#or not stepping outta my comfort zone to open up the way for being happily surprised | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

memories-are-mine · 4 years

Text

We Survived the Crisis, Babe

As always, Comment to get on the Taglist!!

Read the rest on ao3

Chapter 6 - Lex

Lex knew what she needed to do. It was a simple step by step. Get out of this stockroom, find Mr. Houston, get him to help her find Hannah and Ethan, get out of the mall. Boom. California.

How she was going to do all of those things, Lex had no idea. She had no idea how she was even going to get out of the stockroom. Linda and her psycho cult were still there, weren’t they?

Were they? Lex didn’t hear any of the clamor and she had heard earlier. That should have made her feel better, it instead made her uneasy. If the cult was here, then she could keep tabs on them, knowing for sure that they were still just worshipping Linda and not hunting down anybody’s sister or sort-of-boyfriend.

If the cult wasn’t here, then where were they?

Shit. Shit. Fuck Shit.

Lex needed to get out of this stockroom and get to Ethan and Hannah. In desperation, she looked to the window. She could smash it, and get outside to the loading lot. This was where all the trucks on this side of the mall unloaded their shit. There was a door, not ten feet from here that led into the Famous Footwear next door. She could get out, and get right back in without being spotted. That was a half-decent plan. But if the cultists were there and they heard her…

She couldn’t break it. But maybe it was already open?

Lex crept to the window as quietly as she could, not daring to breathe, and ventured a look outside. In the first instance of something going right all day, the coast was clear. The cult must not have considered someone going out this way, and so hadn’t bothered to block it off.

Sweet.

Lex tried the window, and almost jumped up and down for joy when it began to slide. The window got stuck in a couple of places and required some effort, and a bit more noise than Lex would have liked, but damn if it wasn’t opening.

Finally, Lex created a big enough gap for her to crawl out. She had to be absolutely silent. Even if Linda had sent all of her goonies out to search for Hannah, she wouldn’t have been stupid enough to send everyone. She’d have guards. Fortunately, she’d had some practice with this, thanks to Mom. She stuck her new pistol in her belt, and swung one leg out of the window, then ducked her head through next, twisting to catch the window with her left hand. It was sort of an awkward position, but it worked. Then, she swung out her other leg, shut the window, and behold, Lex the ninja was out.

Lex the Ninja had a nice ring to it. Maybe she’d ask Ethan to incorporate it into one of the bedtime stories he took great pride in making up for Hannah.

If he’s alive, the cynical part of Lex thought. And if Hannah’s alive.

Lex tried to shake the thought off. If she got too caught up in thinking about what might have happened to Ethan and Hannah, she’d lose it. Then she’d have no chance of finding them or getting out of this mall alive. She had to stay focused on her mission.

With another glance around to double-check that the coast was clear, Lex started to dart towards the shoe store loading entrance.

It was locked.

Damn it. This plan had been working too well for something not to go wrong.

She could sneak back into the stockroom? Try another store?

Sneaking back into the stockroom left her with absolutely nowhere to go, so that was out. Lex also didn’t have time to run up and down the length of the mall checking doors when Ethan and Hannah’s lives were at stake.

Then, Lex heard a noise. The sound of heavy footsteps on the pavement. Someone muttering to himself.

Fuuuuuckk

This was bad. Really bad. If any one of Linda’s cultists found her, it was game over. They wouldn’t let her escape twice.

Lex scrambled back towards the Toy Zone stockroom window and pushed it open. She started to swing back through the window when the figure came around the corner, and made a beeline for Mr. Houston’s car.

Holy shit. It was Mr. Houston.

He had his back to her. He looked a lot worse than he had that morning. His hair was a mess, and he was sporting some nice bruises, probably from the riots in Toy Zone. But he was alive, and looked in reasonable shape to maybe help Lex fight Linda. Lex was really lucking out today.

She was about to say something, to let him know he was there, when Mr. Houston lifted his arm, and Lex saw what he was carrying. In a death grip, underneath his arm, Mr. Houston had a Wiggly.

Lex’s hand went to the gun at her belt. She really didn’t want to hurt Mr. Houston. Maybe she should just let him leave with Wiggly, but she couldn’t do that. Mr. Houston had a kid. If she let him bring that thing home what would happen?

And maybe, if Lex tried. She could save a few more people than just Hannah and Ethan. She was Lex Foster. She was a fuckin fighter.

She made her choice.

“Mr. Houston!” She said, climbing back out the window and taking the gun off her belt.

“Leave me alone!” Mr. Houston snapped.

“Turn around.” Lex kept the gun steadily trained on him. She wouldn’t use it unless she had to, but it was a comfort to have it nonetheless.

Mr. Houston turned. His eyes were unfocused and glowing green. He looked first at Lex, then at the gun.

“What,” Mr. Houston said, in the voice he used when he was asking her how her day at school was going, or reassuring her that she could turn in her shop projects a day late. It was understanding and kind. But Lex didn’t lower the gun. “You gonna shoot me, Lex? Or can I just go home?”

Lex didn’t move.

“I’ve had a shitty day,” Mr. Houston said angrily. His entire tone and demeanor changed. The facade Wiggly made him put on apparently didn’t last long. “So I’d appreciate it if you got the goddamn gun out of my face!”

“Please, Mr. Houston,” Lex said. She didn’t think she’d ever said please to Mr. Houston in her life, but if Wiggly could put facades up then so could she. “I need your help. Ethan needs your help. But I need you to put down that doll.”

Mr. Houston started at that, as if trying to remember something. She knew Mr. Houston liked Ethan. While Lex was passable in shop, Ethan was stellar. It was the only class he actually enjoyed, and the only class he’d ever tried in. Mr. Houston noticed, and it was clear to everyone that Ethan, and Lex, who he started liking by association, were his favorite students. Sometimes, Lex would find Ethan in Mr. Houston’s room after school, chatting about mechanical physics or car models or whatever. Anyway, Lex knew that Mr. Houston had a soft spot for Ethan Green.

“Don’t try to trick me with thoughts of the damned kid,” Mr. Houston growled. “Why would I give Wiggly to you, when you just want him for yourself! Thought you were better than that, Lex.”

“No, I don’t,” Lex said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. “Ethan really does need our help, Hannah too, and I don’t know who else to turn to!”

“Well, too bad, Lex,” Mr. Houston shouted, so loudly that Lex almost wanted to hit him with the gun to shut him up. “Because I’m leavin’ and taking this doll to my son!”

“He doesn’t want it!” Lex shouted. Maybe if she said it loud enough, it would get through Mr. Houston’s head. “Think about it, did Tim ever say he wanted a Tickle-Me-Wiggly?”

She hoped to God she was right.

Mr, Houston looked confused, like for the first time, he was pondering if his son really had asked for a Wiggly, as he’d been so certain Tim had that morning.

“He, he must have…” Mr. Houston said hesitantly. “Yeah, we were trying to win one at… at Pizza Pete’s! No, wait… He said he wanted one this morning. Oh, whatever, I know he wants one!”

“Lemme tell you what I know.” Lex changed tactics. If Ethan wasn’t going to work, then Tim had to. “I know your wife died, and you’re trying real hard to make up for it. But that is something you want, not your son.” Mr. Houston looked up at her, looking as if he was seeing her for the first time. “You think Wiggly can fix this hole, but it is a trick. And if you bring that doll back to your house, he is going to get hurt. I know it. And I think you do, too. But I think you’re scared, because if Wiggly isn’t the answer, then what is?”

Mr. Houston looked at Lex, then back at the doll for a long time. He seemed to be seriously considering what she had to say.

Please, please, Lex prayed. To Webby. To General MacNamara. To anyone that might be listening. Just let this work.

Finally, after a million years of the two of them, standing in silence, Lex looking at Mr. Houston, and Mr. Houston looking at the doll, Mr. Houston spoke again.

“You’re not really that cute, are you?” He said softly. “In fact, you’re real fucking ugly!”

Mr. Houston threw the doll on the ground and stepped on it, and Lex couldn’t help letting out a happy whoop.

“Thank god!” She said happily. “Now, we just gotta get back into the mall, and we can find Hannah and Ethan, and get the fuck outta here! All of us!”

“Lex,” Mr. Houston said. He suddenly looked incredibly sad. “There is something that I need to tell you. It’s about Ethan.”

Mr. Houston could have punched her in the face, and it would have hurt less. Lex knew what he was going to say before the words came out of his mouth.

“Ethan is dead.”

“No, no,” Lex’s lower lip began to tremble. She felt like she was holding the weight of the entire mall on her shoulders. “No, no, he can’t be…He isn’t.”

“I found him outside the Cineplex, Lex,” Mr. Houston went on, seeming like he was trying to hold back tears. “He had been attacked. Think he stayed behind to protect your sister… There... There was nothing we could do. Becky and I, we stayed with him, though. He thought Becky was you, told her that he’d get you to California…then you wouldn’t have to cry so much anymore… I damn near started crying myself.”

Lex broke down, then, and just started sobbing there in the mall parking lot. She, like Ethan, never really cried unless they were alone. Ethan would wrap her in his embrace that smelled like leather and cigarettes, and stroke her hair and whisper things about California until she stopped crying. Ethan who was now dead somewhere outside the Cineplex. God, she just wanted Ethan.

But now Mr. Houston came up and put his arm around her, and Lex didn’t push him away like she would have literally anyone else. She needed this right now.

“I’m sorry, Lex,” Mr. Houston said softly. Now tears really were pricking his eyes. “I’m gonna miss him, too. He was a good kid.”

“He would have been so pissed if you called him kid.” Lex almost smiled through her tears.

“Yeah, he would have,” Mr. Houston replied with the same half-smile. Then it faded, as he pulled Lex up and wiped the tears off his face. “But those assholes, they took Becky and Hannah. And… And someone else.” Mr. Houston seemed to be struggling to remember. “He was there, with us. In the food court. I thought I recognized him… but, now… Wiggly must’ve fucked with my head.”

“Whoever it is, we’ll help him,” Lex said firmly. She wiped her own tears away. She was on her feet now, both planted on the ground. The grief and shock over hearing about Ethan was still brewing in Lex’s heart, but she tried to channel it. Use it to make her angry. If she couldn’t save Ethan, she wouldn’t let his death be in vain. She would save her sister. “Linda Monroe is going to FUCKING pay!”

Taglist: @hurricanehellion, @asshole-gay-797, @ethngreen, @just-a-side-kick, @theirishhufflepuff, @somegeekychic, @curse-brekker, @unusual-ly, @softotacoo, @believeinasmilinggodtoday, @scorpiotrash468

#black friday #black friday musical #starkid #ethan green #lex foster #lex foster x ethan green #hannah foster #becky barnes #linda monroe #gary goldstein #curt mega #tom houston #tim houston #tom is ethans dad CONFIRMED oops #he and lex love ethan a lot ok?#and its gonna be real cute when they reunite #does anyone still care about this?#no? just me?

12 notes · View notes

cutegirlmayra · 5 years

Note

Could you make something of a sequel to the prompt where Amy is the heroine and Sonic is the one crushing on her? But something more lighthearted with Sonic effortlessly chasing Amy and hilarity ensues.

Lol, which sequel? (x) (x) (x)

I guess I’ll just do my best and try something? haha XD

Since you said ‘lighthearted’ I think you mean to stay off the Maria Robotnik thing, right? Just some cute shenanigans with Amyic? (Sonamy gender-bend ship name? lololol) Got it. Got it.

Prompt———————–

The wind howled past the rolling hills that littered the Green Valley Zone. It was a zone Amy came to often, a place she felt some peace.

She relaxed by some flowerbeds and stretched, seeing the day was young and the morning finally peeking its glowing eye over the horizon.

She yawned, “Whelp, where to next?” she lifted a knee up and let her arm sit on it, just looking over the beautiful world she had protected since she was a little girl.

And then she noticed something out of the ordinary in the distance.

She squinted her eyes, seeing a faint shade of blue racing through the valley’s ups and downs. The reverse loop-de-loops and jump-pads.

“…Is that..?” She began to grow concerned, “Oh no…” It was like her mouth was being tugged back by two fish hooks, realizing who was coming her way. “Eeee… I’ve got to get out of here!”

She pushed herself off the ground and started running, though she knew she was nowhere near as fast as Sonic The Hedgehog.

Still, he would either tackle her with a snuggly greeting or propose to her again, and she just didn’t want her morning spoiled by such doting admiration.

She looked for anything to hide in, but only found a palm tree and quickly climbed up it.

When Sonic did pass by, it was just a streak of blue.

She sighed, thinking maybe her red dress could blend in with the jump-pad at the top of the tree.

She waited… and heard nothing.

“Phew.” she started to come down the tree but noticed a crabbot looking up at her.

She froze, blinking at it.

It snipped a metallic claw.

She feined a smile, “Nice bot. Good bot… stay back…” she tried to climb down again, but it leaped up and snapped at her dress.

“Ah!” she heard a tear but scaled up the tree. “You naughty little-!” she noticed that a small slit was in her dresses back, a little of her white underpants showing through. “You’ll pay for that!” she jumped to slam down on the little robot, hammering it out but it sprung her back up with the hardness of its shell.

It was one of those robots she had to destroy by flipping it over to its underbelly. The top made a BOOING sound as she was flown back up and into the jump-pad on the tree.

“Nooooo…!!!” she cried out, face-first into a series of pre-determined angles where the jump-pads would launch her into many more jump-pads for an almost infinite chain.

Once the chain was completed she was flying through the air onto a completely separate part of Green Valley Zone, a usual shortcut for getting around but this one was not quite how she wanted to ‘fly in style’ so to speak…

Before hitting the ground, Amy was taken by a swiftly moving bullet, an arrow through the sky of primary blue that held her close and landed safely to the ground.

“Pah! What are you-?” she was slightly dazed by the hits but shook her head and was quickly alright again.

She looked up to see the smiling face of Sonic The Hedgehog, holding her in his arms bridal style. With the sun blocking his face, he actually looked pretty cool. However, when the cloud moved away, his face was revealed to be shining eyes that sparkled dramatically towards her.

Her expression of awe turned suddenly to awkward shyness. A sweat drop appeared on the side of her face as her open-mouth shook at the corner, trying to be polite and smile but didn’t seem to register it quite right.

“I can’t believe it! I found you! Amy Rose!” he was like a fanboy she couldn’t shake off…

She lowered her eyelids, mumbling out her defeated words, “Hello, Sonic… Long time no-OFFPH!”

Sonic crushed her face into his chest, snuggling her with his head reaching deep into her noggin’.

With a smushed face, she grimaced, knowing he wouldn’t see it as she grew more and more agitated by his obsessive loving.

She suddenly felt a skim of his nose pierce through her quilled hair and reach the soft fur below it, sensitive since it never usually was touched.

She flinched and tried to wiggle free, lifting a leg to step down from his hold as he moved his head away from the back of her head and nuzzle up to her cheek to cheek.

“I was so worried about you! Especially when Rouge told me the Master Emerald was stolen by that thieving echidna again!” She leaned away from him, arms crooked as though trying to escape without being so obvious about it.

He blinked and moved away from her then, “Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine, Sonic…” she lightly let out, but it was clear she was desperately attempting to not be rude. He was just concerned for her anyway… she shouldn’t scold people for caring about her so much…

“B-but what are you doing all the way out here?” She rubbed behind her head, squirming a finger down through her quills to itch the place his nose once skimmed.

“Oh! I was looking for you, duh.” He put his hands to his hips, “I thought you might be hungry! I’ll pay!”

“You always pay.” She closed her eyes and gave off a nervous frown, knowing full well that when he pays, he automatically tells the world they went on a date together…

“Aw, come on! Let me treat you again!” He pleaded, but Amy just stuck a hand up and held her ground.

“No thanks. People usually feed me for free anyway.”

“That’s because you’re so popular. Heee~” he chimed back. “But really, I was awfully concerned about ya… Let’s go do something together! Today!” he placed his hands together, leaning towards her with his sparkling eyes of puppy love again…

She had to look away from them, sweating a bit as she’s never had to deal with anyone so enthralled by her before.

“U… Uhmm…” It was hard to resist him. He was so pushy sometimes…

“Hmmm?” he moved closer.

She sighed, blinking a few times to him before giving in, slouching over. “Alright, Sonic. You win.”

“Oh good! We didn’t have to wait for your grumbling stomach this time around!” he gave her a thumbs up and offered his hands again, flexing his fingers as a ‘come to me’ sign.

His smile never faded, at least that was nice.

But beckoning her into his arms like that..?

Amy rubbed the side of her face, “I think I’d like to walk, thanks.” she politely turned him down and started off.

He looked a little confused, but then pouted, “I have speedy feet for a reason… you don’t have to wear yourself out all the time, you know, Amy? You should let a man like me take care of you for a change!” he tried to puff out his bare chest, but then became self-conscious that he didn’t have large fluff like Shadow and Silver and withdrew a little as he looked away.

“I-I mean… I could be a decent boyfriend, you know…” he muttered, but Amy just waved him off and was still walking on.

“You coming or what?” she called, and his ears perked right back up, forgetting his insecurities as he took off to her side.

It took barely a second for him to catch up, holding his hands behind his back and leaning towards her while they walked. “So,… what’cha thinking about?”

“Nothing.” Amy shrugged.

“Were you maybe thinking about me? Cause I think about you all the time.” He looked down with his eyes closed, blushing a bit.

“Not really.”

Sonic twitched and stood straight now, looking at her sorrowfully. “Do you not think about me at all?”

“Only when I need to be.”

His face brightened up, “When’s that?” he said, cheerily picking up the happy mood again.

Amy liked that about Sonic, he was never disappointed or sad for too long. It was hard trying to comfort or make people happy, Amy wasn’t the best social person, but it was easy to talk to Sonic. At least, he made it easy for her.

“Usually when you’re in danger. I think about how I’m gonna get you outta there a lot.” Amy spoke very casually, but Sonic just took it like an arrow to his back.

“Is that so…” He breathed out, white as a ghost.

Embarrassed, but taking courage to prove himself to her, he tightened his fists and bundled them up near his face.

“Grrr..! That does it! I’ll make you respect me, Amy Rose!”

‘Good luck with that.’ Amy smiled, turning to him. “Was it something I said?”

“OoooOOOoohhh!” Sonic did his famous whine, taking her hand and looking dead into her eye. “Come on! We’re going on the most amazing date of your life!”

“H-huh?” Amy was whisked away then, Sonic taking places she usually had to fly in the X-Whirlwind to get too or walk long distances to make.

It was beautiful. A small joy ride she didn’t realize she had wanted.

When Sonic finally put her down, he smiled tried to hold her hand as she was distracted by the scenic nature around her.

She tensed up and her body quaked at the sudden touch, but Sonic just stood there happily. He lowered his eyes and cooed a little to her, “Thinking about me differently now, Amy Rose?”

Amy nervously kept her hand from closing around his own, just staring at him with awkward shyness. “You really don’t mess around about this, do you?”

“Amy! You should know I take our relationship very seriously!” Sonic defended, placing a fist by his hip and nodding in sincerity. “Whenever you’re happy, I’m happy. And whenever you’re in danger, I’ll gladly run into said danger too! I won’t leave you alone to face all the horrors of the world head on. Hehe.” he chuckled at the end with a sly wink to her.

“Anything to make me happy, huh?” Amy then changed her expression, and Sonic immediately blushed at it.

“A-anything!” he nervously nodded.

Amy leaned towards his face, a neutral and carefree smile now. “Annnnything~?”

“A-Any-anything you want! It’s yours! Even my very soul!” his bottom lip was trembling at her willing closeness now.

Amy smirked, “Then could you let go of my hand?” And winked.

“Ah!” he let go instinctively, startled by her abrupt flirt but realized he had been tricked. “D’oh!” he stomped the ground.

“That’s it! I’m not letting you escape this time!”

Amy was laughing as she walked off, thinking that was the end before Sonic tackled to her to the ground.

“Woah-wah-hey!”

They kept rolling till they naturally came to a stop, Sonic holding Amy tightly as she could hear his racing heartbeat.

‘Had… had it always beat this fast?’ she wondered, her hand directly over it as she curiously looked there.

Sonic was twitching in nerves, but took a deep breath to summon some courage, and looked at Amy with a serious expression. “Marry me, Amy Rose.”

“H-huh?” She looked up at him. ‘Again with the proposals?’

“I know you don’t need a man. You’re so strong on your own. But I really meant it. I would do anything to keep you happy, to stay by your side no matter what may come! I… I won’t abandon you, Amy Rose! You can count me in until the very end of time! Always!”

His declaration made her blink in a bit of sympathy. ‘Poor kid. I really have a hold on his heart, don’t I? No matter how much I try and loosen up for him, he still just grabs me back and gives me an even tighter hold on it. He really won’t just let my hand go… Will he?’

Amy looked up at Sonic and smiled, “I believe you, Sonic.”

Sonic suddenly loosened his hold on her, hearing those words. “Y-you do?”

“Em-hmm. And I think you’re a swell guy for saying them.” She nodded and moved a bit out of his grasp. “Tell ya what. If you hang around, I bet we’ll have fun adventures together.”

“And eat chilidogs again?” His eyes sparkled.

“Eh…” She looked a bit taken aback by that one. ‘Where’d that come from?’

“S-sure. Chilidogs it is.” she kept her smile but lightly felt a prick at her heart. He really was trying, and he wasn’t a bad guy either…

Maybe just a little bit hopeless.

Sonic sat up, nodding encouragingly as he watched her get up too. “Okay then, I will,” he smirked, a corner of his mouth showing a somewhat mischievous underlining to his thinking. “And then you’ll want to marry me! No questions asked.”

Amy just sighed and stretched her back, looking to see the sun had risen fully now. “Whatever you say, Sonic.”

The two looked back at one another, a long-held stare but both closed their eyes and smiled to one another.

A lovely couple indeed~

(Might go with (x) for a prequel/part 1?)

#sonamy #sonamy prompt #sonamy role reversal #sonic prompt #amy the heroine #sonic role reversal #cutegirlmayra #sonicxamy

57 notes · View notes

nc-ten-scenarios · 5 years

Text

Hook, Line, and Sinker//1

I don’t know how I got persuaded to come, but this party was a drag. Sure they had some good music and by some I mean maybe a solid four percent of it was good. The other ninety-six percent was a clash of bdm and wannabe soundcloud rappers. I had hidden myself in the kitchen for the past twenty minutes when I decided it was time to go back out into the war zone.

Now I’m not judging, but this living room was not meant for this many teenagers doing stupid things. Your typical high school party everyone. I maneuvered around the maze of people and just about sighed in relief as I had made it across the living room unscathed. That is until I felt a force from my left and suddenly I was stumbling into what felt like a wall.

Everything happened so quickly so imagine my shock when I had not only stumbled into somebody, but had also landed so strategically that I was unintentionally giving away my first kiss. My eyes were wide as saucers with shock and the boy I had just kissed mirrored my expression. My hand covered my mouth in disbelief before my senses caught up with me and I hightailed it out of there.

Na Jaemin. I just accidentally gave my first kiss away to Na Jaemin. Oh god what have I done? This is so not how I expected tonight to go.

You see Na Jaemin is arguably one of the most popular boys in school. Not just for his good looks. This boy was literally an angel I swear it. He would stroll into school, a coffee in hand, a dazzling smile, and six other boys who were just as good looking. I’m not a psychic by any means, but when I say Na Jaemin was crafted to perfection I ain’t lying.

Anyways after the initial shock and embarrassment had died down I decided it was time to make my way to the cozy kitchen. Mistake number two of my evening. Two boys stood by the counter chatting, well until I made my way inside. They glanced at me, whispered to one another, and then I was left with the one and only Derek. Now don’t get me wrong Derek was nice and all, but he was probably the creepiest person I had the displeasure of knowing.

The sad part was that he thought every girl was absolutely head over heels for him. Poor guy doesn’t know what disgust or rejection is even when it hits him in the face.

“Well hello darling.”

Oh gag me.

“How are you tonight pretty lady?”

Maybe if I ignore him he will go away? Please for the love of god leave.

“Oh come on baby girl talk to me. We both know you want to.”

Lord what have I done to deserve this? I’ve been good.

“Have I perhaps made you speechless with my charm?”

Oh. My. God. Please. Make. It. End.

“Why don’t we get outta here baby girl?”

Okay send somebody. Anybody to help me out.

Within the next moment I heard the kitchen door swing open. Two strong and warm arms slid around my waist. Before I could cuss them out for touching me, my eyes met none other than Na Jaemin’s.

“Everything okay baby?” Jaemin asked warm eyes burning into mine. I was speechless.

Out of everybody Na Jaemin coming to my rescue? Really universe? You just l o v e to screw with me don’t ya?

I stared at Jaemin before the realization that he called me baby had kicked in along with the question of course. But could my stupid self form words? You already know the answer.

I nodded dumbly at Jaemin’s question. He then flashed a b e a u t i f u l smile at me.

Is this what greets you at the gates of heaven? Did Na Jaemin just smile at me? I must be dreaming.

Jaemin then took ‘notice’ of Derek. More like he chose this moment to display his sarcastic shock of Derek even being in the same room. Jaemin eyed Derek up and down before he tugged my body back against his rock hard chest. I think I about stopped breathing when he kissed my head immediately after.

“Who’s this baby?” Jaemin’s deep voice acted surprised.

Before I could even open my mouth Derek had to find an opportunity to boost his ego. Typical.

“I’m Derek her future boyfriend. I was just about to take her back to my place. She was practically begging with her eyes.”

I felt my irritation level rise five entire notches. I rolled my eyes ready to slam my head against the wall to end this conversation. Jaemin had other ideas.

He leaned down so his lips brushed the tip of my ear. “Is he bothering you?” I could only nod as I pushed myself further into Jaemin’s arms. For some odd reason he made me feel safe and his arms were comforting, especially with the way Derek had been eyeing me.

Jaemin happily tightened his grip on my body as he held me firmly to his chest. I felt his chin rest on the crown of my head. What I didn’t see what the way his gaze darkened significantly and his eyes flashing a threatening gold making Derek pale rapidly before he took off.

Once Derek was gone I visibly relaxed before remembering I practically melted in the arms of Na Jaemin who held me to his chest almost in a protective manner.

I tapped his arm. “Uh Jaemin? You can let me go now.”

I expected the boy to immediately loosen his grip and allow me to step out of his warm embrace. Instead his grip only tightened as he nuzzled into my neck.

I felt my cheeks flush with red and I could only assume I looked like a tomato at this point. I felt my heartbeat speed up and with some adrenaline I found myself pushing out of his embrace and booking it to find Jacelyn.

I spotted my best friend with her boyfriend. Remember the six boys I mentioned earlier? Yeah one of them happened to be Lee Donghyuck or Haechan as his friends called him. He had been dating Jacelyn, my best friend, for awhile now and I had to admit they were literally the cutest couple. Too bad I had to ruin the moment for an emergency bestie meeting.

Without much warning I had marched up to the couple, grabbed her wrist, and proceeded to drag her away with a “Sorry I need to borrow her” tossed over my shoulder to a confused Haechan.

As I dragged her to an empty room Jacelyn expressed her confusion with a “What’s up with you?”

“GIRL I have some TEA.” That shut her up. So I spilled the tea of the kiss to the kitchen fiasco and ending it with my feelings. “And I just don’t know Jacelyn he makes me feel things and he’s been making a move on me since that accidental kiss and I’m not mad at it??? Like I think I’m losing my mind Jacelyn!”

Jacelyn sat amused on the little bench the room provided. She smiled standing up and placing her hands on my shoulders. “Just give him a chance, trust me. I think you should go for it.”

I was still unsure. “You think I should?”

Jacelyn rolled her eyes and dragged me back to the party. “Yes now go get your man. You’ll be fine now go.”

I watched as Jacelyn skipped over to an unsuspecting Haechan and back hugged him. I saw him smile as he sweetly kissed her hands before he pulled her around to his chest and kissed her forehead.

Watching them made me realize that I wanted something like that too. So I made up my mind. Na Jaemin extended his hand out to me and I shyly placed my small hand into his warm palm and allowing him to tug me to his side.

I was so caught up with the way he has fit into mine that I almost missed Jacelyn wanting to ditch this party and grab milkshakes instead. Let’s just say I was quick to agree. The four of us wandered outside and we split off as Haechan helped Jacelyn into his Range Rover before jogging around to the drivers side and climbing in.

Jaemin tugged me over to his Jeep before he opened my door and helped me into the vehicle. No I totally didn’t get butterflies and get overwhelmed with love by the gesture. Or maybe I did. Jaemin and I made small talk and before I knew it we had pulled up to this cute little diner.

The four of us settled into what the waitress called “Jacelyn and Haechan’s booth” and we were scanning the menus.

We ordered simple milkshakes and two side orders of fries. When my shake arrived I didn’t expect Jaemin to steal it and take a long sip. I gawked at him ready to throw hands.

“Excuse you?!” I snatched my milkshake back and sipped aggresively making him snicker. I huffed rolling my eyes.

“Isn’t that technically an indirect kiss?” Haechan teased munching on a fry.

I flushed a deep red covering my face. When I felt my cheeks cool down I looked up only to find my milkshake gone.

“Yah! You owe me a milkshake!” I hissed at Jaemin who slowly began to smirk. I was about to ask what he was planning when he swooped down and kissed the corner of my lip shocking me.

I opened and closed my mouth multiple times before I managed to get a sentence out. “Did you just try to kiss me to get out of making me a milkshake?”

Jaemin grinned before he swooped down and kissed both my cheeks.

“Jaemin!” I covered my red cheeks. “I don’t kiss on the first date.”

That only widened his grin. “So this is considered a date? And technically it’s after the first date though.”

I stared at him for a moment. “I’m breaking up with you.” Me being dramatic I went to stand and over dramatically storm out of the restaurant, but Jaemin began clinging to my body whining out a ‘noooooooooo.’

I managed to wiggle free and booked it out of the restaurant laughing. I leaned against his jeep catching my breath. When I turned to see if he had followed me I found his face inches away from mine. I jumped not expecting him to be that close when he backed me against his jeep.

He pouted at me as he caged me against the door. For some reason his pout made me feel upset and I instantly wanted to make it disappear.

With some random new found confidence I quickly pecked his lips and watched as the pout transformed into a grin. I stared at him and he at me. “Did you just-?” He had a shit-eating grin playing on his lips.

“NO!” I whined cheeks flushing red.

“You just kissed me.” Jaemin smiled dreamily.

I bit my lip before confessing. “I don’t like seeing you sad or upset. It...bothers me.”

It was silent between us as Jaemin stared at me in awe. It was almost peaceful, until be shattered that.

“Since you stole a kiss I think I should be able to as well.”

I think my eyes became saucers in that moment. “B-but-” I cut myself off as he quickly pecked my nose before nuzzling into my neck sweetly.

I guess I’ll have to get used to the skin ship and affection that is Na Jaemin. We are dating now, by some silent agreement of course, but still dating.

#admin allie #nct dream wolf au #nct dream scenarios #nct werewolf #nct wolf au #jaemin au #jaemin scenario #nct scenario #nct #na jaemin #nct au

358 notes · View notes

brynne-lagaao · 7 years

Text

(Fanfic) Set in Stone - Chapter Eight

Title: Set in Stone

Pairing: Sarumi

Chapter: 8/18

Rating: M

Mirrors: AO3 | Website

Summary: Yata wasn’t sure what he was expecting when he performed a summon on his own in a fit of drunken loneliness. It definitely wasn’t some asshole demon with a bad attitude, even if that demon happened to be frustratingly hot. But breaking their contract was going to mean working together, and he wasn’t sure how much of that he could take before he snapped… one way or another.

Note: Thank you to @dropletons for being my beta and to @chromekins for helping with the magic aspect. This fic is not entirely accurate in terms of modern magic and the demon lore was basically made up to suit the story, but I tried to keep somewhat of an authentic feel, so hopefully that succeeded.

He ended up saving the retrieval for last – not only because it was the worst job, but because he didn’t wanna go in with anything of value on him that he’d end up having to replace or pay for. Usually if some punk stole his shit, he could get it back easy enough, but he’d spent enough time around Jungle to know not to underestimate them.

Fucking Jungle. Fucking Hisui Nagare. Fucking… Munakata. That bastard.

The rain had petered off into a little drizzle by the time they walked out of the train station and onto the street that would lead them through the residential area. The sidewalk was narrow in that part of the city, the houses thin and squished in together like they were huddling for warmth. Foot traffic was sparse at that time of day, and the roads were quiet but for a few cars here and there – most of them zipping by above the speed limit. As they turned to head down a different block, there was an impressive piece of graffiti art splayed across the wall that lined a nearby schoolyard – a snake biting a lion’s tail, and ‘bite back’ in large bold spray-painted letters above it. Inside the schoolyard, a group of kids were playing, and the sound of laughter and shouting made for lively background noise.

It was a familiar sort of place – not exactly the neighborhood he’d grown up in, but close. Would’ve been comfortable if not for… those guys.

“There’s a coven headquarters in a place like this?” Fushimi commented blandly.

Yata shot him a narrow look. “What’s weird about that?”

Fushimi shrugged. He seemed to be sizing up the area, in a lazy sort of way. “There’s not a lot of space.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” He was getting defensive, even though Fushimi hadn’t exactly said anything derisive. Yata reached up to rub at the back of his neck, expelling a sharp sigh. “Doesn’t take a lot of space for rituals – you saw my apartment, right?”

“Mm.” Fushimi’s tone was thoughtful. “True.”

It didn’t seem like he was gonna say more, but something small and restless stirred in Yata’s belly. He couldn’t resist the urge to add, “Y’know, I grew up in a place like this.”

He wasn’t sure what he’d expected in response, but Fushimi turned to regard him with something almost like interest. “Nearby?”

“Huh?” Yata blinked at him, caught off guard. “Uh… no.” He recovered his equilibrium quickly, offering a small awkward shrug in response. “Other side of the city.” Not wanting to leave it hanging like that, he added, “This place just kinda gives off a familiar vibe, y’know? Guess it’s normal, though – I mean, it’s like my home when I was little, so yeah. It’s nice.”

“Is that right?” There was something inscrutable in Fushimi’s expression. He turned his head to regard his surroundings again; when he spoke, it was almost like he was mumbling to himself. “I guess most people would feel that way, huh?”

Something about the way he said it felt off, but Yata shrugged that aside. “Right!”

They had to walk two more blocks and then down another street before reaching the intersection that was sort of a crossroads between the residential area and the more industrial area. There was a construction zone that made the distinction that much more stark – large wooden structures and protective plastic lined the solid brick buildings that dwarfed the houses opposite them. It had been like that for as long as Yata had been coming here, as if the work was in constant limbo. He’d never seen any actual construction workers, either.

Sometimes he wondered if it was just a glamor spell of some sort, but it had never given off any ‘fake’ vibe, and he was usually pretty good about picking that shit out.

Whatever. Not like it mattered.

“I feel like I should’ve waited with my question from before,” Fushimi drawled, dispelling his umbrella illusion as he followed Yata through the opening in the plastic to the cramped temporary walkway. “It’s really hard to imagine a coven operating in a place like this. Is it even safe?”

Yata snorted in response, pulling around the rucksack to stow his own wet umbrella. “Probably not. These guys like it that way, I think.”

The sharp sound of Fushimi’s tongue clicking met his ears in response. “I haven’t even met them and already they seem annoying.”

“Yeah,” Yata offered another huff of agreement, “just wait.”

About halfway down the construction walkway, there was another opening in the plastic that lined the wooden path. It wasn’t too conspicuous, but behind it there was a boarded-up door. Yata reached through the plastic and rapped his knuckles against the wood. “Yatagarasu,” he identified himself, raising his voice to be sure it went through clearly.

There was a long moment of silence, and then loud, rapid footsteps approached from the other side.

The door, which looked like it should’ve opened outward, slid to the side instead. A platinum-haired teenager glowered out from between the boards. “What are you doing here?”

It fucking would be him. Yata resisted the urge to swear, frowning back. At least if it had been Yukari, all they’d get were some vague suggestions and a smug smirk. “Picking up for Munakata.”

“Nagare never said there was a pickup.” The kid sneered back at him. Gojo Sukuna had the biggest attitude problem Yata had ever had the displeasure of coming across. And, unfortunately, a hell of a lot of power to back it up. But right now he looked like the bratty teen he was, ripped jeans and ill-fitting T-shirt completing the picture. “And who’s that guy? Some new shitty member in your shitty coven?”

Yata bit back the immediate, angry response. Not fucking worth it. “Yeah, I’ll tell Anna you said so,” he gritted out, and had the satisfaction of watching Gojo’s face stiffen and grow red. Somehow or another, those two were classmates – and she was the only member of Homra he didn’t bad-mouth. “He’s not a member, just a…” The word ‘friend’ was on the tip of his tongue, but he managed to chew it back in time. “He’s with me.”

“Duh.” Gojo rolled his eyes, fixing Fushimi with a belligerent look. “You – what’s your name?”

Fushimi looked down his nose at Gojo as if studying an insect, then shifted his gaze to Yata slowly. “Do I have to answer this brat?”

When it wasn’t directed at him, somehow that attitude was awesome. Yata couldn’t help his answering grin. “Nah.” He turned back to Gojo, who looked about ready to commit murder. “Hisui’s gotta be waiting for us – sure you wanna leave him hanging?”

Gojo glowered at them, shifting from one to the other for a second or two, and then snapped, “Stay there!” and slid the door shut so fast it banged against the handle.

Yata heaved a sigh, reaching back to ease the tension at the back of his neck. “Pain in the ass,” he muttered.

Fushimi clicked his tongue. “I’d happily strangle this stupid brat.”

That at least got a huff of laughter from Yata. “Least you gave ’im hell – that was pretty cool, by the way.” He tipped his head a bit, feeling hesitant for no real reason as he offered up a genuine smile.

Fushimi blinked at him, raising a hand to adjust his glasses as if to mask his reaction. “You’re easily impressed,” he muttered back, gaze flickering away from Yata as his eyelashes lowered.

It was an oddly endearing reaction. Yata wasn’t sure why but his cheeks warmed all the same. “Yeah, well… ‘enemy of my enemy’, right?” He shrugged and let it drop there, feeling weirdly awkward. “If we’re lucky, Hisui’ll just give him the quartz to pass on to us and we can get the hell outta here without going in.” It wasn’t likely, but still possible if Hisui was busy with something.

“Mm,” Fushimi agreed, and clicked his tongue again. “Are the rest of them as bad as this?”

Yata didn’t even hesitate. “Yup.”

Fushimi’s frown deepened. “Great.”

There was no chance to respond to that, because the same loud footsteps from before approached and the door was flung open once again. Gojo glared at them both, reaching out to rap his knuckles against the wooden planks barring the entrance. They swung open as if they were all attached to a solid door. “Nagare said come in,” he grumbled, stepping back to give them space, “so hurry it up.”

Of course things couldn’t be that easy. Yata let out a soft ‘ch’ under his breath, moving to step forward.

“Is there a protection ward on this place?” Fushimi asked abruptly, halting him in his tracks.

Oh yeah… right.

“’Course there is,” Gojo answered impatiently, shifting irritably from foot to foot as he waited. His gaze narrowed. “Why, you got something to hide?”

Fushimi ignored him, gaze fixed on Yata instead. “Did you want to tell him first, or should I be a surprise?”

The prospect was too good to pass up. Yata grinned back, showing teeth. “Hey, everyone loves surprises, right? Let’s go.”

The corners of Fushimi’s mouth turned up; he let out an amused huff, shutting his eyes briefly. “Just remember this was your idea,” he murmured.

“What are you two blabbing about?” Gojo demanded suspiciously, as Yata moved through the doorway into the dark, empty room beyond. He took a few extra steps to leave space and turned just in time to catch Gojo’s jaw drop as Fushimi followed him, wings flaring out and horns sprouting from his head. “Wha… what… the hell?”

“That’s a good way to put it,” Fushimi drawled. His illusionary clothing shifted back into place, covering the expanse of pale-skinned chest that had automatically revealed itself when he’d stepped in.

A tiny thread of disappointment wormed its way into his thoughts; Yata shelved it firmly. Not now.

Gojo rounded on him, eyes blazing. “You brought a demon here? Are you crazy? Wanna start a war or something?”

Yata shrugged. “Hey, Munakata probably said something to your leader before we got here.” He spread his hands, widening his smirk. “Not my fault Hisui doesn’t pass that shit on to his doorman.”

Another furious flush crept onto Gojo’s cheeks. “Nagare’s gonna kill you,” he growled, and then managed a smirk, eyebrows lowered almost dangerously. “I hope he lets me do it.” Turning sharply, he headed for the back of the room. “C’mon!”

Yata waited while he opened up the trap door in the back corner, dim light from the opening glowing through. “Little shithead,” he muttered under his breath as Gojo climbed down the ladder and out of sight.

“That’s an understatement,” Fushimi murmured in response, and clicked his tongue. “After you, I guess.”

“Yeah, sure.” Might as well get this over with.

The ladder didn’t go down all that far. At the bottom was a short, narrow hallway leading to the main room in this dank, poorly lit basement. It had been designed – for some dumb reason – to look like someone’s bachelor pad. The tiled walls had a greenish tint, the carpet under the sofa and TV was threadbare, and there were boxes piled atop the cabinets and fridge. Gojo was lurking near the back, slouched against a wall near where a tall man in a priest’s robe was diligently hanging laundry from a wire. He paused every so often to lift a can from the counter behind him and take a long swig.

How’d you expect clothes to dry with no airflow in here, huh? It had to be some kinda spell they used, but the point of it wasn’t clear at all. Yata really didn’t get these guys.

Hisui Nagare himself sat on the couch, a tablet in his hands. He was dressed in an oddly formal way, black pants and suit jacket over a white shirt, but his hair was unkempt. When Yata stepped forward through the open door, he looked up from his work with a smile. “Ah,” he said, “Yatagarasu. Good of you to come.”

Yata clenched his teeth, but didn’t bother reminding him not to use the nickname. It wouldn’t make a difference. This guy could be frustratingly oblivious of other people’s preferences and feelings. “Can we just make this quick?”

“Of course. Iwa-san,” Hisui addressed the tall man, “would you be able to find the quartz that Munakata requested?”

“Sure thing.” Giving the shirt he’d hung one more tug, the man – Iwafune Tenkei – stepped back. He offered Yata a shrug and a smile and then turned to examine the drawers behind him. “Now where the heck did I put that…?”

Coulda got it ready when you heard I was here, assholes…

“I appreciate it,” Hisui responded smoothly, and let his gaze slide with obvious interest to where Fushimi had stepped up beside Yata. “What an extraordinary friend you’ve brought. Won’t you introduce us, Yatagarasu?”

Fushimi clicked his tongue before Yata could respond. “I’m fine with being a stranger.”

“Is that so?” Hisui blinked, tilting his head a bit as if trying to get a read on the situation. “I’m afraid I’m not quite familiar with the salient points of demon etiquette. My apologies if the request was impudent.” He set the tablet aside and leaned forward in his seat, bracing his elbows on his knees and creating a bridge with his hands, on which he rested his chin. It was an oddly hunched posture for him. “Perhaps I’m getting ahead of myself. I have a particular interest, you see.” He smiled again. “I’m very curious about the extent to which demonic illusion challenges reality.”

That must have been a pre-arranged signal, because faster than Yata could blink, Iwafune spun from the counter, pointed a gun at Yata’s head with uncanny accuracy and fired.

The instinctive rush of alarm and panic at being shot at struck him in the same instant that the shot itself rang out; Yata flinched back automatically…

… And barely managed to catch sight of a projectile from beside him catching the bullet mid-flight and knocking it aside.

The shock hadn’t quite faded but his body was already tensing for action; Yata whipped his head up just as Fushimi spun up two more throwing knives and slung them with practiced ferocity at Hisui, Iwafune, and Gojo, shifting as he did to place his body between Yata and them.

The reality of that deliberate movement stunned him even more than the sudden attack. Yata felt his breath catch in his throat, so sharply he nearly choked on it, and couldn’t help but stare at Fushimi’s back, tense and poised with his wings at full span. What is he…?

As expected, the knives bounced back harmlessly from their marks, falling to the floor in tandem. Hisui sat up straight in his seat, looking thoroughly pleased with himself as he regarded Fushimi. “It seems as though your demonic rank is quite high, to create an illusion of that caliber.” His eyes gleamed with interest. “As expected of Munakata’s protégé. I’m impressed.”

The tension seemed to ease off of Fushimi all at once; he straightened, letting out a sigh. “A trick, huh?”

“Hey, asshole!” Yata shook aside his own shock, focusing on glaring at first Iwafune and then Hisui. “The hell was that about, huh? Don’t just fucking shoot at people!” He balled his hands into fists. “You wanna start a fight?”

Gojo stepped away from the wall, placing himself between them and Hisui. “Try it, Shittygarasu. I’ll take on you and your pet demon both!”

Yata balled his hands into fists. “What was that!?”

“There’s no need for that, Sukuna.” Hisui settled his hands in his lap with polite diffidence. His eyes were still on Fushimi. “I expect you’ve noticed by now, but this room is warded against physical harm to any living being within its walls. My apologies for not mentioning it. It was necessary.”

Fushimi clicked his tongue, but didn’t answer. When Yata tilted his head to catch a glimpse of his face, he noticed that those grey-blue eyes were narrowed, fixed sharply on Hisui.

What the hell? Yata turned a glare in that direction as well. “Was that s’posed to be some kinda test or what?”

Iwafune chuckled. “I guess you could call it that.” He’d stowed his gun and was reclining against the counter, beer in hand. In his free hand, he hefted the chunk of rose quartz that Munakata had requested. “You wanna hand this off to our guests, Sukuna?”

“Huh? Why should I?” Gojo shot him a petulant look. “Do it yourself!”

Iwafune sighed. “Kids today. No respect for their elders.” He pushed himself away from the counter, crossing the room and even stepping around Fushimi with an apologetic grin to hand the quartz to Yata. “Thanks for your hard work.”

“The results were most enlightening,” Hisui added, pleasantly.

Yata scowled at him and then at Iwafune’s back as he retreated across the room, before letting out an agitated huff and depositing the quartz into his empty rucksack. Finally! “Shoot at me again and I’ll fuck this place up.” With a final glare for the inhabitants of the room, he turned to leave. “C’mon, we’re going.”

“Hah! I’d like to see you try, Shittygarasu!” Gojo taunted.

“That is the lamest insult I’ve ever heard,” Fushimi muttered, just loud enough for his voice to carry as they moved through the door.

Yata snorted. “Right?” He tossed a smirk over his shoulder at Gojo, who glowered back at him. “Like a grade-schooler trying to act tough.”

“What? You got a problem?”

Fushimi clicked his tongue, pausing at the base of the ladder for Yata to go on ahead of him. “What I have is a headache. What a noisy brat.”

“You’re telling me.” Yata let out a soft ‘ch’, climbing deftly toward the opening and hoisting himself out so that Fushimi could pass. “He doesn’t get any better the longer you know him.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”

Yata made a point of leaving Jungle’s front door wide open when they were through. Gojo was going to come up and close it pretty quick, but it still felt satisfying in a petty way to leave it like that. “Pain in the ass,” he muttered, pushing through the plastic of the construction zone with more force than was really necessary. He pulled his umbrella out of the rucksack, holding it ready to open when they reached the edge of the walkway.

Fushimi was right on his heels. “You weren’t kidding about that.” He clicked his tongue. “I hope you don’t go there often.”

“Not that often.” Thankfully. The interest in Hisui’s eyes kinda bugged him, though. “Hopefully he doesn’t start asking for a bunch of shit just ’cause you’re with me…”

“I doubt it.” Fushimi clicked his tongue again, lips curling. There was a frustrated edge to his voice. “He already got exactly what he wanted.”

“Huh? You mean that shit about your powers and all?” Yata frowned. “I didn’t really get what he was after. That was some kinda test, right? But why’s he so interested in you?”

“It’s not me.” Fushimi shook his head. His frown deepened. “I’m pretty sure that was aimed at the Captain. Nothing to do with me – unless…” He furrowed his brow, and then shook his head again. “No. That can’t be it.”

Yata stared at him, baffled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Obviously I don’t know the details, but it seems like the Captain has some kind of feud going on with that Hisui guy.” Fushimi shrugged. “Or maybe it’s a one-sided thing on Hisui’s part, but I doubt it. He outmaneuvered me too easily for the Captain to take him lightly.” He clicked his tongue again. “This wasn’t so much a test for me as scoping out what kind of force the Captain has behind him.”

“Seriously?” Yata blinked, surprised, and then narrowed his eyes. Kusanagi would probably wanna know if that wasn’t something he’d already picked up on. “You think he’s planning an attack?”

“Who knows,” Fushimi responded, slipping back into that drawling tone. “Could be just a battle of wits. I wouldn’t put it past the Captain.” He reached up to push his glasses higher on his nose. “Either way, it’s not like I’ll actually have anything to do with it. I can’t manifest on this plane without a contract.”

That was news to Yata. “Huh. Really?”

“Yes, really.” Fushimi’s voice was flat. “Only the elite ranks can – and there’s not all that many of them.”

“Oh.” Speaking of contracts, though… Yata shot him a sideways glance, the question he’d been holding back on asking surfacing immediately now that they were outside. “Hey… about earlier…” It felt awkward to ask, especially when Fushimi’s gaze shifted to him, but he had to know. “That bullet was coming for me, not you. Why’d you – ?”

“Of course it was,” Fushimi interrupted him, and clicked his tongue, turning to face forward again. He’d retracted his wings, tail, and horns again, and with his hunched posture and sour expression, he looked completely human. “I wouldn’t have to do anything if they’d shot at me. Guns are no use against demons.”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Yata insisted, his eyes still on Fushimi’s face as he did. “Why the hell’d you save me? You didn’t know about the ward, so you thought it’d kill me, right?” He narrowed his eyes. “Wouldn’t that be good for you? No more contract.”

There was a brief second of hesitation – not much of one, but with all of his attention focused on this, Yata definitely felt it. Fushimi dipped his head forward slightly, his frown seeming to deepen again. “That was… instinct. I reacted to your emotions.”

“My emotions?” Right, he had kinda panicked there, hadn’t he? Somehow, that answer was dissatisfying, though… Yata frowned. “So because I got freaked out, you moved without thinking?”

“Something like that.” Fushimi clicked his tongue yet again, looking disgruntled. “Seriously… again…”

“Huh? ‘Again’?”

“Never mind.” Fushimi picked up his pace, materializing an umbrella as he reached the end of the walkway and pushed through the plastic. “Like I said, it was just instinct. That’s all.”

That’s all? Something was still nagging at him – some fact or memory that contradicted that last bit – but Yata couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He hurried after Fushimi, passing through the plastic and staring at his back as he brought up his own umbrella.

His back. Right – that was it. The image of Fushimi’s tense back as he placed himself in front of Yata. Even just thinking about it sent chills through him – a kind of gratifying rush that he couldn’t explain. He hadn’t really needed it, but… He protected me. Even after knocking that bullet aside.

Somehow, that thought… gave him kind of a nice feeling.

Fushimi was a few paces ahead of him; Yata jogged to catch up. “Liar,” he said confidently, leaning forward to peer at Fushimi’s face again. “You moved in front of me before throwing knives at those guys – which was awesome, by the way! You’re pretty good!” He smirked when the compliment earned him a glance. “But seriously, you’re gonna call that instinct?”

The expression on Fushimi’s face was nonplussed; this time the hesitation was much more noticeable. He clicked his tongue, turning away again. “I told you, I wasn’t thinking,” he muttered, almost resentfully. “You’re reading too much into this.”

“Heh!” That reluctant attitude felt like a confirmation somehow. He’s not as uncaring as he acts, huh? The thought made him feel like a little of the distance between them had been crossed; Fushimi had saved him, even if it wasn’t really necessary, and Yata couldn’t help but warm up to him a bit. “You should be more honest, y’know. Trust me a little. S’not like I bite or anything.”

“You should learn – maybe then you’ll be quiet.” It seemed to occur to Fushimi what he’d just said, and some of the irritation faded from his expression. He let his eyes grow lidded, offering a twin to Yata’s smirk. “Actually, I could teach you.” When he spoke again, his voice was pitched lower and he drew his words out deliberately. “Unlike you, I do bite.”

The unexpected innuendo brought warmth rushing to Yata’s face; he sputtered for a moment, thrown off track. That’s kinda hot, his traitorous brain supplied – a thought he clamped down on immediately, pushing it to the far back of his mind. “Wait – that’s not what I – ”

“Hm?” Fushimi drew the hum out mockingly. “What did you mean, Misaki?”

“I – wait, hold up a second!” Yata scowled, glaring through the flush he could still feel on his face. “I never said you could call me by my first name!”

“Can’t I?” Fushimi’s gaze was smug. “I thought you said I saved you. Doesn’t that put us on a first-name basis?” Drawing each syllable out with relish, he added, “Misaki.”

“Ugh.” Yata glared at him, thoroughly disgruntled. “I take it back. Nothing about you is awesome.”

“Weren’t you the one talking about honesty just now? Hm, Misaki?”

“That’s totally different! Anyway, stop calling me that! We’re not that close, asshole!”

“Really? Is that the kind of gratitude you show to your savior?”

“Seriously, shut up!”

Even as they bickered on the way back to the train station, Yata still couldn’t shake the memory of Fushimi’s body deliberately moving between him and the perceived danger – or the shiver it sent through his own when he considered what it meant. Something had changed between them for sure this time, although he didn’t really know how much difference it’d make. He couldn’t tell where it would lead in the end either, but…

As surprising as it was, it turned out Fushimi Saruhiko was a guy he could trust with his life.

#k #sarumi #yata misaki #fushimi saruhiko #fanfic #fanfic:mine

1 note · View note