#leave me alone i tried my best to handle it amicably and this is what I get in return? fucking kicked from a children's online game?!!?!??!

[nobodysdaydreams]

I don't know if you want to give your general opinion on characters, but I'd love to hear your opinion on how Curtain and Garrison's time in divorce court would go :D

Oh boy. Oh boy Milk thank you. This made my entire day! This is a fun one.

Okay, so it does to some degree depend on the show vs. fic plotlines I have for these characters and whether the divorce is purely business, a legal marriage done for tax purposes or to make SQ's adoption easier, or a once legit marriage that fell apart due to Curtain's scheming.

I'll stick to the business route, since that's what my fics and the show have gone with.

Warning: Entertaining but (slightly) long post...

This is also funny because like. They are both criminals. If they show up in any court, they will both go to jail. Neither is completely innocent, and Curtain's current defense in the show is that he unwittingly funded Garrison's evil schemes, but they still have a trail of evidence leading right to him. Meanwhile, Garrison's best defense is to claim she took Curtain's funding but somehow had no idea what he was using her inventions for, or she could claim she was being threatened into complying and take a plea deal for less prison time. It's also so unclear what would even go to who if their crimes were ignored and their case was examined fairly. Garrison would likely get the right to her inventions, but Curtain would keep his money and custody of SQ.

But when we ignore the legal ramifications of their many crimes and the possibility of Curtain and Garrison ever having an amicable divorce out of court where they each take what's theirs (because that would likely only happen if post-redemption Nathaniel tried to settle the whole Garrison matter quietly to pay her off and stop her from kidnapping his niece so Nicholas doesn't throw him out of the house. And Garrison is so mad at him I don't think she'd just agree to that), then we are left with only comedic gold for both the show and my fic versions.

Show Version:

Curtain would 100% cheat and bring in paid off witnesses who would straight up lie for him on the stand. He would. Even as Nathaniel, he might still be trying to do damage control. The show doesn't get into what history Nathaniel had with Garrison, Milligan, and SQ's birth parents like my fic does, so if we just go based on the show canon and that plot hole stays an irrelevant hole, Nathaniel would want this handled quietly. He knows Nicholas would never let him lie about his crimes in court, but also, Nicholas would never let Nathaniel stay in his house if Nathaniel refused to stop the woman who kept trying to kidnap his psychic daughter. So Nathaniel would likely try to handle it quietly like "here Garrison take this money and leave us alone, okay? Pretty please? I'll even pay to give you a new identity so you won't be blamed for the Emergency, and you can just leave us alone." But something tells me Garrison wouldn't go down that easy, and whether she allies with the evil sister or someone else, she would 100% be ready to expose all his secrets (if she can't save herself, she's dragging him down with her, you better believe it). Meanwhile, Nathaniel is scrambling, because he doesn't want Nicholas knowing the full extent of his crimes, but he also can't have Nicholas (or the judge) finding out he's paying people to lie on the stand. So the court room would be an absolute circus, with Nathaniel switching between going on the defensive of "ME? Crimes? I- why I was in the dark the whole time! I'm a poor innocent man! Just ask anybody I paid to be here!" and being like "Look Garrison, please just take my money okay, stop saying these things, my brother doesn't need to know them and neither does the world." Meanwhile, Garrison is hungover, angry, ready to rip Curtain to shreds, and holding nothing back. She somehow has video of the stand back dance and plays it in court- it's not even relevant, she just wants him humiliated. The whole thing is a complete mess.

Meanwhile, I just imagine poor off screen SQ waiting outside the courthouse with his emancipation papers, as he makes awkward small chat with Noland who's there for his divorce and keeps saying concerning stuff like "well kid, they say the third time is a charm, but as it turns out, it isn't. And as indicated by my presence here today, neither is the sixth. Oh...these alimony payments are putting me in so much debt..." and poor SQ is just like "oh...sorry about that" as he waits his turn.

My fic:

So I do give the character's a more complex history together. I don't want to spoil too much, but... it would be more angsty. Nathaniel would feel more guilt about what he did. The show versions of Curtain and Garrison indicated they've known each other for a long time (as far back at least until Milligan was brain swept), that Garrison is desperate to have her inventions built, and that Nathaniel is desperate to be liked and praised (like when he keeps trying to impress Garrison with dinners and champagne and gets upset when she doesn't like it). But the show doesn't really explain how they started working together, or whether they ever had a good relationship, even though they know each other well enough that Curtain knows Garrison's vegan food preferences and Garrison knows about Curtain's brother (while other employees like Jackson and Jillson don't). So I fill in those gaps. And based on the way I fill them in, it would really depend mostly on what point in the story the court hearing takes place, as well as what other character's are aware of their history and what their motivations are. And that's about all I can say about that, but as usual I would still like to sprinkle some comedy in my angst parade, so Noland would likely make an appearance at the court house as well as poor Jeffers, who is there to fight his 112th parking ticket.

#I hope you like this milk! #mbs #tmbs #the mysterious benedict society #mysterious benedict society #dr garrison #dr. garrison #dr curtain #ledroptha curtain #nathaniel benedict #ld curtain #Bods answers

[cant-think-of-anything]

Pirate AU (Part Six)

Lucie was very impressed by the sheer amount of weapons the Carstairs owned. There was an entire room lined with them that Cordelia led her down to in an attempt to find her a weapon.

“Well I would offer you a dagger,” Cordelia mused glancing at the wall full of them, “but Alastair is unhealthily fond of those. Bow and arrow?”

“I don’t think my aim is quite that good,” Lucie replied, running her hand over a gold spear.

“I wouldn’t take that either,” Cordelia cut in, coming to stand next to her. “Another one of Alastair’s, I swear he treats them like his children. He has multiple on him all the time.” 

“But how would one even-”

“I’ve given up asking. Oh!”

Cordelia popped the lid off a barrel and pulled out a small axe, flipping it once in her hand before waving it to Lucie. She accepted, wrapping her fingers around the dainty handle and looked up. 

“Perfect,” Cordelia murmured. 

~~~

Thomas stared out the carriage window rather helplessly, because looking anywhere else would mean staring at either Alastair or Eugenia. Who were miraculously chatting amicably instead of sniping at each other. They were set to go to the Blackthorn’s ship at sundown, meaning they had very little time left. 

“Thomas!” Eugenia half-yelled, kicking his leg. 

Thomas looked up suddenly, not missing Alastair’s unsuccessful attempt to cover his laugh. His mind clung to the sound of the short-lived laugh, trying to focus on what Eugenia was saying

“Open the door, Cordelia’s here.”

He pushed the entry open to reveal Cordelia and Lucie. Lucie had changed into what he could only assume were Cordelia’s clothes. They were looser on her but Lucie seemed thrilled.

“Well,” Eugenia huffed, glancing at her own gown distastefully as they started moving again. 

When they arrived near the ocean night had come, the darkness would cloak their presence as they approached. Alastair began to explain what they needed to do. Thomas noted the way everyone readily listened to him.

“Lucie, Cordelia, Eugenia, you three locate Tatiana’s room, take out as little people as possible. Do not go in unless you feel the need to. Come back to where we burn through the ship and wait for us to come back. We’ll try to find anyone in need of rescuing.”

Thomas’s head jerked up at that. Alastair turned his intense dark eyes to him, his eyebrow flickering up slightly.

“Thomas you’re with me.”

~~~

Eugenia watched Cordelia stab her sword into the side of her ship and pour the vial Christopher had given them on the wood. The smell of smoke drifted into the air as a patch of the ship withered and melted away, leaving a large enough hole for them to get through.

Alastair cocked his head to the side and studied the vial. Eugenia heard him mutter the word “smart” before he pocketed the glass and swung himself gracefully into the ship. She felt a thrum of nervousness and anticipation as she watched Cordelia and Alastair pull her friends up. She wasn’t going to be alone, she reminded herself as she gripped the siblings’ hands. 

The crawlspace was dark and tight, she was fairly certain someone had stepped on her foot, but it served for a well hidden meeting spot. 

“An hour,” Cordelia reminded them, exchanging one of those looks with her brother. “Anymore and we assume the worst.”

And then they split, Thomas and Alastair disappearing down to the depths of the ship. 

“Captain’s cabin is always in the same spot,” Cordelia said softly, squinting into the distance.

“Is Tatiana their captain? We never really found out.” Lucie followed Cordelia down the dark hallway leaving Eugenia no choice but to follow. 

“I suppose not but it is rare for any one of higher position to be sleeping below with the common crew.”

Cordelia stopped suddenly, her head tipping back. They were above deck now, obscured, pressed into an open passageway leading to the back of the ship. It started to rain, cold pelting droplets combining with the ocean spray. 

“There,” Cordelia breathed, pointing up to a row of connected rooms. 

The only problem was that there was a clear outline of a man in one of the shaded windows. If they went in from the front he was sure to hear them or see them. Eugenia considered running up the stairs and stabbing him regardless but Cordelia seemed to have other ideas. 

She looped her hand around the rope connected to the main mast, the muscles in her arm flexing as she tightened her grip and turned back to them.

“I can only take one with me.”

Eugenia pushed Lucie forward. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want to go, but she wasn’t a fool. Cordelia and Lucie made moon eyes at each other nearly every time they spoke and while all of her friends may be oblivious idiots to their own feelings she refused to be the same. Cordelia swallowed, pulling her hood up to cover her red hair before wrapping her arm around Lucie, who’s breathing seemed to have completely stopped. 

Feeling as if she was intruding, Eugenia looked away, promising to keep watch and alert them if anyone came. She heard them depart but a different noise caught her attention. She whipped her head around, her hand tightening on her sword - and nearly dropped it. 

~~~

Kamala wasn’t sure what to make of the situation. She heard soft footfalls from above her when she was retiring for bed and reluctantly pulled herself above deck. She had expected to see a stray crewmate breaking curfew but she certainly didn’t expect to see Eugenia Lightwood standing on the deck, her day dress and brown hair coated in water droplets. When she had met her in the market she’d recognized the name, the Lightwoods were Tatiana’s family after all.

But Eugenia seemed to be just that; a relative of her leader who fell into a situation at a market. Not a longsword wielding criminal who snuck onto pirate ships.

“What are you doing here?” Kamala half shouted over the rain which was growing louder.

“This is your ship?” Eugenia called back. Her eyes were halfway between green and brown, shining with either anger or something else. 

“Not my ship. I just work on it.” 

Eugenia pulled back, her breathing looked shaky. “Why?”

“Money. Why else?”

Catching her hand, Kamala felt herself being pulled under the wood cover of the hallway. The storm was picking up speed now, tearing violently at their masts. Kamala told herself that she shouldn’t care about the look of betrayal in Eugenia’s eyes but she still felt a piercing pain in heart whenever she looked at the woman’s face. 

“Are you going to say anything to them?” Eugenia asked finally, her face close enough to Kamala’s that she could whisper. 

Kamala’s loyalties did not lie with Tatiana. She worked for her certainly but she couldn’t bring herself to turn Eugenia in.

“No. I won’t ask questions. But if you’d come with others keep in mind that you are the only one I’m sparing.  

~~~

It seemed, Alastair thought bitterly, picking the lock that led below deck, that there was no part of London that wasn’t absolutely filthy. It smelled overwhelmingly of alcohol and fish, a scent that Alastair had grown to block out overtime of being held under enemy pirate ships. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, trying to press down the memories. The Carstairs had always tried to spare innocents and other pirates, but most pirates favored cruelty. 

He tried his best to keep that from Cordelia, that if there was ever a price to be paid that he would be the one in debt. The scars on his skin, reminders of how brutal their life could be were always carefully hidden.

“Alastair? Are you alright?” 

Biting back a curse he nodded, avoiding Thomas’s eye as he pushed the door open with a soft creak. Turning he pressed one of his daggers into Thomas’s hand, ignoring the way the brush of his hands sent sparks directly to Alastair’s brain.

“We won’t take any of the crewmates, we’re just looking for prisoners, people who were taken.”

“They take people for prisoner?” Thomas asked, his voice a horrified murmur.

The memory of ropes cutting into his arms burned far too brightly behind his eyes. “Yes.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Thomas gently placed a hand on his arm, his hazel eyes searching Alastair’s face.

“I-” 

The sound of a wave slamming into the side of the ship cut him off and Alastair was grateful for it. Turning down the hallway they searched the rooms as quietly as they could. Hurried moments passed and they came up with nothing.

“What if Tatiana doesn’t have any?”

“Unlikely. I assume they’re dead. We should meet the girls upstairs.”

~~~

I was going to post this yesterday but Shadow and Bone. Also I’m posting the next part now as well, it got too long. 

Tagging: @adoravel-fenomeno and @barbra-lightwood

#alastair carstairs #cordelia carstairs #thomas lightwood #eugenia lightwood #kamala joshi #lucie herondale #thomastair #joshwood #lucelia #tlh #the last hours #tsc #my writing

[ibijau]

I blame @nillegible who dropped this amazing concept on the xisang discord,  then wrote a wonderful take on it and said it was fine if I played with it as well

Nie Huaisang wasn’t supposed to be in that part of Carp Tower, which was precisely why he was there. Nobody ever came around there anymore, not since Jin Guangyao had so virtuously turned his back on the demonic cultivation his father had encouraged and allowed to fester inside his sect.  Nie Huaisang had come there a few times during his days of investigation, never finding much of interest. He had figured out that it was the quietest place in all of Carp Tower, though, and he had often escaped there when forced to be in Lanling yet needing a moment to compose himself… and even now, with Jin Guangyao dead months ago, it was hard to keep his cool in enemy territory.

It did not help that Jin Rulan, after inviting him to Carp Tower to discuss new terms on a number of old treaties between their sects, had suddenly been taken by an emergency he could not explain. He had asked Nie Huaisang to stay as his guest until the matter was settled, promising it would be quick.

That had been over a week ago.

Nie Huaisang, this whole time, had done his best not to snoop around. It was no concern of his if Jin Rulan had to deal with emergencies, he refused to get involved unless he was invited to do so. The temptation was there to find out, certainly, but… Nie Huaisang was tired of other people’s secrets. So to avoid finding out anything, he mostly spent his days wandering in the gardens, or seeking peace in this abandoned part of Carp Tower. It was so quiet here, he could almost pretend that everything was fine.

The quiet was broken after he passed the door of a little building, and heard a shout.

“Uncle Nie!”

Nie Huaisang startled, and turned in the direction of the voice. He saw a child running his way from inside the building, the sight pulling at a heart he thought he no longer had. Without thinking, Nie Huaisang fell to his knees and opened his arms wide, letting the child throw himself at his neck before pulling him into a tight hug.

“Uncle Nie, you’re here!”

“SongSong?” Nie Huaisang gasped.

Before he could even fully process how impossible it was for that child to be here, more voices rushed their way. Still acting on instinct alone, Nie Huaisang stood up again, keeping the little boy in his arms. It was a relief when he saw Jin Rulan and Wei Wuxian rush out of that same building, meaning he probably wouldn’t have to fight after all. 

Wei Wuxian seemed to have less amicable thoughts about him. He frowned deeply when he saw that Nie Huaisang was holding the little boy so closely, and pulled out his flute as a quiet threat.

“Nie zongzhu, put down that child,” he ordered.

“Wei gongzi, I don’t think I could even if I tried,” Nie Huaisang retorted, feeling Jin Rusong’s grasp on him tighten, the little boy curling up against his chest in terror. “SongSong, have they scared you very much?”

“He says he’s LingLing,” the child muttered, pointing an accusatory finger at poor Jin Rulan who looked quite in shock over whatever was going on. “He’s not, LingLing is little like SongSong.”

“And you don’t know the other man either, so you became scared?” Nie Huaisang asked, smiling when Jin Rusong nodded and hid his face against his neck. “So my clever little SongSong decided to run for it. What a clever boy! Well, it’s lucky you found me. You know me well, right SongSong?”

The little boy relaxed a little, clearly happy to be receiving praise. He was always such a sweet child who soaked up affection like a sponge. Nie Huaisang used to adore him and to spoil him rotten whenever he could, even after having realised he would need to orphan him someday. He had cried for days after Jin Rusong had died, and again when he had understood why the child had died.

Or appeared to die, as seemed to be the case. The little boy in his arms was warm and very much alive.

“Put him down,” Wei Wuxian ordered again, glaring at Nie Huaisang.

“No, I won’t. Not right away. Hey, SongSong, it’s fine, these two are not bad people. They are my… they are uncle Lan’s friends. And we both know uncle Lan would never be friends with bad people, right?”

If the other two startled at those words, Jin Rusong eagerly nodded, and dared to glance in their direction with less fear.

“He’s not LingLing,” he insisted, pointing again at his cousin.

Jin Rulan, usually never showing any emotion but haughtiness or anger, made a grimace of anguish at the accusation. As was to be expected. He’d been young when Jin Rusong had died, but the two cousins had been raised like brothers, they had been so close before tragedy struck.

“I’ve told you, you’ve been very sick, A-Song,” Jin Rulan explained, taking a step toward his cousin and the man holding him. “I’m Jin Ling, I’m just… I’ve grown up a bit.”

“I don’t like it,” Jin Rusong retorted, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. “I don’t like you. I want my mommy and daddy. Uncle Nie, take me to mommy!”

Nie Huaisang froze, that simple demand knocking the breath out of him.

It had been natural to pick up Jin Rusong and to comfort him, like something out of a memory, but suddenly reality caught up to him. He noticed the way Wei Wuxian looked at him with suspicion, with hatred almost, his posture ready for a fight. He saw the fear in Jin Rulan’s eyes, how he was clearly desperate to come steal back his cousin from the man who had…

Ah.

Nie Huaisang smiled as he knelt down again, trying to push the child away from him.

“SongSong, I think you should go with your cousin, actually. Look how strong he has become, don’t you think he’ll take good care of you?”

The more Nie Huaisang tried to free himself, the harder Jin Rusong clung to his neck, desperately clawing at him so he wouldn’t have to let go, leaving red lines on his skin.

“I don’t know them, I don’t know them!” he wailed, spilling heavy tears. “Uncle Nie, I don’t know them, stay with me! Take me to mommy!”

With a sigh, Nie Huaisang gave up for a moment and allowed the little boy to curl up again against him, his tears calming quickly. Earlier it had made him feel warm and happy to have this child in his arms. Now, it only amplified the hollowness in his chest, reminding him of things he used to have.

Watching them intently, Jin Rulan tilted his head before looking at Wei Wuxian.

“Maybe… if A-Song trusts him… You said it’s best if he stays calm for a while, right?”

Wei Wuxian’s frown deepened. His posture remained tense, but he nodded slowly.

“If Nie zongzhu is willing to help. Though I wonder how much of a surprise this situation is to him?”

It was Nie Huaisang’s turn to frown, though he made efforts to keep his body relaxed so he wouldn’t stress out poor Jin Rusong.

“If I had known that SongSong was alive, I would have made different choices on certain matters,” he stated in as pleasant a voice as he could manage. Jin Guangyao would still have needed to die, that had never been negotiable. But if he had known that Jin Rusong had survived the attack on his life somehow, then he would have been more careful of Qin Su’s well-being. In fact, Nie Huaisang would have kept certain things secret, so his nephew wouldn’t have to live with the infamy of his father’s sin. “I am willing to help though, if I’m allowed.”

Jin Ling and Wei Wuxian exchanged another look, before the young sect leader took another step toward Nie Huaisang and his cousin.

“A-Song, if Nie zongzhu comes with us, will you listen and be good?”

“I want mommy,” the little boy replied.

“Mommy can’t be with SongSong at the moment,” Nie Huaisang explained, glad for once that lying had become so easy to him. “Neither can daddy. But I think LingLing has important things to say, so why don’t we go back inside and listen to what he has to say?” Jin Rusong shook his head, looking ready to cry again. This called for desperate measures. “I’ll let SongSong play with my fan,” he offered. “Today, it’s one that has birds on it.”

Jin Rusong considered it for a moment. It used to be a game between them, Jin Rusong so fascinated by the pretty fans, Nie Huaisang desperate to protect them from clumsy and occasionally sticky hands. It used to make Lan Xichen and Jin Guangyao laugh to see the two of them play fighting over fans.

It was odd to think of Jing Guangyo and Lan Xichen laughing, after everything.

But for Jin Rusong, those memories hadn’t been tainted. So he did not hesitate very long before nodding eagerly. It took a bit of a balancing act, but Nie Huaisang managed to pull out his fan of the way without having to put down the child. It made his heart clench to see with what care Jin Rusong slowly opened that fan, the shining smile on his face as he discovered the painted birds. It really was more than Nie Huaisang could handle so he turned to look at Jin Rulan and Wei Wuxian, fearful he would start crying in nostalgia otherwise.

“How is this possible anyway?” he asked. “I was there when… I was there. I saw it happen.”

“We’re not sure how exactly he did it,” Jin Rulan explained, motioning for Nie Huaisang to follow them back inside. “But A-Song has been kept in stasis all this time while uncle tried to find ways to heal him. He… there was something wrong with A-Song’s heart, so it was the only way uncle could keep him alive until he found a cure.”

Once they were inside, Jin Rusong’s attention drifted away from the fan for a moment, the child shivering in fear in Nie Huaisang’s arms. Not without reason. Not only was that building a medical practice of some sort, but in a corner stood the terrifying Ghost General himself. Well, he scared Nie Huaisang and Jin Rusong anyway, the child because he could probably tell this person wasn’t quite alive, the adult because he knew what that man was capable of, even if at that moment he looked all sorry and pitiful. 

It puzzled Nie Huaisang at first that this fierce corpse should be there, until he remembered who his sister had been. Medical miracles might have run in the family.

“Well, SongSong and I are listening,” Nie Huaisang said with a polite smile. “Why don’t the three of you explain this situation to us?”

Jin Rulan nodded, and took a deep breath.

“So, I was going through my uncle’s belongings a few months ago when I found this journal he kept. I couldn’t quite believe it at first, but I found another secret room and inside…”

#nie huaisang #jin rusong #jin ling #wei wuxian #mo dao zu shi #guest appearance by wen ning #go check nelligeble's fic if you have yet it is very very sweet #jau writes #urgh I have a lot of emotions about jin ruson ok? #jin rusong lives

[redmaneroster]

Our Home Away From Home, Away From Home

[1] [2] [3] [x-x] [6] [7] [8-9] [10]

PART 4 – Coping

Qrow isn't exactly the intimidating uncle so much as he is the nervous older friend. Sure, he comes in with cheek and swagger, but he hesitates sometimes and watches what he says. Things are uncomfortable for a while.

Jaune and Qrow are sitting alone on the sofa, eyes passed the TV and out the window. Jaune breaks the silence and asks him how he knew. Qrow, surprisingly, explains that he turned into a bird and followed them home. He fully intended to leave when they got into the door but then he overheard the bit about Ruby going missing so he sat by the window and waited for updates.

He fell asleep on the windowsill.

Yang's moaning woke him up.

Both men don't even dare look each other in the eye. They both agree not to bring that up with her for as long as they live.

It's minutes later after they've both taken a swig from their flasks that Qrow asks, "So what are you two?"

"I don't know," he answers; almost apologetic. Almost fearful, but not of Qrow. "We're close and trying to… forget things."

"Yeah, I can see that." Qrow takes another swig. "Tell me, is this about Tai and Rae?"

"More than a little, yeah."

"Those two idiots aren't the least bit careful anymore… I'm sorry she's lumping it onto you. If I'd done better, none of this would have happened."

"I don't mind just listening to her."

"I know. It's the fact that she has to go through it at all… She's still in school. Distractions are dangerous when you're still fresh on the hunt."

Jaune laughs. "She's been doing this for years. If anything, I'm the one that's still green."

"You runts don't get to be proper huntsmen unless you've faced a real, proper threat or graduated. To a licensed huntsman, there's a reason why you're all still in-training. All the glory and shit is the stuff you gotta revel in while you're still in the safety of these halls instead of roughing it in the wilds day after day, facing odds stacked against you."

Qrow is amicable, asking only that he doesn't also seduce Ruby. Jaune's confusion is answer enough. He's no Casanova. He isn't Taiyang. Qrow has it that he believes men like him are unprepared as partners and fathers. Jaune disagrees, saying that his own father was like Tai. To him, any man can work their way into being a proper partner.

They talk about it for long enough that Yang stumbles back into the apartment. She hopes Qrow hasn't spilled any embarrassing stories about her.

They're deftly quiet at that.

-0-

Yang doesn't stay long (it isn't like she spends every weekend with him after all), but she lingers at the door. She hears their muffled voices through the gaps but she doesn't strain her ears to decipher them. She isn't here to eavesdrop.

She hears them laugh. Briefly, she wonders if even Qrow knows Jaune more than she does.

Breathing evenly, she calms the fiery doubts and walks off.

-0-

"What are your intentions?" Qrow asks an hour later, once he's sure Yang is long gone because of course he knows when she's there.

"We didn't sleep together."

Qrow winces at the thought of them. Then it's so deeply uncomfortable that his whole body shudders. "Ah, god, fuck! Damn it, kid, I don't want to think about you two naked! How would you feel if I shared my stories with you!"

Jaune, similarly, melts down at the thought.

Yang actually comes back because she forgot Ember Celica. She hears them freaking out through the door and pivots into the other direction. Blake asks about her bracelets. Yang says it isn't important right now.

-0-

Jaune and Qrow sip their flasks at the same time. They joke about it.

When it's quieter, Qrow can see in his eyes that he wants to ask something so he encourages him to.

Jaune, with an uneasy breath, asks what Qrow is always drinking to forget.

Turns out, he doesn't drink to forget. Drinking is when he does the most thinking, actually.

Drinking is a hobby. Less a recreational drug and more a medicinal one. "Confused? Let me explain…" He doesn't recommend it but he's built up such a tolerance for it before he even went to be Beacon as a kid that it's all basically like water to him. Alcohol isn't his coping mechanism, but he confesses that he does technically have one if it can be called that.

He lost an old friend a long time ago and he isn't sure if his semblance is to blame. The thought has haunted him since. Grief mixed so deeply with poisoned guilt has made him obsessed with loneliness.

He enjoys the quiet nights sitting alone at home, eying the moon, dreaming of what ifs. He enjoys sitting in meadows, letting Summer heat hold him like a familiar embrace. He enjoys hunting solo and coming out on top, all in her name. It's proof that, even in death, she's still the best partner he ever had.

Alcohol is normalcy. It's where he thinks the most clearly, acts the most boldly, acts like himself. Being sober unsettles his mind, makes him act irrationally.

Somehow it makes sense. He always did seem the more sober man when he's got a flask in his hand. Even subconsciously, Jaune realizes that he's made that his gospel.

Qrow warns that it certainly isn't the same way with Jaune. (Jaune knows, of course. His tolerance is likely as weak Ruby's might be.) But Qrow confesses to being more worried about what he might do if he drinks too much. He saw all the whiskey in the fridge.

"I'm not going to hurt Yang. I stop myself from going too far."

"I don't mean Yang. She can handle herself around you, I'm sure." Qrow shows him a photo on his scroll. "This is what I'm worried about."

Jaune reels. He feels a few things. Mostly anguish, discomfort. Saphron and Terra are in Vale.

"When was this?"

"This morning. I thought they'd show up today and that I could be your convenient alibi for having an occupied guest room once they dropped in, but it looks they're busy doing whatever it is they're actually supposed to be doing in the city."

"They're going to come by eventually. Even if not today then…"

"I can't stay, kid," Qrow says, cautiously, quietly. "You facing them is just as inevitable as their visit. I'm no good at this stuff but... my advice: Don't run."

-0-

Yang comes back to Jaune sat at the sofa, staring at a movie he isn't watching. Yang turns it off and when the screen buzzes into silence, Jaune finally realizes she's in the room.

He doesn't notice the many bags she brought with her.

When she asks what's going on, he tells her that Terra is in town.

Yang asks if Saphron is with her.

He realizes that he forgot to mention his own sister.

Yang takes his hand and leans into his side. "It's that bad, huh?"

His free hand pulls out the now empty flask. "I might need more than the watered down whiskey."

She sits on his lap and pushes his flask away. "Get drunk on me." Her eyes are half-lidded and pleading, a promise etched into the wetness of her lips and heat rolling off her breath.

He does what she asks.

They press together so closely that he feels another one of inhibitions snap.

That night he decides – without really thinking about why – to steal a kiss while she sleeps. He realizes that the gesture is far too affectionate than it should be but can't bring himself to regret it.

She was awake the whole time.

-0-

PART 5 – Accommodation

Yang fixates on the kiss. Not that it's changed how she feels or how she's going to feel, only that she wonders what's changed for him with her. She finds herself lingering on his silhouette in bed, paying attention to subtleties in his tone, the way he moves around her or if he catches himself saying anything he wants to say but can't.

And all she's found in mapping him out is that he's no different from before.

Blake tells her that it could mean any number of things. Weiss maintains that it has to be burgeoning love. Ruby, much to their surprise, tells them that it was probably a moment of weakness and that he probably still doesn't know what it means.

The girls – Pyrrha included – suggest that Ruby is probably right. But Yang finds herself unwilling to accept it. She isn't one for sitting still. So instead of deferring to their wisdom… she hatches a plan.

It falls apart immediately.

-0-

Lingerie is her first idea, a vibrant red with thin enough material to tear off with ease. Scented candles to fill the spaces, lighting the bed and the nightstands while drowning the rest in dark. A nice ambient drone off the speakers in another room just to fill any silence. And makeup, the kind that layers thick and she feels physically on her face but comes recommended from Coco's article on a magazine.

She calls up Pyrrha to coach her on it, but the girl only blinks at her beyond the digital lense and asks, "Do you want him to sleep with you or fall in love?"

At first, Yang is confused until she takes a good hard look at herself in the mirror and… doesn't recognize who's looking back at her.

"I don't know," she says honestly. She smiles placatively and hangs up. Pyrrha knows she'll figure it out, but Yang has to first get rid of the mess she's made in his bedroom. Everything else will follow after.

She tosses the heels in the bin (they were cheap anyway), rips off her stockings, and covers up the rest in a bath robe. She tries to wash off the makeup but it smears and will take longer than she has time for. She tries too frantically to get the candles out and accidentally sets fire to one of his chairs – she ends up violently launching it into the tiled shower wall and leaves the shower running.

Finally was the music wafting in from the living room, playing off her scroll. She's already halfway into the living room when the front door opens. She freezes in place just as Jaune is letting in his guests, Saphron and Terra.

Yang doesn't know Saphron, not really, but there's a mutual trust between them when the older girl runs over to her, takes her by the wrist, and drags her back into Jaune's room.

Minutes later, Saphron is dabbing some solution on her cheeks. The makeup comes off in clumps – some semblance of relief comes with them.

"I'm Yang," she says suddenly.

Saphron's bemused smile banishes any tension she has left. Yang already embarrassed herself and not much could make it worse at this point when your first impression is half naked in the living room. She'd also spied the lingerie but she'd thankfully neglected to mention the familiar strap peeking off her shoulder.

"Saphron," she says but says no more. She focuses on the task at hand and Yang quiets with her. Then Saphron starts humming. It's familiar, as if carved out of a chapter in her life that she can hardly remember. Suddenly it's clear that this woman is a mother.

"My brother mention me a lot?" Saphron asks.

"He tries not to but can't help it. You always manage to come up in his stories to curb his nonsense. You'd be a punchline if the stories were supposed to be funny."

"Tends to happen." Saphron winks. "Us older sisters have to butt in all the time."

"He told you about me and Ruby?" She wasn't expecting to come up in conversation.

"No… I can just tell." Another smile. More secretly knowing. And she is briefly afraid that all her secrets have already been laid bare. "He told me you were his roommate."

"Ah." A safe descriptor. She'd been expecting a cover story like being his live-in girlfriend. She'd even prepared the lines and a backstory. It's a small a comfort that doesn't have to go through that.

Saphron pouts for a moment before her eyes turn devilish. "He also mentioned that you two share a bed and make out." Yang blinks at her. Her confusion also confuses Saphron. Isn't that supposed to be embarrassing? "Is… was he wrong?"

"Uh… no. That's exactly it. I guess I just wasn't expecting the truth."

"And you really aren't sleeping together?" Saphron peels the gown off her shoulder and tugs at the bra strap. Yang yelps when it snaps back into place. "With an outfit like this?"

"It was a lapse in judgement." She gestures to herself. "I swear this isn't how I normally am. I don't think I'll ever put on something like this ever again."

"Hm… a honeymoon might change your mind, but let's not dwell on that. You've got scented candles in the corner and I can smell…" – she sniffs the air – "burnt wood from the bathroom? What led to all this?"

"I'm… not sure I should say."

Saphron takes Yang's hands in hers. "You don't have to tell me, but it feels like you're struggling with something all on your own."

"I'm not, actually," she admits sheepishly. "I just didn't take anyone's advice. I don't like the idea of waiting for something to happen when I can already do something about it."

"There is value in patience."

"I don't think waiting is my problem. I think I'm just too proactive to do nothing."

"My brother leave you hanging or something?"

"Kind of? … I've said too much already."

"Or not enough." She smiles in that way again. As if knowing. "But I won't pry. I know that sometimes it's better to wait and come to your own conclusions. Right or wrong, a decision you make yourself stays with you and sometimes that's more valuable than being handed the keys to the castle."

"You really think highly of Jaune, don't you?"

"Hm? What makes you say that?"

"I've never heard someone describe the way to someone's heart as 'keys to a castle'."

Saphron gives her a catty cheek. "Oh, so you are in love with him." But she is surprised again when Yang doesn't blush.

She shrugs instead, looking away. Not out of embarrassment but to eye her own fragmentary reflection on the corner of the vanity's mirror. "I wouldn't know. I've never been in love before."

"But… you're so pretty."

"So is Jaune. So is my sister. And all but one of my roommates have never even kissed anyone before coming to Beacon. It isn't like we don't have time to fall in love, it's just not always our biggest concern. They drill it in you early that staying alive out there should be your priority." She eyes the bra strap on her shoulder in the mirror, hates what it represents, what it almost made her do. She pulls up the sleeve again, hiding it away, and she almost looks like herself. "I think that's why I like being around him. He doesn't pass judgement on whether not my problems are big or small. He just knows they're important to me and lets me be heard."

"Is being a good listener what you look for in a partner?"

"It might." She laughs. "It's hardly an extensive list, though, isn't it?"

Saphron huffs, settling herself comfortably beside her and dusting off her skirt. "Lists are overrated. Not that you shouldn't have standards, but if you want to extensively checklist every potential partner, you'll end up with a growing criteria less and less people will be able to fill. And trust me, I've lived a storied life – been dating people since I was fifteen – and I've found that it's easier to talk to people and let things click. Hell, I wasn't even trying to flirt with Terra when we first met. She was the wingwoman to the girl I was actually trying to get with and we just happened to get along better."

"Sounds like quite the story."

"Why don't I tell you over dinner? It'd be a nice little preamble to me and Terra. I suspect we'll be meeting quite often in the near future."

"I guess I will be tagging along with Jaune if you really want me to."

"If I really want you to? You sound a little meek there," Saphron teases. "Jaune described you as the kind of girl with confidence to rival a peacock. Was my brother wrong or are you just starting to sound like him?"

"Hey, I don't…! Oh shit, you're right."

"Fair tradeoff, I suppose. Jaune's got peacock confidence now and I guess you're to blame."

"Ha! No, I can't take credit for that. Pyrrha – his ex – I'm sure she's your culprit."

"We've met. Jaune brought her over last year before they started dating. Wasn't even going to take her to the dance, the little dunce."

"Oh, but they hooked up that night! After they both showed up stag and he tore up the dance floor in a dress."

"A DRESS!?" Saphron screamed, her eyes lighting up with mischief Yang realizes she's just armed her with.

A knock at the door. "Everything alright in there?" Jaune asks, muffled through the mahogany.

"We're fine!" Yang says.

"Peachy, little brother," Saphron adds with a flare of sarcasm, "but you're going to regret keeping secrets from me."

"Yang!" Jaune screeches, panicked. "What did you tell her?"

Yang laughs, hearty and comfortable with Saphron snickering beside her. It almost feels right, like it's something that always should have been, and she wonders why she was ever so afraid. "What you should have told her! You know you can't keep secrets from big sisters!"

"Oh really? I can promise you that there are secrets Ruby hasn't told you."

Yang shot up from her seat. "What!?"

Saphron sits back. "Aren't you two lively…" she whispers.

"I'm no snitch, Xiao Long!" Jaune shouts, snark clear in his voice.

"You'll fess up one way or another!" Yang, in her excitement, marches to the door.

Saphron bolts out of her place and grabs her arm. "You're still underdressed," she says calmly, belying the panic quickened in her chest.

Yang looks down at herself. She's showing a little cleavage too with the loosened bath robe. She takes an extra step back for good measure and clutches the lapels closed.

"C'mon. You're looking a little too comfortable now. Let's find you something modest." Saphron tugs her towards the closet.

"Backing down already?" Jaune said in what – to him – was a moment of silence.

"I'll get you yet, Vomit Boy!" Yang jeers.

Saphron perks up. "Vomit Boy?"

Jaune groans behind the door. "Yang!"

Yang, despite the grin tugging at her cheeks, silently promises to make it up to him later.

-0-

Jaune stands in the center of his living room, staring at his shut door. Saphron has just dragged Yang into it, and his mind has been reeling with what he'd seen. Barely dressed, slow music off her scroll, and with smeared makeup on? He doesn't want to come to any conclusions, not without talking to her first, but the obvious ones come to mind.

He isn't certain he can reckon with the inevitable outcome.

Behind him, Terra sensibly cuts off Yang's music playing off her scroll. Jaune nearly jumps when he's brought out of his stupor and into her beautiful, suffocating presence. Terra is still as captivating as he remembers, tinted with the gloss of a boyhood crush that refuses to die. At least with Saphron around he could suffuse it, but not alone in the heavy quiet of his apartment.

Terra gives him a bemused smile. Ever sympathetic. She pats the seat cushion beside her and Jaune joins her, plopping on the cushion with a held breath he eases out of himself.

"You seem surprised," Terra says. "And here I thought you'd already seen her in less."

"I did say we've only made out… and snuggled." He can't decide which one is more scandalous. Perhaps neither. Or both, given that they aren't even dating.

"Yeah, despite that being unusual enough to be true, I still had my doubts."

"Have any still?"

"No. You definitely don't look like the kind of couple that's seen each other naked."

Jaune's eyes narrow. "We're not a couple."

"I believe you," she says with a smile. She's so dangerously close to him that he can smell her perfume. A glance shows him that she's eying him expectantly. He's tense, uncertain, and it's clear that she can see that. She pulls away, giving him room to breathe. "Guessing you've still got a crush on me then?"

His spine gets stiffer, spotting her at the corner of his eye because he refuses to look directly at her. She's smiling still. Being cheeky. "Terra…" he groans.

She scooches a little closer again (taking a chance that his nerves might not erupt), and lets his heat wash over her and lets him feel hers. The affection is platonic, he knows that. He and his sisters huddle together for comfort often, and Terra has just learned to follow suit. But he can't help but revel in it, letting it sink into his pores till it leaves a familiar tingle.

A small part of him hates it but mostly hates himself for indulging.

"If I asked you why, would you tell me?" Her tone is quiet, almost a whisper. She's trying to ease him.

"Because you cared about me."

She chuckles because it's naïve and honest and oh so very like him that it's almost nostalgic. "Was that really all?"

"When you're young and naïve, that's all it takes."

"I didn't know you were lonely."

It was his turn to chuckle. "I wasn't. I was never some lonely little kid who didn't have any friends. I had enough love from my sisters alone to fill my heart a hundred times over."

"Then why?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Do I need to have been missing something in my life to want to fall in love?"

Her feet shuffles in place. "I guess I haven't seen it that way. After I was old enough to date, I'd not gone a year without someone I wanted to be with or was already with. I always felt like love completed me, like it does now with Saph… Is that not how you feel?"

"I'm… I'm not saying love doesn't make me happy or anything. It's just that I don't feel like I need it to feel whole. I don't think it'd complete me, just that it might be nice to have too. Is that not how you feel?"

She chuckles again, a nervous uncertainty tinting her quiet, teahouse melody. "I don't know. Never been without it, really. At least not for long."

He looks at her – examines her, really – because her cheek is gone, as is her confidence, and it feels like she's revealing her artifice in a vulnerable moment. She's digging gaps into her own thoughts and he can see her pick apart her own internal logic and she seems more and less somehow. Like she's less the perfect cut gem he thought she was and sees the girl underneath it.

He's less tense all of a sudden.

And for a moment he feels like he can come to grips with everything that she is. Who she was to him, who she wasn't, and who she's become. A boyhood crush, flightful fantasy, and… he can't bring himself to think of the last. Fist clenching and unclenching, a slow motion that tries to hide the trembling in his digits.

He swallows and he worries if she can hear it. She doesn't, but she can see something's troubling him.

"How's Adrian?" he asks.

"Oh, he's –"

"A DRESS!?" Saphron screams from beyond the locked bedroom door.

Jaune jolts up from his seat and nearly bumps into Terra who'd stood along with him. She steps aside and he hurries to the door, asking after them. Terra tries not to pay attention (she can barely hear what they say beyond the door anyhow) but then he mentions Yang's sister, Ruby – the girl Terra thought he actually has a crush on – and Yang audibly shouts, "What!?" passed the door at him.

"Aren't you two lively…" Terra whispers.

-0-

Dinner is a largely pleasant affair until the alcohol gets introduced. The hills of drink they stack onto the table to peruse intimidates Jaune and he cautions that he cannot – will not – drink anything that isn't at least on the rocks. He'll shoulder tomorrow's regret but he doesn't want to sleep through the sun burning through the morning and afternoon.

Saphron and Terra share a glance before pulling something out of Terra's bag. Diadem, a vintage Vacuan drink stronger than everything else on the table. They only ask that he a takes a shot. It'll buzz him through the evening.

It's too strong and he nearly hurls.

Yang half remembers all the stories they tell. Saphron regales them with tales of how she met Terra, the proposal, the wedding, and even the honeymoon off the coast of Menagerie. Jaune spouts on about his team and a misadventure with his twin on an old farm and a horse, and Yang, somehow, talks about a food fight twice. It's funnier the second time around.

There's a gap in her memory of whatever story Terra was telling because she fixates on one part and can't focus on anything else. "…she's little Adrian's babysitter," she mentions briefly but doesn't have the faculties to ask about.

When Saph and Terra leave for their hotel, things wind down and Yang's sitting on the sofa in Jaune's hoodie. Yang returns the shirt and shorts she borrowed but she feels like wearing something that's his might help with tonight.

Jaune joins her, easing down slowly as his head rides the waves of a dying Vacuan storm.

"Who's Adrian?" she asks.

He's quiet for a moment, perhaps from the drink. "He's Terra's son."

Yang can see it. Saphron isn't mentioned deliberately. He doesn't just forget this time. "Oh! From a previous marriage?"

He shakes his head. "No, nothing like that," he says, sobering up.

"A previous partner then?"

Jaune says nothing. He's sitting upright. Rigid and awake. There's something there. Maybe Terra had a previous partner he didn't like, but then things click into place. Realization sets in like headlights through the fog, suddenly and violently.

"Oh my god…" she whispers, "…he's yours."

He doesn't answer. Doesn't need to. She grabs onto his arm and pulls him into a hug. She's hit a nail on the head and panic sets in when she thinks she's opened up an old wound. It's precisely the kind of thing they're supposed to help each other forget. Only, Yang doesn't realize that Jaune is so caught off-guard by her sudden burst of affection that he's at first startled and – when she goes in for a kiss and ends up headbutting him instead – he ends up laughing it off.

His mirth is almost strange until it makes complete sense somehow. She's done her job, kept her end of the bargain, and now she's laughing with him too.

When he's calmed down, he lies back on the sofa when she goes to get a drink. She comes back to find him lying across the sofa and she makes the executive decision to just fall on top of him. She crashes into his stomach with a hefty oof from him and she makes no apologies for retaliating.

"Sofa hog," she jeers from her perch on his chest, chin resting on her arms.

"I bought it," he shoots back playfully, eying her down from the arm rest.

"Still pay half the rent. And I never asked you to pay me back when I foot the bill for refurbishing them."

"Wouldn't have needed to if Zwei didn't tear them up."

"It was a joint decision that we took him in for the week. You're as much to blame."

He sighs. "I guess I am."

It isn't actually an issue. They've basically already had this discussion and Yang had insisted on covering for it at the time. They're only stalling. Even Yang isn't quite sure she wants to go on.

She doesn't know how long it takes her to summon the courage to speak again. All she knows is that he's willing to answer, even if it would be easier for both of them to stay ignorant. To let these problems solve themselves and never to bear your heart until it is absolutely necessary.

But she speaks anyway. "I thought it was the wedding that got to you."

And so does he. "No, it… it just happened at the wedding. Saph had to go talk to an old classmate and so she left Terra with me. I was already holding Adrian and with Joan running off somewhere, we were alone. Just me, Terra… and our son. It hit me then. Slowly, like when you stare at yourself in the mirror at the night of a recital. You think, 'This is it. This is where things fall apart… or meet in the middle.' I knew I had to make peace with it before it got worse."

"And your answer was watered-down whiskey the minute you got back home?"

He shrugs. "Qrow gives good advice."

"Hm… maybe. I still think mine is better."

"Oh? And what's that?"

She pushes herself up over him, arms at either side of his head till her silhouette is against the dim glow of the incandescent bulb, warm light pooling through her hair till it looks like it's on fire. "Get drunk on me," she says, her breath tickling his nose and burning his lips.

But he doesn't kiss her. She sees the way his lips quiver, almost wanting to, but he doesn't even try.

She retreats instead, nestling back onto his chest but his cheeks are still burning and she swears hers are too. The room feels like it's boiling.

"When we kiss, do you think of her?"

"Never," he says honestly, and that seems to be the part that stings the most to him. "That's the most dangerous thing about you. You don't taste, feel, or smell like anyone else." He looks at her and only her, and she shrinks away as she gets up and off of him because she feels like a moon in a sea of stars, and as he straightens up and sits parallel to her, his eyes never leave, like a captive witness.

He leans in, and she doesn't know if it's to kiss her or just her sheer pull on him. She ultimately doesn't decide. Their foreheads meet – her eyes are downward but locked to his lips – and she breathes quietly as she asks, "Jaune? Are you in love with me?"

"Yang, are you even sure you are?"

"I… don't know yet."

He pulls away just an inch as something unsettling furrows his brow.

He gets up. "Gimme a minute," he says, and he's gone for just long enough for her to notice that the familiar heat she had pressed against her is missing.

She doesn't know what to expect when he comes back with his hand clutching a small object, but she would have never guessed a ring. It's nestled in a velvety box that he sits on the coffee table and he leaves it open as he sits down and watches it with her like it's some alien thing. He doesn't speak but he gives her a glance and…

It's then that she realizes that she's afraid. The look on her is uncertain – she can feel it, and she feels it freeze on her features.

"Did you pick this out for me?"

He shakes his head. "It was supposed to be Pyrrha's."

She blinks. "Is… is this what scared Pyrrha off?"

"No… it's what scared me off." He leans back against the sofa and she takes that as an invitation to do the same. They're huddled close, shoulder-to-shoulder. "Our breakup was only supposed to be temporary. Some tournament rival tried to pin her to a scandal when they found out she slept with me."

"What? Why would that be a problem?"

He snorts. "I was too young." Out loud, it sounds absurd.

"You were seventeen," she reasons.

"And Pyrrha was eighteen. As far as the law is concerned, Pyrrha slept with a minor."

Yang can feel herself coil up like a loaded spring. "Well, that's fucked! You're barely three months apart!"

"Didn't matter to them. Tabloids would have pinned it on her for the rest of her career. The context doesn't matter to the public."

"Okay…" she says slowly, stifling her frustrations for later. "So, what changed then? Why did you set her up with Sun?"

"Because I went to the wedding and found myself thinking about Terra again. It gave me some unhealthy doubts. I loved Pyrrha, I really did, but it felt wrong when I danced with Terra that night, holding our son in our arms… It felt like I'd betrayed Pyrrha somehow, even in my own mind, by feeling those things. It didn't matter that I didn't actually do anything about it."

"That's not how feelings work though," she says. "You're supposed to have doubts sometimes because people aren't perfect or consistent. Life isn't fiction, Jaune."

"I know that now." He shrugs, resigned in a way. "I found out a little too late though."

"How did you even get Pyrrha to agree to this?"

"She's not very honest about her feelings. Doesn't have the courage to be. When she heard that I'd pushed Sun to ask her out because Nora can't keep a secret, she thought that I might have given up on her. By the time we got the chance to be honest about it, she'd already gotten to know Sun enough to start taking him seriously."

Yang glances back at the ring. Not quite as alien as it was earlier. It just seems strange now, like it's out of place. There's a small comfort in that. "So where does the ring come in?"

"I got it as a sort of celebration when would get back together, but then people started asking about what it meant and… it felt like I'd stumbled onto some finality between us. Like I'd somehow found 'the one' over a year of friendship, a few dates, and showing up to the dance in a dress."

Yang smiles. Not because he seemed silly at the time, but because he's smiling. Because, in spite of his somber reflections, he can't help but feel like what he'd done turned out to be a triumph.

Her arm loops into his and his head leans on hers in response. "Doesn't sound like a bad set up to me," Yang says, shrugging against his arm. "If anything, it sounds like the stars aligned for you two." She speaks honestly. Forgets herself and sees him as Pyrrha's too-perfect other half to a too-perfect couple. If things hadn't turned out the way they did, she might have cheered them on for the rest of their lives. But that isn't how it turned out.

"That's what everyone was saying. It's like we'd ripped ourselves out of a fairytale, only I was a dense, blind princess and she was some stoic, stubborn prince. But it put a lot of pressure on us, living up to that story, and it felt like I wasn't as ready as I should have been. I came to Beacon unprepared for a lot of things. Might have hurt the people depending on me by not being ready. I was lucky my shield arm was always sturdy, but my heart wasn't. I naively worried that my inexperience would hurt us irreversibly." He rolls a hand over his knuckles. Contemplatively, regretfully. "I thought I was leaving her in good hands, but even if that's true, should I still have stayed instead? Did I have any right to decide if we should have stayed together or not?"

Her fingers slide off his arm and weave into his. She's huddling closer now, feet off the ground and knees tucked up to her chest. "I think, when we fall in love, we have to decide for ourselves if we want to keep going. We don't choose for the other in that. We choose for ourselves cause we are who we're supposed to look out for. You have to protect yourself first." Yang clutches tighter, and somehow Jaune can tell that her mother is involved. "That's the beautiful thing about a love that works. We decide for ourselves and it all just happens to fall into place with someone else. It doesn't always magically align – sometimes you don't agree with what they want or how they take it – but real love compromises just as much as it just… clicks." Like her and her dad. And Ruby. And maybe – if things turn out alright – her mom.

He wants to believe her. Even if he and Pyrrha didn't pan out, they still love each other as friends and things ultimately haven't changed between them. They were always bound to work out their issues and it's clear now that they've compromised without needing to sacrifice the friendship they'd fostered together.

He wants to thank her, but her eyes are away and she's chewing her lip. Yang is thinking of something else. Her sigh cuts through the silence and she's too shy to look at him.

"Jaune, why did you kiss me?"

He blinks. "What?"

"Last night. In bed. While I was sleeping."

His eyes widen. He's been caught. "Is it really so unusual?"

"It is when you aren't thinking of Terra or Adrian. When you do it just because you wanted to."

"How… how could you tell?"

She can hear the panic in his voice. Caught and cornered, it makes her a little happy to know he's unable to hide it. But it's the speed of which he accepts his fate that gets her grinning, because it's as if a part of him is tired of hiding it. "Because you weren't trying to forget something. You weren't trying to tease me and I certainly can't flirt back when I'm asleep…" She shoots him a knowing look and he gulps through a feeble foundation of defiance. "It was none of that. You did it hoping I wouldn't notice. You did it because you were hiding something you wanted."

He crumbles under her teasing. "Y-Yang, I… I can't –"

"Shh, it's okay," she says evenly, defusing his tension and giving him a moment to breathe and look into her eyes. "Don't jump to a conclusion you aren't ready to make." Her tone is slow and deliberate, fingers gliding along the skin of his arm like a soothing, gentle caress. "I get it, Jaune. Like me, you're still trying to figure it out."

He pulls away but fixes her with a stern, serious look. She doesn't realize he's holding her hand till he's squeezing it. He's composed, certain, and so deftly drunk on her that Yang remembers Jaune telling her that drowning in drink gives him clarity. "That's just it, Yang. I know I feel something. I've been feeling a lot of things when I'm with you…" His confidence wanes before he admits that, "It's just that I haven't figured out what I'm supposed to do about it."

Yang blinks twice and tries to speak but can't. And suddenly she can't stop the curl of her cheeks when she feels a growing smile coming.

He's almost afraid. "Yang?"

"Sorry. I'm still… you know you just confessed, right?"

"Ha!" he laughs, heart squeezing his chest. Relief in many ways settling into his skin. "Were you expecting me to say 'I love you'?"

"…"

He chuckles. "Oh my god, Yang."

"Is it weird that I'm a little giddy about that total cliché? Say it again."

He thinks it a little much but the words are easy, flowing freely from his lips. "I love you."

"Agh! You're a serious cheat. Why is it so easy for you to say?'

"Cause I already made peace with it. You stood there in a white dress and I could see you tearing Terra out of that place in my mind and putting yourself there in her stead. I already knew. You've been nothing but a tidal wave to my emotions, just swallowing everything up and leaving little traces of yourself everywhere."

He settles back into the cushions, sinking comfortably into it. "I used to sit on this couch and scream curses at the moon through the window," he says. "Nowadays my eyes are glued to the screen watching a movie with you. I used to be careful about what I threw into the sink because I was afraid I'd have to call in a mechanic to fix the shredder again, and now I don't even give it a second thought."

"And you used to lie in bed thinking about her…" Yang teases.

"Actually, no. I was at peace when I went to bed. Pyrrha trained me to shut down once I got under the sheets. Nowadays it feels like the sandman keeps missing my eyes with the way you move me around in bed."

"I don't think your tongue's been doing much complaining."

"Seems you were willing to use more than just your tongue earlier," he says, teasing her. She shrinks a little, embarrassed. "What were you doing anyway?"

"I was, uh, trying to seduce you."

"Oh… What changed?"

She groans. "I guess my wires got crossed. I thought that if I got you to sleep with me, this" – she gestures between them – "would suddenly clear up. But I'm not that kind of girl. I don't put on lingerie all the time expecting you to see it. Not even sure I'm the kind of girl who wants her clothes ripped off when I get you riled up."

"Yeah, your outfits look expensive. Custom fit and embroidered."

"I wouldn't hit you if you tried, FYI. I'd maybe cry or get upset."

"I'll try not to ravage you through your clothes if that ever happens."

"If? Still don't think we're gonna end up doing the dirty tango after all we've been through? Seems inevitable at this point."

"I think we'll either do it when it makes sense or decide we aren't meant for each other."

"I don't know. I'm pretty snug right where I am." She gives him cheek, brimming with certainty. Confidence. "Still," she says more seriously, "are you really so ready to give up what we have? I don't see it happening, but it looks like you think we're just as likely to stay together as splitting up."

He looks away. Yang is surprised to find him embarrassed, not concerned.

"You don't actually feel that way," Yang says gleefully. "You're as sure as I am."

"I'm not ready to take that risk just yet," he confesses.

She moves to straddle him and loops her arms around his neck. "I can wait."

His hands grip her waist through the thickness of the hoodie. "I can't ask you to do that."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. I told you that love was about deciding for yourself and settling into compromises if our choices don't align. I'm choosing to stay. And – I hope – we agree to compromise."

He takes a moment to look away before locking eyes with her. He leans in and pecks her lips so briefly that she doesn't get the chance to kiss back.

"Wh-what?"

"It's how I'm supposed to say yes, aren't I?"

She laughs and so does he. Yang was expecting to cap off the night with a kiss, pressing bodily into the sheets as their hands roam their bodies, but none of that happens. They clean the dinner the table, take separate baths, and settle into bed together.

She does kiss him on the neck for good measure but he realizes that he can still feel the kiss and it isn't because there's a tingle there. Cracking an eye open, he notices the gloss on her lips. "Are you wearing lipstick?"

"The light kind," she says. "Told myself I'd leave a mark on you during my little lapse earlier. I've decided not to give you a hickey. Consider it an act of mercy."

He shuts his eyes and tries to ignore it but can't. He's painfully aware of it and he just knows he's gonna smudge that on something. It'd be funny if it's Yang's face but he'd hate to get it on his sheets. He sits up. "Yeah, nope. I'm washing this off."

"What? C'mon!" She grabs onto him, anchoring him back into bed.

"Nope. Not doing it," he says defiantly.

"Have it your way, Arc. Hickey it is!"

"Wait, Yang! Yang!"

-0-

Jaune is reminded everyday that he showed up to brunch that following morning with a hickey his scarf couldn't hide. Yang makes it up to him by buying dessert.

The get-togethers go on and Yang is less and less embarrassed about openly teasing Jaune and showing her affections publicly. Jaune retaliates, of course, and they even get hot and bothered in the hallway of a movie theater. They spend the rest of the movie in a stall. Terra finds them and is honestly just surprised they haven't taken each other's clothes off… ever.

Jaune and Yang don't tell them that neither of them and ready to go that far yet. Jaune takes the brunt of the blame and says that if he doesn't hold back, they'll end up doing something stupid. Saphron slips Jaune a condom and he regrets everything for the rest of the night.

Two weeks pass with much the same. Sometimes they introduce Saphron and Terra to some of their other friends, and they even manage a weekend together in a cottage near the coast. They're excited about reuniting with Pyrrha and they even meet Sun on her scroll.

Yang finds out that Saphron is every bit a mother as she is a big sister, and Jaune reminds her that she is practically no different herself.

Jaune learns that Qrow and Terra are old classmates and that they had more in common than they thought.

And after Joan is caught scheming with Nora and getting her and Ren back together, after Blake engorges the shrimp platter on a Schnee-sponsored dinner, after Weiss tames a friendly rivalry between Winter and Saphron about who has the cuter sibling, after Ruby gets her cheeks pinched till they go red cause she lost a bet and showed up in an adorable beowulf costume, and after Penny freaks out and her head pops off at dinner (her severed head still tries to chew on a salad)… their two weeks together are up and they're standing at the train station, ready to see them off.

It's been raining for the last few days and everything is damp and cold. Even the air is still thick with the smell of misty rain water and the sky hasn't seen the sun even peek through the cloud cover. It's almost a somber way to say goodbye.

Saphron is introducing Yang to her babysitter and little Adrian over a video call. Jaune stands aside, unwilling to let the last few weeks burn away at the sight of his biological son gurgling through the screen.

Terra nudges into his side. "Can we talk?"

He nods and she pulls them away beside a pillar. Saphron notices and winks at her wife.

"Is there something wrong?" Jaune asks.

"Nothing, actually. I might even say our impromptu vacation here might as well have been perfect."

"Impromptu?"

"I guess it never came up but… we were only supposed to be here for a few days."

"Why did you stick around then? Wouldn't that have been imposing on your babysitter?"

"Oh, Taffy was plenty happy to be at the house with Adrian. She's an orphan and she takes every excuse to come over." She leans in to whisper. "We might even adopt her once I get a raise at the office so look forward to a niece! And, really, is it such a surprise that we enjoy spending time with you and your friends?"

"After the bonfire? I guess not."

"Good. Now that isn't why I needed to talk."

"Oh…" He glances at Yang a few feet away. He can barely hear her and Saphron through the rancor of the station.

"I know you've been holding back."

"Did Yang tell you that?"

"Call it a big sister's intuition."

"You're an only child."

"Not anymore, I'm not. Now I've got six little sisters and a not-so-little brother." She pats his chest then busies her hands with straightening his collar. "A little brother who is too afraid to take a chance and would much rather play it safe than play at all."

"Terra…"

"I know you're afraid that you aren't ready. I wasn't either. Hell, sometimes I worry I'll mess up and ruin a perfectly good marriage. These are all normal things to be afraid of, and for some people, these fears don't go away. We just learn to live with them."

She slides her hands to his arms and down to fingers till she's holding them softly and looking up at him. There's a quiet concern in her sad little smile that he isn't sure how to respond to.

"I think you've driven yourself to be so careful with your feelings that you've forgotten to just take things as they come," she says. "I know you have to be careful with your heart but the thing isn't made of glass. Even if it hurts, even if it hurts easily, the fact that you're still in one piece should be more than enough proof that you aren't as fragile as you think you are. Maybe take a risk. Maybe love will hurt, but so few of us get better at it without giving it a shot first. Like a lot of things, Jaune, it takes a lot of trial and error."

"I've been down this road before already…"

She squeezes his hands. "And you'll go down it again and again. Sometimes people find love once and that's all it takes. But for the rest of us? For most of us? We gotta keep trying."

With a kiss on the cheek and a whispered 'good luck', Saphron and Terra disappear into accelerating train until even it vanishes into the horizon.

Jaune stares into the middle distance and Yang, much like Terra, nudges into his side. "What did you talk about?" she asks.

He shrugs. "Stuff."

"Oh, well that's lame. Should've had more to say to someone you really care about." It's clear she doesn't buy it.

He knows she doesn't. "Yeah, real shame I wasn't more profound and emotional."

She rolls her eyes because she'll let it be and won't pry for his sake. "C'mon, it's getting chilly out here and it might rain again with the wind picking up." She makes to walk off.

"Hey, Yang?"

She stops. "Yeah?"

For a moment he doesn't speak, his eyes are uncertain and elsewhere but then his fists clench as if he's just convinced himself to do something. "Wanna get dinner?" he asks, reaching out to take her by the hand. "We can put on something nice and there's a real fancy place with the best lobster in town."

Yang isn't sure how to take it. She doesn't resist when his thumb brushes over her knuckles, but she summons a bit of bravery herself, stepping closer and resting a fist against her beating chest. "Is… this a date?"

She yelps when he pulls her in. He kisses her, drowns her tongue and melts their bodies together till she's flush against him and tugging at his hair. There's still fear in his eyes when they pull away, but there's a determination in there she's happy to see. "Is that answer enough?"

She giggles through the haze of her burning cheeks. "Plenty."

Then she's on him this time and tilting him backwards with her lips alone until he's just as hazy. Still, he doesn't expect it when she clambers onto his back and slips into a piggyback ride before she starts laughing uncontrollably.

"Hiya, noble steed! To the bike!" she cheers from her perch atop his head.

He's laughing too, even if he's huffing a little from the jog to Bumblebee. "What's gotten into you?"

"I can't help it…" she whispers into his hair, excitement mixing into a bubbling cocktail with a giddiness she can't stop. "I'm happy."

#Jaune Arc #yang xiao long #jaune x yang #yang x jaune #rwby dragonslayer

[rjhpandapaws]

Something Familiar

Chapter 1: Conditional Exchange

Sharing his house with someone else after years of living alone took some getting used to. And while he was a horrible patient, Silas was a great housemate. Daniel didn’t know how much of that came naturally to Silas, and how much of it was his fear of getting kicked out. He’d done enough prying already so he wasn’t all that inclined to ask. That and Silas has only just started talking to him after they had made their contract. The contract was a simple thing; Daniel would provide healing and a place to stay in exchange for magic. The conditions were that Silas remain in an animal form whenever Daniel had company or patients; and Daniel couldn’t alter Silas’s consciousness or state of awareness without explicit permission to do so. It was a small thing and Silas still hadn’t spoken to him anymore than what was strictly necessary for three and a half months. Of course things had come to a head eventually because Daniel had never been one to mind his own business. In a fight that he had ultimately caused, he learned a whole lot more about what Silas had been through than he had ever thought he would be allowed to know. Exactly how many traumatic things their contract had brought back to the fore front of his mind. It had made Daniel feel sick and he had done what he could to make it up to Silas. Which amounted to leaving the house for a little over a week so Silas could have room to breathe.

Understandably, things changed after that. Daniel learned to tread more carefully around Silas and made more of an effort to learn about his situation. It was admittedly something he should have done before they made the contract. It was too late to change anything though, as it had already been drawn up and sealed. They still agreed to new unspoken rules and began to live more like housemates than contracted partners. He spent a lot of time teaching Silas about the things he had missed. Silas taught him long forgotten healing magic and a few secrets that had been lost when the shapeshifter settlements had been destroyed. They used very little magic and almost felt like cheating compared to what he was used to. Daniel was tentative to call them friends, but at the very least they were no longer strangers in the same space. Silas often had horrible nightmares. Daniel was woken up pretty often to his cries of fear or pain, and on some occasions screaming. Though the nights those dreams didn’t wake Silas were the ones that worried him most. In the morning he would find Silas on the balcony watching the sunrise with tea or coffee in his hands, still steaming but long forgotten all the same. Some days he would be crying silently, and some days he would be blank and neutral; but there was always this hollow distance darkening his eyes.

As soon as he woke up Daniel knew he would find Silas on the balcony. The night had been a quiet one with no screaming and no tears. Which meant whatever had chosen to haunt him would be doing so in his waking hours instead. Daniel wished almost desperately that there was something he could do to help, but Silas never answered him when he offered. He would just look at him with that dark oppressive distance in his eyes. So lost to whatever memories that had chosen to torture him that Daniel was unable to reach him. He took his time to get out of bed and ready for the day. Silas wouldn’t be ready to talk for a while, and it didn’t matter when Daniel came up to check on him. Despite knowing that it wouldn’t be eaten until it had long gone cold if at all he still made Silas breakfast. Though he had gained some of it back, Silas was still concerningly underweight. Daniel made his way up to the balcony with the try. There Silas stood. As close to the edge of the balcony as he could get with the railing in his way. There were trying tear tracks on his cheeks and the steam of his coffee was curling away into the morning light. He always used the same mug. A pale nondescript thing that he had found in the back of one of Daniel’s cabinets. The difference today was that the distance in his eyes was somehow darker, and he held the mug in a white knuckle grip.

Whatever was after him this morning had to be particularly painful. As it always did, Daniel’s curiosity weighed heavily on him. He knew better than to ask though. Silas never answered him when he was like this. Which is exactly why Daniel nearly jumped out of his skin when he spoke. “There were three of us you know.” His voice was flat as he spoke. There was no emotion to it, not even pain. His grip tightened on the coffee cup and Daniel feared it might break. Silas didn’t seem to notice, “That made it out. Me and then two of my brothers. I lost them in our mad dash to get out, and now I don’t even know if they are alive.” He blinked and fresh tears rolled down his cheeks, “After everything we had been through I couldn’t be bothered to stay. I ran like a fucking coward and sold myself out in a desperate bid to survive. Some fucking brother I am.” For all his wishing that Silas would speak his mind, Daniel didn’t actually know how to respond now that he knew. Saying that he was sorry felt hollow and fake, and not to mention it was too little way too late. He couldn’t really relate; he and Simon had parted ways amicably. Daniel set the tray down and tried to gather his thoughts. Figure out a way to bring Silas some long overdue comfort. If there was even a way to soothe such deep regret.

He was out of his depth and grasping at straws at this point. “In a few weeks you’ll be healed enough to safely handle mildly strenuous activity. We could go looking for them if you would like.” “Why? So you can add them to your collection?” Came the sharp reply. Angry and emotionless at the same time, “So you can have a complete set of the last shapeshifters known to man?” “No.” Daniel said firmly, “So you can have some damn closure and a place to go once this contract is up. I actually want you to be safe believe it or not.” There was a long rather uncomfortable silence as Silas came back from whatever distant place in his mind that held him. His shoulders slumped as he came into the posture of a man defeated by his own thoughts. He set the mug down on the table beside the tray and Daniel saw the start of a crack. He would have to mend it one of these days so Silas could keep using it. “I’m sorry.” Silas said eventually. “You have been nothing but kind to me, and yet I still fear completely offering you my trust. You may very well be the only human with my best interests at heart and I keep pushing you away.” He finally turned to face Daniel and there was a deep sadness to his eyes, grief hung over him, “I'll think about it but that is asking a lot of faith from me; and for now I think I would rather be alone.”

“I understand.” Daniel kept his voice level though it took him a lot of effort, “I’ll be in the house if you need me.” Silas gave an absent nod and Daniel went back inside. Perhaps he shouldn’t have offered at all. Looking back, it did seem like he had malicious intent in that. He hadn’t meant it that way of course, but all of the humans Silas had ever met had been unspeakably cruel to him. Daniel should have been more careful with his words, or just kept the idea to himself. It was too late now of course, it was out there now and there was no taking it back no matter how badly he wanted to. He set about cleaning the house to keep himself occupied. He wasn’t expecting any patients today, so barring an emergency, all he had to keep his mind busy was cleaning an research. Had he been feeling particularly ambitious, he might have started on a travel plan; but he didn’t want it to seem like he was trying to push Silas toward an answer. He sighed quietly, “Good to know I still have a knack for getting in over my head when it comes to trying to help. Some things never change I suppose.” It was just his nature to be overly concerned for those around him to the point of being an annoyance it seemed.

The afternoon was slowly turning to evening by the time Silas was ready to be around him again. He didn’t say a word though. Just walked into the kitchen and began to clean his dishes. Daniel was at the table going over his medical books and making a list of things he would need to pick up the next time he went into town. He was glad to see Silas had at least eaten something while he battled with his thoughts. Silas seemed a little more composed now at the very least. That made him feel a little better, even if it didn’t shake off his guilt. “I’m sorry Silas.” He eventually said, “For this morning. It was insensitive and out of line.” Silas laughed and the sound was dry and humorless. It was an unpleasant shock to Daniel. He had never heard Silas laugh and this was definitely not the context he had wanted to hear it in. “Was it?” He asked sharply, “Are you rescinding your offer to help me find my only remaining relatives then?” “Well no.” Daniel started. “I just - I wanted you to know that I meant no offense by it. I feel like I’ve messed something up, and I want to know how to fix it.” He sighed quietly, “I hate seeing you so upset.”

Silas deflated some and that same posture of defeat returned, “It’s a matter of learning to trust you. My entire life so far has been spent fearing humans. I just have to keep in mind that you haven’t posed any danger to me yet.” He looked down, “I’m sorry for being so... defensive, I guess would be the word for it.” “You’re alright.” Daniel said gently, “These things take time. Even at that you have a lot of trauma to work through and - “ “Daniel stop.” Silas cut him off, “I need someone to listen to me not psychoanalysis. Believe me, I am well aware of my trauma and the power imbalance of our dynamic. I don’t need a reminder.” “Right.” He replied, “It can be hard to turn my doctor off sometimes.” “I understand. It’s the only way people will acknowledge you so it has become your primary mode of existing.” He said, apparently he was out for Daniel’s soul today, “You’re more than that to me you know. You’re the closest thing I’ve had to a friend actually.” “First of all ow. Secondly, what happened to not psychoanalyzing one another?” He replied with a laugh, “I’m glad you almost think of me as a friend.”

Silas smiled and Daniel was pretty sure it was the first real smile he had ever seen from him. “I figured that you’ve done it to me enough times that I deserved a turn.” “Fair enough.” Daniel began to pick up his books and put them away. His list was as complete as it was going to get until he ran inventory. “How many weeks?” Silas asked after a long stretch of silence, “Until we can leave?” Daniel paused for a moment as he thought about it, “Six if you mind your limitations; eight to twelve if you keep ignoring them.” Silas frowned, “That was a lot more than I was hoping.” “You’ve been stubborn.” He remarked, “Agitating old injuries and coming away from your little excursions with new ones. You need rest.” “Fine.” He said as he looked toward the bookshelf, “I’ll be a better patient from here on out. Six weeks to look for a place to start should be enough.” Daniel smiled, “Of course it will.” Silas nodded his agreement and retreated back into his thoughts. He took traveler’s guides and the few maps Daniel had then settled on his bed to look them over. Daniel started to run inventory of his supplies and started on a list of traveling provisions. They would have to be ready for anything. Daniel had never traveled farther than the town after finding his place here; and the world had changed a lot since Silas had been in it last. They were venturing out into the unknown.

#Something Familiar #SF AU #daniel60 #dbh daniel #dbh sixty #fantasy au #dbh fic #dbh #mental health tw #ptsd tw

[sxveme-2]

blueberry pancakes // bucky barnes

MASTERLIST

Description: A single mother. Juggling being a mom, a full time pediatrician, and a difficult ex who believed now would be the best time to finally be a father. A soldier ripped out of time. Ex-assassin turned superhero. Learning how to balance a new domestic life with handling demons of his past, while facing the trials of the future. a love story began over something as simple as chocolate chip pancakes with hidden blueberries.

Disclaimer: I do not own any original Marvel characters! All canon plots and canon characters belong to Marvel Comics and Marvel Studios. This is an original work. You may not publish it anywhere else

Status: Edited

Note: Takes place after endgame. I have elected to ignore Tony's death and Steve's leaving. Did not happen. Quick Reminder! My works are only published here, AO3 and on Wattpad, thank you.

Chapter Five: The One with the Tour

Warnings: N/A

Word Count: 2476

    Scott Harvey was a manipulative man. He knew how to get what he wanted when he wanted and was never one to take no for an answer. He'd do whatever it took to ensure he had people wrapped around his finger so that he could snap his fingers and have what he desired in his hands at a moment’s notice. And Lily fell for that. She became the next in a long line of women who were eating out of the palm of his hand, all because he promised her the world. He promised her security, happiness, and peace. Instead, she got fear, chaos, and emotional trauma. The exact thing she was terrified of. He used her anxiety against her, used the fragility of her mind to keep her trapped in his web like a fly.

She was sort of thankful for Mary. she was a sweet woman, the two got along and were pretty amicable. Lily knew if she needed anything, Mary would help out, and vice versa. Because you can have a messy marriage, but keep a healthy relationship with the wrecking ball that destroyed the thin wall that still stood. Lily was grateful for Mary because she was able to open the blonde’s eyes to see what was going on. The web of lies that Scott had caught Lily in, like a spider, finding its next meal.

And every time she saw him, saw that sideways smile and forehead creases, all of the emotions he caused caught up to Lily in a ball, and took up camp in the middle of her throat, rendering her speechless for the majority of their brief conversations. Which is where we pick up, in the hallway of Scott and Mary's apartment building, Scott holding his daughter, Leila, in his arms. something Lily didn't believe she had ever seen her ex do with their son.

"Traffic was insane...sorry I'm a little late." Lily mumbled, her broken eyes darting everywhere, in an attempt to keep them from making contact with the deep-set hazel of Scott’s iris'.

"Don't apologize. I'll never complain about spending a bit longer with Hunter." Scott said, his voice still as soft as a marshmallow. Lily couldn't help but wince ever so gently as it floated into her ears, sending a rush of adrenaline and nerves to her heart, picking up its pace.

"Mom!" a young boy’s voice called before bursting past the older man, almost knocking down his mother, gripping onto her waist.

"Hey kiddo," Lily smiled, hand running through the blonde locks atop of her son’s head, smiling gently as he hid his face into her side. turning her attention back to Scott, she gave a weak smile, "Thanks for letting me pick him up early. my parents are coming down for dinner."

“No problem. Say hi to Abel and Alicia for me," Scott smiled, causing a shiver to run down Lily's spine. The idea of saying that Scott said hi made Lily sick to her stomach. Her parents despised the father of their grandson, for good reason. As far as the Osborne parents were concerned, Scott was a dead man, "See ya, buddy."

Saying a quick goodbye, Lily and Hunter found themselves back in the car as quickly as the conversation that just happened. Hunter was quiet at first, waiting for Lily to regain her composure for the second time that day. Her forehead rested on the leather of her steering wheel, deep breaths escaping her lips as her fingers wrapped around the wheel. A few moments later, Lily relaxed back into her seat, turning on the car.

"So Grandma and Grandpa are coming over?" Hunter asked, breaking the comfortable silence the mother and son had going on, "When did you find out?"

Lily tried her best to repress the smile the threatened to explode onto her face. She loved giving Hunter surprises. With everything the boy has been through, being able to see his face light up when he's faced with something unexpected was the only high she'd ever need. It was rare to see such extreme emotion out of Hunter, and let alone something as raw as the joy he gets with surprises. And this one that she had planned, it would go down in history. He would be talking about it for ages to come, for the rest of his life even. That's what Lily wanted, for him to create perfect childhood memories he'd be able to tell his kids in the future. To gather them up around the table at Christmas and pass stories around about how he and Grandma spent a day with Earth’s mightiest heroes and got to see where they worked. That was the goal of a parent, to make their child's days as memorable as they could.

"Oh the other day they mentioned it, but nothing was ever confirmed. I got a text this morning from Grandma about it," Lily hummed nonchalantly as she pulled out of the Brooklyn apartment complex, and turned onto the busy roads.

Connecting his phone to the Apple car play that came with the vehicle, Hunter spoke again, "That'll be nice. I know you miss seeing them sometimes. Long Island is so far away from Manhattan, why did you move away?"

Lily's smile grew wide, the dimple in her cheek creating a cavern of happiness at her son’s words. He was as intuitive as they come, and as observant as all get out. Truly, Lily believed herself to be one of the luckiest mothers in the world to be blessed with an angel-like Hunter. He was pure of heart and as sharp as a whip. He always picked up on Lily's microaggressions, and all of the small mannerisms she showed while in certain moods. She was never sure how he became as smart as he did, but doctors insisted it was because of her intelligence. That it carried on down to her son, and how he reflected her as a child. And Lily lived a loving and wonderful childhood, so hopefully, that too would relay to her son.

Reaching over to ruffle his hair, Lily let out a gentle sigh, "Well Hunter, I moved out here to the city with Auntie Gen when I graduated high school. I got into Columbia University, which was my dream school. So I came out here to study, while Aunt Gen was over in NYU, studying business. I moved out here for the opportunity, and I'm glad I did because you were the result."

Hunter let out a small noise as he acknowledged the story that his mother just shared while scanning Spotify for the best playlist. The two loved the eighties and nineties, so he settled on a premade group of songs from that era. The bass boomed throughout the car as the two began to belt out the lyrics to Billie Jean by Michael Jackson. It was moments like these when Lily felt most content. Just her and Hunter, living their best lives together as they sang to oldies but goodies. Being able to see his eyes light up whenever they passed a cool-looking building or when they saw a cute dog or one that looked like Joey. Her favourite moment though, the cream of the crop is when he sings. Though not a professional, he always looked so at ease while letting his voice dance through the car.

About twenty minutes into the drive, he caught on though, "This isn't the way home. Where are we going?" his voice rang, turning down the volume of the Lionel Richie.

She had to think quickly. If he noticed the slightest of hesitation in Lily's speech, the surprise would be blown, and he wouldn't be surprised when they didn't stop at home. So, she did what she thought would throw him off the most, "We've gotta hit a grocery store on the way home. Aunt Gen needs something for the cafe and this is the only place that sells it near here. Is that okay kiddo?"

Nodding, he turned the music back up. This meant that he believed what she said. If he didn't, he'd press on further. Interrogating Lily until he got the truth out of her. He would make a hell of a lawyer in the future, due to the strange ability he had of getting into people’s minds. He was like Scott in that way, but different at the same time. He never used it to manipulate, or use people, but to find out the truth. Get the answers. learn. That was Hunter’s goal, not to make people the puppets in his little game. he was curious, that was all.

Shortly after the small conversation between the two introverts, Lily took the turn that would lead them straight to the compound. Her aged eyes glanced towards the world that sat in her passenger seat. He hadn't noticed yet, and Lily was thankful. It would be more exhilarating if he didn't realize until they went up to the door. Knocking on the door and having someone like Captain America answer? Now that was something that Lily would love to witness. To see her son's heart swell at the sight of one of his heroes answering the door. She could only imagine what he would say, and couldn't seem to fathom how he would react.

Pulling into the parking lot, Lily stopped the car and turned it off, capturing Hunters’ attention. He sat up in his seat and glanced out the window, a confused yet intrigued look masking his typical stoic facial expression. Stepping out of the car, Lily gestured with her left hand to follow her up towards the doors. Hesitantly, Hunter followed along, his shoes making gentle noises on the rocks and pebbles below his feet.

"Where are we?" he questioned, hand slipping into the fragile one of his mothers, "and why are your hands always so cold?"

Lily remained silent, simply walking up the stairs of the compound. Her neck craned to look down at the bewildered boy, who couldn't help but swivel his head around in an attempt to recognize his surroundings. But the only time he would have ever seen this place was maybe in pictures, so Lily was sure that she had gotten the surprise in the bag. That she was able to dupe the boy that could rarely ever be surprised. Now that would be an accomplishment.

Lily's free hand reached up and knocked on the grey doors in front of them, pursing and nibbling on her lips in an attempt to hide the mischievous and prideful grin that threatened to give away the present. She had been looking forward to this moment the entire car ride, hardly being able to contain the excitement that rushed through her veins at the idea of her son’s wildest dreams coming true. Well, his wildest dream would be to become an Avenger or any sort of superhero. But a mother could only do so much.

Voices rang out behind the door before it was swung open to reveal Sam Wilson. The man who had originally offered to take the eleven-year-old boy on a tour of the place, "Lily! you made it, was starting to get worried you two would bail on us," he teased, chocolate brown eyes readjusting to look down at the blonde boy beside Lily, "Hey Hunter, nice to see you again."

Her son’s hand had slipped out of her own, which caught Lily's attention. she looked down at him and felt her heart swell about a million times bigger than it already was. His smile reached ear to ear, cheeks growing to a rosy red and his pupils dilated to eleven. He seemed frozen, stuck to his one position on the porch step of the Avengers compound. Her frail hand tapped the boy on the back, urging him to respond and walk into the building.

"He's a tad awestruck it seems," Lily chuckled, taking his small hand into her own and walking past the threshold of the home, "It took me a bit to find this place."

"Privacy is key for us," a voice rang out from a bit away. Lily's eyes averted towards the sound and she spotted Captain America. The Captain America. Steve Rogers. Every girl’s dream man. He was even more gorgeous in person, and Lily couldn't help but feel choked up as she looked at him. The way his chest looked as though it was going to burst through the fabric of his shirt, or how she could see his sky blue eyes from eight meters away, "Glad you guys could make it. Picked a perfect day, everyone’s around."

"Why don't I take Hunter down through the compound so he can get the full tour," Sam grinned down at the beaming boy, "Will you be joining us, Ms. Osborne?"

Oh no. If she went, her mind wouldn't be able to handle it. The idea of walking around with her son in a place like this was already overwhelming. Feeling as though she should be able to do more to give him the luxury life he so badly deserved. Making him feel as though he was the king of the world. Not to mention, the entire place itself was a lot to take in. And with her anxiety already running high today, it would be better for Lily's mind and heart to wait out in the car or something. Plus, Hunter was with the Falcon, she had no worries.

"It's okay, you two go have fun, I'll wait in the car," Lily said, a tight smile pulling at the sides of her lips as she ran a thumb across her son’s chin, nodding for him to follow the superhero. And as if he was in a trance, Hunter followed Sam like a zombie, or may a dog following a treat. Either would work in this scenario.

"Oh no don't go wait in your car, come sit with us. I'm sure Bucky wouldn't mind seeing you again after your run-in yesterday," Steve smiled, making Lily's knees feel like they had miraculously turned into jello, "He's making blueberry pancakes for a part of the team."

Lily's mouth ran dry. Blueberry pancakes. Just like the ones she had gotten the day prior. The ones he had asked her about. Her cheeks grew hot as a magenta colour blush forced itself onto them, giving away the embarrassment and intrigue she had. It couldn't have been anything. He was just making blueberry pancakes. That's normal. It was an average thing for people to do. Especially when you've got nothing else to do. right?

"He knew you may have been coming, that's why he made them." Steve whispered as he offered his arm for Lily, beginning to lead her towards the kitchen.

So he did make them on purpose.

#bucky barnes #bucky barnes x female oc #james bucky barnes #james buchanan barnes #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes fic #original character #original female character #female oc #OC #oc tag #marvel #marvel fanfiction #the winter soldier #the avengers #fanfiction #tfatws #single mom #sebastian stan #fluffy #romance #comedy

[yandere2me2]

Hi there! First, I just wanted you to know that I really enjoy your writing. I don’t know most of the characters you write for, but I still am able to understand who they are as people from your works which is really cool!! Secondly, I was hoping I could hear your thoughts on the Obey Me characters? You can do as little or as many as you want, whatever you’re comfortable with. And finally, I just wanted to say I hope you have a good day!

Thanks anon! So far I’ve only written a few things, but if you wanna check out what characters I’ll write for, check out my newly posted rules post - for any fandom listed, I’m good writing any character so long as the other rules are followed (ex: any Obey Me character but Luke since he looks and acts like a child).

Since no limit was placed, I’ll just do some general headcanons for the first 4 brothers for now. Know that I’m willing to write about any other characters in Obey Me aside from Luke for future requests :)

So without further ado, some yandere Obey Me bros (under the cut because this got LONG)!

TW: implied/mentioned forced captivity, manipulation, unhealthy relationship standards, non-con/dub-con, degradation, voyeurism  

Lucifer

Sadistic - but that’s a given with the game information. To be more specific, he sets strict rules for his darling and is very much a control freak; he has so many things going on in his life that he has to manage out of necessity, but his darling is a special case he’ll gladly take on 

If his darling breaks a rule, he enjoys doling out punishments. What type of punishment depends on his mood, the type of incident his darling caused, and if their actions affected Diavolo. God help them if if they insult Diavolo

Possessive with a capital P. His darling is his. No one gets to see them fall to pieces under his hands but him. No one gets to bring them to the peak of pleasure but him. They will fear him the most above all others if that’s the way his darling must cope with his methods. Lucifer would prefer an amicable relationship, but he understands he’ll be met with resistance with the standards he has

Praise will come rarely, so any darling that craves it will have to earn it by being on their best behavior. If his darling does manage to get him to praise them, he’s in a very good mood and will be more open to requests (he won’t let them go, but some new books, hobby materials, or food options are fair game)

He’s a yandere that will lock his darling away for their safety as well as his own comfort and ease. Dangers are everywhere in Devildom, and he knows his darling will manage to find trouble if left to their own devices or with his brothers. He’s not going to risk it. Besides, he’ll have a better hold on his darling if he’s the only one they interact with daily

Going off the last point, Lucifer would also hide his darling away to avoid Diavolo’s attention. By my read on their relationship, Lucifer holds little power to oppose Diavolo thanks to their pact, and Diavolo wanting in on Lucy’s darling would frustrate him beyond words - can’t he have just one thing for himself? I’ll be writing more on a Diavolo/Lucifer/Darling situation after requests are filled, but BOY do I wanna write about this now

Mammon

He’s needy. Mammon craves affection from his darling in any amount they’re willing to give. He’ll be the first to deny it if his darling or someone else points it out, but everyone knows

He Does Not Like To Share His Darling! At all!!! He will pout and whine and get even more clingy if he thinks his darling so much as looks at someone else with interest (imagined or not) - especially his brothers

His punishments are usually to reassure himself that he’s in charge, that his darling did him wrong and they should be grateful he’s their protector, that he even bothered to notice them in the first place. Any other demon would have left them to fend for themselves; he is the best demon a puny human like his darling could ask for

That said, when he isn’t worked up he’s very much a sub in his relationship with his darling and aims to please them. Praise doesn’t come too often for him, and he loves when he can get any positive affirmation. He’ll get testy if his darling outright insults him

He wouldn’t think about locking his darling away until much later. After his darling grows accustomed to living in Devildom, after Mammon starts realizing and (unwillingly) accepting his feelings, he notices how close his darling is with his brothers and the others, how easily they could be stolen away from him… he doesn’t like it one bit

Mammon wouldn’t think much about his plan before he sets things in motion by making a deal with some witches to set up a private space for him and his darling that no one can reach without his say-so. This of course incurs a ton of debt that he’s confident he’ll pay off in a jiffy (he won’t) and he only leaves when he needs to handle paying off his debts or deal with some Devildom official business - he’s the second most powerful demon brother under Lucifer, so as obnoxious as Mammon could be about how “important” he is, he’s not entirely wrong

If he’s in a good mood, he’ll spoil his darling as best he can with any material good he can think they’ll like. Just name it and it’s theirs. Unless of course they upset him, then he’s just as quick to take any privileges he gives away and remind them who’s in charge. It makes him hurt to have to punish his darling, so he tries to avoid it unless he thinks they need a reminder of who has to make the rules around here

Leviathan

Levi doesn’t have much experience with darlings compared to his brothers - throughout the thousands of years he’s lived alongside his brothers, he prefers to shut himself away most of the time. He’s had the least amount of darlings in his lifetime, and when they pass on he secludes himself to fantasize about his perfect darling (who’s usually based on a combination of anime characters and past darlings he’s had)

He’s so insecure, constantly worrying how he isn’t good enough that he bullies his darling into having them convince him that he’s who they want. His darling better be convincing though; if he senses pity or fear or anything else that takes away from their sincerity, he won’t be kind when he’s punishing them

He’s almost as overbearing as Mammon - that’s a feat in itself. Levi won’t isolate his darling though; he’ll manipulate and guilt his darling into wanting to stay with him to avoid his ire. They’ll manage to step on his toes in one way or another, finding some unspoken overstep as an excuse to point out their flaws

Honestly the “transport yourself into a video game” trope opens up so many fun options for Levi to play with his darling. He has games (similar to the one we witness in canon) where he and his darling can spend virtual weeks together without anyone to disturb them. He has games he knows his darling hates - horror games that are gruesome for demons, let alone a human, where his darling can’t escape and can die as many times as it takes for Levi to be pleased before he transports them back out. He has naughty games for when he wants to import his darling to watch them endure whatever scenarios fit his fancy - anything from tentacle porn to gangbangs. By the end of it, his darling will be so grateful to be back in the real world they’ll be begging to stay with him, just as long as they don’t have to go back in a game. Levi uses the affection to his advantage

He forces role play on his darling - Levi as the Lord of Shadows and his darling as his precious Henry. His darling better learn their lines and how Levi likes them to respond if they want to stay on Levi’s good side

His darling’s wardrobe consists of mostly Ruri-chan and Henry cosplay Levi purchases for them. No you can’t change my mind

Of course, if his darling isn’t in a game or reading some top manga series, Levi’s talking about it to them or having them watch/read along with him. He just wants to share what he enjoys with the person he treasures, even if they’re just a simple normie human

Satan

Earlyon, his darling is warned by the other brothers that his smile is fake, that he’scynical and shouldn’t be trusted. But out of all the brothers, he comes acrossas one of the least intimidating, so it’s easy to gravitate towards him

Tbhhe’s likely not interested in his darling at first – humans are lessercreatures to demons, food for most and potentially nuisances when one makes apact with a powerful demon. Until he finds something noteworthy, like how quicklyMammon forms a pact with this human, he doesn’t see much potential

He’s pretty reasonable up until he’s angry; for a darling surrounded by dangers and demons,he appears to be the least likely to harm them, and they accidentally push one of hisbuttons at some point. Once his limit is reached, he is terrifying – wrath isin his name and he lets his darling know when he’s displeased

After the first time he loses his temper, he’ll givehis darling clear warnings before he punishes them. He uses his darling’s fearof his punishments to his advantage, encouraging “good” behavior with thethreat of “or else” in the background

He has some notable similarities with the eldest brother: a sadistic streak a mile long and a preference to dominate/need for control to ensure his darling is undoubtedly his. How Satan shows these traits is different in key ways, however

Satan is sadistic more often when he’s feeling neglected, miffed, or bored with his darling. He’s not as strict as Lucifer, actually allowing his darling the freedom to act on their own accord in most cases. It gives his darling the chance to show him how much devotion they are willing to give him without him commanding it. If he gives an order, however, he expects his darling to obey

Unlike Lucifer, Satan doesn’t have the risk of things going Bad if something doesn’t go his way; Lucifer needs to please Diavolo or risk failing on his end of the pact, and so control is key for him. Satan likes control, but to the extent of knowing he has the final say. Satan doesn’t want to control every aspect of his darling - at the end of the day he wants his darling to voluntarily choose him, even if only out of fear of his displeasure - but he will have them

Satan has his own possessive habits - he needs affirmations that his darling is his. Either he’s marking them in some primal way or he has his darling reassure him through their actions

He stalks his darling. Have you seen how aware he is of his brothers’ activities in-game? It’s almost unnerving in some situations - and that’s just canon material. Satan watches his darling out of curiosity at first before it grows into an obsession for him. After a while he knows every little detail, every mannerism, every preference. All those outings he asked his darling to join him on before he actually clarifies he wants to date them? They’re all used as opportunities for Satan to review later

Advice to any darling of his: Do NOT compare him to Lucifer if you know what’s good for you. Just. Don’t. He won’t kill you, but you will wish he did by the time he’s through with you

I say this as several of my points are comparing his similarities/differences with Lucifer hahaaaaaaaa sorry Satan

#yandere #yandere obey me #yandere headcanons #yandere satan #yandere lucifer #yandere leviathan #yandere mammon #mammon x darling #lucifer x darling #leviathan x darling #satan x darling #my post #my replies #anons

[cake-writes]

Six (5/6)

Pairing: Bucky x Reader

Story Warnings: Angst, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Bucky), Eating Disorder (Reader), Fluff, Slow Burn, 18+

Summary: Bucky knew that there were more important things for him to worry about. Of course he did. He still had to work through the horrors of his past, never mind his present, which was the exact reason why he honed right in on your petty bullshit. You distracted him from the things he didn’t want to think about. You also drove him up a fucking wall.

Part Four / Master List

Put me down, you dick.

Yeah, he deserved that.

You’re a real asshole, Barnes, you know that?

Bucky absolutely did know that, and yes, he deserved that, too. He deserved each and every insult you flung his way. He internalized them, naturally, but he just couldn’t sit by and watch you kill yourself. He wouldn’t, not when you scared the hell out of him like that, when he found you all alone in the middle of the woods, unconscious and unresponsive. Although it may not have been the first time he’d seen you that way, it was the second time he thought the worst – and he panicked.

Your skin felt so cold to the touch, too cold, too clammy. He could just barely hear your shallow breaths if he listened closely enough – but he somehow kept his own steady and even despite the panic. Somehow managed to calm himself, ground himself, with gentle pats to your cheek and soft, whispered words.

Come on, pretty girl, wake up for me.

Pretty. Gorgeous. Inside and out, he’d come to realize. Platonic admiration.

At first, anyway.

He’d long since shoved the idea out of his head because you weren’t well, and neither was he. Didn’t stop the words from slipping out sometimes, though. Didn’t stop the fleeting thoughts every now and then, either.

Pretty girl. Sweetheart. Wake up for me.

No matter how sweetly Bucky tried to rouse you, however, you just wouldn’t wake, and it was all his fault. Again. He hadn’t had your six. Again.

He’d gotten on your case for months about the very thing that you couldn’t handle – drove you to starve yourself, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d made some stupid, offhand comment about your weight. It was a joke meant to lighten the mood, but in all actuality his carelessness had contributed to your downward spiral, or maybe he’d just caused it outright.

Malnourished. Dark circles, chapped lips. Half-dead, barely breathing.

His fault. All his fault.

You scared the absolute hell out of him, and rightfully so.

His fault. Always.

For all his worth, however, Bucky couldn’t quite keep his emotions in check – not during such a long, tiring, emotionally exhausting day, and as a result, he lashed out. Of course he did. He lost his temper, and he shouldn’t have. Not this time.

It certainly had something to do with the therapy session he’d attended early in the morning, the one that set him on edge for the entire day. His therapist had dredged up a hell of a lot of memories that he didn’t want to think about. Not today. Not ever. Memories about the war had been playing on a loop inside his head for hours – dark, grim, bloody memories where he’d seen at least half the men in his platoon meet their untimely deaths. Friends of his, left without a proper burial. And Italy – Italy was worse. Italy was where he’d been forced to sit by and watch even more die.

Just like now. Just like this.

Here you were, killing yourself, and all he could do was watch.

He couldn’t let that happen, and not just because he felt guilty. No, you were broken, too. Broken just like him. Two jagged pieces of glass – easily shattered, a total mess – and Bucky had found some solace in that, some comradery. If he didn’t know better, he would have called you a friend, but it wasn’t like he’d ever confided his secrets to you. Only the opposite. You’d confided in him. You’d trusted him.

Not anymore, you didn’t.

The first jab would have been when he brushed you off first thing. You’d trusted him last night, but he’d been too caught up in his own head this morning to know how to act, how to treat you – and then he found you like that, unconscious, and that ended up like this. Small fists pounding against his back, and each weak blow felt like a dagger. Death by a thousand cuts. One for each of his mistakes.

Then the barrage began to slow, before it stopped altogether, and he knew you’d given up.

Bucky, please. Don’t do this to me.

His stomach lurched at the beautifully broken syllables of his name. Quiet. Scared. Bucky.

You’d only just started calling him that recently. For months, the two of you had well and truly hated each other. You’d always driven him up a fucking wall; still did sometimes, if he was being honest and although things had become somewhat amicable, he’d never been able to open up to you. Not really. Not like how you did with him.

Why was he so afraid to trust you?

The minutes passed in insufferable silence, save for the rustle of wind in the trees and the sharp crunch of autumn leaves under every footstep. Your body sagged against him, lifeless and unmoving. You’d stopped fighting, stopped arguing, stopped caring.

That was what made him realize that he’d only won the battle, not the war. Quiet contemplation. Temporary surrender. He could take you in, but you wouldn’t comply.

When Bucky spotted the compound in the distance, he hesitated, because he knew.

Why the hell was he so afraid to trust you?

You’d done nothing but be honest with him the entire time he’d known you. You’d never lied to him, never tried to act like your disorder was anything other than it was – had you? You did try to hide it, of course you did, and he couldn’t fault you for that. He hid his problems, too. Even from you.

But relationships were a two-way street, and something had to give.

As he set you back down on your feet, his fingertips dug into your shoulders, gentle but firm. He used his grip to hold you steady because he was afraid to let go – afraid to trust you, trust that you’d be alright. He didn’t feel confident about it at all, but he let you go.

“What, aren’t you condemning me to hell?” you spat, like pure acid, but your voice sounded weak from crying. It bothered him more than it should have, and the dried tears on your cheeks made him feel even worse.

His fault.

“You’re just gonna fight some more if I take you in.” A statement, not a question. Level and even. “No sense in forcing you into treatment if you don’t care.”

At that, he caught a spark of recognition in your eyes but it disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by righteous indignation and a frown. The moment his hands dropped back to his sides, he might have expected you to immediately turn heel and leave, maybe even run, but you didn’t. Instead, you just crossed your arms.

“No shit, Barnes. What tipped you off?”

Not ‘Bucky’ anymore.

He had to trust you. He had to give.

“It’s just…” This time he sounded a little more unsure, not at all like his calm, controlled demeanour whilst carrying you like a sack of potatoes. “If someone forced me into therapy a year ago, I don’t think I would have gone along with it.”

The implication was clear: you wouldn’t either.

That was when the sharp edge to your features started to soften, and when you spoke again, your voice was softer, too, even if it did still have some bite to it. “What changed your mind?”

“I think I wanted to move on.”

Honesty.

“And have you?”

Bucky shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away, already feeling defensive and out of his element because he knew the answer was ‘no’. He may have worked through some things with his therapist, but he’d never be able to move on. Not really.

Your derisive snort set him off in an instant. Mocking. Spiteful, and Bucky’s eyes snapped back to you. Here he was, opening up a little, trying to make amends, doing the best he fucking could and you thought it was funny—

But then he saw the smile on your lips, and those bitter words caught in his throat. You were smiling a little, smiling at him – a genuine smile, full of tears and empathy and care.

Pretty girl. Broken just like him.

“It’s hard, isn’t it?” you croaked, hastily rubbing fresh tears away with the heel of your hand. The flush that came over your face made his heart stutter in his chest; not only were you right, but you were embarrassed about it. Why?

“Hey, it’s okay,” he said gently, reaching up to pull your hand away. “Shit, I’m— I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

His fault. Always.

You sniffled, small fingers lacing through larger vibranium like it was the most natural thing in the world. So small, so delicate, so god damned fragile—

A sob escaped you, followed by a choked, “I’m sorry, Bucky. I’m so sorry.”

Bucky.

Something broke inside of him, then, because his body reacted before his mind could catch up. Bucky let your hand go in favour of pulling you forward into his arms – cradled your cheek to his chest, and he soon discovered that you weren’t ice cold, not anymore. “You’ve got nothin’ to be sorry about.”

“But you— you keep helping me and I don’t deserve it, not after being so— so—”

He felt your shoulders shake with every sob, and his stomach twisted into knots.

“That doesn’t matter,” Bucky told you softly, stroking your hair. Hot tears soaked through his t-shirt – his fault, always his fault, but this time he pushed the blame away to focus solely on you. “Shh, I’ve got you. It’s okay.”

Fingers curling in the fabric of his shirt, you buried your face in his chest and cried – a real, proper cry, ugly and uncontrollable, just like last night. Smeared makeup and mascara likely left stains, but neither of you cared. Not with him holding you so close.

Warm. So warm. So right.

“I— I don’t wanna die,” came your hushed voice, muffled by his warmth, barely audible. “I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.”

“I know, pretty girl,” he whispered into your hair. “We'll figure it out. Everything's gonna be okay.”

And for the first time, Bucky believed it, too.

(If you like my work, please consider donating to my Patreon or my Ko-Fi!)

Part Six

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky x you #bucky barnes

[kissjane]

OH NO THEY WERE ROOMMATES / Very much unshort fic

#14 from this prompt list (I had to scroll waaaay down to get this link...)

Listen, for some reason these last few prompts from the list don’t wanna play nice. I have no idea whether this is any good, but at least it’s finished. I’ll settle for it at this point. Five to go!

We’re roommates but we’re falling for each other

It had started as a quick white lie, to get the boys off his back. They kept pushing him to go talk to any boy who looked at him a bit too long, or to give his number to basically any barista or waiter ever, or to go on a blind date with Basile’s cousin.

So Lucas had told them he had a thing going with his roommate.

Which was definitely not true.

But not because Lucas didn’t want to.

He’d had a crush on the handsome boy since he met him when he first came to look at the apartment with Manon. It wasn’t the biggest one he’d seen, nor the cheapest, but it had, well, other advantages, so to speak, so Lucas had been quick to co-sign the lease. If Manon suspected his reasons, she hadn’t said anything – but she had smiled when Lucas had come up with his fib.

Sadly, his fantasies of cooking together with his roommate, watching movies cuddled up on the couch, and slowly falling in love, had turned out to be a pipe dream. Eliott was mostly in his room. On occasions, he liked to blast dubstep. Lucas had soon figured out that the dubstep meant that Eliott was, uh, entertaining. The number of girls Lucas had walked in on early in the morning, before his first coffee, was staggering, and had quickly led to him putting up all his vague romantic ideas of his roommate.

But by the time Lucas was forced to come to the sad conclusion that the cutest boys were always straight, he’d already kinda committed to the story he’d told his friends, and so now he was stuck with it.

So every time he fantasized about another domestic moment of fluff with Eliott, he told himself it was for a good purpose. The girls were always bugging him for details about what he and his roommate were up to. They had declared them to be made for each other, and the discussions about their ship name were still in full vigor with no hint of them losing interest any time soon.

So Lucas provided.

He and Eliott had cooked pizza from scratch together, getting covered in flour, and accidentally setting off the smoke alarm because they were too busy making out to pay attention to the oven. Lucas ignored Emma’s eager question as to whether they had showered together to get rid of the flour dust.

Another time, he and Eliott had gone grocery shopping together, and Eliott had spun the cart on which Lucas had been standing so fast Lucas had fallen off, luckily into a pile of cardboard boxes. He’d still made Eliott kiss it better on each and every faint bruise as soon as they’d gotten home.

Or the time when they had held a Star Wars marathon, arguing about who was sexier, the young Han Solo or Dameron Poe, when Eliott had turned off the tv and complained Lucas was forcing him to compare a bunch of actors, when Eliott clearly had the sexiest boy of all in his arms.

The girls cooed at every concoction he fed them. In all honesty, it became hard for Lucas to remember none of this had actually happened – until the next scantily clad girl tiptoed through the hall on the way to the bathroom, bleary faced from the lack of sleep.

So after a few months of happy bliss, Lucas felt he had no choice but to break things off with Eliott. It became pretty painful to come up with lovey-dovey tales, and his fantasies were more and more often getting into… less family-friendly territory, which he wasn’t about to share with everybody.

His friends were a bit astonished at the news, and Lucas supposed it was weird, since he never even hinted at any trouble in paradise, but he shrugged it off, saying it was amicable, a joint decision, and he wasn’t even going to move out.

The downside was obviously that, after a few wonderful weeks of peace and quiet when everybody was coming around to the end of Lucas’ first relationship, Basile’s cousin came back into the picture.

Lucas tried to hold off, but he had no excuses left. And anyway, Eliott was playing dubstep almost every night, although Lucas hadn’t really encountered any pretty girls lately, and it grated Lucas’ nerves. It was time to admit he would never have Eliott, all his beautiful daydreams notwithstanding, so he might as well give somebody else a chance.

So he went out with Marc a few times. He was kind, and he had grey eyes, which Lucas recently discovered he had a thing for, so that was a plus. He was also a bit boring, and he tutted at Lucas disapprovingly when the latter tried to ride the bus without validating his ticket, but other than that, he was pretty okay.

And that’s how he found himself on the couch in his flat one evening. Marc and he had watched a movie – Lucas had nixed Marc’s suggestion of Star Wars vehemently – to the soft background music of dubstep coming out of Eliott’s room. It had been weird at first, but it had grounded Lucas somehow – Eliott was never going to be interested, and it was best if he remembered that and didn’t forget that Marc was here, and rather into him if the heated make-out session they were currently engaged in was to be believed.

Neither he nor Marc noticed the sudden appearance of Eliott in the living room, until the later coughed apologetically.

“Uh, sorry… I didn’t realize you had, uh, company, Lucas,” he stammered.

Lucas immediately let go of Marc, and blushed, then mentally berated himself. Eliott himself probably had a girl in his bed, so why would Lucas not be allowed to bring anybody over?

“Uh, y-yeah, no big deal,” he said, as soon as his vocal cords functioned again. “Uh, Marc, this is Eliott, my roommate. Eliott, this is Marc, my – uh…”

“Lucas’ boyfriend,” Marc cut in, a bit smugly. They’d never discussed their status, but Lucas supposed Marc had just made it clear where he was standing. He didn’t know how he felt about it.

Eliott stared at the two of them, his eyes wide. Lucas didn’t know what was going on.

“Uh, is this – is this a problem? We could go to my room, if you want…”

He hoped the problem wasn’t that he had brought home a boy. He realized he’d never talked with Eliott about his sexuality.

Eliott seemed to be slapped out of whatever daze he’d been in.

“Oh! Oh, no,” he quickly replied. “Please, it’s no problem at all. I’ll just… grab a drink and leave you guys, then… Bye, uh, Martin?”

“Marc,” Marc answered pleasantly, pulling Lucas close.

Lucas watched Eliott retreat into the kitchen – he whipped his eyes away as soon as he realized they were trained on the other boy’s ass in his tight jeans – and then returned his close-lipped smile when he passed them again on the way back to his room. The volume of the dubstep was turned on fractionally, and Marc wanted to continue the heavy petting, but somehow, Lucas wasn’t really into it, and though Marc clearly was angling for an invitation to spend the night, Lucas didn’t extend one.

He said goodnight to Marc, and went to his room. He sat still on his bed, his knees pulled up, his arms around himself, wondering how on earth he had gotten himself in this situation. Maybe he needed to move out anyway. It was clear his crush on Eliott, stupid and one-sided as it was, hadn’t died, and maybe it wouldn’t as long as he lived here.

A knock on the door brought him back into the here and now.

At his “Yes?”, the door opened, and Eliott stood right at the threshold, his hands wrung together.

“Uh, Lucas, I was wondering… Uhm, please don’t take this the wrong way, but, uh… I thought about earlier, and maybe, if it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle, I would indeed prefer it if you went to your room with your, uh, boyfriend in the future.”

The last words came out in a rush, and Lucas wondered if he heard them right.

“Excuse me?”, he uttered, painfully polite.

Eliott mumbled the same sentence as before, this time so low Lucas had to strain to hear it, but there was no doubt Eliott was actually saying what he thought he had been saying.

“Are you saying I can’t bring a guy over to my own flat, that I pay rent for, unless I go to my room with him? What the actual fuck?”

Eliott blushed.

“It’s just… You don’t have to, obviously, but maybe it would be easier for both of us…”

Lucas glared.

“Easier for both of us? How do you figure that, exactly?”

“I mean, you wouldn’t have to worry about me walking in on you…”

“I wouldn’t have to worry about that?” Lucas really was upset. Just because Eliott wasn’t interested in him, didn’t mean he had to be such a douchebag about other guys maybe being so. “Are you sure it’s not just about you? Your straight innocent eyes can’t handle two guys making out, is that it?”

A blush appeared on Eliott’s cheeks, and Lucas deflated. So Eliott was indeed uncomfortable with the idea. The moving out plan became more and more alluring by the minute.

It was silent for a long beat, and then Eliott spoke up, enunciating clearly.

“I’m not straight.”

“Huh? Don’t give me crap. I’ve seen most of your one-night stands. Very female, the lot of them.”

“Yeah, I know…” Eliott chuckled a bit self-deprecatingly. “I’m pan, though. I’ve been with guys too, just not…recently.”

In all honesty, the Lucas of a few months ago would have been elated to hear this. Right now, however, it was more a question of adding insult to injury. So Eliott was into other boys, just not into Lucas. It was this epiphany that drove him to bitterness.

“Yeah, well. At least girls have been doing it for you, then.”

“What? What do you mean?” Eliott sounded genuinely confused.

“All the dubstep. Have you even spent one night alone this month?”

When Eliott froze, Lucas almost wanted to take back his words. Eliott didn’t owe him any accountability.

“Uh, I’m sorry about the dubstep. I haven’t been seeing anybody for a while, but I… I kinda kept playing the music. I don’t know why.”

He was not looking at Lucas as he spoke, and he fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt.

“Oh. Well, it’s none of my business anyway, so, uh –”

“What if I wanted it to be?”

Silence.

“What?”

“What if I wanted it to be your business?”, Eliott repeated. He sounded unsure, but he stared straight at Lucas.

Lucas didn’t answer, sitting on his bed open-mouthed. What was Eliott trying to say? The other boy took a deep breath, and gingerly sat down next to Lucas, far enough not to touch him, but close enough to feel his warmth.

“I, uh, I brought over only girls recently because there was this one boy I was trying to get out of my head. And when that didn’t work, I didn’t want him to suspect anything so I kept playing music. It’s stupid, I know.”

Whoa. Lucas tried to unpack all of that in a logical manner, but he failed spectacularly.

“You played dubstep so I would think you had a girl over?”

Eliott nodded.

“And you brought only girls home because…”

“Because boys weren’t doing it for me, not when they weren’t you. Not that the girls were working out, either.”

There was honesty and vulnerability in his voice, and in his eyes.

“But why… why didn’t you just talk to me? You avoided me all the time… We hardly ever even spoke before now…”

“I know. I just, I crushed so hard on you, from the moment you came to see the flat. But I had no idea you were into guys… I thought the girl you were with was your girlfriend. You two seemed so affectionate.”

“Oh, uh, no, she’s one of my best friends, and an ex-roommate, actually. But I’m gay, so, uh…”

Eliott sighed.

“Yeah, I figured that out now. And it sucks, because maybe, if I had just made a move sooner… But it doesn’t matter. You have a boyfriend, and I’ll have to learn to live with that.”

Oh crap. Lucas had forgotten all about Marc.

“I wouldn’t call it that… We went out a couple of times… Mostly because it seems I was applying your tactic to try to get over a certain somebody I was crushing on… Somebody I too thought was straight, what with all the girls he was bringing home…”

He let his words die off, looking at Eliott.

It took him a few seconds, but then he turned towards Lucas, shifting slightly closer. Their legs touched, and it burned Lucas through Eliott’s jeans and his sweatpants.

“So, uh, if that guy promised not to bring over any girls anymore, could you be persuaded not to see Marc anymore?”

Lucas pretended to mull it over.

“Maybe if he also promised he won’t play dubstep if I ever end up in his bed, I think I could be, yes.”

Eliott laughed.

“I won’t have to play anything if we stay in your bed.”

And that sounded like a perfect compromise, so Lucas toppled Eliott and pressed their lips together.

#I write things #50 cliché prompts #Elu #skam france fanfic #oh no they were roommates #I didn't even edit this so please point out the numerous mistakes I undoubtedly left here

[gabriel4sam]

Old wars, old regrets and new beginnings

Master Windu and Master Gallia are not very happy about Qui-Gon's decision to leave Obi-Wan on Melida/Daan. The logical answer is to go back for the lost Padawan. And since they're at it, there are a few things which had gone for way too long, like the Melida/Daan civil war....or denying their feelings.

Under the cut, a little Alternate Universe of one of the Jedi Apprentice books, that mess with Melida/Daan

Once upon a time, there was a young Jedi Initiate with dimples, red hair and a temper which needed work. And Mace Windu wanted him, so, so hard for a Padawan. He wanted to help him grow, he wanted to be there to show him how to open to the Unifying Force, in which the two of them were gifted. Sadly, Master Windu had been used to listening to Yoda more than his own instinctual trust in the Force, like entire generations of Jedi.

Yoda meant well.

But his age and his experience didn’t make him never-failing.

So, Mace Windu let go of his yearning to teach Obi-Wan, hoping he would see the young child flourish under Qui-Gon’s tutelage. For a time, a too short time, it seemed Yoda had been right.

Then Qui-Gon Jinnn came back from Melida/Daan with Tahl, and no Padawan and Mace Windu came under fire from the Remedial Council for putting the other Jedi Master on his ass, right on the tarmac, as Qui-Gon still was covered in Melida/Daan’s dust.

“Did you see that!?” Qui-Gon had said, as Master Mundi had helped him to his feet.

“Yes, it was really a shame he was quicker than me,” Mundi had dryly remarked and Qui-Gon had wisely decided to shut up, because all the welcoming committee was watching him with angry eyes.

Roughly an hour later, Mace was plotting his way to Melida/Daan on a ship borrowed from Master Tholme, because he knew what sorts of ameliorations the man put on any ships he had more than ten minutes on, when Master Gallia found him.

“Tahl is in the healers’s hands. She will live, but we don’t know more for now. Also apparently, you loosened one of Qui-Gon’s teeth.” She announced.

“Good,” Mace said, without looking at her.

“It will certainly cost you your place on the Council.”

“Then I can go back on missions instead of having to handle the Senate.”

The computer beeped to signal it was working on its course and Mace finally turned to his friend….to realize she had her pack on her back, her travel cape and that Siri Tachi, her Padawan, was busy stacking medical packs everywhere she could fix them, helped by Master Tholme, his Padawan, and what seemed to be all the Jedi they could have on hand in the short time Mace had needed to start prepping the ship.

“What, did you think you would be going alone?” Adi Gallia said, with that tone of her which make people fall in line and obey her as if she was the Force itself.

“This is an unauthorized mission,” Mace observed despite himself.

“I know.”

“I will be in even worse trouble than for attacking Jinn.”

“I know.”

“And everyone who helps me-“

“Mace!”

She put a hand on his shoulder.

“Obi-Wan is one of our children. We’re going to get him back. And all the Council, or at least myself, is only jealous you were the first to put your hands on Qui-Gon.”

“Not very Jedi of you, Master Gallia.”

“Master Windu, I have a secret for you, Jedi are way more feral than we let the Senate believe.”

Mace couldn’t handle eye contact this instant, he turned his head, but Adi only put her other hand on his other shoulder, in a sign of comfort, instead of forcing the issue, like most sentient would have, even a few Jedi.

It took three days to travel from Coruscant to Melida/Daan, three days they spend asking themselves if the Order had lost another child. Padawans died, sometimes, but every child who joined the Force seemed to Mace and Adi, sitting on the Council, choosing Jedi for missions, like a personal failure.

During those three days, they spent most of their time in meditation. Who knew what they would find in arriving, better to immerge themselves in the Force all they could, to prepare themselves for battle, for heartbreak. Siri had been quite displeased to be left behind, but it was necessary. The Jedi Order already had abandoned one child in a war zone, they wouldn’t risk another.

“I’m happy you’re coming with me,” Mace had admitted on the second day, “You, my oldest friend. Perhaps I’m selfish, but if I must be expulsed from the Order and tried as a war criminal, there is nobody else I would be right beside.” And Adi had snorted on a laugh and bumped their shoulders amicably.  

*********************************************************

Obi-Wan was exhausted. His training had always been oriented by Qui-Gon’s own specialities, so his healing training was a lot behind his friend Bant, for example. But the Young hadn’t had any medics in their ranks at his arrival: this was something who required long training, disqualifying people possessing it for their ranks.

So, Obi-Wan has done his best to help, counterbalancing his lack of formal training in Force Healing by taping harder in his own strength, siphoning his own strength to heal the Youngs and their adult prisoners when they had some. . Between that and the tactical advises he gave, and the way the Force made him a valuable asset to the Youngs in their plotting to stop the war, as an undetected spy or as a saboteur, it was not exactly surprising he was a little frayed…. Sometimes he even thought he was a rope ready to snap.

So, when he saw Master Windu and Master Gallia, for a moment he thought he was hallucinating.

For a long, long moment.

In fact, it wasn’t before hours later when he woke up from a surprising refreshing sleep with his head on Master Windu’s knees, the Master’s big hands a comforting, warm weigh on his back, than he realized they were really there. He would later suspect this suspiciously deep sleep had been helped by a little push in the Force from the two Masters. Two members of the High Council had broken all the rules in coming to his rescue on a world where they definitely weren’t supposed to be.

“I’m not a Jedi anymore!” He had thrown to them, oscillating between despair, anger and panic for the two adults Jedi. He knew enough of the Republic laws to understand there would be consequence for them.

A lot.

And for him! Him who wasn’t a Jedi anymore, who had never been worthy of the name, if Obi-Wan listened to the little voice in his head, the voice sounding very much like Qui-Gon on his bad days.

“I’m not a Jedi anymore,” he repeated, broken.

“If you don’t want to be a Jedi anymore, you’re not,” Master Gallia said, “We don’t force people to serve. But you’re a child of the Jedi and we don’t abandon our own.”

“So, now, you will be punished because of me, in a war without end,” Obi-Wan had despaired.

The two Masters had looked at each other, doing this thing Obi-Wan had observed between Jedi who had worked closely together before. It was like its own language, told in a few milliseconds and micro expressions.

“We should really take Obi-Wan and go,” Master Windu said and the teenager hadn’t time to protest before the Korrun was adding:

“On the other hands, we’ll already been punished. What could they do, expulse us two times.”

“Also, it would be a waste of resource, two members of the High Council on this planet-“

“Are we still?”

“Well, I consider I am until I receive notifications of what the hell they will do to us after….So, as I said, the two of us and nothing to see for it….bad press for the Jedi.”

She gave Master Windu a smile which Obi-Wan had vague ideas he shouldn’t have seen, even if he had difficulties putting his finger on the why….They turned to him on perfect ensemble and he felt a ping of pain on his chest. He had been so sure he was made to become a Jedi and now he would never have this perfect coordination with another Knight, perhaps another Master, like he had dreamed on younger.

Obi-Wan looked down at his hands, dirty and scrapped, thinking hard.“I….I suppose I will present you to the Youngs,” He said.

 Cerasi immediately adored Master Galia but Nield was much more cautious of this help arriving from nowhere.

“They’re adults, we can’t trust them,” he insisted to Obi-Wan and Cerasi and Obi-Wan spluttered, peeved by this accusation to members of the High Council.

“If they are so good,” Nield would grumble after a plan hatched by Master Gallia worked without trouble; “Why is the galaxy in such a sorry state?”

“Sometimes, I forgot you have never left Melida/Daan,” Obi-Wan said, looking at him.

“What does that mean?”

“The galaxy is big.”

“Hmpff,” Nield said and for once Cerasi seemed of the same opinion. Obi-Wan started to explain, trying to convene everything he had seen since leaving the Temple for the first time:

“Yes, it seems idiotic said like this, doesn’t it? But it’s just so so enormous, there aren’t words for it. And every planets, or almost all planets, are populated, by species born there or by colonisation. And it’s not even starting on the people living on moons, on space stations, in ships… The world is big and there isn’t enough Jedi, more planets don’t see one more than every generation.”

His mood turned darker.

“There never was enough Jedi but they taught us, it’s getting worse. People don’t let their children be chosen anymore, they don’t see why other children’s people can’t do it, and since the Senate reduced the help we receive from Judicials, more Jedi have been killed in action.”

“And yet, you still left them.”

Obi-Wan turned, ashamed, but Nield didn’t let him go, slipping an arm around his waist.

“I didn’t meant it like that. I am…I’m more than honoured than you choose our cause, even with how important the Jedi Order is for you.”

“We,” Cerasi said, “We’re very grateful.” And she embraced the two of them, so close it was difficult to know where which teenager started and where the other ended, and they stayed like that a long time, taking comfort in each other’s warmth and presence.

Without realizing the two Jedi had been there too and where discreetly leaving.

“Ah, young love,” Master Gallia sighed with a smile.

“Do you think….the three of them?” Master Windu said, so surprised he almost missed a step on the ravaged pavement.

“More daring than we were, aren’t they?”

“I always regretted it, you know.”

She stopped walking, looked at him.

“I always asked myself what would have happened this night, if …if I had asked you to share your bunk in this ship, instead of stopping at a few kisses and spending the night next to the Bacta tub of my Master.”

“I would have said yes,” Adi admitted. With a cautious hand, she touched his cheek. The stubble hadn’t been there, the first time she had done that, all those years ago, when they were themselves no more than Padawan.

“I think through the years, I would always had said yes,” she continued, lost in the incredible warmth of Mace’s eyes.

“You already took terrible risks in following me to this world…”

“Oh please, it’s you who followed me!”

Mace had a small laugh, which died against his older friend’s lips.

#jedi apprentice #star wars #mace windu #adi gallia #obi wan kenobi #my fics

[probably-writing-x]

Never do it.

Valerio x Reader

Request by anon: hey! could u do a lil “spinoff” from “Fix Things For You.” Where everyone wants to the reader and Vallerio back together, but what they don’t know is that after they broke up the reader slept with someone else and feels really bad about it and stops talking to everyone and hangs out with different people. Then everyone finds out but Valerio forgives her because he loves her and they get back together. :)

Gif is not my own

Requests are open🤍

A break up was a strange thing at the best of times. Learning to unlove someone was never easy. You and Valerio had broken up fairly amicably, realising he was going through a difficult time with his parents and needed time to handle that on his own. You’d given him his space and agreed that this likely wouldn’t be forever - just until he could sort out the messy home life he was living in and would no longer be loading all of that onto you. That seems fine right? But in that ‘break’ you’d done something you seemed completely unforgivable. After one drunken night where you’d wanted nothing more than to be back with Valerio, you’d found yourself in a one night stand with someone completely forgettable. Since then, your breakup with Valerio - in your eyes - has become certainly permanent.

You’d separated yourself from him completely, no longer keeping that friends status that you’d kept throughout. You distanced yourself from all of the mutual friends you and him had, and tried your best to avoid him at all costs - never once admitting what you’d done. He’d just have to believe you’d moved on and he’d do the same.

“Hey, (Y/n)!” Lu calls when she sees you, “Are you coming to the Valentine’s party tonight?”

You glance over and dismiss yourself from the group you were in, completely new people now that you’d greatly distanced yourself from your original group of friends.

“Um, no I don’t think so,” You shake your head, “Thanks.”

“Come on,” She sighs, “It will be fun! We’ll all be there, and I feel like we’re due a catch up.”

“I’m good, honestly. I think I’ll skip out on Valentine’s Day this year,” You shrug, glancing over your shoulder at your new ‘friends’ that were evidently focused on the conversation.

“(Y/n) please,” She sighs, “I know things with you and Valerio are difficult but that doesn’t mean you don’t still have all of us. I miss you.”

“Thanks Lu, but I’m good. I’ll pass,” You nod, “Enjoy your party.”

You turn back to the waiting group and head off with them, trying your best to relax into whatever boring conversation they were having. You could imagine it being your old group, where Guzmán would joke about something a little rude and Lu would scold him for it, or Valerio would make a private comment to you as he wrapped an arm around you. But it’s not. You’d been the one to ruin that, and you couldn’t let yourself deserve that group anymore.

- - - - - -

That Valentines, when you should’ve been laughing with Lu or looking at Valerio from across the room, you were instead sat alone in your own room. You got out your phone and started flicking through some of your old photos of you and him. Some with all of you, some from when he’d woken up in your bed, others of nights you could barely remember. Each photo with the power to kill you a little more.

It’s not long after your second movie of the night ends that you hear the sound of the front door opening. You hear some muffled conversation at the door before someone starts walking upstairs, only caring when it ends with someone stood at your door that you definitely didn’t want to see.

“Happy Valentines Day (Y/n),” Valerio smiles a little as he stands at the open door.

You swallow the lump in your throat and try to make yourself a little more presentable, pushing the laptop from your lap and brushing your hands over your hair, “What are you doing here Valerio?”

“The party wasn’t great,” He shrugs, “There was only one person I wanted to see.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” You defend, lifting your knees to your chest as you watch him intently from where you sat on your bed.

“It’s okay, your Mum was the one that let me in,” He points out, “Come on (Y/n). When we split up, it wasn’t supposed to be like this. We were meant to stay friends, still care about each other, and come back to each other when the time was right.”

“Things change,” You state simply, trying not to let your bottom lip tremble.

“Things change?” He laughs, “That’s what you’re giving me? Babe, things don’t change that much.”

He goes to walk over but you scramble quickly to stand from the bed, now standing on opposite sides.

“(Y/n) come on, what did I do wrong?” He sighs, “I changed. I sorted myself out, the drugs, the excessive drinking. I did it all because I wanted to be better, for you. To prove to you that I could actually be worthy for you. And this is what I get?”

“It’s not you Valerio, god, it’s not you. But I can’t-“ You wrap your arms over your chest as your voice breaks and your eyes fill with tears, “Just please go.”

He frowns at your response, not moving an inch.

“Valerio please go,” You whisper, through the building emotion that was now becoming impossible to ignore, “I can’t do this, you shouldn’t be here.”

Slowly, he moves around the bed so he’s now stood directly in front of you. His hands move cautiously to yours as he cautiously pulls your arms away from your chest and lets them remain at your sides. He laces one hand with yours and brings the other up to cup your cheek.

“Just... tell me to stop,” He mumbles, dipping down to your height and kissing you gently.

He’s fearful, utterly terrified of how you’d respond. And the kiss holds so much less confidence than he ever would have normally. He’s scared that this will be the mistake that makes him properly lose you. You find yourself melting into it, the feeling of his lips on yours being too perfect to defeat. But your mind always manages to catch up with your heart. And all you can think of is who had kissed those lips last. It wasn’t him.

You regain your composure and push him away from you, “You can’t do that Valerio. You can’t just come to my house and kiss me like everything’s going to be okay. You can’t do it.”

“(Y/n) you’re shaking,” Valerio comments, his brows furrowing, “What did I do? Just tell me what I’ve done.”

“Get out,” You say, covering your arms over your chest once again, “Please.”

“I’m not giving up on this (Y/n),” He shakes his head, “I’m not giving up on you.”

You remain silent, trembling in a mix of the cold and the self-loathing that coursed your veins.

“Okay,” He raises his hands in defeat, “I’ll leave.”

And he does.

- - - - - -

The following morning, you want nothing more than to avoid school completely. But your obsessive parents wouldn’t make that a possibility.

“(Y/n)!” It’s Guzmán that calls you, “I thought I’d see you at the party last night. It’s not like you to miss it.”

“I guess I just didn’t feel up to it,” You shrug, walking through to the classroom quickly.

He catches up, “What’s up with you? I feel like we barely see you anymore. You know you’ve got people if you need to talk about anything - right?”

You look at him and have to fight back the urge to smile and thank him, “Yeah, sure. But I’m fine.”

“Okay...” He nods, “Well, you know where I am.”

You go through to walk over to your seat, trying your best to keep your head down and avoid conversation with anybody else for the rest of the class.

It’s when you get to sit down that you open your book and see a note left in the front page. In scrawled handwriting that never seemed to improve.

‘If you won’t tell me what’s happened, I’ll wait. But whatever it is, however bad it gets, I told you I’m not giving up - V’

You glance up and see Valerio sat in his seat just a couple of rows in front, he doesn’t turn around or react to anything - but you know that he knows you’ve seen it. And it makes the guilt return like floodgates have opened.

You’re in a hurry as soon as you finish that class, rushing to find him like you needed to put an end to all of this as quickly as possible.

“Day one,” He comments as he sees you walk into the common room.

“Valerio this needs to stop,” You sigh, walking to stand beside the table where he sat.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“It’s not going to happen.”

“(Y/n) come on,” Lu speaks up from across the table, “We’ve all said it too, we miss you. It’s not the same without you and Valerios a lot more unbearable.”

You glance over at the group of eyes all looking back at you, realising now and only now would be a good time to finally confess to Valerio what had happened. All this time you’d been reluctant to tell him because it meant that you could still keep him, still keep his good opinion of you. Now, you knew that would change.

“Fine, Valerio, can I speak to you?” You turn back to him and he looks at you with a growing smile.

The rest of the group hurry to make themselves scarce as you take a seat across from him and sigh.

“We can’t be together,” You begin, “God, no matter how much I want to be with you, we can’t.”

He leans forward towards you and takes your hand, “What are you afraid of (Y/n)?”

You look into his eyes and almost, almost, melt at the sight, “When we were split up, on a break, whatever you want to call it. I had a lot of good days and bad days. And on the worst day of them all, I got mind-numbingly drunk, I was out at the club, and I met this guy and next thing I remember we-“

“You slept with somebody,” Valerio finishes for you, stopping you from speaking rapidly and panicking yourself.

You sigh and look down at your hands where he still hadn’t moved his grip from you, “I’m so sorry. You tried so hard to change things and to work things out for yourself. And I wanted nothing more than to come back to you once all of this had passed. But I made a mistake, an unforgivable mistake. And I don’t deserve yo-“

“Don’t say that,” He snaps quickly, “(Y/n), you’re right. You made a mistake. But unforgivable? We were broken up. You didn’t cheat on me because I know you never would. We both went through things in that time we were apart. Why would I care if you slept with some random guy that doesn’t mean anything? Because he doesn’t mean anything, right?”

“God, I don’t even know the guy’s name. And I all I could think about was yo-“

He squeezes your hand to stop you, “Then why would I hate you for that?”

“Are you serious?” You laugh a little, “Valerio I-“

He leans in close and keeps only an inch away from your face, “Tell me to stop.”

This time, you’re the one that closes the gap as you kiss him deeply, so much more certain than either of you had been yesterday.

“I love you (Y/n), nothings going to change that,” He mutters, kissing you again quickly, “And it looks like we’ve got an audience.”

You turn to look at the window of the common room where all of your friends were stood peering through the gaps in the blinds. They cheer as soon as they see you kiss, making you and Valerio laugh instantly. He turns and presses his forehead against yours, squeezing your hand.

“I’m not going to lose you.”

#valerio #valerio imagine #valerio one shot #valerio drabble #valerio blurb #valerio request #valerio fanfiction #valerio writing #valerio x reader #valerio x you #valerio x y/n #elite valerio #elite #elite imagine #elite one shot #elite drabble #elite blurb #elite request #elite fanfiction #elite writing #elite netflix

[ahhhhhhdonna]

Summary: I really just wanted to write Jaskier getting locked up in a pillory!  Like this one:

And then this Yen and Jaskier fic just happened.(Warning for swearing, if that’s not your jam.)  Is there more to this? I don’t know.  For now, though, this:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

High heeled shoes walked into his line of vision; beautiful, impeccable, without a single speck of road mud on them.  The hemline of a black dress in some expensive fabric.  Silk, maybe.  Or satin? Organza... If that was a fabric.  Didn't really matter, he thought miserably. What mattered was the insidious owner of said shoes and fancy dress was standing close enough he could feel the chill of her shadow and smell her perfume.

Somewhere above him, she laughed. Not a demure lady-like chuckle either, oh no, a real belly laugh.  Downright rude, if you asked him. He straightened up, as much as he could straighten while being locked rather piteously in a pillory.  

“You know, I was beginning to think this day couldn't get any better,” Jaskier said, amicably, “and yet...ahh, here you are.”

“Oh, Jaskier,” she said, with that tell-tale edge of sarcastic delight. It felt on his ear like a finger-nail catching in a pill on a silk coat.  “How did you get yourself into this little predicament?  Did you get caught fucking the alderman's wife this time?  Or, oh dear... did she catch you with the alderman? I know you aren't terribly...discerning when it comes to your pitiful little conquests.”

Jaskier's mouth opened with a huff before he snapped it closed, unsure which bit was more offensive.  

“I...I'm- I am discerning,” he managed, “and for your information, Yennefer, none of my...my conquests- as you so charmingly put it- would consider the encounter pitiful in the slightest....not that you will ever know...you...you could be the last woman alive, and I promise I would rather put my-”

“If your usual debauchery didn't land you here,” Yennefer cut him off, the smile still in her voice, “then what else would warrant such a public shaming? Was it your big mouth?”

He sniffed and went silent, fuming. He heard her long lacquered nails ticking on the wooden slat above his head.  One lovely shoe tapped impatiently.

“Well,” she said, after it was clear Jaskier wasn't going to be forthcoming, “whatever it was you did, I'm sure the punishment is well deserved... However, I do find it hard to believe Geralt would have allowed them to put you in the stocks.  He has a soft spot for your antics, no matter how stupid.  So, where is our witcher?”

Oh, wouldn't you like to know, Jaskier immediately thought but didn't say. Regardless of what Yennefer thought, he wasn't that stupid.

“Our witcher is not here,” Jaskier ground out, instead.  “He's on a hunt.  He picked up a contract here.  Actually, he's...well, he's... he’s missing.”

The tapping of nails stilled.  

“Oh, it's not like you're going to help,” Jaskier spat, “so why even bother?  Why don't you just portal off somewhere else and leave me alone?”

“Jaskier.” Her voice was quieter but impossibly more dangerous. “Geralt is missing?”

“He's...more late, really,” Jaskier said.  “He was due back three days ago.  I tried to tell the good alderman that monster hunting is not an exact art,  but...it was quite a well-paying contract, and Geralt was given half up front...and the alderman thinks Geralt has just taken off with the gold.  So--”

He waggled his hands in the holes beside his head.

“--they decided that since they can't punish Geralt for the alleged thievery, why not punish his faithful companion instead?  They locked me up this morning and I'm to be kept to the pillory until Geralt eventually returns or... or they tire of all of this, or I die, I guess.  I don't know.  On orders of the alderman.”

He swallowed.

“I'm rather...worried about Geralt, actually.  He's fine, I'm sure, he's always fine but it's not like him to-”

“-He'll return,” Yennefer said, decisively.  “In the mean time, I could free you but far be it from me to interfere with local politics...  I think it would be rather more interesting to see this sort itself out, don't you?”

“I knew it,” Jaskier muttered.  “I knew it!  Why did I even bother?..”

“I’d best be going,” she said, and he could hear her infuriating smile again, “Lovely chat, dear. But It does looks like it might rain.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yennefer listened to the rain pounding on the inn roof that night as she sat by the fire and drank mulled wine.  She tried to think of Jaskier and glean some satisfaction for his suffering but now, as the wind howled a bit in the rafters and the night's chill crept in, she frowned into the depths of her cup.

He was only human, after all.  A weak, stupid, annoying human, to be sure, who prattled on and on and wrote nasty songs about her and pretended they weren't about her when they clearly were. But...Three days late, he'd said. And Jaskier-for all his glaring and numerous faults- did harbor a deep and unyielding love for their witcher.  Her witcher, she thought, unbidden, and drank.

It had been a surprise when she had come into this blighted town and saw the familiar bard clamped into the stocks in the town square.  Another strange coincidence. Since their fateful and brief meeting in Rinde, she had run into Geralt on two separate occasions and now this... She had only come here to provide a service, a round of cures and magical remedies, to fill her purse for another dose of that probably useless fertility treatment with the cost of it ever increasing.  It was better to keep moving to different towns, she found, some were more friendly to magic than others. 

A town that treated friends of witchers so poorly might not have a high appreciation of mages either.  Best to move on, she decided.  In the morning then.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The next morning, Yennefer cursed herself as her legs led her back to the town square, her velvet cloak enchanted to keep her dry as the rain continued pouring down and the mud pooled around her boots.

Jaskier was soaked to the bone and looking twice as pitiful as ever, bent as he was and trembling with cold.  When she approached, he contorted his neck to do his best to look at her, squinting and sniffling.  He looked as pale and red-eyed as a wet white rabbit.  

“Yennefer...I, uh, to... to what do I owe this... odious pleasure?”

Ah, he had been crying then.  It wasn't just the rain.  She bit back the worst of her responses- a decided act of charity, if there ever was one- and went straight to the point.

“What was he hunting then, bard?”

Jaskier blinked at her with swollen eyes. He certainly seemed no longer up to their usual verbal sparring and she was glad to not waste time.

“The alderman didn't know what it was, just that it smelled terrible and was killing villagers who wandered too far into the woods.  Geralt thought it was a rotfiend.  Should just take a day, he said, maybe two if it was hiding...”

“And it's been five,” Yennefer mused. Yes, Geralt should have been able to handle a single rotfiend in a leisurely afternoon.  And while the man could certainly be accused of moving on without saying good-bye, he would have at least returned for the payment.  Priorities, she thought, wryly.

“Nearly six,” Jaskier said and then his teeth chattered loudly enough that Yennefer could hear it over the din of the rain, like a tin cup full of dice. He once again tried to look at her, lifting his head an uncomfortable angle.  

“...Are you going to go looking for him?  Please.  Please, please tell me you're going to go looking for him. Please. If he's hurt, only you can...If anyone can find him, it's you, Yen, it’s you....”

“I'll look for him,” Yennefer said and watched the bard sag against the restraints with relief.  

“Thank you,” he murmured, in a voice soft enough that she was sure she wasn't meant to hear it.  She was sure he expected her to leave him there and, oh gods, did she want to.  Especially after his last ballad about the 'violet eyed siren of Vengerberg, with generous bust, who eats men's hearts for sport and lust'--  Ugh!  He deserved to stay here in the stocks, all ruined silk and wet lace and aching back! It might humble him and he certainly needed some humbling for all his lyric writing to the contrary.

But... Geralt would not forgive her easily if she left his companion to starve or freeze in the stocks and, fuck, if the thought of his disapproval didn't strike an irritating chord inside her. And if she was somewhat swayed by the bard's sudden spell of repentant gratitude, well...he'd never have to know it.  Bound and begging was surprisingly a good look for him, she thought.  And she was feeling absurdly generous this morning, so...

Yennefer made a little gesture and the thick padlock on the pillory unlocked itself and fell to the ground with a thud.  Jaskier startled and gaped at the fallen lock.

“You...you just...?”

“Come on, then, and don't make me regret it, Jaskier,” she said, in a tone she hoped implied that she already did.  “Lead the way.”

#donnawrites #witcher fic #Yennefer of Vengerberg #Jaskier #Hurt Jaskier #mentions of Geralt #Yennefer saves Jaskier #because why not #gratuitous switching of POVs #Yennefer loves Geralt #Jaskier loves Geralt #some version of this has geralt returning and going absolutely feral with rage #but that was not this version for some reason #instead they rescue Geralt together like the odd couple

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Unraveling at the Seams Pt 13

Genre: Fan Fiction Pairing: Alex Høgh Andersen/OFC, Henry Cavill/OFC Warnings: Language, Sexual Innuendo, Possible NSFW Rating: M Length: Multi Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.  

A/N: Again, Tumblr has been a dick about tagging people. Apologies. 

thank you @flowers-in-your-hayr​ for the header :D

Catch Up Here

After Alex left, Nell had been the last person in the condo, until Marco had come back yesterday. Alex had gone through the place a few times making sure it was tidy, not too much dust had settled, and they had fresh groceries. A bottle of Jameson tucked into the supplies for dinner, Alex was set whenever Nell showed up.

Showering and changing his clothes twice, he had worked himself up over this more than the first time he'd gone out with her. That night he'd changed four times, couldn't decide what to do with his mess of hair, and nearly vomited twice before Marco shoved him out the door and told him to fucking relax. Tonight was a strong contender for a repeat.

Pacing, rearranging the cushions on the couch, and nervously drumming his fingers on the counter top Alex checked the clock on the wall for what felt like the millionth time in – only twenty minutes? Fuck this was excruciating.

“Calm the fuck down, dude.” Marco grumbled from the kitchen counter. Alex wanted to make pizza, too bad he was absolutely useless making dough. Swooping in to save the day, Marco kneaded the dough, before dropping in in the bowl to rise.

“I can't.”

“Why? It's not like this is the first date or some shit. Fuck, dude, you've seen her naked.” Snorting, Marco's eyes glinted with mischief. “You've also saw her ex naked. By now I assumed you'd have a handle on this.”

Death glaring at his roommate, Alex snorted. “I thought we agreed to never talk about that, again.”

“You may have agreed to that, I did not. Honestly, there are worse things. So what, you saw another guy's dick.”

“Can you not?”

“Think of it this way, you've second hand fucked Superman.” Laughing at his own joke, Marco snorted. He would never grow tired of this. Ever.

“Why are we friends? Why? I would never do this to you.” Alex pointed his finger at Marco, making an emphasis. Lies. All lies. If the tables were turned, he would be all over tormenting Marco about it.  “Jeg hader dig.”

“Det er ikke nogen stor sag,” Marco shrugged and wiped his hands on a dish towel. “She was practically living here before you went home.”

Rolling his eyes, Alex sighed, “Alright, fine.” conceding with his hands held in the air.

Cleaning up his work space, Marco watched Alex. Worked up, over nothing, Alex stood in the shared living space. Scratching his head and sighing heavily for what felt like the hundredth time in a handful of seconds. Wiping the counter down, Marco tried to be the supportive friend.

“You're going to have dinner, you're welcome by the way, and then what? Watch a movie? Make out? Discuss world politics? How bad can this be?”

“I'm breaking it off with her.”

“Oh.” The word formed on Marco's lips. His eyes wide in surprise. “Wait, are you sure?”

Any answer would have been accepted, except that. Marco eyed Alex curiously. Was he sure about this? Alex had worked his ass off  trying to impress this woman, he was going to let her go just like that?

“Yes.” Alex nodded, his eyes downcast. “It's not the right time, besides she really isn't that into it.”

“Then why not try to work it out?” Marco leaned against the center counter.

There were more ways around this than simply breaking it off. Alex Høgh Andersen didn't give up easily, so what gave?

“There's no sense. She isn't into it, she isn't into it. I jumped the gun and I guess what I wanted isn't as great as what I got. Dude, can't you see it? She still fucking loves him.” Alex groaned, his hands sliding down the sides of his face.

Fuck. He had been foolish. He should have left well enough alone and not even bothered.

“They have a kid together, of course she's going to love him.” What did Alex expect?  Marco felt that was pretty standard, especially if two people had a child together and were amicable.

“It's more than that,” Alex shrugged, he had made up his mind. He wanted out, while things were still clean. He would not be the reason holding somebody back. “I think he loves her, too. I am not being the guy who gets in the way of that.”

Scratching the bit of light stubble on his chin, Marco sniffed and pursed his lips - all things he did in thought, Alex waited for his friend to give him a pile of useless wisdom.

Alex had made up his mind, while visiting home. It wasn't a decision that he had come up with over night. The choice had taken time, one small step led to another, landing him here. Nell's feelings to Henry weren't the only deciding factor in this, though they had greatly helped.

“Is that what you're going to tell her? You're breaking up, because you don't want to stand in her way of fucking her ex -” Marco paused. “Is he her ex husband? No?”

“No, they were never married. She turned him down when he asked.”

“Poor Superman.” Marco shrugged it off. Returning to his original questions, “what are you going to tell her? She's going to want an answer.”

“Hadn't really thought about it.” Frowning, Alex knew Marco was right. Nell would want an answer.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Marco groaned. “You're shit at this. Do you need me to stay and hold your hand?”

“No, you can leave.” In no way did he need Marco there to hold his hand. “Are you and Gee still going for drinks?” he tried to change the subject.

“Yeah, though now I may see if Henry wants to come. Ask him whether or not he loves his ex. Hold off on breaking up, you may not need to.”

“Fuck you.”

“You're really not my type, I don't like blue eyes.” Marco laughed throwing the dish towel at Alex. “Seriously, think of what you're going to tell her. Make it good. Make it sincere. And if you need to cry about it, you know where your room is.”

“You are truly an asshole.” Alex threw the towel back.

Catching the flying dish towel, Marco smiled and laughed. “At least I have enough balls to try and keep what I want.”

“Really? This is how you choose to be supportive?”

“You're my best friend, I love you man, but you're in over your head and not thinking clearly. Do whatever you want, but remember that you don't have to come to an end all be all. She may have feelings for the father of her child, but what are the chances she's going to act on it? What are the chances he will act on it?”

When did Marco suddenly get so damn smart?

“Besides, from what our friend Google tells us, Superman has a girlfriend and he isn't the cheating kind.”

“You Googled him?”

“You didn't?”

“No. Why would I do that?”

“Uh, because you're dating, I used the term loosely, the mother of his child. It's good to know your opponent. He seems like a chill guy, but you may not have to worry about him wanting to throw her over his shoulder and...”

“I am going to stop you there.” Alex held up a finger, to indicate this was the end of that sentence. “When are you leaving to meet Gee?”

Glancing at the clock, Marco shrugged. “Another hour.”

“Good, then why don't you go shower. Jerk off. Do your hair. Whatever it is you need to do before going out. Nell will be here in a few minutes.”

“Sure, sure, get rid of me.” Marco held up his hands, retreating from the kitchen. “But talk to her, before you break it all off and blow this to hell.”

Biting his bottom lip, Alex winced, biting down a little too hard on the flesh. Running his tongue over the small bite mark, he took a moment to let Marco's findings sink in. Perhaps he should have asked Marco where, exactly, he had found these claims.

Was it Alex's business what Henry did?

If he looked, it was only because he cared for Nell. Alex wanted what was best for her, even if he did plan to break it off. She was a fantastic person, a huge heart, and didn't deserve to be embarrassed by him asking her about her ex's relationships.

Alex would sweep it under the rug, surely Nell would be privy to that type of information. Not knowing Henry well, Alex did know that Ivan was a high priority, by way of that so was Nell.

Fucking Marco getting into his head.

Almost time for Nell, checking the clock again, Alex did one last sweep to make sure the condo was tidy. Dinner was prepped, all they had to do was assemble the pizzas and bake. Dough was happily resting, waiting until they were ready to use it. Hawaiian pizza wasn't Alex's first choice, though it apparently paired well with Jameson. He'd even remembered to get anchovies, again not his first choice, though Nell swore by them on any pizza.

The things you did when you wanted to impress a woman.

All day and last night, Nell had spent a portion of time intermittently wondering what Alex wanted. He didn't sound like his usual happy to see her, puppy dog like self. His mood placid. A hint of melancholy in his tone as he'd spoke.  Conceivably she could be over reacting. She'd been tired when he'd called, she could have easily taken it in a way it wasn't meant to be.

No, there was an off feeling.

She'd felt it then and as she made her way to his place.

A knot in her gut tightened, growing closer to the condo. Alex was out of sorts and here she was, going into this with an intention of leaving unattached. Was she a horrible person, by not wanting to continue seeing him, all because she was moving?

In her head she reran every situation that she had deemed possible. Alex would possibly be upset, which she would reassure him it was all on her. Nothing to do with him, cliche, but honest.

What if he wanted to break it off with her? That one she liked. Getting a way out with no hard feelings, because they both wanted the same thing.

Then there was the part where they would have to work together, for a short while, before she moved. How awkward would that be? Did she drag this on, leading him to a dead end, allowing him to think things were fine between them only to break it off last minute?

Nell hated herself for all of these situations.

If he tried to talk her out of it, then she would have to be firm. No amount of reconsidering saw her leaving Dublin attached, especially not to Alex.

Mustering the courage, she rang the buzzer, the door unlocked and she was inside. A pause by the elevator, to collect herself. Walking in there with this cloud hanging over head would ruin the evening entirely. Touching up her lipstick and taking a calming breath, she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button. A forced smile on her face, walking down the short hall way to the door Nell told herself she was ready for whatever laid on the other side.

Inside Alex jumped when the buzzer had gone off. Closing his eyes, taking a deep breath, he did what he could to relax. Nell was at the front door at what felt like rocket speed. Lingering in the open door, Alex watched down the hall, catching sight of her. She looked relaxed – more than could be said for him.

“Hey.” He greeted her, a quick kiss on the cheek, allowing her to walk in ahead of him. “Glad you could make it.”

“Of course,” Nell returned the quick peck to the cheek. Wiping her lipstick off of his cheek, she smiled. “I'm sorry that I didn't get the first few calls, my damn phone was dead and I didn't think to charge it before I left.”

“No, no don't worry. It's all good,” Alex brushed it off, taking her bag and setting it on the stand beside the door. “Come on, sit. We have dinner to make and things to catch up on.”

The once cozy and welcoming space began to feel – frigid? No. Chaotic? No. Forced. Yes.

At the counter, Nell took a seat on one of the sleek bar stools. Alex had his back turned, busying himself with gathering all the things they would need to finish making their dinner. First things first, a drink. On the rocks for him and neat for Nell. Sliding her the glass of whiskey, he smiled and held up his glass.

“To coming together.” He shrugged, “and to Marco, because without him we wouldn't have dinner.”

“Coming together and to Marco.” Nell giggled softly, allowing Alex to nudge his glass against hers. Would it be rude to down this in one gulp?

“Did I hear my name?” Marco shouted from down the hall. Peeking around the corner, the black towel secured around his hips. Hair wet and trailing down his back, he skittered barefoot across the tile flooring to the kitchen. Holding his towel, just in case.

“I was telling her if she gets food poisoning, you made the dough.” Alex smirked, giving Marco a glass of the whiskey. It's what he was looking for, any how.

“Ah, well, I promise you will not die from my pizza dough.” Marco smirked, lifting his glass, “I will not promise that you won't get hooked though. Nell, this is the best, the very best pizza dough you will ever have. It's my mother's own recipe.”

“I will take your word for it.” Nell laughed, adverting her eyes, when Marco took the seat beside her, his towel perhaps not covering everything he wanted it to when he sat. “Have you been back long?”

“Nah, I got here yesterday.” Marco shook his head, the ends of his wet hair dripping on the floor. “How's your break been going? Do anything fun?”

Mid drink, Nell shook her head. Placing her nearly empty glass on the counter top, she answered. “I've got some work caught up around the house. Most of my downtime has been hanging out with Ivan and Henry. Nothing special.”

“Ah,” Marco gave Alex a look.

“So, uh, have you decided on that um.” Alex paused, taking a drink. Thinking better of his actions. “Sorry, it's not my business.”

“Oh, you mean the job?” Nell picked up on the tension in the question. “I was going to wait until we got settled here, but I've decided to take it.”

“What?”

“Hey! That's wonderful!” Marco raised his glass, along with his voice. “What job?”

“Henry wants to contract my work, for his new project. Possibly more to follow. I don't have all the details, yet.”

So Alex hadn't told Marco? Interesting, considering how those two were together all the time, sharing a brain some days. Nell gently wiggled her glass, Alex dutifully poured her more.

“Well, you're a fucking genius. If anyone can get the job done, it's you.” Marco complimented, gently patting Nell on the back. “So, if you are working with Henry, then Ivan must be thrilled.”

“He's beyond thrilled. He gets to live with his dad, what could be better?”

“You're moving in with Henry?” Alex's brow creased, his dinner forgotten. Dough spread on the pan, the production halting there.

“No, but Ivan is.”

“Huh, everybody wins.” Marco finished his drink, stepping down from the stool. “Henry's girlfriend is cool with his kid moving in? That is a good woman.”

Wide eyed, Alex wanted to strangle Marco. No, no why would he do this?

“Henry doesn't have a girlfriend,” Nell laughed, draining her glass and licking her lips. “He hasn't for two years.”

“I saw online, it said,” Marco scrambled to find his iPad. Sitting on the coffee table in the middle of the open living room.

“You shouldn't believe everything online.” Following Marco with her eyes, Nell was taking great amusement in this. Marco scrolled along, trying to find where he'd seen the photo.

“But it says,” Marco pointed to the screen, handing Alex the iPad to confirm what they were seeing, “right here. It's none of my business, but there is a photo.”

“Is it a photo of him with a woman in a red coat with black pants? All you can see is the back of her head?” Nell sighed, rubbing her hand over her forehead. “Look at the woman, take a close look. See anything you recognize?”

“Uh.” Alex squinted at the photo, trying to make sense of what Marco had just done.

This was a can of worms which he wished they could close and walk away from. Why was his best friend such a moron? Was this Marco's way of trying to suss out Nell's feelings?

“It was me.” Nell glanced at the photo  Alex handed over.  “And when you find the one about the weekend rendezvous, during the Durrell last year,” Nell smirked, “remember the lemur story?”  

“Lemur?” Marco scratched his chin.

“Never mind,” Alex shook his head at his roommate.

“So, he doesn't have a girlfriend?”

“No.” Nell laughed at the look on Marco's face. Confusion and embarrassment all wrapped into one adorable, chubby cheeked package. “So, Ivan moving in is not a problem. The woman in the photo, is fine with it. It was her idea.” she winked.

“Okay, well. Now I feel foolish. Apologies.” Marco took his iPad, bowing out of this conversation. Patting Alex on the shoulder, as he went. His friend may want to worry about those feelings, after all.  “You two crazy kids have a good night. I need to get dressed, Gee is going to be waiting.”

Smooth exit.

At the counter, his cheeks red, and his courage waning, Alex didn't know what to do next. Busying his hands making dinner, he felt like a fool. A deer in the headlights, waiting for the truck to pound over him, leaving him a mess in the road.

Shifting on her stool, Nell sat quietly tracing the rim of her glass with her finger tip. The glitter on the tips of her light gray nails catching the light with the movement, sparkling at Alex like tiny a tiny mocking jury. A quick shout broke the silence, along with a door thudding close, gave way to Marco marking his exit. Neither person in the kitchen moved, outside of their previous task.

A stark contrast to how things had been prior to Alex's departure.

He'd liked the way Nell would stand along side of him, her fingers threading in his hair, while he tired to do a task. Or the way she would lean against him, watching him cook. Her head on his back, resting comfortably while they laughed and chatted. Alex frowned, spreading cheese on the pizza, he should have kept his agitation in check.

“How are your parents and sister?” Nell broke the silence, tapping her fingers on the counter top.

“They're well. Busy. It was nice to see them.” Alex masked his emotions, forcing a smile. In the pit of his stomach, he knew that Nell knew, something was off. “I was sad they called me to come back early, but that's work.”

“Hmm,” Nell hummed. “But you'll get to see them, soon.”

“I suppose.” Alex nodded, pausing to make the next selection of toppings. “Ham or onion next?”

“Whatever you want, I'm not fussy.” Nell forced her own smile. “I see you got anchovies. Brave of you, to try.”

“I'll try any food once,”

“That's the spirit. You know, yesterday, Ivan almost made me gag. I've never met anybody who eats wasabi like my kid.” She feigned a gagging motion. “My kid's taste buds are broken.”

“Did you ask him why? Oh god, I couldn't imagine that.” Alex laughed at the thought of Ivan shoveling in the green paste.

“He said he likes it.”

“You can't get him to eat cake, but he eats wasabi.” Alex laughed at Nell's facial expressions. Cake was one of the most disgusting textures, according to Nell. A muffin was fine, so long as it wasn't fluffy and crumbly like a cake. One trait to tick in the Nell box, Ivan was the same way. Clearly not getting Henry's indulgence.

“We're currently trying to sort out who his real parents are,” the joke made Alex smile. “Seriously, I don't know why. I guess we all have weird things we like.”

“Weird, yes.” Alex agreed. Putting the thin sliced ham on top of the onions, pizzas were almost ready for the oven. “I don't have words for you guys and your food preferences.” Pulling open the oven door, Alex retrieved a pan from the counter. In went the first part of dinner. Wiping his hands on a towel, he stood opposite of Nell. Another drink of whiskey, he licked his lips. “So, did you spend a lot of time with Ivan and Henry?”

Nell sipped her drink, eyes narrowing. Was that a hint of jealousy she detected? No, surely Alex wouldn't be that petty.

“I spent a bit of time with them, yeah. Yesterday we did some museums and had dinner.” She clarified. “Last week Henry let Ivan have a sleepover. He got to meet Christina.”

Wide eyed, Alex snorted. The woman was infamous.

“And?”

“Jordan has competition. But, I think she'd forget about him, if she saw Henry with his full beard. That thing is a life of it's own.” Nell snorted in laughter.

Rubbing his cheeks, Alex went along with it. A devilish smirk crossing his smooth features. “I think beards are overrated, who needs a face rug, when you have a jaw like this.” He tilted his head for maximum effect.

“You've got a point there,” Nell winked. “Some guys do fine without the help of a beard.”

If they were in a romantic comedy, this would be the scene here the pizza would be forgotten. Favouring other activities over eating. Since this wasn't a romance dictated by screenwriters, things didn't a drastic turn and dinner made it out of the oven on time. Amid small chatter and no real conversation. The quiet was deafening and welcoming. Less spoken the better.

Despite having Marco do the hard part, Alex was proud oh himself for being able to assemble and cook such a glorious master piece. Hot, cheesy, and the right amount of salty and sweet. It was perfect. Alex would have made a joke about how he too was hot, cheesy, salty and sweet – wisely he went against the idea.

“Dinner is served.” He proudly announced, setting two plates on the counter, the pizza in the middle.

“Compliments to the chef, and his dough maker.” Nell smiled for the first time in nearly half an hour.

Cold wasn't her intentions.

Alex hadn't been all that chatty himself, despite having come up with a great deal of the conversation.

The end was nigh.

Dramatic. A touch.

“This is good,” Nell complimented.

The shift in the room once Marco had left wasn't unnoticed. A few brief moments of warmth and they were back to being strangers. Talking out of politeness and necessity.

“It's really good.” Alex nodded in agreement. What he wouldn't give to rewind this evening. To rewind the last few months.

“So, when do you go back to shoot?”

“Uh, two days.” Alex wiped the cheese and sauce that had dropped on his chin. “Are you back with us?”

Nell shook her head, trying to avoid wearing the dripping sauce. “Celine and Rayna will be. I won't be back for a few days.”

“Going to be different being the big shot, huh?”

“I guess.” Nell shrugged, picking a piece of ham from the edge of her crust to savour. Making a joke, “Not sure how much power Henry will let me wield.”

“I'm sure you'll do great.”

“Thank you, I hope so.” Sighing, Nell gently pushed a stray piece of onion around her plate. “I mean, I don't think I would be agreeing if I didn't think I could do some justice.”

“Are you going to miss Ireland?”

“I will, Ivan definitely will.” There was no need to reexplain that that moving with Henry would be good for him; Alex got that the first time around.

"Hypothetically, after you leave where do we go?" Alex sat with his elbows resting on the counter top.

He hated this part. This was the part where two people attempted to decide fate. Did you engage in a long distance relationship? Did you give up now? Maybe they would decide to keep it casual. Seeing each other when they could until one day they realized they were never meant to be.

"Do we continue or was this a fun while it lasted?"

"Would you hate me if I say that I think it's best if we didn't follow through?" She thought it would be cut and dry. End it and move on. Reaching for a napkin, she tugged at the corners.

"I would never hate you." Alex rubbed his chin in thought.

Clasping her hand in her lap, Nell sat straight, her gaze passing Alex but never landing on him. Inhaling deeply, she slowly let the air out of her lungs. This had to be done. Rip the bandage off fast, though it would sting the hurt would be brief.

“Alex, you're lovely.”

"I understand, I get it. You don't have to bother giving me an excuse."

"And what excuse is that?" Nell huffed.

Alex sighed, staring at the half eaten pizza on his plate as if it would give him some sort of wisdom. He was foolish to let it go this far. Anyone could look at them and see it. Playing with the cigarette package on the counter, he traced his fingers along the dimpled lettering.

"Henry. It's obvious the two of you have something."

"Ivan, we have Ivan."

"Right and I think, despite what you tell me, you love him. I think you always have."

“Bold of you to assume such things.”

“Is it?”

“He's my son's father. Yes, there are some feelings.  We're still friends and he is an important part of my life. Yes, there have been times when I lost all judgment and we've had sex. Only twice, but it happened.” Why was she telling him all of this? None of this was his business. “If somebody can't accept that Henry is around, then that is not my problem. What else do you want me to say?”

“No, it's fine. I get it. I'm not exactly committed and this is only casual. Right? Just a bit of fun, while it lasted.”

@shannygoatgruff​ @funmadnessandbadassvikings​ @kawennote09​ @smutgoblin​  @nickysurfer28​ @igetcarriedawaywithyou​ @lif3snotouttogetyou​@akamaiden​ @angelaiswriting​ @peaceisadirtyword​ @titty-teetee​ @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly​ @ilvebeenabad​ @naaladareia​ @tephi101​ @sdcyumyum​ @unacceptabletatertots​ @imgoldielikehawn​  @smolasianwinterbean​  @capitanostella​  @bloodyivar​   @normanallthewayforever​   @blackcoffeeandgreenteaforme​  @imyourliquor-youremypoison​ @nikky-the-writer​   @seremedyxiii​ @laketaj24​  @deleteidentity​ @tornupandbored​  @hoeghfabulous​  @ateliefloresdaprimavera​ @mydarlingwhim​   @kenzieam​   @captstefanbrandt​ @jar-of-love​ @angelswannawearmyredshooz​ @manuugxlvis​   @lostinmythoughs​  @ivars-snowflake​   @lisinfleur​  @nothingeverdies​ @fumblingthroughchaos​ @pebblesz892​  @nelson-and-murdock​   @bluearchersstuff​  @itsspecial-itsnotforeveryone​  @ivarlothbroks​ @badassbaker​ @cris101071​ @fucktrucks​ @ohjules​  @angelic-kisses13​ @marthasantos95​  @hows-my-hair​ @omgshuddupmeg​ @moviegirl50​ @havenoffandoms​ @gearhead66​ @happydaysandersen​ @rekdreams-fandom​ @lovemylife2618  @mrsadrianraines​ @supernaturalvikingwhore​ @heavenly1927​ @zoe-rachel-crisp​ @blogandreea11 @shileen91​ @geekandbooknerd​ @mzliterarydreamer​ @youbloodymadgenius​ @ainatirb-j​ @carlya65​ @sawendel​ @sinflowersugar​ @magic-and-the-macabre​ @artemiseamoon​ @vicmackeybullshxt​ @flowerthug​ @henchry​  @littlefreya​ @mitzwinchester​ @lostinthoughtsandfeelings​ @h-e-a-v-y-l-e-a-t-h-e-r​ @dogshemp​  @mytbel0st​ @peakygroupie​ @magdelen69​ @s-ravenall​  @viking-raider​ @sciapod​ @intototaloblivion​ @hcfavoritegal​ @didiintheblog​ @daniig95​ @badwolf-in-the-impala​ @mariahill2001​ @charlieferret​ @michelle-1185​ @henryfanfics101​ @agniavateira​ @oqueequesentes-borboletas​ @mis-lil-red​ @anndreaae​ @dearlybelovedluke​ @p3nny4urth0ught5​ @tinychemicals​ @mary-ann84​ @townmoondaltwistle​ @buckysgoldenheart​ @thethirstyarchive​ @meowpurrbooks​  @hell1129-blog​ @onceiwasanun​ @vikingsbifrost​ @comboboo​ @onlyhenrys​ @obsessedwithcavill​ @hnryycvll​ @lebguardians​​ @newfanhasenteredthechat​​ @leilabeaux​

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#henry cavill #alex høgh andersen #henry cavill fanfiction #alex høgh andersen fanfiction #henry Cavill x ofc #alex høgh andersen x ofc #unraveling at the seams #marco ilsø

[incomingalbatross]

Psych, Shaun and Juliet!

Hmm!

So... I don't think Shawn is much of an internet guy, honestly. My impression is that he browses for information (useful and otherwise) quite a bit, but he much prefers his social life to be IRL, face-to-face interaction, even if it's casual.

So, because of that--and because you'd probably have to move them around in time ANYWAY--I think I would probably do this by putting twenty-something Shawn and Jules in the present. As in, during quarantine.

Quarantined Shawn is, unsurprisingly, going out of his mind with cabin fever. He's in some random town in the US, where he was only planning to stay for a couple weeks but surprise! Now he's in his small, probably-not-quite-legal rental for the duration. He does get a grocery store job, which gives him something to live on and something to do, but it's not exactly fun work and the lack of recreational activity/interaction is seriously messing with him.

HOWEVER, it's 2020 and that means there are at least a lot of options for long-distance hanging out with Gus.

This means that, before too long, Gus talks him into ordering a Switch so he can see Gus's Animal Crossing island

(I know NOTHING about AC except all the Tumblr content, but that's enough to know it's exactly the kind of thing Shawn and Gus would get sucked into)

Shawn makes his own Pineapple Island, full of custom pop-culture stuff and MANY pineapples, and quickly becomes very engrossed in making it the Best Island Possible, because he has nothing else to focus on! This involves finding ways to make trades with other players

Enter Juliet (FINALLY) who is ALSO under quarantine stress in Miami and using AC to escape

Shawn tries to get the best of her in a deal

He does not succeed

Impressed by this, Shawn stays in contact with her and makes a better second impression. They "visit" back and forth

Jules's island is VERY cute, but she's also ruthless in running it the way she likes it

At some point they have a disagreement over something trivial, and Jules challenges Shawn to single combat

Shawn: "...I hate to break it to you, but this game doesn't have a combat mode?"

Jules: "There are other games."

She ALSO plays first-person-shooters, as it happens, and they end up arranging to meet in one and go head-to-head

Shawn is not a gamer, but he gets on early and figures out the mechanics, and he's a quick study with an excellent grasp of tactics

Jules wipes the floor with him

She is EXPERIENCED. She's a MUCH higher level than him, and has the skills to back it up

But what Shawn does get out of this is the realization that the challenge and adrenaline of FPS are also fun, and he starts playing with her there too

...Now they have voice chat

As one of them is Shawn, they talk a lot. This is where they really become friends, though they still don't know a lot of IRL Facts about each other. At some point Jules starts joining him and Gus sometimes when they're streaming cartoons together

BUT. Sometimes in the heat of virtual combat, Jules starts slipping into cop lingo. And Shawn responds automatically, because he knows this stuff, and since he's not always sure what's common knowledge and what isn't it takes a while to make him wonder about Jules

But eventually he asks where she learned it, and she goes "...I don't really tell people this often, online, but. Yeah. I'm a police officer"

And Shawn doesn't let his reaction show over the mic (just says, when she returns the question, that "my dad was a cop" in a closed-off sort of tone), but after they part ways he sits there, in his tiny apartment, with all his Henry Issues rushing forward, thinking I've fallen for a COP

"HOW COULD THE UNIVERSE DO THIS TO ME, GUS"

He decides he can live with it, though. He doesn't actually dislike the police as a whole, and he can be a supportive friend at least, right?

At some point he finds out she was getting ready for her detective's exam when quarantine started, and he goes "Oh, I could help you study, I took that when I was 16"

He DOES help, but this also leads to Shawn's Cop Skills being revealed to her

Somewhere in here, I think, they have a late-night conversation about Jules's dad and why she's a cop, and Shawn's dad and why he's not a cop

Fun Fact: I'm pretty sure at this point in canon Jules and Henry BOTH live in Miami

If not, well, it's already an AU 🤷

At some point Shawn finds out she lives in Miami

"...If you ever get a call about a cantankerous old coot named Henry Spencer," he says a couple hours after that, "let me know how he's handling this? Because Gus says he says he's fine, but he's probably going crazy alone without anyone else's rule-breaking to disapprove of. *chuckle* He's probably reduced to yelling at the TV."

So... Jules looks up the name, and finds Henry's called in some tips to the Miami PD over time (he IS a Spencer), though not recently

And

Here's the thing

Jules WANTS to respect her friend's privacy, and his obviously-superior knowledge of his own relationships... But she is a bit of a Meddler. And she ALSO wants Shawn to be able to have a better relationship with his dad, even if it's just the level of HER not-close-but-amicable parallel

And she's heard enough frustration and hurt and occasional wistfulness in his voice to think that, on some level, he really wants that too

So she makes up a reason to meet Henry Spencer, at six feet apart--something police-related, I don't know, maybe just driving through the neighborhood "checking up on people"

And... He's nice. Since he's also starved for human company, it's easy to get your conversation, and he has a lot of good advice to give her as a young officer.

He says he'd offer her cookies if it weren't for the contagion issues (Henry would be a quarantine baker, this is just a fact)

Jules knows that "likeable" and "good parent" don't have to corolate, of course, but she's surprised by how much she likes him

And then "loved ones currently out of reach" come up, because Quarantine Topics

Henry goes on a bit of a rant about his son who's who-knows-where, allergic to authority, and has ZERO sense of self-preservation. "His friend SAYS he's fine, but it's hard to imagine him keeping quarantine, you know? If he is, he's probably bored out of his mind..."

It's not hard to get Henry talking about Shawn

There's bitterness and disapproval there, and stuff Jules disagrees with... But there's pride, too, and fondness, and worry

She leaves sure of two things: A) she still wants him and Shawn to make up, and B) she's going to have to tell Shawn about this, because it feels wrong to keep it a secret

(Shawn is angry, but eventually she gets him to understand that her only real desire here is for him to be okay and not have to carry this hurt around)

(and he's also invested in hearing what she can tell him about his dad)

(so he's okay with her going back)

I'm not sure how things develop here, exactly, but Jules gets closer to Henry and Shawn over time (and Gus! Gus is helpful to this project, as well, though he doesn't want to take sides AT ALL)

I think Jules just ends up being in the right place, at the right time, to be a bridge between them

Eventually Henry and Shawn get in direct contact for the first time in years. It's still difficult, but Jules sets up some weekly game thing for the four of them, and just spending time together helps

Also! Jules has been talking about hard cases with Shawn for a while, but now they come up in the group as well. Watching BOTH the Spencer men solve something together is very impressive...

And at some point they start playing a puzzle game together, just the two of them. They fight, of course, but when the intellectual thrill outweighs their bad blood and they get on the same page, it's... Something to watch. And eventually this teamwork becomes a more consistent thing, and they can beat Gus and Jules at certain types of games, now, as a team

(Also, Words With Friends. Henry is very offended by all the "words" this game allows, which delights Shawn immensely)

Anyway this is why, when the quarantine lifts, the first place Shawn goes will be Miami

He'll see his dad, of course, but first he'll wait outside the Miami precinct for a certain Detective O'Hara (whose name and face he knows by now, of course)

"Excuse me, miss, would you like to see my island?"

"Shawn!"

And then he asks her out.

Jules... Likes him. She knows that. But she tells him she can't do an on-again, off-again thing with him, and if he doesn't know where he's going to be in a year, or five years, or if he'll ever settle anywhere...

He tells her he's actually been thinking, with everything that's happened recently, about being a detective for real. He can't be a cop, but he can be a PI... Not without Gus, though, which means moving home and setting up shop in Santa Barbara. "I do want this to be a real thing, Jules, you and me. It would have to be long-distance, at least for now, but..."

She dimples suddenly, looking up at him. "I think we've proven we can do long-distance, Shawn."

#THERE we go #psych #shules #Shawn Spencer #juliet o'hara #Henry Spencer #ask games #covid mention #quarantine cw #why bless your heart #thank you for this! #it hit just the right spot of Late-Night Creativity last night to get LONG so... #have an entire outline! :P #hopefully this works now #long post #(might add a readmore later)

[flowerspecial]

Enemy To Lover - High School Edition - Part 3

JB

You and JB really tried your hardest to become friends. Even since that night at the party, you both decided to just call a truce. Maybe it was best if you just tried to get on, you didn't have to be friends, at the least everyone just wanted you two to be amicable. Something changed along the way however, not that you can say you minded. Because you two were no longer at each other’s throats, you actually started to find things that you liked about JB. His little comments here and there were no longer annoying like they once were, but they were actually quite amusing. You found yourself laughing alongside him more times than you would care to admit. You started to understand that just because he wasn't talking, it didn't mean that he didn't care or wasn't listening. Staying silent was just JB’s way of processing information. You actually found it quite cute. JB actually started to like your loudness, he appreciated that you always seem enthusiastic about everything. And a positive quality of yours that he had never noticed before was your need to keep everyone included. He would watch you trying to encourage other people to take part in the conversation, shutting other people up if needs be. He also noticed that sometimes you spoke for people, not because you didn't want them to speak, but because you could see that they were uncomfortable. Sometimes that person was JB, not that he wanted to admit that. You two actually complimented each other really well, and the more you became amicable, the more you two realised that you actually liked a lot about the other person. It would be you who takes the wheel and asks to go on a date. Once you realised that you liked JB, you couldn't be bothered about waiting around, you needed an answer there and then. Thankfully, JB felt the same way.

Mark

You arrived to class early the next day, and you sat in your usual seat which was next to Mark. When Mark showed up, he struggled to not show his shock to see you sitting there. “Why are you sitting here? I would have thought that you would have asked the teacher to move you by now?” “I was wrong about you Mark. I was too quick to listen to the rumours when instead I should have ignored them and decide for myself what I think about you. I’m sorry.” Mark didn't say anything back, but he smiled at you. From that moment on, you would notice very subtle changes in Mark. He would actually do his homework, which shocked you very much. He would also pay attention in class, instead of using that time to catch up on sleep. These changes were not only apparent to you, but to the rest of the school. Mark’s reputation somehow managed to get even more well known. With every good change he was making, there was always a rumour about the bad explanations for his action following behind. Girls seemed to be even more obsessed with him, which annoyed you a lot. You didn't know why it annoyed you, but it did nonetheless. Meanwhile, Mark was getting frustrated because he didn't know how much more obvious he had to make it that he was interested in you. He gave up his bloody sleep for you, how have you not noticed that?! Mark would choose to take matters into his own hands, well that seems like the only bloody way he is going to get you to notice. During class, you and Mark would be working hard to write down everything the teacher is saying. You'd notice that Mark seems a bit antsy but you wouldn't think much of it. At the end of the class, Mark would straight up just ask you, “do you want to go on a date with me? I thought I had made it obvious that I like you but obviously not.”

Jackson

On the night of your prom, you stayed true to your word and stayed at home. Since your little (rather big) spat with Jackson, all of your friends had tried to convince you to come anyway. They kept telling you that you couldn't let Jackson be the reason that you are going to miss out on an amazing evening with your friends. But honestly you were just over it at this point. You didn't want to give Jackson the satisfaction that he had really hurt you, however you also didn't want to be the only one in your group without a date. You had to admit that you were pretty lonely throughout the day of the prom. All of your friends had decided that they would get ready together, it's more fun that way. They had asked you to come along anyway, but you couldn't face it. You knew deep down that you would regret not going and would probably change your mind. So while everyone was getting ready, you were at home doing homework. You're already sad you may as well wallow in it a bit more. You were home alone so you were surprised when you heard the doorbell ring. You looked out of your window to see Jackson standing outside your house. “What the hell are you doing here?!” You shouted at him. “If you aren't going to prom, I guess I am gonna have to spend the night with you here.” “And why would I want to spend my time with you?” “Because you want to see me grovel and apologise for every nasty thing I have ever said to you? And maybe because I will buy you food?” Who were you to pass up free food? So you decided to let Jackson in. You didn't do anything particularly amazing, he helped you with your homework and you ate all the takeout food you could handle. But somewhere along the night, both of you let down your walls, and it turns out that the other person isn't that bad after all.

Jinyoung

You actually tried so hard to ignore Jinyoung after he found you like that. You hated showing anyone that you had a weakness, and the fact that it was Jinyoung who saw you in your vulnerable moment killed you inside. Jinyoung however was not having that one little bit. He would convince people in your class to swap seats with him so he can sit near you. He would find your school email and send you all of his notes, telling you to ask him if you need anything explaining. On your desk will always be a piece of fruit, or a chocolate bar, and you know that it came from Jinyoung. On the day of the exam, you arrived at school early in the hope that you could use that time to steady your nerves. Jinyoung seemingly had the same idea as you, as you saw him sitting in the library. “Hey! Come sit with me!” Jinyoung said when he noticed you. You couldn't outright ignore him, that would be rude. You sat down next to him and Jinyoung rummaged through his bag to find something. “Here, eat this. You don't want to be hungry during an exam.” “Thank you.” “Did you manage to look through my notes? I know that for most things you probably didn't need them but I thought it would be nice to share them with you in case you had any grey areas.” “Why did you do that for me?” “Because you are so smart and talented, and I hate seeing you beat yourself up like this. The only person that is stopping you from achieving great things is you.” Jinyoung walked you over to the exam hall, and just before you two went in he told you to wait for him afterwards. After the exam, Jinyoung suggested that you two should go get something to eat, you definitely deserved it! Jinyoung was actually very charming, and he seemed sincere with his kind words. You thought to yourself while you sat across from him, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if you got a study partner, would it?

Youngjae

You really thought that Youngjae would listen to those people who tried to warn him away from you. But honestly it seemed like Youngjae did not care less what other people had to say, and you found that very refreshing, so you were grateful. Youngjae somehow managed to convince you to give him your number. “It's just in case I have any questions about our assignment. You said that you needed to stabilise your grade, I want you to do well.” Well, Youngjae was now messaging you all the bloody time. Every time that you would look at your phone, you would see a message from Youngjae waiting. You couldn't mind too much, Youngjae was staying very true to his word. Every message was something different to do with the assignment. He would ask you for recommendations on a book, or ask you to proofread what he has written so far. During school years, you expected that he would just ignore you like everyone else does. However, Youngjae would always walk up to you while you are in the hall, trying to talk to you about anything and everything. When anyone tried to tell him that maybe he should leave you alone, Youngjae would surprise you by telling them to shut up and leave you two alone. He would even wait for you at lunch so you two could sit next to each other, it actually became a little routine of his. Somewhere along the line, you started to develop feelings for Youngjae, it was hard not to when this boy was just so sweet to you. But obviously you were worried that he didn't feel the same way, maybe he was just being kind? Youngjae would surprise you however, when you two finished your assignments, and supposedly were meant to go your own way, Youngjae would straight up ask you to go on a date with him.

Bambam

True to his word, Bambam and his little group did stay away from you, for the most part anyway. For a while you managed to have a relatively easy time at school, the teasing stopped and felt like you could actually breathe for the first time in a while. But all good things must come to an end as they say. You would be packing your books away in your locker and you would hear someone cough. You would close the locker to see Bambam leaning on the locker next to you. Instantly you would look around to see if any of his group are near you. “Don't worry, I am on my own.” Bambam noticed your frantic looking around. “Why are you here?” “I’m here to give you this back.” Bambam handed you an envelope and you didn't need x ray goggles to know what was inside. “I don't want that, keep it.” “I know how hard you must have worked for this, please, I really don't need this money. You can use it to get some things for school.” “I know you think that you are being kind, but do you not get how it can hurt someone when you try to give them their money back?” Bambam would look at you as if the penny had finally dropped for him. He wouldn't really know what to say and you would try to walk away from him, but Bambam would grab onto your shoulder. “How about I spend it on a date then?” “Oh what, so you can feel less guilty now that you've shown the scholarship kid the finer things in life?” “No! God no! You aren't getting it...I like you okay? I didn't realise that it would be so hard trying to ask you on a date. I don't care if we are so different, can't I just like you for you?” It's understandable that you would be shocked with Bambam’s outburst, it seemed very out of the blue. But you could tell that he was trying to be sincere. “Okay...let's go on a date. But I get to choose where we will go.”

Yugyeom

You were a bit conflicted at the moment, you were really trying to stay the hell away from Yugyeom, this boy was nothing but bad news. But he was determined to be in that bloody music room every time you were also in there. He repeatedly played the same piece of music you were playing previously, and he continuously made the same mistake. You really did not want to help him, this boy has made your life at school an absolute misery. But you can't pretend that it doesn't infuriate you every time he makes the same mistake. Boo it really isn't that hard, why are you still doing the wrong thing? Eventually the perfectionist in you would snap, “right, I am going to show you one time the correct way to play this piece. Then when you have finally got it, will you please leave the music room and me in peace?” Yugyeom shuffled over slightly so you could sit next to him, you played the music perfectly and once you were done you looked at him. “Now it's your turn, and I swear to God if you get it wrong again you need to just give up with it.” This time Yugyeom played the piece perfectly, but instead of finishing the piece where you did, he carried on playing until the very end. “If you can play the whole piece, why did you keep getting that section wrong?” “Oh, because I wanted an excuse to talk to you…” “Are you actually serious right now?” “Yeah, I’m really sorry about the way I have treated you. You were right, I didn't realise how my actions could affect someone so badly, and that was wrong of me. If you would let me, I would like to practice some more with you, maybe at a regular time? I think you are really talented, and I would love to get to know you some more.” “I guess we can work on one more piece… I am kinda intrigued to see how well you actually play.”

#got7 #got7 imagines #got7 reactions #got7 scenarios #got7 blurbs #got7 imagine

[fuwafuwamedb]

Creating Cu Space (Rin Tohsaka, Cu Chulainn Collective, Medb)

“Medb, you know Cu Chulainn pretty well, don’t you?”

“I do,” the woman drawled, sitting on her bed, working on fixing a base coat that was on her toenails. The two of them had gone into her room for some alone time since, after all, somehow Rin had found herself summoning the woman before any other servant.

The great queen of Connacht had taken her under her wing, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and declaring herself the most powerful of servants. The fluffy coat had been a bit much, but they’d swapped that out with her ascension to full power, even going into something a little more risqué as Medb had gone off for a summer to tease Gudako a little.

It’d been fun to watch her create a prison and build a Connacht. Rin had found herself laughing and going along with it. Who wouldn’t want to be a queen, after all?

The woman looked up, pausing and stretching her legs out across the expanse of the bed.

“What’s on your mind, little princess?”

“I um… Well, you know Prototype Cu Chulainn and Cu Alter are my servants as well.”

The woman smiled. “I’m aware.”

“I can’t get either of them to spend much time with me for bonding purposes. I need to be able to utilize them properly in fights and Gudako has such an easier time.”

More than that though, she’d just summoned Cu Lancer the night before alongside Cu Caster. She was in four Cu Chulainns and she didn’t know how to both tell Medb that she was a Cu magnet nor how to handle training all four of them.

Medb would be reacting strongly to the additions to their support squad for Gudako too. She already climbed all over Cu Alter during events.

“Well,” Medb glanced at her painted nails, humming a bit. “You could always try to create an environment where he feels most comfortable. He was called the hound of Chulainn, after all.”

An environment for Cu Chulainn?

“...think about it. Dog kennels. Chainlink fences. Some muzzles and bindings. You could get something strong like that clay fellow that Master Hakuno has. I tried getting access to them before and they were tempted to give me the chains, but then that bastard avenger was climbing through my sewers and- I don’t know if you’ve ever dealt with him- but that count literally slips through chains like a well-oiled herring…”

If she wanted an environment for Cu, the best situation was to create a room with a watering hole. Get some sunlamps in the room, a fan to blow a nice breeze or maybe some mood coloring to the light so that it’ll look like a nice sunrise or sunset…

“That’s not a bad idea,” Rin murmured.

“Ah! You’re such a smart master!” Medb praised. “Look at you! Give me your nails. I need to test a color- I mean- I’ll paint your toenails for you.”

It took a few days.

The Cu Chulainns were bickering amongst one another, creating a fresh kind of hell as Rin tried to corral them with Medb’s help. It felt like every step forward she made, Medb and her would end up with the group somehow ending up in an all out brawl against one another.

Caster complained about Gae Bolgs.

Alter complained about pleasantries and manners.

Prototype complained about her smoking policy.

And then lancer?

Everything.

“OI OI!” Lancer glared at Medb, leaning down to glare into the woman’s face. “Why the hell did I need to be in your volleyball game?! I told you I don’t care about whether you win or lose!”

“I WAS SUPPOSED TO WIN, YOU SUNBURNT GOBDAW!”

“AGAIN! I DON’T EVEN LIKE YOU, WOMAN! WHY WOULD I BOTHER-“

“MASTER WAS RELYING ON ME! YOU FAILED NOT ONLY ME BUT ALSO RIN! HOW DARE YOU FAIL US BOTH!”

Rin paused, holding her clipboard of expenses in hand as she looked between the two summer dressed servants.

“OI! RIN!” Lancer glared over at her. “TELL THIS WOMAN SHE’S BEIN’ STUPID!”

“What’s going on?”

Medb laughed at her question, brushing back her tied up- was that her typical hairstyle? Why was Medb-

“My sweet princess,” Medb purred, walking over proudly. “I changed my class temporarily to a saber for the summer and was celebrating the vacation time with Gudako and her group when this gobdaw decided to ruin my defending your grace and strength. I think he needs to be refused mana for a while.”

“OI! DON’T MAKE SHIT UP! YOU WERE CAUSIN’ SHIT FOR THOSE OTHER CHALDEANS!”

Medb huffed, brushing a hand through her hair. The smug smile she gave said she’d probably caused a lot of trouble.

Nevermind that though.

“Medb, why don’t you go have some ice cream since you’re back. I have some from home that’s in my mini freezer,” Rin offered.

“Ah, what an angel! My sweet baby,” Medb pressed against her, hugging her tightly as she glanced back at Cu. “Rin’s practically family to me, Cu. Like my child.”

The man gagged.

“What a jealous mutt,” Medb murmured, heading out of the room.

“Rin, you know that-“

“Cu,” Rin cut him off, motioning him to come over. “Can you gather your other selves over? I um… I need to talk to you all.”

The man frowned, pulling out his phone and sending a quick message out.

“Thanks.”

“I don’t like this, Rin.”

“It’ll all work out in the end. You know I always have the perfect plan in mind,” she reminded him.

“Uh huh. That’s why the Chaldeans won’t let you near the computers, right?”

Damn.

She threw him a look for that, but the others were running full-strength to her side now.

“Master,” alter growled. “If this is about the destruction in Medb’s room-“

“The spells can be explained on your walls,” Caster threw out.

“I did drink the liquor,” Proto told her bluntly.

The other three glared at him, earning a shrug.

“Honesty helps?”

Alter and Caster smacked him, leaving her to sigh.

“Guys,” Rin addressed. “Come with me.”

She led them through her section of Chaldea, towards the very edge of the building. It took time since she had needed to save up the QP she’d earned and negotiate the room with Gudako. She’d merged some of her requests with Hakuno’s own, building up the result until it could be possible.

She paused at the double doors, looking back to see the four Cu Chulainns looking as pale as paper.

“…Look uh,” Lancer scratched at the back of his neck a bit, stepping forward. “I know you and Medb have a bond of sorts goin’ on, but the woman’s a scoundrel. She ain’t some kind and strong Celt like you think. She threw a war just because of some cattle and she sold her daughter and caused her death. She’s-“

“This isn’t about Medb.”

Caster shook his head, eyeing the thick doors carefully before he looked to her. “Look, Rin. We can work this out. Whatever you’ve got in mind… We’re amicable. You wanna learn runes? You and I could work one on one with them.”

The others elbowed the man before Rin shook her head.

“We can do that later. First, I need you guys in here-“

Alter stepped forward, grabbing her shoulders.

“You aren’t burning me. I’m the only thing that stands between you and chaos.”

Burnin-

“What in God’s name are you talking about? I’m not burning you!”

She looked to the others, noting the sighs of relief.

“GUYS!”

Medb was right about them being dumbasses.

“I made you a space, you idiots!” Rin pushed the doors open, showing off the garden space with it’s five story high space and its expansive space. The ceiling and one wall were entirely made of glass, the other side showing the rough mountainside that they had built the room right into.

More importantly-

“I made a fishing area over there,” Rin told them, motioning to the selection of rods and tackle boxes. “I figured it would give us the chance to spend time together for once like I normally do with Medb. Why the hell would I burn any of you?”

The group hauled her up, carrying her over to the waters and looking into the waters to see the large schools of fish.

“Damn,” Caster rubbed his hands together. “Someone grab me one of the fishing poles. Let’s do this.”

The others nodded before Rin watched Alter run along the short dock. His body soared in the air a moment before he splashed into the water.

“OI!” The others all but dropped her into Proto’s arms. “DON’T SCARE THE FISH!”

“Alone at last,” Proto purred. “Looks like you’re falling for me. Literally.”

“Proto-“ The man held her close, shushing her softly. “PROTO!”

“Just a moment. I need the good luck you give. I’ve got a cute good luck charm in ya, Rin.”

“Y-you jerk! Stop teasing me!”

She’d never get these guys to work with her at this rate. Two were already yelling at a third for ruining the fishing time by swimming through and chomping on a large cod.

And then there was Proto.

Maybe Medb would have other ideas.

#drabble #drabbles