#while he was hugging him<3 and trying his best not to move. sure the urge to grab whatever he had close and make him bleed was there

[malkaviian]

yeah sure, whatever, maverick and blade had a lot going on sexually speaking (although they never had sex), but also their ""relationship"" (also not dating) was kind of soft on its own way.

[mothhball]

II – VIRIDIS

viridis – marked by youthful vigor

JONATHAN CRANE X FEM!READER

summary Drinking your woes away was a temporary solution, and it ends up in tears. But even in the darkest night, there's the chance of a silver lining. Just be sure you're well-informed about your shiny spark of hope.

warnings NEEDLES, BLOOD SAMPLE, very mild medfet (a whisper for now), alcohol, reader gets drunk, some mildly foul language, unhappy relationship,

notes oooo longer chapter! and things are MOVING

! MINORS DNI !

story masterlist • main masterlist • taglist • kofi word count: 5.2k

The news themselves were already bad, but even worse was the pity from everyone you told about the rejection. Behind every sympathetic smile and half-hug was a hidden “I told you so” that no one said out loud, but was obvious enough.

Despite what people told you, apparently no one had believed that you could make it in the first place, and that realization caused a rage to burn and fester within your guts. A rage which found no outlet since that wretched Thursday that you since then blacked out with a fat sharpie from your calendar. Reading that letter felt like repeatedly getting hit over the head with a steel pipe, beating you into a pathetic, bloody pulp right where you were standing in your kitchen. Your boyfriend tried to rub your back, but you bristled and immediately turned away from him, scowling like it was him specifically who sent the rejection. His little pout disgusted you. But what made you actually nauseous was the relief in his eyes. Never once, in 3 years of this relationship, did you resent him like you did on that Thursday afternoon. Bitter, seething resentment which almost caused you to lash out at him like a riled-up dog.

But instead, you chose to take the high road. Or rather you fled, left the apartment and drove over to your best friend Mina’s to cry and shout into one of her lovely couch pillows. The smart, admirable choice would’ve been to write an email to Potomac. To timidly ask Dr. Rabin to turn a blind eye and allow you to send in a late application. But every time your fingers hovered over the keys of your old, ratty laptop, the embarrassment was too much, and you slammed it shut once more, leaving the unfinished request behind. But your boyfriend Tristan, in his seemingly endless quest of half-heartedly trying to manage your future, urged you to send the email. So, you did. At least that’s what you told him. A little white lie to let him keep his peace of mind. 

Your mood only got worse towards the weekend, prompting a few of your friends and your boyfriend to drag you off to do the responsible thing. Get drunk and shake off the tension during a night out. And now here you are, downing shots on a Saturday night in an attempt to forget your woes at least for a little while.

The club is packed and stuffy, and the lights flicker over a mass of people that seems to have grown into one hive mind of an entity, allowing you to feel swallowed and anonymous for just a few blissful hours. Every mouthful of alcohol that you swallow works in your favor to numb the anxiety gnawing at your bones while the bass gently licks at your feverish skin, causing your heart to vibrate in your ribcage. It’s easy to lose yourself in sips of colorful shots and cocktails. At least until a firm hand on your shoulder prevents you from placing another order. Turning your head, you’re met by Tristan’s disgruntled eyes, and before you can shake off his grip, he’s already pulling you away from the bar to a relatively quiet spot in another hallway of the club. Still, he has to raise his voice when he speaks to you, already laying the foundation for a screaming match.

“What are you doing??” he asks, giving you a once over that only serves to further sour his mood.

“What do you mean? I’m just having a couple of drinks,” you slur back at him, returning that nasty look he’s sending you. Tristan scoffs, shaking his head like you’re a lost cause, even though he’s not exactly sober either.

“You’re getting wasted. Are you still sulking over that rejection? Jesus…”

That actually makes your jaw drop, and you’re speechless for a few seconds, which your boyfriend takes as his cue to continue.

“Just let it go. Some things aren’t meant to be. It’s better this way”

“What the hell do you mean by that?” you hiss back at him, curling your fingers tightly into the fabric of the little dress you’re wearing.

“I… Listen, we both know Arkham isn’t… your style. You… you’re not that kind of person –“ Tristan sighs, somehow trying to make his statement seem less insulting and vague by waving his hands around in your face.

“The kind of person to what??”

“The kind of person who’d make it there! You would’ve quit after two weeks! Let’s be real for once. And then you’d have to start over again and you would have to wait yet another semester to graduate!” Every word that leaves his mouth pisses you off even more, and a truly ugly emotion rears its head within you. Things are escalating. You still have half a mind to realize it. You should call it a night, go home and talk things out in the morning. But this is the first time that Tristan is being brutally honest about your career choices.

“Oh, I didn’t know it was a race, Tristan! How silly of me! I’ll make sure to plan every future decision around your life schedule from now on!” You get in his face, venom dripping off of every shouted syllable that slips from your tongue a little too easily.

“You’re putting words in my mouth! I never said I wanted you to plan your life around me! I’m just worried! All of my friend’s girlfriends –“

“So that’s what this is about? The girlfriends of your little business school friend group?? Am I part of some weird dick measuring contest?” You continue before he gets a word in, asking a question that’s been burning in your throat for a few months now.

“Are you ashamed of me??”

You’re met with silence. Silence that’s so obviously an answer in itself that it causes your heart to slip out of your chest and shatter on the sticky floor below. Tristan notices the devastated expression on your face, but his drunken audacity eggs him on to double down. 

“I wouldn’t have to be if you just acted like an adult! You can’t always get what you want! For fuck’s sake, just be happy with what you have for once!” You wish you had a drink you could throw in his face. But your hands are empty, shaking with anger and disappointment. You can’t look at him anymore.

“Screw you, Tristan.” And with that, you turn, leaving him standing there while you rush to find an exit as tears well up in your eyes. He doesn’t make a move to follow you, and it simultaneously calms and saddens you even more. 

Navigating the club is even more complicated with your blurred vision, and you bump into a few people, no doubt spilling a few overpriced drinks in the process. But you’re either too fast or they’re too drunk to really do anything about it.

Finally, finally, you make it outside, choking out a strangled noise that’s a pathetic mix between a sob and a whine, and you quickly duck into a nearby alley to give way to the tears. You’re drunk and overly emotional, you try to rationalize with yourself, but it doesn’t lessen the ache in any way. So, pressing a palm over your mouth, you reluctantly allow yourself to cry. The night air is icy, but fresh enough to comfort you and slowly clear up the lump in your throat, and after some cathartic five minutes, you start to calm down again. Your tears run black at this point, dragging your favorite mascara down your cheeks, and you sniffle as you into your purse to grab a compact mirror and assess the damage. 

It's in that moment when your phone display lights up, alerting you to an incoming call. Your stomach twists into knots as you fish the phone out of your purse. A call from Tristan might make things worse, and you’re not really in the mood to talk to him right now, so – 

But the call isn’t coming from your boyfriend. Your eyes widen before they narrow into slits, and annoyance bubbles up within your chest. There on the phone display, proudly displayed as the caller ID is Dr. Jonathan Crane’s name. Your thumb hovers over the glass before you decide to pick up the call. As soon as you hear his voice, annoyance gives way to a little spark of hope. It also serves to sober you up a little. You barely have time to rasp out a “Hello?” before he speaks, sounding almost relieved that you picked up.

“I know that calling at such a late hour is quite unusual, but I’m glad I could get ahold of you before it was too late. Believe me, I was just as surprised as you most likely were. To be frank, I was so certain that you'd be joining us that I didn't even check the list to confirm it.” Papers rustle on his end of the line. He must still be in his office.

“Yeah, I… I was optimistic as well. Maybe… Maybe a little too much,” you admit softly, trying to concentrate on your words to avoid slurring. Crane hums, and you can’t tell if it’s in understanding or amusement. Reading him in person was already hard enough, but it’s nigh impossible over the phone.

“Tell you what, I believe you dodged a bullet. I clarified with the other staff members what the responsibilities of those interns will be, and that wouldn’t be right for you. Sorting files and sitting in on group therapy sessions at the Low Security Wing? No, that would be a waste of your time. You’re not that kind of person. Which is why I’m offering you something else.”

You lick your dry lips, still tasting the salt of your tears and some last traces of your lipstick. For a second, you’re unsure if you heard him correctly. “Something else?”

Crane glosses over your question, and in your mind you understand. This might be sensitive information. Drunk-You feels a little like a spy, keeping a secret from Tristan who would surely be mad that you’re even talking to the director of Arkham Asylum right now.

“Are you free to come in tomorrow? I know it’s quite late already –“

“Yes. Yes, I am,” you interrupt, feeling brave. 

“Good. Then let’s meet in my office at… let’s say… 10 am? Is that alright?”

“I… uh, absolutely.” You quickly rummage through your purse, using a lip liner and an old receipt to haphazardly write down the appointment. “I’ll be there.”

“Perfect. Enjoy the rest of your night,” he says before he hangs up right after. You have no chance to say goodbye properly as the line clicks. Maybe it’s for the best. Knowing yourself, you would’ve wished him a great night as well with the addition of a plea to “get home safe”, which would’ve been a little much.

When you head back inside, you’re spotted by your worried friends and an indifferent Tristan, and dear GOD, the urge to boast and gloat has never been this strong before in your life. But you stay quiet as you put on a smile, avoiding to look at your boyfriend. You stay quiet as your group gets into a taxi, and stay quiet as you get back home and head straight for your bed. “You’re not that kind of person” was something you heard twice in one night. And only once did it feel right.

The pounding ache in your skull serves as your alarm clock the next day, tearing you out of a restless sleep only 10 minutes before you were supposed to get up anyway. A frown finds its way onto your features as you tiptoe out of the bedroom, catching a glimpse of the still sleeping Tristan on the couch in the living room. Neither of you have said a word to each other since the fight, and you'll be damned if you start the conversation about something he messed up in the first place.

You walk past him, feeling the cold surface of the floorboards beneath your feet as you head into the bathroom to try to make yourself look (and smell) presentable. The stench of alcohol leaves your tongue after brushing and rinsing with mouthwash thrice, and an overindulgence of body wash in the shower solves everything else. The final touch is a generous amount of concealer under your eyes, and you're surprised that you actually pass off as someone who doesn't have an awful hangover right now.

Getting dressed is another challenge, though. You can't exactly say that Drunk-You had the gift of foresight to pick a suitable outfit for your second meeting with Dr. Crane, so you dig through your closet to make yourself look presentable. Your fingers wander over the different fabrics, tracing cotton and polyester, wool and tweed as you grumble to yourself. Christ, this shouldn’t feel like rocket science.

This dreadful indecisiveness eats up a sizeable chunk of your time, and as you button up your blouse, you realize how late it suddenly is.

Breakfast consists of an aspirin and a large black coffee, and you make sure to let the coffee machine shriek as loudly as it wants just to spite Tristan a little more before you rush out of the apartment. 

This time around, the drive to Arkham Asylum feels a little more familiar. You still depend heavily on your GPS, but you remember some of the turns and streets, and you don’t feel as tiny and insignificant as you did a week ago. You’re here with an explicit purpose now. Crane knows who you are and asked you to come back nevertheless.

Upon entering the still intimidating building, you stop by the reception again, spotting a familiar face. The receptionist seems just as surprised to see you, sharp eyes flicking down to a visitor's list that seems to confirm the validity of your return before she points a manicured nail towards the security check. You raise your hand to wave at her as you pass. She doesn't wave back. Oh well, you can't get them all.

The maze of a third-floor feels straightforward as well today, made possible by the ever-present red lines guiding you to your destination. This time, you're able to meet Crane in his office, and his request to enter can be heard through the door after the first knock.

Everything still looks the same as you enter, save for his now orderly desk. The chaos of files from back then is now a neat stack that the doctor rests his folded hands atop. You open your mouth to greet him, but Crane speaks first, completely catching you off-guard.

"The bunny is back. I'm glad to see it."

"Excuse me?" You blink at him before you look down at yourself. No, no bunny-themed clothes or accessories anywhere that might have given him the idea to call you that. You’re drawing a blank. Unsure whether this is part of a hazing process or an inside joke you must’ve missed, you lift your gaze back up to him. There’s a fleeting look of sardonic amusement on his face before he reels himself back in to elaborate.

“That's what you reminded me of the first time you came here. Glancing around, all skittish and frightened in the hallway…” he explains, already turning his head away from you to reach into one of his desk drawers and retrieve a folder. Your folder. “Please, close the door and take a seat. We’re already running low on time.”

After following his instructions, you find yourself sitting in the same chair from a week ago, foregoing the act of presenting yourself as a confident person. It’s no use, anyway. Crane already knows you’re desperate. It’s seeping out of your every pore, giving your worries a rich and sweet taste that the director of Arkham seems to indulge in for a moment. At least, that’s what you assume based on the expression in his cold eyes. You’re no fool. It’s basically a guarantee that his offer will bite you in the ass in some way or another. 

“You must be a little put-off by this meeting. It’s not exactly orthodox to ask you to come in on a Sunday, but I read the list of this year’s interns just minutes before I called you last night. And that was purely by chance. Like I said, I was positive you’d be one of them.” Crane opens your folder, but his eyes stay on your face. “I have no idea what goes on in the heads of my staff sometimes, and now I’m fairly certain it can’t be much. But I don’t intend to waste a person like you.”

You shift in your seat, listening intently to every word that leaves his lips. It’s your lifeline. And he knows it.

“So, I am making you an offer. Just promise to listen first,” he says, and one of his eyebrows twitches upwards at the intensity in your gaze. “The position I’m offering you would be exclusive. It won’t be approved by anyone else but me and it technically didn’t exist before I made up my mind about it. I am offering you the position of intern assistant.”

Your eyes widen. Even in his darkroom of an office, it feels like the air just became lighter and the colors brighter. Crane lifts a finger, continuing his offer.

“No surface scratching – You’d be my shadow. Which means more work and responsibilities, but also more privileges, more insight, more knowledge. I’ll teach you what you need to know to get ahead in this field, and by the end of it, your fellow students will eat your dust. Your professors as well, if I’m being honest.”

Before you can even respond, he’s already reaching back into his desk, pulling out a massive stack of paperwork. And then the rushing begins. Crane checks his watch, clicking his tongue before he pushes the documents over to you, along with a fountain pen.

“How long would it take you to read this? I have to hand this in within the next 50 minutes to make sure you’re cleared in time. If you even accept my offer, that is. It’s a terrible time crunch, I know, but I’d really like to have you as a member of staff in one week.”

Tentatively, you reach out for the fountain pen, twirling it around in your fingers for a moment as you think about his offer. This hesitancy only causes him to lean forward and flip through the first pages, pointing out a handful of sections for only a few seconds each before he moves on.

“It’s the regular stuff, I guess. Everything I just told you in cumbersome wording. I really wish I could take my time and go through each page with you, but the circumstances just won’t allow it. If you have any questions, I’ll gladly answer all of them once you’ve signed.”

It’s shady as hell. A red flag that’s so glaringly obvious that it makes you wonder how Crane can keep a straight expression. But this is your one chance of getting a look behind the scenes. Your one chance of proving them wrong. Professor Campbell, Tristan, everyone who doubted you could do it. This could go horribly wrong. But it could also be your ticket into the big leagues. Shadowing the asylum’s director would be a privilege that no one else gets. A chance to make connections and grow. Not to mention that your résumé would look incredible with Crane’s recommendation attached to it.

Hell, he may be exploiting you, but who says you can’t exploit him right back? It’s your good right to milk this opportunity as much as you can.

Meanwhile, the psychiatrist continues to ramble on, rattling off half-apologies and made-up reasons why you have to sign as quickly as possible once he reaches the last page of the contract. The page where you have to place your signature on the intended line. Both of you are surprised by how quickly you sign it. 

As you place the cap back onto the fountain pen, it feels like the air has been sucked out of the room, creating a vacuum in which both of you seem to grapple with the reality that you’d be stuck to Dr. Crane’s side for a few months, following every step and instruction of his. You manage to break the silence first.

“There. I have questions now.”

“Of course. I already expected as much,” Crane says as he pulls the freshly signed contract back to his side of the desk, staring down at your signature as if he’s half expecting it to jump off the paper. But then he places the thick document back into the drawer it came from, letting out a quiet breath. You notice that he seems significantly more at ease now, movements once again patient and effortlessly measured, and your brows furrow a little as you speak.

“What’s my hourly rate?”

“There’s nothing of the sort, I’m afraid.” Your blood runs cold at his nonchalance, and your lips part to protest when he cuts you off. “You will be working the same hours as me. And since my overtime and schedule is a little unpredictable at times, we will just have to see. You will be paid at the end of the month, however. The amount will depend on how much we actually did.”

“I… alright.” You bite your tongue, even though your displeasure is obvious. Nevertheless, you proceed with your second question. “You mentioned more responsibilities. I guess there’s a catch, then? Or a few?”

Crane chuckles, getting up from his chair to walk over to a cabinet in search of something specific. He speaks to you from over his shoulder.

“Right to the point. Wonderful. But yes, there are a few peculiarities that come with the position. Starting with – You’re not afraid of needles, are you?”

He closes the cabinet, returning to the desk with a little tray containing various items.

“We’ll start with a mandatory blood sample. I hope this isn’t a problem. I just need to know that my assistant is in peak condition. And didn’t smoke anything on the way here.”

You want to scoff, but swallow the sound at the last second. The fact that you took offense to his unspoken accusation is written across your face, and Crane doesn’t comment any further on it as he sets the tray down on the desk and pulls his chair closer to yours.

“I’m fine with needles,” you murmur, already pulling up your sleeve.

“No trypanophobia? A shame,” Crane chuckles, sitting down again before he reaches out for your arm. Your doubts whether he’s even qualified to do this as a psychiatrist vanish the moment his hands come in contact with your skin. He’s cold. Almost uncomfortably cold as his fingers brush over the bend of your elbow in search of a suitable vein. Once he’s successful, he picks a tourniquet from the tray of equipment and fastens it around your upper arm. His movements seem too perfect to be experienced. As if he’s a green med student working with the textbook perched on his lap. As if he’d burst into flame if he did something wrong.

“So, about the catch,” he continues, grabbing a bottle of disinfectant and spraying it over the spot he picked on your arm. Surprisingly, the liquid isn’t much colder than his touch. “Since you’ll be my shadow, you’re also required to accompany me to appointments outside of Arkham. Conferences, meetings… so on and so forth. I also have some upcoming court dates within the next few months. Obviously, I’m not the defendant. I’m just an advisor.”

You nod along to his words, eyes following his hands as he rubs disinfectant into his own skin before he pulls on a pair of blue nitrile gloves. Crane stretches the material over his hands until it’s taut, making it squeak before he shifts closer until his knees touch yours. At this proximity, you can smell his cologne, and the combination throws you off a little. It’s mainly sandalwood and bergamot, but there’s a hint of something else you can’t quite grasp. Something chemical, almost acidic. The psychiatrist continues to speak, pulling you out of your thoughts.

“Another catch is that there’s a required dress code for you. As my assistant, you need to always look presentable. You can’t be running around looking like a hobo since your actions and appearance will reflect on me as well. And I’d rather not be associated with… any of those cheap trends that seem to be popular with the bottom of the barrel nowadays. You’ll have to give me your clothing size so I can prepare a new wardrobe for you. It’ll just save us time in the long run.”

Your brows furrow, but his request seems reasonable. “Alright. I suppose that’s fair,” you say, watching closely as he runs his thumb over the bend of your elbow. Then, he presses down to anchor the vein. It’s right in this moment when he decides to drop another bombshell.

“Which brings me to probably the biggest drawback in all of this.”

Your eyes flicker up to meet his. He’s already looking at your face, watching for the slightest twitch in your expression.

“You’ll have to stay at my place for the duration of your internship.”

What follows is a solid minute of deafening silence. Your pulse races, thumping softly against the pad of Crane’s thumb. He can tell you’re displeased, and he frowns a little, surprisingly empathetic.

“What?” you manage to croak out, swallowing dryly.

“Believe me, I spent all night trying to come up with a better solution. Sometimes, I get emergency calls in the middle of the night and it’s vital that you’re there with me. Those cases are the real deal. They’re raw and unfiltered, often much more than incidents that happen during the day. And as you told me during your interview, you live quite far away from here.”

You nod stiffly, gaze dropping to where he’s still pressing his thumb down on your arm. Crane can see and feel how uneasy this condition makes you, and he tries to lessen the blow.

“You’ll have your own bathroom and bedroom, of course. We will only share the kitchen and living room. And the laundry room, but I suppose that is the least of your worries. I won’t bother you.”

When he sees that you’re still not too happy, he quickly adds, “You can also tell me to be quiet whenever I mention work after hours.”

This at least gets a reaction from you. You force yourself to crack a smile, meeting his eyes once more.

“Okay. I’ll hold you to it.”

“Perfect.” The psychiatrist nods, wasting no time uncapping a butterfly needle and puncturing your skin with it. The sudden sting almost makes you flinch, but his grip suddenly is so tight that you don’t get any wiggle room. You watch as your blood travels down through the attached tube, filling up a small sample bottle and shortly after, a second one.

“You’re pretty brave for a bunny,” he jokes, setting your blood samples down on the tray before he releases the tourniquet and reaches for some gauze. His eyes stay on yours the entire time as he pulls out the needle and presses the gauze against your arm, soaking up your discomfort in a way that only fascinated scientists are capable of. 

“Press down.”

You mutter a “sure” as you obey his instruction, relieved when he finally turns away from you to discard the needle and his gloves. The final touch is a little band-aid over the tiny puncture wound, and you keep your hand over it as Crane pushes his chair back into its rightful place and takes a seat once more. He studies one of the full sample tubes as he speaks up again.

“You must be a little overwhelmed right now. Which is understandable, don’t get me wrong. But I’d like for you to go home and start packing your most important belongings. I’ll text you my address and will take care of the rest. You just need to show up next Sunday and get started on Monday.”

“Do I need to bring anything in specific? Like… a notebook or something?”

“No,” he shakes his head. “You’ll get your stationery and other supplies here. I’ll make sure to try to organize you a separate desk. Maybe even one of the more comfortable office chairs. But I can’t really promise any luxuries.”

“I know this establishment oftentimes seems like a revolving door when it comes to staff applying and quitting. But I don't want that with you.” Crane tears his eyes away from your blood sample, giving you his undivided attention again. “There won't be an easy way out, however. Either you prove yourself and do your job until the end of your internship, or else there will be no certificate and you'll have to try your luck elsewhere. And I hate to worry you, but getting a job without one of my letters of recommendation might be a little tricky. But I assure you, that's the absolute worst-case scenario."

You let out a little breath and nod, straightening in your chair. Your mind is already racing, spinning around in a colorful variety that ranges from dread to genuine excitement. The biggest problem, however, is that you will have to break the news to your boyfriend. The thought makes you a little nauseous, but if Crane notices it, he’s generous enough not to mention it. 

Your goodbyes are brief, and you’re still holding your hand over the band aid as you leave the building and reach your car. Dark clouds are brewing overhead, announcing one of Gotham’s common rainy afternoons, and it already smells earthy with a hint of wet concrete.

The drive home doesn’t take as much time as you would’ve liked, even though you’re stopped plenty of times by red lights or passing cop cars with their sirens turned on. No, you reach the apartment much too soon, climbing the stairs with a heavy heart and sweaty palms. The band aid feels like it’s burning a hole into your flesh, hidden away underneath your sleeve. A secret hint of the meeting with Crane. Your key hovers in front of the lock on your front door as you freeze. Telling Tristan about the internship would mean telling him about your impending new living arrangements. Yes, you’d get the satisfaction of proving him wrong about your capabilities, but he’d blow up about everything else. Even worse, what if he reports the conditions of your internship? What if he ruins everything before it has even begun? 

Another big fight doesn’t fit into your schedule either. Neither does a breakup. Taking a breath, you unlock the door and step into the apartment, almost immediately meeting Tristan in the hallway. Time freezes for a moment, and then you say the first thing that comes to mind.

“I need to pack. They want me back at Potomac.”

It’s okay, right? It’s no big deal. After all, it’s just another little white lie to let him keep his peace of mind.

@ellebelleshelby @cilliansprincess @mcumorningstar @x0xomady @mandies24

@detroitbecomevenom @pretty-bluebird @ink5ouls @flwrs4aust @vampmary1411

@ashdrinksoatmilk @nnattu @ptolemaniac @kiss-me-cill-me @celebrities-imagines

@hanawrites404 @ilovetoxicfictionalmen @nocturnest @biblicallyaccuratebee @red-riding-wood

@luvlloyd @ribbonystar @smxkyqvxrtz @bloodandglitter207

@rosiemarieyn @sagepixie @snickersmee @voltage-supernatural-art @feasibilities

@cilly-murphy @paradiseprincesss @oceanstem @your-nanas-house @fantasmitasolo

@cillianhead @xlostitx @kefi-meraki @ilovepeoplesdads @vegasisthinking

@ryecosse @strangeobsessed @xsweetcatastrophe @cillianslvt @ilovedottore

[fuxuannie]

↳ pairing : miles morales x g-neutral reader

↳ synopsis : (first part of) sfw alphabet with miles !!

↳ authors note : could contain astv spoilers ?? i think i'll do another alphabet w a spiderverse character soon when i finish this!! ive been working on a hobie fic but his british is killing me PLZ save me im SOBBING its being delayed just cause hes british thats crazy

— ❥ Affection - is he the affectionate type?

☆☆ I think Miles is really affectionate with his partner, holding hands and all of that. Tries to be a romantic (and fails sometimes cause hes far too silly for that) but he's doing his best!! Affection is definitely very important to him so :)

— ❥ BEGINNER - is he new 2 relationships?

☆☆ Definitely, you'd be his first love and so he tries his best with you. He'll make sure to take you out on good dates, meet your parents, make like thousands drawings of you in his sketchbook and just generally try to hide the nerves of being in a relationship. Of course, Miles isn't perfect, but you understand that and just accept him nevertheless.

— ❥ CUDDLING - does he like 2 cuddle ?? how does he like 2 cuddle :)) ??

☆☆ Cuddling is a need, it is a requirement. He will demand cuddling at least once every day just so he feels something in his cold and empty soul. (he's being sarcastic, please cuddle him hes so sad when you don't)

— ❥ Domestic - does he wanna settle some day ?? how good is he at household chores ??

☆☆ Miles is a teenager, that kind of thing has yet to cross his mind or atleast think of it super seriously. But he would love to move in with you at some point, make you breakfast in bed and stuff like that. He definitely used to help his mom when he was younger, just gives off the vibe :))

— ❥ Ending - how n why would he end things with you ??

☆☆ The only thing that would push Miles that far is for your own safety. When he dates someone, he doesn't wanna do it just because you two like each other, he dates to stay together and not for a fleeting feeling that'll come to pass. But it hurts him more to leave someone he still loves, but knows its for your safety <\3

— ❥ Fiance(e) - marriage? commitment?

☆☆ I mean, same reason with the letter D, he's a teenager so that thing doesn't really cross his mind. He does like to joke around that he'll propose to you with a bagel or something.. (uh oh)

— ❥ Gentle - is he gentle physically and emotionally ??

☆☆ He tries his best to be. He understands how a lot of things can be overwhelming and hard to understand, so whether you need his emotional or physical help he's always willing to give it. He'll give you words of affirmation or hold you till you feel better. :)

— ❥ Hugs - does he like em ?? does he hate em??

☆☆ Miles LOVES it when you hug him, especially when you initiate it first. He'll sometimes pick you up and do a little spin because it makes him that happy T_T♡ Please hug him, he needs it badly after everything

— ❥ I love you - how long did it take for him to say it ?? does he say it often ??

☆☆ Miles took his time when it came to finally saying 'I love you'. He wanted to make sure that he'd mean it, and will continue to mean it while you guys are together. When it comes to saying I love you, he wants it to be in appropriate times and places but he usually says it when hes sleepy and just has no filter at all.

— ❥ Jealousy - does he get jealous often ??

☆☆ Yes and Miles makes it very obvious. You find it amusing every time he'll pull you by your waist towards him so he can hold you by his side. He'll urge you to continue your conversation, but the person you're speaking to can tell he is one minor inconvenience away to picking you up and just running off. (he'll only ever act like this if the person has clear intentions that were NOT approved of by him)

— ❥ Kissing - does he like kissing ?? how does he like 2 kiss ??

☆☆ He does the upside down kiss at like any given moment while he's on patrol. HE LOVES DOING IT he thinks its the most silly thing ever and the way the first time he tried it, his web snapped and he fell before he could kiss is ENGRAVED in your memory. Of course, he'll enjoy smaller kisses like on the nose or on his forehead cause it makes him feel soso soft.

— ❥ Little Ones - is he good with kidz ?!

☆☆ HES AWFUL. have you seen the scene with him and Mayday?! He has never held a child a day in his life, he will call an infant baby 'bro' or something and try to take it skateboarding. He will try if you have younger siblings, it's like training to get into the family; if you can handle the little menaces you are welcomed <3.

[jooillusion]

helloo~! This was a random 2am thought but what would ot6 reaction be to an unexpected/unplanned pregnancy? They could be married / only dating. Let your mind wander 💗

pregnancy ft. ot6 <3

warnings: unplanned pregnancy, brief mention of vomiting in jiseok’s, a little angsty in hyeongjun’s

lets say you and your boyfriend have been dating for a little over a year. condoms weren’t used after your one year anniversary.

now what did 99% of fic writers tell you about unprotected sex? yeah reader isn’t on birth control now you’re on the way home back from the hospital after feeling too sick. turns out you were completely unaware of being one month pregnant and you don’t even know how you’re going to break the news to your boyfriend. the urge to throw up was even more stronger when you heard your boyfriend walk through the door.

“what’s wrong babe?” he’d ask. his ability to automatically sense your anxious state almost brings you to tears. you bit your lip, avoiding eye contact and blinking once more before your eyes finally meet his.

“i’m not sick because of a stomach bug,” you’d start, eyes closing to avoid seeing his reaction. it was already far too late to abort, so you had no choice but to let him know. “i’m sick because i’m pregnant.”

꩜ G. GUNIL

you’re startled when you feel gunil’s arms wrapped around you, lifting you up off of the ground and spinning you around. elated doesn’t even describe him right now, he feels as if he’s on cloud nine. little did you know, he was ready to take the next step into your relationship and the thought of creating something so beautiful with you truly warms his heart. he can’t wait to be stuck to your side like glue, taking care of you every single second of the day.

꩜ K. JUNGSU

you hear the audible gasp leave jungsu’s lips, and you’re ready for the words of he’s not ready to be a father yet. instead, you’re met with a loud screech? jungsu can’t stop himself from moving, punching the air in excitement and jumping up and down a few times before gathering himself. he clears his throat, “oh, you’re pregnant? cool.” and you find yourself smiling at his actions. he’s already boasting about how excited he is for the upcoming months, hoping and praying for a son.

꩜ K. JISEOK

Jiseok’s mind fogs for a second. his warm palm on your cheek is the next thing you feel, leaning into it as he looks you in the eyes with a caring smile. the announcement doesn’t click until ten minutes later when you’re puking in a toilet again and he’s holding your hair back for you, cooing into your ear about how he’s ready to take care of you and your little one. once you’re done, he’s already discussing baby names and suggesting pregnancy food combinations that he tried and were good.

꩜ O. SEUNGMIN

just like gunil, seungmin is immediately holding you in his arms and spinning you around. he sets you on your two feet, “wait i’ll be right back.” and he disappears into your shared bedroom down the hall. a minute and a half later he comes back with a slightly worn out notebook. “i’ve had this since i was fifteen. i’ve always wanted to be a dad so…” the notebook is filled with baby names, both for boys and girls. you flip through it, not even noticing that he’s on his computer already shopping for a crib and clothes.

꩜ H. HYEONGJUN

hyeongjun’s words are caught in his throat. the uncomfortable silence lasts for too long, long enough to bring you to tears and storm off into your shared bedroom. hyeongjun follows behind you, seeing you crying in your hands which shatters his heart into pieces. he pulls you into a hug, kissing your forehead and trying to get you to calm down, whispering that he’s actually happy about it, just anxious about when the time comes to give birth and promises that he’ll be the best father for you guys’ baby. after you’ve calmed down, he’s preparing you your favorite meal while you’re laying in bed.

꩜ L. JOOYEON

“wait, really?!” you’re not sure if it’s out of annoyance, happiness, or if he was genuinely surprised due to his accent, but the tears that have welled up in your eyes finally slip out and jooyeon is panicking. his warm palms find your shoulders, “why’re you crying, babe? aren’t you excited to have a mini us running around?!” he says excitedly, wiping your tears. “maybe we could name he or she after Luke hyung.” you can’t help but smile, your tears of sadness shifting into tears of joy.

i giggled at the end LOLOL i’m sorry i saw an opportunity and TOOK IT 😭

please remember that this is a pure work of fiction.

[mazeinthemiroh]

Hi, I’m having a really rough time with a lot of bad going on right now.. if you wouldn’t mind, could you pls do a bang chan scenario where he comforts you? or you can do an skz reaction based on it, up to you. I just rly need some comfort right now…

how stray kids comfort their s/o

genre: fluff, hurt / comfort

word count: 0.8k

warnings: mentions of food

a/n: hey sweetie. i'm so sorry you're going through a tough time rn :( thinking of you <3 i took the liberty of doing a ot8 reactions on this for, yk, ultimate comfort purposes. i hope this helps in some way. take care <3

bangchan

he's a natural comforter, that's just who he is. so going to him when you are struggling seems like the only thing to do; it just feels right. he's got you wrapped in his arms immediately, the softness of his muscles squeezing against your frame as he rocks you slowly from side to side, kisses the top of your head and rubbing a hand up and down your back to soothe you. he encourages you to cry; he doesn't want you to hold back. of course, it completely breaks his heart when you do cry, and he will get misty-eyed himself. but he will kiss your tears away and hush your cries, before pulling you back in for another bear hug.

minho

he's not sure what to do at first because he knows people like different forms of comfort. his go-to move is to wrap an arm around your shoulder, rubbing your arm gently and cooing when you sniffle your tears back. "jagi, don't cry" he'll say, wiping any tears that slide down your cheeks. "don't be silly, you'll be ok." wants you've settled down a little bit he will be more affectionate, scooping you up in his arms and pulling you closer to his chest. he will make jokes here and there to try and cheer you up, and he will feel like he's won at life when you let out a little giggle. he just wants his baby to feel okay </3

changbin

he'll totally baby you. cooing and kissing the tip of your nose, he will cup your cheeks in his hands and tell you how much he loves you. he'll be so fluffy with you, taking you in his arms and cuddling you for as long as you like. he's also the type to do things for you. will make you a hot chocolate and grab a cookie, for good measure, bringing it over to you while he listens to you talk about what's wrong. then he's massaging circles your thigh, soothing you whilst remaining eye contact, nodding along to what you're saying and trying to see if he can help changbin best boyfriend alert

hyunjin

wraps you up in a fluffy blanket when he sees the tears form in your eyes. he wipes any stray away with his sweater paws. he gets very affectionate leaning on you and wrapping both his arms around your waist. but ultimately, he's definitely one that wants you to talk about it to him. he doesn't want to be left in the dark; he wants to know how you're feeling and why you are feeling, not so much as to help you, but more so that he can understand you. in his eyes, you can see his sincere interest in you as he urges you to pour out your feelings to him.

jisung

he's the type that wants to distract you. he thinks that, instead of dwelling on sad thoughts for too long, cheering yourself is the best way to go. mainly because, when he sees anything but a smile on your face, he gets worried. and when you cry? oh boy. he breaks a bit. so he likes to get that smile back on your face as soon as possible. and if he's the cause of your smiling, that's even better. he might say a little joke or even go as far as doing aegyo for you because he knows it makes you cringe and laugh. after a smile breaks on your face, he relaxes, before telling you it's all going to be okay.

felix

the ultimate comfort person™. there's something about felix that radiates such warmth. with anyone, he's just so welcoming and genuine. there have been so many people drawn to felix because he's so lovely to them. so when you need comfort from him, his arms are already open. his empathy is quite high so he can tell just by the change in your vibe that you're not okay. he'll want to talk about it more than anything else. will ask if he can do anything for you. might even cheer you up by baking some brownies for the both of you to share <33

seungmin

he wants to listen to you. he just wants to sit and listen as you open up to him completely. he'll let you do that. he'll let you and encourage you to pour your heart out to him, letting him know what's troubling you. it's important that you let your feeling about, and he's there to lend a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. he never lets go of your hand as he rubs the pad of his thumb on your palm, drawing circles to soothe you in a way you don't even notice at first. he just radiates pure comfort.

jeongin

he's quiet as he listens to you talk about what's wrong. he could tell you were upset, to begin with but he had no idea how upset you were. so, listening intently, he absorbs all the information your telling him, asking a few questions here and there. he commends you for making it this far and compliments you, telling you how strong you are. he also has the tendency to just feed you. stuffing you with ramen noodles and crisps and all sorts of comfort food. he believes food is the best medicine and you just can't argue with that!

[ladylooch]

ur doing gods work! can you write about nico & the reader crossing paths again after not seeing each other for a long time? <3

Crossing Paths with Nico Hischier

A/N: Ya know, the fan fic won't write it's self ( I know I've tried to convince it), so I'm happy to do it!

Word count: 1.0k

Warnings: lil angsty, swearing

Breaking up with Nico Hischier was the single hardest and most devastating thing you’ve ever done. 

You didn’t want to. 

But you didn’t see how this was going to work.

You were being promoted to the DC office of your advertising firm. It came with a private office, a huge pay bump, and a whole portfolio of dream clients.

The only thing it wouldn’t come with was your boyfriend. 

When you told Nico, he was ecstatic for you. He urged you to take it. He refused to listen to any of the concerns you had because he assumed you would stay together. Every night the month before your move, you agonized in your bed next to Nico while he slept. The logistics were starting to feel too difficult. Nico was sure you would find ways to see each other, but you knew the reality of life in DC was going to monopolize your time. Nico was used to you giving because his jobs took so much.

So you gathered up the courage to sit him down the night before you left and told him your concerns.

“Babe, this distance is going to be nothing for us. It’s temporary too.” The corporate office for your firm is in Manhattan. Nico has latched onto the idea that DC is a stepping stone for you. A temporary fork in the road until yours both meet again.

“Neeks.” You quietly say, squeezing his hand. Nico freezes, sensing where this is going. “I love you, but-“

“No, don’t say it. Don’t do this. Let’s just try and see how it goes.”

“I can’t.” Your voice breaks as you watch the tears fill his eyes. He sucks in a deep, unsteady breath through his nose. His mouth crumples and you feel a piece of your soul die on that brand new leather couch he bought so you would have more room to cuddle together. “I’m so sorry.” You cry as he stands up, dashing his fingers through his hair in despair. He begins to pace before he whirls back towards you.

“You said forever.” Nico spits. “When did you turn into such a liar?”

If your heart had any intact pieces left, they shattered at those words.

Two years later, you’re snapped out of the memory from the building across the street by the barista calling out your name. You’ve moved back to Jersey and are at the local coffee shop in Hoboken you frequented when Nico lived in that building. It’s been so long, you don’t think it’s possible he still lives there anymore. You grab the latte, bringing it over to the station by the window to grab a straw and a lid. 

“You know, most people grow out of adding extra sugar into their lattes.” A voice murmurs to your right. You turn, choking on your breath when you see Nico.  “But I guess you’re not most people.” You snort out a laugh, eyes squinting excitedly at how good he looks. 

“I just can’t quit big sugar. Keeps me employed.” You joke, stepping forward into his stretched out arms and giving him a hug. You both linger together. “Wow, do you still live here?” You point to the building.

“No I moved up a few blocks, but still walk down here from time to time.”

“Best espresso in the city.” You quote him.

“Yeah, still not Switzerland though.”

“Maybe you should open your own shop.” 

“You gonna do the advertisement for me?”

“Sure, I’ll even give you the friends and family discount.” He chuckles. 

“You look… wow.” He finishes in a whisper, taking in your professional dress, tights and heels. You’re decked out in blacks and reds, like he used to love on you. “My colors.” He would grin before kissing your lips.

Nothing about Nico has changed. He’s still sweet as honey.

“You too. Looks like you put some muscle on. Maybe Luca has finally stopped teasing you about growing into your pro body.”

“No, he’s never going to give that joke up. Not when he can still lift more than me.”

“Well, the work never really ends.” Your phone dings in your hand. You look down, seeing the reminder that you have 15 minutes to get to your client’s office. “I, uh, have to go.” You show him your phone. You could stay here with him for hours, truthfully, even though it wouldn’t be good for your heart. The one that never quite stopped loving him.

“Yeah, me too. I’m on my way to practice.” 

“It was really good to see you, Neeks. I still watch Devils games all the time. The team is really turning into a premier contender.” You both walk together towards the door, then outside, pausing on the sidewalk.

“Yeah? You cheer for me?”

“Yeah, but sometimes I cheer more for Jack.”

“He misses you.” He confesses.

“I know; He calls.” Nico closes his eyes with regret, shoving his free hand deep into his jacket pocket. He adjusts his grip on his cup.

“Look… Ah.. I know you gotta go, but I want you to know I’m sorry about the way we left things.” 

“Me too. I should have stayed here with you.”

“No. But it would have been nice if you had wanted to try long distance.” He winces after he says it, like he’s worried he crossed some imaginary line on the sidewalk. I slowly nod, stepping backwards towards my destination. 

“I’m back in Jersey now.” You’re not sure why you tell him, except that you want him to know you’ll be around. His eyebrows raise in surprise.

“You’re a year ahead of the plan.”

“I had some extra motivation.”

“Money?” He tilts his head, coy smile on his face.

“Yeah. We’ll go with that. I’ll see ya.” You wave. He returns yours, staying rooted to the sidewalk. He’s still there watching you when you turn back around for one more moment.

“Hey Nico.” His brown eyes are curious. “My phone number still works. Ask Jack if you need it again.”

“You gonna answer if I call?”

“Yeah. On the first ring.”

[callmerainman]

𝐍𝐨𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 | 𝐑𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐚 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

fandom. Mob Psycho 100 by ONE

spoilers!. unspecific spoilers about season’s 3 finale in the beginning, otherwise spoiler free

plot. Reigen Arataka is not only your boss at your part-time job, but your former high school best friend and unrequited love. After a kiss happens between you two, you worry that maybe Reigen is drifting away from you another time. You are devastated, and decide to discuss it while sharing a cigarette at your place.

word count. 4,836k

prompts. fem!Reader, reader is a model, childhood friends, not actually unrequited love, love confessions, fluff, light angst, smoking, late night conversations, kissing, teen crush, childhood memories, hurt and comfort, getting together, making out, emotional sex, naked cuddling, love making, getting together

tw. mild sexual content, sex is here but not graphic or either specifically described

notes. this fanfiction can be considered as a sequel to my other work “Still Into You”. It’s not mandatory to read, but it gives some more insight into reader’s work as a photo model and when Reigen realizes he’s in love with her. Enjoy :)

“I care for you still and I will forever”

There was a kiss.

With Reigen's hands plunged in your hair. Your eyes squeezed shut until they hurt. The sound of his breathing going out of his nostrils. Your hands holding his face.

It happened when Mob lost control of his powers, spreading chaos throughout Seasoning City. You could go with Reigen only for a brief part of your road towards the perturbation, as Serizawa protected the three of you with his umbrella. Reigen insisted on trying to meet Mob halfway, despite your protests.

"It's just Mob, I'll be okay and I'll be back"

He said all of this before taking off his shoes and running in the middle of all the debris that was flying around in the sky. Your legs couldn't move anymore than that, and you just put a hand on your mouth, trying to suppress the urge to scream at him to stop. As Reigen tried to reach Mob, you waited for him while leaning on Serizawa's shoulder, his umbrella protecting you two. Then, the storm stopped. And Reigen emerged under the sunsetting sky, his shirt ripped, blood pouring down his temple. As soon as you saw him, you stood up on your feet, beginning to run towards his direction as he did the same.

"Reigen!"

In a matter of just a few seconds you find yourselves in the arms of one another. It wasn't clear who started it first, but you began kissing. And why? For the care. For the passion. For the happiness of being alive. For love? You felt Reigen's lips moving on yours with resolution, while he ran his hands in your hair. He tasted like smoke, and vaguely of blood. It was a warm kiss just like you imagined it happening between you two. Your heart was beating so hard that you were sure that he was feeling it from your chest to his, from your heart to his. It wasn't the first kiss with Reigen that you expected, but it was the one you wished for. You were so lost in yourselves, that at some point Dimple had to call you two out.

"Geez, get a room"

Only then you regained the necessary awareness to separate. A nervous laugh escaped your lips, and slowly the hands that held you two close started to drift away from your skin. The moment you realized that not only Dimple was still alive, but that Mob was also okay, you ran up to both to hug them tight, even if it was difficult to do so with the green spirit. About the kiss, you didn't exactly know how to feel.

You don't even know it now that things between you and Reigen became weird. It has been two weeks since the kiss and neither one of you talked about an "us". Even after a kiss like that it was still just Reigen and (Y/N). But childhood friends don't kiss like that, and neither do co-workers or people who don't really love each other. That day, maybe for the first time, you had no doubt about his intentions. Reigen really did want to kiss you. It was written in his hands in your hair, in him pressing his body against yours, in the trembling breaths he took at any given occasion. But now you are tormented by doubts. The tone of your conversations was the same for the two weeks following the kiss. Always with the desire to talk about it on the tip of your tongues, but never with the courage to do it. You blame yourself too, it's the responsibility of both you and Reigen to consider your actions, what you two do to each other. But every time you see each other in the office there's that silent agreement: today the kiss will not be discussed.

This afternoon in the office is no different. Reigen has his appointments, Serizawa prepares some tea before heading out for an exorcism, while you on your desk do some paperwork. The looks you and Reigen exchange from time to time, full of unsaid things that are pushing to get outside the heart. In the beginning you could take it. The majority of time spent in the office was with Serizawa or Mob, and it wasn't the case to talk about the kiss in front of them. But after two weeks the excuses were running out. Even today. Not when Serizawa has been out for hours to get an exorcism done and neither you or Reigen decide to talk. Your eyes are slowly starting to sting, as you are scribbling down some practices. You think about how you and Reigen were best friends in middle school and high school. You told each other everything, even the things you were afraid to say to yourselves. You fell in love with him as you grew together, and hopelessly. You gazed at him from a distance at any given occasion, when you couldn't be close to him. Then you distanced yourself when you understood that your feelings couldn't be reciprocated. He just didn't love you that way. Your parents gave you the opportunity to move from Seasoning City and you took it. You and Reigen had promised each other to stay in touch but, over time, your paths were divided. You both started university, found a job and made a new life. Texts and calls became colder, more rare. This until you didn't even wish happy birthday to each other anymore. Then, after ten years apart, you came back and reunited with him after accidentally bumping into each other in the same office you are working now. You just walked in because you thought that your backache was orchestrated by an evil spirit. You didn't read the sign outside and when you came face to face with Reigen, your world changed again. Even if ten years went by, Reigen still reached out to you to help you find a part-time job while you tried to pursue your career as a photo model when you talked to him about your problems. And like that, you were together again.But now, because of a kiss and again because of your feelings, you feel Reigen slip away from your hands. Your eyes start to water at the idea, your writing on paper becomes more sloppy.

Why can't you hold Reigen close to you? A single hiccup escapes from you, and you immediately try to shut it by smashing your hand on your mouth. Finally, after an entire evening with his eyes on his laptop, Reigen flashes his head upwards. He looks at you, and he understands immediately that something's wrong. His lips part, his eyebrows curve upwards.

"(Y/N), are you okay?"

Your eyes bolt up, watered, and your cheeks start to get hot.

"I'm sorry"

You get up and quickly get out of the room, your hand still on your mouth. While you're in the bathroom shedding your tears and your frustration alone, Reigen has his hands planted on his face and his fingers pulling his hair. He lets out a low and muffled groan against his palms, and he curses himself. Seeing you cry makes him crumble completely. And it's not the first time he sees you like this. In high school you were not afraid to cry in front of him, because you knew that you could afford to do that with him. Reigen always listened to you religiously, he always knew what to say to make you feel better and understood. But there were times when you were impossible to comfort.

One of those times, you showed up in front of Reigen's front door without any notice. You were still dressed in your high school uniforms, and it was a spring night. When he opened the door, he immediately asked what happened to you. You planted your hands on his shoulders. Then you got close to his face, your lips parted. And at last, you burst out crying, pressing your forehead against his shoulder. You began crying so hard that Reigen, fearing for your privacy being invaded by neighbours, pulled you inside and shut the door quickly. You two were alone, just you and Reigen in that empty and liminal space as you cried against his shoulder.

"(Y/N), don't cry, please" Reigen said, concern in his voice.

You didn't say anything, too overwhelmed. So Reigen decided to take you upstairs, in his room where you spent so many afternoons. He made you sit down on his futon, then he rested his hands on your shoulders, caressing them.

"What happened?" he asked, gently.

You shook your head.

"(Y/N), please, talk to me"

Breaking your sighs, you finally managed to say "Taka, I just can't tell you"

Reigen, although confused, understood you. With all the respect for your feelings, he accepted that he just couldn't know what was making you cry like that. So he took you in his arms and laid both of you down on the floor. You were so close in that embrace, your legs intertwined, your face in his neck, his hand on the back of your head and his breath on your trembling lips. Two teens in their last year of high school inside a little bedroom on a spring night. One of them cried until her eyes shut from fatigue, and the other fell asleep after making sure that the crying stopped.They fell asleep in their school clothes, all over each other, until the sun came to wake them up. And Reigen never knew why it happened that night that, although so sad, he would always remember with romantic nostalgia.

Today in the office you feel like you are living that night again. But this time he can't cheer you up and he knows exactly why you're crying. Inside the restroom, as you shed tears, you watch your reflection in the mirror. Your shoulders are hunched forward, your hands pressing on the sink. You look in the mirror as you say to yourself "you and Reigen won't ever be the friends you were before". It hurts you more than the idea of him not loving you. When you come back from the restroom, Serizawa is in the office again. He says hello to you with a smile, and you reciprocate, he doesn't notice your red and swollen eyes, but it's not his fault. He's the first to leave the office, closing the door behind him. You silently start to help Reigen close the office for the night. It's dark outside and way past the lunch hour, which you both skipped in order to wait for Serizawa to come back. You feel Reigen looking at you from time to time and your cheeks are hot from embarrassment and frustration.

"Okay, everything's closed" Reigen says, walking towards the door "you ready?"

"Yeah" you say, with half your voice.

Before you can reach for the door knob, Reigen blocks your way with his body. You look at him, confused.

"Today I came with my car, I can give you a ride home" he says "if you want to of course”

You feel your stomach tightening. With an unsure sigh you say "It's really dark outside, are you sure?"

Reigen's driving experience was really limited, but he nods convincingly "I'm sure"

You take a deep breath and nod "Okay then, lead the way"

You walk out the office, making small talk as you go down the stairs. It's more comfortable than your silences. Years ago your silences were relaxing and intimate, beautiful. You can't afford that luxury now. You chat about your day in the dark and empty parking lot behind the office. Reigen was used to escort you to your car when you finished work late, just to make sure that you were safe. You arrive in front of his grey car, the one that you had to drive when he got too drunk at a wedding party. That same wedding where you pretended to be a couple to avoid people's prejudices. You slow danced and smiled together. Maybe you haven't had such an intimate moment with him since high school. The chatting ends inside the car, replaced with commercial music on the radio. Reigen keeps the volume low to not get distracted as he drives through the city night lights. Your elbow is pressing against the inside of the car door, your gaze fixed outside the window as you rest your chin on your hand. At red lights, Reigen takes some seconds to look at you.

He would kiss you right now if he could.

After ten minutes of driving in the night streets, the car slows down. Reigen's foot hits the brake, stopping it completely. You don't move from your position, and he looks at you with apprehension.

"Wanna smoke a cigarette?" he asks.

Finally you turn around and look at him, and you give him a melancholic smile.

"Yes, why not?"

Reigen nods and opens the door. He takes a few steps outside and then he lays on the car hood as he waits for you. You stay in the car, looking at him. Your heart steadily beats against your chest. Then, you get out and walk close to Reigen at a determined pace.

"Do you wanna go inside?"

Reigen, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, widens his eyes a bit in surprise.

"If that's okay for you" he replies.

"Of course it's okay"

You smile. It costs you some effort but not because you don't mean it. Reigen reciprocates. It's maybe the first sincere smile you exchanged since you kissed. Reigen starts to follow you up the stairs of your condo. You guide him, and from another perspective that walk up the stairs looks like a chase. It's not that far from reality. In front of your door you shove your hand inside your purse, frantically looking for the keys. You take them out with a chiming sound and then you turn them around in the keyhole. Reigen thinks that your apartment smells just like you. Like the perfume you always put on, vaguely like your lips of which the taste is carved in his mind forever. And it had that same pleasant air of your former house during summer afternoons when you were teens, when you used to sit on the floor in a star position. The fan always on, ice cream sticks thrown away in a corner, sweat running down your temples and your hair sticking onto your skin.

"We can smoke on the balcony" you say, gesturing him to follow you.

"It's your own apartment but it smells like your old bedroom" Reigen adds.

"And the mess is still here"

As you walk towards the balcony, you shove some clothes behind a sofa with your foot.

You slide the big door-window open. You both get out, and a cold breeze hits you unexpectedly, making his grey jacket and the hem of your skirt flow. Then, you close the door behind you and go towards the balcony railing. You lay against it on your back, it's cold and rough. You start searching for a pack of cigarettes. It's new and fresh, the smell of tobacco mixture faintly tastes like chocolate. You take one cig and put it between your lips. You gesture towards Reigen's lighter with your finger, since yours died.

"Wait" he says, and he makes you come closer.

You obey, and he makes the tips of your cigarettes touch, his is already lit up. Inhaling deep from the filter, even yours lights up with a magmatic color. You look at Reigen and your faces are really close as you exchange a cigarette kiss. Then you separate and you both blow the smoke out in sync.

"It's funny" you say, exhaling smoke "the first time I saw you smoking after we met again I was surprised because I thought you dropped the habit"

"Yeah, but since Mob started working for me I smoke way less" Reigen takes the cigarette between his lips, but then his eyes widen and he looks at you "wait, what do you mean by habit?”

You chuckle "You thought I was that stupid in high school?"

"I dunno what you're talking about"

You smile with nostalgia "I knew that your bathroom breaks during class were just excuses to go behind the school and smoke"

Reigen presses the filter between his lips and inhales. Meanwhile, he puts his hands up to resign, and he exhales a puff of smoke.

"You got me" he says, an amused grin "I didn't want you to think badly of me"

Now Reigen's elbows are pressing against the railing, his clasped hands hanging down. Your apartment is not in the heart of Seasoning City, and during the night the balcony is plunged into nothing but darkness and starry skies. Both you and Reigen puff some clouds of smoke that start to dissipate between stars. You don't see them because you are laying on the back, opposite to Reigen who is hunched forward. Your head slightly swings back and cold hair hits your naked neck.

"You've always been like this, Arataka" you whisper.

"Like what?" he asks.

"Ahead of me"

Reigen frowns his eyebrows and takes another hit. He seems concerned. You copy him and you let the smoke roll on your tongue.

"During middle school, high school..." you continue and blow smoke out "you were always so ahead of me. Everytime I looked at you, I couldn't help but feel like you were always a hundred steps ahead of me. Not in a bad way, but not in a good one either. It was just like that"

Reigen puts the cigarette out, throwing it out the balcony. He looks at the last cloud of white smoke disappear in the starry sky, dissipating forever. With a nervous chuckle he says.

"That's not true"

You look at him. Reigen's eyes are somewhere else, very distant, maybe in another reality. He talks again.

"I mean, you were the prettiest girl in both middle school and high school. Perfect grades, in a lot of clubs and groups, with students asking you out almost on a daily basis. Maybe if I didn't hang out with you I would have been bullied or something like that"

You shake your head.

"That doesn't mean anything, Arataka"

For some reason, the soft and tender tone of voice you used made Reigen want more. He gets close to you, who just stepped on the butt of the cigarette with the tip of your shoe. Almost without noticing, Reigen's arms encage you between his body and the railing, his fingers wrapping tightly around it. He looks at you deeply as you look at him through your lashes.

"The truth is that I couldn't even reach your ankles. I was nowhere near you," you say, slowly "because I loved you but you didn't love me.

Reigen's eyes widen and his fingers squeeze the iron railing more. His heart skipped way more than just a beat. You don't move beneath him, because you're so tired of not talking and running away. Your eyes are fixed on one another, pupils dilated.

"The beautiful and intelligent girl you talk about actually spent the night crying between your arms ten years ago because she couldn't be yours. I never told you, but that night I cried for you and not just that. I even cried because I thought that if I couldn't get you then I couldn't get anything. I moved from Seasoning City because of this. I felt small at that time and I feel small now, because I don't know my future in the modeling career and I'm still here chasing you. Because I still love you, Reigen. Maybe I never stopped in ten years. And I know that you don't feel the same but I wanted to tell you anyway"

"But I do love you" Reigen says "I really do"

It's a really quiet night. It's made of stars, cold air, smoke and words that are finally said. Made of (Y/N) and Reigen, his eyes in yours, his arms that create a space that is all between you two, his hands that are shaking around the railing. And it's made of your (e/c) eyes that fill up with intent, and your irregular breathing, and your mouth opening.

"And I'm not saying it just because you became this super hot model who poses for famous perfume brands. I say it because I loved you everytime we smoked a cigarette together, or when you wished me good morning in the office with a smile. And I love the way you never judge me even if I always do so with myself. I feel small in the world too, and with this anguished feeling that I've never accomplished anything in this life"

Reigen takes a deep breath, just a few inches from your face, and his voice breaks slightly.

"But I rather feel small in the world with you than being alone"

Reigen gets close to you and kisses you. Your mouth smothers the shaking in his voice. You reciprocate the kiss immediately, closing your eyes. It's happening again. You missed his mouth as if you had kissed it a thousand times already. Without notice, his body pins you against the railing, and when he does it you relax. You feel the airy noise of his breathing blowing out of his nostrils, and his heart beating against his chest. When you were in high school you spent a lot of time thinking about how kissing Reigen would be and feel like. Maybe it would happen in class when it was you two's turn to clean it, or at your home when he visited you to read manga together on the floor, or maybe in the back of your car after you took your driving license. Now this kiss feels right as it is, just like the first. When you separate you look at each other with astonishment, the eyes before and the lips after.

"Stay here tonight" you say, in a whisper.

"Yes" Reigen says.

This time you kiss with more urgency, your hands in the bristly base of his honey hair, his arms around your waist. Reigen moves you from the balcony railing and you begin to walk inside. Sometimes you stumble on your feet or bump your teeth against each other. Both of you chuckle and whisper some sorry's. Once inside, you close the glass door and take his hand, guiding him towards the bedroom. You take a second to switch up the lampshade and then you begin to take your clothes off. Your skirt first, then your shirt, and even your underwear, until Reigen sees you completely naked under the dim and orange light of the lamp. He gets close to you, removing his jacket, and he looks at you up and down.

"You're so beautiful (Y/N), you've always been" he says, calmly.

You, on the other hand, cup his face in your hands and kiss him again, and you feel him pushing you lightly towards your bed. You fall down on the mattress, a cloud of pristine blankets moving under your body like waves, your hair contrasting with them and scattered all across the bed as if you were underwater. You look at Reigen with hypnotized eyes as he gets on top of you and takes his shirt off, then you help him unbutton his pants. Only his boxers are on now.

"Can I?" he asks, he's sweet and his hands encapsulate your knees.

"Yes, please" you blurt out in a hurry.

Reigen opens your naked legs and slides his boxers down his thighs. He kicks them off with his feet and positions himself between your legs. You stroke his cheeks and his bangs with the tip of your fingers.

"I find you as beautiful as I thought you were in high school"

You smile to each other slowly, drowning in your gazes. Then, Reigen enters you and you both emit low groans.

Reigen starts making love to you with infinite delicacy, always looking at you in the face. Your lips relax.

"I waited so long..." you whisper.

Reigen arches his eyebrows upwards as he speeds up his thrusts. He feels your legs intertwine around his waist so you can feel him deeper. Your bedroom, in which you always slept without company, is now full of the sound of skin against skin, of the sweet nothings you whispered to tell each other that you were doing good. A lot of praises too. Sometimes you stop to kiss, with Reigen caressing you everywhere, and you squeezing around him even more because you want to be closer. Two bodies under a soft light and with the night out the window. After a while, the rhythm of Reigen's thrust gets more erratic like the creaking of the bed, you know he's close and you are too. You come first, then Reigen follows you. Your mouths are wide open to catch air. Then, Reigen collapses on top of you, plunging his face in your neck. In your skin, he whispers

"Maybe I didn't love you then, but I love you now I swear"

You close your eyes and hold Reigen close as you feel him slide outside of you. You brush your face on his shoulder.

"I know you mean it, you never lie to me"

Reigen rolls on his back, his diaphragm moving up and down irregularly. He looks up at the ceiling as he takes you in his arms and makes you rest on his naked chest.

"I wish I loved you ten years ago, so I would have never lost you"

You shake your head and look up in his eyes.

"Arataka, it was all my fault. You didn't owe me your feelings, not ten years ago and not now, I was just selfish in moving from Seasoning City because I couldn't handle the heartache. We were best friends before lovers, and it wasn't right to just run away without telling you why"

"I could have done more to hold you close, maybe writing you more, calling you, insist to know what was going on"

Reigen shields his sweaty forehead with his hand, covering his eyes in frustration.

"C'mon, stop. We are here now, and we are together"

You pull Reigen's hand away from his face and he rests it on your back, tracing circles on your naked skin with the tip of his fingers. Then, he cups your cheek with his free hand and closes the distance between you and him, kissing you deeply. He moves you on top of his body. Then, you reach for the lampshade switch and turn it off.

"We were good today, we did good to each other" Reigen says, holding you close.

You nod, your hair tickling his chest.

"And tomorrow morning I'll make you breakfast in bed, have sex again if you want and then I'll take you out to eat ramen"

In the darkness it's possible to distinguish only the outline of your bodies, which looked like an individual identity. The motion of your laugh and Reigen stroking your hair can be seen.

"You are every girl's dream. Well, mine in particular. Thank god that after ten years it's still me and you"

You both fall asleep all over each other.

In the morning you wake up to the sunlight shining through the open windows. It floods the room with a warm natural light that makes the white sheets of the bed shine, and even your naked skin. You open your eyes, fluttering them a couple of times. You start to slowly roll on your side, sheets sliding down your body. During the night, Reigen inadvertently scooted away from you and laid on his stomach. He's still sleeping, it's dictated by the slow movement of his back going up and down. The scar he got from his first fight against The Claw is clearly visible, a deep cut running from the top to the bottom of his back. His face is directed towards the window, you can't see the expression he has on his face. But you are more than happy to just settle with looking at his honey colored hair that play with sunlight. You smile full of the awareness that you love Reigen, and Reigen loves you.

I'm sure we're taller in another dimension, you say we’re small and not worth the mention

[naayewolf]

HI! Could you do aged up genya , with his AFAB(assigned female at birth) partner discovering his breeding kink?

‘Trying New Things’  Genya x Fem!Reader

Notes:

1st off .. YES!! I was Ecstatic that I even got a request in the first place, but to have such a wonderful request as this <3 

I hope you don’t mind, I added a thing where Genya is planning on marrying Y/n 😅

Summary:

[So If the Request wasn’t enough..]

Genya and you have been together for over 6 months. You two are very happy in the loving sense, but Genya is planning a proposal .. and he knows that married couples have a more intimate relationship. So, what happens when you find out about what he really wants to do to you~

*Genya and (Y/N) use sex toys on missions when they're away. So while you are both technically virgins, stretch is not an issue.*

TW: 

Breeding,  Sex toys, Creampie, Bedpress, Cuddle sex, First times,  Loss of Virginity, fluff 

You and Genya had been together for over 6 months, and he wanted to bring it up a few levels. He was saving money from demon slaying for a ring, and he planned to propose to you very soon. Thing is .. Our Afro Mullet bubble baby is secretly a freak. Even before you two were together ever since he was of age [We’re gonna go for 18~] He always bought little things to help his urges. A smutty book from villages he passed, an onahole, whatever he could find that would satisfy him. 

When you two got together, he began to use the toys he collected in other ways. .. He would fuck into an onahole alone at a Wisteria Inn fantasising about what it would be like to fill you like he would this toy. He would fantasize about what it would be to breed you. 

Our little Mullet gremlin has rejection issues. He wants to be the best he can be for you. So what would you say when you learned of this? What would you do? Would you dump him? 

It was all too risky, that’s why he chose to just wait on any of those activities.  But you two did sleep in the same bed when one of you wasn’t away on missions, like today. 

~*Present Time*~

“Genya baby, will you lay with me?” You ask from your shared futon. Genya is removing his over-shirt across the room. 

"Of course, my love." He replies, laying his shirt down on his dresser and making his way towards you.

His shirt shows off his figure so perfectly without the purple over-shirt covering it up. 

He lays beside you, careful not to tread on your body. He lays behind you and spoons your body. You reach your hand back to grab hold of his and squeeze softly. 

"My dear, what do you think about starting a family?" You ask him, squeezing his hand tighter. 

He tightens as well hearing your question. He's tense thinking of how to answer. He softens his nerves before hugging his arms around you, your hands still interlocked. 

"Why do you ask?" He finally responds, nuzzling his lips into your neck. You giggle, feeling his face on your neck tickling you. 

"I don't know, I feel it would be a good experience; of course, occupations are important in the decision." You press your body against his looking down to meet his gaze. 

This was what he wanted all along, but now that the chance is presented he is unsure how you will react. "When do you want to try?" 

"Now." You flip your body to look him in the face. He's surprised at your eagerness, his face turning red as he lands and to kiss your lips. 

The kiss turns stronger with more force, and soon you are on top of him. It is the typical sex scene you would see in romance movies. You wrestle around, careful not to hurt each other in your struggle to disrobe quickly.

"Are you sure, we can stop now if you've changed your mind." Genya says, his hands just above your underwear, waiting for your consent to move on. 

You nod, lifting your ass off the ground to make it easier on him to pull them off. He kisses you, rubbing his clothed cock against your bare sex. 

You reach out, pulling his hakama down to reveal that the drapes match the curtains. (I'm voice typing this, I can have a little fun) 

He's huge although hairy, he's of average length, but the width was bigger than anything you've ever seen before. 

Your kiss deepens, as he pushes into your core. The stretch did not hurt due to your 'previous experience'. He pulls his head back, looking into your eyes to make sure that you're unhurt. 

Once he sees that you are fine, he starts slow, but gradually increases his pace. He might have a bit of demonic strength left from his last mission. So he decides to put it to use on you.

The force of his thrusts quicken, he's slowly losing what little control he has over himself.

 The control brakes like a link in a chain, he bedpresses you. Slamming into you repeatedly with no control. He is determined to fill you, to give you the family that you want.

Although the children would be a nice addition to his lust, all he can think about is how hot you're going to look, swelling with his seed. 

When he finally loses stamina at the end of it all, he falls to the side of you hugging you, pressing his hands into your stomach. 

"I'm sorry, things got a bit out of control there." He hugs you lovingly. "Are you hurt?" 

"I'm fine, my dear." You reply, tiredly. "What bothers me is that you kept such want from me." He lets out an embarrassed whine.

 "Not to worry my dear, from now on, up until  we have the family we desire, you can come to me every night." 

He's taken aback by your willingness to be bred. 

"Perhaps while we do, we can try other things, new things."

"I would love that, but now we should really sleep."

[mikodrawnnarratives]

y'know what.

fuck it

Happy Birthday, dear Evie Artino

Renegades Trilogy - Word Count: 17092

Summary: It's been 12 years since Nova's family was murdered. After the previous year of being a renegade and the aftermath of her uncle's actions, Nova gets a moment to breathe. To grieve. Though, it's a little more than difficult to do that once she's told her baby sister's corpse was never buried. Never found. And now she has to search for the infamous thief, gone rogue, Magpie. As if she didn't have enough problems to deal with. Let's just get this over with...

Before you read!

This fic is going off of the assumption Magpie was 11 months old when her family was killed, therefore ten years later would mean she is 10 and 11 months old, 12 years later would be 12 and 11 months old (close to 13 years old) etc etc.

(I say assumption bc I'm not sure how canon Maggie being 11 months old at the beginning is. It makes sense since she was around the age she'd start to move around but still, just want to let y'all know)

I’ve done my best to show this on a timeline image in the end notes but I wanted to be clear with that! The timeline also goes off some assumptions and guesses for how much time passes from book 1 to the end of book 3.

BTW I'm sorry if ages and time stuff get confusing

I confused myself in the middle of trying to figure this out and, even though I think I've gotten everything fixed, there may still be issues

Check ao3 for tags

Nova took a deep breath, focusing on the wind gently tossing her hair. Better to focus on that than the heaviness in her chest. Leroy smiled and patted her shoulder in comfort.

“I’ll stay” Nova whispered, but then chuckled “But I’m crashing with you. The Renegades' campus rooms are terrible!” She straightened and let her tired smile relax.

Leroy shrugged, “As far as I’m concerned, the couch has been yours for a while.”

“Thank you, Leroy” She smiled. Leroy chuckled and pulled her into an odd side hug, her eyes blowing open from the action initially. She made a sly smile on her face to hide her apparent awkwardness, “I never took you for the cuddly type, Cyanide.”

“I’m not. But this is an exception.” He rubbed her arm, “You did good, Nightmare. Don’t beat yourself up about the rest.” Nova resisted the urge to fully melt in his touch, fully embrace it. Like she deserved it.

“If only it were that easy.” 

“It never is. But that’s how life goes sometimes."

"Look at you being all noble and wise! Haha! You haven't been taking classes from Simon have you?"

Leroy's smile lessened a little, something crossing his mind, "Nova?"

She broke away from his hug, "Hm?"

"Have you visited them yet?" He adjusted his glasses, “They did give them actual burials, right?” Nova appreciated the dark look that donned his face. She knew that look, and the revenge schemes it carried if he so chose.

It’s been a year since Ace Anarchy was defeated for good. And a year since Nova’s actual family was revealed to everyone. Who her uncle actually was. Her motivation for becoming an anarchist in the first place. One whole year of recovery from the remaining damage, and of tearing down a faulty system and trying to rebuild a new one. 

And it’s been twelve years since the murder of her family.

She pursed her lips and admitted what had also been on her mind, “No, no they did. I just haven't gone yet. There are gravestones and everything from what I've heard." She chewed on her lip.

Leroy tilted his cup around to watch the coffee swirl around. "Would you like emotional support?"

"You say that like a joke but please heh…" Nova laughed and turned to Leroy. She gripped the railing. "It's… gonna be weird. What do I even say?"

"They're graves,"

"Their graves."

“Right… my bad”

She fiddled with her fingers and Leroy placed a hand on her shoulder.

The chemist shrugged, "You don't need to know immediately. You don't need to go immediately, believe it or not."

Nova looked at him and opened her mouth to say something before a notification on her phone made her ears perk up the ever so slightest. She pulled it out to see the team group chat yapping about some shop opening. Leroy rubbed her back, "Just tell me when you want to visit."

"Thank you"

Nova spares a passing glance to the calendar and clock as she stands in the waiting room. She shifts from foot to foot. Discontent with standing, she paces. She wrings her hands as she does so.

It’s a miracle she hasn’t fled already. To procrastinate on it all for a little longer. But by this point it would be pretty idiotic to turn back now. Nova fidgets with her hair, waiting for her name to be called by the front desk.

It was taking longer than she would have liked to find out where her family's graves are. Leroy left with someone after they, not so discreetly, began to whisper. The renegade at the front desk kept passing weird looks to her. She couldn’t discern what emotion they had on their face. Maybe they were a prodigy, and gifted at masking. She didn’t get too good of a look at Leroy’s face either before he abandoned her in this desolate room. The cold blue light covering the room.

There’s no way they aren’t keeping something from her. Now she just wishes she had followed them. Anything to beat this trepidation.

Whatever they are hiding, she doubts it could be anything that Leroy would react better to than her. She keeps her ears peered just in case Leroy explodes something in reaction. There really wasn't a lot that Nova would take worse than Leroy, in her most humble opinion.

Footsteps running are her only warning before the front door to the establishment bursts open. Three hands all trying to cram through. Their bodies follow close behind in a clumsy, un-organized effort. 

She jolts her head to the noise and stares at the multiple people who crash through. Adrien, then Ruby followed by Oscar, Danna, an-

Wait. Danna-?

"Nova!"

"We heard-"

"We're so sorry!!"

Roxy and Oscar charge past Adrian and run at her full speed. They knock her over before she could blink. She groans and sits up, utterly confused. "What are you talking about?"

Adrian opens his mouth and-

BOOM

Leroy…

Danna comes over to the three of them on the floor, and yanks them up to their feet. She places a hand on Nova's shoulder, "You haven't been told?"

"Told me what?!" Nova would have kept her attention on Danna if Leroy literally hadn't just made something explode, "Leroy, do you want MORE community service?! What's going on?"

Leroy yells something Nova can't make out. But he's pissed. She frowns, her guard rising.

"Nova" Adrian walked up to her, maintaining her eye contact. "I think you should see it for yourself."

Nova's eyes soften and she takes Adrian's hand, "Why can't you tell me?"

"BECAUSE THEY FUCKED UP AGAIN THAT'S WHY!" Leroy's hair was still poofy from his rage just moments prior. He marches straight to Nova, forcing her to part from Adrian when he grabs her by her shoulders. She flinches and he pauses, immediately apologetic for his abrupt action, he sighs. "You said you had a sister, yes?"

Adrian inhales sharply and Nova's frown deepens, "What does Evie have to do with this…?"

Danna speaks up, "Are you aware of one of the latest villains, that has been flaunting their superpowers everywhere? They are going by the name “the Terror" (if they couldn’t get more corny)" Danna sighs. "Just this morning they went around terrorizing all across the city. Everywhere and anywhere they liked."

"I heard about that, but I didn’t think they’d be able to wreck this place too. I thought these cemeteries had measures in place to protect them." 

Adrian answers this time, rubbing his arm "Normally yes, but more Renegades have been needed to handle the new prodigy accidents and villain attacks ever since we defeated Ace Anarchy."

Danna speaks up again, "Resources for protection have been focused around civilian homes and shelters." 

Nova blinks and her eyes widen slightly, "What happened."

Leroy smooths his hair out as he takes a deep breath, "The Terror robbed several graves. The Artino's were one of them."

Nova's face shifts from one of confusion to one of anger and horror, "Where are they." She practically snarls.

Leroy chuckles without humor, "That isn't the only thing, Nightmare." His hands shake.

"There's more??"

The Sketch team is quiet, allowing Leroy to speak.

Leroy chokes at first but clears his throat to speak clearer without his emotions in the way, "Your parents' caskets and bodies have been recovered and will be reburied and their graves fixed once they catch the culprit."

Nova loses her breath, "You said Evie earlier. What happened to Evie!?" She looks around, "What. Did. He. Do."

"Nothing" Adrian says, "Her body was never there."

“What?” She stared at Adrian like he was making an uncharacteristic sick joke. He wasn’t. Nova's eyes widen but in confusion more than any horror or shock, "What do you mean? If she isn't there then the graverobber must have taken her!"

"The motive doesn't match up. He wasn't interested in any of the bodies. Of all ages." Danna says.

Oscar chips in hesitantly, "Her casket doesn't have any evidence of where a body would have been for 12 years."

Nova pauses and after a long silence takes a deep breath. She shakily sits on one of the lobby chairs and hugs herself. She pinches the bridge of her nose, "Are… are you saying… that Evie's body-" she hesitates, clenching her teeth before swallowing the lump in her throat, "Evie was never recovered from the crime scene. For twelve years, she has been missing."

Adrian's face crumples slightly, hesitating to reach out. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry"

Leroy's murderous face makes too much sense now. Hot burning coals threaten to boil her alive just underneath her skin. Her breath slowly leaves her.

She was so close.

Nova had grieved before. She never thought her family would get the graves they deserved and had become okay with that. Or at least, grew used to the ache. Learned to be okay.

But, hearing they did. They did get graves. To honor their final rest. One they deserved when Captain Chromium failed them. Nova heard she could see them, even if they wouldn't be alive. Even just a gravestone above where their body rests forever. For a moment, a raw piece of her felt as if it could heal after being hollow for so long.

And it's been ripped away again. 

Nova wants to be angry. She is angry. Angry at all the renegades who failed her family all over again. Who got to go home to their perfect, happy homes, in their rich lives, with their complete and happy family.

Everything feels fuzzy. In slow motion as she vaguely sees renegades exit the room one by one. Plans over the radio to recover from the graverobber underway. Mentions of names. The Artino’s. David… Tala…. Nova…

Evie…

Adrian slowly sets a hand on her shoulder, and she doesn’t jolt. He makes circles with his thumb as she breathes. Heavy breathes that keep her from gasping. She slowly lifts her head up. Her lip twitches and Adrian doesn’t say anything.

She’s furious. 

She’s trembling. 

She’s frail. 

She’s weak.

She failed. 

She failed them.

She failed Evie.

Logically, both her and Adrian know that’s not true. She tried her best. She was only six. A six year old couldn’t be blamed for what happened. He knows his father messed up. Which is more than Nova could ever ask of him.

Nova’s angry. And she’s sad. She’s so tired.

She’s hurt.

Her baby sister was so close.

But it was a lie.

###

Nova dumps the final bag of confetti in the recycling bin, marking the end of cleaning up after the parade a couple of days ago. It was to mark a year's progress after Ace’s second defeat. The permanent defeat. With confetti. 

After all that work to clean up the streets from the last villain attack. Confetti. Suffice to say, she wasn’t the one to come up with the littering party idea.

The parade itself was an attempt to stir up some more positive attention to the renegades’ name. Or rather, to honor the work done so far to keep everyone safe. Not that any positive attention to the renegades couldn’t hurt their shambled reputation from the last couple years.

That’s how Nova thought of it. She wouldn’t have agreed to participate otherwise. Not when she could continue working on the case of her sister’s disappearing corpse. It was quickly going cold. 

It was like the body walked away. Some kind of twisted magician’s act. And it was up to her to figure out how the magician did it. Where the magician is.

She purposefully avoided looking at Captain Chromium in the meantime. It only added salt to the wound to hear his involvement at the crime scene. Once it was a kind gesture for him to be so involved in her family’s death. Only after Nova learned Ace was responsible for sending the assassin. Now the gesture left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Surely he would have seen. Surely, he would have seen Evie’s body go missing. Footprints of a thief could have been documented. Her sister should have been put to rest. There should have been enough renegades at the scene to catch them!

It didn’t help that Adrian's father was on rocky terrain with Nova even before this revelation. And to think they had been getting along better over the last year. Now all that progress has been wiped clean. Who knows if it’ll be the same.

She felt the bag crunch in her grip. She let herself dig into it just a little more, just to get some of her fury out before dropping it.

Adrian talked to his father about what was remembered at the scene. Nova knew the man had been trying to talk to her to apologize for a while now but she just couldn’t face him. She wouldn’t want to punch her boyfriend’s father’s mug. Not that he’d actually be affected by it. The same applied to his husband as well. 

Nova pulls out her phone. She clicks open the group chat she shares with the rest of her team. She scrolls back through the messages, looking for updates for what must have been the thousandth time. 

Danna and Adrian have their time split between their own duties, so she couldn’t blame them. When they were available, they mostly worked on finding the negligent heroes (aside from the obvious) at the crime scene who were responsible for Evie’s disappearance. Danna’s been more helpful than Nova ever thought she’d be, seeing as they haven’t always been on the best terms. Understatement of the year.

She appreciated it nonetheless.

Oscar and Ruby have been incredible whenever they were free. They either joined her in what they deemed “detective business” (she really didn’t know how to feel about the name) or used their own efforts to search and track down where the body ended up. 

Evie’s birthday is coming up soon.

And it’s been a few weeks since Nova learned about the absolute incompetence of the clean up crew. The current leading theory was a bias, which didn’t seem too far off. Adrian has been working with his father to see if this has happened to anyone else. Despite the rest of Sketch’s team trying to help out, Nova could feel her hope dwindle. 

It was ambitious from the very beginning. To find the body of an 11 month old baby, twelve years after her death, but Nova really did let herself hope at first.

She couldn’t help but begin to sag around after any reminder of her sister. She felt conflicted between joining the efforts to find her, and distracting herself from the ache in her chest. It was like she was 6 years old all over again, and processing her sister’s death for the first time.

And it's certainly not a helpful attitude for actually finding her.

She’s begun to pack her schedule with numerous duties as of late. 24 hours every day allowed her to split her time between distractions and facing her current dilemma. No one was complaining from the extra help. The only real downside was the whispers about her. Nothing new. Everyone wins in the end this way.

Maybe she shouldn’t have been so open to any request in hindsight.

Nova stares at Thunderbird, “I’m sorry. Repeat that again?”

Thunderbird sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, the hero seemed much more fidgety than ever now that Nova paid attention, “Nightmare. Magpie’s missing.” Her feathers fluff up as she articulates this fact to Nova. Like she should care.

Nova scoffs, “No, no, the other part. You want me to-”

“You aren’t busy, are you? Then we need all the help we can get.” Thunderbird looks seconds away from shaking Nova senseless. “Look. I… I know about your sister and it’s all the campus can talk about. And-”

“Really?” Nova blinks, “I didn’t think I was that popular.”

“And. I’m sorry to ask you this when you’re grieving.”

Nova shifts uncomfortably where she stands. Thunderbird rarely talked to Nova when she wasn’t furious. To come to her when she’s desperate is… different.

Nova clears her throat, “Are you her mom or something? Why are you so pressed where she is?”

Thunderbird blinks at her, and squints. Oh that really ruffled her feathers. Nova could see veins popping out. “No, I’m not. However, I sponsored her and got her in to be a renegade. (In hindsight, a very poor decision…)” She glares pointedly, “She’s barely a teenager! Isn’t this concerning to you?”

Nova laughs. “I was taking care of myself by eight. I know jack shit about what’s 'normally' concerning.”

Thunderbird blinks and settles down slightly. “Right. Right… you were raised by villains-”

“Anarchists.” Nova corrects.

“Sure. But that was for you. Surely you can understand why we are worried for her. The Bandit is her age by now.”

She's got Nova there. Thinking about it, Max going missing would frazzle Nova too. She folds her arms and gives her attention to Thunderbird. “Don’t the renegades require contact information from a guardian?” Nova asks, “They should know where she is?”

Thunderbird’s lip trembled slightly, “Margaret’s… a special case. Her orphanage approved her residence and I paid for her fees and expenses.” Nova blinks, she remembers now the previous residence where she found out the kid used to live. It was pretty much useless at the time and now a year later, it’s been brought up again.

“How do you know she’s not brooding and being a problem on purpose. Running away from any responsibility she had.”

“Nightmare.”

“What?” She raised her hands in defense before placing them on her hips, “Magpie isn’t exactly thrilled about authority. This could just be avoiding the consequences of her actions somewhere, and being the moody brat she is.”

“Margaret… yes, she is very… temperamental.” Thunderbird sighs, “But even Magpie doesn’t disappear for weeks.”

Nova does a double take, "Weeks?! And you haven’t started looking sooner??"

Thunderbird scowls, "Do you really think you're the first renegade I've told?"

Nova cheeks pinken slightly and she frowns, “Then who else knows?”

Allegedly: Captain Chromium, Simon, and most of team Sketch are all the heroes Nova is told has been notified. Thunderbird doesn't specify who is looking. Orders to send out missing posters were underway until there were complications with schedules. 

Now that Nova thought about it, she may have heard Adrian’s parents discussing the 12 year old’s sudden absence a while ago. Thunderbird didn’t mention her friendgroup’s lack of involvement. She did note Adrian’s efforts to search for Magpie too. Nova bit her lip, she knew how much Adrian still cared about Magpie. Despite her sticky fingers.

“Is this the only reason you’re here?”

Thunderbird sighs, "You're needed for your familiarity in the locations listed here." She hands Nova files detailing the locations, "You may be interested to hear The Terror’s movements have been narrowed down to these districts."

Nova takes the files, "What about Magpie?"

"...All I'm asking is to keep an eye out for her. Report if you see her. Talk to her if you can. Try to convince her to come back, please.” Nova resists the urge to roll her eyes at the idea of peacefully talking with Magpie like Thunderbird is suggesting, “She grew up in that neighborhood, y'know."

Nova blinks, “She did?” Thunderbird nods and Nova hums. She already knew the whereabouts the orphanage Magpie went to at one point wasn’t too close to her neighborhood. It was plausible Magpie went to the elementary institution Nova vaguely remembers from the area.

Thunderbird folds her arms and Nova notices her feathers fluff up slightly. Oh now the birdie needs to be all stern and professional huh. Got it. No sentimentality here. “Your task is to search the area for The Terror already so… keep an eye out for Magpie. Report back to me.”

Nova deadpans, “Is that an order, Thunderbird?”

“It …is a request.” She took a deep breath to level out her pride, “Please, Nightmare. I know Margaret wasn’t the nicest-”

“Oh she was a complete turd.”

“Watch your language, Nightmare.”

“We’re both adults here, Thunderbird.”

“...right.” Thunderbird sighs, “But do you have to be so casually insulting. And in the workplace?”

“I’m sure Magpie’s called me worse behind my back.”

“How immature can you get…” Thunderbird deadpans.

“I’ll tell Magpie you said that.”

Thunderbird’s lip twitches and her feathers lift slightly, “oh, so you’ll look for her now?”

“No promises I’ll find her. Or bring her back. I doubt she’d come back easily if she ran away.” Nova scratched the back of her neck, “But Adrian cares about her. You care, I know Danna cares, and from what you tell me, even more than them. So why not.” 

Nova won't like coming across the thief again but she supposed there's no other option with the mess the tween's caused.

“...then call me Tamaya.”

Nova makes a double take, “What? Where did that come from?” She stares at Thunderbird for an explanation.

Thund- Tamaya frowns, “We aren’t on the field. And we aren’t strangers. We’re coworkers. And Adrian is the closest thing I have to a nephew so…" She clears her throat. "And… Nightmare, if you help me find out if Margaret is safe you’ll have my deepest thanks.”

“...” Nova really could only stare. Tamaya is almost bowing. BOWING!?!! For her help. Someone she despises. Really? “Magpie matters that much to you?”

Tamaya straightens, “She’s fierce when she wants to be, and when I met her… you should have seen it, Nightmare. Her determination despite how young she was…” She cleared her throat, “If only I had done things differently, maybe she’d still be here. I’d know where she is.”

Nova’s eyes soften slightly and she sighs, rubbing her arm. She really hopes she won't regret this. She stashes the files away in her bag, “I’ll help. Promise.”

Tamaya deflates from relief, Nova could see the tension in her posture after being so vulnerable about this request. More like a plea than anything, really.

“And call me Nova, Aunt Tamaya.”

“I’m going to regret this, aren't I.”

“Likely!”

###

Adrian and Nova met up before she had to depart to search the district. Adrian squeezed Nova's shoulder in comfort when she sucked in a breath at the sight of her old neighborhood. She squeezed his hand back before they went separate ways.

The only pretty thing to look at here would be the setting sun and a darkening sky that is right behind it. The buildings fare much worse off, with buildings crumbling, the sidewalks are uneven from the large tree roots. Many of the homes sit with broken glass and lay abandoned. 

Most people in these areas stick to the new apartments nowadays. They're the only buildings that are still structurally sound and have the least risk of break ins. Made to be less vulnerable to villain attacks due to the design of the buildings. Even the renegades have been trying to finish up repairs on one of their more elaborate renegades apartments.

Nova would be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of running away to live here when she was younger. Find an abandoned house to camp out at. Especially when Ace got angry. She never did, she didn’t want to abandon her only family. Even when he hurt her. He saved her after all.

Honestly, if she had lived here, it probably wouldn’t have been too different from living underground.

Growing up here couldn't have been nice.

Nova thinks about what Thunderbi- Tamaya said. Before she left she was told in depth about the process of resigning the Renegades, and it wasn't as simple as walking out unless you were arrested or were okay with losing any final paychecks and insurances offered.

Maybe Magpie did. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

Nova pulls the collar of her jacket closer, she really should have picked out a jacket with a hood. She needs to look casual though. There should be a coffee shop down the street that she plans to make a stop at. If anyone has eyes on her then it'll be her “motive” for snooping around the area.

She adjusts her black medical mask. Her movements are careful not to reveal the weaponry she’s hidden underneath her clothing. Her ears twitch from a garbage can jostling. A raccoon.

Nova makes it down the small stretch of suburbs still remaining, finally making it to the urban districts. She could hear the noises of city crowds up ahead. Lovely. Coffee shop right ahead. Either this villain shows themself and becomes a quick turn in, or she gets coffee. Classic on the job look there, huh. Maybe she’ll get hot chocolate, coffee is too bitter to be worth it.

"The terror" was becoming "the pain in the ass" to her honestly. The anarchists had their collections of thieves, sure, but on the other side of the coin turns them out to be more nuisances. 

She takes one step onto the sidewalk and a figure runs into her, Nova is shoved straight into the brick wall behind her and they bounce back onto the ground “OOF-” She wheezes and scowls at the figure, “Watch where you’re goi-” The black clothed figure’s hood fell back. 

There sat Nova’s other objective. 

Magpie rushes to pack up all the things that had fallen out of her bag from the tumble she took when colliding with Nova. She freezes when Nova guffaws her name out loud.

“Nightmare?!” Her eyes bulge and she stares at Nova. Nova takes in the kid’s choppy haircut, now longer than the bob she wore when Nova first met her. A cloud of dirt has stained the mostly black clothing she has on, and Magpie clutches a passenger bag as she collects her last scattered item. A diamond bracelet. 

Wait a minute. “What did you-” 

Magpie bolts, cutting through the next crowd as Nova runs after her. “Get back here!”

Magpie takes a sharp turn into the nearest alley, Nova apologizes to all the citizens as she parts her way through. She sees the sewer lid slide into place when she gets to the alley. Oh, does that brat think she’s clever?

Nova pries open the lid and jumps inside, cringing from the smell immediately. Her shoes splash in the water the moment she gets down. She equips her flashlight though it’s almost unneeded when she hears more splashing up ahead.

She catches up and grabs the kid’s hoodie, ignoring her cry of shock. “What do you think you’re doing!?”

Magpie snarls and turns around and successfully pushes Nova away. “I could ask you the same fucking question!”

“I asked first.”

Magpie sneers, “Oh look who’s high and mighty by using playground rules.” She turns around to walk away only for Nova to keep up pace with her. And that kid has the nerve to count her little collection of stolen goods in front of her. Nova runs up and tries to grab the bag out of Magpie’s hand, she curses under her breath when the brat dodges. 

“Hey!”

“You’re stealing again, aren’t you! I bet that jewelry doesn’t even belong to you.”

“Belongs to me now.” But her eyes widen like dinner plates when Nova makes another grab for the bag, slowed down only by the sludge in the bed of the sewer, “Watch it! Some of this is mine for real!”

“So the thief admits it”

“Oh, will you shut the fuck up!” She complains once Nova stops making grabs at her bag so she could search it. Nova folds her arms and Magpie gives her a pointed glare, her nose scrunching, before returning her attention to her collection.

Nova returns it and pinches the bridge of her nose, “I swear to god, if you’ve been missing because you’re off playing the act of the latest thorn in our side ‘The Terror’ I-”

Magpie turned around with a deadpan, “Who?”

“Oh how convenient. You don’t know about the graverobber who appeared just around the time you disappeared.” Nova points at Magpie, “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t cuff you right now on suspicion of theft.”

“Wow, the Anarchist has turned full cop huh. What a shame. Newsflash, I’m not a graverobber. Do you really think these arms could lug around a shovel?” Magpie grips her bag tightly in the defensive.

“Your powers could easily help out with that, I'm not stupid.”

“And last time you knew exactly what my powers could do was…?” Magpie blinks several times on purpose at Nova, putting a hand next to her ear to mock signal the action to help hear better. “What was that? Never? Who knew!”

“Not funny.”

“Besides, modern day graves aren’t even worth robbing for the amount of effort it takes. No gold or silver is ever buried with those crypts anymore. The highest prices you could get would be from the organs.” The girl gags. Magpie fiddles with her passenger bag’s strap, but Nova can see she has been eyeing their whereabouts for an escape for the past few minutes.

Nova puts her hands on her hips, “Should I be concerned how you know this? Actually nevermind, you always say weird shit.” Maybe she was exaggerating here but she didn’t care too much at the moment.

Magpie whips her head back to Nova, scowling. “What are you even doing here. Shouldn’t you be after The Teapot or what's his name?”

“I’m here because you disappeared without a trace.”

Magpie rolls her eyes. “Please. Like anyone cares. I’ve been gone for two weeks and haven’t seen a single one of you hypocrites.”

“"No one cares"??” Nova guffaws.

“That’s what I said. Yes. Congratulations, your ears function perfectly.”

"Several people care! Do you think I'd be here looking for your ass if people didn't!? Adrian, Oscar, Thunderbird, Tsunami, both of Adrian's dads. You can't just disappear like that!"

"I quit." Magpie bites. "And, well, you found me! You can go tell them to mind their business."

Magpie begins to walk away in a huff, and Nova's mouth opens and closes like a goldfish before recovering enough of her brain cells after the audacity of the comment.

"What. Is wrong with you?! They don't just want to know you're okay, they want to SEE you're okay." Nova waves her arms around to emphasize her point. She subconsciously remembers and notes how she had picked the habit up from Leroy. 

"Besides" she pinches her nose, "you can't quit the renegades without a conference and before handing over your equipment" Nova makes a pointed glare at the cleanup crew uniform Magpie wore under her hoodie, only barely visible. The clothing was less of an issue than the tech-advanced gloves and shoes Nova knows Magpie smuggled from the other techies in the renegades. She just knew that the uniform allowed the girl to carry more than usual.

Magpie's face pinkens slightly but she lashes back just as quick. "I'll do what I want, Miss Juliet."

"…What did you just call me?!"

“You heard me!”

Nova growls in frustration, “GOD why does anyone want you around when all you do is cause trouble and spout insults like it's a competition!?”

“You tell me! I've made it plenty clear that I don't want to be anyone's friend.”

“Magpie-!”

The girl had the nerve to try and dash away again, using her powers to rip herself out of the muck and stick to the walls. Nova reaches in her jacket and pulls out her netting gun, and in a second the projectile stretches into a web and stops Magpie in her tracks, trapping her foot temporarily. Magpie growls as Nova readjusts herself, prying away from the stickier filth.

“Are you even listening?!?! You’ve been missing for weeks!! You can’t just disappear like that.” She sighs “You worried a lot of people. Good people. Frankly, good people that have much better things to be worrying about than a thief.”

Magpie groans, “You’ll NEVER drop that will you.” She shakes away the net from her foot and Nova collects it with a frown.

“Maybe when you show actual change for once.” Nova scowls and points to Magpie’s satchel. “I bet that bag is full of stolen goods, huh. A thief in the renegades.”

“Did you already forget I QUIT” Magpie grits out as she gets up.

“Again. Not OFFICIALLY! You’re still associated to them-!” Nova fumbles, “Them- us. The heroes.”

Magpie doesn’t seem to notice her fumble and solely focuses on what she said before. “OH like I’M gonna deal so much damage to the renegades reputation” She sneers and kicks aside some trash.

Nova takes a deep breath before practically shouting, “Yes!”

“I don’t go around flaunting my story unlike someone.”

Nova grits, “You are infuriating.”

“Thanks, I try.” Magpie brushes dirt off her clothes like it’ll make a change to how muddied they’ve become. “And besides, the renegades don’t need help soiling their reputation.”

Nova sighs and rubs her forehead, “I’ll never understand what Callum ever saw in you.”

Nova expected a snarky comeback immediately. Some snappy retort spat back at her like Magpie had been doing.

But Magpie stays quiet.

Nova looks over and sees the way Magpie's fists clench. She considers saying something again but Magpie brushes ahead of her.

Nova tilts her head to get a better look at Magpie and sees the kid’s fists clenching. Nova considers saying something before Magpie grunts and continues to search for the sewer exit. Preferably one that Nova isn’t in the way of. Nova still follows close behind.

“Maybe that’s why Callum was better than you hypocrites.”

Nova frowns, she really shouldn't be surprised anymore. “You’re one to talk.”

“Why do you think I left.” The heat was rising in her voice again, and Nova gladly met it.

“What else? Selfishness!” Nova’s hands swung around to exaggerate her point. “You didn't even think about how the people around you would worry for your safety?? All so you can indulge in a life of crime.”

“That’s not why I-”

Nova deadpans, “Sure.” Nova walks ahead of the tween in a spurred heated pace, turning the corner and checking the area. Magpie’s appearance had distracted her from the fact they were in territory many new villains loved to travel through. Must be the "aesthetic".

Despite walking ahead, she didn’t go so far where Magpie would be out of her peripheral vision. Her ears remained keen for if Magpie would try to dash off again.

“If you'd just let me talk-!”

Nova turns around, about to open her mouth when something large shoves her into the wall. She hears a shriek and draws her weapon blindly. It’s ripped from her hand almost immediately and she whips her head up, finally seeing their attacker.

A tall boney figure of a man stands right across from her, holding the small tween in his grasp with a maniac smile on his face. He’s giggling. The dagger Magpie had tried to grab in a last ditch attempt to protect herself had been pried out of her grip. The man brings her dagger to the kid’s neck, only centimeters away from slicing skin. Magpie trembles, trying to squirm out of the sickly skinny man's hold. His grin stretches from Nova's attention.

"If it isn't the famous hypocrite, Nightmare" the villain drawls out. When Nova steps closer, he shifts the dagger dangerously close to Magpie's neck. She stops. "Yeah that's right…" the villain giggles deliriously, twitching. "You can't do anything."

"What do you want?" Nova says cautiously, her eyes stayed glued to the dagger. Under her breath she whispers “250cm. Shabby haircut and facial hair. Notch in right ear, scarring from corner of the ear to top of-”

“Are you tattling on me? …heh …hehe continue! Not that it will work~” The villain strangely allows her to note the details and send in the report for back up “They won’t get here in time.” He sniffs and blinks lazily. Is… Is he drunk? His grip on the dagger laxes ever so slightly but Nova doesn’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.

“You haven’t answered my question sir.”

“Drop your bag pretty little lady” The man uses his foot to slide Magpie’s passenger bag over to him, “This one’s getting lonely~” The raven-haired child squirms in his hold but he tightens his grasp on her, creating a striking cut across Magpie’s neck. Magpie cries out in pain.

“That’s what this is? A robbery? Drop the kid you don’t need to-”

“Stop talking, or I’ll slit her THROAT!!” The villain screams seemingly out of nowhere. Nova halts immediately, giving the villain more satisfaction than she’d like to. She grits her teeth, plotting how to handle this. “There we go~ That wasn’t so hard was it? Can’t ignore me now huh heh… heh heh”

Nova prays he’ll start to monologue. Oh please let him start monologuing! She needs the tim-

“You may be wondering why I’m doing this…”

THANK GOD

Magpie looks to be in pain but even she rolls her eyes in annoyance. The man giggles and his body seems to spasm like static. Nova squints. His hair shifts from orange to black to brown in a matter of seconds. 

“Do you like my power, little Nightmare?” Nova jolts and sees the scruff and build of Ace Anarchy right in front of her. An unstable form that shifts back into a stretched twig in the next second. “I’ve been meaning to give it a test run.”

“How are you-” Nova barely gets a word in before the villain continues.

“My form appears differently to all who see me. I appear as the people you’ve feared, who you’ve hated and cowered under in the past. I am fear. I am terror.” 

“Wait- You??” Recognition hits Nova like a stack of bricks and she groans internally. The graverobber.

A grin stretches across his face. His eyes hollow out and he takes on a sickly gray appearance. It almost looks like Ace Anarchy… but not quite. His eyebags stretch down his face for forever and he almost appears undead. His teeth appear chipped and stained with alcohol. His lip appears blistered, bleeding, as if a smoker’s lip.

Magpie screams when she sees his new appearance. With the villain’s attention away from her, she almost escapes his hold. She kicks wildly at him with the heels of her feet.

The Terror growls and makes a wild jab at Magpie before she escapes his hold, he nabs her cheek but Nova jumps in to restrain him before he can do anymore damage. Magpie falls to the ground as Nova grabs a hold of the villain. Nova rips back his (real) sleeve but the man shoves her off him before she can activate her power. 

The villain trips her and Nova curses when he attempts to keep her down by kicking her. She grabs his foot and yanks him down into the sewer’s sludge. She gets one good punch in before he returns the blow.

The man grabs the dagger but before he can strike, the dagger is ripped out of his hands and heads straight into Magpie’s. The Terror snarls at the child but gets caught up in wrestling Nova for her netting gun. Magpie dashes the other direction.

His face shifts to Adrian’s and Nova falters, immediately losing her advantage. Her own netting gun fires from The Terror’s hands, and pins her to the ground, knocking her head to the side.

She jolts up to get out of her own net casing, furiously searching for the other dagger on her person. She does her best with the newfound dizziness. The adrenaline pulses through her veins, allowing her the luxury to ignore the growing headache. She has no doubts it'll be an issue later, unfortunately.

The man fires the net at Magpie next, pinning her down for good measure as he searches her bag and nabs what he finds shiny. Magpie kicks and swears up a storm. The villain shoves her into the muck to shut her up. He takes her bag and runs.

Nova curses herself for her design choices. The net only closes around its capture, leaving no room for correction. She severs the net around her with the dagger the villain hadn't gotten a hold of in his hast, but it takes her longer than she’d like to retrieve it.

She clutches her head once she gets onto her feet, stumbling only slightly. The tunnel's few and far between lights flickered. The villain got away.

Nova almost considers going after him but Magpie's struggling takes precedence. Nova beelines for Magpie, kneeling down and cutting the ropes that trap her face in the sewer's waste and water. 

Nova cuts away the last piece that kept the child down, and Magpie jolts up to gasp. She sputters and coughs for a few minutes, gulping precious air. Procedure mandated Nova check with Magpie if she swallowed any water and (at least from Magpie’s testimony) she’s fine. Wouldn’t hurt to check out later.

Nova frowns toward the direction the villain went but shakes her head. Not yet. She helps pull Magpie to her feet and helps her down on the dry (not dry, moist actually, but considerably dry-er) concrete that sits above the sewer water. Nova pulls out a med kit, paying attention to the gashes the villain landed on Magpie. Her own could wait.

When Nova attempts to clean the gash on the kid’s cheek, Magpie jolts backward. Nova sighs.

“If I don’t do this, the wound will only get worse. Trust me, you don’t want to get an infection.” She says sternly. “And the quicker we do this, the sooner we catch that bastard.”

Magpie frowns, her eyebrows furrowing. She isn’t whining anymore at least, and she braces herself when Nova pulls out the antiseptic again.

Magpie winces from the sting of the disinfectant. Nova frowns and sympathizes with the kid. Using this disinfectant wasn’t the most preferable way to deal with these cuts, she’ll admit. But after the wounds’ contact with the sewer water, infection was definitely a greater concern. Nova will probably need to haul Magpie over to headquarters just to make sure the kid didn’t get any diseases from the sewage.

The cut on the kid’s cheek really only needs a simple bandaid but the laceration on her neck requires gause. It’s hardly a pretty sight but at least it isn’t bleeding too badly. Likely surface level.

She, again, cleans the wound and ignores Magpie’s winses. She applies the gauze to her neck and gently wraps the bandage around. 

Nova lets out the breath she had been holding in, “There. That wasn’t so hard was it?” Despite what she said, her tone was only half heartedly snarky. The villain had caught her off guard and she wasn’t enthusiastic to fail helping the kid again.

Magpie doesn’t respond. Instead, she chooses to stand up again, stumbling in the process. Nova catches and steadies her. Nova tries to check the kid’s head for a bump but the kid bats her hand away. The child frowns and looks away, feigning strength that contradicts her dependance on Nova to keep her steady.

Nova turns her attention away from the ex-renegade and back to the sewers. Inside her jacket, the thrum of her tracker comforts her of the villain’s whereabouts. She pulls it out and watches the flickering red spot’s movements. The blinking green dot marks where she is.

“He hasn’t gotten far. Keep a hold of my arm and on my sig-”

“It’d be easier if you left me behind” The ex-renegade gruffs.

Nova looks at her, “He took your stuff too.” And Nova didn’t want to risk the kid running away the moment she left her sight. But one appealed more to Magpie’s wishes than the other.

Magpie huffs and her attitude returns, “I don’t carry anything too important. I’m not stupid. He just snatched today’s income.” She mumbles something about finding a new bag.

Her nonchalance couldn’t help but make Nova bristle, “Income? Really. You mean what you’ve stolen today.”

“I’m using my powers for something useful now, aren't I?”

“Something useful would be helping people.” Nova couldn’t help the bite that came out in her voice. “Not causing a bigger issue for the Renega-”

“Why would I help them?” Magpie snarls, “Their reputation can go die for all I care. They didn’t help me and they aren’t entitled to my help”

Nova blinks, “What?”

“I know you heard me, don’t lie.”

Nova deadpans, “Oh? Clarify for me.”

“Why should I.” Magpie shoves herself away from her, getting her balance back mostly. She keeps one hand on the sewer wall.

Nova sighs, giving up on getting an answer for her question. Better to not beat around the bush. “What do you mean by ‘they didn’t help’? They were always reaching out! Callum was-”

Magpie scoffs, “Exactly. Callum. Everyone else was in it for my powers.” She grumbles something inaudible and then, “He was too but at least his power let him see past that.” 

Magpie winces in pain and stumbles, Nova rushes to her side to catch her again. Magpie doesn’t bother fighting her again but she does scowl. Nova ignores her and focuses on helping her walk. The kid’s right foot must be sprained or something.

Nova sighs, “Renegades are chosen because of their skillset.”

Magpie huffs “Yeah, well. I signed up for history. Artifacts.” 

“And you barely did anything.”

Magpie blew her hair out of her face. “Then good thing I’m out of your hair now. You don’t have to spare a thought to think about how worthless I am to you lot.”

Nova groans internally. She’d give anything to just drop the kid. “No one thinks you’re worthless. You haven’t been applying yourself so-”

“I have.” Magpie defends.

“Really.”

“Really!”

Nova heavily doubts that but chooses just to roll her eyes. “Well if we’re going to talk about this, why did you leave.” The villain wasn’t too far ahead but he had still made a substantial run for it. They were hardly close enough for their voices to be heard by him yet. From what the tracker suggested, he had paused to look at all his newfound treasures. Likely, he hadn’t noticed the tracker yet. Amateur.

“The renegades are hypocrites now.”

Oh this argument? Nova takes a breath, “They always have been.”

Now it was Magpie’s turn to be skeptical.

Nova continues, “But these kinds of organizations will always have flaws. That’s why good people need to be there to improve them.” Nova never thought she’d see a day where she’d so adamantly defend the renegades but here they were. 

Magpie pipes up again, “And yet they still flaunt the idea everyone is equal” Her words taunt the idea itself in an almost singsong way. “Nobody sees that’s the furthest thing from the truth”

“What do you mean by that?”

“No one is equal just because everyone and their mother has powers now.” She shifts slightly as they walk to turn the corner. “No power comes with the same strength as another. And now prodigies aren’t people who earned it.”

Nova chokes and whips her head around to the kid, “Earned it??”

Magpie puffs her chest out, defending her claim with no hesitance, “Becoming a prodigy comes from survival!” Her fist tightens, “And now there are new “prodigies" that flaunt their power like it’s the same thing!” She pointedly looks at the tracker with the villain’s location. Nova had to admit, she was right for this case.

Despite that, Nova refutes Magpie’s previous claim, “Not all ‘previous’ prodigies got their power out of necessity.”

Magpie bites back, “The majority did. And yet, everyone’s trying to act like nothing has changed for the worse.”

Nova frowns, “What does this have to do with you quitting?”

Magpie shuts her mouth and remains silent. They walk a good chunk for a good chunk of time before Nova opens her mouth, “Oh now you’re silent on me again. Great.”

Magpie groans something closer to a whine. “Why are you so interested anyway??”

“Maybe I want to know what’s in that skull of yours to think it’d be a good idea to disappear for weeks! You worried-”

“I don’t care.” Magpie mutters.

Nova still heard it. “Say that again.” A challenge really.

“They don’t actually mean it.”

Nova barks a humorless laugh, “Yes, (oh boy) yes, they do!”

Magpie whips her head back to Nova, “I was a nuisance! I burdened everyone. I used up resources.” She listed them like they would obviously affect how others would think of her. 

And it did. Not always the way Magpie believed though. 

Nova agrees with her, “Yeah, you were. What does that have to do-”

“Everyone should be happy I’m gone. I’m no longer a stain on their reputation.” She shoves her hands into her pockets. “But then again, they ruin their reputation well enough without me.”  

Nova doesn’t bother trying to interject and correct her again. Instead, she listens to Magpie spout off. She’s fessing up now. 

“I’m on the side that matches my character now, right? At least in their eyes. You should be happy.” Magpie quips, continuing her spiel.

Nova doesn’t say anything for a moment. Taking in the kid’s words. She isn’t really sure if she regrets making Magpie talk again. It was easier when she was silent honestly. Easier on her headache. Regardless, Nova speaks up again, “...That’s it? That’s why you made everyone worry?”

Magpie speaks firmly, “They aren’t actually worried. I can guarantee they just want my superpower and labor. Why would they be worried about me?” 

Nova takes in a deep breath, hopefully warding away her oncoming headache. “Honestly, I have no clue.”

“Told you.” Magpie grunts.

“But.” Nova breathes out, “They are worried regardless. Thunderbird herself asked me to go looking for you. And she doesn’t even like me!” Nova hoped her emphasis on Tamaya’s desperation would convince Magpie but it had the opposite effect.

“If anything that proves my point they don't care.” Magpie chuckles. It wasn’t funny. “Leaving my fate up to an ex-anarchist. If they are so concerned, where are they right now?” It almost sounded like a genuine question. One that flabbergasted Nova to no end.

“Busy! And they have been looking for you. They just also have more important things to do than-”

“Look for a shitty kid?” Magpie finishes for her. Nova’s eyebrows furrow at the wording. “I know you don’t like me. Nobody likes me. I made sure of that.” Of all the things for the thief to be honest about, Nova didn’t think admitting her self fulfilling prophecy would be one of them. “Callum was the only one that- …”

“That what?” Nova pries.

“That…” Magpie’s face scrunches up, a pattern when she’s forced to be vulnerable. “I mean that he was annoyingly persistent. He had a good superpower that… could have changed the world.”

“It did.”

Magpie laughs sourly, “It didn’t.” She shakes her head. “He died.”

“He inspired the people around him.” Nova insisted.

“And look what happened to him.”

A silence falls over the two. An uncomfortable one. Nova honestly isn’t sure what to do. Magpie never seemed the sentimental type in any shape whatsoever. She wouldn’t believe the kid even cared about Callum if she hadn’t seen her sobbing over his dead body last year.

Nova breathes in and breaks the silence, “He… was a martyr.”

Magpie’s voice comes out raw. “So? The wonders he saw shriveled up.”

“That’s not true.”

“Yes, it is. Barely anyone in this city has a shred of pity in their soul.” She spits. “Not without profit. Without glory.”

Nova puffs her chest out, “Bold of you to criticize this of the city.”

“Bold of you to assume I give a shit. I know my hypocrisy. I’m just telling it as it is.”

Something in the way Magpie uttered her last statement makes Nova pause. A sort of Deja vu waving over her. The echo of their footsteps quickly replaced their voices and filled the halls of the concrete and waste maze.

“...sounds pretty lonely.”

“Nice try, Nightmare. I’m not falling for that.”

“I’m not trying to trick you.”

Silence. Nova isn’t surprised by this point. In the corner of her eye she could see Magpie avoiding her gaze, entranced by the mesh of components that make up the concrete below them. Nova briefly glanced at her tracker and chewed on her lip. 

Nova sighs, “Just… Give me a reason to tell Tamaya and the others why you left when I get back.”

Magpie turns to her, squinting her eyes. “Are you serious?”

“Dead. Dead serious.” 

Nova looks at Magpie a second longer and flicks her attention back to the tracker. Magpie opens her mouth and Nova places a finger against it. Magpie's face twists in offense until she realizes what they've stumbled across.

Nova cautiously leans forward to see two men and the lanky villain from before. The lanky villain has donned a new mask, covering his face and neck entirely, masking his ability but protecting him from Nova’s. Magpie freezes and Nova moves her hand to the kid’s shoulder, squeezing gently.

She taps Magpie’s shoulder once. Twice. Magpie blinks and perks up to look at her with a surprised recognition. Nova continues relaying her instructions.

The girl squints her eyes at Nova.  Nova gives her a look and the girl huffs.

"..-. .. -. ." she taps back. The Morse code didn't translate her tone, but Nova could tell from expressions alone the girl’s grumpy agreement [Fine.]. 

Nova places her hand on the wall and points to one of the individuals The Terror stands next to. The one that looks about ready to fall over from nerves. He's holding a hefty chunk of concrete, the torn reinforcing steel at the center. It’s hard to miss the gaping hole in the wall, light shining through it. 

Magpie gives one gentle attempt to pull the bag away from him, it's across the shoulder of the man, but she slumps and gives up soon after. His arms are in the way of cleanly stealing her bag back.

Nova’s head lifts up and she points to the gravel and shards from the mess the group must have made in their haste into the sewers. The girl activates her powers and gathers the shards at her feet. Magpie moves them slowly into the water.

The movement startles the timid man ("Crocodile?!") into dropping the concrete, it breaks half once it meets the ground. The halves splash into the sewer's muck and liquid. One of the dealers smacks him in the head and the Timid dude straightens.

Magpie and Nova breathe a quiet sigh of relief once the merchants return to deciding the price they’ll pay for The Terror’s stolen items. Magpie lifts one slab of concrete slowly, breathing in. The water decreases the difficulty of carrying the concrete slabs, the only challenge will be getting it out.

Nova stays tense. She keeps a finger on the activation tigger of the tracking device. In the past she’s designed and built in the function to employ a heavy magnetic force, stuck to whomever she aimed it at. The corresponding magnetic rope weighs heavy on her gear belt.

“460. Final offer.”

“Deal.”

“Mack, get the fucking rocks, we’re going now.”

“Yes!”

Magpie jolts and lifts the concrete into the air, throwing them at the three. One thwacks the timid man, and he collapses to the floor. The second only grazes the Terror and the other dealer.

Nova activates the tracker, the metal presses tightly against his leg and expands to his knee. Magpie uses her power to shut the messy entry/exit hole. The Terror backs up and the second dealer curses Nova’s hero name. He opens his hand-

Nightmare shoves Magpie out of sight at the corner and dodges the dart flown her way. She runs up and kicks the second dealer into the sewer water before tackling the Terror to the ground. Her netting gun falls from her person in the process.

Magpie pulls her bag to her person, as well as the other (much larger) bag of trinkets and valuables stolen by the graverobber. She pays no attention to Nova punching the Terror and his strikes in return. Roughhousing. None of her business now.

She rummages to check her own stuff is still present, and then peeks through the other bag of belongings. Her eyes catch a card and she fishes it out.

A drivers license, with the name Oliver Berk listed next to a picture of a man.

Magpie doesn’t get to examine it for long. The second dealer hacks up the disgusting “water” and pulls himself out. He grabs Nova’s netting gun. Nova’s too busy keeping the Terror from escaping to notice. The Terror’s clothing covers up her options to force him unconscious in a split second.

Magpie jolts up to her feet and runs out of hiding. “Hey!”

The second dealer looks up just before she shoves herself against the man to grab the gun. He yells in shock and she scrambles to rip the netting gun out of his hand. He grabs her hood and lifts her into the air. “What the hell is this kid doing her-” She aims the netting gun and pins him down.

She goes down with him, only outside of the net. He lets go of her hoodie and she knocks against the concrete. Nova looks up in a panic from the sound, wide eyed and distracted. The Terror kicks her in the stomach and abandons the scene. But not before smashing the tracker device, prying it off of his leg.

###

Nova groans and gets to her feet. The pain eases after a moment. She looks up and breathes a sigh of relief to see Maggie getting to her feet. 

Nova slides down into the gutter between them to reach Maggie sooner. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Breathes Maggie.

Nova strides toward the kid and grabs her shoulders. Magpie freezes. Nightmare checks her head for bleeding, only finding a goose egg. “You got knocked twice in the head today.”

“I’m fine, Nightmare.”

Nova sighs and lets Maggie go. Choosing to walk over to the second dealer, she puts her hand through the net and forces him to fall unconscious. Nova’s phone pings with a new message and Maggie uses her power to snatch it and view it as Nova collects the other dealer from where he dropped.

“How come you didn’t run earlier?” Nova asks Maggie as she looks through the two villains' persons for identification, not before tying them up just in case.

“When?”

“When you grabbed the loot.”

Maggie pauses and shrugs. “They… could have had more on them”

“...ahuh.” Nova scratches her cheek. “And you ran out of hiding because…?”

“If- if he got you then I’d be fucked!” The girl defends herself. “Who here is more experienced with fighting and winning?”

“Okay okay, that’s fair.” Nova collects two identification cards. “These will be helpful at least.” 

Nova accidentally pulled out a photograph when she had searched the man's pockets. She stares at a photo of kids barking a resemblance to the man. She sighs in sympathy.

“I found another.” Maggie pulls over the large bag and hands Nova the driver’s license. “Oliver Berk. No powers recorded on it as of five years ago.”

“It’s outdated?” Nova examines the identification. “It doesn’t match either merchant.”

“The Terror?”

“It’s more likely to belong to someone who died in the past few years.”

Magpie’s nose scrunches, “Why would you steal a driver’s license? They’re worthless.”

Nova gives her a look, “Actually, they’re worth a lot. Especially if you need a new identity.”

Maggie blinks and her cheeks pinken ever so slightly out of embarrassment for not thinking of that possibility. “Well… won’t a dead person’s ID catch eyes? Someone would notice that right?”

“...Who knows anymore.” She sighs.

Maggie pulls out Nova’s phone she snagged earlier and looks at the message. 

“Oh. Her.”

“Who?” 

Maggie shows the screen to Nova. Nova sours for a moment to see Maggie stole her phone. She perks up in interest the moment she recognizes Thunderbird’s contact.

"Was she the one who put you up to looking for me?"

"Yeah why?"

Maggie walks over to the side of one of the men to sit down, crossing her legs. "She, especially, doesn't care. Not really"

"Sounded like she cared to me."

"She cares about my power. How it can be used. She was jumping to sponsor me after I tried out. Though, I bet in a heartbeat she'd want it to be someone else's." Maggie fidgets. "...she’s the reason I got out of the orphanage and a place with the Renegades when I did."

Nova hesitates to respond. She wishes she knew what to say, but she can't think of anything. Nothing that would make anything better. She doesn't know Tamaya well enough to argue or agree.

"...sorry about that, kid."

Maggie shrugs and places the phone down. Nova retrieves it quickly but Maggie's already reverted her attention to searching the merchant's pockets as if it were Christmas.

"You should probably tell her how you feel." Nova tries. "Might help clear up some things…"

Maggie pauses. She changes the subject.

“About your question earlier? About what you should tell them? Yeah… tell them don’t bother.” Magpie says as she packs up her once stolen trinkets, “It’s best for everyone if I stick to being a ‘villain’. If you’re shocked-” she searches the knocked out pawnbroker’s pockets for cash or anything of value, waving around the items to examine them “Don’t be! It’s been a long time coming.” 

Nova at Magpie. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Is that so hard to believe?”

Nova snorts, “No it isn’t. I’m being validated.”

Magpie deadpans as she shoves a very fancy trinket into her bag, “Congratulations. Would you like a metal?”

Nova blinks, “Did you just-”

“MEDAL! Medal. Gah forget it!” Magpie’s face pinkens and she stands to her feet in seconds. She secures her bag in its place, keeping her eyes away from Nova’s amused expression. “Anyway. You know I only care about me.”

“That’s true”

“Callum was the selfless one.”

“Yep”

“And he was wrong about me.”

Nova clicks her tongue, “I mean, I didn’t know him for very long all things considered, but I have a hard time believing Callum could be wrong about something like that.”

“Well, he was.”

She raises her eyebrow, “What exactly did he say about you anyway?”

Magpie scoffs, “What? The potential he saw? The wonders his power “revealed”?”

“Well, yeah. What else.”

“Stupid stuff…” The tween mutters.

Nova pries more, “And that stupid stuff is…?”

“...” Magpie relents after a moment of silence. But not after taking the time to roll her eyes. “He made me think that I could help people… the way I wanted help once.”

Nova pauses and can’t find anything to say about what Magpie just uttered. Nothing that would help. She waits for the kid to say anything more on the subject.

“This is stupid. You don’t care.”

“No- well…” Nova grimaces and sighs, “Why don’t I tell you something.”

Magpie whips her head back to Nova and squints her eyes. Eventually she bites and asks, “Tell me what?”

Nova took a breath and before saying something she hopes she won’t regret telling the 12 year old, “After we defeated Ace Anarchy, I wanted to quit.”

“Quit?” Magpie looks over to her, dumbfounded expression and everything.

“Yep.”

Magpie’s expression lessons. “...Why?”

“I felt I’d do more harm than good staying on the team.” She chuckles, beginning to fidget with her bracelet out of the need to do something with her awkward hands. “After all, my mistakes led to Ace running free for so long. He’s… the reason my family is dead.”

“What? Your…”

Nova nods, pursing her lips, “He hired the assassin. Shot my Mom, Dad, and sister.” Mentioning her long-dead sister made her heart ache. And at the same time, it was odd. She never imagined telling all of this to Magpie one day, and here they were.

Magpie’s eyebrows shoot up, and after a few seconds she utters “oh…”

“Yeah… turns out he kept me ‘cause I was a prodigy. I never knew.”

Maggie’s eyebrows furrow but she doesn’t say anything. The silence draws on longer than comfortable for the two of them. 

“Anyway…” Nova clears her throat. “I’ll always carry the guilt of what I could have done. The deaths I could have prevented are on my shoulders. I could run away, and suffer for what I’ve done and didn’t do.” She then smiles, “Or stick around. Stay with the people that care about me. And try to be better now. Make things better. That’s what the Rejects have been trying for the past year and counting.”

“The rejects?”

“Narcissa’s the leader. I’ll give you a fair introduction to them later if you want.”

…

Nova coughs, “Anyway, I guess what I’ve been trying to say is, it gets better. You never know where people that get you, show up. And that more people care about you than you ever realize.

“Y’know, when things to crap.”

###

Nova sends a quick text before her and Maggie leave. It's to heroes in their area, notifying them of their location, the situation, and the pawnbrokers. She trusts them to handle the two fairly.

It didn’t take very long to find The Terror's next planned location once they rummaged through the two pawnbroker’s pockets and found how they had been communicating with The Terror. 

And the fact The Terror was actually Oliver Berk. The grin on Maggie's face for being right didn't leave for a while. Nova could only sigh. Of course the amateur villain would keep his identification with him.

The amateurness didn't stop, and his weak security both hurt Nova and made her want to laugh. How could you screw this up so badly?? From there she and Maggie had tracked him down to his next location and ambushed him, making quick work of tying him up.

Maggie holds her lucky bullet in her hand and close to her when she stands against the sewer wall and slides down into a sit. She fiddles with it a little and looks at Nova who is finishing up her report to headquarters. Nova rubs her head to ease her headache as she writes. She types up she has apprehended the villain, their location, and a promise to return to hq soon after denying a ride back.

“...My family was murdered too”

“Hm?” Nova turns to Maggie.

“When I was a baby. I don’t know too much. I was found by the landlord or something.” She holds up the bullet. “I just know this gave me my powers.”

Nova blinks and lets her mouth form an ‘o’ shape. Out of all the things today, this wasn't one she thought Maggie would talk about.

The kid holds the bullet closer to her chest, "This is my power. I don't care what you think about me. What anyone thinks. This power is mine and only for me. It is me. It's… how I survive" she grits out.

Nova breathes out a sigh and shrugs, "I mean… I get that.”

“You do?”

Nova nods, “The anarchists weren’t exactly buddy-buddy with me. Even after the age of anarchy, it’s common advice, you could say, to keep your guard up. Just in case.

"And with hindsight, I was only kept alive by my uncle because of my powers…"

Nova couldn’t help but fidget slightly from Maggie’s persistent attention. That stare. Now that the kid was actually listening it was almost unnerving. The kid’s piercing blue gaze only assisted the look.

“And some shitty things have happened to me. No surprise there. My new friends help me out with that now.”

Maggie’s concentration on what she says breaks the next second, and she snorts, “What are you even suggesting. Getting cheesy friends may have worked for you, but it won’t fix anything for me. We aren’t the same.” Maggie looks away from her with a scowl. “I have nothing. Nothing of my old life. Blurry memories maybe. But no photos. No gravestones. No names.”

Nova pauses and frowns. Maybe sympathetically. She doesn’t really know. “You don’t need those to move on.”

“Says the renegade with photos, and memories, and names, and graves to say goodbye to.” 

“I lost most of the photos a long time ago. And,” She raises her finger to emphasize her point, “my sister’s corpse was never recovered so watch your mouth.”

“At least you know her name”

“Will you please just work with me!? I just” Nova breathes in. “I want to hold out an olive branch. Because… you aren’t nearly as alone as you think.”

Maggie stays quiet. Nova fills the space.

“Look, we definitely got off on the wrong foot” She pauses and bites her lip. “Pun, not intended.” Nova ignores the incredulous look Magpie gives her.

“But. I don’t want to see someone else go through what I did alone.”

“We. Are not. The same.”

“No, we aren’t. But pretty damn close, dontcha think?” Nova chuckles lightly, but is met with Magpie’s continued silence. “Yeah okay, that wasn’t funny.”

Nova heads over to where the villain had been tied up and readjusts the knots, she needs something to do with her hands. “We can leave soon and forget this ALL happened if you want. Just know this, I am lucky to have gotten back so much.”

“I could have told you that.”

Nova ignores her. “But for the longest time… I didn’t know I had that much to be returned. I thought everything about my past died that night, aside from my memory. Even my bracelet wouldn’t be as important to me, without that memory. That memory was my drive and it still is.”

Maggie’s quiet when she responds, her overgrown bangs hover over her eyes and shade them. “I tried moving on.”

“Did you?”

“I moved on… by staying alive.” Maggie lets out a breath. “Who cares if they didn’t come back. Or if I have nothing left. It’s me now. Those pieces are dead and I’m the one who’s living.”

“Good. Stay alive. But that living person can’t have any friends? Any support?”

…

“I can’t say goodbye to my sister.”

Maggie looks up at her, “You were telling the truth?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

Maggie doesn’t answer and lets Nova continue.

“They have a gravestone in place, but she isn’t there.”

“They couldn’t find a simple corpse? That is… hilariously incompetent.” Maggie almost deadpans.

“Yeah well, doesn’t change I can’t say goodbye. Or hello. Tell her about my day. About an awful coworker. A competition for kids that… she’d be the same age as. And,” Nova blinks, “I can’t say happy birthday, either.”

Maggie’s eyebrows furrow.

“She… uh… Evie. Would have turned thirteen this week…”

“...thirteen?” The silence could only be described as all consuming. And Maggie’s tone was undecipherable.

“Yeah.”

Maggie only stares at Nova. Her eyes focusing on her like a hawk. In disbelief? In sadness? Nova never would think of empathy to be an emotion Maggie would display before tonight, but she’s been surprised on the contrary before.

Maggie’s lip twitches. Her lips form into a scowl, bringing the rest of her expression with it. Her hackles raise. “Oh yeah. Very funny.”

Nova blinks in confusion. “What??”

“I’m not gonna fall for that.” She pushes herself off the wall she had been leaning against.

“I’m not lying.”

“You’ve done it before, Insomnia.” Nova squints her eyes and Maggie continues, “Twelve years after a home invasion? Murderer on the loose with a gun?! Yeah, as if. You just want to trick me!”

“Why would I do that??” Nova returns Magpie’s volume, “Why would I lie-”

“I am thirteen years old.”

Nova blinks incredulously, “...W-what?

“And whatever sick trick you’re playing on me isn’t funny. I won’t go back to headquarters. You can’t fool me. Is this what they're training Renegades to do now? Fuck with people’s heads?!”

Nova’s mouth remains wide open out of offense, and she has to remember to close it as her expression heats up. She’s speechless from this accusation before she speaks up, “You’re talking nonsense! Why are you- what does-” she flounders to make sense of the conclusion Magpie has come up with “You- You’re thirteen?”

Magpie scoffs, “Yeah. Thirteen. Just short a month after I was admitted to the orphanage. After- …after my family died.” She quiets but keeps her glare on Nova. “But you already knew that didn’t you.”

Nova’s furrowed expression stays put until she digests what Magpie is saying. Her expression slowly lessons and her eyes widen. She steps back.

The thirteen year old blinks, “What?”

“I’m not making this up, Magpie.”

“What do you mean you aren’t making this up.”

“I… I’m telling the truth. I wouldn’t lie about this.”

“Well I’m not lying either.” Maggie intended to spit the truth out but the moment she said it the more it seemed Nova’s words were also ruminating in her head too. Her eyes widen but it doesn’t match Nova’s expression.

Nova’s face pales and her eyes dart to the hand that Maggie grips her bullet with. A… a bullet?

“It can’t be…”

###

Life, has been a nauseating rollercoaster for Maggie.  Especially for today. A day she thought wouldn't be stressful for once. Calmer even. 

Sure, she planned to snag more than a few trinkets to pawn but today she didn’t want to have to run away from annoying heroes. The ones that get upset with her theft. Frankly, she didn’t want to think about them either. One stop at the food drive was plenty of that interaction.

Maggie didn't think about the heroes that saw her at the food drive and did nothing. The ones who've been in the area enough to know only people in poverty end up here. She didn't think about never seeing Sketch's team once.

Not… not that she'd want to see them! They'd only nag her.

The point is… she didn’t want to run, or get hurt. The last few weeks she's stayed away from ugly fights and for a reason. Her goal is to survive, not get some wound infected and die from a disease.

And yet, she had to run from the annoying Nightmare and was cut up by the latest piece of gossip, The Terror. Who… she also had not been keen on running into. The sting on her cheek and pain from her neck were sour reminders of that failure.

But even when she had been shoved into the sewage, her foot stomped on, Nightmare still helped her. Hell, Nova looked concerned after the second fight.

And she never expected Nightmare to… be nice to her. Like, ever. In the beginning she was just as annoying as before but… Maggie never would have predicted it.

Maggie also never thought she and Nova could work together. 

It unnerved her a little when Nightmare told her things that, Maggie would never tell if in Nova's position. Why would Nova trust her with all this information? 

Heck, Maggie thought she had it figured out for a moment. That Nova was actually backstabbing and exploiting her knowledge of Maggie’s past to trick her. It made sense. 

Her mind was eager to brush aside the last hour. It was all fake, right?

But this. 

This isn’t how a fucked up villain would react to being found out. For lying the entire time.

Maggie grips her lucky bullet in her hand. 

Today has been a rollercoaster. And Maggie hates rollercoasters.

The silence between the two stretches on for hours. Or a minute. Who was she to tell? 

Nova? 

Nova’s her… sister?

The thing about Maggie is, she hates hoping. She despises the very concept. When she was younger, she hoped all too much. Too many nights she spent staying up listening to the grownups and their phone calls. Waiting for someone to call, asking for her. Someone to walk through the doors one day, and call her theirs.

Waiting for her sister to burst through the doors, apologizing for leaving her with one big hug.

The very thought makes her nauseous nowadays. How could she have been so naive. Wasted all that time hoping. Focusing on a what if rather than what she could do. She could do so much. 

She left.

And now she’s here. And now her sister is here. Well, maybe her sister. 

Nova is murmuring something Maggie can’t quite follow, her hand is over her mouth as several emotions flicker across her face. She looks about ready to barf, and Maggie couldn’t blame her if she did. The kid feels ill enough to join her, honestly.

She wants to shut down the possibility all together. That her sister really is gone and she’s not right in front of her, staring at Maggie like she’s seeing a ghost. The hope and trepidation in Nova’s eyes that Maggie stomped in her own a long time ago.

Nova pinches the bridge of her nose and walks over to The Trashbag and hoists the villain over her shoulder. She mumbles something under her breath, Maggie can't make out.

Something grabs Maggie’s hand and she jolts, ripping her hand away and whips her head toward- Nova. Nova’s hand is shaking and she seems to be trying to keep her calm. Upon further inspection, Maggie realizes she’s trembling too. Why is she doing that?

“Maggie…”

Maggie clenches her fist, and lets Nova hold her hand in a tight grip, before exiting the sewers.

###

Nova jumps out of the cab with Maggie close behind, she rushes out a “thankyousomuchsorry!” to the cab driver still frozen from the two renegades and villain that hitched a ride. She makes a mental note to pay them back later.

She sees headquarters' front entrance light up the darkening sky as she approaches. Her head throbs once she walks in and meets the fluorescent lights. Nova unceremoniously drops the villain on the ground and ignores the shocked staff when she beelines for the medical suite. She never once lets go of Maggie's hand.

Her mind notes the sound of heroes telling Mr Berk his rights before they take him away for interrogation. Nova opens the door to the medical suite and the bustle of the front lobby muffles once the door is shut.

Maggie lags behind as Nova reaches the counter, asking for a kinship test. 

Nova's breathing feels wrong. She could see from the rise and fall from her chest that she wasn't hyperventilating. But it felt too slow. Every breath was too big. Suffocating her.

The person from behind the counter hands her the box containing the test. She holds it carefully and can only stare. After a moment the person at the desk looks at her in confusion and gets her attention.

"It's just a mouth swab, Sweetie. Don't worry" the person offers her a smile. Nova's cheeks pinken and she mutters a thank you before practically running back to where she left Maggie.

Nova takes another breath. It, is just a saliva test. When it comes down to it, it won't even be painful.

Her eyes catch the labeling. Sibling kinship test.

Her gut twists from the word. 

…could Maggie really be…

"What's taking you so long?"

Nova whips her head up to look at Maggie's furrowed expression.

"Ah, nothing nothing. It's fine." Nova opens the cardboard box, the thick paper glowing the box closed tears apart. She presses the flaps aside and dumps the innards onto the small table offered in the room. Maggie eyes the tests with trepidation.

Nova takes a deep breath in, "Magpie"

The thirteen year old looks back at her.

"I… if. This confirms anything. …We don't need to do anything about it immediately. If, you don't want to." Nova hands the tween one of the still packaged swabs. "I don't want you to think… that you're obligated to anything."

The thirteen year old grabs her own sleeve to tug on slightly as she stares at the test. Not touching it.

"...what if it doesn't…"

"Doesn't… confirm anything?" Nova finishes. "...well. Still, you don't have to do anything." Nova rubs the back of her neck "but, feel free to talk to me."

Maggie looks up at her with a skeptical squint. "Why?"

"On the streets, support systems are vital if you don't want to end up dead within a month" Nova smiles. "It could just be a phone number, okay?"

"No, I mean, why do you still want to talk after all the times I stole your bracelet."

"I have a funny feeling you won't be trying that again. Not unless you want the Renegades on your back" Nova shoots the girl a look that says 'right?'. Maggie can't refute that.

Maggie hesitates before opening the plastic package and retrieving the mouth swab.

From the many years of technological development and the growth of prodigies, some things have taken less time to analyze than before. What would have taken a few days could now receive results in a couple hours or so.

An agonizingly long couple hours. Better than the alternative but still an infuriating amount of time to wait for DNA testing results. 

Nova convinced Maggie to have the wounds she received by The Terror checked for infection in the meantime. 

Though one of the nurses nearby grabbed her as well to be patched up. Maggie laughed at her, and her initial shock and realization of what she neglected to do. It didn't take long for the nurse to finish patching Nova up. Sent back to the cold waiting room soon after…

It was easier to forget what they were waiting on with the distractions.

Nova looks at her phone again. She doesn't unlock the screen but she does view the time. And the texts she's received from Adrian and Tamaya. Both have been caught up in an incident downtown and would be there as soon as possible. Though, she warned Tamaya to wait until Maggie wanted to talk to her. Nova decided against telling Oscar, Ruby, and Danna what happened.

It could be completely coincidental. More doubt settles in Nova's mind the longer she waits. 

When Maggie returns, Nova doesn't look at her. She fiddles with her hands, she almost wishes she had one of her inventions or something to do.

Finally, someone calls for them. Nova whips her head up and stiffens. This… is really happening. Her brain feels like it's still trying to catch up to the events around her. She stands up and looks at Maggie. The girl tenses and freezes up.

Nova goes to check the results without her. She could almost hear the quiet sigh of relief.

Someone, with a stereotypical lab coat, on hands her the envelope containing the printed results. 

Nova doesn't catch much of the explanation of how the DNA match results were determined, but she appreciates it nonetheless.

She leans against the wall and slowly wills her fingers to open the letter.

It's been a little more than 12 years since her family was killed.

Her hands tremble as she slowly takes the folded paper from inside.

She remembers every gunshot. 

BANG! 

She remembers hiding in that cramped closet.

BANG!

Nova takes a deep breath.

Evie's crying was cut short with one final…

…

BANG!

She unfolds the paper.

Ace never let her see Evie's bloodied corpse. The last time she saw Evie was when she left her sleeping body to check on her parents. When everything changed.

They never got to see a funeral. Nova never knew what happened to the bodies. Ace never gave up any details on the subject.

Looking at the paper was disorienting at first until her eyes caught onto the letters and began to read. Alleged Sibling was typed at the top of two columns, above "Nova Artino" and "Margaret White".

She keeps her thumb over the results number but the more she looks, the more numbers that match. 

Nova moves her thumb and stared at the paragraph beneath the total index.

Her eyes are dragged to the nines in the percentage listed. 

DNA testing done to determine siblingship of the alleged siblings. Based on testing results obtained from analyses of the DNA loci listed, the probability of full-siblingship is 99.8%. The likelihood they share a biological father is….

…not a coincidence then

The air leaves Nova's lungs the next second. She couldn't even read the rest before she began to sway. She braces herself against the wall and does her best to lower herself to the ground safely. 

Nova took in another breath but it came out as a strangled sob. Her face is wet. When did she start crying?

Maggie's Evie.

Evie is Maggie. Magpie.

Evie's… alive.

How??

Her mind remembers the bullet in Maggie's hand. It… gave Maggie her powers…

She hears Adrian come through the doors before she sees him in her blurry vision. His Sentinel uniform is mostly covering him still.

Nova holds a hand over her mouth and stumbles to her feet. 

"Nova-"

Nova runs past her confused boyfriend, who voices his confusion and concern immediately after.

She runs out into the waiting room and her eyes dart around, looking for-

"Nova?"

Nova whips her head to the source of the sound. Her eyes first catch the shiny gleam of the cold blue light reflecting a choppy hair cut, greasy and dark, donned on the thirteen year old.

Evie looks up.

Her eyes are her mother's. A piercing grayish blue. The same ones that sobbed her heart out due to a fever twelve years ago. The little baby girl who's crying was cut off. Cut off by the same gunshot that has echoed in Nova's head since she was six.

"Nova?"

Nova's world spins slightly but she continues to stare. She feels frozen, her hands possessed when she tightly clutches the warm printed paper.

Evie's eyebrows furrow in apprehension, her hackles raising. She stands up. "What? What is it?!"

Nova can only stare. 

A beat passes.

Evie backs up slowly and before Nova can say anything, the girl runs out of the room like a startled deer. Shoving past everyone in her way of the exit door.

Adrian's voiced confusion snaps Nova out of it. He tries to say something to her but she can't articulate what exactly. She runs after the kid.

Nova throws open the door and bursts outside, looking around wildly. Her heart is thumping, ready to burst from her chest. She curses her eyes for blurring her vision with streaming tears. She feels sick. 

Steps skidding around the corner alert her attention and she follows in haste.

Her breathing is heavy, and she can see each hot breath she pants dissipate into the cold air.

Curses flood Nova's head when whips around her corner and doesn't see the kid. Where…

Her eyes dart around as she catches her breath. She… she couldn't have imagined Evie… could she… is Maggie still in-

Her eyes finally catch a huddled figure in a more obscure section of the wall. If Nova's thoughts weren't running wild, she probably would have caught the kid immediately.

The wall is uneven, a section jutting out, allowing someone to hide right one of the walls. The girl sits next to the large garbage bin. Honestly, it's a half hearted attempt at hiding. Maybe she didn't even mean to hide.

Just needed to get away.

Nova's shoulders relax and she stays where she stands. Nova keeps her eyes away from the twelve year old girl, willing herself to stop trembling. 

Nova takes in a shaky breath and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. She only needs a moment.

The silence is deafening.

Nova wipes her eyes and clenches the printed test results.

"Is…" She starts and stops, clearing her throat. Come on Nova! Be at least somewhat composed about this! "Is that the bullet… the one that…"

That killed you. Killed her. Almost. It almost killed her, now. It almost killed you, didn't it?

"...how would I know." The twelve year old looked like she meant to spit the sentence out, but it came out more exhausted and dim. "I was a baby." The girl holds the bullet tightly in her palm, curling into herself.

Nova's mouth opens and closes for a moment. Magpie's skin prickles when she stares for too long.

Magpie bites, "what?"

"Look. It- … it's hard to go from believing your baby sister was shot and murdered to finding out she's been alive and… well… you"

Maggie weakens slightly and turns her head away…

"Is it disappointing?"

Nova's features furrow after Maggie's question. She responds, with a question. "Is it disappointing that I'm your sister that disappeared?" Nova's voice is sore. This day has been exhausting for the two of them.

"I… I don't know." Maybe it would have been before today. Or if Maggie was still searching for her sister even when she met Nova. "I just thought… I didn't have anyone left…"

Nova sat in silence for a bit, biting her trembling lip, "... Me too."

Nova, uncomfortable with looking down at Maggie, decides to walk over and sit beside the kid. Not terribly close, but close enough that after a long pause, Maggie sort of leans onto her shoulder. 

Nova can barely feel it, like Maggie's hovering just the slightest so that she wasn't actually pressing fully against her. 

Ready to flee.

Nova doesn't comment. And Maggie speaks up, in a vulnerable tone unlike any Nova had heard from Maggie before. Even compared to tonight's dizzying developments. 

Closer to a whisper. 

"...you really thought I was dead?"

"Maggi- Ev- '' she breathes out. "...yeah. When I heard the gunshot and her… your crying stopped…" Nova has to stop herself, she purses her lips. She locks her eyes on the lamp hanging in front of the brick wall parallel to them. Studying how it reflects.

"…so. You didn't mean to leave… me? You… you would have stayed?"

Nova looks over, her eyes are wide and she tells herself to not get emotional. Don't. Her head whispers lingering doubts that… this isn't even real. "Yeah… " Nova feels a little breathless. 

It certainly doesn't feel real.

Magpie turns away, staring blankly at the same brick wall. The wall behind them feels the same. She blinks, trying to make sense of it all, "so…"

"So?"

"You were here…the whole time…"

"Yeah… Sorry. …that I couldn't have been before"

"Okay…" Maggie hunches closer into herself. "This sucks."

Nova looks over, "why's that?"

Maggie doesn't answer her question. "Do we know for sure that the blood samples matched? Test it again!" Maggie pulls her sleeve down, holding her pale boney arm out to Nova. Nova blanches.

"Wh-what?! Maggie, you know the equipment they have is the best in the city. It's not a mistake." Nova frowned at her. "Plus, they're saliva tests, not blood."

"Well-! Well… …" Maggie purses her lips, holding them shut as her mind thinks and catches up. Nova's mind still hasn't, truth be told. "Then what are we going to do now,"

Nova takes a deep breath, "I don't know." She fiddles with her bracelet, "...Do you want your records updated?"

Maggie blinks, "You have them?"

Nova weakly smiles in a wistful way, "Yeah. The renegades made sure to file them. Let's just say… they felt guilty" she couldn't help but grunt the last part out.

Maggie blinks and looks up, "Really?"

"Yeah. You, uh, wouldn't remember, but Captain Chromium promised our family's safety and… you know how that played out."

Maggie pauses and then huffs, “That’s not surprising” she pauses again to think. “Does that mean… I have a birth certificate?”

Nova sat up a little straighter, “Yeah. Evie Artino…” She wet her lips and wiped her tear stained cheeks, "...twelve years now. She was- You were a home birth. A long one too. Took hours before I could meet you. Along with… our uncle.”

Maggie frowned. "Ace Anarchy. Lovely family bonus points I guess…"

"He didn't seem so bad at the time."

"That's how they trick you."

"Yeah,"

Maggie just slightly nudges closer to Nova, "what day?"

"The…" Nova opens her mouth only to close it again. "...well. I guess this means happy birthday." Nova's small smile stretches as far as it could on her face. Not much considering the amount of restraint she had to not cry. "Happy Birthday, Evie Artino."

Nova remembers being a kid and ecstatic for her sister's first birthday. She fully planned out the cake and decorations right alongside her mom who had to remind her they couldn't afford to go all out. 

She was sad at the time but she was determined to sing super loud for her sister when the day came. And give her even better gifts when Evie gets older.

After the final gunshot, Nova threw all of those hopes away. Burned them to ashes, really.

Maggie frowns for a moment and looks away for a moment to wipe her eyes with her fist. She turns back and without a word, sits her head back to where it had previously been close to Nova.

Nova feels the weight this time.

"I don't know… I don't know what I want…" Maggie thought she knew at one point. She knew exactly what she wanted. To be a little orphan Annie, found by her full family and welcomed with big open arms. It didn't matter who found her. As long as someone found her and loved her.

But now? She's given up on that fantasy for so long that anything remotely similar is… unfamiliar. She can't navigate this. It still… doesn't feel real.

Nova shrugs and says, "That's fair. I don’t really know either” she chuckles softly “Never thought Evie… you could be alive. Much less a prodigy.” 

She straightens slightly, not enough to nudge the girl off her arm though. Maggie's (surprisingly) skittish enough that Nova could even say she's like a bird, quick to fly away. 

Nova frowns, “I can only imagine what Ace could have done if he knew…” The arm Nova had subconsciously placed around her sister tightens slightly before she reminds herself it’s okay. He’s dead. He can’t use Maggie like how he used her.

Magpie blinks and cringes, “Working for that crusty old terrorist? Pass.”

“You wouldn’t know any different.”

“I grew up in an orphanage.” Maggie grunts, “They aren’t exactly known for their good conditions. I learned that and didn’t know any different.”

Nova sighs, “I know. Were they… bad to you?”

Maggie shoves a hand into her pocket, fiddling with her bullet. “They weren’t good, let's just just say that…”

Nova frowns, her chest tightens and she has the strangest feeling of… protection come over her? 

Would it have been different before she knew who Maggie was? Maybe… maybe not.

"What did they do?"

"What do you think? Everyone was either wasted off their arses or busy setting fire to the nearest building out of some petty revenge…" Maggie pauses, "They… uh… somehow never set fire to the orphanage itself. I bet they wanted to."

"I get that. Honey frequently downed bottles of booze when she could."

"I didn't think the anarchists had the money for that sort of thing"

"We didn't. I ran, er, 'errands' a few times"

Maggie blinks, "Wait, you stole??"

"I was an anarchist, kid."

The kid huffs, "Hypocrite."

Nova chokes, "I- that's different."

"Is it?"

"Yes, actually. I'm an- was. Was an Anarchist." Nova coughs. “You were stealing as a Renegade”

“Same difference.”

“I… Whatever.” Nova rolls her eyes. “Drunk bastards raised you?”

"Meh, they don't deserve that much credit."

"Fair." Nova frowns and looks over at Maggie. She notices Maggie tense and returns to the topic, "Anyway, just say the word and I'll pull the strings I need to get your records fixed."

"...thanks" Maggie murmurs, "Maybe later."

Nova rubs Maggie's arm as she relaxes. Nova's head buzzes with questions but she'll save them for later.

Then. Maggie asks. "canIhugyou?" Rushing out the sentence before she could chicken out. Her cheeks pinken ever so slightly.

Nova blanches, "er, Sur-?" Maggie cuts her off and hugs her tightly, squeezing her for a moment. Nova blinks and slowly puts her arms around the 12 year old too. She doesn't even mind the spot on her clothes getting wet from where Maggie has buried her face. 

Nova rubs her back and squeezes back too. She presses her lips thinly together and hugs her close. The kid's body weaves with silent sobs. Nova lets the tears fall from her eyes as she rubs her sister's back.

"Hey" She says softly, "You good?"

Maggie nods lethargically, not moving from the hug.

"Do you still want another test done?" Nova's lip twitches up slightly.

"I… don't want to head back inside yet"

"It's getting late"

Maggie makes a noise, it tells Nova she really doesn't care. At all. 

"It's warm inside"

"No" Maggie huffs quietly.

"Okay" Nova chuckles and rubs Maggie's arm, "thennnn…. how about we go somewhere else… warmer preferably."

Maggie pulls away a little bit to look at Nova.

"It's your birthday so, how about we head over to a restaurant or something. Your pick." Nova suggests, "We can hang out there till you're ready to talk to everyone else."

"I thought restaurants close earlier than that"

"Kid, I don't sleep. I know a few All Night Open places if your pick closes too soon."

Maggie pulls away completely and fiddles with her bullet in her pocket. "I… don't mind that." She whips her head up. "You have to promise not to make the waiters sing."

Nova blinks and laughs, snapping her fingers, "Darn, there goes my plans!"

Maggie scowls and squints at her.

She sighs dramatically, "I promise I won't."

"Won't what?"

"I won't make them sing" Nova smiles and stands up, opening her phone and sending a quick text. "Everyone inside can wait a little longer now that they know you're breathing. No promises they won't try to sing to you later."

"They're not allowed."

"I'll tell them that." Nova holds out a hand to Maggie, offering to help her up. "Got any restaurant requests yet? Fast food?"

Maggie hesitates and accepts her hand, "...your favorite. Whatever it is…"

"Okay"

###

Nova sets the finished food dishes to the side of their booth's table. She rubs Maggie's arm as the kid breathes in and out slowly. Her eyelids twitch from dreaming. She puts her coat back on Maggie after it slowly slid down.

Their private booth's light flickers from the fancifully decorated lantern. The warm light thankfully gentle to her, albeit dimming, headache. A waiter had offered to find some ice earlier but she declined politely.

Nova's phone lights up again from another text. She sighs and clicks her phone off. They can wait for a little while, she's already explained enough for now. Though she's surprised by their resilience to check up on them. It's been hours since they left.

Her hand plays with Maggie's hair. Moving it out of the kid's face, not bothering too much with some of the tangles. She does her best to keep her thoughts off of how tonight's events will change everything in the future. 

Nova is more than content with staying with her sleeping sister, the one that is unconsciously hugging her. On her birthday.

After texting Adrian, he thankfully understood and avoided texting questions, despite the thousands Nova is sure he has.

Someone knocks on a clipboard outside and the booth's curtain opens a little. The waiter waves apologetically and notices Maggie is sleeping before they speak. The waiter smiles and takes the dirty dishes, handing Nova a to-go box like she requested earlier.

Before the server leaves, they put two plates on the table. Both with a slice of chocolate cake. Nova quietly thanks them and hands them the paid check, along with the generous tip.

After the waiter leaves, Nova carefully packs up the remaining food for leftovers without waking Maggie up. Her phone lights up from another text and she sees the time. 

Nova pulls out a candle and a matchbox. She sets them both to the side. She grabs her phone and decides to open up her camera app. She takes a picture.

Showing her, the cake slices, and Evie.

She puts out the match and takes a quick picture. Showing Evie, her, and the candle.

…she stares at it. The candle ended up in the frame. A single candle. 

She wishes she could've gotten the number of candles accurate to her sister's age, but this was all the restaurant had left. Plus, 13 candles wouldn't fit in a single slice. 

Yet, strangely, it almost feels poetic now. One candle for the first birthday they missed. God, now her thoughts were corny. Must have been the Everharts' influence on her.

But she accepts the cringe. And she thinks about herself 13 years ago. Little six year old Nova, excited for her baby sister's first birthday.

Nova loved the idea of celebrating her sister's birthday the exact time she was born. Her parents, not so much, given Evie was born close to midnight. Nova's still not completely sure where she heard the idea from at six years old.

Nova hums a little, and remembers practicing the song they would sing once it was time to. The one she still hasn't sung in a while. She smiles a little.

"Happy birthday… to you"

Nova grabs the candle and places it in the center of Evie's cake slice as she softly sings the lyric. She lights the match.

"Happy birthday to you"

Evie's eyes blink awake lethargically, shifting a little bit to adjust her position. The girl sleepily looks at Nova as the ex-anarchist lights the birthday candle. 

Nova didn't need the waiter's assistance after getting permission earlier. Perks of saving the owner she supposes.

"Happy birthday, dear Evie."

She lets out a breath, saying her sister's name with a smile. Nova tucks a few strands of hair behind Evie's ear. Evie tiredly nuzzles into Nova's arm to get closer, but she does keep an eye on the candle as it flickers. She doesn't look at her, but Nova knows Evie is paying attention.

"Happy Birthday to you"

End notes:

[leegemma]

hiiii, I love your writing and I’m hoping you can do a ZB1 Lee! Hao and Ler! Jiwoong with lots of teasing and prompts 12, 47 and 93!!! <3

Thank you for your request! This was so fun to write! I didn't really know how to end it so you'll have to forgive me for that, haha

Enjoy:)

12 - “come on, let me see that smile!”

47 - “i think that i like this. can you do it some more?”

93 - “you’re too cute.”

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

With the group's very recent debut and extremely tight schedule, the tension and stress at the zb1 dorms was greatly felt. Affecting each one of the members in different ways. And while they all tried to be there and listen to each other as best as they could, the oldest members were definitely up on their feet and running around between the younger ones more.

Take Zhang hao for example, he hasn't

slept for a whole day now. It started with him helping Ricky understand something in Korean, to him helping Gunwook with a dance move, to making sure Matthew was eating well, to him helping Gyuvin picking out outfits, to trying to calm Hanbin (who was obviously also extremely stressed) down.

Hao finally got the time to take a break when coming back from Taerae's room after practicing some vocals with the boy. He let out a deep sigh as he took a place next to Jiwoong on the sofa in their lounge.

Jiwoong, who was reading a book peacefully up until that moment, looked up from the book and at Hao. "You okay?"

At this moment, it was as if the whole brave and strong face Hao has been putting on just refused to stay on any longer. Hao broke down in tears, his little pout coming out.

"Oh Hao." Was all Jiwwong said as the oldest scooted closer and hugged Hao close.

"I'm sorry... I feel selfish for even crying right now. I know I'm not the only one who has it hard right now." Hao shook his head slightly, tears not stopping.

Jiwoong poked his side lightly, smiling gently when the younger jumped slightly

"Don't you dare say that. You're human and of course this is hard and stressful for you right now. Don't apologise for doing nothing wrong."

"But I'm the second oldest, I'm supposed to help the younger boys and stay strong for them. I can't brake."

"You can and you will, Hao." Jiwoong shook his head. "Of course as the eldests we have to look out for the others, but that does not mean we can't look out for ourselves too. Besides, I'm older than you and it is my job to look after you as well."

Hao smiled at that. "And then who will take care of you, hyung?"

Jiwoong rolled his eyes, a bigger smile making its way into his face. "You know very well all of you guys take good care of me."

"I guess." Hao shrugged, going back into a serious mood.

Jiwoong was quick to notice that though. "Alright, smile." He separated himself from Hao and held him by the shoulders instead.

"Huh?" Hao looked at Jiwoong in confusion.

"You heard me. Smile." He poked Hao's tummy.

"Hey!" Hao tried covering his body with his hands when Jiwoong continued to poke all over it.

"I'm not stopping until you smile!" Jiwoong himself was grinning now, looking at Hao as the cute boy grabbed a pillow from next to him and covered his face with it, somehow managing to keep the giggles in.

“come on, let me see that smile!” Jiwoong urged.

"Nohohoho" Hao broke into hysterical giggles as the older's pokes turned to quick jabs and squeezes. He still kept the pillow up.

"Hao~ I'm giving you five seconds to put the pillow down before this turns into a whole tickle attack~~" Jiwoong warned.

Zhang Hao blushed. "Nahahahahaha!"

"Five... four..."

"Please!"

"Three... two..."

"Hyuhuhung!!"

"Andddd... one!"

Jiwoong jumped to sit on Hao's hips the pillow falling off the sofa in the process, Jiwoong dug his fingers in Hao's sides as soon as he was sat comfortably. "There's that smile!"

"YOUHUHURE SOHOHO MEAHHAHAN!" Hao trying pushing at Jiwoong's hands, to not avail.

"And you're so ticklish!" The older said. "You're ticklish here, and here, and here and here... and especially...." Jiwoong poked at different places until he started wiggling his fingers right above Hao's armpits area.

"NAHAHAH PLEASE DON'T!" Hao pleaded, though did nothing to stop Jiwoong even though he had his hands fully free.

"Right... here!!!" Jiwoong dug into Hao's armpits. "Oh no! I think my hands are stuck!"

"IHIHIM NOHOHOT FAHAHAHLLING FOHOHOHR THAHAHAT!" Hao shook his head from side to side desperately.

Jiwoong kept his game going for a little longer, eventually taking his hands out of Hao's armpits when he watched the younger boy falling in and out of silent laughter. Jiwoong kept smiling down at Hao, wiping his thumb on his cheek affectionately.

"Hyung..." Hao let out after recovering quickly. “I think that i like this. Can you do it some more?”

Jiwoong was quick to process Hao's words as his shocked face turned into a shiny beam. “you’re too cute.”

As if he's been waiting for Hao to ask for more, Jiwoong started right back again, this time going for the thighs and squeezing them both.

"HYUHUHUNG" Hao let out a snort.

"Awwz did you just snort? That's so cute!" Jiwoong laughed along.

"NAHAHAHAHA" Hao was happily laughing and squirming as he felt Jiwoong moving on to his knees.

After a while on his knees, Jiwoong decided he was getting a better reaction on the upper body, as so his hands found Hao's ribs.

"Hey Hao, should we count your ribs to make sure your sadness didn't take any away?" Jiwoong's questions were often strange, but never this strange.

"WHAAHHAHAT?! NOHOHOHO! IHIHIT DIDN'T!" Hao screamed.

"And how can you be so sure? I just want to check to make sure you're actually okay now... just looking out for my younger brother." Jiwoong winked and started counting, shaking his fingers into Hao's ribs as much as he could in the process. "One... two..."

"THIHIS IHIHIS BAHAHAD!"

"Which one? One or two?" Jiwoong moved up. "Or three and four?"

"AAHAHAHAA ALL OF THEM!" Hao was fighting himself trying not to let his arms in the way.

"But if you had to choose one..."

Jiwoong kept the ribs game up until the tenth rib, when it really looked like Hao would pass out. He then stopped and got off the younger boy. "Have we had enough?"

"For now... thank you." Hao was now in a mood where he couldn't stop smiling.

"Always... okay? If you ever want to laugh some more, just come to me." Jiwoong nodded and pat Hao's head.

"Thank you... would you uhm... would you mind if I just close my eyes for a minute?" Hao made sure as his voice was still resting in the older boy's lap.

"Of course not. Go ahead." Jiwoong encouraged, picking up his book again. Smiling as he felt Hao dozing off.

Only around 5 minutes later the group's youngest came in the room looking for Hao.

Jiwoong was quick to shoosh him and point at the sleeping Hao. "You need anything? He's sleeping."

Yujin quickly understood and whispered back to the oldest. "I just need help with homework."

Jiwoong nodded and looked down at Hao again, lifting his head from his lap and resting it on the couch gently. "We'll let him sleep, okay? I'll help you."

Yujin nodded along and walked out of the room, telling Jiwoong he'll wait in his room.

Jiwoong assured him to go ahead and that he'll be right there, making sure to cover Hao with a blanket and even whisper a sweet little: "sleep well..." before even thinking about leaving the room.

[paralyze-fic]

Paralyze.

Chapter 16

The day had ended, it was already 5 pm and Aizawa had told us to go home. I got ahead of everybody and began walking home on my own.

Well, at least I wanted to.

"Wait, dickhead, we're going the same way," a hard jab to my side made me flinch and hold my ribs, I looked up and saw the spiky hair of a certain ash-blonde and an overly happy shark-teethed boy.

Bakugou and Kirishima.

"Ugh, why do I have to be with you every goddamn day? You're annoying, Katsuki," I said out loud and Eijiro laughed. Bakugou had his cheeks red but he was growling, and kicked a tiny stone on the sidewalk.

"Look who's talking," he quoted me, making fun of my voice. A fake offended gasp got past my lips.

"How dare you? That was an awful imitation of my voice," I pushed him playfully and he chuckled.

"It was a good try though."

"No, it wasn't."

We kept bickering back and forth for a while until Kirishima laughed. "You two are too opposite, but yet get along so well, I'm surprised."

"Well, he's the only extra that I can talk with," Bakugou tried to hug my shoulder, but because of our height difference, I had to bend down a bit.

"I'm not sure if I should be glad or offended, Katsuki," he smirked and let out another chuckle.

"You should be glad, you're Bakugou Katsuki's best friend. You should feel honoured." My sarcastic laugh made him poke hard my ribs, but that didn't stop me from making fun of him some more.

//////

Iida made us stand in four lines by each other, and the person next to us would be our seat partner. I got to sit with Bakugou, great.

He's not gonna stop annoying me. Not that I mind, I like the attention he gives me.

I sat by the window, and Bakugou plopped right beside me. I could see Aizawa at the front seat wanting to tell us something, but the loudness of the rest didn't let him. In the end, his eyes focused forward after trying and failing.

My eyes were droopy, I hadn't got a good sleep last night. The racing in my mind didn't let me. I laid my head back against the headrest and closed my eyes to sleep for the whole duration of this trip.

//////

A hard shake from the bus made me open my eyes, blinking to get rid of the blurry sight. I looked around, only to see that everybody had fallen asleep too, my body was feeling a bit numb so I tried to move, but a weight on my shoulder shifted.

Looking to my left, I saw Bakugou's head resting on me. That instantly made my heart thump, I was just hoping the noise of it wouldn't wake him up.

I looked away and out of the window, trying to just ignore his presence. But I couldn't.

Not when his fucking arm hugged my waist to pull me closer to him!

Okay, this made me remember that one time at his house. The first time I spent the night at the Bakugou's household. Now I had to think of something quick, I needed to pull him away or else-

"(M/n)..." my breath stopped and I didn't move a muscle for what felt like ages, waiting for him to say something else, but instead he just squirmed on his seat and moved his face closer to my neck.

Now his warm breath was touching my skin! This was too tempting. Why. God, why? What kind of test is this? You wanted to test my resistance with the person I like? Well, congratulations, I've never been so close to jump on him and kiss his lips to death.

Okay, maybe not to death, I still wanted him to be an annoying piece of shit, so maybe... until unconsciousness? Yeah, that seemed less deadly.

With a sudden urge to look at his peaceful face, a deep breath got in through my nose and out of my mouth. It's now or never, (M/n), you've got this, he's asleep and so is everybody else, they wouldn't think of you as a weirdo if you stare at Bakugou for hours, you can do it, just a tiny glance. Okay... 1... 2... 3!

I moved my head, being careful to not hit him and wake him up, and moved my eyes a bit down.

My god. Why does he have to be hella cute? I wanna eat him.

I felt my lips parting at the sight of his face. The most peaceful expression I have ever seen on his face, he did look like an angel, even more beautiful with the sun coming in through the window. But he had a little frown in the middle of his eyebrows, I tilted my head slightly to the right, covering his eyes from the sun, and the scowl disappeared. A smile tugged at his lips and I couldn't resist.

I leaned down to kiss his forehead and left trailing kisses to the tip of his nose. I was extremely tempted to kiss his lips, but I just left lots of tiny pecks on his cute nose, resting my forehead on his after I finished.

"I like you Katsuki... so much," I whispered and decided to look away, otherwise I would do something I would've regretted doing without his consent.

I kept looking out of the window, my mind blank now, and slowly, as the minutes went by, everybody began to wake up and stretch while yawning. Bakugou woke up too, and I quickly closed my eyes when he pulled back so abruptly. The feeling of his eyes on me was keeping me aware, I felt it, he was trying to know if I was sleeping or not, I had decided I was gonna play the 'I was sleeping, didn't know shit' card about the hugging situation.

He seemed to buy it though.

"Thank god he wasn't awake... that would've been really awkward," after that I waited some seconds, before I "woke up", moving and yawning for a bit, blinking some more and rubbing my eyes.

"Are we there yet?" I asked in my best attempt at a hoarse voice. This had to seem real, or he would realize.

"No, not yet at least," I nodded and kept my eyes focused on the world outside the window.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

so. i wear comfortable clothes (like pajamas and sweaters and stuff) when i get sad. and tbh i'm sad a lot so i wear those kinds of clothes like 5 out of 7 days of the week. can i request alois, maurice, and both ciels (have their actual names been released yet?? 😭) with a s/o like that?

aaaaaa all I can offer are virtual hugs and prayers for you that things will get better and you'll be less sad in the future

.. and some reactions from some bois who really love you! <3

I don't think we have official names yet, but, I just call O!Ciel "Ciel" and my headcanon name for R!Ciel is "Astre" :D

… Oh, his darling looks so adorable like that! Really, he just can’t help but gush a little when he sees them looking so relaxed. Those kinds of clothes are ones that he doesn’t often wear himself despite very much wanting to, so he’s almost jealous. He’s happy for them, though! He just… maybe wishes he could join them? He might have to do that one of these days. But, when it becomes apparent that they usually only do this when they’re not having a good day, he starts to get… pouty. Mostly because he’s worried. He starts trying to cheer them up, by dancing around and urging them to come dance with him, or attempting to coax them into coming into town with him. When that doesn’t work? He puts on comfy clothes and has a sad day with them. While he knows it’s not a long-term solution, and he’ll have to figure out a long-term solution, for the moment he thinks everything is just fine if he dresses comfortably and lies down next to them and cuddles and lets them feel sad. It’s not as bad when you’re sad alongside someone you love, right?

Hm, how… unfortunate? Is that how he wants to word this? It’s a bit of a disappointment, to see his darling putting forth a lack of effort when it comes to their appearance. If they’re going to be on his arm, he needs to make sure they look appropriately elegant just like him. It’s not like he’s trying to be insensitive; deep down, he’s a lot more concerned than he lets on. When someone doesn’t look after how they present themself to the world, surely that means something bigger is going on. That’s distressing to him for the simple fact that he cares very much about them. He takes a very direct approach, though he does try not to be cruel about it. (He’s not in the business of making (Name) even sadder, after all.) So his efforts tend more toward cajoling them into wearing something else, telling them that he’s going to have a ball going on tonight so they need to wear that new dress or suit he got them. He’s hoping that getting them dressed up and moving and all that will naturally bring them out of sadness. While he knows he needs to find a more sustainable way to help them… this is the best thing he can think of. Well, this, and lots of ducking behind walls so he can kiss them. ‘Soft’ clothes or no, he’ll keep them plenty comfortable.

Well, if nothing else, they know what they’re doing. Nobody else knows what’s best for another person, right? Except maybe a doctor. He’s unsure if his dear would need any kind of doctor for… this. It strikes him as odd that they seem to dress comfortably only when they’re feeling down mentally, and even odder that he can point to the pattern that spells out the fact that they feel like that a lot. He doesn’t say much, but one can almost see the gears in his head turning when he looks at them in their too-big sweater, as he tries to think of how best to approach the topic. He can’t very well go up and tell them to stop wearing those clothes and tell him why they’re sad or any of that. There comes a single order he gives Sebastian which is nigh impossible for his butler to follow: “Keep (Name) happy.” It isn’t so easy… it’s the only thing he can think to do, aside from kissing them and doing things he knows they like. He just makes sure to get them out as often as possible so they have a reason to wear other clothing, so that perhaps that in itself will cheer them up. All the while, he makes sure to be thinking of how best to help them, and ensuring they know he cares for them.

Haha, what on Earth are they doing? Attempting to violate every law of fashion all at once? Honestly, he doesn’t mind so much if his sweetheart dresses in a way that lets them be more comfortable… except that they do so around his friends. Whilst he’s with them. Of course they look very calm and they’re not wearing stiff or hard to fiddle with clothing. He’s definitely jealous. Still, he also is perhaps a little embarrassed that they dress so casually when with him. Not only does he want to be known as someone beautiful, which also necessitates put-together people being associated with him, it also… sort of concerns him? Why aren’t they taking care of themself and dressing up a little? Although he doesn’t expect them to be flawlessly dressed all the time, the kind of clothes they wear while sad are so dressed down, it’s like they don’t want to pick something else out. He tries to be kind about it, offering to pick an outfit for them or to please, please, please let him do their makeup and/or their hair! It’s a way to bond, but also to help them dress themself up a bit. It might seem kind of shallow; however, he truly is worried about them. He has to try something, doesn’t he?

[naoko-world]

Day 3 of the Encantober and I'm again providing you with a short story! After killing Bruno I killed another member of the family, I hope you'll like it! I promised I'm not making it an habit.

@encantober-official don't forget me!

Encantober day 3: Tragedy

Casita was falling all around them. Félix was calling for Mirabel, warning her about the danger of Casita falling. Pepa was asking her to get out. Julieta and Agustín were trying too, but she didn’t listen. She was only busy saving the candle, saving this damned miracle they didn’t even need. They needed her though; Camilo didn’t know what he’d do if Mirabel was hurt. He was her best friend, the cousin he shared a room with until they became 5; he didn’t want her to die before they properly made up.

But he couldn’t say anything. What would he say? She wouldn’t listen to him more than she was doing with the grown-ups. She always listened to the grown-ups. Or actually, that’s what he thought he remembered. He wasn’t sure, since he’s 5 he couldn’t spend much time with her anymore.

Casita crumbled, trying to save Mirabel from being crushed, but it must have lost its conscience before it could because the parts stopped moving before reaching Mirabel, who received part of the roof on her body in a loud thud.

When everything stopped, Camilo hurried to her side, along with the rest of the famiy members. With a glance, he also saw a glimpse of green doing the same.

She was lying under Casita’s now destroyed parts, only her legs being currently visible. Camilo tried to be at her side fast, but was beaten to it by a man in a green ruana and black curly hair covered with dust. He got joined by Luisa, who helped him remove the parts of the house. Camilo came then to help too, not wanting Mirabel to stay under there. Maybe she can still be saved!

When nothing was staying on her, the man in the green ruana, that Camilo finally recognized as his lost Tío Bruno, knelt besides her, calling her “Mirabel! Mirabel!” with panic.

Visibly shocked, Julieta called him “Bruno?” Then, kneeling besides her too, holding an arepa she grabbed before approaching “Mirabel...”

He asked without looking at her “Can you save her?”

She tried to make her eat the arepa, crying “I’m trying...”

Camilo knelt near her too, his tears falling on Mirabel's forehead as did grief on him. The urge a transform to hide it came to him, while he remembered he was now unable to. He couldn't hide himself anymore. He was crying.

Besides him, Bruno sobbed "I'm sorry...I told her to save the miracle...I didn’t expect her to go to that kind of extent to do so.”

Julieta reassured him “That’s alright Bruno, it’s not your fault. She was persistent.”

Abuela added “If I didn’t put so much pressure on everyone...”

His mom argued “But if we reacted sooner to save the miracle she wouldn’t...”

Isabela replied “I should have be more honest, not letting myself be caged in an image of perfection.”

Luisa wept “Maybe I should have tried working less, then Mirabel would still be...”

Hearing so many members of his family regretting in front of Mirabel's body progressively became unbearable for Camilo, who ended up exploding with anger, claiming “It's no use to say now what we could have done to avoid Mirabel dying." Then, after facing silence, he kept going, way angrier "How was the miracle even that important anyway? It cost Mirabel’s life and couldn’t save her in the end. It brought us nothing but despair!”

First, nobody replied anything. What could they answer anyway? Even Camilo knew it was impossible to argue against that fact. Then, his family jumped on him to hug him all at once, trying to bring him some comfort. He found himself hard to breathe, while he was trying to process what was happening. Even Bruno had this arms around him, crying loudly with the rest of the family. He tried to escape their grip, but had to give up because of how strong the family was. Isabela finally talked “I understand what you mean, Prima...The miracle gave us so much wonders and we perverted it into a search of perfection.”

Then, Julieta added “Mirabel wouldn’t have liked us blaming ourselves for her, she was strong and determined and nobody could have prevent her to do otherwise.”

Thus before Abuela continued “Now we just have to find a way to prevent anyone to ever die again like she did, because we were locking in our image of perfection.”

Well...It wasn’t what he meant at all. But it’ll do! He finally let himself go into his family’s embrace, crying for his dear cousin.

[woodwardpride]

"This Is The Perfect Time To Panic!"

DAY OF THE CARNIVAL

1:04pm - Bumping into Becky was the highlight of the carnival. They talked, they cleared the air and more importantly they confirmed their last meeting years ago wasn’t anyone’s fault, it was a miscommunication at best.

3:26pm - He wasn’t sure what happened for everything to turn so sour so quickly. Becky and himself were having fun, even went for food together while they talked about everything. Everything was going well. For the first time in a long while, Woody could feel like she was in reach. The next thing he knew the only reaching out he was doing was to catch her body before she hit the ground. Unconscious, cold and pale, he frantically searched her face for any sign of life. 

3:27pm - Normally Woody was composed, calm, and was a man with the plan. But for the first time in his life he didn’t have that. He was panicking. People were dropping like flies around him and for a moment it was like time slowed, the world blurred, white noise only reached his ears. 

3:29pm - He never gave himself long to panic, he had to move quick and emergency services was a no go. The roads blocked with the general public, the carnival and the emergency services. Making a split decision, Woody scooped Becky up in his arms and made the full journey to the hospital on foot with her held tightly to his chest and begging her to stay with him. 

3:45pm - Woody practically kicked the front doors down of the hospital, yelling for Carl, Eilonwy, anyone that could help. Becky was pried from his arms and wheeled to the emergency room to be treated, him following close behind with Carl grilling him and Woody spewing any information he could that could help. Before he could enter the room, Carl had placed a hand on his chest and told him he couldn’t go further. Now he was only left to message her family, starting with her parents, then TJ and then Nani and Babette. He called Jessie and Buzz straight after. 

11:21pm - He was told to go home. He’d sat in the nearest chair to her door and waited all day for information but the hospital staff were run off their feet. People were admitted in one after the other, it felt never ending. Eilonwy told him to go get some rest and she’d keep him posted on what the outcome is on both the tests they were running on the patients and on Becky. 

12:57pm - Woody crossed the threshold of his house, closed the door and sat on his sofa. His mind running through the five stages of grief for a woman that he’d almost lost a second time in his life. He sat on his sofa the whole night, not budging until Jessie had come into his home and curled up next him, giving him a hug. 

2 DAYS AFTER THE CARNIVAL

He hadn’t slept since the night before the Carnival. He’d been under a lot of stress. Everyone wanted answers and he was doing his damned best to get them for everyone. His head was bursting. He chalked the headaches up to the lack of sleep but they were so persistent it felt like a drill going into his skull non-stop. His body ached. Again he was chalking that up to the last of rest. And the obvious one was that he was tired as hell and couldn’t turn over. Every time he closed his eyes, he would see Becky waver and fall in front of him. 

5 DAYS AFTER THE CARNIVAL

Woody could eat a horse. He was unbearably hungry and no matter how much he ate it wouldn’t satisfy the hunger. His body feeling worse than ever, he called into the precinct sick, thinking he was coming down with something. He rarely slept and when he had managed to grab a nap, he would jolt awake after having nightmares or he would stir awake sweating and feeling like he was going to throw up. 

9 DAYS AFTER THE CARNIVAL

He hadn’t left his bed in days other than to crawl to the bathroom and back. The house remained dark and devoid of sound. Bullseye was staying with Jessie while Woody was trying to get over this flu. His sister and Buzz had urged him to call the doctors but he just snapped that he wanted to be left alone and hung up the phone, unable to tolerate the bright light from the piece of technology any longer. 

12 DAYS AFTER THE CARNIVAL

Was he hit by a bus? He sure felt like it. He wasn’t sure anymore. His body screamed at him right down to the bones. Breathing hurt. Moving hurt. He stopped trying to go upstairs days ago and spent his time either on the sofa or in his downstair bathroom throwing up whatever contents was in his stomach - which was always water and bile, he couldn’t stomach food despite how hungry he was. His skin was on fire, he wanted to claw it from his arms. His body didn’t feel like his anymore. The sickness had taken over. Woody had taken the last painkillers of the day and curled on the sofa to watch tv until he fell asleep. 

13 DAYS AFTER THE CARNIVAL

Woody never woke up.

WHAT HAPPENED WHEN WOODY NEVER WOKE?

Jessie called Buzz after being unable to reach Woody on the phone and when he wasn’t answering his door. Buzz met Jessie at Woody’s house and Buzz booted the door in to find Woody on his sofa, unconscious and running a high fever. Woody was rushed to hospital and was in a coma. Carl couldn’t give a time frame in which Woody would wake up but in some attempt to see if it would assist, Woody was placed in the connecting room to Becky. 

[clumsyenby]

Hi! Could you do the main four and sun/moon drop reacting to a gn!S/o whos afaid of the dark? Love your writing!!

second request!!! woop woop <3 hope this is what you were looking for! i used to be DEATHLY afraid to the dark, so writing this was fun to look back and see how i've grown from then! ^.^

TW: none (unless you count fear of abandonment as a trigger?) gender neutral, adult reader!

Total word count: 9122

contains: separate scenarios with each animatronic, including an extra of Sun & Moon (separated)! just pure, tooth-rotting fluff :) + i had another idea and combined it with Freddy's part.. i might have gotten carried away with it - it's a small therapy session with Freddy >.<

masterlist + how to request! | all of my FNAF imagines on AO3

Even In The Dark, All I See Is You

- your animatronic lover thinks that they know you inside out, from the roots of your hair to the tips of your toes. yet, they cannot help but feel surprised to find out that you have a fear of the dark. not to fear, they will be there to comfort you. ♡

*(Y/N) - Your Name

Glamrock Freddy (He/Him)

- 1896 words

"Superstar, can I ask you something?"

You raised an eyebrow at the orange bear. Freddy usually just asked whatever he had on mind, rarely asking for permission to question someone else about something. Odd.

Out of all the Glamrocks, Freddy was definitely the most innocent. You were sure his question wouldn't be anything too out of the ordinary. You shrugged, you had nothing to lose. "You already did, but sure." You replied with a small smile, encouraging him to go on.

Freddy takes a moment to rethink the phrasing of his question. He was worried from the wording that it would offend you, or that it would cause you to shy away in any form. You placed a hand on his cheek, causing him to redirect his focus to you. "Everything okay, big bear?" You asked him instead. His awkwardness was a surprise, it made you almost nervous for what he was to ask about.

Freddy leaned into your touch, a soft, mechanical purr leaving his lips. Oh, the discovery that your mechanical boyfriend and friends could purr made you feel like a child on Christmas. Who knew they were just like big house-cats?

Freddy just twiddled his thumbs, nervous to ask. As adorable as it was to see Freddy like a nervous teenager, your curiosity was getting the best of you. "Come on babe, spit it out!" You said and grabbed at his shoulders, in an attempt to shake him. He barely moved, considering he was practically thrice your weight, but you tried. A poor try, but it still counts.

Freddy chuckled at your desperation, his voice box crackling with amusement. He wraps an arm around your waist, easily guiding you closer to him as he envelops you into a hug. His other hand runs through your hair while you wrapped your arms around him. You giggled at the sudden display of affection. "You must be really nervous over this question if you're acting this way," You quipped. Freddy could hear the smile in your voice, it melting away all qualms he had.

He placed his head on your shoulder, his mouth right beside your ear. You could feel the hot breaths coming out of him, you had hoped that his coolant was working properly. You would hate for him to overheat.

"Doyoueverfeelafraid? Likeyoureafraidthateverythingyouhavenowisgoingtodisappearinasecond?"

You blinked in surprise. Huh?

Freddy sounded just like when Sun when he was rambling about children. What was his question? You missed it completely.

"Could you repeat that? You spoke so quickly." You laughed. You could feel the steams escaping his metal casing through the small openings at his joints. He was really stressing over this question.

"Do you ever feel afraid?" Freddy finally manages to get out of his throat after a moment. You had the urge to laugh. That was his question? That was what he was so nervous about? He was nothing like this when he asked you out.

You hummed at patted him on the back, trying to comfort him. "Of course I do. Are you afraid about something?" You asked in return. Was he insecure about something? You knew the fellow animatronics such as Roxy and Monty had their fair share of insecurities, but Freddy had barely shown any, or talked about feeling insecure.

You feel Freddy shifting to hold you a little tighter, a little more closer to him than normal. You were sure there was a potential of that leaving a bruise, but you knew Freddy would never intentionally hurt you. "Fear is a weird emotion. I've seen children experience it, but experiencing it myself is.. It's more that I ever thought of." He mutters softly.

"I'm afraid that this is all a dream," He continues. "I'm afraid that if I wake up, you'll be nothing but a fond memory that lived in my head,"

"I'm afraid that you'll one day fall in love with another, maybe even another human, and leave me here, all alone." He rambles on. You watched as his eyes darted away from you as he spoke, looking directly to the floor. He was ashamed for even feeling this way. Was it selfish for him to feel like this?

"And I'm afraid that-" He continues again, only to be cut off by you knocking your face onto his. You sloppily kissed him, putting all of your energy and passion into it. It was a little odd considering Freddy could not physically kiss back, but the action was well appreciated. He lets out a little delighted hum from the physical contact.

When you finally pull away, you're panting, desperately trying to catch your breath. You place your forehead against his, staring into his blue eyes. They resembled calm blue skies and the salty ocean. "It's okay to be afraid," You whispered through exhales.

"Fear is something all of us experience; It's never a good feeling. Sometimes it eats you up alive, the worry factor making things worse at times. But, you should never let it control you. You have to face your fears in order to overcome them." You smiled at him and pecked at his nose, the soft honk from it making you giggle.

"And that's what you're doing right now - facing your fears. You're telling me that you're afraid of loosing me, right?" Freddy nods. You can see it in his eyes, that he was processing your words, trying to figure out the next response to do. You kiss him again, square on his mouth this time.

"Your fears are valid. But, I promise you that this is real, all of this; and that I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here beside you."

Freddy feels his non-existent heart swell at your words. If he could shed tears, he would have been sobbing. You meant so much to him, and to have you reaffirm your affection for him made him emotional. He presses his face to you, a small kiss as a gift for your heartwarming words. "Thank you, my love.. Really, thank you." His voice box crackles, sounding almost as if like it was underwater.

Freddy reaches out to wipe a stray tear from your face, one that you had not realised it escaped from your eye. "Are you choking up?" You tease from the sound of his voice box. Freddy laughs as well, his voice now back to normal. He pecks you lovingly once more.

"You mentioned that you've felt fear before.. What are you afraid of?" He asks. You pursed your lips together. You were afraid of many things, from small spiders to falling off from a height. Freddy already knew those fears of yours. But there was still one more fear of yours that you never told him about. You were afraid of being judged for it, as you had been since childhood.

Should you tell him? After all, he had just bared his heart to you.

Just as you opened your mouth, the lights in his green room went out. You squeaked, scrambling to wrap your arms around your boyfriend. Freddy felt your heart rate pick up at an alarming pace. "What's wrong, my love?" He asks gently.

"T-the d-ark.. I don't like it.." Your teeth chattered. Goosebumps had risen along your arms that were clinging onto Freddy for dear life. Freddy hummed, his chest-plate reverberating against your head. He presses a kiss to your head, a soft chuckle leaving his lips.

"I can't believe my Mx. I'm Not Afraid Of Animatronics of a partner is afraid of the dark.." Freddy jokes lightly. You could not help but laugh as well, albeit still on edge. Throughout your time as the Pizzaplex's technician, you had never been afraid of any of the animatronics. Sure, they were eccentric and had such solid personalities, but they meant well; even if it was hard to see at first.

"I had no idea that the lights went out at night.." You huffed. It was your first time staying overnight at the Pizzaplex; a special request of sorts from management. They had said that the animatronics needed some extra TLC (tender loving care) this maintenance weekend.

Freddy rubbed your back comfortingly. "They do for every other hour. It is to save on some costs, I suppose." You squeaked, "An hour?! And this REPEATS?!"

Freddy placed another kiss onto your head. "No need to be afraid, my dear. I'll be here with you." You snuggled into Freddy's chest, thankful for his warmth. Being afraid of the dark seemed like such a 'childish' fear when compared to the fear of heights, or the fear of being forgotten. This fear of yours has been long kept a secret since childhood, and you planned of keeping it that way. Until today, though it was unplanned.

Damn it, Freddy.

Your animatronic boyfriend started talking about his day, how adorable the children he met were and about how glad he was to be spending time with you. When given the chance, he was quite the chatterbox. You did not mind though, especially in this situation. You appreciated the bear for being a distraction, he was someone who made all your worries melt away.

Though it was pitch-black in Freddy's green room, you could see how his eyes lit up (literally) with love when he looked directly at you. It showed in the way he moved, how he always controlled his strength when touching you, treating you as if you were made of glass.

As Freddy continued to ramble, he was interrupted by you kissing him this time, on his cheek. You see the confused look on his face and giggled. Another kiss was given, "Just a thank you, Freddy."

Freddy leans closer to nuzzle your face, his loud purrs filling up the atmosphere. "Thank you as well, my love. Thank you for listening and helping me face my fears. I really do adore you," His voice drops to a whisper at the last sentence. His declaration of love was sacred, something that he only kept reserved for you.

"Thank you for staying with me while I face my fears as well; I love you too." You whisper back.

As Freddy was about respond, the sounds of bells jingling outside Freddy's room was heard. Then came the sounds of footsteps, pitter pattering across the floor. You nearly screamed, burying your face into your boyfriend's neck. Freddy only laughed, patting your back. "Not to worry Superstar, it is only the Daycare Attendant."

"Sun isn't supposed to leave the daycare!" You almost yelled, whipping your head up to look out of the glass panel that also acted as a 'wall'. Through the small crack of where the curtain separated, you could see Moon on the other side. His red eyes shone brightly in the dark. He lifted a hand, waving all five fingers slowly. It was eerie, exactly what you were afraid of seeing in the dark.

"It's past your bedtime~"

Freddy blew a raspberry at the nighttime animatronic, "Stop scaring them, Moon." He scolded lightly. He used his free hand to wag a finger in disappointment. Moon slumped in defeat and walked away. You knew that if Moon had visible irises, he would be rolling his eyes.

"That was not cool, Moon!" You yelled. You only heard the faint crackle of his voice box as a laugh and the sound of bells fading away into the distance.

Montgomery Gator (He/Him)

- 1556 words (it's so fun to write soft Monty hehe)

"That's it! You're getting it!" You were learning some bass guitar chords from your animatronic boyfriend, Monty. He cheers you on encouragingly, more than ecstatic for his partner to be interested in his own craft. Though you only played a single chord, the G chord, Monty felt his heart swell with pride. You were already perfect in his eyes but the love he felt flowing through him as he watched you try his interests was indescribable. The simplest term he could find for himself as a video-game enthusiast, was that his love was on another level.

It was hard for Monty to explain the feelings he felt. All he knew was anger prior to meeting you. After that fateful day of crossing paths with you, he knew you were special.

Was it love? He first questioned himself. But that seemed impossible; an animatronic loving a human? Deep down, Monty knew it was love. He felt it when he first held your hand, when he first kissed you, when he first saw you wearing his merchandise and when he hears you say his name.

The sounds from his bass came to an abrupt stop, pulling him out of his thoughts. He calls your name, concerned. It takes him a moment to adjust to the sudden darkness of his green room, he could only see you due to his night vision. Shadows were casted on your face from your hair and you were frozen in place. Monty waves a hand in front of your face, "Babe? You okay?"

The gator picks you off from his couch and onto his lap in an effortless manoeuvre, a hand smoothing down your hair comfortingly. You snap out of your frozen state, now shivering in fear under Monty's hold. Your boyfriend could not understand why you were shaking. You were barely afraid of anything - What were you afraid of that caused you to react this way?

"It's alright, I'm here.. No need to be afraid of anything," He whispers, pressing a kiss to your forehead. You leaned onto him, letting go of your own weight and quietly cried. Monty was even more puzzled than before. First you were afraid, now you were crying? Was it the mood swings? Must be a human thing. Monty could not comprehend what was going on, literally.

Monty felt the cooling fans under his metal plating whir to life. He was starting to overheat from confusion. Who knew that could happen?

The sound of the cooling fans oddly enough, calmed you down. Your quiet sobs came to a stop, you looking at your boyfriend worriedly. "Are you okay? Why are you overheating?" You asked. Of course, leave it to you to worry over someone else over yourself. Monty raised an eyebrow as he wiped the salty tear stains away from your face. "Why were you crying?" He countered back.

You bit your lip, afraid of telling him. You were afraid of judgement, especially from someone who you held dear to your heart. Monty interpreted your silence as you feeling offended. He knew you did not like confrontation and tended to shy away from it when necessary. He rubs your back softly, "Look babe, I'm sorry I said that.. You don't have to tell me, just know that I'm here if you want to talk-"

"I'm afraid of the dark." You blurted out, cutting him off.

"Huh?" Monty says immediately. "The... Dark?" He repeats slowly. The gears were still turning in his head, trying to connect the dots. His eyes go blank, processing new information. After a moment of silence, he snaps his fingers. "Oh! Nyctophobia. Sun has it as well,"

You nodded, "Something like that, though for different reasons than Sun." The alligator continues to rub your back comfortingly. "It's okay, babe. We all have our fears. Why didn't you tell me about this before? I would have known what to do if something like this happened,"

Oh Monty. Sweet, sweet Monty. He was such a sweetheart when it came to his loved ones, especially in their times of need. He could be an arse at times (scratch that, most of the time), but he always meant it in good fun. He always knew not to go overboard, and apologise when he accidentally did.

"You were going to plan something if you knew?" You asked back. You ignored his first question, you were still too embarrassed to admit to as to why you never told him yet. That was another problem you often faced - social anxiety, also known as the fear of judgement from others. It was something that both you and Roxanne shared. And luckily for you, Monty has had his fair share of comforting Roxy during her anxiety attacks. They shared a sibling bond of sorts, despite acting like polar opposites and fighting childishly in front of many.

Monty grumbles, a deep yet comforting sound that you've grown to love. "Of course. If I'm with you, I'd do anything to make you feel better, no matter how small the matter is," He uses his tail to slide his bass guitar that was left unattended on the couch towards him. He places it gently over your lap as you sat on him, hooking his fingers onto the fretboard with ease. "Get comfortable, doll. I have a surprise for you." He smiled cheekily. He gave you a moment to shift around. You settled yourself comfortably, leaning your head under the crook of his neck and wrapped your arms around his torso.

Monty began to strum, playing one of his solo songs from the performance earlier that day. He hums, his throat vibrating against your face. You felt your muscles relax, the worry leaving your body; as if it was never there to begin with. The music slowly but surely, lulls you into a dazed state, sleep threatening to take over your body.

Just as you were going to fall into a deep slumber, Monty starts to strum the opening to a new song. A very familiar song. It takes you a few seconds to think straight. "Is that my favourite song?!" You asked, buzzing with excitement, all prior drowsiness gone.

Monty chuckles as he saw you perk up. "Is it? I had no idea," He teases as he began to sing the lyrics. His voice was smooth like velvet (not butter) and as sweet as his favourite cake from the PizzaPlex's café. You hummed along, enjoying how your boyfriend looked in front of you; His guard was down and his true emotions were showing. You wished he was like this to the others, but you felt honored to be the only one he showed this side of him to. It made you feel special.

Special was barely enough to describe how Monty saw you. Words or phrases like angel, perfect, a gift from Heaven barely did you any justice either. It was indescribable for him to express just exactly how he felt for you. Monty never tried to force his feelings and the way he saw you in a specific box. If you were to ask him, he would say that you did not need a box to be defined, that you were too good for any of said boxes. Sometimes, it is better for things to be left the way they are.

As the song came to a close, you gave him a kiss, catching the gator off-guard. He squeaks, immediately regretting making that sound. "What was that for?" He asks as he looked away embarrassedly, steam escaping through his joints. You giggled and gave him another peck. "Thank you, Mon. You've always been so good to me." You said. Monty knew you were being sincere, he could hear it from the way you spoke, he could see it in the way you looked right back at him; eyes full of love, and he could feel it with each touch you gave him.

He nuzzles your cheek, a soft contented sigh leaving his lips. "I'm sorry it wasn't much.. I only had the bass on hand. Next time, I'll have a slice of cake ready or maybe your favourite drink.." He replied. He felt upset for not being prepared beforehand, despite not knowing that such an event like would happen.

"You don't have to get anything, babe. You being here is enough. You're enough." His heart swelled from hearing your words. You knew him like the back of your hand, you knew every single insecurity and fear of his. You never failed in reassuring him and repeating your affections for him so he would get it through his stubborn wires and endoskeleton, even at a time when he was trying to comfort you. Due to night vision, Monty could see you clearly, the way you teared up while speaking as your hands trembled. Monty frowned, "Why are you crying again? Did I do something wrong?"

You shook your head and gave him a hug, "No, no! These are happy tears, babe. You just make me so happy!" Monty moves his bass to the side and returns the hug. He inhales, breathing in your scent. You smelt just like him now; mint with a hint of cedarwood, and it made him more than happy to know that he was truly yours, as you were his.

Roxanne Wolf (She/Her)

- 1398 words

Roxanne purrs in delight as you run a hand through her mane. You laughed, "Eager, are we?" She growls jokingly, a smile hiding behind her eyes. "Hurry up!"

Deciding not to tease your girlfriend any further, you started brushing her long silver mane, starting from the roots down to the ends. Her purrs got louder with each swipe of the brush, eyes rolling to the back of her head from pleasure. You smiled with amusement as you continued to pamper her.

It was nights like these that Roxy loved, having some well-deserved alone time with her partner. It allowed her to fully relax and not worry about showing a confident front to the many children and parents she regularly interacted with. She knew she could speak her mind with you, she could let out every single frustration she had held up over the past few hours and know that you would not see her as any less. You, being her pillar of support is what made her fall in love with you. She needed someone like you for years and when you finally came into her life as the newly assigned animatronic handler, she swore that the Gods above had finally answered her prayers. Albeit she was rough around the edges at first, she allowed herself to fully melt into your arms, becoming nothing but a puddle of love in front of you.

"How was your day?" You asked as you continued to brush her hair. Roxy loved having your attention at any given time, so she sometimes made her stories a bit more dramatic than its reality, just to get different reactions out of you. She loved watching your face contort and twist painlessly to express different emotions, ranging from the squeal of joy to a cringe of disgust. She felt jealous for having a much more inexpressive face compared to yours, yet relived at the same time. It made hiding her emotions much easier when needed.

She smiled and howled with laughter from seeing your many reactions for today's story. Apparently, some child had gotten too excited from meeting Freddy and ended up puking on him. Poor bear.

Just as she was going to ask about your day, the lights in her green room had shut off. It was pitch black. Your brushing came to a stop. She heard your gasp. She reaches to grasp your hand, "Honey? Are you okay?" She asks worriedly. You squeezed her hand tightly as you shivered. "It's dark.." You simply replied.

Roxy shifted, moving to your end of the couch to wrap you in a hug. Her internal heating immediately turned on, a warm exhale leaving through her lips. You sighed deeply and embraced the warmth emitting from her. "Don't like the dark?" You finally heard her speak after a few moments of silence. You groaned softly and buried your face in her shoulder, "No.. I've hated it since I was a child.."

Roxy hums in response, drawing shapes onto your back soothingly. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought I knew everything about you," She asks. She almost sounded dejected, as if you did not trust her enough to tell her this fear of yours. You panicked, scrambling to find an answer. "You do! It's just that I thought you would judge me for having such a fear.." You trailed off. Your heart thumped loudly in your chest, as if it could jump out at any moment.

Roxy scoffs lightly, "Why would I judge you, babe? I've told you every insecurity and fear I ever had. It wouldn't be fair to you for me to judge you for having a fear." You hear the light teasing tone in her voice despite being serious. She was trying to lighten the mood, trying to make you feel better.

Roxy snaps her fingers, an idea fresh in her mind. She unwraps herself from you, causing you to whine softly. She laughs, "One second, babe. I just remembered something," She gets off from her couch and slips past the metal door that leads to the storeroom. She returns a moment later, hiding something behind her back. "Give me your hands!" She says with an excited grin.

You raised an eyebrow skeptically and followed her instructions. In the dark room, you could only see her eyes that glowed brightly. She places a small circular object in your hands. Your fingers fumbled with the item until they hit something solid. Applying pressure, the solid moved to the right and the item lit up. It glowed a light purple, Roxy's favourite colour.

Roxy pushed a lock of hair behind her ear sheepishly. She swung on the balls of her feet, back and forth, back and forth. "Do you like it? It's my old nightlight." She asked.

If you were not so mesmerised by the stunning purple the light gave, you would have pounced onto her and peppered her with kisses. You smiled, reaching out to grab her hand. "It's beautiful, baby. Thank you for sharing this with me-" You started, only to be cut off by her. She smiled back, "You keep it. I know you need it more than I do."

She had your full attention now.

You yanked on her hand, pulling her down to your eye-level as you swiftly gave her a kiss. She squeaks in surprise, not used to you taking charge. She was the one to usually initiate physical contact. You pecked her on her nose, rubbing it with your own right after. "You're a gem, you know that?" You said with a giggle.

Her eyes are a mix of yellow and purple under the soft gleam of the nightlight. She looks beautiful. You always tell her about how beautiful she is, especially on her low-mood days; but this sight was something different. She looked much more happier, more in love and most importantly, more like herself. The Roxy that all of the Mega Pizzaplex knew was arrogant, rude and boisterous. But, the Roxy you knew was nothing like that. She had a heart of gold, though it was coated in silver in order to protect what was truly underneath. She was is perfect.

Roxy shifts, settling back onto the couch to sit next to you. She picks up the brush that you were using on her, long forgotten. It was quivering at the edge, threatening to fall onto the ground at any second. She nudges you gently, getting you to lean against her, your back facing her. She begins to brush your hair, gently working out any knots and tangles along the way. She hums the tune to your favourite song as she continues to groom you.

"You know, I used to be afraid of the dark too." She says after finishing with your hair. You were now leaning on her, her fingers now on your scalp, massaging away the fear and tension you felt. You smiled slightly, relived to hear that she could relate to you, "Really?" She shifts you slightly, pushing you to lay onto her lap.

She nods. "Not exactly the dark, but being alone in the dark. I hated being alone in the dark, it reminded me of all the insecurities I had. Sometimes, I heard voices, repeating these insecurities at me." She sighs. You felt upset for making her recall such a memory, but you appreciated her nonetheless for sharing. You reached your hand up to cup her cheek, rubbing it with your thumb. She purrs softly, a small smile on her lips.

"But then, I met you. You became a light in my life, and I was no longer afraid of the dark anymore." She continued.

Tears welled up in your eyes, "Oh Rox.." You whispered. She giggled lightly, leaning down to kiss your lips - Spiderman style. "So, I mean it when I say that I love you. I know I rarely say it, but you've done so much for me, more than you'll ever know." She leans into your touch, feeling more content than ever.

"You don't have to say it, Roxy. I know you do." You flipped around, embracing her again. "And just for the record, I love you too. I find that I love you a little more as each day passes." Roxy bursts into tears from your response, causing you to laugh as you and her continued to cuddle.

Glamrock Chica (She/Her)

- 1128 words

Your conscience is yelling at you, urging you to quicken your pace. You were repairing a security robot near the green rooms, when the lights suddenly went out. It was your first time staying overnight at the Pizzaplex, and this was definitely not going according to plan. You just wanted to finish your task and go chill with your robot girlfriend, NOT run in the dark; with the possibility of being grabbed by anyone.

As you reached the hallway of the green rooms, all of the lights of the Glamrock's rooms seemed to also be off. Except for Chica's.

A little faster, (Y/N)! You're almost there! Her door is right in front of you! I know you're tired, but it's a sprint away!  You hear your inner voice yell once more.

The faint sound of bells jingling caused you to squeak. It seemed to get louder with each passing second - It was now or never. You gave it your all, sprinting to your girlfriend's door and knocking rapidly.

"Hey, sugar! What's u- wrong?" The chicken's smile dropped instantly the moment she saw you shivering at the door of her green room. She ushers you inside, throwing a spare blanket over your shoulders. You're shivering under her touch, teeth chattering like there is no tomorrow.

Under the dim UV lighting of her room, Chica was practically glowing. Her neon outfit consisted of pinks and greens, two of her favourite colours. It was a welcome sight after you rushed to her room when the lights went out. Chica slips into the storeroom, grabbing a bottle of water and returning to your side. "My sweet, you need to tell me the problem.. How else am I supposed to help you?" She asks gently and handed you the water. You grabbed at it, chugging the liquid down like a dehydrated animal.

You blinked and looked at her confusedly. "Why are the lights on in your room?" Chica chirps, clapping her hands together. "Any kinetic energy generated at the play attractions, like my Mazercise, is converted into backup electrical energy for the green rooms! Pretty smart, right?" It made sense - a lot of physical energy would be generated at the attractions from guests running about, such as in Fazerblast. It was not new news to you that Fazbear Entertainment wanted to make as much money as possible, so implementing a different generator for the Glamrocks' rooms was not too much of a reach.

Chica slips under the blanket with you, her hands attaching onto yours. She plays with your fingers, tugging and pulling them gently. "You don't have to tell me, darling. But, whatever spooked you outside probably was just from a S.T.A.F.F. bot malfunctioning," She said. You shook your head and leaned onto her, your head on her shoulder.

"It's not that.. I was fixing up a bot then the lights went off, then I heard the sound of bells getting louder and louder.. It was terrifying!" You exclaimed. The memory of the bells jingling getting louder made you involuntary shiver again. Chica rubbed your hands, blowing hot air into them as an attempt to calm you down. "You're afraid of the dark, aren't you?" She finally asks.

Your sigh was shaky as you finally admitted your weakness, to the one you loved the most. "It's that obvious, isn't it?" You muttered. Chica tutted and pecked your forehead, moving closer to you. "It's okay to be afraid, you know. I have my own fears as well," She replies. Her words felt warm and reassuring, like a hug for the soul. Chica knew just how to made you feel better.

She manages to get you to lie on her while she's on the sofa, taking you into her arms. Her hugs felt as great as her words were; it was something that could not easily be reciprocated by another. She always made you feel safe, no matter how she chose to comfort you. Her favourite thing was to play with your fingers during a conversation.

As you spilled your heart to her about how you have always been afraid of the dark, you could not help but notice how gorgeous she looked under the UV lighting. She has always been beautiful, but this sight was something else. The lighting made her outfit and eyes glow with a subtle shimmer. She looked as if she just came out of a movie.

Her eyes held nothing but love as you gazed into them, blue eyes staring back at your own. She giggled as she looked at your dazed state. "Everything okay, honeypie?" She asked. You hummed, leaning up to give her a kiss. "Yup. Just admiring how beautiful you look under this light,"

She squeaked. Chica has never been the one to take compliments easily; it always made her flustered and shy. "T-thank you.." She replies quietly. You almost laughed at her but held it back. She just helped you through a panic attack and laughing at her would seem mean, even if she was not your girlfriend.

Oh, fuck it.

You did let out a giggle.. Which then turned into a full-blown laugh. Chica looks confused, a squawk reaching your ears. "I'm sorry, you're just adorable when you get flustered.." You heaved out between giggles. She huffed and looked away, "Not funny!" She ignored you for a moment before laughing as well, turning back to face you. She smiled, relieved to see you much happier - Even if it came at the expense of her being teased by you. Not that she minded, of course. The bird loved you more than anything, she would do anything for you.

Correction - She loved you more than anything, except for pizza. That savory dish still remains first in her heart. You swore one day you would get the number 1 spot, one day.

Chica continued to make jokes and played with your fingers as she talked about her day prior to you running into her room, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she described an interesting child she met in the afternoon. "Oh and did I tell you his name? It was-" She stopped herself, noticing that you had drifted off in her arms. She hums contentedly, pecking your forehead.

Knock, knock.

Chica snaps to her side, eyes darting to the glass panel of a 'wall'. On the other side, stood Moon. His faceplate spins in amusement, "Are they asleep?" Chica nods. Moon gives a thumbs up and skips away to the other green rooms, the sound of bells fading into the distance.

Chica gasps as something clicks in her head. Oh! That was what you heard, the sound that terrified you. Turns out, it was just Moon doing his bi-hourly night patrols.

Sun/Moon (He/They)

- 1723 words

Sun's hands are shaking as he held yours. "Sunshine, I think you should go hide.. Moony is about to come out, the lights will power off in a few minutes.." You knew that he's afraid. But, so are you. Your voice cracks as you talk to your boyfriend, "Sunny, I think that you should know that I'm afraid of the dark; just like you."

Sun's faceplate spins as he guides you to his chest, rubbing your back soothingly. "I know, sunshine. It takes one to know another," His words are nothing but comforting. The shared fear between you and him made you feel better, albeit your reason for being afraid is different from his.

"I trust you, Sunny. I think it's time that I finally overcome that fear, tonight." You tried to be strong in front of him, though you knew he could see right through your tough words. Sun runs his thumbs back and forth on your hand, a comforting tactic for both of you. "Are you sure?" He asked. Sun was nervous. It was the first time you would meet Moon, and after hearing about how he has gotten aggressive in the past, you were not looking forward to it.

But, you had this gut feeling that everything would turn out alright. You trusted your boyfriend, and you knew that part of loving him is that you would have to accept his counterpart, Moon. Moon was his mirror image, a 2-in-1 package deal. You cannot love one without loving the other.

You nodded, a small smile playing on your lips. "Yes, baby. I trust you, which means I'll have to trust Moon too." Sun as nervous as he was, he was definitely overjoyed upon hearing that you were going to give Moon a chance. He felt selfish for 'keeping' you to himself, away from the only other being he trusted with all his heart. Sun and Moon knew each other inside out, right until Moon started displaying aggressiveness. If he could, he would have kept you all to himself, under the premise of keeping your safety top priority, until he could get Moon's issues resolved.

He knew doing so was wrong. Though Sun was your partner, he knew you were your own person. You could make your own decisions by yourself. He could only support you. He only hoped that you would remain unscathed from your time with his mirror image.

"You're so strong sunshine, choosing to face your fear tonight! I'll be right here with you, even if you can't see me!" He perks up and swings you around in his arms. "Yesyesyesyes! You're so strong, sunlight!" He said. You knew this game he was playing; he was trying to distract you from feeling fear. Though the unsettling pit bubbled in your stomach and you felt a lump in your throat, you swallowed down your tears and smiled back at him. "Thank you for always being so supportive, Sunny." You placed a soft kiss on his cheek just you heard the generators let out the sound you dreaded. You watched as Sun's face faded from view, his smile blending into the darkness.

"I'm proud of you!" Is the last thing you hear from him before his hold on you tightens, squeezing you for dear life. He lets out a few pained groans and pants. It hurts you to hear him react in such a way, the bright eyed and bubbly animatronic was showing a side of him that only few people knew about. Your heart clenches, wanting to comfort him but you knew it was dangerous to disturb him as he transformed into Moon.

Your eyes are squeezed shut, your heart beating loudly in your ears as a soft lullaby tune reaches you. Sun's hands suddenly feels much more colder than his usually warm ones.

A chuckle emits from the animatronic in front of you. "Oh my, who do we have here?" The voice is rough, raspy and downright terrifying. It sounded like the complete opposite of Sun's. Your eyes shot open, widening at the sight of bright red eyes staring back into your own.

The animatronic tilts its head to the right as its faceplate spins in amusement, "Are you (Y/N)? Sun's sunshine?" You nodded slowly. You could feel all hairs on your body stand straight, goosebumps rippling your skin. The animatronic lifts one of your hands to its faceplate for a 'kiss' (You shivered as more of the cold metal came into contact with your skin). "I'm glad to finally meet you, starlight. I'm Moon; I'm sure our Sunny-boy would have talked to you about me already." He says.

"N-nice to meet you too.." You finally managed to get out after a moment of silence, internally cringing slightly at your stutter. Moon hums, running his thumb across the back of your hands, just as how Sun does. The gesture was comforting in its odd way.

"Sun mentioned that you have a fear of the dark?" He asks. You could only let out a sound of agreement. It was frightening to have an animatronic practically twice your height talk to you in the dark, where you already felt extremely on edge. Not to mention that said animatronic had aggressiveness, their issues yet to be resolved permanently.

Moon tugs on your hands, guiding you with him towards the nap room of the Daycare. "Adorable humans like you should not be awake at this time," He says softly. His red eyes acted as a 'nightlight' of sorts, lighting up your line of vision for a meter or two. He brings you to the largest beanbag in the room and placed some plushies on the floor next to you as he settles down. He pats on the beanbag, gesturing of you to sit on it.

You reluctantly followed his silent instructions. You were still on edge and grabbed the nearest plushie. Lucky for you, it was a plushie of the very animatronic that sat next to you. Moon lets out a small laugh, his voicebox sputtering and wheezing. It was much different from Sun's joyful cackles. You liked the soft creaks and mechanical whirs that you could hear with every movement Moon made. Yet as different as him and Sun were, you could not help but feel.. Oddly comforted with Moon's presence.

Moon provided a sense of calm and tranquility in the dark, while Sun provided joy and excitement in the light.

Moon moves a hand to run it through your hair, massaging gently on your scalp. "You're doing so good for facing your fears," He hums. The lullaby tune emitting from him increases in volume slightly. He pushes you backwards so that you laid on the beanbag and slung your legs onto his lap. As much fun he was having in your presence, he knew you were too terrified to do anything. It seemed that he would have to get you used to him first.

Your heart swells from his praise. It truly was taking a toll on you for facing a fear, even if fearing the dark seemed childish for many. It was still a fear. You felt the exhaustion creeping up on you, threatening to pull down on your eyelids and drag you to dreamland.

Moon watches in content, he knew you were already drifting off. He could see it from the way your grip on the plushie of him loosened, from the way your breathing evened out and in the way your heartbeat calmed down to a normal pace. He pushes a stray hair away from your face and tucks it behind your ears, placing his faceplate on your face.

He feels the warm breath fanning from your exhales on his face, warming up his cold exterior. He chuckles softly, not wanting to accidentally wake you up. He looks at your face, studying every single detail; from your hairline, to your eyelashes, to the tip of your nose, to the very bottom of your chin.

"I thought Sunny-boy was playing a joke on me when they said that you were attractive, (Y/N).. But, it seems that there is more to just your gorgeous face.." He whispers to you, despite it falling on deaf ears. He leans down again, bumping his oddly placed nose onto yours, "I'm proud of you for facing your fears. You did well. You'll never have to be alone in the dark again, because I will be with you."

You stirred slightly in your sleep, moving your face upwards. Your lips accidentally connected with Moon's, causing him to immediately jolt and stumble back. He hears the fans beginning to whir within him, a sign that he was overheating. He huffed to himself, "Stupid starlight.." Yet, he could not ignore the joy he felt as he put a hand to his lips. He could still feel your touch lingering on him. Settling back on your side, he keeps watch in case for any danger.

As he acted as a guard while you slept, Moon could not help but to repeat the scenario again and again in his mind, right until the lights turned back on.

Sun stretched, spinning his faceplate happily. Sometimes, he and Moon happened to share memories during the transformation. One memory that Moon will certainly not forget happened to reach Sun.

Sun gasps as he watched Moon's memory. "Oh nonononono! What a mess! What will sunshine think?!" He chatters worriedly to himself. His eyes snap to you. You were still quietly dozing on the beanbag, the Moon plushie sat loosely in your arms.

You looked so beautiful in his eyes, even more so when you were asleep. Sun knew you also had your fair share of anxiety just like he did, so to see you peacefully asleep with no troubles in sight, made him relieved. Sun places a kiss on your forehead before laying down himself next to you. He places his head on your chest, delighted as you instinctively take him into your arms despite being asleep.

He purrs in content, feeling calm and serene just as you did before dozing off in Moon's presence. Sun looks at your face once more, rubbing your cheek affectionately, then goes into power-saving mode; it was enough for him to doze off like a human, yet be awake and alert, should anyone call for him.

Sun + Moon (Separated, He/Him for both)

-1429 words Song used: La Da Dee by Cody Simpson

You yawned, stretching your arms. It was the dead of the night and you were currently doing handicrafts with Sun. Your warm boyfriend had boundless energy, bouncing about the Daycare despite it being an ungodly hour to be awake. Though you were quite the insomniac, you were starting to get tired.

In the chair next to you, sat your other boyfriend. Moon was already dozing off in his chair, slumped over the art supplies that Sun had provided. You were sometimes jealous of the nighttime animatronic and his ability to easily fall asleep practically anywhere.

Sun looked away from his work and at you, "Are you sleepy, baby?" You frowned and shook your head, giving him a reassuring smile. "I'm okay, Sunny!" You said to him, though you felt like you were trying to convince yourself as well. Sun tutted and let go of the marker he was holding.

He stood up, pushing himself off the comical, child-sized chair he had managed to squeeze himself onto and sauntered to you. He picked you up with ease, throwing you over his shoulder. "Sun!" You shouted and kicked at him, but to no avail. He was literally made of metal, it was going to take more than that to hurt him.

Moon sat up groggily, looking at his partner and mirror image oddly. "What are you doing to (Y/N)?" He asks after yawning. Sun clapped his hands, "Our sunshine is sleepy! Yesyesyesyes, it is the perfect time for a proper sleepover~!"

"No! No sleepovers! I told you that I'm fine!" You yelled. You tried to twist and turn to get out of Sun's grasp, but to no avail.

Moon hummed, seemingly 'thinking' about Sun's idea. You glared at Moon, mouthing at him to tell Sun to let you down. Moon glanced at you, mischief twinkling in those red eyes of his. "Oh, what a good idea, Sunny.." He replied. You could hear the smirk in his voice.

You kicked your legs again in protest, "Damn you, Moon!" Moon only chuckled as he watched Sun squeal in excitement, skipping away with you over his shoulder towards their shared bedroom. Moon sighed, glancing at the messy table left behind. "Clean up.. Clean up.." He muttered to himself. Moon put away the art supplies and picked up the drawings you and Sun left behind before jumping upwards, landing gracefully on the balcony pad of their room.

He was greeted with a sight for sore eyes.

Sun has already wrapped you under a blanket, rolling you snugly so that you appeared like you were contents of a burrito. You groaned under the blanket, obviously grumpy. "Sun! I told you that I'm not tired yet!" You protested. As grumpy as you were, you were adorable to both of the animatronics. Angry cinnamon roll, was what you were. They wanted to do nothing but protect you.

You tried to escape the burrito roll of a blanket but Sun held the ends tightly with ease so that you could not escape. Sun pulled you, his grumpy burrito of a partner, onto his lap and cuddled you happily, ignoring your sounds of anger. Moon chuckled and placed the drawings on a spare table, moving closer to you and Sun.

"(Y/N), why must you be so stubborn? You're always falling asleep in the day, we are trying to help you fix your sleep schedule.." Moon tutted. Sun perked up upon seeing his mirror image, "Moony! Doesn't our sunshine look so adorable like this? Don't they? Don't they?" Moon hummed in agreement as he joined in the cuddle, content with the warmth you and Sun were providing. Like a little kid, Sun squealed. "Moony, you're so cold!"

The sound of the generators powering down caused you to jolt. You began shivering immensely under the blanket, despite it being warm and comfortable. "Sunshine?" Sun called, his face coming into view. Through the pitch-black room, Sun emitted a soft, orange glow. He looked like a nightlight, literally. You grabbed onto him like a lifeline, your quiet sobs escaping.

Sun hummed comfortingly, rubbing your back. "Why are you crying, baby?" Moon sat still. Shocked was not the right word to describe the way he felt. Surprised was more fitting. He was surprised to see you, someone he saw as fearless, shivering and sobbing right in front of him.

What were you so afraid of? You rarely cried in front of them, you thought it made you appear weak in front of them.

Everything was okay just a minute ago, when the lights were on- oh. It clicked in Moon's head.

"Darling... Are you afraid of the dark?" He asked. Sun laughed at his mirror image, "Moony, don't say such things like that! Our (Y/N) is as fearless as they can be-"

"Yes.." Your soft reply interrupted Sun. The bright animatronic let out a 'Huh?' before the puzzle pieces came together in his head. "OOOOH! That's why you always refused a sleepover!" He exclaimed.

Your nod was all the response they needed. You pulled yourself away from Sun's shoulder to look at Moon. Just like Sun, he shone softly like a nightlight, a calming silver shine to him. Sun yanks you into his arms again, now cradling you like a little baby. "Our sweet sunshine, afraid of the dark... It's okay!" He happily sang. You grumbled, "It's not funny!"

"Sunny, stop babying them." Moon scolded lightly. Sun pouted and released you onto the mattress. You sighed in content, finally free from Sun's clutches-

Moon yanked you downwards, causing you to fall onto the mattress with a thump. You made a sound of protest, only to be shushed by the animatronic. He pulled off his nightcap (Who knew he could take it off?) and placed it gently over your head. "It's time to sleep, my star. Sunny and I will be right here with you." He whispers. Something caught your eye. As you looked up, you noticed the small glow-in-the-dark stickers in the shape of stars littered the ceiling. You felt the mattress dip on your sides, both the animatronics settling to lay down as well.

"Do you like it? I had the inkling that you had nyctophobia and thought these would be useful," Moon's voice distracted you from the stars. You smiled, reaching out to rub his cheek affectionately. "I love it, babe. Thank you." Moon purrs happily under your touch, his faceplate spinning in content.

Sun wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling himself closer to you. "What about mEeE~?" He warbles. You giggled and rubbed one of his sun-rays with your other hand. "You too, Sunny. Thank you."

Moon begins to sing, his voice a deep yet gentle resonating sound that you always loved. Though you've often heard him sing during the nap-times in the daytime, this song he was singing was an new song, an entirely new experience.

La da dee La da dee doo La da dee me La da dee you La da dee La da dee doo There's only me There's only you

You swayed your head along to the tune, happily enjoying his performance. It was beautiful. Though Sun trusted you early on in your friendship with him, it took quite a while to gain Moon's trust. It was rare for Moon to show a side of him like this - where he was completely at peace and did what he wished. You were glad he felt comfortable enough to act as such around you.

As he continued to sing, you could not help but feel dazed, the temptation to sleep was growing stronger with each word your boyfriend sung.

La da dee La da dee doo La da dee me La da dee you La da dee La da dee doo When you are gone I think of you

Moon glances at you after finishing his song, satisfied that you had finally given in and drifted off. He glances at his mirror image, only to notice that Sun had entered power conservation mode; an animatronic's version of snoozing. Sun's arms were wrapped snugly around your waist, his face buried to your back. Moon checked the clock, 2:45AM. The lights were to turn on soon.

You looked so peaceful in your sleep, it was hard for Moon not to just take you into his arms and cuddle for all eternity. He settles back on your side, placing your head gently on his chest as he listened to your even breaths that lulled him into power conservation mode.

At least he knew how to put you to sleep now.

[absolutewhore101]

The Produce Aisle

Pairing: Ashton Irwin x GN!Reader

Summary: When you see your ex in a grocery store...

Warnings: friends to lovers, fluff <3

Word Count: 795

Minors DNI (no smut, just not comfortable with you interacting)!!

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

“Hey Ash!”

“Hi!” He responded, just as enthusiastically. “What’s up?”

“I have to go grocery shopping later and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me? It shouldn’t take super long but I haven't seen you in a while. Plus it’s always more fun when you come with me.” You giggled.

He laughed, “I’d love to. I’ll pick you up and we can take my car, just shoot me a text when you’re ready?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Thank you.” You told him, hanging up the phone.

You grinned to yourself, thinking about how nice it was going to be to see him again. You were lost in your own little world when you looked to your left and saw your cat sitting on the table, glaring at you. 

“What? I’ll tell him eventually.” You shrugged, going upstairs to get dressed.

About 20 minutes later, Ashton was knocking on your door, and you were tackling him in a hug.

“Hi!” You squealed into his shoulder as you held onto each other. 

He chuckled, “Hi, sweets. You ready?”

“You know it.”

The drive to the grocery store was fairly quick, the two of you catching up on the weeks you hadn’t seen each other. 

“And then we started working on this new song, and it sounds so good already, I’m excited for everyone to hear it.” He told you. 

“That’s great, Ash. I’m sure it’ll be great.” You smiled at him. 

You turned away, looking out your window and trying to hide the blush that was slowly climbing up your neck. 

Why did he have to smile like that? Couldn’t he tell what it was doing to you?

He looked back at the road, fighting the urge to reach over and grab your hand.

Just tell them how you feel! Better yet, man up and just grab their hand, that would be good enough.

Walking into the grocery store, you made a beeline for the fruit section. Ash followed quickly behind you, apologizing to any people you bumped into. 

When you got to where you wanted, you and Ash stopped, looking at the selection of the fruit. He grabbed a bag, silently holding it out for you as you began to pick up various fruits. You were trying to figure out what to do with them, when you turned and saw Ashton holding up the bag. 

You gave him a sheepish smile as you dropped them into the bag, turning back around. 

Cute, Ashton thought. 

Idiot, you thought. 

The two of you wandered around the rest of the produce section, pointing out different fruits and vegetables, talking about cooking dinner together sometime this week.

Ashton was focused on the smoothie selection when you turned around debating where to go next, spotting the man you’d hoped you’d never see again.

No. No no no no no. What was he doing here?! Oh, god, he’s looking this way! Think. Do something, Y/N! Quick!

You turned around, looked directly into Ashton’s eyes, and felt very bad about what you were about to do.

“Please forgive me for what I’m about to do.”

He didn’t have time to comprehend your words before you were grabbing a hold of his collar, yanking him down to your height, and slamming your lips against his. 

It was truly a miracle that he didn’t drop the bag, and that his heart didn’t stop.

Is this actually happening? For real? He thought to himself. 

His arms wrapped around your waist the best that they could, letting out a small groan as you gripped onto his shoulders, one hand moving to tangle into his hair. 

The kiss only lasted for about 30 seconds before you pulled away, looking at each other. The blush on either of your cheeks rivaled the tomatoes behind you. 

Your mouth opened and closed as you tried to think about what you could possibly say to explain what just happened, but instead chose to just turn around and walk away. 

You didn’t get more than a step away before Ashton grabbed a hold of your wrist, spinning you body back into his, and gently placing his lips on your again.

You let out a sigh at the change in pace, appreciating this kiss a whole lot more than the last one.

After a few seconds he pulled back, resting his forehead against yours as you both laughed, still fighting to catch your breaths. 

“I wanted to do that first,” he said, “and not in a grocery store.”

You shyly grinned up at him, “Well, it wasn’t entirely thought out. But I’m glad I did it.”

“I am too.”

…

“Well,” you said as you opened the door, finding your cat sitting on your couch, “I told him! Well, actually…”

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

Tell me your thoughts! Thank you for reading :)