#yeah the thing is I rarely dream chatter between people anyway… my dreams are so super action packed

[dead-set-goat]

Geez, someone in my dream said something so funny and with such a good delivery that I woke up laughing that instant.

I swear never in a billion years could have produced such a funny phrase and nor have I heard it so now I’m wondering where the hell did that come from?? I’m not the one to overanalyse dreams but this one makes me really wonder… are our dreams are intertwined? No way in hell that could’ve been a fabrication of my own, nu-uh, I must’ve crossed paths with that person in a hypothetical dream plane andI just joined their’s!!

[interlunium-opus]

No Place I’d Rather Be. [ Jay ]

[ Jay | fluff ]

Abstract: when you went to the library on the night when the Triennial Winter Ball was held, you expected to be all alone. But Jay, your best friend and the  campus heartthrob is somehow already there waiting for you.

You stared out of the corridors of windows as you ascended up the staircase of the desolated library, your eyes fixated on the bustling crowd outside. It was the night the Triennial Winter Ball was held: basically the night everyone looked forward to the moment they started university. Unlike how dark, drab and quiet winter nights in campus usually are — tonight, the campus was alight with festive lights lining up the path leading up to the grand hall and students filtering in, decked in their “Sunday best”, filling the otherwise quiet night with cacophony of laughters, chatters, and whispers.

Standing in contrast with the crowd outside was you, all alone in the dimly-lit library, decked in monochrome with books in hand instead clinking glasses and waltzing with others in an elegant dress. You sighed as you thought to yourself, who am I kidding, my introverted soul wouldn’t last a minute in there.

“You’re late today.”

You jumped, startled, dropping some of the books you were carrying. Given the context of tonight, no one should have been in the library right now. Especially not the campus heartthrob and the social butterfly, Jay Park.

“Jay?” You called out, squinting your eyes to get a clearer view of the tall figure at the end of the aisle. The dim-lighting were of no help at all but the blonde locks and the deep voice were a massive giveaway, “wait..what are you doing here?!”

“You look petrified to see your own best friend, it’s almost heartbreaking,” Jay muttered sarcastically as he made his way towards you before reaching down to pick up the books you had dropped.

“Well, duh, no one should be here tonight especially not you,” you retorted as you walked towards your usual seat at the corner, the one with the large windows and dimmest lighting, “people are going to think that you got kidnapped or something and oh God, the amount of hearts you’re breaking tonight with your no-show.”

“Well, what’s your excuse?” Jay raised an eyebrow at you.

“Jay, we have been best friends for almost 2 years now, you know why I am not there — I would just combust,” you said as a matter-of-factly as you took a seat.

“But it’s our final year, you’ve got to make it count — socially I mean. And come on, it’s the Triennial Winter Ball not some frat party,” he grumbled as he sat on the armrest of the chair next to you with his body facing you and arms folded. Being a massive extrovert with a lifestyle that tends toward opulence — tonight’s extravagance was right up his alley and all month long he had been endlessly badgering you to attend it. Being the massive introvert you are though, the ball is basically the last thing you would want to attend.

That said, as incredulous as the friendship between the two of you are to many people, you two are polar opposites that complement one another in a way that two differently-shaped puzzle pieces can only fit one another. Being a social butterfly, your individualism, rationality and brilliant intellect really stood in stark contrast with the homogenous crowd and superficial conversations that he constantly surround himself with. With an equally subtle sarcastic dark humor to match, a tenacity like no others and a brilliant intellect that constantly challenge and stimulates his mind — you’re like an oasis in the desert.

Likewise, Jay, too, was like a breath of fresh air to you. You have had some initial reservations about him though. After all, he was more known for his lavish lifestyle and the parties he throw. But beyond those such fronts, Jay was highly knowledgable with strong passion for what he believes in — qualities of which really matched yours. Not to mention, being pragmatic and rational himself, he was one of the rare few people in your life that you don’t need to put up a social filter for as he is always able to objectively understand your views and opinions.

That is how you two end up going from being touted as the “cursed” pairing that was doomed to fail when you two were first paired for a project in “Modern Political Thought” module, to the Dream Team that ended up trouncing everyone else’s project, attaining the highest score out of everyone in class. In fact, you two just keep on surprising everyone by becoming almost inseparable even after the module ended.

“Who’s to say a couple of drinks isn’t going to turn a ball into a frat party?” You shot him an incredulous look before turning your attention to the books you were flipping, “… exam is around the corner anyway.”

“1.5 months away,” he emphasized as he lowered his head down to your level, peeking over your shoulders to take a closer look at your notes, “Seriously? you’re skipping tonight’s extravagance and festivities for Multivariate Functions and Lagrangian? I’d have let it slide if you were working on a prose instead.”

“Well what’s your excuse for being here then? I’m pretty sur-“ you stopped mid-sentence, caught off guard by how close his face actually was to yours when you looked up to face him. Jay’s face as usual was unperturbed, his blonde locks softly framed his chiseled face and his lips was pouty in concentration as his eyes travelled from one end of your notebook to the other before he turned his face slightly and met your gaze. You swore for a moment you felt your heart skip a beat but the moment one corner of his lips lifted into his signature lopsided grin, that thought immediately disappeared as you knew he was going to say something sarcastic or dramatic.

“How can I be so selfish and party away when my best friend is all sad and depressed alone in this library?”

You scoffed, rolling your eyes, “Jay, as if-”

“Also,” he suddenly interjected, “the girl that I asked out for tonight rejected me so….”

“Wait, what?!” You gasped, “The Jay Park got rejected?”

“I know right. She rejected an offer that millions would have killed for,” he shrugged as he straightened back up.

“Exactly! who in their right mind would- anyway, at the risk of sounding insensitive, couldn’t you have substituted her with other girls? Like you said, millions would have killed to be your date — you can just pick and choose.”

“Wow, ____, you really have ice in your veins don’t you?” he smirked.

“Whatever, just being rational.”

“I know. I definitely could. I mean the head cheerleader asked me out too so I could have just accepted it,” he murmured, “but...” he paused, “as cringeworthy as this sounds, 80% of the reason why I really looked forward to the ball was because I was looking forward to spending it with the girl who rejected me. So without her in the picture, the whole vision just suddenly lost its spark. Like… I’d rather just spend time with her then whether it is at a ball or library or wherever.”

“Oh…” you managed, unsure how to react, “that’s kind of… deep I guess. Well yeah, I mean if you still don’t feel bitter over her rejecting you then sure, you do you, go after her. Unless of course she’s at the ball with someone else then maybe not…”

Instead of responding promptly as he usually does, Jay just heaved a huge sigh as if he was disappointed or something. His eyes glued onto yours as if trying to pry some information out of your mind, “You know you’re awfully dense. Have you ever thought that maybe you’re too studious that it’s beginning to cost you your social skills or something?”

Jay has always been blunt but tonight, it was just on a different level. It was almost like he was here to intentionally grate you as if someone was actually keeping score. You retorted, “Excuse me. Did you just come all the way here to push my buttons? Because yo-“

You stopped mid-sentence again when he suddenly leaned closer towards you, his hands on either side of you, one on the edge of your table and the other, gripping your headrest, “I am already with her right now.”

You furrowed your brows in confusion, your mind working on overdrive.

“Fine,” he uttered, ”let me spell it out for you — you’re the girl. You’re the one who rejected me. Twice.”

You opened your mouth to tell him to stop joking but his unperturbed facial expressions told you otherwise. Still in disbelief, you stammered, “No way ��� Me? When?! I mean we talked about the ball a couple of times but you’ve never… unless - wait… you were serious?”

You remembered it was a Saturday night, about 2 weeks ago at almost 4 AM when you and Jay was at the library burning the midnight oil. You were busy trying to finish up your Econometrics assignment while Jay, who had long given up with his Philosophy assignment, was engrossed in a movie marathon next to you.

“Ugh,” you groaned when your regression results turned ‘insignificant’. You turned your attention to the papers and books strewn across your desk, frantically flipping through the pages to see where the error could have been and how else can you rectify this.

“You need to sleep on it,” Jay murmured, casting worried glances at you, “You’ve been on it for hours.”

“I can’t,” you shook your head, your eyes scanning over your messy handwriting, “I’ll end up obsessing about it again at home so I definitely need to get to the bottom of this today, that’s the only way I can sleep.”

Jay sighed, pausing his movie and turning his attention fully towards you, “Fine. But you really need to reward yourself for working so hard this semester because otherwise, you’ll just burn out. Also, by reward, I did not mean hibernating.”

“Hmm,” you nodded absentmindedly when suddenly Jay snatched the pen you were using, “Hey ___ eyes on the person talking please. What did I just say?”

You rolled you eyes, relenting, “Something about rewarding myself and not hibernating — there, happy? Can I get my pen back?”

“Good,” Jay beamed, quickly pulling his hand away when you were about to snatch your pen back from his grasp, “The Triennial Winter Ball would be a good idea of a reward by the way.”

You scoffed, “Jay, that is probably your idea of a reward but it definitely won’t be mine. First, I’ve got to look all made up from top to bottom — that takes up too much resources for something an introvert like me possibly won’t even enjoy — that’s the equivalent of some floppy investment prospects right there.

“Secondly, I avoid crowds like the plague whenever I could help it and the ball has all the variables that could make me combust on spot: there are a lot people; a lot of emotions; a lot of expectations and — well, you get the picture.

“And finally, I would need to find someone to go with — again, too much trouble.“

“You have me, where’s the trouble in that?” he asserted, snatching your pencil case away this time when you were about to reach for it, “Just go with me then.”

“Yeah no that’s ridiculous,” you shook your head, stretching your hand out to him, beckoning him to give your stationaries back, “Stop playing, give me my stationaries back.”

Ignoring your demand, he pressed on, “Why is that so ridiculous?”

You sighed, “Because A) everyone wants a piece of you so B) I’d be burnt at stake if we do go together. And also C) You should spend that special night with a special someone, not your best friend — come on, Jay, you need to work on your prioritization skill.”

“Wait — that was meant to be it?” You shrieked as you recalled the memory, “I mean, it just rolls so casually in our conversation — I couldn’t have possibly picked it up as serious. Anyway, fine — when was the other time?”

“Just a few days ago when I was sending you home,” Jay replied as-a-matter-of-factly. Jay remembered skipping dance practice that night, earning an earful from the instructor the next day, just so that he can walk you home after your Students’ Union meeting with the president, Yang Jungwon.

“You’re really set on not going to the ball?” Jay asked for the umpteenth time and you nodded.

“What if I tell you that I know someone who is thinking of asking you out for the ball?” Jay prodded, stopping you in your tracks, “I’m serious.”

“Still no.”

“I have not even told you who he was,” Jay grumbled.

“Fine, entertain me,” you relented.

“Jungwon.”

“Jay stop messing around.”

“I told you I’m serious, geez,” Jay said exasperatedly.

“But why — what is that kid thinking…”

“I don’t know — maybe you should stop having some night meetings with him alone before it grows into a full-blown crush or something,” Jay shrugged before you smack him lightly on the arm. “Ouch!” he whined, “Anyway so? Will that be a yes or a no?”

“Of course no, Jungwon’s a definite no.”

“Well, I saved him from a heartbreak then,” Jay mumbled.

“Huh?” You stared at him.

“Nothing,” Jay quipped, smiling sheepishly. The truth was, one of the reason why he insisted to walk you home tonight was because he overheard Jungwon telling Heeseung this morning that he definitely would ask you out to the ball after the meeting, perhaps right after, perhaps while walking you home. Knowing that someone as upright as Jungwon was going to ask you out, Jay thought he should have been elated for this might mean that you will actually come to the ball. But somehow, like a broken record, the conversation kept on playing in his mind all day during his classes, accompanied with the 1001 likely scenarios of how you’d likely respond to him. By the time night has set in, all he knew was that he was dead set on not letting Jungwon ask you out to the ball, by hook or by crook. He did not fully comprehend why, perhaps he just did not like Jungwon, he thought. Or maybe, he didn’t like you with Jungwon together — or perhaps, he actually didn’t like you with any other guys. Fortunately by the time he had reached the Student Centre of the Campus, completely out of breath that is, he can see that you and Jungwon were still discussing the union project. Once the meeting ended, as indicated by Jungwon switching the projector off, Jay just barged in, announcing that he’ll take you home much to your suprise and to Jungwon’s dismay.

“Why not though?” Jay suddenly asked, “I mean accepting Jungwon? He’s like the textbook example of an ideal guy: cute, smart, upright, overachiever and whatnot”

“Well, my good friend has a crush on him for the longest time so that’s one big reason,” you explained, “also, we don’t even know each other that well on a personal level for me to say yes to.”

“Then would you go with me instead?” Jay suddenly grabbed onto your hand, stopping you in your tracks, “I mean, if you’re worried about having a good time, wouldn’t I be ideal then?”

For a moment, silence engulfed the two of you as you two stared into one another’s eyes. You opened your mouth to say something but immediately closed it, remembering how just this morning you overheard that the head cheerleader had asked Jay out, “Jay, just go with someone else more fitting okay? You don’t have to pity invite me or something, I’m fine. I heard the head cheerleader asked you out — isn’t that perfect? two campus heartthrobs together? You guys would be the talk of campus and the envy of many.”

Despite the praises, he could feel his heart sank. While it was not an explicit rejection, your nonchalance, for the second time, pricked him. Not one to be emotional, he plastered a smile as he slowly let your hand go, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Oh no, crap, I’m sorry Jay,” you sank in your seat as you stared at him in disbelief. No wonder, he looked so taken aback that night, you thought, and how cold he was the next day. “You know what, yeah I’m definitely dense — I think I traded my social skills for good grades. You can tease me with that all you want, I won’t even try to defend myself anymore.”

“Well, on the bright side, flirtations from others can’t get through to you — you’re like a fortress or something,” Jay chuckled, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry though really,” you bit your lip, apologetic, “What can I do to make it up to you? Oh you know what — that Michelin-starred restaurant that just opened up in the corner? How about I’ll treat you there for tomorrow? It’ll break my wallet but if it will unbreak what I’ve done to you -- I’d gladly commit to the splurge.”

“Oh come on, I’m not that materialistic,” Jay scoffed, “Do you mean it though, that you’ll do anything?”

“Absolutely,” you nodded, “Within moral and ethical bounds, that is.”

Suddenly Jay extended his hand towards you, beckoning you to take it. 

“You’re not dragging me to the ball right now right?” you took his hand and he pulled you up to your feet, leading you towards a more spacious area, “We’re underdressed for it Jay. I mean look at me, I’m decked in monochrome -- I basically look like I’m mourning.”

He chuckled as he pulled out his AirPods case, taking out one and gently inserting it into your ear before inserting the other pair into his, “Don’t worry, there are no dress codes for our own private ball.”

Soft music started to play through the AirPods, it was “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar ft. H.E.R. “Just dance along with me alright? I don’t need to be splurged on,” Jay’s hand slowly snaked over your back, pulling you close to him as he carefully yet smoothly guide you to the melody of the music.

“Well, gotta warn you though,” you smiled sheepishly, “I’m bad at this so don’t sue me if I step on your Pradas.”

“Fine, exclusively for tonight, I’ll put my Pradas at risk,” he quipped, his eyes glued onto yours, “Say, if you had known that I was serious — would you have said ’yes’ to me?”

You looked up, meeting his warm gaze which somehow, perhaps due to the proximity, was making your heart skip a beat, “I think so? I mean, I hate crowds but you would usually make me forget that I was in one. Also, you’ve always said yes to all of my weird adventures so I always feel like I need to repay you back in-kind if the opportunity arises.”

Despite always trying to keep his composure in the face of any nerve-wrecking  moment, Jay failed this time as he feel his smile widened while his heart raced uncontrollably. He couldn’t exactly pinpointed why: was it your sudden heart-fluttering words; was it the proximity; was it the the warmth that he could feel on both hands; was it the atmosphere; was it the fireworks that was starting to set off outside; or was it just you?

Suddenly, he thought in retrospect, he was glad that you had said “no” to him. He wouldn’t have traded the moment tonight, just you and him away from all the external noises, for a waltz in a crowded and noisy ballroom, even with all the glitz and glamour that it offers. In fact, tonight best represented what you meant to him, like that of an oasis in a desert, your presence alone is enough for him even if he has to search through the highs and lows for you -- it is just you who he’ll gravitate to eventually. 

_______

Author’s note: first imagine wheee! Hope you guys like this one :3

[kingexpl0sionmurder]

Sour Candy - Bakugou Katsuki

Author: @kingexpl0sionmurder Rating: 18+ (Smut) Words: 12,276 Pairing: Bakugou Katsuki/F!Reader (Aged up, characters are in college) Warnings: Language, smut, Shinsou is kind of a dick, I made Bakugou a fan of LotR alright?

AN: I have been writing this for 84 years. This is my first attempt at Bakugou. Please be gentle lol. Shout out to @unbreakablekiribaku for listening to me talk about this fic since FEBRUARY and @420bakubaby​ for being one of the first people to read this and then scream at me for stopping mid smut for like 2 months. Bakugou’s poor neck lmfao. xoxoxo Masterlist is here Buy me a Kofi?

---

You sighed, resting your head on your folded arms at the table. You tuned out the chattering of the girls around you, Ashido and Hagakure giggling at something to your right.

“You okay, Y/N?” Uraraka shot you a concerned look from across the table, causing you to lift your head and gaze at her.

“Yeah, I’m just bored.” And lonely, but she didn’t need to know that. Your eyes fell back to the table in front of you. 

“I think you just miss Shinsou.” Ashido’s tone was teasing and it caused you to roll your eyes a little. She hit the nail on the head, but it wasn’t him that you missed, not really. It was just the companionship. Sure, you had your girlfriends, but it wasn’t the same thing.

“I don’t miss him.”

“Did you break up?” Jirou leaned her face on her palm, raising her eyebrows and looking at you curiously.

You snorted. “We were never together. We just had an...arrangement.”

“He decided to focus on his training,” Ashido explained when you offered no further information. “They’ve decided to just be friends.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Tsu reached out and patted your arm from her place on the other side of the table, beside Uraraka.

You offered her a smile, letting your gaze fall to your lap. You weren’t all that sad about it. There were no real feelings between you and Hitoshi, there never had been. You just had a good time together, letting off a little steam when things became too stressful. You were proud of him for focusing on getting stronger, especially after everything he’d gone through when you were back in UA and how hard he’d worked to get into the hero course, and you didn’t hold his decision against him.

“You need a new distraction!” Hagakure trilled excitedly, breaking you from your thoughts. “We just need to find you a new boy.”

“I don’t need a new boy.” You groaned, leaning back. “I can function without one.” Eyes closed, your lips pulled into a frown. “I don’t want to do the meaningless sex thing again.”

Ashido, who clearly had not been listening, craned her neck to look around the cafeteria where you were having lunch. “What about Kaminari?”

You rolled your eyes. “Ashido, come on. I don’t want-”

“Ooh yeah!” Hagakure continued. “He’s cute, right? Maybe a little pervy, but I bet he’s kinky!”

Jirou gave her a look. “Keep it down! Don’t let him hear you say that! He’d never shut up about it.”

“He’s too easy. All I’d have to do is look at him and he’d cum in his pants.” Your lips curled up into a smirk, shaking your head. Kaminari was cute and you’d been friends for a long time, but you didn’t think the two of you would work out. Plus, you weren’t interested in him like that. 

The table burst into a fit of giggles. Yaoyorozu leaned over from your other side. “You want a challenge then? What about Todoroki?”

All eyes slid to the other side of the cafeteria where Todoroki sat, eating his soba with his chopsticks quietly, while Kirishima and Sero were laughing loudly over his head.

“He’s gorgeous, but he scares me a little bit. Strong and silent types aren’t my thing.” He was a little too...obtuse a lot of the time. Social cues went right over that boy’s head. 

“So gorgeous…” Ashido sighed, slumping across the table. “Okay, what about Kiri? I could put in a good word.”

You decided to let your friends have their fun, playing along. It wasn’t their fault they didn’t know about the secret crush you’d been harboring on a certain boy.

“Shark boy is tempting. I’d let him do anything he wanted to me. Have you seen him without a shirt? And those pointy teeth…” You trailed off, gazing into the distance.

“Eijirou has two quirks; hardening, and respecting women. He would probably be too vanilla for you.” Hagakure was right, of course.

“You never know, though. I’d like to call him Red Daddy Riot at least once.” You said dreamily, earning loud laughter from the girls around you. Kirishima was hot and had a great personality, but in all seriousness, he was just a friend. 

“Midoriya?” Tsu suggested.

Your eyes shot to Uraraka, instantly noticing the blush on her cheeks. “Nah, he’s off-limits.” You were one of the only ones who knew how Uraraka felt about Deku, and you weren’t about to do that to her, so you shut that idea down quickly.

You turned back to the table the guys were occupying, eyes wandering over each of them with feigned interest. 

“I’ve got it!” Ashido was too excited, her loud voice commanding the attention of the room. She sunk back into her seat when a few people turned their heads in your table’s direction. 

All of the girls around you leaned in to hear her better when she beckoned them closer. “Bakugou.” She said conspiratorially, wiggling her eyebrows at you.

“Do you think Y/N has a death wish?” Jirou huffed. “Ashido, that wasn’t a serious suggestion, was it?”

Uraraka winced, her pink cheeks getting ever pinker. “If you think Todoroki is scary, he’s nothing compared to Bakugou.”

Tsu, always the observant one, shook her head. “He’s not as mean as he makes himself out to be. He’s like sour candy.”

“Bitter on the outside, sweet on the inside?” Yaoyorozu was grinning, picking up on Tsu’s metaphor.

“If anyone could crack him, it’s you Y/N. You don’t put up with shit.” Ashido pressed on. “You’re strong too, and he’ll respect that. Plus, he’s nicer to you than he is to the rest of us.”

“That doesn’t mean much, cause he’s still kind of a dick to me.” You said. “But…” You glanced over to see Bakugou eating his sashimi with a permanent frown on his face. “If you think I’d let Kiri do whatever he wanted to me, then times that by a million, and that’s what I’d let Bakugou do.”

“I’d let him blow me up.” You could just picture Hagakure slumping over dramatically. “Those washboard abs, his bulging biceps…”

“You okay, Hagakure? Someone get the spray bottle.” Jirou’s eyes were alright with mirth, lips curled into a teasing smile. 

“You think I should try?” You asked the table, your gaze still locked on the ash blonde across the room. 

If you were being honest with yourself, Bakugou was the only boy that you could see yourself with. You’d been intrigued by him since your first year at UA, and had always wondered what it would be like to date him. You had given up on the idea of ever getting him to like you, knowing that getting close enough to him would be a daunting task. He had built walls around himself since day one, putting up an unapproachable front, and you’d always thought it would be impossible. And now, 4 years later, you were all attending the same hero college, and you felt like your chances to win his affections hadn’t gotten any better. 

But, what was the harm in it?

“If anyone can do it, you can,” Tsu confirmed, breaking you from your reverie. 

Ashido squealed, bouncing in her seat. “You two would be so cute!”

You turned to look across the room, catching a glimpse of bright amethyst eyes peering in your direction. Hitoshi smiled at you before turning his attention back to his friends, and you searched your heart for any feelings that you might have missed for him. When you came up with nothing, you knew you’d made your decision.

“Well, Ashido, I guess you better start thinking of ship names. Operation Bang Bakugou is in full effect, starting immediately.” You said finally, smiling at your friends.

They didn’t need to know how you felt about him, anyway. That was your secret motivation. You just hoped this didn’t blow up in your face. 

---

Twenty-four hours later, you had made zero progress. The most you’d gotten was a heated glare from the explosive blonde when he’d caught you staring at him during one of the classes you shared. You were starting to think the whole thing was hopeless, but you couldn’t give up. Your mama didn’t raise no quitter.

You decided this was going to take some time and a lot of research. You started by observing Bakugou’s routine. It was fate that you’d been assigned to the same dormitory, along with the rest of your high school friends, so you would have plenty of opportunities to watch him without being creepy.

He got up insanely early every morning and went for a run, and then showered and ate breakfast. After his last class, he would do his homework and hang out with Kirishima and the rest of his squad before wandering off to bed around 8 pm, like a grandpa. On the weekends he would keep the same morning routine, and then would spend his afternoons in the gym unless someone was able to convince him to break his regimen and actually participate in a group activity, but it was rare and he would be grumpy about it the whole time.

You filed his relationship with Eijirou away for a moment of desperation. You wanted to try to do this all on your own if you could, but it was good to know that you might have an in if you needed it. For now, you were going to try to get Bakugou to talk to you. 

You begrudgingly set your alarm for the ungodly hour of 5 am the night before you put your half-assed idea into motion. When it woke you up out of a nice dream you grumbled, dragging yourself to the bathroom to wash your face and fix your bed head. You dressed in your workout clothes and stumbled downstairs with your running shoes, your phone, and a pair of headphones shoved into the front pocket of your hoodie.

You sat down on the front steps to the dorm, lacing up your shoes and yawning.

“What are you doing here?”

Your head snapped up, eyes locking with Bakugou’s red ones as he stood behind you. You cleared your throat. “Hey, Bakugou. I was just getting ready to go for a run.”

His posture was stiff as always. “You don’t go for runs.”

“Not normally, no. But I think it’ll benefit me. I want to get faster.” You shrugged. “Are you going running too? Maybe we can run together?”

“Tch. You wouldn’t be able to keep up, princess.” He sat down and pulled on his shoes, no longer paying you any attention.

You didn’t want to push him, so you didn’t say anything, moving to the grass and sitting down so you could stretch. The morning was nice, a little chilly, but the breeze felt good and it was quiet. You felt his eyes on you but you ignored him, reaching out to touch your toes, flexing your feet. When you were satisfied, you stood, bending your knee and grabbing your foot to pull it back.

Bakugou was standing in front of you. “Just stay out of my way. I usually run towards the training grounds and then loop back around the dorms. It’s about two miles all the way around.”

You looked over at him, trying not to grin. “Yeah, okay. Thanks.”

“I’m not doing you any favors, don’t thank me.” He snapped. “Fucking Christ. Just shut up.” 

Your eyes widened as he turned his back to you, reaching into his hoodie for his headphones and shoving them in his ears. He messed with his phone for a second, before turning around and glaring at you.

You followed his lead, shoving an earbud in one ear and turning on your music. When you put your phone away he grunted and started jogging in the direction of the training grounds, and you followed, keeping pace behind him.

It was nice, it felt good to get your blood pumping so early in the morning. The campus was deserted, no one was probably even awake at this hour. Bakugou was quiet, but you didn’t expect him to speak to you, let alone let you run with him, so you didn’t have any complaints. You took this as a win though, because he’d at least acknowledged your existence. 

Your legs were burning about three-fourths of the way through but you pushed on, not wanting to seem weak in front of him. You assumed if you stopped or slowed, he wouldn’t wait for you, and you thought it might hurt your chances of getting to do this with him again. 

Your discomfort must have been apparent, though, because he grunted and looked back at you. “Oi! What’s your problem?”

You shook your head. “I’m fine.”

“No you’re fucking not, you’re slowing and you’re not breathing right.” He slowed down a little. “You’re pushing yourself too much.”

Your legs ached, and you felt a stitch forming in your side.“I said I’m fine.” 

“Stubborn fucking-“ He slowed further, back into a light jog. “Your body isn’t used to this. I shouldn’t have let you come with me.”

“You can go without me, Bakugou. I can handle myself.” You grumbled, hating that he was right. 

He rolled his eyes. “I usually start slowing down now anyway.” He reached in his other hoodie pocket and pulled out a water bottle, shoving it at you. “Drink.”

You didn’t even have it in you to argue, taking the bottle from him and unscrewing the cap, drinking slowly from it. You handed it back to him, keeping your gaze set on your shoes. You could practically feel the anger radiating off of him as he jogged beside you. It looked like all you’d managed to do was piss him off further.

When you finally reached the dorms you threw yourself on the grass, your heart thudding hard in your chest and your muscles aching. You closed your eyes, waiting for your breathing to slow, vaguely aware of Bakugou sitting somewhere to your right.

“Hey, dumbass. Don’t forget to stretch.”

You opened one eye to peer over at him. “Mm. I know.” You sat up and sighed before you started stretching, knowing you’d be in pain later regardless.

Bakugou drank from the water bottle, and then tossed it at you, watching as it hit the ground beside you. “We’ll take a shorter path tomorrow and work you up to more.”

You stopped, looking at him with your jaw wide open. “What?”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to give up already, idiot.” He stood up. “I didn’t take you for a quitter.”

“I’m not!” You said quickly. “I just...I don’t want you to fuck up your routine for me.”

“Tch.” He glared at you, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You obviously need the help since you can’t even handle two miles. It pisses me off. So I’m going to make you my personal project.” He turned to walk inside. “Same time tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

You watched him go, your eyes wide. You couldn’t even believe this was happening. “Hey, Bakugou!”

He stopped, not bothering to turn and look at you. “What?”

“Thanks.”

His shoulders tensed. “Whatever.”

You kept your eyes on him as he disappeared into the building, letting out a breath you didn’t even realize you were holding when he was out of sight. “Well, fuck.”

—

“So what’s going on with you and Bakugou?” Ashido asked a few weeks later while you were sitting down to lunch again. “Any progress?”

There had been a little progress. Bakugou seemed to enjoy your company. It took you a few days to realize it, but he insulted you less. Like, he still called you an idiot and a dumbass, and occasionally he referred to you as ‘shitty woman’, but it wasn’t the same. It was like there was no anger behind his words.

“They go running together every morning now, didn’t you know that?” Hagakure‘s voice came from your right. If you could see her face you knew she’d be grinning widely.

Jirou gazed at you with her eyebrow cocked. “Interesting. He doesn’t let anyone run with him.”

“He does now.” You mumbled, looking down at your soba. “I kind of forced myself upon him. He’s taken me up as a charity case. But I’m getting better.”

“He’s such a hardass. He probably barks orders at you the whole time. I’m not sure it’d be worth it.” Ashido was concerned for you, and it made you smile. She was a good friend.

“He’s alright.” You glanced over at the boys’ table and caught him looking at you. His neck snapped forward when you caught his eye. “Actually, it’s going pretty well.”

“So when’s the wedding?” Tsu’s tone was light, and you knew she was making fun of you. 

You snorted at her. “Okay, not /that/ well. Not yet at least.”

“Do you guys talk at all?” Yaoyorozu leaned on her elbow and blinked at you.

“I talk, he sort of listens? I don’t know. He doesn’t tell me to shut up, so that’s got to mean something, right?”

The second day you’d run together, you asked him what he was listening to, and he’d shoved one of his earbuds at you in response. It was some heavy metal band, and you understood maybe every three words due to the screaming and growling of the lead singer, but it was fitting for Bakugou. You ran the rest of the time listening to it together, and it was nice and kind of unexpected. The next day you’d given him one of your earbuds and he’d listened to your music choices. You were pretty sure that was the first time you’d heard him genuinely laugh at something, even if it was just because he heard the lyric “Tell the haters to suck my fucking cock”.

“It’s better than him blowing you up or something.” Uraraka mused, pulling you out of your thoughts. 

“We’ll see. We’re going to study together later so…”

Ashido gaped at you. “What? He told us he couldn’t help us with the math homework. Kaminari asked him earlier and he said he had plans.” 

“I’m the plans I guess?” You could feel the blush rising on your cheeks. “I’m meeting him in his room after dinner.”

“His room? Y/N, no one has seen his room except for Kirishima! This is big!” Jirou looked absolutely ecstatic for you. 

“Shh! Not so loud!” You felt your face turning even redder. “Don’t ruin this for me.”

“You cracked him, Y/N.” Tsu looked almost proud of you, her smile lighting up her whole face.

“I never thought this would go anywhere! Good luck, Y/N! We’re rooting for you!” Hagakure giggled excitedly, and you felt her grab your arm and shake you.

The rest of the table nodded in agreement, offering you congratulations. 

“Thanks, guys. I’m actually hella nervous.” You turned your attention back to your lunch.

“If how often he keeps looking over here is any indication, you don’t have anything to worry about,” Yaoyorozu elbowed you, a teasing tone in her voice.

You looked over to see him staring at you again. You smiled at him, and he just glared back, but it wasn’t the heated one you were used to. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

—

You were heading back to the dorms after your last class, your bag slung over your shoulder, lost in thought. You wondered what you should wear later, running through possible outfits in your head as you walked. If you dressed up too much Bakugou might get suspicious, and you were trying to keep things casual for now. 

“Hey, kitten.”

Your head snapped up, meeting the sleepy purple gaze of Shinsou as he fell into step beside you. 

“Hey, ‘Toshi. How’s your training going?”

He shrugged, amethyst eyes meeting yours. “It’s alright. I’m running myself ragged. But it’s good. It feels good, you know?”

You nodded, biting your bottom lip. You were happy for him. “I’m glad to hear that. You’ve always worked so hard, it’s going to pay off.”

Hitoshi lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck, his trademark move. “Yeah, maybe. How’re things with you?”

“Okay. I’ve been running in the mornings before class. I’m getting faster. I can do almost two miles in about 16 minutes.” 

“Wow. That’s pretty good.” He looked impressed, his hands sliding into his pockets as you walked.

“I’ve got a pretty good teacher.” You said vaguely, not wanting to give him any more information.

“Oh yeah? Who?”

“Just, someone in my dorm. It’s not important.” You knew he’d be less than pleased. You didn’t care what he thought, you just wanted to avoid the inevitable badmouthing he was prone to when it came to Bakugou.

You turned your head, looking forward. Bakugou was standing in front of the dorms with Kirishima just ahead of you. He looked up and caught your eye, frowning when he saw Hitoshi walking beside you.

Shinsou followed your gaze. “You’re training with that asshat, aren’t you?” He looked mildly disgusted. “I’m surprised he hasn’t killed you yet.”

“He’s not that bad, you know that. He knows his shit.” Your brows furrowed. This was exactly what you’d been trying to avoid.

“Maybe so, but he’s also a giant douchebag.”

You stopped walking, tired of the conversation already. You knew him well enough to know that this wasn’t just a casual catch up, anyway. “You haven’t spoken to me in like a week, Hitoshi. What do you want?”

Shinsou raised his eyebrows. “Chill out, kitten. I just wanted to say hi. I missed you.” He reached out, his fingers trailing along your cheek. 

You looked over when you heard yelling. Kirishima was calling after Bakugou, the fiery blonde storming away from him and inside the building. What was that about?

You jerked back from Hitoshi’s touch. “Nope. None of that. You’re the one who ended things with us, remember?” 

“So we can't be friends? Wasn’t that the deal?”

Your frustration was apparent in your posture. “It was. But that’s not what you were thinking and we both know it.” You turned, walking backwards towards the building. “I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you later.”

His face pinched. “What’s your problem? Are you fucking him already? You don’t waste a second.”

You felt your anger bubbling up in the pit of your stomach. Turning around, you fixed him with a glare. “No, I’m not. Jealousy isn’t a good look on you, Shinsou. Fuck off.”

You spun back towards the dorms, your hands shaking as you stormed past Kirishima and slammed the front door open.

“Y/N, wait!”

You kept walking, ignoring the looks you were getting from the group that was sitting in the common area. You didn’t stop until you reached the elevator, jamming your finger against the button harder than necessary.

The sound of sneakers slapping against the floor had you spinning around. Kirishima was approaching, looking concerned. “Hey, you okay?”

“Fine.” You snapped, turning back to the elevator. “What’s up?”

“Oh! Well, I don’t know, it looked like you were fighting with Shinsou. I just wanted to make sure you were alright.”

You felt bad for snapping at him. Eijirou was a good friend. “Yeah, sorry. I’m okay. He’s just a dick.”

Kiri chuckled, his sharp teeth on display. “Yeah, he kind of is.”

Changing the subject, you shrugged. “Is Bakugou okay? He looked mad. Like, madder than usual.” The elevator dinged and you entered it, moving aside so he could join you.

He pushed the button for your floor and then his. “Yeah, he’s fine. He’s just…”

“Being Bakugou?”

“Yeah, basically. You get it.” He reached up to touch his bright red spikes, before his gaze settled on your face, bright red eyes glinting conspiratorially. “What’s going on with you two anyway?”

You froze, panicking slightly. Was it that obvious? “What? Nothing.”

“Yeah, that’s what he says too. You can’t fool me though. I know for a fact that I’m the only person he can tolerate on a normal day, and he doesn’t let me go running with him.” He looked at you knowingly, raising an eyebrow.

You felt your cheeks heating up, imagining their color rivaled the hair on his head. “He’s just helping me train.”

Kiri sighed. “Just do me a favor and be nice to him. He’s my best bro.”

The elevator dinged again when it reached your floor. You stepped out and turned back to him. “Nothings going on, Kiri.” You repeated. “We’re just friends.” 

So what if you wanted to be more? Kirishima didn’t need to know that.

“Sure. See you at dinner, Y/N.” He winked as the doors closed and left you standing in the hallway alone. 

—

After dinner, you went to your room to grab your math textbook and your pencil case. You decided to put on your comfy clothes, slipping on your favorite pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt, and throwing your hoodie on over it before you made your way to the elevator.

You stood in front of Bakugou’s door, taking a deep breath before knocking. You didn’t have to wait long, the door flying open moments later. “What do you want?”

You blinked at him, biting your lip. “We were supposed to study, remember?”

He frowned, his eyebrows scrunching together as he stared at you, his arms folded across his chest. “Thought you weren’t coming.” He was waiting for an answer. You raised your eyebrows at him in lieu of a reply, and he sighed, opening the door wider and letting you enter.

His room was neat, with an All Might poster on the wall above his desk. His bed was made, and he had a giant bookcase against the far wall filled with books. It was kind of fitting for him. You didn’t expect anything flashy, it was Bakugou after all.

“Why wouldn’t I come? We made plans.” You questioned him, shuffling over to sit on the bed.

“Tch.” He flopped into his desk chair. “Thought you’d be off with eyebags instead.”

You stared at him, confused. “Shinsou? No.”

“Weren’t you dating him?” He kept his gaze on the book in front of him, his shoulders tense, and fists clenched on the desk.

“No. Not really.” Was he jealous? Was that what that fit was about outside the dorms after class?

He didn’t say anything, and you could feel the tension in the air. If he was feeling jealous from seeing you with Hitoshi earlier, then maybe things were going better than you’d hoped. You knew you had to say something to fix this.

“Bakugou.”

He looked up, glaring at you like he usually did, his eyes filled with something else other than anger. Hurt?

“I’m not dating Shinsou. I’m not interested in him.” Putting your book down beside you, you leaned forward, your elbows on your knees. “We used to mess around but that’s over. We’re just friends.” 

You couldn’t read his expression, but he almost looked relieved for a moment, before turning back to his desk. “You needed help with math?”

You nodded, getting comfortable and pulling out your book, flipping to the page you’d marked off, your notebook folded over to where you’d copied the questions. “I’m terrible at this stuff. My brain just can’t comprehend it.”

“Tch. It’s not that hard, princess.” He got up and sat beside you on the bed. “Gimme that.” He took your pencil and started writing, explaining the problem, and each step.

You were trying to pay attention, but you were kind of in awe of him. Katsuki Bakugou was the whole package; he was smart, strong, good looking. He gave a shit about people even if he was good at hiding it behind insults and a big ego. There was no doubt in your mind that he’d be at the top of your class again, and climbing the ranks to number one hero once you’d graduated.

“Are you even listening?” His rough voice startled you out of your thoughts.

“Sorry, yes.” You took back the pencil, working on the next problem, following the steps he’d given you. “Like that?”

He hummed. “Maybe you’re not as hopeless as I thought.” He looked kind of proud of you, and it made your heart flutter.

Thinking back to what you’d said to Shinsou earlier about him, you grinned. “I’ve got a good teacher.”

“Damn right you do. Finish the rest of them and I’ll check them over when you’re done.” He got up and moved back over to his desk, slouching down to read over his textbook.

You got to work, flying through the problems faster than you thought possible. Something about the way he’d explained it had clicked in your head, and it suddenly just made sense. 

“Here.” You held out your notebook when you were done. 

Bakugou looked surprised, but took the notebook from you and began checking them over. 

You stood up, walking over to his bookshelf, and looking at his books. A lot of them were manga, some you’d actually read yourself. There were some fantasy novels, like Game of Thrones and Lord Of The Rings, graphic novels like Locke and Key and The Walking Dead. You had a lot more in common with him than you’d originally thought. 

“You just need to fix this one. Make sure you show your work or sensei will mark you down.” 

You turned back to him and smiled. “Thanks, Bakugou.” You took the notebook back and sat back on the bed, working on the problem Bakugou had instructed you to fix. “I didn’t know you liked Lord Of The Rings.” You were formulating a plan, and as usual, it was half-assed. 

He grunted, turning the page in his book. “What about it?”

“You know they’re showing the extended version at the theater next weekend.” You chanced a glance up at him, surprised to see he was watching you.

“And?” 

He was either completely dense or he wanted to make your life harder. You were leaning toward the latter. You bit back a sigh. “So, do you want to go with me?”

“What, like a date?” He huffed, folding his arms over his chest. You tried not the stare at his bulging biceps.

You finished your math problem, shoving your notebook back into the textbook and setting it aside, leaning forward again. “If you want.”

“Hah? You want to go on a date with me?” His eyebrows were furrowed, eyes squinting, like he was trying to figure you out. 

This was going well. Not. “Yeah, I do.”

He clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “Aren’t guys supposed to ask girls on dates?”

“I mean, that’s kind of sexist, isn’t it? Does it matter who asks who?” Fuck, he was being an ass. You weren’t sure why, but you kept going. “Is that a yes?”

He seemed to be looking everywhere else but at you directly, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. “No.”

Your face fell, and you felt the tears welling up in your eyes. Determined not to let him see you cry, knowing he’d see it as a weakness, you forced a smile on your face. “Okay. Thanks again for your help, Bakugou.” 

You stood up, grabbing your book and your pencil, shoving it in the case and tucking it under your arm. You turned to the door, your heart aching. You thought you’d finally made some headway with him, but you were apparently wrong. This was an unmitigated disaster, and you couldn’t wait to crawl into your bed and never leave it again.

“Ugh, wait.”

You paused with your hand on the doorknob, turning to look at him. He stood up and walked up behind you, grabbing your arm lightly and pulling you towards him. You nearly dropped your book as your hand pressed against his chest to keep yourself from bumping into him. “What?”

“Go out with me next weekend.” He mumbled, his free hand moving up to push a piece of your hair away from your face. 

You blinked up at him, lost in the intensity of his stare. Suddenly, it clicked. “You just wanted to be the one to ask, didn’t you?”

“Obviously.” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an idiot.”

“Are you prepared to sit in a dark theater with me for three and a half hours?” You felt lighter, confidence back up to 100 percent. Trying to ignore how close you were pressed against him, you smiled.

He snorted. “If I didn’t think I could handle it, I wouldn’t have asked. I don’t do things I don’t want to do.”

He was right, of course. “Yeah, okay. It’s a date.” You leaned up on your toes and kissed his cheek before you lost your nerve. “Goodnight, Bakugou. See you in the morning.”

“Call me Katsuki.” 

Surprised, you just nodded. “Okay. Goodnight, Katsuki.”

You didn’t miss the pink blush on his cheeks when you pulled away, willing yourself not to look back at him as you turned around and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway.

Your night had gone better than you’d expected.

—

The rest of the week seemed to fly by, and the next thing you knew it was Saturday. 

You woke up at your normal 5 am and met Bakugou downstairs to start your run. You sat together on the grass, giggling and kicking his foot when he stretched his leg out beside yours. “What time did you want to leave later?”

He hummed. “The movie starts at 4. Did you want to eat before or after?”

Looking up at him shyly, you blushed. “We’re going for food?”

“Tch, of course. It’s a date, isn’t it?” He raised an eyebrow at you quizzically, looking at you like you were the biggest idiot he’d ever met. 

“Dinner and a movie? You’re really going all out, aren’t you, Katsuki?” Your heart swelled. You never imagined you’d get to this point with him.

He got to his feet, standing in front of you and folding his arms across his chest. “Keep it up and we won’t go at all.”

You squeaked. “I’m sorry!” You held out your arms and smiled when he grabbed your hands and pulled you up to stand. “After is good.” 

He nodded, rolling his neck. “Fine.”

You started running, trying not to smile when you noticed that he was letting you run beside him instead of making sure he was ahead of you. There were small things that had changed between the two of you since you’d decided to put some effort into building a relationship with him, and it made your heart flutter.

“Are you excited about tonight?” You wondered if he was nervous. Did Bakugou even get nervous?

He half shrugged. “I guess.” You didn’t say anything and he seemed to realize his answer was too short. “I didn’t get to see the extended edition in the theater so I’m looking forward to that.”

“Yeah, me too.” You had missed out on it too. Feeling a little bold, you continued. “Plus, it’ll be great to hang out with you.”

“You hang out with me every day.” He pointed out gruffly, shaking his head.

He had a point, and you felt like you probably sounded like a loser. No turning back now. “Yeah, I know. But this is different.”

He was silent for a moment, and you looked back over at him to see him deep in thought. His eyebrows were furrowed and he was biting at his bottom lip. “Why do you like me?” He asked suddenly, and you almost tripped over your own feet in surprise.

“What?” You managed to keep yourself upright, keeping up with his pace. He was blushing slightly, and it was probably the single most adorable thing you’d ever seen.

He kept his eyes forward. “Shitty hair says I’m scary. I know I’m not the easiest person to get along with, but you still want to go out with me, so I was just trying to figure it out.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re not scary. People just don’t know how to approach you.” He scoffed and you continued. “I like you because you’re not a pushover. You don’t take anyone’s shit, you’re smart as hell. You’re going to be a great hero someday, Katsuki.”

“Ugh, shut up, you’re being sappy.” You saw the corner of his mouth twitch like he was trying not to smile.

“You asked! I’m just being honest.” You felt proud that you were able to get that reaction from him. “You know, I didn’t think you’d ever want to go out with me.”

His head snapped to the side, a scowl on his face. “Why wouldn’t I? You must be an idiot.”

“Hey!” You laughed. “Be nice to me.”

“I am being nice. I’m always nice to you, princess.” 

You didn’t comment on how the nickname he’d given you since day one made heat race pleasantly through your veins.

“Your definition of nice is slightly skewed, but I’ll accept it, I guess.” You didn’t want to push him too much, but you were curious. “Why does that make me an idiot, though? You never acted as you would ever date anyone, so I didn’t think I’d ever have a chance.”

The two of you rounded the path by the training grounds and started heading back towards the dorms. “I didn’t expect to…” He trailed off. “Look, being the number one hero is my top fucking priority. I didn’t even want to make friends and then Shitty hair happened.”

You nodded. Kirishima was a ball of sunshine that no one could avoid. He just had this way about him.

“You’re the only one out of all those extras that ever had a chance, okay?” He snapped his mouth shut, scowling, and you decided to let him be. The last thing you wanted to do was piss him off.

“Okay.” 

---

You finished your run, stretching and then heading back inside. You promised Bakugou you’d meet up with him around 2:30 so you had plenty of time to get to the theater.

After breakfast, you disappeared to your room for a while to knock out some dreaded weekend homework. Around noon you stood and stretched, deciding to take a shower and get ready for your date. You decided to wear a pair of black skinny jeans and booties with a cute top. Bakugou had mentioned wanting to take you out for ramen after, so you decided to keep your outfit casual but put together.

You met him in the common area a little after 2, ignoring the knowing grins on your friend’s faces as you left the dorm together, Bakugou’s hands shoved in his pockets, your hand looped through his arm.

You were walking down the main path in companionable silence, heading towards the road so Bakugou could call you an Uber to take you to the movies. Someone called out to you and you turned your head, your stomach dropping when you saw Shinsou making his way over. You glanced at Bakugou from the corner of your eye, noticing his tense posture and the frown on his face.

“What is it, Hitoshi? We were just leaving campus.” Your tone was clipped, not wanting to drag this out, since Bakugou was giving him a murderous glare. 

He lifted his arm to rub the back of his neck as usual. “Sorry, Y/N, I just wanted to apologize for what I said the other day. It was kind of shitty of me.”

You let go of Bakugou, crossing your arms across your chest. “Yeah, I’ll say.” You weren’t about to forgive him, not wanting him to walk all over you. “Was that it?”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Are you not going to forgive me?”

Bakugou decided to speak up beside you. “Obviously she isn’t, eyebags. Are you done? We have somewhere to be.”

“Hey, I wasn’t talking to you, Bakugou.” Hitoshi snapped. 

You watched as Katsuki lifted his right hand, his palm popping and sparking from his quirk. “Like I give a fuck? Fuck you, bastard!”

You grabbed his left arm. “Katsuki, don’t. He’s not worth it.” You looked back to Shinsou. “I’m not talking to you about this right now. We have to go.”

Hitoshi sneered. “Whatever, guess I was right, huh?” He turned around and started to walk away, turning his head to the side to throw a final insult over his shoulder. “Enjoy my sloppy seconds, Bakugou.”

It took an enormous amount of strength on your part to hold Bakugou back from running after the purple-haired boy. “I’ll fucking kill you, you fucking extra! Don’t fucking talk about her like that-”

“Katsuki, come on! It’s fine!” You tugged on his arm. “Let’s go.”

“It’s not fine!” He spat, but he let you pull him away, growling and snarling like a rabid dog. 

You kept a firm grip on his arm until he stopped looking back toward the other boy and you were a safe distance away from the school. He busied himself with pulling out his phone to call your ride, but you saw he was still seething quietly as he did so.

He shoved his phone in his pocket when you got to the road, moving to the side of the campus entrance and leaning against the wall. “What was he apologizing for?”

You looked away from him, knowing if you didn’t tell him he’d be preoccupied with it all night. You didn’t want to ruin the date but you knew how much he appreciated honesty, so you told him. “He insinuated that I was fucking you, and he basically called me a slut for moving on from him so quickly.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, and you were afraid to meet his eyes. You were startled when he grabbed your hand, lacing his fingers with yours. “He’s a piece of shit, and I will gladly end his life if you want me to.” His red eyes were blazing, and you knew he was fully ready to make good on his threat if you said the word. 

You looked up at him, a small smile on your lips. “I appreciate that, but it’s okay.” Your heart was in your throat, and you felt your eyes watering. You knew Hitoshi was just being a jealous prick, but it still hurt your feelings.

“Fuck him. Don’t let him get to you.”

“I know, I won’t.” Somehow, Bakugou’s words made you feel better. “Can we just forget about him? I don’t want that to ruin our night. We have a date with some hobbits.”

He snorted. “Yeah, okay.” If he noticed your tears, he didn’t say anything. The Uber pulled up behind you and he pushed off the wall, his hand still gripping yours. “Come on, princess.”

—

It was nearly 9:30 by the time you got back to the dorms. You walked up the path from the road with Bakugou’s arm around your waist, your body pressed into his side while you walked.

You’d had a really good time despite the rocky start to your evening, thanks to Shinsou. But Katsuki had let it go, and you appreciated that he hadn’t let the purple-haired boy ruin your night. 

The movie had been great, and you’d been surprised when Bakugou had lifted the armrest between your seats and dragged you closer to him, letting you lean against him with his arm around your shoulder as you shared popcorn. You’d been half distracted by his warm palm against your arm, his fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on your skin through the whole film.

You welcomed this new development, the feeling of his hand on your skin was comforting. It was a distinct contrast from his normal personality, and it made you soft for him. You never thought you’d see this side of him, and you were not complaining. 

After the movie, he’d taken you out for ramen as promised, and you’d giggled at him when he ordered his extra spicy, and he teased you when you got yours without any spice. You got to know more about each other, quietly swooning over the smirk on his face when he made you laugh.

Now you were back at school and dreading the moment you had to say good night. You didn’t want it to end.

“Do you...want to come back to my room?” His cheeks were dusted pink, and he almost looked shy. “I don’t want to go to bed yet.”

“Isn’t it past your bedtime?” You teased.

He growled. “Shut up, dumbass. Nevermind then.”

“No! No, I’m sorry, I was just kidding. I want to. I was just thinking about how I didn’t want the night to be over.” You leaned your head on his shoulder.

“Me either.” His voice was so quiet you almost didn’t hear it.

“What did you want to do?” You had a few ideas, and none of them were SFW.

He just grinned, holding the door open for you when you reached the dorm building. You walked into the common room, the both of you stopping to kick off your shoes. You looked up as everyone sitting on the couch turned their attention to the both of you.

Before they could start bombarding you with questions, Bakugou grabbed your hand. “Come on.” He started pulling you towards the elevators, ignoring Ashido yelling and whining from her spot on the couch.

“Sorry guys! We’ll talk later!” You called over your shoulder, nearly falling over when Bakugou tugged on your arm and pulled you into the open elevator. 

You braced yourself on his shoulders, looking up at him slowly as the door behind you closed. Your heart was jackhammering in your chest at your close proximity, and the warmth of his hands on your waist as he held you close made you dizzy. You licked your lips subconsciously, the nerves that had been simmering inside you nearly boiling over as you wondered if he was going to kiss you.

His cheeks were ruddy as he gazed at you, his fingers flexing against your hips. The dinging of the elevator reaching his floor ruined the moment, and he was pulling away from you too soon, clearing his throat. His fingers intertwined with yours again as you followed him out into the hallway, hoping that you could get back to what you were doing once you were in the safety of his bedroom.

When the door clicked shut behind him, you watched him fidget around the room, pulling his desk chair near the bed and opening up his laptop, sitting it on the seat. He sat on the edge of the mattress and looked up at you. “Are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to come over here?”

You moved over, sitting beside him, watching as he pressed the play button on some animated movie. “Is this Studio Ghibli?”

He grunted. “Background noise.” 

You blushed when you realized he didn’t plan on actually watching it. You met his eyes, feeling a chill roll down your spine when he smirked at you. The mood had shifted so suddenly, and it felt like he was less of the soft and hesitant boy at the movies, and more like the Bakugou you knew.

You weren’t complaining.

“Now, where were we?” His hands moved to your waist, tugging you forward. You rearranged your legs to straddle his lap, your back facing his laptop, your arms hanging over his shoulders.

You felt his warm breath, his nose trailing along your jaw. “Katsuki…”

“Hah?” He asked, his grip on your hips tightening. “Were you going to let me kiss you in the elevator?”

You hummed, nodding. The anticipation was killing you, and it was apparent that he could tell. You let your eyes flutter shut, licking your lips, waiting for him to do something.

You heard him chuckle, your hips rocking slightly against his lap causing the sound to be cut short as he sucked in a breath. “Impatient, huh princess?”

His usual nickname for you sent a shiver through you. “Katsuki, please.”

“Fuck, don’t beg. You don’t know what that does to me.” His lips were on yours before you could reply, needy and insistent. 

Kissing Bakugou was just what you’d always imagined it would be. He didn’t do anything half-assed, so you weren’t surprised by the passion behind it. Being this close to him was exhilarating. You could smell the faint scent of caramel on him when you breathed in, tilting your head slightly as he ran his tongue along your bottom lip. Your lips parted and he groaned, licking into your mouth as your hips rolled down against him again.

He pulled away, the two of you breathless. He didn’t go far, his lips trailing down your jaw and to your neck, nipping lightly as he went. You sighed when his hands moved from your hips, fingers drifting under the hem of your shirt and trailing lightly up your sides. You let your hands move to his hair, nails scratching lightly along his scalp and tugging at his soft locks as his teeth worried at the place where your neck and shoulder met. 

When he was satisfied with the blooming bruise on your skin, he pulled away to look you in the eye. Vermillion met Y/E/C with his usual serious expression. “I want you to know that I’m not just fucking around with you, you got that?”

Your eyes widened. “I-”

“No, listen to me, idiot. I don’t give a fuck about eyebags and his bullshit. I don’t want you to think I think like that bastard, understand?” His brows were furrowed and his voice was rough in a way that usually made your thighs clench. 

You ran your fingers through his hair again, pressing a little closer on his lap. “I know, Katsuki.”

His eyes fluttered closed and his hands settled on your hips when you scratched along his scalp before they snapped open again. “Good. Because if we do this, I’m not letting you go.” 

“I’m not going anywhere.” You assured him. Your heart was pounding and you couldn’t keep the smile off your face.

“If that purple-haired freak even looks at you again, I’m going to rip off his fucking face and feed it to Hound Dog.” His palms slid to settle on your ass, squeezing and pulling you to rock against the hardening bulge in his jeans.

You moaned softly, nodding again. You were so turned on you felt like you were going to come apart, and he’d barely even touched you. You briefly wondered if you had a voice kink, cause just listening to him talk was doing things to you. 

Sensing he was done talking, you leaned back slightly, grabbing the hem of your shirt and pulling it up and over your head, tossing the garment somewhere behind you. His eyes were glazed over with lust as he looked down at your bra covered chest. He dipped his head forward, tongue tracing the lace of the cup over the swell of your breast. You reached behind you and undid the clasp, gasping when he grabbed the offending object and pulled it down your arms and threw it aside. 

A blush rose over your body as he gazed at you hungrily, but your embarrassment was short-lived, immediately replaced with pleasure. He left a wet trail of kisses across the top of your breasts, his tongue laving over your nipple, hot breath turning cool as he blew over the hardening bud. You were panting, grinding rhythmically in his lap, seeking friction as he showered your chest with attention, switching to the other breast and giving it the same treatment. 

You pulled him up to kiss you again, hands moving to his back to grasp his t-shirt and tug on it. He got the hint, breaking the kiss to remove his shirt. You let your eyes drift over the absolute work of art that was his body, fingers trailing over his defined shoulders and biceps, and then back up across his collarbone. You leaned over to kiss along his neck, your nails trailing down his pecs and over his nipples, earning a low growl from the ash blonde. 

Strong arms moved around your waist as he picked you up off his lap and moved you over to lay down on the bed. He was hovering over you in a second, his forearms resting by your head as his lips met yours again, kissing and biting on your bottom lip. You keened, arching up into him, your hands in his hair and sliding down to the back of his neck to pull him closer.

His lips trailed away from yours, down your neck and chest, his hands moving as he slid down your body, his fingers deftly popping open the button on your jeans. He settled between your legs on his knees, pulling your skinny jean down your hips and thighs. You lifted your legs to help him, shivering when the cool temperature of the room settled over your bare skin. 

Fingers smoothed their way up your calf, his warm hands slid up the inside of your thighs. Your breath hitched when he spread your legs wider, tracing one finger over your clothed slit. The look in his eyes was positively feral when they met yours. “You’re fucking beautiful, you know that?” 

You sat up in response, hands moving to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his jeans. “And you’re wearing too many clothes, Katsuki.” You grinned up at him cheekily, making him chuckle.

He rolled his eyes, shuffling back off the bed to pull his jeans down his legs. Your gaze trailed over muscled thighs covered in light blonde hair, the black boxer briefs that hugged his thin waist, and the noticeable bulge of his cock that had your mouth watering.

He was back on you in a second, pressing you back against the mattress, lips ghosting over your heated skin as he ground his hips against yours. You moaned quietly, committing every touch to memory.

“You don’t know how long I’ve thought about this.” He murmured against your neck. When he pulled back to look down at you, his cheeks were pink with embarrassment at the confession. “Too fucking long.”

“Me too.” You didn’t want to say more, afraid too many words would ruin the moment.

His hand slid down, fingers trailing over the elastic band of your panties, before slipping underneath them. The calloused pads of his digits dipped through your folds, brushing over your clit and making you whine, back arching again. 

“Fuck, you’re wet, princess.” His forehead rested on your shoulder, and you felt him shiver against you. “I’m gonna make you feel so good.”

You didn’t doubt him for a second, your breath hitching when he moved his fingers lower, pressing one into your entrance. The digit curled inside you, and you clenched around it, your body craving more. He thrust in and out a few times, adding a second finger, his teeth sinking into your clavicle when you keened at the feeling. 

You felt like you were on fire, Bakugou’s warm breath ghosting over your skin as his fingers worked you over, his thumb pressing against your clit. You let the fingers of your left hand trail along his back, feeling his muscles ripple underneath your touch. Your right hand let go of the death grip you had on his sheets, crossing over your body to trace your fingers along the elastic band of his briefs, dangerously close to sliding underneath. 

Lifting his face from your neck, he licked his lips and removed his hand from your panties. You whined at the loss, pussy clenching around nothing. You pouted up at him, watching as he positioned himself between your thighs again, tugging your panties down and off. Warm palms slid up the outside of your legs, gripping your ass and lifting your lower half off the bed.

He leaned forward, kissing up the soft skin of your inner thigh, teeth nibbling as he went. Your breathing was shallow, anticipation crawling through you, and you shut your eyes, waiting for what you knew was coming next. 

His tongue licked a stripe from your entrance to your clit, and you moaned, body arching from the bed. He hummed as he repeated the motion, the lewd sounds of slurping filling the room, nearly drowning out your gasps and the sound of the movie still playing on his laptop beside you. He kept you lifted up with one hand, the other snaking between your legs, his fingers finding their home inside you as he sucked on your bundle of nerves.

“Katsuki, fuck.” Panting, your hand moving to rest on the back of his head, your hips rolling into his face as you climbed higher and higher towards your impending release. You felt him smile against you, two fingers leaving you, replaced by three. He expertly scissored them, stretching you out, your body sucking him in deeper as you gushed around his digits. 

“Gonna cum for me?” He peered up at you from between your legs. His voice was wrecked already, your eyes rolling back at the sound. You managed to nod meekly, tugging on his hair and trying to get him back to where you needed him most.

He complied, sucking on your clit hard, pushing you over the edge. You cried out, body shaking in his hold and stars exploding behind your eyelids, his tongue flicking over you again and again, helping you ride out your orgasm.

When you’d calmed, he pulled back, kissing your inner thighs again, waiting for you to catch your breath. He lowered you back down slowly, rubbing his hands up and down your legs. You opened your eyes, grinning up at him lazily.

“You good?” His arm came up to wipe the wetness from his mouth and chin, a smirk on his lips when you nodded.

You cleared your throat. “So good.” You sat up on your elbows, watching him stand again and shove his briefs down his legs. Your eyes widened slightly at his size, appreciating his body quietly. He was an adonis, and you wanted to trace over every inch of his body with your fingers and tongue. 

He didn’t give you a chance, crawling back towards you. You spread your legs wider to accommodate him. “Do I need to grab a condom?”

“I’m on the pill.” You appreciated him asking, most guys would have just gone for it, thinking that this type of conversation was a mood killer. “Don’t worry.”

“Oh, thank god.” Palms flat against the pillow beside your head, he bent forward and kissed you. You could still taste yourself on his lips, your hand cupping the back of his neck to pull him closer. You were practically vibrating, needing more of him, knowing you’d probably never get enough.

Leaning his weight on one hand, he sat back and used the other to guide himself to your entrance. Your hips rocked up toward him, impatient to feel him filling you up once more. He slid inside you slowly, letting your body get acclimated to his size. He was huge, but the stretch was delicious, burning pain giving way to pleasure as he pushed himself deeper.

Your nails dug into his shoulders when he settled over you again, your breathing ragged as you closed your eyes. He was petting your hair soothingly, moving slowly, his lips trailing along your jaw. When he bottomed out inside of you he paused, and you knew he was waiting for you.

Taking a deep breath, you wiggled your hips, clenching around him. He made a punched out noise when you did, his hand rubbing along your side freezing. He was being so patient with you, but you were ready. “Suki, move. Please.”

With one hand on your hip for leverage, he pulled back, thrusting forward in one fluid motion until he was filling you again, his pace slow and steady. Every time his hips met yours you mewled, overwhelmed with the feeling of his cock pulsing inside you. He was muttering curses against your lips, his hand in your hair, thumb pressed against the side of your neck. 

The scent of burnt sugar wafted over you, and you readjusted your legs higher around his waist, the new angle causing him to grunt. He felt so good, so warm, your body was alight and you were desperate for more.

Your moans and mumbled pleas of faster and harder were answered with a smirk, the boy between your thighs raising himself up to his knees and lifting one of your legs onto his shoulder. Large hands held your hips firmly in place as he slammed himself inside, tip kissing your cervix as you arched up in pleasure. He picked up speed, the sound of skin slapping skin filling your ears as you bit down on your bottom lip, focusing on the feeling of him filling you up just like you’d always wanted.

“Fuck Princess, you’re so tight.” He turned his head to kiss your calf, and you couldn’t help but purr at how attractive he looked in that moment, skin shining with perspiration as he fucked into you. “Taking my cock so well.”

“Katsuki, shit, you feel so good.” Your hands slid over your own body, fingers tweaking at your nipples. He was watching you intently, his tongue darting out to lick along his plush pink lips. He adjusted your leg, pushing it up and toward you so he could lean down and press his lips to yours. You breath mingled when he pulled back to brush his nose against yours. “Hey, let me ride you.”

He stopped moving, lips curling into a smirk. “Hah? You want to be on top, princess?”

Humming, you moved your leg back to the bed, leaning up on your elbows. He slid out of you, moving to lay beside you. You willed your body to move, your legs shaking as you threw one over him and hoisted yourself up to straddle his hips. Wasting no time, you gripped his cock, lifting onto your knees and lining him up, sliding down on his length. His hands gripped your hips, your palms resting on his abs as you rocked forward. You moaned in tandem, doing your best to rut against him, alternating with lifting yourself slightly and rocking, dragging your nails from his stomach and up his chest, leaving red lines across his tanned skin.

Katsuki threw his head back, eyes closed, his bottom lip between his teeth. He looked so pretty like this, his skin flushed and chest heaving, hair mussed from your hands running through it. You leaned forward, dragging your lips along his sharp jaw, breathing in the scent of caramel. Briefly, you wondered how angry he would be if you left a mark on his neck where everyone else could see it.

He chose that moment to tighten his hands around your hips, holding you steady as he bucked up into you, forcing you to sit up, your back arching in pleasure. The muscles in your legs burned from exertion, but you kept moving, bouncing on his cock and clenching around him. You knew you’d be sore the next day but felt too good to stop.

One of his hands moved from your hip, fingers trailing across your skin to dip between your thighs, one calloused finger pressing against your clit. Gasping, you moaned his name lowly, your head falling back as you felt your body preparing to throw you over the edge again. “Oh fuck, I’m close.” Voice trembling, you held your breath, letting your eyes close.

He sat up suddenly, his fingers moving faster, his chest pressed against yours. Your hands traveled up and over his shoulders, fingers carding through his soft hair as he pressed kisses to your collarbones. His breath was warm as he spoke, his rough voice as he whispered into your ear, coaxing you over the edge.

You clenched around him, eyes rolling back as you came, his hands gasping your hips as he slammed up into you, chasing his high. Your toes curled as you rode out your orgasm, nails digging into the pale flesh of his back as you tried to keep yourself tethered to him, feeling as though you might float away, his name shuddering from your parted lips.

Groaning lowly in your ear, he came right after, hips stuttering, his head falling to press against your shoulder. Your heart was slamming in your ribcage, breathing labored and skin sticky with sweat, but you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling. Bakugou’s hands were rubbing your back absently, his lips pressing kisses against your neck. 

Lying back with you still in his arms, you giggled quietly, moving yourself off to lie beside him, thighs aching and sticky with the mixture of your release. You watched him, studying the flush on his cheeks, the tiny freckles dotted across his nose that you’d never noticed before, never getting the chance to be close enough to see them. 

His tongue peeked out to wet his lips as he brought his hand up to push a piece of unruly hair away from your face. “You okay?”

You hummed, nodding. “Better than okay.” Your eyes fluttered shut as his thumb brushed over your cheek, fingers tucked in the hair behind your ear as he pulled you towards him to kiss your lips.

“Stay here tonight?” His voice was raspy when he asked, bottom lip tucked between his teeth. He looked so soft and vulnerable at that moment, almost like he was afraid you would say no.

Katsuki Bakugou was never timid or quiet or afraid of anything. You worried for a moment you might have broken him. Too tired to move or tease him, you smiled. “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere, Katsuki.”

---

Lunch was, once again, a rowdy affair. The girls sat around you, as usual, chattering and laughing. Everything was normal. Everything except for the fact that Ashido was staring you down, her elbow on the table, hand propping up her head.

You looked up from the math homework you were desperately trying to finish, meeting her eyes. “Is there something on my face, Ashido?”

“No, I’m just trying to figure it out.” She replied, looking at you incredulously. 

Puzzled, you frowned. “Figure what out?”

“How you did it.”

Before you could ask her what she meant by that, you felt a warm palm on your shoulder, and you turned to look into the ruby eyes of your boyfriend. He was holding out a bento box to you, his mouth in a tight line.

“Oh, thanks, Katsu. You didn’t have to.” You smiled up at him, taking the food from his outstretched hand.

“Don’t skip lunch, idiot. Eat it.” One of his eyebrows raised, as if daring you to challenge him.

You were hungry, so you didn’t, just nodding at him. He grunted and ruffled your hair before turning and walking towards his regular table, plopping down next to Kirishima and opening his own bento.

Moving your homework aside, you pulled the chopsticks off the top where he’d taped them to the lid and opened it, smiling down at the homemade meal. 

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about!” Ashido cried, and you looked up to see her wide-eyed, pointing at your food. “Since when does Bakugou do anything remotely like that for anyone?”

Hagakure squealed. “It’s so cute! Did he make it himself?”

Nodding, you shoveled some rice into your mouth. He was such a good cook, everything he made was always delicious, and it was definitely a perk of dating him. 

“Well, Ashido, when you’re dating someone, it’s not uncommon for them to bring you gifts.” Jirou chuckled, elbowing her friend. “They’ve been together for a few weeks now.”

“She called him Katsu…” Ashido continued. “Anyone else would have gotten a Howitzer to the face!”

Furrowing your brows, you blinked at her. “He’s my boyfriend, Ashido.”

Throwing her head back, she groaned. “I know I’m just saying, it’s so weird to see him acting so...domestic. I’m just wondering if you have like...a magic pussy or something.”

The entire table grew silent, the group of you staring at her in disbelief. 

“What did I just walk into?” A deep voice questioned behind you.

Turning in your seat, you saw Shinsou standing there, his hands in his pockets and his eyebrows raised. “Shinsou…”

“Can we talk for a second?” He looked nervous, and a little guilty. You cleared your throat, nodding as you stood up.

You could feel eyes on you from across the room, so you turned and looked over at Katsuki. He was standing up at his place at the table, brow furrowed and fists clenched at his sides. Kirishima was looking from him to you worriedly, his hand on your boyfriend’s forearm. Locking eyes with Katsuki, you smiled at him, shaking your head, mouthing at him that it was okay.

He didn’t look happy, but you watched as he sat back down, his glare trained on the purple-haired boy waiting to speak with you. You led Shinsou over to lean on the wall away from everyone, glancing up at him and waiting for him to speak.

“Look, Y/N, I just wanted to apologize to you again. I know my last attempt was kind of negated by what I said to Bakugou afterward and I feel like an asshole. You didn’t deserve that.” He slumped against the wall and sighed. “You and I were always friends before any of that other stuff, and I don’t want to lose that.”

You blinked up at him, biting your lip in thought. He was right, you had always been great friends, even before you started sleeping together. You knew he hadn’t meant what he said, but it still hurt you, and you didn’t know how to go back to the way it had been before. “I don’t know, Hitoshi.”

His brows furrowed when you used his real name. “Hey, listen. I’ll do whatever it takes. You just...take all the time you need. I’ll be here when you’re ready, okay?”

“I appreciate you apologizing, though. I accept it, I’m just not sure what to do from here. Our relationship has always been a little unconventional, and I’ve got Bakugou now…” Your gaze cut over to your boyfriend, his eyes still glued to Shinsou, a scowl on his face.

“I’m surprised he didn’t leap over the table and attack me when I came up to you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “He’s kind of...feral.”

Snorting, you shook your head. “He trusts me. He’s not a bad guy, I tried to tell you.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you later then, Kitten. You know my number.” He smiled at you, bumping his shoulder against yours before walking away. 

Letting out a breath you didn’t know you were holding, you walked back over to your table and sat down, picking up your chopsticks again.

“Man, who is that pod person sitting there pretending to be Bakugou?” Ashido continued her rant from earlier, Shinsou’s visit and Bakugou’s subdued reaction adding more ammunition to her argument. “Normally he would have shoved his foot in Todoroki’s cold soba trying to get his hands on Shinsou.”

Shrugging, you glanced up at her, and then over to Katsuki, who was eating his rice moodily, his forehead creased. “He knows I can take care of myself.” 

“I swear to god,” Ashido sighed. “Aliens.”

She decided to leave it at that, the rest of your table giggling at her. You knew she was right though, Katsuki normally would have made good on his promise to rip off Hitoshi’s face. You had spoken to him about it a few nights before, however, and he respected your wish to handle it yourself. Even if he did grumble about it afterward.

When you’d finished your lunch, you packed up the bento in your bag along with the math homework you were never going to finish and stood up. Saying goodbye to your friends, you walked over to the boy’s table, leaning on the end of it. “Gentlemen.”

Todoroki nodded at you over his soba, slurping up the noodles on his chopsticks.

“Y/N, baby, how are you?” Kaminari asked, wiggling his eyebrows. You rolled your eyes, smiling when you saw him jolt, hissing in pain, and slumping over. “Bakubro, that was my shin!”

“Serves you right,” Your explosive blonde grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. “Show some respect, dunce face.”

“Yeah, you can’t hit on her anymore, dude.” Sero pointed out before he turned back to you and smiled. “Hi, Y/N.”

Kirishima grinned at you. “Bakugou, that’s so manly. Defending your girl’s honor.”

“Tch.” Katsuki stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder and ignoring his friends. He turned his attention to you. “Did you finish your math?”

Smiling sheepishly, you grabbed his hand. “Nope. Come help me?”

He let out an exasperated sigh, his arm sliding around your waist as you walked together. “Maybe.” Smirking down at you, his fingers squeezed your hip. “What’s in it for me?” 

“My endless love and affection?” You pouted, batting your lashes up at him.

He shook his head. “I have that anyways, don’t I, Princess?”

You didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. 

[nepenthendline]

Soulmates - Aone

This was a commission for @dont-mind-me-imjustpassingby​! My commissions are 30% off until 30th september 💕💕 Hope you enjoy!

(also I changed my banners oooo)

2.3k

Ever since you were born you had the two words on your wrist memorised: ‘it’s you’. Your key to finding your soulmate, your one true love who would be perfect for you in every way. Each day, even as a little child you had dreamed about that one day you’d hear those two familiar words, and how your heart would finally feel complete. Some of your friends had already found their fated soulmate; one when they were 7, one two years ago, and one just last week, but there were plenty others who were still looking for their other puzzle piece – you being one of them.  

You still had time, you had to keep reminding yourself. You were only a second year at Date Tech, and you still even had a whole year at the busy school to run into your soulmate, but it felt so frustrating to wait.  

To busy your time instead of worrying yourself silly over this, you had joined the volleyball team as a manager in your first year. At first, you didn’t know much about the sport at all, but you grew to love watching the ball fall on the opponent’s side, and hearing it bounce off the strong arms of the blockers. Over time, you built a great relationship with the team members, and they respected you. It was a little easier for you to talk to the second years though, as you had much more in common due to your shared classes.

That was except for one though: Aone. Well, it wasn’t exactly just you that struggled communicating with the boy. In the past two years, you’d noticed how he rarely ever spoke, to you or to others, and how he preferred to reply in grunts or nods. It wasn’t like you had never heard his voice; however, it was just never once directed at you.  

Even so, somehow you were so drawn to him. It was like a magnetic force that tugged on your heart every time you were near him. Every nerve in your body kept telling you to talk to him, to learn more about him; so, you did.  

It certainly helped that you were quite close to Futakuchi, who seemed well versed in the communicative ways of Aone. The three of you, all being second years, started walking home together after practice, meeting up for morning practice, leading into study sessions at each other’s houses to cram before your exams.  

While Aone never spoke, he certainly never lacked expression. During your time together you got to learn more about him: what he liked, what he didn’t like, the subjects he enjoyed and his talents, all by carefully watching him and learning the little signs of happiness or discomfort. Such as the way his eyes widen a little and his face softens when he sees a cute kitten cross the street on the way home, or how his brow furrows deeply when he can’t understand a homework question. It was so interesting, so charming.  

You felt so comfortable around him. You saw how kind he was, and how thoughtful he could be whenever he tried to help or comfort his friends. However, while you hung out together often, you never really knew where you stood. Were you friends? Acquaintances? Purely club-mates? He didn’t seem to avoid you by any means, but it was as he tried to keep a little distance between the two of you. You knew you were probably never going to get much talking from him, but even after a year of your company, he had never answered a question or shared his thoughts to you with words. Futakuchi had mentioned to you before about how he only spoke with those he was extremely comfortable with, so you supposed he didn’t think of you as dearly as you did for him.  

You didn’t mind the silence, but sometimes, it stung. It hurt knowing how your mind was filled with thoughts of him every day, and how you just wanted to be someone he could rely on, someone who could confide in when things got tough.  

Every time you caught yourself staring a little too long at him, or when you noticed you’d stayed up late thinking about him, you were ashamed of yourself. And every day your shame grew as you fell deeper and deeper for him. You hadn’t even met your soulmate and yet you’d already abandoned your perfect future together to adore this boy a little more. There were rumours of how people had developed relationships with those who weren’t their destined soulmate, but these people were often shunned on by society. The world had chosen the perfect person for you, and you’re only job was to love and care for them, yet you had failed already.

The guilt was eating away at you, slowly breaking you down. You loved a man that wasn’t your soulmate, and you didn’t know what to do to fix it. So, you stepped back. You tried to get your mind off Aone by keeping your distance. You’d run off before you could walk home together, or you’d find an excuse to miss your study nights. You spent more time with other friends and trying to meet new people in case you stumbled across your soulmate and the shock could take Aone from your heart. But, no matter how long you spent away from him, no matter how else you tried to fill your time and thoughts, you were always pulled to him.

Aone, on the other hand, was dealing with a different type of stress to you, but one that chained him up just as tightly. A year ago, he found his soulmate; a year since he had heard those exact words on his wrist said to him, and how he had found the one for him. In that moment, and every moment since, he had dealt with a flood of emotions. Happiness, fear, relief and doubt. The world told him that this person was the one for him, the one who would finally accept him, love him and every part of him. He already knew that he loved them; every moment around them made his heart soar. Soulmate or not, he had fallen for them, their beauty, their compassion and care. But why was he so scared? So scared that his fated life partner wouldn’t feel the same? He didn’t even know if it was possible, but every instance with others had led him to believe that he was unwanted, unapproachable and unattractive. They may not have been his soulmates, sure, but there was never an instance besides the volleyball team where he felt accepted, and he couldn’t face the possibility of his one and only chance of love, the only chance he ever wanted, to be lost.  

And his worst nightmare was coming true. It didn’t take long for him to notice the change. He saw you draw away from him, leaving him behind in the pursuit for another; probably someone better, more handsome or more sophisticated. He might have a soulmate, but no one could fall for him.

“Why don’t you just tell her?” Futakuchi asked, sitting next to him on the steps leading into the school gym and Aone watched you in the distance filling water bottles. Aone didn’t need to answer for Futakuchi to know the answer, not that he would have anyway.

“If you don’t speak to her, she’s never going to know you’re her soulmate,” Futakuchi watched as Aone’s face screwed together tighter, and how his head fell to look at his wrist. He lightly traced over the words he had heard a year ago from you, still remembering how it sounded. His friend sighed besides him, throwing an arm over his shoulders.  

“I know you’re scared, but she was made for you, and only for you. The universe knew that she would love you, and that you would love her. Besides, you’re already friends with her and we both know how lovely she is. Soulmates or not, she’d still find a way to know you and fall for you.” Aone turned to look at him, his eyes were swallowed with insecurity and fear, and he swallowed heard. “Just give it a chance, you won’t know until you do. If you wait too long you might lose her,” he saw the panic flash in his friend’s eyes at those words, could Aone really lose his only chance? Futakuchi lifted his arm off, smacking him on the back, “go sweep her off her feet, yeah? You’re a great guy, I’m sure you can romance her,” he teased with a wink, before heading back into the gym at the sound of their coach calling to start practice. Could he make you fall for him? He had no idea, but he had to at least try.  

Through practice, the only time you had spoken to him was to ask if he wanted a towel, and he was way past the point of missing your voice. He wanted to make things right, to make you his but he just didn’t know how. He wasn’t the best at dealing with people, nor did he ever know what to say, and speaking itself was a struggle for him.  

At the end of practice, you had headed off home as soon as you had finished clearing up, while the team members were still getting changed. You wanted to be by yourself for a little while, maybe go somewhere you could clear your head. You’d been so busy recently trying to distract yourself from the hole in your heart, but every attempted made it grow bigger.

It was dark on your way some expect for the dim glow of the streetlights that barely guided your way. Your legs were tired, but your mind felt worse. By the side of the road was a large park, one you used to play in as a child, and the bench that sat under a streetlight called you. You trudged over, dropping your bag to your side and slumping down on the seat. You pulled your legs up onto the bench, tucking them close to your chest and let your head fall back. Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and focused on the cold breeze as it swirled freely around you, yet you felt so stuck.  

Aone had left the school after he had changed and gave a swift nod as a goodbye to his teammates. He still wasn’t used to walking home alone without your chatter and warmth to keep him company. He didn’t like being out alone in the dark either, but he was always more concerned about your safety than his.  

As he walked under the dim lights, a figure at the corner of his eye caught his attention. Looking over, he saw what he could immediately recognise as you, sitting on the lonely bench, your head thrown back and your body tucked into itself. His heart skipped a beat, partly in adoration at the sight of you, and partly in worry.  

Footsteps moved across the road behind you, creeping louder and louder with each step, certainly coming towards you. You opened your eyes, and the shock of seeing Aone leaning over the bench to look you directly in the eyes sent shivers down your body.  

“You scared me,” you half-heartedly muttered, sitting up straighter than before. He stared at you for a couple moments, before rounding the bench and sitting by your side. You both sat silently, listening to the wind rustle through the trees.  

He turned to look at you as your gaze was ahead, watching the park in front. The light from above highlighted your features and reflected from your eyes, although that seemed to be the only light that came from them. He felt his hand subconsciously move across the bench towards you, but he quickly snatched it back before you could notice. He was scared, but you deserved to know rather than spend the rest of your life wandering around, hoping.

“It’s you,” he mumbled out, his voice deep and thick from its lack of use. He saw your eyes grow wide, and as the realisation set in, your head snapped towards him.

“Huh?” He didn’t know if you genuinely didn’t hear him, or if you just couldn’t believe this moment.

“It’s you,” he repeated, a little louder and a little more certain than before.  

Your jaw hung open a bit, trying to find a way to move. You looked away from him, then back to him again, then down at your wrist. Those same words you had just heard were staring back at you in permanent ink on your skin, glowing.  

All this time, and the one you had been looking for was right in front of you. The one you had been dreaming about and thinking of was yours. You started chuckling to yourself out of pure astonishment, what a fool you had been. All the intense feelings you felt for him, all the times you wanted to pull him close, every moment you spent watching him in devotion was for this exact reason; he was your soulmate, your one and only love.  

His face tensed at your reaction, half relieved that you didn’t seem disgusted, and half confused that you were so calm. You looked towards him with a lazily smile, and he saw that glint in your eyes that he grew so fond of.  

“I-I hope you can grow to accept me as your soulmate,” he spoke sincerely, fiddling with his fingers in his lap as his voice staggered out.  

“That’s what I’ve been wishing for, for the past year.”

[y0ur-h0nor]

[ Please do not post my writing on different social media platforms, if I end up finding you reposting or stealing and claiming it as yours I will have to rearrange your guts in your fucking sleep, I ain't joking so think before you act upon it.]

A/n: This is the second part of High Achiever so if you guys haven't read the first part, link is here.

Fem! Reader.

After arriving at the mall the five of you had discussed what to do inside and about the time management so the five of you could line up for movie tickets at the cinema because you guys didn't want to wait for a long time so the five of you decided that you'd be 30 minutes early to line up for tickets and then eat lunch, then you guys could hit the arcade to play some games before buying snacks and waiting to line up at the cinema for the movie.

So, as you guys lined up for the tickets the guys were just talking about video games and Kyle and Eric would argue a bit before they changed the topic to defuse the tension, you had never hanged out with people out of school and when you had to come over for a school project and vice versa, you were really behind with the trends due to you 'living under a rock' and had any time for herself because you spent most of your time with lessons and free time was just for you to practice the piano or violin.

You didn't listen in with their conversation anymore because you started to zone out which was always rare but it happened enough for you to be aware with this tempting tendency, it was always when you were deep in thought or when class was being to boring to pay attention to but since you were a smart student you had to listen and par attention so you didn't miss anything and disappoint anyone because your grades had dropped slightly and besides, you didn't want your Mother to be even stricter with lessons because of a feeble mistake you had made.

"I never thought the top student Y/n Thompson would be very different people expected you to be." The mention of your name had made you come back and turn to them, their attention to you "Huh?" Eric says  "Well, you don't seem like a real nerd you don't spout out smart nonsense and-" "and your lowkey hot." Kenny cuts off Eric earning a smack from Kyle who gives him a disappointed look.

"Oh, uh..well all that smart stuff was because I was forced to study hard that's all." You say nonchantly.

"Forced to?" Stan repeats, Your eyes widen realizing your sudden slip up you frantically wave your arms and spout out excuses "Oh that's just nothing!" You stutter and awkwardly chuckled rubbing your neck.

"Well, you can just tell us when your ready, you don't need to rush." Kyle says, he already knew but he just decided to exclude that you had already told him so his friends won't try to pry explanations from him because it should be you who should tell them.

Stan nodded.

Kenny put a thumbs up and Eric just let out a 'hmph' but nodded.

You smiled and went to attack them with a hug to which Eric screamed to get away, Kenny and Kyle went wide eyed and Stan just went flustered but they didn't budge but just let you.

The rest of the day was really fun and it seemed you felt like a whole different person without having people expectations weighing down on you.

As you waved goodbye you turned around and took your keys and opened your door, you expected your Mom to be waiting for you and ready to be scolding you but you were greeted with your Mom passed out on the couch with a wine bottle in hand, you sighed and went to get a blanket to tuck your Mother in so she didn't get cold.

You really wanted to repair things with your Mom because of course she was your Mother and tried telling her how you felt about things, key word 'tried', she didn't listen she just told you how it was a bad idea to let you study in public school to begin with and she should've proceeded with her plan to home school you instead.

You started to tuck your Mother in and carefully took the bottle away from her hand "I'm so sorry.." You froze and looked up but then sighed in relief that your Mom was just probably dreaming, you placed down the bottle and stood up to go to your room but stopped when your Mother spoke in her sleep again "Mommy's sorry baby.." She whimpers and snuggles into the blanket, you brush hair away from her face and kissed her cheek and went upstairs after closing the lights.

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You and your Mom make up and go to happy land along with your friends and Eric who happens to be your new boyfriend and livehappilyeverafter :D

I'm just joking I hate writing quick happy endings because I happen to be an angst writer so-

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It was Monday and another day of going to school, you get out of the covers of your bed and went to go down stairs and get some breakfast, hearing chatter in the kitchen you slowly look to see who your Mother was talking to, peeking at the corner you gasp.

It was your older brother Micheal, He was smiling and talking to Mom it had been long since he was willing to get along with your Mother because she always nagged him about his future and him and Mom would always argue about his decisions those arguments prompted him to move out after he graduated College.

"Micheal!" You exclaim his name and he turns around and his smile widened even more, you went to tackle him into a hug crying into his shoulder, you long missed your brother and you missed the warmth of your brother.

"Hey, Kitten you've grown taller." he says rubbing your back.

"Oh shut up, you just happen to have taken all the tall genes." you say sniffling.

Your Mother smiles at the exchange and looks down to the floor guilty of the things she did to ruin her family from being like this all the time, she just wanted her children to grow up successful in life and not have to worry about their future but she took it the wrong way and drove away her son and robbed her daughter of a normal childhood.

"I'm sorry.." She says fiddling with her fingers looking down at her feet, she should've said this a long time ago and maybe her family would've been much more normal.

You and Micheal look at each other then to your Mother before encasing her in a hug, you forgave your Mother years ago already just waiting for her to realize what she had done wasn't right, she was human after all no one was perfect and everyone made mistakes.

A week had passed after that moment and things had gotten much more closer with your Family, no longer strangers living in the same household.

You had gotten better, your grades were still good but there were certain major changes in your daily routine you were allowed to do things you couldn't like do extra curricular activities so you chose (Activity/sport) as an extra curricular and would stay at school for a while for certain (activity/sport).

You also had started hanging out with Kyle and his friends more, and also was finally formally introduced to Stan's girlfriend Wendy Testaburger sure she was suspicious of you at first but eventually she opened up to you and you just jokingly flirt with her when you and her are around Stan, the look on his face was always priceless but those flirty words all just a part of a harmless joke but you were sometimes genuine though.

You and the gang were hanging out at Eric's place this time, the five of you were going to hang out there to play video games and eat pizza and also have a sleepover, your Mother was reluctant at first for letting you go but she decided to let you have fun as long you didn't do anything risky and you just told her that you wouldn't even do anything "risky" with one of the boys or whatever she was thinking about (no offence to your friends though bless them but you don't see them like that in anyway even if with or without a girlfriend you just don't see yourself dating at the moment.)

Kenny, Kyle and Stan were downstairs picking out video games to play and getting bowls for the snacks you had brought, you already had soda cans in a cooler on the floor so no need for cups or anything like that.

You were scrolling through your before deciding now should be the time to talk about something you knew about for some time now, the evident scars you saw decorating his wrist it was hard to notice but you somehow saw them.

"Hey Eric?" You say looking up from your phone to look at the boy munching on one of the chips you brought "Yeah?" He responds not looking up "Do you...Do you want to talk about it?" You question.

"About what?" Finally, he looks up at you with a confused expression with eyebrows furrowing "The scars." You say.

His breath hitches and his widens even more fiddling with the ends of his jacket sleeve his expression becomes solemn he looks down and he tried not to start crying then and there.

Y/n stands from her spot and due to this action Eric looks up at her but his body goes stiff due to Y/n hugging him he relaxes and slowly sinks into the hug and cries into her shoulder Eric was never one to open up to these kind of things or soften up to other people but due to the tip of the glass the water just came pouring out.

"You don't need to say anything right now but if you need someone to be there I'm always here for you now that we're friends."  She says rubbing circles onto his back.

He sniffles nodding, they stayed there for a while before Y/n pulls away and smiles at him "Let's go downstairs and see what's taking them long." She says standing up and offering him a hand.

Not long after that the relationship slowly bloomed, nourished by the moments they spent together Eric found a comfort in Y/n she didn't judge him because of his problems instead she encourages her to tell him how he feels and tries to help him in anyway she can.

And yet a new feeling seem to bloom between the two Eric thought of things about her he has never thought of, always missing the feeling of her embrace and he felt much more happier around her and just started thinking of her more, subtle glances at her were caught on by the boys and it didn't take long till they caught on to Eric's attraction to their female friend.

Teasing was made, at first Kyle like icky because it was Eric who was in love with you but the more time went on and the way he sees Eric look at you from afar he was convinced that maybe you guys were meant to be, you did bump into him and that's how you know destiny has you guys wrapped around it's finger.

The guys would give advice towards Eric about the way of courting you, Stan wasn't really much of a good help because Wendy was always the one to initiate things between them which earned teasing looks and remarks whirling his way.

But in the end Eric confesses when you guys were on your weekly movie day, after the movie played and people were exiting you were about to start leaving after getting your things but Eric grabs your wrist and you turn to look at Eric confused, he looked hesitant before sighing and looking at you in the eyes blush tinting his cheeks he says "I know this may seem out of character for me but I just wanted to say ever since we started hanging out and all this" he gestures to the two of you and continues "I consider you as a really good friend.." He says you smile at him despite the hurt you were feeling at the mention of friend "but I don't want to be "friends"  anymore" he says raising his hands air quoting the word friends you furrow your eyebrows 'Does he not want to be friends anymore?' but before you could say anything Eric takes your hands into his and you look up at him.

He smiles at you so lovingly.

He tucks a hair behind your ear "Y/n Thompson, would you be my girlfriend?" He asks caressing your cheek.

You look at him and tears start prickle your eyes at first Eric's expression changes and he started to get worried he opened his mouth to ask if you were okay but before he got to you attacked him into a hug and kissed him his eyes widen but melts into both the hug and kissing wrapping his arms around you.

The two of you pull away and you smile up at him "Of course I'll be your girlfriend!" You say wiping away your tears with your sleeve the two of you look at each other before kissing again.

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This is it fpr Part 2 and I'll be posting another South Park work, I have about 2 more to post and then I'll be working on a request an anon sent me.

Like my work? Consider following!

[e-of-west-glendia]

Wishful Thinking (Part 3)

I would highly recommend reading Part 1 & Part 2 before you read this one! But for everyone else, here is the third and final part of Wishful Thinking.

*********

The party was stifling, filled to the brim with chattering people and loud music. Everyone drunk on firelight and laughter. It was long past midnight and the party was in full swing. They were celebrating that afternoons Quidditch win. They’d beat Ravenclaw 210 to 30.

Sirius had always been one for parties. He lived off of the carefree joy and cheap thrills they provided. Tonight was no exception. His arm was slung around James’ shoulders, one hand reaching up to ruffle his already impossibly messy hair, while with the other clutched a bottle. He couldn’t remember what kind of alcohol was in it. Scotch? Whiskey? Fire Whiskey? Who knows, he’d grabbed the first thing he’d seen off the table and popped it open.

Besides, that was the least of his concerns. Currently he was more worried about being heard over all the noise.

“I can’t believe we actually won!” Sirius shouted in James’ ear.

“Did you really doubt my abilities as a Chaser?” James asked, cocky as ever.

Sirius paused for a moment, tilting his head back and squinting at the ceiling. “Ummmmm…”

James shoved him off. “Oh fuck off, you. You knew full well that we’d win. Their seeker was out and we all know the backup is shit.”

Sirius chuckled, amused by his friend's indignation. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.”

“You wouldn’t have agreed to be commentator if you thought we’d lose.”

“Nah, mate, I still would’ve. I’d never pass up the chance to watch you make a fool of yourself in front of Evans. Oh...wait, that’s everyday!”

James scowled at him and flipped him two fingers, which in turn made Sirius laugh harder.

“It was a group effort, remember?” Sirius said, chasing after James who was doing his best to get away from him. “I couldn’t have done it without Marlene.”

“Without Marlene?” A flutter of red and gold fabric drifted by his eyes and wrapped around his waist.

Sirius spun around, grin widening when he saw Marlene. She was dressed from head to toe in Gryffindor colors, blond hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Several banners had magically wrapped themselves around her, looping over her shoulders and trailing behind her.

Sirius raised an eyebrow. “Classy.”

“Wearable.” Marlene corrected. “I heard my name?”

Sirius nodded. “I was just chatting with James over here— where’d he go?” Sirius looked around him. At some point between Marlene’s arrival and the present moment James had disappeared.

“Huh, guess he skipped out on me. Anyways, we were just talking about how we’d have stayed commentators even if we thought our team would lose. Purely for the purpose of making fun of James.”

Marlene snorted. “Never did take criticism well, did he?”

“Nope, never.”

The pair grinned at each other, shared memories of their friends passing between them.

Finally Marlene said, “It’s been quite a night hasn’t it? I lost track of Lily and Dorcas ages ago. Quite honestly I’m surprised McGonagall hasn’t shut us down yet, think she knows?”

Sirius nodded fervently, mind a bit distracted as he said, “Oh she definitely knows. Minnie has a sort of sixth sense for when parties occur. I figure it’ll be another hour or two before she comes up here. Say, have you happened to see Remus or Peter?”

He’d seen some of his friends throughout the night, but since Marlene mentioned it he couldn’t recall having seen them for a while. Sirius scanned the room, eyes falling over kissing couples and every manner of dancing. No sign of his friends.

Marlene shook her head. “Not for a while. Last I saw of Peter he was by the snacks and Remus was with Lily.”

Sirius nodded, still searching. “Right...what direction was Lily in again?”

“I dunno, you’d have to look for her.” Marlene tugged lightly at Sirius’ wrist. “Come on, come dance with me.”

As fun as that sounded, Sirius found that he was struck with the sudden urge to know where his friends were. Specially Remus.

“I think I should find Remus first. Although, I’m sure your girlfriend would love to.”

“Fuck off, Sirius.” Marlene said, with a glare. “I’m not dating Dorcas.”

“Mind as well be.”

Marlene snatches the bottle out of Sirius’ hand. “What’s in this?”

“Not a clue.”

“Of course not. I’d say your best bet to finding Remus would be Lily. She’s pretty good at keeping tabs on people.”

Sirius nodded, starting to move away from Marlene. “Thanks.”

“Not a problem. You owe me 20 galleons by the way,” she called after him.

“What on earth for?”

“A bet.”

“Which one?”

Marlene laughed, throwing him a wink over her shoulder and raising the bottle. “You’ll figure it out. Cheers.”

Then she disappeared into the crowd. Sirius shook his head, shouldering through people in search of Lily.

He finally found her sitting in one of the chairs near the fire. “Have you seen Remus,” Sirius asked, leaning over the head of the chair.

Lily twisted around in her seat and sent him a reproachful look. “Were you trying to sneak up on me?”

“Sorry.”

Lily’s glare didn’t fade, but she pointed towards the portrait hole. “He said something about fresh air. Party was getting a bit much for him.”

Sirius looked towards the portrait hole, he had an idea as to wear Remus had gone.

“Thanks Lily.”

“No problem. Now leave me alone and try not to scare anymore unsuspecting women, Black.”

Sirius walked around the chair, stepping over bits of broken glass. “Will do, Evans.”

*******

Remus was in the Astronomy tower. The cold air and starlight a nice break from the chaos of Gryffindor tower. He hasn’t expected to be out there for that long, but he’d gotten lost in scenery and the smell of pine trees and magic.

That was the first thing he’d noticed when he first came to Hogwarts, how it smelled. The scent of trees mingled with the pleasant burn of magic. All perfectly in sync with the mysterious air the ancient castle and its surrounding forest gave off.

The air up in the tower was somehow crisper. Different from the dusky smoke and polished wood smell of Gryffindor’s tower. From up here he could see almost all of the grounds. Slightly eerie in their silence, the forest a dark warning against the starlit sky.

He could also had a spectacular view of the moon from here, or at least what he was able to see of it every month. His relationship with the moon was a curious one, marred by contempt for the pain it caused him, and yet filled with an insatiable need to be closer to it. It truly was odd how much people wanted what they couldn’t have.

So many stories were told in its light. Moon-drunk kisses on dark piers and secrets exchanged under the cover of silent alleys, only the moon to guide them under a starless sky.

Remus remembered standing on the railing one night. Everyone in the dorm had been asleep except Remus. The full had been coming up and with it came a lack of sleep. He’d come up here to stare at the moon, his own silent war. He’d never intended to climb on the rail, his arm wrapped around a pillar so that he didn’t slip. It was an odd response to curiosity, putting yourself on the brink of death. He remembered briefly wondering what would happen if he fell. Would the moon catch him? Finally giving back to him a life it had spent so long taking?

Even now he wondered about it sometimes. Staring upwards as he leaned against the rail, resting his body’s weight on his arms.

Remus head the footsteps before the person even got up the stairs. Soft and light from years of sneaking out in the dead of night. Sirius.

Remus turned and sure enough, there he was. Sirius Black. Almost ethereal in the halo of the moonlight. Wrapped in his trademark leather jacket, strands of midnight black hair whipping around his face.

“Thought I’d find you up here,” Sirius said, joining him at the rail.

“You thought correctly.” Remus winced internally, he wasn’t sure how more standoffish he could get.

“Lily told me you wanted to get away from the crowd,” Sirius started turning to look at him.

“She’s not wrong,” Remus said. Apparently he could get much more standoffish.

“Do you want me to leave?” Sirius asked, he tucked a few strands of his hair behind his ear. Glaring at it as he did.

Remus shook his head. “No. No, stay.”

Sirius nodded. “Ok.”

Remus watched him for a moment. This boy that he’d been in love with for longer than he could remember or cared to admit. He couldn’t imagine a world without Sirius Black. He couldn’t imagine his world without Sirius Black. Remus remembered what Lily had said about him never being able to drive his friends away.

“I know and you won’t. No matter what happens between you guys, you’ll always still have each other. I might not be fond of your idiot friends but I do know that deep down— very deep down, they’re good people. Loyalty is everything to those morons, they wouldn’t trade your guy’s friendship for the world.”

But I’m still scared, Remus thought. Scared of losing everything and everyone leaving. Scared of being left behind.

Then he remembered the dandelion. That small seed carrying a dream away on the wind. Remus knew that the first step towards making a wish come true, was doing something to help it along. Staying silent wouldn’t do anything, it never did. And Lily was rarely wrong about people, she might not be wrong about Sirius.

Remus took a deep breath, mentally kicking himself as he turned to Sirius. “I made a wish the other day.”

Sirius looked up. “A wish?”

“Yeah, Lily was reminding me of this muggle superstition that dandelions grant wishes.”

Sirius grinned at him, grey eyes crinkling in amusement. “Oh yeah? And what did you wish for?”

“For the person I like to like me back,” Remus replied, slowly. He was honestly surprised that his voice was still working.

Instantly the amusement dropped from Sirius’ face. It was replaced by a passive, slightly melancholy look. If Remus didn’t know any better he’d think he looked...disappointed?

“Well, did it come true?” Sirius had turned away from Remus, he wasn’t sure if he really wanted the answer to that question.

“I don’t know, you tell me.”

The few moments that followed had to be some of the longest of Remus’ life. Sirius had turned back towards him, those grey eyes flickering with a thousand emotions. Remus was seriously beginning to reconsider not throwing himself off the tower when he’d had the chance.

“What,” Sirius breathed.

“I..er—“

“Did you just...ask me out?” Sirius asked, his voice barely a whisper.

“Yes?” Remus said, more question than answer.

For a second they just stared at each other, unmoving. Then, Sirius pulled Remus forward, tugging his head down and pressing their lips together.

And all of a sudden Remus understood why people liked the moon. How it could seem so beautiful in moments like these.

Finally they broke apart, Sirius’ arms still wrapped Remus’ shoulders.

“That was…unexpected,” Remus mumbled.

Sirius laughed lightly, “Sorry...I just never expected you to…” be trialed off.

“How long?” Remus asked. “How long have you—“

“Years,” Sirius finished. “Since third, at least.”

“I— yeah, me too.”

Suddenly Sirius broke off into laughter, leaning against a pillar to keep from falling down.

“What?” Remus asked, mildly alarmed.

“Nothing—nothing it’s just something that James said. I finally understand what he was laughing at me about.”

Remus was beyond confused but he decided not to ask.

Instead he asked, “so what now?”

Sirius stopped laughing and smiled at him. It was a look of pure adoration. Pure adoration and love. He looked beautiful, absolutely beautiful, Remus thought.

“Now, I think your wish gets granted,” Sirius said, and then he pulled him back into another kiss. A million thoughts were racing through Remus mind, but the most prominent one was: I guess sometimes, wishes do come true.

******

Special thanks to @sirrriusblack for giving me the idea for this trilogy in the first place and for helping come up with ideas for part 3. Again, thank youuuuu!!!

(Aaannnddd that concludes this mini series!)

[alpineglowx]

I'll Do The Same {Din Djarin x OC} Chapter Three: Grass

pairing: din djarin x female oc

warnings: none

* * * *

“We’re here.”

“Really?”

Thell could hardly contain her excitement as the Razor Crest landed on the remote forest planet. She could touch dirt for the first time, real dirt. Feel wind pushed by the trees blow in her face.

She nearly threw herself down the ladder, waiting for Mando to open the side telescopic gate.

“Hold on. Don’t get yourself too excited.”

He stepped past her, grabbing a large blaster from his regiment of weapons before stepping in front of the gate.

“I need to make sure we’re alone first. Wouldn’t want anyone shooting you as soon as you jump out there.”

Thell laughed. Almost.

She watched as he cautiously paced the perimeter of the woods, pointing his blaster in several directions while he mapped the area. At his signal, Thell revealed herself and stepped down the gate. The forest was large, extending for miles and miles across the planet. But they had landed in a clearing surrounded by knee high grass, as green as she had imagined. Even more so.

Thell slipped her shoes off, wanting to feel the real earth beneath her feet. She could hear the child cooing behind her, curiously peeking out as he also descended the ramp.

She stepped forward, until the bottom of her foot was tickled by the dry grass, and then she was standing, dirt and leaves crunching under her toes. It was softer than she had imagined, and so much richer. She couldn’t help the tears that suddenly came to her eyes, the joy that was overwhelming her. The sun was warmer here, and the wind sounded like peace flowing through the woods.

She heard crunches beside her and looked to see Mando approaching her, blaster at his side. It was only when he was a few feet away that she realized she still had tears on her face, and moved to wipe them away quickly. If Mando noticed, he didn’t make a scene of it, instead coming shoulder to shoulder with her and staring out into the forest.

“We need to lay low for a little while, do some repairs on the ship.”

“Okay,” Thell said softly.

“We’ll need to start right away. You know the basic controls and mechanisms of a military patrol craft?”

She looked up to see him already looking at her. “Um, yeah. Darand had me help with repairs on his cruiser, so I guess it should be pretty simple.”

“We’ll see,” the Mandalorian grumbled before stepping away. Frustration rose inside Thell. She knew she was no expert on all things having to do with ships, but the least he could do was at least not make comments on her lack of skill.

Nonetheless, she hiked back up the telescopic gate with him, watching him set aside his blaster rifle.

“You can have one day off a week. You can do whatever you want, just don’t go too far if you decide to wander off.”

Thell looked down at her feet. “How long can I stay?”

The Mandalorian looked back at her, in all of his unnerving strength.

“Till the end of the month.”

The first three weeks were strenuous, compared to the work Darand usually had her do. After dropping off his bounty, her old master, on an unnamed planet, they traveled to the remote forest planet so they could work on repairs to the ship. Mando had her perform various tasks, like replacing and cleaning the cooling radiator panels and repairing siding in the cargo hold. It was no easy work by far, but the more she did, the more secured Thell felt in his company. He was not a conversationalist by any means, and neither was she, so most of their time was spent in silence. Better than him snapping at her for asking too personal a question.

The planet was mostly uninhabited, but on her day off, Thell allowed herself a walk through the forest. She had just walked down the side ramp when she heard footsteps approaching behind her, and turned to see the Mandalorian following after her.

“Yes?”

“Where are you going?” For once, he sounded genuinely curious.

Thell shrugged, holding her pack tighter to her side. “I was gonna take a walk... it’s my day off, right?”

Mando dipped his head, but before he could turn away, Thell lingered at the edge of the gate.

“Do you... Want to come with me?” She asked.

She had tried to get to know him, as much as she could; but he was the most private, and surprisingly quiet, man Thell had ever met. He didn’t share much, and he asked even less about Thell herself. All pleasantries and introductions had been made the first week: her name, her age, how long she had been on Bespin, what type of work she did for Darand. Nothing that mattered, at the end of the day.

And even though she was with two new people, she felt as lonely as she did in that mansion on Bespin. Mando was quiet, and while not inherently harsh, was rather cold in his disposition. The only time she saw warmth radiate from him in any capacity was with the kid. He loved the child; Thell could tell as soon as she had seen them together that first night on Bespin.

He held the alien with such tenderness, offered him that metal orb, and prepared meals for him. It was quiet work; those who didn’t know to watch would have never noticed in the first place. There was some strange connection between the Mandalorian and the child that he affectionately called “kid.”

And there had been rare moments within those first three weeks that his warmth seemed to carry over to her. It was not immediate, and it never lasted for more than a few moments, but it was the times that she wondered who the Mandalorian truly was, where he came from, what his story was.

One night she had been curled up in the passenger seat of the cockpit, digging her chin into her chest, aching for warmth. It wasn’t the most comfortable spot on the Razor Crest, but the only place that seemed manageable to sleep. However, her cloak only kept her so warm, and she debated whether to sleep out in the forest.

She had nearly fallen asleep, teeth chattering, when the doors slid open and she fought not to flinch. She could tell by the heavy metal footsteps that it was Mando, and listened intently as he neared her. She didn’t open her eyes, in fear that he was suddenly changing his mind and kicking her out. That’s what she should have expected anyway, running off in the middle of the night with some strange masked bounty hunter that could kill her in her sleep. But it was none of those things.

In fact, the only thing she felt was an abundance of warmth as a heated blanket was draped over her, and loosely fitted around her shoulders. And when she opened her eyes to see Mando, he was already gone behind the sliding doors, and Thell curled closer inside the blanket, the one that smelled faintly like steel and leather.

The same thing happened yet again two nights later, but Thell raised her head as soon as she felt the blanket touch her skin. The cockpit was dark, and she could only see the silhouette of the Mandalorian standing over her.

“Mando?” She whispered groggily.

“Go back to sleep,” he grumbled softly.

Something like a hand softly rubbed against her head, and she lolled against the seat, comforted by the warmth the blanket always brought. She wondered why it had disappeared the morning she woke up, only for the Mandalorian to return and drape it over her. One that was starting to smell faintly like home.

The next time it happened, Thell sat up. It seemed to surprise him, as the Mandalorian leaned back slowly when he noticed she was awake.

Something had been happening within her spirit over the past week, as soon as he had showed her that single ounce of kindness. Maybe it was because no one had before. Maybe it was because she loved the small green alien sleeping away downstairs, and her heart was becoming softened towards this man.

She still didn’t know much about him, but that seemed to be his problem. He didn’t open up or allow others into his life. He didn’t plan ahead, and it constantly seemed like he was running from something, someone. Maybe himself.

And she only had a week left with him, before he dropped her off on another planet or left her with someone. She would be alone, left to fend for herself in a galaxy she had never known. And she was becoming desperate. Her shyness and hesitancy towards someone that could kill her, someone that had killed people, had made her weak. And she knew she needed to do something before he left her out on the streets.

That, and she couldn’t help but dream of living with him and the little alien. Permanently. Life seemed rather simple in the Razor Crest, on this unnamed forest planet that she loved so dearly. And as much as she loved the kid, she wanted to get to know him too, have a friend for once.

“Are you okay?” Thell whispered, adjusting in her seat.

“What?”

“You... You seem like you’re running from something. You’re always on edge.”

She could hear the Mandalorian take deep breaths from where he stood, his back to her.

“We’re being hunted. The kid. Me.”

Thell’s brows creased. “What? What do you mean, hunted?”

“There's a large bounty on the kid’s head, and one on mine for harboring him.”

“The kid? But... he’s just a child. Why would anyone be after him?” Fear was suddenly making its way into Thell’s skin. When he didn’t answer, Thell slipped up from her seat, standing face to face with him. Without her shoes, she was even shorter than normal, and had to tilt her head to look at his helmet.

“Mando? What’s going on? What is this?”

“I told you you could be here until the end of the month. No one has seen your face during this time, so you’ll be safe wherever I drop you off.”

Thell’s jaw dropped. “So I’ve been in danger this whole time, and you never told me?” When he didn’t respond, Thell chewed the inside of her cheek.

“Since when did you care about my safety? I thought you only saw me as a servant.”

“You left that life behind as soon as I kidnapped Darand.”

“... What about the kid?” Thell asked.

“What about him?”

“Does he know?”

“Of course he knows. I’ve been trying to get him back to his people for months now.”

Thell’s anger dissipated. “His... people?”

But Mando seemed spent, and with a simple wave of his hand, passed through the sliding doors and out of sight.

“So, what do you say?” Thell repeated, looking expectantly at the Mandalorian. Since their heated conversation regarding the bounties on both of their heads, they hadn’t spoken much in the past few days. Mando seemed to lighten a bit at her question of taking a walk.

“Where are we headed?”

Thell beamed. “Anywhere we want. Planet seems pretty quiet anyway.”

“Let me get the kid.”

As soon as the kid was in the Mandalorian’s arms, they set off into the forest, with the sun warming their backs and leaves crunching beneath their boots. Thell let the silence simmer for a minute, letting the cool breeze waft through her cloak before glancing sideways at the Mandalorian.

She only had three days left with them. Just three before she had to make a living for herself. Before she had to leave the both of them.

“Hey,” she started to get his attention, which also made the little alien look her way. They stopped halfway into the woods, facing the other.

“I wanted to apologize for how I spoke the other night... You have a right to your privacy, and I shouldn’t have pressed you. I shouldn’t expect every answer from you just because... I live with you right now.”

He was silent for a long moment, studying her under that cold mask.

“You had a right to know your own safety. I should have told you sooner.”

Thell’s brows raised in surprise. “Oh... that’s okay. I’m just glad I know now.”

The Mandalorian motioned them over to a fallen log, where he placed the child between them. His eyeline was on the kid, but Thell sensed his mind was somewhere else, somewhere far off.

“Grogu is a very special kid.”

Thell’s jaw dropped. “Grogu?”

His head dipped. “That’s his name.”

The alien, Grogu, made a small burbling noise and made direct eye contact with Thell, who’s heart was overwhelmed with new affection.

“There’s been people looking for him for a long time. He was in hiding for many years, alone, scared. I was sent to hunt him.” Thell’s gaze wavered back to the kid, to this small, innocent alien that was the cause of their hiding away.

“But I... He’s just a kid. I couldn’t do that.” There was something like pain in his voice.

Her eyes fell to Mando’s mask. “So you saved him.”

“Yes... And now I’m supposed to bring him back to his people. I brought him to one, but... she said that he has to choose his own path.”

Thell felt movement near her wrist, and noticed Grogu pawing at her thumb.

“But he’s just a kid. He can’t even talk.”

“He’s older than he looks.” When Thell waited for a response, Mando continued. “He was training to be a Jedi during the age of the Republic and the Clone Wars. When the Republic fell, and the Jedi were slaughtered, someone hid him away for a long time. He can... do things, unlike anything I’ve ever seen.”

“Like what?”

The Mandalorian reached inside his pocket, fishing out the silver orb Thell had seen the child play with many times. At the sound of his name, Grogu turned, looking at the Mandalorian with great curiosity.

“Grogu, you can have the ball. But you have to do it like last time.”

The child whined before slowly lifting his hands, his eyes creasing as he focused. Suddenly, the orb flew to his small hand, and he burbled with joy. Thell could only watch with wide eyes and an even wider smile.

“That’s... amazing. How does he do that?” She asked.

“The Jedi I found said that its the Force. He uses it to... lift things, I suppose.”

Thell leaned back against the tree stump. “My mother used to tell me stories of the Force and the Jedi. They weren’t all just myths, were they?”

The Mandalorian shook his head. “Not all of them.”

“So... that’s why he’s a target. People want him for his power.” She cast anxious glances between the Mandalorian and Grogu, and in a moment of pure sentiment, reached forward to place her hand on the Mandalorian’s arm, in the crook of his arm where there was only garment covering his skin. He flinched upon her contact, and she moved to replace her arm, but when he didn’t pull away, she lingered momentarily.

“You’re... you’re very brave, to do what you’re doing. It’s a very honorable service, putting your life in harm’s way to protect him.”

The forest was quiet around them, almost soft, but the silence that the Mandalorian left her with was more than unsettling. So she replaced her hand before it became too awkward, which she feared it already had. She got up to leave, dusting off her pants and about to turn the other way when Mando spoke again.

“Thell.”

She paused, looking at him from over her shoulder.

“Why did you stay with Darand as long as you did?”

Her muscles relaxed at his question, which coming from anyone else, she might have gone silent. But after weeks, nearly a month, he was finally asking her about herself. And more than just her name.

[moonbythecabstan]

We're Up Against The Wall (Know I Like It Like That) - Part 1

Rated: M

Pairing: M/M

Fandom: World Wrestling Entertainment

Relationship: The Miz/Dolph Ziggler

Summary: A surprise visit from Mike's good friend takes a surprising turn.

Mike flicked his thumb over the screen, skimming the posts scrolling past with vague interest. He wasn't one for mindless social media perusing, but waiting on his wife usually took quite a while. Especially when she had her girls with her. Their giggles heard every time he peeked into the room to check on how much longer he'd be waiting. Left with nothing else to do, he took to looking through Instagram. Tossing a double tap out here and there, smiling at the many pictures of his friends doing interesting things in their lives.

He glanced at the time at the top of the screen when his restlessness got the better of him, groaning when he found only three minutes passed by. How was it time moved so slow when you desperately wanted things to hurry up? Waiting on your wife and suffering through workouts being the times when you wanted the minutes to fly by. Yet they merely crawled. Dragged.

There was a knock at the door that startled him out of his silent griping. He furrowed his brows at the door like maybe he imagined the sound, but it came again. A rhythmic knocking he recognized with a grin. Pushing up off the couch to greet his friend as he pulled the door open wide.

"Hey, man! Didn't expect you to drop by today." Dolph Ziggler, in classic shades and red Motley Crue shirt (sleeves cut off because of course), nodded to him. Ponytail flicking jauntily back and forth as he shifted weight from the left to the right, a hint of teasing to the 'apologetic' smile he offered.

"Yeah, well. I was in town and... I mean, you know how it is. Better to drop in on a friend than go out to some expensive establishment in town." He paused, head tilted and lips pursed for a moment. "It's cool that I'm here, right?" He leaned over to one side and then the other, seemingly checking behind Mike. Probably wondering if they were going out or if his wife had something planned for them.

After all, Mike was dressed in a casual but still nice outfit. Jeans, blazer, clean white t-shirt. His nicest boots. He figured there was still about twenty minutes before he'd even be close to leaving the house anyway, so he nodded and invited Dolph inside. It was better than sitting bored in the living room, something playing on the television and staring at the wall while his thoughts ran away with him.

Not possible to be bored when Dolph was around. That anyone knew.

"So, judging by your nice clothes and pretty face I assume you're going out soon." Mike dropped back onto the couch, though Dolph remained standing. Glancing from where Mike sat to somewhere down the hall. With a hum, he got into a more comfortable position. Effectively rumpling his shirt and blazer, something he was surely going to be nagged about when it was time to go.

"Yeah we've got some business stuff to attend to. And then dinner at this new steakhouse. I'm just waiting on wifey to be done with her thing so we can go." He checked his watch, grimacing. "Should be in the next twenty minutes."

"Ah. Hence the letting me come in. Better than talking to the wall. Probably anyway." Mike snorted, nearly running a hand through his hair before remembering he'd styled it already. He dropped his hand listlessly into his lap, puffing air out of his mouth up at the ceiling.

"Trust me. It's a much better alternative. What are you doing in town anyway? I thought you'd be up in New York by now?" If he remembered correctly, Dolph had some... thing or other scheduled soon in New York. Of course, he could barely keep up with his schedule, never mind a friend's.

"I do, but that's not for a few days. Well, technically two, but I figured it would be fun to visit my brother for a bit. Except he's apparently busy. Then I thought, 'Hey, Mike probably wouldn't mind a buddy' and here I came." He certainly appreciated it. It had been a little while since they really got to hang out. Usually one of them was busy doing something else or they were hanging out with their group of friends at a party or some formal event.

It wasn't the same as just chilling out. Shooting the shit. Catching up.

"Glad you did. You don't know how long a minute can stretch until you're waiting for someone to get ready to go." Dolph laughed, sunglasses now hanging on his shirt collar and his smile reaching his eyes. Blue as the California sky outside his window.

"Brutal." Then he took a step back, glancing down the hall again and smiling in apology. "Mind if I use the bathroom real quick?"

"Sure. Go ahead. You know where everything is, right?" Dolph nodded, already heading out of the room. Something about him a bit more...highstrung than usual. Mike wasn't sure what it was about him, but he let the musing go in favor of heading for the kitchen. Seeking one of his healthy snacks since it would be a good while before he'd be eating anything.

Not even five minutes later, his phone buzzed on the counter. Curiosity piqued, he set aside the mustard bottle he'd been examining for an expiration date and plucked the device up. Brows furrowing when he found Dolph's message notification there. An amused thought crossed his mind of Dolph stuck in the bathroom without toilet paper or something, though that disintegrated quickly into curiosity when he unlocked his phone and read the actual text.

"Hey, you gotta come check this thing out in your guest room. What is he talking about- guest room?" He tried to think of what in the world Dolph could have found in the guest room, shuddering at the thought of a rat or something being in there. His phone buzzed again, a 'hurry up miz' making him roll his eyes as he pushed away from the counter and walked quickly to where Dolph was waiting for him.

"Alright, what is i- mmph?" The moment he was through the door, it shut quietly behind him. Dolph crowding him up against it. A dangerous and enticing gleam in his eyes. He nearly spoke again, his thoughts shooting off in a hundred directions as he scrambled to understand what was happening, what he'd walked into, but Dolph shushed him. Tilting his head once towards the adjacent wall.

And then he heard it. Talking. It was muffled through the wall, but he recognized the higher frequency of women chattering together. Giggling and speaking in shrill voices that carried into the next room. That being the one he was in currently, Dolph watching him carefully. Heat in his gaze that made Mike swallow. His throat suddenly very dry.

"I believe I remember you once mentioning something about how you've fantasized about this. About us going at it in the room next to the one she's in while getting ready." Oh God. He remembered that? Mike vaguely remembered one of the times they hooked up while out of town, he'd been completely blissed out and barely able to put coherent thoughts together. Rambling on about something while kissing along the throat that tasted of salt and smelled of thick musk. Dolph's fingers trailing along the skin of his back and chest, sending little shivers through his body.

Afterwards, when he had his bearings, he remembered saying something along the lines of what Dolph said to him just now. Cringing in embarrassment and praying Dolph either hadn't heard him or wasn't able to pay attention any better than Mike was. Not that it wasn't truem he was ashamed to say, but he preferred to keep such fantasies to himself. Not wanting anyone, not even Dolph, to know some of the things he really wouldn't mind doing.

Apparently he'd hoped in vain, because the man heard and remembered. Obvious in the smirk he wore as he looked him over.

"Um, I was kind of hoping maybe you didn't hear me when I said any of that." Curiosity sparked in darkened eyes, Dolph humming lightly as he considered him for a moment.

"Why? I mean, it's not the best idea you could have in terms of keeping people from finding out. But apparently that gets you hot, and who am I to deny someone something like that? I'm game if you are." It hit him rather suddenly what exactly Dolph was proposing. What was on the table here. He really wished it didn't have him flushing head to toe. Didn't have his heart hammering at the mere thought.

He wished he didn't want to do this. It was wrong on so many levels.

But damn it he did.

Still, he found himself hesitating. "I don't know..."

Dolph leaned in close, their bodies just nearly brushing, and lightly slid his nose against the underside of Mike's jaw. Pulling a sigh out of him and making his eyes flutter closed. It had also been a while since they got to be together like this, rarely ever alone or somewhere they could feasibly be alone.

He didn't like to admit it, but he missed this. There was something insanely addicting to it. The adrenaline coursing through his veins. The knowledge he was doing something he shouldn't. Their natural chemistry snapping and crackling between them when they touched. Kissed. Their passion burned so hot, so bright, and together it was absolutely blinding. Threatening to burn them to ashes.

Every time they got together left Mike wanting more. He couldn't, really shouldn't, but still he craved. Still found himself thinking about it. Once or twice even dreaming of it, an awkward situation he felt immense shame over while sitting on the closed toilet seat. Head in his hands. Drying sweat leaving his skin sticky. Grimy.

"It's up to you. Whatever you want." In his opinion, though Dolph was trying to make it like the final decision was Mike's to make (and, he supposed, in a way it was since he could technically walk away), Dolph also wasn't playing very fair. Ambushing him in the guest room. Leaning in close, keeping him trapped against the door with his body. Teasing him. Smelling as good as he did. Looking like he did.

Looking at him like that.

Really it wasn't fair at all. Because whether he wanted to or not (he totally did) they were definitely doing this. He had no possible way to fight Dolph, or ignore the hum of energy under his skin. And Dolph knew that. Knew just how to push Mike's buttons to get what he wanted. A reaction. A favor.

And behind closed doors, whatever he wanted in bed.

Not that Mike was, like, complaining. He loved making people happy. Would do anything to do so. What they wanted to do he would do delightedly. Diligently. That applied about ten-fold in the bedroom.

"You know I want." He spoke lowly and with slight irritation because they both knew Dolph knew this. Far too smug for his taste, knowing Mike would play right into his hand. Dolph, grinning, tugged him off the door. Letting out a quiet yelp when Mike suddenly charged him, taking the control right out of his stupidly smug hands. He licked heated kisses into Dolph's mouth while curling around him. Absorbing the pleased moan Dolph let out and kissing back harder. With earnest fervor.

Hands squeezed at his shoulders, fingers then trailing along the back of his neck. Bodies pressed firmly together. His ears picked up loud laughter from the next room and he broke the kiss with a gasp to trail lips along the stubbled jaw. Squeezing his fingers into Dolph's waist, a low sound next to his ear making his hair stand on end.

Muffled conversation continued from the other side of the wall his back thumped into, Dolph whispering against his throat. He grasped tightly to whatever parts of the man he could, taking a shape inhale when fingers picked at where his shirt was neatly tucked into his pants. A shiver running up his spine when quick tugs freed it, hand slipping underneath and nails biting into his sensitive skin.

He wasn't sure how much teasing he could really take like this, praying Dolph took mercy on him but knowing the chances were slim. It was rare they got this, even rarer in the situation they were in, and Dolph wasn't known to squander an opportunity laid so perfectly for him. Trust him on that one.

Fingers plucked at buttons, getting through three before Dolph invaded his space again. A heady scent bulldozing his senses and making him dizzy. Dolph always smelled good, but this was something else. He'd happily drown in whatever bottle this stuff came in, that's how good it was.

"Gonna have to be extra quiet, you know that? They could hear you." Another button undone, his shirt looser across his chest. Falling just a centimeter more open. He felt himself arching, trying to break free or maybe draw closer to the other man. To melt completely into him. "Can you actually do that? Can you keep quiet?"

He swallowed thickly.

"Yeah. Yeah I'll- I'll manage." Another button, Dolph leaning back and shooting him a twisted smile he felt deep in his gut. Leaving him to question just how well he'd be able to manage not alerting anyone in the next room what was transpiring.

"We'll see about that." And then, without warning, he dropped to his knees. Fingers making quick work of Mike's belt, the leather snapping as it was tugged from around his waist and tossed onto the (thankfully carpeted) floor. Dolph glancing back at it and making a face.

"Next time, we'll try the laundry room. I remember it has a hard floor." His response dried on his tongue as eager hands wasted little time with buttons and zips. Mike wheezing, clenching his jaw to keep from making any other sounds, when Dolph's left hand slid across his skin. Pressing firmly but gently into his stomach while eyes watched him with open curiosity.

"Hmmm. Usually can get at least a squeak out of you with that one. Going to have to work harder, aren't I?" Squeezing his eyes closed, he counted to five in his head and let out a steady breath. Trying to center himself and ignore the delicious tingling all over his body.

"You're trying to break me...on purpose?" Dolph hummed, smiling sweetly while tugging down snug dress slacks and briefs a few inches. Cool air skating across his skin and making bumps rise up his arms. A tremor in his thighs. Damn him.

"It makes this a little more interesting, don't you think? Just like that time you did something really similar when I was on that conference call with those really important people I told you about? Remember that?" He did, and that had been pretty entertaining. Dolph's strained voice and broken sentences delighting him to no end.

He was quickly coming to realize it was not nearly as fun on the opposite end. Especially when he liked being vocal. Noisy. Sharing his...appreciation.

"If we're caught-" A pointed look.

"Don't get us caught. Simple." If only it were. He had a feeling this was not going to be anything near easy or simple for him.

[inspired-by-the-music]

For You: Stand By Me

Taglist: @jineunwootrash​

If you would like to be added to the taglist of any of this blog’s works, please ask!

Recommended Reading: For You: 4 O’Clock; these works have separate, independent, but deeply interwoven timelines.

Chapter 6: The Boy Who Reminded Me

Lei’s POV

At fourteen, life changed for better or for worse. 

When I walked into co-ed vocal training, Mark caught me by the door. Grabbing both of my hands and jumping up and down as he greeted me with a wide smile, he cheered, “We have a guest instructor!”

I followed his gaze to the front of the room to find none other than Onew— SHINee’s Onew— humming scales. Too starstruck to allow my gaze to linger on one of my idols, I flinched away from Onew, grinning faintly at the sound of Mark’s giggles. At that exact moment, my eyes fell on who must have been the cutest boy I had ever seen. Again, I flinched away. 

“You must really like him.” Mark was referencing Onew. 

Fearing that Mark had caught me admiring somebody our age— somebody who, frighteningly, could have admired me back— I left my gaze on the floor and spoke despite my blush. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Huh?” Mark retraced my stare and smiled knowingly when he gathered that I had been transfixed by a boy— I was blushing about a boy— a stranger, no less. He didn’t quite tease me, but his poorly muffled chuckle was embarrassing enough before he waved the cute boy over. “Come here, Jaemin!”

The boy, Jaemin, became much cuter the closer he stood to me. “Hey, Mark.” He wore a sparkling smile that didn’t falter or fade when his eyes fell on me. My heart skipped several beats, and I almost screamed because I had only known Sehun to affect my pulse, because I only trusted Sehun to touch my heart. “Who is your friend?”

Mark placed his hand on my shoulder, and he quickly retracted it when I stiffened under his touch. His smile didn’t fade, though. “This is Lei!” 

Bowing and giggling as my blush grew under his stare, Jaemin asked, “Just Lei?” Because he didn’t know me well enough to know my last name, Mark joined Jaemin in looking to me for an answer. 

I hurriedly bowed to Jaemin, meeting his eyes for a brief second, and nodded profusely. “Yeah. I’m Lei. Just Lei.” I guess I thought I was protecting my identity. I guess I thought I was holding Jaemin, who— bright smile and all— threatened to break through the walls I was building to protect my image. 

You have to understand: back then, I was not at all afraid of holding a broken heart. I didn’t know to be afraid of past tense love. My self-imposed (Sehun-encouraged) total dating ban was initially enacted only to discourage others from eyeing me disapprovingly; I didn’t think to protect my heart. 

“Well, ‘Just Lei,’” Jaemin winked, and my stomach flipped, “I’m Na Jaemin, but you can just call me the love of your life.” 

Mark groaned, and I tried to force my trembling smile into a straight line as I mimicked Sehun’s voice, feigning utter disinterest in Jaemin as I asked, “How old are you?”

Poking his chest out, Jaemin boasted, “I’m thirteen!” It wasn’t wasted on me— the realization that, for the first time, I was the oldest in one of these heart-fluttering conversations. 

(Note: I was older than Mark, but that doesn’t count because a.) I was only a few months older, and b.) sadly, Mark never made my heart flutter.)

Before I could respond to Jaemin— likely to succumb to his charms— Heechul’s voice broke through the scattered pre-practice chatter. Because I hadn’t seen him or heard his voice for much of his two years of military service, I smiled at the first sight of him standing atop a chair at the front of the room. My smile quickly crumbled, however, as his words filled my ears. 

“So, I heard some of you are curious about my love life!” Heechul’s bulging eyes bore into those girls who never liked me, and I understood all too quickly that this— the most humiliating moment of my life (so far)— was a belated response to their insult directed at Mom. 

Maybe I could have managed to feel bad for those girls had they ever apologized. They hadn’t even grown out of glaring at me or tripping me at every opportunity, so it was clear that they weren’t even slightly sorry. The only real difference between that day and the past was that I had grown out of caring about them. I had grown out of straining to hear their muttered thoughts. 

I wasn’t proud of Heechul for causing a scene (as usual); I just didn’t squirm for those girls because I have always believed that when you choose to unapologetically, intentionally speak cruelly, you have to accept the consequences— even if they aren’t immediate. Maybe, in some way, I thought that Heechul’s outburst was an act of justice. 

Maybe justice isn’t usually comfortable. Shrinking, I looked at Onew, hoping that he would silence Heechul so we could start practice. Why couldn’t justice have been served some other day when I wasn’t talking to the cutest boy in the world? Why couldn’t justice have been served on a day when I wasn’t scheduled to learn from one of my idols? 

Onew only stared up at Heechul with wide eyes, mouth agape in some surprised smile. Apparently, he wouldn’t dare to disrupt the hand of justice. 

Heechul continued, “First of all, if you want to survive in this industry— and, to be frank, I’m not convinced that you have what it takes— learn to mind your own damn business. Don’t make enemies out of senior artists because they can crush you, and— let me warn you right now— I’ll go gangster on all your asses!”

Murmurs rippled through the other trainees, and I hung my head in shame because, even through his insanity, I was associated with Heechul. 

His eyes narrowed. “Now, here’s some wisdom to carry through life whether you debut or flunk out of training: the vast majority of your relationships will NOT be sexual!” Since all of us were teenagers who liked to giggle at naughty words, the immature among us swallowed their amusement for fear of attracting Heechul’s scorn. 

“My relationship with Manager Kim—” 

When stares turned to me at the mention of  Mom’s name, Heechul raised his voice to turn heads toward him. “My relationship with Manager Kim is one of these many non-sexual relationships in my life! So the next time you try to fit our names into your filthy mouths, don’t spread lies! And if you choose to spread lies anyway—” 

I would have hated to be on the receiving end of Heechul’s glare. 

“— well, just suffice it to say that I don’t tolerate liars.”

The threat, although vague, stunned everybody into silence. Heechul might have taken advantage of the silence to lecture everyone all day had Mom not filled the doorway, brows arched and drawn together in utter confusion as she took in the sight of Heechul precariously balanced on the chair.

Eyes rounding as if he were a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Heechul flinched and jumped off of the chair, drawing gasps from me, Mom, and everyone else who was concerned about his injury. He stumbled, barking, “Come on, Lei! You can’t learn anything else from these people!”

Nobody had ever been more wrong than Heechul was in that moment. Burning partially from embarrassment under Jaemin’s stare, but burning mostly from the desire to learn from Onew, I shook my head until my eyes fell on Mom. From her place in the doorway, she quietly beckoned me with one quick subtle gesture. 

I tried to obey her— I promise— but my feet were somehow stuck to the floor. Like an idiot, I would have stood there, motionless, wide-eyed, and slack-jawed, had Heechul not dragged me out of the room after wrapping his hand around my arm. 

What’s worse: Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and— of course— Sehun sat together at the table by the vending machine. As I briefly met Kyungsoo’s, Baekhyun’s, and Chanyeol’s pale-faced expressions— as I watched Sehun massage his temples in small circles the moment I walked out of the studio, I did not doubt that they had heard all of Heechul’s speech. I tore my eyes away from them as I ripped my arm from Heechul’s grip. 

Probably because they were friends, Mom decided not to try to talk Heechul out of his fit. I followed her lead and devoted my energy to forgetting the numb embarrassment washing over my entire body. 

I filled the silence with the obvious fact: “I can never go back to training.” The other trainees would never let me live past Heechul’s outburst, and after his allegation that I had nothing left to learn, the instructors wouldn’t care much for me either. 

“You can’t learn anything else from them anyway!” Heechul repeated so passionately that I wouldn’t raise my voice to argue. I only looked away from him to focus on the tiled floor beneath my sneakers, wondering how he could have determined such a thing when he had never seen me dance or heard me sing. 

Hooking an arm around my waist, using the other to hold her clipboard, Mom promised, “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you from having to face the aftermath of Heechul’s fit.”

In hindsight, I guess I should have realized that meant Mom would advocate for executives (or whoever makes those decisions) to allow me to debut, but I was so anxious about the weeks of missing practices that Mom caught me off guard with her announcement over dinner (on a rare night that Heechul was absent) of the “exciting” news. Figuring that I should have been happy to debut so soon, I forced a smile to match Mom’s, and I didn’t release a single tear until I was alone in bed with my radio. 

Don’t get me wrong: I was happy. I was proud that my hard work in training had resulted in the debut that was the dream of so many people. Still, I couldn’t escape the thought that two years of training wasn’t long enough. Two years weren’t enough to prepare me for what would (hopefully) be a lifelong career. Even if two years had been enough to teach me the necessary skills— and I wasn’t sure that they were— they definitely had not been enough to teach me the necessary confidence. 

Had he been there with me that night, Sehun probably would have told me that confidence only comes with experience, and I would have frowned because I wasn’t ready for experience.

My primary stress was that the agency decided (for some reason that was never relayed to me) that I should not debut with a group as I had always imagined. I would be alone. There would be no older member to look up to and learn from. There would be no more talented or experienced member to distract the audience from my many weaknesses while somehow making me better by association. There would be no unbreakable family-like bonds formed by teamwork— shared pressures and joys. 

On stage, I would stand by myself, just like I sat by myself at the table by the vending machine, just like (even with Joy and the NCT boys) I stood in the corner of the training room with my arms crossed tightly over my chest, just like I laid alone in my cold bed as soon as I finished dinner after long days. I don’t know when I got so lonely, but I couldn’t remember the last time I hadn’t felt that cold almost numb tingling eating its way through my gut and chest and brain. I knew it couldn’t have been that distant— my last genuine smile and the next— but I couldn’t remember, and I couldn’t imagine. 

That’s why I couldn’t quite smile when I wandered into my dressing room on debut day. Even when my face nearly collided against Sehun’s chest, my lips were tucked into some unappealing shape that was neither a frown nor a smile. I wish I had tried to smile up at him even if it was fake, even if it was strained and painful. 

I didn’t even look at him, though, because I was afraid that his face would remind me of the melted cotton candy. Or maybe I was afraid that he would find my fears swimming in my eyes. Or maybe— most likely— I was afraid that he wouldn’t notice that anything was remiss, and then I would have to confront that he, who I still admired most, didn’t know me better than anyone else did. 

The thing is, I wasn’t done idolizing Sehun yet. I wasn’t ready to wake up from my daydreams about him, and with every word— with every glance— the dream was fading. I know that it isn’t right to idolize people, but I (selfishly) thought that if I couldn’t have a friend, I could at least cling to the idea of Sehun as the person who knew me best. 

Although I had been too distracted by my labyrinth of thoughts to ask Sehun why he had been in my dressing room, he said, “I was looking for you, but you showed up later than I expected.” 

Our timing was never in sync. And I didn’t know how to reset the clocks. It was probably impossible, but I would have liked to try. 

Before I could wonder why he had been looking for me, Sehun scuttled down the hall, explaining, “I have to get ready for my performance, so— um— good luck.”

I wanted to thank him, but he was gone. Thinking that I probably wouldn’t have been able to find my voice anyway, I frowned and tiptoed into the dressing room where I found it sitting on the vanity: a baby blue jewelry box. I wouldn’t have dared to open it were it note for the note atop it reading: 

Lei, 

Never forget that so many people have been looking forward to your time to shine. Wear this whenever you need to be reminded of that. 

— Sehun and Donghae

From the scrawled handwriting and our brief encounter, I gathered that the note had been written by Sehun before reading the postscript: 

P.S., The clock charm is from me, and the crown charm is from Donghae. 

I probably would have given anything to learn why they had chosen those particular charms, but I never would have been brave enough to ask. I guess the meanings don’t really matter. No, I don’t believe that. I guess it’s okay to leave some things as a mystery. 

I guess all that matters is that I wore that bracelet on stage that day. I wore that bracelet every following day for five years, never once dreaming of taking it off until I could no longer bear its weight. 

[a-deadly-serenade]

The Shield and the Sword: Chapter 7: Ravens, and Witches, and Wolves oh my! [Alucard/Reader]

You’re a witch that is skilled in herbology, one that has been persecuted by the church for practically your entire life. In spite of this, moving throughout different towns has allowed you to pick up some chatter about a woman in a village called Lupu. She is supposed to be a wonder when it comes to medicine, and this immediately perks up your interest. So after plucking up some courage, you’ve made it to her door… hoping that she takes you as her apprentice.

ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16724856?view_full_work=true

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You awoke one morning with a dazed smile on your face, your head abuzz with the dreams from the night before. You rubbed the tired from your eyes, but the vivid imagery of your dream still remained at the forefront of your mind.

You had been standing in front of a large forest. It was absolutely breathtaking, twinkling with fireflies and fairy lights. A small stream paved its way through the shrubbery, plush moss and groups of clover providing just the right amount of padding along the riverbank.

Fauna roamed throughout the trees, but they were not the usual animals that you would encounter in the wild. They rounded the corner of your eye, and only allowed you to see them in your periphery.

You had heard tales throughout your childhood of witches who had been foolish enough to challenge these beings, and demand to face them head on. No one really knew what happened if you ever looked one in the eye, but some said that your soul gets sucked down into one the magical streams that course through their body, only to be trapped in a seemingly endless purgatory.

It was rare for these creatures to reveal themselves to humans, but it has happened. As par the course, people often believed they were monsters, and that they were omens of death or something ridiculous like that.

Sure, they had reputations that preceded them from the scary rumors, but the sketching you had seen within your textbooks made you question why everyone thought they were so horrifying. You found them quite beautiful.

White, ethereal looking creatures with the anatomy of a deer. They were documented as either having a pair of bright red eyes, or having hundreds that shifted in color depending where you stood.

Their antlers were said to be enormous, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to be so ancient that they sprouted small trees and bushes amongst the twisting bone. Fairies, spiders, birds and nymphs would make their homes in the branches, a whole separate ecosystem that silently marched along the forest floor.

They had big hooves, tiny plants sprouting along the path they tread, each of their frosty breaths giving new life to withering or dying flowers. It is recommended that you try and see them at night, their forms shining like starlight in the piercing moonlight, dancing along the edges of your vision like ghosts.

Your coven called them forest spirits, and there would be times during the ceremonies held within the darkness of the great, old forest that surrounded your cove, that you could have sworn seeing something walking out of the corner of your eye.

The older women, including your grandmother, always said that these creatures were to be respected, never feared. They let you know that the forest is healthy, that it is alive, and that it is magical.

Anyways, back to the dream… (boy could your mind wander)

You had been walking through some magical woods, and they felt ancient, the very earth lighting up under your feet as you followed a predetermined path. You were unsure of where you were, but at the same time, a sense of familiarity lingered in the air, and you found yourself able to maneuver over where it is you wanted to go.

Soon you were standing in front of a clearing, you walked out and discovered a small cove. A tiny heart shaped pond stood in the middle, large lily pads and lotuses blossomed on its surface. Plush ferns swayed alongside a large boulder that was placed before the water, slightly elevated on a moss covered hill. Fireflies dance amongst the thick leaves of the aromatic flower trees and bushes that surrounded you, the hoot of an owl rumbling in the delicate wind.

A bright moon hung in the sky, and you noticed, to your delight, that the moon’s startling white rays had been mixed in with soft hues of pink. It was a Strawberry Moon, the next upcoming full moon within the month of June.

The place was beautiful, and you gave a delighted hum as you run your hand across the surface of the crystal clear water. Tiny aquatic plants swayed to the motion, a couple of small fish darting around in surprise at the sudden commotion.

High pitched giggles coming from all around you snapped you out of your daze, and a dozen or so colorful lights came streaming out of the large lilies that were bunched near one corner of the pond.

You realized that they were fairies, as you caught glimpses of what they looked like here and there as they darted by.

Stop trying to deny it…

A soft voice, very childlike in its tone, called out to you. It seemed to be coming from the pink light.

“Deny what?” you answered.

Another round of giggles.

Now you were starting to get flashbacks to the hibiscus gang back in the greenhouse.

Uh oh, he’s here! another voice cried out. The yellow light.

“Who?” you called back.

Don’t be silly, another fairy chimed, the one surrounded by purple light. He’s right behind you!

Your breath caught in your throat as your turned around, the sight of a great white wolf catching you completely off guard.

The beast lazily lay upon the large rock, its bushy tail wagging slowly back and forth with the breeze. Its head was cocked towards the sky, and it let out a long, dramatic yawn; one that helped reveal very clearly that it could defend himself.

But, for some reason, a feeling inside you compelled you to inch closer and closer to the wolf. You couldn’t describe it, it felt almost like a tug, as though someone was pulling on a string, urging you forward.

A twig snapped under your bare feet, your whole body freezing in place as the beast reared its head in your direction.

Your eyes widened in fear as it stared at you, but that was displaced for a quick few seconds when you finally got a sight of its eyes. Big, shining orbs that sparkled as though made of rivers of gold. You had never seen a wolf with such stunning eyes before.

There was a silence, where neither one of you moved, but… then there was that tug again.

You needed to reach out… stretch out your arm, yeah, that’s it! And then gently…

Gently, you placed your hand on the top of the wolf’s snout. You felt its nose twitch once, twice, before it exhaled, a deep sound that rumbled in its chest. A delighted laugh slipped past your lips as the wolf leaned forward, pushing your hand higher up its head, until you had to move in order to scratch him just behind the ears.

He was a soft, friendly, and affectionate little one, peppering your arms and face with gentle licks and kisses.

You cuddled up beside him as you felt your eyes grow heavy, a signal that you were about to return to the world of the living. It was peaceful, and you felt at ease for the first time in months inside your own dream.

Ever since losing your family, your mind was often a turbulent place, a world that had control of your emotions, causing you to have more nightmares than you would like to remember.

But this? This was… nice.

A breeze flew between the two of you, the smell of dew, grass… and… leather? And books?

You opened your eyes, only to find yourself alone on that rock, the moon shimmering in the night sky that had started to get flecked with hues of orange and pink and blue. Where had the wolf gone?

Your fingers grazed against something, and to your shock, you found a deep red hibiscus, resting where the wolf had been moments prior.

You picked it up, puzzled where it came from, as you spun the stem between your fingers.

Language…

“What?”

The language… of…

“Language of…what language?” you repeat to yourself, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

You looked back down at the hibiscus, and then back up to the ever waning moon. “The language… the language… ”

The image of a red hibiscus and a great white wolf lingered in your mind as you woke up, and as you bathed yourself and got ready for the day, you kept trying to figure out what exactly that voice had meant about “the language”.

You had never attributed too much to dreams, learning from your grandmother at an early age that most dreams meant absolute codswallop and that leaning on them for answers was absolutely ridiculous.

On the other hand, some of the other old women argued that dreams were a very valid source of divination for witches, and it was foolish to not listen to what they said.

“Oh really?” your grandma would interrupt, clearly annoyed.

This would happen every time someone would reignite the whole “dream debate”, as the women liked to call it. You had been witness to several yourself, and recalled one night where your grandmother had had quite the rebuttal.

“Well, I had a dream that the handsome new farm hand that sells us all our vegetables, came ‘round and swept me off my feet-- among other things,” she mumbled, several other witches snickering in response. “That doesn’t mean he’s gonna come and do that, Daria!”

The other woman, Daria, someone that your grandmother often disagreed with, gave a hmph!

“You don’t know that! It could have been a vision from the future--”

“He’s engaged you peaheaded fool!”

Most of the room would erupt into laughter, but the other women hardly ever found it amusing. Usually, that would be the time that your mother would escort your grandma back home, the two old women shouting curses at one another till they were too far away to hear what foul atrocities would befall their crops, or which great-great-great-great grandchild would be born with the head of a toad.

So, you knew to take such vivid dreams with a grain of salt. But, there was something tugging at you again… the thought that maybe… just this one might actually hold some meaning to it.

You flatten out a few of the creases on your light blue chiffon blouse, trying to look presentable even if your mind was a mess. You sported some light cotton trousers to go alongside, as you assumed that you would just be in the greenhouse again all day.  

The brown boots you wore were scuffed and covered in flecks of dried dirt. You made sure that the soles were relatively clean, since you would be mortified if you stained the beautiful red carpets with mud after trekking throughout the castle back to your room late one night.

Throughout the weeks of living in Castlevania, you had managed to familiarize yourself with the layout of the places that you frequented often, like the library or the garden. It was so much easier for you to just zip through the hallways, oftentimes skipping down them as you pondered on what to eat for breakfast.

But… there was a familiar tug, and you slowed down one corner, entering the last hallway you had to walk through to reach the kitchen.

Your gaze wandered, curious as to why you had felt that sensation just moments before, when your attention was brought to yet another painting. It was strange, you must have passed this one at least a dozen times before, why was it vying itself to be important now?

It was a large portrait of Adrian, that you knew. The two of you ran into each other one morning, and he had pointed out that this had been done shortly after receiving his sword. He said his father called it an “extended birthday present”, but Adrian knew it was just a way for his mother and father to have a portrait of him as an adult. He also mentioned how amusing he thought it was, that they hung it right outside his old nursery.

That fact certainly piqued your interest, but he had locked the door with a spell before you could even try to get in. You pouted, but he had said he would show you one day. For now, he would like to be spared some form of humility in your relationship.

Oh right… that’s what he had said. You recalled how your cheeks rose in color, chastising yourself for even thinking of misinterpreting it as something other than a friendship. Is that why you had been brought here? To feel embarrassed again?

Slightly irritated, you’re about to tell this inner-voice to bugger off, before you realize something peculiar about the shield that he’s carrying. It was large, and red, with a black cross emblem resting in the foreground of large, white bat wings, and the enormous head of a ferocious white wolf with golden eyes.

Memories of your dream merge with the painting before you, a thrumming headache drumming behind the backs of your eyes as that voice comes back, echoing,

The language… the language…! Over and over again!

Ugh!

You pinched the bridge of your nose and kept going. Why was this dream being so stubborn? Why couldn’t it just fade away like all the rest of ‘em did?

Walking into the kitchen, you took your seat beside Adrian, who was reading the book you had assigned him to, a tome on more advanced fire spells. He was stirring his tea with the slow flick of his index finger, a skill he had been quite proud of mastering.

Lisa was chatting with her husband, a bowl of steamy homemade oatmeal with a sprinkle of cinnamon resting in front of her. Vlad sipped on some freshly brewed coffee as his wife told him about her plans for the day, the two of them giving you smiles as you helped yourself to some food.

“You have quite the good timing,” Lisa said, eating a spoonful of her breakfast. “I was just about to tell Vlad what we were doing for the day.”

“Oh?” you stirred your spoon, sticky with honey, into your oatmeal.

“I thought it was finally time that you accompany me to the village, to Lupu!” she gave you a toothy grin, eyes crinkled with excitement.

Your spoon nearly clattered back into your oatmeal from shock, but you managed to shove it into your mouth before any harm fell to it. You swallowed, a bit of apprehension laced in your voice as you replied, “Are… are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Lisa frowned. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Well… I… I dunno, what if I scare someone? Or mess something up? I would never want you to lose the trust you’ve built up with your patients because of something I did--”

“That’s enough.” Lisa snapped. “You need to stop being so harsh on yourself! If anyone has what it takes to be an amazing doctor, it’s you!”

A blush spread across your face and down your neck, and your averted your gaze back to your breakfast. “Thank… thank you,” you said sheepishly.

“You act as though you have two heads and vicious claws, little one.” Vlad gave you a kind look from across the table. “No one will be afraid of you. Never have I met someone as kind and generous as my dear Lisa. The people will love you.”

Your breath left you in shaky gasps, a wave of gratitude washing away all of the anxiety you had previously felt. “Thank you… both of you. I really appreciate it.”

Once breakfast was finished, Lisa suggested that you head back to your room in preparation for the day. She said that you were going to watch what she did more than anything today, but she urged that you take important notes and prepare yourself for on the fly questions anyone may ask you.

You didn’t really know what to expect, so you tried to shove everything important you could think of inside your satchel. A couple of your personal notebooks, some vials of fresh herbs and roots, a couple crystals, some tonics, a few potions, and of course: some gauze.

When you walked out of the front door, you were surprised to find that Lisa was not the only one waiting for you. Adrian was there as well, along with two absolutely stunning horses.

Lisa’s was a chestnut colored mare, his mane a light blond and a white stripe down his snout that matched the white sock patterns he sported around his hooves. His saddle was simple and elegant, but it was practically hidden under the heaps of bags and sacks that Lisa had tied to him.

When she caught sight of your skeptical gaze, she waved you off. “I have not visited for awhile since you’ve arrived, darling. It was a bit difficult for me to find enough time for long consultations in between our lessons. I just have a feeling that it’s going to be a bit busier than normal. Plus, I needed to stock up on some supplies so,” she gave the big bag tied behind her a hearty slap to emphasize her point.

You felt anxiety flicker inside you as she said this, and you worried that the townsfolk would start disliking you as the reason for keeping Lisa away for so long. But… it was summer, it was not common for someone to get very ill during the warmer months. You’re certain Lisa would have stayed in the village longer if someone had desperately needed medical assistance.

Adrian cleared his throat, and made a soft click to get the horse he held moving.

This one was white almost all over, with a white body and white mane. However, the inside of its ears were a pitch black, and its snout looked almost as if someone had dusted ashes onto it. It was a faded black, almost like weathered charcoal. Thick, white lashes fluttered down at you, as the horse gazed upon you with its round black eyes.

You were intrigued by the stare it… she was giving you. Mirroring the movements from your dream, you placed the palm of your hand on her nose, and gave her a few gentle scratches before she whinnied and walked closer.

Smiling, you stroked her soft mane and she gave a delighted puff, her tail flicking from side to side like a puppy.

“Her name is Clara, and I thought that her friendly disposition would be easy for you to handle.” Adrian gave you the reigns, a smile on his face.

“Oh I’ve lived with horses my whole life… I just never had the money to afford one after… well, you know.” you gave him a halfhearted smile in return, but quickly chased those thoughts away.

“She’s beautiful, thank you for introducing me to her Adrian.” you gently stroked Clara down her back, before you heaved yourself up into the saddle. You gave Adrian a thumbs up, hoping that you didn’t get him down after he had gifted you with a horse.

You saw his eyes shine as his lips upturned into another smile, the sight causing your heart to flutter as both you and Lisa waved him goodbye as you started down the path into town.

The two of you left late in the morning, and expected to get there by early afternoon. Now on the backs of horses, you felt much more relieved on the prospect of the trip back, having dreaded the idea of walking all the way back to Castlevania after a day of hard work.

                                                      __________

You and Lisa made idle chit chat as your horses followed the dusty route that lead to Lupu, where she revealed that that is where she was born and raised.

It had been a very small village when she was little, but over the past two decades or so, it had really begun thriving. It was all thanks to meeting Vlad all those years ago. He gifted Lisa with the knowledge to really help people, and it was because of him that she was able to heal so many people and save so many lives.

The mortality rate, especially that of children and infants, had gone down significantly since Lisa became the town’s physician. It was horrendous to dwell on how things were back in the day, and she cannot believe that her own mother had taken the advice of the wisewoman everyone claimed as a real healer.

You grimaced at that, having too much experience with those sorts of folks.

“I told him,” she said, her voice shaking with laughter. “That… that people wouldn’t live such scared little lives anymore if they had real medicine!” her laughter was triumphant, and Lisa smiled. “And I was right! It makes me so happy to see my people so healthy and alive.”

You could easily echo Lisa’s sentiments, and the more time the two of you spent together, the clearer it became that the two of you were truly destined to meet.

“I suppose… given enough time… Lupu could become like another family to me,” you muttered, as you clung to the amulet around your neck.

“I know it will.” Lisa stated firmly.

The rest of the journey went by fairly quickly, and the both of you soon made it to Lisa’s clinic on the outskirts of town. While Lisa hurriedly restocked her stores, you watched over the horses as they took a break to drink some fresh stream water or munch on crisp grass.

The weather was perfect, and you raised your hand above your eyes to get a better look at Lupu. You could see a few houses, made of mud, stone, and grass, had smoke rising from their roofs, signaling that someone was hard at work on the stove.

The distinct sound of clattering cow bells and the cries of hungry sheep rung in your ears, a couple dog barks sounding off, a man shouting about something in response, before the chatter of several other people rose up into the atmosphere.

Slowly, the village was coming to life. The prospect of making a couple coins off hungry travelers stopping by in the peak of the afternoon, was always something on vendor’s minds. Bartenders were going to take advantage of thirsty customers, just wanting a pint with their freshly grilled chicken, and animals would need to be let out of their huts and prairies for their lunch as well.

“Alright,” Lisa said, as she came running out of the doorway, which she closed with a swift kick. “That should be everything. Grab what you left on your horse, and then let us make our way down.”

The only thing that you brought with you was your satchel, and after a few exchanges, Lisa decided that it would make more sense for you to leave that inside her office. She concluded a tour of Lupu was the first order of business on the agenda, since it would give you a chance to look around and meet the people that you would be treating.

Lisa lead you down the beaten path, quietly urging you forward when you found yourself straggling behind her excited gait. Rows of vendors and a few shops were the first buildings that ran along either side of the main road. The shopkeepers went about coaxing any possible customers with their deals, priding themselves on the freshness of their ingredients or the level of quality on their craftsmanship.

A girl with messy brown hair tied back into a ponytail, her honey-brown eyes surrounded by a mask of freckles, approached you with a couple homemade necklaces, going on about how they were charms that warded off evil, or how this one would guarantee that money would find its way into your hands.

You glanced skeptically at the pieces, and you noted that both of the gems were white quartz, which had little to no power on its own. Quartz was more of a conduit for magic than anything, helping amplify other elements in a spell rather than being what really impacts your original intent.

“I would start making those money charms with citrine, if I were you,” you suggested.

The girl blinked, clearly having no idea what you were talking about. She looked back down at her necklace, and then slowly raised it up to you, as though unsure of whether or not you wanted to buy it. “Uhh… thanks?” she had an accent, unrefined and harsh.

You vaguely thought to try and explain what it is you meant, but then she shoved past you and embraced Lisa in a tight hug.

“Marian! It’s good to see you!”

Lisa playfully ruffled her hair, a toothy grin on the girls face as she raced back inside of her house, yelling, “Mama! Lisa is back! Lisa is back!”

A couple moments later, a disheveled woman with blond blond hair, tied behind her in a braid, came out of the house followed by a girl about the same age as Marian, with hair the same color and style as her mother’s.

“Oh! It’s true!” she cried out, elated. She was muttering to herself as she shuffled over to where Lisa stood, and she grabbed her hands, shaking them up and down in gratitude.

“Why hello there Sabina,” Lisa gave the woman two chaste kisses on either side of her face. “And you, Lorena,” she smiled at the other girl.

“It’s great to see you Doctor Tepes!” she exclaimed. “It’s been forever since we last saw you. What have you been up to?”

“Well, actually,” Lisa turned her attention to you, who had been standing beside her awkwardly this entire time. “This is a student of mine, and she’s what’s been taking up a lot of my time. I brought her with me today to meet all of you and to get a feel for working with actual people instead of plants.”

The three laughed, and waited as you nervously introduced yourself before greeting you properly, with hand shakes and cheek-kisses.

“Everyone is going to be so happy when they find out that you’re back, Dr. Tepes.” Sabina said, as she ushered her two girls back to the old, wooden table that held their wares for sale.

“By the looks of it, it seems that I don’t even really need to visit you!” Lisa joked. “It’s so lively this morning.”

“That’s ‘cus winter is over with!” Lorena chimed in. ��I mean, spring is always nice, with all of the plants and animals coming back, but nothing can beat this nice weather!”

“Yes,” Sabina agreed. “The crops have been especially good this year, as have the animals. They’re all as healthy as can be.”

“That’s wonderful to hear!” Lisa happily exclaimed, and gave the family a wave as she started to walk away. “It was great seeing you all! We’re just going to make our rounds.”

Sabina nodded her head, and gave Lisa one last kiss on the cheek before she headed back to her house. “You better stop by for some dinner before you head home!”

“I will! Thank you!”

You gave the family a wave too, beginning to feel a little more at ease. The most of that afternoon was spent with Lisa getting recognized and pulled into hugs and conversation, and one thing that made you truly happy to hear, was just how thrilled everyone was to report how well they had been doing physically since her absence.

“My mother hardly ever nags me about that blasted cough she used to get around this time! What a relief!” a large man named Serghei laughed, a hearty, infectious sound that spread throughout the crowd.

You and Lisa had decided to stop by the local pub for a drink, and the friendly atmosphere made it easy to catch up with all of the local patrons. Everyone was incredibly amicable, and welcomed you with wide open arms. A lot of people went so far as to admit how glad they were that Lisa was finally receiving some sort of help.

“She does too much on her own, that one!” the bartender, named Toma, grumbled.

He and his wife ran the place together, and they had been doing so for well over ten years. His wife, Valeria, was a boisterous woman that was well respected within the community. The two greatly contrasted each other, Toma being a skinny, short man, while Valeria was a tall, powerful presence that toted the title of being the undefeated champion of arm wrestling at The Baroness.

Apparently how the spot got its name is a favorite story amongst the locals, the men pleading and begging Valeria to tell you. After some goading, they managed to convince her, the crowd falling silent with a hush as they huddled around the barstools you and Lisa sat at.

“So I first need to preface this, with a little backstory,” Valeria begins, her rich voice sending tingles up your spine. “Back before I met old Tomas here and got my life all sorted out, I was sort of… freelance in the good old days.”

“Freelance?” you question.

“She means she was a thief,” Tomas whispered back.

Valeria glared at her husband. “Oi! I had more dignity than a common thief! Anyways, me and my friend, who for the sole purpose of this story, I decided to name Grigore,” the audience chuckled and sneered. “Overheard about this party that was happening in Tậrgoviște. Now, being the capital and all, there was no way that a couple of common folks was sneakin’ into this big fancy party. But, I came up with an ingenious plan. We would disguise ourselves as a pair of guests, it’s not like whoever is hosting is gonna recognize all five hundred people they invited. That’s absolute shit!”

The men hooped and hollered, raising their tankards in agreement as they took big, hearty swigs. You moved out of the way as a couple guys behind you started getting rowdy, trying to avoid getting beer spilled all over your nice clothes.

“Hey!” Valeria shoved one of the men behind you, the back of his head colliding with someone behind him. “Watch the lady! She’s listenin’ to my story.”

You gave her a weak thank you, before urging her to continue, not wanting to make any enemies from this special treatment.

“So we stake out the place, looking for two people that looked boring enough to be missed. It was actually pretty easy to do, nobles can be pretty clueless when it comes down to it. When her date suddenly ‘vanished’, she went looking for him and quickly found my fist in her face instead.” she laughed, slapping one of her muscular thighs in amusement. “All that was left was to change into their clothes and assume their titles. I had nabbed the role of the Baroness Elisabeta, and Grigore was some wimpy Baron called Eduard, or something. The whole point of these parties were for nobles to donate a certain amount of money, which would all be stored within a great big chest.”

“That,” you said, a frown on your face. “Is… really stupid.”

Valeria cackled, and then pointed at you. “This kid gets it! That’s exactly what I was thinking when it was explained to me. Now, even though I was a freelancer-”

“Thief.” Toma corrected, as he handed someone a refill.

“Freelancer!” Valeria insisted. “Even though I was a freelancer, I was not completely dense. I knew that there would be no way that the two of us would be able to get away with stealing the entire thing. But, we could both settle for a big bag or two. To cut things short, we ended up with only one bag between the two of us, and about ten soldiers on our asses. It was actually the night I met Toma,” she said, and wrapped one of her toned arms around her husband’s shoulders. “If he hadn’t been stupid enough to actually hide the two of us, I would probably be in prison, rotting away in some cell.”

“And what a shame that would be!” Toma exclaimed. “I’m glad I was foolish enough to trust you into not killing me for being a conspirator in your big scheme.”

Valeria laughed and dipped him back as she gave him a kiss, the patrons whooping and crying out excitedly. She gave her husband a firm slap to the back as he walked off in a slight daze, before her fierce grey eyes landed on you.

“You seem like a strong girl. I hope that you find someone that will treat you right.”

You flushed, unprepared for this change in the conversation. “Um… um thank you.”

“Never,” she grabbed a firm hold of your shoulders, and albeit, you were surprised at how soft her hands were. “Settle for anything less than you’re worth.”

You slowly nodded your head, letting her know you received her message loud and clear.

The bar was filled with a chorus of farewells and a lot of handshakes as you and Lisa made your way out, the sound and smell of metallurgy filling your senses as you both rounded a corner. A small hut sat a little ways away from a blacksmith station, the steam from the water hiding the man that was currently hammering away at a piece of red-hot steel.

“Doctor Tepes!” a woman’s voice called out from behind the fog, and out ran a tall, lithe woman with vibrant red hair. Her green eyes sparkled like emeralds in the sunlight, her arms wrapped tightly around Lisa when she was welcomed with open arms.

“Diana! How wonderful to see you!” Lisa pulled away and peered over Diana’s shoulder, a smirk on her face. “I see Marius is still hard at work.”

“Of course, after saving his hand, there’s been no stopping him!” she laughed, a joyous ring that sounded almost like a song. “We’ve even been commissioned by several royal families! We delivered a sword just a few days ago to Gresit, I believe it was one of the son’s birthdays.”

“That’s exciting!” Lisa beamed at her. “Do you think it would be possible to speak to Marius? It’s been so long since I’ve seen him, after-all.”

“You don’t even need to ask, ma’am,” Diana playfully shoved Lisa’s shoulder as she turned to get her husband. After a few seconds, she appeared from the smoke on the arm of her husband, Marius.

He was a tall man, with choppy black hair and the stubble of a beard. There was a nasty scar running from the tip of his right eyebrow, down to the side of his lips, and he walked with a slight limp. His muscular arms were covered in an array of scars, some deeper than others, but despite his rather rugged appearance, his bright blue eyes sparkled with a delightful warmth.

“Doctor Tepes,” he rasped, his voice rumbling deep in his chest. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve last seen each other.”

“It has. But I’ll have you know that I wasn’t just lounging around!” Lisa said, and put a hand on your shoulder as she introduced you to the couple. “This is a prospective student of mine. She’s been working with me for a couple weeks now, and she’s made such significant progress, that I thought it only reasonable for me to bring her with me on my first outing back here.”

“Student, eh?” Marius looked down at you. “I didn’t know you were a teacher too.”

“I never thought that role would befall me either,” Lisa admitted. “But she approached me into having her as my apprentice. She’s very skilled in the art of medicine as well.”

“Really?” Diana sounded a bit impressed. “But you look so young!”

“I’ve actually been learning about healing and medicine for almost my entire life.” you replied. “Which… can be a little difficult to do if you’re a woman.”

Diana nodded her head in agreement. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Doctor Tepes over here complaining to me about how people compare her to the senile old wisewomen that suggest you boil nettles and entrails! The ridiculousness of it all.”

You grinned, thankful that at least these people understood the benefits of medicine and what Lisa was providing for them. “That’s why I sought her out,” you said, your focus back on Lisa. “I overheard rumors circulating in this village while I visited about someone who was actually taking care of and healing people! It made me very excited, as my family had been doing that for generations. I was so relieved when she said she would teach me… I honestly don’t know what I would be doing right now had she not been so kind.”

“Oh, stop it,” Lisa had a blush on her cheeks. “You are very intelligent and capable. There was no way I was going to let you just wander off after you proved to me how much you knew about medicine!”

“Now there’s no need to put yourself down either, Lisa,” Marius interjected. “It’s because of you that I have my hand.” he raised up his left hand, clenching and unclenching his fingers.

“It was due to the war,” Diana answered, after she noticed your curious expression. “He came back home after serving for around five months, with what we thought was only a broken wrist. A couple days later, and he’s suffering from a horrible fever and his hand is starting to succumb to a nasty infection. If it wasn’t for Doctor Tepes, he certainly wouldn’t have that hand.”

“Aye,” Marius looked at Lisa, the gratitude in his expression palpable. “It’s thanks to you that I have been able to keep my craft alive.”

“And you do mighty fine work!” Lisa smiled, her eyes flicking over to Marius’s workstation. “Do you think we’d be able to get a sneak peak on what you’re working on?”

Marius gave a sheepish grin, and rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean… if you really wanted to, I wouldn’t be opposed--”

“Wonderful!” Lisa grabbed a hold of your hand and urged you forward.

You heard Diana laugh at her enthusiasm, and you quickly picked up your pace to avoid tripping as Lisa pulled you along.

The inside of the room was surprisingly organized, with tools being sorted into different open mason jars as storage, and rolled up parchment, with what you could only assume as design plans, rested comfortably and neatly inside one of the shelves.

Swords and shields hung on the wall, however you noted that these were not new. In fact, they were covered in scratches and dents, some of the metal on the hilt of the swords turning a dark brown as it rusted over.

“These were the weapons I was able to salvage after my time in the war,” Marius said, while he looked over the small collection fondly. “They’ve saved my life on many occasions, so I did not think it right to abandon them after my injury.”

“My father was in one of the wars,” you replied, as you continued to stare at one of the shields, it’s detailed emblem catching your eye.

Marius looked down at you, surprised. “Really? What was his name?”

You turned to Marius, a half-hearted smile on your lips. “Nicolae. Although, it is unlikely that you would have ever met him. He died in the wars against the Ottoman’s around twenty years ago.”

Marius hummed, and gave an understanding nod. “I see… I am sorry for your loss.”

You chuckled, a hint of sadness laced in your eyes. “I never met him, but my mother told me that he was a kind man and that he loved her very much. She would reminisce about him sometimes… his eyes the color of sapphires, hair a curly mess that always ended up with twigs and leaves tangled within its strands… I think…” you paused for a moment, and nibbled on your thumbnail. “I think she missed him… but she never really let on how much she missed him.”

“Parents often hide their sorrow in order to remain strong for their children.” Marius let one of his large hands rest on the top of your head, before he gave you two endearing pats. “I’m sure your father is very proud of the woman that you have become.”

“Thank you… it would be nice to even have one memory of him, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.” your breath felt heavy, a sudden ache filling your chest as you said this.

“Don’t be sad, love,” Diana cooed, she and Lisa walking over to where you and Marius stood. “You can make new happy memories here, with all of us!”

“She’s right,” Lisa agreed, and bopped the tip of your nose. “Everyone here has been so thrilled to meet you!” she suddenly faltered, and her head cocked to the side as she scratched the side of her face, a nervous habit of hers. “Well… there’s one group that I’m a little worried about…”

You felt anxiety start to grab a hold of you again, swallowing a lump in your throat. “What are you talking about?”

Diana groaned beside you, as she rolled her eyes. “You’re not talking about them are you?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Come now,” Marius interjected. “They’re not so bad!”

Diana scoffed, her hands placed on her hips. “You only say that because they’ve got a soft spot for you!”

“Nonsense!”

“Oh please!” Diana said scathingly. “As soon as one of them spots you, they lure you over with lies about how they’re roof needs fixing or this one specific chair wobbles too much for their liking.”

“They’re old women, my flower,” Marius tried reasoning with Diana, but she seemed to have her mind already made up on these women. “I try and help them whenever I can!”

You craned your neck in Lisa’s direction so you could whisper in her ear, “Who are you talking about?”

“They’re a group of… well, elderly patients--mostly women--that all live within close proximity to each other,” Lisa took hold of your hand again, quietly excusing herself out of the room as Marius continued his efforts to try and calm Diana down.

She lead you back outside and pointed to a group of houses that seemed to form a semicircle around a dusty pavilion that was currently filled with children playing and mothers chatting with each other as they washed their clothes in the nearby creek.

“Folks around here have gotten used to calling it the ‘Senior Alcove’,” Lisa explained, a frown on her face. “I try not to humor then too much by doing the same. They’re really not that bad! They can be a handful at some times, but they’ve been kind to me ever since first coming back from Castlevania.”

“Did something happen after your return?”

“They were a bit suspicious of me when I reappeared, arms full of tonics and different herbs to brew as tea,” she chuckled as she recalled the memory. “They found it a bit hard to believe that I had suddenly become so knowledgeable within a few months, and they also wondered where I’d been this entire time. Thankfully, I was able to convince them that I was the real deal. My mother was a big help in persuading them, too--”

“Your mother ?” you exclaimed, mouth hung-open in mild shock.

“Yes, my mother. Did you think I was born from the Earth or something?” she laughed as she watched your expression shift from bewilderment to embarrassment, your face flushed red as you tried to clarify yourself.

“That’s… that’s not what I meant!” you pouted, arms folded across your chest. “You just never mentioned her till now. I just thought, that… well--”

“That she had passed away?” Lisa finished, and smiled at you to help ease away your anxious gaze. “Don’t worry, it’s only fair that you believed that. She was one of the few people who supported me in my decision to pursue medicine. Although… she was definitely not the biggest fan of me scaling the castle of a supposed monster to do it.”

You gave a quiet chuckle, amused at the thought of Lisa breaking the news that she had married the man everyone seemed to fear so much. “Do you think… do you think that I could meet her?”

“But of course!” Lisa seemed to wiggle excitedly where she stood. “She’ll be absolutely thrilled to hear that I’ve managed to snag an apprentice! Though, it’ll have to wait till we visit the elders. I want to make sure that you leave a good impression on them.”

“Don’t think you’re getting away that easily!”

The both of you whirled around to find Diana and Marius walking over, a bundle of brown rags nestled within Diana’s arms.

“Seems I finally managed to calm her down,” Marius said, a nervous bout of laughter coming from his as Diana elbowed him in the ribs.

“I felt so bad for just… bursting out like that, I told Marius to fix something up real quick for the two of you.” Diana unwrapped what she kept hidden in her grasp, and revealed two round objects made of glass. She gently handed them to you and Lisa, silencing your comments on how they didn’t have to go through the trouble of doing all this with a single stare.

You examined the gift, a circular piece of pristine glass that was surrounded by a fine ring of maple wood. You had never seen anything like it before, and were more than a little confused as to what it’s function could be.

“It’s a sort of magnifying device!” Diana clarified. She grabbed hold of yours and lifted it up to the sky, the glass glittering under the bright sunlight. “It makes it easier for you to look at the finer details of a project. Marius uses them all the time to assist in his work.”

“You made this?” you inquired, more than a little impressed.

Marius nodded his head. “It’s vastly improved my ability to craft even the most delicate of orders. I thought that they might help if you ever needed to look more closely at an injury or… something like that.”

“This is wonderful! It’s almost like a mini telescope!” Lisa was absolutely delighted, and pocketed the small tool within the safety of her napsack.

It took her a second to realize that the three of you were looking at her as though she had just spoken Greek, and she gave a quiet chuckle. “It’s… it’s a device that my husband invented that works in a similar fashion; magnifying faraway objects that you would like to observe more closely.”

“Magnifying objects huh…” Marius mused, and rubbed his chin in a pensive manner. “I quite like the sound of that. I think I shall call them magnifying glasses.”

“Ooh! Make sure to write that down somewhere!” Diana chimed. “My husband sure is brilliant, isn’t he?”

Marius blushed and pulled her into a tight embrace. “It’s only because I have someone like you in my life to inspire me, my flower.”

Diana’s jubilant laughter rang out as he hugged and kissed her.

The couple bid the both of you farewell as Lisa lead you to the Senior Alcove, Marius managing to shout one last message at your retreating forms, “Make sure to stop by if you ever need anything, ladies!”

The children and their mother’s who had been passing the day there all grew very excited upon recognizing Lisa, and while she struck up conversations with the adults, the children were much more interested in you.

It was rare that a stranger came through the village, and when you mentioned that you had been traveling all throughout Wallachia before meeting Lisa, they demanded to know what it was like out there.

Seeing their little eyes fill with excitement when you mentioned the towering mountains to the north, or the beautiful beaches of the south, more than made up for the overabundance in questions that they had. It was a wave of cries and disappointed grumbles when Lisa came over and told them that you had to go speak with the elders, but you promised that the next time you visited, you would make sure to stop by and tell them more of you adventures.

You have to admit that you were a little nervous meeting these old women, and you guessed that Lisa could sense your apprehension, for the first person that you met was named Miruna, and she had to be one of the gentlest people you have ever met. Her light blue eyes crinkled whenever she smiled, her long, starlight hair pulled into a loose bun on the back of her head. She was one of the first people that Lisa ever treated, and she thanked God every day for bringing such an angel into their lives.

The next few people went about as smoothly, and although you tried your best to remember everyone’s names, it was becoming rather difficult, your brain becoming muddled and tired after such an eventful day.

As the two of you said your farewells to the final woman, Tatiana, you let out a long slow exhale, and rubbed your sore temples.

“Is everything alright?”

Your arms flopped to your sides in an exasperated huff, but you managed to give Lisa a weak smile. “Yeah… I’m just a little tired, is all.”

“Did that gang wear you out more than you expected? You could have told me if it was too much--”

“No,” you stopped her. “They were actually fine. They… reminded me of the ladies that my grandmother used to hang out with all the time. I think my brain is just a little loopy from all of the human interaction.”

Lisa gave your arm a reassuring squeeze. “Hmm… maybe I can let you off a little early today.”

“What? There’s no need to do that--” you protest, but Lisa shook her head.

“Nonsense, I can take care of things on my own. If you aren’t able to put one-hundred percent into your work, then it wouldn’t be fair of me to keep you.”

“Are… are you sure? This was supposed to be my first day, and I’d hate to disappoint you like this…”

She pulled you into a hug, before placing a delicate kiss on your forehead. “You could never disappoint me, little one. I want you to eat a good hearty dinner and get a good night’s sleep, because I expect you ready to go bright and early tomorrow morning!”

You let out a sigh of relief, new energy coursing through your veins as you pictured yourself back at Castlevania, laying on your comfortable bed.

“Oh um… I… I would still like to meet your mother, if that’s okay?”

“I thought that you would say that,” Lisa giggled, and turned your attention to a small cottage that rested near the bend of the creek.

It looked similar in style to Lisa’s office, although it was definitely smaller. A large apple tree stood nearby, crisp red apples hanging off the healthy branches that drooped from the weight of the fruit. Small song birds pecked at the apple cores that had been left around the trunk by hungry animals, before they fluttered away when the loud caw of a raven could be heard.

You gasped out of fright when a large black bird swooped down from the sky, it’s wings fluttering once, twice, before it settled itself on an open windowsill. Its pointed peak ducked between its feathers to pick and preen, its long claws sunk into the wood as it paid no mind to neither you or Lisa.

“Munnin, is that you?”

A woman with sea-green eyes and greying blond hair worn in a stacked braid poked her head out of the window, her attention focused on the raven before she exclaimed in surprise, “Oh! Lisa!” at the sight of her daughter.

You heard footsteps rush to the front door, which was immediately yanked open as Lisa’s mother ran out to wrap her arms tightly around her daughter.

“My stars! I was not expecting to see you today!” she said, giving her daughter a kiss on each cheek.

“You act as though we haven’t seen each other in years, mother.” Lisa replied.

“Not years, no. But it has been several months! You could have at least sent me a letter,” she grumbled.

“You know you’re always welcome to visit!”

“And how was I supposed to get there? On these two legs? Now you’re barking.”

Lisa rolled her eyes and stepped aside so that you were in view. “Mother, I would like to introduce you to someone.” she began, and waved you over as she introduced you.

You gave her mother an awkward wave, silently praying that she would accept you as being worthy as her daughter’s student.

“A teacher? You?” she sounded incredulous. “My… that’s absolutely wonderful!”

Your breath was suddenly knocked out of you as she brought you into a tight hug, the smell of flowers and firewood catching your attention.

“I was always a little worried about my Lisa learning about all of this medical stuff, but knowing that she has someone that can continue her work, makes me very happy.”

“Thank… thank you, ma’am.” you said quietly.

“Oh, where are my manners!” she said, and grabbed both you and Lisa’s hand. “Come, let’s go inside. I can put some tea on the kettle. Do you have a specific kind that you like?” she turned to you, and you felt yourself clam up at the attention.

“Uh… well, I like most tea so I’m sure whatever you make will be just fine.”

“Peppermint it is, then. And you can call me Crina, dear. I do hate formalities.”

The inside of Crina’s home was as warm and inviting as she was. A small fireplace stood in the far back, a cozy fire crackling away in its hearth. Although it was all just one floor, each corner of the house seemed to be separated for its specific purpose. The kitchen was quaint, with fresh herbs hanging from the ceiling and charming porcelain plates neatly stacked inside of a glass cabinet.

There was a large plush couch and two armchairs placed around the fireplace, a beautiful violet rug resting in between them. Large shelves filled with books stood beside the fireplace, and a quick scan let you see that they were mostly storybooks, or tomes written on mythology and ancient cultures. A wooden kitchen table with two chairs on either side had a crystal vase filled with a bouquet of wildflowers on it, and a little ways from that, was a box filled with an assortment of children’s toys.

A curious thing for a woman her age to have, you thought.

Your attention was quickly directed to a rack that stood nearby, where beautiful shirts and dresses looked as though they were drying in the waning sun. They appeared homemade, by the looks of it, and you silently admired the craftsmanship as Crina went on with brewing some water for the tea.

“My mother was a seamstress when I was little,” Lisa said, as she approached you. “She’s very talented, and continues to make clothes for herself and for people in the village. I’ve told her that there’s no need, since we’re certainly not lacking in funds ever since I married my husband, but she still enjoys doing it.”

“That’s because,” Crina replied, as she walked to the kitchen table, a silver platter with three teacups, sugar, and spoons in her hands. “There is always a need for clothes and blankets. I tell folks that there’s no need to pay me, but they always insist on some form of compensation for my work.”

You took a seat beside Lisa, thanking Crina as she handed you a cup and filled it with the hot water from the kettle. “I can see why people urge you to take something in exchange, I haven’t seen such fine sewing since my grandmother.”

Crina grinned, lifting the lid off a small tin to procure a biscuit for you. “This one certainly knows how to flatter the ladies,” she teased.

You laughed as you accepted the treat, dunking it into your peppermint tea to let it soak up the flavor before popping the whole thing into your mouth. “Do you make clothing for the children, as well? I noticed the box of toys over in the corner.”

Crina took a sip of her tea, and nodded her head. “I sometimes make clothes for the little ones, but usually it’s just sewing back a button or replacing a stitch. I’ve recently become a sort of nanny for the village, watching over the children when I’ve seen how much their poor mother needs a break.”

Hearing this, a fond feeling settled into your heart, and you’re taken back to warm, happy memories of times with your own grandmother. You thought that they would get along, she and Crina, and the thought made you smile.

“Well, enough about me, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been up to--” she was interrupted by loud cawing from outside her window, Crina letting out a huff as she stomped over to see who was causing all that racket.

“Hugin and Munnin! Screaming your heads off is certainly not the way to grab my attention!” she shook her finger at the two, before she made her way to the kitchen and grabbed two chicken drumsticks from her meat storage.

“Who is she talking to?” you whispered.

“Do you remember the raven we saw, perched outside the window just before she noticed me?”

“Yes?”

“That one was Munnin. She has two ravens that visit her nearly every day for food and, remarkably, companionship.”

You blink, and then look over at Crina, who was cooing and stroking the head of one of the raven’s as it picked at the meat with its sharp beak and talons.

“Those ravens… are your pets?”

Crina turned back to you and Lisa, and shook her head. “No, no. I would never call them my pets. I like to consider them more as companions. Munnin is a sweetheart, she brings me presents, shiny things that she finds scattered throughout the village. Hugin is a big old oaf, but he means well.”

“Hugin and Munnin…” you mutter to yourself. “They aren’t by chance… named after Odin’s ravens, are they?”

“Oh! Astute this one!” Crina exclaimed happily. She shuffled her way over to one of the bookshelves and plucked one off the shelf, a worn tome whose spine was starting to tear apart. “I simply love reading about myths and legends from around the world,” she flipped through the text, which had elaborate drawings of Norse gods and inscriptions of famous stories. “So I thought it only appropriate to name my two friends here after Odin’s familiars.”

You thought it was cute, albeit a little unusual, that these two birds of prey became so attached to this kind old woman. It seemed as though you had opened the floodgates however, and Crina started going on and on about gods and goddesses, holy places and sacred places.

You knew some of the names she mentioned, having prayed to a few of them yourself, but you were surprised to find out how many deities you didn’t even know existed. Eir, for instance, was a goddess of healing, your speciality, and yet you never read about her in your studies.

Although you would have liked to stay and hear more about this secret passion of Crina’s, you felt your eyes grow heavy with exhaustion. You did not want to appear rude, and cut her off, but it was becoming more difficult with each passing second to stay awake.

Someone poked you lightly on the shoulder, which caused you to jump and blurt out,

“Yes, yes! I’m listening!” Lisa’s laughter brought a flush to your cheeks, your ears turning red from humiliation. “Are you tired, love?” “Who, me?” you feigned. “No, not at all--why?”

“You can’t lie to two mother’s, dear!” Crina said, a toothy smile on her face. “I appreciate you trying to tough it out to listen to an old woman’s tales, however.”

You sunk lower into your chair, mortified that they had noticed you falling asleep. “I’m sorry… I really would love to hear more about these legends, I’m just…” “Exhausted?” Lisa stated.

“Don’t worry your little head off, my dear,” Crina wrapped up a couple biscuits and handed the bundle to you. “Take this as my compensation for your time, and as a binding for that promise of future visits.” You eagerly took the cookies, setting them in your pocket for safe keeping. “Thank you. Now, um, do you want me to head back to the castle?” “If you think you can manage to stay awake, then by all means. If not, I have a cot that you can sleep on in my office, if you’d like.”

The offer sounded tempting, but you would much rather sleep in your own bed. “I think I can handle it.”

After saying goodbye to Crina, and promising Lisa that you make a swift and safe trip back home, you started the trek back to her office. You found Clara lounging under a tree, her head resting upon the soft ground as she watched the animals and bugs that lived near the creek.

When she saw you, she gave a delighted cry, standing up so she could trot over and greet you. You stroked her mane, before you leaned forward to rest your tired head on her neck. The aroma of grass, hay and sunlight made you feel at ease, and after grabbing your things from inside, you pulled yourself up onto the saddle and kicked Clara into motion.

A peaceful tranquility had settled over the evening, the hum of cicadas ringing in your ears as you made your way through the woods. Animals that had been busy foraging throughout the day were heading back home for the night, much like yourself. You spotted a few birds here and there, and even a small herd of deer, but other than that, it was just you, Clara, and the trees.

This was what you needed more than anything, just some time to be alone in nature. You took a deep breath, the scent of a fresh summer breeze filling your lungs. It gave you a bit of energy, just enough, you thought, to stay away till you made it back.

As you thought of the castle, your mind wandered. You had promised Adrian that the two of you would meet again tonight for lessons, but, you were sure he’d understand once you explained how tired you were.

Hmm… that boy… you mused, eyes glazed over as you recalled the smile he had given you this morning.

Your heart started to beat faster, and your breath caught in your throat, but you grimaced. There… there was no time for such foolish things.

Another tug at your heart, and the events that transpired in your dream came circling back around. You still had no idea what that voice meant about ‘the language’, but you found it rather odd that the wolf on Adrian’s shield had manifested itself. The more you thought about this dream, the more frustrated you became. What the hell did it all mean?

As you rounded over the last hill, the towering pillars of Castlevania rose up in the distance, and you clicked your tongue to urge Clara into a run. You kept telling yourself that you were just excited to get to bed and finally get some rest, but… that tug…

Clara whinnied as you reached the top of the garden path, and you looked down at her, concern laced on your features.

“What is it, girl?”

She craned her head, as if pointing out something with her snout. Following her advice, you glanced up and nearly fell out of your seat.

Waiting for you, at the entrance back into the castle, was…

“Adrian?”

You pulled on the reins to drag Clara to a halt, your breath leaving you in shallow puffs as you stared down at him. “What are you doing here?”

He walked over to you, a soft smile on his face. “It’s quite easy to spot a pure white horse amongst all of this green,” he teased, and laughed as your cheeks turned red. “I thought you might need some help after such a long day.”

There was that tug again.

You brushed some hair out of your face, and swung your legs around. “Thank you, but I can manage--” “Don’t be so stubborn,” he held out a hand for you, as he offered to help you down.

Your eyes widened slightly, but you told yourself to remain calm, he was just being polite. Your hand settled into his, your skin prickling with heat as he enclosed his fingers around it to ease you off Clara’s back.

When your feet touched the ground, you glanced back up to thank him, but your words seemed to fail you again as you stared into his brilliant eyes. It seemed as though time stood still as the two of you gazed upon each other, eyes half-lidded, and your hand still held gently within his.

He leaned closer, his warm breath fanning your face as he asked, “So, how did your first day go?”

You gave a meek laugh. “Your mother had me meet nearly every villager in Lupu, but by the end of it, I was so drained that I could hardly think to stay awake to begin my training.”

“You’re tired?” There was worry in his tone, his free hand reaching up to brush away some of your hair.

“I am but…” your voice trailed off, all senses lost in his eyes, his smell, his touch… “I could try and push through for our lesson.”

His fangs flashed in the dimming light as he smiled. “You’re absolutely ridiculous.” That snapped you out of your trance. “What?”

“Nearly keeling over with exhaustion, and here you are, worried about me. I’m touched.”

You stuck your tongue out at him as he started to laugh. “I didn’t think it possible for your ego to get any bigger, but here you are,” you echo. “Proving me wrong.”

His laughter slowly faded, and you could have sworn you saw his lips twitch up into a smirk as his fingers interlaced with yours and your cheeks rose red in color again.

“I suppose even the most arrogant of men must put aside their pride to take care of those they care about.”

Your heart leaped into your throat, and you cursed your legs for feeling so weak and wobbly as the two of you began walking to your bedroom. In spite of being a bundle of nerves, it was oddly calming, walking down the halls of Castlevania, hand-in-hand with Adrian.

You felt… safe, secure, happy.

It was almost a bit maddening how disappointed you felt when you saw your bedroom door, selfishly not wanting to part from him so soon. But you told that part of yourself to be quiet, and reluctantly pulled away from his grasp to instead grab hold of the doorknob.

You awkwardly cleared your throat, and pointed to your door. “Well, I… guess this is goodnight.”

“Just promise me that you’ll get a good night’s rest so you won’t be completely useless tomorrow,” he snarked.

“For saying that,” you retorted. “I’ll make sure I sleep in, just to spite you.”

“You just love tormenting me, don’t you?”

“Someone’s gotta do it.”

There was that darn tug again.

But… you seemed to feel it as he drew closer, his blond hair brushing softly against your face. A spike of electricity shoots through your veins as you felt his warm lips brush delicately on your cheek, worried that sparks of magic would whirl off the tips of your fingers from excitement.

As he steps back, his fingers wrap around your hand again, giving it a gentle squeeze before he whispers goodnight, your name tumbling off his lips like a ghostly whisper.

All you can do is give him a half-hearted wave as he disappears down the hallway, your body going to auto-pilot as you walked into your room and got ready for bed. Pulling the warm blankets around yourself, you were finally able to process what had just happened.

The memory kept replaying in your head, your heart leaping into your throat each time you did. Had that really just happened? It all felt like a dream…

Yes, dreams… what peculiar little things they were.

You thought of that voice, and you lifted up your hand into the air, rubbing your index finger against your thumb as though you held the hibiscus that you had imagined.

What did it mean… ‘the language’? And why was there a hibiscus of all things there too?

You rolled over onto your side as you wracked your brain to try and decipher these riddles. It was then that you had an idea.

The fairies, you thought, and sat up to look out the window of your room to see a view of the dark, sleeping forest below. I should go and see the fairies… they were in my dream too, so maybe they could have an idea about what it’s trying to say.

You nodded in agreement with yourself and lay back down, agreeing to go and find Aria and the rest of her friends after you were finished with everything.

A dreamy sigh leaves you lips as your body relaxes, winding down for the day as finally feel like you're... home.

[worryinglyinnocent]

Fic: Everything Money Can Buy (2/12)

Summary: The Greatest Store in the World AU. When misfortune strikes and leaves Emma Swan and her son homeless just before Christmas, the ever-resourceful Emma has a ready solution. They’ll move into Mills Department Store, a place they can only dream of affording to buy from. It’s not easy, having to deal with a perpetually grumpy doorman, a nasty assistant manager, and an extremely suspect Santa, but Emma and Henry soon learn that the kindness of strangers is something money can’t buy.

Swan Believer centric, with eventual Swan Queen and background Rumbelle and Dwarf Star.

Rated: G

=====

[One] [AO3]

=====

Two

When Emma woke up the next morning, she almost couldn’t remember where she was. It had been a long time since she’d slept in a bed this luxurious – if she ever had. She reached under her pillow to silence the alarm on her phone. As tempting as it was to go for five more minutes, especially under a genuine goose feather duvet and soft wool blankets, the entire reason that they were in such sumptuous surroundings in the first place meant that they were going to have to make a move sharpish, before it became obvious that they had been in there all night.

She sat up and leaned down to the other end of the bed to wake Henry, who groaned and pulled the covers up over this head.

“What time is it?” he mumbled.

“It’s nearly six. Come on, Henry, we have to move.”

“But it’s a Saturday!”

“I know, but the cleaners will be coming in soon and we need to be ready to sneak out with them before the shop opens. Believe me, I’ve cleaned enough shops before opening hours in my time to know how this works.”

Truth be told, Henry had cleaned enough shops to know how it worked too. Well, usually he’d been sitting in a corner on a step stool out of the way whilst she’d done the cleaning, but he’d certainly been around. It was hard enough holding down a job when she had no qualifications and no fixed abode; trying to hold one down with a small child was almost impossible, and Henry had ended up coming to work with her more often than not.

They got up and set the bed back to as pristine a showroom condition as they could manage, and soon enough, the sound of hoovers and the chatter of cleaning staff could be heard on the floors below them. Emma rushed back to the cleaning cupboard that they’d hidden in the previous evening; it had been during that fraught period at closing time that she’d come up with the plan to disguise their exit this morning. She grabbed a roll of bin bags and a pair of rubber gloves, and with Henry’s help, she tossed all of their baggage into a black sack and started dragging it towards the stairs. It was slow going, but at least they weren’t quite as conspicuous as they could have been.

They were almost in the clear when the cleaning team got up to beds and bed linen, and their progress was hindered even further by the appearance of the assistant manager. Emma cursed and shoved the bin bag full of their belongings in a corner, instructing Henry to guard it and not look anyone in the eye. She was going to have to keep up the cleaning façade for a little longer in order to make it look legit. Thank God she had enough experience to know what she was doing.

In all the time that Emma had been perusing the shelves of Mills without any intention of buying anything, the assistant manager, a Miss Zelena West, had been the bane of Emma’s window-shopping happiness. Like Gold the doorman, she was an institution at the department store, but unlike Gold, there was absolutely nothing likeable about her. Gold was scary, but he did at least smile on occasion and his broad Glasgow accent betrayed roots far from the bright lights and luxury of Mills; so, for that reason, Emma trusted him even if she could feel his eyes boring into her sometimes when they were sitting on their bench across the street, watching him.

Zelena, on the other hand, was always annoying and never smiled so much as leered, her eyes never quite matching what her mouth was doing. There were always too many teeth in her smile, and Emma always got the distinct impression that there was more to her than met the eye. If there was one person whom she absolutely did not want to meet whilst attempting to leave the store having been trespassing in it all night, then it was Zelena. She would definitely be the type to haul them both straight off to the owner’s office and get as many charges as possible pressed against them.

What was she doing here so early anyway? Surely no one could be so paranoid about their place of work that they decided to supervise the cleaning staff, but apparently so. She was stalking in and out of all the display racks, hunting for dust in nooks and crannies and finger marks on any and all mirrored surfaces. Emma showed willing with a duster for a bit, and one of the other ladies caught her eye. She could barely have been out of her teens, if that, and she was so pregnant she could barely fit down between the aisles. Emma felt a pang of sympathy; that had been her ten years ago, still working up until her due date because she had no other choice.

The girl grimaced, rubbing her back.

“When’s it due?” Emma asked, coming over to pick up her dropped feather duster and save unnecessary bending down.

“New Year’s Day. Thanks.” The girl took the duster back with a grateful smile. “I haven’t seen you around here before. Are you new?”

“Yeah, first day on the job.” She nodded over to Zelena, still on the prowl. “Is she always like that?”

“Yep. Nothing’s ever good enough for the wicked witch.”

Emma had to laugh at the nickname; considering Zelena was almost always dressed in some shade of green, it certainly suited her.

“I’m Ashley, by the way. Just let me know if you need any help finding your way round. It’s a huge place; I got lost in kitchenware on my first day. I thought I was going to be stuck in an endless loop of saucepans and lasagne dishes for the rest of my life.”

“I’m Emma. Thanks for the offer.”

“Hey!” Zelena had noticed them talking, and Emma quickly turned so that the other woman wouldn’t see her face. “Less gossiping and more dusting! These beds won’t clean themselves!”

“It might help if she picked up a duster once in her life,” Ashley muttered. Emma gave a snort and made her excuses to leave Ashley alone, slipping away when Zelena’s back was turned again and making her way back to Henry.

“You were gone ages!” he hissed. “I was getting worried!”

Emma grabbed the bin bag and started banging it down the stairs. “I got trapped by the wicked witch. I’ll explain later,” she added quickly on seeing Henry’s confused expression. “Did anyone see you?”

“No. No one came past except the customer services lady and she didn’t say anything. Maybe bringing your kid to work isn’t so rare after all.”

Emma thought of Ashley, and she wondered what would happen after New Year’s Day.

Down on the ground floor, Emma hit a slight flaw in her plan. She’d spent enough time in Mills over the years to know its layout pretty well, but that was only the parts that the public got to see. They were now in the backstage area, so to speak. Staff only. And she had no idea where to find the exit.

People were coming and going, the cleaners and the regular staff coming in to set up their departments; but no one paid her and Henry any mind. They were cleaners after all, lugging a huge bag of rubbish out to the bins. They came in this way, so they must know their way out again.

Emma pushed Henry down behind the bag and dropped into a crouch beside him as she heard a very familiar and very angry voice.

“If Zelena’s held my coat to ransom in the dry-cleaning cupboard again, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

Gold came down the corridor past them, and Emma had to double take at his appearance. She’d only ever seen him resplendent in his uniform, and to see him now, wearing an obviously hand-knitted jumper with a penguin wearing earmuffs on it, was a jarring reminder that he did have a life outside of the store.

“It’s ok, I rescued it for you.”

Gold stopped at the end of the corridor before he could crash into the lady from the customer services desk. She was new this year; Emma had not seen her working on the desk before. She held up Gold’s uniform coat in its plastic dry-cleaning bag, and Emma couldn’t help but notice the slight little red blush that rose in her cheeks when Gold grabbed it with a smile.

“Belle, you are a lifesaver. What would I do without you?”

“Oh, you’d manage, I’m sure.”

“Mum!”

Henry was gesturing frantically down the corridor to where the other cleaners were taking rubbish bags, and Emma knew that it was time to move on and not watch the sweet little scene taking place between Gold and Belle any longer. She hauled up their bin bag and followed Henry down the corridor and out into the yard, whereupon they ducked behind a bin and grabbed all their luggage.

They were out of the woods, and their night of camping out in the store was over.

“Come on, Henry. Let’s go and get our van back.”

X

Someone wise once said that it never rains but it pours. If they had been a bit wiser still, they would have said that it never rains but it pours and thunders and hails and snows all at the same time, and less than a week before Christmas to boot.

Emma was sitting in the cramped office of the DVLA impound trying very hard not to swear, since Henry was sitting only a foot away, pretending to be absorbed in a newspaper and not paying any attention to what the adults were doing, but in reality, he was taking absolutely everything in and he knew that things were going from bad to worse to even worse with every passing moment.

She also knew that she really couldn’t take it out on the poor clerk who was dealing with her case. When the van had been towed in the first place and she’d made it clear that she wouldn’t be able to pay the fine; he’d offered to try and get her a payment plan of sorts. As it was, Emma had pawned some of her mother’s jewellery to make up the cash; the sentimental value was nothing compared to actually having somewhere to call home that wasn’t a department store’s bed section.

She had come to the impound ready to pay, only for the incredibly apologetic and nervous-looking clerk to tell her that he couldn’t release the van to her because it had failed so many safety inspections that it had been deemed dangerous to drive. He was going through the list of all its failings with her now, and every time he faltered, Emma could tell that there was more bad news to come but that he’d already given her so much that he didn’t have the heart to continue.

Eventually, they came to the end of the list, and he looked up at her with an expression that could only be described as a cringe.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “But I just can’t let you drive away in it.”

Emma sat back in her chair and sighed, staring up at the ceiling. There was no way that she would be able to afford all the repairs that the agency had said would be needed before the van would be road legal again. She had barely scraped together enough for the fine in the first place. This was just the icing on the cake of a really terrible year. Every year, she was determined that things were going to get better and that they might finally stop living out of a van.

She’d got her wish all right. They were definitely not living out of a van anymore. They weren’t living out of anywhere.

“To be honest, it might be more economical to write it off,” the clerk said. “I’m not sure how much you’d get for its scrap value, but it would be better than nothing.”

Emma nodded. “Yeah. You’re probably right. How do I go about doing that, then?”

“Well, we won’t be able to do anything until after Christmas, I’m afraid. Everywhere is shut down for the holidays.”

Emma threw her hands up in the air and let them drop down to her sides. “Fantastic. Fan-bloody-tastic.”

There was nothing more that she could do here. All she could hope was that the emergency housing office had somewhere available for them.

“Come on, Henry.” She sighed and hefted up their bags again. “Let’s go.”

“We’re not getting the van back, are we?”

“No.”

They walked on through the town in silence. The van was pretty much the only home that Henry had ever known, and now it had been taken from him in a finger snap, and just before Christmas as well. Henry was used to not receiving Christmas presents, but at least he’d never yet had something taken away from him at Christmas. This was the opposite of the Christmas spirit, and his desolation was palpable.

“We’ll find somewhere else,” Emma said, trying to keep his spirits up, but it was clear that Henry didn’t believe her, and she didn’t quite believe herself. “I’m sure that there are other vans out there.” That said, maybe it would be better to put some roots down somewhere and start living between four walls instead of on four wheels. Maybe this would be the year that they stopped living in the van in a good way after all.

The housing office was open this time, but as they walked in, took the slip of paper from the machine with their number on it, and sat down to wait, Emma didn’t hold out much hope. There were at least six other families in front of them, and all of them were more than just a single mum and her son. On the one hand, being just the two of them, they needed less room and would hopefully be easier to place somewhere, but on the other, bigger families with much younger children had much more urgent need of shelter. Emma remembered with a shiver her first couple of homeless years after Henry had been born, a constant fear of losing him to the bitter cold, burying him under so many blankets as she curled up around him in the back of her car that he could barely be seen. As desperate as she and Henry were, she would never wish that on anyone. Besides, she and Henry had a back-up plan if necessary. Living out of Mills wasn’t exactly ideal, but they’d made it work last night. Surely they could make it work again. All they had to do was stay out of Zelena’s way.

The morning wore on, and Emma’s hopes were getting stretched extremely thin by the time her number was called. She had seen the apologetic shakes of the head that all of the other applicants had been getting, and she knew that things weren’t exactly looking great. It came as absolutely no surprise when she was told that there would be no accommodation available until the new year. If she could just find somewhere to stay over the holidays, then everything would be all right, but all resources were stretched at this time of year, et cetera, et cetera. The woman was telling her in all but the most blatant terms that her best bet would be to go to the nuns at the homeless shelter over the Christmas period and to come back in January.

Emma shook her head. No, she would never go back to the shelter, not after she’d nearly come to blows with the Mother Superior after finding the head nun going through all her and Henry’s belongings, looking for items of monetary value as a ‘voluntary donation’ towards their stay at the shelter. No one had believed her when she’d tried to report it to the authorities. Considering that they were nuns who did regular work in the community and Emma had several shoplifting cautions and convictions under her belt, she wasn’t surprised, but the injustice of it all still stung.

“What are we going to do, Mum?” Henry asked. He had been so good about the whole thing, never once complaining or whining about a very boring day spent in various offices, or the fact that for once in her life, Emma didn’t have a cunning plan to get them out of their latest scrape. Her son was old beyond his years, and Emma felt a huge wave of guilt wash over her that his early life had been so hard. She had done the best for him that she could with what little she had, and she loved him more than life itself, but sometimes she wondered what would have happened if she had taken the advice of everyone around her and given him up for adoption when he was born. Maybe he would have had a better life; he might have been adopted and been living in a comfortable house with central heating and proper beds.

Or he might have had a childhood like hers after her parents were killed and she’d been shoved unceremoniously into the foster system; never to be loved and only to be kicked out to fend for herself as soon as she aged out.

She continued in silence, trying to think of an answer to Henry’s question that wouldn’t leave them both in despair, trudging along the street with aching arms from carrying all the bags all day, until the familiar bright lights of Mills came into view. It was tempting fate to spend another night there, but this time Emma had a much better plan.

“We’ll go camping.”

[geournies]

GEOURNIES VOL. 1: Getting the Boot. (Ft. Intellia Kaelita)

CW: VERY GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, DOMESTIC ABUSE, DRUGS.

The clinking of glasses and chatter of patrons was much louder than usual at Dionysus' today. It was the middle of the month, which meant it was payday for the enigmatic Intellia Kaelita. And, that meant everyone at her favorite bar was getting free drinks, her treat.

"Damn girl, it must really pay to be such a fancy shmancy fashion designer, huh?" Spoke a young, tan-skinned woman to the sugar momma of everyone in the establishment.

"You could say that!" She drunkenly quipped, ferociously licking her chapped lips for any remaining liquor.

"Money does nothing for me anyways~ It's better put to use making everyone else happy instead of using it for empty self-fulfillment. You ain't complaining though, huh? I'm an emotional college kid's dream come true, aren't I, Ravennnn~?" She snarked, jabbing Raven's side softly with her boney elbow.

"Huh? Huh?" She repeated annoyingly while continuing to nudge the other in the side, the force increasing with each one. The one called Raven did not respond, deliberately choosing to ignore her agitator and instead sipped on her drink, a smile cracking upon her lips which were desperately trying to stay straight.

"Ignoring me while drinking on my dime?! Oh, you're so cruel! You know I'll die without friendship, and yet here you are depriving me of it as we speak! I can't take it!" Said the fashionista not even a bit sarcastically, latching onto her friend while she pretended to ugly sob. Raven cackled, following it up with a roll of the eyes

"You just can't be normal for one minute, can you? I swear, you're way more of a kid than me, despite being a grown ass woman. When are you gonna grow up and start acting 24 instead of 17, you weirdo?"

The hammed-up sobbing came to an end, Intellia wiping her crocodile tears away with rotating fists. Her fake frown was eclipsed by her infamous, uncannily wide smile, and she grabbed Raven's drink from the bar and downed the remaining half of her large glass in a single large gulp. Slamming it down with enough force to shatter the glass into itty-bitty pieces sent scattering across the counter, she turned to face Raven, Intellia being greeted by a dropped jaw. Knuckles proudly pressed into her hips, the high roller let out a satisfied AH~.

"As soooooooon as the Underworld freezes over, but the only thing chilly enough to do that would be your still b-beating heart, ya monsterrrr. So I guess that'll have to wait, huh?"

She stuck her blue tongue out at the one whose drink she just savaged, a condescending hum rumbling out of her throat at the same time. Intellia swiveled in her chair to face away from the bar and got to her feet, albeit clumsily.

"Excuse me, bartender! Please get my heartbroken little friend here another gin and tonic! Before she cries, hurry!"

And with that, she drunkenly poked the nose of her college-aged friend, then proceeded to bob and weave around tables and people in an attempt to go outside to satisfy her nicotine kick.

The cyberpunk stumbled her way to the front of the bar, fishing for an unlit cigarette as well as the lighter in her jacket pockets. She raised her leg to the rightmost double door and kicked it open. Once outside, she quickly took the cig and the lighter to her curled lips, flicking it a couple times before actually getting a working flame. Fashionista inhaled the carcinogens in, then letting it roost a bit within her lungs before puffing the smoke back out, a satisfied sigh following suit.

"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth~ That is this world's ultimate truuu-th!"" She sung loudly, a particular pair of lyrics she adored originating from her favorite synth-pop duo, Radiumt. She twirled about in glee, dancing to the tune of her favorite song blaring in her head. Another drag. Puff. As she continued to fuck about like a child, repeating those lyrics over and over like a jovial drone, a large HONK lit up her eardums like a flamethrower taken to jet fuel. Her body was shot catapulting a foot or two into the air, a shrill screech squeaking from her ashen lungs. After her successful landing from the expedition she was sent on, she rotated her head over the back of her shoulder, stiff like a zombie. The windows were tinted, but that had little effect on her Advanced Vision Apparatus (APA). She could see in there like a seer could see the future, but the vision within was no good fortune. The muffled screams were now registering with her bogged up brain, along with the car itself shaking about like a wild animal was let loose within. Intellia's demeanor immediately shifted. The sneer morphed into one of disgust rather than annoyance. Her body stiffened up like a predator ready to pounce. Intellia briskly strode towards the vehicle, nails sharply dug into her fleshy palms.

Wasting no time, Intellia pulled up at the window and immediately pulled her right elbow back, her hip swiveling along with her. SMASH. A sharp jab at the window, glass exploded like shrapnel. Shards propelled into the driver seat, a jolt shot up the spines of the two passengers. Irises of the driver shook, he pulled his bulky biceps down from his face, the metal of his robotic forearms reflecting red from Intellia's visor. He barked at the window smasher, his gruff voice was as low as the ground.

"You dumb bitch! I don't even have insurance to pay for this! I'm gonna drag your barely breathing body to the ATM to pay for this window!"

She ignored his comment. She chose to speak with action. Her arms latched onto his shoulders, and with a pull of her upper body she ripped the beefy other from his seat in a single motion. His bulky bod caught some air time before it landed to the ground. THUD. CRUNCH. A shrap yelp of pain exited his diaphragm, with the only noise following being the clank of steel toed boots. They rung in the ears of the downed one, and soon he felt them being pressed to his temple.

Pressure. Pressure. Oh God the pressure.  His skull was cracking between pleas for for sweet mercy, the deliverer of the boot ignoring each plea. His airtight fist pounded on the floor, he was now at a full blown scream. He wriggled like a worm. His tree-trunk limbs flailed about, all whilst his judge looked down upon him with no emotion.

"Doesn't feel too good to be at the mercy of someone stronger than ya, huh? Thought I'd just see what you and pretend to look the other way? You wish, TRASH."

She hopped off his cranium, a final crunch sounding off. He wheezed in relief, his gaze locked onto the golden boots which nearly squeezed the life out of him. They turned to face him, the sight of the steel strip at the toe burning into his retinas. The right one cocked back, the other planted itself firmly into the ground. SWING. Much like the glass window before, the mixture of blood, teeth, and nerve ending shrapnel launched right into the man's throat. The noise he made was not even reminiscent of a human. It was eldritch. A gurgle from hell. His brain short circuited, his body launched into a clueless, horrified, bloody panic. Intellia walked away, only to turn around mid-stride in order to shoot a ball of spit directly into the newly dug hole in the man's face.

"Live like filth, die in filth."

Hissed Intellia at the squirming body of the man, her attention and presence once more shifting itself back at the driver side window. She peaked inside, her heart spiking in her chest at the sight within. Hers was greeted by the bloodied gaze of another male, much lighter in stature than the one he was with. Well, it was as close to as meeting as possible, as his swollen, black, teary eyes looked in the direction of Intellia. He sobbed tiredly, the carnage having just occurred not even registering with his brain. Intellia snappily opened the car door, sliding in and placing her hands delicately on the other's cheeks.

"Fuck. Hey, you! Are ya alright?"  

No response. She gently papped her hands on his blood caked cheeks to alert him, no response. His neck began to go limp and his head dipped in her hands. Intellia's heart pounded. Sticking her blue tongue out, she swiftly reached for and withdrew a tube in the pockets of her coat. Thumb pressed down on the button at the side, and a needle shot out of the tip of the tube. She gracefully jabbed it into the side of his neck, and released the button, the serume within ejecting into his vein. Instantly, the one fighting for his life had lurched forward, as if he just resurfaced from water at the brink of drowning. His breathing was heavy and rapid, he looked at Intellia, still too shocked to speak. Until he noticed the device she just ripped out of him, its contents fully empty now. His eyes widened about as wide as they could, his jaw dropped.

"You had one of those? And... I made you use it on me? Oh my God, I'm so sorry..."

He remarked, placing his beaten face in the palms of his hand.

"Please. Don't be sorry. Your life now is waaaaaay more important than the chance of me maaaaaybe needin' one of these sometime in the future. Trust me." She spoke softly, something she rarely did. She tossed the tube out the window, directly sinking it into a garbage can located by the carcass of the bulky man. "I'm 'onna take you somewhere where they'll get ya back to being better than ever in no time, 'kay? Just hang tight, you've been through a lotta shit tonight. Plus, the more active ya are, the quicker that good juice wears off."

Intellia pressed a button on the side of the steering wheel, which prompted a black touch screen to erupt from a cache in the center of the wheel. The beaten passenger pressed his hand to the screen, a green line scanning it, then promptly flashing an approving, green hue after. The engine revved, followed by the car pulling out of the lot. She turned to the stranger next to her once more before takeoff, her arm on the headrest of the passenger seat as she looked backwards while pulling out.

"Oh yeah... Forget about him, by the way. He 'aint really a thing anymore."

And to Double Helix HQ they headed.

END.

[datetheplants]

Face to face with the sky (Albert Dasilva)

Part 2 of the series However We Know

Albert easily got cold. The others always poked fun at him because of it. He would never ask for their jacket and he’ll never admit it but he found himself touched when they would bundle him up or when Tony simply snuggled up against him because ‘body heat, Albo!’. He was not a human heater like Jack or an immortal like JoJo as Crutchie always described him because he rarely gets sick. Albert sometimes just hated the cold, especially when it nipped at his skin.

That is why in the early weeks of November after finally recovering from his fever, Tony shoved what must have been at least five layers of clothing on him. Others would think that for most of the time, Tony did stupid things. No, not Albert, especially when he is constantly at the receiving end of the mothering. He glared at him as Tony tucked his ears inside his beanie.

JoJo came out of the kitchen and stopped at the sight of them.

“You’re wearing like, ten jackets,” he said to Albert.

Tony stepped back. “He’s going to die of hypothermia, Jo.”

There was a groan from Albert. “I’ll die anyway wearing this amount of clothes.”

They were going to head over to Jack’s group exhibit. It has been something that he had been stressing about since his professor had announced to the class that they would have to create two artworks that would be seen my known artists. Jack was a wreck but by the end of the month, he became a successful wreck.

The three rode a cab to the university with Albert between JoJo and Tony. He squirmed in his seat, trying to be comfortable and by the middle of the drive, he had accidentally elbowed JoJo in the face when he tried to take off his jacket. Tony was already laughing when Albert shoved his jacket in his face.

They arrived at the event where they recognized several faces from their classes. The others were mostly art students and they greeted the ones whom Jack had introduced to them before. They found Crutchie by the refreshment table with Sean Conlon.

“Hey guys,” greeted Tony to them. “Seen Jack already?”

“Kelly’s crying in the bathroom,” said Sean and sipped his drink.

Crutchie grinned. “He’s talking to some big-time artists.”

Sean and Crutchie were studying to get an English degree and so they hung out together frequently with Jack mostly rolling his eyes at them when they got into some heated discussion. Albert has seen it up close. Tony usually tunes them out when it happens and Jojo nods along at some points.

“Have you already looked around?” asked Jojo to the two.

“Yeah,” answered Crutchie. “Jack’s works are on the other side. “You’ll see.”

They joined them in looking around. Albert found varying styles of art. He never had the eye for such things and he was never really good at making them but he appreciated them. He admired that one of his friends could create such beauty with colors and lines. They passed by canvasses of black and white and bursts of colors. They neared the middle of the room where the sculptures were placed and the others crowded around a mermaid made of copper wires. Albert stood with them with his hands inside his hoodie when a particular painting caught his eyes. He walked towards it.

Albert was headed into a sunset. He’s had many memories of seeing oranges, pinks, purples, browns and greens coming together. He and Tony would go up to the roof just to watch the sun set. Jojo sometimes joined them when he would come by before dinner. Davey liked to watch with them when he needed a break from his pile of assignments. There were time when it was just Albert on his back and staring up at the sky. He’d have his blanket with him because he knew Tony would come up carrying it anyway. Albert would just wait there, watching the sky turn from blue to colors he’d see even as he closed his eyes.

He knew of this painting.

“Hey, Jack, yous making some pretty colors!”

“Don’t touch it, Albo. It’s still wet.”

He smiled at the little plaque next to it.

“Jack’s a sap,” a voice from his right said.

He turned his head and saw Davey, looking at another painting. Albert followed his gaze and saw the other work of Jack. It was of Davey on his desk, probably in the middle of scribbling something furiously with only a lamp to help him see.

“It’s you in your natural habitat,” grinned Albert.

Davey rolled his eyes just as Albert saw Jack coming towards them.

“Hey!” he beamed. “Glad you guys could make it.”

Jack pulled them in for a hug. It didn’t escape Albert’s notice that Davey had a slight blush on his cheeks. He sent a knowing look to Jack who winked at him.

“Where’s the others?” he asked.

“They’re going around,” replied Albert.

He nodded towards the paintings. “Your work is amazing, man. Seriously, you should have your own exhibit.”

“Aw, thanks, Al,” said Jack, giving him another hug.

Soon enough, the others came and congratulated Jack on his work. People began milling around and Jack must have had made an impression like he always did because people were coming up to him. Tony found few of his classmates and went off to talk to them while Davey and Sean chatted about some confusing theory about a book.

“Are you okay now, Albie?” asked Crutchie. “I heard you got the fever.”

Albert shrugged. “I’m fine now. Jojo took care of me because Tony would have gone into cardiac arrest.”

“You should have seen him when he came home, Crutch,” added JoJo, laughing.

The exhibit seemingly went on for hours. People left but there were more who arrived. Albert saw Jack talk to some famous-looking people that he and JoJo couldn’t help but raise their thumbs up from across the room where Jack got a perfect view of them while he was talking with some group. He subtly flipped them off. Crutchie called it a night and Davey volunteered to take him home. No one missed the kiss he gave Jack on the cheek. It was his turn to blush.

“Have you seen Tonio?” asked Albert to one of his classmates at some point.

“I don’t know, dude,” he answered. “Last I saw him he was trying to piss off one the professors by starting some debate.”

Albert sighed and looked around. The event was nearing to an end. JoJo was talking to Jack at one of the tables and some professors were still milling around, probably asked to grade the works of the students. Albert took off his hoodie and rolled his eyes when he realized that he was wearing a long sleeved shirt. How he managed to forget, he didn’t know. Tony was probably distracting him while he picked up the nearest clothing he could find. Tony also probably put it there.

He went out into the garden of the university, thankful that the lights were still on. He sat on a bench and let out a breath. He could hear the city outside, alive and still awake. He could hear cars honking and people chattering. He could hear the laughter from inside. He could hear music. Albert could see the memory already.

He could feel the hands pulling at his, prompting him to get up on his feet and join the other boys in dancing. He could feel the arms around his shoulders and the clapping from the top bunks. He could hear the whistling, the crowing and the singing.

“You gotta’ move those feet, Red!”

“There, that’s it!”

“We’s dancing all night, boys!”

It was there. It was all there.

“Albert?”

He turned and saw Tony, standing under one of the lights.

“Hey, Albie! Come dance with me.”

“I’s just gonna’ trip, Race!”

“Don’t care!”

Real.

He’s real.

Albert smiled at him. “Glad you finally turned up.”

“Turner was fun to rile up,” chuckled Tony. “You should see his vein ready to pop.”

He walked closer to him. Real. He’s real. He’s here.

Tony laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. Albert smiled up at him.

“Want to go home?” asked Tony, softly.

“Yeah.”

They dropped JoJo at his dorm and said goodbye to Jack. Albert almost forgot his jacket and hoodie and it was a good thing Tony was there to remind him. He was bunched up again before they walked out. Albert could already feel it before it bit at his skin. Tony put an arm around his shoulders and kept him close.

Albert sometimes hated the cold but during moments like this, he was more than peaceful staying beside Tony.

Real.

Where he’s close. Where he’s by his side. Where he can feel him.

It was a month later when Albert found himself up on the rooftop again. He had his blanket around him and his earphones plugged in. Jack loved coming to their rooftop. He said it was calming and a good place to draw something. Albert agreed with him although he rarely drew. He couldn’t draw to save his life but he liked sitting on the ground, seeing all his friends around him. He liked to be there under something so vast and wide. He liked to be just there.

Albert has spent his life moving. He was always searching. No one really talked about it. It was just something everyone knew or came to them. One day, they would make themselves believe that they are just tired and dreaming things and then the next they’re just there. Albert could remember how Jojo sat beside him, his hand weaving through his hair. It was familiar, something Jojo always did when some of the younger boys couldn’t sleep. He did it when Albert got himself sick to the point where he couldn’t get out of bed. Jojo was there when he was so sure- so sure that he will never get to see another day come. And Race…

“I’s gonna’ sell today, Albie. Gotta sell a lot of papes to get you a doctor.”

He didn’t know what happened to him.

Albert was nine when he cried so hard he could barely breathe. He was nine when he felt around in his bed, seeking for the people he’s known from a long time ago. He was nine when tried to run away, trying to get to a place that’s long forgotten him, to where people no longer knew him because so much time has passed. He spent years looking. He waited for years to come across someone because he knew he wasn’t alone. He could feel it. It was just there.

And he was right.

God, was he right.

He was fifteen when he met a boy named Anthony. People called him Tony. Some called him Tonio. To Albert, he was the boy who had such a mouth on him he was bound to get chased after with a stick. He was the boy who jumped on others’ backs to be carried. He was the one who gave his own blankets to other kids. He was the boy who liked to point out the birds in the sky and tell everyone he could fly. He was the one who looked so much like the angels he’d see at church.

He was fifteen when he met Anthony Higgins.

He was sixteen when he met the others.

He was whole.

An earphone was taken out and he turned his head.

“I thought you were still at class,” said Tony, already sitting down.

“The professor didn’t turn up,” returned Albert.

He’s real.

Albert extended his blanket to Tony and he shuffled closer to him. He kept him under his arm. Tony leaned his head against his shoulder.

“JoJo knows,” he mumbled.

Albert looked down at him. He could still the bruises on the side of Tony’s face from the fight he got himself into. It has been two weeks since he got out from the hospital, already saying ‘fight me’ every time people asked about his black eye.

JoJo knows. He does.

“That’s good,” he said.

Tony made a sound and stayed silent for quite a while. Albert never really admitted it up until now but he’s pretty sure everyone probably knows. Tony knows. He knows because Albert waits up until he gets home. He lets him know when he hugs him before they go to their classes and after their day is done. He’s there every time Tony is upset. He’s there to hold him. He’s there to let him cry. He’s there when he’s happy. He’s there when he feels lonely.

Albert is just there and he doesn’t want to leave anymore.

“Albie,” called Tony, softly.

“Yeah?” he asked.

Tony let out a breath. Albert could feel him smile against his shoulder.

“The sky looks pretty.”

Albert smiled, too and closed his eyes.

“Yeah. It does.”

[thedistantstorm]

A Shipwright Worth Her Salt Chapter 09

In which: Zavala reevaluates his priorities. Amanda is asked a question.

Feels, incoming!

Cayde is grateful that the Deputy Commander gets called away at some point in the middle of the night. Amanda wakes screaming and sobbing, the result of strange dreams brought on by narcotics and the previous evening’s events. They’d both been expecting it, and it was certainly mild on the scale of hiccups in her recovery, but it was still emotionally draining.

He convinces a rather polite medic to assist her in cleaning up even though there’s only a skeleton crew on overnight, and excuses himself when the woman offers to take her for an actual bath instead of whatever sponge bathing they’d done while she’d been critically ill.

She’d been only mildly shaky when he left, and he promised to stay nearby just in case. Of course, what he hadn’t planned on was for the Commander to appear not much after that, looking tired but not dead on his feet.

“What are you doing?” Zavala intones quietly, as he makes eye contact. “It is an absurd hour of the night for you to be lingering.”

Cayde shrugs, though it just looks like his cloak moves up and down since it wraps around his shoulders in what he calls a perpetual hug. “Guard detail, I guess.”

“I don’t believe Andal and I determined that to be a necessity.” His eyes narrow. Cayde tears his gaze away. “Things are alright?”

“Yeah. More or less. She’s just getting cleaned up. Finally well enough to have a real bath, they said.” He looks the other direction, toward an open window with full view of the dark sky and stars. The Hunter sighs after a decent expanse of silence. “Your next question is going to be ‘why it’s happening at this hour,’ so here’s your answer: she woke up a few hours ago, and couldn’t fall back asleep. Didn’t like the feeling of narcotics.”

Zavala allows Aashimah to transmat the majority of his armor away. “I can’t imagine she would,” He replies. “She is well?”

“Well enough, yeah.” Cayde shrugs yet again, twiddling a knife between armor plated hands. “She’s tired of being stuck in that bed all day, been getting pissy about it with anyone who will listen. It’s a good thing.” He straightens. “You bash every Fallen in the EDZ with your fists of havoc?”

Zavala hums. “Enough of them, yes.”

“Make you feel any better?” Cayde finally blinks two bright optics in the Awoken’s direction.

The way the Titan’s jaw is set gives him away before he speaks. “Not in the slightest. It does nothing to fix this.”

“Suppose not. Probably good to let some of that frustration out though.”

The silence between them stretches out for a few moments. Zavala shifts his weight and moves to stand across from the Exo instead of in the middle of the hallway. In rare undisciplined form, he allows his back to rest against the wall in a sort of pseudo-slouch.

“You sleep at all since this whole thing went down?”

“Do you often check on your superiors?”

Cayde laughs. “Andal wouldn’t know how to tie his boots without me sometimes. But, no. I just know that taking care of her,” He jerks a thumb at the wall behind him, “Is gonna be a busy job for a bit. You okay with signing up for that? I don’t know if she can stand to lose you again. I dunno much about whatever happened between you two, but she’s pretty, uh, attached, if you catch my drift.”

The Commander sighs. “I would have been here to check on her hours ago. We tied the loose ends up in the early evening. The Speaker requested to speak with me.”

“That religious old coot,” The Hunter comments. “Wha’d he want?”

“An invaluable counsel,” Zavala corrects. “He wished to evaluate my sense of duty.”

Cayde turns on his heel and paces. “Of all people? You? Because of one little girl? That’s ridiculous.”

Zavala sighs. “He remembered her.”

“What?” The pacing stops abruptly mid-turn. “From where?”

“A celebration. Commemorating this-” He gestures to the Tower as a whole. “I had brought her up here, to show her the hangar, let her watch the ships. She had always wanted to fly.” Cayde nodded but did not speak. “The Speaker,” He clenches his fits, unclenches, and looks away. “He announced that following the commemoration celebration, the Tower would not be accessible to non-Guardians with the exceptions of staff. Guardians would mostly stay in the dormitories and housing built within the walls. It was a move designed to keep our perimeter protected and to free up housing for our growing population. Guardians would only patrol within the City. And the Vanguard Commander would oversee it all from above. I wouldn’t be able to see her, as I had in the past. I was barely able to with my responsibilities, as it were, by that point.”

“And?”

“I had known about it for months.”

“You didn’t tell her.” Cayde nodded more to himself than to the other Guardian. “She put it together when he said-”

“It gutted her. She ran off in the middle of his speech.” He closes his eyes. “I was standing up there with him when he made the announcement, as was expected of me. I had never wanted someone to stop talking more in my entire existence.” He pauses, thinking about his words. “When I found her, I tried to talk to her, but-”

“Your duty ultimately won out.” Cayde’s optics matched similarly glowing irises. “Knights and their castles,” He said softly.

“What?”

“Something she said. To you, I think, after that mission I, uh, commissioned her for.” Cayde lets the glare roll off him at that. “Anyway, the Speaker remembered her, from that day…”

“...Yes. I told her that my duty was to the Traveler. There was no feasible way to protect the needs of humanity and also be available to her. Or, that is what I thought.” He looks at Cayde. “I told the Speaker that my sense of duty has never wavered. It has not. It will not ever. I was tempted to bring up Saint to him, but,” He shrugs, “I will not give away my hand just yet.”

Cayde smirks. “Good plan.”

“Whatever I am able to give, I will,” He says softly, as blue optics blink back. “If she will forgive-”

Cayde slaps a hand on the Titan’s hulking shoulder. “I’ll stop you there. I believe you,” He says back in a low tone. “We’re having a moment - and it’s great, really, it’s got me all warm ‘n fuzzy in the circuitry - but I don’t think I’m the one you need to have this moment with. Tell her. Try and keep her here, if you can.” Cayde scrubs a hand over his metal forehead, tracing the outline of his horn. “She’s got wounds that aren’t physical. We, uh, both know that.”

Awoken eyes narrowed. “Yes.”

“I tried talking to her about…” He gestures vaguely to the Titan. “... That, er, business with us… uh, holding her down,” He finally grits out. “She panicked. Told Sloane - who I’m sure told you, you're not that sneaky - it was related to her leg being cut off.” He shakes his head. “She can accept that. There’s plenty of options, she’s down but not out. Her body will heal. But this,” He taps a temple gently, “Trust me, this takes way more time and effort. The ticks fade and you can hide ‘em well enough, but the memories remain. Some of that stuff you can live with, but it doesn’t all just - Poof! - go away.” Cayde makes an explosion gesture with his hands. “I know it bothered you, too. You gotta talk to her about it. She’s mortified about it, but you gotta tell her it’s okay. She needs to know you don’t, y’know-”

“You know?” Zavala’s eyebrows furrow.

“Love her any less.” Cayde grunts. His posture is straight. Serious. “That you don’t think she’s broken.” He shifts his weight from right to left.

Zavala perks at his words, too. He takes them to heart, even if the 'L’ word is a bit too much to consider at this moment. Finally, he whispers, “How could I? To survive against such odds-”

“Tell her that,” Cayde nods. “Fuck, if it were me I’d have a bullet in my head and hope that Sundance could put me back together with all my parts shiny and new.”

“I would hope that my ghost could heal me without such dramatics,” Zavala replies, “But I agree.” Zavala gives the Hunter a once over when silence falls again. “Cayde?”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.” The Commander crosses his arms and resumes his stance against the wall. “If you and Andal had not been there, I do not know what I would have done.”

The Exo smiles. “Just another day on the job, Commander. But I will remember to bring this up next several times I piss you off. Should get me out of some trouble.”

Bright eyes regard him with something Cayde will absolutely describe as tears of gratitude in a wild exaggeration to Ikora and Andal later. “Do not push your luck.”

-/

“Alright,” The nurse says to her, “I’ll go out and see if Cayde is still there for you. Everything else alright?”

The girl nods. “Thank you,” She says shyly. “I ‘preciate it.”

The woman smiles. “You are very welcome. I’ll come back to check on you later.” She turns in the direction of the door and takes a step into the hallway. “O-oh! You are not the person I was expecting to see,” Surprise is evident. “Excuse me.” She steps out of the doorway and into the hall, pulling the door closed behind her. “She said you weren’t going to be back until later this morning.”

Zavala nods. “I managed to finish things earlier. I was surprised to hear she’s awake.”

The nurse chatters. “Yes. She’s really turned around in the last few days, certainly since you were here last. Go on in. She’ll be excited to see you.” She leaves him, standing a step away from the door.

Aashimah appears beside him when he stares at the closed door for more than ten seconds. “If you don’t go in there on your own, I will transmat you through the door, Guardian.”

He blinks at her. “You will not.” She begins to spin her cones like she’s preparing to do so. He sputters. “I’m going,” He says to her, and she evaporates into a small shower of sparks as he wraps his hand around the handle and pushes as it turns.

“What took you so long, Cay-” Her words get caught in a small ‘eep’ in her throat as she lays eyes on the Vanguard Commander who is definitely not Cayde.

“Hello, Amanda.”

He doesn’t realize he’s been holding his breath until her expression changes from one of surprise to a wide, bashful smile and he’s able to exhale. “Hey, yourself.” She still looks sickly, with rosy cheeks and too pale skin, but she looks so much better than she had when he’d been forced to leave to clean up the Dead Zone. He moves closer to her without giving it much thought.

The weight of what’s happened to her, of how poorly things could have truly gone settle upon him, heavy and unbearable. His brain seems to snag on repetitions of ‘she’s just a girl,’ and he can’t bear to look away from her, so small and frail but so vibrantly alive. She would be okay. No tubes or cables attached to her, existing of her own volition. She would truly be okay.

“I-” His voice cracks and there are actual tears in his eyes this time as equal parts guilt and relief consume him. “I’m so sorry.”

She shakes her head.  “Please,” She says, “Don’t apologize. I never should have gone out there. Y’all saved my life,” She adds the last bit in a whisper. “I’ll be fine.”

He reaches for her, slowly. “I know you will be,” He wraps his arms around her shoulders, and her eyes widen before she relaxes into his embrace, clutching the forearm that’s wrapped around her front. “I was so worried I was going to lose you.”

She pulls back from him when he says that, and looks up into luminescent aqua eyes. Her own tidal green ones dart back and forth in wide-eyed evaluation. Her lower lip trembles as her own eyes well with tears, and she scoots to the side of the bed that he’s standing beside. She throws her arms around his neck as he leans down. “I thought I’d never get to see you again,” She whispers into his chest. They stay that way for the longest time, through her quiet sobs that turn into heart-wrenching ones that make her entire body shake, and subside into little tremors and hiccuping.

“No more,” He says, when they finally part. She gasps, as he takes both of her hands. “Never again, Amanda.” His eyes are fiercely blue, especially since they’re mildly bloodshot. “There was something you were trying to tell me,” He says softly. “When we were trying to get you out. Do you remember?”

She looks up at him, surprise and concern evident. He immediately saw exactly what Cayde had mentioned earlier. Panic lapped at the edges of her consciousness, and she pulled her hands out of his, wrapping them around her tiny frame as he pulled a chair close and sat beside her.

“I was in shock,” She whispers. “I was seeing things that weren’t happening. I-I know I th-thought y-you were-”

“Don’t trouble yourself with that right now,” He says in as low of a tone as he can. She shudders, but does not flinch when he puts his hand on her cheek and turns her head to face him. “We’ll talk about that another time. It’ll be alright.” He releases her cheek and leans back. “You were trying to tell me something,” He redirects, looking away from her. “And I would like to give it to you, if you’ll allow it.”

Her brow furrows, and she looks at him. “What was I askin’ for?” She asks, after a moment’s consideration. “I only r’member you carryin’ me,” She adds, quietly. “Felt nice. Safe.”

His smile is small and sad. “Once,” He reaches out, and she lowers her left hand into his right, “I told you that my duty was to the Traveler and to protecting humanity.” She blinks. The tears are back. She ignores them, and he catches one when it falls treacherously down her cheek with a large, calloused finger. “Do you remember?”

She nods.

“You nearly died multiple times that first night. I watched them... attempt,” His voice catches, roughly, “To save your life. The entire time, I thought: if I hadn’t made that decision, if I had tried to balance my duties to all this,” He motions to the Tower around them, “And my duty-”

“It’s not your fault, you don't owe me nothin,” She interrupts. “I feel like I’ve told ya that.”

He chuckles, “You have. However, listen to me,” He implores. “Please.”

She nods, and squeezes the hand that’s held by his.

“I was… afraid,” He admits. “That if I made the choice to balance both my duties as Vanguard Commander and the one I couldn’t admit, that I would fail. I thought that if I continued to deny that I had any ties to you my feelings would fade and I would forget.”

She looks down at their entwined hands, afraid to see whatever emotions his eyes betrayed. Afraid for what the truth might be.

“I should have known better,” He says with a knowing chuckle. “You have been ingrained upon my heart since the day you fixed that horrendous radio.” A little sob gets trapped in her throat and she looks up at him with widening eyes. He squeezes her hand. “For the last week, all I have been thinking about is what I would say to you, if you would forgive me for my folly-” She inhales to speak and he shakes his head. “But, most of all,” He’s sure to meet her gaze as he speaks in a hallowed whisper, “Would you let me make it up to you? Would you let this foolish man do what he should have from the very beginning?”

Her eyes, glassy with unshed tears, shine with the question he intends to answer.

“Will you stay with me?”

Her mouth opens in a little ‘o’ and she closes her eyes. “But, the rules-”

“Rules be damned,” He barks gruffly. “Do you wish to stay here, in the Tower?”

She nods. “Yes. Please,” She breathes. “I want to stay with you.”

She launches herself at him, bad leg all but forgotten about as she nearly topples off the bed and into his chest. He adjusts quickly, catching the pajama clad girl in strong arms and cradling her against him, mindful of her bad leg.

He smiles down onto the top of her head, looking rather relieved. She clings to him tightly as he rumbles, “I had rather hoped you still would.”

[eliz1369]

All Types of Courage

Rating: T (though not for Shinpachi’s lack of trying) Ships: SaiChi, HaraSen, & kinda Brotp Amagiri/Saito Length: ~2800 words Setting: Star Wars AU

Sorry this is so late, and also sorry, because I’m sort of, kind of, maybe hijacking this SaiChi&Friends day to indulge my love of Star Wars. (Not sorry. May 4th only comes once a year after all) This focuses more on Saito and Amagiri than it does SaiChi specifically. Of course, it also turned out way longer than I intended and somehow HaraSen ended up in there… *Ahem* Anyway, hope you all enjoy.

“Sen, maybe…”

“Don’t even think about it, Chizuru.” Sen said as she began buckling herself into one of the two passenger seats in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon. “He’s nothing but a big bully.”

“Yeah, a big bully with a lot of big guns…” Heisuke muttered under his breath as he stood in the cockpit doorway and eyed the sleek, heavily armored private yacht, flanked by a pair of TIE Interceptors positioned in front of them.

Sen shot a glare at him before pointing Chizuru to the other passenger seat.

Harada’s grin was confident as he glanced back at her from the pilot’s seat. “Don’t worry. Just sit back and relax. We got this cover-”

“Are you rebel dogs listening to me? You have five minutes to surrender and give me the girl or-”

Nagakura rolled his eyes as he reached forward to press the comm button.

“Not really, but go ahead and keep talking. Oh, and the answer is no, and you can stick it right up your-”

Harada cleared his throat, cutting Nagakura off.

Releasing the button, Nagakura turned and winked at Chizuru with a mischievous gleam in his eye as he flipped to the encrypted channel they had set up for the group.

“Like Sano was saying, we got this. Besides, there aren’t many people better than your boyfriend when it comes to handling that little toy fighter of his. Right, Saito?”

Chizuru felt her cheeks flush at the mention of the man she had quite unintentionally fallen in love with and who was currently sitting in one of the three x-wings arrayed behind them.

“Ah,” Saito affirmed, his tone carrying neither pride, nor embarrassment at the praise. Though after a brief pause he added, “An x-wing is not a toy.”

Okita’s laughter crackled over the comm, “Oh, you’re in for it now. Be careful what you say about Hajime’s ship.”

“Can we focus?” Hijikata interjected. “The blonde bastard has stopped talking and he isn’t going to just sit there forever.”

As if on cue, the pair of Interceptors peeled away from the yacht, speeding into a wide pincer formation. Despite everyone’s reassurances, Chizuru felt her nerves return and she bit her lip anxiously. As much as she was grateful for everyone’s support, she also feared for their safety.

“Saito, stay with the Falcon in case Kazama brings his ship in, Souji and I will handle the Interceptors.”

Chizuru let out a soft breath at Hijikata’s order. She couldn’t help but feel safer knowing it was Saito watching over her. She knew without a doubt that she could trust in his skill and his promises. He had said he would protect her, and he would.

Saito’s and Okita’s acknowledgments were cut off as Harada said, “Leave the Interceptors to us and Saito. I hate to admit it, but our shields won’t last long against that yacht if it does engage. Those Interceptors aren’t making it home without him, so if you can get him to run, they aren’t gonna want to be left behind.”

“Right. You catch that Souji?”

“I never did like wasting time on small fry.”

Hijikata’s and Okita’s x-wings shot over the Falcon’s canopy, their afterburners fully lit as their s-foils opened into attack position.

“Oi, is that you in that hunk of junk, Harada?”

Harada frowned as he eyed the two incoming Interceptors. “Damn it, Shiranui? How’d you get this channel?”

“He just insulted our ship, and you’re worried about the encryption?” Nagakura grumbled, clearly incensed by the jibe.

“Magician’s don’t tell their secrets, now do they. How about a challenge? You and me, one on one. Or three on one, I don’t really care. Oh, and don’t worry, I haven’t passed this on to Tall-blonde-and-High-’n-Mighty.”

Harada hesitated a moment before he said, “Saito, you good with handling the other guy?”

“Affirmative.”

As soon as Saito’s acknowledgement came through, Harada was already beginning to stand.

“Alright Shiranui, you got yourself a deal,” clapping Shinpachi on the shoulder, he began to maneuver his large frame out of the crowded cockpit. “Heisuke, you’re with me. Take the belly gun.”

Sen’s mouth gaped open as she stared at Harada.

“Wait, he’s flying?”

“You bet sweetheart. Shinpachi‘s the best flier I know. He can do things with this ship others can only dream of.”

Shinpachi grinned as he hopped into the pilot’s seat. “Aw, Sano. You’re making me blush.”

Behind her, Chizuru heard Heisuke mutter, “Yeah, if by ‘things’, you mean almost getting us killed.”

“Oi! That was only once! ...Well okay, twice, but the second one wasn’t on purpose!”

The fact that only the second near death experience had been an accident, left Chizuru with more questions and concerns, than actual reassurance. None of the banter seemed to reassure Sen either, who looked like she was warring between wanting to smack someone, and taking the controls herself.

Harada paused to rest a hand on Sen’s shoulder. “Come on, trust me.”

Sen took a deep breath and after a moment, a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth as she said, “Okay, but you’ll be hearing from me if this goes sideways.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way, sweetheart.”

With that, Harada and Heisuke left the cockpit, leaving just her, Sen and Nagakura.

“All right ladies and gents, hold on tight. We’re about to do some fancy flying.” Nagakura turned to yell over his shoulder, “Oi, Sano, Heisuke! You got less than a minute before I start plastering you to the walls.”

Somehow Chizuru didn’t think he was kidding.

Still shouting, Nagakura slapped the comm. “Hey, Shiranui, lets see how good a flier you really are! First to three tags is the winner!”

Saito had no doubt that the crew of the Falcon would be able to handle themselves against a single Interceptor, especially with their pride on the line. They were a rowdy and rather disorganized bunch, but even in the short time since circumstances had shoved them together, he had found them to be more honest and trustworthy than most people who didn’t break the law on a regular basis.

Rolling his x-wing into a smooth right turn, Saito brought the nose of his ship to face the remaining Interceptor. As he did so, he flipped the switch to lock his s-foils in attack position.

“Shadow, set turbolasers to 500 meters.”

He didn’t know what kind of fight he was going to be in for, but he preferred to keep his focal point close. Interceptors were faster and more maneuverable. He wasn’t about to waste energy on wild shots.

His R2 unit beeped a short affirmative.

Much like him, the black, little R2 unit was short and to the point, rarely engaging in the scolding and bickering Souji usually got into with his own droid, Echo.  At first he hadn’t intended on naming the droid, but Souji had insisted, under threat that he’d name him himself. It had been one more thing that had set them apart among their former imperial brethren. In the end, he’d simply settled on naming him after his black color, but the droid had seemed to like it and took a certain amount of pride in just how discrete he could be.

To Saito’s surprise, the Interceptor wasn’t racing toward him. Like himself, it seemed to hang in space, waiting, analyzing. Not something one usually associated with a fighter jock.

A light lit on his console, and over the background thrum of the other’s chatter, shadow twittered that he had an incoming message.

Even though he had a strong suspicion of who was trying to contact him, he asked, “Who is it from?”

Shadow burbled the droid equivalent of a shrug as text scrolled across the small monitor in the console.

Sender Unknown. Message carries Imperial markers.

That confirmed for Saito that the message had to be coming from the Interceptor facing him. Based on who the Falcon had been talking to and the unusual actions of his opponent, he thought he knew who he was facing.

He took a careful, calming breath before he flipped the comm switch and said, “Yes?”

“I am glad you agreed take my call.”

He had been right. It was Amagiri…

He had fought the man hand to hand to a standstill only a few days previous. In the end Amagiri had let him and Chizuru go, at great risk to himself. It would be a poor way to repay him for his kindness if he killed him here. Saito couldn’t help but feel that if he found an opportunity to let Amagiri live, he would take it. Not at the risk of Chizuru or the others, or course.

“What do you wish to discuss?”

“While I do not begrudge you your relationship with Yukimura, Lord Kazama does, and I am afraid this is one more thing which separates us this conflict. Before we begin, I wished to inform you of who your opponent is, and that I am regretful things must end this way.”

“As am I.”

Silence lingered for a moment and having nothing else to say, Saito closed the channel.

At the same moment he eased his x-wing’s throttle forward, Amagiri’s interceptor began matching him. The was one of the most dangerous moments for a fighter pilot. A head on pass meant his opponent had just a good a chance of hitting him as he did of hitting them. With easy movements, he jinked his fighter in random directions, always making sure to keep Amagiri within his firing cone. Green shots splashed across his forward shield at a rate far faster than he had ever seen an Interceptor fire. The starbursts blurred his vision and he only managed to get off two relatively sure shots before they rocketed past each other.

He pulled hard on the stick, knowing the Interceptor’s superior maneuverability meant he had a good chance of Amagiri ending up on his tail. This time Souji wasn’t there to watch his back.

His internal compensator couldn’t quite match the forces of his turn and Saito felt himself pressed back into his seat.

He had taken some heavy fire on that first pass, so he risked a quick glance at his shields, but to his surprises, they showed almost no drain. That shouldn’t have been possible, unless… Unless Amagiri had lowered the power of his shots to increase his firing rate. Using the fire as a screen to make up for his ship’s dangerous lack of shields.

Clever…

It would seem Amagiri was skilled at more than just hand-to-hand fighting.

His turn wasn’t sharp enough. Shadow gave a short warning trill and a quick glance at his scanners showed Amagiri closing in on his tail. Green bolts began flying past his canopy. One or two connected with his shields, taking significant chunks out of their meters.

“Shadow, divert power to rear shields.”

Having snapped off his order, Saito yanked back on the stick, pulling the nose of his fighter up and over. As he did so, he rolled so that he was now flying in the opposite direction from which he had started.

Green streaks again traced over his canopy. His maneuver hadn’t worked. Not that he had really expected it to. A tactic as clever as the one Amagiri had used wouldn’t come from a novice pilot.

Saito felt a tremor run through his ship and multiple flashing red lights on his console told him that one or more of Amagiri’s shots had pierced his shields. Nothing critical seemed to have failed yet, but enough was enough.

He knew Shadow would be furiously doing what he could to repair the damage and reroute systems. The sooner he ended this the better.

Shoving hard on one of the foot pedals, he dropped his forward thrust to zero, sending his fighter into a flat spin. He braced his arm against the side of the cockpit to help fight the forces overwhelming his inertial compensator. 

Hold… Hold…

At just the right moment, he released the pressure on the pedal and threw his thrust back up to full. He found Amagiri right in front of him and snapped off a shot before rolling away. He knew even as his finger had depressed the trigger that the shot would go wide, and it did, skating right past the upper tip of the Interceptor’s wing.

Again he killed his thrust and sent his fighter into a flat spin, the fractions of a second it took for the ship to rotate feeling far longer than they actually were.

This time when he re-engaged his thrusters, Amagiri’s ion engine was dead ahead of him.

Instead of firing off a turbolaser blast, he flipped over to photon torpedos. The clear tone of a lock sounded in his ears, but an uncharacteristic screech from Shadow made him glance down at the screen.

Recomend proton torpedoes inoperable. Damage to system may result in catastrophic failure if used.

“Acknowledged.”

The text cleared from the screen, replaced by notifications as Shadow brought one system after another back to life. Even if the system was registering operable, clearly he droid had noticed something that caused him concern.

Amagiri threw his ship into a sharp dive and Saito followed him, matching every jink, twist, and turn. Amagiri was certainly better than average, but he was no Souji when it came to handling an interceptor.

He had several clear shots, but instead of flipping back over to his turbolasers, he said, “Shadow, reopen communications with Amagiri.”

When the droid gave an affirmative beep that the connection had been opened, he said, “Will you yield?”

This was a risk. Amagiri could say one thing and then take the opportunity to turn on him, but everything he had seen of the man thus far had told Saito that Amagiri would keep his word.

There was a long pause as Amagiri threw his interceptor into a series of tight rolls that Saito barely kept up with. He could hear the warning tone from the interceptor continuing to sound over the comm, and eventually…

“I will yield.”

With those words, Saito disengaged his torpedoes, probably to both Amagiri’s and Shadow’s relief, and decreased his thrust, letting the interceptor pull away from him.

Slowly Saito let the chatter over the group’s encrypted comm filter back into his consciousness.

There seemed to be an increasing amount of swearing coming from the Falcon, much to his displeasure. He knew how uncomfortable it made Chizuru, even if she never actively voiced her disapproval.

Neither ship seemed damaged at this point, and when a red beam washed over the interceptor, he thought the conflict would be over. to his surprise, instead of being destroyed, the ship seemed perfectly fine as it continued looping, scoring a hit on the Falcon’s upper turret.

“Damnit,” Shinpachi shouted, “What are you doing up there Sano? Sleeping?!”

“Ha! That’s three! Looks like you losers owe me a lift outta here!”

“Fine… but if you touch one wire on this ship, I will personally throw you out of the airlock,” Harada said.

With Chizuru seemingly out of immediate danger, Saito turned his attention to the only remaining threat.

The yacht’s pristine hull was now scored with turbolaser fire and arcs of electricity danced across its surface where one or two torpedoes had bored their way through the hull’s armor plating.

With a flicker, the ship’s rear shield collapses and one of the x-wings scored a direct hit on the engine.

That seemed to be more than enough for Kazama, because his ship began an about turn as it tried to escape the conflict.

“All right Souji, that’s enough.”

One of the x-wings, who he assumed was Okita, fired off one more shot, blowing out one of the large canons that had given them so much trouble in their last encounter with the ship, before he turned and followed Hijikata back toward the Falcon.

A beep from Shadow informed him of an incoming call from Amagiri.

“Saito, your reputation is well earned. It was an honor to fly against you.” There was a short pause before Amagiri said, “May the Force be with you.”

“And you as well.”

With those final words, Amagiri turned his Interceptor in the direction of Kazama’s ship. In moments, the fighter had darted into the small hanger and the Yacht leapt to lightspeed.

Saito took a deep breath as he turned his fighter toward where the falcon was trying to dock with Shiranui’s Interceptor.

Their fight with the Empire was far from over, and he doubted Kazama was finished with them, but for now, they had won. For now, Chizuru and the people he cared about were safe. For now, they had peace.

[perlumi-delirium]

Through the eyes of others we dream

Rusliet Secret Santa for @probably--somebody !! :D (sorry for being a bit late, I took longer than excpected to proofread the fic ><)

I got kinda carried away with the fic I wanted to write ^^’ It proved to be an interesting challenge, since it has been a long time since I last wrote Hetalia fanfiction, and even then, it was so Lithuania and Russia centered that I had barely written the pov of another character. I tried to give the fic a cheerful edge that is mostly lacking in my other fics, and I hope you will like it !! Please forgive the messiness of the writing, and I’m sorry for the mistakes I left, I have trouble catching them all ^^’ I hope you will like it <3

Hungary hugs Poland as he walks into the meeting room. She smells of flowers and firewood, and her hand is calloused as she runs it along Poland's cheek, her eyes searching for signs of weariness.

« How are you ? »

Her voice is soft but strong, and Poland is happy to know that he no longer has to lie to her. They all spent decades lying to each other, and now, finally, he can answer truthfully.

« I'm fine ! » He smiles and really, he is fine. Better than he has felt in centuries, probably. Hungary's eyes narrow, wondering if she should trust him, but he must look decently cheerful, because she soon beams, and only tightens the hug.

« How are you ? » Poland then asks, his fingers smoothing over the back of her suit. It is strange, he thinks, that Hungary smells like home to him. (A lot of them do, though he won't admit it easily. But it happens, when you share centuries after centuries with the same people.)

She offers him a sincere smile, and lets out a small laugh. « As great as I can be when I got woken up at three in the morning by Prussia trying to sneak into the house to play a prank on Austria ! »

Poland raises a brow, barely containing the bubble of laugh that blooms in his throat. « May I ask why he decided it was a good idea ? »

Hungary rolls her eyes, her voice dramatically loud as she exclaims. « As if I know ! But I think Franc is no stranger to this -Germany told me he had been over at his house for a few days. Surely they schemed up a prank together. »

At Hungary's tone, a few countries turned their attention towards the two of them, and Poland struggles not to start laughing. He feels Spain's eyes on them, and Veneziano's too.

A quick glance at his watch tells him the meeting is about to start. Oh well -he still has the time to ask Hungary one last question :

« How did Austria react ? »

At this, Hungary sighs. « He slept like a baby the whole night. Nothing woke him up -not even when Prussia lost his balance and crashed right into the cupboard. And I assure you that the pans crashing on the ground made a furious noise. »

Poland almost whistles, not knowing if he should admire Austria for not letting anything or anyone trouble his sleep, or cringe because no one but a fool lets his guard so down at night. (But then again, times have changed. For the better, probably, and Poland sleeps better at night too.)

« Oh my, it seems Prussia really overdid himself this time. » France chuckles, and Hungary playfully smacks his shoulder.

« Say you didn't have a part in this, I dare you ! »

France shoots her a bright smile, and winks at Poland who starts thinking he might combust if he has to keep from laughing any longer. He discreetly puts a hand over his mouth to hide his smile as he watches France lie through his teeth. His barely contained laughter has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that France called him just the day before to exchange some gossips and chat a bit -call during which France had made clear what Prussia's intentions for the night were. No, absolutely not.

Things truly have changed, Poland thinks.

Gone are the times where they would fight relentlessly -even though their actions didn't matter, because no matter what, they weren't the one who made History. Their people did.

Now they have meetings and mock fights and harmless pranks. (They all vividly remember a not too ancient April Fools...)

It is a strange thought, but not an unwelcome one. They are all way more lively since they dropped the act.

Poland finds his place at the meeting table and sits down -the seat right next to him is still empty ; it is rare, because Lithuania often arrives early. Poland takes out his phone, to see if his friend left him a message, but no. He does have a few notifications from game apps, though. A quick glance at the room tells him he shouldn't worry, and he opens an app. The meeting isn't going to start anytime soon, anyway. Not with half the people missing and the ones who are there obviously engrossed in something else entirely.

From the corner of his eye, Poland notices France and Hungary still talking, though their friendly tone indicates that they probably dropped the argument to have a chat instead. Farther, England is leaning against a wall, looking as sour as always. Ah, well, not really actually. His frown seems to be at least a little less pronounced. Well, not too surprising given that Veneziano is currently greeting him. It's difficult to look too angry when Veneziano is around. Poland chuckles and takes a picture, immediately sending it to America. -Okay, it's not like England is smiling, but like, this is probably the most relaxed they are going to see him for months to come, and America will definitely like the picture :England's eyebrows look super off, like torn between the perpetual frown and a more relaxed expression.

The only ones seated except Poland are, without any surprise, Germany and Austria. Germany sits straight in his chair, awkwardly looking around the room, clearly not daring to raise his voice just yet. As for Austria, he has closed his eyes, and his fingers drums absently against the wood of the table, not in a idle way but like he was playing the piano.

Poland smiles then takes another picture. Behind his serious looks, Austria is easily distracted.

In the midst of the carefree chatter, Poland notices two persons walking into the room, and he perks up. Liet is here !

He almost waves, but with Lithuania is Russia, and Poland feels himself shy away. From where he is, he can't clearly see Lithuania's features, but he can tell he is tense. Russia and him walk machinely, not talking to each other -they're not even looking at each other, Poland notices as they come closer. On the contrary, they purposefuly avert their eyes. It is only when Lithuania goes to greet Germany, and probably excuses himself for his tardiness, that Russia looks up. Even from the distance, Poland feels his longing for Lithuania, and honestly, what the hell is going on with these two ?

A hand clasps firmly over his shoulder, and Poland would have squeaked in surprise had he not recognized France's perfume.

« Trouble in paradise ? »

France's voice is teasing, but there is a careful edge to it. Poland pulls a face. « I have no clue what's happening. »

A thoughtful hum tells him France has no more answer than him. Of course he was the first one to take notice of the strange atmosphere between Lithuania and Russia. Poland manges to smile through the worry that begin to gnaw at his insides.

« I see you're still quick to notice that kind of thing. »

France winks at him, sounding very pleased with himself. « Of course, mon cher ! Love is my speciality ; my capital isn't nicknamed the city of love for nothing ! It is only natural that I am quick to notice such troubles. »

Poland snorts, and he bites his cheek to resist criticizing Paris, just to annoy France -mind you, the ctiy is beautiful, but France always looks so offended when one mentions the dubious property of certain districts, or the grey weather, that it is never not funny to let out a comment.

For once though, he doesn't give in to his want to playfully mock his friend.

« Yeah, well, just noticing it isn't going to help » Poland sighs. « What we need is to resolve whatever mess they put themselves in. I don't like to see Liet troubled. »

France merely nods. He takes the seat to Poland's right side, and runs his hand through his hair, silently searching for something to say.

Poland glances towards Russia : he is talking to Ukraine, but his eyes wander off to Lithuania from time to time. Poland doubts Lithuania is so taken by his conversation with Germany he hasn't noticed Russia's attitude. So Liet is deliberately ignoring him. Great. Now he definitely looks forward dealing with the whole thing.

France pats him on the shoulder.

« Well, it does seem like the lovebirds are experiencing a little cold in their relationship. »

« Yeah, and no one but them knows why, so helping them is going to be exceedingly diffiuclt and annoying and I don't want to deal with that. » Poland groans as he rests his cheek against the table. He loves Liet, and he trust his friend in his relationships choices, but love troubles are something he prefers to avoid. Seriously, it is way funnier to watch it in like, a TV show, than to deal with it in the reality. If Liet is actually angry at Russia for whatever reason, Poland hopes that he won't isolate himself like he tends to, and shrugs his friends off while saying that's everything is a-okay.

« Liet's usual way of dealing with problems suck. » Poland mutters under his breath. Now he feels a headache coming, and it's not helped by the constant noise around him.

Meeting, what meeting ? He should have stayed in bed this morning. He could have had another cup of tea, taken more time to bathe, and peacefully played the piano instead of having all this noise as backgroung music.

« I think, » France says after some time (god, they truly have all forgotten about the meeting right.) « that the situation is not as hopeless as it is. »

Poland wants to argue that he never said anything about the situation being hopeless, but he lets France to his romantic phrasing. With him, a tricky situation becomes a moutain to overcome, and a water drop an ocean. Though he had some time to get used to it, Poland still snickers at his use of some expressions. Because who except France would dramatically speak about a hopeless situation that can only be overcome by the memory of first love...

Wait. That is really what France is saying right now. Poland blinks and looks at him like he might have gone mad.

« First love », he repeats, slightly aghast. France nods and sighs dreamily.

« Yes, first love ! Their relationship probably lacks the youthful fire it used to have -we just have to remind them of how beautiful it was, to enter this relationship ! How every kiss felt as fresh as new, how every touch sent a shiver down their spine- »

Poland reflectively clasps a hand over France's mouth. If he wants to be perfectly honest, he doesn't know what he wants at this precise moment, but it is certainely not France spewing poetry about his best friend and his lover. That, and he definitely doesn't want France's speech to attract attention.

« Are you talking about love ? »

Aaaand check. Hungary smiles brightly, Japan to her side. Both of them overheard the conversation and want in. Hungary is alreay giggling, ready to give as much advice as the situation needs, while the so quiet Japan discreetly fumbles with a notebook, ready to take notes about whatever gossip they may share.

« Huh » Poland eloquently says. Hungary sits on the table, right between France and Poland -Japan stands still, completing their small circle.

Now we definitely don't look suspicious at all, Poland dryly thinks. America must not have arrived yet, or else he would have yelled « conspiracy !! » at them.

« Yes, we were indeed talking about love » France hums. « It seems Lithuania and Russia are currently experiencing some love troubles, so Poland and I took it upon us to discuss the situation to find solutions. »

How can France make it sounds so altruistic ? If anything, they're prying into their friends' love life. But Hungary doesn't seem bothered by the idea of meddling into the issue, and gives France a thumbs up for his initiative.

Great, there's no escaping this now. Poland nervously looks around, hoping they won't attract anymore attention. Fortunately Lithuania doesn't seem to have noticed them yet.

« I see, it's a good idea ! If we can get them to remember their fondest memories they'll definitely be more enclined to hear each other out ! »

« Yes ! That is why I think we need to set up things a bit : we should try to get them to reenact the moment they got together. Ah, well, I mean, it can and should be subtle, of course ! But if we put enough details to remind them of the day they confessed...

-they might feel as they did back then ! That's a great idea ! »

There's no hope left for France and Hungary, they've arrived to the point they finish each other's sentences. Japan still hasn't said a word, but he dutifully writes down everything in his notebook. Poland is sure he has started doodling... what ? Sketches of what the scene will look like ?

« And this is where we need you, Poland ! » Hungary says. Why the hell did he ever want to be involved in this mess already ? Ah, yes, for Liet. Do it for Liet.

« I'm not sure I follow » he stutters.

This is getting way too complicated for his tastes, and honestly he'd rather just ask Liet what the problem is instead of making vain speculations.

« Pologne ! » France takes Poland's hand into his own. « Sois un amour, tell us how Lithuania and Russia got together. We need it for the plan. »

Oh no. Never. He's never solding his best friend's secrets in such a vile way.

« It's a no, » he grumbles, before a thought comes to his mind. Wait a minute... He sends a panicked look to the others.

« Liet never told me how his relationship with Russia started. »

The answer causes an uproar : France and Hungary look at each other in disbelief, while Japan mutters « what a plot twist » under his breath. The pained exclamations of France and Hungary, who admittedly are not the quietest conspiracy masterminds, attract some more nations. Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine soon come closer, all curious to see what the ruckus is about.

So they're really doing it huh. Discussing their friend's love life when they stand a few meters from them. Great. (Okay, the part of Poland that loves gossips is currently pleased, but he feel like he should disagree with everything that is going to be said for the principle.)

« Well, if Poland of all people don't know how they got together, this is going to be difficult... »

That was Estonia's voice. Next to him, Latvia nods wisely, before adding : « Or maybe we could guess how exactly they got together ? I mean, we've known them for centuries now, it shouldn't be impossible... Like, who confessed to who would be a good start ? »

« Ten euros betting on Lithuania » France immediately says, slamming his hand on the table to mark his point.

« Seconded » Estonia nods.

Ukraine shakes her head.

« I think Russia was the one who made it clear he had feelings first. » When she notices all the looks are on her, she explains. « I mean, Russia has never been too great at hiding his feelings for too long, I'm sure he made the first step... »

« She has a point ! » Hungary agrees. Then, just to spite France, she slams her hand on the table too. « Twenty euros on Russia. »

Poland lets out a sigh. The whole situation is pretty baffling. He definitely hadn't planned he'd be betting on his best friend's love life while getting up this morning, that's for sure. He glances at Japan, who still hasn't said a thing about everything, and hopes he will calm the game and calls the bet off. Unfortunately, when Japan finally decides to speak up, it is only to agree with the others.

« If you want I can make a list of who is betting on what. »

The idea is met with applause, and Poland groans. Okay, if they're really going down this road, then he wants in. There's no getting out of this, so he might as well enjoy the situation as long as he can.

« I'm sure Liet was the one who confessed. Maybe Russia made it clear he was interested before, but I think the one who started their relationship was Liet. He's definitely the type to take lead in this kind of situation. »

Silence falls for a few moments after Poland's intervention, everyone pondering what has just been said. Both parties have a point. Suddenly Estonia gasps :

« But what if they confessed at the exact same time ? »

Latvia pats him on the shoulder, shaking his head. « Yeah well it's too complicated so we're letting that option aside. »

« Now now », France singsongs. « What is important is to determine how it happened. What season ? Where exactly ? How long had they been longing for each other ? »

« I bet it was something really romantic » Estonia says. « Russia is a bit scary sometimes, but at heart he is a big softie... mostly. »

« I think it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say that it probably happened at Russia's house. »

Poland nods at Hungay's words. Yes, he thinks so too. He drums his fingers against the table -he hasn't moved from his place, content to be at the edge of the circle -he still doesn't like much being the center of attention during times like this. So he keeps quiet and listens to everyone's guess at how Liet and Russia's relationship started.

France bets on something romantic and unplanned ; a strained conversation about something else entirely during which they both let the masks fall and realize they can't hide their feelings anymore -with Lithuania being the one to tell Russia about his feelings first.

For Ukraine, it took place in Russia's garden, during summer. Russia loves flowers, so the place holds a lot of meaning for him. She wonders thoughfully whether they were walking, or if they just sat on a bench, until Russia spoke up.

Japan nods politely at everyone's speculations. When they ask him how he thinks it happened, he squints at something he wrote in his notebook, before ominously saying : « I'm not sure, but there was a maid dress involved somewhere. » Thanks Japan for this precious input.

Hungary thinks it happened during winter as a snowstorm raged outside. « During winter we all search for human warmth » she says wisely.

Poland listens without saying a word. He likes all the explanations. They cheerfully discuss it, and though they do joke a little, it lacks any mockery. It is all good humored speculations. But a part of him knows that it is not how it happened. They talk of snowstorms that would freeze hearts if they didn't confess on the spot ; of quiet longings that deliberately come to an end at the best moment ; of sudden recklessness, a need to know, no matter if it will succeed or fail.

And, truly, all these options are pretty and romantic and great. But they lack heart, in a way Poland can't quite define.

« Do you want to add something, Poland ? »

He opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. His giddiness is still here, but he feels like he is lacking a core element of their relationship. The speculations are fun, but he knows they won't find the answer.

Liet is fierce, but shy sometimes. And Russia may be intimidating, but he needs time to say important things -he is not as autoritary as some believe him to be.

Poland closes his eyes for a few seconds. He thinks of his best friend, and no, a sudden reveal wouldn't suit him. He recalls all the moments he saw, the quiet glimpses he got of their relationship.  It is a miracle in itself that it is working ; but somehow they do make it work.

He thinks of Lithuania brushing his fingers against Russia's as they walk next to one another, of Russia tucking a strand of Lithuania's hair behind his ear in an affectionate gesture.

This kind of love doesn't happen overnight. But have they always been conscious of it ? Poland begs to disagree. He knows he missed a lot of important moments of Liet's life, while they were apart. But now that Lithuania can proudly walk in Russia's house like he blongs there, not because he needs to but because he wants to, he wonders if they have finally reached an equilibrium.

With familiarity comes love, and tenderness, he knows it.

So maybe that is how it happened, something so mundane as that. It was a cold but bright morning, and Lithuania thought of Russia, and his heart skipped a beat, because, oh, that is what it was all along. And maybe Russia understood one day why he liked to look at Lithuania so much. Maybe the day they reached an equilibrium, they understood. Familiarity led them to understund, simply. No words needed, no actions either. Just the quiet realization that they may share more than they thought.

Yes, Poland quite likes this option. He smiles and opens his mouth once again to tell the other what he thinks, when a voice interrupts them.

« May I know what this is all about ? Also, France, this is my seat. »

Lithuania looks midly annoyed. Behind him, Germany seems about to raise his voice. A quick glance to his watch tells Poland the meeting should have started nearly half an hour ago. Whoops.

The countries scatter in a swirl of laugh and noise, each regaining their place at the table.

« What were you talking about ? » Lithuania asks Poland as he sits down.

France chuckles and pats Lithuania's shoulder as he goes. « Your love life. I hope you two lovebirds will soon make up~ »

Lithuania watches bewildered as France walks away, still laughing. He sends Poland an uncomprehensive look. « Really ? »

« It's more complicated than you think » Poland shrugs. He barely contains his want to laugh at Lithuania's wide open eyes. He looks so lost that Poland can't help but want to enlighten him a bit. « When you arrived with Russia, it seemed like you two were on bad terms at the moment. So France, Hungary and, ah, quite a bit of us decided to meddle with your love life ? We only wanted to help I swear !! »

But instead of being annoyed at the fact the others are always searching for bits of gossip, Lithuania smiles weakly. « Oh. Well, we weren't actually... fighting. »

Now it's Poland's turn not to understand a thing. « What ? » he exclaims loudly, not caring about keeping his voice down. The meeting still hasn't started anyway. « But... I was getting so worried ! Like, I thought something had happened, I don't like seeing you like that ! I thought you... »

I was worried you'd isolate yourself again if something was truly wrong, is what he doesn't say. His worry must show though, because Lithuania immediately stutters, embarrassed to have caused his friend to worry :

« That's, I'm sorry I made you think that ! I... I just had a minor disagreement with Russia this morning, and we decided not to talk of it till the meeting was over, since we were already late. »

That explains why Lithuania decided to purposefully avoid Russia's eyes. Poland still feels a bit confused.

« What was this argument about ? »

« We don't agree on whether or not we should allow the dog in our room... »

At the word dog, Germany, who was within earshot, comes up to them. Japan quietly follows, and soon, all the countries are assembled around the two of them for a totally different reason. It seems they all have something to say on the subject, and the meeting is once more forgotten -even by Germany this time.  

Finally, Poland notices Russia from the corner of his eyes. He looks slightly distressed, not so much because of the conversation, but he keeps sending looks at Lithuania.

« I wouldn't let my dog on my bed, it would get hair everywhere ! »

« France, you don't even have a dog. I think it'd be fine, I mean, dogs are cuddly and soft ! They can keep you warm ! »

« I don't think warmth is the issue Spain... »

« Sweden and I sometimes allow Hanatamago on the bed ! She gets afraid of storms ! »

Russia uses the incessant chatter to sneak around until he is close enough to Lithuania. He offers a small smile, that Lithuania hesitantely returns.

« Well, this is why I thought we'd better not talk about it in front of others. Everything takes... unforeseen proportions with them. »

And indeed, everyone has started making the argument about their own thing. Poland hears a few of them deep into yet another dog vs cats argument (Ponies are better than both anyway). Russia nods at Lithuania.

« I know, but since the meeting didn't seem to be starting, I thought we might have time to settle the argument. »

Poland sighs in relief and takes out his phone. Well, finally, it was nothing serious between Russia and Liet, they all got worked up for nothing. He settles on playing games until the meeting actually starts, letting the chitchating become an almost pleasant background audio.

*

« Hey » Poland says. He is sitting on his couch, Lithuania next to him. Liet is reading a book, and doesn't seem too enclined to chat. He still raises his eyes from the book, to show Poland he is listening.

« You remember how this other day the others and I ended up making assumptions about your love life ? »

Lithuania has a small smile, and closes his book. « Of course I remember. »

« You ever settled that argument with Russia by the way ? »

Lithuania nods, and snorts. « Yes. I think he was a bit jealous, afraid I'd give the dog too much attention if we let him sleep with us. But Russia had a point though. She sleeps in our room now, but not on the bed. »

Poland moves closer to Lithuania, until he can rest his head against his friend's shoulder. « That's great. I'm glad you sorted this out. »

« What were you talking about when you all thought that, ah, we were arguing ? »

« We made bets about who we thought confessed first, and somehow ended up wondering how exactly you ended up together. It was Hungary's idea, or France's, I don't remember. I think they thought that if we could lead you to like, reenact the day you first got together, you'd somehow understand fighting each other was stupid because you love each other ? Something like that. »

At that, Lithuania laughs, a little surprised. Well, he can't say his friends aren't ready to do anything for them. It is a little bewildering that this is the first answer that came to their mind, though.

« Hey, Liet, it actually got me thinking, you know. I... you never told me how your relationship started. »

Lithuania blinks, licks his lips nervously. « There's a reason for that, actually. »

Poland moves from his comfortable position to be at eyes lever with Lithuania. There are a lot of things that flashes through Lithuania's eyes. Love, of course, and a bit of pride. And something Poland doesn't recognize, like a bit of sadness stranded amidst all this love.

He feels his heart constricting, and puts a reassuring hand on Lithuania's shoulder. « You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I understand. »

Lithuania merely shakes his head.

« It's not that. You know, Russia and I made a promise that day. »

Poland nods politely, waiting for Lithuania to explain.

« I know it's a foolish thing, but we promised to never talk of that day. Not to each other, and not to anyone. »

Poland's eyes widen. What kind of promise is that ? He feels once again that the puzzle lacks a piece, that he cannot possibly understand the link Lithuania and Russia share.

« Why » he whispers in a breath. How can you want to forget such a day, to never mention it again ? He doesn't say.

Lithuania seems to understand his surprise, and it is with knowing eyes and a smile torn between mirth and hopeless optimism that he speaks.

« Of course we can't forget about that day. But, even if it is foolish, even if it is vain, we decided to act like it never existed. Like things were always the way they are now.

Because things that don't have a start can't possibly come to an end, right ? »