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red-writes · 3 years

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Career oriented

Escort! Bakugou x Reader

Your entire life you've been focused solely on your career, you've sacrificed a lot of things, people and time to get where you are and it’s paid off, now you're a millionaire who is also a virgin and never had a boyfriend in their life. Your friend recommends you a male escort service. At first you hire him to go on dates and do other things couples do but the relationship develops far beyond what you could've imagined, now you're laying under him begging him to be your first.

cw: smut, fluff, unprotected sex, reader is a capitalist lmao, I mean reader is a virgin but its not rlly virginity loss bc its not focused around that but reader does lose her virginity, unedited (but what's new)

a/n: I mean we always hear abt sugar daddies, I need rich reader pls also- monoma is a rich bitch y'all can't fight me on this he got that rich bitch mentality.

The words ‘hard worker’ were understatements when it came to describing you. Pretty much all of your life was spent working, growing your small business with your own two hands. Now money was never an issue. A huge house with several bathrooms, fancy bags and cars, all the things you've ever wanted were now in your possession except maybe one thing. Seeing happy couples holding hands as they walked around in the park, kissing and calling each other pet names, seeing them stirred a feeling of longing inside of you.

While it’s true that now you'd never want for anything else in your life, you still wanted something money couldn't buy you, love.

A small tap to your shoulder brought you out of your daze.

“Your eggs are going to get cold..” Todoroki mentioned and you gave him a small smile before prodding your fork in the perfectly scrambled egg.

“Hey, don't tell me you're thinking about that shareholders meeting this week” Monoma groans and you shake your head.

“Then what is it?” Momo wondered as she wiped her mouth with her napkin.

“It’s just- you guys all have someone you know romantically” you say as you rest your fork on the plate, deciding that you weren't really in the mood to eat anymore.

Monoma scoffs, “Yeah barely...I almost broke up with shinso after that last stunt he pulled in the club”

Momo giggles, “You're still with him?”

His face dusts pink in embarrassment as he looks away, “A-anyway, why don't you try getting an escort” Monoma recommends and it was your turn for your face to warm.

“An e-escort?! You do realize who we are right? If someone in here were to hear us talk about such a thing..” Momo whisper-yells and Todoroki’s eyebrow quirks up

“We all know I met Izuku through a sugar daddy website though-”

You clear your throat, “I’m not necessarily looking for you know..sex...just maybe someone to spend time with Monoma” You clarify and he's rummaging through his pockets to find his phone, he fiddles with it before showing you what the site looks like.

“Duh, escorts just get paid for their time not necessarily sex, I’ll send you the link to the website” He tells you and you sigh thoughtfully, if that was really the case then it wouldn't be so wrong to hire some cute eye candy right?

Momo waves over the waiter, “We’ll have the check please”

“Certainly ma'am”

You sat at your office’s desk with the website pulled up. You'd triple checked to make sure your door was locked, you still had a reputation to uphold as the CEO of your company, you'd be traumatized if one of your employees saw you hiring an escort.

You scrolled through the many many options of guys. Each profile consisted of a headshot of the escort along with a bio that consisted of maybe a paragraph and . You really couldn't find anyone that suited your tastes personally, until your mouse hovered over a blonde guy.

His bio was notably shorter than everyone else’s and in his picture he looked mean, eyebrows furrowed and red eyes staring menacingly at you and yet you found yourself clicking the ‘hire!’ button next to his name. Even though he looked like his favorite hobby was stealing candy from a baby, but his looks (as shallow as that may seem) were really speaking to you and the you between your legs if you were honest.

Bakugou Katsuki huh..well he seemed worth a try.

You had been through countless scenarios were you were rightfully terrified.

Being on a date had to be the scariest out of all of them.

Bakugou was sitting in front of you, he stirred his straw around in his coffee and looked at you while you struggled to contain the rabid beating of your heart in your chest.

“S-So..What- um..-”

“Just relax” He interrupts, his voice sounded so nice, deep and smooth like a rich dark chocolate. It only manages to make you more nervous.

“I’m sorry- I haven't actually done this before” you confess with a nervous chuckle, hands gripping your tea cup brutally.

He gives you this half smile and you're unsure of wether he's actually human or a demi-god at this point. “I can tell, but don't worry there's no reason to be”

You feel slightly comforted by his words and feel yourself let loose a little, “Okay, Bakugou, what do you like to do?” you ask.

“I like going to the gym” he shrugs, “I’m not really Interesting, I’m more curious about you” he says, he places his elbow on the table and rests his chin in the palm of his hand and leans in to you. His skin is so clear- not a blemish in sight and his eyes are practically burning a hole into your soul.

“M-me? I do nothing too important..I like to sew” you respond, taking a sip of your jasmine tea. You didn't necessarily want to tell him about who you were or what you did just yet, money and status only complicate things. For now, you just wanted to be a normal young woman going out on a date.

“Come on, don't be shy, I know there's more to you than sewing” He says, removing the straw from his coffee and placing it on a neighboring napkin.

You bite into your bottom lip, “Well, I honestly don't do much besides work, it’s taken up so much time in my life I can't say I do much else” you admit and Bakugou hums thoughtfully. He doesn't respond for a bit, the sounds of the coffee shop fill the silence instead.

“Okay, I have an idea”

You cock your head to the side curiously.

“Let’s ditch the formalities and go have some real fun, I think its about time you lived your life” he proposes and your mouth hands open. Was he serious? He looked it. You couldn't help the giddy feeling that bubbled up within you, a feeling you hadn't felt in a long time, excitement. It made you feel young again.

“What do you say?”

“Alright!”

The two of you spent all day together, visiting various hidden places around the city, you did shopping and even some sightseeing. For the first time in a while you felt alive, like you were actually a person and not just a unfeeling robot who simply lived to work.

Your last stop was a park. With a large lake in the center Bakugou suggested you guys feed the birds before heading home. With a handful of birdseed you gently sprinkled some into the water and watched the geese gobble it up.

“When I was five, I had a huge fear of geese..” Bakugou admits and you're chuckling.

“No way, really?” you turned to face him and when you do he’s already looking at you, smiling fondly, eyes filled with an emotion that you really couldn't seem to put your finger on.

“What? Do I have something on my face that you're not telling me about?” You pout and he shakes his head before turning his attention back to the birds as he sprinkles more of the food into the lake.

“No, just realized somethin’”

The sun’s beginning to set now, the sky is illuminated by hues of orange and pink. You nudge him with your arm, “Realized what?”

He turns back to face you, there's an adoring look on his face.

“You look pretty when you're having fun”

A look of surprise crosses your features before your ears burn in embarrassment at the sudden compliment, the butterflies in your stomach flutter around more and more the longer you two stare at each other.

“Thanks” You mumble before looking down at your palm full of birdseed.

Dates with Bakugou become more and more frequent after that. The two of you often meeting up more than you meet up with your regular friends. Bakugou doesn't even charge you anymore, even though you've tried to tell him it was fine he still insisted otherwise. The two of you even exchanged numbers and spoke quite often on the phone. Texts like,

‘this song reminded me of you’ and ‘don't work too hard, idiot’ were often exchanged.

After maybe a month of this happening you realized that the warm feeling you got in your chest whenever Bakugou brushed your hair into place or stopped to tie your shoe for you or even when he texted you good morning wasn't because you appreciated him being a good friend, you liked him. It took a month to finally decipher your feelings for him but once you did..what the heck were you supposed to do now?

Never once in your life had you confessed to someone let alone dated them, what would happen to your friendship with Bakugou if things didn't work out? You didn't want to stop being friends with him, you loved being with him, he was the reason you finally started taking breaks and learned to relax.

You had a ton of questions to answer for yourself but you couldn't do it right now, you had a date with Bakugou. He told you to dress up and you weren't sure where you were going but you trusted him to take you somewhere you'd enjoy. Around 8pm like promised, he was there to pick you up. His car was fairly nice, you assumed his high pay rates were being used for something but now you know what. He was wearing a black three piece suit, it was crisp and you could clearly tell it was expensive, his hair was slicked back and he had a single diamond stud in his left ear. He looked damn good. It was making you a little nervous about how fancy this place actually was.

The drive to dinner was unusually quiet. Bakugou typically did most of the conversations with you seeing as you were mostly an awkward sausage but tonight was different, he had a stern look on his face and you felt a little worried. Bakugou noticed your nervous look in the rearview mirror and without skipping a beat placed his hand gently upon your thigh and gave it a small squeeze, this thumb moved back and forth in a soothing manner. All without taking his eyes off the road.

You felt a shiver run up your spine and you bit your lip from potentially making any noise, you turned your head to face the window to prevent him from seeing the look on your face.

Bakugou was right about the restaurant being fancy. The place was full of people you could recognize, everyone from business moguls to celebrities, it was almost a little intimidating but you knew probably how tough it was for Bakugou to even get a table reserved at this place so you decided to instead choke down any kindlings of anxiety and replace it with a gratefulness for his hard work.

You swirled the champagne around in your glass while Bakugou took a bite out of his steak, the atmosphere between you two was a little awkward and it hadn't been like this since the two of you met it was a little alarming.

“Is something wrong..?” you ask after gently resting the glass back on the table, he wipes his mouth with his napkin and sighs.

“I’m sorry that- I seem so weird tonight” he apologizes and you shake your head.

“No no don't worry about it, I’m just worried something bad happened” you tell him, you lean forward and place your hand on his. His fingers lace themselves with yours and for a moment it feels like its just the two of you in the restaurant together.

“Nothing bad, actually something good” he explains and you're giving him a small smile

“Something good?” you question and he leans in even closer to you.

“I mean, ever since I started hanging out with you I feel like my life's changed, I’m not one to be super cheesy but I just- fuck..I like you” his face is turning a light pink and in a moment of courage you close the small distance between the two of you and press your lips against his. He immediately reciprocates the kiss, his hand sneaks up your forearm and settles on your elbow using it to pull you in closer.

When the kiss finally breaks the two of you are a panting mess, then you hear the waiter clear his throat and Bakugou uses his thumb to wipe the lipstick from the corner of his lips.

“Check, please”

Upon entering your home, there wasn't much speaking. Your arms were wrapped around his neck as his hands fumbled with the zipper on the back of your dress. The two of you blindly walked backwards until you tripped backwards onto the couch. Bakugou completely stripped you of your dress and laid it across the back of the couch, your hands made quick work of his pants unbuttoning and unzipping them, he kicked them off eagerly uncaring of where the fabric was strewn. He cupped your cheek and continued to kiss you as he helped you wiggle out of your underwear. He sucked in a breath at feeling how wet you already were. He ran a finger up and down your slit before gently nudging a finger inside.

The sensation was foreign, it felt odd at first but the more he kept twisting and thrusting the finger inside of you the better it began to feel. He slid in another one and began making a scissor motion inside of you. Your hips raised off the cushions of the couch, you moaned into the kiss and eventually he pulled away from it, instead opting to kiss the skin of your neck. Your moans along with the wet sounds of his fingers fingering you open filled the space. It felt good, you could feel the knots in your stomach threaten to untangle the harder his fingers fucked themselves into you.

His movements slowly came to a halt and he slid his fingers out. Your eyes clouded with tears and your legs were shaking, disappointed that he stopped when you were so close. He pulled his cock from his underwear and began stroking it over you.

“Ready?” He asks as he grinds his cock against your twitching entrance and you're gripping his shoulder before he makes another move.

“A-actually..please just be gentle its-i’ve never done this before” you confess and his eyes widen for once, taken aback by your sudden profession. He gives you a small nod, “Promise.”

With one smooth stroke he bottoms out within you. Your back is arching off the couch as your mouth hangs open in a silent cry. The feeling is an addicting mix of pain and pleasure that has the tears you were holding in begin to roll down your cheeks, Bakugou gently kisses them away and uses his fingers to wipe away the stray tears. For a while, you're simply holding each other, bakugou whispers words of comfort in your ears while you slowly familiarize yourself with having him inside of you.

When Bakugou feels your hips begin to move against his, he takes that as his sign to begin moving. His thrusts start shallow, hips just barely touching yours as he doesn't want to hurt you and you quickly become frustrated with his kindness. Your legs wrap around his waist and pull him closer to you, forcing him to bottom out inside you again. You whine his name and he shakes his head.

“And here I was trying to be considerate” he huffs out, you grip his tie and pull him down and press a gentle kiss against his lips.

“I didn't ask you to take it easy on me” you remind him and he scoffs

“You asked for this”

You're suddenly flipped onto your stomach and he raises your hips in the air, he pulls himself all the way out of you until the head of his cock is the only thing you can still feel inside of you, he rams his cock back into you and you're gripping the couch for dear life. His hips are ruthless, lewd slapping noises fill the room as the head of his cock kisses your cervix with every thrust. His heavy balls greet your clit with an unceremonious slap. Your eyes roll into the back of your head, you can't think of anything else except Bakugou. You'd been completely fucked dumb on your first time.

You feel Bakugou’s fingers lace into your hair and grip the roots before pulling at them and forcing your head back. A jolt of pleasure flows through your body as his cock pushes up against your g-spot, your legs and kicking around behind you.

“No! cum-cumming kats I-” you can hardly finish your own sentence due to how hard your orgasm hits you, your body his shaking as bakugou releases your hair and uses his free hand to grip your waist as he desperately humps you, chasing his own release. Your cunt spasms around him in overstimulation, Katsuki only curses under his breath as you squeeze down on him, your cunt clamps down on his cock as you're brought to your second orgasm and his movements finally begin to slow and an unfamiliar warm fills your tummy.

He doesn't pull out right away. Instead he gently lays you backwards onto his chest and you snuggle into his chest.

He whistles, “Nice place”

“Pfft- don't try to make small talk with me after you just finished banging me” you giggle sleepily.

“Fair enough, still, I’m curious about how you can even afford this place” he wonders, hand rubbing up and down your back, only easing you closer to falling asleep.

“Hard work” you reply he takes your hand in his and kisses the back of it.

“That’s my hard working girl”

you feel the butterflies swarm around your stomach all over again at his small comment.

“Does this mean we're dating now?” you ask and he gives you a little chuckle.

“Yes, if you want”

“Good then you're my boyfriend” your eyes are fluttering closed at this point, you merely nuzzle into his chest and he plants a gentle kiss on your forehead.

“Goodnight love”

“Night Kats..”

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hanoella · 3 years

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Affettuoso- With Feeling (Part 4)

Pairing: Bucky x Pianist!Reader

Set after the events of TFATWS: In an effort to start over and make a home in Louisiana, Bucky meets a friend of Sam’s who ends up being his landlord. With only a driveway to separate them, he finds that he’s not the only one looking for a fresh start.

Series tags/warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Bucky x Reader, Mentions of Domestic Abuse, Canon Level Violence

Part 4 Word Count: 2.9k

A/N: Thanks again for all your support! Every heart and comment motivates me and is just so wonderful

Taglist!: @vicmc624

Read Part 1; Masterlist

The icon that marked where you were currently typing in your text blinked as you bit your lip. Looking back from where you were sitting at the kitchen table, you took stock of the open pantry once again. You were low on just about everything. With physical therapy exhausting your shoulder, it was hard to find the energy to lift any heavy bags. You had texted Sam for help, but unfortunately he was out of state.

“Bucky’s home, just ask him to go with you. He won’t mind” He had texted back.

You slouched back into the chair and groaned. You had only seen him in passing since he had helped you with the furniture. What was he, your live-in-caretaker? Was he just there to help you up and down the stairs and help you across the street? Sliding onto the floor, you made a small grunt as you felt your back straighten out and adjust to the floor. Resting a moment, you held your phone up and stared at the blinking bar. You hadn’t texted him before. Should you just call him? Or knock on his door? Ugh, why was this so hard. Whatever.

“Hey Bucky, I’m having trouble carrying stuff right now. Would you mind helping me out with grocery shopping sometime today or tomorrow? If not, no worries.”

Without a second thought, you sent it and set your phone down next to you. It was around 1PM, the only thing you having done up until then was getting dressed while sipping on coffee. Opting for a lazy look, you had worn soft leggings with an oversized sweater and fuzzy socks. Two simple braids and a headband kept your hair out of the way for when you eventually practiced. Only a few more weeks until you practiced with the actual orchestra. You should probably figure out something to wear besides lounge clothes.

The buzz on the floor caught your attention and you took a peak at your home screen

1 New Message:

Bucky Barnes: Sure, is now good?

Shoot. You quickly got up and walked to the bathroom. Your hair wasn’t too messy. Why do you look so tired? Opting for some mascara, you texted Bucky back before digging around in your makeup bag.

Yeah, meet at my car in a minute?

---

Bucky pocketed his phone and took a quick look in the mirror. Should he shave? Scratching his beard, he made a face before deciding against. It would take him more than a minute. Why didn’t he just say thirty minutes from now? Running a hand through his hair, he grabbed a jacket and walked out of the apartment.

As he walked over the freshly fallen leaves in the driveway, he opted for leaning against your car. He shoved his hands in his pockets and turned his head to look out over the water. It had been quiet lately, just chilly enough to silence the summer chorus of buzzing and croaks. Now all that was left was the occasional honking of geese flying overhead.

He had only been there for a couple of minutes when you came out onto the porch. You had hastily thrown on some brown leather boots, the left one still untied. The little bit of mascara and lip gloss you put on made you feel better about not looking like death. It was nice to do a little something, even if it was just the grocery store.

“Hey!” you said, slightly breathless as you bounded down the stairs, keys jingling in your hand.

Bucky echoed your greeting back to you with a small smile and wave.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” You said, clicking the key fob to unlock the car.

“Oh it’s no problem. I didn’t really have much to do anyway.” He said, ducking his head to sit in the passenger side seat. He noticed how as soon as you closed the door, you clicked the locks shut. Then you brought your left heel up on the edge of the seat so that you could tie your shoe.

“Thanks so much. I really appreciate it. Usually, I don’t need too much help, but I need cases of waters and stuff like that. I was gonna get someone to help me at the grocery store but I realized I’d still be left in a lurch once I got home. I figured if you needed, we could just get groceries together this time,” you explained while double knotting the laces.

Starting the car and putting on your seatbelt, you looked behind you out of habit to make sure you weren’t going to hit anything as you backed out of the driveway.

“Huh. It looks like it’s going to rain.” You said, observing the darker clouds and the wind picking up. Putting the car in drive, you started down the driveway.

“Music?” You offered, gesturing towards the radio.

“I don’t really know what’s been playing these days… or for the last sixty years if I’m being honest.” At least it’s nice not to have to lie about it, Bucky thought.

“Well, we have a lot to catch you up on then.” You said, stopping at the end of the driveway and grabbing your phone. Scrolling through your music, you hit the bluetooth button on the console.

“This playlist has all my favorite classics on it. Feel free to skip anything you don’t like.” You said, handing him the phone and turning onto the road. The music started, prompting Bucky looked down at the phone. September- Earth, Wind & Fire.

---

Four songs later you were at the supermarket, grabbing a cart and discussing favorites.

“That last one was good too. Which one was that?” Bucky asked.

“That’s Stolen Away on 55th & 3rd. Dave Matthews Band. Now mind you, some of those are way older than others. The only thing they all have in common is that they’re all at least ten years old.”

“Huh.” He’s really missed out on a lot.

The two of you continued chatting as you went through the various sections. A couple cases of water. A bag of salad. Deli meats and cheeses. Bread. Ground beef. Pasta and pasta sauce. The topic turned to older music from Bucky’s time.

“I’m surprised you have heard of her.” He said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

“Well, I’m going to be honest, the only reason I have any knowledge of it at all is because I had to take a lot of Music History classes in college. For whatever reason, they thought that to play music, you needed to know every which way that it’s evolved throughout the years. Though, I have to say,” you paused, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “Now, I’m kind of glad I did.” You looked up at him slightly, face just a tad warm as he met your eyes. You both looked away and he coughed awkwardly. Feeling embarrassed, you scan the shelves of snacks before hearing him quietly say behind you-

“… I’m glad you did too. It’s different. And kind of nice to talk to someone about it. Who actually knows what I’m talking about.”

Trying to keep your smile small, you continued to look at the array of cookies on the shelf. A hand passed over your shoulder to take a pack of shortbread cookies.

“Hmm. Shortbreads.” You say, holding your arms behind your back. “Verrry interesting.”

“What?” He replied defensively.

“You can tell a lottttt about a man by his snack preferences.”

“Well, what do shortbreads say?” Bucky asked, leaning his forearms on the handle of the cart so that he was now eye level with you. It was too late this time to hide your smile. You turned back around to grab a pack of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

“If I tell you what they mean, you’ll just pick the kind that you think has the best traits. You’re not fooling me anytime soon.” You said with a laugh before you whisked yourself around the corner.

“Hey, that’s not fair, come back!” He pushed the cart around the corner where he ran into you hugging Sarah. The boys were with her and they went absolutely ballistic.

“Uncle Buck! Uncle Buck!” They shouted as they bombarded him.

“AJ! Cass! Stop acting crazy in the grocery store!” Sarah said, reprimanding them. You chuckled at the sight of Bucky being slowly overwhelmed by the two boys. He pried them off his legs and crouched so that he was eye level with them.

“Hey, I missed you guys. I haven’t seen you guys since the last time Uncle Sam and I came back-”

“-from fighting bad guys, right!” AJ said, getting a little too excited and causing Sarah to give him the look. Bucky tried not to laugh and held a finger up to his mouth to signal that they needed to be quiet.

“Yes, from fighting bad guys.”

You turned towards Sarah with a grin and put your hand on her arm.

“We’ll have to have all of you over, come see the new house. Will you text me a day next week when you, Sam, and the kids are free?”

“That sounds great. I’m so glad you got to move down here. I’ll let you know about next week!” Sarah said. She also walked around the cart and gave Bucky a hug. He returned it but glanced towards you nervously; You were already looking away. When they pulled away from each other, Sarah glanced in your direction and then at Bucky, a knowing smile on her face and eyebrows wiggling. Bucky made a face with wide eyes, letting her know to cut it out. Sarah laughed slightly while saying goodbye:

“It was good to see you, Buck.” Sarah said, laughing as she rolled the cart away, AJ and Cass in tow, who were both shouting goodbyes at Uncle Buck.

“Good to see you too…” He trailed off in her direction.

“Man, those boys really love Uncle Buck.” You said teasingly, making him jump slightly and turn around. You laughed and walked towards the next aisle, leaving Bucky red in the ears.

---

It was just starting to rain when you parked the car in the driveway. You grabbed some of the lighter bags and ran up the steps, hurrying to unlock the door. Bucky was piling on the grocery bags as the rain got heavier. He hauled everything inside as you held the door open for him. He lifted the groceries up onto the kitchen counter and made his way down the stairs again.

“Still have to get the cases of water.” He explained in response to your confused face. The rain was still getting heavier. Hauling the two jumbo cases onto his shoulder and carrying the last one by the plastic in his hand, he made his way up the porch, slower this time. You held the door open, looking incredulously again at how easy it was for him as he passed.

By the time he had set the waters down, you had grabbed a towel for him, extending it to him while looking away at from his drenched shirt.

“Thanks,” he said, toeing off his shoes and drying his hair with the towel before draping it over his shoulders.

“Please, let me make you some tea. You must be freezing.” You said, already digging through the pantry for some.

“Well, if you’re offering, I won’t say no.” He said, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

“Yeah, hold on, it’s kind of dark. Let me turn on the lights…” You trailed off as the light switch did nothing. Flicking it a few times back and forth, you sighed.

“I’m so sorry, the real estate agent told me it’s pretty easy to lose power in this area since there’s so many trees. They usually have it back on pretty quick though I’m told.” You said, now digging through another cabinet.

“It’s completely fine, you can’t control that. I’ll just take a raincheck-”

“Found it!” You said, cutting him off and proudly presenting the gas-powered single burner. You set it down in front of Bucky who watched as you also grabbed a tea light and a lighter from in the drawer.

“Would you like to stay for dinner?” You asked while lighting it.

---

Three more tea lights and a kettle of hot water later, Bucky was sitting with the towel draped over his shoulders, sipping on the warm cup of green tea. The flames created flickering shadows as you added the pasta to the pot of boiling water.

“I knew this was going to come in handy. I’m glad I saved it.” You said, setting a timer on your phone as you leaned on the counter across from Bucky.

“Why do you have it in the first place?” He asked curiously.

“I kind of had to hop around for a little bit before I got down here. I would stay in hotels but I didn’t want to eat out every night so this came in handy. Ole reliable.” You said, looking down at one of the tea lights.

There was a moment of silence before you pursed your lips.

“What’s wrong?” Bucky asked, setting the cup down.

“Has Sam told you… how I ended up here?” You asked, now looking straight at him. The look on his face told you the answer before he could respond.

“I see…”

“Hey, I’m sorry, I-”

You held up a hand to cut him off, soft smile on your face.

“No, it’s okay. I told him that if it ever came up, he could talk about it. I’m pretty open about it. How much did he tell you?” you asked, wrapping your hands around the cup to absorb some of the warmth.

“Just the basics. You two were together, then he got… violent. And you trying to leave.” He said, looking down into his cup.

“Yeah, that just about covers it… He kept following me after I got out of the hospital so I had to get a rental car and hotel hop for a while… When I got the house down here, I finally got my actual car and just booked it here. He’s never been to Louisiana before and he doesn’t know that Sam lives here now, instead of DC. I’m hoping he’s frolicking in city traffic, getting run over as he looks for me. Bucky snorted and tried not to laugh, which made you laugh.

“Sorry, it’s not funny.” He said, covering his mouth.

“Oh, it totally is.” You said, talking in a way where he could tell that you were smiling.

You both laughed as you grabbed a strainer out of the pantry. Draining the pasta, you both settled into a comfortable silence.

“Well, I’m glad you can joke about it.” Bucky said, watching as you poured pasta sauce into the pot to warm it up before chucking the rest of the pasta in.

“Some days are better than others. I’m just happy that I can stop running. Still, I do get a bit paranoid sometimes. I feel like I’m going to turn a corner and he’ll be right there.” You said, rubbing your arms as if you were comforting yourself. At that moment, Bucky looked at you and noticed for the first time how truly tired you looked. Dark circles underneath a sleep deprived gaze. Eyes clouded by worry and paranoia. Bucky’s seen that look on himself before. Before Steve found him in Bucharest, before he could trust his own mind. When he had to avoid being recognized, avoid being found, avoid falling back into Hydra’s grasp.

You exhaled as you uncrossed your arms, mixing the pot before sprinkling cheese on top. “Dinner’s all done.” Bucky sat peacefully, enjoying the aroma of the tomato and basil. Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled before speaking up again.

“Well. I’m here now.”

“Hmm?” You called back, not quite hearing him over the clanking of the bowls you took out.

“I’m here now,” he repeated, this time with more confidence. “So… you don’t have to worry about it. If you ever get worried about it, just call me. Or text me… Or knock on the door… and I’ll talk to you or I’ll check it out, keep an eye on the house from the apartment, or just be in the house with you. It’s not a bother, if it’ll give you peace of mind. I’ve been through something… similar. With, uh, the whole Hydra… thing…” Bucky trailed off as you stared at him with a neutral face. He was getting ready to backpedal, hand reaching for the back of his neck out of nervous habit, until you spoke.

“You’d do that?” You said, face unchanged, eyes searching his.

“Yeah… Yeah, I would.”

You blinked a few times before looking aside and trying to clear the frog from your throat.

“I don’t even know what to say but thank you. That is such a big relief.” You said, voice wavering slightly, one hand coming up to touch your forehead out of relief. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Nobody should have to go through that alone.” Bucky said softly.

You touched his hand softly, giving it a gentle squeeze before stealing your own back. You turned around to grab a drink when you paused, looking out the window.

“It stopped raining.” You stated, watching as the little bit of sunlight brightened the colors of the changing leaves. Bucky, on the other hand, was watching how the little bit of sunlight brightened you. He rubbed his thumb against where your hand had just been, trying to recreate the feeling of your hand on his.

#bucky x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x female reader #bucky barnes fic #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky imagine

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inkla-kirisame · 3 years

Text

Full moon (Werewolf! Razor x reader)

Supernatural AU

About the reader: they are a Pyro Wizard, and their fight style is like Childe’s but without the spear and with a catalism, they also has a familiar (a “cat” named Iblis)

I'm surprised that my Baizhu post is so popular (by my standards)

And take a look at my attempt to make something with a gender neutral reader

(PS: The GIF it’s not mine, I found it on Google)

Werewolves, one of the most feared creatures in Teyvat

This was because of their transformation during the full moon, were they become more aggressive

Many cities closed their doors when the full moon appeared in order to protect their citizens from them

The Knights of Favonius were obviously occupied with every full moon, it was better to save everyone they could than no one

Who were you in this? One of the newest Knights of Favonius and Lisa's prentice, you also had a Pyro vision

You kinda hated werewolves, why? Because you were an orphan because of them, you actually live near Springvale and they were hunters, ironic, you though, because what they hunted ended up hunting them

Still you kinda hated them, they didn't wanted you to become nothing else than a hunter, one time Lisa admired your knowledge and offer you to go to Sumeru academy but your parents refused, you also always returned your books on time so Lisa gave you permission to take more books and a more time to have them, your parents often hid them or even destroy them so you could focus on becoming a hunter

They were also nasty to say the least, even Draff admired their dedication but hated they ideals and methods, sometimes hunting for fun, need or simply because they thought it might be a danger if you don't kill a creature now

But after their death you were free to do whatever you wanted, so you went to Sumeru academy and returned to Monstadt and learned things from Lisa and later, becoming the newest member of the Knights of Favonius

Kaeya commonly tried to flirt with you, you always say no, the succubus was disappointed but still tried to flirt with you

Jean and Lisa liked you a lot, you were like the secretary of the Knights, reminded them of certain events

Amber, our ‘favorite’ bunny girl, and Klee always were with you, because you were in their therms, the coolest little sister (because you were the youngest Knight)

For Sucrose, you were one of the Knights who understood her, and Albedo liked you a lot

So everyone liked you, and they knew not to mess with you, specially in battle

You were a calm boy/girl every other aspect with the exception of the battlefield, you were a monster in there, everyone who knew about you and were your enemies were afraid of you

It was a calm evening, you were having a cup of (tea or coffee) with your (favorite dessert) while reading a book, sure nothing out of the ordinary happened with the exception of the people and the Knights bring materials for the roadblock

They only had a weak before the full moon

"(Y/N)!" You turned around to see your teacher, Lisa in front of you "I knew you were here, I need to ask you something"

"What do you need Lisa?" You said taking a sip of your cup

"Well, you know that in one week is the full moon, but I'm a little thigh with my duties, can you deliver a package for me?"

You knew that her duties were going to get the books not returned, and there were many, so you would obviously accepted but not without the details

"For who and where?"

"A boy, he is a little taller than you, has silver hair, red eyes and has eye bags, he is dress up with some green pants, an orange shirt, and a hooded jacket of a dark brown color, in Wolvendom"

“I see, you know that a little risky, right?” You knew it, entering Wolvendom was like ventured into the wolf’s den, it was more dangerous this days

“Please (Y/N), I really need your help, plus, he probably will like you”

“Who is ‘he’”

“Oh, right, the name of the boy, the one who I need to deliver his things, is Razor”

“Razor? I feel sorry for the guy... his parents must really loved him”

Lisa’s eyes filled with sadness

“He is an orphan, like you, but he is a little bit special”

“Hmmmm?”

“Anyways, will you do it?”

“Yeah, sure, I don’t have anything to do, plus, I need some wolfhooks”

“Oh, while you are on that, can you bring me some?”

“Sure” you ended up your food and were about to pay but Lisa handed the money to pay the bill

“This time I pay” she blinked an eye to you “I hope you had fun in Wolvendom” you only gave her the book back and walked to the bridge of the city

“Iblis... come”

“I’m here, mister/mistress (Y/N)” a black cat with some amber like scars and fire eyes “I suppose we are going to Helldom”

“You really hate wolves and dogs despite not being a ‘cat’”

“Ha, ha, very funny mister/mistress” the familiar said and transformed intro a giant creature, like a puma but little bigger

“It won’t take long, promise” you said while you mounted the creature

The cat simply looked the path to Wolvendom

“Promise me you’ll give me fish”

“Of course”

The cat then jumped to the water and began to run in it

Once they arrived to the land of the wolves, the cat returned to a little lantern that you carried away

“Despite you aren’t a cat, you really act like one.... so quiet... scares me, now, where is this Razor?”

You began walking around the woods in order to find the boy

“Ah, it seems it’s going to rain” you said looking at the sky slowly turning gray while you holded your hat from blowing off

Just then, you sore you could see something in the bushes, probably a wolf, you knew that it wasn’t a good idea to fight him, because 1: you knew that a hurt wolf will make you the target of the whole pack and 2: you needed to bring the pack to 'Razor'

“Who is there?” Your only response where the bushes moving and then a boy appeared, green pants, orange shirt, dark brown hooded jacket, silver hair and red eyes with eye bags, yep this was the person Lisa asked you to deliver the package “Razor, right?” The only thing Lisa didn’t told you was that Razor was a werewolf, maybe that's why he was special

“Yes... you are?”

“(Y/N), (Y/N) (L/N)”

“You smell like... Lisa... you are Knight?”

Geese, this boy seriously need some classes of language, if he was at Sumeru, he probably be mocked by everyone

“Yes I'm a knight” you gave him the package “it’s from Lisa”

“Ah! Painkillers!” His ears twitched his ear in happiness “thanks, why Lisa not came?”

“She was busy with the librarian duties... you know, books not returned on time”

“Ah, yes, I know that” you began walking away “where you going?

“Im going for wolfhooks” Razor stopped you and gave you some that were stuck in his tail or hair, his tail was moving with excitement

“Thanks... but I actually need some more” you said coldly, you honestly felt uncomfortable and it wasn’t Razor’s fault, it was because you saw the death of your parents and you were kinda afraid of werewolves because of that

“Oh, I know a place where they grow” he said tooking your hand but before he could drag you there, Iblis came out and tried to scratch him and unfortunately, Razor released some electricity, causing an overloaded reaction

Razor ended up crushing in a tree and Iblis flied to the ground, you on the other hand, ended up in some bushes

“Argggg..... IBLIS!!!” At that moment the familiar ended up in the floor like he was in a lot of pain, Razor saw that

“Mister/mistress, I’m sorry...” the cat returned to the lantern while you cleaned your self

“Sigh, now what’s the worst that can happen now?” Then it rained

Razor then guided you to a cave, there was some dried wood, it could be used for a bonfire

While you prepared the bonfire, Razor went for something

“Thanks Iblis...”

“I’m sorry” he said while walking to the bonfire in order to light it up

You simply cover yourself with your arms trying to get warmer with no success until you feel something fluffy, like a wool or fur, being warped around you

"You seem cold"

"Yeah, maybe it doesn't have to be because we were out in the rain like for like fifteen minutes"

"Sorry, I got lost"

".... "

"Why are you cold?"

"Because I'm-"

"No, not that, cold to me"

"I don't like werewolves..."

"Why? Did they attacked you?"

"No, they killed my parents"

"They... They kill your lupical?"

"Lupical?"

"Family"

"Yep, they killed them, but I honestly owe them for that"

"You hated your Lupical?"

"Well, I loved them and that but they wanted me to become something I didn't want to become, so when they died I was free to do whatever I wanted" you said looking at the ceiling of the cave "by the way, did your painkillers survived the crush?"

He forgot that he had them with him when that crazy cat attacked him, unfortunately, the painkillers were destroyed by the impact

"Iblis"

"Yes, mister/mistress?"

"I won't give you fish or milk in a week" you turned around to see the werewolf "I'm sorry for this, I will make you some new painkillers in compensation"

"Thanks, but not worry for this, not necessary, only need them for transformation"

"It's very painful, right?" He nodded "I'm not a werewolf but I understand your pain, when I made a pact, he almost roasted me alive, it took me some time to get the burns away"

He looked confused, you two looked like you knew each other for so long

"Why he tried to roast you?" Said while looking at the feline creature

"Well, some familiars like to make you a test to see if you are worthy of them, that why he almost burned me alive" you giggle a little when you remember that day "but you suffer that pain every month, for how long are you a werewolf?"

"I... Not know.... I was like this all my life... Or at least from what I remember" he paused a little "I never accostumed to the pain"

You patted his head while giving him space besides you

"It seems that the rain won't stop sooner, we will have to collect the ingredients for the painkillers while it rains... Dang it..."

"You hate rain?"

"No, but I'm a Pyro user, my powers won't work during the rain if something attack us

"I have an electro vision, I can help you" Razor said excited while his tail moved with happiness "I protect you and you get the green things"

"Sound good for me, Iblis, you stay here and keep the fire alive"

"Understood..."

You left the blanket and gesture Razor to follow you, which he did

You must have been out there for a good while since you felt really cold and you didn't have all the things to make the painkillers

"We should return to cave"

"No, it's fine, we are almost finished" you said trembling from the cold

"You not look good"

"It's fine, let's just get the last thing"

Razor sighed internally and putted you his coat to at least make you a little more warmer

"We get it, we come back"

"Fine..."

You began searching the last herb while Razor guarded you, but he clearly was worried about you, you looked tired and he could sore that you were freezing

"Got it!"

You turned around to see Razor coming towards you and he grabbed you in a bridal style, you freaked out

"What are you doing!?"

"We are going back to cave, we will be faster this way" He said and began to run

You hugged Razor by the neck in fear you might accidentally slipped off his arms

When you arrived back at the cave, the feline creature almost had a heart attack

"Mister/mistress, take off your clothes!!! You can't be around with wet clothes, you might catch a cold!"

"I think I might already have... But I don't have spare clothes, and you know it!"

Then Razor gave you back his blanket

"Use for cover, I get us clothes while others dry"

"Thanks"

Once Razor was out of view, your familiar began to order you to take off your wet clothes which you did and you covered yourself with the blanket and wait for him to arrive with clothes

When he arrived, he looked at you while you stare at him uncomfortable

"Razor, I need privacy..."

"Oh" he turned around and faced the wall of the cave "I not look until you tell me to look"

"Thanks..."

In a day like this, you probably would be enjoying a hot chocolate while you were near the fire or taking a long and warm bath, it was rare for you to be outside in the rain, you weren't that accostumed to the rain

"Now you can turn around"

You both simply ate some meat he had in silence and after that you both went to sleep

The next morning, as you predicted, you had a fever

Razor was watching you while that fur ball that is your familiar went for ingredients for a chicken soup to make you feel better

"Razor, I'm cold"

"Cold? You burn!!!" It was part true, when you have fevers, your Pyro Vision is more a curse than a blessing, your temperature is more higher than the average temperature of a person with fever and touching you it was like touching a burning wood

"Can you bring me my bag? I think I have medicine in there"

He immediately bring you the bag, fortunately, all of you potions survived the explosion of yesterday

"bleh, I'll never accostumed to the taste of this things"

"What was in?"

"You probably don't want to know"

You looked outside, it wasn't raining anymore and it was a very calm morning

"Here, I made it" the silver haired boy gave you some hash browns but with the shape of a paw

"Thanks" you were kinda afraid to taste the hash browns because you didn't knew if he knew how to cook, but you decided to trust Razor with this

And to your surprise, the hash browns were good

"I didn't knew you knew how to cook Razor"

"Lisa show me"

"If you want, I can show you more things"

After Iblis came back with fowls for the soup and ate quietly, you began making the painkillers

Thankfully, you bring your portable alchemy kit, you never knew when you would really need it so you always carry it with you

Razor watched you grind some of the herbs you collect while you simply put a lizard tail in a cauldron, he really felt like he was going to barf at the awful smell and the things you put in the cauldron

"You really don't like the smell..."

"It smells horrible"

"I don't blame you, it might taste horrible and smells horrible but every medicine or potion taste horrible or smells like this"

Once you ended the potion, you closed the cauldron with an special lid and rest on one rock with Razor's blanket

"Let the mix rest for a while Razor, or it might turn you into a frog"

He immediately went with you, afraid of the cauldron, thinking it magically began to walk and turn him into a frog

"It won't turn into one if you don't drink what inside"

That at least calm him a little

"Your Lupical... How they were?"

"They were two hunters, I was supposed to be a hunter like them but I was a sucker for books and knowledge, despite they wanted me to be smart, they also wanted me to hunt with them, to which I didn't want to do it... More than one time they hid my book so I would returned them late or destroy them" you sighed "at least they didn't got what they wanted"

"What they hunt?"

"Rabbits, boards, some little animals and..."

"And?"

"Wolves...." You paused a little "they also helped with the protection of the city during full moon... Despite being my family, they were nasty people... One time I heard them planning to hunt the all wolves in Wolvendom... I guess I was the black sheep of the family"

"And you want kill wolves?"

"No, I don't want to... I'm not like them, if you ask me, I don't kill for fun, I only do it when it's necessary"

"What you think about me?"

"About you... Hmmm.... Well, you are nice, kind, a little naive and you really seem to care about your Lupical, unlike me, because I'm a... Lone wolf" he laughed a little by your response

"You not feel lonely?"

"Well... I have Iblis, Lisa is technically the one in charge of me... The Knights could be like the closest thing to a family but... I accostumed to be lonely and it's always been like that"

Razor look at you with pity, after all, he was accostumed to be in company of his pack and lone wolfs were a rare thing

"I be with you!"

You look at him with an unamused face

"When did I agree to that? Besides, you don't have your Lupical to take care of"

"But... You are lupical, lupical doesn't need to be alone"

"I'm fine on my own, but if you really want to, I think you won't leave me alone"

Then he hugged you

"I not fail you"

After a while, the painkillers were done and you two had to bid your farewells, it was safer that Razor stayed with his pack in Wolvendom till the full moon is gone

"Master?"

"what?"

"do you perhaps like that werewolf?"

"Wha- of course not! Not in that way!"

"I didn't say that you liked him that way"

"When we arrive home, I'll give you a very cold bath"

The feline just closed his eyes, knowing that he'll suffer during that bath, he probably would prefer another place to 'clean' himself

-------

If you want to request I probably recommend you to wait a little, I'm planning on remaking the request list

Why Razor is a werewolf? Because why not? He's wolf boy, if he has to be a supernatural creature, it's 100% that he's a werewolf, I bet y'all think the same (if not, give me the clown wig please)

Wishing everyone luck on Venti's Rerun, I Will totally pull because I didn't get him cause someone came home, not pointing fingers, but it was a broke-ass astrologist (I latter find out how pity works and you know the rest), if he doesn't, Childe probably will... (I'm with 50/50, knowing my luck, I probably get c1 of any other 5* with the exception of Mona (she's C1)

I'm going to upload more things, probably soon but who knows?

#edit because I forget to add the tags #Genshin Impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact razor #razor #razor x reader

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lu-undy · 3 years

Text

Un-alone, Chapter 7

Here it is!

“Hello…? Yeah, Dad, we’re here. Yeah, everything’s fine. No, no, we’re at Uncle Phil’s… Mum? Yeah, she’s alright. She’s talking to him right now so I thought I might just call and tell you we’re here, for you not to worry too much… Yeah, I can put her on the phone, hold on… Mum? Dad wants you on the phone!”

“Tell him I’m coming!” Caroline looked at her brother. “Hold on Phil, Mike’s going to worry otherwise.”

“Go ahead, Carrie.”

The sixty-odd year old woman rose from the sofa and went to the telephone, leaving her brother on his sofa.

"Thanks, Micky, go with your Uncle, I'll be a minute." She gently tapped her son's arm and the tall man nodded.

He went to his uncle and sat on the armchair next to the sofa. The Aussie put his hat and his aviators on the coffee table.

"So, Micky, how're you? How was the flight and all? Oh by the way, here… Your mum's poured you a cup of tea while you were on the phone…”

“Oh, thanks…” Mundy took the cup that his uncle was handing him and nodded in thanks. Micky was the nickname that his family used with him. “Flight’s been bloody long. America’s so far from home and New Mexico’s not on the East coast either so, eh... I slept for most of it but Mum was a bit restless.”

“Ah, I’m not surprised. I know your Mum, she’s always been active and energetic like that.” Phil chuckled. “But all went well on your way here?”

“Yeah, not too bad.” Mundy took a sip of his tea. “Had to drive to the airport for a few hours first. Dropped the van to be delivered here soon hopefully, and then we took the plane with Mum.”

“I see. And what're you doin' now? Still hunting?" Philip drank his tea and offered some biscuits to his nephew.

"Ah, thanks. And uh, yeah, same old." Mundy smiled. "I still hunt."

"Dad still angry about it?"

"Not really angry. He's more than used to it by now. But he'd rather I just helped in the farm, for sure."

"Ah, can't blame him. Guns are dangerous, eh."

They nodded and both took a sip of their tea.

"You make tea exactly like Mum." Mundy chuckled.

"Bah, y'know your mum, she didn't let me do it! She made that herself… Gosh, Caroline! I told her, you took the car for hours and then the plane for hours, you must be dead tired. But y'know how you can't reason with your mum, eh?"

"Yeah, I do…" Mundy smiled.

"So what's new back home?"

"Bah, not much… Mum and Dad are still lookin' after the chickens and geese. I help in between contracts. But you, Uncle Phil? You got injured? Mum told me it was at work…?"

Philip nodded.

"Yeah, y'know, bein' a policeman here ain't always easy."

"What happened?"

"Got beaten up by a group of thugs."

"Mum said something about gunshots."

"Yeah, it was two gangs goin' at each other. Young folks, really. Such a shame to see kids like this these days. But yeah, there were a few gunshots and one caught my leg."

"Oh wow…" Mundy nodded. "When did that happen?"

"About a few weeks ago now…? Yeah, a couple of weeks ago."

"And you still walk with a cane and a limp, eh?" Mundy asked, nodding at the cane resting against the side of the couch.

"Yeah…" Philip frowned and scratched his bushy moustache. "Goin' through therapy, but y'know, I ain't young anymore so it'll take a long time before it'll go back to normal."

"That what the doctors said?"

"Yeah." Philip nodded. "They said I might even retire before it's complete history."

"Oh, bugger… Can you work again at least or…?"

"Well, I'll only do desk stuff but no field work." Philip seemed saddened by it.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Uncle Phil…" Mundy scratched his short, brown hair.

"Bah, I was due to retire in a few months, so it doesn't change much. Just means I can take it easy a few months in advance."

"But you really liked your job, right?" Mundy asked.

"Oh yeah, as much as you yours."

They smiled and nodded at each other. Caroline came back and sat next to her brother on the sofa.

"Alright, Mike's alright. I told him about the van." She said, looking at her son, Mundy.

"What's wrong with it?" Philip asked.

"They said it's gonna arrive in a week or so." Caroline answered. "They’re having delays for some reason."

"You're welcome to use my car whenever you need, eh." Philip offered. “You didn’t need to get Mike’s van over the ocean.”

"Oh, thanks, Phil'. It'll come in handy, I'm sure. And it’s Micky’s van now." She chuckled and was interrupted by Philip's dog coming to lay on Mundy's lap.

"Marty, get off of Micky's lap, you big boy…!"

Marty was a German shepherd. He was Philip's life companion for the past decade now.

"He's fine, Uncle Phil, let him do… Yeah, good boy…!" Mundy was spoiling the dog with pets and scratches. The canine went to fetch a toy and brought it to the Aussie.

"You can take him to the backyard and play there with him if you want, Micky."

"Oh, for sure, c'mon, let's go, big boy…!" Mundy collected his hat and aviators from the coffee table before he exited the living-room through the French window, closely followed by the dog.

That left Caroline and Philip chatting together.

"Micky's told me Mike still doesn't like his huntin', eh?" Philip asked and his sister nodded.

“To be honest, we never agreed to it or liked the idea. It’s dangerous. I mean, you’re livin’ proof that carryin’ a gun can get you at the wrong end of another one.”

“Yeah, but he’s not huntin’ people, is he? They're just beasts.”

“Beasts that could rip your leg off better than that bullet you took, Phil’.” Caroline sipped on her tea. “Nah, we’ve tried to get him interested in anything else. We got him to play in a pub.”

“Play?” Phil repeated.

“The sax. He’s quite decent.” Caroline explained and pushed her pink glasses back up her nose.

“But?” Phil anticipated.

“But he likes to do it on the side… He really likes huntin’ and he’s the best at it. He’s now got a reputation. Sometimes, he says he has work, takes the van and drives off for days. We don’t know where he goes, what he does, but he comes back with heaps of money…!”

“You don’t think he’s doin’ anything dodgy, is he?” Phil asked, his policeman instincts kicking in.

“I don’t know. We’ve asked him countless times and he always says that it’s the price for capturing rare game but…” Caroline shook her head. “I can’t help but think there’s more to it. Once, the police came along with some men who didn’t look like regular police. They took him away to have a chat. In the end, he told us he landed a contract that paid generously, and oh boy it did! We redid part of the house with that money…! But what the job was exactly, he couldn’t tell us. He said the police asked him to be quiet about it.”

“Well if it’s the police askin’ and he’s free, that means he helped them, he wasn’t against them, so I wouldn’t worry.”

“I can’t help it…” Caroline raised her eyes and saw Mundy play with the dog through the French window.

"Hey, Carrie, the boy's a grown up man now. And if the police comes for him to work, that means he's real good… How old is he now?"

"Almost forty."

"And still livin' with you and Mike?"

"Nah, yeah…"

"He doesn't wanna go?" Phil asked.

"I don't know. We never really discussed it."

“D’you think he does the huntin' work only for the money? If he earns a lot of it, he might just continue it for the cash.” Phil asked.

“Yeah, nah.” Caroline shook her head. “It's not for the money. He takes a lot of work for free…"

"For free? Hell…" Phil chuckled. "And what about, y'know, findin' a good woman and all?"

"Oh God, if only I knew what was goin' on with him…" Caroline shook her head. "He never brings anyone home and he never talks about these things. Even with his dad. He's never, y'know, just checked a sheila out or let his eyes linger. It's like he doesn't feel a thing for them."

"I can ask. Maybe he can't talk to y'all about it but is happy to open up to someone else?"

"Maybe."

There was a pause.

"He doesn't seem too unhappy about it all, eh?" Phil nodded to Mundy who was playing fetch with Marty.

"Nah, he doesn't but… We'd love to see him bring someone home, y'know. I wonder if he does have someone but just hides it."

"Why would he do that?"

"I don't know. Last time he talked about a pretty sheila, he was back in primary school. Since then, it's been different."

"Hm." Phil finished his tea. "And what about Mike? How's he? You left him alone to come and see me?"

Caroline shook her head.

"Yeah, nah, he’s got his brother over and it’s rugby season. I just have to call them to stay away from havin’ barbies everyday.” She chuckled.

“Oh I’m sure he’ll be reasonable.” Phil joined her chuckles.

“Yeah, as long as I call him enough…!”

“I’m happy you could visit, Carrie.”

Brother and sister exchanged smiles.

“It’s been a while since we last saw each other. Micky was much younger. He’s a man and a half now. And not bad-lookin’ at all!” Phil added.

“Yeah, he’s a fine bloke. And you need someone to help with that leg of yours… You should have called and told me right when it happened! Why wait a few weeks?”

“Yeah, like I’d stop middle of the shootin’ to go to the nearest phone, call in Oz’ and tell you about it…!” Phil joked and chuckled.

“You know that’s not what I meant, Phil..!”

“I know, I know, just jokin’. But I just didn’t want to scare y’all. You’re far from me and if I’d called you and said ‘oh hey, Carrie, I just got shot but everythin’s fine’, you'd have jumped in the first plane with your old age and your even older Mike to come and see me…!”

“Oi, you’re older than me and Mike’s your age!” She answered with a laugh. “Besides, here I am anyway with Micky.”

“Yeah, thanks for visitin’, really. I’m sure you’ll help a lot.”

“Of course I will…!”

“But yeah, you convinced Micky to come and Mike to stay?” Phil asked, his tone coming back to being a bit more serious.

“To be honest…” Caroline cast a glance over to Mundy. He was busy and far in the backyard, beyond the French window. In a word, he was out of earshot. “We had to kind of push him.”

“Push him to do what?”

“To come with me.” Caroline explained.

“He wanted to stay with his Dad?”

“Yeah, nah, he just… He didn’t wanna stay with his Dad per se, but he likes to stick to the van. He practically lives there, you know, when he disappears off.”

“Ah, I see.” Phil nodded. “But don’t worry, Carrie. I’d be proud if I were you.”

“What? Why?” She raised a curious eyebrow.

“If the police come to him for help, he’s really good.” The old man poured more tea for his sister and himself. “We don’t get other folks to do our job, and if we ever do, we’re either forced to, or they’re so good that it hurts for us to admit it. Micky might be both.”

Caroline nodded but bobbed her head left and right.

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Why force him to come?”

“I’m old, Phil, and I don’t like travellin’ that much.”

“Neither does he, from what you’re tellin’ me.”

“Yeah but... “

“Carrie?”

Caroline raised her eyes to her elder brother.

“I know you’re hidin’ somethin’. Tell me.”

She bit her lip and looked through the window again. Mundy was still absorbed in whatever he was doing with the dog.

“I’m a bit worried. I think he… He might be happy at work but…”

“But what?”

“That’s the thing, I don’t even know…!”

-- A few days later --

“Here, let me help…”

“Nah, it’s alright, Micky.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah! Look, I just need to put the cane first, then this leg and - oof!- this one…! Ah, thanks, son.”

Mundy helped his uncle get in the car anyway.

“Alright, you’ll have to guide me, Uncle Phil.” The younger man hopped in the car.

“Yeah, it’s not too far. Let’s get to the café that I like and you’ll tell me what you think of their coffee, yeah?”

“Mum’s not comin’?” Mundy asked.

“Nah, she wants some quiet time without boys ruinin’ her cleanin’ the house. I got told off this mornin’ cause the house wasn’t clean enough for her standards!”

“Sounds like Mum alright.” Both chuckled and Mundy adjusted the mirrors and the driver’s seat, fastening his seatbelt.

“Alright, let’s go, son.”

The drive was quiet. Phil told his nephew about the neighbourhood and how it had changed over the years, on the few occasions that they stopped at a red light.

“Where can we park?”

“Behind the thing, take it left here… And there.”

Mundy parked and went around to help his uncle out.

“The place looks nice and cosy, eh?” The young man said.

“Yeah, that’s why I like it.” Philip answered and they made their way in. “Here, that’s my table.”

The gentle smell of coffee wrapped them up as Mundy discovered the decor. Cosy was the right word for it. It practically looked like a living-room with the sofas and fireplace, the coffee table and magazines. The rest of the room had the classic restaurant/café layout with tables and chairs but that living-room corner looked very comfortable indeed. The walls were wooden and the beams of dark wood in the ceiling were clearly quite old. It reinforced the overall rustic yet familiar atmosphere.

“Oh hey, Phil!” The café owner greeted him.

“Hey Bob, how are ya?”

“Alright. Who’s this friend with you?” Bob asked as he made his way to Philip and his younger nephew. He was a big man in his late fifties for sure. Salt and pepper hair with more salt than pepper already and big square glasses on a nose that went with the proportions of the large man. Bob wore an apron with the colors and logo of the café and threw the tea towel he was holding on his shoulder.

“That here's my nephew, Micky. He’s come with his Mum to help out, while my bad leg heals up.��

“Oh, brilliant! Where are you guys from?” Bob looked at Mundy who took a seat opposite his uncle. He removed his hat but kept the aviators on.

“From Australia.”

“That’s quite the trip, eh?”

“Yeah.” Mundy smiled.

“Alrighty then, I’ll let you make up your mind. Coffee’s on me, Phil. No, no, don’t even try to argue!”

The three men exchanged a chuckle.

“Alright, Bobby, can you give us your classic. Make it two, I want the kid here to try it. Careful, he knows his way around coffees, eh?” Philip answered.

“Sure thing! Two of Phil’s usual, on their way…!” Bob left Phil and his nephew in peace.

“So, how d’you find America so far, Micky?”

“Not so different from home. You just drive on the right, which confused me a bit but now I think I’m getting used to it.”

“Here, two classics. Enjoy, folks!” Bob put the two cups on the table and added a packet of chocolate for each before leaving them.

Mundy and Phil were sitting in a corner of the café, next to the window.

“Go ahead, son, and tell me.”

Mundy took a careful sip and let it invade his mouth, cover his palate and hug his tongue warmly. It was the beginning of October now and the weather was colder than in his native Australia, so the hot coffee was very welcome.

“Mh… I like it.”

“Yeah?” Phil insisted.

“Yeah, I think so. It’s not too strong or bitter. It’s well balanced without being fruity or too sweet.”

“Gosh, listen to you talk,...!” Phil laughed. “You sound like one of those so called experts they bring on TV or somethin’, heh.”

“I’m just used to drinkin’ loads of coffee.” Mundy explained.

“Drink it when you work?”

“Yeah, all the time.” Mundy nodded and smiled. “I really like it.”

“Even when you’re in the desert, scorchin’ sun and all?” Phil asked.

“Oh yeah, absolutely.” Mundy answered. “It’s really good to drink something hot when it's hot. Helps you sweat and regulate your body temperature. They do that in the Sahara, only with tea and not coffee.”

“Right, right, I didn’t know that, but now that you say it, it kinda makes sense. So talkin’ about your work, tell me what it’s like.”

“What?” Mundy chuckled.

“You a hunter, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So tell me how and what you hunt, son!”

“Oh, uh, you sure?” Mundy asked, raising a surprised eyebrow.

“O’course! Why d’you sound shocked?”

“Cause Mum and Dad don’t really like what I’m doin’ so I don’t really uh… I’m not used to talkin’ about it, is all.” Mundy lowered his head, as if ashamed.

“Yeah and I understand your folks but I’m not them. Besides, I’m a policeman. I’m sure your Mum doesn’t like my job either for the same reason she’s not fond of yours.”

“Fair, yeah.” Mundy nodded, raising his head back for his eyes to meet with his uncle’s.

“So, go ahead! Tell me everythin’!”

Seeing his uncle’s enthusiasm made him blush for an instant. Mundy felt put on the spot. He looked around them and the other customers in the café didn’t pay the last bit of attention to them. He smiled and took a bit of air before starting.

#tf2 sniper #tf2 spy #sniperspy #unalone

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bittysvalentines · 4 years

Text

Would That I

From: @lizards-online

To: @pieandpucks

Sometimes in life, things are missed. Opportunities are lost, but as a whole we cannot stop moving. Still, something feels left behind, dropped in a time before. We keep going, with something lost and something gained, until life gives us our chance again,to take destiny’s chance to reconnect and find what is lost.

At Samwell University resided one Dr. Jack Zimmermann, a professor of history with an affinity for ice sports and queer literature. His smile was kind and his hair was just beginning to hint at touches of grey. He was a hard grader, and his readings were long, but his passion for teaching and his love of his students always showed through in his work. Students left his classes better thinkers, harder workers, and with only the smallest crush on him. Okay sometimes, not so small. Even the straightest of men recognized that Dr.Jack Zimmermann was a resident hottie. Rumor had it that he was voted “Samwell’s Most Gorgeous” four years straight back in the day.

Jack shuffled a few papers at his podium so as to get them in order before the end of his lecture. “Everyone, thank you for your attention today, just remember if you want to earn some extra credit points, you can attend one of the alumni guest lectures that will be on campus this weekend, and then write a one page response on the speaker’s topic and your thoughts. I’ll be popping in to a couple of the speakers myself, so if you see me, don’t be afraid to say hello.”

Jack began walking across the front of the classroom, dispersing flyers advertising the Alumni Symposium to be passed back.

A student in the back of the room raised her hand, staring down at the flyer in her hand “Dr. Zimmermann, when did you graduate Samwell?”

Jack paused for a moment. “2015. Why?”

“Well, I was just looking at the graduation year of some of these alumni, and it says here Eric Bittle Graduated in 2017. So that means you were only two years ahead of Eric Bittle when he went here!”

The class erupted in murmurs and comments. Eric Bittle was one of Samwell’s most famous alumni. He led Samwell to the Frozen Four his senior year, while being the first out NCAA hockey captain, was drafted by the Falconers and was the first openly LGBT+ player in the league. He won the Stanley Cup his rookie year (first of many) along with the Calder and Art Ross. Even outside of hockey he was famous for his witty vlog which evolved from a cooking vlog to a hockey, cooking and life blog with now over 18 million followers from all walks of life.

Jack swallowed hard. Yes, it was true, his time at Samwell and Eric Bittle’s time did overlap by two years, and in fact, during those two years, he ran into Eric all the time. They were...friends. Shitty made sure of that. Jack would watch the hockey team’s games, not only to support Shitty, but to watch Eric weave and maneuver across the ice unlike anyone else. Even though Jack had decided against playing in college, he never did lose his love of the game. Meanwhile Eric would hover about the library doing anything but homework when Jack was working. Plus, the semester they took a class together was definitely a bonding experience. But it had been a long time since they had spoken. After Jack graduated, he felt too awkward reaching out to someone who he had a massive crush on but was WAY out of his league. And when one month turned into two, and then one year turned into five, and five years into a decade, Jack had trouble remembering where all the time had gone.

“Hah. Uh, yes he was two years younger than me. We had a class together once.” Jack decided firmly against mentioning his large crush on the blond to his entire History 336 Seminar.

The students in the room all lamented about how cool it was that their professor knew a celebrity.

Jack closed the door to his office and scrubbed his hand over his face and let out a sigh. Would it be awkward to see Eric again? Would Eric even remember him? Probably not. It was just a youthful crush. Even if Eric was still as attractive and charming and wonderful as he was back in the day, Jack was far past his prime. He could just not go to that lecture, but he felt drawn to it, as if something wanted him to see Eric speak. Jack picked up his phone and dialed the most recent number. It picked up on the first ring.

“What the FUCK is up Zimmermann, to what do I owe the pleasure of one of your rare and coveted calls? Are you in legal trouble? Did you kill someone? Did you kick a goose and now you’re losing your Canadian citizenship?” Shitty was Jack’s best friend. He was boisterous and energetic but genuine nonetheless. His words washed over Jack with a wave of excitement and familiarity.

“Haha Shits. I’m good. And no, no geese, at least not this time. I was just wondering, would you want to come down to Samwell this weekend? There’s an alumni symposium going on, and I think you’d enjoy the speakers.”

“Ah ha old Jackabelle misses me. Of fuckin course I’ll come down to the symposium, but I’ll warn ya man I’m not gonna sit through more than ONE old white man talk. ONE. Who's the lineup anyway?”

“I can forward you the flyer but just off the top of my head: there's the current head of the English department, Dr. Masawa, she’s gonna be talking about her book, um Dr. Atley is going to present some research, and um, Eric Bittle is going to be there.”

“Bitty fucking Bittle? The myth, the man, the legend himself? Well fuck my ass and call me chicken we HAVE to go to that. It’s been like FOREVER since I’ve seen Bits. What a fucking beaut. We texted a bit last month but it's been like a year and some since I last got to hang with him. You know he’s got a daughter now?”

“Oh. Uh, no?” A daughter. Jack’s head spinned. He knew he didn’t have a chance with Eric but he didn’t realize that Eric had gotten married and had a kid. That would’ve been big news right? Was Jack really that out of the loop? He needed to read the news more.

“Yeah she’s fuckin adorable as fuck. Like, two, three now maybe? He posts pictures of her on Facebook like all the time.”

“That’s uh pretty cool. Listen Shits, I have to go I have a, uh, book to read. I’ll see you this weekend. You can stay at my place. Text you bye.”

“Bye Jac-” Jack hung up the phone before Shitty could fully say goodbye. Why did he feel like there was a pit in his stomach? He didn’t care that Eric Bittle was a married father. So what? It’s not like he had a chance with him anyway. What would he have done? Gone up to him after his speech and say “Hello, I had a crush on you in college, and then we never talked after I graduated. Want to go on a date?” Even if Jack had had the confidence to do so, it was literally impossible now because Eric was a married father, a professional hockey player, celebrity, and an A Level hottie. All Jack had was a doctorate, a wall of books and a million papers to grade. He wasn’t even in the shape he had been in when he was in college, so really, he didn’t have anything to offer. Jack should just shut out all the fantasies of those big brown eyes, and golden hair, and gorgeous toned legs. Gosh what was he doing?

Jack crossed the room and slumped into his chair behind his desk and picked up a stack of papers sitting on a chair beside the desk. The best way to distract himself was to drown in work.

Eric Bittle woke up at 6 a.m. Saturday morning to the sound of his daughter crying. He was tired and sore from his game the night before, and a bruise was starting to form on his left thigh due to a nasty check from a Bruins defenceman but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

Eric threw off his sheets and rushed into his daughter’s room. Allie was just about two and a half years old, and was in the midst of potty training. Unfortunately for him, Eric was also in the middle of the thralls of hockey season so a lot of the potty training fell on her daycare teachers. Being a single parent was tough. When his cousin Elizabeth had passed away, leaving her and her partner’s daughter to him, he had no idea what to do. He had been five years into his professional hockey career, out, single and totally unprepared for the hurdles of parenthood.

He pushed open the door to the nursery to find his daughter sitting upright whimpering. “Oh you poor thing. Looks like we’re going to have to get you changed real quick now aren’t we Miss Allie?”

Eric brought her to the changing table and cleaned her and dressed her for the day. It was a little earlier in the morning than he had planned, but he needed to get a move on to get to Samwell in time for his guest lecture. Eric had reached out to his old advisor and she recommended him an education major who would be glad to watch his daughter while he spoke and mingled, not wanting to be away from her for the entirety of his day off. He dressed her in cute bunny socks and a yellow shirt and white pants. She was just about the cutest thing in the world. Soon Eric himself got dressed, packed a diaper bag and headed out.

On his way Eric’s thoughts winded through his head. It had been quite some time since he’d been back to his alma mater. Samwell had been such an influential and formative place for him. From developing his hockey skills to coming into his own as a gay man. And even though he never did have a long lasting romantic relationship, the friendships he made there pushed him through his life and helped him become who he was. Thinking back to some of the people, he thought about the boys, Lardo, some of the other team captains, and his mind landed on one Jack Zimmermann.

Eric had always had such a massive crush on Jack, with his boyband bangs, his droopy eyes, jaw that could cut glass and a behind that would give greek statues a run for their money. Eric had first met Jack through Shitty, but then subsequently kept running into him in the dining hall, gym and then one semester for a class. Jack would come to their games and Eric would watch him stack books in the campus library while he pretended to do homework, but always ended up back at the circulation desk, talking about everything and nothing until it closed. They had been friends, and Eric had had the largest crush on earth on the sad-eyed Canadian. But Jack was way out of Eric’s league. He had been voted Samwell’s Most Beautiful for four years straight, and suitors were constantly trying to ask him out. And then Jack graduated, leaving Bitty yearning for what could have been. According to Shitty, Jack was a professor at Samwell, but the two hadn’t really kept in contact. After the fact, there had been some boys, some boyfriends, even some hookups, but nothing lasting more than a few months at a time. At 30 years old Eric Bittle had never been in a relationship longer than 9 months.

The sight of Samwell pulled Eric out of his thoughts and Eric shook his head. He had things to do, and he wasn’t going to let ghosts from the past distract him from his job today: to speak about Samwell, sports, and his activism.

Jack entered the packed auditorium with Shitty in tow. He smiled and waved to a few of his students while Shitty was speaking as if he was a physical manifestation of stream of consciousness. They took their seats in the front row reserved for faculty, staff and alumni.

“I wonder what he’s gonna talk about. I hope he brings up all the swawesome shit the SMH did. Like that one kegster when-”

“Wait Shits shhh there he is” Jack cut Shitty off.

Eric Bittle walked onto the stage with a mic affixed to his shirt. He wore tight fitting navy blue slacks that highlighted just how well the NHL had bulked him up. His top two shirt buttons were unbuttoned on his white and navy blue patterned shirt. The sleeves were rolled up ¾ of the way showing off the definition in his arms. Jack’s throat immediately went dry with his face getting more red as the moments ticked on.

Fuck. Eric Bittle was even hotter than he remembered and was a million times more attractive in person than he had been in promotional pictures. And his voice, the accent was so cute! Keep it together Zimmermann, that’s a married man. Jack was going to have a hard time sitting through this entire speech.

Fuck. Eric walked on stage, scanning the audience and almost immediately his eyes landed on one Jack Zimmermann. He was wearing a tweed jacket, with glasses and his hair was just a touch grey. Time had been very kind to Jack. Eric’s throat became dry as he stumbled his way through his introduction. Shit Jack was in the front row. How was Eric going to concentrate when the hottest man in the world was right in front of him, watching him speak for an hour and a half.

Clapping. Jack was clapping. He zoned back in after having not actually comprehended a single word for the past 90 minutes. He had just sat and stared at the most gorgeous man he had ever seen and tried not to get a boner. Shitty was speaking to him. Jack needed to respond.

“Yeah. He does look good in those pants” Shit. Probably not what Shitty asked him.

“Not what I was talking about, but yeah you know what now that you mention it, mother fucker looks fresh as fuck! I gotta fuckin tell him those pants are doing it for him.” Shitty bolstered himself out of his chair, and up the steps and onto the stage where some faculty were gathering to congratulate him on his speech. Jack followed.

“Eric Mother fucking Bittle” Shitty bellowed as he walked, Jack close behind, to where Eric stood, now holding a young baby girl on his hip as he spoke with alumni and faculty alike.

Eric turned to face the two men and smiled. “Shitty B. Knight you best not be swearing around my daughter like that. And Jack, it’s good to see you. It’s been awhile.”

“Fuck yeah it has been. You two were adorable back in the day. You should’ve kept touch more!” Shitty laughed.

Jack smiled awkwardly. “Yeah it has been a bit hasn’t it? I’m sorry I never kept touch. Congrats on the hockey, and the Stanley Cup, and the marriage and uh, kid.”

Eric’s face twisted into a confused half smile. “Marriage? Jack Zimmermann I am not married. I was her godfather. Life happened and now I’m her Daddy.” Eric looked at her, and kissed her forehead softly.

Jack’s brain short circuited. Not...married? “Oh so are you…”

“No I’m not seeing anyone. I’m doing quite fine with her all by myself.” Eric blushed.

“Okay I see where this is going, I’m gonna back out of this convo..” Shitty etched away from the two men. The latter hardly noticing.

Jack awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. “In all honesty, Eric, remember all those years ago, when we went to Samwell together. I had the biggest crush on you, but you were so out of league I never did anything about it. I should have, but I was a bit of a coward.”

Eric’s face turned a bright shade of pink as he stammered out a response. “Jack Laurent Zimmermann! You had a crush on me back then? I’ll have you know I pined for you for two whole years thinking you were straight until someone told me YEARS later that you weren’t, and then when I did realize you were an option, I never thought in a million years that you would be in my league anyway. You’re meaning to tell me you had a crush on me that entire time?”

Jack blushed furiously. “We both had crushes on eachother I guess. I’m sorry I never made a move on you back then. If it means anything, I’d like to uh make one now.”

“Well how about our timing. Gladly Jack. Here, ” Eric pulled out his phone with one hand, careful not to disturb Allie, and handed it over to Jack. “ text me.”

Jack put his number into the phone and texted himself. “In the meantime, would you like to catch up? It’s been a long time.”

Unbeknownst to the two men, several students stood by in shock, watching their professor flirt with and score a date with a literal celebrity. Two in the front high fived. “Get it Dr. Zimmermann!”

#bittyjack #bv2020 #bitty's valentines #omgcp fandom #omg check please!

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rorynne · 4 years

Text

Of Geese and Men

Square: College @clintbartonbingo

Rating: G

Warning: Fluff, Geese, Goose harassment. College au, Physics Homework

Pairing: Clint Barton/Reader

A/n: This is also part of @geosaurusrrex 2k milestone event with the prompt “I need your homework because a goose ate mine. DONT ASK HOW”

Summary: You were having an average day until Clint Barton decides to harass a goose.

You sat in the cafeteria eating your lunch and reading a book as you waited for your next class. It had been a rather typical day until a very wet, tall, vaguely familiar blond man approached you. You damn near jumped out of your skin when he slammed his hands down on the table, dripping water all over it. “You’re in Pym’s applied physics class.” He stated more than asked, which only served to confuse you more at his state. “I need your help.”

You blinked at the man, moving your things away from his dripping form as you tried to piece together what the hell was going on. “What?” was all that you managed to say to the man, completely dumbfounded. You had too many questions to know what to even begin to ask.

He huffed, carding his hand through his short hair. “I need your homework because a goose ate mine.”

Homework? Geese? What the hell was he even talking about? You shook your head, still reeling from the shock of it all, “How?”

“Don’t ask how!” He groaned, rubbing his face. “It’s a long story. I just need your homework, I’ve been doing the bare minimum in Pym’s class and I can’t afford to take a zero on it.” Slowly, things started to piece together. You remembered seeing him occasionally, rarely even, in your physics class, albeit in a much drier state. Clint was his name if you remembered correctly. But that wasn’t what mattered at the moment, instead, you were more focused on something else.

“We had homework?!” You squeaked out as you scrambled to take out your course syllabus from your bag.

“You’re kidding,” Clint said in horrified disbelief. “You’re the only person who even pays attention in his class. How could you not know? He assigned it a month ago.” You shot him a glare as the syllabus confirmed his claims. Two full chapters of course work due the day of the first test. You wanted to vomit. You had been working your ass off to get on the Dean’s list this semester. But now all of your efforts felt wasted, all because of one little mistake. If you weren’t so shocked, you’d cry.

Clint seemed to notice your distress, quickly changing his entire demeanor. “Hey, it’s okay.” He reassured. “It’s gonna be okay. We’ve got, what, two hours til Pym’s class?” He glanced at the clock on the wall, confirming the time with a nod. Looking back down at you, he picked up your bag from the table, “Come on, let’s get down to the library. We’ve got this.”

You looked at him, incredulous, was he seriously implying the two of you could get through a month’s worth of course work in two hours? You could count the number of times you had seen him in class on one hand. Did he even have any idea on how to properly do the homework? “You can’t seriously think we can complete two chapters in two hours.”

He shrugged, “It’s only one chapter if we split the work.” The way he said it made it seem like the easiest thing in the world. And strangely, you found yourself wanting to believe it. “Come on sweetheart, we don’t have all day, and neither of us wants our grades to tank right?”

You took a deep breath, “You’re right. And partial credit is better than no credit anyway.” You stood up and collected your things. “But,” you said, taking your bag from him. “I think the library has a wetness rule or two.”

He smiled sheepishly and surrendered your bag with a chuckle. “You make a fair point. I’ll meet you there. Just take what ever chapter you like more. I’ll take the scraps.” You nodded in response and hurried to the library as Clint dealt with his wet clothing.

It only took about ten minutes for Clint to join you in the library, much to your surprise. “What, did you sprint to the dorms? They’re at least 15 minutes away.” You commented, looking over Clint’s much drier form as he sat down.

He shook his head, his hair still noticeably damp. “I keep a spare change of clothes in my gym locker.”

You have him a look, “Does stuff like this happen often?” You questioned, vaguely concerned for the man’s life choices.

He took a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks before exhaling slowly. “More often than I’d care to admit.” He said before craning his neck over to see what you were working on. A smile spread across his lips as he read the chapter you were on. “You left me the trajectory chapter then?”

You looked down at your book and nodded, “Uh, yeah. I figured I would just start with the easier chapter.”

“Sweetheart, your gonna have to look at me when you talk.” He said, tapping his ear. “The lake water ruined my hearing aids.”

If his statement wasn’t so bizarre, you might have been embarrassed by your small blunder. “Excuse me, Lake water? What the hell did you exactly do?” You knew he had to have gotten wet somehow, but you didn’t expect it to be in the school lake. But then, there was a goose involved.

Clint rubbed the back of his neck, turning slightly pink. “My friend Tony bet me five hundred bucks to try to steal one of the goose’s eggs,” he said, playing with his pencil, not looking at you. “I, uh, didn’t expect the goose to be so mean.”

You stifled a laugh, “You didn’t- Have you ever seen a goose before?” You asked between giggles. “Mean is all a goose knows how to be.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He said, still pink-faced, but smiling before nudging you with his elbow. “I’m glad you got to have a good laugh out of it. I’ll be sure to tell you about some of my other adventures next time.” You had to admit, you were a little curious to hear what other trouble he had managed to get himself into. It seemed like a common occurrence for him.

“Maybe after we get this done.” You smiled pointing to your book. “You said it yourself, we don’t have much time to lose.”

“Alright then, consider it a date.” He said with a wink making your heart flutter before he opened his own, waterlogged, book. Part of you wanted to ask if he was joking about the date, but he spoke up before you could. “Let’s get this show on the road.” He grinned. You gave him a nod before filing your question away for later and turning your focus to your work.

The pair fo you quickly lost track of time between flirty banter and physics equations. You liked Clint. More than you expected to like someone who had rushed up to you dripping wet and demanding help. Actually, you liked him a lot more than you expected to like anyone you had just met. He was funny and deceptively smart for a man who was supposedly on the verge of failing the class.

He finished his work long before you finished yours, claiming trajectories to be easy thanks to his experience with archery. Which was something he clearly loved far more than any of the classes he was taking. You could listen to him talk about it for hours with the way his face lit up when he did. He really had no business being as interesting as he was, you decided.

He was checking your work when you heard him swear. You looked up from your notes to see him scrambling to get his things together. “What’s going on?” You asked, eyes wide at his distress.

“We’re half an hour late to class!” He said, stuffing your work into your book and closing it, pushing it into your arms. Book in hand, you jumped up as if you had been electrocuted.

“Shit. Pym isn’t going to let us into class!” You swore as you collected your things and hurried after Clint.

“Don’t worry about it.” He said as he grabbed your hand and pulled you along with him. “I’ll just pick the lock. Just stick to the back row and he won’t notice.”

“Where the hell did you learn how to pick locks?” You asked as he pushed open the door to the physics building.

“A guy gets bored. I thought we already covered that I make questionable life choices.” Clint said quickly before stopping in front of an open classroom door, mouth agape.

You stopped next to him, eyes landing on a paper posted to the door frame. Phys 114, it read, canceled for the day. Signed Professor Pym. You stared at it dumbstruck. “All of that rushed work was for nothing?”

“Not for nothing.” Clint shrugged with a bob of his head. “If I recall, we did get a date out of the deal.”

You blinked and gave a small scoff of surprised laughter. “You were really serious about that?”

Clint frowned disappointment clear on his face, “Did you… Did you not want to?”

“No!” You objected, “No it’s not that! I’d love to have a date with you. I just thought- It doesn’t matter what I thought. I would love a date. Just, maybe with no geese.”

Clint broke into a wide grin that made your heart flutter. “Can’t make any promises about that sweetheart. I did promise you stories about my adventures.”

You giggled as smiled, “Someone needs to protect the school’s goose population from you.”

“From me?!” He asked with false offense, lips turned up with laughter. “They ate my homework!”

#clint barton x reader #clint barton #clint barton x you #hawkeye #hawkeye x y/n #hawkeye x reader #hawkeye x you #clint barton x y/n #marvel fic #marvel x reader #marvel fanfiction #avengers x reader #avengers #avengers fanfiction

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collapsingintojupiter · 4 years

Text

How I Met Them

So I saw a post by the lovely @sanderssides-incorrectquotes talking about socially anxious Patton, and I got a few fun ideas. I’ve decided to combine this with the Chaotic Logan idea proposed by @watchoutforthefanfics, partially because I’ve been wanting to do something like that for a while and hey...why not now?

Anyways.

Characters: Patton, Logan, Roman, Remus, and Virgil.

I wrote each character with some slightly different characteristics in mind; for example Patton is anxious, Logan is impulsive and reckless, Roman is insecure, Remus is very scatterbrained and has ADHD, and Virgil struggles with anger issues.

I may write more for this idea if I get enough interest, but we’ll see.

TW: Cussing, some anxiety, there’s a somewhat heated argument, and also sympathetic Remus. Let me know if you’d like me to add anything else.

Patton nibbled at an apple, seated comfortably on a park bench while he watched the geese out on the pond. He’d always enjoyed afternoons like this, when school was out and he didn’t have to be home yet. Patton liked watching the geese. He liked seeing them swim around without a care in the world, he liked the little sparrows that flitted in the tree branches overhead, he liked hearing the birds sing and seeing the water ripple and not having to hear screaming students that made his ears ring.

A goose honked and Patton smiled at it.

“Hi,” he called to it. The goose looked at him, then turned and went back to its business. Patton watched for a little while longer before he stood up and yawned, adjusting the light pink scarf around his neck. It went nicely with his pale blue sweater, which had a kitten face on it, and lavender-colored pants that reminded him of his favorite flowers. Matching that were white shoes with cotton-candy dyed laces and pastel rainbow-striped socks--what could he say? Patton liked pretty colors, and he loved wearing them whenever he could. He liked his colorful glasses and his bright tie-dye backpack; liked putting flowers in his hair during the warmer months and wearing colorful bracelets all year-round. Colors were fun, and beautiful, and there for you even when you were tired and anxious and unable to think straight (heh).

Patton started along the little pathway by the lake, carefully adjusting the light blue beanie that sat on top of his curly brown hair. He ran his fingers along its soft surface and smiled a little to himself, letting out a quiet sigh.

Then a scream interrupted him.

Actually, it was a lot of screaming.

Then something sprinted past Patton in a whirl, launching itself into the pond without a second’s hesitation. The geese honked and scattered in a flurry of wings; Patton jumped aside with a panicked yelp and tripped, falling headfirst into the pond’s shallows. Cold water splashed over his face and his hands squelched into deep mud--he panicked when he realized he couldn’t breathe, before something grabbed his arm and wrenched him upwards.

“Logan you fucking idiot!” someone was shouting. “You knocked him over!”

“I didn’t do anything!” called back another indignant voice, accompanied by the sound of splashing. “It’s not my fault he fell!”

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” The one who had been holding Patton’s arm suddenly let go and he stumbled back, barely managing to regain his footing before he fell again. He fumbled for his glasses and realized they were no longer on his face.

“Dammit, guys it’s Patton! Logan, are his glasses there? He needs his glasses.”

Roman…? Patton wasn’t sure if he recognized the voice or not, but it sounded a bit like him.

“Are these it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well give them to him, you idiot!” A blurry figure pressed something into Patton’s shaking hands and he held the item up to his face, blinking and looking at his new surroundings through familiar drop-streaked lenses.

“Th-these are...mine,” he managed to say with some difficulty, his heart thumping nervously as he looked over the characters surrounding him and shivered.

“I’m sorry you fell; Logan’s an idiot and it’s not my fault,” chirped a punk-looking boy that looked a lot like Roman, but with hair that was twice as messy and a wild look in his eye.

“You dared me! You wanted to know how cold the water was!” Another punk, this one in blue and black, slapped the first with a wet hand. “And it’s fucking freezing, by the way.” Patton stared at the two with wide eyes, unable to form words from his mouth which had suddenly gone dry with anxiety.

“Guys, shut up.” Another boy, this one in purple, shoved his way past the first two and shoved a jacket into Patton’s hands. “Here, you can have mine. Patton, right?”

Patton managed a tiny, shy nod.

“How far away is your house?”

“Uh…It’s...it’s that way...” Patton pointed down the street with a shaky hand. “Uh...t-ten minutes?” His voice squeaked, and his cheeks turned red.

“Our place is closer.” Roman, who was wearing a red and white varsity jacket, nodded to the other one that looked like him. “It’s just down the street, you’re gonna freeze to death if you go home in that. Come with us.”

Patton wanted to protest, but all he managed was another squeak that Roman took to be an agreement as the group started walking. His knees shook but he started running after them, trying to ignore how his heart was trying to jackhammer itself out of his chest.

A hand suddenly appeared in front of him. Patton jumped and looked up, seeing the purple punk.

“I’m Virgil,” he said. He pointed at the one who looked like Roman but wasn’t Roman. “That’s Remus, the wet one’s Logan, and he’s Roman. You’re in my English class, aren’t you?” Patton looked at him and nodded.

“Yeah…”

“Do you not want the jacket?” Patton suddenly realized it was still in his arms, shaking his head before grabbing it and wrapping it around his shoulders.

“Th-thanks,” he said.

“Don’t mention it.” Patton looked over the group as they continued walking, trying to match each name to each face. Logan was the tall pale one with unruly brown hair dyed blue--he looked like a vampire, to be honest. He had a hearing aid in his left ear. Remus and Roman were both shorter with a Latino build and darker skin, though Remus had dyed a streak of silver into his wild hair while Roman kept his impeccably groomed. Virgil was also tall, and his skin was as dark as Logan’s was pale. His hair was done in long dreads, which were at the moment pulled back into a ponytail.

And then there was him. Patton. Short and skinny, with curly brown hair and tan skin and dark eyes, and a character about as frightening as a cupcake.

Virgil stayed by his side and let the others go ahead, keeping quiet company with Patton as the group followed Roman to where his house apparently was--he hadn’t realized that they lived so close, though that shouldn’t have been surprising.

“Alright, parents aren’t home. We’re good,” Remus announced loudly as he swung the door open. Roman smiled at Patton as he entered, then followed him inside.

“Here, come with me,” he said. “I have some clothes you can change into.”

“But...I...I can’t just take your stuff!” Patton protested, stopping as Roman disappeared into what was probably his room.

“You can give them back tomorrow,” was the answer. Roman reappeared a few minutes later, passing a bundle to Patton. “Sorry it’s not more your style. Bathroom’s that way.” He pointed down the hall, and before Patton knew what he was doing he was following the other boy’s directions. He went down the hall that wasn’t his, past rooms that weren’t his, and into the bathroom that wasn’t his. He closed the door, his heart pounding, and stared at his muddy, shivering reflection in the mirror. The front of his favorite sweatshirt was splattered with mud, as well as everything else. He’d be lucky if it washed out…

The clothes Roman had given him consisted of a maroon sweatshirt that was too big for Patton, sweatpants, a gray and black-striped scarf, and...a beanie? Patton washed his face and toweled off his hair, sliding the yellow hat onto his head and feeling just a bit better as the fabric settled down on his curls.

When he opened the door, Roman was leaning against the wall on the other side of the hall. He waved a little, then offered up a plastic bag for Patton to put his wet clothes in.

“If it’s alright...I also had Virgil make you some hot chocolate? I really am sorry for what happened out there…”

“It’s alright,” Patton said quietly. “Thanks.”

“It’s the least I can do. You look cute as hell in that sweater, by the way.”

“Huh?” Patton felt his cheeks blush and he looked down at himself--the colors were all wrong and they didn’t fit right at all as far as he was concerned, but more than that…

Was Roman flirting with him?

“Yeah! You look nice in red.” Roman smiled at him again as they came into the living room, where the other boy flopped onto the couch next to Remus and Logan--Logan, who’d already been banished to the floor as he was still wet and didn’t seem to have any intention of changing.

“Hey,” Remus said. Patton blinked at him.

“Uh, hey.”

“We go to the same school don’t we?”

“Remus, you’re in classes with him!” Logan turned around and smacked the other boy, who made a face of surprise.

“Really? Must’ve forgotten…” Patton wasn’t so sure that was a bad thing.

“Here.” Patton turned as Virgil entered the living room, passing a mug to him. “Hot chocolate?”

“Um, thanks.” Patton tentatively accepted the offering, looking around the room before he sat down on the edge of an empty sofa. “So, um...what were you guys doing out there?” he asked. “I’ve never seen you guys at the park before, and I go there every day.” Roman chuckled at that, Virgil rolled his eyes, and Logan and Remus exchanged amused looks.

“Well,” Remus started. “You see, we were originally going to try and tie two ducks together…”

“...But we couldn’t find anything to catch them with, and we’d already tried rushin’ ‘em, so we got bored. And then Remus wondered how cold the water was.” Logan shrugged. “It’s cold, by the way, in case you were wondering.” Patton smiled the tiniest bit at that.

“Y-Yeah, I noticed.” Remus barked a laugh that made him jump, and Logan smacked him again.

Patton ended up hanging out with the odd group for a little while, drinking hot chocolate and listening while the others laughed and joked and talked about odd things. Once he’d finished Roman practically jumped out of his seat to take the cup for him, and though Patton felt bad about letting the other boy take it for him he didn’t say anything. Roman ran it to the kitchen, and when he came back the others were all standing up. Patton blinked at them in confusion, but took Virgil’s hand when he offered it.

“Mind if we escort you back to your place?” he asked.

“You, you don’t have to if you don’t--”

“That wasn’t the question,” the purple punk answered, and smiled. “Would you like us to accompany you, Patton? We’d be honored to walk you home.”

He had to admit, it was a nice offer. One he’d never gotten before from anybody; people didn’t really just ask to hang out with him. And Patton couldn’t quite believe it, but these odd characters had already managed to grow on him. They were nothing like the people Patton had met before in school, and their strangeness somehow only made him like them more. He glanced awkwardly around the group, then nodded.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” He automatically reached up to touch his beanie, then grinned a little and nodded to Roman as he held the door open for him. The group followed him outside, Logan shivering but stubbornly refusing to accept the coat Roman offered him.

“Wonder how long it takes to get hypothermia while wet in this weather,” Remus said aloud. Logan paused, then his eyes got wide and he grinned maniacally.

“Why don’t we find--”

“Absolutely you will not,” Virgil cut in, throwing a glare at the green punk. “Christ, I am not calling the hospital again this month.” Logan made a face at him, and he and Remus exchanged annoyed looks before shrugging and continuing on their way. Virgil let out a long sigh, then glanced at Patton.

“In case you're wondering, yes I have had to call the hospital already this month,” he said. “And no, you can’t ask about it.” Patton blinked at him.

“Okay,” he said.

“You know, he’s alright,” Remus said, pointing at Patton. “I like him.”

“It’s your fault he ended up in that pond,” Roman glared at his twin, who glared back.

“That was Logan’s fault, don’t blame me for what he did!”

“Oh, because he’s definitely got his impulse control under control!”

“Hey!” Logan shouted. “You both--”

“--Guys, guys it’s okay!” Patton automatically stepped between the three, his heart pounding as he held his hands up. “Please...please don’t fight.” The punks and fashionable boy looked between each other, then suddenly seemed to calm down, nodding to each other.

“Sorry,” Remus offered. “Didn’t want to upset you.”

“I apologize as well,” Logan added, and Roman nodded.

“It’s alright,” Patton said, then added, “thanks for listening.”

“Course.”

The group fell silent as they continued; even Logan and Remus managed to behave until they were on the steps to Patton’s house. He looked back at them and smiled, taking his bag of wet clothes back from Roman as he went to the door.

“Thanks for...for the fun time,” he said, and then the door was closed and they were gone.

#sanders sides #fanfiction #sanders sides fanfiction #patton sanders #roman sanders #remus sanders #duke sanders #sympathetic remus #logan sanders #virgil sanders

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magic5ball · 3 years

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Nature Trail to Hell Arc IV: Megamart of Darkness (9)

Chapter 9: Dropping the A-Bomb

I just stood there, having no idea what to say or do. It was like looking in a mirror at the grim, jaded hump of crap you know you’re going to be in ten years if the scholarship doesn’t work out. It was a sight that would bring most grown men to their knees, so considering I was a little kid at the time, it was a wonder I was even standing at all.

Yet somehow, I managed to spit words.

“T-the water.” I trembled, “g-give it back.”

He looked at the glowing plastic bottle in his hand. “Sorry kid, no can do. This here’s company property now. But if you want, I’m more than willing to sit down for an adult conversation.”

The way he said those last two words made my blood freeze, no small task when the ‘sun’ was shining so bright overhead.

He gestured over to an area at the foot of the inflatable volcano, where two plastic chairs and a table rested. On top of the table were several Red Solo cups and a bottle of Crystal Springs Bottled Water.

“Like I said, its’ been awhile since I’ve had company. Besides the Wegmart Company, that is! Ha!”

My feeble ten year old mind struggled to grapple with the fact that someday I would find jokes like that funny. One of the most horrible experiences of my life.

But what could I do? Thanks to stories from my gangster days, I knew darn well what this A-Bomb was capable of, and I wasn’t really in a position to take chances. So I followed him to the tables, trying not to think about how Bokrug should have been here by now, despite his lumbering movements.

Naturally, I didn’t make a peep. If there’s one thing I learned from comic books, its’ best not to set these friendly-lookin’ types off.

When we did get to that table, first thing the guy did was offer me some of that crisp, refreshing, bottled water. Though the heat from the lava made it really tempting, I knew I’d never be able to live with myself if I did.

“Suit yourself, kiddo.” He said, pouring a cup of his own. “We aren’t that different, you know. In fact, you’re a lot like me when I was little…”

On the outside, I stared like the teacher was about to bring the whipping stick. On the inside, I wanted to scream, because long talks with my Dad had taught me where this was going.

. . .

“When I was your age, I also went to a Summer Camp, it was called Camp Salmon or something like that. Anyway, the counselors running the camp were mean. Like, really, really mean, so the second I could I dashed right on out of there and into the woods. Sound familiar?”

Naturally, I didn’t say a word. Throat was too parched, anyway. A-Bomb laughed.

“Oh who am I kidding?! Of course it does! I know because Wegmart has surveillance cameras everywhere!”

He pressed something under the table, and from the ground emerged a device made from a bunch of big screen T.V.s hastily duct taped together, several flashing images of my adventures over the summer. The rest showed the frozen foods aisle, where my feathered allies were getting ‘ahem’, ‘cleaned up’ in the most gruesome way possible.

“Like you, Watterson Tostig, I went into the underworld and escaped. I too, was inducted into a gang of dinosaurs. I, too, became God of Roadside America. But at the end of the day, guys like us have to settle down and face reality. Wegmart saved me, kid, and if you’re willing, it’ll save you too.”

All that time, I didn’t turn away from the screen. I couldn’t.

“I thought I could spend the rest of my life hiding in the produce aisle. But I was foolish back then, a rogue vagrant eating grapefruit peels. Until THEY rescued we. The founders of Wegmart took my withered ghost and showed me the way to love, happiness, and most importantly, low, low prices!”

Yeah, yeah. The low, low price of a human soul!

“I was weak at first, but the kind folks at Wegmart saw my talents as a brown bagger and before I knew it, I had my own private toothpick in the faculty room! After that, they put me into production.”

Here’s the thing about young me being stoic: even at the best of times, he was kinda bad at it. Sometimes I even wonder if he had some kind of attention deficit. Not saying little me cocked an eyebrow at the mention of ‘production’, but he looked at me like I did before he went on yammering again.

“Oh yeah! You’re not in the know of company business. Right! See, our store used to have a 3D printer they would use to take the employee of the month and just clone him until they had an entire staff of the perfect worker! And yours truly has held the position for ten years!”

Ever since I was young enough to confuse Wegmart with Disneyland, I’d always noticed how all the brown baggers looked the same. Suddenly, everything made terrible, terrible sense. But worse was the realization that, just like those cereal box sweepstakes, the empty, dotted line cutout of a man could have easily been me!

“Shame they recalled the printer. Something about lead based ink. Or the clones having higher than normal rates of cancer. Really, I just signed the paperwork. But enough of the sad stuff, Watters! Let’s talk future! Because I’ve seen you in action and man, you’re just the kind of spunk to breathe life into this company!”

Least, I think that’s what he said. Bokrug’s running tardy was really nerving me up.

“So join me, Watterson! And let us rule the Wegmart like manager and employee!”

“No.” I whispered.

“Eh?” A-Bomb cocked an eyebrow, like he’d never heard the word in years.

And with that, I could stay silent no longer. The anger, the one that’d been boiling so steadily I me like the giant volcano we sat at the foot of, went full Krakatoa!

“Are you deaf, poophead?! I said NO!. And you know why? Because all you did was make a giant self-pity sob story for yourself, because you think that if you can drag me down with you into this Megamart of Darkness, you’ll feel better about stealing water from a bunch of geese! I’m pretty sure you could have gotten some from Rite Aid if you were willing to play fair!”

“Rite Aid doesn’t sell-“

“My point is, you’re just jealous of me because I’m not a cog in the machine like you! And that ‘we’re so alike’ bullcrap wouldn’t work on a five year old! So no, I won’t join you, because I might have sold my soul to a Tako Shak, but even I have stinking standards, you self-pitying TURD!”

A-Bomb stared at me, mouth agape for a few seconds. “T-the T-word?...”

“You heard me right, TURD!, so you better let me go unless you want more of the same! I’ll even tell my Mom, and you really don’t want to see her when she’s angry!”

“No, no, I get it…” he pushed a button under the table.

Another hole opened in the ground, and from it emerged what I can only describe as a nuclear missile made entirely of fuzzy orange Shampows.

“Your friends and family are holding you back, little bro! So how about I sweeten the deal: you join me, and I don’t rain Shampow down on your entire neighborhood!”

I tried to move, only to find myself stuck to my seat. Literally. The son of a snitch must have superglued the thing beforehand!

“So, do we have a deal?”

I didn’t say a word.

“Do. We. Have. A. Deal?”

Now I might have been a bit of a turd back in the day, but darn it, I couldn’t let an entire neighborhood get wiped from existence! Especially when the neighbor hadn’t even returned out lawnmower yet!

“Okay! Okay! I’ll join you! I’ll be your whipping boy. I’ll even stock Barbie dolls if I have to! Just don’t press hat button!”

And you know what the prick did? He kept putting his finger closer and closer to the launch button!

“But I thought you said you wouldn’t do it if I joined!”

“Foolish Watt! Your petty loyalties to the neighborhood make you weak! We must purge this from your mind so you can know true Wegmart! Just like my manager did to my neighborhood!”

But you know what the worst part was? He said this using the most condescending, prickish voice I could imagine.

Still, one thing needed clearing up.

“Hey A-Bomb? What was your neighborhood?”

Guy didn’t say a word, but the way he shut up after that spoke plenty.

“… They called it New Jersey.” He whispered.

I rolled my eyes, knowing full well it might be the last time I ever express sarcasm. Of course!

Time slowed to a crawl as I waited on the imminent destruction of everything I ever gave a crap about. Oh, I tried to see things from the half full perspective, but not even the knowledge my douchebag brother was probably going to get caught dab smack in the middle of the detonation zone passed out on the couch watching teen drama reruns could compensate for everything. At least A-Bomb was taking his sweet time pressing, probably so he could rub it in more.

In fact, he was taking a lot of sweet time. (Granted five minutes is pretty long for a ten year old, but still!) Then I noticed he was pressing the detonation button multiple times, each time faster and more flustered. I looked up, wondering if the Lord himself had intervened on behalf of little old me, even after everything.

In fact, my salvation had come in the form of a certain goose, who grinned triumphantly, a plug and wire in his beak, machine gun cradled in his wings.

“Bokrug!”

The noble bird spit out the plug, beaming with triumph despite being so plucked of feathers he was practically naked. A-Bomb was, on the other hand, for the first time since I saw him feeling something other than calm, collected, or several other words you find in yoga advertisements. His face turned so red I figured he’d explode any minute, just like his namesake.

“YOU!” he leapt up from his seat, facing down the glorious gander. ”I had ONE chance to find happiness! ONE chance to have somebody to share this miserable job! Years of planning, plotting, scheming, and with one bite you ruined it!” He unsheathed those golf clubs from his back. “Do you know what its’ like to run a store with only clones of yourself?! With everyone knowing exactly what you do?! Its’ so, so BOORIIINNGGG!”

“Then perhaps you should have found a happiness that did not require the suffering of another.” He bared his beak, bits of Wegmart technology still stuck in them. “Or technology easily damaged by the humblest of beaks.” like he was emphasizing the point, he cocked the machine gun, maing probably the world’s most satisfying click.

“Who do you think you are, my Mom?!” He spun his golf clubs around, making a combination of kung-fu poses and noises that could only be described as either really stupid or really racist. Possibly both.

“Bokrug-kun! You have brought great dishonor upon my house. Prepare to die!” he cried in the phoniest Japanese accent I ever heard.

“I’m Egyptian, you a$$hole!”

With a guttural roar, the waterfowl from hell charged in kind, raining bullets like hellfire.

It was the awesomest f*cking thing I ever saw.

#My writing #Nature Trail To Hell #supermarket #geese

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anqelbean · 4 years

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A Nightlight's secret (Chapter 2)

Ao3 link

°°°°°

Morning light shined through the window.

Katherine's eyelids fluttered as the brightness hit them, telling her it was time to wake up.

Her eyes slowly opened, looking around trying to remember where she was. She recognized the room Nicholas gave her and the day before played out in her head.

Realizing it was time to get ready she got out of bed and started her morning routine. She had to be fast as she needed to get Kailash.

°°°°°

Jack, unlike Katherine, wasn't a morning person.

Since he didn't get almost any sleep that night, he was grumpy and didn't want to get out of bed.

He turned to his side, suddenly falling of the bed. He cussed under his breath, but stayed there for a moment. His body didn't feel like moving, but soon he decided it was enough lying around and got up.

Today was going to be a long day, he was sure.

°°°°°

Katherine walked into the kitchen, greeting the hardworking yetis and elves. She asked if breakfast was ready and one of the yetis told her to sit down. She was served her food, quickly eating it and thanking them, she got out of the kitchen and searched for North, who was in he's office sculpting a train made out of ice.

"Good morning Nicholas! I see you got to work early." She greeted her brother.

"Morning Katherine! Slept well?"

"Yes. Umm.. May I borrow your snow globe? I need to pick up Kailash from Ganderly."

"Well, of course! Here!" He pulled it out from his pocket and handed it to her.

"Thank you Nick!" She looked down at the glass globe filled with snow in her hand and than at North, smiling to him sweetly.

"It's no problem! Just be sure to keep good care of it!"

"I will! Thank you, again. See you later!" She said as she walked out of the office.

"Bye!" North said followed by him cheerfully yellingat the elves "Where are the cookies?".

Katherine chuckled as she heard her brother yell. He always loved to eat while he worked.

She shook the snow globe and threw it on the ground, a portal immediately appearing in front of her.

She jumped into it and found herself in her library. The Raconturks greeted her with delight.

"Greetings Lady Goose." One said.

"Greetings Raconturk. Do you mind telling me where Kailash is?"

"Of course, my Lady. This way."

°°°°°

"Good morning!" Jack exclaimed as he greeted the yetis working "Where's North?"

A yeti mumbled, which he translated into "The office".

"Okay then, thanks."

He walked down the hall and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Yelled a voice from the inside.

He opened the door to find the jolly old fatherly figure snacking on some sugar cookies. He chuckled and said:

"Hey North!"

"Ah! Jack! I see you got up! Come on, let's go to eat. Ombric is probably waiting." North said as he walked over to Jack.

"What about Katherine?" Jack asked.

"She went to pick up her pet goose, Kailash, early this morning. Why?"

Jack had to quickly think of something.

"No reason" No reason? THAT'S all you could think of Frost?

North chuckled.

"Of course."

°°°°°

In the kitchen, Ombric was waiting for them. He chatted with the yetis as they prepared the table for breakfast. The were eggs, pancakes, bacon, cookies, you know, a perfectly normal breakfast, for North at least. Seriously, who has three types of cookies for breakfast?

There were sugar, chocolate chip AND gingerbread cookies. Why do you need that much sugar in the morning?

Ombric sighed as he watched Jack and North walk in, both laughing like crazy people.

"Good morning Nicholas. I see you're already wide awake." Ombric said.

"Ombric! Did you start breakfast without us?"

"No, I was waiting for you. Come, sit down, I'm starving." The old wizard as he took a bite of his food.

Jack sat beside North. He didn't eat often, he was a spirit, he didn't need to eat so he wasn't hungry, but he thought Eh, why not?It wasn't like he couldn't eat. He took a bite of the bacon immediately deciding he didn't like bacon, but since he started eating it, he wanted to finish it.

"So, Jackson, I don't think we spoke yesterday. It is nice to meet you. I have never met one of the four Season Sprites, and I have met Mother Nature herself." Ombric stated.

Jack wanted to speak but his mouth was full. If his mother was here, she would scold him. He put his right hand on his mouth and with his left hand he put a finger up as to say One second. He finished eating and said:

"Really? You haven't met any of the others? Not Wilow or Reneé or Joshua? I might be the most famous one, but uhh, people usually have met them before me. And you've met Em? I don't really know anyone else who has met her except for the Season siblings."

"The Season siblings?"

"Yeah, that's what we call each other. Though none of us are really related."

"Ah really?"

"Yes, but I'm not as close to the others as they are to each other. The last time we tried to hang out together I created a giant blizzard out of anger. We don't get along well."

Both Ombric and North burst into laughter.

"You must really hate them since you made such a storm because of them."

Jack chuckled, knowing that was so wrong.

He never hated them. They were annoying, yes, but he didn't hate them. He always wanted to be as close to them as they are, but it was hard since they were so different.

"No, not really. I don't hate them at all. It's just they can get too much for me. Emily has tried everything, but we really just don't get along. That's all."

"Ah, I see. It must be hard to be the only one that stands out."

Jack look down at his plate.

"We all stand out. We are all different. It's just, I've always felt like an outsider. But it's not that bad. I get along with Willow just fine since I help her color the leaves in Fall. Reneé and I are the wilder of the group, and sometimes prank the other two. Joshua and I are good friends, but we don't always get along since we think the opposite. It's just when they're together they tend to stop

thinking seriously."

"Look who's talking." North said, calling out the irony.

"Haha. Meet them and we'll see who's worse. Me or them together."

"How can we meet them? They are never in one place for too long."

"Well, neither am I and yet you found me and threw me in a sack." Jack joked.

"When will you let that go?"

"When i die."

"-Oh wait, I'm already dead."

"Ok you two, cut it out." Ombric felt like he was scolding his students, except they were centuries younger than these two.

"Anyways, I need to go. I promised the kids from Burgess one last snowday before Spring starts." Jack said as he got up.

"Didn't you promise Katherine that you would finish telling her your story?"

"I'll come back later. I'm already late and the kids are probably waiting for me."

"Okay then. Goodbye Jack."

"Bye."

°°°°°

Just as he was about to fly out, a portal opened before him. A giant goose and Katherine walked out of it.

"Jack? Where are you going?" Katherine asked.

Jack wasn't looking at her though, no, he was looking at Kailash. She had grown so much.

"O-oh. Hey Kath! Who is this?" He asked Katherine, eyes still glued to Kailash. She was a little intimidating, if he was being honest.

"Jack, meet Kailash! My pet Himalayan Snow Goose. She think I'm her mother. That's were the name "Mother Goose" comes from."

Jack finally looked at Katherine, their eyes meeting for the first time that day.

He chuckled. "Well, she's one of the prettiest geese I've seen."

Kailash looked flattered by the compliment.

She stepped towards him and muzzled her beak in his chest.

"W-woah there." Jack said, taken off guard. He was pushed a step back by her force, but started petting her.

A light chuckle escaped Katherine.

"It looks like she likes you already!"

"Really? Well. I like you too Kailash." He told her putting his hands on his sides, eyes locked on Kailash.

"But, anyways, where were you going?"

"To Burgess. I promised the kids there that I would give them one last snowday before Spring takes over completely."

"Oh, then, when are you coming back?"

"I don't know. Maybe in a few hours?"

"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back so we can finish the story."

Then, Jack had an idea.

"Why don't you come with me?" He asked Katherine.

Katherine was taken aback. Why not? When was the last time she had any fun?

"Okay! Let's go then!" She exclaimed.

"Great! Just you'll need warmer clothes. Those seem too light for snow." He pointed at her yellow dress. He was right. She needed to change.

"Go on. Kailash and I will wait for you."

"Okay."

°°°°°

As soon as Katherine was gone, Kailash put her head on Jack's shoulder and honked. Jack, knowing the languages of most animals understood what she said.

"Is it really you Nightlight?"

"Yeah... It's really me." He answered the question.

He was so happy. Kailash recognized him. She remembered him. She was so smart. Though he wondered how a goosecould recognize him, but the Guardians, the wisest people in existence couldn't.

"I'm so happy! We thought we lost you!" The goose continued happily honking.

"Shh. I'm here. But I need you to promise not to tell the other Guardians, okay?"

"But..Why?"

"It's not the right time. When I'm ready to tell them, I will. But for now, they can't know, okay. Please."

"Okay, I promise Nightlight."

"That's not my name anymore, Kai. My name's Jack."

Jack laughed and Kailash honked. The old friends were happy to see each other.

°°°°°

"Ahh. I see you two made friends." Katherine said, startling the two.

"Oh. Katherine! Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's go."

Katherine got on Kailash.

"Come on!" She yelled at Jack to

climb on Kailash with her.

"N-no need! I can fly!"

"Come on. Me and Kailash don't know the way to Burgess, and you're a lot faster than us. We won't be able to catch up!"

"O-okay then." He flew to Kailash's back, careful as not to hurt her. Right as he settled in, Kailash took off.

°°°°°

When they arrived in Burgess, Jack got off Kailash and searched for the kids.

They were near the pond, playing around it.

Without wasting time, Jack immediately let snowflakes fall, the ground soon getting covered by a thick layer of snow.

The kids were ecstatic! They searched the sky for Jack, their eyes soon falling on him they yelled his name.

"Jack Frost! Jack Frost!" A little blonde girl started jumping up and down.

"Jack!" Her brother yell aswell, waving at him with a big smile on his face.

They were Jamie and Sophie Benett. The kids Jack was closest to since Jamie was the first kid to see him.

"Heyo squirts! Ready for a snowday?" Jack asked them.

"Heck yeah!" The kids yelled.

"Woah! What's that!" Sophie pointed at the sky, where Kailash and Katherine were.

"Ah! There you two are!" Jack spoke to them.

They landed near the pond, the kids surrounding them. Katherine got off Kailash with Jack's help.

"Who is she Jack?" Jamie asked him.

"Guys, this is Katherine, Mother Goose, and that lovely goose over there is Kailash. She's a guardian, like me!" Jack introduced them.

"Woah! Really?" The kids yelled in amazement.

°°°°°

The kids were playing around in the snow, making snowmen and throwing snowballs.

One kid wasn't though.

Jamie sat down on a bench alone. He seemed deep in thought.

"Hey Jamie. What's wrong?" Jack asked him.

"It's nothing, Jack, don't worry." Jamie replied to him, still looking down at his hands.

Jack recognized his behaviour. It was the same as him, he hid what was wrong, not wanting to bother anyone.

"That's not true now, is it?"

Jamie sighed.

"No. It's not."

"So, what's bothering ya?"

"There's this.. girl-"

"WOAH, Woah, woah, a girl?"

"Yeah..."

"So you have a crush?"

"Yeah...?" Jamie admitted, his face glowing red.

Jack chuckled. A girl? Seriously? That was the problem?

"Don't laugh! It's serious!"

"Okay, okay. What about this girl?"

"Well, I think I like her..."

"Aaaand you don't know how to tell her?"

"Yeah. But it's just, I don't even know her that well. She just moved into town.."

"Really? You just met her and you already have a crush? Is she that pretty?"

"I mean yeah, but that's not really why I like her."

"Then why?"

"Well... She introduced herself in class and we started talking. She's so nice! And she like the same things I do! She's a believer aswell! I never met someone who was just like me!"

That left Jack in thought. This might be Jamie's first crush! He had to be more sensitive about this and help him!

"Hmmm... Okay! Here's what you should do!

Get closer to her, becomes friends, get to know her better, help her, show her that you care about her. A good romance always starts with a good friendship!"

"That's actually great advice, Jack!" Katherine said as she walked.

"W-well, I am three hundred years old after all! I've seen a lot."

Jamie looked at Katherine, and then back a Jack, smiling at him with a smug and knowing grin on his face.

"But, that sounds like it's said from experience." She added.

"Yeah! Have you ever been in love, Jack?" Jamie asked him.

The smile on Jack's face wilted. Jamie figured he asked the wrong question.

"Yeah..Once.." Jack clutched Twiner in his fists.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I asked the wrong question." Jamie apologized.

"It's okay, squirt. No worries!" He smiled at him "Now let's get back to the others, shall we?" He said, jumping on his feet.

"Okay." Jamie said as he ran to join the other kids playing.

Jack and Katherine stayed back and watched them.

"Hey?" She turned to him "Are you okay?".

"Yeah, I'm well."

"Are you sure?"

"..."

"No, not really."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Sure, I guess?"

"What was her name? The girl you loved, I mean."

"I don't remember." Lies!

"Really?" Katherine's voice was so soothing.

"I only remember her face and that she was important to me." Again, lies.

"A-are you sure she wasn't your sister?"

"My sister was eight at the time. It wasn't her." You didn't even know your sister back then, you absolute idiot.

"Is that why you're sad? Because you don't remember her?"

"Yeah." Sigh

"But! It's not the time to be sad about the past now!" He exclaimed, putting on his signature grin right before a snowball hit his face. He burst into laughter and it was then that Katherine realized something.

That laugh. It was childish and it rang like bells. There was no mistake. It was identical to Nightlight's.

How had she not realized it sooner? Now she looked at him as he was running around playing with the children and saw the similarities. He looked older, yes, but they were identical. Could it really be? Could Jack be Nightlight?

Her heart started pounding faster.

No. She thought What am I thinking?

Am I just trying to replace Nightlight with Jack? No, I can't do that. That's not fair to either of them. Not to Nightlight. Not to Jack.

°°°°°

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youmeanlove · 5 years

Note

all of them for yusuke !!!!!!!!!

SCREAMS thank you SO much im bout to end this mans (my wish to keep answers short) whole career

update: sorry this took so long i decided to become a novelistKJF LITERALLY its so long thank you soooo much for sending this ask i had a field day

fresh mown grass: what is your f/o’s favorite scent? does it remind them of anything specific?

paint is the obvious answer so ofc that but he rly likes the smell of a smoked out kitchen. probably because thats what happens every time he tries to experiment w food but it still makes him happy to hav fun with it

pastel sunrise: what was your f/o’s first impression of you? yours of them?

hehehe…he thought i dressed really weirdJFJF he was like one part intrigued one part ‘wtf ew’ but either way boy did he stare at me! for like, minutes straight because he has no self awareness. once we started talking he thought i was um..like, inspiring i guess. that sounds conceited but he just thought i was a cool ‘care-free’ model of life! i thought umm..he was very tall and kind of intimidating! i felt bad because the other students shunned him for being involved with his mentor nd thought he could do with like, literally any social interaction. i thought he was really kind, despite being very straightforward w everything! OH and i thought it was admirable how focused on his passions he was

blooming flowers: what is your f/o’s favorite part of nature? do they even have one?

the ocean!!!! we went to the beach once and he went ape over how the moon looked reflecting over the water

four leaf clover: does your f/o have any good luck charms or superstitions? do you? do the two of you share any?

yusukes really superstitious actually! unlucky words/numbers and stuff like that. one time he broke a comb on accident and threw it across the room lmao. we both go absolutely ham and wont sleep w/ our heads to the north bc we dont feel like dying young

ocean breeze: have you and your f/o ever traveled together? what is your dream vacation?

hoyah! we dont travel because we’re both poor ass art students but we do go to the park a lot! theres some really pretty ones near the schools so we’ll go stare at geese and flowers n stuff! we talk a lot about traveling to spain bc sexy

lemonade stand: what is your f/o’s favorite beverage? and yours?

yusuke my mans rly likes lemonade but like when its kinda bitter? he doesnt like really sweet foods but lemonade and tea are 👌👌. i really like cola uwu

fireflies: how do you light up your f/o’s life?

hehHEHE U///U show that boy how to have fun!! let himself go and chill out sometimes!! he’s always so hard on himself and i help him remember that he doesn’t need to be so focused and stressed all the time anymore!! lov that guy

music festival: what is your favorite type of music? your f/o’s? any overlap between your favorite genres?

yusuke likes chill out music like classical and stuff because hes a NERD and it helps him focus on work! i’m a speedcore rat. we both like swing music because we’re gay

pumpkin latte: what is your guilty pleasure as a couple?

sometimes we drink juice out of the carton and put it back in the fridge because like who has time for cups..nasty nasty. also idk if this counts but we’ll take those stupid buzzfeed quizzes for like an hour and judge our results OH we stan ‘accidetally’ falling asleep in our day clothes bc we were too tired to change

costume shop: do you wear couples’ halloween costumes? what’s your favorite thing the two of you have ever gone as?

HELL YEAH WE DOOOOO yusuke was like dude remember that time i turned into a mouse can i dress up like a mouse and you dress up as a giant block of cheese and i was like (slaps the desk) absolutely babe

cozy sweater: how does your f/o make you feel secure and safe?

ahejegfahjkgehaheehaejh tall. hes vv straightforward to every1 so i know he’ll always have my back if someone does something to upset me! and he’s always like Bro You Are So Beautiful Dont Ever Say You Arent Bro I Love You Bro except he doesnt say bro ofc hes Fancy

bonfire: what’s one thing your f/o has done to warm your heart?

ONE TIM OH one time he told me that i was one of the few ppl that never rly seemed like i judged him for not being very good at social stuff and that it made him want to talk to even more ppl and like get his childhood back and im :”) also one time he let me hide a stray cat in his dormKJF

ski slope: do you and your f/o play any sports or do any athletic activities together?

lol no we both have an iron deficiency we dont do anything about. we do like to play hand clappy games a lot tho he can beat my ass in slide

snowball fight: how do you and your f/o playfully tease each other?

HONESTLYFKJF we dont tease each other that much bc like. yusuke literally doesnt understand teasing most of the time and i cant bring myself to risk hurting his feelings! i jokingly made fun of his emo bang once and he was like What Is My Hair Bad Should I Get It Cut Do You Not Like It and i was like OH NOOOO!! he doesnt rly know how to tease either but its okay we just compliment each other a lot! no room for teasing in this house

gift wrap: what’s the best present your f/o has ever given you? what’s their favorite present they’ve gotten from you?

OH MY GOSH eheh one time he gave me a winter coat and that sounds lame but it was the best thing to ever happen to me bc i had been talking for like 3 weeks abt how gosh darn cold it was and this poor fool bought me a whole coat!!! raaaaaa!! yusukes fave present i bought him would probably be okay this also sounds silly but a dvd player! he kept buying dvds that were interesting and then realizing that he couldnt watch them anywherejkhf

rosy cheeks: tell us about a time your f/o has made you blush!

hehHEHEEJH okay so at lunch we used to trade so that id give him like food and hed draw me something bc his foster dad be like (whips and dabs) financial abuse but anyway his sketches used to be like scenic stuff or still life or random stuff he happened to see outside while we ate but then one time he gave me a sketch of me!! and was like cause u looked rly nice today i had to draw it and BOYYY WHEN I SAY A BITCH WAS RED!!!!!!!

OKAYFKJF I WROTE WAY TOO MUCH THANK U SO MUCH LEGEND im in love with an anime boy

#Anonymous #ship: art block #ask meme #long post /#ask

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portraitoftheoddity · 6 years

Text

Infinity War Reaction Post: [SPOILERS]

AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, this hurt.

It hurt, but.... it wasn’t terrible? I was genuinely worried it would gut me AND be a massive shitty clusterfuck of a movie. And while it definitely had a lot of balls in the air, and it wasn’t perfect, it handled them I felt with a lot more grace than say, AOU. On the whole, it was a decent movie, which I am grateful for.

Loki. Auuuuugh. Pain. His face is haunting me.

I went into this a tiny bit spoiled just from the emotional reactions of other people who had been spoiled, so I was 100% ready for him to die. Am I bummed that it happened in the first ten minutes? Yes. But. My ‘best case scenario’ at that point was that he died being heroic and didn’t just join the Black Order and then get nerfed as punishment. Fandom’s ability to retcon character assassination is harder than its ability to retcon actual assassination. And there’s a LOT of avenue for fix-it fics.

I am.... weirdly glad that Loki’s jotun heritage at least gets called out, if not addressed. We never get anything real about it, but.... in his last moments, Loki acknowledges all of himself. He is Odinson. He is Jotun. He is of Asgard. None of these things are mutually exclusive. And he is willing to give his life to try to end Thanos and save Thor. That look he gives Thor when he’s getting ready to stab Thanos... he never believed he’d survive this. But he was going to try.

Seriously, Loki just-- first trying hard not to give Thanos the tesseract, then giving in in tears because Thor is being tortured and then WE HAVE A HULK. THAT FULL CIRCLE. AAAAHHHHHHHH.

Thor’s pain crawling over to Loki’s body. MY HEART. I’m glad that Thor is actually mourning and his grief for Loki specifically is highlighted later, with Rocket, even after jokey banter happens. That Loki was the last thing Thor had left to lose kills me.

Even without spoilers, I kinda suspected Loki’s death would happen as a motivating force for Thor. And for all that, I am glad that Thor got a more emotionally-fueled arc than he did in Ragnarok. They let him have his humorous moments to keep some tonal continuity, but let his emotional moments breathe too.

Thor being mostly sure Loki is dead but in a bit of denial to hold out hope...

NIDAVELLIR. FUCK. YEAH.

Seriously, we got more nine realms worldbuilding in IW than in Ragnarok.

Thor willing to die to hold open the aperture to make the ax, because at that point whether he lives or dies no longer matters

Thor being A GOD. The sheer badassery of his weapon BEING A BIFROST and then fucking LAYING WASTE to Thanos’ army. FFFFFUUUUUCCK ME.

“Sweet Rabbit”

Groot’s arm as the ax handle was a nice touch.

Rocket. Oh god. “I have a lot to lose” -- and then he does.

We all fucking called Rocket wanting Bucky’s arm but I’m glad we got it anyway.

Seriously, that Rocket & Bucky teamup moment.

Is it weird I found Proxima Midnight hot?

The Black Order were not really developed at all, but I’m pretty okay with that considering how much development Thanos got.

Honestly, I’m surprised by how much they fleshed him out? His motivation is a far cry from what it is in the comics, and that nerfs a lot of fic, but... It worked. It made him a lot more interesting. And more scary, I think, than a big evil purple caricature. I didn’t ask for this, but I appreciated it.

(Of course, now I’m imagining Ebony Maw torturing Loki with those glass scalpel things...)

I liked Tony in this movie. I think putting him with characters more obnoxious than he is was a good choice -- In past Avengers movies, he’s been the immature, off the wall one, and putting him with Quill and Spidey suddenly forced him to be the Adult in the room and changed up his dynamic as a team member to do something new.

The moment when Quill is talking about how his plan is better and Tony’s face just shuts down: I imagine he’s thinking-- “Is this what it feels like to be Cap? This is what it must feel like to be Cap. Fuck.”

Peter Parker is, of course, adorable.

Is Avengers 4 gonna have the most depressing and awkward interstellar roadtrip ever as Nebula and Tony find their way back to earth?

Gamora giving up the location of the soul stone to save Nebula, and then Nebula realizing Gamora is dead, hurt me deep in my soul.

Gamora. Ffffffff. Did not expect that. O_O

WANDA. WANDA WANDA WANDA WANDA. SHE IS SUCH A GODDAMN BADASS. SERIOUSLY. I am so glad they finally showed her as the fucking POWERHOUSE that she is. Holding off Proxima and Corvus on her own, and then later just fucking laying waste to so much of the alien army, and then SINGLEHANDEDLY holding Thanos off WHILE DESTROYING THE MIND STONE and breaking her own heart.

I actually even kinda cared about ScarletVision, which I didn’t think was possible?

Seriously, Wanda getting a major emotional arc. <3

Rhodey and Sam friendship and teamwork.

Rhodey basically telling Ross to go fuck himself.

Sam: “This is awkward.” (thank you for letting that be the end of BruceNat’s acknowledgement)

Shuri at Banner.

Bucky: “I love this place.”

M’Baku being there and calling T’Challa ‘brother.’ <3

“Wong, you’re invited to my wedding.”

After he spent a lot of Ragnarok as Hulk, I appreciate that Bruce spent pretty much the whole movie as Bruce for once?

“You’re embarassing me in front of the wizards!”

NATASHA & OKOYE TEAM UP I AM FUCKING LIVINGGGGGG

STEVE. Steve being gorgeous and stoic and good and sad. Steve facing off against Thanos and STEEEEEEEEVE.

I am actually amazed Steve made it through; I was so braced for him to die. But then-- fuck. When Bucky collapses into ash. I gasped out loud.

Steve falling to his knees with that utterly lost look on his face in Bucky’s ashes. I AM REALLY WORRIED THEY BROKE HIM.

SAAAAAAAAAM.

Okoye’s face. *sobs*

Wanda’s look of relief when she goes to ash.

Thor being SO CLOSE. SO CLOSE TO STOPPING IT. The guuuuuiiiilt he has to feel of not being enough to save anyone.

Okay, so, obviously everyone who got ashed is gonna come back. They killed Peter and T’Challa, and those are golden goddamn geese for Marvel. They’re gonna wanna make a Black Panther 2 and another Spider-man, so we’re getting them back.

(still hurts)

Strange gave up the time stone for a reason. There’s definitely gonna be some time-traveling/reality warping plan here.

I’m curious to see just how much gets “undone” past Thanos’ final act there. I know there’s speculation that anyone who was killed directly and not ashed will stay dead (Gamora, Heimdall, Loki), but I’m not sure Marvel will let Thor suffer that much, where EVERYONE else gets someone back except for him. Resetting reality gives them an opportunity to undo the destruction of Asgard, and get back all those characters and that setting for future franchise opportunities -- especially since Ragnarok made a fuckload of money and Hemsworth would be willing to return.

If they don’t bring Loki back, fuck it, fandom will. OVER AND OVER.

WHERE WAS CLINT????

I get not bringing Scott in since he has his own movie coming up which is probably set pre-Infinity War. But COME ON, MARVEL. You left us with 5 of the 6 founding avengers alive at the end but no Clint anywhere?

He had better be like, the main character of Avengers 4.

Oh shit-- what if his whole family got ashed??? What if that’s his reason for going all Ronin in Avengers 4??????

There is a plot point that I am really fucking angry about because it fucks with a fic I’m writing. I can’t say which plot point though. But I have had it plotted out since fucking 2015 so fuck. that. I’m doing it.

CAPTAIN FUCKING MARVEL. (I may have shouted out loud in the theater.)

CAROL, COME FIX EVERYTHING.

Carol Danvers shows up 20 years late with starbucks, punches Thanos into the sun, takes the gauntlet, fixes the universe, then goes out for burgers with Monica Rambeau because punching someone into the sun works up an appetite.

Overall, I have a lot of feelings. There were a lot of things the movie did really well and a lot of things I absolute loved. I am also absolutely gutted. But I am trying to have faith that a lot will be fixed in Avengers 4 -- and if not, it WILL be fixed by fandom. Loki dying is pain pain pain, but it doesn’t destroy his character, and doesn’t destroy fandom’s love of him and his story, or all the other stories we’ll still come up with. A certain amount of status quo will be restored, I’m sure. And fandom is forever.

#infinity war spoilers #iw spoilers #lena has thoughts #infinity war #reaction post

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ellanainthetardis · 6 years

Photo

I fully expect tonight France will be World Champion so first of all YEAAAAAAH! And now... Let’s go to the cityyyyyy!

[ff] or [ao3]

73. 22 Months & 10 Months (2)

“Which one of the babies do you want?”

Haymitch barked the question more than he asked it and he immediately regretted his tone. The tension in the small room as the hovercraft began his descent toward the Capitol was already reaching its peak. It had been two weeks of tension actually. Two weeks of Effie frantically designing and sewing proper outfits for the trip, packing only to unpack, roaming the house at night and scrubbing it from floors to ceilings all day. It had been a while since she had been so agitated, so fragile and…

“I will take Snowball.” Effie replied in a soft, almost faint voice.

She grabbed the leach Haymitch had just clipped on the dog’s blue sparkly collar. Their fingers brushed and she flashed him a poor excuse of a smile. He forced himself to smirk back but it was strained.

He hadn’t been able to relax either since Plutarch’s phone call.

It wasn’t just the perspective of her publicly acknowledging what had happened to her during the war when she could barely talk about it in private. It was the fact that they were heading to the Capitol – that they were now about to land in the Capitol– with their kids. All of their kids. It made him anxious, paranoid…

The Samoyed wasn’t used to the leach at all and he shook himself, probably hoping to get rid of it. Haymitch felt bad for him. They usually let him roam free but in the city… It would have been wiser to leave him behind but to whom? He had left the geese is Sae’s care but she was far too old to handle the dog. The Clarkes had offered but while they were close friends, it was such an imposition to leave Snowball to them for more than a week that Effie had refused. Besides, he knew just how much the dog could calm her down and make her feel safe and he knew it might come in handy at some point.

“Be careful out there, yeah?” he still requested. “He’s not used to all the cars and everything.”

She gave him a meek nod and crouched to scratch Snowball’s head, hoping to calm him down. After three hours trapped in the hovercraft, the Samoyed was understandably restless. Haymitch thought they all were.

“I’m taking April.” Katniss declared, not leaving much room for debate. She picked up the sleepy toddler who, far from protesting, simply grabbed the girl’s leather jacket with a hum, hugging her cat rag doll close to her chest. She had been sick twice on the way already, her young body not receptive to the flight.

Katniss had been fidgety for the last hour at least and she looked just as anxious as Haymitch felt. She looked ready to fight teeth and nails if necessary and the way she was holding April tight…

For a moment, he let himself wonder why they were doing this at all when it would have been so much easier to stay hidden in the Village.

“Do you want the luggage or the jellyfish?” Peeta asked, jolting his knees so Aidan would laugh in delight.

Haymitch’s son had made himself at home on the boy’s lap during the last hour of the flight and Peeta was the only one still sitting. Not just because of the baby, either. Peeta was the only one who didn’t look overly worried.

“I’m gonna leave the luggage to you.” he joked – or tried to but it came out harsher than intended. “I’m an old man now.”

“When it suits you.” Katniss mocked.

And then the hovercraft touched ground, jerking them all for a second, and any attempt to joke the situation away was forgotten. Haymitch strapped the baby carrier sling to his chest and after Effie made sure the babies were both suitably wrapped in their coats, scarves and beanies, they all exited the hovercraft.

As it turned out, Peeta had the best part of the deal because the hovercraft attendants insisted they would take care of their luggage.

They emerged out of the hovercraft on a military landing strip on the outskirt of the city, as agreed beforehand, to avoid too much press attention too soon. They were all aware they wouldn’t escape it forever but they wanted to control it as much as possible.

“At last!” Plutarch exclaimed, quickly walking away from his slick black limo to meet them halfway with a big smile.

Uncharitably, Haymitch thought he had put on more weight since he had become Secretary of Communication and that the hair implants weren’t working that great for him. A sharp elbow in his side reminded him that voicing any of that aloud was probably a sure way to get scolded later on. He glanced at Effie, whose features were schooled in a polite pleasant expression, and he smirked. If she was still watching out for his manners, she was alright.

“Effie!” Plutarch exclaimed first, planting a daring kiss on her cheek despite the Samoyed’s protective grumbling. He then moved on to Katniss whose cheek he kissed too before patting April’s head with a stupid enchanted smile. “You do have a lovely girl.” he praised and then shook Peeta’s hands with enthusiasm before finally moving toward Haymitch with arms open wide.

It was very obvious Plutarch was going for a hug and Haymitch would have probably avoided it altogether if there hadn’t been another pointy elbow in his side. This time, he shot Effie a glare but she simply lifted an eyebrow. The whole thing lasted less than a second and when Plutarch finally closed in, all he could do was turn a little sideway to avoid Aidan getting crushed in the middle. The sideway hug didn’t deter Plutarch who clapped his shoulder twice before peering at the baby in the sling with another delighted smile.

It wasn’t that Haymitch didn’t like Plutarch. He had been happy to call the man a friend in Thirteen. They had shared a compartment, a vision about what they wanted Panem’s future to be… But then the actual taking of the Capitol had happened and… Katniss might be blaming Gale Hawthorne for what had happened to her sister but Haymitch had his own set of culprits. Coin hadn’t taken the decision to launch the Hummingbird Operation alone. Plutarch had been there every step of the way. And he hadn’t talked her out of it.

And it wasn’t something Haymitch could forgive.

“I am so happy to see all of you again!” the Secretary of Communication insisted, ushering them toward the limo that wouldn’t be really inconspicuous even in the city.

If he noticed the less than enthusiastic answer, he didn’t let on. Once they were all comfortably settled in the car, Effie made an effort to keep up with the conversation while Haymitch kept his baby girl close to his side and a protective hand on Aidan’s back. The dog had curled up on top of Effie’s feet. Katniss stared through the window with her jaw clenched and her fists bundled on her lap until Peeta covered one of her hands with his. The girl relaxed and smiled back at the boy.

Haymitch didn’t relax or smile. He was too far from the window to get a proper look and he wasn’t sure he wanted to anyway. Rationally, he knew everything would look different. The city had been badly damaged during the war and most of the buildings had been destroyed, entire blocks had collapsed… The layout would be different, it would be like being in another city entirely.

And yet…

He wasn’t sure if he was relieved or feeling even more dreadful when the car finally came to a stop after a good forty-five minutes drive. April had been awake and irritable for the last twenty of them, not used to being trapped in such a small space any more than the dog was. Effie had settled her on her lap but the toddler remained ill-tempered and they eventually figured she still wasn’t feeling that well. The hovercraft trip hadn’t agreed with her stomach and she refused water and food.

On that account, he was glad to arrive but knowing everything it would trigger…

The street was lined with impressive looking houses that seemed designed to make visitors feel insignificant. The display of wealth was so obvious it made him wrinkle his nose as soon as he stepped out of the car. Before he could make a comment though, the front door of the closest house opened and out came Elindra and Tadius.

They didn’t rush, of course, because it would have been inappropriate and Haymitch could feel the eyes of the neighbors spying on them from behind their curtains but they certainly looked eager enough. Elindra had pale pink hair nowadays and he had to swallow back a gibe as soon as he saw her.

Fortunately, the woman was more interested in the baby strapped to his chest than by him and thus she didn’t see his mocking expression.

“Oh, how you grew up…” she beamed, immediately stealing Aidan away from Haymitch. It was hard to resist the instinctive urge to grab the baby back. Not that he didn’t trust Elindra now but being back in the city… Finally, the Capitol looked up at him with a genuine smile that was a rare sight on her face and briefly squeezed his arm – partly in greetings, partly in thanks for finally agreeing to come, he figured. “Haymitch. Welcome home.”

This isn’t home, he wanted to say but he suffered the air kisses on his cheeks and her clucking of tongue when she declared he looked tired and should invest in some foundation powder. Soon enough, she had moved on to her daughter and granddaughter and he was facing Tadius’ outstretched hand. He shook it gladly, letting the Capitol pat his shoulder twice, knowing the Trinkets were honestly happy to see them. If anything, that made the trip worthwhile.

It had been a recurrent request of theirs for Haymitch and Effie to bring the children over.

There was a lot of noises and exclamations, greetings being exchanged, goodbyes when Plutarch declared he needed to go back to the office…

They were all herded inside the house by Elindra.

“Leave the luggage, Peeta dear, we have staff for that.” she chided the boy, nudging him toward the front door.

And there was a staff. A butler who supervised the others, a ballet of maids in dark uniforms, a couple of men… It made him uncomfortable so he took a good look around instead.

The main hall was… cold. All marble and gold moldings that looked very grand but also very… soulless.

Effie leaned against his side, her eyes darting around, probably taking note of what had changed and what was the same… They hadn’t really discussed that, he realized, coming back to her parents’ house… It had been her idea but the last time she had been there they had kicked her out and…

“Alright!” Elindra declared, speaking loud to cover the different conversations that were going on and the joyful chaos of coats, scarves and hats being taken away by the maids. “I am sure you all must be very tired after that trip and would like to rest for an hour or two. Tea will be served at four in the small parlor for those of you who wish it.”

“That means everyone regardless of personal wishes.” Effie whispered blankly for Haymitch’s attention alone.

“Jenkins will show you to your respective rooms.” the Capitol continued, nodding at the butler who professionally nodded back.

“I think I can find the way by myself.” Effie replied, her tone polished to sound casual rather than confrontational.

Elindra blinked and, for a second, there was an odd tension between the two of them. Haymitch briefly wondered if being in the Capitol would destroy all the progress they had made. Effie hadn’t been happy in that house, he knew that – and he also knew only too well how some places could wake up old wounds.

“Naturally.” Tadius cut in with a good-natured chuckle. “The nursery is ready for the children. It is perfectly suitable, you will see. We had it refurbished a couple of years ago for Bryden and Timotheo. And we bought beds for the babies… They should be comfortable. I was assured it was the best on the market…”

“I am certain it will be perfect.” she agreed easily, her tone softening. .

“We thought you may like your old room.” Elindra said suddenly, a bit hesitant. “But there is another guest room closer to the nursery if you’d prefer. The maids can have it ready in a tick.”

Effie hesitated and Haymitch shuffled his weight on his feet because… Closer was better in his book. They had packed the baby monitors naturally but…

“Whatever you organized is fine, Mother.” she said eventually.

Elindra seemed to relax a little. “Very well. Katniss and Peeta are in the green guest room.”

“Thank you for having us, Mrs Trinket.” the boy timely offered. “Katniss and I really appreciate it.”

“Nonsense.” Effie’s mother dismissed with a brisk wave of her hand. “You are family, are you not? It won’t be said I let family go to a dreadful hotel when there are perfectly suitable guest rooms in my house.”

Haymitch felt Effie relax next to him. Acknowledging the kids as part of their extended family was a step in the right direction. Elindra flashed her a hesitant smile that she answered in kind. Still, he thought the peace might not last forever when he heard Elindra mutter to Tadius “Did they have to bring the dog?”. He quickly nudged his wife up the stairs, hoping she hadn’t heard. It would be stressful enough for all of them without their feud flaring back to life.

The rest of the house was just as cold as the main hall.

Oh, it was all prestigious looking but… He couldn’t shake off the feeling it lacked everything of importance. There were elegant furniture but none of the clutter of a lived-in home, the walls were painted a sad shade of white, the framed paintings – while probably expensive and originals – looked bland, most of the tables and dressers were see-through or metal when it wasn’t marble…

Effie paused on the first floor to push a door while the kids continued down the corridor, following the taciturn butler…

“This is the nursery.” she declared.

He peeked inside to find everything had been prepared for them. There were toys neatly aligned on shelves – although most of them had probably belonged to Effie and Lyssa first given the numerous amount of dolls, there were also a few that were clearly her nephews’ and some that were obviously brand new and more adapted for small children – soft plushy rugs on the floor and two identical beds made out of pale wood. The first thing Haymitch did was check April wouldn’t be able to get out if she tried to – and she did try to more and more.

“Katniss and Peeta’s bedroom is down the corridor.” Effie continued, adjusting her hold on April who had insisted on being carried at some point. She was still clutching Snowball’s leach in her other hand and the dog was getting impatient to be allowed to explore, he was sniffing around like crazy. “Ours is on the third floor with the master bedroom and Lyssa’s old room.”

One floor up from their kids…

He wasn’t sure he liked that.

“Lead the way.” he grumbled.

Neither of them suggested leaving the children in the nursery and Haymitch was already plotting how to get those two beds up in their bedroom – assuming they would fit.

He was aware Effie’s breathing wasn’t quite natural. She was clearly making an effort to remain collected but he wasn’t sure if it was because she was fighting a panic attack or because the house brought back memories. Sometimes she discreetly brushed her hand against the wall or her lips stretched into a small sad smile…

“You’re okay?” he asked eventually when she stopped in front of a closed door that he assumed to be their room.

“Yes.” she promised. “I simply never thought I would come back here again.” April was fussy in her arms and she pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I know, darling. It will get better.”

She pushed the door open to find their suitcases piled in a corner. Haymitch looked around eagerly, having been ready for a teenager’s room and disappointed by how… neutral the whole bedroom looked. He had seen two of her apartments over the years – and he had seen what she had done with his house – this wasn’t an Effie Trinket place to leave. The walls were a boring shade of caramel, the framed artworks on the wall were very generic and there was absolutely no personal touch. None at all. None of the eccentric colors he had gotten used to, no crazy spark, nothing.

“That’s your old room?” he scoffed, disappointed.

She placed April down on the immaculate bedcover before flashing him a smile over her shoulder. “My parents turned it into a guest room two weeks after I moved out.”

He wrinkled his nose, putting Aidan next to his sister. “Harsh.”

She shrugged it off with apparent casualness but he could see it still stung. He couldn’t imagine doing anything like that to their children.

He watched her dig into one of the suitcases, fishing out April’s huge stuffed dog that looked so much like Snowball – Snowball who was very busy investigating the en-suited bathroom for the moment but who would ask to be taken out very soon. He grabbed the water bowl from another suitcase and filled it with water for him, taking a second to shake his head at the amount of luggage they had. He traveled light – or he would have if Effie hadn’t insisted on packing up suits and public event appropriate outfits – but she had two suitcases for herself, one for each of the kids – clothes, baby related stuff and toys alike – and a bag full of Snowball’s stuff – his bed, the purple monkey, a spare collar and leach, a brand new dog harness in case he was being too difficult outside because they didn’t want to take any risk with his safety, his plate, his water bowl and a few chew toys. What had happened to the time he could live a month with a single bag?

“Here you go, my darling.” Effie hummed in the bedroom. Haymitch petted the dog for a couple of minutes, watching him lap the water eagerly. “And here for you, my jellyfish.”

When he walked out of the bathroom, Aidan was sucking on the bottle full of water they had packed for the trip. A similar bottle was capped on the bed next to April but the girl seemed happier cuddling her toy, curled up on the bed.

“You think she’s alright?” he worried, immediately feeling his daughter’s forehead. It was a little warm but nowhere near feverish.

“Just an upset stomach, I think.” Effie shook her head, taking the children’s shoes off since they were both on the bed. “The hovercraft didn’t agree with her and that car trip felt endless.”

He flopped down on the mattress next to their daughter who immediately used his thigh as a pillow. He ran his fingers through her disheveled blond hair, not quite reassured. “I give it two hours. If she’s still feeling sick I’m gonna ask your dad if he knows a good doctor.”

“Agreed.” Effie hummed, tickling Aidan’s tummy. The boy wriggled and laughed but soon grabbed his stuffed giraffe and crawled closer to his sister, his eyelids drooping. He hadn’t napped in the hovercraft and the trip was starting to take its toll. It wasn’t long before Snowball jumped on the bed to curl against the boy’s back, completing the mass of sleeping babies. Effie’s lips twitched with unabashed amusement. “Aren’t you all cute.”

Haymitch rolled his eyes but alternated between petting April’s hair and rubbing Aidan’s back when he wasn’t scratching the dog’s head. He took a couple of seconds, let it sink that they were all alright. Yes, they were in the city but that didn’t mean anything bad would happen. They would all take care of this anniversary stuff and their children would be safe with their grandparents, they would have fun – as much fun as possible with Elindra anyway – and they would get to spend some time with their cousins which was… Well, Haymitch wasn’t sure what it was. He had never expected to get a family that large but he wasn’t against it now that he was used to it.

“Are you alright?” Effie asked carefully, gently reaching out to brush his hair away from his face.

He snorted and looked up at her, a self-deprecating smirk on his lips. “Shouldn’t that be my line?”

Her smile was tentative and didn’t reach her eyes, still when she leaned in and stole a kiss, he didn’t protest.

“Apil too.” their daughter mumbled.

Effie chuckled and bent down to give the requested cuddle, careful not to wake Aidan who had fallen asleep, his little fist clutching his sister’s sweater. He watched her straighten up and kick off her heels before turning to the suitcases. He wasn’t surprised when she immediately started unpacking.

“Being in the Capitol feels weird.” she admitted after a couple of minutes.

“Don’t tell me.” he sighed, flopping down on his back and staring at the cream colored ceiling. Who painted ceilings? “You think Annie and Jo are already here?”

“They are only arriving tonight, aren’t they?” Effie frowned. “I am fairly sure that’s what Johanna told me.”

“And tomorrow the circus starts.” he grumbled, closing his eyes. He wasn’t eager to be paraded around again. He wasn’t eager at all.

It would start with a press conference for the surviving members of the Star Squad and the remaining victors. Then an official dinner at the presidential mansion, followed the next day by the commemoration ceremony and the unveiling of whatever statue was waiting at the City Circle – and how Katniss was going to go through that he wasn’t sure but they could probably get her excused if she didn’t feel like doing it – and the day after that there would be Paylor’s announcement and Effie’s big speech followed by the ball at the mansion. There would be more stuff afterwards, some interviews and campaigning for the next election that only concerned him.

Effie didn’t comment and kept on putting clothes away in the dresser and the wardrobe. He watched her carry their toiletry bags to the bathroom and gave her a small pout. “So, I don’t get to see your childhood bedroom but do I get to see embarrassing baby pictures?”

She came out of the bathroom with her lips pursed but a spark of amusement in her eyes. “I am afraid none of those exists.”

“Liar.” he accused. He would ask Tadius, he decided. He was interested in baby pictures. He wanted to see if their children looked like her younger self.

“Now, now, darling…” she chided, laugher in her voice. “Is that any way to talk to your wife?”

He shrugged, propping himself on his elbows. “My wife refuses to be embarrassed.”

“How disappointing of her.” she grinned, her hands on her hips. She studied him for a moment and then rolled her eyes. “Very well. If you insist.”

Before he could ask what she meant, she was kneeling next to the bed and blindly feeling around beneath it. He sat up straighter, watching her with curiosity – and jerking April who sighed as if it was a great inconvenience and sat up too, her rag doll and the stuffed dog both clutched to her chest, before reaching for her untouched bottle of water. His attention was momentarily diverted when his daughter shook the bottle in a commanding fashion with something akin to a demanding grunt.

“Words, sweetheart.” he reminded her.

They always encouraged her to talk rather than make noises but the unimpressed look she threw him at that second – so very similar to Effie’s pissed off one – made him roll his eyes and take the lid off the bottle. She sucked on it eagerly, which, he supposed, meant she felt better.

Meanwhile, there was a popping sound from under the bed and Effie exclaimed in triumph.

“The fuck you’re doing?” he frowned.

“Watch your tongue in front of the children.” Effie reminded him, half her body was under the bed now and when she finally came out, she had a couple of floorboards in her hand.

“Your mother’s okay with you destroying the floor work?” he mocked.

Effie tossed him a glare. “It has always been loose. I used the space as a hiding place.” It took some more work but she eventually managed to level out a square box from under the bed. She shifted to sit down before rubbing her palms together to get rid of the dust, her nose wrinkled. “There. Now you can make fun of my teenage self to your heart’s content.”

He eagerly snatched the box from her and opened it while she went to thoroughly wash her hands in the bathroom – he didn’t make fun of her for that, he knew only too well how she hated feeling dirty and how easily it could trigger a flashback.

He opened the box, smirking hard when he found what unmistakably was a pink diary. He set that aside for later consideration, not sure she would mind him poking around it or not. There were a couple of trinkets, a battered packet half full of cigarettes, a pink lighter that probably didn’t work anymore, a few folded sketches of ridiculous looking dresses… And at the very bottom.

He laughed when his fingers closed around the action figure. He couldn’t help himself. “Seriously?”

She leaned against the bathroom’s threshold and folded her arms in front of her chest, a teasing smile on her lips. “You wanted to mock my naïve self, didn’t you? Here is your chance.”

He inspected the toy, still chuckling. There had been action figures of all victors. They were toys for children mostly but he knew some crazy people collected them religiously. He had seen a couple of his from time to time, he had even signed some. The likeness had been good but now that he wasn’t sixteen it was really hard to tell, the action figure’s hands were empty but he knew it originally came with a set of plastic knives. Later, it had been re-edited with a knife and a bottle.

“Tell me, sweetheart…” he teased. “What did you do with that toy?”

She lifted her eyebrows in challenge. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”

He could just picture it. Her twelve year-old self romancing the action figure and inventing ridiculous stories in which he fell in love with her at first sight… And then, when she had been older…

His mind was saved from falling into the gutter by his daughter reaching for the toy.

“Apil?” April asked, looking at him with those blue puppy eyes he could never say no to.

He looked at Effie uncertainly, not sure he was comfortable letting their child play with that. It had been funny when he had thought about his wife doing it but… It was a reminder of a time long gone, of something he wasn’t proud of and…

“I do not see the harm in it…” Effie hesitated. “It is just a toy. And how many children can say they have an action figure of their father?”

He licked his lips and studied the action figure, unable to really see himself in it anymore. He used to hate those things like he hated everything reminding him of his arena, of his status, but now… That had been so long ago…

“I guess.” he relented eventually, letting April take it. It was heavy for her little hand and it fell on the bed. Their daughter didn’t see the victor when she looked at it. She was just seeing a toy. And like all kids presented with a toy, she wanted to play with it. “You’re feeling better, shrimp, yeah?”

He felt her forehead again, happy to find her skin cool to the touch. Color had come back to her cheeks too and he let himself breathe, relieved that it had just been motion sickness and not something direr. He hated to see his kids sick.

“We should all change.” Effie declared, clapping her hands once. “We will feel better in clean clothes.”

“I’m good.” he protested. Of course, she pursed her lips at him and he ended up rolling his eyes. “I’m gonna walk the dog and then I’ll change. Deal?”

“Deal.” she humored him, as if she hadn’t just gotten her way.

She selected a new outfit for April – a dress Elindra had bought her – and started the long process of undressing and then dressing the child again, of course interrupted by April’s timely “Potty!” declaration. Aidan was still sleeping so they didn’t disturb him for the moment. Instead, Haymitch watched Effie discard her traveling outfit for a dress that color coordinated with April’s and he swallowed back a remark because he didn’t like when she did stuff like that. There was no harm in it, he knew that, and the girl loved wearing matching outfits with her mother but he couldn’t help but feel it was all too… Capitol.

“We should drag one of the baby beds in there.” he suggested after a while of watching her get ready. Two beds wouldn’t fit but they could probably wedge one between their bed and the window. “April can sleep with us if it’s too tiny for them to share.”

She considered it, he saw it, saw her eyes traveling over their children, but then she shook her head. “I don’t want them in the same room as us. I… I don’t know about you but I am fairly certain I will have nightmares and…” She licked her lips and looked away. “There is another guest room closer to the nursery. Or if you want to sleep in there with them…”

“I’m staying with you.” he cut her off. She would need him more than the babies would. He knew that. He also knew the babies would be alright and safe. It was just… This was a foreign house in an hostile city. “You’ve got the baby monitors packed anyway, yeah?”

“And Peeta and Katniss will be down the nursery’s corridor.” She nodded. “They will be safe, Haymitch.”

“Yeah, I know.” he admitted.

But knowing and accepting weren’t the same thing.

She cleared her throat. “I have something for you.”

He lifted his eyebrows in surprise. “Yeah?” He had something for her too but he was saving it for the day she would give that speech. “What?” And then he smirked because when she gave him stuff… “Kinky lingerie?”

She laughed at the hopeful hint in his voice and fetched something from one of the suitcases. It was wrapped in silver paper with a neat red bow on top. She was a little hesitant when she handed it to him, a small blush on her cheeks. They didn’t really do spontaneous gifts. He didn’t know how to accept them graciously and she always started thinking he had something to atone for when he gave her stuff.

“What’s this for?” he frowned, unwrapping the gift quickly before April could get it into her head to help him. His frown deepened when he found a familiar dark blue box, marked with Twelve’s only jewelry shop brand. It explained why the owner had asked him if they had an anniversary coming on. He glanced at the old battered and scratched golden bangle around his wrist and made a face. “Tell me it ain’t the matching manacle.” She narrowed her eyes at him and he lifted his hand in a defensive gesture. “Fine, fine, no joking…” he grumbled before opening the box.

There was a watch in there. And not any watch but one he had actually been eyeing in the store’s window for a while but had denied himself because… Well, he didn’t really need it and money was better spent on other stuff. But, then again, he had the suspicion she hadn’t bought it with their money but with what she earned with her dressmaking job – otherwise he would have seen it when he had checked the bills.

“Effie…” he whispered, a lump in his throat. “You didn’t have to…”

“I know I didn’t have to.” she replied. “I wanted to. You have been…” She stopped and let out a long breath. “You have been so patient and supportive and now this, coming back here for me…” She gave him a small shrug. “I saw you looking at it and you never buy anything for yourself so…” He picked it up from the box, intending to put it on, when she cleared her throat. “There is an engraving.”

He turned the watch around, brushing his thumb against the words carved in the silver.

Forever yours. E.

He smirked because that was exactly the sort of foolish sentimental display she was fond of and he hated. He put the watch on, the brown leather straps warming quickly against his skin, and admired the elegant face for a second. Then he stood up, cupped her cheek in his hand and drew her in a deep kiss that was a little too dirty given their audience.

Not that April was paying them any attention, she was very busy making his old action figure straddle the stuffed dog like a pony.

“I love you.” he reminded her, the words slipping from his lips with more ease than it used to. He told his children from time to time because he never wanted them to doubt. They were always difficult to utter but he always meant them. “There’s no need for thanks in there.”

“I love you too.” she grinned, stealing another kiss. “And, yes, there is.”

He kissed her again because they would have to agree to disagree on that.

#hayffie #effie trinket #haymitch abernathy #april showers

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lu-undy · 4 years

Text

Chapter 32 - SBT

Here it is!

"Hey, Sir! You're M, right?"

Mundy looked down, a few kids had run to him as he was about to hop on his van after his sandwich.

"Yeah, that's me."

"We got a message from L for you. He says to go to Maurice's street and be there at 3pm sharp!"

Mundy rolled his eyes at the 'sharp'. Yep, that did look like something that posh snob would say alright.

"That's in…" He looked at his watch. "Half an hour. Alright, I'll be there, thanks kids."

"You're welcome, bye!"

And the kids darted away while Mundy hopped in his van. He fastened his seatbelt and started the engine.

"Right, off to Maurice's then…"

He pushed the button on his radio and the song diffused in the air. It reminded him of the chat he had with Lulu, the singer. Ha, foolish Mundy thought the man would understand him. How could he, when all the sheilas who saw him admired him? Surely the man knew nothing about loneliness, he could have a different sheila wrapped around him every single night.

Mundy glanced at his inside rear view mirror and back in front of him.

And he was cheeky that singer! He did say that he did know what solitude meant. No! He didn't! Or maybe he did but not like Mundy. No one knew it like him, apart maybe from L. Yeah, L understood. He had lost everything a decade ago and lived like the ghost of himself ever since. Yeah, like Mundy.

The van stopped and Mundy hopped off. He leaned against the back of it and lit one of his cheap cigarettes. The contrast in quality with L's ones struck him at first. If the Frenchie's taste in clothes was odd, at least his taste in cigarettes was good.

Mundy took a drag off of it and blew the smoke away. He had a few minutes to kill so he just stayed there, watching the kids play football in the streets, the last beggars in the queue lining up for some soup, if some was left.

Suddenly, the children all rushed to the pavement and out of their playground to the motorcycle than came in the street. Mundy's eyebrows jumped. He didn't know much about motorcycles but that was a beaut' of a thing!

It stopped a house or so away from his van and its driver got off of it. He was dressed in a suit and tie, navy blue.

Nah, it can't be L, can it? The bloke can't drive that.

The kids went to the driver and he crouched to be at eye-level with them.

"Your motorcycle's amazing!" One of them said. "Can I touch it again? Please!"

The group of kids were overly excited about the beautiful vehicle. It was slim, black with a dark red sheen. The driver opened the visor.

"You may, and I will need you to keep an eye on it and on this…" The driver removed his helmet and Mundy realised that indeed it had been none other than L…

"Tell Maurice that I am trusting him with it, d'accord?"

[Agreed?]

"Yeah!" The kids cheered as Lucien left his motorcycle behind and approached Mundy.

"You may close your jaw." He was smirking. "Argh, and what kind of tobacco is this?! Is it even tobacco?" Lucien swooshed the air in front of his nose while wincing. He took Mundy's cigarette from his very fingers and dropped it on the floor before crushing it under his sole.

"Oi! That was my bloody cig'!"

"You call that a cigarette? That was poison you were inhaling!"

"Yeah, isn't that exactly a cigarette, mate?"

"Urgh…" Lucien rolled his eyes up. "In any case, what did you see that made you drop your jaw like this…" The Frenchman looked back in the direction that Mundy had been staring at. "The motorcycle? Ah, oui, it is quite beautiful. I did not know you were a connaisseur."

"It wasn't the bike, although it looks good yeah, never seen any like it before. No, it was you with the kids."

"Me?" Lucien repeated. "What did I do?"

"You were bein' nice with them!"

"Ah, and that surprised you? What do you think I am? These are only children, of course I will be nice to them!"

"Spook, I did see you torture-mh?!"

Lucien smacked his hand in front of Mundy's mouth.

"Not in front of the children!" He whispered with gritted teeth before removing his gloved hand. "You are lucky they are distracted with my motorcycle…"

"Ah, yeah, right… Anyway, you wanted me here, why?" Mundy asked.

"Because I had no idea where else we could meet. We need to have a chat somewhere calm." Lucien said.

"Uh… We could try at Maurice's?"

"Let us try then."

They went in front of the house and after introducing themselves as L and M, a beggar explained to them that Maurice was actually not in and he couldn't let them in. So a few minutes later, both men were back in the dirty street.

"You are the native here, where else can we go?" Lucien asked.

"Uh, I don't know…"

Lucien rolled his eyes.

"And I thought your knowledge as an Australian would be useful…" He walked to the passenger's door on the van. He opened it and slipped in.

"Oi, oi, you stop right there!" Mundy opened the driver's door and looked at his uninvited guest. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lucien fastened his seatbelt and looked around him.

"Would you rather hop on my motorcycle? I don't imagine so, even though the seat there is infinitely more comfortable than this… Go on then, hop on and start driving, I will show you a place."

Mundy sighed.

"Spook, I swear…"

The Aussie hopped in and turned the key. The van woke up and she got away from Maurice's street. Mundy took a glance at his passenger. He was sniffing the air and squinting.

"The smell?" Mundy asked. "It's Dior, mate."

Lucien chuckled.

"I wish it were. Non, Christian never made such an atrocity. Continue straight."

Mundy's eyebrows jumped.

"I told you it's Dior, not Christian or whatever. Still straight after that light?"

"Oui… Bushman, Dior is his last name, Christian is his first name."

"What?!"

Lucien rolled up his eyes.

"And whatever it is, it smells of apricots and he doesn't like them. Non, Christian most definitely would never design such a stench. What is it?" Lucien looked left and right, looking for the origin of the smell.

"Hold on, you talk like you know the bloke?" Mundy looked at him briefly, confused.

"I do."

"Shut your mouth!"

Lucien chuckled.

"Again, you are free to believe that I am lying, Bushman." He smirked. "Take it left now."

"Yeah, well…" Mundy was unsure if he was believing Lucien. "And to answer you, it's this thingy here that smells of apricots." He pointed at the apricot shaped air freshener dangling off of the inside rear view mirror.

"Why apricot of all the smells that exist? Take it right at the next traffic light."

"Because that's what I aim for."

"You shoot apricots in your free time?" Lucien mockingly asked.

"Nah, you genius. There's a part of the brain that we call the apricot. Hit it with a bullet and your target dies before they know what hit them."

Lucien's eyebrows jumped.

"We?" He asked. "Who is that? Hunters? And you may park here."

"Oh, alright. And no, not hunters…" Mundy shook his head. "Snipers."

Lucien's eyes snapped wide.

"You are in the army?"

"Not exactly." Mundy parked and cut the engine. "My dad was one when he was in the army. He showed me how to use a rifle when I was hardly bigger than the damn thing."

They were in a street, the van was at a complete stop and they unfastened their seatbelts.

"But you told me your father hated guns?" Lucien asked.

"Yeah, he hated people who came at night and stole our chicken and geese even more. And he liked hunting, he wasn't against the idea of hunting for food, just not for sports."

"Like father, like son." Lucien said. "I see where the respect and love for animals come from."

"Yeah. So he taught me how to use the bloody thing and by the time I had to go and do my service, people noticed my good aim. They tried to get me to enroll but the idea of killing people just didn't make sense to me. I refused, but that's how a lot of people called me back then, Sniper."

Lucien smiled.

"You went from Sniper to Bushman. I do not see an improvement there."

"And you went from Professor Ski to Spook, I don't know who's doin' best here."

"Pff…" They both chuckled and hopped off the van.

Mundy followed Lucien on foot until they arrived in front of an American style diner.

"Oh, I know this place. I've been in this diner before." Mundy said.

"Really?" Lucien raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I've had a few breakfasts here, their coffee's nice."

They entered and a waitress came to them.

"Hey guys - oh, L? Is that you under the mask?"

"V, may I introduce my… partner in crime, M."

Victoria looked at the tall man.

"I know him, you came a few times here, haven't you?" Victoria asked.

"Yeah, I did."

"Yeah, you're the coffee and croissant bloke, like L. Except last time you took a muffin."

"You have a bloody good memory." Mundy said.

"Yeah! So, want a table for you two, or are you expecting more people?"

"Non, just the two of us, somewhere calm, please, it is for important business."

"Oh, I see." Victoria answered. "Go to your table, L, I'll make sure no one gets near."

"Many thanks, V."

Bushman and Spook took a seat at the Frenchman's usual table.

"So, what did you want to see me for?" Mundy asked.

"First, choose something from the menu. If we are going to stay in this establishment, we might as well enjoy something to eat."

They took a moment to make their choice.

"I presume you had lunch already?" Lucien asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"Likewise. I would go for a dessert…"

"Same. The pancakes look nice."

"I never tried them."

"Might be a lot though, wanna share?"

Lucien raised his eyes off the menu and he met with the lagoon blue ones. And for a split second, he saw it again, the man in the neatly tied ponytail, the black suit, and the shyness, the embarrassment he had to talk about his feelings. The Frenchman smiled.

"But of course."

Mundy smiled.

"Aces. I'll get a coffee with that."

"Which kind?"

"You gonna judge me on my coffee now?" Mundy asked.

"Of course. So, what kind of coffee?"

"I swear Spook…" Mundy shook his head and Lucien wiggled his eyebrows. "Black, there you go, happy?"

"Ooh, manly."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a sheila in case you hadn't noticed, eh."

"Really?" Lucien played on.

"Screw you, Spook… And you, eh? What kind of coffee d'you drink?"

Victoria came at their table, interrupting their banter.

"So, you guys know what you're gonna get?"

"Oui, I think so. After you." Lucien said.

"Right so uh, we'll share the pancakes and uh, a black coffee for me. What about you, Spook?"

"Spook?" Victoria chuckled.

"Don't you think he looks spooky with his mask?"

"True." Victoria said. "Why are you wearing that thing, L?"

"The same reason that you are calling me L." He said. "May I have a cappuccino, señorita?"

[Miss]

Victoria raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.

"Alright, pancakes, a cappuccino for spooky L and a black coffee for M, is that right?"

"Non" Lucien answered. "I might be 'Spooky L', but then my friend here has to be 'Wild M'."

"Wild M?" Both M and Victoria repeated.

"You, Bushman, you know why and you, Victoria, you don't want to know. Now, please, we have to discuss some business."

"Oh, sure, I'll be quick!"

Lucien nodded in thanks and Victoria left them.

"So, are you gonna finally tell me what you want?"

"I have a lead." Lucien said.

"Alright, I'm listening." Mundy leaned in over the table and whispered.

"You don't need to whisper, Bushman." Lucien shook his head with a smile. "But here is the deal: Duchemin is throwing a party next week. I can get us in."

"What?" Mundy's eyes snapped wide. "How d'you know that? And how are you gonna get us in?"

"A… friend gave me the information." Lucien started to lie. "You surely do not know him, he is a singer. Actually, you might have seen the posters around town a few weeks ago?"

Mundy's eyes snapped wide.

"You mean that French singer? Lulu? The bloke who sings at the Queen Victoria?" His eyes lit up.

"It is him indeed." Lucien went on. "He had two places but he cannot go. He thus gave them to me."

"Wait, you know Lulu?" Mundy asked.

"I do, quite well." Lucien answered. "Why? Do you also know him?" He feigned innocence.

"Yeah, no, I mean, not like a friend, but I uh… I've uh…" Mundy blushed.

"What is it?" Lucien pushed him.

Mundy removed his hat and put a hand behind his neck. He looked down.

"I've uh… I've been to see his shows. He's-he's quite good."

Lucien smirked. Oh that was it, the spy was back in action with the little mind games, he loved it!

"Have you? Lucky you, I know his reputation… What did you think of him?"

"Coffee and pancakes for the gentlemen!" Victoria interrupted them, put everything on the table and left.

"Thanks."

"Merci, V."

She nodded and left the two men alone.

"Where do you know Lulu from?" Mundy asked.

"First, you have to tell me what you thought of him."

"He's… I don't know, he's something else." Mundy helped himself to a pancake and started digging in.

"I am told he is quite talented." Lucien tried to encourage Mundy to tell him what he thought, and took a pancake.

"Mate, you should definitely go and watch him. And you understand French, so it would make maybe more sense to you than it does to me. Funnily enough, he sounds like you, you have the same accent."

Lucien smiled.

"I have even been told that we share some physical resemblance too…"

"Really?" Mundy stared at the Frenchman's face. "Actually, yeah, you have the same eyes roughly and uh… yeah, anyway." Mundy had been about to say that even their lips looked similar, those thin lips.

"Ah, I wish I could go."

"His next show is on Saturday," Mundy said between two bites on his pancake. He let his mouth do the speaking while his head was focusing on the dessert. "The place is awfully posh and you gotta wear a suit and tie - not that it would be a problem for you. It's expensive as all hell too. You'll like it. I can take you if you want."

Lucien's smile couldn't stretch more until that last sentence.

"Are you… inviting me, Bushman?"

Mundy stopped chewing, his eyes snapped wide and he raised his eyes from his pancake. His cheeks were pink.

"Uh, n-no, I mean, it's good music and stuff, and you'd suit the place. I bet you like that kind of posh stuff. Anyway, you've got the right to say no if you don't want to, eh."

"I would love to," Their eyes met, Lucien's looked… different. "But I'm afraid that my evenings are busy."

"Oh, ok, yeah, you got someone at home, I forgot." Mundy said.

"Thank you however, it is very kind of you."

"Mh." Mundy shrugged. "So, you have Lulu's tickets to get in Duchemin's party?"

"Oui. We are quite close friends."

Mundy raised his eyes to Lucien's. He didn't know if there was more to that sentence than just that.

"Although, Bushman, it is no ordinary party."

"What d'you mean?"

"It is a masquerade ball."

"What's that? Oh, don't tell me we have to get costumes…?" Mundy asked.

Lucien nodded.

"I'm afraid so. And that's exactly why I needed to tell you, or rather, ask you."

"Ask me what?" Mundy took a sip of his coffee.

"Do you want to go to that party with me?"

Mundy's cheeks turned red. He swallowed down the coffee and cleared his throat, pretending that it went the wrong way.

"So now you're invitin' me, eh Spook?" He asked.

"Bushman, you have to understand that it won't be any mere party. Criminals and rich men of all backgrounds, all more shady than the next, will be there. Besides, given my resemblance with Lulu, I will go as him."

"Ok."

"Non, you don't understand. Lulu has met Duchemin a few times."

"Did he? Why?" Mundy frowned.

"Don't look so preoccupied, it turns out that Duchemin also enjoys his evenings at the Queen Victoria. He watched a few of Lulu's shows and asked to meet him. What that means is that Duchemin will certainly talk to me as he would to Lulu himself and if you choose to come as my plus one, then he will surely come in contact with you."

"Oh…" Mundy started to realise the challenge.

"And you will have to pretend that you don't want to kill him and even do small talk with him. Are you capable of doing that?"

Mundy frowned and pondered.

"Well… Uh…"

"I can give you a few tips to try and act the part, should you accept, but it will be a nerve-wrecking experience and I don't want to bring you along for you to ruin it all."

"No, 'course not. I uh…" Mundy thought about his parents. Had it not been 'nerve-wrecking' for them when the farm had been set on fire? "I'll come along." He answered.

"Are you sure?" Lucien insisted.

"Yeah."

"You won't shred Duchemin on sight?"

"No."

"You won't run far away and shoot him from there?"

"Spook... So, what's the plan, we get there and then what?"

"I don't intend to kill him there. Even if we manage to get him to be alone, after a few minutes of absence people will start looking for him and we will no doubt get searched and caught. Non, that would be a terrible idea."

"So you just want to have a drink with him?" Mundy asked.

"Don't sound so jealous, Bushman…!" Lucien teased. "You are having a drink and pancakes with me right now, non?"

Mundy rolled up his eyes.

"Christ, Spook…"

"But non, my intention is not to enjoy myself there. I want to know more about the man, understand his close security, how untouchable he is. From that, we can think about how we will get to him."

"Ah, I see… Ok, I'll come with you and play by your rules. You seem to know what you're doing."

"Good. Now, I guess you need to get a costume too, don't you?"

"Y-yeah… D'you know where you'll go to get yours?" Mundy asked.

"I will go to my tailor's."

"Ooh, listen to you, you have a tailor and all… You're so posh, I swear…"

"Well, I make a case of presenting well. You perhaps should take notes." Lucien arrogantly said and sipped on his coffee.

"Alright, alright… Also, what are you gonna go for? I mean, what disguise?"

Lucien leaned back on his chair and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Louis the Fourteenth."

"Who's that? Please don't tell me it's a French king or something."

Lucien shook his head.

"It isn't a French king, he was the French king. The one who had the Palace of Versailles built just to prove that he was the greatest king of all Europe."

Mundy facepalmed.

"Crikey… D'you ever stop…?"

"It is my second name, Louis." Lucien said.

"What's your first one, then? Henry-the-bloody-Eighth?"

Lucien chuckled.

"Non, I'm afraid you are wrong and quite far from the answer. But what about you, what costume will you go for? An arborigenous man who lives in a bush?"

"What?!"

"Well, the costume itself will be easy to make, tie any old rag around your waist and poof!" Lucien snapped his fingers. "John's your uncle."

Mundy burst out laughing.

"First, it's 'Bob's your uncle', not John."

"Are you mocking me for it?! Try and speak French then, hm?"

"Partout, elle me fait escorte

[Everywhere, she accompanies me]

Et elle me suit, pas à pas"

[She follows me, step after step]

Mundy quoted the song about solitude that Lulu had sung, and Lucien's jaw dropped. His pupils dilated like a cat in the dark and his breath cut short. He recognised the lyrics of course, despite Mundy's accent. Mon Dieu, his accent… A music in itself. The way he slightly twisted the consonants, making them bend and be softer, the way the vowels melted into slight diphtongues. Lucien felt it like a punch to his stomach. He naturally answered with the following lyrics.

"Elle m'attend devant ma porte

[She's waiting for me at my doorstep]

Elle est revenue, elle est là"

[She has come back, here she is]

Mundy's eyebrows jumped in surprise. He didn't expect Lucien to recognise the song on the spot and he had even less anticipated that he would recite the next couple of lines. He said, trying to sing with his husky, low voice:

"The Solitude,"

To which Lucien answered, singing low too, for no else to hear them.

"La Solitude."

They both let silence fall between them. There was no other way to conclude this song that let the silence wrap those words and scatter them in the air.

"You know the song?" Mundy asked.

"It is more than just a song for me. It is an anthem, unfortunately." Lucien said as he finished his coffee. "I am surprised that you know it." He lied.

"Well… It's uh, Lulu. He sang it and uh… I really liked it."

"At least there is that." Lucien answered with a smirk.

"There's what?"

"If your sense of fashion and elegance in general is non existent, you have yet been blessed with good musical tastes."

"Yeah, well, thanks for noticin'..."

They both chuckled.

"Yeah, it's uh…" Mundy said. "Lulu sang that song and I couldn't get it out of my head. I even bought the cassette, listen to it in the van."

"Quite the admirer you are." Lucien said, just to see Mundy's embarrassment and it did not fail.

"Well, his songs really are somethin', the way he sings them too."

"I am surprised that you appreciate music to this extent, in a good way."

"Used to play the sax back in the days."

"Really?" Lucien's eyebrows jumped. "Quite some hidden traits you have."

"Hm, maybe. But yeah, to come back to your point, I'm not entirely sure what I'll go dressed up as. I don't… Uh… I don't have much choice in my cupboard, eh."

"You could come to the tailor's with me, if you wanted."

Mundy's eyes lowered down.

"What?! What am I gonna tell him? 'Please mate, do somethin', I need a costume for an awfully posh party of some sort'? And how am I gonna pay for it? The thing surely costs an arm and a leg!"

Lucien smiled.

"Says the man who has frequent dinners at Lulu's restaurant, hm?" He answered. "Back in the days, and when I came to know him, he was singing for the most prestigious restaurant of all Paris, where kings and presidents would eat, along with famous singers and movie stars."

Mundy's eyes were dreamy.

"Gosh…"

Lucien tilted his head on the side.

"So, will you come with me to the tailor's?"

Mundy was lost in thought. He was caught in a sudden and brutal daydream: Lulu, his beautiful silhouette, his poetic hair, in Paris, singing his heart out as he did so well, in the night, in the City of Lights…

"Yeah…"

Lucien chuckled.

"Bushman?" He snapped his fingers in front of Mundy's face and pulled the man out of his pleasant, open-eyed dream.

"Huh?" Mundy gasped and straightened his back. "Y-yeah, what?"

Lucien shook his head, still laughing by himself, and gestured to Victoria who came to them.

"So, how was it guys?" She asked.

"As usual, very good, V, thank you. Add this bill to me, I shall send someone to pay for it later if that is alright with you."

"Sure, you in a hurry?"

"Oui, time flies when - uh…" Lucien stopped mid-sentence and frowned.

"When you're in good company!" Victoria finished for him and Mundy could have sworn he saw L's cheeks get a bit of colour.

The Frenchman stood up and closed the button of his jacket. Mundy followed him out.

"Say hi to Perle for me when you see her, and give her a kiss for me!"

Mundy's blood froze.

"I will, thank you, V."

#tf2 spy #tf2 sniper #sniperspy #SBT

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