#you guys have fed my soul with your support of this fic

[flydotnet]

Can't Have Shit in Okinawa

WHUMPTOBER 2023, DAY 8: “I’ve got soul, but I’m not a soldier.” Overcrowded ER | Outnumbered | “It’s all for nothing.”

I didn't go into this Whumptober expecting to write so much comedy or comedy-adjacent entries, but oh well, may as well embrace it now.

I took the ER prompt because all of the others sounded too… hardcore for me, I guess? I'm way too damn soft. Even then, I decided I may as well make it humorous. Not sure I'm into the spirit of Whumptober this year.

I only recently realized that I had never written anything KojiMaki in my entire life… which is weird, since would you ask me, I'd tell you they're the best romantic character dynamic in all of CT. Yeah, I know, the bar is cosmically low, but it's true, right? Good parallels, actual chemistry, agressive support… it's got it all. WY really fed us well, man. They're not my fav ship (as my stupidly high number of MatsuYoshi fics will happily demonstrate for me), but they're the best written one imho.

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Can't Have Shit in Okinawa

Summary: It's not because your date has ended in the ER that you can't bicker about it with your partner!

Fandom: Captain Tsubasa

Word Count: 1K words

AO3 version available here.

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It’s not where their date was supposed to end; but sometimes, you simply don’t have control over what happens. Sometimes, a last-minute idea from your partner brings you a good surprise! And at others, they get hurt and you end up in a spot that’s not quite as fun.

Or, like, the complete opposite of fun.

“I thought the emergency room was meant for that. Emergencies.”

She’s lost count of how many times her boyfriend has sighed since they’ve arrived here.

“It’s meant to be, at least. You’ve never been in one before?”

He stares back at her, very much unamused.

“I was unconscious the only time I did, how was I s’pposed to know they sucked ass?!”

“It’s a well-known phenomenon! I didn’t think I’d have to explain that to you!”

“Maybe you should’ve asked before, then!”

“Where else was I going to bring you anyway?”

“I dunno, just a regular doctor would’ve been fine!”

“You were bleeding buckets, you idiot!”

“Yeah, and?”

“Well I wasn’t gonna fix that myself, now, was I?”

“You could’ve, I dunno, tried!”

“I’m no doctor!”

“It’s just a damn scrape, Maki! No need to worry so much about it!”

“It’s a bleeding gash the depth of a ping-pong ball, Kojiro!”

“That’s the weirdest comparison I’ve ever heard.” He looks around. “Oh fuck, they’re all staring at us.”

“Gee, I wonder why.”

Don’t get her wrong, she loves him to bits, but her boyfriend is the loudest person on Earth. Oh, and also, he’s a world-famous soccer player. As in, “outstanding name in a list of outstanding names” famous. The guy is a world champion and stuff. That may not help much, in their case, because it did not grant them a priority queue, and also, people do stare at them. A lot.

The ER, as the legend foretold, is cramped and overcrowded. There are people who are here for all sorts of stuff, from terrifying bug bites the size of a softball glove to what Maki can only assume to be people who should’ve just to their local pharmacy. There’s always at least one of those and they will always get called before you, the legend also says.

Among the things Maki has in common with her boyfriend, one of them is a natural knack for impatience. She hates standing in one spot and waiting for things to happen. Powerlessness is an annoyance at best and a deep-rooted phobia at worst. Right now, luckily, it’s just a lot of annoyance at things being horrible, frigidly slow.

In short: the ER, with its awfully slow pace and dozens of people screaming, crying or even chatting very loudly on their phones, is stuff of nightmares for her. If she was here all on her own, a part or her would be terrified, yes – on the other hand, she happens to be here with someone else, who barely seems to care that they have to be there waiting on uncomfortable plastic chairs to begin with.

She glances back at Kojiro. He seems mildly bothered by everything around him, the now rust-coloured towel still on his thigh. Occasionally, he takes a sharp inhale mostly through his right nostril and looks even more mildly bothered. People are still staring at him.

“That stupid thing’s stopped bleeding anyway,” he says as he leans back. “Can we go back to your place, now? Fuck this ER shit, I can do a zig-zag stitch too.”

A mother with her snot-filled kid is glaring at him, her face oh so offended.

“You’re not for real, right?”

He now actually looks displeased.

“What? Do I look so, I dunno, like a brute that I can’t sew?”

“That’s not what I said! I’m just sayin’, you’re no doctor, so don’t stitch your own wounds close!”

Kojiro responds to that by getting his phone out.

“Eh, whatever. There’s probably a tutorial for that on YouTube.”

Maki can only gawk at him. That guy is considered the cream of the crop in his category but man can he be awfully stupid. She loves him for all of his highs and lows, but he’s really dense as a brick when he wants to. Also, for all of his ranting about his friends from the national team being self-sacrificing idiots, he has the tendencies as well.

Actually, come to think of it… Maybe if she tips the scales, she could make him realize how bad it’s getting. That’s what couples do, right? Communicate. They communicate so things don’t explode in a big ball of fire.

“Hey… Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah?”

The woman with the snotty kid are called. Their turn may finally come soon; which, God, not too soon. The air here is stale, cramped and overall suffocating.

“If I was gonna do the same thing to you, which is having a bleeding gash the depth of a ball and say it’s no biggie, I’m gonna stitch it myself, what would you do?”

Now, he looks downright pissed.

“Why’re you even askin’ me that? It’s damn obvious!” His shoulders rise even further. “I’m bringin’ you to the hospital no questions asked!”

“Yeah, that makes sense, right?” She pokes his chest. “So why won’t you get it through your thick skull, hmmm?”

His anger changes into surprise.

“Dammit.”

“See? Not hard to understand! I’m worried and I don’t want you hurt even further, so be a good lil’ kitty and stay put until we get called!”

“Did you just call me a kitten because of my—”

“I’ll call you a tiger again when you’re back on your feet and not profusely bleeding in my backyard!” She breathes out and tries calming down as best as she can. “I know it’s annoying, I don’t like being here either, but it’s for your own good, I swear. And, if you don’t wanna think about yourself… then think your mom would be much more reassured to know you got to see a doctor and got it stitched right!”

He scratches the back of his neck a little sheepishly.

“You’re right there, I guess.”

“I just know you, after a while!” She leans against him. “You should stop being all rough like that. You’re supposed to also lean on me when you need help.”

He leans back in the other direction, his head softly landing on top of hers.

“…Yeah.”

Eventually, a nurse comes and calls their names – finally.

[nevcolleil]

The Sinners & The Saints

Masterpost: Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

[whereisten]

Fish Out of Water

A Chenle fic that’s part of our Halloween Series!

Summary: You work at Neo City Aquarium. One night, you meet a peculiar but pretty boy named Chenle who claims to know you.

Pairing: Merman! Chenle x female reader

Genre: romance, fluff, angst

Warning: none

Word Count: 5.5k

(A/N: hiya! This is a little late and not proofread so I apologize 😭 I hope you enjoy! Thank you so much for all of the support for our stories!)

_______

[June 2020]

Your family was well known for their rehabilitation and release program at Neo City Aquarium. Your grandparents founded the aquarium and formed ties with wildlife rehabilitation centers in your hometown to expand their work into rescuing local marine life.

Following your high school graduation and having just turned eighteen, you were finally allowed to participate in dolphin rehabilitation. At the beginning of the summer, you joined your parents on a rescue mission to save a dolphin that'd been stabbed in a failed hunt for its meat.

You were tasked with nursing the dolphin’s wounds with the team of veterinarians and veterinary assistants. Socializing with wildlife animals wasn’t encouraged but you found yourself attached to the dolphin. You got to swim him when the rehab staff wanted to check his energy levels and confirm he was near his re-release into the ocean. You named him Happy for his smile and he was affection towards you whenever you fed him fish. Naming him Happy was a secret you shared only with him.

“Are you excited for your first dolphin release?” Hendery asked.

Joining Hendery, you entered into the dolphin pen at the beach, where Happy and three more dolphins were waiting to be released. Hendery was a college student who was interning with the rehab team.

You nodded. “Yes.” You were about to cry.

Hendery’s smiled faded. “What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t wipe your eyes because you’d been immersed in saltwater. You weren’t about to miss this release because you got salt in your eye. “Nothing. It’s just...I’m going to miss him.”

Hendery laughed. “I get it. My first release was emotional. Lucas, an intern from last year, had to hold me while I sobbed, begging the dolphins to come back and visit.”

You sniffled and smiled. “That’s so sweet.”

Hendery put a hand on your shoulder. “You’re okay. Happy is eternally grateful to you.”

“Yeah...I- Wait, how did you know I named him-”

“Your voice carries,” Hendery teased.

You splashed him. “Did you tell anyone?”

Hendery shook his head. “Don’t be embarrassed. I named these guys: Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro.”

“Those are human names!” You gasped.

Hendery raised an eyebrow. “Of all the names you could give a majestic dolphin...You named him Happy?”

“Okay, fine. To each their own.” You shrugged him off.

You were in charge of opening the pen that would grant the dolphins their freedom. These releases were so important because these animals were wild, meant to be free to explore the ocean to their hearts’ content. Because of global warming, people’s constant neglect for the environment, and animal cruelty, animals like Happy were negatively affected. Your family’s mission was to educate and rehabilitate. You planned to carry this mission on because the environment’s troubles weren’t going to go away for a long time, you were sad to say.

Releasing the dolphins meant that they would get a second chance to live freely and happily. You hoped no one and nothing would hurt them again.

As much as it pained you to say goodbye to these patients...They weren’t patients anymore.

“Okay, guys,” you addressed the dolphins, “It’s time to go home.”

You opened the pen and the dolphins quickly rushed out. They jumped into the air and whistled.

Happy was the only one who lingered and looked at you.

“Go on, Happy!” You encouraged him. Your tears fell but you were ecstatic. This was such a fulfilling moment.

Happy dove beneath the surface and joined the rest of the dolphins into the deep ocean.

_______

[July 2020]

When you weren’t at the rehab center, you worked at the aquarium as a tour guide. You were giving a tour for the governor and his family. Your family hoped to get more government funding for the aquarium so you could expand the rehabilitation center.

The kids were so wide-eyed and happy to be at the aquarium, seeing the fishes of all kinds of colors and the whale shark that loomed overhead.

The governor was hosting a private party at the aquarium tonight. The Neo City Aquarium boasted monthly sleepovers for anyone who wanted  to sleep with the fishes...

Literally, not figuratively.

The children ran around while the adults mingled at the buffet area that was set up for their party. You helped run the event with your parents. Your mom was helping out with the caterers. Your dad was schmoozing with the state’s elite.

You took a break and walked through the underwater tunnel. You stole some champagne from the party and sipped it lightly.

Someone tapped you on the shoulder and you almost spilled your champagne on the floor. “Agh!”

You turned around and found a boy who grinned from ear to ear. Donning a cerulean tux, he was handsome. He had soulful brown eyes, a boyish smile, an unforgettable eye smile, and his soft, straight brown hair that nearly reached his eyes. He couldn’t have been much older than you.

“C-can I help you?” You winced, feeling like you were caught doing something you shouldn’t have.

“Y/n, it’s me!” The boy said enthusiastically. He couldn’t believe he was here with you.

You frowned. “I’m sorry...I don’t…”

His smile faded but it returned full force as he tried to convince you. “It’s me, Happy!”

“Huh?” You tilted your head in confusion. “How do you know about Happy?”

He said it slowly, “I am Happy…”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that...If you’ll excuse me…” You weren’t getting anywhere with this guy, even if he was your type from a physical standpoint.

He lightly touched your arm. “You saved a dolphin off of the Nakamoto Coast two months ago…”

Now you were listening.

He let you go and explained. “I know that this is going to sound crazy but I was the one you saved that day.”

You furrowed your brows. “What are you talking about…”

“The dolphin you saved has a scar on his underside. It’s shaped like a lightning bolt, almost…” He raised his shirt to reveal his lower abdomen. “Like this…”

It was shaped exactly like Happy’s scar. You dropped your champagne flute. It was a good thing it was made out of reusable plastic. “I…”

He offered you his hand. “Please come with me.”

“Where?” You hesitated.

“To the beach,” he said, “I want to prove to you that I’m not lying.”

You shot him a look. “You better not be. If Hendery put you up to this…”

“You can tell him that Jisung, Sungchan, and Shotaro send their love...I’ve met them in my travels. They liked their human given names so much that they kept them,” he said.

How the hell did he know about those three dolphins?

Now you were curious.

You’d excused yourself from the party. Your mom was thrilled because she thought you finally landed a boyfriend at the ripe old age of eighteen. Like you didn’t have the rest of your life to find a partner. That’s even if you needed one.

The aquarium was located right on the beach so you didn’t have to walk very far. You took off your heels and held the pair on your left hand. Chenle took off his blue dress shoes and did the same. His look had been one color, matching the deepest ocean blue.

You’d reached the shore, where the water reached your toes. “You’re gonna try and drown me here, aren’t you?”

He laughed. “Are you kidding? You are the last person I would drown.”

Did that mean he was capable of drowning people? You laughed nervously. “Thanks?”

He wasted no time and ran into the water with his suit on. You started. “Wait, dude, what are you-”

The water began to glow a bright aqua green. You squint your eyes to see where the boy had gone. The light faded quickly and instead you saw a dolphin tail break the surface.

The boy who brought you here had just turned into a dolphin.

He was telling the truth: he was Happy.

You put a hand over your mouth and simply watched. He jumped into the air and made clicking noises.

“Happy?!” You exclaimed.

Once again, the beam of light appeared. It was brighter that you had to shield your eyes. Happy was gone and the boy’s upper body reappeared.

Along with an aqua green fish tail.

“I...I…” You started.

He made his way back onto shore and regained his nightwear as a human. He was back on two legs again. “I know you named me Happy...It’s a nickname I’ll always treasure in my heart. But my name is Chenle,” the boy said...

Excuse you, the merman said.

“You’re...you’re a merman…” You said.

“Yes…”

“But...you’re also a dolphin…” Your head was about to explode.

“I can transform into any aquatic being...Well, except for clownfish...I can never get the right shade of orange for them…” He started.

You shook your head. “If you were a merman...then why didn’t you transform back...all the time you were here?”

You started remembering just how much you’d told Happy...Chenle...about your life, your aspirations, about how some of your friends were moving away for college, and how you hoped you wouldn’t let your family down…You even made goofy faces at this guy.

You turned away from him in embarrassment.

Chenle continued. “The attack severely injured me...Had it not been for you and your family…I would’ve perished. I did not have the strength to transform back until you released me.”

“Oh…” You said.

He smiled. “I can’t thank you enough. You saved my life.”

You shook your head. “Oh, I didn’t do anything. The doctors and the rehab staff did everything.”

“But you were with me,” he said as he laced his fingers against yours without you realizing it. “You were the one who cared the most. The one whose face hasn’t left my mind since I was released…”

Your face felt warm. “Well, I…”

This was crazy. First, Happy was a dolphin. Then, Happy was a man. And THEN, Happy was a merman.

Someone must have laced your champagne with something. You passed out from the shock of it all.

“Y/n!” Chenle yelled as he caught you from hitting the sand.

A few minutes later, you felt like you’d awoken from a deep, uncomfortable slumber. You felt yourself wrapped in the arms of someone strong, warm…

Wet.

Your eyes opened and you found yourself in the water. What the-

“You’re awake! Thank Poseidon!” Chenle said as his arms were wrapped around you. He looked down at you, drops of water falling off of his slicked back hair. He looked absolutely glorious under the moonlight.

“Chenle, what are you-” You started as you shrugged yourself off of him.

Chenle shushed you. “Y/n, take it easy. I used some of my healing magic to help you wake up…”

“Healing magic?” You asked.

Chenle nodded. “Yes.”

You looked at him carefully. “I can’t believe you’re real…”

He sighed. “Really? You still don’t believe me…”

“No, I believe you...It’s just…A lot for me to process.” You said.

You still wondered if you were losing your mind.

You and Chenle talked for hours that night. He actually used magic to dry you and your dress. He was able to walk on land because of the full moon. That was why it took him a month to come see you and explain himself.

Chenle was the prince of the underwater kingdom, Atlantis. The mythical kingdom had proven to be real. Chenle told you all about it. How his parents ruled the seven seas in harmony. The merpeople had all sorts of abilities. They can transform into other marine life. They can heal. They can control the weather. They can manipulate water.

It was during the full moon every month that merfolk had the opportunity to walk on land to understand humans and their lifestyle. Chenle turned eighteen last year so he’d explored the human world a couple of times already. He was able to learn how to walk after the first couple of visits, apparently.

It was his first time visiting your hometown after being rescued. He’d only wanted to see you because you’d been so kind to him. He knew everything about you and he’d fallen in love. He couldn’t wait to see you again.

“So you’re a prince…” You started.

“Yes…” He answered.

“Then how come your...royal subjects didn’t come and find you?” You asked.

Chenle chuckled. “Actually, they watched me from afar…”

“What? Really?”

Now that you thought about it...You remembered pods of dolphins close to the shore the entire month Chenle had been at the rehab center.

“Yes...And they were relieved to see that I was in good hands. The entire kingdom wishes to invite your team down to the palace to bestow medals of honor to each of you.”

“Wow,” you said, “That’s...incredible...Too bad, we can’t breathe underwater or else I’d be the first to join you.”

He hesitated before he asked you the next question. “Actually...If you did wish to see Atlantis...I could make that happen.”

You gasped. “What?!”

He laughed. “Yes. So long as I’m in saltwater, I can use my magic.”

“I’ve noticed…” You said.

“y/n!” Your father called out to you.

Apparently, he’d been kept out of the loop about your “date”.

“Dad!” You started as you got up from the sand.

“Who is this boy?” He demanded as he walked over to you guys with his loafers still on.

Shocked at your father’s hostility, you said, “Dad! It’s Ha-”

You turned to Chenle and he raised his eyebrows.

“This is Chenle, my-”

Chenle continued, “I’m her friend from school.” He got up from the sand and stood beside you. His demeanor changed then. “It is nice to meet you, sir.” He extended his hand out and gave your father a firm handshake.

Chenle acted like he’d been fully employed with an MBA and a six-figure salary. That must’ve been his prince personality coming out.

Your dad was taken aback by how confident Chenle had been. “It’s nice to meet you, too...May I ask why you and my daughter are out here so late?”

Chenle continued, “I apologize, sir. I hadn’t seen her in a month...And I missed her so I came to see her.” He looked at you then, a meaningful look on his face. You knew he was being honest and you felt your heart sway, then.

Your father cleared his throat. “Well, that’s very nice of you, Chenle but...it’s 2 in the morning...It’s time you called it a night, you two.”

You both looked at each other then, disappointed. It wasn’t like you could call Chenle up on his phone. You wondered if technology could factor into Atlantis...Or if they even needed it. You doubted it.

“Okay, dad,” you said, “Do you mind?” You motioned for him to leave you and Chenle for a few minutes.

Your dad shot you a look, feeling quite overprotective of his only child. He relented when you gave him the same unwavering look. “Alright. Good evening, Chenle.”

Chenle nodded and your dad walked away.

“So much for the trip to Atlantis,” you said as you crossed your arms in disappointment.

“Next time,” Chenle said, smiling down at you, adoring the way you pouted.

_______

[October 2020]

You met Chenle at the beach at nightfall several times since the night you first met at the aquarium. It was your turn to get to know Chenle more since he knew most things about you with you knowing.

He admitted to some embarrassing secrets, like how, during one of the times he visited land, he’d talked to a betta fish in a tank located inside a convenience store and everyone looked at him like he was insane. But what was most embarrassing for him was that he failed to realize that he couldn’t communicate with freshwater fish.

Chenle was courageous and kind. He told you that the reason he turned into a dolphin the day you found him was because he’d gone to help rescue a pod of dolphins from being hunted. In the process, he’d been struck. A Good Samaritan reported his injuries to the rehab center and that was how you met.

Chenle was second in line for the throne for his older brother would soon be crowned king of Atlantis.

Today was the day you would go to Atlantis with Chenle.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

You replied, “I...think so…”

You both held hands as you stood in the water together.

“Trust me,” he said as he winked.

You sighed. Chenle explained and showed his process for helping you breathe underwater.

Chenle had the ability to create an air bubble shaped to your person that surrounded you and kept your oxygen intake high.

In August, you’d tested the air bubble 12 feet under the surface and in September you worked your way up to 1200 feet under the surface.

Each time, it worked seamlessly.

However, you were going thousands of feet underwater so you were freaking out a little. You tried to not show it.

Chenle took your face into his hands. “You’re safe with me.”

You nodded, meeting his beautiful eyes as they glowed the same aqua green from the first night he revealed his true self to you.

You both dived down and Chenle extended his hands out, enveloping you with the clear air bubble.

You were able to maneuver yourself with your legs, like you were the one who swam.

Diving down with Chenle was always an adventure but now that you dove deeper and faster, you saw more of the wildlife and greenery underwater. The ocean was a force to be reckoned with but to you, it was also the most beautiful part of this planet.

Holding Chenle’s hand, he controlled the speed in which you traveled. He wanted to entertain you with the most gorgeous sights the ocean offered. He loved the awe and admiration in your eyes. He wished to always make you happy.

Chenle moved you two faster because your hometown was hundreds of miles away from Atlantis. You two didn’t have a lot of time until sunrise when you needed to get back.

And Chenle would have to retreat. Humans couldn’t know of the merfolk’s existence.

You finally saw it: the kingdom of Atlantis. The buildings stood tall, looking almost like modern-day apartment buildings. The merfolks swam alongside fish and other deep sea creatures. As the people recognized Chenle, a group of armed mermen approached you two.

“Who is this, Your Highness?” One of the armed guards asked.

He continued, “Jaehyun, this is y/n.”

At the sound of your name, all of the guards bowed deeply before you. “y/n, the savior of our prince.”

You put a hand over your mouth. “Oh, no, please don’t do that…”

Chenle laughed. “Alright, let’s go greet my parents.”

“Wait, you parents?!” You exclaimed. Chenle never mentioned meeting his parents.

The guards escorted you to the palace doors. They were heavily guarded by the biggest jellyfish you’d ever seen so no one could break in or break out without getting severely injured. The doors opened and the castle was beyond your wildest dreams. It was translucent and the towers ran high, shaped like icicles. It glowed with a magic of its own with all colors of the rainbow glowing, depending on the angle from which you looked at the structure.

You entered into the palace and into the grand throne room where the king and queen of Atlantis stood. Chenle was the spitting image of his mother. It was in the eyes and the smile.

You bowed. “Your Majesties.”

The queen and king looked at you in adoration.

“We can not express our gratitude enough for saving our son,” the king said.

The queen continued, “Whatever your wish is, we can make it so.”

“Oh,” you said, shaking your head, “That’s okay...In fact, I wasn’t the only one who helped the prince...I don’t deserve anything.”

Chenle looked at you then with so much love and respect. “You deserve the world, y/n.”

You nearly choked. “Chenle...I mean, Your Highness, I-”

Another young man entered the throne room and greeted Chenle by rubbing the crown of his head. “Little brother, you’ve brought a girl home to mummy!”

“Kun, gah, knock it off!” Chenle asked as he pulled himself off of his brother.

Kun resembled his father more but he was also handsome. You realized he was the crown prince and bowed. “Your Highness.”

“Y/n, it is an honor to finally meet you. I’m amazed that the wedding festivities haven’t begun.”

“Wedding?!” You asked and shut your mouth, thinking you spoke out of turn.

Kun and his parents laughed. Chenle sighed. “You’ll have to excuse Kun. He has a flair for the dramatic.”

Once you finished your time with the royal family, Chenle took you to the highest point in the castle. You two looked over the palace. You could see the darkness of the deep blue sea that laid beyond.

“Chenle, this is nothing at all like I imagined it. It’s...a dream,” you said.

Chenle held your hand. “You’re a dream, y/n.” He took it and kissed it.

_______

[December 2020]

You haven't seen Chenle since your visit to the kingdom. Every night that you could visit him, he was never there. You started to wonder if something had happened to him.

You even started to wonder if you’d dreamed his existence this whole time. You cried to sleep some nights, missing him. Longing to see him again.

It was New Year’s morning a few hours before daybreak that you sat alone on the beach, resolute that this would be the last time you would wait for him.

That was when he appeared.

“y/n…” He started.

“Chenle, what happened?” You asked. “I thought you-” You broke down in tears on the shoreline.

It wasn’t a full moon that night so he couldn’t run up to you and hold you like he’d wanted to do since last he saw you.

“y/n...Kun… he died,” Chenle said, trying to fight back his tears. As he was not the crown prince, he had an image to maintain of being strong for his subjects. Strong for his parents.

But with you, he broke down. Hard. Kun died during his travels along the eastern continent. He’d been intoxicated from an oil spill. His body was recovered by the royal guards and he’d had a royal funeral. The kingdom has been in mourning since then.

You didn’t care if you got soaked. You ran into the water and held him. You cried with him. Because of the negligence of your people, marine life suffered. That always pained you but to see it hit so close to home now, you were livid.

You held each other for as long as you could. Daybreak would occur anytime now but you imagined that most people would be at home asleep, nursing hangovers or recovering from being up all hours of the night. You wanted to be with Chenle for as long as you could help it.

“Chenle...what does this mean for you?” You asked.

He sighed. “I am the crown prince and...y/n...I will be wed.”

You pulled yourself away from Chenle’s embrace. “What?”

“It is the custom of my people. My parents are stepping down from the throne. As the crown prince, I must get married and produce a royal heir.”

You put a hand over your mouth. Marriage and a baby? You’d only finished your first semester of college. Chenle was on his way to becoming a king, a husband, and a father.

Now, you had to shove down your growing feelings for Chenle. Because you’d fallen hard. And now this was the sign you needed to know that you two had been from completely different worlds. It would never have worked out.

So you swallowed your pride and said, “I understand...You came to say goodbye.”

Chenle’s eyes widened. “What? Goodbye?”

Your eyes become glassy. You tried so hard to keep yourself from crying. “You’re spoken for...And I’m sure your wife will not be keen on you coming up to see a human woman…”

“y/n-” Chenle began as he tried to hold you again.

You moved away from him. “Don’t. Please.”

Chenle put his arms down and looked at how defeated you looked. He wanted nothing more than to make you his wife. You would’ve been his first choice in the long run but now that Kun had passed, he was crown prince and with that position, there were responsibilities.

He had originally planned to wait until you were both older to ask for your hand in marriage and try to convince you to live with him in the palace...Somehow...But he knew that you belonged to the land...He could never ask that of you. So he kept his dreams to himself. He simply enjoyed being in the moment with you.

But, you were right, he realized. He couldn’t be with you like this anymore.

Chenle cried before you. “I’m so sorry, y/n...I love you.”

You froze. “What?”

“I’ve loved you since the moment you made that dolphin noise…” You both remembered your first days together, when Chenle had been Happy the dolphin. You were playing around with the other interns and you tried to make a dolphin noise to get Happy’s attention. Everyone laughed at your impersonation and you covered your face in embarrassment. Chenle thought you were adorable.

“Chenle, I love you, too,” you said. You started falling for him the day he appeared to you at the aquarium. But you fell for him when he showed you the ocean, told you his stories, and made you laugh. You both showed each other the best of your worlds and you hated that this was how you would part.

Chenle held your face and you wrapped your arms around him. You kissed each other for the longest time before you bade each other farewell.

_______

[July 2036]

It was moonrise. The sun had just set and night had fallen. You walked hand in hand with your four year old son. You walked along the shore you’d ingrained into your memory. The shore where you met with Chenle so many times. You hadn’t seen him since your last farewell so this beach once again became a happier place to be.

“Mommy! Mermaid! Mermaid!” Your son pointed out to the ocean.

“Sweetie, that’s probably a dolphin,” you said as you looked out into the water and recognized an aqua green fish tail.

Your heart nearly stopped.

Chenle, older and more handsome, swam closer to the shore and watched you. You looked just as beautiful as he’d met you. You had a more determined and confident look in your eyes. You become who you were meant to be. He could see it.

“Mommy, that’s a mermaid!” Your son said.

“Chenle,” you started.

Chenle walked out of the water, now in his human form.

“Wow!” Your son exclaimed.

“Just like your mother,” Chenle said to your son as he knelt down to greet him. “What’s your name?”

“Finn,” he said.

“Hi, Finn. My name is Chenle.”

“Hi, Chenle!” Finn said.

Chenle got up and met your shocked expression with his radiant smile. “It’s been a long time.”

You nodded. “It has.”

“Have you been well?” He asked.

You nodded. “Have you?”

“Yes,” he said, “Shall we sit?”

You and Chenle sat together with Finn playing right beside you. Chenle told you he’d married the daughter of one of the family’s royal advisers. She’d never loved Chenle either. They both entered the marriage as partners for the sake of the kingdom. They produced seven heirs, seven daughters.

Chenle’s wife had a lover, a man she’d loved since before she’d married. She’d told Chenle about him. Chenle also took on a couple of lovers over the years but you were all he thought about.

You’d done what you set out to do. You graduated college with a degree in marine biology. You went to veterinary school and graduated with high honors. Now, you were the leading veterinarian at Neo City Aquarium’s Rehabilitation Center. You’d met your husband Jeno through a mutual friend. You two hit it off, dated for three years, got married, and had Finn.

Chenle surprised you with the news that the condition of the ocean had improved in the years since you’d met. It was because of generous people like you who advocated for the respect of the seas that Chenle and his people could help their kingdom thrive. The temperature of the ocean overall had improved and oil spills and pollution were the lowest they’d ever been.

You two were happy in certain ways. But it pained Chenle to see you’d been happy with another man. A part of him that he hated so much wished you’d waited for him. It was a selfish desire but he couldn’t help it.

You knew from long ago that waiting for Chenle was a dream that you could never entertain so you pushed forward with your ambitions. You wanted to do what you could to protect the ocean. You loved it as much as Chenle had. It showed in your work with marine life and in your advocacy to combat climate change.

“Mommy, where is Daddy?” Finn asked.

You remembered that Jeno would be here at any moment. You checked your texts and Jeno told you he’d pick you and Finn up in ten minutes.

“Ten minutes, sweetie. That’s soon. Let’s get ready to go,” you said. You looked at Chenle’s eyes. You knew this was another farewell. Even if it was less devastating than the first. Both of you still harbored a little bit of pain over what could’ve been.

“Goodbye, y/n.”

“Goodbye, Chenle.”

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” he said.

“I’m happy that you’re happy,” you echoed.

He gave you a beautiful, polished conch shell. “Perhaps you can make a necklace out of it. I want you to have it. It’s a gift from my parents and I.”

It was a beautiful shade of cream with traces of pink. “Thank you.”

Giving you one last longing look, Chenle got back into the water and smiled at you before he dove into the water again. A tear escaped your eye but you quickly wiped it away.

[July 2076]

Your children had their own children now. You and Jeno had divorced when Finn was 19, Dylan was 17, and Kai was 14. You split on amicable terms. You simply fell out of love with each other. Jeno could always tell you couldn’t get over your first love. No matter how hard you tried.

What gave you joy was your children. And like you, they’d all been invested in the aquarium and the center. They kept the legacy on.

Your daughter Kai had gotten married today at the beach. Everyone was celebrating on the makeshift dance floor on the sand. You stood at the shoreline alone, feeling the water hit your toes. You enjoyed the sensation every time.

You saw his aqua green tail. You couldn’t believe it. You must’ve been seeing things. You’d recently retired. You were as bright and alert as that of a healthy fifty year old’s but perhaps your eyes were now deceiving you. You had been in your seventies, after all.

Chenle, as gray as you were but as handsome as he’d been the first time you saw him, beamed at you.

You told your kids about Chenle. Finn remembered meeting him. Your eldest son knew it wasn’t in his imagination so he begged you to tell him about Chenle, Atlantis, and the ocean. Kai and Dylan had also been curious. Now your three children watched as you met eyes with Chenle.

Your three kids walked over to you. Kai put her hand on your shoulder. “Mom...go be with him. We support you.”

“But Kai...Your babies…” You started. You didn’t want to leave your children so abruptly. Even if they were older now and independent, you wanted to be there for them in whatever they needed.

“My daughter is my first and last, I promise you that. You promise to come visit, right?” Kai laughed. She’d had her daughter with another man a few years before her marriage today. She’d named her daughter after you.

Dylan started, “Mom...You’ve given us so much love and support...We want you to go after what you want. Who you want.”

You fought back a sob and hugged your children. “I love you three. You are the loves of my life.”

“We love you, too,” Dylan said, wiping his tears with his jacket sleeve.

Finn waved at Chenle. “Hi, Chenle! I knew you were real!”

Chenle laughed. “Hi, Finn!”

You hugged your children tightly and walked into the water. Chenle had his arms wide open for you and enveloped yourself into his embrace. With his magic, you became a mermaid. You sported a radiant fuchsia tail. You both waved to your children before you dived deep into what always felt like home.

[Fin]

Come back tomorrow for another spooky story...

[thatiranianphantom]

2020 Fic Roundup

Fine, fine fine. Oh boy, I have written a LOT of Bughead this year. Please allow me to take you on a guided tour of Why Sadie Has Gone Insane This Year, Fic Edition. 

these scars are a metaphor for my soul - My first Bughead fic! A series of oneshots, predictably most after 4x15. This one has my marriedteens!Bughead oneshot in it. 

it’s an interesting feeling, though - P1 of the we are a masterpiece series, post 4x17, lovingly ripped off of Boy Meets World. 

to know it’s over - P2 of the we are a masterpiece series. Betty tells Jughead about the kiss. Look, it’s lovingly ripped off, but Boy Meets World fed us for this exact scenario. 

ride the storm (direct the whirlwind) - Remember that “poetic” writing we all did as younguns? Well, this was mine, of 10 years ago, transplanted to Bughead. 

no one else is singing my song - Ah, a classic. My first long, post-4x17, pregnancy fic.

....am I predictable?

Anyhow, the feedback was lovely on this one and it spawned a series, the je t’aime toujours series, otherwise known as the Georgina universe. 

to be the only one in the world (who knows it’s not) - P3 of the we are a masterpiece series. This one got longer than anticipated. Also, my first introduction to some less-than-thrilled comments when I put Betty or Jughead with literally anyone else, no matter how briefly. A learning experience, to be sure. 

you’re gonna see (that sometimes bad is good) - This guy started out as me indulging myself and @go-ldy​‘s request for some Cooper/Jones/Smith family fun that we were robbed of. Family fluff was a lovely break. 

i have a voice (it is my song) - Part 2 of the je t’aime toujours series. It’s more family fun! 

until then (listen for her song) - Oh boy. This guy was dark. But oddly, I loved writing this more than a lot of my fics. I was born for deathfic. 

i’ve had my moments - this was the Bughead drabble fics, wherein I learned it is impossible to limit myself to 100 words. I am the child of two journalists, what do you want from me? 

all i need is a bitter song - The fic with an audience of one (1). And that one is me. In fairness, the Venn Diagram of Wynonna Earp and Riverdale fans is....basically a circle. 

someone else is singing along - last part of the Georgina verse. Some missing moments where I cram in still more angst. 

when you love someone - oneshot fluff can be fun! Inspired by Willow and Tara of Buffy, a couple I never really liked but whose plotline can be repurposed for Bughead, it is the story of the pain the group goes through after the Bughead reunion, when those two animals just can’t keep their hands off each other. 

go, be yourself on your way - the plot bunny that wanted hurt/comfort, and lots of it. Still stands a chance of getting a sequel. Maybe. 

head over feet - fluff can be fun part 2! Harnessing my need for Bughead babies with some shameless pregnancy fluff. This research was the most fun to do. 

i’ve been waiting for you  - see above. Pregnancy fluff, part two. 

i’m right up the road (i’ll share your load) - Okay, so tbh, I’ve had a hard time writing lately. I’ve just been feeling kind of bored and uninspired with the show, and there are few fics that I write which give me the feels. THIS ONE, THOUGH. This one and listen for her song gave me ALL of the feelings. It’s me finally demanding that attention be paid to Betty and Veronica’s friendship, since god knows the show won’t do it.

regret takes hold (we grow old) - my imagining of Season 5. I’m working on the next chapter, I swear. There’s a word doc for it open now, and an outline. I just have to, you know, write it. 

all is calm, all is bright - my Bughead Secret Santa fic! Just pure Christmas fluff. 

Whew, it’s been a year. Thank you all for your support on my crazy, angsty stories! I’d love to know if one is your fave, or if you’ve recommended my fics, or even just that you enjoyed. Thanks for coming on this ride with me ❤️

[dearest-bucky]

Clear blue sky (One Shot)

Bucky Barnes x Reader

Summary: Anonymous said: So I was thinking about a bucky x reader one shot where they are in a relationship but one day a mission goes wrong and Bucky goes missing and is presumed dead so years pass and you moved on with your life only to find out Bucky’s alive, it’s totally okay if you don’t want to do it but if you do can you make it really angsty and fluffy with a happy ending please?

Words: 2.9K

Warnings: angst, fluff, happy ending 

A/n: This is a request that got in my inbox a couple of nights ago and I really loved the idea so got to writing it immediately. Thank you for the request nonnie! <3 I twisted the ending a little but I really hope you like it this way too!

Aaaaand this is the last fic I had to repost, soon I’ll be posting new ones that I’m working on at the moment. Thank you all for being so supportive and patient with me, I love you and I appreciate every single one of you!!  

Originally posted: September 2, 2020

"Take a deep breath! C'mon Y/n, deep breath, you got this." She could hear the words that were leaving the doctor's lips, but she couldn't make out what the woman was saying. All she was able to focus on was the excruciating pain that was coursing through her entire body. She screamed, felt her mouth open and despite the fact that she felt something coming out from the depths of her chest, she didn't make out a single sound of it. It was weird, as if her hearing was suddenly disabled.

Droplets of sweat were running freely down her face, down her neck, the entire back of the hospital gown drenched. A nurse patted her face with a clean cloth, wiping the sweat away carefully, but that didn't bring her any relief at all. A hand was clutching hers securely and only when they squeezed, she was finally able to turn her head slightly to her right to look at the person next to her. "C'mon, honey, it's almost over. You can do this, I know you can." The words were spoken with so much care and affection, that only made her stop trying altogether, giving in to loud sobs and tears that had been ready to spill out of her eyes.

"Bucky..." She murmured to the man standing next to her, her vision blurring totally from the tears. "Buc-" A sob that escaped her lips didn't let her finish the word, making it rest heavy on her tongue.

The doctor's voice called her again, making her snap the attention towards her instead. "Two last pushes, please Y/n. C'mon, deep breath and push as hard as you can." She nodded in understanding, then did just as the doctor said, clenching her teeth as she pushed with everything she had in her. Not even a moment later a loud cry was heard in the room. Definitely not hers. She let the tears run down her cheeks freely as she sagged on the hospital bed. The nurse wrapped the baby in a blanket and walked to Y/n, softly placing the tiny human in her weak arms.

As soon as she felt her baby next to her she smiled in relief, cooing at the small figure in her arms in adoration. "Hello, love." She spoke softly as she placed a small kiss on her baby's tiny forehead.

The man that had been standing next to her the entire time, clutching her hand through the whole thing, crunched down slightly next to the bed, smiling and shedding a few happy tears at the sight in front of him. "You did great Y/n, you're amazing." His voice was laced with affection just like before, but this time, as she turned to look at him, Y/n furrowed her brows in confusion.

"Ben?"

Weeks and months were passing slowly, but the baby in Y/n's arms was growing too fast for it to be true. Her apartment had been adjusted to the baby's needs, filled with toys and baby clothes and diapers and bottles. Everything so different from a year ago when she'd been living at the Avengers' compound with the love of her life, fighting bad guys and saving the world daily. Just after the birth of her son, she'd moved out of the compound, having already given up the fighting from the moment she had learned about the pregnancy.

She had just put little James down for his afternoon nap, after having fed him and changed him, the baby, bless his little heart, had fallen asleep peacefully. She stood in front of the framed photograph and picked it carefully in her hands, as if it was the most delicate object in the world. Her legs moved her towards the window, and she sat on the wide wooden sill, locking her gaze on the faces of the photograph.

"Smile for the camera, guys." Nat's voice was cheerful, a sound of joy she rarely displayed, especially in public. The Avengers having a picnic in Central Park was not something that happened every day, but the day was warm and the sky was blue and they had deserved one day off.

Without missing a beat, Bucky threw his arm over her shoulder to pull her closer to him, and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she turned to look at him with a wide smile on her face. Nat clicked the shutter button of her camera and that was the final product. Bucky, looking at the camera with a wide grin and Y/n looking at Bucky the same way she always looked at him, with only love and adoration in her gaze.

Now it seemed like he was grinning at her, his eyes looking straight forward. She, just like always, was looking at him, the same love ever present in her heart, but her eyes told a different story this time. They were red and swollen and she hadn't even noticed she had started crying. She clutched the frame on her chest and she looked out of the window, the city alive and moving just like always. Her eyes drifted up to the sky, a clear blue color painting the view above, just like that day when the photo was taken.

Before she had the time to get lost in more thoughts of the past, three separate knocks were heard on her front door and she rushed to answer it before it woke her son from the nap. Nimble fingers turned the lock and opened the door, not at all surprised to see the person on the other side. "Ben, hi, come on in."

The man smiled at her, kissing her cheek softly before he entered her apartment. "Where's the champ?" He asked as he looked around the living room and not hearing the baby's voice.

"Nap time." Came Y/n's reply in a low voice to not bother the baby that was sleeping in the room next door.

Ben only smiled and nodded, his eyes drifting to the framed photograph she had left on the window sill when she moved to open the door for him. He picked it up and smiled at the picture that was presented in front of him, a picture he'd seen thousands of times before when he came to visit Y/n.

She moved to him and took the photo away from him, placing it on its usual spot in one of the open shelves of her small bookcase. "So, how are you feeling?"

"So, how are you feeling?"

She started to explain to the doctor all her symptoms, and the woman listened with a small smile on her face, having heard those words many times before in her career. Y/n was sitting on the chair on the other side of her desk, a metal hand holding into her right one securely, listening attentively to the words she spoke.

After she finished speaking, the doctor finally replied. "Miss Y/l/n, did you take a pregnancy test?" Her words made them stop breathing altogether.

Bucky and Y/n had been together for four years and they never bothered to use protection because apparently Hydra had taken care of the Winter Soldier while they had him, not wanting to have to deal with his offspring. But as the words left the doctor's mouth and reached their ears, they couldn't even blink anymore.

"I- uh.." She stammered and the doctor smiled at her. She was familiar with the Avengers, with their medical history and everything.

"I know what you're going to say, but maybe what they did to mr. Barnes to make him infertile wasn't permanent?" She suggested. "Anyway, we can do an ultrasound for you now to make sure." They had both looked at each other, not daring to get their hopes up in advance and then she turned to the doctor and nodded her head in affirmation, getting up from her chair to follow after the other woman.

The entire time, Bucky hadn't let go of her hand, clutching it tightly in his, bouncing his leg from the nerves he was trying so hard to conceal. Y/n rubbed her thumb on his knuckles in soothing motions and smiled at him. "It's okay, baby, whatever it is."

He blinked down at her and smiled, focusing in the irises of her eyes, finding there the answer to his every question. She was right. It was okay. They were okay.

The doctor finally put some gel on her abdomen and started moving the transducer around. After a short inspection, she spoke up. "Congratulations, it appears you are expecting miss Y/n. You're seven weeks pregnant." She exclaimed happily and then she showed with her finger to the ultrasound screen. "Here's your baby." A small dot, really, that's all it was, but Bucky and Y/n had forgotten how to breathe, staring at the black and white screen in shock, until Y/n finally broke off of her stupor and squeezed his hand tighter.

He finally came back to reality, a single tear escaping from his eye to run down his cheek as he looked at Y/n in pure adoration.

"Do you want me to print you the first picture of your baby?"

"Huh?" She'd been so lost in her thoughts for a while, as if her soul had left her body entirely and Ben looked at her with concern.

"Y/n, you okay?"

She finally nodded her head in reply. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay."

Ben had spent a couple of hours more there. After James had woken up he played with the baby, making him giggle in delight and Y/n could only smile at them. Ben loved little James so much, as if he were his own son. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't. Just like Y/n was nothing more to him than a friend. A friend he had had feelings for ever since they met.

Ben was a good man, almost too good to be true, always taking care of her, always putting her needs first, and now her son's too. He did his best to protect them both, to be there for them without asking for anything in return and Y/n was forever grateful to have him in her life, even if sometimes she was too wounded by the pain  in her chest to express that gratitude.

After Ben had left and she had put James down for another nap she sat down on her couch, feeling tired even though she hadn't done much the entire day. She turned on the TV, setting the channel on the news report of the evening.

"The Avengers have once again saved us all." The reporter spoke in the usual contained voice, continuing to talk about the latest successful mission of the team. Looking at them on the screen, she realized she had missed them, she hadn't seen any of them since the birth of her son. She wanted to, so much, but she couldn't bring herself to look them in the eye anymore. They reminded her of a past life, a life she didn't have anymore, a life she was robbed of.

The only contact she had with them were the occasional calls from Natasha and Wanda who insisted they visited her and her son, but Y/n always refused. Just like she refused to even talk on the phone to Steve, the man reminding her of Bucky too much she couldn't even breathe sometimes.

His figure was displayed on the TV screen in front of her eyes, throwing his shield at whatever threat he was fighting.

"Barton, come in!" Tony's voice echoed through the ear pierce that shared connection with the rest of the team.  

After entering the fifth month of the pregnancy and she had started showing entirely, Bucky and Y/n had both decided she'd give up going on missions until the baby was here, and now Y/n was sitting on a comfortable chair in the control room at the Avengers compound, supervising the mission from far away.

"It's an ambush, everyone head back to the jet." This time it was Bucky's voice that she heard over the comms and her heart stuttered inside her chest. "Run back. Abort mission!" His voice held a hint of panic to it, one she noticed quicker than she wished she had and she knew if Bucky was on the verge of losing his cool there was something very wrong.

"Bucky." She spoke, unease settling in her stomach. "Baby, get out of there." Her words were instructed in a somewhat calm breath, but she couldn't help the nerves getting the best of her. She heard his light chuckle over the comm, followed soon by his breathless voice.

"Working on it, doll." He was running.

Everyone was running, retreating to the safety of the jet, to come back home. Her heart was beating so loudly she could hear it in her throat and for a while all she could hear was only that and the sound of several footsteps running until a loud explosion broke the steady rhythm of the running feet. Something simply ripped in her heart, a gasp leaving her mouth. She clutched her hands one on her chest and the other on her round belly.

"Bucky?" She asked, afraid of the response she'd be getting.

"Buck? You hear me?"

"Baby?"

"Baby..."

She never got a response from him.

A big cake was placed on the center of the table, five small candles lit on it, a bunch of people standing around, singing Happy birthday happily to the little boy who was wearing a Captain America mask and had an arm wrapped in tinfoil.

He was looking at everyone happily, grinning widely at the people around. Y/n was on his side and Ben on the other, singing happy birthday with the rest of the team. When the song ended the boy scrunched his eyes closed to make a wish then he blew the candles on the cake. Everyone clapped and cheered around him.

People were running around the grass field, enjoying the sun and the cake and Y/n couldn't help but look up at the sky, the clear blue color of it filling her heart with so much calm she never thought possible. It was the same blue she loved, the same blue of his eyes. Tears threatened to spill, but she wiped her eyes discreetly, not wanting to cry today. Not on their son's birthday.

Nat found her after a while, wrapping her arms around Y/n in a tight hug, trying to express all the feelings she could never be able to speak up about to her. Words had never been her strong point. "We're okay." She finally spoke and Y/n broke off the hug to look in the redhead's eyes, a small smile forming on her lips.

"I still miss him Nat." Her words were accompanied with a small shrug and a quivering lip.

"I know."

"I miss him and sometimes I feel like I just betrayed him by getting together with Ben. I just-"

"Don't." Natasha interrupted her. "Don't do this to yourself. Bucky is gone and we can't do anything to bring him back. And Ben is a good guy and he loves you and James with his life. I'm sure Bucky's happy for you now. He wouldn't wish anything but the best for the both of you." Natasha's words made her cry more, small sobs escaping her lips and she fell in her embrace again, wetting her shoulder with the tears that seemed to never end.

No matter how much it hurt she had to finally accept the truth. Bucky was gone and not coming back.

Bucky.

Bucky.

Bucky.

"Bucky..." She mumbled, not understanding what was going on anymore.

His lips pressed lightly to her temple, resting there for a moment and his nose inhaling the sweet scent of the shampoo on her hair. He placed small pecks on every inch of her face. "I'm here, sleepyhead." She opened her eyes slowly, meeting his lovely blue ones in return. Her pupils dilated at the sight of him and he only smiled down at her, his lips stretching more into a grin. "Gotta wake up now. The team will be here soon for lunch."

She could only stare at him, unable to say a word. "Junior is downstairs eating his breakfast and I already fed all the animals too." He spoke softly next to her ear. Y/n moved to sit up on the bed, looking out of the window in wonder.

The sun was already shining bight up in the clear blue summer sky. She smiled. Then looked around the room, the bed, the purple blanket, the Cental Park photograph on the night stand, the closet, the dressing table. Everything hers. Everything theirs.

He looked at her as she took in her surrounding, then placed a chaste kiss on her parched lips before moving away from her. At the last moment, just before he left the bed, she stretched out her hand to grip at his wrist, to stop him from moving away from her.

Cool under her touch. Metal.

He turned to sit again on the bed and look at her, now a little concerned at her strange behavior. "Doll, are you okay?" He placed a kiss on her forehead, checking subtly at the same time if she had a fever, but she seemed okay.

She wrapped her arms around his torso and hid her face in his chest, inhaling the familiar scent of him. After a moment of sitting in silence, wrapped in each other's arms, she finally spoke, her voice coming out a little muffled by his shirt.

"Yeah Buck, just had a weird dream, that's all."

She felt him place a kiss on her head and smiled, tears quelling in her eyes. "I love you."

[nataliedanovelist]

GF - How A Star Is Born ch.XI

A Hercules AU, founded by @evaroze, whom this fic is a gift for. This is the last chapter, so I truly hope you all enjoyed this fun AU, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support! 

(Also, a small cameo for @lemonfodrizzleart is in here, so I hope you enjoy!)

ch.X

AO3 link

~~~~~~~~~~

Stan could feel the familiar pressure on his chest when Dipper and Mabel defeated the monster. He did everything he could to keep it at bay until the kids left; they would have stayed, and Bill would have won. Ford might get hurt, so Stan made sure they didn’t know and that they left him.

The second they were gone a powerful wave of pain flared his chest and he sank. Pacifica helped him lie down comfortably against some smooth boulders, unsure if it was safe to move him, and held his hand as he had to endure another heart attack.

Stan’s mind was hazy, but he reminded himself that he was okay with this. He was okay. Dipper and Mabel were gonna in. They got to see each other face to face! Dipper would get to meet Ford, and one day he would get to be with them forever. Heck, Stan even got lucky enough to meet his niece, who he already loved just as much as he loved Dipper. And Ford… he might have been a huge jerk, but he would have liked to see him again. Oh, well. It’s not like Ford would want to see him again.

The old trainer winced and groaned as he could feel his breath being taken away.

Mabel had Gompers go as fast as he could back to Thebes. She, Ford, and Dipper were terrified of what they would come to, but they had to see him again, they had to!

Gompers stopped right where he had picked the young pair of twins up for battle and were distributed to find Stan lying down, he never lied down! Pacifica turned to them, shaking her head and moving aside so they could see how deadly still and pale Stan was.

Ford instantly collapsed onto his knees by his brother’s side. He shook his head, refusing to believe it, and carefully took his hand. “Stanley,” He muttered quietly. “Stanley, it’s me, your brother.”

Mabel was on her knees next to Ford, trembling like a leaf and already crying. “G-G-Grunkle Stan… please…” 

The ruler of the gods scooped his brother up and was distraught when his head fell limp to the side. Ford helped his head lay on his strong arm, tearfully begging and holding his twin close to his fast-beating heart. “Come on, Stanley. P-Please! Wake up! Stanley!” He sobbed and bowed his head, cradling his brother and distraught to find him already cooling down. Ford had never been there for his brother when he needed him to be.

Mabel took Stan’s free, limp hand and kissed it through her tears, then rubbed Ford’s back as he cried freely. Stan appeared much more pale in comparison to the gods that held him close, who shined and glowed like gold. Ford freed an arm to bring her niece closer, and the two held the family member they had so desperately wanted to be reunited with and now would never have a chance to.

Dipper was standing right behind them, shaking with his fists clench. He turned away and sniffed, trying to keep it together, a tiny toxic voice telling him to keep it together and be a man. But the fact that the ruler of the gods was sobbing his heart out behind was enough to help Dipper shed a tear or two, but he couldn’t help but cover his eyes with a hand.

Pacifica hesitated, and then patted his shoulder. “I’m… I’m so sorry, Dipper.” She croaked and glanced back at the broken family. “There’s… some things you just can’t change.”

Scowling and determined with fire in his eyes, Dipper lifted his head and dropped his hand from his eyes. “Yes I can.” And he and Pacifica were gone before Ford or Mabel could realize they were going and they were too busy to notice their disappearances.

~~~~~~~~~~

“WE WERE SO CLOOOOOSE!”

Bill was on a rampage. Now completely alone with no allies and only a sad underworld for his lair, he released his fury by blasting everything in sight with fire. Gideon was well hidden and letting his boss let his anger out, getting fed up of being under the triangle’s thumb and looking for a way out of this; If Pacifica can get her freedom, maybe he can, too.

Bill floated to a window overlooking the underworld, cooling down, but still furious. “We were so close, we tripped at the finish line, WHY?! All cuz that worthless conartist had to teach that twerp a thing or t-...”

The doors crumbled at the punch of the young hero, accompanied by his little tour-guide, Pacifica, who scowled at the demon with a gleam in her eye. “Where’s Stan?” Dipper growled.

Bill smiled at his visitors. “Ah, Pinetree and Llama, underworld’s a great place for a date, isn’t it?”

“Let him go.” Dipper demanded, charging at the demon and grabbing him by his stupid black toga.

Bill rolled his eye and plucked the human’s hands off him. “Get a grip, kid. Here, lemme show you around. C’mon.” And he had a hand on Dipper’s shoulder and walked with him out of Bill’s study, with Pacifica and Gideon curiously following them.

Bill took Dipper to a river of green death, with hundreds of thousands of souls swimming around. Towards the top, was Stan. Peacefully sleeping in his armor and cape, his soul torn and war-worn, but there he was.

“Stan!” Dipper called and reached for him, but the green liquid made his hands burn and age.

“Ah ah, you can look but you can’t touch.” Bill laughed. “You see, Stan’s got a new place here. He’s gonna be in this river, floating for eternity.”

Dipper did some quick thinking, watching Stan float farther away, and an idea came to him and he glared at Bill. “You like making deals. Take me in Stan’s place.”

“Hm.” Bill poked his face as he mockingly gave it some thought. “The great-nephew of my hated rival trapped forever in a river of death.”

“Going once…”

“In exchange for an old man who’ll probably die again next week.”

“Going twice…”

“Okay!” Bill interrupted. “Okay, okay, okay. If you can get him out, he can go, but you have to stay. Good luck, hero.”

Dipper looked back at the river he could easily step into. Stan was farther away now, almost around a riverbend, so the brave young man took in a deep breath and cannon-balled into the River of Death and swam for his uncle’s soul.

“Oh, you know what slipped my mind, you’ll be dead before you can get to him.” Bill called after him. “That’s not a problem, is it?” He cackled.

Dipper knew Stan was right, but if this would give Ford and Mabel a chance to be with him, if only for a short amount of time, so be it. Twins shouldn’t be separated forever.

The instant he jumped in, Dipper began dying rapidly. Not even aging, having a moment’s peace of being in his thirties, forties and fifties. His body seemed to instantly jump to his sixties and then slowly crawl upward. Stan was still so far away, but Dipper kept pushing, thinking of his family crying over Stan’s body. He had to do this. This had to work. Now aged to a hundred-year-old man, frail and at the brink of death, he reached for his uncle’s hand, just as they turned a corner on the river, hidden by a cavern.

Bill grinned at his victory, but his joy was short lived. Bright golden light shined. Bill’s eye was wide with horror and he watched as a true hero walked on the River of Death, carrying his trainer in his arms. “This… This is impossible! You can’t be alive, you’d have to be…”

“A god?” Pacifica and Gideon asked.

Bill roared in fury as he turned red, small and child-like as he kicked and screamed in the air.

Dipper’s skin now glowed golden, like his great-uncle and twin sister. He was sure and determined, clever, and healthy and youthful. And though he was grateful to have his godhood restored, he was still focused on getting his family together.

“Dipper, stop! You can’t do this, you can’t…” And Dipper punched Bill so hard in the face that his eye fell inward into his triangle body.

Bill recovered shortly, popping his eye back into place and chuckling nervously as Dipper walked away. “Okay, I deserved that. Pinetree, can we talk? Your uncle, Sixer, he’s a fun guy! Y’know, m-maybe you can put in a good word with him and we can just blow this whole thing off, huh?” Not seeing any reassurance, Bill went for his last desperate attempt to save his bricks. “Eh, Stan. Stanie, c’mon, talk to your kid.” And he cupped the soul’s cheeks.

At that, Dipper lost his patience and punched him so hard that Bill flew right into the river. Souls instantly latched onto him, and at his annoyance, he was dragged into the depths of death.

“Oh, he’s not gonna be happy when he gets outta there.” Gideon fretted at the edge of the river.

“You mean,” Pacifica gently elbowed her old working buddy and asked slyly, “If he gets out of there.”

Gideon lit up and grinned. “If… If is good.”

“You know,” Dipper said coolly, and the two looked at him. “I think this place is gonna need a new ruler of the underworld. But I think it should be someone who knows just how important life is, so death becomes more comforting.”

Gideon gasped and had an idea, so excited about it he swatted Pacifica’s arm and yelled, “OH! Oh oh oh oh OH! C’mon, c’mon!” And he dragged Pacifica to a special section of the underworld.

Dipper followed behind with Stan still in his arms and Gideon took them to the throne room. Years ago, Gideon watched Bill press a stone on the left side of the door to reveal where he kept a small amount of poison to turn gods mortal. Today, Gideon felt around for a stone on the right side of the door that could be pressed. After a few seconds, he found it, pressed, and a door opened to reveal a cave much like the last, except for oozing purple poison, a bottle of golden elixir awaited them.

“I knew it!” Gideon grabbed the bottle and held it out to Pacifica. “Here! Take it! Be the new god of the underworld!”

“What?!” Pacifica pushed the outstretched bottle back. “No, not me…”

“I think you should.” Dipper reassured. “You helped save my family twice today. You helped those kids. You clearly value life the way you should. I think you’d make a great goddess.”

“And I’ll be there to help you!” Gideon volunteered. “I know a lot about this place, I just… erm, let’s just say I’ve proven to be an awful boss in the past, k’?”

Pacifica played with her hair nervously, still unsure, but the smile from her friends was just enough, and so she snatched the bottle and took a swing before she could change her mind.

~~~~~~~~~~

Dipper carefully walked back to Thebes with Stan’s soul in his arms. He was reminded of so many times when Stan would pick him up from the dining table full of work and take him to bed. Stan had been his family for so long, that to know they were blood was actually very exciting. On top of which, if Dipper understood the rumors correctly, Stan was once a god, ubt lost his godhood, too. If Dipper can get his back, there must be a way to get Stan’s back. Even if he was a god now, Dipper was determined not to leave Stan’s side until he also earned his godhood. Family sticks together.

Mabel and Ford were still holding onto Stan, just as Dipper left them. Mabel was the first to notice the footsteps, to look up, and to gasp at not only Stan’s soul, but the fact that Dipper glowed like gold, like she and Ford did. She squeezed Ford’s shoulder and he finally took notice, gasping at his nephew.

Mabel scooted back a little bit to give Dipper some space, but Ford refused to let Stan go. He merely loosened his hold so Dipper could gently place the soul down onto the body, and then they waited with Dipper on one knee and Mabel scooting closer again.

It only took a moment. Stan took in a deep breath and let it out far easier than he had in years, and his color returned far brighter than before. Dipper gasped at how he sparkled and shined, and Ford and Mabel grinned to know their hope was proven correct.

Stan blinked once or twice, confused, but beyond amazed to see his entire family surrounding him. He quickly noticed the tears and sat up a bit, concerned, “Whoa, hey, is this an audience or a mosaic?”

“STANLEY!” Ford cried out and threw himself into his brother so hard they both fell into the ground, but neither cared. Stan chuckled nervously and tightly hugged his twin while Ford began to cry again. “St-Stanley! I’m sorry! I’m so, so sorry! I should’ve…”

“Aw, c’mon, Sixer,” Stan rubbed his shaking back. “It’s okay, it all worked out.”

“I almost lost you…”

“Well, you didn’t.” Stan loosened his grasp to better look at his nephew, and Ford turned to grin proudly at him as well. “Thanks to that knucklehead. HEY! Wait a minute! You jumped into the River of Death?! That was stupid, don’t you dare lemme catch you risking your life for mine, kid! I’m old! I go first!”

Dipper laughed and gestured to Stan. “That’s never gonna happen.”

Stan looked down at himself and flexed his arms and hands, his eyes wide. “Whoa hey! Kid, you did it!” He looked back up at Dipper, finally noticing that he was also glowing, and he jumped to his feet and cheered. “YOU DID IT! You’re a true hero! I trained a true hero! We’re gods again!”

Mabel jumped into Dipper’s arms and hugged him. “I’m so proud of you guys! I KNEW you could do it!”

Ford chuckled warmly and helped his twin up to his feet. “Come, let us go home.”

Mabel whistled and Gompers lowered himself so the family of gods could ride the giant goat back to Olympus.

At the mountain top, just inside the newly repaired gates, the gods and goddess awaited to congratulate the newcomers. Fiddleford blew his trumpet loudly with joy; Hazel, the goddess of spring, tossed flowers every which way; Jackie, the goddess of Summer and Romance, winked at Stan, who ran a hand over his gray hair and threw her a sly smile; Pacifica and Gideon were there, too, Pacifica glowing a peaceful light-blue color to go with her white tiara and baby-blue dress with white sash. Dipper couldn’t help but smile at Pacifica; maybe someday she could earn his trust.

The gods entered their new home and Mabel caught something happening to the night sky. She gently elbowed her brother and pointed up to the sky, and their uncles also looked upward. The Faiths had manipulated the cosmos to tell the new story, and they all watched as the stars formed into the shape of a dipper, the exact same shape on Dipper’s forehead. Beside the new constellation, a shooting star graced the dark inky sky.

“Hey, that’s Stan’s boy!” Hephzie, the goddess of autumn and harvest pointed out.

Stan blinked his eyes dry and let Mabel hug him around the neck from behind, patting her hands. Ford put a hand on his left shoulder, and Stan pulled Dipper into a soft noogie. Together, the loving family watched the beautiful sky.

Just remember, in the darkest hour, Within your heart's the power For making you A hero too!

So don't lose hope when you're forlorn! Just keep your eyes upon the skies! Ev'ry night a star is, Right in sight a star is, Burning bright a star is born!

[lothpup]

Well it’s been a hot minute since I’ve actually written any fic, let alone posted it so I’m a little like !!! But between finishing rebels, and a pal getting a mouse, whatever this is happened! It was fun to write at the least! A Mischief of Mice  1214 words Kallus likes to fix up droids. The spectre kids and their big cat brother like to make terrible jokes. Mischief ensues. Below the cut, because it’s actually a little bit longer than I thought it was!

Giggling, as Alexsandr Kallus has come to find out rather swiftly, is never a good sign when one is onboard the Ghost. The sounds of the youngest spectres snickering somewhere just out of sight is far from the sweet, innocent sounds of the young ones finding joy.

He almost regrets sitting in the very corner of the main room, the cabins where the culprits are up to whatever they’re up to are working.

That giggling is a terrible omen, a harbinger of doom, the crack of thunder just before a terrible storm.

It’s particularly a bad sign when he has a so many of transport logs to finish combing through that Draven expects by morning.

Each peal of laughter only serves to heighten his dread. And perhaps the sneaking curiosity at what exactly today’s antics are that have prompted such giggling. It isn’t the most common sound, and certainly wasn’t common in all his years under the Empire.

The moment he hears the hearty gruff belly-deep chuckle of Garazeb he knows this is going to go spectacularly awful. For him most likely.

“No, we’re not done with them, and no you can’t throw them in the trash! Chopper!”

Chopper passes by very quickly, paint in a calico of colours splattered across the droid.

Following Chopper is the chorus of impending disaster.

If he weren’t so apprehensive thinking of all the potential things those loth rats were up to he’d be quite impressed with their hyena impressions.

“Hey Kallus,” Ezra emerges first, hands clasped suspiciously behind his back. Trying very hard and failing spectacularly to hide his grin.

“Whatever you lot are up to back there, I don’t want to know,” Kallus answers quickly, turning back to his datapad. And having to re-read the same line the fourth time over.

“Up to something? Us? We’re not up to something, are we Sabine?”

Sabine peeks around the corner next, not even trying to hide her smirk, “No, I don’t believe we are. We would never be up to something. Not us. Couldn’t be.”

Zeb following Ezra into the main room with his ears forward and eyes gleaming is most definitely never, ever a good sign.

“Oh look,” Zeb starts, the words clearly rehearsed. “I wonder how those mice got in here!”

Sabine scans the ship, looking at nothing in particular. “Mice? What mice–”

“Oh no! Mice, on the Ghost? What ever will we do?!” Ezra collapses back against the wall with all the dramatic grace of loth cat falling over.

Kallus is about to snap at them to knock of whatever this game is, when he hears the telltale squeak of one of his MSE droids.

Although, it seems to be more of an actual mouse now.

The brown-white-and-black splashed across Chopper earlier makes more sense now. complete with felt ears, a tiny tail, and drawn on mouse-face the poor thing is no longer the burnished grey of metal but bright patches of golden brown-and-white.

The first one isn’t alone. The other two are painted one grey and the other black-and-white. The same little ears stuck on top, same little faces complete with whiskers, and the most ridiculous tail stuck to the back.

“Looks like a real mischief of mice in here,” Ezra beams, gesturing at their handiwork.

It takes a long time for him to find any words, because of any possible outcomes this wasn’t one of them. MSE droid. But now they are mice. Ordinarily anyone messing with whatever droid he’s working on would get harsh words, but then the thought occurs to him: he’s been included in their family pranks.

He’s no stranger to them, but usually as a bystander caught in the crossfire. He’s heard the infamous tale of Chopper pulling the support bolts from Ezra’s bunk, the moment painted on their cabin wall. Besides that, usually it involves someone stealing something, and ends with Chopper trying to electrocute someone else.

“What the actual kriff.”

It’s the most eloquent thing he can put together.

“Mouse? Mice? Get it?” Ezra prompts.

Sabine checks him a little harder than necessary, hissing at him that it’s not funny if he has to explain it.

“Pancake.”

It’s the spectres’ turn to look at him strangely.

“I had a pet mouse as a child. A cream mouse, named Pancake. Well, pet might be a loose term when it was more I fed this wild mouse who lived under the kitchen sink.”

Ezra hums thoughtfully, his expression flickering. “You know, you never struck me as the type for pets.”

“And that means what, exactly?” Kallus scolds himself internally at that, what’s he going to accomplish picking a fight with this child?

“It means it’s good. You aren’t completely soul-crushingly evil or anything.”  

“Ezra, has anyone told you to think before you say stupid things?” Zeb growls, knocking Ezra’s shoulder.

“Thank you, I think,” Kallus nods, still not quite sure what’s happening and why. If they were trying to annoy him off their ship, he’s more puzzled than anything.

“So you like it or not? Look, we spent way too long and I invested way too much of my good paint for you to look like a bird who hit a window. No Ezra, you can’t throw him through glass again.” Sabine stares at Kallus expectantly, one hand on her hip in a way that’s eerily similar to Hera.

He’s never going to hear the end of that.

“Yes, no, I mean- It’s very… cute.”

Sabine, seemingly happy with the reply grins. “All I needed to hear. C’mon Ezra, we better go see where Hera and Kanan snuck off to.”

The pair skip off down the ramp, Ezra’s voice carrying. “He said the word cute, are you sure this is the same guy?”

“You really had a mouse called Pancake?” Zeb snorts once the kids are gone.

“Well, I was hardly going to call him something ridiculous like Kitchen Scrub-brush was I?” The reply comes out entirely too fast, and entirely too high pitched to be composed.

“Easy tiger, ‘m not insulting your childhood mouse’s honour.”

“This is going on the list of things I’m never going to hear the end of isn’t it?”

Zeb just laughs, nudging Kallus’ shoulder, “Nope. Not a chance.”

“Fearsome warrior Kallus, and his loyal pet… Pancake the Mouse who Lives Under his Sink.”

Kallus groans, turning his head away to try hide the flush across his cheeks. “He really liked pancakes.”

“Well, you gonna name these ones after food too?” Zeb looks at the m(ou)se droids. “If not, I vote you call one Kitchen Scrub-brush. Maybe the grey one, that one looks the most ridiculous.”

If nothing, the new paint jobs prompt a lengthy and loud debate that night over what the droids are to be called between all the spectres. Chopper seems insistent on one being called words Kallus isn’t sure even teenagers should be hearing. Zeb votes loudly for Kitchen Scrub-brush, and Kallus’ flustered attempts at other names only egg the spectres on.

For the first time, he doesn’t feel like he’s on the outside looking in on the family.

(And, if Kallus is able to use the distraction to get Pancake the Second from his pocket back to his quarters unnoticed, well he’s not going to complain about that either.)

[doc-pickles]

squeeze cheese, pandemics, & you

AKA the pandemic fic that literally everyone asked for

i still cannot believe that i actually wrote this BUT soooo many people asked me for a freaking pandemic fic that i wrote it. it’s crazy, a little messy, and the sass radiating from levi schmitt fuels my cold dead heart.

i’d like to personally thank @odd-birds-and-booksellers @kidneys4karev @choosingmywife and Nat AKA the “jolex mass grave” chat that bullied me into doing this. they’re also the heart and soul of ‘pandemic jo’ and really brought her and her mannerisms to life. cheers to you ladies, this fic is for you!!

and now... without further ado... the pandemic fic that i wrote most of at 10 pm while slightly tipsy (BONUS POINTS: it’s also another fix it fic bc i am traaaaash hehehe)

“Why do we have a nacho cheese dispenser?”

Jo looked up from her place on the couch, eyeing Levi as he stared at the new machinery in the kitchen. She turned her attention back to the soap opera on TV before answering him. 

“Are you complaining?”

“No but-”

“Exactly.” 

Settling back into the couch, Jo grabbed the bowl of apples that she had covered in nacho cheese earlier. She had developed a nasty online shopping habit since being in lockdown, but figured since she had sold off a good chunk of Alex’s belongings that she deserved to treat herself. 

Worried sick that any exposure to the hospital or any of it’s doctors would harm her, Jo had been on a strict self-quarantine since March. Levi, having to choose between his job or place to live, was forced to reside with Jo full time. The past few weeks had been tough on both roommates, but their bond had been strong regardless of their arguments.

“I’m kind of concerned about your online shopping habit,” Levi sat on the other end of the couch from Jo, a plate of nachos in hand. “Between the nacho cheese machine and the ball pit, I have some questions about the vibe you’re trying to create here.”

“Hey I’ve never had a place to myself. I want to have fun! Let loose! Besides in a few months I’ll have to take care of someone else,” Jo patted her small baby bump affectionately. “I’m trying to be a cool mom and the ball pit was the first step.”

Ah yes, Jo’s unexpected pregnancy and the reason she was so paranoid about staying isolated. Three weeks after Alex had officially left, Jo had realized that he left her much more than just hospital shares and their loft. Four home tests later and a shoe thrown across the loft at Levi (“I’m just telling you Jo, false positives are really ra- OW!”) Jo had indeed confirmed her earlier suspicions. 

“Well… for your sanity’s sake, I hope your online shopping doesn’t go completely off the rails,” a knock on the door interrupted Levi’s sentence, his eyes trailing to Jo accusingly. “If that’s another Amazon package, you’re going to have some explaining to do.” “Actually, it’s something even better,” Jo rolled her eyes, standing from the couch and grabbing what had been dropped on the doorstep. “It’s takeout! From the Italian place downtown with the really good spicy meatballs! It’s important that we support small businesses during these trying times.” “You sound like a walking capitalism ad,” Levi groaned, moving from the couch to the dining table and sitting across from Jo. “But if it keeps me well fed I can’t complain about that. Oh please tell me you’re not- yup that is squeeze cheese on the meatballs. That’s not right.”

+ “Hey have you seen- Ow! Why the hell did I just sit on knitting needles,” Levi held up the items in question as he stared down Jo. “Are you an 85 year old woman? When and why did you take up knitting?” “So I can make baby sweaters, duh,” Jo rolled her eyes and bit into her toast. “I’m not that great at it yet, but Helen has been teaching me over Skype. She’s an expert, she helped me make a baby hat but it’ll probably fit a baby doll before an actual human baby.”

“Okay wow, umm so many questions,” Levi pulled a chair over to where Jo was sitting, staring at her quizzically before jumping into his questions. “First, what is on your toast? Secondly, Helen as in your ex mother in law? And third, why are you sitting in the ball pit wearing a bucket hat and a bathing suit top?”

To his credit, Levi was asking sensible questions to Jo. She was indeed sitting in the ball pit she had bought online, eating a piece of toast with some questionable toppings and wearing an old pair of Alex’s boxers and a bikini top, a Seattle Seahawks bucket hat thrown carelessly on her head. 

“The toast is nutella, swiss cheese, and strawberry jam, it’s like the trailer trash version of what you get at fondue places,” Jo took another bite as if to emphasize her point. “The bathing suit top is because my boobs are huge and won’t fit into my regular bras. Also my baby bump is growing larger by the day so I can’t fit into anything but sweatpants, but it’s way too hot in here for that. The bucket hat is because I was tired of staring at my unwashed hair in the mirror. And yes, Helen and I have become quite good friends and Skype every Tuesday while you go outside to call Helm for an hour and collect hospital gossip. She’s very excited she’s getting another grandchild and has begged me to come and visit once I bear the heir to the Karev name.” 

“So you’re keeping your last name? And passing it onto the baby?”

Jo had spent many nights thinking long and hard about what to do with her last name. She had finally decided to change it but when she had found out she was pregnant, she knew that Alex’s side of the family would be the only real family her child would have. And after crying about it over Skype with her former mother in law, Helen had reassured Jo that she would be more than proud if she and her unborn child carried on the Karev name. 

“Yes we’re both going to be Karev’s,” Jo sighed, hand coming down to her bare bump. “I don’t need to explain my decisions to you Levi.”

“Well I’m assuming that if you’re going to be staying a Karev that you’re going to tell Alex?”

Not wanting to answer Levi’s very direct question, Jo began to pelt him with the balls from the ball pit until he walked away towards the kitchen. Jo knew that she should pick up the phone and call Alex, that he had already missed so much of his other children growing up that he deserved to be there for everything for this one. But Jo was still angry and upset at Alex for leaving her alone. If he was still here, he’d probably be sitting in the ball pit with her, cracking jokes about her inability to knit. 

But he wasn’t, Alex was halfway across the country and Jo couldn’t bring herself to pick up the phone and hear her husband's voice. 

+

“For the last time Levi, I do not need anything from you! Stop asking me! And stop texting Meredith every two minutes!”

Jo walked from the couch to the bed, flopping down onto the surface as she let out a loud sigh. It had been eight weeks since she and Levi had been quarantined together, twelve since she had found out she was pregnant, and seventeen since she had actually fallen pregnant. The constant bouts of morning sickness and mood swings in close quarters with her pseudo friend/ roommate had not been easy, but Levi was being a trooper for his part.

“Come on Jo, Meredith just wants to make sure that you’re okay,” Levi pleaded, sinking down into the couch. “Don’t take her over compensating tendencies out on me.”

For her part, Jo understood where Levi was coming from. She knew that Meredith was over protective of her because of what had happened between her and Alex, but it didn’t mean that the situation bothered Jo any less. She was capable of taking care of herself and the life that was growing inside of her, pandemic be damned. 

“Tell Meredith I’m fine and that I’m doing crossword puzzles and going to Zoom therapy sessions once a week,” Jo huffed, hands coming to rest over her eyes as she tried to understand why she had ever thought a one room loft was a good idea. “I don’t need you two hovering over me at all hours of the day.”

A loud banging sounded on the door of the loft, Jo and Levi exchanging looks before Levi scurried to the door to see who was there. The only visitors the two had had in the past few weeks were either Meredith or the grocery delivery guy, neither of which were allowed inside and neither of which pounded their door so loudly.

“Jo! Open the door, I know you’re home,” both Levi and Jo paused at the voice outside the door. Levi, who stood next to the front door, looked to Jo for guidance, but she had no direction to give. “Damn it Jo, open the door. I need to talk to you!” After a nod from Jo, Levi slid the door open, one hand coming up to stop Alex from storming into the loft. The sight of her ex husband for the first time in months made Jo’s stomach flip, her hand coming to cover her mouth so she didn’t scream in shock. 

“Sorry, Jo doesn’t let anyone in the loft anymore,” Alex raised an eyebrow towards Levi, his expression angry and ready to challenge him. “Not even Meredith. There’s a pandemic happening, dude.”

Alex rolled his eyes, trailing them towards Jo who stood nervously in the kitchen now. If you knew her well enough, you could tell that her figure had changed in the past few weeks. Her breasts had filled out and her face was fuller because of the slight amount of weight she had put on. Alex couldn’t see from where he stood, but he assumed that her stomach had begun to curve outwards as well. 

“Jo, I need to talk to you,” Alex wanted so badly to step closer to his ex wife, but he knew that Schmitt would try to stop him no matter what he did. “Mer called me, can we please talk?” Jo peaked around the corner of the kitchen, eyes taking in Alex’s nervous form. His stubble had grown out, his eyes seeming more tired than usual as they scanned over her body. A subconscious hand floated down to her stomach, Jo shielding her unborn baby from the fight that was about to ensue. 

“You can do it from there, Alex,” Jo responded, eyebrows furrowing as she stared Alex down. “You can’t come in unless you’ve quarantined yourself for 14 days and you’ve been tested for COVID-19.”

“Leave it to you to be paranoid during a freaking pandemic,” Alex groaned, one hand coming up to run through his hair. He had driven straight through from Kansas to Washington, only stopping to pee on the side of the road every few hours. “Are you okay? You're…. feeling healthy and what not?” Schmitt, who had been quiet up until then, rolled his eyes in Alex’s direction. After spending every moment of the day with Jo, he knew that the question would piss her off to no end, regardless of who was asking it. He turned to her briefly, noting the pissed off expression on her face, then turned back to Alex.

“Jo is perfectly fine, she has been for the past few months without you,” Levi’s voice was firm and defiant to whatever Alex might counter him with. “And furthermore, I don't think either of us appreciate you showing up here unannounced. We are, may I remind you, in the middle of a pandemic.”

“I’m fine, Alex,” Jo took a step forward, coming further into Alex’s line of sight. Alex’s eyes trailed up and down her body, finally taking in the bump that had appeared on her normally flat stomach. “I do want to talk, I promise, but I can’t risk my health or… or our baby’s health right now. So come back in two weeks and I promise I will talk to you.”

The glare that Alex sends towards Schmitt sends the younger man reeling back, grasping for the door handle as he tries to shut Alex out of the loft. However, the older man’s voice rings through one last time before the door shuts completely. “I’m coming back for you, Jo,” Alex calls out, voice urgent and waiting for his lost love to hear him. “I’m coming back and you can’t stop me.”

Door firmly shut and locked, Levi turned to Jo, who seemed to be brimming with an odd mixture of anger and sadness. She ran her hands through her hair once, finally letting out a scream as she flopped back onto her bed. 

“Well shit,” Jo groaned, hand slipping down the cradle her baby bump. “That’s just about the last thing I needed.”

+

“Did you order breakfast? Because this is delicious.”

Jo stepped out of the bathroom, eyes narrowing as she took in Levi and the huge bag of food in front of him. She hadn’t ordered anything, but since the bag was clearly labeled from her favorite diner, she could only assume where it had come from. 

“Pretty sure you know who sent this,” Jo reached into the bag and grabbed a breakfast burrito, unwrapping it and slathering it in Easy Cheese and hot sauce. “I want to be mad about that, but I really can’t. This is the best thing I’ve eaten in awhile.” 

“It’s been five days, has he said anything to you,” Levi asked, eyes cautiously floating to Jo. While they’d grown closer in quarantine, the one thing that Jo never wanted to talk about was Alex. Now that he was here though, Levi thought that maybe she would be more open about the subject. 

“He’s texted a few times, assured me that he’s staying by himself and that he hasn’t even seen Meredith,” Jo shrugged, one hand coming down to touch her stomach. The once small bump had seemed to balloon in the past week, almost as if her unborn child was trying to show off for their father. “She’s mad at me now, saying that my paranoia is interfering with their friendship. But we haven’t really talked yet.”

To be fair, Alex had been texting Jo a lot since he had showed up at their door and confirmed with his own two eyes that she was pregnant. And if she wasn’t lying straight to Levi’s face currently, she would tell him that she had been texting Alex back. They had talked mostly about the baby, the rest of the world being a subject neither of them wanted to broach. Kansas hadn’t come up either, but Jo had a feeling that maybe everything wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows if Alex hadn’t hesitated in showing up at her door.

“I think it says a lot that he came back, you know,” Levi shrugged as he grabbed a tater tot from the bag and popped it into his mouth. “I mean he said he left for his kids but the first word he hears about you he drives all the way here. That’s a good man for you.” “Well he wouldn’t have had to drive all the way back if he didn’t go there in the first place,” Jo huffed angrily, dropping the rest of her burrito onto the table with a frustrated groan. “I’m going to take a shower.” “You just took one,” Levi countered, a confused look appearing on his face.

“Well unfortunately that’s the only place in this stupid loft that I can sit in silence,” Jo exclaimed, hands coming up in an angry gesture. “If you make it out of here alive it’ll be a miracle, Schmitt.” + “I swear if you don’t back up right now, I’m going to lose my mind!” “Okay but you’re-”

“I told you I’m fine Schmitt, back up!”

The raised voices alarmed Alex as he approached the loft, bringing his keys out to unlock the door instead of knocking. Relieved to find that Jo hadn’t changed the locks, Alex slid the door open and stepped into the loft unnoticed by the bickering roommates.

“I just think if you’re in pain you should go in,” Levi’s hands were held up defensively as he stood in front of Jo. “I’m no expert on pregnancy, but that can’t be a good sign.” “You’re in pain? What’s wrong?” Both Levi and Jo whipped around at the sound of Alex’s voice, the latter holding a hand firmly against her stomach. The glares that she was shooting in his direction didn’t go unnoticed by him, but he brushed it off as he was overwhelmed with worry for Jo. Alex noticed that even in the short time it had been since he had seen her last, Jo’s bump seemed to have grown. 

“You shouldn’t be here. I’m fine,” Jo tried to sound convincing but her voice faltered as she winced. “Seriously I’m okay. Stop looking at me like I’m some shelter puppy that’s about to be put down. I can take care of myself, I’ve been doing it for awhile now. And you need to get out of here, you’ve only been quarantined for like a week.”

Despite her best efforts, Jo had exhausted herself scolding Alex and felt breathless almost immediately. Settling her free hand on the arm of the couch, Jo tried to be inconspicuous as she sat down, but both men next to her were watching her closely. 

“Where does it hurt,” Alex asked as he sat next to Jo, unfazed by her outburst at him. 

“I told you I’m fine!”

“She’s been breathless and clutching her lower right quadrant for about half an hour,” Schmitt offered up, Jo immediately tossing a throw pillow in his direction. “I’m trying to be helpful! You haven’t been in pain this whole entire time.”

“Go be helpful in the bathroom Schmitt! I don’t need both of you hovering around me and I know that he won’t leave,” Jo gestured to Alex vaguely as she took another deep breath, leaning over as she clutched her stomach again. “Go!”

Levi ran off, Jo letting out an aggravated sigh as soon as he left the room. A few tears sprinkled Jo’s cheeks as she rubbed her hand into her stomach. 

“I’m fine I just… can’t catch my breath and my stomach has some localized pain,” Jo didn’t fight Alex off when he placed his palm gently next to hers, his larger hand almost covering her whole bump. “I’m okay, I swear I’m fine. The baby’s fine and it’s okay and nothing is wrong.”

As Jo rambled more, her tears began to fall harder, breaths coming in short gasps as she leaned her head against Alex’s shoulder. Doing his best to comfort and assess her at the same time, Alex rubbed his hand gently against her stomach. A few light kicks met his hand, tears threatening to fall as Alex felt his child move for the first time. Once he was satisfied that Jo had calmed down, he spoke up, sure his crooked grin was showing in full force. 

“Well, you’re not dying,” Alex chuckled, his fingers moving lightly against Jo’s stomach as he explained what she was feeling. “Baby’s lodged up here, in your rib, and when they kick, they knock the air out of your lungs. I can feel their head down here, which means their legs are stretching out and kicking up towards your diaphragm. That’s why you feel so out of breath. If you’re lucky, I can try and coax them out of their tight spot.” 

Jo barely nodded, eyes closed as she continued to lean against Alex and take deep breaths. He moved one hand up to where he felt the baby’s feet and gave a slight push, Jo groaning loudly as they shifted. Alex waited a moment, grinning when he felt a small kick against the lower left side of Jo’s stomach. 

“Oh god,” Jo let a gasp out, eyes flying open as she laid her hand over Alex’s. “Oh, I can breathe again! I haven’t been able to breathe since 2 AM. Jesus that feels so much better.”

Alex took Jo in with a sense of awe, observing all of the changes he had missed about her. She had cut her hair short again, the locks just brushing her shoulders, and her cheeks had filled out more. The way she had eased into her pregnancy made him smile, knowing that she had always had a maternal instinct hidden underneath her hard exterior. Alex eyed the chain across Jo’s neck that held two silver rings, but said nothing about it. 

“Easy trick, just remember that if they get themselves twisted around again. Your OB didn’t show you that,” Alex watched Jo turn her head towards his shoulder, burying her face and mumbling something incoherent. “I can't hear you when you’re hiding your face like that.”

“I haven’t been to my OB,” Jo muttered, eyes focusing on Alex’s hand that still sat under hers. “Not since I confirmed I was pregnant.”

“You’re a doctor, you know better than that,” Alex knew that Jo would never avoid something this important without a reason, so he didn’t go into a full on rant like he wanted to. “Why haven’t you gone in, Jo?” 

“Because I can’t leave the house! I’m so scared that if I leave something will happen to the baby and,” Jo inhaled deeply, her free hand coming up to wipe at her eyes. “This baby is the only thing keeping me sane, it’s the last connection I have to you… and I just can’t risk that. I’ve already hurt too much this year, I don’t need more heartbreak. I’m a doctor, I’ll know if something is wrong and I can go in then. I’m fine here, I don’t need to leave.”

Alex stared at Jo for a long moment before pulling her fully into his embrace. He knew the way he had left her was cruel, but at the time his brain had been so turned around that he couldn’t see another option than breaking the heart of the woman he loved most. 

“Izzie is remarried. She… her kids call him dad and he’s uh, he’s a good guy. She said that I can bring the kids here for a few weeks during the summer if I wanted to but I don’t belong in Kansas,” Alex pulled back and looked at Jo, tears streaking down her face and wide eyes staring up at him. “I’m sorry Jo, I know I screwed up and I should’ve just talked to you when I found out but I was so freaked out that I just… ran. But I wanna be here, with you and this baby and I wanna take care of you. It’s always been you, Jo.”

Jo sniffled, both hands running over her face quickly in an effort to dry some of her tears. She fixed Alex with a serious stare, eyes meeting his for the first time that day. 

“You have a lot of making up to do. And you’re gonna have to be the one to kick Levi out,” Jo motioned towards the bathroom, where she could hear faint cheers echoing from. “And… if you promise to get me cheesecake afterwards, I will go to see my OB this week.”

“I told you,” Levi strutted out of the bathroom, a satisfied smirk on his face. “That’s a good man you have there.”

“Oh shut up!”

[thiswasinevitableid]

You what would be hella? An angsty-ish fic with the ice prompt. Your work is so lovely and well-written, I cant wait to read what ever you next produce!

Thank you so much for that, I’m glad people are excited to read my stuff! Since you didn’t specify a pairing, I went with Sternclay. Angst ahoy (but with a happy ending), along with me playing fast and loose with arctic geography.

He’s one of the lucky ones. 

Joseph Stern, scientist aboard the HMS Erebus, is a fastidious man. He is also, unfortunately, prone to bouts of seasickness meaning his meals have been scant, even before the ships became locked in. 

But it also means he was not eating food tinned in cans laden with lead. And his experimental water system, with which he occupied himself on long days, meant he drank more filtered sea water and ice than he did from the stores tainted with the same blasted material. 

So when he and the remainder of the skeleton crew left the Erebus and her sister the Terror, his mind was much clearer than most. 

And that is why, when the bulk of them turned a direction that likely held only more ice, more death, carrying a writing desk while leading freshwater behind, he refused to follow, insisting their best hope of civilization laid the opposite way. 

They left him and his supplies, unwilling to listen to his case. And so he has walked, then trudged, then barely moved, across the ice.

When he hits water, cursed sea water, he contemplates stepping into it. But drowning would be worse than freezing, or so he’s heard. 

A head surfaces in a hole through the ice. A mans head. 

Stern blinks, confused. Then he laughs.

“Maybe I should take to the sea after all. You look well fed.”

The man frowns, “You look nearly dead.”

“I am.” He sits down, knees hugged to his chest for warmth. 

“I’m, uh, I’m sorry.” The man emerges from the ice, and in place of legs he has a spotted and strong tail, like that of the seals Stern used to watch from his cabin window. 

“Unless you control the weather, I don’t think you need to be.” In any other time, the sight of a legendary creature would send him into a frenzy of delight and curiosity. Now he simply stares. 

“Why are you here?”

“The Northwest Passage.”

“That’s, um, that’s a trade thing, right? Your kind wants to move the things you sell more easily across the waters.”

“You’re well read for a merman.”

“My home isn’t that isolated.” He shrugs.

Stern stares at the water, peeking through cracks in the ice, “So many dead. So many more will die, I’ve no doubt, and all for a quicker route for spices and gold.” He can’t even weep, his body won’t let him use the energy, but he shudders in distress. 

“Hey, hey it’s okay. “ The merman slides to him, cups his cheeks, strokes his beard, and his hands are warm, warm and real, and Stern presses against them, “I mean, it sounds fucking awful, but that, um, that doesn’t sound as comforting.”

“I don’t mind the comfort.” Stern rests his hands on the man’s chest, then his mind gets a moment of true clarity, “wait, your home. You said your home is not that isolated. Is it near?”

“Um, I can reach it in a few hours but” he points to his tail, “that’s the way I can. On foot it’ll take longer. And unless the humans I know have been really wrong about some stuff, I think if you try to swim with me you’ll die, like, right away.”

“I’ve walked lord knows how far. I can manage a little more, if you point the way.”

The merman looks torn, then takes Sterns hands, “I can do one better. I’ll be your guide. If you’re closed off from the water’s edge, look under the ice.”

He slides back the way he came, surfaces a few moments later to Sterns right. So Stern follows him, sometimes no more than shape to his right, other times a ghostly shadow swimming beneath and in front of him. When night falls and Stern manages a paltry fire and shelter with his supplies, Barclay, as the mer calls himself, promises to return at sunrise, and does so without fail for the next two days. 

As he trudges across the icy ground, the best moments are when his path allows Barclay to swim right beside him, head above water so they can converse. It’s worth the effort, the inhaling of cold air, to converse with another being. Better yet, Barclay is bright and friendly, curious about Stern’s research in a way none of his crewmates were. Barclay tells him stories of merfolk and sea monsters, even makes him laugh,  in return for Stern telling him about life in England and his research into undiscovered species. 

“They offered me the chance to study far off lands, discover creatures thought only to be legend. Silly thing to die for.”

“Doesn’t sound like you were the one who got the ships stuck. And there’s nothing wrong with wanting to learn about the world.”

Stern’s rations have run out, and when he stumbles, Barclay doubles back, concerned. 

“I, I need, food, I’ll-”

“Wait right here.” Barclay disappears. Stern counts snowflakes, heartbeats, anything to distract from the pain in his belly. 

A fish hits the ice in front of him. Then it flops and wiggles across the slick surface, back into the water.

“Damn it.” He giggles, near hysterical. 

The fish lands again, head now gone. 

“Sorry, forgot humans aren’t great with live prey.” Barclay says sheepishly. 

Stern eats five more fish Barclay brings him, manages to get to his feet and continue on. 

Night falls, colder than the last few, and Barclay disappears with his usual promise to return.

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

“He’s not going to last the night, Barclay.”

Barclay turns, finds his friend Indrid in his human form at the door of his house on Amnesty Island. The seer gives him a sad smile. 

“No. No he can’t. I won’t let him.”

“Barclay-”

“Indrid” Barclay grabs his shoulders, “do you remember when you found Duck? How frightened he was, how he was certain you were death coming for him?”

“Yes.” Indrid says, pain flashing on his face. He’d found the human, left behind by his research expedition. Duck had volunteered to stay behind and freeze, in hopes of his team having enough rations to make the nearest town if they were a man short. Indrid found him, brought him back to Amnesty, cared for him. Fell in love with him and Duck, after a few weeks, returned the sentiment with gusto. 

“I can’t let that happen to Joseph. I can’t, Indrid, please, the last week, I, he’s unlike any guy I’ve ever met. I can’t let him suffer that way.”

Indrid’s face goes blank. Then he gives Barclay an unusually severe stare, “You have very little time, and you must follow my instructions to the letter.”

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

He’s going to die. It’s too cold, his body too weak. He is going to die alone, his family will never know what befell him, and he will never even get the chance to thank Barclay for his kindness, for making his last days bearable, at moments almost enjoyable. 

Lord have mercy on his soul. Let it be painless. 

All for nothing, for trade and money, is this end in the ice. 

Have mercy. 

He can’t see. His heart seems to slow. In the distance, something crunches on the snow. 

Mercy. 

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

“So this is the fella you took my boat and my dogsled for?”

“Yes, Mama, I’m sorry.”

The woman’s voice has a laugh in it, “You always did have a big heart. Guess it was only a matter of time before you brought some hard-luck human in.”

“He’s not just any human.” A warm hand brushes Stern’s hair, “I’ve never felt this way about a human before. A few other mers maybe, when I was younger.”

“Uh, Mama? Indrid says we got a ship comin in soon and we might wanna buy more’n normal.”

Why in the lord’s blessed name is hearing a southern accent?

He tries to ask this question, gets a groan out instead.

“He’s awake!” Barclays’ voice gets closer, and when he manages to open his eyes he finds familiar, deep brown ones looking at him.

“How...where?”

“Amnesty Island. My home.” He supports Stern’s head, helping him drink blessedly clean water.

“That’s...that’s not on any map I’ve seen.”

“And for damn good reason.” A woman with graying hair stands behind Barclay, “only those who need to know can find us, on account of the northern mers wanting some islands that were safe for them. Barclay decided you needed to know.”

“Thank you, Barclay. And thank you Mrs, um?”

“Cobb. But just call me Mama. Now, rest of you get, we need to haul supplies off that boat and Barclay needs some time with his fella.”

When the door of the small cabin closes, Stern reaches out, stroking Barclay’s coppery beard, “Why did you save me?”

“Because you’re a good guy. And, well, I care about you a lot. I like you even more. I couldn’t just leave you to die.”

This time, Stern weeps, with relief and exhaustion and the ghosts of his fear. Shivers even as tears dot his pillow. 

“Shhh, shhhhh it’s okay, I mean it this time. You still cold?”

Stern nods and Barclay tosses another blanket on top of him in bed. When the next wave of tears clear, the larger man is down to long underwear.

“May I?” He points to bed, and Stern weakly lifts the covers. Barclay climbs beneath them, wraps Stern in his arms, body flooding him with warmth and safety. 

“Been wanting to do this since that first day, but mer bodies aren’t great for keeping humans dry and warm. Kinda damp.”

“All-” Stern yawns, “all the same, I would like the chance to explore yours in more detail some day.”

“You got it.” Barclay hesitates, then kisses Stern’s temple, “but right now, time for you to rest. I’ll make you breakfast in the morning. Raw, decapitated fish aside, I’m a damn good cook. Any requests?”

“Eggs. Good lord I’ve missed eggs.”

“Think I can rustle something up. Heh, that tickles.” He chuckles when  Stern rubs his cheek against the exposed patch of dark-haired chest. 

“It won’t for long. I’ll be clean shaven as soon as I can hold a razor without shaking. You think I’m handsome now, just wait til you see me well fed and groomed.”

“Looking forward to it.” A kiss on the cheek, then snowflake-light on his lips, “ goodnight Joseph. You’re safe here, I’ll see to it. And I’ll be here when you wake up, I promise.”

“Just like old times.” Stern says, only half-joking.

Another, tender kiss, “Yep, just like old times.”

[whatsseobb]

More Than Meets The Eye (Crystal x Gigi Fanfic) - Chapter 4

AO3 Link

[A/N: Thank you for patiently waiting for the updates. It’s still going to be slow for now but I’m trying my best to be quick with it. Thank you!

I hope you enjoy this fic and leave me your thoughts!!]

Synopsis:

Too bad that you couldn’t see See the girl Crystal could be There is more that meets the eye I see the soul that is inside~

Based from Avril Lavigne’s Sk8ter Boi but with different twists.

Chapter Four - Here’s To Never Growing Up  “Oh Gigi, you’re here too. What’s up with you? I watched your show back then in Chicago with Crystal and Lux and you are as graceful as always. Right, Crys?” The dark-haired girl, Daya, complimented Gigi as she dropped her hands to the side before fixing Crystal’s crooked jacket on top of her shoulder.

“Yeah” was the only thing that came out of Crystal’s lips as she stubbed out the cigarette on her hand before throwing it to a nearby trash bin.

Gigi looked at the two and gave them her kind smile wordlessly. She and Daya were not the closest in the bunch but they were at least civil with one another. It had been like that ever since they all first met and the two were comfortable with the silence they both shared. No one questioned it though since they would at least talk from time to time when they met with the group. They were not just the ones who had time nor made time to hang out outside their crew with just the two of them.

“The program’s about to start in a few minutes. See you inside?” Daya hooked her arm over Crystal’s as she waved the blonde goodbye before heading inside with the blue-haired girl.

Gigi’s eyes were locked on the back of the girl wearing the shimmering jacket, watching as she walked away with the vocalist. She let out a gloomy exhale as her head dropped, looking at the floor beneath her. She checked her phone one more time, looking at her contacts list until she reached the letter C. Her thumb hovered over a specific name before she pressed the lock button and proceeded back to the event hall.

 “Where have you been, Geege? I didn’t even notice that you went outside.” Jan asked as the taller blonde sat beside her. She grabbed her glass of water and took a sip, putting her phone on top of the table before turning to Jan.

“I got a call and answered it outside. Was I gone for too long?”

“Don’t think so. Who was the call from? Is it from someone special?” Jan muttered in a singsong-y voice as she nudged the girl beside her.

“I don’t have someone special.” Gigi matched her with a singsong-y tune as well, gaining a giggle from the smaller blonde.

“Not yet…” She teased as she fed herself some fries from her plate. “Anyway, I saw Crystal and Daya coming from where you came from. Were you with them?” The smaller blonde pointed her chin towards the entrance where Gigi walked through after she got some fresh air outside. She nodded her head as she stuff her mouth with some food, mirroring her friend’s action.

“Oh. I thought you two had the chance to talk,” said Jan. It had been a long time since the two had a time just their own or even just talk privately. After their high school graduation, most of them parted ways and only got to talk during special occasions. Gigi and Crystal were never given a chance during those special occasions to have a decent conversation. The blonde was somehow relieve that the skater girl even tried to have a small talk with her during their short moment outside the building, away from their friends. If it wasn’t cut off by Daya, Gigi thought she might have gotten out the courage to discuss things with the other girl. But the odds wasn’t in their favour that night… Or so she thought.

Her train of thoughts were broken when Daegen tapped her in the shoulder, before she wrapped her fingers around her petite wrist, pulling her to follow her. She was led onto the dance floor in the middle of the area, in front of the stage. It was now full of people, drinks in their hand, as they all gathered to dance to the song being played by the live band. As a privilege of knowing the band playing, the group of girls stood in front to show support to their vocalist friend. Gigi stood beside her friends who excitedly scream as if they were in a concert.

She didn’t even notice the program starting nor heard the host say his greetings. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts, especially with her missed chance with the sapphire-haired girl just a few moments ago. Questions clouded her mind about what she would say to the girl or how she was going to bring up the topic that had been bothering her all these years.

As if at war, her thoughts and the blasting music coming from the speakers were battling on Gigi’s mind, trying to dominate each other. They were all screaming inside her head as regret started to consume her. She felt dismay that she didn’t communicate immediately nor say the things she really wanted to say. It was all the things that she tried to suppress all these years, coming back to her as she saw Crystal once more. The image of Crystal in front of the stage, staring right back at Daya as she perform didn’t help Gigi at all. The tall blonde just stood there, motionlessly, as she watched her watch the other lady. There was a slight pinch felt on her chest, some sensation at the pit of her stomach that she can’t explain and tried her best to ignore.

Her body was being shook as her friends cheered louder when Daya called their group. “I dedicate this next song to my girlfriends! I love you all!”

The instruments started playing one by one, the drummer focusing on the beats, swishing and throwing his ginger locks back as he played the drum, some girls screaming at his beauty, the bassist strumming the bass guitar, looking at a random guy from the audience and giving him a wink which earned another loud shriek from the random guy’s group of friends, the one playing the keyboard locked her eyes at the instrument but would time to time glance at the audience, as the vocalist started singing.

[cue Here’s To Never Growing Up by Avril Lavigne]

Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs

With the boom box blaring as we're falling in love

I got a bottle of whatever, but it's gotten us drunk

Singing here's to never growing up~

 The bunch of girls were singing along to Daya’s song, slightly jumping up and down as they rocked with the vocalist. They knew all the lyrics of the song as they were fully supporting their friend’s career throughout the years. It wasn’t as if they were forced to do it just because Daya was their friend and she was part of the band but it was due to their unspoken love for one another. They were really there for each other throughout the years even though they were miles apart.

The smaller blonde, Jan, was beside Heidi at the left part of the stage when she glanced to her right and saw the Persian girl looking down at her phone, probably checking up emails from her clients. She approached her slowly, taking her device away before leaning close to her ear to speak. “Since when do we work when we’re out in a party? Come on, have fun!”

“Well, I had a lot of unfinished work at home and this client has been bugging me all weekend.” Jackie responded, her face close to Jan as she whispered loudly over the music.

“Come on, it’s the weekend. Why are you letting them bother you? You should’ve closed your emails and left your laptop alone over the weekend. Get yourself some rest, girl!”

“Bu-“

“No buts. Come on, tonight is your off-night. You are free to do whatever you want. You, more than anyone in the world, deserve it.” Jan threw her hands to the air as she bopped to the band playing.

Jackie shook her head with a foolish grin on her face as she glanced at Jan standing beside her, lip syncing along the lyrics that the band was performing. She traced her face on her forehead, down to the slope of her nose, to her plump nude lips that were forming the words from the song. Looking at Jan kicked some unnamed yet eerily familiar feeling on her chest. She was caught off guard when the blonde beside her gave her a slight nudge, bumping her shoulder into her as she signaled her to just let loose and have fun.

The Persian swayed her head quickly as if trying to shake off the thoughts running in her mind. She wrapped an arm around Jan’s waist, pulling her closer to her as she threw her fist to the beat of the song, letting the melody flow through her, following the advice of the girl beside her.

  Monday After the High School Party, 2009

 The school’s dance troupe assembled at the dance studio near the gymnasium during their free period as they focused on their dance rehearsal for the upcoming dance competition. They were all still waiting for the choreographer to arrive and so they all grouped with their friends and did some warm-ups.

Widow, Jan, Heidi, and Gigi occupied the front corner of the room near the mirrors as they helped each other stretch their muscles to get ready with their rehearsals. It was the first time they met again after the party they attended last Friday night as well as the small one they had by the cliff with their new group of friends.

“Am I the only one who was reprimanded by my mother for staying up too late? I mean I informed her but she still got mad at me. Oh, poor Heidi.” The curly-haired girl dramatically said, placing a palm on her chest as she acted feeling bad for herself. The girls laughed at her, Jan even throwing her towel at her jokingly.

“My dad thought I was with a guy that’s why I went home late.” Jan rolled her eyes before glancing at her reflection on the mirror, fixing her blonde hair and tying it up into a high ponytail.

“What guy? You and a guy? I didn’t know miracles are real. Unless we consider Jackie a guy but that is very unlikely.”

“Excuse me, Ms. Drama Queen. I can get a guy if I want to. And, what’s wrong with Jackie? She seems great. I like being around her.” Jan shot her a playful look. Gigi’s giggle was silently heard from their corner as she watched her two friends banter against each other.

Heidi shrugged. “Well, I saw her earlier talking to this guy from our Math class. She seems to be flirting real well with him. They look cute together.” Unknowingly to Jan, her bottom lip slightly pushed forward into a pout after hearing what her friend mentioned.

“But seriously, I didn’t expect to have that much fun last weekend.” The shorter blonde commented, sitting down on the floor to stretch her legs.

“You sure did, Jan. The small tree by the cliff didn’t though.” Widow chimed in, helping Jan by slightly pushing her back closer to the floor.

“Oh gosh, I do remember that. Poor Jackie, she had to be the one to hold your hair back.” The curly-haired girl mentioned. “Hey, do you remember when you were screaming at this twig because you almost tripped?”

“Wait what? That’s funny.” The taller blonde held on to her tummy as she laughed at what Heidi shared, pausing to look at Jan and then continued on giggling louder.

“You didn’t see that? Where were you that time?” Widow asked as she stood up and helped the shorter blonde up as well.

“She was with that blue-haired skater girl.” Heidi said, nudging an elbow to Gigi.

The taller blonde’s eyebrows furrowed as she turn to look at Heidi. “Is that what Crystal’s nickname is?”

“Apparently. As I have heard around. I’m surprised you didn’t know. You two seem close though.”

Gigi’s face lit up a bit, a smile forming at the corner of her lips as she was reminded of that night. “She seems nice. She let me use her jacket because it was too cold. Didn’t you notice it was quite cooler than the other nights now?”

Her friends went quiet for a second before shaking their head. They all looked at the ballerina, concern surrounding the atmosphere around the four young girls.

“Hm? Is something wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that?” Gigi was faced with a worried look from Jan, a stern face from Widow and a tap on the arm from Heidi. She tilted her head to the side in confusion, trying to calculate her friends’ reaction.

“I’ve heard she’s always been caught in trouble ever since 7th grade.” Heidi was the first to speak up after a few seconds of silence.

“Did she offer you her cigarette? Did she give you anything other than the jacket?” Jan added, holding Gigi by her arms carefully.

Heidi chimed in, adding another comment about the sapphire-haired girl. “I heard she is always caught sleeping in class like she doesn’t even care. Plus her hair is quite weird.”

“What we mean is that… just be careful around her. She looks tough and is always in trouble. We just want you to be safe.” Their leader clarified, offering a kind smile towards Gigi’s direction. “I do think her friends are really good people. I’m just not sure about this one. Just be careful.”

“But I told you, she’s nice. She didn’t pressure me to use her cigarette. Don’t you worry, I can take care of myself. Plus she’s not as hard and tough as she appears to be.” A small pout pushed on Gigi’s lips as she remembered the thoughtful girl she met last Friday night. She was getting worried because of her friends’ warnings against the girl. It was consuming her thoughts, making her curious yet cautious of who Crystal really was. Gigi valued her friends’ words so much that she couldn’t take it off her mind. It didn’t help when Lux came into their rehearsal, holding a huge notebook. She was once reminded of Lux’ unusual and odd friend.

 At lunch, the dancers sat by the middle of the cafeteria. Gigi, Jan, Heidi and Widow were eating and chatting with each other when a tray dropped on top of the table followed by a bunch of girls sitting beside them on any seat they found vacant. The taller blonde looked up in surprise to see the sapphire-haired girl sitting across from her. They exchanged a small smile before Gigi looked away as she remembered her friends’ warning. She looked down on her food and continued to eat in silence.

“Hey bitches. How was your weekend?” Daegen said as she sat beside Heidi, putting her bag of food down.

“I wasn’t able to move the whole weekend. Our small party was awesome.” Crystal added.

The Persian girl stood by the edge of the table, clearing her throat. “What my friends meant was to ask if we can sit with you all today for lunch.” She met Jan’s eyes who motioned for her to take the seat beside her.

“Yes, of course! How have you been? Girl, that was a fun weekend. Thanks to you guys.” Widow complimented as she offered her juice box towards Lux when she noticed she was just eating a few slices of apples.

“Wait, where’s Daya?” The shorter blonde looked up to search for their other dark-haired friend who was nowhere in sight.

Crystal put down her phone and announced to the group. “Daya’s running late. She’s still with her band. They’re not yet done practicing.”

“Has she eaten anything? Earlier, I saw her running on the corridors because she was late for class.”

“I’ll bring her food later.” Crystal mentioned before she focused on her food. She glanced at the blonde girl in front of her, shoving her plate of cheese fries which she gratefully denied with a “thanks.” The blue-haired teenager just shrugged before offering it to the group.

Their table went silent as the team of football players passed by. A dark blond teenager muttered a small hi and gave a wave with his hand as he saw the blonde ballerina. Gigi looked up in silence before giving him a wave in return. Meanwhile, Daegen’s ex paused for a bit to talk to the pink-haired teenager but the girl was just looking at her friends and continued with her food in peace. When the guy walked away, Lux noticed Daegen rolling her eyes, letting out a soft giggle.

“Fuck him.” The pink-haired teenager muttered under her breath as she squeezed onto her sandwich a little too hard, the ingredients spilling slightly onto the table.

“Did he contact you after the party?” Heidi asked, patting her on the back.

“He tried but the damage had already been done. Plus, I don’t deserve that piece of shit.” The table echoed yeahs and cheers for their broken-hearted friend.

“Anyway, who was the Gigi?” Lux said, clasping her hands and resting her elbows on top of the table as she reminded her of the guy who approached them.

“Wait. Isn’t that Eli, the quarterback who accidentally flashed us with his gorgeous abs last football match?” Daegen asked, putting her phone down as she shoved some of her burger inside her mouth. Gigi nodded slowly, trying to remember that incident. “Wow. Didn’t know you’re friends with him. Is he single? Do you know his number?”

“So what happened to ‘I’ll focus with myself, no dating, and self-love first’? All gone?” Heidi’s comment gained loud chuckles from the group.

They all continued with their lunch, chatting a bit more about their weekends and their earlier classes.

 A few minutes before lunch was over, Jackie pulled out a small box from her bag. Lux, Daegen, and Crystal’s eyes brightened up as they saw what Jackie brought out.

“What’s that?” asked Jan as she pointed out to the small box on Jackie’s hands beside her.

“Well, it’s nearing Christmas and ever since first year, we’ve been picking names to exchange gifts with. Well, other than the small gifts we make each other every year. Do you girls want to join us? The more, the merrier!” The Persian girl exclaimed as she nudged Lux to get a paper to write down the names of the rest of the group.

“That would be fun!” The shorter blonde beside her clasped her hands together in glee as she watched Lux write down their names.

“So, we’re just exchanging gifts? Do we have to give a wish list or anything to the person who picked our name?” Heidi tilted her head to the side, curious at how their small Christmas even took place.

Lux chimed in. “Every year, we have a theme. Last year it was something sparkly. I got this one.” She pointed on the clip on her hair, a butterfly-shaped accessory surrounded by shiny glitter.

“What is this year’s theme then?” It was the first time they heard Gigi’s voice for that day, earning some surprised looks from the new friends.

“You talk? I didn’t know you have a voice.” Daegen commented, earning laughs from their table. Gigi giggled alongside with them. “I must still be drunk then.”

“This year we were thinking of something colorful or snuggly. Which one would you girls prefer?” Jackie turned to look at Widow, anticipating her to answer for her group. The dance captain looked around her friends before answering.

“Something colorful seems cute. Let’s have that for this year.”

“Colorful it is! Okay, thank you Lux.” Jackie shook the small box in her hands after the shorter girl put in the names of the members of their group. She opened the lid and passed down the box, watching her friends get excited for picking up names for their exchange gift. “Okay, I suppose this extra paper here is for Daya. Crystal, give this to her later. And I hope no one got their own name. Check your papers.”

Everyone checked the small piece of paper on their fingers, doing it discreetly while trying to hide it from the person sitting next to them. Eyes were shot across the table as they glanced at the person they picked.

Crystal opened the small piece of paper in her hand before folding it again. She glanced at another paper in front of her, the one who will have Daya as their Secret Santa. She secretly opened it up under the table. A small smile crept on her face before she kept her piece of paper inside her pocket. She looked at Daya’s paper once more before keeping it on her notebook, attaching it at the back with a tiny paper clip.

The name of the girl who now had the sapphire-haired girl as her Secret Santa was none other than Gigi.

[stillebesat]

Fanged (4/4)

Detective Conan: Hattori Heiji, Kudo Shinichi Blurb: It wasn’t quite how Heiji had imagined their first meeting would go. But when you’re setting out to find your missing rival, things hardly can go as you expect them. Especially when the supernatural gets involved. Fic Type: Supernatural Overall Fic Warnings: Blood, Injuries, Fighting, Death Talk, Murder Case Talk

To Catch Up: Chapter 1 Chapter 2  Chapter 3

Heiji purposefully chose to not keep track of the time passing as Kudo continued to steadily drink from him.  

Of course, the possible concussion he’d received from being flung about by his rival made it a little difficult to focus anyways. But unlike the first time he’d fed from Heiji, Kudo didn’t take to drinking like a babe to its bottle, ignoring all else but his food source right in front of him. 

Well, he had ignored all else the first minute or so, but now Kudo’s was acting more like a predator hunkered over its prey. He was wary, eyes darting in every direction, body shifting minutely as he adjusted for potential threats, readying himself in case something was stupid enough to attack him while he ate. 

No wonder, Kudo had survived so long out here. He at least had the vampire’s instinct to stay alive. Heiji held still, evenly breathing in and out to allow his heart rate to settle so he wouldn’t startle his rival into flight. 

So long as the half-vampire didn’t sense a threat, he would stay. Stay until he’d drunk his fill. 

Then would be the moment of truth. The reveal of how much of the real Kudo Shinichi was left behind those blood red eyes. 

Between one breath and the next, Heiji’s vision doubled, and he grimaced, blinking rapidly to get the world back in focus. 

Breathe. Just. Breathe. Slow and steady. No need to panic even though Kudo had already managed to drain enough of his blood to threaten him blacking out. Totally nothing to worry about. 

Any other Supernatural Hunter would have pulled away by now. 

Of course, no other Hunter would have let himself be weakened by a vampire letting himself get flung into trees and by purposely giving him blood. No, they would have already been back at the Spa telling the police that they’d found Kudo’s body. They wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him. 

Heiji kept a steady gaze on Kudo’s eyes, watching as the red within the irises began to swirl, showing the human blue underneath. 

He’d never seen a vampire’s eyes change like that. Even when caught in the middle of draining a victim, they’d remain steady in their red shade. 

Definitely not a normal vampire.

Come on, Kudo.

He had chosen to trust him at his word when he said he hadn’t wanted to kill Heiji earlier. But instinct was a strong…a strong...Heiji shivered, gritting his teeth to keep them from chattering from the sudden chill. His other arm supporting him in his half lounging position trembled. 

Stage Two. Weakness, feeling cold, his skin paling. 

His rival had drained about a quarter of Heiji’s blood supply. He wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer before his own life was threatened. Well, more threatened. 

Still. It had to be working. Kudo’s eyes were almost entirely blue now. The red tendrils swirling within moving towards the pupil like water to a drain as he turned his head towards Heiji, ear tilted towards his chest even as his eyes darted elsewhere. Listening. Listening to his heart? 

Heiji gripped the dirt with his free hand, leaning forward. Almost. Almost. He winced as Kudo growled, biting down harder as his fingers dug into his arm. 

Come on Kudo. 

He could feel his heart rate picking up, struggling to get blood and oxygen pumping through his body. 

Kudo wouldn’t kill him. He had to trust him. Trust that even with instinct driving him now. His rival woul--

The last of the red vanished, Kudo’s darkened eyes spring to life, his irises shining a bright fervent soul-piercing blue. 

With a muffled cry, his rival pulled his fangs out of Heiji’s arm, throwing himself backwards to increase the distance between them. 

Heiji exhaled with relief, and let himself collapse onto the ground. “About bloody time, Kudo.” He said rubbing his arm. Again the bite mark was already scabbed over. 

If only his other injuries could heal as quickly. 

He turned his head to the detective. “Getchar fill?” 

Kudo scooted backwards until his back hit a tree. He surged to his feet, fingers twitching as he visibly took a hold of himself. He took a deep breath, before reluctantly meeting Heiji’s eyes. Using the back of his hand to wipe the blood off his lips, he spoke, fangs no longer visible. “Yah…” he glanced down to his hand and grimaced, rubbing it against his pants. “Yah.” 

Heiji chuckled, closing his eyes. “Good. I couldn’t give ya much more.” 

“Baka.” 

Heiji flinched as two cool fingers touched the side of his neck, and opened his eyes to see Kudo kneeling next to him frowning with concern. 

“I could have killed you.” 

Heiji snorted, batting away Kudo’s hand as he pushed himself up onto one elbow, wincing as he did so. Why the guy was checking his pulse when he could hear his heartbeat quite clearly was beyond him. “Please. Ya had the strength of will ta pull away tha first time on yar own without me doing anything. I trusted ya’d do tha same thing this time too.” 

Kudo shook his head, taking Heiji’s arm to study the two scab marks, his cool fingers lightly touching them. “You trust rather easily for having just met me.” He muttered.

“I’m a good judge of character and would ya quit checking me over?” He pulled his arm away. “I’m fine.”

Kudo raised an eyebrow. “A good judge of char---I tried to tear out your throat!”  His tongue moved over his now normal human teeth. “That’s hardly…” He sat back on his heels. “Sorry, I just…” He rubbed the back of his head before his fingers moved down the side of his neck tracing the healing wound there. “You’re not fine though.” He stated firmly. “I can...” he grimaced. “I can smell the blood. How bad is your back?” 

Heiji sat up, blinking away the wave of dizziness, holding up a hand to stop Kudo from steadying him. His back felt like it was on fire, but he could deal with that later. “Relax, Kudo. Rivals aren’t supposed to be on friendly terms. I kinda expected ya ta try ta tear my throat out when we first met. Jus didn’t think it would be in tha literal sense.” 

“Rivals?” Kudo fiddled with the shoelace wrapped around his wrist, his eyebrows drawing together as he again gave Heiji the once over. 

Heiji rolled his eyes. “Mhmmm.” Of course Kudo probably didn’t know that. He’d heard his fellow detective had a huge ego. 

He probably only read the news articles about himself.

Heiji pushed himself to his feet cautiously, wincing as basically his entire body protested. “Ya really ova did it with the flinging me inta tha trees by tha way.”

“You tricked me into attacking you again.” Kudo muttered, only half paying attention to the conversation as he too stood, moving to see Heiji’s back and winced. “You noticed I was breaking free and allowed me to. Goaded me into continuing to attack you when I originally intended to just leave.” 

Heiji shrugged, biting his lip as the movement caused more pain. “I needed ya completely focused on me. No betta way than ta make myself appear vulnerable. Otherwise like ya said ya would’ve fled and I couldn’t have that. Trackin ya down tha first time was hard enough.” He glanced around spotting his hat laying in the dirt nearby. “Cus somehow ya still had a bit of a brain ta want ta get away from people even when ya were completely bloodcrazed mental.” Heiji took a step towards his hat, only to have his vision tunnel. Kudo swore as Heiji felt his cool hands grip his shoulders. 

“Baka. Sit down before you faint!” He growled, suiting words with action as he tapped his foot against the back of Heiji’s knees to get them to buckle. 

“Hey!” Heiji complained, flinching as his knees hit the dirt. “Don’t use my moves against me, Kudo.” Though with how much the world was spinning, he didn’t immediately try to get back up.

This wasn’t good. 

He hadn’t bargained on being this weakened after the fight with his rival. If he couldn’t stand up and walk, Kudo could literally disappear now and Heiji would be hard pressed to ever find the half-vamp again. Kudo huffed, kneeling as he pulled at Heiji’s shirt, the fabric tearing easily. “You used your bokken, I used my foot. It’s different.” 

“Keep telling yarself tha, Kudo.” Heiji muttered, blinking his vision clear. “Stop tearing at my shirt.” He said reaching up to pull it off, biting back a groan as he did so. Ow. It just seemed like the pain was getting worse. 

“It’s hardly more than rags, already.” Kudo argued. 

“And who’s fault was tha?” Heiji pulled his shirt, it really did look more like rags now, into his lap and shivered as Kudo’s cool fingers touched his back.  

“Yours.”

 “MINE!” 

“You goaded me into attacking you, remember?” 

Heiji rolled his eyes. “Like I had a choice.” He smirked as Kudo growled and glanced over his shoulder. “I told ya I wasn’t leaving without ya. I’m keeping tha promise.” 

“You can barely stand up straight.” Kudo muttered, keeping his attention on Heiji’s back. “I could leave.” he added, voicing aloud Heiji’s fear. “You wouldn’t be able to stop me now.”

“But ya won’t.” Heiji said, putting more confidence into his voice than he felt.

Kudo exhaled and stood, turning his back to him as he ran a hand through his hair. Obviously debating doing just that. 

“Kudo, ya can’t just expect ta live out here, alone for tha rest of yar life.” Heiji said quietly, carefully twisting so he could see the half-vamp without having to strain his shoulders trying to look at him. “Yar not meant ta just disappear.” 

Kudo shook his head. “I should be dead.” His hand dropped to finger the healing wound on his neck. “This wound should have killed me.”  

Should? Heiji narrowed his eyes. “Unless yar healing factor is much higher than I thought...yar wound wasn’t deep enough ta kill ya, Kudo.” 

Kudo froze. “It’s not?” He whispered, staring directly at him, his vivid blue eyes demanding the truth.

With how many dead bodies he’d seen he would know. “Nah. Didn’t even nick tha artery.”  

“But--” Kudo tsked, running his other hand through his hair. “That’s not what I--Is that what he mea--” he growled, pacing in a circle. 

Heiji sat up straight, heart rate increasing. “He? Who’s he? Yar attempted killer? Ya know who did this ta ya?” If he knew who it was then they could track him down. Figure out exactly how much of a vampire Kudo was without having to fumble in the dark because they could just ask the sire, himself. 

Kudo pressed his hand against the wound on his neck as he came to a stop, standing parallel to Heiji, head tilted towards his chest. 

For one known for bringing the truth to light, his rival was being remarkably tight lipped. 

“Kudo.”

The hand on the wound got whiter.

Okay...perhaps this wasn’t the best time to bring up the subject, but at the same time. He had to know.

“Kudo.” Heiji softened his voice, carefully moving to his knees. “Do ya remember who did this ta ya?”  

He shakily exhaled, giving a jerky nod. “I...re-remember---he---the pain---I was dying! Burning. It felt like...like I was…” He gestured to the forest. “...being remade.” He whispered. 

Remade? That was one way to put it he supposed. “I...don know wha being turned feels like.” Heiji said slowly, watching how stiffly his rival stood. “No one does, regular vampires can’t really tell us. But Kudo.” He smirked. “Yar definitely not dead. Whether or not this guy intended ta turn ya, tha fact tha ya survived means ya’re not meant ta vanish.” And if they could find the sire, they could get the answers they needed to help Kudo survive back among the humans.

Kudo shook his head, turning back to him. “You keep saying that--but--”

Heiji pushed himself once more to his feet letting his ruined shirt drop to the ground. He rapidly blinked away the tunneled vision, waving off his rival as he took a step forward, worry etched in his face. “I’ve seen my fair share of vampires, Kudo. Yar nothing like them. Look.” He spread his arms. “As injured as I am, if ya were a normal vampire, I would be dead by now.” 

Kudo flinched, but Heiji refused to leave it at that.

“Ya can see and smell my blood right now and yet yar not trying ta drain every last drop from me. Ya stopped when ya were sated. Normal vampires don’t do tha. They’re mindless, they’re basically parasites.” 

Was Kudo’s sire the same? Was his rival’s case a unique circumstance? All these questions only gave him all the more reason to track down the sire sooner rather than later to find out if Kudo was an outlier or if there were others like him. 

Though with how weakened he was right now...a little later than sooner would be better for him. No need to face any more vampires until he recovered from this encounter.

Kudo recoiled. “Parasites?” he whispered. 

Heiji nodded. “Ya can’t reason with normal vampires. Can’t talk to them. They will fight ta get any blood that is spilt in their presence and guess what Kudo?” He lowered his arms. “Ya haven’t done any of that. Yar no parasite. Believe me. Ya don’t even have yar fangs right now. That’s not normal.” Vampires couldn’t hide their fangs. 

Kudo ran his tongue over his teeth. “True--but.”

“Yar eyes aren’t red anymore either. Fully satisfied as ya are...ya look completely normal, Kudo. And if ya can blend in and not attack anyone--” Heiji shrugged. “Then I believe ya can return.” 

Kudo pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “You’re not thinking this through. I may be fine now, but what about when I need more blood? It’s not like nearly draining you cured me of…this.” He dropped his hands, moving away from Heiji towards his hat and picked it up. Turning it over as he studied it, eyes hidden behind the fringe of his hair. “Even now...I don’t feel normal. I can tell I’m different, my senses heightened, my instincts--” He grimaced. “But if I’m similar enough to...actual vampires to need blood...then how would I get more when I need it? We don’t even know when I’ll need more. It could be in an hour, it could be in a week! I can’t just continue drinking from you regardless.” 

That was true. They would need more sources of blood than just him. Would need to test and see just how much human blood he would need. How much animal blood could sustain him. See if he could still eat human food or if he was now fully on a liquid diet.

“There’s...a lot of unknowns here, Kudo.” Heiji said, holding out his hand for his hat. “I mean, ya’ve already survived over a month out here on jus animal blood and ya didn’t go crazy from it an tha’s a lot easier ta obtain than human blood.” Though human blood had helped to bring back the detective’s mind so they could have this conversation in the first place. That was a fact. Heiji smirked. “And if ya don’t need ta feed as often, then I can still be a donor ta ya if ya need ta feed from humans ta be more human.”

“There’s too many variables.” Kudo whispered, holding completely still. “If I’m not like the others, like him--I mean he blended in well enough with--but we basically have no foundation to go off of. I may be fine now but in an hour? Who knows how often I need to--if I can even be around other people--It’s--” 

The sire could blend in with humans? That was...concerning. How long had Kudo interacted with him before the sire had decided to reveal his true self? How many others were there? 

Heiji took a step forward, resting his hands on Kudo’s shoulders, ignoring how his rival stiffened at his touch. “One step at a time Kudo.” He said with as much confidence as he could muster. “I don have tha answers yet. But ya won know ya limits if ya stay here in da forest. Doncha wanna know why he did this ta ya? Why he left ya here? Doncha wanna know tha truth?” He would ensure that Kudo found those answers. Found his sire. The half-vampire just had to come with him to do so.

Kudo shifted, vanishing from Heiji’s grip to stand six feet away, fiddling still with his hat.

Geez. Heiji lowered his own hands. Did Kudo even have to think before he moved that fast or was it instinctual now? “I’m not askin ya ta go full tilt back inta yar old life.” He said, working to keep his voice soothing. “But ya need ta be found, Kudo. Ya need to return. Ease everyone’s minds that you’re okay. Ya won’t find answers here hiding out alone among tha trees.” 

“I still...I still think I shouldn’t come with you...back to...everyone” Kudo whispered, looking up, again piercing Heiji’s soul with his bright blue eyes. “But.” He dusted off the hat, and in a flash stood before Heiji before he could blink, placing the hat on his head. “You do have a point. I can’t find any answers here.” 

Heiji grinned, relaxing as he adjusted the set of his hat. “Ya got tha right.”

Kudo smiled in return. “Well, you wouldn’t be much of a rival if you weren’t able to outthink me occasionally, Hattori.” He shrugged. “I suppose, since you know vampires, that I can trust you in whatever plan you have in mind to get me out of here and keep me from going, what did you say? ‘Bloodcrazed mental’ again.”

Heiji threw his head back in a laugh, clapping his rival on the back. Kudo was staying. He was coming with him! But more importantly, he pulled the brim of his hat to face backwards. “Ya know who I am?” And here he was thinking he’d have to introduce himself.

Kudo’s eyes narrowed, studying the new position Heiji had placed his hat in before he relaxed and raised an eyebrow. “Hattori Heiji, Detective of the West, Rival to me, Kudo Shinichi, Detective of the East. Why wouldn’t I know of you?” 

Heiji scratched his cheek. “Well...ya kinda come off as…” 

“As an egotistical self-centered jerk?” 

He said it straight faced, but Heiji could see the glint of humor in his eyes. 

He grinned in return. “Ah. So I don’t have ta break tha news ta ya.”  

“Nah,” Kudo waved a hand vaguely around. “Ran’s given me plenty of lectures on the topic.” 

Ouch. “If she’s anything like my Kazuha, I can bet it was an ear-full.”  

“Mm.” Kudo gave a half shrug, moving to pull Heiji’s arm over his shoulder, supporting him as Hieji turned them towards the resort.  “I suppose you’ll find out soon enough. If she’s---there...once we--” 

“Once ya return home.” 

Kudo drew in a shaky breath, fingers trembling on Heiji’s arm. “Yah...once...once I do that. You do have a plan right? To...explain,” he gestured to Heiji’s lack of shirt and wounds and then to himself. “All this to the police?”

Well...no. He hadn’t actually thought that far yet. Kudo being an unusual vampire needing to find his sire again without the police involved, was a snag that he hadn’t yet had time to untangle. But best to keep that to himself.

He gave a low laugh, squeezing Kudo’s arm as they made their way up the hill. Back to the resort. Back to the people who had no idea that the supernatural was very very real and still needed to be kept in the dark about it.

“I have some thoughts.” He said, glancing to Kudo, meeting his blue eyes. 

His rival raised an eyebrow, tilting his head as he gave his own small smile in return. “I’m listening.”

End. 

[cchellacat]

HBC Book Club Reviews

This week has brought us a crop of fantastic fic rec’s which we hope you will give a read to and show the wonderful authors some love and support.  Each week we will choose four fic’s to review.  Please help us by submitting the stories you would like see reviewed and given some love to, to:                                HBC-story-reviews@hotmail.com  or submitting an ask to the @the-ss-horniest-book-club

The heat-scale above is how we chose our fic each week.  One story from each level will be read and reviewed, please indicate where on the scale the story you are reccing will place.  Also please only rec completed stories for review. 

So, to get us started, here are the first four fic’s, in order from Blazing to Sweet!

Two Can Keep A Secret

Author:  @cametobuyplums

Destroyer Chris x Reader

Blazing

Cametobuyplums has done it again with Two can keep a secret. My pussy is over here begging for Reprieve! I went in know it would be good because it was written my the smut goddess. Chris was written perfectly. Gruff and punishing. And let’s not forget all the fucking ring kink that’s got me screaming. My favorite line in the story was the last but I’m not going to give away spoilers. Fuck, if I could get dicked down by Chris like this I might join a drug gang too.  Fizz’s stories are all smutty gold. Synopsis: the reader is in a gang and finds out Chris is a cop. He uses his dick and dominant personality to keep her quiet. Rating a 10/10 on the blazing scale. 

Review by @buckmesideways22​

This fic is dripping with sin, and I love it! It most definitely deserves the spot of blazing because this fic is so hot it's on fire! There is not enough Destroyer!Chris content and @cametobuyplums is keeping us kids fed, while simultaneously making us thirsty. This fic makes me shiver with delight, every dominant action and word from Chris has my submissive side aching with want and to please. The nicknames, the dirty talk, the roughness, @cametobuyplums knows how to rile a girl up in all the best ways. Thank you so much for this fic and for all the fantastic writing you supply us with. 

Review by @littledarlinhavefaithinme​

One Day We Won’t Have to Be Scared  

Author:  @paraxdisepink

Bucky x Steve

Spicy

This fic is hot, but it also has its moments where it pulls on my heartstrings. Anyone who knows me knows that my main ship is not Stucky (how can I ship Bucky with anyone but myself, I mean c'mon!), however this fic nuzzled it's way into my heart! I also LOVE that the author addressed an issue with pressured consent (bless you for that and how you did it, it felt natural within the fic, but it also made me super happy). There are a ton of little things I love about this fic, but for the sake of brevity, and so I don't spoil anything, I will just say this: read it curled up in bed, be prepared to awe out loud and for things to get hot. Also, thank you @buckmesideways22 for finding this and making it a book club read.

Review by @littledarlinhavefaithinme​

I loved this story, even though it wasn't something I would normally gravitate towards. It was a great back and forth of pre serum Steve and Bucky in the 30s and modern day Stucky. Steve and Bucky, friends enjoying a night out before they are living on the streets, are approached at a bar in the 1930s to take photos for cash they very much need to make ends meet, but they never thought they’d get out like they have now in the modern day. The author has painted a perfect picture with her words in every scene. A delicate balance of jokes, angst, and tender moments. I especially loved the scene at the bar and their initial meeting of Franz. Bucky feeling he needs to be there to protect Steve even with his own discomfort in the situation (there it is Steve once again showing he isn’t the goody two shoes everyone has painted him to be as Captain America, and Bucky following that little guy from Brooklyn into trouble). The sex although not under the best of circumstances, as they had to be coerced into it, was beautifully written to show the raw emotion neither knew before that moment. The line about Bucky and Steve’s adventure into tumblr being a “scary look into the modern female mind.” I felt like it was a call out to the HBC.

Review by @marvelousmeggi​

The Very Thought

Author:  @caitfairwrites

Bucky x Reader

Mild

This story perfectly captures the ethereal moments between heartbeats, the style a work of art in painting such a clear and evocative widow into the heart and soul.  You can’t read this and not be moved by the raw emotion as you’re carefully guided through a series of encounters which deeply tie two people together.  It is a sensual and deeply intimate look at love and sex, of two people finally finding their place in each other.   I have cried every time I’ve read it, it’s one of the most beautifully written pieces I’ve ever encountered. Highly recommended must read for all Bucky fans. 

Review by @cchellacat​

An absolutely gorgeous picture of 40s Bucky and his girl told through their stolen moments together both prewar and after-war (AU where Bucky comes home injured). Everything about this is poetry. It echoes back themes during each of the six encounters that could make you cry with how beautifully it's written. Read it with a hand on your heart, to keep it from beating right out of your chest.

Review by @eurynome827

Our Last Day

Author:  @sunflowers-and-bucky

Bucky x Reader

Sweet

Our Last Day is about Bucky and the Readers last day before he ships out. It hit me right in the feels the first time I read it as it is laced with just enough emotion, teasing, and love. It starts out by painting a lazy Sunday, not unlike the one you would normally have, but as the day progresses the knowledge that Bucky is leaving and quite possibly never returning looms in the back of your mind. Their conversation walking to the docks is a perfect balance of confident dreamer and realist and you can feel the moment weighing the reader down as they inch closer. I felt it in my soul when reader said, “You know, if you die I’ll kill you.”  Leading to a beautiful tender moment from Bucky. 

Review by @marvelousmeggi​

Our last day was heart warming and heart breaking all at the same time because we know Bucky’s fare. The story is about the reader and Bucky’s last day before he was heading out to war (love me so 40’s JBB). It really showcases a loving relationship between Buck and the reader and you feel the readers emotions. Thanks Sunflowers and Bucky you made the tiddy queen tear up and be all soft. My favorite line was, “if you die, I’ll kill you.” It’s a great read and I would totally read it again.

Review by @buckmesideways22​

Please give these wonderful authors a chance, read their stories and send them some love!  xxx

[hpdabbles]

holy merlin himself, i’d pay both in cash and with my soul for a sequel to that pick-pocketing fic

Remus Lupin was not pleased in the slightest. He’s not one to go to these type of places but Lily had convinced him clubbing might be a good way to release some stress.

Usually, he didn’t listen to his best friend and roommate but it’s been a hellish week and he really needed something to pick him up. The full moon last Sunday had been so bad he missed three days of work the following days, which prompt his fed-up boss to finally fire him. Remus couldn’t really blame him, after all, he did miss so many days of work per month with called in sick days but short of telling the older man about his condiction could prove he needed those sick days.

Remus felt terrible when he had to tell Lily he would not have enough for the rent and his Wolfsbane potion again. She assures him it alright but he saw the way her eyes had strain obviously thinking of her own financial problem. Lily wasn’t exactly dirt poor like Remus but her interest in studying advanced potions forced her to get an unpaid internship and a part-time job as a waitress in a muggle restaurant which made supporting them on her lonesome impossible.

Lily’s parents stop sending money the day she refused to web a muggle man and had all but cut her out of their lives upon learning her ex-lover. Apparently, being a witch was much more acceptable than being bisexual.

Muggles just couldn’t keep their priorities right. What did it matter who their daughter loved as long as she was happy right?

Remus needed to find a job and soon.

He was going to buy the Wolfsbane potion tonight, from his secret supplier. The only way for Remus not to get outed as a werewolf was to buy it underground even if it cost a little more. Being outed as a Dark Creature is much worse than being on the streets.

At least the later he could somehow claw his way back to a stable livelihood even if it took him years, the former would set his life in stone. A very cruel and cold stone.

Which was why he was hyper-aware of his heavy wallet disappearing from his back pocket seconds after it vanished. He needs to buy that potion tonight. And the money was missing.

Alarm Remus, look everywhere attempting to find the thief among all the dancing bodies. It was hard to see anyone clearly, the dark lights only allowing him to see slight outlined shadows. Thank goodness his nose was able to find his friends. Marlene and  Dorcas were at the bar, laughing and flirting with one another (He gave them three more weeks before they broke and started dating) while Lily was being chatted up by some bloke in glasses.

Remus made eye contact with her very briefly and she nearly excuses herself from the guy when she saw the panic in his face but he shook his head indicating she could stay. After his slight fright, Remus was able to calm once locating his companions his mind clear enough to realize he may not know the scent of the thief but he knew his own scent.

His wallet left a trail among the sweat and alcohol in the air which he followed all the way to the male bathroom. With the door closing behind him, the loud bass of the music dulls just enough for his super hearing picking up the sound of paper being shift.

Taking some quick sniffs Remus realize his wallet was inside this room still and the paper sound must be someone counting his money. With the full moon just a few days away his emotions were all over the place, and light a light switch rage suddenly flickered into his mind.

Remus kicked the stall door open.

It took longer then he likes, he could usually intimidate people because on some level they sense that he wasn’t quite human, but the idiot that robbed him wasn’t being cooperative. He spent must of the time Remus threaten staring with a red face and daze eyes. Maybe he was on some kind drug?

Shame, he was kind of attractive.

“Remus!” Lily shouts over the music the moment she spokes him leaving the bathroom “Remus, are you still sober?”

The werewolf rolls his eyes fondly. His irritated temper cooling just a bit. “Yes. We agree I would be the designated diver tonight. Why? Do you want to leave?”

He couldn’t keep the hopeful tone out of his voice. Remus was tired of this place, the crowd made him uneasy, the music gave him a headache and he was still slightly steaming about the bathroom encounter.

“Yes!” Lily shouts, bouncing on her heels.  “We can get the other two and go.”

Other two? He didn’t understand. Marlene came in her own car and she always offered Dorcas a ride since they lived in the same area. Still, he nodded, assuming perhaps Dorcas managed to get Marlene to take a few shots which meant Remus had to drive them. He didn’t mind much, as long as he made it on time to meet with his dealer.

Gosh, that sounded like he had a drug problem.

“Alright, let’s go. Grab them and meet me at the front.”

He chooses not to tell Lily about the pickpocket incident. Maybe because he didn’t want to worry, her unnecessary or maybe because he didn’t want to ruin her night. Or maybe it’s because he was ashamed? Whatever the case, he lets her wander into the crowd heading for the exit.

He breaks the door with a deep sigh, happy to be out of the overwhelming crowd. There are a few people outside but it’s easier to handle. His advance senses always made going out a bit difficult. Some people couldn’t hear, smell or see everything he could.

His ears are still ringing from that stupid dance music.

Sighing Remus drags his feet to the car. He always gets the car and picks the girls up from the door, since it’s safer for them then walking into a darkened parking lot. Not to say it’s safe for Remus but the man was fairly confident in his fighting skills also he always suspected the girls were just lazy.

Pulling to the entrance he spots Lily’s bright hair, but their friends are nowhere in sight and she jumps into the car with a quick. “Don’t be mad.”

Instantly he’s on guard. “What did you do?”

Before she can answer, a stranger opens his back car door. Remus watches a man with glasses, the same one that talked to Lily for almost the past hour,  climb in with a wide smile. “Hi, I’m James and this is my friend Sirius.”

His brown eyes take in the man that apparently has been invited back to their place without permission and then switch over to the friend, only to find familiar silver eyes staring back at him in wonder.

It was the wallet thief!

“Mr. Gourgous Brown Hair! It’s you!” The guy gasps then shut his jaw turning a bright red. He seems to not have meant to say that out loud while James’ already wide grin turns smug.

Remus gapes at Lily. “What did you do!?”

“Now, now, James and Sirius are just coming over for some coffee. Nothing more.” Lily defends. “I thought you might like to get to know someone, and when James said his friend fancy men I knew it could be a chance at love for -!”

“Get the hell out of my car!” Remus sneers cutting her off. He twists around, hand fumbling for the hunting knife he keeps in his car and banishes it out in case Lily accidentally put them in a dangerous situation. “I’m not taking you fucks anywhere! Get out!”

“Remus!” Lily screams appalled.

“Whoa whoa, he’s got a knife! Mate, please don’t kill us!” James screams leaning away from the blade with wide eyes.

Sirius’s already red face turns more awe if a little weary as he too leans away. “Um..is this about me stealing your wallet?”

“Stealing his what!?”

“Shush Lily.” Remus tells her without taking his eyes off the two threats. “Yes, it’s about you trying to steal my wallet! Get out! I won’t have you wanna-be murders knowing where we live!”

“I’m really sorry about that-”

“You stole someone wallet Padfoot, what is wrong with you-”

“I have pepper spray! I’ll spray the lot of you, get out of our car-”

Three different voices scream at once. Remus can’t decide who he should answer but he does feel better Lily is now pointing a small circular can with the promise pepper spray at the two men who are frozen in his car. He sneers at the thief- Sirius if that’s his real name- who looks both frighten and...infatuated? What kind of people did Lily pick up!?  

“If you don’t leave right now I will cut you!” He screams making some quick slashing motions with his hunting knife just to add more effect.

“We’re leaving!” James squeaks. He makes a slightly sadden glance at Lily who’s hand evens the can at him with narrow eyes. “I wish this had gone differently. But..Sirius the failsafe.”

Sirius’ face clouds over with sadness that makes Remus really worried and he grips his knife handle more tightly. He notices both men suddenly grab something from their jackets- a gun!? A knife!?- and pull out...wands?

These two are wizards. He thinks in shock. He watches them light up in preparation to use memory charms, he recognizes color and hand motion but before they could activate the magic or Remus could launch forward to make due on his promise Lily panics.

(Later, if you ask her, Lily will admit that she hadn't noticed them holding wands instead she thought they pulled out guns and thought they planned on murdering her and her roommate.)

She screams while pressing the button to harshly, her magic accidentally ripping the lid off with her scared emotions and the car fills with Peper Spray.  

“MY EYES! MY EYES! WHAT IS THIS!?”

“FUCK I CAN TASTE IT! PADFOOT IT’S IN MY THROAT!”

“AHHHHHHHH!”

“I’M GOING TO CUT YOU ALL!”

Someone calls the muggle cops and the four get dragged off to the holding cell with red watery eyes and burning skin. In all the drama, Remus forgets about his Wolfsbane potion meeting.

This later comes to bite him in the ass.

[courtinginsanity]

Warning: this is going to be long af. (Also, this was started weeks ago and then life happened, so apologies for the weird timing lol).

TL/DR: you’re all amazing and I love you. 

Okay. So. First of all, I cannot express how grateful and humbled I am having been presented these awards in Granger Enchanted Survivors. I am so thankful to have such wonderful fandom friends and readers of my fics.

Let’s talk about ‘Necessary Evil’. It started as a random idea in 2013, and was originally published as ‘The Green Vase’. I did not plan anything, just wrote what came to my head. Chapters ranged from 1-2k. I had no alpha. No beta. I think I reached chapter 10 before getting bored and resigning myself to a life of reading Fanfiction rather than writing it.

When I decided to return to the story and rewrite it, I was in a much better place in my life. I was able to admit I needed help. So I started DFW, and I enlisted the help of a beta. I started with a long list of people, and then found the one I worked with best, littlered1992. She was tough but always kind and the story would not have been completed if it wasn’t for her messages asking where the hell the next chapter was 😂

On the 7th of May, 2018, a new reader went through the available chapters and left essay-length comments on EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. That was @mhcalamas, who is now one of my most dear friends and fellow writer. This is our fic. It’s the one that brought us together. Her encouragement and amazing comments kept me motivated and fed my muse. I couldn’t have done it without her belief in me and my ability to finish something.

As I gained confidence and learned to love critique, I found @ravenclaw-sass. Another one of my most dear fandom friends. This girl has an eye for everything and taught me the important skill of internal monologue. If I had a question or concern about characterisation, I knew who to turn to. I am a better writer because of this amazing human being.

Entering the Facebook world of Dramione fandom, I quickly found myself surrounded by inspiration from other writers and readers. I joined fests—too many fests—and continued to practice my craft. Each piece I’ve written, each person I’ve worked with... they made me better, stronger, more confident. I wouldn’t be where I am without any of them. In fact, it was a post in Strictly Dramione that led me to write ‘Taking Flight’!

So, I have some people to thank. In no particular order... 

@lovesbitca8 - you make writing look effortless. I know it definitely isn’t, but gosh you do it with such grace. I really admire you and your style, and have subconsciously tried to emulate it.

@senlinyuwrites - I don’t think I can really put into words how much I respect you. In my mind you’re the super-cool chick everyone wants to be friends with but are in total awe of. Like think leather, aviators, and a motorbike lol.

@ladykenz347 - my puffiest puff friend! I live for our conversations. Your never-failing enthusiasm for all things Dramione. Your descriptions slay me and I am so jealous of your raw talent.

@indreamsink - another cool-vibing chick. Another one who makes it look effortless. What I wouldn’t give to crawl into your brain and explore it for just an hour (that sounded way less creepy before I wrote it down lol)

@mykesprit - you never fail to make me smile, and for that I am grateful. Your sense of humour has inspired me to attempt to purposefully write something funny which may have been the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.

@ms-merlinblack - is it weird to tell you that you make me feel safe in this pocket of the universe? Like I feel like I can do anything if you’re involved. You and LadyKenz are now my parents.

@otterlyardent - we’ve only just started getting to know each other and I wish I lived closer so we could catch up for a drink and a hug! Your raw truth is inspiring to witness and I aim to be more like you.

@themourningmadam - we don’t talk much but you must know that I LIVE for conversations involving you. Your insight is always hilarious and perfect. And your writing... if I eat it, do you think I’ll absorb the genius?

@frumpologist and @frecklesandbroomsticks - I don’t know why but in my mind you two are the Puff Pair. And I adore each of you for very similar reasons. You’re so down to earth and relatable. You’re unfailingly supportive of all my ideas even when they’re bad. And you’re both amazing writers who I’m honoured to know!

@thelastlynx and @hysteracal - another Dynamic Duo! You guys constantly make me laugh and I hope that one day I can be half as intelligent as you both! Thank you for always being super honest and open with me, and teaching me that you don’t need to sell your soul to be a Fanfiction writer.

@disenchantedglow - You may be the embodiment of all things good in the world. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you utter a negative thing to say about anyone and you inspire me with the simple elegance with which you write! 

@bionicallywriting - words cannot describe the joy I feel when you comment on my writing and tell me that it’s not complete and utter garbage lol. I highly value your opinion and am so grateful that you joined our little community! 

@deweydecimateher - I wish I had your sense of humour. I’d never be sad or down or anything becasue I’d just be constantly laughing. Can you please move to Australia, or send a pocket version of yourself I can keep with me always? 

@mrsren96 - I actually tear up thinking about how we became friends because clearly I am a giant sap. I still laugh when I remember how fangirly I got when I saw that ‘Mrs. Ren’ had commented on one of my fics and then I found out that it was you, someone I’d been talking to for a little while at that point. Inside my brain there’s a Buzz Lightyear going, “There seems to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere.” I could go on and on, but you know I love you, girl!  

@rzzmg - when I wrote for you in the Dramione christmas fest I almost  d i e d! I was so honoured and I loooooove your writing. I am a (mostly) silent fan but please know that I really admire and respect you!

@ravenslight - if I had a friend who was always ready to bail me out of jail, you would be that friend. I have taken for granted that you are always there waiting to beta for me but I really am grateful for all of your help! And (spoiler alert!) I’ll probably be sliding into your DMs again soon to beg for more assistance... and to continue my plan to steal you away from your fiance!  

@party-lines - I am actually so proud to know you. The whole world collapses around your ears and you just keep on going like a freaking boss. And you’re a fellow Aussie which makes me even prouder! So much love and respect for you, girl! 

@hginny25 - you have no idea the level of happiness I reached when you joined DFW! I love that this community brought us together and I’m excited to continue to get to know you! 

@naarna - we’ve known each other for aaaages and I am so proud of how far you’ve come both in terms of writing and life in general. I feel privileged that I get to keep watching you go from strength to strength. You are an inspiration! 

@kyonomiko - we don’t talk all that much but I really admire your creativity... and will admit I’m jealous of it lol. You bring such a grace to your writing and your interactions within the community I hope to one day emulate. 

@perilous-circumstance - this one actually let me beta for her. ME. I’m still in awe because your story is just so unique and amazing and I genuinely love it so much! We make a good team (I think) and I hope we can work togeher forever! 

@niffizzle - we’re basically bff’s now thanks to a mutual love of Panic! At the Disco and because you introduced me to Mariana’s Trench, for which I’ll forever be in your debt. You are a light in the community and I’m proud to count myself among the people who get to chat with you one on one!  

@ruthy4vrsmoak-ed - some days I don’t know what I would have done without your never-wavering encouragement and support of not only my writing but of DFW, too! Thank you for being so lovely! 

@felgia-starr - one of the DFW originals and a forward thinker! The group wouldn’t be where it is if it wasn’t for you and your support. Thank you for being my time zone buddy and someone I can rely on! Even though we don’t chat that often, I feel like if the world was falling you’d definitely help me and probably fix the entire situation in a sentence. 

@mrbenzedrine89 - and all your crew for organising the awards! I can’t imagine that it was an easy feat, so kudos to all of you! Also, massive fan, hi *waves awkwardly*. 

I feel like there’s a million people I haven’t thanked but should... I wish I could personally tag all of you but please know that I love you and I am so, so, so grateful for you! This community only works because you do, and I respect the shit out of each and every member of the Dramione fandom. 

Much love and squishy kangaroo hugs...

CourtingInsanity xx

[cousinslavellan-archive]

Broken Souls: Epilogue

And in the end, it seems they were not quite so broken after all.

Time Skips! Babies! Epilogue! Ahhhh! Holy crap I can’t believe I finished this fic - or that it grew to be what it is, really.

This started out as a quick ‘ehh Soul Mate AU could be fun!’ idea that ran away from me the second I started working with Lily and @wafflesrock16 ‘ Tiberius because I just... love them too much okay?? It was fun!! 

And they are canon dammit which you’ll see by another thing I’ll be posting shortly huehuehue...

So! I do want to write Pirate things! But hopefully, also, you guys will enjoy me getting back to R&R... cause it’s coming :3 And thank you all for the support on this fic! I hope you’ve enjoyed it! ♥

The term Parvus is borrowed from @wafflesrock16 - a term meaning ‘tiny one’, often used for babies.

Enjoy! Also on AO3 here!

Four Years Later

Lily is woken by the sound of soft whimpering, slipping fully into consciousness with a sigh. She shifts a little and grins, opening her eyes to find herself near barricaded in by little bodies - the twins taking up one side of the bed and Barca curled tight against her belly, snoozing soundly.

Tiberius is absent, meaning he’d likely been woken first - though if she’s still whimpering, she probably needs fed…

Lily sighs again, allowing herself to relax for the moment, running a hand gently over her sons little fringe and smiling when he purrs in response. At three, Barca is about the same size as the twins had been when they’d first met them - though his plates are a deep mahogany, echoing her hair, and his eyes are the same vivid green of his fathers.

He’d been a welcome addition to the household - helping the twins settle in, taking their minds off the horror the war, giving them a little brother to help look after and show new things.

They’ve been a big help. She thinks, feeling them shuffle behind her and sitting up to glance at them, still smiling.

Nine years old and definitely starting to fill into the height of their species, the twins are healthy and, she hopes, happy - no colony markings yet, though they’d nearly made Tiberius cry the week before when they’d declared they wanted to take his markings.

“You’re our father - we want to take your markings!”

Maaaaaybe got a little teary eyed myself, there, but not gonna tell anyone that. Lily lays back down, listening to the quiet sound of her husbands footsteps in the other room, humming gently to the child curled against her.

Cipritine is finally back to what it was before the Reapers, for the most part - though they’re still living outside of The Spire, in a bigger house that Victus had had built for them. They’d needed the space for their growing family, after all, and Lily has a home office, now - though she’s still on maternity leave for another six months.

Need all the rest I can get, after that delivery. She shifts, winces a little, then sighs, Hopefully I can get back to my usual workout, soon. Gotta get the rest of this baby weight off.

“Look, parvus, mama’s awake.” Lily hears her husband coo, looking up and smiling at the pair standing in the doorway. Tiberius flares his mandibles back at her, carefully rocking the infant in his arms as he walks closer, “I think she heard you were hungry.”

“Mhm. You should have woken me, Tibs.” Lily sits up carefully, disturbing the other kids as little as she can, “Has she been awake, long?”

“No, maybe twenty minutes - she was content to be rocked, for a while.” Tiberius moves over and takes a seat on the edge of the bed, stealing a quick nuzzle while carefully passing the bundle, “Though she’s grumping for food now, I think. I’m, ah, not good at reading her noises, yet.”

“Hey, I was terrible at catching Barca’s fussing.” Lily snorts, pressing into his touch a moment longer, “We’re learning, remember? Babies aren’t meant to be easy.”

“I think we do pretty good.” he says, arms open as Barca grumbles and crawls sleepily into his lap, passing back out almost immediately.

“Mhm. Alright, kiddo - let’s get you fed.” Lily shrugs the shoulder of her nightshirt off enough to bare her breast, rearranging the baby in her arms until she’s properly adjusted and able to latch on, “There you go, Iris - ow, hey, easy, kid. Geez, you were hungry.”

“How’re you feeling?” Tiberius asks, shifting in so he’s sitting shoulder to shoulder, still cradling Barca even as his eyes wander to the baby in her arms - gaze soft, still sort of disbelieving. The same as hers is sometimes, she’d bet.

“Better, overall. Breasts are still sore, and down there - but I think that’s gonna take a while to go away.” Lily sighs, letting her head rest on his shoulder as she lets the baby drink, “Once I can get active again - I’ll be okay. Like Rose said - I just had a baby. I’m allowed to rest, for a while.”

“Definitely.” he purrs, resting his head on top of hers, both quietly watching the baby.

“I can’t get over it.” he continues after several seconds of silence, voice soft, “That she’s real… she’s beautiful. Like her mother.”

“Mhm. She’s got some of you in there too, y’know.” Lily hums, running a hand over the babies head - over the thing silver fuzz that’s just starting to grow in. “Silver hair - like her daddies plates.”

“And blue eyes like her mama.” Tiberius laughs when Iris unlatches and blinks up at them with those big blue eyes, as though knowing they’d been talking about her. “We did good.”

“We did.” Lily agrees, sitting up again to burp the baby, settling her back in her arm once she’s content and burbling.

Tiberius slips his arm around her back, letting his song spin out of his chest as he pulls her close against his side - Barca asleep in his lap, Iris cradled in Lily’s arms, and the twins still sleeping soundly on the bed beside them - nuzzling her with a purr.

“Thank you.” he says, quietly, mandibles flaring gently, “For allowing me this happiness.”

“Thank you,” she whispers back, leaning up to kiss him, “For giving me this life - I love you, Tiberius Ramas. Broken or not, I love you - and I always will.”

“I love you too, Lily Ramas - the other half of my broken soul.”

[ripleyink]

Disgraced Deviants - Tommy Conlon

Author’s Notes: I have more of this written and saved but I wanted to post this to see if it was for anyone’s interest. If there’s anything particularly triggering in here--besides what’s already mentioned and my bad grammar--let me know. Sometimes I miss things. Length: Longer than my John Shelby fic--not as long as I originally intended it to be (seriously this was almost 10 000 words, I cut it back a lot). Rating: For adults. Definitely for adults. WARNING: Violence, a woman does get physically attacked in this so be warned, strong coarse language, and mentions of PTSD, implications of domestic abuse.

Someone was shouting at another outside but no one inside was paying attention.

The erupting noise of a bang filled the enormous space of the boxing gym, its sound fitting to that of a large sack of meat being slammed forcefully against a cement surface. It wasn’t far off from that image conjured in the majority of the attendees heads since their attention was dragged to one of the three boxing rings; entranced by the fight going on in that ring rather than their own business.

In the ring that had captured the attention of the others, Tommy Conlon had his opponent pinned beneath his weight, only partially aware of his elbow digging deep into the younger boxer’s already bruising side. Tommy couldn’t recall his name, couldn’t bring to mind what he said about where he came from or what his reason was for wanting to fight Tommy. All Tommy managed to remember in the heat of his oncoming victory was that the guy was left-handed; he grabbed with his left, swung with his left and dodged to his left and this observation made by his more experienced opponent was ultimately his downfall.

The ex-soldier held him down without struggle, his arm wrapped securely around his opponent’s neck while he waited—the trapped man whipping back and forth like a desperate animal—for him to tap out. The longer Tommy held him, the more frantic the younger man became, and soon he was grabbing the back of Tommy’s neck, sloppily throwing unseen punches into any part that would cause momentary weakness. The more he chose to struggle and fight against his inevitable defeat, the harder he was pinned into the floor of the boxing ring. Tommy was getting fed up with how stubborn this kid was choosing to be and glanced over at his coach, Paddy, for some assistance in persuasion.

Paddy, donning a beige flat cap in the gym with his matching ensemble of casual beige and white clothing, nodded in understanding and stepped up to the ring. He crossed his arms and perched them on the edge of the ring’s platform, lowering his head to meet the younger competitor’s eyes. It was time for a little heart-to-heart with one of the younger souls.

“Hey kid,” Paddy rasped, attracting the pinned boxer’s attention. “Tap out, okay? There are no heroes here.”

The boxer who was practically merging into the ring’s floor by the undeniable force of Tommy Conlon couldn’t have been older than twenty-two. While he was muscular like all the other men present in the gym at that exact moment, there was no life experience in his eyes; life ages a person, experience ages a person, but his olive-toned skin, jet black hair, strongly-defined jawline, and dark brown eyes kept any trauma he may have suffered perfectly concealed. There was no puffiness to his face, no blemishes, and no little flaws that gave character to the likes that walked in and out of the boxing rings. He was identifiably fresh, new and extremely naïve to go up against Tommy Conlon who was known for knocking his opponents down within the first five minutes. Unless this guy magically turned into Brendan Conlon, Tommy’s brother, he was screwed from the get-go.

When Paddy saw that this guy was stubbornly refusing to tap out, the older man swallowed a harsh lump forming in his throat and leaned in closer. “Listen, he’s already been to prison—I’m not fond of him going back based on charges of murder of a stupid kid who didn’t want to hurt his ego. Tap out now or get choked.”

Those few seconds of rushed contemplation was enough for the younger boxer to really consider his situation. Frantically, he slapped his hand—not tapped; slapped—against Tommy’s swelling bicep that seemed to be closing little by little against his throat. Tommy’s arm weakened, releasing his defeated challenger from his vice grip. There was an obvious sense of indifference he displayed when the man gasped as he inhaled the musky but welcome air of the gym, his forehead pressed against the dirty floor of the boxing ring. The champion—glistening beneath the white lights as if his own sweat had formed a protective sheen—pulled himself to his feet, tearing his mouthguard away from his teeth and spat into a blue plastic bucket left on the side below the platform. There was no crimson swirls of blood mingling with the saliva; something which Paddy Conlon considered to be a win for health more than rank.

But what it also meant was that this guy, the one who naively went up against his son, wasn’t a challenge. Tommy had only been out of prison for a couple of months yet there was something rippling inside of him; a heat, a desire to burn and war against anyone willing to go up against him. Since the fight he had with his brother and the witness of what level of power the Conlon brothers could drag from their damaged souls to use in a boxing match, no one had been tempted. No one wanted their heart to stop working because their opponent’s aim was a little too good and the force of their punch a little too severe.

But Tommy wanted a challenge. He wanted someone to throw him off, to make him forget his own existence and simply be in the present of the fight. Whatever this man’s name is or was—if he had told Tommy it went right over his head—he wasn’t good enough. He was too young and very stupid.

Paddy eyed his son moving to the edge of the ring, resting his arms on the rope while he continued to spit out saliva that had built up in his mouth. His father dropped down to collect the water bottle left on the floor, pulling the cap for Tommy before he handed it to him. Studying his son, Paddy grew concerned that Tommy wasn’t resting because he needed a break but because he was giving the other guy one. Had Tommy gotten worse while being in prison? Had he become more aggressive?

“Tommy,” he fixed Tommy with a calm yet intense look. “Hold your position but give them some room to breathe, alright?”

Tommy nodded at him, but it didn’t seem very sincere. Still, Paddy wasn’t going to push it at that moment in particular, since he was concerned about the kid who had boldly, and arrogantly, decided to go up against his son. In his defence, he didn’t know Tommy had been training even in prison; keeping himself in shape and focused under the watchful eyes of military prison guards. Maybe that was why Tommy had been so ruthless in this fight; prison had really made him learn what it meant to survive in a harsh environment.

The older man returned to where the younger fighter was; he had collapsed onto his back, breathing rapidly with his eyes squinted shut and protected teeth clenched at the inevitable agony he was feeling. Paddy leaned closer to the man clutching his side, hearing him grunt and groan through the overwhelming sensation. Once again, Paddy crossed his arms over and rested them against the edge of the platform, barricaded by the ring’s ropes from the man who would need a stitch or two above his left eye. The man’s bled through five different wounds that Paddy could see from his angle. There was probably more and definitely some internal bleeding to add to this guy's medical bill.

“Well, I can’t say you don’t have some balls, kid, but there’s a thin line between holding your own and being stupid. Learn to let your pride and ego go and tap out earlier next time.”

With that being said, he reached through the gaps in the rope to give a supportive pat on the young man’s arm. He was probably one of those kinds of people who fight others because they have self-esteem issues.

“WILL YOU FUCK OFF!”

“Why?! So you can run circles around me?!”

“—fucking following me to the gym now, what is wrong with YOU?!”

“YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO FUCKING PAY ME, YOU ASSHOLE! THAT’S HOW THIS SHIT WORKS!”

Everyone in the gym was dragged abruptly into the sudden commotion occurring inside the walls—Tommy and Paddy being of no exception when their eyes and ears were called to the attention of the two people having a shouting match inside. Natural curiosity and instinct toward the out-of-norm was enough for all the coaches, the fighters and general visitors to pay attention to the drama. Tommy’s brow furrowed while he watched.

Without any confusion stood a man and a woman arguing with their voices raised. The man was someone familiar to all whether it is more so to some and less to others. His name was Bobby Fisher; a frequenter to this particular gym and an all-round irritating sort of character with spiked, copper hair, a patchy beard, tattoos of naked women marking every inch of skin his torso could provide and dark brown eyes that always had a feverish glimmer in them. It was the kind of stare a rabid dog might have but because Bobby preferred to punch a bag than a person, he was relatively harmless to the other fighters. Tommy had never spoken to him nor had any interest in him until this moment.

To add further character to his appearance, Bobby was also a tall, broad-shouldered man. He towered over others easily and the woman he was screaming at the top of his lungs at was no exception. In fact, she was about average in stature but far more simple in appearance than Bobby. Her blonde hair hung long in a rather boring style, her nose was tipped upward at the end, the shape of her face was round but not unattractive, and while her eyes were wide in the heat of her emotions the colour wasn’t identifiable to Tommy. He couldn’t tell. His eyes snapped to the movement beside her jean-covered leg, slightly stunned to see a large German shepherd pacing to and fro behind her. Tommy could see it was on a leash; but it growled and barked whenever Bobby took a step closer to its master and that made Tommy concerned that a leash won’t hold it back.

The young woman’s breathing shook, her fingers combing through her hair while she tried to calm herself down. “Bobby, you owe me five months rent… I’ve tried being understanding of your situation and everything but I’m not doing this anymore… I need to survive as well…”

“You followed me to the fucking gym—what part of that is fucking reasonable?! You fucking stalking me for money now, like, what the fuck is wrong with you?! You’re a fucking psychopath!”

“You want a place to live,” she whispered vehemently to him, “you have to pay the fifteen hundred for it or else I’m going to throw your shit on the street and lock you out.”

It was so abrupt that it didn’t process anyone’s mind for a moment—not even Tommy’s or Paddy’s. In a mere millisecond, Bobby’s arm came up and his closed fist connected directly into the side of the woman’s face. She doubled back, tripping on her booted feet while Bobby stomped forward, gripping her by her hooded jacket and bringing her closer just as he slammed his fist once again back into her face. The second punch was what snapped everyone present out of their shock.

But no one acted as quickly as Tommy did.

Tommy gripped the rope and jumped over, propelling himself toward Bobby as soon as his feet touch the ground. His peripheral vision fell out of focus as his directive became clearer to him; gone was his thought process, replaced by military training and basic human instinct mingling together with a rage that only ever emerged in the controlled environment of mixed martial arts. It overwhelmed Tommy and pushed any other sense out of his mind, out of his concentration.

His palm connected violently with the side of Bobby’s head, tightly clutching the gel-soaked strands of Bobby’s red hair and dragging him off of the woman whose screams were not missed by Tommy. The familiarity of the circumstances had caught Tommy Conlon in a trance of memory and the only thought screaming the loudest through the red fog was:

Get away from her.

“Get the fuck off me—” Bobby demanded, clawing at the side of Tommy’s arm with what tiny fingernails he possessed to use in self-defence.

Though there was a man bigger than him clawing at his arm, begging him to let him go, Tommy couldn’t hear any of his cuss-ridden pleas or the attempts to break through the fuzzy haze which clouded Tommy’s judgment. The voices, the yelling; all of it was a blur, blending into incomprehensible noise in the background which filled his ears but failed to reach his brain. In a swift, jutting movement, the fighter threw Bobby to the floor, far away from where he was safe. Bobby attempted to recover quickly enough to make an escape before any damage was made to his own face, but he wasn’t fast enough; bigger than Tommy, definitely, but not the kind of warrior he was. Tommy’s knuckles connected sharply, violently against the side of Bobby’s jaw. Then he hit him again, and again and another punch.

Every action he made was being spurned on by the sound of a dog barking… and the screams of the woman still ringing in his ears while she tried to shield her face from the blows…

On the outside was Paddy Conlon. He had seen Tommy get into a state but nothing like this; this was something animalistic, something buried so deep only now did it surface and it was appearing with a vengeance. He couldn’t comprehend the level of violence he was seeing, but his son, as cruel as it sounded, had put himself in a really terrible position. Tommy was on parole from the prison and a fuck-up as great as this would get him screwed over—possibly house arrest and another incident would lead to a return to prison. Paddy hurried over to his son, failing to move as hastily as he once did.

“Tommy!” Paddy rushed to his son, startled by the sheer ferocity on display. “Tommy, quit it! Tommy! Tommy, the fucking cops are gonna think you started this! Tommy, you’re on fucking parole! Let him go!”

The strength of the punches began to split skin apart, darkening the area of attention for the assaults as they swelled and would soon bruise, and all the while Bobby seemed incapable of kicking Tommy off of him. After some deliberation to risk their safety to break the fight up, the other fighters and gym attendees snapped into action. Several of the bigger guys wrapped their arms around Tommy’s stomach and arms, seeming to actually have difficulty tearing him away from Bobby’s beaten self. Each of them, all knowing Tommy well from his daily visits to the gym, restrained him as best as they could until they waited for the inevitable sense of rationality to clear Tommy’s clouded mind.

It was as if a blindfold had been removed the eyes of a raging bull. Tommy’s intense stare, not glancing for a second away from Bobby, softened into one of bemusement. He scanned the rest of the gym, seeking out something, but seeing it was nowhere to be found. The woman and her dog: where were they?

“Where is she?” Tommy mumbled, slipping his arms out from his restraint. He felt deflated suddenly; the same way air would come out of a tyre after puncturing it with a sharp object. He felt like someone had taken almost all of the energy from his body.

“She ran off! Girl had a swollen eye and was bleeding all over her face so I imagine she’s fucked off to the hospital or something,” one of the shorter, thinner gym attendees, Marlon, replied. He shrugged his shoulders when Tommy glanced over at him, clearly feeling safe standing in the boxing ring far away from where everyone else was.

Meanwhile, Paddy approached Bobby’s grunting, bloodied form lying awkwardly on the floor of the gym in a thickening mixture of crimson and speckles of saliva. The sight was truly saddening to see; probably appalling for someone who wasn’t accustomed to these sorts of brawls being carried out by unthinking, ferocious men behaving like wolves.

“Get back to what you were doing,” Paddy addressed the remaining attendees in the gym while glaring down at Bobby, “maybe Eddie won’t pull the shotgun out on you if you act like nothing happened.”

“What about the blood?”

He waved his hand, grumbling. “There’s blood in these kinds of places all the time, what’s a puddle of it going to do?”

“Give Eddie a seizure,” Marlon replied, shrugging his shoulders.

“We’ll have to risk it, won’t we?” He chuckled harshly, lifting an arm to point at the lockers. “Tommy, go have a shower and get dressed. We’re done here for the day.”

The small crowd eventually dispersed. The tension in the massive gym fizzled into an uneasy simmer but everyone remained on edge for another possible outbreak of anger. Some of the men laughed sheepishly to clear the anxiousness from their tightened muscles, others slipped back into systematic ritual of their training routine without another word, and some decided to head to the gym showers and probably spend the rest of their day and evening getting drunk. Paddy swept the back of his arm across his wrinkled, leathery forehead doused in a nervous sweat from before. He glanced over to find Tommy pulling the tape from his blood-coated knuckles, nudging the locker room door open with his shoulder. His opponent—who refused to tap out for as long as he could manage—far away from where Tommy was.

The older man sighed heavily, turning his attention back to Bobby. The ginger boxer was managing—though poorly—to lift himself off the ground, specks of blood spitting from between his blood-covered lips and scarlet-stained teeth.

“What the fuck—” Bobby mumbled sinisterly, trying to see through the one eye that wasn’t swollen. “Which fucking cunt did this?”

Paddy sighed even heavier than before, his eyes rolling. He, with a bit of difficulty, bent into a crouch beside the beaten man.

“I recommend staying down. The one who beat you has done time and well,” he laughed hoarsely, “frankly, you look like a prolapsed asshole.”

Bobby spat again onto the carpeted floor, levelling himself onto his less bruised side; supporting his weight on his forearm. “Where is she?”

Remarkably, Bobby seemed to have missed that conversation occurring just a moment before. The coach shrugged his shoulders, gesturing to wide space empty of any women at all. The gym itself, made up of grey and alternating shades of blue, was filled with only sweaty, putrid-smelling men who had been there for no less than a couple of hours. But no, no blonde with a German shepherd was there for Bobby to see or find. If there was one thing Paddy was going to learn from his own past, it was that Bobby was never going to see a blonde with a German shepherd unless he wanted cops on his ass and prison in his vision.

“Fuck knows,” he chuckled humourlessly. “But I have a good feeling your shit is gonna be on the sidewalk when you get home this evening.”

The copper-haired fighter gave Paddy an irritated but acquiescent stare. “Yeah, that’s probably what’s going to happen… I rent out a room from her…”

“You know what you’re gonna do when you see your shit on the sidewalk?” Paddy’s voice darkened threateningly, his hand snapping to clutch the back of his spiked hair in a harsh grip. “You’re going to take your things, leave the money you owe her, then fuck off and not contact her again. In case your dumb ass didn’t notice, there are at least twenty men who witnessed you beating the shit out of that poor woman and saw your ass get kicked for doing so. Really thin about your choices next time.”

He shoved his head roughly away, pushing himself out of his crouched position, turning on his heel.

“She—” Bobby began, being cut off rapidly by an aggravated Paddy.

“Listen, buddy, whatever excuse you’re gonna make—I’ve fucking done it already. Whatever excuse you’re gonna pull out of your ass to justify yourself, I’ve already been there. I know all the fuckin’ excuses. Don’t fucking try it.”

There was a pause filled mostly by the noise of Bobby breathing through his mouth. There was one thing hanging on Paddy’s mind about the whole incident: it was about money.

“How much do you owe the girl?”

Bobby clicked his tongue. “Fifteen hundred… she keeps fucking reminding me every fucking—”

The older man held up a hand to stop him. “Yeah… you have this impression I’m sympathetic. Do you have the money?”

He didn’t reply. The older man cocked a brow at him, snorting incredulously.

“You do, don’t you? You could’ve avoided getting your face punched in, you know.”

“The money’s for someone else. I owe a couple of people money. ‘s why I do ring fights and shit.”

Paddy snorted again. “Can an old man with a former alcohol problem give you some advice?”

Bobby glanced up at him. The fighter’s face was swollen and visibly sore, his lip was split, his left eye the size of an avocado seed and his black wife-beater singlet stained with his own blood.

Paddy didn’t blink.

“Get your shit together.”