#--and the paramedics were moving people along but i accidentally got a really good look at her and it fucked me up

[non-un-topo]

All it takes is a wee little nightmare to make you too scared to step foot outside for fear of Bad Things happening, like it’s an omen lol

#also it is p o u r i n g outside and it takes me an hour and fifteen minutes to commute to campus #i'm a good little student but sometimes i just can't be assed #esp with all the crazy stuff that's been happening on public transit and on my campus for that matter #i'm just getting a bad vibe today [insert empath meme here] #warning for me complaining about a graphic nightmare!!!!: #had a few stress dreams(?) last night but one particularly violent one in which a woman got run over by a streetcar-- #--and the paramedics were moving people along but i accidentally got a really good look at her and it fucked me up #she looked like she was just sleeping peacefully but i could only really make out the top half of her body #probably because the bottom half was... yeah. #i think i also had another dream that i was being hunted by a sniper?? and they had called my cell and were threatening me + my folks? #and another one where i had to hide some children from... i don't really know what. some dangerous person who wanted to kill all of us #but the kids wouldn't leave me even though i begged them to. #yeah just a normal collection of dreams for me. literally ugh. #i don't even think i'm stressed in my life rn?? #not any more than normal lol

[rmd-writes]

Sending an ask for nice ask day!!

Noticed we have a lot of similar fandom interests -- if David, Patrick, Carlos, TK, Alex, and Henry were to meet, where would it happen? who would get along the most outside of the pairing?

hello! What a great ask! I love finding people who share multiple fandoms, so hello new friend!!! 💖

Believe it or not, this is something I’ve thought about previously, so strap in.

A while back @blackandwhiteandrose wrote a fic (about how David and TK were friends (if you love both characters, you should read this fic, it’s so good) back when David still lived in NYC. Having read it and discussed it with BWR later, I wholeheartedly agree that they were friends who lost touch after TK moved to Austin. Not immediately though - you know in s1 of SC how David is always on the phone texting? We know that his NYC friends were mostly assholes, so who was he texting? TK.

TK probably got a new phone or deleted all of his NYC contacts when he moved to Austin, so he lost David’s number then too. But maybe he’s scrolling Instagram one day and comes across Alexis’ account or the Rose Apothecary account, or maybe Nancy is laughing hysterically at Moira’s accidental live stream of the conversation about David’s oopsie-daisy and eventually TK gets back in touch with David. They’re both happy now, really happy. Deeply in love, safe and content with who they are as people, happy.

Patrick suggests that he and David make the trip to Austin and David can catch up with TK while they’re there. (There’s probably some kind of sportsball game Patrick would want to watch, idk).

I’m taking liberties now, but bear with me. While they’re in Austin, they go to a restaurant and there’s a fire. Please go read @missgeevious’s absolutely hysterical fic to find out what happens.

Once Patrick gets over his mortification (it’s short lived, David won’t allow it, there are food trucks to visit and proper bbq to be had), they go with TK and Carlos on a tour of Carlos’ favourite food trucks and end up at Franklin’s BBQ, which David wanted to go to because he read about it in an article about FSOTUS.

Carlos raises a brow at David’s seeming insistence on wearing sweaters in the Texas heat, but he’s glad it’s not actually summer or TK might need to put his paramedic skills to work on his friend. There’s a moment when Carlos catches Patrick’s eye as their respective husbands are chatting loudly and gesticulating wildly and there’s a fond resignation in Patrick’s expression that he recognises. One that says, “sometimes I can’t believe that I chose him but I’m so glad every day that I did.” Carlos feels that way about TK too.

When they make it to Franklin’s the line is long and Carlos notices the presence of private security officers in suits - unusual for somewhere like Franklin’s. The reason for it becomes apparent when they realize that Alex, Henry, Nora and June are ahead of them in line. They’d come to Texas for a long weekend at the lake house. It’s David who recognises them first - Alexis used to have a giant crush on Prince Henry, she’d met him once before at a party on a yacht (Pez dragged Henry to the party), and in the way that only Alexis can, had come home and huffed that Henry must not be interested in women, “because, David, he, like, barely even looked at me and I was wearing that sparkly Balenciaga!” (Little did she know that she was correct. “I knew it!” she proclaimed when news broke of the emails, before she’d gone all teary eyed once the enormity of what had happened to Alex and Henry had hit her).

Turns out that the world is both too big and ridiculously small - Carlos and June had taken a class together at UT, even worked on a group assignment together. When June comes over to say hi to Carlos, they end up all sitting together: David, Patrick, TK, Carlos, Alex, Henry, June and Nora. They share their food and laugh so much and more than one other patron does a double take at the ridiculous level of hotness sitting at their tables.

David gets along surprisingly well with Nora - she reminds both him and Patrick of Stevie, in a way. Carlos and Henry become fast friends and it’s not long before he and Alex are talking in Spanish about their favourite foods as well. David, TK and Alex - in an uncoordinated attack - separately try to steal food off their respective partners’ plates only to be met with loud protests, followed by triumph, because their partners never really say no. There’s laughter when they realise what’s happened simultaneously around the table.

They sit there talking and laughing and eating until they realise that the sunlight is fading and they’ve been there for hours now, simply enjoying the company and revelling in feeling happy, and safe, and free.

#I had SO much fun with this #nice ask day #tarlos #911 lone star #schitt’s creek #rwrb #firstprince #rmd writes: sc snippet #rmd writes: rwrb snippet #rmd writes: ls snippet

[wellimaginethat]

Pity Party: Chapter One

Pairing: Crockett Marcel x (female) Paramedic!Reader

Requested?: Nope! I just decided to write little birthday one shots to celebrate my birthday, lol

Word Count: 1922

Author’s Note: So this is one of my four birthday stories written due to my birthday having been last Wednesday. This one will be a short series because apparently I love writing little series when it’s Crockett, lol. Also, this is my attempt at a slow burn...usually I just jump right into it or something, but this time I am going to actually try to write a slow burn...let’s see how that goes, lol

Trigger Warning(s): Spending your birthday alone, being sad, drinking alcohol, slow burn

Disclaimer: I don’t owe nor am I affiliated with any of the Chicago shows, I just like to play with the characters

Summary: You were bummed to be spending your birthday alone, but your coworkers at the firehouse and your friends at med had different ideas, which leads you to celebrating your birthday at Molly’s and almost confronting your feelings for Crockett...

Y/N = Your Name

Tag list: Not tagging in the birthday ones because I don’t want to accidentally tag someone who doesn’t celebrate birthdays. However, if you do want to be tagged in the following parts of this series then do let me know and I will gladly tag you.

Every year as your birthday approached, you got incredibly excited only to be let down when you once again spent it alone.

You kept hoping your friends would ask if you wanted to go out for a drink to celebrate, or to grab pizza, or to just hang out. But every year, all you ever got was texts or simple posts on facebook, which you hardly went on anymore.

So this year you were going to try your hardest not to get excited and hopeful, because you didn’t want to go through the same thing you had for the last few years and you really wanted to avoid the birthday depression, as you called it, when you finally realized that all you would get would be texts. Now you were okay with not getting any gifts, you didn’t really care about that or about cards, you just wanted someone to at least act like they were happy you were another year older.

And it’s not like you hadn’t put effort into planning stuff for your own birthday. In the previous years you had asked a few friends to get drinks with you, to get pizza with you, to have dinner, the list goes on. They would always say something along the lines of ‘yeah sure’ and then either forget, make other plans, or cancel at the last minute. You could understand that sometimes life happens, but it was every year and you felt like you were putting more effort into your friendships than they were.

The last straw was when you saw the three of your closest friends hanging out without you, and you figured it was time to finally move on from your old high school clique.

So you fully intended to spend this birthday alone at your apartment.

So after your shift, you went home and changed into jeans and a nice shirt because if you were going to celebrate your birthday alone, you were going to at least look good while you did so.

You went to the counter and grabbed the pastry box that held the cupcake you had bought yourself and opened it, carefully pulling the cupcake out and setting it on the counter before ripping open the package of candles and placing one on the cupcake.

You searched for about twenty minutes before you finally found some matches to light your candle. You watched as the candle burnt for a few seconds before letting your eyes fall shut to make a wish. For someone to care. Before blowing out the candle.

You pulled the candle out and tossed it on the counter to the side and pulled the paper wrapping off of the cupcake and took a bite just as there was a knock at your door.

You set the cupcake down and headed to the door and looked through the peephole to see Crockett Marcel.

Curious, you opened the door with a raised brow. As soon as you had finished chewing and swallowing your cupcake, you tilted your head and finally asked, very confused. “What are you doing here?”

That seemed to catch him off guard. “Is that any way to greet a visitor?”

You frowned slightly, your turned to be caught off guard. “I’m sorry...I just...wasn’t expecting anyone…” You told him. “I wasn’t trying to be rude, and I’m still not, but the question still stands…”

“It’s your birthday.” Crockett stated simply, glancing over your shoulder into your apartment. “And you seem to be throwing yourself a pity party…”

“Yeah well it’s my pity party, so if you don’t mind I’m going to get back to it.” You told him. “You can come inside if you want.” You offered. “I don’t have another cupcake though…”

Crockett shook his head. “No, I came to get you.”

“Get me?” You asked, confused.

Crockett nodded. “Everyone’s waiting down at Molly’s for you.”

You were still confused and now you were frowning. “What for?”

“To celebrate your birthday.” Crockett told you like it should have been obvious. “We were going to surprise you, but when you didn’t show up, we decided someone should come get you.”

“And you drew the short straw?”

Crockett frowned at you. “No, I volunteered because I wanted to be the first to wish the sweet little paramedic a happy birthday.”

You tried to fight back the smile but couldn’t help it. “Well thanks.”

“Now get your shoes on and grab a coat, everyone’s waiting for the birthday girl.” Crockett smiled at you.

You slipped your shoes on and grabbed your coat and purse before locking up and walking with Crockett, he insisted you ride with him and you didn’t argue. He opened the door for you to get in his car, and then opened the door to the bar so you could walk in first, a complete gentleman and it made your little crush on him grow that much more.

“Hey, she’s here.” You heard your best friend Sylvie quickly whisper to everyone as you were walking in, and suddenly all eyes were on you.

“Happy birthday!” They all shouted and cheered.

You smiled wide, hardly able to believe that they actually cared enough to wish you a happy birthday. As you walked in more, you were given a few hugs and a few wished you a happy birthday again in softer voices.

“What will it be for the birthday girl?” Herrmann asked when you finally made it up to the bar.

You ordered your usual with a smile and a thank you.

He set it in front of you. “On the house. Happy birthday, kid.”

“Thank you.” You told him again, this time more meaningful as you picked up the drink, trying hard not to let emotions overwhelm you.

You did a good job at keeping the emotions at bay while you talked with your coworkers - no, friends - but soon enough it was getting to overwhelm you and you had to disappear. It was somewhat easy to do, just lie and say you had to use the bathroom and sneak out the back.

However, you were outside less than a minute when the backdoor opened and closed and none other than Crockett was walking towards you.

“You good?”

“I’m good.” You breathed out, your hot breath making little clouds as you nodded to him. “It’s just that I’ve never really had anyone really care about me. At least not enough to bother making me feel special on my birthday...and then with everyone in there, wishing me a happy birthday and making me feel...loved...it’s just a bit overwhelming.” You admitted, wrapping your arms around yourself to keep the cold out.

Crockett nodded as he leaned against the wall next to you. “That’s understandable.” The two of you were quiet for a moment. “You have people who care about you.”

“Yeah...I know.” You smiled, tears in your eyes. “It’s nice.”

Crockett smiled and nodded. “Especially me.”

You glanced at him for a moment, trying not to read too much into it, and gave him a small smile. “You’re a really good friend, Crockett.” You told him softly, assuming that’s what he meant, and then you had to look away before you said something you’d regret. “I’m glad you saved me from my pity party.” You felt the need to break the silence.

Crockett smirked a bit and nodded, looking straight ahead. “What’re friends for?”

Silence fell between the two of you again and you felt like it was a tense silence and couldn’t figure out why. The cold was starting to get to you, so you looked at him again. “I’m gonna head back inside.” You told him.

“That’s probably a good idea, it’s a little cold out here.” Crockett chuckled, pushing off the wall and heading to the door. He opened it for you and let you step inside first.

“Thank you.” You said softly as you stepped inside and headed back towards the bar where Sylvie was.

“Hey, where��d you go? I thought you ditched out.” Sylvie asked with a laugh.

“Oh I just needed some air.” You brushed it off with a smile, ordering another drink and picking up your conversation that the two of you were having before you had excused yourself earlier in the night.

Until Sylvie suddenly changed the subject. “So what do you think of Dr. Marcel?” She asked in what almost seemed like a suggestive tone.

You just about spit out your drink but were able to control yourself, you looked at her. “What do you mean?”

“I mean it seems like you might have a little crush on him.” She told you. “And he seems like he might like you back.”

You frowned a bit and shook your head. “No...we’re just friends.”

Sylvie snorts. “Yeah, okay.”

“We are.” You insisted.

“Okay okay.” Sylvie surrendered. “I just noticed how he looks at you and all.” She shrugged. “But you would know, so if you say you’re just friends then that’s what you are.”

You nodded. “Mhm…”

Across the bar, Crockett was having a very similar conversation with Natalie.

“So did you tell her?” Natalie asked in an excited yet hushed tone.

Crockett shook his head a bit as he sipped his bourbon. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“You’re saying you don’t like her?” Natalie asked, raising a brow, obviously not buying it.

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Crockett told her with a sigh.

“So then why didn’t you tell her?” Natalie asked, tilting her head slightly.

Crockett sighed again and glanced over your way before looking at Natalie. “Because in her eyes, we’re just friends, and...I’m okay with that.”

“You are?” Natalie asked, not understanding why he would be.

Crockett nodded. “I’d rather be just her friend than tell her the truth and make her uncomfortable and end up being nothing. I’m happy being her friend.”

Natalie nodded. “Oh...well then...okay.” She had thought you both had liked each other and that it would be all great. Now this was just a downer.

When the end of the night rolled around, you walked with Crockett to his car and he once again opened the door for you, causing you to smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Crockett said softly with a smile.

“Tonight was amazing.” You were feeling the good effects of the drinks you had, making you happy and at ease. “It was by far the best birthday I’ve ever had.” You giggled. “I will forever remember my twenty-seventh birthday.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” Crockett told you, glancing over with a smile as you continued to talk about how wonderful your birthday had been.

When you arrived at your apartment complex, you quickly got out of the car. Crockett walked over to you and walked you up.

“You don’t have to walk me to my apartment.” You laughed softly before stumbling into him and laughing more. “Okay, maybe you do.”

“I don’t mind.” Crockett said softly as he walked with you, after the two of you were at your apartment he looked at you. “Are you gonna be okay?”

You hummed and nodded. “Yeah, I’m good.” You smiled at him and touched his cheek. “You’re such a good friend.”

Crockett smiled at you. “I’m glad we’re friends, Y/N.”

“Me too.” You agreed with a nod, even if you were currently fighting back the urge to kiss him.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” Crockett smiled at you and began walking down the hall as you went inside your apartment.

Part Two Coming Soon

#crockett marcel imagine #crockett marcel x reader #dr crockett marcel x reader #chicago med imagine #chicago med imagines

[imyourbuddie]

Christmas Comes A Knockin'

January 5th, 2019 

Dear Eddie,

I know you’ve only just left, but I already miss you. And Christopher misses you. Tonight we made your favourite for dinner and Chris accidentally set out three plates. It was rough, but he felt better after Papa Buck’s special hot chocolate. 

You know, I never thought I’d have much use of this notebook you gave me last Christmas, yet here we are. 

Anyway, missing you. Stay safe. 

Buck

January 30th, 2019

Eddie you jackass, 

I don’t know how to send you letters. They told me you’re on some sort of highly classified mission and there’s no communication. Seriously? Some secret military black ops bullshit and you didn’t tell me? If you die on me, Edmundo Diaz, I will kill you. You hear me? I will fucking kill you.

Buck

March 23rd, 2019

Hey Eddie,

Chris got his first ribbon today at the science fair. He’s so proud and we have pictures that we’re saving for when you get back. I know he’s not supposed to get cookies and hot chocolate before bed, but I figure we make an exception for a special night. Hope all’s well. 

Missing you.

Buck

April 1st, 2019

Hen and Chim can walk off a cliff, together. They’re too damn old to be playing April Fools tricks on me! I’m going to be eating glitter for days. Days!

Anway, missing you. Loving you.

Buck

April, 16th, 2019

Feliz cumpleaños, mi amo! See, I’m learning! Chris helped me make you a cake. It’s chocolate and we ate a slice on your behalf. Wherever you are, I hope you’re celebrating.

Missing you. Always missing you.

Buck

May 1st, 2019

Chris was called into the principal’s office today. The other little fuck face claims Chris tripped him on purpose with his cane. His bitch of a mother wanted a written apology and one day suspension. I can’t even right now. Why are people such assholes? Chris says he didn’t do it and I believe him. God, I hate people sometimes.

I don’t know how much longer I can do this without you.

Buck

May 13th, 2019

Chris and I went to the pier for his birthday. It’s kinda special and it felt easier being there when it’s just us. We had churros, cake, lemonade, and maybe that was a bit too much sugar, but he’s passed out now. Yay sugar crash. 

He says you owe him a birthday present but I got your back. Now you owe me for being so brilliantly considerate. I’ll be collecting when you get home. 

Loving you,

Buck 

June 28th, 2019

I heard gunshots coming from the cemetery while we were answering a call. I don’t know if it was a military funeral, but...they’d call me if something happened, right? You’re not so off the grid that I’ll be left wondering for the rest of my life? I’m you husband. They can’t not tell me, right? 

Eddie, please, I miss you so much.

Buck

July 3rd, 2019

Chris gave me a miniature fire truck for my birthday. He’s the sweetest child a man can ask for. Really. The gang got me a cake and Chim shoved my face in it. That asshole. It’s a good thing I love him. 

It’s not the same without you here, though. I hope you’re thinking of me. 

Buck

July 16th, 2019

We went to the aquarium today. They played Baby Shark on repeat and now all I can think about is baby shark do do do do do do do and it’s driving me nuts. Chris thinks it’s hilarious. I may or may not have thrown an octopus plushie at him over it. 

Anyway, we saw all sorts of crazy stuff, and Chris loved the dolphin show. We’ll have to go again when you get back. The mango slushie at the cafeteria is magnificent. 

Missing you always.

Buck

September 15th, 2019

I miss summer vacation. I know, getting child care is always a pain in the ass, but I loved hanging out with Chris. When I’m with him, it’s like being with a small piece of you, and that made things a little easier. Now that he’s back in school, it feels like you leaving all over again. 

It gets pretty lonely at night sometimes. Stay safe and come back to me. To us. 

Loving you.

Buck

November 11th, 2019

We’re thinking of you. All of us. 

Love,

Buck

November 28th, 2019

I made us Thanksgiving dinner at the station. Chris had a blast and the guys loved having him there. We’re both so stuffed right now we’ve not left the couch even though bedtime was half an hour ago. Chris wanted to say hi, he says I can write for him while he talks, so here goes.

Hi Daddy, 

Papa gave me the biggest slice of pumpkin pie tonight, and it was so huge I almost didn’t finish it. But I did. Denny and I got to ride in the fire truck and it’s so cool you get to ride it every day at work. Papa says it’s time for bed now, I love you Daddy, and I miss you. 

Christopher and Buck

December 5th, 2019

Why are Hallmark’s movies out already? I’m not ready. We don’t have enough tissues at the house. I need to buy more tomorrow because I used up the last box watching The Knight Before Christmas. 

Wherever you are, have a pumpkin spice latte for me.

Buck

December 5th, 2019

Eddie I couldn’t sleep, so I stared at the ceiling talking to myself, pretending you’re here next to me. Remember when you first kissed me? I thought I was drowning and you kissed me. I know it wasn’t a real kiss, you were trying to keep me alive, but our lips touched, and it brought me back, you know? You brought me back when I thought I was dying. When I was ready to give up.

You’re not here to kiss me now, but I’m not giving up. I’m going to wait until you get home to me, to Chris, and I’m going to kiss the shit out of you. 

Always loving you. 

Buck

December 16th, 2019

Chris had his Christmas concert at school today. The whole unit came to watch. Mama Grant had a camera so we can record it for you. She’s really good with that thing too, even ran to the front of the stage so she could get some closeups. Chris was fantastic. Voice of an angel, I swear. We all went for ice cream after, and no, Edmundo, it’s never too cold for ice cream. 

We put up the tree last weekend, and Chris came home with these cookie ornaments they made at school. There’s one for you, too, with your name on it, so come get it, big boy. 

Cap says we’re going to have our Christmas party on the 23rd so people can go home and celebrate with their families for actual Christmas. Carla offered to watch Chris, but I’m considering taking him with me. It’s a family friendly party, so maybe Denny will be there too. 

Anyway, this is getting long. Loving you,

Buck

December 23th, 2019

Gonna take Chris to the party with me. He’s pumped. Who knew being a parent could feel like this? 

I’m always so grateful that you let me into your little family. You gave me Chris, and he’s the best present a guy could ask for. For every Christmas for the rest of my life. 

Loving you.

Buck

===

Buck closes his notebook and tucks the pen into the elastic loop attached to the cover. His finger twitches, and he wants to open the book and write our every little thing going through his head right now. Every emotion. But he can’t. It’s too damn painful. And Eddie’s not here. 

“Papa?” Chris calls from the bathroom. “Can you help me?” 

Buck scrubs a hand down his face and clears his throat, willing the prickle of tears to go away. “Yeah, bud, be right there.” 

When he pops his head into the bathroom, Chris is struggling with his bowtie. Buck wanted to get him a pre-tied one, but Chris insisted on the real deal. There’s a little card that came with the tie with diagrams on how to make the bow. Buck studies it, tries and fails a couple times, but eventually he gets a semi decent looking bow that sits snug under the collar of Chris’ shirt. 

“There you go,” he says, patting down the lapels of Chris’ suit jacket. 

“Thanks, Papa.” 

Buck’s chest swells, like it does every time Chris calls him Papa. It started as Papa Buck, but somewhere between Buck moving in and his and Eddie’s wedding, he became just Papa. It was a little strange at first, but it didn’t take long before Buck forgets that Chris isn’t his biological son. He loves Chris the same way he loves Maddie and his parents, but even more so because he never knew he could be so fiercely protective of a single human being. 

Some days, Buck muses he loves Chris more than he loves Eddie, and that’s saying something.

Buck stares into the mirror, his eyes meeting Chris’, and they both smile. “Ready?” Buck asks as he straightens his tie. 

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Chris leads the way, and Buck follows him out of the bathroom, through the living room, and out the front door. December in LA is mild at best, but Buck shivers as he helps Chris into the car. He looks behind him, then around, but there’s no one there. 

“Hm.” 

“What’s wrong?” Chris asks. 

Buck looks over his shoulder once more, then shakes his head. “Nothing, little man, let’s go.”

The drive to the station is uneventful, but Buck can’t shake that weird feeling swirling in the pit of his stomach. They pull into the parking lot just as Hen, Karen, and Denny pile out of their car, and Buck’s glad he decided to bring Chris afterall. 

Bobby’s whole family is here too, along with Michael, and as the spiked eggnog got passed around more than once, that uneasy feeling dissipates into something warm and fuzzy. Buck’s a little buzzed, but only enough to take the edge off. 

Chris, Denny, and Harry are off playing somewhere. Buck finds a spot with line of sight to the children and takes a seat, cradling his overstuffed stomach. He doesn’t know why he does this, but he just can’t stop himself from overeating when it’s a holiday. It’s a good thing he’s surrounded by LA’s finest paramedics incase he keels over from too much turkey. 

The upstairs lounge is buzzing with people. Firefighters and their families, and Buck tries not to let Eddie’s absence dampen his Christmas spirit. The rest of his family is right here, and he loves and cherishes them, and having Chris here makes up for the fact that Eddie isn’t. 

And that’s enough. It has to be. 

Buck contemplates a third eggnog, but decides against it. They still need to get home after, and Buck will be damned if he puts Chris’ life in danger just because he’s feeling a little maudlin and a lot lonely. He heaves out of the chair and heads for the trays of cookies and pastries laid out on a long table. If he can’t drink his sorrows away, he’ll just eat his feelings tonight instead. 

Somewhere behind him, Chris gasps. Buck’s heart drops through the floor and he spins to find Chris making a mad dash for the stairs. He acts before he’s had time to process, and he’s running up behind Chris, who’s half way down the first flight of stairs, before he sees what Chris is running towards. 

Or who. 

Down in the engine bay is a lone figure dressed in army fatigues with the brightest hazel eyes Buck’s ever known. His heart jumps into his throat, and the hubbub of the party fades as his eyes meet Eddie’s for the first time in what feels like a lifetime. 

They stand there, frozen, staring at each other, and a million things pass in that wide chasm between them. A whole year’s worth of fear and sadness and loneliness. Of love and longing and hope. Buck gets a little lightheaded, and that’s when he realizes he’s been holding his breath. He huffs, and with that single breath, every doubt he’s had this year flows out of him.

Eddie’s lips twitch into a rueful smile, that smile splitting impossibly wide when he sees Chris coming around the corner and down the second flight of stairs. 

“Daddy!” Chris’ jubilant shout breaks the freezing spell Eddie and Buck are under, and they move in sync. 

“Christopher, mijo. I’ve missed you so so much.” Eddie’s muffled voice drifts up as he clutches Chris to his chest. 

When Buck finally, finally makes his way down the steps, he stops just short. 

He’s dreamt of this moment, played it in his head over and over and over, imagined every possible way it could play out, but everything he imagined pales in comparison. Buck’s chest aches in that bittersweet, delicious way he never knew he could feel, and bites the inside of his cheek to keep from crying. 

Don’t fucking cry. Don’t ruin the moment. Just don’t, Buck. 

Eddie looks up over Chris’ head, and his red-rimmed eyes glisten with unshed tears. And that fucking does it. Buck’s eyes burn, and his nose stuffs up even more as he heaves for breath. His vision blurs, and everything turns into a watery mosaic. Eddie reaches for him, Chris still tucked against his chest, and Buck steps into the embrace like his life depends on it. 

When Buck’s arms wrap around Eddie’s actual, solid form, every dam he put up breaks, and the first of many sobs heaves out of him. Chris turns around, wrapping his arms around Buck’s neck, and then Eddie’s lips are on his skin. Warm, dry, and a little chapped. 

They’re on the floor, and Chris is in Buck’s lap, and Eddie’s hands are cupping Buck’s cheeks and Buck can’t fucking breathe. Can’t fucking see because his eyes are leaking like broken faucets. But he doesn’t need to see to know Eddie’s here, in his arms, and his presence is answer enough to all of Buck’s unanswered letters.

“Hey, Buck,” Eddie rasps, his lips hovering on the corner of Buck’s mouth. 

Buck wants to say something, anything, but all that comes out is another sob. Eddie chuckles, then his lips press against Buck’s in a soft, chaste kiss. “Evan, Ev, I’m here. It’s okay.”

“Papa missed you,” Chris pipes up between them. 

Eddie’s eyes mist, and his arms slip around Buck’s shoulders. “I missed Papa too. Missed you both so, so much.” 

“Are you coming home, Daddy?” 

“Yeah,” Eddie says, and his bright eyes lock on Buck’s with a conviction. “I’m coming home. For good.”

#buddie #buck x eddie #eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie christmas advent #coming home #discord buddie advent #imyourbuddie writes #my writing #merry christmas

[imdoingthismspaintadventure]

Worm Interlude 2 -- In which two sisters clean up a street

There were very few things, in Victoria Dallon’s estimation, that were  cooler than flying.  The invisible forcefield that extended a few  millimeters over her skin and clothes just made it better.  The field  kept the worst of the chill from touching her, but still let her feel  the wind on her skin and in her hair.  Bugs didn’t splat against her  face like they did against car windshields, even when she was pushing  eighty miles an hour.

Time for an interlude, it seems we will be getting these between arcs! From the point of view of different characters, to flesh out the world and the story. I always love when stories do that, put us in a point of view different from the main character. If done right, it adds so much richness to the setting.

It seems our interlude protagonist has the power of flight, plus some sort of force field that actively shields her against friction and particles. We learn this in the same paragraph where we also see how much she enjoys using her flight, so we both get characterization and powers at the same time. Nice!

Spotting her target, she whooped and plunged for the ground, gaining  speed where anyone else would be slowing down.  She hit the asphalt hard  enough to crack it and send fragments of it into the air, touching  ground with her knee and foot, one arm extended.  She stayed in that  kneeling position for just heartbeats, letting her platinum curls and  the cape that was draped over one of her shoulders flutter in the wake  of air that had followed her descent.  She met the eyes of her quarry  with a steely glare.  

Superhero landing!

I would certainly be intimidated if she landed in front of me like that! She gives me lots of superhero vibes in terms of her overall alignment.

She’d practiced that landing for weeks to get it right.  

Pfft. Okay she’s also a bit of a dork, and very human.

The man was a twenty something Caucasian with a shaved head, a dress  shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans and work boots.  He took one  look at her and bolted.  

You, sir, look like an underling of someone, and the way he nope’d out of there also gave me mook vibes.

Victoria grinned as he disappeared down the far end of the alley.  She  rose from her kneeling position, dusted herself off and ran her fingers  through her hair to tidy it.  Then she raised herself a foot off the  ground and flew after him at an easy forty five miles an hour.  

Classic superman-like superspeed / flight / superendurance is such a nice power to have. I bet you feel like a god.

It didn’t take a minute to catch him, even with the head start she had  given him.  She flew just past him, grazing him.  An instant later, she  came to a dead stop, facing him.  Again, the wind made for a dramatic  flourish as it stirred her hair, her cape and the skirt of her costume.  

She’s really theatric with all this, and I kinda love it. I feel like this guy is thoroughly outmatched.

“The woman you attacked was named Andrea Young,” she spoke.

The man looked over his shoulder, as if gauging his escape routes.

Grunt attacked a civilian and they sent the superhero cavalry to make him super regret it?

“Don’t even think about it, fugly,” she told him, “You know I’d catch  you, and trust me, I’m already pissed off enough without you wasting my  time.”

“I didn’t do anything,” the man snarled.

“Andrea Young!” Victoria raised her voice.  As she shouted, she  exercised her power.  The man quailed as though she’d slapped him.  “A  black college student was beaten so badly she needed medical attention!   Her teeth were knocked out!  You’re trying to tell me that you, a  skinhead with swollen knuckles, someone who was in the crowd watching  paramedics arrive with an expression bordering on glee, you didn’t do  anything!?”

Oh so he’s neonazi filth. Ugh.

I was already kinda unsympathetic to him from the start, but now he can choke.

Fuck his shit up, Victoria.

“I didn’t do nothing worth caring about,” he sneered.  His bravado was  tempered by a second look over his shoulder, as though he’d very much  like to be elsewhere right that moment.  

Fuck this guy. He’s also cowering like a little bitch and trying to look all brave in front of no one, like an idiot.

She flew forward, her fists catching him by the collar.  For just a  moment, she contemplated slamming him up against a wall.  It would have  been fitting and satisfying to shove him hard enough against the brick  to crack it, then drop him into the dumpster that sat at the wall’s  base.  

Taunting a girl who can absolutely ruin his fucking life, maybe not his best idea.

He almost got literally dumpstered.

Instead, she pulled up a little, bringing the two of them to a stop.   They were now just high enough above the ground that he’d feel  uncomfortable with the height.  The dumpster, mostly empty, was directly  below him, but she doubted he was paying attention to anything but her.  

Ah, threatening him with falling from great heights! The batman strat! Or one of them anyway.

“I think it’s a safe bet to say you’re a member of Empire Eighty-Eight,”  she told him, meeting his eyes with a hard stare, “or at least, you’ve  got some friends who are.  So here’s what’s going to happen.  You’re  going to either tell me everything the triple-E’s have been up to, or  I’m going to break your arms and legs and then you’re going to tell me everything.”  

Empire Eighty-Eight huh? Since the last time I heard the name, I’ve been informed about the 1488 dogwhistle, which I had never heard in spain. So yeah this guy is definitely part of some neonazi group, and is all around human garbage.

The group seems pretty big if it has a lot of unpowered mooks, kind of reminds me of Lung and his boys. I bet them and these guys wouldn’t really get along.

As she spoke, she ratcheted up her power.  She knew it was working when he started squirming just to avoid her gaze.

“Fuck you, you can’t touch me.  There’s laws against that shit,” he blustered, staring fixedly over one shoulder.

She turned up her power another notch.  Her body thrummed with current – waves of energy that anyone in her presence would experience as an emotional charge of awe and admiration.  For those with a reason to be afraid of her, it would be a feeling of raw intimidation instead.

Oh so she not only has superman-like powers! She also has an intimidation factor! That is fascinating. It makes her enemies afraid and everyone else feel awe at her presence. ...That sounds a little creepy if it influences normal people but I see how it can give a massive advantage against villains and criminals, in conjunction with her other powers!

“Last chance,” she warned him.

Unfortunately, fear affected everyone differently.  For this particular asshole, it just made him dig in his heels and become obstinate.  She could see it in his body language before he opened his mouth – this was the sort of guy who reacted to anything that spooked or unsettled him with an almost mindless refusal to bend.

“Lick my hairy, sweaty balls,” he snarled, before punctuating it with a spat, “Cunt.”

It makes sense that someone like him would get defiant in a moment like this. Still probably not the best judgement. Fear (even this artificial one) is usually there for a reason.

She threw him.  Since she could bench press a cement mixer, though it was hard to balance something so large and unwieldy, even a casual toss on her part could get some good distance.  He flew a good twenty five or thirty yards down the back road before hitting the asphalt, and rolled for another ten.

He was utterly for still for long enough that Victoria had begun to worry that he’d somehow snapped his neck or broken his spine as he’d rolled.  She was relieved when he groaned and began to pull himself to his feet.

Damn, with a power like hers she really has to be careful to not accidentally kill someone. If she can throw a grown healthy adult like that, sending him flying across the street, she could just as easily end anyone who doesn’t have super-endurance.

I wonder if that is actually a problem in this world? Accidental manslaughter via a missuse of super-strength.

“Ready to talk?” she asked him, her voice carrying down the alley.   She didn’t move  forward from where she hovered in the air, but she did let herself drop closer to the ground.

Pressing one hand against his leg to support himself as he straightened up, he raised his other hand and flipped her the bird, then turned and began to limp down the alley.

....what is this guy even doing? She just yeeted your ass to the other side of the street! Since when is pissing dangerous superheroines a good idea??

What was this asshole thinking?  That she would just let him go?  That, what, she would just bend to his witless lack of self preservation?   That she was helpless to do any real harm to him?  To top it off, he was going to insult her and try to walk away?

....he IS probably counting on you being a “good guy”, yeah.

But by the way her internal thoughts are going, he may have made a liiitle mistake with all this.

“Screw you too,” she hissed through her teeth.  Then she kicked the dumpster below her hard enough to send it flying down the little road.   It rotated lazily through the air as it arced towards the retreating figure, the trajectory and rotation barely changing as it knocked him flat.  It skidded to a halt three to five yards beyond him, the metal sides of the dumpster squealing and sparking as it scraped against the asphalt.

...did she just throw an entire dumpster on top of him? Like, as a projectile weapon??  Is this poor asshole still alive???

This time, he didn’t get up.

“Fuck,” she swore, “Fuckity fuck fuck.”  She flew to him and checked for a pulse.  She sighed, and then headed to the nearest street.  She found the street address, grabbed her cell from her belt and dialed.

Oh fuck she might have gone and done it. Used excessive force and super-murdered a suspect. What even happens in cases like this, then?

She seemed to be panicking but then calmed down when she checked for a pulse, so he’s probably still alive, even if knocked out.

It seems to have spooked her enough to make a phone call though.

“Hey sis?  Yeah, I found him.  That’s, uh, sort of the problem.   Yeah.  Look, I’m sorr- ok, can we talk about this later?  Yeah.  I’m at Spayder and Rock, there’s this little road that runs behind the buildings.  Downtownish, yeah.  Yeah?  Thanks.”

Victoria returned to the unconscious skinhead, checked his pulse, and listened intently for changes in his breathing.  It took a very long five minutes for her sister to arrive.

“Again, Victoria?” the voice disturbed her from her contemplations.

She called her sister for help! Does her sister have superpowers too? Maybe some sort of healing or stasis power, so they can avoid him dying, if he’s in a really critical state?

Again, huh? Oof, is excessive force a thing with you Victoria? She might not be as “purely heroic” as I thought. Seeing a lot of gray here as well. Trigger-happy or reckless heroes can be VERY dangerous in certain settings.

“Use my codename, please,” Victoria told the girl.  Her sister was as different from her as night was from day.  Where Victoria was beautiful, tall, gorgeous, blonde, Amy was mousy.  Victoria’s costume showed off her figure, with a white one-piece dress that came to mid-thigh (with shorts underneath) an over-the shoulder cape, high boots and a golden tiara with spikes radiating from it, vaguely reminiscent of the sun’s rays or the statue of liberty.  Amy’s costume, by contrast, was only a shade away from being a burka.  Amy wore a robe with a large hood and a scarf that covered the lower half of her face.  The robe was alabaster white and had a medic’s red cross on the chest and the back.

Oh I like both of their designs a lot! And the contrast between them!

Victoria is a white and gold goddess with statue of liberty and/or divine motifs, which matches up with both her demeanor so far, and the power itself, especially the fear/adoration part.

Amy, on the other hand, reminds me of a final fantasy white mage, so the possibility of her being a healer is even higher (she even wears a red cross!). Also, just by visual design alone, she may be more introverted in comparison to the extroverted nature of her sister. She is like a star radiating light, while Amy is hiding herself with her clothes.

“Our identities are public,” Amy retorted, pushing the hood back and scarf down to reveal brown frizzy hair and a face with freckles spaced evenly across it.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Victoria replied.

“You want to talk about principles, Glory Girl?” Amy asked, in the most sarcastic tone she could manage, “This is the sixth – sixth! – time you’ve nearly killed someone.  That I know about!”

“I’m strong enough to lift a SUV over my head,” Victoria muttered, “It’s hard to hold back all the time.”

Ooh interesting! Ok so a couple of things:

1) Amy looks cute, with her frizzy hair and freckles, in comparison to her sister’s more traditionally “beautiful” look.

2)Their identities are public??. Sooo....is that a thing particular to them, or to a group they belong to?? Cause I don’t remember very well, but I think Armsmaster kept his identity secret, didn’t he??

It’s very interesting that there are superheroes with public identities! I suppose that turns them into celebrities, even in their private lives, but isn’t that dangerous? Aren’t there villains who would attack their homes or families?

3)It seems Glory Girl is indeed a bit sketchy with the way she uses her super-strength, having six close calls with killing someone just because of an excess of force. I wonder if she can learn to regulate just how hard she needs to hit, because that seems dangerous!

“I’m sure Carol would buy that line,” Amy said, making it clear in her tone she wasn’t, “But I know you better than anyone.  If you’re having trouble holding back, the problem isn’t here -” she poked Victoria in the bicep.  “It’s here-” she jabbed her sister in the forehead, hard.  Victoria didn’t even blink.

“Look, can you just fix him?” Victoria pleaded.

“I’m thinking I shouldn’t,” Amy said, quietly.

“What?”

“There’s consequences, Vicky.  If I help you now, what’s going to stop you from doing it again?  I can call the paramedics.  I know some good people from the hospital.  They could probably fix him up alright.”

Seems Amy is fed up with her sister dodging responsabilities for her recklessness, and wants her to learn the consequences of her behaviour and hopefully excercise more caution. This also confirms that Amy is indeed some kind of healer. Also is Carol their mother or caretaker??

Hey, hey, hey,” Victoria said, “That’s not funny.  He goes to the hospital, people ask questions.”

“Yeah, I’m well aware,” Amy said, her voice hushed.

“This isn’t, like, me getting grounded.  I’d get pulled into court on charges of aggravated assault and battery.  That doesn’t just fuck with me.  It fucks with our family, all of New Wave.  Everything we’ve struggled to build.”

On the other hand, facing the consequences could mean that their whole family takes the blame.

New Wave...it seems Amy and Victoria have a whole family of superheroes, like The Incredibles! Is New Wave’s gimmick that the identities are public? The fact that excessive force threatens the founding purpose of the group leads me to think that revealing their identities is an attempt to gain the trust of the general public.

Amy frowned and looked at the fallen man..

“I know you’re not keen on the superhero thing, but you’d really go that far?  You’d do that to us?  To me?”

Amy pointed a finger at her sister, “That’s not me.  It’s not my fault we’re at this point.  It’s you.  You’re crossing the line, going too far.  Which is exactly what people who criticize New Wave are scared of.  We’re not government sponsored.  We’re not protected or organized or regulated in the same way.  Everyone knows who we are under our masks.  That means we have to be accountable.  The responsible thing for me to do, as a member of this team, is to let the paramedics take him, and let the law do as it sees fit.”

So, New Wave is not government sponsored, like the protectorate is!

On one hand, we have the Protectorate, which is a state-funded professional justice league, with secret identities and constumed antics and such.

On the other, we have New Wave, which is a freelance family of heroes with their identities public and emphasizing accountability and probably a more modern, refreshing approach to superheroing (which kinda goes with the new wave name)

I really like the world building we’ve got going on here. It doesn’t seem to be going that well if Victoria here nearly killed a crook due to an excessive use of force though. At least it seems Amy is more level-headed and wants her sis to also be more careful.

Victoria abruptly pulled Amy into a hug.  Amy resisted for a moment, then let her arms go limp at her sides.

“This isn’t just a team, Ames,” Victoria told her, “We’re a family.  We’re your family.”

Heh, what Victoria is pulling here is the exact sort of emotional manipulation that a spoiled family member pulls when trying to get away with something scot-free. They’ve got a sister dinamic, that’s for sure!

The man lying just a matter of feet away stirred, then groaned, long and loud.

“My adoptive family,” Amy mumbled into Victoria’s shoulder, “And stop trying to use your frigging power to make me all squee over how amazing you are.  Doesn’t work.  I’ve been exposed so long I’m immune.”

Oh wow, seems like Victoria was trying literal emotional manipulation by way of her powers, but Amy has been exposed for so long she’s inmmune. So.... one can build an inmmunity to that aspect of her power?

Also it’s a bit disturbing to think of Victoria using her emotional powers to make her family subtly like her more.

And Amy is adopted! She did look very different from Victoria, based on that description we got earlier.

“It hurts,” the man moaned.

“I’m not using my power, dumbass,” Victoria told Amy, letting her go, “I’m hugging my sister.  My awesome, caring and merciful sister.”

The man whined, louder, “I can’t move.  I feel cold.”

Amy frowned at Victoria, “I’ll heal him.  But this is the last time.”

Victoria beamed, “Thank you.”

The bastard deserves it, but it’s kind of funny how nonchalant they are being with his continued pain in the background.

Seems Amy has finally caved-in to her demands and will heal this badly wounded piece of shit. (Victoria totally acts like a spoiled brat who broke a toy during all this, which is a bit terrifying with a power combination like hers)

Amy leaned over the man and touched her hand to his cheek, “Slingshot break to his ribs, fractured clavicle, broken mandible, broken scapula, fractured sternum, bruised lung, broken ulna, broken radius -“

“I get the point,” Victoria said.

“Do you?” Amy asked.  Then she sighed, “I wasn’t even halfway down the list.  This is going to take a little while.  Sit?”

Victoria crossed her legs and assumed a sitting position, floating a half foot above the ground.  Amy just knelt where she was and rested her hand on the man’s cheek.  The tension went out of his body and he relaxed.

Holy shit, Victoria really pummeled him badly! I guess that’s what happens when a superwoman toys like that with a normal human.

Also Amy can analyze and diagnose what a person has wrong in their body with just a touch? And can remove all pain, also with a single touch? On top of some form of healing?

That is ...incredible. She could revolutionize the world of healthcare and be an incredible professional doctor! Just the analysis part of it alone! It’s just ...so good.

“How’s the woman?  Andrea?”

“Better than ever, physically,” Amy replied, “I grew her new teeth, fixed everything from the bruising to the scrapes, and even gave her a head to toe tune-up.  Physically, she’ll feel on top of the world, like she had been to a spa and had the best nutritionist, best fitness expert and the best doctor all looking after her for a straight month.”

This power is astonishingly good.

She (and other powers like hers) would save so many lives, just by doing normal medical work.

Can she only heal injuries like these, or can she also do things like grow half a person’s body back, or even make someone younger? The posibilities with her are endless!

“Good,” Victoria said.

“Mentally?  Emotionally?  It’s up to her to deal with the aftermath of a beating.  I can’t affect the brain.”

“Well-” Victoria started to speak.

“Yeah, yeah.  Not can’t.  Won’t.  It’s complicated and I don’t trust myself not to screw something up when I’m tampering with someone’s head.  That’s it, that’s all.”

Well it seems she couldn’t cure dementia or parkinson’s disease or any of these blights on humankind. But she’s still amazing!

It’s very interesting to see that it’s not just bam, you’re healed, with her power. She has to actually perform the healing herself. So her power would be ...what? Body scan and manipulation? Organic manipulation? Using the inherent healing sistems of the body as a tool?

Victoria started to say something, then shut her mouth.  Even if they weren’t related by blood, they were sisters.  Only sisters could have these sorts of recurring arguments.   They had gone through a dozen different variations on this argument before.  As far as she was concerned, Amy was doing herself a disservice by not practicing using her powers on the brain.  It was only a matter of time before her sister found herself in a situation where she needed to do some emergency brain surgery and found herself incapable.  Amy, for her part, refused to even discuss it.

Victoria has a more reckless demeanor than her sister. It’s true that Amy being able to cure brain diseases would be incredible, but how would she practice? Would there need to be people used as basically experiments until she gets the hang of it? It seems it would require some not very good means.

Also, Amy does use her powers to do medical stuff it seems! That’s good. I wonder how much certain powers have benefitted humankind in this series.

She didn’t want to raise a sensitive issue when Amy was in the process of doing her a major favor.  To change the subject, Victoria asked, “Is it cool if I question him?”

“Might as well,” Amy sighed.

Victoria tapped the man a few times on the forehead to get his attention.  He could barely move his head, but his eyes lolled in her direction.

“Ready to answer my questions, or do me and my sister just walk away and leave you like this?”

“I… sue you, he gasped out, then managed an added, “Whore.”

“Try it.  I’d just love to see a skinhead with a few broken bones go up against a superheroine whose mom just happens to be one of the best lawyers in Brockton Bay.  You know her, right?”

“Brandish,” he said.

Hmm I feel like there is an ethical conversation to be had here. Both in ransoming the healing and in flaunting that they could get away with it because their mom is a lawyer.

Would the Protectorate be ok with doing something like this? Would the citizenship be ok with something like this?

Again, it could be argued that he’s a neonazi scumbag, but what about in more general cases? Or is getting information out of him instrumental in protecting the people and saving lives, and does that justify one’s actions?

Interesting questions to be had, all in all.

“That’s her name in costume.  Normally she’s Carol Dallon.  She’d kick your ass in court, believe me,” Victoria said.  She believed it.  What the thug didn’t understand was that even if he lost the case, the media circus that would be stirred up would do more damage than anything else.  But she didn’t need to inform him of that.  She asked him, “So do I get my sister to leave you as you are, or are you willing to trade some information for relief from months of incredible pain and a lifetime of arthritis and stiffness in your bones?”

So Carol is indeed their mother, and also the superheroine Brandish! ...I don’t have any idea what her powers are based on that name alone.

“And erectile dysfunction,” Amy said, just loud enough for the thug to hear her, “You fractured your ninth vertebra.  That’s going to affect all nerve function in extremities below your waist.  If I leave you like you are, your toes will always feel a little numb, and you’ll have a hell of a time getting it up, if you know what I mean.”

The skinhead’s eyes widened a fraction, “You’re fucking with me.”

“I have an honorary medical license,” Amy told him, her expression solemn, “I’m not allowed to fuck with you about stuff like that.   Hippocratic oath.”

“Isn’t that ‘do no harm’?” the thug asked.  Then he groaned, long, loud and with the slightest rattle in his breath, as she removed her hand from his body.

Okay I’m kinda enjoying the way they are messing with him, ethical questions aside. Amy going straight for the erectile dysfunction! And a version of the “If I was an undercover cop, I would be obligated to tell you” kind of gambit.

Would the removing the anesthetic hand to make him comply be considered torture? Hm.

“That’s just the first part of it, like how freedom of speech and the right to bear arms is just the first part of a very long constitution. It doesn’t look like he’s cooperating, Glory Girl.  Should we go?”

“Fuck!” the man shouted, then winced, tenderly touching his side with one hand, “I’ll tell you.  Please, just… do what you were doing.  Touch me and make the pain go away, put me back together.  Fix me?”

Amy touched him.  He relaxed, and then he started talking.

Looks like they got him to talk! Not so cocky in the end, against these two.

“Empire Eighty-Eight is extending into the Docks on Kaiser’s orders.   Lung’s in custody, and whatever happens, the ABB is weaker than it was. That means there’s territory for grabs, and the Empire sure ain’t making progress downtown.”

Seems like Taylor accidentaly created a power vacuum! Due to Lung no longer being there, the ABB is left much weaker and other gangs are rising up to the occasion.

Kaiser huh? That’s the leader of these neonazis? Named after german emperors, so it really fits.

“Why not?” Victoria asked him.

“This guy, Coil.  Don’t know what his powers are, but he’s got a private army.  Ex-military, all of ’em.  At least fifty, Kaiser said, and every one of ’em has top notch gear.  Their armor’s better than kevlar.  You shoot ’em, they’re back up in a few seconds.  ‘Least when you shoot a pig, you can be pretty sure you broke a few ribs.  But that’s not the fucked up thing.  These guys?  They’ve got these lasers hooked up to the machine guns they carry around.  If they don’t think bullets are doing it, or if they’re after people who are behind cover, they fire off these purple laser beams that can cut through steel.  Tear through any cover you��re standing behind and burn through you too.”

More competition! In the same way that the ABB seems to have an asian theme, and the Empire are neo-nazis, these guys seem to be some sort of paramilitary militia armed to the teeth with high-tech gear, including ...laser weapons?? So these guys are less about superpowers and more about collective strength, tactics and formations? They sound awesome.

Coil makes me think about tesla coils, so maybe some electricity power to go along with the high-tech motif and weird technology?

“Yeah.  I know about him.  His methods get expensive,” Victoria said, “Top of the line soldiers, top of the line gear.”

The thug nodded weakly, “But even with money to burn, he’s fighting us over Downtown territories.  Constant tug of war, neither of us making much headway.  Been going on for months.  So Kaiser thinks we should take the Docks now that the ABB are on the outs, gain some ground somewhere easier.  Don’t know any more than that, as far as his plans.”

Seems this Coil group and the Empire are about equal in power, with the ABB being now weaker but maybe stronger than both of them previously?

“Who else is up to something?  Faultline?”

“The bitch with the freaks in her crew?  She’s a mercenary, different goals.  But maybe.  If she wanted to branch out, now would be the time to do it.  With her rep, she’d even do alright.”

“Then who?  There’s a power vacuum in the docks.  Kaiser’s declared he wants to seize it, but I’m willing to bet he’s warned you about others making a play.”

Another new player! She’s a mercenary, with a bunch of ...freaks? Are these like mutants, where the powers change their appearance and they are discriminated against? Seems like an interesting group. Faultline.... maybe some earth or earthquake-related power?

The skinhead laughed, then winced, “Are you dense, girl?  Everyone’s going to make a play.  It’s not just the major gangs and teams that are looking for a slice of the pie, there.  It’s everyone.  The Docks are ripe for the taking.  The location’s worth as much money as you’d get downtown.  It’s the go to place if you want to buy black market.  Sex, drugs, violence.  And the locals are already used to paying protection money.  It’s just a matter of changing who they pay to.  The Docks are rich territory, and we’re talking the potential for a full scale fucking war over it.”

He looked up at the blond superheroine and laughed.  Her lips set into a firm line.

Dear god Taylor what have you done? Now we have a full-scale gang war that could spread to the whole district thanks to your actions that day. You certainly caused a big splash!

It kinda reminds me of Doflamingo’s speech in One Piece, where there is a power vacuum that is going to make everyone fight in the near future, only that is much much more high scale than this. Still, what a way to change things.

He continued, “You want to know my guess?  Empire Eighty Eight is going to take the biggest slice of the Docks, because we’re strong enough to. Coil’s going to stick his thumb in just to spite us, ABB is going to hold on to some.  But you’re also going to have a bunch of the little guys trying to take something for themselves.  Über and Leet, Circus, the Undersiders, Squealer, Trainwreck, Stain, others you’ve never heard of?  They’re going to stake out their ground, and one of two things is going to happen.  Either there’s war, in which case civilians get hurt and things get bad for you, or there’s alliances between the various teams and solo villains and shit gets even worse for you.”

Woaah a loot of even more new names! This is worldbuilding, the chapter!

Uber and Leet ...I think they vaguely mentioned them once..? But they apparently were small-fries

Circus is maybe a carnaval or clown-themed villain? Those are always ...fun. I expect a lot of circus gimmicks as their powerset.

The Undersiders are that group of totally innocent teens of which Taylor might or might not be a part of now, and might or might not be planning to eventually betray.

Squealer sounds ...weird. Maybe something animal-based?

Trainwreck maybe summons trains to crash against you. That seems too silly though. (Yukari-approved! )

Stain is obviously from Mha and I don’t know how he jumped to here. On a more serious note, I have no idea what he could be about.

All of these (including our undersiders) seem to be small timers, at least compared to the big three of the ABB, the Empire and the supersoldiers. And also Faultline, which even though she was a mercenary was considered high enough to be counted outside of the smaller ones.

We’re getting to know our underworld landscape here!

He broke into laughter yet again.

“Come on, Panacea,” Victoria said as she stood up, touched ground with her boots and brushed her skirt straight, “We’ve gotten enough.”

“You sure?  I’m not done yet,” Amy told her.

“You fixed the bruises and scrapes, broken bones?”  Everything that could get her in trouble, in other words.

“Yeah, but I didn’t fix everything,” Amy replied.

“Good enough,” Victoria decided.

“Hey!” the skinhead shouted, “The deal was you’d fix me if I talked! Did you fix my cock?”  He tried to struggle to get to his feet, but his legs buckled under him,  “Hey!  I can’t fuckin’ walk!  I’ll fucking sue you!”

Victoria’s expression changed in an instant, and her power flooded out, blindsiding the thug.  For an instant, his eyes were like those of a panicked horse, all whites, rolling around, unfocused.  She grabbed him by the shirt collar, lifted him up and growled into his ear, her voice just above a whisper, “Try it.  My sister just healed you… most of you, with a touch.  Did you ever wonder what else she could do?  Ever think, maybe, she could break you just as easily?  Or change the color of your skin, you racist fuck?  I’ll tell you this, I’m not half as scary as my little sister is.”

Seems the skinhead was still being a pest faking not being cured and Victoria had enough. Damn she can be scary, and that’s aside from the ability to literally make him feel fear. I think part of the scary factor to her is that she could very easily break you and she doesn’t really have that much impulse control. Imagine facing down someone like that and thanks to her power having that fear you feel towards her amplified until she is the worst thing in your world.

And that all pales in comparison to her sister. Oh god I hadn’t considered that application of her power! She has organic manipulation, not healing. Healing is just what she chooses to use her power for! She could unmake you with just her continued touch, or give you any sort of illness or deformity. She has one of the greatest and scariest powers so far.

She let him go.  He collapsed in a heap on the ground.

As the two sisters walked away, Victoria pulled her cell phone out of a pouch on her belt with her free hand.  Turning to Amy, she said, “Thank you.”

“Play safe, Victoria.  I can’t bring people back from the dead, and once you’ve gone that far…”

“I’ll be good.  I’ll be better,” Victoria promised as she dialed with one hand.  She put the phone to her ear, “Hello?  Emergency services?   Requesting special line.  New Wave, Glory Girl.  Incapacitated criminal for you to pick up, no powers.  No, no rush, I can hold.”

Seems this situation concluded with a minor big problem averted. Glory Girl really should be grateful for the free healer she has to get her out of her excessive use of force! They are cleaning nazis from the streets so they aren’t bad or anything, they are the good guys, just a bit too dangerous sometimes!

Looking over her shoulder, Victoria noted the thug, still floundering and half-crawling, “He’s not going to get up?”

“He’ll be numb from the waist down for another three hours.  His left arm will be iffy for about that long, too, so he’s not going to move unless he can drag himself somewhere with just one limb.  He’ll also have numb toes for a good month or so, too,” Amy smiled.

“You didn’t actually…”

“No.  Nothing was broken, and I didn’t screw up anything, beyond a temporary numbness.  But he doesn’t know that.  Fear and doubt will complete the effect, and the suggestion becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.”

“Amy!” Victoria laughed, hugging her sister with one arm, “Weren’t you just saying you weren’t going to mess with people’s heads?”

Heh, I really like Amy. And Victoria too, to a degree. She’s a lil bit spoiled, but I imagine getting such awesome powers at a young age warps your perception of things.

We set up a lot of things this chapter, and it seems our protagonist may have destabilized all of the city with her first night in costume! She’s certainly off to a good start!

#Worm #worm parahumans #parahumans liveblog #liveblog #arc 2 #worm interlude 2 #wildbow #parahumans

[badchoicesposts]

Loyalty or Royalty

Chapter 16

Summary: Mia Bhatt spent years trying to escape her past, trying to escape the feeling of betrayal that was left in her heart after the fire, and she finally had. She was marrying the King of Cordonia and was finally going to get her happily ever after. But, after a momentary lapse in judgement caused her to send a wedding invitation to someone she was sure had forgotten about her, she realizes that sometimes the past has a way of crawling back to you.

Author’s Note: In this fic Anton and The Sons of Earth were caught before the wedding. Also this story will contain flashbacks that will be in italics.

Pairing: Liam x MC (Mia Bhatt), Platonic!Colt x MC, Past!Logan x MC

Word Count: 4,132

Taglist: @flowerpowell, @dcbbw , @texaskitten30, @kingliam2019 @hopefulmoonobject​ @lovehugsandcandy @los-cafeteros @desireepow-1986​ @lovemychoices​, @kimmiedoo5

Catch Up: Masterlist

Jason whipped his head around just in time to see Kaneko waltz out from behind the pile of metal. 

“Hello, Jason,” Kaneko said, marvelling at the shocked expression on The Brotherhood’s faces.

“What the hell is this?” Jason asked as the rest of the MPC walked out and surrounded them as well. 

“Payback,” Colt said with a smirk. 

Wallace was seething and he lunged in Mia’s direction. She froze for a split second, and before she could think, she ducked under his outstretched arms, throwing her leg out and kicking him in the shin. The man let out a loud groan, and Mia kicked him one more time in the crotch, smirking at the shocked expression on Colt’s face. However, her moment of victory was soon over because while everyone was distracted, they failed to notice the figure creeping up behind her. 

Mia let out a loud gasp as two strong arms wrapped around her waist. Her back collided with Jason’s hard chest as he held her tightly against him, giving her no room to move away. As if holding her so tight that she could barely breathe wasn’t enough, Mia felt the cold metal of a gun against her temple causing her blood to run cold.

“If you even think about trying anything, she’s dead,” he threatened, looking directly at Kaneko. 

Mia had been in dangerous situations before, but she had never expected to have a gun to her head. Sure, she had come face to face with the barrel of a gun during the assassination attempt, but that day Drake had managed to push her out of the way before anything had happened to her. But, if Jason decided to pull the trigger now, that would be it for her. She would be dead. 

She was faintly aware of the sound of police sirens filling the air and the FBI yelling for him to stand down and release her, but all she could focus on was Kaneko. 

“If you come any closer I’ll shoot!” Jason threatened, his voice dripping with malice.

Mia desperately tried to remember anything that Mara had taught her about self defense, but her mind seemed to be drawing a blank. The only thing she could seem to remember was that scene from Miss Congeniality where Sandra Bullock’s character said to remember to S.I.N.G.. But, surely that didn’t work in real life. Even if it did, it would be too dangerous to do it while he had a gun to her head. What if she elbowed him in the stomach, and he pulled the trigger accidentally? She needed to get him to lower the gun. 

“C’mon, Jason, you don’t want to kill me. That’ll just make things worse for you,” she said.

She could feel the gun shaking against her head as he hesitated momentarily at her words. However, after a second, his grip on her only tightened. 

“I told you I’d kill you if you tried anything. Besides, if I have to go to prison then my life’s already over, so I might as well go out with a bang,” he said, laughing at his own play on words.

Mia fought back a wince at his words, racking her brains for some other way to get him to stand down, or at least lower the gun to a place that a shot wouldn’t be lethal. 

“I’m a queen, Jason. Killing me won’t be like killing anyone else. My husband will make sure that you get the harshest punishment possible,” she said. 

She could feel Jason’s body tense up once again at her words, but he made no move to release her.

“You have a kid right? Was it a boy or a girl? Do you really want to risk the chance of never seeing them again? Because that’s what’ll happen if you kill me. You’ll be in jail for the rest of your life and that’s all they’ll remember you for. Killing someone. They’re bound to find out. My death would be all over the news. Do you think they would ever forgive you for that?”

Maybe she was pushing it, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t trained in hostage negotiation, so for all she knew she was making things worse. But, she was trying. All the law enforcement agents continued to yell at him to back away, but she could tell that their words weren’t doing anything to dissuade him from shooting. 

Jason lowered the gun ever so slightly, and Mia saw her opportunity. She took a deep breath and before she could properly think over what she was doing, she brought her arm forward and swung it back hard, her elbow colliding with his stomach. She then immediately stomped on his foot before quickly ducking down as Jason let out a pained groan and the air filled with the loud bang of the gun going off. 

The FBI and L.A. cops closed in and handcuffed both Hester and Jason. Everything seemed to both freeze and happen too quickly in the next few moments as Mia looked up and noticed Detective Wheeler and another cop bent over the spot where Kaneko was just standing. She couldn’t even remember standing up and running over to them or having Colt join her. She could barely remember an ambulance arriving and paramedics loading Kaneko into the vehicle. She could barely remember Drake escorting her to the car and driving her to the hospital.

“Bhatt, are you okay?” Drake asked softly.

Kaneko had been rushed into emergency surgery and the crew had all gathered into the waiting room, desperate for an update on his condition.

“Apparently all I’m good for is getting the people I care about shot,” she said sarcastically, biting down on her bottom lip to keep from crying.

“It’s not your fault,” Drake tried to reassure, placing an arm comfortingly around her. “Shaw had a gun to your head. If he decided to shoot you would have been dead. You did what you had to do to survive.”

“Yeah and I got my dad shot in the process,” she shot back.

“This is going to sound extremely selfish of me, but better him than you,” Liam’s voice broke through their hushed conversation causing Mia’s head to shoot up. 

She immediately jumped out of her seat and launched herself into his outstretched arms.

“Are you alright, my love?” Liam asked, holding onto her for dear life.

“No. Liam, I swear if he dies because of me I’ll never forgive myself,” she said.

“Nothing’ll happen to him. It’s Pop. He survived his car exploding. He’ll survive this,” Colt said, a look of resolution on his face. “He’ll survive this and then we’ll all be free, and this’ll be over.”

  Mia exchanged a nervous look with Logan and the rest of the crew. Even now Colt refused to believe that Kaneko wasn’t invincible. However, instead of trying to dispute Kaneko’s mortality with her brother, she simply nodded her head solemnly and snuggled closer into Liam’s side, trying to hide her tears in his chest.

“Do you guys remember that time Toby tried to throw Kaneko a surprise birthday party?” Logan asked, breaking through the tense silence with a soft laugh.

Mia pulled her face away from Liam’s chest and offered him a small smile, moving over to sit down in one of the waiting room chairs and pulling Liam along with her.

“Yeah, and he almost burned down the garage trying to bake him a birthday cake,” Mia concluded, causing everyone to chuckle quietly.

“Do you remember the phase Pop went through where he would only play 80s music in the garage?” Colt asked, the ghost of a smile making its way onto his face. 

Mia remembered that time vividly. 

~~~

Mia angrily wiped at her eyes as she walked out of the breakroom and into the shop. Even at only ten years old, she always pushed herself to do her best in school. She had been naturally good at school anyway, but she knew how her father would react to her not doing well, so she pushed herself even harder still. It wasn’t because she wanted good grades, although she did, she needed good grades. 

The past few weeks had been rough. She had gotten the flu from Colt who had gotten it at school, and her school work had managed to fall on the back burner. Her mother didn’t mind it. Of course, she didn’t. Her ten year old daughter was fighting a fever and a whole horde of flu symptoms. If one or two tests grades dropped down in that time, it wasn’t that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.

However, things were completely different with her father. He had just finished chewing her out for making a B on a quiz, and she had sat there while he threw criticisms and obscenities at her for the past hour. Kaneko looked up from where he was bent over looking under the hood of a car and let out a soft sigh. Mia missed the conflicted look on his face before he moved over to where she was standing. He crouched down to her level and gave her a soft smile, reaching out and brushing her tears away.

“What can I do to see that beautiful smile again?” he asked softly. 

Mia shrugged her shoulders and wrapped her arms protectively around herself. As Kaneko looked at her sadly the sounds of Everybody Wants To Rule The World began to play from the small radio in the corner of the garage. He walked over and turned the music up before making his way back to her. Teppei grabbed her hands and began spinning her around, leading her in a playful and energetic dance. He scooped her up in his arms and spun the both of them around in time with the music, causing Mia to laugh happily and wrap her own arms around his neck tightly. 

“I wish you were my dad instead,” she said softly, resting her head on his shoulder. 

Kaneko squeezed her tightly for a moment, resisting the urge to tell her that he actually was.

~~~

“No way!” Logan exclaimed. 

“Pop didn’t dance!” Colt said, looking at her like she was crazy. 

“He did with me. It was only once, but I held onto that ever since,” Mia said, resting her head against Liam’s shoulder. 

The next few hours passed by excruciatingly slow. After about three cups of coffee and the crew telling a million stories about Kaneko, the doctor finally came out to give them an update.

“Your Majesty,” she said, properly acknowledging Liam and Mia despite the circumstances. “The bullet missed your father’s heart by just a few inches. When he was brought in, he was in critical condition. But the paramedics managed to get him here just in time. He’s still unconscious right now, but given time, he should make a full recovery.”

“Oh, thank god,” Mia gasped out, finally letting out a relieved breath and decompressing.

“When can we see him?” Colt asked.

 “I can take the three of you to see him now,” she responded kindly.

Mia, Liam, and Colt followed the doctor down the hospital halls silently. They were both still buzzing with nervous energy, but it wasn’t nearly as overpowering as it was before they knew about Kaneko’s condition. Mia paused momentarily as they rounded the corner and they saw two burly police officers standing guard in front of a private hospital room. She and Colt exchanged nervous looks but proceeded to follow the doctor into the same room anyway. Once inside, they were met with the sight of an unconscious Kaneko. Their eyes immediately shot down to where he was handcuffed to the bed.

“What the hell is going on?” Colt asked.

 Mia looked over to where Liam was giving the both of them a nervous and guilty look.

“This was part of the deal he made,” Liam said. “He traded his freedom for the crew’s.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mia asked. “He said that everyone would be free as long as we helped them catch The Brotherhood.”

“The FBI wasn’t okay with all of you just getting off without any punishment. So, he offered his freedom for everyone else’s.”

“Why didn’t he say anything?” Mia asked.

“Because he knew it would upset the two of you,” Liam answered. “He asked me not to tell you.”

“Why would he do that?” Colt asked incredulously.

“For the two of you. For The Crew,” Liam said, walking over to where Mia was visibly upset. “I’m so sorry, but this was his decision.”

Mia sunk into his arms as she looked over to the sleeping Kaneko. However, as much as she wanted to stay in Liam’s arms where things always managed to seem okay, she pulled herself away and walked over to where Colt was staring down at his father in disbelief. She pulled him into her arms, and he held onto her tightly.

The next twenty four hours passed by with all of them waiting for Kaneko to finally wake up. Mia was getting stir crazy, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the hospital. Liam kept trying to tell her to go back to the hotel to get some sleep, but she refused to leave Teppei’s side. When he finally opened his eyes, it took everything in her to keep from bombarding him with questions. Instead, she calmly made her way over to his side and took a hold of his hand.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

Kaneko blinked at her repeatedly, taking a few slow, labored breaths.

“Tired,” he answered, his voice hoarse. 

Mia grabbed the pitcher of water that was left on his bedside table and poured some into a small cup for him and helped pour it into his mouth. 

“Pop, why? Why did you do it?” Colt asked, approaching the bed and looking down at Kaneko sadly. 

Kaneko let out a strained sigh, and Mia perched herself onto the edge of the bed next to him. 

“Because, I have a daughter who I’ve made far too many mistakes with and a son that I’ve pushed away for too long. This was my chance to make things right. I can make sure that you live your lives free of the consequences my mistakes have caused,” he said. 

Mia fought back another set of tears and rested her head against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her tears falling onto the thin fabric of his hospital gown. 

Kaneko tried to wrap his arm around her, but his arm was roughly stopped by the metal handcuffs. The best he could do was wrap his hand around her arm in a comforting manner.

“Don’t apologize. This is how things are meant to be,” Kaneko said.

There was a soft knock on the hospital room door and Bastien entered, causing Mia to sit up and wipe her eyes.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, Your Majesties. But there’s something you have to see,” Bastien said, giving them a sympathetic smile.  

Mia got up from her spot on the hospital bed and walked over to where Bastien was standing next to Liam and tapping on his phone. He held the screen out for them to see and a Cordonian newscast started playing. 

“...Queen Amelia’s father, Teppei Kaneko, was the leader of the infamous Mercy Park Crew, a gang of car thieves that operated in Los Angeles, California where Her Majesty was born. Our sources have informed us that Kaneko was involved with Anton Severus and the extremist group The Sons of Earth and may have been involved in the fire that burnt down Applewood Orchard.”

#the royal romance #the royal heir #trr #trh #liam x mc #liam #king liam #colt kaneko #colt x mc #colt kaneko x mc #teppei kaneko #ride or die #ride or die: a bad boy romance #rod #rod:abbr #choices #playchoices #my fics #choices fic

[inawickedlittletown]

I’m With You (1/?)

Summary: 

Having a crush was nothing to be ashamed of...lying to the family and friends of said crush about being the guy’s boyfriend, that was a whole other problem. When Buck saves the life of Andrew Diaz and accidentally makes a nurse think that he’s Andrew’s boyfriend, Buck soon finds himself lying to Andrew’s firefighter friends/coworkers as well as Andrew’s family including Andrew’s very suspicious and attractive brother, Eddie.

Based on the 1995 movie While You Were Sleeping.

Words: 4,050

Notes: Hello. I am back with another fic. This is based on one of my favorite rom coms: While You Were Sleeping (1995). I was watching it a few weeks back and I just wanted a Buddie version of it. Anyone that hasn't seen it: go watch it immediately, it's a classic. Rom coms are not made like they used to be. 

The fic title comes from the song of the same name by Vance Joy. Listen to it, it is perfect. Enjoy. :)

Read on Ao3

Masterpost

-

Coffee Time was always busy at three very specific times of the day. In the morning from opening at 6am until around 9am and then 12pm to around 1pm and then after 5pm until just after 7pm. The rest of the day was full of the odd person stopping in for a quick snack or drink and they often got a few people that loitered and sat at tables by the windows with their notebooks or laptops. Buck worked the morning shift going in at 5am to get everything ready for opening and leaving just after their lunch rush and it meant that Buck was there when Mr. Perfect arrived for his usual order : two black regular, one mocha latte, one iced green tea no sugar, and a regular latte. 

Mr. Perfect arrived for the lunch rush which meant that there was never any real time for idle chat. He also always placed his order online for pick up and there was never a name attached. Just the order number. Buck was always the one to fill it and as tempting as it was to add his number to one of the cups, he also had no idea if Mr. Perfect was interested in men and which of the cups in the order was his. So, he never did. Instead, he admired from afar. It felt like the easiest thing to do. 

It was busier than usual on a Thursday probably due to some event happening down the street. It meant that they had people coming in and out in what seemed like a stream and Buck was getting behind on filling orders. So much so that he failed to get Mr. Perfect’s order ready before he arrived like usual. 

Mr. Perfect busied himself with his phone while he waited and didn’t seem too bothered at the wait or how crowded the place was and it gave Buck a few moments to admire him. He was broad and muscular and his shirt seemed to be just a little tight on him but Buck didn’t mind the way that it helped to make his biceps look big. The logo on the corner of his chest suggested that Mr. Perfect was a firefighter but Buck wasn’t entirely sure if that was his profession. But what really captivated Buck was the way he always smiled when he was picking up his order like he genuinely meant it. His eyes crinkled and they were so warm and dark and Buck loved them. It always left him feeling a bit distracted after Mr. Perfect walked away. He had that kind of affect on Buck and Buck knew that he would never really talk to him. 

“One day, I want you to form sentences and speak to him,” his coworker, Ali, said, nudging him and passing on a marked cup for the current customer in line. 

“Or never,” Buck said with a sigh. 

The thing was that Buck wasn’t a shy person. And he definitely wasn’t shy about flirting or about getting someone to hook up with him. At least, that was who he used to be. But ever since his girlfriend, Abby, went off on a trip to Ireland and then ghosted him, Buck just didn’t know what he wanted. He didn’t think he wanted to go back to quick hook ups and one-night stands that left him feeling used and empty and yet he also wasn’t sure if he wanted to find someone to actually date. And Mr. Perfect — if Buck even had a chance with him — he was the kind that you wanted to date and fall in love with and marry and have a family with. 

When Buck had finally got around to getting Mr. Perfect’s order ready, he set it down on the pick up counter and called out his order number. Mr. Perfect looked up from his phone at once and walked over, his lips turning up into a full toothed smile. His eyes found Buck and for a second Buck wondered if he should try and talk to him but then the moment passed. 

“Thank you,” Mr. Perfect said and then dropped a few dollars into the tip jar. 

“Have a good day,” Buck managed before letting out a sigh. 

The next day, Mr. Perfect didn’t appear at his usual time and Buck pretended to be annoyed when Ali made fun of him for it but deep down he was a little sad about it. That he looked forward to seeing the same stranger at work more than any other part of his day should have been concerning, but Buck really didn’t have much else going for him. 

When the lunch rush died down Buck took off his apron and walked into the back to clock out. From the closet he grabbed his things and he walked back out. He was waving goodbye at Ali, when he saw Mr. Perfect walk in and Buck actually stopped to watch him as Ali got his order to him. Ali shrugged at Buck when she caught his eye but Buck was mostly just glad to see him. 

Buck made it out the door before Mr. Perfect turned away from the counter with his order, but he lingered outside looking in through the window like a creep before he shook his head at himself and started heading towards his car. He was so utterly pathetic. Buck hadn’t made it far when he heard someone yell out. When he turned, he realized that it was Mr. Perfect. 

At first Buck didn’t spot him and he couldn’t have if it wasn’t for the cup of spilled coffee that had rolled away from him. All of the drinks were spilled on him and around him and he was several feet off of the sidewalk on his back and not moving. Buck ran to his side. 

“Hey! Hey!” Buck yelled as he reached him but there was no response. 

Buck checked his pulse at once and let out a breath when there was one. He put his hand out by his nose to check if he was breathing and felt a few puffs of air. That was good. He was breathing and he had a pulse. 

“Okay. Okay. So what next. Can you hear me?” 

Buck tried shaking him a little but Mr. Perfect didn’t react. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around either so Buck fished his phone out of his pocket and he dialed 9-1-1. He was just in the middle of trying to explain what happened to the operator when Buck realized that they were on the street and that while the street had been empty for a while, a car was coming their way and not stopping. The driver couldn’t see them. 

“Holy shit,” Buck said and he scrambled to his feet, grabbing Mr. Perfect by the armpits and pulling. 

He was heavy and it was a bit difficult to maneuver a fully grown man but Buck was strong and somehow he managed to get him to the bike lane mere seconds before the car drove right over where Mr. Perfect had been lying. Buck let out a breath. 

“Oh my god,” he said. “That...that just happened.” 

Buck knew he should have felt scared but instead he felt energetic and like he could do anything at all. 

“Hello! Hello, what’s happening?” 

His phone was on Mr. Perfect’s chest and luckily it hadn’t fallen off while Buck was pulling him to safety. He grabbed it, then. 

“Sorry. Sorry. It’s just he was on the street. I pulled him out of the way. Car was coming. He’s still not awake. I don’t—”

“Sir, an ambulance is on the way. You said he’s breathing and has a pulse?” 

“Yes. Yes. Looks like maybe he hit his head.” 

Having moved him meant that Mr. Perfect’s head had lolled a bit and Buck could see that there was a growing lump. Buck also noticed that Mr. Perfect’s wallet was sticking out of his pocket and he figured he should grab it and get his name. The operator had asked for it at first but Buck didn’t know it. He literally knew nothing about him. 

His license was right there at the top and Buck pulled it out. His name was Andrew Diaz.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur but he remembered being able to tell the operator Mr. Perfect’s name and age (he was 29). He followed the operator’s instructions and then waited. A few people had stopped by to ask what was going on and if they could help but there was nothing to do but wait. Buck just had to keep making sure that he was breathing. 

With Mr. Perfect — Andrew — out cold, Buck could really get to look at him without the danger of awkwardness if he was caught doing it. Andrew had long eyelashes that fanned out over the top of his cheeks. His hair looked curlier up close, a bit of a wave going through it. His lips were a nice rosy pink and just a bit chapped and Buck wished more than anything to be able to kiss him. There was a slight cleft to his chin and Buck could make out laugh lines next to his eyes and by his mouth. Up close, Buck could also make out a few freckles across his nose, not easy to notice on his skin tone. 

Buck almost didn’t hear the ambulance arrive due to how distracted he was especially when he noted that Andrew had a small scar on his jaw. It made Buck curious. 

Buck only got up when one of the paramedics touched his shoulder so he could get out of their way. He stood back and watched with a bit of fascination as they got a collar on him and then put him on a stretcher. They seemed to do a whole number of tests before they loaded him up but even then the whole thing was rather quick. 

“Is he — is he going to be okay?” Buck asked. 

“Just fine,” one of them said and then, “are you coming along?”

Buck was supposed to be just a bystander, a stranger with a crush that just happened to be the only person to see Mr. Perfect splayed out on the asphalt. He was the guy that helped out because he happened to be there but the way that the paramedic was looking at him like he was supposed to be more than that. 

“Uh...what hospital? I — my car is here. I can just drive there.” 

Buck had no idea why he said it or why he didn’t clear up that he was no one to Andrew but the guy that made him his coffee every day. After he had the information, Buck felt weird not going to the hospital to at least find out if Andrew would be okay. Maybe he felt a little weird about going too. It was for his own peace of mind and either way, Andrew didn’t have anyone else at the moment and Buck figured he should go and be there and maybe even wait it out until his family got there. Even as he tried to rationalize it, the whole thing felt stupid. 

When he arrived at the hospital almost an hour later because of traffic, he got just a little turned around but then finally found an information desk.

“Andrew Diaz. He just came in and I was — I was with him and—” 

Buck spotted him then. He was on a gurney now and they were rolling him away. 

“That’s...that’s him. I—”

“Honey, honey, calm down. Are you a family member or friend? I can only release information to family. Someone has probably already been tasked with informing his emergency contacts and—”

Buck tried to take a breath. He didn’t quite know why he was freaking out so much. Maybe everything was finally hitting him. “I — I saved him earlier and I just want to make sure that he’s okay because I’ve been seeing him pretty much every day for months now and he’s like this perfect guy, you know, and I was going to...I was going to marry him, I think, maybe. If I ever built up the courage to—”

“So you’re not immediate family, then,” the woman said and her tone which had been friendly and almost comforting a moment ago had gone flat. 

“I — no...no, I’m not.” 

“Nothing I can do, then,” she said and turned away in one fluid motion leaving Buck with an open mouth. 

Buck didn’t know what to do. Did he just leave and never find out what happened to Andrew? Did he wait it out to see if his family members came in? But then that would mean explaining himself and the whole weird crush from afar thing wouldn’t go off too well. Not to mention he really didn’t know Andrew at all. He’d learned his name a little over an hour earlier. Buck was just about to turn around and leave when he felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned and found a nurse. Not the one from earlier. This one was younger and she smiled sweetly at him. 

“Hi,” she said. “I’m Olivia and I sort of overheard you earlier. I’m sorry about her. She’s not the worst but she’s not very open minded. But if you want to see your boyfriend, I can make that happen. Or — well, will it be fiance soon?” 

Buck was speechless. Words completely failed him leaving his mind blank because that wasn’t what he was expecting. Olivia smiled at him and then motioned for him to follow her and Buck didn’t hesitate. She took him down the hall and past some doors into a room where Andrew was lying prone on a hospital bed. 

She pat his arm. “You can sit with him, if you want? No one will bother you. I should get back.” 

Buck didn’t even think about correcting her as she stepped towards the door because he could see Andrew through the glass and even in the hospital bed in a gown and with an IV line in his hand he still looked as handsome as ever. 

“And I bet today was a hard day. You’re the one that pulled him off the street too, right?” Oliva asked. “The paramedics were talking about it when they brought him in.” 

“I — yeah, I did.” 

“He was lucky you were with him,” Olivia said and she sighed. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to it.”

Buck felt maybe a little bit odd, but he still walked over to the chair next to Andrew’s bed and he sat down. He would just linger for a moment and then leave and even if the nurse said anything about him to anyone it probably wouldn’t even matter. He just wanted to get another look at Andrew. Maybe next time he saw him stop by Coffee Time, Buck might actually talk to him. 

“Wish I could have met you properly,” Buck muttered. “But at least you’re going to be okay. Anyway, I should — I should go. I’m kinda being a bit delusional but I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Buck stood up and he looked at Andrew one more time.

Technically, Buck realized, he didn’t even know if Andrew would be okay. Olivia hadn’t bothered to tell him and maybe she didn’t even know. Looking at him, though, it made Buck hope that he wasn’t too badly off. His heart was a steady beat on the monitor and he was breathing on his own which had to mean something good. Not to mention that if he had been badly off he would have probably been in another place in the hospital like the ICU and not just a regular room. 

Buck didn’t mean to linger as long as he did, but sitting there next to Andrew was weirdly peaceful. It was also a lot less lonely. Buck knew he’d made a mistake when he heard footsteps at the door to the room. He didn’t turn at once, hoping to find Olivia or maybe Andrew’s doctor. Instead, he found a police officer. So maybe the nurse had been wrong and someone had called security on him. It was no matter, Buck was ready to go anyway. 

The woman stepped towards him. She looked like the very definition of authority. Her hand was on her belt inches from where her gun was holstered and the other she lifted towards Buck as she walked towards him. 

“I heard you were responsible for helping him out,” she said and Buck took her hand and shook it. 

Her grip was strong and sure. Buck would be stupid if that woman didn’t scare him just a little bit. 

“I — I did, yes,” Buck said. Maybe she was just there to question him. “I didn’t — I didn’t see what happened though. Just heard him yell out and then he was on the ground.” 

She nodded and made a humming noise. She wasn’t even looking at him though and instead her eyes were settled on Andrew. 

“He got lucky you were there, Mr…”

“Buckley,” Buck said. “Everyone calls me Buck, though.” 

She nodded. “Sergeant Grant,” she said. “But you can call me Athena. The nurse out there told me you’re Andrew’s boyfriend. I didn’t know he was dating anyone, but you saved his life so that makes you alright in my books even if he didn’t bother to fill me in on this development.”

Athena knew Andrew personally. Suddenly the hole he’d dug himself into felt like it had gotten feet deepert. But maybe if he just told the truth she wouldn’t hold it against him and he could walk out of the hospital without any trouble. Buck couldn’t lie to the police especially when the whole thing was a misunderstanding. All he’d wanted was to make sure that Andrew was okay.

“I—” his words were cut off when three people walked into the room. 

They were all in uniform but they weren’t police. They were firefighters. So at least Buck had been right when he guessed that Andrew was a firefighter. It was probably how he knew Athena seeing as they were first responders and probably worked closely together. Buck had always admired first responders and seeing them rush in towards the hospital bed and crowd it checking on their friend and co-worker, it warmed his heart a little. This was what Andrew was a part of. 

He went unnoticed for a moment and Buck could have snuck out if he wanted to. But he didn’t want to. Instead, he watched them. They were all in uniform but none of the gear. The woman, dark skinned with a shaved head and glasses stood by the foot of the hospital bed next to an Asian man. The two of them were talking to each other in low tones. The other firefighter was older but he had an easy air about him and an open countenance. He went to stand by Athena and it was Athena that brought attention to Buck. 

“He is the one you should thank. Saved Andrew. But you guys probably already know him, he’s Andrew’s boyfriend.” 

Buck could have facepalmed for not jumping in and fixing it right then and there but in that moment two more people walked into the room. An older hispanic woman followed by an even older hispanic woman. 

“Whose boyfriend?” the younger of the two asked. 

“Well, Andrew’s,” Athena said. “I mean, I’m out of the loop all the time but you all share everything so I figured—”

“No,” the woman firefighter said. “No, he hasn’t said anything.” 

Her companion spoke up. “I think maybe he’s been seeing someone. Eddie would know.” 

They were all looking at him and Buck had no idea what to do or what to say. The older woman was led to a chair by the younger and for a moment they were distracted looking at Andrew but no amount of time could give Buck an out. 

“Well anyway, this is Buck,” Athena said. “This is my husband and your boyfriend’s Captain, Bobby.” 

Bobby shot him a warm smile. 

“That’s Henrietta but we all call her Hen. Chimney is next to her and don’t bother to ask why anyone calls him that,” Athena said with a nod at the other firefighters. 

“I’m Josephina,” the younger hispanic woman said. “This is my mother Isabel. Andrew is my nephew.” 

Buck looked at all of them. “Hello,” he said. “I’m Evan but everyone calls me Buck. It’s nice to meet you all. And I really — I should apologize because—”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that,” Athena said at once. 

“You really don’t. We’re a little pushy and in each other’s business but it’s okay if Andrew felt like keeping you to himself,” Hen said. 

“My grandson can be a bit taciturn,” Isabel said but she smiled at Buck. 

Buck had no idea how he was going to explain it to them. They were all just so nice and so welcoming and Buck still had no idea if Andrew was straight or bi or gay but all of his friends and family seemed to have no problem with it at all which gave Buck no answers. It made him panic a little, though, and he really needed to set things straight. 

“Okay, but I really do need to clear something up—”

Buck had to stop when he realized that Isabel had gone white. “Is something wrong?” she asked. “Pepa, pero tu dijiste que—” 

[“Pepa, but you said that—”]

“Mama, no te preocupes. Todo esta bien. Andrew va a estar bien.”

[“Mom, don’t worry. Everything is okay. Andrew is going to be okay.”]

Buck’s Spanish wasn’t exactly perfect, but he understood what they were saying without much trouble. 

“The nurse didn’t tell me much,” Buck said when they all looked to him. 

“He’ll be okay,” Hen said. 

Isabel let out a breath and she seemed to regain her color and she smiled at him. “Thank you, Buck,” she said and there was a bit of an accent in her voice but not much. “And thank you for being there for him.”

“What happened exactly?” Bobby asked. 

“I — I’m not sure. I was turned away and I heard him scream so I rushed towards him and he was on the ground passed out. Not too far from the sidewalk but kind of out of view so I had to pull him out of the way and I called 9-1-1.” 

“A witness said it was a kid on a bike,” Athena said. “Avoided hitting him head on but Andrew fell. Hit his head.”

In that moment a doctor and the first nurse that Buck had seen walked in. Her eyes narrowed on him when he saw him and Buck knew he was in trouble now. 

“What is he doing in here?” She asked. “He’s not supposed to be here. It’s family only and—”

“And do we look like we’re related to him,” Athena said at once. “We are his family. That includes Buck.”

Olivia came running in, then. “Anyway, he’s his fiance,” she said. “Has every right to be here, Maria. Saved his life and everything.”

Buck felt all of their eyes on him and if he had ever wanted the floor or the universe itself to swallow him whole it was in that moment. 

“Well...we’re not exactly—”

“You’re engaged!” Isabel said at that same moment. 

Hen was covering her mouth and Chimney’s mouth was open in shock. Athena looked a little confused and Bobby almost shared her expression. But it was Isabel that held his attention. 

“I — well not exactly,” he said and he noted how Isabel just lit up. 

“But he wants to ask him,” the ever so helpful nurse threw in. Olivia was going to be the death of him.  

Buck could have face palmed. He was really not getting out of this unscathed. 

“Well that is...I—”

Isabel was looking at him with far too much expectation. 

“We’re not engaged exactly,” Buck said. 

“But you want to be,” Athena said. 

Buck had no idea what made him nod. 

----

Next Chapter

Notes: Thank you to anyone reading and please let me know what you thought. :)

I will be trying to be consistent with updating so it shouldn't be too long of a wait between chapters. 

Anyone that wants to be tagged on future chapters do let me know. 

#911 fox #buddie #buddie fic #911 fic #buck x eddie #movie au #while you were sleeping au #fic #my fic #I'm With You #emquin fic

[falseroar]

Silver and Peppermint (Part 5)

((Part 5 of a fantasy AU, where Monster Hunter Abe and his reluctant partner, the DA, are trying to track down a murderous werewolf. When Abe’s questions are a bit much for one of their suspects/potential victims, it’s time to do some snooping around.

Links to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6, Part 7, and the Epilogue.))

Less than ten minutes later, Abe and the District Attorney stood back and watched as the paramedics rolled the banker out of his own home on a stretcher, an oxygen mask strapped across his face.

“I still think he could be faking it,” Abe said.

“Really, Abe? He could be faking a heart attack,” the District Attorney said, not even bothering to hide their disbelief. “The paramedics thought he was dead when they first got here.”

“Which proves they can be wrong.” Abe turned to follow the District Attorney as they walked away, shaking their head. “What? He just happens to have a major medical emergency right when he’s about to spill the beans on who our murderer is? Who does that?”

“Someone under a lot of stress? Look around Abe. See this?” They pointed at a glimmer above the front door, and Abe slowly realized that there was a silver pattern worked into the door frame. It was decorative, sure, but now that the District Attorney pointed it out, he noticed that there was a similar lining on the window frames, and even the door knob appeared to be made of silver. “All new too. He clearly thought he might be the next victim, and knew what was coming for him. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in days, which probably didn’t help.”

“This wouldn’t keep a werewolf out,” Abe said, running a finger over the decoration on one of the window frames. “It’s not like a salt circle for demons or iron for those people, just having silver around won’t actually hurt a were unless they touch it. This wolfsbane mixed in with the flowers might do something, if you were to accidentally chuck the whole vase into the fireplace.”

He snorted and turned around to find the District Attorney studying him, as closely as they could from the other side of the room.

“You were here last night,” they said.

There was no accusation in their tone, just an acknowledgement of the fact, but Abe still found himself speaking quickly to explain.

“Look, I know I said I would check out Garroway, but things just worked out so I was watching this place instead, and good thing it did or else we might have had another dead body on our hands.” Abe paused to consider but didn’t correct himself. After all, the paramedics seemed reasonably sure Franklin would be okay, if not in any state to answer questions for a while. “And maybe I should have mentioned the wolf, but I was a bit distracted, okay? Has nothing to do with how it got away, don’t ask about it. Okay, fine, I missed. No one can shoot straight all the time. There. Feel better?”

“I…” The District Attorney paused, a strange expression crossing their face as they tried and failed to parse just what the hunter was talking about. “I honestly don’t know what I was about to say anymore. I’m just going to look around before the butler remembers we’re here.”

Said butler had said something about calling the other members of the board and rushed away the moment the paramedics wheeled his boss out, but Abe suspected he would want to follow him to the hospital once that was done. The District Attorney was right, they didn’t have time to waste.

While they checked around downstairs, Abe eased his way up to the upper floor, aware of the butler’s anxious voice on the phone coming from one room while he checked out the other doors. There were a few pristine guest rooms and a library that looked to be all tomes large and thick enough to knock out a reader if the books weren’t boring enough to send them to sleep on their own. Franklin’s bedroom was an absolute pigsty, which Abe could respect, but the room next door not so much. It was yet another room for entertaining guests, in theory, with a pool table on one side and a drinks cabinet opposite a massive fireplace, but Abe’s eyes were drawn to the stuffed animals that littered every available surface, from the deer’s head above the fireplace to the actual bearskin thrown across the floor. There were lamps with what looked suspiciously like lamia snakeskin in the corners, and someone had even stuffed a griffin, or at least what they thought a griffin was supposed to look like.

Abe fought back a derisive laugh at the sight, knowing that he had sold more than a few pieces of his bounties to rubes like this one for ten or more times what they were really worth, so there was no telling how much he wasted on that pitiful taxidermy hoax. He turned to go but froze when he saw something out of place on one of the small tables that dotted the room.

“What do you think you’re doing up here?”

Abe jumped at the butler’s voice and fought the instinct to reach for his jacket and make sure his find was hidden from sight. “Looking for the bathroom.”

“Well you can find one at a corner store, I’m sure, but you and your associate should leave. Now.”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it,” Abe grumbled, allowing himself to be ushered down the stairs where the District Attorney was already waiting for them, hands thrust into their pockets and the picture of innocence like they hadn’t just rushed away from poking around at the sound of someone coming. “Come on, Y/N, we’ve got things to do.”

“More people to send to an early grave,” the butler muttered behind him.

“He’s not dead,” Abe said, ignoring the District Attorney’s pull on his arm. “Well, not yet anyways—”

“Not helping,” they murmured. “Abe, we should go, there’s nothing here.”

It was so hard to resist saying anything, so Abe yanked the door open and slammed it shut behind them as fast as possible just so he could answer, “That’s what you think.”

With a flourish, Abe revealed the folder he found upstairs, the Haywood logo prominent on the bright blue background.

“You’re kidding me,” the District Attorney said. “Where did you find this?”

“Where do you think?” Abe asked, jamming a thumb in the direction of the house as he handed the folder over, unable to resist a smug smile. “He just left it sitting out in his game room for anyone to find.”

“Abe, that’s…” The District Attorney sighed, pinching the bridge of their nose. “You can’t just steal evidence from someone’s home!”

“Well, considering he stole it first…”

“That’s not how this works! And we don’t know this is the same folder. Even if it was, why would he go to all the trouble of stealing it just to leave it out in the open?”

“It’s not like he expected someone to just waltz into his trophy room, is it?” Abe said, smug smile gone now that they were clearly not responding like they were supposed to. Couldn’t they just be happy for two seconds, or did admitting he had done something right bother them that much? “Who cares, the point is this is another connection between one of our dead guys and Mr. Convenient Heart Attack.”

“Which we won’t be able to use in court—”

“In court?! We are talking about a raving, murderous werewolf who’s already torn apart four people now!” Abe became very aware that the people on the street were staring now, at least those who weren’t ushering small children to walk faster and ignore the terrifying man. He made the effort to lower his voice as he continued, “The only evidence I need is which of our suspects wears fur in the moonlight, if you catch my drift, and if playing along with this whole rounding up clues song and dance is how we get there, then fine. I wasn’t about to let that folder some kid died over sit around for the butler to tidy up his master’s mess for him.”

With that, he pressed the folder into the District Attorney’s chest and stomped away in no particular direction, being more focused on making a point than what happened next. He made it as far as the next corner before the District Attorney spoke up from behind him.

“You’ll want to turn left if you’re going to see Garroway. Or are you done with this whole ‘song and dance’ now?”

Abe stopped, if only because the traffic was too busy to cross without taking his life into his hands, and huffed into his collar, head turned down against the brisk wind picking up. Beside him there was the rustle of paper, and out of the corner of his eye he could see the District Attorney struggling to look through the folder without the contents blowing up and down the street.

“Maybe you could save that for later?” he asked.

“Maybe you could stay still for two seconds,” they answered, moving to stand so that his body blocked the wind enough for them to focus on the papers.

Abe scoffed again but didn’t move. In the following silence he became very aware of the District Attorney’s presence, close but not quite touching his back. He made a show of looking up at the sky, at the street, at his watch, but the moment somehow seemed so long and too short at the same time when the District Attorney moved, speaking as they did so.

“These are financial records for Haywood’s company, but I suppose only Marcus would know if they are the same records that he took home. Lenore could guess, but from what she said I suspect she didn’t have much time to look at them last night.”

“Anything useful?” Abe asked.

“Maybe, but I’ll have to take the time to go through them thoroughly later, and not standing on some random street corner,” the District Attorney answered. “The more pressing question is, what was this folder doing in Franklin’s home? These are internal records, not something you would hand over to a banker unless you’re trying to prove your business is solid enough for a loan, but Haywood wouldn’t need that, the company was winning contracts left and right, any bank in town would be happy to invest in them—”

They paused mid sentence and glanced at the records again, that thoughtful frown of theirs appearing just as it always did when they came across something that didn’t quite fit right.

“So why would Haywood go to ‘Honest’ John when he could get a better deal from one of the banks?”

“Maybe the company wasn’t doing as well as it looked from the outside,” Abe said. “Bit off more than they could chew and couldn’t spit or swallow.”

“…Ignoring that last part, you might be onto something.” The District Attorney looked in the folder again, their mouth moving silently as they went over the numbers.

Abe thought he could watch them all day, but no sooner had that thought crossed his mind than a new gust of wind hit him, somehow weaseling its way past every layer of clothing to send a fresh wave of goosebumps across his skin. An unwelcome reminder that summer was on its way out and the nights would soon be growing longer once more.

Speaking of, at this rate they would still be standing on this corner by the time evening fell.

“You said Garroway’s place was to the left?” Abe asked.

As he hoped, the District Attorney snapped out of their reverie and said, “Yes, yes it’s not far from here. You still think it’s worth going, or do you want to drop by the hospital to slap Franklin with a piece of silver?”

“Not saying we can’t do both,” Abe said and thought he saw a twinge of a smile on the attorney’s face before they turned away. “Besides, nothing wrong with being thorough.”

Especially not with loose ends hanging. It was a werewolf that had chased Lenore and the roommate out of the apartment last night, but even Abe found it hard to believe a werewolf would decorate their home with silver and wolfsbane, much less put a door knob on their very own front door that they couldn’t use. No, as much as he hated to admit it even in the privacy of his own mind, the District Attorney was right: Franklin was afraid, so certain that he would be the next victim he came close to beating the murderer to the punch.

So how did he come to have the folder? Was it an insurance policy of his own? Did he think it would help him any more than it had the poor clerk who had it last?

((Thank you for reading! Sorry there wasn’t much in this one, but the next part would have been difficult to split after this point.

Link to Part 6.

Tagging:  @silver-owl413  @skyewardlight  @blackaquokat @catgirlwarrior @neverisadork @luna1350 @oh-so-creepy @purpstraw @weirdfoxalley @95fangirl @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette @geekymushroom @cactipresident @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist @avispate ))

#markiplier #fanfiction #werewolf au #monster hunter au #wkm detective #wkm da

[alarawriting]

Inktober #14: Overgrown

Not sure what I’m doing with 13: Ash yet, so here, have 14. This features a character from the Cold Light universe but not part of that book. He’s a Proxima, like Meg, but instead of becoming a hero or villain with his powers... he does something else.

Max looked over the yard. “Yikes.”

The executor nodded. “It looks like they didn’t do anything to take care of the yard for the past 10 years. When Walter died, the paramedics had to borrow a weed clipper from the wife to get the walkway wide enough that they could get the stretcher through.”

“My God,” Max said. “Is – was there any chance they could have saved his life otherwise?”

“Oh, no, I’m sure there wasn’t,” the executor said. “He was pronounced DOA. But Helen wants to sell the place and move to an assisted living community. Apparently Walter’d been telling her for ten years that he was having things taken care of – either he was doing the chores, or he was having a landscaper come by, or something – and with her being mostly bed-ridden, she took his word for it.”

“That poor woman. She really hasn’t left her house in ten years?”

“Aside from going outside to bring in grocery and package delivery, neither did Walter. We’ve found a few paths he made through the underbrush to get to the gate where they’d leave the packages, but they weren’t big enough to bring the stretcher through.” The executor shook his head. “The best we can figure, either he was a hoarder of garden vegetation, or he had the worst cast of procrastination anyone’s ever seen.” He gave the suburban jungle one last eyeing-over before turning to Max. “What can you do with this?”

“A lot,” Max said, “but too much of that growth is woody for me to just make it all disappear. When green-stem plants die, like flowers and tomatoes, they just collapse to the ground, but woody plants like trees and shrubs and some kinds of vine will still be there when they die… they won’t continue to grow, their roots will shrink and they’ll dry out and be easier to dig out or cut down, but it’s still going to take some work to remove them.” He pulled at a woody vine that had completely swallowed the white picket fence… at least he thought it was probably a white picket fence from the tiny bits of picket that showed through the vines.

“Well, any cost from landscapers coming in and cutting down whatever’s left after you do your job will be more than made up for by what Helen can get from selling the house, and it would cost a lot more to have them cut it all down while it’s alive.”

“Not to mention the rats.” Max looked at the executor. “You did know about the rats, didn’t you?”

“Uh… no. Helen didn’t mention rats.”

“Just for due diligence, she doesn’t have a family of pet possums or a colony of feral cats living on the property, does she?”

“She has two cats, they’re indoor cats and fixed.”

“And they’re not on the property anymore? It’s important that nothing she wants alive should be on the property at the moment.”

“I get that.” The executor’s smile was nervous. Max took a step away from the man, casually, as if he was inspecting the vines, and saw out of the corner of his eye the executor relax slightly. “She’s got her cats with her, I believe.”

“Staying with kids or something?”

“No, a friend’s house. Walter and Helen never had any kids.” The executor snorted. “If they had, I’d be having words with those kids now. Walter was obviously mentally ill or something, and Helen wasn’t physically capable of enforcing him dealing with the yard even if she knew there was a problem, but if they had kids, there would be no excuse for anyone letting their parents live like this.”

“There’s some smallish creatures in the house. Can we confirm she doesn’t have fish, or other terrarium pets she might have left behind?”

“Huh. She did go to her friend’s in a hurry; it’s not like she’s moved out yet. I’ll check.”

While the executor called the widow to confirm whether or not the lives Max was sensing in the house were wanted or not, Max walked along the fence. Most of the life he was going to have to deal with was deep inside, nowhere near the fence. It was a large property, and he wasn’t going to be able to do it by radiating an area of effect, since there were neighbors. He sighed. Dammit, he was going to have to get the hedge clippers himself, or a machete or something, just to get deep enough into the yard to be able to do his job.

“I don’t get paid to be a gardener,” he muttered.

Well, he didn’t get paid to be a plumber either, but there’d been that colony of mutant amphibious mice that he’d had to track through the pipes in that one house. And at least the homeowner was willing to make a clean sweep, none of “don’t touch my prize rosebushes but get everything else”.

Still, he made a mental note to quote the executor a 20% increase in his usual fee.

“Good news,” the executor said. “Nothing in the house is supposed to be alive.” A little nervously, he asked, “How do you know there’s living things in there? Can you tell what they are?”

“I can tell their approximate size, and, vaguely, about how high off the ground they are,” Max said. “What I’m seeing could be consistent with pet fish, or animals in terrariums… or it could be a few colonies of mice living in the walls. There’s also a lot of insect life, all over. Uh. I think maybe you’re gonna want to check for termite damage after I’m done.”

“Wait, there are termites?”

“Some kind of insect living in parts of the wall that I think might be studs,” Max said. “Could be something like powder post beetles if there’s wooden furniture up against the walls.”

“But you can take care of them?”

“Sure can, but I can’t fix the damage they might have done, so get the place inspected thoroughly before you put it on the market. I can certify that I treated the place for you, once I’m done; I’m licensed to certify state-approved no-toxin extermination was performed. There’s bedbugs, too. That’s weird for people who never leave the house.”

“I’ll just… have the mattresses burned.”

“No need, I can deal with those little suckers too, including the eggs. But the mattresses should be thrown out; there’s gonna be tiny little bloodstains all over them. Nothing bio-active, but people looking at it won’t be able to tell it’s been sanitized. Don’t burn them, the chemicals mattresses are made of turn toxic when you set them on fire.”

“Anything else?”

“Major flea infestation. Those poor cats. Let the friend know and get the homeowner have them professionally treated right away.”

“Is that something you could do?”

“Not without making the cats sick. I don’t do parasites on living creatures; I’m an exterminator. I kill stuff. People aren’t a big fan of exposing their pets to things that kill stuff.” It wasn’t impossible; he’d killed skin cancer once, and the person who’d had the melanoma was still alive, but it was delicate work and dangerous and he’d only done it because his friend hadn’t had insurance and he’d been terrified the thing would metastatize before his friend could raise the money for chemo. Also because chemo was probably worse for people overall than one exposure to a pinpoint death touch. Cats were more fragile than people anyway.

“Okay, I’ll let Helen and her friend know. If Helen’s cats infest her friend’s house with fleas, you’d be able to help with that, right?”

“Yep, with all the usual caveats. Get your pets out of the house for the day, that includes any fish, prized houseplants, and if you want me working on your garden you show me every plant you don’t want dead when I’m done, yadda yadda.”

“Sounds good. So when do you want to get started on Walter and Helen’s yard here?”

Max pulled out his phone, did some quick calculations, and presented the executor with the total. “You can give me a check now, or you can call my secretary and give her the credit card number over the phone.”

“We’ll do a check, that’s simplest.” The executor didn’t even blink at the price. Silently Max kicked himself for not raising the price even higher.

“And I’m gonna need those hedge clippers.”

“I figured as much.”

***

Half an hour later the executor was gone, driven off to get lunch or something, far more than a safe distance away. Max could sense as far as a city block, but he had no idea if he could actually drain life that far away, because he’d never tried.

Numerous supervillains had tried to recruit him since he’d discovered his powers around the age of 14, but Max thought that capes were, in general, ridiculous people. Well, the Peace Force were all right, as heroes went, and his doctor was great despite being a supervillain in her spare time, but why the hell would he ever want to work a job where the entire reason he was on board was to threaten to kill people, or actually do it? He still had nightmares about his grandfather’s death, and the man had been in his 60’s, old enough to die of a heart attack even if Max had had nothing to do with it. Max felt bad when he accidentally killed someone’s pet goldfish – which had happened, in the beginning of his career, because idiots heard “get your pets out of the house” and for some reason mentally tacked on “except for your fish, they aren’t really alive.” Why would he ever want to kill anything another person cared about, let alone a person themselves? Hell, the only mammals he was cool with killing were the rats and mice, and that was mainly because they carried disease and ate people’s food. He wouldn’t take on rural assignments, they kept wanting him to dispose of bunny rabbits and gophers. No thanks. And he didn’t do birds. Pigeons were beautiful creatures and geese were shitheads but mostly just because they weren’t scared of humans, and Max respected that.

His extermination business was certified by the state to be wholly organic and no-toxin, which was good for the environment and for the health of the people he helped. From Max’s perspective, he’d taken a power that terrified most people and kind of screamed “supervillain” to anyone who paid attention to capes, and used it to improve the life and health of people and their pets.

He started at the gate, where the paramedics had hacked a pathway to the house wide enough to get the stretcher through. The pathway was partly the actual original walkway, partly ground that had once been occupied by tall pokeweed plants. As Max walked along the path, he cast his awareness out as far as he could see, to the limit of the yard edge or his eyes’ vision, whichever came first. Life everywhere, from the bacteria and the worms in the dirt to the weedy jungle overrunning every square inch of the yard.

They’d have to replace the worms, when he was done. If Max was going to get all the seeds, he’d have to get everything within the top six inches of the soil. He could leave the bacteria alone – they were small enough that they couldn’t be anything else, and soil needed bacteria to rot the things he was going to kill – but worms were, unfortunately, indistinguishable from small plant shoots, and the garden wouldn’t do well once the worms were all dead.

He stood in the middle of the area he’d mentally bounded, and pulled life energy from it.

Most of the plants slumped immediately. The pokeweed, which wasn’t exactly woody but was easily the thickest non-woody stem Max was familiar with, stood up for a while even as its leaves shriveled, but eventually collapsed on itself. The woody vines and the overgrown shrubs lost their leaves, pulling the water out of any extremity they had in a doomed effort to save themselves. Plants interpreted the pulling of their life force as dehydration, probably because they weren’t evolved to experience this kind of death from any other force.

When he was done… there were still woody sticks and vines and leafless shrubbery everywhere, but everything green was gone, slumped to the ground.

With the clippers, he began cutting himself a path through some raspberry plants that had gotten way out of control, moving toward the side of the house. Once he was far in enough that he could see an area of the yard he hadn’t been able to see before, he did the same thing. Set the range, then pull the life.

It was very important to Max that he could physically see the area he was killing. He could sense life, and its approximate size, so things like the time some absolute shithead had left a child playing in the basement weren’t a real danger for him. He’d notice something as large as a child right away, and had,  that time. (He couldn’t prove that said shithead had wanted him to kill the kid so they could sue his insurance for wrongful death, but at the very least the act had been neglectful enough that he’d seen the kid taken away and given to a foster family, and he’d testified at the hearing that had terminated the asshole’s custody. The kid had deserved better.) But kittens, puppies, songbirds, other creatures like that… life came in sizes, for him, and he couldn’t tell the difference between a mouse and a hummingbird, aside from the fact that hummingbirds didn’t stay still as often as mice did and were usually found higher than mice (not always, though… mice climbed on things.) So outside, where most living things were just minding their own business and not bothering the humans, he wanted to be able to see what he was killing.

Back out of where he was, head up to the porch, over to its side where he could see the other side of the yard. Set the range, pull the life. He included part of the house itself in his sweep this time, killing infestations of insects and an absurdly high number of rats and mice. What the hell had been wrong with that guy, that he’d let his disabled wife live in this shithole without doing anything to maintain it or keep the pests under control? Max got the concept of procrastination – the dishes in his own sink hadn’t been done for a week, he just kept killing the fruit flies and mold rather than actually washing them because he hadn’t run out of dishes yet – but this was appalling. He really didn’t want to go in the house, and from what he could see through the windows of the piles of clutter everywhere, the house plainly didn’t want him to go in, either. Hopefully he’d be able to get the place fully sterilized without having to enter.

The whole job took two hours. It was easily the longest a yard this size had ever taken him. By the time he was done, he was twitching with restless energy. The life went somewhere when he took it – it went into him. Max was in his thirties, but physically looked and felt like a man barely out of college; he grew facial hair just so people would take him seriously as a business owner. He’d been sick exactly once since he’d developed his power, mainly because he’d been binge drinking a lot at the time, and apparently that suppressed his immune system no matter how much life force he was brimming with. Max used to know a guy whose power allowed him to siphon off the excess life energy, which he used to pay Max for since he could use it to help sick people for cash, but someone had shot the dude last year and Max hadn’t found anyone else with a similar power set yet.

So here was the part where he wound up the job and went to the gym, because he had to do something to get rid of the energy, and neither of the exactly two girlfriends he’d had in his life had been able to keep up with him in bed when he was like this, so he needed other outlets.

As he left the place, Max looked back at the disaster of a yard. It actually looked significantly worse now – instead of green overgrowth covering everything, now it was sparser, but winter-brown and dry, nothing but lifeless shrubs and the tracery of woody vines still twined around everything despite being leafless and dead. But at least now, the landscapers would have an easier time of it; there’d be no difficulty telling the difference between legitimate, desired plants and weeds when all of them were dead, and dead plants were significantly easier to cut or remove.

He pulled out his cell phone as he headed for his car. “Hey there,” he said to the executor’s voice mail. “I finished the job. Go ahead and send the landscapers in before rats move into the vacuum I just left.”

Max really needed to find someone else who could siphon his excess energy, he thought. The money he’d just made was good, but it’d be better if he could do two or three jobs this size in a day without having to have a few hours in the gym to burn it off before draining anything else. Although, on the plus side, at least now he was really, really buff. Too bad that didn’t help much on the dating scene after he told girls about his power, but it wasn’t like he was going to lie.

#inktober 2019 #proximas (alara rogers) #super powers

[starkatana]

Ageless

It’s been a few years since you’ve seen your best friend, Touya Todoroki. You are a paramedic and he is a pro-hero, just both living busy lives. There’s been an incident and you have been called to the scene. There you see Touya has been injured, but you still have a job that needs to be done.

Angst and Fluff

Touya Todoroki/Dabi x Reader

AU:

Dabi is a Todoroki.

Touya never became a villain Dabi, but is a pro-hero.

Happy Todoroki Family.

You also have a healing quirk.

Based off the Song: Ageless - The Home Team

You and a team of paramedics were ordered to work on the field at a devastation site scene. Some Pro-Heroes and Villains were in a fight, ruining buildings and getting civilians caught in the crossfire. Your orders, create first aid stations, help those in need, and help where you can.

You were in charge. Arriving at the scene there were police officers, firefighters, and volunteers, cleaning and helping civilians out. You immediately start directing paramedics where to go. While you and a few others set up first aid stations.

It was at that moment, between the chaos of people demanding your help, wondering where to go, or what they can do to help. It was a free second, where you just so happened to turn around and saw him on a gurney. The sirens and the yelling around you went mute as your brain hyper-focused on him and the paramedics around him.

“Pro-Hero Dabi. Name-”

“Touya Todoroki.” You instinctively run up to their side. And trying to quickly look him over, you tell them everything you know about him. “Quirk: Cremation. Blood type: B negative. Age: 25. Affiliation: Endeavor Hero Agency. His suit helps regulate his body temperature and is compression material. Without it, his body is incompatible to his fire quirk.”

“You know each other?”

“Too well.” Touya managed. “Long time no see, y/n.”

You cry as you run alongside the gurney. “Too long, but please don’t talk and try not to move.”

“If I die. I’m haunting you first.”

The floodgates opened. “Shut up. You’re gonna live.” You smile through the tears.

Touya gives you a weak smile and goes for your hand. You give it a small squeeze.

You arrive at the ambulance and instinctively you try to get on.

“Y/n, you have to step away now.” Another paramedic ordered.

You stop in your tracks and nod. Both knowing full well, you are too involved to be on his case. You let them load him into the ambulance without you.

He tries to sit up to see you, but the paramedics tell him to lie back down.

“Y/n!”

“You’ll be fine, Touya!” you cried, “I’ll see you soon.”

And the ambulance shut their doors and drove off. You knew you couldn’t work on his case. You knew this is what you had to do. If you had gone your feelings would have gotten in the way.

After high school, you guys stayed in touch all throughout your college years, while he focused on becoming a hero. It was after all of that when you guys were unable to see each other. You were working at the hospital. He was doing hero things, being famous, and making guest appearances. Your schedules just couldn’t line up to meet with each other. Then when you had plans to meet with each other, one of you had an emergency to deal with.

Until now that is.

You pushed Touya out of your mind. You also had a job to do. It was a long day out in the field as you healed people, bandaged them up, did check-ups, and filled out paperwork. By the end of it all, everything you could do with what you had and the time given was done. You and your team picked up your stations and made your way back to the hospital.

Once you were there, you sent everyone home, you filled out some paperwork, and before calling it a night you had to find out if Touya was here. You changed out of your work uniform you went to the front desk.

“Hey, Celia.”

“Hey, how was the field?”

“Just another exciting day on the job.”

“Well go home and get some rest. We both know you earned it.”

“I will I just need to know, did we get a patient under the name of Todoroki today?”

“Y/n?”

You turn around and immediately Rei Todoroki wraps you in a hug.

“It’s been so long.” She hugs you. “C’mon, Touya can’t wait to see you.”

You smile. You wish Celia a good night as you follow Rei to Touya’s room.

“How have you been?”

“Lovely dear,” Rei responds. “I’d be lovelier if I heard from you more.”

“I’m sorry.” You let out a defeated sigh. “Time has been getting the better of me.”

“Well there’s no need to apologize, we just have to make up for lost time.” She puts your arm around you and gives you a side squeeze. “I’m so happy you seem to be doing so well. Everyone’s going to be so excited to see you.”

Walking into the hospital room, the entire Todoroki family was there. And your eyes lit up, it had been so long since you had last seen them all.

“Yumi! Sho! Nats!” you hug each of them in that order.

“It’s so good to see you, y/n.” Enji greeted giving you a hug as well.

“Please continue to ignore the injured person in bed.”

“How are you Touya?”

“We all miss seeing y/n around dear.”

You smile at Rei, “I’m sorry I don’t visit more often.”

“I’m just giving Touya some grief dear.”

“Besides my emotional abuse from my own mother, I just have a broken rib and some bruising.”

“Ah, so no hero work for at least a month.” You pointed out.

“Yeah gives Touya some time to learn how to do paperwork.” Enji laughed.

“He still can’t do paperwork?”

“He doesn’t do much.”

Touya rolls his eyes, “Oh haha.”

“Okay everyone, enough about me catch me up what's going on? Shoto you’re so big what the heck happened.”

The last time you saw the Todorokis was at your college graduation. Shoto was 12. Now he is 15 and is a freshman at UA. He’s in the hero course and preparing for the sports festival coming up.

“Natsuo you haven’t changed at all if anything your hair just keeps getting spikier.”

Natsuo is now 19 and a freshman in college. You had really inspired him as a kid with your healing quirk. Right now he’s studying medical welfare in school. And thanks to all of your tutoring, he learned a lot of good habits on how to push him to learn more.

“And Yumi, I saw on Face Page, congrats on getting engaged to bird boy!”

“Thanks, y/n.”

“Let’s see the ring!”

You and Fuyumi have always been close like sisters. Fuyumi is a school teacher now and her fiancé bird boy, Hawks, is working with Touya and Enji at the Endeavor Hero Agency. You’ll never forget the time Fuyumi was scared about dating him and now look at where they are.

“Man I’m the worst. I’m so sorry that I haven’t seen you guys in ages.”

“You can make it up to me by going to the sports festival.” Sho beamed.

“It’s a deal.”

“We still love you, y/n.” Rei said, “You’re always welcome over.”

“But as much as I love catching up, we still have class tomorrow,” Fuyumi said gesturing at Shoto and Natsuo.

“We also have to go to work tomorrow, Rei.”

Rei sighed, “we’re going to get so much paperwork and fan mail for Touya.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Just feel better soon dear.”

“Well, the next time we see each other will be soon and definitely at the UA sports festival.”

Everyone agrees, say their good-byes, and eventually makes there way out leaving you alone with Touya. You sit next to his bed while the TV plays in the background.

“How do your arms feel?”

“Sore, but they’ll heal in a few days.”

“Here.”

You take a seat next to him in bed and taking one arm and you slowly rub your hands up and down his arm to heal his skin. Followed by the other arm. Just like you used to back in high school when you were quirk training.

“How does this feel?”

“Much better.”

You smile at him and with one hand on each arm; you follow his arms up, activating your healing quirk, going along his shoulders and then at the top of his chest, where all of his dark spots are.

“You treat all your patients like his?”

“Only my favorite ones.” You wink.

He lifts his face to meet yours. His piercing turquoise eyes staring into your soul. Even though it’s only been two years, it felt like so much time to change. Yet he was still your Touya. He still dyes his white hair red. His ears were still pierced in all sorts of places. There’s a scar on his right nostril from the time he got his nose pierced to get a reaction besides love from his parents. They loved it because they loved him; he quickly got rid of it when he accidentally pulled it out while in the shower.

Your heart skips a beat. You hold his face in your hands continually using your quirk to take away any of his pain caused by his fire quirk. He looks at you with those half-lid eyes. He holds your hand in place on his cheek and brings up his other hand to hold your cheek. Your face flares up.

“I don’t want to lose you again.”

“Touya.”

“I don’t want the next time we meet again is because I’m injured. I missed you and I’m sorry I should’ve done this sooner.” And slowly but gently goes in for a kiss and you return the passion.

The kiss was long and filled all of your senses. His kiss was so soft and filled you with a warmth you couldn’t describe. He took your breath away. You didn’t want the kiss to end, but it couldn’t last forever. He continued to rest his hand on your cheek but placed his forehead against yours.

“I’ve always been yours.” He sighs. “I’ve been thinking about you so much and how much I don’t want to be away from you anymore.”

“Toys.” You purse your lips as tears welled in your eyes.

“You've been nothing but the best thing on my mind.” He smiles at you. “You can’t mistake attraction. You’re everything I’ve been missing, y/n. I love you.”

“Goddammit, Touya.” You face the ceiling to stop yourself from crying but the tears fall out anyway. “I’ve cried too much today.”

He wipes your tears away, “I’m sorry.”

You shake your head. “Don’t be because I love you too.”

He pulls you in for a hug. “We’re fools.”

“Yes, but what matters now is that we can decide what happens next in our lives.”

“I don’t care as long as you’re always in mine.”

“Always.”

You pull out of the hug to look at him again. You have no words, but you’re overflowing with happiness and smiles.

“You must be tired,” he tries to scoot over, “you can sleep next to me if you want.”

“Touya, you’re a patient in the hospital I work at. I’m not going to be caught in bed with a patient.”

“Stupid rules.”

“I will sit next to you though.”

“I guess I’ll take what I can get.”

You take a seat in the chair next to his bed, hold his hand, and feel your body relax.

“Hey, y/n?”

“Hm?” you answer trying not to fall asleep.

“Do you still only date guys that you’ve at least been on a date with?”

You shift so you face Touya and not the TV.

“Why?”

“I think you know why.” He pushes your hair out of your face. And gives you a soft smile.

“I just want to hear you say it.”

“Well, I want to know if you want to go on a date with me? Or if I can just ask you out without being rejected. I want to do this right.”

“Yes.”

“Which?”

“Whichever you want.”

“Both.”

“Yes.” You hum contently.

“Good night, y/n.”

“Sleep tight.”

You wake up the next morning before Touya. You go freshen up in the bathroom when Fuyumi and Hawks come into the room.

“Hey, guys.”

“Hey y/n.” she gives you a hug, “you remember hawks.”

“Bird boy!” you give him a hug too, “it’s good to see you again.”

He gives you a big grin, “you too.”

“So,” Fuyumi begins, “Are you guys dating yet?”

You don’t say anything you just smile and feel your face go red.

“Let me just say, it’s about time you guys.”

#mha #mha oc #mha au #mha imagines #mha todoroki #my hero academia #my hero academia au #bnha #bnha oc #bnha todoroki #bnha dabi #mha touya #bnha touya #touya x reader #todoroki touya #dabi is touya #Dabi #dabi bnha #dabi todoroki #todoroki dabi #touya mha #touya bnha #dabi x reader #dabi au #dabi is a todoroki

[paladin4theright]

Revenge: Prologue

Karen McCormick was six months pregnant. She would be the perfect object to use in Cartman’s twisted, devious plan he’d dubbed, “Project Jew”.

Karen had accidentally gotten pregnant by Ike Broflovski. She apparently didn’t want to graduate from high school as a virgin and Ike needed to know whether or not he was gay. Win, win, right? The only problem was that neither teen was expecting the Canadian to be extremely potent, only getting Karen pregnant on pre-come. Ike had discovered he actually was fucking gay and Karen found out later that she was pregnant.The two were best friends along with Tricia Tucker. The three amigos were practically inseparable which made this plan extremely difficult. Not to mention Karen recently started dating Fillmore Anderson. Another set back. This, of course, was all to get Kyle back, that damned fucking Jew boy.

Stan Marsh had left just after high school to join the Marines and Kyle stayed obsessed with school. He used this as an excuse to bury his head in homework rather than wonder why the fuck his heart hurt. Of course, Cartman tried to make him feel better by taking him out but that was a rare occurrence. Hell, just a little fucking attention from Kyle would have been nice. Cartman just wasn’t good enough. All his fucking attention went to his courses and Kyle made no time for Cartman. Therefore, Cartman had to go and find attention elsewhere. He preyed upon Butters Stotch for almost six years. Even poor ass Kenny McCormick had gone to college. He became a paramedic while Kyle became a microbiologist. Fuckers. Kenny always wanted to help people and better himself. He always put others before himself. Then one day he came back to town and literally stole Butters away from Cartman. After that, all Cartman could think of was Kyle. Somehow the putrid Jew always weaseled his way back into his mind, even when he was fucking someone else. Even with Butters, Cartman would imagine that curly, red-headed Hebrew writhing under his body and the images just grew from there.

Craig Tucker and Tweek Tweak had gotten engaged during their high school graduation ceremony. It was definitely a sight to behold and not one easily forgotten. A year later they were married. As far as Cartman knew, Tweek had opened his own coffee shop in Denver, ‘Tucker’d Out Coffee’ he believed it was called. It supposedly was even better than his parents and had NO traces of drugs, making the little twitchy blonde slightly less twitchy. Craig had a job at Ball Aerospace Corporation near the coffee shop. He spent his day looking at stars and helping NASA reach them. Fucking space geek. Kyle had moved to Denver for school and now he worked at some bio-engineering laboratory and Kenny worked at a hospital somewhere in the downtown Denver area. Almost everyone lived in Denver now. Butters lived with Kenny and about six months ago fucking gay-ass Stanley came back from touring in Afghanistan. Honorable discharge so Cartman hears it. Supposedly a few months ago Stan and Kyle actually became an item and it wretched Cartman’s stomach. He was fucking sick with rage and envy. He had been there for Kyle, not Stan. Stan was a notorious alcoholic from early elementary school on into high school. Their senior year Stan held his birthday party at his parents house and got fucking plastered. He took Kyle to his bedroom and tried to drunk fuck him. Cartman saw it all through the gap in the closed-over bedroom door. Kyle had a few drinks, but he was smart enough to hold himself back. Fucking Stan, though, confessed his feelings that night. He even literally threw them up. Cartman thought that Kyle probably didn’t even realize Stan was admitting the truth; Stan’s slurred words were just that of drunken stupor. Thoughts of that night still make Cartman digest rocks. Instead of interrupting them, he just went home to jack off to pictures of Kyle he had collected over the years.

Cartman remembered the next morning. He remembered the look on Kyle’s face when he realized that Stan had forgotten everything that happened the previous night. He saw how much Kyle hurt even if he said nothing about it. Cartman and Kyle actually became really close after that. He thought he would finally have Kyle to himself once Stan was out of the picture. Kyle’s stupid super-best-friend always held him back from being happy. Low and behold, the fucking bastard came back a goddamn hero. Guess the military set his drinking problem straight because he went through police academy and was currently serving as Denver’s rookie police officer. Motherfucker. He didn’t deserve Kyle. No one did. Except Eric fucking Cartman.

That’s why over a month ago Cartman began sending Kyle texts from unknown numbers. He confessed his love for Kyle over text. He had always intended to tell him in person but Kyle gave him no choice. He knew Kyle knew it was him. He was going to have Kyle to himself whether willingly or by force if necessary. He didn’t know where the couple lived in Denver even with the extensive research on the two. This is where his plan came into play.

Cartman only had a small window for his plan to be operated. He knew Butters and Kenny were coming back to South Park for the last few months of Karen’s pregnancy so she could receive help to finish out high school. She wanted to graduate with her friends. Kenny’s weakness was always his sister and they would be in town by the end of the week.

So there Cartman was: silently opening up the window of the pregnant’s girl’s room. Oddly enough, Karen was living with the Tuckers in Craig’s old bedroom. She was kicked out of her parents house when they found out she was with child. This made Cartman have to work harder at tracking the bitch. This was the first night he had found her asleep in her bed without her damned boyfriend or having some kind of sleep over with Ike. Once the window was open, he clambered his large body through and pulled a Ziplock bag from his thick jacket pocket. Inside was a rag doused in chloroform. He opened the bag, gritting his teeth together as he pulled the plastic grips apart, trying his best to not make a sound. He quickly took the wet rag out as he crossed the carpeted bedroom floor in a few strides. He took in a deep breath and quickly shoved the rag over the Karen’s nose and mouth. It startled her enough to where her big blue eyes flew open and she struggled against him. Cartman used his weight to his advantage and pressed against her. She squirmed and tried to scream but the noxious fumes of the chloroform worked all too well. Her arms fell limp and her eyes fluttered to the back of her head. Now everything else would fall into place…once Cartman figured out how to take the limp body to his mother’s house.

Someone would realize Karen was missing, Kenny would be notified and tell Kyle. Then Kyle would text him. It was all just a waiting game now.

That’s when the transaction would take place.

A trade.

The pregnant teen for the ginger Jew.

This is my main story on AO3 and I am trying to keep up with updating it when I can. I have quite a few chapters if you’d like to read more!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13672818

#P4R writings #Paladin4theright fanfics #revenge au #south park #south park fanfiction #sp fanfiction #sp stan #sp kyle #sp kenny #sp cartman #sp craig #sp tweek tweak #sp creek #sp style #sp bunny #sp butters #stan marsh #kyle broflovski #eric cartman #kenny mccormick #butters stotch #craig tucker #tweek tweak #fanfiction #fanfics #sp revenge AU #sp kyman #one-sided kyman really

[raybansandcoffee]

“Los Angeles, When Will You Save Me?”: Prologue - Fix You (Coldplay)

Welcome to the sequel of “In the Heat of Los Angeles” if you haven’t read that you can find it here. Thank you to everyone who read that and followed along as I wrote about Everlee, Harry, and The Circus of friends and family they surround themselves with. The story screamed for a sequel, mainly because of its cliffhanger ending but also because Evie and Harry’s story wasn’t finished. So here goes nothing...

Here’s a little bit about where this story picks up.

Everlee Scarcello was on cloud nine. She found the love of her life, her success was at an all-time high, her friendships rock solid as they all moved on in their lives. Her life was picture perfect, nothing could possibly go wrong. Then life threw a curveball at Evie that she wasn’t prepared for. Her life changed in an instant. Maybe, picture perfect isn’t meant to be. Will her relationship with Harry survive? Will her friendships change? Will she crack under the pressure of her new life or come out stronger than ever? Will The City of Dreams take all of Evie’s? Los Angeles, when will you save me? Los Angeles, when will you save me? Los Angeles, when will you save me? Los Angeles, I’m never coming home. “Los Angeles” by Blink 182

I hope you enjoy “Los Angeles, When Will You Save Me?”

Okay, Everlee. Take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay. 

My eyes were darting around the room back and forth. My hands were shaking. My breathing erratic. I opened my mouth to speak and nothing happened. 

Come on Evie snap out of it. I didn’t move. I barely blinked. I’d heard people say before that sometimes when you’re experiencing trauma that it feels like an out of body experience. I believed them when they told me but I also didn’t think it was literal or that I’d ever experience it. But here I was watching the commotion in the room as I stood there. Still and silent. No reaction to what was going on around me. No tears. No screaming. Nothing as they rolled my father past me and out the front door of the house. I moved my focus to the door where Sam was rushing in. He hurried to my side and turned me to face him. 

“Everlee,” Sam said in his most calming voice. “They are going to transport Jimmy to Cedars Sinai. They said they can’t take you within the ambulance so I’m going to take you. We can call Rachel on the way so that she can come be with you.”

Perfect. We can call and she’ll come be with me. Sam looked at me waiting for an answer and looking like he didn’t get one. Fuck. He can’t hear me. This is just my goddamn inner-monologue and for once it’s only IN my head and not something I accidentally say out-loud.

“I will get some stuff together and head straight to the hospital after you. I will also call Jessica and I’ll call Mr. and Mrs. Scarcello,” Linda added. I was looking back and forth between the two of them, still unable to speak from the shock. I wanted to tell Linda that I appreciated her calling my grandparents but evidently, words were impossible for me right now. She caressed my face. Her hands felt like fire against my skin. “It’s going to be okay, Everlee. It’s going to be okay.” I didn’t even know what was going on, how did she know it was going to be okay? I glanced from Linda back to Sam, I still couldn’t speak or move.

Alright, Evie, you’ve had a million panic attacks before, it can’t be that much different than this. Take a deep breath, think happy thoughts and open your mouth. Deep breath. Happy thoughts. 

Nothing. 

Come on Evie. SPEAK! I was screaming at myself. Still nothing. I was standing there unable to move. Unable to have any sort of reaction to the situation I was experiencing. Sam started to move me through the house, out the front door, and down the driveway to the awaiting SUV. I was moving slowly, guided only by Sam. I stared down at my feet and watched them get tripped up on the cracks in the driveway. Cracks I’d known were in this driveway since I was six years old. This didn’t happen. I knew the cracks in the concrete the way I knew the way my father drank his scotch, that his favorite color was PMS 294C, the Pantone shade for the Chicago Cubs, and that his lucky number was 14 because it was Ernie Banks jersey number.

I turned around to look at the house. The police officers were now talking to Linda in the driveway and asking questions. Why aren’t they talking to me? I am Jimmy’s daughter. I am his next of kin. I am his family. Instead, they are talking to Linda. I mean, I get it, she’d been here when whatever happened, happened. But they should be talking to me too. Although one question I still had was, why wasn’t I talking? I was normally full of questions and here I stood next to Sam, silent. I watched as he opened the door and helped me into the front seat. 

“Everlee, are you okay?” Sam asked. I glanced at him but said nothing. No words. I only managed a tiny nod. 

I’m okay, Sam. Just in shock. What is going on? He can’t hear me. I am hoping that he knows I need answers despite not being able to verbalize the questions. I can handle this Sam. Just tell me what is going on. I watched as he grabbed my phone from my hand, I’d been holding it when I was in the car, reading through my emails on the way to dinner. I hadn’t dropped it since we arrived. Wait, how do you know my passcode to unlock my phone? I heard it ring, he’d put it on speakerphone.

“Hey Evie,” Rachel answered. “How was the trip?” She sounded happy, normally the sound of her voice made me smile but I was motionless and white. I caught my reflection in the side-view mirror. My skin had grown pale, I was cold and nauseous. I looked like I was the one dying, which I guess was appropriate. If anything happened to Pops it would be the closest thing to death for me, he was my everything in LA. Well, he always had been. 

Evie, speak to your sister. Still nothing. I just stared out the window, not even bothering to respond to the feeling of Sam’s warm hand on mine where it sat on my lap.

“Hey, it’s me, Rach.”

“Sam is everything okay?” Rachel’s voice went from being chipper to worried in barely a breath.

“I picked Evie up at the airport. She had dinner with Jimmy tonight. We got to the house and….and…something’s wrong.”

“What happened?” Thank you for asking that Rachel because I need to know and clearly am in the strangest state of shock that ever existed. 

“We aren’t sure. Linda went to tell him that Evie was on her way and found him passed out in his office. She called 911 and did CPR until they got there. They think it might have been a heart attack but they aren’t completely sure. The paramedics are taking him to Cedars.”

“Is she okay?” Rachel asked. Her voice now sounded like she had a lump in her throat and might cry. Jimmy was the closest thing she’d ever really had to a father, so I got it. She was probably as scared as I was.

“She’s not said a word since we pulled up to the house and saw the ambulance, firetruck and police officers. She bolted out of the car and ran to the house. But she’s silent. She barely even reacts to me talking to her.” 

I’m responding, Sam. You just can’t hear me because evidently my vocal cords are fucking broken.

“I’ll meet you at the hospital. I’ll call Harry.” Harry. I hadn’t even thought about him until this moment.

“Thanks. We will see you in a little bit.”

“Call me if you hear anything before I get there or if she speaks.”

“I will. Bye Rach.”

“Bye Sam.” I felt Sam slip the phone back in my hands. 

“Evie, can you hear me?” he asked. I nodded slightly, still staring out the window. “You’re gonna be okay. Jimmy is gonna be okay.” 

You don’t know that. No one knows if Pops is gonna be okay. This not talking thing isn’t helping. I need to be able to say something. To scream or cry or anything. I felt my phone vibrate in my hand, I glanced down to see Harry calling. I slid my thumb across the screen and held it up to my ear. I opened my mouth to speak and nothing came out.

“Evie? Evie are you there?” 

Yes. I could hear the panic in his voice. 

“Evie? Are you okay?” 

No. The urgency and fear in his voice increasing with every word. 

“Everlee, goddammit. Bloody say something.” I’d normally giggle at his British slang and the way his accent came out thicker when he was tired, which he clearly was right now. My sister probably woke him up in the middle of the night. Sam reached across the car taking the phone from my hand.

“Hey Harry,” he said softly.

“What the fuck is going on?” Harry asked. “Why wasn’t she speaking?”

“Shock. We got to the house as the paramedics were taking Jimmy out on a gurney. She hasn’t said a word.”

“That’s unlike her.”

“I know. She’s normally full of shit and in a stressful situation there’s usually yelling, screaming, and a lot of swear words. But all she’s got in her is silence.”

“I’m trying to book a flight out of here.” 

No! Stay! Finish the film. Don’t come home because of me. But, fuck, I need you right now. 

“She’ll be pissed at you when you get here. Even without speaking I can tell you that.” 

Thank you, Sam.

“I know she will be but I need to be there with her. Rachel said she was on her way to meet you at the hospital. I was going to call Grace.” 

Mom. I hadn’t even thought to call Mom. 

“That’s probably a good plan. She’s in no condition to call family. Linda was going to call her Nonna and Papa. I had to call Rachel. Fuck, I had to practically carry her to the car.”

“Well I’m working to get on a plane, but it seems like nothing will leave for several hours.” Sam looked over at me because I was staring at him. 

Have him call the travel office. London has a jet that can get him here. I took the phone from his hand and pulled up the phone entry for the London Travel Team in my phone.

“I’m going to send you a number. SME has a fleet of private jets. There should be at least one or two in London and if there isn’t they can get one to you in short order.”

“How do you know this?” Harry questioned.

“Because despite the fact that your girlfriend is a fucking mute she just pulled the number up in the phone. So at least I know she’s paying attention now.”

“Evie, honey. I’m going to get to you as fast as I can.”

Hurry up, Harry. I need you.

“Call me when you know more.” 

“I’ll get with you on any updates we get. We are pulling into the hospital right now,” Sam replied.

“Thanks for taking care of her, Sam.” Harry took a deep breath on the other end of the line. “Everlee Mae, I love you. I’m on my way to you.”

I love you too, Harry. Hurry.

Sam ended the call before pulling up to a parking spot outside of the main entrance to the hospital. He came over to help me get out of the car. Again, I was basically floating as he practically carried me into the hospital and up to the desk.

“How can I help you?” an older woman sitting behind the desk asked.

“The paramedics just brought in James Scarcello. Can you tell me where I can find him?”

“Are you family?” she asked.

“She is,” Sam replied. He dug into my purse and pulled out my driver’s license. “This is Everlee Scarcello. I’m her…” He hesitated. Depending on how he answered this it might determine if they let Sam stay with me. “I’m her step-brother.”

“Let me pull up and see if we have anything on Mr. Scarcello yet.” She clicked away on the keyboard of her computer for a few moments before looking up over her glasses with a sad face. “Mr. Scarcello was rushed up to surgery. If you go to the elevator over there and take it up to the 4th floor someone at the nurse’s desk up there will be able to help you.”

“Thank you. Our sister is on her way here too. We were both at home when the paramedics took him. Her name is Rachel. She’s short with brown hair, pretty pregnant.”

“I’ll send her up.” Her smile was kind. Sam turned and walked us to the elevator. The door opened and we walked in. Sam collapsed against the wall of the elevator hugging me to him. 

My step-brother huh? Afraid to answer with boyfriend because you might vomit at the thought? Sam glanced down at his phone. 

“Rachel just parked and is on her way up.” The doors opened on the 4th floor and we walked towards the nurse’s station. “Hi, my name is Sam. This is my step-sister Everlee. Her father, James Scarcello was just brought in and is in surgery.” Again clicking on keyboards before looking up at us with the sad eyes.

“Mr. Scarcello was just taken into surgery. I’ll let his team know that family is here and have them come out to provide updates as soon as they have any news for you. You can have a seat in the waiting room over there. I can get some fresh coffee made too.”

“Thank you,” Sam replied before walking me into the waiting room and sitting me down. He started to pace in front of me as he texted on his phone. Before I knew it Rachel was rushing into the waiting room. She came over to me, sitting beside me and engulfing me in a hug. 

It’s okay to cry now, Evie. Still nothing. What the fuck is wrong with me? Why can’t I cry? I took a deep breath and rested my head on Rachel’s shoulder. 

“I called Grace on my way here. She said to call her when we have any updates on Jimmy and she’ll come out here if you need her to.” I nodded. “She still hasn’t talked?”

“Nope,” Sam answered. “Harry called. He’s texting me. He’s working with the London office to try and get a private plane out of there in the next couple of hours so he can get here.”

“He texted me too. He’s terrified.”

“I am too. She’s never like this.” Well, at least they’d decided to just talk about me like I wasn’t here instead of pretending that I was and that I would answer to them.

“I called my Mom too. She always knows what to do in crisis situations. Did someone call Jimmy’s girlfriend?” Rachel asked.

“Linda said she was. I expect Linda here any minute. Not sure about Jessica.” Jessica had recently started staying at her place again. It was a bit closer to the hospital than Pops’ house so I was sure she’d get here soon. His girlfriend should be here for him, at least a normal girlfriend would want to be there for him. It was another 20 minutes before Linda came in. She’d packed up the dinner she’d cooked, grabbed some of Pops’ toiletries that he would need if he was in the hospital for more than a few hours, which was a given considering he was in surgery. 

“I know you haven’t eaten, Everlee. I brought the dinner you were supposed to have with James tonight. You should eat something. There’s enough for everyone,” Linda said. Sam dove into the food without hesitation and Rachel grabbed herself some food as well. I grabbed a piece of bread and picked at it for a while. About a half hour after Linda had arrived Jessica walked in looking like she was dressed for a night out. She had on sky-high heels and a short dress. I couldn’t fault her, on a given day I might be dressed that way if I had stuff to do but if I knew someone was in the hospital I’d probably have dressed for comfort. I was definitely glad I had when I’d dressed for the trip home today. The leggings, oversized flannel shirt I’d stolen from Harry, a beat up old pair of Chucks, and glasses were coming in handy for longer than just the flight today. 

“Where is he?” Jessica asked.

“Still in surgery,” Sam replied. 

“The nurse said that they’d have the doctor come out and give an update when they could. She said it would probably be at least another hour before they could tell us anything,” Rachel added. She’d clearly asked more questions at the nurses’ station than Sam and I had. 

“Well, what happened?” Jessica sat down in a chair opposite us in the waiting room and crossed her legs, her dress becoming even shorter. If I had my normal brain capacity and snark I’d roll my eyes and make some comment but I couldn’t. She stared at me waiting for me to reply and despite all of my effort, I still couldn’t manage to speak.

“He had a heart attack. They are trying to survey the damage, see what they need to do to repair things and then they’ll run tests to see if the heart muscle was affected.” Thank god for those few years that Rachel worked as a candy striper here and that period of college where she was pre-med and thought she wanted to become a pediatric surgeon. She could partially understand what they were saying.

“Why do you know all of this? Who are you?” she asked. 

My fucking sister you dumb bitch. Okay, maybe it’s a good thing I’m not verbal right now.

“I’m Everlee’s sister, Rachel. You must be Jessica,” Rachel said standing up and walking towards Jessica to shake her hand.

“Nice to meet you. You’re not really her sister though. You’re her ex-step sister.” 

She’s my family. You are not so shut the fuck up. Okay, maybe my inability to speak was a really good thing. I felt my phone vibrate in my hand signaling a new text message from Harry.

H: I love you. I’m on my way to you. 

My brain couldn’t even function how to reply to him. All I could send back was a heart emoji. I hoped he would also contact Rachel knowing that I wasn’t able to communicate. Almost immediately I heard her phone ring. I looked over at where her phone was in her hand and saw a picture of her with Harry acting like idiots one night while we were all hanging out together. 

“Hey,” she answered quietly. I stared down at my feet. The pair of white Chucks I was wearing were from college. I’d drawn on them when I was bored in class. Over the years things had gotten added. I looked down to see something new. “She’s still not really reacting to anything. She hasn’t spoken.” There was a pink heart with E+H inside of the heart in black. He’d gotten ahold of them while I was visiting and drawn on them. “No, she hasn’t cried. Not a single tear. She’s in shock.” He was really the sweetest person on the planet. I didn’t deserve him. “I told Grace to hold off until we knew more. If surgery goes well and Jimmy is okay then I can handle Evie on my own.” I didn’t deserve her either. She was defending our relationship to my father’s girlfriend, navigating everything that any medical professional shared with us and talking on the phone with my boyfriend because I was incapacitated. “I didn’t even think of calling them. They are all on vacation on the west coast, right?” I tried to listen closely. I could hear Harry’s voice carry through the phone a bit. He sounded exhausted and like he was in a car, he really was coming to me. “I’ll call them when we know anything. Call me when you’ve got a chance.” 

I knew how long that flight would take. I’d made it more times than I cared to count over the last few months. I glanced down at my watch. It was 8:45 which meant he’d be here in the morning. Depending on the weather, stops which would be minimal if he was flying on the company jet, and how long it took to take off, land, and drive to me he’d be here anywhere between 9:00 and 12:00. I sighed. This was one of those times I wish that all of the sci-fi movies my Dad and brothers had forced me to watch growing up was real and that he could just teleport to me. If we owned the Millennium Falcon instead of a fleet of private jets he might be here in 12 parsecs, give or take a parsec or two. If he were here, or at least inside my head, he would’ve laughed at that. His big laugh. The loud one that he reserved for moments when he didn’t think anyone other than me or family was listening. Not the one he did in public, it was a special laugh. It gave me goosebumps every time I heard it because I loved it so much.

I leaned my head against the wall, slumping down in my chair a bit. I was tired. I’d spent most of the day on an airplane in an attempt to make it home by the 6:00 dinner time my father had set for me before I left for France. He never ate that early, I was pretty sure it was just an excuse to get me home at a reasonable hour because I was usually so fucking jet lagged the Monday after a trip that I’d end up skipping out on the day at the office and working from home. When I made an attempt to get home at a reasonable time, have a dinner that felt like a holiday meal, and way too much wine I’d pass out early and be at that office. He was calculated in the way he thought and it was something I was glad I’d inherited from him too. I had my ways of getting from him what I wanted. 

“You okay?” I heard Sam whisper. I opened one eye to look at him. He was looking over me at Rachel. I closed my eye again and started to try and imagine things that made me happy. The Wrigley bleachers on a warm summer day. Boating with my friends on Lake Michigan. The house in Malibu. The ranch in Colorado. Christmas morning with my brothers. Lunch dates with Pops. Laying in bed with Harry talking about nothing and everything all at once.

“Yeah, I’m just worried about her. She’s never like this.”

She can hear you, ya know. Just because she can’t speak doesn’t mean she can’t hear. Assholes.

“I know. I’m a bit worried too. Was that Harry on the phone?” Sam asked.

“It was,” Rachel replied quietly. I could tell she was trying to avoid being heard by Jessica who was clicking away on her phone texting God knows who about God knows what while my father, her boyfriend, was laying in an operating room fighting for his life.

“He’s on his way?” She must’ve nodded her reply. “That’s good. I’m hopeful that him getting her will end this and she’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure it will. She relies on him more than I’ve ever seen her rely on anyone.”

“I know. It’s nice.” 

Thanks, Sam. I’m glad you like him. While that may not seem like an important thing, it is. You’re the closest thing I have to an older brother so you approving of Harry means the world to me. I must’ve fallen asleep listening to them talk because when I opened my eyes the next time and glanced down at my watch it was after midnight.

“Mom just text me. She’s in the parking garage on her way up,” Rachel said. I nodded my reply.

“I figured she would’ve been here hours ago,” Sam said.

“She would’ve. She was in Vegas for work. She had to wrap up what she was doing, explain to her client why she was leaving and then drove back.” 

“That’s incredible. None of my exes would’ve done that for me.”

“She loves Jimmy,” Rachel answered. “Always has. Always will. She also knows that Evie needs her.” I heard the elevator ding and looked up to see the doors open. Despite having just spent at least four hours in a car, maybe three and a half the way Cynthia drove, she looked radiant, like always. Dark skinny jeans, a black blouse, and a black leather jacket. Her dark hair still perfectly hung in loose curls down past her shoulders. I glanced down to see she had on a pair of slip-on black leather shoes. I had a pair exactly like them, in fact, they’d been a birthday present from her this year. Pops always made fun of us for them. Rachel and the twins also had them. There were still often times where without even thinking about it Cynthia purchased something for “all four of her girls”, it irritated ex-wives #3 and #4 to no end.

“Hi, Mom.” Rachel stood to greet her mother with a hug. I stood up knowing I’d need to hug Cynthia.

“Oh honey,” she said when she took one look in my eyes. She wrapped her arms around me hugging me. Her scent comforted me. She still wore the same perfume that Pops got her for sweet gifts when they were together. It was one of those scents where you knew you were immediately okay, no matter what was going on. “My sweet Evie. You’ve gotta be a mess. It’s okay. I’m here now.”

“She’s finally crying.” I heard Rachel say in hushed tones to Sam. Was I crying? I reached my hand to my cheeks and there they were. Tears.

It’s about fucking time, Evie. Now speak. Still nothing. Well, it was worth a shot. The tears are a good start.

“Where’s that man of hers?” Cynthia asked as she sat down on a couch in the waiting room, next to where we’d been standing. She pulled me down next to her, wrapped her arm protectively around my shoulder and pulled me into her so I could continue to cry on her shoulder.

“He should be somewhere in the air at this point. He flew out at about 9:00 our time. He said it was like a 13-hour flight or something crazy. He thinks he’ll be here by 11:00 at the latest.” Rachel was so much like Cynthia in a crisis. They both immediately knew what to do and how to make sure that everything was handled.

“That’s good. What about Grace and Marco?”

“I told them to hold off until we knew more. I went to talk to the nurses a little bit ago, they said the doctors should hopefully have some news for us soon.”

“You tell them you were his kid?” Cynthia asked.

“I did. And if anyone asks Sam is our brother.”

“Well, Sam I’ve always wanted a son.” Cynthia’s laugh filled the quiet waiting room.

“And who are you?” There it was. Jessica’s high pitched voice, like nails on a chalkboard. I looked over at her as Cynthia’s head snapped in her direction.

“I’m Cynthia, Rachel’s mother and Jimmy’s second wife. Who are you?” She knew damn well who Jessica was. But there was this thing about Cynthia, she played everything so cool that you wouldn’t know.

“I’m Jessica, his girlfriend.”

“Nice to meet you,” Cynthia replied. “I’ve heard so much about you.” I saw a doctor walk up to the nurses’ station and the nurse point towards us. He walked over slowly.

“Are you the family of James Scarcello?” he asked.

“Yes,” Cynthia said. “I’m Cynthia, these are our daughters Everlee and Rachel.” She ignored Sam despite knowing she was supposed to play along that he was family. Linda was practically family and then there was Jessica, but there was no use explaining her, she hadn’t even stood up with the rest of us.

“I’m Dr. Hoffman. I was Mr. Scarcello’s surgeon. He had a heart attack, we were able to go in and perform bypass surgery…” After the words ‘bypass surgery’ everything he was saying started to sound like a foreign language. I just stared at his mouth hoping that something that came out was in a language I understood, you’d think speaking English, Italian and French fluently with being mostly conversational in Spanish would’ve been an advantage here. It wasn’t. I still understood nothing. It was like the teacher in Charlie Brown, ‘Wah wah wah wah wah wah.’ Internally I was laughing but I still couldn’t externally. “Mr. Scarcello has been moved into a room in our Intensive Care Unit which is where he will stay until we start to lower the sedation. We wanted to keep him sedated while we’ve run a few more tests on him. We hope that we can do that sometime in the next 24-72 hours.”

“Can we see him?” Rachel asked. 

“You can. He can only have two visitors at a time,” Dr. Hoffman replied. “Mrs. Scarcello, if you and one of your daughters would like to see him you can go in. He’s in room 409 at the end of the hall.”

“Thank you,” Cynthia replied. “Evie, do you want me to go in with you to see him?” I nodded.

“Excuse me,” Jessica said quietly for fear that the doctor was still within earshot. “I don’t think you should be going in there before me. You’re the ex, I’m the current. You can wait in the lobby.”

You shouldn’t even be here. 

“Are you okay with that, Evie?” Cynthia asked. I just shrugged. “Ya know kid, you’d be more helpful if you could talk. But right now, if you’re the girl I know, the thoughts in your head about her are better left unsaid.” She was whispering my ear so only I could hear. “I’ll be right outside the room if you need me, Evie. Okay?” I nodded. She kept her arm around me as we walked down the hall to his room. I walked in first with Jessica on my heels. 

There he was. 

The strongest man I knew. My hero. My world. My universe. Laying motionless attached to a machine that was helping him breathe and so many other machines that made beeping noises. I was overstimulated by all of it. I went to sit beside him and grabbed his hand lacing his fingers through mine. 

Come on Pops. I need you to be okay. I can’t be without you. You have to be okay.

“Oh my god.” I looked over at Jessica where she stood at the foot of his bed. Her face had gone ghost white, her mouth remaining open. She was shocked at the sight of my father. It was to be expected. Her boyfriend had just had a heart attack. “He’s going to need constant care. I can’t do this. I’m too young for this. I want to have kids. He can’t have kids after this. I…I…I just can’t.” She looked over at me, tears filling her eyes. “I’m sorry, Everlee. I just…I can’t. Tell him I’m sorry.” With that, she turned on those expensive heels and bolted out of the room. I stood up and followed her out.

“Where are you going?” Rachel asked.

“I…I just can’t.” Jessica ran like a deer walking for the first time in her heels towards the elevator. She frantically pushed the buttons to try and get the elevator to move faster.

“Can’t what?” Cynthia asked.

“Deal with that,” Jessica said pointing at the doorway of the room where I was still standing. “I just can’t.” 

Fucking talk, Evie! NOW! Don’t stay silent. This bitch is leaving your father in his time of need. OPEN YOUR FUCKING MOUTH.

“You don’t deserve the honor of dealing with that,” Cynthia replied calmly. I was impressed by how even she remained. “You don’t deserve that man. He deserves someone who will love him for better or worse. You wouldn’t be able to deal with someone through a hangover, let alone the uphill battle that man has ahead of him. Get out of here. Get your shit out of his house. Don’t ever show your face around him again. If you do, you’ll have me to deal with. Got it?” Cynthia was now standing in Jessica’s face and despite the heels making Jessica taller you could see her visibly cower under Cynthia’s power. All Jessica could muster up was a small nod before the elevator granted her wish and the doors opened. She hurried in and I watched her push the ‘door close’ button like her life depended on it.

“What the fuck was that?” Rachel asked me. I pointed into the room and nodded for her to go in with Cynthia. I moved to the wall next to the door in the hallway and slid down it to sit on the floor. The tears started to slide easily down my cheeks again. Sam came and sat beside me as Cynthia and Rachel walked into the room.

“It’s gonna be okay, Ev. The best doctors in the world are working on Jimmy. They are going to take care of him and he’s going to be okay. And I’m not leaving your side.” I put my head on his shoulder as I started to cry harder. He wrapped his arm around me. I sat there for what felt like forever while Cynthia sat inside with Pops. Rachel came out after a while so that Linda had a chance to see him before she left. She needed to get home and get rest. I felt terrible that she was still here. 

“Evie, do you need anything from the house? Luke was going to stop to check on Harold in the morning before coming here. He said he’d grab anything from the house that you or Harry might need.”

I want my cat. Think they will let him hang out in the ICU.

“Fuck. This not talking thing isn’t going to be helpful. I’ll have him grab you some clothes. I’ll send him specs for what to grab. Although once Harry is home maybe you should go home and rest a bit.” I glared at her. “Or stay here with Pops.”

I am NOT leaving his side. Not until he tells me himself to get my ass out of his hospital room.

“Do we know who is going to pick Harry up at the airport?” Sam asked.

“I hadn’t even thought that far,” Rachel answered. “I can send Luke to do it. He isn’t going into the office tomorrow. He can be my errand boy.”

“You should go home and get some sleep. I can stay with her. Plus you know your Mom isn’t leaving that room until Jimmy does. Doctors be damned.”

“She’ll get out if it means letting someone in with Evie, but you’re right. By morning she’ll probably have them convinced that three of us can be in there.”

“Probably.” I laughed. It must’ve been audibly because Sam and Rachel both just looked at me like I was crazy.

“We got a laugh. Come on, Evie. Can we get some words?”

I wish. All I could manage was a shrug.

“It’s okay, you’ll get there. You’re still in shock. Once we know that Jimmy is out of the woods completely you’re gonna be okay.” 

I hope so.

“I’m going to head home now,” Linda said as she walked out of the room. I stood up and hugged her. “I’ll bring up some food for everyone tomorrow. Take care of yourself, Evie. Get some rest, okay?” I nodded. Sam and Rachel started to talk to her as I walked back into the room. I saw Cynthia sitting in the chair I’d been in, her hand in my father’s where mine had been. As she heard me walk in the room she reached her other hand up to wipe tears away from her eyes. 

He still loves you too, Cyn. Always has. Always will. When he wakes up, you should tell him you still love him and that he’s the reason your last marriage didn’t work out. I know that it was him, even if you don’t admit it. He’s a terrible liar. You two slept together after my college graduation party. You haven’t even attempted a serious relationship since then and he’s just been going from young struggling actress to young struggling model to young struggling actress. He loves you. He’s just scared that it won’t work this time. It will. Just tell him.

“How you holding up, Evie?” I smiled my response. “Honey, it makes me so sad that you can’t figure out how to talk. It’s so unlike you. Usually, you have a hard time shutting up.” I flipped her off. “There’s my girl. Can you try and talk for me?” I opened my mouth, nothing. I shook my head. “You’ll get there. We are all here for you and your man should be here in soon.” 

I glanced down at my watch it was almost 2:30 now. After the fiasco of everything with Jessica and seeing my father more time had passed than I realized. I moved my chair closer to my father’s bed and rested my head on his bicep. I used to fall asleep on him as a kid. He always let me stay up later than Mom and Dad did. When I was in LA we’d stay up late watching movies in the theater at his house. We’d play video games into the wee hours. More times than not I’d fall asleep with my head on his arm and he’d have to carry me to bed. When I’d spend summers with him in college I’d come home from going out with friends and fall asleep on him as he caught up with the news he’d missed during the day at work. Even at 21, he’d still do his best to carry me to bed when he needed to. 

I woke up a few hours later to see Cynthia still on the other side of Pops’ bed, still holding his hand and whispering to him. I smiled at her as she looked over at me. I stood up from the chair and started to move towards the window. I looked outside to see the sun shining over the city. I saw that at some point Cynthia had taken my cell phone from my hand and plugged in by the window. I unlocked the phone and saw all of the text notifications.

H: It won’t be much longer, my love. Hang in there. I’ll be with you before you know it.

Mom: Everlee, are you okay? I’ve called a few times and you aren’t answering. I talked to Rachel and she said that you’re not speaking. Do you need me to come? Rachel said to hold off until we know more. Evie, please call me.

Dad: Bambina, it’s gonna be okay. If you need us Mom and I are on a plane and headed your way immediately. Jimmy is a fighter. He’s going to be okay and so are you. Though I must admit, I wish this silence thing had happened during your teen years. ;) 

Kammi: Holy shit. My Dad just told me what happened to Jimmy? Are you okay? Is he okay? Do you need me to come home? Is Harry home with you? Your Mom? Rachel? Are you alone? 

Okay, I talked to Rachel, she said you aren’t speaking but she’s with you and Harry is on his way. Call me or have Rachel call me when you know more. I love you, Ev. It’s going to be okay. 

Ty: I’m on my way armed with a change of clothes and some dry shampoo. It’s all going to be okay, Ev. It’s all going to be okay.

Nick: Our prayers are with you, Everlee. It’s gonna be okay. Let us know if you need us to come home and be with you. You may not get a choice honestly. Kammi is packing our bags right now. Love ya, Ev.

Joe: You know that Jimmy is one of the strongest people on Earth. He’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. You say the word and I’m there with you. Best friends in need trump vacations. Love you, Ev.

Kayci: Rachel just called. Ev, I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Jimmy is probably the strongest man I know. He’s going to be okay. He has to be. Everything is going to be okay. Promise. I’ll be there soon.

Kourtney: Rachel called. I’m so sorry, Ev. I’m picking up Kayci and we are on our way to you. We will be there as soon as we can.

Gemma: Harry called in a panic and said that your Pops had a heart attack. Know that if you need anything I’ll get on a plane and come to LA. I’ve got my fingers crossed that everything turns out okay. Keep me updated. Love ya.

Cameron: Everlee, everything will be okay. Kammi is almost completely packed. She and I are flying out today. I think Nick is coming with. We should be in LA before dinner. I know you’re gonna need to sleep so I can sit watch for you for a while. Jimmy is the toughest person I know. He’s going to be okay. 

Anne: Oh honey. I’m sorry to hear about your father. Sending lots of love.

Victoria: Oh my dear, Everlee. I’m sending lots of love and prayers to you and James. I’m also sending a batch of your favorite cookies with Cameron and Kammi when they leave for LA. It’s going to be okay.

Jonny: Sis. I’m so sorry. It’s going to be okay. I love you. Mace and Toph said when you’re up to it we can FaceTime. We all miss you and hope that Jimmy is doing better.

The rest of the texts were cousins, aunts, uncles, a handful of staff, and a few more friends that heard through Rachel or Kammi likely. I didn’t have the energy to reply to everyone. I walked back over to the side of the bed I’d occupied overnight. I bent down to kiss my father’s forehead.

I love you, Pops. I still couldn’t manage to speak. Though the level of shock was starting to come down I was still terrified that something would happen and my father would never wake up. That he would never be the same again. I wondered if anyone had provided an update on Pops while I slept but of course I had no way to ask if that had happened. I needed to stretch my legs so I walked out of the hospital room and turned toward the waiting room. There sat Rachel, Sam, and the twins all facing me. I watched as Ty turned his head as Rachel gestured towards me walking towards them. There they were, my people. Sitting and waiting despite knowing that they couldn’t do anything. 

As I walked over to them Kayci and Kourtney stood up, wrapped their arms around me and held me in the longest hug I think either of them has ever given me. We’d struggled as kids to get along. I’d never had sisters and they didn’t like that they magically had this wonderful father figure in their life but he wasn’t theirs, he was mine. They’d gotten over that as they’d grown up and we were able to build a relationship as adults. It was still nothing like my relationship with Rachel but it was close enough that they were sitting in a waiting room at a hospital for my Pops and me. 

“Ev, I am so sorry,” Kayci whispered in my ear. I hated how tall she was with her gorgeous long brown hair. She looked like a model because she was one. She also had the voice of an angel. I’d been proud to help her through the process of finding people to write and record with over the last few years. She’d grown up into a very sweet person but as she was almost perfection in human form you secretly wished you could hate her. “I wish there was something I could do to make things easier on you.”

Just being here is something. Thank you.

“How are you holding up? Oh duh, you’re still not talking, are you? Well, don’t worry, we are all here now,” Kourtney said. Much like Kayci, as she’d grown up Kourtney had become a much kinder person. They’d grown out of their pre-teen and teen angst and anger towards me into being two pretty great people to be around. Being slightly shorter than her fraternal twin sister but still blessed with her mother’s stunning looks, Kourtney had turned to acting. Pops had put her in a few commercials when she was still little and it had grown from there. Both of the girls were still trying to go to school while pursuing their dreams. I was proud of them both.

As soon as they let go of me Ty engulfed me into one of his overly tight, super soothing bear hugs. I started to cry again. Ty was the only one of my friends who even had a fraction of understanding of what this felt like. The car accident that took his parents hadn’t been instant for his mother. Even though he was only four he told me that he remembers every moment of her being in the hospital. How he watched as she lay in a coma for a few days before her body finally gave up. He admitted to me once that he still occasionally had nightmares of when she was in the hospital. He’d gone through a lot of therapy to try and get to the point that the loss of his parents didn’t haunt every day of his life.

“I love you. It’s going to be okay and I’m not leaving your side.”

Thank you. I wished I could tell him how I felt but I just couldn’t.

“It’s okay. It’ll get easier. I guess Grandma said that when Mom finally died I went weeks without speaking more than a few words. I was four so they just thought her death had caused some regression and once I started therapy I got better. You’re gonna be okay. Promise. You’ll be full of smartassed remarks again before we know it.

“Harry called a couple hours ago. Luke is on his way to get him from LAX,” Rachel said as I sat down between she and Ty and rested my head on her shoulder. “They should be here before too long.” I nodded without my head leaving its spot. “Girls, you can take turns going in to see Mom and Jimmy. They still are only allowing two visitors in at a time.”

“I’ll go first,” Kayci said. She was always the braver of the two. I watched her turn and confidently walk towards the door to the room. For a moment she hesitated at the door. I watched as she took a deep breath in, held it for a few seconds and walked in. As hard as it was for me, it was also hard on Rachel, Kayci, and Kourtney. My father was the closest any of them had come to having a decent version of one in their lives. 

“Did you sleep?” Rachel asked quietly. Again I could only come up with a nod. “There’s some food that Linda dropped off this morning. She headed back to the house to clean up. She said the paramedics left a mess.”

Of course, Linda was at home cleaning. She told me once that it wasn’t just a job for her, being my father’s housekeeper. But that it was how she channeled her energy, negative and positive alike. When I was a kid she worked part-time for my father while her kids were in school and her husband worked. I was in junior high when her husband and two sons died in a car accident. We did everything we could to help Linda. Pops gave her time off, told her to take as much as she needed to adjust to her life without her husband and two of her three children. Instead, it was just a few short weeks and she was back at work. More often than before she’d bring her daughter with her. Now that her daughter was off in college, something my father was paying for, she spent more and more time working. She said it helped her to forget everything. That if she could make the glass sparkle it just might make a little of the sparkle in her life return. 

It wasn’t long before Kayci came out of the room and Kourtney took her turn. Kayci’s signature smile was a little dimmer than normal. We were all dealing with mortality in the form of watching the strongest man we knew lay weak in a hospital bed attached to machines. It wasn’t easy to see. The color was gone from his skin. Watching the rise and fall of his chest knowing he was alive but not seeing the life in him that we were accustomed to. I’d rarely seen my father have even a cold and now I was watching him fight for his life. Or I guess at least I hoped he was fighting. I felt my phone vibrate in my hands and looked down.

Kammi: We are on our way. Flight is about to take off. We are all headed home to you. See you in a few hours.

I held down on the text and selected the “love” option on my iPhone. I had no energy to write a reply. I couldn’t even put the words together to do it. I was exhausted; physically, emotionally, spiritually, whatever other way a person could be exhausted that was me. Once Kourtney came out it was Ty’s turn to go back and see Pops. I wish I’d told him that he didn’t have to if it would bring up too many memories. Ty had been in with Pops for a few minutes when I heard the elevator ding. It had made the same sound 100s of times since I arrived last night. But instead of ignoring it as I had done on most of the time I looked up. Through the door looking utterly exhausted but still incredible was Harry. I stood from the chair and ran towards him. He dropped the bag he had in his hands and wrapped his arms around me tightly.

“I have missed you so much,” he said.

I’ve missed you too. I felt the tears start to slide down my face again as he bent down to kiss me. I felt safer now that he was here. Like all of the texts telling me that Pops was going to be okay were all going to be right because Harry was here now. I knew that his physical presence wouldn’t magically cure my father but I felt safe. He was my home.

“Harry, I’m going to have my Mom and Ty come out so you and Evie can go in to see Jimmy,” Rachel said. I watched as she peeked inside the door to speak to her mother and Ty. It was almost immediately that Ty came out of the room. He embraced me in another hug, this one tighter than before.

“I’m so sorry, Evie. I know it looks bad but he’s gonna be okay,” Ty whispered.

“You must be Harry,” Cynthia said. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

“Likewise. Thank you for being here and helping take care of Evie while I was gone.”

“I wouldn’t have done anything differently. Give me just a second.” I watched her walk to the nurses’ station. “Can I ask a favor?” The nurse nodded. “I know that the limit for Jimmy’s room is two people at a time. My daughter’s boyfriend just got here. Since she’s still in shock and not able to speak can I be in there with them so I can explain everything to her boyfriend.” The nurse looked over at where Harry and I stood with sympathetic eyes.

“Just this once,” she replied. 

“Thank you.” Cynthia walked back over. “Come on kids.” Harry reached down for my hand as we walked into the room. The machines were still beeping as I watched my father’s chest raise and lower. 

“So do we have any updates?” Harry asked.

“Yes, when Evie was asleep this morning they lowered his sedation. They said it should be anytime now that he wakes up. They wanted to try and wake him up and see if he was okay.” That was news I hadn’t heard before but made the tightness in my chest loosen some. 

“That’s good news.”

“It is,” Cynthia said as she laced her fingers through my father’s again. “I’m positive he’s going to be okay. He has to be. I have so much to tell him. He has to be okay.” I was sitting in Harry’s lap as he held me. My head was rested on his shoulder and my eyes were locked on Pops. I listened as Cynthia recounted every last bit of information the doctors had provided us sing we arrived last night. I didn’t retain much of what she said because I was too focused on the sound of Harry’s heartbeat. It sounded like what I hoped was a healthy and steady heart. 

The inside joke has always been that the Scarcellos would die at their desk. Pops and I both focused more on work than either of us needed to. It was our happy place. It was a place that in the chaos of the world we could find order and a method to the madness. We were able to solve any problem, fix anything, and have the right answer to everything. We had a tangible list of things that we could check off. It was also the bond that kept us together. Had it not been for my interest in SME and my desire to grow up to be just like my Pops he would’ve lost me somewhere around 14. 

Life after his marriage to Cynthia was hard on me. I didn’t have a steady or healthy female role model in Los Angeles. I got left with nannies and forced into sleepovers so that he could go live his bachelor life. It was hard. More than one time I’d get left at a slumber party at whoever he was dating’s house with her kids and their nanny. More than once I faked sick, lied to the nanny and told them I was calling my Mom and I’d call Cynthia for her to come pick me up. As I grew old enough to realize that he wasn’t forced to move to LA but chose it I started to harbor resentment towards him despite still idolizing him. I’d learned what a Dad should be like when Mom married Marco. And while I never compared them it was hard to know that the things my friend’s got to do with their Dads that mine was always MIA and I was lucky that Marco wanted to be that kind of step-father.

Then I started working with Pops. Everything changed. He gained an appreciation for my brain. Not just the little girl spinning in desk chairs and throwing out random ideas. But someone who knew what she was doing. Each summer I spent with him we grew closer together. Then when I moved here after college it was as if I finally had the relationship with my father I’d always dreamed of. I saw him every day. He told me he loved me every day. We had dinner at least one night a week. We’d travel together on business trips. Our careers built the relationship we’d both always wanted. It wasn’t just about work either. It was getting the chance to have the father/daughter relationship we’d both always dreamed of but had struggled to accomplish because of distance.

We were finally at a good place. What if we lost it all now? What if I lost him? What if my hero was gone? Would I know how to function without him? Will I end up just like him? Someday someone will find me dead at my desk, pen still in hand from signing a contract? I was scared for my father and scared for myself all at once. I felt the tears start to stream down my face again.

“She still hasn’t said a word?” Harry asked.

“Not a single one. It breaks my heart. She is finally expressing some emotion. She laughed last night once. She’s done her fair share of crying. She cried when I got here last night. She cried in here last night a little and Rachel said that she cried when the twins and Ty showed up. Then again when you got here. So I think she’s getting closer.”

“I hope so. I don’t know how to help her if she can’t tell me what she needs.”

You are all I need. Here in your arms, that’s all I need.

“She just needs you. This is the calmest she’s seemed since I got here last night. There was a moment last night I was glad she was still in shock and not speaking,” Cynthia said laughing a little.

“What happened?”

“Well, the doctors all assumed that I was Jimmy’s wife because Rachel had called Evie her sister and Jimmy her Dad. She used to volunteer at the hospital and knew that until Jimmy was awake or Evie could talk she couldn’t provide an approved list of guests. Saying she was family meant they would let her in. When he was able to have visitors after surgery the doctor’s said ‘Mrs. Scarcello, you and one of your daughters can go in to see your husband.’ Well as they walked away Jimmy’s latest got a little bent out of shape about me getting to see him first. I didn’t want Evie to go in alone and Jessica didn’t seem like the most supportive person for Evie. I relented. They came in together. Not even a minute later Jessica came out mumbling that she couldn’t do it.”

Babe, she let Jessica have it. It was amazing. I wish I’d had the courage to speak up and tell her how I felt.

“Needless to say Jimmy won’t be dealing with her anymore.”

“Damn,” Harry replied laughing quietly. “It is probably a good thing that Evie lost her ability to speak. That wouldn’t have been pretty. She and Jessica weren’t exactly friendly.”

“Oh, I know. Jimmy called me after that first weekend in Malibu. He wanted to know how Evie and I got to be friends. It did take a while, she was untrusting of anyone who came into Jimmy’s life. She thought they were trying to replace Grace.”

“Gracie is amazing,” Harry said.

“She is. The way that she and Jimmy stayed friends was something I was so happy about and also envied. My girls’ father and I couldn’t do that.”

“I’ve never heard Rachel talk about her father.”

“She hasn’t seen him since she was probably 13 and that was for a dinner and it was the first one he’d had since she was 11. He tried calling again when she was 16 and I told her she could say no. He and I had a nasty split, he walked out when the girls were all very little. He ended up in some legal trouble shortly after I left and fled the country. I know it sounds completely fictional but my ex was a piece of work. The girls are lucky that Jimmy was such a good man. He was their father. He did what he could to be a positive male influence on their lives, even after we split. He was just always so busy. They’d see him for birthdays, graduations, whatever he could make it to, but whenever he was in a relationship he inevitably had someone who didn’t like that he still filled in as the Dad for father/daughter dances for his ex-wife’s three daughters. When Rachel got married last year she wanted to ask Jimmy to walk her down the aisle. He even once offered to me that he would when we’d met up for dinner and he’d had a little too much wine. In the end, I asked Rachel to ask my father who was so ecstatic to walk her down the aisle.”

“If Jimmy was willing to why didn’t you let him?”

“I felt that Evie should get to have that with her father first.”

I would’ve loved for him to walk Rachel down the aisle. I’d even let him walk Kayci or Kourtney down the aisle. He was more of a father to them than anyone else ever had been.

Harry and Cynthia sat talking for what felt like hours while I drifted in and out of sleep. I liked that he was getting the chance to know her, I just wish it was under different circumstances. They should be having this conversation over a nice table with delicious food and a lot of wine. Not over my father who was lying in a hospital bed, still not awake.

Eventually, Harry made me leave the room with him so we could get food. I picked at the fries and shake that he’d had Sam get when he went to get all of us food. Harry had ordered me a sandwich too but I was refusing to eat it. We all switched out shifts for the remainder of the afternoon and evening. As 8:00 came we all opted that it was time for people to go home. Rachel needed to sleep in a real bed and not on hospital waiting room chairs. Her back was bothering her and we needed her to keep that baby happy. The twins tried to convince their mother that they were staying but she wasn’t having it. She told them she wanted them to at least go home and sleep for a little while. Ty refused to leave and no one fought him on that. Sam promised to stop and check on Harold and Linda let us know she’d go check on all of the animals at my father’s house. 

We rotated who sat in the hospital room with Cynthia. We knew we couldn’t pull off getting all four of us in the room and as much as I wanted to be with my father I also wanted to feel safe with Harry. So we’d alternate every hour who got to go sit with Cynthia. I started, then Ty, then me again, then Harry. Ty kept telling me I needed to sleep and to just stay in the waiting room with Harry to sleep. Finally around 2:00 AM I relented. I was exhausted I wanted to sleep for more than an hour at a time. 

“Evie, wake up,” Ty said as he gently shook me. “Come with me.” I followed him back to my father’s room. I walked in to see my father sitting up and talking to Cynthia. The sun was rising over Los Angeles out the window in his room bathing the room, and my father, in the most beautiful light. 

“Hey there, Evie,” Pops said. I rushed to his side as the tears ran down my cheeks.

“Hey there, Pops. We missed ya.” 

First of all, thank you. 

Thank you for sticking with me through the extended absence while I wrote “In the Heat of Los Angles” it took a lot longer than any of us anticipated. 

Thank you for allowing me the time to process this first part of “Los Angeles, When Will You Save Me?” I experienced a lot of turmoil this year with my Mom’s health, my own health, and standing on the edge of a cliff where waiting for me at the bottom was a nervous breakdown. Writing this has been therapeutic. My Mom is doing better. I am doing better. Everything is getting better every day.

Thank you for loving these characters the way I’ve loved them. For encouraging me to write them. For feeling about them the way I do. Even if only one person is reading this other than me I think it’s worth it. I love writing. I love where it can take my mind. I need this weekend. I sat down yesterday and cranked out the entire second half of this.

I truly hope you enjoyed this. I can’t wait to hear what you think of it. As this is the first part of the sequel feedback will be incredibly important so that I can get a feel to what everyone is thinking and the direction it should go. I have a lot planned out but as we all know, I change my mind sometimes, haha. 

Thank you.

xx. AM

#harry styles #harry styles fan fiction #harry styles fan fic #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles fanfic #fanfic #fan fic #fanfiction #fan fiction #one direction #one direction fan fiction #one direction fanfic #one direction fanfiction #one direction fan fic #1D #1D fanfic #1D fan fic #1D fanfiction #1D fan fiction #solo harry #solo harry fanfic #solo harry fan fic #solo harry fanfiction #solo harry fan fiction #In the Heat of Los Angeles #In the Heat of Los Angeles sequel #Los Angeles When Will You Save Me

[vixxscifiwritings]

your sins in weights of diamonds (4/4)

Title - Your sins in weights of diamonds

Word Count - 12,000+

Rating - 13+

Warnings - Violence, Implications of sex, Minor foul language

Characters - Jaehwan, Gender Neutral Reader, VIXX Ensemble + Sejeong (Gugudan)

Pairings - Jaehwan x Reader, ninja!Hakyeon x Reader

Author’s Note - Written for the Wind Of Starlight Spring 2018 challenge

Summary - Nothing will stop you from relentlessly pursuing the famous thief Night Fox. However, when the Night Fox threatens to steal the mafia’s most prized possession, you get pulled into a dangerous game

Additional notes at the end

Find all parts here

Previous

Part 4

Glen Milli’s is unusually crowded for a Tuesday night. It has been a long day with Hakyeon grilling every last bit of information out of you. You need whiskey. Or something stronger if you can afford it.

Out of habit, you look around for Jaehwan. Lee Jaehwan is the root cause of the storm of thoughts in your head. You think back to the time you both slept together in the art gallery and the guilt weighs heavily on your heart.

Hakyeon and you aren't an exclusive couple. But this feels like cheating. You wonder what in the world is wrong with you and how you could be seduced so easily by someone you've only know for some time.

Jaehwan is dangerous. And perhaps it is this danger that makes him alluring. A change from the long boring nights spent in the Red Light district. You mentally chastise yourself. You should be too old to fall for this.

You expect to see him performing on stage but he isn't there right now. You accept the glass of whiskey and soda that you didn't remember ordering.

“You looked like you could use a drink” a familiar voice says. You still. You could recognise the soft voice of Jung Taekwoon anywhere.

“How did you know?” you manage, twirling the glass around. There is no way in hell that you are drinking that whiskey now. Which is such a shame because you can already tell it is high quality from the amber glow of the liquid.

“Well, even if you didn’t, you will need one after this meeting” Taekwoon says smoothly.

“I know you know that I am a cop. Killing me will be a messy affair” you warn.

“You’ve already made a mess that you’re not worth” Taekwoon reminds you.

“What do you want?” You ask, knowing this isn’t the time for games. Taekwoon knows of your involvement with Jaehwan and isn’t happy about it.

“Normally I would kill you for all the trouble caused but someone who holds you in high regards is close to me too. And for their sake I am sparing your life” Taekwoon starts. “Provided you stay away from Jaehwan and the entire Night Fox affair.”

“What are you going to do to him?” you ask. There is a heavy feeling in your chest and your gut is flashing red warning signs at your brain.

“Wrong question to ask. Strike one” Taekwoon says, taking a long sip from his own glass.

“Are you going to kill him?” you ask, panic settling in.

“Strike two” Taekwoon replies evenly.

“Are you going to kill me?” you ask, dreading the response.

Taekwoon smiles at you before picking up your glass of whiskey. “No” he says. “Not if you leave and never return or speak of this again.”

“Excuse me” you say getting up. You turn, making it look like you are headed to the exit. You are a dead person now. The Panthers don’t leave evidence behind.

In hindsight, it must be this revelation that prompts you to throw caution to the air and head to the back of the club instead. You break into a run, headed to the green room instead.

“Hey!” a bouncer shouts as you run past him. “You can’t be here!”

“I am a cop and I have a warrant for this place!” you scream. This kick starts a commotion when the words cop and warrant go around. The bouncers are engaged in controlling the situation and you slip past them to the green room where Jaehwan usually waits before performing.

“He figured you would come” a voice says.

“Wonshik” you say, stopping dead in your tracks when you see him holding a gun to Jaehwan’s head. Both men sport bruises and Jaehwan’s lips are caked in blood.

“Told you he was an interesting man” Jaehwan jokes, his voice hoarse.

“You’re not supposed to be here” Wonshik says, pushing the pistol to Jaehwan’s head. “You were never supposed to be here. You should have let the case go when it shifted to the Bureau.”

“You warned me and I didn’t listen. This is my fault. Let Jaehwan go” you say. Getting out alive is the first priority now. Figuring out how, when and why Wonshik joined the Panthers is second.

“I asked Taekwoon to let you live. But you just wasted that chance. I can’t get you anymore” Wonshik explains. “So I need you to leave if you value your life.”

“Listen to the man” Jaehwan adds. Wonshik regards him with a poker look before turning back to you.

“Let me talk. I can help” Jaehwan says to Wonshik in a whisper. Your jaw sets. You’re not going to let Jaehwan die. You can’t let Wonshik commit murder.

“You have a minute” Wonshik says letting go of them. Jaehwan nods, walking over to you as fast as he can.

“I’m sorry I got you into this” he says, cupping your face with his hands. You’ve never really appreciated his hands and how gentle and firm they can be.

“The panther comes for the original sin” Jaehwan whispers and all of a sudden there is a sharp pain in your neck. Your knees give way and your world goes to black.

“Let’s go” is the last thing you hear, before your sense something pass over your body on the floor.

-x-

It takes a while for you to come to your senses. Your neck throbs and the room is black but thankfully no one has bothered tying you up.

‘The panther comes for the original sin’ is a phrase that keeps going through your head. You can’t seem to remember where you’ve heard it but it feels oddly familiar for some reason.

The Sin Of Seoul.

You sit up straight and immediately regret it as disorientation forces you back to the ground. Your brain has connected the dots faster than you anticipated. Something big is about to go down if the Panthers are headed over to steal the Sin of  Seoul for themselves.

It’s the rest of it that you have trouble wrapping your head around. How and why is Wonshik with the Panthers? Why exactly do they want to kill Jaehwan? The mafia have a blood treaty stating that they can’t kill without good cause. What did Jaehwan do?

You hold your head. You have no way of knowing what else Jaehwan has done. Maybe the Panthers want him for something other than his involvement with you. But what else do the Panthers and Serpents have in common?

The Sin of Seoul.

A mutual hatred for each other.

And Jaehwan caught in the crossfire.

This is way above your head. You can’t do this alone. But there is no way you can call Hakyeon. That shit storm won’t even compare to whatever is going on now. But if you sit back and do nothing, you have Jaehwan’s blood on your hands.

You pull out your phone and stare at Hakyeon’s number. You type something but change your mind.

-x-

It is raining again and you are soaked to the bone when you reach the art gallery. The southern district roads are a mess. There is a fire and you can hear 119 redirect fire trucks and ambulance to the place you are headed. As a consequence, the traffic is jammed and you are barely making any progress.

Two drivers in front of you get down and decide to fight in the middle of the street. Apparently one has accidentally crashed into the other one due to the other car stopping without warning. You groan, knowing there is no way out of it.

You abandon the car on the side and decide to leg the last two miles. The art gallery that Jaehwan took you to is only four blocks down and your heart races faster than your legs move. A fire truck turns into the road you were headed into and you gulp, picking up pace again when the adrenaline kicks in.

To your relief, it isn’t the tall building that’s caught on fire but a small deli next to it. A gas leak leading to an explosion. The paramedics are rushing people in and out and the firemen are busy trying to put the fire out. You look around, noticing that the water supply is connected to the security division of the art gallery.

It’s an easy way in. You drop your phone in your coat pocket and tie the button up, straightening up and heading to the doors. No one will notice you if you just walk through the doors and disappear in the chaos. You take deep breaths to get your breathing under control.

It's ten steps. A fireman yells at you to move out of the way as he pulls on the large hose and redirects the group to the other side of the building. Five steps. You avoid tripping over the hose and quietly move in and out of the medics who are carrying a man injured in the fire. Three. Two. One. And you're in.

You recognise the desk you come across. It's the long hallway. There are people milling about in the hallway, looking confused and hesitant about leaving. The fire alarm is blaring but no one makes a move, knowing they are safe since the fire engines are here and there is no smoke.

“Hey you! Who are you and what are you doing here?” someone asks you sternly.

“They are with me” someone says authoritatively before you have a chance to speak. “And helping me evacuate the building. You should be leaving too Sir.”

You turn around to see a fireman. He's tall and handsome despite the soot and ash covering his sweaty face. You almost snort when you think about how the hot fireman stereotype probably exists due to this man.  

“Look. There is no reason to evacuate. Everything is under control” the man reasons.

“The fire department can be the judge of that. For now Sir, I request you to comply and leave the building as quickly as you can” the fireman insists.

“It's for the best” you insist. The man looks at the two of you suspiciously before nodding to himself. He starts gathering people and asking them to evacuate. The fireman nods and makes his way to the back as the people start to move out.

You find yourself being pulled along with him as he presses the elevator buttons and walks into the lift.

“What kind of fireman uses an elevator during a fire alarm?” you ask reaching for the gun strapped to the holster around your waist.

“I'm not a fireman and you know it” the fireman says, taking off his coat and helmet. He's wearing an expensive dark blue shirt and well tailored grey pants. His waist is tiny but his shoulders are well built and he looks like he could be a model. His face supports your hypothesis, looking much better after the fake ash has been wiped off.

“Why the elaborate ruse?” you ask. You let up the security trigger with the gun still in the holster. You trust no one and aren't about to start now. If anything, the revelation about Wonshik has you trusting people less.

“I'm Jaehwan’s… I am just someone who needs Jaehwan alive” the fireman… no the tall model confesses.

“Are you his lover?” you ask. The hint of jealousy in your words surprises you but you don't let it show on your face. It would make sense wouldn't it? Jaehwan’s a charming man who has the art of seduction down. And the tall stranger is the type of artwork that would complement his pretty face.

The thrill of dating a mysterious enigma would be better than a forbidden romance between a policeman and the mafia. Not that there was a romance to speak of. You have no reason to be possessive.

“Oh god no. But from your words, it sounds like you would love to be it” he grins.

“I have a gun and I am not afraid to use it if you continue making stupid suggestions” you say wryly. “I am invested in keeping him alive too. That's why I am here.”

“You get emotionally invested pretty easily” the stranger noted.

“What makes you think that?” you ask, taking the gun out of your coat.

“You chased after me for two years. Or is it more? I can't quite remember. Time passes by quickly when you live the good crime life” he admits.

“The Night Fox” you say, realization hitting you like a ton of bricks. Of course. How else would Jaehwan have his authentic calling card? Lee Jinsil would never have let him take the original.

“You're as smart as he says you were” the Night Fox praised. “Well not very since you walked into the Serpent’s nest itself to rescue your damsel in distress. But quick on the uptake.”

“How do you and Jaehwan know each other?” you ask, raising and pointing the gun at him.

“Hold your questions. We have our dear beloved to rescue” the Night Fox says, turning the barrel to point to the lift door with a gentle nudge. He pulls out a gun of his own from an ankle holster and enters the security code.

You hold the gun at the door, keeping a sharp eye on your companion. The Night Fox, here in flesh. You can't tell if he is lying or not but you believe him. And this encounter is disorienting. You miss whiskey the most at the moment. Perhaps you should have listened to Hakyeon and stayed out of this entire mess.

The door opens and you hear the sound of safety triggers being pulled down. The Night Fox steps out with his gun pointing to someone just across the room and out of the view. You follow and the dead bodies of Lee Jinsil and his bodyguards lying on the floor come into the view.

Standing a few feet away from the body is Jung Taekwoon. He holds one gun to Jaehwan’s head, watching him, while holding a second to the Night Fox who has entered the room.

The Night Fox’s gun isn't pointed at Jung Taekwoon but instead at Wonshik who is to his left. He holds the black velvet box in his hand and was probably examining the necklace before you came in. You keep your gun aimed at Jung Taekwoon.

“Shooting wouldn't be a wise idea” Wonshik says, stepping closer to Taekwoon.

“It doesn't have to come down to that” the Night Fox says. “The deal was that we take down the Serpents and you give us the diamonds and we leave with them alive.”

“I only said I would give you the diamonds” Taekwoon says smoothly. He nods at Wonshik who tosses Jaehwan the box.

“But there was no reason to let us live afterwards” Jaehwan concludes. He struggles to stand up but looks Jung Taekwoon right in the eye as he says it.

“You knew this all along. So why bring your pet cop along?” Taekwoon asks.

“Killing a cop would be a messy affair. After all, you can't seduce them all to your side, can you?” Jaehwan asks. The Night Fox throws him his gun and in a flash Jaehwan is behind you, holding the gun to your head while your own is now with the Night Fox. Taekwoon tosses a gun at Wonshik who aims it at the Night Fox while he aims for you.

“Have you considered that I might not care and kill them anyways?” Taekwoon asked, raising an eyebrow at you. “What's another dead body in a pile of so many?”

“Not when there are more on the way. Did you think that my pet would be stupid enough to come here without backup on the way?” Jaehwan asks, kissing you on your earlobe. You bite your lip and your heart drops as you think of the message you typed to Hakyeon asking for help but left in the drafts.

"Biting your lips" Wonshik says, looking at you. "That was always your tell. There is no backup on the way. You were stupid enough to come here all alone."

“I could kill you both right now and when the cops arrive they will discover that I took down two of the most feared mob bosses in the city. They would felicitate me instead of arresting me” Jaehwan speaks up, sparing you from acknowledging or denying that statement.

“It's cute that you think either of the three of you will make it out alive” Taekwoon laughs. He reloads his gun by resetting the cartridge and shoots it. You scream as Jaehwan pulls the two of you down to the ground.

The Night Fox shoots as well, hitting Wonshik in his chest. Taekwoon growls and shoots at him as well, missing him by a hair as he moves.

“Hongbin!” Jaehwan exclaims, abandoning you and running to the Night Fox. You pull your phone out, sending Hakyeon that SOS and hitting the lock button four times to activate the notification app that Sanghyuk tracks. You scramble to your feet and shoot at the roof in an order to get control of the situation.

“Nobody move or I will make sure that none of you can” you threaten. Your voice is shaky and your ankle pains. You're very sure it has been injured in the chaos.

“I have backup on the way and none of you will escape alive if you don't cooperate” you add.

“There's four of us against just you. Don't be stupid” Jaehwan warns.

“I don't care. And fuck the Miranda rights. I need answers” you growl. “So one of you start talking immediately.”

Wonshik slumps against Taekwoon and you start. He doesn't look so good. Your resolve waivers but you can't drop your stance.

“You can't win this fight. Let us go so that I can get Wonshik to a hospital. Or he will die” Taekwoon tells you.

“I can't do that” you reply, your heart growing heavy. Betrayal or not, if Wonshik dies on your watch then it will forever be on your conscience. And there is a very real chance that he might, looking at the growing pool of blood on the floor.

“Let them go pet” Jaehwan says, pushing the barrel of your gun away. It's a thing the two of them tend to do. Jaehwan and The Night Fox. Hongbin. Now you have a name to match the face.

You know a lot more now than you had expected. You begin to piece the timeline of events together. Jung Taekwoon hires the Night Fox to threaten the Serpents to steal the Sin Of Seoul and places Jaehwan as an inside man. Jaehwan seduces Lee Jinsil and acquires the information needed to make his way in.

All of it is a cover for his actual goal. Destroying the rival gang so that the Panthers can rule the city. And of course it would be less messy than starting an outright civil war with the other gang.

You would be impressed if your life wouldn't be on the line. And as it stands, you aren't very impressed with the situation.

You sigh and jab the down button for the elevator.

“All three of you are living on borrowed time” Taekwoon promises as he picks up Wonshik’s body. The three of you watch till the elevator closes and heads down.

“You were always a sucker for damsels in distress” Jaehwan chuckles. You school your expression and point your gun at him again.

“I'm not done with the two of you. Once the cops get here, both of you are going to jail for your crimes. And don't worry. Jung Taekwoon will join you there” you say.

“You underestimate him” Jaehwan laughs. “You don’t know how dangerous he really is.”

“Part of the reason you are here really. I needed leverage to get out alive. He would have killed both of us. But luckily you were here and his lover came along as well to protect you. Injuring Wonshik was never the plan but it worked in our favour” Jaehwan explained. “Nice shooting by the way, dear brother.”

Brother. The word makes your blood boil. The Night Fox was Jaehwan’s brother. After all things said and done, you feel like an idiot.

“Don't look so surprised. So many people say we look alike” Hongbin jokes at your expression.

“You knew all along. You knew I was chasing after your own brother” you accuse, your gun lowering.

“Wasn't it obvious? It was the easiest way of getting you involved” Jaehwan accepts. You know that it is true. Jaehwan approached you with the proposition of catching the Night Fox and kept you involved on the pretext of it. You hadn’t expected to tumble into a complex web of lies and betrayal while you were at it. But what else was expected while dealing with the mafia? You look at the bodies of the Serpent members lying around. Murder is a small cost to pay in this business. And you are about to become collateral damage.

“Before you ask, it also means that we knew of Taekwoon and Wonshik’s love affair. They're quite a pair” Hongbin says, picking up the forgotten necklace box.The love affair is news to you. How long has it been since Wonshik has been together with Taekwoon? Is this why he was so surprised to find him in the restaurant on the night of the undercover operation? Was Wonshik originally a Panther? Or did he fall in love with Jung Taekwoon later? How and why?

The questions keep messing with your head. Every answer, ever explanation only leads to more. You no longer know what is right and what is wrong.

“Which is exactly why all three of us are now marked for dead. Nothing will save us from Taekwoon’s wrath” Jaehwan says, his tone turning serious.

“Not if we escape now. We're wasting valuable time” Hongbin grumbles.

“You're not escaping on my watch” you say angrily. Your gun is loaded and aim steady. There is a tell tale siren and the rumble of a helicopter landing on the roof. Your backup is here. Hakyeon is coming to help.

“You could come with us love” Jaehwan offers.

“You can't be serious” Hongbin protests.

“But I am. A life for a life. We're alive right now thanks to you distracting Taekwoon. It's only fair. And I did enjoy our night together pet” Jaehwan winks.

You don't think before lunging for him with your own hands. You feel like such a fool. A toy for his amusement. That's all you are to him. To be used and discarded at will. You can't believe that you effectively disobeyed Hakyeon for this vile disgusting piece of shit.

Jaehwan puts up a good fight but overpowers you easily. He pins you down to the ground, straddling you and using his body weight to hold you down. One hand holding you down by the shoulder and the other at your neck.

“I guess your answer is no” Jaehwan says.

“You think?” you spit out.

“Goodbye pet” Jaehwan says lovingly before putting his hand at your neck. In a strong sense of deja vu and stronger sensation of pain, your world fades to black again.

You know that when you wake up, both of them will be gone and out of your grasp forever.

-The End-

A/N - If the reader would like so, I want to make it a three part series. After the reveal, please let me know if you would like me to continue it!

#wos spring 18 #mafia au

[poeticnerd]

·         [Kina - Get you the moon (ft. Snow)]

         Kane Legrata saved Daniel Avi’s life multiple times. Not from being heroic or anything. Kane didn’t stop him from accidentally poisoning himself, or stop him from wanting to pet a polar bear, though the thought of petting a dangerous animal does come bothering him more often lately. No, it wasn’t anything as dramatic and hilarious as that.

·         Avi was suicidal, and heavily depressed. His job as a paramedic in an experimental super soldier lab was more a distraction from his own issues. The hecticness and duty gave him a purpose, distracted him from the heavy thoughts and feelings that echoed in his head.

·         That being said, he fell back into that unending spiral a lot of times. He never meant to fall again, repeatedly, but it happens. Slowly, darkness would creep up on him until it enveloped him entirely.

·         If he doesn’t take care of himself, and pent everything up for days on end, sooner or later he’d willingly let himself be wrapped back into the seductively warm arms of depression. And, Kane helped him through it. All of it. Kane and Sam. Both of them. They were his anchors through all of it, helping him up, helping him find routine again, helping him find hope. They were the ones who drove him to see his therapists without fail. They were there to comfort him whenever he felt so low he could drown.

·         They were there all the way. Kane especially. Sam took time to warm herself up to him, but when she saw how helpless Avi was, like an exhausted child lost in loudness that sounded like nothing, and everything, she followed Kane’s example. And she honestly loved him too. They were like a found family, the three of them.

·         It was a slow day, Kane was busy throughout with routine tasks. Checking up on and testing out the prosthetics of the soldiers. Avi wandered the halls, thinking about nothing and everything.

·         They met up in the afternoon, in a control room of a high-risk experiment. They were standing by; in case something went horribly wrong. If it did, Kane would handle the mechanical bits, while Avi would handle the fleshy bits. 

·        But it didn’t. The experiment was a success. The observers and the testers walked out of the room, chittering happily at the success of the experiment.

·        It was the end of the day. Kane and Avi just lazed around in the room, both entertaining their own exhaustions. Kane from work, Avi from thought. He’d been thinking about something. Something he thought he should do.

·        Reminder, Avi is a person who feels deeply. People say he looks and acts  cold-hearted, but that’s just how he carries himself. His natural state of being, exteriorly at least. Being a ‘badass’ is just how he likes to live his life, with as little drama as possible. Get the job done, get it done to perfection, move on to the next job.

·        But deep inside, he feels things. Weird things, nice things, wonderful things. He never had the ability to express much of it. That is why he seems so cold and emotionless. But his eyes, they always betray nothing and everything. Kane noticed that much from their first meeting.

·        Kane was among the first who entertained the idea that Avi feels a lot inside. Most people shrug him off as another typical heartthrob. A handsome bad boy; heartless, mechanical, uncaring. Someone who finds offence in nothing and could barrel through the most impossible of everything.

·        But Kane was the type of person who, if given the chance, would preach of how shattered and broken and deserving of love everyone is. His heart automatically assumed you were suffering from something, maybe a bad childhood, maybe a toxic relationship in the past or present, maybe unresolved trauma. He goes out of his way to be kind because of that. Everyone is fighting their own battles, whether they show it or not. Whatever it is, no matter how minor you see it, Kane would be willing to listen to the things that bother you.

·        So, when he befriended Avi, from the many instances they’ve crossed paths, it was this kindness that broke Avi down, that let him freely be vulnerable.

·        And Kane helped him through a lot of it. The therapy sessions Avi attends were Kane’s idea. Avi would come into his office to break down and cry whenever necessary, with or without Kane there. Kane designated a sofa specifically for the task, with a thick, warm blanket waiting readily on one of its arms. It was more isolated and cleaner than the bathrooms, and more secluded than the parking lot. On weekends, a lot of times Avi was invited to the Legrata household. Mostly he was there for Sam and Kane to keep an eye on him, stop him from harming himself, but also to let him be surrounded by joy and love. Being there while Kane and Sam baked together, joining them for movie nights, having pillow fights without warning. These were the best moments of Avi’s life. He would quietly catalogue them in his mind, and pull them out whenever he realized he had started to slip. It helped a bit sometimes.

·        There were so many emotions swirling in Avi’s head while they were in that control room together. How grateful Kane was in his life, how much he cherishes him, all the warm and fuzzy things. It confuses him. It’s love, he admits that. He loves and cherishes and cares for Kane. Seeing him smile makes his day a little brighter every time. But mostly, he was content. This love makes him content, he realized. He wants nothing more, and nothing less. It’s … comforting. Is this … are all these .... romantic feelings? No. He wouldn’t call it that. He’d known it if it was. Romance bugs him a lot. Rom-coms make him worry for humanity, and excessive cheese from unnecessary romantic subplots make him instinctively want to put a book down and scream. Friendships however, has always led him to his strongest feelings. Just being there, laughing and smiling and talking. How people never paused and took time to cherish the friends they have really is beyond him. Cherishing honest friendships were among the very things that kept him going.

·        He wanted to tell Kane how he felt. How he really, really felt. But he can barely string the words together. Its confusing. He’d have an epiphany in the middle of the night, with the words sounding so beautiful in his head. When he goes to write it down, to record it for future reference, he’d draw a blank. Or worse, the words only sounded good in his head, but worthless out loud. Love is weird. All he’s certain of is that he feels it. That love is exactly what he is feeling. How he could express it, if he can even express it at all, is so beyond him that he prefers not to think about it.

·        Then, one night, a few days ago, he found a song that suited it. All of it. All of the confusion, all of the gratefulness, all of the warmth. All the warm and fuzzy feelings, captured in the lyrics and melody. It captured everything so perfectly he cried, and fell asleep with it on loop.

·      When he woke up, his chest burnt red hot with the desire to let Kane hear it.

·        “Kane?”

·        “Yeah?”

·        “Got a minute?”

·        Kane glanced Avi’s way.

·        “Sure. What’s up Dan?”

·        Avi pulled out a pair of earbuds, and an old, banged up MP3 player from the early 2010’s. He bought it cheap from a yard sale in his youth, and, in his eyes, it was the most prized possession he had.

·        “I, uh, found a song. And I’d really like it if you hear it with me.” He said sheepishly.

·        Kane smiled. “Sure.”

·        They inched their chairs closer and leaned in. Avi plugged one bud in his ear, and handed the other to Kane. Kane plugged the bud in.

·        Avi searched for the song, expertly clicking on the buttons as he had done a million times before.

·        Then, when he found that very song, Avi wavered for a few short seconds. Negative thoughts started to shut down the very confidence he felt half a second ago. So many ‘what ifs’ and ‘will he’s’ started bombarding his mind, rattling around loudly like a metal nail in an empty can.

·        No. Stop that. I’m here. Kane’s waiting expectantly. No point backing off now. He shut his eyes tight, and clicked play.

·        The song started out slow, with notes of piano singing a sweet sadness. The beat was haunting, sorrowed, beautiful. Kane braced himself for lyrics that sung of how evil the world is, how horrible and how destitute. How life is meaningless and sorrow is all there is in the world. Avi shared his music with him a lot, and most of the time they were reflections of how he feels at a present moment. He was getting worried that Avi might be on his way to another spiral, if this is what he’s been listening to. Admittedly, the beat was good, but thoughts of his best friend going through something hard again crowded in his head, justifiably made him worry.

·        Then, the singer started singing.

·        “You gave me a shoulder when I needed it”  the voice crooned.

“You showed me love when I wasn't feeling it

You helped me fight when I was giving in

And you made me laugh when I was losing it”

·        At that very moment, Kane’s eyes widened.

·        Avi didn’t just want him to enjoy it with him. Avi wants him to listen. Listen and know and understand. “This is how I feel.” Avi seemed to say. “These are the words I don’t know how to say, but I want you to know anyway.”

“'Cause you are, you are The reason why I'm still hanging on 'Cause you are, you are The reason why my head is still above water”

·        Kane glanced up at Avi, trying to gauge his expression. Avi had his eyes shut all the while, like his whole soul was singing along with Snow, and together, they were singing to Kane.  

·        Kane could barely keep it together. He was close to tears. He’d have a talk with Avi, for sure. Later, he’d have to remind him that no matter how much you love someone, sacrificing yourself for that person’s sake, especially with your own life, is bad. It’s a betrayal to what love actually is. Love is when one person wants the other to be happy, and the other person wants nothing less than the same. Being a martyr for the other isn’t a healthy part of that. It never will be. People tend to forget that.

·        He wants to tell Avi all of this. All of this and so much more. All he wants for Avi, the whole time they were friends, was that he wanted him to be content. With life, with living, with breathing the air he once wished would choke him, with walking the very earth he once wished would swallow him. That’s all Kane wanted for him. He’d never stop wanting them for him. And one day, he’ll tell Avi all this. Maybe, like what Avi’s doing now, he’d find a song so suited to tell it all that the only thing they could do is sit there, together in silence, while the song’s emotions swirled and tided and ebbed and flowed in their veins.

·        But for now, he’s here. He’s here, and he’s listening to Avi singing his heart out. Though the words weren’t from his own lips, and not with his own voice, it didn’t matter. His soul sung it. His soul sung it, and it was beautiful. It was beautiful how a man so tired of life, wanted to thank him, for teaching him to want to live.

·        Kane gently pulled Avi’s head closer, and tenderly he leaned his forehead against his. He left his hand in Avi’s hair, silently telling him “I’m here. I’m here. I’m here and I’m listening.”  and closed his eyes together with him. In his mind, he whispered “Thank you, I love you too.”

“And if I could, I'd get you the moon And give it to you And if death was coming for you I'd give my life for you”

#love #platonic fluff #aromantic

[a-wayne-at-heart]

HYPNOTISED: A Jason Todd/Red Hood x OC Fan Fic

Summary: Snippets of a blossoming romance between Jason Tood/Red Hood and an original character (named Ima), with other DC characters in supporting roles. Jason falls for a waitress at a diner he frequents with his best friend, Roy Harper. When she is caught in the crossfire between him and Black Mask, he is determined to protect her at all costs. What he does not expect is her falling for him, too. And how much she becomes a part of his - and the Batfamily’s - life.  

** Not strictly canon. Romance + fluff + minor angst. A lot of Batfamily feels. Title from the Coldplay song. Currently 10 chapters long, each one to be posted separately due to length. Editing may occur, depending on inspiration. :) **

Chapters: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight

Three

"Nah. Non. Nein. Net. And for the last time, no.” Roy was rarely this firm with his decisions. This was serious. (Also, he knew that many languages?)

It had been two days since the warehouse incident. Once Jason and Ima had gotten out of the warehouse, comm signal had improved drastically. He contacted Roy immediately, telling him to rendezvous with Batwing at a secure location. They were to deliver the briefcase to an off-shore branch of S.T.A.R. Laboratories. By the time the paramedics arrived on scene, he had strapped Ima behind him on the back of his motorcycle, doing his best to be gentle. She was unconscious and bruised, but otherwise stable. The safe house had enough equipment to deal with injuries ten times worse than what she sustained, and he was focused on getting her out of there as soon as possible. As he was about to speed them off, he heard Roy’s voice over the comm a last time. “You gonna be good, Jay? Because if you don’t make it out of there alive, I’m gonna have to kill you.” He would never admit it out loud, but the concern in Roy’s tone was reassuring. He grinned under his helmet. His best friend always had his back.  

But maybe just not today.

"Roy -"

"That waitress from that dump of a diner?! Two days, two days, and you couldn’t even send me a text that you were having a little slumber party??” The accusatory finger was dangerously close to Jason’s chest. On another day, that would have warranted a breaking of bones, but he was admittedly at fault for not giving Roy a heads up.

“Her name’s Ima. And I would’ve introduced you two the last time we saw her, but you were upset -”

It indeed had been the last time he saw her. At least until the incident at the warehouse. Neither of them suggested that they exchange numbers. Accidentally crossing paths was good enough, it seemed. Well, that wasn’t completely true. He had his way of knowing where she would be and when. But he had not anticipated the warehouse incident. At the diner, at the Wayne Foundation library, on a crowded street. It didn’t have to get any more complicated than that. Yet.

Besides, he had been caught up in dealings with criminal overlords as undercover work for Batman, Incorporated. He saw it as a good opportunity to close in on Black Mask. And as much as he itched to be with her, he could not put her in harm’s way. She did it herself, he thought bitterly. The irony.

Jason Todd did not do dates, or relationships, or coming home to someone, or growing old with someone. The last woman he felt strongly for was a mother who betrayed him. With everything that had happened to him after the Lazarus Pit, distrust and guilt continued to plague him. He still felt that he had to earn love.    

“Yeah, well, nothing’s changed there! So, don't you for one second think that I forgot about how she almost ruined our friendship! I can't believe you just -"

"Will you please keep it down? She's still asleep -" Way too much drama for 2:30 AM.

"- brought her into the safe house! Our safe house! Not a hospital, or a precinct, or a dumpster -"

"Roy, why the heck would I leave her in a dumpster?” 

"- but in the one place we keep hidden from everyone else -"

"Nightwing and Red Robin crash here, like, every other week -"

"- so that bloodthirsty d-bags like Black Mask wouldn't have our asses handed to us so freakin' easily!"

"Will you please…" Jason began rubbing circles on his temples. No mediation technique from the All Caste could quell the headache that was building up. They had been going at it for almost an hour and the worst part was that Roy had a point.  

"You have any idea what the cops would do to us if they found out we were harboring a potential state witness? Dude, I don't know about you, but I'm kinda enjoying being on their good side for once. A ‘working relationship’ with the cops, Jay. How may vigilantes do you know can brag about that?” He held up a hand, “And before you say Batman -”  

"It's not safe for her. We don't know which cops are on Roman's payroll. Besides, we can probably ask my old man to have a word with Gordon if it came down to it."

“Yeah, because Daddy Bats gives in to all your demands, right?” Roy scoffed, reminding Jason of his precarious standing with his adoptive father. “In case you didn’t know, the role of irresponsible, overly trusting crime-fighter has already been taken. By me. You’re supposed to be the level-headed one in this safe house, Jason.” Full name. This really was serious. “Safe house? Should we even call it that anymore -”

“Just shut. Up. Roy. Please.”

The finality in Jason’s tone made the tirade stop. A soft thump indicated that Roy had slumped down on the giant beanbag across from the couch he sat on.

"Look," Jason said, resigned, "None of this is... ideal. And I’m so sorry for dragging you into this. You have every right to be angry with me. You’re one of the few people I trust with my life, but I guess I wasn’t ready to talk about this thing Ima and I have -” This thing? “…If it’s anything to begin with, that is. It’s… new territory to me, man.”

It was his turn to stand up and pace, running his hands over the back of his neck. “When you and Starfire started dating, you two could barely look me in the eye every time I caught you alone together.” He paused and looked over at Roy, whose arms were crossed, but now had a softened facial expression, as if in contemplation.

“That kind of relationship was new to both of you. And it was so mind-blowing-ly amazing that it took you a while to process it. Your words. Now, Kory, she’s one of us. She understands what this life,” he said, gesturing to their surroundings, where high-tech gadgets and weapons sat in plain view, “entails. We’ve lost count of the battles she’s fought alongside us. Gangs. Magicians. Aliens. She gets it. But, Ima…”

He paused, saddened by what he was about to say. “This isn’t her world. She was once a street rat just like me. An orphan just like me, let down by the system. Except no one like Bruce came along to offer her a better life. She works herself to the bone for a measly salary, being felt up by jerks twice her size as she fetches them coffee, just so she and her younger brother wouldn’t be out on the streets. Her eyes would light up every time she talked about him. And now he’s gone...

“She never mentioned that he was working for Black Mask. As far as she knew, he worked at the docks. I’d never gotten around to mentioning to her that I was Red Hood, either. The same way I kept putting off telling any of you about her. It’s not that I didn’t trust you. I just… wanted to keep her out of this world of ours. To keep seeing her smile in spite of the weight of everything she’s already been through. She’s become my world outside of this one.”    

Roy stayed silent. He had not moved since Jason started his heartfelt confession.    

“Right now, she needs my help,” Jason continued. I know I’m not being myself, trusting someone this easily. But she’s not just someone to me anymore. And she needs someone to trust, too.” He headed to his room, to check up on Ima, who was snoring lightly on his queen-sized bed. He did not mind sleeping on the couch for a few days if it meant giving her a little comfort. “I’m not asking for your help. You don’t deserve any more burden from me. All I’m asking for is a little patience until I figure out how to keep her safe.”  

And just as he was about to enter the room, he heard Roy stand up behind him. “You’re an asshole, Jaybird.”

"Yep," Jason sighed. "Glad we got that covered."

"An asshole who'll need my help."

#batfam #batman #bruce wayne #red hood #jason todd #nightwing #dick grayson #red robin #tim drake #robin #damian wayne #alfred pennyworth #arsenal #roy harper

[zaccomstockhuman-blog]

The Accident

I wish I hadn’t told macy what to do. We were just kids, trying to get a good life for ourselves. On days when when we didn’t have much to talk about we sometimes talked about our future. I had got the idea in my head that it was the perfect job. It didn’t require ten years of college like becoming a doctor would.

“I’ll give people shots for the flu. It’s a good job.”

“Yeah I think it’s a good ide-”

“I don’t do cutting into people. I can do anything else, not people.”

“..Where do you think we could work?”

“You can be a nurse anywhere. It’s easy. “

After high school I started working as a nurse and my best friend became a paramedic.

I wish I hadn’t become a nurse, but the money was important. Everyone needs money.  

Scalding hot protected in a layer of cuneiform golden ooze. burned black, brown, and red skin, the honey-mask that was not really protecting. It stuck to the skin like glue, forcing agonizing pain until we could pry or cut or wash it off.

I think the devil lives there in the honey, you can see him if you look close enough. The devil lives there but it is lifted up on the shoulders of the father of the son of the cousin of the holy ghost, well I don’t know the basics of religion. You can really see him, I can see something in the stuff, something with a soul.

A troupe of Apologists came in yesterday. You could tell which side they were on.

Burning the thin glaze through, burning the chests of the innocent, sinful creatures. They used to move freely along the banks of rivers or roads, like rabbits.

It still tastes sweet so they don’t stop. Even when their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and friends say to them: “don’t let it in”, they take more in, everyone crying their fucking faces off.

~~~

A Golden light filled ball in the sky- it’s not the sun, it’s moving across the night sky at eight o clock. What could it be? Was it some sort of new weapon invented by the soviets? It was probably a dream, right? My wife woke up, tugged at my sleeve. She asked, “honey, what’s going on?”. I told her I didn’t know, but we needed to get to the basement fast. We were in the stairway next to a window when I saw the ball of light again, this time it was just about to hit the ground a block away. I thought I saw something in it. I imagined the souls of the dead collected in it. When it hit the ground they went out flying. Gravel, pavement, and dirt was shooting everywhere, then our neighbor’s house destroyed and splinters coming our way, hitting her face. She was dead. There were people watching on the street before, but now everyone was gone. Were they all dead as well? No, I saw survivors in the corner of my eye. A crowd of people walking the same direction. They were moving toward a stunning, beautiful light emanating from the impact crater. Immediately, I wanted to have a look for myself. The light was a perfect color, looking like heaven’s gates had opened up right there  in the ground. I didn’t notice the screams coming from people who had walked into the mess. That beautiful light drew me in. I didn’t notice the stuff seeping into my skin and coating half of my face and arms.

A hand grabbed my shoulder- I turned around and there was a woman who looked like she must be a paramedic. I noticed two ambulances were pulled up to the scene. How long had I been there? It would have taken atleast 20 minutes for them to get here from the hospital. The paramedic directed me into an ambulance and I sat down. The pain started. It got so bad that I collapsed and lay writhing on the floor of the ambulance.  There were about five or 6 paramedics running around the neighborhood, trying to stop people from touching that glowing stuff. No one listened to them until they started yelling or grabbing. Soon the Ambulances and a truck they borrowed from jeff were full. We sped away toward the hospital.

I spent 12 days in the hospital healing. I don’t remember much of the first four days. I was in and out of reality, passing out every time I woke up. In one weird coma dream I was back in my house, except this time I knew what was going to happen. I couldn’t move. I tried to jump in front of the piece of wood flying towards Helena. But I couldn’t. In the next dream the same thing was happening except I was licking up a bunch of that golden glowing stuff from my arms. It tasted like maple syrup infused with drugs. I woke up every once in awhile for around 2 seconds at a time, just long enough to stare at the ceiling or catch a glimpse of someone near me. The dreams kept coming, It felt like an eternity. On the third day i woke up for longer than normal, probably a full minute, long enough to talk to someone. There was a nurse there taking care of me who was very gracious and kind. Although my first impression of her was fine, the next time I woke up was different. On the fourth day of my stay at the hospital i woke up while I was being moved to make space for another person to share my room. I got a chance to have a conversation with the nurse and get a good look at her. She was a fast talker and didn’t seem to care very much about what I was saying. It got a little annoying, but being in the hospital, I was grateful to be alive and healing. I wondered why they had to move someone into my room.. It wasn’t a very big room, and the hospital would usually be half empty in a town like this. Before I could come to any conclusions or ask the nurse, I fell asleep. Over the next few days, I was awake much more often, now taking naps rather than taking “wakes”. My arms and face still hurt like hell, but the doctor told me that they were able to remove the substance from my body, so I shouldn’t have any problems with it. I tried to ask the doctor what had happened, but he didn’t reply. The nurse told me to focus on resting and healing, then set a tray of hospital food on my bedside stand. Right as she was leaving I realized who she was. I exclaimed: “hey, weren’t you a paramedic before? I remember you saved me that night , I was walking toward the light.” Her expression changed completely. She went from a fake cheery but really annoyed look to a very sincere somber expression. “ I’m not really a paramedic. “ she said. “I fill in for the paramedics now.. Most of the originals died… or are injured too badly to work.” . The room fell silent, she stood there, looking completely empty. I felt like asking another question would be pushing her too far, but this one was really urgent: “what was it that killed all those people?”.

~~~

Worki Torki the muthafucking greatest. She was an engineer and scientist known throughout the gladdasphere for her accomplishments in biological energy. Torki’s research and development could probably be considered the most influential scientific work of the past 100 years. However, Torki fell into disrepute last year when she mistakenly released a dangerous experiment she was working on for the Hukdistani government. Using the “souls” of human brains, she was able to create a completely autonomous AI, capable of accomplishing feats no species could do alone. The discovery had huge implications: the ability to use human consciousness to power machines would increase our technological ability tenfold. Her research was about halfway through, and after 5 years of work, she had been able to create a containment method for souls, involving a highly volatile palladium-infused 0.0001 degrees kelvin liquid. This liquid would later be the cause of one of the most deadly incidents in the history of the gladdasphere.

On may 5th, 2018, about 210,000 humans died after the soul AI, energy source, goo, whatever you want to call it, was accidentally released. A carbon compression chamber in the north side of Torki-sana research station was beginning to overheat at 2:00, PM. According to eyewitnesses, the foreman on that deck was enjoying a late lunch with his superior when the chamber popped, at 2:14 PM. Workers were unable to seal the gap or turn off the valve in time to save the machinery, and soon conditions were too hazardous for anyone to go inside the room. Meanwhile, the main soulcantene in the central compartment of the research station was beginning to fail. The loss of carbon supply to the central board was causing extra strain on the other compression chambers, and soon all of the carbon compression chambers had been overworked to the point of destruction. When the carbon supply was diminished too much, the entire facility broke down, and the ectoplasm inside was released in an explosion. It travelled in space along black matter currents for two days. Our military failed to deploy interception ships fast enough, and it struck earth. Initial casualties numbered in the thousands, but the real killer was the golden soul ooze. It began to be sold by criminals as a new drug - very potent and addictive. Users had a 90% chance of death, but the confusion and misinformation caused by the earth people made it so that far too many humans ingested the substance without knowing it’s effects. Ingestion would cause severe chest pain and internal bleeding, followed by an intense desire to take more, followed by an increased effect, until death.

Many sources have speculated about the causes of the accident. Some theorize that the government orchestrated it all to further their own anti-science agenda. Although this argument can be appealing, I have to be realistic. All of the evidence supporting it is far too weak and circumstantial to be considered. I agree with people who say that we should not have invaded the Hukdistan sector, but It is very unlikely that the accident was created to incite the Hukdistan war.

Worki Torki  survived the disaster and returned to the Hukdistan home planet. She was given asylum there, and protection from the Federation. She was captured on may 24th, 2019, a full year after the incident. Today she is being held in federal prison while a trial goes on to determine her fate.

Federation officials are working on creating a plan to help earth humans without alerting them to our presence.

One thing is for certain: we have learned a lot from the accident. Today, work with supernatural forces like the souls of the dead is forbidden in all federation provinces, and more detailed regulations have been placed on deep space scientific research stations.

~~~

“It was the devil” She said. “It took Macy, and it took brian, and it took so many damm people.” “ I saw him, I keep seeing him, It was the devil.”

“Lol ok” I replied.

I told her not to give me orange jell-O anymore.