#okay i’m turning off my tumblr brain and opening my textbook. i promise
Text
at the panera bread purchasing lethal amounts of caffeine
#this grad degree is sponsored by panera bread charged lemonade#okay i’m turning off my tumblr brain and opening my textbook. i promise#anna rambles
104 notes
·
View notes
Text
pretty cute | hwang hyunjin
Genre: pure fluff, highschool au
Warnings: none!
Word Count: +1.6k
Description: The moment Hwang Hyunjin snatched the unofficial confession from your desk (which he was definitely not supposed to read), you knew you were royally screwed.
A/N: 2nd reupload cause tumblr is mean. 🥺
Be honest, which of those boys do you think is the cutest?
That was the question written on a ripped piece of notebook paper, passed to you discreetly by your best friend. You blushed, because wasn’t it a given that all of them were the work of divine beings? Flipping the paper over, you wrote back in messy scribbles.
I don’t know! Aren’t they all handsome?
Sana giggled as she read your reply. Ripping out another piece of her notebook, she passed another message, giving a quick glance at the teacher in the front of the room to make sure he wasn’t looking.
You’re no fun at all. If you had to pick one…
You sighed, because you knew your friend would not stop bugging you about this until you gave her an honest answer. And it had to be an honest one, cause Sana somehow had the superpower of detecting lies even through paper messaging. When you passed her your answer, she gave a silent, but clearly delighted squeal, and you hoped to god this wouldn’t come bite you in the butt.
Hyunjin.
Speaking of the devil, just as you thought the conversation was over, the classroom door slid open, revealing a sweaty, black-haired, ridiculously handsome Hwang Hyunjin, who probably just finished his extra soccer practice during lunch break. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, and it didn’t help that his just-as-handsome friend, Felix, followed him in.
They commanded attention, and you swore every person had forgotten about the class entirely as the two bowed politely in apology and took their seats. You looked away, but couldn’t help sneaking occasional peaks at Hyunjin from the corner of your eye.
He was a good student, always being in the relative top of his class. Of course, you always had better grades than him, but it was pretty even seeing that he had to juggle his sports with his schoolwork.
Another paper slid onto your desk as Hyunjin walked to the front of the classroom to answer a problem on the whiteboard. Stop ogling him. You’re so whipped.
You gave Sana a dirty glare, ripping from your own notebook to write a furious response, but not before you caught the teacher scanning the classroom for disruptions. Discreetly, you folded the paper and placed it at the side of your desk. You’d just give it to her once Hyunjin sat back down.
Too caught up in your own head, you didn’t realize that Hyunjin was walking back to his seat through your aisle until he swiftly snatched the paper from your desk before you could even blink. Your mouth opened in protest, but no noise came out since you knew that you’d only be exposed to the teacher if you made a fuss. You were forced to watch as Hyunjin smoothly fell back into his chair, your note in hand. To your horror, Hyunjin unfolded the ripped piece of paper, scanning over its contents nonchalantly.
Sana had covered her mouth to stop physically herself from cackling, but not before she mouthed some kind, encouraging words to you.
You’re so dead.
Yeah, like you didn’t know that already.
You watched as Hyunjin read the note over, his eyes moving through it once, twice, then three times. You expected him to smile triumphantly, to gloat, because now he has dirt on the best student in class. But instead, his eyes darkened suddenly, and with a clench of his jaw, he stuffed the note into his uniform pocket.
Class flew by, and the moment the bell rang, you leapt out of your seat, not even bothering to wait for Sana as you escaped. She could handle herself. You had a national crisis on your hands, and there was no way you were gonna look Hyunjin in the eye for the next ten months.
You were successful for about four hours, when you were alone in the hallway, putting your textbooks back. Staying after school to help some of the teachers, the school was relatively empty, so your guard was lowered.
A hand slammed against the locker next to you, and you flinched, jumping up in surprise. Turning around, you could only see the familiar piece of paper dangling from the person’s other hand.
“Mind telling me what this is?”
Ignoring the painfully obvious blush on your face, you said tiredly, “Hello to you too, Hyunjin.”
Actually, unknown to many people, you and Hyunjin weren’t strangers. Back in the baby days of freshman year, the two of you were grouped together for the science final, which was a pair project. This was before Hyunjin became the prince of the school, when you were all still innocent freshmen trying to swim through the dark, scary ocean that was high school. The two of you got along fairly well, but before you knew it, he was swept away into a world of popularity that you couldn’t even begin to fathom.
You doubt Hyunjin really remembered, though.
Hyunjin looked unperturbed by your tone, “You didn’t answer the question.”
Rolling your eyes, you trained your face to look annoyed rather than nervous, “What do you think it is, genius? Don’t act like you haven’t passed notes in class before. It’s nothing.”
Hyunjin raised his eyebrows, pulling the note to eye level, “Really? A note that reads, “he’s so pretty, I think I’m gonna faint,” doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“Give it back!” All pretense forgotten as your face flushed, you lashed out for the paper, but your library-dulled reflexes were nothing compared to the speed of the school’s star athlete. You glared at Hyunjin angrily.
“I didn’t write it,” you lied smoothly, not breaking eye contact, but Hyunjin only laughed.
“Nice try. Don’t you think I’ve looked at your handwriting enough to know it’s yours? We literally spent hours a week on that science project.”
Oh, so he did remember. Utterly defeated, you sighed, slumping against the locker as you waited for whatever teasing was coming for you. You knew Hyunjin wasn’t mean, but anyone would feel powerful when they catch a love note from a girl who’s never dawned over anyone before.
“So, who’s the lucky guy?”
“W-what?”
“Who’s the lucky guy? Who’s the man special enough to steal the heart of the reserved, brilliant Ms. Y/N?”
Did...did Hyunjin not know that the note was about him? You were certain he was messing with you, trying to prolong the teasing before the two of you became strangers again, but Hyunjin’s face looked so genuinely distressed it finally hit that oh my god Hyunjin doesn’t know the note was about him.
“It’s Felix, isn’t it?” Hyunjin asked, a bitter tang to his voice that you couldn’t read, “I think I’ve seen you staring at him a couple times.”
“What? No!” You spluttered, because you couldn’t remember a time you actually stared at Felix. The only reason you ever looked in that direction was because he—
Hyunjin looked unconvinced, “It’s not Felix?” he then scowled deeper, “Oh, it’s Jisung, huh.”
“The hell? No, it’s not!” you exclaimed, because as handsome and friendly as Jisung was, the idea of liking the boy who almost set your table on fire after a failed science experiment was terrifying.
“You don’t have to lie,” Hyunjin said rather glumly, “He always got the better girls, anyway. If you want, I could set you up with him—”
You waved your hands wildly, “Noooo, thank you. I swear, I’m not into Jisung.”
“It’s okay, don’t worry. You’re so captivating, I’m sure he’d love you a lot and—”
“It’s about you!”
Your statement caught Hyunjin totally off guard, stopping his words instantly as his jaw grew slack. You turned your head, because now you’ve really done it. You just indirectly told Hyunjin that he was so pretty, you were going to faint. Well, it was the truth.
“Th-the note was about me?” Hyunjin backed away from you, and to your utter shock, his face was bright pink as he covered his mouth with his hands.
“You don’t have to repeat it out loud,” you said uncomfortably, “Honestly, I’d rather you just forget this whole thing ever happened—”
“No!” Hyunjin exclaimed, surprising you again at the desperation in his voice, “It’s just—do you mean it?”
“The note?” your face must’ve been an impossible shade of red, but you answered truthfully, “Yeah, I think you’re really pretty, and…I’ve liked you since freshman year.”
Hyunjin’s eyes widened, “A-are you serious?”
“Well, I’m blushing like a tomato. Do you think I’m lying?”
“It’s just,” Hyunjin’s hands fell from his face as he looked at you, “I’ve had a crush on you since freshman year, too.”
What the fuck.
“Don’t even lie,” You warned, your heart pounding but your brain urging you to be logical, and logic says quite clearly that someone as perfect as Hyunjin couldn’t possibly be interested in someone like you, “We haven’t talked since the science project.”
Hyunjin looked rather hurt as he retorted, “I tried, don’t you remember?” his face still pink as he murmured, almost to himself, “You’re always running away from me, so I assumed you just figured out I had feelings for you and thought I was weird.”
Sighing, because there was obviously a distinct miscommunication, you said earnestly, “No, Hyunjin, I started avoiding you because I didn’t want to bother you when you were getting so popular around school.”
“I don’t care about my popularity!” Hyunjin exclaimed, before gently reaching for your hand, brightening when you didn’t pull away, “All I cared about was that you stopped talking to me.”
You blushed, because Hyunjin was moving closer and closer until his lips could almost brush against your ear.
“Would you give me a chance?” he asked softly, hesitation clear in his tone, “I promise I won’t screw this up.”
In your heart, you knew he wouldn’t. There was a reason you’ve admired him from afar for so long. Before he could react, you stood on your toes, gently pressing your lips against his cheek.
“Okay, let’s try it.”
869 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Climb
This is my submission for the Quote me on this challenge. The quote I was given appears in the mood board below and is bolded in the fic.
This is my first fic on tumblr so I am a little nervous. I tried really hard to keep it to 1000 words but admittedly went a bit over (1490ish 😬).
Since my writing is new you can Meet my MC here.
Song for this Drabble: “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus
Warning: light language and suggestion of lemon
Tag list for Quote me on this:
@riseandshinelittleblossom @leelee10898 @ao719 @darley1101 @theroyalrookie @bobasheebaby @texaskitten30 @batgirlassociationofgothamcity @burnsoslow @drethanramslay @openheart12 @candy72008 @bebepac @twinkle-320 @h3llostrang3r @lucy-268 @dcbbw @oofchoices @blackcoffee85 @anotherbeingsworld @walkerswhiskeygirl @twinkleallnight @trappedinfandoms @hopefulmoonobject @losingbraincellseveryday @god-save-the-keen
Drake woke to the sun streaming in through the windows of the master suite in Valtoria. Blinking to adjust to the harsh light, he noticed the drapes had been pulled open and a breeze flowed in through the French doors that had been left a jar. When he turned to reach for his wife, instead of her warm, soft skin, he found a ball of fur where their corgi Fletcher lay sleeping in Riley’s spot. Pulling on the pajama bottoms he had left folded at the bottom of the bed, Drake slowly made his way to the balcony, stretching the sleep from his body.
Outside, as he suspected, he found Riley already dressed for the day, curled up on the comfy outdoor sectional with her usual chai in hand. What he hadn’t expected to see was the chaos she was surrounded by.
In her lap sat a textbook and a notebook in which she was furiously writing notes. On either side of her where multiple binders with color coded tabs, bursting at the seams with papers spilling out. An empty mug, presumably from an earlier chai, sat on the table surrounded by dozens of post-it notes, fabric swatches, and paint samples.
Leaning down to clear himself a spot, he pressed a kiss to her forehead before she even looked up and realized he was there. Drake laughed as she jumped in surprise. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Good morning, Marshmallow,” she replied, finally looking up and giving him a smile.
“You’re up early.”
Riley sat down her pen and mug, and ran a gentle hand over her growing belly. “Bean decided to start kicking practice at the crack of dawn. I have so much to do, I figured I’d take advantage of the quiet.”
Drake lovingly placed his hand over hers and leaned down next to her belly. “You’re supposed to let Mommy sleep, Bean.”
Riley rolled her eyes playfully and ran her free hand affectionately through Drake’s hair as he kissed her belly. Drake had softened even more when they found out about the baby and it made Riley’s heart swell.
“So what’s all this?” he asked, sitting up gesturing to her organized chaos.
“Well...this,” she said patting the book in her lap, “is case study. I have a predictive memo due next week for my legal writing class. These binders are for duchy work...one is all the research for my tourism proposal that I have to get to Liam in the next day or so and the other is plans for the lantern festival that’s coming up.”
“And that mess?” he asked pointing to the table.
Riley laughed. “Random thoughts I’ve written down so I don’t forget...appointments, calls I need to make, baby names, nursery themes, plus some ideas for paint colors and design.”
“Hmmm, well, you are notoriously forgetful Nevin.”
“I blame the baby.”
“Shhhh, don’t listen to her Bean,” he said leaning back to her belly. “She was plenty forgetful before you came along.”
Riley playfully nudged Drake away. “Baby brain is a real thing, Drake!”
“Okay, okay...I believe you,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender.
“So...is there any chance you can help me with some of this? Maybe look over my tourism proposal or weigh in on nursery stuff. I’m starting to wish we knew if this little one was a he or she. I could design a kick-ass nursery in no time if I knew.”
“It’s not too late to find out, Nevin.”
“You know we can’t Drake. I’m sure Liam wouldn’t care but Bertrand...ugh, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard him say ‘One must follow all Royal protocol when one is carrying the Royal heir’. I almost recorded him to set it as my ringtone when he calls.”
“I don’t know how my sister puts up with him,” Drake said, shaking his head. “Anyway, I’ll help however I can when I get home but I have to head to the capitol. One of the mares at the palace stable is due to give birth and I have to be there as part of my clinical rotation.”
Riley sighed. “Who’s bright idea was it for both of us to go back to school while running a duchy and having a baby?”
“I believe it was your idea, Your Grace,” Drake jested as he stood up and bowed.
Riley swatted him on the ass. “You think you’re so funny.”
“Correction...I know I’m funny.” Drake leaned down and grabbed her pen and a stack of post- it’s, scribbling a quick note. “I’ve gotta go. But here is your top priority for the day.”
“Draaaakkke,” she whined, “I already have too much.”
“This will make it better.” Drake placed the note in her outstretched hand.
“Ask for help,” she read. “Drake, you know...”
“Yes...I know...I know you like to do everything yourself but you have Gladys and Hana here. Delegate and don’t try to be super woman; promise me.”
“Fine, I promise.”
After a quick shower, Drake threw on his scrubs and headed to the kitchen for coffee and a light breakfast to-go. Gladys was there conferring with one of the chefs and Drake took the opportunity to ask for her help with Riley’s to do list. Gladys was more than happy to offer assistance. With his coffee in hand, Drake grabbed his nap sack, tossed in an apple and one of the protein bars that Riley insisted were filling and waved on his way out the door.
———————————
Hours passed while Drake waited on the arrival of the foal. When he realized he wouldn’t be home for dinner, he had sent Riley a text. Judging by her brief reply, he was positive she was hard at work.
It was after 10 PM when he arrived home to find Gladys still in the kitchen. “Everything okay, Gladys? Shouldn’t you be off for the weekend by now?”
“I’m headed out now, sir. Just making some final notes on the lantern festival ball for the chefs.”
“So Riley let you help?”
Glady looked timidly toward the ground. “Well, sir...if by help you mean follow her around while she made plans and then handed me this completed binder, then yes...she let me help. I’m sorry, sir. I tried.”
“Don’t apologize. Where is she now?”
“She took supper in her study and has been there since.”
Drake thanked Gladys and saw her out before walking upstairs in search of his wife. Passing the nursery, he saw a soft glow of light and peeked inside. There were large bolts of fabrics all over the floor and 2x2 squares of 10 paint colors on the wall. Clearly Riley had been busy.
When he reached the study, he knocked and received no response; only the sound of her ‘thinking music’ playlist. He gently opened the door and saw Riley sound asleep with her head on the keyboard of her laptop. On her desk sat both her completed proposal and predictive memo. On the screen, there appeared to be a new proposal, half written before she nodded off. Drake rubbed gentle circles on her back and spoke softly not wanting to startle her; she was not pleasant to wake up.
“Mmm, Drake,” she groaned. “You’re home.”
“I am. Sorry it’s so late. So...should I even ask if you kept your promise?”
Riley looked away without a word. “I figured as much.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t over do it, I promise. I just...I guess I nodded off because I’m a little stressed.”
“I have the cure for that,” Drake said with a seductive smile.
Riley grinned at him. “You think that’s the cure for everything.”
“Am I wrong?”
“When it comes to that?...no. You certainly know how to make me forget my troubles.”
“So let’s go...I’ll relieve that stress and pleasure you till you forget all about to do lists.”
“I want to...I do, just...let me finish this proposal I started and...”
Drake pressed his lips to hers, interrupting her excuses. “Nevin...this is too much, you’re gonna burn yourself out. When are you gonna stop trying to do it all?”
“Don’t stop until you’re proud,” she replied, noticing the look of confusion on Drake’s face. “That’s what my mom used to say to me and Drew; don’t stop until you’re proud. She knew we’d feel better from accomplishing something than we ever would from giving up.”
“Asking for help is not the same as giving up, Nevin. It’s just a shared accomplishment.”
“I know, but...”
“No buts,” he said, reaching around her to close the laptop. “This will all be here tomorrow.” Drake swept her into his arms with ease and carried her toward their room. “Right now, I’m gonna ravish you till you’re screaming my name and forget your own, because that makes me proud. I promise it will be much more satisfying than any proposal.”
35 notes
·
View notes
Text
Mine
Superior Iron Man x Peter Parker (Bonus: Peter’s bully gets his ass kicked) 1k words
***************************************************************************
Peter is walking to the campus bus stop when a familiar call comes from just behind him.
“Hey! Penis!”
Peter’s spine goes rigid.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Why does the world hate him so much? How can Flash Thompson be going to the same college as him??
“Heyyyy little Penis! You come to deliver someone’s books? No way you can afford this place.”
Peter grits his teeth and keeps walking.
“No, seriously,” Flash presses on. “How are you here? Did you finally find that sugar daddy you been lookin’ for?”
“Get away from me,” Peter snarls. They’ve drawn a few other students’ attention. Oh god, it’s high school all over again. He thought he was past this.
Flash’s hand closes around Peter’s upper arm. “Don’t walk away when I’m talking to y—wha?”
His voice cuts off at the same moment that all the hair on Peter’s body stands up. The reason is evident a second later as he sees the cherry red Audi that’s peeling right across the lawn of the school straight towards them. Flash shoves Peter in front of him just as the car’s tires screech to a stop within arm’s reach.
The door slams open and Tony Stark steps out, clad in a light blue suit with silver tie that, overall, probably costs more than Peter’s annual tuition. His dark sunglasses are no disguise for the murderous expression on his face. He doesn’t even look at Peter; he stalks right up to Flash, who backs away.
“Hey, what’s up, don’t know who you are,” Mr. Stark says, talking fast and wired, but his voice is friendly as an anvil. “Don’t really care—did I just see your hands on him?”
Flash’s mouth flaps open and closed like a fish out of water. “Uh, uh, Pen-uh, Pete’s my buddy, sir, Mr. Stark I mean? Wow. Uh. You two know each other? We go way back, you know—”
He goes dead silent when Mr. Stark’s hand lands on his shoulder.
“Peter,” Mr. Stark says, still glaring at Flash through his sunglasses. “Do you two go way back?”
His voice alone would make Peter’s legs quake right now, but the tone in them turns his entire body to water. Peter shakes his head mutely, sees Mr. Stark tilt his head in acknowledgment.
“Thought so,” Mr. Stark says. He snatches up Flash’s hand and twists his fingers backward. There’s a muted thunk of something breaking beneath the skin.
Flash screams like a nine year old girl on a roller coaster. Peter gasps and takes a step back. This isn’t his Tony. This is the other.
“Now shut your cockhole and listen up. After you leave here, I want you to get on the pussyboy hotline and tell allllll your friends that Peter Parker is off limits. No touching, no bullying, and if I think you’ve so much as let a pigeon shit on his textbooks, I’ll make you eat your own ballsack. That sound like a fair deal?”
Flash nods frantically and squeaks out, “Yes sir!!!”
Mr. Stark knocks Flash’s arm away as he tries to grab his injured hand, then lifts the broken one and uses it to slap Flash in the face. Peter almost feels sorry for him, as he squeals and falls to the ground.
Almost.
Mr. Stark turns toward Peter for the first time, zeroes in on him and tilts the sunglasses down to give him a naked, hungry look. Crystal blue eyes with an unnatural glow to them send Peter’s stomach melting down his legs.
He’s still vaguely aware of the crowd of students watching them, of the phone cameras facing their way, but even that fades as Mr. Stark gets close and Peter can smell his cologne and—oh, god, it just brings last night back to him, the slap of skin on skin and the voice low in his ear, calling him a cock-hungry whore.
He shifts his hips, trying to free his suddenly rigid cock from its confined position without touching it. Mr. Stark’s gorgeous mouth quirks in a smile that’s all darkness and knowledge.
“Peterrr,” he purrs. “Sorry I’ve been so busy. How was your first day of college?”
Peter snaps his eyes up from Mr. Stark’s lips. This is insane. Mr. Stark just assaulted someone in public, yet no one’s doing anything about it.
Mr. Stark gets all the way in his personal space, chests almost touching and Peter has to look up. He’s breathing in quick gasps, can’t help it; he feels feverish and he can’t get enough air. A tiny part of his brain is aware of Flash scrambling to his feet and running away. An even smaller part is panicked, because everyone in his new school is going to know about this by tomorrow.
But more than any of that, he’s burning with a need to feel Mr. Stark’s skin against his.
“Pete? Baby? Are you okay?” Mr. Stark tilts Peter’s chin up to look at him. At his touch, a little moan squeaks out of Peter’s throat. The man smirks down at him. He knows exactly what he’s doing to Peter. Mr. Stark bites his own lower lip and drags it through his teeth. Peter watches, mesmerized as the lip comes out, wet and glistening like a promise.
“I should put you on your knees right now,” Mr. Stark says, voice pitched low. “Stuff my cock in your mouth and let your little classmates put the video up on YouTube. Clearly I need to put a better mark on my territory.”
His hand traces from Peter’s chin down to circle his throat, squeezing on the last word. Peter fists his hands at his side to keep from grabbing himself through his pants.
Mr. Stark’s white teeth flash in a crooked grin. “Poor baby. Daddy broke you in, and now my cock is all you can think about, huh?” He jerks his head toward the Audi. “Get in the car. Back center seat. Shirt and pants off—leave the Converse; they’re cute. And don’t forget what we say?” He looks at Peter expectantly as he lets the last word hang in the air.
“Thank you...sir?” Peter says hesitantly. His face is blazing hot; he barely hears himself through the rushing in his ears.
Mr. Stark chuckles, but there’s a darkness to it that pulls up goosebumps on Peter’s neck.
“Get in the car.”
**********************************************************************
my AO3: SubverbalDreams
Part 1 (dubcon) SIM Tony/Peter/MCU Tony: on AO3 / on Tumblr
Check my masterlist for continuations from here, or subscribe on AO3. ;)
939 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 12
Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC
Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.
Word Count: 10,649
FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER
Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!
There was no way.
No. Friggin'. Possible. Way.
Rayne was bonkers. Off her rocker. Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs. A couple screws short of a toolbox, a few cards shy of a full deck, and several fries scant of a Happy Meal.
She was just… wrong. She had to be. The very idea was outrageous. Laughable, even. There was just without a doubt and quite simply no way.
No way that Lea had a crush on me, that is.
I mean, come on! All I'd ever done was make a complete bumbling idiot out of myself in front of the guy! I'd kissed him before uttering so much as my very first 'hello' to him, chucked a phone at a wall in front of him for no apparent reason after spouting off nonsensical gibberish, sat on him without even the slightest bit of a heads up or forewarning - which to be fair wasn't really my fault, but still! I could go on and on with this list, but I'd rather not as it was just depressing me at this point.
Had a crush on me? Please, he probably just saw me as a total trainwreck of a human being by now and was merely half curious, half terrified to see what would next be pulled out of the bag of crazy that was me. So no, he absolutely did not have any sort of feelings even remotely resembling… that. Not at all. Not towards me.
...so then why did I now find myself hovering outside the mall, trapped in a heated staring contest with my pale reflection in the glass door as arriving and leaving customers gave me weird looks, the very idea of so much as taking one more single, solitary step over that threshold and into the food court seeming utterly impossible to me?
It'd been a couple days since the now infamous (or so it was in my head, at least) Friday night out. A couple of days which I'd thankfully had off from work, giving me some much needed time to recuperate from all that stressful social activity. By the grace of some benevolent deity up above, not to mention my magnanimous, boundless mercy, Anna still lived. But she hadn't got off without a long, stern, and particularly mind-numbing lecture from me, as well as a promise from her to keep me stocked in a lifetime supply of Triple Chocolate Mallowpuffs by way of recompense. She wasn't completely off the hook yet, but it was a start.
During my downtime, I had given little to no thought to Rayne's musings - aka unhinged ravings of a madwoman. Oh sure, the stray ghost of her words might have flitted across the back of my mind once or twice. But whenever they had, I'd simply banished the silly notion with a soft chuckle and a shake of my head.
Which is why I wasn't quite sure what the big deal was now, out of the blue, here, at the entrance to Dusk Town Center, right before my first shift back since the night at the bar. Why in my brain, her words had cranked up from a barely audible whisper to a full blasting, thundering roar played on loop. Why the idea of facing Lea now just all of a sudden seemed so…
...intimidating.
...ugh, this was stupid.
I was being stupid.
It wasn't like I was some third grader in the schoolyard afraid of catching cooties from a boy. I was an adult, damn it! An adult in the adult world with an adult job leading an adult life! So I could handle any such feelings, or more specifically lack thereof, like a goddamn adult!
He did not have a crush on me.
He did not.
With that, a newfound determination filled me. Eyes hardening, chest puffing up, and shoulders squaring, I grabbed the door handle, yanked it open with more force than necessary and marched into the food court with my head held high.
...followed immediately by flipping a one-eighty, dashing back outside and around a corner to hide, pressing my back against the wall with one hand over my hammering heart.
Well done, champ. A for effort. Did a real bang up job there, eh?
I took a few seconds to regain my composure and fortify my resolve. Then I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, straightening up to my full height once more. Alright, take two. Giving myself a firm, reassuring nod, I walked back inside again.
It was there, seated at a food court table roughly halfway between Pizza Planet and Ice Palace, that the reason for my initial retreat could be spotted. Lea was hunched over what looked to be a textbook of some sort, with papers covered in messy scrawl strewn about every inch of the round dining surface. He was gnawing a pencil between his teeth and agitatedly ruffling his hair as flipped to the next page. I don't know why I had given into my knee-jerk reaction to run from him the second I'd seen him. He was so engrossed in whatever he was working on, I highly doubted he'd even noticed me walk in. And I was strongly suspecting he'd probably continue to fail to notice me if I just strolled straight on past him to the Ice Palace to prepare for the start of my shift.
Which is exactly what I was going to do.
Or at least, that'd been the plan anyway.
But something stopped me. A sort of… stubbornness that abruptly flared up within me. I wanted to settle this right here, right now. Prove once and for all without a doubt that Rayne was in fact a total loon and that he definitely did not see me as anything more than just a friend. I still had a few more minutes before I had to clock in, so now was a good a time as any.
Seizing the opportunity before I could overthink things and lose my nerve, I made a detour and headed straight towards where Lea sat. Arriving at his table, I pulled out the chair across from him and sat down heavily, burdened with great purpose.
Alright. Phase One of the Mission Not A Crush complete. On to Phase Two.
Which was…?
Good question. Was actually... still kind of, sort of trying to figure that one out.
Potentially a greeting of some sort would be a good place to start.
As Lea glanced up and became aware of my presence at last, I began, "H-"
He leapt out of his seat and bolted, knocking several loose papers off the table in his wake.
I blinked.
...see? Not a crush.
Not if he was running away in fear at the very sight of me.
As well he should. I was a very fearsome vision to behold, after all. My mere visage redefined the very essence of horror, did it not? Look upon me and tremble, puny mortals, for I-
"Ow! Hey, quit it already!" a voice that sounded suspiciously like Xion's pulled me from my thoughts.
Turning my head towards where it'd come from, sure enough, there Lea was with the girl in tow. Literally. He was dragging Xion over to the table by one of her ears pinched between his fingers. The two of them pulled up to a stop in front of me, Lea scowling as he released her and she stumbled a few steps forward. With a tiny hiss of pain as she rubbed the abused lobe, she glanced back at him. He simply crossed his arms and started tapping his foot, clearly waiting for something.
Xion looked at me now with a guilty frown, folding her hands together just below her waist and bowing her head. "Please forgive me, Elsa, I am so very, very sorry. Sorry for tricking you-"
Lea cleared his throat.
She hastily tacked on, "-and for conspiring with Anna-"
He did it again, louder this time.
"-and, uh… for manhandling you into my car-"
A third time.
"-and…" she pursed her lips to one side, squinting up in thought, "...and for not driving with the comfort and safety of my passengers in mind-"
Once more, with feeling.
"-and for, ah… providing… less than optimal seating arrangements to you throughout the whole experience?" Xion ventured, glancing back at Lea. He rolled his eyes but gave a shrug, which she seemed to take more or less as a sign of his grudging acceptance. Her eyes then fixed on me once more, "I meant no offense, but sincerely apologize if I embarrassed you or made you feel uncomfortable in any way."
...this… I had not been expecting.
I just stared blankly at her for a second. Then I realized she was patiently awaiting my response. "Oh! Um," I gave a tiny awkward laugh, "that's okay. We're fine. Totally good. Don't, uh… don't even worry about it."
Her face immediately lit up with a relieved smile. "Thanks, you're the sweetest!" Then she gave Lea a dull look. "Satisfied? Can I get back to my job now?"
His eyelids drooped, but he sighed and waved her off. She ran past him, blowing a raspberry in his direction as she went. He plopped back down into his chair at the table, pinching the bridge of his nose as he grumbled, "Kids these days, I swear."
"Thanks," I smiled at him, "that was really very thoughtful, but you didn't have to make her do that. It wasn't necessary."
"Somebody's gotta teach the lil twerp good manners and respect," he leaned back in his chair slightly, scratching a spot behind his ear. "Her parents certainly never did."
Humming a soft, noncommittal noise, I then looked down at the clutter littered across the table. "So what are you up to? What is all this?"
"Decided to take my lunch break to try and unravel the enigma that is," he held the textbook up, showing me the cover, "Intro to Calculus. It's being a real pain in the ass though. Honestly, who needs to know all this crap? Evil math genius super villains, that's who! Shit, I'm just looking to run a lil shanty of an ice cream parlor by the sea, not trying to calculate how to blow up the sun or anything," he tossed his pencil down against the open pages of the book.
I rubbed a knuckle along my lips as I felt them tug up at one corner. "Not math's biggest fan, I take it?"
"Not my strong point, no, but usually I can get by. Unfortunately, I caught some kinda bug a couple weeks back and had to miss a few days of lectures. Asked the teach what I missed, but he's a royal asshole. Just brushed me off, telling me to talk to his TA instead."
"And the TA?"
"Mini asshole in the making," he scoffed, snatching up a small stack of sheets from the table to wave about. "Just handed me his photocopied notes for the days I was out sick and told me to figure it out. They're useless though. I can't read his chicken scratch. A big test is coming up on all of this too that's s'posed to be a huge chunk of our grade, so I really need to wrap my head around this junk."
"Maybe I can help. Let me see." I moved closer, shifting over to the seat beside him. My shoulder brushed against his as I leaned in, spotting a piece of paper sticking out from beneath the textbook on which it looked like he'd been trying to (unsuccessfully) work through some of the chapter's exercise problems. "Derivatives, huh?" I murmured, picking it up to take a closer look. Then I pointed to the first equation, "This one is almost right, you just forgot to conjugate the binomial. It's an easy mistake, anyone could've made it."
"I, uh…" he trailed off. I glanced over at him, realization just now smacking me like a ton of bricks at how close our faces were. Boundaries, Elsa, boundaries! Dropping the paper, I quickly pulled away, spine banging firmly against the back of my seat. Clearing his throat, Lea picked up the sheet and glared down at it, "Damn, I thought I did that!" After a couple seconds of scrutiny, he grabbed his pencil and started furiously erasing his work before jotting in new numbers, his knee jiggling restlessly beneath the table. The scratching of the graphite stilled almost immediately however as he looked over at me, quirking an eyebrow. "...weren't you an Art History major?"
Reaching for my ponytail to self-consciously pluck at a tendril, I said, "Well, yeah, but I'm pretty good with numbers too. You're in luck, Calculus was just about where I called it when it came to college math courses. I mean, I took the class a couple years ago, but a lot of it's still pretty fresh in my brain. I'd be happy to work through more of it with you, but..." I frowned up at the giant clock hanging over the food court entrance. "My shift's about to start."
His eyes followed my gaze and he grimaced. "Crap, I need to punch back in myself." He rose to his feet, slamming the book shut and swiftly gathering all his stuff into one big, crumpled heap. His gaze shifted to glance at me out of his peripheral. "...you working tomorrow?"
I stood as well, tipping my head to one side. "No, but then I'm back on the schedule for the next three days after it. Why?"
"Good, I have it off too." Things more or less together now, he picked the sloppy stack up and tucked it under one arm as he slid the pencil behind one ear. "You think maybe you could help me cram for my exam? Say…" he looked away, rubbing the nape of his neck, "...my place around noon tomorrow?"
My eyes widened a fraction. "Oh! Uh… yes. Sure. Of course! I don't already have plans, so I'd be glad to. What are friends for, after all?"
Note the keyword here: friends. Cuz that's what we were. Period.
The huge smile that broke out across his face now all but blinded me. "Thanks, El, you rock! I owe you big time for this! I'll treat you to an absolute mountain of your favorite ice cream, which is…" he paused, narrowing his eyes for a second before snapping his fingers and pointing at me. "...Goofy Parfait? No, too basic… Double Crunch? Nah, that's not it either. Eh, I'll figure it out sooner or later! I'm closing in, I can feel it!" He started jogging backwards towards the Pizza Planet. "Anyway, you can get my address from Raindrop! S-" He bumped into a plastic chair, stumbled for a bit before catching himself as another paper flew loose. "Heh… meant to do that. See ya tomorrow!" He waved then turned and sprinted off to avoid clocking in late.
I raised my hand, my fingers curling in a tentative wave back, "Yeah… tomorrow…"
So that, apparently, was Phase Two of Mission Not A Crush.
Go to his home and prove it there.
Perfect.
What could possibly go wrong?
A lot.
That was the answer you were looking for.
A lot could go wrong.
Starting with-
"Ahhhhh!" Rayne squealed yet again as she turned the steering wheel, making the car take a right down a side road. "I can't believe my baby's going on her first date! It really is true, they grow up so fast!" she gave a mock sniffle as she reached over to pinch my cheek.
My left eye twitched and I swatted her hand away. It was a mistake telling her. But Lea had told me to get his address from her. And of course the second I'd asked, she had insisted on driving me there. Should have seen that one coming a mile away. I sighed, "I've had dates before. It's kind of hard to wind up engaged without going on a few dates first. Not impossible, mind you, but hard. And it's not a date, I'm just helping him study for a test."
"Mmmhmmm, sure," she gave me a knowing smirk, "and I'll bet you get all dolled up in a new dress like this for all your other not-a-dates."
"Please, I bought this secondhand in a thrift shop for ten dollars, I hardly call that getting dolled up," I rolled my eyes before looking down at myself.
As it turns out, yesterday had been payday. Meaning my first check, hallelujah! I think this officially made me a bonafide adult. And seeing as how my wardrobe was limited to my work clothes, a couple of hand-me-downs from Rayne that she no longer wore, and that one outfit I had, er… shall we say "borrowed" during my whirlwind escape on my wedding day, I had felt some clothes shopping had been in order after I got off shift yesterday. But working at an ice cream shop in the local mall doesn't exactly have you rolling in the big bucks, as one might imagine, so I'd quickly discovered that a used clothing store was a dirt poor girl's best friend.
I'll admit that I had lucked out a bit with the sundress I now wore, given that it'd come from the bargain bin and had even miraculously fit like a glove. It was a pastel blue with tiny, faded white polka dots, its gently billowing skirt falling to just below my knees. Triple spaghetti straps held it up at the shoulders and it had a sweetheart neckline with embroidered, white lace trim. It was high waisted, with ribbon weaving up the front of the bodice segment and a loose bow tied at the small of my back. Paired with my usual ankle boots of course, because really, who had the munny for more than one pair of shoes? Not me, that's for sure! But the best part? Stockings. Blessed, blessed stockings! My legs could die happy now.
So was it a new dress? Yes, but that was more so to do with my distinct lack of other options than anything else. And, okay sure, the thought had crossed my mind that this was the first time Lea would be seeing me not in Ice Palace attire, so of course I'd wanted to look at the very least, erm… presentable? Yes, that was the word. Presentable. Was that a crime now? I think not!
"Well I think you look cute enough to eat!" she declared before waggling her eyebrows at me. "I'm sure that's what Lea will be thinking too."
"Oh my god, Rayne!" I huffed, hiding my face in my hands and slouching down into the car seat.
I don't know a lot about having friends, but I wonder if they're exchangeable. Like, if you can return them to Ye Olde Friend Shoppe and get store credit that can go towards the purchase of a new gal pal, one that's not delusional and won't take sadistic pleasure in teasing you mercilessly. Yeah, that'd be super-duper nice right about now.
"We hath arrived!" I heard her gleefully announce, feeling the vehicle come to a full stop.
I peeked out between my fingers to see we were now parked at the curb beside a long, colorful row of what looked to be duplex apartments. As I lowered my hands completely, Rayne suddenly seized my chin and jerked my face towards her, studying me with eyes squinted. My brow furrowed, "...what are you doing?"
"Hold still." My jaw still trapped within her iron grasp, she reached for her bag in the backseat, hand noisily rummaging inside for a few seconds before pulling out a light brown makeup pencil. "I wanna make those adorable freckles of yours hella pop so that boy really goes all weak in the knees."
"Ugh!" I yanked my chin free and snatched the pencil away from her, rolling down my window and chucking it outside the car.
"Hey! Those aren't free, you know!"
"Tack it onto what I owe for rent," I grumbled as I closed the window again.
"Whatever," she huffed before she started taking off her jacket. "Take this, will you? It's chilly out, I don't want you to get cold."
Unbuckling my seatbelt, I gently pushed the proffered garment away, "I'll be fine. The cold never bothered me anyway, you know that."
She shrugged, tossing it into the back. "Suit yourself, but don't come crying to me when you catch your death out there." I reached for the door handle, but stopped as she said, "Hold it, c'mere." Oi, what now? I slowly turned my head to cock an eyebrow at her. She licked the pad of her thumb and wiped it across my cheek, "You got a lil schmutz."
I couldn't get out of the car fast enough, staggering onto the sidewalk and whipping around to slam the door shut behind me, nostrils flaring as I narrowed my eyes down at her.
She lowered the passenger window again, gracing me with a sly grin. "Have fun on your study date, sweetpea!"
"It's not a-" The engine roared and she cackled as she sped off. I stamped my foot and crossed my arms, lips twisting sourly. "...date."
It wasn't! That was in fact what I'd come here to prove, after all. That there was no crush and this was not a date. She'd see. I'd show her. Then we'd see who got the last laugh. Ha!
As I turned to face the line of apartments, I realized I had no clue which one was supposed to be Lea's. Rayne had never given me a unit number, just told me she knew exactly where it was and would take me there. I would hope that this one coated in a dingy cherry paint that she'd dropped me off directly in front of would be it, but with that girl's sanity track record lately, I couldn't be sure that was a totally safe bet. Still, I had to knock on one of these doors, so this one was as good as any to try first.
Running my hands down my dress to smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles and sweeping my braid forward over one shoulder, I puffed out a slow breath and put one foot forward. Then, after a pause, the other. Then the other. Eventually, I was climbing the three steps that led up to the door and coming to a stop in front of it.
Then I hesitated, gnawing on my lower lip.
Smoothed my dress again.
Fidgeted with my braid some more.
...I was running out of ways to stall.
Inhaling and exhaling once more, I brought my fist up to the door, preparing to initiate Phase Two of Not A Crush. And came to an abrupt halt, my knuckles a hairbreadth's away from the wood.
Because now we came to the second thing to go wrong.
That being me realizing I had absolutely zero idea of how to accomplish Phase Two.
In fact, what the heck was I even doing here? I struggled with regular one-on-one social interactions on any given normal day, even when I didn't have an ulterior motive to worry about on the side. How on earth had I fooled myself into believing I could handle it, this, here, now, while juggling a stupidly self imposed secret mission as well? This was a terrible plan! What the actual frick had I been thinking?! Did I know myself but at all?!
...you know what? I'm leaving. This was already too much and I hadn't even gotten past the friggin' front door yet. Sorry to bail, Lea, but you're a smart lad with a good head on your shoulders. I have the utmost faith in your ability to navigate yourself through the trials and tribulations of Calculus all on our own. Peace, I'm out!
Spinning on my heel, I rushed back down the steps and beelined for the sidewalk. The walk home wouldn't be short. And I hadn't been paying attention on the drive over, so I wasn't even sure which way I should go. But psssh, minor detail. I'd just pick a direction and if it was meant to be, I'd find myself on my own doorstep sooner or later, right? Right. Now this was a plan I could get on board with. This, I could-
"El?"
I froze mid-step with a wince, gritting my teeth.
Fudge.
...should I just make a run for it?
Probably not. Pretty sure he was way faster than me with those freakishly long legs of his.
Putting on a shaky smile, I stiffly turned back around to see that front door now open with Lea standing on the threshold, giving me a quizzical look.
And it was just hitting me now as I looked at him that this wasn't only going to be the first time he was seeing me out of work clothes, but the first time I was seeing him out of his too. He was wearing a long, untucked button up that was a deep purple plaid and sleeveless, with a black tee on underneath and a black, loose hoodie vest that hung open over it. His legs were clad in dark, dark red skinny jeans, accompanied by tall black boots on his feet. His hair had been pulled back into a stylishly messy ponytail with a few spiky bangs poking free and of course he was sporting his usual guyliner. Though was it just my imagination or was there a bit of an extra swoosh to those wings at the corner of his eyes today? Probably just my imagination.
He… cleaned up pretty good.
...I mean, not that I pay attention to stuff like that or anything. Ahem, anyway!
"Where ya going?" He moved one step down the small set of cement stairs, grinning slightly. "You know that's the wrong direction, right? Living room's this way."
"...it is?"
First thing to blurt out of my mouth and we're off to a simply superb start here.
"Oh! Y-yes! Of course it is! I… I knew that! But, ah…" I took a teeny step backwards. "...I forgot something at… at home!"
Yeah, my backbone.
"That's it!" I laughed weakly and there was another shift back of my feet. "So I was just going to, you know…" I jerked both thumbs to the right, "go get it! Then… come straight back. Here. To your place, uh... o-of course!"
He frowned, looking down the street before glancing back at me. "You were gonna walk? Isn't that kinda far? Tell ya what, let me go grab my car keys and I can swing you back by your place real quick."
"No!" I threw up my hands, rapidly shaking my head. Drat. Thwarted. "N-no, that's… that's fine. And you know what? It's... not actually all that important. Really! Turns out I, um… I don't need it after all."
Looks like it was just time for me to grow a spine instead.
"Oh. Okay then, if you're sure," he shrugged before heading back up the steps and walking inside, holding the door open wide for me and smiling big. "Come on in. Mi casa es su casa!"
"Th...thanks," I managed to squeak past the anxiety squeezing my throat, making it hard to get words out. Taking a deep breath, I clenched and unclenched my clammy hands before clasping them together in front of me just below my waist. Then I rallied, if only just barely, and got myself up those stairs and inside, hearing him shut the door behind me.
The room I'd stepped into was open and rather spacious. To the right seemed to be the living room, in the middle of which stood a long coffee table, a couple of armchairs, a well-worn plush blue sofa covered in far too many pillows (all of them mismatched) and a large rug checkered in various shades of red. A giant dark wood entertainment center took up one wall with a large flat screen in the middle. The shelves surrounding it were mostly filled with books and DVDs, but there were a few odds and ends to decorate it as well, such as a couple of red frisbees sporting sinister-faced fireball decals in one cubbie, while in another sat a framed chart of what looked to be the lunar cycle.
To my left was a dinette space with its table already buried underneath a textbook and a mound of papers, and further to the left beyond that lay the kitchen. The two rooms were separated by an island counter wedged between a pair of thick square columns, the one furthest forward having a skinny door in it that was currently closed. Behind the dinner table and further back in the apartment was an open arch leading into a small corridor - more of an alcove, really - with two doors on the back wall and two more at either end of the hall.
"So..." I began as I glanced around, fingers already fiddling with the tip of my braid, "this is your casa?"
"Yup! Let me give you the grand tour." He all but bounced into the sitting area, arms dramatically flourishing in his best Vanna White impersonation. "The living room! Top of the line and comes with all the deluxe amenities you could ever dream of, including a couch as ugly as sin and a rug old enough to be your father!"
I snorted into my fist, biting back a tiny grin as I felt some of my tenseness beginning to fade, if only by a smidge. "Fancy."
"You like that? Well then prepare to have your mind blown." He darted over to the left side of the apartment now, presenting it with another theatrical sweep of his hands. "Dining room! And get this, you're never gonna guess… a kitchen!"
"Wow, dining room and kitchen? Amazing, you really do live in the lap of luxury here. My my, how the other half lives."
"I try not to let it go to my head. And check it out," he moved to the column bearing the small, inset door and pushed it open, revealing cramped shelves full of foodstuffs, "comes complete with itty-bitty pantry space!" It really was tiny. Could Lea even fit in there? Leaving the door open a crack, he then moved into the hallway, smacking a hand to the back door on the left. "My room." He pointed to the door at the right end of the hall, "Bathroom." Then the one at the left end, "Closet."
Nodding, I looked to the only remaining door directly to the right of Lea's bedroom. "And that one?"
He shook his head and waggled an index finger, "Oh-ho no, you don't wanna know what horrors lay beyond that door."
I quirked an eyebrow at that, one corner of my lips twitching upward. "Is that where you hide all the bodies then?"
"How'd you know?" He'd said it with such dead seriousness that for a second there, I started to get nervous. Then he snerked and chuckled, folding his arms beneath his chest as he leaned a shoulder against the inside of the archway. "You really are too easy, ya know that? Nah, that's just where I keep my household Saïx."
My head tilted. "...what's a Saïx?"
"Two for one deal, roomie-brother combo."
"You live with your brother? That sounds nice... not a lot of people do that after highschool."
One of his shoulders bobbed in a half-shrug, "Half-brother if ya wanna get technical, but yeah. We grew up in the foster system and had to put up with a lotta crap. Learned fast the best way to survive was for us to stick together. I guess old habits die hard. But I don't see him all that much anymore actually."
"Oh?" I frowned at that. "Why not?"
"I'm a creature of the sun, he's a child of the moon. Total night owl. His job keeps him up all hours and he sleeps all day. Nowadays I really only see him during breakfast which is his dinner and vice versa."
My eyebrows knit together. "What's he do for a living?"
Another bounce of the shoulder. "Hell if I know. He works remotely, so basically just locks himself up in his room all night glued to his laptop. Rox and Xion sometimes do take a late night though and caffeine up before dropping by to drag his ass outta his hidey-hole n' make sure he gets some fresh air every once in a while. The kiddos are convinced he's a vampire at this point, swear up and down that they've even seen him hiss at sunlight. But I know that's just silly. Totally ridiculous." Here he paused with a smirk. "Cuz he's obviously a werewolf."
A smile tugged at my lips. "Obviously?"
"Yup! All the clues are there." He struck up a finger. "Crazy obsessed with the moon." Up went a second one. "Likes his steak so rare, it's still mooing. Classic sign of lycanthropy." A third digit joined the other two. "And here's the real kicker: dogs? Love him."
"Wow," I laughed softly. "Well then, with such irrefutable proof, hard to argue that logic."
"Thank you," Lea bowed his head. Then he pushed himself off the wall and walked over to the dining table, pulling out a chair for me. "On that note, shall we?"
I nodded, taking the offered seat and reaching for one of the pages of notes. "Sounds good. Let's get to it."
"Bueno Volcano?"
I glanced up from the open textbook before me, blinking once at Lea before my eyelids drooped. "No, I do not believe the derivative of F evaluated at X as H approaches zero is… Bueno Volcano."
Another one of our flavors of ice cream, as you might've already guessed.
He was staring at me with a completely straight face while wearing his pencil like a moustache. Removing it with a gentle harrumph, he leaned his chair back onto its hind legs, "C'mon, El, we've been at this for hours now. I need a study break."
I sighed through my nose, inserting a worksheet into the book to save the spot before shutting it. "Fine." I was kind of getting stiff from sitting still for so long. Stretching one arm over my head and arching my back to work some of the kinks out of my muscles, I asked, "So, Bueno Volcano… final answer?"
Lea's seat wobbled precariously and he had to grab the table to keep from falling over. Ruffling his hair with a sheepish laugh, he then visibly mulled for a second before shaking his head, "Nah. Spicy veggie ice cream is just weird. No one's into that junk."
"You'd be surprised," I hummed a chuckle, planting an elbow on a small stack of papers and resting my cheek in my palm. "You're running out of options. You sure you haven't guessed it already?"
"Positive. I'm getting warmer though. It's on the tip of my tongue now, I can practically taste it!"
I raised a brow at him. "So what's it taste like?"
He slapped a hand down to the table with a smile, declaring, "Victory!"
"...I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with that flavor," I deadpanned.
"Bah, don't get cute, you know what I meant," he bopped my forehead with his pencil and I flicked it away. Then he tapped it to his chin as he eyed me thoughtfully. "...so why Art History?"
Um…? Where had that come from? Besides out of left field, that is. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged, twirling the pencil between his fingers now. "Just something I've been curious about… why pick that as your major? Why stick with it until you graduated if you weren't feeling it? Why even start it in the first place?"
"I, uh…" I averted my gaze, hands rushing up to toy with my braid. Answering those questions would involve bringing up my parents. And that was a whole other can of worms that I wasn't sure I was particularly ready to pop open just yet.
"Ooo, I'm sensing another secret." Grinning, he scooched his chair over closer to me now, bumping his knee into mine. "Don't worry, I know information isn't free. So how 'bout another trade? Tit for tat. Quid pro quo. One o' mine for one o' yours. I'll start." Then he was lifting up his shirts.
And I, in turn, was turning beet red and slapping a hand over my eyes.
Jeez, this guy did not know how to keep his top on!
"I've had stitches!"
...oh.
My fingers tentatively parted and I saw that he'd only raised the layers of fabric by a few inches, revealing a jagged scar wrapped around his side just above his right hip, big and gnarly, but also old and long since healed. I was kind of amazed I hadn't noticed it the first time he was shirtless in front of me. Then again, he had been drenched in ice cream at the time which had most likely covered it, and I had been a little preoccupied with spazzing out and using my hat as a makeshift censor bar.
"What happened?" I breathed, lowering my hand.
"Saïx happened." I gaped up at him and he released the hems, letting them fall back into place as he batted a hand, "It was an accident. We were only kids at the time. But turns out a chainsaw? Not a toy."
I spluttered, "A ch-chainsaw?!"
"Pssh, it's no big deal, was only a lil one. It'd have to be for an eight year old to be able to lift it after all," he brushed off with a snerk.
Fixing him with a flat look, I muttered, "You and I have two very different definitions of 'no big deal.'"
"Trust me, it looks a lot worse than it actually was. Poor Saïx though, he thought he'd killed me and the little dweeb couldn't stop bawling his eyes out at the hospital. I think he cried more than I did that day, which is funny cuz I was always the bigger crybaby of the two of us." Lea smiled as he relaxed back into his chair a bit, interlocking his fingers behind his head, "Yeah, we were one screwed up pair o' brats. It's no wonder no family ever wanted to keep us monsters, we were a handful to say the least." Then he nudged my shoe with the toe of his boot, "Alright, your turn now."
I glanced away, pursing my lips to one side. Then I locked my gaze back on his with a tiny smirk. "I've shoplifted."
His eyes widened and his head rocked back a bit as he blinked at me a couple times. Then he was narrowing his gaze, "Okay, one, no fair, you know what info I wanted."
I let my shoulders rise and fall, "You just said a secret for a secret. Never specified I had to answer your earlier question."
The rolling of his eyes was his only retort to that before moving on, "Two... you? Shoplift?" He gave a snort. "Does not compute. What was it even, a stick of gum? Some change from the Take-A-Munny-Leave-A-Munny tray?"
I lifted my chin a hair and inspected my nails, feeling a bit too pleased with myself. He'd thought he'd had me pegged. Well, I'd shown him. There's more to me than meets the eye, bucko. "Some clothes. These shoes," I slightly lifted one of my feet, presenting the left ankle boot. Then I paused for dramatic effect. "...a phonebook."
"A…?" he gave me a blank look for half a second. Then he burst out laughing, throwing up his hands, "Look out, we got ourselves a badass here! Behind that sweet, innocent face lurks the sinister mind a hardened criminal and cunning master thief! Best be careful or she'll come for your sticky notes and wall-hanging calendars next. Pfffft, a phonebook. Why? Just… why?"
Crossing my arms, I gave a derisive sniff. "I had my reasons."
Now he cocked his head to to the left, a sly curl twisting his lips. His interest had been piqued. He looked down, studying my shoes with a low hum. "...those still look kinda new. So your lil foray into the world of the five-finger discount had to of been pretty recent. I'd say… maybe a month ago, two tops."
I stiffened.
Oh no, I'd said too much.
I hastily pulled my feet back under my seat, as if to hide any further evidence he might gleen from them. "Speculate all you want, you're not getting anything else out of me."
"Oh, I see how it is. Tough nut to crack, eh?" His eyes crinkled as he leaned in closer to me, propping his elbows on his knees and tucking one arm behind the other. "Am I gonna have to go all good cop, bad cop on you now?"
...okay, cheeks, what's the deal here? I know you're still on red alert from the false alarm with the shirt earlier, but come on, this was nothing to be stoking the coals over! I cleared my throat, turning my head to one side, "No, it's just… that's a whole other secret, is all."
Lea straightened up in his seat, both eyebrows reaching for his hairline. "You mean you want another one outta me?" He shook his head with a grin, rising to his feet now. "Damn, El, you drive a hard bargain. I need to rack my brain to come up with something else good for ya. I'm gonna grab a soda while I'm at it." He winced as he made his way over to the kitchen, "...and I'm just now realizing I've been a totally crap host this whole time. Did you want anything to drink?"
"Just a water, please?" I asked, soon hearing him clinking cups around followed by the sound of a running faucet. I looked down at my lap, tucking in my lower lip as my fingers tangled into the tuft of my braid. I don't know why I was still thinking about it. I'd successfully sidestepped the question and he'd let me off the hook without me giving any sort of explanation for now. And yet, it still lingered at the back of my brain… prickling, needling, until-
"It's because I was a coward." The words were out before I'd even realized it.
He looked up, blinking at me from across the island counter. "Pardon?"
"...why Art History," I clarified softly, my hands going to my lap now to clench slightly at the fabric of my dress. "Because I was a coward, too afraid to go against my parents' wishes. They… said it would be necessary in order to make me more refined and cultured for my eventual role as… as a wife to any potential future husband I may have had. And I just… It seemed… easier just to go along with what they wanted."
"Woah," I heard him approaching again and watched out of the corner of my eye as a glass of water was set down at the table beside me. He retook his seat, a can of Kupo-Kola now in hand, "Remind me again, what era we living in? Coulda sworn we'd left the Dark Ages behind a few centuries ago." My gaze rose to meet his, a wilted attempt at a smile tugging my lips. He cracked the can open with a satisfying fizz before taking a sip. "So then, what did you want?"
I frowned. "What did I…?"
"Say you'd flipped your folks the bird and done your own thing. What would you have majored in instead? If you'd even major in anything at all. Just… what did you want?"
My brow furrowed as I processed for a few heartbeats. "...I'm not sure, actually. Guess I never really thought about it." Then again, no one had ever really asked before. Not even me to myself.
He huffed out a laugh through his nose. "Sure ya have. Everyone has interests, dreams... and hey, you were a kid once. What did you wanna be when you grew up?"
"I…" Trailing off, I squinted towards the ceiling as if I'd somehow find what I was seeking somewhere up there. Unfortunately, no magical, clear-cut ceiling answers divining the secrets to my soul revealed themselves unto me. Drat.
What were my dreams and interests? Did I ever even have any? How pathetic was it that I had to ask myself that? That said however, my mind did strangely keep circling back around to that conversation I'd had with Rayne a few nights ago. I began slowly, "When I was younger, I… did like taking part in musicals. Nothing huge, mind you, just for school and summer camp, things like that."
"That's still something though!" he nodded, face lighting up as he took another swig before putting the soda down. "And didn't I tell ya you should get into singing?"
Eyelids drooping, I gave a tiny scoff. "It's nothing, just a stupid, childish fantasy. My parents were quick to squash any such silly notions as I grew older, saying no daughter of theirs was going to be a failed singer or two-bit actor who never made it. It's not a job that's suitable for-"
"But whoever said anything about turning it into a job?" he cut me off, tipping his head to one side. "I mean yeah, that's one option, but it could also just be a hobby. You know, for fun. You could take a class or something, just to check it out... they offer drama courses at my university. Oh, and I know a couple people from the local community theater, I could check with them for you! Why not give it a shot?"
I grimaced, one hand shifting to rub my elbow. "I don't know…" Being on a stage again, performing in front of an audience, just... all those people… the mere thought already had me feeling the chill of anxiety clawing its way up into my chest.
"Look, I'll talk to those theatre friends of mine and also get you a catalog for next semester's courses. No pressure, but just so you have the information, ya know, in case you get curious," he smiled.
...I guess it wouldn't hurt... And I had to admit, a teeny part of me was drawn to the idea. However, a much bigger part of me shriveled up in dread and made my stomach churn and knot up. "...thanks, but I don't think that's really-"
The loud, groaning creak of a door opening suddenly pierced the air. Lea paled as his head snapped over to the left towards the hallway, his eyes going round. Then he facepalmed and hissed out through grit teeth, "Fucking hell, not today!"
Puzzled at his reaction, I started to follow his gaze, "What are you-?"
His hand abruptly grabbed mine, immediately drawing my attention back to him as he whispered urgently, "Don't move. Don't even breathe."
What the…?
Despite my rising confusion, I did as I was told. I heard a slow thud, thud, thud of footsteps approaching, felt movement behind me as something brushed passed and kept lumbering along. Was that… Saïx? If so, why then did it feel like we were reenacting a scene from a Jurassic Park movie with him the T-Rex and we the scared humans trying to hide in plain sight by going stock-still? I heard the steady footfall muffle now, presumably by the living room rug which is where it'd sounded like he'd been heading. Lea relaxed a little and I took it as a sign for me to do the same, now tentatively turning in my seat to glance over my shoulder.
Across the room stood a man with his back to us. He was tall, but I think Lea still may have had him beat by an inch or two. Long blue hair fell down well past his shoulder blades, bangs a chaotic mess on top - most likely bedhead if, like Lea suggested, the guy had been sleeping all day. A black tank top hugged his torso with grey camo sweatpants beneath it and feet bare. He'd come to a stop directly in front of the far wall and was now just… staring at it.
Knitting my eyebrows together, I whispered, "What's he doing?"
Still keeping his voice down as well, Lea said, "Sleepwalking. Something he's done all his life, but it's been months since the last episode, so I was hoping we'd be in the clear today."
"Oh." I cocked my head. "...shouldn't we wake him?"
"No," he said quickly and with as much emphasis as he could muster in his hushed tone. "He goes totally berserk if you do. Believe me, it is not pretty. Best just to stay out of his way and let him do his thing. He usually only wanders about for a few minutes before he heads back to his bed. Just-"
He hastily cut himself off as Saïx chose that second to whip around and face us. His eyes were closed and between them, a faded scar in the shape of an X slashed across the bridge of his nose. Lea's hand still on mine, I felt his grip tighten as Saïx started ambling in our direction. "Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," I barely heard Lea chanting under his breath, watching Saïx like a hawk as he drew ever nearer.
He came to a lurching halt once more, this time next to the dining chair across the table from us. Lea scowled at him, muttering, "You're gonna do it, aren't you, you slumbering jackass? You're gonna play musical goddamn chairs." As if on cue, Saïx pulled out the seat and sat down. Watching him, it was almost eerie the way he seemed to look directly at us even though his eyes remained shut the whole time. A second later, he was rising again and moving counterclockwise towards the next chair closer to me. As he plopped down once more, Lea growled, "Damn it, of course. Of. Fucking. Course you are, you big, dumb, sleep deprived- shit, move!"
Lea leapt to his feet, yanking me up and out of my chair with him just as Saïx was about to yet again take a seat, this time on top of me. Lea backed up a few steps towards the kitchen island, me still in tow and our fingers now interlaced, his other hand miming pulling a zipper over his lips to me while his unblinking gaze never left his brother. A few seconds ticked by before Saïx was up and on the move again, his knee banging into Lea's chair, making the redhead cringe slightly. However, this only seemed to give Saïx pause for a beat before it too was sat upon.
I felt a tug on my arm and Lea started pulling me along, gingerly sidling over to circle the table in an attempt to put it between us and Saïx as we watched him stand back up and move onto the next seat. Then the next. And the next. He did this a few more times, with us all the while continuing to sneak around so as to stay opposite of him. At last, he seemed to lose interest in the dining area, turning his back to it and making his way into the kitchen.
Lea's eyes darted over to his bedroom door. Then to where Saïx had disappeared behind a column. Then back and forth a few more times. Then he murmured, "C'mon. My room. He always stays outta there."
I reached for the textbook with my free hand, "Just give me a sec to-"
"No time, leave it!" he hissed, making a run for it, giving me little choice but to stumble after him or be dragged. We were almost there, his door was just a few more feet away, but then-
"Motherfu-" Lea quietly choked out as Saïx reemerged from the kitchen directly into our path. Immediately putting on the brakes, his feet scrabbled and skidded until he had shifted into reverse and backed up against the square column at the end of the kitchen island, yanking me backwards with him. He flattened himself against the surface and I did the same as Saïx shambled by hardly centimeters in front of us. Saïx then came to a stop once more, this time taking up post in the small corridor right smack dab in front of Lea's room.
Lea released a barely audible sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then, still maintaining a whisper, "Bad Saïx! Bad!" He flicked his hand in his roomie's direction a couple times, "Shoo! Shoo!"
Saïx, seemingly unperturbed, didn't budge.
...this had to be… without a doubt, hands down… the weirdest social visit I'd ever been to.
Another minute passed of Lea unsuccessfully trying to persuade Saïx to get lost. Finally however, he did decide to move… straight towards us.
"Crap." Still leading me by the hand, Lea bolted around the corner and back into the dinette. The table, the chairs, the island, everything blurred past us. It was all happening so fast and before I knew it, Lea was jerking me into a hiding spot with him. And where, one might wonder, might that be?
Do the words 'itty bitty pantry space' ring any bells?
This, at least, solved one mystery. Lea could, in fact, fit in here. Not only that, there was even enough space left over for one (1) awkward Elsa to go in there with him. It was however, hrm... a rather tight squeeze, to say the least.
"This door opening in is really shit design," Lea grumbled, back pressed against said door and unable to close it as there was, quite simply, not enough room to do so. Not with us in the way anyhow.
He'd released my hand by now and I currently stood opposite him, my own spine uncomfortably pressing into the shelves of canned goods behind me. The gap between us was virtually non-existent to the point where every breath I took had my chest brushing up against his. Of course, that cinnamon scent of his that I was becoming oh so familiar with at this point was present and accounted for, invading my senses. And was it just me or was it getting a bit on the warm side in here? Poor ventilation. That had to be it. Yup.
I had no idea where to look. His face? Out of the question! Not in here, not this up close and personal, nope, nu-uh! I'd just have to settle for what was right in front of my nose.
Why good day, Mr Man Boob! We really have to stop meeting like this. Still looking as stately as ever, I see… wait! Oh gosh! What am I doing? I can't be staring at his frigging man boobs! That's just… just so unseemly! ...or is it? Is it technically okay for me to get an eyeful of man boob? If so, well that's a bit of a double standard now, isn't it? Better to be on the safe side and shift over to your charming neighbor here.
Hello there, Mr Bicep! Looking real good, real fit… have you been working out? Well whatever it is, it's doing wonders because let me tell you, you look nice enough to-
...ahem, readjusting focus once again, now landing on, um... Mr Collarbone! Yeah, Mr Collarbone here seemed innocent and harmless enough.
I think.
Clearing my throat, I asked, "So… he doesn't ever come in here during one of his episodes, right?"
"Never." I heard some shifting that I think was his head turning to look out the door, where there had yet to be any further movement. "...almost never."
"...how reassuring."
And silence reigned once again. This was so uncomfortable. I was dying. Come on, Elsa, say something else! Anything to break the stifling awkwardness! Say something… something nice! Yeah, like a compliment! Tell him… what a lovely home he has! No, too generic. Comment on the… smallness of his food closet! No no, jeez, that wasn't even a compliment. Point out the… stateliness of his man boobs! …oh dear god, no! Dang it, Elsa, why are you so bad at this?!
"So, uh... what's a nice girl like you doing in a pantry like this?"
I blinked. Then, somehow, I finally found the courage to look up at him. He said nothing else, just gave me a tiny half-grin and a wink. And just like that, all that tension inside me cracked, shattered, and started to melt. Slowly but surely, a smile stretched at my lips and I gave a soft snort.
How did he do it? How did Lea always seem to know just what to say to put me at ease?
Shaking my head, I murmured, "I bet you use that line on all the ladies."
He hummed a low chuckle and made no other reply, just continued to stare down the few inches that separated us. Gosh, his eyes really were just the most beautiful shade of green, weren't they? Out of the corner of my peripheral, I saw his hand slowly rising until it hovered just beside my cheek. There he paused… hesitated… and then-
Clunk!
A sudden noise from outside and his hand had seized my shoulder tightly while his other shot up, pressing an index finger to his lips. I nodded and we both peered out into the dining room, waiting. We heard Saïx before we saw him, that very distinctive thud, thud, thud of his footsteps drawing nearer. Then he plodded into view, pulling to a stop right outside the doorway and just stood there. Neither of us moved a muscle, remaining frozen like statues and holding our breaths as we watched and silently prayed.
After what felt like an eternity but in reality was probably only ten seconds, he started walking again, lumbering off out of our line of sight. We both exhaled and slumped, listening to his footfall fade. Then there was the blessed sound of a door creaking open followed by it clicking shut.
"Is that it?" I asked hopefully, voice still a whisper.
"Should be." He cautiously poked his head out to look around. "I mean, sometimes he gets crafty for a sleeping dude and will just open and close doors without going through them, but it's rare."
Good enough for me! I slipped out of the pantry and crossed the dinette, coming to a halt next to the sofa where I started to stretch a bit. Ahh, taste that sweet, sweet air of freedom! Whew, I had been starting to get a bit claustrophobic in-
"Look out!"
At Lea's warning, I spun around. Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the apartment, there Saïx was again, heading straight for me!
And I, being the total dummy that I am, decided to pick the absolute worst time (aka now) to have a total deer in the headlights moment. My body was just not responding. Hello, legs? Anyone home? Now would be a really great time to jump out of the way! ...huh. No reply. Feet? Come in, feet, old buddies old pals! Saïx's getting real close here so if you could just, ya know, get a move on, that'd be swell! ...radio silence from that corner too. Well shoot, I thought as I squeezed my eyes shut, I guess this was it. The end of the road. The final curtains. Goodbye, cruel world. So long, and thanks for all the-
An abrupt force suddenly barreled into me from the side, pushing me out of Saïx's path at the last second and sending me tumbling over the arm of the couch where my back hit the seat cushions, decorative pillows flying everywhere. As my brain scrambled to catch up, I gradually became aware of the fact that there was a large weight on top of me, pinning me down. Warily, I peeked one eye open. Then the other. Then I blinked once. Twice. Then my face erupted into an inferno.
Because that weight on top of me? I'd figured out what it was. Or rather, who it was.
Lea.
He must have thrown himself at me, knocking us both out of the way of danger and onto the sofa. And thus why he could now be found hovering over me, his hands on my wrists, holding them down to either side of my head as he propped himself up, his hips resting between my legs. His head was currently turned to the left as he watched over the backrest of the couch, probably tracking Saïx's movements. So engrossed was he in this that I don't think he was aware of the rather compromising position we were in right now.
Unlike me, who was very, very aware.
I just stared up at him, unable to move, unable to think. My face grew hotter and hotter by the minute as my heart thundered in my ears. My breath hitched and my mouth grew dry. But the weird part? I… wasn't panicking. Oh sure, all the classic signs of panic were there, but that wasn't it. That wasn't what I was feeling. What was it then? This strange, alien emotion I felt invading my chest as I gazed up at him, making me feel all…
...kind of, sort of warm and fuzzy?
...wait.
This wasn't-
I wasn't-
Dear lord, it couldn't be I-
"There!" Lea puffed out a sigh, his shoulders sagging in relief. "I actually saw him go back into his room just now, so we should be safe for real this time. Sorry 'bout all th-" The words died in his throat as now, at long last, he looked down at me. And you could all but hear the click in his brain. He froze, eyes wide. There was a long stretch where neither of us said or did anything. Then abruptly, "Shit, s-sorry!" He quickly released my wrists, shooting up onto his knees and hastily crossing his arms, jamming his hands into his armpits. "I didn't mean to- That is, I- This was just- This isn't how it-"
In his rush to stand, he slipped and fell off the couch, banging his head against the coffee table. I gasped, sitting up and reaching for him, "Are you okay?"
In a flash he was back on his feet, rubbing the fresh sore spot and blurting out, "Yup, no, I'm good! Just dandy! Just a small concussion, no biggie, nothing a bandaid or-" once again, the coffee table got the better of him and he stumbled backwards over it. He managed to catch himself however and chuckled weakly, "Heh… who put that stupid thing there? Anyway, I'll just go, uh, get myself patched up... in the bathroom! Yeah, be right back!" And with that, he practically blurred across the apartment and straight into the restroom, slamming the door shut behind him.
...well then.
I think that answered that.
Mission Not A Crush.
Because I think we can all agree now that Lea clearly and quite obviously…
...did not have a crush on me.
I mean, come on, did you see the guy? He couldn't get away from me fast enough! All but tripping over himself to put as much distance between the two of us as he could. Probably desperate not to give me the wrong idea. Well message received, loud and clear.
However, this did complicate things a bit now though.
Because even though he didn't have a crush on me…
...I was now pretty sure I had a crush on him.
Author's Notes: Ahhh, this chapter… in which it's probably never been made more clear how really bad Elsa is at reading social cues from others xD Also, always love me a good ol' "hey, look, we're trapped in a tiny cramped space together" scene, that's my crack yo :3 But on another note, now Elsa's gone and done it… she caught feelings, the lil fool! Something she's never had to deal with before, so this should be fun xD Minor Fun Fact: Saïx's middle name in this is Isa, just like how Lea is technically our redhead's middle name as well. But unlike Lea, Saïx actually likes his first name so that's what he goes by. And we'll have a real appearance from Saïx in later chapters, not just sleepwalking zombie Saïx xP Another Minor Fun Fact: the stuff about the chainsaw was supposed to be a reference to Saïx's claymore from the video games - chainsaw is just the closest thing I could come up with xD And for those unfamiliar with this bit from the manga, there's a point where Saïx attacks Axel with his claymore and leaves him wounded right where Lea's scar is in this chapter, so another teeny lil reference, weeeee! Another ANOTHER Minor Fun Fact: Lea's outfit, if you didn't recognize it, was based on his outfit at the end of KH3! Elsa's outfit… was not based on anything, it just sounded like something I thought she'd look cute in xD Also this chapter marks the start of me regretting a little bit making this story only Elsa's POV. I mean, how fun would it be to write all the things going through Lea's head right about now? xD Alas, I'll just have to leave that up to your imaginations, dear readers!
Next chapter, what will Elsa do with these new fledgling emotions of hers? Is it really a crush? Or is she simply confused in all the whirlwind of excitement that just happened? Will Lea ever pass his exam? COULD the derivative of F evaluated at X as H approaches zero actually BE Bueno Volcano? Stay tuned!
Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!
FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER
#kingdom hearts#frozen#elsa#axel#fanfiction#lea#fanfic#kingdom hearts fanfiction#frozen fanfiction#kh fanfiction#kh fanfic#frozen fanfic#kingdom hearts fanfic#axelsa#fluff#romcom#slow burn#kh3#my writing#ice cream and fire oven pizza#rare pair#crossover pairing#humor#snark
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Thing About Insomnia
Word Count: 1051
Characters: Thomas Sanders (Character), Virgil (Either platonic or romantic whatever floats your canoe ^~^)
Summary: Virgil and insomnia are well antiquated no matter how much Virgil would love to just freaking sleep. However, things are a little different than usual now that he’s been accepted.
The worst thing about insomnia was probably the fact that literally the only thing he wanted to do was sleep. It wasn’t exactly what Virgil would call a fun experience; his vision went sporadically blurry, his balance was nonexistent, the thought of food was absolutely sickening and social interaction became increasingly more daunting than usual. Especially now that the others actually expected him to interact with them. He wanted to be careful to not annoy them more than he had to and he knew he wasn’t exactly pleasant on a regular day. And Virgil when sleep deprived was the textbook definition of a nightmare.
So the obvious course of action when Virgil was in the middle of an insomniac spell where even his normal 2-3 hours eluded him was to retreat into his room, laying in complete darkness until he got so frustrated that he scrolled through Tumblr, where he could blame the strain of his eyes on the bright screen of his phone. It was during these times when he smeared more black under his eyes in an effort to match his bags, where even his white foundation didn’t match his skin.
But, as much as he wanted to stay in his room until he finally just fucking collapsed from exhaustion, it seems he wasn’t afforded even that luxury as he felt that all too familiar tug summoning him out of the mindscape. Virgil closed his eyes as he rose up feeling more nauseous than usual at the disorienting feeling. When he wasn’t immediately assaulted by Roman’s boisterous laughter or Patton’s puns or even Logan’s shuffling through flashcards he squinted his eyes open. Thomas gave a little wave, eyes holding their usual brightness and Virgil minutely relaxed at the sight of the smiling man.
“Hey, what’s up? There’s not like a life threatening situation going on right? ‘Cause that’s way too much work for me on a Tuesday. Or did you need me to walk you through your latest mistakes because buddy we got some things to talk about like who thinks tha-” Virgil noticed Thomas’ smile faltered halfway through
“Oh God, the life-threatening was supposed to be a joke, what happened? Did you trip in front of people? Did you lose your editing process? Oh fuck did you kill someone? Or-” Virgil was cut off by a shake of Thomas’s head.
“No no nothing like that. No one’s dead and the videos are fine, I promise.” Thomas placated.
“Then what’s with the kicked puppy look?” Thomas bit his lip.
“It’s just- It’s not Tuesday Virgil it’s Saturday.”
Virgil started.
“No, it’s definitely Tuesday… you just had to do-you went-Oh fuck it’s not Tuesday is it?” Thomas took a step closer. “But that doesn’t make any sense? What did we even do yesterday I don’t-” Virgil slumped forward, mouth dry and vision blurred, a ringing in his ears. When he could actually open his eyes again he found himself on the floor with his head looking up at his host’s frantic expression.
“-gil… Virgil...Virgil!” Thomas’s voice gradually became clearer. As Virgil’s eyes met his, Thomas visibly relaxed. “Hey buddy,” He smoothed Virgil’s bangs back, but rested his palm on his forehead. “Scared me for a second there. How are you feeling?” Virgil groaned and tried to push himself up. Thomas braced a hand on his back. “Whoa there, take it easy for a second.”
“I’m fine.” Virgil grumbled, blinking harshly as he tried to get the black spots in his vision to disappear.
“Ah right, totally forgot that you passing out is completely normal my bad.”
“When did you get so sarcastic. That’s my job.”
“Too bad. Now, care to explain why my anxiety decided to become one with the floor?” Virgil threw an arm over his eyes.
“Maybe the floor is my new home. Didn’t think about that, did you?”
“That doesn’t even make sen-hey! No distracting me, seriously Virge what’s going on, work with me here. Or do I need to call Patton? ‘Cause I will don’t test me-”
“No!” Virgil blurted, “I mean, don’t call him. It’s nothing, my brain just can’t shut up but really what else is new. It’s literally so stupid that when I actually want to just lay down and sleep I just fucking can’t.” He raised his hands to tug at his hair. “I mean why would the one thing that I want to actually happen be something I can get because of course fuckin-” Virgil was cut off as he was tugged forward and found himself in a hug. As he sputtered, Thomas wrapped one arm around his back and used the other to rest Virgil’s head on his chest.
“What the actual hell do you think you’re doing?” He grumbled, struggling slightly but the warmth his host provided seemed to make him even more lethargic.
“Sounds like you need to not be moving around for a little bit buddy.” Virgil closed his eyes.
“That’s the problem- I can’t stop. I have shit to do.” Virgil would deny that his voice cracked till Thomas’s dying die but he was just so fucking tired.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. How about we both just lie down for a bit huh? Watch a movie or something so there’s no stress. I always like spending time with you Virge and for once we’re not behind on anything so we can just vegetate for a while.” Without waiting for a response from his anxiety, Thomas hefted Virgil up to the couch and sat down next to him, covering them both with a blanket. “How does Lilo and Stitch sound?” Virgil gave a small shrug and tried to focus on the movie but Thomas was just so warm and the lights had been turned off and the blanket was soft and it was pretty hard to be concerned when he could feel his Host’s heartbeat next to him. He probably wouldn’t sleep but at least he could rest his eyes right? If nothing else it wasn’t so bad to be here he supposed.
And if later Thomas happened to look over and see his anxiety’s eyes closed and breathing even, well, no one had to know if he turned down the volume even more and tugged Virgil a little closer, closing his eyes himself.
Hiya! This is just a little drabble thing I made in like an hour. I know its been done many times before but what can I say-I crave affectionate interactions. I think this might be a 5+1 thing but honestly I don’t know. Anyways, hope ya enjoyed!
#sanders sides#thomas sanders#virgil sanders#cursing#virgil curses#guys im so tired#have fun#fluff#insomnia#how does one tag#fic#i tried#^~^
7 notes
·
View notes
Text
▸ pairing: daehwi x reader.
▸ genre: best friends to lovers au. fluff.
▸ warnings: none.
▸ word count: 1.8k
✎ — synopsis: you lost your textbook and the only person you can borrow one from was your best friend. but you got bored in class and starts doodling all over his book.
✎ — a/n: so this is my first actual? fic post on tumblr uwu. tbh i was pretty intimidated by a lot of things while writing this but i thoroughly enjoyed the process so i hope you like it!
panic. panic was the only thing you felt. you paced around your room, desperately trying to find your chemistry textbook, but to no avail.
the first thing you thought of was to phone your best friend, who you didn’t know if it was lucky or not that he was in a different class from you.
unlucky because you can’t goof around in class.
lucky because now you can scream for his help.
after much persuasion, he agreed. on a condition that his textbook returns to him with zero alternations. which meant no ripped pages or corners, no highlighting or pencil marks, and no spilling of coffee.
you swiftly agreed to his conditions and gave him a virtual hug through your phone screen. quickly, you packed your bag, glad that the frenzied search for your chemistry textbook is over.. for now.
when you arrived at the school, daehwi was already waiting for you at your locker, arms hugging the 5 kilograms worth of paper. you walked over to him, held out your arms, and wrapped him in a big hug. thanking him for letting you borrow his textbook.
you hurriedly rushed to your chemistry classroom as the class had already started. the professor wrote a reference page on the board and you quickly opened daehwi’s textbook to find the page.
upon finding the passage, you took notice of how neat and clean your best friend’s book was. nothing was out of place; pencil marks and highlighted sentences. ruler-lined tables and scaled diagrams. every single thing was for the benefit of his study.
you looked back up at the professor, he was talking about something to do with acids and alkaline. you have no interest in chemistry, only taking it as your parents have told you to.
basically. class was boring.
so you instinctively whipped out your pencil case, grabbed your favourite pencil, and started doodling on daehwi’s book; already forgetting about the initial promise. various small images started to decorate the white spots on the page, slowly being filled with pencil sketches of unicorns, dinosaurs, flowers and even slices of cake. as you giggled at your failed drawing of a penguin, the bell rang, signalling the end of the period.
you slowly walked to the cafeteria, hoping to avoid the crowds who were pining for the last melon bun. it’s always hellish when recess starts, students and staff alike rushing to the cafe hoping to get a single muffin.
you went to your usual table, hand still holding daehwi’s textbook. you took out your phone, wanting to call him to tell him where you were. but before you could hit dial, you felt a gentle tug on your ponytail. you turned around and there he was. smiling at you like you were the sun itself. you could feel your cheek burn crimson from the mischievous gesture, clearing your throat, you looked at daehwi. with a playful glint in your eyes before shutting them and crossing your arms.
“you shouldn’t do that to a lady you know.” upon hearing this. daehwi froze in his spot, hoping he didn’t offend you. you looked at his stance through your eyelashes, seeing how tense he was, you relaxed your expression and chuckled. daehwi took this as a sign that he was in the clear.
“daehwi. you didn’t do anything wrong, i was just joking with you.” you sighed out, still amazed at how seemingly wonderful your acting skills were. maybe you should consider dropping chemistry and take drama instead.
“okay good. i genuinely thought you would dislike me…” he mumbled the last part under his breath, hoping you wouldn’t catch it. but little did he know, you have perfect hearing. so you did hear everything he said and you felt your blood rushing to your face once again.
after a short period of silence. you looked back at the book that was still in your arms, completely forgetting the reason why you had planned to phone him in the first place. so you awkwardly stood in front of daehwi and handed him the textbook. honestly speaking, this scene felt like the cliched love letter scene. except its a chemistry textbook and not a confession letter.
seemingly lost in thought, daehwi was slightly shocked at the sudden movement from you, only to reveal his chemistry textbook in your hands.
after seeing his reaction to your seems-like-a-love-confession-but-its-not attempt at returning his textbook, you couldn’t hold it in anymore and started laughing out loud. scaring an already frightened daehwi.
“um.. y/n..? is there something wrong? are you okay?” your laugh continues to escape from your lungs, though you wanted to hold it in.
“no. i’m.. fine.. totally. yeah, i’m fine.” you said through your obnoxiously loud laugh.
you then looked at daehwi again, your gaze asking him why he isn’t taking his textbook back telepathically. and he understood you, so he walked closer to you and took the weight off your arms.
you sighed in contempt, before uttering a small “finally”. after that, you both parted ways, going back to your designated classrooms. him to chemistry and you to maths.
little did you know. after daehwi sat in his classroom, the first thing he did was open the book.
and he was shocked.
no it wasn't because of the amount of doodles that covered the white spots of the paper. but rather, the subject of these doodles. he looked through his use-to-be-pristine textbook and compared it to whatever it was now. nothing but clean. every white space he could find, he would see one of your pencil doodles. unicorns, ice-cream cones, rainbows, dolphins, and even penguins were sprawled out on his book. a new universe on each page. he knew you had always kept your childish side inside yourself, not willing to let it go nor show it to others. it might be weird, but he felt proud knowing you trusted him enough to doodle all over his textbook.
he smiled to himself. he liked it. he liked how deep you were willing to let him in, how much you trusted him. he liked how your eyes sparkle looking at waffles, he liked how a slight brush of your hand against his would send his heart flying out of him, and most importantly, he loved how oblivious you were to his obvious crush on you.
daehwi wants to tell you. he really wanted to be able to just man up and confess how he truly feels, but his brain always find ways to stop him from doing so. multiple times he was so close, but he couldn't. and he regretted it, so so much.
now, the both of you are stuck in the same relationship of "best friends". everyone around you could see how in love both of you were. you don't show it as much, but it's pretty obvious how head over heels daehwi is for you.
he let out a sigh, looking back at the bulk of paper in front of him. the class continues as usual, not understanding the running contradictions inside daehwi's head as he sat in his spot, flicking through the pages to study your adorable additions to his once boring book.
class went by quickly while he was looking at your markings on the paper and he quickly packed up when the bell rang. he had the widest grin on his face and he couldn't wipe it off. not that he was complaining.
you noticed daehwi walk out of his classroom, and naturally, you waited for him to slowly make his way towards you. you glanced at him, not wanting him to see you eyeing him. it wasn't unusual for him to be bubbly and happy, but you've never seen such a wide and genuine grin plastered on his face before. you felt a little sad, not knowing you were the reason for his smile.
"y/n."
you slightly flinched at his voice, it was gentle but demanding at the same time. you slowly turned around in an almost cartoon way, he saw your hesitation and smiled at you, letting you know that he was not angry.
"i really wish you would tell me that you liked doodling. and its ice-cream and unicorns and rainbows too..." you casted your gaze towards the floor, slightly ashamed at your choice of subject. but daehwi wasn't mad at you, he was far from that. he was enchanted by how your heart held on to these fantasies and lively colors, unlike his which was black and white until you came into his life.
"i'm sorry..." your voice was barely above a whisper. daehwi continued to silently gaze at you, not saying a single thing. you looked up at him, eyes glazed over with forming tears. immediately, that sent daehwi into a panic. he rushed to you, trapping you in a bear hug.
"shh... don't cry. i don't want to see you cry. i only ever want to see you smile." daehwi whispered in your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. daehwi slightly parted from you, creating some space in between the two of you, and moved his hand up to caress your face to look into your glossy round orbs. he could see his reflection in your eyes and he saw how worried he looked. well, what can he say? he is worried.
he cleared his throat to hopefully gain some confidence in what he was about to do. you noticed his not-so-usual actions and looked up at him, arms still wrapped around his waist, waiting for him to say something.
"y/n? can you listen to me for a moment?" you nodded your head and hummed, hoping that it would help him get whatever he wanted to say out of him. daehwi took another deep breath, threading his fingers in your hair, and opened his mouth to speak his mind.
"the little drawings you did in my textbook is still totally uncalled for." you looked at him in the eyes, pretending to be offended by his words. he gave you a look and you retreated back into your right of course, we made a deal whoops expression.
after a couple of seconds had gone by again, daehwi continued his unfinished statement. "but i loved it, just like how i love you." he said the second part in the tiniest font and you looked at him, shocked that this kind of cheesiness came out of his mouth. at this, you felt your face heating up again as small droplets of water rolled down your cheeks. before daehwi could even open his mouth to ask what happened, you got onto your toes and pecked him on the lips.
"i love you too, daehwi."
daehwi was visibly flushed at the sudden contact, but he recovered quickly, pulling you close once again to indulge in your hug. the both of you had completely forgotten that you were in the middle of the school cafeteria as loud cheers were heard, shocking you as they congratulated the new couple.
✎ — masterlist
#daehwi#ab6ix#daehwi scenarios#daehwi imagines#ab6ix scenarios#ab6ix imagines#lee daehwi#ab6ix daehwi#ab6ix fluff#kpop scenarios#kpop imagines#g:fluff#m:daehwi#!#!full
67 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ivity and Anx: part fourteen
Summary: Virgil listends to the song that Princey posted in his living room. Things go to hell.
Warnings: accidental self isolation, breif mention of migraines, parental abuse, attempt of muder, a knife, self-blame, self-depreciation, guilt
Word count: 5130
Pairing: Slowburn Prinxiety, lots of platonic Analogical
A/N: HI I RECORDED A SONG FOR THIS PART AND I’M SHAKING. Anyways listen to this song which is a recording of the song that Princey sings. But with my voice. And yes, I made Roman have the same guitar as I do because I’m emoTIONALLY ATTACHED okay? The video is bad, but just pretty please listen to it and read the chapter or both at once I don’t know. If you know how it sounds it gives the words a bit more meaning than just random poetry. Anyways. This chapter is very emotionally taxing and sad. It made several beta readers cry. Good luck. Taglist under the cut.
masterlist
Taglist: @rileyfirstname @verymuchanidiot @definentlynotjustanotherlemon @silversmith-91 @kanejandkruge @sander-fander-sides @lovecrazyjennybear @the-incedible-sulk @hexdream18243 @crows-with-hats @monikastec @definenormalifyoucan @i-am-absolute-fandom-trash @applecannibal @cats-with-blogs @bubblycricket @witchcraft--and--wizardry @bunnyartie @quietlypondering @elusivefalsehoods @hghrules @royallyanxious @quietwords-loudthoughts @squishynonbinarytwink @sortablue @illogical-anxieties @savingshae @a-fander-named-skittles @thelowlysatsuma @ughthatsprettygay @im-so-infinitesimal @certifiedtrashxx @karmels-stuff @littlelogicstillcounts @musicqueen1239 @nicological1 @the-average-loner
Today had been a long day, but that wasn’t unusual. Long days were a common thing for Logan since he moved into his college dorm, but that was mostly his fault. Classes hadn’t started yet, for either Logan or his friends going into their junior year, but that didn’t mean that Logan hadn’t started studying yet. The seventeen-almost-eighteen year old would spend several hours a day at the library, reading his textbooks and teaching himself the material for the classes to come. He also kept detailed and clean notes, something that made him happy.
His notes served a few purposes for Logan. It was a way to destress, it let out his creativity in a productive way, it helped him remember what he studied, and it provided him something to put on his Tumblr along with his bullet journal. He had what was called a studyblr, and was fairly popular. When he followed Virgil without telling him what his blog was, the younger nearly had a heart attack.
Logan’s pen stopped in the middle of the sentence he was writing. Virgil. He hadn’t talked to the younger in a while, which honestly scared him. The two used to be inseparable, considering that both were on the outskirts of the social game. Logan was always diving into books, and Virgil was always avoiding people at all costs. Now, though, with Logan off at college and burying himself in his books again, the two weren’t talking as much. Come to think of it, he hadn’t talked to Patton in a while. That was an oddity as well, since the excitable man loved talking to him. Logan loved talking to him. The college student felt a dip in his stomach, probably because of guilt. He was so busy studying at the library that he had begun to forget his friends.
A text tone interrupted the classical music streaming through his headphones, making him pause. A light of hope flickered inside his mind, because just maybe, it was one of his friends deciding to break the silence. He didn’t even realize how much he missed them these past few months until now.
Patton Heart <3: Hey Logan! I think you probably should check this out. It’s totally about Virgil, but you know more about the situation then I do.
After the first text, Patton sent with it a link to a video on YouTube. Logan was certainly confused, but once he clicked the link to preview the video, he understood. Roman posted a video, most likely unedited, of a song about Virgil.
Logos Brain: Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will alert Virgil.
How have you been, Patton? I apologize for my momentary absence. I have been settling in here and regrettably forgot to talk.
Patton Heart <3: It’s okay!! I’m glad you’re settling in well. Make any friends?
Logos Brain: No one could replace you, Heart
Logan could not see, but Patton was flapping his arms everywhere at that comment. It gave him peace of mind knowing that Logan felt so strongly about him, even though he was known for not having any feelings. It made Patton warm and fuzzy inside, like most things that Logan said. What Logan could see, though, was his own phone pulling up Virgil’s contact and sending him the link to the video.
Pocket Protector: Virgil, Roman wrote a song about you. You may want to check it out.
Honorary Brother: Oh. Okay. Thank you Lo
Sorry we haven't been texting
Pocket Protector: Its my fault. I was neglecting my friends in favor of studying
Honorary Brother: This is why I usually am the buffer. Taking ten minute breaks every half an hour? For your head?
Pocket Protector: Yes, Virgil. I promise.
Virgil was usually the one causing Logan to worry, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t worry about him too. The elder had an skill for getting headaches after reading or concentrating for too long. If he let the headache go without treating it, there was a more than likely chance that he would get a migraine. If it got to that point, little would stop the pain, and the migraine would persist for hours, or even days. That’s why Virgil made Logan have the ten for thirty rule.
Virgil shifted on the couch, trying to get more comfortable as he clicked on the YouTube link. He knew it was Roman, but he didn’t know how he could write a song about him of all people and be able to pass it by the record label. As soon as the video loaded, though, Virgil understood.
The title of the video was ‘Psychic, an Original Song by Roman Prince’ and opened with Roman pulling his arm away from the camera. He was sitting in a mostly dark room, fairy lights behind him, with his guitar resting on his legs. His head was almost out of frame, but the bottom half of his face was visible. Virgil sucked in a breath as Roman started talking on the video.
“I just want to start out with saying that this video is currently in no way related to Vidomen Records or any of it’s associates. I actually just wrote this song like… ten minutes ago, but I just.... I need to get this out. So. This is called Psychic.” Roman’s voice was soft, spoken with care and in his lower register. Virgil suddenly became aware that he did not, in fact, have his headphones in, and was making a loud commotion in the living room by playing the video.
Be seen not heard. Or, better yet, don’t be fucking seen either, but don’t leave this house, ya hear? The booming echo of the memory of his father’s voice made a shiver fall down Virgil’s spine. He quickly turned down the volume as low as it could go without being off. He then put the phone up to his ear, closed his eyes, and listened to Roman’s smooth voice begin to sing.
It’s almost like he can read by thoughts
But I wish you could too
All these emotions and things inside
That I’m trying to get through to you.
Virgil’s heart plunged into his gut at the sheer emotion in the words that Roman sang. They were taken straight from Princey’s own heart, which made Virgil understand why he put the disclaimer at the beginning of the video. It was nothing like his usual, peppy, flamboyant songs. This song was pure Roman. Virgil held onto the phone harder as the slower chorus played through the small speakers.
If you could be inside my mind
Then I wouldn’t have to try
To put my pride aside
And tell you the truth
But the truth is hard to get out
When it falls on closed ears
So can you be psychic for me?
Can you be psychic for me?
Roman took another breath to continue singing, but Virgil’s phone was knocked away from him. Fear stabbed him in the heart and gripped his lungs to make it hard to breath. His eyes widened, adrenaline pumping through his veins as his father grabbed his wrist. He was pulled off the couch, tossed down to the floor.
Vaguely, he could hear Roman continue singing with, “I know that you’re terrified.”
“What did I tell you about making noise?” Virgil’s father growled as he stepped closer to his son, who was now on the floor.
A little ways away, Roman continued singing with, “Because you’ve been cast aside.”
“I-I’m sorry, sir.” Virgil started to stutter, but was stopped from further apology by a kick to his side. The fear inside his chest was pushing at his rib cage, almost begging to be released. It was pounding, hard and fast like nothing he had ever felt before. He didn’t understand the difference in this punishment. It had started out just like all the others, so why was his adrenaline at an all time high? Why was he so scared, but not of the man leaning over him?
“Tell me what I told you!” the father figure yelled, his fists clenching as he stepped on Virgil’s wrist.
In the distance, Roman finished the chorus with, “Your feelings were twisted for fun. Words like bullets from my gun.”
It was at this moment that Virgil finally came to a screeching halt. Roman’s voice flowed into his ears as he sang the bridge again, somehow becoming louder with every passing second. Everything around him dimbed, the loudness of his father screaming his sentence again diminishing as his ears started ringing. The world was starting to go into some sort of slow motion, allowing Virgil to rethink over the decision that his mind had already made the moment that the phone was slapped out of his hand. Now he realised why this time was different. This time, he had Roman’s voice with him, a voice that he had once hated but learned to love. It was the soft tone that the singer used to comfort the other on those late night calls, and it was with him in this moment. This time was different because Roman unintentionally just accidently gave him hope. He didn’t understand why the lying boy would write this song, but it struck a chord inside Virgil. He didn’t register the dryness of his mouth or the pain in his wrist. All Virgil could think about was the word stuck in his throat, leaning off the tip of his tongue.
“No.”
“What?” Virgil’s father took a step back in shock. He hadn’t heard that word pass from his son’s lips since before his mother died. “What the fuck did you say?’”
“I said,” Virgil sat up from the floor, his hand finding his phone that was still playing the song and placing it in his back pocket. He was standing now, straightening his back with a slight bit of pain to be taller than his father. He was working on auto pilot, the world still fuzzy. “No.”
Thanks to the odd sensation of not actually being in his body that Virgil was experiencing, everything that followed was a blur. There were loud words, dodged punches, and spit flying everywhere. That much was processed in his head. Virgil was vaguely aware that he was also yelling, but what of, he didn’t have a solid grip. The words passing off his tongue felt like he was calling his dad out about being a drunk, and calling him out on how he treated his own son, but he couldn’t be exactly sure.
Before Virgil could acknowledge it, he had screamed his throat raw. His father’s eyes were glaring daggers at him, wide and seething. He could only see red. Virgil, on the other hand, was coming back down to earth, and the hope in his stomach was washing away. Every ounce of confidence that may had been left fully disappeared when his father reached over the kitchen counter. He didn’t realize that they had moved so close to the kitchen in their fighting, and Virgil was going to pay for that.
Mr. Sanders drew his hand back, revealing a long silver kitchen knife. Virgil’s heart rate suddenly skyrocketed, his hands beginning to shake even more than they were. His father took a step closer, which made Virgil take a step back.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t- I didn’t mean…” His eyes were glued onto the knife. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry won’t fucking cut it,” His father was advancing quicker. He adjusted his grip on the knife. “You need to be taught a lesson.”
Virgil attempted to back away again, but instead fumbled over the couch. His back hit the cushions, but he was immediately attempting to scramble away. His father was still approaching with some sort of sick gleam in his eyes. Was this his plan all along? To get him to fight back, only to stab his chest to hear him scream and see the light leave his eyes? Did he hate him that much, that he’d kill him? Virgil fell off the couch, too caught up in the dark thoughts to notice the end of the sofa. The floor came up too quickly, and suddenly he was eating carpet. He heard his dad snicker behind him, dark and menacing. This was too much, this was too much and Virgil could not take it.
Somehow, he managed to get up off the floor. It was messy and ungraceful, but he grabbed his hoodie laying on the ground while getting up from the floor. With his hoodie in hand, and his phone in his back pocket, now all he had to do was get the fuck out of the apartment. Of course, Mr. Sanders had other plans than to let his son escape that easily. He follows Virgil menacingly, the glint in his eye growing as he started to raise the knife.
“I’ve been too lenient to you. It’s time you get what you deserve.” he said, looking at the knife and looking toward his son. Virgil’s vision swarmed in and out, his breathing all but stopped.
The next few moments would stay in Virgil’s mind the rest of his days. They played out in slow motion, frame by frame, as it happened.
Mr. Sanders lunged quite quickly, but it didn’t feel quick at all. Virgil eyed the knife, sharp and threatening, as it darted toward his chest. Before he could think, Virgil began to turn to the side, his eyes never leaving the intentional divits in the glinting silver. As he was trying to get away from the plunging knife, Virgil put his arms out in front of him. While he turned, his arms did too, which was both a good thing and a bad thing. The knife missed its mark on Virgil’s chest, but it still sliced through his upper arm. A small scream ripped from Virgil’s throat as it did so, but he pressed on. Since his arms were moving forward as he twisted, the knife was pressed deeper into his arm. But after it passed through his flesh, Virgil’s arms connected with his father’s body and pushed away.
Afterward, time sped up.
Virgil was running. His breathing was quick, coming in bigger gasps then before. He fumbled with the door for only a moment before it was open and he was running. He was going down the concrete stairs ten times faster than he usually did, only bent on getting away from the apartment. He needed to get away, even though he knew that he would eventually have to return. But for tonight, he ran like there was no tomorrow.
That was, at least, until his panic driven state began to wash away. His lungs burned, as did his legs, but at least he was away. Virgil took a second to gauge where he was. Upon looking around, he concluded that he was in Logan’s neighborhood. His legs must have carried him here due to muscle memory. Virgil thought that was okay for the moment until he realized something very important. Logan was not here. Without Logan, Virgil had no one. And, now that the fight or flight response had eased up, he just realized how much pain his arm was in.
So Virgil did the only thing he knew how to do: call Logan.
Once seated semi-comfortably on a bench in the neighborhood park nearby, Virgil attempted to pull his jacket on to attempt to keep the chill of night at bay. He took out his phone and sighed. More cracks had formed when he fell over the couch.
“Please still fucking work.” Virgil pushed the button to unlock his phone and let out a sigh of relief when it still turned on. He went to Logan’s contact number and hit the call button.
Logan picked up after two rings. “Good evening, Virgil.”
“Hey Lo.”
Logan could hear in Virgil’s voice that he was crashing from the adrenaline. “Is everything alright?”
Virgil considered lying for a moment. He knew that Logan could read him like a book, even over the phone, so he decided against it. “No. It’s not. It fucking sucks.”
“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?” When he didn’t get an answer, Logan decided to try something different. “Gauge?”
Virgil sighed. He was simultaneously grateful and hateful at just how well his friend knew him. “Eight and a half.”
“What happened?”
Virgil took a breath, his grip on his phone tightening. “Knife.”
There was shuffling at the other side of the line. “Virgil, Virgil, you need to get it looked at. It’s not something that I can help you with where I am.”
“I know that, Logan, but you know I can’t go to the hospital.”
“I know. There is someone else you can go to,” There was a pause, then the opening and closing of a door. “Someone who has helped you through a lot.”
“Don’t fucking say it.”
“Virgil.” The tone was testing, but Virgil didn’t care at the moment.
“No, Logan. I can’t.” Virgil shook his head even though he knew Logan couldn’t see. “Not after this long of time. He probably fucking hates me. He’s probably planning how to make next year a living hell.”
“He misses you.”
Three simple words. Something Virgil never thought he’d hear about Roman. Did Patton talk to Logan about it? Is that how Logan knew that Roman missed him? Logan wasn’t one to say or do anything without some facts behind it so it wasn’t a gut feeling.
“You don’t know that, Logan.”
“Yes I do. Patton’s said so. Several times.” At the moment, it sounded as though Logan was walking rather quickly. “Patton even told me that Roman’s tried reaching out to you.”
“Roman hates me. He’s out to make my life a living hell.”
Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, but kept walking. “Do I honestly need to read to you a list of reasons for you to go to him?”
“You don’t have one of those ready, Pocket Protector.”
“Actually, I do. Give me a moment.”
Virgil shouldn’t have been surprised, considering that Logan was crazy over lists and notes. He would comprise one full of pros and cons about Roman. Sighing, Virgil put a little pressure on the cut, hoping to stop a little of the bleeding. There was a sound on the other end of the line of a door opening and closing again. Then came the ruffling of papers.
“Are you ready, Virgil?” Logan asked a few moments later.
“Do I have a choice?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so. List away.”
“I’m ignoring that. Some of the pros of going and talking to Roman include: He knows about your past and would be least likely to completely, um, ‘lose it’ if you showed up bleeding. Roman also has been able to help keep you calm in moments of excessive alarm. Occasionally even more capable at it than I am. You are also very comfortable with him. At least you were before you realized who he was. You trust him to some extent. And I believe that he has no intention of hurting you.”
“Wait. Did you just say ‘I believe’?” Virgil couldn’t help but point that out.
“Based off of evidence I have collected, yes.”
“And what evidence would that be?” As much as he hated to admit it, he was curious about what would cause Logan to say that.
“One example would be that he told Patton that he ‘had ruined everything’ and ‘it was all his fault.’”
Virgil didn’t know how to respond to that. It was the last thing that he expected Roman Prince to say about him. He never thought that Roman would go so far as to blame himself. He thought that Roman would laugh about the experience and use it as more fuel against him.
“Virgil?” Logan’s voice broke Virgil out of his thoughts.
“Sorry, what?”
“I said would you like more evidence?”
“No, thank you. I don’t want want to hear the page and a half of evidence you probably have on that one point.”
“It is a page and a quarter.”
“Whatever you say.” Virgil couldn’t help the slight smile that was on his face. He missed talking with Logan so much.
“Anyway. Roman would also find a way to help you without making you go to the hospital. And just talking to him would be enough to, uh, pay him back.”
“Based off what Patton said I’m guessing?”
“Precisely. Though it is a possible con in he may not want to talk to you. It was a few months ago that Patton told me this.”
“Any other cons?”
Virgil heard the shuffling of pages from the other line again. “He could be upset that you didn’t let him explain himself. He could be upset that you broke off all ties. However it’s hypothesized that sitting down and talking to him about why will rectify that. Actually almost all of the cons I have written could be corrected by just talking to him.”
“Almost all?” Virgil’s curiosity got the better of him.
“The one outcome that wouldn’t be corrected is if he truly never cared for you, which seems highly illogical. I believe that there is an infinitesimal chance that talking to him will work.”
“Logan. Buddy. That’s not encouraging.”
“Why not? I am simply saying that there is a great chance that if you talk to him things will be alright.”
“Not that ‘infinitesimal’ means Lo.”
Virgil couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard Logan typing away quickly at his computer. He could almost imagine the look of disbelief on the other’s face. The sputtering from the other line proved that Logan was at a loss for words at misusing the term.
“I...deeply apologize for that, Virgil.”
“‘S all good. I knew you didn’t mean it.” There was a pause. “So you really believe it’s a good idea to go to Roman?”
“I truly do. While he may be arrogant, I do not believe that he will turn you away. He’s prideful but he still has a heart.”
“Alright. If he does I expect a major apology.”
“I promise.”
Virgil took a deep breath and was about to hit the end call button when something stopped him. It was some emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time. After pondering it for a minute, Virgil realized it was pride. He was proud of what he was going to tell Logan.
“I stood up to him.” Virgil whispered as he got up from the bench.
“What do you mean?” Logan asked, fearing the answer.
“My father. I... I stood up to him”.
“That’s… That’s good, Vee. If you did, I think it’s all the mor--”
“That’s not it, Logan.” Virgil cut off his friend. He was now standing near the bench, not ready to leave the familiar place yet.
“What’s not ‘it?’” Logan sounded worried. There was another shift on the other side of the line, signifying that he put down his papers.
“It all happened so fast, or slow, I don’t know. He may not have but... I turned and the-the-the blade went deep into my arm and…” Virgil took a deep breath to attempt to steady his heavily beating heart. He couldn't get it out. He couldn’t.
“You’re probably bleeding far worse than I anticipated because of, of your bravery,” Logan moved the phone to his other ear. “You did stand up to him, that’s what matters. And I’m.. I’m extremely proud of you.”
“Yeah but now my jacket is going to be soaked in blood.” Virgil joked as he started walking again. He heard a muffled ‘Jesus Christ’ on the other end of the line which made him crack a smile.
“If you do not go to Roman I will fly home and personally drag you kicking and screaming to the hospital and then to his house.” Concern was clear in Logan’s voice.
Virgil knew Logan well enough to know he meant it. “I’m already off the bench and out of the park. You’re just lucky the two of you don’t live that far apart.”
“We what now?”
“I ran into your neighborhood. Muscle memory I guess.”
“I am… sorry that I am not there to help you.” Regret was clear in Logan’s voice. He wished the world that he could be there to help protect his friend.
“Its okay. You’ve got collage, and… Like I said, he only lives a few blocks away.” Virgil was lying. He was lying so hard that it hurt. But he had to, because he couldn’t spend his entire life dependant on Logan. He had enough of Virgil’s bullshit and pain. He deserved a normal life full of learning, possibly love, without Virgil weighing him down. That’s all he ever did, really, was weigh him down. If Virgil hadn’t been so stupid as to go to his house all those years ago, hurt and afraid, then Logan’s life could have been free from pain. The most he had to worry about was love and knowledge. But no, Virgil had to ruin all of that.
“Virgil, talk to me.” Logan cut through Virgil’s internal thoughts. He seemed to do that a lot.
“What? Sorry, spaced out.”
“You worry me. I asked if you want me to stay on the phone with you?” Worry was even more evident in Logan’s voice than before.
Virgil pulled his hood up to hopefully block some of the wind as he turned onto the main street. It was late, past midnight at least, so there wasn’t too many cars to disturb the call. “Maybe? I don’t know. It sounded like I took you away from something.”
“That was… nothing really important. A dorm activity.”
“That you liked or not?” You fucking idiot Virgil. He was doing normal college stuff and you couldn’t even let him do that. Stupid.
“It was okay. I met this mess of a man, Nate, who scares me with how much he procrastinates.”
“So… ProcrastiNATE.”
“I hate you.” Logan couldn’t help the slightly fond smile despite his annoyance at the pun.
“Come on, you love me.”
“You’re right. I do. A lot, honorary little bro.”
“Did you just call me ‘bro?’ What has college done to you?” Virgil teased his best friend. No, that wasn’t right. Logan was his brother. They were closer than blood could ever make them.
“I tried! But honestly, you’re still Honorary Brother in my contacts.”
Virgil was silent for a few moments before he regained himself. “That means a lot to me, Lo.”
“I know it does, Virge.”
Virgil was still concerned that he messed up an important part of Logan’s experience at college. “Are you sure that I’m not taking you away from anyone right now?”
A knock on a door at Logan’s end of the call gave him his answer. “One moment.”
“Sure.”
Logan removed the phone from his ear and covered the speaker to hopefully minimize what Virgil could hear. He sat up from the chair at his desk to approach the door. Upon opening it, the man that he talked about to Virgil was standing there. Logan furrowed his eyebrows in confusion before raising one as to ask ‘what are you doing here?’
“Oh, good, this is your dorm. Okay.” Nate pushed up his sunglasses and leaned against the doorframe.
“What do you want? I’m a bit preoccupied.” Logan was annoyed, that much was clear. Virgil was just able to make out his words, which made him feel even more guilty than he already was.
“Dude, you left right in the middle of a conversation. And said something about a hospital. We worried.” the concern in Nate’s voice actually seemed genuine, at least to Logan.
“I’m helping out a friend of mine, its-” Logan was promptly cut off by Virgil on the other end of the line.
“Logan! Go back to the meeting thing!” Virgil half-yelled into the phone, hoping that his friend would hear him. “I’m almost there anyway.” That wasn’t the full truth, but it was close enough to the truth that Logan wouldn’t mind anyway.
Nate looked down at Logan’s phone, then back up to the younger with a smirk. “And the friend agrees with me. Come on, tell ‘em goodbye and come back! Brian’s about to talk school stuff and by the looks of ya, you’d like that.”
“Go, Logan!” Virgil yelled again. Logan brought his phone back up to his ear for the second part of Virgil’s sentence. “Besides, a dude named Brian? That’s gotta be cool. He has your last name as a name.”
“Yeah, well, you’re more important,” Nate gave him a goofy smile, to which Logan responded by tearing the phone away from his face and saying, “Not like that, you, uh, you...”
“Buffoon?” Virgil supplied.
“Buffoon! Wait, Vee, what does that even mean?” Nate watched these two sortof interact with a happy glint in his eye. They were good friends. Even he could tell.
“Dunno. Now go.”
“Fine. Goodbye, Virgil. Please call me if you need more assistance. Text me when you get there.”
“Will do, Lo. Talk to you later.” Virgil’s grip on his phone tightened. They were doing the dance of who will hang up again.
“Good luck.” Neither wanted to do it. Logan wanted to provide support, while Virgil didn’t want to let go of familiarity and the comfort of Logan’s voice. But he had to.
“You too.” Virgil said with finality before removing the phone from his face and pressing the end call button. Just like that, his fate was sealed.
Not only that, but Virgil knew that his phone was dying. He didn’t have time to grab anything other than his sweatshirt. No charger, no change of clothes, no wallet, no earbuds, no nothing. Virgil took a look at the time, and his battery, before placing it in his back pocket again. No earbuds meant no music, and no music meant that his mind was free to wander.
This was not a good thing, despite what some people might think. Virgil’s mind wandering was never good. Now he had the chance to think over all the reasons why Roman hated him, and why he would definitely turn him away. Virgil walked on like this, pain in his upper arm and worrying thoughts in his mind. It took everything in his being not to think himself creepy for knowing the way. The boy had given the younger his address willingly at some point after their split. Virgil saved it, most likely because of the lingering hope in his heart. Soon enough, he would reach the one place he never thought he’d actually go: Roman Prince’s house.
next part
Shoutout to the amazing @lovecrazyjennybear! She helped me a ton with this chapter (specifically most of Logan and Virgil’s conversation), and even more chapters to come. You are an amazing beta reader and an even more amazing friend! (and writer, and editer, and all the ideas you have. you are amazing all around)
#fail’s writing#virgil sanders#logan sanders#roman sanders#patton sanders#sanders sides incorrect quotes#virgil angst#tw abuse#tw murder#so yeah you all get to hear my singing voice and see part of my face#cool
111 notes
·
View notes
Last Seen Blogs
littlest-possum
🦝🦝🦝
wsknttrakk17
♡★niqui_truco☆♥︎
gfrbs4w
wurlitzer!
hmandaman
H-MAN DAMAN
lalala74
제목 없음