture it. It made him snicker. “Would Sam’s be okay? Or another place maybe? Just the two of us?”

Today Seamus felt like anything other than his usual perfect student self, because his mind was struggling unbelievably. He looked up, crossing those eyes again, that embarrassed and hopeful expression of his over his brand-new appearance.

He swallowed, hoping his last brain cell wasn’t going to betray him.

“Is… is this a date?” Glowing blush at maximus.

“W-well, let’s just say that this reveal was not the only reason I wanted you to come this urgently.” He went to scratch his palm again, his glowing blue palm. “Before I could try any kind of courting ritual I wanted to be sure you were going to accept my current form… accept me, for who I really ma.” He looked at him, sending him pure shivers. “Is this okay?”

This was a dream, it had to be. That, or maybe this was the outcome, the reward at turning his back to who he used to be, in order to be a good person. Enough for an amazing person.

He was speechless. Then, faster than his insecurities, the blonde kissed the Akiridion’s forehead and hugged him again. He could feel him trembling a little, then embracing back, as much as he could. Seamus had never felt this happy before.

“Of course, it is.” He closed his eyes, grinning so much his cheeks hurt. “You’re okay.”

You’re perfect, Krel.

[kpopchangedme]

Sun-drenched [M] - Youngjae

Every time you opened your mouth something outrageous came out but unfortunately, your new dorky step-brother seemed to be immune. You couldn’t tell if Youngjae was actually that clueless or if your reputation preceded you. 

Protagonists: Choi Youngjae & You

Word Count: 4.6k

Genre: NSFW - Cringe Fest - Smut - slight exhibitionism - f*ckgirl - Stepbrother!au || [One Shot]

[The Pleasure Chest: A Cringe Fest]

GOT7 | M.list

Your mother was doing that thing with her hair again, slightly shaking her head every time her new beau spoke. Every single bob invariably made her blonde curls spring. How disgusting. You had asked to be bleached once, a few years ago, and she had the audacity to claim it would look cheap on you. So unfair. 

She hadn't met her fourth husband for more than 6 months before she did just that. She thought it made her look younger, but Miami-midlife-crisis was more like it. It wasn't pretty wheat blonde, it was white yellow-ish banana buttercream. On-sale daffodil... Much like the sad ones Youngnam had gotten her from the convenience store yesterday.  They were now awaiting certain death in a crystal vase husband-number-two had gotten her for God knows what occasion.

You rolled your eyes when your latest stepfather started going over safety rules again. At your dad's there was never a need for them and if you correctly remembered the last time you had lived with your mom... You smiled, imagining how Dr. Top Surgeon would react if he found out his perfect church-going wife used to pop pills like candy and store a very impressive bong in the third drawer of her kitchen.

That would make for a fun scene. 

The goodbyes seemed to stretch half an eternity in the living room, after which you got dragged to the hall where the speech began all over again. Your mom gave you a short hug, more of a shoulder squeeze, then she pulled back and frowned with intent as much as her botox allowed. You shrugged off her silent don't-screw-this-up warning, already waving goodbye to her husband. Shoo shoo, you thought, sending the adults off to a far far away location. 

As soon as the door shut behind, you squealed in excitement. 

Summer had officially begun! 

Moving half across the country to fake “house sit” their new place while they honeymooned in Boca wasn't exactly what you had scheduled for your vacations. But when Youngnam accidentally let the words infinity pool and cars – as in with an S – slip out during the weekly video call, not even the dread on your mother’s face could’ve deterred you from flying over. 

As it turns out, Dr. Choi was loaded. 

Something you probably would’ve figured out earlier if you’d bothered showing up for the ceremony at all. Unfortunately, the wedding hadn't matched your Spring Break’ schedule and you decided having been present to the many previous ceremonies should be considered enough daughterly care for a lifetime. 

As you bent to the freezer for a celebratory parent-free popsicle, you felt the eyes of that gift-that-came-with-the-house glued to your ass. He briefly glanced down at the flash of your stomach’s skin when you jumped to sit on the counter. 

Surprisingly enough, your mother’s many rings had never once come with a step-brother before...

Usually, she went for the bachelor or womanizer types and those had the decency to never have baggage. Dr. Choi was a break of pattern and the news came with complete horror on your part.

For as long as you could, you had made a duty of never meeting his son, pretended he didn't even exist. So when the bubbly blended trio came to pick you up at the airport yesterday, you had been shocked.

They had said soloist of the local Choir and you’d heard; loser. Piano lessons? Dork. All-boys school graduate? Stuck-up. Computer Science Major? Nerd alert.

No one had talked about… That.

As a matter of fact, Choi Youngjae himself had not spoken much either, but he was certainly looking... 

And there were few things you enjoyed more than having a man's undivided attention.

Standing in the middle of the kitchen in all his glory, your new step-brother was staring, as usual, watching intently as you sucked your popsicle. You made sure to make a show of it.

“So… What about lunch?” He finally asked even though it was barely 9. Just to rattle him you hummed on the sugary treat as a reply. Mission accomplished. “S-Should I order pizza?”

“Don't worry, I’m easy...” Youngjae’s gaze fluttered down to your belly ring again. Boy, if he liked that one he had a few things coming. “I’ll eat anything if it's on you.”

Gaze widening, he pretended to look at something over in the living room and walked away.

Wait no, the poor guy literally bolted out of the kitchen to escape to safety. So fast one could wonder if this whole first exchange was the fruit of your devious imagination.

Oh no, you had just traumatized your babyish step-bro.

It made sense, you were one scary bitch.

All-boys school graduate? Virgin, you mentally took note. 

Or perhaps your mom had said something about you devouring the souls of poor innocent men. They said the apple never fell far from the tree. Grinning like a shark, you discarded the melting popsicle in the trash.

This promised to be one Hell of a summer break. 

______________________

“It’s been more than 10 minutes...” Chimlin flipped the phone over to yell unintelligibly at her demonic baby twin sisters. Despite the protection, you winced. “No DMs.”

“Then he hasn’t seen it yet.” Artlessly reporting for BFF’ duty was a lot more fun face to face, but for a few months, video calls would have to do. “Trust me.”

“I don't know,” she whined, going on all over again about how her boyfriend hadn’t picked up the phone since their nightly routine fight of yesterday. 

Sometimes you wondered if you’d even follow her back on Insta if you met this current sad version of herself. Kinda hard to tell, but she used to be the coolest baddest chick on campus. Then she was partnered with that Italian exchange student for a Statistic class, disgustingly dripping pheromones, cash and European pizzazz. Yes, Statistics. The most boring course ever, let's be real. But Chimlin was a genius, the deadly hot kind. No matter how shit-faced she was, that girl could track the B-52s and Gin Tonics’ calorie count of each respective member of your girl squad, not that she'd ever had to care herself.

Then Massimo came. At first, he was just a casual hook-up, but he managed to worm his way into her brain and grew there like a tumour. By the end of last semester, they were full-on steady-going together like in cringy 90s rom-coms. He was always stuck to her like a parasite.

Gone was your favourite 4 feet 11 party animal.

“Do you have any idea how many bitches Mas could meet this summer?”

You snorted, “Not even close to the number of dicks you could have in Pattaya if you wanted to.”

“Phatthaya,” she corrected automatically with a dramatic eye-roll. “That’s the thing, I don't want to. I only want one dick and he's miles away.” She waved her hand to brush it off right as your mouth opened in protest.

Her Italian barnacle did want to remain with her on campus for summer, but Chimlin thought she had better plans that involved a lot more beaches and fruity drinks. She simply couldn't live with her own poor life choices now and you were just about to tell her so when a flash of skin on the screen distracted you.  

“What else have you been hiding?” You sing-sang, impressed by the view. 

She glanced over her shoulder, “That's my uncle. Like... He’s literally my mom’s lil’ brother. Gross.”

“I know what an uncle is and that's a very hot one if I’ve ever seen one. You can look.”

“We’re not all depraved sluts like you.” She only half-teased with a sharp laugh. “How's the cute new brother doing, by the way?”

“No idea.” You flipped the camera and zoomed on Youngjae's bedroom window like to prove a point. The curtains were drawn, concealing anything worth mentioning from view. You were lounging by the pool on one of those fancy long chairs, much as you had been for the past week. Margarita, sunscreen, repeat. If this boring routine went on, you’d be so tanned by the end of summer no one on campus would recognize you. Sometimes you did think Youngjae's curtains were wobbling, maybe he was spying on you but it could all be your imagination. “Typical. He's been in hiding from me since day one.”

“I don't blame him.”

“Don't blame me for wanting him either. He's a good boy in a bad boy’s body.”

“I don't even know what that means...”

“No one does. But he's not cute, he's hot. I need him all over me and I've been telling him so, but he's strangely elusive. I think he hits the gym above the grocery store on the corner, I should join.”

“Stalker.”

“I don’t stalk, I live in his house.”

“No wonder the poor guy doesn't go out of that room, I bet he picked up on all your slutty energy.” In the rectangle screen, Chimlin switched to tan the other side and you did the same, laying on your back.

“Ha ha. He'd have to be moronic not to,” you were holding the phone above, casting a partial shadow on your face.

“Your legend precedes you. He's scared you're gonna trap and fuck him.”

“What else am I supposed to do when you've abandoned me and flew to the other side of the world? You know I need a summer project.”

“And of course, it had to be a guy.”

You were so glad she stopped whining about Mas for a minute that you let that one slide. “Well, I am not a needlepoint kind-of-girl.”

“Right, hey maybe it isn’t the incest that’s creeping your brother out. Maybe he's gay.”

Someone snorted out loud at that – not you – and you sat up in alarm.

Two guys were standing by the edge of the pool.

“No, he's not,” said the one on the left, a smile in his voice. They were directly in your sun, so you had trouble making out their features. One silhouette was slightly slumped, the other tall and all limbs. You suddenly felt very exposed, dropping Chimlin to fasten your bikini top in a hurry. This show wasn't for strangers to enjoy.

“Who are you?” The second man asked, clearly lost.

“She's it,” the other echoed.

“Who are you? I live here.”

“We're your brother's social life,” the frisky one smiled largely, kind of in a dangerous way that you immediately recognized for your own. Friends, they were Youngjae's friends and they very clearly overheard your embarrassing banter with Chimlin.

Flushing – a rare occurrence – you brought a hand to shield your eyes from the sun while you corrected; “Step-br–”

A sharp voice cut in, “She's not my sister.”

Behind, Youngjae was standing awkwardly by the patio door, a stern look on his face. He didn't seem surprised his people were there. He didn't even glance in your direction before disappearing back as you blankly stared after him. 

“Well, thank fuck,” the you-guy turned to wink, following him inside. “Good luck with your summer project! I’ll root for you!”

In a daze, you picked your phone back up. Chimlin was still there, waiting dilligently to be briefed on what just transpired. You puffed your cheeks, mentally preparing for what was to come.

______________________

Swear to God, Youngjae had not come out of that room for two days.

Two.

Fricking.

Days.

Maybe he had a fridge in there.

Maybe he only came to life after midnight like a vampire to avoid the whore squatting his dad’s house. 

Whatever his annoying friends told him had certainly made a lasting impression. You just hoped he wasn't the type to go cry to parents whenever something happened. You had no intention of going back to your tiny dorm all alone and sad for the summer just because you hurt his feelings by finding him bangable. Or worse, at your father's.

What was he even thinking?

You had not done anything wrong. Pushed a bad joke a little bit too far perhaps, nothing to get all worked up about. No reason to get shunned out of your mother's life again. 

Youngjae's reaction, or lack thereof, was way out of line.

It's not like you had actually done anything to him. He was such a prude. A prude that eye-fucked you all the time!

Church baby boys were the worst.

What an ass.

.

.

.

Three days?!

Three days of an overly empty house. The atmosphere had gotten so heavy, the air so tense you couldn't even think about anything else. There was nothing left to do. Just sit on the couch inside or by that dumb infinity pool, starring at the drawn curtains of your step-brother's bedroom. They weren't wobbling anymore.

Which was what you were actively doing this afternoon, ruminating your dark thoughts for hours. You didn't even notice you were getting dangerously warmer. When your timer went off, announcing it was sunscreen time again you nearly fell from your chair. 

Doing the legs was the easiest part, your favourite to be honest. They were one hell of an asset of yours. You were massaging the thick lotion on your right calf when something at the corner of your eye caught your attention. 

For a heartbeat or two, you thought you were hallucinating. 

Youngjae had finally reappeared. 

He was standing at the end of the pool, a knapsack thrown over his shoulders. His thumbs were hooked in the straps, hands dangling to his sides like dead weights. If he looked like a young boy at first glance, the heated look on his face was one of a man.

Frozen still, you gulped. True to form, he kept staring for a long moment before turning to the house and you thought he was about to go into hiding again – but oh no, fuck – he was actually pacing towards you. 

“I’m back.” Youngjae blurted out awkwardly, mouth twisted. 

Yours was opened in a mix of disbelief and shock. He was actually addressing you. “Back?” From where the corner store?

“Yes,” his eyes ghosted over your poor excuse of a bikini before anchoring themself back to safety in yours. Again, horny eyes. If you were warm earlier, now you were burning up. “I thought it'd be better if I stayed away at Bam's for a few days…”

Right? No one could actually stay between four walls so dilligently. It made sense. You were so dumb.

Apparently, your confusion was evident. “Didn’t you notice I was gone?” No, you had not. So your step-brother was so freaked out being around you that he actually moved out for a few days. Had you gotten that bad? Jesus. “Anyway, I’m back home with you now.” 

Youngjae took a step closer, kindly getting in your light so you'd stop squinting at him. He looked even hotter in the bright light of day, sweat pearled between your breasts. He frowned and bit his lower lip waiting for a reaction. The things you'd do to that perfectly proper mouth. 

Of course, what came out of yours at the moment was less than appropriate. He was right to be scared, you weren't safe at all.

“Wanna do me?”

Yes, you were that bad. Terrible indeed.

“Do I-I,” he gasped for air – oops, “w-what?”

“My back,” you clarified smiling like a prisoner that hadn't been fed a good meal in days, “sunscreen.” The poor man should've stayed far far away from you. 

You weren’t crazy or desperate, but you couldn't resist. You had been patient and unusually upright so far. You deserved a treat. You were hungry and you knew your step-brother wanted you too, he wouldn't have felt the need to hide away otherwise. Youngjae had an interesting duality, shamelessly thirsting over you one minute and getting flustered and embarrassed the next. He must have been deeply unsettled by your open invitation because before you could flip over, he had claimed possession of the bottle. 

Or maybe he just didn't need to be asked twice this time. He knew. He wanted to give in to temptation. Why would he even come back here otherwise? 

Laying down, you reached to undo the bikini strings, pressing your loosely covered chest against the rough towel on the chair. You waited.

“You must really hate tan lines,” Youngjae said in your back, sounding tormented, “it seems you're never properly wearing clothes.” He sat down in slow motion like an obedient little boy as you grinned. 

“Are you ever gonna put your hands on me?” You teased once more, it was like a string was tugging up your insides through that dirty mouth of yours. You wanted to keep pushing him, wanted to find out what it'd take to make him break. And just fuck you really. It was fighting the inevitable by now. 

Every guy you met wanted to have you.

Usually, you didn't have to beg.

“I'm trying not to,” he admitted the obvious. “I promised I would never touch you,” Youngjae grumbled and you jerked in surprise when lotion spurted on your lower back. “Promised my father I’d treat you well.”

It made sense, a good boy would never disobey and do his dirty step-sister. If your legend preceded you, his golden son’s reputation certainly did too. Honestly, this promise made the taunting easier and even more tempting. It made for a funnier challenge and the spark in Youngjae's eyes when he looked at you hinted you could break him if you really tried.

You were about to defy his ethics again when words went back down your throat, letting way to a sharp sigh. He had suddenly fully committed to applying your sunscreen, fingers exploring your skin. You asked to be touched and he had risen to the occasion, firmly rubbing the lotion on your naked back. 

Earlier you had every intention of teasing him further by enjoying this a little too much, but you weren’t sure it was entirely voluntary when the first moan escaped. If he wanted to keep it PG, he probably should’ve stopped right there, but it didn't seem to deter your step-brother. He kept going, massaging you along the way. His thumbs traced circles up your spine until one of his palms cupped your nape. 

Perhaps this is what an erotic massage was supposed to feel like, heaven. Every stroke was totally appropriate, very perfect boy-ish, but still, your toes were curling. After a few minutes, Youngjae's breathing was heavy, he was enjoying this impromptu contact just as much.

You both had made yourselves obvious these past weeks; him with the eye-fucking, you with the open-truths. Clearly, the forbidden nature of your desires would make for an even more intense experience. You couldn't even imagine how it'd feel to take it further now. 

“I've never had a step-brother before,” you mewled, mentally following the downwards path of his hands.

“I bet you love messing with me,” he replied, barely audible. 

His pianist’s fingers were now haltingly sliding up your ribcage. He wasn't rubbing in anything anymore, just caressing all he could reach. 

He was right, but you wanted more. That was the sexiest thing that happened to you in forever. Having a guy want you bad enough he had to hide away to resit, and now having his hands on you. You wanted him everywhere, all over. You didn’t care; step-brother promises or not.

Giving in to temptation, you turned around, resting on your elbow. Your untied bikini had not followed so you watched as his face fell in realization. Youngjae's mouth opened in awe, eyes glued to your bare perky breasts. At the moment, there was absolutely nothing going on in that male brain of his. He didn’t move; you helped.

As soon as you put one of his hands on your chest, he came back to life. 

“Jesusfuck,” he breathed out, completely winded.

Wow.

Church baby boys were the best.

Entertained, you reached for the sunscreen, pouring lotion on yourself again. “You aren't done.”

“I…” Youngjae swallowed back his protests, cupping your boobs with both hands. He couldn't even look up anymore, enthralled by your nakedness.

No matter what their intentions were, it seemed good guys were still guys after all. If you had known he was this easy to overwhelm, you would’ve walked around topless sooner.

“The neighbours will see us...”

He didn't seem to mind that much, seeing as his thumbs were stroking your pierced nipples relentlessly. If those middle-aged housewives you only caught glimpses off looked over the edge now, they’d have a pretty impressive show. 

“Let them,” sitting, you snaked a hand to his dramatic bulge. Your mouths got so close you felt his breath ghost over. Beaten by your expertise, his shorts’ button came undone first, his fly was even more compliant. 

The moment of truth.

Youngjae's whole body shook when you took his cock in your palm. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing. Fuck, he was so hard and flushed for you. He pinched your erected nipples in response and you felt a familiar vivid jolt of pleasure and pain down to your toes. Not a virgin, after all, no doubt he would handle you just fine. 

You pressed your mouth to his neck and sucked, right where his Adam's apple bobbed.

That's it, all for you. You were so going to eat up that good boy.

“Mmmm, I’ll tell daddy you’re treating me so fucking well...”

Of all the filthy things you had said so far, this was the one that got the strongest reaction. The wrong one. Youngjae jerked up to his feet, tugging at his shorts in panic. He swore a dozen of times, out of his mind as you stood there, frozen still.

“Sorry,” he offered at last, pitiful before running for his life to the house. 

Fuck.

No.

Surely you were feverish. 

Having a heatstroke.

You had imagined the whole thing.

You had not just being left out cold by a man.

This type of shit never happened to girls like you. 

It took a few minutes to gather back your thoughts and when you did, you decided this wasn't even close to completion.

Without wasting a second more you stormed inside the house, almost flying upstairs to that mythical off-limits bedroom of his. You didn't bother banging, he was in such a hurry he forgot to lock behind, so the door flew open. 

Like a scene straight up from a bad porno, Youngjae spun on his computer chair, a hand still wrapped around his fully erected dick. You couldn't believe your eyes.

“Are you jerking off?” He was already pulling up his shorts again to cover himself, caught red-handed, blushing as though you hadn't been doing it yourself a moment ago.

“I’m sorry, I don't think you–”

“Please don't stop on my behalf,” you waltzed in, confident, and sat on his well-made good boy's bed.

“W-What?” Youngjae blinked, even more, rattled by the sight. 

He didn't leave because he didn't want you, he clearly did. He probably only left because of his father and that dumb promise he mentioned.

“Is this how you've been dealing all along?” You laid back on the comforter, smirking and remembering all those afternoons by the pool you’d thought you’d seen his curtains fall. He certainly enjoyed spying so it gave you an idea. He could try to resist you all he wanted, you'd still made him cave. “You don't want to touch me, right?” Your step-brother nodded, spellbound. “Because you're the perfect son.”

He swallowed hard, “But you keep… Saying those things, sunbathing… And to my friends...”

“Yes, you’re right... So let's start over.” You sighed in fake contrition, “I'm sorry, I've made this so hard for you. I’ll be good too from now on.”

Youngjae scoffed in disbelief, “You are sitting topless on my bed.”

“Oh,” looking down at yourself, you cupped your breasts. “I thought you liked the looking.” His cock was standing up, glorious testimony to this mess. “Don't worry, I get it. I promise I won’t let you touch me...” Throwing your head back without breaking eye contact, you moaned and lightly twisted one of your pierced nipples. “But I’ll make you watch...” Out of his mind, Youngjae did just that as you caressed your own chest for him. Somehow his eyes on you now burned even better than his hands earlier. 

You were so turned on, so worked up by all the days of teasing and loneliness. Your hips started swaying on his bed, craving some fiction and release. 

“You're crazy,” his voice was laboured but he had yet to escape again. This time you wouldn't have followed.

“I-I'm so wet, Youngjae...” Giving in, your right hand fell to your sex, rubbing your last piece of clothing. He was captivated. 

“Fuck it,” he immediately breathed out in surrender, hand wrapping around his dick. That was it, you finally had him. He was all in, playing along with your new favourite family game.

No touching, just innovative teamwork.

You had to establish ground rules, but pushing them was what fun was all about.

“I want you so bad...” You mewled, slipping your middle finger inside your bikini bottom.

Stroking himself, Youngjae groaned, “So you’ve been saying baby, but now you have to show me.”

Oh shit. You were going to come so fast if the golden son had other surprises like that. In a hurry, you wormed out of your panties before he could change his mind once more. In front of his fully clothed self, you laid back, touching your damp slit while he observed intently. The whole experience was surreal, your mind was buzzing, overwhelmed by the wrongness of it all.

It felt so amazing though.

Touching yourself for your step-brother was the sexiest thing you’d ever experienced, and you were very accomplished. You would’ve done anything he'd asked of you, and Youngjae knew that but he abided by his dumb rules. Standing up he came closer, boxer messily shoved down from his earlier haste, one hand was in his hair, the other working hard. You kept rubbing your clit repeatedly letting him see, hastening the pace until you were numb all over, panting. 

“Youngj-jae, I-I–”

Moaning, you broke faster than you had ever with someone, then again no one knew how to make you reach your own high better than yourself. Paroxysm made your thighs jerked as the pleasure waved through you, annihilating all sense of your surroundings.

When you came back, your step-brother was giving up too, bursting in thick spurts of hot cum all over your body and chest. His eyes were wide opened in black elation, intense, not missing a second of the show as he came on you. His whitish-gray seed painted your bareness in ribbons until he was completely emptied.

In silence, Youngjae dropped next to you on the bed, hands covering his face as you both caught your breaths. His now softening dick was still protruding out of his shorts and underwear for the world to see. It probably made for quite a view; your naked body covered in semen right by your respectable step-brother’s way more humble cock.

If your parents came home early, they would both have a stroke.

Youngjae sort of kept his word though... For today at least. 

Because now that you had him all over, you knew you were going to crave him under you.

And no man had ever resisted your charms before.

Step-brother or not.

[The Pleasure Chest: A Cringe Fest]

GOT7 | M.list

[annaofthenorthernlights]

It´s your life

Chapter 6

New home

Setting: Kristanna - Modern AU

Rating for this chapter: M (mentioning of sexual actions, this time at the end…🙃)

Word counting: 2738

Previous chapters (on AO3)

Summary: When Anna had finished unpacking her suitcases, she felt even more at home. She wondered what it would be like to live here for the rest of her life. The thought made her smile, but was she allowed to think that way then?

Another note at the end of chapter…

Again, Anna stood before her suitcases and bags, that waited to get unpacked. She looked around the room. Kristoff must have rearranged his shelf and cupboard in his bedroom, to provide some space for her personal belongings. She liked her new surroundings. The three-room flat was situated right above the neat little carpentry. It was a cosy place.

Kristoff and Sven had got the chance to purchase the whole complex one year ago, when the former owner simply got too old to run the workshop any longer. The old carpenter had been delighted to leave the whole building to the young newcomers and had asked a fair price, that was in the reach to pay off in due time, if their work would flourish soon enough. And with the new project on plan, they would get good chances to make themselves a respectable name in near time. Sven himself lived next to his parents further down the town.

Kristoff and Sven had just met the project manager for the new construction site today to sign the contract for their involvement in this development. She had been so proud of him and was happy for her.

When Anna had finished unpacking her suitcases, she felt even more at home. She wondered what it would be like to live here for the rest of her life. The thought made her smile, but was she allowed to think that way then? She gnawed on her lips and sat down on the bed and let herself fall backwards to stare at the ceiling. Where would she be supposed to go from here? She didn´t want to be in the way or sort of intruder. But when she had called Kristoff right after she had left the family estate, he had not hesitated a second to announce his coming over to pick her up. Apparently, he was happy to have her here. Anna felt a gratefulness that reached deep within her, like a warm bath she could dwell in and relax, letting all anxiety drift away bit by bit.

The box with her study books sat in the corner. Anna sat up and thought for a moment. Yes, she would finish her studies, pass her finals best she could. But there was no reason not to look for a job in the meanwhile, to make her own living. To start her new gained life with some useful tasks.

And when she heard Kristoff rummaging in the kitchen with pans and plates, she decided to give her newfound freedom a good push start.

*****

It had been a troubled moment when Anna had called him right after his lunch break. She had been shaken; Kristoff could tell. But then, had he not expected such a call, and had he not secretly favoured it to be so? Not that he wanted his girlfriend to be devastated, the way she had got kicked out, not at all. But she was here now, with him, and he so hoped Anna would consider this her home, too. But then, compared to her former home… there was not much he had to offer. So, it had touched him deeply that she had just said this to him two hours ago.

“This is all. There´s not much left… I´ve nothing to bring, Kristoff… Nothing to offer that makes me a great catch to be taken home with. Will you still have me?” She had said. If only she would understand how happy he was having her.

He thought of the little gift box that was stored in his living room desk by now. He had carried it around so many times already. If only he could manage to find the right moment to ask her… But then, she surely needed to settle, to get acquainted with her life, that had just turned upside down within a few hours. How could he come her way now and ask her to join his world without her having figured out her own in the first place…

Kristoff had not heard Anna´s approaching and was occupied with the food on the stove, when two slender arms reached around his waist and a small body leaned in against his back. He smiled at this tender touch and patted Anna´s hands on his chest. It felt good, so good, to have her here.

“Have I thanked you already for taking me in?” She nuzzled into his shoulder blades.

Kristoff turned his head sideways and cooed to her, “have I told you how happy I am of having you here?” He shifted slightly to turn down the gas, shoved the pans to the side and turned within her embrace just to pull her close and burry his lips in her hair.

Gosh, I love you! I want to marry you, make you happy, start a family of our own… laugh with you, cry with you, grow old together, keep each other warm during cold nights…

If only he knew the right moment to ask her…

“Are you hungry? Dinner´s ready.”

*****

“Please, Anna, you don´t need to prove anything to me. Why don´t you just concentrate on your final exams for the upcoming weeks and be my guest for the meanwhile?”

“But I don´t want to be some sort of house sitter.” Anna gnawed on her lips, while turning her napkin in her hands. “You are so generous to me; I mean you shifted your things to leave some space to my stuff and on top of all you serve me the best food one could possibly get in this town. I want to contribute!”

Kristoff sighed and reached forward to lay his hand on hers.

“I know you do. But honestly Anna, I mean it. Take your time to look around and whenever you find something suitable, we can figure out how to proceed. I love having you here with me. And I will not hesitate to tell you every day if necessary. Besides, I always thought relationship is about being there for each other.”

Anna couldn´t help but smile at Kristoff with sparkling eyes. His words had stirred something within her. What if I could stay here forever? But yes, she needed to proceed for now, and to be hosted by this wonderful man was the greatest gift she was allowed to accept right now.

“Thank you!” She said simply. “I promise to concentrate on those upcoming weeks. But please let me at least share some chores with you. Imagine me proofing to you of being a capable housekeeper?” She giggled and waved off the thought with rolling eyes.

Kristoff grinned and remarked laughing, “go ahead. My home is your castle.”

Anna thought for a moment and tilted her head with a smirk.

“Suggestion for this first night… You know, I´m off the rag again.”

*****

Kristoff sat at the bedside and bent down to kiss his sweetheart awake. Not that easy a task, for Anna was a good sleeper. He didn´t mind. She was here and it was important that she feel safe and home. So, a good night rest would do her any good.

“Hey beautiful, good morning.” He cooed to her ear.

A mumbling something came from underneath a mess of red hair.

“I must head down for work. Breakfast is still on the table. Will you be alright? If you need anything don´t hesitate to come down, will you? Or give me a call. Yes?”

The mass of red hair moved slightly, and some part of a face came to sight, eyes still closed but the lips forming a “goo-mon… iwill… thx…”

A good hour later, after a shower and some crunchy oatmeal for the start, Anna sat over her books again. There was not lecture in today, so she could make herself a good home study day, which – at the end – turned out to be not very efficient. While she could hear the sawing machine and hammering and screwing activities from downstairs, Anna cherished the realisation of being where she was.

Though, her thoughts would wander off to here and there. Rewinding memory of the encounter with her grandfather popped into her mind. Then, she mused over how and what Elsa might be up to by now. Anna grabbed her mobile and checked her messages. There was nothing from her sister. She hesitated first, but then she sent off a quick note to Elsa, just saying that she was fine and sitting over her books (after all and at least, her study library was spread out before her, so it was no lie).

But most of all Anna could not help remembering Kristoff surprising her with that unforgettable trip to Disneyland. The memory of their partaking in those two parades made her dream off all along. It had been miraculous. It was just then, that she remembered her idea of the photo that must hang out as their reminder. Anna connected her mobile with Kristoff´s printer and looked through the drawers for suitable print paper. Ah, there it was. She reached for the pile of postcard sized photopaper, just to spot a little purple giftbox with a tiny fake sunflower on top, that lay neatly stored right behind the paper pile.

She was always told not to be nosy. Of course, she would not rummage within Kristoff´s belongings. She hastily pushed the drawer close and sat straight to commit herself on printing her pictures. The printer rattled and the photos ended up in the tray. No, she would not peep… But then, she had to put back the left-over photo papers. Okay, close your eyes, pull open the drawer and put back the pile. No. The pile must lay just the way you´ve found it. So then, pull open the drawer, concentrate on the paper pile in the front and then quickly shut that dam drawer!

The rest of the morning, Anna spent crafting a neat little frame for the special picture. She had pulled out a sheet of paper from her study paper and kept crafting and colouring little paper flowers and hearts along the hemline. Then, she glued the photo in the middle, and it was perfect. Around lunchtime she was done, and the lovely memory stuck to the refrigerator (Mickey and Minnie Mouse with Kristoff in the middle).

All the while she had been busy and distracted, concentrating dreamingly on her first contribution to add a little something to her new home. But now? She should go back over her books… What was in that little box?!

It was time for lunch and Kristoff and Sven were waiting. She´d better leave… That box…

*****

“Look, what we´ve got!” Kristoff beckoned Anna closer, when she had come down the stairs. She stepped closer to notice him looking at some piece of paper in his hand, shaking his head smiling. He showed her the content of the received post.

Anna gasped loudly and put a hand to her chest. “Oh my gosh, that´s so neat!” She grabbed at the photograph, that showed them both in costume. They were sitting on the sled and Kristoff had placed his arm around her shoulder, while Anna had put a hand on his knee. They were smiling at each other. It was a zoomed in pic and it was so loveable. A wonderful addition to the Mouse-family!

“Matthias has sent a little note with the picture,” Kristoff continued, “if we were ever looking for a job at Disneyland, we should just give him a call.” He laughed and placed a hand at her shoulder blades.

Anna withdraw her eyes from the wonderful picture and beamed up at him, chirping “good to know! If nothing works, I´d give it a try. Would be lovely to see Honeymaren again, anyway.”

Don´t look to much in his eyes, you will ask… Don´t ask what´s in that box…. Don´t!!!!

Luckily, Sven came in to give her a gentle hug and then they headed for a quick lunch break at the coffee shop around the corner.

Anna was determined to go over her lecture prep for the next day. She must concentrate and focus on her duty… If only she wasn´t so nosy… What if she just peeped a tiny little bit? No! She wouldn´t! For some reason, the little gift was in there. What if it was simply an empty box, waiting for a content? No. She wouldn´t peep… If it was meant to be for her in the first place… The surprise would be worth it! If…

*****

It was her second night in her new home and Anna felt content all over. She was about to get ready for bed and finished her evening routine in the bathroom. While brushing her teeth, she thought of the early evening. Kristoff had smiled at her craft work at the refrigerator and mentioned with a grin that her proof of good housekeeping was paying off already. He had earned himself a good playful punch to his upper arm for that. He hadn´t asked where she had got the photo paper from. Maybe he had been too tired from his work to think of the drawer. A thought hit her mind and she nearly dropped the toothbrush. What if he wouldn´t remember the giftbox? What if he had stored it in there ages ago and had forgotten about it? Okay, stop that brooding! And most of all – don´t say anything about it! You´re not nosy! Best you go to sleep right away!

When Anna came into the bedroom, Kristoff sat on the bed, looking at his mobile. He wore his boxer shorts as always and nothing else. He looked so dam good. Anna couldn´t go to sleep right away like that…

“Sven has texted just before,” Kristoff remarked glancing at her, “he invited us over to his place for tomorrow evening. His sister is coming and would love to see us again.”

“Ah, Susan, yes, that be lovely.” Anna exclaimed and shifted herself closer to Kristoff.

He put his mobile on the bedside table and offered her an embrace, which she eagerly responded by snuggling herself even closer.

“Are you alright so far?” Kristoff asked, while running a hand through her hair, and placing his lips to her forehead.

“Thank you yes. I think I will be fine with the final lectures coming up. I´m so glad to be here. It´s like a lucky twist of things, that I can learn without pressure and know I´m appreciated for who I am and not for what I achieve.”

Kristoff sighed and increased his embrace to confirm his appreciation. “I´m glad you´re comfy here. And I hope you can let go of what has been implicated on you. Maybe time will help. Hey, your family loves you, I´m sure. They just can´t get beyond their boundaries. That´s sad enough.”

Anna smiled into his chest and pressed a kiss to this broad ripcage. “Yes, thank you, I know. I have texted Elsa today that I´m fine and she´d replied I should contact her when I feel like it. I guess I will call her soon. After all, she always cared in her way.”

But for now, Anna didn´t feel like any more talking. There was another urge within her to show her affection and appreciation of the man that had been so loving to her all this time and who would sweep her off her feet in his ways! No matter, what was in that box…

So, she continued her tender work, shifting to straddle his lap, kissing his chest and neck all the while. By now Kristoff had placed his hands on her hips and was fiddling to pull up her nightshirt. Anna moved her hips and then freed herself completely from the gown.

They would run tender hands along their bodies, Anna lowered herself to press her lips to his. She circled her hips on his lap, favouring his hardness increasingly pushing up against her sensitive skin. Her hard nipples touched his chest and the soft groan from his throat sent an electrifying shiver down her abdomen. Kristoff embraced his girlfriend gently but firm and turned them both over to the side. Anna helped to pull off his pants and welcomed him eagerly and ready to unite.

And when they loved each other tenderly with Kristoff whispering “I love you” in her ear, Anna felt herself at home just so much more.

*****

Note: This fic is still dedicated to @justfrozenthings; sometimes we´re meant to concentrate on things... but for some reason we get distracted… Wait, where´s my mind gone…? 😊 And, what´s in that giftbox...🤪 => The next (and probably last) chapter should solve the unnerving curiousness 🤗

[chequeredwhitpost]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Episode One: Night Patrol.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (OC= Arya [Arya]) [X DOUXIE] >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It was a long night last night. Study is a total pain in the ass. But hey, at least I had my best friend to help me out. We had a study-over. (Practically a sleepover, but only involving academics. Not our idea, I want to add.) Her name is Darci. 

But now that I’m walking back into the school, I realize just how tired I really am. The school bell rings as I notice a crowd gathered in the courtyard. After that I notice Jim, Toby, Claire, Darci, and Mary gathered on the sidelines. I take a breath and approach them.

“Hey guys.” I say. 

“Oh! Hey, Arya.” Jim waves. 

“Sup, Lake.” 

I look at Claire and instantly wince. 

“Whoa! Claire! What is up with you?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“You do not look good, girl. You look sick as the plague.”

“I keep telling her to take a break.”

“You probably should.” I note, agreeing with Jim.

Mary walks up to Claire and grabs her wrist, pulling her away from the group.

“Look at the hot sauce that showed up at our front door, C-bomb! He’s from Arcadia Oaks Academy!” She squeals. 

I cross my arms and roll my eyes. A second later, I notice Toby, Jim, AND Darci looking at me.

“What?” 

“What? Aren’t you single?” Darci asks, “Shouldn’t you be over there, swooning?” 

“Ok, first of all, just because I am single doesn’t mean I want to get out of that status. Secondly, he can’t be THAT much of a ‘hot sauce’, as Mary put it.” 

I glance over at the big crowd of girls and watch Claire get pummeled. She falls and I roll my eyes. She should really take a break. I turn my head back to Darci and go to talk about last night.

“Hey, thanks for helping me with my Algebra.” I say. 

“No problem! Thanks for helping me with my Spanish.”

“De nada.” 

We laugh. Jim gets a sudden scowl on his face and quickly dismisses himself, going up to Claire. 

Toby snickers. 

“You sure you don't wanna swoon? He’s even making Claire swoon.” 

“Ugh, Toby, did you not just hear what I said?” 

I turn my head and gasp upon who I see talking to Claire and Jim. He hands Claire a flyer of some sorts and I am suddenly filled with happiness. 

“Oh-shit!!” I say, running over to him.

Toby and Darci watch me run away and I hear Tobes say… “Wow, she sure changed her mind fast.” 

“I know right? Weird…” 

 I run up to him at full force and jump at him, pulling him into a hug.

“Douxie!!” 

He grabs me in his arms and slightly holds me back, to see who it is who’s just charged him. 

Once he sees that it’s me, though, he smiles widely and gives me a tight hug.

“Arya!! Whoa, blast from the past! I didn’t know you went to this school!” 

“Wait… You two know each other?” Claire questions. 

I link arms with Douxie and pull myself out of his grasp. 

“Oh, totally! We go WAY back!” 

The goof next to me snickers.

“You can say that again.” 

And Darci and Mary appear out of nowhere, noticing the -- now clearly-- Battle of the Bands poster in Claire’s hands. 

“Claire! We should enter!” Darci suggests,

“We could be a cover band! Call ourselves…” 

“Oh! Oh!” 

They cheer the name together, “Mama Skull!” 

They high five, but then I notice a familiar look on Jim’s face. He pushes past the girls and takes the flyer. 

“I don’t know… you know, really? Mama Skull? I don't know. I don’t know…”

I look up at Douxie, our arms still linked, and we share a shrug. 

“It’s the end of the school year, and we’re already pretty booked up with all those ‘after-school activities’.” Jim gives a nervous laugh.

But Claire snatches the flyer back out of his hand. 

“Actually, a friend of mine told me I needed more balance.” She looks at Darci and Mary, 

“Count us in!!” 

“Kaboom!!” Darci cheers.

“Shotgun on vocals!” 

Douxie nods to Claire, “I look forward to seeing you again, fair lady Claire.” 

Claire laughs. I start to go with Douxie, but Darci and Mary clear their throats, as if I was just volunteered to enter their ‘Mama Skull’ with them.

“What?” 

“What? Aren’t you coming with us?” Mary prods. 

Oh no. I know that look in her eyes. She thinks this-- the linked arms thing-- is something between me and Douxie. Oh geeze. If I don’t go with them now, they’ll take that as confirmation-- which it is NOT! We’re just really close friends! 

 I give a noticeable sigh and undo our arms. I hug Doux one last time and bid him goodbye.

“We’ll catch up later, Ok?” 

I pull out a pen and small sticky note and write down my number.

“And since I’m pretty sure our contacts have changed, here. My number.” 

A slight squeal comes from Mary.

Nonetheless, Douxie takes it and shoots me a wink.

“Of course. Talk to you later then, Arya.” He walks backwards, giving a dismissive two finger salute. 

I watch him disappear around the corner and a hand goes on my shoulder. It’s Mary’s. Typically…

“Ok. You have some SERIOUS explaining to do.” 

“Yeah!” 

“Definitely.” 

I click my tongue.

“Two things. Why should I explain anything to you guys when we’re just friends? And two, when did I sign up for Mama Skull?” 

“Just now.”

“And I’m not mad. I believe you’re just friends. But I’m mad that you never told us you had some SERIOUSLY HOT SAUCE friends!!” 

I deadpan. Oh boy, here we go. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(Lunch) 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I’m sitting down at our usual lunch table, quickly joined by the trio -- Darci, Claire, and Toby-- and Shannon and her best friend, who’s name I believe is Lauri. 

Darci sits next to me on the end of the table--- on my right-- and Mary on my left. Mary practically slams her tray down on the table and looks at me with an expectant smile. 

“Ugh. What now?” I groan, trying to get in my english notes from last period.

“Screw what you're doing! It’s time for gossip!!!” Mary shouts, practically announcing to the whole cafeteria that I have tea. 

….

Which I do not.

“Do I even have a choice?” 

“NOPE.” 

Shannon looks at us, confused. 

“Wait, what’s going on?”

Mary lets out a dramatic giggle, cupping her hands together. 

“OK, so here’s the sip. You know that total cutie that was here this morning from Arcadia Oaks Academy?” 

Shannon and Lauri nod. 

“Well, turns out!” 

Mary grabs my arm and shakes me back and forth violently. I know she’s excited, but there’s really nothing like that to be telling. 

“It turns out that Arya here and the cutie KNOW EACH OTHER!!”

“Quit calling him that.” I grumble.

“Oh, come on, you don’t think he’s even a little bit cute?” 

“Wha--!? Mary!”

“She’s blushing!!” Darci teases.

“Shut up!!” I stomp. 

“You guys… You should really respect people’s love lives.” Shannon says, before looking at me.

“BUT HE’S NOT IN MY LOVE LIFE!!” 

The girls all start cracking up. I swear them out in hawaiian.

“You guys are all lolo.” 

“Yeah yeah.” 

I sigh deeply and go back to my notes. But before I do…

“And could you please not call him ‘Cutie’? He has a name…” 

“Ooh, I’d LOVE to know hot sauce’s name! Tell us!” 

I glare at Mary.

“Jeesh, you said you’re just friends. That means he’s free game.” 

“MARY!!! I SWEAR!” 

I’m gonna strangle her…

“His name is Douxie.” Claire answers. 

We all look at her, surprised as she fiddles on her phone.

“How do YOU know that?”

“I looked up his band. He’s the lead guitarist, and he sings.” 

“Pft. I could’ve told you that.” I mumble.

“Douxie, huh? Douxie….”  

Ok. That’s it.

I go to tackle Mary but Darci grabs me and holds me back.

“ARYA-- NO!!!” 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

<Time Skip> <After School>

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I walk out of the school through the front gates. Dropping my skateboard down on the ground, I step up one foot on the board. I plug in my earbuds and put on some good ol AC/DC for a play back home. I’m about to get moving before I hear someone call my name--- lucky them.

I turn my head around and see Claire leading the trio out of the school. I take out one ear bud. 

“Hey girl…” Mary greets me, cautiously.

“What’s up?” I ask casually. 

As far as I’m concerned, what I did at lunch was justified. So it never really happened. 

“Well, we were thinking about meeting up to start Mama Skull tomorrow. If you’re free we could all get together and decide who does what?” 

“I’ll do lead guitar, if that’s ok.” I shrug.

“Wait, you play guitar?” 

“Excuse you-- I rock the guitar! But I’m gonna be in lockdown at my place tomorrow. I have to watch my little brother and stay home while my parents aren’t.” 

“Oh, bummer.”

“Eh.”

Claire rests a hand on my shoulder. 

“I’ll text you the final details.” 

“Thanks… I guess. Oh! And I want at least one guitar solo!” 

They humor me as they walk away. In truth, I’ll probably just end up signing myself up to go before them. I know it’s not really FAIR, but I don’t wanna just be in the background. If I’m gonna shred, I’m gonna SHRED. That better make sense. 

I sigh, plug my earbud back in, and get home before mom calls me and chews me out. 

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(Time Skip) | (Late at night.)  

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I just finished studying for Senior Uhl’s Spanish exam in a few days when I hear my phone buzz. I check the screen and see an unidentified number’s text, and it’s a warm hello. Bet I know who that is. 

I pick up my phone and reply.

___________________

???: Fair Lady Arya, how are you on this divine night?

Arya: I was expecting Douxie, not Romeo. 

Douxie: Nope, you caught me. Douxie at your service, m’lady.

Arya: M’lady? That’s sappy, my guy. 

Douxie: I thought you liked Sappy?

Arya: I do. 

Arya: So what’s up? You’re lucky to catch me. About to go to bed.

Douxie: Perfect timing then. 

Douxie: So are you going to be in their ‘Mama Skull’ band? 

Arya: Hey, you’ve done this stuff before.

Arya: Can I be in a group and on my own?

Arya: Because I was thinking of playing a solo shred on my guitar.

Douxie: Eeeehhh. It’s tricky. Some competitions forbid that- since if you happened to win solo and your group wins, well, it’s unfair. 

Douxie: But I’m pretty sure this time you can shred solo and with a group.

Arya: Ok cool. That’s what I’ll do. 

Douxie: So, got any plans for tomorrow? 

Arya: Staying home. Gotta watch my lil’ brother.

Douxie: I see. 

Arya: Buut, you’re welcome to come over if you’d like. To hang out, catch up, play some guitar together. 

Douxie: I’d like that. And that’s a ‘please do’ on bringing my guitar? 

Arya: Hells yes.

Douxie: Cool. What time do you want me over?

Arya: umm. If you want you could come over at as early as 10. Am. 

Douxie: Sweet. Even though I’m not much of a morning person, I’ll set an alarm.

Arya: What time do you usually wake up?

Douxie: Late.

Arya: Funny. Ok, Doux. See you tomorrow. Heading to bed now.

Douxie: Sweet dreams, Lady Arya.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

(End Chapter One / Episode One Time.)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I dont know if you guys couldn’t tell, but this is an oc-insert. Some episodes won’t be happening with what’s going on on screen with the show, so those episodes will be ‘filler’ eps/chaps. 

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this!!

[angst-king]

Stuck in this static void pt 1

(TW: anorexic behavior, bullying, selfharm, mention of vomiting. suicide attempt) (quirkless mental hospital AU) “GET LOST FREAK!” “FUCKING NERD!” “LOSER!” All of these words were things that Izuku had become number to, or so he thought. It still hurt him to be called these things, still he felt as if those words were true. He was a loser, he was alone, he had no friends. He was a freak, he had myostatin deficiency which is where the gene Myostatin is lacking and it means he grew muscles at an early age. It wasn’t as extreme as it was for some yet, those muscles made him look bigger, scared people away. His muscles didn’t seem to fit his body or it didn’t to some people. That was before he started his new weight loss. Izuku thought he was too big, too ugly or fat which made no sense to some who knew of this disorder because. When you have a myostatin deficiency, you don’t have much body fat to begin with. That didn’t stop Izuku from bringing a water bottle with ipecac that he would drink after eating lunch, dinner or breakfast. After Katsuki and his friends had decided to be done tormenting Izuku. 

The green haired male sunk against the wall he’d been cornered in. Then the thoughts in his mind came in like overwhelming static rising at a louder volume than Bakugou’s yelling. ‘Die already you idiot, this wouldn’t be happening if you just died!’ ‘HONESTLY YOUR MOM WOULDN’T CARE IF YOU PUKE YOUR GUTS OUT, YOU’RE JUST A HUGE BURDEN!’ Picking himself up he quietly grabbed his bag and headed to the bathroom taking his water bottle with him. It was after lunch and he hadn’t gotten a chance to ‘fix himself’ this time was different though. As he walked to the bathroom he started chugging down the water knowing what the result would be. He could feel the liquids slide down to his stomach and he could already feel knots forming. He’d made it just in time as saliva pools into his mouth. He gets into a stall, locks the door and gets down on his knees surrendering his bodily consumptions to the porcelain throne. 

Hunched over, white knuckle grip on the base, his body shook as it forced up its stomach contents. At first it was just liquids then came his lunch and the rest of his breakfast. Though his body didn’t stop heaving and gagging, that wasn’t enough for Izuku even if he’d been in there for ten minutes already. It wasn’t enough, he needed more of a punishment, and the voice was starting to over take his limbs. ‘DO IT! DIE ALREADY!’ quickly gasping for breath Izuku went through his bookbag again, searching deep until he found his hidden compartment.

 Pulling out his pocket knife, taking off his uniform top he started cutting and carving. Slicing up his arms that used to have lots of meat to them before this whole hell started. The middle schooler went from his arms to his chest, then his thighs then covering up with his pants he cut up his waist. But as he started to press the blade he could hear static. Which became so loud that his vision blurred, and made him feel weak. Numb! Not weak, he couldn’t feel anything but the swirling in his head as static dulled his mind into nothingness. He could feel himself floating even if his body was falling onto his back and his vision was darkening to the point of seeing black.

Izuku had woken up in the hospital, but he didn’t know where he was for a second until his vision settled. He could smell the cleaning supplies of the cold hospital ICU room he was in, his feeling returned and he felt so sore and weak and sick. Dizziness made him rub his temples and groan which woke up the green haired lady who sleeps in the small chair next to his hospital bed. Her chair was opposite of the IV pole holding fluid bags that were injecting their contents into her son by the needles in his arm. Izuku noticed the IV lines in him, and that his body was bandaged up in certain places. He looked over to his mom tiredly who’d stirred and sat up. Her eyes opened to see her son’s dull sickly ones. “I-Izuku?” His hoarse voice replied back with a small tired smile. “Hi mom,” Izuku was quickly pulled into a strong embrace that had him gasping but it was a warm one that he’d needed. 

“You scared me Izuku, what were you doing at school? what caused you to do this Izuku?”  Izuku huffed and thought about how he should reply, should he tell her about the bullying or would she even believe him? Especially since it involved Kaachan. But then Inko gently held his hand and looked at him pleading as tears made Izuku melted. “Please Izuku, I need you to tell me, you need help.” “Mom, I’m too big, I’m fat, I need to lose weight.” Inko shook her head with a soft sniffle. “Izuku you’re not fat, you’re sick. You have Myostatin deficiency, you hardly had any fat on you to begin with.-” 

“I felt fat, I felt big, but I didn’t feel strong. I scare people away and attract those willing enough to tell me the truth...I’m fat mom. I’m a fat ugly loser don’t you get it mom. I wouldn’t live any longer, and I don’t if I can’t take the constant reminder from Kaachan and his friends-” That was his mistake, mentioning Kaachan, Inko’s expression changed to a raised brow. “Kaachan and his friends? Izuku has Katsuki been bullying you?” Izuku began to shake but he hadn’t noticed, what if Kaachan wanted revenge after this? What would he do? Remind him that he’s still a weak, fat, screw up who deserves to die!? Izuku couldn’t even do one thing right, he couldn’t even kill himself properly for crying out loud! His own set of tears started raining down his flushed pale cheeks. “Izuku!” Inko called out but her son was lost in the static that enclosed him and stuck him in the dark with his fears.

It was as if he couldn’t breath, he clutched his chest trying to take in breaths. His spit was cold as ice just like the rest of his body that trembled. Inko tried again and again until she grabbed him by the shoulders and held him. That seemed to do something, the static void began to echo a sound that slowly brought him from the dark, hearing his mother’s soft voice whispering sweetness to him. Gently rocking him back and forth eased him to some degree. “M-mom?” “Shhh honey please just relax.”

 It took awhile for him to calm down enough; it even brought the doctor in who looked happy seeing Izuku awake. “Ah hello young man, nice to see you’re awake. Ah Mrs Midoriya I need to talk to you privately please if that’s okay?” At first Inko wanted to stay with her son. “Doctor I’m sure that isn’t necessary” Then Izuku said “Mom, it's fine, go talk with him, maybe I can leave soon.” The doctor frowned at Izuku’s ideology but it did convince Inko to talk privately with the doctor. “Alright Izu, I’ll be back.” The two adults went out to the hall, closing the door Inko looked up to the man. 

“So doctor what is it?” “Mrs Midoriya, your son isn’t stable, he needs both medical and mental treatment. I’m 99.9% sure your son has an eating disorder, which mixed with his Myostatin deficiency, that’s a deadly combination that could kill him if he doesn’t get help.” Inko felt as if the man before her was being blunt but she knew the doctor was truthful. “S-so what do you suggest?” She was hesitant to ask nervous of his answer but, she wanted to help her son. “I think he needed to go to a mental hospital.” “wh-what, why can’t he just go to like a-a counselor or something?!” She asked anxiously “Because a standard counselor can’t observe him and watch him, help him with medication and stabilize him like a mental hospital staff can. Mrs Midoriya I understand that it can be scary to have Izuku so far away from you when he’s only 14, and he’s the only one you have but. Please think of your son’s mental state right now. He won't be around much longer if there isn’t proper professional intervention and treatment. I know you want what’s best for him don’t you right?” Inko took this information in and nodded, sighing she nodded. “Alright then what do we have to do?” The doctor and her discuss their plan for admitting Izuku to a psychiatric hospital, making phone calls and lists of what they will need and who they will need to talk to. It had been a while but now Inko knew she had to talk to one last person today….Izuku. Walking back to her son’s hospital room she sees him playing with the blanket that lays across his lap. “Hey Izuku!” His dark sunken eyes peer up at her. “Oh h-hi mom, how did the talk with the doctor go?” His eyes went back down away from his mother’s gaze. “Can I go home?” Inko sat next to him in her chair and sighed. “U-Um Izuku about that, y-you may not be coming home for a while honey.” Izuku raised a confused brow, he adjusted how he sat and looked at her again. 

“what do you mean mom?” “Well Izuku, you’re a danger to yourself and a regular counselor won't be able to do the things that you need to be better so. You’re going to be going to a Mental health hospital-” “no.” Furrowing her brows Inko questioned back “No? Izuku I know that you’re struggling to see this but please, you’re not healthy like this honey.” “No, you’re just going to abandon me. You’re ashamed over me aren’t you?” Inko felt so hurt that her son would think that but, she had to try and put herself in his shoes mentally. He wasn’t thinking clearly, yet he was, he was having valid concerns for someone with his mental state of being.

 “N-no sweetie I’m not ashamed of you, I’m not abandoning you. I-I..” She reaches to gently hold his cold slender hands “I just want you to get better, I want my Izuku back, the one who would run around and play outside, who would laugh and giggle who wouldn’t sleep the day away and vomit his food back up. I will do whatever it takes to help you Izuku and I know that you can’t see that you’re sick but please...If not for yourself, do it for me, please.” Her voice broke as she tried to hold off from sobbing and breaking down. She just wanted to see Izuku smiling, running around playing, not giving up and wanting to die. Izuku looked away and grumbled out “will you write me letters, visit me, or call me?” “If it's possible I will Izuku I promise.” “......I really don’t even have a choice in this do I?” Inko looked away nodding quietly “when will i go?” “In four days you’ll be discharged from this hospital, and will be taken to the mental hospital.” “Alright then” He says, turning away from the petite green haired women, laying on his side, he pulls the blanket over his face. Inko huffed and gently carded her fingers through Izuku’s hair that started to shed in some places due to the lack of nutrition.

“I-I’m so sorry Izuku” Her soft voice shook as she continued her soothing tactile method from her chair.

[dresupi]

Prompt: Waterloo Ship: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers For: @iamartemisday​

Other tags: Language

Rated T

Word Count: 1926

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Steve came into the office around 9:43 that morning.  It wasn’t that Darcy was waiting for him, because she definitely wasn’t, but she could tell it was him because her receptionist made that noise he always made when confronted with the premier Beefcake of America.

“Guhhhhhhhhhow can I help you, sir?”, Charles slurred, still in the middle of a phone call with their spring water company, unless he’d hung up on them when Steve walked through the door.

Either option was entirely possible, Darcy knew from experience.

She heard the low rumble of Steve’s voice, but not what he said because his back was to her door.

“Just come on back, hon. Give poor Charles a break. He’s gonna need a minute to collect himself,” Darcy called, unable to stop her polite smile from spreading into a grin when Steve turned around and put all of his attention on her.

“Sorry, is my presence that much of a distraction?” he asked as he shut her door, taking a seat in one of the two chairs in front of her desk. They were normally reserved for clients, and while Steve was one of her clients, this felt distinctly like a social call.

She kind of hated how Steve always slid into situations looking like he belonged there. She supposed it was his military training, gave him a fallback of approved motions he could work through, be it a black-tie occasion or coming up to try and again ask out a woman who had turned him down four times.

And it wasn’t like Darcy wanted to turn him down either. Because if this had been any other situation, she’d have said yes in a nanosecond. Pre-emptively even.

But the truth of the matter was, she was in the precarious situation of being his PR agent. And all the rest of the Avengers too. And she was pretty sure there was a conflict of interest involved.

Not pretty sure.

Absolutely sure.

Because she’d looked through every book she had, searched online, even asked Maria Hill herself, and had come up with the same answer all around.

It’s a conflict of interest, you can’t pinch that booty, no matter how star-spangled it is. It’s America’s ass, not Darcy Lewis’s.

She took a seat in her desk chair and crossed her legs. She’d worn the four-inch pumps and the flowy skirt today, so it showed off a tasteful amount of thigh that made Steve gulp a little even though he kept his eyes (mostly) on hers and (maybe just a fraction of a second, he was enhanced, he could probably sneak a peek and not let on, right?) not on what her legs were doing.

Okay, so what if he looked? Darcy wasn’t about to go tattle on him.

She bounced her leg and cleared her throat, her polite smile settling back onto her face as she folded her hands across her knee. “What’s up, Steve? We don’t have an appointment as far as I know…” Reaching up to pull her glasses down over her eyes, she made a big show of looking at her phone and checking her schedule that she knew was clear.  She didn’t have anything on the books until Clint came in after lunch.

“No, I just… wanted to come in. To talk. Maybe we could go to lunch? Talk some more?”

“This on the books?” Darcy asked, pushing her glasses back up on top of her head.

“No, doesn’t have to be…” Steve replied, smirking a little.

Pressing her lips together, she shook her head. “Steve, I told you before… it’s a conflict of--”

“Interest. I know already,” he finished for her. “But I was wondering, it’s the fact that you’re my PR Agent that makes the conflict, right?”

She nodded. “Pretty sure I told you that the last few times you asked me to one of your ‘not-strictly-on-the-books’ one-on-one events…”

“Dates, Darcy. Call a spade a spade. I asked you out.”

“Fine,” she continued. “The last time you asked me out, I told you it couldn’t happen.”

“That’s the only thing keeping you from saying yes?”

“I can’t answer that,” she said with a sniff, refusing to meet his gaze. If she met those eyes of his, he’d be able to see into her soul and know that she was without a doubt, over the moon for a certain Captain. She was halfway to quitting her job and giving in any way. America’s ass or no, she wanted to give it more than a little squeeze and maybe squeeze some other things as well.

But then, she’d remember everything she did to get this degree and start her own firm and she’d chill again. No star-spangled piece of ass was worth her job. No sir.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and jump for it, then,” he replied. “Because I talked to Director Fury and if I fire you as my agent, and hire my own outside agent, then we can talk a little more discreetly…”

Darcy’s eyes flew open. She made an indignant sound, not unlike a squawk. “You’re going to fire me?” She brought her hand up to her chest. “I’m offended, sir.  I was chosen by Director Fury to be your--”

He shot her a look. One that clearly saw through her fake offense and honestly, she didn’t even believe herself.

First of all, Steve Rogers needed a PR agent like he needed a pair of boots for his hands. That is, PR to someone like him was completely superfluous to anything and everything he did.  No one in the entire United States of America thought butter would melt in his mouth. He could do no wrong. He didn’t need Darcy to spin a story, because, by the nature of him, it was already whirling when she got there.

Secondly, he was a high profile client, which meant that Darcy often had to go to him first, when her talents would be better spent on someone without as much public image baked right in.

Like Wanda Maximoff, for instance. Or Clint, who kept falling off buildings and breaking things other than his ass or his leg. Just last week he’d fallen through an awning and decimated some little old married couple’s fruit stand at the Farmer’s Market. That was a real problem, but if Steve had shown up having sneezed in the Queen’s face on his last trip to the UK, then she’d have to handle that instead. He had priority. So, if he ‘fired’ her, removing himself from her docket, then that would kill two birds with one stone.

There was only one problem.

“How exactly are you going to do that?” she asked. “The Avengers are a package deal. If you fire me, then the others will have to drop me too. You know you guys are my biggest clients, right? I’m good at what I do, but if you guys drop me, that’s gonna really screw up my chances of landing any other big clients. Please tell me you’re not decimating my career because you want to eat spaghetti with me in Little Italy.”

“I’m not decimating your career because I want to feed you spaghetti in Little Italy,” he assured her.

Feed me spa-- oh Mylanta, be still my ovaries.

“Okay… so what’s the plan here, Chief? Because it kind of sounds like you don’t have one.”

“Geez, you’re impatient,” he laughed, drumming his fingers on the arms of his chair.

“Did you seriously just say ‘geez’ at me?” Darcy asked.

“Fuck, you’re impatient,” he deadpanned, arching an eyebrow. “May I continue?”

“Please.” She bounced her leg again, liking the way his eyes darted down to her shoe and back up again.

“Great. So I talked to Director Fury and he said that as a member of the Avengers, it’s all or nothing. It’d bode well for us to have the same PR Agent. And hiring someone else into your firm to handle my account wouldn’t work either.”

“No, it wouldn’t…” Darcy replied, nodding slowly. “I could have told you that, though.”

He shot her another look and continued. “But if I strike out on my own, I can hire whoever I want.”

“Wait…” Darcy uncrossed her legs. “Don’t tell me you--”

“Calm down, I’m not done. I didn’t do anything stupid.”

“So you didn’t quit the Avengers?”

“Oh yeah. I quit the Avengers.”

“STEVEN,” Darcy gasped. “Take it back right now. I’m not the Yoko here. I refuse to allow you to--”

“I resigned, left Sam in charge, and he hired me back on as a consultant-slash-mercenary.”

Darcy’s eyes bulged slightly. “STEVEN.”

He continued, undeterred. “Which means I come back for every case they need, fight with them if they need me, and make the same amount of money I always did. The only difference is, I can hire my own PR Agent, and I regret to tell you that I didn’t go with Lewis Etc.”  He shrugged in an overly-exaggerated display of contrition. “So I guess this is good-bye.”

Darcy blinked a few times. “What now?”

“I’m no longer your client, Ms. Lewis. And while I enjoy the professional time we had together, it must, unfortunately, come to an end. I’ll have to ask you to shred my contract.”

“You want me to print out your contract and shred it, or just like… delete it from our files? Because everything is digital now, Gramps.”

“Just get rid of it,” he said with a smirk. “Get rid of it, and come have lunch with me this afternoon.”

Darcy wasted no time in deleting his file from her cloud and forwarding the concurrent information to Charles so he could pull up the necessary forms for Steve to sign.

“You’ll need to go see Charles for the exit forms,” she said softly, pointing towards the door. “And I can’t answer the other half of your command until you do that.”

When he got up to leave, Darcy let her eyes linger a bit on his retreating form, only letting out the breath she was holding when he left her office.

She heard Charles make that noise again, but soon enough, Steve was back, knocking on her door. “Lunch?”

“Get in here, you gigantic idiot,” she replied instead.  “Lock that door behind you.”

“Was that a yes to lunch?” he asked, grinning while doing exactly as she’d asked.

“That was a hell yes to lunch and a get the fuck over here because I’ve got an hour before I can feasibly leave this office and absolutely no work to do.”

“Pretty sure I can help with that,” Steve said, crossing the floor a bit too slowly for Darcy’s liking.

“Help? You’re gonna need to do more than that.” She jumped up on her desk and reached for him, sliding her hand around the back of his neck and up into his hair. She closed her fingers around the freshly cut strands. They were so short that they slipped from her fingers, but he got the idea. He leaned down and wrapped one arm around her waist to hold her steady against him. He let her close what little distance there still was between them, but he definitely helped a little by hoisting her up onto her desk.

She squeaked a little when he did it, but it ended up giving her that push she needed to press her lips to his.

She’d lost a client this morning, but Darcy still felt like she was coming out on top.

[luci-in-trenchcoats]

The Girl Next Door (Part 10) - Don’t Break

Summary: The reader takes Dean out on his surprise date and she feels herself growing closer to him. When she and Sam are late getting home one night that week though, Dean gets a bad feeling...

The Girl Next Door Masterlist

Pairing: Neighbor/Mechanic!Dean x baker!reader

Word Count: 5,000ish

Warnings: language, medical emergency

A/N: Parts of this series are told from two different POV’s. Dean’s POV are written from limited third person. Reader’s POV are second person (like a typical reader insert). Enjoy!…

Reader’s POV

“Jack,” you said the next day just after lunch. He was out on the front porch, writing down a few things on a list. “Whatcha doing?”

“I was working on copying over a few of those old recipes for you,” he said.

“Thanks,” you said, ruffling his head as you hopped down the step. “I’m busy with Dean for the day but you want hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner? Winchesters are making ‘em and apparently they come with bacon as if that’s surprising.”

“Sure,” he said. You stopped after a few feet, glancing down at the keys in your hands. “Go enjoy your date, sis.”

“Are you okay hanging by yourself today again?” you asked.

“Yeah. I’m good. I promise,” he said. “Maybe I’ll take another bike ride.”

“Alright. Be safe,” you said. “Make smart choices.”

“Go on your date, dork,” he said. You gave him a quick wave before you slid into your car, parking out front of Sam’s, Dean ducking outside and into the car with a baseball hat on his head.

“Ready?” you asked.

“For my surprise date? Been looking forward to this all weekend.”

“Y/N,” said Dean, laughing as you pulled him out of the passenger seat. “You did not.”

“Yes, I did,” you said, wrapping your arm around his. “I may have heard from a little birdie that Dean Winchester was quite the baseball player in high school and his favorite minor league team of all time is the Springfield Cardinals who just so happen to be playing a special game in Kansas City today which is like super close to Lawrence and guess who got us some tickets.”

“I haven’t been to a game since I was like, eight,” he said, smiling at you. “I...how-”

“Sammy comes over and hangs out when I bake sometimes while you’re at work. Eileen says social interaction and testing his memory is good for him. Apparently you also convinced Sam to jump off the roof of your shed when-”

“Forget that. This is awesome!” he said. “I’ve been wanting to see a game for years but never got around to it.”

“Well today’s your lucky day then, ain’t it Winchester?”

Dean was all smiles when you walked back to your car that evening, Dean tossing a ball up and down in his mitt you’d borrowed from Sam. He spun around and looked back at the stadium, smiling and giving you a hug as you moved to get in the car.

“This was great. I can’t believe I caught that foul ball and...and this was so awesome. Thank you. I never had someone take me out on a date before and you like blew it out of the water, sweetheart,” he said.

“Didn’t I tell you that you deserve nice things too, Dean?” you said. Dean leaned back, eyes flickering around your face.

“I don’t remember the last time I was this happy,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever been this happy to be honest.”

“You got a lot more happy days ahead of you. I promise.”

Dean’s POV

“Hm,” hummed Dean, plopping down on his bed that night, closing his eyes as he faced the ceiling with a smile.

“Have a nice date earlier?” asked Sam. Dean didn’t bother to open his eyes but nodded, Sam slipping inside and sitting on the edge of the bed. “You couldn’t keep your eyes off her at dinner tonight.”

“She took me a on a date today and it was so thoughtful and simple and fun,” said Dean, throwing his arm over his face. “I sound like a teenager.”

“I remember you coming home and talking about girls when you were a teenager. Never quite saw this reaction though,” teased Sam. “You know, Jack and I talked tonight and if you two want to ever go out you know, not on the weekend, Jack doesn’t mind sticking around here, keeping an eye on me. Hopefully I get cleared on Friday to start staying home alone, watching TV again.”

“We’re like the misfits,” said Dean, smiling under his arm. “We got brain trauma, relationship issues, workaholic tendencies, mental institution stays...us four are like a soap opera. Not to mention you’re falling for your nurse.”

“I was thinking of going out on my own date soon, depending on what the doctor’s say,” said Sam.

“Good for you, Sammy. Jess would be proud of you,” said Dean, moving his arm away. Sam nodded, fiddling with his hands. “She would be proud of you, Sam. I am.”

“Work’s a long way away for me again but...I’m not going back to the way I was. I’m not burying myself in it again. I want to pick Avy up from school and play with her, cook her dinner every night. It’s not your job to do those things for her. I think...I think I want to get away from the big business stuff, help the little guy. It’s why I signed up in the first place. You know, help people starting their own business and what’s involved, help people like Jack who didn’t know they were…”

“Being abused?” said Dean. Sam nodded, Dean turning his head. “I’m pretty sure he knew Sammy, after a while. But how low do you think he felt to not say anything? He probably thought he deserved it.”

“I talked to Gary at the firm for a little bit this afternoon. Obviously don’t say anything to anyone but there was another person that popped up from Bryerwood. If Jack’s ever ready to talk about it, I think there’s a real case there for him,” said Sam.

“Give him a little time. Maybe bring it up in a few weeks, see if he’s ready to talk about it again,” said Dean.

“He’s more relaxed now than when we first met him,” said Sam. “I think Cas and Y/N are really helping him.”

“You know how mom and dad used to fight about money a lot? We didn’t have the greatest example of a healthy relationship growing up,” said Dean. Sam nodded and lay back against the bed, looking over to Dean. “But I never for a second doubted that mom and dad didn’t love us. They were not perfect parents and dad and I fought more than once, pretty bad too. But they hugged us, told us good job for doing good in school, they never told me it was wrong to want to be a mechanic, they never told you that it was wrong to want to be the first Winchester to go to college.”

“What’s your point?” asked Sam quietly.

“Can you imagine how fucked up the two of us would be if our own dad didn’t hug us? Dad’s not a warm and fuzzy guy but Y/N and Jack don’t even remember getting a hug from theirs. He’s their dad. I’m just saying...maybe we’re luckier than we knew,” said Dean.

“Boys,” they both heard from the door, their father stepping around the corner. “Mom and I are going to head home if that’s alright.”

“Yeah. Thanks for hanging out this weekend,” said Sam. He nodded, John giving them both a smile. “You’re free to stay the night though. It’s getting kind of late.”

“No no, that’s alright,” he said, turning to head out. “Boys.”

“Hm?” hummed Dean, sitting upright, Sam doing the same.

“I know...I wasn’t a perfect father. I wasn’t even a very good one most of the time. Mom and I know we fought too much, took too long to sort all that out. Dean you were already a man by that point. We screwed up that part,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “But we have always loved you. Both of you.”

“We know that, dad,” said Sam. “We love you too.”

“Alright. Night boys,” he said. Dean waited a moment and followed after him, catching up with him on the front porch. “What is it, Dean?”

“I’m sorry I told you to stay away from him when Sammy was in high school,” said Dean, swallowing hard. John gave a quick smile, tilting his head. He cupped Dean’s cheek, running his thumb under his eye.

“Don’t ever apologize for that. It’s one of my worst memories and one of my proudest,” said John. “Sammy was better off without me for a while there. I’m sorry you had to be his father when I couldn’t.”

“I snapped at the hospital,” said Dean, pursing his lips. “A few weeks ago-”

“Dean. Don’t apologize for that either. Sam gave that authority to you to make decisions for him, not to us. He trusts you. He trusts you far more than he’ll ever trust me and that’s okay, Dean. You made all the right calls that night, all the hard calls. Sammy might not be alive if I were in charge. You knew how strong your brother was. You’ve always known. There’s no hard feelings, Dean,” he said.

“I…” said Dean, turning around, his father’s hand sliding to his shoulder when he heard a laugh in the air. Y/N and Jack were on her front porch, the pair of them cracking up at something.

“Parents mess up, Dean,” said John. “Even your friends parents I’m sure. But kids have a way of doing okay despite all that.”

“For all the times we fought and argued and said I hate you...” said Dean, still looking over. “Even when I thought you wanted me gone forever...I knew you didn’t. Way down but I knew. Those two over there...I’d take your parenting over what they had any day.”

“Call us if you need any help with Sammy, alright?” he said. “Any time.”

“I will,” said Dean, giving him a smile. “Drive safe.”

Five Days Later

“Uncle De?” asked Avy the next evening. Dean lifted his head up from watching the summer storm, Avy taking a seat on the front porch beside him. “Something wrong?”

“No,” said Dean, staring next door, turning his head. “So, you going to binge watch some movies with your daddy tonight? The doctor’s said his head is getting a better even faster than they were expecting.”

“We still can’t play outside,” she said with a frown.

“No but daddy can read you bedtime stories and play other games again the doctor said this morning,” said Dean, running a hand over her head. “And he can be home by himself so that’ll be good.”

“Are you gonna leave?” she asked.

“No, no. Your daddy and I talked and I’m going to stay here with you guys through the summer, maybe longer. He can’t drive a car for a long time so I’ll be around. Plus I like living here,” he said. “But you remember what I said about if Daddy acts funny when I’m not around?”

“I call you and go get Y/N or Jack next door,” she said.

“That’s right. Call me and we’ll make sure he’s okay,” said Dean, watching Y/N’s front door crack open. He frowned, Jack jogging over in his raincoat, dropping his hood when he hopped onto Sam’s porch.

“Hi Jack!” said Avy.

“Hey Avy. Can I talk to your Uncle alone for a minute?” he asked. Dean nodded and urged her inside, Jack smiling until Dean pulled the door shut, his face falling. “Y/N’s not home yet.”

“Yeah. I know. We had a date. She was running Sam to the store with her earlier. They’ve been gone a while,” said Dean. “A few hours now.”

“She’s not answering her phone,” said Jack. “Or Sam.”

“I know,” said Dean as he stood up. Jack glanced to the dark rainy night sky, pursing his lips. “Hey. Don’t freak. There’s a six year old on the other side of that door. She’s been through enough shit the past month. She doesn’t need more.”

“What do we do?” asked Jack. Dean stared at the front door and pulled out his phone.

“Hey Cas...can you do me a favor?...I’m fine, just Avy needs a last minute babysitter...Sam and Y/N went out earlier and they’re not home yet...I’m sure they’re fine...yeah...well I had this same feeling that night and...no, no, we’ll drop her off...it might be all night...it’s probably nothing...I owe you one...yeah, well, I still owe you one,” said Dean, hanging up the phone. “Alright. Go lock up your house and meet me back here. I’m dropping Avy off and we’ll go look, alright?”

Jack’s gaze went down to Dean’s phone when it lit up again with a different name, Dean following it. He’d spoken to them enough lately that he put the number in his phone.

County North Hospital.

Reader’s POV

One Hour Earlier

“So, you taking Eileen someplace fancy tonight?” you asked Sam on the way home from your shopping trip.

“Does Eileen strike you as the fancy place kind of girl?” laughed Sam. “But yes. Well, it’s casual-ish too. I was going to bring her to Winslow’s.”

“Oh, nice. I’ve never been but heard it’s yummy,” you said, pulling onto the highway. “I like that gray dress shirt you got. The one with the little charcoal specks. Wear that with some dark jeans, your black beanie, she’ll be all over you.”

“I just realized today was the first time in a month I went to the store, went anywhere besides our houses or the doctors really,” said Sam.

“Well no one said it’d be easy but you’re doing a lot better, Sam. We can all tell. You’re more alert, happier. Before you know it, you’ll be driving around on your own again,” you said.

“Thanks for taking me today...and helping with the clothes. Been awhile since I’ve been on a date,” said Sam, rubbing the back of his neck. “A work shirt is too formal.”

“I understand,” you said. “You got some casual but nice stuff. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see a Winchester boy pick out three flannel shirts though,” you laughed.

“We like our flannel,” said Sam, staring out the window at the dark edges of the road. “Dean really likes you, you know.”

“I really like him,” you said.

“I’ve never seen my brother this way with a girl. He trusts you. He doesn’t do that with girls. Not after the stuff his exes said,” said Sam.

“I’ve had this conversation with your brother before Sam. I don’t care what other people think of him. I care what I think and I think, he’s a really good guy,” you said, tapping your fingers against the wheel.

“I wish we could have been friends without me needing a whole horrible accident,” he said with a laugh.

“Life’s funny sometimes,” you said. “Jack’s gonna babysit tonight but I…” you trailed off, Sam suddenly jerking in his seat. For a second you thought he was having a seizure but he grabbed the wheel and turned it hard to the right as your brain registered what was going on in front of you. A tractor trailer on the other side of the highway was halfway through the median, jack knifed and heading straight for you.

It ended up hitting the back portion of the car thanks to the turn Sam did, not straight into the driver’s side which you didn’t really have time to be grateful for. One of your hands was out in front of Sam, the both of you jerking against the seatbelts as the car flipped violently. Your hand got hit between something hard and Sam’s head, most likely the dash if you had to guess. You shut your eyes and when you opened them, you were upside down, airbags deflating, glass and metal all over. Your body fucking hurt and you couldn’t see a thing.

“Sam,” you said, unbuckling your seatbelt, some piece of metal or console pushed in so you couldn’t quite see him. “Shit. Sam, say something.”

You groaned when you dropped to the roof of the car, climbing out the drivers window. The truck was stopped and on it’s side. Both sides of the highway were backing up now. You couldn’t see all that great in the rain and the dark but you dragged yourself around to the other side of the car, Sam grumbling as he pulled himself out the passenger window.

“Sammy?” you asked, kneeling down and pulling him over to the front of the car and into the light from the head beams. You ripped off his beanie and looked at his head, Sam shaking it as he gave you a thumbs up.

“I’m alright. Head feels in one piece. At least I feel alr-” he stopped. You moved to lay him down into a recovery position but he just put his hands on his shorts and started fumbling with his belt.

“Calm down, you’re-”

“Your leg,” he said, ripping the leather out of the loops. You stared down, seeing blood. You were expecting it to be honest. Your leg hurt a lot and you knew there must have been a cut.

It was gushing though, the pins and needles feeling hitting you fast. You stared for a second while Sam slipped the belt on under your leg and around you, cinching it tight.

“Probably femoral artery if I had to guess. Could be popliteal too,” you said, squeezing your eyes shut. “Ah. Okay, that hurts now. The adrenaline’s wearing off. Shit. Oh boy. I lost a lot of blood in the car I think.”

“Chicks got more blood right? You’re okay,” said Sam, pressing down on your leg.

“Yeah, chicks got more blood,” you said with a laugh. “Learn that one in school?”

“Biology. Jess took biology. She was going for nursing. I thought she was cute, figured I better try to impress her,” said Sam.

“I’m probably going to pass out but don’t let go of the pressure if you can help it Sammy. I ain’t ready to meet her just yet,” you said. Sam nodded, putting a hand on you when you started to lean back. “Remember to tell them you had brain trauma and what medi...the uh...the…”

“Okay,” he said as you lay back on the ground, struggling to keep your eyes open. “Okay. Just hold on, Y/N. It’ll be okay.”

Dean’s POV

Present

“Sammy,” said Dean, giving Sam a big hug from where he sat in his hospital bed a few hours later. “I thought I told you I never wanted to see you in here again.”

“Since when do I listen to you,” said Sam, pushing Dean back. “I’m okay. Bumps and bruises. They did a head scan and everything. Really. I’m okay thanks to Y/N.”

“Y/N?” asked Dean.

“She had like a super fast reaction, shot her hand out in front of me, stopped my head from hitting the dash. I don’t know if she broke her hand or not but the doctor’s said it probably stopped me from cracking my head open,” said Sam. “You go and see her yet?”

“No. They won’t talk to me. I’m not family. Jack’s trying to get answers but she was his power of attorney or something and not the other way around so no one’s telling us anything,” said Dean.

“Hey. Go find Doctor Franks. I saw him not long ago. Ask him if he can find out for us,” said Sam.

“I will. Uh, Avy’s with Cas for the night,” said Dean, moving to take a seat.

“Alright. You go find out what’s happening with Y/N. I’m okay until mom and dad get here. Seriously, go get answers,” said Sam.

“Did...do you know anything at all?” asked Dean.

“...She was bleeding a lot. They took us in separate ambulances. I don’t know what happened after, Dean. I’m sorry,” said Sam. Dean smiled though and ran a hand over his head gently.

“It’s okay. You’re okay. I’ll go find out what I can and let you know.”

Two Hours Later

“Here,” said Jack, handing a cup of coffee to Dean. He shook his head, Jack taking a seat on the bench beside him. “At least we know she’s still in surgery.”

“How are you so fucking calm about this?” said Dean, glaring at Jack. “She’s your sister.”

“I know she acts like she’s the older one a lot but she’s not. You’re not the only one that’s younger sibling was in an accident tonight,” said Jack. “And I’m freaking out. I’m just putting on a brave face.”

“Who for?” scoffed Dean.

“Same reason you’re sitting there bouncing your knee with that hard ass look on your own face. I deal with my shit on my own. I don’t cry in hospital hallways. I just don’t,” he said.

“Me either,” said Dean as he stood up. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Text me if the doctor swings by.”

Jack nodded and Dean headed down the hall and for the elevators. He was familiar enough with the place and was quickly out the back door and across the parking lot, stepping into the woods a ways, finding the log on the ground that’d been there a month ago.

It was raining more now but Dean didn’t care. He still sat down and got wet, resting his head in his hands. He felt a shudder run through him as he took a deep breath and gripped one of his legs.

“Please, please let her be okay. Please. I’ll do whatever you want. Just let her be okay. Please.”

Twenty minutes later Dean slipped back inside, wiping off his face as best he could, stopping in the bathroom, eyes a little red but he could pass it off as being tired. He stopped in the cafeteria before he headed upstairs with some hot chocolate for Sam and Jack.

Sam was sleeping in bed, their parents there with him now, Jack still on the bench outside his room, sipping on the coffee Dean had turned down. Dean nearly took a seat when he saw Doctor Franks appear around the corner, Jack up on his feet.

“She’s out of surgery. It went well. It was a clean cut on her leg so they were able to stitch her up. Muscle wasn’t damaged in her leg so she should be up and around fairly quickly,” said the doctor.

“What about her hand?” asked Jack.

“Bruised, swollen and wrist is sprained but not broken. She has a concussion but that was expected. A few bruised ribs too but the car took most of the damage for them both,” he said. “They want to observe her for the night but she can go home in the morning along with Sam. They both need rest and try to keep her off stairs and her feet for the next week or so.”

“She’s okay,” said Dean with a nod. “Okay.”

“Can we see her?” asked Jack.

“Once she’s moved out of post-op but I’ll come find you two when that happens,” he said. “This could have been much worse. Let’s be glad it’s not.”

“Thanks doc,” said Dean, taking a seat on the bench with a sigh.

“How does she not hate me,” said Jack, sitting next to him. Dean turned his head, Jack staring across the hall. “When I was overdosing, she must have been scared to death. And I did that to myself. This...this is terrifying, sitting here, knowing you can’t do anything.”

“Jack,” said Dean. “Let it go. You’re not that guy anymore. I know you’ll never scare her like that again.”

“No, never,” said Jack, staring at him. “I wish I could take it back.”

“You can’t, Jack. But you can move past it. I know you haven’t been home long but she’s going to need you to step up and be her big brother again. She’s going to need all of us to help,” said Dean.

“I can do it,” he said with a nod.

“I know,” said Dean, patting Jack’s shoulder. “We’ll figure it out.”

“You want something to eat?” asked Jack around three in the morning. Dean shook his head, sitting on the other side of the bed where Y/N was sleeping. “I’ll be back in a few.”

Dean gave her a smile when they were alone, running his hand over her head.

“Thanks for saving, Sammy, sweetheart. I owe you one,” he said. She stirred and sighed, nuzzling her head against his hand. “I’ll be quiet now. You sleep, Y/N.”

Reader’s POV

There was a slightly chemical smell in the air as you woke up, disinfectant that made your nose twitch. You blinked a few times, Jack snoring in a chair on one side of you, Dean laying his head on his arm, fast asleep, holding your hand in his. Facing forward you caught Sam with a few cuts on his cheeks, eating what looked like breakfast out of a styrofoam box in the chair at the end of the bed. He smiled and gave you a little wave.

“I’m guessing I didn’t die then,” you said, holding up your hand, seeing the bandages on it but no cast. You flipped up your blanket on the one side, spotting a bandage high up on your leg. “I’m also guessing your brain is still in functioning order?”

“Mhm. I live another day to eat crappy hospital food,” he said, wolfing down some eggs. “Always had good omelettes here though.”

“These two alright?” you asked, nodding to the both of them. Sam hummed around his mouthful of food.

“Yeah. I don’t think they finally crashed until like four or something. Our parents our passed out in my room. You want some water?” he asked. You nodded, Sam setting aside his food and grabbing the pitcher off the table. Dean shifted in his seat, rolling his head once the other way, turning back to you and briefly flashing open his eyes. They shut and flew open in the next second, your hand moving to run through his strands.

“Hey,” you said, giving him a smile. “Oh shoot, Sam. I bet your new clothes are ruined.”

“Told you she was fine,” said Sam, Dean’s eyes darting around your face.

“Hi sweetheart,” he said, gently running a finger over your cheek. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just a scratch or two,” you said. “Sorry I missed our date.”

“We’ll go on one tonight. I promise,” he said. You smiled and saw Jack wake up, a sigh of relief escaping him.

“Hey. You weren’t worried or something, were you?” you teased. Jack scowled, pointing a finger in your face.

“Don’t do that again,” you said.

“My driving was impeccable. Ask Sam,” you said.

“We just got shitty luck,” he laughed, popping a piece of hash brown in his mouth.

“So when can I get out of here?” you asked.

“Soon. Let’s maybe talk to a doctor first before you go wandering off.”

“Thank you for our date tonight, Dean,” you said from your bed, a pizza box between the two of you, a movie playing on the TV.

“Eh, near death ain’t cancelling our plans,” he said. You giggled, nibbling on another slice, his head resting on your shoulder. “Thanks for not dying last night.”

“Thank Sam. He’s the one that got his belt on me,” you said.

“You saved each other,” he said. He was quiet for a few minutes as you finished your food, wiping off your hands when you were done eating and turning off the TV. He sat up and moved the box to the floor, you rolling over closer to Dean when he returned, careful of keeping your right leg away.

“You okay?” you said quietly. He shook his head, wrapping his arms around you. “I’m not going anywhere, Dean.”

“You better not,” he mumbled. “Mine.”

“You don’t go anywhere either,” you said snuggling down against him. You shut your eyes, his long fingers moving the hair away from your face, tucking it behind your ear. He traced around a small cut under your right eye, gently kissing your other bruised cheek.

“Don’t you get hurt like that again,” he said quietly. You nodded, Dean tucking your head under his chin with his arm around your back.

“I want you to stay,” you whispered. You didn’t open your eyes but felt another kiss on your forehead.

“You sleep,” he said. “Wake me up if you need something.”

“Sam?” you mumbled.

“Our parents are there and you got hit worse than he did. I was staying no matter what,” he said. “Do you want some medicine?”

“No. I’m fine. Just want to lay down with you,” you mumbled.

“Okay, sweetheart. We can do that.”

A/N: Read Part 11 here!

[lockdownuk]

Lockdown Diary Part 9

A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.

Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.

Day 241: Shit day at work. To cut a long story short, I could complete a task Sueanne gave to me and then I got it in the ear, including a snotty email ay 5:40pm. Pissed off.

Day 242: Had a meeting with Sueanne (our weekly 1-2-1 actually) and she was alright. I feel much better tonight. Last night I didn’t even have an appetitie - unheard of! Going to make up for that tonight, pie and loads of veg! A much better day. Ridiculously, I believe yesterday was all my own fault - I take work for granted sometimes and I let myself down by ignoring the urgency of a task just because it was Sueanne asking me to do it and she was a peer. She is now my boss, and I should respect that.

Day 243: So-so day at work. It’s strange how used to work I am after over six months on furlough. It’s been less than two months back but all the highs and lows amd frustrations are commonplace. Most importantly, it being Thursday, I cannot wait for tomorrow eveninga dn to kick back, drink and smoke. Spoke to dad this morning, he’s same as...that’s always good to know. Sugar levels have been a fucking roller coaster today, and it has really fucked me off! No salad at lunch due to them being so fucking high when I got back from my walk. It ended up being my tea. Sarted watching The Undoing...it’s OK. 

Day 244: Glad it is Friday. Just cooking a (very hot) chicken madras, cracked open my first beer. Gonna eat, drink, smoke and watch a good film.

Day 245: Gold was the film I watched last night, with Matthew McConaughey and it was a good choice. I then watch a Kevin Hart stand up show on Netflix...very Eddie Murphy, very funny. I did a 12 km walk today...fucking felt it in my legs. Walked the footpath from Stoke Doyle road to Benefield road for the first time. I liked it and it comes out between Lytham Park and Wakerley Close....I posted on FB about the fact that when I move to Oundle, Clifton Drive was the last street heading out of town. Saw Becks on the walk down Benefield road, She mentioned she’s tired of lockdown. I replied that I’m tired of the virus!

Day 246: Up at 1pm, nice long walk, ordered new slippers and waterproof jacket (my Craghopper is bust again).

Day 247: I screwed up at work today, went for a (ridiculously) late lunch right when I was meant to be at an online meeting that Sueanne had reminded me about in the morning. There’s mitigation but, when push comes to shove, I fucked up and now Sueanne’s on the warpath - one more slip up and it’ll be an offical disciplinary matter. 

Day 248: Suzanne wants me to troubleshoot a ticket she has in her queue, some database request for a Cork guy. It’s a test and it’s fucking me off.

I did testing for a network change tonight...8 till 11:15pm.

Elliot and Aaron cleaned the windows today. It was nice to see them.

Rita sent a couple of emails recently. Dad’s ear is all clear but Paul has got testicular cancer.

Day 249: New waterproof jacket arrived today. It’s very nice, bargain for £25 odd. Also picked up slippers from M&S food hall in Corby so, while over their, did a shop at Tesco’s...£109 mainly booze.

By the time I was back, I ended up doing my evening walk at 9.30pm!

Day 250: Leigh from Oundle Chronicle has got back to me. She (he?) has selected the photos that are going to be in the article and wants me to write a sentence on each - where they were taken and what inspited me to do so. Whether that means the stuff I wrote before is not going to be used, or not, I dunno! New slippers are OK and the new jacket is still impressing me.

Day 251: Typing on Day 252. Usual Friday, beers, meatballs, pizza, long chat with Fog. I should mention that, as we approach the end of Lockdown2 in England, Boris and his government have laid out a three tier structure for how the second lockdown will be eased. It’s caused confusion and consternation across the board. None of it affects me, still isolating like I was on day 1. Day 252: Totally forgot about my diary entry yesterday! Up at 1pm, nice long walk, nipped rong Elliots to pay for my windows, had a chat with him, Artron and Camilla - it’s so nice to socialise! Gonna make fish pie and supp a few ales. Day 253: The weekend is over way too quickly. It’s 7.30pm on Sunday as I type and I wish it wasn’t. I wish it was 7.30pm on Friday. Day 254: In a meeting, a working Zoom, with Andy Ashler in the US re: qfiniti, which Sueanne pissed me off about earlier in te day (RCI diary updated), but the meeting went well. I am desparately trying to buy an iPad on Black Monday. As usual with tech, I cannot make my mind up which to buy! Day 255: I haven’t bought an iPad....I’ll wait for the 10.2″ iPad to come down in price. I had more involvement with Andy Ashler and in the US with the Qfiniti project at work. I’m really enjoying it, it’s very technical...although I didn’t finish ‘til 6pm because of it. The Oundle Chronicle is out and an article about me and my pics is on the back page. Leigh, the editor, sent it to me electronically. It’s good. I am chuffed!  Day 256: I booked some holidays today, making sure that I didn’t include any days off in the week December 14-18 (SB’s off). So, this coming Friday (4th Dec), Next Weds-Fri and Monday 21st. I know I have only been back from Furlough a couple of months but I am more than ready for some kick-back time.  1-2-1 with SB today, it was a relaxed affair, most espcially becaus eof my success thus far with the Qfiniti project - that being said, I got pretty much nowhere with it today.  Ordered a couple of long sleeved Ts and a fleeced hoody from a shop called Doubletwo today, well cheap in the sale. I saw half a dozen joggers on the Milton Road blind bend tonight, oblivious to any other potential path user. I posted about it (in my own, sarcastic way) on the Oundle Chatter FB group. It was met how I’d expected plus some direct digs so I deleted it. Cowardly but, I figure, I don’t get my point across, the vast majority of joggers really don’t think they are doing anything wrong by bulldozing there way around town and, lastly, I couldn’t be bothered with the flak, and its tennis like back-and-forth!

Day 257: Got tomorrow off so worked late tying up loose ends, including the qfiniti project - fucking nuts really, making sure no one asks any questions of SB or the team, in terms of my work load, for just one day off! Still, just had tea, cracked open a beer and am watching Shaun of the Dead. Nice.

Day 258: The main thing I did today is walk. It was about 12km but felt much longer ‘cos it was wintry, pissing down, windy and slippery as fuck. And I really enjoyed it! Badge messaged me today to ask how I am and, in replying, I mentioned that I think I am becoming addicted to walking...it wasn’t a throwaway comment. Just cooked up a chilli (which I think I have ruined with a Knorr beef stock pot), and will tuck in with beers, smokes and telly. While it’s been a day off, this Friday evening will be as all others are at the moment, late, drunken and solitary fun - no doubt.

Day 259: Typing on day 260. That chilli last night was actually OK. Plus I ‘invented’ a meatball wrap - moving on from the TikTok ham and cheese wrap you fold into the toaster, I tried the same with meatballs but no fucking way could I fold it into the toaster slot (pissed up kitchen shenanigans), so I wrapped it in tin foil and heated it in the oven, Fucking delicious. I watched Shaun of the Dead. I think it’s the first time since its release and I couldn’t help thinking “zombies just aren’t like that [in real life]” Wtf?

Day 260: I was quite sensible (for a Saturday) last night, in bed by 2am, up at my alarm this morning, 10:30am. Nice long walk, taking in a new path up by Biggin Grange and took plenty of pics that turned out really good. Btw, posh lost yesterday at Portsmouth (with 2000 fans there) and they lost midweek and last weekend in the FA Cup to Chorley, at home. 

Day 261: It’s freezing today...actually 0 degrees. This house is so fucking cold, even with the heating on.

Day 262: Typing on day 263. Last day of work for 5 days. Beers are in order. And a sausage casserole. Day 263: I completely forgot to do a diary entry yesterday....concentrating on starting my work break off on the right foot, which I did. As a result, I didn’t get up until 1pm. So, to stop that sort of day wasting, no beers tonight. Just got back from a shop (£90 in Tesco’s), trying to sort out Romiley’s Christmas present, then something to eat (more sausage casserole) and a early, sober night.

Day 264: So, after abstinence last night, I was up before 11am and did a walk that included the track from Benefield Road to Monson Way past Park Wood. It was fucking hard work due to mud. I have lost coumd the amount of times I nearly slipped right over. Throw into that a hypo, the 12-13km walk was tough. Sorted out Romiley’s present (guitar stand, music stand and guitar exercises book). Took soime nice photos today as well which I’ve prepared and shared. No booze today/tonight either. Some break, a younger me would say!

Day 265: Friday, and I am typing with a beer, balti on the hob and I am just gonna choose a film and roll a single skinner. I am knackered. Up at 10am, cleaned the hall and stairs after a 10km walk. Also, I spoke with dad who is, as always, fine.

Time to make up for the last two sober nights.

Day 266: I am typing this on day 267. So drunk last night I left nearll a full can of beer and went to bed in my jogging bottoms and t-shirt. I have had a day off from any exercise at all which felt very odd. A few beers and watched Snatch. Day 267: While I was nowhere near drunk last night, due to sleeping in late (2pm) I was up ‘til 3am watching TikTok so today I struggled out of bed at just before 1pm. Watch the start of the season’s final GP (Verstappen won from pole and it was boring af), back on the exercising including a 9km walk. Back to work tomorrow which I feel totally conflicted about! Posh won yesterday at home to Rochdale (with the allowed 2000 fans) 4-1 including a 17 minute first half hatrick from Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Day 268: Back to work - Sueanne’s off and it’s the first day I’ve been at work with Jon in charge which involves a daily ‘SUMO’ (whatever that acronym stands for?) at 9.30am every day. I am still involved with te qfiniti upgrade project which seems to have taken a step backwards in the 3 days I had off, so I was working until gone 9.30pm! I have decided to do a quiz, hopefully for Christmas, whereby I don’t want the actual answers (to 25 particular questions, all with a common theme in the answer), merely an omitted question!  

Day 269: Stand Up Meeting Online. SUMO. Ian Bird told me. I might struggle with double Y for my quiz. Work was OK, more Qfiniti stuff. Posh drew away to MK 1-1. Posh were 0-1 up but Lincs lost at home. I can’t undertsand why that pleases me so....oh, yeah I can Steve Dee.

Day 270: Struggling to order Dad and Rita booze for Christmas without it being a Morrison’s delivery that I can do through Amazon Prime. That would be OK but it’s just a bit clinical! Meanwhile, now I am paying for Prime, and they are showing some Premiership games (for example, tonight I watched Liverpool v. Spurs (2-1), I really have to contact Sky - I am paying £71pm atm! Sam posted pic of her Christmas tree but mentioned how she’s finding it hard to get in the spirit - Paul has testicular cancer and the outlook is bleak - fuck know’s what she’s going through with all that, trying to shield Romiley from the worst without lying!