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graciellasamma · 1 year

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Avatar x Avengers oc: Jake Emblem

Basic Data:

Name: Jake Emblem

Nickname: Avatar Jake, Jakey, Zephyr

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Occupation: Avatar, Avengers, Students of Hollywood Arts High School, Leader of the White Fang (his dance crew)

Nationally: Earth Kingdom, The Avengers Tower

Abilities:

Bending: All four elements

Non-Bending: Chi-Blocking, Bo staff, Closs Combat, Kyusho Jitsu

Appearance:

Physical features: Brown hair, green eyes, tall and decent body muscles

Height: 5′2

Weight: 150 lbs

Standard Clothing: Tan yellow color sleeve shirt while wearing the sleeveless tangerine color jacket, black long pants, black fingerless gloves, brown military boots, His goggles that gifted him on 9th birthday

Defining Features: Air Nomads arrow tattoo

Other outfits: AR Devices, Air Nomads wingsuit

Personality:

Good Traits/Habits: Kind, Generous, Determined, Understanding, Adventurous, Helps other in needs, Quick on his feet, Creative and unpredictable in his fights, Strong bonds with his father-figure Loki and his family the Avengers

Bad Traits/Habits: Naïve, Stubborn, Makes prank that can a little out of hand, Troubles always seems to find his ways, Takes a lot of risks doing some extreme/dangerous stuff

Likes: His friends and family, Sparring, Challenges, BBQ, Exploring, Parkour, Having fun, Drawing/painting, Bringing balance to the world (not like Thanos!!), Dancing with the White Fangs

Dislikes: Bullies, Cheaters, War, Abuse, Murders, Having too much pressure on him

Talents: He like to do parkour and acrobatics combining with his dance and his fights it, it was because of that he was able to be accepted in Hollywood Arts High School with his dancing skill.

Hobbies: Drawing/painting sometimes, Dancing while hearing music, Practice/Training. He sometimes likes to sing here and there especially with his girlfriend, Morning flight with Yamu and Ringo, Making music (mostly playing his guitar or piano) with Andre and Cisco.

Strengths: Consider his the Avatar he can bend all four elements, he is quite a skilled bender but mostly fight with his Airbend, he also learns Kyusho Jitsu, Chi-Blocking, some close combats and fighting with his glider staff just in case that he has to fight without his bending, but his true strength is his creativeness and being unpredictable in his fights and combine with his acrobatics and him being agile, he always find a way to make plans that is very effective on his attacks, defense, and his surrounding field.

Weakness: Jake can be tricked easily when someone used his kindness and generosity against him, he also can be stubborn and reckless on taking a risk that could kill him, and when putting him under too much pressure he could easily get nervous and distracted him in his fights.

Fears: Losing his friends and his family and his home.

Relationships:

Affiliations/Alliances: Good

Family: Loki (father-figure/adopted), The Avengers (his family), Liliana Emblem (mother), Meelo Emblem (grandfather/teacher)

Friends: Cisco Ramon, Harrison (Harry) Jones, Peter Parker, Andre Harris, Trina Vega, Beck Oliver, Jade West, Cat Valentine, Robbie Shapiro, Rex Powers, His dance crew

Romantic Interest/s: Tory Vega

Pets: Yamu (Flying Bison) and Ringo (Winged Lemur)

Enemies: Amora, Ultron, Thanos, The Red Lotus, The Grim Knights (his rivalry dance crew)

Biography:

Early Life: Jake was born and raised in the Earth Kingdom with his mother who passed away on the age of 3 from an illness while his father was unknown since his mother pregnancy was an accident, and since then he was living with his grandfather who is also his Airbending teacher, Meelo Emblem.

Growing up: Since his mother died from an illness at the age of 3 he doesn’t really remember much about his mother other than what she looks thanks to the photo of her that his grandpa still have in the house, on the age of 7 Jake wants to have his grandpa to teach him how to Airbend, on the age of 13 some elder from the White Lotus came to their house to tell them that Jake is the Avatar and since then Jake has been training to master his Airbending the problem is, like Aang and Korra, the elders wants Jake to focus his Avatar training and wants his existence to be a secret in order to protect him from the Red Lotus and because of that he never had a normal life, he never gone to school or made any friends except for Yamu the flying bison and Ringo the winged lemur, on the age of 15 almost 16 Jake has taken a trial whether he pass his Airbending training or not (like the one with Korra Firebending training) he was so excited to pass this test so he could go take a break and maybe finally go to the outside world, what shocked him when he passed his Airbending training, the elders immediately sent to the Northern Water Tribe for his waterbending training. This upset him and starting arguing with the elders that he wants to take a break to go on a trip to America that he always want to see, that he doesn’t want being coop up with his training every single of his lifes, even his grandpa was upset at the elders for not giving his grandson a normal life, after the argument Jake decide to escape from the temple go to America while hiding so with the help of his grandpa he was able to escaped with Yamu and Ringo. When he made it to America between Hollywood and California during his adventure he hears music and see a crowd of people watching and betting on dance battle and then somehow got drag in the dance battle and was able to win the battle one of the crowds apparently was the principle of Hollywood Arts High School offer him to attend to his school from there he made friends but somehow the Red Lotus found out about the Avatar is a student in Hollywood Arts so they decide to go after him and tried to kill, and there went out and he eventually won, then SHIELD found out about him and Director Fury invited him to the Avengers initiative and have him train with them, of course, he will have his break. During his break after training with SHIELD he met Loki after bump into him and have a talk, he made friends with him and introduce him to ice cream and when Coulson found out about Loki is the same as Thor he told Fury and ordered by him to have him to the Avengers Initiative. And things went there as usual in the canon add Jake and Loki in the Avengers, Amora is the villain instead of Loki, and have Loki join Team Avatar and have him stayed on Earth because he wants to take care his adopted son, Jake also involved in Ragnarok when he take Odin to Norway and meet up with Thor, Loki, and Amora and help them. And thanks with the help of Jake, Loki was able to survive against Thanos but Amora still died from him, the Infinity Wars still the same and also Jake and Loki the Snaps by the way, the Endgame though, let’s just say with the involve of Jake and Loki, Tony Stark was able to survive and somehow bring Natasha and Gamora back to life.

Where they are at present: After the Endgame, Jake and Loki are still active as an Avengers on Earth and sometimes help the other active superheroes on Earth and because some of the canon mcu movies/series went different and tried to balancing to the normal life they still have while helping people to the best of their abilities.

Extra Information:

Main goal: Master all four elements including the sub-bending elements, Bringing balance to the world (again, not like Thanos!!), Tried having a normal life

Hopes/Dreams: To have the White Fang be the best dance crew and travel the world.

Colour: Tan yellow and tangerine

Season: Autumn

Theme song: You say run, Guild Memories, My Home, Goodbye, Seigi no Chikara, Kizuna, Kataki Kizuna Wo Mune Ni, The Ultimate Final Death Battle, and Vita by Reona

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Hey guys!! I hope you all like my avatar oc, I have always love Avatar: TLA and LoK and the MCU movies and the cartoons and Victorious so I just combine them all into crossover, I hope you all like what I made in his biography, I’m not really good when it comes to making a story so I’m sorry if the plot or the story doesn’t make any sense, but hey, I did tried my best and this is pretty much what I thought on my oc so I hope you all enjoy it.

In this Au it was right after Legend of Korra, it has been years ever and in each years the Era of Bending has almost come to the end but the Avatar cycle still continues on through generations and generations, the Avatar still exist in WW2 with Captain America.

This crossover Au as you know different in the canon because in here Loki is not the enemy in the first Thor movie instead Amora is the villain as she made friend with Loki and take her to Asgard using him so she could take the throne, and after Thor banishment Loki didn’t accept the throne when Frigga offer him when Odin in his Odinsleep because it’s too much for him Thor banishment and the revelation of Adoption so he goes to Earth for fresh air, that’s when he meet Jake in one of SHIELD base the one where mjolnir is being held for training for the Avengers initiative, and things went there as usual in the canon plus with Jake and Loki as an Avengers ‘cause I love Loki okay.

This template made by Toonwalla in deviantart here’s the link for the oc template for avatar if want: Link

Before I forgot I will be making a list of the Avengers charcters PKMN Team and maybe Digimon partner as well ‘cause why not, you know?? I just love Pokemon and Digimon!! I also be adding on Jake PKMN Team from gen 1-9 including the fanmade game and his Avatar team ‘cause why not?? Oh! and I also gonna make the Descendants PKMN Team and Digimon Partner as well and I also gonna make a descendants oc as well ‘cause again why the hell not?!

THX and I hope you all like it!!

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sgtjbbhasmyheart · 3 years

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Drunk Texting Is(n’t) Bad for Your Health- Chapter Four

Series Summary: Talk about your unconventional meet-cute! Bucky receives a text by mistake requesting he prove he's not Reader's sister. The easy dialogue between Reader and Bucky sparks a natural friendship, but could it lead to more? Bucky still deems himself unworthy of any form of affection or love. Reader is hellbent to prove him wrong. With the help of some (meddling) friends along the way, Bucky may get his happily-ever-after after all.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Word Count: 2960

Warnings: Itsy bitsy amount of angst, bad language words, mentions of phone sex and masturbation

A/N: divider credit- @firefly-graphics

DO NOT copy or replicate without my permission

“James?”

You held your breath after you uttered the name into the phone’s speaker. Your heart galloped at the thought of actually speaking to him. You’d be lying if you had said you hadn’t imagined how his voice sounded. You pictured something deep and raspy but drawled and sweet.

In the last five days, you’d imagined many things about James. Not just the sound of his voice, but his laugh, too. Rich and soothing. And of his scent- distinctly his own or a fresh, citrusy cologne of bergamot and tangerines. You imagined his rough, calloused hands sliding over your skin in slow motion.

And how he kissed. You daydreamed about that, too. Often. You couldn’t count how many times you’d stared at his sorry excuse for a selfie. You found yourself drawn to it daily. It was only part of his face, but what you could see was ruggedly handsome. His lips looked soft and delectable. You pictured yourself nibbling on his bottom lip, deepening its color to blush pink.

A sharp sigh escaped through your nose as you waited for his reply. Maybe he hadn’t heard you the first time? “James?” you asked again. “Hello?”

No response.

You pulled the phone away from your ear to make sure you were still connected. The call-time counter ticked ominously second by second on the screen. You tucked the device back under your hair to find the call was still active.

Did he get cold feet and change his mind last minute? He hadn’t hung up yet, so you weren’t exactly sure why he was waiting. Maybe he was tongue-tied? Or hadn’t expected you to pick up?

“Did you butt-dial me, James?” you laughed, trying to dispel some of your anxiety.

You heard a muffled “ shit” and two beeps. You glanced at the phone’s screen again, and call ended flashed in bold white.

Ignoring the hang-up, you immediately re-dialed James. The line rang and rang. And rang.

You weren’t confident you were going to speak with James, the longer the rings continued. He wasn’t ready to talk to you yet, and that was okay. It had only been five days.

Five days wasn’t long enough to build a bond over stupid Would You Rather? questions or form a simmering crush on a stranger that made your stomach flip whenever he sent you a funny cat meme. Nope. Five days was much too short of time for anything.

A generic voicemail greeting clicked over and rudely beeped at you. You took a deep breath and quickly thought of a reason to be calling someone who didn’t want to talk. “Hey, James. Just calling you back. It’s (Y/N), by the way. I’m not sure if you meant to call the first time or if sneaky ninjas have accosted you and somehow did a crazy pocket dial. Y’know, because of the whole military-trained assassin athlete mchottie thing. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. And no pressure! If you’re not comfortable talking on the phone, I completely understand. I’m sweating bullets just talking to your voicemail box.” You chuckled nervously. You were starting to babble.

“Anyway,” you continued. “I hope you’re well. And don’t leave me hangin’. I really wanna know if you’d rather sneeze every hour or burp when you saw a pretty girl.” You laughed again. “Goodbye, James.”

You mashed the end call button and face-planted into one of the throw pillows on your couch. You groaned loudly into the fabric, chastising yourself in your head. If he didn’t want to talk before, he most definitely wouldn’t want to now. You shook your head in disbelief. Sneaky ninjas, seriously? What. The. Fuck?

Hours later, while in the middle of a Say Yes to the Dress marathon (dammit Robyn!) and a self-induced diabetic coma of ice cream and chips, your phone vibrated. You swat at it on the coffee table with a foot, only to realize you lack the limberness or the dexterity in your toes to retrieve the phone. As a result, it tumbled to the ground as you groaned in displeasure. Cursing your luck, you bent forward to pick it up. Awakening the phone’s black screen, a text popped into view.

James Sorry

Your heart lurched for a moment. With every second that had passed since you’d left your voicemail for James, the least likely you’d felt he’d call back or even respond. Hence the pity party with Ben & Jerry and Cool Ranch Doritos.

James My so-called “friends” grabbed my phone from me and led to accidentally calling you.

Ahh, the old “invade-your-friend’s-privacy” maneuver, you thought, shaking your head.

James I didn’t want to hang up on you, but I’m not quite ready to talk yet. I like what we have.

Your heart flopped. You liked what you had, too, but a small part of you- a dumb part- wanted just a little more.

Shaking off the feeling of longing churning your insides, you thumbed over the screen to reply.

You No worries, James. We can go at whatever speed you like.

It was weird to have the guy, for once, want to take things slow. Usually, it was always you pumping the brakes in the relationship. Was this even a relationship, though? Were all the texting and personal questions leading somewhere? Or were you bound to end up friends with an interesting story to tell your other friends?

Not allowing your negative thoughts to curtail the joy of finally texting James again, you quickly punched out:

You I’m just glad you’re okay and not being held for ransom somewhere.

James It would take a whole horde of ninjas to take me down.

You giggled at the confidence contained in this one text, but talking to a girl on the phone threw him for a loop. We are definitely back in junior high, you thought.

You You sound awfully confident for a man who wouldn’t talk to a friend on the phone.

James You don’t want to talk to me.

You pinched your eyebrows together in frustration to form a crease between them. Was he serious?

You Sure, I do. I have a bet going with myself on how your voice sounds. Is it deep and masculine or high-pitched like you sucked in helium?

James Which are you betting on?

You pulled your bottom lip in by your teeth, biting softly. You smirked as you thought of the two options. The former would be nice, but the latter would be pretty damn funny.

You I mean, deep and masculine is very desirable. Listening to the low timbre of a man’s voice is very relaxing for me. But, considering the ridiculous “selfie” you sent me, I’m placing my money on high-pitched.

James What was wrong with my selfie?!

Somehow, you knew that would get him worked up.

You Well, for starters: I can only see, like, part of your face! Did a blind person teach you how to take them??

You And secondly, there clearly wasn’t enough “Blue Steel.” With cheekbones and pouty lips like yours and a chiseled jaw, I’d be blue-steeling the shit out of all my selfies!

A wave of remorse washed over you once you hit send. Had you really compared him to Zoolander? Not only had you objectified him by mentioning how aesthetically pleasing he was (let’s face it- he’s really, really, really ridiculously good looking), but you may have criticized him for his terrible selfie abilities. At that moment, as you waited for the inevitable “fuck off” text to come through, you wished for a giant sinkhole to appear under your apartment and swallow you whole. What were you thinking?

James First off, I’m a selfie amateur. My past line of work limited my contact and/or exposure to the outside world. I didn’t learn what a selfie even was until recently. Remember, I’m also a man of mystery. I’m trying to keep up appearances and can’t reveal too much.

James What is “Blue Steel”? I’m not very pop-culture savvy unless it happened before 1944.

James Did you just call me pretty??

Your cheeks flushed with the heat of a thousand suns. He called you out as you expected him to do.

You Uh...

You Are we gonna talk about the fact you said you didn’t know about pop culture after 1944?? You are a grandpa!

James Nice try with the subject change! Admit it- you think I’m pretty.

You rolled your eyes. Of course, that would be the thing he focused on out of the whole conversation.

You I have no idea what you’re talking about.

If all else fails--deny, deny, deny.

James Right. Sure about that, doll?

Your pulse spiked.

You never did like pet names before you met James, but doll had a goo-ing effect on you for some reason. Everything seemed to turn to mush whenever he mentioned the word.

You Absolutely. I have no reason to believe that if you weren’t a military-trained assassin athlete mchottie, you’d be a male model. None what-so-ever.

James Uh-huh. I’m going to pretend that you aren’t lying through your teeth and getting back to our scintillating game of Would You Rather?

James I’d burp every time I saw a pretty dame, by the way. I wouldn’t want to take my chances with sneezing in my sleep. Would you rather eat only fruits or vegetables for one year?

Several nights after the voicemail incident, you were sitting in Penelope with Robyn after work. She wanted to meet up to decide which centerpieces worked best for the reception. Scattered across the table were three samples she and Kevin had narrowed it down to. With your thumb, while playing with a corner of the hand-drawn example closest to you, a sigh escaped your nose.

Your sister’s talent mesmerized you. Each storyboard showed the intricate detail of the flowers and candles themselves and what the tables would look like next to each other with every centerpiece. You were in awe.

“These are so good, Robbie! They must have taken forever to put together,” you said, admiring a different sample on the table.

“Nah,” she replied, brushing the compliment aside. “Just an afternoon’s time last week.”

“Well, shit. I hope they’re paying you the big bucks at work.”

She quirked an eyebrow devilishly as she reached for her drink. “You know it,” she jested before taking a sip.

You laughed at her cheekiness. Robyn had always been a go-getter. One of the many attributes you loved about her. Never took no for an answer.

“Soooo,” she drawled as she set her glass down. “How have you been?”

You looked up swiftly, eyeing her suspiciously before returning your gaze to the storyboard in your hands. “I’m still alive if that’s what you’re asking.” You set the drawing down to take a drink from your glass. “Haven’t been murdered yet, but the night is still young.”

Robyn rolled her eyes at your petulance. “You know I worry about you. Are you still texting James?”

You smiled sweetly. “Each day that goes by, you act more and more like Mom. You know that?”

Robyn scoffed. “I do not!”

She could deny it all she wanted, but Robyn was turning into the spitting image of your mother. You laughed again. “You do too. Even down to the eye roll.”

She folded her arms over her chest, waiting for you to answer her question.

Two could play this game.

You wiped the corner of your mouth with your napkin unhurriedly. “If you must know, yes, James and I are still texting.”

“Has he sent any dick pics or asked for nudes?” Robyn asked earnestly.

“Yup. We engage in wildly pornographic phone sex every night.”

Robyn glanced around the restaurant with eyes wide as saucers, making sure none of the other patrons heard you. “(Y/N), I’m serious! Has he propositioned you?”

You huffed a small laugh. “Nope,” you admitted. “In fact, he’s the one that wants to take things slow. He accidentally called me the other day and hung up from jitters.” Robyn didn’t need to know the full truth.

“The jitters?” Robyn queried.

“Yeah. I even called him back, but he let it go to voicemail.”

“Then, he must be weird or ugly.”

You grimaced at her assumption. “Ew, Robbie. Don’t be gross,” you chastised. “He’s the opposite of ugly. I might even go as far as to call him handsome.”

“How? You don’t know what he looks like,” Robyn questioned.

You took a quick sip of your drink, holding up a finger. “Au, contraire mon frère. He sent me a selfie in the very beginning.”

Robyn looked at you, perplexed. “You know you just called me your brother, right?”

You waved a hand at her to dismiss her accusation. “Ma soeur just doesn’t have the same ring to it.” You pulled your phone out to offer proof.

“You can barely see his face!” she exclaimed. “What if he’s horribly disfigured on the other side? Or missing an arm?”

You shrugged. “Then, he’s missing an arm.” You got a distant look in your eyes as you recalled the last ten days of texting with James. “He’s different, Robbie. He’s smart and funny and caring. Polite. It feels like he has an old soul. He calls me doll for chrissakes!”

“Are you sure he isn’t some crusty, old man?” Robyn gagged at the thought.

“No, I don’t,” you chuckled in response. The faraway look returned after a moment. “To me, he’s just James.”

Realization dawned on Robyn’s face, lighting her up like a light bulb. “Oh, my god. You like him.”

“Well, yeah,” you acknowledged, “he’s my friend.”

“No. You like him like him.”

Your face reddened quickly with the awareness of your feelings. They weren’t real, were they? Shaking your head, you replied, ”Nothing will happen, Robbie. It’s just a crush.”

Skeptically, she agreed, “Uh-huh.”

“What?”

“I believe that as much as I welcome a cold sore on my wedding day.” She scrunched her nose at the thought of a gross, red blemish on her face for her big day.

“Fine,” you acquiesced. “If I fall head over heels, madly in love with James by your wedding day, I’ll owe you a hundred bucks.”

Robyn raised a sculpted brow in interest. “I’m listening.”

“One hundred dollars. End of negotiation,” you stated. “I don’t have a spare hundred bucks, so it will be a motivator not to fall for James. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.”

She smiled smugly, shaking her head in disbelief. “Uh-huh.”

“Will you stop saying that?” you said, throwing a piece of lettuce at her face. “You definitely sound like Mom.”

Robyn huffed in annoyance, back-handing your shoulder softly. “Shuddup! I do not!”

You chortled heartily at the mini tantrum she was throwing about becoming Mom. You’d say anything at this point to get her to forget about you and James.

In all honesty, there was no you and James. Not really. You were friends, but could you move past that?

He was hiding something.

Something big.

And it wasn’t part of the whole “man of mystery” persona, either. James was holding back.

He had a hard time giving up anything personal to you that went beyond his likes and dislikes, which led you to believe he had found it difficult to trust.

It angered you deeply without really knowing why. Something in his past had sparked the inability. You only wish you knew what.

Deep down, you could really see yourself falling for James, and that scared you to death.

Breaking you from your reverie, Robyn piped up, “You know, James is probably jerking off to your voicemail.”

“Oh, absolutely!” you retorted, both of you dissolving into a giggling fit.

After leaving Robyn with a clear choice for centerpieces, you made your way back home. After a fifty-minute subway ride, you popped into the corner bodega for some essentials for the coming week.

Sauntering up the stairs to your third-floor walk-up, you steadied your armful of groceries with each step. It had been a long week, and now with the revelation of how you felt about James clouding your mind, a glass of wine, ice cream, and a bubble bath sounded good right about now.

You could barely see over the bags and juggled them precariously. As you stepped onto your floor, you recognized the voice of your next-door neighbor down the hall. He was talking with someone, but you couldn’t tell with whom or what about.

Blindly, you called out, “Hey, Peter? Can you be a lifesaver and help a neighbor out?” You heard the scuffle of footsteps over tile rush toward you.

Sighing in relief, you relinquished two bags to the arms reaching out. “Thanks, Pete! You’re a pe-”

You stopped mid-sentence when your view was finally cleared. Your sixteen-year-old neighbor wasn’t standing before you but a tall man with chestnut hair tied in a knot. Your lips parted slightly as your eyes widened to take in the figure’s full breadth holding your groceries.

Your eyes flicked to Peter as everything came back to focus. He was adjusting your other two bags in his arms.

“Miss (Y/L/N), this is Mr. Barnes from my Stark internship. He’s a friend. He was helping me with some history homework,” Peter explained, gesturing to the hulking man standing outside your apartment door.

“Peter,” you admonished, “how many times-” Last names weren’t meant to be spoken by friends slash neighbors.

Peter winced. “Right! Sorry, (Y/N)!” he apologized. “This is Bucky.”

Recognition crossed your face at the name. Smiling, you stuck out your hand in front of you. “Bucky Barnes, it’s nice to meet you.”

Bucky shifted one of your bags in his arms to reach out his hand. He smiled softly, “ Li-likewise.”

Chapter Three | Chapter Five

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#drunk texting is(n't) bad for your health #dtibfyh #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fanfic #bucky fanfiction #bucky fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic

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stingray-sins · 3 years

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Somewhere only we know...

Summary: It’s an alternate universe explained after Enrico Pucci’s second universe reboot. The hard day after the events in Egypt have triggered a return to "daily" student life in Japan with new things to discover.

Part I

Approximately two weeks had passed since that bizarre trip through the Middle East in a reduced number of days but the feeling of being present and active within that adventure was still latent, the chest would tighten every time the cold embraced the city for the night and although it did not compare at all to the extreme temperatures they experienced, the simple fact of not being fully stable still filled them with a feeling of bitterness, which they did not know how to express or speak openly.

Despite the great changes acquired, returning to everyday life became more difficult every day; Francesca faithfully awaited the arrival of Mr. Joestar through that great gateway to the Japanese home, despite the fact that the situation had presented itself in the best way when he first arrived, the feeling of receiving good news with his request to find her family kept her hopeful . Jotaro on the other hand seemed more reserved than he ever was, it is not easy to deal with the fact of carrying a huge responsibility on his back and even more exhausting was having to accept that he would carry him like a cross all his life. Every morning the same routine, hiding his face under his ruined cap, and leaving home without touching the lunch that her mother had lovingly prepared for him and living off the wretched cigarette until nightfall.

The large entrance door was opened with a bang, from it the man with his gray beard and bright emerald eyes peeked out, trying to argue with his not so fluent Japanese with the taxi driver, who was clearly trying to rip him off with a higher fare abroad.

─"Papa! "─Holly exclaimed, getting up and moving away from that traditional central table that led to the entrance while she ran to hug him as was family tradition. Joe, her youngest son, did not differ much from her mother's attitude since he was just as excited as he ran to his grandfather. Francesca, although she was just as excited to see the old but radiant Mr. Joestar, she only followed with her eyes and a smile, the day had arrived and her facial expression brought good news.

─"What a pleasure it is to be able to see you again, what has happened in my absence? I hope Joe continues to practice that sweet symphony that he taught me last time and 'Cesca working the language well" ─Old Joestar laughed, taking off his hat as he hugged his daughter back and felt like his youngest grandson hung from his arm like a little monkey, Without a doubt it was a very great happiness for him to see his daughter and grandson back up and as happy as ever.

─"It has been quite a change in this house and I cannot be more grateful to her company" ─the woman mentioned while holding her father's coat ─"There is no day that we don't laugh while we share the odd story or song verses... a little help here and a little help here, it is a joy to know that I am no longer the only woman at home."

─"Grandpa!" ─The dark-haired boy exclaimed as he climbed on top of the adult to tell him one or another feat obtained in those weeks ─" And I'm teaching her! Sometimes we sit on the edge of the terrace face to face, if she manages to answer me the phrase in Japanese she earns a mandarin... although she usually wins me when I have to answer her in Italian..."

Joseph listened attentively as he shook the boy's hair and proceeded to enter the house completely forgetting the Japanese traditions, Francesca had closed the grammar notebook for a moment although she could speak it quite well, writing was a disaster and those two weeks were they had made him more than eternal.

─"Hasn't Jotaro arrived at the house yet?" ─Joseph asked, sitting down at the low table while he took a look at ‘Cesca's embarrassing notebook and she stubbornly took it from him.

─"He should be here soon, you already know him... neither he says goodbye when he leaves or greets when he arrives but I suppose they are things of adolescent boys, right?" ─The blond-haired woman winked at Francesca, she simply sighed and then laughed as she lifted her shoulders as a symbol of "Men, who understands them."

A couple of hours passed until the door was heard opening slowly, Jotaro found it quite strange that the lights were still on in the middle of the night, he hoped to arrive when everyone was in their respective rooms so as not to start a conversation with anyone but when he entered he only found himself with his old Grandfather laughing quite loudly as he once again narrated the story of his hand to the ladies and the little one.

─"I think it's great that you have arrived, my grandson, we were waiting for you" ─Joseph announced, extending an arm to greet him properly and with a sigh he agreed to return the greeting. He was tired enough to hear his loud voice echo through the room but he looked up at the old man saying in a would-be voice. As those at the table were seated, Holly got up to answer the phone as usual every night to speak with her husband. Joe made a kind of tower with the tangerines that adorned it while Joseph placing his hands on the table intertwined his fingers announcing with a sincere smile.

─"In the following days, Kakyoin will be transferred to the central hospital in this city. The foundation has done everything possible and his parents were already notified immediately, the news was quite harsh for them and stronger for Noriaki himself, although they managed to rebuild and transplant most of his damaged organs, it is quite difficult to assume that he would not return. to walk never again."

Joseph paused for a moment in his speech, analyzing their faces when listening to him speak, it was undoubtedly quite amazing news at the same time, it was quite heartbreaking again, asking himself "He's alive, but at what cost?" Within the gazes of the two, the bright eyes were noticeable in both, Francesca rested her hands on the table expressing a full happiness when hearing the news, She no longer needed to control her body fluids, she wanted to express that happiness with pure tears and nobody went to stop her. Instead Jotaro tried to hide his happiness under that dark cap, but his smile was bigger than the desire to hide, Joseph knew for all his life that he should rethink Noriaki but he also knew that he would not be alone anymore.

─"Mr. Joestar..." ─Those soft words made him pop out his thoughts when he heard the voice of the minor with an air of questions on her face, they could be celebrating the impressive strength of resistance of the redhead but there were other doubts on the table that had not been clarified still. Francesca preferred not to look him in the eye when asking but her hands unconsciously touched Joseph's hands and he froze for a moment. ─"Have you known about the whereabouts of my family?"

There was only a silence in between, and Joseph's big hand placed it on the girl's purple hair to caress it gently while Francesca tried not to break at the moment by nodding. She getting up, she gently asked permission to go get some air, she had a broken smile which she directed at Holly who was returning to the room. Joseph shook his head and looked down again.

─"It's been difficult" ─the old man sighed while he still couldn't recognize how much longer the lie should continue ─"Jotaro, do you have a moment?"

They both got up because of this issue, he did not want to speak it so openly since the walls listen and he needed someone to trust what was tightening his heart the most at the time. They walked long enough and in silence until they reached a kind of pergola, the same one where he once played wrestling with his little grandson, being defeated with a great performance from him. Before he could speak Jotaro beat him to it.

─"How much longer do you plan to hide the truth from her, old man?" ─He looked up with determination, he was not going to hide more secrets than he was already hiding, although it was difficult for him to admit that a part of him avoided creating more ties with the girl simply because of the uncertainty of creating a bond that would disappear with time . At least that's what he was trying to show, which his mother didn't take five minutes to forge.

─"It has been my question every day Jotaro, and that is why I wanted to talk about it with you" ─he took a breath of air leaning on a nearby wooden pillar ─"The news is not fresh, after three days I contacted a family member from her to find out that it would not be an easy task to deal with her family. Her father... belongs to one of the most recognized mafias in southern Italy, the girl's surname is not at all common and therefore a sought-after surname. That day I introduced myself to the family member as a simple writer who wanted to have an interview with his father, who gave me a tour of Francesca's house pointing out the greatness of the home until we were in a beautiful and colorful garden where two graves were perched..."

─

─"Enough travel, what brings you here sir...?" -Said the rough voice of Salvatore Castiglier. ─"Joestar, Joseph Joestar" ─offering his hand to greet him cordially without receiving an answer. ─"Mr. Joestar, I was not in my plans to receive you but I see that you are carrying a photo of Mia Figlia with you and I wanted to ask you where she took that photo from." ─"I am a renowned writer in my hometown and in one of my trips to Africa, more specifically Egypt, I managed to capture a photo of this young woman which caught my attention for my next novel." ─He lied with charm in his words.─ ─"I'm sorry but that may not be possible, times have changed and my little girl is no longer in the land of the living, her soul rests next to her mother in that garden that attracted her attention so much." ─"I am very sorry for the news in advance but could I ask you..." ─"I do not usually answer questions that do not concern but your journey must have been long to get here; My daughter Francesca was sweet and naive, and that itself determined the end of her life. The lessons to my boys have always been clear: "there is nothing stronger than family blood, no one but your family will ensure your safety" but Francesca did not see it from that side, stubborn like herself, obstinate to obey my orders , clearly with her actions she deserves to be buried where she is."

─

Jotaro checked his pocket once more to find the pack of cigarettes but only found the packaging with a pair of colored lighters. The news was not good at all and just thinking about that answer he clenched his fists inside his pocket.

─"Since that day I have been keeping the news to myself, I have clearly dealt with bigger problems but not when I have at stake the fate of a fifteen-year-old girl" ─Joseph said as he sighed in relief, it was a sensitive issue and with the years of experience had learned to make decisions better thought out rather than lightly, or at least tried to make them less hasty ─"I have made a decision about it, I have noticed that in a short time 'Cesca has created a crucial bond with Holly... and her possibilities for personal development are more tied to my daughter than to a bastard who has that thought with her own blood..."

─"Old man, just answer me one thing" ─the boy's marked voice stopped the thoughts aloud of Joseph who looked up, clearing his gaze towards him ─"The reason why you left that place was..."

Joseph stared at his grandson for a long time but he only got a subtle smile as he opted for a calmer position, a position of acceptance in his final decision ─"Expulsion, more specifically, expulsion for causing a clean hit to the face of someone out of deserved." ─Jotaro lowered his gaze denoting a smile on his face, as he walked to the older man to place a hand on his shoulder and give him a couple of gentle strokes on him. ─“I couldn't have expected less from you."

Joseph placed a hand on the hand of his grandson while he smiled, he knew that within the legal framework the decision he had made was not the most appropriate but the most appropriate. He left the establishment while Jotaro sat on a nearby wooden bench taking out the last remaining cigar and placing it between his lips to light it.

─"How much more do you plan to hide behind the bush, woman?" ─he blurted out softly as he leaned back on the wooden pillar watching the smoke dissipate into the air.

─ ""Woman" is a very distant word for someone who from now on will live with you under the same roof" ─she was heard from the bush while she stood again while cleaning the occasional branch from her purple head.

─"How much did you hear about the conversation?"

─"Enough to be here and not want to close my eyes tonight" ─sighs the shorter one, walking to the entrance of the pergola, still had a tight chest but it was not to show vulnerable, she was simply trying to appear once again her tranquility to promote tranquility to the other. An awkward smile that faded when the taller made a space next to him for her to sit next to.

She took three steps to the small wooden bench and sat with nothing but looking forward, her posture was loose and her shoulders slumped, Jotaro simply had his eyes closed as he exhaled once more the cigarette smoke inside him, he felt that the minor's hand was holding her uniform sleeve tightly, she had clung without stopping to look forward and hiding her face between the hair strands that fell from her head, she raised her voice a bit broken.

─"Do you think they will ever deign to look for me again?" ─Her voice trembled, this time soft and nervous. She did not want to show it but tears had started to roll down her cheeks, wetting the wooden floor, yet he did not take his eyes off the front of her.

─"Who?" ─Jotaro asked removing the cigar from his mouth for a moment to deposit the ashes in a corner of the place.

─"My Family" ─it was difficult for her to pronounce the last word to the girl, and instinctively she pressed her right hand on her chest, feeling an inexplicable but at the same time painful emptiness inside her.

─"Your family? The only family that I know of yours is this one here and the one that awaits us in the central hospital of the city" ─The young woman stared at him in amazement, the older one could see the glassy eyes of the young woman, her nose and cheeks flushed from crying and her mouth shaking without making a sound, the young woman with purple hair looked forward again and leaned her back against the wall on the nearby wooden pillar, she released the black-haired uniform to place her hand on the bench but was drawn back to the hand the old one. The difference in size was quite a lot but she did not hesitate to squeeze her small hand in the same way.

─"I'm scared Jojo" ─Francesca finally announced with a nickname that had come from inside her thoughts, she had never expressed insecurity in front of something and all her life since she has remembered she has defended herself from life had always been the buffer for the others but at that moment she needed someone to be there for her.

─"Don't have to be, at least not anymore" ─Jotaro said inserting the cigar between his lips, from the outside he looked like a completely stone man but inside he was experiencing a sense of calm and serenity like never before─ "try not to think about it since you don't need it anymore 'Cesca."

Francesca looked up still with glassy eyes and she smiled sincerely after weeks, in all she was right, there was no need to feel fear when she was no longer alone. She stopped squeezing his hand for a moment but neither moved her from the place, they both closed their eyes enjoying the silence of the moment.

─"You're right Jojo, I shouldn't be anymore."

#Writing.🐠#Jojo's bizarre adventure oc #jjba oc #jojo oc #Francesca Castiglier #Jotaro Kujo #PlasticBeach.🐠

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majoraop · 3 years

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I wrote the first draft of this story for a zine that never happened, so I decided to revise, expand, and finally publish it for the “first meeting” prompt on my card of the One Piece Bingo organized by @op-pirate-fleet. My nakama (The-Replicant), suggested me the ASL secret code, and @starblazer124 kindly beta-read the old version of this story. I may write more fanfics based on this alternate timeline, but you can read this one shot as a standalone. ^^

The Marine Recruit and the Kind Pirate (Marine Headquarters, one month ago) That morning, Bell-mère had not expected to be summoned by the Vice-Admiral. Even less, she had expected a twelve-year-old rookie like herself to be assigned a mission of the utmost secrecy. At the age of twelve, she wasn’t even a sailor yet but just a rookie. She always took her tasks seriously, though, so she prepared her sack immediately: in a few days, she would set sail to a small kingdom in the East Blue. My very first mission. The young girl grinned with confidence, grabbed a tangerine from her personal supply, and peeled it while humming to herself. --- (Goa Kingdom, present time) “I’ll leave her to you then!” “Don’t worry about anything. I’ll keep this a secret.” Bell-mère observed the old vice-admiral grinning and chatting a little more with that young woman named Makino. Then, he rudely ruffled her hair with his large hand and said goodbye. Bell-mère sighed. Now, she had to re-do her ponytail. One day I’ll shave my head, she decided, fiddling with her rebellious fuchsia locks. “Let me help you, Bell-chan.” Bell-mère eyed the woman, still unsure about what to think about her. Garp was on friendly terms with her, so she must be a trusted person. However, Bell-mère had spotted an infamous red-haired pirate drinking in her bar. Her kindness felt genuine though, so she accepted her help. “Is something bothering you?” Makino asked while tying her hair up. Bell-mère didn’t reply immediately. She had noticed the bartender glancing at that pirate with eyes full of respect, fondness, and maybe more. “I don’t like pirates,” she just said, not wanting to hurt the woman’s feelings. “I see.” Makino smiled. “Well, let’s talk a bit about it on our way to Mt. Colubo.” Bell-mère nodded and followed her up a steep trail just outside Windmill Village. She was supposed to meet with Garp’s grandchild and some other kids who lived in the forest with a middle-aged woman: Garp had told her that she had been a bandit in the past, but now she was more like his trusted babysitter. “I know there are nasty pirates out there, Bell-chan,” Makino said as they walked through the trees. “But kind ones exist too.” “My parents were killed by pirates.” Bell-mère didn’t remember them, and the Marine was her family now, but sometimes she wondered what kind of people they had been. Makino stopped and turned around. “I’m sorry about that,” she murmured understandingly. Bell-mère saw that there was no trace of dishonesty in her eyes, so she smiled at her and said, “Don’t worry, Makino-san. You couldn’t know.” “One day, I would like to introduce you to that pirate you saw earlier. By meeting him, you will maybe understand what I mean.” “Ok,” Bell-mère said cautiously, mildly curious. Besides, even Garp himself often did borderline when not outright illegal things—for example, hiding children in the house of a former bandit. She didn’t know the whole story, but rumours said that one of the children was the very son of the late Pirate King. Another, instead, had lived in a junkyard until being “adopted” by that bandit called “Dadan”. And there should be two siblings from a faraway island, too. Bell-mère had heard Garp telling his superiors they were nothing less than the sons of a fallen World Noble. She had no idea how Garp had learned about such forbidden topics, but she had a job to do and would do it without making questions. “Dadan lives up there.” The sun was down on the horizon when Makino gestured towards a poor-looking house in the meadow ahead. More than that, though, what caught Bell-mère’s attention was a nearby miniature “fortress”. On its top, a flag made of patched fabric said “ASL’s Country”. Next to the shabby hut, a child looking no older than seven and wearing a straw hat sat on the grass, a sad expression on his face. Bell-mère could hear an animated discussion coming from inside and wondered if it had something to do with his mood. The next moment, though, the child ran to Makino and threw himself into her arms. “I missed you!” he said with the largest smile ever. “Me too, Luffy-kun.” Makino hugged him affectionately. “What’s happening?” She gestured towards the “fortress”. The kid’s expression changed back into a pout. “There are these new kids—I would like to become friends with them, but Ace doesn’t want!” “I’ll talk with him,” Makino offered kindly. “Sabo tried already, but Ace won’t listen!” Then, the child finally noticed Bell-mère. “Who are you?” he asked, tilting his head on the side. “I’m Bell, a marine in training.” Luffy’s smile came back. “So you know my grandpa?” “Sure!” Bell-mère grinned at him. She wondered if the Vice-Admiral had been like him as a kid. “Why don’t you become a marine too?” She was there for the very purpose of persuading him and the other children to join the Navy. “I’ll be your friend if you come back with me.” “No thanks,” the kid replied with an innocent smile. “What I’m going to be is the King of Pirates!” Bell-mère groaned. She already knew from Garp that his grandchild was a troublemaker, but she wouldn’t give up so easily. “What about becoming a marine hero, instead?” “Nope,” Luffy said, still smiling brightly. “Heroes need to share meat, and I don’t want!” “It won’t be easy to convince him, Bell-chan.” Makino chuckled. “Well, let’s see what’s happening in there.” When Makino knocked on the crooked door, a voice from inside recited, “If you bring a bone, just begone!” A secret code? That piqued Bell-mère’s interest. “The right answer is”—Luffy whispered in Makino’s ear—“‘if you bring meat, then take a seat.’” Bell-mère’s jaw dropped. Spilling out their secret code so nonchalantly…Garp’s grandson would never become a good marine like that! “Thank you, Luffy-kun.” Makino smiled at him. Then, she repeated the phrase louder. “Come in,” said the same voice of before. Once inside, Bell-mère’s eyes needed a moment to adjust to the dim light of the single candle sitting at the centre of a chipped wooden table. When she was able to see better, she noticed four children staring at them. The child with dark hair and an annoyed expression on his freckled face caught her attention first; then, she glanced at the three blond kids. One of them grinned at Makino with a missing tooth that gave him a cheeky look, while the remaining two children sat closer to each other: the shorter one had a messy fringe that covered his eyes, and he clung to the shirt of a slightly older kid wearing shades. Probably they were the fallen noble’s sons. According to Garp’s description, the eldest brother went by the name of “Doffy” and was the hardest to approach. “Why don’t you try to get along with your new friends, Ace-kun?” Makino addressed the freckled kid, interrupting Bell-mère’s thoughts. “I can’t be friends with spies,” Ace muttered, crossing his arms and looking sideways. Had he just blushed? Bell-mère couldn’t tell for sure, but she had an idea of what was going on there. Brat. She rolled her eyes. You are way too young for her. A bit surprised, Makino asked, “Spies?” “Yes, spies,” repeated the kid. “They've arrived here suddenly and look like spoiled brats—they aren’t like us!” “Here he goes again,” the kid with a missing tooth sighed. “Stay out of this, Sabo!” Ace snapped. “But Ace…” Luffy snivelled. “We’re wasting our time here. Come on, Roci.” The glasses kid made for the door with a grim expression, but his younger brother didn’t seem as eager to leave. “But brother,” he whimpered, “I’m hungry...” “I’ll find you something to eat. Now let’s go.” “Why don’t we all have dinner together instead?” Makino proposed. “Dadan is waiting for us.” Bell-mère glanced up at Makino’s reassuring smile. “I’m hungry too,” she said, trying to be helpful. “I want meat!” Luffy yelled, throwing his arms up. “Meat! Meat! Meat!” he bounced around, gaining a laugh from Sabo. Even Ace smiled at that, but he tried not to make anyone notice. A moment later, he glared at the “spies” and conceded, “You can eat with us, but I still don’t trust you.” “It’s decided then!” Makino clapped her hands happily. She took Luffy by the hand and added, “Let’s go introduce Bell-mère to Dadan and help her make dinner.” “Wait, who is this little girl?” Ace pointed with his chin to Bell-mère. “I’m not a little girl!” she yelled, realising too late she wasn’t supposed to lose her cool like that. Ace smirked. “Of course you are.” “I’m still older than you. And I’m a marine in training.” “A marine? Disgusting.” Bell-mère was about to Garp-punch him when a tiny voice caught her attention. “I...I want to become a marine too. You—I m-mean, marines look cool. And strong.” Bell-mère turned towards the child speaking from behind his brother’s back, his cheeks red from the embarrassment. “Stop speaking nonsense,” his brother reproached him. Ignoring that remark, Bell-mère observed his younger brother. He looked frail and was way too shy, but with some training, maybe… “I want to play with you even if you like marines!” said Luffy, gaining a smack on the head by Ace. Sabo burst out laughing. “You’re so funny, Luffy!” he said, holding his stomach. Bell-mère chuckled, too. She wondered if, one day, Luffy would become one of those “kind pirates” as well… Garp won’t like this. The young marine recruit shrugged that thought off and followed the group to the bandit-turned-babysitter’s house with a grin on her face. Since she was there, she intended to have fun at least.

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frodos-bizarre-adventure · 3 years

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@gingerreggg just some fluff

Heads Up- Part 12 (Joseph x Bust!Caesar)

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

"Are you ready to go out?" Suzi asked Caesar, as he sat atop the kitchen table.

"Really?" he replied skeptically. "I thought you didn't want anyone to see me?"

"And that's why we've got this!" Joseph exclaimed joyfully as he pranced into the room with a small carrying crate. It was quite lightweight, and across the top of one side a narrow, horizontal slit had been cut into the hard cardboard material, to function as a viewing window.

Caesar felt uneasy, somewhat queasy to the stomach if he'd had one. This was the first time he'd see the world, beyond the confines of Joseph's apartment. Well, of course, aside from that one escapade, but he didn't really get far.

"You really mean it?" he said nervously.

"Look, if you're gonna go bouncing away at night to see the world then I thought I'd let you have in on the fun with the two of us! We picked a nice place, I bet you'll love it." Joseph smiled, as he lifted Caesar off the table and gently into the box, fitting him perfectly with just a little bit of room to spare. "Just remember to be very quiet."

"Joseph," Caesar complained, as he was laid snugly into the box. "You cut the view-hole too high."

"Aw shit," Joseph groaned. "I should have measured."

Fortunately it wasn't a problem a few layers of newspaper couldn't solve, and with some cushioning beneath his neck the peeping hole was perfectly level with Caesar's eyes.

"That should do the trick," Joseph huffed, as he gently covered Caesar with the lid.

"And now...it's time," grinned the sculptor, as he carried his created companion, tucked safely into the box, out into the warm light of late afternoon.

--------

Joseph mostly got around town, and to and from the university, in his trusty old bicycle he'd gotten as a birthday present from his uncle Speedwagon. It had seen better days, but still served him well, especially after he installed a small sidecar so he could carry his art along with him on the way.

"This is fun!" Suzi cheered, as Joseph pedaled along down toward the beach-view that he and Suzi had agreed on earlier.

"Just don't let go of me!" Caesar cried, from inside the box. He laid upon her lap as she sat in the sidecar, and each time she raised her hands in excitement the hapless bust feared he might fall off.

But at the same time, as he peeked out of the narrow slit, Caesar felt a strange elation.

He was seeing the world beyond.

Buildings, cars, streets and people rushed by, illuminated in the orange light of sunset, as Joseph came pedaling along, so quickly that Caesar couldn't keep up with seeing them all. There was just such a big, big place to see, and with a little help, Caesar was going much, much further than he could possibly hop by himself.

Caesar smiled, a hidden smile from within his box that no one could see.

Perhaps it was far nicer to see the world with friends.

Perhaps he didn't have to be alone.

And yet, at the same time, Caesar felt a hint of sorrow as he admired the sun-kissed landscape gleaming in its tangerine illumination. There was a vast world out there, full of people, full of experiences, of stories in the making waiting to be told.

And he knew he could never be a part of it.

--------

"We're here!" Joseph said excitedly, as he halted near the parkway by the beach.

"And look!" Suzi exclaimed. "We're just in time for the sunset!"

"I can't see!" Caesar complained. "Get me out of this box!"

Dismounting from the sidecar, Suzi stood up and with Joseph's help, removed Caesar from the box, after glancing around to make sure nobody was around to witness them unloading their unusual cargo.

Caesar couldn't believe his eyes. They were at a quiet little corner of the beach, with the floor a smooth, wooden viewing deck. Beyond him was a view of the ocean, stretching all the way into the horizon, and hovering just above it was a brilliant orange orb whose rays Caesar felt onto his clay skin for the first time in his newfound life.

"So, what do you think?" Joseph asked as he gently laid Caesar down onto the deck, and sat cross-legged next to him.

"It's...it's beautiful," gasped Caesar in pure amazement, as he made a few hops forward.

"Whoa, easy there, Cae," Joseph cautioned. "Try not to fall in the water, I doubt you can swim," he said with a snarky laugh.

Caesar nodded, but was too absorbed in the splendor of it all to heed Joseph's dry wit. He could smell the refreshing salty breeze, feel the warmth of the descending sun, hear the waves and the wind and the calls of the birds. Just like the one time he'd left the house, except this time, Joseph wasn't trying to stop him.

And never before, in his short existence as a bodiless sculpt of clay, had Caesar felt so free.

Joseph shifted himself forward so that he was next to Caesar again. "I thought you'd enjoy this," he said, gently cradling the bust onto his lap.

The sun's rays were fading in warmth, but Joseph's arms felt warmer.

Soon the brilliant orb began to sink into the horizon, fading away into the distant mists as the deep pinks and purples of the sky began to crowd out the oranges and yellows of the sun's final rays. Caesar was awed. It was something that happened every single day, sure, but it was no less of a glorious spectacle to behold.

It wasn't long until the stars began to appear.

A few bright points, here and there, gradually emerging from the darkening sky. There were scarcely any clouds, to Joseph's delight, and soon, the night had come: enveloping them in a calm, peaceful darkness lit by the thousands of glittering pinpricks up above.

"Caesar," Joseph said softly. "Look."

He laid down onto his back on the wooden floor, after he took the newspapers from Caesar's box and gently laid the sculpture's head onto them so that Caesar could also recline comfortably. Side by side, artist and artwork lay down gazing skyward, into the infinite vastness of the night sky above.

"You know, Cae, my grandpa Jonathan used to tell me," Joseph began. "He said that as the night comes it paints over the sky, swiftly and in a rush, leaving a few spots uncolored in its hurry. I'd always thought it was a silly story," he laughed.

Caesar chuckled. "Your grandfather?"

"Yeah..." Joseph sighed, sadly. "I miss him."

"Now it's just Granny Erina and me, and really, just me, after I came to live in my flat. Mom was always away, and I'd never met my dad. But Grandpa Jonathan...he was the best part of my childhood."

He gestured to the sky.

"I like to think he's up there where he belongs, up among the stars. We are Joestars after all," he said with a mix of a laugh and a sigh, gently running his finger over the birthmark on his neck.

One he remembered his grandpa also had, which Joseph imagined was a mark, a promise, perhaps, of where he'd since returned.

There was a moment of silence as Caesar momentarily pondered.

"Do you think I belong among the stars too?" Caesar asked, after a pause.

"Huh?" Joseph turned to look at him. "Why would you think that?"

Caesar gave a melancholy pause.

"Because...because if I really am Anthonio Zeppeli, as Suzi said...shouldn't I be up there? And yet, I am here."

That one word, that had struck Caesar earlier, hit him again.

Purpose.

"I mean, if you really think about how big the universe is, and how small we are to it, it's downright humbling, and a little bit frightening," Joseph mused.

"But we're tiny specks that simply exist, and maybe, we make our own existence worthwhile," he added, stroking Caesar's shoulder stub.

"Then I guess I don't really need a purpose, then," Caesar mumbled, watching the unimaginable vastness twinkle far beyond.

"I mean, do you?" Joseph answered. "You exist for the sake of existing, and that should be enough."

Caesar smiled.

Joseph was right. Why did he have to bother figuring out why he was alive, or who he was, or why he was where he is today?

He was alive today, even though he shouldn't be.

His existence was an unexpected blessing.

He existed for his own sake. And, looking into his sculptor's brilliant blue eyes, mesmerized at the heavens, he thought, perhaps for Joseph's sake too.

"I'm glad you made me, Joseph. Whether or not I really am Anthonio or not. I'm just glad to be here today."

"However way you created me."

Joseph chuckled. "You know what they say, Caesar. Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift."

"That's why they call it present."

Caesar groaned.

"Oh come on, Jojo," he grumbled. "You stole it from that turtle from the panda cartoon."

Joseph burst out a hearty laugh. "So you have been watching the movies Suzi brought, huh?"

"I was bored," Caesar said, embarassed.

Joseph was just glad for the time they were enjoying together, by the beach, under the night sky, with only the glimmer of lamp posts and the now-rising moon lighting the way. It felt peaceful, and very calming, for both weary artist and lonely creation.

He wished they could do this forever.

Just the three of them.

Oh yes, Joseph remembered, three.

"Say, where is Suzi, anyway?" wondered Joseph after a few moments. "We'd gotten too busy with our little talk there... Suzi?"

A faint snore came as the only response.

"Oh great," Caesar moaned, rocking back up into an upright position with a little help from Joseph. "She slept through the whole thing, and this whole trip was her idea."

"You can't blame her," Joseph explained. "She's pretty tired."

He couldn't help a small giggle as he saw Suzi splayed out awkwardly onto the sidecar seat, dozing away like she was on her sofa.

"I think it's time we went home." Joseph said.

Rousing Suzi to make sure she was safe throughout the ride back to Joseph's apartment, the three friends made their way back, Caesar once more tucked inside his box.

As Joseph pedaled home Caesar peeked out at the view of the city through the hole in the box. The city at night looked so different.

Thousands of brilliant lights shone through the darkness, outlining buildings, illuminating streets, marking the passage of cars.

The city's lights were like the stars on the earth.

And in a way, they were among them, after all.

A sudden halt to the gentle motion of the box indicated to Caesar that they'd reached home. Soon he felt himself being lifted back into the house, as Joseph had done the night he snuck out. Yet this time, it didn't feel like a punishment, as it was when Joseph had forced him back inside. It felt like a reward, at the end of a long, grand adventure.

And at the night, Caesar knew he could look forward to end his day with another night in bed lovingly cradled in his beloved maker's arms.

Suzi sleepily staggered her way into the house and flopped onto the couch with a yawn. "Sorry about that, I hope I didn't miss too much," she said to Joseph, a little regretfully.

"Don't worry, Caesar loved it," Joseph reassured her. "We had a little talk."

"Hmmm?" she hummed drowsily.

"Oh, just stuff, about the stars and the world and the niceness of being alive, he had a lot to say." Joseph explained. "Also he's been watching your movies, he gets references," he laughed.

Joseph felt a strange warmth to Caesar that he couldn't quite explain. His feelings had been all over the place since the handsome little piece of clay came into his life. He'd gotten to know him, and he'd come to like him.

He'd come to love him.

And Caesar, sitting close by on the floor, gazing up at his relatively-towering form, felt the same.

He loved him for granting him life. He loved him for the care and affection, and all the numerous things he'd done for him, even if he couldn't return the favor.

And he loved him for just... being Joseph.

Their gazes met, and two shy smiles crept across their faces.

Perhaps Caesar belonged with a certain star after all.

---------

(Previous Chapter)

(Next Chapter)

#jjba #gingerreggg #battle tendency #caejose #caesar x joseph #jojo's bizarre adventure #bust!caesar #sculptor!joseph #hands of life au #heads up

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mythicamagic · 4 years

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Sesskag week Day 7: hurt/comfort

Summery: Decades have passed since the Bone Eater’s well closed. Kagome discovers an injured Sesshoumaru within the shrine grounds one day, having fallen through time into her era. Until the well opens again, he is stuck within modern times, but finds an unlikely bond with the unaging, isolated miko. Oneshot. For Sesskag Week Day 7 - free day.

Rated T

7,700 words

AN: For the last Sesskag week prompt it was a free day, so I chose Hurt/comfort, with a side order of angst bc that's what I'm about lol sorry for the late entry.

Warning: some grief

(all prompts posted on Ao3, fanfic.net and Dokuga)

Together Alone

The sun blazed brilliant hues of orange as it ascended the horizon, slowly inching further into a tangerine sky. A figure stepped outside, feeling a slight breeze tease at the ends of her hair. Not for the first time, Kagome gave thanks to whoever had decided to build their home on a hill, blessing them with the ability to see the vast spread of Tokyo city. Flinching as she stepped out of the shade, blue eyes focused, and she blinked, adjusting to the light.

Walking further into the courtyard of the silent Higurashi shrine, she noted an abundance of leaves scattered around the place. Great piles of flame-filled colours had accumulated, spread out like her own personal confetti. Kagome smiled ruefully.

Autumn had arrived.

Having overslept, she took up a broom as an excuse to move stiff muscles. As she swept the stray leaves up, amusement touched her face. The image of a redhead fox leaping into the firey leaves played through her mind. She didn't stop to acknowledge the nostalgic thought.

As she brushed a few leaves with a little too much force into a waiting, bigger pile, Kagome noticed a tuft of something white sticking out of it. At first, she assumed it to be feathers of some sort and poked the broom over the pile slightly. Yet the more leaves she uncovered, the more white she found, until a particularly long strand of it made her pause.

Hair.

Her miko powers flickered like a forgotten lightbulb that had long since fizzled out, briefly awakening. Sensing a presence under the leaves, Kagome's face became unreadable as she crouched down. Beginning to pluck them off, some of the fine silky strands clung to her hands, and her fingers twitched in response. It felt so soft. The thick volume of hair eventually gave way to pale skin. Kagome's eyes widened. A pointed ear lay under the pad of her thumb. Hastily sweeping the remaining locks aside to reveal a demon's delicate features, the priestess stilled, breath catching.

To say he was beautiful was an understatement. Ethereal perhaps. She couldn't suppress the quiver in her fingers, spying magenta markings adorning his cheeks. Her heart thundered, and she swallowed thickly.

"Sesshoumaru."

Viciously suppressing the ache in her chest, she held out hope that he wasn't lying dead on her doorstep.

Shaking his shoulder, she noted the muscle beneath her palm that his slim figure belied. He was dressed exactly as she remembered, albeit a bit more rumpled, armour broken.

"Hey-" she cleared her throat. "Wake up sleeping beauty."

Feeling for a pulse, a steady thrum fluttered under her fingers.

Kagome gave a huge sigh of relief even as his eyes remained closed.

Reaching through the pile and awkwardly sliding her hands under his arms, Kagome was heedless of the falling leaves scattering around them as she started dragging him. Hoping the Daiyoukai wouldn't kill her for touching him without permission, she heaved, returning back inside with her unexpected guest.

----

Stirring a few hours later, a bright cosmos of golden fire burned alive within demonic irises as his eyes snapped open, blinking up at the ceiling.

"Where...?"

Kagome sat in an armchair near the couch he lay upon, reading. She turned when hearing his voice, rising. "You're in my home."

The moment his gaze swung to her, Sesshoumaru jolted upright. He stared in disbelief, raking his attention down her body. "Impossible."

"I didn't die all those years ago, so I'd say it's pretty probable that I can stand here in front of you," she smiled a little, offering him a glass of water that had been waiting on the table.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, shifting fractured attention around the room, returning it to her and observing the contours of her face. "Why have you not aged?" he carefully inquired. "Many years have passed. 20, if memory serves."

Kagome's lips thinned and she set the glass down again. "I dunno, something happened with the jewel or the well. I couldn't figure out which, so-" she smiled wryly, spreading her arms out and turning in a circle. "I'm pretty much physically stuck at age 16. Even though I'm actually around 36. I don't know if I'm just not aging or if I'm immortal. It sucks."

He blinked, scenting the air. "...This one is not picking up the smell of death lingering around you as it does with all humans. Immortality can be assumed then."

A complicated expression crossed her face. "O-oh," she murmured, falling quiet.

Raising a brow, the demon ghosted long claws over his face, something slowly occurring to him. "How did this one come to be here?"

Kagome shook herself and scrambled to retain her bravado. "I should be asking you that. Sleeping in a pile of leaves isn't what I expected from the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru. Then again, you always were quite in touch with nature. Going on long walks and stuff," she smiled a little.

"Hn," Sesshoumaru shifted his feet over the edge of the couch, brushing long hair back and stopping to remove a few leaves. "I should be going," he said primly.

"Uh- sorry for interfering but do you even know where you are?"

"Of course I do," he tutted, before hissing and stilling. Pressing a hand to his side, he felt the rough scrape of bandages under his clothing. They were wrapped around his ribs. His face skittered with an unnamed expression, pinning her with a dark look.

Kagome had the grace to seem mildly guilty before her gaze turned flat. "I put your clothes back on after binding your wounds. You're welcome."

"I did not ask for your assistance." His lip lifted, exposing a fang while pressing his palm against his side protectively. Yet he felt no serious wounds, and that the miko had assisted him while he'd been vulnerable was something he had no choice but to acknowledge.

Kagome's hand raised in a placating gesture. "You're on the defensive, I understand that. But don't get crabby," she drew closer. "We were allies in our fight against Naraku. You can still trust me, even if it has been a while."

The passionate, cold glow in his eyes lessened slightly, and Sesshoumaru exhaled. "...This one recalls fighting near the Bone Eater's Well. An enemy struck- and I…" a steel edge threaded his calm voice, obviously frustrated.

Kagome's brows drew together, "you fell down the well," she finished softly, face drawn. "I wonder why it opened to let you through. It's always been closed for me, ever since that day a long time ago."

"Perhaps it is still open?"

The miko looked sceptical and jaded, breathing out and pushing some hair behind her ear.

"I must see-" he stood, eyes widening as his knees buckled. Kagome quickly caught him about the shoulders, pressing against the hard line of his body in order to steady him. Sesshoumaru's nose briefly dipped into soft, dark hair. She smelled of warm home comforts and the stifled tease of holy power brimming under her skin.

It dazed him enough not to realise she'd gently guided him back down to sit. "Stay here, mister. I can't be lugging you about again if you collapse," blue eyes danced. "I'll go take a look. Be back in a flash," Kagome released him and walked from the room.

Sesshoumaru stared, before turning his attention to the structure he found himself in. The house lay near-silent, but he could detect the faint, gravely sound of breathing in another room. A human. Older, weak.

It smiled faintly of feline too, and his keen gaze sought out the thin, discarded hairs of a shedding house-cat littered on the arm of a chair. His nose wrinkled.

Kagome's home also held the strange, buzzing feeling of energy running through its walls like a nervous system. He followed the hum of power down the side of a wall, trailing his eyes over bizarre, thin black rope connecting to a square box in the corner of the room.

"No dice."

He jolted, bristling at being caught unawares. Kagome smiled gently from the threshold, a faint sheen over her eyes.

Sesshoumaru blinked, not picking up the trace of tears. She'd held them back.

"Explain."

"The well is closed again, so looks like you're stuck for the time being," Kagome hummed, tapping her chin. Noticing the alarm flashing in his eyes, she changed her tone to an assuring one. "If it opened once to let you through, I'm confident it'll do it again. You can take the time to heal here in the meantime, no one will harm you. I think I mentioned this to you before but there's no fighting or killing in Tokyo like in your era, so be on your best behaviour during your stay. There's a garden out back, and a small amount of trees bordering it if you want peace and quiet. I don't think it's a good idea for you to leave the shrine though."

"...Very well," he muttered quietly.

Thinking for a moment, the demon decided it bothered him enough to inquire; "who is the aged human in this house? I hear them."

Surprise skittered over her face, soon gentling. "That's my Grandpa. I live here with him alone- ah- aside from Pyon."

Sesshoumaru sneered. "The feline."

Kagome blinked and burst into a delicate laugh- and had it always been so dusty and gentle? For some reason he recalled it being more full of life and childish.

"You'll have to grin and bear it, for the time being at least," she winked. "Want something to eat?"

"I do not consume human food."

Kagome pursed her mouth, and Sesshoumaru fought the incredibly random urge to take her bottom lip between his teeth, quickly shaking himself. "I've got some fresh meats from the market. No seasoning or anything. Will those do?"

"Hn."

---

Due to his demonic blood, Sesshoumaru merely needed to lounge on the couch for a few more hours before feeling his wound tentatively heal.

He listened, hearing shuffling upstairs and Kagome's gentle voice. Sesshoumaru looked over the back of the couch to observe an incredibly aged human move stiffly into view at the top of the stairs. Kagome helped him onto a chair- which then began to slowly descend the steps via a mechanism attached to the wall.

Sesshoumaru stared.

He had never seen such an old man. Usually, mortals died before managing to reach such an age, vulnerable to disease and such. Kagome followed and helped him to the armchair in the living beside Sesshoumaru, smiling at the demon.

"Grandpa, this is-"

"Demon," the old man rasped in an accusing voice, not looking in his direction.

Sesshoumaru arched a brow.

Kagome beamed. "Yes, Grandpa! But his name is Sesshoumaru. Mind your manners."

"Inuyasha can like it or lump it," Grandpa huffed, pressing a small device. The square box suddenly flared to life, making the demon jolt.

Loud noises assaulted his ears, tiny mortals behind the screen doing bizzare things, dressed in costume and talking very animatedly about a- Sesshoumaru squinted- energy drink?

Gentle fingers smoothed over mokomoko. Golden eyes snapped to her touch, noticing the bristling fur she was trying to calm.

"It's just television. This is what people watch for entertainment or if they're bored."

Sesshoumaru made a non-committal noise. He didn't like it.

Kagome smiled at him sympathetically and offered a hand- which the Daiyoukai reluctantly took, pride stinging. He grit sharp teeth while they made their journey through the house, disliking her soothing closeness and the fact that he found her scent appealing.

Eventually, they made it outside, stepping into the lush, rich sunlight and walking through the courtyard that stretched wide. Sesshoumaru glanced around. "The smell of smoke and other fumes are distinct here."

"It's because of the city," Kagome murmured, arm around his waist to hold him steady. He suspected it was a habit she'd gained from looking after Grandpa. The demon did not need her assistance but also neglected to push her away. "That's Tokyo- see. It's what Kaede's village will become."

Golden eyes followed the point of her finger, gazing out at the large, bustling city beyond the shrine. It looked nothing like he'd ever seen before. Their buildings were tall and imposing. He knew the miko to be from the future, but Sesshoumaru hadn't taken much time to envision what it would be like.

"Why do I not sense any demons?" he muttered.

Kagome winced, avoiding his gaze. "I don't know. I haven't sensed them in the city."

"They are likely cloaking themselves from detection then," Sesshoumaru confidently assumed. Anything else was unthinkable.

The miko didn't reply, watching him glance around.

"Hn, this one was going to sleep out here. However, I do not think it would be a peaceful rest."

"If the garden isn't to your liking then I'm not sure what else to recommend. I do have several plants inside my room, they can make the air feel more clear, right? You can sleep there if you want."

"Very well," he uttered, moving to brush past her. A hiss escapes clenched teeth when his ribs blazed to life with pain and he found herself resting against her side for a moment. Kagome's warm hand felt steady on his waist. She didn't breathe a word, assisting him back inside.

---

It was a painstaking process to try and usher the proud demon up the stairs. Kagome had almost suggested taking Grandpa's stairlift before Sesshoumaru's narrowed gaze had swung to her, stifling the words on her tongue.

"Is this is your room?" he asked once they reached it.

"My childhood bedroom to be exact. I sleep in Mama's old room now," Kagome arched a brow, expecting his sharp tongue. "Is it to your liking, my Lord?" she teased.

"It is very… pink."

A smile quirked her lips. "Hopefully the bed is big enough for you. There's a bathroom in the hallway if you want to be experimental and take a shower. There's always a bath too. Do you need anything else?"

"No."

"Alrighty then, goodnight."

Kagome's heel drew back and she turned, moving away. She was rewarded with the soft cadence of his voice.

"...Thank you."

She blinked, wondering why those words made warmth fan into her hollow feeling chest. Glancing over her shoulder, the miko watched with fascination as he settled onto her much too small bed, silver hair tumbling down to the floor. Leaving soon after, a buzzing took flight in her ears that thrummed through her bloodstream.

Tears pricked blue eyes, and Kagome leaned heavily against a wall once she'd reached the privacy of her own bedroom, pressing a hand to her mouth. Unmitigated relief choked fire up her throat, battling with resentment.

She'd worked hard. She'd worked so damn hard to keep the memories of her friends in the feudal era hidden away in a box. To continue living every day in the cold, repetitive present time.

Cramming her feelings away into that neat and tidy box again, Kagome pushed away from the wall to go check on Grandpa for the umpteenth time.

---

Mama had died at the much too early age of 57.

It had been so long since the well had closed. Now at 36, Kagome supposed she should've probably shared her secret with more people, to keep her in a friendship circle of some sort. Souta had moved out, married and had kids. He still visited sometimes but it didn't feel like nearly enough. She supposed her isolation made her needy, though Kagome never voiced it.

Sesshoumaru had gotten antsy waiting around. He'd consumed almost all the reading material in her house already during his stay, soaking in information like a sponge. "I wish to see the city," he uttered, shooting the cat a glare as Pyon brushed against her leg, purring. "Despite the foul smells, if this one is to remain here for a little while longer, I should like to know my surroundings."

Kagome hadn't refused but had given a few conditions. One was that he couldn't go off on his own (lest he be angered and melt a car) and two, that he looked and dressed the part.

Dying her own hair the colour of chestnut in the bathroom, Kagome had offered a bottle of black hair dye for the demon lord. Sesshoumaru, while holding his nose, had flatly refused.

To her surprise then, he'd swept claw-tipped hands through snowy silver locks, the colour bleeding dark black.

"H-how did you do that?" she'd asked, rinsing her hair over the tub.

"It is a simple enough thing to modify one's appearance when you are a strong enough youkai," he'd sniffed.

When she'd finally finished up and wandered downstairs, he flicked his attention over her appearance just as she drank him in. The magenta stripes and crescent moon were missing, claws retracted but nails still sharp. He couldn't hide the pointed ears, so had swept dark hair into a low ponytail so that the thick volume of strands covered them.

Kagome's hair had been cut shorter, now above her shoulders and appearing brunette.

"Would it not be easier for you to wear a wig?" he asked, uncertain why she needed a disguise too.

She blinked as though roused from a dream, cheeks colouring. "Maybe, but it feels easier to step into a different persona like this. Besides, it's been so long since I last wandered around outside the shrine. We tend to get all our stuff delivered here."

Sesshoumaru arched a brow. "How long has it been?"

"I think 5 months?"

He stared but didn't say another word. In accordance with her conditions, Kagome uncovered father's old clothes from the depths of the attic. Mother had kept them in mint condition for years, so she'd refrained from discarding them. Sesshoumaru dressed in the old white shirt, business shoes and suit jacket, finding the latter a little too small.

"Can't you just enlarge your body into it if 'it's simple enough to modify one's appearance?" Kagome teased.

He tossed her a dry look. "Outward appearance. Some things cannot be changed. If I could adjust myself so easily, I'd have re-grown my severed limb much quicker."

She giggled, trying not to eye him in the navy suit. Noticing his struggle with the black-tie, she sighed and drew closer, reaching up and fixing it.

Golden eyes snapped to her face, body stilling as though waiting for something. Kagome flashed a small smile, gently tapping the area beneath his eye. "You'll have to do something about these as well," she murmured.

Pale lashes lowered slightly, animalistic pupils rounding. Gold dulled into earthy brown tones. "Humans are so plain in appearance."

Kagome pinched his side. "Rude," drawing away and grabbing some contacts, she slid brown over her naturally blue eyes.

Sesshoumaru frowned, wandering outside into the stuffy, clogging city air. Perhaps to humans, it didn't smell so intense, but he was Daiyoukai. Superior senses were hard to mute.

Hearing the creak of wheels, he glanced over one shoulder, watching Kagome help Grandpa outside, pushing his wheelchair. "You are bringing him?" he uttered flatly.

Some of her old temper sparked across her face. "I can't leave him alone, and besides, Grandpa could use the fresh air."

"Are the sakura blossoms in bloom yet?" the old man asked listlessly.

She smiled, tucking the blanket over his legs a little neater. "No, Grandpa. We're in September, so it's a little late."

He grumbled in discontentment, becoming quiet as Kagome wheeled him towards the back of the shrine. Beyond the trees was a road that zig-zagged down to houses.

"What are you doing?"

Kagome glanced back at Sesshoumaru, who stood within the courtyard near the stone stairs she'd used to take for walking to school. "I can't wheel Grandpa down those steps. Well- I can, but it'll take a lot longer and I'm- AHH!" she yelped, feeling an arm wrap around her waist and yank so that both feet left the ground. Sesshoumaru then reached down and lifted Granpa's chair above his head with one hand- the old man barely reacting to the elevation.

Sesshoumaru lept into the air, sailing down the shrine steps in a fast descent, dark hair fanning out behind him. Kagome screamed, clutching his side as the demon carried them down like they were nothing more than pizza boxes he needed to deliver.

Touching down at the bottom of the stairs and releasing her, Sesshoumaru set Grandpa down, who hummed.

"Thank ye, Inuyasha."

"I am not Inuyasha."

Panting, Kagome clutched at the floor, whipping her head up to glare at him. "What the hell?! Don't do that without warning! Someone could've seen- Grandpa could've fallen!"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "You act as though this one could make such an error."

Growling, she straightened and started wheeling the old man down the street. Trying to ignore the thrilling flush of her cheeks or the memory of flying through the air on Kirara or Inuyasha's back, she shook herself. Her heart hadn't thundered so fast in years. "Behave yourself or we go home."

Cutting his eyes to the sky, Sesshoumaru followed at a languid pace.

---

Tokyo proved to be ridiculously large. Sesshoumaru had assumed he'd be able to traverse the city on his own if the two mortals slowed him down, but as it was, he feared getting lost within the bowels of technology, noisy arcades and large buildings.

Walking around made him more aware of the ill-fitting suit jacket, though he did not protest. Oddly enough the miko took him to a store and bought a sleek black jacket that was more his size. He'd glanced at the price tag and noticed the card she used to pay, wondering how she supported herself.

Kagome took him to more shops and bought more casual wear for the house, including a grey oversized hoodie that he resolved to burn the second they got back.

Finally sitting down at a table outside a cafe, Sesshoumaru took a few breaths. Smells from many different types of foods flooded his nostrils, along with the deafening sounds of thousands of people moving around in huge clusters. He'd been trying to ignore it for hours. His head spun with the onslaught of new sensations and scents. Too much.

"Hey-" Kagome touched his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

Sesshoumaru eyed her, nostrils flaring. Unfortunately, her usual pleasant scent radiating from her hair had been tarnished by the dye. His attention slid to the material wrapped around her neck.

"Give me your scarf."

"Hm?" She blinked but readily relinquished it, handing it over. "Cold?"

"No," he scoffed, wrapping it around his neck and ducking his nose into the material, inhaling. The scent of gentle citrus and warm home comforts filled his senses, soothing them like a gentle caress.

Kagome's cheeks reddened and she glanced away, helping Grandpa eat his soup.

"Izumi?"

Jolting, she looked up in time with Sesshoumaru, who eyed the young male standing near their table with immediate annoyance. He looked happy and star-struck, no doubt harbouring a crush on the miko.

Kagome forced a smile and stood. "Ryota, hey. How are things?"

"They're good! I'm so happy to see you out and about," he burst. "You should've called me- you know you're welcome to come around any time. Dad wouldn't mind!"

"I'm sure he wouldn't," she smiled delicately, not protesting as Ryota took her hand and squeezed it.

Sesshoumaru bristled and busied himself with sipping his tea.

"Ah um- Ryota, this is my friend, Nao," Kagome introduced Sesshoumaru, who inclined his head. Ryota bowed slightly, eyes darting between them questioningly and finding his attention caught on the pink scarf wrapped snugly around the demon's neck. While Kagome chatted some more, Sesshoumaru dipped his head and inhaled the material again, maintaining eye contact with the male. Ryota looked mildly creeped out, which only made Sesshoumaru preen, thinking he'd successfully intimidated him.

"Kagome, did you get me some green tea?" Grandpa spoke up.

Instead of being suspicious, Ryota merely looked sympathetic as she nudged the tea into his hand and carefully helped him take a sip, arthritis having made his fingers stiff.

"I see your Grandpa hasn't improved," the young man whispered to her, before raising his voice to an obnoxiously loud, patronising level. Or at least Sesshoumaru thought of it that way. "Hello, sir! HOW… ARE… YOU… TODAY?" Ryota patted Grandpa on the shoulder.

He grumbled sourly in response, sipping his tea. It didn't detour the teen, who smiled at Kagome.

"Well, the offer is always open, Izumi. It must be so lonely up in that shrine by yourself."

"I'm really alright. I have Grandpa for company," Kagome gently dismissed.

"Give me a text any time. I gotta get back to class but I'll see you later," he said amiably, hurrying into the passing crowd while checking his watch.

Waving him away, Kagome retook her seat with a sigh, "whew. He's sweet but I feel like saying 'buddy, I'm actually old enough to be your mom'," she giggled, pausing and noticing Sesshoumaru's stare. "What?"

"Nothing."

Feeling the need to explain, she sighed. "I was friends with his father in school. I can't hang around him too much or there's a chance Hojo might show up and likely recognise me. I faked my death years ago because I stopped ageing and have been posing as Souta's daughter ever since. We've arranged it so that I look like I'm homeschooled. This way… I can keep living at the shrine and looking after Grandpa."

"That explains why you do not leave the grounds much," he uttered, reading the menu and flicking his gaze up to her. "You are afraid."

"Wouldn't you be?" Kagome snorted. "People might perform science experiments on me if they knew I wasn't ageing!"

"I do not think that is the reason behind your fear."

She bristled and glanced away, telling him he'd hit the nail on the head. "Who knew you were the type to psychoanalyse," forcing a smile, she giggled and stood. "Drink your tea. I'll go pay for our things," she wandered off.

Sesshoumaru watched her go, halting Grandpa's chair without looking as the old man unknowingly tried to wheel backwards into traffic.

"You should take better care of her, Inuyasha," the old man huffed.

"Hn," his eyes remained on the miko.

---

Several hours later, after they'd seen the sights of the city some more and experienced a train ride, the small group had wandered home and immediately headed to bed. Sesshoumaru appeared within her bedroom not long after.

A dark halo of ebony hair spread out on her pillows, the locks curled in disarray. He noted that she slept very quietly, knees tucked up and hands drawn close to her chest. She looked every bit as beautiful and innocent as he'd figured a young priestess could be, but the shapely line of her legs and outline of certain curves made him certain she'd kept up her physical training long after the need for bows and arrows had died out. A pity her powers had been malnourished.

The bed dipped with his weight as he sat beside her, large claw-tipped hand reaching out- thumb ghosting over her parted lips, hovering over the pulse at her neck.

Kinship with a human felt odd. Yet he couldn't deny the telltale flickers of relatability he'd witnessed. He too, remained the same as others around him grew old. That was the price of keeping company with mortals. She was like him, and yet not. Instead of becoming integrated with humans as he had, she'd shut herself away within the shrine; afraid of the pain of loss. Kagome wore loneliness like a cloak, draping it around her protectively. She was now more like a demon than a human in lifespan, but her heart was not befitting of one. Now she almost resembled a half-demon.

And she needed a pack.

Some sickening, cloying emotion dried up his throat, leaving it parched and scratched. It hurt to swallow. His claws quivered, merely inches from delicate skin, before his fingers clenched and drew away.

Kagome did not stir as he moved off the bed, leaving as silently as he'd appeared.

Unbeknownst to the demon, deep blue eyes slowly drew open.

---

"You have not asked about them," he pointed out a few days later.

Kagome paused in her cleaning, before resuming scrubbing a pot with distracted motions. "I guess not."

Memories rose to the surface like a scuffed knee threatening to bleed but Kagome shook them away. "I'm not ready to know what happened to them yet," she amended, softer. "What about you though, how's your uh… stronghold?"

Sesshoumaru blinked languidly. "What?"

"Your palace?" she tried again, seeing another equally blank look. "Estate?" Groaning when he said nothing, Kagome waved her hands in frustration. "Aren't you a Lord or something?"

"Ah," he finally responded, glancing away dismissively. "You heed Jaken too much. I have no official home."

It was Kagome's turn to stare. "H-hah?"

Sesshoumaru arched a delicate brow as though she were the foolish one for daring to assume a regal demon clad in expensive silks had a shiny castle to return to. "My father was a General, and he claimed territory over the Western Lands, but he did not rule it like a Lord. My mother is more high born than he. She dwells within a castle and has noble blood-"

Kagome's eyes lit up.

"But I have no lands to inherit."

She deflated. "So you're a vagabond."

He brushed some hair over one shoulder. "I prefer to think of it as; no one may house me. I may go where I please."

Kagome eyed him dryly. "You're single, aren't you?"

He bristled. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Figures," Kagome huffed and lifted the pot, walking to the cupboard as she dried it. "You sound like some sort of playboy bachelor with that 'no one can house me' stuff. Honestly, now that I'm paying attention, you really do sound as young as you look. Like you're 19-" she stopped herself from bumping into his chest as he suddenly stood close.

"... I do not take many lovers," he muttered. "But when I do, it is not for 'play.' I assure you I can be quite serious in a relationship." He loomed closer, breath fanning over her cheek. "Do you wish for a sample?" He asked in a silky voice.

Kagome flushed and huffed, elbowing him out of the way to put the pot within a cupboard. What a joker.

----

Wandering downstairs that night, Kagome stopped, noticing something and doing a double-take. Sesshoumaru lay sprawled on the couch, silver hair tumbling down onto the floor as he slept soundlessly. Pyon was curled up on his stomach-and even stranger was the fact that Sesshoumaru's arm curled beneath him, supporting the feline from falling off.

Kagome crept closer, looking at them from over the back of the couch.

She examined his face in the dim light. It was ridiculously, absurdly handsome, closed long lashes hiding golden eyes that could pierce through her shell and pry into her essence. Cheekbones you could cut diamonds with, framed by neatly parted, snowy bangs.

All the magic from Kagome's experiences in the feudal era was now contained in this one man. A demon that most feared and cowered before. She wondered if she wanted him close simply because of nostalgia, or because he brought her joy in his quiet sarcasm and stable presence.

But he'd leave her too, one day.

Kagome's smile bent into a painful curl of her lips.

Sesshoumaru's nostrils flared and he inhaled- before golden eyes slid open. She stiffened and tried to smooth her forlorn expression into something more amiable. "S-sorry, I'm not watching you sleep, I swear!" she babbled. "Was just wondering if you'd checked the Bone Eater's Well for any changes tonight."

"No."

"Ah, gotcha," Kagome floundered. "At least when it does open, your injuries have all healed so you're fine to go."

"Is that what you want?"

She stopped, feeling like she'd been denied an expected step on the stairs and felt her foot plummet through the ground. Reeling, her heart picked up speed. "Of course it is," Kagome said quickly, turning away. "The Fuedal Era is where you belong, silly. You've been a lovely guest. Really, I've enjoyed it. For a vagabond, you fold your clothes neatly and don't make a mess. You read a lot, so it's still pretty quiet, but you also..." her voice became brittle, "you also- play shoji with Grandpa and make great tea. When I do things, I know you're not too far away. It's been nice. I mean that."

Making to walk away, she was halted by a firm hand catching her wrist. Sesshoumaru had sat up now, disturbing the cat and staring at her with unblinking eyes.

"You should come with me."

Her stomach twisted and she shook her head, looking at him with tired eyes. "I can't."

"Nonsense."

"I have Grandpa to look after."

"Your brother could easily-"

"No, he couldn't," Kagome cut in. "Souta has a wife and a big family to support. He gives us money- weren't you wondering how we're kept afloat? I try to help by doing online work but Grandpa isn't someone you can just expect to look after so easily on top of everything else. I couldn't ask or expect Souta to take over just for me to run off and play in the Feudal Era again, abandoning a life I've known for decades now."

White teeth flashed, exposing a sneer in the dim light, his eyes narrow. "Your Grandfather will be dead soon."

Sesshoumaru never regretted anything. He was too strong, too proud, too confident to make a misstep. And yet at that moment, he regretted the words immediately after they were out.

If she were younger, still the spirited girl of 15 he'd known and the person she outwardly resembled- Sesshoumaru wagered she'd have slapped him. Instead, the miko gave him something that felt altogether much worse; a look of disappointment.

As a demon, he never felt like a young pup except within the presence of his mother and ancient elders, but he experienced it again, watching as she slowly padded to the threshold of the doorway.

"Yeah, he will be. And after Grandpa and Souta go, I'm never going to get attached to anyone again. It's too painful. But I'm making the most of the time with him I have left. Besides," Kagome glanced at him tiredly. "From where we sit, won't everyone eventually be dead soon?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes flickered as she left. The image of Rin with her husband and children, all eventually greying and leaving him alone passed through his mind.

It was true, the miko could theoretically return with him to the past. However, what awaited her would be the same. Time's cruelty working it's will on her friends and everyone she'd used to know in the village.

Drawing himself up and absentmindedly grabbing Bakusaiga, Sesshoumaru wandered to the Well House. He stood within its damp structure for a while in silence, not particularly waiting for a response any more, rather trying to gather his scattered thoughts.

The scent of nameless magic stirred in the breeze. He stiffened, lifting his head and scenting the cool air. Silver bangs lifted to sway, silks rustling. With a small hop, he stood on the mouth of the well, gazing into its dark depths.

With just one jump he'd be home.

Sesshoumaru's muscles coiled, heart thundering. Pushing off from the edge, he took the plunge.

----

Stifling the sound of tears in the bathroom by keeping the faucet running and muffling sobs into her hand, Kagome cried. She hadn't done so in a long time. The action felt childish, but a welcome sensation. Pent up stress, loneliness and frustration burst like a dam. She'd felt the whisper of magic. The call back to the Bone Eater's Well. It had been fleeting, gone now, along with any happy feelings that had been elicited because of Sesshoumaru's surprise presence into her life.

"Stupid," she mumbled, splashing her face with water while bending over the sink. "Stupid, stupid- he was always going to leave."

I shouldn't have gotten attached.

But Kagome was a people person at heart. She'd been afraid. So deathly afraid of getting close to someone and having them leave again. Why had she slipped? Because he would live a long time, just like her?

"That doesn't make him beholden to me- stupid, stupid-"

"Enough."

A jolt shuddered through her system, making Kagome whip her head up to blink at the mirror. Sesshoumaru's reflection lingered in the open doorway behind her, crossing the distance between them as she turned. Lithe fingers ceased her chin. "It is admirable, how hard you have tried to appear unruffled and happy, miko," he muttered lowly. "But you cannot fool my superior senses. I have felt you crying out for pack all this time."

Her expression shuddered, crumbling before his very eyes. "Y-you stayed?" she croaked.

"Naturally," a sharp claw brushed over her jaw gently, collecting the evidence of forgotten tears. "Something I have come to understand over the years is that; One does not abandon pack."

Kagome's breathing hitched, feeling the keen press of a great weight sinking into her chest and rendering her exhausted. Relief. Wilting like a flower, she leaned into his strong frame, burying her face in the warmth of his shoulder. The demon lowered his head slightly, both soaking in the presence and stability of the other for a moment. Her thin shoulders shook, small noises escaping her.

He growled into her hair. "Your idea of remaining unattached does not suit you. Look at yourself, miko. You grew attached to me of all beings," he smirked slightly. "I do not think you can handle remaining separate from people. You love humans too much. And… besides that… I believe it should be you telling me to make the most of the time spent with others, not the other way around. To make bonds, and keep them."

Lifting her head, Kagome brushed the hot trace of tears away and sniffed. "But it hurts," she said in a wobbling tone. "Aren't you scared of outliving Rin and everyone else in the village?"

"I am not afraid. She and her husband have shared many years together, and I will watch over their offspring for generations," he paused, considering. "Though I am...uncertain how I shall process the grief once it comes."

"You're still going back, aren't you?" Kagome murmured.

"Indeed, and you are coming with me."

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Grandpa-"

"We will stay for as long as he lives. After that, you should return home, miko."

Kagome threw him a weary smirk. "And if I refuse?"

"Then, I suppose this one is staying in the Modern Era."

Blue eyes flew wide, fingers curling in his clothes and tightening. She rested her cheek against his shoulder again, letting out a long exhale and calming when his chin rested against the crown of her head.

---

Sesshoumaru did not regret his decision. It was to be just three months before Grandpa passed away in the night. He imagined what would've happened to the miko if he'd left her alone; how she stood together with the other humans at the wake and yet apart. It was the most amount of human's he'd witnessed within the shrine at the same time. Detached via some thin veil, Kagome moved around them like vapour. Cordial and polite, yes, but surface level and unattached. Everyone referred to her as Izumi. No one inquired about her grief.

Souta hugged his sister after the funeral ceremony, and she clung to him. After a little while, however, she lifted her head smiled, letting him go check on his five children.

Sesshoumaru drew close to her side, sweeping his gaze down her black kimono. The colour only brought out the pallor of her skin. He did not speak, but she seemed to read his unspoken question.

"It wasn't as hard as Mama's funeral," she murmured, rubbing her eyes. "I think I'd like to get away from all this for a while though. Wanna come for a drive with me?"

He arched an elegant brow. "You know how to?"

"I got my licence when I was still Kagome Higurashi," she stuck out her tongue. "Souta will let me borrow his car. Come on."

After grabbing the keys, they walked through the graveyard where the remains of cremations had been buried. Passing by a Hinako Higurashi whom Sesshoumaru assumed to be the miko's mother, he stopped upon seeing a certain grave.

'Kagome Higurashi'

He stared, unable to identify what he felt looking at the grave.

"Are you coming?" Kagome called from ahead.

Shaking himself, the demon left it alone, but carried those feelings with him even as he walked away.

---

Driving through the city that night, Kagome tightened her hands on the steering wheel. Despite having lived with Grandpa longer than anyone at the funeral, she just couldn't mourn with the family. Instead of talking about it, she glanced at Sesshoumaru and smiled gently.

"I'm ready to hear about them now."

And he told her, detailing how Inuyasha had fallen in love with a woman who passed through the village one day, about four years after the well had closed. She'd been looking for someone to escort her through dangerous territory. She was not miko nor demon Slayer but a competent hunter who seemed to bear a chip on her shoulder. Inuyasha had gravitated to her like a moth to a flame. Upon their return, they'd announced themselves as a couple and married soon after, two sons following.

Kagome listened, expression wistful. The street lights played over her face as they passed by buildings, her eyes a deep blue, mournful yet pleased at the same time. Sesshoumaru went on to talk about Rin's marriage to Kohaku, Shippo's growth and proficiency in magic, Kaede's passing and Miroku and Sango's fourth child.

They sounded happy, and her heart swelled for them.

Pulling the car over to take a detour down a path on the outskirts of the city, she followed the trail up to a hill that overlooked a harbour. Sitting on the hood together and gazing at the stars, her hand found his.

Ageless attention slid to the miko, who kept her doleful gaze on the heavens. "...Life expectancy isn't very high in the feudal era," she murmured quietly.

He knew her unspoken fears. Going back only to lose her mortal friends within a few years of her return no doubt felt daunting.

Long, deadly fingers shifted to close around hers, holding firmly.

"This one will stay with you," he uttered.

Kagome looked at him, hope starting to coax itself alive in her eyes. "R-really?"

"Hn," the demon rumbled, a vow in his voice. "I will be your constant."

Quelling under the seriousness conveyed in his expression, Kagome exhaled. She touched his shoulder, curling her hand there and smiling shyly, daring to believe him. "Even you'll die one day, Killing Perfection."

A velvety, confident chuckle rumbled out of him. "Not for another 2,000 years or so. Perhaps more. Is that sufficient?"

"I guess it'll have to be," Kagome teased, curling into his side and sighing as his large hand splayed over her back. "When you get close to the end..." she said softly, words a whispered, fragile thing. A vow, just as he'd promised for her. "I'll stop there. When you go, I'll go."

Sesshoumaru glanced down at her, tightening his arm and curling a hand into dark, wild hair. The two continued to bask in one another's energies, faint youki and reiki playing across their skin and weaving in a playful, familiar skitter of auras, finally lacing together firmly like clasped fingers.

Months later, Higurashi Shrine would open to the public again, sold by Souta and allowing the structure to be placed under a new family name.

There was no Izumi Higurashi or mysterious 'Nao' walking around the grounds any more. Tree branches swayed, leaves rustling and falling loose to dance around the forgotten well house, which had been boarded up due to disrepair.

The magic within had finally run completely dry; spent on transporting an immortal miko and prideful demon back home.

End

#Sesskag #Sesshoumaru x Kagome #skw2020 #sesskag week 2020 #Kagome Higurashi #Sesshoumaru

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shinobirain24 · 3 years

Text

Suspicion

(Warning: this fanfic might come with suspense and crime).

A man with tangerine hair and black clothing was sitting in an interrogation room. Handcuffed to a chair with his hands behind his back. And the light shining above him.

While Neptune stood in front of him, glaring at the sight of the criminal before him and slammed his palm on the table. "Tell me why you did it?" He questioned.

"Did what? I didn't do anything." The thug denied. But Neptune wasn't going to leave him easily. Even for a softie. "The little girl you tried to take is my daughter and now you're answering to me. Tell me why you tried to take her, it who sent you?" He repeated.

-Yesterday-

Little Tristina is enjoying a day in the park making Sandcastles in a sandbox with her friends. Including her big brother Tristan. But then a figure appeared. "Hello children, do you want some candy?"

Jupiter, who was looking after his niece and nephew was talking to a friend since Haven Academy. Suddenly heard barking. It was coming from his family pet dog, Cerberus, who was ready to attack the man, and got in front of the children. "Cerberus?!" Called Jupiter.

Then he ran up to the pitbull and calmed him down. "Cerberus, calm down. What's wrong?" Then he turned to Tristan. "The man was trying to take my sister. And Cerberus is protecting us." Said Tristan. Then Jupiter glared at the man. "Hey you! Is this true you're trying to take my niece?!" Interrogated Jupiter.

The man shaken and held his hands out in denial. "N-no! The kid is lying. I was just saying hello!" He lied. But Jupiter wasn't falling for it and could tell his dog if following his instincts of danger. "Really, why is my dog barking at you? He could tell you're not friendly around here." He said. Cerberus growled at the man trying to take his owners. The kids a dog ever loves.

The next thing, the kidnapper tried to run away. But Jupiter catched up to him and tackled him to the ground. And beat him up, but made sure he did not kill him. And took him to the police station his younger brother is working as chief in uniform. "Hey bro. Caught this guy stalking the kids. I'll leave him to you." He informed and the kidnapper was taken into custody.

Good thing Tristan knows a thing or two about strangers as his parents taught him. Fortunately, Cerberus was trained to attack anybody suspicious. If anyone tries to come near the kids for a malicious purpose, that's when he will snap. And the kids' safety is the pitbull's priority.

It got Weiss scared after she was informed with all of this and kept the kids in the house for their safety. And couldn't bear the fact that she almost lost her children.

"Tristina, Tristan, it's okay!" She wept while hugging her younger children. As Tide, her eldest, hugged his mother also. "Mom, don't blame yourself, Cerberus did a good job on following his instincts. Tristina and Tristan are safe thanks to him." Cerberus also came to comfort Weiss. As she stroke his head, gently. "Thank you, Cerberus."

-Today-

Weiss went to check up with her husband in the station. And he came out of the interrogation room. Brushing her hair, nervously. "Anything?" Asked Weiss.

Neptune sighed and brushed his hair back. "Yeah, he finally confessed. Turned out he was hired by the Ashlands, who were once connected to your father. Do you know about them?" Weiss jolted in shock on hearing that name. The Ashlands were once associated with her father, who was CEO of the SDC at the time.

Like her father, they are conniving people who swindled for money, and once time, they destroyed another family's factory when the victims refused to sell their property. "When the guy confessed he was paid 5,000 lien to take Tristina and bring her to them, and use her for a bride of their son for when she is older, as payback on you."

"I feared this would happened. And to think they wouldn't know where I was today. I hoped they would never think of something cruel to our children! My father did crossed the line. Even with him gone, they are still here. Those Ashlands will pay for what they tried to do." Weiss growled. Hating the family who tried to take her daughter against her will.

Neptune then comfort her to not let the pain get to her any further. "I know, I'll make sure they do. For now. We can't stay here. For now, we might have to move. Now that the Ashlands know about us, chances are, they will do it again." Neptune informed after the man revealed they will stop at nothing to get what they wanted.

"You're right. We have to think of the children first. After what happened yesterday, we cannot let that happened again."

"Let's go back home, you need some rest. The kids are waiting for us. I'll be sure to put the Ashlands on a manhunt list." Neptune said. And Weiss nodded in agreement. They then walked out, hand in hand. The man was sentenced to life in prison for kidnapping. "Also, think your sister will be sure to keep on a lookout for the Ashlands?"

"Of course. Maybe this way, they won't hide forever. After all, she's been after that family for years." Weiss said and took her scroll to contact her sister. Since then, the Ashlands became the most wanted criminals all over Remnant.

Tristan has been working on training with Cerberus for commands the next time anyone tried to go after him or his sister. They became an unstoppable team. Man's best friend is no joke. "Nice job, Cerberus." He said.

-7 days later-

The Schnee-Vasilias Family moved into an apartment in Vale. Where Neptune can continue to work as a cop in Vale and keep an eye on things. Weiss installed security cameras in fear their children will be taken. And they made sure the house is secured, including the locks, and the windows.

Tide then decides to work alongside his father for when he is older. Knowing how unsafe the streets were when it comes to invulnerability. And even looked after his siblings.

Weiss is sitting on a sofa with her younger son and daughter. Tristan hugs his mother while Tristina sleeps on Cerberus like a pillow. Feeling safe when he's around. Cerberus had not taken his eyes off the children since the incident. The Ashlands were still at large since then.

"I miss grandma and grandpa, mommy." Said Tristan, missing his grandparents in Mistral since he visits them sometimes. But now he was far from them. "I know, Tristan. But you and your brother and sister needed to be safe first. Okay?" Weiss said in a comforting tone. "Okay."

"Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?" Asked Tristina, waking up after another nightmare. "Did you have a nightmare again?" Asked her mother.

The little girl sniffled in tears. "The bad man tried to take me. It was scawy." Cried the toddler. The white-haired woman then took her daughter in her arms. "It's okay, darling. The bad man won't get you. Your father made sure of it." She promised. Never letting go of her children.

Then Cerberus handed Weiss her scroll as Neptune called. "Good boy, Cerberus." Weiss said and picked up the call. "How is work, Neptune?" Asked Weiss. "Hey honey, is everything okay?" He asked, checking up on his family. "Everything is okay. The kids seemed to have been adjusting to our new home."

"That's great. Listen, Weiss. I am going to be a little late getting home. Can I say hi to the kids before I go?" Asked Neptune. Then Weiss turned to the children. "Do you want to say hi to your daddy?" The kids nodded excitedly. And leaned to the scroll.

"Daddy!" They shouted happily. "Hey there! Did you miss me?" For now, they needed time to cope. And when taking them to school, Weiss and Neptune made sure they get there safely. Tristan then held his sister's hand to keep her safe. Dressed in school uniforms. "Stay safe, and have a nice day!" Waved Weiss.

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy! We love you!" Shouted Tristina, smiling. Weiss had been thinking about homeschooling them, still fearing for the safety of her family. But knows that it will make the children sad if they were kept in isolation and not have any friends.

-13 years later-

There was a session with Professor Goodwitch when he gives lectures about safety. Since the Fall of Beacon Academy from the first downfall. It haunted Glynda for not seeing any signs of traitors around the area.

"And that, students is why we must keep an eye on any signs of suspicion. No matter if it's a friend, family member, or anyone you knew. Especially the people you never met. If you see anyone, and something isn't right. Report to the security building immediately." Glynda said.

Tristan had been working down notes ever since that day his sister was almost taken. Even as a child, he had seen it all. It also traumatized him to this day. Tristina would've been gone had Cerberus not come to their rescue.

"You okay, Tris?" Dana Coal, his best friend and crush, who he is in a friend zone with, asked. In concerns for the well-being. "Yeah, just bad memories flashing."

"Come on, maybe some coffee will get your mind off things."

Later at the Vale Police Station. Tristan and Dana visited Tristan's set brother, Tide to check up on updates about the Ashland Family. "Hey, bro. How's it hanging?"

"Not bad. Is everything alright, Tris?" Asked Tide who was reading the reports of recent events, now that he is police captain. "Yeah, anything about the Ashlands yet?" Asked Tristan. That is when he gave his brother the news.

"The good news is, two of the family members are now cuffed and awaiting trial." Tide informed. Dana also hates that family since the beginning. "And the bad news?" She asked.

"19 of the family members are still at large. Who would've thought that the Ashland Household would be that big?"

"Is Tristie doing okay?" Asked Tristan, concerned for his sister's safety. "Mom called, she enrolled Tristina to Amazon Academy in the Kingdom of Troy." Said Tide.

"You mean an all-girls academy for future huntresses?" Asked Dana. Amazon Academy is a school for girls, it has the highest security in the Kingdom of Troy, another former unknown land where there were cultures of battle stadiums. "Yeah, Mom says it's for the best. This way, she will be safe. The headmistress of the academy is nice, so she was aware of the Ashland case. And made sure Tristie is in good hands."

"Better be good though." Tristan said. Not convinced, but hopes for the better. The next day, Tristan then was about to sleep in his dorm room. And Cerberus nuzzled his leg, missing Tristina. "Hey boy. I missed her too." Cerberus then climbed into his bed and rest. As Tristan smiled and wrapped his arm around him. "Hey, don't worry about me. I'll be just fine."

Cerberus had been attached to Tristan since he was keeping an eye on him. And never left his side since.

#rwby #rwby fanfic #weiss schnee x neptune vasilias #rwby iceberg #rwby icy seas #tristan vasilias #tristina vasilias #tide vasilias #weiss x neptune #weiss schnee #neptune vasilias

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harrenhollaback · 4 years

Text

personal askies

tagged by @thelandofnothing 💜

do you make your bed? lately yes! but the arc of my linen history bends towards mess

what’s your favourite number? 6! when i was little i had a bad habit of counting syllables i heard and doing it until i landed on an even number. i like multiples of 3 and 6 was a way to get that and still land even and yeah. my best friend also sees numbers with personalities and i think 6 is one that’s most like me? : )

what’s your job? papyrus is my passion

can you parallel park? hell yeah and i always back it in otherwise!

a job you’ve had which would surprise people? they’re all not surprising? i’ll say the best thing i designed was flyers for a metal show bc the theme was “apocalyptic winter” and it was a labor barter so i got paid in a gay guitar lesson that i never got around to booking but loved them for it anyway

do you think aliens are real? yes and they’re better than us bc the foreign thing always is

can you drive a manual? no but i’d love to! i wanna drift one day!!

what’s your guilty pleasure? pleasure is not allowed to guilt me but my etsy cart is

tattoos? this past weekend was supposed to be when i’d get my first one in a cute namesake party, rip

favourite colour? it’s always a shade of blue but lately i’ve been obsessed with lavender + tangerine as scent and color combos!

things people do that drive you crazy? exist <-- tara’s answer is so fing funny i can’t lmao. i hate it when i see a bunch of app icons on ppl’s macbook docks or iphone screens!!! hold click and remove PLEEEASE

any phobias? b*gs. animal crossing looked so good to me until you all got on those fear factor islands. absolutely not!!!

favourite childhood sport? tennis! it’s been like a year since i’ve hit tho and i miss the cute grandpa pomeranian duo that’d play fetch next to us

do you talk to yourself? yes when i design i’m constantly begging out loud for photoshop to be nice to me

what movies do you adore? heathers and jawbreaker on repeat until i die

do you like puzzles? yes but the only one i’ve done was the 3D westeros map! it’s a good one! i do have puzzle brain tho, i’m coping w a lot of tetris rn and am going to be first in line for irl escape rooms after this

favourite kind of music? string instruments hit me like nothing else. i fully believe that something in our haplogroup’s been pavlov’d by urhus and guzhengs

tea or coffee? TEEEEA if you don’t get you some LOOSE LEAF TEEEA. but you know what i will also be nice and say dalgona has rights /:

what’s the first thing you remember you wanted to be when you grew up? i wanted to be a cashier bc they pushed all the buttons. once i became an adult on a pos system i was like you dumb bitch lol

tagging @welt-verbessererin @incognitostarkbaratheon @you-would-be-my-lady if you wanna! : )

#*gordon ramsay voice* finally some new fucking questions #not that i don't like The One that boomerangs every three months she's untouchable and i would never never speak against her

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waterchestnut123 · 4 years

Text

CH 4 | To Catch A Turtle Dove

Fandom: One Piece Setting: Victorian AU Genre: Action, Adventure, Humor, Friendship, Romance. Pairings: Law/Nami Rating: M - Mature (for language, drinking and alcohol, death and some moderate gore, other adult themes)

Read on AO3 / Tumblr Chapter Index < Prev | Next >

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Chapter 4: Nojiko and Rebecca

“Half a mast—just floatin’ there in the water off the cliffs!”

“Shipwreck, ya think?”

“That’s what ‘e thinks, least. Up near the northern coast of Flevance.”

Nami leaned against the deck railing of the ferry keeping her absent gaze on the approaching docks, but tuned a curious ear toward the fisherman conversing against the cabin wall behind her.

“Makes sense. Those waters are damn scary. Any survivors?”

“None that ‘e found when ‘e went ta look, though ‘e said ‘e didn’ get too close—you know ‘ow the tide is up there. ‘e did find a piece ‘o hull though. Poor crew musta gotten thrashed on the rocks in that storm th’other day.”

The second man tutted, a protesting squeal from the hinges of the cabin door sounding behind her before the loud thud of it closing, muffled voices continuing through the wall.

She shook her head. It was a right shame, if true—no one deserved to die at the hands of the northern coast. They were the most treacherous waters in all of Grandlin, subject to strong winds, unpredictable tides, hidden rocks, and occasional sheets of ice. She would have to remember to mention it to Robin once she returned home tomorrow, though—the older woman always was oddly fascinated by such morbid stories.

The wind and sea spray began to die down as the ferry approached the Cocoyasi docks, and Nami felt a familiar twinge of homesickness as the deck hand jumped off the boat onto the docks, another shipmate tossing him a rope to secure the craft. The two fisherman and only other passengers—headed to a different island in the chain—returned to the deck, conversation now focused on the falling price of tuna as she pulled away from the rail and made for the short gangplank now being lowered.

Nami stepped carefully down the sloping wood, heels thumping noisily as she landed on the worn dock. It had been at least six months since she’d been here—early summer and sunny with blue skies. Now, though the islands were far warmer than Flevance, still the approach of winter was evident in the grey clouds covering the sun from view and the subtle bite to the air. A gentle breeze pulled at the hair she wore long and loose down her back as she tucked her bag more firmly under her elbow and made her way down the dock and towards the village which raised her.

It was an easy walk up the dirt road, Cocoyasi visible atop the crest of the hill. She gazed at it fondly before turning her head to follow the path she knew lay beyond her sight, from the village’s center to the cliff jutting into the ocean on her left, where her childhood home lay hidden by the trees.

As she approached the village’s small main street two young boys playing a raucous game of tag spotted her. Jonny careened to a halt in the middle of the road, waving enthusiastically in her direction and ignoring his companion who ran headlong into his back.

“Namiii! Welcome back!”

She smiled at the boy, his companion soon spotting her and waving as well. They didn’t wait for her to reach them, instead running up to her, eyes expectant.

“Did you bring us anything from Flevance?”

Yosaku always did cut right to the chase. She laughed lightly, crossing her arms and bringing a finger to her chin.

“Hmmmm… Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. Perhaps if you remind me who the most beautiful woman in all the Conomi islands is, my memory might return…”

“You are!” They shouted in unison, saluting her with practiced ease and wide, appeasing grins. She smiled.

“And don’t you two forget it!”

Hand slipping into her pocket, she tossed each of them a small bag of Sanji’s homemade lemon drops with a wink. “Courtesy of the best chef in the Capitol.”

“Thanks Nami!” they chimed enthusiastically before running off into the trees, giggling. She smiled fondly, watching them settle at the base of an old stump before continuing on to the village.

The main thoroughfare was rather empty, fisherman still out for the day and the women likely tending to lunch. A few who noticed her popped their heads out into the street to say hello, and she cheerfully greeted them in return.

She reached her first stop quickly, stepping up to the small clinic at the end of town. Inside Nako sat at his desk on the far side of the room, oblivious to her entrance until the door swung shut with a thump. He looked up and smiled upon seeing her, waving her over.

“Ah, Nami! Good to see you—it’s been a while!”

She smiled, striding towards the desk.

“Hey Nako. How are you?”

He stood and offered her a hug before settling into his chair, sitting back as he observed her leaning against the desk.

“Ah, I’m quite well. Here about Nojiko I presume?”

“Yes—how has she been doing? Are her tests looking any better with the new medication?”

The jovial look on Nako’s face fell slightly, and he sighed. Nami felt her own smile fall as well.

“Well… she’s not worse. It’s difficult to say she’s doing much better, though.”

Nami nodded with a small sigh, reaching into her bag.

“I suspected as much. Any outstanding payments due?”

Nako nodded, reaching for his ledger and flipping through it.

“Ah, not too much. 300 Belli. I was going to go up there this afternoon to collect it, actually.”

Nami smiled wryly. “Well, I’ll save you a trip, then.”

She counted out the bills and set them on his desk.

“Are you heading up there now?” he inquired, turning for a drawer.

“Next stop.”

“Could you bring her this? I wanted to start her on a vitamin supplement. I worry she’s not eating enough. In fact… if its not too much, make her lunch while you’re there? I think she could use a good meal.”

Nami reached for the bottle of white powder, tucking it and a proffered measuring spoon into her bag.

“One spoonful in a meal or drink a day.” He instructed.

“I’ll pass that on,” she responded, looking up to hold his gaze meaningfully. “Thank you, Nako.”

He smiled kindly, standing to escort her as she headed for the door.

“Anything for you girls. You take care now, you hear?”

“You too.”

She bid him farewell, waving as she stepped back out onto the road and took a side path up the cliff to the cottage.

A sea breeze blew in off the water, the scent of salt filling her nostrils, and she tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind her ear, thoughts far away. Nojiko could really use more help. Nami was already making the budget stretch fantastically to accommodate employing Chabo to maintain the tangerine grove for her; and Rebecca’s expenses were ever growing…

She let out a familiar sigh. The answer was the same as it had always been.

They needed more money.

Almost before she realized it the small cottage was looming before her and she shook her head to clear her troubled thoughts, putting on a cheerful smile. Aunties should always be smiling. Straightening, she knocked firmly on the door and soon Genzo answered, a bouncing, giggling Rebecca on his shoulders.

“Ah, Nami! Good to see you! Come in, come in!”

He smiled broadly, standing aside as Rebecca began animatedly attempting to wriggle out of Genzo’s hold.

“Nami! Nami! Nami!” she chanted and Nami laughed, turning to the excited toddler.

“Becka! Becka! Becka!” Nami chanted right back, a finger rising to tap the girl on the nose, eliciting a delighted squeal.

Genzo chuckled, closing the door and shepherding her into the small living room where Rebecca’s efforts to reach for Nami finally became too much for the older man. With a huff, he reached up and lifted her, extending her to Nami’s waiting arms.

“Nami!” squealed the girl, and Nami laughed.

“Rebecca!” she echoed, giving the girl a tight hug.

“Dids a bwing pwesents?” the girl inquired with wide eyes, and Nami tutted.

“Little girl, I think you’re getting spoiled!”

“Spoiled gets pwesents?” she inquired seriously, and Genzo laughed.

“I did warn you Nami,” he opined with amusement, plopping down onto the living room sofa with an exhausted huff.

Nami chuckled, setting Rebecca on the floor and kneeling before her while digging through her bag.

“Well, miss Rebecca, I do have a present—but only for polite little girls who say please and thank you,” she said sternly, lifting a small, gently worn doll from within the confines of her bag and shaking it gently. Rebecca’s eyes popped and she immediately stilled, hands fisting the dirty pinafore atop her over-sized blue dress.

“Auntie can I pwease has my pwesent?” she inquired with careful effort, and Nami struggled to keep a straight face.

“That’s better,” she said approvingly as she extended the doll towards her. It was snatched with excited hands, held briefly at arm’s length for a quick examination before being clutched tightly to her chest.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squealed excitedly as she jumped up and down, and Nami finally allowed her grin free.

“You’re very welcome. Why don’t you go play with your new dolly in your play corner while Grandpa Genzo and I talk, hm? I’ll make us lunch, too.”

“Okay!” she answered excitedly, before running to a corner of the living room where a stack of wooden blocks and worn children’s books lay in a heap. Nami let out an affectionate sigh before standing and turning to Genzo, who looked ready to fall asleep.

“I take it Nojiko’s resting?” she inquired over Rebecca’s excitable burbling.

Eyelids drooping, Genzo nodded, letting out a weary breath.

“Rebecca insisted on playing tag in the grove this morning. Drove Chabo absolutely nuts,” he chuckled, “Really wore me out, too.”

Nami nodded with understanding. Rebecca was… quite energetic at times.

“Why don’t you take a nap. I’ll watch Rebecca and make us all lunch, and wake you when its ready.”

Gen’s eyes were already starting to close when he murmured appreciatively, “You’re a godsend, Nami.”

She chuckled, twirling on her heel and heading for the kitchen.

The kitchen was better stocked than she expected but less well stocked than she would have preferred. Eying the available ingredients in the pantry, she selected materials for a basic chicken noodle soup. Rebecca, thankfully, played quietly in her corner for the duration of the soup’s cook time, and when she finally wandered into the kitchen having exhausted the novelty of her new doll, Nami was ready to set the table.

“Take these and put one in front of each chair,” she instructed, handing the girl four rolled up napkins. She nodded seriously, toddling off to the table and struggling to reach up to its surface, dutifully placing a napkin at each setting. Nami finished the rest, strapping the girl into her third-hand high chair with a selection of peeled tangerine slices as she went to wake Genzo. But as she passed the hall, she caught sight of Nojiko stumbling out of the bedroom, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Spotting Nami, she grinned broadly, affect immediately cheering.

“I thought I heard your voice,” she said affectionately, crossing the distance to give her adopted sister a hug. Nami held her tightly in return, noting with some displeasure the boniness of her shoulders.

“I made lunch. Table is already set, why don’t you go sit down? I’m just going to wake Gen from his nap.”

Palpable relief flashed briefly in her eyes and she nodded. As Nojiko headed for the kitchen Nami headed for the living room, finding Gen lying exactly where she’d left him, head resting at an odd angle against the back of the sofa with his mouth hanging open, softly snoring. She repressed a snort, gently kicking his shoe with the toe of her boot.

“Lunch is ready, Gen. Up-and-at-em.”

He snorted and jerked, sitting up blearily and bringing a hand to rub his eyes.

“Lunch?” he inquired hoarsely, and she nodded.

“Come get it while it’s hot.”

He followed her into the kitchen, the two of them sitting at their respective place settings as the older man insisted upon saying Grace for the occasion—to which Nojiko and Nami grudgingly complied. It was difficult to say no to the closest thing they had to a father when it mattered so much to him and was such a trifling matter to them—especially when they all three saw each other so rarely.

The meal was a warm and peaceful affair, with Rebecca making a proper mess and Genzo being rewarded with a tangerine to the face (an event which left both Nami and Rebecca in a fit of giggles). However, soon the skies began to dim, and Genzo was due to depart for his rounds about the village. Nojiko lifted Rebecca from her chair, excusing herself to put the girl down for her afternoon nap, and Nami saw the old policeman to the door.

“It was good to see you, Nami,” he said as he pulled on his coat, the cooling outside air seeping in as he tugged on the door. “Don’t work yourself too hard, you hear?” Nami smiled as she pulled him in for a hug, tugging the blanket from the couch around her arms more tightly in the chill.

“I could say the same to you. And hey—” she interrupted, sticking her head out the door to glance up at the sky, “Bring an umbrella with you tonight. It should start raining a little after sundown.”

Genzo simply shook his head, smiling, as he donned his cap.

“It’s creepy how you do that, you know.”

Nami rolled her eyes but couldn’t help her smile. “You’ll thank me later, like you always do. Have a good night, Gen. And thanks for looking after Nojiko and Rebecca for me.”

“Anything for you girls,” he replied warmly, tipping his hat before heading out the door.

Sliding the deadbolt into place, Nami returned to the kitchen to gather their plates, replacing the blanket around her shoulders with an apron before starting on the dishes. She was in the middle of scrubbing some dried on tangerine flesh from Rebecca’s plate when Nojiko returned, taking a seat at the table with a tired sigh.

“I see you’ve been spoiling your niece again. She took her new dolly with her to sleep,” she commented with amusement.

Nami let out a quiet laugh. “I wouldn’t be a good auntie if I didn’t.”

Nojiko smiled as Nami set the now sparkling plate onto the rack, drying her hands before turning back to the table where her bag hung from the corner of her chair. She reached for it, taking a seat and digging through the contents. Pulling out a fat stack of bills and the bottle of vitamin powder. She slid both across the table.

“I stopped off at Nako’s on my way up and paid off your outstanding balance. He told me to bring you this,” she said gesturing to the bottle. “It’s a vitamin powder; take one scoop full every day in a meal or drink.”

Nojiko eyed the items a moment before pulling both towards her.

“Lunch, money, and errands? I take it back, you’re not just spoiling Rebecca you’re spoiling me too.”

“Nonsense,” Nami scoffed, folding her arms and leaning back in her chair. “It’s hardly spoiling you if it only puts food on the table.”

Nojiko flipped through the stack quietly before pocketing it, offering her a wry smile. It had been only in the past year Nami had managed to get Nojiko to take the money without question or fuss.

A comfortable silence lapsed between them before Nojiko spoke again. “Will you be spending the night? Rebecca would love to spend more time with you if you’re able.”

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Never,” Nojiko insisted with a smile, making to stand. “I’ll go get your bed ready.”

Nami stood quickly, gesturing firmly for Nojiko to sit. “Ah, ah—I’ve got it. You relax, I’ll go turn down the sheets.”

Nojiko looked like she might object a moment, but then suddenly swayed gently on her feet and sat back down.

“If you insist, I suppose,” she acquiesced.

“Always,” Nami said with a wink, turning and heading down the short hall.

Their old room was largely as she’d left it so many years ago—spartan and unadorned, the sheets stacked and folded neatly in the scuffed wooden dresser. She grabbed them and brought them to the bare mattress, but there she stilled, setting them at the foot of the bed before slowly sitting down next to them with a sigh. Finally, briefly, she let the smile she’d kept in place all afternoon fall. She leaned back on her hands, staring up at the cracked and peeling paint of the ceiling before closing her eyes wearily. Nojiko and Rebecca needed so much more than they had.

Three more days. Three more days, then she’d rob that ball blind. She set her shoulders before opening her eyes and standing to make the bed.

For Nojiko. Nojiko and Rebecca.

-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-

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datheetjoella · 6 years

Text

The Sweet Taste of Tangerines

Author: DatHeetJoella Fandom: Free! Pairing: MakoHaru Rating: T Chapter: 1/5 Word count: 4,824 Summary: The wide smile that had been painting his face turned a little more subdued as Makoto stared into the vast ocean of Haruka's eyes, though that didn't make it any less genuine. His mouth couldn't keep smiling forever, but his heart definitely could and he knew that as long as he had Haruka by his side, the enormous smile inside his chest would never wilt or fade away. And he didn't need to say anything aloud because could easily read the understanding and reciprocation in that sea of beauty, a tiny smile tugging at Haruka's pink lips as well.

"Haru-chan, I found you," Makoto murmured with remnants of disbelief, making it sound like they had been playing a game of hide-and-seek for these past couple of years and that he had started to lose hope but had never stopped looking.

The most important moments of the development of Makoto and Haruka's relationship tied together by a piece of fruit.

Notes: Happy Gift Exchange everyone! This fic is a gift for @rosieharu. When I read in your request that you liked soulmate AUs, I knew I had to write one because I love soulmate AUs so much, so I really hope you like this.

I do have to mention that this is a multichaptered fic and this is only the first chapter out of five. Because I want to keep things brief in this post, I elaborated on AO3 why this is a multichapter instead of a one-shot. I really hope you don’t mind it!

Anyway, I really hope you’ll enjoy this fic!

Read at: AO3 - FFn - or here.

Chapter 1: 4 & 5

The sun was shining brightly, hot rays beaming down to illuminate the land, but Makoto was sitting safely in the shadow on the back porch, excitedly swinging his little legs beneath him. Summer vacation had just started and he could barely contain his enthusiasm for all the adventures that were still unknown yet that were undoubtedly going to take place over the course of the next few weeks. Butterflies of anticipation were roaming through his belly because he knew that no matter what they were going to do, it was going to be so much fun. Maybe his parents would take him fishing sometime, or maybe they would even go to an amusement park together with his grandparents. The possibilities were endless and Makoto already couldn’t wait.

“Here, Mako-chan.”

The warm voice of his mother pulled him from his pondering and he looked up at her. She smiled softly at him before she handed him a small bowl filled with slices of tangerine that she just peeled and he eagerly accepted it. “Thanks!” he said with a wide grin and he didn’t waste a second before grabbing one of the pieces and biting into it. The sweet taste immediately spread through his mouth and he closed his eyes in delight as he happily munched on his fruity treat.

Although summer wasn’t exactly the peak season for tangerines, Makoto’s sweet tooth caused for him to have a very particular preference when it came to fruits and vegetables. There weren’t many types that he liked yet, but his parents still wanted him to get his vitamins from as many different sources as possible and if buying off-season tangerines that were a tad more expensive than they were in the winter was the way to accomplish this, then they’d gladly do it. Anything for their little sweetheart.

As with most things, Makoto was far too young to be aware of this and simply enjoyed the warm afternoon with the refreshing piece of fruit. To revel in this moment with her son to the fullest, Mrs. Tachibana sat down beside him and she gently stroked her hand through his hair to get it out of his face a bit.

Silence wrapped around them, the gentle summer breeze sweeping along the rays of sunshine to brush against their toes and the familiar scent of the ocean only added to the overall atmosphere of tranquility. Yet Mrs. Tachibana detected that there wasn’t solely tranquility in the air; a small buzz of jitteriness disturbed the calmness and she couldn’t help but note that it was coming from right beside her. Although it wasn’t odd for Makoto to be energetic and enthusiastic, especially considering his first summer vacation since starting kindergarten had just begun, right then he was emitting a certain kind of restlessness that she had never felt coming from him before.

Makoto himself didn’t seem to be very bothered by it, if he had even acknowledged it at all, which only made her more curious. He didn’t even notice his mother’s eyes on him; he simply lifted another slice to his mouth and sank his teeth in it, chewing thoughtlessly. Watching him closely did pay off, since she was able to catch even the smallest shift in his demeanour and that immediately explained the unusual vibe.

When Makoto was about to put the second half of the piece into his mouth, he halted because he felt strange tingles on the inside of his left wrist. This foreign sensation caught Makoto’s full attention and the tangerine piece in his hand was completely forgotten as he peered at his skin, mouth still hanging open. Slowly, the outline of what looked like a small fish formed on his wrist, making him gasp softly in surprise while simultaneously making his eyebrows knit together in confusion.

Unlike Makoto, his mother was well-aware of what was going on and it took all of her strength to repress her chuckles at his cute face. Deciding to play along, she innocently asked, “Is something wrong, Mako-chan?”

“Mommy, look!” Makoto exclaimed as he held out his arm to show her. “There’s a fish on my arm!”

A gentle smile graced her features as she admired the drawing on her son’s arm. Having known that this day would inevitably come, she had always wondered what the first word or image that appeared on her little boy’s skin would be. Judging by the look of the small black fish, Makoto’s soulmate was assumably around his age, perhaps a tiny bit older. Regardless, it was absolutely adorable and it warmed her heart, already feeling excited on her son’s behalf. “That’s a drawing your soulmate made.”

Green eyes widened in a mix of curiosity, astonishment, and lingering confusion. “My soulmate?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Tachibana affirmed with her unwavering smile, “I’ve told you about soulmates before, remember? We all have a soulmate, someone who will always be there for us; who will love us and support us no matter what.”

“Oh yeah!” Makoto said, a small flame of recognition lighting up in his eyes. “Like you and Daddy, and Grandma and Grandpa, right?”

“That’s right,” she replied, unable to suppress a tiny snort of amusement at his sudden interest. Although she knew that children’s minds were like sponges and could rapidly absorb and retain information, it honestly wouldn’t have surprised her if Makoto hadn’t remembered it since it wasn’t like they had ever had a formal talk about it before, just some off-handed mentions whenever the situation called for them. “Anything we draw or write on our skin will automatically appear on their skin as well.”

Upon hearing those words, Makoto averted his gaze to look at the drawing again before he looked back up at his mother. “Why is that?”

Inquisitive as always, but Mrs. Tachibana couldn’t exactly say that she minded it. On the contrary, she would gladly feed his curiosity, though it wasn’t like she had the answers to all of the universe’s countless questions. Still, just because she didn’t, that didn’t mean that she couldn’t try to explain things the way she saw them.

“I don’t really know,” she started truthfully, since the science behind the whole soulmate-aspect of life hadn’t exactly been uncovered just yet. But for things that were yet to be discovered by science, folklore was born to explain the inexplicable. “It’s said that people are made two at a time and that is why soulmates exist. And with our soulmate, our soul is shared, our hearts are connected, and our skin is linked.”

“I see,” Makoto mumbled under his breath and she could practically see the gears turning in his head as he tried to comprehend what she had told him. When he had processed her words and interpreted them in the most logical way to him, he asked, “So if I fall and hurt my knee, their knee will hurt too?”

That made Mrs. Tachibana laugh lightly. “No, it doesn’t work like that.”

“But our skin is linked, isn’t it?”

“Well, yes,” she muttered, trying to figure out how to appease her son’s curiosity as much as she could without sweeping it under the rug. After all, he did raise a valid point. Unfortunately, not everything that existed and happened automatically made sense per definition, and this subject was no exception. Not wanting to get too far into a topic that was already complicated enough as it was, she reasoned it wasn’t too bad to keep things light for now. So she simply shrugged and said, “But we wouldn’t want our soulmate to be in pain just because we have pain, right?”

“Of course not!” Makoto immediately blurted, not wanting his mother to think that he meant it that way. The fact that there was someone out there, someone who he hadn’t even met yet, who would always be there for him and who loved him no matter what made him feel warm and cherished and special, and he wouldn’t ever want to take their kindness for granted like that. If anything, it made him want to do something back for them. “But if they hurt their knee and sharing it with me made it hurt less for them, then I’d do it!”

The sincerity was vibrant in his eyes and Mrs. Tachibana swore she could feel her heart melting on the spot. “That’s very kind of you, Mako-chan,” she said, her smile softening even further in affection, “but I think your soulmate wouldn’t want you to be in pain for them either. Look, they even drew a fish on their wrist to catch your attention,” she trailed off despite there not really being any correlation between the two, because she saw it as a good opportunity to divert the conversation from the topic of how soulmates worked back to her son’s actual soulmate. “Why don’t you draw something too so they know you saw it?”

That suggestion made Makoto light up, like he had never even considered the possibility of drawing something back and he beamed an agreement. It was at that moment that he remembered the piece of tangerine in his hand and he quickly popped it into his mouth before he jumped up and ran back inside to look for the nearest pen or pencil. The first thing he found was a blue marker from when he was colouring before that he had apparently missed when he had put the others away. Deeming it good enough, he grabbed it before bolting right back outside to where his mother was waiting.

The remaining tangerine wedges were completely forgotten as Makoto sat back down on the porch and uncapped the marker. Staring at the little black fish outline on his wrist, Makoto wondered what he should draw in return. Usually he would have asked his mother for her input, but there was something inside of him that refrained him from doing so now; a quiet voice in the back of his head that urged him to think of something himself. And although his imagination was very vivid and colourful, he now had a little more trouble coming up with ideas of what he could draw and he didn’t know why. It was most likely the unconscious need to give his soulmate a good first impression of him - after all, he wouldn’t want them to think his drawing was silly or stupid - but the whole concept of having a soulmate and being able to communicate with them via his skin was far too exciting to make his insecurities bubble up into the foreground of his mind.

After a few seconds of deep contemplation, Makoto decided that he would draw a little fish too. He wouldn’t want the fish that his soulmate drew to get lonely, so if he drew a fish alongside of it, they could be friends! Two friends swimming together in the ocean of their linked skin. It sounded like a great idea, because Makoto really wanted his soulmate to be his friend too and he couldn’t think of a better way to accomplish it than this.

Mind made up, Makoto put the marker down on his wrist and scribbled on his skin. Now there were two fish on his arm; one black and the other blue, roughly the same size with the exception of the blue fish’s lines being a little thicker. Granted, Makoto’s fish wasn’t as pretty as the one his soulmate drew - his soulmate’s fish looked very nice while drawing had never been his strongest point - and in any other situation, that would have made him feel a bit embarrassed and maybe even a bit inferior. But there wasn’t any time for those emotions to well up because it only took another second for the tingles to return and another fish-outline appeared on the other side of Makoto’s blue fish.

“Mommy, look!” he yelped excitedly, “They drew another fish!”

Before Mrs. Tachibana even had the chance to look, let alone respond, Makoto had already withdrawn his arm in favour of scribbling a fish in return. His eagerness about the whole situation made her smile once more and she reached up her hand to ruffle his brown locks again. She understood the overwhelming surge of emotion very well, since she remembered herself having been just as excited when she first experienced the skin-link between her future husband and herself. Now she only hoped that Makoto’s soulmate would be just as wonderful and kind to him as his father always was to her. Though something inside her gut told her that wouldn’t be an issue in the slightest.

It didn’t take long until his soulmate had drawn another fish in response and soon they were taking turns doodling on their arms, always waiting for the other to finish before they drew another one themselves. In the meanwhile Makoto asked his mother all kinds of questions about his soulmate’s identity. They were mostly rhetorical because he understood that his mother didn’t know who they were yet either, but he felt the need to express and vocalise his wonders and Mrs. Tachibana merrily chatted along with him. She said that whoever they were, they were certainly right-handed too since they were both drawing on their left arms, they were assumably around his age, and they apparently loved to draw fish.

There weren’t many things that Makoto knew about his soulmate, but there was one thing he knew for sure. Although he hadn’t met them yet, he already loved them with all his heart.

As the afternoon progressed, more and more parts of his skin were covered in black and blue ink. Throughout the entire process, not once did his elation waver when he felt the tingles that were quickly growing to be familiar on the next part of his arm and another little fish appeared in their school. After a while, Makoto noticed that they were running out of skin and that concerned him. He didn’t want his soulmate to think that he was ignoring them, so he pondered on what he should do to solve this issue.

It was his turn to draw again and his eyes wandered back to the very first fish that had appeared on the inside of his wrist. Even in the sea of all the other little fish, Makoto knew that this was the first one and simply looking at it spread a funny feeling through his tummy. Although he loved every single one that his soulmate had drawn, this fish was special and he thought it therefore deserved that bit of extra attention and care.

Suddenly, he knew what to do. Drawing had never been his strongest point, but he was much better at colouring. So he put his marker down in the middle of the outline and coloured it in, trying his very best to stay within the lines that his soulmate had put down for him. When he pulled away to observe his work, he saw that he had accidentally skimmed over the lines a bit, but it wasn’t too bad so he was pretty satisfied with it. Now he only hoped that his soulmate would also like it.

He didn’t have to wait long until he felt an eye and a mouth appear on the fish and an enormous smile stretched his own mouth at the sight of it. But before he had the chance to respond, his soulmate did what they hadn’t done before: they didn’t wait for Makoto’s turn, but instead drew a black outline around the blue fish right next to it, the first one that Makoto had drawn. This only made Makoto more ecstatic, knowing that they were on the same page, and he coloured the fish in completely before his soulmate added the facial features on this fish too.

And that was how they continued; his soulmate would draw a black outline wherever it was needed, Makoto coloured it in and then his soulmate would give the fish a kind expression. They easily fell into this rhythm, a comfortable pace they established without any further communication. Like two bodies in perfect harmony. Because of this, Makoto didn’t have a hard time believing that what his mother had told him earlier was true, about his soulmate and he having been created at the same time, because he had never felt this connected to someone before in his life and he hadn’t even met them yet; he hadn’t met them yet, but he felt like he knew and understood them like no other.

There was not a single doubt in his mind. His soulmate and he were meant to be.

When his father came home from work later that day, Makoto didn’t waste a second before he jumped up to greet him at the door. “Daddy, Daddy! Guess what?” he yelled excitedly, immediately babbling on without giving his father a chance to mutter as much as a greeting, “My soulmate drew a fish on their arm so I drew a fish too and then they drew another one and we spent the entire afternoon drawing fish but then there was no skin left to draw on so-”

“Woah, woah!” Mr. Tachibana interrupted with a hearty chuckle. “Slow down a little, Mako-chan,” he said as he put on his slippers and stepped out of the genkan and he lifted his son into his arms. “Let’s go inside so we can sit down and then you can tell me all about your soulmate and the fish.”

Makoto nodded in agreement and wrapped his arms around his father’s neck as he allowed him to carry him inside, grin from ear to ear still plastered on his adorable face. When Mr. Tachibana entered the living room, he quickly greeted his wife with a kiss on her cheek and then he pulled out a chair and sat down, placing Makoto in his lap. Knowing that he couldn’t wait any longer, Mr. Tachibana smiled at him again and asked him what had happened.

The enthusiasm from earlier had lingered and Makoto gave his father a rundown of the entire afternoon with the same kind of fervor that had been buzzing through his body all day. Some parts were told out of order and a little incohesively, but Mr. Tachibana just let him go on without asking for an explanation and just added some commentary whenever it was needed as he admired the handiwork of his son and his soulmate. It wasn’t too hard to put the pieces of the puzzle together himself, and he would ask his wife later to fill in the gaps of Makoto’s story that were too unclear to make his own conclusions on.

“Did you take pictures?” Mr. Tachibana offhandedly asked his wife once she sat down at the table with them.

“Of course I did,” she answered without missing a beat. After all, the first interaction between soulmates was special and it would be a shame if such a memory went lost without documentation or commemoration, especially since Makoto was still so young. “But unfortunately I didn’t get the chance until they were done so I only have pictures of the end result.”

“Oh yeah!” Makoto piped in, “When all the fish were done, they drew a smiley face on their hand, and I thought that was weird since we were only drawing fish with smiles, so I drew a smiley face too, look!” He pointed at the two little faces on the palm of his hand. “And then they didn’t draw anything anymore, so I think that they had to stop and told me with the smiley face.”

“That’s very nice of them; they probably didn’t want you to think they were ignoring you,” his father remarked, running his fingertips over the faces on Makoto’s tiny palm, enticing soft giggles from his lips.

“Daddy, that tickles!”

Always in for a bit of teasing, Mr. Tachibana mumbled, “Oh really? You know what also tickles?” When Makoto looked up at him with large, questioning eyes he said, “This!” and started to tickle him with one hand while holding him with the other to ensure he wouldn’t fall off his lap or hurt himself otherwise.

Almost immediately loud laughter erupted from Makoto’s belly and he frantically tried to swat his father’s hand away from his side. “Daddy, stop!” he pleaded through his squealing giggles, and Mr. Tachibana only continued for a few more seconds until he granted him mercy. He was only in the mood for a bit of teasing after all.

“They probably had to go eat dinner,” Makoto’s mother cut in, directing the attention back to the subject from before the little tickling intermission, “and we do too, so if you both can go wash your hands then dinner will be served in a second!”

The promise of Mrs. Tachibana’s delightful cooking was enough to snap both father and son back to attention and they instantly got up to do as they were told.

But no matter how delicious the food that his mother had prepared was, Makoto found his thoughts continuously drifting off during dinner, completely missing the conversation his parents were trying to engage him in because he was too preoccupied with staring at the ocean on his arm. After a few attempts his parents decided to let him be, though his mother did remind him of the steadily declining temperature of his food if he didn’t finish it soon. They didn’t think much more of it because they perfectly understood Makoto’s fascination and the overwhelming emotion that came along with the first buds of affection for his soulmate sprouting inside his heart. Knowing that these buds would only multiply and blossom throughout the future, they let him process this new experience by himself, the way he needed to.

This was a very special day for Makoto, but it certainly was for them too. Their son, the personification of their love and the fruit of their soulbond, was going to develop a relationship like theirs with a person whose identity was yet to be revealed, yet who was undoubtedly someone who complimented Makoto in every aspect. Even though it was destined to be like that since their creation, it was truly beginning now.

And seeing these early beginnings playing out before them made them reminisce about their own start, from the first interaction to the first meeting when the fully-bloomed flowers inside them first began to grow. Although neither of them had said anything aloud, one look from brown to green confirmed their shared thoughts and matching smiles of adoration for both each other and their little boy naturally stretched their lips.

Their ride on this emotional rollercoaster had reached a place where it was steady, high up in the air with their heads in the clouds as they enjoyed their everyday lives standing side by side, truly together in every sense of the word. But Makoto had just gotten on, he hadn’t even fully left the station yet and the ride ahead of him was completely unknown. Regardless, he was excited, filled with childlike oblivion towards the bumps and sharp turns that might be waiting on him and only saw the clouds in the sky where his parents resided.

Of course, it wasn’t that simple; the relationship with your soulmate wasn’t automatically all sunshine and rainbows just because you were meant to be together. In reality, there were still a lot of hardships that could put strain on even the strongest of bonds and there had to be conscious effort and devotion from all the involved parties in order to coexist lovingly and peacefully, the way that was intended. But once that balance was found and maintained, it was nothing short of absolutely wonderful, a relationship in which both parties brought out the best in each other and in themselves. An inviolable sanctuary built on unconditional love and support, of mutual respect and dedication.

Even though their blindfolds were still on in regards to Makoto’s rollercoaster ride and they couldn’t do anything but wait until they were taken off, as they watched the elated smile that was painted on his face as he studied the artwork on his arm, something told Mr. and Mrs. Tachibana that Makoto and his soulmate were going to be just fine. And they were so excited to be spectators of their son’s journey.

But then the bright, rosy-coloured vision of the future was tainted when they heard a small gasp escape Makoto’s lips and the jubilation he emitted vanished within a second and made place for a concerned, almost pained frown.

“Mako-chan, what’s wrong?” his father asked, unable to keep his voice clear from worry at the sudden shift in his little boy’s demeanour.

“It’s gone!” he said as he held out his arm so his parents could see, completely distraught. “It’s all going away!”

The outline of the little fish on the inside of Makoto’s left wrist that had started it all was gone and the other black lines that adorned his skin were rapidly fading away until nothing but the blue insides remained.

As she saw tears welling up in those lively green eyes, Mrs. Tachibana realised she had forgotten to tell Makoto that unlike on paper, the drawings made on skin weren’t permanent. “It’s alright, Mako-chan,” she tried to console him, “that just means they’re taking a bath right now. This is normal.”

“But I don’t want it to go away,” Makoto protested. The precious fish that his soulmate and he had spent so much time on were special to him, it was the proof of their connection and a sign that somewhere out there, his soulmate existed and was thinking of him. Although he had only known about it for a few hours, the thought if it disappearing again was harrowing and made him feel cold and empty inside.

“I understand that,” his mother murmured as she got up from her seat and walked over to him to comfort him. She lifted him up and took place in his chair so she could hold him against her chest. “But if it never goes away, then you can never draw something new. Wouldn’t it be sad if you couldn’t talk to them like this anymore because your skin was all full?”

“Yeah,” he agreed as he sniffed deeply, trying his best to keep his tears from spilling over, “but still.”

“Just because you can’t see the lines anymore, that doesn’t mean they’re not there,” Mrs. Tachibana tried, putting him down in her lap so she could look him in the eyes. “They’ll always stay with you, right here,” she said as she tapped the tip of her finger against his chest, “in your heart. The fish that you and your soulmate drew will live on forever inside of you.”

“But if you still want to see the lines,” Mr. Tachibana added, “then you can take a picture of it so you can look at it whenever you want.”

“Really?” Makoto questioned, sounding a lot more hopeful yet with some remnants of doubt coating his voice.

“Really,” his mother affirmed, smiling gently at him before lightly kissing his temple as she wiped a stray tear from his cheek. “So how about we finish dinner now and then I’ll show you the pictures of the fish after dinner. And then I’ll make you a bath too just like your soulmate had, and then you can draw something new for them tomorrow, alright?”

Those words seemed to have impact as a small smile appeared on his face again when his soulmate was mentioned, and the smile morphed into a wide grin at the notion of being able to draw something for them again. “Alright!” he echoed, and his mother pressed another kiss against his head before she got up and put him down in the chair again.

Makoto had never finished his dinner as quickly as he did that night.

But when the need for seeing pictures of the ocean on his arm in its original state was satiated and Mrs. Tachibana was giving Makoto a bath, she realised that in her eagerness and excitement on her son’s behalf, she had made a mistake.

As she ran a washcloth over his arm, the blue smudges that covered it weren’t disappearing, they were only growing a little vaguer. Instead of grabbing a pen or marker that was designed for skin-use like his soulmate had done, Makoto had used one of his regular markers and those wouldn’t immediately wash away with just some water and soap. She should have informed him about it, but she had honestly forgotten in the heat of the moment and while Makoto didn’t mind it in the slightest, she still felt guilty. Therefore, she sent a mental apology to Makoto’s soulmate and their family for her stupidity.

Now she only hoped that her error wouldn’t negatively influence anyone’s view on her son.

#mhgiftexchange2018 #makoharu #makoharu fic #i'm sorry i'm stupid #my fic #the sweet taste of tangerines #rosieharu #i posted this on ao3 can i tag you as twinkiecas on there so it's in the gift section??#gahhhhh i'm full of emotion right now i really hope you'll like it!!!!

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ariesfmd · 6 years

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self-paragraph; 𝒽𝑜𝓅𝓈𝒸𝑜𝓉𝒸𝒽 | wrd count - 932 ⚜

He’s always liked waking up. The bed-sheets that smell like almonds, his pillow smelling like last night’s aftershave that he’s run out of by now, and even his chapped lips and swollen cheeks righteously are pillow-marked. He could do without the tambourine rattling in his head and the pretense of slight hairs growing in on his legs, the tingle at the back of his throat and the rims of his eyes reminding him of his allergies, but it’s a reminder of his humanity and the dulling musk of yesterday’s cologne that hasn’t quite lost itself to the tendrils of his tangled sheets quite yet. Everything under the blistered morning sky after a dreamless night moves like the static between his toes and tugs feebly like the skin on his back, bruised like a peach and hissing with all the lactic acid he breaks up as he stretches the muscles in it.

He wonders. His head cocks like a fly and he sits on a stem, the apple in his eyes; a white mug, it sits on his bedside table. Is it safe to swear by if there’s a white film building on it like Charlotte’s web? He read that book a lot in Japan. Why couldn’t he remember the lukewarm cup of sake he’d shared with that tavern grandpa instead? Of all the pictures he had to sign, why’d he have remember that? The ink dying in his felt-tip pen hurt more than his dying memory. It wasn’t even fuchsia like he’d asked for. Was anything like he’d ever asked for?

No panel at KCON last week answered any questions like that.

Rapunzel’s mom didn’t let her go outside and Little Miss Muffet sat on a tuffet, but all Areya did was brush the apple cider vinegar taste of morning breath out of his mouth and walk the edges of the hallway to avoiding crack and wheezes, Mom’s dead so her back’s never been a problem, as to not make any noise and bother himself with someone else waking up. He doesn’t feel famous right now. He has a milk mustache that dribbles onto his upper lip, his stubble’s already growing back so it tickles, and he didn’t put on any toner this morning. It’s a small rebellion and victory for the proletariat. His gums laugh at that, since he didn’t floss hard enough to make them bleed this time.

It’s raining when he sneaks outside and puts his raincoat on. The annoying squelch of the vinyl pockets remind him to come back before the manager updates them and his phone falls off the bedside table from all the vibrating, or worse, the sugary cup of milk does. It’s safe he’s sure. The suspension it in was just from all the sugar, the sugar that he used up and left everybody without coffee for. He hopes ants come in the house and they can move out sooner, or he can get a new room.

Japanese rain smells better than Korean rain he finds. The ocean’s different over there. All the grassland beaches make the sand he dries his all his words up with feel less heavy in his mouth and he can find more crabs by the water then. He got yelled at for trying to take one home so he punished everybody by wearing his ugly paisley jacket to the airport. Did paisley coat trend on twitter afterwards?

Murky puddles don’t trend on twitter, so he steps in one on purpose. He fills his pockets with rocks, then catches a raindrop in his mouth. It tastes like acid he thinks and curses factories for making the country into a trash heap. Japan grandpa shook his fist at Areya for drinking too fast and it didn’t slow him down, so there’s no point for him to keep cursing the factories. The woolless sheep that buy his music are no better than the men slaughtering them for food at the factory.

The worst thing about the sheep is that you can’t even pet them without getting sand under your nails and its not like sharing tangerines on the tour bus with hyungs, getting the bed all orange and pulpy, it’s like trying to break open a chestnut like the old summer time with aunts and uncles and lies about where your brother are. The sheep don’t baa like in the nursery rhymes, they scream your name and ask you to look into cameras and smile, and maybe Areya was an annoying sheep before but now Old Macdonald’s his boss giving all the commands and he doesn’t smell like a children’s book at all, he smells like cigarette smoke and a whole lot of corruption.

Areya stops at the top of his favorite hill, puts his hood down, and throws the rocks he picked up on the way there into the stream down below. The ‘m’ shape they make in the sky look like the Mcdonald’s logo and remind him of the article he read about strikes and economies falling and the warheads America dropped on Syria. Capitalism doesn’t start with a M and neither does Areya, so why are they both making the world so gray?

Even Japan, which is a dull shade of pink instead, has a Mcdonald’s on every corner and reminds him of the time everyone in Korea bullied him for not owning a North Face jacket. He’s got four of those now and they’re not good for Korean rain.

How’d they feel in Japan?

He’ll ask his manager after he cleans up all the spilled milk on the floor.

#( i listened to heize and hallucinated while writing this #( pretty sure of it #(the contexts all strewn across like a patchwork quilt #(and if you didnt realize by now i write in the style of areya's mind because it reads a bit better and you can get a better picture #(he thinks like...hopscotch i mean #(or marbles falling out of a cup #(all done #( audio attached on the lil fleur de lis #♕ - character development!#♱- self paragraphs!

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sonitavalentine · 6 years

Text

Unexpected gifts on Christmas family dinner

@yuki-kuran my Secret Santa gift for you under the cut!

You asked for a short and sweet yume moment with whole family, but it turned out into something else. Besides, I can’t write really shortly :( There’re mistakes, I think, so please forgive me, I did my best to make it some kind of pleasure reading for you. ^_^

P.S. I’m not sure about your opinion on some certain pairing but I saw you liking some posts with them so I decided you’re not against at least. Without them the family picture wouldn’t be full. :)

Enjoy and Merry Christmas, dear!

“It has to be stopped.”

Yuuki’s voice sounded resolutely and Kaname put all documents aside looking at his wife with interest. She spoke like that rarely; she’s used to play a role of Tender Princess of the Night society, though she’d been a queen for a century already. This is why Kaname let all thoughts about work go and listened to Yuuki carefully. If she spoke resolutely then it was important.

“What is it?”

“Christmas!” She noticed Kaname’s puzzled look and continued. “Every year our family celebrates Christmas separately. Mother and father travel somewhere together, as we do too, Ai is always with her friends. On the one hand this is nice to spend a romantic holiday evening with you, but on the other, humans celebrate Christmas as a family day. At least once in a century we should spend it altogether.”

Kaname smiled softly and rose from his table. Honestly, he thought about it himself, but every year he took a decision not to be a burden for the relatives. He came to Yuuki, hugged her kissing in her warm lips and said, “Everything will be done. This Christmas all your beloved ones will be near you.”

“But Kaname…” Suddenly she felt awkward. “If they don’t want-“

“They won’t dare to disobey their King’s order.” Kaname winked at her. “You can start all preparations.”

When the Kurans confirmed they would visit the main family mansion this Christmas Yuuki turned back again into sixteen years old young lady who has no other problem but to choose gifts for everyone. She felt how youth flowed in her veins and the feeling was so good that she almost burst into tears of joy.

Kaname bought a tree for every room in the Kuran mansion. And though Yuuki tried to scold him for being so wasteful, she changed her mind from anger to mercy as soon as Kaname closed the door in their bedroom behind their backs.

On Christmas she finished all preparations in a main hall with a big dinner table served with some expensive white snow table-cloth. Furniture and crockery had harmonious colours, and Yuuki felt proud that it all was her choice. She learnt how to be stylish and make her house look presentable, which was no wonder: she’d been living with Kaname for a century already and he always looked blameless even in a domestic outfit.

Yuuki checked if everything was fine with the main Christmas tree when she noticed Kaname watching her. He stood upstairs and looked at her, smiling. Yuuki’s fragile and graceful figure was hidden under an elegant dress of calm peach colour and it reminded him of the days when she was still an inexperienced little princess.

Kaname breathed out. “You’re so adorable.”

Yuuki smiled. She was happy with her life. A century had passed since those terrible days when she was about to lose Kaname. But she behaved mature enough to make him change his mind and forget about his crazy plans. And now nothing can destroy their love. They have wonderful daughter, they brought their parents back to life, and though Yuuki was uncertain about this decision, but as soon as Haruka and Juuri saw baby Ai they were inspired to give this life one more chance.

One of their maids appeared in the room and reported about a phone call. Kaname frowned and reminded her, disappointed, “I told you, no officials are allowed to talk to me today.”

“It’s her Highness calling, Ai-sama.”

Yuuki looked at her husband in anxiety. Ai decided not to come? Kaname let her know he would fix it, and Yuuki calmed down. When he disappeared, a doorbell rang and Yuuki cried to her maids, “I open the door myself!”

When she pulled golden handles letting a snowstorm and refreshing frosty air in, she saw her parents covered in shimmering snowflakes. “This is us! Merry Christmas!”

“Mum, Dad!” Yuuki rushed to hug the elder Kurans. “Merry Christmas! I’m so happy to see you today.”

“Come on, let us in, it’s very cold outside” mumbled Haruka pushing his beloved women into the room. When the door was closed Yuuki noticed some strange things.

“Dad, what did you put on?”

Haruka came into the Kuran manor in a classical Santa Claus outfit. Being a bit embarrassed, he started to shake the snowflakes down of his red coat. “I lost some argument with your mother and as a result I had to put on this. As you see, Juuri has a really weird fantasy.”

“I don’t!” Juuri returned. She hugged her husband tightly and squeezed him. “Daughter, he looks so hot in this outfit, doesn’t he? Such a cutie!”

“Mum, you cut your hair!” Yuuki finally noticed a main change in her mother’s appearance. Juuri’s hair had always been long, but now they were of shoulder length. She laughed in a truly coquettish style.

“Indeed! I decided it was wrong to live a new life with an old haircut. How do I look?”

“You’re wonderful!” Yuuki felt blessed to see her mother so cheerful.

“Of course, Haruka was going to kill me,” she said jokingly and added in a gloomy, but teasing voice, “You know, these Kuran men are over-possessive and over-manipulative-“

“I hear everything,” finally the voice of Head of the Kuran family flew in. Kaname smiled seeing the elder generation of the Kurans, or younger one, judging from his point of view. “Mother, you look fantastic.”

“Thank you dear!” Juuri laughed wholeheartedly. “I feel like I’m 500 years old again!”

Kaname hugged Haruka but then gave him a critical gaze. “What’s this on you, Haruka?”

“The holiday outfit. And why ‘Haruka’?” He sounded offended. “You call Juuri your mother, so what’s about me?”

“You’re doing amazing without it,” replied Kaname and came to his wife to kiss her cheek. “Don’t worry, Ai is coming. She called to warn that she took someone with her, but refused to tell whom.”

“Wow, Ai got a boyfriend!” Juuri exclaimed. “Or maybe a girlfriend!”

She liked to use modern words very much and did her best to be an up-to-date and fully understanding grandmother. But Yuuki shrugged, she was interested herself.

“She didn’t say a word about that.”

But they didn’t have to wait too long for them. As soon as the dinner was ready, the doorbell rang again and the maids informed about the princess having come with Takuma Ichijou.

“Mummy! Daddy!” Ai cried. Her cheeks looked red with frost and her eyes shined with joy. The princess flew into the room and kissed her parents.

“What, Tak-kun!?” Juuri almost jumped up on her chair but Haruka calmed her down with his embrace. “Tak-kun is Kaname’s good friend, so I think he decided to make a surprise for Kaname on this day, and Ai just helped him out.”

Juuri didn’t reply but a shade of doubt appeared for a moment on her face.

“I’m glad,” Kaname said when he greeted Takuma. “I thought you would spend this day with your family.”

“What are you talking about?” Ichijou got surprised and flapped Kaname’s shoulder. “You’re my family.”

Meanwhile Ai continued to coo at her grandparents covering them with her compliments. “Grandpa, what a nice dress! Granny you’re so sexy!”

Ai was happy to be back again in the house where she’d been born. There was a scent of tangerines and cinnamon in the room and she recollected the days when she was a little girl who used to run in corridors of the mansion with Seiren and Aidou. Now Seiren was freed by Kaname for her good service and loyalty and at the moment she was travelling around the world, while Aidou celebrated Christmas with his big family. But even so, she was glad to see her beloved ones gathered in one room.

“I asked the maids to go home,” said Yuuki entering the dining room after the rest of the family. “They should spend this evening with their families too. Now I’m responsible for everything and feel so anxious! Haven’t I forgotten anything?”

“Mum, all is fine!” Ai reassured Yuuki and took her hand to help her sit down.

“Yes, there’s a lot of food here,” Haruka added. “And if this is not enough Juuri shares her blood with all of us today.”

“No way!” cried Juuri but Haruka stopped her with a slight kiss.

“Ginger cookies!” Yuuki remembered about the sweets and was about to rush into the kitchen but Kaname immediately got up and said he would bring them in himself. The queen relaxed and added, “I did them with my own hands, you shall like them!”

A cracking silence hung in the air for a moment; everybody stared at Yuuki in terror. “What?” she asked.

“Oh Mum, I was missing your cookies so much!” Ai decided to relax the atmosphere. “Can’t wait to try them.”

When Kaname brought a plate with cookies made by his wife Haruka told him carefully with a sweetest smile, “Kaname, please keep the plate closer to you. You see there’s no free space on the table at all.” The king shrugged his shoulders but did what he was asked.

“So kids!” Juuri clapped her hands. “It’s your turn to give us your gifts.”

Ai and Takuma exchanged their looks. Then the princess coughed and said, “We didn’t buy something specific, it looks more like we have one huge gift for everyone here.”

“Yes yes,” Takuma repeated in impatience. He grasped Ai’s hand and shot, “We’re pregnant!”

“WHAT!?” The Kurans yelled altogether gazing at the couple of vampires threatened by their reaction. Ai rolled her eyes up and flicked Takuma’s forehead.

“Idiot! We were supposed to tell them about our intention to marry. We agreed to talk about a baby later.”

“Did we?” Ichijou got amazed. “You told me we had to inform them about the most important thing.”

“Yes and the wedding come first!”

“But the baby is already there!”

“Wait a minute!” Yuuki stopped the quarrel with her scream. “I have a headache because of you all. Ai why didn’t tell us before? That you’re dating.”

“I was afraid you would take it wrong,” Ai replied shyly. “And I decided I’d better do that when we had a good cause. Moreover, father isn’t going to kill Takuma on the day like this. Right, Dad?”

Everybody turned to Kaname. He broke a silver fork and both pieces fell on a plate with a sombre sound. The king threw a murderous glance at Ichijou. He gulped and whispered, “Oh Lord in Heaven…”

“Neither Lord nor any other god will help you now.”

Kaname said it angrily and moved to get up and beat the shit out of Takuma when Yuuki cried, “Stop violence! Kaname, we won’t change anything now. Ai, you should’ve told us before. Ichijou, I had a better opinion about you.”

“Yuuki, Kaname, indeed you have to calm down,” Haruka said as peaceful as possible. “Just look at them, they’re head over heels in love with each other!”

“Haruka’s right,” Juuri agreed. “And they assured us they were going to marry. Besides… We have something to tell you too.”

“Now?” Haruka whispered.

“Why not? It’s a good moment. We want to tell you that I’m… Hey, I liked it how Takuma did that. WE’RE pregnant!”

“You’re kidding!” Ai exclaimed.

“No!”

“Oh God, congratulations!”

Kaname didn’t understand how to behave now and he looked at Yuuki helplessly. A dark wish to kill Ichijou and scold Ai took over him, and at the same moment he was glad to hear such wonderful news from the elder Kurans. And this tumult made him feel uneasy, all what he wanted was take Yuuki and run away from this asylum that was about to turn into a kindergarten. It seems celebrating Christmas altogether indeed was a bad idea.

Yuuki noticed his gaze and suddenly burst in laughter. Now all the interested looks belonged to her. The queen got embarrassed but started to speak. “This is so strange to get to know that I’m going to have a sibling and a grandchild on the same day. But even this is not over yet.”

She was searching for support in Kaname’s eyes but he couldn’t suspect what she was going to say and currently was thinking about bringing a hunter’s weapon into the room. Yuuki didn’t disconnect eye contact with her husband and declared, “We’re pregnant too.”

The third shot was too much and the family was driven mad. They started to acclaim while Ai came to both parents with her congratulating kisses. When Kaname finally got what actually happened he got up and rushed towards Yuuki.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I’ve learnt about it only yesterday and wanted to present it as a gift today during the dinner. But as you see, I wasn’t original.”

In response Kaname kissed her and embraced tightly. She didn’t need any words to understand that her very existence was the greatest gift for him.

“You know this is the weirdest Christmas in my excessively long life,” spoke Haruka as he was opening a bottle of wine. “I need to have a drink.”

“Me too!” Takuma picked up and moved his glass towards Haruka. “Great…grandpa?”

“Don’t you dare to call me like that,” Haruka replied in a sullen voice.

Takuma shrugged his shoulders and peered at happy Kaname and Yuuki, still in hugs. Having noticed his gaze, Kaname darkened and roared, “I haven’t finished with you yet.”

“Sure thing. Grandpa.”

“Keep silence.”

Ichijou sighed and turned to Ai. “I’m going to be an outcast in this family.”

They spent the rest of the evening in a truly family and warm atmosphere. Kaname had to eat all ginger cookies made by Yuuki but he did that with pleasure saying, “Don’t understand why you all are complaining, these cookies are made by Goddess and their taste is divine”. Despite the age, Haruka and Juuri were the noisiest. Ai and Takuma had to answer annoying questions about their future plans.

At some moment Kaname came to Ai and put his hands on her shoulders. She shivered from sudden feeling of warmth and raised her head to see her father.

“Ai, are you happy?”

She smiled and turned to hug Kaname. “I’ve never been as happy as I am today.”

“Actually I’m talking about that idiot” Kaname glanced at Takuma.

“Dad,” Ai gave him a stern Kuran look. “You know him. He seems to be careless and…foolish sometimes, but in fact he is reliable. He can take care of me.”

Kaname breathed out and kissed Ai’s forehead. Somewhere deep in his soul he was confident about that.

“You’ve grown up too fast, my princess.”

In the morning, when the sun was raising and the family parted to their beds, only the king and the queen didn’t sleep. They watched how sparkling snowflakes fell behind the window, Yuuki lying on her husband’s lap and Kaname fingering her hair. His other hand stroked her stomach, flat yet.

“You want a boy this time, I think?” she asked observing Kaname’s serene smile. He shook his head.

“It doesn’t matter. This baby is our child which means it is a fruit of our love.”

Yuuki closed her eyes listening to Kaname’s voice. Soft and deep, it was her favourite. With his hands on her body she was ready to start purring with happiness.

“The fruit of our love. It sounds splendid.”

For the first time in her life immortality and eternity didn’t look scary anymore.

#yumesecretsanta #Vampire Knight #eternal yume #harujuuri #aikuma #entire kuran family alive and happy #my blue dream i think #fanfiction exists to heal our hearts

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