#not that there's anything wrong w being one. but people here will literally assume brown ppl are anything but doctors

[shawnxstyles]

please, call me peter

DATE: JANUARY 6, 2023

summary: you haven’t been able to come with anyone besides yourself, making you think something’s wrong with you. once you go to the gynecologist, dr. parker shows you that you’re just fine.

request: yes yes

words: 3.4k

warnings: SMUT (f- receiving [fingering], dub-con, small praise kink, dirty talking), and a cute ending.

note: shooting out requests like webs. sorry that was lame. if this makes you uncomfortable, do not read.

gynecologist!peter x female!reader

—

Your eyes scan the white room while you sit impatiently. Your heart lightly thuds in your chest and your fingers drum rapidly along your clothed thigh. The nurse had asked if you wanted to change into a hospital gown, which you politely denied. She gave you an indifferent expression before walking out, leaving you here.

You were at the gynecologist for one concerning reason; every time you had sex, you couldn’t come. Your previous relationship ended because you were unable to reach that euphoric high, which you believed was a ridiculous reason to leave someone. You weren’t as sad as you thought you’d be because you were too concerned with your own well-being to dwell on some bloke.

Before heading to the doctor, you had a quick hook-up, assuming that you and your ex just weren’t sexually compatible. But then you were proved wrong when you didn’t come. Again. You weren’t really the hook-up type, in fear of catching some unwanted disease or infection. Finally, you took matters into your own hands, literally, and masturbated with your fingers until you orgasmed all over your bed sheets.

See? It wasn’t impossible.

Then why couldn’t you come with other people? It had to be your fault. It had to be.

So, again, you were left here in the small hospital room sitting between empty stirrups with your ankles tightly crossed. The widening of the wooden door alerted you, your eyes shooting towards the man entering the room.

A guy? Your gynecologist was a guy?

You knew you were a decently healthy person because you were always on track with your appointments, even small check-ups. Because of your good wellness, you had never needed to go to the gyno. Until now, which seemed a bit nerve-racking all of a sudden.

The second the doctor turned around, you knew exactly why.

Warm, brown eyes peer at you with tenderness. Chestnut curls rest upon his head a little messily, but in the cutest way. He wore a professional lab coat over his casual clothing. His ribbed shirt and blue jeans seemed to match him perfectly. His cheeks appear a tinge pink when he smiles, welcoming and greeting you.

Oh shit.

“I’m Dr. Parker, and you are?” Dr. Parker asks as he plops onto his spinny chair. His eyes stare deeply into yours, causing your heart to race more than you’d like to admit. His voice was as attractive as his face, and you tried to convince yourself that he had to have at least one bad quality that you just haven’t seen yet, so you didn’t soak your panties.

“Y/N,” You blink to wash away the feeling of your nerves as your palms get clammy. “but you probably knew that already.”

“That is true, but I like for my patients to introduce themselves to me directly,” He states simply and you nod in response. Your sweaty hands interlocked over your thighs to ease yourself.

“So, what brings you in here today, Y/N?” Dr. Parker questions with a lick of his lips. He can’t help himself when his eyes drift nonchalantly, but quickly down your body. You were beautiful, which made it hard to concentrate on anything else, especially when you started talking. Your voice was silky, and he wanted to ask you more questions just so he could hear it more.

“I…” You were a bit embarrassed to share your reasoning. Was it common? Will he laugh at you? No, of course not, he’s a doctor! You battled with yourself in your head before spitting it out. “I can’t come during sex.”

Your jaw clenched as your hand practically hit your forehead in embarrassment. You couldn’t look at him because he was probably holding back a laugh. But you also couldn’t look at him because he was so handsome you might melt.

True be told, Peter already knew why you were here. He read the small report the nurse got before he entered. It was part of protocol and he wanted to hear you describe it yourself.

“That’s okay, darling. Nothing to be ashamed of,” He reassures gently as you remove your hand from your face. He smiles sincerely and you smile bashfully back. The nickname erupts butterflies in your stomach, and you can’t disregard the small wetness you feel trickle in your underwear.

When he asks, you go on to explain your situation in detail, even including the part about your ex-boyfriend dumping you. When Peter hears this, his jaw subtly clenches as irritation spreads through him.

Who breaks up with someone for that? He wanted to ask, but knew that was probably inappropriate. He does need to question you professionally though to ensure there’s nothing wrong. However, he thinks he already knows the answer.

“I’m going to ask you some questions that get pretty personal,” Parker faces his notes with you in the corner of his eye. You nod as your nervousness never fades and your heart beat remains quite fast.

Most of his questions were simple and straightforward, so you weren’t too ashamed to answer.

“Do you have any pain?”

“No.”

“Are you on birth control?”

“Yes.”

“How long?”

“Two years,” You eyes strayed away from him, thumbs twiddling in your lap like an anxious child. He wonders how you got birth control without going to the gynecologist in the past, seeming as though you’ve had no history.

However, some questions made the heat rise to your cheeks. Your arousal worsened the more Dr. Parker spoke, his voice warm and soothing like honey.

“To clarify, you have orgasmed before, correct?” Peter was able to focus when his eyes were glued to his papers, but one glance at your adorable shyness and his cock was semi-hard in his boxers.

“Yes, I-I did it myself,” You hissed at yourself for stuttering. He made you so starstruck it was hard to form words. You didn’t meet many people like that in your life— now that you think of it, none at all. He surveys you for a moment you think was a little too long, and you tighten your ankles together at his burning gaze.

“Um,” He grunts, covering it up with a cough as his cheeks turn pink a tad more. Your lip subtly curls into a smile at his cuteness. Peter was nervous for the first time in a while, fingers shaking as he scribbled notes about you. He felt as silly as a child who had a crush on a classmate. “you seem very well.”

“So nothing’s wrong?” Your eyebrows crinkle in confusion, a lost expression cascading over your face when you feel like you’ve hit a dead end. You gaze at the floor, trying to understand.

“Not directly,” He says to reassure you. Your eyes meet his with a head tilt. Now, you were really confused.

“What do I do then?”

“Don’t have sex with idiots,” He grumbles, honestly hoping you didn’t hear it. But of course you did. Your heart rate quickens wildly in your chest at his blunt statement. “but to make sure, I’m going to check you, okay?”

Your eyes widen for a moment, not thinking you would have to be checked. Your thoughts immediately shoot to your soaked panties and how he’ll see your very visual arousal. Hopefully, he assumes it’s from nerves.

“Would you like to change into something more comfortable and accessible?” He asks, looking at your shirt with jean shorts. He checks most of his patients, so usually they would have been in a gown already. But at this hospital, the patient didn’t have to change, even though it was highly recommended. However, when they rarely denied the new wardrobe, the doctor had to undress the patient themselves. So far in Peter’s career, he’s only had to do that with incidents that were an emergency.

“No, thank you,” You answered with no explanation. Secretly, you hated the material of the gown and you swore it gave you rashes. Maybe you were allergic?

Dr. Parker nods once and turns to his little side table beside you. He slips on his blue gloves and tells you exactly what he’s going to do, so you’re not unprepared.

“And since you’re not in a gown, the protocol is that I must undress you myself,” Peter feels the burning red flame up his cheeks at his statement. Your eyes widen again at the image of the sensual action, but nod in understanding.

Who made that rule? You wanted to ask, but it seemed disrespectful. You honestly couldn’t tell if you loved or hated the person that invented that idea. Picturing Dr. Parker strip you only made a pool in your panties.

Peter’s gloved fingers unbutton and zip down your jean shorts with your permission. It was slow and steady, unlike your heart that was bouncing off the walls of your ribs. You know he could see your heavy breathing as your stomach rose up and down too quickly under the thin material of your shirt.

Your shorts were removed and then he was on to your underwear.

Peter’s cock pulsed in his jeans at the wet patch on your panties, his red blush never fading. He wanted to press the pad of his thumb against your throbbing clit. He would rub you over the flimsy fabric and then make you moan for him as he fucked you roughly with his fingers. He could assume that you were tight and tense because of your struggle to orgasm with another person, but the thought only made his cock twitch needily as he imagined you squeezing around him.

“Are you okay so far? And can I remove these?” He asks for consent and patiently waits. You nod, but he’s not having that. “Words, Y/N. I need you to say it.”

His demand caused you to clench around nothing as you stutter out a trembling yes, so he can proceed. Peter delicately removes your panties, sliding them down your supple legs and placing them with your shorts. You didn’t open your legs, but you knew he’d already seen the wetness leaking out of you.

“Okay, um,” His professionalism was fading from him. He wanted to devour you because you probably tasted amazing. The smell of your arousal filled his nostrils, making it hard to focus on anything. “Put your legs on these stirrups. I’ll help you.”

He guides your legs into the holders, strongly resisting the urge to gawk at your vulnerable area. Once you were settled, he looked down and nearly came right there. Arousal drowned your folds as your puffy clit poked out behind it all. He noticed the fluttering of your folds as the cold air hit your wetness. He wouldn’t need to use any lube on you for sure. Peter was losing his cool and was about to lose everything if he did not pull himself together.

“I’m about to start. Are you okay?” He could sense your nervousness from a mile away. He wanted to make sure you were okay, even if you’ve had sex multiple times before.

“Yes, doctor,” You reassure and his jaw subtly locks at his label leaving from your mouth. He avoids picturing his falling from your pretty lips, so he could focus on the task at hand. You didn’t notice, too caught up in your own thoughts of his fingers entering you. You wanted him to pound them into you mercilessly because you know he’d know all the right spots and special places to hit. You can imagine he’s soft and caring, and always gives immense pleasure to the woman.

You almost gasp aloud when you come to a realization; he probably has a girlfriend. Or a wife. A wife and kids. You don’t remember seeing a ring, but that doesn’t mean anything. Oh, God, you were daydreaming sexual thoughts about your gynecologist who would probably freak out if he could hear them.

“If it makes you more comfortable, my name is Peter. Sometimes that small detail helps the patients relax more,” He noticed your sudden panicked state and high tension in your legs, wanting to calm you down, so it doesn’t hurt. It was perfectly fine to be nervous, but it wasn’t fine for him to be this nervous. He’s a professional doctor, yet he’s thinking about ruining it all just to please you at this moment.

You feel the latex gloves graze your folds, making your heart jump up into your throat. Peter’s middle finger practically teases your entrance, and you hold back pathetic whimpers. Once he slips his middle finger inside, you release a shuddery moan. His finger stills, deep inside of you while he gives you a second to adjust.

“Relax for me,” You try not to clench around him, but you’re a lost cause when he begins to wiggle it around the tight space. Peter is struggling. His cock is about to burst at the seams while his middle finger sinks far inside you. Your clenching walls and hushed noises nearly make him moan. He sees you resisting the urge to moan and it’s killing him because he wants to hear you.

“You can moan,” Peter says, voice low and sultry. “It’s welcomed.” He curls his finger and slowly pushes in and out. You don’t hold back your moan this time as lust begins to fill your vision. It feels too good, even though you know it’s wrong. You feel yourself getting wetter and wetter at his skilled finger and his concentrated expression.

Peter is positive you’re enjoying this. He can’t resist you anymore when he has you spread open for him. Plus, he found nothing peculiar inside, you seemed healthy. He could stop now if he’d like, but the contraction of your pussy walls around his finger and the sweet whimpers you’re eliciting spur him to continue.

“How does this feel, Y/N?” Peter’s voice was gravelly and lustful; you were sure to catch on by now. His question was borderline professional, yet inappropriate. At this point, Peter couldn’t care less because your face said it all.

“Good, really good,” You admitted with fluttering eyes as your hands gripped the sides of your shirt. Your name out of his mouth made you melt into his touch as you instinctively grinded your hips into his hand.

“What about this?” His ring finger slides in effortlessly, and they both curl inside you. You gasp, eliciting another shaky moan. His digits were thick and just the right length to satisfy you without even needing his cock, even though you wanted it. “God, you’re so tight. Imagine what you’d feel like around my cock.” He grumbles.

You gasp at his sudden profound language, but the dirtiness only made you more aroused. Your brain imagined how his cock would look buried so deep inside of you that you’d feel him in your stomach. You imagine this pre-cum leaking from his tip as he pulls out of you just to slam back in. Your core tensed at the thought.

“I didn’t hear you, Y/N,” He grunts gravelly, slowing his movements. He slips his fingers out, removing the glove swiftly. You whine at the emptiness, answering him. He was so sweet, yet dirty, and you loved it.

“So good! It feels so good, please don’t stop,” You plead and he smirks in satisfaction as he continues. His thumb rolls over your puffy clit, making your hips press into his hand as he slips back in. Your thighs contracted as they begged to close, but the locked stirrups blocked you from doing so.

“Who’s making you feel this good?” His tone was smooth and clear, almost contradicting his sinful actions. His pace becomes brutal, ramming in and out of you with no mercy. The rough texture of his bare hand sends a shiver up your spine as your orgasm nears.

“You! You, Peter,” Your chest heaves as choked moans leave your lips. His digits rub your throbbing nerves as his fingers glide against your walls addictingly good. Your fingernails dig into the soft flesh of your trembling thighs. His lips raise in another smirk as his cheeks flush that familiar pink. “I’m close, Peter,” You whimper, causing him to hiss at the harsh pulsing of his shaft when his name falls delicately from your lips just how he imagined.

“I know, honey. Can feel you clenching around me,” He groans when you release another noise of pleasure. His eyes wander down to your aching cunt as his fingers become drenched in your juices. You’re squeezing him torturously, on the edge of your break.

“Are you gonna come? Gonna come for me?”

Without another moment, your orgasm ripples through your body with a blissful wail. Clenched muscles and screwed eyes don’t even express the full ecstasy you feel. White liquid saturates Peter’s bare fingers before he licks them clean. It wasn’t the most sanitary, but he didn’t give one fuck.

Your face screams fucked out; perspired skin, droopy eyes, and a weary smile. In his ideal situation, he would have devoured you until you couldn’t take it anymore. But that was for another time. If there ever was another time, which he hoped there would be.

Just maybe not in a hospital.

“Well, Y/N, it seems like you are very healthy,” Peter grins, taking the tissues to clean you thoroughly. You can feel the heat radiating from your cheeks at his joking comment.

“Thanks, doctor,” Your voice came out a bit squeaky while your heart continued to stammer in your chest.

“After that, I think you should call me Peter,” He chuckles, sliding away in his stool to discard the tissues. Heat burns your skin from his adorable laugh.

“Peter it is then,” He helps you down the stirrups and you begin to get dressed with a goofy smile curling on your face. Peter doesn’t fail to notice this as his thoughts begin to wander. He knows he just met you, but he wants to see where this goes. He is confident that you’re interested in him (at least enough for him to finger you), so maybe asking you out isn’t the crazy idea he’s ever had.

“Y/N?” Suddenly, he didn’t feel so confident.

“Yeah?” Your response was breathless.

“Would you, um,” Peter hesitated to find the words. He really was like a little kid talking to his crush for the first time. “like to go out sometime? Maybe?”

You admire his bashfulness. He anxiously rolls up his coat sleeves while his face displaces a rosy blush. His brown eyes twinkled with hope as he waited for a reply.

“I would like that, doctor,” You smile genuinely and sweetly, your joyful energy calming his pent-up nerves. “I mean Peter.” You giggle when he blushes.

“Okay, okay, this is great. Here’s my number,” Peter scribbles messily on a small sheet of note paper, handing it to you. It was adorable how nervous he was for being a well-respected doctor who waltzed in with a sweet kind of confidence. You were giddy as well, but you were way better at hiding it clearly. You snatch the sheet with your fingers, tucking it away in your palm.

“Do you do this with all your patients, Dr. Parker?” You tease with a quirked eyebrow and a pointed finger at his chest. Peter huffs out a chuckle while clicking his tongue.

“Only the most beautiful ones,” He gently lifts your finger, kissing it gently before striding out of the room. Peter doesn’t forget to leave an arrogant wink as the heavy, wooden door closes abruptly.

Maybe being a doctor does make him arrogant. Sometimes.

You stand frozen, starstruck. Your breathing was back to heaving again because he left you breathless. And speechless. You jokingly wondered for a minute if you would die from a heart attack, due to the rapid thumping of a stupid organ against your ribs. Curious, you open your palm and unfold the slip of paper he wrote hastingly. Glancing past the number, you notice the small words underneath.

Please, call me Peter.

—

yesss tell me what you think :)

#shawnxstyles #peter parker #tom holland #mcu peter parker #peter parker smut #peter parker fluff #peter parker fanfics #tom holland fanfic #tom holland smut #mcu peter parker smut #peter parker x you #peter parker x reader

[sassooda]

Worlds Away JJK AU / Chapter 39 - Run

w/c - 7,590

**Warnings- This chapter is very violent.**

               The waiter returns with replacement drinks and sets them down accordingly. He doesn’t stay long this time but he once again intensely stares at them all. Toji postures himself and rolls his shoulders back while unabashedly glaring him down. He’s sure the waiter can tell but his brown eyed gaze is now of Elska as he leaves. Toji grumbles, “He’s begging for an ass whooping doll, would you be upset if I delivered?”. She giggles out, “You are not allowed to hit him!”, and bumps him with her shoulder playfully.

               Naoya cracks up from Toji’s words and adds, “I’ve felt your punch, you’ll fucking kill the guy!”. His deep laughter carries through the patio causing the young parents of the three kids to look over awkwardly and smile. Naoya nods and waves to offer the universal gesture that he wasn’t intending to be that loud. He looks over to Toji and Elska with a grin while lifting his glass into the air, “I just want to say that I’m grateful to be here with you two today.”. He brings his eyes to Toji, “I’ve always looked up to you and hoped that I could be that cool when I grew up…,” he chuckles with slight embarrassment, “…and I know things with all of us are, unique but I appreciate you having the room in your heart for me, it means a lot...”. Toji’s face experienced a quick wash of gentleness that Naoya was happy he saw, returning it without being shy. The Zenin now looks at Elska, “And you my princess…”, he sighs at her sweet eyes, “Thank you for showing me what it means to be cared for by a woman. Come what may, I will always be rich in all things with you by my side.”. He watches Elska sip her wine with watery eyes as he drinks his Mojito until the opportunity to kiss her arises. After he hums to the feeling of perfection, he pulls back and chuckles, “It’s so peaceful without Gojo around, isn’t it?”, he admits as Toji cackles and leans forward while setting his drink on the table.

Elska sips her wine and puts the glass down before wrapping her arms into both of theirs. “Thank you so much for bringing me out here today!”, she feels it’s impossible to address both of them at the same time so she scoots back, “You two bring so much happiness into my life, Sati too…”. She squeezes their arms, “I can’t imagine what life would be like without you.”. Her eyes now take to the kids as the youngest is waving at them in the awkward manner that a toddler would. “We’ve made a friend!”, she laughs as she waves back. ‘Could I be a mother? A good one?’, she asks herself as she watches Naoya interacting with the child, wearing a goofy face. ‘He would be a good father…I know he would.’, the idea creeps into her heart as she heavily considers giving him what he wants. Naoya leans back and says, “They’re reeeeally cute actually. It doesn’t help my baby fever whatsoever.”. Elska inhales sharply after a stark possibility blares into her brain, “I could already be pregnant and not even know it...”, her words sounded dreadful but only because she wouldn’t have the first fucking clue as to who the child would belong to. She didn’t want to say anything out loud but Toji was hot on her trail of thought.

“Any one of us could be the father!”, Toji’s eyes widen as he’s not even considered what a quandary that could turn out to be. He looks over at Naoya who’s left eye is twitching and feels defensive, “Boy don’t make that face, I never pull out.”. As soon as the words left his lips, he can feel the heated aura from Elska, “Doll, I have no idea why I just said that...”, but is relieved to find he’s not in the doghouse after she says, “I’m going to pretend that didn’t happen!” with a squinted expression.

“You dirty old bastard!”, Naoya does not like the idea of anyone else knocking her up. “You’re not supposed…she’s a princess!”, and looks at Elska with a furrowed brow. She seems pretty uncomfortable and he assumes it’s because of his reaction so he feels bad. He huffs, “Well I don’t either!”. Elska can be heard humming like she’s thinking of a punishment but his mind takes to the night of him, Gojo and Elska. He recalls something he feels is important and darts his eyes to Toji with a devious grin, “But Gojo does.”.

“Naoya…I’m about to take your drink away again!”, she buries her face into her hands as she tries to not feel grossed out by herself. Naoya pulls her hands away and turns her in his direction, “Baby! Like I said before…we’re unique!”, and brings his drink within his guard. She feels his lips against her own and somehow the simple action instantly comforts her. ‘We’re all degenerates…’. She leans back into her seat after they break away and looks up to the sky. Thinking of a great comeback she smirks and flippantly says, “Maybe Choso’s the daddy.”. She laughs when Naoya gasps with anxiety but is surprised by how Toji saw right through her.

“Baby? Are you messing with me right now?”, he knows she’s laughing but is honestly afraid of that thought after the lack of clarification with what happened between her and the being. “Tell me you’re just kidding!”, he leans up and pokes at her sides until she admits that it was just a bad joke. Once he’s satisfied and reassured, he sits back again and threatens, “That deserves a spanking...”, and bites his lip as he envisions it. He looks to Toji, “How were you able to be so calm?!”, but pouts when Toji shrugs and says, “I just know better.”, and Naoya now feels silly for getting worked up. “That’s two spankings now since my pride is hurt as well!”. He giggles with her as she doesn’t seem to protest against the idea. ‘Just you wait, Elska!’, he’s now planning to give them to her tonight.

The waiter approaches them again, still eyeing Toji. “Ugh…not again…”, Toji feels the man staring at him and wants to avoid having to directly deal with him but the brown eyed fellow walks over to Toji’s side. He gives Elska and Naoya a loathing look as he warns of his tolerance being low. The waiter says, “I’ll explain the menu since you’re unfamiliar with the language.”, but his tone was different. Toji abruptly states, “I’ll take anything chicken.”, and starts to feel aggressive as the waiter remains. The man leans down and places a hand on Toji’s shoulder and the moment it makes contact, Toji feels a surge of pain shoot through his arm and bellows out an inhuman screech. Naoya stands up immediately and asks what’s wrong but Toji’s unable to respond.

               Naoya looks at the waiter, “What the fuck did you do? WHO ARE YOU?!”, and then back at Toji who has doubled over, heaving in pain as his presence darkens. “Baby, get up…GET UP NOW!”, He grabs Elska and moves her away while glaring at the waiter who arrogantly standing by the giant. The man laughs wildly and says, “This is for Master Kokoro…”. The waiter goes to lower his hand back onto his shoulder but Toji snatches it, crushes his wrist and cries out as his wings start to form. “Oh fuck…”. The Zenin man yells to the other tables, “GET OUT OF HERE NOW!”. Naoya steps back with Elska tightly in his grasp and worries about everyone around them. All of the people sitting outside have now tuned in and are watching in horror as the skin of Toji’s back stretches to form the bones and feathers…but they do not move.

               “TOJI DON’T!”, Elska breaks away from Naoya to run to her beloved but before she can reach him, Toji yanks the waiter down by the wrist and proceeds to send energy at the man’s torso, hollowing him out completely. The body remains standing for what seemed like forever as Elska views the beautiful river through him until he collapses. Screams erupt chaotically as terrified people try to flee but Elska’s only focus was on Toji, who seems to be falling progressively deeper into this dark energized way. “TOJI!”, she cries out to him again but feels Naoya securing her. The children can be heard squealing in tears at the top of their lungs as their parents struggle to function well enough to gather the kids. “Why…This is…?! Naoya!”, she’s already crying as he takes hold of her. The clamor of fear booming around them was almost too much all together but it abruptly silences as a warm liquid sprays her and Naoya. In what seemed like slow motion, the entire family and table was crushed into the pavement, leaving nothing but a compressed pile of bones and flesh where their beautiful faces used to be. She can’t move. She can’t avert her eyes. She can only watch in absolute horror.

               “Oh my God…”, Naoya is also left otherwise speechless and mortified as the high chairs can still be made out due to their green color, amongst the mounds of human tissue. He calls out to Elska who is back in his arms but she’s unresponsive and hysterical. Toji flies past them and Naoya screams when he watches his cousin shred through a businessman before turning to one of the middle-aged women, tearing her arms off simultaneously. The woman screams but soon falls into shock and seizes on the ground. “TOJI!!”, Naoya finds himself crying too, shaking while Toji uses his strength to literally rip through the innocent humans. “Holy fuck…he’s going to kill them all!”, his cries are muffled as he dips his face into Elska’s hair, not knowing how to react. He needs to stop his cousin but understanding that this is an attack, he doesn’t want to leave Elska alone. “Baby… What do I do?!”, he sobs with her. The others that were outside with them are unable to open the door to the building for some reason and he perceives another of the businessmen try to make a break for the water. Naoya screams again as he helplessly watches Toji tackle him and tear the man’s neck from his shoulders. Toji now turns around eerily and targets him while the remaining survivors cower and mentally decompose.  With wide eyes, Naoya picks Elska up and activates his projection technique. He feels so heavy when he engages it and can’t understand why Toji is getting closer as he exerts his full force into the speed. ‘It’s not working!’, the weight of the dread hindering his usual decisiveness brings him to a new low as he surmounts the worse of outcomes. He holds Elska tighter and says through his cries, “Baby, you have to run. I need you to run.”. He’s not sure if he’s going to make it out of this but knows it will be worth it as long as she escapes. His heart breaks while he lowers her down fearing that this will be the last time they’ll see each other. He shouts with urgency as tears stream down his face, “RUN ELSKA!”.

She’s aware that she’s being placed back on her feet but feels so cold without Naoya’s body heat. “The children…”, she’s still in shock. Upon looking around she notices the other bodies, at least 2 overlapping each other near the door leading inside. She stands there, dazed and numb until the restaurant and all neighboring buildings explode. The powerful shock wave sends her flying towards the water as she feels a blunt object hit her side accompanied by internal cracking. Moments pass as she lies there incoherent as multiple smaller explosions erupt from the establishments around them. Her ears are ringing loudly. She tries to push herself off of the ground but her equilibrium is shot so she falls over to her right side. Her eyes are struggling to focus but when they do, she sees that the object that likely cracked her ribs is some poor man’s mangled leg. She can’t make out her own voice but she cries for Naoya and shuts her eyes to the fear that him and Toji were caught in the blast. Her own bloodcurdling sounds now make way to her ears, finding she doesn’t recognize her own voice. Only when she can feel her body being jostled around do her eyes unfasten.

Naoya was thrown into a table near the edge of the patio. He feels the burns lacing up his body as he stumbles over to Elska. She’s covered in cuts from the glass and can tell she’s not breathing normally but is alive. ‘BABY!”, he scoops her up into his arms but they fall backward since he’s yet to fully regain his senses. He sits up and tries again while looking around and witnesses the gore and destruction. His breath is hitched in his throat as he sees the dismembered pieces of people all around them, some bits floating in the water nearby. He’s crying again as he struggles to his feet with her, “Baby, we have to run!”, is all he can say as his eyes finally spot the wings. “TOJI!”, he wails as he sees the charred feathers, it looking like he suffered burns as well. He finally is able to stand up and releases more tears when he sees Toji stirring. “Thank fucking God…”. He checks around for other survivors but is unable to make out anything amongst the body parts and debris. To his left a table is crushed right before his eyes, leaving a depression into the concrete. ‘Getou’. His eyes widen when he hears Toji release another wild call. “Baby…”, he shakes Elska, trying to get her to respond. “BABY YOU HAVE TO SNAP OUT OF IT!”, and panics as Toji growls and picks up speed towards them. “SHIT!”, he places Elska back down, straining from his melted skin and whispers in tears, “I love you Elska, forever.”, before charging the best he could towards Toji.

She heard him. His voice itself guided her out of her own mind and back to the disaster that’s before them. She fully comes to when she sees Naoya and Toji exchanging energy. Upon trying to stand, she sways but doesn’t fall and has yet to realize all of her wounds as the adrenaline kicks in. She screams feverishly at the two men to stop but is forced to watch them struggle against each other, Toji having the upper hand as he seems to have lost his usual reservation. “NAOYA!”. The scene around her is completely disturbing as the heat from the flaming buildings add to the smell of over-cooked flesh. She starts running towards Naoya and Toji but an unfamiliar voice calls out to her so she turns around to see where it came from.

               “Elska Oda!”, Genghis hollers out as Getou and the other Titers now manifest into view. Genghis is especially thrilled by the scene and claps his hands together in praise to Toji’s handiwork. “He has surpassed my expectations greatly!”, He nudges Getou joyously as his pupil studies Elska. He as well takes in how bloodied Elska is and wishes that she wouldn’t have been harmed in the process.

               When she sees Getou, Elska completely snaps. “YOU FUCKING DID THIS?!”, and forms her metal wings instantly. “I am going to fucking tear you APAAAART!”, she growls before trying to charge him blindly. She’s consumed with rage as she thinks about the children, the unsuspecting innocents and Toji and Naoya. “FUCKING COWARD!”, she screams at him and is almost taken back by how remorseful his expression is.

               Lidia was hoping this would happen. “Winged bitch.”, she mutters while drawing her arm back, aiming her spear. ‘I knew she wasn’t right for Master Suguru…’. She notices Toji become aware of her actions and gets freaked out, so she hurls the weapon towards Elska before he can get any closer. Naoya can be seen trying to run towards Elska. To her dismay, she hears Getou scream for her to stop but it had already left her hands. She turns to him, “She’s trying to kill you Master Suguru!”, and feels her heart stop as he finally looks at her but with absolute abhorrence and wrath. She watches Getou try to stop the spear with gravity but he’s unable to.

               Elska was so furious that she didn’t even think about how utterly moronic attacking head on would be. The spear is heading straight for her, leaving no time to react as she simply failed to notice it because of her focus on Getou. Knowing that she’s about to be impaled only fuels her more though as she can’t let this opportunity go to waste. Right before what she assumed were possibly her last moments, she briefly closes her eyes and tries to remember all the good she’s experienced up until this point. The laughs and love she’s received and shared with Satoru, Toji, Naoya and everyone else flood her as she’s so desperate to live but is willing to throw it all away for their safety. ‘I have to kill him.’. The end never comes but her soul leaves her body along with all of her sensibilities.

               Naoya staggers in front of her. He was able to use his projection at least this time but the look on her face shatters his heart as he follows her eyes down to see the spear’s large tip sticking out of his sternum. “B…Bab…y…”, he feels the world spinning around him as he falls, no longer having the ability to remain on his feet. He hears Elska shriek and feels her warmth but he can’t focus his eyes or make them stay open. “Bab…y…” is all he can manage to articulate. ‘I made it...’, soothes his mind as blood pours from his smiling mouth.

               Toji dashes past them towards the Titers and manages to kill one upon contact. Elska heard the short-lived cries but finds solace in it as she attempts to catch Naoya. They both fall to the ground and the spear tip punctures her hip. She frantically tries to lay him on his side in a specific manner and sobs as she brushes the hair away from his eyes. Using her wings, she slices open her wrist and holds Naoya’s mouth open to force her blood into him but her arm is shaking so violently that it’s causing her essence to get all over his face and neck. “FUCK! NAOYA!”, she yells through her tears as she’s desperate to save him. “My prince…please…you can’t…”, she heaves in shuddering breaths, “You can’t leave me!”. She attempts to take a deep breath but there’s no calming down, he’s barely taking the blood even when some lands into his mouth. “Naoya…please…no…”. She’s met with a choice but before she can decide for herself the ancestral guide within barrels through her.

               “TURN HIM.”

               She absolves all of her previous restraint on the matter and doesn’t hesitate. After repositioning and somewhat side straddling Naoya, she turns around to see all of the Titers fending off Toji except two. Getou and a shorter but older man are both watching her but with different expressions. Getou looks mystified, probably not understanding because he thinks Naoya is already dead. The other man, next to him, appears to be brimming with anticipation. She says nothing to them as she places her left hand over Naoya’s heart, becoming submerged with relief as it still beats, albeit faintly but then it stops. She screams his name while her world disintegrates.

“SAVE HIM!”.

When she feels the surge of ancient energy course in her veins, she leans down into her prince’s neck and whispers, “I love you Naoya. Please…stay here with me.”. She licks the targeted area and pierces him immediately afterwards.

               Toji is taken out of his hypnotic ferocity when he feels Elska’s energy shift. His eyes come clear as he’s surrounded by five Titers. “ELSKA!” He can’t see her initially and panics as his recent actions immobilize his mind. ‘I…killed…I did that?’. Through his own eyes he saw everything but was unable to stop. The complete devastation that was caused by the explosion rocks him again and his frustration with everything happening reaches its peak. He releases a wave of energy that sends all of the Titer’s flying backwards with superficial injuries but can finally can see her. He drops to his knees when he takes in the spear that’s lodged through Naoya and strains into a cry that has no sound. He now understands what Elska is doing and although he’s always hated the idea, he’s not ready to say goodbye to his younger cousin so he finds himself hoping with every cell he’s made from that she’s successful. He hurriedly crawls over to them, becoming more distressed as the details of Naoya’s condition are more apparent. Violet energy travels over Naoya’s body and he jolts like she’s shocking his heart but is otherwise completely still and pale aside from his burns. He hears her moan as she drinks and sees the tears running down her face. Her presence darkens immediately and he holds his breath as he waits worriedly to gauge her. When Elska lifts her head from Naoya’s neck, Toji finds himself overcome with a foreign emotion. Her eyes glow bright purple still but the green dashes are clearly visible and for the first time ever, Toji’s welcoming this. He darts his eyes down to Naoya and notices he’s breathing, “Boy don’t scare me like that ever again…”, and bends down to wrap his arms around Naoya’s head as he was frightened that Naoya wouldn’t have been sustainable in that state. He goes to pick Naoya up but Elska stops him and says in the lowly voice, “He’s safer on the ground, as are you, my beloved.”. Her expression doesn’t feign any emotion but she grips the handle of the spear hanging out of his back and splinters it with ease but holds onto it. With wild eyes she looks down at Naoya, brushing the hair from his face and seethes, “If this doesn’t work, I will enslave and destroy this entire world.”. She now calmly stands up and turns around to head in the direction of the Titers. “My beloved, protect him.”.

               Genghis just fell in love. As the true Elska walks towards them he finds himself in complete awe to her presence and mannerisms. “Even covered in blood…”, he sighs and notes how lucky Suguru is. He leans over to his pupil who has become shaken by her switch, “I think we just witnessed Zenin’s rebirth!”. Getou turns to him with an angry face and asks, “How the fuck is any of this good?!”. Suguru wears the expression of a man who has been betrayed but Genghis brushes it off and chalks it up to shock. Seeing that Suguru was not mentally up to the task right now, Genghis smirks and raises his hands high in the air as he takes two steps towards Elska, gesturing that he would like to engage in conversation. In a composed and submissive tone, he tells her, “Miss Oda, there’s something I must do for you.”.

               Getou finds himself disgusted by how the plan was enacted. When he engaged his gravity to crush the tables, he didn’t realize there were children present. It reminds him of Kechi all over again and his rage slowly becomes directed towards his mentor. He’s unnerved by how happy Genghis is and finally puts more weight into the idea that something is wrong with him. Watching Elska approach them with the frayed spear handle, he feels the absolute urge to defend her as he no longer knows what to expect but understands this whole situation has only fueled her hatred for him. ‘She thinks this was my idea…’, he glares over at Lidia and desires to smash her into the concrete beneath them as her actions were severely out of line. Elska’s desperation over Naoya wrecked his cold demeanor as the sheer sounds of her breaking in front of him were not as sweet as he once imagined. He doesn’t know why he’s feeling these things but he comprehends that somewhere along the way, he stopped hating her and begins to question if he ever really did to begin with.

               Elska stops out of curiosity. It makes no difference to her but she’s intrigued by the Titer Man’s lack of fear. “Proceed.”, is all she says. She becomes more entertained by him when he grabs the red headed girl who threw the spear and brings her back to where he was standing. He announces, “My name is Temujin Genghis, I lead the Titer clan and I am hoping we can be friends. This is Lidia…”, Elska smirks with approval as Genghis jerks her head around by her curly long locks, “…When she attacked you, that was of her own accord. I have never carried any intentions of causing you harm, I admire you deeply.”. Elska can’t help but acknowledge that every word said seems to be truthful although she’s still not moved. She walks up coolly as Lidia struggles, trying to explain her side of the story. Elska sends her glowing red eyes at Genghis who pleasurably shivers into a smile before she turns her attention to the girl and wrenches her grip around her face. In the same lowly and demanding tone she says, “You…you misjudged your situation and threw that spear into my prince.”. Elska notices that the words sting Getou but he seems unphased by the girl being in peril. ‘I see.’. Elska brings her hand into the Lidia’s hair, yanks her head to the side and exposes her fangs. Getou’s eyes shoot open and she keeps her glowing gaze on him and she bites down into the girl’s neck, causing Lidia to moan loudly from the sensation.

Getou can’t take his eyes from Elska as she drinks. He’s so perplexed by Lidia’s reaction as she continues to moan and whimper and wonders why that would be happening. ‘Does it feel good?’, he asks internally but his question is answered as he recalls how territorial Naoya was about her feeding. His lips part as the realization hits him fully and he whispers, “The missing piece of the puzzle…”. Elska flashes him an evil smirk after lifting her head back up as if to help sanction his uncertainties. Suguru is feeling like she’s making a show out of biting Lidia for him alone and is severely confused by her actions.

Lidia has no idea what that was but as the sensation fades, she’s still gasping whimpers. She feels Genghis tug on her hair again and can feel that he’s forming an erection as its pressed against her from his hold. Through her eyelashes she sees Elska glaring into her with superiority but is now noticing that her neck is still bleeding. ‘What…was that?’, she wishes she could see Suguru but instead her eyes take to Toji. His bore holes into her as he bears his fangs maliciously from afar.

Elska wipes her mouth, bringing her concentration back on Lidia and continues, “It’s such a shame…all of this natural beauty is wasted on such a stupid woman.”. Elska was able to decipher the girl with ease and if she could feel anything, it would be pity for the distressed damsel.  Elska speaks to Getou while lifting the spear handle up, “This woman is in love with you and she threw the spear to be rid of her biggest obstacle.”. She grabs Lidia’s face again and smiles maniacally, “Me.”. When she tightens her grip, she hears Genghis’s heart start to race and thinks of how strange of a human he is for being so turned on. Looking back to Lidia she says, “Your entire life has been pointless but today you gave me my prince. I would thank you if you were worth it…”. Elska now watches the horror blanket Lidia’s expression as she brings her arm back. “…But you’re not.”, and aggressively flails her wings and laughs as the girl flinches and wails with regret. “Since you don’t use them well…”, she steps aside so Naoya can be in the girl’s view, “…I don’t see why you should be burdened with these anymore.”. She quickly jabs the jagged handle into both of Lidia’s eyes with precision. She closes her own and inhales satisfyingly as the screams erupt through the air and opens them to smile at the leaking vitreous fluid running down Lidia’s reddened face as she panics to being brutally blinded. Elska thinks about Naoya again and finds that was not enough so she takes the handle and violently shoves it downwards into Lidia’s throat, penetrating it through the back of her neck. The woman still lives but is clearly distraught by the mutilation and struggles to breathe. Elska hisses, “Stupid woman.”, but then takes a few steps back while scowling at the pathetic redhead.

               Toji stands up now, ‘Master…’. He can’t believe what he just saw but is enthralled by the revenge. He knows this isn’t his Elska but is reassured that her in this form was extremely beneficial. He wonders though, ‘Why is she toying with them?’. He looks down at his cousin with heartache until he notices, ‘He stopped bleeding!’, but is still worried as he hasn’t figured out how they’re going to remove the giant spear. Naoya starts violently seizing so he cries out, “ELSKA!”, and looks to her, being completely confused by the smile along her lips. He remains by Naoya’s side, trying to steady him because of the spear. Tears well in his eyes as Naoya flops next to him but he hears Elska’s voice in his mind, “Don’t fret my beloved, that means it’s working...”. His head snaps up in amazement as her eyes meet his. He thinks, ‘Did I just imagine that?’, but jumps when he hears her again, “No you did not. We are able to communicate like this.”. Instantly, he’s brought back to the day he fed from his cousin and how he swore he could sense and hear her screams, becoming marveled. He listens to Lidia’s gurgled broken shrieks of terror but finds they don’t bother him one bit. Naoya settles back into the ground which causes Elska to whip her head in his direction with a hint of disbelief on her face. Toji becomes startled again as he looks back down to Naoya but he hears her, “His transformation is rather rapid…”. Regaining his hope after being fed this knowledge, he unintentionally lets out a grateful sob. He looks to Elska and thinks, ‘Tell me when.’. Toji knew from the moment he saw the green dashes that she was going to hopelessly decimate them. This Elska holds such immense power and was completely ruthless, being the exact and only reason he happy to see her switch.

               Genghis is smitten by this version of Elska and is enthusiastic about demonstrating this fact to her. He pushes Lidia to the ground, lodging the handle deeper through her flesh and places a foot on her back before saying, “Miss Oda, I would be more than pleased if you would accept this act as a token of Master Suguru’s and my own affection.”. He leans down to grab Lidia’s red curls again while she struggles in absolute fear and pins her underneath his left foot. She screams, “Master Suguru!”, or it at least sounded like that could be it but Genghis takes his right leg from ground and bends his knee, balancing on her spine while pulling back on her head. He sighs breathlessly when Elska grins to the obvious pain Lidia is experiencing and although he would like to relish this moment, he kicks his right leg out. He can feel the trauma to her cervical vertebrae vibrate through her bones the moment she finally silences. He takes notice to how the handle was launched back out her mouth as it now lays, bloodied in front of them. ‘Godddd it feels so good to finally be able to do that…’, he speaks internally as he releases her hair, allowing her head and body to bounce off of the ground and straightens his posture.

               Getou stands in complete disbelief, ‘That’s what he meant by Lidia’s purpose?!’. He’s not upset by her death but he finds himself in complete incredulity from listening to how his mentor behaves around this Elska. He thinks about how spearing Naoya was the wrong route to take now as he can sense the darkness and hostility still seeping from her. Suguru can tell how strong she is by her presence and finally understands why Genghis has been so adamant about her cooperation. ‘Would I be able to overpower her?’, he’s convinced that he isn’t capable and wonders how his mentor can seem so calm in this situation. ‘Does he want her for himself?’, Suguru doesn’t actually believe that but wonders where this strange fascination for her came from. He looks back over to Elska who stands stoically as her smile fades back to that resting ominous expression. He feels like he’s supposed to say something when she looks at him. The cold chill that runs down his back compels him to bow to her, “Elska, I apologize for hurting you in the past.”, but finds that somewhere in him, he actually meant it. He slowly brings his body back upright and feels his tension skyrocket as she near him.

Elska stands before Getou and raises her hand to his face. He flinches which causes her to grin and can see the look of uncertainty in Genghis’s expression. She quickly snatches Suguru’s hair and pulls him down to his knees, being enticed by his lack of resistance. He remains studying her but she can see his apprehension and enjoys causing him such muddle. She now grabs both sides of face and lowers hers down to hover over it. Toji’s presence can be felt magnetizing but thinks to him “I need more energy.”, but he doesn’t respond. She quietly speaks in her lowly tone to Suguru, “You would be suitable if you had you own thoughts…”, and gently kisses the scar on his cheek. He gasps with bewilderment as she thinks to give herself a little more time in this form. She whispers seductively, “I’m going to provide evidence for your suspicions…”, and sinks her fangs into him.

Suguru is stunned immediately as he feels the bliss circulate through him. It takes him a moment to realize that he’s moaning deeply and has even since placed his hands on Elska, holding her as she draws from him. His moans turn into whimpers as he clings to her waist and thigh all while not understanding how this feeling could be possible. He shuts his eyes as he feels his body give and fall to the side but she drops down with him in order to not break their connection. Titers start rushing towards him aggressively but hears Genghis say, “Do not interfere!”, with full authority. What his ears pick up now cause his eyes to roll back as Elska moans into his neck. He feels her presence surge back up but it lowers a little each time until she swallows. He now finds that the hand not supporting his weight is now wrapped in her hair and loosens his grip so that can be gentle. When she’s done, she closes his wounds and whines lowly, “You need more time but you could be worthy.”. Their eyes meet and she continues in a much colder tone, “Be weary of how you approach me in the future…and don’t you dare come after my lovers again.”, as he can see she’s lethally serious.

Genghis helps Suguru to his feet, trying to provide the balance for them both after Elska walks back to Toji. He struggles to steady his swaying pupil and can’t believe that she actually bit him right then and there. Getou is still heavily breathing with wide eyes that are fixated on her. He whispers, “That was incredible…”, and finds that Getou’s expression is now that of someone who longs for the other. He calls out sheepishly, “Th-Thank you for not harming him.”, and shifts their stance as Getou seems to be finding composure.

               Elska is so amused by these two. She has a much better understanding of Getou now that she experienced his taste. “Delicious.”, she states as she licks her fangs. Toji huffs out of spite and glares at her but she quickly whispers, “The hybrid isn’t here so that was necessary…”, noting that he doesn’t seem ok with is still. With all eyes on them, she turns to Toji and slowly pulls his head down towards her, giving the soft command, “Kiss me, my beloved.”. Toji’s eyes glow and his wings flutter even with the indecision plaguing his features. When their lips meet, she moans wholeheartedly as she found her turned’s touch to be completely intoxicating. His hesitancy remains although he’s kissing her back but she’s satisfied enough that he obeyed. She feels a weak signal from Naoya, and it steals her attention. He’s not gotten any worse but his energy is already changing. An emotion creeps into her dark heart and it aches as she remembers the actual love she harbors for her prince and Toji both. “I’m going to tend to you two right now.”, she whispers to Toji and nips his bottom lip. Elska knows for a fact that the Titers have more up their sleeve and wishes to draw a curtain on this charade for the sake of her lovers. She locks her lips to Toji’s once more, addicted to the way he feels. After their extended meeting, Elska turns her head to observe the two men’s reaction and laughs when they’re exactly what she predicted. Genghis watches with an endearing envy as Getou’s eyes express heartache. She looks over at the other Titers that are grouped together, on edge. “They will suffice.”. They’re all cowering to her but remain in a defensive stance, one of the men bears beautiful grey eyes but they’re trained on to Lidia’s body. She smirks and kisses Toji again but this time places her right hand flat against her chest and holds it there as her red lightning surrounds them. While experiencing Toji’s tongue, she extends her arm in the direction of the huddled Titers, bends her fingers and unleashes it. The red light travels so fast that three of the four Titers are unable to evade it, their bodies torn through by the energy while being crystalized at the same time. Genghis gasps in confusion as he seemed to think things were going his way. Blood pumps out of Elska’s wings into a pattern of symbols that surrounds her and Toji and then the markings glow. Toji ‘s eyes respond along with hers as his widen, remembering that same blood design around her in the park. She thinks to him, ‘I take life from death.’, and smiles to his wide-eyed nod. What’s left of the Titers bodies breaks down into a red powder, swirls into a vortex in the air and then travels gracefully over to Toji and Elska. The Titer dust blankets around their wounds and fuses with the exposed tissue, healing them both. She waves her hand to direct the remnants and sends it towards Naoya. As the glass shards push out of her body, she watches Toji’s burns become nonexistent and hums with gratification. Naoya’s presence increases as he’s rapidly healed, his burns disappearing as well. His wavelengths tell her he’s still in pain, even when unconscious but she knows it due to his body now rejecting the spear. “That should do it.”. She nudges her beloved to show him and listens to him exhale relief. “He’s taking to the change extremely well.”, she says to Toji confidently, hiding her bafflement of the rate in which the DNA synthesis is working. Her being in true form was surely going to speed up the process but he shouldn’t have such an intense aura already. She runs her hand down Toji’s chest while still studying Naoya, “He is going to be strong.”, and contemplates on his perfection, “Just like you.”.

               Genghis retracts his smile as soon as he realizes his fellow clansmen are no more and that things are not going as planned. ‘WHY WOULD SHE DO THAT?!’. He turns to Getou who’s mirroring his wide eyes but doesn’t know how handle this right away. Not once in any of the futures he seen has this happened. He was aware of the possibility of alteration but this goes far beyond anything he prepared for. “Something’s wrong.”, he panics, “We won’t be able to take her.”, is all he can say as he thinks of what to do next. Sain appears by them as he was the one Titer that escaped her lightning and Genghis sighs being overjoyed that he at least survived.

               Getou is so astonished by what he witnessed and says, “We need to run.”. He’s still figuring out his new emotions but doesn’t mistake for a second that she won’t kill them too. He thinks of all of the times her importance has been reiterated to him and it finally makes sense. Suguru fails to see how he would be able to control her though and also now understands why Genghis has been pushing him to face his feelings about her. Now he has. The convergence of puzzle pieces lock together to form the bigger picture but he fears that he’s even further away from their goal of her affections as he gathers they’ve royally pissed her off with their actions. His mentor doesn’t seem as eager to flee and Suguru’s had about enough of his twisted games. He grabs Genghis in a panic, “WE NEED TO RUN!”.

               Genghis understands Getou’s reaction but turns to Sain, “I have the most daunting task for you but if you can achieve it, the rewards will be endless…”, and passes him a syringe filled with sedative. This will shift all of their plans but he knows there’s really not another choice left at this point. He may even be foolish for attempting this. He brings stern eyes to Getou and whispers, “We need leverage first.”.

               Elska watches the third Titer disappear into thin air and becomes aggravated by their inability to take her seriously. Her collected demeanor fades momentarily when she senses him behind them, near Naoya. She bears her fangs and roars as she launches herself towards the man while he bends down over him. She salivates at the idea of ripping his throat out but before she can reach him, he disappears again. She ends up having to use her wings to slow her speed so she can lean over Naoya to make sure he’s not been harmed further. The emotions that usually flow through her begin to resurface as she becomes weary for his safety while searching his body, noticing the spear has almost worked its way out. She sighs gratefully, “My prince…” and feels the love for him melt away at her ability to maintain her form so she steps away, ‘There’s still more to do first.’. She hears Genghis yell, “We will be in contact!”, but quickly snaps her head when she hears Toji struggling. Getou can be heard screaming, “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”, and before she knew it, she was racing against time trying to reach her beloved that has fallen limp in the third Titer’s hold with a needle sticking out of his arm. She howls in anguish when her finger tips grasp at nothing, revealing the stark fact that she was too late. They took Toji with them. She doesn’t even breathe as her failure boils through. Looking up to the sky she cries out the demonic like sound while her energy releases a tremoring wave that further devastates the structures that remain around her. When the wave travels into the restaurant, it fans in oxygen, further feeding the flames and she can’t help but think the heat has nothing on rage inside of her. She continues to send out wave after wave until the building begins to crumble and she remembers that she still has Naoya who is defenseless. “My beloved…”, she whimpers under her breath as her presence begins to fade knowing that her time in this state is up, feeling heavy. She walks over to where Naoya lays and drops to her knees beside him. Tears fall from her face as she takes his hand and asks, “What do I do?”. Feeling hopeless and exhausted, she lays down next to him and curls up near his chest while his unconscious body faces her. “I lost Toji…”. After a few minutes of sobbing into Naoya she feels her awareness fading and clings to him desperately. She hears her name being screamed following by her body being lifted off of the ground and against someone’s warmth. The last thing she sees before completely passing out is Satoru’s teary eyes.

               “ELSKA!”, his voice is distant as her limbs relax, not having any strength left.

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tagging: @angelofthorr

#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen au #jjk fanfic #jjk au #Toji Fushiguro #Naoya Zenin #choso #satoru gojo #Geto Suguru #enemies to lovers #Toji smut #jujutsu kaisen smut #choso smut #Naoya smut #Gojo smut #Geto smut #Satoru smut #Gojo x reader #naoya x reader #Geto x reader #toji x reader #elska oda #choso x reader #fushiguro toji #zenin naoya #on going fanfic #minors dni #mentions of violence

[hottestthingalive]

I figured out how the punnet squares could work.

First of all we have to assume the Fox Gene is recessive, and both Human and Smart Fridge are dominant over Fox. So then Wilbur gets a dominant Human (ish) gene from Philza who is pure HH human. And a Fox gene from the smart fridge (the smart fridges genes being Ff (F=fridge) (f=fox) making Wilburs genetics Hf (H=human) (f=fox).

Then we also have to assume the Salmon Gene is dominant over Fox as well, and Sally had a fox somewhere in her family tree and she is Sf (S=salmon) (f=fox)

This allows a 1/4 chance of the recessive fox genes for Wilbur and Sally combining to make Fundy (ff)

ok see that’s what i was thinking originally too EXCEPT punnett squares are for trait inheritance, not for species.

with crossbreeding species, it produces stuff like ligers or mules or camas. usually, these animals are often sterile, so it’s difficult to know how the species traits exactly translate, but we know from domestic dog and cat breeding that things can start to get a bit strange. punnett squares are especially difficult for species because sometimes mixing of traits will form a new trait: white and red flowers, for example, represented in this example by RR and ww alleles respectively, could create, instead of a red flower, a mixed gene that makes them pink in something called incomplete dominance. that’s why you’ll get mules and whatnot: the traits of the species mix or combine instead of the species itself being dominant or recessive. dsmp biology is pretty janky, but we have to assume some commonalities, and so that’s where things get tricky.

the difficulty here is that phil, and therefore wilbur’s, biology is questionable. that was why i could make my fridge headcanon in the first place: we could reasonably assume that, through whatever quirk of genetics causes phil’s strange semi-god traits and lack of aging, both of them ended up with a wonky circulation system or some magic bullshittery to make their body temperatures wonky. even without headcanons in play, just based on canon:

-phil had wings before he joined the server

-phil does not age or die of old age but naturally has only one life, which wilbur did not inherit

-phil’s definitely been affected by magic. even if we consider magic unknown science that hasn’t been cracked yet, that messes with things too

-wilbur has been confirmed multiple times to be phil’s biological son.

-wilbur has also said that the fridge parentage was canon, and although i don’t doubt he did that just to fuck with people, we have to take that into account.

-fundy’s age is dubious, and it’s hard to know how he ages or if he does so according to canon time because of mixed reports, but wilbur says he is wilbur’s biological son. this strange aging could be because of fundy being affected by phil’s wonky genetics, but we don’t know.

-sally the salmon is also dubious, as she is/was kept in a bucket and is called a salmon often, but also was apparently cross-eyed and an accountant, with her favorite color being brown (according to the wiki). she also divorced wilbur for unknown reasons, which means she was probably smarter than the average fish (i’m joking about the divorce bit, but the rest of it still applies). we can guess that sally is in some way like michael, steve, endermen, or yogurt; mobs that seem to have gained and/or been assigned by the ccs some higher level of sentience, although that’s a factor we have to consider with a grain of salt. we have to assume from canon alone that sally was a literal salmon and not some form of shapeshifter, like she is often headcanoned as, but is also a salmon that somehow attained higher brain functions than average.

-the fridge is also confusing, as fundy has claimed to have met them (i’m aware the fridge has been referred to as grandma and mother by ccs but i will use gender neutral pronouns for them until further notice) and we have to think that said fridge has some form of sentience to hook up with phil. or, well, hope they did, at least.

so with all that in account, here’s where things go downhill:

i said earlier that species cannot be graphed on a punnett square. we can use the hybrid animals as an example again to explain why.

when hybrid animals are bred, it is from two different species that have compatible enough genetics to still create offspring. however, when they are bred, it is rare that their traits act within the bounds of the regular punnett square; usually, hybrids will have incomplete dominance. and though hybrid animals are only rarely able to have offspring (as their mixed cells usually render them infertile) the few fertile mules we’ve seen have children tend to have strange genetic mixes of traits from mules, donkeys, or horses. from my understanding of hybridization (which could be wrong, as this is from a biology class i took years ago and brief research done just now, so science tumblr feel free to correct me) hybrid traits are not nearly as simple as R or w or Rw, like we saw in the flower example. hybrid animals’ genetics can not only demonstrate incomplete dominance-created trait mixes, but can display entirely new traits caused by the blend in species, which makes things very, very complicated.

which means that fundy’s (and wilbur’s, for that matter) genetics can’t easily graphed on a punnett square. the fact that wilbur, a hybrid, even managed to have fundy is shocking, as we know wilbur is also a hybrid. we know this because wilbur is phil’s son but does not have wings or only one canon life, and (according to the wiki) may not have entirely human traits either (the wiki talks about it being implied that his blood was blue even before ghostbur, although we once again have to take that with a grain of salt). wilbur also had three lives instead of one, something we have to assume is inherited from the fridge. we can’t explain any of that away by assuming that phil’s genetics are non-inheritable either, or that they’re caused by magic and not biology, because the cc has confirmed that c!phil does not know why he has not died or aged, which makes him being cursed or blessed or anything like that unlikely.

the fridge and sally both appear to be members of their individual species with merely a higher level of intelligence than normal: therefore, we cannot assume that either are hybrids. fundy, meanwhile, is an anthropomorphic fox, and clearly is hybridized. although he has fox features, fundy can walk like humans, must logically have some sort of opposable thumb feature since he can make potions, wield weapons, and create machinery, and has different internal systems to foxes. although minecraft foxes can actually consume any food besides cake, (which fundy can consume, so their digestive systems are also evidently somewhat different) foxes (in minecraft or otherwise) do not have the capacity for human speech, because even if they could learn the language, because of differences in body structure it is difficult for most animals to create human sounds. fundy is not fully a fox; he is a mix of fox traits, human traits, and possibly traits relating to sally, although we do not know if that is true.

basically what i’m saying, anon, (and again anyone with a better grasp of biology should feel free to correct me) is that wilbur and fundy are essentially genetic nightmares. even if wilbur or sally was part fox, the odds of fundy displaying only those traits is infinitesimal, AND it raises questions about wilbur and sally’s own biology. the biology of the minecraft/soot/dy family is preternatural and keeps me up at night tying string to pins and sticking them in a conspiracist’s corkboard.

#dsmp wilbur #dsmp philza #dsmp fundy #dsmp sally #you all should know that i wrote this while preparing for a funeral #it’s not relevant just thematically appropriate #asks #anon

[trashyswitch]

The Repair Man's Reward

Chris is a full time repair man who works with the Animatronics. But a regular night of routine housekeeping for the next morning, would turn into so much more than he expected. And frankly, he's not complaining!

This prompt was suggested by a close friend of mine, who has been having dreams of being tickled by Chica (a FNAF representation of me as a ler, basically). So Chris, buddy, I hope this fanfic lives up to your expectations and puts you into a lee mood for a while!

Chris walked himself into the newer-looking pizzeria and looked around the place. The custodian must’ve just finished cleaning and re-setting up the party room, because it wasn’t dirty or cluttered with kids stuff. It was completely put together with table covers, banners, party hats and napkins on the tables, and little party bags to go with it. Chris smiled as he walked past the dining hall/game room, and looked up at the stage with Toy Freddy Fazbear and the bright-looking band members.

He walked up the stage’s stairs, and walked up to the new animatronics. “Good morning guys. Are you ready for another day of entertainment?” He asked rhetorically. He knew that the animatronics wouldn’t reply, so he got started on Toy Bonnie first. He took a moment to make sure the animatronics were properly shut down, and started removing the eyes. “Let’s get that guitar of yours tuned, shall we?” He said to himself.

Chris placed the eyes into the box to be cleaned, and moved onto the two bottom buttons. He clicked both of them one at a time, and smiled as Bonnie’s faceplate opened. “Perfect.” he declared. Next, Chris touched the flashing light button on the throat pipe to make the guitar play. Quickly, the guitar started playing each string individually from up to down. He listened carefully for any strings out of place and to Chris’s surprise, the strings were fine!

“Huh...looks like you’re learning how to carry a tune without breaking a string! Good job, Bon.” He reacted.

Then, he carried the eyes to the cleaning boxes, and dropped them in. It took only a couple seconds for the eyes to be cleaned and spat out. Chris grabbed them, walked back to the animatronic and placed the eyes in. Lastly: Chris closed the faceplate. “There ya go! And now onto Chica.”

Chris walked up to Chica with a smile. “Hello Chica! Good to see ya.” He greeted as he looked at her body. “Having fun making pizza for the kids?” He asked, seeing at least 4 separate slices of pizza on her. “Let’s get that removed.” He put some blue gloves on and started removing the pizza from her body. “Eugh...What is up with you and your obsession with pizza? I mean I totally get it, but this is just…wrong.” Chris threw the pizzas away one at a time and threw away the gloves into the same garbage. “And now…”

Chris clicked the two buttons on Chica’s head, and waited to see if there were cockroaches or other bugs. And sure enough, a few cockroaches started climbing around on there. “Oh no. Not again. Seriously! Where do these cockroaches come from? Do we need to call an exterminator?” He asked. “I’m gonna write that down for Mr. Afton to see.” He decided. He grabbed a notebook out of his box of parts and wrote a note to Afton about the cockroach issue. Then, Chris put a dust mask on and goggles, and sprayed some chemi-spray onto the animatronic. Quickly, Chris watched with relief as the cockroaches died and fell onto the ground.

Finally, Chris adjusted Chica’s arm, and placed the cupcake onto her hand. “There! Now onto Freddy.”

Chris had walked himself up to Freddy and right away, he could see a kid’s toy stuck in the mouth. Carefully, Chris started to open the mouth to remove the kid’s toy. He managed to successfully remove it and placed it into the lost and found bin. Giving his bowtie a light tug, Freddy’s chestplate opened and revealed no other toys or anything else worthy of the lost and found bin. So, Chris booped Freddy’s snoot and kept Freddy the way he was.

“Alright. And Foxy is still out of commission and-” Chris paused what he was saying when he saw that Chica was looking at him. “Heeeeee’s…” Chris walked closer to Chica and slowly started walking backwards. He watched as Chica’s head moved with his body, while his big green eyes stayed staring right back at his own dark brown eyes.

“W-What are you looking at?” He asked.

Suddenly, the yellow toy animatronic’s eyes went black. Chris didn’t even have a chance to think another coherent thought before the animatronic had dropped the cupcake and leaped right off the stage! Chris had immediately dropped his box of spare parts and had taken off in a terrified sprint down the main hall. He could hear stomps and clanging sounds of the yellow toy robot following right behind him.

While he ran for his life, Chris tried looking behind him to see just how much space was between-

OH GOD CHICA IS RIGHT BEHIND HIM!

The robot was literally neck and neck with the tiny human that had repaired her. It was like a human trying to outrun a raging lion! So impossible you shouldn’t even TRY to attempt it! Even though it would’ve been easier to just give up, Chris didn’t. But that determination only lasted another second before he was quickly captured by the speedy robot. Chris shouted and kicked, and wiggled as much as he could to get out of her grip. But it was impossible. Now that he was captured, there was no getting out.

“Help! HELP! HELP! AAAA-” All of Chris’s breath was squeezed right out of him as Chica tried to give him a big hug. Though it didn’t hurt him per say, it did render him unable to breath for a couple seconds. When the robot had stopped tightening her arms, Chris managed to adjust himself slightly so he could still breath. He took in a big breath, and exhaled in relief. Though he was able to breathe okay, he was still stuck in Chica’s grip.

Chica had wrapped her arms around Chris’s upper arms, rendering his shoulders immobile for a while. He was still able to bend his elbows and reach his lower arms out, but he couldn’t extend them like he would with free shoulders. “Ch-Chica! Please!” Chris begged.

Chica ignored his begs to be let go, and rested her head against Chris’s shoulder and neck, like a touch-starved mother. Chris blinked in surprise and still worried for his safety thanks to the fear that still lingered in his system.

But then, Chris felt one of Chica’s arms loosen and watched as the big hand rose above his head. Chris gasped and braced himself for skull-crushing impact…

But the only thing he felt was a light pat. A light pat from a big palm, and a ruffle of his big head of hair from the robot’s fingers. Chris opened his eyes and...didn’t know how to react. Were the animatronics supposed to hug people like this? If not, then why was Chica hugging him? Chris looked up at the hand and attempted to shake her hand off his head. But Chica removed her hand herself and resumed her tight hug.

Chris blinked in more surprise, but slowly seemed to calm down. It seemed like Chica was not planning on killing him and instead, was only planning to give hugs and cuddles to the guy. If that was true, then he’ll take them. Anything’s better than being killed.

But the comfy hug soon grew loose as Chica lifted Chris back up in front of her. Chris looked at her with genuine confusion and slight curiosity. Chica’s eyes were no longer dark black and had reverted back to the light green color. The toy version of Chica looked so much more friendly and approachable compared to the first Chica. It was somewhat deceiving. Chris watched as Chica wrapped one full hand under his armpits and around the man’s upper chest. The left hand was now securely but gently holding onto Chris, while the right hand started reaching down to his belly.

Noticing the shirt had risen up, Chica lifted the shirt up more and gazed at the skin underneath. Chica’s head tilted to the side while her jaw dropped a little in surprise. Chris looked at her eyes and quickly widened his own when he saw something adrenaline-inducing in Chica’s pupils:

A white feather had appeared in both eyes.

“Oooooh no. Ch-Chica...Let’s not do that-”

Chris was quickly interrupted by a single thick yellow finger, scratching at his belly. Chris immediately went silent and tensed, almost nervous to let his laugh out. Maybe if he held his breath and waited it out, Chica would assume he’s not ticklish and move on. But unfortunately, it was a lot easier said than actually done.

Chica was moving the single finger around the different spots on his belly and adding little extra scratches here and there. The extra scratches were already almost breaking him. What made matters worse was that his belly was one of his absolute worst spots! It didn’t take much for anyone to break him just from some scratches on his belly.

Chris let out a strained grunting sound as he tried to keep his giggles from escaping his lungs. But then: Chica pulled an EVIL move by adding another finger to the scratching! And if that wasn’t enough, Chica had started ‘walking’ her fingers around his belly! OH NO! Chris accidentally let out a strained titter as his lips quivered into a wobbly, silly-looking smile.

Much to Chris’s dismay, Chica heard the tittering sound and quickly took it as a sign that the guy was ticklish! So Chica added her third finger and her thumb to the mix. The moment she started clawing and scratching, Chris threw his head back and broke out in laughter. “AAAAHAHAAAhahahahaha! EEEeehehehehehehe!” Chris laughed, wiggling around and kicking his feet.

Chica’s eyes appeared to dilate, making the pair feather images appear bigger in her eyes as she moved her hand to squeeze his bottom ribs. Chris took the few seconds to breath a little and quickly started giggling more high-pitched the moment she started squeezing. “Hahahahahahahaha! Chihihihicahahahahaha! Cuhuhuhut ihihihit ohohohouhuhut!” Chris reacted, squeezing Chica’s fingers as he giggled.

Chica removed her right hand and put her three fingers into a fist. Staring at her thumb, Chica lowered it towards the side of Chris’s chest and started digging and worming her thumb into the middle ribs and the spaces between. “HeheheheHEHEHEEEEEE! NOHOHOHOHOHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAHAHAP!” Chris tried desperately to reach down and grab the hand or thumb, but couldn’t even reach high enough thanks to Chica’s thick arms. And even if he could, he wouldn’t have been able to pull her off anyway.

Then, Chica stretched out her hands, and moved her hand curiously to his belly again. “IHIhihi...Whahahat ahahare…” He struggled to properly see where she was gonna go next thanks to her fingers taking up so much of his view. But Chris quickly figured it out thanks to one poke to the bell button.

Chris widened his eyes in horror. She’d better not be!

Chica poked his belly button again, causing Chris to jump and squeak like a loud mouse.

It was at this moment that Chris had realized: he was toast.

Chica immediately started poking and scratching her finger into his belly button, leaving him in hysterics. “AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! STAHAHAHAP! STAHAHAP IHIHIHIT! IHIHIHIT’S TOOHOHOHOHO MUHUHUHUHUCH!” Chris begged.

Chica didn’t have any of those words in her code. But truth be told, none of the words in her code included laughter in between. That was a command flaw that had been around for a while, sadly. Usually, there would be a parent there to give the command. But this time, it was just one person! Chris was all alone; so Chris would have to work super hard to properly plead for her to actually stop.

Chris had sadly realized this and mentally cursed the complicated technology. If they had just come up with suits instead of robots...it would’ve been so much easier. But nope! He’s stuck with a robot chicken that was currently tickling him to bits.

“CHIHIHIHICAHAHAHA! IHIHI CAHAHAHAHAN’T BREHEHEHEHEAHAHATHE!” Chris yelled at her.

Just as one would figure, Chica didn’t understand this as a proper command. So, she continue to tickle the belly button for a little longer before resuming to the generally belly area. “HAHAHahahahahaha! Ohohohokahahahay, thahahahank yohohou. Thahahahank yohohohou Chihihicaha.” Chris told her.

Chica didn’t really understand that command. but she did notice that Chris’s laughter was more giggly and happy, than high-pitched and hysterical. So, Chica seemed to be able to learn the type of attention that Chris liked. Chica’s whole hand scratching soon moved back to 1 finger scratching again. When that happened, Chris started to calm down more and more. “Hehehehehehe! Yohohou...Yohohou’re ahamahahazing. Wooohohow.” Chris muttered.

Chica tilted her head as she gently lifted up Chris’s chin. Chris had a cute little dopey smile on his face. Under his longer hair, hid his sparkling dark eyes. Chica tilted her head as the feather image in both her eyes, switched to white hearts. Chris looked at the hearts in her eyes and dropped his smile. Not because he was sad, but because he was curious. Why were there hearts in her eyes? Was...Was Chica in love with her? Or was this more like a motherly kind of love?

Chica moved her finger around under his chin, and started gently scratching under his chin. Chris’s smile seemed to grow right back onto his face but this time, it was followed up by...almost a loving reaction to the scratching. He was closing his eyes and tilting his head to the side while sporting a soft, comfortable smile on his face. Whatever kind of loving reaction this was, Chica was loving it! Her eyes dilated in wonder and excitement as she scratched under his chin with two fingers this time.

Chris appeared to be loving the chin scratches. Whenever Chica would move towards the upper chin, Chris would follow her and lift his chin up like a touch-starved cat. It was like he had just learned about the wonders of being touched. He didn’t want it to stop!

Next, Chica moved her ears towards his ears and started lightly scratching there. To Chica’s surprise, Chris started leaning into that touch as well! His face showed signs of enjoyment, and he even started...vibrating?

Wait...there was a sound to this vibration! It sounded strange. In fact, it sounded similar to a finger fluttering through all the pages of a book. It sounded...pleasurable? Was it a sound of enjoyment to go along with his face? Chica wasn’t entirely sure. But she could understand that whatever the sound was...it was connected to the ear scratching.

Whenever Chica would stop scratching his ears, Chris would stop doing the flutter sound and would look at him with sadness and hurt. Silent pleas for more? It seemed so. Chica would continue the ear scratches, and the pleasurable face, along with the flutter sound, would return.

Chica kept up this interesting sound-making action for a little longer. And the moment she finally stopped, Chris looked at her with a smile. “Thank you Chica. That felt amazing.” Chris opened his arms out, reaching for a hug. Chica, surprised but happy to agree, gently brought Chris into a hug. Chris wrapped his arms around her neck and snuggled his face into her shoulder.

While Chris snuggled into the chick, Chica started to draw little scribbles on his back with her loving finger. Chris, much to her surprise, started giggling and wiggling a little. “Hehehehehehehe! Thahahat tihihihicklehehes!” He giggled. Happy to hear his laughter more up close, Chica kept it up. “Hehehehehehehe! Hehehehehahahahahahaha!” He kept on giggling.

Chris wasn’t even trying to protest at this point! He was just happy to be in her arms! Chris’s viewpoint on Chica had changed drastically from when he got there, to at this moment. Toy Chica was programmed to be a little like a mother hen to the little children she likely saw as baby chicks. It was an underappreciated code idea that deserved a lot more positive reviews.

Chris stayed in Chica’s hug for a long while and enjoyed every ticking second of his cuddle session with her. It had been years since he had been cuddled like this. He never, ever expected to get such a warm cuddle session from a metallic, chicken-looking robot! But, gifts can come at the strangest of times.

Chris would later go back to the Pizzeria with more than just a daily repair job to do. He would come back, fix up the animatronics, and cuddle Chica for a while. Everytime he had a shift, Chris would happily cuddle with Chica. And amazingly, Chica’s faulty facial scanning seemed to work just enough so that she recognized who he was! It was the fixing man who loves to cuddle!

Now despite Chris’s attempts to hide this secret, he did manage to get caught. But Chris was actually surprised with who, out of all the staff, had caught him during a cuddle session. It was Henry Emily himself.

Henry had originally come into the restaurant to reminisce over the robots he had created and sadly, handed over to Afton once he left the team. But he ended up finding a lot more than just a repair man and the animatronics.

While the sight of a grown man cuddling a robot was super confusing and almost worrying at first, Mr. Emily seemed to understand just what was actually happening. Not only that, but Emily even had some answers for Chris’s questions such as: What did the hearts mean?

As it would turn out, the hearts meant that Chica had grown a special connection to someone, similar to a mother with their child! He had originally set it up with white hearts to represent purity in the love rather than the traditional red heart, which would represent a more intimate love.

So Chris smiled in delight when he realized his personal guess was almost spot on!

But then, more and more things started to finally click when Chica’s feathers appeared in her eyes again while looking at Henry. And of course; before the engineer could think to run, Chica had grabbed him and started tickling him! And even when Emily begged and pleaded for Chris to stop her, Chris just crossed his arms and enjoyed the strangely endearing scene.

Looks like Chris isn’t the only one who likes getting tickles from the pizza-loving chicken...

#original fnaf character #fluff #platonic cuddling #toy chica is a mother hen #ticklefic #ler!chica #lee!chris #mentioned henry emily at the end #slight lee!henry

[i-stan-nct-and-satan]

Not Broken Part 12 (Jaehyun Mafia AU)

Not Broken Masterlist

Jaehyun X Reader

Trigger warning: mentions of abuse

I stayed in my room for several hours, just staring at the minimalistic digital clock Taeyong had set onto the vanity. It was 2:58, past the time Taeyong said lunch would be delivered to my room. In any other circumstance, I would have just gone to the kitchen and made something myself, but I really didn’t want to run into anybody from 127, especially not the pink-haired mobster himself. I hadn’t eaten at all that day, nor had I had anything to drink other than the tap from the bathroom. There were no cups to be found so I scooped the water into my mouth with my hands.  

I wondered if they had forgotten about me or if there was a delay. Either way, the hunger was becoming too uncomfortable to ignore.  

I glanced at the door, wondering who on earth could be on the other side. I was almost too afraid to find out. On one hand, it was very possible that they would turn out to be a staff member rather than an actual member of Nct given that Taeyong explained that they had a few staff members on hand that doubled as bodyguards. I couldn’t imagine that Nct 127 would waste any of their members’ time just to stand guard at my door, yet on the other hand, I couldn’t get rid of the sinking feeling that if I chose to find out I’d be confronted with someone like Doyoung whom I’m sure wouldn’t be so pleased with having to escort me around.  

I decided to come up with an excuse to open the door, that way if it turned out to be someone I didn’t feel comfortable with, I could just ask them to clarify a rule for me or something. I supposed I could also tell them that I was hungry, but I didn’t think that Doyoung would want to be sent on an errand either.  

After I made the decision to open the door, I suddenly became excited at the prospect of being able to leave the room I had just spent three hours in unable to do anything but stare at my bruises in the bathroom mirror, take nearly an hour-long shower, and look through the clothes in the closet. There definitely wasn’t anything I felt comfortable wearing in there and although I knew I shouldn’t feel any guilt asking for clothing more suited to my style, I didn’t have the guts the make the request.  

I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves before I knocked on the door.  

Nothing.  

Was there no one on the other side?

Knock knock.

I instantly became confused by the sudden knocking that came from the other side of the door. I knocked again only for them to knock again.  

Wanting to know what was going on, I opened the door to see the blonde-haired boy I’ve come to know as Mark, fist still raised in the air.  

“What are you doing?” I asked him, too puzzled by his actions to feel any relief that it was him and not Doyoung.  

“Knocking,” He answered, matter of factly.

“Why?” I asked.

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that? It makes a lot more sense for someone outside of the room to knock on the door than someone inside of the room.”

“What? I mean, you’re not wrong but I just...”

Mark began to laugh softly at my perplexed state. Despite feeling even more confused by his reaction, I did feel less nervous than before.  

“I’m just messing with you,” He revealed with a warm smile.

“What do you need?”

“Oh, um... I was just wondering if I could have something to eat.”

“Sure, no problem, let me just call the cook and have him bring something up,” He agreed, taking out his phone.

“W-wait.”

Mark paused.

“I was hoping I’d be able to leave my room at some point since there isn’t much to do.”

Mark stared at me as he processed my words and I worried that he would deny my request.

“Oh, I get it. Okay, sure,” He agreed.

“Yeah, I forgot that they didn’t really give you anything to do.”

“Yeah...” I confirmed, not wanting to sound like I was complaining.  

“Well, did you want to go now?”

“Yes, if that is okay.”

Instead of responding, Mark just started laughing. I couldn’t understand why because I hadn’t said anything particularly funny, so I just started awkwardly laughing with him.  

“Yeah, no problem. Let’s go.”  

We walked down a long hallway, and down a long flight of stairs that looked like something the Queen of England would step down to treat her guests.  

When we finally got to the kitchen, there were already several people inside, none of which I had ever seen before.  

“Come on, Chenle. You need to eat.”

A man with blonde hair and a faded blue fringe whose out-of-the-blue hairstyle made it look like he had literally ran out of blue hair dye and made Doyoung’s blue highlights look normal in comparison, was sitting at small kitchen table with two boys who looked to be in their mid-teens. In another part of the kitchen was an athletic looking man who seemed too busy cooking to notice that we had come in. He had light sandy brown hair that looked like it had been shadow permed and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt under a salmon colored apron. He was peeling potatoes and I couldn’t help but stare at his developed arm muscles that were more defined than any of the 127 members I had seen thus far, with the exception of Jaehyun, himself. The apron did nothing to take away from his masculine features and anyone who thought it did would have to be extremely antagonistic towards the color salmon.

The older male at the table looked up at us. Apparently, my fascination with the other gentleman must have been obvious since my attention was immediately brought back to him as he cleared his throat.  

“You must be Y/N,” He commented, getting up from the table.  

“Hello,” I greeted.

“Ah, uh, yes. Hello. My name is Jaemin. I’m the nanny,” He wavered in his response.

The man offered his hand and I shook it.

“And these are Chenle and Jisung,” He gestured to the two boys still sitting at the table.

I glanced at them, not fully understanding who they were. One of them, I didn’t know which was which, had blonde hair that had a bit more yellow in it than most people would have preferred. It was strange but he almost looked scared of me. His features made it seem as though he were experiencing great discomfort. He avoided my gaze choosing instead to stare at the full plate of food that sat in front of him.  

The other boy, whose plate was almost empty, had dark brown hair and an extremely small face. His expression reminded me of those mean girls in the movies when they were weirded out by someone less popular than them. He didn’t look mean though, just confused as to why I was there. The two of them didn’t resemble each other in the slightest so I assumed that they were unrelated.

“What happened to your face?” The second boy blurted out.

“Jisung!” Jaemin snapped before turning back to me.  

“I’m so sorry about that,” He apologized.  

“It’s alright, but who are they?” I whispered the last part.  

“Oh, those are Jaehyun’s younger brothers,” Mark answered for him.  

“Brothers?”  

Guess I was wrong about them not being related.

“Yes, and don’t worry. They’ve been caught up on everything, including your lack of involvement in the... issue at hand.”

I hadn’t even thought of the possibility that they had even known about my existence let alone about the suspicion that I was involved in their sister’s death.  

They really know everything that’s going on? At such a young age? No, it made sense. In this type of family, I’m sure that they are fully aware of their brother’s business and probably have been for quite some time. Maybe they’re even being trained to eventually become members.

“Have you put anything on... to... umm... treat that?” Jaemin asked as I continued to stare off into space.

“Oh, umm, no.”

“Hang on a second. I might have some vitamin K cream somewhere. Would you all keep an eye on the boys for a quick second?”

“Ah, I, umm,” I hesitated.

“I’ll handle it, Jaemin.”

I turned around to see the aproned man who had been busy cooking up to this point smile over at us.

“Awesome! Be right back,” Jaemin confirmed before hurrying out of the kitchen.  

The man who had volunteered to watch the boys rinsed his hands and dried them on a spare cloth before making his way over.  

“Hi, what can I do for you?” He asked in a pleasant tone.

“Hey Jeno, this is Y/N. We came to get her something to eat,” Mark took the lead in answering for you.

“Ah, yes. Miss Y/N. I was informed of your new status as a guest here just recently. I apologize for the delay. You can sit down at the table with Jisung and Chenle while I finish preparing your lunch.”

“Oh, so you’re the chef?” I asked, wanting to know more about the strangely attractive man, totally oblivious to my appearance.

“Hm? Oh, kind of. I’m actually-”

“The butler,” Mark interrupted.  

I turned to Mark and gave him an expression I can only describe as “Dude, what the fuck?”

“Well yes, butler, director of the household. It’s all the same. Stand-in-chef while the other staff is away. I pretty much do whatever is required of me in order to keep the house from burning down.”

“Oh wow. That’s impressive, especially with a house as big as this,” I beamed. 

I was surprised since someone of his stature seemed as though they would fit in perfectly as a gang member, but his kind eyes gave away his lack of involvement with the group’s more criminal activities.

“Not really, I have lots of great staff to help me. Anyways, have a seat and I’ll bring a plate over once everything’s prepared.”

Mark and I sat down at the table and it was... awkward.

Jisung and Chenle just stared at me as if I had three eyes... or maybe just two black ones.

“Did someone from 127 really do that to you?” Chenle asked looking noticeably sick.

Someone?  

What I wanted to say was that their brother did this to me, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell two teenaged boys how much of a monster their brother really was. Even if he deserved it, they didn’t.

“Uh, umm...”

“I’m back!”  

Jaemin’s timing couldn’t have been any more perfect.

“Did you miss me?” Jaemin cooed at the two boys, making an effort to pinch Jisung’s cheeks.

“Nana, stop!” He whined.

Jaemin frowned.  

“This is why they said there’s no use in raising kids.”

His attention turned to me.  

“Let’s get you taken care of, shall we?”  

Jaemin asked me to sit on the counter in the kitchen so that we could “talk” without having to worry about the kids and asked Mark to watch them in the dining room. Apparently Jeno and Jaemin were also included in the list of staff who could watch over me.

“So how are things going for you?” He asked.

Jaemin’s face seemed to hold genuine concern so I had no reason to give him a snarky answer, but I wasn’t certain whether I could be honest with the two of them or not. They might not have been members of NCT, but they still worked for them.

“Everything is just so hard,” I broke down.  

“Oh, honey,” Jaemin cooed sympathetically.

Jaemin took me into his arms as I started to quietly weep.

Jeno who had been busy cutting vegetables pushed them aside and joined us, patting my back as Jaemin continued to hug me.  

After a few moments passed, I somehow managed to cease my crying.

Once Jaemin pulled away, Jeno gave me a cloth to wipe my tears. I winced when the fabric came in contact with my bruised eyes causing Jaemin and Jeno to give each other a concerned look.

“Let’s put some of this on,” Jaemin suggested.

“I just feel so angry at how little control I have here. I feel so weak and for some reason, I feel like I have no reason to complain either, like I somehow deserve this,” I ranted as Jaemin applied the vitamin k cream with a q-tip.

“You know you don’t though, right? I mean yeah, this whole this is fucked but you just have to get through it. Do whatever you need to do to survive, even if it means taking advantage of their accommodations.”

“What do you mean?”  

“They told you that you could make requests, didn’t they? If I were you, I would take them for all they’re worth. I’d ask for expensive jewelry, clothes. You know, the works,” Jaemin continued.

“I just feel like if I ask for anything then I’ll be proving that pink-haired jackass right.”

“Hm?” Jaemin quirked.

I sighed.  

“Jaehyun made me an offer and when I didn’t accept it, he told me that he didn’t expect a dancer like me to refuse that much money. Then he told me we could renegotiate later. He thought I was some floozy trying to get her next payday. I don’t even want the money. I refused because what he did can’t be fixed with money.”

“Wow,” The two men uttered in unison.

“What?”

“Y/ N, you’re kind of a badass,” Jeno complimented.

“What? No, that’s the thing. I couldn’t even stand up for myself and tell him that. This whole time, I’ve felt so powerless and weak and I just wish that I could fight back just one time and have an impact.”

We all went silent as Jaemin finished applying the cream to my bruises.

“How do you like the clothes the maids picked out? This dress is nice, right?”  

“Honestly? I hate them. Everything is too fancy. I don’t feel like it’s exactly normal to wear Swarovski crystals when living in your kidnapper’s estate, not that there’s exactly a dress code for that.”

“Okay, no Swarovski crystals. What else?”

“Huh? Oh no, I didn’t mean. I’m fine, really.”

“Y/N.”

Jaemin grabbed my face as gently as he could to avoid causing any further harm to my already bruised face.

“It’s the least I can do given your situation, especially when I can’t do much else for you.”

His face was suddenly filled with noticeable anguish. He was trying so hard to relieve my sorrow, it made me want to relieve some of his.

“Okay then, I guess I do have a request or two.”

“Thatta girl!” He beamed, not a trace of sadness left in his features.  

“What can I do for you?”

“Would it be possible to get my own clothes from my apartment?”

“I’m sure I could find some clothes to better suit your tastes.”

“No, they have to be mine. Is that okay?”

Jaemin spent a few seconds to ponder the request.

“I don’t see why we couldn’t ask, right Jeno?”

Jeno nodded.

“What else?”

“Could I start eating meals with you guys? I don’t want to spend all day trapped in that room and I could really use the companionship.”

Jeno and Jaemin smiled at each other and then back at me.  

“Of course. Mealtimes are about the only time I ever get a break in this house. That’s when Jisung and Chenle get handed over to Momo, the other nanny. The only reason we were all in here earlier is because Chenle hasn’t been eating lately. The poor child. He’s only been like this once before when his sister died. I’m sure having everything come back up has been hard on both him and Jisung.”

I didn’t know whether I should have pried or if it was better to just change the subject, but Jaemin and Jeno seemed to be trustworthy so I decided to pry.  

“Are they really his brothers?”

“Adopted brothers. The previous head of the household adopted all of his children,” Jaemin explained.

“Including-” I started.

“Yes, including him.”

“He couldn’t have children otherwise, so adoption was his only option,” Jeno added.

“Jaehyun and IU were blood related though. Sooman, the former head of NCT, had been searching for quite some time to find a son to eventually take his place as leader. He and his wife went to countless orphanages but apparently he was looking for something in particular which is why they never brought anyone home with them. He would ask each of the young boys a question, but none of their answers satisfied him.”

“What was the question?” I asked, enamored by the almost folksy tale.

“No one knows for sure, but I did hear from one of the older staff, who used to work as Sooman’s personal servant, that he’d ask them why they thought he should adopt them. Simple right?”

I nodded.

“Well supposedly, when he and his wife visited the orphanage the current young master was living at, one of the workers told Sooman that the boy hadn’t spoken a word to anybody other than his sister since they arrived. Instead of skipping the young boy, Sooman asked to speak with him anyway. He probably wasn’t expecting much of a response, yet he went through the motions anyway, telling him that he was a wealthy man who was capable of changing his life and things like that. When he asked the boy why he should adopt him. The young master actually responded.”

“What did he say? How did he convince him to adopt him?”

“That’s the thing. He didn’t. He told him that he shouldn’t adopt him, but that he should adopt his sister instead. Then, after having not spoken for such a long time, he went on to explain how much of a good person his sister was and how she would make a wonderful daughter. Sooman decided to adopt them both, that very day.”

I was speechless. That kind and caring young boy who was willing to give up on everything he could have wanted to help his sister seemed worlds apart from the horrible violent man I had the displeasure of meeting. The only similarities between them was how far they were willing to go for their sister.  

“I guess Sooman wanted a son who valued loyalty,” Jaemin finished.

“What about the other two?”

“Oh, Jisung and Chenle? Their biological fathers both worked for Sooman, but died when they were a lot younger, so he adopted them as a service to them.”

“Umm, Jaemin?”  

We all turned to look at the sudden voice.

Mark was covered in bits and pieces of food and a string of laughter escaped my lungs.  

“Oh my god. Boys!” Jaemin ran out of the kitchen and into the dining room.

“Well, that was eventful. Anyways, food’s ready,” Jeno chuckled.

Jaemin had to go take care of the boys but he promised that he would be there tomorrow for breakfast.  

Mark, Jeno and I sat down at the kitchen table. At first it felt a little awkward having Mark there since he was a member of 127, but I was relieved to see that he didn’t think so.  

He told us how excited he was for another one of 127’s members to return after having been undercover for the last few months. He didn’t give me any specific details about the mission itself, but he did say the member’s name a lot. Apparently since he was so deep undercover, he was rarely able to interact with any of the members without the risk of blowing his cover.  

Yuta came in at one point after hearing our laugher from a nearby room.  

“Y/N, you look as beautiful as ever.”

“I have two black eyes.”

“And I can honestly say that not every girl can pull it off as well as you do.”

We continued talking hours after I had already finished eating. It was weird but nice. I pondered Jaemin’s words about how I should do whatever it takes to survive. I guess it felt like isolating myself wasn’t really my best option and that maybe opening up a little bit would make this whole thing more tolerable.  

I went to bed that night, annoyed by the small red camera lights that flashed every so often. The next morning, I decided to just wear the green dress again since it was the only thing I really felt comfortable in, but instead of leggings, I put jeans on underneath. It looked kind of strange, but I didn’t care.  

Jaemin told me that he was going to ask Jaehyun about my clothes at some point today. Jeno, Jaemin, and I met for breakfast. Mark tagged along since he happened to be guarding my door again. He quickly discovered that we made a promise to start eating meals together, so he also came to lunch despite not being on guard duty.

“Everyone else just eats in their rooms. We never have mealtimes together. I wish we would though,” He explained.

Not just him, but Yuta started to eat with us too. When it was time for us to meet for lunch, Yuta happened to be the one guarding my door, so he when he escorted me down to the kitchen only to see that Jaemin, Jeno and Mark were waiting for me, he demanded he stay to keep an eye on me despite there being three other men there to watch me.

It was strange at first, but it was nice to freely speak with each other without worry. Yuta continued to hit on me only to get scolded by Jaemin. Mark would laugh and Yuta would punch him in the arm, all while Jeno quietly smiled as though it were the most normal thing in the world for two mafia members, two staff members hired by said mafia members, and a former hostage kidnapped, also by said mafia members, to sit around a kitchen table laughing and having a ball.  

I noticed how whenever he smiled, his eyes would form crescent moon slits, that made it hard to believe that he could see anything beyond them.  

Nothing about the situation was normal, but I found myself feeling almost grateful for the scene unraveling in front of me. If this was going to be my new normal for the time being, maybe it wouldn’t be that bad.

<><><><><><><>

“The Itaewon lead was a bust. They found no trace of Wayv at any of their usual hangouts. Should I instruct S. Coups to have his men start canvasing the surrounding areas?” Taeyong updated his boss as they wandered the estate.  

“No need. Have them return to Neozone to await further instructions. Wayv’s aware we’re looking for them, so they know to cover their tracks.”

Jaehyun was visibly frustrated at the lack of breakthroughs in the search for Wayv. His face was noticeably thinner than it was just a few days ago.  

“We’ll just have to wait until they come for the girl.”

“Jae?” Taeyong quirked.

“Yes? What is it?”

“What’s that noise?”

The two men halted their conversation to focus on the sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen.  

“Should we go see what they’re doing? Taking your mind off everything for a bit might make you feel better,” Taeyong suggested.

“It’s probably just Jaemin and Jeno flirting with each other. I can’t for the life of me understand how they still insist on keeping their relationship a secret from me. I’ve never once said anything to give them the impression that I’d hold any disdain for their choices as long as they continued to fulfill their duties and besides, only an idiot would think those two were straight.”

Jaehyun noticed the disappointed look on his friend/colleague’s usually impassive face.

Jaehyun relaxed slightly, becoming conscious of how much stress the two have them had been under, discussing further plans of action while holed up in his office since the break of dawn.

“Perhaps I should go in to check with in Jeno, see if there are any issues with... well, anything there might be issues with,” He suggested, abandoning his strict facade.

Taeyong’s face lit up. His excitement was most evident in his already anime-like eyes which now looked to have doubled in size.

<><><><><>

My eyes continued to linger on the sandy brown-haired man who sat almost directly across from me. I knew that it was crazy to crush on someone who worked for the leader of NCT even if he wasn’t a member of the gang itself, but it had been a crazy past few days and who could blame me for being drawn to such a gentle yet strong and protective looking hottie?

“Y/N?” He asked.

Watching the pair of lips, I had been hungerly gawking at, suddenly mouth the syllables of my name immediately allowed me to snap out of whatever entranced state I had been in for the last several moments and enter into one filled with embarrassment. My eyes quickly retreated down to look at my half empty plate, hoping he hadn’t noticed my staring.

“Yes?”

“You have a piece of rice stuck to your face,” Jeno said matter-of-factly.

My cheeks started to burn from the awkwardness. I moved my hand to brush the food from my face only for Yuta to beat me to it.

I jolted away, withdrawing from the man’s touch. Ready to berate him for the abrupt intrusion, I turned in time to see Yuta bring the speck of rice to his lips with a mischievous grin. I scoffed, unamused by his playful antics, as he merely continued to smirk. I glared at him briefly while taking notice of his purple locks.  

His hair was always a dark purple similar to that of a plum, but under the bright kitchen lights it took on an especially violaceous hue. The intensity of the color and how it was almost hypnotic in a way led me to wonder if the devil might more accurately be depicted wearing violet than he would in his usual scarlet tones.  

Yuta’s sly smile grew into a Chesire grin as he saw my anger morph into mesmerism. My gaze retreated from his and my cheeks were noticeably redder than before.

“Dude, that was gross,” Mark commented, bringing my attention back to the three other men at the table.  

Yuta started laughing and I glanced at Jaemin and Jeno who glanced at each other and then back at me like two schoolgirls ready to hear all the hot gossip after seeing the school’s bad boy flirting with their friend.

Great, now they think something’s going on with Mr. Hits-on-anything-with-a-pulse over here.  

I did everything to stop from groaning, but it must not have been enough to hide my annoyance as for the first time, everyone at the table was laughing except for Mark who had a perplexed look on his face.

“Oh, how nice!”

We all turned in our chairs to find the source of the sudden voice.  

By now, I was easily able to recognize that the voice as belonged to Taeyong so when tufts of scarlet hair entered my vision, I thought nothing of it, but then a second man with oddly colored hair followed soon after. My lungs were empty of air, yet I couldn’t find the courage to breathe.  

He was dressed in the most casual outfit I had seen him in. A black shirt tucked into black jeans held up by a black belt with a silver colored buckle. A clashing gold colored watch with red and green detailing drew attention to his right wrist and consequentially, the veins that traveled up his forearms. His hair lacked any product as far as I could tell, and his bangs swept past his browbone and into his eyes. I noticed that the man’s rose gold locks were slightly translucent, probably from the bleaching process, and must not have done much to impair his ability to see past them.  

Unable to turn away, I silently prayed that he would overlook my presence, but that hope revealed itself to be a pipedream as our eyes immediately made contact with each other.

“What’s going on here?” Jaehyun demanded.

“They’re all eating together! How fun!” Taeyong observed, seemingly unaware of his boss’s hostile tone.

Taeyong wandered over to the table and took a seat in the last empty seat, leaving his boss to remain standing by the door.  

“You know, I always thought that we should start eating meals together, but it didn’t seem like the other members were up for it.”

Jaehyun stomped towards us, irritation written across his face. My instincts were telling me to flee, to run out of there and never look back, but instead my body braced itself, knowing that it didn’t have to courage to move even the slightest bit.  

“Jeno? Don’t you two have work to do?” He questioned the sandy-haired man.

Jeno and Jaemin looked at each other then back at their boss.

“Everything is running ahead of schedule, sir. I already have the ingredients prepared for tonight’s dinner.”  

Jaehyun paused, processing the response before turning to Jaemin.

“And what about you? Where are Chenle and Jisung?”

“Umm... sir? This is my scheduled lunch break. The boys are with Momo,” He responded with perturbed intonation.

Jaehyun brought his right hand to his face and pinched the upper bridge of his nose in frustration, sending a quick glance at Yuta and Mark.

“Don’t look at us, you only told us to be on standby in case we needed to have a meeting,” Yuta reminded in a disinterested tone.  

Before Jaehyun could chastise Yuta for such a cheeky response, Taeyong began to speak.

“Awesome. Since nobody is going to be busy for the time being, should we pull up another chair?” He asked staring up at Jaehyun’s intimidating figure.

I started begging the universe to save me from having to sit at the same table as the man who was possibly the only person I was more afraid of than Lucas.

“Actually, there was something I was hoping I could talk with you about, boss,” Jaemin announced, getting up from his chair.

“Shall we?” He asked.

Jaehyun looked down at the five of us who remained seated at the table before returning his gaze to Jaemin. Without saying anything, he merely made his way out the kitchen door, Jaemin waving goodbye as he followed.  

I took a deep breath and let it out, not intending for it to be as loud as it was. Everyone at the table looked at me with concern.  

“Y/N?” Taeyong quirked.

“I’d like to go back to my room please,” I mumbled, not wanting to hear whatever Taeyong had to say.  

Yuta volunteered to escort me back to my room. Not a word was exchanged between us on the way.

Once I was alone, I settled into my bed and began to softly sob into one of the pillows.

I was so scared of him that I couldn’t even move. I’m so sick and tired of being so weak and defenseless.  

I continued to cry until the tears began to sting my bruised eyes.

I can’t be afraid of him anymore. I need to get stronger. No matter what it takes, I need to survive.

<><><>

“Take a seat,” Jaehyun offered, already seated back at his desk.

“Oh, this won’t take long,” Jaemin replied, choosing to remain standing.

Jaehyun quirked an eyebrow at the staff member before leaning back in his chair.

“Very well. What is it you needed to discuss with me?”

Jaemin got straight to the point, not wasting any time to ease his boss into the issue at hand.

“Y/N doesn’t feel comfortable wearing any of the clothes that were picked out for her.”

The curiosity that had occupied Jaehyun’s features dissipated, replaced with the slightest hint of aggravation.  

“And so, the requests start to flood in,” Jaehyun muttered under his breath.

“I’m sorry, sir. What was that?” Jaemin asked, unsure if he was meant to hear his boss’s words.

“So, let me guess, the clothes aren’t good enough for her despite the fact that each article is probably worth more than what she’d make in a year?” Jaehyun sneered, not making any attempt to hide the disgust in his voice.

Jaemin furrowed his brows at the unexpected response.  

“No, sir. That’s the opposite of what I’m saying.”

Now it was Jaehyun’s turn to furrow his brows.

“Hm?”

“Y/N doesn’t feel comfortable wearing clothes of such a high quality, especially when they were paid for by her...” Jaemin paused, hoping that his boss would understand and that he wouldn’t have to finish the less than favorable account of why exactly Y/N didn’t want to wear the clothes Jaehyun had instructed to be prepared for her.  

Jaehyun glared at Jaemin, daring him to finish his sentence, not showing any hint of mercy towards the staff member.

“-captor,” The man finished, doing his best to maintain a professional demeanor while still presenting a strong front.

Jaehyun’s anger unexpectedly dispersed. He sat up in his chair, tapping the desk as he deliberated Jaemin’s words.  

“I’ll send a maid out on another run for her,” He decided.  

“Is that all?”

“Well, boss, that isn’t-” Jaemin began.

“Actually, why don’t you do it since you probably know more about her... tastes. I’ll have Jeno instruct Momo of your absence and let her know that she’ll have the boys for the time being.”  

Jaehyun’s voice was laced with an emotion Jaemin couldn’t quite make out. Was it bitterness or perhaps just irritation?  

“She doesn’t want new clothes, sir.”

Jaehyun’s dusted pink bangs, fell to the side of his forehead as his head tilted the slightest bit.

“Then why are you here taking up my time, Jaemin?”

“She wants the clothes to be removed from her closet and for someone to retrieve her own clothes from her apartment complex.”

“What?”

“Can that be done?” Jaemin pressed on.

“Hold on a minute. Why does she want her own clothes? We could have any article of clothing she wants prepared for her by the end of the day. Hell, we could create an exact replica of her closet if she wanted. Just have her tell us-”

“Excuse me for speaking so boldly and without tact, sir, but it seems as though Y/N doesn’t want any handouts you have to offer her,” Jaemin interjected.

A strange tension filled the air as Jaemin explained his understanding of the situation. Jaehyun seemed as though he were debating amongst himself as he processed this new and unanticipated information. His eyes stared past Jaemin instead of at him and all the younger man could do was wait for his boss’s reply.

Jaehyun took his office phone off its receiver and lifted it to his ear before pressing the 1 on the keypad. A moment passed before Jaehyun spoke up.

“B.I.? Yes, have S.Coups and his men stop by Y/N’s apartment in Hongdae before they return to NEOzone. I want all her things brought back with them. Someone will come by this evening to pick them up.”

After giving his instructions, Jaehyun hung up the phone and looked up at Jaemin.  

“Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off and head to NEOzone headquarters later tonight to grab her things?” He proposed, his face and voice having returned to their usual unreadable states.  

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”

<><><>  

After Jaemin exited through his office door, Jaehyun was left to contemplate Jaemin’s words.  

Had he really misjudged Y/N this much? All this time, he assumed that if she wasn’t working with Wayv, that she’d probably cause problems for them by threatening to expose them unless she got whatever amount of money she needed to keep her mouth shut. Yet here she was, not only choosing to forgo making any requests for newer and better things but actively refusing them as well.  

It was enough to baffle Jaehyun to the point of complete frustration.  

What was it that she wanted? Was it possible she didn’t want anything except to go home? To be safe from Wayv’s grasp?

Jaehyun felt a strong urge to leave his office, the walls of which seemed to be closing in on him. He wondered if perhaps a walk would clear his head and allow him to organize his thoughts, but as he wandered through the halls, the weight of his actions finally hit him.

What have I done?  

Images of Y/N’s first night at the estate crept into the front of his mind, but before he could really weigh the impact of his actions, he remembered seeing his sister, naked and shoved into a box that was left on their doorstep.  

He shook the image from his mind and buried it along with any feelings of guilt that threatened to arise.

He couldn’t let his emotions get the best of him. After all, there was still a chance that Y/N was working with Wayv.

“Hey, boss.”

Too distracted by his thoughts, Jaehyun had unknowingly walked past the security room where Taeil had set up. Having been woken up from his thoughts, Jaehyun entered the room through the open doorway. Monitors showing live footage of Y/N’s room seemed to make up most of the room’s light with the exception of Taeil’s empty laptop screen. Taeil was holding a mug filled with either coffee or tea, Jaehyun didn’t bother to ask which.  

“What’s she doing?” He inquired, taken aback by the images displayed on the monitors.

“Working out, I assume,” Taeil answered not sounding so sure himself.  

“Why is she so... bad at it?”

They both watched in silence, suffering from secondhand embarrassment as footage of my first attempt at doing a push up since middle school gym played across multiple screens.

“Why is she- What is she-” Jaehyun couldn’t even figure out what to ask, giving up halfway through each unfinished inquiry.

“I don’t know but this has been going on for the last half hour. I was getting some work done since I didn’t really wanna watch her cry, but when she started doing jumping jacks all of a sudden, I couldn’t really look away,” Taeil reported, looking visibly uncomfortable.  

Jaehyun tore his eyes from the screen and returned his gaze to Taeil.

“Crying?”  

Taeil returned to his laptop, quickly reopening a dark colored window with past recordings of Y/N’s room. After muting the current footage, Taeil brought up footage timestamped 1:34, roughly ten minutes after Jaehyun left the kitchen with Jaemin.

Several cameras were installed to ensure there were no blind spots in the room, but the camera that produced this specific footage only provided coverage of the bed and some of the floor surrounding it. For the first few seconds, the room seemed to be empty of any life, until the sound of a door opening was projected from a nearby speaker and Y/N entered the screen’s image. She climbed onto the mattress, wrinkling the neatly made bedspread and sat there silently staring off God knows where. Jaehyun and Taeil watched as Y/N grabbed a pillow and held it tightly against her. She began to cry, occasionally reaching up to wipe away the tears that streamed down her bruised cheeks.  

Taeil paused the video roughly sixty seconds after the sobbing had started and turned to his boss.  

“This went on for like ten minutes, but then look at this,” He said, relaying the contents of the video.

Taeil pressed the fast forward key, stopping the video after a few seconds and then pressed the spacebar to resume.

The screen continued to show footage of Y/N crying, before she abruptly stopped altogether. She rubbed her blackened eyes visibly wincing from the contact. After several moments of just staring at nothing, she then preceded to get up from the bed and disappeared out of view. Taeil took a few seconds switching to another camera, this one showing a complete view of Y/N as she began to start doing jumping jack, like Taeil described earlier.  

Taeil paused the video.

“The next twenty minutes are just of her doing various exercises. She’s alright with cardio, but anytime she attempts any strength training, it ends up looking like, well... that,” He gestured towards the monitors that showed that the current Y/N was still struggling to lift herself back into the air after falling back down.

“She is persistent, I’ll give her that,” Jaehyun observed.

“Makes you wonder how we ever thought she was a part of Wayv,” Taeil laughed.

Jaehyun’s gaze shot back to Taeil.

He was right.

If Y/N was working with Wayv, she would have at least been trained in basic hand to hand combat, right? Yet here he was, watching her get visibly more and more frustrated with herself as she failed to do what even people who aren’t particularly athletic should be able to do.  

The possibility that she was faking it crossed his mind only for it to disappear without a trace when he watched Y/N fall onto her already bruised face, yelping in pain.  

“I think she’s trying to get stronger,” Taeil speculated.

Stronger?  

Jaehyun started to contemplate whatever possible motives Y/N could have for wanting to become stronger, when he felt a heaviness in his chest. A heaviness he hoped to ignore for just a little longer but couldn’t.  

“Hmm,” He hummed.

<><><>  

I woke up to the sound of knocking. A groan escaped my mouth as I turned to look at the clock. My eyes had still not adjusted to being open this early in the morning, so I struggled to make out the numbers that shined in blue light.

5:00.  

Five a.m.? Really?

It was still dark in my room as the sun had yet to rise. I rolled over in my bed and pulled the covers over my head, hoping the person knocking would get the hint and fuck off.  

They didn’t.

Eventually, the door opened, and I could hear footsteps approaching. Instead of feeling aggravated since my slumber was being cut short, I felt an unignorable sense of fear.  

Wayv.

I moved the covers just enough to look at the vanity table. There wasn’t much on it, but I could see the outline of a lamp.  

If I move fast enough, I could grab it and use it as a weap-

“Goodmorning Y/N!”

I screamed as the duvet was ripped from my body.

I stared up at the shadowy figure that stood at the foot of the bed.

“Oh, come on, I don’t look that bad in the mornings, do I?”

The lights turned on and suddenly I could see.

Jaemin continued to stare down at me in amusement as I alternated between looking at him, and Jeno who was standing by the light switch near the door.

“Guess who brought gifts!” Jaemin prompted, pulling a bag of clothes off the ground and spilling them onto the bed.  

“What?”  

“I brought you your clothes!” Jaemin replied as though it were the most normal thing in the world to wake someone up at five a.m. just to give them their clothes.

I looked down at the clothes on the bed and noticed a bag filled with clothes I didn’t recognize.  

I opened it and took out a bright orange hoodie, the tag still attached.  

“I told you I didn’t want any new clothes. Jaehyun will think-”

“Jaehyun doesn’t have to know. He gave me the afternoon off to pick up your stuff, but I noticed that you really didn’t have many clothes to begin with, so I thought I’d supplement your closet a bit. Don’t worry. These are gifts from me and Jeno, paid for with our money, not Jaehyun’s.”

“But-”

“No buts. It’s the least we could do and besides, it’s just a few hoodies. No big deal. Jeno and I wear this brand of hoodie all the time. They’re cheap, but comfier than anything you’ll find in any of the members’ closets.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Jaemin said with a smile.  

“But that wasn’t why I was saying but,” I began.

“Hm?” Jaemin hummed curiously.

“I really appreciate you bringing my clothes here, and the hoodies are lovely, but why did you have to wake me up at five a.m. to give them to me?”

Jaemin chuckled and looked to Jeno.  

“I’ll let him explain that and while you two are gone, I’ll get started on getting rid of the clothes in the closet and hanging these up instead.”

“While we’re gone?”  

I looked to Jeno for some help understanding what the other man was trying to say. Instead, Jeno walked over to us and smiled.

“Are you ready for your first day of training?

<><><><><>

After leaving me to get dressed in my workout clothes, a simple t shirt and yoga pants, plus a royal blue hoodie that I found in the bag along with the others, Jeno guided me out into the hall way, taking the time to answer my questions along the way.  

“What do you mean you’re gonna train me?”

“I’m in charge of training all the insider staff so that they can double as bodyguards if need be. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

“I didn’t mean why you were going to train me, I meant why are you going to train me?”

Jeno hesitated before answering.

“Don’t you want to get stronger so you can feel safer?” He asked.  

“I mean yeah, but will it be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I still have a cracked rib for starters and what if Jaehyun finds out?”

“I’ve trained people with worse injuries,” Jeno reassured.

“And you don’t need to worry about Jaehyun. He was the one who suggested it in the first place.”

“What? Why?”

I stopped in my tracks. Jeno stopped shortly after turning around to meet my gaze.

“Y/N, I know you’re probably more than a bit confused right now, but maybe don’t look a gift horse in the mouth? I mean, nothing good can come out of questioning Jaehyun’s motives. For now, just be happy that you’ll have something to focus on for the next few days.

Jeno resumed his steps and so did I. For some reason, Jeno’s words didn’t lend me any comfort.  

<><><><>

“Harder! Hit it harder!” Jeno yelled from behind the punching bag.  

It had been three days since Jeno started training me and somehow each day seemed to get harder and harder. My muscles were sore, and my bones felt like they would turn to dust. This was the routine, wake up at 5:00, warm up for thirty minutes, cardio for twenty, weight training also for twenty, and then the next two hours would be dedicated to basic self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. Despite my body feeling like it was one day away from falling apart completely, it looked better than it had in days. My bruises were almost completely healed, and my face had basically returned to normal. Breathing was still hard due to my slowly healing rib, but Jeno refused to let it hold me back as he constantly ordered me to hit harder, run faster, and lift heavier.  

The kind and gentle Jeno I knew was long gone by the time training began, replaced by a mountain of pent up rage and aggression. It was no wonder he was able to stay so unbothered despite working such a stressful job. As soon as he entered the gym, it was like he was releasing every ounce of anger he had built up over the course of his life, and damn there was a ton of it. If that wasn’t enough to get over my crush on him, learning that he and Jaemin were dating threw the whole thing away.  

I once asked Jaemin how he could stand to work out with Jeno when he was like this. His answer was surprising to say the least.

“I don’t know. I kind of like it. He just looks so sexy when he’s mad. Makes me think of all the dirty things I want him to do to me after we hit the showers.”

The rest of my days continued like normal. At mealtime, I would head to the kitchen and eat with everyone at the dining room table. We couldn’t sit at the kitchen table anymore since Taeyong, Taeil, and even Doyoung started to join us, but only because Yuta forced him to come along. The only members who didn’t join us were Johnny, Winwin and Jaehyun. I found myself wanting to ask what was going on with Winwin and Johnny since I hadn’t crossed paths with them since Jaehyun ordered them to stay glued to each other, but I couldn’t muster up the courage. I found myself missing Winwin. Even though he wasn’t the friendliest guy, there was something about him that felt comforting. For some reason I was beginning to find most of the members comforting to some extent even Doyoung’s threats seemed humorous when paired with Yuta’s sarcastic responses. I knew I should feel on guard with them, but after everything that had happened, it was nice to feel like I had friends.

Friends? Oh god. I better not be developing some weird form of Stockholme Syndrome.  

“Hey! Stay focused!” Jeno commanded as he pushed the punching bag into me, knocking me down on the floor.  

<><><><><>

Jaehyun chuckled softly as Y/N fell to the floor mat. He continued to watch through the two-way mirror as Jeno offered his hand to Y/N.  

On the first day of their training, Jaehyun felt a strange urge to go see how things were going so he decided to take a break from his work to check in on their progress. At first, he only stayed for a few minutes, but today, he found himself losing track of time.

“She’s lovely, isn’t she?” An unexpected voice entered the room.

Jaehyun’s subtle grin abandoned his face, replaced with an irritated scowl.

“I thought I told you I was too busy for any meetings today,” He mouthed, refusing to turn towards the new presence.

“Oh, I can see that, alright,” The voice taunted.

“How did you find me here?” Jaehyun coldly huffed.

“I just rang the bell and that younger member of yours let me in. Mark, was it? After that, I made my way to your office only to find that you weren’t there. Luckily, I ran into one of your staff members, one with a particularly strange hair style I might add, and he suggested I look for you here.”  

After a moment of silence passed and it was clear that Jaehyun wasn’t going to speak, the voice continued.  

“I’m curious as to why you’re allowing Jeno to train her in the first place,” The voice sighed as if it were suggesting something.  

Jaehyun could hear the smirk in the other man’s voice and it pissed him off to no end.  

“Having her know basic defense might serve useful if Wayv decided to break their way in here or if we decided to use her for bait or something,” He explained dismissively.

“Are you sure about that? Or are you perhaps feeling guil-”

Jaehyun finally looked at his unwanted guest.

“What do you want, Suho?”

Suho’s playful smirk morphed into a frown that almost perfectly matched that of the younger man.  

“We have things we need to discuss.”

<><><><><><><>

After training ended, I returned to my room to shower. Jeno decided to finish a little earlier today since he said that breaks were key to gaining progress. I don’t know how finishing thirty minutes early counts as a break in his mind especially with how long our sessions were to begin with, but I was thankful for the extra time I had to relax before heading down to lunch.  

Being able to wear my own clothes was something I was grateful for. It gave me a small amount of power knowing that I didn’t owe anybody anything. It also did a lot to make me feel more comfortable in such an uncomfortable setting. I chose to wear a simple pair of black skinny jeans, a white V-neck T-shirt that hugged at my curves, and my red converse.

I had lunch with everyone being their usual happy selves before returning to my room to rest. Mark was my escort to and from lunch, so once we got back, he and I played several rounds of cards before Yuta barged in.

“Ever heard of knocking?” I playfully teased.

Yuta winked at me.

“You know what they say, you can’t hide anything from your lover.”

Mark and I looked at each other before proceeding to make all sorts of fake vomiting noises.  

Yuta was unamused.

“Anyway, Mark, come on let’s go. Impromptu meeting in the billiards room,” He said suddenly in a rush.

“What about Y/N? Who’s gonna guard her?”  

“Nobody.”

Yuta turned to me.

“Congrats! The boss says you’re officially too old for a babysitter, now let’s go Mark,” Yuta announced before disappearing into the hallway.

Mark promised he’d be back soon to finish the game, but hours past and there was still no sign of them.  

When it was time for dinner, I decided to take advantage of my newfound freedom by making my way to the dining room unescorted. When I arrived, only Jeno and Jaemin were seated at the table. Dinner was mostly quiet. Jaemin explained that the meeting was probably still going on and that’s why we were the only three here. It made sense until Taeyong entered the dining room with a sullen look on his face.  

“Y/N? Are you finished eating?”

I nodded, unsure of what else I could say or ask.

“Jaehyun wants to see you in his office.”

Scared and not knowing what to expect, I asked Taeyong what was going on, but he refused to answer. I got up and followed him. Halfway to his office, we ran into Yuta. He smiled when he saw me and opened his mouth to speak. I was expecting him to say some cheesy pick up line, but what I didn’t expect was for him to just pause before looking down at the floor, moving to the side to let us by. I looked back at him as we walked past, utterly shocked that he had actually decided not to tease me for once. It made me uneasy.

When we got to Jaehyun’s office, Taeyong knocked on the door. Instead of a voice on the other side telling us to enter, the door opened and through it walked out two members of 127 whom I had not seen in a very long time.  

Johnny and Winwin.  

I smiled at them silently. Winwin said nothing and only stared at me. It wasn’t comforting in any sense, but it was better than the pat me on the shoulder Johnny gave me before whispering the words, “I’m sorry.” I watched the two of them disappear down the hallway before a voice I wish I could have forgotten called for us to enter.  

Taeyong led me to Jaehyun’s desk and pulled out the chair for me to sit in. Jaehyun kept his eyes glued to me, only looking away to dismiss Taeyong.  

Once we were alone, Jaehyun silently stared at me as though he were carefully deciding what to say next.

“Y/N.”

I did my best to meet his gaze, careful not to let him notice my uneven breaths which grew shakier the longer he delayed the next few words that would fall past his lips.

“It has been decided that you and I will get married this month.”

What?

#jaehyun #jaehyun au #nct jaehyun #jaehyun smut #jaehyun mafia #jaehyun mob boss #nct #nct 127 #wayv #nct smut #nct 127 smut #wayv smut #nct au #nct mafia au #mafia au #jaehyun mafia au #nct 127 au #nct 127 mafia #nct mafia #nct 127 mafia au #nct 127 jaehyun #wayv au #wayv mafia #wayv mafia au #nct dream #nct dream smut #nct dream mafia #nct dream mafia au #nct dream au #smut

[aesthyuckic]

AVENOIR | l.dh - VIGINTI DUO

Genre: High School AU (at beginning) ; Tarot Reader!Witch!Hyuck

Word Count: 4.3K

Warnings: (bold if in use) slow but with a purpose, belief contradictions, mentions of r*pe, blood, swearing, violence, mentions of abuse

Pairings: Lee Donghyuck (Haechan) x Reader (F)

THE LOVERS: partnership, union, duality, choice

The boy has taken her to one of his favorite restaurants in their own town. She never really ate out much when they were still ‘alive’ to the world and he wanted to share it with her. He asked if it was okay they go back for the surprise, just to make sure and they currently sat outside the restaurant. Though, considering they were dead and in a place where everyone knew everyone, that had to cover a lot of themselves up just to avoid the risk of being recognized.

Luckily, the streets were quite bare but it was still relatively early in the morning and a week day. It was a cold day anyway, the air was cool enough they could feel it through their clothes. It was nice though, to not have many people around them.

“Is my mom here with you?” Cosimia asked him.

“No, actually. I haven’t seen her since...” He started to blush just thinking about early that morning, still wondering if it had actually happened or was it his imagination at it again. “This morning... it’s the first time she’s left me alone since I woke up from my coma now that think about it. She’s got all day to spend with you when we get back even if I’m there to ruin it.”

“Don’t say that.” She chuckled. “You don’t ruin things, you make them better.”

And still, he always blushed at her kind word toward him. Her mom always did spend time with her, even if she wasn’t aware of it. He often find her sleeping in his spot on their bed next to her daughter when she was sleeping. The coldness of the ghost resulted in her curling herself in all the blankets. Most nights the boy spent sleeping on the couch, if one could consider it that at all along. He was too tall it was uncomfortable.

Too lost in his head, he was shocked when he felt Cosimia grab his hand that sat on the table next to the menu he was holding with his other hand. He looked confused about it and to leave him perplexed more, she had intertwined her fingers with his own without any sign of hesitation. He felt his entire being heat up when did so. Something about it now just seemed so different to him... It use to be something that could’ve just been viewed or done platonic but after that morning, it was obvious it was more which left him blushing and his heart racing.

“W-what are you doing?” He stuttered.

“Holding your hand.” She answered. “I thought you liked that.”

“Well, yeah, but isn’t it a little soon?” He asked.

“We’ve held hands plenty of times before, Hyuck, and we literally kissed each other hours ago. Plus we’ve cuddled and stuff like that before...”

“It just seems so different now...”

“I know... I’ve noticed you’ve been afraid to get close to me since I told you that story. You’re always asking if it’s okay and everything.”

“Well, what am I suppose to do? I don’t want you to feel frighten because of me or anything.”

“I know my limits, I’d tell you if something was wrong, honestly. Don’t worry about it. It’s new to me too, remember?”

She leaned over and kissed his cheek, softly. Something he still very much blushed about... He nodded, slowly before putting his attention back on the menu. He thought maybe he was being childish still acting like he had a crush since they were together now. Well, were they together? He wondered to himself since usually don’t couples discuss it before confirming it? All they did was kiss... and hold hands... but he had seen people that weren’t together do that too. They were obviously more than just friends, though.

“Should I call you my boyfriend now?” She asked, almost like she read his mind.

“Do you... want to?” He spoke, quietly.

“Why else would I have confessed and kissed you this morning, dummby?” She sighed.

“Does that mean I get to call you... my girlfriend then?”

“I would assume so.”

“Cool.”

He was internally screaming while trying to hide the big smile on his face. He tried to cover it up with his menu as he put on a straight face and cleared his throat. He seemed to forget she was naturally observant and could see what she needed from the corner of her eye.

“You’re a dork.” She giggled, rubbing her thumb over his hand which again was just something that put a smile on the boy’s face.

When the waiter came to take their order, Donghyuck was surprised to it was Renjun, an old friend of his, one of his best friends actually. He felt nervous and... guilty too, the whole time he was ordering to the other boy. He probably hurt him with what they pulled... Though, the sunglasses blocked out his eyes to anyone that anyone that was looking at him, he somehow felt the other could see through it.

He seemed complex when Donghyuck spoke too, which made it worse. The brown haired boy took the menus from them once he got everything, still with a very confused look on his face. He looked back at the boy and at the state, he tensed up.

“I’m sorry.” The waiter bitterly chuckled while touching his fingers up to the bridge of his nose with his eyes eyes closed. “I might be going crazy... Do I know you? You just sound very familiar, that’s all.”

“No.” He said quickly and firmly in hopes of not risking things any further.

“We’re from the east coast.” Cosimia chimed in to help. “We’ve never been here before either, we’re just visiting anyway.”

“Ah,” Renjun nodded. “Sorry about that... I just figured it out just sound like my old friend, Haechan... Kinda look like him to from what I can see. The anniversary of his passing is soon so maybe I’m losing it a bit, they say that happens. I’m sorry, that’s probably more info that wasn’t needed. I shouldn’t have said anything, just please don’t report me to my manger or anything. I’ll get on your order and make sure you get extra chocolate chips in your pancakes.”

“It’s okay.” The other boy reassured him, even though it was kind of hard. “You really don’t need to, I understand grief or anything.”

“I feel like I need to.” He shrugged. “You’re not a Lee by chance, are you?”

“Close, a Park.”

He gave a slight nod at the answer before he turned away to go back inside. He felt relieved when he went back inside because it was so close. Donghyuck questioned how dumb Renjun could be though. It made him feel a little better and the girl seemed to catch on to the boy’s unusual quietness, quickly. She reached up to rub his shoulder but now his hand felt cold without hers in it...

He was shocked they managed to pull off a fake death and now, everyone in their hometown thought they were dead. Though, it was his own hometown more than it ever was hers. Other than all that, the morning was fine and the both of them enjoyed their breakfast. The boy even shared some of his pancakes with, dare he say his girlfriend. It felt weird, but in a good way to say he had a girlfriend. Whenever he thought about saying he felt his heart flutter at the idea.

Cosimia went inside after they were both done with their breakfast in order to pay. While he wanted to do it because it was her birthday, she just reminded him of the risk they had just encountered. When she entered, she noticed the restaurant was much more lively compared to earlier and they were getting out of there at a good time. The old friend of Donghyuck’s was at the register and when she came over to pay he gladly accepted it. Though, he looked at her a little too long after the transaction was over. She had taken off her sunglasses but not the floppy, black hat which a lot of the people in the restaurant found rude and weird.

“You look familiar.” Renjun blurted out as he handed her the change, knowing full well she had said she’d never been around here.

“I get that a lot.” She shrugged with a small smile. “Just have one of those faces, I guess. Thank you, by the way! See you around, maybe.”

She left quickly after with a sigh of relief. Somehow she was thankful that she was forgettable to the people there.

Even though they had the whole day off according to Johnny, they went back after to go work just because it was the girl’s wish as to what she wanted. It turns out, their boss only put a closed sign on their booth so it wasn’t a hassle either. The only thing that was bothersome, was remaining so covered up since they had no idea who could come by and god forbid it be someone they know and end up with an incident like earlier. Luckily, it wasn’t a busy day for them either which meant more time with each other than anything. Work seemed to be less fun since their roles switched and the girl was still facing trouble with the cards, but they were both figuring it out.

“Okay, I have to go to the bathroom now.” He chuckled as he stood up out of his chair.

He found himself not wanting to leave, though. The both of them seemed to not want to let go of each other either. He suddenly noticed they practically never let go of each others’ hands all day... She managed to let go with a small smile. He’d just be right back anyway... It’s not like they hadn’t had conversations before where they didn’t want it to end either and it’s not like they had never held hands or that he’d gone for ever but still... For some reason, she missed his sweaty palm as he walked away and how comforting it felt to her.

Much farther away from their booth, the entrance to the carnival was full of people in long lines, trying to get their tickets and also get in. Mark had managed to finally get passed the gate after a long awhile but only then did he realize. He had no idea where he was going or what exactly he was doing. What if it wasn’t even his best friend and just some stranger that looked like him or something? He’d look like an idiot.

He walked around aimlessly for a little before he came across a guard standing by one of the metal barriers that closed off the area of land they were using. He seemed to be his age, though was much shorter than he was but was quite buff.

“Uh, excuse me?” He said while he approached the guard that was kind of intimidating. “I had a question...”

“What is it?” He asked.

“Do you happen to know a guy named Haechan..?” A little hope was in his eyes as he questioned the stranger. “He might even go by Donghyuck or Peter...”

The guy’s eyes seemed to widen.

“I need you to go, or else I’ll have to kick you out.” He stated, before he started to shove the black haired boy.

“Wait, no. Please!” Mark begged. “He is, or was my best friend and I seriously thought I was losing my mind because his death anniversary is coming up really soon! I just wanna know he’s alive and okay! No one else knows about this but me, please!”

The yellow haired guy seemed to stop, he was really strong for his size, “Do you swear?”

“Yeah! Yeah!”

“Give me your map.”

The other mumbled under his breath about a ‘Johnny’ killing him, presumably and hopefully figuratively as he drew on the map for him. Mark was on his way once the shorter of the two shoved the map into his chest abruptly, and walked away. He saw a line from where he was standing to a certain both that was circled on the map. Even though he hadn’t seen his supposedly dead friend yet, it felt surreal to know he was alive. He wouldn’t truly believe it until he saw him.

He followed the line drawn with marker until he reached the corner of where he was suppose to go. He took a deep breath while he closed his eyes. His heart was racing over it, this whole time Donghyuck had been alive. What was that trauma for exactly? He swear if it were real he’d kill the boy himself for what he pulled. He opened his eyes and before he could go any further he saw someone walk into the intersection of the tents there.

He recognized the side profile immediately, even with the sunglasses and baseball cap the other wore. The younger boy walked rather fast which left Mark to go chasing after him. In a small moment that seemed longer to him, he hesitated to stop the other but before he knew it, his hand rested on his shoulder. His old friend turned around, ready to punch someone until he laid eyes on who it was.

“Mark?” Donghyuck questioned, as he turned as white as a ghost.

“So it is you...” He huffed.

“Fucking shit, you come on the worst day!” He muttered on his breath. “Hold on, stay here.”

He saw his friend walk over to the booth that was circled on the map. He decided to spy on him and peek out more. It looked like he was talking to someone from the front of the booth for a moment. He went out a little more to see it was the girl he knew as ‘the weird freshmen’ but what shocked him was seeing the other lean down and kiss her. His jaw dropped but as soon as the boy moved he darted to where he was standing before.

Donghyuck had come back and found an area behind the tents with no one around to take Mark. He took off his glasses and cap since it was now in private basically. He already knew it was him so there was no point in hiding it. They leaned up against the wooden boxes that were stacked up. How exactly were you supposed to start a conversation with your own best friend after a year of almost being dead the whole time and then surprise, you’re alive and you lied? Not really a small talk sort of occasion. He sighed before he started on the very long story he knew he had to tell his friend. Though, he left out the paranormal stuff... He may have believed the ghost but not Cosimia being able to tell the future for some time and him being able to actually see ghosts now. At the end, he pulled up his shirt to show the other the scar he gotten when Ten had shot him. It was healing nicely but it was still so terrifying.

“That’s... something else, bro.” Mark said, not really able to find words for it all as he was speechless. “You couldn’t have at least told me? Or Renjun? We are, or were your best friends. Still very confused on what tenses I should use for this...”

“It was...” He started. “A last minute decision. I didn’t even know we’re going to be faking our deaths until we got to the beach either, dude. I didn’t have time too in the first place.”

“I can’t believe you left with the weird freshman girl like her dad said you did. Everyone thinks you two dated in secret after everything found in your guy’s room. It’s wild... and really weird for you to date her considering what she was like and what you were like...” He said, in hopes the other would say something himself rather then him bringing it up.

“I don’t like the way you talk about her. She has a name, you know? It’s really pretty and fitting too... It’s Cosimia, it was probably on the missing posters, her vigil and it was even in the yearbook so how wouldn’t you know at this point? She was never weird in the first place, and as cliché as it sounds, she was truly just misunderstood.”

“You didn’t know her name before either. You use to make fun of her too, so what’s the big deal? She acted weird and no one knew her name, she was invisible besides that trait.”

“Well, I shouldn’t have, okay?! I was so fucking stupid then and so was everyone. You don’t know her, no one knew her and I feel... I’m still getting to know her even after a year of us almost always being together... She’s really strong, caring and smart. She’s a lot of things and she’s taught me so many things. What’s the big deal if she was or is weird? Isn’t that what makes people interesting? She was really... alluring, that’s what I left with her the way I did! And you know what? I’m pretty sure it’s the best decision in my life I’ve ever made! I’m happy now, with everything I have and who I’ve become. I’m truly happy, something I now know I never was a year ago having to juggle school, sports, and a job to support my entire family. I get it’s selfish the way I just got up and left. I get it’s selfish I faked my death and leaving my family hanging like that along with you guys and I’m sorry! I can’t take it back, not now. It may seem pathetic I live in a trailer and work here now, but I’m happy with it all...”

“Wow, why are you getting so defensive?”

“W-why am I getting so defensive? Why am I, getting so defensive?! That’s my girlfriend, you idiot! She makes me happy and man, for as long as been out here with her, I think I might be in love with her!”

“Well, how am I suppose to know all that?! You’ve been dead to me, literally, for the last year basically!”

Donghyuck sighed before it all fell silent between them. He crossed his arms as he looked at the dried grass under their feet. He calmed down a bit when he looked toward the field and say the sky was light orange as the sun rested in between the hills. The wind blew softly which was something always soothing.

“You weren’t.” The younger mumbled. “I’m sorry for blowing up like that, it just angers me... to realize the person I was a year ago... I didn’t even know her then and she turned out to be the most interesting person I met in the end. No one knew anything besides she was quiet for the most part and had no friends. No one noticed the bruises on her or the days she’d go missing.”

“You didn’t either.” Mark pointed out.

“But I started to!” He explained. “Right at the end, before we left. That was really the start though, wasn’t it?”

They had talked to one another for awhile after, it had been too long since they talked. To Mark, it was like having a friend come back from the dead on final time. It was just nice to know he was okay and doing well. The silver haired boy suddenly realized how long he had been away. Somehow the time still felt too short...

“I should get going.” Donghyuck sighed. “I really just told the first lie of my first relationship for this.”

“The first?” The older questioned. “That’s kind of impressive... How long have you even been dating?”

He hummed while he blushed and rubbed the nape of his neck, “We just made it official this morning but it’s kinda been months of pining, some mutual.”

“You really like her, don’t you?”

“Well, duh. Did you not hear the part were I said I might love her earlier? It’s not something you say lightly if you don’t mean it, especially when you’re angry like that.”

“Yeah, we don’t need you going off like that again. I should’ve just questioned you about the kiss I saw earlier.”

“Y-you saw me kiss her? And you couldn’t figure it out or anything?! You’re an asshole!”

Mark laughed as his old best friend playfully beat him up as he defended himself. It just felt nice to finally have it again after awhile of missing it.

“Wow, dude, are you wearing makeup?” The black haired boy asked.

He started to blush again, and sweat a little at the question he was afraid to answer. He put his cap back on along with his sunglasses to hide himself.

“Cosi, I mean Cosimia, she does it for me every morning.” He replied rather softly.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.” His friend shook his head. “It actually really suits you, makes you look less ugly.”

The comment earned him a punch in shoulder which he laughed at. Some things never truly did changed, regardless of time and growth. The two boys ended up sharing a hug before they went their separate ways.

“It was nice to see you again.” Mark smiled. “You know, after thinking you were dead and all.”

“You too.” The other chuckled. “Hey, please don’t tell anyone that we’re here. There’s a reason we faked our death.”

“Your secret is safe with me.” He nodded.

“We come here every year, usually it’s earlier though. Come by next year if you can. I can let Yangyang know who you are and get you in free or something.”

“Write me when you’re back in SoCal for the winter months too!”

“I’ll try.”

They finally bid their final goodbyes before they went their separate ways for the year.

It was later that evening, when they were done with work for the day and getting ready for bed that he saw the girl sitting on the bed, looking at papers. He had just gotten out of the bathroom after he cleaned his face and changed into more comfortable clothes. He sat down on his side before going over to hers and wrapping his arms around her while rubbing his face against her shoulder.

“Whatcha doin?” He hummed.

“I’m just looking at our natal charts again.” She laughed a bit. “I haven’t done it in awhile... especially not since this started.”

“What are the results then? Are we compatible?” He asked.

“Well, I don’t think I’d leave it up for that to tell. We already work well together as it is and you know there’s different types of astrology too. We do share a moon though. Supposedly when you do, you usually feel really close to them in a short period of time, like a soulmate but not exactly.”

“Are you saying you don’t think we are soulmates?”

“Soulmates are different from twin flames. I think I’d rather have you as a twin flame.”

“What’s the difference?”

“That may be a little too intense for now. I’ll tell you another time.”

He nodded and he kissed her cheek before he rested his chin on her shoulder, “Is there anything surprising on there to you?”

“Hmm, you’re Gemini Venus actually.” She answered. “I think to some extent you resonate with it but I feel like you’re a Taurus Venus since that’s what it is on your sidereal.”

“Why do you think that exactly?” He wondered as he didn’t know astrology as well as she did. “Honestly, you’re so good at this stuff you should offer it at the booth or something.”

“It’s too exhausting for me to do that, no matter how much I love it. But, the reason I think you’re more like you’re Taurus Venus is because you’re loyal, like they are. You like psychical affection in friendship and relationships. Remember what you said before summer solstice? About if I was going to love you it was going to be natural? They like when friendships and relationships happen that way. You’re also very stubborn but patient and devoting too. You get jealous as well and you’ve done nothing but be supportive of me and my limits. The kicker is they’re known for having very beautiful voices and being great singers and musicians, which very much applies to you in my eyes. Your voice is really soothing to listen to, especially when you’re singing and you play the piano and drums pretty well.”

“Oh, really? Why don’t I sing you to bed tonight then?”

He smiled at the compliments she had given him at the end. He started to think she was right about the Taurus Venus thing, what she said sounded like him. She let go of her for a moment so she could put the papers away as he got comfortable on his side of the bed. She turned off the light before joining him in the space next to him. They both got comfortable with her head on his chest as he played with her and started to softly hum.

He noticed she always fell asleep so quickly when he would sing to her. He could see she was barely able to keep her eyes open in that moment. Again, like he did so often, he felt his heart flutter at most mundane but beautiful sight.

“Cosi?” He softly called in the dark.

“What is it?” She asked, rather sleepily.

“Can I tell you something?” He whispered.

“Of course.”

“Do you promise not to freak out?”

“I promise, Hyuck.”

“I think I... love you, like I’m in love with you...”

She seemed wide awake when she looked at him. She didn’t say anything though and the silence between them was agonizing as they looked at each other. He was thinking maybe he shouldn’t have said that so soon but then she leaned up and kissed his nose. Yet, nothing was said about it or in response before she fell asleep for the night.

#haechan fics #haechan x reader #haechan au #haechan drabbles #haechan fanfic #haechan fanfiction #nct #nct 127 #nct dream #nct u #haechan imagines #haechan imagine #haechan scenarios #haechan #nct au #nct 127 au #nct dream au #nct dream fics #nct 127 fics #donghyuck imagines #lee donghyuck #donghyuck fanfic #haechan fluff #haechan angst #donghyuck fic #donghyuck x reader #nct fanfic #nct fics #nct 127 fanfic #nct dream fanfic

[mhathotfic]

I need some fluff right now so here’s some coming out head canons from my old blog. Also in Denki’s I was asked that he comes out as bi so that’s why his is the only one that mentions the character sexuality.

Warnings: swearing, Kaminari’s bad flirting advice

Midoriya

- He’s honestly not that surprised

- Has always had an inkling that maybe she liked girls but never pressed the matter

- knew if she did that it was up to her when and how she came out

- She was nervous about his reaction

- Realistically she knew he’d be supportive but it didn’t make it any easier

- Came out a little after they started in different high schools

- “Hey, Zuzu?” “Yeah?” “We’re best friends right?” “Of course, You’re like my sister” “And I can trust you no matter what right?” “(Yn)chan, is something wrong?” “No, I just, you’ll never hate me right?” “I could never hate you! What’s wrong? You know you can tell me anything” “Nothing’s wrong Zuzu I promise. I just… fuck it, I like girls Izuku, like a lot. I really, really like them. I always have”

- He wasn’t sure what he should say

- Ended up kinda awkwardly hugging her and asking if she wanted to talk about it some more

- He ends up being a wingman of sorts

- He doesn’t really realize it

- He just kinda talks about how cool she is and that ends with girls asking him to give her their number

- “What’s this?” “Oh, you know my friend Uraraka?” “Yeah, the cutie with the brown hair, right?” “She asked me to give you her number she says she thinks you’re nice and wants to hang out” “Oh, ok cool umm.… you don’t mind if I …?” “It’s ok, I’ll see you later” “I’ll tell you how it went later, bye!”

Todoroki

- Todoroki doesn’t really consider other people’s orientation much

- Doesn’t see how it’s any of his business so he just doesn’t care about it

- So he really hadn’t expected it

- She came out really casually

- Like they were hanging and she just kinda said it

- “Hey, Shouto can I tell you something?” “What do you need?” “Oh nothing much, just wanna tell you that I’m gay” “Oh, ok”

- Tries to pay closer attention to her relationships with other girls after that

- It’s not in that creepy way that straight guys watch lesbians but more of a protective thing

- He sees her as like a younger sister despite being the same age and just wants to make sure her partner takes care of her

- “So, you and Yoayorozu have been getting closer lately” “Yeah Momo’s pretty kind and-” “She has my approval” “W-wait wha-? W-we’re not dating!” “You should ask her out then, you like her don’t you?” “T-that’s none of… ugh sometimes I really hate you! … Do you think she’ll say yes?”

Kaminari

- They’ve been inseparable since middle school

- Like people just assume that they’re dating, because for some reason no one understands the concept of being like siblings without being siblings if you’re the opposite sex, inseparable

- No one really understood why she was friends with him when he’s such a perv and hits on everything in a skirt

- The answer to that is simple

- While a huge pervert, he doesn’t actually cross any lines she sets and behaves himself when she tells him to knock it off

- That being said, she wasn’t sure if he’d be so respectful about her being a lesbian

- She reasonably has her doubts, but turns out nothing to worry about

- She just decided to tell him one day and he just responded with same

- “Hey, Sparky?” “Yeah” “I don’t think I’m straight, girls are just so pretty you know?” “Same” “Wait what? I’m being serious here Denki, I really don’t like men” “Cool, I do”

- She’s floored

- Her best friend, Denki Kaminari, world class skirt chaser just casually came out to her after she came out to him and is acting like it isn’t a big deal

- It is and he’s internally panicking about it because not everyone accepts bisexuality even in the lgbt+ community

- But she does and they end up even closer

- Their each other’s wingman when they have crushes

- Well she’s his, he’s been banned from wingman duties after the time he suggested she flirt by complementing her crushes body and didn’t understand how weird it was to casually walk up to a girl and tell her that you think her ass looks cute in the shorts she’s wearing

- They point out cute people to each other when they’re hanging out and have had those not serious, but kinda serious arguments about who has a better chance with a girl that just walked by

- High key judge each other about their types

- “What’s the look for?” “Nothing, just didn’t know you were so into the color pink” “Oh shut up, Mina’s really cute and I like hanging out with her, I think you’re just jealous that you’re whole ‘I only like purple haired people who are kinda mean to me sometimes or rays of literal sunshine with odd teeth’ thing isn’t working out for you” “… Why am I friends with you? You’re so mean to me” “Don’t go getting a crush on me, my hair isn’t even purple”

#midoriya x reader #izuku midoriya x reader #midoriya izuku x reader #izuku x reader #todoroki x reader #shouto todoroki x reader #todoroki shouto x reader #shouto x reader #denki x reader #denki kaminari x reader #kaminari denki x reader #kaminari x reader

[ezmarie]

Hello! I read through your matchups and I want to say they're rly cute :>> It's so cool about how much effort you put into them so I was wondering if its okay if I could request a Haikyuu matchup? (I hope its okay I submitted it)

My name's Alicia, I'm Bi but I'm more attracted to guys and I'm female(she/her). My sun sign is Gemini and my rising is Aries, INTP, ambivert and a Slytherin.

My personality, positives, negatives and such: Around new people I'd say I'm much calmer, polite and quite closed off. Some of my friends say I come off as a bit aloof to certain people or strangely kind to others. To my surprise I've had some people say I'm intimidating (like bruh why??)  In all honesty my personality really differs with who I'm with. When I'm with my friends though I'm much more outgoing and loud, I really enjoy going out with just different small groups of friends even if its just for a small lunch or anything - I just really enjoy being around those who both make me laugh and who I can make laugh. I can be really sarcastic and not afraid to have some playful banter aka: who can have the most creative insults - even if they don't make sense. I'm smart in things I enjoy and can go on and on about things i'm passionate about. I'm always looking out for my friends, making sure they don't stuff up, praising their achievements and putting them before myself. I'm pretty open-minded and flexible, say if one of my friends has a friend I dislike I'll always act nice and rarely complain and I'm good at adapting to different environments. Although I am rarely happy with my looks and I don't like trying new things with a fear of stuffing up or failing ESPECIALLY with team sports bruh. I have a bad habit of staying up until ungodly hours of the morning and not waking up until the afternoon.

Appearance: I'm 5'2/5'3-ish, half Indonesian-half British/White/Whatever, I have shoulder length fluffy/messy dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, i have a beauty spot near my nose on the right side of my face, tan-olive ish skin.

Music taste: I typically listen to pop, indie pop and sometimes alternative rock. My favourite songs though would have to be Left to Right (Marteen), Act my Age (One direction) and Scrawny (Wallows). Two playlist names I have are "Solo survival in minecraft vibes" and "pain" - Theyre weird ik LMAO

In a partner: I look for someone who can take a joke and can handle my sudden chaotic decisions and mood swings. Someone who will communicate like please tell me if im doing something wrong or right for the love of god- It would be great if they didn't mind my random touches or signs of affection and it would be cool if we could play games together :D My love language would have to be touch and words of affirmation if that helps.

Anddd thats it, I'm so so sorry if its too long and please take your time and dont overwhelm youself :((  Thank you for your time and don't forget to drink some water!!

hiii! omg thank you so much! that’s so nice🥺 i ship you withh...bokuto!!

ok this is also kinda a case of opposites attract, or at least at first glance it definitely is. bokuto is so loud and extroverted and outgoing so it’s really appreciated how youre more calm and able to somewhat tame him down a bit. he actually got so interested in you because of that, just like with akaashi he was drawn to the opposite personality to him. hes also gonna try and open you up more instead of being so closed off, like its his own little personal challenge to make you more comfortable with opening up, and once you do he’s vv happy. he loves how kind you are as well because i don’t think this bby could handle someone mean, he just needs love and support and then he’s yours forever. of course he loves playful teasing (he denies that he likes it directed at him but he actually loves it) but he wants your kinda subtle niceness in a partner. the way you put others beofre yourself helps him a lot as well because he needs and wants a lot of care so the fact that you’ll provide that for him is amazing and basically ideal. however he makes SURE you take care of yourself too, like he will not let you forget about your own needs and will make you put yourself first sometimes any way he can. sure it might take him a while to figure out your doing that, but once he does he’s gonna look out for you even closer after that. he loves how open minded you are too because it would be difficult if you weren’t open to the things he likes, like he wouldn’t be able to survive without your support. the positivity you show for the things he’s passionate about just makes him fall in love and adore you a million times more, if that was even possible.

oh my gosh he LOVES how when youre with him your whole personality just switches. no not with everything about you switches but when you become outgoing and loud he just can’t stop swooning because he loves how much laughter and enthusiasm he can hear from you which he doesn’t usually hear. it’s just when you both are loud and outgoing it’s so chaotic for everyone else but for you two it’s just fun and carefree. he’s kinda drawn to your sarcastic side because that’s not really him, and he just thinks it’s so funny when your a little annoyed and end up throwing some sarcastic snapback to someone. like i said before he loves having playful banter with you because it’s really fun, but he denies that he likes it when it’s aimed towards him. however he definitely likes it he just pretends he doesn’t. oh my goodness i can’t even explain how much he adores it when you ramble on and on about something you’re passionate about. seriously like he absolutely loves it. he thinks it’s so adorable how you get so excited and peppy when he brings up a topic you love and you can just talk about it for days on end. especially when he can see that sparkle in your eyes and just the sound of your voice, it just makes him fall in love all over again. also, he would CRUSH any insecurity you ever had, especially if it’s about your looks. he’s ADORES any body type and body size, beaty marks, skin color, hair type, height, body proportions, anything about you he will completely love. he will support and compliment you to no end to make you see how perfect you are, he will make sure you know your beauty.

i feel like bokuto really fits the description of what you like as well. he LOVES to make you laugh and is always throwing jokes around and he’s a very goofy and laughy guy, so he will laugh at your jokes all the time. he values communication as well because he doesn’t really understand when people give him subtle signs or hints, like he just won’t figure it out unless you tell him upright. so he’ll do the same to you naturally because he just assumes that you value that as well. he’s very spontaneous and just kinda goes with the flow of everything so sudden chaotic decisions wouldnt bother him a bit, actually he lives for them. he also has mood swings as well so he would totally understand what your going through when you have one and you both would know how to help eachother. bokuto might get a little offended if you playfully insult things like how he’s doing in your relationship, his playing skills, or something like that, but once you reassure him that it’s completely a joke he warms up to it. mostly everything else he understands is just teasing and the only reason he ACTS offended is because he wants you to believe he doesn’t like it, but trust me you both are very aware that he in fact loves it since he’s very easy to read. lastly, he loves loves loves random touches of affection, he seriously can get enough affection. please randomly touch him, even if it’s holding pinkies or kissing his cheek for .2 seconds he will s w o o n. here comes blushy and flustered bokuto, have fun :)) 💕

scenarios with the two of you:

•you just waiting for bokuto home and when he does he literally tackles you in a bear hug. he rambles on and on about his day and asks you about yours while also complimenting you somehow and your just sitting there giggling at his normal energized antics. he doesn’t let you leave your spot either so you two just stay there cuddling for the rest of the night.

•it was around midnight and bokuto texted you asking you if you wanted to go on a walk, obviously you were tired and confused but you could just see his pout through the screen so you went. you went on a walk while talking, well mostly him talking, and going to a random destination you didn’t know of and i’m not sure he did either. when you got too tired he carried you too(and don’t worry he’s strong as shit already and thinks it’s super easy to carry you :)) i mean look at those biceps-)

•it was in the middle of summer and you were having a bad day so bokuto took you out to someplace you didn’t know of. it ended up being a field and so you two lyed on the grass while enjoying looking at the stars and the perfect summer night breeze paired with the heat. you were playing music like scrawny by wallows and can i call you tonight by dayglow and both of your were silent, a very rare thing for both of you, especially bokuto. he wasn’t really looking at the stars though, he was looking at you.

i hope you liked this!! i loved writing it and you’re soso nice thank you for worrying about me🥺 have an amazing day and take care of yourself!! <333

#haikyuu!! #haikyuu matchups #bokuto koutaro #bokuto #Petals ✿ #submission

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #338

“i can’t decide if you’re wearing me out, or wearing me well”

Are you a fan of techno? I've gotten more into it lately, actually. I've never minded it. Who’s your favorite horror movie villain/monster? Pyramid Head, though he's called Red Pyramid Thing in the movies. Do you have a favorite muscle car? Nah. I'm not big into cars. What would be a total deal-breaker for you, relationship-wise? You so much as lift your hand at me, bye, motherfucker. Would you consider yourself to be accepting of others? Yes, but not as much as I used to be. There are certain opinions I just don't tolerate in people anymore; I feel like by staying associated with people whose views invalidate or in any way harm others (racism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.), you're on the side of evil as well, even if indirectly. However, I genuinely do feel I have a wide range of viewpoints I'm willing to accept in others, even if I don't agree with them. Are you flirtatious? No. I think I'm only capable of flirting with someone I'm already with and very comfortable around. I'd feel way too shy and awkward otherwise. Have you ever just felt "drawn" to someone, but you didn’t know why? "Didn't know why," no. I've felt drawn to people with good reason, like if I was romantically interested in them. Is there anyone you currently want to reach out to? There's a number, honestly. Especially with the aid of therapy, I'm being motivated to strengthen bonds with old friends and/or acquaintances via Facebook. Freddy or Jason? I think Jason is scarier. Freddy tends to come across as cheesy for me. Have stickers or gems on your cell phone? Nah. Ever teased your hair? Bitch I damn well tried in high school because I wanted the ~ l e g i t ~ emo hair, but mine was just too heavy to hold, at least with the hairspray my sister had. Have any friends with benefits? Nah, that's never been my thing. Ever lost of bunch of valuable information? Ummm I don't believe so. I've lost massive RP posts before, but I can't really call those "valuable information." What drinks or food make you hyper? None, really. Most expensive thing you ever bought? With my own money, my snake. She's a champagne morph ball python. What type of toothpaste do you use? Crest. How much time to spend putting on makeup daily? Zero. When listening to a song, what do you listen for (lyrics, bass, beat, ect)? The beat, more than anything else. What is the color of your toothbrush? It's a white electric one. What is your favorite color(s) of eye-makeup? Black. Just black. Are you sexually active? I'm not. Do you have sensitive skin? Very. Are you attracted to several guys atm? I'm actually not attracted to any guys in my personal life atm. How many toilets are in your house? Two. Do you have an older sister? Excluding the one I don't know, I have three older sisters. Favorite song by Owl City? Probably "Hot Air Balloon," but I don't know many at all. What color is your mum’s car? White. Do you truly understand the (LDS) Mormon religion? I don't know what "LDS" means, but as my former best friend developed into a Mormon, I learned some stuff from her in her self-discovery. I don't remember a lot of it, not that I knew all that much in the first place. Where do you keep your kitty litter box? Ugh, Mom's unmovable about it being in my fucking room for some reason. And we have an extra goddamn room no one uses yet. Roman's shit STINKS, like we think something might actually be wrong, but nope, it has to stay in here. e_e It would literally inconvenience nobody if we moved it in the spare room. Are you a lighter complexion than your father? MUCH lighter. He's very tan. Do you like apricots? No. Solid soap bar or liquid body wash? 100% body wash. Bar soap slips so easily, and as someone who lives with another person, I'm not rubbing my body with the same bar my mother uses, no offense to her. Sharing it's just gross. Where do you live (country or state)? Shitty 'ole North Carolina. Do you use plastic, wooden, or wire hangers? I think we have a mix of them, actually. What is your favorite shade of yellow? I only like pastel yellow. Otherwise, it's one of my least favorite colors. Are there any shades of blue that you don’t like? If so, which ones? Ehhh not really. What is something you want to accomplish before you turn 30? God, can I please have a stable career by then. Who has the best decorated house in your town? I don't know. We live in a cul de sac community thing where it's just houses next to houses, so there's a lot to choose from. I don't pay attention to them. What is your favorite part of Halloween? The decorations. Do you feel a connection to the moon? "As above, so below," as the saying goes. What does your heart long for? Peace and contentness with myself. Did you decorate a pumpkin this year? Last year, I didn't. I do want to this year, though, if I can just think of a really good idea. I have to be motivated. What are some fall activities you would do with your kids? I'm not having kids, but I'll follow along, hypothetically. With how much joy Halloween brought me as a kid, I'd want to do SO much as a family with them. Homemade decorations, carving or painting pumpkins together, and hell yeah I'd be taking them trick-or-treating once I felt they were ready and they wanted to. I'd be one of those parents that probably spends too much on whatever costumes they want, haha... Oh, and then besides Halloween, I'd certainly rake leaf piles together for them to jump and play in. This question has brought to mind like ONE thing I could enjoy as a parent, haha. Have you ever seen a fox? I have; besides in a zoo setting, I've seen one or two in the wild run out of sight, and I also found one poor fellow as roadkill that had been disemboweled by I'm assuming vultures. With my whole roadkill photography thing, I literally almost kneeled into a strand of intestines I didn't see at first. :x What color are the squirrels where you live? We only have brown ones. Is there anything about Halloween you find offensive? lol no What do the trees look like where you live? Lots, and lots, and LOTS of pine trees... There are others, but I'm not well-informed on tree species and such. Oh, then of course there are dogwoods (our "state tree"), which are unmistakable because they smell like fucking manure. What is your dream vacation? Maybe the mountains on the western side of NC during the fall... ugh, that would be breathtaking. We actually have an abandoned The Wizard of Oz-themed park around there that allows tours at certain times of the year, and I'd love to visit and photograph there. As well, western NC has the zoo, which would be spectacular to visit with autumn weather and, once again, load up on photos. Did you like field trips when you were a kid? I LOVED field trips. Do you find museums boring or interesting? Very interesting! Would you ever wear a shirt with your country’s flag on it? No. I'm not patriotic enough at all for that. What’s a medicine that makes you sleepy? Historically, larger doses of Klonopin can knock me the fuck out. Do you like bath bombs? Never used one, because I don't do baths. Who are your favorite small YouTubers? I'm going to guesstimate you mean less than 1M subs as "small," because I really don't know what you consider to fit that description. I watch a lot of people with less than 1M, so it's hard to say, but lately it's probably been a let's player John Wolfe. He's really funny. Then there's some tarantula YouTubers, along with the animal educator Emzotic... and really just many others. I think most of the people I watch actually have sub-1M, but more than 500k. Who are your favorite big YouTubers? Markiplier is absolutely, positively #1. I also really enjoy Snake Discovery, GameGrumps, Jeffree Star (don't judge me ok, he's a fuckin hoot), and while I haven't watched them in years, Good Mythical Morning will ALWAYS be deeply, deeeeply embedded in my heart. What was your favorite girl group when you were growing up? Ummm probably the Spice Girls? Have you ever used an outhouse? Ugh, yes, at old childhood sports games. What was the last good cause you donated towards? When I cut off like 8+ inches of hair to accomplish the style I have now, I donated it to Children With Hair Loss. My hair has always been mega-thick and healthy, so why in the world waste it? One of my most cherished items is the certificate I got in return many months later that my donation had been used. Have any of your exes gotten married or had kids since your breakup? I haven't had contact with Juan in many years, don't know what Tyler's up to either, and I haven't spoken to Jason since 2017, so. I'm very doubtful he's married or has kids yet, though, just knowing him and how "I need to be fully prepared for this" he is with big life stuff like that. Does it bother you when people get super emotional? Not at all. I'll do my all to comfort them. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? No. Do you get a lot of thunderstorms where you live? Depends on the time of year. Summertime? Brief but super intense thunderstorms every late afternoon. What was the last drive-thru you went through? Taco Bell w/ Mom. Do you know anyone who claims they can see/feel spirits or other supernatural ‘things?’ No. Do either of your parents have a mental illness? My mom has depression, and Mom is also convinced Dad has either depression masked as anger and/or bipolarity, but following the divorce, I don't see it in him at all. He's never seen a doctor in that field to be diagnosed with any mental illness. What fun things are there to do where you live? Jackshit. Do you know anyone with a really poorly-trained dog? Mother of fucking god, yes. My little sister lives with her best friend, and said friend has a colossal black lab named Hudson that is absolutely uncontrollable because she neglects the shit out of him. Won't listen to you even if it saved his life. He jumps on you, barks endlessly, and if he escapes the house? Good fucking luck getting him inside. She has absolutely no right to own a dog with how shitty of an owner she honestly is. When you were growing up, did your family rent or own your home? They owned it. The idiots who were moving in after us accidentally burnt the place to a fucking crisp, and my parents were SO not happy to lose that house because people were dumb enough to place boxes atop the goddamn stove. Do you do meal-prepping? No. Do you know anyone who got preggo less than a year into their relationship? Multiple people, not that that's my business. What did you dream about last night? I don't remember it clearly, other than I was with Jason and his mother was also present. What's the biggest age difference you've ever had in a relationship? That would have been with Juan, but I don't remember exactly how old he was. I just know I was a freshman and him a senior that got held back a year or so in HS. If you could save one animal from ever becoming extinct, what animal would you pick? Probably bees, given how vital they are. Name the coolest thing about one of your grandparents. My maternal grandmother worked at Disney World. I can't remember what her position was, though. Do you ever eat peanut butter straight from the jar? If I want a healthy snack, sometimes I'll have a scoop. Do you prefer your clothes loose or close fitting? They need to be loose. Favorite thing you’ve ever painted? This big painting of meerkats grooming on burlap I did in high school. Do you always wear a bra? I question the self-love of anyone who can sleep with a bra on. ;__; Do you normally finish one book before starting another? Oh yes, I can't read more than one at a time. Do you prefer reading books, comic books, manga/graphic novels, magazines, or the newspaper? The normal book. Do you know how to play chess? I don't. Are you watching anything? No, but I do have Manson's "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge" on in another tab. What is your blood type? A-. Has anyone ever borrowed something from you and never returned it? Yes. Do you twitch when you're falling asleep? Dude, I more than "twitch." I can just suddenly spaz out and look like I'm seizing for a moment. Another side effect of my nightmare suppressant medication. Are any of your pets “overweight”? No. Has anyone ever bought you a ring? My mom has bought me a few, and Jason gave me one for one of our anniversaries. Where was the last place you took a bath/shower, other than your own house? My sister's place. What first attracted you to the last person you kissed? Just how unique and happy that way she is. And her pretty much undying loyalty. Has someone ever taken a pic of you while you were making out with someone? No, considering I wouldn't go that far with someone unless we were alone. Had a crush on someone you thought shared your sexuality, turns out didn’t? Yes. What’s your favorite color to wear? Black. Does it gross you out if a guy has hair on his chest? I personally don't find an excess of it attractive, but it doesn't "gross me out." If they bathe themselves just like everyone else, why should it? Do you think sexuality is a choice or not? It is absolutely not a choice. If it was, I'd assume most people would choose to be straight, given phobias, hatecrimes, etc... I could write an essay on this. Do you like industrial piercings? Yeah. Do you think stretched ears are disgusting? "Disgusting" is, once again, the wrong word. Gauges don't really gross me out - hell, I want tiny ones -, but they can reach a size that, to me, is not visually appealing. Did you watch animated Barbie movies when you were little? I do remember loving Princess and the Pauper as well as the Rapunzel one; my sister was addicted to them. Oh yeah! Then there was the Swan Lake one that she adored, too. We usually watched movies together. Do you like fruit in your cereal? Big No. Do you like raw vegetables? Ugh, no. Do you listen to A Day to Remember? I do! They're on my list of faves. Do you like funnel cake? I actually don't. Have you ever been with someone while they were getting a tattoo? Yuh.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''third day of a seven day binge'' by marilyn manson

[when-they-write-stuff]

those eyes

pairing: sterek

word count: 5706

rating: teen

warnings: swearing, canon-typical violence

notes: commission for @fanficmakesmehappy based on the prompt: crime au + soulmate au where you see color for the first time when you make eye contact w your soulmate. Stiles is kidnapped by the pack. He's drugged and the first person he sees when he wakes up is derek, and the first thing he notices is that his eyes are green. This complicates things.

The last time Stiles had been this drunk, he’d just graduated high school and Scott had insisted he come out to a ‘real party’. 

Of course, that ended up being Lydia Martin’s lake house filled with people he didn’t know and bad tasting alcohol, but Stiles would forever treasure it as a ‘what a bad idea’ memory felt like. 

He hadn’t had one of those in a while. Not since he’d gone off to college, leaving Scott and his dad behind, and Scott had all but cut ties with him. Stiles didn’t come back for a few years, his dad moved up in the police ranks, and Stiles eventually graduated with a degree in criminology. 

All things considered, he felt like his career path was off to a pretty good start. If he ever did anything with it, that was.

Stiles had a tendency to get sidetracked. But if he was going to do anything with his life, it was follow in his dad’s footsteps and do something involving crime. Because who didn’t love a bit of action in their lives?

That’s where he went wrong.

When he came home that summer, the plan was to surprise his dad and, if he could find him, Scott. Because Stiles hadn’t given up on his childhood best friend. Even if he’d suddenly vanished off the face of the earth and refused to answer Stiles’s calls or texts.

Except, Stiles didn’t get home. He got as far as the crossroad near their house when something hit his car. The thump was so loud, Stiles was sure Roscoe had taken a dent and it had to be a wild animal. Because what the hell else attacked an innocent car in the middle of the night?

Stiles remembered clambering out with a curse on his tongue. But he didn’t get three feet before an unrelenting arm wrapped around his neck, something soft was pressed against his nose, and all Stiles knew was black.

-

The point was, he thought he was drunk. There was the sound of music in the air, he could hear voices chattering above his head, and Stiles could’ve sworn the floor was moving. He was drunk. He just didn’t remember how it happened. 

“I’m telling you,” a female voice hissed. “It’s him. They share similar scents and that was his car. Do you really think anyone else drives around a piece of junk that color and model?”

Stiles blinked a few times. Were they talking about his car? Because Roscoe wasn’t a piece of junk and Stiles would fight anyone who said otherwise. And… color? Stiles didn’t even know what color his jeep was. He always thought it was a sort of murky-grey but then again, everything was. Oh god, what if it was bright pink? He’d always heard bad things about bright pink.

“We’ll let McCall confirm it,” another voice said. Male, this time. “But he’s not going to like this.”

“He can not like whatever he wants to. Derek wanted the spastic idiot and do you really want to be the one telling him we chickened out at the last minute?”

Stiles groaned. He didn’t actually mean to, but the sound burst from his lips as his head pounded like someone had taken a jackhammer to it. He heard the sound of a yelp and then a curse, and something soft was pressed against his face again. 

Stiles inhaled sharply before realizing that was a bad idea. His last thought was ‘not drunk’ before he passed out again.

- 

So, Stiles hadn’t had a ‘what a bad idea’ memory in a while, but this was certainly up for the grand prize. Stiles woke up feeling like he’d been ripped apart and put back together again, or maybe run over once or twice by a truck. He smacked his lips together, mouth tasting like cotton, and cracked one eye open.

And squawked, trying to yank backward.

Except he couldn’t, the sound of metal clanged as he realized he was handcuffed to a metal chair. Stiles looked sharply up and his breaths caught as he noticed a figure standing in the shadows across the room. The room— a room— one that was much too small for his liking and empty of anything but a bed and chair.

Stiles tried not to whimper, he really did. But the sound still broke free of his lips and he shied away as the figure stepped forward, fixing his gaze on the floor. Two pairs of boots came into his line of sight. Two pairs of black leather, mud-stained boots, that were almost comically big.

Stiles didn’t think it was a good time to be having such thoughts. But he couldn’t help it.

“Stiles Stilinski,” a male voice said. “I assume?”

Stiles clenched his jaw, glaring at the floor. The boots moved closer.

“Look at me.”

“Fuck off.”

His captor moved uncomfortably close. Stiles took a deep breath and mustered up his best glare, lifting his eyes to meet those of his captor. Except, the second he did, he saw a flash of green and felt like his head was exploding, a startled ‘oh’ leaving his lips.

Because suddenly, he could see everything. 

The grey walls of his room, the dark blue of his jeans, the horrible clash of blue and orange on his t-shirt. His captor stumbled back and Stiles could’ve sworn he heard a snarl, but that wouldn’t be right. Regular people didn’t snarl. Not even soulmates— soulmates.

“Oh, shit,” Stiles said. The guy across from him glared like Stiles had just run over his puppy or something.

And oh shit, his captor looked like a Greek God. Of course, he did, Stiles really shouldn’t have expected anything else. His jawline could probably cut diamonds, his shoulders were literally god-like, and his eyes— his eyes were the prettiest color of green Stiles had ever seen. 

Something strange left Stiles’s mouth and he was pretty sure it was along the lines of, “Sweet mother Jesus.” 

His captor looked murderous, turning on his heel and stamping out of the room. The door slammed behind him and Stiles jolted in his chair, staring at it for a second longer. Then the reality of the situation sunk in and he yanked against the cuffs, a shout rising in his throat.

“Hey, asshole, you can’t just leave me in here! I’m innocent! My t-shirt looks ugly! I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m a growing boy!”

The door suddenly opened again. But instead of his green-eyed captor, a blond-haired woman came in. Stiles stared for a moment, before his mouth fell open.

“Erica Reyes?”

“You remember me?” She said, smirking. Stiles blinked. 

“Oh my god, did you… did you help kidnap me? Dude, that’s so messed up!”

“Oh, relax,” Erica said, rolling her eyes. Which were a beautiful color of brown. Stiles wondered what the hell his eyes looked like. “Clearly, it was a bad idea. I don’t think Derek knows how to react to kidnapping his literal soulmate.”

“Derek,” Stiles said. “Wait, his name is Derek? Snarly-growly-green-eyes is named Derek?”

“Hale. Derek Hale.”

“Derek Hale,” Stiles repeated. For a moment, he didn’t know why he recognized that name, but then it hit him like a punch to the gut. “Derek Hale mass-murderer Derek Hale? As in, the one that burned his entire family alive and killed a handful of Beacon Hill’s residents?”

Erica’s smirk faded. Stiles felt sick.

“He’s going to kill me, isn’t he?”

“If you keep talking like that, he will,” Erica said. “Cause he’s innocent.”

“Innocent. Innocent? He just kidnapped me!” Stiles said, yanking against the cuffs again. “Probably for murder!”

Erica’s expression turned pinched. Stiles could’ve sworn her eyes turned gold for a second, except he was definitely just getting used to seeing colors for the first time. Because, he reminded himself, he’d been kidnapped. By his soulmate. Resident murdering psychopath Derek Hale.

Erica studied him for a moment longer before sighing. Sticking out her lower lip, she turned toward the closed door. 

“I’m not getting anywhere with him. Would someone send in McCall?”

Stiles’s stomach dropped. McCall? But there was no way. There was no way Scott McCall, his Scott McCall, could be working with a murderer. Scott was a puppy. A literal ball of fluff. He couldn’t hurt a fly even if he wanted to.

Except, when the door opened, it was the boy Stiles had grown up with stepping into the room. Or, it was sort of. Scott’s jaw was sharper, his hair was shorter, and he’d gotten strong. Like, scary-looking strong.

Stiles stared for a moment. Then, Scott moved forward and Stiles tried to pull back. The boy stopped abruptly.

“S-Scott?”

“Hey, man.”

“No way,” Stiles said. “There’s no way you’re here. There’s no way you’re with a murderer. Scott, what the hell happened when I left?”

Scott flinched at that. Erica rolled her eyes and started toward the door, waving a dismissive hand over her head.

“Let me know when you tell him about everything. You know, the Argents, the murders, and the werewolves.”

“The what?”

But she was already gone, the door slamming closed at her back. Stiles looked back at Scott with wide eyes and his previous-best friend was looking at him nervously. Stiles was pretty sure he really was drunk now, or maybe on drugs. Because this couldn’t be right. This wasn’t happening.

“I’d tell you to sit down,” Scott said weakly. “But, uh…”

“Dude. Not fucking funny.”

- 

Between going from graduating college to learning about werewolves, hunters, and finding his soulmate, Stiles thought he would’ve been more prepared to learn that Lydia Martin’s hair was red. But no, that still shocked him. You know, the fact that everyone in Derek Hale’s pack was literally drop-dead gorgeous.

Stiles sat with his knees pulled into his chest on a ratty old sofa. He was surrounded by people he remembered from high school and couldn’t believe this was actually his life. Erica Reyes was a werewolf. Lydia Martin was a banshee. Jackson Whittemore was a snake.

Okay, that one really wasn’t so surprising.

“Let me get this straight,” Stiles said, pointing at Lydia and Jackson. “You two are supernatural soulmates.”

Lydia rolled her eyes and Jackson sneered. So maybe Stiles had a crush on her once; a long time ago. He was totally over it now. 

“And you two,” Stiles said, pointing at Erica and Boyd. Then he leveled Scott with his best glare, who shifted nervously next to Allison. “And you, my best friend who betrayed my trust and never told me he was a freaking werewolf.”

Scott winced. Stiles fixed Isaac with a flat look.

“And you’re…?”

“Currently single and colorblind.”

“Great. Four werewolves, a hunter, a banshee, a snake, and this is why I never should’ve come back to town.”

“I’m not a snake,” Jackson said, growling. “Anymore.”

“Oh, you’ll always be a snake in my eyes, Jacky-boy.”

“Actually,” Scott said. “There are five werewolves counting Derek. Six if you count his sociopathic uncle but we don’t usually do that.”

Stiles shuddered, glancing around the room. He couldn’t help but notice it was barrenly empty of anyone other than them. “And said Alpha werewolf is…?”

“Oh, he left,” Erica said. “He doesn’t take surprises well.”

“Great, that’s just great. And he kidnapped me because what, my dad’s a little upset that Derek’s been pinned with a couple dozen murders? Because I really don't think I would’ve been very helpful against that.”

“We had orders,” Isaac said, shrugging. “And grabbing you wasn’t that hard.”

“Hey!”

“Derek kidnapped you because he needed leverage if things went wrong,” Allison said. “There’ve been… a few killings in Beacon Hills. Hunters, we think. Going after all those they suspect are supernatural. And every time Derek tries to get out there and stop them, the cops are called in and he gets chased back into hiding. He’s the Alpha of Beacon Hills, but he can’t protect the town if its own police are working against him.”

“They’re just doing their jobs,” Stiles grumbled. Jackson rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, well, people are dying because of them ‘doing their job’, Stilinski. Because of your dad.”

“Keep my dad out of this, slithers.”

Jackson bared his teeth in a snarl. Stiles winced back.

“And stop doing that.”

“The point is,” Boyd said, speaking for the first time. He seemed to have some sort of authority with how everyone went quiet and looked at him. “Derek had his reasons. He wasn’t ever going to do any harm. And it’s true— your dad is getting in the way of all this.”

“He thinks you’re a bunch of criminals, it’s not his fault,” Stiles muttered. Then he looked sharply over at Scott. “Oh my god, does he think you’re a criminal too?”

“Uh, I hope not?”

Lydia rolled her eyes. If he let himself get distracted, Stiles still couldn’t believe that was her actual hair color. He blinked a few times, shaking his head.

How was this his life?

- 

Stiles found himself standing on the sidewalk outside of the loft. It was some ratty place nestled in the middle of nowhere and he thought he could hear the sound of distant sirens. If he ran, Stiles figured he could get away from all this before someone caught him. But he didn’t really see himself running.

All he wanted to do right now, was take in the sights of everything. The moon was yellow, the stars were bright silver, and the night sky was a mix of black and blue. Stiles didn’t think he’d ever seen something so beautiful.

The loft door opened and closed behind him. Stiles glanced back and froze when he saw a familiar Greek God standing a few feet away. Derek didn’t do anything, though, except stand with his hands in his pockets. Relaxing slightly, Stiles turned back forward again.

“It’s uh… really pretty, isn’t it? All the colors.”

Derek moved to his side. Stiles really wanted to look into his eyes— see that stunning shade of green again— but he kept his gaze straight forward instead. 

There were so many colors. Stiles had never realized what he was missing out on until now.

“I don’t know what things I might’ve said that you heard,” Stiles said after a moment. “But I’m sorry. If you uh… you know. Heard me call you a mass murderer and all that.”

“Werewolf hearing is pretty good,” Derek said in soft amusement. It was the third time Stiles had heard his voice and for some reason, that made his stomach flip. Despite himself, he chuckled.

“Yeah, well. Werewolves. That’s a bit more of a shock.”

Derek tensed. Sensing a change of attitude, Stiles backtracked quickly.

“Not like it’s worse, or anything. Just a shock, dude, you know? I mean, imagine learning vampires are real or something.”

Derek didn’t answer that. Stiles spun to face him.

“Oh my god, are vampires real too?”

“No,” Derek said with a huff, meeting his gaze. It was stupid, but Stiles’s breaths left him when he did. And of course, he had no control over his mouth.

“Dude, your eyes are really pretty.”

Derek’s face turned red, the color going all the way to his ears. Stiles clapped his hands over his mouth and blushed too, feeling his face turn hot. 

“Sorry.”

“No, uh,” Derek said, eyes dropping to the ground. “It’s fine.”

“I mean, they are, but—”

Stiles could’ve sworn he heard Derek growl. Just like the first time, except it was a little louder. He thought he saw something red flash in the man’s eyes too. Slowly, Stiles stepped closer. Derek tensed.

“Hey, dude,” Stiles said. “You have other eyes too, right? I mean, Scott’s were gold and Jackson’s were blue…”

Derek looked up, face unreadable. “I don’t think you really want to see.”

“I mean, they’re not scary, right?”

The man didn’t answer. Stiles clenched his jaw, cursing himself, and nearly tried to say something else, when the loft door suddenly slammed open again. Boyd came out, eyes snapping between the two of them, and he fixed his gaze on Derek.

“We’ve got an issue across town. Call for help about hunters.”

Derek cursed and broke away from Stiles’s side. Stiles started after him but Derek turned around at the door, looking conflicted for a moment. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, but then ducked out of sight. Stiles deflated and Boyd gave him a sympathetic look.

“Stay at the loft,” Boyd said. “Until we get back.”

“But I could—”

“You’d be better out of the way.”

Stiles clenched his jaw, sitting back on his heels as the door closed again. He glared at it for a second, feeling utterly useless, before turning around again. The nighttime air was quiet this time; no sound of distant sirens.

Then suddenly, Stiles heard a footstep. He spun around right as a fist entered his vision and pain exploded through his head. Stiles stumbled back and tripped over his own feet, falling to the ground hard. 

He didn’t even have a chance to curse before a fist was entering his vision again. Stiles’s head bounced off the cement and for the second time that day, all he saw was black.

It was becoming a habit, it seemed.

- 

Stiles was starting to think people liked restraining him to chairs. 

He woke up with his hands tied behind his back and a whole new wave of pain pounding through his head. He kept his eyes closed this time, trying to feel out his surroundings, but then a hand connected with his cheek, and Stiles’s eyes snapped open as he bit back a cry.

“There you go,” a sneering man said. “Easiest way to wake him up.”

“Easiest way to give him a concussion,” a woman said from the side. Stiles blinked a few times and shook his head, the sting gradually fading as he looked around. His breaths stalled in his throat when he did.

They were in a warehouse of some kind. The ceiling was high and wide, the air was cold and stale. Stiles tugged on the ropes around his wrists before fixing his gaze on the people standing around him. They were all armed, he realized, with guns or knives strapped to their sides and down their legs. It looked like they’d set up camp here, with more piles of weapons tossed to the side.

“You’re hunters,” Stiles said as the realization hit. The woman laughed.

“And you’re a quick one.”

“What the hell do you want with me? I’m not supernatural.”

“No,” the man who’d hit him said, stepping forward and catching his chin. Stiles growled and tried to yank away, and the man chuckled. “But apparently, you’re like catnip to them. Want to explain what the Alpha of Beacon Hills wanted with a twig like you, boy?”

“Go to hell,” Stiles said. “Like I’d know.”

“But he didn’t kill or turn you. That has to mean something. Do you know the Alpha, boy?”

“It’s Stiles,” Stiles spat. The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Odd name.”

“Yeah, I get that a lot. Now, this is the second time today I’ve been kidnapped, and I really just want a nap and a burger. Can we negotiate on that?”

“He’s annoying,” the man said. The woman grinned.

“I think he’s cute.”

Stiles wrinkled his nose at that. He did another sweep of the warehouse and took in their numbers; a handful of hunters, no more than ten. But that might not be all of them, he realized.

“The distraction,” he said. “You really out killing more people?”

“We’re out killing bounties,” the woman said, crossing the room and crouching down in front of him. She had dark brown eyes and Stiles thought they would’ve been more threatening without the color. He didn’t like her smile, though. It was sickly sweet. “You aren’t on that list, but we do have some questions, sweetie. Do you realize what kind of beast Hale is?”

Stiles clenched his jaw. The woman smirked.

“You do. What are you then, the boy who runs with wolves? Or are you newer to this than we’d expect?”

He didn’t answer. She pursed her lips and nodded, pushing herself up again.

“They’re monsters, Stiles, you’ve got to realize that. Genetic mutations. It’s a mercy we’re providing, taking them out.”

“They’re not monsters,” Stiles said coldly. He dropped his eyes. “My best friend’s not a monster.”

Interest sparked in her eyes. The woman tilted her head and then pulled back, whispering something in the other man’s ear. His eyes narrowed and his lips twisted up in disgust, but he nodded after a moment. Stiles shifted uncomfortably and the woman turned back to him with a smile on her lips again.

“You know one of them?”

Stiles knew all of them. His stomach flipped and the color green flashed before his eyes for a second. They weren’t monsters. Scott… Derek couldn’t be. Stiles could’ve laughed at that, how quickly his mindset had gone from murderer to something else. Something else, as if he even knew what something else was.

Except Derek hadn’t wanted Stiles to see his real face, had he? As if it was something to be ashamed of. Like it was something monstrous. 

I mean, they’re not scary, right?

Stiles swallowed hard. 

Another man suddenly came forward, saying something Stiles couldn’t catch to the woman. Her eyes sparked with interest again and she grinned, looking at Stiles with a new expression. His gut twisted uncomfortably.

“You’re the Sheriff’s kid?”

Shit. “What of it?”

“You know that’s why Hale wanted you,” she said. “Imagine if he had the Sheriff’s kid to use as leverage. Oh, imagine if he turned the Sheriff’s kid. What could the law do against him then?”

Stiles drew back. Derek wouldn’t have— that wasn’t the plan. It couldn’t have been. The woman sighed and leaned forward, patting his cheek. Stiles drew away with a snarl.

“It’s alright, kid,” she said. “We’ve got you now.”

Stiles really didn’t think that was a good thing. He watched her turn away and the other man gave him a feral sneer before following. Stiles twisted his wrists in the ropes again and cursed.

But things could be worse, right? Stiles felt like things could be worse.

Suddenly, there was a distant shout and a series of gunshots. The entire room went silent and the shots cut off. Every eye turned to look at him and Stiles swallowed hard, hating himself and everything this day had turned into.

Because yeah, that could be worse.

A howl pierced the air and the room erupted into chaos. 

Stiles cursed and yanked on the ropes binding his wrists together. The warehouse doors suddenly burst open and the air filled with the sound of cocking guns. Stiles yanked sideways with all his might and ended up tipping— he had a split second of realization before he was crashing onto his side with a grunt.

“Sweet freaking Jesus,” he said. The movies always made escape look easier.

Suddenly, there was a yank on his wrist. Stiles yelped and felt something sharp press against his skin. It took him a moment to realize they were claws.

“Hold still,” a voice growled. Derek. Stiles twisted and tried to get a good look, but the man ducked his face away before Stiles could. 

The claw sliced through the ropes and Stiles scrambled forward, pulling himself up. By the time he was on his feet again, Derek’s claws were gone and he was tensed, scanning the room. Stiles glanced over at the chaos to see the others in their beta forms; a flash of golden eyes here, a sharp howl there. Stiles startled as Derek caught his shoulder and tugged him back, away from the fighting.

“Dude,” Stiles said, trying to shake him off. Derek didn’t let go, pulling him toward the other side of the warehouse. Toward another exit, Stiles realized. He yanked harder and stumbled away, rubbing at his raw wrists. “Dude, shouldn’t you be back there helping your pack?”

“Don’t call me dude,” Derek groused. “They’ll be fine. You need to get out of here.”

“I’m not some token human, you know,” Stiles said, following after him. He thought he heard the sound of sirens now, which was just great. “I can fend for myself.”

Derek shot him a raised eyebrow. Stiles rolled his eyes. 

“I was taken by surprise.”

“I’m sorry,” Derek said, and Stiles blinked in surprise. “That shouldn’t have happened.”

“Du- Derek, why are you apologizing?”

Derek didn’t answer, starting toward the door. They were less than five feet away when a gunshot cracked through the air.

Stiles spun around, expecting pain. But it wasn’t aimed for him.

Derek roared in pain, dropping to one knee. Stiles’s heart stopped when he saw the hole in his stomach; the blood already welling. Out of the shadows came the woman, a pistol in hand and a smirk on her lips.

“Aw, Derek,” she said. “Does that sting a little?”

“Kate,” Derek growled, blood splattering his lips. The woman— Kate— stopped a few feet away and smiled, raising an eyebrow.

“You miss me, sweetie?”

Stiles snapped back to reality, shoving himself between them. Kate’s eyebrows shot up and her lips pursed in amusement. 

“Oh,” she said, sounding mockingly disappointed. “Honey, don’t choose sides now. I’ll put the mutt out of his misery and you can go free to daddy. You hear those sirens, don’t you? They’ll be here in a few minutes, I expect. Maybe even less.”

“No,” Stiles said, surprised his voice wasn’t shaking. He’d never actually stared down the barrel of a gun before, but he was pretty sure this wasn’t going to end well for one of them. “You won’t kill him. I won’t let you.”

“Let me?” Kate asked, laughing. Derek made a soft noise behind him and Stiles resisted the urge to turn around. “Oh, come on, kid. This isn’t a fight you’ll win. Tell you what, move aside and I’ll let you take the credit for taking out murderer Hale here. You’ll be the town hero. Think about it.”

“I’m not a killer.”

“Oh, but sweetie,” Kate said. “He is.”

Stiles clenched his fists. Kate chuckled. 

“Have you seen his red eyes? Do you know what they look like? People say they’re the color of blood. Alpha eyes resemble the innocent lives they’ve taken, kid. Do you realize what that has to look like?”

Stiles’s heart thudded against his chest. But slowly, he unclenched his fists, staring at her. Because it clicked, then. 

“No,” he said. “I don’t. But you don’t either, do you?”

Kate’s smile faltered. Stiles bared his teeth in a sneer, straightening his shoulders.

“You have no idea what they look like. And you know what,” he said, “I wouldn’t either. Until about twelve hours ago. And you know why that is?”

Kate’s eyes turned hard. Stiles glanced over his shoulder and met Derek’s gaze. He was hunched over, a hand wrapped around his chest as his shirt turned red with blood. His face was half-shifted and Stiles met green eyes. Green eyes— and he thought that was all that mattered.

“You,” Kate said incredulously, drawing his attention back. “You?”

“Guess so,” Stiles said, turning back to her. “Guess I’m the boy that runs with wolves.”

Kate’s lips curled up in a snarl and she raised the gun again. Stiles leaped forward, catching her wrist, and twisted. Kate cried out and the gun clattered to the floor. A wild fist connected with his cheek but Stiles refused to let go, hooking his foot underneath hers and pulling hard. They both went tumbling to the floor. 

Stiles thought he heard Derek shout his name.

He reached over Kate’s head, scrabbling for the gun. She kicked up and caught him in the stomach and Stiles cursed, seeing stars. But his fingers still wrapped around cool metal and he shoved himself away, stumbling to his feet. Kate pushed herself up too and Stiles lifted the gun, a trembling finger wrapping around the trigger.

She went still, looking at him. Then her eyes flashed and she sneered.

“Can you pull the trigger, kid?”

Stiles’s hand trembled. Kate scoffed and stepped forward.

“You’re not a killer.”

“No,” Stiles said, heart in his throat. “Guess I’m not.”

Kate’s eyes flashed in triumph. But then Stiles aimed the gun downward and pulled the trigger twice, and her scoff turned into a cry of pain as she fell to the floor. Stiles stumbled backward and the gun slipped from his fingers, clattering to the floor. He kicked it away and turned to Derek, falling to his knees at his side.

“Hey, hey,” Stiles said. “Oh my god, you’re bleeding. It’s bad. Can you heal through this? Derek, why aren’t you healing through this?” 

“Wolfsbane,” Derek said raspily, eyes half-closed. “Like poison.”

“I don’t— I can’t— is there anything I can do? God, Derek, you’re not allowed to die on me.”

“Not here,” Derek said. Stiles tipped his chin up but Derek looked sharply away, teeth bared slightly. Stiles caught a flash of red and stilled. Derek’s chest rose and fell in heaves.

“Hey,” Stiles said softly. “Derek?”

“You don’t want to see.”

“I do,” Stiles said. “I… I do, Derek. Can you show me your eyes?”

Derek didn’t move for a second. Stiles swallowed and slowly, the man turned his face back. His eyes opened to reveal the color of crimson red that glowed slightly in the darkness. Stiles’s breaths caught in his throat and Derek started to turn away, but Stiles reached forward and touched his cheek. 

Carefully, he moved his fingers up, touch ghosting over Derek’s forehead and following the shifted ridges above his eyes. Stiles cupped his palms against Derek’s face and leaned forward, touching his forehead against Derek’s own.

“They’re beautiful. Both kinds.”

Derek sighed. 

“But, uh,” Stiles said. “Maybe we should get out of here?”

Quietly, the man nodded. Pulling back, Stiles linked an arm underneath his shoulders and grunted as he hefted the werewolf up. He took a few stumbling steps sideways and nearly lost his balance, but found it at the last minute, starting toward the doorway. One step after another, Derek’s feet shuffling on the floor.

“You’re a fool, kid,” a voice called behind them. Stiles paused and turned around. Kate sneered up from the floor. “You’re saving a monster.”

“No,” Stiles said. “But I am sparing one. Hope you have a good explanation for the police.”

“You’re making a mistake.”

“Don’t convince me to pull the trigger again.”

Her sneer slipped. Stiles turned and half-carried, half-lugged Derek toward the door. He thought she said something else, but he wasn’t listening this time.

Stiles came outside to the wail of sirens and the sound of echoing voices on the other side of the warehouse. Clenching his jaw, he turned away and started toward the empty street in the other direction.

Derek was unconscious by the time Scott found them. But he was still alive.

And that’s all that mattered.

- 

Stiles flipped through the folder for a third time, scanning the pictures and reports and everything they’d managed to scrounge together. He tried not to shift again in the chair beside the bed; Lydia had already informed him he was stressing everyone out by squirming. And then they’d still ended up leaving because he still couldn’t stop.

His eyes rested on a picture in the corner; one of a younger Derek and flashing eyes against the camera. Stiles studied it, shaking his head.

“Nice.”

“S… Stiles?”

Stiles jumped, nearly spilling the entire contents of the folder onto the floor. Over on the bed beside him, Derek blinked over, and Stiles straightened, grinning widely.

“Dude, you’re awake!”

Derek winced slightly. Stiles blushed and lowered his voice.

“Sorry. How are you feeling?”

“Are we at the loft?”

“Straight from the vet’s office,” Stiles said. “I can’t believe you guys actually go to the vet for an injury. I mean… that’s kind of funny, right?”

Derek blinked at him, raising a brow. Stiles chuckled nervously.

“Don’t look at me like that. It is.”

“What happened?”

“Well,” Stiles said, waving the folder through the air. “The police arrested one Kate Argent for possession of unregistered weapons and murder on three accounts. And once this baby is delivered, we think it’ll be enough to up that charge to…” Stiles’s smile slipped. “Well, a lot more.”

Derek looked confused. Stiles lowered his eyes, shrugging slightly. 

“It might be enough to clear you.”

“What?”

“I mean, I still need to talk to my dad. And he might have to know about some things. Like, werewolfy things, if that’s okay with you. But I think we could figure this out, dude. I think we could clear you.”

Derek stared at him. Stiles licked his lips nervously, glancing back up.

“Is that okay?”

“You did that,” Derek said. “For me.”

“Of course,” Stiles said. I mean, I do have a degree in criminology. And it’d be nice to go to the grocery store without getting arrested, right?”

Derek didn’t say a word. A knot formed in Stiles’s stomach.

“Unless that’s not what you wanted.”

“No,” Derek said, sitting up with a small wince. “It is, of course, it is. I just— why?”

“Because,” Stiles said. “You’re innocent.”

Derek’s face tightened. Before he could say a word, Stiles leaned forward and caught his hand. Derek blinked in surprise and his eyes snapped up to meet Stiles’s.

“I know I don’t know everything about your past,” Stiles said softly. “I mean… you know. But Derek, you’re not what Kate says. Or what any of them say. And I swear to god, if I have to find all the evidence in the world to prove that, I will.”

Derek looked at him quietly. Stiles started to pull his hand away, but Derek held on tighter, fingers intertwining with his own. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, well,” Stiles said, ducking his head. “Maybe I’d do anything for those eyes.”

The tips of Derek’s ears turned red. Stiles chuckled.

“They're pretty,” he said. “Both of them.”

“Even the red?”

“Even the red.”

“And,” Derek said slowly. “If they were blue?”

Stiles blinked in confusion. But, seeing Derek’s face and nervous expression, he found himself nodding. “Blue’s just pretty.”

Derek’s face softened. He tugged on Stiles’s hand and Stiles set the folder aside, moving over to sink down on the edge of the bed beside him. Stiles raised a brow and Derek rolled his eyes, touching his forehead against Stiles’s own.

“Thank you.”

“Oh my god, you are a sap.”

Derek laughed. Stiles hesitated for a moment, before leaning closer and touching his lips against Derek’s own. The first brush was soft; careful. Stiles closed his eyes and hummed quietly, which made Derek growl. Chuckling, he pressed forward a little more, fingers brushing along Derek’s jaw and moving up into his hair. The man growled lower.

It sent shivers down his spine.

Before Stiles had known colors, he’d categorized them as feelings. Green, he thought, was two seconds ago. Red was if things went on for another five minutes or so. But this? This was vibrant. A color he didn’t quite know yet— or he hadn’t yet seen.

He thought it’d be hilarious if it was bright pink.

#sterek #fanficmakesmehappy #5k words #commission #fanfic #also on ao3 #whenshewrites #longer post #stiles stilinski #derek hale

[myownworldstayout]

New Friends Ch.3

Ch.1 / Ch.2 / Ch.4

(Thank you guys so much for your support and kind words!! It really means so much to me that you guys enjoy my writing this much! Anyway, Here’s chapter three :D )

Kagami tried to take notes for her class, but in the end they made no sense. She couldn’t even write a coherent sentence with her thoughts lingering on Agreste. 

I’m going to talk to him today. She had decided. 

Kagami didn’t doubt Marinette, but there had been misunderstandings with the girl before. Perhaps this was just that? Another misunderstanding?

She certainly hoped so. Adrien was the first friend she made at this school. If there was a bully in the class, she liked to believe that he would have enough honor to defend the victims. 

“Kagami~” Aurore sang beside her, finally gaining her friend’s attention.

Kagami flinched, looking up with her deep brown eyes, wide with shock.

Aurore pulled a sweet smile, though it faded into concern a moment after.

“Class is over now. You don’t usually get so distracted. Is something wrong?” 

Kagami glanced around the classroom. It was indeed empty. She stood up with a huff, irritated that she let her thoughts wander so easily. 

“Everything’s fine. I just need to have a talk with Adrien.” Kagami said calmly, placing her tablet in her bag. 

“About Marinette?” Aurore said curiously, following Kagami down the steps and out of the classroom. 

“Yes, where are the boys?” Kagami turned back to Aurore in a brief halt. 

“They said they’d meet us at the cafeteria.” 

“Good. I’ll see you there.” 

Aurore nodded towards the implied request. She knew better than to get in the way of Kagami’s “quests”. 

The two parted ways, and Kagami soon found herself outside of Adrien’s classroom. Unfortunately he wasn’t there. It appeared she’d be going to the cafeteria sooner than she originally thought. 

~~~~~~

Marinette walked with Felix to the cafeteria, mostly because no one else wanted to walk with either of them and they were going in the same direction. 

They went through the cafeteria line just as they had walked to the cafeteria. Silently. Though it was a bit awkward at times, Marinette preferred the quietness to listening to Lila. she could still hear her over-glorified classmate from across the lunch room. 

Her class was eagerly flocking around the foreigner, taking in her every word. Every embellished story. The only thing Marinette could even remotely give her credit for is coming up with all of those stories in the first place. Lila tells new ones everyday, none with the same basis except for her being the hero. 

“No wonder she’s so thin. She can’t keep her mouth closed long enough to eat properly.” Felix muttered to himself. 

Marinette couldn’t help but overhear, and before she knew it she had a hand to her mouth trying to suppress the fit of giggles taking over her. 

From the expression he was wearing, she knew he was being serious. The comment was hilarious to her nonetheless. It was a shame she was the only one that heard it. 

“That’s a bit harsh.” 

Or maybe she hadn’t been. 

The two looked up to see none other than Adrien, wearing a frown, right behind Felix in line. 

“Been a while, Agreste.” Felix raised an eyebrow. 

Marinette and Adrien’s eyes widened in surprise. 

“How do you know my name?” 

“Of course you don’t remember me. Even when we were kids, you were just as self centered as Chloe. She just doesn’t hide it.”

Marinette knitted her eyebrows together in confusion, but Adrien’s eyes seemed to glaze over with recognition.

“Felix..”

“I also wasn’t surprised when Dupain-Cheng said you were the one who told her to stay quiet about Rossi’s lies. You never did like actually standing up to the status quo.” 

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows, looking around Felix to see a pale Marinette who was gripping her tray much tighter now. His frown deepened, and he opened his mouth to comment, but Marinette didn’t give him the chance.

She whirled around, moving for a place to sit where Adrien couldn’t follow. Her eyes desperately flicked to different tables until- 

“Marinette!” A savior called out for her. 

The ravenette sighed with relief when she saw Luka, Wayhem, and Aurore waving her to their table. She took a step forward towards safety, only to be stopped by a hand gently grabbing her arm. It was Adrien. Of course it was.

“Mari, can we talk?” He asked politely. 

She knew what he was doing. They had had this talk several times before. Marinette wanted to say no, but his emerald green eyes sucked her in, just as they always did. She couldn’t say she felt as strongly about him as she used to, due to all that’s happened; however, Marinette also couldn’t say her feelings for him were completely gone.  

“Adrien, I-I really don’t-” 

Marinette was cut off by an emphasized clearing of the throat. They expected it to be Felix, but, upon looking up, they found Kagami instead. Felix was still in line picking out his food. 

“I don’t mean to interrupt-” she began, sharing a look with Marinette “-but do you have a moment, Adrien? There’s something I’d like to discuss.” 

Confusion spread across Adrien’s features. His grasp on Marinette’s arm loosened just enough for Marinette to slip away, retreating to Luka’s table.

He called after her. She didn’t turn around. 

Luka pat the chair next to him with a smile, silently requesting her to sit next to him. 

Marinette gladly obliged, setting down her tray and pulling in her chair.

“What did Adrien want with you?” Aurore inquired, glancing back to see Adrien following Kagami into another area. 

Marinette turned around as well, watching them go around the corner.

“Nothing important.” she sighed.

“That’s for sure.” Felix grumbled, sitting down next to her.

Marinette straightened, glancing at Felix with a tense look in her eyes.

Felix raised an eyebrow questioningly.

Marinette bit her lip, looking at him with curiosity and worry. “W-what was that about with Adrien just now? Do you know him personally?”

She knew it was a dangerous question, and frankly, she wasn’t even sure she wanted him to answer. Unfortunately, Marinette also knew it was a necessary one. 

Felix narrowed his gaze- one of annoyance, she assumed -and he looked down at the table.

“I hate to admit it, but he’s my cousin.” The stiff teen revealed.

Marinette, along with the rest of the group, widened their eyes in shock. Wayhem actually dropped his fork.

Despite the circumstances, Adrien could literally be considered the sun on a cloudless day. Felix, on the other hand, was something relating to a storm cloud, his words similar to acid-like rain.

And they were supposed to believe the two were related?

“Oh..” was all Marinette ended up saying. 

“Does Kagami know?” Luka suddenly asked.

Felix nodded. “Let’s change the subject. I hate saying it out loud enough. I don’t want to dwell on my unfortunate bloodline.”

No one argued.

~~~~~~~

Adrien didn’t understand what was going on with Marinette. Hadn’t they agreed to keep Lila under wraps? Not to mention, he thought Felix was new at the school. How did Marinette know him, and why was she talking to him about Lila? None of this made sense.. 

“I apologize for pulling you away from lunch.” Kagami said at first, regaining Adrien’s attention. 

“It’s alright. What did you need?” The blonde replied, pulling a friendly smile. 

“Do you know a girl named Lila?” She got right to the point.  

“Yeah, she’s in our class.” 

“I’ve heard she claims to know ladybug, that they’re good friends. Is that true?” 

Adrien shifted uncomfortably, obviously unwilling to answer the question.

“Well, you never know I guess..” He ended up muttering. 

Kagami’s eyes narrowed. That wasn’t the reaction she had expected nor wanted. 

“So you think she’s lying?” 

“I..” 

“Does the rest of the class know she’s been lying?” She pressed further. 

Adrien frowned at that. “You already know the answer. So why are you asking me?” 

“You’re in their class. I assumed you wouldn’t let them be deceived.” Kagami snipped, though her calm demeanor remained. 

Adrien stiffened, becoming a bit defensive at the implied accusation.  

“Look, it’s complicated. I just don’t think that outing Lila to the class will help anything.” The boy finally admitted, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “If we do that, she’s just gonna get akumatized again.” 

Kagami’s gaze sharpened when she heard his reply. 

“Marinette was right..” She whispered to herself with a mix of disbelief and disgust. This changed things. 

Adrien was now not only confused, but surprised. Did Marinette tell Kagami about Lila too? How many people did she tell? 

“That’s all I wanted to ask. Thank you for your time.” Kagami abruptly ended the conversation, walking past him and back to the cafeteria.

Adrien turned around to ask her some questions of his own, but she was already gone.

~~~~~~~~~~

When Kagami returned to her table of friends, Marinette noticed she seemed frustrated, yet determined. Since she brought her own lunch, Kagami skipped the line and sat next to Aurore with a pondering expression. 

“How’d it go?” Aurore was the first to ask. 

Kagami didn’t respond at first. Instead, she looked to Marinette. 

“You were right. Adrien’s enabling Lila.” 

Confliction pricked at the back of Marinette’s mind. She was relieved that Kagami believed her about Lila, but to say Adrien was enabling her was a different story. Kagami said it yesterday as well. Marinette couldn’t fully agree with her then either. He just wants to keep the peace..or so he says.

“So what do we do about it?” Luka spoke up. From the look in his eyes, Marinette could tell he was upset about this. 

“Adrien Agreste strikes again.” Wayhem sighed, surprising Marinette further. 

When she first met him as Ladybug, he was extremely obsessed with the model. Does that mean he’s changed his opinion of Adrien since then? 

“Should we tell the class about Lila’s lies?” 

“That hasn’t worked out for Marinette before. We need a different strategy to clear Marinette’s name.” Kagami speculated. 

As the group buzzed about ideas and what to do about Lila, Marinette took the time to think things over. Kagami had a point. If Adrien knew about Lila’s lies and didn’t tell people, he was technically enabling her. Could Marinette really lean on someone like that? 

Alya and Nino didn’t even believe what she said anymore, so they were a clear no in loyalty. 

“Maybe..” Marinette began, hesitantly and quietly. “Maybe we don’t need to.” 

She looked up at the group, who had trailed off. 

“What do mean?” Luka furrowed his eyebrows. Of course they needed to clear her reputation!

Marinette drew in a breath, her gaze flicking to Felix. He hadn’t spoken this entire time. 

Felix met her eyes for a brief second, before going back to the book he was reading. 

“Adrien knows Lila’s not only been telling lies about herself, she’s also been telling lies about me. Yet he does nothing to stop them, going so far as to ask me to do the same.” Marinette chose her words carefully. “The class has known me for years, and Alya’s supposed to be my best friend. Despite that, no one hesitated to believe Lila. doesn’t that.. Doesn’t that mean something?” 

The group went quiet at the question. None of them felt they had a correct answer. 

Felix was looking up now, curious as to where Marinette was going with this. 

Aurore tilted her head to the side with a troubled expression. “Marinette, what are you saying?” 

“I’m saying.. I think.. I think we should just not do anything. To make everyone believe, I mean. If they didn’t believe me at first, is it.. Is it really worth it?” She finished, uncertain. 

The group seemed to think it over, before exchanging glances and nodding in agreement. 

“Okay, Mari. if you want us to leave it alone, we will.” Wayhem said supportively. 

“But would you wanna hang out with us?” Luka then offered, the others immediately joining in. 

Marinette smiled at the suggestion. Hanging out with these wonderful people? People who actually believed her?

“That sounds great.” She answered brightly. 

If she wasn’t sharing so much excitement with the others, she would have noticed a small smile on Felix’s lips when she accepted the proposal.

Tag list: @unabashedbookworm @bluerosette23 @minightrose @rhub4rb @clumsy-owl-4178 @kuroko26 @angstyrastuff @fanboy7794 @choaticneturcl @kristycocopop @dargeon-lissa

(Sorry if some of the tags don’t work. I tried lol)

#Felientte #Felix Culpa #New Friends AU

[perfecttimeseleven]

Perfect Times Eleven Ep. 2 TRANSCRIPT

ACT ONE

SCENE THREE

(REMINGTON’s writing something down on a sheet of paper. She puts her pen down and lifts it up.)

REMINGTON

(putting her pencil down)

There. I think that’s it.

(DR. MORELLO takes the sheet of paper.)

DR. MORELLO

Oh, yes. These look good. Harvest, Ocean, Create, Change, Fight, Art, Family, Freedom...Joyce? Do you mean, like, the given name Joyce?

REMINGTON

Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s Joyce.

DR. MORELLO

Not “choice” or “joy” or something?

JAY

Boyce? Like the actor in Jessie? RIP.

DAISY

(loudly, from another room)

What about, like, “guys” but in a really weird accent? Like, goiys?

REMINGTON

Nope. Uh, Joyce.

JAY

Hey, uh...

DR. MORELLO

What?

JAY

Nah, it’s probably unrelated.

DR. MORELLO

Um. Well, it’s a good leaping off point. Joyce, or whatever the word actually is, can be the first word you concentrate on.

REMINGTON

The word is Joyce.

DR. MORELLO

Jay here can lead you through how to do it.

REMINGTON/JAY

What?

JAY

Hey, you know I’ve been having some trouble with my head people...

DR. MORELLO

Which is exactly why you could use the practice.

REMINGTON

Jay? W-We’re paying good money — I assume — for you. The doctor. Not the random kid.

DR. MORELLO

She works as an, uh, unpaid intern. Remington, this is a seven-day retreat. Did you really think I, personally, would have the strength to lead you in everything twenty four-seven? Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go check on Daisy and take my medications.

REMINGTON

Oh! Okay, yeah, that’s...that’s kinda important.

(DR. MORELLO gets up and exits.)

JAY

Why the…pastels…on the shirt?

REMINGTON

For fuck’s sake, I can’t believe you’re nagging on my outfit when your friend Daisy is dressed like a goddamn tie-dye Fruit Rollup.

DAISY

(loudly, from another room)

It’s gay wrath month, dipshit.

JAY

Okay, man, I don’t wanna be here and you don’t either. So let’s just get this over with.

REMINGTON

Or we could take a break.

JAY

A break? From learning vital information about literal voices in your head?

REMINGTON

C’mon, lighten up a little! I’m spending the week here, so let’s, ah,

(leans in, makes a clicking noise with her mouth)

get to know each other.

JAY

What?

REMINGTON

Like, okay. Hmm...

(trying to think of an icebreaker)

when did you first become Dr. Morello’s patient or unpaid intern or whatever?

JAY

Uh, after my mom died in a fire that burned down our house.

(Beat.)

REMINGTON

Oh. Oh, shit. Um. Sorry.

JAY

Don’t be. You didn’t kill her.

(Beat.)

JAY

Dr. Morello’s been taking care of me since.

REMINGTON

That’s nice of him.

(Beat.)

Nice shirt.

JAY

Oh! You…you’ve seen Daisies?

REMINGTON

Ha! No. What do you take me for, an intellectual? The shirt makes you look angsty and hot. I mean, the movie I don’t give a shit about.

JAY

Oh, well, blame me for thinking complimenting a shirt that’s got nothing but a film still on it means you’ve seen the fucking film.

REMINGTON

I didn’t say nice screenshot, dumbass, I said nice shirt.

(Beat.)

JAY

You’re a little shit, you know that?

REMINGTON

Yes. As a matter of fact, I do.

(4. No Room.)

REMINGTON

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WAY OUT OF MY LEAGUE?

WITH…MOODY VIBES AND SLICKED BACK HAIR?

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WHO LOOK LIKE 80S FEMME FATALES?

GIRLS WITH CHIPPED BLACK NAIL POLISH AND A SCINTILLATING GLARE?

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WHO COULD BEAT ME UP?

AND, BY THE WAY SHE’S LOOKING AT ME, PROBABLY WOULD?

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WHO COULD FORGET ME IN A WEEK

AND, KNOWING MYSELF, PROBABLY SHOULD?

RELATIONSHIPS ARE SHIT. LOVE IS A HOAX.

LOVE WILL BETRAY YOU AND LEAVE YOU OUT TO DRY.

ONLY THREE PEOPLE ACCOMPANY ME FROM BIRTH UNTIL DEATH:

ME, MYSELF, AND I!

AND, WELL, THE PEOPLE IN MY HEAD.

CALL ME SELFISH! WELL, IT’S TRUE.

GOT NO ROOM IN MY HEAD FOR YOU.

JAY

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WHO THINK THEY’RE THE SHIT?

WHO FLIRT WITH EVERYONE THEY SEE?

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS I ALSO WANNA PUNCH IN THE FACE

THE MOMENT THEY GET A BIT CLOSE TO ME?

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WHO BEHAVE

LIKE A 2000S HIGH SCHOOL SITCOM TROPE?

WHY DO I LIKE GIRLS WHO ARE DUMB AND SHALLOW?

GIRLS WHO LACK ALL COMMON SENSE BUT STILL HAVE HOPE?

FEELINGS ARE SHIT. LOVE IS A HOAX.

LOVE WILL KICK YOU IN THE SHINS, SPIT IN YOUR EYE!

ONLY THREE PEOPLE ACCOMPANY ME FROM BIRTH UNTIL DEATH:

REMINGTON/JAY

ME, MYSELF AND I!

…AND THE PEOPLE IN MY HEAD.

CALL ME SELFISH! WELL, IT’S TRUE.

GOT NO ROOM IN MY HEAD FOR YOU.

SOME PEOPLE FIND ONE PERSON THEY GIVE HOURS OF THEIR LIFE TO.

ONE PERSON WITH WHOM THEY SHARE A BIT OF THEIR PRIME.

ONE PERSON TO CARE ABOUT MORE THAN THEMSELVES.

ONE PERSON WHO COULD BREAK THEIR HEART AT ANY TIME!

WHAT’S WORSE? MARRIAGE! GOD, THE LEVEL OF TRUST!

THE LEVEL OF ATTRACTION THAT EXCEEDS SIMPLE LUST!

ONE PERSON TO EXCHANGE VOWS WITH, ONE PERSON TO TIE YOU DOWN,

JAY

ONE PERSON YOU TRY TO CONVINCE YOURSELF WILL ALWAYS BE AROUND!

REMINGTON/JAY

IF ANYONE WERE TO

JAY

KILL YOU, LIE TO YOU,

REMINGTON

MOCK YOU, MAKE YOU FROWN,

REMINGTON/JAY

USE YOU, ABUSE YOU,

JAY

OR, ‘CAUSE OF A MESSED-UP KID, SKIP TOWN,

REMINGTON/JAY

DON’T YOU THINK IT’D BE THE PERSON YOU LET YOUR GUARD DOWN FOR?

LOVE’S THE BIGGEST LIE SOCIETY FEEDS US.

AND IF ANYONE COULD GET THAT, I FEEL LIKE SHE MIGHT

SHE KNOWS ONLY THREE PEOPLE ACCOMPANY YOU FROM BIRTH UNTIL DEATH:

ME, MYSELF, AND I!

REMINGTON/JAY

GOT NO ROOM IN MY HEAD FOR YOU.

GUESS THAT’S WHY I LIKE GIRLS WHO DON’T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING.

‘CAUSE I KNOW THEY WON’T CARE ABOUT ME.

EVEN IF THEY’RE ASSHOLES, THEY WON’T RUIN MY LIFE.

JUST FLIT IN AND OUT OF IT WITHOUT APOLOGY.

ACT ONE

SCENE FOUR

(There are sounds of DAISY moving around in a kitchen, baking cookies. DR. MORELLO enters.)

DAISY

Oh, hey!

DR. MORELLO

Oh, that looks pristine.

DAISY

(endearingly at freshly baked tray of cookies)

Ohh, she is.

(looks up at DR. MORELLO)

Escaped the masses?

DR. MORELLO

(tired)

Tell me why is it I have to put up with teenage girls for hours on end again? No offense to you. You’re the most bearable of the three.

DAISY

It’s your job.

DR. MORELLO

Ah.

(DAISY puts on oven mitts and heads over to the oven, before opening the oven and taking out another tray of perfect, round, golden-brown sugar cookies.)

DR. MORELLO

Oh, that smells phenomenal!

DAISY

(taking the tray to the counter)

Look at us. Aren’t we little housewives. Making some cookies for them as they probably are making out outside.

DR. MORELLO

“Making out”? Oh, Daisy, get your mind out of the gutter.

DAISY

(getting plates) Better get used to the thought. It’s gonna be reality sooner or later if it hasn’t happened already and you know it.

(DR. MORELLO pauses and sighs.)

DR. MORELLO

I do hope you’re wrong. I don’t like the looks of that girl. Jay acts all tough, but she’s already been through so much...

(pauses)

Are you all right, by the way? I know none of us expected this, but —

DAISY

I’m fine.

(sets a plate in front of DR. MORELLO)

Really. Hey, do you want to try one of these? I upped the amount of vanilla extract, so...don’t hesitate to tell me if I’ve committed an atrocity against mankind.

(DR. MORELLO takes a bite.)

DR. MORELLO

Oh, no, delicious as ever! Keep up the good work. I’ll go ahead and order pizza for dinner — cheese is safe?

DAISY

Cheese is safe.

(louder)

Hey, Remy Ratatouille, do you like cheese?

REMINGTON

(loudly, from another room)

Of course I do! What kind of depraved life do you assume I lead?

(DAISY shrugs at DR. MORELLO, who nods.)

DR. MORELLO

Cheese is safe.

(DR. MORELLO exits. 5. Sugar Cookies.)

DAISY

SUGAR COOKIES!

EDIBLE GLITTER ON TOP.

BOUGHT IN A COLOR CALLED “HOLOGRAPHIC SKY.”

GOT THE LAST JAR OF IT STILL LEFT IN THE SHOP;

GRABBED IT RIGHT BEFORE A REAL TOUGH-LOOKING GUY.

BEING HOMESCHOOLED IN A WAY,

I’VE FOUND ACTIVITIES TO WASTE MY DAY,

MY FAVORITE OF WHICH, I HAVE TO SAY,

IS MAKING SUGAR COOKIES!

(starting to spread the frosting onto the cookies)

SUGAR COOKIES!

THEY’RE GLUTEN FREE!

HAVEN’T MADE SUCH A BIG BATCH IN A WHILE.

WELL, IT’S A LITTLE EXTRA. Y’KNOW, FOR THE NEW KID

IN THE WEIRD SUIT, WITH THE WEIRD SMILE

WHO’S EXACTLY JAY’S CUP OF TEA.

GOD, WHEN WILL SOMEONE MY TYPE SHOW UP FOR ME?

SOMEONE TO IMPRESS WITH MY ONLY SKILL IN LIFE:

MAKING SUGAR COOKIES.

AND I’LL TRY TO KEEP IT OUT OF MY MIND THAT SHE’S AN ELEVEN.

BREATHE IN THE SMELL OF GRANULATED SUGAR INSTEAD!

IF I MEASURE THIS RIGHT, THEY’LL TASTE LIKE HEAVEN!

THE FROSTING’S GOTTA BE

AT THE RIGHT CONSISTENCY.

LET’S SEE HOW MANY I STILL NEED TO FROST!

(counting)

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10...11. God!

AND I’LL TRY NOT TO THINK OF WHAT THAT NUMBER IMPLIES.

SPREAD SOME GLITTER. “HOLOGRAPHIC”! GREAT, YES, JUST A PINCH.

STOP THINKING THIS GIRL’S DOOMED TO AN INEVITABLE DEMISE?

PUT THEM ON A PLATE ALL PRETTY — GOD, I’M FEELING SHITTY!

SUGAR COOKIES!

I CAN MAKE ‘EM WHOLE-GRAIN!

TRY TO MAKE SURE I’M NOT GOING INSANE!

SUGAR COOKIES ALL FOR THE GUEST —

HOPE YOU STAY ALIVE LONGER THAN THE REST!

STAY OUT OF SIGHT, DON’T MEDDLE, YEAH, THAT’S WHAT I’D SUGGEST!

AND OH...TAKE A SUGAR COOKIE.

#transcript #perfect times eleven #px11 #ep 2 #daisy noxx #rupert morello #jay mazziotta #Remington long

[coolveraverto]

Treacherous

Summary: Meet Lyra Bones: She has best mates losing all sorts of virginities, her step-sister-to-be is out to ruin her life, she spends every weekend helping Hagrid feed the thestrals (and whatever else he manages to bring onto Hogwarts property), she has an embarrassingly massive crush on Lorcan Scamander, and Albus Potter wants to make a deal with her?

Harry Potter Fanfiction ~ Albus Potter/OC

Chapter 1:

I’m eating my dinner in The Great Hall when Jess Jordan, one of my best friends and roommates, flips off the Gryffindor quidditch captain as he saunters by our table and makes a snide comment towards her.

“I call it as I see it, douchebag.” She tells him, not even bothering to look over her shoulder at him.

Joel McLaggen stops in his tracks, some of his Gryffindor quidditch posse behind him. I start munching on my chicken wing, happy for some entertainment with my meal. This should be good.

“Maybe you should get your eyes checked then. It would explain why you always look like shit.” He says.

Oh, Helga.

Jess rolls her dark eyes and takes a big ol’ bite of her shepherds pie. “Take your complaints to the Headmaster and piss off. I’m eating.”

Margo, my other best friend and roommate, and I share a smile beside each other. We both know that Jess can handle some jerk - she’s done it a million of times since she’s become the Quidditch Commentator in our fourth year. Some people take their quidditch a little too seriously if you ask me. . .

“Slag.” He retorts and begins walking towards the Gryffindor table.

Oh no he did not!

Without thinking I flick my wand and McLaggen’s black pants slide right down to the floor, causing him to trip and fall on his face, his undies out for everyone to see. The entire Great Hall erupts into laughter.

“Oh, Helga - does his undies say tuesday on them?” I wonder out loud whilst grinning like mad. This only causes my friends to laugh even harder.

Lysander Scamander sits beside Jess. His dark blond hair is a big mess and his yellow and black tie is a bit crooked. I look over at the Gryffindor table just as Louis Weasley, looking just as disheveled, sits with his Weasley-Potter clan. He and Lysander have been dating since they got drunk at the end-of-the-year party last June and snogged in a broom closet.

“Did I just see McLaggen’s knickers?” He asks and tries to take a fork-full of my mashed potatoes. I smack his hand away.

“Yes. But I bet his isn’t the only you’ve seen tonight.” Margo replies with a smirk.

Lysander’s cheeks turn red. “Oh, sod off. But I’m curious, did you have an ulterior motive to do it or were you just bored, Jess?” He asks the raven-haired girl beside him. She rolls her eyes at him.

“Why do you just assume it was me who had done it?” She wonders.

Lysander shrugs. “I don’t know, because you’re the hot-headed one of us?”

“Oh, really?” Jess literally growls and Lysander looks at Margo and I with a see-I-told-you look. “Well, you’re wrong. It was Lyra, actually. So suck it, Scamander.”

Lysander’s jaw drops. “Merlin’s beard. Why?”

“He had it comin’.” I tell him.

Lysander nods his head, taking this as a good enough answer and starts eating bread rolls. He and I have been best friends since before Hogwarts when we met at a Christmas party hosted by our parent’s mutual friend. I always thought of Lysander as more of a brother.

But his twin brother, Lorcan?

I always always had a horribly embarrassing crush on him.

Without even thinking my eyes immediately find Lorcan at the Ravenclaw table. He has his own group of mates, including my crazy soon-to-be-step-sister Indigo Patil, but he’s most certainly the smartest, the nicest, and the cutest of them all. With those dreamy, wistful-looking blue eyes and white blond hair that always fall in those eyes. . .

Ugh. How could I not be into him? Too bad he will never feel the same way about me. Every time I try to talk to him I always sound like a complete flobberworm! Nobody but Margo knows about my harbouring crush; Jess would just tear the mickey out of me if she knew and Lysander would probably feel super weird if the girl he thought of as a sister fancied his actual brother.

“Helloooo! Earth to Lyra!” Lysander snaps his fingers in front of my face with an amused expression.

“Huh?”

“You were spacing out again. And drooling.” He tells me. Margo giggles.

“I was thinking of pumpkin pie.” I say because they know how much I love pumpkin pie. And now I really do want pumpkin pie.

“Of course you were, you goon.” Jess replies half-heartedly. “We were discussing the Halloween party. You, Margo, and I should really talk about costumes. And decorations.”

“Okay. But I promised Professor Hagrid I’d feed Fang tonight while he’s away on important travels. So I’m not sure when I will be in bed.” I tell her and she nods her head understanding.

“And I have my lesson with Trelawney.” Margo murmured beside me.

“What about me? I don’t get a say in anything?” Lysander asks with a pout.

“Nope!” Jess replies with a smirk.

“Wow, thanks.”

“Did you get the password for the Room of Requirements from Louis?” I ask him.

“Yes, I did. And I got enough Firewhiskey to last us ten years probably.”

“Then we’re done with you. Leave us.” Jess tells him with a wave of her hand, dismissively.

He flips her off. Affectionately, I swear.

*

Fang nearly knocks me to the ground the second I step inside Professor Hagrid’s Hut. He’s taller than me (which isn’t much considering I’m only five feet) and he slobbers happily all over my hands and trousers.

I giggle. “Hello to you too, pup.”

He barks in response and I scratch behind his ears before making my way to turn on the lights.

Wait. The lights are already on. I didn’t turn them on, did I?

Hmm. I guess I did!

Fang follows me as I go to the closet that I know Professor Hagrid keeps Fang’s food in. His tail wags faster. What a funny pup! And yes, he’s pretty old but all dogs are puppies in my book, no matter their age.

As I’m filling his bowl, a creaking sound comes from behind Professor Hagrid’s bedroom door. And muffled voices? It can’t be Hagrid, can’t it?

Helga Hufflepuff. I will die if he is with . . . a lady in there.

I’m quickly making my way to leave when the bedroom door swings open and it’s not Hagrid. It’s even worse.

It’s Albus Potter.

“What are you doing here!?” We both ask each other. At the same time.

He looks peeved but he looked that way before he even noticed me here. He moves a hand through his messy dark hair and his Slytherin tie is hanging loosely around his neck. He’s very attractive. But a total jerk.

No thank you.

Well, not like he’s ever asked but he’s so not my type. Maybe more of Margo’s type. She has a thing for “bad boys”.

“I’m here because Professor Hagrid asked me to feed Fang while he’s away tonight.” I tell him and cross my arms. “Clearly you got whiff of him being out tonight as well.”

The corner of Albus’ lips turn up slightly. “Did you just say ‘whiff’?” He asks, just as a figure emerges behind him. Eleanor Zabini. A sixth year Slytherin that I’ve never spoken to but Margo (being a Prefect) has complained about for always breaking the rules.

“Oh thank Merlin. It’s just a Hufflepuff, I was afraid it was someone important.” She says.

Um? Ouch. That’s so rude.

Still, I don’t say anything back. It’s not really my style. . .

She turns to Albus. “Can we get out of here? This place reeks of dog.”

“Yeah, I’ll catch up with you.” He tells her and she sneers at me while walking past.

What did I do to her?

Once she’s gone, it’s just me and Albus Potter standing across from each other in Professor Hagrid’s Hut. And I realize he’s looking at me. Well, more like studying me. His brows are furrowed and he’s got this hint of a smirk on his face. Over the years, I’ve noticed he always has a hint of a smirk on his face.

I’ve never really spoken to Albus Potter before but everyone knows the Potter-Weasleys. Especially the kids of Wizard Savior himself. James is a year older, a Gryffindor Quidditch star that now plays for the Finches. Lily is a fourth year Gryffindor who is probably even crazier when it comes to Quidditch than James is. And Albus is in my year, a Slytherin Prefect whom I’ve shared classes with but was never partnered with. I know he has tea with Professor Hagrid every Tuesday because Hagrid has mentioned it.

“You’re not going to tell Hagrid about this, right?” He implies.

“Uh, excuse me? And why the bloody hell not?”

“He’ll tell my parents and I can not deal with that right now.” He says. “So could you just not tell him?”

I narrow my brown eyes at him and say, “He has a right to know. What you did was very disrespectful.”

Albus sighs. “Another reason I don’t want him to know. Come on. I’ll give you whatever you want.”

I look at him in surprise. “I don’t want anything. But. . . I won’t tell him, but if I catch this happening again you give me no choice but to let him know. He deserves that much respect for trusting you, you know.”

“Great, now I’m getting lectured by a Hufflepuff.” He says and rolls his eyes. Um. Excuse him?!

“Wise words from someone who was just begging me to keep a secret.”

He snorts like I’ve just said a joke. “Good point, Bones.”

“You know me?” I ask flabbergasted.

“Yup. Lyra Bones. Hagrid talks highly of you. . . Pretty sure you’re his favorite student.” He explains.

I already know this but still - it makes me smile.

“I better get going. . . “ He trails off.

“Oh, um, yes. Me too!”

Then we awkwardly bump shoulders trying to walk out the door at the same time. He lets me go first and I mumble a thank-you.

He walks a few steps behind me and once I’m closer to the castle, I run. Embarrassingly.

*

“He was shagging Eleanor Zabini in Professor Hagrid’s bed?!” Jess is bewildered.

I’m sliding under the sheet of my bed in between her and Margo’s respected bedposts. Their jaws all but dropped when I told them what happened. I waited until after we discussed our Halloween costumes to tell them, which they were pissed about. Apparently when it comes to ‘juicy gossip’ as Margo calls it, it comes first.

“Well, I don’t know if they were shagging. . .” I falter.

They both give me a get-real look. Albus Potter has quite the reputation. He ‘hooks up’ with girls but doesn’t date them. I’m not quite sure why but everyone knows this. The bloke has never even held hands with a girl before.

Margo shakes her head. “That’s so. . . skeevy. Even for him.”

“Yes.” I affirm.

Jess shrugs. “He’s Albus Potter - what did you expect? I just can’t believe your virgin eyes walked in on it.” She says with a shit-eating grin.

“I did not!” I yelp and throw a hufflepuff-crested pillow at her which she catches easily.

We’re all laughing until Margo takes that familiar sharp intake of breath and her blue eyes go glassy. Jess and I immediately hurry to her. She stares off into space for what feels like half a second.

Then she comes back to us. I hand her a bottle of water from the mini fridge we keep in our dormitory. She takes the bottle and sips water.

“Did you see something awful?” Jess prods her. I give her a stern look over our friend’s blonde head but she ignores me.

Margo shakes her head. “No but I saw something. . . insane. Crazy. Unbelievable-”

“Seriously, Margo. Just say it.” Jess interupts her, annoyed.

“I saw Albus Potter holding hands with a Hufflepuff girl.” She says.

“Woah.” I say.

Jess’ eyebrows fly into her hairline. “Are you sure?”

Margo rolls her eyes. “Yes I am sure!”

“Well, I’m just asking. You know sometimes the things you see don’t happen, or it doesn’t mean the way you think it does.” Jess tells her abruptly.

“Who was the girl?” I ask Margo, trying to avoid any kind of argument between them. Lysander is right when he said that Jess is the hot-headed one of us. Sometimes it’s a wonder how she got sorted into Hufflepuff, but Jess Jordan is quite possibly the most loyal person alive so I think that’s why.

Margo bites her lip. “I don’t know. I couldn’t see her face.”

“As much as I love to hear about Albus Potter’s future love-life, I’d much rather sleep. Goodnight, girls.” Jess climbs into her bed and draws her curtains around her.

I stand up from Margo’s bed to slide into my own but she grabs my wrist lightly. Her beady blue eyes are staring up at me. In a hushed tone she says, “It was you.”

“Huh?”

Her eyes flicker to Jess’ bed and back at me. “The girl he was holding hands with was you. I didn’t want to say anything in front of her because well. . . you know how she can be.”

“Okay,” I mutter and slide into my bed beside her. I don’t take Margo’s visions too seriously because most of them never come true and she’s usually wrong about them. It’s why she spends so much time with Trelawney so she can learn more about them.

Also - me and Albus Potter????? Helga Hufflepuff, get REAL. That will never ever happen.

“And you looked truly happy.” Margo says.

I scoff. “I am happy, Margo.”

She pursed her lips slightly before smiling warmly at me. “Goodnight, Lyra.” She says and flicks her wand to turn out the lights.

#harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic #hpff #harry potter #albus potter #albus potter fanfiction #albus potter x oc #albus severus potter #hufflepuff #slytherin #hufflepuff x slytherin #my writing #mine #romance #fanfiction #ff #fanfic

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on TRH Book 1 Chapter 7

• More YEEHAW with a dash of bachelorette action, a sprinkle of rollin'-in-the-hay (literally) and one big dollop of "oh we're poor" to set up for next week's chapter.

• Screenshot credits:

Hana: @pixieferry

Drake: @thefirstcourtesan and BizzysChoices YouTube channel (@thefirstcourtesan also sent screenshots for Penelope's dancing scene from her Liam MC playthrough).

Maxwell: @thethots-plicken

• These are the tags you can block if you don’t want to see these posts: #long post, #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, #trh qt reblogs.

• This is the only chapter that could potentially have no men in it, and you deliberately force the focus away from Hana? Now if that doesn't sound like the TRR writing team then I don't know what does.

• Why is Madeleine here? Go climb a pine tree in Fydelia or something.

• If you're going to give Drake a whole extended family, PB, at least get the family straight? Who is Leona, is she Bianca's sister? Jackson's sister? WHOSE SISTER IS SHE.

• Title: A Night Out In the Town

Alternative Title: The Mandatory Annual Courtly Maidens Meetup

Alternative to the Alternative Title: Hana Lee and the Audacity of this Bitch

(you know which one)

• This chapter works mostly for the nostalgia factor. There's plenty of it in these scenes.

• Bachelor parties and bachelorettes have pretty much been a long-standing tradition in TRR - there's always going to be that one chapter where someone gets a sendoff via a wild party (exactly how wild really depends on whoever is throwing it). The MC meets most of the original gang (except Hana) at Liam's bachelor party, and there have been at least 5 bachelor/bachelorette parties in the series so far (counting this one). I won't be surprised if they gave Penelope a dude in TRR Book 3 just for the express purpose of having another excuse to have another bachelorette party next book.

• The one really good thing about this chapter? It's that Hana will not stand for any nonsense from Madeleine:

She's not going to pretend Madeleine deserves to hold any space among her circle of friends, or even of acquaintances. She's not going to allow Madeleine to get away with not following the rules of an event she's planned, not when Madeleine failed to show the same courtesy to women in her court. If Madeleine insists on badgering the MC about her 'pregnancy', Hana is here to defend you. The message is loud and clear. This is Hana Lee's show, she is running it, and if you can't listen to what she says you can fall on a cactus.

• I only wish we were able to give her the kind of loyalty and protection from Madeleine, that Hana deserved. She did not deserve for us to allow the bullying done to her, to be brushed aside as a hazing ritual. Hell, even while knowing what Madeleine did to her, we didn't even get to check up on her.

Hana did not deserve for us to pretend that never happened to her, and she definitely did not deserve to have her own pain be treated over and over in the narrative like it didn't matter. Even now, her no-nonsense behaviour is rooted firmly in her concern for other people, like the MC and Savannah. Why can't the team ever allow Hana to do this for herself? Why can't the other characters ever step in to defend her the same way? Why am I allowed to (optionally) coddle Penelope twice in today's chapter in a way I never can for Hana?? Why should Hana always be the one protecting but hardly ever the one protected??

• So the ladies of the court have arrived, leaving a puzzled Bianca and a perpetually pissed-off Leona in their wake. Hana explains the situation: she invited Kiara, Olivia and Penelope along. Madeleine invited herself for the sole purpose of being nosy.

• ...in what universe is Madeleine a "public relations angel". Have you SEEN how badly you did your own job the last book??

• Olivia and Madeleine can't last two minutes without sniping at each other and this makes Savannah sad (not that they care, they're enjoying the back-and-forth banter) The MC elicits a promise from the two that Olivia will not stab Madeleine, and Madeleine will not "mentally and emotionally break Olivia". What's with Madeleine and constantly wanting to break people?

• Also you really think you can emotionally break Olivia??? She's from Lythikos, you pineapple!

• Hana mentions shopping to Bianca and Leona, and we have yet another hint that all is not well at the ranch.

• The ladies change at a store nearby, to outfits that suit the rustic theme for the event. Which means Savannah gets the opportunity to dress a little more glam on this day, and the ladies of the court get to dress down a bit. Well...except for Olivia, who prefers to change into her red Coronation gown. Here are the girls in order of preference:

Okay first off - I have to say this - FULL BODY SPRITES FOR THE LADIES FINALLY OMG!!! It's the first time I'm actually seeing them all like this: the last time we managed to see a change of outfits was when we had to choose their outfits for the wedding, and even then only the half-body sprites were used. The fact that we never get to see Olivia in a different outfit kind of makes me feel like they might be saving her sprite for a bigger diamond scene? Idk.

• Also how did no one either notice nor point out that Olivia was still wearing a gown?

• Hana stays in the outfit she wore the previous day, and you get to choose whether she keeps the hat or not. The denim short skirt and brown shrug is a lovely outfit on Kiara, and I like the necklace Penelope has on. I think my favourite is Savannah's? I love the rhinestones, the embellished belt, the flower design, and it's a beautiful silver colour that compliments Savannah's skin tone.

• Savannah may annoy the hell out of me but one thing you can't deny about her is she's HELLA fashionable (remember the Drake engagement scene where he says the lavender coloured dress was her choice? That dress was super pretty).

• The MC wearing gold for bachelorettes is kind of a theme with her now lol. Started with the gold theme for Madeleine's bachelorette, then a theme where she wore gold and everyone else was supposed to wear black for her own, and now every going country - but she and Savannah get to bring on the bling.

(Fun Fact: Both Madeleine's and Savannah's bachelorettes take place in Chapter 7 of their respective books, with very different outcomes)

• Our first stop after the country makeover is the bar! Which is Hana's choice, because she is the kind of lovely, wholesome human being who will fully commit to research for her friend's sister's bachelorette party.

Why are you lying Hana.

• So the MC helps Hana out first my selecting drinks. You have 5 options to choose from: beer, cocktails, champagne, one of those fire drinks, and sparkling water. Savannah is doubtful and then excited to try the fire drinks, loves fruity cocktails and enjoys the bubbly. Olivia is impressed when Savannah chugs her fire drink. Kiara is amazed at the sight of beer coming in bottles. Penelope is disappointed if we decide to order a very tame sparkling water. Madeleine raises her eyebrows if you try to take anything even remotely alcoholic because she has already decreed you pregnant.

• Next stop: dancing! You get to choose which lady you'd like to dance with, and if you're romancing Hana this opens up to a romantic scene!

Hana: is happy and enthusiastic if you're friends, whoops and giggles as you spin her. More slow dancing happening if you're married to her...definitely more romantic.

Kiara: is nervous at first because she doesn't know "the social mores of this establishment", but when the MC reassures her that no one cares, she lets go of her inhibitions and shakes her hips, enjoying herself.

Olivia: very competitive, is confident she can dance circles around the MC, starts doing martial arts instead. Savannah reminds her it's not a duel and Olivia's like "EVERYTHING'S A DUEL". I should take her to Kerala and have her learn kalaripayattu 😁 (also I'd be interested in seeing a three-way dance battle between Hana, Maxwell and Olivia plsthnx).

Savannah: Also enthusiastic and excited, v much the 'happy bride'. Both Savannah and the MC are comfortable in this setting.

Penelope: This comes with a reference to her social anxiety, because her initial nervousness has to do with the crowds. The MC makes space for her through dancing, and she winds up having fun while still feeling comfortable. Madeleine tries to make a smart-alec comment but pretty much no one gives a shit about her so it's okay.

Madeleine: does not exist.

• After this, Savannah shows the girls how to do a Texas Two-Step, which is baffling to them. Hana gets it down in like two minutes, and the MC depending on options can either do it perfectly, go off-beat then claim she created her own trend lol, or trip over herself and hurt her feet, following which Hana assumes she is doing the robot, and does it alongside her. Apparently she learned it during a summer class she took while her embroidery instructor was sick.

• I don't get it, what's with all these random embroidery references they keep throwing at Hana these days.

• Olivia and Kiki are still baffled by the two-step dance, so Savannah recommends more drinking! Madeleine and Olivia are competitive with each other and loving it, and Penelope and Kiara are confused about how they're supposed to drink tequila. The MC gets to show them how it's done. She can either do it right (pour the salt, drink the shot, suck the lime), or get it wrong (pour the shot, suck the salt, drink the lime). The highlight of this is definitely the last one (pour the salt, drink the salt, suck the salt!). Like, the MC actually tips the contents of an entire salt shaker into her mouth! Failplay MC is the very definition of chaotic energy.

• Kiki, like the awesome friend she is, asks Savannah if she'd like to flirt or do anything hot-guy-related, which Savannah laughs and refuses. The topic then comes around to her relationship with Bertrand and his insecurities regarding Chuck. She says she barely had a thing with him but she's afraid Bertrand might do something stupid (he might, actually). The MC can choose to reassure her.

• I don't get it like...okay? Why am I the one you're telling this to rather than your own fiancé? If he's the one having the insecurities, and you know they're there, what are you doing to alleviate that? I mean as far as I can see your aunt is pretty much dragging him the whole time for not magically acquiring ranch skills and I hardly see you even talking about that. I don't see you actually trying to talk to him. So why tell me all these things - go tell him and sort it out yourself.

• Because Savannah speaks about wanting a happy family in the wake of this conversation, the topic then returns to that of the MC's ongoing attempts to get pregnant.

• Madeleine is a nosy, entitled piece of shit. She just is. Raises her eyebrows at me when I'm drinking, makes terrible apple puns for a fetus that probably isn't even there yet, comes for a trip she's not even been fucking invited to so she can poke her entitled nose into my business. Even her show of 'sympathy' revolves around her and her problems. All this while she acts like a martyr for following a dress code (remember how she dragged Penelope for not getting a metallic dress on time and 'ruining' her dress code, but came to our bachelorette making excuses for not following our dress code?). I'm glad Hana was having none of it at least now.

The only differences between this scene in a Hana playthrough vs in the others is that Hana tries to get Madeleine to stop before the MC gets to give her answer ("Madeleine, please..."), and that she reacts sadly to the MC if she chooses to be openly sad about it.

• ...so the scene in the hotel in Chapter 5 (where the MC and Hana could talk about what Dr Ramirez said, if Hana was your LI) always had a "there, we spoke about it, now shut up" feel to me. Because now they've given the MC a voice regarding how she feels about this pregnancy (we can either deem it invasive, speak normally about it or be very, very sad and spill out how disappointed we are. The last option's dialogues is the one I put up).

It's surreal...to see an MC who can say this openly while Hana's condition and how it's affecting her is barely even addressed. It's even more surreal that even now we're still coddling Penelope to the high heavens, and how a lot of aggressive importance is still given to Olivia, while still ignoring what could be happening to Hana if she's married...or making even a chapter that has potentially no men in it about literally anyone but her.

• The nice thing is Savannah is quite supportive in all three options. Olivia diffuses the tension/seriousness by suggesting we have more drinks.

• Aha! Queen Amalas.

• So she claims she came down not to pressurize us into anything but to see the MC in an environment outside of the palace/estate and court, including how she behaves with other people. She has no friends but treats her servants well (and apparently tipped her waiter a thousand). But the little bits she adds in about our origins can be a little unnerving. While offering a Sarzac she mentions our home state New York and asks if we'd prefer a Manhattan, and suggests we would know about how important a good tip is since we worked as a waitress. The MC's reactions can range between friendly, curious or accusatory. Overall the general impression is that she's mysterious and alluring, but there's something about her that spells danger.

This is me rn:

• Anyway...so we leave with our drinks, and join the girls. Penelope is drunk and talking to a mechanical bull, Kiara is drunk and trying really hard to talk country to the same bull. Savannah deeply (I'm kidding) regrets not returning Kiara's kindness in teaching her French by teaching her American English, coz it would have saved her this moment of cringing in a bar rn.

• They raise a toast to either Savannah, or friendship, or "putting the past behind us". I don't want to raise a toast to any of these options.

• Savannah is emotional and speaks of how hard it was to fit in and how much she missed Cordonia and the people she knew in court when she was away bringing up Bartie, and how the MC "changed all that" (how??? Again, a lot of what she does is optional, not default! Plus a bulk of the work of finding her went to her own brother, and later a fumbling Bertrand - not the MC unless she really chose to help. My MC Esther gets these dialogues despite not bothering to help Savannah in any way) and how she is now friends with all of them.

• Diamond scene! The ladies of the court have never had sleepovers (for various reasons), so MC-who-had-a-way-more-normal-life to the rescue!

• We start off with a drink. Three are on offer and we get to choose one: Hana's special Hot Chocolate recipe ("like drinking a minty chocolaty hug"), Olivia's Lythikos Nog ("like drinking a buttery, spiced cloud") or the traditional Walker Hot Toddies from Savannah (basically hot water and whiskey made with lemon, honey and spices).

• Once that's out of the way, we start off with, as the MC calls it, "gossiping about our love lives". Penelope is asked first, and she gets to tell us about her ongoing relationship with Kiara's brother Ezekiel. Olivia is next, and depending on your choices she can openly speak about the fact that Liam didn't choose her, twice, and how she needs to move on. She can also choose not to talk about it if the MC tells the other ladies of the court to back off (which is funny, because the whole thing was her idea to begin with). There's not a lot of change to this dialogue in all the playthroughs, except for mentions of whether Liam was engaged to the MC or not.

• After this, the MC can choose to ask either Madeleine or Kiara the same question:

- Madeleine is defensive and reminds the MC that she "interfered" with her relationship status (wasn't even much of a relationship to begin with), but eventually makes it known that she doesn't believe in "sappy romance" and would rather marry to benefit her house or country instead (nice save there, PB).

- Kiara is surprised and fumbles with her answers, speaking at first about how busy her life currently is. But eventually she does tell you she has a type. The dialogue differs depending on whether the MC is married to Drake or not:

(Screenshots on the left are from my playthrough, and the ones on the right are from @thefirstcourtesan's Drake playthrough).

...I look at Madeleine's dialogue in this scene and need to remind myself that even broken clocks can be right twice a day.

• Repeat after me, Kiki: I deserve way better than a dude who might throw me under the bus just so he can kiss a Duchess' ass.

• Also most guys in Cordonia must have rippling abs, right. Considering that 90% of the male LIs in PB have six-pack abs.

• Interestingly, Olivia is allowed her feelings - and the confusion and mess that comes along with loving someone and not having that love returned - across playthroughs, but Kiara's has to be adjusted and shrouded in vagueness according to which MC she is speaking to. There are two factors at play there:

1. More often than not the narrative has taken Olivia's feelings more seriously than it has ever taken Kiara's. Of course part of it could be the childhood memories and the amount of time she spent with Liam, but we need to remember that the general attitude in the narrative towards Kiara's feelings constantly bordered on dismissiveness - and that wasn't even the worst of the treatment meted out to her.

2. Have you seen the amount of hate Kiara got from some Drake stans for as little as looking in the man's direction?? They'd tear her apart if she dared to even mention her crush in a Drake MC's playthrough!

• The ladies of the court now want to play literally anything else, so the MC pulls out the tried-and-tested Truth and Dare game out of her fancy cowboy hat. Here's the way it goes:

- The MC nominates Savannah, since she's the bride-to-be. Savannah goes for dare, and has to go by a nickname for the rest of the night (default: Bridechilla. I was really craving something so I went for Fried Chicken 🤣), or pose for a sexy photo which she can text to Bertrand. No response, but you can hear him faint upstairs. When asked to nominate someone, she nominates Penelope to ask a question.

- Penelope chooses Kiara, who picks 'truth'. She makes the MC choose for her instead. The MC does what the Choices universe calls a Wed, Bed or Dead which is really a way of saying FMK without having to write the F. You can give her an option between three women (Olivia, Penelope and Madeleine) or three men. Based on your playthrough, Kiara's list of men will vary (Liam, Maxwell and Bastien in a Drake playthrough, and Bradshaw, Bastien and Drake in other playthroughs). Her 'bed's are Olivia, Maxwell and Bastien, her 'wed's are Penelope (obviously), Liam (to be Queen) and Drake (also obviously), and her 'dead's are Madeleine (but obviously), Bastien and Bradshaw (coz CORDONIA RULEZ!). It's interesting to note that Kiara seems surprised/shocked by the idea when you ask her to choose between the girls, and Hana eases her into it by stating that they're all friends here. Which I found really sweet. Kiara then nominates Madeleine to choose someone.

(note: why is Savannah acting so shocked about Kiara choosing her brother for 'marry' when she spoke about liking him barely ten minutes ago???)

- Madeleine chooses Olivia, hoping to wriggle out any information about the mysterious mission Olivia seems to be on. Olivia cleverly tricks her, by reminding Madeleine that she didn't say truth or dare, and picking dare. With no option she asks Olivia to prank call someone. Olivia has three options:

1. Give Maxwell a phone call pretending to have tickets for a Celine Dion concert. He has to choose the best noble house. Sweet Maxwell cannot choose between his own house and ours, but loses out because the correct answer (obviously) is House Nevrakis lol. Savannah's best line comes from here: "Don't worry, his heart will go on" 🤣

2. Give Bertrand a call claiming to be a representative from the Cordonia Philharmonic Orchestra, and Olivia asks the same question to him. His answer is House Beaumont, without question, and Olivia gives him the same answer. The nice thing about this option is that it's coded such that if you chose Savannah's 'sexy photo' option, the narrative mentions that his voice is 'woozy' and he sounds like he recently came back to consciousness. Whereas if you chose the nickname option, these lines would not be included.

3. Give Drake a call claiming to be from a "secret whiskey enthusiast society". Drake somehow figures out that the caller is Olivia, thus leaving her very, very annoyed.

Once this is done, Madeleine nominates the MC, who chooses truth or dare instead of a person like the others did. Hana makes the suggestions this time.

If you choose dare to a single Hana, she asks you to pretend to lasso Savannah.

If you choose dare to a married Hana, she will ask you to kiss her.

If you choose truth, she asks you what law you'd pass if you had a chance, and you have to choose between a serious one like "restrictions on paparazzi", or jokey ones like naming a day after the MC or getting fancy hats from her subjects. The last one yields this adorable exchange:

- Before we can go any further, the girls notice Savannah feeling drowsy and decide to call it a night. The only people who have basically not been asked anything are Penelope (but she already did get to speak about her beau) and Hana (because no one bothers to ask her anything, she isn't even nominated).

• We return to the kitchen, where our LI is waiting for us. The MC tells them about the visit from Amalas, which the LI also views as suspicious, and the MC has a choice again in how she wants to react to this (the visit was invasive, she is impressed with Amalas' guts, she doesn't know what to make of her). They assure the MC that they'll alert the Walkers.

• LI Diamond scene! A cute scene at the hayloft where the MC and LI can have some private time away from the ranch. Those walls must be paper-thin. The first half deals with the couple talking about loving this glimpse of simplicity, and the second half has the MC choosing how she would have them seduce her. The closing bit mostly has the couple talking about how they feel at home with each other no matter where they are.

Liam: Gets a bit of a hero moment at the start of the scene, where a stray beam almost falls on the MC and he catches it. They joke about a couple of things, such as how 'adventurous' the barn is, and whether or not a rendezvous in a barn would qualify as being in the 'outdoors' 😂 In the second half of the scene, the MC can choose between a 'rough-and-tumble', or have Liam sleep with her in his usual tender way. He clearly has a preference for the second, but is more than game if the MC wants to try the first.

The music for Liam's scene, for some reason, is different (his background score for the first half is the romantic one from High School Story, and Drake's and Hana's is the romantic one from Big Sky Country. I'm not sure what Maxwell's is like because I have only seen screenshots of the scene) and he is the only LI who gets the option to keep his hat.

Ending Caption: Hay-pilly Ever After

Hana: The MC notices that Hana seems happy and at home at the ranch, and Hana points out how different the environment of the countryside ("cows outside, open air, no display cupboards") is so different from her home, where "there's gilt on the walls and silver in the display cupboards", and how she loves this space. The couple imagine together how it might have been if they met in a more humble setting (with the MC as a cowgirl and Hana as a salon owner), and how they would fall in love. In the second half, Hana expresses her desire to go a little wild, and the MC can choose between having her hands bound, or being blindfolded.

This scene tells us that Hana does an amazing impression of a Southern accent and I personally would love it if she could coach Kiara on doing one xD

Ending Caption: Country Courting

Maxwell: As he leads her to the loft, the MC has the option to point out that they have a bed, to which he quips that she's obviously not had as much camping experience as he does. They do a little dance in the barn, and they admit that they missed each other while she was gone. In the second half of the scene, the MC has the opportunity to tease Maxwell, beckoning him to chase her around the barn and catch her. I think he also tells her to "use your words" at one point.

I think this scene has the cutest ending, because they both have an impromptu yodelling duet after that.

Ending Caption: Oh, Darlin'

Drake: This scene is more nostalgic in nature because Drake is reliving his childhood, and admits that he didn't know how this trip back would turn out, or feel. He had no idea how different everything would be, nor what his emotions returning to the ranch would be like - and which Valtoria will always be home to him in some ways, the ranch's simple charm means something special to him. The couple can imagine this place to be either perfect for romance, or for bringing back their future children. In the second half of the scene, he confesses to fantasizing about the MC in the palace stables, and the couple indulge in a bit of role play. This also includes an option to take her against a wall.

The end of the scene has Drake tell the MC that being with her itself feels like a fantasy, one that sometimes still feels too good to be true....and therefore he never wants to take it for granted.

Ending Caption: Making Hay.

• We then see the couple going downstairs the next morning, where the MC manages to overhear a conversation between Leona and Bianca that indicates the ranch has no helpers before an auction that is supposed to bring in money for the wedding, and is in deep, deep trouble.

• So our next chapter will probably involve the people of the court working together to help save the ranch, perhaps some flashbacks? Idk. And perhaps because of their contributions, Leona may thaw a little. Who knows.

General Thoughts:

• Plenty of callbacks this chapter!!

- The bachelorette party itself has plenty parallels and could almost be seen as an inverse of Madeleine's bachelorette. Back then, the ladies of the court each began to express frustration and hurt at her controlling, bullying behaviour, Hana's confidence was left in tatters, Olivia was an outsider to the court not bound by their rules.

Here, Madeleine is a largely unwanted presence and pretty much everyone makes it clear that what she thinks no longer matters. Hana is at the peak of her confidence here. She makes it clear that if Madeleine wants to stay she has to follow their rules. Olivia still manifests as a mysterious outside figure, but more out of choice than out of necessity.

- The other indicator of this parallel is what Amalas tells the MC about wanting to know who she is dealing with. She mentions that she wants to see how the MC interacts with her "friends and servants", and it kind of gets me wondering just how much trouble Madeleine would have been in if a figure like Amalas managed to see her behaviour in Italy with courtiers like Penelope and Hana.

- The fire drink which the MC can optionally suggest for both Drake and Savannah to drink. Drake drinks it in a competitive spirit in his birthday party scene in Book 1, Savannah looks doubtful at first but sees it through, to which the MC will remark that "your brother would be proud".

- Savannah mentioning Bertrand giving someone at Cordonia Philharmonic Orchestra a "severe tongue lashing" 🤣 Which kinda was a term Bertrand used for himself in Book 2.

- Lady 'I didn't know I could dance until I actually did it' Kiara. In Book 2 Hana can compliment Kiara on her dancing skills, to which Kiara laughs and mentions that she had no idea she could dance either. She was super drunk back then, now she knows it while she's sober too! 😅

- Some bits in this chapter remind me of our time with the Beaumonts in Book 1? Like the scene where Penelope speaks to the mechanical bull while drunk, while kiiiinda resembles her drunken behaviour at the Beaumont Bash. Also the whole situation of helpers/staff dropping off at the last minute seems a little parallel to what happened twice to the Beaumonts? Once with the MC's boat and then with the Beaumont Bash to host the court. I kinda find that interesting because Bertrand has been in a similar situation and hopefully could feel...somewhat...useful? If he can manage to string more words together, that is.

- Hana daring her wife to kiss her during Truth and Dare, which is (if you bought that scene and actually picked that option) exactly how their first kiss happened 😁😁😁

• I kinda like it when we have chapters like these where the women of the court have a chapter to themselves, because the dynamics are fun and the women are all different in ways that tend to complement each other.

• Honestly, Savannah asking my MC to become her maid of honour was pretty jarring considering my MC doesn't care a single bit about her and has honestly done very very little (if at all) to help her. I mean I can kiiiiinda understand if the MC is her sister-in-law/future SIL via Drake or Maxwell maybe...but otherwise why couldn't Kiara be an option? How is it that Savannah mentions her struggles to fit in, yet Kiara genuinely helping her never even features? Not even once?

I honestly think that Kiara could have been as good a choice to be MoH - we could have either coded it based on our diamond choices with Savannah, or split it between MC for Drake and Maxwell stans, and Kiki for Hana and Liam stans. Or at least more of an acknowledgement of how they were friends before she left? Beyond an offhand "oh yeah you taught me French, not like that helped me in that completely foreign place where I was bringing up my baby, maybe I should have taught you to speak country". Because having Savannah give me a grand speech about how amazing I've been to her was nothing short of weird and it would have felt a lot more natural to see her at least remembering the friendship(s) she did make in court.

• In at least two points in the chapter, Penelope requires someone to handhold her into certain things. You have to create the space for her while dancing. You have to decide on what questions to ask Kiara coz Penelope doesn't want to decide those herself. I'd actually be glad about their commitment to writing her that way, if I didn't understand how much they've let Penelope get away with, and how much other characters in similar positions have to suffer because the same amount of thought is never given to them.

The failplay I did of all three books brought up a couple interesting (but also disheartening) points about how they dealt with Penelope's condition, and how they dealt with difficult situations other characters had to go through (esp Kiara and Hana). At this point Penelope just sounds extremely entitled to good treatment, without wanting to really give back much in return.

• Kiara...well...I love her in this. She was fun, tried new things out, got out of her comfort zone, and she had some marvellous lines in this chapter. I just think it's funny how huge the differences between the way Olivia's feelings are acknowledged regardless vs the way Kiara's can only be acknowledged if it doesn't affect the MC...and it kind of says something about how those feelings are viewed by those writers. Because as a reader who has been following this story thread closesly, I know the writers have either conveniently forgotten - or take very lightly - how shitty Drake has been to her.

• I mean...had it been just about him not being interested, I probably wouldn't have cared much. I would have either turned to fanfic to change that around a bit, that's something you can always do for a pair you want to see but know you can't in canon. But realizing that the man could openly suspect a woman he knew was stabbed at the same event he was shot, optionally pander to the MC's whims and dismiss what she was going through in the process, and to not feel any fucking remorse for it...I mean, Kiara doesn't deserve better just because Drake doesn't isn't interested in her - because no one should have to be obligated to show interest for another person...Kiara deserves better because this man has done very little for her in their few exchanges (esp Book 3) besides ridicule, mock, act rudely and unfairly to her, and finally getting away with the worst possible behaviour without any consequence (some of it is optional, but the suspicion was definitely default). And I know the writing will never admit that because Drake is their golden boy.

• Madeleine causes minimal damage this time and Hana totally owned her a couple times today...so I'm kinda happy with that. At least they made sure never to bring back any hints of that story they were planning with her for Hana...if there is one thing I'm only too happy they are retconning, it's that!

• Speaking of Hana - there are maybe a couple of things I'm happy about and a lot that I'm not. I like that that she can throw shade (though I wish to God they would have let her do it much earlier) at Madeleine, and my favourite bits involve Hana not allowing that woman to get away with shit that she never allowed other people to get away with when she was in power.

But there's also the fact that she's pretty much treated like the least important person in that room? Like I would have personally loved to see her be asked a cute fun question. I mean, by now both Liam and Drake have gotten individual character scenes, and I only get to see Hana in the context of a group scene with the ladies where she is mostly helping the others? I loved that we got the barn scene afterwards...but let's be honest the barn scene was mostly about the sex.

I honestly just found it weird that the one chapter with (optionally) no men in it still couldn't have some focus on her, or much effort put into her. Is asking for more than scraps for her, too much to ask for? (I feel like the answer to that would be yes).

• Olivia is upto something, and the livestream apparently hinted at her being important to the story. I mean what's new about that? Olivia is a favourite of the writers and they will continue to favour her while Hana is still relegated to the sidelines (and so will a huge chunk of this fandom). No lie, I really like Olivia, but why the heck aren't you giving the lone female LI that much attention?

• I also wonder how much of her mysterious work has to do with the reading up she was telling us about in the last book's epilogue.

• Queen Amalas...I still don't know what to make of her - she's a pretty interesting mix of intrigue and invasiveness I think. She's flirty and teasing, but the way she slipped in those tidbits about our past definitely raised my hackles a little bit. Could be a red herring...could be more. Who knows.

• The Olivia and Madeleine dynamics were great...Kiara is still an awesome, encouraging friend to Penelope, but for me the highlight was Hana and Kiara's bonding (that exchange about hats definitely was a winner).

(Is part of my joy because I ship them? Yes. Yes it is. You can pry that ship outta my cold dead hands PB!)

• The barn scene was lovely: it was nice that the couples got to explore their more adventurous/homely sides in the first half of the scene, and were able to go completely wild for the second half of it. I think it's nice we got to see what they'd mostly like to experiment with in bed from time to time.

• I guess that's all for this chapter. Texas might possibly take a week or two more? Idk. Let's see. Rescuing the ranch may take a chapter, and so will the wedding...there may be one in between probably to figure out BertVannah's relationship but I'm not going to spend diamonds to make them talk to each other, no.

• I kinda like the subtle shift to childhood experiences to certain scenes in this book, because it gives the MC who doesn't know what the place is like for a child an idea of what the others had to grow up with...and therefore how she may need to approach her parenting. A number of the group scenes in this half of the book have had to do with childhood experiences the royals and nobles may have missed out on (pets, sleepovers) and the return-to-childhood narrative is a smart way to deal with that, I think.

• That's it for this chapter, guys! See you on Friday (hopefully) with a Book 1 QT, and next week with the next chapter!

#long post #the royal heir #trh quick thoughts #trh qts #hana lee #olivia nevrakis #trr kiara #trr penelope #trr madeleine #savannah walker #king liam #maxwell beaumont #drake walker #bertrand beaumont

[holyytaehyung]

Rumours and Remorse (A)

- PART TWO

In which the boys might finally may learn the truth thanks to Yoongi, but will it be too late? Is forgiveness an option?

He could only hope his suspisions were right though, and if they were right - that he could fix what seemed to be broken, that you would forgive them, for being so wrong. He could only pray that he was going to be able to work this out, to find the truth and restore your relationship. It’s all he could hope for.

—————

Too say that Yoongi felt very bittersweet was an understatement. It had been a secretive yet stressful week for him, it had been only a few days since the impulsive ambush took place in their dorms, booming voices and slamming doors echoing in contrast against the deadly silent walls. The other boys were emotional, dragging their feet against the floors, eyes becomming duller and skin paler. Each boy seemingly accepted the recent information they were told there and then, but not Yoongi though. The whole situation didn’t sit right with him, like an itch he couldn’t scratch - he couldn’t relax nor think straight with an overwhelming amount of guilt sitting on his shoulders, weighing him down day by day. So he did what he thought were right - sought out the truth.

The first four days of this week were merely useless, their ex partners refusing to answer Yoongi’s relentless calls or texts - he wouldn’t let up though, no. He wasn’t going to give up, not on you. He knew that immediatley after this that something was wrong with their story if they weren’t going to respond, making the whole situation all the more worse. You wouldn’t answer your phone either, he had tried that too. You were letting your phone ring repetitively, almost as if it was mocking Yoongi with its silence, mirroring the silence he showed towards you the night you came over. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt, he didn’t do anything to help anyone that night, he had been a coward. Granted, he had never been one to share his emotions, yet seeing you distressed, emotional and completely confused brought something out in him. For once, he couldn’t fathom why the other members had shunned you so blindly, maybe it was the spur or the moment, or maybe you truely just deserved better friends.

The next two days of this week, Yoongi was at his wits end. No longer caring about being polite, he needed answers. The other boys carried on training, muttering their conversations to one another whilst their appearances were quickly deminishing. Yoongi could only assume you were behaving the same, if not worse - Yet he hoped for the opposite, he was hoping you were doing okay, even though in the back of his mind he knew that, that was impossible. He decided against turning up at your apartment after contimplating the idea for hours, he wasn’t going to show up until he knew the truth, or atleast have a better understanding of it. So he decided that leaving late that evening as the boys ate their dinner, claming he was having a walk - he rather chose to pay his ex ‘partner’ a visit. Who, coincidently he hadn’t given a second thought too, his whole mind occupied on your well being, and the potiential idea of saving everyones friendships.

Arriving quicker at her house than he had expected, knocking ravishly against the wooden door waiting for his ex to open up, knowing they were in there because whether he cared to admit it or not - he had memorised their nightly routine. He was aware of the shuffling taking place inside, the careful act of closing doors as quietly as possible. Until (after what seemed like forever) the door creaked open - with a very guilty looking face peering up at him.

—————

‘Yoongi? Wha- What are you doing here?’

‘Cut the crap, you know why I’m here, answers. Tell me the truth, please. You owe me it - Just, please tell me what this whole situation is.’

A very uncomfortable silence followed, it only lasted for a few seconds as Yoongi relished in his stubborn words - shocking the woman infront of him - yet he didn’t care anymore. The want for the truth outweighed whatever he had previously felt for the person stood infront of his tired eyes. Eventually, after what seemed like a moral debate running through the girld head, a small nod and the fateful words were muttered, sounding like music to his ears.

‘Okay, Come in, I’ll explain what I can.’

He didn’t care to make him self comfortable in her home, he simply didn’t feel comfortable here anymore. The chocolate brown wall next to him seemed like an appropriate tool to lean against as he stared into the back of the womans head as she paced infront of him. The only thoughts in his head were prayers that she would just begin giving him the answers he so desperatly wanted.

‘So, I assume you want to know what happened Yoongi? It wasn’t my idea I promi-‘

‘I don’t care who’s idea it was anymore, I really don’t. You all, you destroyed a friendship. A family. MY family. I just want to know what’s happened. No bullshit this time.

‘Okay, okay... care to sit with me? Wine? No? Fine... it all started with Mark, he has a dark sense of humour I guess? We moved to this city briefly, we’re leavig again next month, just shy of a year. He suggested the idea, of ‘having fun’ as he worded it. That we made a game, to find a group of people, no one in particular, to play around with them, romantically and to just - mess things up for them, in any way. Just for a bit before we leave and whoever did the most damage, won.’

‘MESS THINGS UP? FOR A BIT? YOU DID MORE THAN THAT, you destroyed Y/n, DESTROYED HER - all for your own pleasure? YOU DESTROYED US! Are you sick? Is that it? Have you ANY idea of what you’ve caused?’

‘Yoongi please! We didn’t know, well I didn’t know it would turn out this way! I’m sorry okay? Please?’

Yoongi could see his ex-lover approaching him, making her advances, yet he made his way towards the door - he didn’t care for her, or her friends anymore. He just cared about you and his boys, and how wrong they all were.

‘Yoongi, please! You didn’t believe her either right? That’s why you’re here - you are, and were no better than us!’

He could have sworn he saw red, he was furious - only this time at himself. For she was right, he hadn’t listened to you, none of the boys had. They made a desicision to ignore your pleas and that desicision turned out being a very, very wrong one.

‘Listen, if you have any heart in you - please send me the screenshots of you all ‘discussing’ this bet, let me fix this. It’s all I ask.’

Both their eyes found eachother, making a silent agreement before she sent the screenshots to his phone as evidence. Yoongi didn’t stick around for much longer, only making one more statement before leaving - he had what he needed - He left the woman who was begging for him to stay, yet he really didn’t care.

‘By the way... I hope you won your silly game.’

It was surprising him, how much he cared about you, more than he thought he did. - But that thought would have to wait for the time being.

—————

Standing outside against the cold, fresh air, Yoongi allowed himself to really contemplate his thoughts. How he barely let his ex finish her version of the tale, the reasons behind all of their actions. Fury lingered deep within him, almost as if it were seeping into his blood, drowning him in pain. Although she had ‘explained’ what had happened, how they all were only in town for a year or so - how they saw an oppurtunity to have fun, and took it. Yet it only made him angier, all he wanted was an explanation, but now that he had it, he was heartbroken. He hated it. Yoongi honestly never had thought that truely awful people had existed. He assumed parents would only warn their children of this evil just to intimidate them, but no. It was very much real. People really could be assholes for their own entertainment. After he had sorted through his thoughts, and smartly decided on printing the screenshots onto paper at a local library, a sudden sense of urgency ran through him - leading him to quite literally running back to his dorms. Adreneline leading him back, already wanting to go to your apartment to sort things out, wanting nothing to see your smiling face.

Before it hit him, it was as if a bus had slammed into his chest, trying to stop the air flowing through his lungs, despite the desperate need to keep moving as quickly as possible. The same two questions relayed into his brain repetitively, he wanted the thoughts gone so badly, for them to not be a concern to him. However, he couldn’t find it in himself to ignore them.

What if you didn’t want them back? What if you couldn’t forgive them?

—————

You missed them. You missed them so much, everything about them. But you were so angry at them, so dissapointed in their lack of faith in you. - despite your instincts telling you to go over there, to talk to them. You were just too angry.

Yes, Yoongi had called. Several times, yet you couldn’t answer him, you wouldn’t answer him. - you were scared. What if they wanted to carry on shouting? What if they weren’t finished the first time? You didn’t want to hear it, you couldn’t hear it. So you wallowed in your own pity, with a few other friends you knew. But they weren’t the same as your boys. They couldn’t make you smile or laugh like they could, of course they tried and you were grateful for that, but they knew just as good as you did - no one would ever replace your seven boys. No one ever would.

Days had blurred together, realistically it had only been short of a week. You had spent every one sleeping on the couch, watching your favourite crime shows surrounded by a few friends, ordering takeout and having slight chatter. Yet inside you felt so gutted, so heartbroken - You were so mad that they wouldn’t hear you out. You were mad, thinking they hadn’t even cared. None the less, you couldn’t bring yourself to hate them, not even to dislike them. You cared about them so much, loved them so much to the point where all you wanted was to pace over to the dorms, plead guilty for something you didn’t even do, aslong as it increased your chance of forgiveness from them. To have them back in your life. Reluctantley, your few friends convinced you against that idea before leaving you for the night - all alone once again as you felt icy tears began to drip down your face (once again) whilst drifting off into a light slumber.

—————

Six boys sat in their lounge room, silently doing their own buisness. Neither one breaking the comfortable silence that had been placed upon them. Granted, they were all slightly unsure of one another - yet no one knew why. No one seemed to know what to say, or who to say it too. That was until, a slightly sweaty, yet panicked Yoongi barged into the room.

‘We are all such idiots! Have you any idea? Any idea of what you’ve done, what we’ve all done?!’

Everyone stared at Yoongi wide eyed, no one knowing how to react. Namjoon deciding to speak first, approaching Yoongi gently in hoping of calming him down.

‘Yoongi, calm down okay? If your stressed about work, it’ll be fine, just chill out okay?’

‘Stressed about work? You honestly think that’s what this is about? Do you really not care? Are you kidding me! Take a look at this, All of you look - NOW!’

Yoongi had retaliated with such force, as he thew down the screenshots he had printed off, onto the table infront of the youngest members. The room increased in tension in the stroke of a finger, as Hoseok lifted the papers, reading them with an audible gasp as he through them into Namjoons hands.

‘No. No, No. Namjoon, you said you were sure! You said you knew that Y/n had been saying horrible things about us, how could you! You didn’t check? This whole time? We... We trusted you!’

‘Is it true Namjoon? We, were wrong? Y/n was telling the truth? How could we do this to them?’

Taehyung gasped in dissapointed, in himself and the others around him, whilst staring deeply at the floor, wishing it would swallow him up whole, rather than having to face the consequences of their actions.

Namjoons faced had visibly paled, at the time he just assumed that their (ex) partners wouldn’t lie to them about this. He didn’t think ANYONE would lie about something like this. So he didn’t think to ask for proof - assuming that it was unneccersary. But now, in this moment, he couldn’t regret it more. Everything was crashing down on them. On him.

‘Don’t just blame him Hoseok! We are all responsible for this. But no one cared to check, to allow Y/n to speak! We kicked them out, out of our lifes! I hope you’re all happy - none of us are more to blame than the other.’

Yoongi glared at everyone, pacing around the room, throwing his arms up. Everyones mind now seemed to be working in sync, almost forgiving one another in an effort to fix what they had broken - What they had all broken.

‘B-but what do we do now?’

It was Jungkooks turn to speak up now, his voice timid, like a lost puppy - every one had read the messages at this point, being led to a feeling of complete guilt and total loss. No one could look at eachother in the eyes as their minds processed the information, yet alone have a resolution to this situation, all the boys decided to gaze at Yoongi. They needed to know more, they needed to know how Yoongi had learnt the truth - But that didn’t matter currently, the only thing on their mind was you. What they had done to you, and how carelessly they had done it, they had kicked you out of their lifes - Only now, they had to try and win you back.

‘What have we done boys, what have we done?’

No one was even paying attention to who spoke those words, everything seemed to be blurring together as their eyes watered up. Realising how horrible they had all been, how un-forgiving they had all been.

‘We can fix this right? Y/n has always been forgiving! They’ll forgive us, surely they will?’

Jimin spoke with hope, only the other members knew him well enough to know it was feigned, that he also felt doubt within him, doubt that this was unfixable, that they really had ruined your friendship, for good.

‘I don’t know Jimin, I‘m worried, really worried that we might have taken this too far. But we can try...

We can always try.’

- - - - - - - - - -

PART ONE. PART THREE (A). PART THREE (F).

THIS STORY IS GONNA BE THREE PARTS!!! 

Part TWO of THREE

The results (when i wrote this) were very mixed, so I figured that three parts is a nice in-between, I rushed to get this out as I know it’s anticipated, and I’m so worried I’ve done REALLY BADLY I hope I haven’t let you down, this story will have a proper conclusion, with explanations further. I just though three parts would make more sense. Any questions are welcome (and constructive critism) as this is my first fic(?) Idk what you call this, so I’m still learning, and I’m sorry if it’s not great.💘

I’m not sure I like this all too much either, idk i’m not very proud of it tbh, I’m sorry if it bums, but pls no horrible commenst - ya girl is sensitive af lmaooo

Also, requests are still being sorted through - I’m sorry they’re taking awhile, I’m going through some stuff right now and I’m just doing my best to take things quite easy atm, I hope you all understand where I’m coming from!🙂

(all gif creds go to owners. please let me know feedback on this, always feel free to message me too!I hope you have/are having a good day ♡ )

#bts #bts imagines #bts scenarios #bts reactions #kpop #kpop imagines #kpop scenarios #kpop reactions #bts kpop #kpop bts #kpop smut #bts smut #v #suga #rm #jin #jungkook #jimin #j hope #hoseok #namjoon #yoongi #taehyung #seokjin #bts reaction #bts scenario #bts writing #bts angst #bts fluff #bts writings

[smartchicken]

Hi I show up every time you post which is haha, so funny, but I just wanna know if you've figured out that I'm a desperate bitch yet and if not, I'm a desperate bitch and I like your stuff. You're cool (also what're your thoughts on a road trip AU featuring young!Tony with a lot of trauma under his belt alongside honourably discharged Bucky who's forgotten how to live but they meet in the middle and it becomes a little easier to breathe)

-chokes-Oh manFirst off, i really would like to encourage people to just randomly describe themselves in my inbox.SECOND this is the first time I've replied to an ask with the mobile app and i don't understand why it's not automatically double spaced, it's really fucking with me, but I'm about as likely to do something about it as i am to tell my phone to auto-capitalize "i". I just Don't CareTHIRDLYROADTRIPokay first off I've had a very few good roadtrips and only one was "Long" (~18 hours) BUT i have great stories from those and now i am picturing not only a young Tony maybe on the run or just trying not to be home, and poor Bucky who got an honorable discharge but got fucked over because that's the American way, but all the avengers because the best roadtrip is when there's two cars and by about halfway through you're straight up enemiesSo like, car 1: Rhodey, Nat, Pepper, Bucky, and Tony. Car 2: Steve, Clint, Phil, and Sam. Because those are who i currently feel like giving a fuck about. Car 1 starts with a disadvantage because 5 people in one car always sucks but like, ride or die bitchesSo I'm sort of imagining this as BlackPepper combining their friendgroups in a fucking into the fire way like sink or swim love each other or else. Because it's that or awkward lunches for six months and they clearly don't have the time for that. I assume there is plotting going on because we all know it plotting redheads, but they probably lost control of the situation at one point because roadtripLike I'm imagining a college au so get in that mindset. I feel like Pepper immediately put her foot down about Tony, who's the only teenager there even though he acts like an old man. Pepper is just like okay Tony HAS to be with me or Rhodey at all times or I'll fuck everyone up Nat i stg i will kill your friends to death if they look strongly at my precious baby and Nat looks a this stubborn little asshole who is at once fearless and terrified and she's like, fair enoughBut Bucky, right? I know I'm a Tony fangirl but I'm not forgetting about Bucky. Cause Bucky went into the army at 18 and he came back three years later a different person. Steve didn't go with because a) he's a twiggy artist and b) Sarah would have murdered him after she destroyed the entire us military tbh. Bucky's a freshman, the only one in the group even though he's older than most of them. He's been back for like 6 months now and probably shouldn't even be dealing with college life but he's Bucky and lbr he's not gonna cut himself any slack. But by golly his friends love him and will absolutely fight everyone for him, even himself. So while Pepper's like "protect my son" Nat is like okay let's try to make sure Bucky's with Steve because they're kinda codependent but we're letting that happen for now because we have bigger fish to fry, but on the dl because currently Bucky won't admit to any issues under penalty of death.So day of the roadtrip. I dunno where they're going probably tourist shit they're just like get in the car we'll head for such and such and go from there. My only frame of reference here is Florida so I'm picturing them having to drive at least five hours before they have any reason to stop.Oh! Yes so first stop is gonna be a spring or river or some sort of water shitSoGetting ready to go is Hell they have to fit enough shit for nine people into two regular sized trunks. So they've gotta clean literally everything but the spare tire outta those("Fuck it, leave the tire," Clint suggests. He's packed all of a backpack and, incomprehensibly, his bow with three arrows and he's absolutely going to reek in about two days and probably didn't bring any shampoo or a toothbrush. It's probably like, a t-shirt, some boxers, and swim trunks. He'll wear the same shorts for a month he doesn't care. "If we get stuck on the side of tree road, I'll feed you to buzzards for sport," Pepper says pleasantly. She knows him a little better than most of Nat's friends because her and Clint half live together. They get along fine but Pepper progressed to threats much quicker than Clint is comfortable with. He thought about telling her it was hot but decided he liked his balls intact. "Just shove over the duffle," Bucky said. Tony's being quiet but he's got a toolkit packed in case anything goes wrong; there'll be no stuck-on-the-roadside on his watch. )So they get the trunks sorted and there's a couple bags in the backseats but it's good enough. Then Phil shows up (when did he leave???) and stuffs some blankets and pillows into both cars. "My family likes roadtrips," he says. His eyes are dead. Phil is not including himself in his family here. Phil tried to beg off but Pepper couldn't get Happy and Nat couldn't get Scott etc etc for various missing people and Phil agrees to come because, ultimately, these socially-challenged morons need a voice of reason and that's not Pepper or Nat OR Sam, no matter what they think(The truth is they're all reckless idiots and Phil's no exception but combined they can keep each other safe-ish or at least get in trouble together)((Tony didn't want to come either but more because he doesn't want to get underfoot. But Rhodey and Pepper made the mistake of trusting his "I'm fine" and leaving him alone for a few weeks at school exactly once. Pepper had hugged him and said "Pretty please?" and Tony's no good at turning down requests, especially from his few, beloved friends))(((Nat took a different approach with Bucky, who didn't want to come either. "If you don't come Steve won't come and then you'll have to say at Steve and Sam's wedding that it was delayed all because you skipped out on the best roadtrip ever.""It is going to be awful," Bucky said. Nat gave a particularly Russian shrug. Bucky sighed and gave in. He didn't exactly wanna spend a week in the dorms alone anyway.)))And then they really just wanna get going what the fuck guys it's already evening should we just wait til morning no fucking way shut your mouth we're going n o wPepper and Nat manage to be together, and they manage to pay Tony and Bucky special attention, as intended. But uh. Oops?It's Rhodey driving with Pepperi the passenger seat, mostly out of habit; they've done short road trips a lot at this point and it's always Rhodey driving to start, Pepper up front so Tony can nap in the backBut uhTony's in the middle in the back, with a pillow and a tablet in his lap. He's putting on a good show of being Totally Fine, but he's clearly tense. Bucky's smooshed against the door as much ash can, broadcasting discomfort like a cat in the rain. Nat leans against the door too, trying to be considerate, but Pepper starts texting her urgently( TOUCH HIM!!!!!hes so tense wtfNat I love you trust me and touch him a littleAnd Nat shifts over just a bit, so her legs are against Tony's, and for a second he freezes, and then he finally loses some of that tensionTOUCH STARVED?????? Nat texts Pepper, alarmed for this kid.His dad sucks, is Pepper's take, and Nat scowls and gets comfortable, pointedly touching Tony without pushing into his space.)MEANWHILE Phil is the odd man out but he's driving so it kinda works. Clint's in the passenger seat because Clint is a no good dirty cheater, and also has very stern, specific instructions from Nat. Steve and Sam are the most comfortable of the entire group, and within an hour they've got their feet a little tangled, not cuddling but not-not cuddling, and Steve's dosing a little cause he took a motion sickness thing and it always makes him a little sleepy"So Pepper seems terrifying," Clint says to Phil as an opener. They probably should've hung out at least a little before this because Pepper and Nat are the only things he can think of to talk about (and maybe it's not helping that Phil is weirdly hot and serious and he's seen him smile a couple times and he's trying to figure out how to see it up close but it turns out it's not hard cause right away Phil grins and chuckles a little and Clint thinks he's maybe having a heart attack)"So does Natasha. Or is it just Nat?""Sometimes it's Natalia," Clint says automatically, which isn't very helpful. "Uh. What are you studying?" Which is stupid and cliche but Phil manages to turn it into an actual conversation and in the backseat Sam's texting the whole thing to Bucky, who keeps sending back strings of emojis that aren't always sensible but like, Sam totally gets it. And then Sam gets a text of the top of a head of messy dark brown curls and a string of panicking emojis. There's a suspicious blushing emoji in there though and Sam snickers to himself. Steve wakes up with a little "hm?" which is too cute for words so Sam just passes him the phoneTony started off working on his tablet but he hasn't slept in...a while and he's been stressing about this but now he's in Rhodey's familiar car and Pepper's got classic rock going kinda quiet and Nat snuck her toes under his leg and he fights it for a while, but eventually he slumps over, and he doesn't even notice himself sliding towards the warmth that smells like machine oil and leather. Tony looks small and sweet and quiet and Bucky likes to watch him sometimes, when he can, even though he feels like a creep. It's just that Tony seems so alive in a way that Bucky can't really capture. Like he's so tired but so full of life and fire and maybe that's optimism he's not sure but he thinks it might be. Everyone always seems tired on campus, or young and stupid, or just so unrelatable. And it's not that he can relate to Tony so much as he wishes he could. Like watching the moon in the surface of a lake and being afraid of the ripples. Bucky slowly relaxes, lulled into it by Tony's quiet breathing, and Nat gives him a very obvious thumbs up, with a certain look in her eyes, and he catches Rhodey's eye in the rearview mirror, so he slides down a little, slowand quiet, tucks an arm around Tony and lets himself relax, puts down three phone and stares out the windowThey stop at an all-night walmart when Clint suddenly realizes they don't have SUPPLIESWATER SUPPLIES!!!Bucky and Tony go in, with Clint and Phil, to get Supplies, while everyone else stretches their legs or texts demands for snacks.They grab a bunch of stuff, everything that looks even mildly amusing, Tony sleep-fuzzy and relaxed from it, and in line him and Clint attack each other with pool noodles, earning a few glares from other shoppers, but they're laughing too!much to care. There's not really room in the cars for everything but they make it work and they're all wide awake then, everyone chattering for the last two hours before they realize they should've arrived by now and then Rhodey stops (he was the one leading) and there's dogs barking and they're in a trailer park andPhil calls him just to ask, "What the fuck Rhodes."They all get out their phones and they're yelling directions at Rhodey and they're lucky he loves them because seriously they deserve death at this point. They pull up to the park at 5am when they should've been there at, oh, 1 or so no one's sure how they got so turned around but they made it yaaayAnd then "Fuck," Pepper says. "Tents."And that's where I'm leaving this for now cause I'm tired of typing on mobile but tbh i wanna write a college roadtrip now. I'm just imagining a lot of cuddles at this point everyone gets maximum hugs plz. Also i can't tag this??? So thanks mobile