#link is a grumpy lunch lady

[spin-that-wheel]

#rhett and link #rhett mclaughlin #link neal #gmm 525 #link is a grumpy lunch lady #tiny rhett gang #wheel of mythicality

[astra-ella]

𝐙𝐎𝐄𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

fandom: haikyuu ship: nishinoya yuu x oc/reader status: complete ao3 link

"I think you're really pretty. Will you go out with me?" That was the first thing he's ever said to her. And needless to say, Amari Chiyo was not impressed. So as promised, Nishinoya Yuu will get to know her better and confess again. And again. And again. And again. It'll take 6 years and 9 confessions, but he'll get there. Eventually.

⌦ content: fluff, light angst, love at first sight, friends to lover, slice of life

⌦ note: you are free to insert yourself into Chiyo, just keep in mind she has her own character/backstory. i know some people don't like that, so just a heads-up.

story masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

The fifth time he confessed was a little less than a year later — a few months into their first year of high school.

After a few grueling months of study sessions and a little bit of luck, Nishinoya barely managed to scrape by on the entrance exams. They went to the results board together on that cold winter day, along with Hotaru and Kaito. Neither of the kids were surprised to see Chiyo’s number there, but when Kaito somehow caught Nishinoya’s exam number on the bottom right while perched on his shoulders, they celebrated with so much enthusiasm Kaito nearly lost his balance and fell off.

So when April rolled around, Nishinoya and Chiyo were once again attending the same school. Though with Chiyo’s better grades, she ended up in Class 1-4 – a college preparatory class – while Nishinoya was put in Class 1-2.

The day club applications began, Nishinoya immediately joined the volleyball club. He encouraged Chiyo to join a club of her own or even run to become a class rep again like she had in middle school, but she refused.

Instead, she put all her energy into applying for a part-time job. She was hired at a small media and repair store near school, run by a little old lady and her grumpy calico cat. They sold all kinds of electronics, from old VHS tapes to the newest gaming consoles. They also had a huge catalog of DVDs that the old lady often insisted Chiyo borrow for the week to watch on her own. 

Despite the two of them being in different classes and volleyball practice running longer than they did in middle school, Nishinoya’s visits never stopped. He’d drop by after a quick text, eat dinner, do homework, play some volleyball with Kaito, watch a movie then head home for the night. He became such a regular presence that even Chiyo’s father, who was rarely home due to his busy schedule, knew his name and often included his portion whenever he brought back desserts for the kids. 

Chiyo would scold him, telling Nishinoya to go home to rest and that his body must be tired after a long day of volleyball and school. To which Nishinoya would simply remind her that he had to return the lunch box she brought him. Something Chiyo started doing after she found out Nishinoya often only bought banana bread for lunch from the school store.

And that day, Chiyo was on her way to the gym as usual. She preferred to deliver his lunch in the mornings, right after she got to school. Like that, she wouldn’t have to spend her lunch time trying to track him down between the classroom, the gym, or the vending machine.

As she climbed the staircase, she could hear the sharp screeches of sneakers scraping against the gym floor. Despite not being a powerhouse school, Karasuno seemed to take volleyball pretty seriously. 

“Nishi-”

“Kiyoko-san!” Before she could call out to him, the sound of two boys’ boisterous voices interrupted her. She instinctively hid around the corner so as not to bother them. It took a second before it registered in her head that one of the two voices belonged to Nishinoya. 

“Kiyoko-san, do you need any help carrying anything?” Someone asked.

“Kiyoko-san, you look beautiful as always today!” Nishinoya shouted.

“No thanks.”

Chiyo felt her heart drop.

She snapped her head around in time to see Nishinoya and a boy with short, fuzzy blond hair run up to a girl just as she entered the gym from the back door. He wasn’t kidding. With shoulder-length black hair and large black eyes, the girl had an air of adult maturity to her, someone who was stoic and passionate yet aloof with their intentions.

Suddenly, the name Kiyoko jogged her memory. Nishinoya had mentioned her during dinner a few months back when he told her all about the club. Her name was Shimizu Kiyoko and she was their one and only manager. 

He spoke highly about her, going on and on about how pretty and responsible she was. But Chiyo had always sort of disregarded his comments. After all, Nishinoya did the same thing with a character in their old literature textbook. But seeing him fawn over another girl, a real one at that, made Chiyo’s heart clench with an emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on. 

“Guys, stop bothering- Oh!” An upperclassman with short brown hair approached the gym from behind her. “Hey, are you looking for someone?”

Chiyo blinked. “Um, I’m looking for Nishinoya. I have his lunch.”

“Nishinoya!”

“What is it, Daichi-san, ah!” Nishinoya’s eyes lit up upon seeing her. “Amari!”

As he began to make his way over, Chiyo suddenly felt the urge to run. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and in the moment, she wanted to be anywhere but there. But she still had his lunch in hand, and there was a part of her that stubbornly wanted to complete the delivery.

“Here,” she shoved the neatly-packed boxed lunch in his hands, not even bothering to make eye contact. “It’s leftovers from last night, so don’t expect too much.”

“I’m sure it’s delicious,” Nishinoya took the box and grinned. “Thanks as always!”

“Noya-san, this girl’s always bringing lunch for you. What’s up with that?” At this point, the boy with blond hair began to approach them. His eyes then widened as an idea dawned on him. “Wait, don’t tell me she’s your girlfriend or something?!”

“She’s-”

“No, I’m not!” Before Nishinoya could respond, Chiyo cut him off perhaps a bit too loudly. “I’m just his middle school classmate. I’m only making him lunch 'cause if I don’t he’s just gonna end up buying banana bread for lunch and be short forever.”

“Excuse me?!” 

“You have your lunch now, right?” Meeting Nishinoya’s offended look with a sharp one of her own, Chiyo quickly turned on her heel. “I’m leaving. Bye!”

She walked briskly away, feeling more and more breathless the further away she got from the gym. She wanted to outrun it all, the sound of her beating heart, the emotions that bubbled in her chest and the hot tears that pricked at her eyes. When she saw Kiyoko, all she could think about was the day he first confessed to her under the cherry blossoms nearly three years ago. She had warned him that he would lose interest overtime. But when faced with reality, she felt like she was the one who lost something.

Her steps slowed as she reached her classroom. It then occurred to her that this wasn’t anything new. Nishinoya has been fawning over other girls for as long as she’s known him. And thinking back on it, the only reason he gave for confessing to her initially was because she was pretty, nothing more. 

A classmate opened the door, cocking her head curiously at Chiyo who stared up at their classroom tag in a daze.

“Amari-san? What’s wrong?”

Chiyo looked at her.

“Boys are stupid.”

After her shift at the media store that evening, Chiyo was surprised to find Nishinoya waiting outside with two soda-flavored popsicles.

She initially thought that he wouldn’t want to speak to her for at least a good while, after how strangely she behaved in front of his teammates. But to her surprise, he simply gave her his usual greeting and smile before tossing the extra popsicle in her direction. 

“Come on, let’s go home.”

“Oh, okay…”

As they set off, Nishinoya tore his popsicle packet open and began chomping down. Chiyo watched him, fidgeting at the sound of crinkling plastic.

“Hey, Nishinoya,” she swallowed hard. “I’m sorry about what I said today.”

He gave her a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

“Well, I… I called you short in front of the entire volleyball team,” she murmured, still refusing to make eye contact. “I didn’t mean it. I was just in a bad mood and I… I’m just really sorry.”

"Oh, what, that?" Nishinoya scoffed. "Don't sweat it, it's whatever. Kaito's been calling me that for like a year."

“Kaito’s still young,” Chiyo shook her head. “But I… should’ve known better than to make petty remarks like that.”

“Like I said, don’t worry about it,” he waved a hand before quickly finishing his popsicle in two bites and checking the stick. “Dang, another dud.”

Chiyo’s lips quirked up a little before falling. “So Shimizu-senpai, huh?” She opened her popsicle packet. “She’s really pretty.”

“Wait, you know Kiyoko-san?!”

Nishinoya sounded so excited and Chiyo felt a lump forming in her throat. “I saw her when I dropped off lunch for you today.”

“That’s right, that’s right,” he tossed the wooden stick into a public trash can. “Yeah, she’s super pretty, isn’t she? A literal goddess. I heard she’s been the club manager since last year.”

Chiyo nodded before averting her eyes, pretending to admire the street view she’s seen more than a hundred times already. “Well, I better not hear any more of your random confessions from now on,” she said half-jokingly.

“Huh, what are you talking about?” Nishinoya stopped walking. “I still like you, Amari.”

Chiyo nearly dropped her popsicle. She turned to look him in the eye. 

He was dead serious.

“Why would you say something like that?” She snapped, immediately losing all composure. 

Nishinoya cocked his head to the side. “Because it’s true.”

“What do you mean ‘because it’s true’?” Chiyo’s eyes widened with exasperation. “You were literally just gushing about how pretty Shimizu-senpai is. Don’t tell me you’re like one of those sleaze bags in shoujo manga that’ll flirt with anyone you find even mildly pretty.”

“What? No! I mean yeah, Kiyoko-san is pretty and all. But,” he then thumped his chest with a confident smile. “In the end, my heart will always belong to you.”

Her lips parted slightly.

“Don’t say stuff like that, you idiot!” Those were the first words she found herself able to say. “You idiot. You’re such an idiot! The biggest idiot that’s ever existed in the history of idiots!”

“I’m not an idiot!”

“Yes, you are! You’re a shallow, stupid idiot!” Chiyo shouted back, trying to ignore the sore feeling in her nose. “You can’t tell me you don’t have even a little bit of a crush on her. I saw you and that blond kid trying to get all cozy with her. You even call her by her first name even though you’ve only known her for like, what? Two months?”

“Amari, I-”

“I’m completely fine with being friends with you, Nishinoya,” she cut him off, trying her best to avoid his pointed gaze. “I just… I don’t want to date someone who only wants to get to know me half-heartedly.”

Nishinoya rubbed his forehead, eyes flickering up to glance at the setting sun. Taking a deep breath, he then gingerly took her hand and pried her fingers off the hem of her jacket sleeve.

“Look, Amari,” he spoke as softly as he could. “Kiyoko-san to me is more like… a goddess. Someone you put on a pedestal and admire, but still way outta your reach. But when I’m around you, I feel… way more comfortable. Like when I get to see you at home cooking dinner, not giving a damn about your hair, and getting mad at us, I get really happy. Cause it feels like a side to you that only I get to see.”

He looked up to see Chiyo’s dark blue eyes glassy with what seemed to be tears.

He mentally cursed himself.

“I get what you mean though,” he gave an awkward chuckle. “I mean I literally asked you out the day we met without knowing anything about you. But I promised to get to know you better, and you know…” there was a faint tug at his lips. “The more I get to know you, the more I like you. So trust me. I’d never ask you out with anything other than pure intentions, m’kay?”

Chiyo felt her heart stop as he smiled at her. Her breath was caught in her throat, and when she reminded herself to breathe again, her heartbeat became so erratic she was sure the entire prefecture could hear it. 

“Y-You idiot!” Those were the only words that came out when she found her voice again.

“Wha-?” Nishinoya looked genuinely confused. “Why am I still an idiot?”

“Because you just are!” Chiyo turned away, biting down on her popsicle in a feeble attempt to stop the rising heat in her cheeks. She couldn’t understand how he could say something so cringey with a straight face. She then peeked over her shoulder, watching as Nishinoya became lost in thought, wondering exactly what he said that made him an idiot.

“But… Do what you want, I guess,” she murmured just loud enough for him to hear.

Nishinoya’s eyes lit up.

“You got it!”

After that little kerfuffle, the two of them continued on their way home under the setting sun when Nishinoya spoke again.

“But you know, if you wanted me to call you by your first name, you could’ve just asked.”

Chiyo averted her gaze. “When did I ever say that?” 

“You got all jealous over how I call Kiyoko-san by her name,” he reminded her with a mischievous grin. “Come on, I’ll start calling you by your first name too.”

“I wasn’t jealous,” she grumbled.

“Come on, Chiyo.” Ignoring her obviously false remark, Nishnoya poked her arm. “Say it. Yuu~”

Chiyo’s eyes wandered from their surroundings to Nishinoya to her feet. She pressed her lips together, struggling for a moment to find her voice.

“Y-Yuu…” Her voice was barely a whisper. 

Satisfied, Nishinoya smiled. “I like you, Chiyo.”

story masterlist | previous chapter | next chapter

#haikyuu #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu x oc #hq #nishinoya #nishinoya x oc #nishinoya yuu #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x y/n #nishinoya x reader #nishinoya x y/n #nishinoya x you #haikyuu x you #hq x reader

[pinkykats-place]

BakuDeku SFW hybrid au

AO3 Fanfic Recommendations

Disclaimers!

None of the stories linked below are mine.

Fluff/SFW stories, pls still read tags.

Credit to @minggchoww for the fan art.

Note: If you read any of these and like them please kudos and comment! Let the authors know their work is appreciated!

🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾 🐾

blame it all on human nature by starryroyalty

Summary: Katsuki's interest keeps getting piqued by the pretty green cat that consistently sits at the same table every single time he enters the café, and he really, really, wants to get to know him better.

Wolf Baku x Cat Deku

One Shot | No Quirks AU

Beyond the Fence by AnathemaAuthoress

Summary: Domesticated dog hybrid Izuku has lived happily with his master without ever questioning the world beyond his fence, but when he meets a wild raccoon named Katsuki, he finds he wants to hear all about it.

Dog Deku x Raccoon Baku

One Shot | No Quirks AU

The Wolf and The Bunnies by Mikacrispy

Summary: Every day after leaving class, Katsuki passes by a playground and sees an omega bunny playing around with his son. The wolf can't help but fall in love with both of them.

Wolf Baku x Bunny Deku

One Shot | No Quirks AU

Oh Deer! by Arsonxk

Summary: His mother always warned him that his bleeding heart would get him in trouble. Izuku just didn't plan on it being in the form of a blonde mountain lion…

Deer Deku X Mountain Lion Baku

One Shot | No Quirks au

Sheep in Wolf's Clothing I by Mikacrispy

Summary: Ram hybrid Midoriya Izuku, tired of being overlooked at his work for being a prey hybrid, decides to take on boxing classes to become more assertive and carnivore-like. There he meets the handsome and grumpy wolf hybrid instructor who loves to bully him.

Ram Deku x Wolf Baku

One Shot | Part 1 of a Two Part Series

Lady And The Tramp by jaegerackereri

Summary: Work inspired by Lady And The Tramp (1955) where Izuku is Lady and Katsuki is Tramp.

Dog Deku x Wolf-Dog Baku

Mature Themes | No Explicit Scenes

One Shot | No Quirks au

The Dragon King by qween_bee

Summary: After old King Yagi's passing, the kingdom of Musutafu was left to dragon hybrid Bakugou Katsuki. However, without the soft presence of his soulmate to keep him kind, the alpha's aggression went unchecked. They say it's not about the destination but rather the journey, but in this case, both have their merits.

Dragon Hybrids

Alpha Baku x Omega Deku

One Shot | Fantasy au

Licking your loved ones by Gay_idiot15

Summary: It was common in packs to engage in physical affection; scenting, cuddling, hugging, holding hands

But licking was a sign of true friendship and love.

Cat Hybrid Deku x Cat Hybrid Baku

One Shot | UA Students

Say My Name Nerd by DemonyteKav

Summary: “Hey Mido! I got a question for ya.” The blonde cheetah hybrid tells him during a lull between games.

Izuku smiles. “What’s up?”

“How come you never called Bakubro over here by his last name?”

“What do you mean?” Izuku asks flushing a little and glancing at the blonde wolf before looking back at Kaminari.

Kaminari scratches his nose and grins a little. “Well dude, you knew him for what? A couple days and were already calling him ‘Kacchan’ so I was just curious is all. I mean, he doesn’t even let us call him by his first name often.”

The wolf looks every bit like the predator he is. Tail wagging lazily behind him pleased to have his prey right where he wants him. “Yeah nerd, why don’t you call me by my last name?”

“You know why Kacchan.” The sheep pouts crossing his arms over his chest.

Wolf Baku x Sheep Deku

One Shot | No Quirks | College AU

Wolf Gym by Oh_Taco

Summary: After facing discrimination by humans, hybrid rabbit and personal trainer Izuku Midoriya looks for a job at a hybrid gym. The only one he finds is run by three wolf hybrids -- and one of them looks like he wants to eat Izuku for lunch!

Incomplete | 16/? Chapters

Just Beyond the Door by Askora

Summary: Bakugo never got along with people all that well. Or rather, people wouldn’t be able to look past his harsh overtones to realize that he wasn’t actually as bad as a guy as they thought. Specifically, his annoying ass neighbors that would constantly complain to the landlord or try to get police to do something about him.

So in order to play “nice guy”, the idiots suggested he put a candy bowl outside his apartment door.

Apparently said candy bowl attracted the attention of someone Bakugo found was absolutely meant for him. And said soulmate was far more in reach than the blond thought he was.

Pro Hero Baku x Quirkless Deku

Omega Deer Deku x Alpha Wolf Baku

7/? CH | Last Updated Dec. 2023

#bakudeku #hybrid au #sfw #fluff #fic recs #AO3 bakudeku #hybrids #bakudeku hybrids #bkdk #dog deku x racoon baku #wolf baku x deer deku #OmegaVerse #fanfic recommendation #bakudeku recommendations #archive of our own fics #archive of our own bkdk #dog midoriya #wolf bakugou #hybrid midoriya x hybrid bakugo #cat deku x wolf baku #cat hybrid midoriya #wolf hybrid bakugo #omega deku x alpha bakugo #ao3 bakudeku recs #no quirks au #pro hero bakugo x quirkless midoriya #hybrid Midoriya #hybrid Bakugou #ram hybrid deku #dragon bakugo x dragon deku

[suituuup]

pieces - chapter one

Five years ago, Chloe dropped off the face of the Earth. Beca sees her again in the most unexpected place.

rating: M (drug abuse, mention of sexual abuse in later chapters) word count: 2,100

ao3 link

*

“Any messages, Gina?”

Beca Mitchell strode out of the elevator, high heels clicking on marble flooring on her way to her office.

Her assistant rushed to walk alongside her, notebook opened as she handed Beca her second coffee of the day, which Beca took with an appreciative smile.

“Mr. Mendes needs to push back his meeting to Thursday, and Mr. Hozier-Byrne is waiting for a call back, preferably before 2 as he’s five hours ahead.”

Beca rounded the corner to her office and dragged her leather desk chair back, shrugging off her woolen trench coat and draping it over the back. “Got it, remind me what I have planned today?”

“You’re having lunch with Mr. Zimmer at the Plaza to discuss Jesse’s project, and apart from the weekly team meeting at five, you’re expected at Edgy Reggie’s party from 10 pm at the Sapphire.”

A groan surfaced from Beca’s throat and her eyes slammed shut as she plopped down on her chair. “I forgot about that. Luke can’t go?”

Gina winced and shook her head. “Family dinner.”

“Family dinner, my ass. His whole family lives back in fucking England,” Beca muttered before she could help it, throwing her assistant an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Thanks, Gina. Hold my calls until ten, please?”

“Of course, Ms. Mitchell.”

As she did every morning while sipping her coffee, Beca listened to demos over the next hour, forwarding them to Luke if any of those yet-unknown artists spiked her interest enough to sign them into their label.

The rest of the day consisted of two meetings, a dozen calls, countless email exchanges, and not enough studio time. A thick blanket of darkness had veiled the city by the time she closed her laptop and called it a day. She stretched her neck and took a moment to gaze at the lit skyscrapers through her floor to ceiling windows, sighing softly.

It was sometimes weird to think about how this was her life. How the asocial, grumpy freshman from thirteen years ago had made it to the top of the music business and now co-owned one of the biggest labels throughout the country.

Scratch that, throughout the  world.  

Snapping out of her daze, Beca stood and slipped on her coat, plucking her phone off the desk to call herself a Lyft home. She had just about time to take a shower and eat dinner before heading to that stupid party.

*

Beca could think of a million things she’d rather be doing right now as she strode down the wet sidewalk towards the lit  GIRLS  red neon sign in the distance a couple of hours later.

She told herself one drink, an hour tops, then she could head home, put on her pajamas, and finish that true-crime TV show she started yesterday.

“Name?” A dude bulkier than the freaking Rock asked her as she made it to the club door.

“Um, Beca Mitchell. I’m Edgy Reggie’s producer.”

Her artist had privatized a strip-club for his celebration party over his album hitting Platinum, and Beca couldn’t  not  show up, as... well, he was an important client and brought her label the big bucks.

The guy checked his clipboard and nodded, hitching his thumb over his shoulder. “You’re good to go.”

Casting the bouncer a nod, Beca ducked inside the dimmed, crowded club, wincing at the crappy music heavily pumping through the speakers. Three girls in bikinis and heels stood on platforms, twisting their bodies around dancing poles as dozens of dudes reclined back in leather sofas, shamelessly ogling their forms.

Beca’s nose crinkled as she scanned the room for her artist.

“Yo, Beca!”

Her gaze snapped to the left corner, catching sight of Edgy Reggie (he didn’t want to change his stage name, no matter how much Beca insisted) waving her over.

“Hey,” she cast him a tight-lipped smile, tucking her straight hair behind her ears. She nodded at the other dudes sitting around the low table. “What’s up.”

“Guys, this is the girl behind the magic of my album,” Edgy Reggie explained, throwing an arm over her shoulders before Beca could squirm away. “She is  fire. ”

Beca chuckled awkwardly, then pointed over her shoulder. “I’m gonna go get myself a drink.”

Maybe two come to think of it, so she could get herself through this.

She headed to the bar and ordered an old-fashioned, fishing in the inside of her coat pocket for her credit card.

“Thanks,” she muttered when the barmaid (also clad in a bikini that left very little to the imagination) came back with her drink, handing her her card just as the club’s speaker made an announcement.

“Ladies and Gentleman, please welcome to the stage…  Ariel! ”

The crowd cheered and hooted, Beca glancing over her shoulder to see what all the fuss was about.

There was no amount of alcohol that could have prepared her for the scene unfolding before her.

There, on the main stage, strutted in a redhead, only wearing a silver g-string and high heels. Beca would have recognized that shade of hair anywhere, and while the lighting in the club was low, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that this girl -- Ariel -- was her former best friend.

Her former best friend who had dropped from the face of the Earth almost five years ago, without so much as an explanation. She hadn’t just stopped talking to Beca, but to all of them, even Aubrey. She was nowhere to be found on social media and when Beca had tried calling her after six months without news, she found out Chloe’s phone number had been disconnected. It wasn’t like they talked on a daily basis before that. After three years spent living on opposite sides of the country, the texts started coming further in between, their communication coming down to a few check-ins a year and on birthdays, until they eventually stopped.

Fearing the worst, Aubrey had called Chloe’s parents, who assured her she was fine, working as a vet in NYC and in a committed relationship. While relieved, the news stung Beca, as it was clear Chloe had deliberately ceased contact.

It took some time, but Beca eventually stopped thinking about her so much, especially when she started getting successful as a music producer and pouring her time and energy into her projects. She soon won her first Grammys, Gold, and Platinum records featured in notorious magazines and talk shows. She could stop working tomorrow and money wouldn’t become an issue, but Beca didn’t like to boast about her fortune, or fame, for that matter.

Despite being insanely busy, she still kept in touch with the other Bellas in their group chat, but she hadn’t seen any of them in a couple of years, missing the last reunion because of her job.

Beca’s mind steered back to the present, where the once most important person in her life was currently dancing for money. Men were staring hungrily at her as she sensually moved around the pole or bent over with her ass in the air to collect dollar bills from the floor, and Beca suddenly felt sick.

This couldn’t be her dream job, right? Something  had  to have happened for her to settle for this.

Beca grabbed her drink and knocked it back, flagging the barmaid down for another as her mind reeled as to what to do.

She needed to talk to Chloe. In private. Tonight, as soon as she finished… parading in front of these disgusting fuckboys. Only… she wasn’t sure Chloe wanted to talk to her.

“Hey,” she said when the barmaid came back as an idea struck. “How do I get a private lap dance with one of the girls?”

The girl raised a surprised eyebrow. “Backroom, hun. Who do you want?”

“Ariel.”

The platinum blonde let out a curt laugh. “Ariel doesn’t do lap dances, babe.”

Beca’s eyebrows knitted together in a heavy frown. “Why not?”

“Because she’s the boss’ favorite.”

Beca didn’t know what that meant exactly, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to find out as another wave of nausea swept over her insides. “Is your boss here tonight?”

The barmaid scanned the room quickly, nodding. “He’s the guy over there in the suit.”

“Thanks.” She took her drink and headed over to where the fifty-something dude was talking to another guy. Stepping up to them, she ignored their glares over her interrupting their conversation. “Hey. Are you the manager?”

The dude who looked like he ran a mafia mob turned a bit more towards her. “What’s this about?”

“How much for a private dance with Ariel?”

His gaze flickered over Beca’s shoulder towards the stage, then sized Beca up, unimpressed. “She’s not available, kid.”

Beca gritted her teeth at the condescending tone of his voice. “Not even for ten grand for twenty minutes?”

He slow-blinked, then burst out laughing. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m being serious. Ten grand, twenty minutes. Alone in a room, just the two of us.”

The man’s expression hardened. “And I said she’s not  available .”

“Twenty grand.” Hell, she’d throw half a million on the table if that’s what was needed to talk to Chloe. After a beat, she added, “And no touching. That’s not what I’m here for.”

The manager seemed to consider her offer for a handful of seconds. “You got the money?”

Dammit.  She couldn’t withdraw that much right now, she needed to call her bank. “Tomorrow night.”

He smirked, snickering. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

He turned back to his buddy, leaving Beca grumbling under her breath as she turned around and stalked out of the club. She couldn’t stay. She couldn’t stand the sight of Chloe objectifying her body for money.

As soon as she got home, Beca fired up her computer and typed in Chloe’s name in her browser. Apart from old stuff on the Bellas, she found nothing relevant. Chloe appeared to still be MIA from any social media.

Beca grabbed her phone and scrolled through her contacts, bringing the device to her ear.

“What’s wrong?”  

“How do you know something’s wrong?”

“We call each other twice a year on our respective birthdays and stick to the Bellas chat for the rest.”  

Beca nibbled on her bottom lip. “I found Chloe.”

A long stretch of silence on the other end of the line followed.  “What?”  

“I saw her tonight, Aubrey.”

“Where??”

“At a strip club. She’s… a stripper.”

“What? Did you talk to her?”  

“No. She was performing on stage. But I will. I’m… buying a lap dance from her tomorrow. I figured… she’ll have to listen to me since she’s being paid for it.” Her eyes slammed shut, scrunching up her nose. “I don’t know. It might be a bad idea, but-- I just wanna make sure she’s okay, you know?”

“Yes, of course. Keep me posted?”  

“I will. Talk to you soon.”

Beca shuffled to bed after that, but sleep never came. Her mind kept reeling about Chloe, about what she might say to her once they were face to face, and the possibility that Chloe might shoot her down and refuse to talk to her.

She spent her Saturday trying and failing to make some progress on an ongoing project, willing time to tick faster so she could head back to the club. Mid-afternoon, she headed to the bank to withdraw twenty grand, tucking the envelope in her purse.

“Why does it feel like you’re doing something illegal, Beca?” She muttered to herself on her way out of the bank, slightly paranoid about carrying so much cash on her.

The club was just as crowded when she got there around 10 pm. A different girl danced on the main stage and the manager was nowhere in sight, so Beca perched herself on a stool at the bar, ordering herself another old-fashioned.

“Is your boss around?” She asked the barmaid, a different girl from last night.

“Who’s asking?”

“Tell him the person who wants Ariel is here.”

The girl’s eyebrows shot up at that but she didn’t say anything, nodding before strutting away. Beca sipped at her drink for the next twenty minutes, keeping her back to the stage.

The manager eventually appeared in her peripheral, and he leaned an elbow over the counter, lacing his fingers. “So what’s so special about Ariel?”

Beca slowly set her drink down and fished for the envelope, pushing it towards him while keeping her gaze straight ahead. “I like redheads.”

He plucked the envelope off the counter and peered inside. Twenty stacks of ten hundred dollar bills in exchange for twenty minutes with Chloe.

He nodded. “Follow me.”

Beca finished the rest of her drink, the alcohol managing to muffle her nerves some as she followed the manager towards the back of the club, and down a set of stairs. Her heart pumped hard in her ears and her palms started to sweat as she was led inside a dimly lit room with a handful of sofa chairs and a small stage with a dancing pole, some kind of music that seemed straight out of a porno carrying through the speakers. A spiral staircase was tucked in the right corner, and she guessed that is where the strippers made their entrance from.

Beca wondered how far things usually went in these kinds of private rooms.

She wondered how far  Chloe  went.

She cast the guy a tight-lipped smile and a nod before he closed the door, and paced the room for a little while, eventually lowering herself on one of the leather chairs and wiping her palms on her designer slacks.

The clicking of heels over metal made Beca’s spine snap straighter. She resisted the urge to look over her shoulder as the steps grew nearer, digging her nails into her thighs as a new round of nerves gripped her insides.

“Good evening, sweetheart,” the huskiness of Chloe’s voice made Beca swallow, and she felt a hand run over her shoulders as Chloe approached from behind.

Glancing up, Beca met familiar, ocean blues.

#bechloe #bechloe fic #bechloe fanfic #beca mitchell #chloe beale #pitch perfect #pieces

[elliewritessometimes]

hello. have you seen this post by @notsomightymightytiger?? that’s my friend!!! and this is completely and utterly inspired by that and completely and utterly written for her. love you stabby friend <3

also known as: the tigers go to disneyland, kateva like to kiss, chess, reese and mattie have an understated bromance and cheerwives can actually be fluffy for once

tw: swearing, theme park kind of things??? aka rollercoasters and fireworks and all that. as always, let me know if i’ve missed anything

(sidenote idk if you can tell but i have never in my life been to disneyland don’t come for me if i wrote it all wrong i tried my best)

---

"We're going to Disneyland."

There was silence in the gym for a solid thirty seconds before all hell broke loose.

"WhAT???"

"Wait, really?!?"

"Oh my God, Riley, you're the best, oh my gOd!"

"Why the fuck did you think that taking us to fucking Disneyland was a good idea??" Kate looked less than pleased at the proposition, a stark contrast to the delighted faces of Reese and Mattie.

Riley smiled brightly. "Team bonding!!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Right. Of course." Their voice rose in pitch, sarcasm delicately lacing their words. "For the best of the team-"

Chess cut them off, not so subtly stamping on her foot. "Katherine, please."

Farrah had been wobbling on her tiptoes, peering over Annleigh's shoulder. She gave a long-suffering groan. "Annleigh, Clark's not a Tiger, he can't come."

"But-"

"No. It's unfair."

Annleigh ignored her sister and switched her attention to Riley, making her best puppy eyes at the captain. Riley only widened her smile. It probably hurt her face a little bit. "You know what? Fine. Clark can come. It's gonna be fun, right?!"

Annleigh giggled at the answer, sticking her tongue out at a fuming Farrah. Kate was in a similar predicament, being held back by a smirking Chess with an arm around their shoulder. They pulled out their phone as well, already dialling a number, “If Annleigh’s boyfriend gets to come, then my girlfriend should be allowed as well. Otherwise that’s nepotism.”

“Fine.” Riley was steadily regretting her decision to hold a cheer trip. On her left, Cairo squeezed her hand, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Kate gagged in their direction. “You better not, Kate, or I’m banning your girlfriend from Disneyland.”

“Fuck you.”

“Wait,” Reese spoke up, “If Kate and Annleigh can have Eva and Clark, and Cairo and Riley have each other, can I bring my boyfriend?”

“No more significant others!” Riley clapped her hands, ignoring Reese’s pout. “If you can’t get Eva and Clark here in the next eight minutes, we will be leaving them behind! I paid so much money for these tickets and we will not be late.”

The team headed towards the door, being greeted by Eva and Clark already standing beside Cairo’s minivan. They split the rides evenly between the van and Chess’ car (Kate was more than pissed to find that their best friend had been in on the plan all along). 

At one point, Mattie took Reese’s hand. “Hey, even if you can’t bring your boyfriend, you’ve got me, right? Ultimate bromance and all that?”

Reese grinned and squeezed the freshman’s hand. “Hell yeah.”

-

“I want that pin.”

“No, you don’t.” Reese hugged the Belle pin closer. 

Chess held out a hand. “Yeah, but I do though.”

Reese shook her head.

“Look, I’ll give you my Tinkerbell diamond one.” They held out the rare pin in their other hand.

“No! Belle is my favourite!”

“She’s my favourite as well though!”

Cairo sighed. “We’ve been here literally ten minutes.”

Reese linked arms with Mattie, turning on her heel to walk off, “I’m going now and you’re not getting my Belle pin!!!!”

“HEY!” Chess chased after the two, trying so hard to keep up their grumpy demeanour and failing when a smile crept onto their face.

Turning to an anxious-looking Riley, Cairo sighed again. By now, she’d sighed more than she’d spoken today. “Chess does know that they could just... buy their own Belle pin if they really wanted, right???”

“It’s the fun of it, Cai.” Riley looked around, craning her neck. “Where on Earth have the other five members of our team gone?”

“Holy shit.” At this rate, Cairo must have been running out of oxygen from the intense sighing. “It has been. Ten. Minutes.”

-

Farrah wouldn't call herself a Disneyland regular, but she's been a few times before. She remembered a time before her mother had left, when she was still just a little kid, coming to the park for the first time. It had been the kind of magical that only a child can experience, filled with glitter and laughter and something that might have been called family. Her mother bought bubblegum flavoured cotton candy, handing the stick to a seven-year-old Farrah with a smile and a wink. They agreed that it was the first thing that you had to do when going to Disneyland - buy cotton candy. Every time since, Farrah bought the same bubblegum pink sugar from the same tacky stand and ate it with the same wonder as she did the very first time.

Now, Farrah had a new family. In, perhaps, more ways than one. Here, away from home, she's still with her family, maybe a slightly dysfunctional one made up of teenage cheerleaders (and Clark), but still, they are her family in one way or another.

Annleigh returned as Farrah was mulling over all this, a stick of worryingly neon pink cotton candy in her hand. "Figured you'd want to start the day off with your usual sugar rush."

Farrah took the treat with a smile, wondering if Annleigh is only so glad to buy such unhealthy food because at least it's not alcohol. "Thanks."

"Come on, ladies! We've got a whole park to explore!" Clark had apparently already visited a store, a pair of Mickey ears stretched over his head. Farrah rolled her eyes, but followed her sister and brother-in-law (nearly) further down the street because, after all, they are her family.

-

“I can’t believe you’ve never been to fucking Disneyland before,” Eva looked mildly horrified, “Has Chess never taken you?”

“I didn’t really want to go.”

Eva narrowed her eyes. “Why the fuck-”

“Reasons.” Kate’s voice was sharp and Eva backed off, only kissing the top of their head. Kate squeezed her hand in response. “Anyway, come on, show me everything. Mountain rides challenge, right?”

“Ugh, Katie, the queues with be forever...”

“Lucky for you, I’ll be there to while away the time with you.” She winked, laughing when Eva blushed. “Let’s go.”

-

Of all the things to happen at Disneyland, Reese was not expecting to get sneak attacked by a literal cuddly pig. She yelped, reaching a hand to smack it away, nearing the point of ‘this might as well happen’, when a small head poked out from behind the toy. Mattie grinned, “Boo!”

“Jesus Christ, you scared the life out of me.”

The younger girl giggled brightly. “Look what I got!”

“...Is that the pig from Moana?”

“Obviously.” Mattie rolled her eyes. “You should know by now that Moana is the best Disney movie of all time.”

Reese rummaged in her backpack for a second before pulling out yet another pin. “Look! Moana pin. Girl, I would give it to you, but me and Chess are tryna see who can get the most pins by the end of the day. Speaking of, was Chess in the store?”

“Yeah, actually.” She hesitated. “Dude, I hate to tell you this, but they had a Belle pin.”

“Shit.”

-

Perhaps queuing had been a mistake. It had probably been hours. Kate would have known more accurately if they’d worn a watch like Chess always told them to. She was stubborn though, and hadn’t. “Aves...” 

“Yeah?”

“How long have we been waiting?”

“Twenty-five minutes.”

“Oh.” They craned their neck to see over the heads in front of them, realising that they were only a few people from the front. “Oh.”

Eva laughed and took her partner’s hand again, “Told you the queues were long.”

However, in only a matter of minutes, they were seated in an uncomfortable car, the seatbelts just a little too tight to be comfortable and a little too loose to feel actually safe. To say Kate was uncomfortable would be an understatement. She was also maybe a tiny bit scared. 

Eva squinted at them. “You look like you’re gonna throw up.”

“I’m fine.” 

And so the ride began.

Around halfway through, they began the steady climb to the highest peak. Kate turned to Eva, yelling over the shouts of other passengers. “Hey, babe? Remember when I said I didn’t come here with Chess because of reasons? Now might be a good time to tell you that those reasons are that I’m scared of heights.” 

“You fucking idiot.” Eva turned carefully to them, holding their hands tighter, worry and amusement shining in her eyes. The car reached the peak of the ride. “Look at me and don’t fucking think about looking down. It’s okay.” She cupped her cheek. They fell suddenly and Kate's heart jumped into her throat. Eva laughed a little at their surprise. “You know what they say, babe, you gotta confront your fears straight on.”

“I can’t do anything straightly.”

And that was how they found themselves kissing on a rollercoaster, hair slightly in their faces, just as the camera shutter went off. 

-

The team somehow reconvened for lunch, stopping on a bench somewhere as Clark unpacked a multitude of sandwiches and juice boxes. Of course, only Clark, Annleigh and Riley ended up eating the home-brought food, everyone else opting to buy their own trashy, mostly-sugar lunch. 

“How the fuck did you know to bring all this if we only organised the trip this morning?” Kate sounded suspicious, eyeing Clark like he was the imposter. 

Clark looked mildly sheepish. “Oh... We all knew already.”

“WHAT?”

“Yeah, sorry Kitkat.” Chess stifled a snort of laughter. “We organised this weeks ago. We had a group chat and everything.”

Kate spluttered for a second. “Alright, traitors, who else was left out of this?”

Mattie, Farrah and Reese all raised a hand. 

“This makes no sense. Cairo, I trust you to tell the truth, why the fuck didn’t you tell us?!”

Cairo smirked. “We didn’t tell Mattie and Farrah because they’re children-”

“Rude!” Mattie smacked Cairo on the arm. “I am possibly more responsible than half of the rest of you.”

Riley cut in. “Don’t be silly, Cai. We didn’t tell Reese, Mattie or Farrah because they like Disney the most and we wanted it to be a surprise treat for them.”

The rest of the group made noises of appreciation or fondness. Kate, however, was less than pleased, “What about me?!”

“Oh, we just wanted to see your face when we announced it.” Cairo didn't hold back.

“Fuck you all.” But they were holding back a smile, already moving on to the next thing. “Hey, Farrah, you okay? Why aren’t you eating?”

The sophomore groaned. “I feel sick.”

Annleigh hugged her sister to her side, rubbing her back gently. ‘It’s because you ate all that cotton candy earlier.”

“It was so good, though.” Farrah frowned, regretting her past-self and her need for sugar. 

Clark reached into his backpack, pulling out a pair of Minnie ears, before plonking them awkwardly on Farrah’s head. He grinned. “That’ll make you feel better!”

“Dude, I don’t know, but thanks for the effort.” She fought a smile, reaching up to arrange the ears around her plaits. 

-

Riley had been anxious about the trip ever since it had been first suggested. She’d pored over the plans for hours on end, triple checking each detail with Cairo and Chess. Now that they were here, it was all going well enough. Sure, maybe they had gotten lost a couple of times, and sure, maybe they hadn’t stayed as much of a team as she’d planned, but yeah, it was going fine. Everyone else was having fun. 

“Hey, Rye, you doing okay?”

She nodded with a smile, clutching Cairo’s hand. “Yup! All good!”

Cairo did not look convinced. “Look, you've been stressing about everyone else all day, how about we leave them be and go visit some princesses, huh?”

“Cai... Cai, that would be honestly amazing.” Hesitating, she watched the retreating backs of the rest of the team. “You’re sure they’ll be okay?”

“They’ll be fine, I promise. Besides, they’ve got Clark and Chess and Eva in case anything goes wrong.” The taller girl didn’t hesitate from naming who she perceived as the ‘responsible ones’. 

“Okay.” Riley opened her mouth to suggest a destination, when they were approached by the one and only Peter Pan. 

“Hey!”

“OhmygodCai.” She clung to her girlfriend’s arm. “It’s Peter Pan.”

Cairo snorted, nudging Riley to spark her reply. She watched as the two had what was possibly the purest and most wholesome conversation she had ever heard, sneakily taking photos that she would treasure because of Riley’s true delight. Riley skipped towards her after a couple of minutes, grinning properly from ear to ear. “That was so cool!”

“Amazing, Rye. Who shall we visit next?”

“Oh my God, we have to see Tangled!”

“....Rapunzel.”

Riley paused from where she was dragging Cairo into another set of rooms. “What?”

Cairo laughed, “She’s not called Tangled, babe, her name’s Rapunzel.” 

“Oh. Yeah, right, of course, forgot.”

The other girl only laughed harder. “You're so stupid, Jesus Christ, I love you.”

Riley blushed. “Love you too.”

-

“So you did the mountain rides challenge.”

“Yes. Obviously.”

“And somehow, just magically, you two found yourselves making out in every single ride photo.” Chess crossed their arms, grinning at the couple in front of them.

“I- It was noT making out!!” Kate spluttered a reply, hiding her face in Eva’s shoulder. Chess only laughed harder.

Eva hummed as if she was making a difficult decision. “I don’t know, babe, you got pretty into it at one point.”

The senior cackled, high-fiving Eva over Kate's head. Kate continued to hide in their girlfriend's shoulder, only lifting a middle finger in Chess’ direction as a reply. Chess took the offending finger in their hand, pulling Kate up so she could walk between the other two. “Damn, Kitkat.”

“I’m not ever replying to that name again. I have been too attacked to allow it.”

Eva kissed the top of their head, “You came here to have a good time and you’re just feeling so attacked right now.”

“Exactly!” Kate nudged their head up into Eva’s chin, “This is why I’m dating you, meme girl.”

“Ew, gross.” Chess tugged Kate, who tugged Eva, who finally got them walking again. “Come on, lovebirds, it’s firework time.”

-

By the time the fireworks began, they’d been at the park for hours. Farrah still had her Minnie ears on, ones which Clark occasionally tried to steal due to his own ears being lost on one ride or another. Annleigh would only bat his hand away, laughing when he pressed kisses to her palm. 

Kate kissed Eva again when the first firework exploded above them, being caught by yet another camera, this time in the hands of Riley. The photo found its way onto the Tigers group chat by morning, greeted by a pouting Kate begging them to take it down against the protests of the rest of the team (“But you’re just so cute!”). Somehow, she didn’t complain when it even later worked its way onto Eva's Instagram feed. 

Chess and Reese jumped at the first fireworks, too absorbed in counting pins to pay attention to the rest of the world. Mattie wormed her way between them, sneakily stealing both Reese’s Moana pin and Chess’ newly-bought Belle pin. They were too distracted by the light show to notice and Mattie celebrated her little victory by also stealing some of the cotton candy that Farrah had bought herself again, despite her earlier regrets. She supposed some people never learnt.

Cairo stood quietly at the back of the group, showing a still-bouncing Riley the pictures taken with the various characters they’d encountered. Riley kissed her for the final firework, a silent ‘thank you’ for today. 

With the lights of Disneyland glimmering maybe slightly tackily behind the group, Riley took one last picture. It was them, the team, the Tigers, silhouetted in the lights but, if you zoomed in and maybe turned the brightness up a bit, you could still see them smiling. That made its way onto the group chat as well and maybe it still hangs in more than one of their rooms. It was certainly a day that qualified for the scrapbooks.

#KIERA IT'S HERE #sorry it took longer than expected these last few days have been crazy #in other news my cousin is living with us for a while #with that in mind i can't promise a whole lot of content in the next week or so #we never know tho #its not like I was particularly persistent in the first place #anYWAY #proper tag time #we are the tigers #swearing tw #kateva #cheerwives #I refuse to tag characters im sorry im lazy #they're so cute and so at disneyland #its great #I really hope you like it I tried by best #I love yous tabby friends #kiera (yay for gay) #caps tw (for the tags) #I think that's all

[justagirlsearchingforamuse]

A/N: So here is my first twd and first Negan smut, I posted this on ao3 where I will take requests and the link will be somewhere around here but I hope you guys enjoy and have a good filthy fucking time, lol.

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard in the empty store covered and coated with dust, serene silence had filled the entire store long ago and left it untouched and latex was a scent that remained strong in the store. His eager forest green eyes darted around the store as so many things caught his interest, so many things to play with, so many ways to punish you and the rest of his lovely wives. He had a few other men with him like always, grumpy and always seen as no shit taken kinda guys but with this trip, they couldn't stop grinning and staring at everything that the store had. "Mmh, so whaddya' think guys ... should I pick up a few toys for my girls? ... Give them something to fuck themselves with whilst I'm gone." Negan chuckled devilishly to himself as he crouched down in front of a tall shelf full of many phallic-shaped toys that were now covered in large amounts of dust. A wide box with many smaller yet more pleasurable toys lied in the box, picking up one of the toys, he rubs the dust off of the small silver vibrator, grinning devilishly at the small toy he chuckles. This will be perfect. That's all that Negan thinks of with a sly grin on his lips, he slips it into his back pockets before picking up the dusty old box of toys and motions one of his men over. "Here, take this to my truck, I just wanna have a look around ... see whatever the fuck there is to see," Negan announced, handing the large man the dusty box.

"Of course, boss ...", the man answered carrying the decently sized box out into the driveway, obeying his commands sheepishly almost with a cheesy grin at the mere sight of anything shaped like a penis. Negan grins to himself before sluggishly moving his way towards the opposite end of the store, eager to see what else the untouched store had to offer him. An almost genuine grin always rested upon his lips. But my, my, my did he have some plans for you being his latest wife that he took under his wing. You had taken your time with Negan, you knew he had his eyes on you for quite a while but you weren't going to marry him without knowing something about him, you spent a little while getting to know him. You went on dates here and there even though a good portion of those dates were just you guys driving away from the Saviors and having lunch somewhere else. Or Negan and you spend almost all day in his bedroom, no fucking, no weapons, no zombies just two people in baggy clothes and not a fuck to give in the world as you guys either talked or watched movies. Honestly, you had made your decision when he started opening up to you more or when he started to smile more around you, or when he just seemed lighter and more alive. You thought things might be different. Now here you are, hanging out with one of his wives, a glass of water for you as you both talked about your past lives before hell had became reality. You both relaxed on the couch, she grinned widely at your past with more than one of his wives always holding a glass of wine, honestly, you weren't a big fan of alcohol especially since you didn't have the best past. One dealing with alcoholism and it was your past that you kept buried.

The wives weren't that bad at least not most of them, sure some of them gave you the side-eye or would bump into you purposefully but you weren't big on conflict or drawing attention to yourself so nothing ever came of it. You take a sip of your water, unaware of the mischief that Negan has in store for you and only you alone. Sighing to yourself as one of Negan's wives rambles on and on to you about one of her stupid shitty exes, you can't help but feel Negan slip and slither his way into your mind. You thought about when he would be back, even wondering if he was safe, licking your lips a sigh soon falls from them before you see the wide black doors swing open and there is your husband, Negan. He's grinning widely, forcing it on a little too much as he comes in a tall yet decent sized box, immediately almost everyone's minds wondered what was in the box. "Hey, ladies ...! As you know I always keep my promises and I promised to bring my lovely wives something that they'd enjoy. Just a little token of my appreciation for ya'll ..." Negan exclaims excitedly, moving and rubbing his hands together as the poor prisoner who had to carry it had set it down, opening the box and you could hear glass clinking together. Ugh, alcohol. You immediately rolled your eyes, sighing to yourself before thinking of maybe snagging a bottle of something in case of emergencies, you knew that Negan and mostly everyone there loved alcohol. It's not that you didn't like alcohol especially since you found yourself drinking more often than not due to stress but you just didn't want to acquire a habit that you couldn't get freed of. You watched as all the girls got up to go see what was in the box and the excitement that you could feel in the room as they all began to raid the box for alcohol.

You remained seated on the couch with a glass of water, sighing to yourself before taking a sip, thinking to yourself about your past for a few moments making you swallow your water deeply at the painful memories. "Why don't you go and grab a bottle before they steal it all ...? Oh, my bad ... you know starting to get forgetful, you rarely drink and even then you always complain about how bad it smells ..." Negan chuckles to himself, grinning at you eagerly as he couldn't stop thinking about the small pocket vibrator in his back pocket, all he had to do was do a little convincing and maybe you'd agree to it. You nearly jumped at his sudden appearance, you chuckle at his words before resting a hand upon your chest as you couldn't stop yourself from grinning in front of Negan. He is standing right beside the couch, right next to your body, you sigh deeply before finally responding. " ... I don't have a favorite ... I mean ... eh, I'll tell you more about it as time goes on and if we're still standing. Also, wanted to cut back a bit on my drinking, ya know?" You respond, holding a now empty glass in the palm of your hands, both of your eyes meet for a few moments and you can sense the lust, the eagerness that darkened his eyes. "Yeah, but since you're not doing anything, darling ... I wanted to talk with you in my room, that's if you don't want to sit here and just drink water ..." Negan snickered, taking your hand into his own before you sighed deeply and got up from the couch, his hand still intertwined with yours. You both walk out of the room, the women almost done searching for their preferred bottle of alcohol, his bedroom was a door or 2 down from that room. He opens the door to his bedroom for you with a wide grin resting upon his lips, you enter his bedroom which was neat as always which you always appreciated. "So ... what did you want to talk about? ... Is it good or bad?" You ask, crossing your arms as you couldn't deny that always on edge feeling that stuck like gum at the bottom of your shoes. He chuckles at your question, he licks his lips before sitting down on the bed, rubbing his chin he can't help but like how smart you are, how you question his intentions.

"Awe, darling you always keep yourself on your toes, don't ya? ... I have a very special gift for you, my darling ... it may be small but it does plenty of fucking damage." He answers, a smirk curling onto the sides of his lips, you can sense the mischief in his expression and you expect it to be something that would embarrass you but it also left you eager to find out what it was. "What are you bringing Dwight to fuck me ...? Cause you already know my thoughts on that, love." You chuckle, rolling your eyes with a devilish grin curling onto your lips, Negan couldn't stop himself from chuckling before putting a hand on his chest. "Oh, darling ... aren't you able to murder people with your words? But that's not it, my dear wife ... I'll show you it, I think you'll enjoy it. A lot." Negan chuckles, stopping himself from nearly bursting into laughter at your words, he digs his hand through his pocket and pulls out the small silver bullet vibrator. He then pulls out the remote control he found scavenging through the store, you stare at the silver toy in the palm of his hands for a few moments before biting your lips. "I ... we can use it in the bedroom ... you don't have to ask me twice, ha. I'll enjoy this gift, Negan ... thank you, love." You say, trying to hide the smile that curled onto your lips, you sit beside him and reach out to take it from the palm of his hand before he balls his hand up into a fist. "Ah, ah, ah~ ...! Not yet, my darling ... you must know that I want to do so much more than just use this in the bedroom. ... If anything, I've been thinking of all the ways I could use this little fuckin' toy on you outside of the bedroom." Negan confesses, a smirk resting upon his lips as your mouth becomes agape at the idea that he just explained to you.

"But ... I don't know if I'll be able to handle it. I just have never done something like that, I mean that sounds like it can be so fucking embarrassing. Is that what you want to do? Embarrass me?" You exclaim, your cheeks now a rosy red and your lips pursed together. Negan chuckles before moving his hand onto your exposed thigh, you can feel your stomach flutter with butterflies as you can already see it. You can see you making a fool out of yourself, you can see yourself being branded in the eyes of some as a slut or a whore because of this idea. It mortifies you. "Come on, darling ... you know if things get too messy or too embarrassing I'll drag you off to my bedroom and make it up to you, love. It'll just be for 10 minutes, I wanna see how you handle it. Still, we don't have to if you're not keen on that idea." Negan purrs in your ear, you can feel your body shudder at the lewd and sultriness that drips off of every word, you take in a breath as you can feel his hand travel even higher. Licking your lips, you can feel your cheeks become even hotter and your body is surrendering to all of his charms and you can't stop yourself from being interested in the idea, you can't stop yourself from wanting to see how it plays out. " ... I'm interested in it. But you better keep your promise, if things get too embarrassing or if I draw too much attention then drag me out of there." You exclaim, grasping at his infamous leather jacket and you turn your attention towards him, you could see and just sense the lust and the arousal that darkened his eyes, that influenced his body. He chuckles as his devilish grin grows even wider, he licks his lips before burying his face into your neck, sucking and nipping at the smooth skin.

"Mmh ..." You groan, your fingers tangle themselves in his air and you can feel his hand press against the hem of your panties, igniting this spark of arousal that had you gasping his name lowly. You feel his fingers pull and tug at the waistband of your panties as he slowly pulls them down to your ankles, he then takes the slim and short toy and spreads your legs apart. You can't help but shiver and shudder at the cold feeling of the metal entering you, your walls cling to the slender toy and you can feel Negan's hands pull your panties back up onto your waist. He pulls away from your neck, before pressing a sloppy yet messy kiss against your lips, he savors the messy aspect of the kiss as you can feel his tongue try and pry your lips apart. You grin into the kiss before pulling away shyly, your eyes dart away from his lustful ones, your hands rest themselves on his shoulders. "Come on, let's see how this goes, love." You shyly say, getting up from the bed as you straighten your skirt out, you can feel every hair on the surface of your skin stand tall and your nerves become more visible. Boy, did he make a fool out of you, God the first 5 minutes were mortifying.

You were 5 minutes into it and you already felt your legs were numb, your thighs were soaked and dripping with your juices that struggled to stay in your underwear, your entire body was throbbing and aching with demand. Biting your bottom lip, you found yourself on the balcony where Negan announces whatever he needs to tell the community, you felt the toy vibrate erratically and strongly inside of you causing you to bite your tongue hard. Everyone had given you weird looks, you could barely contain yourself and you were completely redfaced, gripping the railing you were panting heavily as Negan had stood right beside you, shit-eating grin widely on his lips. Him enjoying this was an understatement, fuck, he loved seeing you struggle to contain your filthy fucking urges, he loved hearing those low moans that you let slip when no one else was around. But most of all he loved when you came, how your eyes rolled to the back of your skull, and how your legs shook before an audible groan slipped from your lips, he's surprised at how much control he has over himself. He's surprised he hasn't bent you over yet and fucked you hard, oh wait he might do just that. "Negan ... please ... oh fuck ... turn it down, please ...!" You whimpered, leaning against the railing before a moan was pried from your lips at the feeling of the vibrations becoming even stronger. You felt your body weaken and give in to those strong jolts of ecstasy that traveled all over your entire body, leaving it aching and begging for more. "Not yet, darling ... do you know how fucking hot you are right now? I'm surprised I haven't done this sooner, babygirl. I bet you're just so fucking wet because of a stupid fucking toy, aren't you, darling?" Negan chuckles, his words whispered in your ears as not to alert the guards who remained below you both. Biting your bottom lip, you just want him inside of you, you want to feel his cock throbbing in you, you want to feel his hot cum fill your insides. "P-Please ... I need you so fucking bad, love ..." You whine, clutching at his jacket once again, your eyes pleading desperately with his own, smirking devilishly at you, he grabs you by your chin with greedy eyes. "Beg for it, darlin' ... show me how much you want me to fuck that tight little pussy of yours ..." Negan purrs in your ear, his other hand feeling up your trembling body as you gnawed at your lips, hating him for teasing you even more. "I swear to fucking god, Negan ... please ... give it to me." You whispered, tugging even harder at his leather jacket before you greedily devour his lips, his large slender hands cup your cheeks as he grins into your lips, letting a deep groan slip in between your lips.

"Mmh, darlin' ... show me how much you want it. Get on your knees, baby ... worship my cock and give me a reason to fuck you until you're beggin' for more." Negan chuckles, licking his lips as you waste no time in getting on your knees as your fingers grope and rub against the tall bulge in his jeans. "You better keep your word ..." You mutter beneath your breath as you unzip his jeans, you can hear low and distant snickers from down below, making you nearly roll your eyes at the thought that they were listening. Negan didn't care. No, he didn't give a fuck. As long as they did their damn jobs, everything is gonna be peachy. You can feel his hand cradling the back of your head as you pull his boxers down as well, his thick meaty erection sprang forth, leaking and eager for your warm touch. "Go on ... I'm startin' to get a bit impatient, darlin' ..." Negan coos, a devilish smile planted on his lips before that smile fades away into a long satisfying groan leaving his lips at the new yet familiar warmth wrapped around the head of his cock. Fuck. You lightly suck on the head of his throbbing cock, you wrap your hand firmly around his meaty veiny shaft, you slowly stroke him causing sheer waves of bliss rippling through him. "Damn, darlin' ..." He groans breathlessly, licking his lips, low sucking noises echoed through the large garage, he is savoring and relishing in the idea that his own men are seeing you bend to his very will. Goddamn. You start to move your hands away from his shaft and you wrap your slender fingers around his thighs to keep him still as you engulfed more of his throbbing cock in between your lips earning a light tug at your hair. He's biting at his tongue, swallowing the saliva that had coated his mouth,  he could feel the warmth just surround and embrace his throbbing cock eagerly, strong and sustained jolts of ecstasy washed over him mercilessly. "Fuckin' hell, that feels so fuckin' good baby ..." Negan groans, the urge is there to shove your head down further onto his cock but he knows that with patience comes good things. That's if he could handle it or hold himself back.

"That's it, baby ... worship my cock, take my cock in between those pretty little lips of yours like that ..." Negan chuckles before a moan is pried from his lips, you begin to suck him off even harder, causing this energetic sensation to wash over him, of course, it's indescribable but only with thoughts of it being fucking amazing. You begin to slowly move your head back and forth on his throbbing cock, you can feel him twitch and throb in between your lips as you take him almost effortlessly in your mouth. Negan isn't holding back, he's groaning your name and clutching a fistful of your hair as he isn't shy about showing how good your mouth feels around his cock. Little to no time passes before you're bobbing your head at a swifter pace, your head glides up and down his throbbing cock earning deep groans and curses from Negan at the ecstasy that plagues his being. He can feel his body become heated, his heart is pulsating and throbbing in his ribcage as he can feel his entire body fall victim to the ecstasy that you gave him. Groaning deeply, he yanks you off of his cock with a sharp pull of your hair before grabs you by your arms, nearly shocking you before he bends you over onto the balcony instantly. You can feel him nearly rip your panties off of you as they fall to your feet. "Baby, you still want this ...? I promise I won't be gentle ..." Negan whispers in your ear, you grin devilishly at him before agreeing eagerly. "Alright ... don't be shy when I'm up in that tight pussy of yours ... let them hear how only I can make you feel, baby girl ..." Negan purrs in your ear.

He licks his lips before rubbing the head of his cock up and down your soaked slit earning a closed mouth moan from you before he drove himself swiftly into you. "Fuck ..." You gasp at the unfamiliar sensation of Negan's thick meaty cock stretching your walls once more and filling you up to the brim. God, you felt everything in your body just tingle and throb with greed and a need for Negan to fill your pussy with his hot semen, just the thought made your body ache for his cock. Grabbing a fistful of your hair, his thrusts start heavy and rough earning low needy whines of his name leave your parted lips along with heavy breaths that rang through the room. You can see 2 men guarding the balcony with long rifles in their grasps, their backs turned towards you and you know that they're hearing everything, you heard them snickering and smiling to themselves but you don't care. Negan grunts deeply, your walls cling to his throbbing cock and the warmth is even better, burning hot waves of ecstasy tear through him with every heavy and rough movement of his hips inside of you. Tugging at your hair, he continues to slowly move his hips in and out of your heat yet he's struggling to keep himself from moaning like a woman in heat, fuck he'd have to fuck you more often now. It was exhilarating. "Negan ...! I thought you promised me ... anything but gentle ..." You groan, trying to tease him into ramming his cock into you at a much faster pace. He chuckles, heavy breaths leaving his lips before his hand swiftly smacks across your ass causing you to jump at the stinging sensation that spread across your ass. "Don't tease me ... I swear I will have you screaming my name without giving a fuck ... I'll do it over and over again until you pass out. If anything I might as well do that, ha ..." Negan purrs in your ear, chuckling before he begins to slam his hips into you earning a hoarse cry from your lips at how his cock repeatedly hit your sweet spot. "Negan ...! Oh, fuck ...! Oh, yeah!" You cried out shamelessly, pure fucking ecstasy rippling and vibrating through you relentlessly, leaving you clinging to the railing as cries flew from your lips. Negan's grunts echoed through your ears as he continued to pull himself out of you swiftly before slamming back into you relentlessly and mercilessly. The way you said his name, fucking hell, it just drove him to fuck you even harder.

"Yeah, take it ... scream my name, don't ever let me catch you ... saying anyone else's name ... you're mine. Mine." Negan growled deeply in your ear, he's lightly tugging at your hair before he pulls away from your face, his hands are gripping your hips firmly as his hips slam into you harshly. Your pussy is clinging firmly to his throbbing cock and you're only getting wetter, he can taste heaven when he's inside of you, he can feel how amazing, how mind-numbingly amazing it was to be inside of you. Continous waves of bliss vibrate through him as heavy grunts make their way out of his parted lips, quickly the sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through the area earning a deep blush on your cheeks when you heard the sound. The 2 men stood there, rifles in hand with massive erections and thoughts that were less than pure, to them it felt so embarrassing yet so ... arousing to just hear the sounds you're making. He continues for a little while, your cries of ecstasy echoing through the sanctuary as the night went on, it wasn't too long before your cries became screams. "Oh! Yes! Negan ...! Haah ... Negan ...! I-I'm close!" You cried out breathlessly, clutching the railing as hard as you can, you can feel your stomach coil and sink into your ribs, your body awaiting your orgasm. Grunting deeply, his hand smacks firmly against your ass, leaving a slightly red mark against your skin earning a gasp from your lips before yanks you by your hair, bringing your head further towards his mouth. "Mmh, baby ... cum for me, cum all over my cock ... don't forget to scream who you belong to, darlin' ..." Negan growls in your ear, his words are dripping and soaked in wanton possessiveness that nearly drives you mad. Your mind is screaming and soon you'll be screaming along with it. Negan grunts deeply, his cock throbbing erratically inside of you as he can feel himself tipping and teetering on the edge, biting his bottom lip hard, he slams his hips into you as hard as he can feel himself finally reach his peak. A hoarse and strained cry of Negan's name leaves your lips as you can only describe it as lightning striking you, leaving your body trembling and petrified with ecstasy that vibrates throughout your being.

His semen coats your insides, leaving you full to the brim with his heated cum before you let out a deep breath, you already know that you'll be all that the saviors will talk about. You know that you'll have to try not to die out of embarrassment or perhaps blame it all on Negan and his perverted mind but honestly, you know that they'll forget about it in a week or so. Licking your lips, you feel Negan slip out of you and you can hear the sound of his belt jingling and you begin to pull up your soaked panties, you fix your dress before letting another deep breath leave your lips. "Mmh, come on darlin' ... let's get you cleaned up and I'll get you straight to bed, got a long day tomorrow. But this has to be one of my favorite nights with you, perhaps the most memorable ..." Negan says, rubbing his chin as he wraps his arm around your waist as you both make your way back to his bedroom. "Of course this will be the most memorable to you ... but seriously, I kinda enjoyed it. Ya know, the ... open aspect and the not giving a fuck feeling that I felt as time went on." You say, grinning at him before resting your head on his shoulder, honestly, a bath and bed sounded so fucking amazing after the day that you had. "Glad I could make you happy today, darlin' ..." Negan says, kissing your forehead as he opened his bedroom door, he sits you down on his bed before he goes to the bathroom, he turns on the warm water and pours a glass of wine beside the bathtub. But by the time he came back you were knocked out, curled up with soft breaths leaving your lips. Smiling softly to himself, he gets you out of your dress and puts you in one of his old tee shirts, and lets you rest in his bed before he leaves you to go attend a bath waiting for him. "Man, this one is different ..." Negan thinks to himself before sleeping right beside you or getting as much sleep as he possibly can get.

#negan smut #negan x y/n #the walking dead negan #the walking dead #twd smut #negan x reader #negan x female reader #twd imagine #twd smut imagine #twd negan x reader

[tired-college-student-writing]

#WayneAngel

The Maribat AU by @ozmav and @maribat-archive is all I can think about atm, so enjoy this while I work on the next Tim’s Secret Weapon chapter. 

Summary- After Grayson posts a video on the wrong twitter, Damian feels like he should lose his social media privileges, and possibly his hand.

EDIT-someone pointed out I misspelled Damian’s name, my bad guys

Part 1 (HERE) Part 2

 ______________________________________________________________________

“You’re really dating Damian Wayne?” Rose gushed at lunch making Marinette chock on her sandwich from the next table over, “Is he really as grumpy as his siblings make him out to be?” 

“Oh please,” Lila laughed, “Dami-bear is such a softy, he’s just camera shy,” 

“Awww,” Mylene coos, “Do you have any pictures with him?” 

“Sadly none I can share,” Lila’s mouth twisted into an apologetic smile, “He made me promise that I would be the only one to see the pictures we took together because he’s afraid of our relationship getting to the media,” 

No one noticed as Marinette hid her snort in her lunch. 

______________________________________________________________________

Most of the class had just finished up dinner when Alya’s phone blew up. 

Chloe had sent the whole class group chat a link. Now normally Alya would ignore what was probably just another of her parody news stories, only the whole class seemed to be flipping shit over it. 

Must be interesting, she thought as her phone loaded up the twitter video. 

Dick Grayson @AFlyingGrayson

 Adventures of being the eldest brother 

The video blurred for a second before focusing on the Wayne kitchen, easily recognizable from the countless other short videos the siblings had shot in it. It didn’t hurt either that the camera focused the imposing figure of Jason Todd who was screaming in the much shorter Tim Drake’s face. 

They were arguing about the batter Tim was holding. Jason holding a spoon and brown sugar while Tim waved a piece of paper, the recipe most likely, in his face as he yells right back. Jason, without warning, gives his brother a hard shove, and the camera follows his pinwheeling fall down to the floor where he lands with his face in the batter. 

The room goes silent as the camera pans over to a short black haired girl holding a piping bag, her blue eyes glaring daggers at the two men as Damian Wayne snickered next to her. 

Alya’s heart skipped a beat, thumb smashing the screen to pause the video. For a long second all the reporter could do was stare at the girl that was undeniably Marinette Dupain-Cheng. 

What the hell?

What The Hell?

WHAT THE HELL?

Thousands of questions flew through her head. 

Why was Marinette in Gotham?

How did she get there?

Since when did Marinette know THE Waynes?

Why was she baking with them?

What was going on?!

Her hands shook as she hit play once more. 

“Take over filling these macarons, please, Damian,”  Marinette’s voice was cool as you heard a snort from behind the camera, “I need to take out the trash.” 

The youngest Wayne grins widely as he takes the piping bag. “Kick their asses, angel,” He teased, leaning over to peck her on the cheek, “I got your piping bag,” 

“Since when does the demon spawn know memes!” Jason cries as Tim simply lifts his head and looks at the teens like the world was coming to an end. 

Marinette ignored them as she stalked over and grabbed Jason and slung him over her tiny shoulders like he was a bag of flour. 

“Holy sh-” 

“What the fu-”

“How the he-” 

“No swearing in the kitchen,” Marinette cut off three oldest Waynes, as she calmly walked towards the back door, “It makes the macarons bitter.”  

“Where are you taking him, Mari?” Dick asked, zooming the camera in on Jason’s dumbfounded face. Understandably so, he had at least a foot on the teen, and about eighty pounds, how the heck did she lift him? 

“I said I was taking out the trash,” She answers as she kicks open the kitchen door and dumps Jason on the patio. 

Tim bursts out laughing until Marinette appears over him and carries him under her arm, “Hey!” 

“Stay out of my kitchen,” She snaps, before closing the door in their faces. 

“My girlfriend is awesome,” Damian whispered to himself, almost to quiet for the microphone to pick up. 

“You’re one scary lady, Mari,” Dick told the girl as she turned back to the kitchen. 

She bit her lip, “I wasn’t too mean, was I? I mean I didn’t want them ruining any more sweets with their bickering, because now I have to remake the cake batter, and we’re already close on time  before Alfred gets home from shopping but-” 

“Angel,” Damian said calmly, “That was amazing and those two morons deserved it.” 

“Baby Birds right,” Dick agreed, “That was so cool!” 

She smiled, her shoulders sagging in relief as she walks back towards Damian, who had been dutifully piping the macarons as asked, “Thanks, guys. Now let’s get to work to make Alfred's birthday a success!” 

“As you wish,” the eldest Wayne teasingly announced as he goes to shut off the recording. 

The last thing seen on screen was Marinette sharing a sweet kiss with Damian as she took the piping bag back. 

“Thanks for holding this for me,” 

“Anytime, Habibiti,”

Alya wasn’t sure how long she stared at the screen after it went black, but her texts were still buzzing. They were probably all saying the words that they were thinking. 

Marinette knew the Waynes.

Marinette knew the Waynes REALLY well from the looks of it. 

Marinette was dating Damian Wayne. 

Marinette was dating Damian Wayne, even though Lila had claimed she was dating the heir not three days ago. 

Marinette looked happy in Gotham.

Marinette looked happier in Gotham then she had looked in months in Paris.

She scrolled through the messages without really reading any of them, her mind and body too numb.

Even so, Alya couldn’t help but notice that Lila was strangely silent. 

_______________________________________________________________________

Marinette sighed as she slid the finished and decorated cake into the fridge to cool alongside the macrons they had finished earlier. It had taken a little extra time to make after she kicked Tim and Jason out of the kitchen but the chocolate lavender cake was complete and decorated in an elegant design she hoped Alfred would enjoy. 

After closing the fridge she dug her phone out of her pocket, as it had been buzzing her almost nonstop for an hour before she had muted it so she could focus on the cake. 

Looking through her notifications, her eyebrow raised further and further up her forehead before she groaned. 

“Dammit, I owe Tim €20,” 

“What?” Dick asked from the sink where he was washing the dishes.

“We’re trending,” She answered.

Damian raised a brow, putting down his drying towel, “What do you mean we’re trending?” 

She held up her phone up to the two Waynes, “You posted the video on your public twitter instead of your private one, Dick. #WayneAngel and #MariDami are both trending right now in France and America.” 

Damian hissed, hand twitching towards the knife block “Grayson!” 

Dick had the decency of looking sheepish before he took off, Damian on his heels, screeching for the older boy to relinquish his phone.  

“Don’t break anything!” She screeched not even bothering to follow them, “If you make a mess on Alfred’s birthday then I’m making you into mincemeat pies!” 

 Looks like she had a twitter account to make.

#miraculous ladybug #batman #Maribat #maridami #marinette dupain cheng #damian wayne #Tim drake #dick grayson #jason todd #alya cesaire #lila rossi #other classmates mentioned #social media fail #lila gets exposed #crack treated seriously

[rocksandrobots]

Of Rocks and Robots Ch.22 - Presents and Portals (Part 1)

“Hey, Miss Itamae, I hope you’re having a nice day. You, wouldn’t happen to have anything special today for someone's birthday, would ya?” Hiro asked the grumpy lunch lady before him with a nervous smile.

Miss Itamae only gave him her customary scowl and unceremoniously dumped a scoop of mash potatoes on top of his steak and gravy.

“Yeah...okay then.” He said wearily and moved out the line.

Varian slid into his previously held spot in line.

“Heeelllooo, Miss Itamae, looking lovely as ever! Did you do something with your hair? New hair net perhaps?” Varian flashed the woman his most charming grin but Miss Itamae looked as unamused as ever. Still Hiro had to admit Varian was far more confident in his attempts to butter up the lunch lady; maintaining his witty and suave demeanor even as she dumped his scoop of mash potatoes into his chocolate pudding. “Superb aim, as always.” He said with cheery sarcasm, before turning away.

“Let’s face it. She hates us.” Hiro whispered to him as they both walked away from the line.

“I think she hates everybody.” Varian observed.

“Then why bother with being so nice?” Karmi asked as they joined her at the lunch table.

“Oh, cause it annoys her.” Varian chirped.  

“Yeah, we’re trying to kill her kindness.” Hiro added.

‘Ooookaay.” Karmi rolled her eyes and then opted to change the subject. “Sooo, birthday boy, how's it feel to be fifteen?”

“Uh, not that much different from being fourteen, honestly.” replied Hiro, as he poked at his unappetising lunch.

“Got any celebration plans?”

“Well, Aunt Cass is holding a birthday party later today at the Luck Cat, if you wanna come.”

“I’d love to. What time?”

“It’s at six. It’s nothing special, just a dinner and some cake.”

“And I’m making the cake.” Varian excitedly added.

“And if it’s anything like his fish pie, you’ll want to skip dessert.” Hiro warned Karmi.

Varian looked offended. “Hey! I can bake a cake. Besides it can’t be any worse than these chocolate covered potatoes.” He gave a rueful look at his plate before taking a bite of the nasty connection anyways.

“Then why are you still eating it?”

“What!? And waste food?” He asked aghast.

Hiro rolled his eyes, “Anyways, how did your essay go, Karmi?”

“Great! I got an A, as usual, but I have to admit writing about bacteria’s evolving resistance to antibiotics isn’t nearly as fun as writing fan fiction.”

“What’s fan fiction?” Varian innocently asked.

Karmi’s eyes went wide with excitement and Hiro felt his heart stop as he knew what was coming next.

“Only the greatest thing ever! It’s when people write stories based on stuff they like, like books, or movies. I have this whole ongoing story about Big Hero Six that I’ve been working on!” She pulled out her phone and pulled up said story before handing it to Varian.

Hiro suppressed a groan. “Karmi, did it ever occur to you that maybe real life people wouldn’t appreciate you writing fiction about them?”

Karmi huffed, “Shows what you know. Captain Cutie himself said he liked my work.”

“Captain Cutie?” Varian asked, confused.

“He’s the leader of Big Hero Six, and he’s just the dreamiest.” Karmi explained with a wistful sigh.

Hiro felt like he was going to die of embarrassment.

Varian looked back and forth between Karmi and Hiro in surprise as he pieced together what was happening. Finally he burst out laughing.

“Cap..Captain, Cuuutieee!?” He wheezed, before balling up into more laughter.

Now it was Karmi’s turn to look offended. “You got a problem with that?”

“Nooo! Oh, no, no, N….not at all!” Varian tried to assure her between his fits of laughter. Once he had managed to compose himself, he looked her dead in the eye and said with the most sincere voice he could muster, “Captain Cutie, is the perfect name.”

He followed this up with a smarmy smile that told Hiro that he would never hear the end of this.

“Well, it should be, I came up with.” Karmi held her head up high to mask that her pride had been hurt.

“And it’s amazing !” Varian enthused. “If your story is half as awesome as that name, I’ll bet it’ll be even better than a Flynn Rider book!”

That was enough to placate her. In fact she outright blushed, knowing full well how much Varian loved Flynn Rider novels; though she herself had never read one.

“I promise to read every word.” Varian vowed.

“Weeell, in that case I’ll text you the link.” She took her phone back from Varian and stood up from the table. “It’ll be more than what Hiro does.”

“Hey, I’ve read all your stories.” Hiro defended himself. Karmi looked at him accusingly and he buckled under her glare. “I just... didn’t like them.” He admitted sheepishly.

And with that, Karmi turned her nose up into the air and stormed off in a huff. Hiro slumped down in his seat.

“Smooth move, Captain Cutie.” Varian teased.

Hiro kicked him the shin.

                                               ----------------------------

Hiro scrounged underneath the bed, reaching his arm out as far as it would go, but his hand grabbed hold of nothing but air.

"I did not find anything in the sock drawer" he heard a robotic voice proclaim above the bed.

"That's ok.. ouch… Baymax." Hiro crawled out from under the bed and rubbed the spot where he had bumped his head against the frame. He looked up to find Varian standing in the doorway watching him.

"What are you doing?" The other boy asked with a look of concern on his face.

Hiro was sitting in the middle of what was once Tadashi's side of the room. No one had bothered to touch his brother's things since his death, other than to occasionally dust or tidy up, so seeing both him and Baymax raiding the place was unusual.

"Uhmmm… just...looking for something."

Varian raised an eyebrow.

Hiro sighed.

"You'll think this silly, but, I was hunting for my birthday present."

Hiro searched Varian's face to see what his reaction would be. He blinked a few times in surprise, but other than that, the older teen was careful not to say or do anything that might upset Hiro. Instead he stood by patiently, letting Hiro have the space he needed to explain things on his own terms.

"Tadashi always liked to plan ahead for things. He'd gift stuff in advance and then hide it somewhere around the house until time to give it. I found one at Christmas, that he'd wrapped a year ahead of time, but, I don't know, I guess he didn't think that far ahead for my birthday."

Hiro looked forlornly around the room. He felt stupid now for having even bothered to look and self-conscious at having dredged back up bad memories on what suppose to be a fun day.

"Well, maybe he just hid it somewhere else." Varian reassured him. "Did you try the attic or the garage?"

Hiro shook his head.

"There, ya see? This a three story house and you haven't even searched a tenth of it. Once the party is over with I'll help you look. Okay?"

He offered Hiro a helpful smile and Hiro returned it.

"Okay."

"Speaking of which," Varian continued, "Megan called and said she's on her way and everyone else should be here soon. Aunt Cass sent me up here to get you. Also the cake's done." He flashed a proud grin at that last part.

"And what weird flavour did we come up with this time?" Hiro teased as got up to join Varian at the door. "Black pepper? Bacon? Licorice, again?"

Varian gave him an unamused look.

"It's vanilla with vanilla frosting, wise guy. Also I made sure to write in big bold letters 'Happy Birthday, Captain Cutie' on the top." He sneered.

Hiro rolled his eyes, not believing Varian's bluff, only to second guess himself as Varian gave a smug smile as he walked off.

"You..you didn't, did you?"

Varian didn't answer.

"Seriously, tell me you didn't." Hiro yelled after him as he rushed down the stairs.

Baymax was left standing in the bedroom as he watched the two teens leave. He looked around at the mess, unsure if to follow or to stay and clean up. If robots could sigh in frustration he would have just then. Eventually his primary programming overrode his cleaning operatives and he slowly hobbled after the boys.

                                              ----------------------------

Ding-dong

“I’ll get it!” Hiro yelled as he rushed to the door to answer it.

So far the only people to arrive at the party were Wasabi and Megan. They, along with Varian, were in the kitchen decorating the cake, which thankfully had no ‘Captain Cutie’ written on the front, while Aunt Cass busied herself with shutting down the cafe for the evening.

Hiro opened the door to find Karmi standing there, holding a present in her hands and shuffling her feet like she was unsure of what to do. Hiro stared at her in surprise, first, because he didn’t know if she would show up after getting mad at him during lunch and second, because she wasn’t wearing her usual sweater. Instead she wore a cute summer dress. It was purple with spaghetti straps and a flared skirt that cut off right above her knees. Hiro couldn’t help but feel his cheeks flush at the sight.

Damn it, why did she have to look so pretty? Why did he even care what she wore to begin with? What was his stupid body doing?

She gave him a nervous smile and held out her present to him. He took it numbly, eyes still fixed on her.

“I’m sorry for getting mad earlier today.” She said sheepishly. “I hope I’m not late.” After a slight pause she added, “You know, for the party.”

“Oh! Oh no. Not at all.” Hiro responded, finally snapping out of his stupor. “In fact you’re early. The party got pushed back to 6:30. Fred’s running late with the balloons. But there’s some of us already here, come on in.”

“Thanks.” She said with another small smile as she slid past him.

“Everybody is in the kitchen decorating the cake.” He pointed her down the hallway to the upstairs kitchen and was going to show her where to go when his phone rang.

“Hello.”

It was Keri.

“What do you mean stolen?” Hiro asked with concern as Keri blabbered on about missing project files.

Karmi paused and looked back at him questiongly.

“Look, do I have to come in now?” He tore the phone away from his ear as Keri started ranting instead.

“Okay, okay, I’ll be there soon.” He hung up.  

“What’s wrong?” She asked.

“Uh...looks like I need to go into the office today, just for a bit.”

“But what about your party?”

“Oh, it shouldn’t take long.” Hiro looked at his watch. “Thirty minutes, tops.”

“Hey, Wasabi?!” He yelled and his friend poked his head around the corner. “Do you mind giving me a lift to Keri Tech?”

                                              ----------------------------

“Wow. So she was behind you the whole time?”

Hiro looked at the surveillance footage of the theft. A woman with short white hair, dressed in a red and black leotard with her face covered in matching makeup, flipped silently behind Krei, downloaded files to a flash drive off his computer, and then cartwheeled away unnoticed.

“Can we have a little less mocking and a little more solving, please?” Krei huffed in defense.

“I have found a biometric match.” Baymaxed announced. “Celine Simard; a professional physicist from Lyontreal.”

Wasabi studied the read out on Baymax’s screen. “Says here she worked her way through college as an acrobat in the circus. Stage name, Sirque. I guess that explains the leotard.”

“It also says she’s wanted for theft in major cities from around the globe.” Hiro added. “Any idea what she took?”

“No idea.” Krei answered. “My personal computer has information on hundreds of top secret projects. It could’ve been anything.”

“And with a physics degree, that means she’s smart enough to use whatever it is she took.” Wasabi ominously warned.

                                             ----------------------------

Hiro and Wasabi arrived back at the Luck Cat just in time for the party. Fred and the rest of their friends had arrived and were just finishing decorating the cafe.

"Hey, so what did we miss?" Wasabi asked.

"Oh not much." Honey Lemon answered. "Karmi was just telling us the latest chapter of her story."

"Yeah the one where Captain Cutie and his girlfriend Lab Lady go on a romantic getaway. It's adorable." Varian mocked, and it took every bit of Hiro's willpower not to tackle him from across the room.

"Yeah, it's real interesting. I didn't even know ‘Capitan Cuite’ had a girlfriend." Megan got in on the teasing and Hiro wanted to sink into the ground and disappear.

Karmi however seemed to not to notice the meaning behind their words. "I'm glad someone likes my stories. Hiro doesn't think much of them."

"Oh he just doesn't know what's good." Megan encouraged her. "I think you're a great writer."

"Thanks."

"Yeah! I especially liked the cool new power ups you came up with." Fred added.

Fortunately Aunt Cass interrupted the conversation. "Food's ready!" She sang while carrying two trays of homemade pizza.

From there the party proceeded smoothly. They ate dinner and then played some games, with Hiro finally getting back at Varian with truth or dare. He dared the other teen to juggle some eggs, which all wound up landing on top Varian's head after only one attempt.

Next was cake and ice cream; which Hiro had to admit turned out pretty good. Even though he was loathed to stroke Varian's ego by saying so out loud.

Still, all went well, right up until time to open his presents. Hiro had opened most of them, save for Varian's and Karmi's. He got to Karmi's and had only just unwrapped it, when a loud booming noise from across the street was heard. Soon, the cafe shook as if hit by an earthquake.

Everyone ducked for cover as cups and dishes clattered off the table and shelves and pictures fell off the walls. Hiro though spotted a familiar figure run pass and duck into an alley. She was wearing a leotard.

As the shaking subsided, and before anyone could stop him, Hiro rushed out to see what had happened and hopefully to catch the culprit.

He saw the damage from, not an explosion, but an implosion. As if something had sucked everything inward with street lamps and a mailbox bent in on themselves towards a central point.

There was no sign of Sirque, but Hiro spotted some small metal balls lying on the ground in the center point of the wreckage.

"Hiro? What are you doing?" Megan came up behind him. "Usually people run away from explosions not towards them."

"And yet, here you are." He teased. She rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Also it wasn't an explosion that caused this."

He didn't get a chance to explain further as Gogo came up and told them to come back inside before Aunt Cass noticed they were gone. Hiro scooped up the clue he'd found and they headed back.

The cafe was a mess and the party was officially deemed over with. Everyone stayed to clean up but soon one by one they all left.

First Cruz picked up Megan. Then Wasabi offered Karmi a ride back to the dorms. Gogo and Honey Lemon took their leave next, both promising to go on patrol once they had time to get their gear.

Finally, once there was nothing left to clean, Hiro and Varian made up an excuse to Aunt Cass and rode with Fred to HQ to study the metal orbs Hiro had found.

                                              ----------------------------

"So..nice evening, hun?" Wabasi awkwardly tried to make small talk on the way back to the dorms. He didn't know Karmi as well as some of his other friends did and wasn't sure what to talk about.

"Yeah." Karmi dully said as she gazed out the window, chin in her hand.

"Yeah." Wasabi echoed in defeat.

He wasn't getting anywhere. He racked his brain for another point of conversation, when suddenly a swirling hole appeared in the air. It wiggled and writhed, crackling with energy, and a woman wearing a leotard jumped out and landed on the hood of Wasabi's car.

He slammed the breaks in surprise. She in turn responded quickly, nimbly rolling off the hood and running in the opposite direction of the portal.

Wasabi took a few moments to breath. His heart was racing. He looked over to Karmi who looked equally scared. However, her eyes were still fixated on the portal.

"Look out!" She cried.

Wasabi saw debris fly past and into the gaping mouth of the portal. It appeared to be shortcuriting, writhing even more erratically than before. Then, to Wasabi's horror, the wind picked up speed, lifted the car up, and hurled them into the portal.

Their screams were cut short as they entered and then the portal closed, leaving no trace that they had ever been there.

#big hero 6 #bh6 #Hiro Hamada #Karmi #Varian #Wasabi #tangled #tangled the series #rapunzel's tangled adventure #BH6 the series

[kayr0ss]

Appointments Chapter 5: Headaches and Some Music

[LWA, Diakko, Small Town AU, Fluff and Slow Romance, Pining™ lol]  

Chapter 1 & Table of Contents AO3 Link

Diana pursed her lips, locked in a heated stare-down against the newest occupant of her apartment.

“Please behave yourself until I return.”

The cat ‘mew’ed’ in reply as though he understood and resumed licking the back of his paw. All things considered, he seemed to be a surprisingly well-behaved cat. Who looked polite. This small comfort was enough to make up for the ridiculousness of having to talk to a cat, and Diana realized that she had never been more excited to return to her clinic as she was now.

The normalcy of work, she thought to herself, is beginning to feel like a comfort versus the absurdity of my home’s current state of affairs.

She stepped through her doorway into a lovely Blytonbury morning. The habitual glance towards her watch read 09:51, urging her to walk at a quicker pace than usual. She regrettably strode right by Jasminka’s café—there was no time to pass by tea, and she hadn’t woken up early enough to make some for herself that morning.

Of course, because of the cat.

The day prior, she’d had to return home later than usual to fetch her feline tenant the basic supplies: a small can of cat-food, a litterbox, and two bowls for food and milk. The real challenge was in the ‘teaching him not to leave any form of excrement where he shouldn’t.’ Pleasant behavior aside, it seemed Toby was actually quite intelligent—although by the time it was two o’clock in the morning, her NewTube suggestions were a peculiar mix of medical lectures and ‘How to Potty Train Your Cat’ videos.

She made her way through the crosswalk—ensuring that no brunettes were running about—and mentally prepared herself for the day she was about to have. There were no scheduled patients before lunch, giving her enough time to review case files for a busy afternoon.

When she stepped through the glass door to her clinic, Barbara was already lounging behind her desk and flipping—as usual—through a novel.

“Good morning,” she peaked out from behind ‘NightFall 12: The Oblivion of Love’. “You’re on the dot today.”

“I always am,” Diana replied lightly. “Good morning to you as well.”

“You’re always at least fifteen minutes early,” Barbara corrected, smiling kindly. Then the nurse leaned forward, scrutinizing Diana with an observant gaze. “You’re…”

The blonde lifted her eyebrow in silent response.

“Something.” Barbara said slowly, as if trying to figure a puzzle out. She waved a hand to dismiss the thought. “Must have been my imagination, just thought there was something off. Anyway, I’ve laid down the patient files for the afternoon. We’ve got ourselves a slow morning.”

“Thank you,” Diana nodded politely, slipping into her whitecoat and thankful that she didn’t have to explain the kind of morning (and evening) she’d had. She settled into her chair, entertaining the thought of going through the documents Barbara had prepared before deciding she wasn’t in the right headspace for that. A headache. Massing her temples, she ascribed her irritability at a lack of sleep and constant worrying over her furniture’s wellbeing. She inwardly cursed her lack of morning tea—and really hoped her furniture were okay.

Learning back with a sigh, her eyes drifted towards a pamphlet at the edge of her table. It was the St. Beatrix MMC residency brochure on Cardiology. She’d probably read its contents nearly ten times over by now. In truth, the hospital had already reached out to her: she was “everything they were looking for”, or so the chief resident had said—a young doctor with an impeccable educational background. Diana had been truly grateful, but she was committed to taking the time she’d need to be absolutely sure. Which she wasn’t. At least, not yet.

There was a knock on her door, and Barbara was peeking through the doorframe. “Water. And an aspirin. Because for some reason you look—uh.”

“Off?” Diana tilted her head.

“Like shit.” Barbara nodded, and Diana would have had something to say about her choice of language if it weren’t for the fact that she was probably right. “Did anything happen?”

“Just a few issues to iron over at home,” she replied cryptically.

Barbara looked like she wanted to ask more, but decided not to prod. “That won’t do. We’re having lunch over at the Russian lady’s and getting those croissants you love so much, but in the meantime drink that Advil because someone’s gotta look after the doctor looking after everyone else.”

Diana smiled and felt a wave of gratitude pour through her over Barbara’s thoughtfulness.

“Which reminds me,” the other woman set the items down to Diana’s desk, “the cat’s gone.”

The blonde immediately looked down at the suddenly-very-interesting-patient-files. “I—Indeed.”

“You know, I think I’ll actually miss him. He was kind of cute.”

Diana was ready to remind her of the importance of workplace cleanliness when the front bell chimed louder than usual. The glass pane of the door practically swung open with force.

“Heya, doc! And miss nurse!”

Oh.

Barbara was the first to recover. “Where did you fall in this time? Was it a ditch? Or did you fly off your bike again?”

Atsuko Kagari-with-blood-ty—Oh, enough of that! She’s just Akko!—had come barging in with a large paper bag, effectively elevating Diana’s headache through several numbers up the VNRS pain scale.

“I—” Akko shot the nurse a smug look “—have yet to experience an accident this week!”

“That’s a first,” Barbara crossed her arms.

“But I’m here for you!”

Those stunning red eyes locked themselves onto Diana, and suddenly she couldn’t speak. Me? The brunette strode into her office. She dropped the paper bag onto her desk.

“I’m not quite sure I follow. What is this?”

“Child support!”

Diana flinched. Barbara blinked. Akko simply nodded to herself in smug satisfaction.

“For Toby. Since we’re co-parents now.” Akko clarified, looking completely serious. “There’s a bunch of cat food that should last a while, a cute mouse squeaky toy, and animal milk.”

The blonde felt her ears redden at the incredulous look Barbara was giving her, and seriously—was this seriously happening right now? “C—Co-parents?”

“Yes.” Akko nodded with a determined glint in her eyes. “And I’m no deadbeat mom!”

“I—I see.”

“Anyway,” Akko took one of the pens from Diana’s stand without asking (“Don’t do that.”), and leaned over to write on the blank prescription pad on the blonde’s desk. “Here’s my number so you can text me about anything he needs and so we can arrange my visitation rights!”

Visitation rights?

“Oh.” Akko paused, lifting her thumb to her chin. “We probably need to schedule a trip to the vet and get him a collar, too.”

We?

Not knowing what else to say and still completely blindsided by Akko’s—well, everything—Diana simply complied. “I… know a veterinarian. He’s a childhood friend.”

“Perfect!” Akko beamed.

Once again, it was disarming. She really had to stop doing that to Diana.

“I’ve got to study for a test so I gotta bounce but I’m so excited to see him again!” Akko leaned across the table, moving around at a pace faster than Diana’s sleep-deprived-due-to-Toby’s mind could follow. The brunette wrapped her hand around her forearm and gave her another smile. It was warm. “But really—thank you Diana! I’ll see you around!”

She turned on her heel like the bundle of energy she was and bolted right out the door with a wave to Barbara.

Barbara—who looked right about ready to explode into laughter in the wake of Akko’s departure.

“You kept him.”

“Please don’t.” Diana pleaded.

The nurse finally caved, leaning against the doorframe to her office for support while she snickered. “That’s why you look completely out of it! You’ve got to tell me everything.”

But then the thudding sound of footsteps interrupted their conversation yet again and the door swung open. Poor thing. Might need to have its hinges checked at this point.

“I almost forgot!” Akko came bursting into the room like a cannon ball. “I got this on my way here for you!”

She slammed a paper take-out cup from Jasminka’s café onto Diana’s desk.

“I have no idea what it is to be honest.” Akko yelled, already rushing back out in a hurry. “I just asked Jas for a cup of whatever your usual is! Okay-bye-for-real!”

She was gone in a flash. Diana could smell tea.

English Breakfast, prepared exactly the way she liked it. The aroma was enough to chase away the tension along her brow, and when she glanced towards Barbara, who looked just as lost as she felt—

—they shared soft laughter.

The whole thing was absolutely ridiculous. Including the fact that her cup was labeled: ‘Dr. Grumpy >:(’

 ---

 It was 5:30PM and Akko was in despair.

“Chikusho! That was a disaster.” Akko banged her head against the lecture room desk. She was reeling from the mental assault that was ‘Applied Physics Examination 1.’ Judging by the scowl on Sucy’s usually nonchalant face, it hit her pretty hard too. “How’d you do?”

“Tanginang test ‘yan.” She glowered in her native language.

“I’m going to assume that was a string of curse words.”

“For once in your idiot life, you are correct.”

“Mou!” Akko huffed.

“I’m out.” Sucy declared, and likewise, every fiber in Akko’s being wanted to get the hell out of this classroom as soon as possible. The purple-haired girl lazily slung her bag over shoulder and looked down at Akko (who was still very much slumped over the desk) through one eye. “So are you coming or should I leave you behind?”

Akko groaned. And then sighed. And then groaned another time while pointing towards the podium because—“First I have to walk over there and ask if she wants to join the running club.”

“The professor?” Sucy blinked.

“Ya, dude.”

Then Sucy was grinning daggers. “I think I’m gonna stick by and see if she’ll actually murder you this time.”

“Not funny!” Akko pouted while finally standing up and cursing the fact that she can no longer exist as a worry-free blob on a desk.

“It is. A little. Now go.” Sucy prodded on, repeatedly poking at her arm.

“Going, going!”

While the students slowly filed out of the room—in despair, mind you—Akko approached Dr. Meridies with Sucy lingering a safe distance behind her.

The lilac-haired professor looked up from a test sheet she was inspecting, looking, as one would say, way too tired for this shit. “No amount of begging is going to convince me to pass you.”

“I wasn’t going to!” Akko crossed her arms defiantly.

“Then why are we having this conversation?”

Well. There wasn’t any other way for this to go down than directly, so it was best to just blurt it out. “Do you want to join the running club?”

Dr. Meridies reeled, squinting. “The running club?”

“Yes.” Akko nodded. “The running club.”

“So many people are asking me to join this running club that I think I’m gonna start declining just out of spite.”

“Ugh!” Akko groaned. “I tried—can’t force you! Maybe Professor du Nord can, Kami-sama, why did I even both—”

“Wait wait wait—” Dr. Meridies raised a hand to shut Akko while scowling. “du Nord?”

“Yeah,” Akko said looked to the side with slumped shoulders, “the club moderator. And I’m here cause Diana asked so now that I’ve done that I’m just gonna boun—”

Oddly enough, the exasperated professor seemed to have tuned out. “Chariot du Nord, from Humanities?”

“Uh, yeah.” The brunette blinked. “Do you know her?”

“O—Of course.” The older woman began stare so hard at the table she could have burned a hole through. “Faculty and all.”

Akko caught on like a wolf, grinning mischievously. “You know her!”

“Like I said we both teach—”

“You know know her.”

“Out!” Dr. Meridies barked, “of my classroom!”

With a devious glint, which Akko swore she could see in Sucy’s eyes too, she waved in exaggerated politeness and made her way to the door.

“Okay, professor!” Oh, she loved this sort of drama! “Just saying—it’s on Monday evenings!”

--

“You should have seen her face!” Akko squealed with almost manic glee. “Oh, Lotte you’re gonna love it—I know you’re a sucker for this kind of stuff.”

“But I can’t imagine it! How does Professor du Nord—” Lotte gestured towards her life with both hands for emphasis “—who seems super sweet and kind of introverted but is generally made of sunshine, find herself with a history of romantic involvement with someone like Dr. Meridies—” she made a quick jerking motion towards the right. “Who I haven’t actually seen in person, and if I were to base my judgments off your descriptions she sounds like some mad-scientist antagonist in an anime who’d wear a cape.”

Akko blinked. “That’s a good one.”

Sucy actually nodded.

“It makes no sense!” Lotte shook her head. And then… she swooned. “But love never does, does it?”

“Makes about as much as sense as this idiot getting that doctor to adopt the cat.”

“’The cat’ is named Toby!” Akko chided, “and you’d be hard-pressed to deny him if you’ve seen that cute little face of his.”

The three women were lazing about Lotte and Sucy’s living-and-dining area, with Akko sprawled across the couch that she’d be sleeping on since the pair—or just Lotte—invited her to stay over. There was take-out and beer (which Sucy and Akko had picked up on their way home), and the mini-get-together served two purposes: to recover from that horrid examination, and to keep Akko company because “tomorrow’s my first day of work and I am way too nervous to fall asleep without beer or Lotte nagging me to!”

There was something deeply comfortable about the small apartment. The furnishing didn’t match up and yet every piece felt like they belonged. Pots and pans hung above the stove, used yet well-maintained. They always had an extra set of everything—as though guests were welcome and often come and go. She loved it. And loved how welcome she felt in it. And though she’d never impose unless invited, Akko felt… cozy. Books, and mushrooms, and odd test-tubes, and literary manuscripts and all.

Lotte was in the middle of sharing the gist of her latest writing exercise when Akko felt her phone buzz.

“Hold on,” she excused herself, “I swear if this is a Canvas notification I’m gonna cut a bi—oh!”

“What is it?” Lotte asked.

-

18:53 Good evening. This Dr. Cavendish’s number – I’ve been able to secure an appointment with Dr. Hanbridge, the veterinarian I had mentioned. I apologize for the short notice but his soonest availability is tomorrow at around 1:30PM. Check-up aside, an agent in his clinic should likewise be able to assist with any documentation that needs sorting out given our arrangement. Your prompt response will be appreciated.

18:54 Heeeya Doc! 😊 u sound like an e-mail. :P

18:54 But sure lol I get off work @ Arcturus school around lunch time

18:55 Is it gonna be far?

18:55 But srsly lighten up abit it’s just me we can me at the bus stop or whrvr

18:56 I’ll be hailing a taxi service from my home and will collect you from your workplace at 12:30PM. Please be on time.

18:56 PLS add me on WhatsUpp through this number PLS omg I want pics of my little bby!!!! DO U FEED HIM and I can send you memes to show him so he’ll laugh LOL

18:56 LOL wtf ‘collect’

-

“It was Diana.”

Sucy cocked an eyebrow, “’Diana’?”

“I have a vet trip with Toby tomorrow!” Akko buzzed. “Oh bother, now I’m never going to get any sleep.”

“Is she for real?” Sucy indifferently pointed towards Akko while speaking to Lotte. “She’s like some ‘instant-friendship’ anomaly. Even I feel personally victimized.”

Lotte only smiled. “You have to sleep lest you subject poor children to a zombie for a teacher tomorrow.”

“That’s mean!”

Akko shared a laugh with Lotte, urging her to carry on with her story. They were getting to the good part—Edmund was about to confess!

One successful synopsis reading and a few topic changes later, Akko’s phone had buzzed once more.

It was a picture.

She squealed so hard her cheeks hurt.

“Akko, down! Yes—I see him—stop screaming or else I’m going to poison your drink.”

 -

 The driver pulled up at Arcturus School’s main driveway at exactly half-past noon.

“Please wait a moment.” Diana politely requested, mildly aware of the fact that she was beginning to miss the luxury of having her own car and service.

“Sure, just don’t leave me alone with that little fella, don’t matter how cute he might be.”

With a sigh—which was one of many at this point—she gently peered over to Toby whose head was poking out of the most comfortable canvas tote bag she could scavenge. It was that or nothing at all, and no, she wasn’t going to carry him in her arms.

‘Mew.’ He stared back up towards her. At least he seemed comfortable—and she tried to fight it but then she gave in and chuckled.

“Oh, come on then.”

Diana stepped out of the vehicle with Toby in tow. She pulled out her phone, putting a call through for the latest addition in her phonebook.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

Typical. She wasn’t picking up.

Fortunately she had anticipated this, there was a half-hour allowance in her schedule. Instead of bombarding the brunette with several missed calls, she opted to walk towards what looked like the waiting area where children were fetched. She took a moment to look around, noticing that the school grounds had an abundance of trees—much like the rest of Blytonbury and the campus of LNU. The morning classes were dismissed and children ran about. A few of them began to notice her special baggage, and one little girl ran up to her and nearly hugged her legs.

She had hazel eyes, and big, goofy grin. “You’re so pretty!”

Diana blinked. “Thank you.”

“Is that a cat?”

“Yes.” She lowered the bag a little, appreciating the wonder in the little girl’s voice. “But I can’t let you pet him yet, I’m afraid. He still bites.”

“But I—”

The little girl was cut-off by the sounded children cheering. Diana followed her line of sight and saw…

Akko.

She was playing music. And laughing. But more than that—everyone around her was smiling just as bright. Children sang while they danced in a circle around her, clapping their hands to the beat of what sounded like a ridiculously complicated rendition of the ABCs on the violin. The pace was quick while she played a progression of eight and sixteenth notes. The feel of the song was less classical and more like an upbeat Celtic dance.

And dance they did. Laughing, and clapping, and bouncing around in mirth without a care in the world.

Akko played with such joy and passion that Diana could feel the warmth from several meters away. She kept still—already forgetting her earlier dismay on being behind schedule—and simply watched.

“Do you know her?” The little girl with hazel eyes asked in a small voice.

Diana nodded, smiling to herself while trying to wrap her head around the conundrum that was Atsuko Kagari—who had red eyes, who tripped over nothing and scraped her knee, who could barely make it to her classes on time and yet could bewitch a crowd with a smile and a bit of music.

“She’s…”  

Even Toby looked he was watching.

“…my friend.”

 -

end chapter

-

A/N: Hello everyone! Hope you're doing well, stayin' safe and staying home. So anyway here's another chapter and admittedly I only have a very rough outline of where I want this story to be and well... I like writing one shots because I'm REALLY bad at plotting out longer stuff like seriously, when I started this, I thought it would be 5 chapters long at most and yet here's chapter 5.

So I've decided to just go with it and take the time to explore and narrate the relationships/interactions I've got in my head AND I don't know anything about taking care of cats I AM SORRY IT PROBABLY SHOWS

Hope you're enjoying it so far! (AND I still owe Diana a happy birthday fic that may or may not involve feet due to some shenaginas I've seen on tumblr which I don't know if are jokes or not)

#Diakko #Dianakko #Diana Cavendish #Atsuko Kagari #Akko Kagari #Diana x Akko #LWA #AU #Little Witch Academia #Charoix #Chariot du Nord #Croix Meridies #Fluff #Fanfic #Luna Nova #Sucy Manbaravan #Lotte Yanson

[littlemissnellie]

up next we have the elderberrys! as always, if you’d like to have them in your game then check out the download link below, and if not then i hope that you enjoy finding out a little more about them in their fact files.

download: simfileshare

i hope you’re doing well! <3

ekram elderberry:

loves fishing - he went on countless fishing trips with his father and grandfather whilst he was growing up and continued that tradition with his own son and grandsons - they’re not necessarily quite as passionate about it as he is, but they go along to humour him and listen to his old fishing stories, not because they’re terribly exciting, more so because he gets so excited about telling them

huge grouch when it comes to ‘the kids nowadays’ and their ‘cellphone doodads’ - he’s very close to his grandchildren, but he gets so grumpy every time he catches them sitting around playing video games instead of playing outside in the fresh air - he just misses the simpler times 

the grouchiness doesn’t just stop at his grandchildren though; the close proximity of their house to the university campuses is far from ideal for ekram, especially since a lot of the students who attend the universities end up renting houses next to theirs - god forbid any of them ever have house parties because ekram is building quite the reputation on campus as being the king of noise complaints: a title he doesn’t know he has, but i’m sure would be very proud of

eleanor elderberry:

in contrast to her husband, she’s actually rather fond of all the students that britechester is overrun with - she’s still very young at heart and although she knows almost none of these young adults want anything to do with a little old lady like her, she feels very at home among their ‘vibrant souls’, as she would say

she’s good friends with a lot of the professors at the university of britechester and she’s always offering to help out with the various events that are hosted there - she’s played the piano for choir performances, she’s prepared refreshments for open days, she’s even led some nature society bird-watching expeditions when the planned guide has dropped out at the last minute

when her son and daughter-in-law came to her asking for advice to give to rohan about furthering his education beyond high school, she jumped at the chance to let him come and stay with her so that he could take a look at the campuses first-hand instead of just from a glossy brochure; she wanted as bright a future as possible for him and she knew that britechester would be able to set him on his way - plus, how could she turn down the opportunity to spoil her grandson for weeks on her??

rohan elderberry:

not the most popular kid - he’s not exactly an outcast at high school, but he’s not the best at making friends either - he has kids to sit with at lunch and pass pleasantries with, but his only real friend is the kid he basically grew up with because their moms became friends at their prenatal classes and arranged an obscene amount of play dates - so the whole prospect of having to start anew in a different neighbourhood with a fresh set of people, who were all a lot more outgoing than him is pretty daunting

education is pretty much all he’s good at, he doesn’t have many hobbies outside of school (not any that he’s good at, anyway) so getting good grades and glowing report cards is all that he has - it may make his parents proud, but when he sees other kids walking around in their sports jerseys or carrying their instrument cases he can’t help but feel like a bit of a loser

as worried as he already is about starting university and not fitting in, he’s afraid that living with his grandparents is only going to make things worse for him - he can’t exactly go to any parties and enjoy himself knowing that they’ll be sat up waiting for him when he gets home and it’s not like he could bring any friends or dates (if he managed to successfully land one) home with him without feeling totally lame - he loves his grandparents, but they may be more of a hindrance than a help in the long run

#sims 4 #sims 4 townie makeover #ts4 #ts4 townie makeover #britechester residents #the elderberrys #ekram elderberry #eleanor elderberry #rohan elderberry #littlemissnellie #townie makeover

[boogiewrites]

Choking On Sapphires 82

Characters: Alfie Solomons x Genevieve (OFC)

Title & Song: When the Levee Breaks

Summary: Alfie returns to work. He begins to deal with the aftermath of what happened and tries to gain control of an uncontrollable situation.

Warnings/Tags: Language. References to assault and violence. PTSD. Suffering/Physical Pain. Fluff. Grumpy Alfie. Business Alfie. 

Click on my icon then go to my Mobile Masterlist in my bio for my other works and chapters. (Had to do this since Tumblr killed links, sorry.) Please like, comment and reblog if you enjoyed it! It helps out us writers A LOT!

The clack and clash of work within the well ran warehouse beneath the quaint Jewish bakery was running at high proficiency with its boss stalking about the place again. His freshly cobbled shoes, which he refused to replace, much to Genevieve’s annoyance, squeak with the hard fresh leather and nails against the hard floor. Despite being polished, they were covered with dirt and dust just like the rest of him, as was necessary for working in a rum house. He enjoyed the work again, as much as one could enjoy ordering around mostly boys he thought would have trouble pissing in a pot by themselves. But it did get him out of the house. More importantly, it got him away from the abstract and currently unsolvable problems that lie there waiting for him as soon as he left the structure that running his business gave him.

He’d adapted well, in his opinion, to the problems that lie in that big ornate bed at home. He didn’t work nights if it could be helped, he was home for dinner every day and took the Shabbat off, giving him extra time to be with Genevieve. He didn’t like coming back home to problems he couldn’t solve with a shout of his orders, but that was the life they were dealing with. He’d at least been able to put up a strong front at work, perhaps a bit more stone-fisted with his men than he had been previous to Genevieve’s abduction. But he felt like he had control at his dingy warehouse with its strong smells he carried home in his clothes every day. He felt like he had a place that fit when he was working, his problems solved by either agile fingers or mind with a raise of his voice or arms to put forth the labor and intellect to solve them. He didn’t have to think about how powerless he was when it came to the throw of a dice that was Genevieve’s health and mind while he worked. And although he did make most of his money on being a betting man, he’d always prefer horses over the indifferent will of the miraculous mess that was the human body.

He told himself he did it because he wanted to take better care of himself in the face of Genevieve’s decline of health, taking breaks outside to escape the fumes and flames inside his alcove of a workspace. The reality was that Aggie and Claire had beaten him into submission on him eating a full lunch and getting some sun every day. Aggie would know by his mood and his lack of stealth when it came to snacking in the kitchen if he failed to follow her suggestions. But of course, Alfie had found another way to use this forced time to his advantage. As was his way.

“There lads, go on wif ya.” He grunts after handing coins to the scrappy youth's he’d been meeting with on his breaks. Little sets of unassuming eyes and ears around the city, needing the money and having the time and invaluable ability to seem invisible to most, he utilized them for his work. They gave him all the things they’d seen and heard that could interest him. For a few sweets and pounds the information they gave was worth its weight in gold. He watches their worn shoes become even more so on his orders as they shuffle across the dirty brick pathways away from the canal and the work buildings.

“Next appointment is soon sir.” Ollie reminds him, taking Alfie's eyes from the long distance stare they were set in thoughtfully as the kids disappeared around the corner.

“Right.” He huffs out, a hand that smelled awful and felt much the same with its grit from both stress and work rubbing across his face as he scratches his beard in thought. “Put down visitin’ the families in the diary soon, yeah? Seems a few of the children have come down wif some fuckin awful fing that’s killed one of 'em already.” He says without the emotion behind it that it would warrant from any normal person.

“Yes, sir.” Ollie notes in his mind as he follows after his employer, back down the corridors to his office. Despite Ollie being taller, he very much felt small and like Alfie was carving the way back for him as his shoulders swayed and bow legs stalked with a stance that unquestionably told anyone who looked his way, “Don’t fuck with me.”

“So what ‘ave I got before I head out?” He asks with no fondness to the statement, selves rolled up his bulky and gingery hair covered forearms. His hands, as always highly bejeweled, Genevieve’s gifts among them, slap together and rub to commence the last parts of his work day, the tattooed crowns being the least of the signals from him that he was, in fact, the boss in this space.

“We have the meetings with the little birds.”

Alfie scoffs and scoots up his worn leather chair to his large wooden desk, covered in patches of dust and paperwork with a posture perfect back for a moment. “Not so little now eh?” He muses. “In stature or count.” He states with pursed lips and high brows full of amusement for his observation.

The project of little birds had started years ago. Now men, just like the lads he’d paid earlier were now, he had groomed these young men into spies for him in various fields. He had them for the Jewish community, various pubs and shops and corners in every class of neighborhood and at least one in each of the so-called gangster's posse’s, minus one for the boy who had been with Horne. He’d murdered him where he stood in his office the day he came back to work. In hindsight, perhaps it was a bit harsh, but it certainly sent the other boys into high gear to not have the same fate as him. Alfie felt much more in charge of his emotions from what had happened now, but as always, his sort of life would keep finding ways to make him question himself.

“I have the report here, sir. One will be in shortly with his to close off the group.”

“Why’s he late wif it?”

“Not late, only delayed from the nature of his subject. He hosts at the high tea shops in the West End.”

“Ah. Right.” Alfie nods, a twitch of whiskers over chapped full lips that sat in a tight line as he read over his tiny golden framed glasses. The reports with their code words and aliases couldn’t be read any more clearly by Alfie. It all spelled trouble. The word was out about him being behind the pillaging of Horne’s buildings. Word had spread of the less powerful Birmingham Gypsy brothers helping these acts to transpire as well. But it was known Genevieve was counted among them, being the head Shelby’s godmother to his children and that.

Sabini was annoyed by their appearance in London, but planned nothing in retort. In his words, it was reported that Horne, the bloody American, had it fucking coming. This was a general consensus it seemed, no one fond of any Americans moving in on business since the blowup years ago with the American-Italians. Not even Sabini had been safe in that fight. Americans were seen as cowboys, wildcards not to be trusted and looked down upon for their boisterous nature and inclination to assume their importance. The general consensus was fuck the Americans. At least Alfie had something in common with these men. One less in their line of work meant more for them, and with prohibition still enforced, that opened up a piece of the market to make some money in Horne’s absence. Alfie jots down notes with a hard brow to look farther into taking on Horne’s business loose ends. Beyond the professional, it seemed the consensus on Alfie and his reaction to Horne was a mixed one. Some thinking it an overreaction, some, like Sabini seeing it as earned and flex of power. Whether they thought him mad or powerful, he didn’t much care, but the signs all pointed to him being feared for it and that was precisely where Alfie wanted to stand with these men.

Onto the other subject of his almost betrothed, Genevieve, the news was not as pleasant but he had expected worse. Whispers of taking over her businesses, seeing her as weak now we’re starting to appear. Inevitable, Alfie knew but it certainly didn’t help smooth the lines in his forehead as much as it deepened them. No plans so far, it was still too soon to tell and he had done a fairly decent job as far as these papers told him of keeping her state a secret.

But the young man in front of him quickly put that ease to bed.

“The talk is that she’s gone soft. That’s she’s lame and traumatized. Forgive me for saying these things sir, they are not from my mouth.”

Alfie nods, a hand waving to dismiss the apology as his chin rests in his other hand to hurry on the boy.

“Her lack of appearance has caused much chat among the ladies as she wasn’t known for canceling or not being seen before. They know the donations are still going through, but she hasn’t been teaching or going to meetings or cooking at the children’s home. The more extreme of the rumors are, and forgive me again sir, are that she’s been sent to bedlam, pregnant with another man’s child, gone completely mad and being locked in her home and that she’s on drugs now. She’ll wander 'round the estate naked and talk to imaginary people. Most think you’ll leave her soon.” He concludes with a heavy gulp, his mouth dry from the man staring him down across the desk.

How was he going to head this off? How do you kill rumors that have a grain of truth? He knew she couldn’t go out in public yet, it’d be a long time still for that. She was currently dazed at best, mumbling to herself as she wandered the house with his cane. Her body was healing, she could walk with only a limp now. But her mind, that was another subject entirely. He didn’t know what was her, what was medication and what was trauma in that soft head of hers. It was too soon for answers and he needed them. Needed to squash out this weakness that was growing among them. But how could he show she was fine when she very much was not.

“That all?” He finally gruffs out.

“Yes, sir.”

“Good lad.” He says with a nod, his w'ords tense and his jaw tight. “Well, she isn’t lame or in an asylum someplace. She’s at home healing. Doctors orders to stay home and keep calm until she’s all better. So snuff out any other stories, eh? She’s fine, I’m fine. We are together, she isn’t pregnant. Paint a peachy fuckin portrait, yeah?”

“Of course sir.” He agrees enthusiastically.

“Good work. Keep it up and there may be more pay in your future.” He promises with only a slight lie in the words.

With a bow and thanks he exists and Alfie put his stained fingertips to his scabbed forehead and sighs. “Posh fuckin cunts. No lives. Only love to titter stories like fuckin' little girls in school to each other. Fuckin' gossips. Fuckin’...’ell.” He shakes his head and takes a deep breath. “They ain’t so much worried 'bout me, but her. Which is right fuckin' daft of 'em.” He speaks with an exasperated breath and a sweeping display of his hands. “News weren’t half fuckin' bad 'til those fuckers had to go and run their fat fuckin', cock suckin' mouths.” He huffs, brow low as he slumps into his chair.

“Awful that they’re speaking of Miss Durand in such a way. After all she’s done for them and the children.” Ollie responds with a sigh.

“Fuckin' what mate?” Alfie challenges with a sharp twist of his head his way. “Ya fuckin' soft? Ya sweet on her are ya Ollie?” Alfie's voice didn’t hold enough tease for Ollie to not tense up and stutter.

“No! No sir she’s always been a giving woman to those less fortunate and people speaking ill of her with no proof is upsetting. Not surprising at all! But still unfortunate.”

“Yeah,” Alfie drops the knee jerk flare of anger he’d been brewing up. Ollie hadn't done anything wrong. He just wanted to lash out. “The problem is, some of that is just tittle-tattle, right? But what if they did have a way to know fings?” Alfies natural inclination to be suspicious and paranoid was only being fueled by the oddly specific gossip in some instances.

“As in someone at home?” Ollie replies surprised, knowing Alfie had personally interrogated every staff member after Gen was gone. He’s assaulted a few and had found none guilty. The ruling was that someone had snuck in and posed as staff and given her the drink and then slipped out. Not having someone to burn at the stake really hadn’t helped Alfie out at the time. So Ollie was highly curious as to who would be giving information as he knew most of the staff owed Gen a great deal themselves. He knew them as loyal and grateful, but as Alfie liked to remind him from time to time, what the fuck did he know?

———

While Alfie was out gathering his information, Genevieve was at home doing entirely the opposite. The morphine made her mind a mess, but as was the nature of it, she certainly didn’t know it to be so.

Her walks in the garden, one arm held by either Aggie or Claire as they steadied her, seeing her eyes so far away despite being open and focusing on things. She spoke of children often, like they were there. No one knew what she was referring to. Claire and Aggie had their suspicions as to the cause of this hallucination or delusion, which one they were not sure yet, but neither said it aloud. It hurt them too much to speak of and they knew they shouldn’t break Gen's heart by trying to tell her otherwise. Another screaming fit, something like a child would throw wasn’t what they wanted to experience again.

Gen's reality was far different. She was on leisurely strolls in a dreamy garden. Her cheeky and precocious children hiding from her amongst the flowers and hedges. She didn’t see them all the time, or even often, but she did hear them. Calls for mama and papa, little auburn haired cherubs dashing in the corners of her eyes. She didn’t even know their names or faces but something about the thought of them made things not hurt as badly and it was easy to want to stay in the drug-induced stupor where everything was golden and nothing hurt. The reality was too much still, too painful, too much. So she stayed.

The warm, dizzy halo of morphine was only broken when the pain would break through. This was when the glow in her vision would fade and she would be reminded of how she was, in fact, broken. The physical pain acted as a gateway for the mental, for she recalled how she received the injuries and the memories would start to follow. With a wince, her caregivers knew she was coming down, it was time to rest. Her soft and bruised face was set to something besides indifference as her brow would furrow and her jaw would once again tighten with the stress that her current state brought upon her.

In these moments they would see a wounded Genevieve peek through the veil. Her eyes still dilated but the life backlit them in those hours she was lucid. Once she was herself for some brief moments they would ask her about her hallucinations and dreams, as they were both not decreasing in intensity. Any look at the bags under Alfie's eyes from being woken up by her fighting and struggling, mumbling awful reminders through the night next to him would tell the story of how she really felt whether she was willing or able to herself. Awake, the memories didn’t haunt her as heavily as they did in her sleep. With her brain desperately trying to mend itself, it kept trying to heal the parts that were broken and so it brought the memories of her time held hostage forward, inaccessible to her during her waking hours. The only comfort Alfie found in it was telling himself she was just dreaming, not reliving the trauma. But deep down he knew better. He’d been there himself. At this juncture, his body was growing weary and his spirit wasn’t far behind. The process of healing yourself was one thing, watching another attempt it was a whole other beast he had no interest in taming. And yet he found himself sleeping with it in his bed every night. A reminder of his worries and stress and failure that he could find no refuge from.

————

Alfie shoved his feet into the house shoes that greeted him at the door by the hands of maids. Taking his coat, offering him tea, he still wasn’t used to the treatment and he was starting to think he never would be.

“No, no, love.” he gruffs a young maid away with a brush of his hand. “Where’s Agatha? I’d like to know how Genevieve is before I see her.” he sighs, twisting his body and hearing the pops and cracks of age and strain, both accumulating far too rapidly for his liking.

“I’m here, Alfie.” Aggie’s tired feet shuffle around the corner, always wiping her hands on her apron when she appeared. “She’s in her room. Haven’t heard a peep from her in some time now. Which is an improvement. Short time and she’ll take her medicine again. Thought you might some time with her while she was lucid before she took it again.”

“Is she lucid?” he asks with a raised brow.

“She’s been up and around and with the usual exception of the few hours of her medicine and the strange talking, she’s been doing quite well today.” she gives an optimistic nod.

Alfie nods, a large exhalation stretching the muscles of his chest at the good news. He had been fully expecting nothing good after the gossip he’d had to mull over today. Perhaps there could be a light growing at the end of this dark tunnel for them both. “Good.” he responds, thumbing his nose with no other showing of his relief, his face sat hard and preoccupied as it had been since he’d gone back to work.

He saunters his way down the great hall to Genevieve’s wing of the house. As he does so, he sees a maid dart out of the phone room, kept near the entryway into the kitchens and back halls.

“Oi!” he shouts, her posture straightening and eyes growing wide before she turns to him. “What ya fuckin’ up to in there?” he demands with no politeness, a ringed finger pointing towards the room.

“Callin’ me sista sir.” she answers with a nod, not meeting his eyes. He couldn’t tell if it was from orders or to avoid his direct glare.

“What ya callin’ on work hours for?” he gruffs out with a rise of his chin.

“She’s only home for a short while between jobs, sir.”

“Where’s she live?”

“London, sir.”

“Where’s about?” he gives her rapid questions to read her honesty.

“Clerkenwell, sir.” she keeps her head down and hands together in front of her.

“Hmph. I ‘on’t know you do I? You’re new, yeah? Did I let you in?”

“No sir, I was brought in from another home a fortnight ago when my previous employer passed away.”

“Who was that?”

“Mrs. Hilda Gold from Kentish Town, sir.”

“Mmph.” a rub of his chin, wheels turning at knowing who her former employer was, knowing she was Jewish, but also acutely aware that she was a huge gossip. “I did not know she had passed.”

“I stayed on to clear out the estate then Agatha took me on.”

“Fine fuckin’ timin’ you showed up, eh?”

She doesn’t respond, not certain how to.

“Well get the fuck on... wait, what’s ya name?”

“Dorothy.” she says mid-turn, freezing at the man’s request.

“Well, then Dottie get back to work. No callin’ until after tea, yeah?” he oders with strong squared shoulders and a curt nod.

“Yes, sir. My apologies, sir.” she sputters out fast before disappearing into the nearest corridor.

He sticks his neck out as he passes to find her already gone, chewing the inside of his lip as he continues on with his paranoia as he travels towards Gen’s room.

Genevieve sits so eerily still, tense and afraid to make a move as she stares at the door in the dimly lit room. It’d been left that way to allow her to sleep but as it had been since she’d started getting up and moving around, coming to herself a tiny bit more every day, if she was left in the dark alone she could never sleep unless the medicine forced her to.

Alfie braces himself for nothing good, even though the state of her wasn’t poorly today. With a slow opening of the door, one that unintentionally made poor Genevieve's heart nearly beat out of her chest, he finally shows himself, eyes direct to hers as he sees her sitting up in bed.

He observes her eyes fluttering and her posture slump at the sight of him. At first, he couldn’t believe his feelings were a bit hurt by it. Then she reaches out to him with a face that actually showed something besides neutrality, sleepy eyes and barely parted lips that were pleading for him to come closer.

“‘Ello, love.” he greets, moving over to the bed and taking her hands, kissing her knuckles as he sat next to her on the edge. “You’re looking much better this afternoon.” he praises, a hand to her cheek as he watches her eyes close and her lean into his touch. A lump of fondness erupts in his gut, something he admittedly hadn’t felt since he’d gone back to work and had to compartmentalize his feelings to deal with them. He suddenly felt guilty as her hand covered his, such a tender gesture as she kissed his palm.

Unknown to him, she was flooded with a euphoric relief at his appearance. With her emotions still nowhere near stable, she begins to cry.

“Oh, pet, come now. No reason for all that.” he shushes, wiping the tears away. “What’s wrong?” he asks, picking up the pen and pad next to the bed and with shaky hands, she scribbles away.

“Be quiet for a moment and listen.” it reads, Alfie’s brow furrows, starting to question the optimism of Aggie.

“What are you on about?” he replies and Gen puts her fingers to his lips. The look in her eyes tells him she’s serious. He does as instructed and waits, eyes moving about the room, not sure what he should be listening for.

He watches her raise and her head turn to the door and stare. Much like a frightened deer.

“I don’t hear nuffin’, Gen.” he pats her arm to comfort her.

She huffs out her nose and pursed her lips. “When you’re here I don’t hear them.” She writes, her eyes back again to the door.

A pang of guilt sits heavy in his stomach at her words. “Hear who love?” He asks softly.

“Footsteps.” She communicates, her eyes scanning the bed in front of her with a clear confusion behind them.

“There are people out in the hall all day.” He says with no condescension.

She shakes her head and sighs. “Not in my wing.” How could she explain the fear the sound sent through her. They weren’t just any footsteps, they were Horne’s footsteps. She knew it made no sense. She knew he was dead, but it didn’t stop it from sending her right back to that cold and pitch black room where she was kept, waiting for him to come back and fearing what would come with him.

Alfie sees the very real concern in her eyes. He has a theory as to why she’s afraid but he’s hesitant to ask. “Does anything else make them go away?” He questions, raises her chin up to face him.

She considers it a minute. She didn’t feel afraid with Alfie there for obvious reasons, but what else took it away. “Sleep?”

“Well of course love.” He gives her a soft chuckle and kisses her forehead. “But having me here helps, yeah?”

She nods slowly, a fast one still sending her into the spins.

“Then let me help.” He suggests gently, crawling into bed with her and pulling her to his chest. “This help?”

She nods again, still feeling nervous as she rests her head to his chest. She could focus on him now, hear him breathe, feel it as well.

“Does being in the dark bring them on?” He proposes, fingers stroking her hair, his face bent towards her.

She considers it a moment, slow blinking eyes he was happy to see wheels turning behind. She gives a tap to his chest to indicate yes.

“And only when you’re alone?” He reiterates.

Another gentle tap.

He decides to get to the point, as is his nature, no matter how abrasive it might be. “When you were taken from me…” he begins. He feels her tense against him. “We’re you kept alone in the dark?”

He hears a small whimper from her, her hands now in fists.

“S’all right love. It’s over now. It can’t hurt you anymore.” He coos.

She shuts her eyes, burying her face in his chest.

“And could you hear them outside the door?”

She agrees again, a little whimper of a sound as she pushed her face into him.

He braces her, feeling her breathing grow shaky and uneven, seeing it was painfully obvious she was having trouble with dealing with the memories. Still, he persisted. “Is that what you’re hearing now? When I’m not here?”

A sob moves her upper body and she whines, fingers grabbing at his shirt, smelling still of rum from work.

“There, there, love.” he whispers, putting his mouth to her hair. “Your Alfie’s got ya innit he?” he soothes, smoothing her hair and rubbing her back. “Just memories. They can’t hurt you now. It’ll get better with time, pet.” he laments, feeling her cry in his arms. The pain from the extended panic still alive and well in her chest when she thought about her time held captive. He could feel her skin run hot beneath his hands, the only sounds he’d heard from her since she’d been back were mumbled with pain. He stares at the door as she wears herself out. Holding her like a babe in his arms, face set to an unpleasant detachment. She had so much farther to go before she could venture out. The mention of what happened and she’d fall to pieces. Not to mention she couldn’t speak yet. He was starting to wonder if it was more from physical injury or a mental one at this point.

He did feel sympathetic, empathetic even to her current state, but that harsh bit of him that pulled him through his own dark times tells him she needs to do better, to move forward. He feels impatient, knowing what those on the outside were saying. Normally he would tell any of those posh tossers to piss off with their opinions but now Genevieve was the victim of their rumors and he didn’t want her to lose the place she’d gained in society because of this. He wanted to keep things as well maintained as he could for her, and that meant taking on the stress that would normally be carried by her slight shoulders. Luckily for both of them, he was a tough old bastard who could deal with a bit of posh, West End babble easy enough. But he was more worried about what Genevieve would feel, think and more importantly do when she found out what they were saying. He had so many voices to worry about now. His own in his head, the ones in Genevieve's as well, however many there were now. He was used to listening to people talk about him, and he dealt with it in his own way But now he had to worry about what they were saying about someone else, and not just his people, not only slurs and the like, but a woman he loved. He closes his eyes, pushing his cheek against her head as he knows this will end no time soon.

@jaegeeeeer @cosettewinchester @lookuptheskyisfalling-blog@brianaisasongbird @cry5t4l-w4rri0r @jess2464 @hardygal69 @thegarrisonpublichouse @a-flock-of-angry-pigeons @pootle @negansdirtygirl22 @musingsby-night @shine-dont-shadow @inkinterrupted @vale0413 @emerald-bijou @elaenom @give-jack-a-lightsaber @ultrablackwidower @tinastarkandco @arrowswithwifi @marvelgirl7 @they-are-not-just-stories   @ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes @alitheamateur @gold-trashbag @divadinag 

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[imagine-loki]

Giftless

TITLE: Giftless CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 42/50

AUTHOR: nekoamamori ORIGINAL IMAGINE: 

Imagine that you are Stark’s niece and you secretly share a strong relationship with Loki since he entered the crew. One day you get hurt so bad during a mission that you are about to die.  Loki knows a spell that will save you and share his immortality with you but you and he will be linked forever sharing thoughts, pain, emotions…

RATING: T NOTES/WARNINGS:  Also on AO3 click here

You found out early the next morning why Frigga had been so insistent that you needed to get back to bed. And why she had insisted you needed proper rest.  Loki shook and prodded and pestered you  awake in the morning. He had to fight through the sleeping potion to get you awake and out of bed. He had to threaten to dump you in a pond outside to wake you up before you finally stood on your own. He steered you to the bathroom and told you that you would feel better after a bath. The hot water did help wash the last of the sleep away.

Loki had left an outfit on the counter outside of the bath for you. You smiled at his thoughtfulness and put on the clothes he had provided. You were surprised that the outfit was was much simpler than yesterday’s fancy dress. It was a simple blue tunic and soft black leggings. You ran a bit of magic through your hair to dry it and went to go find your Loki. 

He was waiting for you on the couch in his sittingroom reading a book, as per usual. He looked up when you came in and gave you a beaming smile. “Feeling better?” he asked.  You nodded; the shower really had helped. He motioned for you to join him on the couch. You kissed him first, but then sat next to him. “Turn around,” he told you, taking your shoulders and shifting you so your back was to him. He ran his long thin fingers through your hair and slowly began to braid it, talking as he did. “Mother’s potions pack quite punch even for us. I’m not sure she took into account that you’re human when she prepared the one for you. I’m glad she was at least not too far off in the preparation. I’ll have to let her know she made it a bit too strong for you though. When I was young, I thought it was a punishment for having to be dragged back to bed to have to take one of her sleeping potions. I realized eventually that she intended it as a kindness to make sure I actually got some sleep.” You heard the fond smile in his voice. You also didn’t mind that he was braiding your hair, it seemed to soothe him and he was surprisingly good at it. You ended up with it braided back away from your face with the rest hanging in loose curls down your back. “We have just enough time to get breakfast before your appointment.” He announced when he was finished with your hair.

“What appointment?” you asked, confused. He hadn’t told you about any appointments.

He sighed and hesitated, but finally answered when you wouldn’t give up.  You could stare him into giving up and that was the skill you used not. “I am taking you to see the soul healer,” he finally said. He must have sensed your reluctance to go along with that plan. Smart man.

“Loki, I don’t need a shrink. I’m fine,” you told him heatedly. It wasn’t acceptable to openly see psychiatrists on Earth. It showed weakness.  At least that’s what you’d always believed.  

“Darling, I love you dearly, but you are not ok. There is no shame in not being ok. I feel the wounds on your soul and I feel your heart bleeding. If the wounds were on your flesh instead, you would not deny that you must see a healer.” His tone was gentle and kind. He was coaxing and you knew you were going to fail. “You might complain about having to stay in the hospital, but you would not deny that you needed to be there,” he added with a smirk.  Your hatred of the hospital was legendary.

You sighed. “Fine,” you finally replied. You didn’t have a choice especially since he was right. “But I’m not going to like it,” you grumbled instead of laughing. His face fell and he looked sad. You felt bad instantly, he had only been trying to help. “I’m sor-”

“No, darling. You are correct.  You will not like it,” he said sadly. He pulled you into his arms for his reassurance instead of your. He shook off the mood quickly and stood, pulling you up beside him. “We should go to breakfast before Thor comes looking for us.” 

You laughed and took his hand. “You could stop Thor with magic,” you reminded him, curious as to why he never took that action. 

Loki sighed heavily and looked grumpy.  “I cannot. There are two reasons: firstly, according to Mother and her many lectures of the years, it is against the rules of fair play in brotherly arguments unless he does something truly offensive; secondly and most importantly, my magic does not work against my brothers,” he sounded grumpy. You laughed, but filed that piece of information away.

You had a nice quiet breakfast with Thor and Sif. Odin and Frigga had already eaten and Torun was elsewhere doing toddler things. “Loki, you and Lady Y/N should probably be going soon,” Sif reminded him gently when you had dawdled too long at breakfast. You and Loki both looked away from her. You were dawdling and she was ruining our dawdling.

“You are correct, Sister,” Loki finally answered. You bid them goodbye and promised to see them later. Loki led you through the palace halls, his arm wrapped around you as you walked. “I’m sorry, love, but this is going to be hell on you. It is important healing, but the process shrinks months and years of emotional and psychological healing into a few hours,”

“That sounds awful,” you finally replied, getting scared.

“It will be,” he agreed. “But darling, I can feel your soul bleeding from the wounds there.” You thought you understood what he meant. You had been raped, had your powers blasted open, and killed two people, all fairly recently. You knew you needed this, much as you hated to admit it.

You entered a room in the healing wing. You stopped short, surprised when you saw Frigga waiting for you. Loki just chuckled at you as he pulled you the rest of the way into the room. “Darling, my Mother is the most gifted healer in the world. You should not be surprised that it is she who will be doing the healing,”

“But she’s the Queen,” you hissed in his ear while Frigga was laughing at us. Mostly at you  you was sure. That was too high an honor for a little earth girl.

Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. “Darling, you forget that you are a princess now that you are my soulbond. It would be an insult for you to be seen by anyone less than the best healer in the realm. Now kindly sit down so Mother can heal you,” he steered you into the chair directly in front of Frigga’s chair and held you there with his hands on your shoulders.

“Shall we begin, dear?” Frigga asked, holding out her hands palm up. You were scared, but nodded and placed your hands on top of hers. Loki let go of your shoulders when it was clear you was going to behave. An instant later, Frigga and her healing magic were in your mind. She was no-nonsense in her approach to healing. The first thing she did was heal the part of your mind that had gotten blasted away when the blocks on your powers had gotten ripped away. She was able to heal the control centers there when all of the healers at the compound hadn’t been able to.

The next hours of healing were hell. You visited all of the memories that were making your soul bleed and worked through your psychological issues with things that had happened, all the way back to the death of your parents. It was years of healing, years of learning to deal with the things you had done, and had been done to you, all condensed into a few long torturous hours. The scars on your soul would always be there, but after the healing, you could live with them and not let them eat you  alive.

You and Frigga both blinked back to reality at the same time when the healing spells ended. Loki was waiting for you, reading a book as per usual. He looked up when you moved. “Is it finished?” he asked Frigga. She nodded.

“It is,” she replied. She looked tired too, but not nearly as much as you felt. Loki came over to you and offered both of you a hand.

“I have a surprise for my two favorite ladies,” he told you both warmly. You both smiled up at him and took his offered hands at nearly the same time. He helped you to our feet, which was necessary as you were both stiff from sitting in the same position for hours. Frigga placed a hand on his arm, apparently used to being escorted by her sons. You took a step back, letting him have the moment with his Mother. He gave you a look, grabbed your hand, and made sure it was on his arm too. “I am escorting both of my favorite ladies,” he repeated himself firmly.

You zoned out during the walk, too exhausted from the hours of hell. Thankfully, the walk wasn’t long and it ended in a private dining room where Loki had an elegant lunch set out for you. He pulled out Frigga’s chair first, and then your. He was looking extra concerned over you. You tried convincing him that you were alright, but stopped before you even started. He would spot the lie. “Do not fear, Y/N. It is perfectly normal to feel fragile after a soul healing. It was also a quite a bit of magic and work, dear. It is also normal to be exhausted. I’m sure Loki has a nice quiet afternoon planned for you,” she explained with a smile. You smiled back at her and managed to eat the delicious meal Loki had acquired for you while they chatted and caught up. You tried hard to pay attention to their conversation and join in, but it was so hard when your brain felt like mush and your very soul was sore.

“Thank you for everything today, Mother,” Loki told her. “Shall I escort you back to the throne room?” he asked. She smiled at him.

“Anything for you, dear, and it was a pleasure to help your soulbond. I, however, am perfectly capable of returning to the rest of my duties without an escort,” 

Loki gave her a look. “Mother…” She held up a hand to stop his protest. He continued anyway. “You raised me to be a gentleman. A gentleman would not leave his mother without an escort,” he added. She smiled at him.

“And you will not,” she agreed. Torun burst into the room.

“Grandma!” she exclaimed, running to meet Frigga. Frigga had gotten up so she could hug the toddler.

“Right on time, Torun,” she told her. “See, my escort has arrived. Thank you for lunch, Loki. I will see you and Y/N at dinner tonight,” she looked at you more softly, more gently. “Feel better, dear. It will get better, you promise,”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” you replied formally, standing to curtsy to her. You still weren’t sure around her. She was so open and friendly, and obviously loved your affect on her son, but she was also still the queen. The moment she and Torun had left on whatever adventure Torun had planned, Loki swept you up in his arms. You didn’t even protest, just wrapped your arms around his neck.

“Quiet afternoon, right?” you asked him softly.

“Nice quiet afternoon,” he promised. “Just what you need.” He carried you to a quiet nook in a garden surrounded by rose bushes. He summoned the book about Hiccup the Viking for you and you sat in the garden together for the afternoon. “How are you feeling?” he asked, hours later.

“Like my brain is mush and my soul is bruised,” you replied, snuggling closer to him on the bench you were sitting on. 

Loki chuckled.  “That sounds about right,” he agreed. You stayed there until the bells tolled in the evening. “We have to go to dinner. I swear we will escape as soon as is seemly,” Loki promised you. You sighed, but nodded. He held out a hand to you and when you took it, a brief green light of his magic shimmered over you and you were both dressed in formal wear for the dinner. He held out his arm to you in a formal bow. You giggled and placed your hand on his arm, allowing him to escort you  to dinner like a princess, forgetting that here, you actually were one.

Dinner was a long, boring affair and lasted way too long. Especially since Odin kept wanting to steal Loki’s attention all night and hold him there talking forever and ever. Thor came over to save you. “Brother, stay and catch up with Father. I will escort your soulbond back to your suite safely,” he offered. Loki looked over at you and you saw the pure hope in his expression that his father was actually going to give him some proper attention and maybe some praise.

“I’ll see you back at our suite after you’ve caught up with your Father,” you replied. You was trying really hard to be as polite as everyone else in this setting. It was hard when you was so exhausted from the healing earlier. Thor offered you a hand. You took it and let him escort you from the room. “Where’s Sif and Torun?” you asked him once you were safely out of the dining hall.

“They returned to our suite already. Torun was sleepy. I will let Sif know you were concerned for her safety. She will appreciate the sentiment,” he smiled at you.

“You don’t have to walk me home,” you told him. “I’m perfectly capable of walking back to Loki’s suite alone. You should go be with your wife.” 

He just gave you a look. “Sister, that is not how things are done. My brother entrusted me with your safety. I do not take that lightly. Also you are my sister. Your protection is my duty. And I like you, little imp. You are good for Loki and you make him happy. The least I can do is see you home after the healing you went through today,” you smiled up at him, but tugged him to a stop.

“Hold on for a second,” you managed to find enough concentration in your mushy brain to use magic to change your outfit from formal wear to Earth pajamas. You couldn’t concentrate enough to focus on clothes that would fit in on Asgard, so your magic picked what you knew. Flannel pajama pants and a short sleeved pajama top. “Much better,” you commented and took Thor’s arm again.

“My brother has given you the gift of his magic, I see,” Thor commented. 

You nodded. “It came through the soulbond,” you explained. You had a feeling your words were slurring.  Thor looked concerned. You held up a hand before he could get any ideas. “I don’t need you carrying me to bed,” you informed him firmly. 

He pouted. “You’re no fun,” he complained, getting a laugh out of you . He walked you all the way to the door of Loki’s suite. “Stay in the suite tonight? I would rather not have to find you in the middle of the night again”

“We’ll try, but no promises,” you stuck your tongue out at him and ducked into the suite while he was still spluttering.

“Lock the door!” he yelled through the closed door. You sighed, but locked the door as you were bid. You curled up on the couch next to the fireplace with your book to wait for Loki to get back.

#Loki #Lover #Submitted fic #submission #giftless #chapter 42 #nekoamamori

[huphilpuffs]

flares

chapter: 28/? summary: Dan’s body has been broken for as long as he can remember, and he’s long since learned to deal with it. Sort of. But when his symptoms force him to leave uni and move into a new flat with a stranger named Phil, he finds that ignoring the pain isn’t the way to make himself happy. word count: 3232 rating: mature warnings: chronic illness, chronic pain, medicine a/n: My apologies for any inaccuracies in the MRI scene. It is, despite my best efforts, one of the tests I’ve never had done and the research I did varied a lot by hospital. Huge thanks to @obsessivelymoody for beta’ing!

Ao3 link || read from beginning

Taylor comes to pick him up early.

She has a red flannel wrapped around her waist and her hair in a bun and he feels like a right mess standing in front of her in his joggers and old t-shirt. It was the most hospital appropriate outfit he could think of. The internet says you need to wear a gown for an MRI and Dan’s not particularly interested interested in changing in and out of skinny jeans today.

He’s not particularly interested in much today. His mum would call it depression. Dan’s pretty sure it has more to do with the sleepless night full of bad memories echoing in the back of his brain.

“Wanna stop somewhere for lunch before we head over?” asks Taylor. She’s leaning against the door frame now, staring up at him like she can tell his mind is elsewhere.

Dan’s never been that great at hiding it from her.

“Can’t,” he says. “I need to be fasting for blood work.”

“Damn,” says Taylor. “Guess we’ll have to gorge on gross hospital cafeteria food between tests then, huh?”

The reminder that he has more than one test to get through makes Dan’s stomach go tight. His whole morning has been a mantra of just get to blood work, over and over again. He’s had blood work before. He can handle blood work. It’s what comes after that has nausea erasing whatever hunger he might feel from fasting.

He doesn’t think he’d be particularly inclined to eat, hospital cafeteria food or not. 

“Guess so,” he says. “Sucks to be us.”

The corner of Taylor’s mouth quirks up in a bitter sort of smile. She steps back, motioning out the door with one arm. “Sucks to be us, indeed.”

---

The blood work clinic is a small room in the far corner of the hospital. There’s a bunch of plastic chairs pressed too close together and partitions made of cloth that look entirely too cheap. 

Dan’s sitting between a mum with a baby and an older lady who’s been tapping her cane against the floor since before he arrived. He can’t complain, though. His leg has been bouncing frantically since the moment he sat down. 

Taylor’s standing by the door, leaning against the wall with her phone in one hand and gaze locked on him instead of the screen. He wishes she was sitting next to him. Her presence would probably be more calming than the wriggling baby that keeps accidentally kicking him in the leg.

Really, he wishes Phil were here. Phil would hold his hand, press their feet together, whisper–

“Daniel Howell?”

He looks up. A nurse in red scrubs is standing at the desk with a clipboard in her hand, smiling. 

His knees wobble when he pushes himself to stand. All the leg vibrating has left his one foot feeling vaguely numb. He takes a stumbly step forward. He’s not sure if the shakiness is because his body is broken, or because his brain is yelling at him that he doesn’t want to be doing this. 

The woman who was sitting next to him knocks her cane against the floor. 

“Excuse me,” she says, voice too loud and shrill. “I’ve been waiting longer than him. A young healthy lad like him can certainly handle the wait.”

Dan swallows. His chest has gone even tighter. Part of him wants to yell at her that he’s by no means healthy and maybe she should stop assuming things just because he’s young. Mostly, though, he wants to curl in on himself, sink into his chair and tell her to just fucking go first, it’s not like he cares.

He almost does, but then the nurse is saying, “His appointment was just booked earlier, ma’am. I’m sure it won’t be long before you’re called in.”

The old lady huffs. The nurse smiles sympathetically. Taylor calls out to tell him she’ll be waiting in the hall.

Dan just trudges forward, and slips into cubicle number three when the nurse tells him too.

---

She arranges her colour coded vials on the table as she says, “I’m sorry about that.”

Dan shrugs, just the arm that isn’t laid out, waiting for her to do whatever she has to. “I’m used to it,” he says. The corner of her mouth quirks up like she has no doubt that it’s true.

He watches her pull an elastic from a box on the desk. She tugs it between her gloved hands before slipping it around his arm, tying it far too tightly for Dan’s nerves to handle. It snaps against his skin, squeezing his arm painfully, and he has to dig his teeth into his lip to keep from making a sound.

“Have you had blood work done before?” she asks.

He hums. It sounds strained. “A time or twenty.”

Her response is a laugh. She tugs an alcohol swab from another box and tears the top of it open. It’s cold and wet against his inner arm. It fades to lukewarm pretty quickly.

“Okay, then you know it’s going to pinch a bit.” She grabs the needle this time. “You’ll probably want to look away.”

Dan doesn’t. He watches her press her finger against the bubble of his vein. Watches her press the tip of the needle against where his skin’s a sickly shade of white. 

It stings. Dan’s long since learned how not to wince through this kind of pain.

“You good?” says the nurse.

He nods. There’s a click as she presses the test tube into place. Dan watches his blood bubble up into the clear plastic.

He wonders if there’s actually something wrong with it this time.

---

“You should at least have a cookie,” says Taylor.

She’s gotten a disgusting looking sandwich from the hospital cafeteria and has a bottle of orange juice clutched in one hand. They’re standing in line to pay now, in front of a cash manned by a woman with a hair net who looks like she’s been mindlessly scanning things for hours. 

In front of them, there’s a couple holding each other close who look terribly worried. Then, a man in a suit who looks like he would rather be literally anywhere else.

“I’m not hungry,” mumbles Dan.

“Yeah, well, you should still eat,” she says. “Aren’t you supposed to after you get blood drawn?”

“That’s after you donate blood. They take more,” he says. It’s barely a whisper.

He snags a double chocolate chip cookie off the shelf next to them anyway. And then a second one, because double chocolate chip sounds like a flavour Phil would like, even if it is atrocious hospital food.

Taylor just smiles. 

---

The nurse in diagnostic imaging hands him a clipboard full of paperwork and a pen. 

He sits down on another uncomfortable plastic chair to fill it out. There’s no baby next to him this time, no grumpy old lady to get mad at him for needing care, just Taylor and the near silent tap of her finger against the screen of her phone.

All the paperwork is about various types of metal that might be implanted in his body. He checks no for all of it and hopes his mum never forgot to tell him about a bone he needed set as a toddler or anything. 

With his luck, she probably did and the MRI is going to go horribly wrong and–

“Stop shaking so much,” whispers Taylor. “It doesn’t actually help, you know.”

“I know.”

His leg keeps bouncing anyway, just a little slower.

Taylor nudges her elbow against his. “Go hand in your paperwork. It’ll occupy your mind for, like, at least thirty seconds,” she says.

Dan does, still unsteady and shaky. He’s decided it’s probably the anxiety by now, the bitter clutch of fear that always comes when he steps into buildings full of doctors. He almost drops the pen as he hands it over. The lady just smiles at him and tells him the MRI tech should be here to get him shortly.

When he sits back down, his legs starts bouncing again.

Taylor looks up at him, offering a sad smile. “Play some Angry Birds?” she offers, like she’s decided it’s hopeless to distract him.

Dan tries anyway.

---

He’s about to lose this level for the sixth time in a row when his phone starts vibrating.

Dan almost drops it in surprise, but the screen lights up with Phil’s contact photo and the ache between his ribs fades just a bit. He flashes the screen at Taylor quickly before standing, rushing off to an emptier corner of the hospital as he swipes his thumb across the screen to answer.

“Hi?” he says. It’s a whisper, wavering. 

Phil’s response sounds like a relieved sigh, just a quiet breath of, “Dan.”

It makes him smile. He was asleep when Phil left for work this morning. This is the first time he’s heard his voice today.

“Yeah?”

“I wanted to catch you before your MRI,”says Phil. “I was all worried I’d gotten the wrong time and you’d already be in the test and I wouldn’t get to talk to you.”

He’s rambling. That makes Dan breathe easier, too.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” he says.

Phil chuckles. “I’m hiding in the loo.”

“Oh,” says Dan, because, well, that’s quite sweet. It’s quite Phil. “You’re hiding in the loo just to talk to me?”

“I know you’re anxious,” says Phil. “And I know Taylor’s there but this feels, like, big? And I wish I could be. There. With you.”

Dan almost says I wish you could be, too, but he doesn’t want to make Phil feel bad. He hopes it can go unspoken. Or maybe he’ll tell Phil later, when he won’t need to spend the rest of the day feeling guilty that he can’t leave.

Right now he just says: “I got you a gross hospital cookie.”

Phil laughs again, happy and surprised. “You did?”

Dan hums. “It has two whole types of chocolate,” he says. And then, quieter, “It made me think of you.”

Phil doesn’t respond to that. He stays quiet. Only his breathing can be heard over the line and it’s probably stupid that Dan finds that comforting, but he does. He leans against the white wall in the far corner of diagnostic imaging, staring at where Taylor’s looking back at him, and tries to make his own breaths match Phil’s.

He imagines Phil counting for him, like he used to do when Dan’s chest spasmed and his breathing stopped. It helps.

Even when he’s not here, Phil manages to help.

Dan’s trying to come up with some way to tell him that when Phil whispers, “How are you holding up?” His voice cracks halfway through, goes as soft as it was when he’d count.

It makes Dan’s eyes sting. “I’m trying,” he says.

“You can do this,” says Phil. “We’ll order pizza when I get home and pretend this never happened, okay?”

Dan smiles. “Okay.”

And he stands there, listening to the steadiness of Phil’s breathing, until Phil decides he’s been in the loo a suspiciously long time and has to say goodbye.

When Dan sits down again, his leg isn’t bouncing.

---

The MRI tech is a man who hands Dan a gown and tells him in no uncertain terms to take every piece of metal off his body or else he might die.

Well, he’s kinder about it than that, but that’s the gist of it and the morbid part of Dan’s brain finds it oddly funny.

It takes him way too long to put the gown on. His limbs feel awkward. He almost steps out of the room with his ass fully out until he realizes it’s meant to loop around him a second time. It’s just enough to have a laugh bubbling out of his chest, past the angry bubble of anxiety. 

The MRI tech is standing in the hall when Dan steps out. “I’m Alex, by the way,” he says. “I’m gonna explain the test to you before we begin, if that’s okay?”

Dan nods, even though he’s not sure he wants to know.

Alex leads him into the room. It’s almost empty, save for the giant tube and bed in the center of it. There’s a pillow on the bed, and a weird stand looking thing right at the head. That’s it. It looks horribly uncomfortable. Dan’s back already aches at the thought.

Alex starts explaining everything. Dan tunes him out halfway through.

---

The MRI bed is in fact uncomfortable.

Dan’s shoulder blades feel pointy against it, despite the pillow wedged beneath them. His head is resting in the stand, not quite at an awkward angle, but not exactly natural either. He stares up at the ceiling as Alex wedges a second pillow under his legs. It takes some of the pressure of his hips, but just barely.

Still, when Alex asks if he’s comfortable enough to stay still for the whole examination, Dan nods.

A set of foam earbuds is pressed into his hand. Alex just watches him as he clumsily shoves them into his ears.

Then the bed is moving upwards and back just a little. Alex reaches for something behind Dan’s head. It’s a giant thing that looks sort of like a cage and makes Dan’s chest go tight, an exhale getting stuck there as Alex situates the stupid thing right over his head.

“I know it looks scary. I promise it just sits here, though,” says Alex, his voice muffled by the ear plugs.

Dan nods. He’s pretty sure he’s still not breathing. Suddenly, all he can see is Alex’s scrubs and white walls and giant white bars obstructing his vision and he kind of wants to just get up and run.

“You’re gonna be okay,” says Alex. He presses something else into Dan’s hand. “This button will call me if you need anything, okay?”

He nods again. The lump in his throat is too big to speak.

His eyes feel wide as he watches Alex reach over to the machine, pressing a button that makes the bed move backwards until Dan’s in the middle of a dark tunnel, surrounded by metal on every side. He never thought he was claustrophobic but maybe it’s the fact that the MRI machine looks like it belongs perfectly in a hospital.

Dan’s never been good with hospitals. 

He doesn’t hear Alex say anything before he walks away, doesn’t hear any footsteps or anything else until the exam room door is slamming shut.

The next time he hears Alex speak, his voice is scratchy over the intercom.

“Are you ready to begin the test?” he says. “Remember, once it starts, you can request to take a break at any time. I need you to stay as still as possible while the test is progress. The machine will make loud noises. That’s normal. The ear plugs should help.”

Dan swallows. He stares up at the two bars of metal hanging right above his face and says, “I’m ready.”

“Okay,” says Alex. “If you get nervous, just close your eyes and think of somewhere you feel safe.”

---

Dan spends the entire MRI thinking of Phil.

He imagines the drape of Phil’s arm over his shoulders, the press his lips to Dan’s hair. He pretends it’s the soft blanket Phil bought him pressed against his skin, instead of whatever itchy thing the hospital gave him. He tries to convince himself all the noises the MRI makes are just sound effects in a movie.

He thinks of how soft Phil’s voice was when he first found out Dan was sick.

Of how gentle Phil’s touch is when he knows Dan’s sore.

It helps. The pressure in his chest eases and it takes less effort to keep his eyes closed and when Alex steps back into the room, Dan’s surprised a whole forty-five minutes has passed.

His chest feels achy for a whole new reason afterwards, a strange sort of empty he hasn’t felt in a while. He changes out of the gown and into his clothes while staring blankly at a spot of grey on the hospital’s white walls. When Taylor asks how the test went, he just shrugs and tells her it was as expected.

Not that he really had any expectations.

She drives him home in silence and offers to stay until Phil gets home, but Dan tells her he’s fine, just a little tired. The anxiety and anticipation kept him up last night and he could really use a nap, is what he tells her.

After she leaves, Dan settles on the sofa. 

He runs his hand over the softness of the blanket for a while, letting his brain get lost in the memories of the day Phil got it for him. After a moment, he gives in and tugs it tight around his shoulders, wrapping it over his chest like he used to do with his duvet when he was little.

The fabric smells like him and—faintly—of Phil.

Dan sits there, enjoying it, and tries to figure out what the warm feeling in his chest really means. 

What he told Taylor must have been true, because he’s still sitting like that when he falls asleep.

---

Phil wakes him up by running his fingers through Dan’s hair.

There’s a smile on his face when Dan blinks his eyes open, a softness in his eyes that makes Dan smile back. The blanket is still wrapped tight around him. He’s too warm and the heat makes a dull ache throb under his skin but part of him doesn’t want to untangle himself from it. 

“Smells like pizza,” he mumbles.

The corner of Phil’s mouth quirks up, amused. “That’s ‘cause I got pizza,” he says. “And some of those cookies you like but never want me to order.”

Dan pouts. Phil just runs his fingers through his hair again, so very gentle, before pulling away.

He sets up the box of pizza on the coffee table, and brings Dan a plate so he can eat without leaning forward too much. Dan unravels himself from the blanket just so Phil can sit next to him properly, their legs pressed together without the thick fabric between them.

Normally, they’d watch TV while eating.

Today, Phil asks, “How were the tests?”

Dan shrugs. He knows Phil can probably tell it’s a lie when he says, “Fine.”

They eat in silence after that. Phil lets Dan have both the Domino’s cookies in favour of eating the shitty one Dan brought him from the hospital. It should make him happy. It does, except the quiet gives his brain space to process the day and suddenly his whole body feels heavy again.

It feels like after his doctor’s appointment. Dan feels, stupidly, like he could cry.

There’s a bruise blooming on his arm, and his bones ache from the harsh press of the MRI bed against his body and the lingering tightness of anxiety in his chest. Phil just snags his plate from between his weak fingers, sets it on the table, and settles back onto the sofa next to him. He drapes his arm around Dan’s shoulders, just as Dan had imagined earlier, and pulls him closer.

“Is it dumb that I missed you today?” he murmurs.

Maybe it should be, but Dan missed him, too. 

#phan #phanfic #phanfiction #dan and phil #flares #callie writes words #owo what's this? #a flares chapter? in less than a month? #a miracle tbh

[starry-sky-1]

Jungkook's little adventure

Spinoff of this lovely series by @lil-meow-meow-goes-rawr who let me do this!!!! Lotso love to her and kookie who I couldn't resist writing uwu.

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“JK, JK wake up” Seokjin sighed as he shook the human bundle of blankets for the umpteenth time. The little Hatsune Miku figurine alarm clock on the bedside table chimed a dainty 8:30 am as the bundle in question groaned and shriveled into a tighter ball.

Seokjin stood, arms akimbo, and pursed his lips. “Yah! Jungkook-ah you have to wake up or did you forget its your turn to bring the groceries today? Its your free day so I understand you were up playing Overwatch till 3 am but breakfast is getting cold. I made hash browns with eggs benedict and that bread you’re fond of.We even have Banana Milk.”

Hearing about banana milk, the bundle rumbled and sat up, a head popping out of its recesses like a bunny, puffy doe eyes that were closed, revealed a mop of fluffy hair, sticking up in all directions as Jungkook let out a cute yawn before rolling on the other side and getting up, stubbing his toe in the process.

The shock of pain, made him wince and his eyes flew open, clutching the now sensitive toe in his hand.

“Ow, Ow, OW”

The elder had an amused smile on his face as he watched the entire scene unfold.

“Sometimes I wonder how you’re related to me Jungkook-ah, a graceful, beautiful human like me, sculpted by the finest, who ladies die over, and then there’s you.”

“Way to boost my confidence, hyung” He muttered and grasped his spectacles, promptly putting them on. “I’ll meet you down in 15 minutes.”

Seokjin nodded and moved to the door, kicking a one piece themed sweatpants pair that was lying on the floor for god knows how long and shut the door behind him.

Jungkook stretched, cracking his bones and made his way over to the ensuite bathroom, both brothers had their rooms connected , in a small apartment unit above the bar.

He made his way down to see Seokjin on a call, recently they had been getting quite a number of assignments. The aloof bartender was a former secret service agent and one of the finest in the nation. He knew and dealt with secrets, disillusioned by bureaucracy and corruption, leaving after finishing one of the most difficult assignments ever with him as the only survivor.

“Yes Yoongi I’ll be more than happy to babysit the squirt as you and Hoseok plummet yourself into another dangerous mission, I mean wasn’t Mist enough for you?”

Ahh Mist, that brought back some memories, quite the adventure.

Jungkook scarfed the meal on the table, marvelling at his hyung’s cooking, the meals he cooked could make him a celebrity chef and yet here he was, dealing with dangerous stuff.

“To each his own I guess” he muttered and rinsed his plate, putting it in the right place before moving to the coatstand, his trusty hooded jacket would be perfect for the crisp nip in the air. He shuffled his shoes on and went down, deciding to explore the city a bit before he would fetch groceries and then munch on snacks as he played Overwatch again, he had a score to settle with NoobMaster96.

Patting his pockets, he checked his phone, keys and wallet before making his way downtown. October would be here soon and the parks would be full of leaves in various shades of reds, oranges.He loved those.

The public park was near the older market with a lot of old shops who sold stuff the traditional way, he found the square market to be too boisterous, the stores too fancy with their automatic doors, self checkouts, the crowd too predictable. He would rather source his seaweed chips and ramyun packets from the old lady who would almost always mistake him for her grandson and give him a mangatteok whenever he dropped by.

Speaking of ramyun, he was running low on his nutrition source with cans of energy drink, that’s how he survived those gruesome matches and lived to tell the tale.

He was just rounding the corner near the store, when a police car caught his attention, the small group of people gathering near it obstructed his view from what was happening. He slipped his hood on and slipped into the gathering with practiced ease and noticed his old lady angrily ranting off to two policemen who he knew very well.

Jimin had on a strained smile as he tried to ease the temper of the lady while Taehyung stood flabbergasted, asking questions to an old man who answered them. He turned on his heel and looked at the crowd when his eyes landed at an all too familiar face. Jungkook ducked, having been caught by Tae who flashed him his signature boxy grin and walked towards him, swiftly pulling him out causing Jungkook to squawk.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t my favourite Dongsaeng” he said.

“I’m the only dongsaeng you know from school, hyung” Jungkook pouted as Tae ruffled his hair, causing his cowlick to stand once again which he had spent a lot of time setting.

Jimin noticed Jungkook and pinched his cheek, smiling his infamous eye smile “Still as grumpy as ever.”

“And you’re still as short as ever.”

Jimin’s smile dropped while Tae guffawed and slapped him on the back. Jimin kicked Tae’s shin and then smacked Jungkook’s neck causing the younger to cry out in indignance.

“Yah! Is this how you talk to your hyung after everything we’ve done for you, brat?”

Jungkook gave him a mischievous smirk and rolled his shoulders.

The crowd had begun to disperse and it was then he turned to look at his allies slash friends and asked them what was with the crowd?

Tae looked at him and sighed, “Recently there have been a lot of petty theft incidents here by individuals dressed in all black with helmets or masks and riding gloves. They snatch handbags, briefcases, anything that they can land their hands on. Moreover we can’t ID them as they have blurred their motorcycle number plates and move on a very common design, the physical build is also more or less the same so we can’t say if it’s a single person or a group.”

Suddenly his eyes shone and his grin came back, Jungkook knew that look all too well.

“No Hyung, I am not helping you in this case again, I have to defeat NoobMaster96” He whined.

“Consider it payment for helping your eccentric psychopath friend and his cute ward. Oho she’s too adorable for her own good.”

Jimin added “The coverup alone took us so much time, we hardly slept for a month and it almost cost us our current titles. I NEVER want to work on the desk again” He said with a shudder.

Jungkook nibbled on his lower lip, On one hand he knew he was obligated to help Hoseok hyung and Yana, who he considered his own little sister, on the other hand he still had to game…….

“Fineeeeee” he replied, huffing.

“I knew if there was anyone who could help us, it would be our dear little Kookie” Tae chimed and Jimin smiled as well, highfiving his partner.

“But I need the details you have, the police files and access to the traffic security cameras”

“Consider it done”

“And I want 5 packets of chili ramyeon and nori chips as thanks”

“Whaaaa”

“Don’t question him, Jimin, and done.”

Jungkook moved to their car and Tae fetched a brown paper bag with the words confidential written on it.

“Now lets move to someplace less public and discuss with fewer ears” Jimin suggested and both nodded and followed him to a cafe owned by an ex policeman.

The little bell chimed as they entered and the owner flashed the 2 detectives a toothy smile as he continued to wipe a mug in his hand. They moved to the little private cabin which he held for “special” customers and took a seat. Jimin and Tae knew it was soundproof on the inside meaning no noise from the cabin would go out but they could hear everything on the outside clearly.

Jungkook spread the files on the table and quickly went over them, clicking a few pictures of evidence on his phone, whose camera he had upgraded to give better resolutions. Taking pictures of the suspects from the traffic cameras, he placed them back into the folder.

“I’ve sent you a link that would help you get into the mainframe. I hope you know the drill. Do NOT leave any evidence of your presence, you know SPD’s IT team is getting better at tracking illegal hacking or data hostage attempts.”

The younger only rolled his eyes when there was a knock on the door. Jimin tapped in confirmation and the owner came in, placing two cups of cappucinos for the boys and a hot chocolate for him, closing the door on his way out.

They discussed more details as they took their respective drinks and Tae told him he’d told the owner to bring hot chocolate for him since he knew that Jungkook couldn’t stand the strong taste at all.

Jungkook remembered he had to get groceries and once finished, Tae and Jimin helped him fetch stuff from the aisles at the next door mart and told him they’d drop him off before going back to the station to “work”. He whined when they did not get his snacks telling him that would be his reward if he could give them the missing link to the case and close it.

Clutching the full bags, Jungkook managed to balance them as he slid his key in and went inside. The lights were off which meant Seokjin was out and should be back soon to prepare for opening the bar.

He deposited them on the kitchen counter, placing the perishables in the fridge and moved to his room, opening his laptop as he decided to copy the data from his phone. Maybe Namjoon hyung could give him an insight on this? Ahh no he’s busy so he mustn’t be bothered.

Jin returned and noticed that Jungkook was home a little earlier than usual. The boy would never drop in before 8 pm, just in time for dinner on his days off. So it was surprising to see him back so soon.

He knocked on his door “JK, did you have lunch?” the boy didn’t respond. Jin knocked louder this time. Jungkook fumbled with his headphones and peeped from the door.

“Yes?”

“I asked if you had eaten lunch yet?”

“I had a cup of hot chocolate”

“Yah! That doesn’t count as lunch! I’m making fried rice, come down in 10, irrespective of what you’re working on” Jin said, motioning to the laptop and the wires attached to his phone.

Jungkook swiftly nodded and closed the door, resuming the transfer of data as he waited. He checked his phone for messages, finding none. Of course who would message him, he smiled ruefully before checking progress of the tapes downloading in his system.

As soon as there was a single minute left to 3:10 pm, he went down in the kitchen, just in time to see Jin plating 2 servings, his being smaller than what he had poured for the younger one.

The smell was heavenly and before he knew it, the plate was wiped clean. Jungkook rose to put them in the washer but Jin shook his head.

“You have homework, right kiddo? Don’t worry hyung will handle it”

Jungkook smiled at him brightly before running upstairs, almost tripping on his feet before he plopped himself on his table again, working on a short code that would narrow his search to the bikes of the model, the perpetrators used. It would limit his view time to 5 hours. Something he was sure he could manage. He carefully scanned the now shortened footage and noticed that the perpetrators would always, exclusively be downtown. It was as if they knew their chances of escaping were better there. He also noticed how they seemed to know where to go, irrespective of whether they were on foot or bike. The alleys where the cameras could not record their further movement. Also not a sliver of skin was exposed so nothing could be said about their build, complexion or looks, even gender. All the footage looked the same.

He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing his glasses up, there was no clue, how could he help Jimin and Tae, when suddenly one of the bikes went too close to the pole. Jungkook narrowed his eyes and played the footage again. On the back of the bike was an imperceptible symbol, which he enlarged and screenshot.

One thing that he understood was that the perpetrator(s) had a good idea of the alleys, secondly they knew how to conceal their identity well so it would be physically impossible to identify them, thirdly they chose their victims randomly and finally another bike had yellow paint on its tires, from the footage of a day ago, the one with the old woman whose bag was stolen.

Jungkook knew that there was renovation going on in the eastern part which meant that atleast one of them had entered via Incheon.

He zoomed the footage as he spotted a man push the woman and snatched her bag in broad daylight as he sped off, the old woman screaming at him, which caused the few shopkeepers around to come out. Jungkook noticed that this bike was devoid of the same symbol but had another one in the same design.

He searched them and discovered 2 numbers, in a snake font, 13 and 55.

Weird!

He quickly overlooked the dates of the events and discovered that the dates were in fact a sequence! Running them through the algorithm detector he found that they were Fibonacci numbers and the

snake fonts actually represented their positioning on the cartesian plane.

He had heard Hoseok talk about a gang in town, slowly acquiring power through meticulous attacks, they hadn’t done anything severe, but their attacks were random enough to confuse the police. To make matters worse nobody knew of their arrival or departure, they chose less populated areas to target and left no evidence behind.

Putting the dates in sequence, Jungkook knew when the next attack would take place, coincidentally it was a free day for him as well. It wouldn’t hurt to give a little tip off to the detectives.

The only problem was how to confirm his suspicions, what if he was wrong? He couldn’t afford to let down another of the residents at downtown or undermine what was at stake for Tae and Jimin. He knew the pattern of such gangs all too well, it would slowly evolve to bigger crimes including shootouts and murders once they’d amassed enough power and terrorised the locals. It was an ugly spiral in the Criminal Underworld.

It was almost 11 pm by the time he had finished. Shoot! Just on time his stomach rumbled as well. He hadn’t had anything since lunch. He padded downstairs, knowing Jin would be at the bar but he’d chew his head off the next day for ignoring dinner. There was a plate of samgyeopsal with rice and clear soup, left for him. Jungkook felt a rush of affection for his step brother rise in his heart, who took care of him more like a parent than a sibling, never once questioning when he was dumped at his door out of nowhere and readily gave him a roof to live in and made sure all his needs were fulfilled.

He sat and ate dinner in silence and cleaned the kitchen up before wiping the table. Jin rarely let him in the bar, being fiercely protective of the younger one, wanting him to live as normally as possible.

He shut the lights and formulated a plan in his head. Oh he couldn’t wait to see it all unfold.

The D day had Jungkook nervous as hell, Tae had bombarded him with questions all week about his progress but Jungkook said it was difficult with lack of data but nonetheless sent him the designs on the 2 bikes just to not rouse his suspicions too much. They had thankfully bought the little lie and were busy running for matches through their databases.

He waited at the eastern end on his bike which he had borrowed from Yoongi, the sleek model was very flexible for driving in narrower lanes or taking sharp turns. The only condition was that he had to hack into some company’s financial statements, an easy job.

Hiding in the alleyway, he waited until it was just a few people out on the streets. If his calculations were correct, there would be an incident any time now. His notice turned to one of the shops in his direct line of vision, A girl with curly hair, sunkissed skin exit the cafe where had been the last week.

She had long, pretty legs clad in a pair of skinfit jeans and a white blouse tied in a knot above the highwaist as she put her slingbag around her and moved. He spotted movement on the peripheral of his vision.

Bingo! There were 2 people on the bike this time, heading straight for the woman who now had her headphones on, moving to whatever beat it played. Jungkook revved his own and gave chase right as one of them broke the bag from its sling and ran, clutching it tightly.

She screamed and gave chase, but wasn’t as fast enough as the person. Jungkook knew he’d take the alley with limited access to the traffic camera and his friend would be there, taking a quick shortcut he locked the bike and hid in the thick shadows knowing the person would be there anytime soon, as his friend waited at the other end.

The person came in, huffing as the outfit proved too much for the weather. Jungkook pounced on them, taking them down in a tangle of limbs as he subdued them. Their partner long gone when they realised that the ally had been subdued. He took the helmet off to reveal a young man with a nasty scar across his eye.This wasn’t an injury, no it was a deliberate slash. Quickly he found some spare plastic ties near the dumpbox and tied the man down. He dragged him over to the main footpath and saw the girl jogging up to him.She was even prettier up close and he blushed a bit. He dialed Tae and said

“Hyung, I have a certain present for you, come down quick” as he gave him his coordinates.

Taehyung cursed and kicked the table as his partner raised an eyebrow in question.

“That damn brat” was all he said before nudging Jimin into the car, speeding off.

Jungkook dusted the bag and gave it to the girl who muttered a “thank you”. Heck even her accent was cute and her voice had a lilt to it.

Before he could say something, the siren indicated that they were here. He looked down at the bound man who was glaring daggers at him.

Jimin stepped out first looking at Jungkook and then the man. “why am I not surprised? Of course you would throw yourself in harm’s way with 0 afterthought, Seokjin would have our skins as doormats if anything happened to you,brat.”

Taehyung looked at the man, amused.

“Can’t believe a kid took you down and those are some good knots, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re into some hardcore Shibari shit, Jungkook-ah”

Jungkook only reddened in response as the girl smirked at him.

Taehyung then looked at her and asked if they could ask her a few questions, she was free to go then. She nodded in assent and answered them, truthfully as Jungkook watched in rapt attention.

Jimin noticed and winked at him, wiggling his eyebrows, making Jungkook squeak and turn his head.

The detectives, satisfied thanked Jungkook after taking his statement as well.

“We’ll get all from him, but kiddo, next time you pull a stunt like this, do give us a call before jumping blindly, what if the other man was armed? and do mail us all the evidence you found, your ramyun and chips will be at your door by evening”

He smiled and waved them off before realising the girl was still there.

“So how does coffee sound?”

“Truthfully, Yakult is better than coffee, coffee is too strong for my nose” he replied, tapping his nose and shrugging. He looked at his watch.

“Oh dang I’m late for lunch again, hyung’s going to break my legs but I don’t need to buy snacks now so yess” he mumbled to himself.

The girl shook her head in amusement.

“I-I gotta run, have a nice day.Be safe” he bowed to her before taking off, picking his bike up and speeding his way over to home. Oh he was so dead today!

OMAKE

“You mean she asked me out on a date and I messed it up?” Jungkook groaned as Seokjin burst into laughter at his obliviousness.

Maybe he could spot her next time he was in downtown? It wouldn’t hurt to have her number. He flopped on the bed groaning and cursing. Atleast his Miku chan was still by his bedside to cheer him.

The End!

#btsau #bts friendship #bts fluff #bts fic #bts jhope #bts jimin #bts jin #bts taehyung #bts jungkook #hackerkook #fluff #jungkook is a baby #uwu

[lalalalelo]

Boys will be boys

So, this is my first fic, my first entry on tumblr and I have no idea what I´m doing. Imma doin’ dis rite??

Love the effort others put into their content, this is my contribution. English is not my first language, have mercy upon my soul~

Also, I want to use that bathhouse/ sauna (?) in fe3h so badly. Nintendo give us naked people please!

Link to AO3

Sylvain, the bathhouse and Claude's plan not working the way he imagined.

Time seemed to stand still. Sunbeams fell through the window into the seminar room, indicating the lovely weather they all seemed to miss out on. Professor Manuela walked monotonously along the aisle, reading in her bewitching voice from an antigue-looking book. Whilst the students of the first two rows took moderately motivated notes, the third row lingered gracelessly on their chairs. From time to time, small glances fell on the professor, who, as usual, could not resist showing up dressed with rather less than more clothing. The last row was mentally no longer present and otherwise busied with themselves. For the first hour, Claude stared at a stain on the wall at the far end of the room, wondering if those were the remains of his last failed experiment from a week ago. In the second hour, he fumbled restlessly around his pockets, trying to find anything he could keep his hands and mind busy with. A spoon, two hair ties from Hilda, some chalk remains, a squishy stump of a candle and a sparkly rock he discovered in the dining hall.

"Imperial year 861. After King Klaus I. passed away, his sons divided the holy kingdom of Faerghus into three territories and ruled from then on as archdukes."

Claude sighed. He knew the history of Fódlan inside out and even more than that, since he managed to snatch some confidential monastery documents and sneaked those into his room. He could spend days and nights in the library. Piles of books occupied his bed, leaving himself not enough space in it. Not that it mattered, since he fell asleep on his rug most of the time, passing out upon his tactic maps and scheming concepts. The professors liked to describe him as loafing and uninhibited, blaming his lack of seriousness. The truth was, he was far ahead of his classmates, at least regarding general subjects. To achieve great ambitions and goals, one should be prepared for the future. Only those who are aware of the past and present events are able to shape the future for the better. With this believing, he absorbed all available knowledge, often leaving him becoming quickly bored with his surroundings. The general subjects took place as a mixed seminar for students of all houses. They usually degenerated into lengthy monologues. He twiddled around with the hair ties, attempting to knot the chalk pieces together.

"Come on Felix, don’t be a coward. You can be stiffy later, you’re missing out on the time of your life.“

Sitting directly behind Claude, Sylvain was trying one of his attempts on convincing Felix to join in on his good-for-nothing-missions. For most of the time, the local ladies were involved somehow. As usual, it would probably not work on the grumpy loner.

"Shut up Sylvain and finally leave me be with your foolish games. I have to train later, because unlike you, I still intend to make something useful with my life."

"Uhh yes, you mean dying like a lonely and untouched maiden?"

The comment brought him a rough kick to the ankle. Claude found a few more toothpicks in his pockets, which he clumsily tried to combine with the improvised chalk-hair tie-candle-construct.

"What about you Dimitri? You can’t hide forever, just because your last date went terribly wrong. You are a healthy young man with needs. Once you take over the kingdom, your chance is over."

Dimitri inhaled sharply. "N…no, I can’t get involved in one of your absurdities again. It’s not suitable in my position to do such a wicked and improper action of…"

"Boooooring. You can’t tell me that you’re not at least interested. Look me in the eye and tell me the truth.“

"No ... no … well … I ..."

"Great, it’ll be a blast! Afterwards, we can still ..."

A loud smack on the back of his head silenced Sylvain and woke the dozing rest of the class, whilst Bernadetta flinched in shock and Mercedes and Anette were left in quiet chuckles. Professor Manuela took the attention back to class with one of her famous headbutts. Sylvain rubbed the back of his aching head, ignoring the piercing look he got from Ingrid sitting in the front row. Claude tried to craft the spoon into his construct, one of the toothpicks snapped. Crap.

As Professor Manuela continued lulling, Felix leaned back and huffed in satisfaction.

"You can take your childish attempts elsewhere, but not where you pester others with your incompetence and sloppiness and certainly not around me. Take the boar prince and get out of my sight.“

"Felix, please mind your language, ladies don’t fancy that. Your lack of interest in women will give everyone the wrong idea. Although sometimes I wouldn’t mind ...“

The bell rang for lunch break and a wild rustle passed through the aisle as everyone hurried up stowing their scrolls and quills into their bags. With a sigh, Professor Manuela closed the book and mumbled something about needing a drink. As Felix raged away, Sylvain still persuaded Dimitri to join him into whatever he had in mind. Dimitri lowered his head in shame and did his best to ignore his friend. Claude stood up, placed the strange sparkly rock on the spoon and positioned his sloppily improvised catapult. With a mumbled "Whatever“ he slammed his fist on the dipper and sent his ammunition flying across the room, towards Linhardt's resting head, which had already smacked the table as the first five minutes of the seminar passed by. Claude packed his things and disappeared outside.

"Oh look Marianne, that's the jewelry I must have lost in the dining hall. I wanted to use it for Lysithea's bracelet." Hilda chuckled happily as she picked up and stored the rock in her pocket. Linhardt grunted and moved his head to the other side.

---

As the dinner bell rang, Claude entered the dining hall, hungry for a nice and warming tomato soup. He picked up his share of dinner when he saw a waving Sylvain in the back of the hall. He sighted and ruffled his hand through his hair. Guess, I won’t be able to escape now. He made his way to the table where Sylvain and some others already sat. As he passed by the professors table, he sent a sheepish wink to his teach, only to be stared at with a unimpressed look, as usual. He let himself drop loudly onto the seat, sending an expectant glance to Sylvain.

"This better be good.“

"Oh Claude, you have no idea. As you are a man of class, you will fully understand that this is going to be grand.“

Raising an eyebrow, he inspected the rest of the group. Dimitri was staring his cheese-baked chicken to a second death, whilst Ignatz and Ashe were scooting impatiently around their seats. What a weird party to be sitting in.

"So, what troubles are you up to now?“

"I overheard Professor Manuela yesterday. They are reopening the bathhouse this evening!“

Sylvains excitement showed all over his face up to his ears. The bathhouse was only available to professors and some selected knights and staff members of the monastery. So technically, there was nothing to be so eager about. But he was Claude von Riegan and after spending quite some time at the academy, he also knew who Sylvain Jose Gautier was.

"Sylvain, you know that I don’t ever miss out on the opportunity for a nice little rebellion. But please don’t tell me you plan to sneak into the bathhouse and peek on Professor Manuela. I mean come on, she is doing well for her age. But it’s not like you don’t have enough girls walking around with half her age. This is low, even for you“

Sylvain’s smirk just widened. "I knew it, you are a smarty-pants! Well, Professor Manuela for sure is still quite a snack“ – Ignatz shivered – "but of course she won’t be going alone.“

Claude didn’t like where this was going.

"She will meet up with Shamir, Catherine aaaand your beloved professor Byleth.“

Claude choked on his first spoon full of soup, spitting it across the table on Ashe’s potato stew.

"What, what are you talking about? And why would you be interested in Shamir…or Catherine... or teach…“ As his mumbling grew quiet, he knew how unconvincing his response sounded.

"Oh come on, not even a blind person would miss out on how you cling to her, begging for attention and praise.“ Sylvain rolled his eyes. "Not saying you have a bad taste. I mean, look at those –“

A loud and painful sounding thump below the table meant the second kick for Sylvain on this day.

"Ouuuch, okay, sorry, sorry. No need in getting all sour. So, will you be joining? Because you can’t hold us back. We are in the middle of our youth and man, it’s really hard just getting the tiniest glimpse of bare female skin while being in this stuck up academy. Especially with having Ingrid lurking around us. Or Seteth.“

"Oh, poor thing are you now, Sir Gautier? And how did these lovely gentlemen get the honor to be part of your super secret and guaranteed successful mission? They sure don’t look like the usual suspects if you ask me.“

Ignatz looked away in hot shame, while Ashe’s face was ridden with confusion. Dimitri messed up his place with cheese all over his plate, not being able to make usage of his normally graceful table manners.

"Well, I couldn’t ask Ferdinand, as he is a little telltale for his extra praise of the day. He would give our plan away immediately, if not being a loud mouth with it for everybody to hear. And my granny is more fun than Hubert or Dedue, Linhardt would be too lazy anyways, so I didn’t give them a thought. Caspar is away on a mission to his father’s lands.“

"You could have asked Raphael.“ Claude knew it sounded stupid, but he just wanted to annoy the hell out of Sylvain for this even more stupid plan of his.

"Are you serious? I’m not seeing Rapahel sneaking around the bathhouse. I even doubt he would understand what we would be doing there in the first place.“

Ignatz coughed and with reddened cheeks he intervened. "Raphael‘s stealth skills got a lot better since Shamir taught him… well, how to breathe. He moves around much more gently.“

Skeptical faces watch him in silence. "Well, like gently… considering that he still is…Raphael...“ His voice died out.

Sylvain inhaled for his next sentence. "So, yeah, whatever. These boys should finally learn about the beautiful nature the sight of a female body beholds, so these are the chosen ones and the two of us should guide them.“ He tightened his chest as if he was being terribly proud of himself.

"Ah so, but may I interrupt your nonchalant tittle-tattle and seat myself as a man of true acknowledgment in this subject?“

Sylvain snorts in amusement, whilst Claude puckers his face into a grimace when Lorenz seated himself unbidden to Dimitri’s side.

"True Acknowledgment of what exactly?“ Claude poked his spoon around his soup.

"Well, of the female wonders we are blessed with. In mentally but also physical sense. Don’t you always pretend to be all knowing and overly experienced. Just as myself, you haven’t found yourself a damsel of noble heritage to be the chosen future mother of your children. If you keep slacking off, the chances of House Riegan to maintain their…“

The third thump on this day wasn’t less painful but for once not directed towards Sylvain.

"How dare you talk like that about…“ Claude cut himself off. It wasn’t typical of him losing his head so easily, but almost everything about Lorenz made his gut heat up in hot annoyance. He had to think quick. There was no way, he would be able to put Sylvain off his ridiculous plan and especially not now with Lorenz joining in. Whilst he himself did always enjoy the company of lovely women, he was never seriously entrapped by meaningless female charm addressed towards him. When women chose to be around him, it was mostly for his looks or title, he had a lot in common with Sylvain regarding that matter. But as soon as they couldn’t keep up with his twisted mind or everlasting curiosity for the secrets of those around him, they fled due his lacking interest in them. As he was still a man, he did have thoughts as every other healthy male his age had. He just didn’t give in to them as easily as his classmates did. And besides that, since quite some time it wasn’t about women in general. Mostly, he only had one specific one in his mind. He let his eyes wander around the hall, until his gaze met his dark blue-haired target. Of course, this would only be because of learning efforts and the curiosity in her person. After all, she was a mysterious being, with her fighting and tactical skills, yet still so clueless about the events of this country. When her focused eyes roamed through class, he felt transparent every time she got stuck on him. As if she would be able to read his mind and heart toroughly until there was no secret left within him. Even though most students would still be confused with her lack of showing emotions, he got good at reading the signs her body language and face gave off. The way she walked along the hallway, she small blushes when she felt joy, little smiles for her student’s successful efforts. The hums when she took a stroll to the gardens or even just when she drifted off, as if her head got stuck far away from where her body was.

"What’s with the creepy grin?“

His mind returned to the table, facing the currently two biggest perverts in this hall, maybe even on the monastery grounds. Okay, besides Professor Manuela probably. There was no way, he would let them drool over the sight of his bathing teach. He was trying to convince himself that this was only for moral reasons and the best intentions. Although it was hard lying to himself. Deep within, he knew that the thought of the scenery pierced his gut and heart with painful jealousy. He had to manipulate Sylvain’s plan and disturb them. In the smallest corner of his head, there was also a voice cheering him on, the thoughts of her pale and sweaty skin shining like silk in the foggy air of the bathhouse. Her curvy figure, wet hair, slim and muscular legs and big –

"Still being creepy. But I guess that’s a yes then.“ Sylvain just emptied his plate, when Claude's mind snapped back.

"No worries my fellow comrades, we will succeed. As I am Lorenz Hellman Gloucester – “ He got cut off by a flying potato thrown towards him, ending up on the table. A „Shut up Lorenz!“ echoed through the dining hall. Lorenz blinked unimpressed and flicked the mushy vegetable away, sending it onto Ash’s plate.

"We will meet at dawn behind the east entrance to the bathhouse. And not a single word about this to anyone.“ As Sylvain set the time, he stood up and dragged Dimitri along the aisles. Lorenz gave Claude a last disgusted look before he also turned away and left for the exit. Ignatz looked troubled and uneasy whilst Ashe stared at this plate in sheer disappointment. Both of them picked up their dishes and waddled away. Claude stayed behind with his mind wandering off to the coming evening and about how he could manage to crush their perverted little dreams.

---

The hours passed by and Claude came up with… absolutely nothing. Every time he tried to focus his normally well-functioning brain around a scheme, the face of his teach popped up in his damped head, blocking him off from anything efficient. He would need to get creative and work with what he would be confronted with. After changing into a comfy brown tunic and some loose white pants, he carefully strolled to the bathhouse, hands in his pockets, trying to avoid any contact with wandering students or professors. When he arrived at the east entrance, everybody except for Ashe was already waiting for him.

"Ashe won’t be coming, so we can start operation peek-and-peep.“

"What, why won’t he come? And sheeesh, that name is horrifying, please don’t call it… that. Good thing you are not the tactical mastermind of your class.“

Sylvain shrugged. "Dunno, I guess he chickened out. But that’s fine, we have all the elites gathered around in a brotherhood of joint ambitions!“

Claude raised his eyebrows, he wasn’t exactly proud for the „brotherhood“ being greatly consistent of Golden Deer men. He brushed Sylvain’s furious speech aside with a gesture of his hand and pointed over to Dimitri. "What’s with him, he doesn’t look so good.“

"Aaah, he’s fine. Just needs to get out of his comfort zone from time to time. He will get used to it, right your highness?“ With a big claps upon his back, Dimitri stumbled forward, his face almost as pale as his chicken from lunch. He didn’t give away any sound and only nodded once in an almost unnoticeable movement.

Sylvain cleared his throat. "Alrighty then, so here is the plan. The ladies went in some time ago, so they should be already bathing. We sneak in, look for their belongings, get rid of those and then head off to the bath.“ He concluded with a wave of his hand.

Claude’s hand smacked his forehead, disbelieving of what he just heard. "What? We were never talking about actually stealing their stuff. Do you want to get us killed? Do you have any idea, what Shamir and Catherine will do to us if we get caught? And why the hell would you do that anyway?“

Lorenz straightened himself and crossed his arms. "I think of this as a marvelous idea. For once, this shall be a great training session for our stealth skills. For second, they may be outstandingly skilled knights, doing a great service to the monastery and academy. But they still are commoners without the understanding of which great sacrifices us nobles need to make for the sake of the common people. This should serve as a lesson to not meddle around with the complex noblese correlations.“

Claude’s amused laugh echoed throughout the empty courtyard. "No, no, no, that’s not it. You, Lorenz, are offended by Catherine’s scolding that other day. You can’t take it that she would overthrow your nonsense noblese talk. And you, my bright shining love knight, can’t take it that Shamir refused to go on a date with you. So, is this a deep running hunger for revenge or what else? You really want to be part of this shameless charade Ignatz?“ Claude’s overly dramatic gesture left Ignatz sweating in rather unsure conditions. He looked at the gound beneath his feet and fiddled with his glasses as he responded.

"Well, if you put it like that…“

"Hold it right there!“ Sylvain vigorously raised his hand and interrupted before Ignatz could think about it any further. "You are right. But this is not only for the sake of satisfaction but rather about the joyous appreciation of youth. So don’t dare you manipulate my inquisitive fellow comrades, and… ah, ah, ah“ – he raised a warning finger as Claude turned to Dimitri – "you are not allowed to speak to his highness. This is just for the best of him and I won’t let you ruin this for him. And by the way, don’t pretend to be the hero of the day, I know exactly what you are trying to do here.“ He started to grin deviously as his face moved closer to Claude’s ear, just for him to hear his following whisper. "No worries, letting others peek at her will not take anything away from you. But should you go back on this as well, then I won’t guarantee that I will only leave it at staring – “

The red-hair quickly ducked away from a swing of Claude‘s fist flying towards his face. The Golden Deer’s leader understood that this was merely a lighthearted tease serving for Sylvain’s pure entertainment. He knew that teach had fully seen through the playboy’s way of messing around and meddling with promises. She would rather just stare him to the ground or teach him a lesson within training sessions. Her personal favorite seemed to be letting him spar against the few female classmates he didn’t seem to notice as flirting objects because of questionable reasons, just leading him to actually underestimating them. Normally, it was about him avoiding Lysithea’s raging and painful spells or preventing Leonie from smashing in his flawless face with a weapon of her choice. This kept his mind busy, his mouth shut and raised the girl‘s self confidence massively. Ah yes, his teach had a great sense for sarcasm and deep-running life lessons. Never make a woman angry, neither on nor off the battle field.

As Sylvain fixed his hair, he grinned mischievously. "Now, now. No reason for violence. Shall we be on our way then?“ Without waiting for any responses, he gripped Dimitri’s arm, who was dangerously near a mental meltdown and dragged him towards the entrance. Ignatz slowly followed, whereas Lorenz couldn’t restrain himself from bumping into Claude before walking inside the bathhouse.

"Tss, ruuude…“. Claude scratched his head. This didn’t work as planned. He wouldn’t give up just yet, so all he could do was joining them.

Sneaking past the first few empty rooms, the group made their way towards the women’s dressing room. Since he was a well-behaved young man, Claude actually hasn’t been to the bathhouse before. He got the suspicion that wasn’t the case for Sylvain since he confidently leaded them to a certain chamber. They gathered silently, the room was lit up with some candles and oil lamps. He didn’t even have the time to view the clothing and other belongings piled up and stored in the wooden shelves. Sylvain took a quick swoop of everything he could grab and shared a handful with Ignatz.

"Let’s get that out of reach. Lorenz, get the towels. Let’s just hide them in another room, so we can – Dimitri, where are you going?“ Dimitri flinched as he tried to sneak away in silence and returned to the group with a sigh.

"There is no need for further delays. Let’s just dispose of the gatherings.“ Lorenz went straight for the window and tossed his arm full of towels outside. "This is actually quite thrilling, my heart is bursting from fulfilling excitement“. He turned around to Ignatz and snatched his sharing of clothing away.

Ignatz’s doubtful frown lets Claude smirk. So his classmates have finally reached their rebellious phase. This was a actually childish prank but as the boys never aligned to the enjoyment of scheming before, he could slightly understand their excited and adrenaline-filled mood. He was almost proud of them, if it wasn’t for the people they were actually pranking. His number one rule was all about knowing your prey and preparing for the best way about using or handling them. Every scheme could also fall into pieces because of unknown circumstances, there was never a way of finally ridding every risk. For those cases, the master tactician also had to be prepared to bear the consequences. In this case, Claude was almost certain he wasn’t ready to deal with the wrath of Shamir and Catherine. Professor Manuela would probably just be flattered about a male object actually taking interest in her in any way at all. As for teach… he thought he knew a lot about her in the meanwhile. But in scenarios like these, he could hardly imagine how she would react. Would she be annoyed or furious? Or would she simply not care, her face plastered with her usual indifference? He was sure he didn’t really want to know.

After Lorenz got rid of the towels and clothing, Sylvain shrugged "Oh, what the hell“ and also tossed his share of blouses and trousers out into the early night. "Now to the fun part, forward to the baths my comrades!“

Sneaking for several minutes around the building, they reached the women’s baths. They silently listened for any sounds coming from within. The deep voice of Catherine and hysterical laugh of Professor Manuela clearly rung through the hall and couldn’t be unheard. Sylvain grinned and gestured the boys to follow him quietly. They barely crawled on the floor to get past them unseen until they reached a safe spot behind one of the few pillars in the room.

This is just cringy, you’re not that type of creep to be doing this, Claude scolded himself while finding a spot to hide in. The boys could benefit from the damp and misty air, reducing the sight across the room to a minimum. But then of course, it also wasn’t playing into their hands from reaching their actual goal here. The silhouettes of three people shimmered through the foggy air, they could hardly be seen.

"WHAAAT? No, you did not dare to do that!!“

"Oh you bet I did, and right after that, I smacked him right in the middle of his little unmanly parts!!“

Matching her nickname, Catherine‘s thundering voice echoed through the hall, only to be beat by Professor Manuela‘s deafening howling. Man, this was screaming for headaches. How could anyone possibly be voluntary part of this?

"Sounds amusing. Please let me know before you confront him again, Catherine.“ Shamir‘s monotone voice was carried over to their ears. The women’s weird dialogue of gossiping and nasty details of things, nobody ever wanted to know about, continued for several minutes.

Claude figured that teach wasn’t in the bath although he wasn’t even sure, she was here with them at all, since he never had a chance to look at the clothing. He wasn’t interested in their old ladytalk and turned to the others beside him.

"I’m out of here“, he whispered. Sylvain rolled his eyes in annoyance, Lorenz leaned further toward the voices, trying to catch a glimpse of anything. When looking over to Dimitri, he noticed the begging look on his face, asking for saving from this humiliating position, while being tugged back by Sylvain. Claude shrugged apologetic and sneaked his way back to the hallway.

When he made it unseen outside of the baths, he dared to normally walk the rest. He was almost at the doors they entered from, when he heard hasty footsteps. No, they weren’t hasty. It was more of a…running? He turned around quickly, only to see a panicked pack of pathetic fools sprinting his way. The sheer horror in their eyes could not be a good sign. Claude took the next turn, not caring for any actual direction. All that mattered now was surviving. When he came to stop, he recognized the room, it was the one where they started this ridiculous nonsense. The women’s dressing room.

He panted from his short sprint here and looked around. Wasn’t there anywhere to hide himself away from the demonic doom that otherwise should await him? As he tried to think of something quickly, he heard steps coming up the hallway. This was it, this was to be the end to the heir of house Riegan. Since there was no time left and nothing to help him hide, he squeezed himself as tightly as possible against the corner behind the door, opening it as far as possible to cover him. Claude barely managed to stay still, trying to breathe out flat and quiet. The steps came closer, a gentle tip-tap through the disconcerting silence of the hallway. His thoughts began to rush. Gentle? Tip-Tap? He recognized the movement by sound. There was no way he would not. Please don’t. The steps stopped at the entrance and then entered the room. There was a mumbling of „Forgot the towel“, then the door was being moved to shut. Before his eyes, the scenery played itself in slow-motion.

When the door clicked into the lock, she noticed the figure lurking behind the door. As a former mercenary, her sharp instincts kicked in, and she took a forceful and unexpected swing of her fist to the strangers gut. But it wasn’t a stranger.

When her fist dug itself deeply into Claude’s stomach, the air escaped his lungs all at once. He collapsed to his knees and struggled to breathe. Well, I guess I deserve it for today. He got it worse from Hilda. As he gathered some air, he looked up.

"Heya teach! What a lovely evening, isn’t it? I’m quite surprised to meet you here, heheheeee…“ He coughed and cut off his awkward try of … whatever it was. Just then, it hit him hard, harder than the fist from a minute ago. Byleth was towering above him, with a slightly confused look on her face. While being completely bare. She wasn’t wearing anything at all, her hair was dripping wet, glued to her shoulders. This can’t be happening. Of course she would be naked, the biggest idiots on these grounds tossed away anything wearable in this building, he screeched to himself. He stared intensively into her eyes, even if it seemed unbearable. If he dared to look away, he wouldn’t know where to rest his sight on. He didn’t even blink. These few seconds seemed more than a dozen minutes, before she began so speak.

"Claude, would you mind explaining to me, why exactly you are hiding behind this door?“

"Oh didn’t you know? Cyril was having troubles with rats in here and I volunteered to get rid of them. My good deed of the day, ehe…“

If it wasn’t his nonsense blabbering, it was the desperation in his trembling voice that was giving him away. He tried to keep it as steady as possible, but the unpredictability of this happening to him was even melting his smoothness away.

"That so? How nice of you. But you are right, I did see some of those rats loafing around here. You should try burning them, keeps them dead for good.“ Byleth‘s emotionless expression changed to a mocking grin. Claude faltered at her facial expression. Was that…amusement? She clearly wasn’t bothered by the state of her standing in front of him, with nothing to hide. She didn’t give off any sign of nervousness or anger.

Embarrassment. This was all her head was full of. Here she was, as Sothis and her parents created her and nothing was going to stop this student of hers to soak in everything of her with his simple stare. Except that he didn’t actually do that. He focused his eyes strictly on hers, the deep shimmering forest green taking her own glance all in. Even now, he didn’t seem to lose his cool, except for the painful blow to the gut. Well, he deserved that. Sothis chuckled from the depths of her mind. She wanted to run or just throw herself on the floor, covering herself with everything she got. She wasn’t one to be bothered with her body. Full of scars and traces of her former life, she was proud of the strength and speed she possessed. She was also aware of her curves and the bewitching effect it could have on men. After all, she used it from time to time for distraction purposes, being mostly the last pleasant sight for her prey. But here and now, her head was a mess. Of all people on these grounds, why did he have to be here? Byleth felt a big lump in her throat, and she could swear she was about to choke on it. Before she could think any further about it, she heard a wild trample in the hallway.

"I know you are still here! I will get you and tear off those fancy pants of yours and I will hang you upside down by your feet at the gates of these very holy grounds. THREE DAYS LONG!!“ Catherine‘s furious roar roamed the hallway, her stomping steps close to the women’s dressing room.

Claude was prepared to die. Or at least to get hanged upside down by his feet. Naked. But before he could either move or say anything, Byleth stumbled towards him, dragging him up, from his still kneeling position and pressing onto him, against the wall, behind the door. He gave off some uncontrollable shocked screech, when the door flung open. Byleth covered his mouth and nose with her hand, daring him to stay silent. As the door wasn’t open very wide, she moved herself even closer to him, to keep both of them pressed against the corner of the room. Catherine’s angry steps slapped on the floor. She seemed to inspect the room for anything unusual. Claude held his breath, but it wasn’t because of Catherine. His heart raced so loudly against his chest, he feared his teach might hear the beat. He could feel her leaning in on him, with her full weight. He didn’t dare to move his hands, since he wouldn’t know where to place them anyway. The heat began to creep into his face. She had to get off him as fast as possible, otherwise –

She suddenly placed her head against his chest, breathing softly against his collarbone. He almost coughed at her unexpected movement. Focus, Claude! But everything about this moment shattered every little piece of his mind he had left. Her wet hair tickled his face, whilst her bare breasts pressed onto him. Her legs were placed between his and tried to maintain stability for the sake of both of them. A shiver ran through his body and made him break out in sweat.

Catherine was still yapping and cursing all over the room, apparently she was on the lookout for their clothing and towels. Whilst seconds begin to feel like hours, Byleth tried to get a more comfortable standing and just ended up completely leaning onto Claude. Even though the danger of being spotted in this very questionable position was hanging over them, she couldn’t restrain herself from her thoughts wandering off. To this very man she was standing next to, naked from head to toes. His scent of pine needle tea and foreign spices clouded her mind. It was familiar to her, but for some time now, this was what she imagined what a fresh breeze of wind would smell like. She could feel his heartbeat while laying her head on his chest. A steady but rushed pondering, a sound she herself wasn’t familiar with, since she didn’t have a heartbeat of her own. But this, this was the sound of life. Of his life. She curled her fingers in his tunic and buried her head into his neck. After a moment passed by, she felt his hands on her back, pulling her into a light embrace. She wouldn’t mind for this moment to last even longer than it felt.

The door was shut with a loud smack. Catherine has left the room in frustration, heading off on her search for her prey and some clothes. The pair in the corner remained motionless. Byleth moved her head slightly, Claude opened his resting eyes again, fully drawn into this moment. Their gazes locked into each other as they slowly moved towards the other one, only just inched separating them -

A loud screeching from further down the hallway threw them back into reality. Claude immediately backed off, staring at the door in uncertainty. He heard a panting and damped voice coming towards their room. He turned his gaze back to his teach, only to be overwhelmed by the reddish marks on her face. Byleth opened her mouth to say something, but before she had the chance to do so, Claude moved away from the corner and pulled off his tunic. He reached it out to her whilst looking away.

"So, before this gets anymore awkward than it already is, although I doubt that is even possible, please wear this, would you?“

She raised an eyebrow but took up on his offering. She pulled the tunic over her head, fitting easily into the fabric, since it was suited for a male body. The length covered half of her thigh, hiding her most private parts. "Well, it’s not like you haven’t seen most of it now, hm?“ she huffed in a dry voice.

His sassy grin returned to his face as he looked at her again. "Oh no Teach, you don’t understand. Unfortunately, I have some fellow travelers, who got lost on their way home. And to be honest, I’d rather not share my earnings of tonight“, he winked as her mouth fell open.

"Now, if you’ll excuse me. For the sake of Fódlan, I shall rush to the rescue of his highness to spare him of the eternal shame of public naked gawking. We don’t want Professor Manuela drooling all over his noble abs.“ And with that, he dropped himself to a deep bow before hopping around the corner, not leaving her any chance to respond or hold him back. His guess got confirmed as he spotted Dimitri lurching disorientated around the hallway.

"Run“, he shouted, grabbing his arm while sprinting past him. Dimitri’s confusion turned into relief as he recognized Claude, running along. They ran toward the end of hallway, Claude pointing to the window. „JUMP!“

Dimitri didn’t even have time to think about it and just got dragged with Claude, out into the cool breeze of the night, as they both roughly fell onto the ground.

"Sheeeh, I swear I could hear Catherine’s snorting right behind me“. Claude got up and patted the dirt from his loose pants. He held out his hand to Dimitri. The prince still sat on the ground, staring at Claude, when he broke into loud laughter as he took his hand. He stood up and both of them moved away from the bathhouse. Dimitri still barked out loud and could barely get a grip. Claude’s heart warmed up, he never saw Dimitri laughing like this before and it suited him fantastic. While walking back to the dorms, he moved his arms behind his head, gazing at the giggling prince.

"What’s so funny?“

"That was just hilarious. First, I was torn about Sylvain’s plan, not leaving me be in peace with this evening. But this was just… fun. I guess, he did have some point, about just enjoying youth. When there is hardly much else to enjoy.“

Claude flinched. He didn’t agree with Dimitri there, but now was not the time and place to argue over such issues. "Well, I’m glad you had fun.“

"Oh by the way, what happened to your tunic?“

Claude looked upon the sky, gazing at the constellations he knew by heart since childhood. "Uhh, don’t know. Just kinda, you know….lost it.“ He knew he had Big fat lie ridden all over his face, but what happened tonight was his little treasure to keep to himself.

Dimitri looked at him knowingly in silence, not asking further questions.

"So, did you actually see anything? That was Sylvain’s goal for you and Ignatz, right?“

The prince snorted loudly. "Yeah well, we did see a fierce Catherine rampaging towards us. But you know, Sylvain likes to underestimate me in some matters. As a matter of fact, I did witness things he could only dream of. And I certainly know that he does dream about it – unfortunately for me.“ He puckers his face.

"Hmm, interesting. If I combine that statement, my skilled observation and knowledge about the two of you, my educated guess would be that it has to do with our dear sweet lady Ingrid.“

Dimitri chuckled. "Claude, you are way too nosy. This will get you into big trouble one day. Curiosity killed the cat after all. But by all means, the story with Ingrid just happened by accident.“

Claude peeked over at him. "Well maybe that goes for big cats, but certainly not for deer. And sure, it’s always an accident. Me losing my tunic was also one.“

They silently walked back to their rooms, when cries of agony and fear echoed throughout the night. As Mercedes would tell one of her legendary stories, it is said, that the bathhouse beholds the cursed spirits of every student trying to get into the building secretly, awaiting a painful and everlasting nightmare brought over them by a furious witch. Since that very night, no student dared to go near the bathhouse anymore.

---

When Claude jumped away out to the hallway, Byleth felt the heat crawling up to her head. What did just happen? The unknown emotion teared at her insides, filling her up with euphoria and nausea at the same time. Was she getting sick? Sothis knocked on the inside of her mind. „Oh child, you truly know nothing of this world and their people. I wish for you to keep giving yourself in to all of these new impressions, with me being at your side to aid you. You may contain the soul of a god-like creature but you still remain human. And as a human, you shall be fulfilled with emotions and ambitions in order to find what you seek …“

As usual, Sothis’words were those of a mystery for her. But she began to understand the true meaning to those whispers within her mind. Her fingers ran through the thin fabric of the tunic, as she pulled it up to her face, inhaling the scent of forests and wind.

Shamir walked in, undisturbed of the happenings of that night. "Did you see my armor? Or my towel? They somehow went missing.“ Byleth shook her head. Shamir looked skeptic. "Where did you find that top? Doesn’t look like your size.“

Byleth shrugged and put her stony face back on. "Found it.“

Shamir had the same indifferent expression as she left the room.

"Lucky you.“

#fe3h #fanfic #fire emblem claude #claude von riegan #byleth #dimitri blaiddyd #sylvain gautier #fire emblem three houses #claude x byleth #lorenz hellman gloucester #golden deer

[sleepyfantasy]

Namjoon - Mono

When you finished uni for the day, it was tempting to go straight home and curl up in bed, tired after concentrating all day, but there was somewhere you wanted to go even more. Instead of climbing into your nice warm bed, you only popped home to drop your books and wrap up a bit warmer before heading out again to brave the chilly evening.

Your next stop was the take away you went to often enough for them to know your order, always making you think that you should cook more, but never yet enough to convince you to actually do so. Having called ahead, it was a quick stop, but then you found yourself laden down with the takeaway bags. Anything that didn’t need to remain upright, you put away in your backpack, reducing the load on your hands. Then you headed to your final destination.

Arriving at the Bighit building, you greeted the ladies at the front desk by name and when you did the same to the guys at the security desk, they let you through without any checks. Upstairs, you knocked on the door of the practice room, the bags containing Jin’s, Jimin’s and Hoseok’s tea already in your hand, ready to hand over when Jin opened the door.

“Oh, thank goodness,” he said, before calling out behind him, “We’re going to have to take a break, Guys, Y/N brought food!” Then he turned back to you, “You are a lifesaver. These two have been drilling me hard for hours. There’s this one move that I just can’t seem to get.”

“Well, I’m glad I can provide you with some brief relief,” you said, smiling at him. When the other two headed over to the door, you greeted them both briefly, before saying, “I’d better deliver the rest of these meals. I’ll talk to you all later,” and then you left them with a wave.

Next, you headed over to the gym where you knew Jungkook and Taehyung were, because Taehyung had been sending you photos of Jungkook’s working out faces for the past hour or so. The door was already slightly ajar when you got there, so you didn’t knock, just went in, greeting them as you did, followed by calling out, “I brought food.”

“The real three magic words,” Taehyung said, rushing over, closely followed by Jungkook.

Each of them gave you a one-armed hug, their other arms busy carrying the bags of food you had just given them. Then they followed you out of the room, but then you went in opposite directions, them to find somewhere to eat, and you towards Genius Lab.

When you got no response from knocking on the door, not that you really expected one, you emailed Yoongi, knowing that he wouldn’t look at his phone but an email would pop up on his screen.

“Yoongs,

I have food for you.

Unlock the door in the next two minutes or I give it to the maknae line.

Y/N”

It took him less than a minute to unlock the door.

“I know you would never actually give my food to those brats, you know? You’re too worried about us not eating enough to do that.”

“Maybe so,” you conceded, shrugging, “but the threat still makes you open the door.”

He let out a half laugh and ruffled your hair, taking the bag of food you were offering him. “Thanks, Midget.”

You stuck your tongue out at him as he closed the door.

Finally, you started on your way to the place you had been thinking of before; the place you would rather be even than snuggled up in your bed.

Knocking on the door of Mon Studio was almost as futile as knocking at Genius Lab, the difference being that Namjoon didn’t tend to lock the door so if he didn’t answer, you could just walk in.

When you entered, you saw Namjoon hunched over the computer screen, face far too close to be good for his eyesight. You knew that if you interrupted him now to make him eat, he would be grumpy and on edge, not able to really relax. It was better to leave him when he was in the zone like this and wait for him to come out naturally.

Instead of disturbing him, you picked up the pad of post-it notes he kept on his desk. On the top one, you wrote,

“Joonie,

I didn’t want to disturb you because you looked like you were in the zone.

I picked up dinner from the place down my road that you like. I’ve put it in the kitchen, marked with your name and a threat to anyone who might try to steal it. Just microwave it when you’re ready.

Good luck with whatever you’re working for.

Love from

Y/N xxx”

Then you took the post-it and placed it as close to him as you dared while trying not to disturb him. You took the next post-it too, before putting the pad back where you had found it.

When you got to the kitchen, you wrote on the post-it,

“Namjoon’s tea.

Anyone who touches it has to deal with an angry Y/N.”

Knowing it could be a while until Namjoon looked up, you went to find the others. Everyone except Namjoon and Yoongi was in their lounge, already digging in to the food you had brought them.

“Mind if I join?” you asked.

Although his mouth was full, Taehyung nodded wildly and gestured to the seat next to him.

“I think that’s a yes from Tae,” Hoseok clarified, in case you hadn’t understood the message.

“Sit down!” Jimin told you, motioning to the seat next to Taehyung as well, the younger boy still nodding passionately and regretting the large mouthful he had taken just before your entrance.

You all chatted as you ate, even Taehyung when he finished his mouthful, but shortly afterwards, they all had to return to their work, leaving you alone in the lounge.

 Namjoon leant back with a sigh, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes, finally giving them a rest after staring at a screen for more than five hours straight. When he leant forward again, he spotted something yellow in the corner of his eye. Picking it up, he recognised your handwriting immediately.

When he had made it to the kitchen and reheated the food you brought for him, his favourite, he scarfed it down in record time, trying to remember when it was that he last had a proper meal. He definitely remembered eating lunch two days before, but since then, everything was kind of a blur.

As he was throwing away the all but licked clean containers, he heard a noise from the lounge on the other side of the kitchen from hallway that led to his studio. He had assumed most of the guys would have gone back home by now, so he wondered who it could be.

Heading closer to the door, he could identify the noise. It was a common sound around here and back at the dorm, the sound of the maknae line giggling while trying to be sneaky. They were certainly quieter than their average, but they were by no means silent.

When he was at the door, he could see the three of them gathered around the sofa, looking down at it, phone cameras pointing at it. He walked into the room, around the sofa, trying to see what they were so interested in.

Just before he got to a place where he could see what they were looking for, the younger boys spotted him.

Jungkook spotted him first, smile falling from his face as he realised they had been caught. He hit Taehyung on the arm, alerting him to the leader’s presence.

“Hyung,” Taehyung said when he saw him, cutting off Jimin who had still been giggling as Namjoon finally got to where he could see you curled up on the sofa, cuddling one of the throw cushions that normally sat there.

“You guys need to leave her alone,” he said, his voice a whisper, but commanding nonetheless; one of the many skills he had developed as the leader of BTS.

As the maknaes chased each other out of the room, Namjoon added, “And send me those photos.”

Rounding the sofa, he crouched by your side and gently moved the hair back off your face that had fallen forward.

“Hey, Beautiful,” he said, barely louder than he had been speaking to the younger guys but it was enough to stir you from your sleep.

“Hey,” you said, your voice a little croaky from sleep. “Are you done?”

“Yes, Jagi. I’m done for the night. We should go home soon,” he looked like he was going to say something else, but you weren’t awake enough to pick up on the cues, so you unintentionally interrupted him.

“Are you coming back to mine?”

“If that’s okay?” he said. “Yes.” After you nodded in response, he added, “But maybe first I could borrow you for twenty-four minutes and forty-seven seconds?”

Starting to wake up a little more, you said, “That’s an oddly specific time…”

As you were starting to sit up, he took your hand in his, gently pulling you all the way to your feet and straight into his arms, saying, “Please?”

“I never said no,” you told him, voice slightly muffled from how he was holding you against him. You pulled back, “Lead the way,” you said before leaning up to kiss his cheek.

With your hands still linked, he led you back to his studio. When you got there, he took a seat in his desk chair, pulling you down to sit in his lap. Straight away he put his headphones on you, carefully placing them over your ears, before placing his arms around your waist.

“Just listen,” he said as he pressed play.

And that’s how you sat for twenty-four minutes and forty-seven seconds. You didn’t move a muscle. You barely even felt Namjoon’s breath on your neck from where he had hidden his face, too nervous to watch your reaction.

Nearly twenty-five minutes later, you shifted yourself so you were sideways on Namjoon’s lap, so you were able to wrap your arms around his neck and kiss the top of his head. “It’s beautiful,” you told him.

“Really? You liked it?” he asked, still hiding his face in your neck, not daring to look up and see your reaction.

“Really,” you confirmed, gently manoeuvring his face so he had to look at you.

“Jagiya!” he called out, reaching up and wiping your eyes where you hadn’t even realised tears had been gently making their tracks down your cheeks since you started listening. “Was it that bad?”

“For a smart person, you’re pretty dumb sometimes, Jagi,” you told him. “I told you, it’s beautiful. And I meant it.” You kissed his nose before continuing, “I don’t have the right words to describe how insanely beautiful every one of those songs is. I love you so much, my ridiculously talented Jagiya.”

He kissed your lips briefly before saying simply, “I love you too.”

After you kissed him again, however, he added, “You really liked it?”

Shoving his shoulder gently, you told him, “I really loved it, Namjoon.”

You curled up against him on his lap and he held you as close as it was possible to. After a little while of just sitting there enjoying each other’s company, both of you also going through the songs he had just played for you in your heads, although your thoughts were less analytical than his, you looked up at him and asked, “What are you calling it?”

“Mono,” he told you. “I’ll give you a rare CD copy with a mock up of the cover design tomorrow. Right now, though, I think it’s about time for both of us to go home to bed.”

“Cuddles?” you asked.

“All the cuddles,” he agreed as you stood up off his lap. “And maybe a few more affirmations that you actually really truly liked the songs?”

You grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, when we get back to mine I’ll cling onto you until you believe me that you’re one of the most talented people on the planet and that you have made something truly beautiful.”

“I don’t understand why you make that sound like a punishment, that’s my dream night; as long as possible cuddled up with you.”

Masterlist

#bts rm #bts fanfic #rm mono #kim namjoon #bts namjoon #kpop fanfic #gender neutral #reader insert