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valleyrunearchives · 1 year

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Weightless (The Leap of a Jade Rabbit)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Fandom: Boku No Hero Academia/My Hero Academia Pairings: Aizawa Shouta/Yamada Hizashi Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence

Chapter 39/?

Midoriya Izuku stopped believing in heroes when a tragedy occurred in his life. When at the tender age of 11, he lost everything that was everything dear to him, everything that was worth living for. Yet he doesn’t give up. He can’t give up. He decides to make a choice instead. No longer will he stand around and wait for the heroes to arrive while a crime goes down. He’ll be his own hero and a hero to those who are just like him. Those waiting for help that will never arrive. In order to do that, though, he’ll have to fight to survive and lie through his teeth. It won’t be so bad!

After all, it’s not like they can bring him in for vigilantism and Illegal Quirk Usage when he doesn’t even have a quirk, right?

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Click here to Read on AO3!

Shouta crosses his arms over his chest and levels an even stare at Nedzu who’s sitting at his desk across from him and Hizashi. The chimera sits calmly while stirring the tea he made for himself. He’s humming like this is a civil chat but Shouta knows better. He has a solid guess as to why their boss called them to his office. He also guesses that it’s making Hizashi sweat through his shirt, which Nedzu is probably enjoying. He does love to make people uncomfortable. Too bad Shouta’s been a part of his game since his high school days so it doesn’t work on him anymore.

Shouta starts to drum his fingers on his arm semi-impatiently. Honestly, he couldn’t care less if this took all day. But he knows that Nedzu will respond better to the visual of him being impatient. The faster they can convince Nedzu to tell them, the faster they can leave. Which he knows will soothe Hizashi’s nerves. “Alright, spit it out,” He says as if he’s bored.

“Patience is a virtue, Shouta-san,” Nedzu replies, still stirring his tea.

“Patience doesn’t have a child waiting at home, rat.”

“Oh so now we’ve resorted to rude and childish name calling, have we?”

“Just like we’ve resorted to you making us wait just so you can get your kicks in?” he snarks back with an evil smirk. This was familiar. A common game they played of back and forth banter and insults. It doesn’t mean anything. Not really. Shouta knows that if Nedzu was truly trying to insult him, he would take a far different approach.

“Okay, I know you guys are playing your freaky mind game thing or whatever, but can we PLEASE get to the point?! Us normally emotioned people are freaking out here!” Hizashi cries.

Shouta turns to look at his husband, placing a hand on his shoulder to attempt to calm him down. Them freaking out is exactly what Nedzu wants. Nedzu, predictably, laughs at the outburst. He sets his teacup down and folds his paws with a grin, “My apologies Hizashi-kun. I’m sure you’re both eager to know why you’re both here.”

“Obviously,” Shouta says with an eye roll.

“Yes, well, I just wanted to call you both here to get your opinion on how to proceed. I’ve gotten the results back of Midoriya-kun’s aptitude test,” Nedzu holds up the stack of papers in question.

“You did?!” Hizashi asks in shock just as Shouta says, “Knew it.”

Hizashi turns to him sharply, face set in a stern expression. Shouta gets the impression he may have just said the wrong thing. “What,” Hizashi’s voice is firm, “Do you mean ‘knew it?’”

Shouta shrugs, “What? It was kind of obvious. Why else would he have called us both here?”

“Oh was it? Aside from maybe calling us here about our jobs? You know, the one that we both have with him as our boss?” Hizashi argues back.

“What are you talking about?” Shouta is genuinely confused, “Nedzu never pulls both of us when he wants to discuss anything about our classes or the school. He either does it one on one or as a group in a staff meeting. So logically, the thing he needs to talk to both of us about is our foster child and the only reason he would need to do that is to give us the results of his aptitude test.”

“Oh there you go with your ‘logicals’ again! Y’know some people don’t think that way about everyone they meet and weren’t trained by a super genius to read all the ‘logical possibilities’ of a situation! Some of us actually have anxieties about things like when their boss calls them and says that they need to have an ‘important discussion’ with them!”

“Zashi,” Shouta sighs, rubbing at his consistently dry eyes, “Please, let’s not have this argument. Especially not right now.”

“Oh? Why not now?” Hizashi asks testily.

Shouta makes a quick motion towards said boss who’s watching them amusedly. “Please, don’t let me interrupt! This is so much fun to watch!” Nedzu says with a happily swaying tail.

Hizashi flushes with embarrassment before glaring at Shouta, “We’re talking about this later.”

“Yeah, I think we need to,” Shouta agrees before addressing Nedzu again, “So what do you need to talk to us about with Izuku’s aptitude test?”

“Well it’s actually quite astounding,” He passes the packet of papers to Hizashi to let him read them first as he explains, “I had thought there would be at least a small amount of things that Midoriya-kun would be behind about. Something like a science where hands-on learning would’ve been a must. Surprisingly, I was completely incorrect. Not only is Midoriya-kun caught up in his current grade level, he is actually far ahead of said grade level.”

“Really?” Shouta can only blink in shock. He knew the kid was smart. Every one of the teachers in UA did. But he didn’t think he would be at that level.

“Indeed. With his level of intellect, he could be ready to go into high school with just a few remedial classes.”

That catches Hizashi’s attention, causing him to lower the papers to stare wide-eyed at his boss, “What? High school? Already?”

“Yes. He could be high school ready in half a year’s time. That’s what I wanted your opinion on how to proceed about. Do we go ahead and get him the remedial classes then let him go into high school early? Or do we wait so he’ll be with his same grade level when he gets to high school age? He could take that time to recuperate after his time being homeless and a vigilante while also using the free time to meet more heroes with Fat Gum. But I fear he may reach a point of boredom. Going into high school early may fix that problem. It’s entirely up to you two as his foster parents though.”

He and Hizashi share a look and he can tell they’re thinking the same thing. He crosses his arms over his chest again, “It’s not up to us. Not entirely. We’ll need to take the time to talk to Izuku about what he wants.”

“We can’t, in good conscience, make a decision for him about this if the risk is his unhappiness. We’ll speak with him about it tonight and get back to you as soon as he tells us what he wants to do,” Hizashi adds.

“Understandable,” Nedzu nods, “You two are shaping up to be truly fantastic parents. I’m pleased Midoriya-kun has you both after the hard life he’s led so far. Discuss it with him and let me know. But please let him know that he doesn’t have to rush to make a decision if he needs time to think about it. I’m not going anywhere and we have time before one has to be made.”

Oddly generous of him but Shouta’s not going to look a gift rat in the mouth. He knows Izuku will appreciate the extra time to think about it. Kid runs through every scenario his apparently genius mind can come up with to make the best decision for himself and those around him. He has a hard time making his mind up about things that make him happy, however. A side effect of going so long with very few people caring about his overall happiness. He and Hizashi are slowly breaking him of it. He actually asked them to pay for a train ticket for his friend he met to come down and see him. They were so proud of him for doing so!

Shouta and Hizashi both give Nedzu a farewell. He sends them on their way with a returned one and the aptitude test for them to take home to Izuku. He tells them it’s just a copy of the actual test and results anyway. Shouta suggests as they head out of the office that they make some of Izuku’s favorites for dinner and broach the topic after. Hizashi agrees and also makes a comment that after that conversation is done, they’re talking about their little argument from earlier. Shouta agrees but secretly hopes it won’t end up with him sleeping on the couch tonight. Hizashi wouldn’t be that cruel… would he?

It hits him that yes he probably would. Hizashi was dramatic and petty enough for it. Shouta should really watch what he says during that conversation. Maybe he can sneak and get some chocolates delivered while Hizashi is cooking dinner. Hopefully, that will appease him enough to at least save him his spot in the bed. Hopefully…

#bnha #bnha fanfic #bnha fanfiction #mha fanfiction #mha fanfic #vigilante izuku #aizawa shouta #yamada hizashi #bnha nedzu

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butterflyinthewell · 4 years

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I’m gonna lose followers. Oh well... a rant by me.

People who harass others about SHIPPING FICTIONAL CHARACTERS are irksome.

Preface: if you say you don’t want someone role playing a NOTP with you or sending asks about it, or you don’t want secret Santa stuff containing it, if you ask people not to suggest fics with that pairing for your fic collections, if you stay out of your NOTP’s pairing tags, if you choose not to interact with material related to your NOTP, if you blacklist the pairing tag and ask people not to tag your fanwork with your NOTP, if you heed warnings and don’t click something with material you don’t like, I do not have a problem with you.

But if you write novel long posts about why a ship is gross to you and tag the pairing so shippers see it, send people hate over their ships, reblog fanworks of your NOTP with nasty messages to the op of the post, if you make a blog all about hating that ship and anyone who ships it, claim it must be grooming, or if you call people pedophiles or abuse apologists because they wrote something morally heinous in fiction that they will most likely never do irl, I’m not gonna have much respect for you beyond you being a fellow person.

Guess what? Shit you hate is going to exist on the internet. If someone tags their work appropriately or tags with appropriate warnings, you should not be clicking on it and harassing them! They have done what is necessary to protect those pearls you want to clutch.

Banning all questionable material is not going to save people who are targeted by predators and criminals.

Calling people pedophiles because they ship a fictional minor with a fictional adult gives actual pedophiles who go after actual minors a hiding place. These days you can’t tell if someone is an actual pedo or got called one over a ship they ship. Pedos are totally banking on that.

Fiction is supposed to break rules and let people explore dark subjects that are morally messed up because you can close a book or close a website if it gets too weird for you. A child with a predator’s hands on them right this moment can’t click an x or close a book to stop it.

Think about that.

No one is forcing you to go read morally messed up stuff. Not clicking on someone’s creepy fic with your NOTP is nowhere in the same realm as turning a blind eye to actual predators predating on someone.

Running someone off a website because your ass is on fire about them writing a pairing you hate or whatever is not going to stop the bad shit happening in the real world.

Predators and criminals will use anything, so someone’s freaky babyfur smutfic that they wrote to troll a fan website in 1999 is hardly going to normalize bad behavior.

I swear some of you insult the intelligence of people with your moral abuse garbage.

Teaching people to recognize predatory behavior and what to do about it will actually help. Teaching people what is and isn’t a healthy relationship will help.

Remember how people called out Twilight for how unhealthy Edward’s behavior towards Bella was? I’m sure a lot of preteen and teen girls learned to open their eyes a bit more. And I’m sure others still enjoyed the books and movies anyway because it’s fiction. It is the job of parents and guardians to teach their children what is and isn’t healthy in a relationship, but the unfortunate problem there is that can fail if the parents aren’t in a healthy relationship.

That’s why there needs to be more discussions about “this is healthy, that might be fun in a story, but that is not healthy in the real world and anybody who treats you like that is waving abuse red flags” rather than attacking somebody by saying “you’re a monster for shipping that”.

The whole point of art in any form is to create an emotional reaction in the audience.

Fucked up fictional shit exists on the internet. Get over it. I think the fact that people get freaked out by weird stuff in fiction is a clear indicator that it’s not being normalized by that piece of fiction. Flailing about it is not helping anything except your ego. It’s not gonna help survivors who write messed up stuff to cope, it’s going to make them go more silent.

Imagine being someone with an abusive pedo parent who takes comfort in the SessRin ship and being called a pedophile for it, or seeing people in the tag call Sesshoumaru a pedophile. That’s triggering as fuck for somebody.

Imagine being a Starkster going through sexual abuse who takes comfort in the ship, and being called a pedophile for it. Imagine seeing people in the tag call Tony a pedophile. That’s triggering as fuck for somebody.

Imagine having the heinous thing that happened to you being turned onto you as an accusation by people on a moral high horse who forget what pedophile means. That is triggering as fuck for somebody.

Nobody owes you a trauma history in order to be ‘allowed’ to create and post morally messed up fanworks. It’s on YOU to check for warnings and keep scrolling if it’s so offensive to your sensibilities.

What’s better? Discussion of tropes that are harmful if done badly. That’s a place to start. Save the accusations for people who are knowingly doing harm to people and not caring that they’re doing harm.

Go after shit that is actually exploiting actual people right now instead of harassing creators whose trauma you don’t know. Tell pedos their attraction to kids is not a sexuality and they have no place in the LGBTQIA+ community. Warn minors away from MAPs/NOMAPs. Expose predators who have exploitative materials of actual real children. Teach people to recognize predatory behavior like grooming. Find ways to get people out of human trafficking. Question adults if you see them touching or treating a child in a way that doesn’t look right. If you’re a minor and somebody keeps sending you porn material or pictures of their genitalia after you said stop, remind them that you’re a minor and expose the shit out of them. If you’re an adult and know somebody is doing that to a minor you talk to online, help them expose that person. That’s not all you can do, but I can’t think of everything. There’s a lot you can do that will actually help people!

But telling someone not to create something questionable because a predator might misuse it is utter horseshit.

I can bet you anything that every single person who hounds others about their ships has a whole bunch of fucked up stuff they read and never talk about because they know it will get them run off by the same people they use as shields against scrutiny.

I’ve read fucked up shit that I enjoyed because it was done well, but I can grasp that it is not okay to do the same thing in the real world and I would be horrified if I saw somebody doing the same thing in the real world. I am able to experience that moment of being horrified, sit with it and see where the fanwork takes me with that feeling.

I say this after I have just read an awesome morally gray Inuyasha fanfic called “Devour Prometheus” by ladybattousai on AO3. It’s gorey, there is murder, there is abuse, there is exploitation, there are allusions to animal trade and it’s the darkest thing I ever laid eyes on. My stomach twisted several times. It’s a fantastic lens on society right now. (Sesshoumaru’s speech about “don’t hold me to your hypocritical human morality” was epic af.)

And some of you are going to think the author is some kind of violence glorifying freak based only on that.

I feel like a lot of anti shippers and antis in general can’t get past that horrified feeling. They yell that they can’t enjoy the fandom if the material makes a hated pairing canon, so it’s like they don’t want anyone else to enjoy the fandom or the pairing. It’s very immature and scorched earth, and it hurts everyone.

Hey, guess what? I have written pairings with hella huge age gaps. Oh, the horror!

OptimusxMikaela? I headcanon Optimus as being 10 billion + years old, and Mikaela was 18 when they hooked up. Mikaela ages as the stories carry on through the years as my Danceverse series, so she’s in her 30s currently. They fucked and still fuck explicitly.

UnicronxStarscream? Unicron is as old as the universe, so 13 billion + (headcanon), and Starscream is probably 11 million or so (headcanon). They fuck explicitly.

Whouffaldi? The 12th Doctor is 2000+ and Clara is in her 20s. They fuck explicitly.

BeastGojixMiki? Godzilla has been alive for probably close to 65 years in the story, but he acts more like he’s in his 20s and he looks to be in his 20s when he turns back into a human. Miki is 18. They fuck in the story, but it’s written non explicitly.

Bowser JrxOC? Cherry is an oc who is 19. I aged Junior up in that story to be about 20. Their ages aren’t specified, but they’re mentioned to be adults. They fuck in the story, but it’s written non explicitly.

I have written fanfics with rape, abuse, murder, manslaughter, bdsm, stuff that’s morally messed up, etc, and I’m not a murdering rapist who eats children now, am I?

No, because I have no desire to do those things in the real world (because some are not possible...cuz I would date Optimus 😛) and I can distinguish fiction from reality. I can grasp the concept that fiction / art is not always endorsement.

Now get a grip on yourselves, put the pitchforks down and stop policing people’s imaginations.

#hypocrisy #purity culture #shipping wars #ship wars #fandom #anti antis #antis #swearing #pro shipping #tw csa #tw p e d o mention #IF I HAD A TARDIS I WOULD MESS UP SPACETIME SO BAD #if a MAP is getting help and stays away from kids then whatever #but if they parade around proud of it and see nothing wrong they better stay the f away from me or kids #if you are a p e d o harming real world children I will take your eyeballs out through your butthole

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irisrecs · 4 years

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buzzfeed unsolved fanfiction recommendations

This is all Ryan/Shane— so don’t like, don’t read.

PSA: I am not in any way stating that Ryan and Shane from Buzzfeed Unsolved and Watcher are together, or that I want them to be together; this is for entertainment use only. I urge you to not contact them or @ them on twitter or instagram making comments about their relationship, as they are humans just like the rest of us. Some things are none of our business!

This is a masterlist of my favourite fanfictions in this fandom! Thanks to @gigaledom for cheering me on. Never thought I was going to do more RPF, but here I am.

Under 10k

and i’m puffing my chest, getting red in the face by pissedofsandwich- 6k, Teen

Summary: "Zack's going to be there?" Shane asks, masking his... whatever it is he's feeling in his chest, with nonchalance.

Ryan blinks. "Yes?"

Well, never mind dancing with the fucking sun. He’s Icarus, wings melted and falling face-first into the asphalt.

Or: Shane is definitely not at all jealous of how close Zack and Ryan are getting during the making of Sports Conspiracies. Except that he is.

My notes: They’re both so jealous of each other and so bad at communication. Thank goodness they have their friends to help them out! Really funny and entertaining!

lay your demons at the door by abovetheruins— 7k, Teen and Up

Summary: Ryan had been so careful. For months he had learned to train his face into a semblance of normalcy every time a spirit got too close or he was overwhelmed with some indiscernible emotion on location. He had learned to channel his fear into something more manageable, something entertaining enough for the cameras but not so severe that anyone would be able to tell he wasn’t just jumping at shadows or groaning floorboards anymore.

Shane wasn’t supposed to find out. He wasn't supposed to know.

My Notes: The Seer!Ryan AU that I wasn’t expecting to like so much. A lot of pining and caring! Shane with a lovely ending!

First Impressions by luxbuhree— 9k, Mature

Summary: The chance to work with and sit next to THE Shane Madej was one of the things Ryan was looking forward to, now that he's starting his first day in BuzzFeed. But while he was expecting a charming and friendly guy, he was instead met with someone who couldn't care any less.

Will the case of why Shane hates Ryan remain unsolved?

My notes: In which Shane is really bad at feelings and Ryan has the hots for a certain person who pins him against walls. Awesome ending.

a short history of almost something by cooliohoolio— 6k, No Warnings

Summary: "I think I'll wait another year."

Shane's in love with Ryan, and will get around to telling him. One of these days.

My notes: A lovely short high school! AU with mutual pining. They’re best friends ahhh

only happy accidents by barnes— 8k, Explicit

Summary: In hindsight, Shane is too old to have thought that friends with benefits was something that the two of them would be able to pull off. He’s had friends with benefits before that worked beautifully, but they were not with people whose jobs were tied up in his own, whose friendships were as closely interwoven into Shane’s everyday life as Ryan’s is. He’d thought these were the very things that could keep it from getting weird, because they were such good buddies, Ryan would be solidly cemented as his pal that nothing could shift him.

This was a miscalculation, on Shane’s part.

My Notes: I’m not usually a fan of friends with benefits to lovers, but this had so much mutual pining and fluff that I enjoyed it so much! A must-read.

Gurl, Imma Marry You (ryan is a mess) by orphan_account— 2k, General Audiences

Summary: Ryan is perpetually doing dumb things. Starting a ghost show? Dumb. Going to demon houses? Dumb. Talking to ghosts? Dumb.

But those are all new dumb things. Ryan's known he wants to marry Shane forever. That is an incredibly old dumb thing.

My notes: Really cute and fluffy and I love it so much. It’s a kind of read-to-make-yourself-feel-better kind of fic!

Por Favor, Sweetheart by carrieonfighting— 8k, Teen and Up

Summary: Two dorks raise a baby and don't even realise they're doing it together until it's too late

Alternatively, Ryan Bergara is Trying His Best Thanks

My notes: Normally not a raising-a-child-fic person, but holy smokes this was written so well and the fluff! the domesticity i-

Pushing All Your Buttons by beethechange— 9k, Explicit

Summary: Ryan and Shane get stuck in an elevator at Buzzfeed HQ. There is tension. They relieve the tension. That’s it, that’s the fic.

My notes: I was literally able to see the tension floating off my laptop in front of my face, it was so palpable.

Under 20k

like you want to be loved by poetdameron— 16k, Teen and Up

Summary: "Settle down with me", Shane says without thinking and as Ryan looks at him with wide open eyes, all he can think of it's how many of Ryan's secrets he knows, how Ryan likes his coffee, and the fact that he has loved him since the moment Ryan first looked up at him and smiled.

My notes: The PINING and CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT and ANGST my god. Really well written and lovely happy ending.

ships that pass in the night by beethechange— 20k, Explicit

Summary: The more Ryan thinks about it, the more he thinks he just needs to return the favor, that’s all. And then it’ll be done, like it was meant to be done weeks ago, and they can both move on for real.

It’s not that he wants to. It’s that he won’t be able to stop thinking about it until he evens the score. He has to restore balance to the Force or order to the universe, or—or whatever. It’s a karma thing.

“I think you have to let me jerk you off,” Ryan tells Shane one night. They’re working late, alone in the Watcher office, one of many such late nights these days.

“Wh—here?” Shane asks. He looks around, baffled, like he’ll have been magically transported somewhere else. “Have to?” And then: “Let you?”

My notes: haha what if I dare you to jerk me off dude haha don’t be a chicken

Do you not know how love works? by leylines— 12k, No Rating

Summary: “Fuck you, man,” Ryan growled, rubbing his tailbone where he landed on when he fell down just moments ago.

“I’m pretty sure that’s what Devon already thinks we’re doing,” Shane said cheerfully, not at all sounding bothered by the thought.

“Oh shut up, dude.”

My notes: One of my favourite things in this cold, dark universe is when two characters are dating but they don’t know it but everyone else does. This is so hilarious and warms my dead heart

Full-Court Press by beethechange— 12k, Explicit

Summary: To be clear, these are not tactics Ryan would recommend. Being an athleisure-obsessed pervert, and lying, and clothes-sabotage: these are not things he’s proud of.

But they have undeniably worked.

Shane’s standing next to him in the hotel lobby while Devon checks them all out of their rooms, and he's wearing a sleeveless purple Lakers jersey and the world’s softest, clingiest sweatpants. It’s so exactly as Ryan pictured it, so precisely in line with his fantasies, that he has to pinch himself.

My notes: Really hot and funny and p i n i n g

may your days be merry and bright by bodhirookes— 19k, General Audiences

Summary: “Your turn, Ry Ry.”

Ryan looks down to find only one piece of paper remaining. “Wow, so much selection to choose from.”

“No time for your negativity, Scrooge. Your Secret Santa deserves a better attitude.”

Ryan sticks his tongue out, but takes the slip of paper. He’s loudly yelling Give me Jen, please please please give me Jen as he unfolds it, but he’s too busy begging for her to be truly prepared for what he ends up getting:

A simple but damning SHANE in Andrew’s scribbly handwriting.

Or, Ryan gets Shane for Secret Santa and has a subsequent breakdown about what to get him

Notes: This is so sweet and cute and I would die for both of them. A lovely classic christmas fic!

want you in my room by beethechange— 13k, Explicit

Summary: As they watch, Tall Guy takes his beanie off, revealing a mess of thick, shiny brown hair. He runs his hand through it to shake out the hat hair and Ryan feels like he’s stuck in an Herbal Essences commercial, except he’s the one making inappropriate lustful noises.

Ryan adjusts his snapback, determined. He is, after all, wearing his very finest basketball shorts, without even a single hole at the hem, and the knowledge puts an extra spring in his step.

“I’m gonna climb that dude like a tree,” he tells Curly.

My notes: Just really dumb, cute pining in a wonderful frat boy/nerd college AU!

Long boys

Muscles Better and Nerves More by beethechange— 26k, Explicit

Summary: “I’m serious,” Ryan says. “Don’t go fucking up my body. I want that shit back in the same condition I left it.”

“The same condition—Ryan. I’m not spending hours in a gym every day so you don’t lose muscle mass.”

“I want you to treat my body with the respect you would a national park. Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but memories.”

***

A certain meddling Voodoo Queen of New Orleans thinks Ryan and Shane need some new perspective on life. After an inadvisable ritual deposits Ryan in Shane’s body, and Shane in Ryan’s, the ghoulboys pursue some soul-searching and self-discovery to put things right. Sometimes in a sexy way.

My notes: This is so sexy and in character! A freaky friday kinda scenario where they only switch back when they pull their figurative heads out of their asses. So wonderful.

Dreams to be daring for by allonsy_gabriel— 24k, General Audiences

Summary: On May 11, 2018, Eleanora Rose Austin was born in Chicago, Illinois.

On May 20, 2018, Shane Alexander Madej agreed to act as the godfather to his best friend from college's daughter.

On October 26, 2018, Olivia and Michael Austin were victims of a mugging gone sideways.

On October 29, 2018, Shane Madej found himself in the possession of one real, actual, human child.

My notes: Accidental Baby Acquisition is now my favourite trope because of this fic. The fact that they’re already acting like a couple with the baby before they actually become one is sooo beautiful,,, give it a read im begging you

Fifty Shades of Gold by beethechange— 21k, Explicit

Summary: Shane tires of doing the same bits over and over. He tires of telling the same stories until they all, him and Ryan and the fans, have every beat memorized. Whenever Ryan pulls out his Ricky Goldsworth impression, ah yes, that old chestnut, Shane plays along only begrudgingly. He’s bored.

That’s his official position: he’s over Ricky Goldsworth.

Shane’s unofficial position, regrettably, is that he’d rather be under Ricky Goldsworth.

My notes: Shane’s got the hots for Ricky Goldsworth and that’s the TEA. Lots of sexual tension and cute and unsure! Ryan!

Precious metals by StrikerEureka— 73k, Mature

Summary: Ryan and Shane have been moving around something that is coming to a head between them. After a car accident, on the way to an investigation, Ryan slowly starts to become suspicious that Shane might not be what he seems. He realizes, though, that he just might not care.

Shane sits forward suddenly. “Hey, pull over up here.”

Ryan follows the instruction without questioning it, which probably says something about either his willingness to listen to Shane or his sanity. Maybe both; they go hand in hand. He puts on his blinker, even though they haven’t seen another car in a couple of minutes, and pulls off onto the shoulder.

“Are you gonna puke or something?” he asks, putting the car into park, as Shane takes off his seatbelt with one hand and tugs off his Ray Bans with the other.

“You better hope not,” he murmurs as he leans over the center console and kisses Ryan solidly on the mouth.

My notes: My favourite Demon!Shane AU ever! Really sweet and loads of tension and pining... must-read.

darling it’s a faded notion by varnes— 28k, Explicit

Summary: The sun is too bright and Ryan’s whole body is alight with something that is eating him all the way up from the inside out, but he keeps his eyes open and he makes himself look, and he tells himself that once he finds Shane, he’ll think about it. Once he finds Shane, they’ll make a plan. Once he finds Shane, and only then, he’ll let himself have the thought he’s been swallowing down like bile since he came to: that they didn’t fall.

They were pushed.

OR: Ryan and Shane get cursed by a ghost, and now they can't be not-touching. It's ... not great.

My notes: They get cursed and have to be touching all the time!! and they’re pining so hard y’all like what more could one want

Bed-warm Hands and the Ghost of Elvis by MiraclesofPaul— 21k, Teen and Up

Summary: They get used to sharing a bed while filming the show. Ryan's just trying not to let his feelings get in the way.

So Ryan tells himself he’s going to ride out whatever it is they’ve fallen into, but he’ll bow out gracefully when the time comes. He can just enjoy the now.

My notes: They share a bed!!! And their hearts!! so much lack of communication, it’s wonderful

Hope that someone will enjoy these fics that I did so very much! If you want more buzzfeed unsolved fics let me know because i’ve read sooo much fanfiction...

—Iris

#iris recs #fanfic recs #fanfiction #long post #buzzfeed unsolved #shyan #shyan fanfiction #shyan masterpost #pining #long fic #getting together #short fic #skeptic believer

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despressolattes · 4 years

Text

AFTERMATH | CHAPTER TWENTY THREE | LEGACIES

book masterlist » book one masterlist

< previous chapter

—

I was walking with Alaric through the halls of the school.

"How's Roman's recruiting going?" I asked him slowly, unsure if it was weird to be asking him about updates.

"Hasn't he been texting you? That's what he told me," Alaric said, furrowing his eyebrows at me.

I brushed a piece of hair out of my face, flushed. How was it that I felt almost embarrassed that I was still in contact with my ex boyfriend.

"Well... yeah," I mumbled. "I just... You know how Roman is, he doesn't like it when I worry... so I know if it wasn't going well, he wouldn't tell me-"

"Dr. Saltzman!"

"'Dr. Saltzman, I have changed my mind. I've decided to take you up on your offer and get the hell out with every other sane person here,'" Alaric spoke as we turned around, saying the words that he was hoping would come out of Landon Kirby's mouth.

"No, actually, I took your advice, and I stayed busy, and I think I found something," Landon said in his normal rambling way of speaking.

He started walking away, pointing back with his thumb, indicating Alaric and I follow him.

We looked at one another with grave looks, and we sighed. We followed after the human boy, anyways. We grabbed Hope on the way, Landon leading the three of us into the Salvatore Memorial Library.

"Let's pretend for a second that the research isn't wrong," Landon said. "Maybe the Night Hag can't hurt us in real life. Maybe the Night Hag-"

"I prefer Night Bitch," I said, which was unnecessary. I got a scolding look from Alaric, but Landon continued anyways.

"-can't leave the astral plane and get ahold of the urns, so maybe we are not dealing with a Night Hag."

Okay, Kirby, solid argument, I thought as I nodded along. It made sense.

Alaric, however, said, "Well, if it walks like a Night Hag, and talks like a Night Hag, what else could it be?"

"That's exactly what I was wondering, so then I started going through all these books, and boom," Landon said, motioning to the ancient books he had on the table.

We all looked down to see an image followed by a lengthy block of text.

"What's an Oneiroi?" Hope asked, reading the page.

"It's a black-winged shapeshifting dream demon from Greek Mythology," Alaric and I said together.

"Ah, the Greeks," I said in a reminiscing tone.

"You've been alive long enough to see Ancient Greek?" Landon exclaimed, looking at me with a look that I couldn't tell if it was fascination or fear.

"I dunno, have I?" I asked, smirking as I left the discussion there.

"I really don't think-"

"Anyways," I said, still wanting to leave the boy in the dark about it. He'll learn so enough in classes, anyways.

"Why would one monster disguise itself as another monster?" Hope asked. "The Oneiroi sounds freaky enough."

"Because if we know what it actually was-" Landon started.

"-we'd know how to stop it," Alaric finished. He stared at Hope, and said, "Hope, kiss him for me."

I tried to contain a laugh, but it came out anyways. Alaric left, and I watched as the couple stared at each other awkwardly.

"Not with me in the room," I said, bolting out, too.

—

"A black-winged what?" Kaleb asked.

"Shapeshifting dream demon," the couple and I said together.

"I know that it sounds bad, but now that we know what the creature is, we can fight it," Hope said.

"How the hell are we supposed to kill a dream demon?" Rafael asked.

"Leave that part to us," I told him, sitting down on the arm of the chair he was sitting on and leaning against him. "Hope can't sleep without compromising the location of the urn, so I'll pull it out of the dream plane. Don't worry, I'm immortal."

He looked at me like I was crazy.

"After the dream you were having earlier when we went to bed, you think Imma let you go back?" he asked.

"Back track, when were you two in bed together?" MG asked, pointing at us.

Everyone looked at us suspiciously.

"Anyways, so MG was right about it being Freddy Kruegar," I said, once again attempting to deflect the conversation.

"Wait, how the hell are you supposed to do that?" Rafael said.

"Like I said," I spoke again. "Hope and I got this. You guys... just stay awake. Stay safe."

"I still wanna back track to the bed thing, too," Landon said, raising his hand while he spoke.

"No," Rafael and I said in unison.

I stood up, going to grab Hope. "Let's do this cousin."

—

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

I didn't realize the impact that SIDE CHARACTER and AFTERMATH has had on some of you until these past few days when I asked people to leave me messages on what made them read this series, and why they liked it. I realized I have inspired at least one person to write, and I have realized that this books helped at least one person through some dark days.

I think I've mentioned it before, but if you guys need a refresher, writing SIDE CHARACTER started out as this outlet for me. When I'm sad or life is a little hard, I throw myself into whatever I can, usually fandoms, usually wattpad, usually writing. Freshman, sophomore, and junior year was brutal, part of me didn't want to make it through.

It's hard being the girl who fixes everything and everybody, when no one's fixing you. It's hard to be everyone's go to, but feeling alone. I broke and bent and mended myself into these molds people needed me to be: the friend who will walk 20 minutes to another friend's house with a hot cup of coffee and some spaghetti to mend their heartbreak when my own was breaking in a million ways and I stayed quiet about it. The girl who was in love with a boy who snuffed her voice out. The one who always gave the best advice, but never seemed to follow it.

I'm probably oversharing, but I'm kind of in my feelings about it lately, and these messages about being inspiring and being an outlet of light has made me want to talk to you guys about this. What's an author without a backstory?

I'm two months away from being eighteen. I'm almost halfway through my last year of high school. I've learned how to forgive like no other. I've continued to love like no other. I've been used and abused and tossed aside but guess what guys? It's tragic that the best souls have been through the most torment.

You're all extremely lovely. I'm definitely a source people can go to if they need to talk. I've been through sexual harassment, borderline assault, manipulative liars, emotionally abusive friends and significant others. I've been through a lot that I don't speak about to most of my friends, so I know that it can be hard to speak up.

Like Hope said to Josie, make the quiet things heard.

I'm here to talk. I'm here to be an outlet. This book was mine.

If you guys ever want to know fully what happened, what I've been through, out of curiosity or any other reason, I wrote a book about it. You can find it on liyahwritesx (wattpad won't let me link it rn smh)

It's a deluded version because there are still things I cannot bring myself to write about. but it's a start. it's a chapter in my life. it was one my first tragic epic love, and then some. it's called museum of us.

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realityhelixcreates · 4 years

Text

Lasabrjotr Chapter 51: Getting to Know You

Chapters: 51/? Fandom: Thor (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe Rating: Teen And Up Warnings: none Relationships: Loki x Reader (Getting There) Characters: Loki (Marvel), Additional Tags: Post-Endgame: Best Possible Ending (Canon-Divergent), Here Have Some More Weird Foreshadowing, Mynos Is Friend Shaped, Oh Shit Who Could Have Ever Guessed This Might Happen

Summary: You and Loki share some quality time, and make a new friend.

You huddled next to Loki on his black sheepskin rug, in front of his fireplace. The warm light of the flames-actually a fake fire, as the 'logs' were made of iron-spangled off his deep eyes, as he excitedly explained his new ideas to you.

He'd been side-eying you for two days. Not avoiding you or anything, and not distant at all; if anything, he was more attentive than ever. Something had clearly disturbed him, but you had no idea what it was. Ever since he had rushed you off to the healing wing after that weird candle dinner, he refused to tell you what you had said or done that had startled him so badly, he just told you not to worry about it.

He was definitely still worried about it. He acted as if you were still convalescing: trying to do everything for you, hovering, asking you over and over again if you were all right, how you were feeling, if you needed anything.

What you needed was for him to lighten up and back off a bit. You might have liked the attention under other circumstances, but like this it was just feeding into your paranoia. What was it you had done to make him act like this? Why wouldn't he tell you?

When he'd asked you to have dinner with him again, you'd hoped he was ready to discuss it, so you could finally get it off your mind. Otherwise, you would pick and pick at it forever.

But no, instead it was another weird dinner. Firelight this time, and trays full of finger food, on a sheepskin rug, on the floor of his bedroom, where you had never been before.

You would really have to ask Saldis if this kind of thing was normal. Because from your perspective, this screamed 'date', but he hadn't actually made his intentions clear, and you weren't sure you wanted to date right now, no matter how much you liked him. There was just so much on your mind.

He was in those damnably tight velvet trousers again though.

“So, you drew these?” You said, munching on some fruit. “They look nice. Very precise.”

They were. Every line was absolutely straight and perfect, just like his writing.

“They are longhouses. A little stylized, admittedly, but basically just longhouses. I saw buildings like this when I visited, centuries ago. They have a certain charm to them, don't they?”

“I see you've put your horns on them.” You said, pointing to the curved carvings on the apex of the roof at both the front and back entrances.

“Stylized, as I said.” He shrugged. “Besides, as the patron, I do reserve the right to put my signatures on the buildings. The inhabitants should know under whose auspices they live.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I intend to have these built. For the camp. Before Buridag. As a sort of symbolic gift, in the spirit of Buridag.”

“What?”

“They had difficulties last winter. It is hard to live in a tent when the snow can rise higher than your door. With these, they can climb out the roof if the snow gets high, and they can also keep warm, and safe from winds. We can build them with modern amenities as well. Electricity, plumbing, all of that.”

“You want to build them houses? Houses for the campers?” You asked, incredulous.

“I am Aesir. I was a god once, on this world. Even as a child, a youth, people of this world worshiped me. I never stopped being that, only now I have the power to do something for them.”

You set your fruit down and threw your arms around his torso. “They're gonna build you so many shrines!”

His bright smile betrayed his delight. “You approve then?”

“Of course I do! I was out there once, I saw what it was like. And that was in the spring! I can't imagine what winter is like here. Loki, are you really going to do this?”

“Yes. I'm going to build something for this world.” He blew out a breath, staring into the fire. “We are at the beginning of something, I can feel it. And while I may never get to make any kind of reparations for what I have done here, for the lives lost-” He cut himself off sharply, glancing down at you, as if waiting for something.

“What?” You wondered. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” He said after a moment of just staring.

“Is it because of what happened before? What did I do, Loki?”

“It doesn't matter, really.” He deflected.

“You say that, but it's bothering us both!” From your position snuggled into his side, you gazed up at him with a pleading expression. “It's freaking me out, Loki. Please, just tell me what it was?”

You had put on your best puppy-dog face, the one you always used on your father, and Nanna Beth. It almost always worked on them, but for Loki, who could say?

He gritted his teeth in a tiny grimace as you stared up at him, and you saw him break.

Well. Wasn't that interesting?

“It's...you said that you were waiting for the people I killed to return. As if there was a direct link between them returning, and the people Thanos killed returning. And then you instantly forgot that you had said anything at all.”

“Woah.” You breathed. “Okay, yeah, that's pretty freaky.”

“Yes. I thought perhaps there was some deeper damage to your brain, something we just hadn't picked up yet, or...” He clutched you a little tighter. “Your father told me about your families health issues, and I've promised to keep you-and specifically your head-safe. I am not going to allow some malevolent lump of flesh to harm you, but I was worried it might be something related to that.”

“Oh. Yeah. That's been looming over me for my whole life. You know, I didn't go to college, partly because I didn't have the money, but I didn't even try to get scholarships or financial aid. Mostly because I kinda thought it wouldn't matter. I figured I would die young, like my mom, and Nanna Beth, so it was no use. It wasn't like I'd have time to make anything of myself.”

His grip on you tightened.

“But I'm still here. I'm older now than either of them ever got to be.” You looked at the brand on your hand. “I got to grow up. I got to see things neither of them could have ever imagined. I'm going to become royalty. I'm going to be a sorceress. I'm going to be an advisor to a god. I'm gonna be...I am someone.”

He released you with one arm, only to stroke your hair with his free hand. You leaned into the touch. It was always nice to have your head tended to.

“You certainly are.” He murmured. “Please tell me something, _____. It's very important.”

“Yes?” You gazed back up at him, finding him staring earnestly back down at you. So beautiful. So close.

“What is your favorite color?”

“Huh?” And just like that, the somber mood was broken, sending you reeling into the mundane, but wholly unexpected question.

“Your favorite color. What is it? You have been by my side for months, yet I don't know what it is. I have seen many sides of you, shared things as intimate as dreams with you, but I don't know something as simple as what kind of music you like, or if you know how to dance. What is your favorite dish? Your favorite game? What is a Bulbasaur, and why do you like it? I would like for you to tell me about yourself. Please. Teach me about you.”

He held you in front of the fire for the rest of the evening, as you traded stories back and forth, questions, musings, and little tidbits of information. You put out of your head that you were in a mans bedroom, in his arms; Loki had shown himself too old-fashioned for you to fear his intentions. Finally, that fear had passed.

You were at that point where you wished he would kiss you, but were afraid for him to do so. Though it had been some time since you had been in anything resembling a romantic relationship, the last person you had been with was Todd, and that experience had made you wary, knotted up inside over the prospect. You were over Todd, but you weren't over it. Loki wouldn't do those things to you, you thought. But you weren't sure. How could you be?

Besides, desiring him wouldn't get you anywhere. You could not have him. Even though you were going to be declared royalty, the regal god-prince would always be way out of your league. What did a royal title mean, when you knew what you were? It didn't matter what title stood next to your name, you were a peasant. You had been raised a peasant, and though you now had the chance to make something of yourself, your roots would always be in the Iowa cornfields.

And for most things in your life, that was just fine. You weren't ashamed of it. But you knew it drove a great wedge between you two.

Perhaps Loki understood that too, if the thought of it ever even crossed his mind. He probably never even thought about it, never thought about you that way, because of that very wedge, even if he seemed to be constantly trying to shave away at it.

Eventually, you both grew quiet, and the food disappeared into one mouth or another. Allowing yourself a sliver of the comfort being in his arms should have brought you, you dozed off against his chest.

*****

Flying through space was just as beautiful as always; the stars, the blue light, the rapidly approaching planet.

You'd been here before, to this hazy, orange world, the home of the supposedly extinct Titans. You and Loki landed once again at the edge of the sickly fields, Loki gazing around in concern.

“Here again?” He wondered. “Why?”

“The fields look better this time.” You observed. “The leaves don't look as crunchy.”

“That is because we have developed more effective water filters.”

Both you and Loki whirled to face the Titan behind you, knives in hands.

“I dare say, those are unnecessary.” The titan said, sitting on an hill, overlooking the fields. It looked like you had interrupted his lunch. “I pose no threat you you. I am merely a scientist.”

You weren't sure if he was the same Titan you had seen the last time you were here, but he was wearing similar clothing.

“Are you Mynos?” You asked.

“I am.” He replied. “And you travel with an Asgardian. Are you an invader?”

“No.” Loki replied. “We are travelers of fortune.”

“Ah. Well, you will find little of that here. I should have thought you'd have realized that the first time you came.”

“You saw us?” You asked.

“Yes, just as you disappeared into the storm. After it passed, I sought you out, but could find no trace of you. It was dismissed as yet another of my odd visions.”

“You happen to be known for such things?” Loki asked.

“Oh yes. Old Mynos is a capable chemist and engineer, and that's why he is kept around, despite all his oddness. Such as seeing Asgardians and...Asgardian-adjacents come floating out of the sky on a silent blue beam, rather than a roaring rainbow. Perhaps you are not actually real either.”

“We might not be.” You agreed. This had to be another dream, but the awareness of that didn't seem to change anything. “You're not worried about that?”

“I am not.” He said, taking a swig of water from a bottle with a large filter attached to the top. “I have seen things more terrifying than you, strange creature, and they were not real either, thankfully.”

Something clicked.

“These things...Did they have anything to do with someone called Thanos? Another Titan, from this world?”

Mynos slowly set his water bottle aside.

“So...You are either some waking dream, or all of that was real. I would much rather you be a dream. I wonder why you and I remember, but no one else does?”

“Thanos is not remembered here?” Loki asked. “Not at all, not even before he came to power?”

Mynos patted the dirt next to him.

“Sit.” He said. “It appears we have some things to share.”

Loki remained where he was, you took a seat next to Mynos. Though sitting himself, he towered over you, like a mauve boulder jutting out of the orange soil.

He might be like you; remembering things that technically never happened. That meant he might have magic, like you did.

“Will you tell me how an Asgardian and a...��

“Human.” You provided.

“...A Human know Thanos?”

“I don't know him.” You said. “Never even seen the guy. But I remember living through the results of something he did. That's been fixed now.”

“I knew him. He was as pathetic and perverse as he was powerful.” Loki said bitterly.

“Yes, that all matches up to my experience as well. The Thanos I knew was a farmer who became a military leader during the overthrow of our old government. When he was young, most of his family died of starvation, as the land began to die. During the Revolution, he took up a leadership role, and organized the remaining local people into a militant force, one of many that rose up at that time. As the Revolution wore on, he gained more and more influence. It seemed he was naturally gifted in charisma, but it was discovered later that he was actually very efficient at manipulation, intimidation, and the radicalization of his soldiers. After the Revolution, he made a bid for control of the new government, but it was discovered that he planned to cull half the population, and he was rejected. We had already lost so many, and the planet was still dying. He spoke of conserving resources, but his plan would have killed indiscriminately: scientists, who were needed to research and create plans to heal the planet, workers, who were needed to implement those plans. We couldn't afford to lose even one more mind, one more pair of hands.

He wanted all of the factories and infrastructure shut down before we had alternate plans in place. To force us all back into an agrarian society before most of us had been taught the necessary skills. In short, he wanted as many of us to die as possible. He was obsessed with death, seemed to nearly worship it, and his soldiers viewed him as a kind of prophet. The plants grew better on the battlefields and mass graves, and, to a generation of soldiers who had been raised on war and dead lands, that must have seemed like a miracle.

We built a tiny fleet of starships in the hope of harvesting resources from other parts of the system, to give our planet a rest. That seemed to be the last straw for him. He had his forces plant explosives in factories, city centers, bridges. Then he seized the entire fleet, and escaped the planet.

His madness, and the madness he cast over his soldiers became crystal clear at that point. He'd convinced his soldiers that not all of them could survive the coming journey, and had them plant explosives on each other's ships, all the ships save his own, promising each group that they would be the ones to accompany him on his new quest. Then, when he was far enough away, he detonated all of the explosives.”

“How do you know what he did?” Loki asked.

“Because after the initial waves of explosions, we located one of the soldiers who had been left behind, and interrogated her. She told us that he had discovered some great power source, and was going to use it to fix the universe. She had been laying explosives on one of the ships, but had been left behind when she went to get more. She and I were killed when debris from the ships crushed our shelter.. I remember this happening. And yet...”

“And yet here you are.” Loki finished.

“And no one else remembers.” You offered.

“Yes. You know of this.”

“Yeah. The universe spent a whole year with all life halved. People, plants, animals...even microbes, I guess. And then, it was reversed.”

“Can you tell me how?”

You glanced at Loki.

“Only the briefest summary.” He admitted. “I was barely there. Thanos continued in that form for many years, decimating planets and seeking this power source. He succeeded. But a group of survivors wrested that power from him, used it to reverse his work, and ended his life. It was thought that he was the last of you, but it appears that we were mistaken.”

“You may have been right. I remember not even two years since that time. Nobody else seems to perceive this gap. No body else remembers him, not even the people who were once his fanatical soldiers. They do not even recognize his name.”

“That wasn't part of the spell...Wait, did you feel that?” Loki asked. You had felt a jolt, and now the world was narrowing around you.

“I'm sorry Mynos, but I think we have to go.” You said, urgently running up to one of the plants, and snatching a leaf. “I don't know if and when we'll be back, but if it's possible to send you help, we'll try.”

“Idle promises have little worth.” He said. “But I appreciate the sympathy, Human.”

You wanted to say more, but the orange world blipped out, replaced by warm firelight, a sheepskin rug, and the arms of a prince, who was being shaken awake by a troubled Andsvarr.

“Your Highness!” He cried. “Your highness, please wake up!”

“Give me one good reason not to banish you, Alarrson!” He snapped grumpily.

“One of the camps has attacked the others! They created a distraction for the gate guards, then set the other two camps on fire!”

You were both suddenly very awake.

“Sofie!” You cried, leaping to your feet.

“No you do not! You stay here, you are in no way combat ready!” Loki commanded.

“But-”

“No! I will see to the humans, you stay here. I swear on my father's name, if you follow me out there, I will lock you in your room and throw away the key!”

You crossed your arms in anger. You knew he wouldn't do that, but you also knew that he was right about not being ready for a battlefield. Oh, you hated it.

“Then go!” You snapped. “Don't hang around here arguing with me. Get out there! Andsvarr, help my friends!”

“Yes, my Seidkona!” He declared.

#lasabrjotr #loki x reader #loki (marvel)

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lefaystrent · 5 years

Text

Lifeline ch.3

Fandom: Thomas Sanders, Sanders Sides

Pairings: platonic lamp/Thomas

Summary: Unable to help himself, Patton reached out to ruffle Thomas’s hair. The other sides rolled their eyes, knowing what would happen, except—

Patton’s hand.

It made contact.

Chapter Navigation: one , two , four

AO3 Link

When his sides inevitably did reappear, he didn’t expect Logan to be the first to show up.

“If you fail to correct your posture now, it could negatively affect your health.”

“Logan!” Thomas exclaimed, flinging out his arms to keep himself from falling out of his seat. He’d been sitting at the dining table going through his business email on his laptop. Behind him, his logical side stood in his usual spot by the stairs.

Logan adjusted his glasses calmly. “Salutations, Thomas. As I was saying, though you may not notice it at the time, sitting at your computer as you were doing attributes to back and neck pain, stress on your joints which could lead to arthritis, digestive issues which can lead to acid reflux or—”

“Careful, Logan,” a deep, graveled voice interrupted. “You’re stealing my thunder.”

Thomas snapped his head to his left to find Virgil sitting on the table beside his computer. Although his sides tended to like their living room spots the most, they could pop up anywhere. That didn’t mean it wasn’t odd to see Virgil away from his regular spot while Logan remained in his usual place.

Or maybe it was just because of all the thoughts that had been plaguing Thomas since he last saw them. That was sure to make anything weird.

Logan glanced over at Virgil, expression unreadable. “I’m always careful. As for the latter part of your statement, I suppose you mean to say your metaphorical thunder; however, I’m not sure how I could ‘steal’ that.”

“It’s supposed to be my job to stress Thomas out.” Virgil leaned back on one arm, hand braced against the tabletop while his feet rested on one of the dining chairs. His position should have been a relaxed one. Head angled down, he looked through a fringe of purple-stained bangs to level a hard stare at Logan.

“I only seek to ensure that Thomas maintains a healthy lifestyle through the use of facts. And as you are well aware, that is my job.”

“If your job is to be a nagging mom, then yeah, I’m aware.”

“What is it with all of you likening me to a mother in a negative context?”

“Guys?” Thomas questioned quietly. He thought this would be one of those times where they’d keep on going, not having heard him. Instead they zeroed in on him immediately. The sudden intense stares pierced into him. He tried to smile. “Why so serious?”

Logan scoffed, shoulders stiff and hands held together in a lecturing stance. “I’m always serious. I have to be if anything is to be done around here.”

“Logan, that’s not—” Thomas went to say because they had been over this kind of conversation before, but Virgil beat him to it.

“Maybe nothing needs to be done at the moment,” he growled, teeth bared.

Logan’s brow raised. “And this is why I have to always be the serious one, because frivolous nonsense is reserved elsewhere.”

For a second, Virgil’s mouth hung open. The air chilled between them, cold enough to suck breath from lungs. Thomas suspected a lot more was being said than he understood. It was like watching parents trying to act normal in front of their kid after having an argument in the next room. And wasn’t that a freaky thought? Thomas knew that they had conversations away from him, inside the mindscape, but it had never felt more disconcerting than it did now, to think of what the pieces of him did unbeknownst to him.

Almost like they were real people, people who he suddenly felt like he didn’t know so well anymore.

Virgil shot a hurried look at Thomas. He didn’t know what he must have saw there, but Virgil quickly schooled his lips into a scowl.

“This is bullshit,” Virgil muttered, turning away. “Princey! Code stupid, or whatever.”

“Virgil!” Roman rose up in front of the tv, arms falling from his regal pose to point accusingly at the darker side. “We agreed that it would be ‘code blue’ considering— wait, why are you all over . . .”

Roman frowned in observation at their location. Upon spotting Logan, his eyes widened for a brief second before he dived into action, running to hop over the couch with a grunt of, “Parkour!” He landed between the table and Logan.

“Whenever troubles block your way, your prince shall come to save the day!”

“If by ‘save the day’ you mean ‘interrupt an ongoing conversation that has nothing to do with you’ then yes, I suppose you’re right.”

“If it had nothing to do with me then it was obviously not a conversation worth continuing.” One hand on hip and eyes closed as his head turned to the side dramatically, Roman raised a hand to gracefully gesture at his face. “Go ahead, you may shower me with praises.”

Virgil rolled his eyes, sharing a glance with Thomas to shake his head. Thomas smiled weakly, more focused on Logan at the moment.

Arms crossed, Logan stood there unimpressed. He offered no retort. Which was a good thing, right? Because Thomas worried that this would turn into a full-blown argument, and he felt unprepared to play mediator at the moment since usually that was Patton’s—

Logan turned to look across the living room, gazing for a long, drawn-out minute at the white blinds.

“At this rate, nothing will get done,” he commented. Then he sank out.

Roman drooped, pouting. “He could at least put up a decent fight.”

Virgil smacked his arm. Roman gasped and smacked his arm right back.

Having grown up with brothers himself, Thomas knew they were about to squabble. He knew it and he couldn’t take it.

“Hey,” he called their attention sharply, throwing an arm out between them. Both of them flinched and avoided the limb at all costs, Roman jumping back and Virgil nearly falling off the table.

. . . okay, that kind of stung a little. Even worse was the spooked way they watched him now.

Were they afraid of Thomas? Or of themselves?

Thomas swallowed. He tried his best to remember Joan’s words and let that give him the determination to do what needed to be done.

“What was all that about?”

They looked at each other first in that way that screamed they knew exactly what Thomas meant but didn’t want to be the first to spill the beans. Roman stood up straight, offering a dazzling smile.

“Whatever do you mean, Thomas? You know how things usually go with us. We’re a rowdy bunch!”

“No, no.” Thomas denied, shaking his head. “I know how things usually go and that wasn’t . . . usual. There’s something going on here, something that you aren’t telling me, am I right?”

Virgil avoided looking at Thomas altogether. He let Roman do the talking. “Nothing that you don’t already know, I assure you. You know how Sir Thinks-a-Lot is, repressing the fact that he’s as human as the rest of us.”

Thomas could leave it there. It’d be the easy way out. Laugh it off, let things go back to normal. Forget the looming sense of unease and uncertainty.

Forget the other day ever happened.

Thomas folded his hands in his lap, eyes fixed on Roman, imploring and earnest. “I don’t think that’s all there is to it.”

“What you don’t know can’t hurt you,” Virgil muttered.

“There’s already a lot that I don’t know,” Thomas pointed out, “and I’m not the only one it’s hurting.”

Silence fell on them. Not for the first time, Thomas wondered where the line was drawn between himself and his sides. How similar had their thoughts been running these past days? Or could he fathom what they were going through?

Roman put his back to them, bracing his arms on top of the couch, head bowed. Likewise, Virgil refused to look at him. He sat there hunched in on himself, hood having been pulled up. Without being able to see their faces like this, Thomas could imagine they were anyone. Anyone with their own problems and fears. Anyone he could reach out to, if he dared.

What would it be like? If he were to grip at the arm of Virgil’s hoodie and tug. Or to place a steady hand at Roman’s back? Could they feel the weight? Would they want to?

You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this.

That’s what Patton had said. But that was Patton. Did the others . . . did they ever think that way too?

“Please talk to me,” Thomas whispered, unable to bear the pounding silence.

They said nothing. Thomas drowned in the absence of sound, the tide of questions cresting over him, until an ocean spanned between them. His heart twisted in his chest, and he felt the inexplicably urge to cry.

More than anything, he wanted to understand himself.

Because they made his life better, right?

I want to make their lives better too.

From behind him, someone spoke softly, “This is my fault.”

Thomas looked over his shoulder to see Patton round the corner from the kitchen. His eyes were as sad as his smile. The other two sides seemed taken aback at his appearance. Virgil slid off the table, ready to approach Patton if Roman hadn’t gripped him by the elbow. Amazingly, Virgil let him without protest.

“Patton?” Thomas questioned. “How is any of this your fault?”

“We’ve all been thinking about it,” the fatherly side chuckled. “Even if it’s hard, or we might not want to. What happened, happened. We can’t change the past, just how we deal with it.”

“Pat,” Roman began but Patton hushed him gently.

“It’s alright, champ. I know what you’ve been up to. I know you care, but I don’t need you to protect me.”

“Protect you from what?” Thomas asked, glancing back and forth between his sides. What in the world was going on?

“From myself?” Patton confessed with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. He took one step in front of the other, stopping almost a foot away from Thomas. They were the same height, all of them, but from where Thomas sat, he’d never seen Patton look taller. “I don’t think I’ve been setting a good example for my kiddos, lately.”

“What do you mean?” Thomas asked, voice barely a whisper.

“It’s okay to be scared, Thomas,” he said, smile understanding. He leaned forward, hands on his knees, their eyes at the same level. The corners of his eyes crinkled with fondness. “It’s okay to hide when you need to. But Thomas?”

A hand rose, palm facing up.

“We can’t hide forever,” Patton said and waited patiently.

Thomas scrutinized the hand. It was his, same lines drawn on skin, same tiny freckles scattered here and there, same thick fingers spread out. But at the same time, it wasn’t. This was Patton’s hand, and Thomas could feel everyone’s eyes on him, though he didn’t look up to check.

If Patton could do it, so could he.

He hung his own hand above Patton’s for a moment before bringing it down.

Tag list: @spectralheartt @a-pastel-pan @notalwaysthevillian @rose-gold-roman @ijustrealizedhowdumbmynamewas @katie-the-noble-fangirl @yourroyalydramaticanxiousness @aroundofapplesauce @merlybird500 @beach-fan @jemthebookworm @whats-going-on-kiddos @5am-the-foxing-hour @sevencrashing @ryuity @sanders-s1des-blog @pridefox @romano-cheesey @fandomsofrandom @book-of-charlie (let me know if you want to be added or removed from this story’s tag list)

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jovialyouthmusic · 5 years

Text

The Many Lives of Drake Walker

A Royal Romance multiple AU fanfic

2 Housekeeping

In which I explore the virtual world that Drake and his aquaintences inhabit - first hand...

@ao719 @agent-bossypants @andy-loves-corgis @sleepwalkingelite @boneandfur @blackcatkita @brightpinkpeppercorn @choicescommunity @darley1101 @drakewalkerrosenberg @debramcg1106 @fluffy-marshmallow-heart @goirishsunshine @gardeningourmet @livingthroughchoices @likethetailofacomet @mrs-nazario @mind-reader1 @ooo-barff-ooo @silviasutton1989 @speedyoperarascalparty @zaffrenotes @missevabean @mrsdrakewalkerblog @cora-nova @missameliep @tanelle83 @endlessly-searching-for-you @jlouise88 @drakenazario @tabithacarlisle @furiousherringoperatortoad @notoriouscs @classylady1234 @wickedgypsymoon @carabeth @choices-fangirl @indiana-jr @indiacater @noey718-blog @katedrakeohd @bobasheebaby @annekebbphotography @kennaxval @sirbeepsalot @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @aworldoffandoms @iplaydrake @drakesensworld @drakewalkerisreal @samcpossum

2 Housekeeping

I looked around myself, wondering where on earth I was – or was this Earth at all? What was it – a dream, my imagination playing tricks on me, some sort of virtual construct like the Matrix? No matter what it was, I was there, I felt perfectly normal apart from a little nausea. And what was more, the man standing next to me felt real - very real. I looked down at myself – I was vey much me, just slimmer and younger and wearing my current favourite outfit – black skinny jeans with a striped top and fitted jacket.

We stood in a bright space, like a big waiting room with lots of doors leading off to every side. There was a desk where a receptionist had her head bowed down, and there were seats all around – sofas and easy chairs, and other people walked around chatting or looking at what looked like smartphones or hand terminals. It was all rather like science fiction. Drake grinned at me.

‘Impressive’

‘What?’

‘This place – you made it the way you expected it to be. I’ve met others who had oak panelled libraries or hospital waiting rooms. I like this one, it’s bright and airy. You’re also your best idea of yourself – you don’t look much different from what I saw before, so you must be pretty self confident’

‘I - you’re welcome I suppose’

‘Okay, we need to get you checked in, make everything official in case you need to be found in an emergency’

‘Like what?’

‘Well obviously if your partner woke and found you sitting sleeping in front of the laptop and couldn’t wake you he might freak out, so we’d send you back straight away’ He started toward the reception desk, and on the way I saw a familiar figure.

‘Hold on – is that…’ I started, and the tall neatly bearded man clapped Drake on the shoulder

‘Walker, you found another one – I hope you’ve explained everything to her. Good afternoon…’ he stopped ‘or is it morning? It doesn’t matter, welcome to our world – which you had a hand in making’

‘Th - thankyou – Bastien?’ I stammered, shaking the hand he offered me, slightly overawed.

‘In the flesh’ he smiled ‘I hope you enjoy your time with us’ He walked away and I turned to Drake, mouth open.

‘Is there – will I meet all the others?’

‘If they’re around, yes. I’ll introduce you to a few after we get you signed in’ We went up to the desk and the blonde woman looked up, unimpressed by my appearance.

‘Name?’ she intoned, totally deadpan and uninterested

‘Hi Maddy, this is Lesley – she wrote the latest one I’ve been in’

‘Oh yes? Fantastic’ she said sarcastically. She looked at me and slapped a piece of paper on the counter ‘Fill this in. It won’t take long.’ I looked at her critically.

‘Are you – are you Madeleine? From Fydelia?’ the blond woman rolled her eyes.

‘Yes, what of it?’

‘Well I – I suppose I’m surprised’

‘Well Lesley, if folk were more sympathetic when they wrote about me, maybe I’d give a damn. Just fill the form in’ She handed me a pen, and Drake led me away to a table, hand on my elbow

‘Don’t mind her, she’d be a whole different person if…’ he sighed ‘she’s just neglected, made out to be the bad guy, you know’ I smiled sympathetically and filled the form in – it was simple, just name, date of birth, my nom de plume and username, address and next of kin. There was also a section naming the stories I’d written. Drake looked over my shoulder.

‘Don’t worry too much about that, just the name of the series will do, we can find you with your username. I really enjoyed ‘Two’s Company’, and ‘Charlotte’s Choice’ is fun – that’s partly why I chose you.’ I finished and we took the paper back to Madeleine.

‘So, is there anyone you’d like to meet? This visit will just be a little housekeeping, we can go on an adventure next time.’ he said. I smiled, excited

‘Well I hit the jackpot with you – but Liam perhaps, and – well everyone from the Royal Romance I suppose.’

‘Sure thing, if I can find them, but be prepared for a couple of surprises with Liam’

‘Oh yes – what do you mean?’ Drake leaned close to me and kept his voice low ‘Well for a start there’s more than one of him – y’know, he can be three different races to start with – and some writers give him a different name. Sometimes he kind of flickers from one race to another when he’s not in a story, it can be a bit freaky. Plus there are a lot of different face claims for him’

‘Oooh that must be confusing’ I exclaimed. Drake shrugged

‘Kind of, but he’s always recognisable – that regal posture you know, even when he’s been written in as a gangster, it’s still there.’ He looked down at his hands ‘I – I have some difficulties too, thanks to the fandom.’ I put my hand reassuringly on his shoulder

‘I’m sorry to hear that. What exactly do you mean?’ He sighed, and as he did, someone came up to greet us. I looked up and my mouth opened in astonishment.

‘Hey brother, you got another friend? Maybe I can play with her some time’ Drake grimaced

‘Maybe, maybe not, it depends on what fic she chooses.’ I looked from one to the other of the two men. They were both Drake, but one - the one who had brought me there - looked just like the drawings from the game, albeit more real, and the other was the spitting image of Ben Barnes. To have two versions of my fictional lover was pretty mind blowing and I was glad I was sitting down, otherwise my legs would not have held me up.

‘Oh Lord.’ I exclaimed ‘There must be a Daniel di Tomasso about somewhere’. The Ben clone grinned.

‘Bingo. Though if you take Drakey here to a story where the writer uses me as a faceclaim, he’ll change.’ I gasped

‘Oh, that’s – unusual. Does it hurt?’

‘Nah, but it feels pretty weird’ Ben/Drake replied. ‘My’ Drake spoke up again

‘Don’t you have somewhere to be? Les here is my companion’ I felt a little flutter in my stomach at his possessiveness, plus that term was…

‘Companion? That sounds remarkably like…’ I said, but he suddenly put his hand up, and the Ben clone winced.

‘Stop! Don’t say it! It’s bad form to name another fandom, plus it messes things up, makes everyone feel sick for a bit. Maybe I shouldn’t use that term, but it’s the best one I’ve come across’ He turned to Ben/Drake and made a dismissive nod.

‘Fine.’ the other man said ‘She’s your date. Anyhow, you should try the writer I’m with – non stop sex, I can hardly keep up’ He smirked, and reached up to tousle his hair. With a wave, he strode off to one of the doors, a swagger in his walk. Drake leaned across to me

‘He shouldn’t count his chickens – I’ve heard a rumour he’s being – well, for want of a better word – terminated’

‘Terminated? You mean…?’ He drew his hand across his throat

‘Yup. Loads of angst to come there, but he gets to hang around as a ghost for a while. It’s not as bad as it sounds, he’ll be back to normal in the next fic he’s assigned’ He reached across the table to me, taking my hand. There was an odd little jolt, an electric shock, and he smiled as I jumped slightly ‘That’s a good sign, we have a connection. Is there anything you want to ask?’

‘Are there other companions? How often will we meet up? How do we choose…’ He put his hand up again.

‘Woah, slow down Les, that’s a whole lot of questions. Yes there are other companions, mainly following my character and Liam’s, and in this particular place, as you’ve only ever written about our story, there’s no crossover with any others – and again, don’t mention them, things get weird.’ He paused ‘How often we meet is up to you – was this time good for you?’ I nodded ‘I’ll be there waiting, just minimise the screen and I’ll find you. The choosing – that’s more complicated, what we’ll do is go over some of the original stories, get acquainted – after all there is some pretty steamy stuff out there’ I gulped nervously.

‘Isn’t that like having an affair? I have to tell you…’ I felt myself blush furiously ‘I’ve only ever had one partner’ He smiled and squeezed my hand

‘That’s adorable, and so rare. But no, it’s not ‘real’ now is it? Isn’t that one of the first things you said to me? How many times have we made love in your head already?’ I squirmed in my seat.

‘Uh, okay. But am I selling my soul? Will I be able to get back out?’ He laughed out loud.

‘No, don’t be silly. This is all totally risk free. It happens with books too – it’s just easier electronically, that’s all. If you’re in a situation you don’t like, you can snap your fingers and be back in this hall – like Dorothy and her ruby red slippers. It’s just a bit of fun, trust me.’

‘Well, I think I’m sold’ I smiled at him. ‘Is it time to go back yet?’ His face dropped a little ‘oh, not that I want – I’m happy to stay longer, I just feel – a little shy. It’s not every day you meet your secret lover who doesn’t really exist’ He grinned again and my heart melted just a little more.

‘You’re sweet Les, shy is fine. I’ve made some bad choices believe me, some real man eaters who dragged me off to the steamiest fics they could find, it was exhausting’

‘You get tired?’ he shrugged

‘Not physically, after all my character had incredible stamina – but mentally and emotionally I can burn out, you know? The original Drake found it hard to deal with his feelings after all, and no matter how I’m written, that stays with me.’

‘Okay, talking about feeling - how about when you’re shot, or the duel when you’re wounded, does it hurt?’ He rubbed the back of his neck.

‘Well I don’t know how it is in the real world so I can’t compare – but it’s unpleasant, that much I can tell you, and if I know it’s coming – I’m not keen on it. Anything else?’

‘What happens if you aren’t attracted to your companion?’ I blushed, dammit…He gave my hand a squeeze again.

‘Well, it’s not totally random, I see or ‘feel’ the fics and go and take a look at the writer – though that’s not really a factor. It’s more or less a given that we’ll be attracted, as that’s written in. Also, as you’ve found out, you will have an idea in your head of how you’d like to appear, and it shows once you get here’ He waved his hand to indicate our surroundings ‘Either that or you match your faceclaim of the main character. Actually a lot shows up in the writing, I’ve only once or twice made a bad decision as I said.’

‘So why me?’

‘As I said, I ‘felt’ your writing and thought we’d have some fun together. I like to be able to have some choice and not be dragged around randomly. I’m really pleased you’re okay with all this.’ He looked down at my hand, which was beginning to feel odd. I looked down too – it looked strange, becoming transparent, waves washing across it. I looked back up at my companion, and he smiled sadly.

‘Time to go back. I’m sorry we didn’t have more time. Close your eyes so it’s not too disorientating. I’ll see you tomorrow, unless you call me before. I’ll be waiting, just minimise your fic when you’re ready’ I nodded and closed my eyes.

I felt the odd pulling sensation again and a sort of a ‘whoosh’ in my ears, and when I opened my eyes I was back in front of my screen. I could hear my partner coming downstairs to use the bathroom. I blinked a few times and decided I had fallen asleep and had an odd dream. Time to close down, I thought, hit ‘save’ on my document, and closed down to go and join my partner. I quietly slipped into bed beside him.

‘What time is it?’ he said sleepily as I snuggled up beside him, relishing his warmth and solidity. It always was may favourite time of day, joining him in bed.

‘Bedtime’ I joked. ‘I think I fell asleep downstairs – I had the weirdest dream’

‘Uh huh’ he murmured, already drifting back to sleep. He didn’t dream much himself, and it was a weird one, so I didn’t bother to tell him, just kissed him on the cheek and let the memory lull me off into slumber.

#drake walker #many lives #drake walker fanfiction #the royal romance #trr drake #trr fanfic #trr choices #choices the royal romance #choices trr

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callmetippytumbles · 5 years

Note

14, 22, 30 ( the-everlasting-dream)

Thanks for the ask @glorious-fandoms. I wasn’t sure which ask. I assume the Choices one but then added on of the pairing for Liam and Halle because why not.

14. What scene would you rewrite and why?

I have rewritten many scenes. Wash Day was a rewrite of the bath scene in Book 3. I rewrote it because while the scene was great, it didn’t account for a black MC and black hair and I wished it did. A lot of the scenes I want to rewrite usually is to either account for race or to make something less fucked up.

Other scenes I would want to rewrite:

The diamond scene where we get to meet Sloane’s mama in PM. It should be about Sloane and not Hayden

I want to rewrite all of the Shanghai and Castallralean chapters to center Hana and Kiara respectively. They did not get to be centered during the time they should be, fixing that

Also rewriting Kiara talking about her trauma in Lythikos. There shouldn’t be an option for MC and Drake to make fun of her.

That whole thing where Luke’s storyline is super sad because you can’t be proud of your black stablehand because he is black and a stablehand? Fixing that. You can strike a balance between being realistic yet have some escapism.

All of the LIs and your friends in It Lives in the Woods would mourn you if you die. Not just Connor.

That is where I would start.

22. Tell me about a character you’d like to see in a Choices book?

I don’t know if I want to wish for a character in a Choices book. Because wishing for that character means I like them and terrible things happen to people in these books. I am not here for that. Also, if anything I would rather expend that energy wishing for PB to treat existing characters better. Namely, men and women of color. Especially when they are love interests.

30. What pairing/book do you wish there was more fanart of?

Well, I am working on a fic to address one pairing I did not see enough of when a certain crossover happened. Lily Spencer from Bloodbound needs more fanart in general (please do not make her light-skinned though, let her be dark and her yarn braids bright). Also, I have not seen any Halle and Liam fanart, but I am selfish/I wouldn’t know what moment of theirs I would want to commission.

The pairing ask for Halle and Liam:

14. Anything they both dread?

I think anytime that Halle and Liam have to stop like hormone-crazed teenagers and be adults is hard for them. They dread having to stop what they are doing sexually to do anything else. This is because they really rely on their sexual connection to bolster their relationship...and they freaky. Halle and Liam also dread any kind of “PR Scandal.” This usually means having to address an invasion of their privacy like it wasn’t the issue, it almost always comes with additional racism that they don’t like to dwell on (especially Liam), and it puts them in the position of having to defend normal things about themselves or their family. Those scandals are very emotionally taxing for them.

Thanks again for the ask.

Blow up my Inbox

#ask tippy

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cass-chan12 · 5 years

Text

Felony of the Heart (Ch 2)

Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Romance and Friendship Pairing: Main- NaLu. Sides- Gajevy, Gruvia and Jerza

Summary: What would you do if you were forced into a school that deals with Delinquents and young adults that have committed felonies? Lucy Heartfilia would rather chance it than going back home to being married off. What lies ahead for the blonde is unknown but she's convinced she can make it through with him by her side

Chapter one

CHAPTER TWO

"How we need another soul to cling to"- Sylvia Plath

Lying in the darkness was scarier than I imagined.

Sleep would never claim me that first night, from the tiniest of sounds my eyes would snap open and stare at the ceiling for ages. No thought would come to mind, no tear would form in my eyes now would words come to my mouth. All I could focus on was the occasional buzzing of a mosquito or one of the other girl's soft snores. I continued to listen and I would pick up on new sounds such as the strong wind outside creating a gentle howl, or a creaking sound of wood outside the room, which proved we were literally watched over 24/7.

It must be past midnight and the lids of my eyes didn't falter and my twists and turns in my bed from the restlessness made too much commotion, so I decided to stay on the side facing my neighbour's bed. It was the small bluenette I sat next to in Confessional's. She was fast asleep with tear stains on her face; I had heard her cry tonight but chose to ignore it. We all did in this dorm; there were a lot of young girls in here- which led me to ask why they would do such heinous things to get in here. But I can't judge, I don't know them or what they've done. I'm wary of making friends here but the loneliness makes my heart ache. Back at the house this feeling came many times, but I had friends there to stop the aching. I was alone now and I don't know how long it will last.

I did manage to sleep, maybe a few hours. The morning siren went off and boomed across the campus; waking all of us up. Moans and grumbles creaked in the room similar to the movement of zombies, all the girls, including myself, got ready for our first day of learning and disciplining- as the Principal explained to us yesterday.

There were a lot of rules and regulations set, it seemed like they must have copied a prison handbook.

1) All electrical devices are prohibited

2) The main house, Gardens, sports grounds (Aka the boot camp course) are prohibited to enter unless accompanied by a supervisor or teacher.

3) The front and back gate, the fence and the opposite sex's dormitory are prohibited with or without supervisor or teacher. If you are caught in any of these areas, you will be punished with a week's worth of community service.

4) Flashy and bright clothing will be taken from personal items.

5) Personal items must be kept in the provided foot locker under each student's bed.

6) Wake up calls; Monday-Friday 5:30am, Saturday and Sunday 6:00am. Breakfast will be served at 7:00am on all days

7) Before leaving to Breakfast, dormitories must be cleaned to House guardian's approval and students must be dressed accordingly.

8) Classes for students start at 8:00am- 16:00pm. Dinner is at 18:00pm. Lights out at 21:00pm

9) Mondays gather for assembly. Confessional groups are on Sunday at 10:00am.

10) Any attempt of escape will result in a transfer to a state prison.

But the way I understood it, this place was a state prison. This was barely a school besides the actual classes, not to mention we get cleaning assignments every day. It will be tough for me since I didn't have to do that back home, but between cleaning a toilet and going home… I'd clean every single one here instead of going back.

As I put on my clothes I looked to the outside window, some students where already going to the cafeteria in which my stomach growled for attention. I finished putting the ugly grey uniform on and tied my hair loosely with a hair tie that was in my foot locker under my bed. When I got the okay to leave after I cleaned my section I walked down the stairs and peeked into the dormitory rooms I passed and the aura was plain miserable. My generation really loves their sleep…

I reached the outside of the Dorm house and through the trees I noticed the sky was clouding up, slowly becoming overcast. The mood is as depressing as it can get, but now I don't know whether I can last till Lunch. My shoes clacked against the cobblestone pavement and the many shushed tones of voices swept passed me, either it was gossiping or the fear of speaking too loud in the hell hole. I ignored the comments that were loud enough to hear, but one word kept coming up.

Alone

Yes I am alone but so was everyone else. It occurred to me how true that statement was when I collected my breakfast and sat one of the large tables. Everyone spoke to each other but their eyes and expressions showed those of an outsider. I saw a few of the people that where in my Confessional session, I noticed especially the small blue haired girl; whose bed is next to mine in the dorm. She looked lost and depressed, searching for a seat.

I slowly lifted my arm and waved to her, she blinked and shuffled her feet shyly towards me. She placed her tray across from mine and sat down keeping her face downwards hiding her expression. I coughed trying to catch her attention and get some eye contact which seemed like the only attention I could get here.

"I'm Lucy. But you probably know that" I joked dryly.

She looked up like a helpless animal and smiled slightly. "I'm Levy. Likewise" she countered.

I smiled at her and turned my attention back at my food, which looked more inedible than when I picked it up in the first place.

"This food looks foul." I said dropping my spoon back in my bowl.

"Back at my old school, it wasn't any different." Levy said taking a bite from her oatmeal.

I frowned at the plate losing my appetite quick. Until I felt someone else sit at the table.

"Here; try putting this in. It'll make it taste better." A female voice said

I peered up and saw red; a beautiful scarlet red. It was the girl from my Confessional group, and even though her hair was neatly tied up it was still striking as ever. She handed me some Honey in a small container which clearly wasn't given out in the school. I took it stealthily without anyone else seeing and quickly added it to my porridge. I took a bite and moaned in delight, the taste of something so simply sweet was delectable.

"That's so much better, thanks." I said.

She smiled and lifted her tray to walk away. But I coughed to stop her "You want to sit with us?" I asked shyly.

She smiled again with a little red hue sprinkled on her cheeks, giving away the suspicion she wanted to sit there in the first place. She put her tray next to mine and sat down tucking a stray piece of her pretty hair behind her ear. She cautiously brought more honey out of her pocket and added it to her porridge.

"May I ask where you get this?" Levy asked.

Erza 'hmmed' while eating her breakfast. She swallowed and then smiled "Before they took my personal stuff I snatched my recipe for strawberry shortcake and exchanged it for anything I want out the kitchen."

Levy and I were shocked, just how good was this recipe if it gave her fulltime access to the kitchen?

"Wouldn't you get in trouble if one of the dictators found out?" I asked

She smiled again which was comforting since this place really didn't showcase anything to smile about. Erza's features were calm too, it was strangely soothing. I thought about it, her and I were in the same boat. In confessionals Zancrow mentioned she pleaded guilty with the case she was charged with, and not to mention that blue haired kid admitted she was dragged into his situation.

She didn't belong here either.

"Well I had a friend in here before I arrived and he gave me some tips of the school. He also told me that the cafeteria is the safest place to breathe in here." she explained

I looked around the area and it did seem happier than everywhere else. The chattering was louder and sounded like a normal high school; which kind of made me anxious.

"Why is that?" Levy asked.

Erza pushed her tray away from her and rubbed her belly in satisfaction. "Ahhh… I think it has to do with the cafeteria supervisor. Rumour is that he blows his duty to tend to his prized doll collection."

I wasn't sure I heard properly but Levy was laughing which made me giggle a bit too. Sounds like a freaky dude if that were true, but regardless the room seemed less depressing and did lift my mood. It was strange how I made two friends in here, although both really didn't look like they belonged here in the first place.

I couldn't for a fact, believe the small bluenette in front of me, was in here. She was the size of a small child and was in her bed crying her eyes out only a few hours ago. It didn't fit either way you looked at it, but my thoughts went back to what she said in the confessional room, she said she only did what she did to get enough money and run away from home. I can relate, so who am I to judge her. And of course; Erza being dragged into something by that blue-haired guy, from her personality she seemed very girly but at the same time she had an aura of respect around her: Something you wouldn't find in a real Delinquent. I should stop pretences and judging, I will be around these people for who knows how long and I might learn a thing or two like I had meeting Levy and Erza.

It was almost time to go to class so I waved goodbye to Levy and Erza and went back to my dorm to get my books that were pre-ordered by the school. I grabbed the books and stuffed them in a backpack that was in my footlocker. A small slip of paper fell out of one of the books which looked like my schedule. I cringed a bit at my classes; every lesson was just about two hours, I had Math then Languages, after was History then finally Sciences. We had one lunch break for 45 minutes.

I'm going to die today.

I sighed heavily and walked to the school building slowly with the weight of the bag on my back and the wind sweeping past my face. I missed the sun; the trees in this place created an impregnable shield for sunlight to come in. The clouds would sometimes break away for some sunlight, but the only opening there to let sunlight come through was beyond the front gate. My gaze at beyond the gate looked suspicious to the guards patrolling the yards; I shifted my gaze at the school building and avoided eye contact.

Entering the school, there were more guards posted by the door checking our bags and pockets. This made me extremely uncomfortable; the woman guard scratched through my bag and checked my pockets (with no regard to the manner she was doing it.)

The school looked the same with every door I passed or every corner I turned; which would make it very easy to be late to class with everything looking the same. Students were trying to find their homerooms, many of which bumped into me and roughly I might add. Some of the students that did looked incredibly scary, and I was scared that if I had complained I might be flattened.

As I kept walking I recognised the guy with piercings on his face from my Confessional session, Gajeel, I think his name was, except he had them taken out and his long black hair had been chopped off. Normal didn't suit him. He noticed I was staring, his response made me quake in fear.

"What are you staring at you Bitch!" he yelled.

Startling the other students I kept my head down and quickly apologised. I sprinted off down the hall to avoid any further confrontation but stopped as I heard another voice.

"Calm down you shithead!"

My body swung around as I heard the familiar voice. The blur of pink filled my sight and gnarling teeth become the second thing I saw.

"You wanna start with me you pyromaniac?!" Gajeel yelled.

"You started this fight when you yelled at her!"

The boys were centimetres away from starting a fist fight. I quickly dashed to the pink haired pyro and grazed my fingers on his shoulder "Natsu" I mumbled.

He didn't listen and kept staring at Gajeel, growling like a beast. I put my hand on his shoulder this time. "Natsu stop." I said with my voice trembling.

He looked over his shoulder and caught sight of my face. His onyx eyes that displayed anger and ferocity had simmered down and dulled. He was about to say something until I felt a hand grabbing my arm.

I was shoved back by one of the men that had escorted me yesterday. Two more of his co-workers roughly pushed themselves though the crowd that had gathered when the commotion had started. The large men both pushed Natsu and Gajeel against the floor with their arms twisted to their backs. Yelps and hisses emitted from the boys and my own pain of the man's grip was ignored from what my eyes were witnessing.

"I understand your love for violence, but obviously your peanut sized brains don't understand where you currently are" appeared another voice.

My fear escalated. This man was beyond intimidating, he was fairly normal looking but his stature was big and his eyes were cold and vicious. His voice was deep and sent shivers down my spine.

"Greetings Mr Dragneel, Mr Redfox, I am Azuma-sensei; Head of Discipline. You boys are my first cases of the school year, well done." He said formerly with much indifference.

He turned to me and my face felt cold, I could feel myself paling in front of him "Careful miss Heartfilia, getting involved in trivial things like this might just get you into deeper trouble."

He snapped his fingers and the hand that was holding tightly on my arm was let go and left me almost falling to the floor, I stumbled but managed to stay on my feet. I rubbed my arm soothingly and remembered that my arm was still bruised from yesterday's handlings. My eyes lifted up from my arm to see the two boys being taken away outside the school building. I clicked my tongue in distaste, going to such extremities over a fight that didn't even happen. I was close to stopping it anyway.

Remembering the softening of Natsu's eyes reassured me he was going to back down. Natsu… Why did he do that in the first place? Was he itching for a fight or something? Why did he…

"Don't give up. We're in this together."

"We're in this together." I mumbled.

I didn't know what he meant at first but it's all clear now. These people who were called our teachers and our disciplinarians and even our own principal, they are here to do what they are paid to do. That's to torture us. And they ENJOY it. So if they are not looking out for us, then it's up to us to look out for another.

Class seemed like an eternity, it was so close to lunch I could almost hear my stomach yell across the room. 'Just one more period' I told myself.

As I sat at my desk my eyes immediately looked outside the window, fortunately enough my desk was right next to it. High on the second floor I could peer beyond the fences into the lush forest. Although something else caught my eye, I saw two figures and I squinted to concentrate. I rubbed my eye at the realisation of who the figures were.

In the midst of a hot summer's day, Natsu and Gajeel were being severely punished physically. Battered and bruised the boys were digging up trenches and filling them up again. The hard ground made every movement harder than the next and by the looks of it the boys have been working ever since Azuma-sensei took them in this morning.

I lost my appetite. How could I think of food when Natsu was out there suffering because he was looking out for me? I looked over to the two and they were heading towards the boys dorm, what a relief.

"Miss Heartfilia, unless you'd like to join the labour outside, I suggest you pay attention." The teacher, I think his name was Rustyrose-sensei.

My head snapped to the direction to the board with no hesitation and Rustyrose continued on with his class.

My mind didn't concentrate though. It just did a direct U-turn back to Natsu. I felt my cheeks warming up at the thought of him. The boy could really have bad issues with his pyromania, yet why does that make me more curious about him?

Trying to look like I was concentrating, the bell rang signalling lunch time. I almost sprinted to the cafeteria. All thoughts were diminished as my stomach overpowered my brain. Although my Stomach never had a nose and the smell of lunch was less than pleasing. I think it was meatloaf… I think. Sat at an empty table hoping I get Levy or Erza to sit by me… Or even Natsu.

I shook my head furiously. I huffed and shoved a piece of whatever in my mouth, I had confirmed it wasn't meatloaf.

"Gross, what is that?"

My body stiffened at the familiar voice. My head looked up to the pink haired boy that had been plaguing my mind since this morning. He was in a new clean uniform and probably had to shower after the manual work he did. My eyes darted to the scratches and bruises along his arms. I felt terrible.

"I'm so sorry Natsu." I said softly.

His happy smile, which seemed to be the first I've seen of his since I've met him, disappeared. I couldn't look him in the eyes, I would cry if I did. I felt the bench move and looked up to his face which was level to mine.

"Don't be. I honestly don't care what they do to me in here." He said.

He smiled again, I liked it. It was warm, joyful and natural. Like everything he had experienced this morning was nothing.

"If the best they can do is make me work then fine, I don't mind. Because in the end I protected my friend and that's all that matters."

"You hardly know me though. How am I your friend?"

I admit that sounded harsh, it wasn't my intention to make it sound like that. He kept smiling though; I couldn't bring myself to be mean to him with that goofy smile on his face.

"We both have something in common. We both deserve a better life."

The words never hit harder, I wanted to cry at that simple truth. I did deserve one. I craved for it.

"There are some other kids in here that deserve better lives too. I think we should befriend them and start a group." he suggested and interrupted my thoughts.

That wasn't a bad idea. The thought of having more people having your back would help. Although in a school like this you have to be wary.

Then it hit me "I know two people to start with." I said smiling at him.

"Yosh! We're in this together" he said cheerfully, almost making that line of his a motto.

I recited.

"We're in this together"

#felony of the heart #fairy tail #fairy tail nalu #nalu #fairy tail fanfic #fairy tail fanfiction

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secretagentspydetectiveninja · 7 years

Text

The Start Of Something New

So I hear there’s a serious lack of mlm content in this fandom? I’ll do my best to help fill the void... Here, have some ridiculously fluffy and cheesy Kimax, with so many High School Musical references that if you haven’t seen it then just don’t bother reading this

Also here on AO3

Kim often liked to listen to music while doing work. It either helped him concentrate by keeping his mind entertained enough to not get bored, or he could use it as an excuse to procrastinate while he picked out the perfect playlist. Music was good no matter what.

The library was fairly quiet, with only him and Max in here, but he decided to use headphones anyway. That would stop Max getting distracted, at least. They both had different tastes in music anyway.

Feeling in the mood for a surprise, Kim put his phone onto shuffle mode and sat back to listen. Huh… this was familiar. What was it? It sounded like something he hadn’t listened to in a long time.

Livin’ in my own world, didn’t understand…

Wait – he knew this! It was from High School Musical!

He had to bite the inside of his cheek to stop himself laughing. This movie! He used to be obsessed with it when he was little. He didn’t even realize the music was still on his phone!

That anything can happen, when you take a chance…

It didn’t surprise him that he still remembered every word off by heart. There was something so nostalgic about hearing this, like it made him feel like a little kid again. Memories of being glued to the TV, memorizing all the dialogue, all the dances, pretending to be the characters…

Oh yes, of course! He always pretended to be Troy. Heck, he lived it. Troy Bolton was the entire reason Kim got into basketball in the first place, something he still enjoyed playing. And when he was younger, he used to fantasize about going to high school and being the basketball star, meeting a beautiful mystery girl who was good at maths, singing with her, falling in love…

Real life was nothing like that, of course. He wasn’t in lycée quite yet but he knew it wasn’t going to be anything like a cheesy musical. And when he had ended up having a crush on Chloé a while ago, he knew she was not the mystery girl he had always been dreaming about. Chloé was not remotely nerdy, or anything like Gabriella Montez whatsoever. If anything, Chloé was more of a Sharpay. A Sharpay who went and broke his heart.

Well, never mind. Maybe Kim’s nerdy mystery girl was still out there somewhere. Maybe he really would have to wait for lycée after all.

And I know that something has changed, never felt this way, and right here tonight…

It took a lot of restraint to not start singing along out loud. The High School Musical soundtrack was so good! How had he ever forgotten about it? How had he not gone back and listened to it after all these years?

Looking back down at his homework, it all looked like a confusing muddle to him. He just wasn’t in the mood for work right now. Glancing across the table, he saw that Max was concentrating hard on his own work. How did he do that? He was so smart, it was unbelievable. Even after all this time Kim found it hard to believe that someone as smart and awesome as Max was somehow best friends with an idiot like him.

This could be the start of something new, it feels so right to be here with you…

Yeah, Chloé couldn’t be the nerdy mystery girl, there was no way. For starters, it never felt “right” to be around her. She was cute, sure, and did seem to treat Kim a tiny bit better than she treated most other people. But he just felt nervous around her. Asking her out had been one of the most nerve-wracking things he had ever done in his life. Being akumatized straight afterwards had not helped matters.

Was this nerdy mystery girl someone else that Kim knew? There were plenty of people he felt “right” around. And maybe he shouldn’t limit it to just girls. After all, he was 100% certain his first crush had been on Troy Bolton himself, of all people.

What about Marinette? Well, she was awesome, but she wasn’t nerdy. And anyway, Kim had already thought about her before and come to the conclusion that he preferred having her as a friend. Hmm, what other people felt “right”? He had plenty of friends. But none of them were nerdy enough to fit. Adrien was a great friend, and probably more of a Troy Bolton than he was… Juleka and Rose counted as friends, but he was fairly sure there was something going on between them… hanging out with Alix was kind of fun sometimes, though he didn’t like to admit it…

None of his classmates were nerdy! None of them were his Gabriella! Why couldn’t there be someone in the class who liked maths, who would win a scholastic decathlon with no effort, who actually liked doing homework and–

“AchOO!”

Max had sneezed.

“Bless you,” Kim said. Then he froze.

Max.

Max was doing his homework. Max liked doing homework, in fact.

And Max liked maths. He was good at it. He joined all the academic school challenges, and always came first place.

Max was nerdy. Max was geeky.

Max was a “freaky genius guy”.

Could it be?

I feel in my heart, the start of something new…

The start of something new…

“Kim are you alright?”

Max had put his pencil down and was looking at Kim in concern.

Kim hadn’t even realized he had been staring. He had never even considered Max! Max was just his friend! They had been best friends for ages. Kim never had any reason to consider him. But now…

He gulped and tried to think of something to say. It was like his brain had completely shut down. The song carried on playing in the background, and every single word was resonating in his soul.

And the world looks so much brighter with you by my side…

Everything did feel right with Max. Everything did look bright. But that was nothing new. Things had always been better with Max around. That was why they were friends! Usually people found Kim annoying when he showed his true colours, talking too much and being a reckless idiot. But with Max he felt like he could always be himself. Max never judged him. Of course it felt right.

At this moment, though, it was starting to feel different. Like something had changed. And he had never felt this way.

Could it really be?

Was Max the mystery guy that Kim had always been dreaming of?

“Kim? Hello?”

Max waved a hand in front of Kim’s face.

“W-what? Oh… uh… yeah, I’m just…”

His brain still wasn’t working. Something really had changed.

He cleared his throat and said without thinking, “My head’s in the game but my heart’s in the song.”

Max chuckled. “You still have to do your homework though, Troy Bolton.”

Kim hadn’t expected Max to get the reference, but clearly his nerdy expertise extended to Disney Channel Original Movies too. He was so smart – it was just so cool!

Kim smiled and looked back down at his homework, but it still didn’t make any sense to him. Not right now. Not when he was so distracted suddenly. He wondered how that would go down tomorrow in class.

“Kim, why haven’t you done your homework?” “Well I was too distracted yesterday because I realized I’m in love with my best friend…”

In any case, he was not going to get it done at this exact moment. Perhaps later. Right now he needed time and space to think. He pushed his chair out and stood up.

“I’m going home,” he announced.

“Now?” Max asked.

“Yeah, I just feel like going home. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay then. See you later!”

Max smiled up at him, the same way as always, but for once it looked so cute that Kim hurried out of the room, feeling sure he would melt otherwise.

Kim did not go straight home. He wandered around the streets of Paris, not knowing or caring where he was going. All he could think about was Max. He had put the headphones away but that song just kept playing over and over in his head.

Now, looking in your eyes, I feel in my heart…

Thinking about Max’s eyes certainly did make his heart go a lot faster. Was he really in love with his best friend? Was this actually happening? All because a High School Musical song made him think about it?

Well, if he was Troy and Max was Gabriella, then he had to do something about it. He couldn’t just let this knowledge sit inside him. He had to let Max know how he felt.

But how? Last time with Chloé, things had been a disaster. Sure, Max would certainly be nicer about it. But what if it made things awkward? Kim hadn’t been friends with Chloé, he knew that her potentially turning him down probably wouldn’t change too much. But what about Max? If Max didn’t like him back like that, if he turned him down…

Kim realized his feet had carried him to the bakery that Marinette’s parents owned. He loved this place. Maybe a snack would do him good. And maybe he could go see if Marinette was around. At least she was someone he could trust, someone he could confide in about all this.

A few minutes later he left the bakery again, a snack in hand. Marinette had been up in her room apparently so he hadn’t got to talk to her. Never mind. It had been nice to see her parents again, anyway.

He was roused from his thoughts when he heard familiar voices coming from somewhere high up.

“…isn’t that right, princess?”

“Oh you silly kitty cat, I’ll be waiting!”

“Well I promise I won’t keep you waiting long.”

“And I promise I’ll try not to be asleep!”

Kim took a few steps away from the bakery and looked upwards. Up on Marinette’s balcony, he saw her standing there, talking to Chat Noir, who was sitting on the railing. No wait, they weren’t just talking! He was holding both her hands in his, looking right into her eyes. It almost looked like they were going to kiss.

Marinette and Chat Noir? Were they a couple or something? Kim rubbed his eyes and looked again, sure he couldn’t have seen that right. But nope – they were still there, still giggling and flirting with each other on that balcony. And their faces were even closer now. Closer and closer, until – there! Chat Noir gave her a little kiss on the cheek, slightly too long to be mistaken for a normal Parisian cheek kiss, and then hopped onto his baton and slid down to the ground. He landed right at Kim’s feet.

“Oh hi Kim!” Chat Noir said, waving.

“You… and Marinette…!”

“What? Oh, you saw that?” There was a slight blush on his cheeks. “I like to go visit my friend sometimes.”

“Friend? Are you sure?”

“Well yeah! She’s my friend!”

I didn’t know it before, but now it’s easy to see…

“Are you sure you don’t have a crush on her?” Kim asked. Chat blushed even harder.

“Alright, maybe a little crush. But don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s okay, I won’t. I know what it’s like to have a crush on a friend.”

“Chloé, huh?”

Kim shook his head. “No. Someone else.”

“Ah, okay.”

“So does Marinette like you back?”

Chat shrugged. “Who knows? She tells me she’s in love with a boy in her class. He’s probably a lot cooler than I am.”

“What? But you’re a superhero! There’s no one cooler than you!” Kim hoped he himself wasn’t blushing now. He had known for quite a while that he had a bit of a celebrity crush on Chat Noir. On Ladybug, too. Though who didn’t? They were amazing!

“Gee, thanks!” Chat winked and finger-gunned at him. “But anyway, I think she sees me as someone she can trust, someone she can confide in. To tell the truth, that’s how I saw her at first too. I don’t even know where this crush came from. It just suddenly hit me one day. One minute I liked her as a friend, and the next thing I know, I’m in love with her.”

I never knew that it could happen ‘til it happened to me…

“I know that feeling,” Kim said. “It literally just happened to me and uh… I don’t really know what to do…”

“Why don’t you go give your friend-turned-crush a little balcony visit?” Chat said, winking again. “Seems to be working fine for me.”

“Yeah, maybe I will…”

“What? I was kidding! Don’t climb onto a balcony, you’ll get hurt.”

“But Troy Bolton did it,” Kim said, memories of the first High School Musical movie flooding back into him suddenly. “He wanted to apologize to Gabriella, so he climbed up onto her balcony and then… sang her a song…”

A strange, stupid idea was forming in his brain. And as much as he tried to make it stop, it just wouldn’t.

“So you’re a High School Musical fan,” Chat Noir said.

“Are you?”

“Of course I am! Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Anyway Kim, go get’cha head in the game! Whatever you do, I’m sure it’ll work! I believe in you!”

“Thanks. And I believe in you and Marinette too.”

“I’ve gotta go now for a patrol, but I’ll see you later.”

Chat winked one last time, then ran off out of sight.

The reckless idea in Kim’s brain was now too strong to ignore. If he was going to be Troy Bolton then so be it. He would do it. It was cheesy, it was stupid, it was utterly ridiculous. But maybe it would be at least a little romantic. That would be better than nothing.

Quickly making his way over to Max’s house, he sent him a quick message.

Max, totally hypothetical question here, what would you say if I climbed up onto your balcony? Would that be creepy?

He got a reply quite quickly.

Totally hypothetical answer: it wouldn’t be creepy, since it’s you. If it was someone I didn’t know that well then I would consider it creepy. But I would just assume someone had dared you to do it and you didn’t refuse.

Oh, thank goodness. He could go ahead with his plans. Holding his phone in his teeth, he used his arms and legs to climb up the nearby tree…

Kim, do you happen to be actually climbing onto my balcony right now? I am at home, you know. If you need me to go get you a helmet then I can do that. Or a bowl. I don’t want you injuring yourself.

So who challenged you to do it? Is it a race against someone? If it’s against Alix then I’m sorry but you have a 98% chance of losing.

Kim, that question definitely wasn’t hypothetical, was it? I’m standing on my balcony right now and I can see you climbing that tree. Next time just put your phone in your pocket. You’ll get drool all over it.

Kim made the final leap from the tree branch onto the balcony, landing in front of Max. Just the sight of him made Kim feel such an odd twinge in his chest that he wondered if he should just forget the stupid idea and run away. But no – he had made up his mind. He was going to do it. After all, he had climbed up here, hadn’t he?

“So, where is your opponent?” Max asked, looking over the edge.

Kim took his phone out of his mouth and wiped it on his hoodie. “There’s no opponent, actually. I came up here on my own.”

“Really? Why? I have a front door that you can use. It would be easier. Though if you were going for improving your physique by athletic activity then you’re certainly doing a good job.”

Seeing Max adjust his glasses and look Kim up and down as he was saying that…

He shook himself out of his lovestruck stupor and cleared his throat. “I have something to do. Just listen and um… don’t laugh or anything…”

He had the song he wanted on his phone. The song that had been stuck in his head all day. He tapped his phone screen, tapped the music icon… only to suddenly notice that his phone was only on 1% battery. And the next second the screen turned black.

No! He had forgotten to charge his phone earlier! Stupid, forgetful brain. It was going to ruin everything.

“Max, can I borrow your phone for a minute?” Kim asked.

“Sure.”

Max handed it over. Kim unlocked it – he knew the passcode of course, and Max knew his – and had a quick scroll through the music selection. Nope, it wasn’t there. He would just have to look it up instead. He opened up YouTube and typed in what he was looking for. Ah yes, there, results! So this wasn’t going to be a total loss after all!

Preparing himself to sing, he tapped on the first result.

Sorry, this video cannot be viewed on mobile.

Grrr! No! He tapped on the second result.

Sorry, this video cannot be viewed in your region.

What? Why not??? It was just a harmless song! He tapped on the third result, hoping that this time it would work.

There, yes! It was loading… that little circle going round and round… yes, this was promising… he knew Max’s wi-fi speed wasn’t the best, so of course it might take a moment or two to load fully, that was okay, as long as it didn’t buffer too much…

He turned up the volume and braced himself, forgetting all his fear.

And then a 30 second ad for Minecraft started playing.

“Oh forget it!” Kim snapped, going back to the home screen and giving the phone back to Max. “This isn’t working, never mind, just… just forget I even came here…”

He turned around and swung a leg over the balcony railing, wondering if he could jump down from here without breaking both his legs. Then he felt Max’s hand on his shoulder.

“Kim, what’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Really? It seems like it’s something important…”

Forget being subtle, forget being Troy Bolton. Kim sat on the railing and looked at the floor.

“I was just trying to do that thing! Like in High School Musical! That bit when Troy goes onto Gabriella’s balcony and sings that song to her, and it’s really sweet and everything. And I was going to do that but the music wasn’t loading! And now come to think of it, Troy didn’t even use background music, he just sang, ugh… I should have just done that too… actually what am I thinking… I can’t even sing…”

He put his head in his hands, knowing he was blushing so hard his face must have been the colour of his hoodie.

“You were going to sing to me?”

It was impossible to tell what Max was thinking based on his voice alone. Kim just nodded, hoping he wasn’t about to get pushed off the balcony when Max inevitably started freaking out.

Except that Max didn’t freak out. In fact, Max started giggling.

“Yeah, I know, it was stupid of me,” Kim muttered, knowing he would probably laugh at himself too for doing something so ridiculous.

“No, no! I’m laughing because… well… it’s cute.”

Cute?

Most people thought Kim was annoying. Occasionally, kids who didn’t know him personally thought he was hot. Adults thought he was a troublemaker.

But no one, no one, thought he was cute.

Hearing Max say it almost brought tears to his eyes.

He looked up slightly, still not daring to look at Max’s face. “You think I’m cute?”

“Yes! Climbing onto my balcony – with my permission first, too, which is a good deal better than Troy Bolton – and then wanting to sing to me? I would say it’s very cute indeed.”

I know that something has changed, never felt this way, I know it for real…

Kim finally looked at Max to see his cheerful, adoring expression. It was a face he had seen many times – when Max had given him the brooch on Valentine’s Day, when Kim congratulated Max on his win at the gaming tournament with Marinette, when they were at the zoo together and Kim was being a fool as usual…

And it was wonderful.

“Well, uh, I think you’re cute too,” he managed to say, though rather quietly.

“Thank you,” said Max, stepping a little closer, a little smirk on his face now. “In fact, I would go as far as to say that you’re What I’ve Been Looking For.”

Kim couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re a High School Musical fan too?”

“Contrary to what most people would expect, I absolutely love High School Musical. I always used to imagine myself as Gabriella, since I can relate with being considered the ‘genius kid’ when moving to a new school. And because I certainly have a thing for very cute jocks.”

That smirk was still on his face. Wait, was he flirting?! This was not at all what Kim had expected, yet he was far from disappointed. He took a deep breath and said, “Well I have a thing for very cute nerds, and you can Bet On It.”

Max laughed again. “I’m glad you told me! It was Now Or Never.”

“Yeah! There’s not a star in heaven that we can’t reach!”

“We’re certainly going to Bop To The Top!”

“We are so Fabulous.”

“I guess you could say that The Boys Are Back.”

“And that this is… well…” Kim put the tiniest hint of a melody into his voice. “The Start… Of Something New?”

Max’s eyes almost looked like they had stars in them, they were so full of affection. “And it feels so right, to be here with you…”

“And now, looking in your eyes…”

“I feel in my heart…”

The start of something new.

The words of the song couldn’t have been more accurate.

The memory of Chat Noir kissing Marinette’s cheek popped into Kim’s mind, and he decided to do it before he chickened out of it. Or wait… why just the cheek? Max liked him back, right? Why not kiss him properly?

He leaned forwards…

“OH HEY KIM! YOU DID THE BALCONY THING! YAY!”

Kim whirled around to see Chat Noir sitting on the roof of a nearby house, yelling at him and waving.

“Yeah, I did the balcony thing!” Kim called back.

“GOOD! I’M SO HAPPY FOR YOU! ANYWAY I’M GONNA STOP SPYING ON YOU NOW, SO SEE YOU LATER!”

Chat Noir scampered over the edge of the roof and disappeared. Kim turned back to Max, his earlier courage having gone, and settled for pulling him into a tight hug instead. It was a running joke that Troy and Gabriella kept getting interrupted before they could kiss, right? Maybe that would happen with Kim and Max too.

But it didn’t matter. What mattered was that things had gone right. This really was the start of something new. And now, what kind of musical adventures would follow them? Would lycée really be like High School Musical?

No matter what, at least he had Max. They were all in this together.

#also there's some marichat because why not. i haven't really written it before so i may as well #miraculous ladybug #kimax #le chien kim #max kante #ml fanfic #random stuff #i literally just wrote this on a whim because i felt like it #it is honestly BIZARRE how little attention this ship gets #aish writes

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